by S. H. Jucha
Harbour opened her gates and her senses were flooded with the emotions of the younger people. “They’re in that direction,” she said, pointing toward a distant section of the corridor.
“Good enough,” Jessie said and selected a nearby room. He hadn’t let go of Harbour’s hand, and he didn’t intend to either.
Inside the room, Jessie reached for Harbour’s other hand. “I’m no longer conflicted,” he said to her. “I don’t want you to feel that you need to curtail your power when we’re alone.”
Harbour closed the distance between them. She kissed his lips lightly. “I appreciate that you’re willing to share, but you must let me determine when and what amount. It’s safer that way. Besides, it wouldn’t do for my advisor to walk around for hours with a besotted grin on his face.”
Jessie laughed quietly at the image of him with a goofy smile. Then he kissed Harbour warmly. He enjoyed the physical sensation and the warmth that flooded through his mind. The better he felt, the more he wanted to kiss her. It was a self-fulfilling positive feedback loop.
Harbour leaned away from Jessie. She winked at him and unzipped the sleeves of her skins, and Jessie hurried to shed his.
Jessie had been with many women in his lifetime, mostly downtime hookups or coin-kitties. They were quick and intense physical moments … the relieving of an itch. But he’d never been with a woman like Harbour. His senses were alive, and he loved it.
Despite what she’d said, Harbour had an intense desire to open her gates wide and share the joy that burned inside her. But that could never happen. The extent of her power was both a comfort and a curse to others.
Long afterwards, Harbour and Jessie lay exhausted in each other’s arms.
Jessie’s final thought before sleep overtook him was a hope that they didn’t return to Pyre for months.
In the morning, Harbour and Jessie used the facilities, dressed, and ate quickly. No one was in the original dorm room, and the gear was gone. They found everyone assembled on the deck.
“Would you two rather spend the day here?” Aurelia asked with a grin. She couldn’t help herself. Harbour was leaking power, and it showed in the faces of the other team members.
Jessie grinned good-naturedly, and Harbour shut her gates.
The Crocians and Jaktook groaned their displeasure and eyed Aurelia.
“Oops,” Aurelia said in apology.
Jessie was about to order the recovery of the nets, but the platforms were bare. Furthermore, the explorers were cradling their weapons, and Aurelia and Devon were positioned to ready the console and warn of incoming journeyers. They were indeed late, but he didn’t regret it. He would have traded much of what he owned for a repeat of last night.
Sobering, Jessie regarded his fellow explorers. “Our next journey will take us to delta, two domes out from alpha, which we know the Colony invaded,” he said, “but we could meet them before then. If we contact them, then we follow what we practiced. We protect Aurelia, while she gets to the console and sends us back.”
“I’m not staying on the platform,” Devon said in a tone that challenged anyone to argue with him. “I’m following Aurelia to the console. I can protect her better there.”
The team members regarded Jessie. They anticipated he’d object. Instead, he said, “I expected that. Everyone, ready?” With assents all around, he added, “Take your places.”
Aurelia sensed Devon’s worry, and she shared a sense of fierce determination with him. When his frown was replaced by a hard look in his eyes, she eased off. She waited until the team was in position. Then she tapped the icon for delayed activation of the gate and ran to take her place before the platform’s blue light surrounded them.
Jessie was right to warn the others of the potential dangers of early and unexpected contact.
The team appeared in delta dome and was surrounded by grays and a single red. The red was close to Tracy, and it rose up on its five-meter long body. Savage pincers clacked in anticipation of closing on her, and it hissed in anger.
Tracy was surprised by her calm. Her first dart removed the red’s head, and a second dart cut a meter off the body before the head hit the deck.
Aurelia cut a path across the deck to the console. Devon ran behind her, swinging and firing his launcher from side to side to protect her flanks.
When the grays saw their single red warrior and many of their own kind killed, they backed away from the intruders.
The gray at the console hesitated, and Aurelia pointed her launcher at its head. The black, multi-faceted eyes stared at the weapon. Then it hissed and slid away.
Aurelia set a panel to return the team to the previous dome. She used a short delay and leapt past Devon, whose eyes were on the grays that swayed to and fro and watched for an opportunity.
Devon eliminated a gray to cause the insectoids to hesitate. Then he sprinted after Aurelia. They’d no sooner gained the platform than it lit.
As soon as the team completed their journey, they cleared the platform, and Hangor cast a net over its surface.
“First things first,” Jessie said, taking a seat on another platform. “Quick reaction against the red, Tracy. That was well done.”
“But one shot will do,” Devon warned. “You used multiple darts on the same individual.
“Just making sure,” Tracy replied indifferently.
“How did you do, Jaktook?” Harbour asked.
“I didn’t record Tracy’s elimination of the red,” Jaktook replied. “That happened behind me, but I captured imagery of the fight with the grays. I’ll update the record with the dome’s location.”
“Delta dome … occupied,” Devon commented, shaking his head in resignation. “The Colony was only in alpha a little while ago.”
“This expansion might be due to our influence,” Jaktook offered.
“The Colony had an unobstructed presence in alpha,” Mangoth added. “They must have been panicked by our intrusion.”
“I’m surprised they didn’t block our approach,” Aurelia said.
“An interesting thought,” Hangor admitted. “Perhaps, they didn’t expect our return.”
“The Colony is a dominant and aggressive race,” Mangoth explained. “Hangor might be right. When we retreated from alpha dome, the Colony might have thought that we learned our lesson.”
As Devon set his launcher and satchel aside, he said, “Whatever the reason for the Colony’s swift expansion and failure to block our return, they’ve now been warned, and we can expect heavier resistance.”
Jessie had grown quiet, and Harbour nudged his boot with hers. “Thinking?” she asked.
“Wondering what to do next,” Jessie replied.
-15-
Alternatives
While Jessie pondered their options, the dome darkened.
Devon and Aurelia were bent over the console. The rest of the team heard the hissing of Colony entities, and they instinctively jerked.
When Devon and Aurelia looked up at the dome, the others did the same.
“That’s unexpected,” Jessie commented.
“The path from this dome to the Colony’s, correct?” Harbour queried.
“Yes,” Aurelia replied.
“It appears the Messinants had no preference for connecting domes based on their proximity to one another,” Devon said, eyeing the zigzag line that jumped across space to connect wildly distant stars.
“Their imperative was most likely biological in nature,” Hangor interjected. “They connected successful uplifts wherever they found them. I’ve always wondered how the Messinants traveled across such vast distances of space without the aid of the domes.”
Harbour regarded the team members. Jaktook, Tracy, Aurelia, and Devon were busy recording the dome’s sky field.
“Jaktook, you’ve said we need to document what we find to satisfy the Tsargit. Give us more details,” Harbour requested. “I don’t want them canceling our deal because they think we didn’t deliver on our end.”
>
“Before Jaktook answers,” Mangoth interrupted. “I recommend you make your presentation directly to the Tsargit … no intermediaries.”
“Agreed,” Jaktook said. “We’ll prepare your visual data, but it would be in your favor to speak to the assembled body.”
Jessie, who sat beside Harbour, hand signed, “work first,” and Harbour nodded. They would ensure the Tsargit was well into the infrastructure projects before the alliance council received the information they’d requested.
Harbour looked pointedly at Jaktook, who released a sigh.
“I wish I had a definitive answer for you, Envoy,” Jaktook said, “but there isn’t one. We’ll need to err on the side of copious recordings. We’ve made a good start with delta.”
“Can we make the point to the Tsargit that if the Colony is in delta dome that they’re also in beta?” Devon asked.
Jaktook indicated the star field. “You make a good point, Devon,” he said. “It’s completely logical, considering this display, which many of us have recorded.”
“What do you suggest we do next, Jaktook?” Harbour asked.
The little Jatouche regarded Devon and Aurelia, and his eyes pleaded for inspiration, if not assistance.
“Give us some time,” Aurelia said. “We might be able to supply some information that will guide our strategy.”
On that note, the rest of the team headed below. They carried their launchers, satchels, and packs with them. They were determined not to be caught without their weapons by their sides.
“We can do what?” Devon whispered in a slightly high-pitched voice to Aurelia.
“I said we might be able to help. I didn’t promise,” Aurelia whispered back. “Besides, I do have some ideas.”
Later, when Harbour and Jessie brought paste and water to Devon and Aurelia, they found Devon on his knees, circling glyphs on the deck with a marker. Then he’d capture an image with his comm unit, return to the console, and hold his device screen so that Aurelia could enter the symbols.
“Take a break, you two,” Jessie directed.
Harbour regarded the sets of circled glyphs, while Devon and Aurelia sat on a platform to eat.
“Care to share?” Harbour asked, as the other team members trooped up the ramp to join them.
“I think the Messinants were a devious lot with a perverse sense of humor,” Aurelia said between mouthfuls of paste. She was hungrier than she thought.
“Why’s that?” Jessie asked.
“The deck looks like it’s evenly covered in glyphs, doesn’t it?” Devon suggested. When Jessie and Harbour tipped their heads in agreement, he said, “It’s not.”
Jessie dropped to his knees and stared closely at the glyphs, comparing circled and uncircled ones. He angled his view, searching for subtle clues — faint lines demarking sets of glyphs or elevations or depressions to demonstrate congruence.
Aurelia finished her paste, and the recyclable plate and cup were placed on the platform. She stood behind Jessie and giggled.
“What?” Jessie asked, as he continued to eyeball the glyphs.
“My view is something only the envoy might appreciate,” Aurelia replied, laughing.
“I’ll have you know that other women have appreciated my rear,” Jessie shot back, and then he chuckled at his own remark.
Aurelia winked at Harbour. Despite their circumstances, Jessie’s good mood could be seen and sensed.
Jessie sat on his heels. “I give,” he said.
“Look here,” Aurelia said.
When Aurelia knelt to indicate four symbols, noses, snouts, and a muzzle crowded closely, she smiled inwardly. “Look at these four glyphs,” she directed. “Let your eyes roam over them without focusing on any one in particular.”
“The only thing I see that they have in common is that each glyph has a tiny extrusion that seems ancillary,” Hangor commented.
“Yes,” Aurelia said excitedly and swatted Hangor’s heavy shoulder.
“But those insignificant protrusions aren’t in the same position on each symbol,” Mangoth protested. “There’s no commonality there.”
The group was packed so tightly to observe the small group of symbols that they could feel Mangoth and Hangor’s hot breaths.
“They point toward one another,” Jaktook declared.
Immediately, the team, except for Aurelia and Devon, fanned out to confirm what Jaktook had suggested.
“He’s right,” Tracy said.
“No, Aurelia and Devon are right,” Jaktook corrected.
“It can’t be that simple,” Hangor objected.
“Why not?” Jessie asked.
“The races have been pouring over these glyphs for ages,” Hangor replied. “They would have discovered this manner of identifying the groupings.”
“They probably did,” Devon allowed, grinning, which drew blank stares his way.
“Here’s where the perversity comes into play,” Aurelia said, standing up, and the others followed. “Everyone believes I have this unique capability of imitating the Messinants sweep when entering the glyphs. It’s not true. The key is that the symbols are entered without the protrusions. They’re there as pointers to identify the glyph groups.”
Jessie surveyed the dome’s deck, which was covered in symbols. “Then this is like some kind of giant puzzle … a Messinants game to be solved by the cleverest races.”
“Pretty much,” Devon replied.
“And it was a non-alliance individual who discovered it,” Hangor marveled in awe.
“Actually, I didn’t figure it out,” Aurelia admitted. “When we were stuck and searching for a path home, I got tired after so many trials and forgot to enter the little ticks. They seemed so unnecessary compared to the usual sweeping lines of the glyphs. When the panel activated, I had to stare at the symbols for a while before I realized what I’d done.”
“A fortunate mistake!” Tracy celebrated.
“I’ve a suggestion for you, Aurelia, and I would include all of us,” Mangoth said in a serious tone. “Don’t admit to your error. Claim the knowledge as a result of your perseverance and intellect. The alliance founders need no excuse to think less of Pyreans.”
“This is true,” Jaktook added, and Hangor readily nodded in agreement.
“So, we’re geniuses with incredible problem-solving skills,” Devon said, staring expectantly at Aurelia.
“I can live with that,” Aurelia piped up, grinning.
“Well, no matter how you learn the secrets of the Messinants,” Harbour said. “That,” she said, pointing to the darkened dome and its display, “is due to your work, Aurelia and Devon. We depend on your ingenuity.”
“Speaking of which, do you have anything for us?” Jessie asked hopefully.
“We’ve been trying for a version of the path search that we discovered,” Devon said. “We’re close but not yet.”
“How can you know you’re close?” Hangor asked.
“We’ve detected a console response from our panel entry that correlates to the search for races, although the submenu accepts the glyphs, it doesn’t receive an acceptable input from us. So, there’s no variation in the display,” Aurelia replied. “However, that does indicate to us that we’re searching in the right area of the deck.”
“The Messinants arranged the glyph groupings in patterns,” Devon added. “There’s a method to the way the symbols are etched on the deck, even though it looks entirely random.”
Hangor stared at the deck’s expanse and the numerous other symbols carved in the walls of the corridors below. “Imagine all the instructions that lie hidden in plain sight,” he said in awe.
“True,” Aurelia agreed and turned to work on the console.
The other explorers left Aurelia and Devon to work, and they found places to lounge or nap while the pair worked. The couple took facility breaks, one at a time, and resumed work.
Late in the day’s cycle, Aurelia let out a whoop of joy. She celebrated by grabbing Devon a
nd planting a lip-crushing kiss on him. When they broke apart, the two of them pointed to the darkened dome.
The team stared at the new display. It had become a kind of broken web. Lines radiated from alpha, beta, and delta domes to eleven additional stars.
“What are we looking at?” Jessie inquired.
“This is an augment of the panel submenu that traces your present location to the home world of the audio input,” Devon explained. “We’ve been running glyph combinations that we found near the original group. We believe this new one displays the domes where the journeyers of the audio recording are presently.”
“In other words, you’re looking at the present locations of the Colony,” Aurelia said.
“Can we test this?” Hangor asked, stepping close to the console.
“Certainly,” Aurelia replied. She reset the panel and pointed to Hangor, who spoke a traditional Crocian greeting. Immediately, the dome displayed the path from their present location to the Crocian star.
“Now,” Aurelia murmured, as she input the second group of symbols into the projected screen.
Suddenly the dome was a maze of interconnecting lines.
“Crocians are everywhere,” Mangoth said in amazement, joining his sibling.
“My turn,” Jaktook said with delight.
Devon repeated the exercise, and the dome lit with only a few connected stars.
Jaktook was disappointed. “It appears the Jatouche have few reasons to journey far from Na-Tikkook.”
“For now, my friend,” Harbour said. “Soon, I expect the Jatouche to be in great demand.”
“Why? How?” Jaktook inquired.
“I’ve an idea to share with Tacticnok and you, when the time is right,” Harbour replied. In response to Jaktook’s frown, she added, “The Jatouche and the Pyreans have medically compatible skills that I believe will be in demand by the alliance races.”
“I’m convinced Aurelia and Devon have discovered the extent of the Colony’s intrusions, but is that sufficient to convince the Tsargit?” Jessie asked, swinging a thumb at the display and regarding Jaktook and the Crocians. Unfortunately, he received a shake of heads. “Didn’t think so,” he muttered.
