Reality's Plaything 4: Savants Ascendant Page 28

  Bronawyn wiggled her fingers. “One of the few augmentations I let Mercedes do to me. Pretty—heh—handy, eh?”

  Caldorian rolled his eyes.

  She frowned at him. “It’s clever.”

  Wysteri studied the ceiling.

  Bronawyn led them across the chamber to the left door and down a hallway. Their steps echoed on the wooden floor. Like in the outer chamber the walls were white, smooth and featureless. There were no windows or any kind of decoration to even indicate where they were. The sterile smell seemed to be everywhere in the structure.

  “Normally, I would keep Mercedes with me,” Bronawyn explained. “That whole situation was too dangerous.”

  The doors in the passage walls bore gold numbers emblazoned on them from six counting down to one. The princess ran her hand down the wall. “Examination rooms, in case you were wondering. This is a medical treatment facility that Mercedes insisted I build for her so she could do her charity work.” The woman blew out her cheeks. The word charity was like a curse on her lips.

  At the end of the passage, Bronawyn let them into a posh office. Almost hidden behind a huge desk stacked with papers, dressed in a filmy blue shift, pale-skinned petite Mercedes reclined in broad overstuffed chair reading a book. Starscapes, nature scenes, and anatomical studies were hung in glass enclosures on the walls. Strange lilting music issued from somewhere overhead.

  The physician looked up at their entry, she looked around the group and fixed Wysteri with intense gray eyes. She put down her book and leaned forward with her elbows on the desk. The woman’s long face lit up in an expression of delight. “Mistress, is this a new toy?”

  Wysteri frowned.

  “She’s not for you,” Bronawyn said. “Her subnet offered their services to the T’Evagduran family.”

  “Ah,” Mercedes said, her demeanor growing more subdued. “We get to be neighbors at least.” She looked to the case Wysteri was gripping. “My, that’s an old style enclosure. I remember those—stuffy—not much cooling.”

  “Bannor and I made arrangements,” Bronawyn said. “I promised him that Wysteri could get any treatments you were willing to provide free of charge. Whatever agreements you make with her are between you two.”

  Mercedes’ brow furrowed. “An open ended agreement? I can do whatever I want?” She leaned forward. “Mistress, do I need to examine you?”

  “I am fine, Cedes. I got an absolutely marvelous concession from Queen Kalindinai. I dare I shall be in a good mood for score-days.” She bounced on her toes. “So, shall we let you two have your privacy?”

  “Yesss,” Mercedes said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. She turned her head to one side. “No special conditions—no contract?”

  “Nope,” Bronawyn said with a shake of her head. “Whatever you want.”

  The physician blinked at the princess as if she had grown a second head. She glanced at Wysteri, then back to Bronawyn. “Just have fun?”

  “Live it up.”

  Mercedes placid face broke into a grin. “Thank you, Mistress!”

  “Think nothing of it. Call me when you’re done.”

  “I will.” Mercedes looked to Bannor. “Is this for Arminwen Sarai?”

  “Yes, Wysteri is going to create an optimized body for her.”

  “Good, then we will work it out together.” She paused. “That is quite an augmentation you received. Vatraena Solaris’ work is it not?”

  He nodded.

  “She is among the best, many of my augmentations are based on her designs.” She stood and came around the desk and put an arm around Wysteri. The purple-haired mecha looked up at Mercedes with wide-eyed reverence. “Our arrangements should not take more than a bell or so. We’ll come to Kul’Amaron and speak with Queen Kalindinai prior to making final arrangements with Sarai.”

  “I appreciate it,” Bannor said. “I just want our baby to be healthy. I worry about Sarai.”

  “We’ll do our best,” Mercedes told him. “I have Wysteri’s diagnosis. She and I will go over it carefully. I will make sure we take into account the hostilities, stress, and other factors when we create a solution.”

  Bronawyn looked up at Bannor with an arch expression. “Satisfied?”

  “Yes.”

  “Uncharacteristically generous of you, Sister,” Ceb said with arms folded.

  “Darling…?” Caldorian’s brow was furrowed like he didn’t recognize his wife.

  “What are we missing, Bron?” Jolandrin asked.

  “Nothing.” Bronawyn smiled at Bannor. “I can put on my lace gloves and politely thumb my nose at Sarai from the front row of her wedding. I just did their family a huge favor. She will have to be nice to me…” She wiggled her eyebrows. “…and she would rather spit blood.” She waved a hand in front of her face and took a deep breath as if she were smelling something sweet. “Ahhh. Delicious.”

  Bannor scrubbed his face, realizing the painful irony of the situation. Half the royal family disliked Bronawyn intensely—for good reason—she was just plain mean. Being beholden to this coarse ex-princess would be like choking down bile.

  He stared at Bronawyn, threatening this woman would be useless and she was within her rights. He would have to think of a way to put her back on her heels so she didn’t make Sarai any more cross than she would already be.

  “Shall we go?” Bronawyn asked.

  Bannor nodded.

  The ex-princess did the same trick as before, drawing a glowing doorway in the air that opened back into same passage they had left. The return experience was the same icy step across through space.

  He looked around and felt Sarai’s presence nearby. He nodded to Bronawyn, Caldorian and their two in-laws. “I guess we’ll meet later.”

  Bronawyn gave him an evil smile. “Count on it.”

  He so appreciated what Ryelle had said about Bronawyn being a snot. Like Sarai said, he would have enjoyed ‘slapping her sideways’ if it would have accomplished something.

  Returning to the northern council chambers, he found the King and Queen conferring with Cassandra. The three princesses stood behind them. Kylie, Jhord, Millicent, the real Adwena, and Megan stood in a group nearby speaking in hushed voices. The largest of the Kriar mechas, eight in all including Nomar, stood in a circle on the far side of the room. Tymoril and Kegari, back in their humanoid forms stood with them. They seemed to be giving some kind of briefing. He noticed a collection of perhaps a dozen other mechas, sitting, standing or reclining around the main circle apparently listening to whatever was being said.

  Bannor’s attention went back to the valkyries. He was glad he saw Sarai and Adwena together, it would have been quite embarrassing to have walked up and hugged the wrong valkyrie!

  Bannor stopped by Sarai, leaned in and gave her kiss. She smiled pushed her shoulder against him and rubbed his arm. He bowed to the King and Queen and nodded to Cassandra who acknowledged him, dark eyes glinting.

  “You’re back,” Kalindinai said. “Is everything arranged?”

  “Yes,” he said, knowing he wore a serious expression. “Wysteri is getting everything she needs, and Mercedes will be helping her figure out all the details so everything is accounted for.”

  “Accounted for?” Kalindinai asked.

  “Well, the needs of this situation, and our—uhhh,” He glanced down at Sarai who looked up with a furrowed brow. “—hectic lifestyle.”

  The Queen frowned, her expression like she’d eaten something sour. “Ah. So, when can this be done?”

  “Mercedes said they’d be ready in about a bell,” he answered. He let out a breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  King Jhaan looked at Bannor sidelong. “It appears dealing with the Keshira is taxing even for an ascendant.”

  “Like Ryelle said, she is a spiteful little snot,” he said. “It took every bit of restraint I had not to spank her.” He rubbed his throat. “The meeting did have its value, she knows a lot about these Kriar physicians.”

  “Ab
solutely,” Cassandra said, fingering a strand of her auburn hair. “When she first purchased Mercedes’ contract, she made Bronawyn crazy. Mecha physicians are, how can I say it, very creative in their needs and desires. They can be quite manipulative.”

  “Pardon, Lady Cassandra,” Kalindinai said. “But how did the little snip get a hold of such a valuable creature?”

  “Land,” Cassandra answered with a scowl. “She sold land to the Kriar. Land on Titaan, or any of the magic-rich realm worlds fetches an extremely high price on Homeworld.”

  The King and Queen exchanged glances and raised eyebrows.

  Cassandra stared at them. “Please, I know you’re in a position to do the same thing. Don’t do it. The Kriar need to stay on Homeworld.”

  The King’s brow furrowed. “Pardon, but aren’t the Kriar your people? Why, would you not want them to be here?”

  The gold mage closed her eyes. “It’s complicated. We need to keep artifices and magic apart. Where artifices proliferate, magic starts to dwindle. I dabble with artifices, I enjoy using them in their own domain—but I am a mage at heart. I want to keep magic pure—healthy.”

  Kalindinai drew a breath. “Well, that is a sentiment that I can grasp. Do you truly think the Kriar pose a threat to magic?”

  Cassandra rubbed her forehead. “Technically, I am a threat to magic. I am my own worst enemy. I give in to temptation. My daughters, they are making the heads of magocracy crazy because they have reduced spell bindings and combining to a kind of math.”

  The Queen’s amber eyes widened. “Spell blending—with a calculation—spells as raw formulae?”

  “See?” Cassandra said. “You see the possibilities, the potential. It’s the worst part of the temptation. You—I—we love magic. To be able to work it without bounds, to unlock it beyond rituals…is something we dream about. That dream will spell disaster. If we let this other kind of magic proliferate, how will the old ways survive? If the Kriar are allowed to study magic, if their artifices somehow decode and synthesize it, anyone could become a mage. The art we slaved and bled to learn will die.” She put a hand over her heart. “I love my Kriar step-mother, and her mother. Yet, if I let the Kriar take root on the magical ring worlds it is only a matter of time before the Fabrista’s close contact with magic enables them to disassemble it and make it into something they can control. They have a strong motivation to do it, and the Baronians are pushing them hard in that direction.”

  “Lady Cassandra,” the King said. “What you say makes sense, but it hardly seems practical. If you deny them access here, if they are truly determined they will simply look elsewhere—there are dozens of worlds in the magocracy. Someone will give them access—as we have seen—they can do miraculous things—simply the services of a healer like Wysteri could buy—much.”

  The gold-skinned mage nodded. “Dom’Ista, truly, the feats they are capable of is…” She shook her head. “Nearly any kind of price you can imagine, they will pay it with smile.”

  “Wysteri mentioned something to us about infinite resources. I found it somewhat hard to credit.”

  “The foundation of their artifices is the ability to convert material to energy and back. That is how Wysteri and Mercedes will shape Sarai. They simply calculate the microstructure they want and their artifices transform the components of her body to conform.” She gestured to Bannor. “That is how his body was created. It is similar to a mage’s ability to morph creatures, or transmute lead into gold. The big difference is when done by these Kriar devices the change is permanent and they can perform the changes on a vast scale.” She leaned forward. “I have seen them create an entire city the size of Corwin in the matter of a bell or so.”

  The King’s brow furrowed. “And they can create anything?”

  Cassandra shrugged. “Virtually anything.”

  “What you say is quite alarming, Lady Cassandra. So, they could for instance create a hill of precious jewels?”

  “Easily,” she answered with a nod. “And some leader somewhere will be stupid enough to ask for it. That Kingdom buys up everything, and eventually destroys the surrounding economies.” She shook her head. “That’s just one example of the mischief the Kriar can unintentionally create. The Baronian invaders are bad; they are violent, destructive and cruel. Long term, the Kriar pose a worse threat because they don’t actually mean any harm—they just want some places to raise their children. They ask for a little land, we ask for a rope, they gladly give it to us—and we cheerfully hang ourselves with it.”

  “Truly, an insidious threat,” Kalindinai said. “Surely, having the ear of the Vatraena you can prevent these things from happening. If, as you say, it is not their intention to create chaos, they can be persuaded not to do so.”

  “Marna is sympathetic and she has put some safeguards in place; requirements to ‘study the long term effects on economies and balance of power’ but you know how it is.” She sighed. “A government can create all the laws it wants, but someone will bend or break them.”

  “Indeed,” King Jhaan said rubbing his chin. “This is a fancy gorgon to be engaged to. Having accepted the Vatraena’s hand, it would be bad form to slap it away after they have negotiated in good faith; even so much as giving us the tools to defend ourselves.” He cast a look at Bannor.

  Bannor looked to Sarai. “I don’t know. It seems simple to me.”

  “Oh, how is that?” Cassandra asked with an arch expression

  “Just be careful what you wish for.”

  Sarai smiled looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Didn’t you wish for me?”

  “Yes,” he kissed her on the cheek again. “And see all the trouble it’s gotten me into…?”

  * * *

  Chapter Nineteen

  Revelations Whilst Reclined

  « ^ »

  Mecha, or cybers, or living machines whatever you want to call them are an integral component of Kriar society. They exhibit all the emotions of humans and some of them are capable of some tantrums that would make even a prima donna look twice. I’ve never gotten any of the Kriar engineers to own up to it, but I think they made them that way just to keep life on Homeworld from getting mundane.

  —Cassin Kel’Ishtari Felspar,

  Searga Engineer Grade Third Mitaka Legion

  Bannor’s words echoed in the northern council chamber. It had been a fairly witty remark, given the timing, Cassandra, the King and Queen smiled politely. Sarai thumped him in the shoulder for his trouble. Even in his normal body, that slight rebuff shouldn’t have done anything, but the nudge sent him off balance and he had to catch himself. He blinked and the room grew fuzzy. He tried to take air, and nothing happened.

  “Bannor?” Sarai took hold of his arm. “What’s the matter? I didn’t hit you that hard.”

  The dizziness passed and he blinked it away. “Nothing. Guess I’m a bit fragile after all that fighting.”

  The King eyed Bannor for a moment as if waiting to see if he would fall down. When it seemed apparent he wouldn’t, he focused on Cassandra. “Dama Felspar, I understand the problem with the Kriar, but as you say, it is long term. I am more immediately concerned with the Baronians and our status with that problem. I have displaced the citadel staff and created a hubbub in the city that will take a century to settle.”

  “I consulted with Megan,” Cassandra said. “We are in agreement that the magical defenses are as strong as we can make them without making them opaque. Luthice is working with me on a more efficient gate destabilizer, but they are damnably hard to prevent once the enemy have gotten in and fixed a landing spot.” She massaged the bridge of her nose. “As to whether they will be back, I guess that depends on whether they want the stealth penetration techniques that Bannor and now the others represent. With the Daergons cooperating, they actually have easier access on Homeworld… I guess it depends on whether they think they can make a dent in that team. They lost tremendous resources here.”

  “In other words,” the King said. �
��The only way we’re certain to have peace is to wipe out both the Daergons and the Baronians.”

  Cassandra pressed her lips to a line. “Simply put, yes.”

  “I don’t see us as having quite the resources to swing that,” Kalindinai murmured.

  Bannor rubbed his forehead. “If I could just get a clue about that genemar thing—I could end all of this. The problem is I don’t know where to start.”

  “We shall work this problem from different angles,” Cassandra said. “For the time being, we can add the mecha—ahem—golems, to the standing defenses. I have some ideas for making them more effective against the dreads.”

  “Magic weapons?” Kalindinai asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Exactly,” the gold mage said. “After talking to some of them, I am convinced they absolutely don’t want to go back to serving the Baronians so they have a lot of incentive to fight tooth a nail to keep them out. Another thing to make them more effective is to decouple their host intellects. Then they can fight at one-hundred percent.”

  “Decouple?” the King said.

  “Yes,” Cassandra answered. “Their intellect, their spirit, for lack of better words, is in a detachable artifice that can be placed somewhere for safe keeping.”

  “Like a mage’s soul stone?” Kalindinai asked.

  “Exactly like that,” the mage confirmed with a nod. “And like a soulstoned mage who doesn’t die when their body is killed. To put them back in the fight, all that’s necessary is for their frame to be repaired. The great part is they brought their own field engineers, so they have everything they need to repair, fit and customize their frames.”

  The King looked back to group of huge boomers. “So, they can have smaller bodies as well?”

  “That is the power of Kriar artifices, and why they are designed the way they are—they can serve in any role needed. You can even put them in flesh bodies like you saw Wysteri in.”