replica of the rejuvenation chamber. The Ken turned slowly to face Ka, eyes wide and mouth open. "You are a god. Can you bring the dead back to life?"
Ka was taken aback by the question. The existing host had demonstrated attachment to its kin, so the idea of love didn't surprise it. But when the host lost a brother or a mate it simply accepted the fact and moved on. It lacked the ability to conceptualize, to envision its mate being alive again. This new hominid clearly possessed that ability, which might mean that she could become a shaper if her helixes were properly modified.
"I cannot intervene directly, " Ka said, considering her approach. This must be handled delicately, must be done of the host's own free will. "However, I can give the power to do as you ask. It will require pain, but you will gain the strength to save your Dun."
"Dun?" the Ken asked, blinking away unshed tears.
"Your mate. Your word would be male," Ka explained. The Ken had language, but some concepts did not translate even in a mental construct.
"I can save Osiris?" she asked, straightening.
"Yes," Ka said.
"What must I do?" the Ken asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"My current host will guide you to the central chamber, far below where your body now stands. He will give you the staff he carries," Ka explained, shifting the construct to show the path even as she spoke. "You will enter the very heart of the Ark. If you are worthy, your body will be transformed. You will be gifted with the ability to shape, which you can use to mend the damage to your Dun's body."
"And if I am not worthy?" the Ken asked. A shrewd question, one that Ka had no choice but to answer truthfully.
"Then you will die painfully, the forces you seek to harness tearing apart the molecular bonds holding you together," Ka answered.
The Ken was silent for a long moment, and Ka did not prod. This would be a difficult decision, one that she could not influence.
"Why would you give me this gift?" the Ken asked, again taking Ka by surprise. She would never have expected the hominid to question her motivations. It had been so long since she had conversed with a creature that could reason.
"Doing so will gift you with great power, but the nature of the power benefits me," Ka explained. "A shard of my existence will be bonded to you and in so doing I will finally be able to leave the Ark. I will be able to influence the world in a way I have been denied since the builders departed."
The Ken was silent for a long time. She studied Ka, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke. "Very well, I accept this bargain. Give me this gift, that I might save my Dun."
Chapter 5- The Conduit
The world lurched as Isis returned to her body from whatever strange place the god had whisked her. She staggered, catching herself against one of the strange clear blocks. It was warm to the touch and she focused on that as she struggled to make sense of what had just happened.
"Isis?" Sekhmet asked, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You've gone pale. Are you all right?"
"I...yes I think so," she said, straightening and turning to face her near sister. Sekhmet's red hair had been tied in a tight braid, a nervous habit. How long had she been gone? "The god of this place summoned me. It explained much. It has offered power and it claims I can save Osiris."
"Osiris is beyond saving. We watched him die, near sister," Sekhmet said, face twisted with pain.
"Unnnh," the stranger said, urgently. He offered his golden staff to Isis.
She took it without hesitation, the metal hot to the touch though not unpleasantly so. "This god clearly has great power. Who knows what it can and cannot do?"
The stranger started for the doorway, back into the chamber with the spires. Isis followed. She was aware of Sekhmet behind her, the taller woman hesitated then followed as well.
"Isis, wait. What price does this god demand?" her near sister asked.
"Does it matter?" Isis asked, rounding on her.
Ka was taken aback by the question. The existing host had demonstrated attachment to its kin, so the idea of love didn't surprise it. But when the host lost a brother or a mate it simply accepted the fact and moved on. It lacked the ability to conceptualize, to envision its mate being alive again. This new hominid clearly possessed that ability, which might mean that she could become a shaper if her helixes were properly modified.
"I cannot intervene directly, " Ka said, considering her approach. This must be handled delicately, must be done of the host's own free will. "However, I can give the power to do as you ask. It will require pain, but you will gain the strength to save your Dun."
"Dun?" the Ken asked, blinking away unshed tears.
"Your mate. Your word would be male," Ka explained. The Ken had language, but some concepts did not translate even in a mental construct.
"I can save Osiris?" she asked, straightening.
"Yes," Ka said.
"What must I do?" the Ken asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"My current host will guide you to the central chamber, far below where your body now stands. He will give you the staff he carries," Ka explained, shifting the construct to show the path even as she spoke. "You will enter the very heart of the Ark. If you are worthy, your body will be transformed. You will be gifted with the ability to shape, which you can use to mend the damage to your Dun's body."
"And if I am not worthy?" the Ken asked. A shrewd question, one that Ka had no choice but to answer truthfully.
"Then you will die painfully, the forces you seek to harness tearing apart the molecular bonds holding you together," Ka answered.
The Ken was silent for a long moment, and Ka did not prod. This would be a difficult decision, one that she could not influence.
"Why would you give me this gift?" the Ken asked, again taking Ka by surprise. She would never have expected the hominid to question her motivations. It had been so long since she had conversed with a creature that could reason.
"Doing so will gift you with great power, but the nature of the power benefits me," Ka explained. "A shard of my existence will be bonded to you and in so doing I will finally be able to leave the Ark. I will be able to influence the world in a way I have been denied since the builders departed."
The Ken was silent for a long time. She studied Ka, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke. "Very well, I accept this bargain. Give me this gift, that I might save my Dun."
Chapter 5- The Conduit
The world lurched as Isis returned to her body from whatever strange place the god had whisked her. She staggered, catching herself against one of the strange clear blocks. It was warm to the touch and she focused on that as she struggled to make sense of what had just happened.
"Isis?" Sekhmet asked, laying a hand on her shoulder. "You've gone pale. Are you all right?"
"I...yes I think so," she said, straightening and turning to face her near sister. Sekhmet's red hair had been tied in a tight braid, a nervous habit. How long had she been gone? "The god of this place summoned me. It explained much. It has offered power and it claims I can save Osiris."
"Osiris is beyond saving. We watched him die, near sister," Sekhmet said, face twisted with pain.
"Unnnh," the stranger said, urgently. He offered his golden staff to Isis.
She took it without hesitation, the metal hot to the touch though not unpleasantly so. "This god clearly has great power. Who knows what it can and cannot do?"
The stranger started for the doorway, back into the chamber with the spires. Isis followed. She was aware of Sekhmet behind her, the taller woman hesitated then followed as well.
"Isis, wait. What price does this god demand?" her near sister asked.
"Does it matter?" Isis asked, rounding on her.
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