by R. E. Weber
Breathing heavily and still snorting, Paranoemenos sat down again to calm himself, before continuing.
‘I can see that your free will and objectivity have been more seriously compromised than I had anticipated. It will take time to reverse this conditioning. I…’
‘Nobody conditions me,’ interrupted Theo angrily, jabbing his finger at Paranoemenos. ‘I’m my own person. I think for myself. I make my own mind up about everything and everybody. And not you, the Affinity, or anybody else is gonna change that. I’m not some child you can brainwash. I’ve been to hell and back in the last few years, and I’m damned if I’m gonna let you or anybody else tell me how to think or feel. Say what you like and do what you like, but I’ll always be me. ALWAYS.’
Paranoemenos looked up at Theo, whose face had turned crimson with anger, and the corners of his mouth began to curl into a satisfied smile.
‘It would seem, Theopolis James Logan, that there is hope for you after all.’
*
As Theo had discovered later that day, the sore patches of skin under his restraints had been caused not by a need to imprison or torture him but rather by the need to restrain him during the violent seizures that had taken place while the toxins from the taltat had been slowly removed from his body. Had he not been strapped down, the seizures would have seriously endangered his life – or so Paranoemenos had informed him. Larissa had undergone the same treatment too, but her reaction had been so severe that they’d induced a coma to allow her body to heal, so weakened had she become from her injuries.
‘Do not concern yourself, Theopolis,’ said Paranoemenos as Theo stared down at Larissa’s unconscious body strapped to a rather primitive looking bed. ‘Our analysis suggests that your friend will make a full recovery.’
Theo brushed his hand along Larissa’s cheek. It felt warm and soft, almost as if she were just sleeping.
‘Is this the one you have chosen?’ said Paranoemenos.
‘What?’
‘This female, here. Have you chosen her to be your mate?’
‘I… No, well, it’s none of your business.’
‘So your mind is not yet set?’
Theo turned to look at Paranoemenos. Was he really discussing his love life with the most wanted being in the galaxy? He signed heavily.
‘I wanna sleep now, if that’s OK with you.’
‘Of course. You should rest. Your own body is not yet fully healed. Do you require anything to help you sleep?’
‘What, you mean like drugs?’
‘No drugs, just an alpha wave inducer.’
‘No thanks.’
Paranoemenos picked up a small rectangular device from a nearby table and handed it to Theo.
‘Should you change your mind, place the device onto the bare patch of skin above your eyes and touch the rectangular panel.’
Theo looked at the object for a moment. Then he took it and put it into a pouch on his utility belt.
‘Follow me, Theopolis.’
‘My name’s Theo.’
‘Of course, Theo.’
Theo followed Paranoemenos out of the infirmary, down a winding tunnel and through a doorway covered with a loose hanging, translucent sheet.
‘Should you wish for total privacy, touch the circle on the sheet. It will become opaque.’
Theo stared at Paranoemenos, his brow furrowed in surprise.
‘Do you have a question for me?’
‘No…well, yes. I expected… well I thought…’
‘You believed that I would imprison you in some way,’ interrupted Paranoemenos.
‘To be honest, yeah.’
‘Then I am pleased to disappoint you. Sanitary facilities are available through the doorway opposite. Now, if there are no further questions, I will leave you alone to rest. Tomorrow, we have much to discuss.’
Theo looked back at Paranoemenos, who had turned, ready to leave the room.
‘Can I ask you one question?’
Paranoemenos stopped, without turning to look at Theo.
‘Speak.’
‘Why me? Why did you invite me?’
Paranoemenos smiled.
‘Why not you?’
Then without another word, he pulled back the translucent sheet and left the room.
As the sheet flapped back over the doorway, Theo tapped the circular symbol, which immediately turned it opaque. Then he looked around the room. Aside from a simple looking rectangular bed, there was a box on the floor, which appeared to contain a series of folded garments. Next to it was a white plastic looking bottle with a narrow tube sticking out of the top and another small rectangular box with a lid.
Theo walked over to the bed, picked up the bottle and sucked on the tube. As he suspected, it contained water. Realising he was really thirsty, he had a good long drink. Then he put the bottle down, picked up the smaller box and pulled off the lid. There were four compartments, each containing a square, coloured block. He picked up one of the blocks and sniffed it. It was soft like fudge and smelt of nothing. Was it food? He took a tiny bite out of one corner. It was slightly sweet and a little nutty, but otherwise bland. He nibbled away at the block of nondescript food for a while before putting the remains back in the box and sealing down the lid.
‘Lights out,’ he said hopefully. To his surprise, the lights flickered and went out.
Theo lay down on the bed, which was firm yet comfortable, and closed his eyes. And as his thoughts began to wash over him, the strangeness of his immediate situation became apparent.
He had been captured – or perhaps rescued – by the arch enemy of the Affinity, taken to his underground lair on a planet or moon somewhere. He had received medical treatment for blood poisoning, which might have otherwise killed him. Then he had been given basic, yet comfortable accommodation with food and water. He had not been locked in and seemed to be free to leave his room and explore his new surroundings without an escort. And Paranoemenos himself – or Mulha Ran – had confounded his expectations by showing apparent kindness towards him.
But then, had everything he had experienced been an illusion? Would the taltat poisoning really have killed him or had Paranoemenos been lying? Maybe he had been tortured on the bed he had been strapped to. Maybe he had been injected with truth serums, been forced to give up confidential information about the Star Agency, and then had his mind wiped so that when he woke up he knew nothing about it. That way, the story he had been told would have seemed plausible. The truth was, there was no way of knowing.
One thing was for sure. If Paranoemenos had wanted him dead, that was exactly what he would be right now. So whatever the truth of the situation, he knew that he was needed alive. Whether it was to give up the Affinity’s secrets, to be brainwashed, or to simply be told their side of the story, Theo wasn’t sure. But right here, right now, he was with Paranoemenos. And if he had a chance to understand the mind of the enemy, he would take that chance. He would play along with whatever plan they had until the appropriate moment. Then he would escape.
As he lay on his bed, an eerie and unexpected sense of calm fell over him; somehow, he did not feel like he was in danger. And within minutes, he had drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.
*
To his surprise, the following day had also taken an unexpected path. After a brief but polite visit by Paranoemenos, or Mulha Ran as he had decided to call him for now, Theo had been given permission to explore the network of caverns on his own. So after breakfast, his first port of call had been to visit Larissa in the infirmary to check on her progress. As before, he had found her sleeping soundly while strapped to a bed. The He’tal that had been attending to her had a basic grasp of English – though nowhere near as fluent as Mulha Ran – and had explained to Theo that he was expecting to be able to bring her back to consciousness within the next day or so. The facilities in the infirmary, while primitive by Affinity standards, seemed to be adequate for the treatment of most common medical conditions across a variety of
species. Although they did not have access to nano-medics or anything similar, they did have a variety of medicines and treatments that could replicate most of the processes for which nano-medics were used, albeit more slowly. So as Theo had left the infirmary, he’d felt a little more confident about getting Larissa back to full health.
During his long walk around the network of caverns, he had come across about thirty or so individual He’tal, all of who had proven surprisingly friendly, helpful and even warm towards him. Although few spoke English, the ones who did had proven quite open to discussing anything that Theo had wanted to ask them, with only details about the exact location of their base being withheld from him. Understandably, they had been reluctant to give away their location to their enemy.
Yet during his exploration of the cave network, he had noted one disturbing fact. He had not seen a single juvenile of the species. Whether it was because they had been kept away from him at a secret location or that they simply did not exist, Theo wasn’t sure. It was a question he had not wanted to ask, although he was not entirely sure why. But it had been noted by him nonetheless.
After exploring the caverns, he had eventually found his way to a wide open platform, on the edge of a gigantic cavern, several hundred metres wide. Above him, a circular tunnel seemed to stretch away out of sight, perhaps all the way to the surface. About fifty metres below him was the floor of the cavern, housing three winged spacecraft, each about fifty metres long, by thirty wide and covered with metal plating that had been heavily scratched, dented and battered through years of use and limited maintenance. The vessels were clearly very old and primitive by Affinity standards.
‘I see you have discovered our mighty battle fleet,’ said a voice to Theo’s left.
Theo turned to see Mulha Ran standing next to him, staring at the three craft.
‘They look old,’ said Theo.
‘As indeed they are. We do not have the facilities to construct new craft, so we must continue to use and maintain them to the best of our abilities.’
‘Don’t tell me this is it – this is all you have?’
‘Aside from a single vessel, which is engaged on an exploratory mission, yes, this is all we have.’
‘How have you managed to stay hidden for so long?’
‘As I am sure you will realise, I cannot divulge such information. However, what I can tell you is that the answer to this question is within your grasp, should you be willing to challenge your beliefs.’
‘More cryptic rubbish,’ grumbled Theo under his breath.
‘Theo, you must learn to exercise your mind. As I have told you before, ask your own questions, as much to yourself as to others. For any given question, take the time to draw up a list of answers. Include all possibilities, however unlikely they might seem to you. Then you need to eliminate the impossible. That which remains, however improbable…’
‘…must be the truth,’ interrupted Theo. ‘Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.’
‘It is simple logic, Theo.’
‘So you’re saying if I want to, I can work out the answer myself, based on what I already know?’
‘Correct. However, you should also be certain that you are asking the right questions.’
Theo stared at the craft below him. Judging by the scorch marks on their hulls, they had taken part in many battles over the years. Then he looked up the long tunnel above him. Just visible at the top was the faint glimmer of starlight.
‘Do you long to escape?’
‘No, I was just wondering where we were. I know…you can’t tell me.’
‘Is our exact location really of such interest to you?’
‘I always like to know where I am.’
‘Does your lack of knowledge concern you so much? Can you not be content to understand that you are here, with us, now?’
‘No, I’m never content. I always want to know where I am and how I fit into the big picture.’
‘The big picture?’
‘You know, the great scheme of things. My place in the Universe and all that.’
‘Yet you understand so little of such things.’
‘It doesn’t stop me wondering.’
‘Are you certain that you wish to know such things? That you wish to know the wider truth?’
As the words struck Theo, his heart flipped over momentarily.
‘Do I detect a flicker of recognition at my words? Is it possible that a being such as yourself might know of such things?’
Suddenly, Theo’s mind was racing. He had learnt something of the phrase the previous year when he’d been investigating something that Protah Haarrnn Toh had said to him during their first encounter – an encounter that had been staged by The Star Agency prior to his invitation to join them. It was then that he had learnt of the Legend of the Redeemer – a Polisian myth centring on an enchanted stone, which, when cast into the burning heart of the sky, made both the meek and the powerful equal. He had uncovered the phrase The Wider Truth when reading a security level two search result. Although no explanation of the phrase had been provided, it had been clear from the context of the result that such knowledge was unsuitable for release to the general public, suggesting wide-ranging implications if it were to be released. Yet Mulha Ran had been very clear in his use of the phrase. He had emphasised it.
‘Nope, never heard of it,’ said Theo nonchalantly.
‘Yet your reaction tells me otherwise.’
‘Does it?’
‘And unfortunately, your attempt to deny such knowledge suggests that you are perhaps not who you appear to be, or at least who you present yourself to be.’
‘Then you’re not a very good judge of character, are you?’
‘Has Star Agency training lapsed so badly in my absence that such casual questioning can uncover the truth so easily?’
Oh hell were the only words that jumped into Theo’s mind.
Mulha Ran paused for a moment as he watched the emotions unravelling on Theo’s face.
‘Since you are unlikely to admit that you are an operative, let us continue under the pretence that you are ignorant of such things.’
‘Nothing to admit,’ said Theo stonily.
‘Yet, you wish to know, do you not?
‘Yes I do – not that I believe a word you say of course.’
‘Of course.’
‘OK, so go on then, professor. Enlighten me.’
‘Theo, do you know how old our Galaxy is?’
‘About thirteen billion years – Earth years I mean.’
‘Correct. Do you believe it is possible that during this time, civilisations have arisen that developed far beyond us, technologically?’
‘Yeah, it’s possible. But there’s no evidence, is there? At least, that’s what First Mentor told me.’
‘The evidence does exist, Theo. That you have not been made aware of it is no surprise.’
‘Are you telling me they still exist, these civilisations?’
‘No. However, what you might call their remnants have been found.’
‘Remnants?’
‘Yes, Theo. Left-over technology has been found, along with evidence of their influence and passage through our Galaxy. ’
‘Technology?’
‘Yes. Technology so ancient, yet advanced, it is beyond our understanding.’
‘Are you saying you’ve found some of it?’
‘We have a number of artefacts in our possession.’
‘What, here, on this planet – on this base?’
‘Yes.’
Theo’s eyes lit up with excitement.
‘Can I see them?’
‘If you wish, Theo. However, I should warn you that once you begin down this path, nothing will be the same for you. Your understanding of the Universe and your place within it will be irrevocably altered.’
‘I understand.’
‘Do you, Theo? I very much doubt that.’
‘Show me,’ said Theo insistently. ‘I want to know.’
*
Mulha Ran led Theo back towards another chamber, where they met with another He’tal. They had a brief conversation in their own language, and then the other creature followed them down a long, winding series of passages, which Theo had not noticed during his earlier explorations. They reached a hatch at the end of the corridor and both Mulha Ran and the other He’tal stepped forward, placed their hands on a panel either side of the hatch and held them there for a few seconds. The panels bleeped, and they released their hands before stepping back. Slowly, the hatch slid away revealing another tunnel. They proceeded down the tunnel for a hundred metres or so and into a dark chamber at the end.
‘Wait here,’ said Mulha Ran.
Theo stood in the darkness in nervous anticipation of what was to come. Then there was a bleep and the room became bathed in light. In the centre of the room was an enclosure of some kind, about two metres high by three metres wide, with a metallic frame and what appeared to be thick glass panels on all sides. The enclosure was mostly empty, save for what appeared to be a lump of rock in the middle.
Theo walked up to the glass and stared at the rock, which was blackened and charred as if it had been melted. Sticking out at regular intervals were what looked like multi-jointed prongs of some kind, which were pointed at the end and resting on the ground, holding the bulk of the rock just above the bottom of the enclosure. It was as if the rock had sprouted legs and then stood up. Or was it that the rock was encasing something that had legs?
Then as Theo stared at the object, the sudden realisation of what he was looking at slammed home, and his heart literally stopped beating for a moment. Despite its smaller than expected size and the fact that it was mostly hidden within rock, the object was unmistakable. The truth behind a terrifying myth had revealed itself him as reality. He was face to face with a Dread Lord.
19 – The Impossible Creature
With his hands pressed against the glass, Theo stared into the enclosure, stunned at the sight that met his eyes.
‘What do you think of our exhibit?’ said Mulha Ran.
‘I…is that what I think it is?’ said Theo, his voice shaking as he spoke.
