Jurai - Chapter 2, Part 3

The tree-ship Ryu-Oh was a beautiful vessel.  Her hull was carved from the most elegant of Juraian aspens for the crown princess's personal yacht.  Its grain smoothly transitioned from a soft white to a gentle brown while the radial ribbing and axial struts arose from select, hardy branches of Heaven's Tree.  Her core unit held a few pocket dimensions, where rooms were constructed, both for the princess and any guests she may ferry with her.  Each room possessed masterfully produced furniture and decorations, personally chosen from her family's collection on Jurai.

Emperor Jurai Azusa I bequeathed the central tree to his daughter upon his death, and she raised the sapling into the mighty oak at the heart of the ship, its mind and soul.  In the years before society demanded her presence, she would often find time to tend the garden around the tree, sometimes with her baby sister in tow.  Through the tiara key, Ayeka could telepathically exchange thoughts with the tree, Ryu-Oh.  Unable to leave her station within the ship's core, the sentient plant listened eagerly to the princess's tales of her life outside these confines, both the joyful games with Sasami and the disheartening meetings with her many suitors.  Likewise, Ryu-Oh comforted her mistress, giving her a quiet place to rest and recover, as well as a silent confidant for her troubles.

As Jurai Sagami set his eyes upon Ryu-Oh today, he saw the stress fractures and deep gashes carved into her hull, marring her prior elegance.  A month ago, he had watched her descend through the clouds of the throne-world and beheld these wounds.  Now, the CO and his XO led a small contingent of officers beneath Ryu-Oh's hull.  His hand lightly slid over one of the scars in her skin, feeling the jagged breaks, the splintering wood where a great stone and iron building fell upon her.

Given the miraculous regeneration of Ayeka's yacht, several interested parties in Jurai's navy had many questions.  Most were quelled through pressure from the royal family, but inquiries remained regarding the ship's space-worthiness.  Inspections of civilian tree-ships were routinely done every few years to check the tree's health and the vessel's systems.  Considering the recent events on Earth, special inspections had been called for both Ryu-Oh and Funaho.

When requests came for an inspection team, Sagami volunteered select members of his engineering staff for the task.  The captain reasoned that they had recently undergone inspection for Chizuru, and the checks for the yacht would not defer much from their usual duty schedule.  However, he did not tell his superiors about his own concerns regarding the princess.

"No scorching," Eiji commented as he scanned over the hull.  "Most of the damage appears to be from the crash."

Sagami nodded, answering, "It does look that way."

Behind him, one of his officers adjusted her glasses and added, "We won't be sure until we look inside.  The structural damage could be more extensive than the surface shows."

"Agreed, Yumi," the captain acknowledged.  "As chief engineer, I'd like you to ascertain the state of the main unit and hull.  Iori and Ryosuke, you assist her."

Two other officers accepted these orders before he turned to Eiji and the remaining members of the team.

"The rest of us will check the main tree and the bridge systems.  Now, be aware that this is a civilian vessel, and her owner is guaranteed her privacy.  Ryu-Oh will likely bar access to some areas.  If a vital area is cut off, contact the commander or myself, and we'll see to opening it."

Receiving their orders, the team fell into ranks with the CO and XO before an emerald orb of light enveloped them all, teleporting them inside the ship.  Within, the chief engineer's group bid their farewells and left for the maintenance shafts connecting the outer hull to the main unit.  The remaining crew proceeded through the corridors toward the bridge.

Once there, the young captain instructed his people, "Eiji, check the diagnostic and sensor logs for any noted faults.  Sano, you take Megumi and Yuri and start checking for any active faults in the tree's interface.  I'll check her defensive systems."

The unit separated and promptly tended to their task.  The three engineers, Sano, Megumi, and Yuri, stood around the central tree, where the flora provided each with a translucent display.  The screens scrolled with data regarding the speed and quality of the plant's connection to the bio-mechanisms encasing it.  Amongst the green, healthy entries, yellow or red entries crept, indicating a crushed or shorted conduit.  The engineers took note of each, planning how to help the regeneration process or directly repair the issue.

Sagami and Eiji took the command position on the bridge, designated by a stylized circle carved into the deck a few meters ahead of the central tree.  Much like Chizuru, Saya, or Hi-Ryu, this location was specifically created to amplify the commanding officer's synchronization with the core, giving more direct control.  As Ryu-Oh was Ayeka's personal vessel, the princess often stood there to issue her orders.

Before Sagami, a schematic of the ship's weaponry appeared, detailing their condition and charge.  Systematically, he tapped each entry and read through the details of the battery.  Many had been crushed in the crash and were completely inoperable.  Those which were operational were still nearly depleted, likely due to the priority of the ship's current regeneration rate.  Most armaments would regrow on their own after the structural damage healed itself.  The defensive shielding showed signs of stress, likely due to the intense combat on Earth, but it too would manage without aid.

However, as Eiji's screen scrolled with the listing of the ship's diagnostic and sensor logs, several entries glowed a bright blue, locked.  Moreover, a gap existed in the records.  The commander furrowed his brows as he entered the common logins for these files, but each time, he received the Juraiji equivalent of "Access Denied".

"Sagami," he whispered, "I've got a problem."

The captain leaned over Eiji's shoulder and skimmed the display as his subordinate explained, "These logs are from the thirteenth of September and following, the battle on Earth.  In midst of the conflict, the records are sealed with a nonstandard key."

"Have you tried direct access to the tree?  That should convince her to give up the data."

"Not yet," he replied, though he continued in a hushed tone, "but something else bothers me."

With a swipe of his fingers, the logs scrolled earlier to the twelfth of September, where the records were missing.

"Here, several routine logs are outright missing.  Ryu-Oh experienced a complete system blackout for a couple hours in the midst of the battle with the distortion."  Disturbed, Eiji's eyes slid to Sagami's.  "That doesn't happen to a tree-ship, ever."

Taken aback, the captain took a moment to consider the evidence before him.  The locked records could be easily explained by an encryption Ayeka placed on the logs.  However, the missing logs were more difficult to push aside.  A tree-ship was a living bio-mechanical system, controlled by the core tree.  The tree served as the control system of the vessel, much like the central computer network in a Galaxy Police craft.  However, unlike a GP ship, the tree shifted through varying levels of consciousness throughout its life.  The trees never truly slept and made routine record of their tasks throughout their service.  Common knowledge stated that this only ended when the tree died.

"Yes, it does, Eiji," Sagami replied, his eyes narrowed with his whispered answer.  "It just doesn't usually start again."  He glanced aside in thought for a moment before he asked, "When do the logs begin?"

With a gesture from the XO, the log listing shrunk to a scrollbar on the right of the display.  Sliding the indicator upward, records scrolled past them quickly, displaying regular reports from nine years ago until present.  Tapping the earliest record, the two officers read through the primary initialization and configuration log for the unit to accept the tree Ryu-Oh.

"Nine years ago," Eiji answered, "when the tree was first planted and installed.  Even considering the crash on Earth three years ago, the only gap seems to be from September twelfth.  The first locked entry is hours before that."

Sagami folded his arms, tapping his fingers along his cloak as he considered this.  "Not too surprising, considering the incident.  Let's try direct access of the logs."

Eiji concurred and stepped toward the central tree.  Resting his hand on the trunk, a subtle green aura arose from his fingers, his Juraian heritage extending to the flora before him.  He touched Ryu-Oh's consciousness, synchronizing his thoughts with hers, and began his request.

However, within a few moments, the glow over his digits burst into emerald filaments, spurring him to recoil from the tree.  Surprised and confused, he rubbed the shock out of his hand while Sagami and the other officers turned to the commander.

"I take it she said 'no'?" the captain inquired.

"She broke off contact," he answered, turning to his CO.  "She doesn't want to relinquish those logs."

Sagami grimaced.  "I'd rather not resort to forcibly accessing the logs.  I'll try to convince her."

As he rested his hand on Ryu-Oh's trunk, Eiji commented, "Watch out for a jolt when she cuts you off."

Sagami smirked.  "I'll keep that in mind."

Like his friend, the captain's hand glowed jade while his thoughts mingled with those of the plant.  Though his connection was weaker than Eiji's, Sagami could still sense an irritation in Ryu-Oh's voice.

Please, she chimed, I have given you my answer.

Ryu-Oh, he answered, we are merely concerned for you and your mistress.  We mean neither of you any harm by our inquiry.

Unlike the connection between two terminals, a psychic connection between two living beings transferred more than simply information.  One could feel the emotions of the other, see the imagery in their words, and read their reactions, making this type of connection far more intimate than speech.  Ryu-Oh could feel the intent in both Sagami's and Eiji's requests for information, and how she answered the captain spoke of the difference she found.

Captain Jurai Sagami, she began, the logs from that battle hold very sensitive information not only to my mistress, but for the entire royal family.  I am certain that Funaho will be equally protective of what she knows.

I expected as much, he accepted.  You need only release the data that is relevant to your current condition.

Sadly, she lamented, the two are quite interwoven.

The royal tree paused for a moment, and Sagami could sense an apprehension within her, a tension.  She chose her words carefully, her voice very cautious.

I can allow access to an individual trusted by my mistress, provided he was prudent in the use of that information.  My mistress has expressed her trust in you, captain, but not your subordinates.

The officer was taken aback by Ryu-Oh's statement, considering how Ayeka had kept him at a distance since her return.

I understand your worries, captain, she added, and I share them.  She has lost a great deal, and I fear she might have lost herself.  She has distanced herself from most everyone, including me of late.

Thoughtfully, Sagami nodded.  How can I help? he asked.

Please, Ryu-Oh requested, only use the information I give to help my mistress.  This would have been her legacy, had events been different.

A shudder ran through his spine at those words.

I understand.

I will open my data core for you to access the logs directly.  I leave the rest in your hands, captain.

Like all Juraian ships, Ryu-Oh's data core was connected directly to the tree itself and made copies of all important logs.  However, as the princess's private yacht, this vessel kept her data core within the tree itself, the most protected component of the craft.  On the side facing the command position, the trunk had an indentation covered by overlapping slats.

At Ryu-Oh's order, those slats slid away, revealing a small chamber inside, just large enough for one person.  Within, the carved walls glow with a pastel blue light, highlighting the conduits connecting the tree's consciousness to the data core.  The core memory unit itself rose slightly from one of the floor panels, metallic with several fiber and crystalline cables attaching to the data feeds.

Sagami opened his eyes and stepped toward the tree's cavity, though Eiji paused him for a moment, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"What was the problem?" the commander asked.

"I can't say right now," the CO replied quietly.  "While I get these logs, could you finish checking the defensive systems?  It might take a while."

Confused, Eiji furrowed his brow and angled his head aside.  "Sure, Sagami.  Is something wrong?"

"No," Sagami answered with a slight grin, "she's just protective of her mistress.  I can appreciate that.  I'll handle this.  You and the others tend to your duties."

The other officers accepted his orders and went back to work, but Eiji knew that grin held no actual relief.  As he walked back to the defensive status screens, he glanced back at Sagami, who entered the ship's data core.

The slats closed behind the captain, leaving him alone within the small hollow of Ryu-Oh's tree.  Here, the blue glow loomed around him as he knelt with the core unit.  When he rested his fingers on its housing, a translucent panel appeared before his eyes.

Upon it, Ayeka's face gazed back at him, the Mark of Rage extending one claw over each of her cheeks.  Beneath her violet locks of hair, her amethyst eyes somberly met his, giving him pause.  She took a slow, careful breath, steeling herself before she spoke.

"To whomever is watching this recording, I hope that this message finds you and Jurai safe from harm.  As you likely know, a horrible shadow has fallen upon Earth and threatens not only the Empire, but also I fear, the universe at large."

She recorded this during the battle, Sagami thought to himself, listening intently.

"I have instructed Ryu-Oh to release these her logs of these events to someone I trust in the event that I am defeated…"  She stopped herself, her eyes closing, troubled by what she must say.  "… or consumed by the Enemy."

The officer furrowed his brows, unsure of her meaning and worried at its possibilities.

Her eyes raised back to his, set and determined.  "These records will hold not only data on what has and will become of me, but the goddess willing, a record of the Enemy's strength and tactics."

Her sight turned down to her fist, which rose into the panel's field of vision.  In her grasp was Tenchiken, the ruling line's sword key, the winding vines of its hilt extending far offscreen, stretched from the form Sagami knew.  Longingly, her eyes scanned over its violet guard, glowing a soft green as her voice softened.

"Please," she pleaded, "make good use of this knowledge and finish the work started here."  Tears appeared and rolled down her cheeks as her brow and lips tightened, regret and anger both pushing through her.  "Know that I fought this vile corruption until my last breath."  Her eyes closed tightly, her hands clutching the key closer to her chest.  "Know that I was Jurai Ayeka, daughter of the Jurai royal family."

Her image winked away while the data core whirred beneath his fingers, copying the logs he required.  However, Sagami knelt speechless in the chamber, his mouth dry and his mind racing.

Goddess, he thought, what happened on Earth?