received and understood, ma’am. I’ll see what I can dig up.”
She pinned him with a slight glare for a moment before relaxing. “Good. Most of the bureaucracy has already been dealt with concerning your visit, so we don’t have much to do here.”
Eric knew a dismissal when he heard one and rose to his feet.
“I’ll take my leave then, ma’am, and see what I can find.”
“Good luck, Captain.”
►►►
► There was only one source on Ranquil that Eric figured would know for certain what the Priminae were hiding, but the odds of that source talking to him were fifty-fifty at best. Nonetheless, Eric decided to make the attempt.
Now, if only Central had a phone number.
The annoyingly mysterious entity, sometimes “computer,” that seemed to run the day-to-day business of the Priminae on Ranquil was Eric’s best bet for answers. Likely obscure, murky, and annoying answers, but answers nonetheless.
Unfortunately, just asking the Priminae for access to the chamber that they designated as Central was a nonstarter. For one, it would tip them off that he was up to something, which he really would prefer to avoid since he was . . . well, actually up to something. More to the point, however, Central himself didn’t seem to have any interest in letting most people in on how he had come to exist.
Eric made his way to the shuttle pad, walking past the two Marine guards and up into the craft. He checked and found that the pilot wasn’t inside at the moment, then sealed the doors and locked everyone under his rank out.
Central was, or rather seemed to be, far more than a computer. Eric hardly considered himself an expert on whatever it was, but the entity’s own description, as well as his encounter with something very similar on Earth, told him that he wasn’t dealing with a computer.
“Indeed not.”
The world spun around him in a familiar manner, and Eric found himself looking around the interior of the shuttle with an irksome sense that something otherworldly had changed despite not seeing any differences.
“That’s incredibly irritating,” he grumbled, focusing on the nondescript human form now standing a short distance away.
Central struck him as a completely normal human except for the fact that whenever he glanced away, Eric suddenly couldn’t remember him having any particular features to speak of. Eric presumed that normally the entity had some, since not having them would be even stranger than his forgetting, but frankly, he was past trying to figure out these bizarre creatures.
“Creatures? Really?” Central sounded slightly miffed. “That’s hardly polite.”
“Neither is mind reading,” Eric groused.
“I told you once, it’s not something I can help.” Central waved his concern off idly. “Your thoughts are my thoughts, as though I thought them myself. You simply must convey my compliments and greetings to this Gaia of yours, by the way.”
Eric rolled his eyes, knowing that the word “must” was a literal truth. He wouldn’t have any choice in the matter as soon as he returned to Earth. His mind would simply automatically be read by Gaia without recourse.
“Not read,” Central corrected. “Experienced.”
“That’s not any better,” Eric said dryly, sighing. “Look, can we get on with this? I need a drink so I can forget as much of this as practicable.”
“You Terrans are such an interesting conundrum. Violent, aggressive, and almost bestial . . . yet so easily offended in your sensibilities, as though words actually are somehow worse than physical harm.”
Eric grimaced, recognizing that Central was just playing with him at this point.
“Why, yes. Yes, I am.” Central smirked, somehow. Eric wasn’t sure how, given the lack of features he could consciously perceive.
But Central seemed to become more serious in the next moment.
“I’m not certain what to tell you,” the entity replied. “Are my people hiding information from you?
She pinned him with a slight glare for a moment before relaxing. “Good. Most of the bureaucracy has already been dealt with concerning your visit, so we don’t have much to do here.”
Eric knew a dismissal when he heard one and rose to his feet.
“I’ll take my leave then, ma’am, and see what I can find.”
“Good luck, Captain.”
►►►
► There was only one source on Ranquil that Eric figured would know for certain what the Priminae were hiding, but the odds of that source talking to him were fifty-fifty at best. Nonetheless, Eric decided to make the attempt.
Now, if only Central had a phone number.
The annoyingly mysterious entity, sometimes “computer,” that seemed to run the day-to-day business of the Priminae on Ranquil was Eric’s best bet for answers. Likely obscure, murky, and annoying answers, but answers nonetheless.
Unfortunately, just asking the Priminae for access to the chamber that they designated as Central was a nonstarter. For one, it would tip them off that he was up to something, which he really would prefer to avoid since he was . . . well, actually up to something. More to the point, however, Central himself didn’t seem to have any interest in letting most people in on how he had come to exist.
Eric made his way to the shuttle pad, walking past the two Marine guards and up into the craft. He checked and found that the pilot wasn’t inside at the moment, then sealed the doors and locked everyone under his rank out.
Central was, or rather seemed to be, far more than a computer. Eric hardly considered himself an expert on whatever it was, but the entity’s own description, as well as his encounter with something very similar on Earth, told him that he wasn’t dealing with a computer.
“Indeed not.”
The world spun around him in a familiar manner, and Eric found himself looking around the interior of the shuttle with an irksome sense that something otherworldly had changed despite not seeing any differences.
“That’s incredibly irritating,” he grumbled, focusing on the nondescript human form now standing a short distance away.
Central struck him as a completely normal human except for the fact that whenever he glanced away, Eric suddenly couldn’t remember him having any particular features to speak of. Eric presumed that normally the entity had some, since not having them would be even stranger than his forgetting, but frankly, he was past trying to figure out these bizarre creatures.
“Creatures? Really?” Central sounded slightly miffed. “That’s hardly polite.”
“Neither is mind reading,” Eric groused.
“I told you once, it’s not something I can help.” Central waved his concern off idly. “Your thoughts are my thoughts, as though I thought them myself. You simply must convey my compliments and greetings to this Gaia of yours, by the way.”
Eric rolled his eyes, knowing that the word “must” was a literal truth. He wouldn’t have any choice in the matter as soon as he returned to Earth. His mind would simply automatically be read by Gaia without recourse.
“Not read,” Central corrected. “Experienced.”
“That’s not any better,” Eric said dryly, sighing. “Look, can we get on with this? I need a drink so I can forget as much of this as practicable.”
“You Terrans are such an interesting conundrum. Violent, aggressive, and almost bestial . . . yet so easily offended in your sensibilities, as though words actually are somehow worse than physical harm.”
Eric grimaced, recognizing that Central was just playing with him at this point.
“Why, yes. Yes, I am.” Central smirked, somehow. Eric wasn’t sure how, given the lack of features he could consciously perceive.
But Central seemed to become more serious in the next moment.
“I’m not certain what to tell you,” the entity replied. “Are my people hiding information from you?
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