He put his hand on her forehead. I’ve got to get her inside and start a fire. He grabbed the scanner and put it in his pocket, lifting the unconscious Seles and running into the cave. The interior was cold, but the wind was blocked. He headed down the lone corridor until he came to a split. He looked right, seeing more corridors. He looked left, seeing a small room. He carried her into the room and gently placed her on the ground. He searched for something to start on fire. I don’t suppose trees grow on ice worlds? He thought to himself. If I can’t start a fire I’m going to need to raise the temperature some other way. He felt his belt, touching the rakna blade. This should work. He thought as he drew the blade.
“Rakna bel de cou,” Brian said, pressing the button. After a few seconds the blade started glowing. Only then did Brian realize he’d been walking in complete darkness. He knelt down and felt Seles’s skin; she was getting colder and breathing lightly. He grabbed a large, loose stone off to the side and placed it on the ground. He put the rakna blade on the rock. After a few seconds the rakna blade began heating up the rock until it glowed and acted as a heat dynamo. He turned the blade off and felt the warmth coming from the rock. This should do the trick. He held Seles and sat with a stalagmite to his back, pulling her close to his body. He made sure she was facing the heated rock before wrapping his thermal cloak around her. Exhausted, Brian fell asleep holding her, thinking about warmer days back on Earth, days when cold like this would melt away.
* * *
It’s so warm. Seles opened her eyes and saw a glowing stone a few feet away, radiating heat. She felt something warm around her. Brian slept with his head leaning on a stalagmite. He’s using his own body heat to warm me up! She felt strange and blushed. She turned and looked at him. Celi said he was male. I wonder if the males of my race looked like him. Seles was lost in thought as she stared at him.
“What are you looking at?” Brian asked as he opened his right eye. He cracked a smile. Embarrassed, Seles turned away.
“I was just…looking at you,” Seles said.
“Am I really that interesting?” he asked.
“I didn’t think Terrans would look so much like us. You’re also the first male similar to Kalaidians I’ve ever seen.”
He laughed. “Where’ve you been all your life to never see a man?”
Seles looked at him again. “The males of my species died out over a century ago due to disease. The only Kalaidians left are female.”
“So you’re saying I’m the first man you’ve ever seen? No wonder I look so different to you.” Brian’s stomach growled. “I just realized I haven’t eaten anything in two days.”
She crawled out from his embrace and started sifting through their emergency supplies. “I’m hungry as well. I don’t know what your people eat, but I have some dry rations and water.” She pulled a pair of metal canteens and what looked wrapped bars. She handed Brian one of each. “Hopefully these suit your constitution.”
He took a slug of water and felt refreshed. He opened the wrapper, seeing a granola bar. Seles did likewise, taking a bite of the dry ration. Brian sniffed it before taking a bite; it tasted like a granola bar.
“Is it edible?” she asked.
He laughed. “It’s just like a granola bar from where I come from. With all your advanced technology you’re still eating things like this?” Seles sat next to the heated rock, enjoying the heat.
“So what about me, do I look strange?” she asked as she stared at the glowing rock. Her purple eyes and long silver blue hair reflected the light coming from the stone.
She’s really pretty. He thought as he looked at her. “Yes, but not a lot. Your hair and eye color are quite exotic, and your small size is a little odd. The pointed ears are definitely different; it makes you look almost like an elf.”
“Is that an offshoot of your race?” she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. “No, elves are beings of myth, not reality. But if I was to base the myth on any race, it would definitely be yours.”
“Are you average size for your species? Or are you much larger than normal?” she asked, looking at him intently.
“No, I’m actually a little shorter than average and not particularly athletic. I’m decent when it comes to intelligence, but otherwise I’m average. What about you Seles? I’ve only seen you and the blue haired girl, Celi.”
“I’m about average size for an adult Kalaidian,” she answered as she gazed at the stone.
He slid forward, kneeling next to the heated stone. “I have a strange question for you.”
She looked up. “What would that be?”
“When I carried you in here I noticed I could see in pitch black. I’ve never been able to do that before.”
“Remember when Celi ordered the arm to inject you with nanomachines?”
“Yeah,” Brian said.
“Well, nanomachines do more than simply act as universal translators. They enhance a being’s whole system. Your immune system, vision, hearing; all your natural senses are enhanced.”
“Does everyone have the same kind of enhancements?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s normal for those living within Confederation territory to have nanomachine enhancement shortly after birth.”
“Nanomachines, such technology may only be a few decades away for humans. I wonder what everyone will think when I return.”
Seles shook her head. “You can’t return to Earth.”
“Why can’t I go back?” he asked. “It’s not like I have a place to go.”
“The Confederation has laws against visiting undeveloped worlds. This law extends to all member races. Because you’re enhanced by nanomachines there’s no way they’d let you go back now.”
Chapter 5 – Trust
Brian stared at the heated stone in a trance. The cold had left the room long ago, but now an uncomfortable silence replaced it. Seles could see uncertainty in his eyes.
“What do you plan to do?” she asked.
He snapped out of his daze, blinking and taking a deep breath. “I’m not sure. If I can’t go home, then where can I go?”
“Why not stay on the Avoni? I’m sure Valis would let you to join us.”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know. I’m an outsider with no understanding of this world. Before a few days ago, I could only dream of aliens. Now, I’m sitting here with one.” He shook his head, doubts filling his thoughts. “I’m having a hard time believing this real.”
She moved next to him. “You’ll adapt.”
Brian smiled. “Maybe you’re right. When I think about home, I think about how I never really fit in.” He paused in thought. “But still, those I loved and knew will never know what happened to me. I vanished without a trace. I can write off becoming an author.”
“You were working on becoming a story teller?” she asked.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that. If I live long enough I might be able to tell my story. But, I don’t think Earth will advance fast enough. I’ll be long dead of age before anyone leaves the solar system.”
“That’s not true,” she said, shaking her head. “Nanomachines extend a being’s lifespan by four times on average. You may live long enough to tell your story.”
“Are you telling me I could live for over four hundred years?” Brian asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Yes, barring a violent death,” she answered.
“That’s interesting to hear,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Tomorrow I’d like to learn more about your technology and language.”
“Do you mind if I sleep next to you Brian? I don’t want to get cold again.”
“Don’t worry about it Seles.”
* * *
“So, your projectile weapons use energy bullets rather than lasers?” Brian asked.
Seles held her pulse rifle and showed its functions to Brian. “Lasers use an immense amount of power, so Kalaidian scientists thought it prudent to use pulse weapons instead. Most Confederation races u
se similar technology.”
“That makes sense.” He looked at the hand scanner and chuckled. “What’s odd is your people’s language looks so similar to ours.”
She took the hand scanner, “How so?”
“Well, from what you’ve taught me, the Kalaidian alphabet has twenty four letters. It even looks a lot like ancient Greek.”
She shrugged. “The reason our languages look the same is because there are only so many ways to express words. It’s nothing unusual at all.”
“That answers one question. By the way, how many races are in the Confederation?”
“As of less than one standard year ago there are twenty six member races of the Galactic Confederation. There are innumerable species like yours, so the number will grow in the next few centuries. The only known advanced race not a member is the Greys.”
“Even you call them that. Who are they? Do they have a proper name?” he asked.
She put down the scanner. “From what I know, the Greys were the first race in our galaxy to achieve interstellar travel. They’ve existed since the beginning of recorded time. They’ve visited all the races we know of and have gathered their genetics and technology. They don’t contact other races and attack without provocation.”
“Aren’t your people advanced enough to fight them? Why wouldn’t the Confederation fight them now?”
“It’s not like they don’t want to fight, it’s just the Confederation is a loose governing body with little real power. What they fear the most is the Terran desire to conquer, but some see Terra Prime as the only people who can unite us.”
“Unite? My people can’t even unite themselves.” Brian offered the pulse rifle back to her. She switched it for the scanner.
“The Greys control an area roughly equivalent to the Confederation,” she said as she changed the pulse rifle’s setting. “It’s unknown how many ships or species they control. All we know is that any ship entering their territory never comes back.”
“If they’re so powerful, why haven’t they attacked yet?” he asked.
“The Original Five species,” Seles answered as she checked the sights on the pulse rifle. “As long as the Original Five exist the Greys will have a difficult time conquering the Confederation.”
“Who are the Original Five?”
“They were the first races to travel space other than the Greys. Of them, the most powerful are the Mylor. Since they‘re well over two thousand years old, the Original Five are far more advanced than the younger races, like Kalaidia, Shandi, and Malcov. It’s only because of them the Greys don’t attack.”
“If they’re so powerful, why don’t they take out the Greys?”
“Because as advanced as their technology is all of them are dying races. Even with their technological and military might the Mylor are fading away. Although the older races refuse to speak of it, we have evidence their populations are steadily decreasing every century.” She put down the pulse rifle and checked the emergency supplies.
“Why? If they’re so advanced, how come they’re dying out?”
“No one knows for sure.” Seles paused. “Maybe their kind and my people have more in common than they admit.”
“You mean how your people have no males?” He turned on the scanner and showed Seles the information on Kalaidian history.
“Yes. In the blink of five years my people lost half their population. Even using advanced artificial breeding technologies, Kalaidia’s population continues shrinking every year.” Seles went silent, deep in thought.
He handed the scanner back to her. “Let’s focus on what need to do. You’re going to have to show me how send a message from the shuttle.”
She nodded, passing through a number of screens on the device. “This is the console you’ll need to use.”
He sat close. “Okay, what do I do once I’m there?”
Seles pointed at a series of buttons. “Remember this order. It activates the emergency beacon. Afterwards speak into the panel and press this button.”
He watched her go through the sequence. “Yeah, it looks pretty simple. Do you mind if I practice before trying it for real?”
Seles handed the scanner to Brian. “You’re adjusting pretty quickly. I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding a role on the Avoni.”
“That’s not the issue Seles. From what you’ve told me humans are feared universally.”
“Yes, that’s the general perception,” Seles said.
“I feel I might be thought of as a freak show rather than an intelligent being,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. On the Avoni you may be different, but once you show them how useful you are you’ll fit in just fine.”
“What kind of vessel is the Avoni?”
She leaned back and relaxed against the wall. “The Avoni is a privately owned vessel captained by Valis Kein. She was once a prominent military commander on Kalaidia, but disagreements with the upper command turned Valis and her crew rogue. I joined only a few years ago when I escaped from the home world.”
“What kind disagreements?” he asked.
“About five years ago, an event we call the Great Upheaval occurred. At the time, about one third of the Kalaidian Star Forces split with their rulers, as well as the second most powerful noble family of Kalaidia, the Kein family. Since that time, most of those who rebelled have taken to mercenary work and piracy to fill their coffers,” she said.
“What kind of captain is Valis?”
“She’s brilliant but reckless. She was the youngest Kalaidian to ever achieve the rank of captain at the age of 19. Her fame was won during the last war my people had with the Shandi, which ended eight years ago. Valis also has an eye for talent so her crew is the best. Since the Avoni isn’t run by the military anymore, I’m sure you can join up like I did.”
“I’ll consider the offer when the time comes,” he said. “As for now, I need memorize the sequence you just showed me.”
* * *
“I’ll be back as soon as I can Seles,” Brian said, throwing the thermal cloak on as he headed for the entrance.
Seles stood next to the glowing stone. “Are you sure you can handle this on your own? I’ve only taught you the basics, and that’s not much.”
He smiled. “I can read enough of your language to figure out the emergency beacon. Hopefully your ship comes and picks us up.”
Brian walked outside and pulled the thermal cloak tight. On his belt was the rakna blade, in his hand the scanner they brought with them when they crashed. It was day outside, with the sun shining dimly. Filling the crimson red sky was a gas giant covered with blue and grey bands. The land was covered in snow and ice, with only a few mountains showing through. He turned on the scanner and found the signal for the shuttle. He walked at a hurried pace for twenty minutes to find the shuttle lodged in ice, partially covered with fresh snow. After a few minutes of scraping, he found his way back into the shuttle. Not much had changed from the day before, save for the icy interior and a small amount of snow. Brian went to the front and looked over the main control panel. Reading the letters as best he could, he pressed a few buttons. A second later the panels flashed on. Looking around, he found a button under the front seat and pressed it. On the front panel an empty screen appeared, then flashed Ready in Kalaidian. He touched the screen.
“This is Brian of the independent Kalaidian vessel Avoni. I’m stranded with Ensign Seles. Artic conditions, breathable atmosphere and limited supplies. No medical emergencies. Immediate rescue requested.” He pressed the screen again and sent the message.
* * *
I hope everything went well. Seles thought to herself, still sitting close to the glowing rock. She stood up, pulled the thermal cloak tight, and headed for the entrance. It was clouding over rapidly outside as the darkness of night came closer. She gazed at the horizon, seeing nothing but snow and ice. From behind, a hissing noise started. She turned around and drew the rifle from her
back. The hiss came from the second corridor, far down the unexplored tunnel. It was close. Steam started filling the air. She felt heat coming from down the tunnel. Curiosity and warmth drew her towards the source. After walking for a few minutes, she came into a large chamber filled with steam. The hissing originated from an opening in the side of the cavern. Steaming water was pouring all over the floor. She moved closer and sniffed the air. The hot water was forming a large pool. She pulled back her sleeve and used the wrist scanner to check the liquid. Seles touched it with her finger. She stood up and paced the room. The center was bowl shaped, collecting the hot water. Seles gazed at the steaming water. It looks safe. It’s been only two days since I last took a bath, but it feels like forever. She thought as she undressed and stepped into the pool. She sat in the hot water, feeling relaxed. This feels great. I’m sure Brian would really enjoy this.
* * *
Night was falling, and with it came the cold and a blizzard. Brian checked the scanner, seeing the cave was a few hundred feet from his position. I want to get back inside and warm up. I hope Seles is doing okay. He thought as he approached the entrance. He headed into the cave and felt the temperature shift. Where did all this heat and humidity come from? Brian went to the room he and Seles stayed in the night prior. It was empty, save for the dim rock in the center of the room.
“Are you in here, Seles?” he asked. He waited for a moment, only hearing silence.
Brian turned and headed back to the split. He felt hot air coming from down the hallway. He walked down the corridor. After a few minutes he came into a large chamber filled with steam. He blinked a few times before his vision cleared. After a moment, he saw a large pool in the center of the room with someone in the water.
“Is that you Seles?” Brian asked.
“Yes, it’s me. The water is perfect, why don’t you join me?” she said, standing up.
He blushed and turned away. “I think…I’ll go in later by myself.”
Heaven Saga 1: The Lost Hero Page 3
