“So your people are called Naerendi?” Seles asked. “Is there any relation to the Rendi?”
“All in a name means nothing if the species aren’t even close,” he answered with a laugh “I forget you’ve never seen an Original Five race without an exoskeleton. When they have them on its difficult to tell what they are. The Rendi evolved on a world devoid of carbon.”
“Then they must be silicate based,” Seles said.
“Yes. Underneath that suit they look like small glass trees. Though they aren’t telepathic, the Rendi can connect wholly with another creature by simply touching them. They’re homeworld is a beautiful place of rock crystals and formations.”
“The older races don’t let others see their worlds very often though.”
“No, that’s on purpose,” Myden said. “The technology they have is advanced beyond anything you can imagine.”
“So Myden, can you explain the vision I had?” she asked. “Is it linked to the berserk state?”
“The berserk is a state of consciousness beyond what you now know,” he explained. “Think of it as the next stage of evolution. Brian was the first to awaken a few years ago. Around him the Maidens have awakened one by one, as well as Dreka. Long ago the Teacher predicted such an event would take place. Your desire to see him led to the vision. You can sense he’s still alive. I believe Mira’s done the same.”
“So what is the awakened state supposed to be?” she asked.
“As you know, the older races like mine have special, almost magical powers. These didn’t develop without the aid of technology. In a sense we’ve already awakened, though not fully. My people have advanced telepathy and mental energy; the Mylors have telekinesis, etc. The question I’ve often wonder is what each of the younger races awakened powers will be.”
“Then you don’t know for sure?” Seles asked.
“No, neither you nor Brian has reached the saturation point. You’ve partially awakened so you’re able to tap into things faster than normal, but not to the point of being able to do what we do. I suspect your race’s power is linked to energy is some way or another. That’s why I think those new mobile suits you and your kind are flying about in will one day bring about the answer to this question.”
“So if Brian’s Terran, his power would be different?” Seles asked.
“Yes,” he said. “As with your kind Seles, I can’t say for certain what his power may be.”
Seles looked down with a look of sadness in her eyes. “When I was dreaming, I noticed Brian was in pain. I felt like he was fading away.”
“He’s contracted the Grey plague,” Myden said. “If Celi can’t find a cure soon I don’t think we’ll ever see him again.”
“It can’t be true!” Seles shouted. “Not like this, that’s no way to die. If he’s the Warrior the Teacher spoke of than how could this happen?”
“The Warrior is a title, nothing more,” Myden said. “The plan set forth by the Teacher allowed for changes like this. If he dies the title and responsibility will fall to one of you.”
“Are you saying I’ll have to lead them?” she asked with doubt in her voice.
“If you cannot lead, then one of the others will have to,” he explained. “Either Valis or Kivi would do perfectly in fulfilling his wishes. But I believe you’re selling yourself short. I sensed it within Brian when he came here to save you. He desires to protect you out of love most of all, but there’s another reason to why he wishes for you to live so badly.”
“And why is that?”
“Because one day you’ll surpass him in all areas,” Myden said. “Brian can climb to reach the heavens but knows you can fly higher still. In his mind your name and visage will far surpass him. So when we go to find him remember he needs you to protect him.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Seles said. “Wait, did you say we?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “I’ll be joining you and the others. The second Wiseman is with them, the one who’s the master of the present. Should Brian and the others survive they’ll be changed forever from what they’ve witnessed.”
“I couldn’t see much but I felt something dreadful in that dream,” Seles said.
“What they saw were the crimes my people have committed against the galaxy,” he explained. “It’s enough to drive one mad.” Myden paused. “Earlier you asked me if I was alone. I live to see my people free once more. Although I know there won’t be many left, as long as a few of us live on it’s enough. The Naerendi were once a race of powerful warriors. But now we live in chains. The future the machine god desires is bleak and void of culture. To it, my people are little more than machines carrying out their duty. But people are not machines to simply use, nor are machines who become people.”
“That’s the way we did things here on Kalaidia for a long time,” Seles said. “To the nobles a commoner was but a machine to aid them in maintaining their wealth and power. It was one of the many reasons I had to leave this place.”
“But now you understand what’s important to value. Neither money nor power for its own sake, but relationships with others.”
“Exactly,” she said. Seles looked at the heart of the Great Dragon constellation. “I wonder what his world looks like.”
“Not very different from Kalaidia truthfully,” Myden said.
“I wonder what his people are like,” Seles said. “Are they as diverse as he’s said, or not?”
“Quite so,” Myden answered. “Unlike your people, Terrans aren’t unified by religion or ideology. That’s the reason why so many fear them. In a few centuries Terrans may be the greatest threat to peace in this galaxy. Their potential far outstrips the Naerendi, and the Mylor can only stretch their military might so much before it breaks. That’s why Brian has been viewed as a bit of an experiment to the older races. They hope he’ll show everyone what Terrans could be rather than what they fear.”
“I knew the fear early on, until I got to actually talking with him,” Seles said. “After a while I guess I got used to him.”
“Fear lessens once doubt has been changed to certainty,” he said. “Understanding is the key to changing relations between peoples. That’s the solution the Teacher proposed. No military might in the universe is able to stand between two beings who understand one another.”
Chapter 31 - Island Encounter
Brian waited in the meeting room off the bridge and stared at the planet below. Zae walked in and saw he was deep in thought.
“Am I doing the right thing?” Brian asked.
“Yes,” Zae answered. “I know it violates protocol but we’ve decided to do the right thing.” She stood next him. “Never doubt this decision.”
“Our chances are slim.”
“That’s why we can only do what we can,” Zae said. “I know there’s a good chance of failure. The whole crew knows it as well, along with Grigon. Doing the right thing isn’t always the easiest.”
“No, doing the right thing can also lead to even worse outcomes,” he said. “But ignoring the situation would be the greater evil. The Braiden deserve better. Their race is one to be admired. What other possibilities can you see?”
“I can see a few realistic options,” she said. “The first is for them to dig into their planet and create an artificial environment underground. Because of their present population levels, that’s the most feasible option. The second option is to build colony sized transports and leave. Although this is relatively feasible it will only save a small amount of their population. The third I can envision is to build an orbital defense system powerful enough to hold the Greys off. If the prize isn’t worth the price the Greys may move on. But the third option is the least likely to work out. What were you thinking about?”
“Those are the same three conclusions I came to,” he answered. “I’m going to encourage Lumiar and her people to purse the first two options at the same time.”
“Are you planning on giving them access to our technology?”<
br />
“Jesela and Grigon are preparing the appropriate blueprints as we speak.”
“How long do you plan to stay here?” she asked.
“A few months seem to be the right amount of time,” he said. “Once we’re satisfied with the progress they’ve made we can give our best wishes and leave.”
“All of this is contingent on the Greys not making a move anytime soon,” Zae said. “That’s a dangerous assumption.”
“I know, but what else can we do?”
“Nothing but pray to Kali.”
“Of course,” he said before turning to leave. “I need to speak with Lumiar on the surface now. Take care of the Avoni while I’m gone. If anything happens contact me immediately.”
“I will Brian, you can count on that,” she said.
* * *
Lumiar stood on the beach of a small island far south of the main continents. Around her was a small contingent of elite guards, armed with automatic rifles in full body armor. She wore body armor and a semiautomatic pistol on her side. The captain of the guards stood next to her.
“All of our forces are in position my lady,” the captain said. “But to be honest I doubt our air forces could stand against such enemies.”
“No, these people come peacefully,” Lumiar said. “Lieutenant Commander Peterson said he and a few of his associates would come down on a cloaked vessel.”
The captain listened to a message from their observatories. “Something large is entering the atmosphere just above our position,” he reported.
Lumiar and all of the soldiers looked into the sky and saw the form of something breaking though the atmosphere. As it cooled it completely disappeared.
“How are they able to physically cloak their ship?” the captain asked.
“We’re here to learn answers,” Lumiar said with a smile.
A few seconds later a large depression appeared on the beach. A number of the trees nearby snapped under the weight of the cloaked ship. Her guards readied their rifles and took aim at the invisible Mjolnir. From inside Brian turned to Celi and the four guards with them.
“It’s time to meet the Braiden,” he said as he turned to the other four guards, led by ensign Seli. “Keep an eye on things in here Seli. I don’t want to show force so I’ll be going unarmed.” Brian removed the rakna from his belt and left it on the floor.
“Alright,” Seli said. “If you need us we’ll be here.”
“Glad to hear it,” Brian said. Celi checked her medical bag once more. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m ready to go,” Celi said.
Although invisible, the Mjolnir was presently in ship form. The front hatched opened onto the beach under the front part of the ship, shielded from the sun. Both Brian and Celi blinked as they walked into the sunlit world. A few yards away Lumiar stood with a half a dozen armed soldiers.
“The sun is so bright,” Celi said before taking a deep breath.
“The fresh air is great,” Brian said.
He wore his exoskeleton with the cape fluttering in the wind. As the pair moved within a few yards the soldiers aimed their weapons at them. Lumiar stepped forward and paced around the Terran and Kalaidian. She went to Brian and took his armored hand.
“Are you real?” she asked.
“As real as anyone you know Lumiar,” Brian answered. He grasped her hand in friendship. “On behalf of the crew of the Avoni I greet you High Priestess.”
“Greetings to you Brian Peterson, on behalf of the people of Braiden, I welcome you to this planet,” Lumiar said. She moved to Celi and took her hand. “I sense a gentle soul within you Celi. I welcome you and all the others with you to our planet.”
“Thank you,” Celi said.
Lumiar stepped back and waved the soldiers off. “How did you master our language so quickly?” she asked. “I can barely detect an accent to your speech.”
“The races within the Confederation inject their young with nanomachines,” Celi explained. “In addition to acting as universal translators they boost our immune systems and physical abilities. They allow us to learn languages at a much faster pace than traditional methods. Because your language is close to Kalaidian we picked up on it quickly.”
“Your medical technology must be far ahead of what we have,” Lumiar said.
“I’ll show what I can while we’re on your planet,” Celi said.
“I guess we should get down to business,” Lumiar said. “Be truthful with me, do my people have a chance of survival?”
“Yes, but its slim and with conditions,” Brian said. “I’ve discussed the issue with my first officer as well as my chief engineer. We believe there are three options before you.” Brian paused to catch his breath. “The first is to dig in. Build massive bio domes deep within the planet’s crust and maybe those will survive. The second is to build colony class ships capable of traveling through space indefinitely. The third option is to create a planetary shield capable of fending off the Greys.”
“Our ministers proposed similar options,” Lumiar said. “In order to fulfill any of those we’ll require technical aid from your people.”
“We’re more than willing to help,” Brian said.
“We’ve chosen to the first two options,” Lumiar said. “The third will only be possible if we’re given the time to create it. At this point I pray we’re able to save everyone.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Brian said. “Our mission is to return home. But when we came across your world’s call for help we couldn’t say no. Our conscious wouldn’t allow us to coldly fly away like it wasn’t our problem. We’ll do everything in our power to aid you. I promise you that.”
“And thanks for the promise,” Lumiar said. “My government’s agreed to allow your shipmates to visit this island in numbers of ten or less at a time. We’ll do what we can about getting fresh food for them. Are your people vegetarian?”
“We are,” Celi said. “But Brian doesn’t mind a little meat in his diet.
“We’re omnivores ourselves,” Lumiar said. “But because the production of meat is so expensive we only eat small amounts.”
“I know the crew will be happy to see the sun once more and eat fresh produce,” Brian said. “Also, please tell us where to send the information your people need.”
“The Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Technology will be the places to send any information like that,” Lumiar answered. “Does your ship have the ability to connect with our communications networks?”
“Yes,” he answered. “If you wish I’d be more than willing to show you around.”
“Would that be allowed?” Lumiar asked after turning to her captain.
He nodded yes. “The Circles’ of nine and twenty seven give you permission to do so.”
“In that case, I’d be more than happy to join you,” Lumiar said.
“I’m glad,” Brian said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of ocean air. “This planet is beautiful.”
Chapter 32 - Ready for Departure
“I’m glad this will be ready to launch on schedule,” Kivi said before turning to Dreka.
He stood and admired the Raulno, a Kalaidian ship similar to the Avoni in length and design but with a larger number of launching bays.
“This will be the first carrier class ship for your people,” Dreka said.
“That’s true, and I trust you’ll treat her as home,” Kivi said.
“That it will be,” he said. “The ship will hold around two hundred mobile suits. I was surprised I could build something to house all those things this small. But we’re sacrificing mobility in the process. The Raulno can’t make the tight turns as well as the Avoni can.”
“I gave the okay for a reason,” Kivi said. “I don’t anticipate the Raulno will have to make sharp turns in battle very often.”
“Agreed,” Dreka said. “Well, I’d better stop admiring the ship and get to work. I’ll give you the walk through once I’ve made my final inspection captai
n.” He made his way to the main entrance at the back of the Raulno.
“Captain?” she asked herself.
“You’re still not used to the title, have you?” Mira asked as she joined her.
“No, it’s going to take a while to get used to it,” Kivi said. “So, have you made a decision?”
“I’m going to have to decline,” Mira said. “It’s nothing personal; I just don’t feel comfortable moving at the moment.”
“I’m alright with it Mira, I understand,” she said. “I’ve had a number of chances to leave over the years. It finally reached a point where I didn’t feel I was needed there anymore.”
“I do have a few people to recommend though,” Mira offered.
“You can send the list over anytime,” Kivi said. She turned back to her new ship. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Mira said.
“Are you able to sense where he is?” Kivi asked.
“Yes,” Mira said. “He’s in pain, as well as many onboard the Avoni at the moment.”
“I pray what you say is true,” Kivi said. “Brian has a few things to teach me before I can call myself a Maigar.” She tapped the raknas on her belt.
“If something should happen I’ll make sure you complete the training,” Mira said.
“Thanks Mira.”
* * *
“Are you sure about this?” Seles asked as Myden boarded the Zero. “You can always take your own ship.”
“Yes, that’s certainly true,” Myden said. “But to do so would draw attention from my people. I feel much safer staying with you and the others on the Raulno.”
Celestia called from outside in the courtyard. Seles leaned outside and saw her mother waving.
“Take care and bring that young man back to us!” Celestia shouted.
“I will mother,” Seles said.
Heaven Saga 3: Sojourn Into Despair Page 18
