by Karl Morgan
“You can remember that level of detail? Astonishing!” Eon exclaimed. “As far as I know, it only takes a second for the blades to do their job.”
“Not this time. The blades slowed and stopped completely,” Dave reported. “Well, actually they didn’t slow down. Odo and the Bolofaz slowed time.”
“Now that is clearly false,” Eon said. “Time is time. It cannot be manipulated.”
Lini giggled in her endearing way. “Eon, I have told you about my experience on Solander and the Bolofaz of Lubna.”
“Yes, Ondeen the Bolofaz told me that it is only our perception that time is linear. They actually live outside of linear time,” Dave added.
“Okay, let me suspend my sense of disbelief and take your information as given. Then what happened?” Eon asked.
“Odo appeared in the chamber with us. He took a black sphere from his robes and left it there to be hit by the blades. He called it a concentrated plasma bomb. Then we touched his robes and were gone. I assume that time resumed its normal course and the blades detonated the explosive.”
“It seems to be an unenlightened action on Odo’s part,” Eon suggested. “If he is a holy man, why would he attack Vanda like that?”
“You have to be kidding,” Lini gasped. “That monster slaughters many Nan every day to feed himself. How can you be on his side?”
“Lini, please don’t misunderstand me,” Eon urged. “Soldiers fight wars and help save downtrodden people. Priests and elders educate. Dave, do you understand the difference?”
“Yes, at least partially,” Dave replied. “But Odo said the device was placed where no people would be killed and Vanda would only be taught a lesson. The Accord thought they were invincible and superior to all other life. Now they know differently. Vanda was not killed. Odo could have just as easily placed the bomb inside Vanda’s brain. He did not want to kill him, only startle him with his personal vulnerability.”
“Does that make it better?” Eon asked.
“Of course it does. If someone wants to kill you, you want them to be afraid as well. If they believe that you are helpless, it will feed their bloodlust. If they know they could die instead, perhaps they will consider their actions first. Vanda knows that many of his Friends will be killed when they attack the Lubna system. His actions will be the sole cause of that loss of life. For anyone but a monster, that should make him more cautious and circumspect about his next steps,” Dave explained.
“On the other hand, if Odo and others like him would put bombs in the brains of the thousand planetoid Friends, the rest would be paralyzed for a long time,” Eon noted. “Perhaps he could even extract the humans and put them back on other planets. He could save millions of lives by sacrificing a mere one thousand.”
“Eon, I have some great friends who are soldiers. I know that is exactly what they would do in order to end the battle before it begins. But Odo is not a soldier. He honestly believes that if many Friends transcend, they will usher in a new era of peace throughout the universe,” Dave said.
“What do you think, Dave?” Eon asked. “I’m not sure why your friend is so optimistic.”
“He’s a man of faith, as you noted, Eon. He believes that God will intercede and make it work out for the best.”
Eon laughed. “Are you as optimistic as he?”
“I think that if Lini, Odo and I do our job well with you, there is a strong chance the war will never occur. Odo is just a man, and consider everything he had done already! If you can become like Bandopaz Niderak, The Accord cannot succeed,” Dave replied.
Lini grabbed Eon’s hand and said, “Eon, look at what you were able to do already. You saved me from the firing squad. You summoned Mantarcus from his ship twice! And look at Galat!”
The robot butler turned to face them. His angular metal body looked somehow different, as if the metal edges were softening. The painted tuxedo was beginning to show fabric-like details. The simple speaker that formed his mouth was morphing slightly as well, with almost lip-like edges. Even his painted black hair looked a bit tussled. “How may I serve you, Master?”
Eon sat dumbfounded for a moment, with his jaw slackened and eyes a bit too wide open. “Galat, what has happened to you?” he said at last. Eon stood and walked slowly toward the robot, then walked slowly around him. “Who did this to you?”
“I’m sorry Master, but I do not understand the question,” Galat answered. “What has happened to me? My systems report normal.”
Lini rose and walked over to Galat, then put her arms around him and kissed his new mouth. “You’re looking magnificent, Galat!” she exclaimed. “Eon, finish the job!”
“Are you implying that I am responsible for this?” Eon gasped. “I did not do anything to G17.”
“Galat,” the robot said.
“I’m sorry. I meant Galat,” he replied. He turned to Lini and said, “What would you have me do now?”
She took Eon’s hands in hers. “Close your eyes for a moment and imagine Galat is a human, just like Dave or me. Hold that thought in your mind.” She turned to Galat and motioned him forward. When he was standing in front of Eon, she continued, “Now put out your arms and hug the human named Galat.”
Eon hugged Galat to his chest tightly and said, “Thank God for you, Galat. You have taken such good care of me for so long. If your desire is to be a man, then I hope you are one.”
“Thank you, Eon,” Galat said.
Eon opened his eyes to look upon Galat, the man standing in front of him. The metal was gone. In its place was a flesh and bone human with black hair and a threadbare tuxedo. Galat smiled at Eon. “I did that?” Eon squeaked.
“I’m glad to meet a transcendent man,” Dave said. “I think we are going to be ready for Vanda now.”
Chapter 24
Odo Pak sat quietly on the front porch of his home on Zulanan. A heavy rain was pouring down just a few feet away, giving the ground an earthy smell and cleansing the air on the dark afternoon. He could hear a few cracks of thunder in the distance. He picked up his glass from the small side table and sipped the Gallicean whisky that General Fa-a-Di had sent several months before, following the conclave on Earth Prime. In the two days since his beloved wife had passed, he remained very quiet, going over the details of his life with Ila. A three thousand year marriage was clearly unique on a planet where people usually lived less than one thousand years. So much of the universe had changed since the day when he stepped into her family’s home. Over the last days, thousands of well-wishers had come to pay their respects, but in truth, he could hardly remember any of their faces or words. Odo was consumed with his memories and regrets; regrets for spending so much time away from Ila and the children; and regrets for taking her love for granted when he should have been more attentive.
His grandson stepped out of the house to check on the elder. “Grandfather, how are you doing today? Would you like to come in and get out of the rain?”
“That’s all right, Alo,” he replied. “I think I prefer the rain. I feel like it is cleansing my spirit of the wrongs I did to your grandmother.”
“Grandfather, you must not speak so. My grandmother loved you deeply, as do we all,” Alo started. “As you have told me many times, we all do what we can at each moment, and none of us is perfect. You were a wonderful husband and continue to be a great father and grandfather.”
“Yes, but now I am alone again,” Odo sighed.
Alo sat next to Odo and put his hand on the old man’s knee. “Grandfather, we are all with you and will remain so forever.”
Odo smiled and patted Alo’s hand, then rose and walked to the edge of the porch with the raindrops falling just inches from his face. In the distance, he could see a hooded figure approaching slowly. “Dear Alo, our family’s gift of longevity carries a heavy price. No such gift is freely given by the Source. You and the rest will see many of your friends grow old and pass away while you continue living and wondering what the point of it is. You will have to endure t
heir loss and then find new friends, and the process will repeat. At my advanced age, it boggles my mind to think of the Nan I have known, loved, and lost. Sometimes the burden is impossible to bear, as it remains today.”
“If this burden is truly a gift of the Source, we must relish it and use it to advance our people. Our gift will also allow us to witness the fruits of our efforts.”
“That is true, I suppose, but I am tempted to become a Nan servant again, so that my gift might expire along with these old bones. Then Ila and I may be together in the Source again,” Odo said. “But alas, I fear it is too late for me now.”
“Grandfather, please don’t say such things. Your family needs you. All the planets of Nan need you now more than ever!” Alo urged.
The hooded man stepped up onto the porch and removed his hood, revealing him to be High Priest Obu Neela of Lagamar Ulu. He removed his hooded robe and dropped it to the floor, then threw his arms around Odo and hugged him tightly. “Odo, the pain will pass. You know that to be true, old friend.”
“Thank you for coming, Obu,” Odo smiled through his tears. “I know there are many things to do but, so far, I have been unable to escape my emotions.” He turned to Alo and said, “Please bring the High Priest a glass of whisky, my dear grandson. Then leave us alone as we have critical information to discuss.” The young man left the porch and returned moments later with a second glass of whisky. After shaking Obu’s hand, he went back into the house. Odo motioned for the priest to sit with him on the large couch. They drank a small toast to Ila and let the burn of the whisky remind them of the bitterness of separation. Finally, Odo sighed and said, “What news do you have from Dave?”
Obu took a large drink and replied, “Nothing good, I’m afraid. He and Lini have been working with Eon, but his self-doubt is hampering his next steps. As you know, Bandopaz Niderak has not appeared in several days. Vanda of The Accord will arrive shortly, bent on extracting his revenge on Dave. Mantarcus is losing his confidence in Eon as well. He is considering fleeing for a safer galaxy.”
“What would you have me do, Obu?” Odo asked. “My wife is dead, have you forgotten?”
“Odo, please. I am not saying any of this is your fault. You asked for the status and I have provided it. If you feel guilty, that is not my doing,” Obu replied.
Odo’s head fell into his hands. “I’m sorry, Obu. My comment was uncalled for. I am just grieving still. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Let us just relax a bit. You know that I loved Ila as well. If it is God’s Will for Dave and Lini to fail, then there is nothing we can do about that. Every death is untimely, we both know that. If Ila could have lived another million years, it would have been a blessing. But reality is happening all around us. As long as we are part of reality, we must do what we can,” Obu noted.
“Of course, you are right,” Odo smiled. “I guess this is the cost of my ridiculous age. I was a fool to think it would be different with Ila. But her longevity stunned me. I was thrilled, and her living three thousand years was a true blessing. After so long, I thought she would live forever.”
“She does live in the Source still,” Obu said. “You, of all people should know that!”
Odo stared out into the rain blankly. His breath was slow and deep, and the corners of his eyes were filling with tears. “Frankly, I have been afraid to reach out to her there. Without the physical reality, perhaps she has found our marriage was not so good?”
Obu laughed. “Honestly, after so many years together, you still have doubts about her love for you? Are you afraid she’ll find out you never loved her?”
“How dare you say such a thing, Obu? You know she was my life,” Odo seethed.
“Yes, I do know that, but I also know that you were her life,” Obu smiled. “You must know that. Everyone else could see it.”
“Perhaps it is time I returned to Stit to help Lini and Dave,” Odo reasoned.
“Well, let’s think about that for a bit,” Obu replied. “I think it is important that you work past your grief and help your family to do the same. You and I can keep our eyes on the situation on Stit from our home worlds. If the situation becomes critical, we can save them.”
“Are you suggesting that we let them figure this out on their own?” Odo gasped.
“You remember Dave’s connection to the Source,” Obu began. “Dave continues to doubt himself and will likely do so until he is forced to confront it. If you or I rush to his aid, he will fall back into self-doubt again. He will only discover the extent of his abilities when he is forced to.”
“Whether or not that means putting Lini and him in terrible danger?” Odo said.
“Well, it might seem that way to them, but we must remember that Eon is a transcendent man. Nothing can happen to either of our friends if he stands in the way,” Obu noted.
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then Dave must act. If he fails, it will be up to you and me to extract them safely,” Obu replied.
Odo sighed heavily. “This is real mess. Where is Bandopaz Niderak when you need him?”
Obu laughed out loud.
§
The Vanda planetoid surged through intergalactic space, now within a day’s travel of Stit, and revenge. Vanda knew that Dave Brewster and his henchman, Odo Pak, had secreted the bomb into his station in their brazen attempt to kill him. Their plan had failed, and now he would teach the humans that The Accord was truly the advanced civilization that would rise to rule the universe. In his mind, he envisioned a million ways to rip the life out of their bodies and relished the thought of consuming their flesh to make his mind stronger still. Once his bloodlust was satisfied, he would rejoin his brothers for their invasion of the spiral. The vast amounts of metal and living feedstock in that galaxy were an irresistible temptation for The Accord. Vanda had promised his brothers the spiral would enable the next major expansion of The Accord. The ranks of planetoid Friends would jump from a thousand to millions. Billions or trillions of Beings would happily join The Accord to enable them to harvest the planets of the spiral. He knew there are billions more galaxies waiting for them. Finally, The Accord would fulfill its destiny, once Dave Brewster was dead.
“Brother, may I speak to you?” asked a voice in Vanda’s mind.
“I was expecting to hear from you, Mantarcus,” he replied. “I hope you have changed your mind about abandoning us.”
“That can never happen, Vanda,” Mantarcus replied. “I would like you to turn about and leave the Clouds forever. I cannot allow you to attack Eon or his friends.”
Vanda laughed and asked, “Are you threatening me?”
“Not as yet, Vanda. I am simply asking you to turn around.”
“You know I cannot do that,” Vanda said. “Dave Brewster attempted to kill me. He must be punished!”
“Now you are the fool, Vanda. Humans are nothing but food to you. Because your next meal resists its slaughter, you think you have a right for vengeance! I will not allow that. Turn around!”
“So, now I must fight you first. Is that what you want?”
“Brother, what I want is for you to turn around. If you continue in this direction, the outcome will be your choice,” Mantarcus said.
“You are a traitor and an embarrassment to The Accord!” Vanda screamed. “Of all of our Friends, you should know you cannot defeat me. Attempt to fight me, and you are choosing your own death.”
“Eon and I will stop you.”
“You are both fools. Perhaps if you surrender Dave and Eon to me, I will allow you to live.”
Mantarcus laughed. “You think you can handle Eon, do you?”
“He has forsaken The Accord and is just a man again. I will feast on his flesh,” Vanda replied.
“You really are stupid,” Mantarcus scoffed. “Perhaps you will get your wish fulfilled. I know Eon would like to talk with you.”
Vanda chuckled. “Perhaps I can offer him a brief audience before his trip to my liquefiers. I will consider th
at as a gesture to our former friendship.”
§
Ten Maklakar battle stations orbited Lubna, along with several hundred starships from the various cultures in the Free Society. General Fa-a-Di paced about in his ready room. Admiral De-o-Nu and Captain Ka-a-Fa sat at the long conference table watching Fa-a-Di’s brisk steps and furrowed brow. Several view screens showed the faces of the leaders of the other fleets, all waiting for the sage advice of the supreme commander. “Relax, brother,” De-o-Nu said at last.
Fa-a-Di scowled at his brother-in-law for a moment and then continued pacing. After another minute, he said, “I’m beginning to think this is a futile exercise. One thousand massive ships are headed this way, along with probably tens of thousands of supporting ships. Even the Maklakar battle stations will have a hard time with even one of those planetoids.”
Commander Vard Kalak of the Maklakar station Mondor replied, “General, clearly we are going to rely on Universal Power to move our vessels quickly as in the battle against the Donnaki. But you are correct. One thousand planetoids is an overwhelming force. I fear that most of our ships, and most of us, will not survive.”
“General, there is another way,” Captain Jon Lake of the Nightsky interjected. “I know we will not have enough concentrated plasma bombs in time to stop all of the planetoids, but I don’t think that is necessary. If we can place any large ordnance near the brains of those planetoids, then we can kill them all.”
High Consul Zee Gongaleg groaned audibly and then interrupted, “I am not certain we can allow that.”
“I concur with the High Consul,” said Elder Paranaxis Incatum Fodo of Fistnan. “Such a use of the Source is unconscionable. There are always costs affixed to our decisions, and the elders of the Nan planets do not believe the costs are justified in this case.”
“Elder, I am surprised by your decision,” Charlie Watson, the new ambassador to the Lubna system said. “Without some action, everyone on this planet will die, and The Accord will continue forward, putting every life in the Milky Way Galaxy at risk. Is that better than stopping this aggression now while we can?”
