The Universe Parallel

by Traci Harding

  It was a lovely morning at the lake house. Noah had brought the structure to the surface so that Lucian and Taren might enjoy the view over breakfast, which they most certainly did.

  Afterwards, as Lucian was getting a little restless waiting around for Rhun to return with news, Noah offered to accompany him on a walk through the forest and left Taren happily basking in the sunshine on the main deck, with a few more of the historical orbs.

  She’d just made tea and sat herself down when Rhun appeared beside her and she nearly spilt the hot fluid all over herself.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ Rhun assisted her to steady the teetering cup and place it safely on the table. ‘I didn’t mean to startle you.’

  ‘I’m fine.’ She waved off her fright. ‘How did you go with the MSS agents?’

  Rhun had to smile at being put immediately on the spot: his mother had never been one for beating about the bush.

  ‘I’ve sent them back to Maladaan with a firm warning,’ he advised.

  Taren wasn’t sure that was the best course of action, but was not about to question the ruler’s judgement. She looked at the pristine landscape. ‘My people are going to want this place, and the very fact that you are all psychic will be the perfect excuse, in their eyes, for them to covet it.’

  Rhun nodded and shrugged. ‘You must know from watching Noah’s chronicles that none of the Chosen will take that lying down.’

  ‘That won’t stop my people being arrogant enough to give it a try in any case.’ She forced a smile. ‘From watching those chronicles I feel I know both races fairly well … and what Maladaan lacks in technology and psychic expertise, they more than make up for in underhandedness and greed.’

  Rhun nodded to accept her warning. ‘Then we had best put our heads together and come up with a plan to get your planet back where it should be.’

  As they each expected the other held the answer, they just grinned and nodded, waiting for the other one to speak first.

  ‘Well, you must have had some plan to have pursued your planet through that tear in space?’ Rhun suggested and Taren denied this with a shake of her head.

  ‘I did it because the Grigori told me the answer would be waiting for me here.’ She shrugged.

  ‘There was nothing else on your mission agenda?’ Rhun delved.

  ‘Only to reacquire the memories that the MSS stole from me when I left their service,’ Taren divulged, ‘but that is a personal agenda and —’

  ‘Maybe there is something in your lost memory that will help us?’ Rhun suggested, for as En Noah had pointed out to him yesterday, answers to the big questions usually had to be dug for.

  Taren frowned, doubtful. ‘I really couldn’t say.’ She shrugged.

  ‘Where are these memories of yours?’

  ‘Inside the MSS mainframe computer,’ she said in a strained tone. ‘Top-level clearance access only, and protected by a barrage of security precautions.’

  ‘Normally breaching such a computer would not be a problem for us … but if anyone from Kila was caught on Maladaan there would be an even more perfect excuse for war.’ Rhun was thoughtful. ‘It may still be doable, however; leave it with me.’

  ‘Does the Aten still exist?’ Taren made another suggestion.

  ‘What did you have in mind?’ Rhun was curious as to her interest in the time-hopping vessel that was built by the Nefilim Gods of Earth’s ancient past.

  ‘Perhaps I could take it back to my universe and then return to a time before we ever interfered with the being we found on Oceane?’

  She gulped at her suggestion, as that would also mean that every event since that time would be undone! Lucian would still be married to his treacherous wife and blissfully unaware of the fact. The AMIE project’s precious research would still be being leaked to the MSS by Lucian’s even more treacherous brother! Her parents would still be at odds with each other and her mother would still be under the controlling curse of the Phemoray! On the upside, Maladaan would still be where it belonged, Kila would be safe and the AMIE project would still be in full swing, with all her crew alive and well.

  ‘You have seen how much trouble that vessel brought to our universe?’ Rhun thought better of the suggestion. ‘Do you think it would be wise to introduce such a powerful tool to yours?’

  On second thought, Taren shook her head. She was even a little relieved by Rhun’s reasoning, as the thought of having to relinquish Lucian and go back to the beginning and start all over again was too gut-wrenching to even consider. ‘You’re right … we’ll keep looking. Besides, if Maladaan was never misplaced, then I would never have seen this place —’ Taren grinned as Avery manifested on the balcony before Rhun. ‘Hello there,’ she greeted him.

  But Avery was very perturbed. ‘We have a situation.’

  Rhun rose and walked aside with Avery who quietly conveyed his woes. Taren could not hear what they were.

  ‘Goddamn it!’ Rhun could not contain his frustration, not even for appearances. ‘I have to go,’ he looked back to Taren, ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Won’t you tell me what —’ Taren ceased her appeal as she found herself alone. ‘I might be able to help,’ she said, frustrated with being left out of the loop.

  Yes, she was a guest, and yes she should abide by the wishes of her host and stay hidden. But, by the same token, she felt Rhun was severely underestimating Maladaan’s capabilities to do Kila harm, and thus she closed her eyes and thought herself after the governor.

  Upon their arrival back at the wharf the next morning Jahan and Jazmay could barely keep their hands off one another, but as there were only a few people about at this early hour, it mattered not.

  ‘So what is on your agenda today?’ Jazmay queried as they strolled down the long jetty towards the marina.

  ‘Actually,’ Jahan checked his watch, ‘I’m due back at the Shutura Crevice in about a half an hour.’

  ‘Could I come with you?’ Jazmay asked. ‘Maybe I could apply for a job?’

  Jahan was delighted by the suggestion. ‘You want to work for KEPA?’

  ‘If it means I can be with you,’ she smiled in conclusion. ‘But I could really use a shower and a change of clothes.’

  Jahan offered to escort Jazmay back to her place, and planned on seeking permission from Rhiannon to take Jazmay to the Shutura Crevice while Jazmay freshened up.

  They entered the apartment laughing and chatting, until Jazmay spotted Fari standing in the lounge room, staring at them with daggers in his eyes.

  ‘Fari?’ She was surprised to find him here. ‘I thought you were staying with Agent —’

  ‘You’re dead!’ he advised through gritted teeth and Jahan braced for impact as the boy came charging at them and unexpectedly rammed Jazmay backwards into a wall — the force of which knocked her unconscious on impact.

  Jahan was stunned that the boy who claimed to love her would do such a thing! ‘You could have killed her!’

  ‘That’s the general idea.’ Fari turned his sights to Jahan. ‘But you first.’ The boy sprang at Jahan and a more experienced immortal would have just willed himself out of Fari’s way. But Jahan, inexperienced and in shock, was sent crashing into the wall opposite and was winded. ‘You can’t kill me, I’m immortal!’ he gasped, hoping to reason with Fari.

  ‘But I can kill her,’ the boy whispered in spite and swung a punch that shattered Jahan’s jaw.

  The taste of blood filled Jahan’s mouth and nasal passages as he hit the floor — if he’d been mortal he would have suffocated.

  The boy left him lying there in a pool of blood, and Jahan watched through blurry vision as Fari grabbed a large laser knife and headed towards Jazmay with it.

  Jahan set his bleary sights on the knife and willed the handle into his possession, and immediately he grasped the item.

  Fari was annoyed but not deterred as he ripped a spiky piece of metal art from the wall and immediately ran at Jazmay with that. Jahan felt his broken jaw snap back into place and he wil
led Fari to be still just as the boy thrust the sharp metal piece down towards Jazmay’s heart, freezing him only a heartbeat before he managed to take her life.

  Jahan quickly found his feet and as he made haste in Fari’s direction he manifested a Nerguz module in his hand and slapped it around the paralysed child’s wrist. ‘Bad boy.’ These words and Jahan’s voice formed the lock code for the module and Fari was now completely under Jahan’s control. Jahan took the dangerous piece from Fari’s hand, and asking him to step back, he released the boy from his paralysis.

  ‘I will kill you,’ snarled Fari, upon finding he was unable to retaliate. ‘I will kill all of you!’

  Jahan was disturbed by the intensity of the child’s hatred — even under the circumstances it was extreme. He understood that the boy might resent Jazmay and himself, but everyone on the planet? ‘Why would you want to do that?’

  ‘Because I can,’ he replied coolly.

  ‘Sorry to inform you, but you can’t scratch yourself without my say-so,’ Jahan advised, moving to see how Jazmay fared. ‘I forbid you to speak, or move, without permission, is that understood?’

  When Fari remained silent Jahan was appeased and turned to see to Jazmay.

  Chief Ronan was very tired and grumpy by the time he landed on Maladaan; he’d never noticed how much the surrounding environment affected his own moods before. But since acquiring his ‘Power’ not only could he see the vital energy of others, he felt the quality of energy they generated, and after being on Kila for over a month, Maladaan felt like being led to prison.

  The agents returning from the rogue mission to Kila escorted the chief to a briefing with President Tallak. This was not a closed meeting as several of the president’s chiefs of staff were present, along with a very tall, handsome human male — at least, that is how the being appeared on the outside and no doubt how everyone in the room saw him. Ronan, however, saw through the skin-deep disguise to perceive a humanoid-type creature that had lizard-like features and an aura that was pure shadow and radiated negativity.

  ‘Ah, Chief Ronan, finally you return.’ The president greeted him in an apathetic manner.

  ‘Well, I have been recovering from a near fatal heart attack, as you are aware.’ Ronan didn’t like his president’s tone one bit.

  ‘You certainly appear all the better for your infirmity,’ Tallak warranted.

  ‘Why did Maladaan breach the treaty with Kila?’ Ronan really wasn’t in the mood for small talk. ‘If they decide to cut off all aid, where will we be?’

  ‘Where indeed?’ The president motioned to his new colleague. ‘Allow me to introduce Yahweh Shyamal.’

  The stranger took a bow but said nothing.

  ‘The Yahweh’s people have been forced to deal with these Chosen before, to their great loss and detriment. But his people have since devised weapons that will ensure we need not bow down to their threats.’

  ‘What threats?’ Ronan queried.

  ‘The threat of having our aid withdrawn if we do not toe the line.’ Tallak stood, adamant. ‘Why should we rely on their charity, if we can take what we need to sustain ourselves? Surely you realise we cannot allow Kila to sit on all those precious resources when we have none!’

  Ronan was shocked by their audacity, but felt it was typical. ‘And what of returning our planet to its rightful universe, does Yahweh Shyamal have a solution for that dilemma also?’ The chief made this sound like a simple inquiry, without hinting at the sudden resentment he felt for the creature.

  ‘Do the Chosen?’ Tallak shot the question back at Ronan and the chief’s stunned silence said it all. ‘That was never going to happen,’ the president stated realistically. ‘But living in a universe with a level playing field for all humans can be a reality, thanks to the technologies Yahweh Shyamal has brought to the table.’ The president was again seated. ‘Yahweh Shyamal’s people are very technologically advanced and have been specialising in genetic warfare. It seems that what defines a human’s resistance to mortality is additional DNA strands, and where you or I may be employing only two to four strands of DNA, most psychics have six to eight strands, and the Chosen have developed up to twelve strands!’

  Ronan was feeling slightly ill as he listened, for he’d learnt this same information from Hatty in the healing temple on Kila.

  ‘This additional genetic armour is what grants them their power and immortal status,’ Tallak went on to say. ‘Yahweh Shyamal’s people have developed a particle beam that causes any additional genetic code to unravel, leaving any psychic target as mortal as you or I. We have already tested the weapon on those with “the Powers” in our penitentiaries and they have lost all their psychic expertise.’ Tallak rubbed his hands together, very excited; he’d been seeking just such a solution to their psychic problem for eons.

  ‘This is certainly splendid news,’ Ronan faked his delight. ‘But what does Yahweh Shyamal stand to gain from all of this?’

  ‘Yahweh Shyamal and his few surviving comrades find themselves without a planet at this time; with our armies and his weapons we shall easily overcome the small population of Kila, whereupon we shall share in her abundant spoils.’

  ‘And the residents of Kila?’ Ronan tried to make it sound like he didn’t give a damn.

  ‘Yahweh Shyamal will have dominion over them.’ Tallak looked to his new ally and grinned in a rather malign manner.

  ‘Then my work on Kila has obviously come to an end,’ Ronan concluded, ‘shall I recall my agents and staff still on the planet?’

  ‘No,’ Tallak insisted. ‘I’ll see that they are taken care of. We wouldn’t want to alarm our neighbours … which is why, my dear Chief Ronan, you will be a guest of the state until the situation is resolved.’

  ‘What?’ The chief was affronted. ‘You’re going to lock me up? Who will run the MSS?’

  ‘Your attaché, Mr Norward, has been doing a fine job in your absence and will continue as chief until our takeover of Kila has been completed.’

  The chief stared down the strange creature behind the handsome human façade, wondering what hole in the universe it had crawled out from under; he certainly didn’t trust it. In fact now, Ronan didn’t trust anybody on this planet!

  ‘What, no protest?’ asked the president. ‘No objection to our course of action?’

  ‘You are the president,’ Ronan said, ‘where you want me, I go. You did not ask for my opinion, so I did not give it.’

  ‘Good man,’ said Tallak, ‘I will ensure you have everything you need while you finish recuperating from your recent illness.’

  Ronan nodded and bit his tongue; if they were given the slightest hint of his allegiance to Kila, his stay in the state’s care would become a more permanent arrangement.

  In pursuit of the Governor of Kila, Taren found herself in a residential abode, with dead bodies all over the floor, and she gasped in shock, which brought her presence to Rhun’s attention.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ He was very annoyed with her. ‘I didn’t know you could teleport.’ He looked worried and pleased about that.

  ‘It’s a new trick,’ she admitted, as another two young men she had never met before both gasped as they laid eyes on her, although one of the young men she recognised from viewing Noah’s chronicles as Tory Alexander’s grandson.

  ‘Governess?’ he said.

  ‘Taren Lennox!’ stated the other.

  ‘What?’ The two young men turned and looked at one other, wondering after the other’s words.

  ‘My son, Asher, head of defence.’ Rhun introduced Taren to the young fellow who looked like a younger blond version of himself. Rhun then advised Asher that he was not to tell anyone that he had met Taren.

  ‘I have not met her, she is not here,’ Asher confirmed with a grin in understanding.

  ‘And this is Telmo Dacre, science advisor and current envoy of Maladaan.’

  This caught Taren’s interest. ‘You are from Maladaan?’

  ‘Yes.’ He came over
to shake her hand, and despite their morbid situation, he was very excited. ‘I have read all of your work, Dr Lennox, you are an inspiration!’

  ‘You were on Maladaan when it relocated?’ She was far more interested in hearing about that.

  ‘I was in the very lab where the sample exploded,’ he boasted, wanting to impress her. ‘I was standing right next to Chief Ronan when it happened.’

  Taren was finding it hard to repress her smile. ‘So Ronan is one of us now.’

  ‘One of us?’ Telmo queried.

  ‘Psychic,’ Taren enlightened, ‘any direct contact with that being heightens psychic awareness.’

  Telmo appeared to be having an epiphany. ‘That’s why I’ve been having all these visions … I thought it was just me!’ Now he was grinning at the thought of Chief Ronan wielding a Power. ‘You don’t sound as though you like the chief very much?’ Telmo wondered after the underlining tone of discord in her voice.

  ‘I don’t,’ she replied surely. ‘Don’t ask me why, I don’t remember as I believe the reason for our dislike of one another was wiped from my memory by the MSS.’

  ‘Wow … that must be weird.’ Telmo clearly didn’t know how to respond.

  ‘Very,’ Taren assured. The young man looked vaguely familiar to her, and even though he was obviously MSS, she still felt well disposed towards him. ‘Have we met?’ she queried, and as Telmo shook his head, Rhun leant close to jog her memory.

  ‘Taliesin.’

  Taren frowned as it took a moment to see the famous Merlin she’d been learning about in the young man — Taliesin had been Tory Alexander’s mentor and inspiration. ‘A bit of a role reversal then,’ she concluded and Rhun nodded to agree as he surveyed the dead. ‘Do you know what transpired here?’ Taren asked after his woes.

  ‘Normally I would not permit you to know.’ Rhun was annoyed by her taking liberties he’d not extended her, and it felt rather odd to be scolding this soul when in his experience it had always been the other way around. ‘But as you are here now, we may as well hear your views.’ He nodded to Asher to fill her in.