“Damn it! They’ve got our position again,” Zahn said. “Is the vortex open yet?”
“If this gate is anything like the last one, it appears it will be safe to enter in approximately five seconds,” Oonak said.
Asha ran down to the passenger seating, sat beside him, and strapped herself in. Zahn closed his eyes and hoped that the marauders weren’t smart enough to know how to use the gate after they did.
As the now familiar sight of the swirling waves of energy filled his view, Zahn almost thought he saw the outline of a marauder in the twisting shapes behind him, but once they entered the radiant corridor, he could only see countless webs of other corridors stretching off like luminous threads into infinity.
CHAPTER 17
A LEGEND FOR THE AGES
By now, Zahn was quite used to the relative blinding that was the glimpse of timespace between the gates, as well as the period of adjustment to the darkness of space that his eyes made afterwards. Asha, however, was not.
“Where in the blazes were we?” Asha asked a moment later.
“We were in a parallel existence known as timespace,” Oonak said. “We are safe now.”
“But do you know how to use these gates to return to Outpost 33?”
“Yes. We have a working understanding of the gate network. We will return you to the outpost, but we must reach the Confederation Council first.”
Asha closed up and turned away from Zahn and Oonak.
“Hey, don’t worry,” Zahn said, taking her hand. She turned toward him and when she looked into his eyes he saw that she was holding back tears. “We’ll be back there. Don’t worry. That barricade sounded pretty strong. I’m sure he’ll be okay, Asha.”
“Zahn is right,” Oonak said. “Your father is a foresightful man. The odds are overwhelmingly in his favor.”
“Don’t tell me about the odds!” Asha yelled back to Oonak. “My Father’s life should not be reduced to a number. How do I even know that we’ll survive long enough to make it back?”
Asha pulled her hand away and looked over to Oonak.
“Because this is a Confederation mission, Asha, and you’re on a Confederation ship. The core of our mission is to preserve and protect all life, and as a part of that mission Navika and I will return you to the outpost. The upholding of free will is the foundation of our Code, and since you are joining us on this journey, you would be wise to eat one of these.”
Oonak threw a kavasa berry to her.
“The kavasa berry contains compounds which are very helpful to the immune function and health of those of us who travel the vast distances between the stars. Zahn has informed me that he finds it sour, but I assure you it is quite necessary.”
Asha chewed it in silence.
“You know, Asha, it wasn’t easy for me to say goodbye to my father either, but Oonak needed my help. For what it’s worth, I think you’re going to be invaluable on this journey, and I can’t say I blame you for being surprised about timespace. I was shocked the first time I saw it, too.”
“And the second time,” Oonak said.
“Right. But once you get used to it, using the gates isn’t so bad. I mean, tearing a hole in spacetime is probably going to be somewhat disorienting no matter what, but at least you get used to it. Are you familiar with timespace? It’s kind of like—”
“I know what it is, Zahn.” Asha glared at him. “It is the mirror to reality that contains three dimensions of time. I know all about it, so don’t waste your time explaining it to me. As I said before, we’ve had visitors with ships that had timespace drives. Did you really think that just because we couldn’t repair your drive, that I didn’t understand the concept?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to underestimate you.” Zahn winced at the thought of making her feel bad. He was trying to help.
“You wouldn’t be the first. Anyway, I’d like some space right now.” Asha slid down to the end of the long, padded bench.
“…I said I was sorry.”
Zahn looked behind them. As usual, they were drifting forward from the center of the gate, and they were wrapped in a blanket of stars.
“So where are we, anyway?”
“According to Navika,” Oonak said, “we are now roughly 10,000 light-years from Avani, and it seems we are near an intelligent system.”
“Really? As in, a civilization?”
“Indeed. Navika reports that it is known as Aarava, the World of Resonance.”
“Are we going to stop there?”
“Yes. To avoid further delay, we must find someone knowledgable in how the gates are arranged, otherwise it could take weeks to reach our destination. I would like to contact the Aaravans and see if they know anything about the gate network before we continue on. We are currently on approach and should arrive in the system in a few hours under impulse speed.”
Asha stood up, took a deep breath, and exhaled. “Well, that should give me plenty of time make the final adjustments on the cloaking cells, at least.”
“You know, I’m glad you’re here, Asha,” Zahn said. “I’m a big fan of not being blown up.”
“Me, too.”
Asha’s eyes wandered down to the open panel, and for some time after, the entire cabin fell silent. It struck Zahn that the silence might be good for Asha. Perhaps it would help her collect her thoughts and come to peace with the situation. It also gave Zahn some time to reflect on the many events of that day.
He yawned. What time was it, anyway?
As Asha started scanning some of the glowing fibers under the floor panels, Zahn opened his backpack and looked at his photodisc. According to its computer, the sun had set on Ashraya hours ago, and under normal circumstances he would be fast asleep by now. In light of this new information, Zahn decided to rest. The padded bench was easily long enough for him to sleep on comfortably, and he silently drifted off to sleep as he watched Asha work.
When Zahn opened his eyes again, he felt as though only five minutes had passed, but his surroundings suggested otherwise. The floor panel was now replaced, and Asha was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him, looking out at a fiery orb that he could only assume was the star they had been heading toward.
He sat up and stretched his arms.
“Did I miss anything?”
“Not much.” Asha glanced back, her brown eyes seeming brighter now. “Space is actually pretty boring most of the time, believe it or not.”
“After what I’ve been through, I don’t believe you. How’s the cloak working?”
“Well enough. I still don’t know why some of the cloaking cells failed, but I was able to compensate for them.”
“Great job, Asha. It’s a relief to hear we have the ability to cloak again,” Zahn said.
“Well, we still haven’t gotten to test it thoroughly. Without a third party to help us calibrate it, the cloaking field could be giving off trace radiation that makes us stick out like a rabid pulsar for all I know. But until we have someone to help us, it’s impossible to say. It’s probably working splendidly, I just can’t guarantee that yet.”
Zahn looked out onto the array of stars ahead.
“Asha, can I ask you a question that might be personal?”
When Asha turned around, Zahn saw suspicion on her face.
“What do you mean might be personal?”
“Well, I don’t know how personal the subject is to you.”
Asha rolled her eyes. “Fine. Go ahead.”
“What is a Tulari?”
“Oh, that! Hah, you had me nervous for a second there. The Tulari is a legendary object that my father is obsessed in finding. Some call it the Pearl of Great Price, and most think it only exists in myth. But my father believes it’s real with every fiber of his being.”
“Oh.”
“Tulari?” Oonak said. “I’ve heard that word mentioned in the past, but where and when eludes me. Navika, could you cross-reference that sound complex?”
After a few moments
, Oonak smiled. Zahn wondered if he was talking to Navika solely through a mental connection now.
“Of course. How could I forget? But why would your father want to destroy a wormhole?”
“He has his reasons, but take a wild guess as to his main reason,” Asha said.
“Destroy a wormhole? How is that possible?” Zahn said.
“Ah yes, the marauders. They aren’t from nearby, are they?” Oonak said.
“Guys?” Zahn was beginning to feel bewildered.
“No, they aren’t from nearby, and my father thinks he’s located the wormhole that they’ve been coming in from. If he were to find the Tulari, we could finally start reducing their numbers and make the outpost safe again.”
“Guys!”
“Zahn, what’s wrong?” Oonak said.
“I’m assigned to an observatory, and there’s no way to destroy a wormhole.”
“Zahn, there is much your planet has yet to learn about the Universe, and how to destroy a wormhole is the least of these. The Tulari is quite an exceptional object, and I apologize if I got carried away just now. Where I’m from, the story of the Tulari is a beloved myth told to all children. In the story, the Sanguine Suns used negative energy to create a fissure in space, using it to blackmail and threaten their galactic brothers to gain power.”
“Hmm, so was this fissure anything like the gates we use to travel the galaxy?”
“No. This fissure was grown within a planet and could consume entire star systems. Yet just as the Sanguine Suns were about to devour an innocent civilization, the Tulari was found in a cave deep underground, and the Innocents used it to seal up the fissure forever.”
“Wow. That’s quite a bedtime story,” Zahn said. “But what exactly is a fissure? Is that like a wormhole?”
“Yes, an artificial wormhole created for nefarious purposes. Since Asha is also quite familiar with this object, that would suggest its story has spread throughout the galaxy.”
“Like a universal myth,” Zahn said. “So Asha, has your father found any evidence for it?”
“Unfortunately, he’s found mostly stories and not much else. From what we’ve learned, we’re pretty sure it’s about as big as your head, for instance, and radiant. My father thought he had a lead once, but it was from an anonymous source and would have led him to the other side of the galaxy. He spent some time travelling alone looking for it, actually. But he doesn’t like to leave me alone on the outpost, so he doesn’t go far.”
“So, why wouldn’t he just bring you along instead?”
“He could never stand to see me get hurt. Sometimes I think it’s his greatest weakness.”
“I think I can imagine how he feels…”
Ahead, Zahn saw two orange points of light moving toward them. The points were so small he thought they might be planets, but just as he was about to ask what they were, Oonak spoke.
“We are being hailed, presumably by the Aaravans.”
Zahn braced for the worst as Oonak put it on surround.
“You have entered the Realm of Aarava. What is your purpose here?”
To Zahn’s surprise, the voice was lilting, almost melodic, and the points of light had now resolved themselves into tiny ships that reminded Zahn of water droplets, except that they were the color of the sunrise. They were even smaller than Navika, and he had trouble believing someone actually fit inside either of them.
“I am Oonak of the Confederation of Unity. We are on a mission to deliver a message to the Confederation Council. However, our journey has been difficult and we seek safe harbor for a few days. We are happy to trade for these amenities.”
There was a long pause.
“Those of the Confederation are always welcome in our realm. No trade is necessary. Please follow our craft to a suitable landing point where you will be greeted.”
Each of the tiny bubble-shaped craft came up on the left and right sides of the ship, just ahead of the ship itself. By now, they were quite near to Aarava’s star, and the two escorting ships guided them on a curved route toward the planet. Along the way, Zahn noticed a few rocky inner planets that Navika had cleverly marked with indicators as they passed them.
After what seemed like ages to Zahn, they finally saw the tiny disc of a planet ahead of them. The surface appeared equal parts blue, green, and tan, and much of it was covered in thick white clouds that swirled in massive shapes over the surface.
Soon, they could see continents with white capped mountain ranges and shimmering seas, and the sight was stunning to Zahn. He had never seen a planet from orbit before. Like every Avanian, he had seen pictures of his own world from this distance, but no photograph could capture even a millionth of a percent of the grandeur he was now seeing.
“If only this were Avani,” he said to himself. “Then I could see all of the islands at once. What a sight that would be.”
CHAPTER 18
A THICK BED OF FLOWERS
By the time they were plunging through the upper clouds, Zahn could hardly contain his excitement. He was about to set foot on another planet for the first time in his life. He felt as though he should prepare some words. He knew this memory would be special, but he wasn’t sure anything he could do would really be enough to honor this moment.
Navika made the floor transparent again, and below him Zahn saw a thick jungle bordering a beach and a cluster of strange structures by the water. In the distance, there were rolling hills thick with towering trees, but nothing resembling a city. The two ships led them down below the jungle canopy, but there was something completely alien about the jungle itself.
Far different from the shade of blue that Zahn was used to, the leaves of these trees were exceedingly green, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of them. Even with everything he’d seen so far, this was the most bizarre sight yet.
In the midst of the huge emerald trees, he saw a wide clearing in the jungle below. At the center of the clearing was a circular depression in the ground that was lined in stone, and to either side of the depression were two smaller depressions. Surrounding this sunken landing area was a thick bed of orange and red flowers that were quite huge. Even from their altitude, he could tell that they were wider than his arms outstretched.
“Wow,” Zahn said. “Have you ever seen anything like that before, Asha?”
“Are those really flowers?” Asha said.
“I think so.”
As they descended into the clearing, both of the tiny ships dropped into the smaller depressions on either side, while Navika descended into the larger depression, touching the bottom with barely a sound. Yet there were sounds to be heard. Now that they had landed, all three of them could now hear faint cooing sounds in the jungle, as well as a faint humming sound all around them.
Gradually, it grew louder.
Soon the entire depression was rumbling so loudly that it felt like they were in the midst of a quake, but when Zahn looked at the trees towering over them, he realized this couldn’t be the case because they didn’t appear to be shaking at all. The rumbling changed as the tone of the humming blended from note to note, until one of the notes sounded much louder than the others.
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the rumbling stopped.
“What was that?!” Zahn said.
“Uncertain,” Oonak replied. “I would hypothesize that it was some type of sonic mechanism.”
“But it didn’t damage the ship, right?”
“Do not worry. Navika reported no damage.”
“Do you think it was looking for a resonance frequency?”
Asha picked up her pack and put it on.
“So are you guys going to talk about the sound all day or are we actually going to get out there and explore this place?”
“I’m ready,” Zahn said.
“You should both be thankful.” Oonak said. “Navika says the atmosphere is safe to breathe, and the gravity is nearly identical to Avani.”
When they emerged from the safe, cocoon-lik
e environment of the ship, Zahn noticed a few details immediately. One was the smell. A soft, sweet fragrance filled the air. From the light, he guessed that it was morning, and above them he noticed bands of white clouds streaking across the blue sky.
Zahn walked around the ship and examined the depression they were in. The stone seemed ordinary, except that there were no cracks to be found. It was as if this stone depression had been carved from a single piece of rock. Four narrow sets of stairs were also etched into the rock, placed evenly around the depression in four directions.
Zahn followed Oonak and Asha up one of the stairs, and when they reached ground level, he was once again stunned by the expansiveness of the bed of flowers that surrounded the area. The bright blossoms ranged from one to two meters in width and stood over a meter above the ground, and beyond them was a long path leading into the jungle.
Eager to see who had led them to that spot, Zahn ignored the path for now and ran through the patch of huge flowers over to one of the smaller depressions, but he was disappointed to find only a small metallic dome over where the depression used to be. He did, however, enjoy being waist-deep in the huge red and orange flowers. The sweet fragrances made him smile; he’d never had such an experience before.
“Where did the ship go that used to be here?” Zahn called back to Oonak, who was examining one of the blooms.
“Zahn, that is the ship. Didn’t you see when we landed? The ships fit perfectly into the two depressions, which makes me curious as to whether or not anyone is in them at all, considering how small they are.”
Oonak was right. Now that Zahn was looking at one up close, he seriously doubted that a normal person could fit inside. After all, it was only a couple meters wide, so it would be extremely cramped in there.
“What if everyone on this planet is half the size of an Avanian? Or smaller? Is that possible, Oon?”
“Zahn.” Oonak walked over. “For how long will you put limits on what is possible? This galaxy is a wild and unpredictable creation. Even though we are facets of that creation, not everything is easily understood. Indeed, there are far stranger creatures that live, grow, and die within this galaxy than you can possibly imagine.”
Epic of Aravinda 1: The Truth Beyond the Sky Page 10
