Prosperine: The Adventures of the Space Heroine Hickory Lace: Books 1, 2 & 3 (The Prosperine Trilogy)

by PJ McDermott

  “We’ll pick it up on the sonar,” said the professor. “It has a range of four hundred yards. Jeff, let’s have a look around here.” He motioned to the man at the wheel.

  The pilot reduced the throttle, and the craft slowed to a crawl.

  Nothing could be seen on the monitor. Gareth frowned. “It might not be that easy to find if it has an aquatic cloak.”

  “What’s that?” said Jess.

  “I said if the structure has an aquatic cloak, the sonar won’t pick it up.” He looked at Jess, who raised one eyebrow. He hurried on. “It’s just like the name implies. It’s a cool piece of technology developed by other aquacultures. It works differently from a masking field, which is primarily designed to reflect nearby images back to the eye. The aquatic cloak absorbs the multiple sound pings from search equipment. As far as the operator is concerned, there’s nothing there.”

  “Nerd,” said Jess.

  “What?” Gareth shrugged, holding his hands open palm up.

  “Enough,” said Hickory. “If it is cloaked, is there any way we can locate the target, Gareth?”

  “Not unless we jump in the water and swim in circles until we see it.”

  Hickory sighed. “That’s what we’ll have to do, then. Get your gear on and let’s get moving. Professor, I suggest you anchor here, and the three of us will take a look around.”

  “No way,” said Markhov, shaking his head. “I’m not missing out on the discovery of the century.” He pulled the wetsuit over his clothes and adjusted his air supply.

  “Look out for the piranhas,” said Jess.

  “And the butterfly shark—especially the butterfly shark,” said Gareth.

  The four adjusted their SIM comms implants and slid over the side and into the water.

  Visibility was good as Markhov’s voice came through Hickory’s SIM implant. “I performed a chemical analysis on this section of the sea from orbit. The salinity is forty-two percent, which makes it saltier than the Dead Sea on Earth.”

  Hickory heard her own breathing over the quiet hum of the aqua-propulsion unit on her back. “Spread out, but stay within visual range of the person on either side of you. Keep the chatter to a minimum, but if you spot anything, use the SIM network to alert everybody. Let’s go. Half throttle.”

  The four moved silently through the water at about ten knots. Hickory took them down to twelve meters then leveled off. Almost immediately, a shout came through from Gareth on the far side of the four swimmers.

  “Hey, I’ve found it.”

  Hickory propelled herself over to join the other three. Her heart thumped rapidly as the structure loomed into view. Vast and definitely alien in design, the structure had three tiers arranged vertically, each one shaped like the cap of a massive mushroom. A raised platform extended fifty feet from the top like the conning tower of an ancient submarine.

  That must be what we spotted from the shore, Hickory thought. Fine lines crisscrossed the surface of the top level and electric-blue conduits, as thin as spider crab legs, sprouted from each intersection. The edges of the construct disappeared into the gloom, so from her vantage point, Hickory couldn’t tell exactly how big it was, only that it must be huge.

  The whole edifice shone like burnished black obsidian, reflecting everything around it. She couldn’t see windows, lights, doors, or any other way of getting inside.

  Two butterfly sharks swam back and forth like sentinels keeping pace with their reflections in front of the top level. Their eyes swiveled to maintain the humans in sight.

  “I believe we may be intruding on their territory,” said Markhov.

  Jess pointed to the lower level of the structure where a school of small fish swarmed, their silvery bodies glinting every time they changed direction. “Piranhas,” she murmured.

  “I doubt the sharks are worried about themselves,” said Hickory. “Keep your eyes on the surface directly behind them, and you’ll see why.”

  Like a magic trick, three smaller butterfly sharks poked their heads out of the shiny black surface then disappeared. Hickory examined the area using the subsonic diagnostic tool they had brought with them. “This whole section is covered in portals of some sort—could be transport bays or other points of entry with a bit of luck. These fish are using one of them for a nest. They’re protecting their young ones. ”

  “Pretty effective camouflage,” said Jess.

  At that moment, the piranha school swam towards the larger fish. The sharks, with their young in tow, immediately reacted by charging them. The smaller fish scattered as the sharks cut a swathe through them, biting and slicing everything in their path. Blood clouded the water as the piranhas turned on their own.

  “Right, let’s get out of here. I’ve got what I need for the moment,” said Markhov.

  The four swam backward, keeping watch on the edifice and the fish until they surfaced next to the Duck.

  Surprise Guest

  The admiral scowled at Hickory from the holoscreen. “You should have waited for me to get back. You’re lucky you weren’t killed.”

  “We were in no danger, sir,” said Hickory, glancing at Jess and Gareth beside her. Markhov had declined to join them, saying he needed to process the data he had recorded from their trip. Hickory wondered at that: surely he’d want to tell the admiral about their findings?

  “Where the hell is Markhov, and who told him to take charge?” The admiral’s face burned.

  “He’s in the lab, looking at the vids from the dive. I assumed he was following your instructions. Is something wrong?” Hickory eyed the admiral. Something wasn’t right. Adam Brandt had sent Markhov, and he would have briefed the admiral.

  “Markhov is a loose cannon. I’d rather he wasn’t involved in this. Did he say anything to you?”

  Hickory’s hair prickled at the back of her neck. “About what?”

  “Never mind. Tell me what you’ve found so far.”

  Hickory’s eyebrows twitched briefly. She gave her report. “The seismic analysis provides a pretty good picture of the overall shape and size of the edifice. It’s big. If I refer to its shape as a triple-capped mushroom, you’ll get the idea. The three ‘caps’ are at least five miles from end to end. Markhov says the black reflective surface is an unknown technology, which is why our instruments didn’t pick it up during the regular orbital survey of the planet.”

  The admiral leaned forward. “So, whatever this is, it’s not native. Alien, then?”

  Gareth cleared his throat. “Actually, sir, we think it is native.”

  The admiral’s steely eyes turned to Gareth. “Go on.”

  “There’s not a dent or a scratch on it, which would be pretty remarkable for an intergalactic spaceship, but then again neither coral nor seaweed has made it their home either. So, yes, it ticks the box for advanced technology, far superior to anything the Avanauri people are capable of, of course. But it’s also old—I mean thousands of years old. We’ve studied the underlying rock structure in the vicinity, and this seabed was dry land not that long ago, geologically speaking. Also, the professor ran the data through PORO, the Proto-sentient Objective Reasoning Organism, and there are no signs of alien contamination either on the structure itself or on the seabed around it. That pretty much rules out the possibility of it being an alien artifact. And, if we eliminate that, the only conclusion we’re left with is that it’s native to Prosperine.”

  “Hmph!” said the admiral. “Eliminate the impossible and whatever’s left, no matter how improbable, must be correct. Alright, but, if the Avanauri aren’t capable of creating something like this…”

  “It has to be the product of a pre-existing civilization. One that’s no longer around.”

  The admiral inclined his head to one side and chuckled. “So, what are you suggesting? A by-gone race that’s now extinct?”

  Gareth smiled. “Could be, sir. They might have been wiped out by some natural disaster, or war. It is also conceivable that the builders left the planet after th
ey’d completed it.”

  “Interesting hypothesis, Mr. Blanquette.” He turned to Hickory. “Have you figured out how to get in?”

  “The surface area on the top level has several entry ports recessed into the surface. We can’t tell whether they’re accessible until we make the attempt of course, but they look intact, and we’re hopeful they’re in working order. I recommend that instead of waiting for the next low tide, we go back down there and find a way in, sir.”

  The admiral pursed his lips and looked at her from beneath his shaggy eyebrows. “How will you prevent yourself from becoming fish food?”

  “We can set up tazer-nets around part of the hull. That should keep the fish away, and we can work on it undisturbed.”

  “Alright, Commander. Let’s make that happen. Now, you two leave us.” He signaled to Jess and Gareth. “I’d like to talk to the commander privately.”

  The admiral’s face filled the comms screen. “I thought you’d want to know. I’m bringing Kar-sèr-Sephiryth back with me.”

  Hickory’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re what? Why?”

  “Mainly because he wanted me to take him here. He seemed to think you could do with some help, and I didn’t think you would mind.”

  Hickory felt the heat rise up her neck. It would be wonderful to have the Teacher here, but she didn’t believe for a moment the admiral would agree to bring Kar to the Scarf out of the goodness of his heart. “And?” she said.

  “There’s no ‘and.'” The admiral screwed up his face and shook his head. “He seems to know a lot about the Scarf. I don’t understand how he could—even Yonni knows precious little other than rumors. But he may well be of help. He says the sword was recently in Avanaux but is on its way back here.”

  “What—how?”

  “It’s a long story. The Teacher can tell you when he arrives.”

  The admiral knew more than he was saying, and it frustrated Hickory that he wouldn’t share it.

  The admiral licked his lips and coughed. “On another matter, I want you to stay away from Professor Markhov.”

  “Why? Are you afraid I might lose my innocence to him? I can assure you, it’s too late for that.”

  The admiral slammed a fist against the desk in front of him. “Dammit, Hickory. Can’t you do one thing I ask without an inquisition? Stay away from him, or I’ll relieve you of your commission. Do you understand?”

  Hickory clenched her fists and shouted. “No, I don’t understand. Why are you so bloody-minded? The man’s old enough to be my father! And why should you worry about my personal life anyway?”

  The admiral’s eyes opened wide, and he sat mute.

  “You don’t have to worry anyway. I haven’t seen him since we investigated the anomaly. This whole thing is ridiculous.” She folded her arms and shook her head, refusing to look at him.

  The admiral spoke so softly she almost didn’t hear him. “But, I do worry, Hickory.”

  *

  Hickory’s heart beat in her ears like a drum. She watched as the lander settled and the doors opened.

  The admiral came out first, followed by two researchers. There was a five-second hiatus before the Teacher appeared in the doorway. He shaded his eyes and looked around the campsite, then lifted an arm in greeting when he spotted Hickory.

  Jess nudged her in the side. “Looks like he’s pleased to see you.” Hickory didn’t respond, and Jess looked at her keenly. “Looks like its mutual,” she said, “but you’d best say hello to the admiral first, and try to keep your enthusiasm in check.” She nudged her again.

  “Huh?” Hickory abruptly became aware of the fast approaching admiral, and she stiffened, offering a salute.

  “Relax, Commander,” he said. I know you didn’t come out here to meet me. “Ten minutes. You’ve got ten minutes, and then I want to see you and your crew in my office. Got that?”

  “Yes, sir.” Hickory turned to face Jess. “Pick up Gareth, and I’ll see you there in ten.”

  She walked smartly to greet the Teacher, deliberately ignoring Jess’s parting grin.

  “Morning, Kar. Did you enjoy your journey?”

  “Greetings, Hickory.” He reached for her and embraced, then held her at arm’s length and gazed at her critically. “You’re getting thinner. You need to look after yourself better.”

  Hickory blushed and glanced at her feet. Like a giddy little schoolgirl. She gathered her wits and said, “First time on a flyer? Must have been quite a thrill for you.”

  “A remarkable experience. I never knew such things were possible, but more edifying by far was to see your people in the flesh. The physical appearance of Earthlings is astounding—such hair!”

  Hickory laughed. She felt relieved that he knew her origin at last. They had spent a lot of time together in Erlach, and it had plagued her to keep her true origin a secret from him, although there were occasions when she felt sure there was nothing he didn’t know about her.

  “I hope our omnivorous habits didn’t upset you too much.”

  The Teacher’s eyes clouded over. “I don’t know what to think about that. Humans do not have the appearance of carnivores, but your people have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep that aspect secret from the Avanauri. It’s worrisome to consider that a race as advanced as yours feeds on other sentient life forms.”

  “Some experts say the reason we have evolved to where we are is because we eat meat.”

  “Who knows the mind of Balor, Hickory? It may be as you say; however, it is strange to think this is the way He intended.”

  Hickory felt a pang in her heart. She sensed his estimation of her had lowered. Who were the more advanced species here? “The admiral says you have some news of the sword?”

  “Just as I told him,” he said. He related his dream and his conviction that the future of the planet was in jeopardy. “Balor commanded me to come to the Scarf to be united with the sword.”

  Hickory felt the first flickers of doubt, and it was an ache deep inside like she had lost a precious gift.

  His smile was tinged with sadness. “Still, you do not know me, Hickory? At least believe that I saw Thurle and one other flee Ezekan with the sword. And trust me when I say the sword is drawn to this place for a purpose.”

  She left the Teacher at the door to his quarters and then returned to the admiral’s office for the briefing.

  The Ark

  The admiral massaged his temple with his eyes closed. In contrast to his usual military correctness, his uniform was crushed and his hair in disarray. He raised his head and looked at the assembled group with rheumy eyes and a sour expression.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s had a big night, thought Hickory.

  The admiral pulled his jacket straight. “Two days ago, a missing member of our crew turned up in a storage box inside the shuttle. He’d been strangled. There was no sign of a struggle.” He paused. “We also discovered some clothing has gone missing. Our forensic people matched the time of death to when the shuttle was last here on El Toro.”

  Hickory and Jess glanced at each other. They spoke together. “Vogel.”

  The admiral nodded. “We searched Dominion Island for him, but I’m afraid we were too late. We have to assume he managed to reach the mainland.”

  “He met up with Thurle, and now he’s on his way back here.” Hickory’s heart was afire. Why hadn’t she believed Kar?

  “So says the Teacher. We’ve searched the seas between here and Avanaux and found no sign of either of them.”

  “Like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Jess.

  “They’re on their way here.” Hickory nodded emphatically.

  The admiral’s eyebrows rose. “I hardly think we need to concern ourselves with that. If they come near here, I’ll take great pleasure in clamping them in irons. Now, tell me about this undersea city you’ve discovered. How far have you got with finding a way in?”

  Hickory pressed her lips together. “It’s a slow process. The pla
ce is so big. We’ve identified three possible entry points, though there could be a dozen more we haven’t found. Jess has been working with the research team, and she has some exciting news.” She nodded at Jess to continue.

  “Yes, sir. We discovered a panel with an unfamiliar script located inside one of the alcoves next to what we believe is an entry point. We’ve fed the script to PORO and had several linguistics experts link in. Nothing of much use, except it’s like no known language in the universe. Based on the frequency of some of the glyphs they’ve guessed there are vowels and consonants, but without a known reference point even PORO is stumped.”

  The admiral looked at her blankly. “Not what I’d call exciting news, Jess.”

  “No, sir. But we’ve also discovered that the sections rotate, clockwise, anticlockwise and clockwise from the top down. It’s ultra-slow, but it tells us something is still operational in there.”

  “That’s hopeful at least, but we still need to find a way in.”

  “Yes, sir. We tried blasting, but our explosives didn’t put a dent in the surface. We worked out that the surface is an absorbent micro-shield. We bombarded it with ultrasonics and X-rays, then subjected it to every frequency on the electromagnetic spectrum. Nothing. Then PORO came up with the bright idea of using high-energy gamma rays to create a shower of high-energy particles and antiparticles. The reaction punched a hole in the structure. We’ve got our way in.”

  The admiral clapped his hands and looked eagerly at Jess and Hickory. “What did we find?”

  Hickory smiled. “Thought you might want to see for yourself, sir.”

  “Prepare yourself, it’s breathtaking.” Hickory ducked beneath the jagged edge resulting from the gamma-ray reaction and led the admiral inside. The engineers had constructed an airtight nodule over the outside that allowed them to walk the length of the exposed corridor. Hickory slid the door at the end of the passage to one side, and it opened easily. “When we blew the outside portal, we also shorted the internal locks,” she said.