by Karl Morgan
Lini wiped her eyes, walked over and sat next to Dave, resting her head on his shoulder. “This place is a lot smaller than our cottage on Solander, and there are soldiers on the other side of that door. You’re right, Dave, this really is different, although here we are, both in terrible trouble again.”
“We’ll get over this. Someone will come to talk to us and we will explain everything. I can understand their fear of The Accord. This planet has been ravaged and most of the people were killed long ago. It’s amazing anyone is still alive, but life does seem to hold on as hard as it can.” Dave kissed her forehead and sat back against the wall. “Here we are with another tiny cot to sleep in.”
“That’s the one part of this I like, Dave,” she smiled and laughed, “although a more private toilet would be nice.”
“I’m a bit surprised they left you here with me. Generally, the sexes are separated in jails.”
“I told them to leave me here, Dave. I said I had to make sure you were okay. I guess they think we’re married or something like that,” Lini replied.
“Works for me,” Dave laughed as he put his arm around her and squeezed her tightly. The sound of a tumbler turning shattered their quiet moment. The door opened and a large guard with two pistols entered the room. He was followed by an old woman wearing a tunic and long robes. She sat on one of the chairs and smiled at them.
“Admiral Brewster, Ensign Dar, my name is Elder Palaba Quifer. You may address me as Elder or Elder Quifer. My guards brought you here after one of your men escaped. My guards were quite frightened by his disappearance. How did you do that? Are you of The Accord?” she asked.
“Elder Quifer, we are definitely not of The Accord,” Dave began, “although their presence in our galaxy brought us here. Elder Odo Pak was taken away by some of his friends who sensed his injuries. Please believe me that he will return when he is able.”
“With all due respect, people do not disappear into thin air, Admiral. I was not aware that was even possible for the Friends of The Accord. While the old man and this girl both look like us, you do not. Are you from a race of wizards?” she asked again.
“Elder, I am not certain how much you know of the time when your people came here,” Dave began. “They migrated from another galaxy. They were part of the Society of Humanity as were the people we are descended from. I was born on a planet called Earth 47 by the Society. Lini is from your same race and was born on a planet in the same galaxy as mine. The elder who was shot was from the home planet of Nan.”
“Let’s say for the moment that I accept that, Admiral. That still does not explain your sudden appearance without a spaceship or the disappearance of the elder of Nan.”
“Elder, are you aware this planet is a natural Hive?” he asked. “Do you know who the Guardians of the Hive are?”
“I hear the words coming from your lips, Admiral, but honestly I have no idea what you are talking about,” Palaba said. “But I am not an expert on ancient history. We have a few elders who are though. I will recommend that you two have an audience with our Elder Council when we meet again in two weeks. Until then, you will remain in this prison. Since you are a married couple, we have a somewhat better cell for you two, if that is satisfactory.”
“Elder Quifer, since we have no option, we gratefully accept your solution,” Dave said. “Hopefully, before that meeting, Elder Pak will return and you can learn more from him.”
“That would be wonderful if he did, although it still seems like witchcraft to me. Our doctor has examined you both and has convinced me you are flesh and blood and not robotic. It is also known that Friends of The Accord must always acknowledge that. Since you have denied The Accord, I will assume the doctor was correct for now,” Palaba said. “Let me ask you another question before I leave.” Dave nodded. “You said the presence of The Accord in your galaxy brought you here. What did you mean by that?”
“A planet in our galaxy was ruled by The Accord. By sheer luck, we were able to defeat Zeet of The Accord and free the planet,” Dave replied. “I believe The Accord is now planning a full scale invasion of my galaxy. We have armies and weapons, but I am not certain we can stop them. Odo, Lini, and I came here to learn what we can about them. We have to find weaknesses we can exploit to stop them before all of our planets are like this one. On that planet, we discovered the machinery that was used to chop up and liquefy living Beings that were then fed to the robots. That is an unimaginable evil that must be stopped.”
“Everything you say is true about them,” Palaba sighed. “Please let me be the first to apologize for that, Admiral.”
“Elder, you are not of The Accord. This isn’t your fault,” Dave replied.
“I guess you didn’t know then. This planet we call Stit had another name long ago which we changed when The Accord fled. This planet is Skee Lotho, and it is the birthplace of The Accord,” she admitted. “That was so long ago, but the blood of every person slaughtered by them is on our hands too.” She wiped a tear from her eye and stood up. “I will see what I can do to expedite the Council meeting and to find you better quarters in the interim. Be well.” She and the guard walked out and the door was secured behind them.
“Oh my God, Dave,” Lini gasped. “I always thought the Nan were the servants of all other races. We never start fights or wars. We live to help others. How could this happen?”
Dave kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, Lini. That’s what we’re here to find out. Every species and race has a violent past. Until one minute ago, I thought the Nan were the one exception, but I guess inhumanity is everywhere. We all have that touch of Satan inside, just waiting for an opportunity to act.”
Chapter 7
The promise of a larger cell was not fulfilled, but Dave and Lini were used to close quarters after their year on Solander. Their only visitors for the next two days were the guards who did an inspection once a day and brought meals twice. The food was very basic, but fresh and well prepared. They were allowed out of their cell twice per day; once in the morning to shower and stretch, and a short exercise period in the afternoon in the open yard of the prison. There were few other prisoners and all of them stayed far away from Dave, who seemed like a monster since he was much taller than the average Nan. Dave encouraged Lini to talk to the others and find out what she could about this place and the past.
During the exercise period on the third day, an old prisoner finally overcame his fear, walked over to Dave and sat next to him. Dave smiled, but the other tried not to look at him. After a few awkward moments of silence, the man asked, “So, you’re not of The Accord?”
“No, I am not,” Dave chuckled. “I’m a man just like you, just a bit taller.”
“I wouldn’t say a little bit, mister. My name is Anil Stanta. I’ve been in this hole for five years and have two more to go. I just hope I live that long and can see my family again,” he said. “Your wife says you want to learn more about The Accord. That seems like a fool’s errand to me. You see what they did to us.”
“Anil, my name is Dave. Did you ever hear about the Society of Humanity?” Dave asked.
“There are lots of philosophers who write about it to this day,” the old man replied. “I can’t imagine why. It’s all a bunch of hooey if you ask me.”
“Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s all probably true,” Dave said. “Humans like us came from another galaxy long ago to settle here and in my home galaxy, the nearby spiral. They have been around for billions of years. Over time, they evolved into fifty-one distinct races, including the Nan, like you. I am a Pa which, believe it or not, is an average-sized human race. I know others, like the Ela, who are more than a head taller than me.”
“So, where’s your spaceship, Dave?” Anil laughed. “Why don’t your armies come down to rescue you here? You’re just a nut, you know that?”
“Things are a bit complicated right now, Anil,” Dave replied. “I wish I had a few years to tell you what I know, but as a man locked in a jail
on a primitive planet, I’d just be talking to the wind.”
“Our culture may have declined since The Accord turned on us, but we’re not primitives, Dave. Do you know why I’m in this place?” Anil quizzed. Dave shook his head. “I uncovered something big! Now the Elder Council is hoping I die here before you or I can get out and tell the world.”
“What’s your great secret, Anil?” Dave asked.
“The Accord is still here! They keep spies here to make sure we don’t gain power and help others fight them,” Anil offered. He looked side to side to make sure no one else was around. He leaned close to Dave and whispered, “They found a way to put a tiny machine brain inside a human body. Even our best doctors can’t detect them without cutting into the person’s head. That machine controls the human and reports back to The Accord on everything happening here.”
“Why would they do that, Anil?” Dave asked. “This planet is no threat to them. It will take generations to gain enough technology to be a threat. What proof do you have?”
Anil leaned back and yawned. “I was a police officer before they sent me here. My partner and I were called to a domestic violence incident. When we arrived on scene, we found a wife had shot her husband dead. One bullet to the brain. The bullet exited through his ear and lodged in the wall. I dug the bullet out and found a tiny machine smashed onto it. I took it to my captain and told him what I found. Two days later, I was taken in front of the Elder Council and sentenced to seven years in jail for doing my job.”
“What did they think you did?” Dave asked.
“They never said,” Anil laughed. “The official charge was dereliction of duty and disrespecting the Elder Council. I didn’t have an attorney or even a trial. Now, here I sit. You know what that means don’t you?”
“If your story is true, I suspect it means some of the Elders are of The Accord,” Dave replied.
“That’s why I doubt either of us will ever get out of this place. I found The Accord still here. And now you’ve come here looking for them. It’s an ironic coincidence, don’t you think?” The alarm to end the exercise period sounded and Anil stood and walked away, without ever bothering to look Dave in the face.
On their third night in jail, Dave laid next to Lini, with their backs pressed together on the tiny bed. Sleep was eluding him as the ramblings of the other prisoner bounced around inside of him. Could any of it be true? Dave could imagine how his own stories sounded ludicrous to the Nan of Stit. It had been a long time since The Accord left that planet and hundreds of millions of years since they first settled here. But having a machine brain inside a human body seemed to be the opposite of what he knew of The Accord. All the Zeet robots had brain matter at their core, not the other way around. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to clear his mind so he could rest. After another five minutes, he was sleeping.
Lini was shaking him awake. He had no idea how long he had slept, but the cell was filling with light, so he assumed it must be dawn. He opened his eyes to see a blob of light floating a foot in front of him. After a moment, it coalesced into Odo’s Being of Light. “Hello, Dave and Lini,” he said. “I’m glad to see you are safe, although these accommodations leave something to be desired.”
Dave and Lini sat on the bed. She said, “Elder, are you well?”
Odo patted her on the head. “I’m improving rapidly now. Obu says I should be able to join you in the flesh in a few more days. I’m sorry to have ruined our trip.”
“Odo, it wasn’t your fault,” Dave said. “We’re just glad you are healing.”
“Thank you both,” Odo remarked. “But I am thinking this trip was ill-advised. As you can imagine, we are monitoring you both around the clock. We overheard the discussion between you and the other prisoner, Dave, and are as stunned as you. We have been tracking the movements of the local elders as well and there may be some truth to what he said.”
“So Anil was telling the truth?” Dave gasped. “But that’s the opposite of what we encountered with Zeet!”
“Yes, I realize that,” Odo said. “Your friend Veek had an encounter with the sole surviving member of The Accord on Bandabar. Apparently, two of the original founders of The Accord are still alive. You saw how large Zeet’s brain had become in the short amount of time he was one of them. Imagine a brain living for thousands of years which is able to keep growing and controlling more and more machines. I would guess each would need a planet-sized machine to hold them. But they still only were able to control their robots in a small region of space. Anil’s story resolves that. A tiny robot inside the brain acts as a signal booster. If that same robot were put into a full-scale functioning brain, like inside a human body, it could take over.”
“So, the host of the machine becomes the unwitting agent for The Accord?” Lini asked. “That’s horrible. Imagine being enslaved by a machine controlling your thoughts?”
“Well, I don’t think we know enough to go that far yet, my dear,” Odo smiled. “It could be the machine is just a transmitter sending information back to The Accord. And you never know, there may be a few brain cells inside the tiny robot too. Until we find one and can dissect it, we’re all just speculating. But I am very concerned for you both. If the Elder Council is controlled by such robots, they could order your execution at any time.”
“Are you taking us back now?” Dave asked.
“No. That was Obu’s recommendation, but I think we have time still. How long do you think they will hold you here?”
“Elder Quifer promised a meeting with the Council in a couple of weeks,” Dave replied.
“Yes, but she also promised a larger cell and that never happened,” Lini argued. “I don’t think we can trust her.”
“Well, we have a few options. You can come back with me now. Or you may want to wait a few days longer and see what happens. Or we can move you to another town on the planet. Perhaps the locals will be more reasonable somewhere else,” Odo suggested.
“I vote for all three,” Dave said. “We’ll stay here three more days. If nothing has happened and we have no word from the Council, you can move us to the other side of the planet. We’ll find out what we can there, and if it’s the same runaround as here, we’ll get out of this place.”
“Seems like an excellent plan, Dave,” the elder replied. “The sun will be rising soon and you both could use some more rest. I’ll see you soon.” He morphed back into the blob of light and quickly faded away.
“Ugh,” Lini sighed. “I was so excited to be here, Dave. We’re on another Nan planet and another natural Hive. But look at us now! We’re locked up and surrounded by spies for The Accord.” She wrapped her arms around Dave and said, “But at least I’m got my sweetie-pie with me.” She kissed his lips softly and lay back down to sleep.
§
Ten massive black planetoids floated quietly in the darkness of interstellar space. The nearest stars were two light-years away. “Master Vanda, I have returned,” Mantarcus said.
“Yes Friend,” Vanda replied. “We have sensed your presence. Welcome home. The others are with us now. Let us begin. The reunion of Friends of The Accord is called to order. Our brother Mantarcus has returned from his expedition to the spiral galaxy. Please make your report.”
“It is good to be with you all today, my Friends,” Mantarcus began. “As you know, I have been sending you all the information and comments I have had on the matter of the spiral since I left that galaxy. I continue to be troubled by the weapons used to kill our Friend, Zeet of The Accord. I have also sensed the deaths of all other Accord Friends on the planet Bandabar. Until we can understand that weapon system, I recommend we do not attempt to move to that galaxy.”
“Welcome home Friend,” Opala of The Accord said. “We have studied the incident and have concluded the enemy weapon created a small singularity which exploded once their fire ceased. That instance appears to have been a fluke but, undoubtedly, those who attacked Zeet will attempt to improve their weapon and make it more stabl
e. I disagree with your recommendation, however.”
“Mantarcus, our Friends and I have discussed this issue at length during your return voyage,” Vanda said. “All evidence points to this being an unlucky coincidence for our Friend Zeet. The longer we wait, the higher the likelihood that the creatures in that galaxy will perfect the weapon. If we attack now, we may lose one or two Friends, but the rest of us will decimate and enslave the enemy.”
Opala interjected, “But if we wait and they do perfect the weapon, there will be nothing to stop them from coming here to use it on us. Waiting will only lead to our own destruction. We must act soon.”
“What if your theory is wrong?” Mantarcus asked. “We could all be destroyed by such a hasty decision. Also, why do we think those Beings would come after us at all? They have never shown any desire to venture to the Clouds.”
“There are risks either way, I agree,” Vanda acknowledged. “I suppose we need to assess all of the risks in order to make the best possible decision.”
“There are other options, Master,” Mantarcus said.
“I hope this is not about Eon again,” Vanda said.
“No. There are billions of galaxies to choose from. If we build up our resources, we can choose another that has no such military capabilities. The other spiral is only a few thousand spans away. If we can improve our propulsion systems, we could cut that in half,” Mantarcus argued.
“How can we know they have no such capabilities?” Opala asked. “We may arrive and find they are even more advanced. I hardly see that as a viable solution, Master.”
“Opala has a good point, Mantarcus,” Vanda replied. “How do you answer that?”
“There are no easy answers, Friends,” Mantarcus said. “We could use the flesh robots? We could build a very fast ship and use them for crew. When it arrives, they could enlist more spies and learn of the powers in that galaxy. It adds time, but might lessen the risk substantially.”
“Can the flesh robots live that long?” Vanda asked.
