Alannah was dazed. She had not thought about this. It was still Kalberham's ship and his father was not the only one to decide, of course.
She looked at the solaryan Guardian for a moment. Then, unexpectedly, the king continued to speak.
«Commander Kalberham, I would be very grateful if my daughter Alannah could board her as a crew member to protect little Kaira. I would consider it a personal favor. I think it's good, for this little girl that the planet Kentaura decided to give us, that Alannah stays on board».
«Your majesty, you are aware of the dangers we are going to face, aren’t you?» replied Kalberham respectfully.
«Yes my friend. But knowing the princess, she could be mad enough to follow you and get in even more danger. At least this way I hope she will have the foresight to call her anxiousfather to let him know how his daughter is».
That said, he looked at her gravely.
Alannah hugged her father like she had never done.
«You would sneak into the Olympia in secret or something, pestilence that you are. If your heart tells you to go, go, just remember to protect your life. Every time you do it, you will protect mine too. I could never live if something happened to you».
The king of Solyar whispered these words to his daughter while she was unable to let him free from her embrace.
«Dad ...» she whispered as two tears streaked her face. «I promise you».
Kaira pulled on Alannah's shirt for a moment and she picked her up to allow her to greet the king.
«Well, Princess, then on board. We leave immediately. I think something strange is going on and we need to get to Poligon Dhaal as soon as possible» Kalberham said, breaking that magical moment.
«What do you mean by "something strange"?» Karmora asked, assuming an expression that was anything but peaceful.
«I believe someone or something generated a temporal vacuum. The siel indicated this and the communications were interrupted» answered Kalberham.
«Andal ...» the king shouted toward the bridge.
«Yes, sir» he replied, understanding his sovereign's intentions. «Sir, I cannot communicate via any of the ordinary channels. Even the enemy frequencies are lifeless» he added after several attempts.
«Well, leave Kalberham. At this point it depends on you and what the Code will decide. Good luck».
Then the king put his hand on Patrik's shoulder. «I don’t know who you are and what the universe has decided for you. I saw you do extraordinary things that I hardly understood, but I know your father's name. I trust you will protect my daughter like the Jones that you are about to save».
Patrik looked at Alannah for a moment and blushed.
«I promise, sir. I swear by the name I carry» he said, bowing his head in respect for the person in front of him.
The ships prepared for flexation and moved away following different routes.
24
Tadiero showed how to govern the Olympia by giving precise instructions to Marco, who was trying to understand everything. None of the instruments were easy to interpret and furthermore the characters were incomprehensible.
They had been out of the orbit of Kentaura for a good half hour, but it seemed as though the ship was proceeding inside a bubble in the outer wing of the Milky Way.
Patrik managed to free his siel a few more times, even if it was not his favorite pastime, and the result was always the same. It arranged itself to assume the shape of the galaxy.
Kalberham fumbled with the monitors scattered inside the bridge trying to get out of the stall, but the speed of flexion was a subject to be dealt with.
Kaira and Alannah stood apart with Camilla.
The princess tried not to convey her concern to the child. However, being able to contain her anxiety at that moment was not easy.
«What is a temporal emptiness, Kalberham? Do they often happen in space?» asked Patrik.
«No, it's not something you see very often. The temporal emptiness is created by someone» he replied without taking his eyes off the monitors.
«By someone?!».
«Yes, but it's not an easy thing. In my life I've only seen it done by Poligon Dhaal, many years ago. It's like sinking into another, timeless dimension. The state of calm and the absence of communication with the outside are part of it. Freeing the siel, using this typical Arkassian maneuver, allows us to understand if time has stopped».
«I don’t understand» said Patrik, confused, «how do we generate a typically arkassian maneuver?»
Kalberham looked at Patrik a little annoyed because obviously he was not clear enough with him.
«We come from the same Flower and we all return to the same Flower, Patrik Jones! Our soul is inevitably also arkassian, solaryan, terrestrial, falaian ... and so on. We are all of them, and we will go back to them. I hope you will not be forced to kill anyone else in our mission. Know, however, that every time you do it, you will kill a brother, one of your kind».
Marco looked at Patrik for a moment, shrugged and then smiled. Patrik knew why his friend had done it. They were Terrestrial, and they were masters of killing their own kind.
«How do we get out of it?» Alannah asked suddenly, in the tone of someone annoyed that no one had asked the most important question.
«It cannot last long, Princess. However, it needs a lot of energy to generate and to maintain itself» Kalberham replied promptly.
«And what the hell is that?!» Marco said suddenly, his eyes glued to the central monitor.
All of a sudden something appeared before the Olympia and rested there still, motionless.
«Commander, the instruments aren’t detecting anything» Tadiero said hastily, checking the sensors.
«They don’t notice it because none of us are here» Kalberham replied. «What kind of ship is it ?! It doesn’t belong to any of the known planets’ fleets» he added, trying to study the unidentified object.
«Kalberham, do something. My head is exploding».
Patrik had his left hand pressing on his head, while with his right hand he tried to tame the siel, which had literally gone crazy around his forearm.
«Tadiero, elusive maneuvers. Maximum barrier energy, now!» heordered the Guardian, realizing that nothing good was about to happen.
«Negative sir. I have no control of the ship» Tadiero answered. «I repeat, I don’t have control of the ship».
Patrik was on his knees now.
«Kalberham help me, please!»
A jolt crossed the ship and Alannah nearly fell as she tried to reach Patrik.
«We're like rats in a trap» Kalberham whispered, turning his head back to the monitor.
«Communication coming, sir» said Tadiero.
«On the screen, now!»
Three figures appeared before them. The vision was not clear. They stood, side by side in the gloom, dressed in dark red tunics and very large hoods that prevented their faces from seeing them.
«Patrik Jones. Young terrestrial who received the sacred siel. You will deliver it to us» said a deep, grim and undefined voice.
«The boy is under the protection of the solaryan alliance. Any hostile action will be considered an act of war. Suspend the attack immediately and tell me who you are» Kalberham ordered, turning to the screen.
Another jolt hit the Olympia and a drop in energy plunged the bridge in almostcomplete darkness, which was now illuminated only by the emergency lights.
«Who we are doesn’t matter, Guardian. You are about to return to the Flower, all of you. Patrik Jones will deliver the sacred siel immediately».
«Kalberham help me, I cannot control it. Burn!» screamed Patrik as the siel accelerated dramatically.
Beings that appeared to be made purely of energy alone materialized inside the bridge.
Kalberham gripped his weapon, trying to protect the crew, but something made him fall to the ground, disarming him. The same fate happened to Alannah and Tadiero when they held their daggers and the rifle in an attempt to react.
Kaira began to run. Immediately she reached Patrik and put her hands on his head, turning her back on the two beings who were about to reach him, as if she wanted to act as a shield.
The boy was now on his knees. He tried in vain to control the mad siel, which was burning his forearm.
«Elisaar» the little girl said suddenly, turning to the monitor, without letting Patrik go.
The creatures stopped for a moment.
«Elisaar!» she exclaimed louder as a strange energy invaded the bridge, spinning everything in the air.
«The child!» said the dark voice coming from the alien ship, while one of the figures on the monitor pointed to her with his finger.
A moment later everything ended as if by magic.
All the objects suspended in the air fell to the ground and light returned inside the Olympia.
The siel stopped moving, but Patrik's arm was in very bad shape.
Kalberham and the others stood up and Marco ran to his friend to make sure of his condition.
«All the systems are operational, captain» said Tadiero, taking possession of his post.
«Flexion just ready, Mr. Tadiero» ordered the captain. Then, followed by Alannah, he joined Patrik who was still sore on his knees.
«It's a bad wound» he said, looking at the boy's arm. «Alannah, are you able to treat him and bandage him properly?»
«Yes, of course» she answered.
«Good. You will help me to take him to the infirmary and then I will try to call Eta Carinae and talk to Poligon Dhaal. Marco, stay with Tadiero at the controls, please».
«Agreed. But take care of him!» he replied. He got up and went back to the giant of Portirya.
Camilla's scream suddenly frightened everyone present. The monkey was trying to move the body of Kaira, who was lying in a hidden corner, giving no signs of life. Nobody had thought at that moment what had become of the child, and now she lay still on the ground.
The worst had not passed.
*
The gohtarma sat in the dark inside the room that contained Armintala's armor.
He often closed himself in there to think, and didn’t like anyone else’s presence.
This was something everyone knew.
Precisely for this reason, as soon as he heard the steps approaching the room, he understood that something significant had happened. He got up and walked to the large access door just to be seen standing.
Mendicar, in the company of two other arkassian Guardians, presented himself before him.
«My lord, sensors indicate that the solaryan Guardian's spaceship has left the orbit of Kentaura. This confirms that the Terrestrial is with them, I don’t think they would ever leave without him. I propose to attack immediately. General Greymar is en route to Arkass, but warning him immediately means possibly intercepting them before they arrive on Eta Carinae».
«How long have they been gone?» asked the lord of Arkass.
«About half an hour. We lost them for a couple of minutes, but now the signal is very clear».
The gohtarma turned suddenly, looking at Mendicar's face. «Two minutes, you say? What are you playing at, Poligon Dhaal?»
«Sir?!».
Mendicar didn’t understand the last statement, but in reality the first Guardian of Arkass was speaking to himself and didn’t bother to explain.
«Should I warn General Greymar, sir?» Mendicar asked, wanting to find out what to do.
«No! Let the Terrestrial arrive on Eta Carinae. Warn Greymar to stay there and intervene if the solaryan spacecraft is ever endangered».
The words of the gohtarma took everyone by surprise.
Mendicar knelt down, as if to ask forgiveness for his insolence, but he needed to understand.
«My lord, forgive my doubt, but I think that attacking now could put us all in a clear advantage. Once the Terrestrial and Kalberham are eliminated, we will have two less thorns in our side for the dominion of the Flower».
«It will not be necessary. The boy will come to me» the old man answered, almost smiling.
«Do you really believe that in order to have the armor, he will be willing to risk his life?»
«Dear Mendicar...» and so saying the gohtarma leaned on his arm and the two began to walk, «young Jones was chosen by the Code to serve the siel of Armintala. It speaks to us all within the galaxy. It's not just the armor, he'll come to me because he needs to come to me».
Mendicar didn’t understand but didn’t add anything else. He knew that sooner or later it would be his turn. The gohtarma was still very powerful. He merely accepted the decision.
The four of them went slowly inside the walls of the imperial palace of Arkass, while the sun was setting on the horizon.
*
Patrik tried to control the pain, but his arm really hurt.
Despite this, he had managed not to give up the siel, as if even the thought of having to abandon it was inconceivable. Even if it was the siel that had hurt him, he felt that it was all his fault. If the sacred weapon that was entrusted to him caused all this, it was because of his weakness, of the fact that an external force had succeeded in overtaking his own.
It was not fair resenting with it. He felt that it was alive and contained great power.
Even now it was there, squeezed in the other hand.
Under Kalberham's instructions, he had put the woundunder a strange machine for a few minutes and Alannah had bandaged it. It almost seemed like those bandages could catch fire at any moment.
As if that were not enough, Kaira was lying right in front of him, not moving.
«Vital signs are stable, but the girl is barely breathing» Kalberham said, checking the instruments.
Alannah sat down next to her and squeezed her hand. She felt terribly guilty about the incident.
«I'm sorry, Patrik. She was right next to me, but I lost sight of her after I was thrown to the ground by those strange creatures» she said, never looking away from the child.
«Don’t be ridiculous» he replied. «It's all my fault. If I’d been stronger I would have been able to control the siel, and Kaira would not have had to come to my rescue».
Kalberham and Alannah looked at each other questioningly.
«Come to your rescue ?!» the princess asked curiously.
«Sure. Before they reached me she put herself between me and them. She screamed something I didn’t understand and then it all ended».
Patrik understood from the astonished looks of the two that no one remembered anything, but he was sure of one thing. He couldn’t have dreamed it.
He decided not to insist.
After all, what really interested him was that she would wake up and understand who the people were who wanted her weapon.
A couple of days passed.
Tadiero was always busy helping Marco understand the stellar navigation and how a ship was governed. They often argued. Marco was a tough head and only the patience of his teacher could bear his temper.
Sometimes, however, Patrik also heard them laugh out of turn, and was happy that a friendship had been born between them.
Alannah spent all her time in the infirmary watching over the girl. A terrible sense of guilt prevented her from leaving. She had promised herself and her father that she would protect her, and now the baby was in her current condition.
Patrik passed dozens of times in front of the door, but he stopped himself from entering.
It was hard to find the words.
Poligon Dhaal called and was anxiously awaiting their arrival. Of the Arkassians there was not even a shadow.
Finally he decided to come in and talk to her, using a trivial excuse.
«Hello. I wanted to check the bandage, if you have a moment for me».
«Of course» she replied, rising from her bed and nodding slightly.
«How is she?» he asked almost unnecessarily.
«Always the same. It's as if she’s sleeping very deeply» she answered, starting to fumble wit
h the bandage.
«You know Alannah, I do not think you ought to ... Aah, it hurts!»
«Oh God. Sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose» she smiled.
Patrik didn’t care. He wanted to finish what he had to say.
«I said, I think you should not blame yourself, because ... Aaah, be careful, damn it».
Alannah smiled again.
«Sorry, I assure you that I'm doing my best».
«Tell me, are you doing it on purpose?» he asked annoyed.
«Patrik Jones! I believe you have a very low pain threshold. Like all men» she answered firmly, putting her hands on her hips.
«Good. Beautiful sentence. The truth is that the planets and galaxies can change, but you women are all the same» he replied, as if he wanted to accept the challenge.
Alannah raised her eyebrows and dressed in a mocking smile.
«Put your arm in there and wait here. I'm going to get some new bandages, pussy».
«Yes. Go!» he replied, lying on the bed.
But what an impossible character, he thought.
He got into position and, very slowly, put his forearm under the machine for analysis. After the inspection he would have ripped a good one for that spiteful cat.
«I'm hungry» suddenly said a voice he knew well.
Kaira sat on the bed and adjusted her hair.
«Kaira. Are you awake!?» shouted Patrik incredulously.
The girl smiled. She got out of bed, and a little dazed, went to lie down next to him.
«How are you? How do you feel? You gave us a good fright, you know?» he asked, stroking her, trying to figure out if she was okay.
«It was so cold. I missed you so much» and so saying she hugged him tightly.
«You missed me too. To all of us. Now you're here, you don’t have to be afraid any more» he said, returning the hug.
They lay down and hugged again for a few moments.
«Do you want to explain to me what happened? You put yourself between me and those beings and you said something, but I don’t remember what. It will never happen again that you put yourself in danger to protect me, clear ?!»
«Patrik Jones, I have only you in the whole world» she replied.
Patrik Jones and the Code of the Universe Page 19
