“You want me as an advisor?”

“I do,” Genvass replied to the image on the display. “I could use someone with your knowledge and experience on my team.”

Ess Peon regarded him warily. “You realize I don’t have any diplomatic experience, don’t you?”

“Neither do I, but that didn’t stop them from shanghaiing me into this job,” he chuckled. “You’re an expert at finding information and using it to its full advantage, aren’t you?”

“I am,” she agreed, “though that doesn’t explain why you want me, as opposed to another Avatar. I suspect you could recruit pretty much anyone you wanted.”

“Actually, my first choice turned out to be unavailable,” he admitted with some chagrin. “I hope that doesn’t put a damper on our working relationship.”

“And who was that?” Ess asked out of curiosity.

“Alphad Aemon,” he informed her. “I spoke with your clan leader at great length on the subject, only to get shot down hard. We’d served together on the mission to Earth,” he explained.

The Avatar winced. “Yeah… Alphad’s pretty much persona non grata around here,” she said uncomfortably. “I don’t know all the details, but he really pissed off the Sibyl. The only reason they let him off his leash during that last battle was because he helped create the weapon we used against the Yīqún. Plus, we were desperate.”

“Yes, we were,” he said soberly. “You’d think his efforts would have earned him his rehabilitation.”

“You’d think, but whatever it was he did, the Sibyl apparently isn’t in a forgiving mood. Word is that during his last mission, he went off the rails, disobeyed orders, and put the entire clan in jeopardy. Whatever it was, it must have been big because security is tight around him.” The Avatar sighed. “Plus, rumor is that he and the Sibyl used to be close, and now they feel betrayed by his actions. It’s personal, I’m afraid.” Ess shrugged helplessly. “I suspect there’s more to it, but like I said, there’s a security lockdown that’s more daunting than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I wonder then why they allowed him to attend the funeral when we landed on New Terra?” he wondered aloud. “If they view him as that large a threat, I mean.”

“I think some of the other clans interceded on his behalf,” she said carefully. “That’s the rumor, anyway.”

“Perhaps,” Genvass nodded. “I hope you don’t mind being my second choice, Ess,” he said, getting the conversation back on its original track, “though I suppose I should ask if you’re even interested in the job.”

“It’s an intriguing offer, I have to admit,” the Avatar smiled. “Besides, I was already considering leaving the survey team.”

“You were?” he said in surprise. “May I ask why?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Ess shrugged. “At first it was exciting, exploring all those ancient buildings, wondering what sort of treasures they held. But even exciting work can become routine, though that’s not the issue either.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “How much do you know about Earth’s ancient history? Before space flight, I mean.”

“Some,” he admitted, “though I’m not an expert.”

“Well, you’ve probably at least seen images of the pyramids,” she continued, “during the Remembrance Day festivities, if nothing else. Those structures were old, dating back to a time before the Troika subjugated the Perseus Arm.” She chuckled for a moment. “Not as old as the structures here on New Terra, but old for us. They were covered with strange writing, images of birds and eyes and wavy lines, and for the longest time no one knew what any of it meant.”

“Hieroglyphics,” Genvass said in understanding. “The ability to decipher it had been lost over time, as I recall.”

“That’s right,” she nodded. “For more than a thousand years, people tried making sense of those bizarre symbols, with no success. There were many attempts, only for each one to end in failure. In the end, a man named Champollion finally cracked the code, after years of effort and no small amount of luck.”

“I remember something about that,” he said affably, “though I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

“Every time I access a Precursor network, that’s what it feels like,” Ess sighed. “Maybe I get bits and pieces, like with that hospital, but actually understanding any of it? That won’t happen until long after you and I are gone, Ambassador,” she said quietly. “Their technology is simply too advanced; it will probably be centuries before we’re able to crack even the basics. Maybe longer.”

“You find it intimidating,” he realized. “We’re all feeling that, Ess. Hard not to, on this world.”

“I know,” she acknowledged. “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels half the time, wondering if any of this is making a difference. I know it’s important work, that someone needs to survey and catalog this world, but at times it just feels futile. I’ll never get to see the payoff.”

“Well, if you signed on, odds are you’d get to see your efforts bear fruit,” he said affably, “although there’s no guarantee things will turn out as you hoped.”

“Oh no, I have no idea what that’s like,” she said in mock horror, before growing serious once more. “That’s been the collective Terran experience for the last two hundred years.”

“Point,” he agreed. “Does that mean you’ll take the job?”

“Give me some time to think it over,” she told him, “but I’m not going to lie, I’m tempted.” She paused for a moment, and then said, “If I took the job, there’s an idea I’ve been kicking around for a while now I’ve been dying to try out.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“If I take the job, I’ll let you know.” The pair shared a grin as a chime came from the hatch.

“Looks like I have a visitor,” he informed her, “so I need to cut this short. You know how to reach me… and I hope you’ll sign on. Talk to you soon.” He closed the circuit and then toggled the hatch. “Yes?”

Dàifu Khatsakhox strolled through the doorway before plopping down and making herself comfortable in one of his chairs. “How goes the search?” she asked him.

“Assuming things work out with Ess, I’d say we’re pretty much set,” Genvass said, “though Rúna is still complaining about the dress uniforms.”

“A little spit and polish will do her good,” the Dàifu smiled. “They tell me it builds discipline and morale.”

“I am not telling her that,” he grimaced. “I’m likely to get a blistering tirade for my troubles. And speaking of tirades, she and my new ship captain got into a rather heated discussion when we were touring Mako,” Genvass informed her. “Hopefully, they’ll work it out.”

“Let me guess, they were arguing over jurisdiction?” the clan leader mused. “Specifically, who could order whom around, and under what circumstances?”

“Something like that,” he nodded. “There was a distinct lack of trust between them, I’m afraid.”

“A certain amount of that is healthy,” she decided after a moment. “Helps to keep everyone honest. Too much, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a war zone. Not exactly a conducive work environment.”

“Any tips on finding that magical balance?” he asked her.

“The best advice I can offer you is to trust your gut,” the Dàifu said. “Those kinds of interpersonal dynamics can vary wildly from one situation to the next, and I’m afraid there are no hard and fast rules to simplify things. Believe me, I wish there were.”

“I was afraid you were going to say something like that,” Genvass sighed.

“There are no shortcuts in this universe,” she said bluntly. “If there were, we wouldn’t need ambassadors.” The Dàifu rose to her feet. “If you’ve got your team finalized, then the sooner you depart, the better. I’ll sleep much sounder knowing you’ve smoothed the Alliance’s ruffled feathers.”

“As will I,” Genvass agreed. “Assuming Ess signs on, we should be able to leave within the next two days.”

“Good,” she nodded. “I know it seems like I’ve put a staggering burden on your shoulders, but I wouldn’t have chosen you for the mission if I didn’t believe you were capable.” She smiled. “You can do this, Genvass. You have my complete confidence.”

“Thank you, Dàifu,” he answered, bowing his head. “I’ll try not to let you down.”

“I’m holding you to that, for all our sakes,” she told him, “because the last thing we need is another war.”

He stared at her in shock, startled out of whatever it was he’d been imagining. Genvass searched her face for any trace of humor, only there was none to be found. Their eyes met, and for the first time, he felt he truly appreciated the gravity of the situation. There was a curt nod from his clan leader as she saw her words had landed on fertile soil, before turning and exiting the compartment, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

It was late in the evening when he heard the door chime. His initial reaction was to simply let it buzz without answering, given the long day he was facing tomorrow. It buzzed again, more insistent this time, so with a sigh, he pressed the intercom. “Yes, who is it?” he asked.

A familiar face greeted him. “It’s me, Gen,” Maggie Al-Hajjah nee Rademacher grunted. “Ya wanna open up?”

Curiosity got the better of him. Maggie was the last person he would have expected to see on his doorstep. “Sure, come on in,” he told her, buzzing the hatch open.

Maggie stepped inside, though she wasn’t alone. Diggs trailed behind her, looking nervous and apologetic. “Maggie, Diggs,” he said affably, “what brings you my way?”

“Got a favor to ask,” she told him, eying the glass in his hand. “You got any more of that?”

“Of course,” Genvass nodded, going to the sideboard and pouring one for her as well. He glanced back at Diggs with a questioning look, who waved off the offer. Shrugging, he handed the glass to the older woman, before retaking his seat. “Sit down, both of you,” he said, sitting back down and making himself comfortable, as they did likewise. “So what’s this favor?”

Instead of answering, she elbowed the boy in his ribs. Diggs winced at the jab, glaring at her in response before quickly looking away as she returned his scowl with interest. Hunching his head down, he muttered, “... I wanna come with you.”

The Dharmist blinked in surprise. “I’m sorry?” he responded, shaking his head. “Come with me? Why?”

The young man suddenly seemed to have trouble finding the words, while Maggie just rolled her eyes. “It’s kinda traditional for us Tinkers to apprentice on a ship, ‘fore gettin’ our Journeyman ticket,” she explained. “Problem is, not too many ships are headin’ out these days. Thought maybe we could work somethin’ out.”

“I see,” he said thoughtfully. “I’m really not the person to talk to about this,” he explained. “You should bring this up with Captain Taneka. Mako is her boat, not mine.”

“Yeah, well… about that,” she grimaced, tugging on her ear. “You know how them Corsairs are, clannish as all get out. Seems her and Hadad are friendly, and soon as she heard my name, that was it. Shut me down hard.” Placing a protective hand on Diggs’s shoulder, she mumbled, “Thought maybe you could put in a good word… you know, bein’ the ambassador and all.”

“I don’t really know her that well,” he protested. “I’m not sure how much weight my word will carry with her.” He paused as a thought struck him. “What about speaking with the ship’s engineer directly? You’re both Tinkers, after all. That might be the best way to handle this.”

She winced at that, before staring into her glass. “Not sure that’s a good idea,” she said sourly.

Something about her reaction left him with a profound sense of resignation. “And why might that be, Maggie?” he prompted her.

The silence drew out until she finally bowed to the inevitable. “Cause him and me bumped heads a few times, back in the day,” she reluctantly admitted. “Doubt he’d piss on me if I was on fire.”

Genvass set down his glass and leaned forward. “Is there anyone in the Perseus Arm you haven’t pissed off?” he said with a hint of frustration.

“Look, I made my mistakes, all right?” she spat out, her face twisted in resentment. “I ain’t perfect, never claimed to be.” She looked at the young man beside her, who was doing his best to shrink into the chair, as her features slowly softened. Maggie cupped the back of his head in a motherly gesture. “But Diggs here shouldn’t be the one payin’ for ‘em. That ain’t right. I just want to see him get a fair shake.”

His eyes traveled to Diggs, who so far had said almost nothing. “And this is what you want?” he asked him.

The boy gave him a jerky nod, as Genvass sighed once more. “I’d like to hear why, before I commit to this,” he informed him. Maggie started to speak, but he quickly cut her off. “From Diggs, if you don’t mind,” he said somewhat frostily. The Tinker scowled but said nothing, instead turning to face her son.

Diggs squirmed uncomfortably, now that he was on the spot, but after a quick look at Maggie, who smiled in reassurance, he swallowed and did his best to answer. “I don’t remember much about my childhood,” he informed him, “and from what Momma Maggie says, that’s probably a good thing. Mostly I remember being hungry and scared, least til she found me. Since then she’s shown me a lot, taught me about engineering, what it means to be a Tinker. I like what I do. A lot. Seeing something that was nothing but junk before you touched it come back to life… let me tell you, it’s incredible. Like being a doctor, maybe, except with machines instead of people.” He gave Genvass a bashful smile.

The Dharmist beamed in return. “I imagine it is,” he said affably. “But that still doesn’t tell me why you want to go on this mission.”

“Cause… I need to step out on my own,” he answered, his voice growing stronger and more assured. “I love you, Mom,” he told the woman beside him, “but I gotta do this. I can’t keep following you around, not if I’m gonna be my own man. I gotta make my own mistakes, if I’m ever gonna figure out who I am.”

“‘Course you do,” Maggie smiled, pressing her head against his.

He smiled in return, before giving Genvass a plaintive look. “I know that probably don’t make much sense to you.”

“On the contrary, it makes perfect sense,” he chuckled. “All right, I’ll speak to the captain. I’m confident I can wrangle you a spot.”

“Really?” Diggs’s face brightened. “Thank you, Mister Shaafvaazif! I swear you won’t regret it.”

“But,” he continued, holding up a finger, “from what I understand about Tinkers, you’ll be the ship engineer’s apprentice during the mission, which means you’ll have to obey his orders, even if you disagree with them. Not to mention the possibility… no, scratch that… the likelihood of him giving you a hard time because of your mom, not to mention being thrust on him at the last minute. Are you ready for that?”

He nodded once more. “I know it won’t be easy. But if I work hard and do like he says, I’m sure I can win him over.”

“I’m sure you will, too,” he told the young man, as he reached out and took his hand.

“Welcome aboard.”