by Laura Watson
Mikel glanced over at the Brancher, who stood against the far wall, listening to the discourse. “It was the best and most fair solution for you.” Mikel said resignedly, “Serel would have given you back to the Grays and you would have been killed if I hadn't intervened on your behalf. I told him how you helped me escape the prison I was in on your world.” The Brancher stretched forth one of his spindly limbs, and pulled the vivid memory from Sarah's mind.
“I told him how you walked so far from your home, alone, Mikel continued, “to set me free from the cell that the humans had locked me in.”
The Brancher explored the memory that he had pulled from Sarah's mind, feeling the heat and the bitter cold of the Earth's desert. He smelled the dust and the strange smell of the desert life that lurked under the rocks and in the dens during the daytime heat. He saw the broad expanse of stars in the night time sky. He tasted the cactus that Sarah had eaten, savoring the watery, strange, new flavor.
“He wasn't easy to convince, Sarah.” Mikel informed her, “He says that your thoughts are impure.”
The Brancher lowered his outstretched limb.“You doubt, you fear, you question, and he can't allow you to pollute the thoughts of the other beings here.” Mikel shook his head, sadly and looked at the Brancher, “He finally agreed that you didn't deserve to die at the Grays'
hands, but he also determined that you couldn't stay here with us.”
Sarah cried, but tears held no pity for Mikel, they were merely a curiosity to him. She didn't want to go back there to the Grays' space but she couldn’t stay here either. The look that Serel gave her had already told her as much.
Mikel explained to her, that he would check on her. She was always in his thoughts. He would also keep his friends Samel and Pate in a space close to her, in the event that the Grays attempted to disobey the instructions from Serel, which was very unlikely. “The Grays are an abominable caste of beings, but they are not stupid beings by any means.” Mikel stated.
Sarah felt like puking up what little bit of spongy substance she had eaten earlier. Her stomach lurched alarmingly. So there is a fate worse than death, she thought miserably. She felt her gorge rising. She had to go back to the Grays’ space!
The Brancher watched Sarah with interest. This being loves Mikel. he thought. He had reached into her thoughts as she walked, through one of the long desert nights, to save him.
This being is worthy, he thought, but her primordial mind, unsophisticated and base, had learned too much, too early, of the negative aspects of existence. Her doubts insulted him as well.
Mikel is an ancient!, the Brancher fumed, silently. He is learned and truthful. Mikel isn't pure, though, the Brancher corrected himself quickly. None were pure, except for the Highest.
The being Sarah, loved Mikel, and she had saved him once, the Brancher thought, as he lowered his sensor, she cannot be allowed to die at the Grays'
hands. The Brancher reached back in time, to Serel's mind, as he conversed with Mikel. The Brancher made the decisions.
Mikel allowed her to stay for a few more hours while he instructed her on how to behave and what things she could and could not eat and what she could and could not do there. Sarah felt the young ones in her mind as she sat and listened to Mikel's instructions.
They curiously probed her thoughts, her ideas and her reactions. Mikel intercepted their thoughts and guarded Sarah's mind, scolding the young ones harshly. Sarah registered Mikel's instructions as carefully as she could.
When she returned to the Grays' space, Sarah eyed the Grays suspiciously, still a little afraid they might snatch her up quickly and stick her back into one of their death chambers. They eyed her coldly, in return, and barely acknowledged her return. They glanced slowly at her and then away again as they screeched softly to each other and continued working, their strangely angled heads bent over a circular piece of machinery that they had brought with them from Kryox.
Sarah stayed at a distance from them, in the weeks to follow, in case they suddenly changed their minds, but she now knew that they were more afraid of Serel than hungry for her.
Something new had surfaced from Serel’s
decision to spare her, something that could be very useful to the Grays. Since Serel had forbidden them to harm her, or kill her, she had become, in their thoughts, sanctified, and even though they despised her, they saw a potential use for her.
Sarah, in the minds of the Grays was now
sanctified. This occurred because she was spared. In their ritual, anyone spared, or sanctified, was sacred.
Anything she did was forgivable. Anything she agreed to would be accepted or sanctified. Anything sanctified could then be justified.
If she agreed with them, it would give them permission to proceed with any plan they proposed.
This was an integral function in the hierarchy of all beings.
According to the Great Ritual, any proposal had to be sanctified before it could be put into action.
Justification equaled sanctification and something sanctified would always be justified.
They slipped subtle messages into Sarah's mind, trying to get her to agree with them on all kinds of things as they talked about their plans.
Sarah followed the Grays around in their space and watched from a distance as they adjusted and repaired and maintained the massive machines that kept the Patrol ship functioning.
Mikel translated their thoughts to Sarah, when the Grays weren't directing their thoughts directly into her mind. In this way, she was able to listen in as they talked to each other. It was eavesdropping, in a sense, except the conversation was filtered first by Mikel.
There were many things that Sarah's primitive mind would never be able to accept or grasp. Things that would hurt her mind in irreparable ways. Mikel carefully sifted through the information storehouses of the Grays' minds, selecting only what was
comprehensible and suitable for Sarah's mind to receive.
Of the information that Mikel chose to translate to Sarah, was that the Grays wanted desperately to return to their home planet and participate in something they called “The Harvest.” They missed performing “The Ritual” at night with their own kind. They wanted their own ship, and meant to have one before The Harvest took place.
The Harvest was a big four month long
celebration that the Grays looked forward to each year.
One was scheduled to begin soon, and the Grays talked longingly of being a part of it. There was always a feast to be had after the Harvest. There were events and competitions. Prizes of knowledge were given to the ship with the largest cargo, and they would also be given the honor of sitting with the Elect during the feast. It sounded great to Sarah, and she smiled as she recalled the fairs and field day activities that her school usually held in the spring every year.
“It's not the same thing, Sarah,” Mikel warned her, as he listened in to her thoughts. “Don't assume that these beings are in any way similar to you. They aren't.”
But it sounds exactly the same as a school day fair, Sarah thought. “No Sarah, it isn't the same,” Mikel repeated, more sternly this time, “stop assuming.” he again warned her.
Sarah stopped thinking about the spring fairs and watched as the Grays cleaned and repaired their machines. A few days later, one of Mikel's friends called to her while she was walking through the passageway from the small space where she had been sleeping.
The Grays had shown her where she would be staying for the remainder of her time on board, since the death cocoons were reserved for their dinner, only. It was a small oblong room with no furniture or bed of any kind.
Sarah slept on the cool bare floor and was given food consisting of raw mashed shrimp and water daily by Samel or Pate. They brought the two coppery blue bowls, one with water, the other with raw mashed shrimp and set them on the floor for her to consume.
Each day, after she ate, she walked to the machinery spaces to see what the Grays were doing.
Since she wasn't allowed to venture into any other part of the ship, at Serel's command, her walking area was limited to these massive spaces where the Grays worked. This day, she was on her way to the largest machinery area when she heard Mikel's friend Pate call to her.
“Sarah, ” Pate whispered in her mind. “Mikel has sent for you. He wishes me to escort you to his living area.”
Serel had allowed Mikel a visit from Sarah on the condition that she was to be escorted and never left alone outside of the machinery spaces. Sarah followed along as Pate explained that Mikel had found a little being hiding in one of the tree samples they had obtained from Earth over a month ago.
“It just fell out of the sample,” Pate cried, clearly distressed over the little bean, as he called it. Their race did not pronounce being as be – ing, but as bean. Sarah had to stifle a giggle every time they said that word.
“We didn't even know it was in there.” Pate continued.
“What is it?” Mikel asked, when Sarah and Pate walked into his living area. “What is this strange looking little bean called?” Sarah put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her smile... bean, there was that word again. She looked to where Mikel pointed, “Oh, Mikel!” Sarah exclaimed, “You know it's a kitten!” “A kit-ten,” Mikel repeated. “Yes, Mikel, a kitten, and stop pretending you don't know what it is.” Sarah laughed.
She couldn't believe her eyes. A beautiful little gray striped kitten, with white feet, stood on the hematite colored floor of Mikel's living area. Sarah sat down and reached out her hand to pet it.“I think she needs some food and water, Mikel,” Sarah said, after picking the listless little cat up and placing it on her lap. “I wonder how it has stayed alive so long?” I wonder, Mikel thought, smiling to himself. Mikel had found the kitten over three and a half weeks earlier, he had just wanted to see Sarah for a few hours before they took her home again.
“What does the kit-ten eat?” Mikel asked
casually, and Sarah, thinking, said, “Well, Mikel, I think that it can eat what I eat.” Mikel produced a container of mashed shrimp from a wall compartment, handing it to Sarah along with water in another coppery blue container. The kitten ate hungrily and drank part of the water before curling up on Sarah's lap again. “I think I'll call her Mare,” Sarah said, spelling the word out M..a..r..e, for Mikel, and stroked the kittens soft fur. “A mare is a female horse, Sarah,” Mikel said dryly. “Why do you want to call her by a horse's name?” “No, Mikel, Sarah replied, “It's just spelled like that, but pronounced Mary,” Mikel replied a little irritatedly “Then why don't you just name her Mary?” “Because I like the way Mare is spelled.” Sarah said stubbornly, adding, “So that's what her name will be.” “Well that is just the silliest thing I have heard in a long time Sarah.” Mikel said in exasperation. “You name her what you want to name her. I will name her kitten, because that is what she is.”
Sarah looked at Mikel and shook her head. It was no use arguing with Mikel, he was just as stubborn as she was.
“Fine” she said. “Fine” Mikel mimicked, imitating her voice perfectly.
With instructions for Mare’s care given to Mikel, Sarah started to leave, but Mikel stopped her. Mare had walked over and laid down in front of the Brancher.
This was the weirdest looking thing that Sarah had ever seen. It resembled a large tree branch. It had four long spindly legs that looked impossible to support it's trunk-like torso. It was covered with a thick brown and gray bark like flesh that was rough and skinned in places.
“The Brancher is not life as you know it, Sarah,”
Mikel explained, noticing the way she stared at it. “I found him on Liftun, or rather, he found me,” Mikel sighed.“Why did you bring him on board Mikel?” Sarah asked.
“He was not happy on Liftun,” Mikel replied.
“He followed me back on board my ship. I discovered him there in the cargo bay, but by then, we were too far away from Liftun to turn back, so I advised Serel of the situation and was allowed to keep him in my living area. The Brancher doesn't want to go back to Liftun.
He wants to stay here with me.” Mikel sighed deeply and looked over at the Brancher. He didn't understand why the Brancher had chosen him to bond with, but it had not been his decision. The Brancher made the decisions.
Sarah looked at the Brancher, he seemed to be listening her mind whispered, again. “He is listening,”
Mikel said, reading her unspoken thoughts.“He is a highly evolved form of life. He is one of the oldest and highest in the Great Order of Beings. He is nothing like anything you have, or ever will see again,” Mikel continued. “I named him the Brancher, because that is what he looks like, and that is what he does, but that is not his true name. He would not tell me his true name.”
“He branches out into space and time with his thoughts. He can harness energy from the vastness of space and is an enlightened being of gathered and stored knowledge. The energy he harnesses can manifest as knowledge or as raw power, a power so great that it can scorch entire worlds.”
“What are you going to do with him Mikel?”
Sarah asked, warily regarding the Brancher despite Mikel's assurances that it wouldn't sneak up on her.“What am I going to do with him?” Mikel laughed, his voice tinkled like crystals.“The real question is, Sarah, what is he going to do with me?”
Mikel walked over to the Brancher and placed his hand on its' rough bark like body, near what Sarah thought might be its' head. Mikel's hand began to glow with a luminous white light. “What is it doing to you Mikel?” Sarah asked, alarmed. “Is it hurting you?”
Mikel didn't answer her, he only stood beside of the Brancher. The glow from his hand now spread up his arm and traveled quickly towards his torso. “Mikel!”
Sarah shouted, “Mikel are you alright!?
Mikel seemed to hear her for the first time since placing his hand on the Brancher. His voice sounded far away and faint, but he responded. “I am not being harmed, Sarah. I am with the Brancher in his thoughts.
We are traveling. Do not be alarmed, he will bring me back safely.”
Mikel didn't say anything else for hours
afterwards, he only stood beside of the Brancher, his body inundated with luminous white light.
Pate and Samel stood with Sarah in Mikel's living area and watched Mikel. They talked to Sarah and reassured her that Mikel would be alright, that he would return, but after four hours, even they began to show signs of worry. From Samel's sporadic pacing to Pate tapping his fingers restlessly on the large viewing window, it was becoming obvious they were worried.
“We don't know very much about this life form,”
Pate stated after the fourth hour had passed. “Mikel trusted it,” Samel replied, “He knows what he's doing,”
Sarah watched Mikel for any sign that he had returned from his travels with the Brancher, but Mikel remained as he had been for the last four hours, frozen in place, bathed in a brilliant white glow, his eyes vacantly staring out into space and time.
After the sixth hour of Mikel's strange
transformation, Pate was becoming really worried. He tapped his fingers restlessly against the viewing glass window in a steady beat that was driving Sarah nuts.
“We have to get him away from that Brancher,” Pate told Samel, “I'm afraid of what it might be doing to him.” Samel looked over at Pate and shook his head slowly back and forth in a surprisingly human like gesture. “Don't you touch him, Pate,” Samel warned him, an ominous tone in his otherwise quiet voice.
“Mikel said that he would be alright, and we are going to wait for him to get back, and that is that.”
Pate didn't want to argue with Samel. Samel was his superior and his elder, and in both respects had earned his obedience, as Mikel had, but Pate was now torn between the obedience he felt for Mikel and for Samel. He couldn't just stand here and let that being take Mikel where they couldn't find him or help him.
Pate's mind raced to the thousands of different outcom
es that might occur if he disobeyed Samel and just walked over to where Mikel stood, stuck like glue to the Brancher, and pushed him away from it. “Don't do it.” Samel warned, the ominous tone in his voice magnifying his growing impatience for Pate's thoughts.
“You do not want to face what awaits you if you disobey me,” he added.
Pate drummed his fingers nervously on the
viewing window as Samel began pacing the room, his eyes locked with Pate's. They tuned Sarah out of their conversation and stood face to face at the viewing window. A battle of wills was being raged between them. All was silent in Mikel's living space, and Sarah stared at the two beings as they conversed.
The air had become charged with an electrifying sensation and the faint smell of an electric charge drifted into Sarah's nose. She turned to look at Mikel, and saw that the glow from the Brancher had faded and was only visible on the hand that Mikel still had placed on it. As she watched, the luminous glow faded away completely and Mikel was present in her mind again.
His voice held a quality that she did not
immediately understand or recognize. He sounded different, she thought. His voice sounded fuller, richer, wiser, more experienced than it had over six hours ago.
It was as if she had not heard his voice for eons, for ages. “Sarah,” Mikel began, and then noticed Samel and Pate by the viewing window.
Mikel walked over to where the two still stood face to face, deep in conversation, or battle, or perhaps now reaching an understanding. He stood with them for ten minutes before he finally addressed Sarah again.
Sarah watched this with genuine curiosity. It fascinated her how they were able to talk like that, silent and privately, without ever opening their mouths.
Although she, herself had been doing the very same thing, it was still fascinating to watch it actually taking place.
After ten minutes, Mikel walked away from his two friends and over to where Sarah stood watching them. “What happened Mikel?” Sarah asked, “Is everything alright?” She nodded towards Samel and Pate, who now faced them.
