The Progenitors

by J. E. Andrews

  "Thank you," Scott said.

  Alà bowed and then turned to me.

  "Malda found nothing but disturbances in the shadows," she said in our tongue. "It is like a changing of the guard, all done in secret. The scent of blood touched many of these encounters. The downed aircar held only his father's security people. His mother killed a captain and one other."

  "Another?" I said. "Who shot it down?"

  "It was a shuttle from another cruiser of the same corporation."

  "Is that cruiser still there?"

  "No," she said. "It left an hour after the takedown. After our investigation at the crash site others came. They used a stealth craft to land across the river, in the dunes.

  "They investigated but took nothing."

  "Stealth craft?" I said. "Where did that come from?"

  "His father's ship. Records show it came from the other cruiser when it first arrived insystem."

  I nodded. "Anything else?" I said. "Anything to tell why this is happening here?"

  "No," she replied. "Several Masters are in place but whatever is happening has few words."

  "Yes."

  Scott sipped the juice, watching us.

  "What do you intend for the human, Akena?"

  "I have no idea," I said. "For now I continue as protector."

  "Where will you keep him?" she said.

  "Here," I said. "I'll change and guard him. He will like that. The boy is troubled, Alà, the world he trusted has fallen away."

  "So you set yourself to his path?"

  "For now."

  "Akena," she said, rebuking me. "Can you judge?"

  "Who else is there?" I returned.

  She bowed, even touching my shoulder with her wrapped brow. Without another word or sign she left.

  "Information?" Scott said.

  "Yes," I said. "Nothing of significance."

  "That figures," he said.

  It was a disparaging comment that held little meaning and I let it pass. I sat, watching him eat. He had a good appetite as he had eaten earlier. He had changed. Recovering from his injures did not explain all of it. Perhaps he was in a period of growth… physical development. It was difficult to judge these visitors. They had several growth periods. There were variations within their species, different races, with each having unique physical properties. They had left their home planet thousands of their standard years behind. They did not only live in space vessels but on various planets. The differences of planetary conditions continued to create variations of their physical types. It was a complex undertaking to resolve the matter of his age and it was more important to judge what his mental maturity was… and what it meant.

  One factor was obvious as I looked at him; he no longer looked the boy I had first seen.

  Realizing my exhaustion, I stood.

  "Scott Aradette," I said. "You will sleep here. My chamber is over to that side so I will be nearby. You are safe."

  He looked tired. He'd had a long day.

  "This is good" he said. "Thank you."

  I bowed and left him. Inside my chamber, with the portal sealed, I removed my veils, loosening the pins carefully. It had been some long time since I'd worn them. I hung them and my robes neatly and then brushed my hair. It had grown long and I should likely trim it. A glass of juice and several meatrolls sat for me. As I ate, I looked around. I had few possessions, merely some interesting items I'd found on my many paths. Each was a reminder.

  Lying on my mat was Scott's crutch. The tattered webbing had all been cleaned away and the vines that had once wrapped the crux were gone. After my meal I changed, grabbed the stick in my teeth and left by another door. It sealed behind me. I dropped the stick near Scott's feet.

  "Shymyra," he whispered. "Thanks."

  Pulling the stick up, he checked the peta claw. An angry expression tightened his gaze but it was unfocused.

  "I wondered where you were," he whispered. "That woman, Akena, didn't know where you were. Thanks for coming."

  I picked a large cushion and settled, but so I could watch him.

  "Yeah," he said, as if I'd spoken. "I'm tired, too, goodnight."

  I voiced a low growl and the lights faded out. It was not completely dark, even for him. But it would be easier to sleep.

  "Neat," Scott said.

  He tossed and turned for a time, squirming as he usually did until he found his perfect position. Then he was still, and then he was asleep. It reminded me of one of our young. I'd thought the same thing time and again on the path. This night was normal enough that the similarity was obvious. I'd already closed my eyes, relaxing in the comfort of home but his movement made my ears twitch.

  In Shymyra form we never sleep deeply, our senses are too alert and we track everything.

  *

  My ears twitched. Curiosity roused me enough to turn my ears. There was nothing.

  Lifting my head, I opened my eyes at the sound of a footstep. The room was nearly dark.

  Three figures were advancing, several faint lights showed active equipment.

  Rolling off the cushion I changed to dark fur, with longer claws. Attacking. They tracked my movement, weapons firing near my tail. Among them was safest. I clawed one of them, ripping a leg open. Spinning, I hit another, slashing an arm as he went defensive. My hind claws tore at his leg, ripping through the fabric he wore, finding flesh. I bit his shoulder, ripping fabric, seeking flesh.

  Weapons fired constantly and I sensed my brothers and sisters. My fur singed and I lost my hold, pain. I changed, healing the injury, returning to normal coloring. Two more took my place, bringing the invader down.

  Scott sat with claw ready. Amera was near him with a weapon.

  A robed figure was at each entry, weapon in hand.

  "Keep one alive," Teron said from a doorway.

  The taste in the air made that advice pointless. All three were bleeding out.

  "Search for their vehicle," Amera said.

  Several Shymyra raced out, conscious of Scott's presence.

  "No lights," Teron said. "Not until we track their craft."

  "Raise the shields," Sifu called toward the command center.

  A faint blue light began its warning strobe at the window. Throughout the city the same blue lights would be pulsing at every city gate, doorway and upper edge of every house. Protective energy shields were merging in a perfect dome across the entire city. The generators pushed the barrier from below ground level to wrap a solid blanket of protection. The blue indicators warned the level of protection activated.

  In the distant room I heard a remark. An aircar was trying to flee. At the same time the report of an extra-orbital shuttle using stealth was announced. Someone ordered it destroyed.

  The shuttle's destruction was announced from the command center. The capture of the aircar was announced. Two occupants had been taken. I hoped that was good news.

  Scott shifted. I spun to face him, teeth ready. I relaxed immediately.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  Forcing myself to relax, I had the lights come up in the room and summoned Teron. The cats, but for Alà, left. She paced around the three bodies, suspicious of something. Amera joined her, his weapon concealed.

  Teron explain to Scott what had happened.

  I started pacing again, going to Amera and Alà, around the bodies and then back to Scott. Nothing of this was good. Soon several of my sisters returned, robed and veiled, to assist Amera and Alà with inspecting the bodies.

  They'd come for Scott. They had meant to take him. I paced the length of the room trying to think. How had they gotten this far? How did they circumvent our security scans? How could we end this threat to Scott?

  Alà hissed at me. My pacing was making her twitchy.

  I growled back, I couldn't help it, didn't care. Except that I did care. I went and sat on the cushion I'd slept on, watching them strip the bodies. It was the earpieces that had gotten Alà more twitchy than normal. After they were disabled, she re
laxed.

  I didn't relax. My tail slashed back and forth.

  "I'm okay, Shymyra," Scott murmured.

  I turned to look at him, feeling tense.

  The others had flinched at his words though left it to me. He looked apologetic. The blue of his eyes seemed crystalline, though, hard. Was he being shortsighted? Didn't he realize what this meant? Teron had explained everything to him. Perhaps he was merely being a young boy and human at that. I dropped my gaze. I had no reason to expect anything from him. He was alien, even for the time I had traveled with him I did not know him.

  How could I protect him?

  *

  After all had been removed and cleaned, Scott fell into sleep more easily than I.

  Even though the shields remained up and several monitored the command center I could not relax. I managed some sleep in the early morning then watched him sleep. Alà came in, robed, and knelt on a cushion beside me.

  I twitched when her hand arose to touch me and she stopped, concealing her hand but not the smile in her eyes.

  "The Warder will be here at the next hour," she murmured.

  She turned to watch Scott. My tail began to twitch.

  "It will want to see the boy," she said. "You go, eat and change, it is your path. I will tend the boy."

  I glared at her but, save for a renewed smile, she ignored me.

  As soon as I moved, Scott raised his head, his eyes turning to find me. Before he could ask anything I left the room. I was hungry.

  - 4 -

  I sat upon the cushions, robed and veiled, considering what we'd learned of events. For all the facts there was no reasonable conclusion to be had. My need was to make Scott safe. There was no doubt that he was still in danger and without conclusion, my path was tied to his.

  Several Shymyra paced along the wall to take seats among the cushions around me.

  Sifu entered through the main arch with the Warder. It was the usual creature, not that it had ever given the name of its species. We have learned that Warders are aloof, or perhaps arrogant, keeping details of themselves secret while operating as the cultural police of their civilization. Supposedly they worked as mediators between newfound civilizations or sentient cultures and the exploitative nature of their civilization… protecting the natives while gathering knowledge.

  We didn't need protecting.

  Its name was Sosshonos and had a humanoid appearance. Upon its wide shoulders was a single mobile head with one mouth orifice, two eyes and a cluster of sensory appendages across the crown of the head. It had no fur and the breathing orifices were situated in the neck, several to either side. From the shoulders, two powerful arms depended with each having two forearms at very articulated elbow joints. Each of those forearms had a hand of three fingers. Most times they were held closed together, non-threatening. Its chest and lower limbs were hidden beneath a single white garment and its lower legs were as the forelimbs so that it had two feet with three toes on each leg.

  Sosshonos followed Sifu across the room and stopped before me. Sifu went to one side, to stand at the wall. The one predominate quality of these Warders we did not like was their mental powers. From the first contact they have tried to touch our thoughts. We could perceive their attempts but we could not be touched. It was a protection bred into us. They continued to probe, just as Sosshonos did now. Whether it was conscious or not, it was rude. Our mechanical sensors had long ago taken their measure, each new one that appeared. We had nothing to fear.

  I left the Warder stand there as he studied me. I observed him, not for any purpose but to leave the beginning up to him.

  "Greetings, Governor," it said after some time elapsed.

  I nodded. The Shymyra became still, turning to watch him where before they'd seemed to take no notice. Sosshonos may have expected me to say something. We maintained no protocol for dealing with the Warders but to keep them ignorant.

  I waited.

  "There are various matters brought to my attention that I feel should be answered," it said when more time had elapsed.

  None of us had moved to give any sign of impatience, we were not.

  I gave another nod.

  "The first matter I feel should be addressed is the destruction of a shuttlecraft and the reported loss of an aircar during the night. The shuttle was destroyed by your weapons, since you have given permission for landings I need to know why it was destroyed."

  I found myself studying his grey eyes, noting how much black held them.

  The Warder was again attempting to find my thoughts.

  "Both aircraft were engaged in criminal activities and dealt with," I said, deciding to keep it brief. "While we gave permission for landings, any criminal activity is dealt with summarily."

  "The corporation involved cannot be accused out of hand for activities alleged and unproven," it said. "Destroying two of their…"

  "We accuse no one," I said. "We destroyed the criminals during their crime. That is the end of the matter."

  "Governor," it said. "That is no way to maintain relations between civilizations. To act…"

  I showed my hand and he fell silent.

  "As we have said, Warder," I said. "We have no reason to maintain relations with your civilization. You may return those of your university to other paths, you may tell all in your civilization to forego any visits to us, you may leave and never return. We would be satisfied to be left alone as once we were."

  "Governor," it protested with true feeling. "You can't mean that. The knowledge within the Lost cities is… it's priceless. The lost cities contain a cultural heritage that portrays a brilliant image of those you call the Progenitors. Surely you benefit from the research that goes on in…"

  Again I showed my hand, stopping him.

  "We know our path," I said. "We allow you, your people, to play in our past but it has no value. We have dealt with one of your matters. What other matter has shown your face this day?"

  "A survey party from one of the small eastern study groups has disappeared. It was believed to be in the area of the Kaela forest. They had a protected aircar and were three humans. The leader of the group notified me yesterday. I find that my equipment has been jammed so that I cannot scan for the vehicle. The investigation requests permission to scan through the dune region near the river there."

  "Permission is denied," I said. "That region is protected, it is a forbidden zone."

  "But governor," it protested though without much hope. "The aircar and scan equipment is valuable and hard to replace. The three humans could be stranded from the sandstorm that swept that region. Certainly you must…"

  There was no must when dealing with Warders, any foothold we allowed was filled and the next begged for. My hand again silenced him. I knew this did not really matter to the Warder. It was playing. This mattered to us.

  "The three humans are not stranded, Warder," I said. "They are dead. The three were engaged in criminal activity and dealt with. They and their equipment are removed from the life of our world."

  "Criminal activity?" it wondered. "Of what nature and how do you…?"

  A governor could not lose patience when dealing with other paths.

  I stopped him.

  "What is the name and coordinates of the study group?" I asked. "Who is their leader?"

  Sosshonos grew very still and his eyes grew darker as he gazed at mine.

  There was nothing his look could accomplish. Then I felt the Shymyra rise from stillness and sit up to glare at him. The only one of us seemingly unmoved was Sifu.

  "Governor," Sosshonos said. "You cannot execute the entire group for alleged criminal activities without evidence."

  "Do you say they are all guilty?" I replied. "My question must be answered or I shall see all within the range of that craft's resting spot skinned and laid on the sand."

  "All?" it said. "The range is… you cannot…"

  The appearance of both of my hands nearly made him flinch back a step. Two of the Shymyra moved t
o the edge of our cushions their tails swaying slowly.

  "What crime?" it said, the voice sounding odd.

  "They possessed the fur of four Shymyra young. The blood of our young was heavy on their breath. A thousand of your visitors can die and it will not bring our young back. Two thousand could die and I would feel no grief nor would I be appeased."

  Silently, I gazed at him when I had thrown this pain-filled fact out. I listened to the strange rippling sound of his circulatory system. The breaths easing in and out of his orifices were noisy, so tense was I… tense and ready to strike. After some time had passed one of my sisters turned her head to gaze at me. It was Seyo and she gave a nod. Then Malda likewise turned, looking first at Seyo. He also nodded.

  I bowed my head slightly and turned to look at Sifu, his eyes were awaiting mine.

  "Neutralize all electronic equipment within a… within one day flight time of that location. We will deal with all in that range," I said.

  "No," the Warder said and he braced in a combative stance.

  Sifu nodded to me and headed for a side archway.

  I saw the flinch of movement as the Warder pulled a weapon from a dimensional concealment.

  "Would you die as well?" I said before he could aim that at Sifu.

  Sosshonos lowered his weapon. The Warder knew our technological capabilities. Our tech and that of the Progenitors was one of the reasons our planet attracted the interest of the star powers.

  "No," Sosshonos repeated, its voice strained. "Peace, please?"

  Sifu was gone from sight. I sat with my hands concealed and watched the warder.

  The Warder had concealed its weapon; its eyes looked after Sifu.

  "Ah," Sosshonos said. "Stop, please, you could cause… The study group is the Melrowzarre Letttercone Expedition. The director on site is Zenda Kal-Suto."

  It also gave me the coordinates but I'd recognized the group I had granted access to several cycles ago. I would have to turn out to that site to examine them. I had not recognized the three I'd killed but personnel and assistants were always changing. I had examined Zenda Kal-Suto and had seen no harm in her.