The reason for that was located right in front of her.A giant root ball was cradled in the center of the cavern-like chamber in which she found herself.Trunks extending off it like mad tentacles.
The root ball had formed over what had once been the shell of the seed from which the tree sprung.It was the largest seed Gus had ever seen.Then again, it would have to be to grow something as large as the Lord of Titan.
She moved carefully over the carpet of moss since one wrong step could send her on a one-way trip to the bottom of the shaft.Gus had learned that the hard way.As evidenced by the handful of holes she could see in places.
Thankfully, she had the reflexes of a cat.
Reaching the root ball, Gus scanned it for the entrance.Locating it a moment later, she pulled back a couple of dangling rootlets before placing her hand on the metal alloy door underneath.
There was a tingle in her palm as it scanned her.
“Access granted,” a disembodied voice said.“Welcome, Titan’s administrator,”
Gus released the breath she was holding as the door unlocked.Every time she did this, it was with the expectation of rejection.It was still a mystery as to why the room had accepted her in the first place.Until she knew the reason, it was hard to trust.
Despite its location and the stringent security measures on its entrance, the room Gus stepped into was surprisingly cozy.The former owner had managed to integrate the beauty of nature with the more austere needs of technology.
In a way, it reminded Gus of Tuann design.A small section of their population, most notably those belonging to Luatha and Kashori, strove to coexist with nature rather than dominate it.Their buildings flowed around natural landmarks, taking advantage of the resources already present.
That was the case here too.The exposed roots of the root ball made up the ceiling, walls, and floor.Gus could see evidence of the seed’s shell that was the tree’s previous incarnation.Pieces had gotten stuck between some of the roots.The previous owner, taking advantage of the organic nature of their structure, installed shelves between the roots.
Gus suspected that person had also used one of the tree’s branches from above to create some of the furniture in here.Including the hand carved desk along one wall, and the day bed opposite it.
Tiny cracks between roots allowed narrow beams of outside light to infiltrate the gloom.At Gus’s entrance, the lamps dotted throughout the space turned on, emitting a soft, warm glow.
She headed for the desk and the computer sitting on it.Like Kyle’s, it was hardwired directly into the station, giving it access that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.With this computer, she could run Titan.Every airlock.Every positioning system.All hers to control.
Of course, Gus had never felt the need to go down that path.
The last administrator had been something of a hermit too, rarely showing themselves to those they ruled.Gus had decided to continue that tradition.On occasion, she issued proclamations.Such as when she ordered the creation of the gardens scattered throughout Titan.
Mostly, though, she maintained a hands-off policy.
For the most part, Titan ran just fine on its own.Her lieutenants played a role in that, but even without them it would have continued operating as others in positions of authority picked up the slack.
At Gus’s approach, the computer booted on.She sat down in front of it and rested her hands on the desk.
Drops of rain appeared on the screen.As if the screen was the camera and the drops were hitting it.The same disembodied voice from the entrance came again.
“Welcome, Titan’s administrator.What can I do for you today?”
Gus clasped her hands in front of her as the rain drops pinged in time with the voice.“Can you retrieve the feed from the dock camera 4636 Alpha?”
“That footage is slated for deletion in twenty-eight minutes.Should I stop that process?”
Caught in thought, Gus tapped a finger against the desk.Her instinct was to say no.The desire to conceal her presence warring with the knowledge that she might have to sacrifice her home in return for safety.
“Yes,” Gus finally answered, coming to a decision.
If things played out the way she hoped, she’d need that footage to prove her innocence.Here’s hoping Kira would be able to follow the trail of breadcrumbs Gus was leaving her.
The problem was how to get it into Kira’s hands without letting anyone know it had come from her.
A quandary.
Lucky for her, Baran’s presence on station gave her an idea.From what she knew of Tuann hierarchy, the oshota would send anything he found up the chain.
That meant Graydon.From there, it was a short trip to Kira, given the relationship between the two.
