BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

1119  The flock (4)

For a while, Erik looked below the cloud curtain, as if something was worrying him. Amber noticed that but said nothing, and the same did Erik.

After many hours of traveling, the number of things in his mind only increased. More and more worries accumulated inside of him, but the most pressing one was about his clones.

Since the journey had been long, fatigue was settling into his companions and the Chimaeric Demons. Even he wasn't in top shape anymore, and that just sitting on top of the clones. He couldn't imagine what they were feeling after so much time spent in the air.

Luckily, they didn't need to rest yet, or so they said, but Erik wished to find a place where they could. With Maynard Island getting closer, everyone needed it, especially considering they might never be able to do that again.

<We need to find a place to land,> Erik said. <A couple hours of rest will do us good before we make our final approach.>

<What do you want us to do?> a Chimaeric Demon asked.

<Find an island, some rocks, I don't know, anything where we could rest a little. I want at least ten groups doing that.>

In truth, the Chimaeric Demons found it futile. There had been zero sightings of such places along the way, and he doubted they would find some now. Yet it was his master's wish, and he would not refuse to obey. <As you wish, master.>

Some of the clones dipped lower and separated from the main army, searching the endless blue for any sign of shelter.

Hours passed as the scouting party zigzagged across the ocean's surface. They returned periodically, each time with disappointing news.

<Master,> one of the scouts said, <we've found several small atolls, but they're barely above water level. The tides would swamp us within hours, and they are not big enough to make everyone rest.>

Another Chimaeric Demon made his report some time later.

<There is a larger island about fifty miles east, but it's crawling with thaids. We'd spend more energy clearing it than we'd gain from resting there.>

There was no advantage in going there. It was true the Chimaeric Demons could dispatch them easily, based on the report, but what the clone said was true. They would lose time doing so and spend energy. <The seafloor drops off sharply in this region. There are no shallows or sandbars where we could safely land such a large force,> another said.

Erik listened to each report with growing frustration. He hoped to find at least some small piece of land, some rocky outcropping where they could catch their breath before the final push. But it seemed the ocean was determined to deny them even this small comfort.

As the last of the scouts returned with similarly bleak news, Erik could do nothing but accept how things were. <We push through then,> he said to his army. <Maynard Island isn't far, anyway. We'll have to make do without rest. I'm sorry, guys. I really wanted to make you rest.>

<It's not a problem, master.>

<Yeah, thanks for having thought about us, though. That's enough already for us.>

If it wasn't because their faces were that of birds now, they would be smiling at their creator.

Yet a ripple of concern passed through the Chimaeric Demons, but they didn't voice the thoughts going through their minds. They trusted Erik's judgment implicitly, and here there was nothing they could have done regardless to solve the situation. They were going to Maynard Island, and there they will have to fight for their lives.

However, Mira spoke up. Erik talked into her and the others' minds, too. "Erik, why don't we have the Chimaeric Demons transform into sea thaids? They could rest in the water before we reach Maynard Island."

Erik's expression darkened, and from that, Mira understood something was wrong. "What's the matter?" Amber asked. She noticed Erik earlier, and now that his expression darkened, she couldn't stop asking. It looked like something didn't make this possible, but what?

"We can't… I... I sense something in the water," he said, his voice low... worried, even. "My Instability brain crystal power is picking up on it. Something vast… I would even say ancient, and as intelligent as the many years this thing has."

Mira's eyes widened. "What do you mean? What is it?" But it was clear it must have been something like the Leviathan Serpent if Erik was that worried.

"It is nothing more than a mind to me... A collection of thoughts I don't exactly know how to decipher. I don't know what it exactly is, but I don't want to find out," Erik said.

Amber leaned forward. "Do you think it is another deep-sea thaid from Mur?" She basically voiced what everyone was thinking.

Erik nodded. "Most likely. By staying in the air, we're out of its range. But if we enter the water... Well, you get it. We won't come out of there."

A shudder passed through the group.

"I understand the concern, but couldn't we rest once we're out of its territory? Surely it can't control the entire ocean between here and Maynard Island."

Erik's frown deepened. "That's the problem, Emily." The young man's voice dropped lower, almost to a whisper. His eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. The others could feel the tension coming out of him as he spoke and as he glanced at the water below. It was scary because Erik himself was scared. That much was clear.

"This... thing has been following us for the past five hours. Its territory must be large, covering, if not all, at least a huge part of the entire stretch of sea between Maynard Island and Hin."

If a single thaid could claim such an enormous territory, its power must have been beyond anything they had encountered before.

"How is that even possible?" Amber asked. "No single creature should be able to exert influence over such a large area. Even the Leviathan Serpent couldn't."

Erik shook his head. "I don't know. But it says a lot about the level of the thaids we will face on Mur. Honestly, I don't know if we will be able to go there. If creatures like this exist in the oceans between the continents, imagine what might be waiting for us on land."

"But it could be only sea thaids are this strong," Mira said. "Without other information, it is still better not to make bold assumptions."

"Yeah," Amber said. "Maybe we should send the Chimaeric Demons there before going ourselves."

At those words, the clones shivered. "So what do we do? We can't keep flying there without resting. We might lose because of being tired."

Erik nodded. He closed his eyes, trying to think about a solution to the problem, but there was none. The Chimaeric Demons shared the same sentiment and told him.

After a long moment, he opened his eyes. "We continue on," he said. "We don't have a choice."

The others nodded, but Amber moved her Chimaeric Demon closer to her lover. "Erik, what aren't you telling us? I can see it in your eyes. There's something more about this... this thing in the water."

Amber was incredibly good at understanding Erik's feelings and thoughts better than anyone else he knew. She could easily spot even the smallest changes in his mood. Erik knew this well and was aware he couldn't hide his worries from her. They were very close, and Amber could tell what Erik was thinking just by looking at him. She could sense the concerns he wasn't saying out loud. Knowing it was pointless to keep things from her, Erik took a deep breath.

"It's not just following us," he said. "It's... studying us. I can feel its curiosity, its intelligence. This isn't some mindless beast acting on instinct. It's analyzing our movements and our patterns. This might explain why the blackguards or anyone else, if that matters, go to Maynard with planes rather than boats."

"This would be unprecedented for a thaid to be this smart." Then she asked the question everyone wanted answers to but couldn't find. "What the hell is on Mur that made thaids this strong?"

"The question is, what is on Mur that made thaids at all? Remember? They first appeared there…"

"Well… If our speculations are right, and they really are a by-product of the Silver Line Corporation making the biological supercomputer, maybe whatever caused animals to mutate and turn into thaids might still be there."

"This means, also, that the blackguards are those who made the thaids... God… It's something I would expect from them, but I really hope it's not true. Can you imagine it? We humans are responsible for us being almost wiped out from the planet…"

"People made books and movies about this for a reason. We showed how much we can be stupid as a race many times," Amber said.

Erik agreed.