Ruins (Pathfinder 2)

“No,” said the voice, “but he agrees.”

Rigg took out the jewels one by one, and applied for control of all the starships. They accepted him as their commander, every one.

“Can a Wall sense when a human is trying to get through it?”

“Yes.”

“Can it tell which human is trying?”

“Yes.”

“I order all ships to allow me to pass through any Wall whose field I enter.”

“All ships have signaled their understanding and compliance.”

Rigg thought a little.

“And my companions,” said Rigg. “Param, Umbo, Loaf, Olivenko.”

“What about them?”

Rigg was going to say, Let them pass through also, but then he thought better of it. “If any two of them attempt to pass through together, then let them through.”

“But not one alone?”

“If someone is pursuing them, then let them through alone.”

“Understood.”

“Pursuing them with hostile intent,” said Rigg. “If I’m pursuing them, make them wait for me.”

“Expendable Ram asks what you expect to happen.”

“I don’t expect anything,” said Rigg testily. “I’m trying to create a set of rules that will give me safety and flexibility.”

“Without losing control of your companions,” said the voice—but he knew it was Father making the sarcastic comment.

“I don’t want Umbo to get angry and go off by himself. Or anyone. I want to be able to divide up, but into smaller groups, not individuals.”

“Except you.”

“Except me! I didn’t ask for this responsibility, but I have it, so yes, I get to make myself the exception, and that’s what I’ve decided.”

“Expendable Ram says, ‘Good.’”

“Expendable Ram can eat poo,” said Rigg.

“All expendables can process any organic matter they ingest and extract energy from it.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” said Rigg. And in fact he was. Father wasn’t dead. Angry as Rigg was, he was also relieved. Even though expendable Ram was not his biological father, he was the one—the man—who had raised him. He occupied the place, deep in Rigg’s brain, that belonged to a father. It was his approval that Rigg needed to earn. His counsel that Rigg could trust, deep in his soul, no matter how he mistrusted him at a conscious level. It would be hard to fully expunge his father from the deepest places in his mind. It might not even be possible. And Rigg didn’t want to. Even if all the expendables were the same, could share their memories, could talk to each other, Rigg knew that there was one expendable that had walked the woods with him, taught him, tested him. Father was alive.

Alive, but not helping me very much.

I was trying to get rid of responsibility and leadership, thought Rigg. Now I’m responsible for the survival of the whole world.

Umbo is going to be so annoyed.

CHAPTER 8