by Frank Carey
Harmon placed a cup of tea near Tannith, knowing she would use its aroma to find it. Seeing everyone working, he retired to the back of the room where he found a quiet spot to read. Long ago, Harm became one with his inability to lead people, but he did learn to let people do their work without interference. He knew he would be called when he was needed, so he sat back and read one of the dog-eared romance novels he carried in his coat pocket for times like this.
He had just gotten into a particularly good chapter when he was interrupted by someone sitting in his lap and taking his book gently from his hands.
It was Marta sans battle armor.
"What'cha readin’?" she asked, while thumbing through the old book.
"The usual, only this one involves a Torsan triad trapped on a supposedly deserted island."
"Ooooh, Torsans. I always wondered how they found dates, having three genders and all."
"They seem to make it work," he replied, while putting his arms around her. "How did the search of the grounds go?"
"Dry hole. We didn't even find trash. The place is pristine."
"Probably helps that the whole plateau is supposedly haunted."
She leaned against his chest and looked up at him. "Huh?"
"The plateau is haunted. According to legend, the plateau was inhabited by a group of peaceful elves. One day, they found a witch in their midst, so they burned her at the stake. Her last dying words were a curse against the inhabitants, damning their souls to eternally roam the plateau."
"No way to break the curse? You know, sacrifice a virgin, or find a chest of jewels? That sort of thing"
"There was no mention of a curse breaker in the elf database. Unlike humans, elves can be damn vindictive. It's how we're made."
"How are you holding up?"
"I'm keeping the threads together. How about you?"
"Angry. I thought the League had ways of preventing this shit."
"Security, any kind of security, is a progression. One group finds a way around measures implemented by the other who, in turn, creates new measures. There are no absolutes, only adaptations. The best smugglers adapt at a moment's notice, and Atmar was once a smuggler."
"We'll find the kids, so stop worrying."
He kissed her. "Yes, Captain. Worry light is out."
"Liar!"
Royce took this moment to join them. "We need to regroup. Dining room in five."
###
Harm sat down between Christa and her brothers as the room filled with people. Outside, Team one and a contingent of security patrolled while listening to the proceedings over the comm. Overhead, shuttles bringing in forensics experts and historians jockeyed for landing sites around the castle as the exploration of this previously unknown site began in earnest.
"Quiet down," Ciara ordered from the makeshift podium at one side of the room. Behind her was a portable multi-screen information terminal. "Eight hours ago, a group of mercs led by a synth going by the name of Loki, kidnapped Aerith and Shenda Aymar, daughters of Prince Lucien, during a raid on the family residence near Castle Atlantea. Through the hard work of Christa, Bobby, and Torren Aymar, sister and brothers of Shenda and Aerith, we ended up in this previously undiscovered castle. Remember, we're trying to learn were Loki took the two ladies and the purpose behind the abduction. First up, Professor Tannith Aymar will brief us on the artifact found in the Terminal Room. Professor?"
"Thank you, director. Upon examination, the artifact, a book, has been determined to be a catalog of items shipped to a world known as Ith. Fourteen thousand years ago, elves and humans coexisted on Earth as part of an empire centered on an island city-state known as Atlantis. Something happened and a refugee ship left Earth and landed here on Ventos prime. We elves are the descendants of those elves.
"This catalog contains a list of items taken on a second refugee ship, one which would travel to a planet known as Ith, a second elf world.”
There were hushed murmurs through the room, as the implications became apparent.
Harm remembered what happened with Nochmar.
Tannith continued. "Many of the items in the catalog were tech—computers, communications equipment—there is even something that resembles a blender—but one item required the help of an MD to identify."
She moved aside to allow Losira to take the podium. Everyone in the room stood up to honor the Queen of Ventos Prime, even her brother, Harmon.
"Oh, aren't you all sweet. Thank you, but please, sit," she said. She leaned over and whispered to Tannith, "I love this part of the job." She turned back to the group who had reseated themselves. She tapped a spot on the larger central screen and an image of a device appeared along with its name and description written in ancient elf.
Harm got to his feet.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Christa asked.
He took her hand and squeezed it.
"You recognize some of the words?" Losira asked.
"It's a cereberalizer, isn't it?"
Losira nodded. "Good catch. It took me, Tannith, and two AIs over an hour to figure it out."
"Dad, what's a cereberalizer?" Torren asked.
"It's a device which can transfer the personality—the soul—of one individual into another, permanently." Losira explained.
"What happens to the receiver?" Bobby asked.
"They die," Harm said quietly. "That madman, he..."
"Harm!" Marta said as she ran in, retracting her helmet, so he could see her pointed glances at the kids.
He looked at them. "Atmar probably has a clone he wants to use as a body. This device would allow him to ditch the synth for something more au natural." He turned back to look at Marta, his eyes full of fear.
"For those not familiar with the concept, League scientists researched this technology, but there were accidents and fatalities. It was eventually abandoned, and all the prototypes destroyed. Since then, the concept has been outlawed due to morality concerns."
"Please tell me you know where Ith is." Harm asked.
"I’ll let Christa explain."
Christa stood up and walked to the podium where Ciara joined her. "Dir. Devlin, my brothers, and I ran a series of deep searches through the castle's databanks. The mercs went from there to our house, then on to their final destination of Ith. Unfortunately, there are no coordinates or flight plans contained in the records we searched. What we do know is the flight plan and coordinates of Ith were programed into the ship's memory at the last stop prior to the castle—the base on the dark side of Earth's moon."
###
After a stop at the house to pack for a few days, Harm and the kids headed to Earth's moon in the LTV Mariposa, where they would meet Ciara and her team, and Team One. Losira, meantime, was heading to meet with Earth's government.
Having set the autopilot, Harm sat down in the lounge and watched Torren and Bobby play video games on a viewer while Christa read a book Tannith gave her about elf history. "You three did real good today, real good. Thanks for the assist."
Christa looked over the top of her glasses at the tall elf. "You're worried. What did Mom stop you from telling us?"
"It's nothing, really. Marta is more level-headed while I tend to worst-case-scenario."
The three stopped and stared at him, then raised their eyebrows.
"Look, I don't think Shenda is in any danger, but I'm worried about Aerith."
"You think he might want to use her body as a new home?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Bobby and Torren joined him and Christa on the couch. The three of them put their hand on his. "We won't let any harm come to her, we promise."
"Thanks. It helps. You four seem to be in tune with one another to a much greater degree than Losira and me. Can you sense Shenda?"
The three closed their eyes, occasionally moving their heads first to the left, then the right.
"A little," Christa said.
"She's safe," Bobby said.
"But she's really pissed off," Tor
ren added.
"Wow, you four could set biocybernetics and telepresence research on their ears. If it's possible, send her positive thoughts."
They closed their eyes for a moment. "I think she got the message," Bobby said.
"That's a relief. By the way, this is not a normal day at House Aymar, really."
The boys patted Harm on his arm before going back to their video game. Christa opted for a kiss on his cheek. "You worry too much," she said as she got back to reading.
He smiled, then leaned back to take a nap.
###
"So, that's Earth," Christa said as she looked out the front windscreen from the copilot's seat. Behind her, her brothers stared at the blue-white orb in awe.
"Yep, your other home planet. Seven billion humans and members of other species call it home," Harm said as he set course for the moon, which was on the other side of the planet. "Is this your first time away from Ventos Prime?"
The three nodded, as the planet grew in size.
"What's it like down there?" Bobby asked.
"Strangely, it is very similar to Ventos Prime. A few more oceans, and slightly less land mass, but close. Like home, they have big creatures, which call the seas home. There are jungles, deserts, and forests. The Royal Family has several estates down there which we use for diplomatic functions."
"And one of our parents is from down there?"
"Yep. Think about it: your eyes evolved down there while your tails evolved on Ventos Prime. Kinda crazy, isn't it?"
The three elflings looked at their tails, then each other's eyes before breaking out in laughter. "That is so cool," Christa noted.
As they watched, Luna appeared over the planet's horizon. "There she is, Luna. Like the Ventosian moons, this one is face-locked to the planet, so the base is on the opposite side which always faces away from Earth," Harm explained. "According to Tanni, this base could be over fourteen thousand years old."
"A drop in the bucket of the cosmic scheme," Bobby noted.
Christa just shook her head.
"What?" Bobby asked.
"Nothing. I'm not used to you two being so philosophical," Christa replied.
"Dad, how do we get into this base?"
"Hopefully, someone has gotten there ahead of us and set up an airlock, otherwise we'll have to hold our breath."
Three heads snapped around.
Harm smiled his evil smile.
"You're good," Christa said. "I bought it."
"I knew he was kidding all along," Bobby said before breaking out in laughter.
Harm thumbed the transmit switch on the control yoke. "Earth Control, this is Lucien Irithyl aboard Ventos Two. Permission to proceed to Luna. Flight plan is on file, over."
"Roger, Ventos Two, you are cleared to proceed to destination. Be advised, you are tenth in line, over."
"Copy Earth control. I hope I can find parking. Ventos Two over and out."
"Is it confusing to have two names?" Torren asked.
"Sometimes, but I can't change it. People from my past know me as Harmon while people in the Royal Court know me as Lucien. I just learn to go with whichever one fits the situation."
"You and Aunt Losi never linked before you met at that party, right?" Christa asked.
"That's right. We were identical twins who never linked for the first thirty-plus years of our lives."
"What was it like when you did get to link?"
"Drinking from a firehose. Over three decades of experiences, feelings, data, all flowing at once. I grabbed her and protected her from the onslaught."
"Because you're prime?"
"Yeah, because I'm prime, just like Shenda. She protects you, you know."
They nodded.
"She's going to kick Atmar's ass," Bobby stated.
Harm nodded. "Of that I am sure."
Chapter Eight
Shenda got up and walked around the room to stretch her legs. Meanwhile, Aerith had moved from magazines to books. "Shenda, guess what I found."
"Hmmm? What?"
"One of Royce’s books. This ship must be a rental."
"Yeah, I can't imagine any of these morons reading anything except maybe a gun catalog. Whatever got the big elf into writing?"
"Back before Dad and Mom got back together, and before he and Losira got married, he was on Losira's protection detail. There was an incident and he got shot, nearly died."
"And that got him writing?"
"Sort of. His battle armor saved his life by pumping him full of powerful drugs. His reaction to those drugs led to his writing his first novel. Being around Dad, Mom, and Losira led to the rest."
"So much for a calm and boring life."
"You'll get used to it. At least you get to be called princess for your troubles."
"But we’re not blood kin, and we're not even full-blood elves."
"Doesn't matter. Anyone can be Queen or even King if the need arises. The good ones are they who don’t want the job."
Shenda's eyes rolled back in her head. Luckily, Aerith was able to grab her before she hit the floor. "Shenda, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Christa and the boys are checking on me."
"That's impossible. We're light-years away from them."
"No, we're not as far as you think. They're almost to Earth. They know where we're going, I think."
"They're able to tell you this?"
Shenda gripped Aerith's arm. "Not so much telling as feeling. I sense Dad and Losi nearby. There's someone else, but I can't get a clear picture..." Her eyes returned to normal. "Lost it. Damn, what a rush. That's never happened before."
"What?"
“We’ve always been able to figure a way out of any jam when we hold hands. It’s like our IQs multiply."
"When you hold hands?"
Shenda nodded. "But only when we're holding hands. This is the first time we've been able to do something without touching."
"How do you know how to do this stuff?"
Shenda shrugged. "It just comes to us. I'd guess Sis and the bros were worried and this idea came to them."
"How long has this been happening?"
"Puberty, give or take a few months."
"Wow. That's heavy. Who else knows?"
"You."
"Is that bad?"
Shenda shook her head. "Maybe you can help us."
Aerith walked over and hugged her sister. "With all my heart, Kiddo. With all my heart."
Chapter Nine
The Mariposa landed in the Babakin crater and docked at one of several docking ports attached to a temporary airlock system used for archaeological sites on toxic atmosphere or airless dig sites. Once they were down and locked, Harm cycled the lock open and led his brood out into the structure where they were met by a very excited Tannith.
"This is incredible! She said as they entered an elevator.
"One of ours?" Harm asked as they descended into the depths.
"No, and that's what's so amazing. This lift is over fourteen thousand years old, yet look how well maintained it is!"
"You think Thia knew about this place?" Harm asked.
"Yeah, he knew. We've found personal effects which prove the Nochmarists have been using this place for years."
"And before them?"
"This is where they kept Nochmar before they transferred him to the facility in the alternate universe. We found his cell!" she said gleefully.
Tannith led him into a room filled with terminals, all of which were displaying a spinning glyph. Ciara walked up and took Harm aside, while Tannith took the kids over to a large ornate bookshelf with hermetically sealed glass doors. The shelf covered the wall from floor to ceiling and contained hundreds of volumes.
"What's up?"
"The techs think the terminals are booby trapped."
"By Atmar?"
"No, they don't think so. It's too crude."
"Christa, guys, I need you over here. Ciara, did the techs determine which terminal is the master one
?"
She looked at the lead tech that shook his head.
"Yes, Dad?"
"I want you three to look around. Which terminal do you think is the master?"
The three spread out through the room in random directions, but they soon converged at one terminal nearest the door they had entered the room through. "What does that door over there lead to?" Bobby asked, pointing to a large, heavy door at the opposite end of the room.
"That’s where they kept Nochmar," Tannith said.
"Then this is the master terminal," Christa said while her brothers nodded agreement.
"What the hell is a master terminal?" Ciara asked.
"The place where someone with duties similar to the Mission Director would sit. All the data in the room would flow through the Master Terminal on the way out of the building, at least that's the way elves build rooms like this. I figure we got the idea from someone. Christa, you and the boys want to try to crack in or do you want to see if the old elf still has his chops?"
"How about you take this one while we watch?" Christa said.
Ciara breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Fine, I hope I can remember how," he said as he sat down at the terminal, pulling a bright red hacker ball out of his jacket while the kids took seats next to him. He looked around and saw all the techs in the room crowd around behind him and the kids. Ciara, Tannith, and Losira pushed their way through to stand behind him.
"Lucien, does this happen a lot?" Losira asked, while she looked at the crowd.
"Not really. Most of the time my audience is a half-eaten pizza and a mug of iced tea. I find this creepy." He placed the hacker ball on the console and pressed his finger on the top, activating it. Tentacles emerged from the ball and embedded themselves in the dark surface. Without preamble, Harm began to type commands at a relatively quick rate. Terminals around the room flashed and blinked as Harm typed faster. Meanwhile, the hacker ball pulled up it legs and moved around the console, stopping here and there to dip its tentacles. Then it would move to another spot and repeat the process. Finally, all the screens went black as the hacker ball deactivated. Harm sat back and cracked his knuckles, then stretched his back out.
"Harm?" Ciara asked with growing panic.
