Alienne Mine: A Prequel to Dragon Dawn

by Deborah O'Neill Cordes

  Do not think of that now.

  Alienne sat in her pilot chair and prepared herself by breathing deeply, cleansing her mind of everything but the trip ahead. She visualized her destination among the wisps of galactic dust in the ring galaxy, the location of her home world, Da’ash.

  But a vision of Edward emerged to replace the one of her planet, and she felt the urge to take a detour and stop her ship midway between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies, to look back and remember.

  Yes, let it be, she thought as she closed her eyes and gave the order to her wet-ware implant. A soft whirr signaled her ship had slipped the bonds of space-time. Almost immediately the sound faded, followed by a faint shudder. Alienne opened her eyes to gaze upon a great, glittering barred spiral galaxy, one of 250 billion such ‘island universes’ in the cosmos, but special because of him.

  Edward’s Milky Way.

  Alienne beheld its starry beauty, the intense, hot, young stars raging in ultraviolet, veils of gas drifting between the more ancient star fields, cold and laced with purple-pink. Ed was out there, yet she could not see his galaxy and his time, because of one of the physical constraints of the universe: the speed of light.

  In human terms, light has a speed limit of 186,282 miles per second – it can go no faster, meaning the photons of light reaching an observer’s eyes invariably come from the past, whether in microseconds from nearby objects or in the billions of years it takes for light to travel from remote regions to reach the observer’s gaze.

  The present location of Alienne’s ship was 1.25 million light-years away from Edward and the Milky Way, in a position half the distance to the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy. The light had taken 1.25 million years to travel to her present location, coming from the time well before Edward was born, from the era when his distant ancestors called Homo erectus tamed fire and made stone hand axes. Her method of transportation seemed instantaneous, as if she traveled faster than light speed, but she’d actually broken the bonds of the universe, folding space-time to negate the speed limit.

  The distant whirl of stars glittered with cold beauty, photons of light traveling to her eyes from a long ago Milky Way. Edward was out there, but she couldn’t see him. It would take 1.25 million years for the photons from his time to reach this place.

  She felt utterly alone.

  Will I return? Will I see him again?

  Yes. Alienne clenched her hands, forcing herself to reject her doubts. She turned her thoughts inward and closed her eyes.

  Home.

  PART TWO

  Chapter 4

  Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

  Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.

  ~ John Howard Payne, lyrics for “Home, Sweet Home,” originally written for his opera Clari, or the Maid of Milan

  Alienne’s ship left the slipstream with a barely perceptible tremor.

  She looked through the viewport. Her vessel hovered at the edge of the solar system, the perfect spot to behold her sun, a beautiful blue star called Chivar. Light from this star washed its solar system in an azurine glow. There were seven planets orbiting Chivar, including a fourth world filled with life, her home world Da’ash.

  She breathed deeply. If he still lives, I am ready to meet him again...speak with him.

  Exhaling through her mouth, willing calm, she closed her eyes and ordered her ship onward, until it was in orbit around Da’ash. A planet with salt-blue seas and four continents, only a bit smaller than Earth and orbited by two moons.

  Drajulal-kishah.

  She heard her name from within, her wet-ware linking to his.

  Peace be with you, he went on.

  And with you.

  It has been an age since last we met.

  Yes. I need your help, Magnificent One.

  Come, Drajulal-kishah. I will grant you an audience. The coordinates of my realm have been transmitted. Come, then, and we will talk.

  She closed her eyes and left orbit.

  * * *

  Alienne left her ship hidden in the jungle, although he would certainly know where it was. It was a risk coming home, because there were those who would steal her ship, yet she trusted him to protect her from the rogues and thieves.

  She could have teleported directly to his location, but she wanted to breathe wild air and feel a living environment with her own senses. How long had she been cooped up on her ship traveling through the cosmos, studying planet after disappointing planet until she found the jewel, the beautiful blue Earth? In human terms, it was over six hundred years. To be exact, six hundred sixty-six years, twenty-two days, fifteen hours...

  She smiled at her obsessive foibles and stepped past the jungle detritus of purple-red leaves onto a bed of soft violet-gold sand. The blue sun warmed her skin and calmed her spirit. The aqua-green sea caressed her eyes with its beauty. The devastating galactic war had ended long ago, and the planet looked almost whole again, its wounds healing well. This gladdened her spirit, and she shouted with joy as she ran along the shoreline. It was clean, pure, no longer clogged with the debris of battle. But for a partially submerged hulk of titanium resting off shore, she could see none of the devastation she remembered from the time just after the war.

  Happy and excited, Alienne raced into the surf and let the waves take her. She swam toward the reef accompanied by a school of plinks, the juvenile form of the great sea serpent Dyculps, the little ones harmless at this stage in their life cycle. Once there, she watched the plinks move off in a purple-pink cloud of coordinated movement, then took a deep breath and dove underwater, seeking the realm of the Magnificent One.

  She swam for a moment, seeing nothing but the reef, and then spotted a sea cave at a distance greater than his coordinates indicated – something that made her wonder how he’d made such a mistake. Did he now suffer from the age sickness associated with his kind? She felt the flurry of nerves in her gut, because dementia might make him even more dangerous than he was before. She considered surfacing again for some additional breaths of air, to delay the meeting a little longer – and seek a measure of calm.

  But she forced aside her qualms and kicked furiously as she made for the airlock.

  She’d met him twice before, once as a war captive sentenced to death, the next time when he commuted her sentence. It was a surprising and stunning act, one that he repeated with several of her comrades, too. He had the right to do so as the Victor General, a Magnificent One of the Great Rising. She was granted life in exile and given a ship and a mission – to learn everything she could about the known universe. Her exile could only be rescinded with his permission. She would be allowed to report back to him if she had real and noteworthy findings.

  And now it was time.

  Someday, when he was very old, the Magnificent One would go back to his Star Palace in the Great Ring, but for now, he lived among his supplicants, the conquered beings of Da’ash, to learn everything he could about them and their world.

  He would be defined by humans as a benevolent scientist-dictator, but Alienne remembered him as one of the Thunder Gods, who had unleashed his weapons and smote this planet into submission. She, on the other hand, had been one of the rebel leaders, a warrior of the Altar, the largest province on the biggest continent of this planet. Because she fought him and his kind with a single-minded ferocity, killing many of his minions, she never understood why he granted her a stay of execution and life in exile. Would she ever learn why he’d been so magnanimous? She doubted it, for she, herself, would have...

  She thrust aside her terrible thoughts as she reached the airlock and climbed inside. After gulping in air, one great breath after another, she steadied herself and looked at the equipment scattered about. Air breathing equipment, mini-submarines. It was clear to her then – these days, he studied the sea.

  The door opened and he stood there, twice as tall as she, a giant looking somewhat like a human, but strangely beautiful beyond compare, with skin that gleamed like
gold leaf and liquid eyes of electric green. His aura was awhirl with a rose-gold light, vibrant and striking to behold.

  She spread her hands outward and lowered herself in submission, until she was on her knees.

  Rise, Drajulal-kishah. Let us feast and talk. I have missed your spirit, for you possessed a great will. I always knew you would never give up.

  This surprised her, and he read her thoughts, saying, “I tire of sycophants. Come.”

  Before rising, she closed her eyes and sent the order to teleport her gift to him.

  “What is this?” he asked as she followed him into his realm.

  A box containing Ghirardelli chocolate bars sat on the floor of his entrance hall. Her gift was something unique in the known universe, an earthly treasure.

  “My gift to you, Magnificent One. It is called chocolate.”

  He already had the box open. “It possesses a marvelous smell,” he said.

  “It tastes even better.”

  He unwrapped a bar, tasted it, and sighed with pleasure. “Yes, it is wonderful. Thank you.” He ate the rest of the bar. “I believe you could buy your own star palace with such a treasure.”

  She hadn’t thought of that. What would it be like to call a star palace home? But then, unless she had someone to share it with, it would be a lonely place.

  Yes, I am pleased with your gift – and with you, Drajulal-kishah. You have changed. I discern a new thoughtfulness in your emotions. Dare I say you possess tenderness as well? But let me get more to the point of why I believe you have come back to Da’ash. It is fear that motivates you. You must tell me more about this, for it must be caused by a formidable threat. I am intrigued.

  She knew he could not read her mind clearly when she felt worry or fear, something she’d used to her advantage long ago, at the time of her sentencing. If he’d understood how much bare hatred she felt toward him then, he might have summarily executed her.

  But now? In order to survive and keep her sanity, she strove to distance herself from all memories of war, or so she tried.

  “Come,” he said, ushering her into his realm.

  With a nod, she joined him at his dining divan and told him everything she’d ascertained about the Milky Way and the planet Earth – and, most importantly, about the possibility of an entity on Mars.

  The Magnificent One touched his chin as he pondered her suspicions. “I would be interested in investigating this, Drajulal-kishah.”

  “Yes, thank you. I welcome your help.”

  “I admire your sense of wonder about this universe and your ability to think beyond your own needs. It was apparent to me long ago, when I released you, that you were a special being. Please, take your ease, and be at peace. While I investigate, enjoy the comforts of our world.”

  * * *

  Time passed in languid repose, days of swimming in the warm sea, nights spent dreaming beneath the blazing violet-blue swath of ring stars.

  Despite her sense of urgency about Mars, Alienne strove for patience as she awaited a second audience with the Magnificent One, to learn of his findings.

  She made a campfire on the beach just before sunset. Enjoying its warmth, she had just closed her eyes when she heard a voice inside her skull.

  Drajulal-kishah, peace be with you.

  And with you.

  Would you join me for the evening meal?

  Yes. Thank you, Magnificent One.

  She put out the fire and swam to his realm, staying well away from the reef channel that led to open water, in the hopes of avoiding dangerous marine predators that combed the outer reef at sundown.

  She surfaced in the airlock and gulped in welcome breaths of air. She looked at the scattering of artificial lungs and other underwater equipment, and then made up her mind to ask him for a loan of some gear.

  You will not need any of it, Drajulal-kishah, for you will be going back to the Earth. And soon.

  The Magnificent One entered the airlock and assisted her from the water. His grip was strong as he pulled her onto the dock, yet his skin seemed a paler gold, weaker than before. His aura had also faded, now wispy-fine and shaded with gray-green, a sign that something was wrong.

  She held herself still, hoping her inner thoughts were masked from him because of her shock. Apparently they were, because he said matter-of-factly, “Come. Follow me.”

  He took her to a part of his realm she’d never seen before, his library. It was vast, containing scrolls, books, and ancient-looking machines, plus a translucent computer wall.

  He nodded to her and said, “Before we dine, I would have you see what I discovered. It was among a stash of data kept by your former compatriot, Sharpesh-kishah. She traveled to a galaxy not far from the Milky Way, the one Earthlings call the Whirlpool.”

  Alienne felt surprise and a sharp pang of regret for having been denied this knowledge for so long. “No! Oh, to think she was there and so close to me all these years!”

  “Yes, and she even journeyed closer to you still, to the other side of the Milky Way, where she found this.” He went to the wall and brought up the three-dimensional holographic image, an alien that reminded Alienne of a fictional being from earthly lore, a robot. It was not bipedal, with two legs, however. It had four, the joints pointing backward.

  The Magnificent One waved his hand and the image started moving, the gait weird, compelling, and, she had to admit, frightening.

  “This creature evolved differently from you and me, for he is made of silicon, not carbon-based like us. His kind are evil beasts possessing the unique ability to move in real time and swiftly, unlike the other slow-moving silicon aliens of which we are aware. They call themselves Shishloc, and they have taken over a large region of the Milky Way, with well over one hundred thousand stars beneath their sway. They hunt down carbon-based life and exterminate it with biological weapons. Sharpesh-kishah left the galaxy as soon as she realized they did not have space-fold technology. As you can imagine, beings like the Shishloc are a great threat to all carbon life forms, but they are restricted to one area of space within the Milky Way galaxy. If those creatures understood how to travel as we do, then the threat to carbon-based life would be universal.”

  “Where is Sharpesh now?”

  “I do not know. She is gone. I cannot find her.”

  “Gone? I don’t understand. How could you know of her findings if she has vanished?”

  “Before it happened, she left an encrypted message for me in sub-space.”

  Sub-space? This is getting positively Star Trek-esque. If the implications of her friend’s discovery about the Shishloc hadn’t been so serious, Alienne would have laughed.

  “Since you left, we’ve developed new technologies, Drajulal-kishah. Sharpesh returned from exile once long ago, to submit her findings to me, and before she left her ship was outfitted with the new technology. I will do the same for your ship.”

  “Thank you.” She stared into his eyes. “I am still worried about Sharpesh. I hope she is alive.”

  “I cannot give you an answer to that. In recent years, we have mapped much of the cosmos and now estimate there are at least 500 billion galaxies in the known universe. Billions of galaxies, with the number of stars and planets beyond reckoning. I do not know where she went. If she wishes to stay hidden, she can. You all can.” He sighed. “I am getting old, and I will share something with you that I have never told another...that I have many regrets which I did not possess before. I would not blame you for going off and never returning to this, your home world. But promise me one thing before you leave.”

  Her twin hearts beat hard within her chest. This was unexpected, disconcerting and strange, and she wondered at all she’d seen and heard this evening. His emotions were unconcealed. Gone was the remote and god-like being. What would cause such changes? Was he dying? She felt something she’d never experienced before with regards to him: empathy.

  He smiled. Yes, he told her. Your thoughts are correct. I will die – soon, I fear. And b
efore I vanish from this universe, promise me you will go back to your Edward, take him far away from Earth, and live long with him.

  Alienne gaped. But...you know about him?

  Yes. I have seen your image of him in your memory, that which you hold dear to your thoughts. You have made him your Chosen, whether you realize it or not. And might I add...your instinct to keep yourself hidden from the human race is correct, for there is a corrupt power elite on that planet that would not hesitate to use you to their advantage. I know all too well how they think and act, for my own kind is much the same. Do not reveal yourself to them, or you will become their prisoner. As for the purported pa-Keer being, I could not ascertain if such a creature exists on Mars. It is more likely an elaborate computer program, what the Ancient Ones called a planetary librarian.

  But, Magnificent One, what about the silicon aliens? Can we do nothing for Earth? Should we warn them about the possibility of an attack?

  “No,” he said aloud, his liquid eyes glistening purple-blue, his gaze immeasurably sad. “Earth is fortunate because it is located in a backwater of its galaxy. The beasts are still one hundred thousand of light years away from humans, on the other side of the Milky Way. With over two hundred billion stars in the galaxy, chances are the Shishloc will never find Earth.”

  She spread her hands out before her, pleading. “But I need more information. I’m not certain what to do about Mars. I must be certain of what is there. If it is hiding...”

  “I have no more answers. You might consider visiting the oracle. It may be able to advise you further.”

  “But you are a scientist. How would the oracle help me? It is of the old faith, one of the Ancient Ones who spurned science. I have no use for superstition and myth.”