“Of course I can, that’s not the point,” Ch’len spat back.
“And the point is...?”
“We’re bounty hunters, Roland! Not adventurers! Whatever you’ve got mixed up in with your human friend, I strongly suggest you drop it and we get back to making units. Speaking of which, we need to send that information you got from Ral-vet’s terminal to our client. We’re still owed fifty thousand units!”
“You’re telling me there isn’t a place on the capital that we can transmit the data from?” Roland countered.
“Of course there is, but...” Ch’len had nothing to argue with.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll go to the capital and get our units, and Esabelle and I can investigate the AI at Protocorps headquarters.” Roland smiled at the shock mixed with horror on Ch’len’s face.
5
The Dawnlighter was a simple ship in design with only one berth for the pilot, including kitchen and washroom, and a cargo bay that made up most of the ship. The three Novaarians had chosen to remain at the helm, catching up on recent events from the last five months. Li’ara, the only human onboard that couldn’t accumulate a day’s sleep with an hour’s meditation, had no choice but to borrow Ilyseal’s long bed for a few hours.
Suitably refreshed, she left Ilyseal’s berth with a hot mug of blendar, the closest thing to coffee she could find in an alien kitchen. She sipped it lightly on her way to the cargo bay in search of Kalian - it had a sweet aftertaste once she got past the sour lemon flavour. The heavy, yellow striped doors parted as she entered the cargo bay. The Dawnlighter was a solid ship but Li’ara felt it could do with a paint job and a good clean here and there; certain components appeared to have even rusted.
The bay was stacked from floor to ceiling with crates of varying sizes and colour. She imagined they were filled with equipment and food stores for what would likely be an army of excavation workers. The Conclave never did anything small. She stopped halfway down the central walkway when some kind of rodent ran out between the crates, a piece of meat lodged in its jaws. Li’ara continued on, trying not to think about how many heads it had.
As always, she found Kalian doing the extraordinary at the end of the bay, standing at the top of the ramp. His arms were slightly raised at his sides with his palms facing outwards, his eye closed. Spinning around him was a miniature tornado of tools and equipment while several crates danced around each other in the air, creating an infinity symbol with their constant movement. Li’ara paused for a minute to appreciate the spectacle. Watching him perform feats like this reminded her of what Kalian had become. He had given up so much of himself to become stronger, to fight Savrick, to protect her. And she loved him for it.
She caught herself at the thought of such an emotion. She had to be strong for him. The crates slowed down and the torrent of equipment and tools drifted back to their appropriate homes.
“Good sleep?” Kalian opened his eyes as the crates rested back into their housing. Li’ara nodded as she sipped some more of her blendar, enjoying its heat in the cold bay. Kalian looked past her with that far-away stare she knew all too well.
“What are you worried about?” she asked.
Kalian paused, making eye contact, “Esabelle...” Of course, she thought. “Being out of communication for so long, and her being on another planet. Who knows what shit Roland’s got into. I wonder if I did the right thing letting her go.”
“You didn’t let her go, she made that choice. Besides, if anyone can kick Roland’s arse across the galaxy it’s Esabelle.” Li’ara hated to admit, but the Terran was probably the most powerful being alive right now. In truth, she hadn’t given Esabelle’s mission much thought, especially since they had acquired a new passenger on their own journey. She could feel Kalian studying her own features.
“What are you worried about?” he asked.
The question made Li’ara realise how long it had been since anyone cared about her the way Kalian did. He genuinely wanted to know her fears and worries in hopes of making them go away. She hated how he softened her.
“I’m worried about the sociopathic robot we’ve brought along with us. And the fact that he now seems to be integrated into your armour, permanently.” She eyed the pouch on Kalian’s belt where the AI was stored.
“Well, look on the bright side,” Kalian continued. “If he pisses us off we can just throw him under a rock and leave him there.”
He was wearing that cheeky smile Li’ara found hard not to reciprocate. Before she could reply, he gave an audible sigh as the hum of the Solar Drive powered down. It was only after it stopped that they realised the constant drone had always been there.
“I’ll keep him under control,” Kalian continued with a more serious tone.
They both went up to the cockpit to find the three Novaarians sitting in relative darkness. The room was only illuminated by the glow of the main console’s holograms, casting them in a rainbow of colours.
“We have arrived in the Trantax system,” Telarrek announced.
Ilyseal appeared busy poring over data from the various holographic sources. “Intrinium cells charged for return journey. Releasing solar shields now.” Ilyseal’s words were followed by movement from the viewport. The canopy slid away, out of sight, as the star field took its place.
Li’ara wondered just how close the star was behind them. It couldn’t have been as close as the Fathom was when they escaped the supernova at Century.
“There are six planets in this system.” It was Kalian who offered the information. Li’ara knew he was accessing the data from his bizarre computer-like memory. “It’s systems like this one that gave the Raalak their position on the Highclave.”
“How so?” she asked.
“Raalak territory is littered with planets rich in Callic-diamond. Without their help, the Conclave wouldn’t be able to build their ships to resist the temperature of a star’s corona. No Callic-diamond hull means no Solar Drive.” Kalian looked out to the stars with wonder on his face. It was as if he was made to live amongst the stars.
“So that’s how they found it then?” Li’ara took her seat behind Naydaalan.
“Yes, the moment the mining team could not understand the writing on the cube it was quarantined,” Telarrek explained.
“Nova, this is the Dawnlighter requesting permission to land on Trantax IV,” Ilyseal spoke into the console. “I repeat, Nova, this is the Dawnlighter. I have cargo and VIPs onboard. Request permission to land.”
“This is the Nova, Dawnlighter. We’re processing your security code now.” From the sound of all the clicking, Li’ara assumed it was a Nix responding to their hail. “You are clear to proceed, Dawnlighter. Sending coordinates now.”
After a short journey across the solar system, Trantax IV came into view as a dark foreboding planet, haloed by five broken moons in the process of being mined. It wasn’t the most inviting planet Li’ara had ever seen. A great storm was visible on the eastern hemisphere, slowly pushing its way across the globe with flashes of lightning throughout. Their flight path took them over the top of the shining hull of the Nova, its quad engine ports flaring brilliant blue. The Nebula-class vessel stood watch over the planet, ensuring the security of the Conclave’s newest secret.
“I thought they’d have more ships standing guard,” Li’ara commented.
“They don’t know what they’ve found,” Kalian replied.
“The Nova alone has enough world-breakers to wipe out every planet in this system. The planet is quite secure.” Naydaalan kept his eyes on the Conclave vessel.
Li’ara turned to Kalian in her seat and whispered, “Obviously he didn’t see the one Savrick pile-drived outside the capital.” That particular explosion had killed thousands of people, not just onboard but the people outside. She was thankful in that respect that the Gommarian was under their control.
It wasn’t long before the Dawnlighter pierced the atmosphere and descended to fly over the dark rocky terrain. From the
surface, the sky was a murky purple with thick clouds setting in from the direction of the approaching storm. The site was easy to see, even amidst the dust clouds being kicked up over the black rock. The perimeter was lined with beacons that flashed from blue to red stretching over a mile in circumference. The sprawling landscape was covered in spiky black mountains. The surface looked to Li’ara like a piece of cheese with cavernous holes everywhere.
The site was dominated by a small mountain in the far corner. Most of the ground activity appeared to be situated around a cave entrance at its base. The Dawnlighter settled down on a platform close by that had most likely been erected during the first mining operation. They departed the craft via the ramp in the cargo bay to find yet another committee waiting for them.
“It’s like Hadrok...” Kalian was looking around past the group. She recognised the name instantly but didn’t make anything of it with so many curious onlookers. She made a point to ask about it later though; she worried about how much of that psychopath was stuck in his head.
The Trantax site had a stronger security feel to it than the recovery team on Naveen. For one the majority of the personnel remained at their post attending to their duties. There were several rows of the same six-legged machines used for exploration on Naveen; however, these models were all deactivated as they sat in neat lines with their mechanical legs tucked into their bodies. Conclave security was visibly dotted around the perimeter, dressed in their usual red and black armour. Li’ara noticed the addition of a hood and facemask on all of them, something she wouldn’t have minded for herself with the strong gusts of wind.
“Greetings of peace, Ambassador Telarrek.” The welcome came from a Trillik, easily recognisable from their unique tails. Li’ara knew this to be a female of their species from the distinct horns above her top set of eyes, each one slanted back to match the sleek curvature of her elfin head. Her tight fitted undersuit was easy to see through the transparent overalls she wore, obviously some kind of decontamination garb. Perhaps the strangest addition to her outfit was the metallic backpack strapped around her lanky arms. Six mechanical arms protruded from the pack. Each one had a different tip designed for its own unique examination.
“Greetings of peace. You must be Doctor Taeril.” Telarrek bowed in respect and introduced the others. “Doctor Taeril here is the Conclave’s leading expert on all projects relating to Terran activities,” the Novaarian explained.
“I only wish there was more to investigate.” Taeril turned to Kalian and Li’ara. “Your ancestors didn’t leave much behind in this quadrant of the galaxy.” Surprisingly, the Trillik didn’t seem too perturbed by the humans. Li’ara was used to aliens making a fuss of their presence.
“Is there more to investigate besides the cube?” Kalian asked with a hint of concern in his expression.
“No.” Taeril’s answer was a little too immediate and rehearsed for Li’ara’s liking. “Come, the Highclave has briefed me on your reason for being here; though I am not sure what light you will be able to shed on our little mystery. The cube is very different from The Wall.” She turned from the Dawnlighter, heading for the mountain to their right.
A Raalak, in head-to-toe security armour, stopped Ilyseal from advancing to discuss the cargo and its distribution. She gave them a look that told them to go on without her; as a cargo pilot, she probably wouldn’t have been allowed any further, anyway.
They followed Doctor Taeril with an escort of four security personnel from a mixture of species. Looking around, there were still pieces of mining equipment lying on the ground, dropped when the miners were evacuated. Giant spotlights targeted several stacks of crates and tools being stored by the excavation team, mostly on converted landing platforms. There was a constant stream of activity, with workers driving by on uni-bikes trailing containers and samples. The giant bikes only had one thick wheel, wider than Kalian was tall, with a rider on top of the curving frame situating them directly above the wheel. They were careful to give the party a wide berth to prevent them from being covered in dust.
They soon began to descend down a long dirt ramp, dug out by the mining team for better access to the mountain. The landscape was incredible as they dropped below the surface. Li’ara looked out on the maze of a world that made up Trantax’s underground. The current surface had clearly formed over the top of the old, leaving a thirty-feet gap between the two. The only difference in the two layers was the orange membranes that stretched between the rocks like the wings of a bat. It was possible the same organic membranes grew on the surface above but were destroyed by the storms.
“As you know, Callic-diamond is notoriously difficult to mine,” Taeril said, on their way to the mouth of the mountain base. “The miners were digging here for two cycles before they breached the interior of the mountain. When we took over half a cycle ago, we concentrated our efforts on exposing the rest of the cube. It took some very expensive equipment to free the artefact from the surrounding Callic minerals without damaging it.”
A single path had been dug through the maze to give a line of sight on the cave entrance. Li’ara counted ten guards along the route.
“Are there any plans to move the relic?” Telarrek inquired.
“There were in the beginning after we removed all the debris, but the orders came from the Highclave itself to leave it be.”
“Why would they want that?” Li’ara asked. “Surely there are better places to run all your tests.”
“Indeed there are. I believe they made the decision after my preliminary report, shortly after I arrived,” Taeril said.
“And what was that exactly?” Kalian was fiddling with the pouch that contained ALF.
“I do not believe the artefact to be Terran in origin.”
With that, all four of them looked at each other, though Taeril appeared not to notice. They eventually arrived at the cave entrance, where all six of Taeril’s extra arms adjusted, so one could retrieve a pair of light-spheres from within her pack. The spheres floated on ahead, adding their glow to the fixtures already bolted into the rock. The light created twisted shadows and large silhouettes through the orange membranes as they passed by; there were definitely more of them inside the cave complex.
They found two more guards standing at the entrance to the final cave, each wielding a rather delicious looking rifle. Li’ara felt for her own sidearm and reassured herself that it was there if she needed it. They stood aside, giving view to the tarnished golden cube in the centre.
The cave had been well excavated, allowing plenty of room to fit a plethora of scanning equipment inside. The walls were lined with crates and hover-bots, with several shelves of alien looking tools. There were two deactivated exploration drones in the corner, their legs tucked away. One hover-bot was currently floating around the cube with miniature arms extended, performing extensive scans. A green laser fanned out from one arm and scanned up and down, covering the nearest circle of hieroglyphs.
There was no mistaking its likeness to the one imprisoned on the Gommarian. It didn’t appear as damaged as their cube; there were no cracks or scorch marks. Kalian moved past them to circle the cube. Li’ara knew he wasn’t just using his eyes to probe the relic.
“What makes you think it isn’t Terran?” Li’ara took a step closer, to better examine it.
“Alien languages are all unique, Commander Ducarté. Though our translators allow our occipital lobe to understand each other’s written word, the writing itself is very different. If you were to put all of the Conclave alphabets in a jumbled row, you would still be able to pick out the letters that belong to each species, since we each write in our way. The same can be said for the hieroglyphics on the cube. They may appear one after the other like any written word, but I do not believe they are from the same language. Since my translator cannot identify the individual words and letters, we know that these languages do not originate from any Conclave world.” Taeril approached the cube, walking round to the side, opposite Kalian. “Howe
ver, we found symbols on one side that we did recognise, though we still cannot translate them.”
“The Terran language.” Kalian joined her where he crouched down to inspect that particular circle of writing. None of it made any sense to Li’ara.
“Can you understand it, Kalian?” Telarrek and Naydaalan just fit into the cave without having to duck.
“I can read it but I don’t understand it.” He reached out but faltered before touching it, choosing, instead, to retract his arm and stand back. “Has anyone touched it?” he asked with some alarm, gripping his right forearm.
“No, we only allow the droids to physically interact with it. Why?” Taeril took a step back as well.
“I don’t know, just a feeling. I don’t think it should be touched by anything that’s alive.”
Taeril looked at Li’ara and the others but they could offer no explanation for Kalian’s hunch.
“What does it say?” Li’ara stood by Kalian, meeting his dark brown eyes.
“It doesn’t say anything. It’s just one word... Evalan.” They shared a confused look for a second while Taeril simply observed Kalian with fascination. “I have no idea what it means, and I have the whole Terran language in here.” He put a finger to his temple. Li’ara knew the look he was giving her - it was time to consult ALF. She blinked slowly, knowing Kalian would pick up on her reluctance to turn to the artificial intelligence.
“How did you come by such knowledge?” Taeril was now looking at Kalian like a new relic to investigate.
“There was a machine in the outpost on Naveen. It downloaded the language and history of the Terran.” He left out the part about ALF. “Is there any way we can have some privacy in here, just...?” Kalian gestured to Li’ara and the Novaarians.
Taeril hesitated, “I am afraid not. You have been given clearance to observe the artefact, but this cave is at the heart of a Conclave quarantine zone and, as such, you must be accompanied at all times.”
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 59
