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Authors: Sean Williams, Shane Dix
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System? Are we here following the enemy, or has the enemy followed us? We see patterns of movement across the galaxy, leading here, but we still cannot be one hundred percent certain that we are not fulfilling our own prophecy.” He shrugged. “That is always a risk, I suppose, in any war of espionage; words and hints and suppositions carry little weight compared to maps and soldiers and bullets. So little is certain.”
“We heard that Sol System was the location of an ancient battle,” said Roche.
“It is the location of many things, if you believe the records; few stand up to strict examination. Which battle do you refer to?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “We’ve begun to suspect that the clone warriors—Cane and Heidik and the others—are seeking revenge for a war lost a long time ago. A war won by the Pristines.”
“Do you know when?”
She shrugged. “As far back as we can remember. Half a million years or more. Back when there were only Pristines; the other Castes didn’t exist yet.”
“Do you have records to support this?”
“Nothing concrete—but surely that indirectly supports this theory? If there were records, someone would have found them by now. The fact that we haven’t implies that they no longer exist—that the events we’re looking for lie back in the earliest times.”
“Perhaps.” Murnane’s expression remained impassive. “Remember, though, that many millions of civilizations have risen and fallen since then. That is an awful lot of data to sift through; if the records indeed are lost, not hidden, then we might never know. And without knowing when this battle you refer to took place—and who it was that lost—we have little to go on.”
Roche conceded the point. “That’s partly why we came here,” she said. “We were following Heidik, yes, but we were also interested in seeing what happened. If the clone warriors attacked, then who they attacked first—and last—could reveal who their allies are, or who is related to their creators.”
“Tell me, Roche,” Murnane said. “Did you have any idea how complex the situation here would be before you came?”
“The Box had mentioned a gathering of sorts, and the COE commander I spoke to confirmed it, but that’s all. I expected nothing like this.”
“Did this Box of yours also happen to say anything about the composition of this system?” asked another voice. “There are several anomalies we have not yet fathomed, and I fear they may become hazards to navigation. More of these we do not need.”
It took Roche a second to realize that it was the Heresiarch himself speaking. When she replied, she made certain she followed Vischilglin’s advice and looked him directly in the eye— or at least in the direction of where he stood.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that.”
“The behavior of the solar wind is quite peculiar, and its effect on the gaseous volatiles of the planetary ring even more anomalous. If your AI had anything to say about that, I would’ve been grateful.”
“Like I said,” Roche replied evenly, keeping her attention fixed firmly on the Heresiarch. “It never mentioned a thing. I’m sorry.”
She thought she saw him shrug, but he was too for away to tell for certain.
“There is no need for apology if one speaks the truth,” he said, with wry humor to his tone.
“We have asked the High Humans for this information, too,” said Murnane into the silence that followed. “They haven’t told us anything that might conceivably help, on that or any other subject. I for one find their silence unnerving. Do you know why this might be the case?”
“No,” said Roche.
“Given that your Box came from this Trinity, which had connections to this High Human called the Crescend, do you think its destruction would be of some concern to him? Would he respond to a call for more information, perhaps?”
“I really don’t know.” Roche hoped he would not respond; if the
“We heard that Sol System was the location of an ancient battle,” said Roche.
“It is the location of many things, if you believe the records; few stand up to strict examination. Which battle do you refer to?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “We’ve begun to suspect that the clone warriors—Cane and Heidik and the others—are seeking revenge for a war lost a long time ago. A war won by the Pristines.”
“Do you know when?”
She shrugged. “As far back as we can remember. Half a million years or more. Back when there were only Pristines; the other Castes didn’t exist yet.”
“Do you have records to support this?”
“Nothing concrete—but surely that indirectly supports this theory? If there were records, someone would have found them by now. The fact that we haven’t implies that they no longer exist—that the events we’re looking for lie back in the earliest times.”
“Perhaps.” Murnane’s expression remained impassive. “Remember, though, that many millions of civilizations have risen and fallen since then. That is an awful lot of data to sift through; if the records indeed are lost, not hidden, then we might never know. And without knowing when this battle you refer to took place—and who it was that lost—we have little to go on.”
Roche conceded the point. “That’s partly why we came here,” she said. “We were following Heidik, yes, but we were also interested in seeing what happened. If the clone warriors attacked, then who they attacked first—and last—could reveal who their allies are, or who is related to their creators.”
“Tell me, Roche,” Murnane said. “Did you have any idea how complex the situation here would be before you came?”
“The Box had mentioned a gathering of sorts, and the COE commander I spoke to confirmed it, but that’s all. I expected nothing like this.”
“Did this Box of yours also happen to say anything about the composition of this system?” asked another voice. “There are several anomalies we have not yet fathomed, and I fear they may become hazards to navigation. More of these we do not need.”
It took Roche a second to realize that it was the Heresiarch himself speaking. When she replied, she made certain she followed Vischilglin’s advice and looked him directly in the eye— or at least in the direction of where he stood.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that.”
“The behavior of the solar wind is quite peculiar, and its effect on the gaseous volatiles of the planetary ring even more anomalous. If your AI had anything to say about that, I would’ve been grateful.”
“Like I said,” Roche replied evenly, keeping her attention fixed firmly on the Heresiarch. “It never mentioned a thing. I’m sorry.”
She thought she saw him shrug, but he was too for away to tell for certain.
“There is no need for apology if one speaks the truth,” he said, with wry humor to his tone.
“We have asked the High Humans for this information, too,” said Murnane into the silence that followed. “They haven’t told us anything that might conceivably help, on that or any other subject. I for one find their silence unnerving. Do you know why this might be the case?”
“No,” said Roche.
“Given that your Box came from this Trinity, which had connections to this High Human called the Crescend, do you think its destruction would be of some concern to him? Would he respond to a call for more information, perhaps?”
“I really don’t know.” Roche hoped he would not respond; if the
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