Sibyl of Doom

  A tear formed in the corner of her eye. "The Golden Vine Ring agrees with Nhoth."

  Mom ran her hand through her hair. "What are you talking about?"

  "I think you'd better sit down, Mom. This will take some time to explain."

  Sini remained distraught, so I did most of the talking. For once, Mom listened without interrupting. I finished with an admission that I had wanted to avoid. "I've tried everything I can think of, but I haven't found anything on the Ring capable of transmitting Sini's nightmares. I, Sini and I, need your help."

  Mom wrapped her fingers around her pendant and didn't say a word. "Let me see the Ring."

  Sini started to remove the Ring.

  "No, leave it on," Mom said. "I want to examine it while it's on your finger."

  "By the Belts, Mom! Don't you ever pay attention to what I say. I told you, Sini has nightmares even when she takes the Ring off her finger."

  Mom took Sini's hand. "I heard every word you said, dear, and I agree with your hypothesis. Something in the Ring is transmitting signals to Sini's implant. But if you couldn't find anything with the Ring off her finger, perhaps I can sense something while the Ring's on her finger."

  I refused to say so, but I had to admit that was logical.

  Mom stared at the Ring for several myria. She began to rub her fingers across the cluster the same as she did with her pendant when she contacted Vision. She stopped rubbing the clusters and set Sini's hand on the table. "Sini, I'm afraid I'm at the same place as Kuinsi." She tapped the cluster. "Stumped."

  Sini's jaw tightened. "Why must this wretched thing curse me?" She jabbed the cluster with her forefinger and pushed until the tip of her finger turned red.

  She pulled her finger back and looked at the tip. "It does hate me. It burned me."

  ""It was probably only you pushing so hard," I said.

  Sini extended her hand. "Look."

  I shook my head to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. The clusters had turned pink. Sini's hand shook back and forth. "I can't stop it. What's happening to me?"

  A white light arched from the Ring to the floor. It shimmered and turned into a rainbow. Each of the seven colors separated from the rainbow, straightened, and morphed into several human shapes. Each shape wore an ivory robe with Golden Vines embroidered in gold thread on its right front side. Slowly the faces formed.

  I recognized three faces. One was King Mhikhel; another Mhikhel's father, King Pierre; and the third, Arvor the Great. I assumed the other four were also Kings. To my surprise, the figures walked toward each other and formed a huddle. They seemed to talk among themselves. "Mom, do you know what is happening?"

  Mom's head rotated to view each figure. "By Ghaeah, the Arvors will never cease to amaze me. They somehow created interactive holos."

  "I thought only the Sisterhood had perfected that," I whispered in Mom's ear.

  "I did too," she said.

  The burliest figure, King Mhikhel, stepped out of the huddle and walked to Mom. His bearded head moved up and down as if examining her. "I remember you. You're older, but still a cute little thing. You're, Caykondra, the High Sibyl that Tarnlot had the hots for."

  He turned to Sini, looked at the Ring. His face turned red. He spun back towards Mom. "It's worse than I imagined. Not only did Tarnlot usurp his brother's birthright and wear the Ring, the two of you spawned this female that wears the Ring. That is why you are in this room when you shouldn't be. You broke your vows in order to place someone on the Throne that the Sisterhood could control."

  Mom's back stiffened. "Mhikhel, even as an interactive holo, you're a stubborn old coot who's blind to the obvious. I had a child -- but not with Tarnlot. She is not my child." Mom pointed to me. "That is my son."

  Mhikhel glanced at me as if I didn't exist. "Then, who is this young lady who wears the Golden Vine Ring?"

  Sini stepped forward. Even though she was as tall as Mhikhel, she looked like a stick next to his brawny frame. "I am Siniastra Arvor, Queen of Tirano. I am the child of King Zhun'Mar. And I am your granddaughter."

  Mhikhel rubbed his beard. "But the readings say you are part KaNoa."

  Sini nodded. "My mother was Mirae, the Vhirko clone of the child who helped save, Sini pointed to the figure of Mhikhel, "your life."

  Mhikhel broke out into laughter. "My granddaughter the child of a clone; a Sibyl with a son. This is going to take some explaining. Perhaps, the world did go crazy after I died."

  I stepped forward and pointed a finger at Mhikhel. "I think you'd better explain first. Whatever this program is that created," I waved my hand in the direction of the Kings, "these holos, it has almost driven Sini insane."

  He looked down at me as if examining me for the first time. His lip curled. Even though I knew a holographic figure couldn't physically harm me, I nonetheless yanked my hand back.

  "You little son of a Sibyl, that's what it was supposed to do. But if she's still standing, she's definitely an Arvor."

  He continued to stare at me. It took all of my effort to maintain his eye contact. "With that curly red hair, you don't look like a Sibyl's child, but at least have your Mother's spunk. Yes, we will tell her all. But only to her. You and your mother must leave."

  He turned to Mom. "Caykondra, I know you will share what you have seen with Vision. We ask only that you keep it classified, as you have kept other of our secrets classified."

  Mom nodded. "It will be so. But my son is not Sibyl. He is not bound by my pledge. You will have to make your own pact with him."

  Mhikhel arched his eyebrows. "Very interesting. If not Sibyl, what are you?"

  I asked myself that same question all the time and never came up with a satisfactory answer. Before I could respond, Sini spoke: "He is Kuinsi, son of High Sibyl Caykondra and the restorer Burrows. He is my Lord Chancellor."

  "Then, he is bound by your command." He pointed a finger at Sini. "Child of my son, order his silence so we may be done with this."

  Sini's face turned red. "I am no child that you can command. I shall not order his silence."

  To my surprise, Mhikhel smiled. "Spoken like a true Arvor."

  He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to me. "Lord Chancellor Kuinsi, we ask that you never reveal what you have seen here today."

  Sini's firm stance with Mhikhel had emboldened me. "Why should I agree? How do I know you won't harm Sini? You've already tried to drive her insane."

  Mhikhel threw his hands in the air. "If only I were flesh and bone. I would personally dispatch you to the deepest pit in the blackest Cavity."

  "But you're not. So, I will do what I think is in Sini's best interest."

  "Then, young Kuinsi, think long and hard before you act. Except for Zhun'Mar, the Council of Kings has advised each sitting Sovereign for a two millennia. Our counsel has helped the Arvors maintain control over the Archonan intrigues. The Council would lose its effectiveness if its existence is revealed. Do you want to risk ruining her reign as Sovereign?"

  "Why couldn't you advise Father?" Sini asked before I could respond. "And why is he not here?"

  Mhikhel lowered his eyes. "I did not expect to die when I did. Even though I had stressed to both Zhun'Mar and Tarnlot that only Zhun'Mar as my successor could wear the Golden Vine Ring, I hadn't disclosed the Council of Kings. Needless to say, I hadn't instructed Zhun'Mar how to manipulate the Ring's Cluster to activate the Council."

  He paused, looked down at the floor. "After my death, the Ring initially sensed Zhun'Mar's implant, then the link crashed, and the contact switched to Tarnlot. I was livid, thinking that Tarnlot had shunted Zhun'Mar aside and usurped the Throne. I could not bring myself to reward such perfidy. The Council shut down the program until the Ring sensed a new generation."

  He paused, swallowed hard, and laid his hand on Sini's shoulder. "As a result, the Ring did not assimilate either Zhun'Mar's or Tarnlot's being into the
Council. I am afraid your father is lost to us."

  Sini stepped back from Mhikhel's hand and stared blankly. She blinked to fight back tears.

  Mhikhel continued. "When we sensed you wore the Ring and had KaNoa and Arvor genetics, we assumed you were Tarnlot's child. My gut told me Tarnlot didn't kill Zhun'Mar. Instead, I believed he convinced Zhun'Mar that the pressure of my death was too much for Zhun'Mar to handle and that Zhun'Mar should step down in his favor. We hoped to force you to abdicate in favor of Zhun'Mar's descendants.

  "In the name of Ghaeah, Mhikhel," Mom shouted. "Your fallacious assumptions almost cost you the thing you wanted: Zhun'Mar's heir on the Throne. You owe her one huge apology."

  "Which she will get if you two will leave," Mhikhel said.

  He lowered a piercing gaze to me. I understood how his menacing stature would have intimidated so many while he lived. "Do we have your word?"

  I didn't want to make a choice that could deprive Sini of what could be an incredible asset. On the other hand, the only thing the Council had accomplished so far was to almost drive Sini insane. I couldn't give them an unqualified answer. "Only as long as no harm comes to Sini."

  Mhikhel smiled as if we had become friends. "You have need have no fear on that account." Behind him the other Kings nodded.

  One doesn't question the word of seven Kings, even if they were only interactive holos. I nodded goodbye to Sini, and Mom and I left.

  -10-

  Rwohn Compound

  Planet Tirano

  What an incredible revelation! The Sibyls had assumed that only they had created interactive holos, which they regarded as their most significant accomplishment. It was also their most closely-held secret. I knew interactive holos existed only because Mom told me she'd downloaded her interactive memory program to Dad's neuroimplant before she left Earth. I, of course, had been sworn to the utmost secrecy; I couldn't even tell any Sibyl that I knew about interactive holos.

  Yet, somehow the Arvors had gained access to an interactive program. Without telling them why, Mom had probably ordered a whole Sibyl convent to commence an immediate and thorough search for any indication someone had somehow bootlegged a copy of their program. Another convent was probably ordered to begin inquiries into whether another interactive program existed any where in the galaxy.

  I guarded my zinfandel vineyard's harvest like a rhenard, but I'd bet a year's harvest that the Sibyls could search all they wanted and would find nothing. If the Arvors had maintained their secret for at least a millennia, they would have erased any traces of its genesis long ago. Instead of wasting my time looking for that pinhole in time, I decided to do something that would have positive results. I'd fix myself something to eat. I didn't have the time or desire for anything elaborate, so I prepared what Dad called "hash."

  I grabbed some potatoes from my pantry, cut them into small cubes, scattered them in a cast iron skillet, drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper, and popped them in the oven to roast until browned. Next I grabbed some leftover leg of bovid roast and some goat cheese from the cooler cabinet. I picked off a handful of meat and crumbled the cheese. When the potatoes had bronzed, I mixed the meat in with the potatoes and covered with the cheese.

  In fifteen milli, I was sitting at the table with a glass of zinfandel and a hearty helping of Dad's hash. I'd set my archive reader on the table so I could view Aos Whey-ki while I ate. "Commence where I stopped last night," I said.

  The rainbow swirled until it fused into Aos's image. "Stop," I said and Aos's image disappeared.

  "Begin again," I said.

  The rainbow swirled again until the seven colors merged into Aos's image. "Pause," I said.

  The Council of Kings also coalesced out of a rainbow. Until a few days ago, I had never seen a rainbow activation technique. Then, it's used in two different programs, both of which were at least a millennia old. I made a mental note to see if I could find any historical records on the technique.

  "Begin for real this time," I told the reader.

  -11-

  Starship Gaea

  Location Unknown

  A week later, Admiral Tani called a mandatory briefing for all Archon Quarters denizens. Kwenerra, Ahrtzor, and I entered the packed amphitheater and took our assigned seats on the second level. Kwenerra sat on one side of me and Ahrtzor on the other. On the stage, Admiral Tani stood stiffly behind a lectern and waited for everyone to enter. Eunuchs Rohfek and Nhoth sat at a table to his right; neither looked up. After everyone had entered, the Admiral tapped the lectern for silence.

  "With our vid-comm still offline, I called this meeting so everyone would hear the same thing at the same time," the Admiral said. "As I'm sure all of you suspect, we are lost. The Gaea somehow transported to an unknown galaxy. We've tried to determine our location by matching the visible constellations with the computer's star charts. There's not one familiar star. Nor is there any record of the spiral of black objects behind us."

  The Admiral didn't need to call for a mandatory briefing to tell us the obvious. There had to be another reason for this meeting, and the Admiral's undisguised grimness.

  "Before I continue, are there any questions?" The Admiral lowered his face to look at his notes as if he didn't expect any questions.

  A few people coughed, but no one spoke. When the Admiral raised his head, Ahrtzor rose. I tensed, wondering what he would say.

  "Sir," he said with an authoritative tone I'd never heard from him, "I can accept that we're in an unknown galaxy. However, I find it difficult to believe we are 'lost'," he said somewhat sarcastically. "The computers can easily trace our flight path. All that needs to be done is to reverse that course and we return to where we started."

  "Hear, hear," sounded several voices.

  "Why couldn't you and the Eunuchs come up with such ideas?" shouted someone in the rear.

  The Admiral raised his hand for silence. Ahrtzor remained standing. The Admiral looked at Ahrtzor as if assessing him for the first time. "For the benefit of everyone here, might I ask you to identify yourself?"

  I would have crumbled at the pressure of responding to the Admiral in front of the entire population of the Archon Quarters. I slunk into my seat, wishing I was invisible. Perhaps, it was because we were seated on the second level, but Ahrtzor seemed to look down his nose at the Admiral. "I am Ahrtzor Whey-ki."

  The Admiral craned his neck. "Well, Master Ahrtzor, I applaud your ingenuity and wish you were correct. Unfortunately, you bring me to the main purpose of this meeting."

  "Perhaps, you should answer my question first," Ahrtzor said loudly.

  The Admiral's eyes tightened. "If I may continue without interruption, I will."

  "Then, proceed," Ahrtzor replied as if he were in charge of the meeting.

  "Thank you," the Admiral said. "The ship's flight path recorder shows our location when we encountered the object. It records the Gaea's path to the object. Unfortunately, it then blacks out during our transit and records nothing again until it shows our new location. As a result, we have no record of our flight path, and thus, no way of reversing our course."

  He paused as if waiting for questions. When no one spoke, he continued. "But even if we knew the flight path, we would be unable to return. The Gaea and our supplies were intended only for the 11 light-year trip to Eridani. We are in an unknown galaxy, which means the distance to Eridani is millions, if not billions, of light years. We could never make it back."

  A cold pit formed in my stomach. Admiral Tani had confirmed my worst fears. We were doomed to spend the rest of our lives on the Gaea until we all starved to death. I looked around and saw nothing but blank looks on faces, except one.

  Ahrtzor had remained standing and again spoke. "Even if your distances are correct, Admiral, your conclusion is not. We transported herein a few minutes. We should be able to return in the same amount of time. We need to discover what it
was that brought us here. Then we return the same way."

  A surge of pride shot through me. While I and others were wallowing in pity of our situation, Ahrtzor stood strong and asked the questions that needed to answered. The Admiral didn't look as proud, and Rohfek and Nhoth were ashen-faced.

  "I suggest," Ahrtzor continued, "that we appoint new leadership with new ideas. We need someone who is not beholden to the Imperatora and her Eunuch Voices. Someone who has the scientific and technical knowledge and ability to solve this question."

  The woman behind me gasped. Admiral Tani stood silent. A man in the rear shouted, "I agree with the young man." A roar of "me too's" followed.

  Rohfek jumped out of his seat, his face crimson. "Such impertinence! I suggest Master Ahrtzor that you leave these matters to your elders who are wiser and more experienced in dealing with perilous situations."

  "I would be happy to, if any such person were sitting at that table. Instead, I see two eunuchs whose wise decisions placed us in our current situation because any delay would have cost them their early arrival bonus." Ahrtzor paused and looked around the auditorium. "A new pair of gonads."

  Laugher erupted in the auditorium.

  Ahrtzor held up his hand. "Stop. This is no laughing matter. Those two chose not to proceed cautiously when we encountered the object. Instead of detouring around it, they ordered us to proceed. I say they have forfeited their right to lead and must be replaced."

  Nhoth bolted from his chair. He pointed a finger at Ahrtzor. "I'm warning you. One more word and I'll order you locked up, even if you are a child."

  I grabbed Ahrtzor's arm and tried to pull him into his seat. He pulled his arm loose and glared at Nhoth.

  The auditorium remained silent as Nhoth and Ahrtzor glared at each other. Finally, Admiral Tani spoke: "Imperatora Voice Nhoth, no one will be locked up. Master Ahrtzor may be young, but under our laws he has a right to express himself. And I for one am intrigued by his suggestions and believe they should be examined more closely."

  Nhoth's jaw dropped. He slumped back in his chair.

  "Master Ahrtzor," the Admiral said, "who do you believe should assume a leadership role?"