by Frank Carey
"Delna's group was working on an extension to our normal shunting ability," she explained, "Instead of briefly traveling through the transdimensional void, they were able to bridge it, creating a portal into the Alue universe. The Alue were able to take control and open the portal wide enough to allow an invasion force through."
"Do we know how long before this treachery transpired?" Agendor asked.
"A year."
Agendor looked at the ceiling. "Right about the time she was making overtures to merge the two family units. We Logash get to thinking about big families when fortune smiles on us."
"We still don't know why they invaded, and we still don't know why they didn't just reopen the gateway after the planet was destroyed."
"For those answers," Marta pointed out, "we need an Alue from that time. Damn, I wish we could find Malaki or Platinum. Any word from the Crystallanians?"
Ciara shook her head. "President Varn made inquiries, but drew a blank. The elder Alue have gone AWOL."
Agendor leaned forward. "Ruby, this may be inappropriate to ask in public, but what is your life-cycle like?"
The young Alue blushed. "I don't really know. I think I'm from one of the last generations of Alue, and I really don't know how we make more Alue."
Before anyone could smirk, Agendor explained, "That is not unusual. Logash mating rituals are passed down from parents to offspring, otherwise young Logash are prone to react to hormonal changes in less-than-optimal ways."
"Alturans just have a day at the beach followed three months later by hundreds of newly-minted Alturans emerging from the surf," Dr. Wassman explained. "A real time saver."
"Don't you have families?" Qui asked.
"Sure, but families are separate from breeding. New Alturans have a way of sensing where they're supposed to go after leaving the ocean. We just make sure the front door is unlocked."
"The things you find out at one of Harm's parties," Nebulon said.
"Agendor, why the interest in the Alue life-cycle?" Sil asked.
"Perpetuation of ones species is a powerful driving force. I'm just wondering if the Alue came here for something as simple as breeding. I can't think of any other reason except for power or population control. Something on this side drove them to wipe out the Logash. I want to know what that reason is."
"We need more answers." Harm noted.
"We might be able to help with that," Nebulon said. "Let me show you what we found.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Nebulon took the keyboard back and typed in a command. A picture of a ziggurat appeared. "This is El Castillo, a ziggurat at the center of the Chichén Itzá archaeological site in the Yucatán state on Earth. This site was occupied from around 600 CE to 900 CE. The ziggurat was built somewhere in the middle of that occupation."
"Since its discovery in 1566 CE, this structure and the site itself have been picked over like the beast on the counter. It was thought that everything that could be found there had been found," Tannith added.
"That is until Tanni and I ordered up an orbital survey using one of the scanner platforms, one that detects quantum spin signatures."
The picture changed to an aerial view of the Chichén Itzá site. They could see the El Castillo ziggurat, the Temple of los Guerreros, and the Gran Juego de Pelota. Nebs pressed a key and the view filled with red blobs, a lot of them. "How deep," Rutile asked.
"One hundred feet,” Tannith answered.
"How big?" Grayson asked.
"Preliminary ground scans suggest a pyramidal structure five hundred feet high with base of two miles square, all buried directly underneath El Castillo. There are indications that there's an entrance to the lower structure hidden somewhere inside the ziggurat."
Harm walked over to the viewer to get a closer look at six large, circular blobs arranged as points of a hexagram. He pointed to them. "Ships?"
Rutile joined him, squinting her glowing blue eyes while her tail swayed back and forth. "Can you bring up the data?" she asked.
A table appeared showing dimensions and guestimates for mass and density. "Damned things are about the right size and weight."
"Algonquin can get us there in less than two days," Harm said.
"We'll need a digger," Nebs said.
"A what?" Rutile asked as she turned to look at the Tyen.
"A digger. We'll need to treat this like a dig site. I'll contact Earth and start the permits, but we need to get someone on-site to prep. They'll also arrange for local help."
"I know just the guy," Harm said while motioning for the keyboard. He typed in a name and a picture of an Earth human male and female appeared. Unnoticed by all, Ciara jumped up and ran over to stand and stare at the viewer. "Hiram Jones and his wife, Dr. Shanna Syron." He typed something and a data box appeared. "Great. I thought I had read in Archaeology Monthly that the two were on a dig in Ecuador. Best damn digger in the League and she's one of the top xenos, present company excepted," he said with a glance toward Nebs. "I think I can persuade them both to fly over and get things started.
"You know Shanna Syron and you never told me?" Ciara said, accusingly.
"Yes, I know Shanna. I know a lot of people. Did you know that I smuggled wombat yarn for the Martok queen so she could practice her knitting?"
Someone in the room fainted.
"But Shanna Syron. Do you know who she is? She and Joshua Ramses discovered Venlanta and the cure for Relapse, you fool. She holds God-like status with my people, and you didn't tell me you knew her?"
"My bad. Really, I didn't know you’d care, and neither of them ever mentioned it. Would you like to meet them? Wait a darn minute, I owe her a crate of Earl Grey tea. Would you like to give it to her in person?"
Tears of Joy flowed down Ciara’s face while Clint tried to comfort her. "You could do that?" he asked.
"Oh yeah. Easy peasy. Look, let me call Hiram and make arrangements while Nebs works her magic. Gloria!"
"Sir!" she said, snapping a salute.
"Funny. You got any bots near the site we could borrow?"
"Let me look." She took the keyboard and typed in a command. "Yep. Elven Industries has a warehouse in Rio Lagartos. I can have an assortment of snake, rat, and centipedes flown in and waiting for Hiram."
"Do it," Ciara said. "I'll authorize the purchase through the Cube Quartermaster Corps, and I'll have Legal talk to... Who's she working for now?"
"She's the Senior Research Scientist for the UCD School of Archaeology, Tralaska."
"I'll have Legal contact them and arrange for a loan of her and her people." She looked at the chrono above the viewer. "We'll leave in three hours. We can take Algonquin and Ascendant, splitting passengers and supplies between the two ships. Agendor, Rutile, whom do you want from your group?"
"Me and Rutile. Malg, Tessa, Sil, and Qui can stay here and continue work on finding Homeworld, or what's left of her."
"Ashley?"
"Yes, ma'am,"
"I want you to help them. You know the Cube computer systems as well as your grandfather. Chasm can help," Ciara ordered.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Grayson, I've been told you've been working with a team?"
"Yes, ma'am. We're called the 1st Logash."
"Fine name. I want you and your team to supply security for this mission," Ciara said.
"It would be an honor, ma'am," he replied as Ashley squeezed his arm.
"Nice job, moron," she whispered.
"Dr. Wassman, any problem with you riding as medic?"
"Nope. I need a vacation," the Alturan said.
"The rest of you need to continue preparing for a possible invasion while keeping an eye on the store,” Ciara said. “Clint, I want you along to give pointers to the 1st Logash."
"Yes, ma'am," Clint said from where he stood behind her with his arms around her waist.
"And, Ruby."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You have so gotten caught in the middle of the maelstrom. We need you with us for mor
e reasons than I can count. Feel up to it?"
"Yes, ma'am. Time to Alue-up and kick some ass."
That got a chortle out of everyone.
"Good. Did I miss anyone? No? Great. Dismissed. Agendor and Rutile, hang back for a moment, if you could."
They nodded and joined her in the kitchen while she helped Marta, Losira, and Royce clean up. "OK, you two, here's something that no one knows. You noticed that you're not the only Logash aboard the station."
"Yes, Harm introduced us to several neoLogash, as they call themselves."
"Yeah, and they are all damn proud of that name and their heritage. Except for your family, every Logash in the League was born after the Crystallanians arrived and all are in their twenties to early thirties due to hyper aging. Ash and Grayson are extreme cases due to their parent's lineage, but all of our Logash have blue glowing eyes, glowing blue crystals in their sternums, and none of them have a clue what it means to be a Logash. Hell, none of us does. Could you teach them?"
The two tails intertwined instantly.
"What about their parents and families?" Agendor asked.
"We were hoping that when all this insanity is past, you would teach the parents as well,” Ciara said. “Shenda, Ashley's mom, would kill to be closer to her kids."
More tail intertwining. "We will check with the rest of the family, but I think they will be as thrilled as we are," Rutile said. To be able to bring the Logash race back into existence is an honor beyond comprehension, so yes, we will do as you ask."
"How did you think of this?" Agendor asked.
"It wasn't me; it was the elf. Harm has had a rough time of it before getting back together with Marta. He has a very large soft spot when it comes to kids, so he uses his financial resources and networks to help any way he can. He will deny this, but I think it's his way of saying thank you for everyone giving him a second chance." She looked at the kitchen chrono. "Look at the time. You two need to get ready. Both ships are in hangar 18. Be there at 0100 hours."
"Yes, ma'am," Agendor said.
"Yes, ma'am," Rutile said with a salute. "Thank you, ma'am, for everything."
Ciara, having dealt with military types for most of her adult life, returned the salute with a razor sharp one of her own. The two Logash said good-bye to the others before leaving the three ladies and Royce alone.
"What do you think you'll find when you get inside," Losira asked as she wiped her hands.
"Hopefully relics and answers. Nice party. Have enough beast, Royce?"
"To tell the truth, I was wondering if I could take some home..."
Marta handed him a container of leftovers. The big elf grabbed them and hugged them to his chest. "Thanks."
Losira just shook her head. "I married a chow hound."
###
The escort stopped in front of an ornate door. "Your family's in here. They're talking with some new arrivals," the Katalan said as he palmed the door button, opening it onto a room full of glowing blue eyes and gray skin. "Ring the intercom if you need anything."
"My gods," Rutile said as she walked into a lounge filled with over a hundred Logash, all young, everyone wearing clothing normal for where they were from. Tessa broke free from a group she was talking to and joined the two alphas. "Hey, look what we found. They call themselves neoLogash, and they are dying to learn about us."
"Tessa, how are they doing inside?" Agendor asked.
"They are scared shitless. Hell, their families are scared shitless."
"How would you feel about helping them?' Rutile asked.
"Helping them do what?"
Agendor intertwined tails with her. "Help them become Logash like us without losing the neoLogash they are."
"Ciara asked us to help them bridge the divide between then and now," Rutile explained as she took her turn intertwining.
"You mean show them how we do it in Logash Town?" Tessa asked, paraphrasing something Ashley had said earlier.
The two alphas laughed. "Exactly!" Rutile said. "You up for it?"
"We all are, Rutile. Come, let me start the introductions. As far as I can tell, you two are the only alphas in the room at the moment."
Rutile stopped and looked around as that simple statement sunk in. "Damn, you're right. Husband, are you up for this?"
"Of course. We're Logash. We're up for anything."
CHAPTER NINE
A group waited on the ground as Algonquin and Ascendant landed near the El Castillo ziggurat. They saw Harm through the freighter's windshield and waved. He waved back before opening the hatches to release his passengers, all that is except a very nervous Ciara and her attentive husband, Clint.
"Is that her?" the director asked while looking out the window.
"Yep, that is Dr. Shanna Syron. The goofball standing next to her is Hiram Jones, a digger, scoundrel, and sometimes smuggler. I assume you would like to meet her."
Ciara nodded, vigorously.
"This way then."
The tall elf walked his friends out the hatch and over to where the Jones and the other members of the expedition waited while the ground crew unloaded the two ships.
"Harmon!" Shanna yelled as she ran up to hug him. Behind her, Hiram waited to get near enough to shake Harmon's hand. "Shanna, you look wonderful. Is the fool keeping you happy?" Harm asked.
"Always. So, what the hell is going on? We got marching orders to meet you here, but no background info."
"All in good time, my good doctor. First, though, Dr. Shanna Syron, Hiram Jones, I would like you to meet Ciara Devlin, Director of Operations for the Cube Research Center, and her husband, Clint Simms, Head of Cube Security."
Shanna froze, her eyes going huge. "The Ciara Devlin, the woman who stopped the poaching of plant-things on Aldro?"
Ciara was out of her element, not quite knowing what to do. "Yes, that's where I met Clint..."
Shanna ran up and hugged Ciara, then hugged Clint. Harm looked at Hiram who shrugged.
"You, both of you, are my heroes! I'm a huge collector of plant-things. Hell, I've got almost two-hundred of them. I even have a mated pair of snapdragons."
"No!" Ciara exclaimed. "I've got one snapdragon, I named him Clevon, and he's a handful. Do you have pictures?"
"Of course! Let me show you!" Shanna said as she took Ciara by the arm and led them back to the base camp with Clint in tow.
"Who would have known? So, Harm, what brings you to Chichén Itzá?" Hiram asked.
Harm pulled out a datapad and set it to holographic projection mode. He then set it to project an image of the site. This is our current position," he said.
"Yes, I know that. You do know that this is one of the most picked-over sites on the planet, don't you? Yet someone just footed the bill for a massive dig here. What do you expect to find? Old pop bottles?"
Harm tapped the top of the pad. The view shifted to show the massive structure underneath them. "Some pop bottle," Harm said while handing Hiram the pad.
Hiram's eyes got wide while his hands shook as he took the pad from his friend. "How in the..."
"Mr. Jones, we must talk. My people tell me you have brought cats into the site?" A gentlemen with official airs complained.
Hiram ignored the gentlemen, opting instead to walk over to a table where he could sit down to better examine the hologram.
"Is there something wrong with Mr. Jones?"
"No, nothing wrong. Tell me, mister... Mister..."
"Edward Duarte, site director. And you are?"
"Prince Lucien Irithyl of Ventos Prime."
Director Duarte started to cough. Harm patted him on the back, "I get that a lot. Has Cube Director Devlin briefed you on what we found here?"
"Yes, she called, but I was indisposed, and I haven't had time to read the file. Now, about these cats..."
Harm meowed. Moments later, a fine looking F1 Savannah cat ran up and jumped into Harm's arms. Petting the cat, which looked more serval than domestic, Harm trilled. The cat immediately stood up whi
le a pair of doors opened on either side of its body. A pair of lethal-looking blasters appeared. "They're not cats; they're security robots designed to patrol the area. Ignore them, unless you're a threat."
"I should have read the briefing?"
"Yep. Long story short, we found something interesting under this site, something that may be vitally important to the survival of Earth and the League of Planetary Systems. Director Devlin and I have arranged to rent this site and pay for a detailed examination of what's underneath. These cats will keep us safe during the process, unless you want me to replace them with heavily armed EMEF Marines in battle suits." He purred and the bot went back to being a cat. It jumped down and rubbed against the director's leg before heading back to its duties. "Mr. Jones is examining a hologram of the underground structure, a hologram based on data obtained by a top secret spy satellite in orbit over this site. Why don't you go help him while I check on my people?"
"Yes, Your Highness! Your people are over there at the base of El Castillo."
"Thank you, Director. Your help in this matter will not be forgotten," Harm said as he walked over to the tent.
Harmon walked up to find everyone assembled and waiting for him while the ground crew, under Jason's direction, finished unpacking their equipment. Harm could hear Grayson explaining the cats to Rutile, Agendor, and the First Logash while Tannith and Nebs scoped out a plan with some of Jones' crew. Standing off to one side was Ruby who just stared at the ziggurat.
"Hey, girlfriend, what's shaking," Harm said while putting an arm around her shoulder.
"I've got hair," she said as she showed him a hefty lock of fine, blue-green hair. "It started growing when we entered orbit."
