Savona, and the Contari Compound

[Karst]

"Signor Contari, it is a pleasure. I have enjoyed this scenic town, but I'll be happy to get to the matter at hand."

Katherine smiled politely as she offered her hand to the sitting Comandante.

"Signora, the pleasure is mine, and I'm glad you've found Savona to your liking. But, as you say, there is something more important to discuss.

I have sought explanations from my usual spiritual sources, but it would seem even the Church knows little of the Tundra and the Vatan. You, however, seemed much more knowledgeable."

"I'm afraid that might be a bit of an exaggeration. Besides the meeting in Alpha, I have only encountered Foster and the Tundra once more.
Sadly, that time was rather more brief, but much like the initial encounter, still an inspirition. I will be happy to share the knowledge that I have."

Perhaps this would be more one sided than she had expected.

"At the very least, you know more than I. How much you know is less of an issue. Whatever you can share with me is enough. I'd like to start from the Tundra's beginnings, should you know them."

"Hm, we did not speak of the origins of the "ship" at length. What I know is that it was a Liberty Navy cruiser, Foster being the captain, on a mission in Alaska. He mentioned that they were conducting experiments with hibernation, and most of the crew was in cryogenic stasis.
While in Alaska, the ship was apparently.....engulfed by one of the large K'Hara specimens known as "Marduks". That is what I know about its origins."

"You're saying the spirit... absorbed a cruiser. What happened to the rest of the crew?"

"I don't know for sure, but he spoke of how the ship itself had become alive, a sentient entity of its own, and that everyone on board was connected. The way I interpret this is that the crew is indeed still alive, and like Foster have become connected with the ship.
So they act in a way reminiscent of a single organism.

He also mentioned that the ship had undergone....development of some sort at a place called "Altair", but did not reveal where or what this place was.

As a side note, it was strange that he seemed unconcerned with talking about the history of the Tundra as a Navy ship, but outright refused to speak of this Altair."

"By the saints! So the spirits stripped humanity from hundreds to make the Tundra?"

"Hm, I simply cannot say what the process that turned the ship into what it is entailed, exactly. I just do not know, and I daresay no humans do.
Perhaps members of the Order have more knowledge on this."

She wondered if she should have said that. Were the Order on speaking terms with the Outcasts? As far as she knew, they had very limited contact.
And aside from that, the Order were obviously not going to have an open approach to the whole thing.

"And what of the Vatan? Do you know anything of it's origins?"

"Almost nothing. From my scans it seemed to be a former Gallic Royal Police cruiser, and the Vatan confirmed this.
Essentially though, I received very few messages from it. Foster said that he was speaking for both, so there was no real need for the Vatan to add anything."

"And what goal have the saints set for the Tundra? What purpose does it serve for them?"

"This is where it gets interesting, I suppose. Although it is well known that the K'Hara, those that you call spirits, have some form of telepathic connection among each other, the goals of the Tundra seemed rather more....personal.
The way I understand it, Foster and the Tundra wish to put an end to the strife that has plagued humanity for our entire existence, and he suggests this would be possible if humans were also linked together - with a universal sense of empathy, nobody would be willing to enact any form of cruelty upon another person.

I consider myself a pacifist of sorts, and have long wondered about the nature of war and oppression, and how to combat it. So the Tundra's words on this were certainly inspiring, although I really cannot say yet for certain what conclusion I can draw from them."

"That's ridiculous, signora! The spirits wouldn't create the Tundra to work towards changing the creations of god! We are individuals because god has willed it to be so. That cannot truly be his motive, can it?"

A man of God. This might be problematic, Katherine would have to choose her next words carefully.

"Hmm. Look at it this way, signor: There really isn't any situation that does not involve change of some kind.
Even a family of Kyushu fishermen, that have lived in a very similar fashion for centuries, experience constant change.
Because every single moment of our lives changes us ever so slightly. There might be events that cause major changes in a great deal of lives, such as a war, revolution, or great natural disaster.

But on any scale, small or large, change is a constant. A bit ironic, I suppose.

And that is my interpretation of the Tundra's motive, nothing more."

"It is hopeless, then. Change like that can never be achieved. The Tundra, whatever it has become, is foolish to think it can. The spirits have not changed humanity the way they have the Tundra's inhabitants for a reason.

However, there has to be another purpose the Tundra serves. Otherwise, the spirits would not have claimed it. Perhaps it is unknown even to the Tundra."

An interesting thought, Katherine mused. Was this possible? She really did not know.
The Comandante seemed to be a fatalist of sorts, she wasn't quite sure how to respond to it.

"I won't deny it is a...utopian idea, far from anything that I see could realistically be done. The spirits, of course, have not changed humanity in this way, and probably never will.
I suppose it's rather a philosophical than a practical idea, but any idea that involves universal peace among humanity is fascinating.
As to any other purposes the Tundra might have, including some it may not be away of, I really cannot say. I suppose it's possible."

"Well, signora, have we reached the limits of what you know? I think I've learned more than enough, about the Tundra, at least.
The Vatan, it would seem, is more of a mystery to the both of us."

"Well then, perhaps I can give you a brief summary: The Tundra is an individual consciousness within a collective "mindshare".
The Tundra's goals are to seek willing individuals and....enlighten them, as it were, with the ultimate goal, to put it bluntly, of "saving humanity from itself".

And sadly yes, I know next to nothing of the Vatan, but Foster said that it too had been enlightened, and I assume they have roughly the same goals."

"Thank you, signora. I appreciate you taking the time to come here and discuss this with me. Now, I've a great deal to think about. I ask that you leave me here. Should you wish, I'll pay for anything you want from the Vizio, and I'll be sending some credits your way for your time."

"I will happily return the thanks, it has been an interesting conversation, and I will certainly need some time to think on it as well.
Regarding your offer, I must politely decline. I think it is time I got back to my ship.
And there is no need for any sort of payment. I did this out of simple curiosity, it is not business.

It has been a pleasure."

She had briefly considered having a drink, but it seemed very unlikely that anything here wasn't tainted with cardamine. The drinks cabinet on the RV was very well stocked, anyway.

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