Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [48]
‘Si.’
‘It is possible that you are correct. Your energy was indeed drained from you.’
‘What do you mean?’ Mira refocused her attention. The water level was still rising. Would it reach them even at this height?
‘Wanton has discovered something.’
‘What?’ she cried impatiently. ‘What is it?’
‘There are subtleties amongst the Post-Species. Wanton’s kind chose to live as individual beings, with individual hosts linked by the Hue. Non-corporeal Post-Species are different. They are the Hue.’
Mira felt a little surge of desperation. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Once Wanton left the Hue, there should have been no commonality with others of my kind.’
‘But there is?’
‘Wanton has run a self-analysis of its inner self. A hidden portion of its core is responsible for the drain on Mira-fedor’s energy. Wanton suspects that the portion is still connected to the Hue.’
‘How? No, wait. . . tell me quickly ...what does that mean for us?’
‘Wanton means that any of his kind may select information from the Hue about Wanton’s location, at any time.’
‘They know where we are.’
‘Yes.’
‘Will they come after us? You said they never leave the Hue.’
‘They do leave the Hue. Mira-fedor has seen them on Rho Junction. However, ordinary Hosts do not go into the Bare World.’
‘And with the flood, surely they would not risk—’
‘Wanton is not sure. Mira-fedor’s importance to the Hue is significant.’
‘Why, Wanton?’ She stopped short of closing her fist on the Extro and shaking it. ‘For Cruxsakes, tell me the truth.’
‘Host bodies regularly suffer degradation. Your Innate DNA is much more resilient and sustainable. It is my kind’s desire to reproduce it.’
Again. Again. They sought it as the Principe Franco had. Her talent had become more burden than gift. ‘But you said they were studying my child?’
‘It is logical, then, that Mira-fedor’s child will have a similar talent. Possibly even more refined, and stronger.’
‘And does it?’
‘The study was not completed.’
Mira?
Insignia. Si?
I sense your distraction.
The Extro in my company says its kind wish to copy my Innate compatibility. Their Hosts degrade and die. I am more resilient.
Even over distance Mira felt Insignia’s disapproval.
It is not for another kind to take what is unique to ours.
I agree, but it is not the first time a species has tried to steal from another.
It is more than theft. It is - to use your humanesque term - cannibalism.
‘Mira-fedor. I think we are no longer safe,’ said Wanton.
Mira shifted focus to Wanton again. ‘Safe?’ The word cracked from her throat. It had been so long since she’d been safe, she could no longer remember the associated feelings. The impulse to toss the creature into the water returned, what with its weird naivety and frustrating manner. And yet it had shown her a form of kindness; given her opportunity to escape.
She lifted her gaze to the strange, cushioned roof of the Hue and saw the reason for Wanton’s concern. In the distance - hard to judge how far - several of the buttons had lifted and objects flew free from them.
‘Aves,’ said Wanton. ‘Unvogel most probably.’
‘Extinct birds?’
‘Extinction is an obsolete concept.’
Mira squinted to make out the size of the rising Aves. As large, she thought, as the Air Vehicles on Araldis. ‘Are they Hosts?’
‘Yes,’ said Wanton. ‘They are the equivalent of our soldier class. We are self-regulating within our own society but it is sometimes necessary to manage external problems.’
‘Si, I have seen your self-regulation.’ Insignia.’?
Yes, Mira.
Help us. Now!
THALES
Thales wandered aimlessly around the main recreation chamber. The Trade Fest was finished and only the stallholders remained, dismantling their displays and packing. Metal swarfs and leaflets and food scraps intermingled to create a carpet of litter and Au-cleaners scurried about sifting the debris into the funnels of their disposal units.
He could not put a name to his inner turmoil: disgust, frustration, anger, resentment, longing. So many conflicting emotions that one couldn’t be singled out from the