The Remnant

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This time, I met her gaze. “I see.”

“I am told you speak no Mandarin?” she asked, holding up a hand to stop me. A guard opened a panel in the inner wall, revealing a black stone tunnel lined with torches.

We turned into the tunnel as the conversation continued. It was perfectly straight, so that I could see almost to the center of the ship. “No,” I said. “My education was more… erratic. Did you bring much art from your continent?”

An considered that. “The construction of the Ark itself is art. A perfect circle. Each floor has precisely the same gravity as the others. Our homes are each the same, except the Imperial’s. He lives in the center of the guidao.”

“Guidao?”

“The spiraling path that reaches every room on a level. You are on a lujing, a path that cuts through the coil and leads to the center. The lujing are for official use.”

As we walked, we passed directly across the spirals of the guidao, its white and red scheme contrasting with the dark stone walls of the lujing. “This is beautiful, too.” I reached to touch a part of the stone and saw that it was made from actual stone, cut from the depths of the Earth. My handcuffs clinked, and I pulled my sleeves over them, wishing I could make them disappear.

We bustled down the hall, but I couldn’t help squinting at the stone. It had an iridescent shimmer, as though it were specifically responding to the light from the torches. On a whim, I reached up and touched an open flame, allowing my sleeves to fall back from my wrists, exposing the cuffs. They caught the light of the fire, which set the silver dancing. The flame was cold.

An spoke again. “The light is art. It comes from within the ceiling. It is not generated from a single point, but radiates through the rooms like a coil. At night, the torches burn brighter, and the ceiling is dimmed. I sometimes walk at night, just to see the flames.”

I nodded. “Well, I can see why it’s your favorite part. It’s very… peaceful.”

She smiled. “It is. Although, it’s not my favorite part. That is the water.”

“Is that in the coils, too?”

“It is beneath us.” She paused, considering her words. “Maybe I will show you tomorrow, when you’ve recovered from the party. It would be a good thing to show the other delegations as well.”

“Other delegations?” I asked, at the risk of sounding like a parrot.

“We’ve sent a signal to the remaining Arks. The others should be here soon. Each has a right to see how your case is stated. If one Ark goes to war, we are all affected.”

She had a point, but I couldn’t help thinking that the whole reason we were here was to put an end to any secret dealings with the Commander. I was sure the other Arks hadn’t been consulted about blowing a hole in a ship, no matter who owned it. I turned back to Isaiah, and he sensed my glare.

“How are you doing back there, Ambassador?” he asked, smiling.

“Oh, just fine. I’m especially jazzed about meeting all the other delegations.” Hopefully not in handcuffs, I added silently.

Shan gave An a helpless look, but Isaiah seemed not to mind. “Of course,” he said easily.

We reached a large wooden door, and I stepped back, expecting it to swing open, but Shan slid a keycard past the pad, and it sucked open, just like back on our Ark, revealing a wide, circular room with red walls and flooring.

“These are your quarters,” Shan said. “I regret that you will not be able to… explore during your stay. I am told that your Arkhopper contained cargo. Your things should arrive shortly.”