Saga of the Skolian Empire 07 - Spherical Harmonic by Asaro Catherine

Author:Asaro, Catherine [Asaro, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science, Fiction
ISBN: 9780812568820
Google: 7ehNB5usjCkC
Goodreads: 672955
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2001-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Dehya? Eldrin’s words reverberated. Where are you?

Somehow I managed to pull my mind back. Here.

Taquinil’s thoughts came softly. Can you understand?

I can. Sorrow diffused my thoughts. It is incredible.

Yes.

Will you never return home? Eldrin’s sadness filled space.

Perhaps someday. I’m not really gone. I Will always be here. I can help you, too.

How do you mean? Eldrin asked.

I can Weave threads here. He waved his hands and the mist braided into cords. I can’t make a psiberweb, but I may be able to help build one.

Can you reach any nodes on Earth? I asked.

Why Earth?

Eldrin answered. We want to infiltrate their systems. So we can rescue your grandparents.

I can help you do that.

My hope surged. How?

I’m mist. An irreverent gleam came into his gaze. I can fog up their systems. I have no firm links to any place in your universe, so I can’t do anything specific. But I can cause more generalized distortions. If I make enough trouble for the Allied networks, you might be able to sneak past some of their security.

It’s worthy a try.

Let me know… When you’re reeeeadyyyyyyyy…

Jaquinil?

After a painful silence, Eldrin thought, I think he’s gone. He paused. I’m getting a signai on my console. The telops want us to pull out.

I didn’t want to go. We had a rare privacy now; none of the others could follow us here. Had the psiberweb still existed, the telops couíd have used it to reach us, but they couldn’t exist in psiberspace without support. Although Eldrin couldn’t either, he could link to me through the Ψ gate.

It also meant he could pull me out. The mist changed bit by bit. Blurred lines became visible and thickened into consoles. Ever so slowly, the Node Room took substance.

I became aware of aches all over my body. Doctors surrounded my chair, conferring in low tones. A similar group was gathered around Eldrin’s console. He looked half man, half machine, with control panels still sheathing his body. As I watched, they lifted his visor and his eyes slowly opened. He peered around with a bleary gaze.

You look like I feel, I thought to him.

I fell like hell, he grumbled.

“Pharaoh Dyhianna, can you understand me?” A medic was at my side, an older woman with gray hair.

I focused on her. “Why so many people here…” My voice rustled eerily, like dried leaves.

“We had to pull you and Prince Eldrin out of—wherever you went.”

I concentrated on her. “Why? We had only just started.”

Another medic spoke, a slender man. “It’s been thirty hours, ma’am. You became, well—translucent.”

I shivered, wondering if that would keep happening for the rest of my life, until one day I faded away altogether. “He found what he needed,” I murmured. Taquinil could finally be at peace. But even knowing that, I grieved, afraid he would attenuate in that strange place until he became indistinguishable from the mist that gave him freedom.

In the other console, Eldrin sat while the medics worked on him. We need to trust that he knows what he is doing.

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