The Adventures of Alizar: The Beginning (Aizar Book 1)

by F. Darnall Daley

  [Sebold Wacahoota, it is indeed very clever of us. I assume the station will have to be subterranean. There will have to be mining operations in addition to minerals including deposits of water and carbon dioxide.]

  [Daribeth Wootelbom, that’s correct. Farming operations will also be conducted in huge underground caverns; including hydroponic plant production and animal raising. Small animals that have been domesticated by the aliens will be brought here for animal raising. Manufacturing operations will be extensive; again controlled by betas.]

  Chapter 6

  (172nd dawning of the 3,686th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  In due course the dwelling where we existed was visited by a pair of aliens, a he-alien and a she-alien. The she-alien picked me up, stroked my fur and began to use the soothing noise. I have never been one to object to being handled by the aliens and so I responded with the contentment noise. It is pleasing to have your fur stroked and our alien behaviorists long ago discovered that the way to get the aliens to continue the stroking is to respond with the contentment noise. Besides, this pattern of behavior has also been observed, again by the alien behaviorists, to help induce the aliens to take you to their dwelling and keep you.

  Naturally, as I had planned, the she-alien decided that she must take me with her. She and her mate also took another, Alicona Del Oleetheonus XI, a black furred she-Person. I had not encountered Alicona before but she seemed a pleasant Person. She was an apprentice temporal recorder. And I was quite happy that we were going to share the alien dwelling. As you well know, temporal recorders note the beginning of each dawning and the converse with other temporal recorders around our world to determine the correct number. Some mathematical philosophers of my acquaintance hold the profession of temporal recorders in low regard. I, myself, do not hold this view. When you consider that the start of the dawning appears to come at various hours, at different times during different places in the world, it is not an easy task to determine when a particular recorder is observing the same dawning as another. As an aside, this is another task that the pathfinders could undertake. It seems to me that it would be possible to take some of the debate out of the profession of temporal recorder if it was possible to locate each of the People involved. I think this also bears on the problem of being lost but more on that later.

  It had also crossed my mind that Alicona and I might participate together to bring souls into the world.

  Chapter 7

  (172nd dawning of the 3,686th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  When we arrived at the dwelling of the she-alien and her mate, I at once became concerned. As we explored the dwelling, both Alicona and I agreed that until recently it had sheltered another one of the People. Who it might have been we, of course, had no idea. It was the smells of the place that told us of its former occupant. Intermingled with these smells were the odors of the-leaving-of-life. The-leaving-of-life, of course, has no particular terror for the People. We know that there is always another rebirth after the-leaving of-life but with this journey only 45 dawnings old I was not eager to end it.

  I hate to harp on the work that I think the pathfinders could be doing but it occurred to me at this juncture that if the pathfinders could locate the particular alien dwelling in which I now find myself it might be possible to know who of the People had preceded us. Knowing his or her identity, we might have been able to find out how they experienced the-leaving-of-life. And knowing this we might have known if we were in danger. You are the greatest pathfinder in all the lives, Marus. You must work on this!

  In the dawnings that followed we began to believe that this new place held no danger for us. The dwelling was spacious and was located in a patch of wild woods. These woods abounded with smaller creatures. Alicona and I were able keep up our practice hunting and to teach our bodies to grow.

  In addition to the she-alien and her mate there lived with us a younger he-alien that I grew quite fond of. It was around this time that I began to believe that this young he-alien might be a potential beta. I resolved that as soon as I was strong enough I would begin the Weckspringe.

  Chapter 8

  (176th dawning of the 3,686th orbit)

  Ganymede Station

  Bradley Williamson was having a bad day. His drilling machine had broken a coupling and he knew that there wasn’t a replacement machine available in the warehouse. Nor was there an extra coupling available. One would have to be ordered for delivery by the next supply ship which wasn’t due for two dawnings. That meant that he would fall behind in his quota. Ice mining was one of the most important jobs at the station.

  Being behind in his quota was bad enough but it would mean that he wouldn’t get a bonus for the 30-dawning. The foreman, John Quaker, would also be pissed since he wouldn’t get his bonus either. It was fortunate that one his wives, Jill, had a job caring for the little ones at the orphanage. That job was nice but they could never understand how there could be orphans. When every family had several husbands and wives, why would any child not be taken care of at home? When families added new husbands and new wives from time to time, families were very long lasting. In Bradley’s own family it had been 220 orbits since the first man and woman were married to start the Williamson family. There would have to have been extraordinary circumstances that would lead to orphaned children. Yet there they were. The longevity of the families also lead usually to financial stability. This would mean that they would still be able to pay their air and water tax. Not being able to pay the air and water tax had dire consequences. One could be sentenced to the surface mines. This was an especially dangerous incarceration. There was very little atmosphere on the surface of the largest satellite of the gas giant planet that hung in the sky. Being sent to the surface mines was an almost certain death sentence. Sentences to the surface mines were for life unless someone paid the back taxes and fines.

  Bradley hurried off to the mine office. It is always best to tell bad news immediately. The parts would have to be ordered today in hopes that they would arrive on the next supply ship due at the end of the 7-dawning. Rush charges would have to be paid.

  Supply ships arrive at the space port on the surface. They brought the manufactured goods that were not made at the station. They also loaded up with the minerals that had been mined by the station for shipment to the stations customers. Bradley always wondered who these customers might be. There must be stations elsewhere that need these minerals. They must be a very different people. The pilots of the supply ships and the crews of these ships looked different. They had bigger heads, larger eyes and their skin was gray. And they never talked. They never made any sound at all which was creepy in a way.

  Bradley went out through the air lock to the water mining office. He hung his protective suit in the locker room next to the air lock. That coupling would have to be ordered.

  Chapter 9

  (192nd dawning of the 3,686th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  In the dawnings that followed I worked on the problem that I had set as my lives’ work. After the discovery of Shelaman’s Law, the next logical question is why the interval between rebirths always is a prime number. And where is the no-one-knows-where that we go between rebirths? A mathematical philosopher never lacks for questions to ask nor subjects to debate.

  Not that those times were without events nor were all of them happy times. Alicona took the leaving-of-life by being struck by one of the transportation machines that the aliens use. And this happened before she could finish her apprenticeship. Very sad.

  Others came to share my dwelling. The first was Malusian Del Ronilus LXXVI. He was snow white with just a touch of black fur on his forehead, much like yourself, my friend Marus. Malusian was a watcher. There are those who say that a watcher is not very well suited for life with the aliens. And in his case I believe this was true. Poor Malusian was a very jumpy fellow. He, we might believe, was perhaps the he-who-released-your-soul. No one can be sure of those things, of course, bu
t he certainly had your markings. Or more correctly you have his.

  The next to join our merry little band was Roelien Lanvus Careenus XXXVII. She was a hunter. There are those who say there is no use for the hunters if we are going to live with the aliens. This I do not believe. We are not so long from the wild that we can afford to abandon the old arts. Many of the People still live in the wild and from time to time those of us who prefer the life with the aliens find ourselves in need of our hunting skills. In any case I, for one, am grateful for the time that Roelien and I spent in the hunt. One never know when one will be living by those skills. Roelien and I were very fond of each other.

  Chapter 10

  (36th dawning of the 3,687th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  It was about 200 dawnings after Roelien that Lindelon Byn Athanna LXXVII came into our congregation. Lindelon is a temporal recorder. It was too bad that Alicona was no longer with us. I’m sure that the two of them would have gotten along famously. And Alicona would have finished her apprenticeship in no time.

  I was enjoying this life. In previous lives I had been often involved in the affairs of state. Long meetings about our mission on this planet and problems that we were having does not leave much time for a mathematical philosopher to do his work. But in this life it seemed I was not going to have to be concerned with those things. Thus I occupied my days with eating, sleeping, and aiding females with bringing new souls into the life. This left plenty of time for contemplation which is the primary work of a philosopher of my standing.

  It was not long after this that my bed of roses began to exhibit some thorns. Both the she-alien and the he-alien would leave the dwelling for long periods of time. Not that we were not well provided for. The young he-alien that I told you about earlier was with us. And as I said I was quite fond of him. But one of the main points about letting the aliens keep us is the stroking. The fewer aliens one has about the less attention one gets.

  It was during this time that Malusian took the leaving-of-life. We were never sure what happened to him. He dragged himself to the dwelling one afternoon in very bad shape. He was beyond conversing and left us quickly.

  The bright spot was the news of your rebirth. The great pathfinder Marus Dithnar CCII among us once again. It was Lindelon who discovered that your rebirth had occurred near to us and reported that Malusian had undoubtedly been your he-who-released-your-soul. We all visited you and watched while she-who-released-your-soul nursed you and you taught your body to grow. And you know of my delight when the she-alien and her mate brought you into our congregation.

  Chapter 11

  (126th dawning of the 3,687th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  The dawning started with the she-alien and her mate not letting us go outside. This was very unusual. Each morning we would just go and stand at the door and one or other of them would eventually get the hint and open the door for us. This is why I prefer it when the aliens provide us with our own door. However, I was not concerned. Alien behavior at best is hard to understand.

  After a while they picked us up one at a time and placed us in the room that the aliens use as a sand box. The aliens have very strange waste elimination practices. Rather than eliminate on the ground and then bury the result, they hang their hindquarters over a bowl of water. Very strange. They closed the door. We could hear much activity outside of the room. Strangers were in the dwelling. There was much activity.

  After a time the she-alien came into the room. She picked me up and carried me outside the dwelling to the transportation machine. Inside the transportation machine were two cages. She placed me in one of them. She repeated this process with each of us.

  When all were in the transportation machine, the he-alien exited the dwelling, both got in the transportation machine and off we went. It was raining, sometimes very hard. The sound of heavy drops of water on the roof of the machine was frightening. As light turned to darkness we continued to travel.

  I repeatedly made the complaining noise but to no avail. After what seemed forever we reached what apparently was our intended destination. For a minute we thought that the trouble was ended but we were soon to be disavowed of that notion.

  We were removed from the transportation cage to cages in a large enclosure. There were others of the People in this place. There were also a larger number of animals that the aliens call dogs. Dogs are not very pleasant. They make a loud noise and you cannot converse with them.

  I felt that the she-alien and her mate were abandoning us. I knew not what the future would hold. As you will recall we began the process of trying to calculate how to escape this place.

  Not that we were not being cared for. There were aliens in this place whose job, it appears, was to feed us. This they did on a regular basis. Stroking us and making pleasant noises in the process. However, we were never let out of the cages. It was not the way I wanted to spend my 97th life.

  For 30 dawnings we stayed in that awful place. I tell you Marcus I do not like the transportation machine. Not that I like any of the alien machines, but the transportation machines have always been bad news for the People. There was a time when the aliens didn’t have so many machines. Perhaps I liked those times better. A mathematical philosopher needs peace and quiet to do his work.

  Chapter 12

  (156th dawning of the 3,687th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  We were all greatly relieved when our aliens came to take us from the cage place. I know that you will remember that I made the complaint noise when they put us in the transportation machine again. We did not know what that portended. We finally calmed down thinking that we would all soon be back in our accustomed dwelling. You, I recall, did not believe that. You told us that we were far removed from the original dwelling. You thought it was to a new dwelling that they would take us.

  I remember my great surprise when instead of taking us to the dwelling where we had spent all of this life; the aliens took us to a new dwelling. I seems that you had been correct.

  The new dwelling was just as nice as the old dwelling. Outside there was not as much wild area but inside it was nice.

  There was one thing I was concerned about, the young he-alien that had shared the prior dwelling with us was not in residence at the new dwelling. The source of my concern was that I had come to believe that he was a potential beta. As you know, when we probe the minds of the young aliens we can tell if there is a potential for the particular individual to be a beta. If we get a positive indication that this is so, we can begin the mind exercises, the Weckspringe, that will allow us to awaken the beta within. Unique among the People in this star system, betas are not born knowing of their past lives. They must be awakened by an alpha. We do this through a series of mental exercises and probings. The process takes between 10 and 40 dawnings. Furthermore, it must take place after the potential beta has been through 13 orbits and must be completed before the 25th orbit.

  In any case he was not in our new dwelling. The exercises could only take place when in physical contact. I had begun the process but it was not yet complete. His mind was beginning to respond. But the process was not yet complete! Since in this case, the process had begun at a late age, he had had 20 orbits, I was doubly concerned.

  Meanwhile, I was so careful when I ventured outside of the new dwelling to try to keep my bearings. But I am not a pathfinder. I do not have your skill in noting the land and the sky to start my way.

  The last time I left the new dwelling I must have forgotten to keep track of where I was going. We philosophers are always so deep in thought.

  So now, Marcus, I am lost, I do not know how to return to the new dwelling of my aliens. You and I may converse but unless you can solve the riddle of locating me and somehow teach me the way to return, I’ll remain lost. Work on the problem, Marcus, work on it.

  Chapter 13

  (156th dawning of the 3,687th orbit)

  3rd Planet

  [Alizar el Shelaman, calm yourself. You ar
e such a sissy. Sometimes you are such a baby. By all that’s holy, calm yourself. Stop nattering like an old female. We’ll work this out.]

  [Marcus Dithnar, I’ll do my best to be calm. Can you help me to regain the dwelling of the aliens?]

  [Alizar el Shelaman, of course I can. You have said yourself that I am a famous pathfinder. You will just have to be my eyes. You will just have to learn to observe your surroundings and not wander absentmindedly so deep in philosophical thought. Tell me what you see.]

  [Marcus Dithnar, I see trees and a pathway for the transportation machines. There are also alien dwellings.]

  [Alizar el Shelaman, that’s good. Now in what direction is the system star?]

  [Marcus Dithnar, the star is over my right shoulder.]

  [Alizar el Shelaman, that’s excellent. Now face in the direction of the star and start moving in that direction. Tell me what you see.]

  [Marcus Dithnar, I’m about to cross a machine pathway.]

  [Alizar el Shelaman, be careful in the crossing.]

  [Marcus Dithnar, of course, I’ll be careful. This is not my first life. I’ve crossed the pathway and I’m traveling along another pathway. There are dwellings here. The one over my shoulder is as white as your fur.]

  [Alizar el Shelaman, tell me of the dwelling next to that one. Is it made from the artificial stone the aliens call brick? Is there a tree in front with white flowers?]