by John Coon
14
A deep sense of foreboding gripped Xttra after entering the cylindrical tower. No trace of any Earthians on the module’s bottom floor. So quiet and empty inside. A place as desolate as death itself.
“Where are the Earthians?”
Kyra’s voice carried a worried lilt revealing to Xttra that the eerie silence did not trouble him alone. No signs of a violent struggle were present inside the module. Xttra wished he had a thermal tracker on him as he studied the room. The tracker would detect body heat from hidden Earthians and solve this mystery in a hurry. No visible hiding places jumped out at him.
This room reminded him of an activity room. A small round table, surrounded by three chairs, occupied space near the middle of the room. To the right, he spotted a long bench bordering a garden box filled with various leafy green plants. Two stationary machines with pedals and seats flanked the left side of the garden box. A row of waist-high cabinets topped by an empty counter lined a wall left of the table. Green vines and other similar plants climbed a central vertical column.
“My sensors show a mix of oxygen and nitrogen similar to Lathos,” Xander said. “The air is breathable.”
Xttra smirked.
“I would’ve never guessed after seeing Earthian plants everywhere.”
Kyra turned and scowled at him. She extracted a thermal tracker from among her gear and started scanning the room for signs of life.
“Why are these plants so green? I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Such an unusual color for plants. And I don’t see any red plants anywhere.”
Xttra remembered he harbored the same question as Kyra when he visited Earth. He and Kevin discussed plant colors back when his Earthian friend first set foot on Lathos. Kevin told him green vegetation grew all over his home planet because of photosynthesis. Xttra imagined differences existed between his home sun and Aramus—Earth’s sun—at an atomic level to cause a universal difference in colors on the two worlds.
Of course, he kept this theory to himself. These Confederate setaworms could conduct their own research as far as he was concerned. Xttra was in no mood to volunteer information.
“I see two heat patterns,” Kyra pointed at the ceiling. “On an upper level of this module.”
Xttra surveyed the room, searching for an access door. He spotted one on the north wall, directly opposite from the airlock where they entered. The metallic door featured a single circular window near the top, a central wheel embedded below the window, and a vertical handle off to the side running parallel to the wheel.
“Over there.” He pointed at the metallic door. “I think that one leads to the upper levels of this structure.”
Xander and Kyra took point as they approached the door. Ryollo sidled up next to Xttra to prevent him from making a run for the ship while their backs were turned. Xander tugged on the wheel. The door refused to budge.
“They must not want visitors,” Kyra said. “Too bad. They’re getting some anyway.”
She extracted an Aracian cutter from a pouch on her belt. This type of cutter differed from the Ra’ahmian cutters Xttra and other Stellar Guard officers used. It did not feature a volcanic glass blade augmented by a blue laser or a polished stone handle. This cutter had a wider black metallic handle with four finger holes that slid down to each knuckle. A thin vertical black rod with a sharpened tip rose from the center. Micro ports on each side cast a white laser around the rod to form a blade.
Kyra plunged the cutter’s laser blade between the door and the door jamb. She pulled her left hand down in a straight line, cutting through locks sealing the door. When the cutter passed the door handle, Kyra yanked on the handle and the door popped open without any trouble. She switched off the device and returned it to its former place on her belt.
“That’s better,” Kyra said.
They filed out of the room onto a winding stair. It traveled in a gentle winding arc upward from one level to the next. The stair wound around the outer perimeter of each room like a corridor. More small circular windows dotted the upper walls.
Xttra again considered making a break for the ship while the others were distracted. He quickly squashed those thoughts when he realized his chances for survival were not realistic. Not only was he unarmed, but he had no way of knowing what added risks lurked on the Earthian compound. Better to face down those risks in the company of his Confederation captors.
For now.
A small beep sounded on Kyra’s thermal tracker. She glanced down at the screen and held up a hand signaling the others to halt.
“One heat pattern is moving away from the other. It’s closing in on our position.”
Xander rested a hand on his speargun. Ryollo did the same. Xttra frowned, wishing he had his eliminator, a Cassian fire shell, or some other weapon for self-defense. He hung back behind Ryollo a couple of steps.
Soon, a head peeked out from behind a circular wall hugged by the corridor. An Earthian. He laid eyes on the group in the corridor and instantly pulled back behind the wall. Xttra did not get a clear look at his face before he disappeared again. Still, something about his appearance seemed vaguely familiar.
“You aren’t taking us alive. And I promise I won’t let you reach Earth either.”
The Earthian’s brave words did little to mask a frightened tone in his voice. They outnumbered him and he knew it. Xttra wondered how quickly Kyra and the others would turn on the Earthian once they learned about his hostile intentions.
Kyra glanced over her shoulder at Xttra and motioned him forward.
“Your turn. Tell us what the Earthian is saying.”
Xttra hesitated. He glanced side to side before taking a few steps forward.
“The Earthian thinks we’re attackers.”
“Tell him we intercepted a distress signal originating from this planet, and we’ve come to rescue him and his fellow Earthians.”
Xttra raised his hands and walked toward the wall where the Earthian concealed himself.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” he said, switching his words to the Earthian dialect he learned from Kevin. “We are visitors from a different star system. We intercepted your distress signal and came here to Mars to help you.”
“Mars?” a confused tone arose in the Earthian’s voice. “Where did you learn the name of this planet? And where did you learn to speak English?”
“This isn’t my first trip to this region of space.”
The Earthian poked his head out and furrowed his brow. He wore no helmet and sported short brown hair, graying at the temples. His face looked so familiar.
“Let me see your face.” He pointed to Xttra’s helmet. “The air in here has enough oxygen. You’re safe.”
Sensor readings on his visor confirmed what the Earthian claimed. Environmental conditions inside this tower supported life. Xttra reached up and popped his helmet off. He tucked it under his left arm. The Earthian’s eyes grew as big as plates.
“Xttra Oogan? That’s not possible.”
Kyra and the others did not understand anything else the Earthian said in his native language up to this point. But they instantly recognized Xttra’s name sewn among those other words.
“How does this alien know your name?” Kyra said.
Xttra scowled. His eyes hardened into an angry stare. He knew exactly which Earthian scum stood before him.
Sam Bono. An Earth Defense Bureau agent.
“Simple,” Xttra said, without looking back at the Confederation pilot. “This Earthian helped slaughter my crew and injure my wife.”
Xttra lunged forward before anyone else said a word. He swung a fist and struck Sam in the upper jaw. Xander and Ryollo sprang forward and seized both of Xttra’s arms. They wrenched him backward before he could tackle Sam and crush his windpipe. His helmet clattered to the floor. The glass visor narrowly avoided cracking on co
ntact with the smooth surface.
“Calandra lost an arm because of your worthless alien race! You want our help? I’d sooner see you all die.”
Xttra wriggled with the tenacity of a freshly caught Serrantan mudfish, fighting to break free from the two Confederation officers restraining him. They had pinned him against the floor. Sam closed his eyes and rubbed the spot where Xttra landed his blow. When he opened them a second time, a distinct sadness swam in each one. Sam licked his lips and frowned.
“I’m so sorry, Xttra. I wish I could go back and undo everything we did to you and to her.”
“Apologies don’t restore a lost arm.”
“You’re right. Maybe I don’t deserve to live. But there are billions of people on Earth who don’t deserve to die. If the creature I battled here escapes to my homeworld, countless lives will be in jeopardy.”
Kyra tapped Xttra’s shoulder with her foot. He shot an angry glare at her as well.
“Are you going to translate for us? That is your purpose for being here.”
“Program a translator and talk to him yourself.” Xttra shifted back to his normal language. “I want nothing to do with this Earthian.”
He finally wrenched himself free from the grasp of the other two Confederation officers. Xttra snatched his helmet off the floor, jumped to his feet, and stormed down the corridor toward the ground level room.
“Record the Earthian’s words and instruct Cavac to remotely program our translators with his language,” Kyra ordered. “Once they’re ready to go, see what you can find out from him.”
Xttra refused to glance back at her, Sam, or the others. He kept a steady brisk pace until crossing through the open doorway into the ground level room. A hand tugged on his left shoulder. Xttra stopped and wheeled around. Kyra stood alone in the doorway, her helmet now off and tucked under her arm the same as him.
“You better be prepared to shoot me,” he snapped. “I will not help that worthless pile of Ebutoka droppings.”
“Why?”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you. You’re willfully blind to the danger facing us.”
“So that’s it? You want to abandon these Earthians to whatever dark fate awaits them on this barren planet?”
Kyra directed an accusing glare at Xttra. Her tone was consistent with a commander taking a soldier to task for deserting their post.
If the flames burning inside Xttra’s eyes could ignite real sparks, they would have reduced the entire structure to ashes. Kyra could never fathom exactly what he and Calandra experienced at the hands of these aliens while exploring their planet.
The Earthians did not deserve salvation.
“They purchased their fate. I’ll leave them to it.”
Xttra waved his hand dismissively. He turned away from the Confederation pilot and started walking back to the module airlock.
“You don’t get to decide which lives matter and which ones are worthless,” Kyra shot back. “You’re not some distant, unseen immortal being holding the fate of this galaxy in your hands.”
Xttra stopped but did not turn back to face her again. He let out an angry sigh.
“Let’s see how you feel after the Earthians do to you what they did to me and my crew.”
“How would Calandra feel?”
Xttra tilted his head at her. Kyra should count herself fortunate he did not have a weapon handy.
“What did you say?”
“You heard me.”
“Don’t you dare bring her into this.” Xttra stabbed a finger at her. “You have no clue how she would react in this same situation.”
“I don’t claim to know your wife personally.” Kyra folded her arms and continued to stare him down. “But I have seen and heard much from you both during our surveillance. She does not strike me as one who would wish death upon a single innocent Earthian. She would still fight to save them all even after everything she’s endured.”
Xttra pressed a fist into his other hand and pinched his eyelids shut. Her words formed a sharp blade that dug deep into his soul. Xttra hated to admit it, but those words rang true. Calandra stopped him from shedding Sam’s blood during their first encounter with the Earthian. She appealed to his conscience and subdued Xttra’s anger. No doubt existed within his mind a similar scenario would unfold if she were here now.
“Will you come back willingly? Or do I need to make the decision for you?”
Xttra opened his eyes and, at once, saw Kyra’s speargun aimed straight at his helmet. His throat tightened and his breathing quickened. Once a spear head exited that wide barrel, it would punch a massive hole through the helmet and his arm for good measure. Those laser-reinforced spear edges were famously lethal in their ability to slice through flesh and bone. Even flex armor did not slow spearguns down.
“You win. I’ll cooperate.”
Kyra’s frown melted from her lips, and she lowered the weapon. She pointed it back at the corridor and waved him forward. Xttra had to keep telling himself to do whatever was necessary to survive for Calandra’s sake. Somehow, they would reunite on Lathos. He just needed more time to map out a workable escape plan.
15
Calandra’s eyes traced each curve and swoop on the symbol repeatedly as the charm rested in her palm. Ever since returning home from the slotball match, this lone ancient letter dominated Calandra’s thoughts and danced inside her eyelids as she drifted off to sleep.
Why did the diviner leave this charm with her?
Did she intend to communicate a specific message?
Calandra became convinced those actions masked a hidden purpose beyond making money. Ominade approached her alone among fans gathering to watch the slotball match. After their encounter, she kept spying on Calandra from a distance until drawing unwanted attention to herself and leaving.
These events must hold a deeper meaning. This could not be a simple random occurrence. Calandra refused to write it off as coincidental. When rays from the morning sun peeking over the horizon fell upon her closed eyes, she resolved to figure out what it all meant.
Once fully awake, Calandra set the charm down on a table before her in her living room. She snatched up a trique from the same table. Maybe taking a glance at ancient Aracian letters and studying traditional meanings for each symbol would offer enlightenment. Give her clues to illuminate Ominade’s cryptic words and actions.
Calandra searched for the charm symbol in the public archives. An identical symbol—resembling a vertical line intersecting a horizontal diamond—popped up on the holoscreen along with other symbols forming the ancient Aracian alphabet. Each symbol’s traditional meaning displayed underneath the corresponding symbol, written in the Confederation Universal language. The charm symbol’s meaning struck her.
Hidden knowledge. Power.
Her eyes drifted down to the charm and back to her holoscreen. Calandra tilted her head and stared at the Aracian symbol. How did this connect to Xttra and his abduction? Something with tangible substance lay hidden before her eyes. Perhaps it was nothing. Maybe her desperation pushed her into pursuing a fool’s dream.
Calandra sighed deeply and dipped her chin to her chest. She set the trique down in its former spot. Fear and grief twisted her mind. Every thought had grown so muddled. Calandra desperately sought to uncover the smallest hint of evidence pointing to more than a random act of violence. She wanted to learn what agenda precipitated Xttra’s disappearance and uncover a way to track and rescue her husband.
So many months passed without any positive news or leads. She sensed Bo’un neared a point of ending the search and moving forward with his life when they last spoke on the arca vox. Calandra refused to quit. Her soulmate remained alive and trapped in some unknown corner of the galaxy. Deep in her soul, she knew this scenario was real. She vowed to devote every particle of energy inside her to bringing him home.
/> Bo’un was finished.
It had to be her.
Calandra’s eyes fell upon a clear gem embedded in the center of the charm. A purple stone. It shimmered when sunlight struck the gem at exactly the right angle.
Purple.
Her eyes narrowed and lips tightened as Calandra peered at the gem. Why did the diviner pair it with this specific symbol? Gem colors and lettering always conveyed the same meaning in a shared charm. Diviners did such a blending on purpose to reinforce specific messages to their patrons. Red hues traditionally represented power and knowledge among Ra’ahmian acolytes of esoteric teachings within the Order of Ahm. Purple stood for spirituality and leadership.
Calandra snatched the charm off the table a second time and laid it inside her artificial hand. She teetered near the edge of the couch cushion and turned the charm over in her hand. Metal pulled away from the gem on one side, leaving a sliver of open space. That meant it did not form part of the original charm.
She dumped the charm back on the table again and marched into the kitchen at a brisk pace. Calandra rifled through a drawer and found a small ice chipper. She grasped the dronden wood handle and returned to the charm. Calandra wedged a needle-like metallic point between metal and gemstone. Soon, the gem popped loose from the surrounding metallic casing.
Calandra’s mouth dropped open.
She plucked the gem off the table. A micro port was now visible on one end. It owned the correct shape and size to insert into a holocaster.
This was no ordinary stone. Ominade gave her a storage crystal.
Why did this scenario not cross her mind before now?
Calandra sprang to her feet and retrieved her holocaster from her bedroom. The square pad owned a matching micro port along its bottom edge. She sat on the couch again and plugged the storage crystal into her holocaster. A holoscreen popped up a few seconds later. Ominade’s image graced the screen.
“Greetings, Calandra Menankar.”
Calandra’s eyes widened upon hearing her name. A tremor gripped her entire spine and her throat tightened. How did the diviner know her name? Neither Calandra nor Alayna shared their identities with Ominade during their encounter outside the slotball arena.
