by Karl Morgan
“Yes Dave, you made it back,” the Nan replied. “I am Elder Paranaxis Incatum Fodo of Fistnan. You two were missing from this time for almost five months, although we have no idea how long you were in the other time.”
“Where is Elder Sam?” Lini asked. “He was with us.”
“Yes, he was here, but returned to his own time,” Fodo replied. “He woke a few minutes before you two. Thank you for the honor of his presence. As you can tell by the statue and my name, he was one of the greatest elders this world has ever known, and he told me you two deserve a lot of the credit.”
“We were only trying to get home,” Dave said. “I hope we have not changed the line of time too much. The Bolofaz told me that was a serious crime.”
Fodo laughed. “Who is to say this was not always our history Dave? I certainly have no memory of any other past. Perhaps Sam would have gone for a swim and met Fondee and Banthan, or wandered in the woods and found this stone temple that way? Unless the Bolofaz take you back again to undo this version, I think they approve.”
“Are any of our friends here?” Lini asked. “It has been so long since I’ve seen my home world.”
“No ships have arrived here in thousands of years,” Fodo answered. “We have sensed a number of ships now in the void between the galaxy and Lubna. They should arrive here within a few days. Being separated from the rest of the galaxy, the stone temples are the only way we can communicate. I hope you will not mind waiting a little longer. The other elders and I have planned a few celebrations in your honor. I have a suite of rooms in my home set up for you already.”
“Fodo, I had promised my friend Fa-u-Bay I would bring him here to the future so he could meet his descendant who is my best friend,” Dave began. “Do you think that is possible?”
Fodo rose and walked over to Dave, putting a hand on his shoulder. “That will be up to Paranaxis Sambolam and the Source. I cannot allow either of you to reenter the Source until your friends arrive. If you became lost again, I would be responsible for yet another tragedy. I hope you can understand. Odo Pak was very specific on that request. He mentioned the assassin Fola Untor. There is a chance he made many trips through time before he tried to run you down with his vehicle. You will be safer here.”
“Honestly, I don’t understand, but if Odo says I should stay here until then, that’s what we will do,” Dave replied.
“Excellent!” the Elder said. “I have also been told that you enjoy coffee. I know it has been over three hundred thousand years since you have had any, so come along. I have a pot already prepared for you.” The three left the chamber, climbed the steps and walked past the waterfall. It was a beautiful day on Fistnan. Both the sun and Lubna were up in the sky. The air was fresh, sweet and full of the smell of pine trees.
Chapter 56
After arriving in their own time, Lini was given separate quarters in the Elder’s home. While she and Dave spent most days together, the events on Solander were now lost thousands of years in the past, and they would each soon go their own way; although Dave assured her they would work together. Dave tossed and turned on his first night after jumping forward through time. Odo’s warning stuck in his mind. Could Fola Untor have caused more mischief before his demise a thousand years ago in the Starbucks parking lot? Why would avoiding the Source make any difference? Would he face attacks from that maniac for the rest of his life? After too many sleepless hours, he climbed out of bed and walked to the kitchen to make coffee.
As he entered the large open room, he saw Lini pouring herself a cup. She was startled to see Dave and almost dropped her mug. Then she laughed and poured a second mug for him. They sat at the large table where the guests of the Elder often sat to discuss matters of universal truth. “So, you couldn’t sleep either?” he asked her.
“Not a wink, Dave,” she giggled. “I’ve never had such a large bed, and it’s been a long time since I slept alone.”
“I know what you mean. Plus the air here is so energized,” Dave interjected. “That’s the effect of the natural Hive.” He touched her hand and whispered, “I know this is going to be hard for you. It’s hard for me too.”
“Dave, the last months seem like a dream to me now,” she smiled. “It was a wonderful dream with a horrible beginning and a surreal end. But like with any dream, we just have to wake up. This is the life meant for us. You will be the great admiral of the Free Society and I will serve happily as a member of your crew. I have accepted that. It’s okay, honestly.”
“You’re right, I know that Lini,” he replied. “But from our viewpoint, Solander was just two days ago. It will take some time for me to put all of this into proper perspective.” He sipped his drink. “Wow, you make great coffee! How come you didn’t do this on Solander?” he laughed.
“Very funny Dave,” she frowned. “The beans and water are a little fresher here. I don’t think Fola wanted you to have the best of everything after all.”
“Lini, now that you mentioned him, do you think we’ll see Fola Untor again?”
“I doubt it,” she replied. “I know that Solander was a backup plan, but I don’t think he would have made two or ten others. He was cocky enough to think he couldn’t fail. Since we’re still sitting here, I guess he was wrong.”
“Worrying about that bastard attacking you, me or my family again makes my blood boil. He’s why I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking he would walk through the door at any second and start shooting,” Dave replied. “When Fodo said I was not to enter the Source due to Fola, I was shocked. I still can’t figure that one out.”
She patted his hand. “Dave, you’re over thinking this whole thing. I’m sure Odo and Fodo are just being cautious. We were lost in time and space for months. They don’t want us taking any chances.” She stood and kissed him on the cheek. “Well, I’m going back to bed and I think you should do the same. We will be worthless in the morning without some sleep. I love you, Dave.” She turned and began to walk out of the room. Then she stopped and spun around, saying, “And don’t even ask me to stop saying that!”
“I love you too, Lini,” he replied. She smiled and walked away. He sipped his coffee and was shocked when his com-link chirped in his ear. He pressed the contact and said, “Brewster here.”
“Oh my God, by the Daughters of Lubna, it’s good to hear your voice, brother,” De-o-Nu gasped. “I’ve been trying this for six months and getting only static. Where in hell are you Dave?”
“I think you answered that question yourself, brother,” Dave laughed. “Dar Lini and I are on the moon Fistan.”
“The stories are true then,” the Gallicean replied. “We can read the single planet system but are still hours from detecting anything else there. What do I need to know, brother?”
“There are no threats nearby, brother,” he said. “Lini and I were imprisoned on Solander for a long time. Fola Untor built a prison there just for me. We were found three days ago and shuttled to Fistan where we met the native population. It is a Nan planet and they are very peaceful. They call this moon Fistnan.”
“Who rescued you?” De-o-Nu asked. “I want to give them medals. Fa-a-Di will want to make them heroes throughout Greater Gallia.”
“I’m not sure they will be able to accept that,” Dave chuckled.
“Why? Are they pirates or God forbid, Brotherhood agents?” De-o-Nu asked.
“Well, you won’t believe this, but Lini and I were stranded more than three hundred thousand years in the past. A Gallicean ship found us and shuttled us to Fistnan. It was the Nan and Zula of Fistnan who brought us back to this time. And the captain of the Gallicean ship was Fa-u-Bay!” Dave announced.
“You’re right, Dave, I don’t believe you,” De-o-Nu replied. “But you’re back and Kong-Fa and Nightsky are flying full speed to your position. We should reach there in eighteen to twenty hours.”
“We will be waiting for you, brother,” Dave said. “But there are others coming this way as well, aren’t there?”
&nb
sp; “Yes, we have joined forces with the Maklakar battle station. My brother-in-law and his fleet of twenty cruisers are one day behind us now. Also, we are tracking a fleet of fifty Paxran ships roughly two hours behind Fa-a-Di,” De-o-Nu answered. “You seem to draw a big crowd wherever you go.”
“They don’t want me, brother. They want the Hive,” Dave replied. “Did you know there are likely Predaxians on the Maklakar station and in the Paxran fleet?”
“Yes, I have heard that. Unfortunately, we need the Maklakar more than they need us. Without their plasma bomb systems, the Paxran would overwhelm us. We also just saved their skin from a living machine named Zeet, so we are counting on that to keep their loyalty,” De-o-Nu said.
“Interesting. I met Zeet while traveling in the Source,” Dave noted. “He could hear Lini and me talking. I thought that was very strange. He did not seem the pleasant type.”
“You’re right Dave,” De-o-Nu replied. “Zeet and his fleet of thousands of robots almost destroyed the Maklakar station. Once you are safely aboard, we can work out a plan to salvage this victory. I’m certain the Nan do not want to be involved in a major war.”
Dave laughed. “I’m not sure I want to be involved either. But for some reason, bad news tends to follow me around. By the way, you and your crew won’t need breathers here either. It’s just like Zulanan. We’ll talk later. Brewster out.”
Dave emptied his mug into the sink and walked back down the hall toward his bedroom. He glanced in Lini’s open door and saw her curled in a ball sound asleep. He stood and watched her for a minute, remembering how many times he did the same thing on Solander, feeling her back against his in the small bed. He sighed and continued on to his own bed, where he climbed in and pulled the covers up to his neck. Within moments, he was sound asleep.
He and Lini were flying over Lubna again, holding hands and feeling the warm wind wrap around their bodies. She smiled softly and said, “Do you think we’re dreaming this time?”
“Probably not, sweetheart,” he replied, squeezing her hand. “I am so happy to be with you now. You can’t imagine how wonderful this feels.”
Ondeen rose up through the clouds and soon they were on his back again. He turned and raced back toward the planet’s surface, many thousands of miles below the bands of swirling gas around them. “We are so glad you have returned to your own time, Lini and Dave. As I mentioned before, the coincidence was indeed fortuitous. How are you two feeling now?”
“Very happy, Ondeen,” Lini replied. “Thank you so much for helping us.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Ondeen said. “It was the Galliceans who rescued you from Solander and the Nan who helped you return to this time. The Bolofaz had nothing to do with that.”
Lini was laughing and patting Ondeen on the back. “I know that, silly. But what were the odds that Fola would put us here at the precise period when Fa-u-Bay would arrive?”
“Are you suggesting the Bolofaz might have caused him to pick that time? I don’t know how that would be possible. We are not mind control experts,” Ondeen replied.
“Personally, I don’t think it would be possible for Fola to control his time device precisely enough to select a specific number of years,” Lini began. “I think he just set it for maximum and pushed the buttons. I remember seeing the look on his face as he pressed the buttons on the device. He looked crazed, like a madman. Since the Bolofaz monitor reverse time travel, you would have seen the attempt as it occurred. I think you just tweaked the trajectory so we would be on Solander at the right time.”
“That’s an interesting theory, Lini,” Ondeen chuckled. “But how did he ever get back to twenty-first century Earth in time to run over Dave?”
“I think that is exactly why Fola won’t attempt to harm Dave anymore. He had to spend a lot of time trying to get back. When he finally got close enough to the twenty-first century, he jumped there. I think he was getting tired of wasting time getting back and said ‘The heck with Plan C, I’m just going to kill Dave now.’ What do you say to that?” Lini laughed.
Ondeen rose up through the clouds again until they were almost touching space. Solander glowed red in the full light of Lubna. “Officially, the Bolofaz cannot comment on your hypothesis, but I can tell you it is a brilliant thought. Dave, your friend is very smart. Don’t let her go.”
“Don’t worry about that, Ondeen,” Dave promised. “I never will. If I may ask another question, I had hoped to bring Fa-u-Bay to my time to meet my friend. Do you think that can happen?”
“I doubt it, Dave,” Ondeen replied. “Thousands of years of history exist where the Daughters of Lubna are a mystery to the rest of the galaxy. Who knows what other changes would happen if Fa-u-Bay recalled visiting the future. And if for some reason he did, but could not return, who would write Ten Years to Gallia?”
“I feel like I let them both down,” Dave frowned. “I thought seeing his ancestors would help Fa-a-Di understand the real purpose of the Sojourn, and I wanted Fa-u-Bay to know how he shaped one of the greatest civilizations in the galaxy.”
“I think Fa-u-Bay already knows Dave,” Ondeen replied. “Remember he is of the Source now and knows everything, including what you are saying now. And you will have time in the future to help Fa-a-Di. I think his understanding is already almost complete. Okay, you two, I must be off. You can stay here as long as you wish. Whenever you want to return to your beds, just let go of each other.”
“Are we sleeping this time, Ondeen?” Lini asked. “I think you tricked us before.”
Ondeen laughed. “Perhaps there was a miscommunication, Lini. But this time I will say you are not sleeping at all, although your bodies are resting on Fistnan. Take care of yourselves and take care of each other. The Bolofaz will keep an eye on you. Farewell.” Ondeen dived suddenly and the two were flying over Lubna again. Dave pulled her close to him.
“What are you doing, Dave?” she asked.
“I don’t want our hands to slip apart. I want this trip to last a while longer, if that’s okay with you?”
“Fly onward, Dave Brewster,” she smiled squeezing him close and kissing his cheek. “Let’s go check out the Dar-Fa on this planet.” They dived downward and disappeared into brightly colored bands of gas.
Chapter 57
“Paxran fleet, this is Admiral De-o-Nu of the Free Society. We are monitoring your approach to the Lubna system and request to know your intentions,” the Gallicean said. He sat on the bridge for several moments waiting for a response.
“Admiral, you know our three ships don’t stand a chance against their fleet,” Ka-a-Fa countered. “I don’t think we need to be belligerent right now.”
“I’m not angry, brother, but we have to hear it from their own mouths,” De-o-Nu said. “There is no way we will engage that many ships. We’d be dead in minutes. We have to keep them guessing until Fa-a-Di can arrive. Even then it will not be easy to defeat them.”
The pale blue faces of two Paxran appeared on the split view screen. “Greetings to you, Admiral. I am General Abala Konole of the Paxran Collective. With me is our religious leader, the Most Reverend Raza Intepam. I can assure you we are on a peaceful mission to this system.”
“I appreciate your words, General, however the presence of fifty war ships so far from your own territory makes your assertion difficult to believe,” De-o-Nu argued.
“I understand sir,” Raza interjected. “I can assure you that our fleet is home to many of our clergy and those of the scientific community. I have had visions of the Hive moon where you are currently in orbit. We wish nothing other than to learn its secrets. It is also fortuitous the Maklakar battle station is with your fleet. The admiral and I have had a personal meeting with our Dear Leader and we all agree it is time for peace. We sincerely regret the events of our distant past, although there is little we can do to change that now.”
“May we continue our approach, Admiral?” Abala asked.
“Give me a moment, gentlemen,” De-o-Nu
said as he switched off the line. “Ka-a-Fa, is my brother-in-law in range yet?”
“Yes brother. I patched his signal onto your conversation with the Paxran. He is listening to you now,” the other replied.
“This is a most unusual change of events, Fa-a-Di; wouldn’t you agree?” De-o-Nu asked.
Fa-a-Di’s face appeared on screen. “Frankly, I’m shocked by this. I was expecting all-out war and now I’m not certain what to believe. We will arrive at your position one hour after the Paxran fleet. You work for Dave now. What are you going to do?”
“At this point, I have no option other than letting the Paxran fleet approach this system. After that, I’m going to jump to the Mondor and discuss this with the Maklakar,” De-o-Nu began. “If they can hold their fear of the Paxran at bay, perhaps we can win peace for all. Frankly brother, the Paxran do not seem as vile and dangerous as we came to expect.”
“Not unlike us, brother,” Fa-a-Di laughed. “It wasn’t long ago that we were accused of horrible crimes.”
“Like on Zulanan,” De-o-Nu agreed. “Yes, I suppose it is best not to color our present and future with fear and resentment for things that happened so long ago.”
“I’m beginning to feel there is a lesson in here for me,” Fa-a-Di chuckled. “What have you heard from Dave and Lini?”
“They are well and remaining on the moon below us now,” the other replied. “I did not want them on Nightsky with the large Paxran fleet approaching.”
“Are they safer there?” Fa-a-Di asked.
“I think the Hive can take care of itself and Dave Brewster,” De-o-Nu laughed. “Please tell Darlene that he is well, and I’ll see you when you arrive. Kong-Fa out.” He clapped Ka-a-Fa on the back and said. “Okay, signal Admiral Konole so we can give him the good news. Then find Jake or Mitch to jump me over to the Mondor.”
“Dave, are you awake?” Elder Fodo said softly. “I need your counsel.”
