Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [89]
What is it?
Look closely.
Perspective tightened. The band remained thick but what had looked at first to be gas and then asteroid debris defined into grey spheres as large as medium-sized asteroids. A stream of them began peeling off from the rest and entering the shift queue in an orderly fashion. Mira strained to understand; to see properly.
And then it made sense. In a horrifying way. She remembered them on the studium archivolos of the Stain Wars, but not in numbers. There must be millions. Millions upon millions. Geni-carriers OLOSS had called them, although the Post-Species had their own name: Intuitive Incendiary transporters. Some said they were actually sentient, like suicide bombers. In the final stages of the war, Lasper Farr’s assailant ship had destroyed several Geni-carriers near the Mio moons. Then he’d turned on the OLOSS command ship in a bold display of assertion.
They are following Medium. Insignia’s voice sounded so solemn that Mira wanted to cry.
The biozoon continued. The explosive reaction caused by a single Geni-carrier could destroy half of Araldis. Reduce it to bare, broken rock. I have attempted to communicate the news to my pod, but farcast is restricted while we are here. I don’t have access.
We have to warn OLOSS! Mira’s lips moved in agitation. There are so many of them. In the war there were only a few, and the Commander destroyed them.
Most believe the Post-Species withdrew because their armaments were inferior. However, its possible that the Stain Wars were simply a trial run, to see the effectiveness of their weapons against humanesques and aliens.
Then you don’t think Commander Farr was the orchestrator of peace?
From the information you have shared with me about Commander Farr, I don’t believe he serves anyone other than himself. Whether his ambition is peace or not is difficult to predict.
Mira stirred in Primo, now restless in the comfort she had yearned to feel again. The vein adjusted around her, balancing her surge of adrenalin by stimulating other, pacifying chemical messengers. Can you get us through shift without trouble?
There are others of my kind in this system, hybrids, who have been trading. I believe that I can use them as distraction.
Then return to OLOSS space. We must try again to speak with them. And we cannot stay here.
Mira felt Insignia’s implicit agreement with that last thought. They were of one mind in this at least.
It will be dangerous to seek out OLOSS officials. OLOSS regards you as a criminal.
We must find a way despite that.
As the biozoon’s biologies altered rhythm in preparation to join the shift queue, Mira relinquished her concentration on everything.
She would sleep again now, because later. . .
TEKTON
Samuelle received the message in the infirmary, delivered by an anxious-looking humanesque. While they stepped outside to confer, Tekton watched the rather magnificent woman - Fariss - hover over Berniere. If pheromones were visible, the infirmary would be alight with them. Tekton felt a sliver of jealousy, even in his weakened state; the look of the bold woman sent his akula rushing.
Fortunately Samuelle returned before it swelled him in a way that couldn’t be ignored.
‘Consilience and OLOSS are meeting on Intel station. We leave in a few hours to attend,’ Samuelle announced to the room. ‘Now we have to find a way to get you both on board unnoticed. Fariss?’
‘I could take Thales on as my booty,’ Fariss said.
Samuelle nodded and glanced at Thales. ‘Dangerous, but believable.’ She beckoned to the attendant, who hastened into the room.
‘Cover his scars,’ Samuelle ordered. ‘Thales, Fariss will find you some suitable clothes.’
She turned her attention to Tekton. ‘You are more problematic, tyro. Your face is well known, and you are unmistakably Lostolian. I will have to think on it.’ She tapped her finger to her cheek. Her nano-suit emitted a faint scraping sound as she turned abruptly to face Jelly Hob. ‘Lasper wants you to fly his flagship.’
To Tekton’s astonishment the hobo’s eyes filled with tears, which proceeded to trickle