NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26

by Thomas Rabenstein

  Arkroid pointed his weapon at Klori Tar.

  »You still owe us an explanation! How come you know so much about this base? The replications also seem to know you all too well. Talk … NOW!«

  Klori Tar’s eyes became bigger as he replied, »The explanation is easy, but I think that you won’t like it.«

  Herimos came closer and said, »We don’t have time to solve riddles. Either you give us an answer or you won’t make it back to your rust bucket of a ship.«

  Arkroid sternly looked at Klori Tar. »If we can’t trust each other anymore then we should separate. You’re testing my patience! Be assured, we won’t continue like this. I’m asking you for the last ti …«

  »… I’m a replication myself!« interrupted Klori Tar hastily. »I was created in one of these brooding cylinders.«

  Arkroid held his breath while the other team members exchanged surprised glances.

  »I was created in the same manner like these female replications of Maya Ivanova. That’s the reason why I can detect Morgotradon over a distance of several lightyears. I can assure you that he’s not inside the station.«

  That’s unbelievable!

  Arkroid wasn’t sure if he was more surprised or angry.

  »He’s been in my head – all my life! But he no longer controls me. I hate him for what he’s done to me and others. I’ll kill him – I swear!«

  Cautiously, Paafnas came closer.

  »I couldn’t detect any sign of influence or control. Not even when I probed Klori Tar for the second time.«

  »His aura tastes normal,« Voit acknowledged. »He’s lacking distinctive patterns and taste variations I detected with the female replications.«

  »That’s irrelevant! He lied to us! His entire, sad story was a hoax, a damn lie!« Vasina raged and approached Klori Tar with her sword pulled.

  »I didn’t lie to you! I just didn’t tell the whole truth!« Klori Tar screeched. »We have a common goal that unites us! Destiny has joined us. We all want to see Morgotradon dead!«

  Vasina assumed a threatening posture.

  »I no longer trust you. You’re a spy and have double played us. Maybe it was you who called Maya’s replications here. They waited for us, and now you’re posing as our ally and guide. Your ship looks like a flying pile of space junk, but you possess the most modern technologies which exceed any known galactic standard! You have a pact with Morgotradon. He gave you these high-tech toys. Admit it!«

  »I don’t need to justify myself, Progonaut woman!« Klori Tar said even louder. »I am what I am. That we met at the Crux-Heart was pure coincidence, I was also surprised. I followed Morgotradon’s trail and I know for certain that he was there! Huh … tell me, Progonaut woman, why I … yes I … should trust you and these people?«

  Arkroid took a deep breath. He needed to do something to keep control of the situation.

  »Tell me, why are you no longer under Morgotradon’s control? The other replications don’t seem to be free. Choose your words wisely, if you want us to believe you.«

  Arkroid was still holding his weapon in his hand.

  Irritated, he returned Arkroid’s stare.

  »You can’t hurt me with your plasma weapon. On the contrary, you increased the chaos in this room if you’d use it. If I wanted to harm you then I could’ve done it many times over already. Believe me, your weapon can’t stop Me.«

  Arkroid clenched his teeth. He holstered his weapon, but nodded at Voit, who understood and would act immediately if necessary.

  »Not all replications fit the mold,« Klori Tar explained. At this moment, he considered himself to be just an object. »The process is complicated, refined over hundreds of years. The replications became more and more like their original templates. This fact gave me the freedom later to decide for myself what I wanted to become!«

  Arkroid shook his head, not understanding what Klori Tar wanted to say.

  »I was supposed to become an agitator. Morgotradon sent me to my home-world after he eliminated my template – right before my eyes!« Klori Tar took a deep breath. »I still remember the horrified look in Klori Tar’s eyes when Morgotradon killed him. I remember it well, as if it were yesterday. It still haunts me after more than two hundred years! You need to know one thing: a replication will never forget the first impressions after it was created and brought to life. I hate him for what he had done. The first thing I did when I arrived on my home-world was to kill Klori Tar’s family members, as they could jeopardize my mission. I am responsible for these murders, not Morgotradon. As time went on, I had more and more problems continuing my mission as an agitator. I didn’t want to be a murderer! Years later, I discovered an ability, a gift, natural to all Klorians, which helped me to free myself from Morgotradon’s yoke. I became free and able to decide for myself. It was too late, however. I could not undo all the murders I had committed. This weighs heavy on me.«

  Klori Tar made some strange noises which Arkroid interpreted as crying.

  »What’s this traitor mumbling there?« Maya shouted to Arkroid. »He’s a replication! He said so himself! We should not believe a word he’s saying. We should kill him on the spot!«

  Arkroid closed his eyes for a moment to rationalize his trains of thought.

  »We don’t execute beings that trust us,« he said calmly after a couple of seconds. »What ability are you talking about, Klori Tar?«

  Klori Tar blushed as he tried to explain further, »Klorians cannot be conditioned by means of neuronal manipulations. Morgotradon achieves this by injection the crystal substance into a being’s brain. We Klorians are able to shift our conscience to another level. After a couple of tries, I was able to do just that and shake off the conditioning. Morgotradon could no longer reach me at this higher conscious level. I became immune. I was free!«

  »Paaf … is that possible? Is he telling the truth?« Arkroid inquired.

  »I cannot replicate and check all of his neuronal partitions. I think that Klorians can switch off, deactivate and even shift certain brain sections. If Klori Tar is able to isolate manipulated sectors, then I think, it’s possible.«

  »Are you talking about split personality? You’re disconnecting your compromised personality, re-establishing it inside a different brain region?« Voit asked with a skeptical voice. »Hmm … come to think about it that sounds pathological.«

  »… and what are you calling it on your home-world when people can taste other people’s life-energy? Is that then also pathological?« Klori Tar rebutted.

  Voit blushed and looked at the floor.

  »Mother Nature instilled this ability in us. I have no other explanation. Morgotradon probably didn’t know about it,« Klori Tar added.

  »How many? I mean, how many of you are there in the galaxy?« Pi inquired worriedly.

  »Do you want to know how many agitators were sent out into the galaxy?« Klori Tar tried to clarify Pi’s question. »Long before I left the brooding cylinder, he had already flooded the galaxy with his agents. It must be hundreds of thousands! Countless worlds and civilizations were infiltrated and are still controlled according to his plans. I don’t know the exact number, but everything started here in this station!«

  Arkroid’s heart was racing.

  This is worse than I imagined. I can’t even anticipate how many people are affected. The Dark Brotherhood is not an organization at all, probably never was. Morgotradon created this myth!

  »How about the attackers, can you sense the other Maya replications too? Do you know how many we’re dealing with?« Pi said.

  »I can’t tell you how many, but we’re not done with them, that much is certain. They were just testing us and will attack again, because they have no other choice. They can’t think freely. They learn fast. They will be better prepared next time.« Klori Tar seemed to ponder for a moment before he continued, »Initially, Maya’s sisters didn’t come her to fight us. They were surprised about our presence. There must be another reason why they’re here. Maybe the guards or slave
s revolted after Morgotradon fled the base during the dimensional overlap. Perhaps, they wanted to leave the base via the portal. I can imagine that Morgotradon sent a commando to rectify the situation and to punish the Kugos.«

  »You’re assuming that Maya’s replications are responsible for this massacre?« Vasina said.

  »I’m not assuming, I know it!«

  »In other words: my dear sisters will attack us until either they or we’re dead,« Maya concluded.

  Klori Tar looked at Maya Ivanova with a strange expression in his eyes.

  »You’re their template! You can answer that question yourself. What would you do in their place?«

  Maya paled and Arkroid expected the worst.

  She nodded, with understanding.

  »Yes, they’ll be coming back soon.«

  Where are his allies

  They advanced and tried to circumnavigate the partially heavy destructions. The bio-web substance had received several injuries during the short but intense fight, which already began to self-heal. The team paused to watch the bio-web discharge an oozing substance, helping it recover and to extinguish some smoldering fires on its surface. The following rooms were wider, a sure sign that the team was on the right path toward the stations center.

  Voit Masgur kept an eye on Klori’ Tar. If the extra-terrestrial should become a threat, he would not hesitate using his abilities. The Klorian could escape by means of his disguise field, but that would wipe out the rest of trust. In that case, Klori’ Tar had become an opponent and would be dealt with.

  Klori’Tar understood the seriousness of the situation. He tried not to provoke the team and remained cooperative.

  »This is the last section before we enter the central region,« he explained. »There’re many sleepers located there. The replications won’t attack us there. That region is too valuable to Morgotradon.«

  What he meant became clear moments later as they entered that section. Arkroid felt a knot in his stomach as he saw the rows and rows of sleepers contained inside transparent coffins. There were hundreds of different beings from all kinds of worlds throughout the galaxy.

  The sleepers didn’t react to the presence of Arkroid’s team. The replications weren’t able to move much inside their tight and space-restricted containers anyway.

  As they passed the sleeping replications, Arkroid noticed that many of them resembled humanoid beings beside various exotic lifeforms. There were insectoids, reptile-like beings, amphibians and other ones. Herimos directed Vasina’s attention toward some spider-like beings with hairy legs. Then there were extra-terrestrials that looked like penguins but with strong arms and legs. Arkroid gave up counting all the different alien species. This collection of beings proved again that the despot didn’t give a damn about life and dignity.

  »That is …,« Maya wanted to say something but croaked as she saw one of her own replications lying there.

  Vasina quickly led her away. Maya’s face had paled. The woman in the coffin was naked. Maya felt as if she herself was lying there displaying her nakedness to everyone to see.

  She stopped and took a closer look.

  »Come Maya, let’s go.« Vasina pushed, but Maya shook off her hand.

  »Look at that! Do you see that? She has the same scar as me. How is that possible?«

  »The scar is not part of your genetic profile; it was added later by Morgotradon. The man is sick,« Vasina concluded disgusted.

  »The replication, I fought with inside the Crux Heart also had that scar. Why did he select me?«

  »Nobody can answer that, except Morgotradon,« Pi remarked. »Maybe because you were the first person who stood up to him.«

  »There’s no life in them yet,« Klori’Tar explained. »These are just lifeless casings, empty bodies without spirit and soul. Morgotradon has to wake them up first by means of an impulse and then prepare them for their tasks.«

  Voit Masgur nodded.

  »The sleepers don’t have an aura.«

  »These are future agitators or personal helpers of this Monster,« Herimos growled. »We need to catch this devil.«

  »First we should try to understand what purpose all of this serves. Who is giving the orders to Morgotradon? Why is he influencing galactic people and their history, what does he want?« Arkroid interjected.

  »We should blow up this place!« Maya suggested. »We’d be doing these lifeless beings a favor. If we destroy this section then perhaps we can coerce Morgotradon to come here in person.«

  Kuster~Laap stopped before one of the coffins that contained a replication of one of his kind. His deep, sorrowful sounds made the other coffins vibrate.

  »Something irritates me,« Pi remarked while looking at the sleepers. »Since we came here, we only found replications; not to mention the dead Kugos. Morgotradon established some sort of a factory here. We know now that he is responsible for sending the agitators, but where are his allies?«

  »He doesn’t have any!« Klori’Tar screeched. »He only has slaves. He would never allow having somebody else at his level.«

  Pi stopped before a sarcophagus which contained a green-skinned humanoid. Somehow, the physique resembled a Human female. The eyes were closed; the bold head was shimmering in violet color variances.

  »We always thought that the Dark Brotherhood was an organization, because we followed the myths. How was it possible that a single being such as Morgotradon was able to control and manipulate that many people? I find that hard to believe. He must have accomplices, fellow agents all over the galaxy. But where is this brotherhood?« Pi said.

  Arkroid smiled but didn’t answer.

  Maybe we will solve these questions soon.

  Yes, Master

  The first thing Morgotradon did when he got up was to quickly glance at his network sensor, a device, which he always took along. The sensor recorded all activities on his bases such as transports via tachyon hubs especially from Milky Way sectors where dimensional overlaps occurred. He had received a couple of disturbing signals from the star station. This angered him and made him forget the good time he just had with his Maya replication.

  »Did you send your sisters through the portal to clean up at the station?«

  Exhausted, the replication got up from the bed and looked at Morgotradon irritated. She didn’t seem to understand. Morgotradon grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

  »Answer me!«

  »They left hours ago and already eliminated the unreliable guardians. The station is secure. How could a handful of Kugos resist my sisters?«

  »Why is the bio-tech net reporting great anomalies inside the station?«

  His grip on her arm became more painful.

  »I’ll go to the station,« she insured and grimaced in pain. »I’ll take care of the problems personally.«

  »Don’t dare coming back here before the star station is ready again!«

  »Master, what happens to me if the station is hit by an overlap effect?« she asked with a trembling voice.

  Morgotradon gave a devilish smile then his eyes became hard. »In that case, my dear, I’ll send you to a solar system which will enjoy my undivided attention.«

  Morgotradon embraced her softly.

  »When you then leave the portal in that solar system, you will unleash a huge storm. Wouldn’t you like that?«

  »Oh, yes, Master!« she whispered in his ear.

  All of us are Protectors

  The central sector of the base exceeded everything the team had seen so far on their excursion. Arkroid and Pi were breathless while the other team members’ emotions ranged from surprise to sadness to disgust.

  The side corridors of the station joined and formed an enormously great hall, located about twenty meters below the surface. Many small ramps led to the bottom of the hall. Arkroid estimated that the hall was about two hundred meters in diameter. It was shaped like a dome and entirely covered with bio-tech netting. Countless sets and blocks of machines with unknown functions filled the hall. Narrow
pathways led between the machines, forming a labyrinth. From a higher viewpoint, these pathways seemed to look like deep gorges, leading meander-like toward the center of the hall where a brightly lit model of the galaxy was displayed in suspension.

  »Techno-bolides,« Klori whispered awestruck.

  Arkroid’s head jerked around.

  That’s something like a main frame computer. Maybe even Morgotradon’s central control station.

  The techno-bolides were covered with bio-tech web, which sparkled on the surface. The light coming from the galactic display was reflected a million times within the spectrum of the rainbow. The black machine blocks were also covered with millions of small metal plates which in turn were connected with each other by means of thin conductors.

  »This is where the nanopods were lost. They found the techno-bolides but were absorbed in the process by these machines,« Kuster~Laap guessed. »This is an amalgamation of bio-tech netting with degenerated technology! This is the last piece of evidence we were looking for. Morgotradon is fulfilling the orders of his superiors from the parasite galaxy.«

  »Which we already assumed,« Maya added quickly while looking over the mindboggling technology park.

  She’s looking for the replications, Arkroid thought. If they survived the attack on us then this would be the place where they hide and set the stage for an ambush.

  A circular galleria surrounded the hall. Voit Masgur leaned on the low railing and whispered to himself, obviously, he was very impressed.

  »These techno-bolides are as tall as houses! If combined then Morgotradon has access to enormous computational power. These narrow pathways between the computer banks are like narrow back lanes between houses on Earth. Why does he need that much power?«

  »Maybe this is the missing piece of the puzzle,« Pi replied who had overheard Voit’s whispering.

  »It doesn’t make sense to send out more nanopods,« Kuster~Laap declared. »It seems that the techno-bolides have developed some powerful counter measures.«

  »All energy streams of this station are coming together in this hall and culminate inside these bolides,« Pi added and lowered his analyzing device.