by T. R. Harris
“I detect the skillful application of a disguised insult,” Panur said. He couldn’t appear completely naive of the dynamic taking place. He had to convince them he could still be surprised.
“It wasn’t that disguised,” Sherri Valentine snapped.
“So what’s next?” Adam Cain asked, getting back on topic.
It took Panur a moment to break from his study of the non-verbal battle taking place between Riyad Tarazi and Sherri Valentine, yet when he did, his manner was serious.
“Noslead Vosmin is under the suspicion that my pulse beam is not working properly, or that it is not effective against certain races within this universe. That is the reason I kept your condition a secret—by the omission of certain data I had in my possession.” Panur burst out laughing. “I lied!” Regaining his composure, he continued. “I know the capabilities of my beam, and I have seen it work on other Humans. So why are you not affected?”
The Humans looked at each other, communicating non-verbally again, debating the release of privileged information to their new friend. Panur would soon learn if he had gained their trust. With slight nods, permission was granted.
The leader—Adam Cain—held out his hands, splitting the distance between him and Panur. The mutant was confused—until a small ball of light began to build in the space between his palms.
“An accumulation of static electricity, drawn from the air. But how?” Panur was truly impressed. He knew instantly what it was, but not how the Human created it. Indeed, these Humans did possess talents which surprised the mutant.
The sphere was about half the size of the alien’s hand and seemed alive with tiny streaks of blue and white electricity, crackling faintly as it radiated a fair amount of heat.
“We—the three of us—have devices embedded in our bodies that link with our brain waves and allows us to control compatible electronic devices in the area. Since your ship was built using different technology, I can’t find any devices to control, yet I’m still able to gather stray electricity from the air and form it into a ball.”
“And you believe these embedded devices spared you from the effects of my beam?”
“We felt the effects, yet we were able to function in spite of it. Our Artificial Telepathy Devices—as we call them—may have absorbed or counteracted the beam.”
“That makes sense. The pulse does affect the electrical functioning of the brain, slowing processes and dulling the senses. Your device may have served as a buffer to filter the effects. How many Humans are equipped with such devices?”
“You’re looking at it.”
“That is regrettable. The Sol-Kor are soon to call in a reaper fleet, and it would have been beneficial to have a sizeable force immune to the beam to stop them. I must study this device. I am sure I can find ways to make it more efficient.”
“I’m sure you can,” Adam Cain said. “But what about this other fleet? You called it a reaper fleet.”
“Yes, that’s what it’s called.”
“What the hell is a reaper fleet?”
Panur nodded. “Forgive me; now I understand the question. Once the Sol-Kor find the source of an alien strain they wish to harvest, they bring in a very large fleet of vessels for the task.”
“To kill an entire population?” Sherri Valentine asked.
“The population of a planet or group of planets. It is quite efficient. The pulse beams they use are of enormous proportions. I invented the process, you know. Yet be calm. For the time being the Sol-Kor are more interested in the strain from the first large ship they attacked rather than the Human homeworld. Although I must admit, once the analysis is complete, I have no doubt the nutritional value of the Human brain may be just as compatible.”
“The Juireans?” exclaimed Sherri Valentine. “They like Juirean brain better than they do Human brain?” The female appeared insulted. Was she aware of the ramifications of this revelation? This should have come as welcome news.
“It is as I have said, Sherri Valentine. Your brains may be compatible, in which case the Sol-Kor will be just as interested in a Human harvest as they are a Juirean harvest. Does this relieve your concern?”
Adam Cain spoke before the female could reply. “How about we all work to make sure there’s no harvest, not on any world, at least not in this universe. Does that sound like a plan?”
Everyone nodded, including Panur. “We may need new allies in the struggle to come, Adam Cain, others who are more technologically advanced than any of the strains I’ve encountered so far.”
“You mean the builders of the array, don’t you?”
“Precisely.”
“It sounds like something they would do; build a device that can link universes, on the off chance that whatever comes through can help them.”
“Who are they?” Panur pressed. “Is it not an individual; someone like me?”
“No. I believe it’s a race called the Klin.”
The Klin. Excellent. Panur had a name.
“And what help would they be expecting?”
“Help in defeating the Juireans … and the Humans. You see, we don’t like each other very much.”
Panur found this information incongruous. If the Klin were the builders of the array, they would be vastly more advanced than any race in the galaxy. Why would they need help in defeating a much more primitive enemy? Did the Juireans and Humans have abilities beyond what Panur has seen? Panur shrugged. There was the case of the Artificial Telepathy Devices. That did signify a technological sophistication not yet witnessed. And yet only three Humans had the devices, which raised another question: Where did they get them?
Panur turned serious. “You suggest this race—the Klin—built a portal to another dimension, expecting to enlist the assistance of whatever superior race would come through in a struggle against localized enemies? Why would they assume this race—any race—would be so inclined? That would be an extremely risky assumption.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” said Adam Cain. “The Klin are pretty conniving. They may have a plan to turn any aliens coming through the gate against their enemies, while they sit back and watch. It’s what the bastards do. The Klin are the technological masters of the galaxy and extremely patient. If they have a plan, I wouldn’t dismiss it too quickly.”
Panur had his answer, or at least a good start on one. He was anxious to learn more about these Klin and how they developed TD technology so long ago. And beyond that, what have they done with it since then? Surely, the Klin must have spread to other universes, and if so, why had he not heard of them? There was more to the enigma of the Klin—
“And now you say the Sol-Kor are interested in harvesting the Juireans for food, and may very well add Humans to the menu,” Sherri Valentine added, interrupting Panur’s mental musings. “To me, it sounds like the Klin’s plan is working perfectly.”
As was Panur’s.
And now he had to find the Klin to learn if they truly were the builders of the array, or simply the inheritors of much older technology? Was there something else at work here, something much more ancient? And is the fact that there are over ten thousand advanced species in this galaxy related to the TD signals he detected going back millions of years?
Moments before, Panur thought he had his answer; all he had now were more questions. Mentally, he smiled. The prospect of seeking answers to this new array of cosmic questions excited him to his core. It was what gave his life purpose, and it had been a very long time since he’d felt this way.
Panur considered his next step. Perhaps it was time for another of his periodic sojourns of discovery? He’d made them before, leaving the Colony to venture forth on his own. And each time he did, the Queen sent her minions to bring him back. She would do it again. She knew his true value to the Colony—and to her. It was through his efforts that she’d lasted as long as she had as Queen, providing for a flourishing Colony of which she took the credit. She couldn’t afford for him to be gone too long.
But this wa
s a galaxy like no other, full of interesting species and mysteries begging for his attention. He had to learn more.
He looked again at the three Humans, feeling a sense of curiosity, of almost paternal attachment; seeing children in the process of discovery. Although they were an emotional and primitive race, they were also fun to observe and easy to manipulate. Studying them would be … stimulating.
Considering his upcoming quest for understanding, Panur was aware he would need a guide—a muse, of sorts—and someone with a lay of the land.
He focused his attention on the light-haired Human.
Although he was short-tempered and impetuous, it was his volatile temperament that made him the most interesting of the three. Yes, the alien with an attitude would do nicely. Panur smiled.
Adam Cain was about to become his new best friend.
13
…aboard the Klin Colony Ship Behemoth
It took nineteen days for the team to make it back to the Formilian star system and the Behemoth aboard the stolen and damaged Cartel warship. During that time, Adam got to know TeraDon Fief better, hearing his hard-luck story of a misguided youth that landed him in the clutches of the Gradis Cartel. Luckily for him, his intellect identified him as management material, keeping him away from the galactic crime organization’s more nefarious activities. He was more an organizer than a foot soldier.
For that, Adam gave him a reprieve.
Besides, the women would have hung him from a yardarm if he harmed the gorgeous alien. Summer was infatuated with him, and even Sherri was caught eyeballing TeraDon when Copernicus wasn’t around.
And he did save Summer’s life. That went a long way of canceling out most of his misdeeds.
Adam and the alien were in Landing Bay Six aboard the huge Colony Ship, working on repairs to the Cartel ship. It had suffered extensive damage leaving the Aris base planet, and for the past nine days, Adam and the Formilian crew let TeraDon have free reign of the bay and all the repair equipment he needed.
TeraDon’s mood was one of melancholy. It was a given that he was no longer a member of the Gradis, having helped destroy four of their ships and kill a fair number of their soldiers. He had some credits stashed away, but not a lot. And to top that, he didn’t know if the Cartel would put a bounty on his head? The alien was adrift, not sure what he would do next once the spaceship was repaired. Adam felt sorry for him.
Adam and TeraDon were on the bay deck, the last two in the chamber at the end of the workday, tending to a troublesome pressure hose. The ship was just about ready to go, with just a few loose ends to tie up.
A voice came in Adam’s mind, an ATD communication from Sherri.
You’re not going to believe this, but we just got a comm link from Panur and Lila. They’re just about to the Behemoth, coming in their little lightship.
No shit! That’s great—I think. Did they say anything else?
No. I directed them to your landing bay. They should be there in a couple of minutes.
Got it. We’ll be ready.
Adam called TeraDon over and gave him the news. They moved through the airlock then turned left and climbed a flight of stairs to the control room overlooking the bay. The atmosphere was dumped, and the bay doors opened, ready to receive the egg-shaped trans-dimensional starship.
Adam didn’t know how to feel about their arrival. Everyone on the team was still agonizing over the loss of the Sansa and the Arya, along with their inability to warn the mutants about Te’moc coming their way. It was one thing to verbalize confidence that Panur and Lila could take care of themselves and that they would protect the Aris. It was another to let the doubts nag at the back of the mind, keeping one awake at night. Adam was particularly affected. He didn’t like feeling helpless. He was a control freak, and being out of the loop was driving him crazy.
The tiny starship entered the bay in a streak and came to a sudden stop next to the Cartel ship, settling on the deck with hardly a thud. Either Panur was that great a pilot or the flight computer in the starship was of incredible capability. Panur built the ship, so it was probably a combination of both.
Adam closed the bay doors and filled the vast chamber with atmosphere, after which he and TeraDon reentered the bay. It was freezing inside and would take an hour or so to reach a bearable temperature. TeraDon stood shivering next to Adam.
The glowing starship lost its luminosity and a centerline split, cracking the vessel open like, well, an egg. Panur and Lila stepped out.
Adam’s daughter stepped up and gave him a welcoming hug. He could tell by her expression that she was troubled.
“What’s wrong?”
She looked back at Panur. “He will explain. I wish to see my mother.”
“She’s in the bridge section,” Adam told her. Arieel had come aboard within a day of the team’s arrival.
“I know,” Lila said.
Of course she would know, Adam thought. They could communicate telepathically, even without Lila having a ‘Gift,’ an ATD. She rushed off, annoyed that the airlock took so long to cycle through, even with an atmosphere in the chamber. It was a safety feature; both doors had to be closed before one would reopen.
Adam turned to Panur.
“Te’moc?”
The mutant nodded. “He attacked the Aris space station and then the Terminus Base. Lila and I were in the lightship, working within surrounding universes to relieve the pressure around the anomaly. He then systematically assimilated the Aris sentries.”
“The rip…?”
“Our efforts have reduced the pressure around the Terminus Anomaly, but it won’t last. We made surgical penetrations into other universes small enough so they would heal quickly. Once they do, the pressure around Terminus will increase. And with nothing to hold it back, a blowout is inevitable.”
“What are you going to do?”
“There is a way to stop a blowout and to repair the tear before the pressure increases. But I need an immortal Aris for the plan to work.”
“You just said all the Aris are dead?”
“All except one.”
Adam was stunned by the implication. “Hell, no! Even if you could find him, he’d never help. Kracion is insane.”
“I know where he is, and he’s in the Milky Way; Nunki told us just before he died. And I think he will help. This galaxy is the Aris’ legacy. If the universe goes, so does it. And now he’s the last Aris. He can redeem a lot of the Aris legacy by helping.”
Adam was shaking his head. “I can’t see it happening, but what choice do we have?”
“None. And we don’t have much time.”
Panur looked around the landing bay.
“Where is the Sansa? I know Te’moc has the Arya—”
“Te’moc destroyed it.”
Panur was silent for a moment, which was an eternity at the speed at which his mind worked. He looked at his tiny lightship.
“We need equipment and personnel moved to Terminus. I will have to modify a larger ship for TD capabilities.”
Adam, TeraDon and Panur looked at the ugly Cartel starship.
“Not that one,” was all Panur said before he headed for the airlock. “Hurry, we must get the others. There is a lot of work to do and very little time.”
They reached the airlock and waited for the door to open before stepping inside. Adam hesitated at the entrance, looking back for TeraDon. He wasn’t behind him. Oh well, he probably went to his ship. I wouldn’t want to stick around either after hearing what Panur just said. Adam stepped farther inside, allowing the sensors to trip the door controls.
Both doors were now closed.
Adam noticed Panur staring at the control panel. He followed his gaze to a steady red light on the panel.
“That’s not right—”
A thick cloud of white fog formed at the ceiling, moments before Adam felt as if a thousand red-hot torches were burning his flesh. But it wasn’t heat he was feeling … but cold. A cascade of bubbling silver liquid po
ured from vents in the overhead, dousing both Adam and Panur in the debilitating cold. That’s when Panur crashed into Adam, knocking him face down to the floor and covering his body with his, shielding it as best he could from the deadly rain. The deck was already covered in the liquid, so Panur’s noble gesture was short-lived. A moment later, Adam Cain lost consciousness.
TeraDon zipped up the front of the environment suit while guiding the electric cart to the door of the airlock, an extra canister of liquid nitrogen riding in the bed. He couldn’t believe his good fortune! Panur and Adam Cain! He had originally rigged the airlock to catch Summer Rains, but now it had caught an even greater prize.
Five days before, TeraDon was aboard the Cartel ship when he received a coded message from Te’moc. The creature was back in the Milky Way and located just outside the Formilian star system. He was in desperate need of the J’nae essence from within the Human and offered a royal sum for Summer’s capture and delivery to him. At the time, TeraDon was in the process of contemplating his bleak future, if he had one. On the trip to the Klin Colony Ship, the Humans spoke of the mission taking place in another universe to prevent the destruction of eternity. It seemed so farfetched that he didn’t believe it at first. But they did, and they were worried that Te’moc would disrupt the efforts of the Aris and bring about Armageddon. When Te’moc contacted him, he told TeraDon that was just what he had done. But now Te’moc was offering him a planetary fortune, and one to be awarded in another universe—the Sol-Kor universe—where, with his new powers, Te’moc would rule as King. The offer was too good to pass up.
He began preparations, using the resources he had available for the repair of the Cartel ship. It wasn’t that difficult, and now the airlock held not the frozen body of Summer Rains, but of Te’moc’s ultimate goal—the mutant Panur. And as a bonus, Adam Cain lay frozen inside as well, his mortal body surely dead by now.
TeraDon triggered the controls, and the bayside door to the airlock cycled open. A cloud of white steam billowed out and evaporated, giving TeraDon his first look at his prize.
