Journey to Pan'Dha, Part Two

'The Future' was going to break up, our careers and destinies dictated by Tau'va, as it should be. Yet I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as I realised my comrades, who had been part of my life for so long, would probably see me or each other again. I knew this was the way of things in our society, and these emotions would pass but still I savoured them a while. We had a party to celebrate our new lives, and to mark our parting. It was a lively affair, full of debates and discussion. It had an undercurrent of sadness, as iwe played out the last chapter in our time.

My posting was of little interest in comparison with more exotic roles such an AI specialist to T'ros, gloriously added to the Tau'va, and many of our group to the homeworld, as if some great hidden enterprise was unfolding, sucking in the best and brightest.

And so it ended.

I was packed and ready at that point, and had been for days. The waiting was irritating, I had no fixed project to spend my energies on, and little indication of the time frame of my journey to Pan'Dha. The correspondence I had received stated bluntly to wait until called. And so I did.

It was surprising then, as I thought my time wouldn't come, when a young Fire Caste warrior called at my quarters. 

"You are to come with me, I assume you are packed?"

Her voice was firm and invited action.

"Yes ma'am, I ready."

"Please follow me."

She didn't seem to have time for academics, especially young and unproven ones such as myself. She was an intelligence officer, it was about the only information I could extract and even that was implied.

Our journey to the space port was quiet and uneventful. She piloted the simple transport and I sat in the back. I had work to do on my database... adding relationships, refining linkages, adding notes, pulling in new sources of information. Finally near the end, as the Space Port came into view she asked:

"I see you're busying yourself, personal project?"

I wasn't expecting her question, I betrayed my shock my jumping a little in my seat.

"Yes, its a database on Pan'Dha, I'm collating all available sources to begin analysing it's socio-historical background and putative trends."

There was a pride in my voice, and why not? This thoroughness was why was top of the class. Her response was surprising to say the least.

"An interesting approach, I think that's why they picked you. I had to read your work on xenos integration and the caste system, I see how you began that line of thought. That was good work."
"What? Are you in the Pan'Dha military? Who are 'They'?"
"All will be answered in due course. We're here"