by Karl Morgan
“What Ondeen says is correct,” another Bolofaz interrupted. “Your life will end one day. That is the nature of physical existence. However, disturbing the past to change the present has terrible consequences. That is why we watch reverse time travel. We make certain changes do not occur that could affect the future.”
“That’s a relief!” Dave sighed. “For a minute there, Fa-u-Bay had me believing this was about me, Dave Brewster, the accountant. But it’s more about safeguarding time. That makes more sense.”
“Fa-u-Bay was partially correct,” Ondeen said. “Each life has an impact on the future. Most impacts are modest on a cosmological scale. All are profoundly important on a personal level. If you had died at Fola Untor’s hands, another future would have taken its place. Your family would be impacted the most. However, the things you might have done never would have happened, and no one would know the difference. The future would just be different. In your case, you had already done many things which your friends value greatly. Fola wanted to make it as though none of those things occurred.”
The other Bolofaz continued, “Even we do not know the future, Dave. The rest of your life may be wonderful or horrible. But it will be the future that was meant for you, not the delusions of a madman bent on revenge.”
“That’s not very reassuring,” Dave said coldly. “But I must have done something to get Fa-u-Bay to help me. So there’s that at least.”
Ondeen laughed. “The future up to the moment when Fola Untor left his own time to kill you has been written. That should give you some clue about your near term prospects. If you were an accountant in San Diego, why would the greatest leader of Greater Gallia come out of time to help you? However, you will have to experience those things yourself. While we cannot tell you about those events, we know you did some great things. Your future can be very bright!”
“Perhaps, but there is more,” the other said. “While the timeline is now secure, there is great danger approaching you and your friends. You will all face incredible odds at great personal risk. That future awaits you. How it will end is up to God.”
“If I can be with my family, I’ll be fine,” Dave said.
“We wish you the best of luck, Dave Brewster,” Ondeen stated. “Believe it or not, your future will likely affect us as well. If and when that time comes, and you are drawn back here, you can count on us to help you in any way we can.”
“Thank you, Ondeen,” Dave smiled. “It would be a joy to be with you and your friends again. What happens now?”
“Just relax and close your eyes,” Ondeen said. “Now stand on my back with your eyes still closed.” Dave complied and could feel the strong winds lifting him off the creature’s back. “When you’re ready, just open your eyes.”
Dave was floating in the atmosphere of Lubna. He could not sense the Bolofaz anymore but was enjoying the feeling of floating in the air. He thought of Darlene and their children and smiled. He hoped he would remember all of this so he could tell her when she came home from work. She probably would think he had been sleeping and dreamed the whole thing. After all, being hit by a car and then traveling to a distant planet was not believable. It was beginning to seem like a dream to him as well. The images of the Bolofaz, Fa-u-Bay and traveling in space were already slipping away. He tried to hold onto them, but was failing. He remembered Fa-u-Bay told him it would be like the memory of a dream. Too bad, he thought. It would make a great sci-fi book. He laughed out loud. He took another deep breath and opened his eyes.
Dave was standing next to his car in the Starbucks parking lot. He noticed a number of police cars near a section of the lot that was cordoned off with yellow tape. An ambulance was there and two paramedics were examining someone lying on the ground. Dave thought he could see blood on the sidewalk. He imagined some poor guy had been run over on his way to buy a coffee. He looked at his watch and thought if he had left home a few minutes earlier that could have been him lying there. He shuddered at the thought of being stricken by a car. Deep in his mind, it all seemed too similar, as though he was the victim or knew him well. He felt bad for the person and hoped he would be okay. As he approached, he could tell the man on the ground was quite tall and had light blonde hair. At least he knew it was not his own body. It took longer for him to reach the coffee shop as he had to walk around the large crowd of bystanders.
As Dave opened to door to the store, he could smell the fragrance of coffee and scent of cinnamon in the air. Before he could step in, a woman in a business suit rushed toward the open door with a large coffee in one hand, and a cell phone in the other plastered to her ear, forcing him to step back and let her go by. He thought of a smart response but only managed a soft “Have a nice day,” as she dashed to her car without even noticing him. As he stepped into the store, he could not decide if he was upset by her gruff actions, or just jealous that she had somewhere to go. That used to be me, he thought to himself.
Three others were in the line ahead of Dave, so he took his place at the end of the line and browsed the menu.
Chapter 35
“Obu, I was so worried about you!” Dave said. “I heard that the Brotherhood attacked Lagamar Ulu and the Mount Alila temple specifically. What happened?”
Obu smiled and patted Dave’s hand. “As you can see, I am quite well. The attack on my home world was quite vicious, with many factories and cities heavily damaged. The explosions and fires rapidly increased the smog level all over the planet. My priests and I sat praying in the temple as the clouds and smoke rose and completely enveloped the mountain range and our temple. I feel confident the Source was helping us that day. The directional systems on some Brotherhood ships were also affected and they blasted away at a nearby mountain, destroying only rock and snow, until our defending fleet could force them to flee.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Fa-a-Di said, “although I will pray tonight for the loss of life on your planet.”
“Thank you General,” Obu smiled. “You should know your own troops were very brave during the attack on Lagamar Boley. I have seen those who rejoined the Source and can report they are at peace.”
“But none of this is why we are here,” Ulook interrupted.
“Of course you are correct, Ulook,” Obu apologized. “Why don’t you continue?”
“The leader of the Brotherhood has been very busy building an alliance in this galaxy,” she began. “Fola Untor has been promising Hive technology to the Paxran, Donnaki and Maklakar among others in order to gain their support against your Free Society.”
“Fola Untor is dead,” Dave said.
“How can you know that?” Obu frowned. “He was monitored in Paxran space only a few days ago.”
Dave shook his head as though his mind was full of cobwebs. “I don’t know. I’m sorry I blurted that out. I just had this image in my mind of him lying on a sidewalk in a pool of his own blood. It must have been a dream.”
“Hmm. This is very unusual,” Ulook said. “That is a pretty specific memory. I will ask some of my people to look for him again. Regardless of his status, we need to worry about the possibility of a coordinated attack from those other races.”
“That would be especially difficult if the Maklakar share their plasma bomb technology with the others,” Fa-a-Di replied. “Several Maklakar battle stations could destroy any of our planets, even this one.”
Ulook shuddered at the thought. “I think that is a low risk General. Even with their fear of Hives, they can never forgive the Paxran for destroying their civilization.”
“I agree,” Dave replied. “I think that may point to a solution. If we can somehow convince the Maklakar we are not their enemy, they may join us instead.”
“You trust them after what they did on Tak-Makla?” De-o-Nu asked. “I don’t think Zee will be pleased to hear that.”
“It’s not a matter of trust, brother,” Dave replied. “Something made them strike out at Tak-Makla. It’s probably a lack of understanding of the purpose of Hive t
echnology. I have seen it used for combat and the power is much greater than their plasma bombs. Being xenophobic with a long history of defending themselves from aggressors, I can’t imagine they want to build an empire.”
“Dave is right,” Fa-a-Di said. “And it’s not like we have any other options. We only have two active Hives. With the disarray in the Andromeda Galaxy, it is very unlikely any more will come here anytime soon.”
“Except for Hives for the Brotherhood,” Odo said. “It is very likely the Hive on Atar Pa has already been compromised. Then it will be down to one for us and one for them.” He patted Lini on the knee and asked, “What do you think, Dar Lini?”
“I’m just a local girl, but I think you are forgetting another Hive,” she said meekly.
“Right here,” Dave agreed. “This planet is a natural Hive. That’s why Ulook and her people are here and why the original human setters are Nan.”
“I’m so proud of you both,” Odo laughed. “And as Dave knows, there are others yet to be found. Adding natural Hives to your defenses will overwhelm the attackers.”
“Odo, Fistan is another natural Hive,” Dave said.
“What?” Fa-a-Di questioned. “You are saying a mythical planet is a Hive? How can you say that? The planet is an old legend from thousands of generations ago.”
“I don’t know. It’s just in my mind from somewhere,” Dave sighed. “This is so strange. I keep getting these odd memories. I know I’ve never been there or seen Fola Untor dead, but the images keep popping into my mind.”
“Like the memory of a dream,” Obu said.
“Exactly! Maybe the pressure of the ocean above is getting to me,” Dave replied. “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut until I think it through.”
“Don’t do that Dave,” Lini countered. “I think it’s wonderful. The Source is speaking through you, right Odo?”
“I don’t know for sure,” the Elder replied. “I know Dave’s connection to the Source is strong and here we are at the core of a natural Hive, but some of his comments are unbelievable.”
Ulook shook her head. “This is impossible. The Zula have found no sign of Fola Untor. Millions entered the Hive and searched, but it’s as though he disappeared from time and space. Perhaps Dave Brewster was right about him.”
“You think that’s strange,” Dave began, “Here at the bottom of the ocean in a system with no communications, I’m getting a signal from Earth on my com-link.”
“That’s impossible,” De-o-Nu said.
“Let’s see what they want,” Fa-a-Di disagreed. “Ulook, can we put the signal on a screen for all of us to see?”
A screen appeared on the wall. Dave tapped the com-link and the images of Lanz, Aria, Muncie and Rence appeared on screen. “Dave, thank God you’re safe!” Lanz shouted.
“What are you talking about? Is there an attack imminent?” Dave replied.
The group on Earth recounted the story of the time eddies which had since ebbed. They told the group how Fola Untor traveled back to 2012 to kill Dave Brewster just minutes before he was to meet Charlie Watson for the first time. Rence admitted shooting Fola after he saw Dave struck by the car. Fola had gone searching for Dave with his blaster to make sure he was dead. No charges were filed against Rence. Aria and Muncie told him how they searched for Dave’s body after the accident and were frantic when they could not find him. They waited in Charlie’s automobile for ten minutes until they saw him reappear next to his own car. Then Charlie followed him into Starbucks. The others then jumped back and had arrived in Lanz’s office only moments before this call.
“I remember seeing that accident,” Dave remembered. “When I got out of my car, I saw the taped off area and all of the police. But it wasn’t me on the ground. I wasn’t even there. The man struck by the car had light blonde hair.”
“That was Fola Untor,” Rence said. “He wasn’t hit by the car, you were. I shot him at point blank range, right in the temple. I couldn’t risk allowing him to escape in time to try again.”
“But if I was hit by a car, how come I have no recollection of it?” Dave asked.
“I have no idea,” Lanz said. “What I really want to know is where did you disappear to? His car was going pretty fast when it struck you. You must have flown twenty feet in the air before you just were gone! Do you remember anything after that?”
“Lanz, I hear you asking me the question, but I really don’t remember any of that,” he replied. “Odo and Obu, what do you think?”
“Time is pretty resilient,” Obu said. “Somehow the Source keeps contradictions from occurring. I don’t know any more than that.”
“The Source fills the universe and beyond,” Odo replied. “Nothing is beyond its capabilities.”
“We Zula believe there are others who guard time,” Ulook answered. “Most cultures believe in some entity or entities who watch the worlds and the people there. Whether that is their interpretation of God, or demigods or angels, they are always there. Perhaps this was their intervention to prevent Fola Untor from changing the course of time. Whoever they are, I am most grateful. Without Dave’s intervention, my people would still be hunted on Lagamar Vol.”
“We are all grateful that Dave is still here with us today,” Fa-a-Di said. “I can’t imagine a galaxy without my dear brother. But we still have to decide how to cope with the threat posed to us today.”
“You’re quite right,” Dave replied. He faced the screen and said, “Thank you to all for helping keep me alive. We need to disconnect, but I will fill you in later. Zulanan out.” The screen went dark and disappeared. “I think we need to meet the Maklakar. We need their help to defend ourselves. And we need to move more Nan to this planet to train the locals to join its Hive.”
Fa-a-Di laughed. “Two days ago, I would have slapped your face if you suggested allowing foreigners into this sacred system. Of course, two days ago I was dreading this Sojourn with all my heart. All of that fear is gone now. I see these planets for what they are. If this is a Nan Hive, then we will support it wholeheartedly. Now I realize this has always been a Nan and Zula planet.”
Ulook stood and began to morph again. After a few seconds, she was a female Gallicean wearing Marine battle armor. “Dear General, this was never a Nan Hive. It is natural. It is as much a Gallicean Hive as anything else. Anyone who is here can join it. Perhaps that will add to its appeal in your worlds. No longer is Zulanan a place to be feared for one or two days every ten years. Now it can be a place of joy and contentment where humans, Galliceans and others can be together without issues like atmosphere or language. All can enter our Hive and experience the joy of the Source.”
“Well, I think I can return home now,” Obu said. “This has been a great day. I hope all of you can resolve your issues and continue to live in peace. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the home galaxy. Also, even without Fola, the Brotherhood will likely come here and occupy Atar Pa. With our disarray at home, there is little we will be able to do to help you.” He patted Odo Pak on the shoulder and asked, “And what of you, my dearest friend. What will you do now?”
“With Fa-a-Di’s approval, I would like to move my family here,” he replied. “The Hive will protect us and I already feel reinvigorated by its power. The Nan on this world will need education and training. Also, any Galliceans coming here will need help and understanding of the power of this Hive.”
“You have my blessing, Odo,” Fa-a-Di said. “Dar Lini and Ulook, do we have your permission to keep this planet as a stop on our Sojourns?”
“Of course, Fa-a-Di,” Lini replied. “As Ulook said, we hope it can be much more than that!”
Odo put his hand on Lini’s. “You have lived your whole life in that small village, watching the Galliceans come and go. What do you want to do now?”
“All of this is amazing to me,” she replied looking at the faces around the table. “A part of me is so overwhelmed it wants to go back to my village and hide. But now that I am learning about all of
you, I think I want to be part of the adventure. I don’t know if I’m qualified, but I would love to be part of Dave’s crew. I’m a quick learner and very well educated for this planet. I know I’d probably have to get more education and attend a military academy or something, but I’d like to try.”
Dave smiled at her. “When I first came to this time, I spent three months learning about the new technology and the chain of command. They wanted me here, but I was just an accountant. I don’t see why Lini can’t have the same thing. We’re not making her a soldier or anything of that sort.”
De-o-Nu laughed. “You might want to consult your wife first, brother! Bringing yet another beautiful girl into your life might upset her.”
Chapter 36
The Hive on Paranon Nar did not have sufficient time to react when the hundred Bandabar star cruisers crossed the frontier at incredible speed with their weapons and defensive arrays fully charged. For the last several months, the Hive had been undergoing deconstruction in order to move sensitive equipment and personnel away from the border area with the Bandabar Fold. Just yesterday, five cargo ships had left Paranon Nar for safer planets deep within the Society sphere of influence.
President Patak Gerfaz sat at his desk in a state of total disbelief. Against his wishes, ten battle cruisers had been ordered to protect the cargo ships, leaving only ten more to protect the planet. Ten to one odds meant almost certain defeat. In its weakened state, the Hive only had one billion agents; not nearly enough to push back the attackers or even to dismantle their ships. If this had happened two days before, the Hive could have easily crushed the invasion. Now Paranon Nar was defenseless. The defending fleet had left orbit and would be engaging the enemy within minutes in a hopeless suicide mission. Then the Bandabar would land on the planet and attack the cities and the Hive. His forces would outnumber them on the ground, but for how long? While he had begged Wendo and Antar to send reinforcements, he doubted that would happen. The whole Society was in turmoil, with factions growing quickly and attacking their neighbors. The remnants of the central government needed to focus on internal conflict before worrying about the frontier.
