3.6 The Walrus and the Wizard

6 – The Walrus and the Wizard

Hector looked up at Burton and smiled. “What’s this? Trying to get a rise out of me, or are you putting on a show for Iris?”

Burton’s face lacked any hint of softness. Weathered and red-toned, his skin clung to his bones and the muscles of his jaw, highlighting the hard contours. He stared at Hector, scowling in response to the quip for several seconds, but then his thin lips—what Hector could see of them beneath his walrus mustache—curled into a hard smile, and he nodded. “Good. At least he’s not a hothead.”

“Um, actually—” Kristy started to say, but a glance from Hector put an end to the teasing remark.

Meanwhile, Burton held out a hand that was as hard and broad as a ten-kilogram weight plate. Hector did his best to grasp it and nodded. “I have a temper, but I’m getting better with it.”

“All right,” the big man rumbled, looking past Hector at the viewscreen. “You’ve got a friend in there? Anything serious?”

Hector glanced at Iris, surprised she hadn’t filled Burton in. “Just a new implant. She’s a student of mine.”

“Mm-hmm. Listen, we’ve got a lot of work to do. I’ll meet you in the gym at fifteen hundred.”

Iris cleared her throat, stepping forward. “Hector, if you hadn’t guessed, this is Carl Burton—he works for my father and will be prepping you for the Tharsis Games.”

“That’s right, though it would go a hell of a lot better at Sparling’s compound down planetside. My assistant trainers and all of our equipment would have gone a long way toward—”

Iris placed a hand on his forearm; it looked tiny and pale against his sun-weathered flesh. “Burton, as we discussed, you’ll have to make do.”

The man made a grumbling, muttering sound, clenched his jaw, then nodded at Hector. “Fifteen hundred.” With that, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Iris looking after him. Hector could see the twitch of muscle near her temple as she clenched her jaw.

“Interesting man,” he said, turning back to the surgery viewscreen. Sass’s procedure was well under way; the auto-surgeon’s limbs were moving around behind her head, periodically reaching for tiny mechanical parts laid out on a plastic-covered cart. Dent stood behind the control panel, watching closely.

“He lacks a filter. If he thinks you’re a bad bet, he’ll tell my father exactly that.”

Hector turned back to Iris, noting how Kristy shifted uncomfortably and moved closer to the viewscreen. He hesitated for a second, then held up his empty cup—he hadn’t even noticed himself drinking the orange juice. “Kristy, why don’t you go and get us something to drink—maybe something to snack on. I mean, if you’re going to hang around for Sass to get finished.”

She nodded quickly. “Great idea.” Hector didn’t miss the nervous glance she threw Iris’s way as she slipped through the door. He knew the soldier was just uncomfortable around a lady like Iris; in her mind, the wealthy woman was one of Gladia’s peers, and as such, a Royal. Hector knew better.

As the door slid closed, he said, “Still worried about your father? Even after you got me to agree to his schemes?”

Iris shrugged. “He’s not easy to please.”

“Aren’t you a little old to—”

“Hector, please. I’ll admit that my relationship with my father is less than ideal. Can we leave it at that?”

He sighed and turned back to the viewscreen. Something about Iris made him want to argue. Does she remind me of someone—one of the Conti cousins, maybe? Before he could explore that possibility, she stepped closer and said, “Burton was arguing with me—with my father, too. He thinks your aura system is too low level. He thinks you need a year of training.”

“Oh?” Hector arched an eyebrow at her. “I take it your father doesn’t want to put off…” He looked around the room. They were alone and on Gladia’s ship, but he was still leery about talk of treason. “You know, his plans—until next year’s Games?”

Iris shook her head. “It’s not just him. Gladia’s faction—her brother’s faction—they’ve got so many pieces in place. If none of our fighters can get close to Governor Drusus through the Games, some people are pushing for something worse.” She leaned close and whispered, “A bomb or something.”

Hector narrowed his eyes. Apparently, they were speaking openly. “That would be stupid. I’m assuming the governor of an economic powerhouse like Mars would have a gravity mantle. His bodyguards are probably Praetorian-grade, too. Any kind of bomb or attack capable of overwhelming those kinds of defenses would kill thousands.”

Iris nodded. “Exactly. Whatever they might do would have to be terrible—there’d be so much collateral damage…”

Hector scowled, turning to glare. “Loyal’s willing to do that?”

“I would think not. That’s why he’s been working with my father on the Games. He has other fighters, too, you know. It’s just…well, I think you’ll be better. My father hasn’t seen as much as I have of you, but he’s willing to back me on this. That’s why I don’t want to let him down.”

Hector grunted noncommittally.

“Please take this seriously, Hector. Governor Drusus doesn’t let people close to him—only those in his inner circle, and he doesn’t travel much. People come to him. There’s so much riding on these damn Games…” The muscles at her temples flexed again, and Hector felt the barest twinge of sympathy for her plight.

“Right. So the governor—Drusus—is hard to get close to.” He shrugged. “You and your father can stop worrying. I’ll be ready.”

“I hope you can convince Burton of that, because I promise you, my father isn’t one to bet everything on a single fighter. Nor is Loyal Ventress, from what I gather.”

Hector folded his arms and rubbed his chin, turning to stare through the viewscreen while he battled to keep a wave of irritation from finding its way to his tongue. He wanted to tell Iris that he didn’t care about their plans; if they didn’t use him, then so be it. He was still close to Freddy and Gladia—still among the people who might lead him to the next stage of his vengeance.

It would be better if he succeeded, though. If Gladia and Loyal were indebted to him, they’d keep him near. They’d want to use him again, and that would give Hector far better access to the people who deserved his blade.

“I’ve done it again, haven’t I?”

Hector glanced at her. “What?”

“Irritated you.”

Despite himself, Hector chuckled, shaking his head. “Relax, Iris. I’m going to do my best to impress your dad’s trainer. Now, go on—head out. I’m sure Burton will give you a report this evening.” He nodded toward the auto-surgeon’s activities. “Let me focus on Sass for now.”

#

When Sass felt herself waking up, she blinked into a dimly lit room, aware of the sounds of low conversation nearby as well as the soft, steady hiss and click of a nearby machine. She soon lost track of her surroundings, though, when she saw new icons on her AUI—things she’d never seen before. When she focused on the first, a window of bold text appeared and a warm, masculine voice recited the words as she read them:

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//LoomTech Corporation Neurodeck fully integrated…

Compatible corpus vivum detected. Commencing memory and cognition recordings…

No prior engram detected. Initializing host engram version 1.0.//

Sass didn’t recognize the voice, but her racing heart knew it was her new system AI. She wanted to talk to him, but she hesitated, looking at the next message:

//Xerxes Corporation Mentat-model aura system modules fully unpacked and integrated…

Usable aura pool capped at 5 units until archetype designation…

7 units of ambient aura potentia recovered from corpus vivum tissue…

Initial pathways explored, corpus vivum evaluated, and initial archetype candidates identified. See attached report for details.//

Sass, distracted as she was, had figured out that one of the low voices she heard nearby was Hector’s. She wanted to call him over to tell him what she’d just read, but there were two more message icons waiting. She told herself she ought to be able to read the reports her system had put together for her without Hector holding her hand. She focused on the next one:

//Initial Corpus Vivum Status Report:

Level: 1

Archetype: --

Aura Pool: 5/5

Aura Potentia: 7

Attributes:

Strength: 5

Speed: 9

Vitality: 7

Perception: 7

Corpus Vivum Improvements:

--

Abilities and Boosts:

--

End Report.//

Sass licked her lips, reading through the numbers. She’d spent hours and hours scanning online forums, watching tutorials, and listening to interviews with aura users; she knew what she was looking at, and she wasn’t at all displeased. In fact, she was ecstatic, but she tried not to let it show—in case someone was watching her. She still hadn’t looked around the room, but for all she knew, one of those fancy ladies working with Hector was in there, or maybe they were recording her. She didn’t want to look stupid.

The last icon blinking brought her mind back into focus, and she stared at it until it expanded:

//Available Archetypes:

1. Acrobat – speed and agility in motion; seize the initiative, control momentum, and strike from unexpected angles.
2. Grappler – strength, speed, and resilience joined; close the distance, control your foes, and bend them to your will.
3. Duelist – speed and precision given purpose; control distance, exploit openings, and make the blade an extension of your will.

Initialize aura system AI communication to make a selection.//

As she read the last line, that same warm, masculine voice spoke again:

//Are you ready for introductions, Saskia?//

“Um…” Sass said, suddenly nervous.

“Sass?” Hector asked, his voice louder as he stepped closer to her bed.

She glanced over at him, for the first time taking her eyes off the shadowy ceiling. “Um, hi, Hector.” She lifted her hand, and he gripped her chrome fingers.

“Everything went well,” he said. “How do you feel?”

“Well.” Sass squeezed her eyes shut, but the unfamiliar system windows were still there. “A little overwhelmed. I think my AI was trying to talk to me.”

//I was, but I can wait.//

Sass opened her eyes and smiled at Hector. “He sounds nice.”

“Go ahead and talk to him,” he said. “You’ve only been out of surgery about twenty minutes, and you’re going to want to sleep a lot, according to the doc. I’ll stick around for a few minutes, but then I have to go train with this asshole Iris brought on board.”

“I read some reports.” Sass felt her smile growing wider. “I think my level-one numbers are pretty good—three archetype options, too. Um, just let me get to know this AI a little, and then I’ll tell you the details.”

Hector nodded, lowering himself into a chair she hadn’t noticed before. She glanced around the room for the first time and saw that the bed beside her was occupied—a man with a mask and lots of bandages. The hissing and clicking came from a machine that squatted beside him. It looked like it was cycling his blood and maybe helping him breathe.

Hector must have seen where she was looking; he said, “That’s just Flint. He’ll be okay.”

Sass nodded, licking her lips again. Her mouth was dry. “Could I have some water?”

“Yeah. Be right back.”

He stood and stepped away, and Sass closed her eyes, trying to think her words like the tutorials described. Are you there?

//I am.//

How did you know my name?

//Through the neurodeck; I have access to your memories. It’s been cataloguing your life and building an engram. Would you prefer Saskia or Sass when I speak to you?//

Sass.

//Got it. What would you like to call me?//

You don’t have a name?

//I’ve had names, but they belonged to other partnerships. It’s recommended that each new user choose one. Additionally, I can change my vocal register to suit any preferred gender presentation or—//

I like your voice. I’d like to call you Merlin. Sass had, of course, spent many hours of her youth fantasizing about a personal AI and what she’d call it.

//Merlin it is! I quite like it. Have you named me after the fabled magician?//

Yes! You know the story?

//Naturally! King Arthur and his Round Table, the sword in the stone, knights both heroic and tragic…it’s quite a tale!//

Sass was smiling from ear to ear when she heard Hector approach, and she tried to get a grip on her emotions as he handed her a cup of water. He adjusted her bed so she was more upright, and she took a sip. “Thank you.”

“Sure. How’s it going?”

“My AI’s name is Merlin.”

Hector pursed his lips, nodding as he arched an eyebrow. “Sounds smart. Want to tell me about the archetypes? How much potentia do you have?”

Sass drank the rest of the water and said, “Seven!”

He whistled softly. “Damn! Not bad. And your pool?”

“Five.” Again, he looked impressed, and Sass felt a warm glow of pride, even though she’d done nothing other than exist.

“Same as I had at first level. How about the archetypes, though? Let’s hear what Merlin came up with.”

Sass eagerly described the three options, and Hector’s increasingly arched eyebrow told her he was further impressed. When she finished, he started to speak, but then seemed to change his mind and asked, “What do you think?”

“Well, sure, I like the idea of a Duelist, but it mentions a blade, and isn’t that a little out of date?”

Hector grinned. “I don’t think your system is talking about a knife or a sword. Ask your AI if he thinks the pathways will lead to an Aura Blade ability.”

//I believe the likelihood is very high.//

Sass’s mouth went dry again, and she had to run her tongue around, licking her lips before she said, “He says yes.” It was so obvious, in hindsight, that she felt stupid for not immediately recognizing the potential. ADuelist!

“You know,” Hector said, “I have a kind of Duelist archetype, too.”

“You do?”

“Yep. I also had something similar to the one your system is offering you—before.” His eyes went distant for a second, and then he said, “The other options sound fine for initial archetypes, too, but if you want to keep learning my style, then I think we should make sure you get an Aura Blade.”

//Tell your mentor that there’s a decent chance for a basic Aura Blade ability with most of my initial archetypes.//

Sass held up a finger, cleared her throat, and said, “Um, Merlin says there’s a good chance I’ll get an Aura Blade no matter what.”

“Well.” Hector shrugged. “Sleep on it. Nobody ever forced an archetype choice on me, and I’m not about to start doing that with you. Don’t worry about my feelings.” He hesitated and then grinned. “I did say you had good instincts with a blade, though, didn’t I?”

Sass giggled, and another warm sensation ran through her. She yawned, and suddenly she was aware of how good the bed felt—how it was cradling her and almost pulling her into it. Her eyes sprang open. “I’m on drugs, aren’t I?”

Hector barked a short laugh, nodding. “Something for anxiety. The doc said it would help with adjusting to having that unfamiliar voice in your head. Also, if your aura system is still working in the background, it’ll take a lot out of you.”

//The system is indeed hard at work, and so is the neurodeck. You should try to sleep.//

“Merlin says I should try to sleep,” Sass said, yawning.

Hector grunted in agreement and started to stand, but he stopped, scratching his chin. “Listen, I know you’re eager, but let’s give that system time to get fully settled. When you wake up, pick your archetype. I bet it won’t take more than half a day for your first one to propagate.”

Sass looked at Hector as he stood there—tall and strong, with fierce, angry blue eyes. Even his teeth looked dangerous as they glinted from the shadows of his mouth while he spoke. He was the best fighter she’d ever known, the most dangerous one, too. None of that mattered, though; he was kind to her. He’d gone out of his way to take her under his wing, and she really didn’t know why.

She’d wondered—back when he’d let her follow him onto the train from Redwick Station—whether he’d wanted something more, whether there had been some kind of attraction there, but that notion had quickly faded. He treated her like a student…or maybe a kid sister. Sometimes she wondered if he was trying to make up for mistakes with other people by being good to her, but then she reminded herself that it was none of her business. Hadn’t she made plenty of mistakes, too?

“I’ll sleep on it, but…of course I’m going to take the Duelist,” she said around another yawn.

“You’re pretty relaxed,” Hector said. “I can hardly see your skull tattoo.”

“That’s ’cause I know I’m safe with you.” The words slipped out unbidden, and when Sass heard herself say them, she immediately reddened and made a strangled, choking sound. “Oh, I mean…”

“Hah. Don’t worry.” Hector waved a hand, chuckling. “I think the doc gave you too big a dose. Anyway, get some rest. When you’re up and about tomorrow, we’ll find out what color your aura is.”