Flinx Transcendent

by Alan Dean Foster

  Dread and loathing, for example.

  Lord Eiipul IX was the descendant of a long line of noble nye whose ancestry could be traced back to single-planetary origins. He was highly intelligent, a trained fighter, skilled in the arts of war, politics, economics, and status rivalry. Decades of intense competition within the fierce upper strata of AAnn society had left him scarred but never bowed. There was nothing in the Empire, the Commonwealth, or the unknown dark galactic reaches framing both that he found intimidating. Gently, expertly, with skill born of years of ever-increasing experience, Flinx massaged and worked to repair the AAnn's tattered emotions.

  Lord Eiipul woke up screaming.

  Nothing they had experienced in their young lives prepared Eiipul's offspring or Kiijeem for that reaction. The brother dropped his pistol while his sister, stumbling backward until she pressed up against the nearest wall, just did manage to keep a shaky grip on hers. To his credit Kiijeem held his ground. Or perhaps he was simply unable to move. Frozen to the spot, he stared at the resting platform on which the noble, the estimable, the most venerable Lord Eiipul IX was twitching and tossing and shrieking like a newborn that had been cast into a fire. AAnn, especially those in their prime, did not react like this. No matter the circumstances, regardless of pain or suffering, they forever held fast to a legacy of stoicism that bordered on the fanatical.

  Confronted with the unexpectedly violent reaction, Flinx did the only thing he could think of: bending over and reaching down, he wrapped both arms around the possessed nye and held him tightly as he tried to still the convulsions. While Pip slithered crazily around his neck and shoulders, he pulled the AAnn as close to him as he dared. Madly flailing claws slashed at his bare chest. Wincing from the pain, turning his head to one side to protect his eyes and face, Flinx ignored the cuts and lacerations as he concentrated on projecting feelings of reassurance, comfort, and support onto the sufferer. Uncertain how to react, desperately wanting to help but afraid to interfere, the three younger AAnn remained as they were and just stared.

  Slowly, agonizingly, little by emotive little, Flinx brought Lord Eiipul IX back. Back to reality, back to himself. The AAnn's turbulent emotions calmed, the terror that had inundated him receded. An outer eyelid flickered, then the inner. His mind began to clear and his gaze to focus. Unhelpfully, the first thing they saw was the naked alien specter of Flinx hovering over him.

  Instinctively, a four-fingered, claw-tipped hand rose and pushed. Releasing his hold with his left arm, Flinx quickly slid his right out from beneath the AAnn's back and moved away. Blood from the nye's unconscious, automatic clawing oozed down the tall human's bare chest and belly to mix with the perspiration that always lingered from the debilitating mental journey.

  Tentatively, Eiipul IXc stepped forward to peer down at the patriarch. “Honored ssire, we have been sso truly truly vexed! We have sseen you alive yet dead. We did not know what to do, how to help.” Her gaze rose to the wounded softskin bleeding silently nearby. “We wanted to kill the vissitor—but at the ssame time we were afraid to kill it.”

  Grimacing, Lord Eiipul raised himself to a sitting position. His unusually rapid breathing was the only remaining indication that he had undergone an experience out of the ordinary. That, and the dark red liquid trickling from his mouth. His jaws had been clenched tightly enough to bleed.

  He did not answer his offspring, did not respond to her declaration. Swinging his legs and tail off the platform, he placed his sandaled feet on the floor, stood motionless long enough to be confident of his balance, and then started toward the watching Flinx. On the third step he stumbled and nearly fell. Alarmed, the twins broke in his direction, but he waved them off. Using his tail for balance, he resumed his slow advance on the softskin.

  Halting within arm's reach, Eiipul turned his head to the left and exposed his throat. Within the room, no one breathed. When Flinx continued to hesitate, the noble reached out, took the human's right hand, and placed it against his unprotected neck.

  “You cannot kill me,” he declared solemnly, “becausse I have jusst died.”

  As he observed the tableau, Kiijeem found himself remembering. Remembering how insistent he had been that the softskin allow him to share in the hazily described experience. How the human had refused and how angry he, Kiijeem AVMd, had become. He tried to swallow, only to discover that all the moisture had fled from his throat.

  Flinx lowered his arm, allowing the AAnn to turn his head back to him once again. “I'm sorry. When words failed, I didn't know any other way to convince you.” Turning, he walked over to the sweeping window. Inclining his head, he bent slightly at the waist in order to look up at the night sky.

  “It keeps speeding up. The phenomenon that's coming this way. I and my friends—the few Commonwealth scientists who are also aware of it—thought it would be hundreds of years before the danger it poses would become imminent.” Straightening as he reached up to caress Pip, he turned to look back at his host. “Each time I reach out to encounter it I'm less certain of that time frame. If it keeps on accelerating it's conceivable it might burst out of the Great Emptiness and begin to affect the outer reaches of the galaxy as soon as in our lifetimes.”

  “Sshannt, ssoftsskin. There iss no need for additional emphassiss. I will not doubt your word again.” Pivoting slightly, he finally addressed his offspring. “Sstand and breathe. I am alive, I am well, but I am changed. As would be anyone who had been obliged to sshare what I have jusst sshared.” He looked back at Flinx. “I do not know how you did what you jusst did, human. Manifesstly, you are different. The how and why of that I leave to cleverer, more sspecialized mindss than mine. For now I will content mysself with that which I know. With what I have—experienced. I know it wass not an illussion. Would that it had been. You have accomplisshed what you intended, human. I believe your sstory.”

  For the first time that evening, Flinx allowed himself to unwind slightly. “Then you agree to hide me until my ship can return to pick me up, and will help me travel to the pickup site unobserved?”

  Lord Eiipul regarded the softskin standing before him. “No.”

  Flinx could not hide his surprise. The AAnn's emotions belied his response. Something was being left unsaid. “I don't understand.”

  “As you have all too clearly sshown,” Eiipul replied, “thiss danger iss one that threatenss all civilizationss, all living thingss. It iss not, sshould not, be the province of one sspeciess—far less a ssingle repressentative of that sspeciess. You bear a burden I would not sshare for the chance to be chossen Emperor.

  “The Empire and the Commonwealth sstand at oddss yet pressently hold to an uneassy peace. It iss plain to me that all ssuch conflict musst be put asside lesst an unforesseen incident, an unpredictable encounter, might interfere with your effortss to try and counter thiss … thiss …”

  Eloquent as Lord Eiipul was, he could not find the words to describe what he had just experienced. It was likely he did not wish to. Describing would require remembering. “While it iss unlikely you will be given overt assisstance, it musst be made certain that you are permitted to proceed with the assurance that no facet of the Empire will in any way interfere with your effortss.”

  This was getting out of hand, Flinx saw. All he wanted was help in getting off Blasusarr safely and unobtrusively. But Lord Eiipul would not be denied.

  “I ssee only one way to achieve ssuch assurance, for good and for a certainty.” He was watching the softskin closely. “What I jusst ssurvived. What you jusst sshowed to me. Can you—can you sshare it with more than one individual at a time?”

  “I don't know,” Flinx answered honestly. “I myself have previously shared the contact with multiple minds, but they accompanied me unbidden, and they weren't human.”

  “All to the good.” Lord Eiipul sounded encouraged. “Neither am I. Neither are thosse with whom I wissh you to sshare sso that they too may be convinced, and sso that the Empire will do what it can to facilitate your effortss t
o ssave uss all.”

  Unable to stand by in silence any longer, Eiipul IXc stepped forward. “Honored parent, are you ssuggessting that the horror you jusst ssurvived be sshared with other nye?”

  “It iss the only way,” he told her with atypical gentleness. “I mysself would not accept the ssoftsskin'ss wordss by themsselvess. I had to be sshown. I had to experience. It would be the ssame with any otherss. They would not accept jusst an explanation any more than did I. Only by experiencing will they believe.” He turned back to the waiting Flinx.

  “I will take the preparatory sstepss. At the appropriate moment, I will make the necessary introduction.” He gestured to where Flinx's simsuit was neatly laid out on a polished section of floor. “I fear that for one more time, at leasst, you musst employ your ingeniouss dissguisse.”

  Flinx took a deep breath. It was evident from his emotions as well as from his words that Lord Eiipul was not going to be dissuaded from the course of action he had chosen. On the positive side, Flinx had to admit that it would be very useful in the furtherance of his activities if the representatives of the AAnn Empire, wherever and whenever he might happen to encounter them, had been specifically instructed to give a certain tall young human freedom to proceed wherever and however he wished.

  “All right,” he replied resignedly. “If you think it's that necessary. With whom do you want me to share? Mates of yours? Other family members?” He mulled other possibilities. “Representatives of the military?”

  Lord Eiipul gestured first-degree inclusiveness underscored with pure unconditionality. “As the threat you sshowed to me iss the greatesst that can be imagined, sso therefore musst the greatesst be expossed to it. I sshall assume the necessary rissk.”

  Flinx was instantly on guard. “What risk?”

  The AAnn met his gaze unflinchingly. “I will make arrangementss sso that you can sshare your experience of thiss galaxy-wide threat with the Imperial Gathering and with the Emperor himsself.”

  Startled hisses rose from his offspring. “Honored ssire, no!” Eiipul IXb rushed his parent, followed closely by his sister. Flinx noted that Kiijeem held back. This was a family matter. No matter what opinion he might hold, no matter what insight he felt he could bring to the discussion, the twins' friend would remain aloof from the debate. If the outcome went well, he stood to benefit. If it ended in disaster, he could claim noninvolvement. No wonder the strongest emotion Flinx read from his young friend was satisfaction. The feelings currently being broadcast by the two Eiipul progeny constituted another emotive state entirely.

  They were frightened, as well as indignant.

  “Conssider, my lord,” his daughter was pleading, “that if the unprecedented confrontation you proposse sshould fail, it could mean the end of your career.”

  “Not only your career.” Her brother was politely irate. “The family Eiipul itsself could be ruined. Everything that our ancesstorss have built, our illusstriouss family hisstory, our sstanding within the Empire—all could be ssacrificed on the altar of a hassty decission. We could losse everything—even our name.”

  Their patriarch was silent. For a moment Flinx thought the fretful twins might have persuaded Lord Eiipul to change his mind. But as it turned out he was only gathering his thoughts.

  “If you had come into contact with the ssame monsstroussness as did I, you would undersstand,” he informed his offspring gravely. “You would hassten to my ssupport and not think to challenge it. But you sstood outsside the dire. For thiss I am grateful. For thiss you sshould be grateful. Revel in your continued ignorance and be glad our vissitor hass chossen not to convey to you the full force of hiss knowledge.” Off to one side, Kiijeem eyed Flinx meaningfully as Lord Eiipul turned back to the softskin.

  “You musst do as I ssuggesst.” The noble's tail flicked sharply to the right. “Otherwisse, I will not help you.”

  There it was. Whatever happened from now on, Flinx could consider himself absolved. The decision had been forced on him. Decision, and opportunity. Still…

  “I don't know if I can do what you request, Lord Eiipul. I've never tried, at least not intentionally, to share the experience with more than one other sentient at a time.”

  “You sshared with me.” From the dispenser at his side the AAnn noble drew forth a fresh libation. “You will find the Emperor an admirable entity, and there are many in the Gathering who are wiser and more knowledgeable than mysself. None, I think, will be immune to the importance of what you musst reveal to them.”

  “Speaking of immunity,” Flinx reminded his host, “there is danger involved. You now know that.”

  “Better than I would wissh to,” Eiipul admitted. “Yet all knowledge concealss within it danger to a greater or lesser degree.” He gestured third-degree amusement. “If it did not, governmentss would not be sso anxiouss to regulate it.” Coming closer, he lowered his voice.

  “I give you, Flinx of the Commonwealth, Flinx LLVVRXX of the Tier Ssaiinn, a chance to interact with the ssupreme leaderss of the Empire. It iss an opportunity no human hass ever been offered before. Not the head of your government, not the Lasst Ressort of your United Church, not the mosst eminent among your sscientissts, not the resspected leaderss of your military. You musst sshow my own kind what iss at sstake.” He stepped back. “Only then will you be assured of a ssafe departure from thiss world, and the chance to carry on your essential work.”

  Flinx found himself pondering what was at once an offer and a command. If he refused Eiipul's request, his options would be seriously limited. If he agreed, and could bring it off, there could be ancillary benefits. Thinking back to his time on Jast among the Tier of Ssaiinn inevitably led him to fond remembrances of one exceptional AAnn: the female, Chraluuc, who had looked after and taken a special interest in him. She had wanted him to be a bridge between humans and her kind. Here was an opportunity to do so on a scale neither of them could ever have foreseen.

  Of course, if he failed in the effort not only would humans and AAnn not be drawn closer together, but he could quite easily end up dead.

  He refocused his attention on the noble nye waiting in front of him. His emotions elevated but under control, Eiipul awaited his answer.

  “If you can really get me that kind of audience,” Flinx sighed, “I'll try to do what you ask. I'll try as I've never tried before.”

  “Excellent, my illicit friend! I will sstart work immediately.” Eiipul gestured to his left. “Meanwhile, you are my guesst. We will enssconce you in a part of the ressidence that iss clossed to vissitorss, even to family. There you can resst and recover your sstrength. You will need it all, I think,” he concluded solemnly.

  “Honored ssire,” his daughter protested. “Thiss iss madness! If the ssoftsskin iss found out, if it becomess known we are harboring a human illegally arrived on Blasussarr, that will be the end of our family sstatuss as ssurely as if all of uss perisshed at the human'ss handss!”

  “Then,” Lord Eiipul told his protesting offspring firmly, “it will behoove you and your brother and your friend to enssure that that eventuality doess not come to pass. Azzissn?”

  Taking a respectful step backward, she dropped her eyes and mumbled reluctantly, “Azzissn.” In this unhappy acquiescence she was joined by her brother and also by the attentive Kiijeem.

  “It iss decided.” Turning back to his unforeseen guest, Lord Eiipul started to extend a welcoming tail tip. Remembering that his visitor was conspicuously deficient in that department, the noble quickly substituted a proffered hand instead. Four scaly fingers gripped five decidedly softer ones.

  “Now then, can you eat proper food?”

  “I find most AAnn cuisine quite agreeable, as does my companion.” Flinx added a slight nod in the direction of the minidrag riding comfortably on his left shoulder. “Though after a while a steady regimen of meat and its synthetic derivatives does become tiresome.”

  His host responded with a visible shudder. “I undersstand. I am familiar with the human diet. A
t leasst you are not thranx. We will try to sscrounge ssome ‘edible’ plant matter sso you can vary your intake. Meanwhile, I would have you tell me everything you can about thiss horror that sspeedss toward uss and threatenss all of exisstence.” He sucked in a deep, whistling breath. “Though I have but infinitessimally ssenssed it for mysself, I would sstill know more. If there iss more to know.” Taking Flinx's hand, he led the taller human toward a lift. His offspring and their friend trailed obediently behind.

  “Well,” Flinx began, “it's manifestly the largest life-form that's ever been identified—if it can be called a life-form in the usual sense.”

  Lord Eiipul gestured second-degree ignorance. “The universse iss far too vasst to be comprehended by beingss as inssignificant as oursselvess. We can look, we can sspeculate, we can even meassure, but we cannot comprehend. Who can ssay but that there may exisst larger entitiess sstill, perhapss even thosse capable of feeding on such an immenssity as threatenss uss now?”

  Struggling to imagine something vast enough to threaten the Great Evil that was racing toward the outskirts of the Milky Way, Flinx found that he agreed unhesitatingly with his host. Nothing “living” could be as large as the Great Evil, yet it patently existed. Why could there not exist something greater still? The attempt to envision anything so immense simply overwhelmed the rudimentary network of neurons that comprised an ordinary mind. Even mathematics was overwhelmed. At such times it helped enormously to have an anchor, a grounding. Something solid and real and true to hold on to.

  It was at such times that he invariably thought of Clarity Held.

  They settled Flinx in a small storage area, aboveground and safely away from passing eyes both AAnn and electronic. Unlike the large subterranean chamber where he had previously been hidden, this one had lights, a heated sand sleeping basin, access to AAnn entertainment, even a window. Lord Eiipul assured Flinx that the likelihood of him being discovered was virtually nil. In the absence of a direct reference or reason, Krrassin Security would never stoop to quizzing the members of an important family about a possible sighting of an offworlder wanted for something as insignificant as credit forgery.