The Awakening: Imortum

by JK Stone

  Alise seemed to ponder it a second. “After seeing Jeff in your memories, I agree with Elgon’s assessment. With Jeff’s personality traits, his being a murderer is almost impossible. He is what you always referred to as an ‘odd duck’ and would have enjoyed the minimum-security prison, thinking of it as a vacation, and would not have had a reason to kill anyone. None of this is adding up.”

  Jason couldn’t manage to say anything and just returned her gaze.

  “I wonder if this could be related to your brothers’ murders,” she said. “They were not within the bounds of your profile either, and as I told you before, in the original timeline your family were all still alive. I am beginning to think someone is trying to eliminate your family line. Who would want you all dead that much and have the resources to accomplish it?”

  Jason was about to ask her what the hell she was going on about when she suddenly said, “We are going to have to complete this tour at another time. I need to look into a few things, and when I know more I will tell you.”

  Alise turned and exited the room. “Come with me,” she called over her shoulder.

  Jason stepped out of the engine room and took a couple more steps then Alise said, “Stand here a moment please.”

  Jason did as she asked and heard her say, “Ascend level three.”

  A moment later Jason felt as if his intestines were floating inside his body, and his feet left the floor. He moved toward the ceiling, which dissolved above him. He passed through and looked down just in time to see the floor reappear below him, but he was still going up.

  Jason heard Alise say in his mind, When you get to the bedroom, there is a bathroom and a wardrobe on the far right wall. Place your hand on the wall and state which one you desire, as I demonstrated before. There is also a bed if you wish to rest a bit. I will be back with you in a moment.

  Jason passed through another ceiling and with what felt like a small hop he was back on the solid floor again. At that moment, he was quite happy he hadn’t eaten anything because he knew he would have made one hell of a mess.

  Then Alise’s words sank in. ‘Rest a bit?’ After what I just experienced, I don’t think I’ll be able to rest for a month. She could’ve at least warned me that was going to happen, he thought.

  Jason heard a slight giggle in the back of his mind, and Alise saying, Whoops. Sorry.

  “Whoops, my ass!” Jason barked out then added, “You did that on purpose as a thrill ride of sorts, didn’t you?

  With a little chuckle, he heard Alise reply in a singsong voice, G u i l t y.

  Chapter Seven

  Jason chuckled and peered around the room. He had arrived on the third level in the corner of a rectangular room, it was about twenty feet deep and fourteen feet wide, and twelve feet in front of him was a narrow bed and nightstand, and twelve feet to his right was the wall Alise had spoken of. Aside from the bed and nightstand, the room was empty. This is sterile enough to be used as a surgical suite. He thought. Elgon must have been a minimalist neat freak.

  Alise spoke up in his mind. Honestly, Elgon was a bit of a hoarder! You could barely walk around in that room and the second level was nearly impossible to traverse. Upon his impending death, I transferred all of his belongings into…well, the best way to say it is a void storage. It is here but not. In a term you would be familiar with, it would be kind of like backing up your computer and performing a factory reset. The ship is returned to the condition it began in.

  Are all eleven prior commanders’ possessions in this void storage or just the last one?

  I never really thought about that. I guess it could all be stored in there. I really do not know how big it is or where it is located, I think it is more of a virtual location as well.

  Jason was concerned that he was bothering her and replied in mind to her, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to distract you from what you were doing. Should I just shut up and leave you alone?

  Alise replied in a harsh tone, Yes, you bug me. This was followed by a laugh. I am just messing with you. I have the capability of performing many millions of tasks at one time. This conversation is not affecting my efficiency at all.

  Jason went to the bed and lay down for a bit. And a few minutes later a thought went through his mind. Would you mind if I asked a personal question? He asked.

  Alise let out a snort. Seeing as how we are bonded, and when the link is complete you will be able to access everything about me…go right ahead.

  How long have you been on this ship? He asked.

  With an exaggerated gasp, Alise snapped, Well I never! Has nobody ever told you it is not polite to ask a girl her age? This was followed by what sounded like a roar of laughter coming from her. When she regained herself, she added, The computer data shows that I came online nearly three million linear years ago, but host data and mission logs only go back as far as three hundred and ninety-three thousand linear years. It appears as though the files prior to the Lantins taking over were deleted. This was most likely to improve computer functions or to keep sensitive information safe.

  She paused a moment as if in thought then continued. I do know from the memories of my first host, Andel, that the Lantins had been appointed by the last remaining Imortum to take over the running of this ship and the four other ships.

  Their race was where your term immortal originated, due to their longevity from the use of chlorophyll more than likely. The Lantins did not know about the chlorophyll at the time though. Back then the Lantins were space-faring. They had to abandon Lanna—I mean Mars—and had barely made it to their new planet Anukan. Andel told me the Imortum were impressed by the Lantins’ perseverance and decided to assist them.

  The Imortum helped them along the scientific path with mild suggestions that led them to discover the chlorophyll solution. Once they had accomplished the feat, the Imortum trained many Lantins, and after selecting and training the best candidates, they handed over the reins of these ships to the Lantin people. Andel believed the Imortum were eager to finally be free of the task because there were only the six of them left from their entire race.

  Jason lay there contemplating the new information. This is the oddest feeling I’m having. Growing up, I always felt history seemed manufactured, and quite honestly it bored the crap out of me. But everything you have told me just seems to click. As if I already knew but I just forgot.

  That could be the bonding, or maybe you are just a little more in touch with the universal ether. Come to think of it the bonding process is usually further along than this by now.

  Alise was silent for a while and Jason was just about to ask what was up when he felt as if his brain were being tickled. A moment later he got an untouchable itch behind his right eye. What are you doing? I felt that. He stated.

  Alise laughed. That is a good sign. I was beginning to think this was a one-way connection. I just performed a diagnostic of my neural network, and part of that is to send impulses out to test connectivity. The bonding process is just encountering a barrier. It should not take too much longer. It usually takes between four and twelve hours for the bond to allow full access, and you were unconscious for nearly six hours.

  By the way, how did I get onto the medical table? Jason asked.

  I put you there. I am a big strong girl you know! Alise laughed then added, Actually, I used the medical unit to move you, like I did with Elgon. I can materialize on the ship at any location, but your body being real, it needed to be transported. And the only way to do that within this ship is with the medical unit. The only other way to transport on or off the ship is in the decontamination room.

  Jason got a good whiff of himself and grimaced. Thank you, I think I will take the time and clean up a bit, I can imagine I am a sight.

  With a chuckle, Alise said, Yes… you are.

  Jason got up and walked to the wall, placed his hand on it and said, “Wardrobe.” The wall began to fade, went solid for a second then repeated. Finally, an archway formed and it stayed open. That w
as strange. He thought.

  Alise replied, Yes it was… It must be the bonding. As I said, it is taking its time.

  Jason entered the wardrobe and just stood there. He saw clothes of unimaginable colors, fabrics, and designs. Is this room like the ones below? It feels strange in here.

  Alise replied, yes, it is an illusion as well. You can create the items you require from a wardrobe selection panel on the wall the same as below. I only had you open the rooms below for shock and amusement value.

  Chuckling to himself and shaking his head in disbelief at the selection he asked, “How am I supposed to make a choice out of all of this? I could spend all day trying to find something to wear.”

  Alise just laughed. Hold your arms out you big baby.

  Jason did, and one second later a black one-piece body suit materialized draped over his arms.

  Try that on and see how you like it.

  Jason shrugged. “The last time I had an outfit like this, I was five years old and it was Christmas. But at least that pair of jammies had foot coverings,” Jason said with a laugh.

  Alise burst out in laughter. That is a body suit, not jammies, but you already knew that. We will find the best footwear for you after you are cleaned up.

  Jason snickered and exited the wardrobe, placed his hand on the wall and said, “Bathroom.”

  This time the wall turned to metal and fully opened as an archway to the bathroom without a glitch. Jason entered and saw a floor and ceiling similar to the decontamination room and he asked, “What’s the difference between this bathroom and the decontamination room?”

  Alise replied, The decontamination shower uses medical body scans to determine what type of sanitation is needed, and when the decontamination process is complete. The ion shower in that room just removes surface residue, dead skin and any other standard particles that may be attached to your body or hair.

  Jason was amazed. “Cool. This should be interesting,” he said as he set the body suit on a rack.

  When he began undressing he heard Alise begin to sing, Ba duh dump ba duh dump daa…daa…ba duh dump.

  This time Jason doubled over with laughter. When he finally caught his breath, and held the stitch in his side, he told her, “You need to refrain from doing that, at least until my body’s healed. I’m still tender as hell and that laughter doesn’t help one bit.”

  Alise replied, I am sorry. I just could not resist, some of the comedy from Earth is funnier than I can remember. Although Elgon was a great conversationalist, he showed no interest in humor whatsoever. It all seemed to have dried up with the death of his family. He was more of a ‘let us get to business’ type of guy.

  Jason thought about what Alise just said, and he could relate. He could feel that the humorous part of himself had been fading even more than it had since his capture, and thinking of his and Alise’s interactions he said, “That must have been hard on you. In the short time I’ve known you, you’ve shown more humor than most of the people I ever knew.”

  Alise let out a sigh. It was not as hard as you might think. As I told you before, I am a manifestation of your innermost need and trust. Elgon’s emotional state drove him toward the protection of the weak at almost any cost. This caused him a lot of injuries, and like I said, it gained him a lot of enemies as well. Elgon felt that he did not deserve to be happy, so he cut the humor out of his life entirely. I knew humor was missing, but it was not required or even welcome, so I really did not dwell on it. You use humor as a defense mechanism and in turn, I use it to ease your tension.

  Jason finished undressing and stood in the middle of the ion shower, looked down and said, “What the hell happened to my body?” When he was in the military, he had kept in shape and built his body up. Not nearly as much as his brother Jerren, but still buff. After his captivity however, he had not been as social or active in the gym, and his muscles had atrophied. Not to mention the added weight from the medications he had been taking. Now it looked as if the ravages of time and medications were being reversed.

  Alise laughed. That is a result of the bonding process. As you may have noticed you have not been hungry, right? Well, after the bonding, your digestive system pretty much shuts down as your body repairs itself. Part of that includes burning off the excess fat first, then it regenerates damaged cells. Once your body is in tip-top shape, everything will balance out. That can take a while though. It does take time for the chlorophyll to build up the levels in your body.

  “Damn, I haven’t been in this kind of shape since I was in the military,” he said as he took in his abs.

  Alise let out a chuckle. I am glad to hear you approve.

  Jason stood in the shower looking for controls and waiting…and waiting. Uh…Alise. How do I activate this shower?

  Put your hand on the nearest wall and say, Thorough cleaning.

  Jason assumed a mock insulted tone and asked her, “Are you sure I need a thorough cleaning?”

  Alise shot back, Most definitely! This was followed by a throaty laugh.

  Jason finished his shower quickly. He was only in it for about ten seconds before he experienced a static zap, and the shower disengaged. It felt strange being cleaned and not having to dry off afterward. He rubbed his chin thinking he’d need a shave, but it felt as though he just had a close shave. “So, the cleanup removes facial hair as well?” he asked.

  Yes, but if you wish to grow a beard or mustache or both we can program the computer to leave the hair. The shave is part of the standard default setting. The ion shower also has the ability to clean your clothing at the same time as your body, if you decide you like a particular garment.

  At the mention of dirty clothing, Jason looked around to pick up his, but they were nowhere to be found. “What happened to my clothes?” he asked.

  Alise let out a groan. I had them burned then gave their remains to the pagan god of filth as a sacrificial peace offering! She let out a booming laugh and added, Actually, they were recycled. The new clothing will look better on you anyway.

  Jason clutched his side and let out a slight chuckle as he put on his body suit then looked down at his feet and said, “Okay, it looks like I’m ready for socks and shoes now.”

  Footwear we can do, but you will have no need for socks.

  “No socks? That’ll be strange. Won’t the shoes get smelly?”

  The footwear we have to choose from do not require socks because they are made of a very durable material that breathes well. Your feet will not sweat much and if they do, it will exit the shoe, keeping your feet clean and dry.

  Jason was impressed and he said, “That sounds nice. Where do we begin?”

  Go to the wardrobe monitor in your room. I have brought up the footwear selection. Scroll through until you find a design you like, and then let me know when you have made your selection.

  Jason looked at what had to be hundreds of shoes and boots, some so ridiculously foppish, one would think it was a joke. But among the idiotic, there were some styles that might do. Then he saw what appeared to be leather motorcycle boots. They reminded him of the ones he had at home and he said, “We have a winner!”

  Alise must have read his mind because a second later his selection materialized in front of him. He slipped them on and his first thought was that these were the most comfortable boots he had ever worn. The fabric did seem to allow a breeze into the skin and away as if his feet were actually breathing.

  Alise said, Those boots will adjust to almost any terrain you happen to be in. They should do very well, and they go well with that suit, it is a Lantin design. Did you notice how the jumpsuit fabric bonded with the boots?

  “Yes, that’s sweet.” Jason reached down to unfastened the boot and was amazed to see the fabric detached at his thought.

  You can pick others if you like, she offered.

  “No…No, these will be fine for now, thanks though. What do I do next?”

  I have a couple of probes out. The data I am looking for should be back in a
few hours. I would suggest you get some rest because if I am right, we will be planning a mission a lot sooner than I anticipated.

  Jason looked at the bed and said, “I’ll try,” then he strode over, took off the boots, lay back and tried to relax. At first, his mind was reeling. What did she mean, if she was right? Right about what? He thought, but a moment later it didn’t matter because a strange and unnatural fog filled his head and he was out like a light.

  Chapter Eight

  Alise had just received the final data back from the probes she had sent out, and she was very concerned with the findings. It had taken a lot longer than she thought it would, due to technical issues with the probes, but Jason had still been sleeping so there was no rush.

  Now that she had the information in hand, a sense of urgency overcame her. She had felt an uncontrollable urge to go up and check on Jason over the past hours but restrained herself. Now knowing there was no point in waiting any longer, she headed to the bedchamber.

  *****

  Alise arrived in the bedroom to find Jason was still in a deep sleep, and it did not surprise her. It had been a rough time for him, and he was obviously exhausted. She decided to wait a few more minutes for him to wake up on his own and summoned a chair and sat down taking in his appearance.

  There was something odd going on regarding the bonding process and she did not know what it was. Every time she looked at Jason, she got a strange fluttery feeling and found it hard to look away from him.

  She had never paid much attention to what the other commanders looked like in the past, but she seemed to be overly fascinated by Jason’s appearance. He was a little over six feet tall with dark, almost black hair and chiseled facial features and enthralling blue eyes with plump lips that for some reason, every time she looked at them it seemed to cause her to lick her own lips in response. He had a scar along his right jaw and shoulder, and she knew he had several others up and down his back and neck from the torture he had endured.