by Robin Miller
I said, "can you truly speak for all your people onsuch a thing?"
He said, "I am head leader of the 100 faithful children of the Sands of Time, defenders of the stone of fate, and interpreter of the path of destiny for our people. If you return with me to our sacred mountain, and place the stone of fate upon the altar of time, our people will see this as a great sign of prosperity. These events will be written down in their holy book of journeys, and you will be considered a sage among our people."
I said, "all right, whatever works. But without meaning any insult, please tell me why your people put so much on a simple small stone."
Kerock, "countless years ago at the dawn of our civilization, a time traveler came to us and said he could record our lives with this simple stone of fate. He said that somewhere in the future he would be watching our progress, and returned to us in our hour of greatest need."
I said, "a time traveler with a stone that can record events, and a promise to return when most needed. Sure, I can see the importance in all that. It's not often anyone knows they have been visited by a time traveler, I imagine it can be very valuable to have one looking out for you. I guess that's a good thing, and talking about good things, let's tell these people where they are going, and get the ship on its way."
So I got on the intercom and told all on the ship the good news. Then we got the big ship in motion, well broadcasting a homing beacon for the scavengers ships that had not made it back yet. Owsee and the Trident took point for the big ship, while ID, my liven ship, darted back and forth trying to encourage a game of tag. We let a few of the crew helped fly the ship, but not many and they were well guarded. I was taking no chances on them trying to take the ship back. They were getting what they were looking for, a new home, but the ship had been their home for many generations and some of them would not easily give it up. Even though it may be the only way to save their lives.
I finally had to ask the question, "how many did we lose in the battle?" Kerock, "three brave souls sir, their names shall be written in the book of the honored dead."
I said, "I shall write of their bravery also. The deeds and kindness of all your people will be known by my entire world."
We got to the jump-gate and moved into hyperspace, and my liven ship showed us a shortcut that would cut much time off or travel. During the trip a number of living ships joins us from time to time, and “Id” played with them as we went. It was good to see her having some fun. Once, just a few hours into the trip, there was a security breach and some of the scavengers try to take over engineering. The gas bombs put them out, but for a time there was a real threat that we may lose control of navigation. Without the help of my liven ship we would've been lost in the starless void of hyperspace, few ships have ever returned once lost there. We made an announcement as to where we were, and the dangers of interfering with ship operations at this time, in hope that there would be no more attempts to take over the ship or sabotage it in any way. This seemed to work, as there were no more problems the rest of the way. It’s hard to keep a couple thousand people in check on their own ship, they knew every hidden panel and escape route on the ship, and we were running out of knockout gas. But before long we came out of hyperspace near the planet of Voleon, and made our way down. It was a very green and blue planet, with lots of water and vegetation. The Voleons, however, lived in enormous underground cities. Kerock told me their populated was nearly 3 billion, here. We landed on the desert site of an enormous mountain, that had been carved on every part of it with the most beautiful and elaborate works I have ever seen. Parts of it was like giants looking down upon us, while millions more were of every creature that was ever on the planet and all the plants.
I asked Owsee, on the Trident, to record this wonder in as much detail as possible. As he flew over head he said, "this will take sometime."
Kerock said, "the people will be taken care of while you join me to return the stone of fate, we must now go within the mountain of tribute."
I said, "first disable the ship, shut down the engines and destroyed all the computers."
I reached out, with the help of my telekinetic enhancer, and started to crush all the control crystals in the computers on the bridge. Then Kerock gave the order to his men, even as the scavengers on the bridge protested, saying it was madness to ruin the ship.
I said, "in three days time the Plexons will come for what is left of this ship, and its parts will become like the sand that is outside. Tell your people they have two days to take only what they can carry on their backs. This is the price of your salvation, anyone that lingers or is found on a scavengers ship will be destroyed by the Plexons. I can do no more for you."
I ordered the bridge cleared, then waved my hand and shredded what was left of the bridge controls. The ship was going no wares, and its people had to accept that so they could move on. Kerock and a few of his warriors led me off the ship and toward the mountain. Behind us we could see the Voleons flying off the scavengers mother ship, and into unseen landing-bays within the desert. As we got further from the ship hundreds of Voleons started to appear. It was easy not to see them at first as they were wearing no cloaks, and Voleons though otherwise human like, have transparent skin; though their eyes are of the most beautiful blue. As we got to the entrance to the mountain, I turn to see what looked like a thousand nude Voleon, walking to the scavengers ship. Most had food and water for them. With the sun’s light passing through all those Voleon bodies, it looked like waves of soft energy flowing toward the ship. It's hard to explain such a site, to me at least, the Voleons were Angel like. A beautiful people that had decided to live underground so that they would not spoiled the beauty of the planet. As a matter of fact, this mountain of tribute was the only structure on the entire planet. As we stood at the enormous entrance to the mountain I noticed we were on a transparent platform of crystal with a river under it, that flowed from deep within the cave. It was like walking on water, and it began to take us on a journey within the mountain. The walls were carved, with the likeness of those that had died serving the stone of fate, in a beautiful gem stone that had an iridescent glow to it.
Kerock said, "this is how we honor our warriors."
The semi transparent floor moved quickly over the river below our feet, as it carried us deeper into the mountain. I soon realized there were thousands of likenesses carved into the walls, perhaps tens of thousands. Each holding what seemed to be a simple power staff. These were mostly peaceful people, but this was a testimony to a eon of faith in one thing, a stone given to their ancestors by a time traveler, and his promise to return in their most desperate hour of need. Some may say it was foolish for a world to believe they were visited by a time traveler, and even more so that he would return one day when they were in need of his help. And they thought that a simple stone could record their lives so that someone in the future could see how things were going with them, was also beyond belief. People may say it makes no sense to send the stone on a journey to their other colonies once every 50 years, or to believe there was some path of destiny. But out of three billion or so of them, they have devoted only 100 to walk that path and defend the stone of fate. That's a rather small army to ensure some hope in their future. I once put the fate of my world in the belief that an alien device, given to me by a techno-sage, would somehow save the planet from a shower of metal eaten robot spiders. But it worked, and I'm glad of it, however that just goes to show you that salvation can come in strange forms sometimes, maybe even the form of a simple looking stone. The Voleons had never made war among themselves, or anyone else, in all their recorded history. Perhaps it was the fact that they believe that someone from the future was watching them and their lives, that kept them on their best behavior, and allow them to become one of the most advanced races in this part of the galaxy. I know of a few that could use that kind of a reality check, but like I said, though I have heard of time travelers few have ever revealed themselves.
After the walk we w
ere on had taken us to what seem to be the center of the mountain, we found ourselves in the center of an enormous crystal cave, with what was the floor -- no longer beneath us. I could see only empty space below my feet, and had a slight feeling of weightlessness.
Kerock said, "this is the altar of the stone of fate, you may now return it to its resting place."
I reached in my bag for the stone, unsure what would happen next. I held my hand out palm up with the stone on it, and the stone began to glow, then rise out of my hand and a beam of light hit it. The walls of this enormous crystal theater began to flash with images of the trip the stone had been on, even though it had been in my bag for part of the trip. We were slowly pulled back to the tunnel we came from as the stone revealed scenes of things Ihad not been a part of. Then a door closed, and we were just standing in what seemed to be a ordinary tunnel of stone.
Kerock said, "would you like to see one of our cities before you leave." I said yes, though I was still a bit stunned by my experience. He tapped his staff on the stone floor, and we began to drop at such a speed that I was weightless for a few moments. Then the ride slow down until we came to a stop far beneath the ground. We had passed through hundreds upon hundreds of feet of rock by means I could not understand, unless it was some kind of phase shift, but I thought only my living ship could do that. We now stood on a walkway to a Crystal city so large I could not see its end or the roof about us.
Kerock nonchalantly said, "the ceiling is only a few thousand of your feet high, the rest is a illusion for the comfort of our people, most of our cities are much farther underground."
Not far from where we were standing was a waterfall that came from nowhere and turned just before it hit the street, then flowed up its own backside hundreds of feet up again. Some children were jumping through it and getting wet, so this was no illusion. Kerock said let me show you our marketplace, and he led me through what looks like a mirror that gave no reflection. I took only one step and found the other side to be far from where we started.
He said, "we use these to get around the planet as well."
He showed me an almost endless row of different foods that were for anyone that wanted it. He picked up a small square and said I should like it. Tasted a bit light fig, not bad.
He said, “even though my people have had replicators for thousands of years, they like to get together in the marketplace to talk and shop with one another. Most say that organic food is better.”
I said, "there are no vendors, is it all free?"
Kerock said, "anything you could ever want is free to our people. We have a power source that is practically unlimited. Something about drawing power from a sun in another dimension, it's old-tech stuff and only a few really know how it works. But I'm told it will not work anywhere other than here. We have colonies on other worlds, but none have been able to use this thing there. That’s the problem would drawing power from another dimension, you need to be in just the right place at just the right time or it will not work. For this reason we will not share this with others, because when you start opening portals to other dimensions you just don't know what you will get.”
I said, "someone may open a portal to a black holeor a planet with a disease that has no cure in our universe."
Kerock, "yes, there are many good reasons others should not have this kind of technology. There are many other ways to make power, and no reason for others to take such risks. Matter of fact, that’s the reason some of our people live on one of our other colonies, they don't all believe we will never lose control. Though for most it's just because they want a different way of life, and sometimes they find it’s not too their liking and return. I'm not sure if the scavengers will want to live with us down here. But if not, there are the colonies they could go to."
I said, "why do your people live underground here?"
Kerock, "because as we became more and more aware of the impact we had on our planet, we moved underground to prevent doing any more damage to it. We have a number of creatures on this planet that live nowhere else, and cannot live among us. So we give them the surface of the planet while we live below. We prefer this over killing them off."
I said, "well that's certainly very generous of you, and taking the scavengers in was very generous as well."
Kerock, "that was in the hands of fate, if it was not for the stone we would've never let an outsider on our planet. What I have done with my interpretation of the paths of destiny by the will of the stone of fate, will forever change our lives if the scavengers are willing to live among us. But I think it could be good for our people, they need a change to make their lives more meaningful." I said, "yes, having just about anything you want at any time is not always enough, there must be new challenges to keep the mind alert and free from boredom. I've found today to be a very interesting one."
Kerock, "as did I, and talking about interesting, try this drink. It is both sweet and has the ability to give you strength."
I took the small bottle and downed it. It was like a chocolate milk but made me feel wide awake and able to run. I told him it was very good.
Then a little Voleon girl came up to me and said, "you're a human, are you not?" I said, "why, yes I am."
She said, "we have studied humans in school, but you are different. You are a very long way from your home world."
I said, "you're right, I come from a planet we call Earth. It is toward the edge of the galaxy, a very long ways from here."
She said, "yes, but you have made the planet of Laureate your new home, and I sense you have great telekinetic abilities."
I said, "yes, and you must have telepathic abilities."
Kerock, "she does, but she must learn it can be rude to read people's minds without their permission."
She said, "I apologize if I was rude, I must go out to greet our new guests, thank you for returning the stone of fate to us. May prosperity reward you daily." I said thank you and she was quickly off. Many flashes of balled lightning streaked across the sky of the city, and I asked if this was normal. Kerock said it was just energy transfers, and they would only travel on the ceiling. I said they were a beautiful sight, as was their city of crystal, and asked him why they built out of such a thing.
He said, “the transparent crystals are very strong, and it is easy for us to make anything we want out of them. From a plate to a wall there is nothing too intricate that cannot be made in just a few moments. Besides, we like the way it all looks.”
I said, “yes, it’s truly a beautiful city.”
He picked up a handful of beans and offered me some. They tasted like a sweet nuts, but melted in my mouth as I ate them.
He said, "feel free to fill your pockets with whatever you like, we have plenty." I put a scoop full in one of my pockets, and we left this endless market by walking through another mirror, to another part of their underground world. We were now on a beach to an underground lake, and the nearby mountains seem to hold up the sky.
Kerock said, "I like to come here to swim. The water is all fresh and not too cold." There were many Voleons playing in the water, this place was so grand that it was difficult for me to remember it was all underground. They had taken tens of thousands of years to achieve all this, but that fact made it nonetheless impressive. We then step through another mirror and were looking at vast fields of many different kinds of plants. From low growing ones to mighty nut bearing trees.
Kerock said, "thousands of years ago we discovered that not only were living plants better to eat than replicated food, but that many of our people like to work in the gardens. It's not just something to do, but a way to keep in touch with the living force of the planet."
I said, "your achievements are both wondrous and unique, I hope the scavengers can learn to live in harmony with them."
Kerock, "harmony is a key factor in our way of life, we have no law enforcement's or prisons. If someone cannot live in harmony theyjust go someplace else. While we will find it interesting to have n
ew people here for the first time, they must also respect our way of life or be denied any part in it."
I said, "I understand completely, and hope they can make the transition. If they cannot I am sure they will do well on one of your colonies. Perhaps that has been their destination all along."
Kerock, "yes, I must admit I have been thinking along the same lines, but even a short visit here will do us both good. Our own people are given the choice, and some of them prefer to be elsewhere. I love our life here, and find it hard to believe some chose the hardships of another place, but it seems some must walk another path."
I said, "yes, mine has brought me here and it will take me away, but I hope I may return one day."
Kerock, "as a carrier of the stone of fate, I welcome you to live among us or just visit anytime you like, but before you go let me show you our hall of voices." We stepped through another portal and found ourselves on a tall ledge, overlooking a crystal hall so enormous I could not see its end. There were millions of Voleons below, singing in a solemn chant that filled the hall with a vibration I could feel deep within me, it was quitewonderful.
Kerock said in a low voice, "this is where we come to sing old songs that tell of our history and help center us. This sea of harmony is part of what we are." We sat on a stone bench and listened for a while before returning to the city. I wish I could've recorded the experience in more than my heart and mind. Kerock then took me to the surface. We said our goodbyes and my living ship took me up to the Trident. Owsee asked if I had a good visit and I said, "if it was not for Kitty and the children I would of never left. I may return to stay one day." Owsee, "well they must of certainly made you welcome. Did you take care of that stone of fate business?"
