35. Allies

 
Under the jarring alarm and the flash of red light, Fureva-Yung carefully slid back the metal framework of the crystal. The alarm and light did not stop.
 
“...And I can tell you I don’t know shit about what’s happening here.” Marius had been speaking technically to Jaden about how the crystal structure could hold an A.I. entity. Jaden also shrugged her shoulders and watched Fureva-Yung alone in the crystal room.
 
Only Nox looked out the door expecting something to happen or someone to arrive.
This is their technology, separate from Nexion. They will be watching it for a breach like this, She thought, unaware she was sharing through the telepathic network.
“Who is watching?” Fureva-Yung asked as something brushed her back, sending a familiar electrical tingling through her nerves.
“Fureva-Yung, behind you, a net of energy!” Nox cried, pointing though neither Jaden nor Marius could see the blue construct.
 
As Nox warned her, Fureva-Yung felt the field pressing down on her. She stepped aside and felt the electric tingle fall off her back and down a leg. She shrugged as the electrical discharge reached her back where the crippled Fureva rested. No time to worry about it now. She pulled the metal framework of the crystal out once more and pushed it towards the door. Behind her, the net rose, and she held out a free arm to stop it from catching on her back a second time.
 
Kapow!
 
One of the lightning towers snapped out at something outside the room where Marius, Jaden and Nox watched Fureva-Yung’s progress. Leaning out, they could see more spiders crawling towards the now open doors, one of the quietly ticking and steaming, a burn mark straight through it. Jaden pulled out an io and sent an energy beam streak towards a second spider, slowing its pace.
 
“Throw stuff in, “Nox pointed into the room with Furvea-Yung as she watched the net rise for a second attempt, “Anything little.”
Marius, unsure what Nox wanted, pulled a few shards of diamond he’d collected from their adventures in the pyramid from his pocket and threw them past the force field.
Nox used her Hedge Magic to lift the small objects onto the net field. Now the net sparkled with the sharp edges of diamond as it swooped down again on Fureva-Yung.
 
Marius was at a loss for what to do. He could now see the net descending on Fureva-Yung but could do nothing about it.
“You come out, Furry and we’ll deal with these little guys. The crystal will be safe where it is.”
“The cypher I used to get past the force field,” Fureva-Yung protested, “It will not last long.”
 
Now she could feel the pricking energy on her back once more. She gave the cage another push, but it held firm, stuck in place by the force field at the door. With the caged crystal in front and the net pushing from behind, she had nowhere to move. Slowly she was forced to the floor.
“Fureva-Yung!” Nox cried as five spider servitors crowded the door to attack. Marius dodged out of the way of the first attack. Hovering above the ground, Nox flipped over as a second came after, destabilising it. A blue bolt of energy appeared around the broken wall, taking out another servitor. Jaden instantly recognised it as similar energy to Nox's psychic attacks.
“We have company,” Jaden said, and Nox’s face lit up.
“In here!” She cried, kicking the destabilised servitor out the door.
 
With something to fight, Marius turned on his adhesion cypher and punched the servitor that attacked him. He was pleased with the restrained servitor on the end of his fist until the lighting tower identified the servitor as a threat and zapped it.
 
Kapow!
 
Lightning zapped through the servitor straight into Marius who gave a yelp and fainted unconscious to the floor.
Fureva-Yung strained to turn her head against the pressure of the now sparkling diamond netting. A nodule she hadn’t noticed before, affixed to the ceiling above, glinted with projected energy. Focusing, she shouted, making the nodule start to vibrate. The net holding her down quivered sympathetically, and she knew she’d found the right spot.
 
An injured spider attacked a lightning tower, knocking it over and taking it out of the fight. But it was too little, too late, as two blue people appeared around the corner, blasting servitors from behind. An explosion in the crystal room heralds the appearance of Fureva-Yung through the force field. She rushed to Marius’ side, cradling his head in one huge hand. She lifted the unresponsive Marius into a sitting position as Jaden shot the last servitors with an energy beam. He would hate to have missed something.
 
The enemy defeated, for now, the blue people’s features shifted and took physical form, that of a woman Nox had seen before and a tall blue-skinned man.
“That is so cool…” Nox whispered, almost speechless at the control over the material the beings presented.
“Is everyone alright?” Asked the woman, her eyes flicking from Nox, Jaden, Fureva-Yung and Marius and back to Nox.
“Yes, she is not,” Fureva-Yung gestured to the fallen Marius, and the woman investigated.
 
Now that she could see her clearly, the woman was young, older than Marius but not by much. Her skin, the same milky white as Nox’s, was stained by blue splotches. She wore faded but sturdy clothing like the Ward Militia, but the logo on her arm was unfamiliar.
 
“Um…we have a malignant shard loose in the lower circuits of the Spire,” Nox explained haltingly as she found herself in awe of these two beings, “We want to put it into a crystal before we can go find the two other Zions and teleport it away.”
“Yes, good plan,” The man acknowledged, “We’d hoped to protect the tower from infestation, but things have moved faster than we anticipated.”
“Where are the other two Zions?” The woman asked, ensuring Marius was fine and letting him rest. She turned to Fureva-Yung, who looked caught out. When she didn’t reply, Nox chimed in.
“We don’t know,” She turned to Fureva-Yung, “One is in the east, we think. In a facility like this?”
In their minds, however, she spoke only to Fureva-Yung, Tell them, Maybe they can help.
 
The two strangers picked up something in the exchange. The woman asked Fureva-Yung again, “How are you feeling?”
“Strong,” Fureva-Yung replied automatically, flexing. She did feel strong, but she was worried that wasn’t what the blue woman was referring to.
“Do you feel yourself?” The woman asked again. With a heavy sigh, Fureva replied.
“I am missing Fureva.” She pressed a button on her armour, and the black material whipped away to reveal her scarred back. The black bat-shaped symbiote crisscrossed with scars she received in the Endoval Forest years before.
“Those are terrible wounds, “The woman said after examining Fureva-Yung’s back. She turned to Nox, who started at the direct attention.
“You have some skill with herbalism?” The woman asked, and Nox blushed.
“I like plants, and Temila is teaching me, Apothecary,”
 
With a nod, the woman held out her left hand, and a book appeared out of nowhere. Looking over her shoulder, Nox could see the text in Ferrian detailing medicinal plant uses. The woman then held up her right hand and manifested a second book. She handed the second to Nox, who took it reverently. She was about to say she’d need a little help with the Ferrian when Nox flicked open the book and found it all written in common. Tabs on the side seemed to mark specific treatments beneficial for a race called the Lattimor.
“Look Fureva-Yung. We can fix you.”
“I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as that. The road to recovery will be long and exhausting, “ The woman informed Nox dampening her enthusiasm, “ She will experience hallucinations, broken fragments of her memories as she heals, and she will need time. Time you do not have right now.”
 
Jaden, who had been quietly letting things happen in front of her, now stepped in, a scowl on her face.
“Now, Ariaxa, no need to bring the girl down. She’s smart enough to know what’s needed. Oh yes, I remember you, but I don’t remember seeing the patch of the Ward Exploratory Corp on your arm. Weren’t they disbanded a hundred years ago?”
Jaden, please, Nox cried a pitiful plea, but only in their minds which Jaden seemed to ignore. Here was her amazing, miraculous mother with powers and knowledge, and Jaden seemed…pissed.
“Hello, Jaden, “ The woman now turned her attention to Jaden, noting the older woman’s demeanour.
“You haven’t changed a day,” Jaden continued, “How is that?”
Ariaxa looked around the group, sighed and started her story.
 
“A very long time ago, I grew up in Cerelon.”
 
That wasn’t the story I was told, Nox thought to herself. Father said she’s just arrived one day. She kept this to herself as her mother continued to share her story.
“As a young woman, I joined the WEC, going out on missions to expand our knowledge of the world around us. It was on such a mission through the Endoval forest we discovered a crystal mountain.”
“In its crystals, we found…something. I activated it, which sent me hopelessly into the Datasphere.”
 
“It was probably after a mission such as that they disbanded the WEC as being too dangerous,” Jaden nodded, though the scowl remained.
“Yes, something like it. I was lost for a long time, not exactly living, but not dead. Eventually, I was found by the Order of Sync and Trace, and I joined their ranks.
“I remember you as a flesh and blood woman. You returned to Cerelon. Why?”
 
“The Order had concerns about Cerelon. As I was originally from there, it was thought I would be the best to find out what was happening. I was there on a mission, but while there, I met a brilliant, charming, yet humble man.” She directed her story to Nox, who was astonished to learn she was talking about Livaanar, her father.
“I knew my investigation could take years, especially as I saw how the Devotees of Erinai worked. And…well…”
 
It was the first time Ariaxa had smiled and seemed more human than the mythical blue people. For the first time, Nox could see this woman with her father before he was browbeaten, abandoned and forgotten.
 
“So why leave? Why run out without even an explanation?”
 
“I never wanted to, but my mission was bringing me increasingly in conflict with the Devotees. I was afraid if I stayed, Livaanar and little Nox would always be in danger. With me gone, their family contacts would keep them safe. Telling them more would have only put them at risk.”
“And you didn’t think to ask for help?” Jaden’s anger was revving up like one of her ancient machines, slowly and inevitably, “You didn’t think there were others who also had issues with the Devotees? In Cerelon, they may be high and mighty, but I can assure you they don’t clean their loos.”
 
It was an old argument, one that Nox had heard repeatedly sitting in Jaden’s workshop, even more after Markus's death.
 
“The footprints you left behind were cuts to lives that could not afford the loss.” It was now clear now that she wasn’t talking about herself this time. She was talking about Nox and her Father.
Jaden, please. She only did what she thought was best.
Jaden didn’t reply, and a cool silence entered the small space.
 
“I do not understand,” Fureva-Yung finally said, breaking the silence, “You are blue.”
“I eventually became so. A datasphere side effect.” Ariaxa replied, grateful for the distraction.
“I am pink.”
“Which suits you.”
 
The tension broke, and Nox felt her throat loosen enough to speak.
“Fureva-Yung,” Nox turned formally to Fureva-Yung, clutching her new book to her like a shield, “May I introduce my Mother.”
Fureva-Yung blinked, “You are Little One’s mother?”
Ariaxa nodded but said nothing more.
 
Now that her confusion was cleared up, Fureva-Yung turned to the tall, blue-skinned man.
“You are a Sacristan.”
“Yes,” The man replied, seemingly happy to be recognised, “My name is Yosin.”
“You have been working with the Ferrian Compact against the Malignant Entity and the Shards?”
“Yes. It has been a long time since the war, Admiral Fureva-Yung.”
 
Fureva-Yung fell silent momentarily as she sorted through the few fragments of memory she had.
“We attacked one of your ships. Did I start the Entity?”
“It is a field of speculation,” Yosin started theorising, oblivious to Fureva-Yung inner turmoil on the subject.
“We now believe that only some small shard was involved in that incident. Certainly not the whole entity.”
“So…”
“No, you did not cause the entity, Admiral. Not at all.” Yosin’s smiling face dropped as he realised the full implication of what Fureva-Yung had been saying.
“You don’t remember the war?”
Fureva-Yung shook her head, “Very little.”
“Ariaxa’s treatment couldn’t have come too soon.”
“I look forward to it.”
 
At that moment, Marius snorted, his eyes blinked open, and he sat bolt upright, taking in the new visitors.
“Hello,” He said, “I think I was lightningafried.”
“This is Marius,” Fureva-Yung now introduced, “She is very good at digging.”
“Oh, is that your preferred pronoun…?” Yosin asked but was quickly cut off.
“No.”
 
Yosin examined the crystal past the force field and shook his head.
“That one is still repairing. I’d suggest you take the other for now.”
Nox, who had found a corner to read her new book, scanned both crystals to see the difference. It meant nothing to her, so she made a holographic copy from Hedge Magic for Jaden and Marius to compare.
“But we’ll need another. There’s a second shard at Cerelon,” She said with a start, feeling guilty for once more forgetting everyone left behind, “Do you know what’s happening at Cerelon?”
 
“We lost contact with our listening post in the Towers in the Endoval Forest,” Ariaxa replied.
“Oh, sorry about that.”
She laughed a soft, gentle sound, “Not your fault. The servitors drove us off.”
“Us too,” Nox said once more, nervous about finding herself the focus of Ariaxa’s attention.
“Tell me about your life, Nox. What did you do in Cerelon?”
 
“Nothing,” Nox replied instantly, keenly aware that her wild and disconnected life in Cerelon was a far cry from where she was today, “I spent a lot of time at Jaden’s workshop. Leaving Cerelon has been…instructive.”
Instructive? She winced, It’s been a revelation!
“And how is Livaanar?”
She was on safer ground here, “Oh, he makes himself useful here in the Spire Community. He helps make furniture of the new homes and useful items out of scrap….” And still, compared to what Nox had heard from Ariaxa, she imagined it was a long way from where he could have been with her. She was shocked and embarrassed to feel a tiny twang of jealousy.
“I think you were a very bright light in his life.” She admitted, returning to her book as her face reddened.
 
“I’m sure I read something about how the crystalline structures used to store vast amounts of information, “ Marius pointed to an array of circuitry embedded into the crystal, “Do you think this translates the incoming data into some storable pattern?”
“Perhaps, but I’d need time to study this thing. Shame we can’t break one apart to see how it ticks.” Jaden mumbled, madly trying to translate Nox’s more artistic rendering of what she’d seen with what could actually be happening inside the crystal.
“Just say the word. We can get a few lovely io and cyphers from these things.”
 
A thought came to Marius then, and he turned back to Yosin.
“Can you tell us who made these?”
“Fabrication was automated one level below. Unfortunately, servitors destroyed the whole complex. Much of the machinery of that level has gone into creating the servitors themselves.”
“So, we need to fix what we have. Right, so the next mission is free up the transmission bay level.”
“Next thing I want to do, “ Jaden said, turning to the broken lightning tower, “Is get this place back working again. The crystal is better off here than with us for now.” Without looking at Ariaxa, she got to work.
 
Jaden. She’s just doing to best she can. Like all of us, Nox shared silently through the telepathic network.
Jaden snorted, “I have my buttons, “ She said low enough so only Nox could hear, “Abandonment seems to be one of them.”
 
Ariaxa was unaware of the exchange and continued her conversation with Nox.
“Tell me everything, Nox. What sort of dad was your father?”
“Ur…” What could she say? While they lived in Cerelon, Nox had spent much of her time trying to avoid him. He was either dragging them to the Temple to try once more and appease the Devotees, or he was drilling her on plans and schematics of his tiny automatons. The first she hated, the Devotees of Eraini’s false piety, made her feel like garbage. The second was confusing, frustrating and ultimately pointless. She just didn’t understand machines like him and Jaden.
“I’m not good at machines…” She finally admitted.
 
“What?” Marius jumped into the conversation, “What are you going on about, Nox? You’re amazing!”
Nox wasn’t sure what was worse, having to admit her inadequacies to her mother or Marius' effusive praise.
Marius, please don’t embarrass me!
We’re amazing. Marius is fast, and he’s good at finding cyphers. Fureva-Yung is strong and always protects us. Jaden is smart. She can make anything! Nox tried deflecting with the same energy as Marius, but he wasn’t put off.
“Now, come on. You got that giant robot in the pyramid to work for you somehow. You make us able to talk to…everyone! The Crystal Eaters, the Deep Craven…Scaverous.”
“Leaving Cerelon was the best thing that ever happened,” She tried deflecting again and then was ashamed at being happy about a scary time for everyone.
 
“Yosin, could you look at this for a moment?” Jaden called the blue-skinned man over. After putting the lighting tower back in place, she’d pulled out a plan Marius had found in one of the crates from the crystal store room. She was sure it was for something to do with water, but she couldn’t understand the Ferrian text that explained what she was looking at.
“Could you translate this for me?” She asked Yosin, who nodded and gave a potted translation.
“We should ask Ariaxa. She is the superior translator,” He admitted when his explanation of the text fell short of what Jaden expected.
“No,” She replied sharply before remembering Nox’s herbalism notes and how easily she’d translated the whole book.
With an audible sigh, she admitted defeat.
“Very well. Ariaxa, could you please translate this plan for me?”
 
“My pleasure, Jaden,” Ariaxa took the plans and, as she had with the book, a second copy of the same plans appeared now written in common. Now Jaden could see this was a device providing a set amount of clean drinking water daily. It would be a great help to the fledgling Spire Community.
Jaden felt the warmth of a Nox hug through the telepathic link.
Thank you.
“Just remember she wasn’t there when you needed her.”
She’s here now.
“Enjoy it, but don’t rely on it.”
 
 
“How do you find anything in this thing?” Marius' voice echoed up from the depths of Bellyache. He’d gone in search of io and found a jumble of scrap and parts.
“Oh, I can usually put my hand to what I want,” Jaden rolled up the plans and went to see what Marius wanted.
“Do you think you could tamper with Bellyache to create some sort of retrieval system?”
“I’ll tamper with you if you don’t leave Bellyache alone.”
“No need. She’s a master of tampering with herself.” Fureva-Yung joined in, and a good-natured argument began.
 
The chaos around Bellyache allowed Nox to step up beside her mother while the others weren’t paying attention. She put away the book of apothecary and pulled out her old and well-worn book on Numenera.
“I’ve been making notes about the Ferrian language, “ She said, opening it to her latest work that included some of her thoughts on the language's syntax, “Do you think you could help me with some of it?”
“Of course, “ Ariaxa smiled and looked at Nox’s notes written over the text on Numenera.
 
The mixed group of companions and mysterious visitors formed smaller groups to study and prepare. Jaden would not leave until she’d had a good look at a functional crystal. Yosin lowered the blue force field, and Jaden spent time getting to know the trap they were preparing for the Shard with the help of Yosin. Nox focused on learning what she could of the Ferrian script from her mother, scribbling notes over her notes to learn all she could. She discovered her mother had an innate gift for manipulating data in all its forms. The gift impressed Nox, who had to learn things the hard way.
 
Fureva-Yung took herself off to the dug out caverns and practised with her chain while Marius watched.
“You know, you’re a very good digger,” He said as another lump of rock came away from the wall Fureva-Yung was bashing. When they were leaving, the force field was reinstated, and Marius had a thought.
“Hey, is there any way that Nox could get permission to open the force field?”
“Me?” She squeaked and clutched her pendant.
“You said yourself it recognised your marble.”
The Order of Sync and Trace members look at each other.
“It can be done,” Yosin said, maybe with a little doubt about the wisdom of the action.
“You’ll need to come with me,” Ariaxa added to Nox, who instantly agreed.
 
 
They followed Ariaxa down two tower levels and through three doorways, one defended with Lightning towers. Beyond lay an equipment area full of technology that was not original to the Spire. A small door across the space opened into a room outside the Spire, and Ariaxa gestured for Nox to proceed. They walked into the room together and faced a small console where Ariaxa asked for the pendant. She studied it momentarily as if reading in the black swirls Nox’s life history.
“I’m very glad you have this,” She said, placing it in the console.
“I never take it off,” Nox answered, wanting to impress on her mother how vital the pendant had been to her.
Thinking this would be her last chance to talk to her Mother alone, she asked, “Um…I know you’re busy, and feel free to say no, of course, but I was wondering if you’d come back to the surface and see what we’ve been up to?”
“Ah…” Ariaxa looked thoughtful for a moment, but Nox blundered on.
“Of course, the Order will want you back on duty. No one would expect…”
“No, I’d like to. I think Yosin can watch things here for one night.” Ariaxa pulled the leather thong up, and the pendant swung free of the console. She placed it in Nox’s waiting hand, and Nox grasped both the black orb and the outstretched hand in hers.
 
With Yosin left behind, they took the elevator back to the surface and the fresh air of outside the Spire. As Marius, Fureva-Yung and even Jaden dispersed, Nox searched the Annex for her Father. He was busy over the campfire boiling a pot full of water for a cup of tea. He was in quiet contemplation, unaware of anything around him besides the cracking of the fire and the quickly warming water.
 
“Father, do you have another cup for a visitor?” Nox asked, disturbing Livaanar’s thoughts. He sat back on one of Marius’s sloping chairs and glanced quizzically at Nox. Before he’d even finished turning around, he caught a glimpse of Ariaxa and stopped. The metal cup dropped from his numb hands as his eyes finally found those of his wife. Overwhelmed, he sat staring at the woman he hadn’t seen for fifteen years.
“Maybe I should make the tea,” Nox said with a smirk, picking up the fallen cup and breaking the spell. Livaanar unfolded his tall thin frame and stood before Ariaxa, his clever hands forgotten at his sides.
“It’s been…you’ve not…” He stepped forward, and Ariaxa did the same, collapsing the space between them.
“Where did you go? Why?”
“I didn’t have a choice. If I’d stayed you and Nox would have been in danger. With me gone, the Devotees had no reason to persecute you.”
 
Livaanar shook his head, unable to understand what she was saying. It was all forgotten as soon as her arms were around him.
From deep in Livaanar’s chest a burbling sound could be heard, and it took Nox a moment to realise that her Father was laughing.
“You’re so much younger than me,” He said, pulling away to get a better look at Ariaxa. He never once let her go.
She smirked, “I’m a lot older than I look.”
Again, her words made no sense to him, and he was about to protest when she raised a finger to his lips.
“It’s a long story. We have time to tell it.”
 
They sat beside the campfire, he unable to take his eyes off her, she moving from the fire to his face and eventually a cup of tea. She told him about her life in Cerelon, the datasphere and the Order. Nox sat behind them in complete silence, watching the two of them as they talked. She was amazed to notice as he relaxed into the conversation, his expressions became more animated. Age lines dissolved, and grey hair disappeared in the fire's flickering light. The two leant into each other and became one being, silhouetted in the firelight.
 
Nox suddenly became deeply aware that she should not be there. Checking to make sure she had her new herbalism book, she crept away in search of Temila.