D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology

by Michael Zummo

  “According to what this Andus fellow said, if I can find these fire marbles, we’re home free on paying for the equipment and hiring a crew engineer.”

  There was a pause, then Osuto’s voice came back over the communicator. “Be sure you obtain a flight plan and world maps before heading out. You’re a gifted warrior. But put mildly, your piloting experience is lacking. Be careful.”

  Mencari smiled. It was nice to have someone looking out for him for a change.

  Remembering Bob’s recommendations, he made his way back to the Andar Deck to procure the minor resources on Osuto’s list, at least the ones he could afford. He then found the culture repository. It took some rummaging, but he found what looked like a suitable package of travel information about Aeun in a bargain bin. After a quick purchase, he went to the communication gallery and purchased an add-on translation matrix.

  The clerk asked for his credit stick, and said a moment later, “Even with your purchases, you have 300 credits left.”

  Still unclear just how far a unit of currency went, he just nodded as she handed back the translator Bob had given him. “There, it’s uploaded. You’ll be speaking Aeuniun in no time.”

  He chuckled. “Right. Or at least, this thing will.”

  * * * * *

  “I’m surprised the records don’t show it,” Osuto’s image said, puzzled.

  Mencari stared at the panel at a loss of what to do next. The ship’s navigational systems were properly updated, with some coaching from Osuto, along with the new course to the planet of Aeun. But there were no coordinates for the city of Buri, nothing about it at all.

  “My other records should be correct,” Osuto’s image said, before his pruned face stretched to life. “Hold on. Computer, do a search for any references to ‘Buri’ on Planet Aeun in supplementary information.”

  Seconds passed, and the computer bleeped. “Reference found supplementary change history. Buri is legacy name for city now known as ‘Trader Town.’”

  “Ah, ha, that was the problem,” Osuto said, then instructed the computer to map a course.

  While he worked, Mencari said, “Trader Town, huh? Sounds like a person could find almost anything there.”

  “With any luck,” Osuto muttered, “the only thing you’ll find is fire marbles. And whether you do or don’t, get in and get out quickly. Not every creature on the outlying planets is friendly, dear boy.”

  CHAPTER 3:

  Crystal Power

  The navigational system displayed an alert as the ship entered orbit around Aeun, a lush, apparently unspoiled world covered in blue oceans, interspersed with several large island continents with sprawling green forests and mammoth mountain ranges, tipped in icy white.

  Mencari saw no satellites circling, nor influx of space-bearing ships. He at least expected some type of contact giving him clearance to land and the entry window, but it truly seemed as primitive as the planet’s records had said. A quick check revealed a perfectly inhabitable world with breathable atmosphere.

  “Computer, take the craft in,” he instructed, and the system responded with a happy bleep. A digital map displayed, with a colored dot that indicated Trader Town, also known to Mencari as Buri. Within minutes, the ship maneuvered between gargantuan mountains and skimmed lower and lower, as the green smooth carpet of vegetation turned into impressively towering trees.

  A small city appeared, carving out a patch in the green landscape. The ship floated slowly over the quaint town. It reminded Mencari of an old gold-rush town from Earth’s historical archives; he had seen many in the old movies that he and Anaka had once loved to watch together. A dozen buildings or so comprised Trader Town’s main street, he observed, with maybe twice that number marching off on side streets. Every building appeared constructed of stained wood, probably from the mighty forests surrounding the town. A few people milled about, some pointing skyward at his craft.

  Mencari grunted, annoyed to see an indicator reporting failure of the autopilot to find a suitable landing position right on the edge of town. He did a quick review of the nearby terrain which revealed a structure not far away. Perhaps there would be somewhere to land there?

  Skimming over the lush forest, Mencari steered the ship manually, until a large factory-like building came into view. Two empty landing ports flanked large storage bins, filled with some sort of shiny, granular substance. Crystals? Despite the packed crates and filled barrels, no workers were to be found. He hesitated, then set the ship down.

  The midmorning sun climbed above a far mountain peak as he disembarked. He looked about, taking in the beauty of it all. Something about it reminded him of the last trip he and Anaka had taken before their son was born. She loved getting away from all the technology, enjoying nature at its best. Despite his protests, she always convinced him to leave his devices back home.

  Speaking of devices, he looked down, and armed his hand-phaser. This was one device she wouldn’t have allowed. Hopefully he wouldn’t need it, but it was a better option than revealing his abilities if it could be avoided.

  Before going further, he made sure the recording device that the purple-scaled Eyani had given him was switched on.

  Although the site looked all but abandoned, he called out. Seconds passed, with no response. Hopefully he’d have more luck in Trader Town. Orienting himself, he spotted a stone path leading in the right direction. It continued into a massive tree trunk with a tunnel large enough to pass a sizable vehicle, and stood as a gateway into the dense forest. After a moment of marvel, he started down it.

  The sound of laughter, children’s laughter, filled the air as he neared town. It should’ve made him happy, but all it did was conjure haunting images of his son, his “little man,” who died in that first battle every night in his dreams, alongside his wife. Mencari slapped himself lightly on the cheek and then breathed heavily, interrupting the unpleasant thoughts. Sometimes he wished he had died too. But now, he had to focus on this mission. The warrior, trained by Osuto, returned to high alert.

  It hardly seemed necessary, though, as three squealing, giggling children ran toward him, flapping their arms happily. A young woman followed, trying to catch up. The children formed a ring around him and began to spring up and down.

  “Was that your spaceship?” one child, a little girl, asked him.

  Mencari nodded.

  Her companion, a little boy about seven, yelled, “A space ship! Wowie!”

  Catching up with the children at last, the woman stopped running and panted, trying to catch her breath.

  The little boy tugged on Mencari’s tunic and squealed, “Can we go for a ride? Please!” just as the woman hurriedly approached.

  “Oh, I’m so terribly sorry, sir. Kids, please!” she said still out of breath.

  “It’s okay,” Mencari said. “They’re just being kids. Nothing wrong with that.” He turned with a warm smile to the children.

  The woman nodded, still embarrassed. “What brings you here?”

  He marveled at how much this woman reminded him of Anaka. They both had long silken hair, and the same high cheek bones that turned that beautiful shade of pink when she blushed. His fingers began to fidget with his wedding band.

  Fearing he’d be thought rude if he continued to stare, he said, “I’m here to find something called fire marbles. It’s . . . a kind of stone. A gem. Red. Sort of, well, glows.”

  “Fire marbles? I’ve never heard of those before.”

  “They’re a type of crystal.”

  Her eyes gleamed in understanding. “Oh, we have many crystals here. All kinds of them. It’s the main thing that Trader Town trades. In fact, the collectors should be back from the harvest in a just few days. This is where they keep much of the stock. I’m sure one of them can help you.” She held out her hand. “I’m Lina.”

  Mencari looked around. In the open bins clustered on the edge of town, he could see piles of crystals: white, blue, yellowish. Nothing vaguely similar to a fire marble.
<
br />   Lina followed his gaze. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen many red crystals. That must be a very rare type.”

  The little boy tugged on the leg of the loose gray pants Lina wore. “Lina, can we ride on the spacecraft? Can we?”

  She sighed and turned to the little boy. “I’d have to ask your parents first. Aunt Ren might not appreciate me letting you on . . .” Lina looked at Mencari, a question in her eyes.

  “Rhysus,” he offered.

  “Mr. Rhysus’ ship.”

  “No, that’s my first name. Please call me Rhysus.”

  “I have an idea,” the little girl said. “Let’s go ask mom!”

  Screeching “Yeah!” the three children bolted away toward the town.

  Lina and Mencari laughed, then she turned to him. “Again, sorry about that.”

  “Really, it’s fine. Say, any chance I could talk to someone in town that might know about fire marbles?”

  Lina thought a moment. “Maybe Lady Weun can help you. In fact, she probably can. Some say she’s a legend.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “The kids would tell you she’s been around for hundreds of years, and that she can fly.”

  Mencari said, “Oh really? Have they seen her do that?”

  “I’m sure they haven’t. Lady Weun loves children. Spends a lot of time with them, teaching them about crystals, showing off her wonders, doing—” She blushed. “I’m rambling, sorry.”

  “Would you introduce me to her?”

  “Sure. She loves visitors.”

  As they headed back to town, Mencari studied the buildings as they entered the side streets. Each had the same utilitarian style, weathered gray wood with a bit of faded brown trim here and there. Again, he was struck by how drab everything seemed.

  Except for one thing. As they passed people, coming and going on the streets, they all seemed to wear colorful necklaces and bracelets and rings. And in every case, their jewelry appeared to have some sort of glowing stone in them. White, blue, green, turquoise. Still, no red stones, though.

  “The stones everyone’s wearing,” he said. “Where do they come from?”

  “They’re from Lady Weun. They’re special.”

  Mencari said, “Special? How?”

  “I was going to tell you before . . . She works with crystals. I’m not sure how to explain it really. She kind of . . . blesses each crystal.”

  His eyebrow rose slightly. “And yours?”

  She lifted her pant leg to reveal a decorated bangle fitted around her ankle, a very pale pink. That same beautiful pink flushed her cheeks. “It helps me to stay focused, keeps my mind grounded.”

  Mencari tried not to stare at the lovely leg, and quickly looked away down the street to hide his face, which he suspected was also turning a light shade of pink.

  At the end of the main street was an odd-shaped building that stood out from the simple timber style used in the rest of town. It didn’t follow the uninspired boxiness of the other buildings. Rather, it looked almost organic, as if it had exploded from the ground.

  “That where we’re headed?” he said.

  She nodded. “Maybe Lady Weun can do more than help with your search for the red gems. You’d be surprised what her blessings can bring.”

  Mencari felt an odd shiver go through him. Ignoring it, he looked around. “So this place used to be called Buri?”

  “It was. How did you know that? It’s been a while since it was called that.”

  “Old maps. ‘Trader Town’ now, right?”

  “Ever since we started harvesting crystals. I’ve heard we have a variety like nowhere else, so everyone comes here for them. Except, of course, the kind you’re looking for.”

  They saw the three kids, faces downcast, kicking up dirt and rocks while they plodded down the side street toward them. One called out, “She said no!”

  Lina smiled. “Maybe next time.”

  As the children neared, Mencari noticed tiny sparkles in the otherwise drab clothing of the children. It appeared as if gems were woven directly into the fabric. “Even the kids wear stones?” he asked.

  “Theirs are for good luck, and to help make sure they don’t hurt themselves. I think they like the colors too.”

  He found his gaze pulled from the distance, up across the great snow-covered mountain peaks and into the fluffy white clouds above, with dark birds circling high above them. He took a big breath and sighed. “It’s beautiful here.”

  “I’ve always thought so. You think I’d be used to it, living here all my life. But I’m still in awe. So peaceful too. At least it was.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Strange things have been happening. A number of the men have been hurt while collecting crystals . . . and yesterday, someone came into town with a report of strange beasts in the forest. But Trader Town is still a wonderful place,” she rushed to add. “I hope you like it, Rhysus."

  Beasts? He thought of Eyani’s device pinned to his chest, wondered if it was worth a trip into the forest just to make some additional credits. But, if townsfolk were being attacked, the creatures must be aggressive.

  With growing unease, he looked out toward the forest, half-expecting some beastly construct to jump from hiding and lunge at them.

  A walking color bomb of a figure appeared on the other side of the street. So incredibly different from everyone and everything, there was no missing her. A shrub of wiry auburn hair sprouted unnaturally from the woman’s head. He wondered if it was really a wig. She sported a long yellow scarf, and a sleek, silvery trench coat splashed with bright blue trim. In an awkward moment, she caught his stare. But it was more than that, she was sneering at him.

  He leaned over and said in a hushed tone, “Who’s that?”

  Looking across the street Lina smiled and waved. "That's Menla."

  The icy sneer melted into a placid expression as she lifelessly waved back and scurried down the street.

  "She's part of a group that came to discuss ‘Auen's future mining industry.’ Off worlders, that's all I know really."

  Lina pointed to the odd building just ahead of them. “Here we are.”

  The building was even stranger up close, a strangeness offset by beauty. Multicolored crystal spires grew from the building’s central mass of quartzite. He looked over it in awe.

  “Lina! Aunt Ren needs you!”

  He and Lina turned around to see one of the children standing on the road, waving frantically. Lina looked back at Mencari.

  “If you need to go, that’s fine,” he said. “Thank you for showing me the way. It’s been a pleasure.”

  With a reluctant sigh, she motioned to the door. “Just walk in. It leads to Lady Weun’s shop. And . . . it was nice to meet you. Good luck with your search for the—fire marbles. I hope we meet again before you leave Trader Town.”

  She disappeared down a side street. He recalled the first time he met Anaka. That, too, had been a short conversation, and ended with that same inquisitive look on her face.

  Wonderful things can come from such simple beginnings, he thought, remembering his wife fondly.

  The building made of crystal had no doorknocker, no way to announce his presence. Taking Lina’s advice, he opened the door and entered.

  The sounds of crystals chiming greeted him inside. His eyes adjusted to the dim light, a filtered illumination that passed through the crystal outer walls. A counter, possibly made of clear quartz, ran along the far wall. Beside it, a workbench cluttered by crystals of all sizes, tiny picks, and hammers. Small wooden crates with carefully polished and cut crystals sat next to the bench.

  Against another wall, bins of crystals of varying shapes and colors were entombed under a slab of quartz. Mencari couldn’t recall anything he’d ever seen quite like it, or as colorful. Wow, he thought, Andus Wedor would love this place.

  No one greeted him, so he called out a hesitant “Hello?”

  When no answer came, he grunted and continued his exploration. Against another wall
were scraps of paper with hand-written notes praising Lady Weun’s crystal creations and good works.

  A gentle teal light caught his attention radiating from a large crystal ring fastened to the ceiling. Curiosity led him towards it. The color intensified, but as he approached, it inexplicably faded, replaced by a second ring farther away that brightened. He took another hesitant step toward it, and the action repeated, as the teal glow seemed to move to a third ring. The sequence appeared to be leading him towards the counter just ahead. A few more steps revealed a fourth, then a fifth ring.

  Stepping up to the counter, the pattern changed above. All five rings began to randomly illuminate then fade away. Each cycle came faster than the one before until light was strobing. Beyond the circles, the ceiling erupted in a hellish red radiance. He stared, fixated on the spectacle. The intensity of the light grew. It felt like daggers to his eyes, forcing him to shield them with upraised arms.

  Just as he considered running from the building, there was a flash across the entire ceiling. Then nothing. He eased his arms down, exposing his still-dazzled eyes. In the dark fuzziness before him appeared a blurred figure dotted with shimmering yellow and pink spots.

  “What was that all about?” he said.

  Laughter preceded the woman as she stepped into the light. She seemed to be about his age, perhaps a bit younger. Yellow gems sparkled from her ears, pink from a small pendant around her neck. “Welcome!”

  “A light show?”

  The woman nodded. “You might call it advertising. Most ask to see it again.” She looked him over. “I don’t recall your face. And you’re not wearing one of my charms. Where are you from?”

  “I’m visiting your world.”

  “A space traveler? Well, welcome to Aeun! We seem to be getting more of those lately.” She squinted, trying to see him better. “Come closer.”