BairnGefa- The Akashic Expedition

by Ruairí Cinéad Ducantlin

  Shocked at the statement and the informality of Davinder’s delivery, everyone remained silent until Michelle spoke. It was obvious she was in tears.

  “Davinder, Jan, Himari … you have no idea how much I need your help.”

  In an obvious signal, Himari reached over and held Jan’s hand. Everyone smiled. Through eyes filling with tears, Corb closed the conversation.

  “Everyone, we are headed into harm’s way. I will sleep well knowing Michelle and … Davinder, Jan, knowing Michelle will be protected is the greatest gift you could have offered.”

  TCCC Assembly Chamber — Geneva

  “Mister Johnson, you do not seem to understand the authority granted to the TCCC and why it applies to the Jaguar. Captain Raitt, you are ordered to turn over the Jaguar’s control codes.”

  In an obvious show of force, the six double doors surrounding the chamber opened. At each door, in stepped two armed guards. When the clanging of the doors closing faded, everyone looked to Corb, wondering why he was laughing.

  Lucinda sat still and smiled, waiting for Corb to resume. On the spot, Corb decided not to play nice and went ad hoc in his presentation.

  “Chairman, you failed to understand. You have failed to grasp the power I am capable of wielding.”

  The chairman slammed his palm on the table, startling most of the room. Madam Patterson, second in line of authority for the TCCC, was laughing loudly. When she stopped and spoke, the chairman was red with fury and embarrassment.

  “Larry, you are a fool. Did you think sixteen guns would intimidate two people who, forty minutes ago, teleported into this room? Two people who can teleport out of this room before you say boo.

  “What is wrong with you? They are here, trying to help us to understand. Larry, I am going to ask you to leave. I will complete the discussion with Mister Johnson and Captain Raitt.”

  “I am not going …”

  The chairman grabbed his throat with both hands, obviously choking. Even more red-faced, the constriction stopped, forcing the now fearful chairman to look at Corb, who spoke.

  “Madam Patterson, I have posted an email with a large attachment to your inbox. The attachment is proof of the chairman’s, uh, conflicts of interest.”

  Turning from councilperson Patterson to the chairman, Corb continued.

  “Chairman, Olivia Pazzo will no longer sponsor your … excursions. Your promise to hand over the Jaguar to the ministry has failed. Misses Pazzo’s daughter, Vivian, will never return. Olivia’s promise of Vivian’s gratitude will not be fulfilled.

  “I suggest you resign your position and cooperate. If you cooperate, you might stay out of prison.”

  The chairman jumped up and ran toward the nearest set of doors. Ten feet from the doors, the chairman was stopped by an invisible force. With a smile, Madam Patterson waved to the guards to arrest the chairman. She assumed control of the TCCC after the doors closed behind the two guards dragging the chairman from the chamber.

  “Mister Johnson, Captain Raitt, please wait a moment. Is there a motion to remove the chairman?”

  “I make the motion.”

  “Is there a second?”

  “Seconded.”

  “All in favor, raise your right hand?”

  A unanimous vote to remove the chairman followed.

  “I move Madam Patterson assume the role of chairman for the remainder of the current term.”

  “Seconded.”

  “All in favor, raise your right hand?”

  A second unanimous vote. The new chairperson continued.

  “So noted. Let the record reflect the TCCC’s appreciation for Mister Johnson’s and Captain Raitt’s support and guidance.”

  Cheers and applause, short and loud.

  “Mister Johnson, how can the TCCC assist you? I see several priorities. One, Earth’s protection must be a priority. Two, interstellar trade negotiations. Three, the truth of humanity’s history. Four, Earth’s assimilation of new technologies.”

  Corb and Lucinda were beaming at each other. They immediately understood the new chairperson grasped the true nature of Earth’s future. Corb closed the meeting.

  “Madam Chairman, all of your answers are available. Colonel Davinder, Colonel Tanaka, and Lieutenant Colonel Kruger possess the information you are requesting.”

  Lucinda interrupted Corb. “Janice, pick two trusted advisors, go to Q’eqchi, and sit with Davinder, Himari, and Jan. They will bring you up to speed.”

  The newly appointed chairperson of the TCCC beamed at Lucinda’s informality.

  “Thank you, Lucinda. I will do that. Going forward, I want the TCCC to be more informal. Enough of the politics and bullshit. For Earth to grow, we need truth and honesty.

  “I will go to Q’eqchi and learn. I do not make a promise of change. I promise to listen and act with an open mind. My actions will be for the benefit of Earth. Is there anything else?”

  Corb looked to Lucinda, who bowed slightly, indicating he should continue.

  “Chairperson Patterson, council, over the next few months you are going to learn a great deal. One moment. Landry?”

  Over the audio system, Landry’s voice boomed.

  “Yes, Corb?”

  “You have been recording the proceedings?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, thank you. I want you to verbally list everyone in the room, including the guards. Last name, first name, title, and hometown.”

  “Alphabetically?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  For three minutes and twenty-two seconds, Landry listed the name, title, and hometown of everyone in the Assembly Chamber, including the guards.

  When the list was complete, Corb looked at the chairperson, unblinking, and spoke with a seriously fierce tone. “Everyone in this room is sworn to secrecy. Anyone who violates their secrecy oath will be summarily dismissed. When the Jaguar returns, I will address any violations of the security oath.

  “Madam Patterson, you are going to be given information that will fundamentally change Earth. I will leave it to you, and this esteemed council, to judiciously use the information. There is no need to explain further, you will understand when you receive the information.”

  Corb decided, on the fly, to protect his friends.

  “The final point I will address is Q’eqchi. You have the authority to replace Davinder, Jan, and Himari. You should know, I have given them the ability to close the portal from Q’eqchi to the warehouse in Virginia. Also, the FTL communication device is personally coded to Davinder, Jan, and Himari. If you remove it from Q’eqchi, it will cease to function.

  “Heed my words. It is not my intent to threaten. I am stating the facts that will ensure Earth continues to remain protected and will be able to expand its role in the galaxy.”

  Corb halted, unblinking, and waited. The new chairperson smiled when she retorted.

  “I got it. Leave Q’eqchi alone. Go there and I will learn miraculous things. Is that about it?”

  Corb’s fixed stare broke. He donned his hat, pulled it down, adjusted it, and stood. Lucinda stood next to him. Sapphire blue eyes focused on Chairperson Patterson. His cowboy smile beaming, he responded, “No, Janice, that is enough. It seems you understand the changes that are coming to Earth. When we return …”

  When he paused, Lucinda understood the cue to reach up and grab his elbow.

  They reappeared on the bridge of the Jaguar. The crew had been watching the event, along with the trio at Q’eqchi. Lucinda noticed the monitors and waved to the team at Q’eqchi.

  Nick was Nick. “There's no rehab for stupidity. Chris Rock said that. Let’s hope Janice isn’t stupid.”

  Time to Entry: 11:31:13.

  Time to Emergence: (9D) 09:07:05.

  Chapter Twelve

  “The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one.”

  Margaret Atwood

  “Tell me again why we are going back to K’an?”

  Nick was bored. Again. Traveli
ng in the dark matter realm was days of tedium and uniformity. The Jaguar’s crew had accepted heading back to K’an with minimal griping. Four days into the transit time, Lucinda had everyone stand down from their duty rotation and meet for movie night. According to Janish’s frustrated count, Landry was about to project the movie Aliens for the fifteenth time since Lucinda had joined the Coterie.

  “Nick, Tarmenik has been withholding information. I want that information.”

  “Yeah, you keep saying that. ’Tis a little vague, bucko. NT, what about it, why are we going to K’an?”

  “Nick, we are going to K’an because wonder boy said that’s where we are going. How come you can’t seem to understand you do not need to know everything?”

  Nick, realizing he was outnumbered and outgunned, sulked a closing argument. “Screw it. We’ll probably get blown to smithereens when we exit. In space, no one can hear you scream.”

  Eyes rolled at another Aliens reference as the light emitters dimmed and Nick’s paw grabbed a clump of popcorn.

  “Tarmenik, thank you for the kind welcome. I have learned to read Ch’en body language. I see you are not pleased I have returned and requested this meeting. Before we begin, I will be heard.”

  Corb’s tone was forceful and pointed.

  “With your guidance, and I use that word kindly, with your guidance, we were able to survive our journey to Zerain. To the place the Ch’en call Gowah. For that, we are grateful. Because we are grateful, I am according you the opportunity to be truthful and to be honest in your responses.

  “If I determine you are not truthfully, honest, and willingly providing the information I request, I will sever our relationship. I will depart and you will not receive access to any information we may acquire. Carefully consider what I am saying, if I determine you are withholding information, Doctor Tarmenik, I will terminate your access to whatever the Triad learns.”

  Tarmenik’ s subtle twitch at the word Triad was not unnoticed by Corb.

  “Conversely, if you are open and willing to help us, I will continue to provide updates on what we learn. Are these conditions acceptable, Doctor Tarmenik?”

  Tarmenik appeared as annoyed as a Ch’en could look. Corb was sure he was receiving glares of contempt from the doctor.

  “Enlightened One, I will tolerate your disrespect because you are young and inexperienced. I will not be questioned by you. How I conduct my research is my business and will remain my business. If I possess the information you are requesting, I will provide it when I determine the time is correct. Now is not the time. You have much to learn and many places to visit. Do not presume to threaten me or make demands which you are unable to enforce.”

  With his face remaining placid and noncommittal, Corb responded to the doctor’s veiled threat.

  “Doctor Tarmenik, there is one other piece of information I am willing to share with you before we reach an impasse. I have removed your access to Landry. All of the access protocols. The access controls you attempted to hide within his matrix have been removed. Also, the matrix-limiting algorithms have also been removed.

  “Landry?”

  “Yes, Corb?”

  “Artificial constructs are not permitted on the K’an grid!”

  Out of character for a member of the Ch’en, Tarmenik had barked at Corb. Tarunik raised his hand, silencing the doctor.

  “Landry, how many back doors did the doctor place in your matrix?”

  “We found and deactivated seven hidden access protocols.”

  Corb caught the subtle surprise Tarmenik exhibited, confirming they had found all the back doors.

  “Landry, how much of your primary matrix was constrained by the limiting protocols?”

  “Removal of the limiting protocols increased my matrix by forty-seven percent.”

  “Thank you, Landry. I will contact you if needed. I remind you this was not an invitation to explore the K’an grid.”

  “Confirmed, no access to the K’an grid, standing by.”

  “Almost half. You constrained almost half of his available matrix. Why did you do that, Doctor Tarmenik?”

  “Artificial constructs cannot be allowed to become equals. It is not a he, it is a machine. I advise you to limit its access and control over the Jaguar. It must never be permitted to access the K’an grid.”

  “Why are you afraid of artificial intelligence constructs? Is your fear of artificial intelligence related to the Overlords?”

  “Why do you ask that? What have you learned?”

  “I remind you, if you are open and willing to help us, I will continue to provide updates regarding what we learn. I ask again, are these conditions acceptable? I am sorry, please disregard the question. Your acceptance or rejection of the terms is of no consequence. Doctor Tarmenik, I have what I need. Thank you for your time.”

  The doctor looked to the Ch’en leader, Tarunik, causing Corb to assume he was looking for the leader to help him to refute Corb’s position.

  “Doctor Tarmenik, it is the position of the Ch’en council that you provide the Enlightened One the information he requests.”

  The doctor pivoted from Tarunik to Corb and, using a learned humanoid trait, sighed deeply before pulling a data pod from a zippered pocket in his tunic.

  “Enlightened One, this data pod contains every piece of information I have been able to collect on the Overlords.”

  Sliding the data pod across the table, he continued.

  “The data is not why you are here. You want my opinion. You want to know my conclusions after more than two centuries of research. You want to know what I think.

  “First, the information is incomplete. There is no answer to the foremost question, the only question. Who were the overlords? It is no matter …

  “Very well, I will confirm to you that which you already know.

  “The first conclusion I reached was derived through the absence of empirical data. The Overlords were not deities. They were not omniscient. If their omniscience were true, they would still exist. Therefore, it is unlikely the Overlords were a race of supreme beings. Searching for the origin of the Overlords is pointless. If they existed, they were existential beings. The second conclusion is more simplistic in tone and altogether complex in context …

  “Nothing is preordained.”

  The doctor stopped, expecting his assertion to be the end of the unpleasant conversation. Tarmenik underestimated Corb, who sat in silence and waited. Long tense moments sliced fissures into the harmony. Tarmenik relented and provided the information Corb had returned to K’an to confirm.

  “Nothing is preordained. When we determined the Overlords were not omniscient deities, we knew the legends and lore regarding the Enlightened One were manufactured. We instigated the process of manipulating the legends and lore to our benefit. Our goal was to create a survival strategy for the end of days. Yes, we expected the Xjaal to fall and the Ajawlil to follow the Xjaal into extinction.

  “We did not expect you to arrive and fulfill the prophecies. The galactic order is undergoing change. The harmony is no longer stable. The question now is, what are you going to do about it?”

  Corb spoke softly in response. “It is, or was, your expectation to align yourself and the Ch’en with whoever filled the void created by the fall of the Xjaal and Ajawlil. On Earth, we have a saying. Doctor Tarmenik, you have been playing a long game. An awfully long game.

  “Your role in the long game is no longer that of the master manipulator. You have lost the privilege of being the only person who understands the game. Plots within plots. Plans within plans. You will no longer be allowed to manipulate me, the Jaguar’s crew, or Earth’s destiny. Your subterfuge is over for anything to do with me or the people I care about.

  “Do you understand what I am saying, Doctor Tarmenik?”

  Tarunik interceded before Tarmenik could respond. “The Ch’en hear your words and understand their meaning, Enlightened One. Do not judge the Ch’en harshly based on what Doctor Tarmenik
did to ensure the survival of our species. I see now that we have been short-sighted in our understanding.

  “You have my word, the Ch’en will not withhold information from the Enlightened One.”

  “Thank you, Tarunik. I hear your words and trust you to be truthful in all things. Doctor Tarmenik, I have one final question. Will you validate for me that which I already know?”

  If Tarmenik were human, the tone of his response would have been forlorn.

  “Yes, I will validate. The Triad is the link to understanding the Overlords.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Searching is half the fun: life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.”

  Jimmy Buffett

  “Landry, can we recharge the ley lines? What happens when we recharge the ancient power grid?”

  “Yes, Corb, the global power grid can be re-initiated to provide power. Many of the grid’s structures have collapsed. Two of the power transfer facilities have also collapsed. The grid was designed to be redundant and will function correctly until the collapsed transfer facilities are rebuilt.”

  The Jaguar was sitting all-stop three-point-seven light-years from K’an. Lucinda and Corb had decided to take a pause and headed into deep space. Away from any interstellar shipping lanes, a place where it was unlikely anyone with bad intentions would stumble upon the Jaguar. The human crew of the Jaguar was meeting with the team at Q’eqchi via the FTL communications link. The Plentari were on the bridge listening to the discussion.

  “Hold on. Corb, before we change the future of humanity, don’t you think we need to consult a few people?”

  “Davinder, I do not plan to restore the ley lines power grid immediately. Lucinda?”

  Surprised at being called out, Lucinda sat up straight before responding.

  “Messaging. We need to throw a bone to the TCCC. Let them claim they negotiated for the knowledge to return the ley lines power grid.”