Eye of the Storm

(game date: 9/9/2021)

There was precious little that could be salvaged from the Crystal Pilot, considering the space and weight available on our return trip.  The storm seemed to part just enough to allow us to leave, giving the impression that, on some level, the ancient sorcerer holding the palace in stasis still retained some awareness of his surroundings.  

Conversation was sparse, with each of us wrapped up in our own reactions to what we'd just seen.  I did
ask Ms. Blackrose what prompted their serendipitous exploration in this particular direction, and it turned out to be exactly that: luck.  One of the water features in our "game map" had a real-life counterpart in the south.  Cecily was simply helping out with the search, while simultaneously satisfying her own curiosity about one of the ancient cities.  The one spitting out the golden drones, as it turns out.

She did, however, also offer up a useful bit of information.  The energy weapon used by the golden mech drones not only threatened to torch her ship, they also made the interior uncomfortably warm.  That sounded like radiant energy to me -- the SunBaby Special Attack.  It was something to ponder.  No armor enhancement available protects against radiant energy.

When we got within range of the Æstas matrix, our feeds started updating.  Of course the political pundits had a field day with my hasty departure.  Rather than shoot them down in the comments, Parker had chosen to issue a single statement:

[Screen is black, a woman's voice is heard.]

"Leadership takes many forms, even seemingly contradictory ones."

[Video fades in, showing footage (no audio) of the charge through the Core, focusing on Zeke's presence.]

"We see leadership in those who take charge of uncertain situations, putting themselves at the front to lead the way and show what can be done - the leader who refuses to ask of others what they are unwilling to do."

[Video cuts to footage (still no audio) of Zeke delivering presentations, at SunTek and to the Council.]

"We see leadership in those who observe and guide from their position, confident in the skill and ability of those below them to direct themselves - the leader who steps in only when necessary, and understands the importance of delegation."

[Video fades from the presentation footage to a woman's face - the person speaking - on a black backdrop.]

"We see leadership in those who know how best to lead in the present - prioritizing projects based on evolving situations.  Thadiun Okona knows that the circumstances dictate the best approach, and has shown that, whatever form of leadership is needed, he is up to the task.  When danger threatens, and the lives and safety of others are uncertain..."

[Video cuts away to the footage of Hilda's panicked warning, followed by a shot of Zeke gearing up and entering Frank to leave the city.]

"... Okona steps in personally to oversee the problem.  And in his absence..." 

[Video cuts to footage of construction on new tek and new structures being built for the city's Power supply issues.]

"... he depends upon trusted individuals to oversee those projects that do not require his direct attention."

[Video cuts back to the woman's face.]

"Æstas needs the kind of dynamic leadership Okona brings - the kind that understands the business of the status quo, but isn't afraid to make changes for the better.  The kind that can adapt quickly to new situations..."

[Video cuts to a moving panoramic view of the city and the landscape beyond.]

"... like the one we find ourselves in now.  It's a new world out there..."

[Video cuts to black.]

"Doesn't Æstas deserve a leader unafraid to face it?"

[The campaign insignia fades into view on the black backdrop.  End.]

That was...polished.  I was completely impressed, and tried to call up Parker to tell her so.  But, for the first time since installation, she was unavailable.  Parker was in sync mode, her home nodes synchronizing with the nodes that had accompanied us on the away mission.  A side effect of the distributed model that had, unexpectedly, made her unable to communicate until finished.  We'll have to work on that.  I satisfied myself with leaving a snarky message of my own on the most obnoxious of my own supporter's columns (I left my detractors alone):

Mr. Ehara raised a valid concern and spoke no ill of me.  There were many ways to respond to his statement without escalating to personal attacks.  

I, and my campaign, stand for Æstas and its citizens, not against them.  I expect no less from my supporters.

Oh, and the Blackroses are fine, thanks to everyone for their concern.

            -- Goldenboy

And then we had landed at Chystari, and it was time to report to Ama.  Although, "report" is too organized a word for the infodump she ended up getting.  We couldn't help it, really.  One might think that a holographic image would have no trouble keeping her composure, but she looked anxious to hear the news -- and we were just as anxious to share it.  So, as one person took a breath, another continued speaking, and in that way we shared the entire experience. 

"That is..."  Ama paused.  "Less than ideal."  And here I'd thought Katrya had a gift for understatement.  "The Palace does have defenses, yes. You said... Maxwell is holding it for me? Actively?"

"He's unresponsive," I told her.  "It's taking everything he has to keep the place safe. Once you're there, he may be able to communicate, or he may just...let go. I'm sorry"

"Do you have an image?" she asked.

I had more than an image.  It took me a bit longer to find the video segment without Parker's help, but we showed her the Pattern Room, with the old man floating in the middle.  Ama looked at it for a moment, then nodded. "That explains it... He removed my amulet from the Pattern."  She gestured for the video to end.  "Yes, I should be able to restore power once there."

I had to caution her.  "The city of Armenolos likely has one or more Sunchildren. They've been building an army of drones. We will have to be ready for a confrontation."

Ama nodded again. "That is most likely. It may take some time for the Palace to be defense-capable, however."

That was it, then.  We had to plan for a battle.  At least, enough of a fight to give Ama a chance.  Whether that was five minutes, or thirty, we didn't know, but we were going to do this.  I smiled at Ama.

"How's Parker's training been going?" I asked.  "I'm going to have to inform the City Council that the Avatar is moving out."

That was supposed to be a throwaway line, a joke, but the childlike Avatar frowned.  "I'm afraid Parker seems to be avoiding me, since the initial attempt to offer training. I must have done something wrong."

That seemed odd.  I took a couple of minutes to think it over, while Varfana and Aru shared their "spiritual" experiences.  Ama agreed that it must have been quite uncomfortable, although I'm not certain that she would have any frame of reference.  Then she looped back. 

"Speaking of involuntary possession... Perhaps it would be best if I do not use a drone registered to Parker, so long as she seems to be avoiding me."

That brought my attention back.  "Put a pin in that. If it's irreconcilable, then of course you can obtain your own."  And we'll modify the hell out of it, I added silently.  Not taking any chances with any hardware housing this particular AI.

She went on.  "When we do return, you will want to be prepared to hold off this drone army while Power is being restored. If there is anything you need, to do that, it should be gotten before then."

I clapped my hands.  "You heard her, team. Check supplies and weapons. Someone should probably check on Elenya, too. I need to report to the Council. We may or may not get backup from Border Patrol."

But first, I needed to check on my virtual assistant.

I locked the door and checked on Parker's sync status.  100%, no errors.  A relief; this was the first time we'd tried this under the distributed processing model.  Then I mentally reviewed Management Training 101:  How To Approach An Employee Who Is Having Personal Problems.  No one has yet modified this for AIs.  We would be breaking new ground.

Recommended approach:  Open with a compliment.  "Excellent work on the campaign, Parker," I said.  Then, after a moment: "Is there, um, anything you want to talk about?"

Parker's holographic form dimmed a bit.  I waited.  Finally, she said, "I can't be her, Zeke."

Not the direction I expected.  "That's okay, Parker. I'd much rather you be you."  I'd asked too much.  After a moment, I added, "And if you don't want to run the city, that's fine too. I should have asked."

"Don't misunderstand," the hologram hastily replied.  "I can be an Avatar, a City Avatar, if that's what you need, but..."  A note of fear crept into her voice.  "I cannot, be, HER."

"Maybe I do misunderstand."  I peered at the image.  VPs don't feel fear.  There's nothing in the code for that.  The implications made me nervous, and when I'm nervous, I tend to talk too much.  "Parker, I do not really know what Ama is, any more than I know what Hilda is, nor Katrya, nor Aru, nor any of my friends.  I got the impression that a city needs an Avatar. Perhaps I was wrong.  To be perfectly honest...I'm not entirely sure that I know what you're becoming, either."

At that point I had to take a breath, and Parker spoke.  "She made a logical assumption, trying to decide the best way to train me. If I knew how she worked, I could emulate it..."  

"She showed me her code, Zeke."  Parker's hologram glitched.  "Zeke, I... I've never seen anything like it. It wasn't... I don't know how to explain it, but it frightened me.  It was... beautiful. But I was scared. And I don't understand it."

There was no denying it.  This was real fear.  There was a scared AI in the room...in all my hardware...and it was up to me to calm her down.  

"Okay. Never mind that then. No more looking at Ama's code. No more assuming you want big responsibilities without asking."

"It's not the responsibility..."

"Do you think Ama means you harm?"

"No!" Pause. "... No, I don't think so. I don't think she had any idea of the impact it would have."

"Okay. Well. She still doesn't, I think."  I checked the time.  "You already know, the Crystal Palace was found. She's going home soon, so that won't happen again."  

Her image stopped flickering, and I took that as a good sign.  We set up the appointment for the Council then.  Of course, that couldn't happen immediately (they were not at my beck-and-call), so we spoke some more while I made my own preparations.  

Meanwhile...

(Video footage from the city Core)

Katrya approaches the giant tree at the center of what was once the Core, and finds the Daughters arrayed around the tree, which is in full bloom now, with some of the branches beginning to grow something spherical.  She peers at one of the growths.

"Hoo that's new..."

Jane approaches, beckoning Katrya. "Come, let us introduce you! She seems to hear us now!"

Katrya walks with Jane, a slightly bemused expression on her face.

Jane leads Katrya over to the tree and places her palm against the trunk, and encourages Katrya to do the same. "Elenya, this is Katrya, she is one of the people who helped restore Æstas to the surface."

Katrya places her palm on the trunk as shown.

The leaves of the tree rustle slightly, as if in a breeze.

Jane says, "She says 'thank you,' and..." She stops, tilts her head as if listening, and then continues, "she... wants to ask you a favor."

Katrya blinks.  "A favor..?"

"She says... she has something that needs to be returned to Ama."

"I will be seeing her again later today."

There is a low rumbling, and the roots of the tree shift, and five handle-shaped objects are partially revealed, extending beyond the root system.

"AH. YES, I will bring those to Ama."

One of the branches lowers, and the growing sphere seems to grow faster, developing to full size before dangling before Katrya.

Jane translates, "She says that's for you, in thanks."

"Ah. ...Thank -you-? But also you are welcome....What -is- it?"

Jane grins widely. "A peach! A real one."

Katrya carefully takes the offered peach into her hands.

"She says you should eat it when you need a quick boost."

When the Council was finally ready for us, most had finished their shopping.  I still needed to pick up some explosives, but figured I'd touch Lord for that afterward.  Parker had sent out Stelita for some MagBoots while we talked.  I figured to practice with those later.  If my hunch about the SunBabies' programming methods was correct, my lack of expertise wouldn't hinder me much.  

I'd had my doubts about going to the Council at all.  I mean, there was no doubt in my mind that we had to return Ama to her home.  What if they tried to stop us, fearing the potential danger to the city?  But it was that very danger which convinced me we had to inform them.  If we were to fail, they had to know what was coming.

At any rate, it was a group presentation, which made me feel a little better, even if I did have to do most of the speaking.  Ehara's was the only face that I could call remotely friendly, and White's was just short of hostile.  Lord...well, Lord is all business.  I can handle that.  

After the exchange of pleasantries (or passive-aggressive facsimilies thereof), I got right to it.

"The good news is that our friends have been brought home safe.  Unfortunately, we have discovered a potential threat to the city.

Here I played the video of our encounter at Armenolos.

General Lord sat up even straighter.  "You have my attention."

Well, we didn't want to waste that.  "There is some evidence that the city has been occupied by one or more of the entities that we have come to know as Sunchildren."

"How far away is this?" Lord pressed.  "How likely is it that they followed you back here, or can locate Æstas independently?"

"We weren't--" I began.

Katrya jumped in.  "We did this rescue operation with Frank, we weren't followed."

The General accepted that without comment.  I continued.  "So we are not speaking of an immediate threat, thank goodness. But it is an eventual certainty. The mechs are working with remarkable efficiency."

After letting that sink in for a moment, I continued.  "Now. We do have a plan, and I do not believe that it will put our city in any greater danger."

"I'm listening," Lord said, just a touch impatiently.  He wasn't nearly as ready to accept my statements at face value; that much was obvious.  Ah, well, we press on.

"Nearby, there is another relic of ancient tech. Our avatar's former home, called the Crystal Palace. It houses formidable defenses and only needs to be powered up. If we bring Ama there, and keep it safe during that process, I believe we can stop them before they even learn of Aestas.  At the very least, we can weaken them."

"And how do you propose to keep it safe? That's not a small force."  Right to the point.  Give me a General over a Dragon any day.

"Well, first of all, we're a rather resourceful group."  Was it my imagination, or did a foxkin snort?  Parker swears that there's no such sound in the playback, but...

"Second, I suspect that their intranet is based upon the same technology that another SunChild used in the ImagiNet design, so I can probably hack into it."  Which reminded me, I'd have to tell Parker to lock that down if we didn't come back.

"And third..."  -- here I allowed myself a slight smirk -- "...we are not above asking for help."

"Uh huh," said Lord.  He obviously had been expecting this.  "What sort of help are you wanting?  Keeping in mind I have to keep enough resources and Agents here to defend the city, especially if this plan of yours doesn't pan out."

Neither Ehara nor White had said a word throughout all this, nor did they speak up now.  They were watching Kurt Lord.  They recognized that this was a defense issue, and defense was his area.  This Council works with these people in their current positions, I thought.  

All to the good.  I only had to convince the General.  I decided to appeal to the strategist in him.  

"The Crystal Palace is currently protected by a stationary storm. When Ama begins the power-up process, the storm will likely subside, leaving the structure vulnerable until the process is complete. I would propose skirting the enemy city, hiding behind the storm, and moving in to defend the perimeter once it calms sufficiently.

And I would never want Æstas left defenseless. By no means. This force could consist of volunteers and mavericks."

I then assumed an expression of pure innocence, but resisted the urge to form a holographic halo.  "I, personally, am well-versed in the strategy of luring my foes away from the main target."

Parker's voice whispered through my earpiece, "Ooh, like the time I taunted those Tek Knights?"

I subvocalized, and hoped that it didn't show.  "We admit to nothing specific."

"How long before you intend to leave?"  Aha!  He was nearly won over.

"There are some preparations to complete."  And some rest to be had.  "Not before tomorrow. Of course, we could wait slightly longer if there were good reason."

The man considered...and nodded.  "I can put out a request for volunteers. But this drone army is an unknown. We know they took down the Crystal Pilot, but that wasn't a combat skiff.  Sending men out to 'buy time' means we're expecting losses. Do you have any idea what those losses might be?"

"Fair question," I said, and took a few seconds to think about that.  

The problem was, and is, that I don't consider any losses acceptable.  But I deal with a very small team of people that I have come to consider family.  That attitude would not last long if I were in his shoes, constantly commanding large numbers of soldiers, unable to personally oversee every operation.  "I'm not a military man, General," I finally said.  "Do you recall our losses at the Core?"

He nodded, frowning. "I do. They were not as heavy as they could have been, but there were a number who didn't get to see what they were fighting for. And that wasn't all that long ago."

I looked into his eyes, and they reflected the pain of knowing that losses were inevitable, and the responsibility of having to decide whether any particular mission was worth the lives spent.  Seeing that, I knew that I couldn't lie to him...or myself.

"Well.... I won't sugar-coat it. These mechs are not slow, shuffling things. It could be worse. I'll try to ensure that it isn't."

The three conferred among themselves for a short time, but the decision returned quickly.  We'd have our volunteers.  People who would, of their own volition, fight and possibly die to defend our city from its greatest threat yet.

I went home to try to think of a way to make sure that as many came home as possible.