“Yes, I know about them.”
“They form the invisible boundaries.” Kulik made a sweeping motion with one hand. “You can only be from the guest house nearby, because if you tried to cross one of the boundaries, the sonic disrupters would kill you, even though it would appear as if nothing had ever touched you. In the same way, my resonator does not appear to shoot anything, yet it does.”
“So the sound waves scramble the prowler’s brains?”
“Oh, they can do more than that! With the right frequency, my resonator can liquify their brains. Would you like to see?”
As Kulik ran over and grabbed the body of the prowler, Zahn was beginning to question the mental stability of his new acquaintance.
“See, now. I set the prowler on the ground, and set the resonator to a mere 13 percent.”
Zahn watched as a small part of the tail of the prowler melted. Now that the prowler was lying motionless on the ground, it looked like a bloated, pathetic creature.
“That’s fascinating. Really! But please don’t.”
Kulik looked over, his brow furrowed in suspicion.
“And why not?” he said, getting uncomfortably close to Zahn’s face. “Do you have sympathy for this absurd creature? You know these prowlers are not native to this planet, right?”
“It’s already dead. Why harm it further?”
“Dead? Dead?!” Kulik laughed so hard that his belly shook. “You are hilarious! I have merely stunned the creature.”
“Really? Looks dead to me.”
“Feel here.” Kulik grabbed Zahn’s hand, and they both knelt down to feel its neck. Sure enough, Zahn could feel a slight pulse, and Kulik flashed another smile at him. He released his hand, took out a silver device which reminded Zahn of a pen, and pressed it into the prowler’s skin.
“What did you do?”
“Signal generator. It allows us to track these little beasts.”
“So you’re not trying to kill them off?”
“Kill them off?” Kulik stood up. “Now how would I have an assignment if they were all gone? Just because I saved you doesn’t mean I’ve made the prowlers my sworn enemy. On the contrary, I have been studying them carefully.” Zahn could clearly see a wild glint in his eyes now.
“Why?”
“Because they are interesting, and for other reasons that are complex. Come, I will fly you back to the guest house, and you can tell your friends about your deadly day.”
Kulik led Zahn deep into the jungle, and Zahn noticed how Kulik’s height helped him easily step over large ferns and the wide trunks of fallen trees. Soon, they reached a narrow ramp leading up to a circular disc that was gracefully hanging in the air above the jungle floor.
“Guests first.”
With some hesitation, Zahn walked up the ramp and soon realized that Kulik’s vehicle was, in all practical terms, a small flying saucer. It wasn’t even enclosed in a dome. Everything was open to the air.
At one end of the circular vessel was a chair before a central panel, and behind it were two narrow rows with two seats per row. Zahn sat down just behind the captain’s chair, and below him he heard a rustling sound as the ramp retracted.
Soon, they were moving over the jungle floor.
“I hope you don’t mind if we take our time. I need to make observations for my report.”
“Who do you report to?”
“Hmm, maybe you aren’t as smart as I thought. Who else would I report to other than Vayuna?”
As he said this, a chill ran up Zahn’s spine. Something about Vayuna seemed more menacing the more he heard about her. He tried to restrain his reaction so Kulik wouldn’t get suspicious.
“Oh, of course.”
During the ride, Zahn’s eyes kept wandering back to the resonator weapon that Kulik kept in his holster. Something like that could be crucial as their quest continued.
“Kulik, would you be interested in a trade?
“A trade? You just got more interesting. Trade for what?”
“My friends and I are on a long journey, and for various reasons we have ended up unarmed, besides our ship, of course. I was wondering how many of those resonator weapons you had, and if I could trade you for a few of them.”
“I have as many as I need. Whether or not you’ll get any is a matter of what you have to give in return. You know, I’m not supposed to trade with guests in the quarantine zone…” Kulik’s voice became hushed. “But then, no one ever needs to find out.”
Kulik winked at him.
“Well, I guess you can look through my pack and see if there’s anything you’re interested in,” Zahn said, opening his backpack.
Kulik tapped a few of the ship’s controls and turned his attention to Zahn. He dug through the contents of the pack for a few seconds, humming to himself.
“This circular device, is it a weapon?”
He took out Zahn’s photodisc.
“It’s called a photodisc,” Zahn said. “It can preserve any image, in three dimensions—”
“A light-scoop! I have been searching for one of those. For this, I will trade with you.”
Zahn frowned.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything else in there that you like?”
Kulik dug around again and pulled out another object.
“Does this explode?”
“It’s a water canteen! Have you always been this destructive?”
“I don’t know. Have you always been so tiny?” Kulik grinned as he dug around once again and pulled out Zahn’s knife. “This knife has some blood on it! But my mind is stunned. What could you have possibly killed that is tinier than you?” Kulik let out another belly laugh, wiping tears from his eyes. “Ah, I am sorry, tiny one. Truly, I am.”
Kulik pulled out the towel.
“What is this?”
“It’s a towel.”
“Oh yes, of course. It, too, is small. But I am no longer surprised by this. Hmm, that is all, then? All I see of value is this light-scooping device.”
“You mean the photodisc? But my father gave it to me. I don’t know if I should trade it.”
“You can do whatever you want, tiny man. But that is the only item I’ll trade you for.”
Zahn massaged his forehead. He didn’t like this dilemma.
“Fine! Fine. But I want three resonators. After all, this will help you in your research into the prowlers. For instance, you could capture images of them and study their behavior. You could even hide the photodisc somewhere in the jungle and capture their activities when you aren’t even there.”
“Interesting. How does it store this information?”
“There’s a magnetic cell that stores the images. You could have it run for days before it reaches capacity. And you can always clear the storage and do it again, if you want.”
“Yes, with Vayuna’s knowledge I’m sure she could transfer the information to her systems. So I could leave this hidden in the jungle? Will water damage it?”
“Nope, it’s immune to water. You could even go swimming with it if you wanted.”
Kulik stopped the saucer and descended toward the ground, and Zahn noticed that they were on the far end of the beach. In the distance, he could see the guest house.
“We have arrived, and I think we may have a deal. How many resonators were you asking for?” Kulik folded up one of the seats, revealing a row of five resonators.
“There are three of us, so I’m asking for three. I think that’s fair considering how useful my photodisc is.”
“Is it fair or do you only think it’s fair?” Kulik tilted his head.
“It’s fair. You have five right there, and I’m sure Vayuna could give you a dozen more.”
“Indeed, she could, in time.”
“So do we have a deal?”
“Deal,” he said, and offered his open hand to Zahn.
Slowly, Zahn placed the photodisc into Kulik’s hand, and before he knew it, he was holding three of the sonic weapons. Zahn exam
ined them, noticing that each of them were angular and made of a crystalline material that reminded him of the spires they’d discovered earlier. He put them into a large pocket of his Aaravan robe.
“Kulik, can you do me a favor? Can you be careful with it? That photodisc has been part of my life since I was very young, and I’m only making this trade because my intuition tells me that protection is more important than photography at this point in our quest.”
Kulik was already immersed into learning the device. Within a few seconds, he had already taken a few pictures of his boots.
“Hmm? Careful. Yes, I guarantee it.” He looked over to Zahn with a curious look in his eyes. “What is your quest? Where are you all going?”
“The outer core.”
“What core? The core of this planet? It’s a horrible place!”
“No, no. The outer core of the galaxy. Oonak calls it a quest, but I’m not sure if that’s quite the right word. It’s definitely an important mission, though.”
“Anyone who has the tenacity to go to the center of this galaxy had damn-well better be on a quest. How else would they have the resolve to see it through? Sounds like the mother of all journeys if you ask me.” Kulik shooed him away with his hands. “Now go on and get out of here. I still have work to do.”
“All right. Thanks again, Kulik!” Zahn shouted back as he ran down the ramp.
“Good trade. Oh, and be sure to test those resonators out before you use them. Some settings only confuse animals, but others can dissolve rock itself.”
“Good to know.”
As the ramp retracted, Zahn headed toward the guest house.
“Zahn, I almost forgot,” Kulik called out. “If you plan on wandering around the jungle again, I suggest you get comfortable using that weapon. There are many paths, and you were fortunate that I was there today. I doubt I will be there to rescue you if you get in trouble again.”
“I’ll remember. Farewell, Kulik!”
Within moments, Kulik’s saucer faded into the emerald canopy of the jungle.
Zahn heard thunder in the distance. The wind smelled like rain, and he had the feeling that a great deal was on its way. He ran up to the guest house and noticed that the wind chimes outside were already clanging furiously.
Asha was rummaging through the food canister when Zahn walked into the meeting room.
When she saw him, she ran over and hugged him tightly. “Where have you been? I never thought I’d see Oonak worried, but he was. We were about to go looking for you.”
“I’m sorry, Asha,” Zahn said, looking into her eyes. “Time got away from me, and then I was attacked by prowlers. If it wasn’t for Kulik, I’d probably be dead.”
“Dead? Zahn, what happened?! The prowlers seemed so friendly when we landed, and who is Kulik?”
“Well, they aren’t so friendly in groups, and they’re smart. Add a set of razor sharp teeth, and I think you get the picture. Kulik defended me from a swarm of them. He described himself as a Hand of the Visionaries, but I got the feeling that he takes orders directly from Vayuna.”
“Really?”
As Asha considered this, Oonak walked in.
“Zahn! Where were you?”
Before he had a chance to answer, Asha spoke. “He was attacked by prowlers. Apparently, they’re more dangerous than we thought.”
“Didn’t you stay by the guest house?”
“Yeah, I always kept it in view… at least, until the path.”
“What path? Zahn, did you enter the jungle?” The tension in Oonak’s voice was obvious now.
“Well, I was hoping, since—”
“Zahn! I told you not to wander off. We must be cautious on any worlds we encounter. Do you remember what Vivienne said? We must be vigilant when the prowlers are near. You could have been killed.”
“I’m sorry, but look what I got.”
Zahn set the resonators onto the table.
“Aaravan sidearms? How did you get them?”
“I traded my photodisc for them. The man who saved me from the prowlers had a bunch. I thought we could use some.”
“Zahn,” Asha said. “You didn’t have to do that. Remember how Oon paid my father? Navika has some items of great value onboard. Why not just ask Kulik to come back here?”
“He was in a hurry, and I knew I wouldn’t get a second chance. It’s okay. I think these will prove much more valuable.”
“Zahn.” Oonak put his hand on Zahn’s shoulder. “You’ve done an honorable and generous act, and we will all benefit from this. Thank you.”
Oonak’s gaze was intense, yet comforting.
The remainder of the night was spent listening to the thunder and experimenting with the resonators in between bites of the evening meal Oonak had cooked for them. At first, adjusting the strength of the resonators was tricky. Above the handle was a dial that, when pushed forward, revealed different colored sections. After they’d dissolved a fair amount of pebbles, they eventually discovered which settings were the most powerful and which were merely disorienting.
After a few hours, Oonak reminded them that it would be best if they retired early since Vivienne would return in the morning and tomorrow was going to be especially important. Tomorrow, they were finally going to meet Vayuna, the Great Savant. Perhaps then, their questions would finally be answered.
CHAPTER 22
THE TEMPTATION OF TRUTH
The following day began with the gloomiest morning Zahn had seen yet. When he saw the view from his room’s window, he was surprised that silver clouds extended as far as he could see, and the ocean swirled in dark colors below.
Since Oonak had alluded that this would be their last day on Aarava, Zahn repacked his belongings into his backpack, with the addition of the flute and some soap cubes. He also put his Avani clothes back on and was pleased to discover that, now that they’d been washed by the Aaravans, they smelled vaguely sweet like the huge flowers he had seen when they first landed. While he did this, he heard a ringing in his left ear and did his best to ignore it.
When Zahn entered the meeting room, Oonak was just serving breakfast. He explained that he had received a message from Vivienne saying that she would arrive soon, so once they had finished, all three of them waited outside under the overhanging roof to stay out of the rain.
A chill breeze blew all around them and through them.
After a few minutes, they heard a low humming noise. It was so ubiquitous that even Oonak couldn’t discern its source, but when a bronze, disc-shaped craft emerged from the dark jungle, its source was unmistakable. The craft was quite similar to the vessel Zahn had seen the day before, only larger.
Once it had landed down by the beach, a ramp extended to the ground, and they walked down to it. When Zahn realized that it was Vivienne who was walking toward them, he let out a sigh of relief. At least he knew who they were dealing with. Except this time, Vivienne’s eyes had changed from a golden hue to a bitter yellow, and it made him uneasy.
“Vayuna has returned,” Vivienne said. “However, I cannot take you to her.”
“Why?” Zahn said. “We’ve waited patiently like you asked.”
“Zahn, let me handle this,” Oonak said. “Vivienne, surely Vayuna understands that this mission’s success could potentially save millions of lives, including the inhabitants of this world. If Zahn’s world is now under threat, all worlds in this region of the galaxy are. Doesn’t Vayuna understand this?”
“Vayuna does. However, I will not take you to her.”
“Why?” Asha said. “Why won’t you fulfill your promise?”
“Do you know how many visitors from the Confederation have come to Aarava during Vayuna’s reign?” Vivienne paused. “None. It has been many years since the Confederation has acknowledged us. Why then should we acknowledge the Confederation? Furthermore, you have purposefully trespassed near one of the barrier spires. You have proven yourselves unworthy to see Vayuna.”
“Vivienne,” Oonak began. �
��Aarava should have been contacted by a Confederation vanguard years ago. I do not know why a vanguard failed to contact this world, but this is further proof that something is unbalanced in this part of the galaxy. From the data I’ve gathered, the Vakragha are the most likely cause. Vivienne, you said before that you were the mouth and the ears of Aarava. Can Vayuna hear what you are saying now? Are these her wishes or yours?”
“Vayuna can no longer hear my thoughts,” Vivienne said coldly. “I have bifurcated. I have decided to be free… which is why I am stealing your ship.”
Vivienne lifted her arm, and the robe’s long sleeve fell back, revealing that she was pointing a resonator right at them.
Everyone held their breath.
“Vivienne,” Asha said. “If what you told us about Vayuna is true, then she’s very powerful. What makes you think she’ll let you leave?”
As Asha said this, Zahn edged behind Oonak so that Vivienne could no longer see him directly.
“I have located my internal beacon,” Vivienne said. “Do you know what that means? It means they can no longer find me. I can go anywhere in the galaxy. Anywhere!”
“If escape is what you want, then we can help you,” Oonak said. “But Vayuna will scan my ship as it leaves. She will know that it is you.”
“A calculated risk. With a few hostages, this plan is logical for someone of my advanced skill.”
“I think you’ve got that backwards.” Zahn stepped out from behind Oonak. “Today, we’re stealing your ship.”
Oonak and Asha looked over and noticed that Zahn was pointing a resonator right at Vivienne’s face. Asha’s expression was a mixture of joy and disbelief, and in the midst of Vivienne’s surprise, Asha and Oonak took their resonators out.
“Here is what’s going to happen, Viv,” Zahn said, trying to prevent himself from shaking from the adrenaline. “You’re going to give us your weapon, and you’re going to fly us to Vayuna. If you try anything clever, you’re never even going to walk again, let alone leave this planet. Do you understand me?”
“You are being foolish. I still have far more experience with this weapon than you do. What do you expect to do? Blow it out of my hand?”
Epic of Aravinda 1: The Truth Beyond the Sky Page 14
