Morning Twilight

By Victor Arteaga

Sunset pressed her palm to the metal portion of a tubular case. Arta’s still face rested beneath a glass pane. With his expression calm, and dressed in the finest chieftain’s garb, he epitomized Ki’Tak royalty. Humility rested her weathered hand over Sunset’s and placed her other on her stomach. Unsure of what that meant, Sunset followed suit. The empty room’s hum filled the space between unspoken words until Humility sighed.

“He was right about you.”

Sunset bristled and let out a small growl from her chest. “I got him killed.”

“Yet saved the rest of us and carried us to the heavens. To beyond the heavens.” Sunset hissed. “Child, I do not agree with your creation.” Sunset pulled her hand out from under Humility’s. “The feud between Lu and Ki’Tak runs deep and putrid and yet you exist as proof that combined, we can be magnificent. Perhaps you are what we have always been meant to be. I suspect Arta believed that as well.” Humility studied Arta’s form and a rattling hum escaped her gills. Her gaze turned toward the door where Sunset’s spears rested against the wall. “Your father’s spear is well-made.”

Sunset flicked an ear toward Humility. “I suppose.”

“The Lu’Tak forge their own spears as youths. Each one is unique.”

“It did not suit me.”

“Nor should it have. It was made for him and him alone. The spear given you by these…” She paused to find the right word. “Shore-fliers, is not for you either.”

Sunset chuckled and flattened her ears. “It is made to fit whoever wields the weapon. Its edges are sharp, haft is sturdy, and it does not slip. Try it.”

Humility grumbled and refused. She shared her mother’s distaste for technology. Hypocrites. Suited them just fine to board a ship that took them into the heavens, but they wouldn’t touch something like a spear. Sunset frowned and crossed her arms. Arta would have tried it. Or perhaps not. He pushed her to keep her father’s spear. She would have to find another way to honor her father without his body. Her shoulders hunched as she leaned forward.

“Come, child. We must perform the rites for Arta and you must Speak for your father.” Humility turned and strode out the door.

Sunset lingered next to the old chief, and then followed. She grabbed her father’s spear. The weathered sections of the wood showed where he’d kept his grip. Years of her own training laid wider, more shallow grooves over his. His voice echoed in her memories: the barks of discipline, hisses of disappointment and the infrequent—hard-earned—coos of praise. A sharp pain sparked within her chest. When she held the weapon with both hands, her resolve crumbled and she collapsed. Flashes of his hard kindness tumbled through her memories. He chased her around their cave, making scary noises as she squeaked and warbled with glee and terror all at once. She dove into the water and then surfaced, expecting him to give chase, but instead he shouted harsh reprimands while clutching his bad leg. Only then did she realize his rancor came from his inability to give proper chase due to his injury. Foolish girl, he’d say before limping away leaving Sunset to wonder what she had done wrong.

The door opened and a smooth Takarran hand pressed into Sunset’s back. It’s soft, nurturing pressure was a familiar salve. Then as before, her mother’s caress soothed the pain brought by her father.

Temerity kneeled and Sunset shifted to lean against her, letting the flood of grief, anger and sorrow pour out. A wailing cry of anguish echoed in the sparse room. Ripples of spasms wracked Sunset’s body. Temerity’s grip tightened and she stifled her own sorrow by pressing her head against the top of her daughter’s. Sunset’s chest heaved, her voice rasped and nausea threatened to rise within her. She let the grief ride its course until her shoulders slumped from exhaustion and her tears stopped flowing.

Sunset collected herself, but remained curled up next to her mother.

“Humility says Father made this spear himself.”

“He did.”

“Did he want me to make my own spear like him?”

Temerity sighed and pushed air through her gills at the same time. “No. His life was harsh, and after you were born, he didn’t want the same. Forging a spear is no easy task. Many young Lu’Tak meet their end doing so. He wanted you to live and thrive. It’s why he—” Temerity paused to steady her breath. “Sacrificed himself for you. You were never meant to live as Lu’Tak or Ki’Tak.”

“So how was I supposed to live?” Anger boiled up in Sunset’s stomach.

“We didn’t know. Depths Below, we never agreed on what you would grow to be. We were so focused on keeping you alive as best we could. Now…” Temerity trailed off and a shudder ran through her. “I can’t fathom what comes next.”

Sunset relented and considered her mother’s words as she rolled her father’s spear in her hands. Her nails followed the grooves of its cuts and divots from years of use. The point of the spear could still pierce a Toh’Zah’s armor as if it were seaweed, and though the edges dulled, they still had bite left too. She rubbed her thumb over a deep chip from the time she accidentally thwacked a stone, and smiled.

“Do you remember the time I put this dent in the blade?” she asked her mother.

“Yes,” she replied. She laid a hand across the base of Sunset’s ear. “Your father was furious.”

“’How can such a small child swing so hard?’” Sunset imitated the angry clicking her father employed when his anger blocked his words and the pair chuckled. “He was so upset he ripped the spear from my hands and showed me how to hold it right.” Sunset placed her hands over the grooves worn by her father’s. “That was our first lesson.” Sadness clenched her heart again and a wave of grief rolled over her. She tightened her grip on the spear. “I don’t know what he would want. I can’t use his spear. It isn’t mine; I didn’t craft it. For now, I will honor him by keeping it near me.”

Temerity rested her head on her daughter’s and let the tears flow down. “I think that’s a good start. Come now, we must get to the ceremony. Captain Williams has also asked me to send you to her after it is done.”

Sunset grumbled, but stood to let her mother up. They walked side by side down the hall past uniformed humans offering deferential nods. They arrived at the doors to the dock and Sunset wiped the dried salt off her face before entering. The friendly bots perched themselves in a corner away from glaring and suspicious eyes. Immovable and unnerving, Sunset cooed a greeting to Ana and it responded back in kind. It would take some getting used to hearing her language spoken by a Toh’Zah.

The rescued Takarrans gathered and made way for Sunset and Temerity as they drew close. Humility waited next to Arta’s body, and raised her arms once Temerity and Sunset took their positions. The congregation raised their arms as well.

“Children of water.” Her voice boomed and echoed in the large space. The Takarrans repeated her words. “Borne of the depths. Risen by the tides. Carried by the waves, we send Arta, Chief, Elder, Father, Son.” She stomped both feet and slammed the butt of her spear down. Sunset glanced around in a panic. She didn’t know the steps. “We send him down from the heavens to the sea. May his mind, body, and soul return to the Black. May peace guide him to the House of Tak. May he rest.”

She led another round of stomps and hisses. The crowd followed suit and let the hiss carry as long as the last person held their breath. Humility walked to the head of Arta’s container and bent to lift it. The Takarrans surged forward with hands outstretched to touch the device, and when there was no space left untouched, they held onto each other to create a network of their bodies. Sunset held her mother’s hand and the hand of a Takarran boy. His body shivered and shook as he tried to contain his grief. The procession carried Arta to the end of the dock where a web of electricity stood between them and the vastness of space. Temerity stepped away and the group pressed the front of the vessel against the field. Blue crackling light molded around the edges of the coffin, and Takarrans peeled away from the vessel as the ones behind it pushed it through the field and into space.

“Arta. Ferry those we could not recite. Lead them with you to the House of Tak.” Those closest to the mouth of the docks broke down in their own grief. A jet of white smoke burst from Arta’s container and shot him down toward their planet. The Takarrans began a collective low, guttural rumble. A calm swept over Sunset and she joined in. A cluster of her people changed pitch to harmonize, and soon another group added a third layer of harmony over the throaty rumbling in the docks. They continued until Arta’s vessel vanished from sight, and the rumble quieted down to end with a short hiss from their gills. The Takarrans dispersed without a sound and left the hanger. Sunset, her mother, and Humility walked side by side in silence until they reached the open doors.

A tall stranger with short sand-colored hair joined Captain Williams and Dr. Jun in an unfamiliar uniform. Their neutral demeanor with relaxed posture gave nothing away as to their state of mind, nor could Sunset decipher whether they were male or female.

“I did not believe humans had kultah,” Humility said and gestured to the new person. They tilted their head sideways with a quizzical look. Humility scratched her spear and vibrated her gills in contemplation. “Its closest translation is ‘wet sand,’ though not a fully accurate definition. Closer would be ‘between land and water.’ It is difficult to describe.”

The new person smiled and nodded with understanding. “I’m non-binary. Not one or the other.”

“What is your name?”

“Agent Berkley,” they said.

“Met with honor,” Humility said. Ire pricked at Sunset’s ears. Why treat someone of no sides with honor and her, born of two sides, with hatred and disdain?

“Why are you here?” Sunset asked. “I was told the captain wanted to speak with me.”

Agent Berkley regarded the captain before receiving permission to speak. “I am with the Department of Artificial Justice. We have been summoned to help with both sets of artificial intelligence found on your planet. Our first step is to verify the sentience of your companions.” They tipped their head to the robots sitting in the bay.

Sunset scoffed. “Any fool could speak with one and know they are sentient.”

“Nevertheless, our mission is clear. You are to come with us to our ship so that they may undergo the tests. This is a good thing, Sunset.”

“Why?”

“Because if they pass, they’ll be given all the rights inherent to all living beings within the League. Dr. Jun debriefed me on our way here and I am eager to bring them to meet the inspector.”

Sunset grumbled. “Am I required for this?”

“Yes, we need you to be part of the test. You are connected to them in a way we cannot be. Your culture and experiences will also be needed.”

“Culture? I have never seen a death rite before. I have lived on the outside of their society by their own hatred of me and my family.” Sunset’s ears flattened as her anger grew. She tilted her head down to look at the color of her skin and wished she could hide in a uniform like the humans did.

Agent Berkley’s expression softened. “I understand the feeling. Be that as it may, they are bound to you, aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Sunset mumbled.

“Then it’s settled. You’re the best one for the job.” Agent Berkley lay a hand on Sunset’s arm. She lifted her head to meet their supportive gaze.

Sunset gathered her resolve, thanked Agent Berkley and walked to the waiting group of bots.

Ana rose to full height and spoke a word of greeting. “We heard the conversation. Are we to follow and proceed with the tests?” The other bots also rose, awaiting their instructions.

“Do you want to?”

“It doesn’t matter. The agent was correct. We are bound to you and thus will obey your commands.”

“Any of them?”

“Within acceptable parameters of morality, yes.”

The bot’s answer brought many questions to Sunset’s mind, but she decided to save them until the test. She nodded and ordered them to follow her to the next location. Captain Williams and Agent Berkley led them to a new style of shuttle. Where before the bots would have to duck to get into the bay, they could stand upright and still have space above their heads. The bots settled themselves in, and at Sunset’s order, diminished to their rock formations.

Captain Williams pulled Sunset aside before letting her board. “A quick warning about the inspectors you’ll meet.” Sunset uttered a series of clicks to convey her curious expectation. “They’re different than us. Still human, kind of, but their appearance is drastically altered.”

Sunset flicked her ears and nodded. “I will try not to be surprised.”

Captain Williams chuckled. “I don’t think anyone can be fully prepared for meeting the inspectors the first time. Good luck.” She stepped back and gave Sunset a half-hearted salute with a crooked smile. Her beads clicked as she turned to leave.

Temerity shared a look with her daughter and embraced her. Sunset’s grief welled and she pulled away before it could drag her down again. The door to the shuttle hissed closed behind her as she cast one last glance back at her worried mother. Unsure of what she should be feeling, the unease of facing something new had become a familiar sensation.

Agent Berkley managed the flight on their own in a sealed cockpit, leaving Sunset to weather the silence with the hidden bots and her unimpeded thoughts. What were these altered humans capable of? Why were they altered? What protections lay ahead for the bots? What was to be her role? She was of neither Ki nor Lu’Tak, and thus far neither side had extended a welcome. The best she could say is one side was more willing to listen. Though they would more readily invite her mother back into the fold, Sunset doubted whether they would extend the same courtesy to her. It seemed more likely she would find a place among the humans. Sunset felt the void left by Scout Cisneros’ departure. What a life he must lead.

“You are troubled, Guardian.” Ana’s voice came from the largest boulder.

“Many questions, few answers,” she replied.

A mechanical rumbling came from the rock. “One of your predecessors also found himself in moments of uncertainty. Though his troubles revolved around the raging conflict between your people.”

“What did he do?”

“Built us.”

The shuttle shuddered and Agent Berkley’s echoed steps preceded their arrival to the loading bay. “We’re here. I assume the captain gave you warning about who you’re about to meet?”

“She did, but offered no specifics.”

“Better that way, I think,” they said.

They waved a hand and the door opened. Sunset ordered the bots to follow her and Agent Berkley through a nearly identical ship to the one they’d left. This time, instead of rising to their destination in an elevator, they sank low into the bowels of the craft. The hallways’ meager light left the place dim and uninviting. Gloomy apprehension gripped Sunset’s chest.

“I know it feels foreboding,” Agent Berkley said, “but it’s only because the DAJ inspector you’re about to meet requires a tremendous amount of power. As a result, we keep the peripheral systems of this floor running on low in order to ensure an even power draw. We call it the Basement.”

Sunset understood nothing of that, but nodded all the same. They came at last to a door bordered by a pulsing red light. Sunset’s heartbeat thudded with anticipation.

“Ready?” Agent Berkley asked.

“No.”

The agent smiled and opened the door. Sunset’s eyes widened. Beyond the threshold, in the middle of the wall opposite her, protruded a cylindrical case filled with a bright green liquid. Tubes, wires, and flashing lights sprawled out from the base and into various large black screens displaying scrolling symbols. When she caught sight of what lay within the liquid, her breath stopped. A human—or something human-like?—floated within, with a head that eclipsed the rest of its body. Its arms, like the branches of a shrub, folded under its chin, over a body little larger than Sunset’s arm. Veins crawled up the sides of its gargantuan skull. Its eyes hid behind blackened discs wrapped around its head, and a mask with a ribbed tube covered its mouth and nose.

Sunset gasped. “What is—”

“They’re called Encephaloids,” Agent Berkley said. “Humans created to process incalculable amounts of data. Our brains are remarkable, even for those of us without the boons of technology, and can take in and interpret data at incredible speed. Do you know the amount of processing power it takes just to process what you see?” Their hand movements sped up and grew more exaggerated as they spoke. “Because we had to deal with artificial intelligence and sentience in the past, we needed to process petabytes of data in milliseconds. This was our solution. We call him Greg, and this is his basement.”

Hello, and welcome.

Sunset backed away and raised her hands into a defensive stance. The voice echoed and came from everywhere.

Please do make yourselves at home. I’m very much looking forward to meeting you, Sunset, and the To’Zah you bring with you.

Her ears pricked at his perfect pronunciation. Though he made no hand gestures to accompany the words, his meaning rang clear. The bots entered the Basement and fanned out in a semi-circle behind Sunset.

“I’ll leave you all to get acquainted,” Agent Berkley said. “Honor to meet you, Sunset.” Sunset gave the salute she’d seen other members give each other. The ensign gave their own salute with a beaming smile. “Crisp. I like it. You should think about joining up,” they said with a wink. Could she?

Well, now that we’re all acquainted, I sense you’re eager to begin. Though I suppose, more accurately, you’ve a fair bit of apprehension about the whole ordeal, haven’t you?

“Your speaking voice. It has different sounds, like Román but also not the same.”

Correct. Much like Scout Cisneros, I speak with an accent. Someday, should you choose to learn more about our origins as we are about to learn of your Toh’zah you—

“They are not mine.”

Of course. I merely chose a colloquial phrase. The Toh’zah which accompany you are fascinating. Different from the data we’ve gathered of the Lu’Tak’s Toh’zah. From here on we will determine their sentience.

“How?”

Quite simple, really. You’ll have a conversation with each other, and I will monitor their responses measured against parameters that have been pre-determined. In fact, they have already passed several of the early tests.

“We talk?”

Yes.

“About?”

Anything, though I would recommend beginning with a question and letting the conversation flow from there.

A chill ran through Sunset. The Basement’s cold air, grey and dark colors with twisting serpentine cables, blinking lights, and low ceiling spiked her anxiety. Her skin itched in the dry and she scratched at her forearms.

Apologies. I will adjust the humidity levels. As to your anxiety, perhaps this scenery shall provide you some comfort.

The walls and floor shimmered, a palpable warmth flooded the air, and Sunset was no longer in the Basement. She stood within a clearing bordered by familiar trees—the kinds she would often climb in from the time she was a child. Shock left her slack jawed when she realized it was the same clearing she would play in before she learned the spear. The sun shone from behind the clouds overhead and the lapping ocean waves tempered her frayed nerves. She whirled around, and then sighed in relief to find the Toh’zah still behind her.

Better?

“How…”

I am capable of quite a lot, but for now, let’s focus on the task at hand, shall we?

Sunset regarded the retinue of Toh’zah. Ask a question. She thought about their prior conversation and turned to Ana.

“What should I ask you?”

“A question you want an answer to,” Ana replied. One of the other bots let out a quiet chuckle.

“Who made you?”

“Mak’talu. He was a direct ancestor of Chief Arta by three generations.”

“Why?”

“Before the fracture of societies and near extinction of both Lu’Tak and Ki’Tak, we were developed as a new line of subterfuge bots designed to look more like our natural landscape. The first run of our line was unconvincing. Of the twenty models produced, the few you see here are all that remain.”

“What became of you then?”

“We received combat training and outfitting. Before Mak’Talu died in combat, he passed on the role of Guardian to his son, Arta’s grandfather, Chi’zi. We joined the Guardian’s Cadre.”

“I’ve never heard of them.”

“They were an elite force of Toh’Zah and Ki’Tak that acted as the tip of a spear: to break through fortifications with precision such as to allow the thrust of the following force.”

“How did you feel about it?”

“Proud. We all felt our roles to be important in keeping the Ki’Tak alive and protected.”

“Did you ever consider the cost of lives on the Lu’Tak?”

“Yes.” Ana’s eyes dimmed and scanned across the false landscape. “It would also weigh heavily on Chi’zi. He was unlike many of the Ki’Tak. He often wondered why they fought each other. It didn’t make sense to us either. We felt our mission lessened the loss of life. Humans have a term for it: The Trolley Problem. Kill few to save many. In the sacrifice of a handful, would not many thousands have been saved? That was our guiding ideal on attack missions. Once our task was done, a second force would sweep in. The Lu’Tak did not hold similar ideals. We Toh’Zah have limited ability to impose our will.”

“I hate that name.”

Ana regarded Sunset with a tilted head and a flick of their mechanical ear. “It is what we are.”

“No. I have been hunted by Toh’Zah. I have hunted them. The Toh’Zah I know took my father from me. You aren’t like them, and I will not call you by that name.”

“Then may I suggest a new term?”

“Please.”

“Defendrons. We feel that it suits our mission more aptly than Toh’Zah.”

“Difficult to pronounce but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.” A smile crept up the side of Sunset’s face. “A new name then. Ana, Defendrons—” Ana rose to stand a head taller, and the others turned their attention to her. “I’ll have to learn your names.”

“We don’t have names. Merely designations.”

“That’ll be our next project then.”

Splendid. I believe this is an appropriate time to end. You have been classified as tier-one sentient robotic life-forms. All tests were passed and exceeded. Sunset, Defendrons, welcome to the Planetary League.

The room shimmered and returned to its normal bleak aesthetic. Sunset averted her eyes from the tank with the floating Encephaloid.

By the way, Sunset. Agent Berkley was right. Becoming a member of the astrophysical survey seems a suitable direction. Until such time as the culture within the Ki’Tak change to allow you entry as one of their own, perhaps some time spent among a welcoming group of others might benefit you in a myriad of ways.

The door to the Basement slid open and the agent entered. “I’ve received notification of the To— the Defendrons’ success.”

Sunset perked her ears up and strode to Agent Berkley. “How do I become a scout?”

Agent Berkley beamed and said, “That is a question Captain Williams will be thrilled to answer.”

<Second Exodus

Sunset Chronicles

Morning Part 1 >

To the extent possible under law, Victor Arteaga has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to The Sunset Chronicles. This work is published from: United States.