Infinity's Shore

When all three humans kept silent, the Jophur interrogator edged closer, towering over them. Anglic words hissed from atop the swaying stack of fatty rings, accompanied by liquid burblings and mucusy pops.

“Explain to us; why did you transmit the signal that led to your capture? Did you sacrifice yourselves in order to buy time for unseen comrades? Those we most eagerly pursue?”

It had introduced itself as “Ewasx,” and part of Lark’s horror lay in recognizing torus markings of the former traeki High Sage, Asx. One major difference appeared at the bottom of the stack, where a new, agile torus-of-legs let the composite being move about more quickly than before. And silvery fibers now laced the doughy tubes, leading up to a glistening young ring that had no apparent features or appendages. Yet Lark sensed it was the chief thing turning the old traeki sage into a Jophur.

“We detected a disturbance in the toporgic time field, imprisoning the Rothen vessel below the lake,” it said. “But these tremors were well within noise variance levels, and our leaders were otherwise too busily engaged to investigate. However, we/I now clearly discern what you were trying to accomplish with this trick.”

The declaration left Lark unsurprised. Once alerted, the mighty aliens would naturally pierce his jury-rigged scheme for letting Daniks out of the trapped vessel. He only hoped that Jeni Shen, and Jimi, and the others made it out before hunter robots swarmed around the Rothen time cocoon, then through the network of caves.

While all three humans kept silent, Ewasx continued.

“The chain of logic is apparent, revealing a persistent effort on the part of you sooners to divert us from our main purpose on this world.

“In short, you have been attempting to distract us.”

Now Lark looked up, baffled. He shared a glance with Ling.

What is the Jophur talking about?

“It began several Jijo rotations ago,” Ewasx went on. “Although no other crew stack thought it unusual, I was perplexed when the High Sages acceded so swiftly to our Captain-Leader’s demand. I did not expect Vubben and Lester Cambel to obey so quickly, revealing the coordinates of the chief g’Kek encampment.”

Lark spoke at last. “You mean Dooden Mesa.”

He still felt guilty over how a stray computer resonance betrayed the secret colony’s location. Apparently, Ewasx thought the transmission had been made on purpose.

“Dooden Mesa, correct. The timing of the signal now seems too convenient, too out of character. Memory stacks inherited from Asx indicate a disgusting level of interspecies loyalty among the mongrel races of Jijo. Loyalty that should have delayed compliance with our demand. Normally the sages would have dithered, in hopes of evacuating the g’Keks before giving in.”

“Why did you have to wait for a signal at all?” Lark asked. “If you’ve got memories from Asx, you knew all along where Dooden was! Why bother asking the High Sages?”

For the first time, Lark saw signs of what might be called an emotional response. Uneven ripples coursed several Ewasx rings, as if they were writhing from unpleasant sensations within. When it spoke next, the voice seemed briefly labored.

“Reasons for incomplete data retrieval access are not your concern. Suffice it to say that the immurement of Dooden Mesa was gratifying to our Polkjhy Ship Commanders … yet I/we nursed brooding reservations within this stack of restless rings. The timing seemed too convenient.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the signal came just as we were about to launch our remaining corvette to succor another, which had made a forced landing beyond the mountains. That mission was postponed on learning where the chief g’Kek hideout lay. The corvette was outfitted with toporgic, to attack our sworn feud enemies, lest any escape that nest of wheeled vipers.”

Lark caught Rann glancing at Ling, meaningfully. Beyond the mountains. The Daniks had sent Kunn’s scout vessel out that way, just before the Battle of the Glade. And now the Jophur reported losing a corvette in the same direction?

Not lost. A forced landing. Still, they have strange priorities. Vengeance before rescue.

“After dealing with Dooden Mesa, there were other delays. Then, just as we were resuming preparations to send aid to our grounded cousins, this new distraction came about. I refer to your activity below the lake. You cleverly found some rude way to vibrate the toporgic seal around the Rothen ship. We ignored this at first, since mere sooners could never actually penetrate the cocoon—”

Another tremor crossed the creature’s rings, though this time the voice did not pause.

“Soon, however, there came a distraction we could not ignore. The appearance of three humans at the surface of the lake, deep within our perimeter! This event triggered alarms, concentrating our attention for a lengthy period.

“I/we are now quite certain that was your intent all along.”

Lark stared in astonishment.