Transformation Space - Marianne de Pierres [83]
I know this place.
Your familia called it the Juanita mine, said Insignia.
But what is that object covered with Saqr?
Nova paused in her suckling, her face upturned. Wanton believes it to be Medium.
You can speak with Wanton from a-a distance?
As I can with you, Mama. Wanton’s energies are low, but it has listened to my description and recognises the craft.
Has … has Wanton told you what it is?
It’s a carrier of what he calls n-non-c-corpo-real Post-Species. Unlike his own Host family. Nova stumbled over Non-Corporeal, having several tries at expressing the concept. Her difficulty was a small salve to Mira’s anxiety. Perhaps there was yet some real child in the tiny body.
Does Wanton know what they are doing here? Mira asked.
Wanton says they need the same thing as him. A certain mineral.
‘Quixite.’ Mira said the word aloud. All the pieces of information she’d gathered since leaving Araldis began to arrange in a pattern. ‘They destroyed my world for it. But why Araldis? There are other places in Orion where quixite can be found.’
Not like this, Insignia reminded her. The alloy doesn’t normally occur naturally; it has to be manufactured. I have a little of it in my substructure. It helps me configure my body to accommodate my symbiote, and handle res-shift.
You’ve never told me that before.
It is very expensive. The Pod has had an agreement with a Post-Species supplier for many, many years.
Is that why you are permitted to trade with them when no other OLOSS members are?
Yes. That is part of it.
I don’t understand. If the Post-Species can manufacture it, why would they need this supply?
Naturally occurring quixite has been proven to have certain properties that the manufactured material does not. I imagine the Post-Species have a need.
Nova, could you ask Wanton if it has any knowledge of this.
Insignia and Mira waited while Nova conferred with the injured Extro.
Wanton is unsure. It wonders if maybe it is to do with longevity, in the way your innate genetics offered better Host a-amal-g-am.
Nova stumbled over amalgam, as she had Non-Corporeal.
Thank Wanton for me, Nova. Tell it that I will do everything I can to secure what it needs.
Wanton knows that already, Nova thought to her gravely. And then, in a way that Mira knew was only for her, she added, But you must be quick, Mama.
Mira leaned back fully into Primo and let it subsume her.
Insignia, she thought. Hurry.
BALBAO
The guards took Ra away without warning. Not a bad thing, Balbao thought, for the animosity between him and Connit was making it all very unpleasant.
The tension dropped, and one by one the others shared their stories. Balbao learned more about Sammy’s role in Consilience, and how she’d smuggled Tekton and a young scholar named Thales Berniere aboard. Hob shared his memories of the Stain Wars, which, though interesting, went on a little.
Balbao found himself changing the subject by voicing a question that had been burning his tongue.
‘Miranda, what did Lasper Farr mean by thanking you? What was the virus he mentioned?’
Miranda, who had begun to revive after several tubes of water and some repose, visibly flagged; she looked to Jise for support.
‘We have long had a policy of not discussing our personal projects for the Entity,’ said Jise limply.
Balbao scowled. ‘A moot point at this stage, tyro. The Entity is gone, and sharing knowledge may be our only means of survival.’
Sammy, Hob and Connit said nothing but watched intently.
Eventually, Miranda cleared her throat. When she spoke, it was only in a whisper. ‘My brief from the Entity was “Show transformation.”’
The others looked at each other, puzzled.
‘That’s all it said. From what Jise has told me and from what I can gather, it was the same for all of us. I interpreted within the only context I could – the medical model. Pathology is my special interest area, so I created a virus that changed – transformed