Глава 15

Bells...? Why am I hearing them ring from all directions?

Her voice is so soft that it does not even echo off the walls.

Whenever the foggy light comes, lots of tiny holes appear in the walls, opening and closing, breathing. When the light disappears, the walls turn white and silent.

That light... is very different from the Holy City's light that the Bishop talked about...

(Unknown language) That light is a simulated F spectrum.

I can hear you. How can I see you?

She presses her nails to the wall. It feels warm and soft, as if she's touching someone else's fingertips—

—so she places her whole palm against the wall, pressing closely to the wall's fine patterns and textures.

Wherever her hand moves, the patterns stretch along with it, as if they're quietly guiding her by the hand.

You're... responding to me?

She runs forward for a bit, and the wall extends with her, leading her.

There are so many doors and so many different paths here. Where do they all lead?

The Cautus stops walking. She sees a 'god' standing in midair, a short distance in front of her. Its silhouette is massive.

The surface of the god's body carries a murky sheen, unlike that of any metal. It nimbly arranges a vast array of glowing fragments into patterns. As the patterns change, the fragments shift color in turn.

But the girl notices that there is no halo on the 'god's' head. The midair colossus completely ignores her, gliding past without hesitation.

Another similar being approaches and stops in front of her.

It seems to be asking her a question.

I don't understand what you're saying.

The 'god' is quiet for a moment. Then it switches from its own language to another one and continues talking.

(Unknown language) Your use of language is primitive.

The 'god' extends its supple limbs to cover the Cautus's head. The Cautus nervously shuts her eyes.

(Unknown language) There's no need to fear. I am analyzing your brain frequency and will upload it to Anseta.

Language. You. Sufficient to communicate.

...Not yet vectorized, extrapolation, deduction. Language, temporary adjustment. Resonance, necessary.

I... can't understand you. Can you understand me?

Indubitably.

—Then are you... God?

The Cautus nervously asks the question that she is most desperate for an answer to.

'God', question. Definition, necessary.

The Bishop says that God is the embodiment of the Law and the Lord of the Holy City, who protects the sick and the dearly departed. But these things that he says were never recorded in the history books.

Forsake, god.

God, not, necessary.

If you aren't God, then who rescued me? Why have I been brought here?

Or is this Kingdom Come? Are you here to guide me into the Kingdom?

Questions. Too many.

Resonance, lacking. Communication, inefficient.

Raydistorter. I.

Partial answer. Show you.

The being who calls itself 'Raydistorter' uses its limbs to draw a window in the air and drag it to the nearest wall. The image in the porthole quickly fades from view.

A pale, eerie light wells up from nowhere, flooding the entire window. The image sharpens gradually—and the Cautus girl looks out the 'window'.

A shattered sphere floats in the dark expanse of space, dotted with countless stars. It is frozen at the moment of death.

All the pasts that have not had time to be told shatter into dust and are cast into the frozen void.

The dust particles find each other and circle around the former garden. They clump together into rings that float in the air.

The Cautus girl and Raydistorter 'sail' atop these dust rings into the dead silence.

We see. Sail. Salvage.

You, shudder. Fear?

The faraway things, the twinkling things, they look like eyes. It's really scary.

They're just stars, but they feel alien to me. There are too many of them; they are too close, too bright.

You're not scared?

Fear is unnecessary.

Fear, too limiting, too inadequate, to describe.

The Cautus looks through the window and sees that tiny holes have appeared in the walls of the ship.

A white light appears somewhere far, far in the distance. It starts growing, and growing until it covers up almost the entire window.

The blinding light caresses the surface of the land of death, covering and hiding everything from any would-be watchful eyes.

The Cautus girl looks directly at the light, as a fear is continually invading her heart, a fear she does not understand.

It's the pale light of a dying star.

A dead planet still orbits the star, and the great ship clinging to the star ring must endure its light and its wailing, again and again, without end.

See, yes?

Only, grave. No, 'Holy City'.

Only, cycles, only, laws. No... 'gods'.

Universe. Welcome.

You. Traveler. Name?

Hierda.

'I don't know when it started, but the nickname the clerics used to tease me with became my name.'

Administrator permissions confirmed.

Unlocking restricted-access project: PRTS Repaired Audio Log #0422

Access restrictions unlocked.

Date: Unrecoverable

Play Log: Under-Development Area

Subject: Kal'tsit

The dust has settled in Londinium, but hopes for peace in Victoria seem dim.

How much time do we have? I know you're listening, PRTS.

I need you to do everything you can to restore monitoring the Cradle Process, in the middle decks' under-development area.

And... prepare to grant Closure access to my permissions.

Authorization—Abyss. Thank you.

There's a lot left to do. How much will I manage myself?

Playback finished. Erasing access log...

3... 2... 1... Log has been erased.

Administrator, do you want to unlock the next classified log?

Operation confirmed. Unlocking next log.

<p=1>Rhodes Island Landship</> <p=2>Summer, 1101</>

Three years after the Londinium incident

(Sliding quickly)

(Proudly claiming credit)

Good work. It seems like Closure and Mechanist's upgrades were effective.

(Spins happily)

Hey. The repair work on this sector is nearly complete.

She feels a small body make contact with her back, hugging her neck and giggling.

Alanna knows the giggle well. Sometimes, it makes her happy, and sometimes it makes her anxious.

She takes the girl she loves so much up on her back.

Potlid, I smell cream stew!

Lanns, you're going to ruin the surprise!

It smells too good! I couldn't help myself!

You sure are happy. I guess the Doctor agreed?

Yes! I saw there was an opening for volunteer work in the Rim Billiton office, and I signed up as soon as I could.

The food I cook now can't cure a miner's Oripathy, sure, but our Rhodes Islander friends can, and I can fill their stomachs.

If Savage and Ray hadn't vouched for me, the Doctor might've rejected my application on the spot.

Well, it's my responsibility as your guardian to accompany you, obviously.

Savage and Ray are with me. No worries!

But even when I'm not around, you still have to eat right, Lanns. I've left a full week's worth of soups of the day in the kitchen—all your favorite flavors.