Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [83]
‘How did he know which one it was?’ Like everyone else, Jo-Jo had seen virtual re-enactments. OLOSS had a hidden command ship.
‘He was on their side. At least, that’s what they thought up until then, they must have given him the intel. The threat to the C-ship was enough to delay a decision on the Extras. By then the humanesquitarians were involved. The Extras looked like they’d showed the yellow flag and OLOSS got pressured into letting them go home. Lasper got to be hero and peacemaker in one sweet move.’
‘He musta made some enemies that day.’
‘You’d think. But OLOSS came off looking good in the end. Benevolent. That soothed things some. Don’t imagine that there’s much trust there, though.’
‘So Consilience is just a farce?’
‘No!’ Rast was sharp. ‘There’s plenty among them that were...are...committed to peace. I just ain’t so sure that Lasper’s one of them. Nor, I’d reckon, are they.’
‘They feed his fighting force though, with their members.’
‘And will do until the time’s right to change things.’
They were both silent for a bit.
‘So you think this place is a bunch of voices or consciousnesses that can communicate at light speed, but they’re socially organised as well — just like any sentient group?’
‘Well, I wouldn’t go thinking they’re just like humanesques.’
Rast made a sound that could have been a sigh. ‘You’re right there.’
Another silence.
‘Do you think our conversation’s on some broadcast channel round this joint?’ she asked.
‘You and I?’ Jo-Jo thought about it. ‘Hard to say. It’s like each voice has a private space and from there you have to consciously reach out to communicate. I found you this time even though I couldn’t hear you.’
‘How’d you do that?’
‘Not sure. There’s a marker in my brain now. You’re up top left on the Ferris wheel.’
‘What?’
An explanation would have sounded straight-up crazy. ‘Forget it. Just an image I’ve got of things in my brain. I noticed something else - not sure what it means.’
‘I’m listenin’.’
‘The voices I heard in the chat cache were real flat - lacking normal expression. Dunno, maybe I just couldn’t pick it out with all the input.’
‘Or ... it could be a downside of the transforming process,’ she said.
They were both silent for a bit.
‘That’s the first good news you’ve given me,’ she added.
Jo-Jo pictured Rast’s lean face, her blue eyes narrow in contemplation. He suddenly craved real sight. ‘How so?’
‘Think about it. If they have different social cues, it might mean we can talk. . . privately.’
He so wanted to nod. She was right. ‘Worth a try.’
‘You first then.’
Jo-Jo thought for a moment before he spoke. ‘It’d be sad to see the Extros have problems with OLOSS.’ He ladled sarcasm into his voice.
‘A shame,’ agreed Rast, with equal mockery. ‘We should do our best to support a peaceful outcome.’
‘Maybe I’ll go sec if I can rally up a peace movement.’
‘You do that, Josef. I’d like to join it - can you help me out of here so I can participate?’
‘Do my best to make that happen,’ said Josef. ‘Back when I can.’
He let his focus drift back out to the clamour.
Suddenly, he was feeling a whole lot better.
THALES
Thales surfaced from a semi-sleep state, gasping for breath, his arms thrown wide in a startled manner. He snatched his arms back, embarrassed, and rolled instinctively onto his side towards a wall.
Where was he?
Fariss had brought him here. Saved his life and brought him here. To . . . whatever the place was called. Shell place. Sam - Samuelle - old face, young body. She wanted his DNA. He must have fainted. And now?
He heard doors open; a concerned voice speaking in Gal. Something about getting on a bed.
Thales began to roll over to see what was happening but his movements were slow. Before he could sit up a figure loomed close to him; a face and the smell of something sour. Paper-thin lips parted and vomit splashed onto his feet. Worse than