“Attended to? What does that mean?”
“I mean, being cared for.”
DeeAnn’s eyes became huge and she had to keep herself from leaping forward to grab him. “Wait, she’s alive?!”
“Probably.”
“But…she…”
Palin answered DeeAnn before she could finish. “Died? She may have. We’ll know soon. Mr. Clay did activate the portal quickly which means your gorilla has a much better chance now.” He turned back to Clay. “I’m quite certain Mr. Caesare will survive his wounds.”
“So it is a life saving device.”
“That is correct. A combination energy source and computer, designed to fuse in the event of a critically incapacitated host. You may remember having seen one before.”
“Uh, yeah,” Clay nearly chuckled. How could he forget? It was Palin’s device that had been activated. Clay thought of something. “What did you mean back there when you said, ‘you’re learning?’”
“You used the device I gave you to save the gorilla, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew it could be used only once.”
“I suspected.”
Palin’s face softened. “Then I meant exactly what I spoke. You are learning, John Clay. You’re learning that there is more to life than simply being at the top of the food chain.”
On the far side of the room, Borger witnessed the appearance of a third portal, and more people hurrying toward it. “Does everyone have a cube?”
“Not everyone,” Palin replied.
“How do they work? How much energy do they require?”
“The energy required is very large. Two-way tunnels can be activated from great distances with the help of these devices. However, a one-way tunnel is much more limited, both in distance and energy.”
Alison gasped. “That’s how you did it? That’s how you saved him!”
Palin cocked his head. “Saved who?”
“Dirk. Our dolphin! When you were on Earth!”
“Correct,” he nodded. “It was at great cost, but your facility was just within range for a one-way tunnel.”
“What great cost?”
“These portals are very complex. They require large amounts of energy to establish a tunnel. A two-way tunnel, initiated from one of our portable energy sources, is more efficient and requires less energy. A one-way tunnel doesn’t have an initiating endpoint. Instead, the process is far more difficult. Without a source, the one side must bore a hole, which requires an enormous amount of energy. Energy of which we have little left.”
“But you still did it.”
“We did it twice, Ms. Shaw,” Palin corrected. “The first was pulling your dolphin out from under an explosive device. The second time was delivering him back to you. In hindsight, given how much energy we lost, it was not a wise decision.”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Because we were grateful. Your dolphin saved us, and as I said, there is much more to life than being at the top of the food chain.”
DeeAnn interrupted. “I’m sorry, but I need to see Dulce. I need to know if she is all right!”
Palin nodded. “Very well.”
He led them into another hallway, cut from the same stone as the rest of the room. As they walked, Borger studied the low ceiling, which appeared lit, but he couldn’t find any lights. It was almost as if the air itself was illuminated. They passed several doors and felt the refreshing wisps of dry, cool air against the perspiration on their skin. Palin slowed at the fifth door and pushed it quietly open. Inside was the medic that had carried Dulce from the smoke strewn jungle.
Dulce’s still body lay on a smooth examination table with several strange devices hanging over her from above. The medic was moving a flat surface from one of the devices back and forth across her small furry body.
“What is that?”
“The cells in our body, just as in yours, are energy driven. And energy travels in frequencies. The device he is using radiates special frequencies that stimulate cellular activity and, in this case, repair.”
“Is she alive?”
“The definition of life, or death, extends beyond what your world currently understands. Life within a body is comprised according to our cellular structure. And cells remain usable longer than you know.” Palin turned from Dulce’s body back to DeeAnn. “Death does not always come quite as swiftly as you may think.”
“How much longer are cells usable?” Borger asked.
“Not long, but long enough that your world might see it as bringing someone back from death. In reality, the body had not fully died yet.”
Palin turned to the medic who looked back and nodded. “It seems your gorilla will live.”
DeeAnn inhaled, placing her hands over her open mouth. “Oh, thank God. Will she…remember?”
“Her cells will remember.” Palin nodded. “Perhaps you would like to stay here while we check on Mr. Caesare.”
“Yes, I would.”
Moments later, Palin led the other three to another nearby room where they found Caesare reclining on a similar table. His shirt was off with each of his wounds covered in clean patches. A different, smallish device was pulled in close to his abdomen, shining a bright light on one of the patches.
He smiled with only a trace of pain when they entered. “What took you so long?”
“We were filling out medical forms.”
Caesare grimaced. “How’s Dulce?”
“Palin says she’s going to make it.”
“Good.” He grinned at Clay. “I guess you figured out that silver block after all.”
“Actually, you did.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were right, Steve. I wasn’t supposed to figure it out. I realized it might simply be a life saving device. Which means it’s not supposed to be activated manually. After all, once paired with a person, that person probably wouldn’t be conscious when it was really needed.”
“So, it would know what to do. All by itself.”
Palin looked at them curiously. “So tell me, Mr. Clay, what were you doing in a burning jungle?”
Clay explained the story, describing the remarkable biological discovery in Guyana and the Chinese warship that absconded with it. He also explained the attack on the Bowditch that allowed the warship to flee, even at the risk of creating a major geopolitical event. If Palin was surprised at Clay’s story, he didn’t show it. Instead, he listened thoughtfully as Clay spoke. When he was finished, Palin shook his head.
“There is great danger in your discovery.”
There was a brief silence as Clay and Caesare looked at each other. An anxious Borger interrupted by extending his hand. “Mr. Palin, my name is Will Borger.”
Palin smiled and took his hand. “We know who you are, Mr. Borger. We are grateful for the help you provided to Mr. Clay and Mr. Caesare. The pleasure is mine.”
Caught a little off guard, Borger took a deep breath. “I…uh, have a lot of questions. Like how your portal works? What’s the unknown element inside the silver cubes? And what are these cellular frequencies that you’re using for healing? There’s just so much-”
Palin raised his hand and stopped Borger. “Mr. Borger, we come from the same carbon based origins. Given the common patterns of carbon evolution, we are more similar than you know. We both have humanoid brains, and we both are creatures of tools and knowledge. And our thirst for knowledge is constant.” He nodded to Clay. “Mr. Clay also had many questions the last time we spoke.”
Clay frowned at Borger. “You’re not going to like his answer, Will.”
“And what was my answer, John Clay?”
“You said it was unwise for a race to gain knowledge too quickly.”
“You remember well,” Palin replied. “But do you understand?”
“I understand. But I’m not sure I agree.”
Palin sighed. “My answer was not an attempt to be evasive or trite. It was not to keep you fr
om achievement. It’s a truth of being human. We long to know answers, even when we lack the capability to bear those answers. Knowledge is only as safe as our wisdom. My people are no different. Further along, perhaps, but not so different fundamentally. Consider advancements in your own history and within your own skills of ingenuity. Things like gunpowder, or fission, or chemical weapons. These discoveries were borne from advancement, yet they radically changed the course of your planet’s history. They eventually became tools of unimaginable power.”
“But they also brought about good things.”
“That is true,” Palin wore a knowing frown. “But which outweighs the other, the good or the bad? Our histories have many similarities. The circumstances are different, but the lessons are the same. It took a cataclysmic event and the near extinction of our people to finally rise above our differences. To understand that true wisdom is not about being right, it’s about the unintended consequences of our decisions.” He paused, watching Borger. “You know that portals are possible now, even practical. And you will one day discover the element we use to create them. But with them comes the ability to harness unimaginable levels of energy. How well do you believe your people would handle a true leap in knowledge, given their current use of fission and fusion devices? How well would they manage frequencies that can harm as well as heal? Mr. Borger, ingenuity is the ultimate gift of humankind. And conquest is the ultimate curse. They cannot be separated. Not yet. Not until you face the gravest threat to your planet’s existence. Until you face mortality as a species, not as individual groups. Only then can you glimpse true wisdom.”
The room fell silent, and Palin watched Will Borger lower his gaze to the floor before he continued. “We came to your planet to save ourselves. It was a journey fraught with problems and danger. We came for the only resource that could save us: water, a resource that you have in abundance beyond your own comprehension. Water is not rare in the universe, but a planet covered in so much water is exceptionally rare. And you don’t have the wisdom yet to even appreciate what you have. But it will come. It will come because your water is highly visible. If we can see it, so can others. Your water makes your planet Earth a beacon to all who can see you.”
Clay’s eyes narrowed. “How many others?”
“More than you have dreamed. I pray that your race matures faster than ours did.”
“Wait,” Alison spoke up. “Isn’t that even more reason to share your knowledge with us?”
“You are wiser than most, Alison Shaw. But wisdom on a global level takes a very long time. You and your team have achieved a giant step forward for your people. You have broken the barrier of communication that has kept you isolated for so very long. You have regained an ability you once had natively, but have since lost. Your breakthrough may prove to be the most important turning point for your race in understanding the world around you. An understanding that will reveal your world as more than just a planet of resources. Life is not simply a matter of breathing or thinking. Life is connectedness on a planetary scale.”
Alison stared at Palin, shocked and suddenly dumbfounded. “Oh my gosh!”
Clay and the others turned to her. “What?”
“That’s what it is,” she murmured, almost to herself. “That’s what it is! It was staring me right in the face this whole time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you see?” She looked back and forth at them, excitedly. “That’s what Sally was telling me! She said they were ‘happy to talk’ again! I never understood what she meant. I thought it was just a translation issue, but it wasn’t. She knew! Sally and Dirk knew that we used to be able to communicate before! And now, with the IMIS system, we aren’t communicating with dolphins for the first time, we’re communicating with them AGAIN!”
From the table, Caesare’s eyes opened wide. “Whoa!”
“It’s true!” Alison cried. “And Dulce proved it.” She grabbed Clay’s arm. “I haven’t told you about what we discovered about the errors in IMIS! Lee found out that they weren’t errors at all. They were real translations happening beyond human speech. On a level that we don’t understand, but Dulce does! And IMIS has picked up on it!” Alison whipped back to Palin. “That’s what you’re talking about!”
Palin smiled. “Because of you, Alison Shaw, your world will someday become one again. A lesson that my people wished we had learned much sooner.”
66
The front wall was floor-to-ceiling glass, looking out from within the orange-red stone. The room was larger, cut from the face of towering cliffs that traveled as far as they could see.
Clay stared outward through what he had assumed were giant, clear panes of glass, but after closer inspection, he realized there was no glass. The clear wall between them and the outside world was simply air. And beyond it, a small blue ocean stretched out before them.
“Is this all of it?” Clay asked.
“Yes. For now. The impact that devastated our planet was almost inconceivable. It killed most of our people and the majority of our planet’s other inhabitants. Our two largest oceans were vaporized from a force great enough to send most of it out into space.”
“You mean you’ll never get it back?”
“We will in time. Most of our oceans are now in the form of ice crystals floating outside our atmosphere. With each year, as we pass through the clouds, the gravity of our planet attracts a little at a time, causing it to thaw and fall back to the surface. It’s how water originally arrived on our planet, but it will take a great many years to regain it all. In the meantime, the water we now have, thanks to you, is enough to begin the reconstruction of our complex ecosystems. We have a long road ahead of us.”
Clay started to reply but stopped when a woman walked into the room behind them. She was tall with blonde hair flowing far past her shoulders. He had met her once before.
Laana moved with a grace that made her appear to be gliding across the floor with her long blue dress trailing behind. She smiled kindly at the four of them as Palin nodded and stepped back.
“Welcome,” she said, in a smooth voice. “And hello again, Mr. Clay.”
“Laana,” Clay nodded respectfully, still unsure what her title or position was.
Alison watched the beautiful woman look over them and was sure she noticed a twinkle in Laana’s eyes upon studying her and Clay.
Laana examined Caesare’s side which was now covered with bandages and clothing. “How are we feeling, Mr. Caesare?”
Caesare’s looked surprised. “I’m well, thank you.”
“We’re surprised to see you again,” she said, returning her eyes to Clay. “However, we are pleased with your decision.”
“It didn’t feel like much of a decision at the time.”
“Which means it was the right one.” She turned and looked out over the glistening water. A deep red from their large sun reflected off the surface. “I see Palin has been giving you a tour.” She waved one of her arms outward. “This is our planet’s last city. Protected deep within the rock of these great cliffs.” Laana gazed out over the picturesque horizon. “Great battles were once fought here, many years ago. It has an important place in our history, though not as important as now. It will forever be sacred and known as the city that saved the last of our race. And the place where your water saved more than just a race, it saved an entire planet.”
Laana turned back. “Thanks to you, we are growing again. Slowly, but growing.”
“Palin told us you would get your water back eventually,” Alison said.
“Yes, in time. Until then, we are learning patience on a scale we would never have imagined before.” Laana’s voice promptly took an upbeat tone as she studied one of the cliffs in the distance. “Not far from that spot is where we launched our ship to travel to your planet. It took several years. Of course, Palin and I were much younger then. It was a very frightening time.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “We owe you so much.”
&n
bsp; “Eh…” Caesare grinned broadly. “We know you’re good for it.”
Laana looked at him curiously then laughed. “We are thankful for your courage and hope that someday we can repay it.”
Alison was still smiling from Caesare’s joke. “Well, let’s hope that won’t be necessary.”
Laana nodded and peered past them. DeeAnn entered the room, escorted by a medic. Dulce lay unconscious in her arms, heavily bandaged.
“How is she?” Caesare asked, as DeeAnn approached.
“Good. She’ll sleep for a few days, but she’ll be okay.”
More footsteps were heard as Will Borger entered the room. Next to him walked one of Palin’s men, an engineer whom Palin had summoned. He had been working with Borger for the last hour to analyze a sample of soil Borger had collected immediately upon landing in the helicopter.
Borger was beaming. “She was right. Commander Lawton was right about the soil.”
“What did you find out?” asked Clay.
“Actually, she was more right than she knew. The Commander suspected there could be something in the soil, which is why she asked me to get a sample from near the fire.”
“What is it about the soil?”
Borger nodded. “It’s not the soil itself. It’s what is in the soil.” He stared at the others, as if waiting for them to guess. When they didn’t, he blurted out, “It’s the water!”
“Water?”
“Yep. There’s an enzyme in the water that neither of us has ever seen before. And it looks like that may be what is creating the special DNA mutations in the plants!”
Clay raised an eyebrow. “What kind of enzyme?”
“I’m not sure, but it looks synthetic. And it’s glowing.”
“Any idea where it’s coming from?”
“Nope. But thanks to our friends,” Borger said, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a small instrument, “we now have something to use to find the source.”
Clay looked at Palin. “I suppose that’s our cue.”
“It appears so,” he replied. “Your portal won’t remain open much longer anyway.”
Laana and Palin escorted them back through several rooms to the main area where the portal was still shimmering. One by one, they thanked Laana and Palin and stepped back through the black oval.
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