by Marcha Fox
Chapter 5
PERCEIVING MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS meant time was meaningless and Thyron's ability to multiplex expanded his abilities beyond human comprehension. Thus, he was able to monitor the girl's activities on the flight deck while tapping the cosmos for information regarding why she was stranded and where they might go. Time was likewise not a barrier, perceiving her past and future a simple matter of accessing quantum probabilities. What he discovered was rather surprising. Their fates were entangled at the quantum level and he would play a vital part in her mission, whatever it happened to be, including one of protection. Once again, he shivered with a tingle of deja-vu. Her name was Creena, which resonated with unexpected familiarity.
Now that he realized the other being was an electroid, he determined the frequency of its vocal unit and was able to hear its communications as well. He debated on whether he really wanted to do that or not since that frequency grated on his flaunal nerves like a gnawing insect, but decided it was a necessary evil, especially given the 'troid's programmed lethal potential.
The pair was discussing their destination, which was clearly different than the one his employer had established for return. What they didn't realize, however, was that the one they were considering was worse. The range of the Cerulean Nimrod had been deliberately limited and couldn't reach where she really wanted to go. Thus, the plan was to find the needed passage from another world, but the one they were considering was incapable of doing so without the right connections. Another vision flashed of horrific trouble if they persisted with that destination. Having her thought queue comfortably in context, he tuned back into her psyche and discovered she erroneously believed her troubles were over, while from what he'd seen they'd only just begun. Hoping to effect a change, he commented on her naive conclusions.
[When the chrons have duly passed
Your troubles won't be in the past.]
Again, her response was confusion, then he realized he'd made a major mistake with his timing because for some reason now she was hungry. Her thoughts' strength increased and he realized she was coming below! He tucked his leaves in close once again and hunkered down as far as his bulbous body allowed. In his mind's eye he watched her pause at the bottom of the ramp, assessing what was there as he had done. Her gaze swept the perimeter, halting with it focused in his direction. He shrunk some more, prepared for the worst.
She walked directly where he was situated next to the device where, much to his surprise, she hesitated a long moment emanating fear. Finally, she opened the unit, rummaging inside where the spare provisions were stored. She expressed a chirp of delight in recognition, the mechanical behemoth joining her a moment later.
"Can you cook these, Aggie?" the girl asked.
"Of course," the electroid replied.
The conversation that followed didn't concern him now that he felt safe, so his thoughts returned to his reservations regarding their destination.
He connected with Creena again to issue a warning he hoped she'd heed.
[Of all the planets you could pick
That one is of all most sick.]
"Why do you keep talking like that?" she asked the 'troid, irritated.
"Like what?" it responded.
"Like that! You know, in rhyme and giving off that smell."
The 'troid's circuits hummed as she perused the girl. "You feel all right?'
"I'm fine. I just keep hearing this voice. And smelling something."
The mechanical emitted static of the irritated kind. "What? DTO?" she responded.
"No!" the girl answered. "Unless DTO smells like a biodome."
The frequency of the mechanical's vocal unit signaled additional annoyance. "My sensors haven't registered a thing that fits either description."
"Maybe they wouldn't," the girl replied. "I don't exactly hear it or smell it. It just comes directly into my head."
Then the 'troid offered to perform a brain assessment, which the girl curtly refused, ordering the 'troid to return on deck. The mechanical left, but the girl remained and snooped around. Her level of curiosity was higher than usual, indicating high intelligence, which synched nicely with her fated importance. She rummaged around in several stowage lockers, discovering a stash of games onboard he'd helped the Sapphirans figure out and play to distract them from their raging appetites. The girl sat down on the nearest chaise and activated the device, a holographic image appearing on the floor. She emitted a sense of familiarity followed by humor, then anger, both directed at a male sibling with whom she apparently had a disharmonious relationship in spite of the fact he was far distant in another part of the galaxy.
From Thyron's cosmic glimpse into her future versus what he perceived of her thought train, it was apparent she was unaware of all the quanta in motion regarding her and her family. Her thoughts were negative and unhealthy, such that Thyron was impressed to comment again or their shared course would have dire results for them both.
[Misled girl from Mira III
That is not how things should be
Revenge is harmful to your soul
So never seek it as a goal
For what you think and what you feel
Are not always what is real.]
The girl froze, mind seeking the source of the words. It was now or never, he decided. Her heart seemed pure, at least for a human, her mind intelligent enough to recognize him as a sentient being unworthy of being consumed as nourishment.
[Creena Brightstar, answer me.
Then I'll tell you where I be.]
A brief conversation followed as he clarified that what she was perceiving had nothing to do with that demented 'troid. At long last, amidst a rustle of leaves, Thyron rose slowly to his full height to reveal his presence, hoping for the best.
[If your heart is kind and warm
You won't bring me any harm.]
When their eyes met he sensed her full essence, instilling every molecule of protoplasm with the knowledge that she never would; indeed, they'd remain friends from that point forward. Yet within lurked dark pools of swirling probabilities that their friendship would come at considerable expense to them both.
THE END
Thyron's story continues in Chapter 13 of Beyond the Hidden Sky, first volume of the Star Trails Tetralogy.
Thank you for reading my story. If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks!
Marcha Fox
Visit https://www.StarTrailsSaga.com for additional information
pertaining to the Star Trails Universe.
About Marcha Fox
MARCHA FOX IS A SCIENCE FICTION fan and writer who has always been fascinated by space and time. She’s an old-time Star Wars nut whose favorite movies include Back to the Future and Deja-vu. Her life-long love of astronomy eventually drove her to obtain a Bachelor of Science Degree in physics from Utah State University followed by a career of over 21 years at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where she held a variety of positions including technical writer, engineer and eventually manager. Needless to say during that time she got to see all sorts of very cool NASA stuff in locations that included Florida, California, Alabama, and Maryland as well as the European Space Agency in The Netherlands.
Her physics training allowed her to "do the math" regarding various elements in her books, especially Cyraria's starsystem, orbital dynamics and resulting seasons in A Dark of Endless Days, to assure reasonable accuracy along with hoping to instill an interest in science and engineering to her fans by showing its relevance in an entertaining way. More detailed information as well as a discussion guide for parents and educators are included on her website at https://www.StarTrailsSaga.com.
She’s the mother of six grown children, seventeen grandchildren and so far three great-grandchildren, though she denies being old enough to have such a huge progeny.
Other
Books by Marcha Fox
Beyond the Hidden Sky
A Dark of Endless Days
A Psilent Place Below
Refractions of Frozen Time
The Star Trails Compendium
The Star Trails Tetralogy Box Set
More Thyron coming soon in:
The Terra Debacle
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