His head was vaporized, the remaining parts of his body collapsed into a heap, some in the chair and some on the floor. The pistol fell to the ground and slapped against the floor several times before falling silent. The stench of burnt flesh permeated the air. Carnis took a deep breath and exhaled as if he had just sniffed a fragrant bottle of newly-opened wine.
"If there are no further questions, I think we're done," Carnis watched as Suer's remains oozed onto the floor from the chair. He turned at last to look at the stunned faces of the others, and his lips curved.
"Welcome aboard."
Chapter Fifteen
“I have seen many things that have frightened me...yet they come from my own mind.”
Greg Carlson
As Greg opened his eyes, he saw a large moon above him instead of his familiar ceiling. He didn't recognize anything before him. Frightened and confused, he tried to assess his surroundings.
He was lying on his back above a marshy beach along a coastline. The vegetation had a bluish tint to it in the fading light of the day. Several smaller moons, none of which matched in size, also came into view as the sky slowly darkened. The sounds of birds chirping and shrieking began to fade away as blue darkness settled upon this world.
Greg stood and took a few steps. He was barefoot and the coolness of the sand and water increased his awareness of everything around him. He heard the insects that buzzed around his skin as he walked. He glanced up at the largest moon, its features becoming more distinct as the sky darkened further. He was drawn to it for some reason.
Why? Where am I? Why am I here? Almost instantaneously a realization dawned. I have seen this place before, in my mirror in my quarters. In my dreams? So, am I dreaming again?
An animal somewhere off in the night barked. Several more moons rose, blotting the dark night sky with circles everywhere he looked. There was an ominous feel to them.
So many of them. They look as if they might collide with one another.
Again his eyes were drawn to the largest moon. It demanded his attention, but not by its size alone. There was something else. Its features became sharper and he felt a chill run through his body. He suddenly felt scared at what would be revealed in the face of this moon, something he did not want to see.
A face of…someone? What is happening to me? Am I going mad?
A sound. Something moved through the tall weeds and brush, heading in his direction.
"Hello!"
There was no answer.
"Hello," he yelled again.
Still he heard no response. The sound stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Silence returned, but with it a new sensation, the feeling of being watched.
He turned around in a circle, his eyes scanning in all directions. There was nothing there. Once more he felt drawn to the sky and the moon. He slowly turned his head upward…
* * * *
"Greg! Greg, wake up!"
"Yes…wait, I need to see… Wait…" he pleaded.
"Greg, wake up!" The shout made him wince.
Greg opened his eyes to see Sarah nervously leaning over him. Her eyes were filled with distress.
"What's wrong, Sarah?" he asked groggily.
"You were having a dream or something," she said, her brow lined with concern. "You were calling out to someone."
"Oh…well, I'm awake now. I must've dozed off for a few moments." Greg looked around the room, noticing that Leumas and Edward were gone. "Where is everyone else?"
Sarah gently touched his arm. "We decided we could all use some rest. It's been a long day…and not a very good one."
"I'd agree with that assessment. Any more developments?"
Sarah shook her head. "No, thank God. I think we've had enough bad news for one day, don't you?"
"Yes, probably so. How about you? Aren't you going to get some rest?"
"I will in a little bit," she said, then changed the subject. "Greg, what did you dream about?"
"I don't know," he told her hesitantly, carefully weighing his thoughts. "There's this place I have gone to twice now in my dreams. The exact same place. There's water, a lot of moons in the sky and a distinct blue tint to everything. But there's this one large moon, huge compared to the rest. There's something…something really strange about it."
"Greg, tomorrow I want you to share this with Leumas," Sarah said seriously. "He may be able to recognize it from the description of the place."
"Okay," Greg said, then kissed her. "I will. Now, come to bed and get some sleep."
Sarah slid into his bed next to him and held him closely. The warmth of her body was comforting and eased away his earlier trepidations. He kissed her.
"Good night," she whispered. "No more dreams tonight."
Sarah fell asleep quickly. Greg quietly got out of bed, walked over to the window and looked out at the dark, starlit sky. He imagined the large moon again as he had seen it in his dream. He squinted his eyes, trying to force the image to sharpen, but instead it blurred and vanished.
A voice murmured in his mind. ::The day of reckoning approaches.::
* * * *
The following morning Sarah, Leumas, Edward and Greg sat together eating breakfast in Greg's quarters. The conversation was subdued; the previous day's events still fresh in everyone's minds, and it was apparent that no one had slept well.
"I've got to get back to Washington. The pressure is on to hold a press conference," Edward announced, then turned toward Sarah, "You'll need to come back also."
"Yes, I suppose so," she said, glancing toward Greg. ::I don't want to go back, Greg,:: she thought to him. ::I want to stay here with you.::
::I understand, but you have to go back. I'll be okay.:
Sarah smiled with pleasure that Greg had reinstated their telepathic connection.
"Leumas and I will work on the notes some more to see what we can find out," Greg said aloud. Leumas nodded in agreement, although his frustration at being unable to solve the riddles was evident.
"Make sure you tell Leumas about the dream, Greg," Sarah reminded in a low tone.
"I will," he said. Then, as he received a stern look from Sarah, "I will, I promise." Leumas looked at him questioningly, but Greg indicated he would explain later.
Edward rose from the table. "Come on, Sarah, time to go."
She gave Greg a quick kiss on the cheek. ::See you soon,:: she sent.
::Never soon enough.::
Edward and Sarah departed for their subway ride. Reveb entered at the same time, offering his usual emotionless wish for a good trip.
"Leader, excuse me."
"Yes, Reveb," Greg said, watching Sarah walk down the corridor. He missed her already.
"Council meeting in one-half hour."
"Thank you, Reveb," Greg said and smiled.
Reveb left the room without further comment.
"That should be an interesting meeting," Leumas said. "I'm sure the word about the Arcturian craft and the mysterious other ship being destroyed has been thoroughly disseminated by now."
"You can be sure about that," Greg added. "Just like—"
He was interrupted by the signal indicating an incoming communication on Leumas’ private line.
"Excuse me for a second," Leumas said as he turned toward the terminal and entered his security code. Greg went to get more coffee.
"That's odd," Leumas commented, a perplexed look on his face.
"What's that?"
"It's a transmission from the Arcturian vessel that was destroyed," Leumas said, surprised.
"But the explosion was hours ago. Why did it take so long to get here?" Greg asked.
"Two reasons. First, that is part of the encryption process I chose. No one monitors the older-style frequencies anymore. It's a simple form of deception and effective, but there's a significant time delay involved."
"Why the delay?"
"That's the second part. In case there's a chance of the message being traced, it's routed through communications networks sca
ttered throughout the galaxy before coming here," Leumas explained without taking his gaze from the screen.
"Very sly," Greg said with a wry smile. "What's in the message?"
"It's horribly garbled. I can run it through the computer and try to reconstruct it."
"Why garbled?"
"According to the time of transmission, it was sent at almost the same moment the ship was destroyed. But because of the encryption process, there's a delay in transmission. It was never completed. It should take a few minutes, but I don't think we will get very much out of it."
"A break would be nice right now. Just a little bit of information to begin with." Greg sighed.
"What was Sarah talking about before she left? Something about your dreams?" Leumas asked as they waited for the computer to interpret the remains of the radio message.
"I've been having strange dreams lately," Greg said, shrugging. "I dream I'm on a strange planet and all alone. It's very weird."
"Describe it."
Greg scratched his head and complied. "Well, it's night, and there are several moons in the sky, one much larger than the rest." He paused as he tried to recall more. "Everything has a bluish tint to it and there is water, an island, and a marshy area.
"But there's something peculiar about the large moon. It's as if there is something embedded in the face of it. And the longer I'm there, the sharper the figure becomes, but I still can't make out what it is. Then there are sounds, as if something or someone is approaching, but I don't see anyone. It's almost as if I am meant to see something, but someone is—"
A beep from the computer announced the message reconstruction was complete. Leumas studied the screen and his face showed his displeasure. "It's worse then I thought. Only one word came through."
"What is it?"
"Acuba." Leumas had a puzzled look on his face. "I think it's the name of a planet in a sector at the far reaches of the galaxy. It's an area where the majority of the non-aligned worlds are."
"Let's see what it looks like," Greg said. "Computer, display the planet Acuba on main viewing screen."
The computer responded and the image steadied and became sharply focused. Greg and Leumas stared intently.
"Well, well, well," Greg said as he stared at the image of a planet where the light had a bluish tint and which had several moons, one of which loomed in size compared to the rest.
"That's it—the planet from my dreams."
Chapter Sixteen
“I have been asked: when a lie resides close to the truth, does that make it almost truth? I respond that almost truth is better then a lie, especially when it fits the situation.”
President Edward Samuel
Greg and Leumas entered the great hall of the UCDW. Greg took his seat on the dais. Leumas took the position reserved for him as Interstellar Planetary Affairs Coordinator: slightly below, but close to Greg.
The tension is very thick, Greg thought, as he scanned the faces of the delegates.
Although the aliens who made up the delegations were of assorted races and different body characteristics, fear obviously knew no physical limitations. Greg felt his stomach sour and he hesitated to begin. Leumas cleared his throat rather noisily to get his attention. Greg called the meeting to order.
"Members of the Council," Greg began, struggling to keep his voice even. "I know you have questions regarding certain events that have recently taken place. I've called this meeting to discuss them and share what information we have." Greg paused for a few seconds. He wanted what he said next to be understood very clearly. "I would caution you to not read more into things than is there. If there is something to fear, we'll face it together, but it will be something substantial and not our own imaginations leading us to believe in rumors and innuendos."
He let those words hang for a few moments before proceeding. They must understand this before anything else, he thought. "Due to the unconfirmed reports already circulating, it'll be better to start with your questions. Who will begin?" He sighed quietly as he prepared for the onslaught he was sure would follow.
"I shall begin," the ambassador from Iris 5 said, and stood. Her thin and petite figure appeared so fragile it seemed just the motion of standing would harm her. She used her wings and turned momentarily toward the other members, as if receiving their consensus on how the questioning should begin. "The body gruesomely displayed in these chambers…" she began, gesturing with her four arms to indicate the surrounding area, "…that was one of our contact agents from Beta-747?"
Right to the heart of the matter, Greg thought. "Yes, it was," he answered quickly with obvious sadness in his voice.
He glanced toward Leumas and saw his face reflect the sadness again at the loss of the three agents he had trained. "All three agents were killed on Beta-747 and two of the bodies were moved. The third body was found on the planet by Leumas, where an attempt to take his life was narrowly averted. One of the missing agents was mysteriously delivered here to our chambers, and the other was placed on Earth and found by humans after a mysterious communication leaked the information to the media."
"Why were they killed and displayed so horrifically?" The harsh voice of a Braxian sounded through the armor plate that covered his body in an intricate weaving of thousands of little pieces, like the scales of a fish.
"I don't know," Greg answered, his frustration evident. "I suspect it's a message of some sort intended to scare us. The only clue we've found so far was a note—a riddle of some sort. We're studying it to see if we can determine anything from it, but so far have come up with nothing. To further complicate matters, the facility on Earth where the body was being examined by the humans was mysteriously destroyed, adding further controversy to the discovery."
"How was the body brought into the Council chambers?" The delegate from Hoposes 7 asked, its two-lobed head (half-male, half-female) twitching in anticipation of the answer.
"We don't know how they got it past security. We're still looking into that."
"Someone in this Council must be involved," shouted a member from the delegation from Sigma 354. Rhino-shaped, it leaped upon its table, stomping its heavy feet in a ceremonial ritual of anger.
"We don't have any evidence at this time to support that," Greg assured him. "Until we do, I will not support or address that issue and I don't think this Council should either. All it will cause is suspicion and a breakdown of trust."
"Is it true the ambassadors from Arcturia have been killed?" the robotic humanoid shape used as a receptacle by the energy life forms of the inhabitants of Segworth 2 asked.
"Yes, that is also correct. Their vessel was attacked as it entered this solar system. We don't know who the attackers were or why they attacked. The ambassadors' ship was completely destroyed. Again, another riddle of some sort was received and we are working on that one also." Greg paused as a momentary silence ensued, then continued. He knew he had to show them something positive from all of this. "If nothing else, we can draw one conclusion. All the events are related and are very likely the work of the same life form or group. It would also appear their goal is to destabilize this Council and this planet."
"Leader," the Iris 5 ambassador said, "what are we to do about this incident?"
Greg had assumed someone would ask this question. It would be the most difficult to answer. He felt fairly sure there was more to come yet, and it would not be good.
"First and foremost, we must let cool heads prevail. Be rational and work together, and be prepared for further developments. The life form or group responsible will be brought to justice." Greg could feel the group settling somewhat, but it was still shaky ground.
"We have one piece of information that may produce some results," he continued and noticed many delegates' interest become aroused. "The Arcturian vessel transmitted a message to us as they were being destroyed. Unfortunately, the majority was garbled too badly to make any sense of it. However, there was one word of the message that was comprehensible. The name of
the planet Acuba."
The conversations and exchanges among the ambassadors rose to a furor. Greg could hear the fear in their voices at the name of the planet; its reputation as a harbor for criminals was well known.
"It's just a planet," Greg said in a stern voice, trying to dispel their fears. He had to yell it several times to get them to be quiet. While he waited for them to settle down he heard the name he had known someone was going to bring up—Copolla. His stomach soured at the thought of his old enemy. Some of these delegates actually believed Copolla was not dead and was only waiting for the right time to emerge again and take over the galaxy.
"Yes, Leader," the ambassador from Iris 5 noted, "but it is a planet that is not a member of this Council and is reputed to harbor some of the worse criminals of the galaxy."
"We shall see," Greg said as he turned toward Leumas. "Leumas is going to pay Acuba a visit and conduct a fact-finding mission for the Council."
All eyes in the Council chamber turned to the Interstellar Planetary Affairs Coordinator. Leumas slowly stood, nodded to Greg, and then faced the members.
"If there's anything on Acuba that concerns these bizarre events, I'll find it and bring it back for the members to evaluate," he said.
He sat down amidst murmurs of approval. He looked toward Greg and smiled, yet in his mind were the words he had not said, I hope.
* * * *
Edward and Sarah arrived in Washington DC and immediately met with his chief of staff, security advisors and press secretary regarding the press. The media were all frothing at the mouth for information regarding the alleged cover-up and the destruction of the hospital where the supposed alien had been held. The mood was full of tension and tempers were running extremely high. Everyone was worried about the disastrous effect this kind of bad press could have. Edward needed to clear the air and get his people's concerns out in the open.
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