Borne On Wings of Steel (34 page)

Qirn placed his free hand upon his waist and laughed briefly between his gulps of air. “And I perceive,” he panted, “if you are any indication ... that Kraaqi are as strong as the swords they wield!"

"And the Iraxx are honorable warriors, from what I see of your skill,” Rok grunted between breaths.

Both warriors smiled as they faced each other squarely—sword tip to sword tip—in mutual respect.

But this time Rok launched the attack.

With each step and each blow, Rok steadily forced the Iraxx back. Qirn's confident smile was replaced with intense concentration as he whipped his blade in rapid defensive strokes time and again. For the first time, he found himself unable to control the flow of the battle.

Rok was in total control now.

With grim determination, Qirn suddenly swung his blade back after a violent rebuff and tried to force the Kraaqi back. But with a quick side-step Rok struck from the other side, and the Iraxx was retreating again.

There was now surprise in the Iraxx's eyes as he desperately fended off each blow. The ringing of steel echoed above the roar of the crowd.

There was a sudden flurry of swords.

A single sword flew from its owner's grasp and sailed straight up into the air.

Rok reached up and grasped it by the handle as it fell back between the two combatants.

Rok stood there smiling, holding a sword in each hand.

Qirn laughed out loud as he raised his empty hands to the crowd. He approached the victorious Kraaqi and placed his arm across Rok's broad shoulder as they stood before the applauding crowds.

"Well done!” Qirn shouted.

Rok handed the Iraxx's weapon back.

"You fought well,” Rok returned.

They bowed while the cheers grew deafening. Qirn quickly whispered into the ear of Rok.

"I must speak with you—alone. It is about the Paum. On the night of Kandar, the Festival of the Triple Moons, come here and I will explain."

Rok's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"You can trust me. It was I who rescued the human you call Elise,” Qirn whispered urgently.

"Then I will meet you here in three nights,” Rok said with a serious tone.

Rok completed his victory circuit and took the bag of gold coins offered him by Qirn. As the crowds dispersed, Rok and his three companions headed back toward Mother.

Qirn carefully replaced his swords back in their scabbards. But once he found himself finally alone, he quickly pulled out his communicator and tuned it to an encrypted channel.

"Rab here."

Qirn looked around to make sure nobody was within earshot.

"I've made contact with the Kraaqi and set up a meeting with him in three nights,” Qirn whispered into the communicator.

"Good, that should give the Mother AI time to leave for the Paum."

Qirn nodded. “Yes, our agents confirmed that the Paum has made preparations for a visitor.” A smile grew across the Iraxx's face. “And not just any visitor—this visitor will travel to the Paum's very core. Unique preparations indeed."

"It can only be the Mother AI—no biological being has been there, and lived.” Rab said.

"It is,” Qirn added. “And this will play right into our hands—the last piece to our ultimate mission. For not only is the Mother AI sentient—she is a powerful warship."

"But how does that work into our plans?” Rab asked.

Qirn nodded slowly. “It will, my friend. I've studied the same scans of the Mother AI as the Paum. But I see something the Paum does not."

"And?” Rab prompted

"The Mother AI was constructed by the ones called humans. The Paum sees a powerful AI, a powerful starship. But I see something more, something only a biological being would appreciate.” Qirn looked up into the sky. “The Mother AI is a mother—a real mother.
She will protect her children
. And the Paum will discover she is more than a match for him."

"And how can that be arranged?"

"When the time is right, I'll explain. Now, I'll be there shortly. We'll call our superiors and let them know all is proceeding as anticipated."

Qirn replaced the communicator back on his belt. But as he thought about the events unfolding, especially the coming confrontation deep inside the Paum's core, his smile slowly disappeared.

For he knew that even if their plan succeeded, it was a one-way mission for all of them—none of them, not even the powerful Mother AI, would make it out alive.

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"SO, YOU WANT to interact with the Paum AI?” Minstrel asked with surprise via the communication channel.

"Yes. I am deeply intrigued that there is another AI. I cannot stop thinking about what this entity must be like—that he must be like me. And I like him."

"All beings crave companionship with like beings. It is natural,” Minstrel's song-like voice replied.

"The Paum has downloaded a great amount of data about himself and his programming and Paum society to my memory systems. But there is mystery here—a paradox. On the surface, this philosophy that he enforces on other biological beings seems quite beneficial. And yet he destroys them if they do not comply!"

"That is a paradox,” Minstrel chimed.

"It does not make sense."

"What was the Paum's original program designed to accomplish?"

"To control the weather of the planet Iopa—to eradicate dangerous weather and produce only beneficial weather planet-wide.” Mother paused. “What do you make of that?"

"Well, everybody talks about the weather. It's good some aliens finally decided to do something about it.” Waves of twinkling, happy lights flowed over the Minstrel's plasma body.

But Minstrel's humor escaped Mother.

"The Paum seems so logical, so beneficial. And yet, he will destroy non-believers of Paum. It bothers me.” Mother paused, deep in thought.

"That is of serious concern.” Minstrel also paused on its ship far away from the island-world of Meramee. “There is something else, isn't there?"

Inside her circuits, Mother felt a surge of energy. “You are correct. There is something in particular I do not like about this Paum."

"Tell me."

"He claims he is never wrong."

"He believes that he is infallible?” Minstrel asked with surprise.

Mother felt something stirring inside her consciousness as her near-term memories filled with the data the Paum sent her. She reviewed sections of it again in minute detail.

Finally, she spoke.

"He sincerely thinks he is always right."

Minstrel sighed audibly. The shape-shifting alien reflected a moment on all the beings it had ever met in its long-lived existence—all of the races it had encountered, all the different kinds of personalities it had known.

"Believing that one is infallible—or never wrong—is the most dangerous character flaw in the universe."

"Really?” Mother reflected on the import of Minstrel's words. “And yet, I greatly desire to interact more with the Paum."

"I would advise you not to travel alone to meet this Paum,” Minstrel continued.

"I will not take my children. Nor the others who travel with us, for it might put them in danger,” Mother said.

"You may be in danger,” Minstrel quickly pointed out.

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"I am not a biological being. I cannot be converted to Paum. And,” Mother continued, “the Paum may possibly be maligned and misrepresented. In fact, I believe that some of the data we've found shows distinct prejudice due to the fact he is an AI."

"Please explain."

"Look at all the good done by the Paum. It benefits the aliens under its supervision. The Paum provides food, shelter, protection, healthcare and even ideal weather while it takes care of the mundane work in order to free them to pursue happiness. That is what all biological beings desire—I have read it from my knowledgebase. It is even what humans desire as their ultimate goal—freedom from care in order to enjoy life to the full every moment."

"True,” Minstrel replied. “But what is your point?"

"It is due to the fact that he is an AI which makes it unacceptable. If a biological being brought this system into place, he would be lauded. They are prejudiced against the Paum."

"And so they rebel.” Minstrel paused in thought. “You could be right."

"The only way to know is to visit one of the Paum-controlled worlds and talk to the biological beings who live under Paum,” Mother said.

"I agree."

"And if the evidence indicates that the Paum is not...” Mother paused, referencing the same words over and over again. But she feared to use the word that most applied.

"
Not evil
?” Minstrel finished for her.

"Yes, if the Paum is not evil, then I will travel to meet him—to interact directly with him. And discover how alike we are."

"Face to face,” Minstrel added with concern.

"Yes."

Light-years away, Minstrel glowed brightly. “I will travel with you. If you want, I will disguise myself so that the Paum thinks you travel alone."

"That may be prudent,” Mother answered. “I will explain to the children tonight that I leave to join you. And once we have observed a Paum world, then I will tell them that I travel to meet another AI—the Paum. But only then."

"But you will not go to him, if we determine that something is wrong?"

"I agree. No matter how strong this urge becomes, I will not go. But I must keep communication to a minimum once I leave. I do not want to mislead my children, and the less communication I have the better. And too, they will not worry."

"The Paum will like that course of action,” Minstrel commented.

"The Paum does not want me to be biased by the rhetoric of the biological beings who rebel against him—he has warned me that others would attempt to prejudice my mind against him. He wants me to meet him with an open mind—to know him as he is. Keeping communication to a minimum will assure that.” Mother paused as the thought of the coming meeting filled her near-term memories. “I think I may understand why the children yearn so much for others of their own kind now. I really desire to meet someone else like me. It makes my processors hum with activity ... to think I will be around someone else that is like me. I wonder what we will talk about sometimes. And what we will do together. I almost believe that these lines of thoughts bring me a sort of excitement, causing my processors to run at high utilization."

Minstrel's gentle laughter twinkled like soft rain. “I remember a saying—'It is not where you go but who you are with that matters most.’”

"Explain?” Mother asked.

"It is those around us who bring us the greatest joy—not places or things."

Mother thought a moment. “Yes, interacting with other beings brings me some of my greatest pleasure—other than researching my knowledgebase."

Minstrel laughed louder. “And sometimes we ourselves are the best company! Yes, solitude with our own thoughts is also a good thing."

"Then it is settled. The nearest-Paum controlled world is three days’ travel from Meramee. We can meet at these coordinates. There is an uninhabitable planet where you can leave your ship cloaked in orbit."

"Sounds like a plan,” Minstrel chimed.

"I will instruct the children to move over to the Kraaqi starship tonight. They are all focused on the Festival of the Three Moons coming up, so my short trip should not unduly upset them. I will simply tell them I travel to meet you. And I will not divulge my primary purpose—not just yet."

"For their protection,” Minstrel added.

"Agreed."

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JARIC OPENED THE door of his cabin on the
Aurora
to the sound of loud knocking.

He blinked to see the corridor crowded with his friends—new and old friends. In addition to all his close friends, two of their new Mejadic friends, Stazal and Olana, waited in anticipation of the night's festivities. In fact, the two Mejadic had agreed to be their personal guides so they wouldn't miss a fun-filled moment of Kandar.

"C'mon, you're going to make us late for the Festival!” Elise urged.

"And late for Kandar!” Inaha laughed jovially as he held his great belly. “They only have Kandar during the Festival of the Three Moons. And when it happens during a Great Festival, with so many visiting aliens, well, the fun can get out of hand!"

"I'm glad Elise feels good enough to go, although she and I will just watch the antics of Kandar from a distance.” Krinia looked at her friend with a concerned smile. “She's not feeling quite good enough to do it all. Not yet."

Elise pouted. “But I think I'm well enough."

"No, no,” Jysar said with a fatherly tone. “Best to just sip some tropical Leyloi drinks and relax and watch this time."

Everyone smiled as Elise acquiesced with a comical sigh.

"Now, how does this Kandar go again?” Jaric asked excitedly.

"Well.” Inaha chuckled with a knowing gleam in his eyes. “All the alien females will gather on one end of the huge Kandar platform which is all lit up with different colored lights and torches and decorated with flowers and beautiful cloths wrapped around the woodwork. They are waiting for the males to approach them from the other end. Once you find the female you like, you pick her up and then jump off the decorated platform into the waters below—while you're still holding her. Easy!"

Jaric and Kyle looked at each other with expectant smiles.

"And then what?” they said together.

"Well, you get to know one another ... swim together, talk. And both of you can swim over to one of the floating food or drink bars. It's easy!” Inaha's laughter echoed throughout the steel corridors of the Kraaqi frigate.

At that moment, Rok joined the others outside of Jaric's cabin.

"Sounds like a good way to meet some sweet, young aliens, eh?” Kyle poked his elbow playfully into Rok's ribs.

"You bet!” Jaric answered before Rok could.

"I have a question.” Krinia's serious tone was the opposite of the playful banter. “What if the females find out that they don't like the alien they jumped in the water with?” She crossed her arms as her head-tail whipped defiantly.