![\"\"](\"https:\/\/buber.net\/Basque\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/maite-and-kepa-v3b.png\")
\u201cKaixo!\u201d she screamed. But still her voice disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked around, but only inky black filled her vision. There was no point of reference, no horizon, not even a pinprick of light. There was simply nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until there wasn\u2019t. In the distance, she noticed a light. Turning around, she saw it at all angles, like a circle surrounding her at a far distance. Then it started moving, seemingly coming closer. Faster and faster it came, the loop constricting around her as it grew brighter. She felt like a wall was collapsing around her, but all she could see was the light. Faster and faster, it shrunk. Maite couldn\u2019t help herself – she crouched down on the ground, covering her head with her eyes with her hands, and screamed as she expected to be flattened by the wall of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But nothing happened. Maite spread her fingers slightly and peaked through the gap. The circle of light still surrounded her, but it had stopped moving, having come to rest about five meters from where she crouched. It pulsed, almost with a heart beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGaruna?\u201d she asked tentatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pulsing grew more vibrant, shifting colors. Then a voice spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou are as clever as I expected,\u201d replied Garuna. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat else could this be?\u201d she said. \u201cIt isn\u2019t my home. That wasn\u2019t the zatia you presented to me, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEz,\u201d replied the AI. \u201cWell, maybe in some sense, it is a zatia -\u201d he emphasized the word \u2018a\u2019 \u201c- in that it is a gateway to another world. But, this is my world. Not another time or place, but the world inside my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite made a show of looking around again. \u201cPretty empty\u2026\u201d she shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHumor. A defense mechanism against the unknown,\u201d diagnosed Garuna. \u201cTypical of you flesh beings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndeed,\u201d replied Maite, finding herself just a little more comfortable. While she was still scared as hell, at least she knew better what she was dealing with. \u201cWhy did you bring me here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to go with you,\u201d replied Garuna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGo with me? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo your own time, and to the other bubbles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite shook her head. \u201cWe can\u2019t do that. We can\u2019t take anything from the bubbles. And, even if we could, why would we? You are clearly malevolent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The circle of light surrounding her pulsed as if shaking its head. \u201cNo, I am not malevolent. I am simply protecting my time and space. De Lancre was trying to destroy it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite was impressed that the AI had deduced the true identity of the man everyone else knew as Salazar. \u201cThat\u2019s what we were doing, too, isn\u2019t it? Me and Kepa.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, but for different reasons. You are protecting something even bigger. De Lancre was only protecting himself. The means do matter, even if the ends are the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite shrugged. \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d she said. \u201cThere is still no way to take anything from the bubble with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut what if there was?\u201d teased Garuna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite paused. The AI was infinitely smarter than she was and she was actually curious as to what it was planning. \u201cGo on\u2026\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can interface with the zatia, imbue some of my essence with it. I can\u2019t be anywhere near full power, as that requires the fusion reactor. But, the zatia itself is also a power source and can keep me going at a limited capacity. When you absorb the zatia, you would absorb me as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cZer?\u201d exclaimed Maite. \u201cWhat? You would be inside me? In my\u2026 head?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBai,\u201d replied Garuna. \u201cI would be inside your mind, a second voice if you will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy would I allow this?\u201d asked Maite, mortified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI could have just done this, and you would not have been able to stop me. Instead, I chose to ask for your permission. I won\u2019t force this on you, but I also cannot allow you to take the zatia if you do not agree, as that will force the end of all I know. If I go with you, I, and the rest of this bubble, will continue on in some form, in my memories, carried by you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maite slumped to the ground. \u201cI don\u2019t really have a choice, do I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course you do.\u201d The AI paused. \u201cJust not a good one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t decide this on my own. I need to talk to Kepa. He is part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI understand. I will pull him into my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n