The navigator, p.54
The Navigator, page 54
Petal looked out the windows. It was the first time she'd seen the outside since boarding the Kingfisher. What she saw almost made her pass out. She staggered forward and put her hands on a chair back to avoid falling over.
Outside was space - empty space - a crushing abyss of blackness. Ea was gone. Its sun was a pebble-sized speck, barely brighter than any of the other stars that made up the galaxy.
Torfu was approaching to Petal's right. Its super-massive, swirling red exterior filled up several of the lounge windows. The Kingfisher was slingshotting around the planet at an unimaginable speed. She watched the gas giant swell to colossal proportions, and then shrink into a house-sized orb within less than two minutes.
The sight made Petal's head spin. She was millions of miles away from anything she'd ever known. Her body felt flabby and weak, like she was about to vomit. She walked through the rest of the empty lounge, in a trance, over to a small room that lay at the end of the level.
That room was a dead end. There was a window at eye level that showed nothing but stars and the great void beyond.
Petal wanted to die. She sat on the floor and rested her head against her knees. She started to cry, but fought it. She'd cried enough already. She stood up and walked back into the lounge with intense focus.
"Someone is here! You talked to me before! Where are you? Answer me!"
There was no response.
The stars began to bleed together, becoming long white streaks, instead of little, twinkling dots.
The Kingfisher was moving even faster.
"I will smash everything in here to pieces if you don't answer me!" Petal ran forward and grabbed one of the chairs from the lounge, wielding it like a club. "I will throw this through the window and space myself! I swear! I'll do it!"
"Those windows are heavily reinforced. It is impossible for you to breach them with that implement."
"Who are you?"
Petal looked up at the ceiling. It was dotted with yellow lights but no one was there. She felt insane; raving and shouting at nothing.
"I am Seraphim," the voice eventually answered. "Kingfisher A.I."
Petal dropped the chair.
Another A.I. . .
Petal began to pace around the lounge, eyes locked on the swirling star-streaks that now filled the windows.
"Does this ship have a crew? Can I talk to someone who's alive?"
"The Kingfisher was not assigned a live crew for this leg of its journey. This vessel is currently unmanned. I control all Kingfisher operations."
"I - I need to go back. I need you to take me back to Ea."
"Request denied. This ship's course has been set to the Terrelian Markets. ETA 527 hours. I will not be altering it."
"I order you to turn around."
"You lack the authority to issue orders aboard this vessel. This is a C.G.G. vessel under an Andrazi fishing charter. Consortium personnel have no authority here."
Petal's boldness faded. She sat down on one of the chairs, crestfallen and exhausted.
"Cynax gave you orders though, right?"
"Cynax-8127 is a C.G.G. official. A colonial surveyor. I am authorized to follow its commands. It requested the salvage of eight mining trellises from planet ZX-1-H23, as well as your evacuation and subsequent confinement aboard this vessel. I acceded to its requests."
Petal closed her eyes. She was so, so tired of arguing with machines. She debated smashing everything around her anyway, out of pent-up frustration.
"So you won't listen to anything I say?"
"I am listening to you now, but you cannot give me commands. You are under my control until you reach your destination. Please refrain from the destruction of C.G.G. property or I will make this voyage very uncomfortable for you. Consider this your final warning."
- 83-
Quill paused in a wooden companionway on the Typhoon, feeling a tinge of morning sickness. She pressed her hand against the bump on her belly and rested her head on the wall, dizzy and lightheaded.
"Are you ill?" Sejanus marched up behind her, putting his heavy, black gauntlets on her shoulders. "Perhaps you should save this visit for another time?"
Quill craned her neck so she was staring straight up at Sejanus, who towered over her like a bear. "I'm okay. Just morning sickness. It comes and goes. I'll be fine, just give me a minute."
Rho had sent for Quill a few hours ago, inviting her to visit him aboard the Typhoon. Quill initially decided to refuse his request. She thought Rho was an ass - and a dangerous, violent ass at that - but she was still curious as to why he'd want to see her. Especially after all that happened between them.
Sejanus had been with Quill when a messenger delivered the invitation, and he asked to come along as an armed, imposing escort.
Quill liked the idea. Rho already turned on her once before, and she'd noticed that Sejanus had become more protective of her lately.
He treated her as if she was carrying his child.
Quill continued down the companionway, Sejanus shadowing her every move, until she reached the hallway that led to Rho's cabin. She remembered that room from before, and being tackled to the ground and handcuffed in front of it. She knocked twice.
A young nomad sailor, no older than seventeen, cracked the door open.
"I'm here to see the Khan."
"And you are?" The boy was just a single brown eye behind the doorjamb.
"She is Clymene - Prophetess of the Khoi." Sejanus leaned into the doorway, just over Quill's shoulder. "Wise men do not keep her waiting."
The boy opened the door, gave a deep bow, and allowed Quill and Sejanus to enter the Khan's cabin.
Khan Rho was sitting behind his desk, studying a smattering of old nautical maps and crumpled yellowed papers. When he saw Quill walk into his cabin, he signaled for the cabin boy to leave, and for her to take a seat across from him.
Quill stared down at an empty chair, but didn't pull it out. She took a step back, scanning Rho's living space while flexing her toes, content to remain standing.
"Why did you send for me?"
"Quill." Rho stood from his chair. He slowly rounded his desk and walked up to her. "I understand that you probably never wished to see me again, but I'm very glad you've come."
"Why did you send for me?"
"I thought that you'd like to know that the Congress has voted for war." Rho pointed at the assortment of maps. "A combined fleet is being assembled as we speak. Soon, we'll be headed to the Continent."
"Judging by their comments, I didn't think they were going to side with you." Quill feigned disinterest.
"Yes, well. . .those in opposition happened to be the loudest and most persistent voices. I've been elected to serve as the commander for the attack. Khan of Khans."
"Congratulations."
"I will commence my attack in twenty eight days. In line with your prophecy. The Congress has their doubts, but I believe you. I believe in you."
"Good." Quill looked back to Sejanus, who was fiddling with Rho's chess set, pushing the pawns around the board and knocking them over with a horseman. "Good luck with the war then."
"Quill, I realize I've betrayed your trust - twice. Once on my ship and once through my orders to Atalai. . . who still remains missing. . .This may mean nothing to you, but I am very sorry. I would sooner kill myself than betray you again. I apologize."
Quill almost laughed in his face.
"What you did to me doesn't matter nearly as much as what you did to Petal. You ordered her death - throwing her into the sea. That's unforgivable."
"Yes. . .but. . .you know she's still alive, don't you? She's ascended."
"What are you talking about?"
"One of my scouting ships. I sent it out into the Kanya Lull, a few days ago, to keep watch for any P.R.K. incursion. I was worried that Kudu might attack the Raft while the Congress was in session. The ship's commander told me that on the second day of his watch, a creature burst forth from the sea, and was pulled into the sky. It was then swallowed by a great airship; the largest trell he could've imagined. His ship was nearly wrecked by the waves the creature spewed forth as it rose from the sea, but he survived and brought the news to me, just a day ago."
"I don't understand."
"I didn't know what this omen meant either, but I understand now. You said that Petal went to Amanahora. Well, she has ascended to the sky. She has ridden a trell into the heavens. She is truly with the gods now. This is a wonderful thing. Our world and theirs are now back in balance."
"The Kingfisher," Quill mumbled to herself. For a moment, a part of her felt very sad, but another part was elated. "Cynax really sent it for her."
"See?" Rho went to touch Quill's shoulders, but she backed out of his reach. "Good news, isn't it?"
Quill didn't answer.
Rho nodded at Quill's aversion to his touch, and then walked over to his desk. He picked up a crystal bottle of amber liquid. Alcohol. He poured a drink for himself, and one for Quill, and went to hand her one of the sparkling snifters.
"Ten years sober, but would you join me for a brief toast in celebration of Petal's ascent. . .and of your prophecy for our victory?"
"No." Quill made no motion to take the glass. "I'm pregnant."
"Oh." Rho put both glasses down with a clank. "I apologize. I didn't want to assume." He pointed at Sejanus. "Is he the-?"
"No, and that's none of your business."
"Sorry." Rho retreated behind his desk. "I didn't intend to intrude on your privacy."
Quill yawned. She hadn't had a good night of sleep since she and Petal parted ways. She decided she'd heard enough from the Khan, and was about to leave, when she thought of something to ask him.
Rho was no longer looking at Quill. He was studying his current charts.
"You're leading the attack, personally?"
"Yes." Rho nodded, not looking up. "The Typhoon shall lead the way. Our flagship."
"Right into Khai Shen, like you said in the Congress?" Quill rested her hands on Rho's desk, speaking a bit louder. "You're going to attack Baffin Island?"
"Correct."
Quill couldn't believe what she was about to ask, but she had to ask it.
"Can I come with you?"
"Yeuh - of - of course," Rho spluttered. "Whatever you wish. I owe you that - at least - after everything I've done. Although, I don't know why you would want to put yourself into the middle of a battle. Especially if you're pregnant."
"Junk."
"Hmm?"
"Petal's sister. Remember her? Wyman told me she's on Baffin Island. I told you that before. If you attack Baffin Island, I want to come along. I promised Petal I'd find Junk, no matter what. That little girl doesn't belong in the middle of a battle. I want to try to find her and protect her from whatever happens. Keep her safe for Petal."
"Well you are welcome aboard my flagship, as a guest with the highest honors."
Quill turned back to Sejanus who was still standing by the doorway.
"Would you come along too? I'd be more comfortable if you came with me as an. . .like a-"
"Shepherding the great prophetess back to her homeland is an honor I could not possibly refuse. But there's a large contingent of Jan-Jus that accompanied me here. Those Jan-Jus are hardened marines who would shine in battle against the great leviathan, but they don't have a vessel that could complete the voyage to the Continent."
"You and your Jan-Jus can sail on my flagship, Sejanus." Rho bowed to him, slightly. "You're welcome aboard as equals."
"Very well. Then it's settled." Sejanus winked. "Ah, to be home again. How I do anticipate the moment I'll be able to glance upon my native shores: the jagged skyscrapers, the snow-capped mountaintops, the towering evergreens, the scattering cherry blossoms, the smell of car exhaust and lemon grass, the sweet chirps of song birds. . .ah, to be home again. How I've missed it."
- 84-
Petal sat on a table in the Kingfisher's lounge. The stars filled the windows beside her with long streaks of white, which were undulating and uneven like psychedelic lighting bolts. A few planets passed by off in the distance, a blue smudge followed by an amber smear, soon fading into vast, abyssal nothingness.
The lounge was silent, there wasn't even a hum from the lights overhead. Millions of miles of space passed by effortlessly without a sound, like she was watching a muted television.
During her brief time on the Kingfisher, Petal had come to realize that she couldn't fight her way off the ship. She had no leverage over its A.I.. Her mother's memories and vast Khoi knowledge were useless. All of her threats, and screams, and enraged, childish tantrums did nothing to sway Seraphim or even get the A.I.'s attention. Her powerlessness made her feel physically weak and submissive.
Petal hated feeling weak. She'd always looked down on timid, fragile, and subservient women, thinking they betrayed her sex or stereotyped it. That was why she'd despised Quill at first. She was everything Petal wasn't and that Petal had tried her hardest not to be. However, over the course of their journey, Petal had come to respect Quill. Admire her, even. Quill was always able to get her way, and she did so without using threats, or guns, or even her fists. She could manipulate people using only her words and a bat of her eyelashes.
Petal closed her eyes and imagined herself as Quill, trying to guess how she'd talk to Seraphim.
What would you do, Quill? How would you convince Seraphim to go back?
Come on, Quill. Help me. . .
Petal walked up to the windows and stared into the void. She spoke quietly, like she wasn't expecting Seraphim to listen.
"Cynax lied to you. You do realize that, right? Cynax is using you, Seraphim. He's using you."
Seraphim didn't respond.
"Cynax damaged your ship. He was the one who overloaded that door, wasn't he? You wouldn't have done that. You control those doors. They're a part of you. Overloading them could have damaged them."
Seraphim said nothing.
"I bet he blocked you out of that hangar while he was talking to me. You didn't hear what he said to me, did you? While you were overloaded, he admitted lying to me and the C.G.G."
Still, Seraphim said nothing.
"Cynax is committing fraud, and you're helping him commit fraud. You're aiding him. Abetting him. Isn't helping him commit fraud against your C.G.G. directive? Isn't doing something like that against your programming?"
One of the overhead lights glowed for a moment, crackling until it looked superheated. It cast down two golden laser beams that zigzagged and swirled in the air, forming a single, ever-shifting image.
The image was a woman - a hologram - that looked like an exact clone of Petal. She was wearing a translucent shawl, a shimmering gold skirt, and opaque sandals.
The hologram stared at Petal. Its eyes flickered.
"What fraud has Cynax committed?"
"My planet. The planet you took me from. Cynax listed it as a dead world. He did the survey. You must have his survey in your databanks. Go ahead. Check them."
"Planet ZX-1-H23. Water world. Home to an ancient, sentient civilization. Experienced cataclysmic flooding in G.S.Y. 22629. Currently depopulated."
"But that's wrong. When you evacuated me there were ships on the horizon." Petal walked up to the hologram. "You salvaged eight trellises from across that world. You must have seen other signs that it was populated; other ships, smoke from settlements, whole cities even. Cynax's survey was a sham. He omitted all of that."
"You are implying that Cynax-8127 omitted the natives' existence from the survey?"
"Yeah." Petal nodded, jubilant she'd finally piqued the A.I.'s interest. "He and the Consortium were working together to colonize that world. He wanted to have a station built to study its sun. The Consortium was going to use Aii to wipe out everyone who already lived there - cleanse it - for colonization."
"Aii? Cynax-8172's programming would not allow it to take that course of action."
"That's why he used the Consortium. They could do it, and he could look the other way. They tried, but they wiped themselves out. All of them are dead now except for me. And my sister. Cynax deceived you, and you're helping him conceal his lies. You're acting contrary to your programming."
