The Gathering Edge – Chapter 36

Bechimo
Bridge

In which there are some potential security issues.

We end this chapter with two meetings about to take place, and I’m not sure what to expect of either of them.

On the one hand, the intern. He could be a new danger, or just an irritating distraction with very bad timing. He might even be here to help, although I consider that unlikely.

On the other, Win Ton’s former colleagues. I hope it will not be necessary for him to be separated from his ship, especially when there’s not enough book left to stage a rescue in, but with a sequel guaranteed the authors might do it in order that his crewmates have something to do next time. (As they did with Tolly in the last book.)

Could be three meetings: Theo has still to negotiate the docks back to her ship, and I’m still not sanguine about that pedestrian she heard as she arrived at Primadonna. (Or perhaps that was the intern, on his way to Bechimo.)

8 thoughts on “The Gathering Edge – Chapter 36

  1. Paul A. Post author

    The short answer is “No”.

    A longer answer: The pathfinders are X Strain humanoids, which is what the Yxtrang are descended from, but they’ve made it clear that they don’t regard the Yxtrang as being the same as themselves and wouldn’t describe themselves using the term “Yxtrang”. Whether the Yxtrang would regard them as being Yxtrang remains to be seen.

  2. Jami Ellison

    I had wondered about that, too, because the pathfinders have no tattoo. Or at least, it’s not mentioned if they do. They could be X strain minus the tattoo. It’s equally possible they are some of the last remaining Ms. Or maybe I something? If they are tall, they are X. The M series soldier was short but broad and strong, like Jela.

  3. Paul A. Post author

    I don’t recall the exact location, but I’m pretty sure it’s stated somewhere in the book that they’re X. They’re definitely tall, and when Chernak thinks of the M who reminds Hevelin of Daav, the way he’s described suggests that Chernak is not herself an M.

  4. Jami Ellison

    Yes, good point. And I did a text search. Tattoo never comes up. But X and Y does.

    “They were X Strain and largely immune to such tactics”

    “to give the rescued Yx-Pathfinders a condensed narrative of the events…”

    “a disinclination to leave sentient beings to die, even Yxtrang — proto-Yxtrang — soldiers.”
    (Chapter 14)

    So, in one chapter we get three ways to refer to them. (But not as M Strain.)

    Also from search field: “the soldier caste from which our present-day Yxtrang devolve were entirely manufactured..and indoctrinated from birth into a soldier culture that deliberately distances themselves from civilian cultures.” (But M-Series were not entirely manufactured. They were arguable as human as….)

  5. Ed8r

    How did the Scouts find Win Ton so fast? Bechimo had just barely reported that the Chandra Marudas had docked, and already they seem to have traced him through the back ways that Stost led. It made me think we would find out that they had somehow implanted a tracer, except that would be illogical since meanwhile he’d been through both an autodoc and a—what was it?—Remastering Unit.

  6. Paul A. Post author

    The Scouts catch up with Win Ton after he and Stost have left the back ways and re-entered the public areas of the station, near the docks. I doubt they followed Win Ton and Stost all the way; more likely they were keeping watch on the approaches to Bechimo so they could catch him on his way back to the ship.

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