Galaxia's Edge

Akkady was the granddaughter of Arkady

Below on this page is a new science fiction story, "The Galaxiad". Set in the Foundation Reality, shortly before Many Sails brings Grean to Earth, the story begins on a distant planet of the galaxy where the political struggle between the Social Unity Party and the Individual Freedom Party is being contested. A new IFP legislator, Ymena Nodeseph, arrives at the Carina Sector Capitol world of Mysyny and she is immediately met by IFP officials who express concern about the safety of Nodeseph's daughter. 

The Senator's daughter, Vyky, is assigned two body guards. By law, one is a member of the IFP (Myquel) and the other is SUP (Lunanna). Like most people at this time, 30,000 years in our future, Vyky has some telepathic abilities and she notices that something is wrong with Lunanna's mind. Eventually, it is revealed that Lunanna is actually a positronic robot (probot), working to help establish Galaxia.

Mind Static device

Myquel is a Galactic Guardian and carries a Mind Static device that is to be used if and when an agent of the Second Foundation tries to take control of Vyky's mind. However, Vyky is skeptical about the 'myth' that some Second Foundationers still exist, a few having survived the purge that took place hundreds of years previously on Terminus. Myquel states that it is only because of the continued efforts of Second Foundationers that the galaxy is being rapidly converted to SUP-majority worlds. Lunanna tells Vyky that Myquel is an IFP fanatic and a poor looser who can't accept that he is on the wrong side of history.

Grean the Kac'hin (image credits)

Eventually Many Sails arrives and reveals that the Mind Static devices carried by Galactic Guardians are obsolete. Many Sails explains that the Mind Static devices carried by the Guardians would have to be re-tuned in order to work on probots (such as Lunanna) who are working as the agents of R. Nyrtia to establish Galaxia. Many Sails makes teleportation duplicates of Vyky, Myquel and Lunanna and takes them back to the Kac'hin staging base in the Andromeda galaxy.

⎯ The Galaxiad ؄

Part 1. Welcome to Mysyny

 

Vyky was reading the last letter from Nerte for what may have been the 1000th time:

 

Sweet Vy-

 

By the time this letter reaches you, I will be on my way to Trantor. After discussing the Palver document with dad, he told me that my uncle Styrik researched the old Empire during a two year stay on Trantor. Neither of us can imagine why Arkady failed to include the name Preem Palver in her book about Bayta. Was she trying to protect him from tourists? I'm going to go in search of the Palver family on Trantor. My uncle told me that I should be sure to find and view an iridium plaque near the place in Streeling University where Ebling Mis died, commemorating Bayta Crast.

I agree with your original analysis of the Palver document. Arkady was suggesting a link between Palver the trader and others who we know visited Trantor including Mis and the Mule. However, all that fascinating conjecture was never published. Why? I hope to find out! Noxid is dismal without you here and I need a change. As much as I dread the great shave and the long journey, I depart in the morning. For now, send your letters to me, care of the Carina Sector Embassy in Trantor. Too bad we can't compromise our ideals and use the Galaxia network.

                                                                 With Love,

                                                                    Nerte

Neither Vyky or Nerte's family had heard from him after his first arrival on Trantor, three years previously. Then almost a year after his disappearance, a notice of death had reached Nerte's family from the Carina Sector Embassy on Trantor, stating that Nerte died in a gravshaft accident. Somehow, among the ruins of the university's literature department, an ancient gravshaft had hurled Nerte head first into the rubble of a debris-blocked shaft. 

The flow of Vyky's sad thoughts was shifted by the arrival of her mother in the teleportation chamber. After a last glance at the heap of their luggage, the two women joined the line leading to the closest teleportation pad. Soon they were teleported from the orbiting spaceship to the surface of Mysyny.

 

Senator Ymena Nodeseph and her daughter, Vyky, arrived on the world of Mysyny and quickly stepped off of the busy teleportation pad. Ymena and Vyky were linked telepathically by means of the small devices that they wore under their stylish hats. Both women from the planet Noxtid wore gloves that covered much of their hands, but not the ends of their fingers. Glancing up at the tall buildings nearby, Vyky told her mother: sadly, this all looks very similar to Terminus.

Ymena and Vyky had grown up in a rural community on Noxtid and they had little tolerance for big bustling cities. Ymena said in return: I need only suffer this hive and its swarms for six years... Oh, look! Over there... I see Senator Pechuff!

a poster of the Individual Freedom Party

They were in the shadow of one of the looming towers of the Carina Legislative district. Graceful drapes of transparent platgren had been artfully placed between the towers, creating a vast area of covered plazas. A delegation of IFP officials was waiting a short distance away, on the edge of their transport ring. Ymena moved on long strides to the railing and reached across while saying, "Good to see you, Daysyn!"

Daysyn Pechuff warmly shook Ymena's hand. "Welcome! We should go directly to the Senatorium and get you linked in. The session opening ceremony is in just three hours. It will be brief, but you don't want to miss it. Sometimes there is an attempt to call an emergency vote during such sessions."

While Senator Pechuff spoke to Ymena, Vyky held her mother's other hand, helping her to step over the railing. Vyky then easily stepped over it herself, raising first one long leg and then the other. Ymena told Daysyn and the rest of the delegation, "This is my daughter, Vyky."

With great dismay, Daysyn said, "Your daughter?" He briefly shook Vyky's hand and glanced up and down along the full length of her long lean body. Dayson was appalled by the bright pink suit she was wearing. "I was not told that you were bringing any family members to Mysyny." Turning his attention back to Ymena, Dayson continued, "You indicated that your husband refuses to leave Noxtid."

Ymena explained, "Vyky recently completed her studies on Terminus and upon arriving home she decided to accompany me here."

Daysyn gestured across the expanse of the transport plaza and said, "Let's proceed to the Senatorium." He turned to one of the other IFP officials and said, "Contact Security, have them arrange for Vyky's escort. I want a Guardian at the Office of Records within ten minutes!"

Vyky told Senator Pechuff, "I just survived four years on Terminus. I can get around without an escort."

Daysyn said, "Terminus is a solid Socialist planet... conditions are very different here on Mysyny where the population is evenly split. There have been recent cases of politically-motivated kidnappings and I'm not going to take chances with your safety."

Ymena complained, "Nobody even knows that Vyky is here! I assure you, she will quietly blend in and lose herself in a big city. She'll vacation here for a few weeks and then return to Noxtid."

They went up the broad steps at the front of the Senatorium and into the East Rotunda. Giant globes of all the major Sector worlds hung above their heads. Daysyn gestured towards the far side of the Rotunda where the Office of Records was located. "Ymena, as a Sector Senator your life is no longer entirely your own. The Party can not afford to demonstrate any weakness." He glanced again at Vyky. "Who knows, your daughter might follow in your foot steps and one day become an important member of IFP herself... but not if we now foolishly leave her open to SUP malevolence."

Vyky patiently explained to Daysyn, "I'm a writer, not a politician, so don't imagine that I have political ambitions."

Senator Pechuff, Senator Nodeseph and Vyky entered the Office of Records. The rest of the welcoming delegation returned to their regular duties. Daysyn approached a comdesk under a sign that said REGISTRATION and PERSONNEL.

A clerk looked up from his work at the desk and said, "Good afternoon, Senator Pechuff."

Daysyn told the clerk, "This is Senator Nodeseph. She needs her wearable telepaq."

The clerk opened a drawer of the desk and pulled out a box with "Y.N." printed on the top. Inside the box was the telepaq that had been prepared for Senator Nodeseph. Ymena took off her hat and tilted her head towards the clerk who tried to fit the telepaq to the left side of her head. "Hmm..." The clerk set down the telepaq and then began gingerly patting Yemena's hair. "There is something here..." The clerk suddenly dropped his hands and looked at Daysyn.

Senator Pechuff felt the side of Ymena's scalp and detected a small metallic object nestled in her hair close the the skin and suggested, "You have another prosthetic..."

Ymena nodded. "I was expecting to wear both devices as long as my daughter is here."

Daysyn nodded. "Ah, yes, the Werefe telepaq. I've never seen one before." He had not actually seen Ymena's. "It is quite small, so I think we can make an adjustment..." He told the clerk, "Please make a quick alteration to her Senatorial telepaq so that it can rest on top of this other device."

The clerk said, "The telepaq technician will want to make an appointment and spend at least an hour taking measurements and synthesizing a new-"

Senator Pechuff  impatiently interrupted the clerk. "Make an appointment for that careful fitting to be done tomorrow." Daysyn was in a rush. "Today we don't have time for perfection."

The clerk nodded and asked Ymena to sit in the chair behind the comdesk. He made a few quick measurements of the Werefe telepaq and then took out a set of tools and began modifying the linkages between the modules of the Senatorial telepaq. 

Two others, a man and a woman had just entered the office from the Rotunda. Senator Pechuff approached one of them and asked, "Myquel, are you here to help with our little emergency?"

Myquel wore a severe black jumpsuit that looked almost like a uniform. He saluted Daysyn and replied, "I was in the barracks and off duty. I was apparently the most readily available Guardian when your emergency request arrived."

"Well, I'm glad it was you!" Daysyn gestured towards Vyky. "Here is the emergency... Senator Nodeseph's daughter, Vyky, just arrived on planet. She plans to vacation on Mysyny for a time and then depart. As long as she is here, I want her watched."

"Understood, sir."

Vyky objected, "Well, I don't understand. I can take care of myself. I doubt if Myquel will help at all. If he follows me around it will only attract attention."

Senator Nodeseff now had her hat in her hand with the new telepaq securely held in place by a head band. The new telepaq would link her to the other Senators and, indeed, could also establish communications links to all the other residents of Mysyny who were part of the Galaxia network. Via the Senatorial telepaq, Daysyn told Ymena: Please tell your daughter that she can either sit inside your apartment or she can go out sightseeing, with an escort. It is her choice.

On their own separate circuit, the two women from Noxtid were telepathically and privately linked by means of their Werefe telepaqs. Ymena placed a hand on her daughter's arm and they walked towards the door: Let's meet for dinner after the Senate session. Ymena glanced at Myquel. You will be locked inside my apartment unless you accept this escort.

Vyky shrugged, glanced over her shoulder towards Myquel and then quickly walked out the door: See you for dinner, mom. I'll find out if this dolt can keep up with me!

Vyky walked quickly with long legs thrusting her along on bounding strides in the relatively low gravity of Mysyny. She paused in the center of the Rotunda, looking up at the globe symbolizing her home world of Noxtid. Myquel was there at her side. He said, "I can't seem to connect to your telepaq." He flicked his eyes upwards briefly to follow her gaze then asked, "What channel are you using?"

Vyky looked at him and noticed that the woman who had arrived in the office with Myquel had also followed her. Vyky muttered to Myquel, "I think we are being followed."

Myquel glanced at the woman and gestured towards her. "This is Lunanna, my counterpart in the SUP."

Lunanna stepped close to Vyky and said, "By law, all escort details for family members of legislators must include at least one member of each party."

Vyky tried to scan Lunanna's mind, but she sensed an anomalous pattern of brain activity. Myquel was emitting a more typical electrical brainwave pattern. She told her two escorts, "Maybe you two can entertain each other while have a look around." She took off, almost at a run and soon was skipping down the steps in front of the Senatorium with both and Lunanna and Myquel trying to keep up, following along and trying not to create the appearance that they were chasing after Vyky.

Five minutes later they passed through the East Gate of the Legislative Complex and into the busy surroundings of a city street. The wild dash across the Legislative District by Vyky had only served to convince her that she was not going to easily escape from either Lunanna or Myquel. She looked down the street in one direction then up the street in the other direction. Throngs of pedestrians were going in and out of the Gate and swarms of aircars now filled the sky above. They were no longer shielded from the weather by a platgren dome. Vyky sighed and looked more carefully at Myquel. His eyes seemed to be spiraling around in their sockets as he tried to continually scan their surroundings. Lunanna was gazing in the opposite direction, also scanning the crowd. "I wish I had my coat. It is colder out here than I expected."

"A cold front came through this morning." Myquel suggested, "I'll take you to Senator Nodeseph's apartment. Your luggage has been sent there."

"No, my coat is back on Noxtid." She looked off down the street. "Let's find a shop where I can pick up some warmer clothes."

Lunanna pointed along the boulevard. "There is Rupert's."

Vyky strolled down the street with Myquel close by her right side and Lunanna to her left. She asked, "You two have worked together before?"

Lunanna replied, "Yes, we have." 

Vyky was growing increasingly alarmed by the strange brain activity pattern she was detecting from Lunanna. She asked Myquel, "What's wrong with her... brain damage?"

Myquel laughed, "I don't think so. Being an ardent SUP member does not necessarily imply that someone is stupid or mentally defective."

Vyky insisted, "I've never felt a mind like hers."

"It is you who seem strange to me." Lunanna added, "There are many different gene patterns scattered through the galaxy. For example, you are the first Werefe who I've met."

They were approaching the storefront for Rupert's Emporium. The window displays depicted what Vyky assumed were currently popular clothing styles of Mysyny. "We are a small minority group on Noxtid. I'm surprised you've heard of us."

They passed through an archway and into Rupert's. Lunanna said, "I've been researching your mother ever since I was assigned to escort you."

Myquel gestured to one side of the store. "Fall season apparel is over here."

Surprised to see Myquel walking off towards the back of the store, Vyky began looking at the nearest display rack that held shoes and accessories. Lunanna was right at her elbow, offering a steady steam of advice about warm, water-proof footwear. Vyky placed a hand on Lunanna's back and guided her towards a brightly colored display. "This looks like the style you are wearing. Will it keep me warm?" Even with her hand close to Lunanna, Vyky could not detect any of the electrical emanations from the other woman that normally accompanied human brain activity.

A minute later, Vyky turned a corner near a display rack and there was Myquel holding out towards her a black pantsuit that seemed quite similar in design to what he was wearing. He suggested, "Try this on, Vyky, I think it is your size."

She laughed and asked, "Do you have a weird preference for black clothing?"

He replied, "Black is one of the traditional IFP colors."

Vyky glanced at the brightly decorated Lunanna. "Her clothing is pretty and also functional."

Myquel advised, "You don't want to dress like a Socialist. Your mother might suffer shame."

Vyky asked incredulously, "Do you really dress differently just because you are in different political parties?" Sensing that was exactly the case, she shrugged and took the black pantsuit from Myquel. She marched into a changing room and closed the door behind her. The material of the new suit was soft and rich. Vyky began to take off her top, but then stopped. She had never completely depilated her body. From her breasts to her upper thighs she was still very hairy, like a normal Werefe. She decided to now dress in two layers of clothes.

She slipped the black suit on over the light pajama-like suit she was wearing and looked at the display screen of the videoproj, luxuriating in the warmth provided by the new jumpsuit. Satisfied with Myquel's selection, he stepped out of the dressing room and found that both of her escorts were just outside the dressing room door, in their usual pose of looking in opposite directions, as if they were a well-coordinated team. Vyky walked quickly out of the store and continued down the street, now much more comfortable in the cool autumn air. 

Vyky was enjoying the unique architectural nuances of that Mysyny street and she was also now playing the guessing game of identify passing SUP and IFP members by their clothing. Half the crowd was dressed in subdued browns and grays while the other half wore bright colors. Occasionally pausing to look in storefront windows, Vyky made her way down the street, gradually becoming a bit sad to discover that beyond cosmetic surface design differences, the elements of life on Mysyny all seemed to be pretty much the same here as they had been on Terminus. Galaxia was gradually turning all 25,000,000 human-settled planets of the galaxy into a homogeneous soup with no space for the unusual. Vyky was shaken out of her thoughts when a woman approached and Myquel pushed her away. Vyky asked, "What is going on?"

Lunanna explained, "She claims to be a reporter. She wants to interview you, but she has no appointment."

The woman shouted at Myquel, "Let me speak to her! She won't even acknowledge my comsig."

Vyky calmly faced the woman and asked, "What do you want?"

 

"You are the Senator's daughter? I'd like to hear your political views. What is the-"

 

Vyky asked Myquel, "Is there a place nearby where we could get off the street and sit down?"

 

Lunanna replied, "Let's step into the Vicarage." She pointed across the street.

 

Vyky took the arm of the reporter, began to cross the street and asked, "What is your name?"

 

"Ambra Hetzey." As they were walking across the street towards the Vicarage, Vyky scanned Anbra's mind pattern, which was similar to that of Myquel. Ambra asked, "Your name is Vyky Nodeseph?"

 

"No, I have a different second name than my mother."

 

"You use patronyms on Noxtid?" Ambra seemed amused to find that ancient naming practice still in use.

 

"Only we of the Werefe minority do so."

 

They entered the Vicarage and Vyky quickly discovered that it was the typical sort of social hall that existed on most worlds. They sat at a table with Myquel and Lunanna to either side of Vyky, their eyes carefully scanning and assessing the patrons who sat at nearby tables. Ambra asked Vyky, "Werefe?"

Myquel telepathically activated the table's server controls and a mug of beer was teleported onto the small t-form at the center of the table. He picked up the mug and took a sip of the beer. 

 

Vyky asked him, "Could you get something for me?" She was tempted to tune her telepaq to the local network, but she did not want to create even the remote possibility that someone might hack into her brain. She turned to Ambra and said, "I thought you wanted to talk about politics. We can leave my father out of it... he is not a politician."

 

A goblet of pink liquid appeared on the t-form and Lunanna picked it up, moving it to a spot close to herself on the table.

Ambra nodded, "Yes, I do want to talk to you about politics." Ambra spoke most casually, and Vyky was not at all convinced that Ambra had a serious interest in politics.

A tall glass appeared on the t-form. It held some clear, bubbly drink. Myquel handed the glass to Vyky. She took a sip and said, "Very nice. Thank you." She looked into Myquel's dark eyes which continued their bouncy scanning. She told him, "I could get used to having you around."

 

He smiled at Vyky and took a drink of his beer.

 

The reporter asked Vyky, "What do you think about allowing parents to give their children brain implants at birth?"

Vyky set down her glass and stuck out her tongue. "The most horrid practice to ever be advanced by the Socialists. I understand it has become common practice here on Mysyny."

Terminus

"Yes, since juvenile implants were legalized five years ago that practice has increasing been adopted." Ambra added, "By Socialists."

Vyky asked Ambra, "You would allow brain surgery to be performed on your own baby?"

Ambra replied, "I'm not sure. For me that is a rather abstract question." She shrugged. "I don't expect to become a mother in the near future."

"So, you are a socialist?"

"Simply treat me as a reporter... a kind of news gathering mechanism. My own political views are not relevant to this discussion. However, our readers are interested in your mother and how she will vote on legislation."

"Who are your readers?"

"I report for the Sector Herald."

"Never heard of it."

"Well, we are so far only active on Mysyny, so the name is a bit misleading. But we are a conservative news and education organization."

"You are anti-Socialist?"

"The Sector Harald does not chain itself do a strict editorial stance. We freely criticize elected officials of either party, as appropriate. We want what is best for Mysyny.... for all of the human species, on all the worlds of the galaxy, actually."

"And since the population of Mysyny is divided equally between the two parties, you try to navigate down the middle?" Vyky had quickly emptied her glass. Myquel set another full one in front of her. Now, with some alcohol in her system and inside the cozy confines of the Vicarage Lounge, Vyky was feeling quite warm. She stood up and stripped off her new suit, draped it over the back of her chair and then she sat down again. Back in the changing room, Vyky had neglected to completely seal up her blouse which now sported a dramatically plunging neckline.

more future fashion

Ambra could see some of the fur on Vyky's chest, which upon casual inspection looked the fringe of an undergarment. She asked, "Judging from your accent, you've spent time on Terminus."

Vyky picked up her drink and sipped. "Would you like something to drink, Ambra?"

"Not while I'm supposed to be working, thank you."

"I just spent four years on Terminus, studying ancient languages and literature." Vyky took another sip and reflected on her experiences while visiting the Foundation home planet. She let her voice shift into the distinctive speech pattern of the Four Kingdoms. "I learned how to speak with a Terminus accent and I wrote a thesis on the works of Akkady."

the Four Kingdoms

Akkady was even more famous than her grandmother, Arkady Darell. Akkady had been the first writer to apply the name 'Galaxia' to the growing network of worlds linked by hyperspacial communications. It had been in Akkady's time when people of the galaxy began using brain implants to link into a unified technology-assisted telepathy network. Ambra said, "And now here we are, just two centuries after Akkady and with Galaxia almost a completed reality... except for the efforts of people like your mother who are still trying to prevent the formation of Galaxia."

"My mother would be happy to see the Galaxia network torn down." Vyky looked at Myquel as he took his second mug of beer off of the t-form. "Guardians such as Myquel have been in the struggle far longer than my mother."

 

Next: part 2 of "The Galaxiad"; the secrets of Vyky, Myquel, Lunanna and Ambra.

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