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—humanesque brain function. I’m embarrassed to say that Sole was not impressed, so I sold the virus on the open market. It was bought by an ‘esque on Scolar. That’s all I know.’

‘What exactly did the virus do?’

She rubbed her chins self-consciously and sighed. ‘It affects the orbito-frontal lobes, which manage decision-making. Potentially, it can change the process by which ‘esques view the world. The brain has an unlimited capacity to learn. If you change one function, others are affected.’

‘That sounds dangerous, in the wrong hands.’ Balbao did not bother to keep the accusation from his tone.

She flushed. ‘I’d used up my entire stipend and needed funds. They are ridiculously mean for what is required. How could I embark on another project without financial resources?’

Balbao reflected bitterly for a moment on the flaw in the whole tyro scheme. It was an upscale version of the pressure placed upon most academics in studiums. Funds meant professional survival—they became an end instead of a means. He understood Miranda’s dilemma, but that didn’t excuse her from selling something dangerous to the highest bidder.

His disdain of the tyros changed into something more deep-seated and unforgiving. It also triggered an uncomfortable notion. ‘Labile, what was your project for Sole?’

Farr’s biological son stared at his hands, taking his time to answer. ‘My brief was “Show strength.” I was designing a structure that could withstand force.’

‘Jise?’

Jise was nodding to himself, as if working through an internal monologue. When it was time to speak, though, he dropped his head as if embarrassed. ‘“Show truth.” And the truth of that is that I had not progressed far. I found it impossible to capture the concept. I know law and rules and evidence, but they are not relevant to the truth. The relativity of truth makes it elusive.’

Miranda stared at him. ‘But you told me that—’

Jise gestured weakly. ‘You were doing so well. I didn’t want you pitying me, or trying to help.’

She lifted her hand and brushed his forehead lightly with her fingertips. ‘I fear we’ve been incredibly foolish, spending our time pleasing a creature that cares little for anything.’

Balbao listened intently. There was more to this than they could see. ‘Have you ever thought that the Entity had a purpose? Other than interacting with us? Other than learning about us?’

‘Other than that?’ echoed Jise. ‘No. I thought that we were a novelty. Something it hadn’t encountered before. I believed in its curiosity. Mirroring ours, I suppose.’

‘My thoughts were similar,’ said Miranda. She held Jise’s hand again. They were like peas in a large pod, thought Balbao: both fleshy and indulgent with sharp self-centred minds.

Connit climbed off his bunk and moved to lean against the solid wall. ‘I see what you mean, Balbao. But what use is that notion? We don’t know what it asked the others for, and even if Ra tells us about his project—this device he speaks of—three of us have perished on Belle-Monde, and Tekton ... Crux knows where the devious fellow is, or what he has done.’

Sammy and Hob, who had been silent throughout, watched Connit with clear fascination. Neither had known, Balbao guessed, that Commander Farr had offspring.

‘You don’t hold with your father’s beliefs, then, young ‘un?’ blurted out Sammy.

Connit looked at her, confused and a little irritated. ‘If you’re speaking to me, my name is Labile or Connit. I’m not my father, nor do I wish to follow his path.’

‘Where do yer figure about the scheme of things? You with OLOSS or Consilience?’

Connit looked momentarily flustered. His lean face flushed with emotion of some kind. ‘That would be none of your business and irrelevant to our current conversation.’

‘None of me business, maybe,’ said Sammy, ‘but pretty damn relevant, to my mind.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Balbao.

Sammy looked at Hob, who nodded encouragingly.

‘Well,’ she began, in a voice so low that they craned forward to hear her. ‘Things go like this...’