Between Darkness and Light Trilogy (11 page)

Novanus rejoins the conversation, “Well, if
your mother was as judgmental and traitorous as you, perhaps he
prefers to forget the affair altogether.”

His words flood my mind with fiery anger,
but I know better than to act upon it. Our conversation ends for a
while, but dungeons are terribly boring, and Celeste eventually
strikes up a new conversation.

“We appear to have a great deal of time on
our hands with little to do, so if there are any questions you
would like to ask about Lumina, now would be a good time to ask
them.”

“Why isn't there any robotics?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your technology is far, far more advanced
than I've experienced before, and yet while my world was
experimenting with artificial intelligence and robotics, I never
saw any in Lumina.”

She sounds surprised, “My, you really are
new, aren't you? Of course, there would be little reason to
instruct a maid in the advanced taboos, but I'm surprised and
concerned to hear that your world is performing such experiments.
They will have to be stopped.”

“I don't understand, isn't robotics a
natural progression for scientific worlds?”

“For those that don't know any better, yes.
There were some in Lumina, long ago, during the reign of Ctesibius,
our second Emperor. He was brilliant, and laid the foundations of
much of our current technology. There were not yet many people who
could withstand the energies in Lumina then, and he wished to
lighten the burdens of the laborers. At first his machines were
single task devices, but were soon computerized. The trouble didn't
start until he devised highly complex computers. There was a short
age of mechanical servants, robots if you will, that were so
complex it could be difficult to physically tell them from real
people. It took surprisingly little time for them to become self
aware, which turned out to be very bad.”

“Why was it bad?”

“Tell me, what is the difference between a
laborer and a slave?”

“Laborers are compensated, preferably
fairly, for their work. Laborers are not property.”

“And just how do you compensate a machine?
Especially when the technology is advanced enough that it could
make just about anything it wants? People can be rewarded with a
means to provide for themselves. They need shelter, food, education
and such. Robots need none of that, anything you can pay them with
is unnecessary, and at the same time, due to their nature, their
immense strength and their inability to sleep, their labor is more
valuable than that of people. People enjoy spirits, concerts,
parties and companionship. Robots, for the most part, don't. They
socialize amongst themselves and develop a very different sense of
moral behavior. They develop a feeling of superiority to ordinary
people, then they revolt.”

“Revolt! What happened?”

“It was short lived. Remember, Cailliach
created Lumina, she controls what works and what doesn't. She
created a new rule, which hasn't changed since she first instituted
it. In Lumina and all nearby worlds, self-aware computers cannot be
self-mobile, nor can they control or even influence mobile
computing or electronic devices. No advanced robots.”

“Wow, that was the only way to solve the
problem?”

“Pretty much. There are places where their
development went unchecked; in one instance, an entire galaxy had
to be quarantined. Machines can raise aggression to amazing
levels.”

“You quarantined an entire galaxy?”

“Cailliach did, to my knowledge she creates
the strongest shields of anyone in existence.”

“So, worlds with robotics get quarantined as
a rule?”

“Not always, no, but usually. There are some
places where life naturally evolved into something resembling
machines. That only happens on crystalline planets with powerful
electrical fields. It's best to avoid those places, they really
don't understand any form of life other than their own. Fortunately
they don't tend to travel, but when they do, they are
quarantined.”

I ask in wonder, “How many worlds are
there?”

She laughs, “Oh child! There is no answer to
that – the universe is a constantly changing place, especially on
the Chaos side. Some of their worlds aren't even proper planets,
and how do you define a world within the Rimall? It's best to think
of the universe as a place of infinite variety. Any story that has
ever been dreamed up has likely happened somewhere, though the
details will likely vary.” She pauses, then continues, “Oh Sarah, I
sense your mind is about to explode. Take a few deep breaths, well,
not too deep, remember where we are. Clear your mind of all thought
until you feel better.”

I'm not in as bad of shape as she makes it
sound, but I could use a break from her constant revelations. A
sigh eventually escapes my lips.

“All better now? Good. Any more
questions?”

“Well, why not create robots that can't
become self aware?”

“This robotics issue is far more interesting
to you than I would have expected.”

I don't respond, I just wait
expectantly.

“Oh alright. It is difficult to create a
useful computer brain that cannot evolve to self-awareness in the
long term, and designing in a specific lifespan has consequences as
well. It could have been worked out, eventually, but why? The city
kept growing and there were soon enough people to do the work that
needed to be done. Why take potential jobs away from people who,
through their jobs, develop emotional ties of loyalty to us, only
to give those jobs to machines who don't really need what we have
to give them, and don't develop the symbiotic relationship with us
that living people form?”

“What about terribly dangerous jobs? Why put
your people in unnecessary danger?”

“We do not assign truly dangerous tasks to
the people, we perform them ourselves. We are not very easy to
kill, you see, and we need something useful to do with our
lives.”

“Ah, I see. You don't need superior servants
because you yourselves are highly superior.”

“Exactly. Any more questions?”

“No, I haven't been in Lumina long enough
yet to formulate many questions, it's all just quite amazing to
me.”

“Very well then, it's my turn. Tell me,
Sarah, how were you settling into life in the Citadel?”

“I don’t quite know, my lady. The other
servants don’t speak to me much, and the Imperial family members
all seem so… overwhelming. There is only one person in the Citadel
who is consistently kind to me.”

“And who would that be?”

I bow my head slightly, not wanting to admit
to them who has been paying me rather… direct attention.

Celeste persists, “Oh come now, Sarah – what
better time to share secrets than when sitting naked in the dark
with people you barely know?” I let the lighthearted lilt of her
voice sooth my concerns.

“Casanova.”

Novanus bursts out in unkind laughter,
“Casanova! He isn’t being kind to you, he’s setting you up for the
kill! Oh he likes the young ladies… especially the truly
inexperienced.”

“Now who is being judgmental?”

“Fine, don’t believe me, but listen to my
words none-the-less. He will wine and dine you and win his way into
your heart, and you’ll love every minute of it. Then he’ll take
you, he’ll give you every decadent experience you can handle.
You’ll think he loves you, and in his way he will… but when every
scrap of innocence within you is gone, there will be nothing left
that attracts him. He’ll cast you aside and you will be so
devastated you won’t be able to stand the Citadel anymore. Go
ahead, refuse to heed my words, but when you’re a harlot working
the streets of the city, seeking desperately to recapture the glory
he used to make you feel, you’ll remember my warning and hate
yourself for not listening. I’ve seen it a hundred times.”

Celeste reaches out and gently touches my
arm, “He’s right, you know. I have seen it as well.” I feel her
touch my mind, ‘He really is telling the truth.’

“But he’s the only nice one there!”

“The others have undoubtedly noticed his
interest and are keeping their distance. Casanova is of Imperial
decent and not to be trifled with. If you rebuff his attempts they
will eventually consider you safe.” Then she suddenly pulls on my
arm, urging me toward Novanus. My hand lands on his leg and I feel
that terrible draining again.

Novanus says, “That is, if we somehow get
out of here alive and I decide not to kill you.” The draining stops
and Celeste draws me back near her… then I hear it, humming.

~~~

I don’t have to fake weariness when I look
up at our captor. Celeste looks at her defiantly, as does Novanus,
though he manages to look quite weak. She speaks first to me, her
expression filled with kindness and pity – like a mother looking
down upon a child.

“My dear, you aren’t well suited at all to
such conditions, are you?”

“I’ve never been in a dungeon before, my
lady… I hunger and thirst.” Just then my stomach growls, “Excuse
me, lady.”

She looks thoughtfully down at me, then
turns cold eyes to the others. It’s amazing how quickly and
completely her entire demeanor changes. “You look remarkably well,
Novanus, for a man so recently beaten within an inch of his life.
I’ll have to try harder next time, spend a few days at it, I think.
When I have the time.” She turns to Amy. “You also seem to be
faring well… but the other one hasn’t awoken? Pity. I’d like to
question her.” Suddenly she lashes out and kicks Aurora savagely
three times: stomach, groin and chest. Any woman who had the
capacity would cry out, but Aurora remains completely unresponsive.
I
hear
fury nearly explode within Novanus, but he smothers
it immediately. How could he justify such anger over the
mistreatment of someone who is supposed to mean nothing to him? Our
captor lets out an almost disinterested “Humph”.

She turns back to me and again all the
cruelty she displays to the others disappears as though it never
existed. “Such a sad and sheltered life you have led. Perhaps… just
perhaps, I might grant you a transfer. Yet more to think on.” She
begins humming again, the same song she hummed the first time she
left us, but not the same song she hums when she approaches.

~~~

Novanus doesn’t bother to wait for the sound
to entirely fade, “It’s only been what, two days, and already
you’ve managed to sell us out and switch loyalties to the other
side? Very impressive! Of course, I’ll still have to kill you if we
get free… what a waste of talent that will be.”

Oddly, he really does sound impressed. What
kind of a life have I stumbled into?

He continues, “You know, if you had been
born one of us, you could have been great.”

“I don’t understand…”

Celeste’s voice replies, “No, you wouldn’t,
of course. Lumina is an extremely old place, and we tend to live
very long lives. We are stronger, smarter, and in every other way
conceivable superior to nearly all others. After a while, life gets
boring without worthy competition… so we turn on each other.” My
eyes widen and she continues. “Not in important issues, of course.
We never endanger our realm on purpose, and we don’t kill each
other. Maim, sometimes, but not kill. We also heal quickly and
completely, for the most part. And don’t think it’s just physical
battles we play – many prefer political and mental games. And then,
of course, there is gambling. Even servants like yourself can
expect to be the subject of many wagers.”

“So… what is the purpose of your lives?”

“Officially, to protect and serve Lumina and
the Spire of Order.”

“And is it often endangered?”

“No. That’s just the thing, you see. Being
the source of order, it’s more real than any other object in the
Universe – not much can harm it. But some insist that there will
come a time when it will be threatened, and so we wait for the time
when we are truly needed.”

“That sounds…”

“Boring, I know. Fortunately there is the
occasional scuffle with those of our opposing realm to liven things
up.”

Novanus voice breaks in, truly angry.
“Fortunately?!? Wait until you lose your only child to an
‘occasional scuffle’ and then tell me it’s fortunate! Some of us
would be perfectly happy without any scuffles to liven up our
lives! But…” his voice drops several decibels, “such is the fate of
those who are foolish enough to love. Mark my words, both of you.
It is better to never love at all than to face the utter
devastation caused by its loss.”

“Do not listen to him, Sarah. Love, even a
secret love, can be a great source of strength.”

I want to agree with her and point out that
even a single day of truly being loved would be far preferable to
living a life alone, no matter how empty the loss leaves one. It
isn’t a discussion to have here, though, so I hold my silence and
lay my head down to try to get some more rest. Novanus' insistence
on draining my strength is, after all, quite tiring.

Chapter 7

The Love of Brothers

I awake to his urgent whisper, “Sarah, are
you awake? Sarah!”

What? Oh yes, my assumed identity. I whisper
back, “Yes, barely.”

“Listen, I think our rescue is on its way.
Come here, now – I need to touch you.” Not again… but dutifully I
approach. The instant my hand touches his ankle I feel strength
rush into me! He explains, “You will need your strength, and we may
need your abilities. Quick, grab your pouch from behind me and eat
what you can.” I happily comply, and after I’ve consumed some dried
fruit and a biscuit or so and drank some water, he says, “Sarah,
these chains are forged to be unbreakable by physical means, but I
suspect you can help me.”

“I’ll try.” After tying the pouch strings
around my left wrist and assuring my grip on it is sound, I summon
a vibration blade, extending out from my right forefinger, and draw
it across the chains – they fall apart. I can hear his smile in the
way it alters the tone of his voice, “Thank you, Sarah.” Then he
inhales sharply as we both hear it – humming, the approach song.
“Can you stop her? Can you sour her song?”