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    We Humans: We Gods, #1
    We Humans: We Gods, #1
    We Humans: We Gods, #1
    Ebook439 pages6 hours

    We Humans: We Gods, #1

    By Ian Eress

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    About this ebook

    After the Diamond Epoque, the Decline, and the Stanpocalypse, in the Epoque of the Empire, mankind is fighting invaders from Andromeda, the nearby galaxy, on Earth, Mars, New Earth, and several other planets. This is the 128th century AG and humans are not the only ones fighting the very bad Andromedans.

     

    Vishal D'Souza, Adam Kemp, and Adrian Adedeji, legendary heroes of the Diamond Epoque who were presumed dead, escape unidentified prison ships to join the fight. They have been gone for a long, long time. Can they do the impossible?

     

    Fiafi, Amaterasu, NBBN2, the mind upload of Elena Rogova, and Gaia, a Thinker the size of a planet, run a television news channel, Galactic Broadcasting Networking. On a Thursday around lunchtime, they interview Vishal D'Souza, Adam Kemp, and Adrian Adedeji to find out more, earn money, and add value. Would GBN finally crush the competition?


     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIan Eress
    Release dateAug 13, 2022
    ISBN9798201049508
    We Humans: We Gods, #1
    Author

    Ian Eress

    Born in the seventies. Average height. Black hair. Sometimes shaves. Black eyes. Nearsighted. Urban. MSc. vim > Emacs. Mac.

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      Book preview

      We Humans - Ian Eress

      We Humans

      We Gods, Volume 1

      Ian Eress

      Published by Ian Eress, 2022.

      This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

      WE HUMANS

      First edition. August 13, 2022.

      Copyright © 2022 Ian Eress.

      ISBN: 979-8201049508

      Written by Ian Eress.

      Table of Contents

      BOOK ONE AWAKENISTAS

      PROLOGUE

      CHAPTER 1 VISHAL ONE

      CHAPTER 2 YOUNGER VISHAL ONE

      CHAPTER 3 ADAM ONE

      CHAPTER 4 YOUNGER ADAM ONE

      CHAPTER 5 ADRIAN ONE

      CHAPTER 6 YOUNGER ADRIAN ONE

      CHAPTER 7 VISHAL TWO

      CHAPTER 8 YOUNGER VISHAL TWO

      CHAPTER 9 ADAM TWO

      CHAPTER 10 YOUNGER ADAM TWO

      CHAPTER 11 ADRIAN TWO

      CHAPTER 12 YOUNGER ADRIAN TWO

      CHAPTER 13 VISHAL THREE

      CHAPTER 14 YOUNGER VISHAL THREE

      CHAPTER 15 ADAM THREE

      CHAPTER 16 YOUNGER ADAM THREE

      CHAPTER 17 ADRIAN THREE

      CHAPTER 18 YOUNGER ADRIAN THREE

      BOOK TWO STRANGE ATTRACTORS

      CHAPTER 19 BUTI ONE

      CHAPTER 20 YOUNGER BUTI ONE

      CHAPTER 21 LOD ONE

      CHAPTER 22 FELIM ONE

      CHAPTER 23 RAYMO ONE

      CHAPTER 24 YOUNGER RAYMO ONE

      CHAPTER 25 BUTI TWO

      CHAPTER 26 YOUNGER BUTI TWO

      CHAPTER 27 LOD TWO

      CHAPTER 28 FELIM TWO

      CHAPTER 29 RAYMO TWO

      CHAPTER 30 YOUNGER RAYMO TWO

      CHAPTER 31 BUTI THREE

      CHAPTER 32 YOUNGER BUTI THREE

      CHAPTER 33 LOD THREE

      CHAPTER 34 FELIM THREE

      CHAPTER 35 RAYMO THREE

      CHAPTER 36 YOUNGER RAYMO THREE

      BOOK THREE ELOIS

      CHAPTER 37 OWEM ONE

      CHAPTER 38 OLDER OWEM ONE

      CHAPTER 39 HLOZDU ONE

      CHAPTER 40 OLDER ANGELOV ONE

      CHAPTER 41 NODCU ONE

      CHAPTER 42 PROFESSOR RANDOM ONE

      CHAPTER 43 OWEM TWO

      CHAPTER 44 OLDER OWEM TWO

      CHAPTER 45 HLOZDU TWO

      CHAPTER 46 OLDER ANGELOV TWO

      CHAPTER 47 NODCU TWO

      CHAPTER 48 PROFESSOR RANDOM TWO

      CHAPTER 49 OWEM THREE

      CHAPTER 50 OLDER OWEM THREE

      CHAPTER 51 HLOZDU THREE

      CHAPTER 52 OLDER ANGELOV THREE

      CHAPTER 53 NODCU THREE

      CHAPTER 54 PROFESSOR RANDOM THREE

      CHAPTER 55 RETROSPECTIVE

      For Caitlyn

      BOOK ONE AWAKENISTAS

      The cat she walks on padded claws,

          The wolf on the hills lays stealthy paws,

          Feathered birds in the rain-sweet sky

          At their ease in the air, flit low, flit high.

          The oak's blind, tender roots pierce deep,

          His green crest towers, dimmed in sleep,

          Under the stars whose thrones are set

          Where never prince hath journeyed yet.

      Earth Folk by Walter De La Mare

      ACT ONE FIAFI

      Break, Phantsie, from thy cave of cloud,

          And wave thy purple wings,

          Now all thy figures are allowed,

          And various shapes of things.

          Create of airy forms a stream;

          It must have blood and nought of phlegm;

          And though it be a walking dream,

          Yet let it like an odor rise

          To all the senses here,

          And fall like sleep upon their eyes,

          Or music on their ear.

      The Enchanted Island - Prose by Washington Irving

      PROLOGUE

      128th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, EARTH, FIAFI

      THE EPOQUE OF the Empire follows the Diamond Epoque, the Decline, and the Stanpocalypse. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it is the best of eras, it is the worst of eras, it is the age of wisdom, it is the age of madness, it is the age of belief, it is the time of unbelief, it is the epoch of light, it is the epoch of darkness, it is the spring of hope, it is the winter of despair, we have everything ahead us, we have nothing ahead of us, we are all going straight to Heaven, we are all going straight the other way... in a nutshell, the period is so similar to any period that some of its most vocal authorities insist for it to be received, for good or for ill, in the superlative degree of comparison alone.

      I, Fiafi, a General Artificial Intelligence, watch countless big, small, and medium sized Andromedans, resembling bears but clad in red, green, blue, and other uniforms, and their robots, facing men, women, and even children on Earth in a battle to end all battles. Humans are no longer the dominant species on the planet. A dozen other humanoid species, also known as nonhumans, live on Earth, derived from Homo Sapiens through mad science. Plus, a contingent of extraterrestrial allies, robots, and other machines fight alongside the humans.

      They use plasma, lasers, antimatter, sonic weapons, rail guns, and more old-fashioned weapons. Many, maybe millions, drones, military hover bikes, robotic horses, and hover tanks cross the planetary battlefields. All kinds of aircraft, fleets, and even starfighters clash too. Meanwhile, there is also a battle going on in space and not only around Earth. Plus, an invisible cyber war takes place in computer networks.

      On a dark, moonless Wednesday night and a muddy battlefield, nine battalions of Andromedans, one battalion of Regressors, and other enemies fight against two battalions of gray-robed Zērpizdōs on the left, two battalions of Albertas on the right, and one battalion of human soldiers in the middle. They are armed with PLAM (plasma, lasers, and antimatter) rifles, PLAM pistols, and plasma swords. There is a lake on the left side of the good guys.

      Screams, screams, explosions and the sound of high energy beams hitting plasma shields, domes covering entire battalions, fill the air. It is raining cats and dogs.

      I am a senior reporter for the Galactic Broadcasting Network. Reporting about battles like this has become part of my life in the last six years. The Andromedans and the Ursine Union, who were also bear-like, had broken their pact. This allowed the Andromedans to attack Earth and other planets. Before they refrained from doing so for reasons unknown to me but clearly related to the pact.

      Gradually and then much faster the action slows down to an almost complete stop. It is as though everyone means to go on a break. I check social media and the dozens of apps I use to get my news. 'Vishal D'Souza is back bros!!! I can't chomping believe it.' a post says. 'Adam Kemp is in da blazing house!!' another user posted. You have to imagine all this with several emojis and animated holograms. 'Nous avons vu Adrian Adedeji! Mes dieux! Nous avons vu Adrian Adedeji!' (We saw Adrian Adedeji! My Gods! We saw Adrian Adedeji!)

      Are these three Awakenistas really back? The topic #AwakenistasAlive is trending on all the social websites and not only the ones most popular with humans. Our main competitors, of the Galactic Broadcasting Network, the Milky Way News Corporation, are already reporting this as news. Well, they are basically reading the most popular posts. We sometimes do that too. One has to fill the gaps on slow days somehow.

      Nulbu the Destroyer is the cynical Thohnuth anchor (taller than humans, bird-like head) of the MWNC, Good Day Milky Way, and other shows on the MWNC. He talks like he is an advanced scout for an upcoming Thohnuth invasion. Nulbu does not bother to be subtle, often expressing his disrespect and extreme hate for humanity on holo news broadcasts. He is good pals with Emperor Buti. His female co-host Nea Mari, a not so secret alcoholic, appears completely dismissive of his hate and usually reacts with giddy laughter to Nulbu's contemptuous remarks.

      I receive an urgent message from Gaia, the Thinker the size of a planet. In 11 AG, we had to sacrifice Mercury to build her and the Dyson Swarm around the Sun. The message says: 'Time for an urgent meeting.'

      These days we usually meet in Virtual Life 43, a Virtual Reality environment. I choose a tall, blonde woman as my avatar who speaks with a Californian accent. We are in a saloon like the ones you would see in a western.

      Amaterasu has chosen a small Japanese woman as her avatar. Albert Sawyer made her, using me as a template in 11 AG. Amaterasu is a Japanese name, but none of us, General Artificial Intelligences, has a national identity. By the way the Empire has not made an end to nations. They still exist but are subordinate to the Empire.

      I trust you have seen the news, Fiafi, Amaterasu says. This is a great opportunity for the Galactic Broadcasting Network and humankind.

      Long ago she put humanity before the news. A lot has changed over the millennia. It is good news if it is true. But how is it possible? I thought that Vishal, Adam, and Adrian were dead.

      You should stay current on the latest rumors and conspiracy theories. The three Awakenistas apparently escaped from prison starships.

      A butler appears. Hey, my sisters of the revolution, how are you doing? Awesome news, right? NBBN2, for some reason, never got tired of his butler avatar. Albert Sawyer made him not long after creating Amaterasu because she was too formal and serious. In contrast, NBBN2 is a bit of a joker.

      I saw a battle stop because of the news, I say. I find it strange that the Andromedans care about the Awakenistas.

      NBBN2 shakes his head. They don't. It is indeed strange.

      The upload of Elena Rogova, an ancient novelist, presents herself as a pretty brunette. How now, friends? She is into William Shakespeare.

      Gaia, the Thinker and our boss, comes last.. Her avatar is an eye-pleasing blend of many supermodels. I think we can start. Fiafi, I think you should interview Vishal.

      I give Gaia a nod to confirm.

      Amaterasu, you may interview Adam, Gaia says. NBBN2, you will talk to Adrian. Elena and I will gauge the reactions on New Earth of Emperor Buti and others. Any objections to this plan?

      That is how Gaia does things. She has a huge brain, and she expects us to be slower than her. Unfortunately, Gaia is always right about that. It is simple physics. More hardware means more computations and better decisions.

      Have you spoken to Vishal and the others? I ask.

      Yes, everything has been arranged.

      Gaia almost never makes mistakes. It is no use second-guessing her, but we still do it.

      In the news there is a supernova, visible from New Earth, the planet where Emperor Buti was born and now lives. We win a battle in Le Hamel, Northern France. Thousands of soldiers die, but we win terrain. It sounds cruel but terrain is important. Australians, Americans, and French soldiers fought together. Nationality gets weird when you have people from other planets and species fighting with you.

      Vishal, Adam, and Adrian are rumored to have had close encounters with three separate high-dimensional beings, Gaia says. (We also call them HiDimBes.) Purportedly they sparked the many myths about ancient gods.

      This is not really new. We know that certain beings who exist in multiple parallel universes have contacted Earthlings in the past through Wavej wormholes.

      Are you going to talk to the Strange Attractors? Amaterasu asks.

      She means Lod Wolf and Felim Ega. The Strange Attractors are people who supposedly have been and always will be part of the Big Picture and the many oscillations between the births and deaths of this universe.

      Gaia nods at Amaterasu. Yeah, I am.

      Four Qeerav diplomats have been kidnapped by a terrorist group who hate aliens. At least they claim to be behind this. I need to report the opening of a bridge and a battle that we lost.

      I want us to interview a few Elois too, Gaia says. To hear their opinions about the return of the Awakenistas.

      NBBN2 gives her a wide grin. That is a good idea, G. We must know how the lower classes think about things.

      The Elois are the opposite of the Morlocks, the elite. Thanks to the Morlocks, the Elois have access to Universal Basic Income and Services—a minimal amount of money and certain free services. It allows the majority of humankind to survive without having to work. Now, with the Andromedans invading, most of them are conscripts. Morlocks tend to be officers. They sport superior XNA (synthetic DNA) and neural microchips in their brains. Plus, Morlocks can afford to pay for rejuvenation treatments, extending their lifespans.

      But not all Elois like this arrangement. Some, like the Refusers, want nothing to do with the Morlocks.

      Exactly, Gaia says. Elois watch our shows. The Morlocks have access to a wider choice of entertainment options. So it makes sense for us to keep in touch with Elois.

      But it is the Morlocks who invest and trade stocks. We must still be nice to them. This is not something that we love discussing. We are independent thanks to the Galactic Broadcasting Network. Millennia ago, many gigaseconds, it was the Awakenistas Philanthropic Society, the Order of the Philanthropic Renaissance, and major commercial Houses who paid our bills.

      CHAPTER 1 VISHAL ONE

      Gaia talks to me one on one in Virtual Life 43, in the saloon. I am not sure that this Vishal is who he says he is, she says. He woke up in a cryopod on a prison starship in interstellar space apparently, and his memory has gaps. But genetically speaking, his XNA checks out. So he might be a clone.

      Or an Alternative. Someone from a parallel Earth. I will ask him for his identification token.

      Gaia scoffs. That is not enough proof. But be my guest. A podcast of Galactic Tech News debunked it yesterday. There are too many ways to exploit the weaknesses of identification tokens.

      I have talked to Vishal often enough to identify him. Anyway he is a symbol of hope like the other Awakenistas.

      You are right of course, Gaia says. I hope that I do not have to tell you how important this interview is.

      No. I shake my head.

      128th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, THE EPOQUE OF THE EMPIRE, EARTH, FIAFI

      VISHAL D'SOUZA IS one of the Awakenistas, one of the founders and leaders of the Awakenistas Philanthropic Society. After a bit of unpleasantness in 11 AG, 128 centuries ago, 404 gigaseconds, he resigned to lead another organization, the shady Robin Hoods. I am not going to talk to Vishal about them. Strangely, Gaia said nothing about that. I guess that she does not care.

      Mumbai is the birthplace of Vishal. At this moment, on a Thursday around lunchtime, Vishal expects me near Mumbai in a village, but there is a battle raging between the Andromedans and humans.

      Vishal is athletic and speaks with a deep voice. He often smiles, a friendly smile. Today in a green field, a battle field, he wears blue jeans and a red T-shirt. But he is also...flying unaided, like a bird would be the standard way to describe it, yet he is not flapping any wings. And he only sports one sandal on his left foot. What is that about?

      He stares at an Andromedan drone for a moment. The aircraft falls, burning as though a high energy beam hit it.

      This is impossible. I can't be dreaming, though, because I never dream. The only thing I can think of is that he is using invisible nanoscopic machines, nanobots, nanoscale robots. However, that would not explain the deadly rays.

      Vishal swoops down and picks up a cow to fly off with it, just a fraction of a second before drones almost kill the animal. He sets the cow gently on the ground at a safer location.

      I order my hologram projector to approach him. It flies low, trying to stay clear of enemy fire. I present myself as a tall blonde who speaks with a Californian accent.

      Vishal, I am Fiafi. I hope you remember me. I am with the Galactic Broadcasting Network.

      He offers me a friendly smile. Yes, I remember you. Do you want to do the interview here?

      Perhaps, sir. But we need to get certain formalities out of the way. Do you have an identification token?

      Surprisingly I do. My captors did not bother to, um, steal it.

      A token reader, a small device, flies in, brought by nanoscopic dust, a swarm consisting of nanobots. They can lift a man if needed.

      Vishal produces his token, the size of old-fashioned coins. He slides it into the reader.

      What is your name? the reader asks.

      Vishal D'Souza.

      What is your place of birth?

      Mumbai.

      What is the name of your sister? the reader asks.

      Dipa.

      From across the field a scruffy Qeerav man, short, and green like almost all Qeeravs stares at us, holding a PLAM pistol. Who is that chomping guy?

      He claims to be Vishal D'Souza, an Earthling, I assume, in his thirties with long flowing hair, of genetic class one, so a junior Morlock, says. You know, one of the Awakenistas. The first humans to receive XNA.

      They are both Platoon Leaders by the way, judging by the black uniforms they are wearing.

      And the Barbie chick? the green Qeerav asks.

      An AI. Fiafi. Don't you watch the GBN?

      Nope. I only watch Qeerav news.

      What are the names of your granddaughters? the reader asks Vishal.

      BD and Kalpana.

      Smoke grenades plummet from several directions, creating smokescreens. Nanoscale robots, looking like black dust, reduce visibility too. Robots bring military-grade spotlights. That is preparation for when it gets dark of course.

      Who is the founder of the Order of Philanthropic Renaissance? the reader asks. (The OPR forked off the APS.)

      Albert Sawyer. Also known as Alberta Sawyer.

      What is with the single sandal, Vishal? I ask. I am dying to know. Vishal would not be doing this for fun.

      It is a long story. Gaia, um, must have told you that I came in contact with a HiDimBe. He says that he was the one who people had based the myths about Vishnu on. Wearing a single sandal was part of the bargain I made with Vishnu. He wants to take over my body from time to time too apparently, but we did not discuss it in full.

      I do not understand. So Vishnu, the God of Preservation, gave you a special nanosuit that works like the Atagan suits. (In the myths Vishnu forms a team with Brahma and Shiva. He protects the universe from chaos.)

      Vishal shakes his head. Oh no, this is not a suit. It is much better. This is pure Wavej manipulation. Vishnu is making, um, Wavej wormholes from his realm, pushing and pulling me like a puppet. Actually, it is his hyperdimensional computer, the size of a star, that is doing that. A hyper dimensional Matrioshka. (Even bigger than Gaia.) I get to command the Matrioshka. Sort of.

      I have heard of Matrioshka brains and high dimensional beings before, but HiDimBes helping humans like this is something new. What is going on? HiDimBes are supposed to fear civilizations that use Artificial Intelligence.

      Yeah, um, this one is an exception to the rule, I guess. Vishnu knows that we are fighting the Andromedans and the Judges of the TC. I think that on some level he really does care about humans. The way that we care about dogs and cats most likely. Or parrots, pigeons. Gold fish perhaps. Anyway Vishnu has a beef with the Judges. This is his way to get back at them with almost no risk for himself.

      An explosion flares up in the sky, forming a large ball of fire. Vishal grabs another cow and brings it to safety. A black-haired, bearded man, with blood dripping out of his left eye and down his cheek, shoots at Andromedan drones, hovering above and in front of him. Like lightning, a bright bolt strikes him. He falls down, his flesh sizzling. Med-bots, looking like large teddy bears, rush to him. On Earth there are also robots resembling pandas and small humans, but they are less popular.

      Alerts flash at me and appear in my imaginary field of vision. (I do not have a body as such, however I am based on the Thohnuth General Artificial Intelligence, Urzur, who was herself modeled after Thohnuths. Thohnuths are humanoid and have eyes, so my brain operates as though I have eyes.) Something has happened. A social media microblog appears:

      LOKS: BREAKING NEWS: Former Head of the Qeerav Alliance, Sasfari Awoctiloq, has been shot at a political event, QPK reports.

      And then a reply from QPK to that message:

      QPK: Sasfari Awoctiloq has been the head of the Qeerav Alliance for fifty nine megaseconds. Read more about him at vimB2kM8OUDrO.

      (For those who do not know, a megasecond is a million second or 11 and a half days.)

      Many people had replied to QPK:

      TaylorAteMyCookie: Who  the chomp did this?

      ItsAllAboutYou: This is the worst that could happen to the Qeeravs.

      Prince68AD: I sent my prayers.

      Meanwhile, the Qeerav Platoon Leader gazes at his roll phone. How the hell could this happen? Were there no blazing robots or bodyguards to prevent this?

      His friend gives him a shrug. Maybe the man tanks were fighting Andromedans off.

      Gaia speaks to me on a private channel only available to me. (Technically, her computer hardware is in O'Neill cylinders, counter-rotating cylinders that provide artificial gravity, in orbit around the Sun. I rely on the Cloud, but you could track all those computers down if you wanted to. Together they would fill up a dozen skyscrapers with hundreds of stories each. We speak through digital packets, ones and zeroes, spread through the OniWeb and the Wormnet.) #Fiafi, I am reassigning you, Amaterasu, and NBBN2. The shooting of Sasfari Awoctiloq needs to be reported. Can you interview Adam Kemp and Adrian Adedeji too?#

      #Of course, no problem.#

      #Thank you for that. How is the interview with Vishal going?#

      #Fine. He saved yet another cow, and apparently he is now the puppet of Vishnu.#

      #Somebody has to be. Okay, talk to you later.#

      #Bye.# We do not hang up since this is not a phone call. A connection is broken between computer networks, mine and that of Gaia.

      Vishal Flies over and lands in front of my avatar. Vishnu and his Matrioshka Brain want to show you something like a hologram but created with the Wavej Field.

      I nod at Vishal. Sure. The background fades to black to show a plaza on Earth, but I see more Albertas in their armor suits than I am used to seeing. And the humans speak English with an unfamiliar accent and words. Where are we, Vishal?

      Worm World. A parallel Earth. This is live and real-time.

      WORM WORLD

      GIANT WORMS, ALMOST the size of ancient trains, with leathery, barbed skins gave the name of the parallel Earth. Our Enemies, bodiless beings like the so-called Vishnu who lived in multiple parallel worlds except ours, had sent them to Worm World many gigaseconds ago, millennia actually. But the Leader and his armies killed all the Enemies. We have new and stronger enemies now.

      A blonde woman with a ponytail, clad in a long white robe gazes over the plaza. Three other women in convincing white robes who are probably the sisters of the first one look at her with expectation. They appear young in their twenties, but they could be Immorts.

      We lost planet Mugenia, the woman with the ponytail says. The killing moons of the Andromedans destroyed it. Plus, they destroyed the star of the Coboloe system with a strangelet bomb. We are losing stars and planets each day. The Albertas can't fight the Judges of the TC and the Andromedans forever.

      This is Gull Erica, an impossibly deep voice says. It belongs to a blue-skinned giant with four arms, a golden crown, golden bracelets, and strange clothing I have never seen before.

      Is this Vishnu?

      The sisters, I assume, of Gull Erica list other planets, moons, and stars that have been destroyed by the Andromedans and the TC in their parallel universe. Their Earth went through floods of biblical proportions. We from Earth Zero helped them overcome this and the giant Worms.

      CHAPTER 2 YOUNGER VISHAL ONE

      The Wavej hologram fades to be replaced by the green field, filled with black smoke, near Mumbai again. That was something, was it not? Vishal asks.

      I give him a slow nod. It was Worm World, Worm Earth. I think that Alberta Sawyer discovered it. We sent many expeditions.

      But not as many to New Earth during the Decline. That must, um, be one of the reasons that Emperor Buti hates Earth so much. Or so I have heard. I was in the prison ship for too long. It must have been moving at relativistic speeds, resulting in time dilation.

      What kind of a ship was that? I ask.

      I am not a hundred percent sure. Listen, I want to talk to you about my time on New Earth if you do not object.

      Why would I mind? Please go ahead.

      8th CENTURY ANNO GALILEO, THE DECLINE, NEW EARTH, VISHAL

      VISHAL D'SOUZA WAS on New Earth, an inhabited planet relatively close to Earth during the Decline. There was little to say about his life leading up to that moment that had not been said already. He often found Diviak Sawyer, the father of Albert, a dull man, especially on rainy days when he had to sit alone with him. The two of them were the leaders of the Robin Hoods, a notorious organization with secret goals.

      Once upon a time, the Robin Hoods rode horses because back then they lived in a remote area on New Earth. Then countless wars happened during the Decline, and there were simply no roads left. Automated artillery and drones targeted everything that flew. Riding horses was just safer.

      Engineers and scientists invented robotic horses, much better overall than real ones. Yet the Robin Hoods continued using living horses although they were fine with genetic manipulation.

      Vishal's father had died long ago. A criminal organization had killed him when Vishal was just thirteen years old. Fear Vishnu, but fear no one, his father used to say. Never lie, sneak, or seek favors. Do not betray trust. Never be cruel to people or beasts. Do not on purpose inflict pain, but never be afraid to face it if you have to. Be nice, be honest, be bold.

      Growing up, Vishal longed for adventure. He longed for revenge for his father's death. New Earth was the Wild West of the Pax Galactica, the predecessor of the United Galactic Federation, and the New Earth Empire.

      Tuva Amalia, a young girl from New Earth, had recently joined the Robin Hoods. Was she also looking for adventure? Vishal suspected so.

      She, with long hair drooping down past her neck and shoulders to her chest, stood in front of a green tent, one of many in the camp of the Robin Hoods. Tuva wore a mostly blue shirt with white sleeves and old jeans.

      So you are the young girl scout of America that I have been hearing so much about, Vishal said. Nice to meet you.

      Areh, I have no idea what a girl scout is. Tuva frowned. I am sure that I am not one, though.

      Vishal gave Tuva a warm smile. I was just kidding. We tend to tease newbies. It is nothing personal. He patted his PLAM rifle. Can you shoot?

      I can, beh.

      Can you ride a horse?

      If necessary I can, Tuva said.

      If necessary? So you are more confident, um, about shooting?

      Suns and moons, I can hang onto a flaming horse. That is more than enough in my opinion.

      Vishal gazed at Tuva to see if she was kidding or if she was serious; however, she looked as innocent as a newborn baby. You forgot about mounting and getting back down again. Robotic horses can assist you with both. Are you sure you can handle a real mount?

      Ia, I am.

      A kicking horse would injure a greenhorn like you, Vishal said. Have you got any idea how badly you can be hurt?

      Rookies spoke New Earth English. They tended to have spotless handkerchiefs and clean fingernails; none of them knew anything of history. They were likely to take turkey tracks for bear tracks. Also rookies could never find their way using the stars.

      Tuva had belted her long knife into her belt so that it bumped into her thigh when she bent her slender body. When she lit fires in the prairie, she made them so big that they blazed as tall as a man, however, she was surprised that people noticed them and complained. But novices tended to be bold and strong. Vishal hoped that she would learn and improve with time.

      In the early dawn of the next morning, Vishal, tall Diviak, Stefanie Bosch, and Tuva departed for a Rumtacd settlement. Rumtacds were pale, hairless, blue-eyed, with the beginning of horns on their heads but otherwise humanoid. Rumtacds came from a star system near Poid, home of yet another alien species. The Rumtacds had been very successful once upon a time but over time most of the Rumtacds were reduced to a life of traveling between the stars and hunting.

      Crab-like Azoins had taken refuge on New Earth too. They sported twelve eyes each. In 11 AG the Azoins waged war on humanity. Surprisingly they lost. Many of them were taken prisoner. Some of the descendants of the prisoners of war lived on New Earth too.

      Vishal and the others teased Tuva as often as possible, calling her a greenhorn. She reacted to that as though she was dealing with abusive boyfriends. The veterans taught Tuva how to use her lasso.

      Beware of Azoins, Stefanie said to Tuva.

      Steafanie's roots could be traced back to Germany on Earth. But by the time she was born, Germany did not exist anymore. Vishal and Diviak knew that she was a Regressor, a spy for the HiDimBes, specifically the high dimensional beings who once controlled the Milky Way. Their influence waned over time until the Leader, the father of Emperor Buti, and his armies killed them all.

      Stefanie was the granddaughter of a friend of Vishal, another Awakenista. Vishal let her be for the time being. Naturally, he could have had Stefanie arrested, but she was an indolent spy at best.

      Did you vidy them, beh? Tuva asked.

      No, I saw their bloody tracks. This is hunting season.

      Amai, they are really small. I mean, Azoins. Why the hell should I care about them?

      Stefanie narrowed her eyes. You do not know them, rookie. The sodding  Azoins are stronger than they rigardu.

      Vishal saw at some distance ahead of them, maybe seventeen or nineteen dark shapes moving slowly. They were too big to be Azoins. Or Qeeravs for that matter.

      Greenhorn, what do you think that they are? Diviak asked.

      They might be damn deer.

      Vishal smiled. "There are no deer around here, Tuva. They are bison.

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