On Point (Galactic Council Realm Book 4)

by J. Clifton Slater

  The announcement was partially true. By insisting an Umber had managed where the specific Elders had failed, Pirkko raised his own importance to the Druid community. It never occurred to me that Druids practiced political maneuvering. Yet here I sat enjoying a huge country breakfast while my fellow Umber bragged about our prowess at communicating with Heart plants.

  “Then calm the red,” one pleaded.

  “No, the blue,” another suggested.

  “Yellow, please,” the last Elder begged.

  Someone had to calm the Heart plants. Someone had to enter a dome filled with conflicting emotions, brave the thick pollen, and demand the attention of a usually benign sentient species. I mopped up egg yolk with a biscuit and wondered why me.

  “What seems to be bothering the plants?” I asked as a way to keep them talking while I finished my meal.

  “The bedlam is caused by a lack of new information,” Pirkko explained. “Pollen transfer from far reaching stations carries news to the plants on Uno. In turn, news is spread far and wide from the Heart plants here in the same manner. The chaos started when the Navy stopped their cruises and began defensive orbits of potential targets.”

  The latest data-by-pollen from Construction station would have been when the Constabulary took over half the station. If that wasn’t enough news to create panic, the invaders had chopped the ancient White’s branches where they reached into the Constabulary’s territory. Barring new pollen and taken to its logical conclusion, the plants on Uno believed forces of the Empress had butchered the two Whites and the Blue on Construction station.

  “Let me ask a few questions,” I said pushing my empty platter to the center of the table. “Which dome is the most volatile?”

  Everyone looked at a single Elder.

  “The Red is powerful and assured,” he said. “Because of these traits, the red dome is the calmest.”

  The other Elders and Pirkko shook their heads indicating they disagreed with the Red Elder’s assessment. This was how the mad White Heart on planet Tres controlled the first Empress. Those attuned to a color became true believers and fanatics for the plant. Gwendolin was ready to die by obeying a call for help based on a whiff of distress from her White Hearts. Likewise, the Red Elder felt his was the most in control dome.

  It was time to change tactics.

  “What color plant did Major Bríet from the Forest First Sentinels bond with?” I inquired.

  Pirkko and two Elders shifted from me to stare at the Elder for the yellow dome.

  “He is a proud son of the Yellow Heart plants,” he stated quickly while looking me in the eye. “As are all the Sentinels.”

  If he was anything except a Druid, I would take the look as a challenge. But it fit the yellows’ rapid and swift to act essence. My recent conflict with the Major could be a hinderance if any pollen carried the information. I mentally checked off the yellow dome as the one to enter.

  Now that yellow was eliminated, I pondered the red. Mighty with the ability to maintain the strength of its disposition, mimicking the red ions the plant preferred, the dome would be thick with pollen and filled with savage emotions. With yellow and red rejected, that left blue as the dome I would enter. But first, I needed a few hours of sleep.

  ***

  Pirkko guided me away from the dining hall and the temples on a path through the woods. The wind picked up carrying a chill and the hint of snow. As a spacefarer, the natural weather and atmosphere intoxicated me and I fought off my weariness trying to take in the sensations. Our glorious stroll through the pine trees ended when we arrived at a small clearing. A narrow cabin with a steeply pitched roof sat in the open area.

  “We maintain this as quarters for visiting Elders,” explained Pirkko. “It’s far enough from the temples, you shouldn’t be bothered by errant aromas. Besides, it’s beautiful, quiet and peaceful.”

  “Elder Pirkko. Why is it you speak in full sentences and clearly explain your reasoning?” I asked while looking at the picture-perfect setting.

  “Why don’t I use the clipped speak of many Druids?” he said. “I was born down in the valley. From the earliest age, I inhaled aromas drifting on the breeze from the temples. While I’m accustomed to the Heart plants, most Druids find it hard to use their speech centers. Their brains are occupied with learning to communicate through their minds and by their sense of smell. Plus, I’m an Umber and must be a conduit between colors in times of discourse.”

  “In times like these?” I asked as I mounted the wooden stairs.

  The steps under foot gave slightly and the porch emitted the clean smell of pine. And the best part, no messages were carried by the aroma of fresh pine trees.

  “There have never been times like these,” he stated. “Inside you’ll find a fireplace with a log fire, a bar, a comfortable chair and a big bed. I’m told it’s very different than a compartment on a spaceship.”

  “Thank you, Umber Pirkko,” I said as I reached the cabin’s door.

  He stood at the bottom of the stairs looking up at the darkening sky and first stars of the night. Then slowly, he lowered his face and smiled at me.

  “Good night, Umber Piran,” he replied before turning and walking away.

  When he reached the first pine tree, he raised a hand and caressed the pine needles on a low hanging branch. Then, he skipped a step and, like a youngster, ran down the path disappearing into the forest.

  “Good night, Umber Pirkko,” I replied to the empty clearing.

  I opened the door and entered the cabin.

  ***

  It was warm and cozy. Firelight flickered across a woven rug and reflected an overstuffed chair’s shadow across the floor. At the bar, I poured a healthy dose of James Daily and sat down letting the arms of the chair rise as I sank into the cushions. It was indeed different than a compartment on a spaceship.

  For one, it was quiet. The only sounds were the wind at the windows and the crackling from the fireplace. My eyes closed and I nodded off. My mind screamed a warning, I came awake, and jumped out of the chair.

  Where was the air handling system? The required rebreather mask when the system went down? And worst of all, there was a live flame in the room. After fruitlessly searching for a fire extinguisher, I looked around for an alternative.

  At the sink, I located a bucket and placed it under the faucet. Placing my hand on the ridiculously long handle, I pulled. The handle didn’t budge. I pushed it up and it still didn’t move. In frustration, I applied downward pressure and the handle responded. It lowered and a splash of water issued from the end of the pipe.

  I glanced at the water barely covering the bottom of the bucket. I lifted the handle and pressed it down again. Another spurt of water hit the bottom of the bucket. Following an action and response technique, I raised and lowered the handle rapidly and started a steady flow of water. When the bucket was filled to near the top, I carried it to the fireplace.

  The first bucket of water didn’t completely douse the burning wood. It took a second to kill the dangerous flame. In the void of space, natural fire didn’t exist. If there were flames then your oxygen was being consumed and an asset was being uselessly depleted by fire.

  I felt better once the fire was out but the air was still an issue. The wooden window posed no problem and it slid open easily. A refreshing and comforting breeze flew into the room.

  Picking up my glass of bourbon, I listened to the wind and decided the air handling system was functioning properly. My eyes closed and my PID buzzed.

  ‘Piran. Contracted for a rocket to open the cave,’ Tanguy’s message read. ‘Followed by a survey lander. They overcharged me for both. End result, we’re are rich. Mining corporation offered a buyout. I told them to stuff their Pesetas. Big ore vein, big profits. We are rich, lad.’

  ‘Good work,’ I sent back, ‘Keep me posted.’

  I shoved out of the chair, got undressed and crawled into bed. A thought crossed my mind as I pulled the covers up to my neck. I was
going to sleep a rich man with the potential to do anything I wanted for the rest of my life.

  A gust of wind kicked up ash from the fireplace. The smelled of burnt wood invaded my senses as I dozed off to sleep.

  Chapter 15

  A blanket of snow covered the clearing and the pine trees creating a scene out of a holiday video. I took my time shuffling through the magical white fluff on the path. Laughing at the absurd idea that, as I strolled through this winter wonderland. Would I encounter a beautiful Princess? The thought furthered the feeling of a fantasy. Too soon, the path ended and I found myself looking at the domes. Even the Heart Plant domes were encased in a layer of last night’s snowfall.

  I pushed open the door to the dining hall and looked down as I stomped snow from my boots. The hem of Pirkko’s robe appeared and I glanced up at the Elder.

  “Good morning. How are the Whites?” I asked.

  “Still in the bliss of expectant parents,” he replied. “The other colors are not as settled.”

  “After breakfast, I’m going to see the Blue Hearts,” I said. “Now, where should I sit?”

  “Your presence has been requested,” he said while indicating a table full of children.

  The Druid candidates ranged in age from the newly arrived eight-year-olds to some preparing to perform the Ritual and assume the duties of a Druid. I swung my legs over the bench seat and settled between two little ones.

  “What’s it like to be an Umber, Master?” one asked.

  “Master, can you really converse with all four colors?” another blurted out.

  “I can and communicating with each color requires a different emotion,” I explained.

  “Are you a Druid?” one asked.

  “Master Piran has other duties,” Denzilee answered for me. Then the young candidate winked and gave me a sly smile.

  The girl and I had a history. I saved her from Rebels and later, she was the reason I overcame my revulsion and entered a Heart Plant dome. In a way, I considered us even. Also, she knew to keep my identity as a Knight Protector of the Clan a secret.

  Thankfully, breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and butter. It stuck to the roof of my mouth after each spoonful, allowing me time to think before answering. As I delayed, I peered at the young faces looking at me with respect and adoration. For a second, I regretted my decision to return to the Navy rather than pursuing the life of a Druid. Then a teacher arrived and the children became silent and the light in their faces went out.

  Druid discipline and a calm mind required control. And control started with the face you showed the Realm. I remembered when I was a candidate the desire to laugh, run and roll in the grass. As the children shuffled quietly out of the hall, I wondered how many wanted to make snowballs and sled down a hill.

  “Umber Pirkko. We have an engagement,” I called across the room to the Elder.

  “Umber Piran, at your leisure,” he replied.

  We stood at the same time and met at the doorway. All the eyes of the Elders watched us leave the dining hall. Like two mythical warriors, we vanished into the swirling snow of early morning.

  ***

  The swirling snow was replaced by swirling pollen. Unlike snow, the pollen hammered at my mind.

  ‘Defense, Dread, Walls, Protection, Horror’

  It occurred to me the actions of the Blues and their emotional aromas were like shouting during a riot. As if individuals were attempting to be heard over the roar of many disjointed voices, each shouting louder and louder. In the case of the Heart plants, this resulted in a cloud of thick pollen. And, like yelling in a crowd, it only served to add to the noise and dampen the individual message.

  With my rebreather mask snugged down, I didn’t inhale any of the pollen but it clung to my hair, my forehead and caked in my ears. Apparently, you didn’t have to breathe in the pollen for Blues to deliver their strong and steady messages.

  I located the control panel and switched on the venting system.

  ***

  Outside the dome, I leaned my back against the air-lock and pulled off the mask.

  “The Blues are strong,” Pirkko advised. “You are well?”

  “As well as can be expected,” I said while digging pollen out of my ear with my little finger. “Strong may be the wrong word. How about prolific?”

  “A fine word,” Pirkko said while handing me a towel. “A benefit of the snow and wind is the messages between the domes are limited.”

  “If we calm the Blues, the Red and Yellow plants can’t reinvigorate them,” I observed. “That’s one thing in our favor.

  Seventeen and a half minutes later, I pulled open the air-lock and reentered the dome.

  ***

  While I flipped off the venting system and activated the air intake, messages floated around on the currents.

  ‘Help, The Young Suffer, Salvation’

  I strutted to the center of the dome. Arranged around me were Blue Heart plants of every age. Some in pots, others in large boxes, and a few with roots deep in the soil.

  “I am Knight Protector of the Clan Piran,” I shouted with as much emotion as I could muster. After a quick suck into my rebreather mask, I added, “The Galactic Council is protecting you. You are protected.”

  The plants ceased issuing pollen and I grew weary of standing. Slowly, I sank to the dirt floor. Suddenly, I felt at peace, and my mind cleared of any thoughts.

  ‘Afraid’,’ a juvenile Blue sent out.

  “Silence, young one,” I said in a voice that went beyond verbal. While the words came from my mouth, they also formed and leaped from my consciousness.

  ‘Defend,’ a mature Blue puffed into the air.

  “Worry not, esteemed one,” I said and again felt the images form and leave my mind.

  Serenity replaced the manic pollen as the dominate emotion in the dome.

  “You have many defenders. Marines, Navy, Warrior Druids, Strikers and citizens of good will,” I said and projected.

  Tranquility flowed gently from the plants.

  “I was with the ancient White when she passed,” I said out loud and cast out mentally. “She went peacefully. Whole and of her own volition. Her choice, her decision.”

  ‘Mulch, Rot, Decay, Decomposition, Her Desire, Her Will’

  “She produced a seed,” I sent out before actually saying the words. “I brought it home. It rests in a fertile bed and grows.”

  ‘Reproduction, The Ancient’s Seed, Our Forest Grows’

  For a long time, I sat in the dirt and listened to the flow of thoughts between the Blue Heart plants. What little pollen they used, I easily understood. The relaxed atmosphere eased the stress on my body and my mind calmed.

  I realized this was the lesson I failed to understand years before. This was the Druid mind. A state where ideas became physical and a being became thought.

  Eventually, the mature Blue asked me to leave. For the good of my body and to allow the Blues some privacy. Reluctantly, I stood and, as if in a trance, I walked from the dome.

  Umber Pirkko was there to support me as I stumbled through the air-lock. I shielded my eyes from the blowing snow and leaned on the old Druid to stay on my feet. He guided me to the nearest dorm and dropped me onto a bed. The last thing I remember was a blanket being tucked over my shoulders.

  ***

  “Soup,” a voice in my dream announced. It was so life like, I could smell the broth and the yeast in the fresh bread.

  “Master Piran, you have slept for two days,” the voice said. “It’s as if you’ve been through the Ritual.”

  My eyes snapped open to the sight of Elder Gwendolin standing over me. In her hands was a tray with a bowl and something covered in a cloth.

  “Up now. You’ve gone a week without nourishment,” she advised me. “Eat something. Then if you must, crawl back under the blanket.”

  Something was odd and I thought for a moment that I was still asleep. Her mouth didn’t match her words. While I understood her
complete sentences, they weren’t the words coming from her lips.

  “Is breakfast in bed always served by an Elder around here?” I projected without using my mouth.

  “No. You may not have an Elder served to you in bed,” she scolded me.

  I blushed and started over.

  “My mental speech leaves a lot to be desired,” I said out loud.

  “You desire me a lot?” she asked in horror.

  “Wait. I spoke that. It should have been clear,” I stated trying to defend my words.

  “You mean you don’t desire me?” she asked with a wink. “Game time is over. Sit up and eat. You’ll need your strength if we’re going hiking in the mountains.”

  “Let me get this straight,” I said as I sat up. “We, as in you and me, are going hiking in the mountains?”

  “When you’re up to it,” she said with a smile. “If you can get your ego and swollen head through the door, Umber Piran.”

  “I take it the Heart plants have calmed down,” I guessed.

  “All they talk about are sending in the Marines,” she said. “What does Ooh-Rah mean?”

  “I was a little boastful in the Blue dome,” I admitted as I picked up the spoon. “Will you join me?”

  “No, but I’ll sit and we can talk while you eat,” Elder Gwendolin said as she pushed a chair closer to the bed.

  ***

  The wind rushed down the mountain and we bent into it as we fought for the last few meters. Finally, it let up as Gwendolin and I scrambled into the leeward side of the outcrop.

  “Just a little further,” she said breathlessly.

  “The view is pretty amazing right here,” I said as I stared at her flushed cheeks and shining eyes.

  “You can’t see the valley from here,” Gwendolin explained. Then she noticed I was looking at her. “Oh, I see.”

  We climbed together, until I put on a burst of speed and reached the top of the rock first. Extending my arm back, we clasped hands and I pulled her up to me.

  She was right. From atop the outcrop the valley stretched out before us. I inhaled the cold crisp air and looked down on the Heart plant domes and the spirals. The Druid buildings appeared as brown breaks between the trees. Further out, the farmhouses were like toys in a child’s playhouse. I’ve never felt more at home or at peace in my life. I wanted the feelings to last forever.