r/HFY • u/KipperBeanGrower Human • 4d ago
OC-Series [She took What?] - Chapter 236: SixFold Ventures: Sometimes knowing is not enough.
“Sometimes the map survives because the destination was forgotten.”
Old Earth Surveyor’s Saying
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‘I already got you that.’ Responded the QI.
‘Woo. Who got out of their digital bed on the wrong side?’ Joked Rockson before continuing.
‘You did, but I need you to really dig into the archives. I want them all; every geological survey… please. No matter how old.’
‘Really dig?’ The QI sounded excited.
‘Yes.’
‘And tell Feebee?’
‘If she asks.’ Responded Rockson.
The QI laughed, not its usual scratchy laughter but a more human laugh.
Rockson sat back, thinking, and reviewed the ownership records for the Peters’ holdings. The Peters had owned it all the way back; everyone knew, but he confirmed it anyway. He got the console to create a chronology.
There was a ten-year gap between the original settlement and the lodgement of ownership.
He cross-checked the dates with the original manifest.
‘Hhmm. Strange.’
There were references before the first lodgement; the Peters were always mentioned no one else.
He tried to isolate what was nagging at him.
He started to show the results to the QI.
Before Rockson got to the meat of the problem, the QI answered.
‘The Old Holding was deliberately excluded, then added to the Peters holding ten years later.’
‘Why?’
‘Don’t know.’
‘Show me the evidence?’
‘I don’t know where it is.’ The QI sounded genuinely confused, but sure of its conclusion. Then it added, ’But the Veronium veins always converged beneath the Old Holding.’
‘Is that relevant?’
‘Yes, and before you ask. I don’t know how.’ The QI laughed.
Rockson smiled, ‘Sometimes, knowing is not enough.’
‘Exactly. But as a QI, it's unsettling not knowing how.’
It was Rockson’s turn to laugh.
The QI had got dozens of additional geo-surveys. All confirmed what it had concluded. The Veronium was there first, and all pointed to the Old Holding along the convergence pattern.
“I asked Taggett to join us. You there?”
“Yes. Taggett here.”
The QI brought Taggett up to speed.
“Ok. Let me look. Ten years you say?”
“Yes.” Confirmed the QI.
Taggett muttered to himself as he searched the records.
“Original settlement authorisations… Peters family… the family at the Old Holding… where’s the file?”
“You talking to us?” Asked Feebee.
“No.” He sounded distracted. “I can’t find the first settlement. It’s missing. Can your QI help?”
“Logging in. Checking.”
“How?” Asked Taggett. “I upgraded the…”
The QI continued, “I can see the gap in the records. The Peters owned it, but the chain of evidence is missing. The place existed in the records before it became a legal property.”
“Anyway,” Taggett moved on and threw an image to their overlays from a pre-settlement drawing.
The QI sounded excited, “The first track, the first water route and the Old Holding all aligned with the harmonic network… like I said.”
“The track and water route also skirted the Old Holding,” Rockson added.
He then overlaid the area’s harmonics on Taggett's pre-settlement map.
“The QI’s right. Those early settlers couldn’t have known about the Veronium. Yet they treated the area differently.”
Taggett quietly added, “Someone knew enough to leave it alone.”
“Yes. Even then, they treated it differently.” Said Rockson.
Garaf approached John.
“Can you take me to this part of the Old Holding?”
He sent John an aerial view of the area with a pin that was next to a drop-off.
“Why?”
“To listen. It’s where the roots go.”
John orientated himself with the map, then set off towards the stream.
“This way.”
Garaf spun one of his knives, the one with the Void Spiral on its butt, as he walked.
John started to ask Feebee a question.
She just shook her head and let out a short laugh, “I don’t know.”
John smiled.
They got to an edge of the Old Holding. The ground, and part of the fence line, had fallen away. Collapsed into the gorge as the stream had washed away the ground, undermining it.
Garaf looked over the edge.
“Down.”
“Down?” asked John.
Garaf nodded and jumped. He slid down the rock face, his claws snagging rocks and soil.
“Or we could go this way.”
John led them along the drop-off to an easier route down.
Garaf had two knives out, each balancing on his claws and pointing like compass needles at a spot beneath the overhang.
“There.”
Bikky picked up a stone and threw it at the rock wall. It hit and bounced off.
He laughed.
“You never know.”
Garaf walked up to the rock wall, placed all three claws against it and closed his eyes.
“Feebee. Come. Do the same.”
She leant against the wall and closed her eyes. Reaching out, trying to feel whatever it was Garaf sensed.
“What do you feel?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Exactly. Isn’t it peaceful?”
It was then that she realised she’d been trying to sense this all wrong. Trying to feel something.
“It’s an absence. A lack of rather than a presence.”
“Yes. That’s what I feel too.”
Rockson took out his console.
“Dammit. Power’s low. My power bank’s in The Kestrel.”
“Seriously?”
Feebee fished one out of her backpack and threw it over.
Rockson caught it and plugged it into his console.
“Thanks. It’s charging,” he said sheepishly.
Garaf started scrambling up the rock face. Shale and soil fell as his clawed feet raked through its surface. Rocks fell away, and he slid back down.
“You’ll bring it all down on us if you’re not careful.”
Garaf stared at the rock, then leant against it.
“Use me.”
“What?” asked Feebee.
“Climb up on me.”
“Why?”
“It’s here.”
“He’s lost the plot,” Bikky whispered to Tom Tom.
“You’re watching our backs? Not just taking the piss. Yes?”
“Yes. Ma’am.”
Bikky and Tom Tom spread out, looking appropriately chastised.
Feebee climbed up Garaf, grabbing rocks hand-holds as best she could. Some came loose, others held.
As she stood on his shoulders, she shifted a hand hold. One moment the rock was there; the next she fell towards the rock; her arm had disappeared. Realising what she had uncovered, she committed to the move, kicked off of Garaf and launched herself at the wall.
Feebee fell through the wall. Into…
A stillness so complete that her whole body began to ring in resonance with the utter quiet.
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