Shadows of Hyperion: Chapter 3

Time to move on -- and meet a new Hyperion!

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Chapter 3.

"That is … unwelcome news," Simon said, studying Wu Kung with a sour, sinking feeling in his gut. "You are certain?"

 

The Hyperion Monkey King grimaced. "Why do people always ask that? Would I say it that way if I were not? Yes, I am certain, as certain as you could tell me that I am wearing my robes! I can see your soul, and you have damaged it badly, about as badly as Ariane's." He raised both eyebrows. "Why are you upset, though? I thought you did not like this power?"

 

Simon heard his own laugh, more of a bitter snort. "Oh, far from it, Wu. I like it far too much. But if that were the only question, yes, this would be something of a relief, a powerful antidote to temptation. But… it is not, and I think you know it as well as I. Try not to pretend you are less perceptive than you are."

 

Wu Kung looked at him with innocence in his eyes, then broke into a laugh. "But it is one of my best weapons, Doctor Sandrisson! Wu Kung, the heedless, the straightforward, the – oh, what was Jonny's word… clueless, that was it."

 

At Simon's understanding nod, Wu went on. "There are times I do not understand, and truly so. But to be seen as understanding less, as missing more… this gives you hidden strength and wisdom." He sighed. "But for you – yes. Your power has been tested in breadth and depth, and you now understand how strong a weapon and defense it is for Humanity. To know you dare not use it… well, all of us understand well. I am somewhat stronger than you three, but not nearly to my full strength, and it will be months before I am."

 

"Well, I thank you. Losing that option is unpleasant, yes, but dying because I used that ability without thinking would be much more unpleasant, and humiliating in the bargain. Was that all you wanted?"

 

"No – it was just the first priority this morning. The Captain says we're all to come to a breakfast meeting. Are you ready?"

 

"Certainly. Let's go."

 

Breakfast was laid out to the side of the conference table – and a wide variety of it, too, along with assorted coffee, tea, and juice options. Simon nodded to Ariane, who was talking to Laila; the two women nodded back as Simon collected a plate with sardines, toast, one hard-boiled egg, and what Gabrielle called a curl-waffle, a fluffy, semi-sweet breakfast bread with upturned edges that had become a fixture at the Embassy of Humanity after Ariane managed to worm the recipe out of Mairakag Achan at his restaurant. He sat a chair or so removed from the others, as he knew the smell of sardines might not mix well with other odors.

 

"Boy, you love your fish dishes, Simon," Ariane said. "Sardines for breakfast?"

 

"Hardly unusual in some places," he responded with a smile. "You should eat something more substantial than coffee and a pastry."

 

"Gotcha! It's not a pastry, or not the way you meant." She held up what he had originally taken for a filled doughnut. "Meat bun!"

 

"Ha! You are right, you did catch me being inattentive."

 

DuQuesne, as usual, had a large breakfast (multiple slices of ham, pancakes, eggs, and more), and Oasis (who plunked her plate down next to Simon and gave him a wink) had him matched, but Wu Kung had brought three plates stacked with just about everything the side tables had to offer. His metabolism is even faster than other Hyperions, I think.

 

Laila, Carl, and Gabrielle had less formidable breakfasts, and also rounded out the attendees. Which means that this is an inner circle meeting; no one not either of the original group, or deliberately added to that group.

 

After a few minutes of people eating and drinking, Ariane tapped on her glass. "Thanks for coming, everyone. I know some of us," she looked at the heavy-lidded face of Carl Edlund, "are not very good in mornings, but some of us also have things we have to get to not long from now."

 

"'Sokay," Carl said, "As long as I have my coffee." He held the cup like a precious jewel.

 

"All you need. So. First the bad news." She glanced at Wu, who gave a grave nod. "Four of the five of us with the Arena's special abilities – Simon, DuQuesne, Wu, and myself – can't make much use of them for a while. Apparently, we all strained ourselves in the various battles we had with Vindatri and the Molothos, and according to Wu, we could literally kill ourselves if we try to do anything of great magnitude with them. We can practice small stunts," she gestured and brought herself another meat bun, her forehead very gently furrowing, "but we're not usable trump cards now."

 

She glanced to the cheerful redhead with her four-ponytail hairdo. "Oasis – K – looks like you're the only special agent we'll have on tap, and we know you don't have anything as… flashy as the rest of us."

 

"I'm just your basic, average girl," she agreed with a grin, "but I'm still here to save the world." She winked at Simon.

 

Simon winked back. While he hadn't entirely let go of his interest in Ariane Austin, Oasis and he were close to being an item, which still amazed him at times; despite using (mostly) the name of a CSF officer, she was actually a Hyperion, created to be a super-spy teen from media a century or three old. The real "Oasis" had been nearly murdered by the Hyperion AI named Dr. Alexander Fairchild, and "K" had done the only thing she could to save Oasis: transferred Oasis' mind into her own, and let Oasis live her life using K's body.

 

By now, the two were not entirely separate; K had enjoyed Oasis' life, and Oasis enjoyed the capabilities and skills of a Hyperion. But that just meant that Oasis/K was someone well over twice Simon's age and with experiences in a literal other world that had made her different. Not to mention her superhuman strength, reflexes, and intelligence. Simon often thought he was getting far the better deal in the relationship, and wondered what it was that he offered her that made it worthwhile. Best not to look that gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.

 

"Still, that is a considerable blow to our resources. However…" Laila's brow furrowed. "Is there not a sixth? Velocity Celes is a Hyperion as well, correct?"

 

"Yes," Wu Kung answered. "I checked him, too. The battle strained him about the way I was. But even if he wasn't, Velocity's not really a good substitute for the rest of us. He can fight – believe me, he can!" The Monkey King flashed a grin showing he had personal knowledge of that. "But it's not what he does. He drives. Or flies, or whatever. We want him piloting things. He's not anything like DuQuesne or Ariane or K or me."

 

Laila nodded, accepting Wu's evaluation; Simon also agreed with it, remembering his few interactions with the enthusiastic, young-looking Hyperion.

 

"How long will you be effectively out of commission, then?" Laila asked. Ariane again looked to Wu Kung.

 

"For me, I think three to six months; same for Vel. Ariane and DuQuesne, more like six months to a year. Simon…" the fur-covered face screwed up comically. "I can't tell, because what his power is, is something I never saw before. I will have to watch him doing very small things and study it. But at a first guess, the same as Ariane and DuQuesne."

 

"That’s not good," Carl said. "Up to half a year without any of you able to work at max?"

 

"But it's not that bad," DuQuesne said. "After all, no one knows much about our special abilities. Even the ones who can guess at some of them haven't got a clue as to their extent or limitations. We just want to keep out of major situations drastic enough to need that kind of firepower on hand. And that's a good idea in general."

 

Oasis cast a wry grin in his direction. "Oh, and of course the Arena's going to cooperate and make sure nothing drastic happens."

 

Oasis had a point. Since they'd first come to the impossible space called The Arena, they had constantly been in what one could call "drastic" situations. First stranded and without power in an alien universe; then two of them up against a small alien invasion; another Challenged to a race that might cost them everything; another Challenge from Amas-Garao, who might as well be called a wizard and have done with it; and it just went on, through this final war against the Molothos.

 

"All right, we'll all have to keep our heads down, as much as we can. What's the good news?"

 

"Well, diplomatically we're having a lot of new and positive contacts. Oscar reports that the vast majority of them are coming from Factions extremely impressed by our having managed to somehow get the Molothos to back down." Ariane looked (justifiably, Simon thought) proud of that. "Also, the Genasi elected Tunuvun their permanent Faction Leader, and he went on a direct Ambassadorial trip to our homeworld."

 

"Good!" Wu said, his fanged smile lighting the room momentarily. "Tunuvun is a good friend! He will be a strong ally."

 

"Yes. I haven't heard details on the visit, yet, but –"

 

A green sphere popped into existence in front of Ariane. "Courier Davia Ditmeyer from Saul Maginot – urgent request to speak to you immediately!" The voice was young, and nearly out of breath.

 

From Saul? A courier runner? That does not sound promising.

 

From the expression on Ariane's face, she agreed with Simon. "Captain Ariane Austin here – go on, Courier."

 

"I am instructed to deliver the message to you, and anyone else in your close group, in person," the Courier replied.

 

Ariane swept the room with her gaze, saw no one making an objection. "Join us in Briefing 3. All of us are here currently."

 

Well, Simon thought, all of us who are in Nexus Arena. Steve and Thomas are on the Sphere. Thomas Cussler had his hands full trying to ride herd on the still rapidly-expanding city within the Sphere, and his husband Steve Franceschetti was in charge of conceptual design and director of construction for the entire Earth Sphere – Inner Sphere, Upper Sphere, and even the area of space surrounding the Sphere that included the Sky Gates. Neither of them could spend much time in Nexus Arena – or in the original Solar System, either.

 

A few moments later, the door slid open. Breathing only a touch faster than one might expect, Courier Davia was a slender young woman in a loose-fitting red T-shirt, dark jeans, and running shoes, her brown hair pulled back in a slightly untidy ponytail. A choker collar held a golden disc which Simon thought was probably a Courier ID badge.

 

As she straightened before Ariane, Simon noticed that the courier's breathing was already slowing. "Courier Davia Ditmeyer reporting, Captain!"

 

"At ease, Courier. What's the urgency?"

 

"Ma'am, a few days ago Commander Maginot and Ambassador Tunuvun were severely injured by a hostile nanoswarm attack."

 

"By Klono's –" DuQuesne bit off the Hyperion oath. "Are they all right?"

 

"Prognosis is good for both," Davia answered. "Ambassador Tunuvun rescued the Commander through his extremely quick reactions. While the nanoswarm did badly injure him, it was not tailored for alien species and this slowed its progress somewhat." She looked around uncertainly. "All of these people are cleared for… anything, correct, Captain?"

 

"Yes," Ariane said.

 

Simon studied Davia. Interesting. She is now breathing quite normally. If, as I must presume, she ran here at full speed… Yes, interesting. He also thought he saw a glint in DuQuesne's eye. Doubly interesting. And there's something familiar about her, as well.

 

Davia nodded sharply. "Then – Commander Maginot instructed me to deliver you a very precise message:" Simon saw her forehead wrinkle in concentration. "Visualization gives a ninety-nine point seven percent probability that this was a Hyperion-directed assault. In addition, the probability approaches unity that this is not the work of Dr. Fairchild. A second enemy exists."

 

Ariane paled visibly, and Simon felt his own lips tighten. The word "Visualization" told him that the message actually came from Ariane's own AISage, Mentor, a Tayler-5 AI who was likely smarter than anyone – or perhaps everyone – in the room combined, with the possible exception of DuQuesne and Oasis.

 

After a moment, Ariane spoke. "Is there anything more?"

 

"Yes, Ma'am. Commander Maginot adds that they do not yet have an identity for the second adversary, and that there is a significant though not tremendously high possibility that there is a third Hyperion-origin enemy as well. They are increasing vigilance and security against such enemies. Tunuvun will be providing Genasi security to assist, as they will have capabilities not so well known as those of our standard defenses. Trading arrangements are being finalized. The attack," a momentary smile flickered on Davia's face, "helped cement the negotiations. Not, in the Commander's opinion and that of his advisor, on purpose."

 

"All right," Ariane said after a moment. "That wasn't the news I was hoping for, but it's a lot better than it could have been." She glanced at DuQuesne with the expression that showed that the huge Hyperion had sent her something over their link. "Courier… do you know who the… advisor is?"

 

Davia nodded.

 

"Please verify by identifying them."

 

"Ma'am, he is an AI by the name of Mentor." After a moment, she took a breath and went on, "A... an independent AI, Ma'am."

 

Independent, Simon thought. A daring term, since the legal term would be feral, and means that by concealing his existence, Davia is, like Saul Maginot, risking herself. The solution of how to integrate AIs into our society without making them, effectively, slaves, is underway… but not yet close to deployment.

 

"Well. If you know that, I suppose Saul trusts you implicitly. Did he have any further instructions for you or me?"

 

"Only that I was to await your orders, Ma'am." Davia did not manage to conceal some nervousness; only natural, in the presence of the literal Leader of the Faction of Humanity.

 

What do you think, Simon? The question came from his headware, encrypted and – aside from by the Arena itself – virtually impossible to intercept.

 

You are considering adding to our circle? Someone you have just met?

 

A smile. Not quite so arbitrary. Saul didn't send this woman by accident.

 

No, he didn't. That was DuQuesne. K?

 

Definitely. "K" looked up. "Long time no see, Dav!"

 

The young woman flashed a brilliant grin. "You do recognize me!"

 

"How could we not?" Wu Kung burst out, and he was the first of the Hyperions to reach Davia – catching her up and swinging her into the air with the exuberance of his greeting. "I just didn't say anything because I didn't know if you wanted us to!"

 

DuQuesne and Oasis were scarcely less enthusiastic. "I thought you weren't coming!" DuQuesne said, laughing. "Glad you did, but what changed your mind?"

 

She must be another Hyperion.

 

Must be, agreed Ariane. I don't recognize her offhand, though.

 

DuQuesne turned back to them as Oasis hugged the courier. "Captain, Davia's one of ours – I figure you already all guessed that. She's kinda like me, in a way – her source material's almost completely forgotten. Early Second Media Explosion interactive show called –"

 

"Aww, no, DuQuesne –"

 

"-Davia the Dynamo." DuQuesne completed the statement with a broad grin, as Davia covered her face.

 

"Oh… oh, my," Simon breathed, staring at the young woman and seeing her not in casual dress but an electric blue-and-gold costume, face partially concealed behind a white and red mask, lightning playing about her fists. "You are! My father had the entire collection, I played through it so many times! I can't believe it, Davia the…" he trailed off, aware of everyone now staring at him in disbelief.

 

"Ah. Ahem, yes, my apologies, Davia. I know that I should in no way project the show, or my childhood, onto you."

 

There was a touch of red on her cheeks, but she smiled. "Well… no harm done, Simon. I guess… I guess it's kind of nice to know someone remembers. Just that I got used to not being in that world, and now it seems there's a use for the old Dynamo, if what Saul hinted at is right?"

 

"You," Ariane said more seriously, "are in need of a serious debrief and update. But I suspect the answer is yes. If Saul trusted you enough… well, now that I know you're a Hyperion, I guess that makes sense. He was the one who made sure you all got regular lives afterward."

 

"Right. Most of the survivors, even if we didn't trust any other… outsider, we'd trust Saul Maginot." She looked back at DuQuesne, and her face was grave – the same expression, now that Simon was thinking of it, that Davia the Dynamo always wore during a briefing before she and her team went out. "As for what changed my mind? Knowing there was another enemy out there hunting us besides Maria-Susanna. Did I hear right? They got Jonny, D'Arbignal, Telzey, and poor funny Giles?"

 

DuQuesne looked down. "Yeah. I was… just a little too late to save them."

 

"Okay, then, that's why. Not sitting around waiting for them to get to me."

 

"For formality's sake," Ariane said, "DuQuesne? You vouch for her? And vouch that she is her?"

 

The quick glance between Ariane and DuQuesne confirmed Simon's guess as to what that last question meant. DuQuesne's brow furrowed for a moment, and a hint of pain flickered across his face. But then it relaxed, and he grinned. "By those proverbial ninety-seven rows of little green apple trees, Captain. Davia's as straight an arrow as you'll ever get."

 

"Oasis?"

 

"Seconded, Captain."

 

She looked to Wu. "And I presume you agree?"

 

Wu laughed, his sharp canines glinting in the light. "By the Seven Pearls, yes! I'm so happy Davia decided to come! And she is Davia –" he tapped his nose. "Can't fool this!"

 

"All right, then." Ariane extended her hand. "Welcome to the inner circle – what we still call the crew of the Holy Grail."

 

"Thanks!" Davia took the extended hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Saul hoped you'd take me in, but I didn't think it'd be this fast!"

 

"If you stay around for long," Simon said, "you will find that our Captain doesn't waste time before jumping headlong into the next problem… or opportunity. Welcome, Davia."

 

"Glad to be here. Now you said something about a debriefing?"

 

"Oh, yes," Ariane said with a grin. "The biggest you've ever had, I think – at least since the time you left Hyperion."

 

"Ooo!" Davia leaned forward eagerly – again echoing a pose Simon had seen a hundred times in his youth. "Then fill me in, Captain!"