The inspiration for the great space planes of the Deep Space Service

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As the Hind of the Dawn approached the Rooster, Chris Alan marveled at the jade-green, Seraph-class Warrior. On the outside it was all business, a lethal weapon – and it had been customized from its composite frame up. But on the inside it showed great beauty, open spaces, generous living quarters, and plenty of hardware where it was needed. Yet for all of that, the crew complement was as large for the ship’s size as the ship’s stores were small. Whatever else the Rooster could do, it wasn’t equipped for long voyages out-of-Sphere. Even the Hind could stay out longer, much longer.

As Bakbuk and his party came to the bridge, they saw Wu Chin walking about with his hands behind his back. He was always involved with some aspect of his ship, yet not in a dictatorial way. He gave Chris Alan the feeling of a loving father; and those under him seemed loyal to the core. What an astonishing family atmosphere, and on a warship!

“This is different,” Cody Lonestar remarked. He picked up on another aspect of the crew’s behavior: their competence and self-discipline. “The mood’s not at all like that on the Hind. No offense.”

“None taken,” Chris Alan replied amiably; he’d long since stopped defending the peculiar strengths and weaknesses of being an Inspirer. “First guess: Wu Chin is a Giver, a benevolent mediator by nature. That’s rather rare for an Easterner of his rank; most such people are primarily introverted.”

“Correct, Chris Alan,” said Bakbuk. “Besides, Cody, we Fleetmen are accustomed to a more military feel than other Servicemen are.”

Presently the Admiral left the bridge through a side door. When he was gone, Bakbuk said, “Come, Chris Alan, the Admiral wants to meet with us two, and our Guardians with us. You others may go to your quarters.”

“Rank has its privileges, I guess,” Cody drawled, yet he didn’t exactly sound pleased.

“It’ll be all right, Cody,” said Chris Alan. “If the Admiral needs a rustler of sentient cattle with the mind of a Scientist and the skill of an old-school Ranger Assassin, I’m sure he’ll call on you.”

“Just so y’all don’t leave us out of the discussion entirely. You’re going to need my kind of talent before this is all over.” And with a wink at Chris Alan’s diplomatic quip, Cody led the others down the passage to the guest quarters.

The planning room was simply decorated, using sky-blue drapes and grass-green carpet. A round metal table with seven chairs was at the center of the room; Wu Chin and Amethyst Bellatrix were seated in two of the chairs. In the center of the table was a cradle for a Guardian, which was generating a three-dee map of the Cube (all 1,728 sectors of it) and the various Spheres of Influence within it. The Covenant Sphere and its out-of-Sphere Annexes were shaded in ruby red, and so was a single point of light in every other sector out-of-Sphere, each point duly labeled with the name of a star system.

Now that really is different, Chris Alan thought. What are those new points of light doing there?

“That is Wu Chin’s Guardian, Precious Bluewing,” Raphael explained quietly.

Wu Chin and Amethyst rose and bowed to the newcomers. “Blademaster Bakbuk, Captain Starbright, it’s good to see you two again,” Amethyst said more formally than usual.

“Thank you, Mistress Bellatrix. Captain Chris Alan Starbright of the Hind of the Dawn, Admiral,” Chris Alan replied with a bow of his own. Among Easterners, such a bow and the maintenance of eye contact were expected; unlike Westerners, Easterners didn’t shake hands.

“Bakbukiel, Western Blademaster Level Five, at your service, Admiral,” Bakbuk added with a bow.

“I am honored,” said the Admiral. ““You may all be seated; I am eager to engage the young one in talk.”

Chris Alan and Bakbuk took their seats. Chris Alan smiled to see Amethyst present; they would need her greatly. In a pinch indeed, Zoe could help the Hind go wherever it needed to go; but the ever-changing circumstances of this war were forcing a change of tactics. That much Chris Alan had gathered, when he and his companions had gone over the reports on activities out-of-Sphere. He was certain that the Admiral would’ve come to the same decision independently.

Wu Chin smiled; he looked young, as if in his late thirties, but the look in his eyes betrayed a much older age. He had a smooth face and long hair. Chris Alan raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, you marvel at my hair? Well, do not be shocked; I am under a vow made at the Temple of Light. I can drink no wine either at present. But by the time the Great Supper, Passover, has come, this will be all gone.” The Admiral placed the pony tail under a cap.

“What news do you have for us?” Bakbuk quickly got down to business.

“First, there is some good news,” the Admiral replied. “I had the idea of moving the Deep Space Stations (those not already within the Node Field or a Nodule Field) to uninhabited star systems. A Nodule could then protect each of those star systems, so that we could keep our forces in place out-of-Sphere and in readiness. Since the Nodules, like Nodus itself, are created by the Lord’s fiat, I had to petition Him to create sufficient Nodules for the task. He was pleased by the proposal, and so now there is a Nodule for every sector out-of-Sphere. The ships from our Four Wings and from our Treaty Power allies are retreating to the local Nodule Fields for the time being, where they’ll be safe from Elementals, Ayyah or anything else. The Ayyah will be forced to deal with this task force – and especially with our young Sijo and the Mistress of Time and Chance, here in this room.” Chris Alan and Autumn nodded.

“About a thousand additional Nodules,” Bakbuk remarked. “I’m impressed.”

“So am I. Now for the bad news: it looks very bad for all the Adamim living where protection is light or nil. These Ayyah have appeared at every weak point they can find. They then run over it in numbers, crushing all in their path by sheer force. The death toll would make you sick, let alone the sight of the bodies left floating in space or left in battlefields. They do not even bury the dead; they seem to have no respect for their victims at all.”

To Chris Alan, the tone of Wu’s voice, even more than his words, conveyed a profound respect for life. It was something Chris Alan shared with him as a fellow Catalyst by temperament.

“That’s not the worst of it, Admiral,” Chris Alan pointed out. “A greater mind’s behind their strategy, or more than one: Nicholas or Shet or both. None others would wage war so effectively and so cruelly at the same time, with such focus on Adami interests. You can take that to the bank, Admiral.”

“Then the situation is grave indeed.” Wu rubbed his chin. “I can see why the Lord wanted us to meet: our thinking is complementary. In seeking to protect those I love as children – my crew, and my fellow Adamim generally – I came to the same conclusion. It was not a conclusion I wanted to accept. But as an Inspirer, that brand of intuition comes forward best when it is directed against an opponent. I cannot doubt that you are right.”

Bakbuk leaned closer to the Admiral. “The Lord placed you in charge of prosecuting this war. Do you have a plan? I mean, did you think of spying on them?”

“Yes. However, in consultation with the Lady Zoe I think it unwise to send the Hindthrough the Portal of Starlight to the Ayyah homeworld. It would be too severely outgunned there; and that is one ship I do notwant to lose to self-destruction. Ancient or not, it is still one of our best; and it is historically revered, almost iconic. And putting even the White Hand in all its potential Power in such a situation, where both people and technology would have to be defended, is too close to putting the Lord to the test. No, if we spy on the Ayyah, then we must do so another way.”

“I could easily transport any spies to the Ayyah homeworld, once I’ve located it,” Amethyst offered. “The Manikin Diaspora and I are very close to that now: we’ve narrowed the search range down to a single sector. We’ve been engaging increasingly stiff opposition from nest ships as we’ve gotten closer. But the Ayyah have no way of ‘soul phasing’ with or ‘screaming’ against the artificially intelligent Manikins or their tetrahedral ships; they have no experience in dealing with n-crystal-based technology of that level. Few organics are crazy enough to go up against Manikins for some very good reasons: their immense strength and great speed for their size are just two of them.”

“Thank you, Mistress Bellatrix. Be sure to use more evasive tactics from now on, else their homeworld will be fully prepared for an invasion. Meanwhile, perhaps we should consider employing the Manikins in defense of Adami worlds and interests?”

“They won’t give up their pacifism so readily, Admiral. They’ll defend themselves when attacked, none better, but they’ll never make a truly aggressive move; and beyond what they’re doing now, they won’t participate in a war that isn’t their own. Their ethical programming won’t allow that.”

“I see. It was worth asking the question.” Wu said then turned to Chris Alan. “My son, tell me: have you ever seen these before?” Wu’s Guardian quickly brought up two images to float above the seated people; one was a standard chess board, the other a full set of pentominos in a six-by-ten configuration.

“Yes, Admiral,” Chris Alan replied respectfully. “I have tried both games with great success.”

“How great success?”

“Raphael?” Chris Alan preferred others to praise him, and not his own mouth.

“Chris Alan Starbright is Grandmaster Level Five rank at standard chess: able to play any appropriately programmed artificial intelligence to a draw. He is a beginner, albeit a respected one, at hexagonal chess and three-dimensional chess. This is not to be wondered at: an organic being, even an Inspirer of extraordinary genius, can devote only so much time to each of his interests.”

“And at pentominos?”

“He is the reigning champion at pentominos in known space. He has a fascination with the puzzle such as few Adamim have. He says he even plays with them in his sleep at times.”

“Do you know the weakness of chess, Captain?” Wu Chin went on.

Amethyst leaned toward Bakbuk and Chris Alan. “I respect the Admiral,” she whispered, “but where is he going with this? I thought we were here to discuss a plan.”

Chris Alan used his finger to signal silence. “Sir, chess has more than one weakness, not least its rather deterministic nature. The number of possible moves in chess is over a hundred digits long, but a Lightchild with sufficiently developed Oppositional Introverted Intuiting can thread his way through those possible choices and beat even a Guardian like Raphael to a draw.”

“Chris Alan uses more than Oppositional Ni, Admiral,” Raphael clarified. “At need, he can pull upon all eight cognitive processes in a match, although this is very exhausting to him.”

“Yes. One could use that capacity to eliminate many possible moves, much like a man cutting off whole branches of a tree before cutting down its trunk. What other weakness does chess have?”

Chris Alan had to think about that. “Well, the chief weakness, sir, is that of any game: both parties must agree to play by the same rules. If one party decides not to play by the rules, then chess is not being played. And the rules of chess, again, are rather deterministic.”

“Yes, exactly. Both players must agree that a pawn must move one way while the bishop moves another; but we all know that Shet will not be playing by such rules.”

“I get the sense that we are no longer either, sir: not by the rules of chess, anyway. That’s why you’re the Fleet Admiral now.”

Wu looked at Bakbuk. “What did you say this young man’s intelligence quotient was?”

Amethyst stifled a laugh while Chris Alan blushed. “Let’s just say that he gets insights sometimes that someone even of his rated score shouldn’t get,” replied Bakbuk. “It boggles my mind, too.”

“You have another question for me, Admiral?” Chris Alan prompted.

Yu nodded. “You exceed even the tales I’ve heard about you, young Sijo. Now: what is the weakness of the Manikin puzzle? Do not answer for him, Bakbuk. I see in your eyes that Toa has taught you the answer, even if he never knew pentominos firsthand.”

“Every game and puzzle has its strengths and weaknesses: chess, pentominos, anything at all,” Chris Alan pointed out.

“Very good. So for our present war, why would the strategic paradigm suggested by pentominos or any other puzzle not be appropriate?”

“Because this side of the Infinity of Infinities, war isn’t like putting pentominos in a frame,” replied Chris Alan after a moment, “nor is it deterministic even at the level of chess. It’s a living, moving thing. It’s not something you figure out beforehand; you have to play it out, move by move, until the end. Chess has only the illusion of such play, by its mere complexity. War in real life isn’t like that.”

“Or as some wise First Realmer once said, in war, ‘it ain’t over ‘til it’s over’,” Bakbuk added.

“My, my, Bakbuk! Toa did train you well.” Wu smiled. “Now of course, it is best if possible not to fight at all; but if you go to war, you must fight to win.”

“We do plan to win,” Chris Alan replied.

“And winning means total defeat of the enemy.” Wu Chin stood up. “So then, imagine that you are Shet. Your mission is to take control of everything out-of-Sphere and hurl it against the Sphere in a war. How would you do this, if you were the villain?”

“Take all the important…”

“No. The Cube is a grid, but it is no longer a three-dee chess board or a space to be filled with cubic pentominos. Look at the strategic situation more closely.”

Amethyst now saw where Wu Chin was leading. Of all of those in the room, including the Admiral himself, Amethyst and Chris Alan were the most natively talented to rise to the Admiral’s challenge. This problem required Extraverted Intuiting to solve, and Amethyst the Visionary and Chris Alan the Inspirer had that cognitive process in the strongest possible position.

“We’ve already done part of Shet’s work for him,” Chris Alan said at last.

“How so?” asked the Admiral, guessing that Chris Alan was warm on the scent.

“By retreating to strong positions in the Sphere and Annexes, and now in these added Nodule Fields,” Chris Alan replied. “Shet doesn’t need to take these strong points (not that he can directly); he need only surround them, or evade them, or both, while picking off weaker targets to keep people terrified. Sooner or later, the strong points, even the Sphere, will wither for lack of nourishment; their citizens will lose confidence in the Lord’s ability to maintain the cause.” Chris Alan nodded thoughtfully. “There’s an old saying in military affairs that I read once: if you lose the initiative, then you lose the war. If we stay in those strong points and do nothing else, then we’ll lose the initiative for certain. But Shet will take every initiative he can – and he’ll do so unpredictably, like the terrorist at heart that he is. Depend on it.”

The Admiral visibly relaxed. “Outstanding, young Sijo. Few Westerners would grasp the essential nature of the problem so fully without training in Eastern strategic thinking. You have made an important beginning.”

“So why are we handing Shet an apparent advantage?”

“That, my son, relates to what I am about to show you.”

Wu had Precious bring up an empty game board. “What in the Realms is that?” Amethyst asked.

“It is a First Realm game called go. We reinvented it here in the Covenant Realm. It is intended to be a microcosm of the Realm itself.”

“How do you play?” Chris Alan asked.

“Listen carefully. As in chess, there are two sides that decide to go to war; one side is white, and one side is black. You play with small smooth stones. White goes first, so we will have Shet as white; he made the first move.” Wu Chin ordered Precious to place a white stone on the board, but unlike chess the stone was not placed on any specific square; rather, it was placed on an intersection of two lines of Wu’s choosing.

“You can place the stone anywhere, just as Shet can strike almost anywhere in the Cube?”

“Yes. I have taken over this position on the board; now you must try to take it from me. As we proceed, more and more positions will be taken, exchange hands, and even left empty. The person with the most territory or stones wins. It is also possible for a player to surrender, if he foresees that defeat is inevitable.”

Chris Alan looked at the board. “How do I capture the intersection from you?”

“An intersection of lines is surrounded by four other intersections; you must use your black stones to cut off these. If you manage to surround my stone or stones so that I cannot place a white stone on a surrounding intersection, then you have captured the intersection.”

“What?” Amethyst exclaimed. “Then you are implying that’s how Shet will wage war in the Cube.”

“Yes. Now watch. Chris Alan, place a black stone on one of the four intersections surrounding the white stone.” Chris Alan did so, placing a stone on the high left of the white stone; the square itself remained empty, while the two stones were diagonal to each other on two intersections.

“I must play.” Wu placed another white stone on the board on the intersection directly above his own white stone, to the right of the black stone of Chris Alan.

“Hey, if you keep doing that Chris Alan will never capture your stones,” Amethyst cut in. “You’re just playing wherever you feel like, wherever it suits you.”

“Yes, I am. Go has very few rules. One is to play on the intersections; not the squares, another is to play one stone at a time. Other than that, I can do as I like.”

“As Shet will,” Chris Alan added. Amethyst nodded thoughtfully.

Chris Alan played, then Wu Chin, until Chris Alan looked hard at all the stones on the board and saw one white stone surrounded by three black ones. Chris Alan surrounded the white stone, removed it from the board, and placed a black stone in its place.

“That took a while!” Amethyst exclaimed.

“Yes, it did. What have you learned from this game so far?” Wu asked.

“That it cost me a lot of time and stones to capture one stone.” Chris Alan put his hand on his chin and considered the situation.

“So what will you do next time you play?”

“Try to use fewer stones and cut down the time.”

“But how can you do this, if I can play wherever I like?”

“Admiral, begging your pardon, but that kind of improvisation is an Inspirer’s long suit,” Chris Alan replied. “ENFP, remember? ‘Expected Not to Follow the Plan.’ I can play wherever I like too. So then,” he added with a grin, “I’ll just have to infer what pattern you’re using before you reveal it.”

“Yes,” Yu replied. “‘Trust what emerges’ is one of your type’s watchwords: an excellent one for a go player. But you must also watch out for this…” Wu smiled as he used one white stone to surround all of Chris Alan’s black stones and take them. “Sometimes it is all just an illusion.”