The Dave Brewster Series

by Karl Morgan

  After another twenty minutes, Nit said, “Commander, if we don’t turn around soon, we won’t have enough power to get back to the base.”

  “Damn it! You are right Nit,” Nan confirmed. “Let’s get back and give our video feeds to the Captain. Maybe he’ll send some shuttles from the Vanaka to search the area more. Let’s go home guys.” The ten flyers turned in a wide arc and headed back north. Dave turned to follow them.

  “Dave, where are you going?” Loni said. “Let’s keep going south!” Dave returned to her and they flew southward again. After five minutes, Loni stopped and floated high over the Earth. Dave’s light flew up to hers.

  “Why are we stopping here, Loni? There’s nothing here but more jungle,” Dave said. “Shouldn’t we keep going south?”

  Loni replied, “Things are not always as they appear. Follow me.” She flew downward toward the tree tops that were now three hundred feet above the planet. Dave followed behind her. Just as they were going to touch the trees, they slipped through an invisible barrier and found themselves above a vast human colony.

  A small town lay below them, surrounded by fields of grain and vegetables. A large roadway led further south past the horizon. People could be seen tilling fields and traveling in glass-like shuttles on and above the roadways. The sky above seemed normal, except for a slight shimmer. Dave surmised this was the security shield which stretched as far as the eye could see. They continued above the roadway for several miles until they came upon a large city. Thousands of buildings surrounded them. Skyscrapers dominated the city center and masses of people walked on the sidewalks hurrying to work or to shop. They floated gradually downward and flew through the roof of a building, stopping in a coffee shop on the ground floor.

  Couples sat at small tables drinking their morning coffee and holding hands. Business men sat together arguing about the details of their latest business proposal. Singles sat with their drinks and computers checking the latest news. They stopped at a table where two men wearing ornate robes were sitting.

  “Councilor Makan,” one said to the other, “we cannot ignore the new settlement to the north. Eventually they will find us. I say we make the first contact and develop some kind of planet sharing treaty.”

  “Councilor Darta,” Makan replied, “surely you must be kidding. We were here first. We have fifty million people here while they have a few thousand. We must expel them. They can find another planet somewhere. Earth 47 is ours!”

  “Makan, listen to me. We already have more than a thousand worlds. Can’t we share this one? You must remember No-Makla. If we attack these maklans, we might be attacked ourselves. I don’t think we can risk interplanetary war right now,” Darta replied.

  “I hadn’t thought about No-Makla,” Makan replied. “That’s a great idea. Let’s send these colonists there with their own kind! Brilliant idea, Darta!”

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I fear the maklans will come to defend their brothers here. This is a new colony, Makan. We could not defeat them and we could all be forced to abandon this planet. Think about the consequences, friend,” Darta pleaded.

  “Perhaps you are right, Darta. It will take at least ten thousand years to make this settlement fully independent,” Makan replied as he sipped his coffee. “If we make an agreement with the maklans, we can be relatively assured they will be peaceful. Okay, friend, I will support your vote at the Council meeting.” They stood, shook hands and left together.

  Loni wrapped her light around Dave’s. “Okay, here you are on Earth. You have just seen a large colony of humans living here millions of years before you were taught humanity evolved here. Now what do you think?”

  “This is unbelievable to me, Loni. Thank you for showing me. But if this is true, why was there no evidence in the geologic record?” Dave asked.

  “There is evidence, Dave. So far, no one believes it or has found enough of it. To tell the truth, bad luck had a lot to do with it too. Humanity chose to stay in this area through much of this time. A few settlements were built in other places, but this was always the hub of their world. The maklans made the same decision. Once their treaties were in place, trade became their primary business. Over generations, the maklans convinced the humans not to take over the entire planet and allow the indigenous life to evolve. When the end came, most of the evidence of these cultures was destroyed.”

  “The end? What happened to them?” Dave asked.

  “I’m sure you were taught that a large meteor destroyed the dinosaurs. Well, it turns out this region was the epicenter of that collision. Many maklans and humans were wiped out in that cataclysm, along with their cities and infrastructure. During the long winters that followed, the remaining human settlements fell into disrepair and were gradually dismantled for parts and fuel. Their societies failed and people reverted to prehistoric levels. All of their knowledge of space and science was lost. It took many millions of years to rebuild into the human civilization where you were raised.”

  “I think I’m ready to leave this place, Loni,” Dave sighed. “I am getting depressed thinking about how all this was destroyed and all the life that was lost.”

  “I don’t think you understand, Dave. You have to accept when humans decided to fly into space and establish new homes that not every story would end well,” Loni replied.

  “Loni, I was told I would be remembered as Dave, Founder of a Thousand Worlds. When I think even one would end like this, I wonder if it will be worth it,” Dave said.

  “Dave, this is what life is about,” Loni said. “But you should also know most of the humans and maklans were relocated before the actual meteor strike. A few stayed, believing they would rebuild in other parts of the planet. I suppose they were right, although it took sixty five million years to do so.”

  “Where did they go when they left?” Dave asked.

  “I’m not certain about the maklans, perhaps they went back to Tak-Makla or to No-Makla. You should know this human colony was never very successful. Since this location was so ideal, many different races from the Society of Humanity chose to colonize together. We have found that does not work often. Over the billions of years of our existence, different types of humans have gravitated to specific classes of planets. For example, I am from the Zu species. The people on my home planet are almost entirely Zu, which is why the planet has the name Aranar Zu. When the people left here, they went to other planets of their same race. I know this is confusing, but I don’t want you to think we allowed millions or billions of people to be killed by a random asteroid,” she continued.

  “It is very confusing, Loni. Perhaps we can discuss this back on Tak-Makla,” Dave replied.

  “Great, let’s go have some drinks tonight to forget about what happened here. Remember if everything you just learned did not happen exactly like it did, you wouldn’t be here now, or be the guy to establish a thousand more worlds for humanity. Tomorrow, I want to show you more about The Hive and Universal Power. I think then you may start to understand what’s happening in the universe,” Loni said.

  Chapter 6

  The morning sun poured through the window, illuminating Darlene’s face. She rolled over to escape the light and return to her dream. Her alarm clock sounded and she tapped the snooze button. Her com-link chirped. Resigned to waking up, she climbed out of bed and walked over to her uniform and pulled off the com-link and pressed the contact. “This is Darlene Brewster,” she said.

  “Ambassador Brewster, this is Consul Zee Gongaleg from Tak-Makla,” he replied. “I hope I haven’t disturbed you. We need to talk at your earliest convenience.”

  “Certainly, High Consul,” she answered. “Can I contact you in 60 minutes? It is early morning here on Nom-Kat-Un, and I’m just getting started on my day.”

  “Ah, that is the information I was looking for, Darlene,” Zee said. “Please stand by for one moment.”

  She stood in her pajamas holding the com-link in her hand. She had no idea what Zee wanted. Dave was
on Tak-Makla and could handle any issues. She looked at her watch. She was to meet with Ambassador Kogala and Field Marshall Fongula Nokka in two hours to discuss the final arrangements for the planet sharing treaty with the Galliceans. In the early evening, the treaty signing was to take place on the broad beach in front of the resort. Darlene thought signing the agreement on Nom-Kat-Un would be a great gesture of friendship between the Palians and Galliceans.

  “Zee, are you there?” she asked.

  “Just one more moment, Darlene,” Zee said. “Ah, I have your coordinates now, please have a nice day.”

  “What?” Darlene asked, but the connection was closed. Frustrated and confused, she tossed the com-link onto the bed and turned and walked into Dave. “Dave! How did you get here,” she cried as she threw her arms around him.

  “Universal power can do some amazing things, sweetheart,” Dave replied as he kissed her. “We have a problem with Nom-Kat-Un, Darlene, and we need to fix it before we give this planet to Palus. Get ready and we’ll grab some breakfast before your meeting.”

  As she showered and got dressed, Dave told her about his meeting with Loni Arrak in the lowest level of The Hive and how he had traveled back in time to witness when both maklans and humans colonized Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. She also learned how those settlements were wiped out by a meteor strike sixty-five million years ago. He told her humanity had originated in the Andromeda Galaxy billions of years ago and now inhabited thousands of planets throughout the universe. Dave also confessed that he found Loni to be amazingly beautiful.

  Dave and Darlene walked into the large dining hall in the Banganu Resort. Most of the furniture was designed for the much larger Palians, but a few human-scale tables had been improvised for the ambassador’s contingent. As they walked toward that area of the room, Charlie Watson stood and waved them over. Charlie shook Dave’s hand and hugged Darlene. “Darlene, let me introduce you to Loni Arrak. I’m sure Dave has told you all about her.”

  Loni rose and shook hands with Darlene, then reached forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Ambassador, it is a pleasure to meet you. Dave has told me so much about you. Please join us,” Loni smiled.

  “It’s great to meet you too, Loni. Please call me Darlene,” she said as she sat down at the table. “I hope they have good coffee here. I’m still dead tired.”

  “It’s great, actually,” Charlie said as they sat down. “I heard the Palians imported green coffee from Day’s End for a long time before the Predaxians took over their worlds. They even began to cultivate coffee plants here on Nom-Kat-Un. The plantations fell into disrepair but are now being cleaned up and repaired for future production.”

  “It is amazing how much work has been done on this planet since the end of the Second Predaxian War,” Darlene began. “Right after the meeting to establish the planet-sharing treaty, hundreds of Palians came here to start the process. Banganu Resort used to be the premiere vacation spot for Palians in this system. Within a month or so, it should be fully renovated. Unfortunately, Dave just told me there is a problem with the treaty. What’s the issue, honey?”

  “As you all know, The Hive has been looking for planets with strong connections to Universal Power. We hope to build more Hives on those planets to cement our mutual relationships and defend against alien worlds like the Paxran,” Dave explained.

  “Who are the Paxran?” Charlie asked.

  “They are a species of maklans who control more than a thousand planets on the other side of the galactic center,” Loni replied. “Zee is convinced they will try to conquer planets on this side of the galaxy at some point. More Hives will provide improved access to Universal Power in this region, enabling us to stop their aggression.”

  “Just like on Localus,” Kogala said as he approached the table. He smiled wryly and continued, “That Universal Power of yours is a powerful weapon. What makes you think the Paxran won’t have their own?”

  “Our agents in The Hive keep a close eye on them,” Loni replied. “We have seen no evidence they have the capability or interest in developing this power. They have been highly successful using star ships and brute force to get their way.”

  “Let us hope your Hive can protect us if they are indeed that powerful,” Kogala said. He turned to Darlene and said, “Ambassador, I will see you in an hour in Conference Room Five to finalize the treaty.” He turned and walked to another table where six other Palians were eating.

  A short Palian waiter approached the table. He was not happy to serve humans. “I am Nokala and I will be your server today. I have been trained about dealing with humans and want you to know that we do not serve eggs or other avian products. Please don’t ask. What would you like?”

  “Out of the way, little bird,” said Fa-a-Di as he came to the table. He grabbed a large chair and sat next to the group. “I have already given our food order to the chef. You may go now, and please be polite to our guests. This planet is still part of Greater Gallia.”

  “Yes, High Commissioner,” Nokala grimaced as he moved away.

  Fa-a-Di was wearing his typical battle uniform with two blasters and three daggers in his belt. He wore a clear globe over his head to provide a breathable air supply. “My dear sister and brothers, it is wonderful to be with you today. Please introduce me to your friend.”

  “General, my name is Loni Arrak,” she said as she shook his large hand. “I am one of the two chief engineers in The Hive on Tak-Makla.”

  “But you look human to me,” Fa-a-Di said.

  “Yes, General, I am human. Perhaps later I can tell you the story of how I came to be on Tak-Makla. I haven’t told anyone else here that story yet,” she replied.

  “That would be wonderful,” he replied. “Perhaps we can fly over the planet together after the ceremony. Do you like Gallicean whisky?”

  “It is one of the best,” Loni winked.

  A team of waiters brought trays of pastries and meats to the table. They set the trays on stands nearby as the table was too small. Another arrived with coffee and cream and poured for everyone except Fa-a-Di, who waved him off. Fa-a-Di pulled a small bottle of whisky from his belt and set it on the table. A waiter brought four glasses and the general poured whisky into the glasses for the humans. He then put a tube into the bottle which could slip through a small port in his helmet. “Cheers to us all on the day of this great treaty,” he shouted. He drank deeply. The humans sipped the whisky gingerly. Gallicean whisky had a reputation of being very strong, and this bottle did not disappoint.

  “Brother, there is a problem with this agreement,” Dave said. He gratefully drank coffee to get the heat of the whisky out of his mouth.

  “A problem?” Fa-a-Di asked. “I haven’t been advised of any issues. Darlene, what is Dave talking about?”

  “Brother, I have only learned of this issue a couple hours ago,” Dave continued. “The Hive transported Loni and me here as soon as we heard the news. We have found that Nom-Kat-Un has very strong connections to Universal Power, perhaps even more than Tak-Makla itself.”

  Loni jumped in, “We had seen some connections to this planet before, however it seems when Localus was dismantled, the lines of Universal Power touching that world shifted to this one. This planet is the best option of a new Hive for thousands of light-years in every direction.”

  “Darlene, you made the suggestion for a planet sharing agreement. Are you now telling me to cancel the treaty?” Fa-a-Di asked.

  “I’m just learning this information too brother,” she said.

  Dave stood and walked up to Fa-a-Di. Even sitting down, the Gallicean was much taller. “Brother, I don’t think that will be necessary. We need to explain this to all parties involved in this arrangement. A new Hive doesn’t require much space, however living arrangements for the billions who work there will occupy a substantial footprint.”

  “So far, we have found that Galliceans and Palians cannot access a Hive,” Loni said. “That doesn’t mean they never can. We just ha
ven’t found a suitable linking device yet. That means we will need several billion life forms on Nom-Kat-Un who can access the new Hive. We know that humans and maklans fit in that category.”

  “I can’t imagine the Palians will go for this,” Fa-a-Di replied. “This planet is a jewel in their crown. Before Predax, it was a major tourist attraction. I fear Field Marshall Nokka will be irate when we tell him he has to share the planet. There must be another way.”

  “I think we need to think rationally about this,” Darlene interrupted. “When we surveyed this planet, we found the forests and sea shores were the locations where ninety-nine percent of Palians came to vacation. Those areas only occupy about twenty percent of the land surface of the planet. Most of the resorts that used to thrive here were in this immediate area. Doesn’t that leave most of the planet available?”

  “I don’t know, Darlene,” Fa-a-Di replied. “This has always been a Gallicean planet. Now we are offering it as a colony site for the Palians. They may have plans to import millions of their own citizens and cover the whole place. I suppose we could negotiate about that though.” He grabbed a handful of sliced meats and tossed them in his mouth through the small port in his helmet.

  “Dave and I have a plan,” Loni said. “Our agents have massive amounts of information on the Paxran and other threats to our security. There have been many movies made on Tak-Makla to show the civilizations in other parts of the galaxy. These are all based on information from our agents. We will be receiving a summary transmission of that data in the next twenty minutes. We would like to make a presentation to the Palians along with some videos of The Hive and its original construction and current operations. Once they see the threat from the Paxran and others, and find out the good a Hive can do for commerce and science, they have to accept this compromise.”