Universal Code

by William Songy

  “No, the boy lives. From what we know, he is of exceptional ability. Abilities that we have yet to understand.”

  “So, he is super smart? An experiment gone wrong…gone right?” Logan interrupted.

  “No, far more than that. He and the others like him can be the difference in this war, or even whether or not there is a war. Sonia decided to go and collect him—”

  “She went to collect him…this isn’t exactly like a mom going to pick her son up from the movies. I fought those things. How can she go back to where she was imprisoned by those murderers and possibly get that boy out without an army behind her?” Logan said astonished by the revelation.

  “She killed Tilhar when she escaped the first time. Besides, you…none of us understand Joseph and just what he is capable of. We think that she was able to get in, free him, then escape. This scene suggests that she decided to make an attempt on the life of Tilhar’s partner, Ningal, who is responsible for putting a bounty on her head,” Art turned back to the hologram.

  “So, my sister gets a ship from somewhere—”

  “She took one of ours,” Art noted.

  “Then she pilots it through space to where this planet is, breaks into what you would think is a highly secure building, owned by very dangerous…beings, takes her son, and blows up the upper section. Okay,” Logan didn’t know what to think.

  “The transport is en route, but we don’t know who is in it yet. She didn’t exactly need to pilot it. There was a droid that navigated and commanded the transport,” Art answered, “we have a team of elite special forces following her in the event that something went wrong. We have instructed them to recover the craft and bring her back if she is on it and this is where she wants to be.”

  Logan was puzzled, “I apologize if I seem a bit suspicious, but something doesn’t make sense. From what I have been told, your people are among the smartest in the entire universe. Your military, your defense is superior. How does anyone just take anything, much less a spaceship? Doesn’t the droid have to be programmed to fly her there? How does that happen? You let her go. Had it all gassed up and ready to go.”

  “We had nothing to do with that. She went on her own. When we realized what she was up to, we just didn’t stop her. However, as I said before, the boy may be important. More so than any of you can understand right now,” Art said.

  “The boy…meaning her son?” Gunner intervened.

  Logan became angry and wanted to punch Art for using and endangering his sister. He walked away from the table to mitigate his anger. From the beginning, his gut instincts were not to trust the Viennians or Econians. He was not in a position of power or authority to do anything to rectify the situation. Without thinking, he blurted out in an irritated tone, “Okay. So, we are here. How do you plan to use us?”

  Art’s demeanor changed and he flashed an unmistakable look of disapproval looking intently at Logan. “We don’t ‘use’ anyone. You distrust us?” Art replied sternly, “perhaps we made the wrong choice of who to entrust.”

  With a simple look, Ayla conveyed to Logan that he needed to take a more civil tone. He knew that she was right and turned to face Art, “What is it you want us to do? Why are we here?”

  Art continued to stare at Logan for a second considering his options of moving forward with the Earth people or simply sending them back to their home planet. He looked away and the scowl left his face. He snapped his fingers and the hologram of the damaged Erim of Tilhar disappeared. He turned to a large screen on a perimeter wall to his left. “By now you know about the Baraza Zima, or, Universal Council and why it was formed and why it is important to you and your people. We have watched over Earth and other lesser developed civilizations for centuries. We’ve done our best to protect you for the last five hundred years. While we can’t stop every occurrence, we have done our best.

  “About the time your sister was taken, we noticed an uptick in natural disasters on Earth…or so it seemed. We sent a team to investigate and realized that there was nothing natural about the disasters at all. Slaves were needed desperately all over the universe so the Tisht and Kurun realized that they could use these natural disasters to conceal their taking of people from Earth. They have done this on other planets as well. Most of those who have disappeared and were never found, were actually taken. As we began to build up a case against them, we found that more and more member nations that were on our side have grown weary of doing what was morally right in defending those too weak to defend themselves. Nations were growing increasingly tired of investing their resources…especially when they saw no economic benefit. The Baraza Zima began to fracture a bit. For twenty years we have struggled to keep the Universal Code as the law of the Universe, but we are losing that fight,” he looked at the screen and a video of the attack at the Baraza Zima headquarters began to playback. He explained the inner workings of the Baraza Zima as the video played on.

  Once the video concluded, a large leather-bound book about twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches by ten inches thick was brought into the room and placed on the table. It appeared to be weighty as it was placed down with a thud on the stone table. “While it may be difficult for your people to mount a defense against nations like the Kurun and Tisht, you need to warn them. In this beok is all the information you will need. Every known planet and its inhabitants were included. Even information on their weaponry, military, social and economic conditions. Even how to build weapons that give your people a chance. Earth,” he said in a louder tone in the form of a command. The beok opened. Floating above the pages was a planet that looked like Earth slowly spinning as if in orbit. Two sections of the hieroglyph lit up. “Seti Kiliema was the first of our kind to find and explore your planet. He visited the peoples of what you call Central America, the African continent on the northeast. It quickly became evident to him that the native people would be easy to manipulate and of value in the labor markets. He interacted with the various people, taught them, gave them technology to gain their trust. They thought of him as a god—”

  “Oh my gosh…he is the human form of Kukulkan to the Mayas. The Incas called him Viracocha and Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs.” Ayla blurted out as she looked at the image.

  Art nodded in the affirmative, “One day, long after Seti Kiliema should have been dead, he somehow returned to the planet with a large fleet and so began the taking and trading of the people from Earth. Well, that’s what we thought at the time—"

  “What? He learned how to travel through time?” Logan asked.

  “We don’t know, but everything tells us that it was him. He was able to elude justice again. No one ever caught him. No one ever figured out how he was able to do it,” Art replied.

  “What is, right now, the primary cause of the demand for labor?” Ayla asked.

  “Mining for telenium is the primary reason. But, using your terminology…agriculture, sex, general labor,” Art replied. “As I was saying, we initially believed that this was going on for five hundred years or so. But we realized that other nations have been visiting Earth and taking its inhabitants for more than thirty-five hundred years. On a planet that used to be call Mokur, we found out that there are a number of settlements… an entire planet of ancient tribes of Earth. You just mentioned them…Egyptians, Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. The Egyptians were there a lot longer than the other groups. They have thrived and flourished.”

  Ayla intently stared at Art, “Tribes on an alien planet? Are they still there?”

  “Yes,” Art noted.

  “Is it possible to see them? To see how they are living?” she asked unable to conceal her excitement.

  Art gave a command and on a twenty-foot-high screen on the rear wall the image from the beacon launched by Einar appeared, “This is a photo we just received.”

  Ayla’s interest was further aroused, “So, what is their culture like? I wonder if they have progressed technologically or linguistically as the Egyptians on Earth?”

  “Very primiti
ve. They have not advanced much since being there,” Art showed her other images of the city taken from when they had made contact with them. “They use basic weapons and tools. Nothing too advanced.” Art shared the recent history and events with Einar and Eerika, “We have already dispatched a team there to get them.”

  “I want to go. I want to see them. I have studied all about the Egyptians for so long. It would be an incredible opportunity…like stepping back in time,” Ayla said almost pleading for an opportunity.

  “I am afraid that the trip is too dangerous at this point. This is a military mission. There is too much turmoil in the Universe to take a chance,” he replied.

  Ayla wasn’t defeated by the comment. She was excited to realize the possibility of being able to physically view and study the inhabitants of RA and perhaps get a better understanding of how the ancient tribes of Earth had lived. Even if she would have to wait until tensions or war had concluded.

  Gunner studied the slowly turning hologram of Earth and noticed something he had not expected, “Is this in real time?” he asked. “I thought these were clouds over California, but this is smoke from the wildfires…right? There is heavy rain over the central Gulf Coast and the clouds are moving eastward. Is this just animation?”

  “No, this is entirely accurate. It can show us future weather as well,” Art noted.

  “If this is in real time and you can see all these weather events, can’t you see the natural disasters these criminals are unleashing on Earth?” Gunner asked looking away from the beok at Art searching for an answer.

  “We don’t know. We are trying to figure that out,” Art said projecting no emotion. “Econ,” he said in a firm tone. The hologram of Earth disappeared and one of Econ took its place. “With this beok, you can see and study any inhabited planet in the universe. Obviously, you can give an audible command, but you don’t know all the planets across the galaxies, so you can command it to give you an index or list of planets and choose from there.”

  Logan remembered seeing an underwater structure on the approach to the coastline. He reached out and tapped in the general area. Econ’s orbital pattern stopped then the planet rolled over while zooming in on the location. The hologram flattened out and looked more like a map on a large computer. He tapped again and it continued to enlarge. Logan located the structure then tapped on it a third time and a dimensional view from above the surface appeared. He tapped again and the view moved beneath the water’s surface. A giant creature swam just past the structure to the right out of Logan’s vantage point. It was larger than most whales he had seen and its movements led him to believe that it was far more agile. Unlike the typical marine creatures on Earth, this one didn’t have any pectoral fins, but six elongated webbed appendages that looked and moved like arms. Its long frame moved like a snake through the water only the motion was up and down and not side to side.

  “What was that, the Loch Ness Monster?” Logan asked attempting to get a better look.

  “No, that is a Nekark. They are fairly aggressive and destructive. Nothing like the sharks on Earth. They are very sensitive to tones and sound waves. They can get agitated by the wrong frequency and the irritation can stir up a bit of a destructive fury. That building is a research facility. The Nekark have been known to attack underwater vessels. We are trying to study ways to prevent that. New types of propulsion systems…those kinds of things.”

  Ayla looked up from the table and focused on an image on a monitor on the outer wall. She quickly moved around the table and toward the image. Art’s gaze followed her across the room, “I thought he was dead. He is alive?” she said after stopping in front of the monitor.

  Logan was intrigued and followed her while looking at the image, “Who?”

  “That is Dr. Smith from Tulum. Where was this picture taken? When was it taken?” she asked.

  “On the planet of Nellore. The images came in when you arrived. We are trying to identify the man. He was being moved from one transport to another when our agents were able to get the images. He wasn’t there long. We are tracking the transport,” Art said.

  “Well, I am willing to bet that that is Dr. Dennis Smith. His clothes are different, but that looks like him,” Ayla explained the unpleasant incident at Tulum to Art and the SINSTER agents who already seemed to know about the incident but were very interested in her firsthand account. “He is the only person who was never accounted for.”

  Art wondered why they wanted him and realized that since Ayla’s testimony, they needed to prioritize recovery of the Doctor. Had the attack on the team been about getting the Doctor? What did he know?

  “Director, the transport seems to be locked on a planet not too far from Aigi. There is no name or information on file,” a Viennin man behind the monitor said.

  Art looked over and instantly recognized it, “RA is suddenly a very popular place. They are going to RA,” he replied. “How odd. Nothing about RA for all this time, then twice in one day. Is this coincidental?”

  “Director!” a man called out from behind him.

  They all turned toward the man and followed his gaze. Suspended in the air was a small vertical disturbance that looked like all the moisture in the room had magically pooled together. As if being birthed, a sweat covered head popped out of the odd disturbance and looked around the room. The boy blinked rapidly as his eyes burned from the moisture attempting to maintain focus on what he was looking at. It was obvious that he was nervous and fearful.

  “Duncan?” Art called out recognizing the boy.

  The boy seemed as if he were attempting to gain his bearings and confirm the location. After the director called out his name, his head retracted and was gone again. The transfer of energy caused a ripple in the air much like water in a pond after a diver had punched through its surface.

  Logan, Ayla, and Gunner all looked at the disturbance and then at each other. “He was all head…then just disappeared. Is that a portal?” Logan asked without realizing he was speaking out loud.

  Several agents moved toward the disturbance, retrieved their sidearms, and took a defensive position. Ayla moved away from the table and was circling around the airborne disturbance, but the agents continued to point their weapons. It was as thin as paper and from behind she could not see anything but the faces of all who anticipated what was about to happen. It was only visible from the side facing the table, which was the side the head had popped out of. She considered reaching out and touching it but gave it a second thought.

  A leg popped out and planted itself on the floor and was quickly followed by the rest of the boy. It was clear that he was struggling with something that no one else could see. This increased the anxiety of the armed agents. Ayla’s instincts, since she was right next to him, were to help. The boy was covered in sweat, which went everywhere as he shook his head back and forth to clear it from his eyes. Duncan’s second leg came out and he leaned back struggling to hold a pair of feet that were in his hands. Ayla moved to help, but the boy paused and with his facial expression suggested that she should not interfere. Two of the agents moved in to assist and once again the boy suggested that they not interfere.

  Within a few seconds, the body became more visible, and they realized it was a woman he carried. As soon as her face came through, Art instinctively looked over to Logan who met his gaze and realized without the exchange of any dialogue who it was being pulled through the portal. He moved around the table. The second, unidentified boy stepped out of the disturbance then the portal disappeared as if someone had pulled a plug causing it to dissipate. Before the boys could set her down, it was obvious to everyone in the room that something was wrong with Sonia. She was visibly sick and seemed to be hanging on to consciousness by a thread. The color of her arm was odd.

  Art called out to the medical staff, who, upon seeing her, demanded that the room be cleared. Logan stood looking down on his sister for the first time in twenty years. She appeared to be on the brink of death and he didn’t want
to leave. Within seconds the medical team was swarming over her and running in and out of the chamber. A very large SINSTER agent placed a hand on his shoulder and compassionately asked him to step out of the room.

  Chapter 22

  “Nam-nim,” the lowly sagnitah called out as he approached keeping his eyes on the ground and not daring to look up at Ningal. An accidental glance at the new leader would mean a brutal beating and months locked in a dark chamber with very little opportunity to get food or water.

  The sagnitah wore a plain blood-red robe and he nervously fumbled with the belt hoping to avoid making an error or upsetting the newly seated Nam-nim. He released the belt just in time before the fear gave him away. Like most slaves, his mind was supposed to be altered so that he would be less analytical than the average Tisht. Somehow, the effort to deprogram him had not been as effective as it seemed to be on others, and he was always far more intelligent than he led them to believe. At times it was very difficult with so many eyes around watching, especially when opportunities to escape were before him. Often seeming just too easy and obvious such as an open and unguarded door. He pretended as if he hadn’t noticed and fought off every ounce of his desire to run and hide in the outside world. The slave acted as simple as possible and did what he was told when he was told. It seemed as if everyone believed that he was a simple slave doing the job that was bestowed upon him. He would only get one chance at an escape and he needed to make certain when to take the risk for he did not intend to suffer the consequences of failure.

  In this place, he was known simply as a sagnitah which was a demeaning and common name given to male slaves. Only, Sana Kane was much more than that. He was the son of Zan Kane the duly elected prime minister of what was once the Constitutional Republic of Tozan, the most powerful and respected nation on the planet of Reiahn. Tozan was a strong supporter of the Universal Council at the onset of the resistance by what became known as the Kasadu Alliance. Less than five years had passed since the Kasadu launched their propaganda campaign against the position taken by the leaders of the nations of Reiahn, in an effort to turn the nations against one another and the citizens against their governments. The effort had proven effective and resulted in civil unrest and war in most of the countries on the planet. The once powerful and wealthy nations suffered calamity and economic ruin. During the uprising in Tozan, Zan Kane was drug out into the streets of the capital city and assassinated by none other than Sieti Kane, his brother who was then seated as the puppet ruler of Tozan by the Kasadu.