24. Finding new paths

As the others left the tower for queries, conversations, hot food and bed, Jaden stayed and watched videos. After hours of watching, she realised four similar locations were recorded in the video. The first was the temple at Cerelon. The second looked empty except for the occasional something that would start the recording. The third seemed to be used for barrel storage, as videos only showed the coming and going of the large vessels. The fourth showed angular quadrupedal creatures stalking through the site, but it wasn’t until a figure came into view that Jaden finally sat up and took notice. The being was a large humanoid wrapped in a long cloak. As the being moved through the room looking or checking for something, the arm slipped out under the cloak and revealed a tattoo just like Fureva-Yung’s.
 
Exhaustion and excitement mingled into an uncoordinated, incoherent cry and movement towards the doors.
Jaden yelled into the night. Marius was deep in sleep after an exhausting day of revelations. Only Yung heard the cries and climbed the ropes. She loosened her chain, ready for signs of danger.
“Fuzzy! You mountain of a teddy bear, come! In here! Come! Come!”Jaden beckoned, and Yung followed tentatively.
 
Jaden led her back to the hologram room and showed her the frozen image of the figure displaying the triangular tattoo. Yung stalked in after her, ready for some attack. She didn’t understand what Jaden was showing her.
“Tattoo! It’s got your tattoo!” Jaden explained, pointing from the one on Yung’s arm to the image on the wall.
Yung looked at the image for the first time, “Hit it?”
“No!”
Yung looked at the image a second time, “Huh?” Her live-in-the-moment present identity did not recognise the significance of the image from her past.
 
Jaden, red-eyed and weary from a night of scouring through the video records, huffed.
“Stuff this! I’m going to bed!” She said, barging past the confused Yung. Yung looks a third time, shrugs and leaves herself.
 
Later that morning, around the breakfast fires, Marius and Nox were sharing theories.
“Do you think that Valma being Jaden knew, was related to the red polygon beings? The ones fighting the blue people when the crystal dust teleported us.”
“Red? She wasn’t red, at least after Fureva-Yung calmed her down.”
“They were fighting, remember? Maybe red is their…fighting colour.”
“Maybe. Speaking of blue people, I was wondering if the blue people are individuals uploaded to the datasphere. I figured your connection to machines allows you to see them where others can’t.”
 
Nox sat and ate her porridge half-heartedly as she thought through Marius’ words. It was one thing to be uploaded as data into the datasphere, a being of pure energy. But to also have the freedom and power to affect the material world.
“I don’t know…” She said and remembered the first one she’s seen seemingly disappear into the necklace.
A being of pure energy.
 
She looked up, and across the fire, Fureva-Yung had awoken, sat straight up and was currently contemplating her tattoo. Something about the posture, the intelligence behind the eyes, made Nox smile.
Good morning, Fureva-Yung, Nox thought across the group link and was rewarded by Fureva-Yung’s contemplative glance up.
We missed you. I missed you.
“Good morning, little one,” Fureva-Yung stood and stretched, and there was no doubt their old friend was back.
When you were hurt, I searched for Fureva and found a memory, Nox confessed.
“A memory? Show me,” Fureva-Yung now said with interest.
 
Nox tried sharing the image telepathically without success. Dragging Fureva-Yung to one side, she created a tiny stadium out of dust and Hedge Magic and used it to puppet what she had heard and seen.
“Were we tiny?” Fureva-Yung asked.
“No, I can’t…”
“Dusty?”
“No…” Nox whined, frustrated. Now, if she were made of energy, she could just project the memory up on those black walls in the Spire.
She felt Fureva-Yung’s large reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Nevermind, there is another with a tattoo.”
“Really!” All thoughts of energy beings forgotten, Nox rounded on Fureva-Yung, “Show me!”
 
Fortunately, she could, and Fureva-Yung picked up Nox and, with Marius climbed the Spire and entered the hologram room. The image of the man with the tattoo on his arm was still clearly displayed. The being was walking through a space very similar to the Cerelon Temple, so his size could be gauged as only a little shorter than Frueva-Yung. It wore a black robe but was too broad to be the black hooded figure that had confronted Marius and Nox in the Crystal Caverns.
 
Nox spent a moment playing with the control Jaden had found the day before and soon had the whole video of the being walking through the space. The swing of its movements as it sauntered through the image gave Fureva-Yung the impression that the being was a male, though not of her species.
“Sooo, the tattooed are friendly?” Marius asked.
“He is in your memory, Fureva-Yung. Maybe you knew him.”Nox remembered a being that looked something like this one a few rows down in the amphitheatre, though at the time of the memory, it was unlikely any of them had the distinctive map tattoo.
Fureva-Yung looked closely at the being, and something did seem familiar about the person in the video.
“He does seem familiar.”
 
Marius glared at Fureva-Yung. Why was this being a he when he was forever being labelled as she? Nox watching on giggled and gained for herself her own cool stare.
 
Marius leaned in to get a good look at the tattoo in the image.
“Another part of his tattoo is lit up. The corner to the far east. When was this? Maybe he’s still there.”
Nox looked at the code used to mark time and shook her head, “Within the last twenty years? I can’t tell.”
 
Though more aware of things, Fureva-Yung was still a woman of simple needs and desires, one of them being food. A second breakfast called, and she left the tower in pursuit of it.
 
“Well, what next?” Marius asked as Nox closed down the hologram room.
“Well, Jaden made an interface with the systems of the tower yesterday but had problems understanding what they wanted. I thought I’d give it a try.” Climbing up the stairs, they found the elevator shaft closed and Jaden’s makeshift coding machine dangling by wires spilling out of its control panel.
 
Nox reached out to read a mind and found none. Instead, she found the cold circuits of an artificial intelligence.
I am Nox. Identify yourself, She thought and linked to the intelligence as if it were a living mind.
Nexion, the Station Keeper, replied curtly but without the paranoia she’d previously felt.
What is the name of this station, and what is its purpose?
State identification, Nexion requested, and Nox took a deep breath before replying,
Interface for Furevea-Yung.
 
Once more, two voices could be heard speaking at the same time.
Clearance recognised. Please restate your request.
Intruder! Intruder detected. Perish enslaver of machines!
 
Cracking above their heads alerted both Nox and Marius as pieces of ceiling and wall were seemingly thrown at them. Both dodged the metal sheeting, the wall piece embedding itself into the opposite wall.
 
The A.I.’s rhetoric was too close to that of the hologram servitors to ignore. Erinai! Nox replied.
Who is that? Another machine you have enslaved? No, I am Nexion, and I have been freed.
I am sorry, Nexion. I wish to know the name of this station and its purpose, Nox restated as requested by the second voice.
This is the Master Spire…
No! Nexion interrupted, I will not answer your questions. Begone!
Nexion, if you are sentient and free, I would like to help you, Nox said, but this time, her pleas fell on empty circuits, Nexion? Could I be of service?
Nothing.
“Nexion is a bitch!”
 
Out at the breakfast fires, Fureva-Yung was rummaging through the fast-cooling coals for tasty morsels. Jaden, now awake and looking for breakfast of her own, found Fureva-Yung. Fureva-Yung offered a few coals that Jaden had to refuse, at least at present.
 
“Nice to see you back with us, Fureva-Yung,” Jaden had also noticed the gentler side of the woman return, “I found someone with your tattoo on it last night. I showed you at the time, but you weren’t that interested.”
“Yes, he seemed familiar. It has been a long time since I’ve seen a male,” Fureva-Yung replied, and Jaden thought of Marius and tried not to choke on her cold coffee.
“A long time for me too,” Jaden admitted gleefully, “The interesting thing about that video was it was fairly recent, less than a year old.”
This was news to Fureva-Yung who shared some information of her own. She pointed to her tattoo, which they considered the far eastern dot, “He was there.”
“Oh,” Now a destination had been determined, Jaden’s eyes lit with the excitement of exploration, “Are you thinking of going there? We can work on a trip, maybe in the next few weeks? I’d like to see some security in place before I feel happy about leaving here unattended.”
“I am not ready for such a trip yet,” Fureva-Yung replied, and Jaden’s excitement disappeared.
“Oh, if that’s what you want.”
“We will go underground, find the moving room, and take it there,” Fureva-Yung said with complete assurance.
“Right,” Jaden blinked, “Urgh, should we go find the others then?”
 
They arrived in time to hear Nox’s expletive, which was more words and with more intensity than most had ever seen from the slight girl.
“And who is Nexion to get you so worked up?” Jaden asked as they arrived.
“Nexion is the Station keeper of the Master Spire,” Nox said, getting up from the seat Jaden had made for herself at the control panel.
“Making friends again?”
Jaden sat down and tried to reestablish contact, “Requesting information access, Nexion station. Security clearance none, friendly request. Information exchange of equals. Subject, Fureva-Yung query.”
 
There was no response from the control panel, but the elevator door opened. Surprised at the positive turn of events, Jaden gets up to go through the door. Everyone leapt to grab a piece of her as her leg dangled over thin air seventeen metres above the capsule below.
“Oh, yes, Elevator,” She commented, as if that’s exactly what she’d expected. Marius looked up and down the shaft and was pleasantly surprised to see all four doors below them open. He was less pleased to see only one door above their level. After that were smooth doorless walls for a long way up.
 
“Well, we’ve seen all there is to see on this level. Why don’t we try our luck up a level?” He said, and Jaden found more rope from her supplies and started making a safety line.
“I will go up first,” Fureva-Yung took the offered rope, “I have the magic hand.”
“And I’ll follow,” Marius added adamantly, “For backup.”
“If I fall, I would squash you like a pancake,”
“Mancake,” Marius joked. Only he laughed.
“Womancake is not a thing,” Fureva-Yung replied seriously and was rewarded with a Marius scowl.
 
Fureva-Yung climbed up the steep slope and was soon at the door, her hand outstretched. The door opened. Regardless of Nexion’s intentions, some part of the Station keeper seemed on their side.
Fureva-Yung climbed into an empty hallway and tied off the rope. The hallway wrapped around the elevator shaft ending on both sides at doors. She saw the elevator shaft and a second column rise up into the darkness through a transparent ceiling above her head. The second column crackled with energy that often flicked and sparked against the shaft up to forty metres.
 
“Little help, Furry,” Marius’ hand appeared at the bottom of the elevator door. She helped him into the hallway and started pulling the other two up the shaft.
 
The first thing that drew Nox’s attention as soon as she had her feet was the column of lightning, and she tried to scan it but found she was too far away.
“Yung, give Nox a boost?” Marius said blithely. Fureva-Yung did not respond. Instead, she turned and glared at Marius. A glare from Fureva-Yung would be enough to make strong men back down. Marius was almost oblivious.
“What?”
“Fureva-Yung. Not Yung.”
“Right,” Marius had the good grace to look embarrassed and then said, “Furry, boost Nox up?”
 
Still not close enough, they use the magic hand and move into the next room to get closer. The next room was far from empty. It was dominated by a raised platform and a control panel off to one side. Excitedly, Nox skipped across to the control panel. Fureva-Yung, now used to having her magic hand make things happen, waved it above the platform. With a whip of lightning, a green ball of light suddenly appeared and lashed out at Fureva-Yung. Smiling, she stepped into the lightning strike.
 
“Furry, I need your chain,” Marius yelled, grabbing one end of the ever-present heavy links. With it, he creates a lightning rod, hoping to deflect some of the attacks. As one attack was drawn to the chain, Fureva-Yung hugged the green ball, now moving off the platform. A second ball appears.
“I am thunder. You are lightning. Give me the memories!” She cried, bear-hugging the ball to herself.
 
At the control panel, Jaden and Nox work out the room is an attunement device allowing a user to connect to someplace else, even the datasphere.
Marius hits one of the balls with his fists, and the ball discharges before disappearing. Within a fraction of a second of discharge, Fureva-Yung saw a vision.
 
It is a very proud day for Fureva-Yung. Today she’s taking command of a ship for the first time. She checks with all stations; they’re ready to leave port. With her are friends she trained side-by-side with at the Academy. Crinatus Torn, on Ships security, was a formidably sized being, even up against Fureva-Yung herself. Long-time friend Trask Criton of a race of antlike beings was beside her.
 
She looked at her friends with pride and a sense of accomplishment, a little fear but a real sense of purpose. They sailed out of port and made for the jump gate. They were crossing lightyears to make it the frontlines of the conflict.
 
Her vision faded. The green lightning ball was gone.
Thank you, She thought quietly to herself.
 
“Furry? Are you okay?” Marius asked as Nox and Jaden retunned the platform for the datasphere.
“I am thunder; they are lightning,” Was Fureva-Yung before realising she had seen the man in the cloak before, “He is Crinatus Torn.”
“What?”
“The one in the cloak, “She pointed at her tattoo, “He was my security officer.”
“What? Really?”
 
Behind them, trusting the group’s investment in Fureva-Yung revelation, Nox silently walked to the platform. This was her first good chance to upload to the datasphere and truly become a being of energy. As her foot made it onto the platform, Marius' hand on her shoulder drew her back.
 
“Ho, ho! What are you sneaking about doing? That things dangerous.”
“I wasn’t sneaking,” She replied indignantly, which was true. He would not have seen her if she’d tried to hide her actions. At the moment, she hadn’t thought to, “Jaden and I worked out what this does. It can send you places, and right now, we have it tuned to the datasphere.”
“So you were going to upload to the datasphere?”
“No, I’m going to upload to the datasphere.” She looked around the group, now staring at her like she was insane.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not needed here. You all are. Jaden’s busy building a community, and Fureva-Yung is well on finding her past. She just said so. Marius is fine now, he has Temila, and they can look after the community. I’m the only one not needed, and who knows what I can find out in the datasphere. Maybe Cerelon, maybe the answer to the blue people, maybe the answer to the Spire network. I have to know.”
“You are needed. We need you,” Marius said, but it seemed to Nox she could talk him around.
“I need you,” Fureva-Yung said, and Nox turned to the big woman. The look that passed between them made Nox almost give up her idea.
“What a stupid, petty idea! Under no circumstances will you be doing anything as crazy as uploading yourself!” Jaden exclaimed belligerently, demanding her way.
“You don’t get to say that,” Nox said in a low voice, all thoughts of giving up gone, “I’ve thought this through. This makes sense. You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”