THE BURIAL SPACE WAS APTLY NAMED. IT HAD TAKEN THEM TWO SOLAR DAYS TO GET HERE, BUT THEY ARRIVED AT LAST.
The Twixt Far Stars made its way slowly through the golden nebula, past the hulks of dead or dying Leviathans.
So far, only females, which Shee'ladahalia had rejected. The grafts had to be of a specific type and female neural tissue would not reconnect properly.
Talyn would also acquire some of the character traits of the donor, and if they were fortunate, it would be nothing but beneficial.
"So – how does one sex a Leviathan?" Crais asked her, as she bent over the scanner setup.
"Like many species," she said, not looking up. "Often times the males are larger than the females – so it is with Leviathans. Your adult for example – Moya – she's is very likely quite long and sleek, no? Golden?"
"Yes."
"Males are as long, wider, more strongly built up front. They tend to be of darker hues than the females, and go silver in their senior cycles. Females don't. In the wild, unfettered Leviathan males charge one another in the rut."
"That must be quite the spectacle."
Sheila looked up finally, at him.
"It can be. Male rut often takes place over planets – the object of one is to drive the other into an atmosphere. The fights can spiral down almost to the surface – the loser can, at times, be driven into the ground. They don't, normally, ever go down to a planet's surface. Sometimes the loser dies there."
Crais sat near her as she went back to the scanner.
"May I ask – do Ashkelon or Kia'Baa'ri use Leviathans as transport?"
"The Ashkelon do, yes. In some ways you and they are similar. The Ashkelon at times genetically modify Leviathan offspring. Usually to increase their cargo space or carrying capacity. Nothing like Talyn. The Kia'Baa'ri have had a partnership with Leviathans for nearly ten thousand cycles. We would never use coercion on them."
"Like Peacekeepers."
She nodded, looked up at him.
"Yes. I should inform you that I do not like Peacekeepers, Captain Crais. Even ex-ones."
"That is your prerogative, of course. I have no concern other than Talyn."
"As well you should, seeing as you are chiefly responsible for his creation."
"I do not deny that. I did what I had been commanded to do."
Shee'ladahalia snorted in derision.
"Only obeying orders. How convenient."
Crais simply looked at her calmly, apparently unconcerned with her disregard.
"This other Leviathan – Moya – what of her?"
Crais shifted in his seat.
"I am also responsible for her, in a way. I ordered the death of her first Pilot and its replacement. I used her as both a prison transport and experimental vessel. She is Talyn's mother." Shee'ladahalia looked shocked by his candour. "The people I travel with are those ex-prisoners."
"Astonishing."
"I agree."
Shee'ladahalia bent back to her scanner.
"May I assume the upgrades were not your idea?"
"No, they were Crichton's idea – although I had been searching for some means for Talyn."
"Why is an outlaw like Crichton so concerned about a Leviathan? Most Sebaceans consider them mere expendable beasts of burden." Her disdain for that she did not bother to hide.
"Crichton is not a Sebacean. He considers the Leviathans his friends. He's a Human and apparently Humans have levels of empathy many would find… odd. I asked him once and he told me, 'When you encounter beings as selfless as they are, you can't help but care about them' – I believe he feels he owes them… something." He seemed to think for a moment. "He's right, of course, as I am beginning to understand." He lapsed into silence.
Sheila looked at him anew, apparently reappraising him.
"That's very enlightened."
"I am also trying."
A small smile flitted across his face.
The scanner beeped and Shee'ladahalia bent back to it. Crais rose, said over her shoulder –
"Have you found something?"
"Yes… a male… about a forty thousand motras directly ahead." She checked again. "I'll send the coordinates forward."
Crais just nodded, his anxiety building. He asked the Kia'Baa'ri, as she passed by him on her way to the command, "Is this one alive or dead?"
"Alive. Barely. He is very old," came the reply. "We'll have to go in Treblinside. His Hammonside hanger is closed. It looks like a major failure from what I can scan – at least a third of this Leviathan on that side is in vacuum." She sniffed. "He even has cargo remaining. It appears to be standard ship maintenance equipment. Useless to us."
"We will have to ask for the tissue," Crais said with some apprehension.
Shee'ladahalia nodded, as if it should have been something to which there had never been any question.
"Yes, of course we will."
"I'm not very good at asking for anything." Crais said as he followed her forward. Yet another snort of derision answered him, and Crais sensed that, no matter how long this took, it would be too long.
PERMISSION TO BOARD WAS GIVEN, AND THEY WERE SOON IN THE DEN.
Shee'ladahalia had explained their need to the Pilot. She told her about Talyn, what he was, what he required. The Pilot was also very old, and both herself and Elack, the Leviathan they were currently on, were near death.
Crais had asked about them, had learned some of their history. Both had been joined all of their lives, had sired six offspring and had always been free. Elack was, like all of his kind, gentle and had learned much in his travels.
"This is a most unusual request," Pilot said, her voice quavering.
"I know what it sounds like," Shee'ladahalia said, standing close to the console. The others remained by the entrance to the Den. "But our Leviathan is just a youngling and he desperately needs this graft."
"You could just take it." She said, looking at Crais with the doe-eyes all Pilots seemed to possess. She knew a Peacekeeper when she saw one.
"We would not, Pilot. I am Kia'Baa'ri. You know of us. It is your decision – yours and Elack's, as always."
"If we refuse?"
"Then we shall leave, without trouble, instantly, upon your word."
Pilot closed her eyes, a few moments went by, and Elack rumbled.
She opened her eyes, looked at Shee'ladahalia, at the people behind them.
"Do you know what neural tissue it is exactly that you will require?" She asked.
Shee'ladahalia waved a tech forward. He had the list she had compiled of connections, what they were, where they were found. He handed it to her and she read it off to Pilot.
Pilot nodded when she was finished, said, "You realize that Elack's own personality will be integrated into this Talyn's?"
"Yes, we know. Our hope is that Elack's wisdom and maturity will help him." She cast a sidelong glance at Crais. "He needs such."
Elack rumbled again and Pilot "listened", looked back at him.
"Elack… consents."
"Thank you, Pilot." She turned, looked around. "Thank you, Elack." She was answered with a rumble. "We'll be as gentle as possible."
"We are dying," she told him. "Many of Elack's senses have dulled considerably. He will feel no pain, I assure you."
"I'm glad." Shee'ladahalia turned to her small army of techs. "Get started."
With a measured precision and determined purpose, they filed out.
"I would like to observe the process, if I may." Crais asked her. She looked at him for a moment, nodded. He left with them.
"I am sorry," Pilot said to him. "But I am very tired, I must sleep, very tired…"
"You go right ahead, Pilot. Thank you again." She nodded, and was very quickly unconscious.
Shee'ladahalia looked at her a moment longer, turned and left to join the tech team.
If she had waited a moment longer, she might have noticed Pilot's proximity board light up, and tracking sensors lock on to an approaching object.
Pilot could have told her, but she was asleep.
