Sef ignored his remark and helped the red-headed Gomar to her feet. One-by-one, the Gomar removed their helmets, revealing an array of colourful tattoos across their faces. One from the other side of the glass put his hand to the cold surface and reduced the entire plane to sand. Roland just stared at the sand in disbelief, as the nine entered the room and greeted one another as old friends.
“Vox!” A male Gomar, with shoulder-length dark hair and an intricate purple tattoo across his left eye, ran over to the red-head and embraced her.
Vox, as she was called, appeared somewhat battered and bruised, but the red tattoos under her eyes would hide any swelling though. After embracing her friend, Vox turned on Doctor Bal with a look in her eye that Roland had seen before. The Trillik wasn't long for this world.
“Wait,” Li’ara said, stepping between them. “No more killing.”
Vox raised her eyebrow, apparently having no intention of listening to the human. As one, the eleven Gomar turned to Sef, but Roland could only watch the group communicate, as he obviously wasn't invited to the silent conversation. Judging by Li’ara’s expression, he wasn't the only one who didn't know what they discussing. Doctor Bal had retreated to the group of scientists, who were all staring at the Gomar with dread.
When their conversation was over, Vox turned Li’ara. “You helped Sef to find us. That makes you one of us.” The rest of the Gomar nodded in agreement.
“What about me?” Roland asked, happy to have finally laid eyes on his Tri-rollers.
Vox scrutinised the bounty hunter and looked back at Sef. Once again, a silent conversation passed between the red-head and the giant, before the Gomar looked back at Roland. “Definitely not.”
“Brilliant,” he replied dryly. “We should probably leave now. Len? Len, can you hear me? Bring the Rackham around.” Roland tapped the earpiece and cursed. “We need to go up.”
As the group made to leave, Vox locked eyes with the Trillik. Roland hoped he would never be on the other end of that look. The bounty hunter was sure the doctor’s twin-tail disappeared up his leg.
“I’d choose a different career if I were you…” Roland mock-saluted on his way out.
Malekk floated between the Gomar, telekinetically dragged back up the facility. It was the first time Roland had actually seen the infected Terran in person. His pale skin was stained with dark veins and his body was naked, but covered in tight bounds of nanocelium. Malekk appeared more machine than Terran now.
The Translift was beyond cramped with twelve Gomar, Li’ara, Malekk and Roland filling its four walls. The bounty hunter felt very small standing between them and he did his best not to stare at the gorgeous blonde Gomar, pushed up against him.
“Roland?” Ch’len’s alarming voice came through his earpiece.
“Len?” Roland could hardly hear him.
“Roland?” The Ch’kara’s next words were garbled.
The doors opened onto the platform, where Malekk’s ship was standing. The next gargantuous wave was growing taller in the distance, giving them only minutes.
“Oh shit…” Li’ara wasn't looking at the wave, however, but gazing beyond it, to the fleet of Conclave ships hurtling towards them.
A squadron of red Darts flew overhead and circled back around, lining up the platform. Within seconds the facility was surrounded by dozens of ships, each pointing an array of cannons at the group.
“We can't fight…” Li’ara directed her words at Sef, who appeared to be in charge of the remaining Gomar. “We talked about this. We can only move forward if we work together.”
Roland could see where this was going. “Len?” he said under his breath.
“There you are! I've been trying to get hold of you for ages! Listen, there’s an entire fleet here!”
The bounty hunter rolled his eyes. “On point as ever, Len.” Smaller ships dropped out of the larger ones descending towards them. “Listen, I’m going to hand over control of the Rackham to you.”
Ch’len’s silence spoke volumes.
“If you don't come for me, I will hunt you down you little gas cloud.” Roland used his mental link to hand over manual control to Ch’len and wondered if he’d ever see the Rackham again.
21
Kalian lost track of how long he had been inside the super subconducer. The machine opened up virtual realities inside his mind, keeping him occupied while his brain chemistry was altered further. Most of these realities were spent in one-to-one sessions with Alai, the first Terran immortal. Before Savrick turned him into a beast, Alai had been the closest thing ALF had to a friend. Kalian wondered how much the AI had really told the Terran. Did Alai know about ALF’s history? Where he came from? How the Terran truly came to be?
For the most part, Kalian was content to sit with this artificial Alai and be taken through various meditation techniques. It was in these quietest of moments that he learned finer aspects of his connection to the world around him. From the heartbeat of an insect to the waves of stellar radiation, everything was connected to the same dimension, swirling together in the same soup.
“You are distracted…” Alai commented in the silence of Kalian’s mind.
“Sorry, I'm just thinking about… everything I guess.”
“You’re thinking about the Paladin. You are excited by their arrival, hopeful even, but you are also terrified of the responsibility. Now you have a hundred thousand more souls on your shoulders.” Alai’s voice was soothing.
“How could you know that?” Kalian asked. “You’re just a construct, created by the subconducer. If anything - and I've tried to ignore it - you’re probably ALF.”
Alai smiled. “I am indeed a construct, but I am not ALF. I am you.”
“You’re me?” Kalian was lost.
“The subconducer hasn't created this reality, you have.” Alai gestured at the white room, bathed in soft light. To their left was an open view of familiar green fields and massive trees. They were on Evalan…
“Why am I here then? If I’m plugged into the machine I should be practicing the jumps.” Kalian was indeed feeling the pressure to use his new level of power.
“You will leave this place when you are ready,” Alai replied. “When the subconducer has altered the appropriate areas and supplied you with the required energy, you will know it.”
Kalian eyed the Terran construct with curiosity. “So you’re what… my subconscious?”
Alai responded with a gentle laugh. “Something like that. Your mind, our mind, is so much more than just consciousness and subconsciousness. Those barriers no longer exist, Kalian. It’s not just you and me in here.”
The open view began to fill with hundreds of Kalians, then thousands. Eventually, they filled the entire landscape, each an exact replica of Kalian.
“There are an infinite amount of Kalians all working on an infinite amount of jobs inside your mind. They all work together in harmony, aware of your needs and desires. You can recall any second of your life, be it touch, sight, sound or taste. You can command an individual cell to move through your bloodstream or multiply if you wish. Mountains can be reshaped at your fingertips and stars exhausted from your will. You can remember your birth in vivid detail, and if one day, when you truly understand the mechanics of this universe, you will even be able to glimpse your death…”
Kalian felt a wave of nausea pass over him and he stumbled back from his sitting position on the floor. He rolled to the side and picked himself up on all fours, as every word sank into his mind in a way that felt it could never be forgotten.
“I can't… I can't…”
Alai raised his hand and the Kalians vanished, replaced with the beautiful vista of Evalan’s forestry. “What I have described is dizzying, I know. It is a future gleaned from our calculations inside the subconducer, as well as a few documented accounts from Terran history.”
Kalian slumped into a seating position again. “What you’re talking about is… god-like.”
“Indeed, but u
nlike a god, you have a few grounding factors that keep you human.” Alai’s eyes shifted to his left, where a large, circular door sat in the middle of the white wall.
Kalian knew that door. Behind it was everything related to Li’ara, including a great deal of his emotions towards her.
“Li’ara is on the other side of that door,” Alai continued. “You will have to open it before you can truly embrace your power.”
Kalian walked over to the door and pulled on its thick handle. For all his strength, the door wouldn't budge an inch. He followed up with telekinesis, but the effect was the same.
“You’re not ready to see what’s on the other side of that door, yet.”
“What does that mean?” Kalian was becoming frustrated with himself.
Alai smiled. “If you spent a little more time in here you would understand. Parts of your mind have already glimpsed what lies on the other side of that door, but you haven't found a way to integrate your conscious mind with the rest yet. Until then, you are unable to see everything your mind can perceive.”
Before Kalian could reply to himself, a feeling of great strength filled his body. He examined his fist and felt as if he could punch through a planet if he wanted. He was ready to jump again.
“Keep it local,” Alai added. “You’re just practicing, remember?”
Kalian nodded. “Thanks, me.”
The destination he had in his mind’s eye was clear. Kalian knew exactly where he wanted to go.
Moments later, the subconducer’s helmet was being lifted from his head and the gloom of ALF’s ship surrounded him again. Naydaalan doubled over in front of him and vomited on the floor, with all four of his arms supporting him. Multiple tubes and strands of nanocelium released Kalian, detaching from his suit and skin. Without their support, he fell forwards and landed face-first onto the floor.
“Take it slowly…” ALF’s large hands picked him up by the shoulders, steadying him.
“I feel dizzy.” Kalian couldn't focus his vision and his senses were taking in too much information again.
“Concentrate.” ALF’s voice started to drift away, along with the light...
“He’s waking up.” The voice was deep, but Kalian couldn't identify it.
“Indeed. Give him a moment.” ALF’s voice came through with distinction.
Kalian opened his eyes, once again finding himself on the hovering slab in front of the subconducer. He looked to ALF, but the AI shook his head, answering the unasked question regarding surgery.
“You coped better this time,” ALF explained. “Everything was where it was supposed to be, you just felt a little overwhelmed by it all, I suspect. You need to keep practicing.”
Naydaalan walked over and placed a hand on Kalian’s shoulder. “You did well. I know that you can get us back to the Conclave.”
Kalian nodded. “Thanks…”
The light filtering through the tall, slender doors was that of Hadrok’s two suns. Kalian tested the strength in his legs and made for the light - he already knew where they were. The red grass was still present in every direction, with the arcing black rock dotted between. To the right of the ship was a sight Kalian had only seen in Savrick’s memories. The once beautiful city of Kaldor was now a broken relic, marring the natural landscape. Its towers and spires had all but vanished, and its gleaming walls were reduced to piles of rock. Almost every foot of the city was overgrown with red weeds and green vines.
If Kaldor was to his right, then Kalian knew what was to his left. The mountain, where Savrick had raised Esabelle and found the damaged cube, dominated the horizon. It wasn't exactly as Kalian had seen it, two-hundred thousand years ago, however. The top half of the mountain was simply gone, reducing its overall height.
“I take it there’s a reason you picked this particular spot on the whole planet.” ALF joined him in the red field.
“I wanted to see it with my own eyes. It’s different.”
“The cube built the Gommarian using the nanocelium Savrick stole from Kaldor. It consumed the raw material of the mountain and converted it into more nanocelium. The Gommarian literally rose out of the mountain. Then it destroyed Kaldor and everything else.”
Naydaalan came to stand on the other side of Kalian. “Savrick lived on this planet?”
“For a time,” Kalian replied. “You see the dark rock, near the base of the mountain? There is a cave just to the right of it and down a little.”
“Savrick’s memories are extremely accurate in your mind,” Naydaalan observed.
“Too accurate…” ALF commented, looming over them both.
“How long until the subconducer is ready to juice me up again?” Kalian asked, ignoring the AI’s comment.
“It will take a little longer than last time. I'm trying to bring other systems online at the same time - all of which require a certain amount of power.”
“Well,” Kalian rolled his neck and rotated his shoulders, “you blow out the cobwebs and I’ll go for a stroll.”
ALF turned a condescending eye on the human. “I suggest you spend your time in meditation. I want your next jump to be a different planet in this system. You’re going to need rest before then.”
Kalian brought up his clenched fist and exhaled. Everything felt different to him now. The concept of sleep or rest felt redundant to him, as he opened his senses to the alien surroundings and welcomed the input. He could feel the strength of the gravity and the speed of the planet, the oxygen being supplied by the vegetation and the carbon dioxide being inhaled in turn. The planet was moving and breathing, just as any being in the universe did.
“Kalian?” Naydaalan had taken a step closer.
Time was starting to feel like a strange idea to Kalian, who knew he could have stood perfectly still and examined every molecule of the planet, even if it took him millennia. How long had he been standing there now? How long had he contemplated Hadrok?
“Kalian.” ALF rested a heavy hand on his armoured shoulder. “You have to focus on the now. Keep yourself grounded.”
A smile crept across Kalian’s face. “I don't want to stay grounded. I want to let go…”
The planet’s surface dropped away in a second, leaving Naydaalan and ALF behind to become smaller and smaller. Kalian flew into the sky at speeds that would render most unconscious. Gravity lost control of him and Kalian rolled this way and that, enjoying his new found freedom. Any fear of heights disappeared, as his mind reassessed the definition of distance, speed and time. He howled into the air, forgetting for the moment all his worries and troubles and simply letting go. After a moment’s introspection, Kalian wasn't sure whether he was propelling himself with telekinesis or manipulating the effect of gravity around him. Only once had he defied the laws of physics this way, but that had been under a moment of extreme stress, in which Li’ara’s life hung in the balance.
The mountain Savrick had called home was directly underneath his flying form. His curiosity won over and he immediately changed course using a manoeuvre that would have snapped most ships in half. The ground expanded and rushed up to meet him until his feet gently touched down at the entrance to the mountain’s cave system. Looking over his shoulder, ALF’s ship was no bigger than his thumbnail.
Cool air blew out of the cave, beckoning him in. Kalian strode into the darkness and altered the structure of his eyes to allow for perfect vision in the dark. He never stopped to decide on his path, but simply followed his instincts, which he now understood to be his subconscious mind, filtering Savrick’s memories up to the surface.
The cave Esabelle had once called home was not what Kalian had been expecting. There was no evidence that anyone had ever lived here. It was a lot to expect anything after two-hundred thousand years, but the sight of being completely barren saddened Kalian in a way that surprised him. His keen eyes soon found the only aspect of the cave that wasn't natural. Across the jagged wall, where Esabelle had been penned in during Savrick’s hunts, was a variety of ancient child-l
ike drawings. Kalian had seen similar drawings on Earth, where early man had experimented with different forms of expression and storytelling.
With sensitive Terran fingers, Kalian ran his hand over the random drawings. He could detect the artificial material against the natural rock and knew instantly it was something akin to chalk.
Sitting in the same spot Esabelle once had, Kalian sighed and took in the sights and sounds of the cave. Out of respect to Esabelle, he decided to stay a while and meditate, so that he could look back on his lessons with her. It dawned on him that if he wanted, he could, in fact, relive his time with Esabelle, as if he were actually with her again.
You could see Li’ara again…
Kalian shook his head, discarding the thought. He wasn’t ready to open that door, not yet…
22
Telarrek accompanied Uthor onto the bridge of the Sentinel, where Charge Ilo, the Laronian captain, was busy directing her crew. Having travelled to the system, in which the secret planet lay, aboard the golden Marillion, the Novaarian was happy to have left the ship occupied by the Highclave. Their ignorance and air of superiority were becoming more than even the ambassador could bear.
Uthor’s ship, the Nautallon, glided by, revealing the water world that lay in the distance, several hundred thousand miles beyond the Sentinel’s viewport. Between the planet and the green ship was an entire fleet of Conclave security vessels, each armed to the teeth while they escorted the transport ship huddled between the fleet. Of course, even Telarrek knew that the fleet’s destructive capabilities were dwarfed by the Sentinel and the Marillion. Both ships were in possession of a full complement of planet-breaker missiles.
The transport ship grew in size as it flew by the viewport. Telarrek felt one of his stomachs flip at the thought of the ship’s content. The Novaarian was thrilled to know that Li’ara was indeed alive and onboard that ship, but her companions filled Telarrek with dread. Twelve Gomar were about to step foot on this ship since they had no way of incapacitating any of them. The ambassador tried not to dwell on the fact that these twelve beings had the collective power to eviscerate the entire fleet.
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 122
