The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3)

by Andrew M. Crusoe

  “Looks like this place still has some life,” Zahn said, pointing to the rocks. “Did those birds look familiar to you? I bet they’re nesting in some of the little cracks way up on the ridge.”

  As the words left his mouth, an orange wave washed over the ship, curving in a wide arc above and around them.

  “It’s an energetic barrier.” Asha gasped, processing a flood of new data. “And it’s blocking all of my comm signals.”

  Zahn glanced around the copper surface of the landing pad, searching for clues. “Where’s it coming from? Is it damaging to the ship?”

  “No damage, but this entire landing pad is a conductor.”

  “Great, so we fell right into their trap?”

  Asha shook her head. “Doesn’t feel like that. Maybe it’s for their protection. We’re utterly alien to them, remember? Well, you and this ship are, at least. This is only a defensive action. Let’s take it easy until we speak with them. I’m detecting a life signature approaching us from below.”

  “What are we going to tell them?” Zahn asked. “I’m guessing the Confederation doesn’t want us telling just anyone about our mission to find Manu and get the Breath of Life.”

  “No,” she said. “I’m only supposed to ask their highest authority about Manu, which would be their Empress. Don’t worry, Zahn. The Confederation also wants to know why this world wasn’t swallowed up by the Vakragha. I’ll focus on that.”

  “I just hope the Empress is open to visitors.”

  In one of the corners of the landing pad, Zahn noticed a part of the pad fold in on itself, revealing a circular opening leading into darkness.

  Zahn and Asha watched, transfixed as a copper cylinder emerged from the opening. When the cylinder finally reached Asha’s height, it stopped.

  “Looks like an elevator,” Zahn said.

  Without warning, the front of its curved surface slid back, and a cloud of vapor billowed out of the narrow elevator. A figure stepped out of the small space and into the light, revealing itself to be a short woman clad in a jumpsuit the color of burnt umber. Her long black hair fell in graceful waves down her shoulders, and in her hands she examined what appeared to be a small computer with a curved dish at the end of it.

  The woman looked up to the ship, and Zahn was struck by her fine features. Her olive skin had the same hint of reddish hue that Asha’s had, but her eyes were darker.

  When in transparent mode, the ship’s hull only allowed light to pass through in one direction, yet the woman spoke to Asha and Zahn as if she could see them.

  “On behalf of the Mirage Sovereignty, I demand that you show yourself. Why have you come here? What is your purpose on this peaceful world?”

  As she spoke, Zahn studied her expressions, getting the feeling that she wasn’t exactly looking forward to meeting them. He got up and quietly walked up to the command chair. “Do you think we should bring our resonator pistols?”

  Asha shook her head. “No. This will go much better if we leave the weapons here. Bringing a foreign weapon with us could be interpreted as a sign of aggression, or worse, a challenge. If we want to learn all we can about this world, we need to do it on their terms. At least, at first.”

  Zahn bit is lip. “Yeah, I just wish I had some guarantee they weren’t going to take us prisoner, or worse.”

  “All recon missions indicated this was a peaceful world, and it’s not as if they don’t recognize the Confederation. They know that if we’re harmed, more ships will come, and there will be consequences. I doubt they want that.”

  He frowned. “Unless they hide our bodies.”

  “Shh!” Asha said, opening a bunch of seed packets and spreading their contents on the floor beside the command chair.

  The woman outside called out again. “Can you hear me? As aliens to our world, I should inform you that if you don’t present yourselves peacefully within the next microcycle, that I will be required to use force. Show yourself!”

  Asha smirked. “Hah, she’s got spark! Come on.” She stood up and walked over to the triangular door behind the command chair, watching it slide back in three pieces. “Navika says the atmosphere is still breathable.”

  “Wait,” Zahn said, “do you think the jagrul bird will be okay in here? Last time I left it in here, it chipped through the hull!”

  “I opened up about ten seed packets, Zahn. It’ll be fine for a few days.” Asha waved him ahead. “Come on, she’s waiting.”

  They both walked into the central node of the ship and slipped on the silver jacket portion of their Confederation uniforms. After all their adventures, the jackets were still remarkably clean, a fact which surprised Zahn, and he watched as Asha pressed her fingers to the door pad.

  The door rolled open and a gust of dry, chilly air blew into the central node, bringing some dust in with it. And with a quiet clunk of their boots onto the copper landing pad, Asha and Zahn set foot on Tavisi.

  With careful steps, Asha walked around the ship to where the woman was waiting, and Zahn followed closely behind.

  Upon seeing them, the woman froze.

  “Hello.” Asha waved briefly. “I’m sorry if we scared you when we arrived. We should have introduced ourselves first.” She bowed. “I am Asha, of the Confederation of Unity, and this is Zahn. We are here on a peaceful mission to learn more about what happened on your world.”

  Zahn suddenly had the strangest sense of déjà vu, but wasn’t sure exactly why.

  “Hello!” Zahn bowed in kind.

  The woman narrowed her gaze at them, appearing unsure of their integrity. “I am Jyana. And you have come in peace to learn? Is that all?”

  The way Jyana stressed ‘all’ made Zahn feel uncomfortable.

  How many people had visited this world in the last few cycles, anyway? Well, Avanian cycles, at least. He had to admit he had no idea how long a year was on this planet, and he made a mental note to ask later.

  “The Confederation is aware of the tragedy that happened here,” Asha said, “and we would like to learn more about your way of life and how you survived against our shared enemy.”

  Jyana was expressionless for a few moments, and brushed back some of her black hair. “The scourge do not concern us, and the Empress forbade us from providing assistance to foreign worlds. I am sorry.”

  Asha’s gaze darkened. “We aren’t asking for assistance. We only want to learn more about what happened here. Please understand, anything we learn could help every world in the Confederation. Will you permit us to explore? We also request to speak to your Empress.”

  “Unfortunately, we do not permit outsiders to join our society. Our civilization is built of ideas. We are careful about the ideas we allow inside, and I regret to say that the Empress will speak to no one.”

  “Has she ever made an exception?” Zahn winced. “Jyana, this is about the safety of the entire galaxy.”

  “Tell me,” Jyana said, raising the small computer in her hand toward him, “what would you say if someone came to your home uninvited and started making demands?” She shook her head. “No. I’m afraid your diplomatic skills are sorely lacking. If that is your attitude, I suggest you return whence you came.”

  Asha shook her head at Zahn before turning back to Jyana. “I apologize for his brusqueness. Yet he does speak the truth. Despite the Confederation’s coordinated efforts, the Vakragha continue to ravage the galaxy. But if we work together, we can stop them. The safety of the entire galaxy is at stake here, Jyana, including Tavisi. Your Empress must know that.”

  Jyana furrowed her eyebrows. “As I’ve already said, the scourge do not concern us. And unfortunately, the Empress will see no one. Once again, I am sorry.”

  “Please, Jyana. This world was once my home.” Asha’s voice grew hushed. “Has every drop of kindness been blasted away since then? There must be something you can do.”

  “Your home?” Jyana’s gaze narrowed on her. “You say you lived here? But no one has ever returned.”

  “Yes
.” Asha nodded.

  “If that’s true, then perhaps I can help you, after all. May I scan your cells? A simple strand of hair would be adequate.”

  “Yes, of course.” Asha plucked a strand of her brown hair and handed it to Jyana who placed it on the small dish on the end of the device. As Asha watched her, Jyana’s expression transformed from disbelief to delight.

  “You are Ashakirta?” Jyana blinked. “And your father was an officer in the fleet. I can’t believe you’re still in our systems. Not many records survived the war, you know.” Jyana looked up to her, a look of shock passing over her face. “Asha, you are the first refugee to return home.” She paused, considering this. “But who is this guest? Is he trustworthy?”

  “Don’t worry. He’s with me.” Asha took Zahn’s hand. “We’ve been through a lot.”

  “It’s true. We’ve been on some pretty wild adventures.”

  “You may vouch for him, but only if you take legal responsibility for his actions. Do you agree?”

  “If that’s the only way for him to join me, then yes.”

  “Very well. Follow me.” Jyana waved them over to the small elevator, and they all squeezed inside.

  Jyana pushed a small round button beside the door, and Zahn watched as the door closed, sending them plunging downward into darkness.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE VISTA OF INTENTION

  Inside the elevator shaft, the air smelled metallic, almost rusty.

  The woman took out her scanner again, and Asha found herself wondering what Jyana had meant by ‘hospitality’ as she studied the woman’s long black hair and fine features. It had been a long time since Asha had seen anyone with the same olive skin tone as herself.

  Jyana put the scanner away and smiled at Asha, nearly brushing up against her in the confined space of the elevator. “Torin and the others will be excited to meet you. As I said, you’re the first we’ve met who has actually returned.” She flashed Asha another quick smile, and the elevator stopped. “Follow me. Your introduction begins at the Vista of Intention, at the far end of this hall.”

  The door opened, revealing a long hall inlaid with bronze. Two yellow strips of light ran along the upper half of the wall, and a pattern of small purple squares ran along the bottom edge. Jyana waved them ahead, and Asha noticed thick, impenetrable golden doors spaced unevenly along the corridor.

  “Jyana, can you tell me more about the collapse?” Asha said. “How is anyone still here? Didn’t the Vakragha try to consume the planet whole, just like the others?”

  “Yes.” Jyana said coldly. “Ultimately, they failed, but we did not fully escape their wrath. That was over twenty planetary years ago now, and I was only a child. I only have fragments of memories from that time, but my father was one of the few who stayed behind.”

  “What happened?”

  Jyana shot Asha a dark glance. “If you left on the life boats, surely you saw it. Cold beams of viridian plasma rained down from the sky, cutting deep into the surface of our planet and setting fire to our forests. Once the surface had burned completely, they left. I haven’t seen weapons like that before or since. That’s all I know.”

  “Sounds like a nightmare,” Zahn whispered.

  “But there must be more,” Asha said. “Jyana, does anyone know why they didn’t consume this world? After all, it’s all the Vakragha have ever done. What was different here? If we knew, we might be able to prevent more from being consumed.”

  Jyana didn’t even look over to her. “All I can tell you is that it didn’t happen.”

  “What do you mean?” Asha ran up to walk alongside her. “Please, Jyana. There must be theories.”

  “We don’t know for certain.” Jyana inhaled deeply. “The planet could be somehow immune to their gravity weapons, but we aren’t sure. All we know is that the spacetime fissure they brought to our planet wilted away before it even got close.”

  A chill washed over Asha. “So they burned our world down.”

  Jyana nodded. “We can only surmise that it was their only remaining strategy. To wipe out as much life as possible was, perhaps, the only alternative in their mind to enslaving us. And as you can imagine, there was great suffering. Many who left on the scout ships, like yourself, contacted us and considered coming back to help, but the governors here decided it was unwise. There were complications due to plasma radiation, and most of those who stayed here were driven underground. Some of the smaller flora have since returned, but it will take much longer for the forests.” Jyana gestured ahead. “We’re here.”

  Asha had grown so immersed in Jyana’s story that she scarcely realized that they had reached a balcony at the end of the hall which overlooked a huge inner chamber. She and Zahn followed Jyana over to the edge of the balcony and beheld an expansive view.

  Carefully arranged in clean patterns were hundreds upon hundreds of colorful, transparent cubes, each as large as a house. There was so much to see at once that the sight consumed Asha’s attention for some time. Most of the cubes were white and arranged in long rows with walkways between them. Interspersed between these were yellow-green cubes, and Asha thought she could see faint outlines of broad leaves through their partially transparent walls. The remaining few were orange and pulsed in brightness in a small group toward the far end of the chamber.

  “Behold, the Vista of Intention.” Jyana waved her hand over the space. “Our people worked for a long time on this complex, but as you’ll soon realize, what you see below is only a shadow of the true majesty of the Mirage.”

  A rumbling sound in the distance startled Asha out of her reverie, and she turned to Jyana. “What is the Mirage?”

  Jyana’s expression grew serious. “The Mirage is where all dreams become reality, Asha. It’s the only way you’ll meet anyone else on this planet and learn more about us.”

  Behind her, Asha saw a tall man walking toward them, wearing a single piece jumpsuit not unlike the graphite one that her father used to wear. Flecks of dark hair poked out of the cap he was wearing, and his face was warm. Yet Asha could sense that he also had a sharpness to him, a drive.

  “Good day, my dear!”

  Jyana whipped around, her eyes widening in surprise. “Torin? You came down? You didn’t have to do that. I was going to test the visitors and then catch up with you afterward.” She smirked. “You missed me too much, didn’t you?”

  “It’s not every day we receive long-lost family, and I’d been meaning to check the emergency supply vaults, anyway.” Torin embraced Jyana before turning back around to Asha and offering his open hand. “An honor to meet you. I’m Torin.”

  Asha shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Asha.” She gestured over to Zahn beside her, still admiring the living color below. “And this is Zahn.”

  Torin took a step forward. “Pretty remarkable, isn’t it?” A sharp smirk spread across his face. “Too bad you may never get to see what it all does.”

  “Torin!” Jyana said. “Please be polite to our guests. Just because he isn’t a Tavisian doesn’t mean you should be rude.”

  “Asha and I have been through more than you know,” Zahn said, his expression hardening. “If you trust her, you trust me.”

  Asha turned and took Zahn’s hand. “He’s right.”

  Torin backed away. “Hey! I’m sorry. That came out wrong. It was only meant as a warning that our laws are complex, Zahn. Just don’t expect everyone to treat you the same way Asha will be treated. She is a citizen, after all.”

  “Really?” Zahn raised his eyebrows. “After all this time?”

  “Yes,” Jyana added and turned to Torin. “But it pays to be polite. And Asha has vouched for Zahn. If he passes the tests, he is allowed to join us in the Mirage, as long as Asha is with him.”

  Torin shook his head and walked over to the edge of the vista, leaning on the low balcony wall.

  “Good, because I want him by my side.” Asha’s gaze narrowed onto Jyana. “And what is this about a test?”

/>   Jyana took a deep breath. “Well, we should probably start at the beginning. What do you think, Torin?”

  Torin didn’t turn around, his gaze affixed toward the field of colorful cubic buildings below. “You know what, tell them whatever you want.” His voice was muffled now. “I’m not in the mood to debate our laws in front of the visitors.”

  “We don’t want to break any of your rules,” Zahn said. “We just want to work together.”

  “Good, because the Empress can be rather… harsh.”

  “But why do you have to test us?” Asha asked.

  Jyana sighed. “The destruction rendered by the scourge was global, and entire habitats vanished. Our food supply dwindled, and we struggle to survive. With every long range spacecraft having already been used to evacuate most citizens, we were stuck here.”

  “That sounds terrible,” Zahn said.

  “And then something extraordinary happened,” she continued. “Once the scourge had left, our people began to have dreams in which they would wake up in midair and see themselves sleeping on their bed below. We soon realized that these were more than mere dreams.”

  “People were leaving their bodies, weren’t they?” Zahn said.

  “Precisely,” Jyana said. “After hundreds of experiments involving long-distance reconnaissance and messages hidden in locked compartments, we realized the only logical conclusion: our people were having spontaneous out-of-body experiences, and some were able to have them at will. Since then, we’ve come to find that most people have out-of-body experiences at least once per night, even during controlled studies where we were trying to avoid contact with the Mirage.”

  “So your consciousness was leaving your body,” Asha said, “and you say your people were able to go through walls?”

  “Yes,” Jyana nodded, “and that was only the beginning. These out-of-body experiences were completely unprecedented. For the first time, we had observational proof that we were more than our physical bodies, and eventually we learned how to communicate in ways far beyond what words could afford us. Even more exciting was the possibility of traveling beyond our star system. In the beginning, we sent a few explorers off-world, until one went too far. We had to bury an empty shell. But then again, I suppose that’s always the case.”