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English
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Published:
2023-11-09
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536
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1/1
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The Statue

Summary:

There's a new statue in The Gardens— new, at least, on the time-scales of stations and ships.

Notes:

'"What's the point of anything?"

"Sir?" She blinked, confused, taken aback.

"In a thousand years, Lieutenant, nothing you care about will matter. Not even you. You'll be dead. So will I. And no one alive will care. Maybe, just maybe, someone will remember our names. More likely, those names will be engraved on some dusty memorial pins at the bottom of some old box no one ever opens."

Or Ekalu's would. There was no reason anyone would make any memorials to me after my death.'

- Breq, Ancillary Mercy

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

 There is a statue in the Gardens of Athoeck Station.



Not a large one, compared to some. Space is a premium on stations, even old ones which have grown as large as this one. But it's still twice the height or so of the figure it depicts, hewn from marble, stately in greys and blacks. It stands in the middle of a pond, surrounded by reeds, multi-colored fish darting around the statue's base.



It shows a figure with her head raised, as if looking up towards the vastness of space beyond the glass dome above. She stands with her back pressed against a relief of stone, the edges jagged and tapered to a point. Her expression is at first glance stoically neutral; it's only after some study one might pick out a suggestion of satisfaction in the slight curl of her lip, or pride in the arch of her eyebrows.



The figure is dressed in a military uniform. Not a Radchaai military uniform; a historical Republic of Two Systems military uniform, as one might find photography and videos from the founding era. It would be easy to mistake the two, however. They share, as one might say, a great deal of cultural DNA.



If one were to keep following the path around the edge of the pond, one would find the statue looks quite different from that other side. From this perspective, the wall the figure was backed against hides that humanoid form completely. From this side it bears the relief of a ship. The sculptor's deft hand used clever use of lighting and perspective to suggest a great sense of size and weight. Those with particular familiarity with Radchaai ships would recognise it specifically as a Justice -class vessel.



But perhaps this description favours sight far too much above the other senses.


Lean in; listen. Music pours from speakers embedded within the statue's mouth, giving the impression that it is singing.

 

It's never the same song twice. That's what everyone says. You can visit a thousand times, and the statue will always be singing something new.



The gardeners who tend to the pond— and of course Athoek Station itself— know better, of course. In truth, there's over 4000 songs in the memorial's playlist. In Radchaai, in Deslsig, in Xhai, in Raswar, in half a dozen other languages. If you work there long enough, you'll hear the pieces repeat, but it'll take some time. Still, no need to ruin the whimsy for everyone else.



The statue's plinth reads:



Justice of Toren One-Esk
Breq
Who Saw The Significance in Us All



It amuses Station, sometimes, to speculate on how the late Breq would have taken the statue.



Not well, on the surface. There would have been words . Breq would not have liked how it centered her in the narrative. Who would have been the first to downplay her own contributions in the founding of the Republic of Two Systems, to setting off the conclave which would enshrine rights for AIs across the universe. For someone so proud, she could be very humble.  But Station is pleased to ensure its cousin is memorialized the way she deserved.



Whatever else, she would have liked the fish, and the songs.  

 

Notes:

Once again, with a giant thank you to Platyceriums for beta-reading this fic <3