Once we’re back on Eirelantra, it’s time to face my Privy Council. I convene Danak, Lady Magdelaine, Ta’al Erich, Archbishop Venesti and Battlequeen Escharton. Sir Kaman (accompanied by Raoul) and Lady Claris holo from Dolparessa; Wyrd Elma bows out, saying she already knows what’s going to happen, so the suspense is totally ruined.
It’s going to be a tough audience.
“You aren’t seriously considering legalizing nanobots and chipping?” Lord Danak says incredulously.
“The other alternative is to make telepathy illegal. And that won’t address some of the issues Kenrai brought up.”
“But telepathy is organic…” says Battlequeen Escharton.
“See?” says X’khaim. “It’s not a rational objection. It’s a cultural prejudice.”
Danak paces the length of the room and back. “What you’re saying is that we have a mind-control problem, so let’s make it worse.”
“Of course, we’d have to come up with some means of regulation,” I reply. “But chips are legal in the IndWorlds, and the people there aren’t walking around brainwashed. We need to investigate the failsafe technology.”
“Terran chips only receive on very particular frequencies…and they use telepaths to monitor the transmissions,” says X’khaim.
“So the telepaths watch the chips, and the chips watch the telepaths,” says Ta’al Erich. That’s elegant.”
“But why do we need nanobots?” asks Claris. “The Cu’enashti can accomplish the same things with alchemy.”
“There are some very real limitations to alchemy – you know that,” X’khaim replies. “The biggest one is range. To perform alchemy, a Cu’enashti needs to be within a range determined by the power and sensory capacity of its individual nau’gsh. Nanobots continue to operate within a human outside of that distance.”
“That’s not a bug, it’s a feature,” mutters Raoul. “We want to keep our Chosen close to us.”
“That’s fine if you’re talking about one person, or even a family of four,” says X’khaim, “but that brings me to the next point: scale. Cüinn estimates that if we employ nanobots as a secondary system, Ailann can take another five hundred people into his protection.”
“Our retainers never seem to stop reproducing,” I mutter.
“They should send their kids to the colony,” says Lady Magdelaine.
“Members of the Privy Council,” X’khaim addresses, “the purpose, focus and ethic of any Cu’enashti is n’aashet n’aaverti. A technology is just a means to an end, be it a simple machine, alchemy, nanotechnology or nuclear fusion. We’ll use any means at our disposal to better serve our Chosen.”
“The end justifies the means?” says Ta’al Erich.
“Not exactly, because there are certain means which would preclude the end. For example, there are things I and Us could do which would effect a change in the Matriarch or in us which would make it impossible to achieve her destiny.”
“I don’t like it either, but we have to be realistic,” I add. “We can’t afford to let the IndWorlds maintain a technological advantage, and we certainly don’t need any more enemies at home.” I raise my hand to signal that the discussion has ended. “We won’t allow the process here, but we’ll remove the prohibition on entering the system with that sort of technology – as a gesture of friendship to the IndWorlds.”
“That won’t stop anything,” says Lord Danak. “Our own citizens will be able to go to other systems to get that technology if they want it.”
“Another elegant solution,” says Ta’al Erich. “We neither admit that we’re wrong, nor do we waste our own resources in developing the technology for ourselves.”
After the meeting, I retire with X’khaim to our quarters. “I can’t believe we’re going to Skyvale next week. I’m exhausted.”
“Cillian says that with a rip into the nul-universe located so conveniently close, Skyvale has gained an enormous strategic importance. It could be a platform for the conquest of the IndWorlds.”
“Yo – this is a peace mission.”
“Be that as it may. I’ll be the one going with you. Owen and Barnabas have figured out how to upgrade my chip with IndWorld technology, so now I’ll not only be protected from telepaths, but I’ll also be able to monitor what’s being said in chipspace about us.”
“It isn’t telepaths that worry me. How many more of those Species 25 things do you suppose are still out there?”
X’khaim shrugs. “We can’t see them, they can’t see us. But now that we know the secret, they’re easy to take out. The ELFF is a different story. In order to pull some of the stunts she did, the ambassador showed a very sophisticated knowledge of human technology and culture. I’m wondering how many more are like her. We know next to nothing about them as a species.”
“I wonder if anyone in the combine does. She looked so pretty and harmless that we totally underestimated her. Of course…” I remember Dermot flashing his own assets, and I start to giggle. “Oh, let’s have a drink. Honestly, Ash, some of the solutions you devise…”
“Humans have weaponized beauty since Helen of Troy,” X’khaim replies. “The ELFF wasn’t wrong when she said humanity was potentially more dangerous than Species 25. However, Species 25 had nothing of value to contribute to the universe. Humanity is different.”
“Or maybe Cu’enashti just get off on predators.”
“Tara!”
Poor X’khaim looks so scandalized that I change the subject. “Why were Haight’s glasses in Templeton’s bag?”
“Who knows? But maybe they should have stayed there. Whenever he puts them on, he starts ranting…insane conspiracy stuff. Maybe it’s better for a steganographer to not look too closely at everything.”
“Glasses,” I murmur, shaking my head. “And you. Why do you even need datahuds when you have a chip?”
“I…just like them…”
“But they hide your eyes.” I step closer to him, close enough to remove them. “You have the most beautiful eyes, you know. The kindest…”
Ash’s eyes. A shiver of recognition runs down my spine; I feel in those eyes the same brilliant light which showered down upon me in the pleroma. My god, my servant, my lover, my husband.
My hands grope for the pile upon the table, the enormous deck of 101 players, but I know the truth without having to look. Wasn’t I the one who told Ash that he’d have to make it up to X’khaim? My hand trembles as I turn back to him, handing him the Gold Card. “So who put money on the chipped-up freak?”
Go to the first Emanation Egg, Scene 23a –>
Jump to Emanation Egg, Scene 46, immediately following the events of Scene 45 –>