He screamed in anguish as he made the transformation, feeling every bone move inside his sac of flesh. When it was done, he dozed, comatose inside the lander. Eventually, he awoke. It was dark outside, and the rain was all gone, dried up in the rocky expanse of the foothills.
His body ached, and he blinked his eyes open and closed, feeling the raw sensation. He stared at his reflection in the glass of the lander’s door and saw the long brown hair, the slender face, the strong but agile body. He smiled widely at the image and slipped into the clothing he’d peeled off the bodies.
The hunter closed the door to the ship. All that remained outside was the washed-away blood of the prey. No one would ever know he was there. He’d carefully digested the brain of the male and understood how to pilot the ship.
He lifted it off the ground and headed for a different place on this planet. Terran One. The village name was a whisper on his mind, but important nonetheless.
Five
I ducked as the thing pounced toward me. I wasn’t able to avoid its grasp, and it clung to me, long arms wrapping around my neck.
Dean, don’t struggle. I should have told you about Bool, Regnig said.
I dropped my arms, going slack.
Bool, stop it at once. Regnig’s words were a blast to my mind, and the creature jumped off, away from me.
“What is it?” I asked, seeing a short torso, long hairy arms, and four thin legs. Its head was undersized, big eyes curiously watching me. It was only three feet tall, standing higher than Regnig.
Karo and Ableen entered through the portal device, and she gasped at the sight of the animal.
Bool is a Noolathrocite. A local tree dweller. It appears he found his way inside from the tropical planet where Fontem hid the access to his collection. Bool came to stand at the birdman’s side, holding out his hand. Regnig pulled a piece of fruit from somewhere in his outfit and passed it to the animal. Bool smiled, showcasing a terrifyingly sharp set of teeth.
“And those are for eating leaves and grass?” I asked, hopeful.
Quite the opposite. They enjoy eating meat more than anything.
Karo stepped between the creature and Ableen protectively.
But don’t worry. He’s friendly. I let him come and go as he pleases. So far, he hasn’t done anything, nor has he summoned any of his friends inside. Regnig petted the animal as he devoured the fruit in seconds.
“I’ll take your word on it.” I took in my surroundings, seeing much more rhyme and reason inside the collection. Everything was lined up in rows; new shelving, likely borrowed from Regnig’s library, was set up, and he crossed the room to grab a tablet in his tiny hand, passing it to me.
Every item inside is listed on here. That cross-reference book I had came in very handy. I know what sixty percent of this stuff actually is, Regnig told us.
“You mean forty percent remains a mystery?” I asked.
He nodded, and Karo walked over to a shelf, picking up a globe-sized object with a glowing barrier around it, hefting it in his palms.
Don’t drop that.
“Why’s that?” Karo asked Regnig.
Because it’s a world.
Karo appeared horrified. “What do you mean, it’s a world?”
Apparently, about a million years ago, a disturbance formed far away from here. It shrank an entire solar system before dissipating. Only one of the planets survived. This is it. Regnig found the location on the tablet, handing it to me.
I read the brief description and paled. “He’s telling the truth, Karo. You might want to set it down gently. The world is frozen inside that barrier.” I scrolled through the data. “According to this, Fontem found this on a backwater world about fifty thousand light years from its original system. It was already encased in this barrier. Who placed it there is a mystery, but Fontem always wanted to find a way to reverse the shrinking, and to bring the planet to life once again.”
Ableen stepped over to it, her hand hovering above the energy barrier. “That is so sad,” she said.
“What if we find a way, Dean?” Karo asked.
I nodded. “I’m afraid of looking at anything else, because we could forever be trying to figure these ancient puzzles out.” I studied the globe and saw the clouds and oceans frozen in time. I wondered what kind of life had been put on pause and, if we could find a way to reverse it, if they would survive.
“We must help them,” Ableen said, and Karo smiled at the Theos woman. I could tell he was smitten with her, not only because she was the last female Theos, but because of her big heart and her sensitivity to the plight of others. She had also been frozen aboard the Collector’s ship for a long time. She understood more than anyone.
“Then it’s settled. Regnig, while we’re gone, can you see what you can learn about this world?” I asked him.
The feathered being opened his beak and stuck his tongue out to the side, his one eye boring into me. I have started already. I had to put your book on pause, though.
I wanted to tell him that was a good thing, because no one cared about reading a book about me, but I held back. “Great. Where do we start?” I asked, flipping through the program on the tablet menus.
I’ve made as many notes as I could. I must admit, this last year has been exhausting, but also the most exciting of my career.
I didn’t ask him how long that was, because I knew it would only make Regnig feel old. “I can imagine. Who better than you to catalog a collection like this?”
I can think of numerous others, but I digress. I was the one lucky enough to be offered the opportunity. Let’s use the keywords: portal, stones, crystal, Theos, map, reverse, pathway, and any others you can think of, Regnig suggested.
I keyed them all in, along with a few more, and seven files highlighted. We opened them one at time, searching for something that would assist us in deciphering the secrets of the portals within Fontem’s horde of history.
“Let’s begin,” I said. Fontem had a collection of computer software files loaded onto countless different systems, some from long dead races from thousands of years ago, to books in hundreds if not thousands of languages.
Karo, take this and locate these books. Regnig passed him a screen from a nearby desk. Hover this over the book and choose your language output. It will translate, and you can digitally record anything you want. So if you find details on the mapping and tracking of portal destinations, tap this icon here to imprint for later analysis.
Karo nodded, and Ableen was already moving across the space, heading for the bookshelves where so many priceless volumes from around the universe sat. I was in awe of the sheer amount of information stored here. No wonder Regnig had such a great time. Here was a man who’d devoted his life to guarding and studying the universe’s greatest library, and now he was gifted access to so many more secrets of time and space.
Dean, you and I will use the system to decode these three files. Regnig perched onto a feathery pillow, and Bool leapt over to his side, curiously watching Regnig’s tiny hands fly across the keypad. I watched the almost monkey-like animal from the corner of my eye for a few moments before trusting it wasn’t going to take a bite out of Regnig or me.
I cracked my knuckles, fully aware a research project like this could take some time.
It was hours later when Karo shouted from across the room, and I blinked my eyes open, not realizing I’d even been drifting off.
“We found something,” Karo said firmly. Pride beamed from his smile. “Or Ableen did.”
We stood, heading over to their seating area on the floor. Ableen passed the screen to me, and I saw the translated message, feeling my heart race at the words.
The Crystal Map is a tool few know about, but many wish they had. Each trip through the crystals leaves an imprint that fades with time.
It went on to discuss other things, and I scrolled through the prior pages as well as the next few, not seeing any more about the subject.
“What does it mean? Crystal Ma
p. Let’s search it!” I ran to the tablet and brought it over. Everyone waited with bated breath as I searched the keywords Crystal and Map. There were no results, not when typed together.
Perhaps we’re doing this wrong. Dean, remove the translation to English. We need to search it in the original form, Regnig suggested. I did as he bade, and found the word in some unfamiliar language. The lettering was strange, a distant series of symbols and sketches. I pasted the details into the search field on the tablet, and we watched it scroll through the millions of files, to return one result.
“We have a hit,” I said, opening the file. I didn’t understand what I was looking at.
This is good. Item number three hundred and eighty-two. Regnig was off, flapping his wings in excitement. Bool ran after him, squeaking as if they were playing a game. I assumed he really wanted another piece of fruit.
The shelf was too tall for Regnig. He made a series of unfamiliar commands to the creature, and Bool climbed the tall shelf, returning with a metal box, setting it into Regnig’s talons. I was beginning to understand why our friend kept the monkey-thing around.
We gathered around Regnig as he opened the box. My heart sank as it sprang wide to reveal nothing inside.
Regnig stuck his tongue out and poked his beak inside the box. A secret compartment clicked open, and now we found what we were looking for. It was clear and sticky to touch, about the length of a pen, but flexible. I pulled my finger away, and the device stuck to it.
Place this on the stone, and the other end onto this tablet, and you will locate your destination symbol. It should be as easy as that, Regnig said.
“Can it be that simple?” Karo asked.
I shook my head. “Things rarely are. Thank you for your help, Regnig. Good catch, Ableen.”
I was anxious to test it. Would it show us a full catalog of each portal, detailing each trip through that particular stone, and where the user traveled to? The brief message said that the imprints faded with time, but how much time? Centuries? Days? Hours? We didn’t know.
We headed for the exit, and Bool accepted another piece of food from Regnig before we stopped at the portal device. Ableen glanced at the shrunken world, and I silently promised the inhabitants that we’d return for them one day.
Seconds later, we were inside the library, closing the portal behind us.
“Does Bool come and go as he pleases?” I asked.
As far as I’m aware, yes. Regnig led us to the center of the room, where Slate had erected a makeshift camp for us all. Mary and Jules were tucked away inside a tent; Rivo and my big friend were playing some sort of game resembling chess, and from the looks of it, the small blue woman was beating him with ease.
“Well, what did you find?” Slate stood up, trying to read my expression. I made it easy on him.
“We got it,” I said, keeping my voice low.
“You did?” Rivo asked.
I pulled the flexible device out and showed them. “Doesn’t look like much,” Rivo said.
I could only shrug. “Seems to be what we were after. We’ll find out.”
“When do we go? Now?” Slate asked.
I glanced to the tent where my wife and child slept soundly, and shook my head. “No. We’ll stay the night and head out in six hours or so. Sound okay with everyone?”
Slate had set up a few extra tents in the open space in the center of the library. “Sure. Karo and Ableen, you can take those ones.”
“What about you?” I asked him.
“I already had a nap. Plus, Regnig has some serious coffee here.” He smiled over at our host. “Hope you don’t mind. We found it and brewed some.”
That’s not coffee. It’s medicinal… or that’s what it’s meant for, Regnig said.
Slate’s eyes went wide. “What kind of medicine?”
It’s meant for mind stimulation. I use it when I need to concentrate for days at a time.
“Some sort of speed? I’m feeling a little funny here, boss,” Slate said.
Rivo laughed at him. “You’re fine. I knew what it was. I brought the coffee with me. I can never leave home without it, not after spending time with you guys on your ship, and on Haven.”
Slate let out a sigh and sat down again. “See, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” he said, tapping his foot repeatedly.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Sure thing. If you guys have this under control, I’m going to call it a night. See you in a few hours.” I left them to play their game quietly and crept into my tent. Jules was lying side by side with Mary, whose arms wrapped around our daughter protectively. It had taken me a year to convince Mary to let Jules sleep in another room than ours, and now I could see her defensive instincts take over.
I took my boots off and climbed onto the inflated mattress beside Mary. She was warm to the touch, and I pressed my cheek against her shoulder. She moved slightly and nestled into Jules.
I let their soft breaths lull me to sleep, and I dreamt for the first time in a long while. When I woke, all I could recall of the ordeal was being trapped on a terrible world. The portals were dead, and my family was threatened.
Six
Regnig had considered coming with us, but decided against it at the last minute, which I was glad for. He was useful, but better suited to life in the sanctuary of his library. The last thing I wanted was for him to accompany us on a mission of unknown dangers and for something to happen to our small friend. He promised to keep researching the stones among the vast array of tomes he’d uncatalogued in a distant dusty section of his shelves. He also told Ableen that he would see if there was any clue to helping the shrunken planet.
She beamed at him as he promised this, and Karo thanked Regnig as well. Then we were off, my terrible dreams a distant memory.
The ship let us off, and already we were nearing the portal room, less than a day after arriving on Bazarn. We arrived through the quiet promenade, heading down the stairs that would lead to the immense guards in the overly-decorated space.
“Rivo, I wish we had time to visit with your father. Send Garo our thoughts and best wishes in his recovery,” I told the Molariun girl. She hadn’t told us exactly what ailed him or how serious it was, but from the look that crossed her face, we knew it wasn’t good.
“Thank you. He did ask for a favor,” Rivo said.
“You know he’s done enough for me. Anything,” I told her.
“Inlorian bars. He wants to buy a thousand bars,” she said quietly.
“A thousand bars!” Slate shouted in surprise. That was worth more than most planets.
“Are you sure you heard him right?” Mary asked.
Jules ran ahead, dancing on the marble floors.
Rivo nodded. “Of course. A thousand bars. He expects to have a great price at that value. He also wants to set up a meeting with the Inlor, if that can be arranged. He’s considering being on the Board,” she said.
“Is he well enough to do that?” I asked her softly.
Her eyes met mine. “He will be.” She was leaving something unsaid, and I suspected Garo was trying to gain a foothold with the newest craze of Inlorian bars while the price was hot. If he could lock in a spot on the Board with the Inlor, he would probably attempt to make it part of the portfolio under the Alnod company, and any heir would hold the position, should he pass on. In this case, that meant Rivo. She seemed to understand this, but neither of us brought it up.
“I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for coming with us.” I knocked on the door, and one of the guards opened it, his hulking form stepping out of the way for us to enter.
“Your Highness, we didn’t know you were coming,” one of them said.
Rivo only laughed. “Watch the door, please. We have something to do with the portal stones.”
They stepped between us and the crystal at the end of the room. “I’m sorry? How do you mean?”
“Look, we don’t have time to explain everything to you,” Rivo said.
They didn
’t budge. “We know we work for you, but we also have an obligation to the stones,” the other guard said.
A shiver began to work its way up my spine.
Karo stepped forward. “What does that mean?”
The other guard spoke, his voice deep and gravelly. “We work for the stones. You stand here long enough, and you learn to hear them.”
Karo’s head tilted slightly. “Them?”
“I don’t know how to explain it, exactly. The stone is alive,” he answered.
I tried to see if I could smooth this over. “We aren’t doing anything to affect them. The portals are dying; the voices you’ve heard are withering away, and as you know, the destinations and symbol connections are being mixed up. That’s why all the portals have been closed.”
“I knew it,” one of them said. “It’s felt off lately, weaker somehow.”
I nodded. “We need to find the rest of our Gatekeepers, but we must first test a device on this stone to see if it works. Then we’ll be off. Sound fair?”
They stomped away, their pumpkin-sized heads meeting in a brief huddle. “We apologize for intruding, your Highness. And...Dean Parker.” My name was added hesitantly.
“Thank you. My father thanks you as well,” Rivo said, and we stepped around them. Jules stayed, pointing up at one of the guards, who was at least four times her height.
“Papa. Silly man!” she told me. I scooped her up and smirked an apology, heading for the rest of our group.
Rivo followed us, likely curious to see if the device we’d found would work. Judging by our faces, we were all eager.
The stone began to glow, pulsing gently as we neared. Ableen’s eyes went wide, as if she was hearing her people from inside, but she didn’t say anything as I pulled the Crystal Map from my pack, setting the bag on the ground.
“Here goes nothing,” I whispered, attaching the device to my tablet, the other end to the table. It latched on as if it were designed for this purpose – which, I reasoned, it was. My tablet flashed brightly before a new application appeared. It showed a series of locations across a vast array of stars, each pinprick of light clearly implying a portal stone.
The Gatekeepers (The Survivors Book Eight) Page 5
