by Craig Gaydas
Satou circled the monitor. “It does not appear to be lethal. It may have been administered in a mist form, forcing the subject to inhale it. From that point it metastasized from the sinus cavity into the victim's brain stem. Eventually it makes one susceptible to hypnotic suggestion.”
The President looked weary. “Can you repeat that in English?”
The way Satou cocked his head reminded me of the first time I met him—the look of a confused octopus. I had to resist the urge to laugh.
“I am sorry, is my translator not working?”
The President shook his head. “No, it's not that. Can you just explain it to me without all the medical jargon?”
“Basically, it is a drug which makes a person susceptible to suggestion,” Meta grumbled. “Unfortunately we are short on time and need to continue if we hope to thwart Calypso.”
The President hopped off the bed with a look of annoyance. “Fine, where the hell am I and what do you want with me?”
“Calypso mentioned one thing which was correct.” Meta continued to pace around the bed while he explained. “Your planet is being invaded by a hostile force, but it is not we who are your enemies.”
Exhaustion filled the President's face and his eyes sagged when he spoke. “One minute we're being invaded, then we aren't being invaded, then we're being invaded again. Can you people please make up my mind already?”
Meta seemed equally tired. “Perhaps invaded is not the proper term. Infiltrated would be more accurate.”
“Infiltrated?”
Meta took a long look at me before continuing. “Earth has been infiltrated continuously through the centuries. It continues still to this day.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, suddenly concerned. The President seemed to share my concern.
“Ever since the attack on Mars, the Consortium took a personal responsibility for the events which transpired. We felt our lack of a response led to the unfortunate events that followed.”
“Attack on Mars? What are you talking about?” the President interrupted.
Meta held up his hand. “I'm sorry, but we don't have the time to explain that,” he said, alluding to Martian history. “To explain the infiltration I can summarize. The humans who were displaced and relocated to Earth lost most of the technology they had acquired on Mars. As Nathan already knows, we installed a transceiver on Earth a long time ago which allowed us to monitor how the humans fared on Earth. We monitored your species' technological progress throughout the years. Unfortunately, your technological evolution took much longer than expected. Through discreet agents we helped you along by providing several advancements to assist with your growth. Electricity, cell technology, combustion engines, jet propulsion, computers and other such advancements had been provided.”
The President interrupted. “Um, excuse me I hate to disagree but we were responsible for all of that.”
Meta smiled with very little humor. “Who do you think our agents are, Mister President?”
“Are you telling me that Thomas Edison was an alien?” I scoffed.
Meta cocked an eyebrow curiously. “Who?”
“Earth records indicate that Thomas Edison discovered incandescent technology,” Satou interrupted.
“Ah, yes. Incandescent technology,” Meta recalled. “I remember reading about that in the archives.” He fixed his gaze on me. “No, Nathan. Thomas Edison was very much human, but Harry Boynton wasn't.”
“Who?” It was my turn to look confused.
“Harry was an agent of Caelum serving within the Universal College at the time,” Meta explained. “He was picked due to his thorough knowledge of humans and his uncanny resemblance to the species. Based on his knowledge, he quickly became a favorite of Edison's.”
I slumped into a nearby chair and rubbed my temples. Even though I had been with the Consortium for months, I still continued to discover new things about them. It was hard to believe all of Earth's advancements were funded in some part by an alien organization and I began to wonder how many people on Earth were actually secret agents of the Consortium. A memory of my third grade teacher popped in my head. She always seemed a bit odd. Could Mrs. Wentworth have been an alien?
“We must move on,” Meta continued. “The infiltration continues but not only by us. Our agents returned when we observed Earth had begun developing better technology on its own. That didn't stop another, more sinister force, from continuing their observations, however.”
“Who?” It was Lianne who spoke. In all the excitement I almost forgot she was in the room. She looked uneasy. I suddenly understood why. Meta was about to reveal information that members of the Consortium (even high ranking officers of the Defense Fleet) did not know.
“His name is Solomon Corvus.” The name sent a shiver through me when I recalled the dream. “He is a human from the future and for years has been gathering allies,” he hesitated before adding, “And strength.”
“The future!” Lianne gasped. “How?”
Meta opened and closed his fists. It was subtle and he kept them close to his sides, but I noticed it and fear cradled my heart. The truth must really be disturbing to make the leader of the Consortium nervous.
“We can speak on the how later.”
“What is he doing in the present?” I asked. I decided to keep the details of my dream a secret.
“The Council and I believe Corvus has come back to destroy the planet.” His fist ceased clenching.
His face remained firm but it was hard to believe the explanation. Perhaps Kedge was right. He seemed to be holding something back, but I couldn't put my finger on it. His explanation did not make sense. Why would a human from the future come back and destroy his own planet? There had to be more to the story, but I decided to hold my questions for a later time. Be careful who you trust. The words returned to haunt me.
“The wheel has already begun to turn,” he continued grimly. “It began with Calypso's betrayal and continues with his new alliances.”
Calypso was once a member of the Council of Five—the closest confidants of the High Prince. If he could betray the Consortium, surely others could as well. Could another member be a traitor? Embeth had saved me from certain death and fought by my side—could he be a traitor? The entire Defense Fleet was under his command, a worthy army to turn against the High Prince. What about Kale? He was the diplomatic negotiator for the Consortium. He had not even tried to hide his disdain toward me from the first day I met him. His diplomatic ability to influence leaders, races and governments throughout the universe could prove to be troublesome. I had mistakenly believed him to be a traitor once before, however, that didn't mean I trusted him. Varooq and Hark-Kalech remain mysteries since I knew very little about the two. I promised myself to remain guarded when around all of them until the truth could be uncovered.
“I'm afraid we will have to send a force to the planet to engage Corvus,” Meta finished.
“That is not necessary,” interjected the President. “Just tell me where he is and I will send our military after him. I don't feel comfortable having an intergalactic conflict happening in my country or on my planet.”
Meta looked at him incredulously. “With all due respect, your military is insufficient. Trust me, it is best that we handle this. I can guarantee we will be discreet and the matter will be dealt with swiftly.”
The President started to protest, but when he looked around the room he stopped. Technology—well beyond what was available on Earth (including weapons)—was on display everywhere. The President resigned himself to the obvious when he eyed the hand cannon strapped to Satou's belt.
“I guess you're right,” he conceded. “But I want to be updated on the progress of your mission. This is not negotiable.”
Meta bowed his head. “I promise it will be done. In return I ask for discretion from your government. Your species is not prepared to fully embrace us.”
The President looked sad. “I'm sorry you feel that way. I truly think you
are underestimating the human race.” He ran his hand through his hair. “However, discretion will be tough since Calypso has conducted his little press conference for everyone to see.”
Meta turned and strolled over to the communication panel. After punching several buttons, the large screen flickered to life and Kale appeared. He was sitting at a table with Varooq. Varooq sipped from a large mug which could only be described as a small keg. Judging by the smile on his face, he seemed to be enjoying its contents. Kale stood up and Varooq's smile faded when he looked our way.
“Kale, I'm sorry for interrupting your social hour,” Meta droned. “We have a bit of a conundrum.”
Varooq slammed his keg on the table and scowled at the screen. The sight of Bigfoot sitting at a table drinking beer made me chuckle, but I quickly bit it back. I didn't want to bring unwanted attention on myself.
“Conundrum?” Varooq bellowed.
“Yes, my furry friend. It's something I am confident we could resolve.” Meta fixed his gaze on Kale. “It seems Calypso's little stunt on Earth may lead to some unwanted publicity for us and hinder our efforts to launch an effective counter attack on their location. Can you undo the damage?”
Kale folded his arms underneath the giant fishbowl that served as his head. I had never seen his face (I wasn't completely positive he had one). Only the tinted reflective glass globe on his shoulders ever greeted me. I meant to ask Satou why he never removed it, but recent events distracted me away from my curiosity. In the meantime I assumed it kept him alive like an astronaut helmet.
“His ridiculous blathering is nothing which cannot be undone,” Kale responded. “We will just circulate a story that he was just some insane man under the influence of a new brand of synthesized narcotic.”
“What about the people at the United Nations?” the President asked.
Meta turned and cast a curious glance his way. “I'm sorry?”
“Oh God, we forgot all about them,” I blurted. “Most of them are under the same curse, whatcha call it?”
“The Dominion Curse is still active on Earth?” Kale asked. “Indeed that may pose a problem, High Prince. Those people are affected by whatever message Calypso inserted in their minds. We need to send a team in and cure them…or kill them.”
The President stood up. “Absolutely not, I will not allow that!”
Meta placed a steady hand on the President's arm. “That is a last resort. I promise we will do what we can to help them.”
The President relaxed slightly. “So, what do you propose?”
Meta looked at Satou who had just completed monitoring the President's vital signs. He began shutting down the machine but he sensed the High Prince staring at him. He stopped and looked up.
“Satou, with Kale tied up at the moment, would you please lead a small team back to the United Nations to administer the cure?”
Satou picked up a metal canister that sat on a nearby table. He shook it with a scowl before setting it down.
“I might have just enough for the people we came into contact inside the building,” he muttered with uncertainty. He glanced at the President. “Did Calypso come into contact with any others?”
“I'm not completely sure, but I'm pretty sure he returned straight to his ship after his press conference.”
Satou nodded. “If that is the case then we have enough, but we must be careful. Those who are infected will be aggressive and will not listen to attempts at negotiations.”
“I want to go with you,” I said.
Satou frowned but didn't protest. “I will need some people to return the President to Earth. We will also need a shield for us in case things get out of control at the United Nations.”
“Take Lianne and Kedge with you,” Meta replied. “I will have Wraith return the president. Use extreme caution.”
Please, God, let this work, I prayed to myself.
Captain Lianne
She tossed her cloak on the bed. The blur of exhaustion started to cloud her vision and she tried to rub them away. When she stepped into the bathroom her reflection stared back at her in the mirror above the sink. Lianne winced when she glimpsed her sandy hair hanging lifelessly around her shoulders. Even though she was only nineteen Earth-years in age, she felt decades older. She switched on the faucet and let the lukewarm water roll through her fingers. Aside from the Royal Command ships, none of the other Consortium vessels had cold water taps. She was so exhausted she would have sold her soul just to splash some icy water across her face. Time like these made her yearn for her home on Caelum where she could float among the cold waters of Steelglass Lake, chewing on some fleshfruit.
“You look like hell Lianne,” she complained to the reflection.
She dried herself off and stepped into the bedroom. Taking her time, she laced each loop of her cloak carefully before slipping it on. She straightened her clothes as best she could. When she turned she noticed the picture on the chest at the end of the bed. The picture had been taken six years ago, when she graduated from the academy. At the time she was the youngest graduate ever, surpassing the record held by Embeth who graduated at the age of sixteen. Tears formed and rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at the photo. They clung to her whiskers briefly before finally falling to the floor in large droplets. It wasn't the memory of graduation that brought her reaction. It was the picture of the man with his arm around her. Her father, Captain Jasper of the Explorer's League, rushed back from an exploration mission just so he wouldn't miss her graduation ceremony. He wasn't always so eager, however. When she announced at the age of nine that she was foregoing her studies at the Science Academy to enroll in the Defense Academy, she could taste his disappointment. He felt it was too dangerous and preferred for her to rise through the ranks of the Explorer's League as a science officer, or perhaps a geologist. He felt that would be the safer route. No, wait. It was a xenoarchaeologist, she recalled. Back then she laughed at him.
“But it wasn't safer, was it dad?” she mourned. No, it wasn't, would be his reply now if he could give it. He died as a member of the Explorer's League, yet she still lived as a member of the Defense Fleet. He died at the hands of Shai, the Scarlet Moon leader, when they invaded the Argus. “I would have been next,” she whispered to the picture. If it hadn't been for her wrapping her bound hands around a guard's neck, snapping it like a twig, she would have died by his side.
Ever since becoming captain of her own ship last year she had seen very little combat. Most of her duties had been keeping the peace between the Caelumites and Aquanauts, transporting prisoners to Carcer-4 and providing security detail for foreign diplomats. There were other captains more suited for the upcoming mission. Captain Daranan battled the Lumagom during their failed invasion of Sirus Minor. Captain Muriel defeated the Yakizi on Remeese. Several captains had been involved in battles ranging from minor incursions to interplanetary war. Lianne never before felt as inadequate for a task as she did for this one. The feeling left a sour taste in her mouth.
“I hope I make you proud.” She kissed the picture and returned it to the chest. After clasping the cloak around her throat, she turned to the picture one last time. “Saving this planet Earth better be worth the price we paid.”
Nathan came to mind. The Cartographer had been an important position in the Explorer's League for centuries. Only special individuals with unique talents could read and understand the Universal Map. That alone made Nathan an important asset for them. Kell must have locked the map for a reason. It had remained that way for years before Nathan came along. There had to be a reason for that. It was her responsibility to keep him safe as a captain of the Defense Fleet. What made him special, though? The answer seemed to escape her for now. During her brief encounters with humans in the past they seemed barbaric to her. They endlessly war with each other, covet power, lust after money and seem rather disinterested in worlds beyond their own. Nathan seemed different but was he really? It was human blood that ran through his veins after all.
&
nbsp; “You better be worth the trouble, Nathan.” She clipped her sword to her belt. “If not I will kill you myself.”
She slipped out the door.
The United Nations
Satou jumped in the pilot seat. For several minutes Kedge fumbled with his harness before finally locking it around himself with a grunt. I slid into the seat next to him.
“Here we go again,” Kedge grumbled
I flipped the switch on my bracelet. The Universal Map sprang to life, bathing the interior of the shuttle in a pale green light.
“What are you doing?” Lianne asked. Her features cast an eerie green shadow which looked more demonic than feline.
“I have to see something.” I squinted my eyes as galaxies flashed on the screen. I batted them aside with the tip of my finger. There was only one planet I was interested in. When I found the familiar blue-green marble (it glowed more like a green-turquoise marble within the color of the map). I zoomed in further. When I saw the flashing box over the western coast of Africa, I zoomed in further. Kell had left an annotation over the region. It was a section of Mauritania, more specifically an area between Mali and the Western Sahara. When I read it I almost fell from my seat.
“I knew it!” I exclaimed triumphantly, my lips splitting into a smile.
“What is it?” Lianne asked.
“Ales Banda was wrong about the time hole on Earth,” I explained. “Kell knew it but didn't tell anyone. He did, however, mark it on the map. I think this may be why he locked it in the first place.”
Satou unstrapped himself and lumbered over to me. Kedge and Lianne leaned in closer, tussling with each other to get a better vantage point.
“What are you rambling about, Nathan?” Satou asked.
I took a deep breath to slow my heart before it beat its way out of my chest. My thoughts raced through my head. “When Meta told us that Corvus came from the future, I wondered how it was even possible. I only knew about time travel through phone booths and Deloreans. I read about time holes in your archives but most of your records show that they only travelled into the past, never the future. Using Meta's explanations I began to question the universal time line. I had to ask myself, 'What if we are someone's past'?”
