“I believe this would be the third time,” Naydaalan replied, coolly. “I'm afraid some surgery was required to save your life.”
“Surgery?” Kalian felt his bare chest again, searching for any signs.
“Apparently, your organs were in the wrong place.”
Kalian wanted to follow that statement up with a flurry of new questions, but as the Novaarian approached, he could feel his senses going into overdrive. The swish of Naydaalan’s head tendrils was too loud in Kalian’s ears and his alien heartbeat threatened to blow his eardrums. The whole experience was becoming nauseating, but Kalian knew that it shouldn't - this was an aspect of his abilities that he had already learned to control.
His discomfort didn't go unnoticed.
ALF’s deep voice echoed through the darkness above, “You have entered the next phase…” The AI floated down, supported by tentacles of nanocelium that fused with his back.
“What does that mean?” Kalian asked, fighting off the vomit in his throat.
ALF’s wide feet touched the floor and the tentacles released their hold on him, slithering back into the hidden depths above. “Your senses are becoming acuter as you delve deeper into the uncharted parts of your mind. This is just a biological response however, the real changes are far more profound.”
Kalian met ALF’s cybernetic eyes and tried to see into the truth of that statement. The AI wore a smile, similar to that of a proud father, and nodded his head over his shoulder. Looking past the giant, Kalian began to take in his surroundings, despite Naydaalan’s natural pheromones threatening to consume his senses and focused on the white light pouring in through the tall doors of the ship.
They were not on a volcanic planet.
“I don't understand...” Kalian slowly slid off the table and walked towards the light, no care for his lack of clothes.
His eyes quickly adjusted, sharpening the hazy image, until the sight of mountains and fields of red grass took shape. Arching towers of black rock littered the horizon, coated in weeds and flowers. Kalian’s jaw dropped when his vision changed from that of the landscape to a single flower bud, perhaps half a mile away. The flower was exquisite, a blend of red, orange and yellow with a sweet smell and a furry texture that he could feel between his finger and thumb. Kalian pulled back immediately, aware that he was touching, smelling and examining a flower that wasn't actually in front of him.
ALF was watching him, silently, evaluating his responses. “Your connection to the universe is beginning to take shape. The subconducer will make you more powerful than any Terran, even Alai, the first immortal.”
Kalian frowned, trying to grasp the world around him. “I don't understand. I was…” He looked back to the fields of red grass. “I’ve connected with objects, people even, who weren't next to me, but I could have sworn I was standing in front of that flower.”
“Your senses are richer, your abilities more intense.” ALF continued to stare at him with glowing, blue eyes.
Kalian thought about the AI’s words for a moment. Everything did feel more intense as if he could feel the vibration of every atom at once. Suddenly, the universe didn't feel so solid, so put together. There were gaps in everything. Kalian genuflected and placed an outstretched hand onto the cold floor. Millions of nanocelium reacted to his touch, excited almost by his attention. While on one knee, the dark nanocelium lifted from the floor, molecule by molecule, and swarmed around Kalian’s body. The tornado of black mist began to fade and Kalian’s skin disappeared beneath a new exo-suit.
ALF smiled and nodded his approval.
Kalian stood up. “So how did we get here? Wherever here is… Your ship can fly?”
ALF looked from Kalian to Naydaalan with his typical, smug smile. “My housing unit can fly, or at least it will when I get around to powering everything up.”
Kalian didn't understand a word of ALF’s cryptic explanation, but judging by Naydaalan’s expression, Kalian was the only one who didn't understand.
“We were attacked by the Shifters.” Naydaalan pointed upwards. “The nanocelium traps that we encountered on Albadar. I used the Advent to distract them, while ALF powered up his weapons, but…
“But what?” Kalian asked.
“It was you, Kalian,” Naydaalan continued in his disbelieving tone. “You saved us. You pulled me from Advent before it was destroyed and then…” The Novaarian looked to ALF for a better explanation.
“I’m still analysing all the data from the subconducer, so I can't tell right now if we moved or the universe moved but, either way, it was you who transported us from one world to the next. This is Hadrok, Kalian. You brought us to Hadrok…”
Kalian’s mind stumbled over every word that came out of ALF’s mouth. He had seen Esabelle perform an identical feat with the Rackham once, and she had done it hundreds of times while plugged into the Gommarian, but Esabelle had always been on a different level to Kalian. How could he have moved them, not only from one planet to another but from one solar system to another?
“I know what you’re thinking,” ALF commented. “Distance is a relative thing outside of this dimension. You’ll understand this more, in time.”
“And the surgery?”
ALF explained, “When you displaced everything, it appears you didn't quite move all your organs into the right place. I've found a few similar problems throughout my ship, but it’s nothing catastrophic.”
Kalian turned back to the landscape outside and passed through the threshold. The light of two suns beat down on him and the breeze blew through his hair. He reached down and stroked his hand across the red grass, touching the soil beneath. This was the planet where it all began, he thought. Had Savrick picked any other planet to hide on, the civil war would never have happened, the Tempest would never have been sent to seed Earth and the human race, as it was now, would never have existed.
“Why here?” he asked.
ALF shrugged. “I believe your mind was aware of the Shifters and you chose somewhere you felt was safe.”
“How could I think Hadrok is safe? I've never been here.”
“No… but Savrick has, and once upon a time, he thought Hadrok would be a safe place. Clearly, it's a thought that's still lodged inside your mind.” ALF shot Kalian a disapproving look.
Kalian ignored the AI and closed his eyes, thankful to feel a real breeze against his face. “This isn't the Hadrok I've seen in his memories.”
ALF casually strolled out into the light. “Well, a couple hundred millennia will do that to a planet. Perhaps this world will one day support intelligent life. A new Terran Empire…”
Kalian sighed heavily. “I'm not sure the universe needs another Terran Empire.”
ALF looked down on him, inquisitively. “No? Then what does it need?”
Kalian looked to the horizon, having considered that question before. “Something new. Something better…”
Naydaalan joined them outside. “With the help of your people, I believe the Conclave can be made into something better. Through our unity.”
“Speaking of unity...” ALF stood aside, leaving a clear view of the subconducer. “The only way we will reunite with the Conclave is if you practice. You need to learn that jumping from one system to another is no different than jumping from one side of the galaxy to the other.”
Kalian shook his head. “Before we do anything else, I need to see it.”
ALF frowned. “See what?”
“The cube. The one you’ve been using to spy on them and us. I can feel it inside there.” Kalian nodded his chin at the ship. “You said you gutted it, but I can feel it, like a cancer inside of you.”
ALF appeared to mull this over, before nodding once and entering his housing unit. The AI looked up, silently signalling the ship to present the cube. Kalian could feel the different mechanisms shifting and the cube being pulled from its compartment. It was clear from the moment it reached the light that the cube wasn't as it had been. Its golden sheen had been stained
black and the sides had been pried open and its interior gutted, with two of its corners broken away and the intricate patterns scraped to nothing. ALF’s housing unit was plugged into it from every angle, taking advantage of the sub-space communicator built into its heart.
“I can feel the nanocelium inside it,” Kalian said. “Some of it still belongs to the Vanguard.”
“I'm afraid it must, or the link to the other cubes is useless.”
Kalian looked to Naydaalan before asking ALF, “What’s happening there now, in the Conclave?”
“My connection to the Conclave has been fractured. I was using the cube Protocorps installed into the central AI to spy on all Conclave matters. Since that has been destroyed, I am limited to the three new cubes, sent by the Vanguard after your encounter with Malekk. They are observing the Conclave from the safety of their Starforges, but even their observation has been stunted.”
Kalian nodded along. “Any details? Has Malekk made a move?”
ALF gave Kalian a hard look. “Training should be your priority.”
Kalian replied with a mirthless laugh. “You of all people should understand the power of motivation.”
“I fear your motivation died with Li’ara…” ALF said in a quieter tone.
Kalian felt the lump in his throat and the pit in his stomach prevent him from responding. Since arriving in the Terran Empire, the thought of Li’ara had been suppressed by one hostile encounter after another. Her loss hit him all over again, as it often brought him down in waves. They had been bonded not only by their survival of Earth and Century’s destruction but also by his Terran abilities, which had brought them together in a way no human could imagine. Kalian had often felt that Li’ara was an extension of himself.
The thought of her, or the thought of her dying, had given him strength when he should have faltered. With Li’ara, he was always stronger.
“She would want me to keep fighting, for them…” Kalian could never shake the responsibility he felt for the surviving humans.
“Then you have a hundred thousand more reasons to fight for,” ALF said.
Indeed, the lives of all those aboard the Paladin would inevitably find their way onto Kalian’s shoulders. He only wished Li’ara could be there to keep him strong.
20
Roland lounged in his captain’s chair, with his feet resting on the console. Ch’len had disappeared into the ship, either in search of food or something to do with the engine - Roland didn't care which. Sef was doing a typical Terran/Gomar thing and meditating in the hold. For beings who could do almost anything, they sat on their ass a lot with their eyes closed. The bounty hunter could think of a thousand things he would do with their power. They mostly involved blowing stuff up and drinking alcohol though…
Li’ara sat at the front of the ship, on one of the unused consoles, with her feet perched on the chair. Her view wasn't exactly spectacular, as they had entered the system housing the secret planet, but had chosen to use thrusters from a certain distance, unsure of the defensive measures that may have been set up. If they had emerged from sub-space too close to the world in question, they ran the risk of setting off any alarms. The planet in question was a dot the size of Roland’s little fingernail.
“He’s gonna’ be all kinds of pissed when he finds out that you’ve been alive all this time. Like really pissed.” Roland picked up another bottle, eyeing the distance to the planet and deciding he had plenty of time.
“Kalian will understand,” Li’ara replied flatly.
Getting a rise out of her was half the fun.
“He damn near killed me when I got back from the capital, you know. Blamed me for letting you get yourself killed. So did I though, so…” Roland didn't mind thinking about all the people he had killed trying to discover the truth about Li’ara - they were all faceless aliens who all deserved what they got.
Li’ara turned to face the bounty hunter. “Is this about Kalian, or you?”
Roland pinched his eyes. “I know, you were healing, and I get why you kept yourself hidden. Sef needed your keener detective skills or whatever. I'm just not convinced he isn't the enemy yet. It wasn't that long ago they wiped out the human biosphere and took a crack at the Conclave.”
“The way you feel about him is the same way Captain Fey and the council feel about you. One day you’re causing more trouble than the top ten criminals in the Conclave, the next you’re helping to save the universe. People are complicated, Roland. If you spent any time around them you might have figured that out by now.”
“You don't seem so complicated, Mrs do-right. You wear your sense of duty like a fucking badge. You give me any scenario and I’ll tell you what decision you’re going to make, just like the kid!” Roland had found Kalian to be the most predictable of all people, though, with his level of power, that was definitely a good thing.
Li’ara was finally rising to it. “The survivors of Earth and Century have lived under nothing but constant threat since we arrived here. Doing the right thing is the only thing that’s keeping everything together, getting things done.”
Roland laughed to himself. “There’s been times where my involvement was crucial to keeping things together… and I always do things the wrong way. My way gets things done!”
“Whatever you say, Princess…” Li’ara turned away from him again.
Roland sighed with the feeling that he had lost that battle. By the time he had finished his drink, the planet had swollen to the size of the viewport. White clouds swirled over every part of the world, revealing pockets of blue in between.
With his usual grace, Ch’len plonked him himself into his chair, which levitated to his console. “The surface is entirely water-based. No land masses at all except for…” Ch’len laughed to himself. “I can’t believe we didn't know how powerful these scanners are!” The viewport altered until a single quadrant on the planet was magnified for all to see. “That must be where they’re keeping them.” The smallest of platforms could be seen through the gap in the clouds. “It’s completely silent though. No active arrays or outgoing transmissions.”
“Any defences?” Li’ara asked. “No patrols or orbital platforms?”
Ch’len checked his screen again. “Nothing. It's completely unprotected.”
“What?” Li’ara didn't believe it.
Roland added, “It makes sense if it’s supposed to be a big secret. Anyone who miraculously stumbles across this system wouldn't detect any ships or transmissions. They’d have to scan the planet like we have to find the base, and who’s gonna’ scan a world without any land? They’d sail right past. That planet’s an island in the stars.”
Li’ara raised an eyebrow. “Well if there are no defences up here, you can bet that base is kitted out to repel intruders.”
Roland heard the familiar sound of heavy feet before the door to the bridge opened. “That’s why we brought him, isn't it?”
Sef strode into the space between the bounty hunter and Ch’len. The goliath stood perfectly still, staring at the base.
“Penny for your thoughts…” Roland said casually.
Sef remained silent for a moment longer. My brothers and sisters are on that planet. I can feel their unique physiology from here.
“What about any defensive measures?” Li’ara asked.
I will need to be much closer for that level of detail.
Roland swivelled in his chair to see Ch’len beyond Sef. “Stealthware active?” A single nod from the small alien told him it was. “Then let’s take a closer look shall we…”
The Rackham hit the atmosphere and pushed through until the clouds engulfed it. Once inside the protective shell, the viewport gave way to a horizon of stormy waters. Giant waves dominated the surface of the ocean world, with most being several miles in height.
“It appears there’s been some kind of gravitational hiccup,” Ch’len explained. “These waves aren't natural according to the planet’s solar positioning.”
“What
could cause that?” Li’ara came to stand by the Ch’kara’s console.
“A Gomar…” Roland commented, dryly.
Sef looked down at him, but his features were concealed within his black helmet. No thoughts were projected into Roland’s mind and the Gomar returned to staring at the waves.
“It’s unlikely,” Li’ara replied, scanning the data. “I can't imagine they’ve taken the Gomar out of their Rem-stores.” Li’ara stopped and looked closer at the data. “The atmosphere is breathable…”
Even Roland knew that couldn't be possible. “There’s no plant life, Red.”
“I can see that…” Li’ara’s response came through a clenched jaw.
Ch’len explained, “There are atmospheric scrubbers at both poles. I am really loving these scanners!”
Roland ignored the alien’s comment and brought up a holographic schematic from a scan of the base. “It looks like there’s only one way in. The platform on the top.”
“Landing and gaining access is going to be impossible with those waves...” Li’ara had pretty much taken over Ch’len’s console, much to the alien’s dismay. “They get battered every fifteen minutes by a wave that could carry the Rackham away and kill all of us. It might take us longer than that to gain access.”
Roland looked up at the destructive giant that stood next to him. “I don't think it’ll take that long.”
Have the Rackham positioned above the platform. I will take care of the rest.
Roland looked to Li’ara, ensuring that she had not only heard the Gomar but also agreed with him. The red-head gave him a short nod, clearly trusting him more than Roland did. The bounty hunter was just excited to see what spectacle Sef made of it all.
After informing Ch’len of the plan, the ship was positioned a mile above the platform. They didn't have long before the next wave hit and swallowed them all. Roland used the link in his head to instruct the Rackham to fly above the waves and remain hidden, once they departed. Ch’len would obviously remain onboard, useless as ever in these scenarios.
The ramp lowered in the hold and the three walked to the edge, pushing against the strong winds. Sef didn't appear to notice the resistance, however. The Gomar stopped at the edge and looked down, to where the base’s platform was barely visible. Again, Roland looked to Li’ara and made sure she was onboard with this part of the plan. The bounty hunter had done something similar in a vacuum, with Esabelle, when they were fleeing Krono Towers on Shandar - it actually proved to be an amazing escape technique. Now they were about to use it as a breaching technique.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 120
