But it doesn’t seem like he’s got that much respect for humanity, Jace forced himself to think rationally and not just on the instinctive level he had been. And Thammah’s question is the right one. But he can’t be doing this for me. Jace was sure of that. So he must be interested in Gehenna. Who wouldn’t be interested in Gehenna?
For one wild moment, Jace wondered if Khoth wanted Gehenna for himself or the Thaf’ell. Maybe Khoth just was using Jace to lead him to her and then he would simply take her away and leave Jace helpless on the floor.
If Gehenna and I complete our connection then maybe she won’t be able to connect with him or another Thaf’ell, Jace realized. He’s the son of some bigwig from what Thammah said. He must definitely want Gehenna for himself!
Jace felt a fool, even as his heart seemed to wrestle with his mind over what Khoth would do. Would Khoth really take Gehenna--and is Gehenna in any form to be taken? She's an AI!--and leave him to suffer and die? A part of him felt that would never happen. But another part of him could see that Khoth’s loyalties would naturally lay with his people and not humanity. He couldn’t let Khoth or Thammah hurt anyone. There had to be a non-violent way. Maybe the most obvious of these, which was to beg his parents to let him look inside the ship.
But they won’t. Yet...
“We’re not subduing anyone,” Jace found himself cutting into the Thaf’ells’ conversation.
Both Khoth and Thammah immediately went silent and looked at him. They hadn’t realized he was still conscious. He wondered if he was. Auras bloomed sickeningly around everything. His head pounded like a drum.
“You need to get to Gehenna,” Khoth reminded him.
“Yeah, but I don’t want anyone else hurt because of it. I see that I’ve already put you both in a bad situation here,” Jace said and grimaced. Another flare of pain like an icepick being stabbed through his right temple. His nose was bleeding again. He swiped at it with the gauze. “I should never have asked you to help me.”
Khoth’s blue on blue eyes widened. Though he might have alien thoughts and customs, his emotional cues seemed very similar to a human’s. He was surprised and alarmed by Jace’s words.
“When we get to the bottom of the elevator, even if there are no soldiers waiting there, we should search some out,” Jace said. “Tell them to contact my parents and--”
“You said yourself that your parents are too connected to their Xi to think rationally about your request to connect with Gehenna,” Khoth reminded him. “They will stifle your efforts to get to the AI.”
“Maybe. They might just slow them down,” Jace admitted. The need to get to Gehenna was like adrenaline in his blood. Even as his body was incapable of doing it, he wanted to get down from Khoth’s arms and pound on the elevator doors as if that could speed up their progress. “But I can’t have you and Thammah breaking whatever agreement your species has with humanity just because I’m afraid my parents won’t listen to me.”
Thammah, who was leaning against the elevator wall, lifted her shoulders and looked into Khoth’s eyes meaningfully as if to say, “I told you so.”
Khoth remained stone faced. His gaze went to the indicator that showed they were still going down as if wishing it would go faster.
“You’ll do as I ask now…” Jace licked his lips, “unless you have other reasons for wanting me to take you to Gehenna.”
Khoth became, if it were possible, even more stone faced. That told Jace though just as much as if the Thaf’ell had confessed that he had ulterior motives like a monologuing villain, or at least, additional ones to helping Jace.
What did I think? That his gaze fell upon me and he became unable to resist my every request? Again, might work in a book, but not reality.
Thammah chuckled. “He’s got you there, Khoth. You cannot even stay silent without giving away your true feelings! What a terrible Thaf’ell you are! That’s why I know we are going to be great friends.”
“Flight-Commander Thammah,” Khoth began.
“No, she’s right. I already guessed that you’re helping me to help yourself or your people at least, right?” Jace asked.
It crossed his mind then that maybe he shouldn’t be cross-examining the giant, blue alien who was holding him in his arms. Very muscular arms that appeared quite capable of crushing him, even if Jace hadn’t been helpless.
Khoth though did not react angrily, but instead appeared merely thoughtful before he stated, “We have never encountered a Precursor AI. From your description of what she enabled you to do she is necessary for the war effort against the Khul.”
“Yeah, I actually agree with you there,” Jace stated.
And am I really the one that should be connected with her? Jace wondered as self-doubt suddenly assailed him. She said that she’s been training me for a decade to fight, but… I’m not a warrior like Khoth. Wouldn’t it be better if Gehenna connected with someone like him? Do I really think I’m the one who is supposed to go out into space and fight the Khul? That’s what we’re talking about here. Going from “farm boy” to Jedi Knight here or something.
“Your parents--your people--will likely not allow us to examine the AI, at first. And certainly not you,” Khoth explained further.
“No, I know, which is part of why I thought you would help me, but…” Jace shut his eyes as the sickening pain increased.
“Jace?” Khoth’s voice was insistent.
Jace realized he’d been saying his name more than once. Jace though finally could hear him over the piercing whine in his ears. The tinnitus was back with a vengeance.
“It’s all right. I’m awake. I just… we can’t hurt anybody doing this, Khoth. Please tell me you won’t,” Jace begged.
