Kinder des Schicksals 4 (Xeelee 9): Resplendent

reality of the erupting
conflict. And he knew who to blame. ’It’s the jasofts,’ he said. ’The
ones taken to orbit to help with the salvaging of the Spline. They
took it over. And now they’ve come here, to rescue their
colleagues.’
    Gemo Cana smiled, squinting up at the sky. ’Sadly, stupidity is
not the sole prerogative of mayflies. This counter-coup cannot
succeed. And then, when this Spline no longer darkens the sky, your
vengeance will not be moderated by show trials and bleats about
justice and truth. You must save us, Hama Druz. Now!’
    Sarfi pressed her hands to her face.
    Hama stared at Gemo. ’You knew. You knew this was about to happen.
You timed your visit to force me to act.’
    ’It’s all very complicated, Hama Druz,’ Gemo said softly,
manipulating. ’Don’t you think so? Get us out of here - all of us -
and sort it out later.’
    Nomi pulled back the pharaoh’s head. ’You know what I think? I
think you’re a monster, pharaoh. I think you killed your daughter,
long ago, and stuck her in your head. An insurance against a day like
today.’
    Gemo, her face twisted by Nomi’s strong fingers, forced a smile.
’Even if that were true, what difference would it make?’ And she
gazed at Hama, waiting for his decision.
     
    Obeying Nomi’s stern voice commands, the ship rose sharply. Hama
felt no sense of acceleration as shadows slipped over his lap.
    This small craft was little more than a translucent hemisphere. In
fact it would serve as a lifedome, part of a greater structure
waiting in Earth orbit to propel him across Sol system. The three of
them, plus Sarfi, were jammed into a cabin made for two. The Virtual
girl was forced to share the space already occupied by Hama and Gemo.
Where her projection intersected their bodies it dimmed and broke up,
and she averted her face; Hama was embarrassed by this brutal
indignity.
    The ship emerged from its pit and rushed directly beneath the
looming belly of the attacking Spline; Hama had a brief, ugly glimpse
of fleeing, crumpled flesh, oozing scars metres long, glistening
weapon emplacements like stab wounds.
    The ship reached clear sky. The air was crowded. Ships of all
sizes cruised above Conurbation 11729, seeking to engage the rogue
Spline. Hama saw, with a sinking heart, that one of the ancient,
half-salvaged ships had already crashed back to Earth. It had made a
broad crater, a wound in the ground circled by burning blown-silicate
buildings. Already people had died today, irreplaceable lives lost
for ever.
    The ship soared upward. Earth quickly folded over into a glowing
blue abstraction, pointlessly beautiful, hiding the gruesome scenes
on its surface; the air thinned, the sky dimming through violet, to
black. The ship began to seek out the orbiting angular structure that
would carry it to the outer planets.
    Hama began to relax, for the first time since Gemo had revealed
herself. Despite everything that had happened he was relieved to
leave behind the complications of the Conurbation; perhaps in the
thin light of Jupiter the dilemmas he would have to face would be
simpler.
    Gemo Cana said carefully, ’Hama Druz, tell me something. Now that
we all know who and what we are - ’
    ’Yes?’
    ’In your searching, has your inquisition turned up a pharaoh
called Luru Parz?’
    ’She’s on the list but I don’t believe she’s been found,’ Hama
said. ’Why? Did you know her?’
    ’In a way. You could say I created her, in fact. She was always
the best of us, I thought, the best and brightest, once she had
clarified her conscience. I thought of her as a daughter.’
    The Virtual copy of her real daughter, Sarfi, turned away,
expressionless.
    Nomi cursed.
    A vast winged shape sailed over the blue hide of Earth, silent,
like a predator.
    Hama’s heart sank at the sight of this new, unexpected intruder.
What now?
    Nomi said softly, ’Those wings must be hundreds of kilometres
across.’
    ’Ah,’ said Gemo. ’Just like the old stories. The ship is like a
sycamore seed… But none of you remembers sycamore trees, do you?
Perhaps you need us, and our memories, after all.’
    Nomi said, anger erupting, ’People are dying down there because of
your kind, Gemo - ’
    Hama placed a hand on Nomi’s arm. ’Tell us, pharaoh. Is it
Qax?’
    ’Not Qax,’ she said. ’Xeelee.’ It was the first time Hama had
heard the name. ’That is a Xeelee nightfighter,’ said Gemo. ’The
question is - what does it want here?’
    There was a