Mapping Habito

Continued from Special Service Invitation 

"Sit back, Al. Just relax. We'll do the rest.", the Profess spoke calmly.

He was still at the meeting. They'd discussed and argued, queried and explained. It seemed like hours had passed, though in reality the mind-to-mind relays meant real communication was occurring twice as fast as it a appeared based on the software's projection. Now it was the time to make true use of Alxi and the Habito agent. Side by side they closed their eyes remembering the Habito planet. 

The capital city of Lyon seemed some how different. The sky was neither blue nor grey, the sun neither shone nor was it dark, in the air rain drops hung twinkling in and out of reality. As close as this could be to reality.

Some of the buildings had translucent balconies, advertising campaigns from the last 5 decades flowed and fizzed into one another. People appeared, and then were gone.

The Profess' voice reverberated through the cityscape.

"We are all now witnessing the capital. The holographic scape is a combination of Memories provided by Alxi, our Hagent, and some of the recently deceased. Hence certain particulars will not be shown in robust detail. This, however, will give us the best map of the capital possible for our purposes.", Alxi felt uncomfortable with them in his head like this. He appreciated the Scholars being here, had enjoyed his lessons and their teachings, was glad to be such a star pupil as to have been invited here, and yet he really didn't want them in his head. 

"Why can't you just scan the city?", he asked "I'm sure you'll get a better representation by being there."

There was an appreciative mumble from his tutor, "Gentleman Summerfield doesn't officially know we are here. When he does we will begin with cordial talks, hopefully. I, however, would appreciate a decent battle and evacuation plan prior to active duty in his nation. Should he discover us performing official surveillance before an official meeting he may assume, correctly, that the worst is coming. He may begin preparations for a defense. And whilst he could never win, it would be much safer for all involved if we have some element of surprise. We can't plan for everything like this- your memories only go as far as you remember, and are easily corrupted- but we will have the modern basics enough to know the place, and the people."

"What if I refuse to cooperate? What if I don't want you in my head?"

"Well, firstly you may be putting a great numbe at people at risk by preventing the Enlightened from preparing to remove Summerfield quickly and efficiently. You put such trusted people as your father at risk by preventing the best possible evacuation plan being generated."

"My father's going with you?! To the official introduction?", Alxi burst out in shock and awe.

"Yes. You put him in great danger without cooperation, and me, and the Venergy, and yourself."

"Me?"

"Yes Alxi, do ask I ask and you will be with us when we make planetfall"

"Right, well, best we get one with it then!" Alxi bellowed with pride as he thought of the great and the (occasionally) good he would be meeting.

The viewing position began its movement through all of the capital of Lyon, before moving out into Lyon itself, then out, further, onto the rest of the Habito planet. Over the slums of the 7th, the larder lands, the factory fields, the plains of the dinavians, out to the forest plantations, before the wilds and fellow Habito nations. At times they appeared to walk, then ride, or drive, sometimes flying or swimming, perhaps even moving into orbit to view the entire land.

There was only so much Alxi could provide- the Hagent provided much, and the recently deceased much more, though oftentimes their data was far older. It sparked new ideas in Alxi's mind. During the previous 14 years he had been educated, worked, and travelled the Habito planet. He had been afforded the opportunity to see so much of it, and yet there was so much more to see. So much life, so much beauty, so much wonder.

And he would return to it all, as a guest and tour guide for the Scholars