by Robert Cole
Days passed. The hysteria of their first meeting gradually faded as everyone realised their situation wouldn’t change - no matter how much they complained. Susie spent long hours locked in conversation with Sasli. When these sessions ended, she would relay some of the history of Cathora to Chris. This planet was like Earth in many ways, but in others, totally alien. At some point in the planet’s history, the different hominid species had managed to communicate. This had broken the inter-tribal and inter-species conflicts that had so marked human evolution. Consequently, seven different hominids species now co-existed peacefully on Cathora. Each had their own unique geographical location, but communities containing a mixture of species were also very common.
Each species that could communicate, and had a written language, had been recognised by the ancient builders and given a portal. These builders had also selected a representative of each species and trained him, or her, as a Guardian. Since the selection of the first Guardians, the bloodlines had remained unbroken. The seven Guardians formed the ruling council that governed the planet, and had largely been responsible for the sustained peace that had lasted thousands of years. It was generally accepted that the builders had modified these individuals in some way, so that they had a range of unique mental abilities tailored for the portals. For instance, Batarr had a far greater ability to see distant worlds than the other Guardians, and was therefore considered the leader of the Council. He also could decipher and speak the language of certain intelligent animals such as the Caan. Although conflicts still occurred, destructive weapons, so prevalent on Earth, had never been invented simply because the idea of using such weapons was considered abhorrent.
Susie actually had to spend some time persuading Sasli that these weapons existed on Earth. Batarr, however, knew all about humans and their destructive nature. If Zelnoff managed to access and harness Earth’s weapon stockpiles, there would be little chance of ever stopping him. This realisation hit everyone hard.
The situation was further reinforced when Batarr announced he had lost contact with the Guardian of the portal to the west.
When Joe asked what this meant, he said simply, “Zelnoff’s forces killed her. There are now only two of us left.”
Yet, against this backdrop there was also hope. Within a few days, Chris started receiving random thoughts he couldn’t identify. On the third day, this fact was dramatically brought home. Chris was sitting with Joe eating lunch amongst a group of Batarr’s soldiers when he began hearing voices.
“They’re so young and look so strange,” a voice was saying. “What’s Batarr doing with such creatures?”
Chris looked up from examining his strange-smelling food.
“Huh…you know I can’t identify anything on this plate.” Joe complained.
“Well, what do you expect?” Chris replied, searching for the owner of the voice. “We’re not even in the same dimension.”
“The one with the chin. He looks nasty to me. And that fat smelly one… how can these creatures be of any use?”
“You know,” Joe leaned over and sniffed his food, “this food smells off to me. And what’s this brown stuff?” He tried lifting up a puddle of brown goo with his fork. The food just flowed back onto the plate. “It’s like runny poo. How are we supposed to eat this?”
In the far corner of the room a woman, who had the same grey features and pale green eyes as Batarr, was staring across at them. If these people aged at the same rate as humans, she would be around thirty, Chris estimated.
When she realised Chris was looking at her, the voice said, “He’s watching me. How did he know I was thinking about him? Must not stare, these creatures are supposed to have strange powers.” Immediately she averted her eyes.
Chris realised he had been reading her thoughts. When he concentrated, the thoughts of other soldiers also flowed into his mind. No one, it appeared, seemed to be able to conceal their thoughts from him. Well, not quite “no one”. When he turned his attention to Joe and Susie he got nothing. Apparently, Batarr explained later, his powers did not extend to fellow Mytar.
With his new found abilities, Chris spent much of the next few days wandering amongst Batarr’s soldiers trying to understand their thoughts. The underground complex was much larger than he had first realised and seemed to be designed a bit like a spider web. Layers of rooms were strung around a central complex consisting of a meeting room, where they had first talked to Batarr, a staff eating area and an adjoining kitchen. The living quarters came in the next layers, with the higher-ranking soldiers in the rooms closest to the centre. Lastly, the outermost circuit of rooms consisted of supplies and ammunition stores. In all, there were at least fifty separate rooms, housing well over three hundred of Batarr’s personal guard and servants. Chris detected strong emotions amongst these people, some confusion and apprehension, but largely a fierce loyalty to Batarr that, if necessary, would extend to their lives.
But as Chris’s powers of perception grew, so did a new set of problems. In a crowded room, the thoughts of others seemed to magnify. It was like a hundred screaming kids wanting his attention all at once. His mind was consumed with so much thought he found it almost impossible to untangle his own thought processes from those of others − headaches, nausea, and even vomiting followed. Chris was quickly driven to the most isolated parts of the complex, where he would huddle in the corner of rooms for hours clutching at his head and even screaming − anything to still the voices.
When Susie and Joe found him in this state they immediately alerted Batarr. His reaction was to initiate an intensive training course to teach Chris to block out these random thoughts. He taught Chris to calm his mind and take it to another place; peaceful, serene and enclosed by impenetrable mental barriers that were impervious to random thoughts. Every time he visualised this place it became more real, easier to step into, more inviting to stay and meditate in. In the end, Chris could conjure up this vision in any situation and under any circumstance and drive the voices into submission. These lessons came just in time. The creeping sense of insanity retreated as Chris regained control of his soaring abilities.
After a week of these lessons, Chris was starting to feel normal again. He felt confident enough to resume his wandering of the complex, but this time focusing his mind only on the people that he selected. During one of these late night trips, he encountered Batarr warming himself by the fire, with a hot drink. Chris knew Batarr was deep in thought and didn’t want to be disturbed. But he was a Mytar, after all. He no longer needed to talk to someone to know their thoughts.
He crept up behind Batarr, being careful not to alert him to his presence. This would be fun, he thought, as he locked his mind onto the back of Batarr’s head. He would be able to tell Susie and Joe exactly what Batarr was thinking at any time. For a few moments he received impressions of an unfamiliar place. A room, sparsely decorated, and there was also some other presence, but he couldn’t form an image of this person in his mind. Then, in an instant, the image vanished. In his mind, he saw Batarr turn toward him, but this was not the Batarr he knew. A searing pain struck one side of his head like a hammer blow. He lurched backwards and fell onto the floor. Vision after vision crashed through his brain in quick succession: hideous visions of demons, monsters, countless hordes of creatures fighting and dying, huge flying creatures with bat-like wings and red insect eyes that rained down destruction on whole towns and cities, people screaming, burning, dying, their eyes wide with pain and terror.
Chris felt the grip of powerful hands lift him up and sit him in a chair. Susie’s deeply concerned face appeared; her mouth moving rapidly as she shook him. But he couldn’t hear anything over the multitude of hideous voices and sounds that were pounding at his brain. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the pain, the voices and the visions were gone. Susie was screaming hysterically into his face.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Chris moaned, trying to focus on Susie’s flushed features.
“What happened?” she
cried.
Batarr was crouched next to him. “This is my fault.” He ran his hand through his greasy hair. “I had no idea.”
“No idea of what?” Joe asked.
“The damage we were doing.”
“What are you talking about?” Susie asked.
“I was communicating with the last Guardian when I felt that my thoughts were being probed. My immediate reaction was to repel the intruder by flooding his mind with destructive images which would have forced him to break contact, or lose his mind. I had no idea it was Chris. The other Guardian would have also done the same, so Chris would have received double the dose. By the time I realised our error, Chris had already suffered enormously.”
Chris looked up into his pale green eyes, which a moment ago seemed so frightening. Joe scowled at Batarr, but said nothing.
“There’s no lasting damage,” Batarr continued in a surprisingly up-beat tone. “You have a very powerful gift. I’m very pleased at your progress. Few, if any, could have penetrated my thoughts successfully. But I must first teach you how to read someone’s mind without being discovered, and how to protect yourself in case you are.”
The enthusiasm in Batarr’s voice was obvious and rather surprised Chris. “And this gift helps us how?”
“If it’s developed properly, your gift could be used over long distances.”
Chris was completely lost. “Long distances?”
“With my help, you should be able to train your mind to leave your body and travel anywhere.”
“You mean look for Zelnoff?”
“Yes. Soon Zelnoff will be gathering his advance forces at a captured portal to cross into your world. He’ll have to make a personal appearance to direct proceedings. But we don’t know which portal he’ll use, and without this information we cannot mount an attack.”
“An attack!” Batarr now had Joe’s full attention. “You want to attack Zelnoff?”
Batarr smiled briefly at Joe’s incredulous tone. “He will never expect us to attack him. If we can kill, or even injure him, his whole command could crumple.”
“So you want me to find him?” Chris asked.
Batarr nodded.
Chris could see the logic of this argument. If Zelnoff used his strength of will to control this planet, only a strike aimed directly at him would stand any chance of success. Susie and Joe were watching Chris intently, and a wave of resentment swept across him. He should be home watching TV, or playing computer games, not embarking on this madness. Haven’t Joe or Susie got similar powers, can’t they help?” he asked.
At this comment Batarr sighed, a distinctly strained expression spreading over his face. “Do you know Chris, why I found you before any of the other Mytar?”
Chris shook his head.
“Because your vibrations were much stronger, I could feel your presence long before the others. Susie and Joe have their abilities, but you have the powerful Mytar gift to travel great distances with your mind and read the thoughts of other intelligent creatures.”
Chris thought that would be his answer. Susie and Joe looked on in silence. Their lack of any counter argument confirmed that they couldn’t offer any other alternatives.
He nodded slowly. “Alright,” he said finally, “so when do you start teaching me how to avoid getting my brain fried?”
In the following days, Batarr and Chris were locked for many hours in strenuous mental exercises that left Chris with acute exhaustion and bad headaches. His two friends could do little except look on and provide sympathy. Each night, Batarr brewed a concoction from the roots of local plants that had been collected during the day. The mixture tasted sweet and spicy and it burned all the way down to Chris’s stomach, but it cured his headaches and spread reassuring warmth throughout his body.
At first, Batarr immediately knew each time Chris tried to read his thoughts, but with every passing day, Chris’s abilities grew. He could read more and more of Batarr’s thoughts before he was detected. Batarr, however, retained the ability to block off his mind at will, so Chris could never access his thoughts unless he permitted it. This ability Batarr also taught Chris, so he could construct a mental wall of thought to avoid anyone else reading his mind.
A week later, Batarr met them at breakfast - something he never did. His usual warm greetings and accompanying smiles were replaced by an earnest intensity that Chris was quickly learning meant only bad news.
“I lost contact with the last remaining Guardian yesterday,” Batarr said, dropping into a chair and focusing his attention exclusively on Chris. “The day before, this Guardian had observed unusual activity around his area.”
“What type of activity?” Susie asked.
“Troop movements largely,” Batarr said, pulling at his long black hair. A habit, Chris noticed, Batarr usually engaged in when he was deeply troubled.
“I can usually feel his presence, but this morning there was nothing.”
Batarr focused on Chris. “I was hoping there would be more time, but Zelnoff may have already extracted information about our whereabouts. You’ll have to make the attempt as soon as possible.”
Chris felt a shudder travel down his spine. “You mean today?”
“I mean this morning, there’s no time to waste.”
“But I’m not ready.”
Batarr had blocked his thoughts so Chris couldn’t read him, but there was finality in his voice that drained away any further argument.
“I’m truly sorry this has turned out like this,” Batarr said solemnly. “But there’s no other choice.”
They met in the main meeting room two hours later. Chris looked pale. He had been physically sick with fear and had to use the toilet more times than he cared to remember. Susie had tried to comfort him earlier, after one of these visits, only to be snapped at. Since then, Chris had not spoken to anyone. He was withdrawing into himself, trying to find the strength he needed to survive this ordeal.
When Batarr saw Chris, he beckoned him to sit down around a small wooden table. Sasli chirped away to Batarr for some time, while Susie and Batarr nodded agreement. Finally, Batarr reached into his pocket and pulled out a small knife in a leather sheath, and placed it in front of Chris. “I believe this is Zelnoff’s knife. The only thing we have of his. You must use this to focus your thoughts.”
Chris picked up the knife and examined it in detail. The handle was bone, embedded with blue and red crystals and carved with strange symbols.
“Remember all that I have taught you,” Batarr instructed. “When you start receiving impressions don’t focus all your energy at once, no matter how tempting. Build up your concentration slowly, and withdraw if you feel he is beginning to detect you. Concentrate on the surrounding country, so we can get a fix on his location.”
Chris nodded. He had rehearsed the whole procedure continually over the last two hours and a focused, determined calm had descended on him. He held the knife loosely in his hands, closed his eyes and began clearing his mind as Batarr had instructed. The images came almost immediately, but he didn’t focus his thoughts on the images, instead he let them diffuse into his mind.
He saw mountains, massive and ice-capped, with mist streaming off their peaks. Lodged between two of these peaks was an L-shaped lake. Along one side of the lake was a sandy beach where there was a lot of activity. Strange squat-looking creatures, with long torsos and short thick legs, were gathering water in large buckets. Other creatures, much larger, with long arms and completely covered in thick brown hair, were swimming in the lake, periodically pulling up large shells and placing them into cane baskets.
Amongst all this activity stood a tall, bald man, who appeared to be directing proceedings. Chris was immediately drawn to his strong vibrations. He looked about fifty and had a long, angular face with bushy eyebrows that crowned a pair of almost black eyes. Chris moved closer. This man was relaying instructions to the soldiers around him, his dark orbs darting around as he rapidly issued orders
. Chris swallowed involuntarily. He was looking at Zelnoff. Any mistake now could cost him his life. He tried to tune into Zelnoff’s vibrations to detect any stray thoughts. This was a food-gathering party and he was in a hurry. Chris read apprehension and an enormously powerful will to succeed.
Carefully, he moved a little closer, trying gently to absorb his thoughts. The flow of information suddenly stopped. Zelnoff’s expression changed and he looked around, frowning deeply. Chris immediately withdrew himself to a safe distance. Zelnoff turned back to his task, directing his men to a number of large carts, already overflowing with supplies. All around the carts were groups of soldiers, heavily armed with short swords and other weapons Chris had never seen before.
Chris looked around further; one of the peaks was a volcano. A large plume of smoke was pouring from one side of the mountain. Zelnoff was now moving off with the supplies. Chris decided he would have one last try. He focused on the back of Zelnoff as he moved up the beach. Zelnoff immediately turned round and stared directly at him, his eyes narrowing. Chris felt a build-up of power around him. Zelnoff had sensed him. Chris let go. The images swirled for an instant, then he was back, the expectant faces of his friends staring at him.
“Are you alright?” Batarr asked.
Chris nodded, an enormous sense of relief flooding through him. “He almost discovered me. Another moment and he’d have had me.”
“Zelnoff?”
“Yeah, but I managed to pull back before he could do anything.”
“What did he look like?” Batarr asked eagerly.
Chris described what had happened and Zelnoff’s appearance. When he mentioned the volcano, Batarr’s eyes lit up. He pulled out a large map, meticulously drawn in the finest detail, and laid it on the table.
“There are only two volcanoes that are currently active on this planet,” he announced. “And only one of them is near a portal.” He pointed to a large mountainous plateau pitted with snow-capped mountains. “This is Mount Caporel. It has been smoking for about ten years now, and on the east side is a lake.”
Chris looked at where Batarr was pointing. The lake was L-shaped.
“It says Lake Kipi,” Susie interjected.
“That’s correct.” Batarr raised an eyebrow. “You can read alien languages too, very impressive.”
Susie beamed back at him.
“Lake Kipi is a beautiful place,” Batarr continued. “It’s a shame Zelnoff has chosen to gather his forces there. I doubt there will be much left, when he’s through.” He began pacing the floor in his now all too familiar manner. This time, however, there was quickness and sense of urgency to his step. “It’s some distance, so it will take us a little time to reach it,” he said quickly, flicking back some hair from his face.
Chris didn’t like the sound of the word “us.” “You mean it will take a while to find enough soldiers to attack Zelnoff?”
Batarr stopped pacing and looked at Chris’s hopeful face. “We have a bit of a problem.”
Joe groaned loudly.
“You can’t expect us to fight in your war,” Chris said, “we’re just kids.”
“You are Mytar!” Batarr was suddenly flushed with anger. “It’s your destiny to help both this world and yours. After all that you have seen and experienced, do you still care so little?”
His words bit hard, but Chris didn’t care. “We don’t know how to fight. None of us even know how to handle weapons.”
“I don’t expect you to fight Zelnoff single-handed,” Batarr snapped, his usual grey features flushing red. “Chris must have found Zelnoff when he was collecting supplies. We still don’t know where his actual base is.”
“You want me to try again?” Chris said, starting to feel sick again.
“No, no, he will surely discover you if you try again. That’s not what I meant. As I’m sure you remember, the key becomes warm when it’s near the portal.”
“So you just want the key?” Chris eagerly pulled the key out of his pocket and offered it to Batarr.
Batarr pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. “The key is no good to me. I’m not a Mytar.”
Everyone groaned, seeing for the first time where all this was leading.
“You, I’m afraid, are the only ones the key will work for. We need you to find the portal because that’s where Zelnoff’s base will be. I’ll do my very best to protect you,” he added, after surveying their gloomy faces.
“But don’t you know where the portals are already?” Susie asked.
“I used to know,” Batarr said, “but they have been moved since they were captured. We need to find them again.”
“And how many soldiers will come with us?” Chris asked.
“We should be able to spare at least two hundred soldiers, and more will join us on the journey to Mount Caporel.”
Chris had read some of the thoughts of the elite group of soldiers that protected Batarr. He knew of their enormous dedication and fighting abilities, and drew some comfort from this.
Batarr showed them the route they would take. The lake they had seen when they first arrived was called Lake Sekpa. They would have to cross this lake and head through the Pasein Mountains beyond. There were several routes through these mountains to Mount Caporel, but they were likely to be watched. Batarr knew of another, more difficult route, which would take them through country that was rarely travelled. If they took this path, Batarr estimated, the trip would take around two weeks.
Chris listened to the increasingly enthusiastic tones of Batarr and watched the increasing dejection of his friends. “When do we start?” he asked, when Batarr had finished outlining his plan.
“The preparations will be complete by tonight,” Batarr replied, rolling up the map. “Tomorrow you will all experience first-hand the beauty of this planet.”
Chapter 4: Into the Storm
