contested angrily.
‘Wait, I think
we should hear what she has to say,’ I interjected.
Aeniah was
silent and Blue Dawn continued, ‘my help does however come at a
price. I need you to re-instate my full control over Ascension.
Many elements including the Equinox project remain outside of my
full control. I would also ask that you assist me in resolving the
problem of the Artefact and continue with your present mission
objectives. Does this sound so unreasonable?’
Aeniah growled
in response, she clearly had her misgivings. However she said
nothing and so Blue Dawn took this as an agreement. ‘Very well. The
fastest way to the docks is via mass-transport. I have isolated the
problems inherent in my first attempt and rest assured you will
arrive safe and sound. I also have the capability of furnishing you
with an army through which you can retake the ship. However I
require your authorisation to issue the command to the Equinox
subjects.’
Without giving
time for Aeniah to reply I asked, ‘the Equinox project, they are an
army?’
‘Not
necessarily,’ she replied coyly. ‘The subjects involved in the
project were much like you George. They had a great affinity with
the genetic modification required to reach the state of Ascension.
It was believed that arranged as a coherent body of persons the
Equinox subjects would provide the perfect policing agency for the
abilities gained by others, being both stronger and more
intelligent than they were.
‘However the
result of the project was somewhat a failure. Their augmentation
caused them to lose a little of who they were. Installation of a
command infrastructure worked at best, intermittently. Instead they
became unpredictable. Their purpose was simple. They were to be
vessels of energy through which the citizens of Ascension could
delve into and draw upon for their use. This use manifested itself
in abilities somewhat akin to magic. This is of course not the
case, but I have little time to explain.
‘When the use
of these abilities became widespread among the inhabitants of
Ascension, what we called casting, the Equinox subjects began to
cut people off from their source of energy, seemingly at random.
When this occurred the population was often extremely violent
towards them and several were killed. When the station descended
into chaos I lost the ability to administer control over them. We
now have little contact,’ she concluded.
‘I need to
know more, Blue Dawn, why did the population attack them? What went
wrong?’ Blue Dawn appeared to be about to open her mouth in
response but was cut short by Aeniah.
‘There is no
time for that right now George. Dawn I’ll give you whatever
approval you need, just help me get my ship back.’
In front of
Aeniah a new screen appeared. From where I was standing the text
was blurred and illegible. She appeared to scan the document,
searching for some hidden clause. Biting her lip she pushed her
palm against the pad and drew what I presumed was her
signature.
‘Temporary
Equinox control established,’ Blue Dawn sounded in a distracted
manner. ‘Preparing mass-transport. Mass-transport available. I
shall drop the three of you in the quarantine zone outside the
docks. That way you should avoid any surprises. Mass-transport in
three.’
I held my
breath. What would we find? I had never been too fond of surprises
and right now I seriously hoped there would not be any waiting on
the other side. ‘Two.’ The floor beneath me began to hum more
loudly than merely the background of Ascension. ‘One.’ I felt my
feet beginning to lift off the ground as I experienced an awful
stretching sensation. ‘Mass-transport’ and all was night.
10
A
Rising Foe
We arrived, or
more appeared , in the gloom of the quarantine zone. Red
lights pulsed along the ceiling above us and the floor beneath. I
looked around. Quickly I spotted the blue light of Sean, then the
strong figure of Aeniah, soon the slight frame of Blue Dawn
‘Wait, I think
we should hear what she has to say,’ I interjected.
Aeniah was
silent and Blue Dawn continued, ‘my help does however come at a
price. I need you to re-instate my full control over Ascension.
Many elements including the Equinox project remain outside of my
full control. I would also ask that you assist me in resolving the
problem of the Artefact and continue with your present mission
objectives. Does this sound so unreasonable?’
Aeniah growled
in response, she clearly had her misgivings. However she said
nothing and so Blue Dawn took this as an agreement. ‘Very well. The
fastest way to the docks is via mass-transport. I have isolated the
problems inherent in my first attempt and rest assured you will
arrive safe and sound. I also have the capability of furnishing you
with an army through which you can retake the ship. However I
require your authorisation to issue the command to the Equinox
subjects.’
Without giving
time for Aeniah to reply I asked, ‘the Equinox project, they are an
army?’
‘Not
necessarily,’ she replied coyly. ‘The subjects involved in the
project were much like you George. They had a great affinity with
the genetic modification required to reach the state of Ascension.
It was believed that arranged as a coherent body of persons the
Equinox subjects would provide the perfect policing agency for the
abilities gained by others, being both stronger and more
intelligent than they were.
‘However the
result of the project was somewhat a failure. Their augmentation
caused them to lose a little of who they were. Installation of a
command infrastructure worked at best, intermittently. Instead they
became unpredictable. Their purpose was simple. They were to be
vessels of energy through which the citizens of Ascension could
delve into and draw upon for their use. This use manifested itself
in abilities somewhat akin to magic. This is of course not the
case, but I have little time to explain.
‘When the use
of these abilities became widespread among the inhabitants of
Ascension, what we called casting, the Equinox subjects began to
cut people off from their source of energy, seemingly at random.
When this occurred the population was often extremely violent
towards them and several were killed. When the station descended
into chaos I lost the ability to administer control over them. We
now have little contact,’ she concluded.
‘I need to
know more, Blue Dawn, why did the population attack them? What went
wrong?’ Blue Dawn appeared to be about to open her mouth in
response but was cut short by Aeniah.
‘There is no
time for that right now George. Dawn I’ll give you whatever
approval you need, just help me get my ship back.’
In front of
Aeniah a new screen appeared. From where I was standing the text
was blurred and illegible. She appeared to scan the document,
searching for some hidden clause. Biting her lip she pushed her
palm against the pad and drew what I presumed was her
signature.
‘Temporary
Equinox control established,’ Blue Dawn sounded in a distracted
manner. ‘Preparing mass-transport. Mass-transport available. I
shall drop the three of you in the quarantine zone outside the
docks. That way you should avoid any surprises. Mass-transport in
three.’
I held my
breath. What would we find? I had never been too fond of surprises
and right now I seriously hoped there would not be any waiting on
the other side. ‘Two.’ The floor beneath me began to hum more
loudly than merely the background of Ascension. ‘One.’ I felt my
feet beginning to lift off the ground as I experienced an awful
stretching sensation. ‘Mass-transport’ and all was night.
10
A
Rising Foe
We arrived, or
more appeared , in the gloom of the quarantine zone. Red
lights pulsed along the ceiling above us and the floor beneath. I
looked around. Quickly I spotted the blue light of Sean, then the
strong figure of Aeniah, soon the slight frame of Blue Dawn
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