Kinder des Schicksals 4 (Xeelee 9): Resplendent

solution,’ she murmured. ’Only
I have the longevity to see it through. That’s what gives me the
right.’
    Symat said, ’What would I have to do?’
    ’The Guardians are watching you, Symat, through the Conclave,
through all our Virtual eyes. All you have to do is formulate your
decision, and it will be made so. You won’t need to throw a
switch.’
    ’It will happen straight away?’
    ’Why wait?’
    Mela’s eyes narrowed. ’And what will become of Symat?’
    Luru frowned. ’For a brief moment he will be the epicentre of
cosmic forces. Humans are frail creatures.’
    ’I wouldn’t live through it,’ Symat said slowly. ’I am going to
die.’ But somehow even that didn’t perturb his eerie calm.
    ’Symat, you don’t have to do this,’ Mela said.
    Luru reached out as if to touch him, but she could not, of course,
’Every true saviour must lay down his life,’ she said.
    ’Just like your own Symat,’ Mela said. ’He died for his beliefs,
you said.’
    ’Yes,’ the Curator snapped. ’And now you’ve cooked up another
Symat to go the same way. What’s going on in that head of yours,
Ascendent? Is this really about saving Earth, or just working out
your own million-year-old guilt? Is this all about you?’
    ’You disgust me, Curator, you and your inane grinning,’ Luru said
coldly. ’You disguise your fear of me within your hollowness. But I
know you.’
    The Curator was obviously shocked, and again Symat saw fierce
resentment burn. But he persisted. ’And what will you do if he
refuses? After all your planning and preparations, to be thwarted now
by the whim of a boy - ’
    ’I will start again,’ she said smoothly. ’An Ascendent always has
time. You should know that, Curator.’
    ’Enough,’ Symat said.
    They all fell silent.
    He still felt calm, calmer than any of these Virtuals, it seemed.
’You’re saying this is the only choice,’ he said to Luru. ’The only
way forward for humanity. It’s this or the booths.’
    ’This or the booths,’ she said.
    He looked at a sky full of dying stars. He reminded himself he was
a boy, just a boy with a judgement so poor he had almost got himself
drowned in a canal. Who was he to make such a decision? But mankind
couldn’t stay here, in this imploding system. And he could never have
walked into a booth himself. Perhaps others felt that way. So there
was only one choice. Yes, he was a child, but he knew that no matter
how long he lived the parameters of his life wouldn’t change - and
nor would his choice.
    He said as clearly as he could, ’I have made my decision.’
    And even as he spoke he thought he felt a stirring, emanating from
deep under the clouds of Saturn, as if a great storm were brewing
there.
    Luru’s black eyes shone. ’You’ve made a good choice. You’ve given
humanity a chance.’
    The Curator muttered, ’You have courage, boy. I just hope you’ve
wisdom too.’
     
    A wind rose, whipping up red dust that clouded the sky.
    The Curator cried, ’Look!’
    There was a new light in the sky. The clouds of Saturn were
churning, and a harsh, pitiless light broke out. It was like a
monstrous egg cracking, Symat thought.
    Luru Parz laughed.
    Mela cried, ’So quickly?’
    Luru smiled. ’The Guardians have waited a million years to act.
They are ready.’
    But Symat wondered if he was ready. He knew he was too young to
have come to terms with the idea of personal death. Now, suddenly, he
was going to have to face it.
    Mela ran to Symat and tried to grab him. The wind noise was too
loud for him to hear the inevitable protocol chimes. Her eyes were
wide, her face torn, as she yelled at him.
    ’What did you say?’
    She screamed louder. ’It may not have to be this way…’
    The egg cracked wider. Glass smashed somewhere in the city behind
them, and every grain of dust on Earth took to the air. A tremendous
light flooded the sky, dazzling him. And then -

 
VI
     
     
    ’Can you hear me? Symat, can you hear?’ It was Mela’s voice, but
she was far away.
    It was like waking up. But he had no sense of his body, of a bed,
of blankets and sheets. He was surrounded by light.
    He was light, he thought, but the idea didn’t disturb him. He was
light, coming into focus.
    And suddenly he could see. Mela’s face hovered before him, creased
with concern. Beside her were other children. He recognised Chem,
Tod.
    He was standing. For a moment he was disconcerted, as if finding
his balance, and he staggered slightly.
    He