Valkyrie Hunter

On the outside it looked like a pile of rocks. Miranda strode up to it and pulled a flat looking rock aside to reveal the entrance. The interior was a total contrast to the exterior. It was a rectangular room not stone as I would have expected but concrete or some sort of material that was similar to it. There was no furniture or any type. I was bare of anything. The only things of note was a hole in the floor in one corner with a spigot at knee height above it. The hole, itself had a bowl shaped top. Several thoughts came to mind but I wasn’t sure which one was correct.

“Cosy,” I said trying had to hide my fears of being in an enclosed location. This was a new sensation I wasn’t certain as to where it had come from. In my mind’s eye I could hear Kelli’s voice and the questions she would be asking me. I guess I’d just scheduled myself for more therapy sessions with her. In the meantime I would have to swallow my fears and carry on.

Miranda gave me a concerned look. “We rest here and carry on in the morning it is only for the night,” she told me in a motherly way.

She was trying to allay my fears. I was thankful for that. “Can’t we comm for a pick up form here?” I asked her.

Miranda tapped the wall. “Same crystalline structure as the mountains. It interferes with comms signals.”

“And also interferes with sensors,” Ella added.

I could see Miranda thinking. All she had done so far was to hide us from our pursuers. She must have planned this for a long time. I seemed obvious now Miranda had planned for an event such as this.

She spoke again pointing to the hole. “That’s for you know what.”

Which I had expected it was. At least we wouldn’t freeze to death taking a piss. Nor would we show up on thermal sensors. Very clever Miranda I thought for myself. “How do I clean myself?” I expect I stank of sweat as it was and that was the least of my problems.

She gestured to the spigot. “Water for that, only a trickle but it would be enough.” She turned it on taking her canteen from her pack. “I suggest we fill our canteens before using the hole with your other needs.” She made another gesture to Ella. “Ella would you gather some brush we need something to sleep on and for other uses.”

I wasn’t looking forward to doing what I had to in front of strangers. Then Valkyrie conveniences were like the ones I’d read about in ancient Rome only with more efficient plumbing. Open with no stalls to wall you off from anyone else.

Ella returned quicker than I thought with armfuls of coarse fern like branches, which were more comfortable than they looked. The scent of the resinous branches perfumed the air making the room seem less foreboding. I felt myself relax more the tension sliding away.

“I harvested these from the bottom at random. It’s getting dark out there,” Ella announced.

Miranda pulled her camping light from her pack and placed it on the floor in the middle where it illuminated the space we occupied. She took off her goggles and put them in her pack. I followed suit noting Ella do the same. We divided the brush into three equally sized portions and placed them along the wall furthest away from the hole. Miranda filled her canteen indicating I do the same. I was relieved in one way the canteen would filter the water and make it drinkable. It was large enough to hold a litre of water. Next Miranda pulled a shelter sheet from her pack. I recognised it from my trek through the Davenport rainforest. At least it was dry in here and surprisingly warmer than the exterior. Instead of wrapping it around her she laid on the brush. Which was the more practical way to use it since we were already in shelter the logical part of my mind informed me. Since I had encountered the Keepers it had fallen silent except for the occasional stray thought I’d had. Miranda broke my concentration.

“Now we are a bit more settled we can carry on from where you left off. And hopefully no interruptions this time?”

I looked at her then at Ella staring at me intently. My mouth went dry and felt sick to the pit of my stomach. I knew I would have to tell them there was no way I could put it off. I got a strange feeling Miranda would know if I lied or omitted anything. I took a sip of my canteen and spoke. “I found what looked like a door with no other option I decided to open it. It had a panel on the side, which I guess was a hand print scanner. Turns out I was right. What I did not expect was the doorway to turn silvery almost as if it was liquid metal. I touched the surface and it pulled me through. I thought it was a door.” I paused uncertain of my words. Miranda nodded for me to continue. “Except it wasn’t a door it was a portal, well I guess I can call it that. The portal was one way only. It deposited me thousands of ’K’s from the tunnel. In the process I opened the wound in my leg. I had to use my underwear to staunch the blood.” I went to describe the cavern, the river of sludge and the racks of rods.

“It was only when I approached a number of hexagonal columns the width of my arm when one lit up. It was covered in glowing green alien writing. Then as I turned to walk away I encountered a green hologram or what I thought was one. She was a bizarre copy of me in a dress.” I hesitated I unsure if I could remember seeing any wings on Mouse’s back. “Hard to explain,” I added lamely.

“I bet it is,” Miranda said.

“What I was saying Mouse…”

Mouse?” Miranda interrupted.

“…That’s what I called her after she explained the meaning of her name. But that was later.”

“She spoke to you?” Miranda leaned forward taking interest.

“Not at first she just pantomimed actions. She fixed my leg and fed me and gave me a place to sleep.”

“That was ok?” Miranda asked me sounding concerned.

“Unfortunately the Keepers’ computer had other ideas.”

I saw Miranda wince at that I realised she had lived through the AI war or was at least young enough to remember what had happened first hand.

“It created an exoskeleton around me while I slept. Mouse couldn’t stop it.”

Miranda shuddered more visibly this time and her face paled. “God! I saw the damage the AI did. Anything with a connection and a CPU were taken over. Millions died before they could cut the connections.”

Ella leaned over and put her hand on Miranda’s shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.

The dangers of the AI war had been drilled into me since I was a child. I understood better than most about being controlled by a computer. Somehow I had to defend the Keepers’ computer, where as the AI had been hell bent of destroying life. It was trying to preserve it. “Millions would have died on Saros if it hadn’t forced me to do what I did!” I responded hastily. “The computer was on a countdown to overload, an overload that would have destroyed half the planet.”

Miranda made a placating gesture to me. “What did the computer make you do?”

I sensed anger behind her words. I guess someone that lived through the trauma of the AI war would have a bias that strong against machines.

“You know those rods that I told you about they are data holders. The computer forced me to fill the rods and reduce the load on it.”

“You’re sure that was the truth?” Miranda questioned me carefully.

“Yes!” I said. “With each rod Mouse became more substantial. Anyway we found out the overload was deliberate. Something external was trying to destroy the computer.”

I noted both women hadn’t commented yet, so I continued. “Mouse told me one of the First Ones had slowed the inevitable by putting it in a reset loop. But the loop was decaying.”

“First Ones?” Miranda asked. I saw where I got that annoying habit from, it would have to be inherited.

“The T’Arni called them the Ancients the ones that created the gift worlds. Apparently Saros is one as well.”

“Fascinating,” Miranda said she had recovered some of her colour back.

“Anyway we tried to fix it but we couldn’t. Mouse spotted the problem. Sometime in the distant past something she called a Corrupted broke in and planted a device on the computer.”

“Device?” Again it was Miranda repeating my words.

“A silver cube.”

“About the size of your hand,” Ella said with a look at Miranda.

They seemed to know about the cubes as well. I knew only a few people I trusted knew of them and none were Valkyrie. No, I had told Kara I trusted her not to spill the beans. Them I realised that I’d also told Runa. I grew angry with myself for being so stupid. “Exactly,” I said through clenched teeth trying hard to reign back my anger.

“Its Rhosani,” Miranda said almost spitting out her words.

“It’s a controller,” Ella added.

Which is what Mouse had told me that worked on both organics and machines. “Rhosani? Mouse called them the Rho’xan.”

“Their original name, just as the Valkyrie were once called the Enari. Only those with a ego problem call themselves the Enari.”

I remembered Xenai called the Valkyrie, Enari. “Xenai does, she doesn’t have an ego problem!” I vigorously defended my friend. I guess I could call her that she had been on my side from the start. I wished I’d listened to her advice more often then I wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Only Valkyrie whom have that problem,” Ella replied with a snort making contempt of those that did.

Miranda clapped her hands. “I think that’s enough for tonight. There will be other nights. Break out your rations, eat, wash and get some sleep.”

I did as I was told although I had had problem doing what I had to down the hole with two strangers watching me. Redressed I lay on the brush surprised by the comfort and drifted off to sleep.