Tieria stood in the middle of his absurdly large master bedroom and stared at the walls. So vast it was that it took quite some time to run his eyes over the whole expanse and that was just a room in one of his sprawling quarters. He hesitated for a moment before approaching a section close to the bed. He gingerly touched the curved surface as if he expected it to burn him.
Tieria found himself looked behind his shoulder. It was absurd, if he was being filmed- which he had good reasons to suspect- then a shifty attitude only made him look more suspicious. But he could not help it.
Ever since returning from the temple, Tieria had been thinking about what Regene had told him about secret passages for exclusive Innovator usage. Could such a passage be concealed in his quarters? Once the thought had taken hold, it would not go away and now here he was, gently tapping around the room as if that would help.
He tried to think back to the many days he had wasted away in a stultifying stupor. It was not rare for him to wake up and there Regene would be. It would be just Regene to use a secret passage even when there was no actual need for one as he could just waltz into Tieria's quarters whenever he saw fit.
Tieria was not likely to ever locate a passage if it did exist. It would not be featured in any official blueprint, of this he had no doubt. And even if he did find out, there was precious little he could do about it. But just knowing, for sure, would be better than this uncertainty. Yet he suspected that if he were to ask Regene point blank, he would answer truthfully. Somehow, that did not feel like a good idea. For starters, Tieria did not want to give the impression he distrusted Regene. But even more importantly, he was loath to give Regene ideas. If there were no secret passages now, there would surely be some if he were to ask about them.
On top this suspicion, Tieria was missing Regene. A few days had passed since Ribbons's birthday and Ribbons had kept his distance since then. Probably trying to adapt to all that happened and process it properly. Tieria did not at all minded it, he had had enough of Ribbons to last him a long time. But he expected Regene to drop by, especially after Tieria's sojourn among humans but Regene too had been a no show. And this hurt. More than Tieria expected it would. The sense of dependency that followed was hardly comforting either, it did, however, keep him from seeking out Regene himself. Tieria would rather not have to accept that he needed Regene like this even though he knew all too well that denial would only cause him greater suffering in the long run.
All of a sudden, it was all too much. The walls, for all their enfolding wide spaces, seemed to be closing in. Tieria could not bear another moment in this room, his very quarters were closing in on him. He changed in a flash into what he was coming to think as his 'city clothes', that he had worn to the colony, and was standing on the corridor in a blink of an eye. Tieria had picked up this ability to change at lightning speed at Celestial Being, it was one of those quirks that civilians never associated with the military yet were essential to the daily grind. There was no time to calmly remove and put on clothes when under attack or about to sortie.
Tieria shook his head, forcibly. He did not want to be thinking about this. Almost immediately he knew where he wanted to go. The fabled secret passages were untraceable but the compound's glossy surface rested on a whole infrastructure of machinery that kept it going. This section, extremely large and running the whole of the sprawling edifice, was contemplated in the blueprints and Tieria had no trouble locating it.
He followed part of the route to the human quarters, taking a narrow alleyway leading to a hatch on the floor. At this point, Tieria hesitated. He was not sure if he was allowed to even be here. There were signs to that effect, 'authorized personnel only', but then again, as an Innovator, he should qualify. The idea of asking Ribbons for permission made him feel sick to his stomach. Tieria rejected it out of hand and that, more than anything, decided the matter to him.
He half expected the hatch to be locked but it was not. Tieria stepped down a long metallic ladder, the humming, soothing sound of precise machinery becoming more involving as he went down. At the bottom he found a suspended walkway of intricately laced metalwork running in both directions, to his left and right, intersecting in the distance with others. Above and underneath, banks of machines ran the whole length of Tieria's line of sight. Fans whirled behind grids, pipes nestled, flowed, gathered into sealed sections. There were huge tanks raising from the depths and topping the ceiling.
It was so intensely familiar that Tieria was entirely at a loss. He used to join the maintenance crew at he Ptolomeios and spent long hours going through the underbelly of the ship where he was not likely to run into his teammates. There were always machines to check, calibrations to confirm, the very mundane yet beautiful hardware of uncompromising, solid technology.
Tieria was so enthralled and lost in reverie that he failed to hear the din of work boots quickly marching in his direction.
"Hey, you! How many times have I told you guys to wear helmets! And step back, do you want to get yourself killed?! Oh!"
The man had started his harangue as soon as he spotted someone leaning from the railing and nearly ran in their direction. Only now did he see who it was and the recognition knocked all air from his lungs, his voice snapped shut with shock. An Innovator. Here. Of all places.
Tieria had leaned over in order to get a better handle on what he was seeing and he was matching it to the blueprint when he became aware he was not alone. He was almost as startled as the human and spun around to face him before cutting off his Veda connection. The golden moving light in his eyes undid whatever self-control the man had managed to cling to thus far. He fell to his knees, hard, on the metal floor- Tieria winced at the clanging, that must hurt- his voice back in a blubbering mess.
"Master Innovator- please forgive me, I didn't know- if I'd known- if You could find it in Your heart to extend mercy to,"
"At ease."
It occurred to Tieria that this fellow was unsure whether he was dealing with him or with Regene and thus defaulted to 'Master Innovator'. Tieria, in his turn, defaulted to military etiquette that the man did not understand. But it did the job, at least it cut the stream of blabbered apologies. Tieria spoke again.
"Do get up, please. It was entirely my fault. I had no business just barging in here without a warning."
The man obeyed, tentatively. But he still looked absolutely terrified. Such stark, naked, abject fear depressed Tieria more than he could ever express. He had not expected to find humans down here.
"I am most undeserving,"
The problem with this kind of ritualistic exchange, or at least the problem that concerned Tieria at the moment, was that it sabotaged communication. Instead of saying anything of import, precious time was lost bandying forth 'most undeserving' and the like. Then again, there was a chance this human did believe he was undeserving.
"Anyway, I'm Tieria Erde. To whom am I speaking?"
The man's eyes darted madly. Only with visible effort did he look Tieria in the eye. And it suddenly hit Tieria: one of the reasons why humans were so keen to drop to their knees before an Innovator was because eye contact made them extremely nervous. Beyond the indoctrination and to a degree very much an effect of it, there was an awareness of something alien staring back at them.
"Vashit, Ian Vashti."
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ian Vashti. Now, where can I find a helmet?"
Tieria tried one of his ingratiating smiles. It was something he had worked at very hard for undercover missions in civilian settings. To Tieria's surprise, it had worked remarkably well, even people who should know better lowering their defenses as soon as they were confronted with such a pretty, smiley, boy (or was it a girl, they often were unsure). And it worked now too. Ian relaxed if only slightly and immediately busied himself producing a helmet from a utility closet.
"I'm afraid this is all we have, Master Tieria."
Tieria adjusted a too big helmet, carefully clipping the strap under his chin.
"It will do just fine, thanks. It was my fault for not wearing a helmet in the first place. The hatch was not locked and before I knew it, here I was."
Tieria tried another smile.
"All hatches and doors open automatically for Innovators."
Now this was a terrible idea. Tieria would have to have a word with Ribbons about it. He could all too well imagine Revive getting bored enough to explore the usually unseen underbelly of the compound and inadvertently pushing a button that sent it all to kingdom come. But that was a matter for another day, Tieria was surely supposed to have known that he had free access to this area. Playing God was such a chore.
Ian looked somewhat unsure of what to do.
"Could you show me around, if you're not too busy?"
"Of course. I'm the section chief, it would be an honor."
Tieria followed Ian very eagerly. It turned out they were in one of the many cooling subsystems, as Tieria had garnered from the blueprints, which banks of fans in synchronized rotation they encountered on their tour. Tieria found them fascinating, along with the tanks that held refrigerated liquid, circulating around the structures along a complex network of vein-like tubes. Tieria wanted to climb to the top of one in order to see precisely what system was employed to keep the liquid at the proper temperature but Ian was having none of that. "Master Tieria, it is too dangerous."
Tieria was already halfway up the spiral stairway. He spoke without turning back.
"I spent years tinkering in this kind of environment. Don't worry."
With that said, Tieria did not stay as long as he would have liked studying the massive paddles that were visible through the transparent tank roofs. After all, if he were to as much as trip and Regene or Ribbons were to find out, Ian might be in serious trouble. That he would heal right away did not even matter. "This place is absolutely amazing! Do you mind if I see your rest area?"
Ian was very relieved that Tieria had climbed down. But he had a moment of hesitation.
"Of course, Master Tieria- it's only that it's very humble and not worthy of Your Highness."
"I was in the military, I am very familiar with close quarters."
Maybe Tieria should not have been saying all this. After all, it contradicted the godly background Regene had taken such pains to come up with. More importantly, it could cause all sorts of problems for Ian.
Ian led him to a room that was both cozy and efficient, a combination that Tieria greatly appreciated. The stripped down furniture, consisting of a functional table around which a bench was provided so as to serve both as a workstation and a communal nook for meals, along with the switches and screens from which the crew could keep track of what was going on even during breaks, all was a stark contrast to elaborate aesthetics of ostentation in the compound proper.
Ian must have taken his appreciative silence for something else entirely because he now busied himself around the table, clearly at a loss.
"We have nothing to serve You,"
"How about whatever you have around? Tea, coffee. Anything will do."
Tieria smiled his best smile anew. He made a mental note to wear his glasses next time. While he had picked them originally for a different reason altogether, glasses were simply a practical way of protecting the eyes from debris and the like, it turned out to have other uses he had never envisioned. Glasses were a sign of human frailty and humans, who on some level felt something was off with Innovators in general, were reassured on some level. After all, a "designer child", the term Tieria had overheard Sumeragi once use to describe him, should have perfect vision and not require any kind of aid in seeing better.
Ian still looked rather uncertain but he did produce a cup that he then proceeded to only wash in the very small sink that was placed in just the right way to maximize the space available as he actually disinfected it.
"There's no need for that, I'm sure it's clean."
Ian shook his head.
"Ideally, Master Tieria should not be drinking from human utensils as it is. This is the least I can do."
Tieria would rather have this watered down tea than the rich stuff Ribbons had served him the other day. Once again Tieria considered how being a God was more a hindrance than anything else. Tieria was supposed to be almighty but could not even drink from a normal cup.
"Thank you. Will you be having yourself? It feels a bit lonely, drinking on my own."
"Of course, Master Tieria."
Tieria had flashed one of his best smiles but he now toned it down into what he hoped was entreating nicety and nothing more appealing. This because he noticed Ian blushing to the roots of his hair, busying himself with the tea as a way of avoiding eye contact. It occurred to Tieria that he was far too used to interacting with sexual partners, almost exclusively. He was too used to taking liberties, not precisely flirting, an art he had mastered only as far as it catered to Ribbons's very idiosyncratic ways, but that merged with a sexually overt environment in which any conversation, most gestures, and plenty of meals, could slide into some kind of sexual involvement.
And while Tieria was not paranoid like Ribbons, seeing every human as a would-be rapist out to rape Innovators if only they got the chance, he was all too aware that his kind did have quite an effect on humans. Already in his Celestial Being days this had become apparent to Tieria but centuries of propaganda, hyping Innovators as these icons of incomparable beauty, had surely only made things worse by orders of magnitude. The precise way in which sexual attraction interacted with the actual theology was something Tieria was keen to discuss with Regene. Because for all the clamoring of Tieria as a deity of chastity and purity, much of ritual was quite sensual and surely deliberately so. Nothing in the Innovator religion had been left to chance and Tieria knew Regene had gone to great lengths to tailor it. The dances, veils that did more to heighten the imagination than anything else, the very outfits attributed to Tieria that while not even remotely as provocative as the ones Ribbons dressed him allowed the skin to shine through the very fabric when actually exposed, all this conspired to create an image whose very ambiguity would at turns lull and fire up the libido.
"Do take a seat, Ian."
Taking care his next smile was calibrated to the utmost, safe friendliness, Tieria waved in the direction of the chair next to his. Ian hesitated. Tieria made a mental note to do more research into gods who freely mingled with humans and how they presented themselves. It might yet serve him.
Ian stood holding his newly brewed tea.
At length, Ian obeyed.
"It is an honor, Master Tieria."
It was one of those those honors that paralyzed those who received them.
"Tell me all about your section. How many people work here?"
"A hundred workers in this section."
"I'd love to meet them."
"That- I think they'd be- unprepared."
Tieria nearly sighed.
"All in due time."
Tieria tried another reassuring smile. This time around it seemed to work as Ian relaxed if only imperceptibly.
"Perhaps I could let them know of Master Tieria's visit?"
"That's a wonderful idea, please do."
Ian spoke into a phone, his voice booming in a hollow echo all over the structure.
"Er, attention all hands. Master Innovator Tieria Erde was kind enough so as to grace us with his divine presence. I expect you all to be on your best behavior. Over."
"Are you connected to Veda?"
"Veda…? I must confess my ignorance, Master Tieria."
Tieria glowed at this. If this were a standalone system- and by the looks of it, that was precisely what it was- then the opportunity here was full of potential. So thrilled at this was Tieria that he barely registered how tortured Ian's language had become.
"It's a standalone system? Your computers, I mean."
"Er, they are connected to a mainframe, they all are."
"Can I see, please?"
Ian produced a console from the wall.
"Everything can be access from here."
Tieria was already scanning it, eyes moving rapidly, fingers typing away. He nearly forgot Ian whose look of stunned dismay would surely have bothered him considerably.
"Like I thought, it's a standalone system. I can work this. Some loss of information but the computing speed is perfectly acceptable, I've handled worse. Can't connect to directly, though." Tieria turned to Ian. "I can help you run your computer systems more effectively. The electric grid can be reconnected to save on energy and I will need a detailed schematics of the cooling networks and the way they operate."
Ian stared agape. Whatever he expected, this was not it. Tieria was going to repeat his request when a loud pinging started in his mind and would not let go. He identified it as Hiling . Tieria was almost as taken aback as Ian had become. "Tch. I have to go, unfortunately."
Unfortunately for Tieria but Ian could not mask his relief.
"I will escort You, Master Tieria."
There was no need for that but Tieria did not bother telling him otherwise. It would consume too much time and the pinging only became louder and more intrusive by the second. Tieria sent Hiling a message to the effect of STOP THAT NOW but of course Hiling ignored it.
Tieria hurried down the metallic gangway. There were curious eyes peering at him from above and below, Tieria had the presence of mind to wave and smile but his heart was not in it. This was like having a phone inside one's head and being unable to turn it off.
As he was about to climb the ladder, something occurred to Tieria even through the din.
"You were a most gracious host. I will be back shortly and am planning to bring along a human child. If you could prepare for me helmets and boots to fit a 6 year old girl, I would be much obliged."
"Absolutely, Master Tieria. We all wish you the very best and will be awaiting Your divine visit again."
"Right. Thanks."
Tieria rushed up the ladder and only as he emerged into the corridor did the pinging stop. But it left an annoying ringing behind that Tieria could not shake loose. Tieria gritted his teeth once he spotted Hiling 's figure in the distance pacing back and forth by Tieria's quarters.
"What do you want?"
"Finally! Just where have you been? I've been waiting for ages!"
Hiling actually stomped. Tieria took a deep breath in order to relax. There was no point in allowing Hiling to upset him but then again there was no point in handling Hiling, at all. If it were Ribbons, Tieria could turn this- whatever this was- into an opportunity. But not so with Hiling. Still, there was not avoiding it.
"Just come in, then."
Tieria guided Hiling to the first antechamber, already a luxurious room but one in which he did not spend much time. It was fairly impersonal and hinted, very strongly, that Tieria was not about to admit Hiling into more intimate territory. Nor was he about to serve drinks or play the host. For one, Tieria had no patience for that and Hiling would not appreciate it anyway. In fact, Tieria was not even sure Hiling got the hint. Hiling perched herself on the proffered chair and glared at Tieria. "So? What do you want?"
Hiling looked away, a rapid glance that denoted nervousness. Now this was interesting. By the looks of it Hiling was not exactly thrilled to be here.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"What about?"
Tieria had a pretty good idea but it seemed that he would have to be the one to keep the conversation going lest Hiling froze in silent resentment or went back to storming at him. And while it was patently obvious what the answer would be, to the point Tieria had half a mind to repeat it along with Hiling, she hesitated, looked around again, squirmed on her seat, licked her lips and only then replied,
"Ribbons."
Tieria lifted an eyebrow.
"Great, let's just fail the Bechdel test."
Hiling jumped to her feet.
"Will you be serious! I need to talk to you, not chat about human stuff I don't understand!"
Tieria took the outburst in stride. He fully expected it. A mere shrug would do.
"Fine. So, what about our Dear Brother Ribbons Almark?"
Hiling took to pacing up and down. She spun around and seemed ready to berate him for the sarcasm but thought better at the very moment. Instead she kept a gloomy, defeated silence, eyes on the floor. Tieria waited.
"Look, it's like I want to be discussing this with you…"
"Then don't?"
"You don't understand! I don't have a choice!"
Tieria let a few more moments tick by in silence. He then leaned forward, very slightly, but enough to get Hiling 's attention: in the silent, static tableaux they formed any movement had the force of a jarring convulsion. When he next spoke his voice was tight with controlled authority.
"Right. This is how it's going to be, Hiling. You're the one who has come to me to talk, not the other way around. If you want to have this conversation then you'll behave. Is that understood?"
Hiling returned to her seat, sobered if not necessarily tamed. Tieria was a strong believer that in handling Hiling one needed to go for the firm, no frills approach one employed in the army. If there was an Innovator who was in need of military discipline, it was Hiling. Ironically, Hiling herself would probably agree as she missed soldiering on a deep level.
Tieria watched her gather up her courage. This was visibly difficult on her, perhaps even painful. At last, she made up her mind and the words came blurting out as if she feared regretting the whole thing.
"How do I make Ribbons like me?"
Tieria blinked. He expected something to this effect but hearing it out loud was still very odd. So much so that he did not know what to even say. But he had to say something or Hiling would erupt again. Already he could see her teetering on the edge.
"Why are you asking me?"
Hiling 's pent-up frustration collapsed on the spot. She slumped ever so slightly, sighing under her breath.
"I see the way he looks at you. And at the party…"
She petered out.
"What about the party?"
Tieria could not help egging her on. A part of him was genuinely happy at this development. Seeing Hiling this miserable filled him with a kind of wicked delight. She deserved this and so much more.
Hiling sighed anew.
"He left because of you."
Tieria fully expected it to have had an effect on everyone but that Hiling would seek him out like was not something he had contemplated.
"It's nothing new. I figured you'd be used to that kind of thing by now."
Hiling glowered at him, looking so much like her beloved Ribbons that Tieria nearly pointed it out to her.
"It's not usual for him to leave a party like that and spend the whole night with you."
Tieria thought this over. She was, of course, right.
"Are you telling me you want to have sex with Ribbons?"
Hiling hesitated.
"I- I don't know,"
"Well, if that's what you do want then I can give you some advice."
Hiling looked somewhat hopeful.
"What advice?"
"Wear something slinky. I got plenty of slinky outfits, feel free to pick one, or how many you'd like."
"That's not what I mean- do you think- why do you think Ribbons doesn't like me?"
It was Tieria's turn to hesitate.
"I'm sure he likes you."
Even as Tieria spoke the words, he doubted their veracity. Not only was Tieria not exactly sure Ribbons liked Hiling, he thought it quite doubtful. The look of distrust she shot him told him she did not believe him.
"Oh really? And what makes you think so?"
Tieria had absolutely no idea so he figured he might as well be honest about it.
"Look, I don't think Ribbons likes anyone other than himself."
At this Hiling shook her head forcibly.
"That's not true. Ribbons likes you- I can tell."
Tieria thought he was doing a great job at keeping it cool in what was clearly an idiotic conversation but he could not help bursting out laughing. In his mind he heard Regene going, "he like likes you, you know, 'like like'", in his singsong voice.
"Sorry- I'm not making fun of you but don't you think it's a bit ridiculous? Here we are, 'Innovators', the highest, most developed, intellectually advanced species ever to grace the universe and yet what do we do? Talk about whether Ribbons likes someone or not!"
Hiling looked indignant. Then deflated.
"It's just- none of them can help me with this,"
"Right. Well, I'm not sure I can help you but how about taking an interest in his hobbies?"
"Like what?"
"What do you know about classic sci-fi fiction?"
Hiling blinked.
"Nothing."
"Download this, and this, and this. Then prepare for some quality time with the great Ribbons Almark."
Tieria send her several files, include Dune and something on putting it in context. Hiling accepted them.
"Thanks. I'll get to it right away."
"Please do. But keep in mind, you don't want to be too robotic about it. No need to spout out detailed information about the book, the author, or anything like that. Ribbons prefers a more...organic approach."
"Organic approach...does that also apply to sex?"
Tieria shrugged.
"You got the whole of Veda at your disposal. I'm sure there is a lot on the subject."
Tieria had been poking around Veda in search of age appropriate means of introducing the topic of sex to Mileina. Ideally, he would wait until she was a bit mature. Educational material informed him that children as young as her could very well be introduced to very simple approaches to it but every single piece of information had been created with a different breed of human in mind. Namely, human children who lived in a society in which they were the ruling species. Mileina had been raised under very different pressures. To what extent this affected her was unclear but it very likely did so. Ideally Tieria would like to gather more intel before proceeding but he feared that the whole debacle with the aphrodisiac had given rise to all sorts of questions and doubts in her mind.
"There's nothing on Innovator sex. Just human sex."
Hiling was right. Tieria should have considered this.
"That's most definitely a gap in Veda's databank. There is hardly enough about us as it is."
Hiling nodded sullenly.
"It's really no help at all."
It was at this point that it occurred to Tieria that bridging this gap was about as worthy an endeavor as he and his kind could possibly engage in in this particular moment of history. Or "post-history" as Tieria tended to think of it. With no humanity to guide or even to counsel, it seemed they were all doomed to retreat into the triviality of "he like likes you" (again, Tieria heard Regene's voice) for an untold amount of time. If so, then a concentrated effort to define what- and who- Innovators were could very well be their own saving grace. And one that Tieria thought could be combined and perhaps even aid in his true vocation of returning humanity to its former luster. How these two were to intersect remains very murky. Tieria decided that Regene's point of view was what he needed.
"It's not terribly complicated. If you want to have sex with Ribbons then ask him."
Hiling bit her lower lip. It was such a human gesture that Tieria was almost moved.
"Do you think that my being female has anything to do with it?"
"No. I don't. That's about the one thing I can assure you of."
Hiling nodded, apparently relieved.
"I see. Well, that's at least something…"
Tieria wondered why Hiling did not simply switch sex if this bothered her so much. The procedure for Innovators was so easily done, too. Odds are it did not carry the complexities that attended similar procedures on humans. But perhaps for this very reason- Innovators did not precisely relate to constructions of gender or how they interacted with sex- none had felt it necessary to go through the procedure, as easy as it was. It was like keeping the default definitions to a machine.
Something told Tieria that Ribbons, if anything, would resent it if Hiling were to go take such a step as it would encroach into Ribbons's most sacred sense of unique, discrete, unrepeatable self. In theory, Ribbons might actually be thrilled at having someone whose body matched his but Ribbons's narcissist was not the kind to even admit anyone to match him.
"Whatever you do, just don't lose track of who you are. You're not just Ribbons's twin, you're an actual person."
Hiling granted him a watery smile.
"What's this, acting all wise all of a sudden?"
"You came to me asking for advice. That's my advice. Also, I got something for you."
Tieria brought a book from one of his bedroom and handed it to Hiling.
"For me?"
"Happy birthday, Hiling. If it's Ribbons's birthday then it's yours well."
Hiling turned the book in her hands.
"What's it about?"
"It's manga about humanoid Gems of varying degrees of hardness and their fight against Buddhist imagery weapons that come from the moon in order to harvest their materials. The Gems are sexless but tend to look female."
Hiling seemed quite interested.
"The outfits look familiar."
"I took them as inspiration. I doubt they make for good battle wear but have many other uses."
"I bet. Thanks, it looks great."
"Drop by for the rest of the volumes if you like it. And do not ping me if I'm not around. That's annoying to the extreme."
"Yeah, sorry about that."
This was the most gracious he had ever seen Hiling be. Would wonders ever cease.
