»You paid attention my Human friend! You’re correct! The intensions were: attract the invader’s attention, bind his forces, feed the notion that a defensive weapon is at hand and that it’ll work to prevent a second enemy break through.«
»That’s it? Just for this one purpose?« Kuster~Laap complained. »My people wasted over one million years in constructing this Dimensional Mirror according to the Genorantan plans and …«
»… and contributed greatly to saving this galaxy,« Boiltos finished Kuster~Laap’s sentence. »The invaders, as malicious and dangerous as they are, had no other choice than to counter our plan … this was what we wanted … this was and still is our weapon! Believe me, Chiropter, there was a member civilization of the Brotherhood who gave much more than yours. Your friend Herimos is a living example of it.«
Klori’Tar was standing off to the side and watched alertly.
He doesn’t talk about what happened to the Neo-Sapiens. He wants to say something else, but nobody understands …
Klori’Tar shuddered for a moment as he noticed that Boiltos looked at him. It was not just a fleeting glance, it was well focused.
I was right, he’s reading my mind!
»A deception, a decoy plan? A plan whose execution lasted more than one million years?« Herimos sounded disappointed. »Then … then there’s no real defense? What a plan!« he mocked.
»Oh, man … I should’ve thought about it earlier … the Jamal-Combs!« Pi threw in. »Some of the symbols of the Manifest resemble the symbols on the combs. They’re not of Genorantan or Progonaut origin. Who made these combs?«
The third civilization of the Brotherhood, it said in Pi’s mind. Did you see a Jamal-Comb before, Human?
Pi looked at Arkroid and searched in his face for agreement.
Arkroid faintly nodded in response.
Pi took a deep breath and explained verbally, although Boiltos probably had read his mind in the meantime, »We already possess three of them. Vasina of Atlantika has them. Yes, I had the opportunity to look at them occasionally.«
Boiltos squeaked for joy and it took some time until he regained his composure.
»Another variant among others which I now can declare as a constant! I’m very glad,« he replied, still chuckling.
»One Jamal-Comb is in Morgotradon’s possession. The Dark Brotherhood agent seems very interested in obtaining the remaining ones also,« Herimos warned.
»Then your mission is now clearly defined! Take it away from him!«
Destroyed trust
Vasina and Tranos were surrounded by hundreds of Kugos who looked at them reproachfully. Tranos was ready to protect his queen also against a mob of hundreds of people. The Kugos, however, remained disciplined. Irritated, they looked at the chairman’s dead body, whose head had been severely injured upon impact. A green crystalline substance was pouring from different wounds onto the ground, which puzzled the doctor, who had been called to the scene.
Wrecker was silently standing beside his brother’s body, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t decide if he should arrest Vasina and her shield bearer. He knew that the Progonauts where quite able to resist an arrest.
»There is an explanation for all of this,« Vasina addressed Wrecker, who was looking up to her from a crouched position. »We didn’t come here to murder your brother. He died long before tonight.«
»He was ill,« Wrecker moaned. »He had aged very fast recently. His body was decaying and his character had changed.«
»That’s not exactly correct, Wrecker,« Vasina cautiously tried to prepare him for the truth. »This being is not your brother. Drekker probably died a long time ago. An agitator, who looked exactly like him, took his place. He was an agent of an evil power which was operating inside your sphere of interest. Before we came to Kug, we visited the first planet of your solar system. There, we were able to destroy the evil base. Drekker’s decay is very likely directly related to this event. Agitators like him are in constant connection with a base. This link is now severed! The lacking stimulation seems to cause the crystal substance to decay and die off. Perhaps it is a safety catch installed by Morgotradon.«
The doctor cautiously examined the dead body and raised his hands.
»I’ve never seen such a substance before. It’s not a brain disease. I need to fully examine the corpse immediately.«
»You should burn it right here! Now!« Tranos suggested sternly. »This green substance is very dangerous. You’re risking infection! These crystals can dilute and replicate organic structures. The enemy, in this case Morgotradon, utilizes this substance to control and condition his agents.«
»I don’t know anybody by that name and don’t understand what you’re saying,« Wrecker replied sadly. »For me, Drekker was ill. I heard about your fight against the lizards. Some people saw it and reported the event. We no longer want you here. It was a mistake to bring you to Plast. I’m responsible!«
»Kug is changing,« Vasina tried again to warn him. »The planet was transformed at atomic level, you need to know that! The fire in the sky was not initiated to influence or scare you. It’s a physical phenomenon. It has vanished because your star also transformed. Seen from your perspective, Kug exists in a deadly universe. Every contact with space farers, who are coming from outside your solar system to visit you, will bring a great catastrophe. Your planet consists of anti-matter. Do you understand what I’m saying?«
Wrecker seemed to ponder for a moment.
»I’ll talk to our scientists about it. If it’s true what you’re saying then they’ll be able to prove it.«
Vasina sighed. That’s what she wanted, however, the events with the Rexas and Drekker’s death, had destroyed Wrecker’s trust.
»What happens next?«
»I’ll bring you back where we found you. We don’t want to see you again.«
Vasina straightened. Leaving them in the tundra without water and without knowing if they be able to contact their team again was probably punishment enough in the eyes of the Kugos; however, if the tundra was really inhabited by very dangerous animals then it could be a death sentence!
Tranos stepped beside Vasina and whispered, »They don’t know how much we helped them. They’re probably free now and can determine their future. Maybe Wrecker will become the new chairman, a win-win situation not only for his habitat, but probably for all Kugos. Regardless what awaits us in the tundra, I’ll be protecting you.«
Vasina smiled weakly and nodded at Wrecker.
»The Rexa ship started. The reptiles left Kug. I don’t believe they will ever return. We accept your decision and will return to the tundra.«
Wrecker looked at them with sad eyes.
»You know what that means, don’t you?«
»We know how to help ourselves. I just have a last favor to ask of you.«
»Speak!«
»Tranos will explain to you in common terms what had happened to Kug. You decide then, if you want to believe us.«
Wrecker nodded silently and escorted the two to his vehicle. In the distance the sky had turned to a yellowish-red, indicating the arrival of a new day.
»You should prepare yourselves for the horrors of the night time,« he recommended
»So be it then.«
Vasina nodded and boarded the hovercraft.
Time-lines
»Why did we meet you on this world? Coming to Kug was more or less a matter of chance. We were desperate, because we had no other option,« Pi asked. It itched him to find answers. »I don’t understand why we had to meet the Librarian exactly here, although we knew of his existence from Kuster~Laap’s reports. You created the Dimensional Swing on Kug and present the portal just at the time when we had to leave Spook!« Pi cleared his throat and continued, »I opened my mind since I had the chance to explore the wonders of space. I changed the way of how I look at things and try to accept the unthinkable, but these coincidences, considering the vastness of the Milky Way, are somewhat strange and hard to fathom.«
He looked
at Boiltos whose fat face spoke volumes. Boiltos chuckled amused.
»Why didn’t you come to our solar system and explain everything as Kuster~Laap had prophesied? You could’ve helped us to understand the situation much better!« Maya complained while the replication was standing close to her, literally sucking Maya’s words from her lips with her eyes. This time Maya didn’t reject her. The replication was helpless after she had been healed. She needed to orientate herself totally anew and adapt to her changed realities. With the evil strain implanted by Morgotradon gone, she seemed confused and clueless.
»What sense do the Retreats make?« Voit threw in.
»How do you manage to combine or change the different realities?« Paafnas asked excitedly.
»These are a lot of questions and you even left out some, hee, hee, hee, but I’ll leave it to you to ask them later. First to you, my Pleunatan friend, please, do not try to replicate my neuronal network, it would make you insane. I have felt your attempts since the moment you arrived here. I can’t let you do that, it’s in your best interest.«
Paafnas licked over his eyeballs and hid, ashamed, behind Maya Ivanova’s head.
»I think I need to tell you more about us Kokradians, I suppose,« Boiltos suggested in a charming way. »Millions of lightyears away, we were the guardians of our galaxy for eons already, as the catastrophe occurred. The parasite-galaxy materialized and shook our home-galaxy in such a way that a coordinated resistance was not possible. It was too late for counter measures. My people possess the ability to think into the future. This strong mental power comes along with our birth and is natural to us. Nevertheless, we were totally surprised …«
»… you can see into the future?« Klori’Tar interrupted very excited.
»No, I said, I can think into the future. I’m selecting bundles of time-lines, arrange them according to probability calculations or I create these lines.«
»In other words you can make predictions according to parameters at hand, so-to-speak. That does, however, not explain why we met here on Kug,« Herimos countered.
»It explains everything that happens. There’re no coincidences in the universe.«
»Where did I hear that before,« Pi wondered.
»Each rationally thinking being thinks this way. You too!« Boiltos continued. »You think that you came here by chance? In my mind it looks entirely different. Your presence is the result of a chain of events. You didn’t end up in this system by accident, even if you think that. Klori’Tar brought you here! He didn’t select his destination by a mere random act, he was chasing his enemy. This enemy came to the Crux-Heart to steal an object. Klori’Tar followed the trace and so you met.« Boiltos paused briefly. »I read in your minds things like: fate or destiny, but my analysis of time-strands or time-lines has nothing to do with myth. I possess the ability to recognize the highest probabilities from countless future options. Our meeting was not a result of chances. I’m on this world because I was expecting you, I was waiting for you!«
Arkroid swallowed. He had difficulties believing what he had heard.
»I could, however, not tell how many of you would be coming, what abilities you have and what your real intensions were,« Boiltos clarified. »A similar time-line could have established that the enemy was pretending to be a Protector to enter the Library or to kill me. Each and every model …«
»… variations, of course!« Herimos interrupted impressed.
»Correct, Protector from Equinox! There’re, however, time-knots which occur over and over again, repeating but manifesting themselves differently. These are the places and events where several time-lines might converge, interweave just to fan out again …«
»… the planet Kug is one of these time-knots?« Herimos speculated.
Boiltos pondered for a minute then said, »Yes! However, this is not like playing with time, it is deadly reality! My people, blessed with many powers, were much desired subjects by the Looters and their degenerated technology. Infected Kokradians are now controlling enemy carriers and due to their adaptations, obtain unrivaled mental powers. This makes the Looters almost invincible. By mental power alone they can bridge distances of several lightyears without utilizing their propulsion systems. They can, over these distances, direct weapons into their selected targets and manipulate time-lines!«
Pi poked Arkroid in the side and whispered, »That explains why the Atlantika was able to reach the Delta Trianguli system. The Kokradian entered the ship, mentally enslaved the crew and transformed the Atlantika into a deadly war-machine!«
»Then it was a Kokradian who almost eradicated my people!« Herimos interjected surprised and angry. »He destroyed our fleet by means of mental powers? Was this also a variation?«
»No, it was a tragedy,« Boiltos replied sadly. »You cannot call this attacker a Kokradian any longer. He was a newly created being. He possessed nothing which composed a Kokradian! All good traits were lost!«
»This being can manipulate time and create a Dimensional Bubble! He possesses suggestive, mental powers and can transfer a ship over a distance of several lightyears! Good Heavens, what are we dealing with here?« Pi hollered.
»Do you want to know what the true nature of the invaders from the parasite galaxy and their objectives are? Do you want to find out why they had chosen the Milky Way and what role Humanity has to play in this cosmic battle?« Boiltos asked Pi sternly.
Arkroid’s knees became weak. He feared not being able to handle the truth.
»Yes, my Human friend, Toiber Arkroid, the truth his very difficult to bare,« Boiltos kept poking.
»It would suffice to know how we can avoid the catastrophe,« Arkroid replied. »Does the Manifest play a role? Is that the reason why you’re protecting it inside the Library?«
»The Manifest plays a key-role,« Boiltos replied with a strange intonation, closing his eyes. »However, there’s a great danger, revealing all the secrets to you. There’re alternate time-lines, which are so close together, that a misstep can have a lethal outcome.«
Klori’Tar stepped forward.
»Why don’t you tell us what we need to do? Then we’ll follow the secure path and your advice to safety.«
Boiltos’ eyes rested on Klori’Tar for a moment before he explained, »The closer we come to the final stages, the least amount of time-lines are left. However, if I tell each and one of you the whole truth then millions of people in the galaxy, including Humanity will be doomed!«
Klori’Tar croaked terrified.
»What are you saying? Is there a traitor among us?«
»That’s impossible!« Maya objected. »Everybody in this group would rather die to save the galaxy!«
»No! There is no traitor in your group … not yet! The knowledge of the truth would, however, produce one due to the consequences of the faced reality!«
»No, I can’t believe and accept this!« Arkroid protested.
»You don’t understand … this is not purely speculation, the future with the highest probability will unfold.«
The team members were talking amongst each other loudly, expressing their disbeliefs.
There’s, however, a way out! Boiltos interrupted the team and called them to order by strong mental intervention. One of you will know everything. He can use the knowledge to lead and save the galaxy!
»That can only be me!« Kuster~Laap demanded. »I’m entitled! I’m the Genorantan Prophet!«
»I’ve made my choice already. The time-lines are not absolutely clear and still contain many variables. One thing is clear, though … it won’t be a self-proclaimed Prophet!«
Suddenly, Arkroid looked astounded; he paled and sank on his knees while Pi quickly supported him. Arkroid moaned deeply, tears running down his cheeks.
»That’s not possible!« he panted. »That can’t be!«
»He’s sending him a mental message. We can’t hear it!« Maya said.
Arkroid tried to get back onto his feet and supported himself with his hands on the Manifest’s tabl
e top.
»Why me! Why did you tell me? Nobody of us can carry this burden!« he yelled at Boiltos, big pearls of sweat were running over his forehead, burning his eyes.
»You must bear it or the time-lines of this galaxy will end nowhere. The truth is in good hands with you. I know that you’ll lead this group successfully. I’m certain that you won’t stray from your path, you’ll resist the temptations!« Boiltos replied calmly.
»Arkroid, are you okay?« Herimos inquired worried. »Your aura is becoming very weak!«
»I’m sick to my stomach. I know now what the Librarian wants to say,« Arkroid replied weakly, turned around and vomited, just missing Pi’s boots.
»What’s the next step?« Pi asked nervously. »Can we return and beat the anti-polarization? Do we reunite with Vasina and Tranos and leave this planet? What can we do to prevent the Great Tremor?«
Arkroid straightened, still huffing. He wiped his mouth and stared at Boiltos.
»Your version of the future is hard to take, Boiltos. Knowing, however, that there’s still a chance to avert this catastrophe gives me the strength to continue!
Arkroid briefly glanced at the replication and Klori’Tar, then Kuster~Laap and then nodded at Pi.
»We’ll leave the Library to pick up Vasina and Tranos. They’re already waiting for us,« he decided.
Moments later, Boiltos disappeared and the surroundings changed back to the temple artifact. The ship turned back into a mountain, except for the Manifest, it was still at the same place, unchanged in size or form.
»Let’s go!« Arkroid commanded and led the still hesitating team members to the outside.
Reunion
Vasina and Tranos watched the hovercraft driving away in cloud of dust. They were alone! Wrecker had left them exactly at the same spot where he had met them.
»How long? What do you think, Tranos?«
Tranos shrugged.
»Don’t worry, my Queen. I’ll look for a safe place for us. We can walk toward the sunrise; my shield detected a small group of hills, about a day’s foot-march away. There’re possibly some caves where we can spend the night. I can seal the entrance with a defense shield. I can search for underground water and burn a dwell into the ground with the shield’s plasma weapon.«
NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26 Page 37
