Ascent of the Aliomenti (41 page)

He grinned. “Where should we go?”

“For now? I think we need to get you back to where you were, to make sure those people haven’t killed themselves off. After that? We have an entire world to explore.”

He nodded, somber. His return to that outpost, to the scene of that civil war, was one he wouldn’t enjoy. He identified the location on a map as Hope watched, and then indicated a button marked “autopilot” to Hope. “The ship is yours, my lady. If you’ll press that, we’ll be underway.”

Hope, her movements tentative, pushed the button, and the engines roared to life, sending the
Nautilus
out to sea. As the submarine slid beneath the waves, Hope screamed, the exhilarating scream of one riding a roller coaster, a scream of the thrill of the moment, of riding into the unknown.

XXXI

Schism

1700 A.D.

Will parked the submarine off the coast. He’d switched the craft back to manual piloting mode for the final few miles, during which Hope had spent a few minutes piloting the craft. She’d adapted to the idea of an underwater boat quite well, and was soon spending more time enthralled at the beauty of the undersea world.

They needed that beauty, for their first trip had detoured into another. Will had piloted the ship to the north, to the coast of England, rather than off the coast of Spain. He suggested that, since they were back together, they should return to the Ambrosia forest, seek out Ambrose himself, and persuade him to reveal the secrets to reversing the effects.

When they’d arrived there after a handful of teleportation hops, though, the forest was gone, burned to ash, as if a massive forest fire had eliminated it from existence. They looked for survivors, but found no one still living.

Including Ambrose. Hope had found his lifeless body among the others. His secret to reversing the effects of the ambrosia had died with him.

They returned to the submarine and set course for Waterloo, and docked there in a somber mood.

“You can take the sub anywhere you want, you know,” he told her.

“Not until you’re safely back inside.” He’d known she wouldn’t leave, just as she’d known he’d make the offer. “And you do realize that I’m coming as well, don’t you?”

Will sighed. “There are two problems with that. First, Arthur and Adam might both be there. If either of them sees you... we have a problem. Secondly, they’ve found a young man with an ability to trace Energy paths. If you use any Energy at all, he can find you.”

“Really?” She looked impressed. “Then I won’t use any Energy. You can teleport me ashore.”

“We still have the issue... of...” Will broke off his protest as her image changed before his eyes. Her face narrowed, her hair darkened to a lustrous shade of black, and her eyes changed to a deeper shade of blue.

It was the look she’d had in the photograph from the future.

“I don’t think they’ll recognize a human woman they’ve never seen before.” She smiled, and then glanced around. “I assume you have weapons on board?”

He nodded, gesturing toward a small storage closet. “I have a few here, more as keepsakes than anything. I’ve never gotten into using weapons.”

“I have.” She marched to the closet, opened the door, and selected two swords. She strapped the sheaths to her sides, and threw a dark cloak over herself, with the hood up. She glanced back at him. “How do I look?”

He nodded in approval. “Like somebody I wouldn’t want angry at me.” He looked at her, a pleading look on his face. “Promise me you won’t go looking for trouble?”

She snorted. “I’m walking into an outpost of people who erupted into a civil war over a marital dispute and who were nearly able to kill
you
. I don’t think there’s much chance that I can avoid it. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself. And they’ll underestimate a mere
human
woman.” She flashed a smile, deadly on many levels.

He nodded. “Ready?”

She gave a crisp nod and held out her hand. He took it and teleported both of them to the land, where they separated. He walked directly toward the outpost, while she moved to the side, into the shadows of a nearby forest.

Though it should not have been a surprise, he was still startled when, moments later, the young man known as Sebastian appeared in front of him. “Will! So good to see you! Won’t you come with me?”

“I’ve come to help restore the peace, Sebastian.” It felt strange to say the name.

Sebastian gave a bow with a dramatic flourish. “Then by all means, lead the way.”

Will walked through the gates and found, again to no surprise, that both Arthur and Adam were present. Arthur was addressing the crowds.

“...deaths of James and Elise have settled their
personal
conflict, but at what cost? It is clear that they felt trapped in their relationship, trapped by the conflict driven by their disagreement about having a child so many years ago, about losing that child before birth upon taking the ambrosia.”

He spotted Will in the crowd, and a brief flicker of emotion crossed his face. Fear? Uncertainty? Triumph? It was impossible to tell; the man had become a master at hiding his emotions and thoughts from Will and the other telepaths and empaths that lived near him. Will was startled by the news in Arthur’s statement. Elise had been pregnant at the time she and James had taken the ambrosia... and the fruit had ended her pregnancy?

“We have instituted our jails for those who violate the first oaths ever instituted for Aliomenti. We must not allow ourselves to be discovered, lest the tragedy that befell the inventors of electricity happen to others.” He nodded at William, the man “adopted” by the two sisters, and Will took a step back. Will had noticed the red flecks in the man’s eyes at their last meeting, so many years ago. But now William’s appearance had altered further. The eyes were a deep red now, his hair had thinned to the point of being nearly gone, and a handful of scars marked the front and back of his head.

“Let us remember this, though. It was not evidence of our
abilities
that triggered that attack. No, it was evidence of our
technology
, of the tools we use to attain our position of physical, mental, and material superiority in this world. Our advances were feared and deemed a crime worthy of our deaths and annihilation by those
humans
. They overwhelmed us with both their numbers and savagery. We cannot permit that to happen again. We must not share our advances with such vermin.”

There were murmurs of agreement, and Arthur continued. “To that end, I have dispatched several Aliomenti to ensure that our greatest treasures – the zirple, morange, and ambrosia – cannot be possessed or known by any others.”

Arthur glanced once more at William, who shot flames into the air. Will suddenly knew, with certainty, that it was no random lightning strike that had destroyed the Ambrosia forest and decimated its population.

He opened his mouth to protest the destruction, but felt hands seize both arms. He turned to find himself held in place by Sebastian and Victor. He scowled at both, prepared to teleport away or blast them with Energy so that he could speak... but he once more felt the hands of Tacitus on his neck.

He sagged to the ground as Arthur resumed. “No previous tragedy, though, approached the ferocity and violence of what was just experienced here, and we must –
must
– ensure that this does not and cannot happen again. It is tragic enough when non-Aliomenti – mere
humans
– attack us out of fear and ignorance. It is unconscionable for us to attack
each other
. And therefore we must understand the reasons why James’ and Elise’s anger was so great, what it was that engulfed this community in open warfare, a civil war that claimed a dozen lives beyond the two who started this conflict.”

Even in his drug-like state, Will was stunned. They’d lost that many dead in the battle? And what had Arthur said earlier about their child? It did not mesh with what he remembered being told before. She’d been pregnant when they took the ambrosia, and that had ended the child’s life?

“The relationship became a trap for them. They’d committed themselves to each other publicly, forever, until death. For the Aliomenti, though, forever
is
eternity. We must recognize the impracticality of such commitments in our circumstances, and we must avoid them. And given the risks inherent in any children who might survive, the risk that they might destroy us all with a finality that would shame the effort of any
humans
, we must no longer simply warn our membership about those dangers. We must vow to each other, swear to each other, that we’ll not bring children into the world.”

Will tried to shout out, to argue against this, but Victor elbowed the side of his head while Sebastian elbowed him in the stomach. He saw stars, felt lightheaded, and was unable to protest Arthur’s words. And he was highly concerned. Why would no one else speak out against what Arthur was saying? Did no one else understand that it was wrong?

Why had no one but Will
ever
argued against Arthur’s words?

“My recommendation is this: we must each swear oaths, by acclamation today, and individually for all new members, against each of these four activities. We may not reveal the Energy and immortality secrets of the Aliomenti to humans. We may not share our technological advancements. We may not form permanent and committed relationships. And, above all, we may not bring children into this world after our Energy is unleashed and before our ambrosia is consumed. I recommend, given our lifespans, a prison penalty of ten years for a first violation, and a further ten years for each additional offense. Should anyone violate that last vow, that last Oath? Such children would be our end. A steeper penalty is required for breaking that vow.”

Arthur took a deep breath. “I’d therefore propose that, should anyone be found to be in violation of that final Oath, that Oath against having children, that they be sentenced to death.” He looked around. “What do you say, my friends? Do you agree to this?”

The roar of acclamation was universal, save for Will. Will said nothing, and not because he couldn’t speak. Why hadn’t the others argued, presented counterpoints? It wasn’t like the original village, where the greatest warriors allied themselves with Arthur, intimidating the rest into silence. Arthur’s Energy skills were not impressive, especially in light of the advantage in age he had over those present. After all, he’d recruited all of them and introduced them to Energy. Surely, that meant his Energy should be far greater than all of theirs.

Yet they all still accepted everything he said, followed every recommendation, without fail. Why?

And then it hit Will, slamming into him with greater devastation than Tacitus’ Dampering ability.

As the cacophony of the acclamation subsided, Arthur nodded. “I take that as
universal
acceptance by
all
those here. We have created special pieces of fabric, symbols of those who have accepted and agreed to our Oaths. They may be explained in the human community as our business image, a sign that you are part of the Aliomenti company that helps get money to new businesses. Each of you may come forward to collect that patch of fabric.” As he spoke, Arthur’s eyes flicked in Will’s direction. He knew Will well enough to know Will would never agree to such rules, and thus the acclamation and forced silence worked in Arthur’s favor. Will would be seen as one of many to agree to the abominable Oaths. Will knew he needed to say something, and say it now.

He close his eyes, summoning his nanos, and used them to form the familiar exoskeleton directly around his body. The tiny machines were able to slip under the grips of the three holding him. With a burst outward, the nanos broke all contact between them, and knocked each of the three away from Will. With a deep breath, one that started his Energy recovery, Will scrambled back to his feet and started stumbling toward Arthur.

“This is wrong, Arthur!”

Arthur, who had been talking to the red-eyed man near him, slowly turned to face Will, his eyes flicking with disappointment toward the three captors now sprawled on the ground. “You’ve made your Oaths, Will, like everyone else. Your time to protest has passed. Are you in violation of your word already?”

“You’re well aware that your minions there prevented me from speaking. I gave no agreement to those Oaths, and I never will.”

Arthur snorted. “You expect everyone to believe that anyone here could restrain
you
, Will? You are widely known as our most powerful member, a man no one here could defeat. Yet there was no sign of struggle or protest. If those Oaths were something you didn’t want to participate in, why wait to protest until
now
? Are you
that
desperate for attention?”

“The boy, Tacitus, has the ability to destroy a person’s Energy, Arthur, and I can tell you from personal experience that the sensation is much like getting the wind knocked out of you. The effect lasts at least several minutes, long enough to silence even me so that you could
attempt
to implicate me in your stupid Oaths. I am telling you, and everyone assembled here, that I do
not
agree and
did
not agree. I will not abide by your Oaths.”