004: JAYNA - EQUATORIAL DISTRICT - DAY 2

 “We were not prepared,” Commander O'Reilly finished solemnly. It had taken a little over two hours for her to deliver her statement of the previous day's events to the assembled Cabinet. She sat opposite Jayna at the large circular assembly table, her eyes low under her short, dark military cut, her face tired. The soft light from the inactive table display caused deep shadows to appear around her eyes, making her appear haggard. Her gaze stayed focused downwards at the table's surface, only occasionally looking up at the assembled group; Jayna surmised this was out of anger more than awkwardness as her voice was clipped, her words simmering with frustration.   

    Ordinarily hoppers would have been asked to stand whilst addressing the Cabinet, but Commander O'Reilly had several injuries from the skirmish at First Province and her cracked ribs made it painful to stand, so special dispensation had been made for her, which only highlighted the present situation - a mission debrief direct to Parliament -  which was itself unusual. On her right, stood Colonel Renshaw – a large domineering man, whose huge muscles had slowly begun to soften since he'd progressed beyond combat duties, his frame almost bursting out of his uniform. He sniffed disapprovingly, causing his huge bushy moustache to twitch.  

  Jayna looked over at her father, who sat two spaces to her left. He wore a well fitted black pinstripe suit, the jacket held closed with an ornate belt. His gold and grey sash of office rested on one shoulder and he toyed with the edge of it thoughtfully as he made a brief few notes on the paper in front of him; his datapad sat idly nearby.  

   Minister Frederick Suri always made his notes on paper. Every meeting he attended, every reminder he jotted, every time he had to take down information  - he would use paper. Every piece would then be folded and tucked neatly into his jacket pocket where it would be transcribed and filed later. It had fascinated Jayna as a child. With all the tech and convenience of the Capital it was rare to see such archaic methods used freely. When Jayna had asked her father once why he didn't use pads and interfaces like everyone else he had told her that he liked the feel of the pen on the paper's surface 'the sound, the texture, the resistance of it' he'd said. It reminded him to never take the easy path, however tempting, and that by using the tools of the past it acted as a constant reminder to never forget it. Moving ever forwards but always remembering the sacrifices and struggles of the generations before, the great distance they had travelled so that Jayna was free to live here and now, to grow and experience the continuation of the human race. Jayna had thought it very complicated to explain a sheet of paper, but as she came of age and began her preparations to perhaps one day succeed her father, it took on a comforting and obvious sense to her and it was a habit she had now inherited; her own pad of paper sat nearby, although she used her datapad for official business as not to be seen gaining favour through mimicry. 

   Between Jayna and her father, Vice Minister Powell studied the two soldiers with a mix of sympathy and remorse. She too, turned to Minister Suri, an unspoken acknowledgment between them that he would be the first to speak. He looked at the soldiers intensely, but honestly, his steely grey eyes pondering his next words carefully as he stroked his lips in thought.  

  “This...delay in information, it warrants addressing,” he said turning to Regent Keroni, who was seated immediately to the Minister's right. “When was the last time Intelligence sent an update on the Ghost's activities? Tracking bug? Even a sighting?'    

  The Regent scrolled through his datapad and furrowed his brow. It was all for display of course, Jayna knew that Sanders Keroni would have come in with every relevant morsel of information already to hand, everything memorised and neatly filed. He was not a man who would allow himself to look unprepared, that would be foolish, and being prepared would allow him to pre-empt any possible accusations or implications of errors in intel that may be thrown his way. He was certainly a shrewd man who foresaw all possible angles before heading into any given situation, you didn't oversee Parliamentary Intelligence without some degree of cunning and forward thinking. In the nine years that Keroni had been serving in the position, Jayna still couldn’t decide if she liked the man or not, although she'd known him since childhood. He had served as Vice Regent of Parliamentary Intelligence since before Jayna was born and during her teenage years he had assumed head Regency of the guild after its former leader - Regent Sandwell - had retired from her duties. He had served the Capital and its ruling family flawlessly ever since, excelling in the position. His value was incalculable and the longevity of the Suri dynasty and the safety of the Capital was all the better for his presence.   

   Keroni continued to feign a brief study of his documents, deep set eyes darting quickly back and forth over his narrow nose.  

   “The seagull assigned to the Ocean Ghost last updated five weeks ago, Minister.” 

   “Five weeks? What about the tracker?”

   "That was one of the action points in the last update."

   "So they've gone dark?"

   "I would assume not through choice."

   "So why do we not have a new gull in place?" The Minister's voice was hard, and Jayna knew him well enough to understand the subtext. Why am I only hearing about this now?  

   “Candidates are being vetted, Sire, but with no intel on the Ghost's whereabouts placement was understandably difficult."   

    “That's not good enough, Regent. We have a delay of intel and activity of over a month? On a high priority vessel, and look what's happened." 

  “Correct, Minister, however, periods of silence are not uncommon. A weekly databurst is preferred, but there can be numerous reasons for delays.” He was explaining more to the hoppers than to the Cabinet, trying to appease them. “For example the target heads into wild waters, or the Expanse or out of any reasonable coverage zones, in that instance it may be several weeks before they come within leagues of any other intelligence cells, or any long-range comms equipment with clear, clean access. Obviously, if an operative is discovered and terminated in the field then that creates an intelligence vacuum until we can be certain of their fate, thus assessing, briefing and deploying any replacements, which all takes time, and can understandably create a much larger delay. However, we currently have no reason to bel -”  

   “I want daily updates from all operatives on the waters from now on. You understand? Daily.” The Minister’s voice was stern, he fixed his gaze on the two soldiers in front in silent assurance. 

  “I do, Sir. It will take a few days to implement the orders, but I can't guarantee that's even possible. Depending on location, equipment access, where the they are stationed -” 

  “I don't care what it takes. Get it done. You have full authorisation to use any means necessary.” 

  Keroni nodded and furiously tapped away on his pad. 

  “Minister, if I may interrupt,” Vice Minister Powell did not wait for approval before continuing. “Commander O’Reilly, if I may probe further. I’m concerned by the actions of this hopper.." She consulted her notes. "Corporal Marvel is it?”  

  “I would hope I have been clear on the matter, Vice Minister -” she began.  

  “My issue is not with clarity, my issue is that you had a hopper under your command who, in unprecedented circumstances chose to disobey -” 

  “With respect, Vice Minister, you weren’t there.” The room fell silent. Commander O’Reilly looked Powell right in the face. The affront in Powell's expression made Jayna smile. Minister Suri was quick to diffuse the situation.  

  “Vice Minister, we have listened and assessed and been assured that the matter will be dealt with by the military -”
Powell moved to speak.
“- as it should be.” Her father cut her off sternly.  “Colonel Renshaw is the representative here on behalf of the Admiralty and will need to consult with Command before any potential disciplinary steps are taken. What will befall Corporal Marvel, Colonel?” Her father finished speaking, inviting the Colonel to take over.  

  Renshaw puffed out his chest, his expression was serious, and completely neutral.   

 “Corporal Marvel prevented further loss of life. He will be dealt with in accordance with military procedures, taking on board all the available information. That’s all I can say on the matter at this time.” He delivered his words to the Vice Minister.

   “Thank you, Colonel, I’m happy to leave him in your capable hands. Now if we could return to the matter at hand." Suri refocused on Keroni. "What's the current status of the Ocean Ghost post attack? Do we know that at least?” 

  Vice Minister Powell tightened her mouth and sat back in her seat, embarrassed and frustrated.  

   Keroni spoke without looking up. “The captain of a transport...the..." he consulted his notes "Wu Shan, believed he spotted a tider ship heading north east through the Opal Ocean out of First Province last night. He didn't get a clear look at the sigils but it stands to reason it’s the Ocean Ghost... there would be one way to know for certain though...” He trailed off, firing a look at Regent Cid, the head of Science and Infrastructure, who seemed to almost jump in his seat. His flabby jowls quivered with the unexpected attention brought to him.  

  “I'm sorry, Keroni?” Cid managed.  

  “The satellites, Cid. We could get a firm, unwavering grasp on the tider situation if only -” 

   “Our satellites point outwards, Keroni. They monitor weather and atmospheric conditions, for our own safety and safe navigation of the waters. We have neither the capabilities or the technology to -” 

  “Why don’t you share with the Minister what you told me about the satellite feeds?” Keroni 
replied, craftily diverting the attention and potential blame away from his own intelligence lapses. Jayna watched carefully, studying the politics at play.   

   “I beg your pardon?” Cid was panicking, his face turning red.  

   “About the possibility of recalibration.” 

   “Oh, um, yes, quite,” Cid managed. “There was some discussion, Minister, during routine servicing of our satellites. We seemed to be having some signal interruption and image reduction, however this could be due to orbital or atmospheric factors.” Regent Cid was a supremely intelligent man, but his distaste for conflict and uncomfortable public social conversations often made him seem witless and timid. Jayna knew that this was not the case.  

   “Regent?” Minister Suri pressed. 

   “Some of the guild were discussing the possibility of modifying some of our weather viewers,” Cid continued. “So we could theoretically create a surveillance device of quite some level of sensitivity. If used correctly we could perhaps, maybe, use it to look at the movement patterns of individual vessels. It's impossible though, Sire, it would be like looking for...why...merely the eye of a needle in a veritable field so to speak.” 

   “Just as well, because whilst I sit in this chair I will not have any kind of orbital spy devices hovering above our society like sky-bound judges," her fathers tone took on just a hint of anger. "Tis the kind of attitude and distrustful paranoia that contributed to Old Earth's downfall. It will not happen again. First it is surveillance and then it is weapons, and then it is stolen weapons. We have adapted, and we have thrived since then. This continent is one nation united under that coat of arms -" he pointed at sculpture on the wall above him - "and every man, woman and child shall be free to live safe under my governance and without fear of ballistics raining down from above.” Justice. Ever Forwards.  

   “The technology is accessible though Minister -” 

   “No. They had their ways. We have ours.” He fired a look at Jayna, he looked nervous, uncomfortable and Jayna frowned inquisitively. Her father turned away and ignored her. She was confused, fairly certain she'd witnessed something she shouldn't have. She glanced over at the two hoppers across from her, both looked alert and interested. Commander O'Reilly caught her eye as if to ask a silent question. Jayna pretended she didn't see her. Colonel Renshaw watched the proceedings with curiosity.  

  “Keroni is correct though,” Regent Cid continued, backtracking. “If the Ocean Ghost's trajectory is accurate, it's likely it's heading back towards The Float, perhaps for maintenance or re-crewing. But with no no confirmed intel...

  “Well we certainly put a dent in its thunderfall,” Commander O’Reilly said matter of factly.  

   Minister Suri smiled and nodded approvingly, and Cid relaxed, seeming to almost melt into his chair. Next to him, Regent Rider, who was in charge of finance and commerce, placed a reassuring hand on Cid's arm. Despite his position and expertise, Cid was several years overdue for retirement but stubbornly refused to budge, and Jayna's father refused to oust him from his position. Politically and publicly, it wouldn't look proper and would cause all manner of undue fuss. As far as Minister Suri was concerned, the Regent had done nothing wrong to warrant such treatment. Jayna agreed but wasn't sure if she'd have been so accommodating if it were her in the elected seat.      

   Vice Minister Powell spoke up once more, having calmed down from her verbal slap on the wrist. “Minister, I'd still be very interested in forming a strategy to reclaim The Floating, if we could place it back under Parliament banners the tiders would lose a valuable piece of infrastructure. We'd reduce their base of operations by thirty two percent.” 

  “I'd be inclined to agree,” Suri said. “However, they'd take it straight back. We'd spend the resources and manpower only to lose it again. Then we'd try again, and they'd take it again. It would be a back and forth reclaiming of ownership over a tiny scrap of wood and metal that is, in the larger picture, inconsequential. I'm not prepared to start a war over a handful of square miles. We don't need it, and I'm happy to let them have it, else they claim some innocent coastal settlement or other inhabited township. The Lightfoot regime wasted a lot of time on that conflict and I care not to repeat. I'm happy to relent.” 

  “With all due respect Frederick, we are already at war,” Powell replied forcefully.  

  “It's a resource that means very little to us, tis a relic of a bygone era. Let it go.” 

  Powell backed down, she smiled and nodded. “As you wish, Sire. Apologies Colonel, Commander.” 

  “No need at all, Vice Minister,” Colonel Renshaw boomed. He couldn't help but boom in whatever he said. Jayna decided then that she liked the Colonel. He was honest and forthright.   

  Powell continued, returning the discussion to the matter at hand. “Commander, do you think the delay in intelligence was the contributing factor in the conflict's outcome?” 

  Commander O'Reilly thought about the question for a moment, frowning. She looked at Powell once more.   

  “The city's turrets destroyed our Air Support Vehicle. I believe that that was the turning point. Hard to say if intel on the ship would have made any difference. I do believe we would have been victorious if not for the loss of the ASV as the Ocean Ghost would have not had the time to deploy its thunderfall or those final few mortars. The loss of life would have been unavoidable, but on an acceptable and expected scale. It could have been worse still, if not for Corporal Marvel.” The defiance in her words to Powell were clear for all to hear.  

   The Cabinet all nodded solemnly. Jayna watched the woman intently.  

   “I believe that the turrets were hacked remotely and were in direct control of the Ocean Ghost and its crew.” 

   “Impossible!” Regent Cid cried out. 

   “Regent, calm yourself,” Minister Suri said. The firm words radiated with authority. 

“Commander, would you care to explain?” 

   “It was too much of a coincidence - the cannons turned, aimed and fired on the ASV with timed precision. That is not how a randomly malfunctioning piece of tech works.” Commander O'Reilly looked directly at Regent Cid as he said this, challenging the old man. 

  “Reports from the city officials would back this up, Minister,” Colonel Renshaw said. “Upon activation the cannons turned inwards, synchronously, and fired at the same speed, the same angle, and the same duration.”   

   “Parliament hardware is unhackable,” protested Regent Cid. "We have the greatest engineers and software specialists on the continent. The technology is specifically designed to protect our societal structures, it's the same technology that operates our own defences for Lord's sake! It’s an incalculable, infinitely shifting oscillation of data that requires the right know-how, cryptic keys and...and years of training to understand it, and that knowledge is only available within our guild, selected operatives, and members of Intelligence. Why would we surround ourselves - surround our government for that matter - with machines that any water rat with a remote control could switch on? It's utterly ludicrous! Years upon years of development -” 

   “Regent, if you don't calm down, you will be removed from this assembly. Is that clear?” Jayna's father had to raise his voice to be heard over Cid's outburst. A quiet and diplomatic man, Minister Suri was not one for raised voices, even when scolding Jayna and her brother as children. It simply wasn’t in the man’s nature to shout or lose his cool. Cid sunk back down, he looked embarrassed.  

   The Minister considered his next words carefully.  

   “There's a crossover here, Intelligence and Infrastructure. Layers upon layers of sophisticated, high level access software and hardware. If, and I stress, if we do have a breach, then we must unfortunately entertain the possibility that we are not as secure as we think we are. I don't need to tell you all that if that is the case, then the outcome could be catastrophic," her father leaned forward in his chair, pressing his fingers against the table to emphasise his speech. 
   "The reasons are multitude. We could possibly have abducted operatives being tortured and giving away our secrets as we speak, perhaps the tiders have salvaged some wreckage we've overlooked and not reclaimed. Why, they could even have their own operatives here in the Capital, using our own tactics against us. Civilisations evolve, they develop. Conflict necessitates change.” The room was silent, all eyes on their leader. “Colonel, First Province...er...Kionis Industries was it? What was it you said that the tiders took?” 

  “Amongst the usual supplies and trinkets - hardware, Sire. Motherboards and pieces of tech with...um..bare with me..” He consulted his own notes. “High processing and computing power, particularly used in navigation and global positioning, according to city officials.” 

   “Exactly,” Minister Suri said. “By just this one raid, this unusual and devastating change of tactics, they have demonstrated a clear indication that they are developing something. Planning something unforeseen. Evolving if you will. Twenty years Goodman and his men have terrorised our waters, and although he doesn't speak for all his people, the fact he's rallying captains to his banner, uniting tribes, stealing advanced hardware, I think, gives us fair cause for concern.” 
    The room concurred, nods and murmurs of acknowledgement bubbled up around the table. Jayna was immensely proud of her father at that moment. She knew of Locke Goodman of course, his reputation had stretched back to the Capital over leagues and leagues of lawless waters. Relentless, without mercy and leaving nothing but devastation in his wake he was one of, if not the most, wanted and feared tiders in modern history. His list of crimes were too numerous to count and his name had been spoken in the Cabinet room more times than she could remember. Every time she’d heard mention of his name and his ship, of the hearsay and horror stories mixed in with fact, Jayna had said a silent little prayer in the hope that she would never come face to face with the man. Not that that was ever possible. He was out there on some distant ocean, and she was here, safe in the most secure and powerful place in the world.

    “Regent Rider?”  

    “Yes Minister?” The man had barely spoken since the start of the assembly and he looked up keenly.  

   “Run the numbers, look at the budgets, work with the Admiralty. I don't just want replacement hoppers tested and recruited, I want as many as we can afford and accommodate. Is that possible?” 

  “I will certainly do my best, Minister,” he immediately started tapping down furious notes.  

  “Thank you, Minister,” Colonel Renshaw said with a firm nod.  

  “Regent Keroni, Regent Cid, rework everything.”  

  “Minister that's -” Cid began. The Minister cut him off.  

  “We cannot take the risk that our defences are vulnerable. We cannot be arrogant enough to think that we are invincible. Think outside the box. New methods, new coding, whatever it takes. I know you can do it. I also have an idea or two that we will have to discuss in private with the Vice Minister. Heiress Suri?”  

   Jayna jerked, not expecting to be directly addressed. As next in line to the Chair, should the Suri lineage remain in office, her official role in assemblies was to merely observe. To watch, to learn, to study. She was to be present but simultaneously not so. To be directly included in any decision-making progress was highly unusual. The theme of the day continued it seemed. 

   “Yes, Minister?” She addressed him formally, as was public custom. 

   “I'd like you to stay behind if possible, we have some things to discuss.”  

   “Of course,” she said. There it was. She was not only not to be included in any parliamentary decision, she was also being kept behind after class like a child. No doubt to be berated, although she struggled to see why. She'd sat and remained silent and made diligent notes and observations as instructed and was baffled as to what she could have done wrong.  

   “Colonel, Commander, thank you very much for coming today. We are all tremendously sorry and remorseful for your loss and I assure you that we will work with all our power to ensure it doesn't happen again, truly. You have my word. Assembly dismissed,” Minister Suri stood and the rest of the assembled representatives took their lead from him. Datapads and notebooks were gathered, hands were shaken and words were exchanged. Jayna remained seated and she watched Colonel Renshaw assist Commander O'Reilly from the room.  

    When they were alone the Minister closed the door, and with that one motion, the ruler of Equatorial Upper transformed from Minister into her father. He slumped on one of the chairs, head in hands. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. It was just the two of them - father and daughter, alone in the Royal Cabinet Room.         

   It was an official but regal looking space. Warm and homely with the overwhelming air of authority. The wood panelling of the walls, the old ornate chairs and the detailed carving amongst the coving and trimmings of the architecture seemed at odds with the modern circular table that occupied the centre. The occasional monitor imbedded in the walls seemed intrusive in the otherwise old-fashioned structuring. Warm lighting glowed from above, tinted slightly orange to make the room seem more inviting. There were no windows of course as the room was at the exact centre of the city's Royal Court. For the safety and security of its occupants. Jayna sat back down in her chair, waiting for her father to speak.   

   He finally looked at her, suddenly seeming more weary, more deflated. 

  “What do you make of this?” he asked her with a heavy sigh.  

  “I'm sorry, Sire?” She asked, still formal.  

  “I'm not asking you as your Minister, I'm asking you as your father. What say you?” 

   Jayna relaxed and allowed herself to be honest.  

  “Bad coincidences coupled with excuses from stuffy old Regents.” 

  “Careful, there's a stuffy old Minister sitting in front of you.” 

  “I thought you weren't my Minister presently.” 

   He smiled, nodded. “Very good.”  

   Jayna stood up and moved closer to where her father now sat.  

  “It shouldn't have happened,” she said. “The delays in intel, the lack of prepared replacement gulls if needed – which is an unusual error on Keroni's part-” 

  “If candidates aren't passing assessments then they aren't passing, he can only work as fast as they can.” 

  “Father ,please don't make excuses for him, or for them. He's made a mistake, and I think his own arrogance in the operation he runs has blinded him.”  

  He nodded. “Perhaps that is a fair observation. However, perhaps my own arrogance in my confidence of him -” 

  “Don't. Don't you dare blame yourself.” Jayna placed a hand on his knee.  

   Her father rubbed his eyes, considering his next words.  

  “In your opinion, Heiress, what is the most concerning factor in yesterday's assault on First Province? And how would you resolve the situation best?” 

  “The turrets,” Jayna responded almost instantly. “I agree with Commander O'Reilly, there is too much coincidence in the cannon's activities. My primary concern is that if the tiders have found a way to remotely and cleanly hack Parliament defences with the relevant expertise then that exposes the Capital in a way we didn't think possible. My focus would be to improve, modify and reinforce all Parliamentary defence frameworks as a first priority and then, with a safe and secure perimeter, we can confidently focus on strengthening our military forces and overseas intelligence assets.'  

  He smiled. “Very good, Heiress.”    

  “Thank you, Sire,” she said smiling.  

  “Alas,” he said, rising. “The job must go on and I have a lot of letters to send this afternoon to the families of those fallen hoppers. It never gets any easier.” 

  Jayna knew the Minister could have had any of his numerous assistants write up and officiate the documents for the bereaved, but he refused; he always said it wouldn't mean anything if the words did not come from him directly. It would be hollow. It showed the mark of a responsible and honest leader if he were able to take ownership of the lives lost under his charge.  

  “What was Cid talking about?” Jayna asked. She wasn't sure what kind of door she was opening, but she certainly wasn't afraid to step through it. 

  “I'm sorry?” Her father said packing up his datapad and papers.  

  “Don't play the fool, Father, it doesn't suit you. What did he mean by 'we have the technology?' ” 

  The Ministers shoulders slumped, he turned to her. His face was a strange mix between pride and sadness.  

   “The Regents...they believe a revolt is imminent. They are convinced we'll have Parliamentary provinces seceding from direct governmental oversight. Sections of the continent declaring independence, coastal bodies like First Province forming their own independent states. Perhaps not of their own choice but by internal factions here, pushing them out. Protesting.” 

    “Why? Why would anyone leave Parliamentary protection? Why give up our oversight and resources? It's counter-productive to their economies and safety. What does it matter to the population here if we have reach further afield.” 

   “Everything comes down to the tiders. It always does, Jayna,” he said. “The money, the resources, the time, the aid, everything we send out externally. Everything we give freely with negotiation is ultimately wasted. We build, we repair, we sustain, only for the tiders to destroy it again.” 

   “We have it to give freely and it's not external, everything within our governance is ours, a cohesion. You have been elected to the chair every five years for over twenty five years. Before that your mother and before that, her father. That's not the votes of a population rallying against you or us. There's no revolution, no revolt, just the fear of cowardly old Regents, who - if I may speak freely - could perhaps use a change of pace. So I'll ask again, what did Cid mean -” 

  “Regent Cid.” 

  “Cid. What did he mean?” Jayna said defiantly. 

  Her father sighed, relenting. 
  “Change is inevitable Jayna. The election is next year. Could I win? Perhaps. Do I want to? I'm not certain. I do know that our family has done good work. I do know public opinion is strong on paper, despite any reservations that the Cabinet have. I want to keep the Suri Dynasty in office, but I don't know if it will be me. There are some ideas being presented to me far more often that I'd like by numerous members of Parliament, and yes, perhaps those ideas would launch the Capital into the future, ensure our prosperity and evolution. But if they don't then I'm not sure I want them as my legacy. You? You're young, you can wield power in different, dynamic ways, the people will expect that. They won’t from me. It’ll be considered too radical and it could perhaps jeopardise our family's position. You though, you could reshape the government, lead the charge one day.” 

   “Are you saying you want to win the election and then step down for me?” It wasn't an unusual move, several dynasties had played it over the last handful of centuries, it wasn’t prohibited, but was certainly controversial. 

  “I'm saying that I want you to follow me. I have something to show you.” He walked towards the heavy oak double door and opened it, beckoning her to follow, she gathered up her things and did so, confused yet curious.  

  They passed the two court guards stationed outside who both acknowledged them with polite nods then closed the door behind Jayna as she followed her father along the ornate corridor. They turned a sharp corner, like all of the corridors and passageways in Equatorial District's Royal Court, there were no curves. It was built in a series of concentric squares growing outwards from the cabinet room with each corridor forming a square ring. Between each ring sat the various rooms and connecting passageways. The same pattern continued into the outside - stretching to the fringes of the court proper, the Inner Court and its high walls and then into the acres of the Outer Court which housed the hopper barracks and other key parliamentary buildings. The whole structure lacked any windows or natural light, which at times, Jayna found, quite oppressive.  

  They walked in silence throughout the maze of corridors, only the occasional replies to greetings from passing representatives or court guards breaking their awkward laconism. Minister Suri walked with purpose, always slightly ahead of Jayna. He was either deliberately avoiding her, or giving her the chance to speak or ask questions. Jayna knew her father well enough to play along with either until he was ready yet her confusion grew with every step. She knew these walls and halls well and had mapped them with her feet and mind since childhood. The Royal Court was her home and she couldn't imagine her father could show her anything that she didn't know already. They descended a set of stairs bringing them to the ground level, passing the education offices in the south western administrative cluster. After a more few turns and corridors they descended to the first sublevel.  

  Her father stopped so suddenly Jayna continued straight into his back, clipping the back of his ankle with her own boot. He turned, smiling warmly. 

  “Somewhere else, were we?” he asked. 

  She looked around, they were near the entrance to the archive rooms. The secure door was thirty metres further down the dim corridor manned by two more court guards who stood, unflinching. Their dark, perfectly pressed uniforms gave them the illusion of being mere shadows in the gloom with only the occasional glint of the lights reflecting from their gun belts and swords breaking the deception.  

   “Down here,” her father said and turned towards an empty corner out of view of the guards. She was alone with him, staring at what appeared to be an otherwise plain piece of panelling in an almost invisible corner.  

  Minister Suri reached down and felt along the baseboard of the wall. Jayna heard a small click and a small panel slid upwards revealing a reflective black surface.  

   “What is that?” she asked.  

   He said nothing, instead he pressed his hand to the surface, which briefly lit up with a soft blue-almost-white glow. Then, with nary a sound, the section of the wall slid aside with a whisper revealing an old, rickety looking elevator.  

   “An elevator?” Jayna asked, now unable to hide her bafflement. Minister Suri took her hand and led her inside. The wall slid shut behind them and as darkness descended, Jayna heard a barely audible click as it settled back in place. The blackness lasted only a handful of seconds before an old light overhead flickered on and Jayna closed her eyes until the strobe effect stopped. 

  She saw now that the inside of the door was fitted with sound proofing foam and insulators. The elevator was no more than a basket, suspended by a pulley system that looked far more modern than the elevator itself. She suspected it had been upgraded over a period of time. The walls were smooth and she could make out the wooden beams and concrete that formed the structuring of the Royal Court. She looked over at her father, he leaned against the railing casually, illuminated from above by the single lamp.        

   “I told you that I wanted to show you something,” he said.  

   “Yes,” she said unsurely.  

   “You asked me what Regent Cid referred to back in the assembly?” 

   “I did.” 

   “Regent Cid made a mistake. To even infer what I'm about to show you, even in passing, and so publicly, in front of you and other individuals not privy to the information could be considered treasonous if I were a less lenient man.” 

   “Dad, you're scaring me,” Jayna said. She'd never felt uncomfortable around him, not ever, but she didn't like his tone, his attitude or how...threatening he seemed. 

   “What I am about to show you is known to only myself and those members of the Cabinet who rank the highest. It is also known to past rulers and members of their own administrations they deemed necessary. Its existence is beyond secret and anyone who knows of it is sworn to the utmost secrecy under penalty of death. As I said, to reveal it is treason. You and your mother and brother don't know, and that’s for your own protection above all else. Your ignorance could save your life and the lives of everyone one day. I shouldn't be showing you, but I know your own curiosity and propensity to seek the truth will only lead to trouble. However, I want you to lead one day, and ultimately, it's my decision to show you and those I deem fit, and I'm going to. I'll have the papers drafted up later under the pretence that we will embark on this excursion in the near future, until then, you know nothing. Understand?” 

   “Yes, Sire,” she whispered.  

   “I'm asking you as your father and your ruler to trust me and to trust this secret. Swear to me, Jayna.” 

   “I do,” she said. “You have my word as your daughter and your Heiress.” 

   "Do you want to see what I'm about to show you? I need your consent."

   "You have it," she replied simply. 

   “Excellent!” His face suddenly lit up. “This is the most incredible thing you'll ever see.” 

  His demeanour had changed completely, he was practically giddy with excitement. He leaned over to a small retinal scanner. It accepted his eye print and prompted him to input a code onto a keypad mounted to the railing. They immediately began to descend.  

  The old elevator was not entirely smooth and it occasionally bumped and creaked. Jayna watched as the walls slowly went from wood and concrete to carved rock.  

   “How deep are we going?” she asked. The smell of the air turned damp and musty, it made her sneeze.  

   “Deep,” her father said, still with the remnants of the grin plastered on his face.  

    After a short while the elevator came to a jolting stop and Jayna had to grip the rail to keep from losing her footing.  

   “You alright?” her father said, taking her hand. She nodded. “This way,” he continued. 

   Minister Suri lifted a section of the railing, opposite to the side they had entered on, and stepped out into a gloomy tunnel, the floor of which was metal. He guided her by the hand a few metres along the cold, rock cylinder.  

  “It's a little dark,” he said. “But we're almost there, just a few more feet.” 
  They came to a stop. They stood on a metal balcony and Jayna could tell by the air flow that they’d entered a much larger space.  

   “Voice recognition,” her father said clearly and slowly. “Minister Frederick Suri.” 

   And with that, the cavern was illuminated.  

   Jayna could only gasp. No words would reach her mouth from her brain. Although she had so many things she could have said, she was rendered utterly speechless.  

  The cavern was ginormous, so vast it could have held the entire Royal Court building twice over. It was vaguely dome shaped but uneven, as if it had been hastily dug and filled in. All along the surfaces, support beams and areas of emergency re-enforcement kept everything from collapsing inwards. 

   At the centre of the cavern sat a colossal structure, a machine of some kind. Jayna couldn't tell what shape it was, or what shape it had been as so much of it had been removed and stripped away leaving a complex mess of open causeways, raw sheet metals, and numerous other components and pieces she couldn't even begin to identify. The machine, in its present form, was probably two thirds the size of the Court building but the cavern it rested in must have stretched at least part way under the Outer Court.  

   Jayna gulped, still trying to process what she was seeing. She thought she had a vague idea, but...surely? She knew her history, she knew the story of the Landing and she knew that this long-ago relic couldn’t possibly still exist. 

   “Is that...?” It was all she could manage.   

   “Omega Ark? Yes. The remains of it anyhow. The core to be precise,” Minster Suri said. He put his arm around her. “Go on, ask away, say what you need to.”  

   Jayna didn't say a word. Thoughts were reeling through her brain too fast to catch up with. She knew what she was looking at but couldn't believe it. Omega Ark. One of twenty-one generational colony ships launched from Old Earth over sixteen hundred years prior. Each one had carried a contingent of roughly two thousand. An arrogant, confrontational people, the Old Earther's reliance on fossil fuels and other natural planetary resources had destroyed their world irreparably. Their many nations and religions had constantly been at war, destroying and polluting the planet through greed and convenience, and that had ultimately led to their own destruction, even as the planet around them died. Jayna had read books and seen documentaries and films and art depicting the final days of Old Earth and it filled her heart with sorrow and horror to imagine what her ancestors had endured. Images of the rioting, acts of terrorism, mass suicides and genocides as the last remnants of a dying society fought for their right to board the vessels were known the world over. Five of the original twenty-six arks never even made it off the planet. Two had been destroyed in protests before launch, and another three suffered catastrophic failures shortly after taking off, vaporising before they'd even left the atmosphere. 
   After the remaining arks were launched, the rest of humanity was left to make the best of what they could on a desolate and now barren planet. The last broadcast or signal from Old Earth had been received two centuries after that exodus and there had been nothing else since. The arks had left on a one-way trip pointed in twenty-one different directions to start anew and each one slowly drifted further and further away from its counterparts, gradually losing contact with the other remnants of humanity, each arks inhabitants never knowing if anyone else had survived their journey, or reached their destination.   

  After a long, long journey, Omega Ark had detected a new habitable world. Smaller than Old Earth but with very similar orbital cycles and covered in vast oceans over eighty-five per cent of its surface. The Ark had landed a hundred and fifty miles inland from the coast on the largest land mass, a continent that was split into two distinct northern and southern regions, and the colonists had christened the new world Lemuria. Using the superstructure of the ark itself the pioneers began constructing their first settlement and that city had become Equatorial District, the Capital, named for the northern section of the continent it stood on: Equatorial Upper. The colonist's new way of life had unified them under one ideal: survival and preservation, putting aside the old ways of their destructive ancestors and moving forward to ensure a brighter, cleaner future.  

   “The air smells strange down here, no? Old somehow," Minister Suri said. He looked out proudly at the ark. 

   “What is this doing down here?” Jayna finally managed. “I thought...I thought it was...history -” 

  “Is written by the victors and survivors,” her father turned to her. “Yes, the ark was stripped down after the Landing and yes it formed the foundations of our nation. Alas, as you can see, a large portion of it still remains.” 

   “I don't understand,” Jayna said. “Why bring me here? Why the secrecy?” 

   “Do you know what lies within there?” he asked her bluntly.  

   “I can only imagine,” she said, feeling a creeping sensation of understanding crawling towards the front of her brain.  

   “Everything that we don't have, and everything we won't use,” he said. “Nuclear power, biological warfare, eugenics, archaic and destructive manufacturing methods. Everything that humanity was capable of. Every piece of technology with the materials and knowledge to use them fully, was carried on that ark. Everything that contributed to the downfall of their world they decided to pack up and bring with them like luggage. When they landed and they made the choice to unify and prolong their species, they made the choice to bury that luggage, that knowledge, using only what they needed to kick-start a new civilization. Ready for the first generation of Lemurians.'  

   Jayna looked out at the ark, understanding the need for secrecy.  

  “For the most part,” he continued. “We've stuck to that way of life, proving that we are better than old humanity ever was. Of course, we have our struggles and our politics but no ruler, no dynasty has ever thought it best to crack open the egg and unleash what's inside. Are you familiar with the ancient Earth myth of Pandora's box?” 

   Jayna nodded. 

  “This is our Pandora's Box. If we start, then where does it end? Yes, we could create nuclear missiles and orbital satellite weapons, and gene-specific plagues, but history has shown us where that leads. It's incidents like First Province that get delegates and regents panicking, looking for alternate and seemingly easier ways to resolve the tider conflict. The most distressing thing is that there are certain dynasties who are starting to come around to that way of thinking as well, and as long as the Suri’s sit on the chair, we can keep this locked away.” 

   “Once the box is opened, then anyone can use its contents,” Jayna said. 

   “Yes. We may already have had security breaches on our defences, can you imagine if tiders or a revolting state got their hands on nuclear capabilities?”  

   Jayna could only nod in silence, she could not take her eyes off the vessel. She tried to take in every detail, unsure if she would ever see it again. 

   “This is what’s at stake. Truthfully we’re already giving serious thought to an expedition to see if there is anything we can use that won’t unleash chaos on the world. This is the most incredible sight there is to witness on this planet but if I had it my way, we’d bury it even deeper. This cannot, under any circumstances, fall into impatient or dangerous hands. Do you understand?” 

   Jayna nodded, she felt entranced, cloudy, she couldn’t think straight.  

  “Thank you for trusting me with this,” she said. “I won't break that trust.”  

  “I hope not, I would hate to execute my only daughter,” his face was grave, but the sparkle in his eye gave away the humour. Or at least Jayna hoped so.
   They look at each for a few moments, Jayna's gaze briefly flicking between the ark and her father.  

   “I'm hungry," Minister Suri said finally. “Come, I believe we have a lunch appointment with your mother.” He held out his hand to her, leading the way back to the surface. Jayna took it, backing away from the railing slowly, keeping her eyes on the impossible secret for as long as she was able.