by R. E. Weber
‘Repeat, then freeze replay at the point of the energy surge.’
The image flicked backwards, then replayed even slower than before. As the tiny streak flashed into existence, the image froze.
The commander stared at the white smear on the three-dimensional image, then tapped it with his fingertip to select it.
‘Display tracking information for specified object. Extrapolate trajectory and display. Estimate current location.’
‘Commander, the object was moving too quickly for the drone’s tracking systems.’
The commander clicked his irritation, then switched off the recording and stared at the live tactical display. He manipulated it quickly, shrinking and expanding portions of the display as if searching for something. Then finally, he zoomed in on the nearby planet, locked the display onto the sector of space around it and selected a point several thousand kilometres above its surface.
‘Redirect seventy-five percent of our attack drones to this location immediately and ready missiles. Raise altitude of command vessel by a factor of three. Continue to monitor the moon’s surface for further activity.’
‘Commander, it is my duty to remind you of the risk of stationing military forces in close proximity to a quantum portal. The Affinity will not tolerate the securing of access to a…’
‘We are not members of the Affinity. Their submissive laws are of no concern to me.’
‘We cannot risk a confrontation with the Affinity, Commander. Their forces are superior in every respect.’
‘Your opinions have been noted. Direct our forces as instructed.’
‘Commander, we cannot…’
‘Do as you have been instructed, Sub Commander, unless of course you wish to challenge my authority. I assume you are aware of the consequences of such an action?’
The sub commander lowered his head and slowly closed his four green eyes simultaneously – a sign of submission to the commander’s ultimate authority. Then he opened them again, manipulated the control panel and locked the drones onto their new destination.
*
Mulha Ran released the ship’s acceleration thrusters and allowed its momentum to carry it forward. Then as a repeating bleep ceased, he steered the ship sharply to the right, pointing it towards the planet. As the ship changed direction, Theo’s head throbbed briefly with pain, and the view in front of him became twisted and warped, almost as if he’d been looking at the star field through a goldfish bowl. The sensation lasted for about five seconds before dying away.
‘Did you feel that?’ said Theo turning to Larissa.
‘Yeah, I did. My eyes went funny and I felt dizzy. Then it just stopped. Any idea what it was?’
‘No. It felt like when you jump off a moving roundabout. It was weird.’
‘You’re telling me.’
Theo pulled himself up as far as his restraints would allow and looked out of the panoramic window, then at the tactical displays in front of Mulha Ran.
‘Where are the enemy ships? I thought they’d be on top of us by now.’
‘They are closing in on our current location,’ replied Mulha Ran. ‘I expect our vessel to be within range of the attack drones’ weapons within three seh’nu.’
‘They should’ve shot us down as soon as we came out of the tunnel. There were hundreds of them in orbit but I haven’t seen a single one. What happened?’
But Mulha Ran remained silent as the vessel raced forwards.
As Theo stared ahead at the planet, he noticed a dark line of what looked like rocks and dust stretching from one edge of his vision to the other, seemingly cutting the planet in half.
Larissa leant forward and stared at the planet.
‘What is that?’ she said, pointing ahead.
‘The planet’s ring system,’ replied Mulha Ran.
‘Ring system? Are we…’
‘Yeah, you know, like Saturn,’ said Theo. ‘Chunks of rock and ice – that sort of thing.’
‘I know what a ring system is, Theo. What I mean is, are we heading towards it? Are we flying into it?’
‘The ring system remains our best opportunity to evade the enemy,’ replied Mulha Ran.
‘But we’ll be pulverised. We’ll never be able to navigate through the rings at this speed.’
‘It’s our best chance, mate. The rings will confuse the missile tracking systems.’
‘Yeah and they’ll smash us to pieces too.’
Suddenly, Theo and Larissa’s harnesses tightened, yanking them hard back into their seats.
‘You must prepare yourselves,’ said Mulha Ran. ‘Our flight from this point forwards will be erratic.’
‘We’re gonna die, aren’t we?’ said Larissa, staring in panic at the planet’s rings.
‘Lari, we’re gonna get through this. Stay calm.’
‘Calm? Don’t give me that. I’ve seen that film where they fly into an asteroid field. They get…’
Suddenly, the vessel jerked sideways and then a streak of light shot across their path and away to the right.
‘What was that, a missile?’
‘No, that was a fragment from the outer ring system. Remain silent while I plot an evasive flight path.’
As the vessel began swerving in every direction, tumbling blocks of ice began spinning past them on all sides, nauseatingly fast. Then as the ship banked violently to the left, there was a brilliant flash of light ahead, and an exploding ice boulder showered the vessel with debris, peppering its outer hull like machine-gun fire. The first missile had narrowly missed its target.
Theo turned to look at Larissa. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her hand was gripping the seat arm so tightly that the bones in her knuckles looked like they were bursting through her skin. Gently, Theo reached over and clasped her clenched hand. But Larissa was so panic-stricken she barely reacted to his touch.
The ship jerked one way and then the other with unbelievable precision as Mulha Ran delicately flicked the controls, his arms now held by exoskeletal supports to prevent them from being yanked away from the controls by the sudden violent movements. Every few seconds, the ship would shudder as explosion after explosion from the attack drones’ missiles showered the ship with rock and ice.
Periodically, the ship opened fire, above, below and behind the vessel, aiming not for the missiles themselves but for the tumbling ring fragments, shattering them into thousands of tiny pieces to further confuse the target locking mechanisms. Not a single missile managed to reach its target.
Gradually, the debris field began to thin and within seconds they were clear of the rings. The attacks from the enemy missiles had also ceased – clearly they had entered the neutral territory around the quantum portal. Then the vessel banked slowly to the right and entered a tight orbit around the planet.
Mulha Ran unstrapped himself from his seat, placed his hands on the chair arms and tried to lift himself up. But as he began to rise, his arms began shaking and gave way, causing him to collapse to the floor. Theo unclipped his harness, leapt to Mulha Ran’s side and placed his hands under his armpit. Another He’tal came to his assistance, and together they lifted Mulha Ran upright. His good leg was now shaking so violently he could barely stand, even with help.
‘What’s happened to him?’ said Theo. ‘He was OK just now.’
‘Mulha Ran has expended all his remaining energy,’ replied the other He’tal. ‘He must rest now.’
The He’tal placed his hand under Mulha Ran’s good leg and Theo did the same with the bandaged stump. Then they carried him to a couch, which had just been laid out in the main cabin. Carefully, they lowered him into a sitting position on the couch and then gently lay him out flat. His entire body was now shaking as if in the middle of a seizure of some kind.
‘Is he gonna be OK?’
Another He’tal appeared beside Mulha Ran and pressed what looked like a hypodermic needle into his arm, injecting him with a clear substance. After a few seconds, Mulha Ran stopped shaking and lay still
for a moment. Then he opened his eyes and looked at Larissa and Theo.
‘I am afraid that you must leave us now,’ said Mulha Ran, his voice weak and uneven.
‘What do you mean?’ said Theo.
‘It is time for you to proceed to the transport pods. You will be ejected into the quantum portal ahead of us and journey back to Polisium Prime alone.’
‘Hang on a sec, I wanna know what just happened. How did we evade the attack drones? It took ages for them to reach us. They should have shot us out of the sky the moment we came out of the tunnel. But we almost reached the planet before they caught up with us.’
‘Theo, we do not have time for this discussion,’ croaked Mulha Ran. ‘We must…’
‘Make time,’ said Theo angrily. ‘We should be dead now. What just happened to us wasn’t possible.’
‘Yet as you observed, Theo, what just happened clearly was possible.’
‘For once, why can’t you just tell me what’s going on and stop with all the cryptic rubbish. It’s a simple enough question. What happened?’
‘As I have told you before, Theo, you must seek your own answers. It is critical that you learn to exercise your mind clearly and logically.’
‘Bu…but I’ve got so many questions. There’s so much I need to know.’
‘As it should be,’ replied Mulha Ran.
‘But will I ever see you again?’
‘If the Universe calls to us, our paths will cross once more.’
Larissa placed her hand on Theo’s shoulder.
‘Theo, we’ve got to go.’
Theo looked into the wrinkled, tattooed face of the most wanted being in the Affinity, who stared back at Theo with an expression that he couldn’t exactly place – whether it was sadness or pain or something else, Theo wasn’t sure. Then Mulha Ran nodded his head lightly and looked Theo in the eye.
‘Your servant,’ he said simply. Then he closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.
Another He’tal appeared at his side and led Theo and Larissa to the back of the ship. As they turned to face a small cubicle, a doorway slid open revealing a line of transport pods secured to the wall. A transparent door swung up from two of the pods, revealing a foamy, cushioned interior. In silence, Theo and Larissa climbed into the pods, turned around and pressed themselves into the cushioned lining, which expanded out to secure them into position. As oxygen masks dropped over their faces, the transparent pod doors swung shut – a hiss indicating that they were air tight. Then the outer door to the cubicle slid shut, and with a jolt, they were ejected from the vessel.
As the small ship banked towards the quantum portal, the two pods raced ahead, dropped towards the planet’s surface and into the rocky tunnel. In a flash, they tore through the fabric of the Universe, appearing from an intensely bright coil of twisted light into a tunnel beneath the Polisian moon. The pods shot out of the tunnel and moved to a stable orbit above the moon. Then they drifted silently above the ancient surface of the barren world, awaiting the arrival of a recovery vessel. Mulha Ran’s ship was nowhere to be seen.
23 – The Three Heavens
Scarcely a day had passed since Ruby’s arrival on Ch’Dath where any semblance of normality had settled on her, and the past few days had been no exception. Firstly, there had been the dramatic and unexpected decision of the H’th’hka to withdraw from the Affinity – a fact that had saddened Ruby greatly due to her involvement in the Affinity’s attempt to prevent it. She had at least expected their decision to be delayed if not postponed indefinitely. Then, there had been the news of a full military assault on the hidden base of the Metah Dah, which although unsuccessful, had weakened their forces greatly. And it didn’t take an expert to realise that the two events were connected, although quite how they had succeeded in locating the base when the Affinity had failed, Ruby wasn’t sure. Then yesterday, there had been her recall notice from the Paltoor Council, forcing Ruby to hastily prepare to leave her new home and return to Polisium Prime – an event that was due to take place within the hour.
But although a part of her looked forward to seeing her friends once more – especially Theo, who she had been enormously relieved to discover was safe after his disappearance – another part of her was saddened that her departure had come so soon. In the short time she had spent on their homeworld, Ruby had grown to better understand the H’th’hka, forming a great deal of affection for them. While it was true that in many ways they were a damaged and divided people after the attack on their homeworld, she had seen beyond that pain to discover a rich and peaceful culture, steeped in tradition, history and faith. But their decision had been made. The last remnants of their association with the Affinity were now being swept away, and Ruby’s departure would represent the final link being broken.
As Ruby sought to soothe her racing mind, a melodic bleep sounded to indicate a visitor to her quarters. Remaining cross-legged on her soft woollen rug, Ruby inhaled deeply and let out the air slowly, like a tyre deflating. Then she opened her eyes, sprung to her feet and turned towards the doorway. This was it – they had come to collect her. She walked up to the door, tapped the access panel and selected allow. Then she braced herself to meet Tan Shah.
With a light swish of air, the door slid open to reveal her visitors. However, the group standing in front of her was not the delegation she had expected. Instead, three H’th’hka stared unblinkingly down at her, their graceful swan-like necks swaying lightly while their heads remained still as if fixed in mid-air. The central being of the group wore the ceremonial drapes of a religious leader, while the remaining two were unclothed, as was the norm for most in their society – the H’th’hka having no concept of nudity due to the segmented shell that surrounded their lower bodies, including their reproductive organs. Ruby took a moment to look the group up and down and it was then that she noticed what looked like a small crest of feathers on the head of the central H’th’hka, who she had taken to be the leader. A series of indentations at the base of its long neck also told her that the creature was a female.
At the sudden realisation of who she was looking at, Ruby immediately dropped to her knees and placed her head on the floor. Then she lifted her head but kept her gaze down, not daring to look into the eyes of the creature. The most powerful religious leader on the planet was standing outside her door.
‘Supreme Ha’tul, T’pan,’ Ruby clicked with practiced ease, ‘it is an honour to welcome you.’
‘Please dispense with the traditional formalities, Rubina Chaudhry, and rise in my presence,’ replied the creature in Affinity Common, via a translation.
Her heart beating fast, Ruby slowly lifted herself to her feet, still not daring to look into its eyes. A single delicate hand then touched Ruby on her chin and lifted her face until their eyes made contact.
‘No need,’ it clicked softly.
Ruby stepped backwards and dipped her head lightly.
‘My world is your world. Please enter,’ she replied, gesturing into her quarters.
T’pan stepped forward alone and strode gracefully into Ruby’s quarters. The doorway then swished shut, leaving the two of them alone. Despite the apparent informality of the visit, Ruby remained silent, following the accepted protocol that she should not speak unless spoken to first, except in greeting.
‘Rubina Chaudhry, I am honoured to be invited into your world. If it pleases you, I will sit.’
‘O…of course, Supreme Ha’tul,’ stuttered Ruby nervously. ‘Make yourself comfortable.’ Ruby winced inwardly as she said the words. She was encouraging the spiritual leader of an entire species to squat on the floor of her messy quarters.
T’pan folded her long legs beneath her squat, segmented body and sank to the floor. As her abdomen touched the ground, her legs almost disappeared out of sight beneath her. Her head was now at about the same height as Ruby’s.
‘Now, Rubina Chaudhry, if it pleases you, I have a request to make.’
‘Of course, how may I serv
e you?’
‘First of all, may I ask that you address me as an equal. Although protocol demands that the people of my world appear subservient in public, that is purely for the sake of tradition. In reality, I consider myself a servant of my people, not their master. If you wish to speak, then speak. Do not await my lead. Do not stand on formality.’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Since I am aware that your transportation home will arrive soon, I will make my point without delay. I would like to ask that you remain with us.’
‘I… I’m sorry, I don’t understand.’
‘I am asking that you remain with us, here, on Ch’Dath.’
‘Bu… but I’ve been recalled back to Polisium. Your species has left the Affinity. There’s no place for me now. I can’t be a Paltoor Zanshal-Sec anymore.’
‘I understand that your peers refer to you informally as Ruby. May I also refer to you in such a manner?’
‘Of course.’
‘Ruby, if you are in agreement, I would like to assign you a new position – that of M’tak Su’lan.’
Ruby stared back, open-mouthed. The title was a rarely used and historic name given to a special spiritual advisor of the supreme ha’tul – a title only deemed worthy of the blessed or divine.
‘I…I don’t know what to say.’
‘An answer in the affirmative would be my preferred response.’
‘No, I mean, you haven’t had a M’tak Su’lan for centuries. And now you’re asking me, Rubina Chaudhry, to be one. I’m just a paltoor and not a fully trained one at that. How can I be your spiritual advisor?’
‘I understand your reluctance. You feel that you are ill-equipped to deal with the responsibility.’
Ruby took a deep breath. ‘Supreme Ha’tul, I hope I don’t offend you if I speak my mind.’
‘You are no doubt about to remind me that while you respect our beliefs, you do not share them.’
‘I’m sorry but I have my own beliefs.’
‘Ruby, the role does not require you to follow our faith. Indeed, in some respects, it is preferable that you do not.’
