1-5-6

Once again, we were led through numerous halls and turns and I surmised that we would be remaining within the Heart. It made sense considering that the Queen had said we’d be housed within the Research Centre and the safest place for old records would be in the most secure section, so the Heart under carefully controlled conditions. It was unlikely that I’d be given access to the original documents, if they still existed, nor would I expect to need to but the Research Centre was the hub for everything to do with the databases. Or at least it was in the Icanthie Heart.

The Research Centre would be responsible for digitising all physical records to easily stored DNA strands, as well as caring for and restoring the fragile original documents. They were also responsible for maintaining good accurate records and carrying out regular checks to ensure all data was correctly maintained. We had lost so much information over the orbits due to the fragile nature of most materials that in the current era, we had become a bit fanatical about finding ways to preserve information. Short of inscribing it onto diamonds, which was a laborious process and rather space consuming, there was almost no way to ensure anything survived the ravages of time. Paper crumbled, computers broke down, data was erased. Even the very rock beneath our feet was consumed eventually, worn away grain by grain.

I was just as guilty, my forays into ancient ruins to scrape together what little information I could bordered on crazy considering the dangers and the doubtful validity of the finds. But the information had helped me so far and, though many wanted to forget the problem filled past and focus only on our current values and achievements, I believed it was essential to learn from our history, to avoid the worst of it and gain from the best. More than that, just to understand where we came from and how we got here. It seemed to be a fundamental need at the heart of almost everyone I met yet so many of us suffered because of it. Now that I thought about it, the need to know our roots could be a contributor to the plight of those, like the Myath, who didn't fit with a group’s understanding of their origins or the humans, who were rejected utterly simply because they were the origin to all the races, and who didn’t like the fact.

We had reason to dislike the past but we also had reason to embrace it. Right now, it was our only hope for a future.

Finally, after descending for quite some time, our Drake guard directed us into a generous guest suite. I’d noticed as we’d travelled that the architecture was designed to accommodate both the Drakarii forms and the oldest of dragons. Hallways were wide and tall and the centre of the Heart was divided into to several large, multi-level spanning common areas. I’m sure younger dragons and naturally smaller Drakarii in their ancestral forms loved to stretch their wings in the common areas and I suspected the young generation had caused much mischief flying in the larger hallways. This same design transferred over to the guest suites, presumably so no-one was excluded when entertaining. We were given a tour of the entire area that was ‘ours’, depositing our supplies and minimal luggage as we went, and finally directed to a smaller door near the entrance.

Upon opening it, I realised we were directly next to a Research Hub, one of the dedicated areas that made up part of the Research Centre. This would be our exclusive area, and already I could see a search console, a DNA converter and storage fridges at the ready. I itched to dive in and start but our guard guide didn’t stop to let us explore our work area as he went to another door and opened it. I was getting the familiar feeling of being in a maze that I usually get when spending too much time in a City’s Heart. Luckily, the next area was considerably larger and I felt I could breath again until I really looked and realised I was in a cavern utterly full of climate controlled shelving. Shelving filled with books and documents of all kinds. I gasped in wonder as I feverishly stared, trying to wrap my head around the vast, echoing halls filled with history. The sheer volume of material here… and if I was right, this was just one branch of the layout.

“The Great Library!”

I hadn’t realised I’d even uttered it aloud, albeit in an awed hush, until a rumbling laugh drew my attention to my right. It came from a rather large Dragon, and it must truly be a Dragon because no Drakarii could get that large as far as I was aware. They must have been very old to grow so large and had beautiful bronze scales that sparkled in the light. Even so, after a hasty bow, my eyes were dragged inexorably back to the wealth of knowledge before me. I realised somewhere in the back of my mind that I was probably breaking etiquette and setting a bad example to, who I assumed was, the Head of Research, but I couldn’t help it. My mind was consumed with the sight and I battled between delight at such resources and dismay at how much there was to search. But the laughing voice drove all my thoughts away again.

“It’s not the legendary Great Library of Alexandria but I like to think we may be it’s successor. You know, some of my researchers try to argue the original never existed but I find that all the references to it give every indication it was real, though sadly it and all its knowledge was lost, even before ancient times. What do you think?”

Though slightly chagrined, I was aware of being in the presence of a kindred spirit. It seemed even among the most formal Drakes, etiquette came second to a shared passion. Still, in the future, I’d try not to let myself slip when it came to upholding the high demands of etiquette. For now, I attempted to speak coherently without gushing.

“Oh, I must agree with you. All my research has indicated that the Great Library of Alexandria did indeed exist and was lost. It’s a shame we have no idea what it contained but if we were to linger too much over all that we had lost to the past, I’d never stop crying. Still, you have a most marvellous collection here, I’m so grateful to have seen it, though I know I’ll never have enough time to truly enjoy it.”

The Dragon almost purred in agreement and we both stared out over the treasure before us, doe-eyed. It was only a discreet cough and my catching the amused look on Mathias’s face that drew me back to our purpose here. Turning away from the view, I waited for the Dragon to do the same and eyed the guard who, no doubt, would be tasked with introductions. Though we waited, it seemed the Dragon was even more enthralled than I had been, that or they had become lost in thought. The guard decided to take matters into his own claws and started the introductions, speaking in a loud voice to try and ensure the Dragon paid attention. I even thought I saw him roll his eyes at the situation, though surely not. That would be rude and rudeness to guests was poor etiquette.

“Esteemed Head of Research, may I introduce to you Sierra, daughter of Feenya of House Kuthar of the Icanthie and Galen of the Myath, Royal of House Den and Icanthie Ambassador to the Drake Kingdom Nation With her is her Advisor, Former King Mathias of House Den, the Silent King and their contingent of guards.” Turning to us, the guard continued is a slightly quieter voice, “Ambassador Sierra, allow me to introduce to you our Head of Research and Queens Advisor, Veest-tianArden Vorden.”

The guard bowed to us both and stepped back, his duty done now that introductions had been made and etiquette met, seeing as Veest-tianArden had finally pulled himself away from his thoughts and was paying attention to the group that he only just seemed to have noticed. As usual, I waited for the other party to begin considering his master level title and the fact he was a very a large dragon but I managed a nod of thanks for the guard whose name I didn't know. He was doing a good job and I felt comfortable should he be our regular companion and guide.

“Ah yes! A’henthay, kenn ann astreth fallon keteth a’drann. Queen Coilna-tianDavarden A’Fiee Quist told me to expect you. I didn’t know you were a Myath, Ambassador. You must tell me about them some time.” Vest-tianArden said jovially. The poor guard hung his head, put his palm to his forehead and only just avoided sighing.

I grinned, almost giving in to the giggles that bubbled in my throat at the guards distress and exasperation. I got he feeling that Veest-tianArden was a little eccentric and a little loose with etiquette but got away with it thanks to his title and age, much to the consternation of those around him who were held so closely to the rules. I liked him already. Despite that, I needed to make sure his bad habits didn’t rub off on me and put me in bad standing with the rest of the Drake population.

“I’d like that Veest-tianArden Vorden. Fallon var, A’nara. Sadly, we have some urgent business to attend to first.” I lamented, bringing our attention back to the matter and hand.

“Oh indeed. When do you wish to begin?” The dragon frowned a little as he peered at his personal screen, a far larger device than we standard. “When is evening meal? I’m rather peckish.”

Suppressing another laugh, I answered kindly, “I believe the time for evening meal has long past, for it has long been dark.”

“Ah.” Veest responded, a resigned look on his face. “Oh well, if you don’t mind, I’ll just grab some snacks from my hub and join you again so we can discuss what you need and begin our work. Won’t be gone long.”

With that, he nodded to the rest of the Icanthie delegation and the guard before turning to move sinuously through the stacks, heading towards his hub. I watched him go and gave in to the grin that wanted to split my face. The guard quickly straightened up until Veest-tianArden was out of sight and turned to us, face full of contrition.

“My apologies. Older Drakes sometimes forget strict rules of etiquette, after so long. He does not mean deliberate offence by it, I assure you.” The poor guard looked a little distressed at the thought we might take offence.

I smiled kindly and tried to reassure him. “I understand. After walking the Planet so long, it is sometimes difficult to understand our elders. Thank you for all you have done for us. May we know your name and if you will accompany us for the duration of our stay?”

The guard’s scales, which were a warm orange yellow, flushed and I realised that he was probably either younger than I thought (unlikely considering the importance of serving in the Heart and being chosen to interact with a foreign delegation) or he was a little shy. Add on top of that the stress of strangers and an elder breaking etiquette in front of said strangers, and I could understand his expression and the implied emotions. I waited patiently for him to compose himself. Hopefully he was alright, I was sure that asking for a name was a sign of favour and approval. Then again, I was a Myath so I couldn’t assume he take it as a compliment. Although I didn't think Queen Coilna or Thespenia would have allowed those with unfavourable sentiments to serve with the Icanthie, Caselli-tianArden had proven that those with strong views could slip through the net.

“Thank you Ambassador Sierra. May I introduce myself. I am Andras-tianNaj A’Fen Quist and I have been assigned as one of the primary guards to the Icanthie delegation. You can ask me anything you may need or do not understand, and I can advise you on all manner of Drake culture, should you need help navigating interactions. I am pleased to be able to serve.”

“Thank you Andras-tianNaj A’Fen Quist.” I responded with a little bow. Turning to my uncle I continued. “Mathias, can you take everyone back to the accommodations and get some rest please? It’s been a long rotation of travel and danger and you must all be tired. I’ll stay here with Veest-tianArden Vorden for a little while and start the research.” I could see them all about to protest my plans to delay rest but I beat them to it. “I shan’t be long, I just want to get things rolling and the automatic data search will take a while. Its better to start it and let it run as soon as possible. Then I’ll rest. Promise.”

Mathias gave me a look and I knew exactly what he was saying without a word, either vocal or telepathic, being uttered. The flick of his eyes only confirmed it. He may as well have said it, ‘Keep Kaylor with you and don’t be long.’ Honestly, he was getting better but he really wasn’t used to speaking out rather than relying on body language or telepathic imagery.

“Mathias, Kaylor is just as tired as the rest of you, I can’t keep him here with me. Besides, I’m perfectly safe and I wont be long.” Probably, but I didn’t say that. I didn’t have too, Mathias’s look said it all. ‘No one stays on their own, especially the Myath turned Icanthie Royal who people will feel strongly about.’

“Fine, if you insist. But make sure you rotate out so no one gets too tired and the rest of you, cleanse and get something to eat. Make sure you tend to your injuries.” I knew I was clucking like a mother Flicker, all puffed up and protective but I couldn’t help it. They were my friends and I was used to planning for the worst and dealing with problems. I just wanted them to be okay and take advantage of the little respite we’ll have here.

Honestly, from the looks the others were giving us, it must have been odd to see me have a once sided communication. The average person may assume Mathias was using telepathy, but my teams knew better and had somewhat gotten used to our strange communications. Still, they were understandably a little lost sometimes.

Kaylor spoke up, as usual, showing his fine leadership skills and ability to adapt to most situations. “I assume I am to remain here with you Ambassador and everyone else is to make use of our accommodations?”

I nodded, the lull in activity causing me to begin to feel my fatigue and I fought with tired eyes. “Yes please Kaylor. Thank you.” That was the signal and everyone moved off, back through the door that led to our hub and accommodations. I watched them to make sure they were all accounted for, finally relaxing a little when they were out of sight. At least my team would soon be rested and alert again, just in case something happened.

Andras-tianNaj stayed where he was and explained when he caught me looking. “I will stay with you until Veest-tianArden returns, as this is a secure area. Your accommodations are private and have been designated a temporary embassy, so I will not enter unless invited to do so. Your hub also has special status, though it is not an embassy and it is monitored. Still, according to the rules of the Research Centre, that hub is yours and none can enter without your permission.”

“That’s right young Andras-tianNaj!! Good job, good job. Teaching our visitors the rules I see. Hello again Ambassador Sierra. Oh! Where has everyone gone?”

The rumbling, jovial voice of Veest-tianArden Vorden came from behind me. I wasn't expecting it, for such a large dragon, he move remarkable silently, but I managed not to jump, instead turning on my heel and smiling at the inquisitive face blinking at me.

“I sent them to rest but my uncle insists Kaylor stays with me. I don’t mind at all because Kaylor is a great friend and an excellent research assistant, but I worry about my people. I really want him to rest.” I stated, flicking an assessing eye on Kaylor, who ignored me.

“Ah, I see. And yet you are not yet resting yourself Ambassador.” Vest replied, looking at me knowingly.

Nodding tiredly, i tried to explain. “I can’t rest right now. We had a longer journey than we anticipated, for various reasons. Now we’re here, I have a job to do. I can at least get a few things done before I drop for the night.” Veest-tianArden looked at me and hummed in contemplation. A strange look came into his eyes and I felt…small. It didn’t last long but it left an impression on me, even when the old dragon nodded and moved to sit comfortably opposite me.

“Admirable. Just so, let us begin. I am available to help you however I can. If I cannot, for whatever reason, I shall inform you and we will move on. Where do you want to start?”

I moved towards my hub, remembering to invite both Andreas-tianNaj and Veest-tianArden in, and headed straight over to the dedicated database screen. “I thought the first thing we could do was begin an automatic search for the key word Moon. It should take some rotations to run but that’s why I wanted to get it started immediately.”

Veest hummed thoughtfully. “That’s a rather general search.” He warned. “You’re likely to get far too many returns to be helpful.”

“I know.” I responded, “But I don’t want to miss anything. I’d rather spend the time to do a proper comprehensive comb through than risk missing something vital. Luckily, Once it’s returned, I can do an elimination comparison with the data I already have and have already eliminated, so we can avoid duplicates, though I’ll probably do a quick auto-comparison to ensure the versions are identical. we can note any discrepancies easily then too.”

Veest-tianArden was nodding along in approval. “Yes, that’s a smart move. Good use of time too. You’re lucky, we’ve only recently completed the full digitisation of all our physical records. A few rotations, and we’d be messing around with document handling. Fragile stuff that. The Specialist Researchers are very persnickety about it too. Always worrying they are.” Then he seemed to have a thought. “Queen Coilna-tianDavarden has briefed me somewhat, but why don’t you tell me what you hope to get from this. Are you able to share what you already have?”

As I answered, I pulled my own screen out and flicked my fingers a few times, gathering all the data I had for this project and transferring it to Veest’s big screen. “King Kine and Queen Coilna-tianDavarden have agreed to have mutual sharing of all data found on the moon and any found on other potential causes of the phenomena. I would guess, though I cannot confirm, that this would be the beginning of the pool of data we hope to acquire as a result of the Gathering. The more we acquire, the better chance we have of understanding what is going on and solving the problem.”

Veest-tianArden became absorbed in the data I’d sent him as I set up the parameters for the auto-search. I know the data he read off by heart, so often had I gone over it trying to understand what was happening. Trying to fix it. Occasionally Veest would mutter alone, repeating facts to himself.

“Fascinating. Fascinating. 382kg of lunar rock… elliptical orbit. Apollo 11? Hmm, did they really put humans on the moon?…” After much muttering and hem-and-hawing, Veest-tianArden spoke a little louder as he addressed me. “Ambassador Sierra, what are these letters and numbers here? They don’t seem to make sense.”

I knew what he meant but I moved to stand next to him, looking at his big screen anyway. I contemplated the odd sequence and shared my thoughts.

R = 1,737.5 km

D = 3,475 km

C = 10,917km

Dist = ~384,400 km

RL = 18,470 km.

“As I understand it, they appear to be measurements in an old unit, but what they are measuring I can only guess at. I believe that the R, D and C, stand for Radius, Diameter and circumference. The D is double the R which would make sense if if they represent radius and diameter. We can use the standard Pi R shared to check if were right about the C being circumference. The other two are a little more obscure. Dist could be distance but distance to what? And I couldn’t find anything that explained or matched RL.” I expounded, getting a little lost in my own speculations again.

“Hmm, yes I agree with you so far. Could distance be the distance between Planet and the moon?” Veest-tianArden asked.

“Oh! Of course!” I exclaimed, startled I’d missed something so simple. “That is the obvious isn’t it? Any guesses to RL?” I looked hopefully to him, waiting.

After some thought, more grumbling sounds and a few sighs, Veest answered. “I’ve got nothing. Sorry Ambassador Sierra.”

“Never mind. You have fun digging through that and I’m going to check the master index, see if anything jumps out at me.”

I returned to the dedicated database screen and started scrolling through the index, jumping as close to the M section as possible:

>>Oceans: Creature, Mapping and Topography

…

…

…

Oxen: Mythical Beast or Delicious Beast

Nope, too far. I scrolled back up but the N’s caught my attention.

>>Notes: Advent of Bio-tech

Notes: Archeology - Lost past

…

Notes: Observations of Behaviour

This was distracting and I risked getting caught up in my own fascination, but the problem was so much could be found in random notes. It may hold a treasure trove of data and information. Later. For now, the easy stuff. Maybe I could jump up a little.

>>Lovers of Chocolate

…

Luckless (The Second Age of Retha Series)

Bother, too far again. Scroll, scroll, scroll. Ahh, the M’s.

M.a-

M.e-

M.i-

M.o-!

Scroll, scroll, scroll.

>>Mad

…

Moon

…

Moors

…

Moose

Moon! Finally. Now to trawl through the many, many listing related to the moon and see if anything spoke to me. Sometime during my research, Veest-tianArden’s voice interrupted my train of thought.

“You know, you could just search for a key word, maybe something a bit more specific than moon. It might help you to find whatever you’re looking for.”

I looked up, blinking away the tiredness from my eyes. “I know I have that option, and I’ll probably try that later when we have something more solid. But I worry I’ll miss something important. What if something was missed or there was an error made? Mistakes happen, even to the best of us. Or it could be as simple as the language changed over the orbits. I just want to be sure.”

“A wise precaution. I can see you’re passionate about this, it reminds me of myself.” He grinned. “Why do you like history so much? What sparked your passion?”

I smiled as I remembered my first forays into the past, the lessons of my dad, the expeditions. “I like to understand how we got here. I like to understand the good and the bad. What we got wrong, what we got right. Is there anything we can learn from the past?”

“Indeed. Though we have a highly comfortable existence, we are far from living in a utopia.” He gave me a considered look. “Some of us further than others.”

Something about that look hit me and I found myself talking before I really thought about it.“Forgive me if I mis-speak but… Even if most of the citizens of the races don’t want for much, don’t go hungry and there’s hardly any illness, there’s still an underlying wrongness in how the humans and the Myath are treated. And I don’t just say that because I’m a Myath. I know plenty of members of the races. Did you know that a lot of them are part of the Myath community? They’re there because perhaps they spoke out too often or they were caught helping a Myath or someone has accused them because they don’t like them. We look after them, we can’t really afford for them to turn to us but we still help if we can. And some of our best traders live in the Cities. It’s safer for them than it is for us. We refuse to be what they say we are. We won’t ever steal and hunting won’t feed all of us because we have huge populations. So traders are essential. If you’ve ever seen anything hand made from the wilds, it’s probably Myath made, at least, if it’s any good.” I smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, I’ve gone off track. I must be more tired than I thought.”

I rubbed at my eyes and looked up into the sympathising eyes of Veest-tianArden.

“It’s has been a pleasure meeting you Ambassador Sierra and I look forward to working together. Get some rest now. I think I’ll find my own nest. Rest well.”