Participant Species: Asher in Ordered Space Volume I Read online

  “Well, link him and have him meet us in the conference room. If he needs to, he can download a ship schematic easily enough. The rest of you, follow me.” With that, he set off spinward, the others tagging along behind. When they found an elevator, they crowded in together and rode it to the main torus, which formed the center of the ship.

  Conference Room A, when they found it, was already crowded with operatives. The vast majority were from Fleet Ops, but Asher saw a few high-level scientists from Research and a few Marketing and Acquisitions people. Ravkar immediately went to join this last group. She greeted each of the others with a hug, suggesting that they were all old friends. As he watched this greeting, Asher himself was enveloped in great bear hug and lifted off the ground from behind. “How do, old man?” said Kaz.

  Asher gave the bigger man a wry look. “Don’t look now but I think we’re going to help decide the fate of a star system and maybe the course of a corp war.”

  “Is that all? You guys could have let me sleep.”

  Chapter Seven

  Captain James Echo Hawk was an imposing figure. He was tall, at least six and a half feet, and lean. He was Fleet Captain, meaning he had four stars, one rank below Drienner Marcolis, but he exerted a calm authority that left no doubt who was in charge on his ship. Right now, he was talking about the DiJeRiCo carrier group. He had already described the non-corp pirates and the destruction of their fleet . “So I think we can assume Zvezda One is lost by now,” he concluded. “They have either surrendered to DiJeRiCo or they have been destroyed. I would assume the former. We control the jumpgate and have a sufficient force to counter the carrier group in battle, if it comes to that. However, we have to assume that DiJeRiCo is working to build another gate as we speak. Our techs estimate that they could have it operational in a matter of weeks—probably four weeks at the outside. In the meantime, I would say the tactical situation in-system is a stalemate. They’re not going to risk leaving Cierren Cythra and Zvezda One unprotected to take us on, and we don’t dare leave the jumpgate to go to them. I think it’s now a matter of who can get reinforcements here the fastest.”

  “Thank you for the tactical summation, Captain,” said a voice on Asher’s subnet link. On the far wall of the conference room, a bank of screens showed the projected avatars of perhaps forty bigwigs who were on active subnet links to the conference. Among them was the CEO herself, Ellana Singh. The man who was talking, whose screen was highlighted in red to draw everyone’s gaze, was the head of Fleet, Admiral Montiel Frye Wei. “We are processing your data now, and so far we agree with your appraisal. So, we have a decision to make. Are we going to reinforce Bright-Dim?”

  Several of the talking heads spoke at once. A hubbub arose in the conference room as well, as the scientists, diplomats, and military people all tried to get their two cents in. Finally, a firm voice said, “Enough!” loudly enough that everyone fell silent. The red highlight had moved to the screen of Ellana Singh, the CEO of Hokozana and one of the most powerful people in Ordered Space. “As I see it,” she said, “the decision hinges on one crucial question. What, exactly, are the Cythrans and what is their role in all of this? We’ve all seen the reports of Namen Ravkar and her team. Now I’d like to hear from them directly. Are you there, One-Star Ravkar?”

  Ravkar stepped forward. It was a useless gesture, Asher knew, as they could all hear her no matter where she stood, but there was something about the authority of the CEO’s presence that made one want to speak as if to her alone. “Here, Madame CEO,” said Ravkar.

  “Very well. In your report, you call the Cythrans, and I quote, ‘a potential godsend to the corp that can sign them up,’ and, ‘the closest thing I have ever heard of to a technological savant.’ Do you stand by those statements?”

  “Yes Madame. And I think others will concur on this. One-Star Lorien Worthy, at least.”

  “Indeed? One-Star Worthy, are you there?”

  “Yes Madame CEO.” Unlike Ravkar, Lori made no attempt to disengage herself from the throng. Asher could hear her through the link, but he couldn’t spot her in the crowd.

  “And do you agree with One-Star Ravkar’s characterization of the Cythrans?”

  To Asher’s surprise, Lori’s response was a firm, “No Madame, I do not concur.”

  “And how would you characterize them?”

  There was a brief pause, presumably while Lori gathered her thoughts. Then she said, “I would say that there is something very strange going on on Cierren Cythra. I’ve been in Lang and Cult for a long time, and nothing like Cythran culture or biology has ever been seen before. I know that Three-Bar Hasim Jaydrupar thinks that the Cythrans are a race engineered by the Ferethers. I am not sure if that’s true, but I am quite sure that they present an imminent threat to Ordered Space.”

  Again the room erupted into a multitude of conversations and arguments. Asher was stunned. He had thought that Lori loved the Cythrans. Apparently, even people from Lang and Cult, no matter how straightforward they appeared, could have hidden depths. She must have been conning the Cythrans and Ravkar, not to mention Asher himself, the whole time she had been in Marateen.

  Again, CEO Singh commanded silence. “I think you need to explain that, One-Star Worthy. How are they a threat?”

  “There are two possibilities, as I see it. The first is that they are actually an advanced race masquerading as archaeo-tech and living an extremely elaborate ruse, presumably to ensnare us. The other is that they really are a race that is capable of almost instant comprehension, use, and innovation of new technology. In either case, they seem to me to be potentially the most dangerous thing humanity has yet encountered since the establishment of Ordered Space.”

  “I have a third suggestion,” said Marcolis. He was standing at the front of the room, near the Captain. Now, all eyes in the room turned to him. The talking heads on the bank of screens didn’t turn to look at him, exactly, but somehow Asher could tell that their awareness was drawn that way.

  “You better explain, Drienner,” said the avatar of Desiree Lombato, the Head of Security Operations.

  “Well, it involves some confidential information, but I think it should be said. I would say that there is a very good chance that the Cythrans are Ferethers.”

  While the operatives in the conference room, no matter their rank, all seemed mystified by this, Asher noticed that many of the talking heads seemed to be considering the suggestion carefully. A few were nodding and one or two were likely downloading or running programs to help them assess the possibility. Clearly, the higher-ups all knew something that the lower-ranked operatives didn’t.

  Finally, CEO Singh spoke. “Goldman, I think you better explain that one for everyone’s benefit. If Star-Cluster Marcolis is right, the secret would have come out soon anyway.”

  Starburst-Cluster Goldman Jaynes, the Head of Intel Operations, sighed. “Very well, Madame CEO. I suppose you are right.” His head, already highlighted in red to indicate he had the floor, was now moved to the center of the bank of screens so that everyone in the room could offer him their undivided attention. “As some of you know, we have long had an interest in developing a more complete understanding of the Ferethers. Well, about one year ago, we had an opportunity to investigate a stranded Ferether transport ship. Unfortunately, something went wrong and the ship was destroyed. However, a party of operatives from Intel and Research were able to rescue a single Ferether.”

  Asher almost laughed aloud at the idea that Jaydrupar and his team had ‘rescued’ that Ferether. They had kidnapped it, plain and simple.

  “We have since,” Jaynes continued, “had that Ferether under close observation in a special research facility. We have learned a great deal about the biology and psychology of Ferethers through our observations. Ferether biology, it turns out, is very different than what we would have expected based on our experience with other sentient life forms.” At this point, Jaynes paused and appeared to be accessing a program.

  “Well?”
asked one of the other talking heads. Asher thought it was Linus Lorrin, the head of Marketing and Acquisitions. He must not have been deemed to need to know whatever secret was about to be revealed. “What did we learn?”

  “Here,” said Jaynes. “I have sequenced a recording that should explain a great deal.”

  On the central screen, Jaynes’ head faded away to be replaced with a face that was all-too-familiar to Asher. “Good day,” said the man on the video. “This is Star-Cluster Maxim Asher, Sector Director for Exobiology in Research Operations. Please bear with me as I explain the workings of Ferether biology.”

  The video cut from Asher’s father standing in a laboratory to a digital model of a Ferether. The narration continued. “Our principal surprise was the discovery that this is not a Ferether,” said Asher’s father’s voice. “In fact, the form we are all familiar with as a Ferether is a fairly recent product of cultural and biological expansion and the colonization of a new star system.”

  In the video, part of the Ferether’s body disappeared, providing a cut-away view inside. “You will notice this distinctive greenish substance. It appears to be an analogue to a human central nervous system occupying the brain case, what we might call the spinal column, and having peripheral extensions into the limbs and organs. This green substance is, in fact, the Ferether. The rest of the body you see here is a vessel, an organic shell into which the Ferether is inserted in its infancy and which it then controls as our brain controls our body. We believe that these bodies ‘belong’ to another species which was contacted by the Ferethers as they expanded into a new star system about five hundred years ago.”

  The conference room exploded. The consternation was most evident among the scientists from Research Ops. Asher heard many exclamations, variations of, “A parasitic sentience!” prominent among them.

  The video continued, without regard for the furore that it had instigated. Asher’s father’s voice droned on, “Some of you might think that this makes the Ferethers a kind of parasite, and the body or shell a host life-form. However, that characterization would not be entirely accurate. We believe that Ferethers replace all of the functions of the body’s nervous system, to the extent that they, in essence, become the brain or processing unit. The relationship is not the same as that of parasite and host, as the body has no capacity for life without the Ferether. While it seems possible that Ferethers originated as a parasitic life-form, they have become far more than that. In fact, we believe that the bodies they wear are grown in vats and never allowed to develop nervous systems of their own. Until the infant Ferether is placed within them, they are roughly the equivalent of a tree or a vegetable—alive, but without consciousness.”

  The video cut back to Maxim Asher, standing in the same laboratory. He continued, “Because of the biological nature of Ferethers, and the fact that their current form appears to date back no more than a few hundred years, it is entirely conceivable that there are other Ferethers in the galaxy which look nothing like the ones we are aware of. Hypothetically, they could in fact engineer almost any kind of body for a new infant, as long as there was some kind of central nervous system that they could replace.”

  At this point, the video faded and the head of Goldman Jaynes reappeared on the screen. “There you have it, operatives. I believe this adequately explains Star-Cluster Marcolis’ comment. We must, indeed, consider whether the Cythrans are just Ferethers living in a different body. And before you ask why they would do that, I should say that so far we have had very little success understanding why Ferethers do any of the things they do. Either—as some of my operatives believe—they are simply enigmatic and incomprehensible to the human mind, or—as I and many others suspect—they are exceptionally careful and patient planners thinking many moves ahead of us.”

  Jaynes’ screen faded and CEO Singh replaced him again as the central talking head. “There is the background as we currently understand it. The question remains, what do we do now? We have the resources to fight to hold Bright-Dim, at least against DiJeRiCo. The Cythrans and Ferethers are unknown quantities. The battlefleet is in-system. We must decide whether it is to stay.”

  Captain Echo Hawk was the next to speak. “Perhaps, Madame CEO, it would help if we all knew what was at stake. The war has just begun. How is it developing?”

  Singh replied, “So far, this is more of a flare-up than a full-out war. We have lost three orbitals and one planetary presence—a military outpost. DiJeRiCo has lost control of a minor border system. Fleet losses have been balanced. Operative losses probably weigh somewhat more heavily on our side, but we were the bigger corp to begin with. The important point to consider is that some of our analysts predict that if we were to leave Bright-Dim now, a cease-fire contract might be signed quickly. If not, other corps will be drawn into the war and things will get far uglier before it is through.”

  To Asher’s surprise, Jaydrupar spoke next. “Pardon me,” he said, “but I think we should consider that a large-scale corp war may well be exactly what the Ferethers are hoping for. They may see all humans as a monolithic threat, not distinguishing one corp from another. In that case, they will view a war as infighting among their enemy, weakening our position. I say we leave this system and do our best to bring the war to an early close.”

  Ravkar exploded into the conversation. “I had never realized you were so obsessed with the Ferethers, Hasim! It seems unhealthy. Anyway, in my—informed—opinion the Cythrans present at least as great an opportunity as they do a threat. All this about the Ferethers is supposition. If we are wrong, we are surrendering the future to DiJeRiCo. I say we take a risk and make a fight of it.”

  “Very well, everyone,” said CEO Singh. “We have as much information as we are likely to get. We are especially glad to have heard from some those who were in the Cierren Cythra mission. Do the other members, Two-Bars Asher and Kazmalewski, have anything to add?”

  “I’m just a security guard,” said Kaz. “This is beyond me.”

  “Very well, Two-Bar Asher?”

  “Well, Madame,” said Asher, “while I agree with Three-Bar Jaydrupar that the Cythrans are probably a Ferether plant of some kind, I feel that we are jumping to the conclusion that therefore they are dangerous. We are assuming that the Ferethers are or will be our enemies. It seems to me just as likely that they want to be our friends, or that they don’t care about us at all. Instead of worrying about the possible future, I think we should worry about the present, which means what would be best for us in our dealings with DiJeRiCo.”

  CEO Singh smiled. “A surprisingly sensible argument regarding the Cythrans, Two-Bar Asher. I agree. DiJeRiCo is the immediate concern, everything else is speculation. Anyway, thank you all. The directors will confer. Captain Echo Hawk and Star-Cluster Marcolis, as the current in-system senior operatives, you can expect a memorandum with our directives within the next two hours. You will update us immediately if your situation changes. Singh out.”

  With that, the other talking heads signed off. As always, the decisions would be made by the CEO, her high-ranking staff, and the heads of the divisions. Asher wondered why they went through this pretense of making decisions collectively. Perhaps, he thought, they really did just want information from the members of the Cythran mission. In that case, though, they should have asked for private reports, rather than holding this ridiculous conference.

  He sighed. It was probably for the best, he thought, if he found Kaz and the two of them got a bit of drinking in before whatever new commands were to come down from on high.

  Chapter Eight

  The orders, when they arrived, found Asher, Kaz, and Lori mildly drunk on Inikalan wine. The three were in Lori’s fairly impressive guest quarters, which was far more comfortable than the hot-bunks Asher and Kaz had been assigned in the rooms reserved for Security Ops personnel. Lori had an entire room to herself, with a bed, a couple of chairs, and even a small download terminal.

  “Quite the ship, this,” Kaz was saying. �
��I don’t think I’ve ever been on anything so new. She must be just out of dock.”

  Lori smiled. “Actually, she’s recently custom-refit by Hokozana using an old GaE hull, I understand. We did the work ourselves without bringing in any contractors. You can imagine that Intel didn’t want any ship-mod corp getting a hold of the plans for Cormorant.”

  “Damn spooks and their games,” said Kaz. “Perfectly decent little research ship, but they had to go and fill it to the brim with experimental weaponry and whatever.”

  Asher laughed. “Still, when it came down to it, I’m glad we were on this ship instead of some regular research vessel. I’d rather be saved by the spooks than be killed by the non-corp pirates.”

  “I suppose you right,” said Kaz. “Still—”

  Whatever he was going to say was lost in the alert to Asher’s neural net. Marcolis’ voice rang in his consciousness, “Donnie, meet me in my quarters in fifteen. We have plans for you. Bring Kazmalewski. Marcolis out.”

  Asher looked over to his friend “You sober, Kaz? Marcolis wants us at his place in fifteen.”

  Kaz gave a forlorn look at his almost-full glass of wine. Sadly, he set it on the ledge that ran along the wall beside his chair. “I guess I better be,” he said. “Sorry, Lori. Another time, I suppose.”

  Lori smiled at the two of them. “Any time, gentlemen. If you can, please let me know before they send you off. I have a sneaking suspicion you two are going to be knee deep in this Cythran mess for a while.”

  They parted with a handshake at the door to Lori’s quarters. As he and Kaz walked down the hall, Asher wondered if he had imagined Lori’s hand lingering in his a moment longer than necessary. That would be a shock, he thought. But then, she seemed to be full of surprises.

  Marcolis’ quarters were in the crew torus, near the secondary command center from which they had watched the battle for the jumpgate unfold. If Lori’s room had been comfortable, Marcolis’ was positively sumptuous. He had a suite of at least two rooms, a receiving room or sitting room that Asher and Kaz were invited into, and what looked like a completely separate bedroom and possibly even a private bathroom, which Asher glimpsed through an open door. Marcolis, disheveled as always, was sitting on a small sofa. Kaz overflowed a white armchair. Another chair, unsurprisingly, was occupied by Jaydrupar. Asher leaned against the wall.