The Book of Ominiue: Starborn

by D. M. Barnham

  ‘And when this difference is accounted for?’ the Brigadier asked.

  ‘95 percent probability if they share the same genetic ancestry as known life,’ the robot responded causing Rae to roll her eyes.

  ‘Are we able to treat him now? Do we have anything that can help him?’ Shayne addressed Rae.

  ‘Yes,’ she responded, ‘pain killers are always available and the medical class military machines always carry a variety of other meds, including cancer restrictors, in case of something like this.’

  ‘The stupid robotic laws make them impractical at times,’ Omar scoffed.

  ‘It has proven its worth today,’ Shayne reasoned.

  ‘Which is their argument’ Rae added ‘Do you have a lung inhaler?’ she asked the droid who brought out a small medical box from a compartment in its leg, a sight that caught the attention from the nearby natives. 73B then opened it to show a collection of vials and pumps split into various categories.

  ‘What if he has a reaction to the meds?’ Hanniver suddenly warned, placing a hand on Shayne’s arm.

  ‘We have everything needed for such an event,’ Rae replied.

  ‘But that’s for humans, who knows what differences lie within these creatures.’

  ‘They share the same native medicines with the humans on this planet, by what I hear they also appear to be affected by same viral infections. It is reasonable to assume a common genetic component. I don’t think we have any reason to be worried about alien factors,’ rationalised Shayne.

  The Starborn then returned to the bottom step of the throne. ‘We have medications that could help ease the pain right now. May we approach?’ Two guards standing beside the throne shifted uneasily, with one muttering a protest, but the UeVarda raised his hand; silencing them. He then nodded to Shayne who signalled for Rae Wong and the android to approach.

  ‘This is Lieutenant Wong, one of our healers, and this is 73B–GMSR,’ Shayne indicated the machine. ‘They both can help you.’ Rae received a little cartridge from the robot with the two vials placed into the injector. She then stepped up to the throne with Shayne at her side.

  ‘What is that Afra’hama?’ asked the UeVarda, his eyes though tired were full of curiosity.

  ‘This is an injection needle, forgive me UeVarda, this shall hurt a little, but I guarantee that your sickness will subside and you will feel much better. After this we can properly examine you without too much discomfort.’ Rae took the cap off as she then gently twisted the king’s arm and found a vein. She dabbed it with disinfected before she placed the object on his arm and softly pushed down. A soft click sounded; allowing the fluid to flow into his bloodstream. The king flinched at the injection. His eyes betrayed shock and a little anger but he quickly regained himself.

  ‘We don’t have the correct equipment to fully assess you,’ Rae gently spoke with the training of a medical officer while the machine relayed. ‘If you came back to Landing with us, we could do a full medical, but right now we can cover all the basics. A doctor will come with what is necessary to assess any other problems.’ When she let go of his arm he lifted it and rubbed where the needle had entered.

  The android handed Shayne a small device. ‘You should demonstrate the use of this.’

  ‘This is a protein-pump,’ Shayne lifted the little plastic device for the UeVarda to see. ‘Just put it in your mouth and push down on this point here and breathe in, like this.’ Shayne put the apparatus in his mouth and demonstrated the process; taking a very deep breath. ‘The clicking sound indicates you have used it correctly,’ Shayne then handed the pump to the UeVarda who after examining it for a moment tried it for himself. He coughed at his intake of breath and then pulled a face at the taste; sticking his tongue out.

  ‘Even Star Ta’Orian medicine taste terrible.’

  ‘Good,’ Shayne commented. ‘Use that twice a day until it is empty.’

  ‘How do these things work?’ the Venra asked. ‘Is it some kind of Wizardry?’

  ‘It is science,’ Rae corrected her. ‘They are both designed to destroy cancer; a disease that attacks inside the body.’ She then directed her attention back to the king. ‘The needle I gave you had a painkiller within it and also a variety of cultivated cells to fight many forms of cancer that can be reached through the bloodstream. A pill can also be taken for the stomach and bowel, but we shall wait to see if that is needed. The needle is always a good surety, but the doctor should be able to give you more detailed analysis and more specialised treatments if needed, which at this advanced stage is likely.’

  ‘And the breathing thing?’ the UeVarda lifted it up to examine it again, as if doing that would reveal the secret to its mechanism.

  ‘The inhaler contains a protein crafted using nanotechnology.’ Shayne added. ‘It works much like the injection but you breathe it in, like air. Used to fight diseases in the lungs. If you contain affected cells you will develop a dry cough, it is a positive response, and it means it is doing its job.’

  ‘And if I do not get this cough?’ he asked.

  ‘Than it means you never had it,’ he said. ‘The proteins you breathed in will break down and bind themselves to carbon dioxide that is naturally produced in your system, and you will breathe it out.’

  ‘You think I have this long canser?’

  ‘Undoubtedly, the droid confirmed it from your symptoms.’

  Shayne, Rae and the gemscar excused themselves from the native king to stand with the other Earthmen and await the transport plane. There were a few who bowed as he passed them but their attention was mostly directed to their king. As if the medicine given to him would create a miraculous and sudden improvement. The morphine distilled from a planet from the ‘Remus- Centauri’ system began to take effect and he did look slightly better though his cough remained dampening any ‘instant cure’ hopes the entourage had.

  ‘Who is the man in the mask?’ Hanniver found himself asking. They all glanced at the two monks who watched them with grim scepticism. While attending the king Shayne was able to clearly see them and confirmed that one was wearing a metal mask, covering the top half of his face and running down to his jaw line. ‘There’s an old saying, “never trust a man in a mask,”’ Hanniver quoted without suspicion but merely because Kíe had not yet replied.

  ‘Unless it’s Batman,’ Omar added.

  ‘Well, I meant real people.’ Hanniver replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

  ‘Plenty of masked vigilantes out there, don’t have to be fictional,’ Omar defended.

  ‘He is the second head of The Order,’ Kíe answered, ‘He is one of the councillors of the UeVarda, and a bodyguard, even though he is a Ta’Orian and not an Imperial Shytarda.’ The look in the young lionman’s eyes was almost fondness, but Shayne was not sure if it was directed to his king or to the masked man.

  ‘Yeah, but why the mask?’

  Kíe made a movement that Shayne came to know as their equivalent of a shrugged, ‘A good question. Some say that only the UeVarda knows who he truly is. He is the greatest fighter in Kérith-Árim. He can disarm a Fa’Orian with nothing but his hands.’ Kíe held his hands out with their palms out to emphasis the gesture; he then paused for moment; his expression turning slightly shifty.

  ‘I think he’s a Prince from across the great water in the south. Common rumour says he is a descendent of the cold land pirate raiders. These days we trade with those descendants but rumour of the occasional raid does reach us up here.’

  ‘Still doesn’t explain why he wears a mask.’ Rae added.

  ‘Common rumour says he was found one day upon the beaches of the southern coast, on the edge of death. He was scarred so badly that he wears a mask to conceal his hideous face and that he pleaded for sanctuary in Karmoníth from assassins. He has been in the land ever since.’

  ‘There is an awful lot of “common rumour” in this tale.’ Shayne bluntly remarked. He had to speak a little louder as he stood slightly away from their gossiping circle. The
others spoke in hushed tones as the room echoed and some of the natives tried to move in closer without being noticed to listen in on them.

  Kíe’s head reared in defence. ‘Everyone knows they are just stories Afra’hama; no harm in them.’

  ‘And what about their Order? What are they exactly?’ Dominic inquired.

  ‘Them? They are the Kerwin. Warrior Monks. Tales have it that the Order was founded in Isradia, from a hidden temple on an Island in an underground lake.’

  ‘That sounds extreme.’

  ‘Pretty much all Isradian cities are underground. It’s plausible. Anyway schools and temples are scattered throughout much of Dífrun. There are three monasteries that I know of this side of the mountains. One here in Karmoníth, the only one in a city and the only one the public are allowed to visit. The rest are in isolated places. I know one is in the Bohaníde mountains. Crazy if you ask me, too cold up there.’

  ‘But what are they exactly? Warriors?’

  ‘Amongst other things. You could describe them as we scholars describe ourselves, except they also train as fighters and are usually hired out as such. They study all known forms of martial arts, with and without weapons. They hold public displays occasionally showing off their talents. They are terrifyingly deadly. Each monk though is said to be specialized. Some might be hired out as war strategists, some seek historical truths, and some serve as highway bodyguards for important people. They do hold a moral code so their services are only available to those they deem fit. It’s all very secret and I would not be surprised if they were employed for darker purposes.’

  ‘I don’t think I like it,’ Omar added. ‘They sound very secret service-y and that monk with the mask, he gives me the creeps.’

  ‘The UeVarda trusts him and that is all that is needed.’

  ‘Nothing wrong with trusting either,’ Hanniver agreed, ‘without trust all that’s left is a miserable existence.’

  Kíe clasped the Brigadier fondly by the shoulder and laughed, ‘The Sky Ta’Orian speaks our philosophy.’ The statement caused the Starborn’s face to hardened, he turned his back on them at once and continued to monitor the king.

  They waited for the transporter longer than Shayne estimated. Its speed was an easy factor in his calculations, the readiness of the doctor was not. The effectiveness of the robots back at Thorns Basin made the preparations easier. Once the order was made for a code-level medical emergency the droids would have prepared everything, fitting out a short range transport with suitable equipment. The small vehicle was ready for deployment long before the doctor had even left the hospital.

  The arrival of the craft in the palace grounds brought a crowd of guards and palace servants; mesmerised and somewhat frightened by the machine that came over their city. The roar of the engines was unknown to these people. They looked up at the expected flying craft of the Earthmen from all over the city, shading their eyes from the sun to see the strange thing. Despite the early warning that went out, reports of panic within the lower commons soon reached the palace and the city shytardas were given the task to calm the crowds. Those that braved the strange event and came to investigate the craft smoothly hanging in the skies above them cried out, shinharah faláde, and their cry soon rippled through the streets and it was later revealed that the Kadalian words translated to ‘metal dragon.’

  The doctor and four medical droids pushed containers into the throne room, they were followed closely by shytarda guards who held their hands on the hilts of their swords ready for treachery. More guards also came in, watching the proceedings very carefully. As the equipment was set up Shayne turned his attention to the golden text behind the throne. He knew they were the characters of the Kadalian tongue, but just like the language he held no knowledge of the runes.

  ‘What does it say?’ he asked.

  Kíe glanced up at the writing on the wall. ‘It is Ta’Hylan’s mystery. No one knows what it says for it is written in Ta’Hylan’s native tongue,’ as he said this the doctor brought the lionman king to the portable table and had him lie on it. The lionman was too large for the human sized bench with his legs sticking out over the edge. A guard brought a side table over and handed it to a robot who used it to prop the UeVarda’s legs up.

  ‘Who is this Ta’Hylan?’ Shayne’s soft accent sounded though the room as an unsettled silence fell upon those present.

  ‘He was the first of the powerful Ta’Orians, the very first wizard. Not much is known about him. The texts say he was found on the edge of the Magor-Massabain. He was close to death and raved like a madman. All who go into the Massabain return mad, but he overcame the horrors that all others had tried and failed too and through the terror he obtained great powers.’

  ‘What is the Magor-Maserbane?’

  ‘It is a forsaken battlefield on the edges of the holy land of Endaran. It roughly translates as the Fields of Sorrow. After the wars of old passed the land became cursed. Tales and legends say the only time the curse lifts is when soldiers march again; the spirits of the grassland allow people to pass so that they can trap more souls and torment them for eternity.’

  The doctor and a droid examined the UeVarda with the curved arch machine that scanned over his body; the droid moved it with a mental command, running it along the patient’s length. The device was designed for clinics in small communities. It was primitive compared to the holographic internal projection scanners, but was portable and cheap. The doctor’s main focus was on the lionman’s chest and head region. As the machine moved it made a periodic clicking noise. All the time the UeVarda lay there calmly with his eyes shut.

  ‘What is that thing?’ Kíe asked as he watched the machine rotate.

  ‘It is a scanning device. It looks inside the body for things that do not belong.’

  ‘How does it look inside without opening up the skin?’

  ‘It uses light.’

  Kíe nodded. ‘I believe I understand, light is made up of colours and each individual colour is a certain light distance long, each different to the other, and very small light distances can pass through different objects, like sunlight passing through a pane of glass.’

  Shayne scrutinised Kíe, his eyebrow slightly raised in amusement. ‘Your culture never ceases to amaze me. That is essentially right, except the light we use is so small you cannot see it. How do you know these things when you have no means to test it?’

  ‘The wizards taught us, there was no need to question them. You said light, but I cannot see light so I concluded it was beyond sight.’

  ‘How is it that you are so proficient in physics yet your culture is so primitive? I do not understand. Surely with such knowledge your society would be more advanced?’

  ‘And I do not understand why it confuses you so much.’ With that they fell silent and watched as the machine eventually came to a rest. The doctor’s droid then read out from the findings while the doctor consulted a highly advanced computer holographic wristcom.

  ‘Diagnostic report, findings of 100 percent chance of tumour growth. Original area of infection within the lungs. Metastatic infection has moved into the heart and surrounding tissue 52 percent, liver 17 percent.’

  ‘Any injections or drugs been subscribed?’ the doctor asked Hanniver and 73B.

  ‘Standard lung cancer pressurised aerosol inhaler,’ the droid stepped forward and listed, ‘Remus-Centauri morphine injection, M4 base protection cancer fluid injection and all standard doses.’ The doctor nodded. He then turned to the UeVarda and through one of the medical droids he gave the lionman king instructions along with another injection, treating him as any other patient, as if giant cat like humans were the norm in society.

  ‘Now, the best thing for you is rest. The morphine injection should last several hours; I’ll leave MD-729m to administer more injections. When you feel the pain return you can request an injection from him, but he’ll only give it to you if he sees fit. You should feel the effects of the inhaler by tomorrow and it should’ve cleared th
e lungs within a couple of weeks, but keep using the pump for its duration, twice a day.

  ‘The other problems will take longer. We will need a sample of your cell structure and DNA to be able to grow and graft new lung tissue. The inhaler will repair some tissue, depending on the level of damage but total recovery at this stage of advancement will require some surgery.

  ‘Unless 729 calls me in case of emergency I’ll return to look at you in a week to see how you’re progressing. You’ll need to come to our hospital to have a proper inspection; we’ll definitely have to have a closer look to see if you need specialised treatment.’ The doctor paused for a moment and then continued. ‘We might have to make you a little bit sick to make you better, I do not know if that makes sense to you, but some things are unavoidable,’ he then continued to give directions to the UeVarda who listened patiently as the robot translated.

  ‘How is it, Afra’hama, that the healer’s machine can talk our language?’ Kíe moved his attention from the portable clinic to Shayne. ‘I thought only the ones that travelled with us learnt to speak it.’

  ‘All our droids that have been given the programme can speak it, by now all of them would have been given the upgrade.’

  ‘How is that possible, to teach so many at once?’

  ‘Robots are different from Orians. If you have all the information written down, then they can learn it in moments.’

  ‘They are so different from us; I can’t comprehend something learnt instantly. Robots’ Kíe repeated and gave a little laugh in amazement. ‘I want to learn all about your world Afra’hama.’

  After the consultation the UeVarda was ordered to bed. The doctor returned to the other Earthmen, pulling the Brigadier aside, ‘We couldn’t have arrived any later. The king is extremely lucky, but we’re right on the edge. It could still turn bad. I suggest that you let the king rest for at least a week before you start any of your business with them, if successful he’ll be exhausted but healthy enough to perform mental duties.’ He then gave a few brief commands to the droid who needed no instruction but accepted it without question, afterwards he returned to the transport plane, where they waited for any of the original Earthmen party that would return with them.