Merkiaari Wars: 03 - Operation Oracle Read online

  “Hmmm,” Chailen said. “At least we have fresh water here. The other districts don’t even have that.”

  “Is it very bad out there?” Shima said because Chailen expected her to, not because she cared. “How do people live?”

  “With difficulty. Most still live in a keep, but come here to salvage things to trade. Some are trying to start over. I saw them clearing streets. I swear some of them were talking about bringing machines to pull down the old buildings to make room for new ones.”

  “They would do better to wait. We need electricity here before anything else, and water to all districts of course. I remember seeing... before I mean. We fought the Merki in amongst those buildings and I saw broken water mains.”

  Chailen moved and brushed Shima’s back legs and tail. “True, but I think they plan to do that as well.”

  Shima growled in annoyance. “Snow will stop them before they can finish. Has Sharn mentioned going back to the keep for the winter with you?”

  Chailen remained silent, and Shima’s mood darkened further. He had then. No doubt Chailen had refused to go back to the keep for Shima’s sake. The keeps, refuges against the Merkiaari though they were, would be a living hell for her. Shima remembered longing to be safely under a trillion tons of rock when she’d led Kazim out of the city. Now the thought horrified her. She was barely holding on to sanity now, and she spent most of her time in the garden. Under the mountain, she would go insane, lost in the dark, a never-ending void. She couldn’t do that, she just couldn’t.

  “You should go,” Shima whispered. “It’s... it’s the right thing for you.”

  Chailen turned off the dryer. “Done. We must go down to our guests. I think keeping such important personages waiting even a half seg like this is close to insult.”

  Shima blinked. She sounded as if she hadn’t heard a word. “Chailen—”

  “No!” Chailen snapped. “I do not hear, I won’t hear. Not this!”

  Shima sighed and stood up on her hind legs. As before, Chailen took her arm to lead the way through the eternal dark to where Sharn entertained their guests.

  The harmonies revealed the room to be crowded. Apart from Sharn, there were two more Shan males and three Humans, one of them female. She recognized all of them and felt her spirits rise despite herself. Kazim was a regular visitor, if she considered a few times a season regular. She supposed she did. Varya though, he had never visited before—too busy hunting down Merkiaari stragglers. She could hardly wait to quiz him about his missions and adventures. The Humans though...

  “James!” Shima cried in delight, and his aura brightened as he came forward to greet her. Chailen stepped away, making Shima sway a little before James hugged her. “I’m so happy to see you. How is Brenda?”

  James hugged her tightly, pressing his cheek to the side of her face. “She’s fine, still busy as always. She sends her love.”

  “Take mine back to her,” Shima said, clutching him and holding on. She hoped he couldn’t tell how desperate that hold was, but he probably did. She was shaking. “What are you doing here? I thought you were still following Tei’Varyk around.”

  James stepped back a little but held her hands. “Oh yes, I’m still doing that. Not sure for how long though, now that the fighting is done. I expect the Council will give me the boot—err that is, replace me—anytime now. I’m sure the elders will be glad to see the back of me.”

  “Nonsense!” Sharn said, and Chailen agreed. “Our people honour you highly, James. You will always be welcome.”

  “Well,” James said and cleared his throat. “Yes well, it won’t be a Shan decision I’m afraid. Besides that, I’m no politician, Shima. I’m a teacher. You can’t really blame the Council for wanting a proper diplomatic mission here.”

  Shima snorted derision. “Blame them? Perhaps not, but will this diplomatic mission be as useful as you’ve been? I doubt it.”

  James laughed. “I know what you mean, but at least a proper mission will have the authority to make decisions that bind the Council. I really don’t have any at all, Shima. I can only advise and strongly suggest, not make binding agreements.”

  “Do you miss your students then?”

  James didn’t answer immediately, but then he sighed abruptly. “No, not really. There’s a very old saying among my people, Shima. It goes: those who can, do, those who can’t, teach. I’ve found watching history being made an addictive thing. I much prefer being part of it over teaching others about it after the fact.”

  Shima could understand that. She turned toward Kazim where he stood watching. “So, you decided to show up did you?”

  The others laughed.

  “I’ve been busy!” Kazim protested. “Besides, the last time I visited, you ignored me.”

  Shima spluttered. “That’s because you kept asking impertinent questions. I bet you have that camera in here right now!”

  “Well...”

  “You have?” Shima gasped. “You’re unbelievable!”

  Chailen laughed. “He has the camera with him, Shima, but I made him switch it off until we give him permission to use it.”

  “They always argue like this. They sound like an old mated couple,” Sharn whispered to Varya. “Do you think they will?”

  “Mate you mean?” Varya said. “Wouldn’t surprise me in the least.”

  Shima’s ears heated and she turned to Varya. “Be welcome to my home, Varya. May you live in harmony. What took you so long to visit me?” She knew his reasons already, but wanted to twit him like in the old days. “Replaced me quick, didn’t you.” The room went uncomfortably quiet and Shima cursed herself. She hadn’t meant them to take it seriously. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “I know,” Varya said. “But there’s truth in your words. I did replace you, or a replacement was provided. His name is Justika, and he’s a fine warrior and hunter, but he’s not you, Shima. No one could ever replace you.”

  “I...” Shima’s voice failed and she bowed to him. “I thank you.” She stepped further into the room to greet Gina and General Burgton, but stumbled into the table. Gina was across the room in a blink to catch her. Vipers were very fast. “Thank you. My own fault. I rarely come in here now and I forgot it was there.”

  “You all right now?” Gina said in flawless Shan and still holding her. “Would you rather sit?”

  “Yes I... yes I will sit,” Shima said in a small voice. Her confidence had taken a beating. She couldn’t even cross a room without help. Gina guided her to a mat and she sat. “Please, everyone sit and be comfortable.”

  The harmonies showed Shima everyone moving to find places. Chailen left the room but came back inside just moments later with refreshments. Everyone took a cup and murmured their thanks.

  “General Burgton, I did not mean to be rude. Welcome, may you live in harmony.”

  “Thank you, Shima,” Burgton said. “No need for apologies and no need for ceremony between friends. I get way too much of that.”

  Shima blinked uncertainly. “You’re here as a friend?”

  “I am,” Burgton said. “I’m sure others will think of this visit as politics in action or will attribute some other nefarious reason to be named later, but be assured that I’m here to support you and a promise made to you.”

  Shima’s heart pounded. “A promise,” she whispered, trying not to let hope overwhelm her.

  “It’s time, Shima,” Gina said gently. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long, but the fighting on Harmony took longer than I thought. That’s done with now. We, vipers I mean, are going home within days. Fifth Fleet is staying of course, but it’s time for us to go home. We’re here to bring you with us to our ship.”

  Shima reached to Chailen who was standing nearby. She clutched her sib’s hand. “I’m to go with you?”

  “If you still want to, yes,” Gina said. “I promised you new eyes, Shima. You must come home with me to... for us to fix you.”

  “Gina is correct. I’m sorry we can’t do the
work here, Shima,” Burgton said. “My ship is equipped to repair my vipers not Shan. We’ll need to run tests and learn more about your people from a genetic standpoint before we can try to grow new eyes for you. Fifth Fleet does not have the expertise, but I have everything you need on Snakeholme. Will you come?”

  “Yes,” Shima said managing not to shout the word. “I’ll come right now.” Chailen squeezed her hand.

  “There’s time,” Gina soothed. “Our people are still loading our gear back aboard. The plan is to jump outsystem the day after tomorrow.”

  “Can we come?” Chailen said abruptly, and Shima looked up sharply. “Sharn and I have talked about it. He and I are healer caste and although I’m still in training, he has passed his testing. We can help you, General, but even if you do not need us, Shima is my only sib. I want to be there.”

  Shima didn’t allow Burgton to answer. “You and Sharn should stay here, Chailen. You’ve done enough for me already.”

  Chailen growled angrily. “You... no, we have guests. I will not fight with you. Imagine yourself in my place, Shima. Imagine me blinded, or paralysed, or any other terrible thing that leaves me helpless. At what point would you say I’ve done enough for you, Chailen, you’re on your own now?”

  “That would never happen!” Shima snapped without thinking. “I mean... I...”

  “You see?” Chailen said smugly. “You can’t defend it. You cannot put limits on my love, just as I cannot put limits upon yours.”

  “But your lives here!”

  Sharn laughed. “What life?” he said bitterly. “Everything’s gone; everything I worked for is destroyed. I’m not even a healer anymore. I spend my days grubbing in the dirt and ruins looking for things to trade. That’s my life now.”

  Shima was stunned. Sharn had said nothing about this! She realised now that Chailen and Sharn had been shielding her from the reality of life in post war Zuleika, and she hadn’t questioned it. By the harmonies what a fool she was. They had cared for her, fed her, and seen to it that they all survived in a city without power and she had spent her time in the garden. Oblivious.

  “I’m so sorry,” Shima said. “If not for me you would still be in the keep—”

  “Don’t start that again! Our lives don’t orbit yours, Shima. You’re not the centre of the harmonies cursed universe!” Sharn cried. Chailen tried to calm him, but he wasn’t having any of it. “Stop coddling her! It’s made her worse not better!”

  Shima’s temper flared. “I’m blind, curse you! What do you want me to do, go out and trade with you? I can’t see!”

  “And that’s all there is to you, true? You haven’t got a disability; you are a disability and a liability to those who love you.”

  Shima spluttered. “How dare you! I’ll rip your ears out by the roots!”

  Sharn laughed. “The Blind Hunter could certainly do it, but you’re just poor blind Shima aren’t you? Nothing to fear in you, is there? Woe, I can’t do anything, woe I’m blind I wish I were dead.”

  “You’re baiting me?” Shima whispered feeling the rage building. It felt good. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  Sharn was abruptly calm. “Do you know what it’s like knowing your mate will cry herself to sleep every night because her only sib wants to die?”

  “No,” Shima whispered, chilled by his words. Chailen was doing that? Oh harmonies say it wasn’t so.

  “Do you know how helpless and useless that makes me feel?” Sharn went on relentlessly. “How about you stop thinking about what you can’t do, and start thinking about what you can do for Chailen?”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “I don’t want your apology; I want to see some action!”

  Shima’s rage slowly cooled, but what could she do? She didn’t want to be blind and helpless! It wasn’t her fault! That was all true, but perhaps she could try harder not to let Chailen see her despair, and if she really could be cured, it wouldn’t even be pretence any more.

  The harmonies showed her that all the Humans were worried now. She could tell quite a bit about them after living and fighting beside James for so long. Their scent combined with the harmonies told her she needed to calm things down.

  “General, what do you say?” Shima said turning toward him. “Would your invitation stretch to three?”

  Before Burgton could answer Varya spoke up. “Earlier today you made elder Jutka an offer, General. I wonder would you consider making that offer directly to the warrior caste?”

  “Well I...” Burgton seemed confused.

  “What’s this about?” Shima said annoyed that her question had been derailed. This was about Chailen and Sharn, not the warrior caste. “And what does it have to do with me and my family?”

  James answered. “On our way to you we visited with elder Jutka at her home, Shima. Kazim was there and recorded the meeting if you’re interested, but basically, it was about the debate between Tei regarding the reconstruction. General Burgton was asked his opinion, which he gave to them, and afterward he offered to allow some of your people to immigrate to his planet. He hasn’t said so to me, but I believe the idea was to strengthen the position of progressive Tei while underpinning Kajetan’s decision to join the Alliance.”

  “Essentially correct, Professor,” Burgton said. “There’s more to it, however. I strongly believe in the idea of expansion, and that if a Shan colony were to be established outside of this system—whether that’s on Snakeholme or not—its colonists would become role models to your people. I believe that might kick-start a real drive toward exploration. As I said earlier, the Merkiaari are out there. They will be back. The entire Shan species is dependent upon the two habitable worlds of this system. That isn’t safe!”

  Burgton calmed himself and went on in a milder tone. “We lost many worlds to the Merki two hundred years ago, and those worlds were cleansed of Human life. That could happen very easily to the Shan here. Think of that. Shan become extinct. They must scatter themselves throughout the stellar neighbourhood. Not should, not maybe will one day, but must and as quickly as possible!”

  “Calmly General, calmly,” James soothed. “You’re right, but so are the Shan. Colonising nearby worlds should be a goal, but it cannot be an immediate priority. They do need to rebuild their worlds, their orbital infrastructure, and their fleet, before looking beyond this system. A half-arsed movement to colonise new worlds this soon would be worse than not doing it at all. Each colony will have to be defended and self-sufficient to make the effort worthwhile.”

  “I know that,” Burgton said testily. “But they’re already debating the issue, Professor. They need to get the idea of exploration as a good thing firmly fixed in their minds now. You know our history. The Shan are in danger of making the same mistakes we did.”

  “I could say it’s their mistake to make, but I have too much admiration for them not to agree with you,” James said. “Your idea was a good one, is a good one. You should try again with Kajetan.”

  “I had planned to.”

  “As I was saying,” Varya said breaking in. “When word reaches the warrior caste that you have offered immigration to my people, and that The Blind Hunter is going, you will have more volunteers than you can possibly fit aboard your ship, General. It’s a matter of honour.”

  “Honour,” Gina said. “You mentioned that before. What does that mean in this situation?”

  “Simply put, Shima is a hero—” the hero in question made a rude noise, but Varya ignored it. “—to my people. That’s important, but the circumstances were extraordinary. She is scientist caste not warrior, she saved lives at risk of her own and killed Merkiaari in spectacular fashion, and on top of that, she fought as part of the resistance and was blinded helping to save thousands of warriors at Charlie Epsilon.

  “If Shima had been warrior caste, most of her achievements would have been considered her duty no matter how extraordinary the deeds. She would still be a hero, but what she did to become one would have been expected of her
as a warrior.”

  “I’m still not getting it,” Gina said.

  Shima sighed and explained. “It’s foolishness, Gina. I’m a hero because Kazim filmed me doing what anyone in my position would have done as we escaped the city. Killing the Merki was my pleasure, and anyone would have done it considering how we all feel about them. The warriors at Charlie Epsilon though are a little different; they feel that they owe me an honour debt for saving their lives because it wasn’t my duty—not a warrior you see? I don’t agree. I just did what needed doing, but that won’t change their minds. If they think following me off world will repay the debt, then that’s what they will want to do.”

  “Then we should let them,” James mused. “How many could you take, General?”

  “Grafton is a Hunter class transport. We don’t build them that big anymore. She can carry two full battalions with equipment.”

  “So two thousand Shan would fit?”

  “Easily,” Burgton said. “No mechs, no tanks or APCs, no artillery. As long as they embark with a few kilos of personal gear they would travel in comfort.”

  “Hmmm,” James said. “I wonder what Tei’Varyk would recommend. Two thousand warriors wouldn’t make for a good colony in my opinion. Ideally, all the castes should be represented.”

  “Harmony is always to be preferred,” Sharn agreed. “There should be people from all the castes, and their families should accompany them of course.”

  Varya growled. “This is a warrior caste debt of honour.”

  “No,” Shima said, finally hearing enough. “This is about my friends taking Chailen, Sharn, and me home with them when they leave. If the warrior caste or Kajetan want to take up General Burgton’s offer, they can talk with him before we leave the system. Will you take us with you, General?”

  “Of course. We have the rest of the day for you to pack your things and close up your house. No need to rush things.”

  Rush things? Shima had been waiting for this for more than an orbit, an entire orbit in darkness. She couldn’t leave fast enough.

  * * *

  7 ~ Electronic Dreams