There was no logical reason for him to suspect something terrible had happened, yet as soon as Gio told him the mechling was gone, was nowhere within the residence, he turned and headed out.
Why would it leave without orders? Gyle could give it orders.
He sprinted to the crop’s edge, heard Gio follow him. Nothing. And he’d just come this way.
“When would it have left?”
“I had a shower then searched. Not long? Wait...wait. I think we should look over there.”
And she pointed toward the nearest window to the outside.
“Why there?”
“Just a feeling. A bad one.”
Gio and her visions. That had proven true before.
Bad. He didn’t need more bad.
With nothing else to go on, he went in that direction, this time following her lead, her pert ass in a pair of tight, black pants. He didn’t see any movement, or any Aunt M, and so she must have already crossed to the first building shaft?
Once there Gyle, as a king’s advisor, could easily clear the way for the mechling to go up in one of the elevators used for food carriage. It was those big lifts he and the other deckers would be using tomorrow to get to the Gathering.
Or maybe he...it was doing something he had asked it too? Something within the realm of organizing the household...and yet it knew they were leaving in a day.
Why would it choose to go outside?
It had to be Gyle. The man must’ve somehow reached the mechling and ordered it to go above. In which case, he had to wonder if Gyle planned to do something sooner than the Gathering. What if he thought it best to simply eliminate him and take Gio early? If he raided the Underdeck tonight, it might succeed. But was that what this was?
As he neared where the crop ended at the hull wall, the crop became flattened in places, as if something had trampled it. Or something large had been dragged through it. And there was a flurried pattern to this, a broad drag zone for sure.
Ryke halted because Gio had stopped. He’d been following in her footsteps, checking the floor of the cropland. Hurrying as they’d been, he’d nearly flattened her. He stepped around her to see why she’d gasped but already he glimpsed it.
Before them was a thing of multiple unmatched metal limbs and a bulbous irregular body – mechling shells joined as scabs and layers. It crunched and snacked on the body of Aunt M. Pieces of her lay detached at the edge of the dirt where it became riveted floor. Beyond was the darkening circular window.
Night soon, outside. Just the right time for this creature to be out.
The overhead crop lights were shutting down.
“Fuck.” Gio almost whimpered and her hands stood stark, like stars, with her fingers tautly splayed. “What do we do?” she whispered.
“Shhh. We take care.” He shouldn’t have left the Thelk in the hall.
“How the fuck do we kill that?” Gio whispered. “Without hurting Aunt M?”
“I don’t know.” And what was this thing?
A second later was too late. Still clutching the partly crushed and torn body and head of Aunt M, the thing leaped to the hull wall, and scuttled up, vanishing into the gloom.
“No. You can’t be?” Gio whispered.
“What?” He had to tell Badh, and fast. That creature seemed likely the spawn of a sun-mad mechling.
“It said...” She gulped. “She said. I’ll be fine. Aunt M did.”
The emotions were upsetting her, confusing her. He’d heard nothing. “I want you back in the residence while I tell Badh about this. Now!”
What a time for this to happen. If Gyle found out...
Though he was still wondering why the mechling had come out here. If it was on Gyle’s instruction then the man might query where his mechling was. Shit was piling up, higher. And he couldn’t use the screen. He’d find a Follower in Building Shaft One, get them to run a message to Badh. Best he could do.
A long message. He would ask Badh for a ton of help tomorrow, to distract Ormrad and Gyle.
The Gathering was being held near a river that was currently running high with water for the first time in years. It meant that their course after leaving the Gathering would require them to stick close to that one source of water. It made them vulnerable to being tracked, found. He wanted to be found only by those he trusted.
He might be leading himself to his death but Gio could survive, providing she was well away from him if the Aerthe still tried to eliminate him. What would he do if he succeeded and Ormrad was king? Sneak back in, meet up, awaken the deckers, first.
This would likely require a rebellion if Ormrad was king.
He’d never been a man for impulses and relying on instinct but what he was about to put in motion felt right.
He had to do more than his mother achieved. Had to.
If Ormrad did become king, or if he used the full force of his judicial authority, there might be a Ramm or a few snikers zooming after them. In which case they’d be beest food or prisoners. Minced beest.
Do all he could, that was it. The best would have to do.