L Modesitt - Empress of Eternity

"They?re the same," she affirmed. "The records don?t say. The keepers? memories don?t, either. I think the last keeper might have stepped outside…and died or…Whatever happened, she or he didn?t lock the station."

"Maybe they knew the only way to find another keeper was to leave it unlocked."

She nodded thoughtfully. "That?s possible, too."

"You?ve told me how you?re going to help the Vanir. What about the Ruche people?"

"I?m not sure. That?s why I wanted to talk to you before I promised anything to them."

Maertyn almost said something about being glad to be of some use, but he bit back the words. "How far will the Bridge reach-outside the now…the event-point, I?d guess, of each time?"

"It can reach a distance of its length from any point along its course-except it?s not actually penetrating the event-points." Maarlyna smiled, almost ruefully. "That?s something that takes getting used to. The old "me? still doesn?t understand that. The "new? part of me…that?s silly in a way, because everything I?ve learned and felt from all the keepers? memories is much older-"

"All the keepers? memories? Plural? How many memories are there?"

"It?s all one memory, but the part of each one back is fainter than the one nearer to me. The past few years are clear and sharp, especially since we came to the station. The memories of the Maarlyna I was are hazy, but I can remember most things, I think, even if they don?t always feel real. The previous keeper?s memories are hazier than that…and each one is fainter than the one before. It feels like that, anyway, even if the ones I think of as later take place earlier. That?s why I can?t remember much about the terrible disaster when the ancients actually used the Bridge…there are images of the sky being filled with fire, and massive things falling everywhere…" Maarlyna?s voice faded, and she shuddered. "But the feelings of terror…and desolation…they?re still there."

Maertyn wasn?t quite sure what to say to that, and he waited.

"Why did you ask about the reach of the Bridge?" she prompted.

"I wondered if the capital city happened to be in reach?"

"Hururia? That?s what they call it."

"How can you remember all that?"

"I really don?t. The Bridge does, I think." She paused, then said, "Hururia is…well, it will be…eleven hundred thirteen kays to the northeast of the station."

"So the Bridge could reach there?"

"Yes. What do you have in mind?"

"I don?t know, not exactly, but I have an idea. You?ll have to talk to them again. We need to know more about the Ruche and how their government is set up, and if there are any symbols that have special significance…things like that…" As he talked, Maertyn couldn?t help but feel that he needed to think about similar issues himself-because the Gaerda outside the station weren?t likely to go away any time soon.

Not now that Tauzn had proof that Maertyn had gained some control over the station, although that control was totally Maarlyna?s.

35 Quad 2471 R.E.

Eltyn, Faelyna, and Rhyana sat around the end of the table where they ate in the pale luminescence now exuded from the blue-gray stone of the station itself, a light slightly dimmer than that cast by a few antique candles, yet an illumination so diffuse that it cast no shadows.

"Who…or what is she?" asked Rhyana.

"The keeper?" asked Eltyn. "She obviously controls the canal and the station."

"How do we know that?" persisted the delivery woman. "Just because she can appear and change what we see?"

Eltyn looked to Faelyna. "What do you think?"

"What would be the point of deceiving us?"

"To keep us from learning how to control the canal?" suggested Eltyn.

"If that happened to be her aim, couldn?t she have killed us when we were blind and immobile?"

"Not if she?s really not in our time, like she said," Rhyana pointed out.

"If she?s communicating across time, wouldn?t that suggest she?s telling the truth?" asked Eltyn.

"What if she?s not?" countered Rhyana.

"Do you think we?re just dealing with a programmed intelligence that we woke up when we closed the canal?" He looked to Faelyna.

"That?s possible. That raises other questions. She/it can communicate through our minds…in our language. If she?s from what amounts to our future, why would she bother? If she?s from the past, how does she know how we speak? None of the ancient tongues are like Hururian."

"It bothers me," declared Rhyana.

"We don?t have too many choices," Faelyna pointed out.

That concerned Eltyn. None of their choices were good.

The light intensity in the lower level brightened, and the three turned to see the keeper standing there, with the same silver-shadowed presence behind her. I need to know more if I amto help you.

Why did you contact us? asked Eltyn. Why do you want to help us?

The keeper did not answer immediately, as seemed to be the case, Eltyn thought, whenever a difficult question was posed. Was that a sign of an artificial intelligence?

By closing the station, you contacted…me. The Bridge has great power, but using all butthe smallest fraction of that power will destroy the Earth. If we help you, that power is less likelyto fall into the hands of those like The Twenty.

Why don't you show us how to operate things? asked Rhyana. That way we can decidefor ourselves.

The keeper laughed, yet there was a sadness behind the soundless gesture. You cannotoperate the Bridge the way I do. If you had more time and more…advanced equipment, withhelp, over years you might discover those means. For many reasons, that is not practical.

Not practical for us…or for you?

For either of us. You do not have the supplies, and there is no way to get them to you. Ifyou do not act soon, in terms of your own event-point, the chances for success decline.

How do we know that all of this isn't just a way to get us to leave the station? pressed Rhyana. To keep us from finding out how it works?

If that were my intention, all I need do is nothing. All I need do is wait. Your food andwater will not last forever.

We can unlock the station, Eltyn replied.

The keeper smiled sadly. Not any longer. You should try. I will wait.

Eltyn glanced at Faelyna. Then the two of them stood, followed by Rhyana. They eased from the table, made their way to the ramp, and walked up the lower ramp and then the upper one to where their equipment remained. At a distance, the keeper followed.

"Do you think it?s safe?" Eltyn looked at the makeshift assemblage, which appeared cloaked with the ghost consoles that represented, he thought, equipment from another time.

"I?m not going to open anything," she replied. "I?m just going to unlock one of the windows. The stone will still protect us, and there can?t be anyone outside looking to get in. The riffies will be watching by minidrone, if they?re watching at all."

"Do we have enough power?"

"We should, and we need to know if she?s telling the truth." Faelyna addressed the screen before her. "We?ll try the south window." She frowned. "There?s no response."

Rhyana walked to where the window had always opened and pressed her hand against the stone before either of the others could say a word.

The stone remained immobile.

After several moments, Eltyn turned to the keeper. "You…" As he started to speak, his words went from spoken to thought…seem to have us where you want us.

I would not wish where you are upon anyone. I do understand.

The almost plaintive honesty of her response went through Eltyn like a blade.

The three exchanged glances.

Finally, Faelyna asked, What do you need to know?

Would you tell me more about The Twenty…where they are located…

We don't know too much, but they represent themselves as upholders of tradition… began Eltyn.