After walking along a gradually bending corridor, he came to where he could see a balcony overlooking the rotunda at the center of the space station. Parthney had never seen such a large enclosed space and he struggled to bring the vast chamber into a visual perspective that he could comprehend.
A soft voice sounded to the left, "Welcome to Oib."
Parthney turned his head and he could see a Buld who's odd accent in some way reminded him of Yandrey. "Thorklet?" He walked to his left, feeling some disorientation.
Parthney tried to fix his sight on Thorklet who waited before speaking. When Parthney stopped about three strides from the railing Thorklet finally replied. "Yes, I'm Thorklet. You must be Parthney. Pla'va told me to expect your arrival."
Parthney slowly approached the low railing and for a moment they stood looking out into the depths of the rotunda. Parthney was looking for other people. He asked, "Where is everyone?"
Thorklet giggled. "This entire station is an automated factory. I'll check on the systems since I'm up here today, but there is seldom any work for me to do here that I can't do just as easily from below."
"Ah, so you live on Oib. Your strange way of speaking reminds me of Yandrey."
"Yandrey lived on Oib long ago. We've been expecting him to return some day."
Parthney looked over the rail and down into the depths of the rotunda. Feeling dizzy, he turned towards Thorklet and steadied himself by placing the tips of his fingers on the railing. "What is made here?"
Thorklet noticed the Parthney was not comfortable beside the railing. Thon took Parthney's hand and guided him to another corridor that radiated off the rotunda. "Mostly components for the solar energy collecting array that we are building. Our goal is to warm Oib so liquid water can collect on the surface."
They paused at a door and Thorklet touched a button. The door slid open and they stepped through into a small chamber. Thorklet released Parthney's hand and turned around. The door shut and Parthney felt motion. He turned as saw a strip of light snaking across the display panel on the door. He looked at Thorklet who was even shorter than the average Buld. He could see a significant expanse of thons boyish chest through the open vee neck of thons shirt. Parthney commented, "We are moving."
Thorklet pointed at the display, "We're going down to the bottom of the station. From there, you'll take the space elevator down to the surface. Leymaygn will be waiting for you."
The elevator decelerated and the door popped open. Thorklet stepped out and approached the space elevator pod that waited with its door open. Thon gestured for Parthney to enter the pod.
The pod was low and broad compared to the one that had brought Parthney up from Hemmal. Thorklet said, "Go ahead and sit down." Parthney sat in one of the small seats that was not much more than a padded stool. Thorklet stepped into the pod and strapped Parthney into the chair with a complex seat belt. Thon stepped back out. "The ride is rather long, so just relax. If you get sleepy take a nap. If you fall asleep then Leymaygn will wake you when you arrive. However, you might not be able to sleep since the ride is rather bumpy. This is a Buld space elevator, so it is not as sleek and smooth as the pek elevators on Hemmal."
Parthney asked, "Aren't you coming down?"
"Later. I'm going to do a routine inspection of the station since I'm up here."
"Then I'll see you again?"
"Possibly, although there are thousands of people on Oib. You will soon be busy with your training, but our paths might cross, particularly if you come back to this station."
Parthney nodded. "Thanks for guiding me through the station. Maybe some day you can give me a tour of the factory."
Thorklet closed the pod door and waved to Parthney. The pod dropped through the floor and suddenly Oib could be seen through the pod's view portal, a reddish world below, half in the dark of night. Thorklet's voice came through a speaker, "If the view is disturbing then push the little toggle on your belt buckle. Have a nice trip." Parthney experimented with the toggle and found that he could shift the window to fuzzy opacity. He was still feeling dizzy so he leaned back and closed his eyes. The pod accelerated and started to rock gently. Parthney noticed a strange spicy odor. Somehow the motion seemed restful and Parthney was tired. Briefly he opened his eyes and clarified the window. The planet seemed to have grown slightly fatter. He let his eyes close again and fell asleep.
__________
"Parthney? Parthney?" Slowly the world came into focus.
Parthney struggle to recall the name of the Buld who was leaning over him and gently shaking his shoulder. Thorklet? No, he remembered Thorklet's long dark hair. Parthney's mouth felt dry. He croaked, "Where am I?"
"Welcome to Lendhalen. I'm Leymaygn. Let's get you up." Leymaygn unbuckled Parthney and he slowly got to his feet, rising off of a padded bench.
Parthney leaned against the bench and waited for a wave of dizziness to pass. He desperately needed to empty his bladder. Leymaygn helped Parthney into an adjoining restroom. Before finishing in the restroom, he looked at his reflection in the mirror and was shocked at his general appearance of bedragglement. When he came back out Leymaygn handed him a bottle of water. For a minute Parthney eagerly guzzled water then he said, "Thank you. How long was I asleep?"
Leymaygn smiled and the dimples at the corners of thons mouth deepened. "You've been through the high magnetic field treatment to remove nanites from your body. You'll need a few days to recover. Sleep is good. You've been sleeping a long time."
Parthney gave Leymaygn a close visual inspection and deided that thon was a typical Buld, although she spoke with an intriguing accent. He asked, "This is Lendhalen?"
Leymaygn explained, "That's what we call this little community. Are you hungry?"
Parthney nodded and rubbed his hand against his chin. "I feel dirty. Maybe I should bathe first."
Leymaygn laughed. "It's always a shock for new arrivals from Hemmal, but there are no nanites here. As a male, you are going to have to learn to deal with your beard. Some men just let the hair grow. Baths are not a ritual social event here; they are part of personal hygiene." Leymaygn took Parthney back into the restroom and showed him how to apply a depilatory ointment to his face. Thon showed him the shower and explained its controls. "When you are done, put on this robe."
Later Parthney emerged feeling better, but he was quite hungry. He asked, "Do I have to make my own clothing?"
Leymaygn had his clothing in a bag. "I'll explain how to survive here. First let me show you your house." Thon took Parthney by the hand and they stepped through a sliding door and out into the large central domed area of Lendhalen. "Your house has laundry facilities and I dropped off a suit of clothes there for you earlier. Pla'va sent us your measurements and our pek tailor can make you all the clothing you will need."
They walked along what seemed like a garden path in the same low gravity that Parthney had enjoyed for a few days on Pla'va's spaceship. Parthney was surprised at the mention of pek. He had imagined that there would be no nanites allowed at Lendhalen. "There are pek here?"
Leymaygn explained, "We use the term 'pek' to refer to our robotic devices. However, our robotic assistants do not have nanite components."
There were what seemed like small birds in the bushes. By looking carefully, Parthney could tell that they were inside an enclosed space, but an effort had seemingly been made to simulate the sky of Hemmal.
Leymaygn noticed Parthney's critical examination of the sky and thon explained, "Lendhalen is an underground community, but this residential dome is designed to make it seem like we are on the surface of Earth. Everything here was designed to facilitate the training of humans like yourself who might be sent to Earth."
The path occasionally branched and Parthney had a few fleeting views of houses set off from the path and mostly hidden among trees. "How many humans live here?"
"Only you and Gwyned. You two will meet in a day or two. She will be an important resource for your training. She lived for twenty five years on Earth." Leymaygn guided Parthney off the main pathway. "This is your house. It has been empty since the day that Deomede went off to Earth."
"Deomede?"
"Deomede was the last male born on Hemmal before you."
They approached the front of the house that was mostly swallowed up in bushes and flowering vines. As they approached the house Parthney felt his legs grow heavy. Leymaygn explained, "Your house is kept in a gravity field like Earth's."
Leymaygn pulled open the front door and led the way inside. Thon pointed to a stairway, "The bedrooms are below. Your kitchen is through here at the back of the house."
"How many bedrooms did Deomede need?"
Leymaygn giggled and went down the stairs. "Just one, but we have had some humans who lived out their life here and raised a family. If I'm remembering correctly, Nifdout had seven children with two women, one from Earth named Jane Grey and the other up from Hemmal. That was long ago. I suppose if you decide not to go to Earth and have even more children then we'd have to build more bedrooms down below. Although, I can't picture Gwyned having the patience for a house full of children!"
Leymaygn showed Parthney the master bedroom and the set of clothing that had already been prepared for him. Parthney changed into the clothes and then went up the stairs and found Leymaygn. Thon showed him around the main floor of the house explaining how to use the available equipment for cooking and cleaning. They put his other clothing into the clothes cleaning machine. Parthney pointed to a painted vase on a shelf above the laundry machines. "Who is she?"
Leymaygn reached up and took down the vase. Examining the painted image on the vase, she began to reminisce, "She was probably the resident of this house who spent the most time washing clothes. Neferura had seven children and three husbands. This was painted by her grandson."
Parthney asked, "Neferura?"
Leymaygn replaced the vase. "You'll have a chance to study Earth's history and learn about the Earthlings who ended up living here in the Galactic Core."
Leymaygn took Parthney to the kitchen. Together they prepared a meal and Parthney was introduced to the equipment that was available in Lendhalen to prepare food. Parthney complained, "Will I have time to learn Earth history if there are no nanites here to do the chores?"
Leymaygn shrugged and offerred no sympathy. "Get used to taking care of yourself. When you reach Earth you won't have nanites, you'll have to live like a primitive Earthling."
They took the cooked food to an adjoining room and sat at a large table. While Parthney ate, Leymaygn sipped tea, nibbled cookies and talked, continuing their discussion of the lack of conveniences that Parthney had taken for granted on Hemmal. "For we Buld, it was eating that presented a major challenge for survival without pek nanites. We eat food that dissolves well in water and we eat frequently. Of course, as a human you can eat a wider variety of foods and eat large amounts."
Parthney noticed that Leymaygn was watching with wide eyes while he ate. He paused his eating and asked, "Do you mind if I ask...have you seen a human eat before?"
Leymaygn nodded. "I've eaten with Gwyned many times, but I was too young to see Deomede eating when he was still here. I'm guessing that you can eat twice as much as Gwyned."
Parthney chuckled, "I was very hungry. I've been trying to remember the last time I ate. My memories seem jumbled."
Leymaygn explained, "Having the nanites in your brain inactivated can be disorienting. It will take a few days before your brain establishes a new equilibrium. I'm going to scan your whole body twice a day until we are sure that you've adjusted to life without nanites. You might need some medical therapy to help your body take over for some of the functions that nanites have been doing for you so far in your life."
"Scan?"
"I'll show you the scanner when you are done eating. It allows us to visualize the inner workings of your body. I'm particularly concerned about your brain. Are you feeling dizzy? Feeling pain?"
"I had some dizziness earlier." Parthney rubbed his head. "I'm having trouble remembering...I remember being with Pla'va and I know I met Thorklet on the space station, but I can only remember a few flashes of images of thon. I do remember that thon spoke like you do, with an odd accent."
"It will take you a while to get used to the way we Buld speak here at Lendhalen, and, of course, Gwyned speaks like an Earthling. You have much to learn. I'll show you how to use your library. You need to learn to read and write both English and the ancient Buld Clan language."
"Why?"
"It is the common language for all Interventionists on Earth."
"Interventionists?"
"Parthney, you are now entering into training for how to survive on Earth as an Interventionist agent. For thousands of years we have been struggling to prepare the Earthlings for their impending first contact with the Buld passengers on a spaceship that is approaching Earth. Only in the past few years have the Earthlings even realized that travel through outer space is possible."
Parthney nodded, "Yandrey told me that Earth has a primitive culture, that the Earth people are not aware of the Creators."
Leymaygn giggled. "Parthney, a word of warning. Particularly when you are with Gwyned, don't speak of the Creators. Nobody here at Lendhalen believes that humans were created."
"Yandrey told me about evolution, but I'm not sure I understand what he tried to tell me."
"Well, I'm no scientist. Gwyned can probably best explain, but for the past hundred years the Earthlings have started exploring the long evolution of life on Earth. Unlike Hemmal, on Earth it is possible to dig up from the ground ancient fossils, remains from living creatures that existed millions, even billions of years ago."
"Billions...of years?"
"Have Gwyned explain it to you, she's a scientist, an expert in nuclear physics."
"Nuclear physics?"
"It's a new science on Earth. I don't really understand how, but it has allowed the Earthlings to measure the age of the Earth and the ages of ancient fossil bones in the rock strata of Earth. Over the course of billions of years the living creatures on Earth have changed. Humans have slowly evolved from other animals."
"Yandrey tried to explain this to me, but it did not seem like he really understood it either."
"That's why it is so nice to talk to Gwyned about this. She has stood on Earth and held ancient fossils in her hands."
Parthney finished eating and they went to the kitchen. Leymaygn showed Parthney a machine that would wash the dishes. "This is one of the devices that Gwyned has helped us make since arriving here. Things are now quite exciting on Earth...the millions of people on Earth are creating sciences and technologies that we Buld never imagined. Of course, there are only a few of us and we have been biased by the pek technology that is familiar to us." Parthney had fallen silent. Leymaygn said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Sorry, I can't get it out of my head. Do you mind if I ask...how old are you?"
"Hmm...there are two ways I can answer that. I was born thousands of years ago, but like Pla'va, I go through a type of partial Change to rejuvenate myself. It is only about ten years since I last went through a Change."
"I see. Well, thank you for telling me. I was wondering if you had been born...recently...if you knew your parents. Actually, I've been wondering if anyone knows who my parents were."
"I'm sure the pek know."
Leymaygn led Parthney outside. Upon walking down the path away from his house they returned to the lesser gravity of Oib. After a ten minute stroll they exited the residential dome and rode a small slide train through a tunnel to a facility where the structure of his body was scanned at near cellular resolution. "This scanner technology was brought into use long ago, back when the Pla first liberated themselves from pek nanites. Still, we've never managed to achieve a true nanoscope." Thon showed Parthney a scanned map of his brain. "Note these particular areas. This is where pek nanites accumulate in the human brain. We'll watch the functioning of these areas particularly closely while you adapt to your new life here." Parthney asked many questions, eventually exhausting Leymaygn's knowledge about the scanner technology.
They returned to Parthney's house and he received instruction from Leymaygn on how to use the library and its computing resources. "Practice your reading and writing. Every day we will work together. These data banks hold what we know of Earth history. You'll want to assimilate as much as you can before you go to Earth."
"When will I go to Earth?"
"Much depends on you and how quickly you learn. A few years."
Leymaygn had made thons way to the door of Parthney's house. He still had many questions. They stepped out on the front walkway and looked up at the simulated stars. Parthney commented, "I was surprised to hear that some false Buld have lived out their lives here rather than go to Earth."
"False? We don't use that term here. If you like I'll show you a microscope. You can compare your chromosomes to mine. I'm Buld; I have a chromosome that you do not have. You are a human, genetically identical to the Earthlings."
"But why don't some humans go to Earth?"
"I'm not sure. We'd certainly never send someone to Earth if they did not want to go. What would be the point of that? I suppose some humans find that they are happy here. Particularly in the past there were very primitive conditions on Earth. It is rapidly getting better now, but..."
"But?"
"I was just thinking about some recent Earth history. Have Gwyned tell you about nuclear bombs."
"Nuclear bombs?"
"A weapon that can obliterate a city in a powerful explosion, the release of nuclear energy...the force that holds matter together. Living conditions are rapidly improving on Earth but there are new dangers from their rush towards advanced technology. That's why Gwyned left Earth."
"Why did she leave Earth?"
"Humans...Earthlings... have always struggled to obtain enough food and energy. On Earth, Gwyned was working to harness the energy of nuclei, but the people of Earth were locked in a war...she was told to help create nuclear weapons. She refused. When she had the opportunity she left Earth. Now, you should sleep. I'll return in the morning. Good night."
Parthney watched Leymaygn walk off into the shadows. He looked up into the simulated sky. For a while he thought about Kach and wondered if she might come to Lendhalen. If Earth was so plagued by hunger and war then maybe it made more sense to stay at Lendhalen. He went inside grabbed some cookies from the kitchen. After his snack he worked to learn how to use a tooth brush as Leymaygn had shown him. He spent some time reviewing letters and numbers and learning some short words. Soon he was too tired to keep reading. He shut off the computing equipment and dimmed the wall displays in the library.
Parthney dozed in bed and found himself trying to imagine what Gwyned might be like. He was intrigued and excited by the prospect of finally meeting a woman. Again he thought of Kach and his failure to realize that she was a woman.
Unable to sleep, he got out of bed and accessed the data banks for Earth history. There were few illustrations and most of the text was meaningless to Parthney. Finally he stumbled upon biographies of the Earthlings who had come to Lendhalen from Earth. Guided by the numbers that were embedded in the text, he was sure of the themporal sequence and certain that he had found a few images of Gwyned. One showed her working with some other people, two clearly human. Carefully decoding the caption of the image, Parthney was sure he was looking at Gwyned. Then who were the other unnamed humans? Parthney shrugged. Gwyned looked very little different from a Buld.
Returning to his bed he felt lonely in the large quiet house. He thought again of Pla'va, alone in her spaceship. He tried to imagine spending years at Lendhalen in preparation for a visit to Earth. Gwyned, having abandoned Earth...would she think that Parthney was foolish to want to go there? He tried not to think of Reginal and his old life on Hemmal. After several hours of tossing and turning his mind calmed and he finally slipped into sleep.
The next day Leymaygn woke Parthney at an early hour. He was hungry, but Leymaygn forced him through two hours of exercise and a first lesson in hand-to-hand combat. The petite Leymaygn brutally punished and humiliated Parthney, easily knocking him off balance and landing various cruel blows. Leymaygn explained some details of the conditions as Parthney would find them on Earth. "Earth is policed by Overseers and watched over by Observers. Make a foolish move on Earth and you will be captured by the Overseers, your mission on Earth terminated."
Parthney was sweating and panting and cradling a bruised and swollen right hand. "Overseers? Observers?"
"How do you think the pek here in the Core are kept constantly informed about Earth? The languages of Earth such as English change and shift, but the pek on Hemmal make sure that humans like you grow up learning English as it is spoken on Earth. New Songs of Life appear on Hemmal that reflect the recent history of Earth. The people of Earth are under constant observation, but they are unaware...they know nothing about people beyond Earth."
Parthney asked, "If I am captured by the Overseers then I will be sent back here?"
Leymaygn laughed and shook thons head. "You'll never be heard from again. You'll be imprisoned or killed. This is no game, Parthney."
"It makes no sense. It seems like my life has been arranged to prepare me to go to Earth. Who are these Overseers to stand in my way?"
"That is shrouded in mystery. The Overseers are dedicated to the idea the people Earth should develop their own civilization at their own pace. They are infuriated by the idea that Interventionists come to Earth and interfere with the natural pace of cultural development."
"Why should they care? Do they want the Earthlings to remain in primitive conditions with wars and hunger and disease?"
"Apparently they do. For the past ten thousand years it has been a continual struggle to bring the Earthlings out of their stone age, to make them even realize the possibility of travel between the stars. Now, enough talk.....back to work!"
Finally the training session ended and Parthney was allowed to shower and eat. There was another session for scanning his body and Leymaygn seemed to take delight in pointing out his bruises in the scan images. Leymaygn tirelessly drilled Parthney on English and the old language of the Buld Clan. "When you are on Earth you will operate in coordination with other Interventionist agents who will be based in other parts of Earth. The old language will be your shared basis for communication. When on Earth, if you ever need to write something down, use the old language...none of the Earthlings can read it."
"What will be expected of me when I'm on Earth?"
"First, survival. Half of the Interventionists are captured by Overseers within the first year of their arrival on Earth."
"And if I survive?"
"First, you must always be watching for opportunities to identify someone like Gwyned, an Earthling who can be sent off of Earth and bring us knowledge of recent Earth history. Second, you must look for evidence of Intersection."
"Intersection?"
"A Buld spaceship could reach Earth at any time. It might already have arrived."
"I still don't understand. Won't I be taken to Earth by a Buld spaceship? Wasn't Deomede before me?"
"You need to understand this, Parthney. You are physically indistinguishable from an Earthling, so there is a chance for you to remain undetected and function as an agent on Earth. The Earthlings have no knowledge of the existence of Prelands or the pek. They also don't know that a Buld colony ship has been traveling at the speed of light towards Earth for the past 15,000 years. When it arrives at Earth, the Overseers will be powerless to prevent the Earthlings from learning, for the first time, the truth about Earth's past, how the pek have kept Earth in isolation from we Prelands here in the galactic core."
"You say that I must understand, but I don't. Why would the pek shield the Earthlings from knowledge of Prelands?"
"Well, Parthney, these are the great mysteries. I've been struggling to understand all this for the past ten years. An important part of what we know comes from the Fru'wu."
Parthney asked, "Have you met the aliens?"
Leymaygn giggled. "No, not I." Thon told Parthney that he should eat. Then it was again time for another visit to the medical facility. Parthney was scanned again and afterward Leymaygn gave Parthney a tour of Lendhalen during which they ran the entire way. During their run they went through another dome, what Leymaygn called the village. Parthney finally saw other Buld, folk who they passed with a nod or a called greeting; Leymaygn seemed to know everyone.
Thon explained, "There are not many people here at Lendhalen. We all know each other." Arriving back at his house, Parthney wearily sank into a chair in the large comfortable lounge just inside the front door. Leymaygn returned from the kitchen with a handful of the cookies that thon almost constantly nibbled. Thon handed a large mug of cold water to Parthney and commented, "You are out of shape."
Leymaygn reclined on a sofa and kicked off thons booties. Parthney could smell the sweat from thons feet and he rubbed at a deposit of salt that had formed on his face. "I need a bath."
Leymaygn commented, "You need to get used to dirt and sweat, Parthney. You've been spoiled by having nanites constantly scrubbing you...outside and inside."
"It surprises me that people choose to live without the conveniences afforded by nanites."
"The Earthlings have never known these conveniences, so they never miss them. It is good training for you to live without nanites while you are here."
"I was surprised that Pla'va is willing to live a life of loneliness. Why are you willing to live without nanites?"
"Well, Pla'va revels in her dedication to the cause. The Interventionist mission."
"Exactly what is that mission?"
Leymaygn shrugged. "You'll get a different answer from everyone you ask. For me, I'm glad to be free of the pek nanites. I don't want anyone watching my thoughts and controlling my behavior. I don't want to be a puppet of the pek. Just imagine if the Fru'wu had never come, had the Pla never been able to revolt and liberate themselves from the pek!"
Parthney was impressed by the passion that fired up in Letmaygn when thon spoke about the pek and the aliens. "I can't puzzle it out. In one way it seems that the pek and the Fru'wu are bitter enemies, with the Fru'wu working to disrupt the normal interaction of the pek with humans. On the other hand, Muchlo seemed happy to see me depart Hemmal and come here, to the base of the rebels."
"Muchlo knows nothing about Lendhalen, thon just wanted to get you off of Hemmal."
"Still, everyone on Hemmal knows about the aliens. It seems odd that the pek tolerate the Fru'wu here on Oib, working with the Buld to disrupt pek plans for Earth."
"Well, there are many hypotheses about the pek. Guesses. We actually know less about the pek than we know about the Fru'wu."
"I've lived with pek. I've only heard rumors about the Fru'wu."
"I suppose I'm not supposed to mention this, but Pla'kau claims to have contact with them. The Pla are very nervous...they'd prefer to not have anyone know about the Fru'wu."
"Who is Pla'kau?"
Leymaygn was silent for minute while thon massaged first one calf then the other. "I'm out of shape, too. Come on, let's treat ourselves to a soak."
They went to the hot tub at the back of Parthney's house. Leymaygn tossed off thons clothing and jumped into the tub. To Parthney's eye thon seemed to be a typical Buld, thons body towards the rail thin and boyish extreme, although Leymaygn's face struck him as being exceptionally beautiful. Even then, with her golden hair disheveled and raggedy and despite the slim boyish torso protruding above the water's surface, Parthney was tempted to think of thon as a woman. He decided that the problem was how much Leymaygn reminded him of Pla'va. Parthney tried to put such thoughts out of mind: doubtlessly Leymaygn was Buld and sexually incompatible with humans. He undressed and slipped into the tub with Leymaygn, who giggled, "Pla'va was not exaggerating. I hope you do not mind me staring, but you are the first male I've seen...that my Change-disrupted memory recalls."
"I do feel bad about Pla'va. She's turned herself into a woman, but the only men she has known are like me, on their way to Earth. I suppose you agree that she is a freak."
"Don't be fooled by the little dramas that Pla'va enacts; she doesn't need a man in her life. Yes, Pla'va is unusual, but wait until you see Vozgrow."
"Who is Vozgrow? And I'm still waiting to hear about Pla'kau and the Fru'wu."
Leymaygn climbed out of the tub and activated a large display screen on the wall. Manipulating a control panel, thon managed to bring up an image. To the left was Leymaygn. To the right was the strangest creature of Parthney's experience. He asked, "Vozgrow?"
Leymaygn waded across the tub and sat next to Parthney. "Long ago, Vozgrow experimented with Fru'wu nanites. In fact, several times a year thon leaves Lendhalen and goes for rejuvenation treatments with Fru'wu medical nanites. Slowly, ever the millennia, Vozgrow's body has been transformed."
"Is thon blind?"
"No, but the surface of thons body has been modified by the nanites. We believe that the Fru'wu have a photosynthetic skin."
"Photosynthetic?"
"Like plants."
"Sorry, Yandrey tried to teach me some biology, but I don't know anything about plants."
"You'll be impressed when you reach Earth. What you think of as plants, the plants of Hemmal and the plants here at Lendhalen, these are all synthetics, genetically altered plants. The trees of Hemmal are half nanite, half cellular. The grass, bushes and vines we have here are what we have been able to salvage from worlds like Hemmal after extracting the nanites."
"The Fru'wu are plants?"
Leymaygn giggled. "What if they were? But no, the term 'plant' does not seem to apply. The Fru'wu evolved on a world that was quite different than Earth. We suspect that their atmosphere would poison us."
"You don't really know?"
"I suppose there has never been a face-to-face meeting between Fru'wu and the Pla. My guess is that they have always just communicated electronically and never tried to physically make contact."
"Electronic?"
"That's a concept unknown to the Buld on Hemmal. That wall display is an electronic device, as are the compters in the library. You'll have to ask Gwyned for the technical details. However, the Buld Clan has long had electronic communications devices in spaceships."
"I understand. The moment when I first came up from Hemmal, Pla'va spoke to me from her spaceship using an electronic communications device."
Leymaygn gestured towards the display screen. "Try to look past Vozgrow's appearance. Thon has written some of the most interesting theoretical analyses of both the pek and the Fru'wu, although it is all theoretical. Vozgrow has never lived among the pek on Hemmal or had contact with the Fru'wu."
"But Pla'kau has?"
"Well, I interpret some things that Pla'kau has told me as indications of direct contact between the Pla and the Fru'wu. Only the ancient histories from thousands of years ago speak directly of how the Fru'wu made possible the Pla revolt against the pek."
"Show me how to spell their names." They stepped into a small room where great jets of hot air dried them, then they put on robes and worked late into the night in the library. Parthney was still struggling to understand the mechanics of the old Buld Clan language; it was very different from English.
Finally Leymaygn noticed that Parthney was drooping. "I'll let you get some sleep. Expect me at dawn."
Parthney walked thon to the door. He looked up at the simulated sky and silently cursed the long simulated Earth day schedule that Leymaygn was trying to train him to follow. How sweet it would be to go back to his old schedule at demon Lodge. He felt a longing to play his instruments and perform with his megepi. Returning to the library he persisted in trying to puzzle out articles that had been written by both Vozgrow and Pla'kau. He frequently saw reference to another Pla, Pla'mak.
Parthney fell asleep reading in the library. He dreamed of being with Pla'va in a place very much like the baths at Demon Lodge. Or, rather, he dreamed of a woman who was a kind of mosaic with bits and pieces of Pla'va, Reginal, Leymaygn and other Buld. He woke up and went to empty his bladder. Judging by the simulated daylight filtering in through the windows he judged that Leymaygn was late.
But he soon found Leymaygn in the kitchen. When Leymaygn saw Parthney thon said, "Hurry up and eat. I told Gwyned that if your scan this morning checks out then she can meet you for lunch." Leymaygn seemed to have trouble looking at Parthney.
Parthney could guess why Leymaygn had let him sleep. Parthney sat down across the small kitchen table from Leymaygn. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."
Leymaygn nodded and nibbled at a small cake.
Parthney ate in silence then said, "I was reading an article by Pla'mak last night. It was about how the pek created the Buld."
"Nothing is known for certain."
"I could not understand much of the article, but it seems to me that the Creators have a preference for hermaphrodites."
Leymaygn objected, "Pla'mak never wrote about Creators."
"On Hemmal the Buld think of the pek as being the face that the Creators show to humans."
Leymaygn mutterred, "Religious nonsense."
"The Buld had to come from somewhere. Pla'mak wrote that the extra chromosome that distinguishes Buld from Earthlings is artificial; it was designed. By the pek."
"The pek know nothing about making chromosomes."
"How do you know that?"
"Did you ever hear a pek talk about chromosomes or biology?"
"Then where did Prelands originate?"
"I don't know. But I don't make up stories to try to explain away such mysteries. This is why we rebels struggle for independence and the chance to ask such questions. The Buld on Hemmal never even imagine such questions."
They hurried off for what was Parthney's last body scan in the series. After looking at the results Leymaygn said, "You are adapting very well to life without nanites. Amazingly well. Come on. I'll take you to Gwyned's workshop."
At the edge of the village dome they boarded one of the small rail cars and went on their longest ride through the network of tunnels that radiated out from Lendhalen. Parthney asked, "Gwyned has her own workshop?"
"She calls it her laboratory. She's trying to understand Buld spaceship technology, most of which was copied from the spacecraft that the pek provided to the Buld Clan long ago. We Buld can build our own ships, but we really do not understand how they work, what powers them."
Arriving at Gwyned's laboratory, Leymaygn activated an intercom at the gate. "Let us in, Gwyned."
It was nearly five minutes before the gate opened. Gwyned stepped outside. Leymaygn said, "I thought you might show Parthney your workshop."
Gwyned let the door close behind her and she took hold of Parthney's hand and shook it. She abruptly asked him, "How are you adjusting to Lendhalen?"
Parthney was surprised by Gwyned's strong grip. She was nearly as tall as he was and while quite slim and graceful, she had a forceful, almost brash swagger. Without waiting for a reply she led Parthney back to the rail cart. Speaking over her shoulder she said to Parthney, "Come on, let's go to the village for lunch."
They got into the rail car and Parthney sat in stunned silence, shocked by Gwyned's rude treatment of Leymaygn. Gwyned seemed intent on ignoring the Buld. There was an awkward silence then Gwyned said to Parthney, "The Buld want me to teach you about life on Earth. First: read my reports. If you have questions I'll answer them." She turned to Leymaygn, "Will that satisfy you?"
Leymaygn replied, "I'd think you could be more concerned about our mission here and make an effort to share your experience, help Parthney learn about Earth. You never would have gotten off of Earth without Deomede's help."
Gwyned grimaced. "Deomede was a dolt. I told him to send me away from Earth and he did as I demanded. Had he been competent, he might have found a way to make it possible for me to do my work on Earth."
Leymaygn reminded Gwyned, "Your mother tried to go down that path. She was lucky to survive the attempt."
"She did survive. Deomede was a coward; he wouldn't even try."
"But wasn't he right? Haven't you decided that fusion power is not the key to spaceship propulsion?"
"Fusion power might be right for Earth. Who knows how many technological leaps there are between fusion power and whatever powers Buld ships?"
Silence descended again and Parthney puzzled over the antagonism that existed between Leymaygn and Gwyned. Their rail car arrived in the village dome. When Parthney stepped out of the rail car Gwyned grabbed his arm and led him away from Leymaygn. Gwyned called over her shoulder to the Buld, "You can have him back in an hour." She took Parthney into a small cafe and they sat down at a corner table. What appeared to be a short Buld was immediately at their table; thon was dressed in a strange imitation of the uniforms worn by pek in the temples of Hemmal. Leymaygn abruptly dismissed the Buld in a way that reminded Parthney of Yandrey's impatience with temple pek. "Bring us some of what I had last time I was here."
Gwyned laughed. "Do you think I'm rude? I'm busy; I don't intend to waste my time with these bumbling Buld." The Buld café worker was quickly back with plates of food and mugs of beer. Gwyned gestured towards the Buld with a thumb, "And don't worry yourself over machines like this. They are here to serve. They're here to serve you. This whole place is designed to prepare you for your mission to Earth."
Parthney looked carefully at the café worker and asked, "Machine?"
Gwyned took a long drink from her mug. "Hasn't Leymaygn...?" She called to the Buld, "Come back here."
The Buld worker was quickly back at the table. "Can I help you?"
Gwyned ordered, "Tell him what you are, robot."
"I'm a biomechanical artificial lifeform."
Gwyned scoffed. "Lifeform my ass. Do you reproduce? Who was your mother?"
The machine replied. "I was manufactured. I can perform sexual acts, but I have no reproductive capacity."
Gwyned dismissed the robot. "Go away, robot."
Parthney asked, "Robot?"
"That's a term that is being used on Earth. Of course, they have nothing as sophisticated as this. Yet."
For a while Parthney ate and listened to Gwyned describe the new field of cybernetics as it existed on Earth. "Some aircraft and space satellites of Earth are fully automated, but they are simple compared to the humanoid robots that the Buld have here."
Parthney commented. "On Hemmal the artificial lifeforms are called pek."
"The robots that we have here aren't pek, although that's what the Buld call them. The Buld are not able to deal with nanotechnology. According to the Fru'wu, the pek are a form of artificial life that is vastly more advanced than anything that either the Buld or even the Fru'wu can manufacture."
"You've delt with the Fru'wu?"
"Well, they asked me not to talk about it, but I spent some time at a Fru'wu base. I've worked with Fru'wu robots that were able to adopt the human body form if they want to...with their nanite components they can change shape quite easily."
"Where is the Fru'wu base?"
"Who knows? They don't want anyone to know its location. Their paranoia is extreme, just like the situation here at Lendhalen." Gwyned shrugged, drained her mug and signaled for another round. "We could be anywhere in the Galactic Core....we'd be the last to know."
"You don't think we are on Oib?"
Gwyned shrugged. "I don't even try to think about it. We live inside a can. The Pla are insanely worried that the pek will find Lendhalen. Supposedly there was a different Interventionist base in use near Koly 500 years ago, before it was destroyed by the pek. Pla'mak is determined to prevent Lendhalen from having the same fate." Gwyned reached across the small table and brushed a finger across Parthney's chin. She asked, "How old are you, kid?"
"By my calculation I'm 18 in Earth years, but I'm just learning to read and do math."
Gwyned shook her head sadly and asked, "What the hell have you been doing for the past 18 years?"
Parthney explained, "I got caught up in the Buld culture of Hemmal, performing music."
"Ya, Deomede was the same way. I hope you make an effort to learn something useful before you go to Earth...although, judging from what I've seen around here, the Earthlings might not be able to learn much from you."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, sure there are some amazing technologies here, but nobody understands them. For example, I'm trying to figure out the teleporter controls."
"Teleporter?"
"I'm not supposed to tell you, but, ya, that's how you'll be sent to Earth. Think of it! 15,000 light years in the blink of an eye. Nothing as primitive as spacecraft. But forget I told you that. You're not supposed to know. This is the kind of idiotic secrecy that drives me crazy. Anyhow, I'm trying to figure out how to control the destination for teleportation. Here at Lendhalen, the Fru'wu provided the Buld with a teleportation device but the Buld can't control it. Nobody here has a clue about how teleportation is even possible."
"Leymaygn told me that you made the dish washing machine that is in my house."
Gwyned laughed. "That's a perfect example of how Earth is blasting right past the Buld in technology. The Buld have been flying spaceships for tens of thousands of years but they never made a dish washing machine. When I got here the robots were doing dishes by hand."
"That sounds like a good idea. I'm already bored with daily tasks like loading and unloading the dishwasher, shaving, brushing my teeth..."
"I'm sure that the Buld want you to be prepared for conditions on Earth, but don't worry too much about that. Deomede had the assistance of a Fru'wu robot on Earth."
Parthney looked over at the café worker. "I got used to having the help of pek on Hemmal."
Gwyned asked, "Do you regret leaving Hemmal?"
"It is strange...until I got here, I was burning with a desire to go to Earth. Now I'm having doubts."
Gwyned suggested, "Now that the pek nanites have been removed from your brain, you can finally think for yourself."
"You don't think I was making decisions for myself before I came to Lendhalen?"
"How could I know? The Buld here seem to think that humans on Hemmal are puppets of the pek."
"I only met one other human on Hemmal."
"Well, I count the Buld as humans. Who is this other human?"
"Her name is Kach. She was giving orders to the pek on Hemmal."
"Interesting. What kind of orders?"
"Kach is a transmitter. Transmitters are supposed to be Buld, so Kach had ordered a pek to help her hide the fact that she was a false Buld."
Gwyned shook her head, "What's the point of that? No, don't tell me. I don't really care to hear about the crazy culture of Hemmal. So, you left Kach behind and decided to go to Earth?"
"Well, I did not know that Kach is human until I was already off of Hemmal."
Gwyned chuckled, "Are you serious?"
Parthney could scarcely feel more foolish than he already did. "She disguised herself as a Buld."
"Don't feel bad. I'm willing to believe that the pek can use their nanites to control human behavior and memories. You may very well have figured it out and realized that Kach was human, but the pek could have erased that from your mind. Since the pek have that kind of power I can't believe that it makes sense for the Buld to tie themselves in knots over secrecy. I've decided that if the Buld are doing something, like training you here at Lendhalen for a mission to Earth, then that is exactly what the pek want."
"It certainly seemed like Muchlo wanted me to go to Earth."
"Muchlo?"
"The pek who travels around with Kach."
"I'm not surprised. This reminds me of the situation on Earth. The Interventionists seem to have just enough of a technological edge over the Overseers...they have been able to help speed Earthlings towards technological advances, but not too quickly. The entire Interventionist-Overseer dynamic seems to have been carefully tuned. I mean, look at the...well, look kid, I'm just saying...if you wanted to really help the Earthlings make technological advances would you send musicians to Earth?"
Parthney was amused to hear Gwyned call him "kid". He asked, "How old are you?"
"Alright, I'm only ten years older than you, but I wasn't just getting around to learning to read at 18. I'm not surprised that half the Interventionists who go to Earth are captured by the Overseers almost at once. Is that really what you want to get yourself into?"
"I just got here a few days ago, but I'm already doubting the wisdom of going to Earth. I suppose I might decide to just live here."
"I wish you weren't undressing me with your eyes while saying that. But what should I expect from a kid in your position...the only woman you ever met bofore me disguised herself and tricked you into thinking she was a Buld." Gwynded laughed merrily.
Parthney asked, "How long have you been living here?"
"This is my third year, now."
"Don't you get lonely?"
"I keep busy, but ya, I miss Earth. I wish there were other humans here."
"So...I'm too young for you?"
Gwyned laughed. "Look kid, Parthney, just because your juices are flowing...I mean, deal with it! I'm not going to jump into bed with a-" She fell silent.
Parthney asked, "What?"
"Sorry, I was going to say something rude. If you're feeling horny, just pull one of these robots into bed." She gestured towrds the café worker who stood nearby, awaiting orders.
Parthney explained, "I'm not concerned about sexual pleasure...I want to have a good life. At least on Hemmal people are happy. I don't think I've met anyone who is happy since leaving Hemmal. Is that the price of being free of the pek?"
Gwyned asked, "Is that all you want in life, to keep a smile on your face?"
"Why not make people happy? Maybe I should have stayed with Pla'va. I don't think she should have to be all alone."
"Who is this Pla'va?"
Parthney described his space flight from Hemmal to Oib. "Pla'va wanted me to stay with her. Maybe I could have made her happy. Wouldn't that be a good life?"
"Are you seriously asking me to count one lonely Pla and balance that against all the people of Earth, billions of them being kept in the dark about their place in the galaxy?"
"My whole life could be a waste if I go to Earth and if I'm immediately captured by the Overseers."
"Sure, play it safe. Why not? Why should you care about Earth, anyhow?"
"I ask myself...why should I spend years training to go to Earth? Why not go and have a pleasant life with someone like Pla'va rather than make a life of hardship and struggle for myself, a life that might accomplish nothing?"
Gwyned shrugged. "Don't ask me why they do things the hard way here. I suppose this is how it has always been and the Buld are unable to try anything else, anything different. Here's an idea; I'll send you one of my robots." Gwyned seemed to consider that idea for a minute. "Yes, I have just the robot for you, Parthney. She'll be your servant and playmate...do what it takes to keep a smile on your face."
Parthney was intrigued by the offer. "I think Leymaygn wants me to get used to doing everything for myself. I don't want to get you in trouble."
"I can take care of myself. I don't for a minute think Leymaygn knows what thon is doing. Are you done eating? Show me where you are living."
Gwyned and Parthney left the cafe and returned to the residential dome. Gwyned stepped inside Parthney's home and activated the communications system. "Syon? I'm calling from Parthney's house. I want you to come over here and take care of him."
Parthney could hear a female voice on the other side of the call. "Now?"
"Right away."
"I'm still mapping out this code for you."
"Drop it. You will now take orders from Parthney."
"Very well. I'm on my way."
Gwyned broke the connection and said to Parthney, "I need to get back to work. When you have a general understanding of Earth history we'll meet again and I'll answer your question about life on Earth." She went off down the path without waiting for Parthney to say anything. For ten minutes Parthney wandered around the house, puzzled and almost infuriated by Gwyned's pushy behavior and the way she had treated him.
In the library Parthney found a message from Leymaygn instructing him to work on his reading. Parthney activated a training program that was designed to familiarize a student with the fundamentals of the ancient Buld language that had originated with the crews of the first Buld spaceships in a time lost far in the past before a written version of the language was developed.
Parthney was just starting to stuggle with the odd grammar of the old Buld language when Syon arrived. Parthney looked up from the computer display and gazed appreciatively at Syon. Finally he found his voice, "You're a buld robot?"
Syon nodded and replied, "Gwyned adjusted my body to give me a human form."
Parthney asked, "And you'll do anything that I ask you to do?"
Syon rather robotically said, "Leymaygn would prefer that you do your own chores, but I'll do what you tell me to do."
Parthney laughed. "Wonderful! To start, sit down here with me an help me learn this language. Let's speak it to each other." For a moment Parthney watched the rather clumsy movements of the robot.
Syon pulled up a chair and immediately demonstrated familiarity with the old Buld language. Parthney was puzzled by the robot's odd mixture of skills and deficiencies. "How do I speak to you? You look like a woman, but I know you are a machine. Must I call you 'thon'?"
Syon's head turned and her eyes seemed to slowly scan his face with inhuman attention to detail. "I'm used to Gwyned refering to me as "she". If you want me to function as a human female then when I am with you I will simulate the pattern of behavior that I have learned from Gwyned."
Parthney wondered why Syon seemed to have excellent control of her fingers and speech while being rather clumsy in her bodily movements. "Fine. Now read this paragraph and help me understand it."
While Parthney and Syon worked through the details of the ancient Buld language, Leymaygn monitored their progress. Satisfied that Partthney was making progress, thon decided to report to Pla'mak.
Leymaygn opened a communications channel to Pla'mak who seemed surprised to be contacted, "Ah, Leymaygn, calling so soon?"
Leymaygn explained, "Parthney is diverging from the training schedule. Gwyned has already managed to disrupt our plans."
Pla'mak complained, "Gwyned needs to be restrained. What has she done now?"
"She gave Parthney a robot."
"Ug. He must learn to take care of himself under the primitive conditions of Earth. You can't let him grow dependent on robotic servants."
"I know, but for now I'm not going to interfere. Syon seems to work well with Parthney, particularly for language learning."
"Syon?"
"She's one of Gwyned's robots."
"She?"
"Gwyned modified some of the robots...made them over to have human-like physical features."
"Really? How did she do that?"
"I'm not sure, but Gwyned is a technical wizard. She's very good with anything mechanical."
"How is Parthney adjusting to Lendhalen?"
"I'll send you my report at the end of the week, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how quickly his brain adjusted after I deprived him of his nanites. His brain tissue showed no ill effects of anite deprivation."
"None?"
"Absolutely none. I was very pleased."
"Hmm...that's unpresidented. I might have said that it is impossible. But you are sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Well, keep doing the scans. Maybe he's having an unusually slow reaction to nanite deprivation. Parthney does not seem to have the quickest wit."
"Don't be decieved. He's a Thomas clone, through and through."
"And yet his behavior constantly diverges from our expectations. Why must this happen, just when the Buld are about to reach Earth?"
Leymaygn suggested, "It would be safest to keep Parthney away from Gwyned."
Pla'kau said, "Don't worry. Even if Gwyned is a technical genius, she's not going to learn anything useful about nanite technology. Let her teach nuclear physics to Parthney if she wants to...the Earthlings are moving ahead in that area without any help from Gwyned. I look forward to your report."
Pla'kau cut the communications channel into the part of Lendhalen that now held Parthney. Pla'kau, Vozgrow, Pla'mak and the entire executive staff inhabited a smaller adjacent part of Lendhalen. Pla'kau thought about Pla'mak. Under the terms of their agreement, Pla'mak should be informed about Leymaygn's unscheduled communication. Pla'kau got up from thons workstation and strolled out into the central lounge area. Pla'kau was there, sprawled across a cauch and talking to Vozgwow, whose image covered a wall. Vozgwo noticed Pla'hau and said, "We're discussing Kach."
Pla'kau asked, "What about her?"
Pla'mak rolled over and looked up at Pla'kau. "She still has not filed her report on Parthney. We don't know if she was successful in her scheme."
Pla'kau shrgged and sat down next to Pla'mak. "I don't care, and it's none of your concern. We need to keep our attention on Parthney, and I just got a report from Leymaygn?"
Pla'mak sat up and asked, "Leymaygn reported directly to you?"
"A special report. Parthney has dropped out of the training schedule that you devized."
Pla'mak asked in dismay, "Already?"
"I told you it was unrealistic."
Pla'mak demanded. "What happened?"
"Parthney is studying the old Buld language with a robot. Leymaygn continues to monitor."
With a bit of hysteria in thons voice, Pla'mak asked, "A robot? Is that possible?"
"We'll find out. This is unpresidented. Leymaygn has always been the one who taught all the other Thomas clones how to communicate with other agents on Earth."
Vozgrow spoke calmly. "I'm not concerned. I still doubt that Parthney will ever go to Earth."
Pla'kau said, "No, he must go."
Vozgrow said, "I believe that Deomede might be the last Interventionist agent on Earth. I've been thinking about Yandrey's report and looking over the data on Reginal and Sophis. It looks like the pek really tried to keep Parthney on Hemmal."
Pla'mak shook thon's head. "I don't agree with that assessment. I stand by my plan to have Parthney bring knowledge of hierions to Earth."
Pla'kau shook thons head. "And again, I must say that I find that plan absurd and comletely objectionable. Anyhow, you don't know anything about hierions."
Pla'mak and Pla'kau were both tired of arguing about hierions. "We know that they exist. That fact alone would stimulate and guide new physics research on Earth, if the Earthlings knew."
Vozgrow suggested, "You could test that idea, experimentally."
Pla'mak looked over thon's shouldr at the projected image of Vozgrow. "What do you mean?"
"We have an experimental test subject. We could tell Gwyned about the existence of hierions."
Pla'mak asked, "What good would that do? She's just one girl, isolated from the reseaarch facilities of Earth."
Vozgrow lauhged. "How can I guess what might happen? But it is an idea...if we performed the experiment then we would find out how on Earthling reacts to knowledge of hierions."
Pla'kau objected, "This is insane. The Earthlings are trying to destroy themselves with nuclear bombs and you want to push them more quickly towards deeper understanding of physics. No. Absolutely no!" Pla'kau turned and stormed back to thons workshop.
Vozgrow said, "I tell you, Pla'kau, think about the hierion idea. You're wasting your time if you train Parthney in nucleonics. By the time he reaches Earth, anththing Gwyned teaches him about fusion will be obsolete." The display screen went dark.
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Contents
Exode is copyright John Schmidt, but the text of the story is licensed for sharing under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license. 
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