“Servator is a Latin word that comes close to describing my role. I am, at once, the Watcher, the Observer, the Listener, the Deliverer and the Preserver. But I recognise that there is a cultural inhibition to addressing someone by their function rather than by their name. My true name… that is difficult to render in a form comprehensible to you. Humans have used a variety of names to refer to me in the past. Perhaps one of those might satisfy your need? One of the oldest is Avalokiteshvara, but that is rather long to my mind. You were conceived among the Hmong people, so perhaps Kab Yeeb would be acceptable. You were born in Vietnam, where I was known as Quan Am among other names.”
Peri’s eyes opened wide. “Guanyin,” she breathed, remembering Shanghai.
“That name was used by the Han people of China,” she confirmed. “If you wish, I would be content to use that name.”
“You’re not really a – a goddess, are you? I mean…”
“Sufficiently advanced technology,” was all the Servator needed to say. Peri nodded her understanding.
“I guess you should call me Peri. Though you already seem to know a lot about me. I mean, ‘Conceived among the Hmong people’. How did you pick up that little detail? And you missed a question.”
“I was present in the temple in the forests of Laos,” said Guanyin.
Peri frowned. “I was told earlier today that I’m not quite a standard human. What do you know about that? Did you have something to do with it?”
“That is one of the points I wished to discuss with you. Yes, I did have something to do with it. But let me explain my role.
“The functions of a Servator are essentially passive. I am not permitted to intervene in human affairs. Nevertheless, humanity is at risk, and I am reluctant to see it ended. I therefore found what I believe you would call a ‘grey area’ in the directives that govern my actions. You, Peri, occupy that grey area. I judged that humanity would benefit from the existence of certain capabilities. I set up a laboratory beneath an abandoned and forgotten temple in the Xieng Khouang region and set about engineering someone who would, in time, develop useful capabilities.”
“Are you telling me that I’m the result of your tinkering with my mother’s eggs?” Peri was horrified. “What am I going to turn into – some kind of monster like the thing on Anifail Island? Are you responsible for that, too? And just how is that not intervening in human affairs?”
“Your mother’s eggs – that is, your birth mother’s eggs – were not involved in your conception, nor was your birth father’s seed. I engineered what was needed and implanted it into a surrogate – your mother – to bear and nurture you. But please do not be anxious. You will not become something to be shunned or feared on sight. My goal is the preservation of humanity, so it is essential that you can work towards that goal from within humankind. I will not intervene in human affairs – but you can.”
Peri huffed impatiently. “Preservation? From what? Or who? What is this risk that you talk about?”
Guanyin’s smile faded into a frown. “I regret that I must exercise care in what I tell you today, because we must stay within our grey area. Too much information poses a risk to your continued existence. Suffice it to say, as you have discovered, humankind is not alone in the universe. Humanity is broadcasting the presence of intelligent life on this planet at an exponentially increasing rate. Such broadcasts are becoming detectable even in the higher dimensions. Not every intelligent species is altruistic.” She fell silent.
“That’s all I get?” asked Peri, frowning right back at her.
“For now,” replied Guanyin.
“Okay. That thing on Anifail, that’s certainly not altruistic, is it, and frankly it’s kicking our ar – our backsides. If you have so many human names, then you must have intervened in the past, like a lot. Can you intervene now? I could use some help.”
The ethereal smile returned. “In the past I was authorised to stop and reverse the activities of an ancient being who formed your planet around – well, let us just call it a machine. While waiting for its plans to mature, it amused itself by playing the part of a malevolent and vengeful god. In fact, it played at being many gods, manipulating many of Earth’s tribes. Once it was neutralised and imprisoned, my authority to act was ended.
“This is your help, Peri. You have several enhanced capabilities at varying stages of development. I am going to make some changes to accelerate development and better equip you to deal with the Devourer and with… whatever comes next. Remember, I cannot intervene against it, but I can speed your development so that you can.”
“The Devourer? That’s what you call the creature? Quite an apt name, because when you yanked me out, it was busy devouring me. When you drop me back in, it’ll finish the job.”
“Yes it will,” said Guanyin with a look of deep regret. “And I am sorry that it will be exceedingly painful for you as it does so.”
“What? That’s your idea of help?”
“Bear with the pain, it will quickly be over. I will use the liberated matter, combined with more of what Gustavus calls ‘exotic matter’, to reconstruct you. The enhanced capabilities are fuelled by exotic matter, but your body secretes it quite slowly. Too slowly. I thought you would have ample time to grow into your powers, but I now see that you will not.”
“Oh,” Peri said, surprised, though she realised she should not be. “You know Gus and Tash?”
Guanyin looked equally surprised. “Of course I do. Gustavus is the latest in a succession of custodians of the imprisoned being I mentioned. The exotic matter I will need is the dog.”
Peri’s eyes were wide in shock. “Whoa! You’re telling me Tash was a malevolent god? And you’re going to tear him apart to rebuild me?”
“The being is imprisoned within an exotic matter construct projected from the collar around his neck. I cannot destroy the being. He will remain imprisoned within an exotic matter shell. Only now, he will be imprisoned within you, Peri.”
“Me?” Peri’s voice was faint.
Guanyin fixed her eyes on Peri’s. “This is important, Peri. Your newly emerged and matured capabilities will suffice to avoid being killed by the Devourer. But you will not be able to kill it. It can be imprisoned.”
“How?” asked Peri. “What do I have to imprison it?”
“Grey areas again,” replied Guanyin. “Think about it, Peri. You will have what you need nearby.”
“Bloody marvellous!” said Peri, bitterly. “I have no idea how to fight it, but even if I do, I can’t kill it, I just have to imprison it, and I have no clue how to do that. Is that supposed to help? Really?”
“Energy is depleting,” said Guanyin. “This interaction must end soon. You have all the clues you need, save one. There is a question you have not yet asked.”
“There are many questions I want to ask,” said Peri. “Which one – ah, wait, it’s obvious. I need to know about these enhanced capabilities you’re going to all this trouble for me to develop. What will I be able to do that I can’t do already?”
“Very little,” said Guanyin, infuriatingly. But before Peri could snap at her, she continued. “But your strength will be greater, and you will have better control. You already have remarkable capabilities for a human. You have exceptional powers of recall. Most human scientists believe that ‘eidetic memory’ or ‘photographic memory’ does not really exist, though some people have remarkable memories. You, uniquely, have a genuine photographic memory, though you may not have realised how exceptional you are. You also have exceptional proprioception, a trait sometimes referred to as kinaesthesia. Have you come across these terms?”