In Search of the Alter Dom

by Jack Challis

  Back at the captured Frigate, Blodwyn checks the dehydrated Galla Quall. The ultra-violet spray of water in the re-hydrating sphere is slowly reviving the alienoid. Blodwyn makes her way to the bridge of the frigate and stands at the console studying the controls. She remembered every procedure of take-off, and landing. Blodwyn’s acute hearing picks up a scraping sound coming from the open doorway.

  “Who could it be? The Galla Quall – the Goat-Man? No, this sound was sinister!” Turning, Blodwyn saw to her horror, the wounded Na Idriss guard. She had never seen a Na Idriss without a veil before: it was terrifying. The split upper lip was drawn back exposing long canines. The mouth was salivating. The Na Idriss’s yellow unblinking cat eyes held her. (Blodwyn knew never to take your eyes off a nasty cat: big or small). The Na Idriss’s left arm and shoulder were bandaged, but his right arm was uninjured; his claws were unsheathed. She knew the Na Idriss were afraid of their masters the Malis Afar: Cold-bloods.

  ‘Commander Karak will be very angry if you harm me,’ she protests. But her words had no effect on this medicated; drugged, and starving carniverous alien. She could now see the Na Idriss was in a crouching position – ready to spring!

  Useless thoughts flashed through her mind – like, what would happen to that new dress, she was saving for a special occasion? Damn Grunwalde Angharad! Then she noticed the console she was standing by had a tunnel through it. Now for some Am-drams she decided – her life depended on it!

  Blodwyn knew all cats have a nervous disposition. Looking over the shoulder of the Na Idriss, she placed her hand over her mouth, widening her eyes – in absolute terror. And by increasing the stages of terror, she gave the feline alien the impression something horrible was creeping up behind him! The Na Idriss turned around – there was nothing – when he looked back, Blodwyn had disappeared! As the Na Idriss went to investigate, Blodwyn shot out of the other end of the console.

  She reached the exit door of the frigate and could hear the Na Idriss close behind. As she ran out towards the woods, Blodwyn passed the body of Lt Sangar, his laser still by his side – she picked it up: turned and fired. What happened next shocked her! Like some gruesome biology lesson, the outer skin of the alien disappeared, showing every dark artery and vein on red exposed muscle. The massive lidless eyes stared at her for a brief moment then disintegrated!

  Blodwyn dropped the laser and ran back into the frigate – she needed to check the Galla Quall. Opening the re-hydrating sphere she was relieved to see the Galla Quall was back to his normal size, but still very weak. While helping the Quall to the bridge, Blodwyn explains the situation.

  ‘We must contact the two satellite planets,’ says the Galla Quall, ‘and inform the Ida Jaade of the situation.’ Sebus, the Galla Quall then tried unsuccessfully to contact the two satellite planets that guard Quilla Prime.

  ‘The communication codes have been changed to accept only Malis Afar signals,’ says Sebus. ‘We will have to inform the Ida Jaade verbally, but I am too weak to fly the frigate.’

  ‘Don’t tell me – don’t tell me!’ says Blodwyn excitedly. ‘I think I can fly the frigate.’ She began the take-off procedures. Slowly the frigate began to rise. Once in the air, the craft was easier to handle than her father’s old land rover. The Galla Quall nodded approvingly.

  Soon the frigate was approaching one of the satellite planets. Blodwyn brought the craft down with a bump and giggled. Fierce armed Ida Jaade warriors, all with their red crests raised in alarm, surround the craft, as the frigate did not answer their attempts at communication. Blodwyn left the frigate and approached the Ida Jaade – who remained hostile!

  ‘I speak for the creator Sebus,’ announces Blodwyn, ‘a sabotage party of Na Idriss led by a Cold-blood – are in False Arcadia. On their signal, a combined fleet of the alliance battleships are waiting to attack Quilla Prime.’

  ‘It’s a trick!’ shouts Julius, an Ida Jaade Centurion. ‘The Terasil could be a spy – or a Shape-shifter.’

  ‘Please believe me,’ pleads Blodwyn, ‘your Battle fleet in the Alpha Centuri sector must be warned and return as soon as possible.’

  ‘How do you know this information?’ the suspicious Centurion demands.

  The frail figure of the Galla Quall appears in the doorway of the frigate. ‘Do as the female Terasil commands Julius – our fleet of Typhon War hawks must return immediately. Also alert the home fleet in the lake to prepare to intercept the Malis Afar battle-fleet – we must buy time.’

  ‘Yes creator,’ the Centurion answers.

  ‘You have done extremely well my child,’ says Sebus to Blodwyn. ‘Creator,’ says an Ida Jaade warrior, ‘I have contacted our battle fleet, they will try to return as quickly as possible but fear they will be too late – the home fleet are preparing for take-off to intercept.’

  ‘Man your positions,’ says the Galla Quall. ‘I will return to Quilla Prime and command the home War-fleet.’

  Back in False Arcadia, Karak rejoins the Na Idriss with the two captive Satyrs. ‘Make sure these two insult-hurlers don’t escape – you will feast on red Satyr meat very soon. Now Captain Timasek, contact Lt Sanger, in the captured frigate, tell him to inform our flagship that all the Galla Qualls and Ida Jaade in the lake – will be dead by now!’

  ‘Yes Sir,’ says Captain Timasek. Then after several moments: ‘There is no reply from the captured frigate Sir.’

  ‘That fool Sangar,’ hisses Karak, ‘I will strip him of his rank. I have a feeling that the female Terasil had a hand in this, and has fooled us all.’

  ‘What do we do now sir?’ Captain Timasek asks.

  ‘We wait till our battle fleets are in range then contact them with our personal communicators – they will send a frigate to pick us up.’

  ‘Sir,’ says Lt Jibba, ‘there’s a wood ahead – we can hide there.’

  ‘There are also many villages we can put to the torch,’ adds Captain Timasek, ‘after we have slaughtered the inhabitants.’

  ‘All in good time,’ replies the Cold-blood Karak. ‘You and your men now have my permission to eat a very rare dish of tender Satyr.’ The group of Na Idriss again inspects the two Satyrs hungrily. The two Semmi-Tal Shape-shifters exchange glances and turn into two Na Idriss warriors when no one is looking. ‘You two,’ growls Captain Timasek, ‘go ahead and check the wood ahead – we will follow.’

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Battle of the Star Fleets

  Malis Raa the vain, evil raptor Queen in the mirror intently gazed.

  ‘Quilla Prime on this momentous Aquillian day – will be raised.’

  Far off in the dim starlit gloom of Stella space, the battle fleet of the Malis Afar and Na Idriss slowly moves closer to Quilla Prime. They are waiting for the signal from Karak to attack. On the left of the battle group are the Na Idriss Night Predator battleships. On the right are the superior Malis Afar Interceptor battleships. Leading the formation is the Malis Afar flagship. On the bridge and in control of the battle fleet is the fearsome Queen of the Malis Afar – Malis Raa; she paces up and down with long strides – hissing commands. The crew, all her sons, look terrified of their giant mother Queen, and for good reason. Malis Raa was not humanoid like all her male sons but a pure, full sized female Malisaraptor – standing over nine feet tall. Her strong upper body was held upright by two large powerful three-talloned legs.

  The Queen wore a black leather costume studded with jewels. Her reptilian face was battle-scared; her eyes were pale grey with split pupils.

  Queen Malis Raa’s hair was jet black and braided with gold beads, to which her talloned hands often touched vainly. She constantly checks her appearance in a large mirror, pulling back her thin lips and admiring her long sharp teeth: running her sharp talons through her hair. This was an unpredictable, reptile Queen – whose warrior sons were annoying her.

  Queen Raa stops and studies a screen. She cuffs the Admiral of the fleet around the back of the head. ‘Fool! Can’t you see those idiot Na Idriss are lagging b
ehind exposing our left flank. Tell them to close ranks and prime their proton torpedos.’

  ‘Yes mother Queen,’ answers the Admiral timidly, but mumbled to himself, “I am two thousand years old, and an Admiral of the grand fleet, and still she treats me like a child.”

  ‘What did you say?’ the Queen hisses. ‘I am just working out my victory speech to the fleet, mother Queen,’ says the Admiral meekly.

  ‘Imbecile,’ hisses the reptilian Queen, ‘keep your mind on your duty – I will make all the victory speeches. My sons all take after their useless long dead father,’ moans the reptile Queen, ‘a bunch of sissys who have to burn their meat before eating. Why am I cursed with stupid sons – two hundred eggs and only one daughter?’

  The door to the bridge opens – a small female, rather plump little Malisaraptor, with large baby eyes, stands in the doorway wearing a smock.

  A small voice makes the fierce raptor Queen turn.

  ‘Mummy – I have broken my Terasil rag doll – and I am hungry.’ A small tear drops from the baby’s eye. The angry expression on the Queen’s face changes and a smile exposes two rows of long sharp teeth. ‘Oh my little precious, come to mother.’ The infant waddles to the Queen who lifts the infant up on her lap and cuddles her.

  ‘Don’t cry little-mother,’ says Malis Raa, ‘after this battle, mummy will get you real live Terasils to play with – and it doesn’t matter how many you break.’ Queen Malis Raa then beckons one of her sons with a clawed finger. ‘Take my little princess to the nursery and amuse her till I am finished. If your little sister wants to bite you – let her, she is just getting her third set of milk teeth.’

  ‘Yes Mother Queen,’ replies the Malis Afar, taking the infant away. ‘Mummy won’t be long, little one,’ adds Malis Raa the fierce reptile Queen.

  ‘Now – how long to our target?’ asks the Queen: her expression changing.

  ‘Five Malis hours – Mother Queen,’ the navigator answers.

  ‘Signal all ships to stop engines and cloak – we wait for the signal from Karak on Quilla Prime to attack. This battle has to be won – Earth will provide perfect natural conditions and perfect temperatures – for hatching more daughters! I am even thinking of forcing Terasil females to carry my eggs – internally! The thought of the coming battle has given me an appetite – I will be in the raw meat store!’ Karak and the Na Idriss have reached the wood. ‘Where are the two scouts you sent to check the wood?’ the Cold-blood asks.

  ‘Where are the Semmi Tal?’ Captain Timasek enquires.

  ‘I think the answer is simple,’ says the Cold-blood, ‘they’ve escaped; anyway – they are of no use to us now – light a fire.’

  ‘Well marinated tender Satyr meat sounds very tempting – I may join this feast – these two are the only Satyrs left in the whole Antares Cluster – we are privileged to eat them – I will have a rump steak – medium rare!’

  ‘I am a leg man myself,’ adds Captain Timasek.

  ‘But sir – but sir – don’t eat us,’ plead the two Satyrs,’ ‘we can be of great use to you.’

  ‘And how?’ the Cold-blood asks.

  ‘We would carry your jugs of wine,’ says the Satyrs, and we could chase any lovely females who bother you.’

  ‘Malis Afar do not drink alcohol – and lovely females don’t bother me.’

  ‘We can… we can also…’ continue the Satyrs. Before the two Satyrs can finish, Karak plucks two apples from an overhanging tree, and wedges them into the Satyrs’ mouths, gagging them! ‘A little dressing I think,’ says the Malis Afar Cold-blood. ‘Now Lt Jibba, contact our fleet – I will speak to the flagship personally.’

  Back on the bridge of the flagship, leading the Alliance battle fleet, Queen Malis Raa still paces the bridge impatiently. ‘Mother Queen,’ says the Admiral of the fleet, ‘a message from Commander Karak – he has successfully poisoned the lake on Quilla Prime – all the Galla Qualls and Ida Jaade underwater – will be dead by now!’

  ‘Excellent news,’ replies the Queen, ‘now their new time-travelling battleship will be unguarded. I will make the Time-ship my new flagship.’

  ‘But their new ship will be three Malis laargs (six miles) under the lake!’ the Admiral points out.

  ‘I will get the aquatic Jed-Bela who are gill and filter breathers to raise the Galla Quall Time-ship for me,’ Queen Raa answers.

  ‘You trust those treacherous aquatic Squids?’ The Admiral asks.

  ‘No, fool,’ answers the Queen, ‘the Jal Mar poison which is deadly to all gill and filter breathers will still be in the water of the lake – a little weaker perhaps. Giving the Jed-Bella enough time to bring the Time-ship to the surface – by that time the Jed-Bella will be dying from the Jal Mar poison! A shame really – I have a taste for sushi squid!’

  ‘Mother Queen,’ says the Admiral, ‘Karak, requests we send a frigate to pick him up – I have his exact coordinates.’

  ‘Impossible,’ replies the reptile Queen, ‘the Ida Jaade on the satellite planets will be alerted by our shuttle! I will speak to him. Karak my son,’ continues Queen Raa, ‘you have done extremely well – now die extremely well – over and out!’ Queen Raa turns to the Admiral. ‘Bombardment formation – slowly forward at twenty parsecs – remain under cloak till we attack!’ The admiral looks at the consul. ‘Look Mother Queen. Something – approaching from the port bow!’

  ‘Speed and identification,’ snaps the reptile Queen.

  ‘Speed too fast to measure – size too vast to measure – outline too large to identify!’ All the lights on the bridge flicker and dim!

  ‘What is happening?’ screams the raptor Queen. The admiral peers into the darkness of space; then at the instruments on the console. ‘It has stopped dead – without even slowing down – right in front of us – blocking our way!’

  ‘Mother Queen,’ calls out another Malis Afar sitting at the console, ‘the power of the whole fleet – has been drained!’

  ‘Switch to emergency power!’ orders the Queen.

  ‘Emergency power drained!’ the Admiral reports.

  ‘Well un-drain it!’ the raptor Queen hisses.

  ‘Something or some being has stopped dead ahead – across our bows and has absorbed all the power from the entire battle fleet!’ the Admiral declares.

  ‘Impossible!’ hisses the raptor Queen; then as an afterthought. ‘Is it the Alter Dom?’

  ‘No,’ replies the Admiral, ‘even the Alter Dom doesn’t have such power!’ The Queen and the Admiral then stare into space. ‘It seems to be observing us!’ the Admiral proclaims in a frightened voice. ‘We should show whatever this apparition is some respect.’

  ‘It is certainly delaying us,’ the Queen responds, ‘wasting valuable time. If you think we should show respect – let’s salute the apparition with a volley of Nytron torpedoes – and blast it to hell!’

  ‘I strongly advise against it, Mother Queen,’ advises the admiral, ‘its power source is measuring twelve million mega Taaraks – which is more energy than the three suns that orbit our planets Afar Major and Afar Minor! That kind of power could burn the whole fleet into cinders!’

  ‘Impossible!’ the reptile Queen Raa hisses. ‘This must be a trick to buy time to delay our attack on Quilla Prime – or maybe it’s just an illusion to frighten us, conjured up by those ant-eating Shi-Larriss – who have taken sides with the Galla Qualls!’

  ‘The Shi-Larriss can generate deceiving illusions Mother – but this power is no illusion – it is real!’ ‘

  ‘The reality is the illusion – imbecile!’ answers the Queen. ‘Open – fire!

  The Admiral ignores the command. ‘It is pulling the whole fleet closer – we are all going to be destroyed.’ The Admiral panics.

  ‘Get out of the way,’ orders the reptile Queen, ‘you were always frightened of the dark as an infant – I will show you what to….’ The fierce Malisaraptors’ Queen is suddenly struck dumb: she stares – mouth hanging open, as the mysterious object or thing c
omes closer – the glow from it, lights up the bridge! An indistinct face watches them!

  All the crew, including the large Malisaraptor Queen, are struck silent: and seem paralyzed; only their eyes follow the object or creature as it slowly passes! After a while, all the lights come on again, everyone breathes a sigh of relief. ‘We are no longer being pulled into the mass,’ the Admiral reports. ‘We must abort this mission Mother-Queen,’ says the Admiral, ‘I have never felt such power before from a single life-form!’

  ‘Nonsense,’ answers the Queen, ‘we have just had a close encounter with the Event Horizon of a new Feeding Black Hole!’

  ‘Not possible,’ answers the Admiral, ‘whatever it was has now completely disappeared – I am sure I saw a kind of face – and eyes!’

  ‘Don’t be so melodramatic,’ hisses the reptile Queen, ‘you were always a nervous child – had an excessive imagination – since you were a hundred-year-old infant. The attack will continue – as soon as we have full power – we have lost vital time!’

  Back in False Arcadia, Karak takes the bad news of his ownimpending death without emotion and announces, ‘Gentlemen we have our orders – we stay here and die like warriors.’ This news is not taken well by the Na Idriss. ‘It is fine for the Malis Afar,’ moans a Na Idriss warrior, ‘they are Cold-bloods and cold hearts.’

  ‘Quiet,’ orders Captain Timasek, ‘we owe the Cold-bloods much – if not for them – we would still be roaming the plains of Africa – in place of lions!’

  Above them hiding in the clouds is one of the strange pale creatures with wings; it beckons others of its kind to join it.

  Karak senses the mood of the Na Idriss. ‘Take heart gentlemen, all is not lost, we just have to hold out – maybe even survive the bombardment!’

  ‘We will be killed by our own side,’ Lt Jibba complains.