The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3) (17 page)

CHAPTER
30

THE BIRDLIKE CREATURE

With a cold stare, Asha watched from the balcony as countless tiny lights darted around the bizarre city that hung over the sea in the far distance. Now that the sun had at last dipped below the snowcapped mountains, the city seemed to take on a new glow. She studied it once more, trying to acquire some new piece of information, some insight that she could have missed. They’d come halfway across the galaxy and broken into the Empress Monument itself, all to hit a dead end.

Behind, she felt Zahn’s presence grow nearer.

“Are you sure you don’t want to send a nugget to Manu?” Zahn leaned over on the balcony railing, looking over to her. “I’m sure he has a backup plan or something.”

She looked over to him, feeling her muscles stiffen at the thought. “I wish it were that easy, Zahn, but you heard what he said. If Manu can intercept thought-nuggets intended for other people, then that means other guards could, too. We can’t take that risk.”

“Come on, Asha! He said he wanted us to meet with him after Torin’s meeting, so we have to contact him somehow.”

Asha shook her head. “And what do you propose we tell him? We know that the third stone is buried underground, but that’s it! It could be
anywhere
, and honestly, I don’t think Manu could help us right now if he wanted to. He hasn’t sent me a nugget this entire time, which means he’s probably assisting the Empress, so there isn’t much we can do about it.”

Zahn’s expression twisted. “Huh. So you’ve got this all figured out haven’t you?”

“Nothing has changed, Zahn! Our top priority is finding the third stone. There must be something we’ve overlooked.”

“Which is why we should find Manu. He knows more about this place than we do.”

She burned her gaze into him. “Zahn, I don’t mean to be rude, but the Confederation asked
me
to command this mission. That means, technically, you take orders from me. So unless you have something useful to say, some insight on the stone’s location, I’ll ask that you keep your thoughts to yourself. Please.”

He blinked, shock washing over his face. “Sure, Asha.” His gaze drifted down to the shimmering city below. “I’m sorry.”

Asha inhaled slowly, calming her stirred up energy. Below, Mirage City bloomed with light, and she studied the bizarre architecture again.

“Do you think we did the right thing?” Zahn said. “About telling Jyana everything, I mean.”

“Yes, I do.” Below, Asha thought she saw some people forming a new dome on the outer edge of the city. “If we expect people to trust
us
, I think we should start by trusting
them
.”

“Yeah.”

“So,” Asha said, “feel any of your signature strokes of insight coming on? We could certainly use one.”

Zahn shook his head. “I don’t know, Asha. At this point, I’m more inclined to trust
your
intuition than my own fleeting flashes of insight.”

Asha sighed. “Well, something the Empress said during the meeting struck me as odd. I just can’t remember exactly
what
she said that made me feel that way. I’m sure it’ll come to me, though. All of these ideas are connected.”

“Wait a second!” Zahn’s eyes flashed with excitement. “What about the jagrul? After all, we brought it with us on the ship, and it helped us find my mom in that nebula. Maybe it can sense the third stone, too.”

She turned to him, a tightness crossing her face. “I wish it were that easy, Zahn, but you’re forgetting one thing. The jagrul could only hone in on your mother because we had something she owned, that lens she gave you. We don’t have
anything
the third stone has touched. We have nothing for it to tune into.”

Zahn winced. “Vark. I guess we’re back to the beginning then.” His eyes darted back in forth in contemplation. “But, think about it. The third stone
must
be similar to the other Chintamani stones. I wonder if the jagrul could find the third stone if we gave it the first one we found. After all, there can’t be
that
many objects in the galaxy like the Chintamani stones.”

“Hmm. I suppose it’s worth a try. There’s still a problem, though. Do you really want to go back into your body and lose more time? The Vakragha are getting closer to Avani all the time, Zahn.”

“There’s got to be a better way.” He massaged his chin for a moment. “Hey, what if we just visited the jagrul while out-of-body? Maybe the jagrul has an energy body, too. And this way, we won’t waste time in the physical. We’ll be at least 64 times faster this way.”

She nodded. “I suppose it’s worth a try.”

“Okay, lock onto my ident. And cross your fingers.”

Asha closed her eyes and locked on, feeling Zahn’s awareness stretch out. Just as the first time, she felt as if she were being stretched a great distance. Color and light blurred around her, until they came to an abrupt halt.

Once again, Asha found herself in Navika’s central node, where his nucleus sparked with orange and purple light.

“Come on.” Zahn waved her ahead toward one of the triangular doors. “I think I left it in the command bay.”

Before she could respond, he flew through one of the walls into the next room.

“Hey, hold up!

Just as she was about to dart out of the room, something caught her eye.

She looked up to the braided cables that led down from the corners of the ceiling into the nucleus. The Tulari, the first Chintamani stone they’d recovered, was still nestled securely within the cables, but to her surprise, it appeared quite different than she had ever seen it before.

Back in her physical body, the Tulari resembled a huge pearl that radiated a soft white light. But from her current out-of-body perspective, the stone revealed new facets of its structure. Beneath its surface, she could see a rosy gem buried within.

Asha zoomed over and examined it from different angles. Oddly enough, the rosy-colored gem buried within it was a three-sided pyramid, a tetrahedron just like Navika.

“I wonder.” Asha reached out through the braided cables to grab it.

Below, Zahn bolted back into the room, startling her. “Hey, what’s up? I thought you were right behind me. You’ve
got
to see the jagrul! It looks totally different.”

“Sorry, Zahn. The Tulari caught my eye. It looks pretty different when out-of-body. Come up here and look. It’s odd, actually. I have the strangest feeling that I should touch it.”

Zahn flew up, studied it for a moment, and then turned to her. “Just don’t blow anything up, okay?”

Asha smirked. “Sure thing.”

Gradually, she reached out, cupped the Tulari with both hands, and gently pulled. The feeling of the stone tickled her fingers, and to her surprise it moved without much difficulty. Its surface felt perfectly smooth, yet something about it made both of her hands tingle strangely.

Asha glanced back down to where the Tulari had been wedged between the braided cables and noticed that the physical counterpart of the stone was still there, only it was dim and lifeless without any internal detail.

“I guess even these Chintamani have etheric bodies.” Asha released the glowing orb and watched it drift back to its physical body, soon illuminating it once more. “Astounding.”

Zahn looked back down to the door. “Come on, we have an interdimensional being to talk to. And it’s practically on fire.”

Before she could reply, he melted back through the closed door that led to the command bay.

“Does that man have any patience at all?” She shook her head and followed him.

Inside, nothing much had changed. The curving passenger bench was the same. The command chair was the same. Everything was entirely normal, except for a blindingly bright birdlike creature perched in the middle of the room.

“Yikes!” Asha said. “You were right.”

Zahn looked up to her with disappointment. “You forgot the Tulari. We’re showing the jagrul the first stone to see if it can find something similar, remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Asha zipped back through the door and gently took the energy body of the Tulari once more, returning with it in her hands.

“Hey, jagrul,” Zahn said, leaning close to the creature. “I know you can’t speak, but last time you listened well. We need your help again. Can you help us find an object like this one?” He pointed to the Tulari in Asha’s hands. “As you can probably detect, it’s quite powerful and rare. Is there anything else like that in this system?”

The birdlike creature locked eyes with Asha, and a cool feeling washed over her. The jagrul blinked and tilted its head slightly. As it peered into her, Asha gazed ever deeper into its voluminous pupils, consumed by the void within.

As she watched, its huge pupils seemed to grow even larger, and within them, Asha saw a glimpse of a deep trench, bleached white by some unknown process. She got the distinct feeling that the jagrul was telling her to go there, that going there was the first step. The glimpse grew darker and darker until she found herself back in the command bay.

Once again, Asha found herself staring at the luminous birdlike creature, still perched on the floor ahead of her.

“Zahn,” Asha whispered, “it just gave me a glimpse of a huge rocky trench. I think we’re supposed to go there.”

“So it did show you something! Where’s this trench?”

Asha bit her lip. “Well, that’s the problem. I have no idea. That’s all it showed me.”

Zahn turned to the creature. “Come on, jagrul! That’s all you have for us?”

“Don’t scold it, Zahn! We aren’t giving it what it needs. If we had something the third stone had touched, I’m sure it would show us with a guiding light, just like it did with your mom. But in this situation, this glimpse is all it can give us. I think we should be grateful we got anything.”

Zahn sighed, turning to her with a look of dejection. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, what’s next?”

“Well, I need some time to work this out.” She glanced around the confines of the command bay. “And frankly, I’m tired of being inside cabins and tunnels. I’m going outside. I need some space to think.”

Asha released the Tulari and watched it for a moment to make sure it floated back in the right direction before she zipped through the ship’s hull.

Outside, the sky had grown darker, and it wasn’t long before Zahn joined her. The valley below was almost too dark to make out any detail, but there was no shortage of stars in the night sky. And among them, the largest moon loomed brightly.

“Hey,” Zahn said, “I hope I didn’t stress you out back there. I guess I’m just frustrated with the situation. I’m sorry.”

She turned to him. “It’s okay, Zahn. You’re not the reason I’m out here. I’m frustrated, too. Perhaps if we’d learned something useful at the meeting, it would be different. But we can only work with what we have, what’s in front of us.”

“Yeah. And at least we have a gorgeous sky above us. Look!” He said, pointing to the full, white moon above. “Rundikha looks brilliant tonight. That’s what Jyana called it, right?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “When I was a child, it was even brighter. I used to love watching its phases change. Still, even with its new scars, it’s still brilliant, isn’t it?”

A slow realization dawned on her.

“That’s it!” She turned to him, excitement filling her heart. “
That’s
what the Empress said. She said, technically, the stone was also far above! Zahn, I think I know where the stone is.”

His eyes mirrored her excitement. “The moon? Is that what you think it showed you?”

“It fits. We haven’t seen anything on Tavisi like the trenches I saw in that glimpse. And think about it, what
else
is above the Mirage? Only that moon lines up with all the clues.”

A smile spread across Zahn’s face. “Have I ever told you just how smart you are?”

She smiled back to him. “It never hurts to hear it again. Come on. Let’s go directly to Manu’s secure chamber. Ready?”

Zahn nodded. “Yeah. I just hope he’s there.”

“He will be. I can feel it.”

CHAPTER
31

CREATING CHAOS

Below the Empress Monument, Torin waited patiently, feeling rather awkward as he floated alone in the exact center of the city. From here, he could see the circular promenade that encircled the monument, and just below, the dark sea undulated.

He’d been there for what felt like an hour, so when a hooded royal guard finally approached him, he felt relieved. Waiting directly under the monument was strange, leaving him feeling oddly vulnerable.

“The Empress will see you now,” the guard said flatly.

Like an iris adapting to the light, the microscopic opening slid open above him, and they flew up.

After they’d passed through, the opening contracted down to near invisibility once more, and the guard led Torin through a familiar hall with symbols and passages covering nearly every surface. Clearly, the concept of ‘down’ was forgotten here, and it wasn’t until they made several apparently contradictory turns that Torin found himself at an entrance at the end of a long hall.

Torin gestured toward the entrance marker, which was a spiral that curved inward before curving outward again in a loop, the traditional symbol of ambrosia.

“So, can I go in?”

Silence.

“Yes? No?” Torin asked.

“Now.” The guard finally nodded. “You may enter.”

Torin zoomed inside noticing that it was indeed the same room they’d had their meeting in, except that several things had changed. The table had been cleared, and at the far end of the room was an oval window that hadn’t been there before. In front of it, the Empress stood, peering out onto the hundreds of people walking along the promenade or flying over the city’s glowing domes.

He glanced back to the guard, feeling as if he were interrupting something, but the guard urged him onward.

Gradually, he moved inside, and the guard disappeared behind him.

The Empress spoke first, her back still facing him. “I don’t usually take appointments on such short notice, but considering your new rank, I made an exception.”

She turned slightly, revealing herself to be just as radiant and composed as the moment he’d first seen her at the ceremony.

She waved him over to the window. “Come.”

Reflexively he obeyed, gliding up beside her. “Of course.”

She shot him a sidelong glance and gestured to the vibrant city ahead. In the distance, small figures were sculpting new domes on the outermost ring.

“Do you ever just
look
at it?” she asked. “Revel at its ever-growing complexity? Its beauty? Its freedom?”

Torin bit his lip and tried to steady himself.

“Yes,” he finally said, “and it humbles me.”

“Mmm. Good answer,” she nodded. “They are quite happy, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Satisfied, would you say? In harmony with each other?”

“Unquestionably.”

“We must keep it that way, Torin. It is up to us. Only a handful of my top officers know the secret of ambrosia. If that secret were to become common knowledge, chaos would ensue. Sources of ambrosia would be at the mercy of whoever could find it first. It would pit citizen against citizen, creating chaos. Do you understand?”

He nodded. “Yes, Empress.”

They stared out of the window for a while longer, and Torin watched as a child and her mother walked along the promenade to a tall dome on the corner.

“You are wise to understand,” the Empress finally said. “Now, what haunts your mind, dear Torin? I can only presume by your presence that the 5th supply channel is once again flowing?”

“Yes, Empress. It was a challenge, but I’ve secured a small ambrosia harvest on the northern coast for the time being.”

“Excellent. Then what is on your mind?”

Torin inhaled slowly. If he mentioned that Jyana had deduced what was causing the habitat destruction, the Empress might have her interrogated, perhaps even stripping her of her position. He had to find a way to ask about the effect of the crab harvest without implicating Jyana.

“I’ve been thinking about the Suvarnak crabs.”

“Yes?” The Empress raised her perfect eyebrows.

“Well.” Torin paused. He suddenly wished he knew more, feeling that he didn’t quite have the background to ask intelligent questions about them. Common curiosity would have to be enough.

“Your majesty, may I speak freely?”

“Granted,” she said, still gazing out onto the rivers of people far below.

“Thank you.” Torin pursed his lips. “I’ve been thinking about the new project you started me on. You know, to survey the distant coasts for more crab populations. And, well—”

“What is it?”

“Let’s say I find a new population tomorrow, and we’re no longer at risk for an ambrosia shortage. Won’t this all just happen again? If we ran out last time, what’s stopping that from happening repeatedly? I’m curious.”

“My dear Torin, you must have faith. My scientists assure me that we shall never run out of supply, as long as we periodically relocate our harvesting operations to give the populations a chance to rebound.”

“Okay, but even if it does, doesn’t Mirage City continue to grow? New structures are being created all the time. That means our demand for ambrosia will grow, too. How can we reconcile that? Aren’t we in danger of outstripping our supply? Destroying a limited, interconnected system?”

The Empress chuckled. “You have so little faith. This world is vast. We couldn’t destroy it if we wanted.”

Not vast enough.

He kept the thought to himself. As much as he wanted to believe her, it didn’t feel right. If Jyana had been there, she would have reminded him to trust his feelings.

His fight with Jyana came to mind and how terrible he’d felt when she left. She felt like he didn’t take her seriously, and he had to admit that the attitude did creep into him from time to time. He wondered if his prestigious apprenticeship had made him
more
than confident. Had he become conceited? His unwillingness to listen had driven Jyana away, leaving him feeling dull and dirty.

He never wanted that to happen again.

“Torin,” the Empress addressed him more seriously than before. “I would suggest that you exercise caution in this area. You do not have the experience that I have.” She turned, her gaze burning into him. “And if I decide that you are
not
the man for this job, I can assure you that your debriefing from your new position would be
quite
unpleasant.” She flashed him a saccharine smile. “Do you understand?”

Torin nodded, and a tightness formed in his stomach.

“Completely.”