29. Is there something you'd like to discuss with me, Simon?
Stargazer was stargazing again.
The Aurealian eye is more sensitive to dim lights than the human eye. They evolved on a dark world around a cool, dim sun. They are comfortable in the dark, and so on the many worlds they have traveled to they have practiced nocturnal habits.
Like stargazing.
The night sky, to her, was filled with lights too dim for her human counterparts to see unaided. Sometimes, when the weather was right, she could see the lights of the space stations and starships of her oppressors. Lately, she had been looking at those mobile, blinking objects and wondering "Is there a human on that?"
Tonight, she watched as one blinking object separated into three, and then another object came and they recombined. She had never seen anything like it.
Then, the Aurora began to glow again, as it had that night not long ago. Soon, the sky was once again filled with green beauty, stretching from horizon to horizon in all points of the compass. Soon, the human vessel was gone, and the lights dimmed back to normal. Stargazer’s hearts thudded inside her as she struggled to remain calm.
Had the humans abandoned them?
There were other ships, something happened before they left , she reminded herself. They may still be up there. Perhaps there is another explanation.
But inside, she did not believe it. She had been abandoned and disappointed too many times for that, and the small ember of hope that the human presence had kindled in her belly was too new to survive such abuse. Even as she trotted to the south to demand answers of Tanak, she felt the threatening edges of despair begin to reign her emotions once again.
Around her, the hunting ground became filled with songs of confusion, fear, and despair.
~~~~~~~~~
Simon was in trouble.
He’d known that yesterday, but he hadn’t realized how seriously until he’d looked at the after-action report on the assault of Horthus City. He had begun to take steps to hide what he’d done, only to find a message.
"Simon, I know. Don’t make it worse. I’m not going to say anything yet, but if you don’t come clean soon, he will find out on his own , or someone else will, which will be just as bad. He’ll be angry, but if you meet him halfway you can both get past it together.
"I know how smart you are, Simon, so don’t do anything stupid. I’ll give you until I return from getting the little ones somewhere safe to come clean on your own. If you haven’t by the time I get back, I’m sorry, but I’ll expose you myself.
"Confession is good for the soul."
Kathy had betrayed him. Would betray him unless he betrayed himself, but if he came clean then he would be placing his life in the mercy of Nathan Sawyer. And after yesterday, after seeing Nathan’s startling competence under pressure, Simon was afraid.
Because, by the book, Nathan was within his rights to execute Simon. To throw him out of the airlock without a vacuum suit. To shoot him in the head with any number of weapons that would leave a mess. No, Nathan was practical, it would be the airlock. Was that better or worse?
What should he do? What could he do? Kathy had protected all of the logs; perhaps he could bypass her encryption, but she would know that he had, if he did. And it would only compound upon his crime, making him look even worse. Nathan could only kill him once, but perhaps he had time to fix things.
Simon was critical to the Theseus’s mission. That much was indisputable. If he could prove himself, redeem himself, between now and the completion or failure of the Theseus’s primary goals, then perhaps he could earn a reprieve until they were back into UEOSC space. Then he could flee, run from Nathan’s wrath and the United Forces and every memory of the Theseus and that a young chimpanzee named Simon had ever been part of the crew.
Because a petty act of his had critically impacted the operation and outcome of a combat mission, and if Nathan ever found out, Simon was quite certain that he would die.
~~~~~~~~
His name was not Tanak. He was Nameless. But sometimes he dreamed of having a name, and when he did he always dreamed that it would be Tanak, for the scar on his chest. It was a good name, and a good dream. Many Nameless had dreams like this, it was not discouraged. Dreaming of a Name kept you motivated and working hard, and many Nameless had one picked out already. One that they would never use.
Like many Nameless, he had been alarmed at the human aggression yesterday. More so than most because of their target. If the humans destroyed the source of Aurealian game, then there would no longer be need of a game keeper. Tanak’s comfortable life would disappear, and in order to remain worthy, he would have to find a Named One and ask for some new task. His family depended on him, his mates and his children both, to prove that they were worthy of existing by demonstrating his own worth.
That was the way of things. Those that were not worthy of existing did not exist for long. It was eat, or be eaten, in a literal way which would terrify a human not initiated into the Jurassian mindset.
He had waited for updates as the battle had progressed, fearing the worst. When the humans died, when their automated soldiers destroyed them all rather than being taken prisoner, he had celebrated like everyone else. But then, instead of moving on with his life as everyone else did, he had listened for more news. News on the cloning facilities and the extent of the damage.
It was only when his direct superior had contacted him and asked him why he was not checking the food drops that he realized the hour. He had taken the opportunity to ask the questions which had been burning in his mind.
"We don’t know. The humans did severe damage to all of them. We don’t know if or when we’ll be able to fix them and return them to operation. For now, we are suspending all hunting activities not approved of Horthus or his direct subordinates. And the Human quadruped soldiers took a lot of the game subjects into the light with them, the bastards. But if the Aurealians that we have left to be hunted are all that we will ever get, then making certain they eat is even more important than it was before," his superior had informed him. "I do not know what that means for you long term, but for now you must continue as you have always done."
"Thank you, Losha. That is very reassuring. I will check all of the drops within the western quadrant today."
"Yes, get to work ‘Tanak,’" she teased. She was a good Named One to know that he had a Name picked out, even if she would never give him the right to use it. "Your work has become more important than ever before. When the last Aurealian dies on the teeth of one of the elites, then I shall do my best to ensure you are given a new task that matches you well."
"This Nameless One thanks you for your consideration, kind one Losha. I shall endeavor to prove my worth," he said, the formal words carrying surprising meaning as he received her promise. She was Named, if she kept him with her after his old role was complete, then his future was secure!
"Go get to work! Those Aurealians aren’t going to feed themselves! Well, they will, but not unless we keep the drops fully stocked."
The communication network dropped the connection as she dismissed him. Quickly, he composed a small note to his mates with a short summary of the good news, he did not want them to worry unduly as he had been all day long. He was exhausted, having stayed up through most of the day, but he would fulfill his duty before he took his rest.
Unlike the hunters, he never made attempts at stealth. He knew how foolish they were to begin with; the Aurealians could hear so clearly that the gentlest step in soft loam was like hail on tin. If they were listening for footsteps, and all but the youngest kips new to the hunting grounds were always listening for the footsteps of hunters, then they would know that you were there. The only thing that the Aurealian wouldn’t know, necessarily, is whether the hunter had picked up their particular scent trail.
But then, that too was part of the hunt. The Aurealian would know that the hunter was there, but they would not know if they should break cover or not. The skilled hunters were those who pretended to be wondering blindly, as though the entire hunting grounds was not covered with distinct and obvious tracks and scents.
Ironically, it was Tanak’s disregard for stealth which allowed him to move somewhat freely without disturbing the Aurealians. They knew him and his task, and while they never considered him anything other than a known threat, they made no great attempts to hide or disguise their trail when he was about. They knew he was there, he knew they were there, and they ignored each other, mostly.
Which is why the Survivor suddenly popping out of cover – again! - alarmed him so.
"You again, my friend? This is the second time in … two, three days? But perhaps I should not be surprised, the last time you came seeking knowledge, news yes? And now the same portents light up the sky as before. Perhaps you fear that the humans have abandoned you?"
The veteran survivor – he was surprised how large she was, compared to the scampering Aurealian kips he was used to seeing break cover when his path came close to their hiding place – held her spear defensively, but made no more attempts to communicate than that.
"Yes, of course. I cannot understand what you say, so why even try? But I have good news to share with you! It is strange that it is good news, but for the two of us it is very good indeed. The humans have attacked and destroyed the birthing facilities from which all of your kind on this world come. They did so at great cost, as the outcome was a clear military victory for my people and we believe their casualties to be severe. But there will be no more Aurealian kips to stock the hunting grounds with. This means that my job has become more important than ever, and for you? It means that only Great Horthus himself may authorize a Named One to start a hunt. You will still die here, but Horthus is wise. He will not squander the quarry that he has quickly, he will dole out hunts over the years as great rewards and prizes to his valued subordinates. You have perhaps gained many years of life thanks to the sacrifices of the humans, because I believe it will be a long time before Horthus authorizes the Final Hunt on the last Aurealian on his planet."
Alien as she was to his sensibilities, even Tanak could see that she was shocked by the news and was having difficulty processing it. Then she vanished, although not entirely. She had surprised him, cleverly concealing herself and ambushing him on his established route, but now that he knew she was there tracking her would be a tadpole’s task.
But he had food drops to check before he slept.
Pleased with his life, he set out at a brisk pace as Stargazer sought the nearest high place to sing the news that he had given her. For the destruction of the birthing places and the death of the false songstress would be joyous news indeed.
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~~~~~~~~~
"Hello, Exalted Horthus, I am pleased that you have deigned to see me today," Jon said. "I have been teaching your generals to play -"
"Yes, I know," Horthus introduced him. "Seefius taught me as well. She seems to think that if I did not challenge you, it will look as though I am avoiding doing so to my generals. Foolishness, of course."
"But being in charge means worrying about appearances, whether you’re human or Jurassian. I’ve been meaning to ask, is there a term you would rather I use for your species?" The human’s hologram was sitting at a table, which had an igo board set up upon it. It was all holographic of course, the human had been moved via high-speed shuttle to a room six hundred kilometers away last night, but the synchronization was real-time.
"We have no word for it. We are simply us . Everything else is not. It is only when we meet others of us that names become important. I do not understand the need of humans to name every single thing so many times."
"It is a human thing. There are many human things that we thought universal to all sapients until we started uplifting our friends from earth, and then we were surprised again when we met your kind and the Aurealians. I’m sorry to repeat the question but I really do wish to be polite. May I refer to your species, your ‘us’ as the term we humans have been using, ‘Jurassian?’"
"I have no issue with it," Horthus confirmed. "Place a chair, I wish to challenge him to this human game for children."
A nameless was already in the task as he had spoken. The connection was secure; although Jon had spoken with numerous generals in the time between the conclusion of the battles yesterday and now, they were alone now, except for Nameless attendants.
"Go, or igo, is not just a child’s game. We teach it to children because the rules are so simple that it’s easy for them to learn, and because playing it helps their brains develop to think strategically. But it’s played by adults of all ages. I have been playing since my grandfather taught me when I was six years old, which was almost one hundred and sixty years ago objectively. We have a number of classic games like this of various difficulties. Chess, checkers, monopoly, starcraft. Humans have many, many games. I thought I would share this one because it’s what I know the best."
"Then let us begin. I will go first," Horthus declared, and indicated where he wished his stone.
"Go again," Jon said. Horthus looked at him, confused. "When a new player is learning the game from a master – and I am considered a master at this game among those who play it – it is customary for the master to provide them with a handicap. A deliberate weakness to equalize the difference in skill level. For go, we do this by letting the less experienced player place multiple stones at the start of the game, and then playing according to the standard rules after that. There is no shame in it, all of my opponents yesterday were placing between three to eight stones."
"How many did Seefius place?" Horthus demanded.
"Eight the first game, three the last. She was quite good."
Horthus grinned. He had been busy since the end of their rest period, but Seefius had convinced him to keep playing the strange human game whenever time allowed to prepare for this challenge. He had managed to beat in both of the last two games.
"I will place three, then," he declared.
"Are you certain? I am not playing multiple games at once today. Ten to fifteen would be a more-"
"I will place three," Horthus repeated.
"As you wish, Exalted one," Jon acquiesced, bowing his head in a motion that Horthus was coming to realize meant ‘respect’ in humans. "It will be a private game between us anyway. None of the generals from yesterday wished to have their scores revealed to anyone."
"Were the scores lost?" Horthus asked as he finished placing his stones.
Jon immediately took his turn. "Of course not. I recorded their entire games. If you’d like to review them, I can send you the data. But I will not send the information to anyone aside from you unless you specifically instruct me to do so. Is this appropriate? I wish to establish trust with both you and your -"
"It is entirely appropriate," Horthus assured him. "In my games with Seefius I saw value in using this game to judge a player’s mind. I believe I will begin to have all of my generals play each other in the near future and evaluate their ability accordingly."
"Oh? A Jurassian go tournament, that will make headlines back home, in certain circles."
As they spoke, they quickly exchanged turns, filling the go board with holographic beads of white and black.
"We must discuss your body," Horthus informed him eventually. "I will not have antimatter upon the surface of the same planet that I reside. Not in any amount or any distance from me personally. It bothers me enough to know that it is in such significant quantities in orbit."
"I understand. Rest assured that Yosca safety standards are extremely strict in the storage and disposal of antimatter fuel. We have ways of burning it off into … well, it’s a way of spending the energy in a sort of subspace instead of realspace. It’s an emergency method to keep it from exploding. It’s a safe method that does not pose a risk to biological life, although it does make a significant ‘splash’ in subspace that can be seen for thousands – perhaps millions – of lightyears. As for the smaller amount which is within this body, I have a solution for disposing of that safely which will only require your permission."
"And this solution is?"
"I exchange my combat prosthetic body for a civilian grade one. One that has been made strictly with technology which is not restricted for use within the conflict zone and which can be left behind by the Theseus. There would be no antimatter or self-destruct method, and I would even submit to your scientist’s attempts to study it. The Theseus would have their combat technology back, I would have an operational body which I could live the rest of my life in on this planet, and you would have secured your planet from the threat of an antimatter explosion. Win, win, win. Everybody wins."
"Your body is your weapon, and you would willingly disarm yourself?" Horthus demanded, shocked. "This would be as though I passed on my rule before the end of my life! Unheard of!"
Jon chuckled. "It is not so uncommon among humans. We have a concept, we call it ‘retirement,’ in which we decide that we have worked for long enough, and we simply spend the rest of our lives peacefully with our families. In a strange sort of way, it could be said that that’s what I chose when I surrendered to you yesterday. It’s a sort of working retirement option. I am no longer a true representative of Yosca, nor am I captain of the Theseus. For those reasons, I’m technically no longer authorized to use this prosthetic body. Fortunately, I have several spares along just for this sort of occasion."
"And you are not worried that we will injure you? That we will extract your remaining biological components and study them, and without your weapons you will be unable to resist?" Horthus demanded. He had already lost the game, he knew, but they kept playing.
"All prosthetic bodies contain a method of euthanasia, of voluntarily ending their occupants life. You could not torture me. What you do with my mortal remains after that? I don’t really care too much. Ideally you would return them to my family, as that would be the custom of my people. But I came prepared for the eventuality that they would remain in your possession for study or disposal, including your traditional method. It is why I warned you yesterday that my brain tissue is likely toxic to Jurassians, although that has not been tested explicitly."
Horthus focused on the game for a moment as he thought. He had been trounced, there was no denying it, but he was not insulted. His position as supreme of the Horthus system was not in question, especially not as a result of a silly game with a human . But he had hoped to do better. "I wish to get this antimatter off of my planet as soon as possible. Send a message to your Theseus’s new captain as soon as possible to make this happen."
"Oh, um, about that. They’re not taking my calls anymore," Jon explained, sounding somewhat sheepish. "I’m happy to record a message, but you’ll have to broadcast it to them for me. All of the quantum relays between this body and the Theseus were destroyed yesterday as part of my surrender."
"Then once we complete the next game, you will record this message," Horthus declared. "I believe I will place five stones this time."
"As you wish, Exalted One."
~~~~~~~~~
Lucy studied the readouts of the canister she had liberated yesterday. She was concerned, because although she had determined what it contained with near certainty, the implications were troubling, and she was uncertain who to approach first.
If she had not picked it up, an act which she had done as almost an afterthought in seeing how the Horthian researcher had protected it with her body, then yesterday’s mission would have been a complete failure. The Horthians could have simply waited for the Theseus to leave and rebuilt their cloning project. The ancient facilities were effectively destroyed, but a cloning facility was a cloning facility and the Jurassians had enough of them stashed throughout space that they could figure out how to build a new one.
But cloning required genetic material as a base. While it was possible to clone an individual by ‘shocking’ adult cells back into a primordial state, such clones were inferior to those based on undifferentiated cells. And, in fact, many Aurelians consumed medication that, upon death, quickly degraded their genetic structure, making cloning those individuals outside of worlds like Horthus prime impossible.
Lucy knew this for two reasons. One was that she had been briefed in preparation for this mission – unlike Nathan, she thought with amusement – and the other was simply that she was Gorilla sapiens . Like humans, uplifted gorillas had a drive to know where they had come from. Unlike humans, they had an answer, although where their ancestors came from remained obscure to time. Most uplifts – primate ones at least – become passingly familiar with genetics and medical technology early in their education for this reason.
There was another reason that securing the canister was so important, she realized. They were embryos . Meaning that they could be implanted. Project uplift did not use cloning machines. They genetically modified their subjects and implanted them in the wombs of their native species. The same method could be used by the Jurassians with living Aurealian females, if they had managed to retain possession of this canister and the precious embryos it contained.
Assuming that it was the only one.
She needed to talk to Nathan, to explain to him that the scope and difficulty of preventing the Horthians from reestablishing Horthus Prime as a hunting ground had just expanded. Lucy knew this would upset him, but he was captain now and needed to be informed. But She did not rush to alarm him; she had more information to gather first.
"Athena, initiate PMT transfer. Bring me to Simon using maximum reasonable safety measures. Initiate transfer at your convenience," she said offhand.
The Rodentia corps had been the ones to sap the buildings, but Simon had controlled the actual demolition. If he didn’t know whether or not all of the genetic information of a facility was destroyed, he would have retained enough control to figure out how to check, and where to look to find any that might have been missed.
She knew the moment she saw him that something was wrong. He was chimpanzee, not a gorilla, but they were both primate enough to see that he was afraid, hiding something. And the way he jumped three feet in the air when she cleared her throat only confirmed it.
"Is there something you’d like to discuss with me, Simon?" she asked, deciding to get his problem out of the way first.