Exolegacy, page 11
His next step was to try a lookup function for who or what was at that physical address. Unfortunately for him, he did so through an unsecured port to the net, and as soon as he hit return on the search, his terminal went dark.
“Shit battery,” he said as he reached beneath the bench to reset the current. But the light on the battery still indicated that it was good. “Huh… Strange.” Atla rebooted his terminal, but after the requisite amount of time to restart he was greeted with a neutral gray screen with the word “Balanta” and a colon after it in the upper corner as if it were a command prompt. The keyboard didn’t work.
He had heard of Balanta, but not in polite conversation.
Atla sat back, his heart racing. Balanta was a subversive online group that had been implicated in a number of destabilizing campaigns in the past few decades. They targeted oppressive governments and stable economies alike, and never disclosed who they were or who they worked for, though conspiracies theories abounded.
What did they have to do with his project with Ili? Atla was reaching for lab com, hoping to reach Ili to ask, when there was a knock at the door. It was Ili. Atla glanced back at his terminal, hoping that the screen had gone back to normal, but the grey field and prompt were still there. Without an excuse to not open the door, he reluctantly let Ili in, ready to try to explain why he had compromised their supposedly secure server.
With a slight wave and tight smile, but no greeting, Ili slid into the lab past Atla and beelined for his terminal. Stooping over it, she pressed a complex combination of keys, then typed in a string of characters, some of which Atla didn’t even know how to make with the keyboard’s current configuration. The screen went black and then blinked back to the standard working view as if nothing had happened.
Ili straightened and turned toward Atla, looking him in the eye. “Please don’t do that again. I like you and don’t want to have to find another team to complete our project. I look forward to your next update.”
And with that, she left the lab, sliding the door closed behind her with a hiss and click. Atla was left where he had been since opening the door for her a moment before, without even a chance to say anything. Though it didn’t seem that anything he had been thinking to say would have needed to be said anyway. Perhaps a simple apology would have been remedial, but the chance had flown by with Ili’s abrupt exit from the lab.
Atla didn’t do any more work that shift. At least on any of the terminals in the lab. His mind was racing with what to do next and what he should, or could, tell Gin. Even if he could get a secure message to her.
When the tone rang that the shift change had begun, Atla made his way to the tram station to head home, but not before stopping at a crowded electronics store to pick up a new handheld and secure digital port.
27 Bigger Picture
As Gin read the contents of the message she had received from Atla to the rest of the team, there was silence. She had received it two days earlier and had tried to make heads or tails of it since then. Now, having read it aloud to Als, Rez, and Xikse, things started to connect. Their first questions revolved around who Ili was, so she had to fill them in on details she had tried to leave out in their first pow-wow at the restaurant. Ili’s double-dealing seemed par for the course in her mind, and her brother and Rez seemed to agree with her as she grumbled about the security and integrity of her and Atla’s research.
Xikse, however, sat stock still. Reading the facial expressions of manisae was something best left to others of their kind, but even Gin could see that there was something amiss.
Finally, he spoke up, “In light of this new information, I think it apropos to educate you as to another aspect of my work. I had hoped to leave you all uninvolved, but with this new connection to Gin and Wien, I think it is unavoidable.
“As I am sure you all know, there has been a bit of unrest within the city of Zelmas recently. You have, I think, noticed the protest signs on some of the public spaces? They are the symbol of the movement we call ‘Manaiar’. Its purpose is to create a more equal representation of our records, our history, which are currently officially kept by the Arkeota, a faction within the ejdis leadership. The conflicts between their official history and the revisionism and specism in their doctrines have caused issues in the recent past, even contributed to the reason that we are here on Tiras at all… but that is irrelevant to this conversation.” He paused introspectively, then continued.
“The Manaiar hope to open the management and record of our knowledge and history to all, not just the ejdis. But until recently they have not had the capacity, not without, certain new allies…” Xikse trailed off again.
“Allies?” Als asked, “Do you mean us, or someone else?”
“Well, when Gin mentioned that she and Atla had unknowingly been aiding the efforts of Balanta, it pulled you into our plans. Yes, I am a member of the Manaiar. As a dat of the Manisae, I am proud, also ashamed, of the way my people have acted over the millennia, but that is no reason to only record the proud moments…
“Balanta was started here at Zelmas actually, though it is a solely human organization. In fact, and I am afraid of the implications of what I am about to tell you…” Xikse hesitated to continue.
“If it helps us complete this puzzle, we need to know.” Gin coaxed.
“Very well. Balanta was started some Earth years ago to help balance the relationship between Humanity and manisae. Your parents were the founding members. They were frustrated with the reluctance and greed of both peoples. Your father was loath to circumvent official channels, as was understandable given his position, but came around to Taryn’s position after her discovery.
“They felt that there needed to be two different back channels to communicate between our peoples, so they encouraged me and a small group of other datae and genaj to form Manaiar, which means ‘open hand’ in our language. These two branches were initially intended to be the circuit through which information and an equal relationship flowed. Alas, over the years, ideological differences came to the surface and many of my compatriots became jaded. I expect Balanta has lost their way to some degree as well after the passing of your mother. I have observed the engagements that they have taken credit for within human politics.
“That said, I do understand the secrecy that this ‘Ili’ has felt necessary to enact, but perhaps if you had been privy to her initial intent, you may not have chosen to break off from the project and come here.”
Gin and Als sat back and took all of this in. The fact of their parents’ founding of Balanta must have been one of those sections that the Confederation had chosen to ‘edit’ out of their father’s memories prior to his death. The now uncovered fact that much of the information from her and Atla’s ‘secure’ server was being sent to a location in Wien now made some sense. But what were they planning on doing with the technology that their project would have created? This and other questions lay heavy on Gin’s psyche.
“I understand where our parents’ hearts were, I think. More so now after certain personal events that my brothers and I have experienced. I even think that I know the direction this investigation should take, at least in the question of Balanta’s end game. I still feel the need to corroborate the mineral origin of the original crystals, but someone should reach out to Balanta. Just not me, my… relationship, with Ili is strained as it is.” Gin proposed.
They all sat in the common area of the Hernandez house thinking of who should take that next reaching step of communication with the shadowy group. Then Rez spoke up, “I think I can help, actually. I think it’s my turn to share a bit more about my work. You see, I didn’t only come to Tiras to observe the Manisae approach to Ecopoiesis, nor am I only a professor back on Earth. I was sent here to help broker communication between the Manaiar and Balanta. You see, I am actually a member of Balanta,” she paused to let this sink in a bit, but hurriedly added, “I didn’t know your parents like Xikse did, and I only just learned of Xikse’s involvement in Manaiar, though I did meet them once as a student… I was still waiting for further direction from my manager as to who I should contact. I suppose that I don’t really need that anymore though. Funny how things work out, actually.”
Als sat there staring at Rez, she couldn’t quite read his expression, but it didn’t allow for sustained eye contact, and she looked down. Gin was looking at her brother as well, and could apparently read him better than Rez. She turned to Rez, “You didn’t think that this was something you should have shared with Als before becoming so ‘comfortable’ with him?” She said accusingly.
“I know it sounds cliché, but it wasn’t my intention at all to become involved with him, it just happened,” she answered Gin but was looking at Als as she said it. “My role here was to be a temporary go-between after your father’s passing, but only temporary. I had no way of knowing that our little group would have formed or that it would be looking into the very things I was briefed about. She began to mouth the words “I’m sorry” but nothing came out and she just looked at her lap.
Gin broke the awkward silence that followed by standing and retrieving the rolling cart loaded with various liquors and other fluids apparently more suited to the Manisae physiology. “A grand idea!” Xikse agreed as she arrived. He lifted an unlabeled bottle off of the cart as it neared and poured himself a tumbler of the thick, musty-smelling syrup. Gin and Rez each opted for something more familiar and less off-putting, but Xikse relaxed into his seat nonetheless, unfazed by his companions’ nose-turning at his selection.
Als poured himself a generous tumbler of tequila and left the room, not bothering to excuse himself. Gin looked at Rez accusingly at first, then relaxed her face and just nodded. Rez slowly got up and left the room in the same direction Als had.
The remaining two, drinks in hand, agreed to begin the venture anew, letting each of their pasts and motives lay in the open as a secure foundation for what needed to be done.
After some time, Gin spoke up, “I suppose I should formulate a response to Atla informing him of our new, more open connection with Balanta, and of course their deal with the Manaiar. I’ll suggest that Rez that she and you both reach out to your connections in Balanta as well to bring them up to speed.
“As for myself, I have no intention of becoming a card-carrying member of either shadowy organization or rebellion. My only motive is that of the origin and science behind the memory crystals. Noachite seems to be the best avenue for that inquiry, so I will be sticking to it. However, I may need one or two of you to help me open some doors. I suppose it has become a bit political after all.” Gin seemed to do a partial about-face by the end of her monologue.
Als had removed himself from the conversation after Rez’s belated transparency. She hadn’t known what to make of his abrupt departure, but Gin had. Gin had grown up with him after all, and recognized his technique of turning inward and removing himself from stressors. It had become a pattern in his later life, or at least as far as his sister had kept track of. He had never truly learned to deal with conflict and used his fickle nature to excuse himself from any uncomfortable situation. This of course meant that he had very few close relationships with the opposite sex throughout his educational years, and found him wandering from one interest or semi-career to another. From what she learned at their father’s wake, his last position had been as an English teacher deep in the mountains of Moldova living essentially as a hermit.
Needless to say, Gin knew him better than Rez did, and so opted to let him sulk on the back patio in silence, sipping his three fingers of tequila. Rez did not.
Als stiffened slightly at the sound of the seal of the patio door breaking and Rez stepping outside but didn’t turn to face her. His obvious knowledge of her presence but neglect to acknowledge her convinced her to sit just outside of his peripheral and wait patiently.
“I don’t know what I’m doing here,” he broke the silence with a hoarse voice.
Rez didn’t reply, sensing that he wasn’t done.
“I mean, I thought I knew what I was doing when I first came out here, but what am I going to do with a house on Tiras? I want to leave. What’s keeping me here?”
“I’m sorry,” Rez whispered.
Als placed his glass on a low shelf and turned to face her. His eyes were tired and his jaw worked as he ground his teeth. “This is where I would say goodbye, and just burn the bridge between us. It’s what I do. Gin thinks that I run away from my problems without thinking; she’s told me that before. But I do. I do think about it. I don’t have time to waste on dishonesty… and you lied to me.”
Rez opened her mouth to respond, but Als held up his hand. “But where am I going to go from here? And not only that, but I don’t know if that’s how I feel now. I’m confused.” He picked up his tumbler, took a sip and then sat in the chair opposite Rez. She imagined that he would have sat heavily, but the lower gravity ruined the effect; instead, he just pulled himself down into it.
“I really am sorry. Not just for misleading you, which was more-or-less part of the assignment, but for not telling you earlier. Things happened so fast, and I kept avoiding it. I wanted to though.”
“So why didn’t you? Xikse told me right away.”
Rez looked at him crookedly, “you really think that your relationship with Xikse is the same as ours?”
Als broke her eye contact as he evaluated his answer, “I suppose not. He’s never seen me naked… that might change though,” he gave a partial smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“Ha ha. I hope not,” she returned his half smile. It was progress, humor, a hint that they were on the path back to friendship. “What did you mean when you said you didn’t think that’s how you feel now?”
Als put the tumbler in the middle of the table, offering to share. Rez lifted it to her lips and took a healthy sip. “If we had met a few months ago, I would have told you that I was comfortable with the person I had become. I’ve tried to be more-or-less deliberate with my interactions with people, even though I tend toward not interacting at all. It’s not that I dislike people per-se, I just like solitude more. I’d say that makes me an introvert, but perhaps more objectively toward the ‘hermit’ end of that spectrum.
“But I feel different now; to get back to the point. It’s not just you too, you’ve been great, mostly…” he winked at her in jest, “and Xikse too. I’m more comfortable with people, even to the point of wishing there were more around. Even so far as missing the old lady who would bring me food from next door, though not necessarily the food.”
“What, you don’t like country food?” Rez joked.
“I do, just not that much meat usually. Even in the jello!”
That’s what cracked the mood finally. Rez laughed, and Als smiled more broadly. He knew his humor could be awkward, and it was nice when someone appreciated his jokes.
“I think Gin has a point,” Als said, returning to the room with Rez, visibly more relaxed. “We aren’t our parents, well, that’s not wholly true actually, we’re still working that bit out I think. But I wanted to say that even though Gin should pursue her scientific angle, I think I would like to delve into the more political aspect. I’m not particularly scientifically minded, but I have found that I tend to communicate fairly well across cultures when needing to do so.” Als straightened a bit at that as if he was unsure of how to take his apparently unexpected self-compliment.
Gin chuckled, “Yeah, I remember you developing that talent as a child. You would never be the one to get in trouble, not that you would shift the blame, but you seemed to always be able to talk yourself out of any sticky situation. Particularly in secondary school.”
28 Making Plans
The flurry of progress that was made in the following days could only have been attributed to the newfound common ground among the four collaborators. Gin and Rez managed to pinpoint a number of potential dig sites around Noachis Terra that might bear fruit of the mineral sort. They spent hours poring over the map that Xikse had provided them, though it was labeled in manisae script, and neither were suited to reading it. Outdated satellite photography from before the Manisae claiming of Tiras was overlaid on Xikse’s map, pinpointing their location and providing important references for the search. The detail was much better on the Manisae map though, so it became the more referenced one, with handwritten notations in English.
Most of the potential locations were too far for two humans to travel without the need for a more noticeable craft, and the one that was most promising was directly adjacent to an industrial installation. Xikse seemed reluctant to discuss that particular area on the map. He only stated that it would not go unnoticed to obtain the required equipment for humans to visit the location, the air was less… agreeable there.
