Chapter 97

Dear Sister Marissa,

Right now I have to shake my head at the mysteries of the universe. Erica and I have a very dangerous occupation. We operate a tank that takes the fight directly to the Sa'arm on the surface of a planet. One thing I'm learning from talking to others, is that the Sa'arm are far better than humanity in one on one close combat battles on planets. We won on Wadi mostly because we were able to avoid allowing it to become a close combat fight thanks to the terrain. When we went to Darling Downs and the Sa'arm could use their tunneling ability, they were able to continually burrow right up to our positions. It meant that we'd suddenly have Sa'arm warriors so close that when Erica spun the turret the gun of our tank actually struck them. It was not a fun position to be in. Most of our ability to beat them depended on avoiding getting close to them, and tanks to Colonel Yarnway we were fighting with them right on top of us. There were days I wondered if I'd see sixteen.

But Erica and I have survived, while you have lost two of your original concubines including my brother who clearly became far more than just a concubine to you even before his promotion. Worse, they have been travelling in areas where there are no Sa'arm to fight. How is it that I'm still here despite all the fighting I've done with the Sa'arm while you now have to mourn Katy's disappearance. Although, I noticed that you mentioned that the Aer Lingus did send out a signal and Will is alive, just ... unable to visit you today. Part of me has to wonder if Katy had the same thing happen. If her ship did not have a star drive to travel between systems, she could be stuck wherever the ship took her.

Darn AI units. They run the Confederacy and should be able to prevent something like this. I mean, you have to aim the ship towards your next destination before turning on the drive, at least that's what I understand. So how can you end up "off course". I know there are claims that space warps due to black holes and other weird phenomenon, but wouldn't the AI units detect it earlier and fix it? To end up "lost" almost sounds like the AI did it deliberately. Darn, now I'm getting a bit paranoid about the AI, although one of the other tank drivers in the unit, Harvey from tank nine, is a former computer security specialist. He insists that the AI units can't really reason, but are simply able to handle so many questions on their yes/no decision tree when a new situation comes up that we end up believing that they are thinking. He also insists that arguing with them would be futile. They have pre-set rules they will always obey. Of course, Bruce, the commander of his tank turned around and asked what the decision tree's first three questions would always be and Harvey shut up after that, so how much he really knows is a mystery still.

Really, all I can wish right now is that you get both Will and Katy back. And not just because I've enjoyed receiving letters from Will for the last two years. Scary to think we've been apart that long really. My brother had clearly done quite a bit of good on Atlantisat. Perhaps not as much as he could since he managed to get a mission to head off planet to pick up concubines, but he's helped you, he's helped Lily, and he clearly helped Katy. That is who he is and what he should be doing. Not trying to play ferryman, but being someone who listens to the troubles of people and then works to relieve their pain by showing them that there is still hope.

Hope...

It's such a word filled with meaning, and for you it might be what gets you through the next few months.