The Dave Brewster Series

by Karl Morgan

  A smiling Opa wearing a silver jumpsuit was waiting for them with two racks of similar suits. “Good afternoon, distinguished guests,” he said. “I am Pak Makwee, and I manage the Mount Naglamar Deep Mine. I have jumpsuits to protect the clothing of our human guests, but unfortunately we don’t have anything for the others. I apologize for that.”

  “Please don’t be concerned,” Zee said. “Jake and I will be doubly careful.” Everyone laughed.

  After donning the suits, Pak led them to an elevator. The car was very different, with twenty chairs bolted to the floor. “Please take a seat and strap in,” Pak said. “This is a different kind of elevator.” Dave sat next to Darlene and strapped himself down. He took her hand as Pak pressed a button on his seat. The car shot downward. Dave could feel himself lifting off the seat. Fortunately, the straps held. The downward trip seemed to last forever. It began to slow and Dave could feel the seat beneath him again. It came to a stop without a sound or motion. The outer doors opened and they stepped out into the brightly lit cavern. “We are now ten thousand feet below the landing pad,” Pak continued. “The elevator ride can be uncomfortable for some, so we’ll wait here a moment to catch our breath. This is the largest precious stone and mineral mine in the Society. It was built more than two million years ago, and the quality and quantity of product keeps improving. We are very proud of the work we do here. Let’s continue now.”

  They walked through the cavern for ten minutes and turned into a narrow tunnel cut through stone. The tunnel sloped slightly downward and Dave could feel the temperature rising as they moved forward. At the end of the tunnel was a closed metal door. Pak placed his com-link against the door and it slid open. “This is what we call the crystal cave. I hope you enjoy it.” He switched on lights and they stepped in. The room was magnificent. The ceiling was two hundred feet over their heads, and the room was more than three hundred yards across. The walls, ceiling and floor were completely covered with crystals of different shapes and colors.

  “What are these crystals, Pak?” Dave asked.

  “Diamonds, mostly,” Pak replied. “We have found many rooms like this, only smaller on this level. This one has been left as we found it.”

  “Why would you do that?” Dave asked. “These stones have to be worth a fortune.”

  “You are quite right,” he answered. “I’m sure you are noticing the heat rising as we move through the room. Less than one hundred feet beyond the far wall is a massive magma pool. There is no way we can remove these stones without risking a horrible, searing death.”

  “Pak, that’s an excellent reason,” Dave laughed. “I agree and think we should leave in case Nature picks this minute for an earthquake.”

  They returned to the surface and boarded the shuttle again. The sun was sinking toward the horizon as they lifted off and rose above the trees and headed away. Dave was more confused than ever. The Opa seemed to relish this work, but they did not choose it. He thought about the ancient caste system in India. Was that what was happening here? He began to realize why Antar and Wendo could never change the Society. The races had been put in roles so long ago they had become happy with them.

  Darlene leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Dave, you’re a million miles away again.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he replied. “There’s too much going on for my mind to cope.”

  “Did you see that other guy in the back?” she whispered. “What’s he doing?”

  “I can’t talk now,” he whispered back. “I’ll tell you when we get back to Nightsky.”

  He looked out the window to see the shuttle settling down in front of a large home on a beach. Several other large homes followed the curve of the sand. The doors opened and Orlo said, “Welcome to my home, everyone. Let’s have a drink and some dinner now.”

  Chapter 34

  After spending a lot of time at the beach residence on Tak-Makla, the surroundings seemed familiar and comfortable to Dave. The President’s home was not an official residence like the one Zee Gongaleg enjoyed on his planet. This was Orlo’s home, where he and his family had lived since he took his first job at the Mount Daglamar Deep Mine almost two hundred years ago. The house was about three thousand square feet, and it was clear that multiple additions had been made over that time due to growth in the family. All the Vance children had long moved out to begin their own lives, and the interior had been updated again to a more open great room look. Several conversation hubs were marked by overstuffed sofas and coffee tables. One wall was a bookcase with hundreds of worn books packed onto the shelves. Orlo led the group through the house and out the glass doors where a large stone patio reached from the house to the beach one hundred feet away.

  Several Opa were working feverishly setting the tables that had been set up in a U shape to enhance conversation. Strings of lights mounted on poles gave the area a warm and cheery feel. Orlo led them to a small bar where a smiling young man was waiting for them. “My dear guests, this is my son, Umbly, and he will be our bartender tonight,” Orlo said as he hugged his child. While everyone was introducing themselves, Orlo slipped away to the outdoor cooking area where three grills were working to cook fish and vegetables. The smoke had a unique fragrance unlike anything from Earth. Dave wondered if that was the wood from those tall trees on the mountains. There certainly were not many trees in this area. He looked carefully to see if there were any invisible people in the area, but could not see any.

  “Here you go, Dave and Darlene,” Zee said as he approached from the front of the line. “Having more than two hands comes in handy on occasions like this.” He held out a glass of red wine to Darlene and a glass of whisky over ice to Dave, while sipping his own whisky. “Let’s find a place to chat.” The three of them walked to the end of the patio and stepped into the soft sand. Zee led them to the edge of the water and then down the beach fifty feet to be away from the crowd. “So, what do you think of Lagamar Opa, Dave?”

  “It’s a beautiful planet, Zee,” Dave replied. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was surprised to see Opa being treated as a lower caste,” Zee frowned. “I’ve known Mencius and other Kalideans for some time now, and they are an incredibly talented people. All of that seems to have been wasted here.” He looked around to see if anyone was listening. “And did you see that other race of humans working as cleaners? Who are they? Everyone, including them seems to behave as though they are invisible.”

  “You’re absolutely right, Zee,” Dave said. “But please, those people are a very delicate issue in the Society. Wendo asked me not to talk about them here and I think we need to respect that. He said we would visit their home world on this trip, and then he can tell us more.”

  “I suppose that’s acceptable,” Zee replied. “And it’s not that different from the experience of the maklans if I think about it.”

  “How do you mean,” Darlene asked. “There are many maklan species and you know them better than we do, but I wasn’t aware of a case where some were held down by others?”

  “As you may remember, we have relationships with over three hundred and fifty maklan societies in our galaxy. Virtually all are single planet cultures like Tak-Makla, following in the footsteps of our ancestors on Ai-Makla. Some live quite closely with others, and there are some cases where stronger ones dominate smaller ones. Any more than that, I don’t know. You’d have to ask Fak, as she keeps closer tabs on our trading partners. But we did have one case that makes the Society look like saints,” Zee continued. “We know the Galliceans, maklans and Kalideans have been investigating the planets in the Don-Makla system. I don’t know what they have learned.”

  “That was your home world after the Great Rebirth, right?” Dave asked. “Wait, now I remember something. That invisible race looks just like the people of Nanda!”

  “You are right, now that I think of it,” Zee smiled. “But what have your scientists found about the other maklan worlds there?”

  “They found a planet whe
re the Predaxians lived for a few million years, and another planet that had a race of giant maklans that went extinct, as I recall,” Dave pondered. “I’m not certain, but I think they chronicled the evidence and gave up.”

  “The giant maklans were descendants of Don-Makla, like me,” Zee said. “You have seen the story of Zon Palaka in The Hive, correct?” Dave nodded. “Well, there were others who followed her plan to settle other planets. One of those ships had a critical engine failure shortly after leaving Don-Makla. They had intended to go to another system, but had to crash land on that other planet. Agents in The Hive have seen that many of their leaders and scientists died in the landing. The remainder did what they could to build a sustainable culture, but it couldn’t last. The size of the planet and the thick atmosphere were too much for the people. Over generations, they adapted to the circumstances by becoming much larger. Unfortunately, they began to devolve until they lived in crude shacks trying to survive.”

  “Until they went extinct themselves,” Dave said.

  “If only it were that easy, Dave,” Zee sighed. “That culture finally began to advance again after millions of years. They started to build villages and discovered agriculture and animal husbandry. That was about two hundred and fifty million years ago, which was the same time the Predaxians moved to the other planet.”

  “So the two species knew one another?” Darlene asked.

  “That may be an over-simplification, Darlene,” Zee frowned. “The Predaxians who came there were outcasts from Predax. They were the first to develop mind control over other maklans. The leaders felt it was an abomination and exiled them. As fate you have it, they ended up in the Don-Makla system on that one planet.” He turned and saw the rest of the group taking their seats at the dinner table. “Let’s walk slowly back now before they come looking for us.” As they walked, he continued, “The planet they chose was dying. Its thin atmosphere and high solar radiation forced them to enclose their cities in giant domes. Still, the radiation changed them into monsters before it killed them completely. When they found the giant maklans on the next planet, they began to harvest them for food.”

  “They became cannibals?” Darlene said aghast. “That’s horrible.”

  “Horrid but true, Darlene,” Zee said. “Unfortunately, the giant maklans were not enough to keep the Predaxians fed. Once they were all dead, their society broke into warring factions. Whoever lost the day’s battle became the evening meal.” Zee dropped his head. “It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. Eventually, insanity brought on by the radiation and starvation killed them all. The only positive thing is that they died before they encountered the Nanda. I shudder to think what would have happened to them. At that time, the Nanda were also just finding their civilization.”

  “We were beginning to think you were lost,” Orlo said as the three joined the group. “You three don’t look so well. Is something wrong?”

  “We’re fine, Orlo,” Dave said. “Zee was just telling us some history that did not have a happy ending.” He smiled. “Where do we sit?”

  All the Opa ministers huddled around Mencius and his assistants. Stories of the greatness of the Kalidean Federation were the talk of the night. Dave and Darlene sat with the maklans, while Wendo and Antar sat at the opposite table with the Opa military leadership. The meal was simple but very tasty. They started with toast with a spicy green salad on top. That was followed by a rich fish soup with seaweed. The main course was an odd crustacean with four claws. The meat was dense like beef with a strong aroma of the sea. As a worker class, the Opa did not indulge in fancy desserts and pastries. Large plates of nut-flavored cookies and strong coffee completed the meal.

  Mencius recounted the history of Kalidus as he had been taught. He told them of the time he stood before High Consul Palidus and advised them to go back in time to find the best of their adventurers to restart their journey into the stars. He talked of bringing Dave and Darlene Brewster into the future to do the same for the humans of Earth 47. The group was overwhelmed when Mencius spoke of the ten thousand worlds in the Federation and the thousands of major universities and the advanced state of Kalidean science. Tears pooled in the eyes of the Opa when they learned how advanced their meager culture had become in another galaxy.

  The waiters cleared the plates and three small glasses of whisky were given to each guest. Orlo stood and cleared his throat. “My dear friends, this has been a magnificent day for me, and I hope you feel the same way. I can assure you that the five hundred Opa worlds of the Society are one hundred percent behind your application for the Free Society in the Ulagong Galaxy.” Everyone applauded. “The glasses of whisky are a traditional closing to an Opa feast such as this. Each Opa world makes many different whiskies. We say that a working man needs a working man’s drink. The three before you are from Lagamar Opa. Traditionally, we start from left to right, which is to say from sweet to bitter. This reminds us that the sweetness of our celebration will be followed by hard work when the sun rises again. In honor of our Kalidean guests, I want us to break that tradition right now!” He picked up the far right glass and held it out to the group. “After this night, we know there is something better for all Opa in this universe. While our lives here are hard and bitter, we can now look forward to a day when we join with our Kalidean brothers and find a sweet future for ourselves and our children. Please drink with me!” He drank the bitter whisky and said, “Today was hard.” Everyone followed suit and said the same phrase, then applauded. He drank the center whisky and said, “Now there is hope for tomorrow.” The group copied again. He picked up the last glass and looked at the whisky swirling about. His eyes filled with tears again as he drank the liquor. “And tomorrow will bring sweetness to us all.”

  Chapter 35

  Lagamar Vol lay beneath the Nightsky. The terminator moved slowly across the planet as a new day dawned in New City, the capital of the planet. Dave Brewster stood in his ready room, looking out the window at the planet below. Lagamar Vol was Earth-sized with forty percent water surface. There were almost no mountains and the planet seemed like a giant farm. The few visible mountains were heavily worn down and covered with forest. Small ice packs clung to the poles. Dave sipped his first coffee of the day and contemplated what they would find on this planet. A tone sounded and he returned to his desk. He tapped a button and the face of Fa-a-Di filled the screen. “Good morning, brother,” Dave said.

  Fa-a-Di did not look happy. “I’m sorry, Dave, but I have to tell you I am very upset at all humanity right now.”

  “What’s wrong, Fa-a-Di?” Dave said, puzzled by the words. “Whatever happened? Was it something I said or did?”

  “No, of course not, brother,” Fa-a-Di said with a forced smile. “You and I are not from this galaxy, so how could we have anything to do with this abomination?”

  “There’s been an abomination?” Dave asked. “What happened?”

  “The only humans from this galaxy I can stomach today are Wendo and Antar,” Fa-a-Di, “They sent me to Lagamar 7 to see what is happening there, and I am thoroughly disgusted by what we are seeing.”

  “Please tell me, brother,” Dave said. “I know nothing of this.”

  “I know you don’t Dave. But I need to get the anger out of my system, and it’s too early to start drinking whisky. Please don’t take it personally,” he replied as he put his beak close to the glass of his screen. “Yesterday, we visited the first location on the planet that Wendo Balak suggested. That planet you saw yesterday is a mining world, right?”

  “Yes, and it’s horrible how the Opa have been reduced to servants to the other races,” Dave started.

  “Whatever,” Fa-a-Di scoffed. “That planet and those Opa send ten freighters to Lagamar 7 every day to dump slag.”

  “What!” Dave shouted. “They’re using the planet as a dump?”

  “That’s right, Dave,” Fa-a-Di replied. “Ten freighters every day dump tons of slag from high orbit onto the planet. My brother-in
-law and I flew over that area of the planet and saw what has been happening there. Dave, there are Ka-la-a on this planet and many species of gas giant life. Imagine that Ka-la-a we stood on when we visited Jupiter, with the moss and giant beasts lumbering around innocently.”

  “I remember, brother,” Dave smiled. “I’ll never forget that day.”

  “I won’t forget yesterday either Dave,” Fa-a-Di scowled. “Imagine those animals feeding peacefully when thousands of tons of slag fall from the sky. The Ka-la-a are being destroyed along with the life. Then the slag finds its way to the Dar-Fa and rains down on the planet again. It was horrifying. Those poor Opa. What a bunch of garbage. They could care less what they are doing to life on that planet. It sickens me.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Fa-a-Di,” Dave replied. “I’m sure this is part of the story that Wendo and Antar are weaving for us. I believe we will all understand by the time we return to Earth Prime.”

  “If I could, I would fly the Kong-Fa back to our galaxy right now,” the Gallicean said. “Without the jump, that would take thousands of years, so I suppose I have no choice. Wendo has selected another part of the planet for us to examine today. I can only imagine what horrors we fill find there. Where are you now?”

  “We are orbiting Lagamar Vol,” Dave answered. “From what I’ve heard, it is an agricultural planet. That seems simple enough and there would be no need for dumping on Lagamar 7 for that, but I suppose we will both learn more today.”

  “You know Dave, this trip is not helping our ambition to form a Free Society,” Fa-a-Di started. “Seeing what humanity has done is angering my entire crew. Hopefully, there will be good news today.”