Flinx in Flux

by Alan Dean Foster

  “I was close to it,” Flinx said suddenly, remembering. “Too close.” He did not have to explain himself to the Ujurrians, who could see it in his mind, but Clarity possessed no such perception. “There’s something out there,” he told her calmly.

  “Out where? Near Gorisa?”

  “No. Out—there. Beyond the Commonwealth. Beyond our galaxy. Beyond the beyond, I guess. I don’t know how, but they”—He indicated the silently watching Ujurrians.—“and Pip combined to send part of me out past the range of the best visual telescopes. But not the radioscopes. I think they’ve seen it, though the people reading the data have no idea what they’re looking at. I’m not sure what it was, either. Only that it’s dangerous. And big. Beyond beyond, and beyond big.”

  Fluff was somber. “No fun this. Serious game.”

  “Yes, serious game,” Flinx agreed.

  “What we do now, Flinx-friend-teacher?” Moam wondered.

  “We try to learn more. There are others involved. Not just me and you, but others none of us have suspected. I have to find out about them, too. It’s going to take work and time. I don’t mind the work. I hope we have the time. I’m going to need your help.”

  “Always, Flinx-friend.” The four spoke with a single mental voice.

  “I wish you’d talk out loud.”

  He turned to Clarity, aware he had been engaging in purely telepathic exchange with the Ujurrians. “I’ve found out what I’m going to do with my life. I thought I was destined to wander aimlessly, acquiring knowledge without purpose. Now I have a purpose. Out there is an empty place. By the laws that regulate the distribution of matter in the universe, it shouldn’t exist. But it does, and there’s something in the middle of it. Something evil. I’m going to try to find a way to deal with it if it starts moving in this direction. In the process maybe I’ll become a complete human being.”

  “You are a complete human being, dammit!”

  He smiled gently. “Clarity, I’m nineteen. No nineteen-year-old is a complete human being.”

  “Are you making fun of me?”

  “No, I’m not.” Softsmooth gave him a hand up from the bed. Pip had barely enough strength to cling to his shoulder. Her pointed tongue hung limply from her mouth.

  “I need a drink. Something cold.” For the first time, he noticed the empty room. “Where is everyone?”

  “They woke up one at a time,” Clarity explained. She nodded at the place on the floor where Dabis had been lying. “That one came around before any of the others. The first thing he saw was Bluebright holding his disassembled pistol.”

  “They all left in a hurry,” Moam said. “We would have talked with them, but their minds were confused and full of fear.”

  “I bet they left in a hurry.” Flinx turned to Fluff. “What will you do now?”

  “Go back to learning the civilization game.”

  “Good. I’ll try to learn some of the new rules. Then I’ll get in touch with you.”

  Fluff clapped his paws together, filling the room with a dull boom. “Wonderful! We make a new game of it. Maybe not so serious then.”

  “We’ll try,” Flinx told him. “I have studying to do. I have to learn, and to grow.”

  “We’ll find you again when it’s time.” Softsmooth put an arm around his shoulders that nearly hid him from view and gave him an affectionate hug. The vertebrae in his neck cracked softly. “Never lose track of Flinx-friend-teacher. Can always ask Maybeso to find you.”

  “Yes. I wish Maybeso was here.”

  As if on command, the fifth Ujurrian popped into view. His perpetually sour expression had not changed. “Here,” he grunted.

  “Anything to add to all this?” Flinx asked him. He knew he did not have to explain what he meant by ‘all this.’ With Maybeso nothing needed to be explained.

  “Later,” Maybeso said brusquely, and vanished.

  “That is one strange being,” Flinx murmured admiringly.

  “Very strange,” Softsmooth agreed. “I think he like you, but who can tell?”

  Flinx glanced at the stairs. “I don’t think any of the people who were here will be coming back.”

  Clarity had to smile. “You wouldn’t think men that big could move that fast.”

  “We’ll talk later, then.”

  The four Ujurrians formed a circle around him and put their paws lightly on his hands. “Later,” they said in unison.

  They turned and jumped into the hole in the middle of the floor. He heard their minds bidding him farewell, listened until the last had faded from his consciousness.

  Several minutes passed. Then the ground heaved as if the building had been kicked from below. Rock and dirt oozed up into the pit. Flinx and Clarity raced for the stairs and stayed there, until the dust began to settle.

  “Filled in the tunnel behind them,” he observed thoughtfully. “Good idea. You don’t want to leave something like that standing open for someone to fall into.” He turned to Clarity. “Now you’re going to ask me to take you with me wherever I’m going because you think you love me.”

  “I don’t think it,” she told him. “I know that I love you.”

  He shook his head slowly. “Sorry, but I think I’ve got it right. You think you love me. You’re intrigued by me, and you might even find me attractive. But you must see that you can’t come with me.”

  His rejection made her flinch. “You still don’t trust me. That’s it, isn’t it? After what I did, I can’t blame you. But that’s all over and behind us now. I see you the way I first saw you, for what you really are.”

  “Do you? That’s very interesting, because I don’t see me for what I really am. I spent a long time trying to find out who my parents were. That didn’t turn out so well. Maybe I’ll have better luck finding out who I am. But that’s not the reason you can’t come with me. I can’t take you along because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. Isn’t it strange, but I find myself siding with old Vandervort, after all.

  “There are things at stake here that make individual relationships pale into insignificance. I’m going to have to devote all my time to understanding them. That wouldn’t be fair to another person. Especially someone like you. I guarantee that after spending a few years moving incognito from world to world, studying obscure references in files, and accumulating arcane knowledge, you’d become deathly bored. I may myself, but I have no choice. I have to do it. You don’t.

  “There are other worlds to visit, other challenging jobs in your own profession.”

  “I don’t care about that anymore.” She was trying very hard not to cry, he saw.

  “Maybe not right now you don’t, but you will. There are other men out there, most of them more mature than I. Probably better-looking, certainly less mentally burdened. You can be happy with one of them, or two, or three, or however many men you eventually choose to sample. Happier than you could ever be with me. I’m not prescient, but I think I can promise you that much.” He carefully wiped away the beginning tears.

  “I think Scrap’s taken a permanent liking to you. He’ll be a good companion, and he’ll certainly help you weed out the better men from the rest.” He grinned. “The independent woman’s ideal accessory. Protection and affection all rolled up in one scaly little package. Goodbye, Scrap.”

  He extended a finger toward the minidrag. Scrap could not understand the gesture, but he could feel the emotion of the moment. His pointed tongue flicked out several times to touch the warm human skin.

  “We’re peculiar creatures, we humans. The builders of the alarm didn’t predict us. There’s a lot out there they didn’t foresee. Some of it I saw. I can’t tell you any more about it now because I don’t know any more than that myself. Evolution has a way of defeating the most advanced methods of predicting the future. In this case that may be for the better.” He turned to go up the stairs.

  “Flinx, wait! You can’t just leave me like this. You can’t just leave me here.”

  He hesitated.
“You’re right. You have no place to go, do you? No telling what kind of lies your ex-supervisor is going to spread about you as she tries to save her own skin from the Scarpanians. Let’s see—you know she sold out Coldstripe. I think the company’s backers would be interested in that information. Might even have a job for you somewhere else. You contact them and explain things, and I’ll bet they keep you safe from Vandervort. There are ways to check the truth of your statements—and hers.” Suddenly he sounded wistful.

  “It’s all part of the game, isn’t it? Civilization. We spend our lives playing at it. I think what’s happened to me is that I’ve just graduated to the next level. Keep at your gengineering, Clarity, and maybe one day you’ll even be able to help me understand me better.”

  He reached down to her, and she took his hand. Together they ascended the stairs.

  “I’ll help in any way I can,” she told him when they reached the deserted outer office. “I’ll do whatever you recommend.”

  “Whatever you do, do it for yourself, not for me.” He stood there, thinking to himself. “This warning system has been in place for more than a few years, and I think we have a little time at least before the threat it’s monitoring requires our undivided attention. In order to understand it properly, I first have to understand myself, and in order to understand myself, I need to learn about my own kind. I can’t promise you any kind of permanent relationship, but now that I think about it, I don’t see any reason why you can’t assist in my studies.” He hesitated. “That is, if you’re interested.”

  She stared at him for a long time before shaking her head slowly. “Just when I think I’ve got you figured out, I have to dump everything I think I’ve learned and start in all over again.”

  “If it’s that complicated for you, consider how frightening it must be for me,” he told her somberly.

  Clarity was delighted by his change of heart and content to stay with him for as long as he would allow, but no matter how enjoyable their time together might be, she knew she would never be able to put that last thought out of her mind.

  Commonwealth Chronology

  (NOTE: Where “c” is used, the date given is approximate.)

  1 billion B.C. The Xunca are at their height. They discover something connected with the Great Emptiness and begin setting up their transmitter network.

  400,000,000 The Xunca create the Groalamason Ocean on Horseye and modify the orbits of the planet’s moons. They set up a transmitting station in the polar ice cap. A minor relay station is set up on Terra, but is destroyed by continental drift. A Mutable is stationed on every planet set up with a component of the system.

  950,000 Hur’rikku begin to explore from the Galactic Center.

  501,000 The Vom arrives on the last world it will devour. It has destroyed all life on about a thousand worlds.

  500,000 The Tar-Aiym Empire is at its height. The Vom, contacted by the Tar-Aiym, panics and destroys the investigating fleet. The Tar-Aiym send a robot fleet to contain the Vom. Peot becomes the Guardian and is placed in orbit around the Vom’s planet.

  499,000 Tar-Aiym contact the Hur’rikku; war is begun.

  480,000 After enduring several attempts to be forced into the Tar Aiym Empire, the Hur’rikku threaten to use their anticollapsar weapon on Tar-Aiym worlds. The Tar-Aiym begin intensive weapons research. The Krang is built on Booster. The fleet guarding the Vom is called away to help in the war with the Hur’rikku, leaving only a few ships and the Guardian.

  479,000 ”Living” photonic storm, released by the Tar-Aiym as a plague, decimates all intelligent life in the area, including the Tar-Aiym and Hur’rikku. A dying race on the edge of the plague area broadcasts a warning, so an informal quarantine is created. This area becomes the Blight.

  97,000 Alaspinian civilization is at its height. Alaspinians explore more space than that contained by the Commonwealth, but don’t establish settlements.

  75,000 Alaspinians die out, possibly by racial suicide.

  27,000 Most recent warm cycle begins on Tran-ky-ky.

  17,000 Warm cycle ends and present cold cycle begins on Tran-ky-ky.

  10,950 Tunnelling begins on Ulru-Ujurr.

  c8000 Thranx civilization is born on Hivehom. The “Eternal City” of Daret is founded.

  c6000 The last wars are fought on Hivehom.

  c5700 Human civilization is born on Terra.

  c2000 The Priory of the Brotherhood “Evonin-taban” on Tran-ky-ky is established.

  A.D. (Anno Domini), Christian religion calendar change occurs on Terra.

  c500 Temple of Moraung Motau is founded on Horseye.

  c1800 Thranx achieve space travel.

  c1900 Thranx discover posigravity drive.

  c2000 Terrans achieve space travel. All killing of Cetacea is outlawed.

  c2075 Off-course Terran “sleeper” colony ship reaches Centaurus System. Planets III and V are colonized.

  c2100 Thranx have first contact with AAnn.

  c2200 Off-course Terran “sleeper” colony ship reaches MIDWORLD.

  2243 AAnn attack Paszex on Willow-Wane for the first time.

  2270 Brain-enhancement serum is discovered.

  2280 Posigravity drive is discovered on Terra by Alex Kurita and Sumako Kinoshita. The Centaurus System colonies are rediscovered.

  2290 Cachalot is discovered. Ryozenzuzex is born on Willow-Wane.

  2300 Covenant of Peace enacted; Agreement of Transfer made. Transfer of Cetacea to Cachalot.

  2310 The Terran exporation ship Seeker is attacked by AAnn, rescued by the Thranx ship Zinramm and taken to Hivehom. A mysterious message from Capt. Brohwelporvot sends Ryozenzuzex on a journey to Hivehom to see the aliens.

  2311 The Humans escape captivity on Hivehom and return to CENTAURUS VII, taking Ryo with them.

  2312 The Humans and Ryo set up the Project on Willow-Wane.

  2316 The Project is revealed to the general populace.

  2320 Transfer of Cetacea to Cachalot is completed.

  2340 First treaties between Humans and Thranx are signed.

  c2350 Moth is discovered.

  2360 First contact is made with Pitar. Terran-norm planet in the Pitar System is colonized.

  2365 Destruction of Treetrunk (Argus V) by Pitar occurs. The Humanx-Pitar War begins.

  2367 Humanx teams invent the SCCAM Missile and make major breakthroughs in improving the posigravity drive. SCCAM missiles are used in breaking the blockade around the Pitar worlds.

  2368 End of the War brings the destruction of the Pitar Homeworlds.

  A.A. A.A. (After Amalgamation) - (NOTE: 0 A.A. corresponds to 2400 A.D.)

  0 The Articles of Amalgamation are signed and the Commonwealth is created.

  1 Commonwealth Council meets for the first time on Terra.

  2 Commonwealth Council meets for the first time on Hivehom.

  c10 Commonwealth Science Headquarters is established in Mexico City.

  c20 The Universal Church is created, with the Terran island of Bali becoming the Church Headquarters.

  c88 Alaspin is discovered.

  c95 Horseye is discovered by Terrans.

  c99 The Thranx build and inhabit Steamer Station on Horseye.

  c100 Krigsvird-ty-Kalstund founds the Castle of Wannome on the island of Sofold on Tran-ky-ky. First contact occurs between the Commonwealth and the Quillp.

  106 Eitienne and Lyra Redowl arrive on Horseye, and after five months start their trip up the Skar River where they discover the City of the Dead.

  c150 Brisbane, Australia, becomes the capitol of Terra.

  c175 The first human settlers arrive on Cachalot. CunsnuC begins developing a mind-control polyp.

  c300 The Blight is discovered as survey ships do preliminary mapping. RNGC 1632 (Cannachanna) is discovered by a Visarian probe.

  c350 Dis is discovered.

  c361 Surfing contest on Dis is established.

  448 Mother Mastiff is born on Moth.

  450 Truzenzuzex is born on Willow-W
ane. The Horde begins taking tribute from Sofold on Tran-ky-ky.

  470 Knigta Yakus is born.

  474 Bran Tse-Mallory is born.

  498 Commonwealth Probe discovers a collapsar near the Velvet Dam. Skua September is born. The Meliorare Society is founded on Terra.

  c500 Repler System is discovered by Johannes Repler. The AAnn Empire contests the claim and is eventually granted a small concession on Repler III. AAnn attack on the Quillp colony planet of Goodhunting is foiled by a Commonwealth Task Force.

  511 Anasage (Flinx’s mother) is born on Terra.

  515 Tran-ky-ky is discovered. Humanx outpost of Brass Monkey is founded on the island of Arsudun. Lord Estes Dominic Rose begins his first drug dealings. Lumpjaw is born on Cachalot.

  518 Ethan Frome Fortune is born. Lauren Walder is born on Moth.

  c525 Skua and Sawbill September break forever over Sawbill’s becoming an emoman. Skua’s lover is destroyed by Sawbill’s drugs.

  527 The Analava System War results in 120 million killed. Skua September may have been involved in the start of the war. Flinx’s sister, Teleen, is born.

  530 Meliorare Society is broken up: the most “normal” subjects are scattered across the Commonwealth.

  532 Kitten Kai-sung is born.

  533 Phillip Lynx (Flinx) is born. Joao Acorizal wins surfing contest on Dis.

  537 Anasage dies. Truzenzuzex and Bran Tse-Mallory begin jointly researching the Tar-Aiym.

  538 Skua September attempts to buy Flinx, but fails. Mother Mastiff does buy him. Flinx finds his pet Minidrag, Pip.

  540 Mahnahmi is born.

  543 Rashalleila Nuaman finances the building of an illegal research station on Midworld.

  545 Hyperion Trees on Annubis are destroyed. Station on Midworld is destroyed by natives.

  546 Agreement between Nuaman Enterprises and the AAnn Empire results in the building of an illegal station on Ulru-Ujurr. First Janus Jewels are mined and put on the market.

  548 Attempted kidnapping of the duKanes fails; lifeboat crashes near Sofold on Tran-ky-ky. Planet Booster and the Krang are found by a prospector in the Blight. Isili Hasboga begins prospecting in Mimmisompo on Alaspin; Habib and Pocomchi arrive on the planet. Sawbill September works as an emoman on Thalia Major. Mother Mastiff is kidnapped by the Meliorare Society. Cruachan dies and the final destruction of the Meliorares occurs.