She had come to San Francisco to find Captain Whren, the man who had tried to kill her. She knew she did not have any solid evidence but what she had found out so far was enough for her. Besides, evidence wasn’t something she required. The absence of any need for close scrutiny was just one of the many perks of working freelance.
She had since learned that Whren worked and lived on the Starfleet campus at Horseshoe Bay near Sausalito. He hardly ever seemed to leave the complex and infiltrating Starfleet Headquarters to get to him was not an option she was willing to entertain at this point. It would be difficult for her, not impossible of course but for now she preferred to wait for a more accessible option to present itself.
There was plenty for Mech to think about but for reasons she wasn’t entirely sure herself she found herself in the beautifully maintained Japanese Tea Garden, in the middle of Golden Gate Park, standing in front of a large, sitting Buddha statue.
She carefully scrutinized the figure. The Buddha depicted sat cross-legged, his eyes were closed and he was displayed performing a traditional hand gesture as if he had achieved absolute peace with himself. Mech envied that feeling.
“They call it Nirvana. Attaining perfect clarity through meditation.”
Mech turned to notice a short woman of advanced years who had stepped up behind her. She had been so deep in thoughts, she hadn’t noticed her approach. Mech guessed her to be around eighty but could possibly have passed for twenty to thirty years younger. Her skin was wrinkled but not overly so. Her long white hair was tied in a braid she wore over her shoulder. She had a warm smile on her lips.
“You are a Buddhist?” Mech asked.
“If by that you mean that I have studied Buddhism and am I intrigued by its ways then yes, you could call me that. But I don’t think the monks would agree.”
Mech nodded. “Have you ever experienced it? Is it real?”
“Real? To me that is somewhat of a fluid concept and depends entirely on your interpretation of reality. Is that air you are breathing right now real? How about the food your eating which has been created out of pure energy? How about your thoughts?”
“Well if you put it that way we can’t really know for sure, can we? We might all be just the figments of somebody else’s imagination.”
The old lady started walking down the path and Mech felt compelled to follow her.
“People on all planets have wondered about reality since the beginning of time. At first they attributed everything to the supernatural. Then came religion, then science and technology.”
“You make it sound as if there might be a third option.”
The woman smiled. “Maybe there is.” She looked right into Mech’s green eyes. “In the end what we’re all looking for is truth, don’t you agree? Knowledge about the universe, knowledge about ourselves.”
Mech couldn’t shake the feeling that she had met this woman before. “Do we know each other?”
The old woman continued down the path. “I’m disappointed Mech, I would have thought you would recognize me sooner with that enhanced body of yours and all. I guess there is no substitute for good old fashioned intuition.”
Mech was puzzled as she looked after her. “I don’t usually forget people I meet,” she explained and caught up with her in front of crimson colored Japanese temple. “How do you know me?”
Her old gray eyes sparkled. “We’ve met each other many times, don’t you remember?”
“I haven’t really been very settled over the last few years,” Mech admitted. “Do we know each other from Nyuchiba.”
< What, you never expected me to be this old? >
The voice was instantly familiar and Mech glanced at the smiling woman while her jaw slowly dropped. “Mother?”
She snickered.
“You live here?”
Mother shrugged. “I’m like you, Mech. I wander. For now I have found this place quite suitable to my needs,” she explained and continued her walk through the tea garden. “You however came here to find somebody, didn’t you?”
Mech was quickly at her side again. “Yes. I believe he’s the link to Gateway 668 and those seekers chasing me through FedNet.”
Mother nodded. Now Mech could see the resemblance to her avatar. Not her features of course but her body stature was remarkably similar. She walked very upright, her shoulder straight as a line.
“What you showed me on FedNet, the strange activity concentrated here. Do you think it is connected to the man I am after?”
“Everything is connected.”
Mech froze.
Mother turned to look at her.
“I see you are as cryptic in real life.”
“I’m trying to help you Mech but you are entering dangerous waters. Some connections I haven’t yet figured out myself. I know something is happening here. I know that this man you looking for might have some answers but it will be difficult to get them.”
“I can handle difficult.”
Mother nodded. “I know you can. But you will have to be patient. The truth you seek may be bigger than you think. I fear events have been set in motion which could very well lead to a greater change than we are prepared to accept. We are way passed the stage where this is merely about yourself.”
Mech contemplated that for a moment. Patience was perhaps not her greatest strength. And she might not have admitted it openly but thinking about others beside herself was not either.
Mother could tell what she was thinking. “I’ll be here, Mech. I’ll try to help you as much as I can but this will take you places only you can go,” she said and walked up the stairs of the temple. “But it will be imperative that you go wherever this will lead you. As Buddha says: ‘There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not starting and not going all the way.’”
Mech tilted her head. “Do you have any other ancient wisdoms to spare which could help me on this one?” she said hardly masking her sarcasm.
Mother simply winked and disappeared inside the temple, leaving Mech to wonder how exactly Mother’s insights were going to make it any easier for her to try and figure out who, why and where.