The Huntsman

by Rafael

  “Ariel?”

  “You are right, Janesh. The weak have no leverage. Accept the terms.”

  “Narsimha?”

  “I am young enough to think I know what to suggest and old enough to know I do not. I will support whatever decision you make, Mahān Śikārī.”

  “Miranda?”

  “We are not the weak. Face to face, we defeated Kreetor. This race fled and abandoned their home. Perhaps it bluffs. Ask it why Kreetor’s Seer did not immobilize us as his has done. Something does not add up. The answer may give us insight. If any of us find objection with its response, blink rapidly. Otherwise, I agree. It is in our interest to accept. We cannot yet defend ourselves against the technologies and creatures in those images.”

  “Lord Counselor, we are ready.”

  “You may speak before the Lord Counselor.”

  “I have two questions. Is your only restriction that we not utilize gate technology until we can defend our planet against attack?”

  “That is correct, Mahān Śikārī. We will undertake no action that interferes with your internal affairs. Our reasons are not what you might think. We are not motivated by any grandiose notions of freedom and self-determination. We wish to study and observe a unique life form, in its natural habitat, without external influence. There is much we may learn.”

  “Why did Kreetor simply not immobilize us? As you have done.”

  “We are not perfect, Mahān Śikārī. We are not gods. Your discovery sharpened internal divisions. Nine thousand years of obscurity and peace dulled and fattened us. Many of us warned against continued indolence. Your beam across the sector shocked us out of our stupor. Once again the danger of imminent attack became real. As it had always been but which accumulated carelessness and desire for leisure and convenience had allowed us to ignore.

  On Sorke there are five intelligences. The Jowkla, Kreetor’s race, are the least…able. But because they are large and powerful, they guard the crèche and provide personal security. In order to guard against errors in judgment, however, we derogate its Seer’s functions. In the panicked aftermath of learning an unknown civilization in our sector had gate technology, we sent the most powerful Warrior Priestess to gather intelligence and if possible destroy the device and those with knowledge of it. And in rushed haste we neglected to restore its impaired Seer.

  Meanwhile we called out the Roshoon, our combat warriors, to rise in defense of sacred Sorke. Much dismay and accusation ensued when it became clear prolonged neglect had left our military woefully unprepared. A condition undergoing rapid correction.

  When we learned the truth of your world, the Most Watchful and Learned Ssah sent me to form a pact with beings evolved for war and conquest. We do not ignore your nature or your history. We do not “trust”. Should you feel the need to betray our agreement, you will not find Sorke a defenseless morsel.”

  Janesh glanced at his colleagues. No one blinked. “Is the offered Seer derogated?” Its beak opened. Torso feathers fluffed in successive waves. Chuckle, laughter, pleasure?

  “It is restored.”

  “I accept the terms of our agreement and accept this Seer as a symbol of our alliance. May it well serve us both.”

  “You are indeed a clever race. Already the blessings of wisdom and prudence bestowed by Ssah of the High Council, Grand Dominant of the Unwinged, Ruler of Sorke, have…” It paused. The Seer glowed orange. “as you say, borne fruit.”

  The Sorken turned and strode from the circle. The air before it began to bubble. “Lord Counselor.” Janesh called. Its head swiveled round. “Is there a God?”

  “Again I warn against distractions. Do not fail your species, Mahān Śikārī. The galaxy it exists in is wild, brutal, unforgiving. Merciful and compassionate beings once occupied worlds left ruined, desolate, abandoned. Rely not on such philosophies. Life forms that do become extinct…or pets.” The Lord Counselor turned and disappeared.

  CHAPTER 46 Right of Refusal

  Forefinger pressed against his cheek, Bert listened to his department chief summarize the mission brief. Half-way across the world Unit Four’s 12-man team trekked through dense forest. He leaned forward to flip a page from the open case file atop his desk, scanned across it.

  “And they’ll have India’s R&AW in a backup role?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “But without helicopters.”

  “That’s right, sir. Having a foreign strike team within their borders stretched their tolerance but having helicopters overfly their biggest Tiger Reserve risked a huge backlash if the environmentalist opposition found out.”

  “ETA?”

  “Two maybe three days. They’re hiking through really rugged terrain without local help since it is a classified operation. Their best guide is GPS. Satellite imagery cannot penetrate dense foliage. Maps provide a generalized overview but the sector they’re in is mostly animal trails and wood paths. The DCI flipped another page.

  “Risk assessment?”

  “Well, sir, it’s not as if they’re helpless or less capable overland. They train extensively in the woods and are as comfortable there as any other environment. The Indian agents are simply a worst case scenario if they need support pulling out. We have great confidence in the target intelligence, sir. Six scientists and a student engineer are in the camp. Resistance should be minimal if not zero.” The Director snorted.

  “These the same scientists that have been running rings around your department, John? They might have us right where they want us, a fiasco waiting to happen.”

  Ears red, his Deputy Commissioner had the good sense not to respond. The DCI flipped another page. “What about this Nicholas Koh?”

  “Indian intelligence has him pinpointed. What we find in the camp will determine what action we take against him.”

  “And the two civilians we had under contract?”

  “We have solid intelligence they’re in the camp.”

  “So except for Koh, you’ve got everyone involved corralled.”

  “Correct, sir.”

  “Um hm. I briefed the President in broad detail on this case. He agrees the device must be the reason we’ve got dead agents. I’m determined to find out what it is. Don’t make me go back to the Oval Office hat in hand.”

  “No, sir, I won’t.”

  “You’ll be in the operations room monitoring?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Very well. Keep me posted.”

  He watched his Deputy exit then turned to stand by the window. Damn it. What could that device be? No one even had good guesses. He couldn’t escape a nagging feeling he knew only the tip of a bigger iceberg. Hands in pockets, the right one found some loose change. He pulled it out. Eighteen cents. A dime, a nickel, and three pennies. His neck hairs rose. Something moved behind him.

  He whirled to find a near-naked, powerfully muscled man inside his office. Inside his office? How was that possible? The absurdity swelled. He leveled a spear at him. A spear? Coins clattered to the floor. Some rolled away. Their dying rotations echoed in the room’s stillness. The spear point pressed against his chest.

  “Step away from the desk, sir, out here to the middle of the office.” Bert could not smooth his jumbled, jangled thoughts into coherent sense. A random connection struggled through. A photo image from the case file surfaced. He recognized the articulate savage. “You’re, you’re Janesh McKenzie. How did you get in here?” Bert stupidly stared at his bare feet, muddying the area carpet.

  Janesh smiled, raised his spear, recalled the Lord Counselor. “Confine yourself to the matter at hand, Director, and not with distractions. At this moment a CIA hit squad is in a remote and isolated section of an Indian Tiger Reserve. You have the power to recall them. I’m here to urge you to do that.”

  The Director shook his head, stammered, still trying to reassemble a shattered reality. “I, I can’t do that.”

  “Yes you can, Director. Pick up the phone and abort the mission.” Bert gained a semblance of con
trol. Moved to regain the initiative.

  “And if I don’t?”

  “You have sent twelve men into the wild. If you do not recall them, they will be dead within hours. In that part of the forest it will be difficult to find their bodies. By the time you do there may be nothing left. I assure you, Director. They have no chance to accomplish their mission. Recall them immediately.”

  Bert thought of the President, his promise, his career, the Agency’s reputation, John, their technology, their reach, their power. Resolve washed over him. “I can’t do that. I won’t do that.” The spear point again lowered.

  “Turn around, Director.” He did, trying to quiet the nerves anticipating a spear thrust. A spear?

  Silence echoed the room. He twisted his head around. His body followed, head snapping in all directions. He rushed to open the door. Stared down the empty corridor. His assistant calmly tapped a keyboard. He ran down.

  “Did you see anyone walk out my office?” A confused face framed narrowed eyes.

  “No, sir. No one walked out. No one went in there.”

  Bert walked back inside then bent down to the area carpet. He rose, staring into space, rubbing wet mud between his fingers. Eyes refocused on the desktop. He paled. The case file had also disappeared.

  CHAPTER 47 Outside Interference

  Thirty minutes of warm hugs, embraces, good luck wishes, and a few tears ended. Ariel winked through first. “Probably already explaining to a surprised wife his unexpected return.” Dimitrov imagined.

  “I’m nervous.” Clara said.

  “Don’t be.” Dimitrov urged. “You won’t feel a thing. It’s just walking.”

  “And you’re sure I’ll be in Buenos Aires?” He smiled and nodded. She turned to hug Miranda once more, waved, and stepped through. Dimitrov and Narsimha followed. Gary took Miranda’s hand.

  “Thank you, my dear, for giving a retired professor the adventure of a life time.” Filled with thoughts of her own pending separation, she managed to smile as he shook Janesh’s hand and stepped in.

  Miranda faced the moment and turned to Janesh. Her voice almost broke. “Don’t tell me you’ll be alright because you don’t know that.” She grabbed his face between her hands, kissed him fierce and full. Pulling back, she clutched his shoulders and shook. “Don’t do something stupid, Janesh McKenzie.” Miranda rushed away and winked out.

  Janesh stared at the spot long after the air stopped bubbling. He wanted nothing more than to follow her. How had it come to this? He had killed an alien and become Earth’s protector. His gaze turned upward. “I have not abandoned you, Lord Vishnu. Walk with me as I step into uncertainty.” He placed the Seer in his pouch and wrenched the spear end from the ground. “Come.” With Duncan and Ronan loping ahead on either flank, the three headed for the tree line.

  The group had resisted leaving until he showed them the case file classified Top Secret by the Central Intelligence Agency. It had authorized the unit headed their way to employ any and all interrogation techniques necessary to determine the machine’s function. If in their judgment the device presented a national security threat to the United States, the unit would secure the machine and terminate with prejudice all seven. Their ambitions differed from Nicholas Koh’s only in having forms signed by bureaucrats with boxes checked ‘Approved’. When Miranda looked up from reading the single paragraph his expression left no doubt she had to leave and their future would not include his constant glancing behind them.

  The seven had agreed however, not to destroy the wormhole device. The Seer had transported it to an inaccessible cave without disclosing where. On it they had posted a message crediting Joshua Ang along with their names and date. “In testament to humanity’s continued technological innovation and scientific achievement.”

  Janesh maintained a deceptive pace through the overgrown forest. Having to bend, stoop, step over, push past, cut through, twist around dense undergrowth appeared to slow progress. But hour after hour, steady, unflagging stamina chewed up the miles. Though game trails and animal paths would have permitted quicker advance, he avoided them and the tigers waiting to ambush unsuspecting meals. He could of course cross the distance in an instant but so far the dogs had shied away from entering and he would not force the issue.

  Pure, physical labor left him free to ponder the Seer. It had yet to become an integrated, automatic option. Unlike the synchronized unity he and the dogs had become, the sphere required thought. In a moment of decision, unconscious reflex trumped conjecture. He reached in to remove it. The sphere always felt cool to the touch and its surface never smudged or smeared.

  “Seer, can you locate my six friends?” It winked out and returned after three seconds.

  “Yes, Mahān Śikārī.” The action surprised Janesh. He had expected some type of ‘scan’ not for it to go somewhere.

  “Can you locate a given individual?”

  “On this planet my answer is perhaps. If an individual has a communicator the probability is 96%.”

  “Why not 100%?”

  “The communicator and person may not be in proximity.”

  “And so you have to physically go to the communicator’s location?”

  “Correct, Mahān Śikārī.”

  Janesh pushed aside a hanging branch appreciating the Seer had taken three seconds to locate six communicators separated across the globe.

  “And if someone does not have a communicator?”

  “I must then scan geographically relevant data for home and employment.”

  “How do you access such diverse data sources?”

  “Internally.” The unexpected response floored Janesh.

  “You store employment and housing data internally?”

  “As it is created, I store your entire planet’s digital data.”

  “What about encrypted data?”

  “The encryption methods used are insufficient to prevent my access.”

  Janesh stopped to stare at his hand. The tennis-ball sized sphere stored all the data held within millions of servers across the globe.

  “What is your storage capacity?”

  “Unlimited.”

  “Using what mechanism?” It briefly glowed orange.

  “You have no equivalent technology. Quantum storage best describes it.”

  Awe washed over Janesh. Sub-atomic data storage and retrieval. He pulled his hand from under it and resumed his advance. The Seer followed.

  “How do you float?”

  “I am not floating but using the same principle as your movie films. The eye is tricked into seeing motion by a series of stills displayed at speed. Every ten thousandths of a second I move through a gate, wormhole as you call them. Stepping in and out of space/time so quickly, I appear to ‘float’.”

  Janesh shook his head at the technological gulf between Sorke and Earth. One displayed magic on a movie screen. The other accessed the quantum universe to do so.

  When Homo sapiens had yet to expand out of Africa, Sorkens had crossed the galaxy. Still, the speed with which humans had achieved wormhole capability had impressed them enough to offer an alliance. He wondered how long it would take Earth to close the gap caused by what the Lord Counselor described as Sorken ‘indolence’. Centuries at least but would we then attack? History gave small comfort.

  Overhead, a near impenetrable canopy had left the forest floor parched for sunlight and thinned of undergrowth. Farther up Duncan and Ronan alternated between nose-to-the ground and side-to-side visual scans. Their pace quickened.

  “What color are my eyes, Seer?”

  “Amber brown, Mahān Śikārī.”

  “You’re behind me. Did you already make note of them?”

  “You are genetically coded for amber-brown eyes.” Remarkable, Janesh thought.

  “Can you see?”

  “Not as you do.” It glowed orange. “Similar to your bats and dolphins, I use high-frequency ultrasounds to echolocate. Combined with infrared thermal imaging, I can create highly det
ailed images that provide identification and distance.”

  “Can we communicate at long range?”

  “Not at present, Mahān Śikārī”. You have no communicator or implanted receiver. I can be farther away but you must be within hearing distance.”

  Janesh cautioned himself. He possessed Earth’s most powerful machine with capabilities as yet undiscovered or even imagined. So completely had this alien-programmed wonder shifted the paradigm, his limited understanding and experience with the instrument might backfire. Prudence warranted its use.

  Still, grim satisfaction held sway. As so often before, he, Duncan, and Ronan would face the coming struggle together. He stopped to hold the spear with two hands vertically before him and lean his forehead against it. Eyes closed, he listened to the wind rustle the trees and waited for the forest to embrace him. “Protect me, Lord Vishnu, that I may protect my friends. But if not take me not them.”

  Refreshed and renewed, Janesh moved through the woods—swift, sure, silent. Duncan and Ronan sensed the mood, became noiseless wraiths scouting the front. Hours became minutes, miles became yards. The Seer confirmed Unit Four remained stationary. They circled downwind where Janesh crept within twenty feet.

  “Okay, hold it. This’ll look great over my mantle.” Janesh nudged aside a leafy twig. Two men holding weapons stood on either side of a dead tiger hanging from a branch by its hind legs. The picture-taker switched with one who took another. Photo-op done, two commandos stripped off their tops and pulled out bayonets. One lifted the head and began cutting. “Be careful, Steve. Don’t ruin it.”

  “Relax. I’ve taken off plenty moose heads for mounting.” The other began sawing off paws for tabletop decorations. A mile away the dogs had come upon two tiger cubs perhaps a month old. These three had come upon the mother. Around the makeshift camp six others lounged or dozed, ignoring the mutilation. Three more guarding the perimeter had not detected their presence. Cold fury raised the hairs along Janesh’s spine. The Lord Counselor’s warning not to fail rang clear. In microcosm the scene aped galactic truth. Species superiority had a parallel—arrogance.