Unlike Grandma Ildi and even little Doe, this one seems to believe her own hype. So far as I know, Fusions have the same that a demi-human has: speed of thought and access to the Void. The wings and halo are just sorta there. The fact she’s carrying a battlerifle rather reinforces that notion. Still, they do seem to inspire some odd kind of reverence in humans. I suspect, but don’t know, that there is something in their nature which manifests that. We’ll have to find out.

I also am beginning to lean in on what or why Graf is so important to these people. That will keep for the next section, after Redding.

Pai discovers that name dropping still works.

Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!

“I am Luce.” Graf heard loo-cheh.  “Fusion.  I see you know the First of us.  I claim this land for myself and my kind.”

“Oh, boy,” he breathed.  “I’m Graf Winstead.  This is my wife, Pai.”

The prefect quickly made his excuses and left the three of them looking at one another.  Luce stared at them and Graf’s extended hand.  She took it gently but looked surprised

“A human and a Machine.  That’s an odd paring,” the girl said, hands back at her sides.  Graf saw a multicolored flare of lights behind her.  Her wings? “Why are you here?”

“Just visiting.  None of us belong here,” Pai ventured.

“I do.  Now.” Luce stated.

“I am,” his wife tried again, “unaware of any changes to the DMZ treaty that grants title to you, your grandmother, Ildi, or any of your race.  Am I misinformed?”

“Possibly.  After all, you did marry a human.” The light show behind her faded.  “Admittedly, a very interesting one.”

“You saw that from touching his hand?” Pai demanded.  What are they talking about?  About me?

Luce looked south to their ship then north to the river.  “You were going to eat then go for a walk before I showed up.  May we walk first?  I do not want to fight you, Russian android, much less Winstead, here.  But I will.”

“Jaw-jaw is better than war-war,” Pai allowed, still not smiling at this development.  She took Graf’s left hand.  “As you seem to know your way about, lead us.”

“I shall,” Luce said, putting her hood back up over her halo.  Even so, everyone seems to know who she is, Graf saw, and anyone close will put their hand over their heart for a moment.

“Enjoy being worshiped?” Pai asked.  “My, what a pretty bridge.”

A pedestrian suspension bridge, about five yards wide, did not have a paved deck but instead clear plastic or maybe reinforced glass.  Graf found it a bit disconcerting.  The Fusion said nothing until they stopped at the middle.  To possibly not be provocative, she placed herself to Pai’s right, away from Graf.  The colors flared behind her back.

“Yes, they are really there, Machine.  I already noted your hands are cut and healing.  If you touch them, it will only be worse,” Luce explained.  “And, to your question?  Yes, I consider myself a minor goddess and want all this disputed land for my own.  Some of my kin will form the nucleus of a colony here.  I am engaged to a human from your Russian province of Alaska.  We will settle here.”

She just claimed what?  And I cannot see anyone, Russian, Aurie, or Mexicans agreeing to this.

“Your grandmother okay with all this?” Pai asked, thinking much the same as her husband, but faster.

“She is surprised but does not object.”

“And if this starts a war?  There are only a handful of y’all; legionaries are still top soldiers.  And, of course, there’s my mother.”

“Your mother?” Luce said, turning, her frown back.  “You are not a stand-alone machine?”

“I am the daughter of Reina Mendrovovitch.”