Dark Metamorphosis

by John Coon

  She shot Ominade a puzzled look.

  “What purpose does this chamber serve?”

  Ominade stepped on the platform. She stretched out a hand to Calandra.

  “What you’re seeing is a virtual imaging chamber. A useful communication tool which I obtained from Peleusian traders.”

  Calandra approached the virtual imaging chamber. She ran her right hand over an embedded light.

  “What does this do that an arca vox can’t already do while taking up a fraction of the space?”

  Ominade blew out her cheeks and sighed. She stepped down from the platform. Each light switched off once she was outside the chamber again. Calandra figured they must use a hidden motion sensor.

  “An arca vox is not a secure communication channel,” Ominade said. “I needed a channel Delcor’s agents can’t monitor easily.”

  Calandra turned and faced the fake diviner. Concern washed over her face anew.

  “Your message said both Xttra and I were in danger. I’m convinced you know what happened to my husband. Who abducted him? Where did they take him?”

  Ominade raised her eyebrows and tilted her head.

  “What makes you think I have answers to those questions, child?”

  “Then why did you ask me to come here?” Calandra’s voice climbed a few decibels to match her rising anger. “I want to bring Xttra home. If you can’t help me achieve that goal, then you cannot help me.”

  Ominade walked past Calandra and Bo’un without making eye contact. Both turned and instinctively trailed her with their eyes. She approached the table and grabbed one of the blocks scattered across the surface.

  “My goal is to open your eyes.” Ominade turned and faced her again. “I want the survivors of the Earth expedition to keep surviving. Your lives are also precious to those beyond your own clans.”

  Calandra and Bo’un exchanged puzzled glances. She appreciated the old woman saying her life held value. But Calandra wanted answers, not platitudes.

  “Open my eyes?” she repeated.

  Ominade sauntered over to her and held out the block. When Calandra extended her right hand, the aged rebel nestled the block inside the palm and closed her fingers around the device.

  “This is your connection to me and other brave souls assisting me,” Ominade said. “Press down on the engraved symbol. It will send out a signal and alert us to contact you.”

  Calandra opened her fingers again and studied the symbol. It resembled a four-pointed star, each point extending outward in a standard compass direction, surrounded by a circle of light. The symbol represented hope within the Order of Ahm. She stuck the block in her pants’ pocket and gave Ominade a questioning gaze.

  “I will do what I can to uncover the whereabouts of Xttra Oogan,” Ominade said. “It is up to you to learn why Delcor seeks to end your lives.”

  “You told me Doni’s death placed us in danger. Why?”

  “Doni belonged to an inner circle of conspirators who maneuvered Delcor into power to secure their own place as the new ruling class of Ra’ahm.”

  Ominade snatched up another block from the table and handed this one to Bo’un. A crease formed in his brow, and he scrunched up his face at her.

  “Our prime oracle gave our chief sovereign his blessing as the rightful successor to his father. He rules over Ra’ahm by the will of Ahm.”

  A scornful laugh greeted Bo’un’s assertion. Ominade shook her head and pivoted to face Calandra.

  “Valadius decided to withdraw his blessing to rule when faced with crimes Delcor and his inner circle committed,” she said. “His gesture came too late to do any real good. Delcor held a firm grip on power, and he decided to end the prime oracle’s life before Valadius could expose his evil deeds.”

  Calandra’s eyes widened. Her throat tightened and her heart pounded against her ribs. Ominade did not hide behind multiple cryptic statements this time. Her words were clear.

  Heresy.

  Calandra fought the urge to cover her ears. Did the tragic accident where a solar flare killed Valadius never occur? Did their chief sovereign try to murder the highest leader within the Order of Ahm?

  What she said could not be real. Everyone in Ra’ahm knew Delcor was beyond reproach.

  “How can I trust what you’re saying?” Calandra asked. “It goes against what I’ve been told my whole life.”

  Ominade pulled a chair away from the table and motioned for her to sit there. Calandra did as she directed. Then, the rebel marched to the opposite side of the chamber and pressed down a raised panel embedded in the chamber wall. A lit drawer popped out. She scooped out an unseen object and nudged the drawer back into its former place.

  “I’ll show you I’m your ally by presenting you a gift. Something you’ve sought but have not obtained.”

  Calandra narrowed her eyes and crinkled her nose. Gift? What gift? She looked up at Ominade’s closed hand. Her frustration had nearly reached a boiling point. Why must she be so continually cryptic about everything?

  Ominade plopped into a chair across from Calandra.

  “Lay your left arm across the table. Remove the silk glove concealing its true nature.”

  Calandra started to extend her left arm. She stopped and pulled the limb back.

  ‘Why?”

  “Just humor me for a moment, child.”

  Calandra shot a puzzled look at Bo’un. He shrugged. She sighed and followed the fake diviner’s instructions. Calandra tugged at the fabric covering her metal wrist and hand until it popped free of the limb.

  Ominade leaned forward and opened her hand. A single crystal, equal in size to a thumbnail, rested inside the palm. Nano wires ran through the length of the crystal. Calandra recognized the device as a neural stimulator. Her clan doctor implanted one into her artificial hand and it malfunctioned from day one. His efforts to obtain a working replacement for Calandra led nowhere as weeks soon became months.

  In her mind, she stepped away from herself and watched the surreal scene unfold as a detached observer. A rebel woman who should not exist. Telling her things which could not be true. One who brought her no closer to finding Xttra. Yet she claimed she could help fix her arm? Still, a desperate flicker of hope shined through clouds of doubt.

  Hope for her arm. For hidden knowledge. For Xttra.

  Ominade opened a slot in the back of the metal hand housing the neural stimulator. She popped out the old crystal and inserted the new one in its place.

  “Try it out.” Ominade glanced up at her as she sealed the slot again. “See how it works.”

  Calandra pinched her lips together and stared at her left hand. So many times, before now, she willed her fingers to move. Nothing ever happened. Her brain was willing. Her neural sensors were weak. They formed connections too scrambled to send correct signals to her brain. That’s what the best specialists told her.

  This time around it was different.

  Her index finger uncurled. Then her thumb wiggled.

  Calandra raised her head as she moved all her fingers at the same time. Tears streamed down her face. Her hand worked.

  Praise Ahm. It finally worked.

  “Now you have tangible evidence I want to help you,” Ominade said.

  Calandra flashed a grateful smile amid her tears. For the first time in a long time, she felt whole again.

  17

  Sam’s eyes darted from Norah’s room back to the alien visitors standing before him. Only two stayed behind in the corridor when Xttra stormed off in anger and a female alien pursued after him. Both aliens removed their helmets after seeing their fellow aliens do the same. They stood before Sam, their eyes fixed squarely on him and the open doorway leading into her room.

  Neither alien said much since the others left. Not that it mattered much anyway. Sam never heard enough of their alien language when first
exposed to it back in Utah to translate even their most basic words and phrases into English. Confusion washed over him anew when the two aliens spoke to him. All Sam did is answer with a blank stare and an occasional shrug. His own attempts to communicate also led nowhere fast. Both aliens only responded with confused expressions.

  Sam let out a relieved sigh when Xttra and the other alien rounded the corner. Both tucked their helmets under one arm. The female alien held a pair of small gadgets in her other hand. Both devices appeared oddly familiar to Sam. They resembled wireless earbuds with two open ends. She handed the gadgets to the other aliens standing with him.

  The female alien turned toward Sam and pointed to her own ear where a similar gadget already rested.

  “These are translators,” she said. “They convert your Earthian language into my language and vice versa so we can understand each other.”

  Of course. It clicked in Sam’s mind now. Xttra and the other aliens who came to Utah used the same gadgets to aid in communication. This would make explaining his situation so much quicker and easier—especially given Xttra’s understandably hostile feelings toward him.

  “I’m happy we can finally talk to one another.” Sam extended his hand. “My name is Sam. Sam Bono. As you correctly guessed earlier, I am from Earth.”

  The female alien glanced down at his outstretched hand. She also extended her hand but clasped his wrist instead of shaking hands.

  “I’m Kyra Riso. I hail from the Confederation of Northern Tribes on my home planet of Lathos.”

  “Lathos?” Sam’s eyes darted over to Xttra and back to her again. “The same planet as Xttra? I’m surprised to see your people show up in our solar system a second time.”

  Kyra cast a sideways glance at Xttra. A wry smile crept across her lips.

  “His people and my people are not the same people.”

  “You mean your planet is divided into multiple nations the same as Earth?”

  Kyra raised her eyebrows at his question.

  “So, Earth is home to multiple nations and tribes like Lathos? Fascinating. Is your nation the dominant power on your planet?”

  “The United States is one of—”

  “Why did you send out a distress signal? Is this another trap like the probe you sent to Lathos?”

  Sam and Kyra simultaneously snapped their heads toward Xttra. A hardened scowl dug into his lips. One hand rested on his hip while the other grasped his helmet cradled inside his elbow. Xttra cast a glare at Sam with his piercing deep blue eyes.

  “I sent out no distress signal.” Sam stepped back and raised his hands. “I activated a warning beacon and transmitted a message to the Earth Defense Bureau.”

  “Warning beacon?” Kyra repeated. Concern flashed through her violet eyes.

  “An alien creature attacked us and, for now, is stuck inside another manned habitat unit. It killed three colonists and injured another one.”

  Xttra’s scowl morphed into a bitter smile. He shook his head.

  “Deathtrap. Exactly as I predicted.”

  “Be quiet.” Kyra narrowed her eyes and jabbed an index finger at him. “We are helping these Earthians—whether you like it or not.”

  She glanced back at Sam after dressing down Xttra, her face still awash with concern.

  “What happened to this alien creature who attacked your people? Where did you say you trapped it?”

  Conflicted feelings stirred inside him. Sam welcomed a rescue from his current situation. Norah’s condition did not show signs of improvement. Encountering these aliens now opened a door for her to get much needed help. Surely, they owned the technology and knowledge to help her. On the other hand, Sam hesitated to involve them in such a dangerous situation. Here was the second chance to build a relationship with a friendly alien race he wished for. Putting their lives at risk to fix his own mistakes could cement permanent hostilities between Earth and the distant planet called Lathos.

  “We should cut our losses and leave Mars at once,” Sam finally said. “No sense sticking around here and putting your lives on the line.”

  Kyra directed a questioning glance at the other two aliens accompanying her and Xttra. One shrugged at her. The other said nothing.

  “If there’s a dangerous creature lurking around here, shouldn’t we destroy it?” She asked, glancing back at Sam. “Before it reaches your planet?”

  Sam frowned. He did not appreciate her insinuation that he and the Mars colonists had done nothing to remedy the problem.

  “We already tried to kill that creature twice. It escaped death both times. What more can you do that I haven’t already done?”

  Kyra matched his frown with one of her own. She crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh.

  “Don’t get defensive. I’m offering our help here.”

  “I get that. I really do. At the same time …”

  Sam trailed off before finishing the sentence. He already saw enough of the alien creature’s destructiveness firsthand to not want to risk another confrontation. Evacuating and destroying all habitat units from orbit offered a better strategy at this point.

  “I have tons of experience dealing with exotic alien species.” She turned and pointed to both aliens standing with her and Xttra. “So does Xander. So does Ryollo. So does Xttra. We can fix your problem if you’ll let us.”

  Sam turned and gazed at Norah through the open doorway. Her eyelids remained closed. The sedatives he pumped into her system were still working their magic. Putting an end to this lingering menace would allow him to focus his energies on finding a way to flush the pathogen from her body. Sam supposed the alien visitors owned knowledge or medicine he could employ toward that end. Refusing their help was not worth the risk.

  “I’ll take you inside the ruined lab.” Sam wheeled around and faced the four aliens again. “I suggest you bring whatever weapons you have.”

  Kyra pressed her hand against a holster on a belt circling a protective spacesuit she wore. Her suit bore a sleeker design closer to normal clothing than any spacesuit Sam had seen manufactured on Earth.

  “We’re always prepared,” Kyra said.

  Sam ducked inside Norah’s room and snatched his helmet off a counter. He snapped it in place and the aliens all followed suit.

  “When do I get a weapon? Confronting a dangerous creature unarmed isn’t as fun as it sounds.”

  Sam cocked his head at Xttra. His statement seemed odd. Until Sam’s eyes drifted down to Xttra’s belt line. Then, for the first time, he noticed the absence of a belt stocked with weapons that adorned the waistlines of the other aliens.

  “Wait a minute.” Sam tapped Kyra on the shoulder. “Why is he unarmed?”

  “For his own protection. And ours.”

  Sam narrowed his eyes and scrunched up his face as he connected the dots.

  “Are you saying Xttra is your prisoner?”

  Xttra flashed a bitter grin at him.

  “Good observation. Took you long enough to connect the dots. No way in Ahm’s name I’d come back to your solar system by choice.”

  Sam turned back abruptly and crossed his arms.

  “If he is your prisoner, I demand you release him at once. There can be no friendship between my planet and your planet unless Xttra is set free.”

  Kyra wheeled around as soon as those words left his mouth. A crease formed on her brow and her lips twisted into a deep frown.

  “What? You don’t realize how dangerous he is.”

  Sam answered her with an unblinking stare.

  “He isn’t dangerous. Not to me. Not to Earth. These are my terms. End of discussion.”

  Kyra snapped her head toward Xttra. A satisfied grin washed over his face. He added an exaggerated slow nod. She scowled harder, first at him and then at Sam.

  “You’re making a terrible mistake.”r />
  Sam did not understand her animosity toward Xttra or reluctance to accept the terms he set out. Perhaps reasoning with Xttra himself would produce a favorable outcome.

  “I trust you,” Sam said, while turning to face him. “I promise here and now to help you return home if you help me.”

  Xttra laughed and shook his head.

  “How can you make such a promise? How can I trust you? Your people tried to destroy me and my crew when I came to Earth.”

  “I’m sorry for what we did. I will do what I can do to repair the damage, even if it takes me a lifetime.”

  Xttra glanced down at the floor while pondering Sam’s words. When he locked eyes again, a solemn expression replaced his earlier cocky grin.

  “Even if I believe you, how can you guarantee these Confederation setaworms won’t go back on their word once we’re out of your sight again?”

  “I’ll find a way to keep you safe,” Sam replied. “Even if that means enlisting every Earth Defense Bureau agent under my direct supervision to protect you.”

  He extended his hand toward Xttra.

  “Do we have a deal?”

  Xttra stared at the outstretched hand for a moment. He finally clasped Sam’s wrist in the same fashion as Kyra did earlier.

  “I’ll hold you to your promise, Earthian.”

  Sam smiled. “Please call me Sam.”

  Kyra and the other two aliens fumed in silence, glaring at Xttra. Sam wondered what animosities existed on their planet to create such a sharp divide between their respective peoples. He wanted to find a way to bridge the divide. For now, there were bigger fish to fry.

  “Follow me,” Sam walked past the four aliens down the corridor. “The tunnel leading to the building where we isolated the alien creature is this way.”

  He led the group down through the corridor and into the habitat unit’s lower level. Sam opened an access door to an underground tunnel connecting both habitat units. Kyra removed an unusual gadget from a pouch on her belt once they entered the tunnel. Sam had never seen anything like it before.