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“Only a human would think so.” She smiled back. “So it’s a good thing you’re in charge of this mission.”

“We’re going to have to work with lots of different species, Pyrrhus. We gotta see the benefit in each,” Davies answered smoothly.

“We are the first alien species you have worked with, no?” Matzen asked.

“Touche. That is if you don’t count the Pilot and the other Altaeth-blooded humans on Earth,” Davies answered.

Thammah watched closely for Matzen’s reaction to the fact that humanity was the holder of the last Altaeth. Matzen’s expression was mild. He appeared to have no thoughts on this, which was strange. Not that she expected him to have the worshipful aspect of Typhon or Amana, but to know that Altaeth still existed in the most unlikely spot… But Matzen appeared unmoved.

Davies continued, “But what I have had to do is command people from all over Earth. Different cultures. Different beliefs. Some of those were quite antithetical to my own. But you have to see what they bring to the table. And everyone does bring something to get the mission done.”

“That is logical and open-minded,” Matzen observed. He stood at attention. “So what is the mission, Lieutenant-Commander?”

Davies brought up his right forearm and his comm projected a three-dimensional view of the blueprints of the labyrinth beneath them that the AIs had been able to map out. There were lots of unknowns between them and their eventual location where Gehenna’s essence was trapped.

“We need to get our girl,” Davies said.

“Girl? Gehenna is an AI, are they not? An AI is without gender.” Matzen frowned. “Or is this a figure of speech?”

“No, Gehenna’s a total girl or woman, I should say,” Thammah chuckled. Whether Gehenna had chosen a gender for herself or was programmed with one was unclear, but what was clear was that she was all female-power and then some. “When you meet her, you’ll understand.”

Matzen’s frown deepened for a moment before he shook it off. “I will accept your judgment in this matter due to your greater knowledge of the subject.”

“How good of you,” Thammah said under her breath.

Davies’ eyes flickered to her. There was an unasked question in them. Was Matzen a problem? Maybe for just her? Or for them? She gave a brief shake of her head.

Matzen meant no personal insult towards her or Davies, but like most Thaf’ell, he, evidently, believed himself the true judge of what was and what was not. While his words irritated no more than a paper cut, and not even that really, Thammah had heard some version of them all her life and, instead of being innured to them, was hypersensitive instead.

It’s being back here. I could handle Khoth’s occasional folly on Earth and the Osiris. But being back on Haseon is dredging it all up again.

Davies continued on with the briefing. He held up a small metallic disc that was no larger than the tip of his pointer finger. “The Osiris tells me that merely bringing this near to Gehenna’s location will allow her to transfer her consciousness into it.”

“Jace so wants her home,” Thammah remarked.

“Definitely. I think we all do just to see what her next form will be,” Davies said. “While there are no Khul left on the planet, my understanding is that there are unknown creatures said to be lurking in the labyrinth.”

Matzen straightened. “Forgive my correction, Lieutenant-Commander, but these creatures have never been confirmed. They are, I believe the phrase you would use is urban legends.”

“No need to apologize, Matzen. This is your world and I’m just learning it,” Davies answered evenly, clearly not offended. “But I do have a question for you.”

“Of course.” Matzen straightened up even further. “Any information I can impart, I will do so.”

“Why have the Thaf’ell not mapped the labyrinth, let alone confirmed or denied the existence of any creatures living below their very homes? Feel free to chime in here, Pyrrhus,” Davies said.

“It doesn’t seem very scientific or logical, does it? That we would leave what’s below in the darkness it's shrouded in?” Thammah smiled thinly.

Matzen’s mouth tightened slightly. “Our people are stretched thin defending the Alliance. There simply are not the resources to map and explore what could be the equivalent of big, empty rooms and endless corridors.”

“The Pilot has pretty much shown us that this view is not correct,” Thammah pushed back. “The very machines that power much of our world are below us, Matzen. That’s been guessed at for grand cycles.”

“Why guessed at? I understand being stretched thin, but understanding your own world’s technology–”

“You are correct,” Matzen said softly. “We have behaved as if the machines that run our cities, our worlds, are to be left alone as if they are mystical shrines that must be undisturbed.”

Thammah lifted her eyebrows. “I don’t disagree with Matzen here. That’s exactly what the deal really is, Davies.”

“I see.” Davies turned off the hologram of their path. “Are we going to run into trouble with anyone going down there then? Not that it’s going to stop us. We must retrieve Gehenna.”