Queen's Quest

Chapter 4

Chapter Four Queen's Quest

Jina certainly gave us a lot to think about; strangely, I thought she was probably right. During the following "day," I "spoke" with Fashar about it. Since our minds weren't entirely focused on each other, Gravin was able to pick up on the conversation as well though not Gretchen. Being human, she had to make a concerted effort to transmit her thoughts telepathically or Fashar concentrating strictly on her mind alone. But since we were just casually speaking in our minds she picked up none of the conversation.

"Oh I think you're tight Commander," replied Fashar, "There are things we pixies know as well, but taken individually, these little tidbits of information don't mean a whole lot. However, when you add them together with the sort of things Jina told us they start to make sense. For example it was only when she told us about that ruined castle…I believe its name is Alfheimr. There is an ancient pixie legend that speaks of a sanctuary called Alfheimr; I'm willing to bet that castle is it." Gravin then weighed in.

"I have read of this place Fashar, I've seen texts that mention that name, although the spelling is a bit different it's pronounced simply 'Alfheim" in old Elvin. When I first became interested in early Elvin mythology and lore, I was privileged to peruse a text so old each page had been photographed. Unfortunately, whoever did the work wasn't very good, as a lot of the pages were fuzzy, and unreadable, most of it you had to surmise. However certain words do appear, words that have no modern counterpart, I have copies of all this on a data crystal should it become necessary to confirm something."

That evening it was Gretchen's turn, Jina wanted to know more about humans as well as the planet Pyrra.

"How did you find yourself involved in this endeavor," she asked.

"My mother and brother were killed in an accident when I was ten," related Gretchen.

"Father was so grief stricken he never married again. He also owned a small machine shop, which was our sole means of support. With no other options, I went to work in that shop. Starting with sweeping, then learning how to operate a drill press. For some reason mathematics came naturally to me, I stuck with it eventually learning every machine in the place. By the time I graduated from senior level I could take a project, blueprint it carry it clear through every stage of production to the finished result. This naturally led to interest in inventing things. Ever see a pair of slip joint pliers, or vice grips? I invented those, also the air clutch now used in every CNC machine on Pyrra as well as elsewhere."

I chuckled,

"I'll bet that made you a little money?" Gretchen laughed.

The vice grips and the air clutch did, not so much for the slip joint pliers, but it certainly put my father and I in a much better position. It afforded me the opportunity to attend college, or in my case engineering school. I was one year away from graduation when Captain Demlin and Queen Maguire encountered the Morda. Suddenly everything changed overnight."

Gretchen got up to pour herself another beer, then resumed her story.

"When our two planets drew closer, I spotted opportunity. I had a friend whose father worked in the foreign office, she put in a good word for me, I put in for study at the university in Dros Del Noch I was desperate to learn astral engineering. I studied Dwarven as well as Elvin day and night; I had no personal life just studying my ass off. It paid off, as I passed the exam in the top percentile.

I joined the Pyrrian navy attending officer's candidate school I was picked to be part of the second class of humans serving with the Issethian navy. Somebody obviously likes my work so here I am. And I have to say it's all been worth it."

"Did you get much guff from the dwarves," asked Gravin. Gretchen shrugged,

"Oh a little at first, but I think they were as interested in me as much as I was interested in them. Shortly after I arrived at the university, not having any friends I was moping around one weekend I went over to the metallurgy department and started fooling around in one of the forges. I'm sure you all know how touchy the dwarves are about their forges." We all laughed at that knowing full well what she meant.

On my way to Dros Del Noch, I stopped off in Bal Sara and toured the national museum there. One of the swords they had was an ancient design called a: Hawks beak."

"Ah yes," replied Gravin, "it's a very traditional Elvin design."

"Well anyway I admired its simplicity and design, but they are full sized knives and I wanted something a little smaller and more compact so I designed one with a finger ring I started to work the metal in the forge. I soon had company a bunch of mean looking dwarves who didn't appreciate a human female screwing around in THEIR forge. They demanded to know what I was doing, so I told 'em. They were ready to toss me out but I did a lot of talking so they grudgingly let me stay. They watched me like a hawk, didn't say a word, just stood there watching me. I worked the steel, folded it hammered it out, folded it again, hammered it out, did it ten times all told these guys just watched never saying a word. When I slowly quenched the blade by dripping oil on it, a drop at a time they started to talk among themselves. By now it was late and I wanted to go back to my dormitory and get some sleep but they wouldn't let me I was in that damn forge until three in the morning working that knife. I honed it sharpened it to a razor's edge then wrapped the handle with leather cord. When I was done they all looked at it and I do mean looked at it. Even then, they never said a friggen word, just handed it back to me and left. Two days later, I was called into the registrars office there was a very distinguished Dwarf there who demanded to look at my knife. After I handed it to him he photographed it, drew out a diagram of it mic'ed it, handed it back and asked me if I wanted to patent it. I said "Sure, why not!" Gretchen grinned and reached around behind her and pulled a palm sized "Hawk's Beak" out and showed it to us.

"This is what all the fuss was about, and I got to tell you this little thing has paid for my education three times over." She showed us how the knife was held, grasped in the hand with the pinky finger wrapped through the ring at the bottom of the curved handle. We all examined the ingenious blade; it was indeed shaped like a hawk's beak razor sharp coming to an incredible point. The curved blade had three holes in it each one slightly larger than the next.

"Those are to cut down the weight, the handle has them as well but the leather cord hides them this blade will cut to the bone with just a swipe." Just looking at that blade, I could believe it. Gravin examined it very closely,

"Absolutely marvelous, Lieutenant simple, light, and deadly. One visit to our museum and you have captured the essence of Elvin heritage and simplicity of design, Lieutenant, I am truly impressed."

"So what happened after those guys left?" asked Jina

Gretchen chuckled,

"Doors opened for me, all the rough edges were smoothed over I suddenly had friends I never knew I had. After that, whenever I was stressed out I'd go over to the forge and make something. Sometimes others would join me I eventually got to know quite a few of them, I made some lasting friendships back there."

One of the things we had a little fun with on our long voyage was the ship's AI or artificial intelligence. It took a physical form as a hologram standing before us a dark elf named n'nish. Fashar, Gravin as well as myself were familiar with this new technology Gretchen was a bit taken back at first, but quickly accepted the whole concept with much enthusiasm. One of the customizing features available to us was the ability to change n'nish to someone or something more suited to our tastes. And so the debate raged, Gravin suggested an attractive female, Fashar wanted a female pixie, Gretchen didn't care, and I was trying to make up my mind. Jina then offered her old nemesis Mynce.

""Why would you want someone who hated you?" We asked her.

"Mynce had a rather unusual personality," replied Jina, I've thought about her a lot since I killed her I think now she was immature and sent into the Cantard before she was ready to deal with things got turned, and ended up the way she was. It's quite possible those other two witches seduced her to evil, I would like to create our AI in her image and personality in her honor."

"Would she be hostile to us or interfere with the ships operation," inquired Gretchen.

"No," I replied, the computer's protocols would prevent this; all the character change would be is a "skin" change. n'nish is just a default character type, perhaps he's a real person, maybe the original programmer perhaps someone's lover…Who knows. How about we give Mynce a trial run and vote sometime in the next few days, if nobody likes her we'll change to something else." Everybody agreed with that so Jina went to her cabin where she placed sensors on the temporal portion of her skull as well as her forehead then lay down and induced herself to sleep. It was very odd to see the figure of n'nish standing next to her bed, but I had instructed him to open a special program that recorded every thought Jina could conjure up about Mynce. I then asked n'nish,

"How long will this take?"

"Precisely six hours Commander, as the data is collected any counterproductive or destructive thoughts will be purged or cleansed."

"Very well, carry on.

Jina continued to sleep when n'nish announced the "downloading" was complete. It took another five minutes for the AI to re-morph as Mynce and what we got…Well let us just say, our new AI was quite unique indeed. Mynce appeared to us dressed in black leather, high boots a tight leather bustier, black gloves. Her hair was black and very short like Fashar's. She was attractive in her own way but the holograph image wasn't like a picture it looked as though her profession was taking its toll.

"Hello Mynce," I said addressing the AI. I could see a definite scowl on her face as she replied.

I don't know who you are but it looks like I have to obey your commands, I won't like it but I will excite all commands." I tested her further and she did everything I and Gravin asked of her. She could even register Fashar's thoughts but he told me,

"This lady has a real attitude going commander yet I detect a note of curiosity to her responses perhaps she was disposed towards pixies in her life." Mynce then asked permission to speak.

"Of course Mynce," I replied, you don't need my permission to speak."

"Is this the afterlife?" Gravin, and Gretchen looked at me with curious looks I picked up on Mynce's question as well.

"What makes you think you're in the afterlife Mynce," I cautiously asked. The AI seemed to be struggling with itself, just when I started to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea Mynce replied.

"The last thing I remember I was fighting with that other witch when she pulled a knife on me. It must have been enchanted because she just barely nicked me, the next thing I know I'm in this place, I have no idea who you are. A part of me wants to kill you all but for some reason I cannot seem to do this. It's strange, but I have this strange desire to perform all your commands without question…Very odd indeed." This was very strange, although I'd never been involved with the transferring of someone else's persona into an AI, I had never heard of one behaving like this. The Mynce we were speaking to was merely a re-configured AI, this thing was behaving as if Mynce's soul had been captured and was now living in our ship's computer, this was not good. I then asked,

"Mynce, do you know the name of the witch who…Ah, killed you?"

"No I do not she was in company with a stupid ogre named Groot my sisters and I enchanted to do our bidding, but that b***h broke the spell and went on to kill my friends."

"Are you angry at this other witch?" I asked. The AI didn't respond for a long time, we started to think something was wrong when Mynce replied in a less combative tone of voice.

"I don't know, It seems like I should be, after all she took my life…" Just then, Jina entered, Mynce said,

"You!" Jina stopped and looked at us then at the holograph.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you Mynce, but you had turned and were trying to kill me, you turned Groot against me as well." Again, the AI hesitated,

"Yes…I did these things and now I am sorry for that, it would appear that I am caught in some spiritual netherworld destined to pay penance for the evil I practiced." Jina looked at me with a puzzled look, at which I could only shrug. She then addressed the holograph again.

"Why did you do these bad things Mynce." Again a long silence.

"Because I was weak I thought I was ready but the one who called herself the Ilsewitch seduced me and poisoned my mind. I became her thrall…You…You released me from my bondage, and for that, I thank you. Jina looked more confused than ever, she then asked another question,

"Mynce, what can you remember?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean how far back do your memories take you?" Again, more silence.

"I'm little, I'm sitting on my mother's lap she's reading to me, I-I-think it's my birthday, wait! There's popa he's smiling at me, what's this, he's giving me a dollie, I lost my other dollie, this is a better one I will name it Besh." Jina looked at me and indicated we should follow her. Leading us to the sick bay she closed the door, and announced,

"Mynce security mode please."

"Security mode enabled."

Jina looked at all of us and in a low voice said,

"This is absolutely incredible my experience with the transfer of persona to a computer is extremely limited but I've never heard of this, somehow the transfer program has picked up Mynce's whole persona her soul as it were, but the only thing it had to draw on was my memories, I wasn't even aware of the other witches' name. How can this be?"

"I don't know," I replied, but we'd better document everything, perhaps this wasn't such a good idea, maybe we'd better reverse this?"

"No,"replied Jina, "Wait, let's investigate this phenomenon a little further, she obviously can't do harm perhaps it's because we were both witches, then again it could be that dagger I found I could feel it's enchantment, but that was all, very strange indeed."