Deathstalker 02 - Deathstalker Rebellion

separately. There might be other things we could learn to do together. Powerful things. Don't we have a responsibility to the rebellion to become as powerful as possible? We're the rebellion's secret weapon, the ace in the hole; we're the one thing that might tip the coming war in our favor. Are we being selfish in valuing our own individuality over the rebellion's needs?"
    "Perhaps some of what we're fighting for is everyone's right to be an individual," said Random. "We can't save humanity by becoming inhuman. The only other people to survive passing through the Madness Maze were the scientists who
    created the Hadenmen. Do we want something like that as our legacy?"
    "He's right," said Giles. "We all have monsters within us. What if our growing power let them out, let them run loose? Who knows what we might become?"
    They all sat and thought about that for a while. Owen thought how easy it had been for him to kill the Blood Runner, halfway across the Empire, in the Obeah systems. Finally, Random sighed and leaned forward. "This is all irrelevant. We can't stay together. We're needed on three separate planets, right now. We'll be leaving as soon as the Hadenmen have ships ready. Everything else will have to wait till we return. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss? I don't mind admitting I've found today's business exhausting. Somewhere there is a bed with a thick mattress and heavy covers calling my name."
    "There is one thing," Owen said reluctantly. "You remember my personal AI, Ozymandius? He turned out to be an Empire spy, and I had to destroy him with my new powers before he destroyed us. Well… he's back. He talks to me, but I'm the only one that can hear him. The odds are I'm just cracking up from the pressure, but it might be something more sinister…"
    "You never mentioned this before," said Ruby.
    "He was scared we'd think he was crazy," said Hazel. "We wouldn't have thought that, Owen. We all understand about pressure and what it does to people."
    "Besides," said Random, "if you were going crazy, we'd have felt it through the link long before now."
    "Does Oz still have the control words he planted in your mind and Hazel's?" said Giles, frowning.
    "He says not," said Owen. "But I have no way of knowing whether he's lying or not. He hasn't tried to use them. So far."

    "Talk to him now," said Random. "We'll try and listen in. Everyone crack their comms wide open and concentrate on the link as well. Go ahead, Owen."
    "All right," said Owen, just a little self-consciously. "Oz, are you there?"
    "Of course I'm still here," said the AI. "Where else would I be? You told me to shut up, remember? Personally, I'm amazed you've been able to stagger through your days without my assistance. I could have given you all kinds of advice during the Council meeting. Still, with all these new magic tricks of yours, I suppose you're too grand for me now. I mean, I'm just a class-seven AI with access to more information than you could wade through in a lifetime…"
    "Shut up, Oz," said Owen. He looked around the table. "Well? Did you catch any of that?"
    "Not a thing," said Random, and the others shook their heads. Random looked thoughtfully at Owen. "Do you think it's your AI?"
    "No," said Owen. "It can't be. I killed Oz in the Madness Maze; I destroyed his mind completely with my new powers. I felt him die."
    "Then, who is it?" said Hazel.
    "I don't know!" said Owen.
    "It could be some aftereffect of the Madness Maze," said Random.
    "Oh, that's really comforting," said Ruby. "You mean we could all end up hearing things?"
    "If you can't think of anything helpful to say, button it," said Hazel. "No wonder Owen didn't like to talk to us about this."
    "I have to say I don't see what we can do to help, Owen," said Random. "Keep us apprised of any new developments, though. That goes for all of us. But I think we'd do better to leave this for another time, after we return from our various missions. They have to take precedence. In the time before we go, Owen, I
    suggest you run a few diagnostics on your comm implants, see if that turns up anything. Anyone else been having problems they'd like to talk about?"
    Everyone looked around the table at everyone else. Hazel kept her mouth shut.
    She couldn't tell them about the Blood. They wouldn't understand. It was her problem, she'd beat it herself. She'd beaten it before in Mistport, and that was where she was going. It was a sign. It had to be. The silence dragged on,