Vrath nodded once to Doj’Owa. She rose and opened her arms out to the sides, creating a half circle of shining black silky robes around her. All dozen council members present, save for the Lij, rose from their chairs and knelt. Doj’Owa closed her eyes and chanted the prayer to Doj that was customary at the beginning of council meetings and public gatherings.
There were no cushions or mats in the council chambers. The stone floor was hard beneath his meaty knees. After more than ten minutes of chanting, U’Vol suspected that Doj’Owa had drawn out the prayer that day as a subtle punishment to U’Vol for being there. She had never liked him, though why he could not be certain. U’Vol figured that the most likely answer was that she held him in ill regard simply because he had the favor of Vrath and thus held influence with the Lij. As far as U’Vol could see, Doj’Owa preferred that no one save herself hold sway with the Lij.
Finally she chanted the end of the prayer and gave the signal that they should rise. They all muttered the final words, “Blessed is the Doj Madi,” and sat again.
The Lij broke the silence that had engulfed them after the prayer. “U’Baht, you have requested this special session of the council. Please, honor us with your concerns.”
U’Baht was the Vree class representative to the council and U’Vol’s mentor and friend. U’Baht had served with U’Vol’s father when they secured Navimbi outpost and had watched over U’Vol after his father died.
U’Baht was nearly a hundred years older than U’Vol. Even though he was now bent with age and the arthritis customary among elderly Vree’Kah, he was still lofty compared to most M’Uktah. He rose, bowed to the Lij, gave a perfunctory head bow to Doj’Owa, then began his plea. “Many blessings to our Lij and esteemed council for honoring my petition this day. I have previously stated my concerns about the hunting expedition scheduled for the Dra’Knar during the next occurrence of the Mocht Bogha.”
“We heard and denied your plea in the matter,” Doj’Owa said. She spoke to U’Baht but kept her eyes on U’Vol.
U’Baht cleared his throat. “Yes, thank you for the reminder of that outcome, esteemed Doj’Owa.”
“The Mocht Bogha will occur in only three days, U’Baht. It is no time to hang on false courtesies,” Doj’Owa said. “State your business plainly.”
Despite U’Baht’s thick covering of dark, black beard and sideburns, his face colored red. He shifted and shuffled his feet.
U’Vol rose. His size and authoritative air commanded their attention away from U’Baht. “Esteemed council, you all know me well. You know that the old blood of our great Vree hunters runs through my veins. More than any of you, my mouth hungers for the taste of fresh meat. I have been home long now and I yearn to step inside my krindor and feel it meld to my skin.” Just speaking of it made U’Vol’s pulse quicken. “But U’Baht’s concerns about this expedition are valid ones. Throughout our venerated history, we have preyed upon the fowl of Ghapta and the great hairy beasts of Navimbi. And we farmed only primitive, godless hominids.”
“You state the past well,” Doj’Owa said. “And this council’s opinion is that this planet the local dominant species calls Earth falls well within the precedent of conquest imparted by our forefathers.”
U’Vol stared at her evenly. “No. It does not.”
A few council members gasped. It was as uncommon to speak so directly to the high cleric as it was to eat a meal without meat.
Doj’Owa did not flinch. Her eyes remained fixed on U’Vol, her pupils gone from thin slits to wide, black and angry.
U’Vol continued. “It is true that Sarhi are less advanced than the M’Uktah. Scouts report various states of warring and aggression throughout all regions.”
Several of the council members lightly rapped the table with the palm-sized worn stones that each had in front of him. It was a show of agreement with what was being said and as old a custom as the M’Uktah culture.
U’Vol put up his hand. “Despite their aggression toward each other, they have demonstrated significant technology. Satellite communications. A rudimentary understanding of particle physics. Intercontinental travel and rocketry. Yes, it is crude space travel, yet still, the species has harvested the atom’s energy. None of you can deny that Sarhi are the most technologically advanced species we have undertaken to harvest.”
The same council members that had rapped their stones now bellowed their disagreement, as was also custom. U’Vol had expected some council members to raise their voices against him. He was not deterred.
Doj’Owa raised her hand this time. “Does our great hunter U’Vol fear he will be unable to subdue and conquer these primitive Sarhi?” Her thin upper lip curled up at the corner and her nose twitched at him. It was a clear signal of her disgust, a sign most civilized M’Uktah kept in check at such an event as a council meeting.
The sneer got to U’Vol at a primal level. His lip too curled into a sneer and a low snarl escaped his lips.
Vrath rose and beat his cane on the marble floor. The sound echoed off the cavernous, high stone walls of the council chamber. The Lij did not need to speak. Pounding his cane was a clear message to back down.
Doj’Owa sat and composed her face into a picture of calm. U’Vol too forced his mouth out of its sneer and bowed politely to Doj’Owa, a signal that he was respectful of her opinions.
U’Vol pulled himself up to his fullest height and squared his shoulders, making his chest as wide as it could become. “Perhaps only U’Baht will understand me when I say this: Of course I have fear. All Vree’Kah are afraid every time we touch foot on a new planet full of unknown dangers and untold hostilities toward us. It is not cowardice to admit fear.” U’Vol looked directly into Doj’Owa’s eyes as he said it. “Vree’Kah thrive on our fear of the unknown. If we chose to deny ourselves the thrill of the hunt, we would never leave the planet, and our children – as well as yours – would die of starvation.”
A thunderous round of stone rapping erupted. The applause emboldened U’Vol.
U’Vol held up his meaty hand and the tapping died down. “But know this, esteemed council. There is a thin line between bravery and foolhardiness. The Sarhi have technology that we have not encountered in prior hunts. They have the capacity to present formidable challenges to harvesting. They are highly organized with advanced, planet-wide communication systems.”
“Yet they war with each other,” Councilman U’Jzheng said.
“True,” U’Baht said. “But aggression from a global threat may unite them. They are nearly nine billion strong. If organized –”
“Nine billion?” U’Jzheng asked.
A few rapped their stones, urging U’Jzheng on.
“All the more reason to harvest,” U’Jzheng said. “This plentiful resource will meet the needs of our people not only for our children, but for our children’s children.”
Thunderous stone pounding erupted.
Councilman U’Fengh did not stand but held up his hand to command silence. He was nearly as old as Vrath and highly respected by all who sat on the council. His beard had once glistened black and hung past his knees. It was now mostly grey and scraggly, hanging barely to his chest. “The council is confident that you and your men have planned well for these tests, U’Vol. Our scientists rose to this new and intriguing challenge. Your ship – and your men – will be armed with the most advanced systems to aid your hunt that any Vree’Kah expedition has ever known.”
U’Vol rapped his own stone, as did all the others to show their support of this statement. Anything less than three stone raps to such a declaration would be seen as unpatriotic.
U’Vol knew he had to step lightly now. He had somehow been backed into a corner. It was clear he would get nowhere urging caution about the technological capacity of the Sarhi. It was time to approach it from the last prong.
He raised his hand, and silence fell over the hall. U’Vol’s eyes bored into Doj’Owa’s as he spoke. “The M’Uktah are the great people that we are because we
united many millennia ago in our praise of Doj and Doj’Madi, the two faces of the one true God.” Stones rapped their agreement. “We hunt in praise of Doj. We seek blessings of Doj’Madi that she will grace us with powerful jaws and strong backs so that we may feed our people.” The rapping grew louder, but Doj’Owa sat still and silent, staring back at U’Vol without flinching. “How then can we defile the teachings of Doj by harvesting a species that knows God?”
The stone pounding abruptly stopped. All eyes turned to Doj’Owa.
U’Fengh spoke again. “What are you saying? That these Sarhi know Doj?”
Whispers rose as the councilmen discussed the revelation.
Doj’Owa rose to her feet again and rapped her stone loudly on the table. The mumbling voices stopped.
Her eyes narrowed at U’Vol, but she composed her face and spoke quietly and softly to the council. “As the spiritual leader of the M’Uktah and the embodiment of Doj’Madi on this plane, I assure this great council that these Sarhi do not know Doj. They are a people of many false gods, not the one true God, Doj.”
The stone rapping began again.
Doj’Owa raised her hand and continued. “And as stated in the Frieze canticle, ‘There is but one God, and thou shall know me by the name Doj, and I am the embodiment of the male and the female, of the sun and the rain, of night and day. And any who do not know me is without God and base and shall be cast down and subservient to the people of Doj.’”
The stone rapping swelled to a thunderous frenzy. Doj’Owa had outplayed him. How can I argue against the mandate of God?
He sat, conceding the council floor and the petition to Doj’Owa. She nodded curtly then sat too.
But as with all council matters, the final decision was for the Lij. Vrath loved U’Vol well, that was certain. And he had often been the deciding factor in U’Vol’s favor.
Today, though, would not be a day that he would override the clear vote of the council and incur the lasting wrath of Doj’Owa to favor U’Vol. Even Vrath did not have enough political capital to pull that off.
All eyes looked to the old man. His chin rested on his cane and he looked thoughtful, building the tension of the silence and increasing the weight of his proclamation. At last he said simply, “Petition of U’Baht Vree denied. The Dra’Knar shall fly as soon as the Mocht Bogha stabilizes.”
Another round of thunderous stone clapping began as Vrath rose. The rest of them rose as well and remained standing while a servant came forward and assisted Vrath off his dais. As he passed U’Vol, the mighty hunter bent to one knee and bowed his head low. Even though U’Vol kneeled, his head still came to Vrath’s chest. The Lij stopped, bent and kissed the top of U’Vol’s shiny, bald head.
“I shall pray for your safe return,” Vrath whispered.
20
ERIKA
Erika tried to wrap her head around what Dr. Randall had said. “You built it?”
“It’s incredible. Unbelievable, really. But it’s true. We’re here but not here.”
Dr. Randall made no sense. She had an urge to smack him so he’d snap out of whatever delusion he’d stepped into. His eyes were wide, his movements feverish. He’s finally gone off the deep end. And I’m not far behind him.
Erika took his hand. “Dr. Randall, stop.”
Tears rimmed his eyes. He smiled so widely she thought his scruffy face might crack. “We’re on Earth. Future Earth, anyway.”
“But the Conexus – they’re aliens, right? I mean, look at them. And they took us in their ship. This can’t be –”
“Oh, it is. It most certainly is. We’re at A.H.D.N.A.”
“No. You’re wrong.”
“I may be old, but I’m not senile. I know where I am.”
Erika didn’t know if she should be excited, relieved or sad. Another option was to throw in the towel and allow herself to fall into the same oxygen-, food- and fresh-air-deprived madness that had taken over Dr. Randall.
“So you’re saying that – what? We’re in the future?”
“Yes. A future anyway. That’s why it’s all corroded. Time – many years – though how long I can’t say. Fascinating.” Dr. Randall roved his hands over the wall of pipes and tubes, his fingers trembling.
He was talking science fiction. Of course, Erika had thought that aliens visiting Earth was science fiction too until it happened before her eyes.
Dr. Randall inspected wires and pushed buttons. Nothing happened. The ancient waterworks machine was as corroded and rusty as a tin can in a rainforest.
“What are you trying to do?” Erika asked.
“The computer systems are shot, of course. I don’t know if any of the conduits in the ceilings and walls are intact. But if I can get to the manual override, maybe I can release the master valve. That will allow water to flow into the conduits.”
“And if we pump up the humidity –”
“Then it will weaken the Conexus and give us a fighting chance.” Dr. Randall grinned at her.
Xenos stood as still as a statue, her eyes fixed on the great wall of human ingenuity that used to deliver a potent dose of sedation to Tex. Her eyes were wide and fixed, and she visibly trembled.
“Are you okay?” Erika asked.
Xenos stared blankly. “It is forbidden. It was very wrong of me to bring you here. Now the old man is touching the forbidden wall. They said not to touch it. They said it would destroy us – our whole world. It is wrong. Very wrong.”
Erika reached toward Xenos in an attempt to take her hand and calm her. But the Infractus cowered away. Erika had lived a life free of cruelty to other living things. Now this small being who had helped them so much was afraid of her touch.
“Please. Don’t be afraid.”
Xenos continued to tremble and she backed up a few steps.
“Please. I won’t hurt you. We need to get the water flowing again. It’s our only hope of being able to get the medicine for Ian and to leave here,” said Erika.
“Water will make them sick,” Xenos said.
“Yes.”
“It will make me sick as well.”
Erika hadn’t considered that fact. She had been so focused on finding a way to get past the Conexus that she’d forgotten how the moisture – if they could get it to work – would sedate Xenos as well. And Tex, wherever he is. She chastised herself for caring what happened to the guy who had given them over to the Conexus to be used as guinea pigs for testing an epidemic that she feared they planned to unleash on her world. The world of my time anyway. She steeled herself from caring about him, pushing thoughts of Tex aside and into the same container in her mind that housed Commander Sturgis and Alecto.
“I promise. I will do what I can to keep you safe. Even if I have to take you with us back to Earth – or the past.”
Xenos tilted her head as she did whenever Erika told her something that she didn’t seem to understand. “You will take me with you? Away from here?”
The promise had tumbled out of Erika’s mouth without thinking it through. But the bell had been rung. She couldn’t unring it now. “Sure. You help us get to that ship, or time travel machine or whatever the hell it is, and you can come with us. You’ll be free, Xenos.”
“Free?” She tilted her head again like a dog trying to figure out a strange sound.
“Yeah. Free. It means you’ll be able to do what you want. And you’ll see outside. Where I live, we don’t live underground.”
Xenos’ eyes were once again wide with fear. “Infractus will die outside.”
“No, you won’t. You may here on this planet – or this time. But where I live, outside is fine. I promise, you won’t die outside. In fact, you’ll probably feel better than you’ve ever felt before. My friend – I mean former friend – Tex, is an Infractus too. He had powers – where I live – when he was outside. You probably will too.”
Dr. Randall shouted, “Eureka!” and startled both Erika and Xenos.
“Did you find the master switchy-thingy?”
Erika asked.
“I think I found the manual override valve. It’s so dark in here and there’s so much corrosion, it’s hard to find things. But I’ve got my hand on it. It’s back behind this mess of wires. I’m trying to – trying to crank it.” Dr. Randall was breathing hard.
“Is it moving?”
“No. Too much corrosion.”
Erika searched the ground for something to beat on it with. If they could knock some of the rust away, maybe it would move. But the ground was covered in bits of thin, rusted metal scraps that crumbled in her hands, piles of crumbled concrete and threads of felled wires.
Dr. Randall cursed and stepped away from the wall. “Son of a –”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I pinched my hand back there. Dammit. I need a wrench. I just don’t have the upper-body strength to get the kind of leverage I need to turn it.” He rubbed his hands through his hair, took off his glasses and wiped sweat from his face with his filthy shirt sleeve.
If Tex were there, he’d likely be able to turn the valve with his mind. He’s probably in a cozy, warm spot with his Conexus buddies.
“Xenos, do you think you could open the valve with your mind?” Erika hadn’t seen Xenos use telekinesis, but it seemed likely that if both Alecto and Tex had the ability, Xenos would as well.
“I am Infractus and forbidden to –”
“Yeah, yeah. Forbidden. They’ve got a lot of rules for you. But if you ever want to be free, you’re going to need to start sometime. Dr. Randall, show her the valve you’re talking about.”
Dr. Randall motioned for Xenos to come to the wall. She hesitated. She had apparently been conditioned to fear much in life, including going anywhere near the wall of water. That one I can understand, though. Tex had nearly died from high humidity.
Dr. Randall held his hand out to her, and she finally took it. Xenos, standing under five feet tall, was too short to see the valve that Dr. Randall needed to turn. He grabbed the small Infractus around the waist and hoisted her into the air. She let out a startled gasp.
H.A.L.F.: The Makers Page 13
