by K R Sanford
“There’s nothing to break down,” he said. “It’s old technology: superconductive ceramic with gold beryllium and pentanium alloy. It will continue working with little maintenance. We keep it clean and it operates free. We don’t even feed it. I charge a retaining ring at the base of the ground plane girders every five years and that’s about it. Marco enjoyed himself lecturing on the mechanics of the Eagle. He smiled then let his thoughts slip to the phenomenon on the viewer
“Marco is a stickler about his ground plane girders,” chimed Hector. “He can be a real neat nick.” Hector put his feet on his console and pointed to his touch pad, “I’m not getting any feedback from that image.”
“Nothing here either, Marco,” said Clorissa.
Marco looked up. Ryan held out empty palms. “I’m still doing some things,” he said. “Let me run a few more tests.”
Marco sat back and waited. Devin turned to the ladies.
Marco wondered if Hector talked with the guests. “Hector,” he whispered.
Hector knew Marco’s thoughts. He affirmed with a nod and whispered. “They understand.”
Marco replied with a thumb up.
“I’m picking up a static signal,” said Ryan. “It's very faint, but it's definitely coming from that anomaly.”
“Thank you, Ryan,” replied Marco. “Plot an intercept. Give us maximum speed.”
“Aye, Captain,” replied Ryan.
“Approximate orbit time to the anomaly?” he asked.
Ryan studied the helm. Without looking up he acknowledged. “At our present course and speed, we should be there in twelve point eight hours.”
“Very good, Commander,” replied Marco. “I’m going to try and get some rest. Let me know if there is any change in that structure out there.”
“Of course,” replied Ryan.
Marco raised himself and left the bridge without a word to anyone.
Devin leaned into Hector. “Is Marco all right with us being here? He left without a word. Is that customary aboard a vessel of this class?”
“Everything’s fine,” replied Hector. “You're welcome to observe and ask any questions you like.”
Ryan, overhearing Devin's comment replied. “It has been the ship's custom, Devin, for business to come first. The Captain does not need to apologize for leaving when he has business to attend to. This is normal as long as it does not compromise our ability to work. Our company leaves the responsibility of the guests to the liaison officer. Besides, Hector excels at entertaining dignitaries such as Vallians. And he loves his new job as cruise director. Don't you, Hector?”
Hector lifted his hands and made a mock bow. “You meet the best people. And, I tell you, it's not a job, it's a pleasure,” he replied.
Ryan smiled. “He's a bang-up people person. And, most of the time he helps the ship's morale go a long way.”
Devin sensed Hector's complexities are not always trusted but said nothing. He turned to the viewer and the blinking monitors. He observed the bridge crew network. He watched how casual they shared information and protocols. He observed how the crew prepared aggressive tactics for their exploration. He kept his thoughts to himself.
As the hours passed, his apprehension swelled. He became insistent with Hector. “I say, Hector,” he said. “Since you are the liaison officer, would you be able to arrange a meeting with Marco and myself? I need to discuss a matter of importance?”
“Sure, no problem,” replied Hector. “I’ll speak to him as soon as he gets back. Would you like me to say you need a word in private?”
“It doesn't have to be in private,” said Devin. “But if he would set aside five minutes, I can explain what I have in that time.”
“I'll tell him,” replied Hector. “And not to worry, he'll listen to what you need to say.”
Devin returned to observing the anomaly and the ship's operations. The ladies, seated at the console, played Ziltairian Treasure Hunt.
The Eagle was within four hours from entering orbit. The visual effects of the telescope were beginning to change. The details in the anomaly were getting clearer.
“There's something odd about that sphere,” said Grantham.
“I've noticed convolutions and fissures.” replied Clorissa. “It's a landscape of some kind.”
“Right,” said Grantham. “And another thing, it has an egg shape, it's not round.”
“No, no,” replied Clorissa. “This may sound funny, but it looks like a brain.”
“Why should that sound funny?” inquired Grantham. “The folded shapes are a natural occurrence in nature. In our caverns back home, years of deposited water and minerals form brain-stones. I collect them for good luck. I didn't think they were beautiful, but they are interesting to look at. They are mysterious”
Clorissa smiled. “Grantham, I do so enjoy your stories.”
Grantham blushed. “Well, thank you. Only this brain we're coming up on is not from a cave formation and it has a life to it. I would bet my gold staff on it.”
Clorissa reached across Grantham's waist and put her hand on his gold staff then licked her lips. She received a pious shoulder from the governor. She turned back to her console and started a new iteration of calculations.
“I'm running life-signs analysis on the anomaly,” she said. She pointed to the stick-figure icon on the revolving menu. The pyramid display showed a hierarchy of combinations from one to ten in the options menu. The pyramid rotated then scrolled down sub-routines. Clorissa again pointed to the revolving menu and the computer paused. “This shows us a hypothesis of where the anomaly might have come from,” she said.
Grantham smiled at Clorissa's ability to navigate through bulk information with ease. He watched with fascination as she continued.
“These parameters will group then show how it might have arrived at its present location. I have asked for a survey to determine if there are any other anomalies the area. I am also searching for biologics, and how it can reproduce?” She turned to Grantham as if asking the same question.
Grantham pressed the scaly pads of his lips tight and deliberated. At length he said, “I am amazed at how marvelous the evolution of life can be. And to have the honor of participating in the creation of a new form is breath taking.”
Clorissa swooned. In a cloud of ecstasy, she resumed pointing at the revolving pyramid. She continued discussing the activity along the program schematic.
Lady Lucia and Queen Elsinor turned from their treasure hunt. Lucia posed the question to Devin.
“What do you suppose it's doing way out here?” she asked.
“There is more than a little speculation about that going on right now,” he replied.
“Would you two care to join me in a game of Legion's Riddle to see what turns up?”
The ladies agreed without a moment’s thought.
Devin opened a hand-carved wood box sitting on Hector's systems console. He took out a stack of colorful painted cards. Next, he took out a dark cloth then a wheel and four tokens. He laid the dark cloth over the life-support console and set up the wheel. He laid the tokens on the top of the cloth.
The cloth was a fine silk weave, embroidered with silver and gold symbols. A ladder with symbols twisted its way around the length of the cloth in a figure eight. On one side of the cloth, Devin placed the wheel. The wheel corresponded to the symbols on the cloth. He set the wheel upright on another wheel, so it was a wheel upon a wheel. He shuffled the cards and set them face down on the cloth. “Who wants to go first?” he said.
“Oh, I absolutely positively, do,” said Elsinor. She reached over, picked a card then turned it over. “Three of Worlds;” she said. “Nurturing; I have the Nurturing card again.”
Lucia reached for a card. “I’m next,” she said.
“Wait,” said Elsinor. “I haven't turned the Wheel of Fortune yet. I absolutely, need to know how to play my card.” She tilted her head, put her finger on the wheel and gave it a spin.
Lucia laughed.
One by one, the bridge crew came to know the King's game. For several hours, they picked up cards, spun the wheel, and talked about the symbols and the meaning of the cards. They laughed. They cried. They held hushed conversations. In the end, they came away enlightened for their voyage.
The magnavator door hissed open. Marco stepped onto the bridge. He walked to his chair and sat. He signaled Hector with a motion of his hand.
“What are they doing on the support console?” he said.
“Playing Legion's Riddle,” replied Hector.
“I didn't know you could play that,” said Marco.
“Devin made it into an intuition game,” replied Hector.
“We need all the help we can get,” said Marco. “Is that a quiet game?”
“Do you want me to ask them to stop?” asked Hector.
“It doesn't matter,” replied Marco, “As long as it doesn't take away from the operation of the ship. We're coming into orbit and we may need to be on our toes.”
“Okay,” said Hector. “I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you,” replied Marco. “That would be considerate. What's the ship's status here?”
“Well,” said Hector, “since you were gone the gold sphere turned into a gold brain. And, the gold snake will be in striking distance in about ten minutes.”
Marco raised his chin. “I see you're in good spirits. Is that about it?”
Hector grinned. “That's about it.”
Marco made an entry into the ship's log and looked over to Ryan. “Hello, Ryan.”
“Hello, Marco,” replied Ryan, “How you doing over there?”
“Peachy,” replied Marco. “Are you ready to make contact with the anomaly?”
“As soon as we drop into sub-light,” said Ryan. “I'll put us in orbit and we can find out if there's signs of life.”
Devin stood. He walked to Marco's command chair. “Marco, if I may have a moment of your time.”
Marco looked to the systems console where Hector was staring back with opened mouth.
Hector turned up his hands in surrender and Marco frowned.
“I can see the game, Devin,” said Marco. “But right now, I don't have a question for the cards.”
“It's not about the game, Marco,” replied Devin. “It's about the cloaking device.”
Marco didn't budge. He stared straight at Hector. “Excuse me?”
“Captain, the Vallians showed you how they were able to disappear using their cloaks.” said Devin. “They were reluctant to tell you anymore because the cloaks came from Amedan technology. This same technology will work on your ship.”
Marco's intense stare made the King recoil. “You are full of surprises, Devin.”
“I'm an inventor,” replied Devin. “Captain, with the power of your engines, I should have no trouble disguising the entire ship.”
Marco replied. “If this cloaking device works, there are of a lot of uses for such a thing. Our ship would be able to travel alongside the Interstellar Forces, if it works. Without more development, someone could pick up the outline of our ship. I say that because I saw a faint outline of the cloak when Arnockel stepped in front of the fire in the Great Hall. Still, if it can operate without detection, well. Can you imagine the places we could go, Hector?”
Hector acknowledged Marco's idea with a nod. “We could use that device right now,” He replied.
“We may need it for your people in the Middle Corridor,” said Devin.
Marco returned a look of disbelief. He recalled the handsome face he was talking to was more than someone good to look at. He was a real King. The more he knew of Devin the more impressed he was with his astute mind.
“Marco,” said Ryan, “you'll want to see this.”
“I'm sorry, Devin, this will have to wait,” said Marco.
“We are within one hundred thousand miles of the phenomenon,” said Clorissa. “And there is still no response to any of our signals.”
“I have one static energy source,” said Ryan. “No other life-signs are showing on our instruments.”
“Bring us within orbit, Ryan,” replied Marco. “Take care to skirt the stardust. Give me a safe distance. I want to avoid the possibility of a field flux spiking at the Eagle.”
“I’m recording random surges in all areas of the anomaly, Marco,” reported Ryan.
“Very good, Commander,” replied Marco. “What’s its mass?”
“Approximately the diameter of Ameda, if you include the stardust disk,” replied Ryan. “Bye the way, I've been analyzing the stardust; the composition of light and matter. Although they're too small to be burning in the normal sense, they are burning and giving off heat.”
“That's it,” said Marco. “The physics is different. We may not be able to measure things here with the equipment we have onboard. Raise our shields and bring us in close. I want to try some more tests. We need to get some kind of fix on this anomaly so we can target our way back here if the wormhole closes.”
“I hear that,” said Ryan as he maneuvered the Eagle through the tiny stars.
The ship entered an unobstructed expanse between the stardust and the anomaly. The ship's company looked out. They marveled at the doorway of an ancient temple. The doorway was a rectangle. It bordered four stone columns. At the top of the doorway was a triangle capstone.
“It is large enough for a starship to pass under,” said Ryan. He made calculations at the helm. “Two battle cruisers could pass side-by-side with room to spare, Marco.”
“Hold the ship here,” said Marco. “Recheck our sensor and make corrections to enter the anomaly.”
Hector and Clorissa finalized their data. “Still only static impulses,” replied Clorissa.
“Okay, take us in slow,” said Marco.
Lucia grabbed Elsinor. “This is so exciting.” Elsinor grinned. She looked out the viewer with concern.
The Eagle passed between the middle two columns. They entered an oval cavern. The walls were serpentine scales. The scaly segments marked the husk of a reptilian corpus. Across the open cavern was a single arched passage. The Eagle drifted across the cavern and entered the inner vaults of the cavern. They negotiated their first turn moving along scaly walls of translucent plates. The Eagle drifted upward. She turned right then left in a meandering maze.
“This passage is not a maze,” said Clorissa. “I know this because there are no false passages to distract from our journey, at least not so far. No, this reminds me of a labyrinth back home on Ziltairia. It is very sacred. That is to say: to know the power of the experience is something we can only journey.”
“I've walked a labyrinth on Earth,” replied Marco. “So what's it like to journey a labyrinth on Ziltairia?”
“Ziltairians,” said Clorissa, her body swaying as she spoke. “Ziltairians use the labyrinth in many ways, Marco. We walk through a labyrinth as a meditation in the gardens of our cities. We use labyrinths to prepare our minds and bodies to enhance an activity. We walk a three-dimensional labyrinth in our holograph centers.
Still, in all our labyrinths, we approach the center knowing we walk on a journey into the highest place of our self. So, we bring a gift, a puzzle, a problem, a word, even a friend.
My friend brings flowers and scatters the petals in the center of the floor. For me, my journey is sensual and feeling, physical and poetic. I experience the walk through the twists and turns like one movement inside my body and mind. Every part of me tingles. When I reach the center, I am like a new being, rejuvenated and ready to try new things.
Sometimes I see a pink light and as I walk the labyrinth, I bring my pink light with me to see where I can be of service. I take my light and hold it up, feeling the strength of my body, and I listen for the call of the universe.”
“That's fabulous,” said Marco.
Clorissa smiled. Grantham looked on with all the regal bearing of a Marillian governor. He reached over and took hold of Clorissa's hand.
Hector, sitting
with his feet on his console, smacked his lips and said, “Well, I have a thought on the subject.”
Marco and Clorissa shot a disapproving look at Hector's careless air.
Hector continued. “What if the golden brain was the intestines of the universe and we are in fact going the wrong way!” Hector puckered his lips and waited for his sarcasm to get hurled back in his face.
Clorissa, recoiled at his comment and took the bait, “Hector, is there something wrong with you?”
Lucia turned to Hector, gasping at his mockery. Elsinor smiled, amused by the irreverence for social etiquette. Devin ignored the chatter. He concentrated on the scaly glitter passing along the side wall.
Grantham and Marco focused on their consoles and resumed a state of contemplation. Ryan turned from the helm and replied, “We're making another turn.”
Marco acknowledged with a raise of his chin. He tapped on the arms of his chair.
The Eagle turned and turned again along the dead husk of its absentee host. They drifted along the curves. Then, without warning, they flew out onto a circular platform of transparent gold.
The Eagle hovered over the center of the platform. The stardust disk was visible below the edge of the anomaly. They could see to the horizon of the translucent walls and the tiny constellations rotating at their feet.
It was conceivable to sail off the platform in a three-hundred-sixty degree direction. Marco ordered the Eagle to stop. To sail the Eagle through the tiny stars somehow gave Marco a feeling of dread. He recoiled at the thought. He stabbed his finger at the deck saying, “Set us down.”
“We have atmosphere,” said Clorissa.
“Why am I not surprised?” replied Marco, “Composition?”
“Air mixture, gravity, all normal,” she said. “Are we expected?”
Marco raised an eyebrow. “There's one way to find out.”
Marco got out of his chair and disappeared into the magnavator. A moment later, he was walking across deck four. He slapped the gangway and watched the flat metal feet clink on the translucent floor. He stepped down testing each foot fall.
