As if to emphasize Arkroid’s words, the stranger’s voice thundered from the ruins through a device that not only translated but amplified sound.
›He knows how to make an impression,‹ Arkroid thought.
»Where do you hairless people get the idea we can’t understand you? Our children can be detect you and analyze your primitive language with our translation devices!« he roared.
Pi swallowed hard and whispered, »You’re right, Toiber, that’s no Neanderthal!«
Arkroid smiled threw a wink at Maya Ivanova. She had suggested using open and non-coded communication channels. Nautilus had broadcast their team’s communications accordingly and allowed the Neo-Sapiens to listen in.
»You’d better think very hard about how you’re going to respond to what I’m about to ask you. That will determine if you live, or if you and your ship will be enveloped by a time conservation field!« he directed his words at Arkroid, identifying him as the team leader. He paused to let that sink in, then continued, »Where are you from and whose side are you on?«
Suddenly very visible
The green Auroral phenomenon had surrounded the solar system for many hours already, but still the people on Earth and the colonies were restless and nervous. News channels were constantly reporting about the event, explaining the nature of the glow in the sky. News had spread that the Dimensional Base and the planetoid Sedna could no longer be detected, adding to the state of agitation and distress.
Not even the long range scanners on Triton and the outer bases could detect the planetoid. It failed to appear even through optical telescopes! People assumed that this was a sign that the inevitable catastrophe was about to unfold, and a lot of people were starting to show erratic behavior.
»The Conceptor mentioned something like this,« Igor Petrow acknowledged onboard the Blue Moon. »Sedna is being protected … it’s possible that the Conceptor removed the planetoid to a higher dimension to take it out of the hands of the enemy, though it’s beyond our grasp how he achieved that. Our scientists have nothing better to offer.«
Nok Daralamai nodded abstractedly at Petrow’s image on the comm-link. Even if this dimensional shield was the Galactic Brotherhood’s idea of protecting the solar system, she felt ill at ease. She couldn’t help thinking about all the other galactic civilizations and peoples who didn’t have the benefit of the shield.
She glanced over to the tactical long range display, where the Dust Devil and a handful of Hawks were visible. She doubted that even they and the Blue Moon were enough to protect the on her way to Triton Base.
»While we’re chewing over the octahedron’s data transfer, we need to expect visitors,« Nok warned. »They’re probably already on their way, wondering why we were invisible for all these years and why we’re suddenly so very visible now!«.
»Visitors are okay if they’re friendly,« Petrow responded dryly, »or even just curios. I’m more worried about a Rexas attack, or some Trox clans who are still under the influence of an Original Spark. They can wreak havoc on your base … maybe even bring the friendly Trox back under the Spark’s spell again.«
»We just have to be ready for anything, Petrow!« she agreed. »We don’t have much experience in such cases. I only hope Arkroid and his gang will find something to improve our situation. We’re on our own till then!«
Neo-Sapiens
»I’m detecting power plants warming up. They have adequate capacity to set up such a temporal field!« Nautilus announced. »I believe the Neo-Sapiens have the means to do what they promised. Don’t worry: I can counteract their field, so there’s no danger. With that much power, though, they could hide entire underground cities with their disguise fields!«
»What is he expecting us to say?« Ivanova inquired, ready as usual for a fight at a moment’s notice. She understood that the Neo-Sapiens wasn’t alone, or he wouldn’t have exposed himself.
»Try to understand the question first before you answer it,« Paafnas oracled and slowly walked toward the stranger, nervously licking over his eyeballs.
Pi wanted to hold Paaf back, but gnawed on his lower lip instead and let him go. Paafnas made sure that he wasn’t perceived as a threat as he approached the stranger. Pi thought he knew what Paafnas intended. The Neo-sapiens, stronger and taller than Paaf, certainly would tend to underestimate him, but kept alert.
»What do you want?« the stranger asked, looking down on Paafnas. »Don’t come closer or I’ll eliminate you!«
The Neo-Sapiens produced a short-barreled weapon and pointed it at Paaf to make his point.
»I only want meaningful conversation and understanding,« Paaf replied calmly. »Please, let me be your mediator.«
The stranger looked at Paaf for a moment before he displayed a broad smile, showing two rows of natural, strong yellow teeth.
»You are a different species than your hairless friends,« he concluded, gesturing with his weapon at Arkroid and his team members. »You seem to come from different worlds – and that makes you suspicious.«
Paafnas closed his big eyes and seemed to concentrate. Pi sensed that his friend was using his vertoflex to recreate neuronal paths from the stranger’s brain. Moments later, he said calmly, »You seem to believe that we belong to those beings from beyond the glacial barrier … those who can no longer think for themselves and only try to suppress your people.«
The Neo-Sapien stepped back in surprise.
»Are you a mind reader? What sort of devilish weapon have the Looters sent us? You must be their ally!«
The barrel of his weapon began flaring up, while a bright energy field contained its energy diffuser.
»I’m not a mind reader …,« Paafnas assured the stranger. »… you can certainly tell that we’re different from the Looters.«
»Your words mean nothing!« the stranger shouted angrily. »Your presence is another trick to infiltrate our city! We should kill you …!«
»Wait, Ray-Tor!« Paafnas yelled at him suddenly.
The Neo-Sapien twitched as he heard his name.
»How do you know my name? … I haven’t told you yet!«
Ray-Tor’s threatening manner didn’t seem to impress Paafnas.
»My name is Paafnas. I cannot read your thoughts, but I can reflect on your thought patterns. I know that you doubt our origin. We come from far away, and we are not your enemies. We came from a different Retreat, and we need to ask you for your help. See for yourself … we have a ship. The Looters cannot leave this planet and …!«
»… you have a name?« Ray-Tor interrupted Paafnas. »Looters don’t have names - they don’t exist as individuals.«
»My companions and I are from different worlds, but they are all like me,« Paafnas explained. »They are free-thinking individuals who came here with questions and expectations.«
Ray-Tor seemed to ponder for a couple of minutes and then lowered his weapon. Slowly and cautiously he reached with his right hand toward Paafnas, who didn’t move a bit. Carefully, he touched Paafnas’ head with his fingertips.
»If you’re not a telepath, how can you know what I’m thinking? How are my ideas getting into your head?«
»I will explain it to you later. Try to trust us … I know you can,« Paafnas suggested politely. »We have many questions and we want to know you.«
Ray-Tor stepped back, turned around and blew into the horn around his neck. A deep tone sounded, reaching far beyond the ruins.
Suddenly, many heavily armed Neo-Sapiens came into view from behind deactivated disguise shields.
Maya Ivanova held her breath. They were completely surrounded! She estimated the number of opponents to be more than a hundred.
›I’ll be damned! These are some shitty odds!‹ she warned herself.
Toiber Arkroid understood the situation immediately, but he depended on Nautilus’ abilities to even the odds if they were attacked.
Ray-Tor walked slowly toward Arkroid.
›… what a mountain of muscles and raw power! He could beat the
crap out of me with his bare hands!‹ Arkroid thought, impressed.
»You’re risking much, but we will listen to your story. You will need to earn our trust!« Ray-Tor announced in a loud voice.
Arkroid nodded cautiously, not knowing if Ray-Tor would understand the terrestrial gesture.
»Agreed!«
The Tunnel of Truth
The team followed Ray-Tor to a location about a kilometer away. Arkroid had commanded Nautilus to land and wait for them. After walking 300 meters Arkroid looked back and saw that Nautilus had camouflaged its hull in so that it was no longer distinguishable from its surroundings.
The Neo-Sapiens marched beside the team but remained silent.. Only Ray-Tor exchanged some words.
»A remarkable ship!« he admitted. »It’s very flexible.«
»We got it from the Techno-Clerics,« responded Arkroid, hoping that Ray-Tor knew of them or at least of the Galactic Brotherhood, but the Neo-Sapien’s response was unexpected.
»We no longer have spaceships …,« Ray-Tor remarked and walked a bit faster, »… but neither do our enemies!«
Walking across the fields of ruins, avoiding dangerous areas, Arkroid realized how big this city must have been.
»What was this city called? How many people lived here?« he asked.
»These ruins have no meaning to us. Our generation didn’t build the city. We look forward, not backward,« Ray-Tor replied flatly.
Pi looked at Arkroid, surprised.
»Then you must be living underground in the caves and tunnel systems?« Vasina inquired, but Ray-Tor didn’t answer.
»He’s quiet as a clam!« Maya Ivanova commented.
The Neo-Sapien stopped and bared his yellow teeth in a threatening snarl.
»Be more diplomatic, Maya,« Voit Masgur suggested. »I can see that he’s a dominant male in his tribe. It’s not a good idea not to mock him in front of his people. There don’t seem to be any other leaders in this group. They may be more subtle, and not allowed to criticize.«
Ivanova glanced sidelong at Masgur.
»You mean …«
»We may not exactly be considered enemies anymore, but Ray-Tor isn’t entirely sure of himself. We’re going to have to pass a test!« Paafnas concluded. »He needs to be certain. His people have struggled on the edge of survival for generations.«
Ray-Tor looked at Paafnas. Arkroid thought he had seen respect in Ray’s eyes.
»Your fragile companion is right. Until you have passed through the tunnel of truth, you will be considered as spies. My men have orders to shoot if you make a wrong move! Don’t give them the satisfaction – remain peaceful!«
Vasina groped for the shield on her back, which Ray-Tor noticed.
»We let you keep the shield and your weapons because you can’t use them against us. You’re outnumbered. Leave your weapons and the shield here, or at least don’t equip them. My men have their orders!« Ray-Tor advised the team.
Arkroid signaled the team to follow Ray’s advice.
»Listen to Ray-Tor – that includes you and your companions too, Kuster~Laap!«
The ZyClonians were standing close to the Chiropter, and Arkroid worried that they would use their nanopods, which wouldn’t help.
Ray-Tor signaled the group to stop. Directly before them was a debris field that remotely resembled an amphitheater. Ray-Tor lifted his arm and pressed several touch pads on his wrist. Moments later, the air crackled and a disguise field disappeared. Instead of the amphitheater, a wide ramp appeared, leading underground. The ramp was about 50 meters long and ended before a large, opened entrance gate. Arkroid noticed at least 15 armed men guarding the gate.
Ray-Tor led the team and his group down the ramp toward the gate.
»Back to your question, Human woman: We live underground! If you’re not what you pretend, that knowledge won’t help you – because this will be your last trip,« he growled at Vasina.
This time, Maya Ivanova didn’t talk back. Arkroid threw a thankful glance at her.
As soon as they had passed through the gate, the heavy entrance doors were closed behind them. They found themselves standing inside a brightly lit great hall, filled with devices and combat gear, and many warriors looking at them suspiciously. They all held weapons pointed at Arkroid’s team. Ray-Tor had produced a small army to meet his visitors.
»I hope they’re not excitable,« Vasina whispered. »They don’t look friendly at all.«
»You will go through this tunnel!« Ray-Tor commanded. »If you make it through the tunnel alive, you’ll be welcome and free!«
»The tunnel of truth!« Paafnas remarked anxiously.
The tunnel was a circular corridor with right drift spiral-like walls and ceilings that emitted a bluish light. At the entrance, Arkroid, saw some sort of scanner pods or receptors protruding into the corridor.
›They have some way of knowing if we’re who and what we say we are,‹ he assumed.
Voit Masgur was pushed in the back but he didn’t want to move. Immediately, at least a hundred more weapons were drawn and leveled at the team members’ heads. Masgur just lifted his hands and then walked a step at a time toward the tunnel.
»What kind of a test is this?« Arkroid asked.
»You’ll see. Move! I’m running out of patience!« Ray-Tor demanded loudly.
»Alright, alright,« Arkroid tried to calm him. »I’ll go first then!«
Arkroid pushed Masgur aside and walked slowly into the tunnel. Fluorescent light enveloped him, making his eyes tear. Arkroid squinted and groped forward, telling himself to stay calm. He assumed he was going to be checked and scanned by sensors and other methods. Voit Masgur followed him closely, then Vasina, Maya Ivanova, Pi and the rest of the team.
Arkroid was greeted by heat which, as he slowly moved on, was replaced by an ice-cold chill. His personal defense field must have been deactivated or compensated for, or he wouldn’t have felt the effects of the examination. A ticklish feeling swept from his forehead to his neck. He glanced up, and saw two large, round, bucket-shaped pods above his head that seemed to be the source of the feelings. Arkroid had no clue how the processes worked and what it revealed.
A scintillating energy field appeared before him, and he was told to walk through it.
The field didn’t resist him, but its touch was uncomfortable, and he felt pain in his head and upper body. Several times, Arkroid’s knees grew weak and he had trouble standing on his feet. He staggered forward, becoming more and more nauseated. His stomach began revolting, and he dry heaved a couple of times.
›Stay calm, Toiber … stay calm,‹ he told himself.
An energy field scanned him for a couple of seconds and then he was at the end of the tunnel. As he left the corridor, he stumbled and landed on his knees before Ray-Tor’s men. Every muscle was hurting and screaming for relief.
The Neo-Sapiens’ attitude had changed in the meantime. They no longer looked suspicious – only curious. Their weapons were lowered!
»Did we pass the test?« Arkroid wanted to know, still heaving occasionally.
»You’re alive, aren’t you?« Ray-Tor responded. »If you’d failed you wouldn’t be here to ask silly questions and yet … the results are interesting, if confusing.«
Voit Masgur was the next to stagger out of the tunnel. Arkroid had to support him for a moment.
»Your … examination is … no fun, to say … the least,« he commented, trying to find his voice. »But if it revealed that we’re friends it was probably worth it!«
Ray-Tor glanced at Arkroid and Masgur.
»We found no enemy techno-modules on your bodies. That assures us that you’re telling the truth in one regard – you’re not with the Looters from the North!« Ray admitted.
»Techno-modules?« Pi asked as he stumbled from the tunnel, hacking and coughing.
»He means the degraded technology that affects the Globusters,« Kuster~Laap explained. He had just emerged from the tunnel with his bodyguards – who had lost their armo
r. »My companions want their nanopods back!« he demanded.
»Not yet,« Ray-Tor countered, studying a handful of plastic-foils. »They will be examined first, and then I’ll decide what we’re going to do with them.«
He paused, glancing at Arkroid’s team – now fully assembled, »We have known for many generations that this is not our home-world. A simple DNA test proves that. All lifeforms on this planet have the same primeval cell lineage. Our DNA doesn’t!«
»We can tell you about that,« Arkroid readily explained, nodding in Kuster~Laap’s direction. »We even brought along an expert to answer most of your questions.«
The Chiropter felt uncomfortable, as his flirring ears and quick head movements indicated.
»The tests revealed some strange results,« Ray-Tor nodded. »You’re all very similar …,« he pointed at Vasina, Voit Masgur, Arkroid and Lai Pi, »… but there’re slight but significant deviations in your DNA’s.«
Pi looked at Arkroid, surprised. There was apparently more to this test than he realized.
»Three of you have the same patterns, but these two …,« he pointed at Vasina and Masgur, »… display enough deviation to classify them as separate species.«
Ray-Tor knew that Masgur and Vasina were not Humans, but that didn’t seem to be his point
»Vasina is a Progonaut descendant – a people who lived in the center region of our galaxy. We are Humans from Earth, and that’s also your people’s place of origin. Humanity today is an amalgam of the Progonauts and our forefathers. In Voit Masgur’s case, Progonaut genes are more dominant. We came here following a lead from Kuster~Laap, a Chiropter …,« Arkroid pointed at Kuster~Laap, »… a representative of the Galactic Brotherhood who resettled your people here a long time ago.«
Ray-Tor looked at Kuster~Laap and displayed his yellow teeth, growling.
»You uprooted us and brought us here? Why?« Ray asked in a perplexed voice.
NEBULAR Collection 4 - Second Reserve: Episodes 17 - 21 Page 13
