“Why as female? Why not male?” Mark asks.
“I know, I know. Please let’s not open that can of worms, pretty please? In any case,” Miyagi points at the mare on the scene, “look at her thorax. Rew is not breathing, ha! But unfortunately for us romantic historians, there is little drama to that. No zombies, no vamps. Mares just don’t have lungs. Which means they cannot speak like we do. They don’t even have ears. When they communicate, they reverberate psychically, a special type of telepathy. Very, very efficient. They don’t have the problems we do with accents and sore throats.” The students laugh. “In this sensorial, you will hear the communication in High Hansasian English. Oh!” Miyagi points at the floating scene. “Here comes Yog.”
Three more mares pop into existence. They appear at roughly the same moment, side by side, facing Rew, and just as ghostly white. Rew bows her small head slightly at the three figures.
Nobody speaks. As if waiting.
A larger creature materializes next to the four mares. She is not even humanoid. As large as an elephant, as sticky and soft as an octopus, and as many appendages under her body as a millipede. Two large bulbous eyes—white like those of mares—protrude from a head that is as large as the rest of her body. A head with no mouth to be seen. Her skin is white, also resembling that of mares, but thicker, and it throbs slowly like waves of flesh. Her body is so massive, and her short appendages so delicate, that any xenobiologist would correctly guess that her habitat is underwater. And indeed, she seems to be somehow floating above the ground, as if pushed by invisible currents.
The four mares bow to the creature. A very human gesture, Ximena thinks with wonder. Perhaps some type of convergent evolution on the body language of biped sentients?
The massive creature does not react.
“Sense and bind, Master Gorrobor.” The eerie female voice echoes crisply in the auditorium. Its source are the three mares standing in front of Rew, speaking as one. While she speaks, her black mouth remains shut, and her body unnaturally still.
“Do name yourself, and state the objective of this gathering,” Gorrobor says. Her deep, female voice—oddly old—comes out of her bloated body with no obvious physical source.
“Yes, Master Gorrobor. I am Yog,” the three mares say, “dreaming from Yian, Overseer of the Reseeding effort in Oromantis. We are gathered to hear the report of Walker Rew-at-Deviss.”
“I am Rew,” says the mare that arrived first, “dreaming from Deviss, Walker assigned to the Reseeding effort. I did summon this gathering to report on its progress and to request arbitration.”
The protruding eyes of Gorrobor study the mare carefully. “Walker Rew-at-Deviss,” she finally says, “I know of you. One of our few Human Whisperers, are you not?”
“I am, Master.”
“Sense and bind, Human Whisperer. Do report.”
“Yes, Master. I began assignment under Overseer Yog a year ago. My directive: to use my discretion as Human Whisperer to maximize the Reseeding impact, and so generate and maintain the long-term increase of human population.”
One of Gorrobor’s eyes jerks at the three limbs of Yog. “Sensible.”
Rew continues, “I did spend this period studying and making a preselection of the most promising regions to focus my effort on. I did find promise near Diamar, and so I rebased to Deviss.”
“Master Gorrobor, if you do allow.” Yog bows. Gorrobor’s bulbous eyes lock on her. “I did raise to Walker Rew reservation on her choice of base. Human settlements in third-wake Diamar are far from the center of human power. Deviss itself is a fringe operation, too small to exercise effective Reseeding action. I did try to—”
Gorrobor interrupts, her eyes jerking back to Rew. “Human Whisperer, what makes a region more or less promising for the Reseeding effort, in your perception?”
Rew takes a few moments to reply. “There are several factors. I did study in detail the social dynamics of human settlements, and there are regions where they are more prone to… new ideas. Furthermore, for reasons concealed from me, there is significant variation among humans regarding their innate talent to walk.”
Gorrobor regards Rew in silence for a few seconds, before replying. “I do sense the wisdom in finding humans that do change their ways with more ease. But I do fail to sense how their talent to walk is of relevance, Human Whisperer.”
“Master Gorrobor,” Yog says, “I did raise to Walker Rew similar reservations. Not only is the walking skill of humans not relevant to the Reseeding effort—it can become dangerous.”
“A risk perhaps,” Rew says, “but a controlled risk if we do manage it actively. And as with most risks, it offers an opportunity. It is this opportunity that I am focusing on, Master Gorrobor. Humans can become our tools. We can leverage their rudimentary walking abilities to reach into their societies far more efficiently than we could ever achieve on our own. Our numbers are too few since the forced hibernation. This must be done.”
Yog’s three bodies make a slight step forward. “I did instruct Walker Rew to abort and perform a standard persuasion campaign closer to Yian.” Her words are directed at Gorrobor. “Regrettably, my authority has not compelled Walker Rew into compliance. To protect the Reseeding effort from… unpredictable consequences, I did rule Walker Rew unfit for service.”
Now it is Rew who takes a slight step forward. “As of my official prerogative as Walker, I did decline Overseer Yog’s suggestion, and did request high arbitration. Thus, this gathering, Master.” Rew bows.
Gorrobor floats in thoughtful silence, the tip of her appendages moving as if caressed by invisible currents. “I am intrigued, Human Whisperer. Do elaborate the relevance of the walking capabilities of humans to the Reseeding effort.”
“Yes, Master.” Rew bows again. “I do begin my exposition with a statement. It is my conviction that unless we do succeed with the Reseeding effort,
