Dark Matter

by S. W. Ahmed

  “That is what we have observed,” Osalya said. “While you were gone to the other galaxy, we had several infant Starguzzlers transported from Droila to one of our ships for study. We were curious about their nature, after we had heard about the fields from Dumyan and Sharjam. Extensive tests conducted by our scientists revealed that these entities only grew bigger and stronger with every attempt to destroy them.”

  “That doesn’t sound promising,” Autamrin said. “I pray to the Creator that someone has an idea? I believe we’re all painfully aware of what will happen if we have none.”

  Silence filled the room.

  “You Volonans always pride yourselves in being at the forefront of defense research, Zorina,” the Imgoerin finally said. “And you were their Chief Imperial Defender. What would you have done if the Starguzzlers were at the gates of your Empire?”

  Zorina seemed a little taken aback by the directness of the question, but she didn’t hesitate in responding. “Well, I would first try to figure out whether we had the necessary means at our disposal to counter the threat.”

  “And if not?”

  “Then I would seek the help of somebody who did have the means, or at least the knowledge of how to acquire the means.”

  “And do you know who might have the means or the knowledge? Do not restrict yourself only to those you currently see around you.” It almost seemed like the Imgoerin knew where this conversation was headed.

  Zorina looked puzzled for a moment, but then broke into a wide grin. “Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

  “I thought you might, Zorina,” the Imgoerin said calmly. “They are your friends and allies, after all.”

  “That they are!” The excitement on Zorina’s face was starting to show, especially once she began bobbing her head up and down with delight. “You obviously are the Imgoerin for a good reason! I could kick myself for not thinking of this myself.” Then she looked thoughtful. “You know, I’m kind of surprised the Unghans didn’t think of them as a potential risk for the Starguzzlers.”

  “They probably did,” the Imgoerin said. “Remember, the Unghans had planned to have them destroyed before the Starguzzlers arrived. But that plan was muddled and accelerated after our intervention. The Unghans and Starguzzlers may have seen no alternative, and just decided to take their chances with beginning the invasion right away.”

  “Who are you talking about?” Autamrin asked.

  “Friends of my people, but enemies of yours,” Zorina said. “The Phyrax.”

  Everyone in the conference room began talking to each other excitedly at the mention of that name.

  The Phyrax, the Glaessan’s fourth major civilization, and the only one Marc had not yet encountered. He recalled some of the facts that HoloMarc had given him on his first journey from Earth. Archenemies of the Aftar and enemies of the Mendoken by association, the Phyrax were the galaxy’s only major civilization with no system of government, laws or sense of community. They lived as hermits in the clouds of their gaseous home planets. They were the only species with no gender and with no eyes, noses or ears. Their bodies were huge, growing up to 20 feet in height and 8 feet in width.

  “Zorina, how do we know the Phyrax will be able to defeat the Starguzzlers?” Dumyan asked.

  “We don’t. But their physical nature suggests they may have a better chance than we do. Their bodies are made from the gases found in the atmospheres of their home planets. If anybody has a chance of not immediately getting pulverized to ash by the flames of the Starguzzlers, it’s the Phyrax. They may actually be able to get close enough to put up a reasonable fight.”

  “Given their nature, they will likely also have a better chance of figuring out if the Starguzzlers have any vulnerabilities we can take advantage of,” the Imgoerin added.

  One of the prominent Aftarans in the room spoke. “Regardless, we can’t possibly join forces with old enemies who have done us so much harm throughout our history. We can’t trust the Phyrax.”

  Some of the Aftarans in the room began murmuring in agreement. Autamrin and Dumyan eyed them closely.

  “With all due respect, can any of you offer an alternative solution?” Osalya said, putting an abrupt end to the murmurs.

  Silence filled the room for a short while.

  “Now is not the time for squabbling,” Autamrin finally said. “We have done too much of that for too long. We may have plenty of differences with the Phyrax, but if we don’t all unite against this new, deadly threat, none of us will be around much longer to carry on the squabbles. The Starguzzlers won’t distinguish between Aftaran or Phyrax, Mendoken or Volonan – they will destroy us all.”

  Again a few murmurs among the Aftarans, this time most agreeing with Autamrin.

  “But how do we get them to join us?” another Aftaran asked. “They will never believe what we have to say, and will accuse us of concocting some scheme to trick them. They don’t trust us or the Mendoken.”

  “No, but they’ll trust me,” Zorina said with an air of confidence. “I happen to know some of them personally. Besides, when the Starguzzlers begin arriving and destroying their worlds, they won’t need much more convincing.”

  “Perhaps if we take one of the remaining infant Starguzzlers here as a sample, the Phyrax might have a chance to find a vulnerability in those monsters,” Dumyan suggested.

  “Yes, good idea,” Zorina agreed.

  “I shall go with you to the Phyrax. And we shall also take a cohort of soldiers for safety on the journey.”

  “No, Dumyan! You know the Phyrax – they’re a little on the, ah, eccentric side. They’ll refuse to even talk to me if they see an Aftaran or Mendoken accompanying me.”

  “But you shouldn’t go alone! Too much is at stake for just one individual to carry this responsibility.”

  “Don’t worry,” Zorina said, smiling and casting a glance at Marc. “I won’t.”

  A few hours later, a Mendoken scout ship took off from a Kril-3 battlecruiser above Meenjaza. Its destination: the Phyra-Keldax system inside the Phyrax Federation, over 100,000 light years away. On board were just two individuals, Marc and Zorina, sitting in seats installed for them in the cockpit. On board was also an infant Starguzzler, carefully sealed in a special container.

  Both Marc and Zorina had been given a crash course on how to operate and pilot the ship. There had, however, been no time for practice runs. Reports of Starguzzlers arriving through consars in different parts of the galaxy were already coming in, so there wasn’t a moment to lose. The scout ship was consar equipped, so luckily the journey wouldn’t take more than 75 minutes. At standard kilasic speeds, it would have taken over 2 months.

  Zorina, who sat in the pilot seat, led the ship out of the Afta-Raushan system. Marc, who was manning the consar instruments, plotted the consar trajectory and set up the entry point in a quiet region just outside the star system. The ship entered the consar without any problems, surrounded by the standard protective blue sphere and pulled straight into the tunnel by a powerful, invisible force.

  As they watched the consar tunnel’s familiar bands of thin matter fly by them, the two of them talked about what lay ahead.

  “I’m sorry I volunteered you for this mission, Marc, but I had no choice,” Zorina said, relaxing into her seat.

  “Not at all,” he replied. “I would have volunteered anyway. Anything I can do to save the galaxy. I’m also very curious to finally meet the Phyrax.”

  “Yeah, well, let me tell you, they aren’t a very nice bunch.”

  “You mentioned to Dumyan that they’re eccentric.”

  “Very! You should definitely leave all the talking to me while we’re there. You’d be surprised at how strongly a Phyrax might react to something you unwittingly say. Before you know what’s hit you, you’ll be cast out of the Phyrax’s home in the clouds. And since Phyraxes live on gas giants, the planet’s dense, poisonous atmosphere will slowly eat up your insides as you fall to the core far below, rendering your prolong
ed experience of death most unpleasant.”

  Marc cringed at the thought, and wondered what he had gotten himself into. “So, uh, who are we meeting?” he asked, trying to sound cheerful.

  “An old Phyrax friend of mine by the name of Jinser-Shosa. We worked together on a number of defense initiatives over the years, back when I was Chief Imperial Defender.”

  “So your people really are close to the Phyrax, then.”

  Zorina bobbed her head up and down. “You can say that again! The alliance isn’t always fine and dandy or easy to maintain, but we generally get along. The Phyrax may be eccentric, but they’re also very easy going and a lot of fun once you get to know them and earn their trust.” She smiled. “In my virtual world inside the Grid, I always pictured Jinser-Shosa as a handsome male Volonan. I’m curious to see what it looks like in real life.”

  “It?”

  “Yes, ‘it’. Phyraxes have no gender, remember?”

  “Ah, yes, what a strange concept.” Marc had never heard of an intelligent, sentient being without gender. He then remembered the other unique thing about the Phyrax. “So if they have no sense of community and are so individualistic, then how will convincing one of them to help us get more of them to help?”

  She laughed. “They’re individualistic alright, but that doesn’t mean they have no sense of responsibility or compassion for each other. The Mendoken and Aftar like to think they don’t, one of the many prejudices your buddies have about others they don’t understand. The Phyrax actually have this unwritten code of conduct and honor among themselves, where they respect each other’s boundaries and preferences. They also help each other out if asked, especially if they can be convinced that there’s something in it for them too. How else do you think they’ve become such a powerful civilization over time?”

  Both of them remained quiet for a while. The consar walls outside were pitch dark now, indicating the ship was deep inside the tunnel.

  Zorina finally broke the silence with a big sigh. “You know, I really miss my life back in the Grid.”

  He turned to look at her. “I’m not surprised. That’s where you spent most of your life. And your days since you left the Grid haven’t exactly been the rosiest, first living as a lone scavenger on the planet Nopelio, then getting pulled into this series of life threatening adventures because of me.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I don’t regret for a second having joined you on this quest. Anything was better than the lonely life I was leading on Nopelio. And it certainly has been a most eye opening and exciting experience for me. Not just because of the criticality of our mission and what’s at stake for all of us, but because of everything I’ve learned about the Mendoken and the Aftar in the process. Now that I’ve interacted with them myself, I realize how distorted a picture of them I had growing up. Plus, I’ve made some good friends in the process, like you.”

  Marc felt a tingle of warmth in his heart. “So what do you miss, then? Or, should I say, who do you miss?”

  She grinned. “It seems you know me too well, eh? I do miss the ease of life in the Grid, the ability to constantly experience all kinds of pleasure without really having to work to earn them. But you’re right. What I miss most is a ‘who’. I miss him a lot. Terribly, in fact. If there’s a single wish I have, other than the defeat of the Starguzzlers, of course, it’s to one day find Rudoso and be with him again.”

  “If we survive the Starguzzler onslaught, I’m sure you will.”

  Zorina shook her head. “You don’t know my sister. She’s so jealous and vengeful by nature that she will ensure I remain a fugitive from the Grid for the rest of my life. She could never bear to see me and Rudoso happy together.”

  “Even though that whole anomaly in the Grid was not your fault?”

  “As I said, you don’t know my sister.”

  “Well, I would place my hopes on just one thing then. If we succeed in our mission, the Empress might be so grateful to you for saving her Empire from destruction that she will forgive you. She might even let you back into the Grid as a free Volonan.”

  “I certainly hope you’re right, Marc. But hope is all I have at the moment.”

  Marc noticed the tunnel outside beginning to light up. They were nearing the end of the consar. “Well, my friend, if that’s all we have, then let’s cling on to it with all our might.”

  Chapter 40

  The Aftaran burial ritual was generally a very simple occasion. The nearest of kin of the deceased would wrap the body in the same robe that Aftaran had worn on the day of his or her passing. They would then take the body to a prayer hall and lay it flat on the ground. Sitting around the body, they would pray for that individual’s peace and protection in death. This part of the ritual could last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, depending on how long they wanted to keep praying. Afterwards, they would carry the body outside to the nearest burial site and lay it to rest in the ground.

  Aftarans didn’t bother with elaborate coffins, tombstones or unique locations of choice to bury their dead. Any hole in the ground in a designated burial area was acceptable, and the only thing separating the body from the surrounding soil was the robe. According to Aftaran beliefs, the body was no longer of any value once the individual was dead. It was the spirit that remained sentient in death, the spirit that was set free. And the Creator did not distinguish between spirits by their wealth or appearance. The only thing the Creator cared about was how good that individual’s character had been in life, and that was the only criterion the Creator used to determine how peaceful to render that individual’s eternity in death.

  Sharjam’s burial ritual was held without his body, since his body had been blown to bits on a world millions of light years away. Inside the prayer hall, Dumyan sat in a large circle facing nothing more than a bare stone floor. But it mattered not, for the ritual was meant for Sharjam’s spirit, not his body. It was his spirit that everyone was praying for.

  Dumyan’s father was sitting nearby in the circle, accompanied by a number of close relatives from the Subhar clan. Birshat and Raiha were there too. Dumyan also spotted most of the other Aftarans who had spent two years with him and Sharjam in hiding in the underground caves of Tibara, including Zeena and Kabur.

  Dumyan closed his eyes and uttered prayer after prayer for his brother’s spirit. It was strange how the words came so freely out of his mouth now, when for most of his life he had so strongly resisted the pressure to learn the verses of the Scriptures and follow their guidance.

  He turned to look at his father, who was sitting some distance away in the circle to his right. The old Aftaran looked sad and defeated, rather than happy and proud to have retaken the throne over the Dominion. His eyes looked as though they had aged a hundred years since Dumyan had left him on Tibara, most of it probably in the last day and a half after hearing the news of Sharjam’s death. He probably blamed himself for what had happened, for having sent his two sons into harm’s way in the first place.

  As he stared at his father, Dumyan silently pledged to himself and to the Creator that if the Starguzzlers were defeated, he would make it a point to find a Master under whom he could study the Scriptures. He knew he was a little old to start now and it would certainly take a long time to reach Sharjam’s level of knowledge and power, but he was determined to do it. It was the very least he could do to honor his fallen brother. It was the least he could do to carry on Sharjam’s legacy for the sake of his family and his clan, for nobody in the current generation of the Subhar clan was as well versed in the intricacies of the Scriptures as Sharjam had been. Indeed, it could be argued that there weren’t too many Aftarans left in the entire Dominion who were as well versed as Sharjam had been, thanks to the persecution and eradication of many of the Aftar’s great spiritual leaders during Wazilban’s brutal reign.

  After the ritual was over, the Aftarans in the circle got up and dispersed. Dumyan headed with his father over to one of the nearby landing strips, to meet with
the Imgoerin and his contingent one last time. The Mendoken were preparing to leave and head back home, from where they would prepare their forces in the Republic for battle.

  The Imgoerin and Autamrin had already had a lengthy discussion before the burial ritual, and had made some key strategic decisions. Given the close alliance between the two nations, the Mendoken and Aftar would combine forces wherever possible to combat the Starguzzlers. Obviously Mendoken military technology was far superior to that of the Aftar, and the Mendoken had more ships by several orders of magnitude. But the Aftarans, with their years of wisdom, experience and supernatural abilities, would provide valuable insight and help wherever needed. Ironically, the terms of the agreement were not too different from those of the covenant the Imgoerin had earlier almost signed with Lord Wazilban. The cause this time, however, was different and far nobler.

  The Aftarans would also send a delegation to the Volonan Empire to persuade the Volona to join the war effort. The Volona were not exactly on good terms with the Aftar, but at least those terms were better than the ones they had with the Mendoken. The Aftar stood a better chance of persuading the Volona than the Mendoken did, especially considering that the Unghan conspiracy had been based in the Dominion. The Aftaran delegation would present tons of evidence about the conspiracy to the Volonan Empress, to help her overcome any suspicions and make her realize what was at stake for her own people.

  “All is settled then, Autamrin?” the Imgoerin asked, just as he was getting ready to board his shuttlecraft on the landing strip. Most of the Mendoken in the contingent had already left on other shuttles and had boarded their mother vessels out in space. Apart from the Imgoerin and his bodyguards, Sibular and Osalya were the only Mendoken left on the strip.

  “Yes,” Autamrin replied. “Dumyan will lead the delegation to the Volona. I’m not happy to let him go, especially not now. But I know there is no better Aftaran to do the job.”