A shadow passed over the instrument panel of the healing machine.
Kathy felt an odd sensation. Uneasy, she turned her head to see Tobermory. His fangs were exposed in a feral snarl. He lept.
For Kathy, it all seemed to unfold in slow motion. When Tobe lept, he seemed to expand and grow extra arms arms and legs, all with hideously exaggerated claws extended. She insticntively realised that he was extending himself into near non space.
Her body reacted instantly and she found herself shifting not just form, but also spatially. Two almost identical creatures stood in front of her. Looking like a nightmare version of Xavvian afterlife legends, they loomed large and ominous before her. Not only did they have extremely deadly looking claws and fangs, but even their elbows and heels had spurs that resembled knives of the Xavvian adept ceremonies. Many things about Xavvian religious superstitions were now making sense to her.
But, she didn’t really have time to ponder on it. One creature had turned to parry the attack of the Royal Xavvian, and the nearer creature seized her by her throat, bringing her face to face with a most unwholesome creature.
“Miss Swanson,” slurred the creature, “I believe we have met before.”
To everyone else in the room, it was as if an atom bomb had been set off in a hurricane. An irregular strobelight effect bathed the room in strange patterns, while Kathy, Tobe, and two hideous creatures appeared to blink in and out of existance.
“Everyone out!” commanded Victor sr, grabbing his son off the healer and bolting for the door.
Suddenly, the floor shifted violently, throwing him to the ground. The door melted into its frame, blocking any escape.
“Not so fast, Humans!” came an eerie voice from within the maelstrom.
Thjrough her newly attuned senses, Kathy coud see how the creature holding her had extended a leg out, first smashing the floor near the two Channings, then making quick motions arounf the door frame.
The other worldly emanations were coming from the other creature battling with Tobermory and the Wayre wolf. Tag still held Kathy motionless. The three creatures were virtually a blur of motion and light. Blood and gore spread across the floor and walls as they wounded each other over and over again. As Kathy watched, Tobe collapsed to the ground, appearing to have lost the fight. He space jumped, shifting through the gore to get behind the creature, now concentrating on Canus. Leaping several feet in the air, Tobe extended the claws on his undamaged arm and pierced the back of the creature’s skull. Hearing and reading a blood curdling scream, Tag felt the death throws of his sister. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse, Kathy broke free from him and flung him over her head towards the healer machine, still visible in this near non space realm. She turned to pounce on him, but he had jaunted away. Turning to her Xavvian Royal friend, she said, “I’ll be back.” and took off after Tag, chasing him through space and non space.
Tobe and Canus both yelled “NO!” as she lept away.
The damaged and smokey room now came into focus and Victor Sr saw the grotesque form by Tobermory’s feet.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s dead!” snapped Tobe. “And Kathy is gone. Chasing after that creature that you Wayre corrupted.”
“Dad? Wayre?” sobbed Victor Jr. “Say it isn’t so, Dad. Say it isn’t so!”
Stunned the group stood still. Silent except for the mumblings of the younger Channing.
“It’s not quite dead,” interuppted Canus. “We should see about securing this creature. She may of some help to us tracking Kathy and Tag. Whether she regains awareness or not.”
Victor Sr stepped through the spreading gore on the floor to stand over her. “He’s right. This is Tagga.” Looking at the bloody and gore covered Tobe, he added, “I don’t think you realise just how lucky you were.”
“I saw her. I couldn’t take time to even yell a warning.”
“That surprise was what what made the difference, I assume,” explained Victor Sr. “For this is one of the most dangerous Kel Wayre has ever encountered.”
“I had help!” growled the Xavvian, gesturing towards Canus. Then, he collapsed himself, making a small splash in the gore surrounding the two bodies.
“That’s so gross,” complained Victor Jr, now composed. He added questioningly, “Now, How the FRELL are we going to get out of here? And WHERE THE HELL IS KATHY!?!”
Shocked by the fight, shocked by his father, although he was now calmer Victor Jr. realized his words were making him sound like a petulant child. His first question about how they were to get out of the room was, however answered almost at once. Those inside could hear pounding on the door, and soon enough came the whine of emergency cutting equipment.
The son’s eye’s drew in those of the father’s. “Tell me what Tobe means, Dad!” he rasped.
“We don’t have time for the long version now, but I’ll give it to you straight, Son” he said.
“Are you my father?”
“Yes I am”, snapped Victor Sr. “Tell me, how much do you remember about when your mother and I were in that shuttle accident? You and Vicki were almost six T years old.”
“Not much really, just that a lot of people were trying to comfort us for something I didn’t really understand.”
“Your mother died instantly, and I almost did. But as you may know Wayre can inhabit a host, use it, with no real harm, if the host allows and the intent of the Wayre is benign. Elia M’Hall was used by Wayre, to talk to Kathy, back two years ago…”
At this point the cutting from outside sounded louder and there was a thumping sound as well. Everyone tried to move away from that wall. Tobe was getting weaker, his many cuts beginning to form small green pools as he sat up against the wall. M’Kayla tried to stop the bleeding, but she had no medical training and her bandages were not very good.
“I’ll try to keep this short and fill in blanks later. I had no strength left, I’d seen your mother die and wanted to die myself, but there was you and Vicki too, to think of. Why I was approached then I don’t know, but Wayre/a Wayre offered the strength I didn’t have, if I would be host. I’m still alive, I’m your father, but over these years past I have also been more. The Wayre that I am is like a second spirit, if you will, in the same body. For all the power of Wayre, it is sometimes useful to have real eyes and ears and hands. Damn, it doesn’t scare people as much, to have a flesh and blood talk…”
A smoking chunk fell out of the far wall and he broke off. Rescue workers squirmed through the hole. Tobe was given first aid where he was, and absolutely refused to leave the others. Victor Jr. would not get back on the healing bed.
It seemed to take forever for all concerned to figure out how to maintain what was left of Tagga but she was finally taken to a xeno lab much like the one the late Dr. Morgan had once presided over. And when officials at last stopped pestering them with questions the group could thing of nothing better at the moment to do than return to Searcher. Victor Sr, was glad of that, he wanted Kenezr to shoulder part of the load of explanation.
But as he helped the taller Victor Jr stagger to the door he shook him a little, and said, in a low, intense voice “Vikboy, don’t hate me, please” and the low whisper returned was “I don’t…Dad.”
When the weary group arrived back at Searcher it was to find Martel and Kal Trontiann absent. Martel had received an urgent summons from the senior priest he had been consulting with, concerning the disturbances they had felt in recent hours. He managed a quick courier call to M’Kayla, to let her know he would be gone, but mostly to give her the thrill of using her crystal again.
Kal had been called by Granthixav again, also urgently. The skies above them were on high alert, due to the mysterious battle droid that had freed itself. It had been maintaining a position above Nexia, but had now shifted into a higher orbit and had changed course, heading toward the eastern part of the continent As it went it had begun to emit a series of comm pulses that so far remained untranslated. Grav wanted Kal to pilot a gunship to follow it, knowing that Kal had years more experience than most of the others available to him. He didn’t wan’t some hotshot with an itchy trigger finger on this job.
M’Kayla was fussed that Kal had left no message for her. "When I think back, this was supposed to be a vacation! I hope he doesn’t do anything foolish."
All except Jacob, who had not visited, were tired, hurt, hungry and dirty. By the time they had gotten clean they were almost too tired to eat. Most shoved a few mouthfuls in and then went to bed. Jacob agreed to stay alert for any news they might receive, but sleep still came hard, in spite of the wearieness. In the words of Victor Jr. where was Kathy?
Kathy was wondering that herself. At first it had been no trouble keeping up with Tag, through all his shifts. But her talent, while enormous, was unpracticed and he was “moving” ever faster and further away.
Suddenly she felt that odd prickling she had noticed, when she saw the green light, and it was as if a voice whispered in her head.
Well, jeez.
I get too busy at work for two days to post, and you guys have gone on wonderfully! Hmmmm…let’s see what I can do…
Victor Sr used his not inconsiderable influence to allow Tagga to be released into their custody. In truth, the Sevastol authorities were not inclined to keep her. No one knew how to deal with a Kel.
While everyone recovered from the recent activities planetside, Jacob frantically searched through databases and files to uncover anything and everything he could about the Kel. Tobe would provide more assistance when he awoke.
After a few hours, M’Kayla and Victor Sr wandered into the professor’s quarters.
“Any word on Tagga?” M’Kayla asked, flipping through the professor’s notes.
“I just checked with sickbay. She’s still unconscious. What that means, I have no idea,” Jacob said distractedly, concentrating on the comm monitor.
“Do you think she’ll help us?”
“She has no choice,” a new voice said, and the three turned to look as Tobe stepped into the room.
“Tobe—My Lord!” M’Kayla exclaimed. “You should still be in sickbay!”
“I’ll live. I just can’t shape shift for another standard week or two.”
“How can we keep a non space entity captive?” Victor Sr asked, shaking his head.
“It’s very simple,” Tobe replied. “She’s a twin.”
:::Return to your friends, Human. You will not catch Tag this way. Use the twin:::
“Who are you?” Kathy asked the light in her head. “Why are you here, what do you want?”
:::You ask many questions. Is easier to simply seek answers. I am a… friend… pehaps benefactor is more correct in your language. Return to the Paradise planet:::
And the light/lifeform/projection/whatever was gone. No struggle, no outlay of energies that she could read. Just gone. As gone as if she had never trapped it. Standing on the surface of a world far outside the Known Worlds, Kathy suddenly felt very small. A cold rain genlty fell on her unprotected skin, causing her to shiver.
I wonder just exactly when I lost my clothing? she thought to herself. Naked, cold, alone, and now slightly scared, she tried to back trace her path through the jumps so she could rejoin her friends. But, try as she might, she kept ‘getting lost’ at one particular junction.
“Ah, what the frell,” she said outloud as she jumped to that junction, hoping the rest of the trace would be clearer from there. She appeared before a new council in the Hall of Rites, on the Planet of Eternal Peace. At least it’s warm here, she noticed. She also noticed the astonished stares of about 1000 delegates from over 30 species.
The Hall was silent, all activity had stopped as she appeared. Recognizing where she was from her history and government lessons, she looked around timidly, very aware of how odd her attire was for this grand place. Indeed, it was odd for a Human to be there at all. For for a young Human woman, nude and covered in dirt, gore, and mud, to instantly appear in the heavily shielded and well guarded Hall was… well, unheard of.
“Um, hello,” she said, “Might I trouble you to let me use a restroom?”
Tag sat alone on a barren world far from the Known Worlds. Tired from the exertion of his flight, he hadn’t yet allowed himself to feel any grief for his missing twin. But now, the fear, anger, and hate hit him all at once. The ground around him began to soften from the outpouring of his emotions and he allowed himself to slowly sink into the rock.
On board Searcher, Tobermory, or qStant"Lit, was having a holo-communication with Grav…
“I want that droid neutralised,” demanded Tobe.
“And who the frell are you to order me around?” responded Grav, annoyance quite apparant on his face.
“I have been to to the the Planet of Eternal Peace,” he replied.
After a pause, Grav said, “Forsetti? The Hall of Rites? Are you saying you are now The Favoured One?”
“I am.”
“Damn… My Lord, the fleet is at your command. I have already sent a unit to shadow the dorid’s movements. Shall I order them to engage?”
“Who commands the unit?”
“My Lord, it is Kal Trontian.”
“Knock it off with the ‘My Lord’ nonsense! Can you patch me in to him? Keep your end open, too please.”
“As you wish, My L…, sir.”
On board the small gunship, Kal was well aware of his precarious predicament. Though heavily armed, the gunship had little defensive shielding. They were designed for one purpose, after all, quick and descisive deployment of armament. Shadowing the giant, mysterious droid was giving him more than a little cause for for concern. Especially since he had recognised the design. It was an autonomous battle droid from the 3rd Trontonian Wars. Frell, his own family line had built the things! And they were meant to do one thing only. Detroy the enemy if no Central Command orders to the contrary. Since there had been no Central Command since the Council of Nith attacks, that meant this droid was probably already seeking the enemy. Who or what it would decide as to the enemy’s ID was what was worrying Kal most.
As she spoke her request Kathy felt the sense of astonishment in the Hall change. There was now a tinge of amusement blended in “Perhaps they thought I was an illusion or projection” she thought, as a being who looked much like a Xavvian, only smaller, appeared to lead her away.
She followed, feeling no fear, and, oddly enough, little sense of embarrasment at her state. True, most of the delegates she had seen in her short time there seemed to have been wearing clothing. Indeed, some had been covered from head to foot. But Kathy had caught sight of at least two that seemed to have on nothing more than what appeared to be belts, with various small devices hanging from them, and ornaments or jewelry hung here and there.
The aide led her into a small room with little furniture, except for what seemed to be a wide couch in one corner. The floor was covered in soft carpeting and the bed/couch was heavily padded. “Here you may rest, until you are ready to rejoin the Council” she was told.
“But I meant, umm, I didn’t mean sleep” she said, “I was using a euphemism from my culture, I need to dispose of bodily…”
“Oh! Please forgive me, I did not realize you are unfamiliar with a chamber like this.” Here the aide showed Kathy where the almost invisible controls were that opened small alcoves off the main room. One was a simple comm unit, one had a few items of clothing(sort of one-species fits all robes), and one was obviously what Kathy had been looking for. Then the aide left. After taking care of urgent business Kathy experimented with the controls for washing, and found herself standing under a warm shower of water. Rummaging around she came on toweling material, managed to dry herself, and put on one of the robes. It was cut much like a Terran caftan, and almost exactly her size. She sat down on the edge of the couch, meaning to think of what to do next, when without even knowing it she fell back into a deep sleep.
The comm pulses that the droid had been emitting ceased, as it reached the eastern coast of the continent. Again it maintained a steady position. Far below it there was another space facility, smaller than the one outside of Nexia. But this one was not public, it was a military base. Sevastol may be a paradise world, but because it was so desirable, it could not be a pacifist world. Now a different, shorter set of pulses began, then ceased. The cycle was repeated several times
“Has anyone got that noise translated yet?” Kal asked his comm officer on the ship. “Sir, we don’t have it all yet, but it seems to be either a request of communication or identification”
Kal commed the commander of the small base, and asked if *they * had gotten anywhere yet. “No, Commander Trontiann, but we are working on…oh, oh”
“What is it?” “We are being scanned it seems, from that damned droid. Thakka!” swore the commander, our weapons systems just went offline!"
Now the comm officer on Kal’s ship could detect the scanning, and the loss of power to base weapons, and so informed Kal.
“Thakka” echoed Kal, as he saw myriads of lights flash on all over the droid, and watched it begin to lower it’s orbit, straight down over the base. “Thakka indeed.”
Danielle swam through quiet pre-dawn looking at the bottom of the pool 10 meters below. Suddenly a huge distorted face shot across the bottom of the pool. A moment later the face in a feral grin flashed by. She stopped and tread water and realized it was her holowatch projecting a call that had just ended. Only an emergency call was set to project automatically. She hurried out of the pool and hit replay as she ran. She felt an icy prickle that was not caused by the cold water trickling off her short brown bob down her back.
Danielle burst through the doors of the SKI Medical Research Annex out of breath. The building showed no signs of the call saying her lab had blown up. The lobby fountain was just bubbling away as Rolf calmly ran his buffer back and forth over the floor. She crossed to the elevators and hugged the towel around her against the air conditioning. She had only pulled on some sweatpants and sandals, and her suit and hair were still dripping. Rolf smiled a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, doc,” he said. “It’s not as bad as Professor Shrimalan makes out, I think.” Danielle sighed, caught her breath, and smiled. She trusted Rolf more than she did most people.
“A lot of glass, some framing, and a couple of tables broken, last I checked. Nothing you can’t fix in a few days - when you get the parts,” he said, continuing to buff the floors. Danielle’s smile faded as the point struck home. Crystal theory research funding was always tight and disasters could spell the end of a project.
“Shrimalan has looked for any excuse to kick me off his floor and turn it into a ward, and this may be it,” she said as she got on the elevator.
“No good excuses, doc. You’ll figure this out,” said Rolf as the doors closed. She switched on her holocam and a view of the lab popped up over her wrist. The lab extended the length of the floor but was only 10 meters wide, 6 in spots.
“So, Dracula is on the scene of the carnage already,” she said. The view showed Shrimalan still using his old-style holo-hood, talking to the department chair, Mosveiney. The damage seemed to be an eight meter section of the linear accelerator. She reached the eighth floor and Shrimalan turned as she entered the lab.
“Ah, Ms. Levrosky, I’m glad to see your little toy hasn’t blown up my entire floor.” He even seems to have fangs, she thought. “We can’t let such unstable experiments threaten all our students, can we Dean Mosveiney?”
“Ms. Levrosky,” said Mosveiney, “this department has no choice but to move your lab over to the Crystal Physics Annex where it can receive proper attention. Until such time as space becomes available there I’m afraid your experiments must cease. Please inform the professors for whom you are working.” The holo blinked out and Shrimalan fumed.
“I don’t know what these,” and he tossed some data PADDs at her, “experiments of yours are, but disguising them as legitimate crystal research is appalling. Making brain wave recordings of pornography and now trying to blow up the building. I’m not sorry to see you go, Ms Levrosky,” he almost spat as he stormed out of her lab.
She looked at the PADDs and surveyed the damage. “Pornography, brain scans, and a 5 TeV accelerator whose energy just couldn’t do this kind of damage. What the frell is going on here?!” and the echo reverberated down the room into the dark.
Fine material, CornerCase. I wish it had come earlier in the story, so we could do more with it, or even as the opening episode of a different series. If you don’t mind I’m going to write some,stuff that fits it in with the current story, which is at least 75% or more done. If you have any questions email me or any of the other writers, and I hope I can speak for them when I say we would be glad to see more of your work.
When Danielle had finished contacting the professors, as ordered, she stopped to consider her options. Things were going awry since some of the SKI principals had left for Sevastol so abruptly. SKI was still new, cobbled together in a hurry, and without the stablizing influence of it’s top officers these last few weeks, personalities like Shrimalan seemed to be exercizing greater control.
She wondered why Ms. Swanson, Prof. Kenezr, et al had made so little, if any, contact with SKI on Valis. Hmmm, had Ms. Swanson contacted her parents? Danielle attempted a short call to Eric and Jacine Swanson, but got only a recorded message that they were on vacation, on the other side of Valis itself. The elder Swansons had planned on being more involved in the work of the Swanson-Kenezr Institute, and had been for the first half year. But then Eric, although only 50 or so T-years old, had suffered a bad stroke, and had spent much of his time since in intensive physical therapy.
What she needed to do was find out why her work seemed to be going so badly lately. She was positive she had taken all needed security precautions. If someone, or something was tampering, in order to discredit her or the Institute as a whole, lives could literally be in danger
Danielle went stomping back out through the lobby she had come in so soon before. Rolf was still there. “Bad news?” he questioned, in an odd tone. “Yes!” she snapped, and for whatever reason started telling him all her frustrations with recent events. “Perhaps I can help” was his reply
“Rolf, I know you mean well, but Shrimalan can do pretty much what he wants to, at least for now.”
“Dr. Levrowsky, if you ever need to get a message through to someone in a hurry, well, I’m not just a janitor. I see and hear a lot, but most folks don’t pay attention to “the help”. Unlike you, they walk right on by. Prof. Kenezr and Ms. Swanson gave me some good comm devices. I’ve alerted them to a couple of interesting things. And they can call * me* too. Just don’t tell anyone else, okay?”
“So why tell me then?”
“I can tell about you. So don’t worry, and(here he winked) * illegitumi non carborundum*.”
“What was that?” she asked, and the “janitor” sighed. “You youngsters, you don’t study the classics anymore.”
Danielle departed with a considerably lighter heart.
Back on Sevastol Kal had stopped swearing, too busy even for profanity. The droid had opened fire on, and destroyed seven small sensor probes sent up to look it over. An unoffending weather satellite, and two orbiting comm satellites, had been blasted as well. Kal had his gunship’s team stop translating and begin researching how to strike at the droid.
“Power up the System!” he ordered. The gunship did have some shielding ater all. Kal was figuring to distract the droid from the “enemy” base, until they could bring their own weapons back up
Beam weapons began flashing from Ka’s ship to the droid, but at first it didn’t seem to take notice. Then, about 10% of it’s lights went dark but the rest began firing their own beams at the gunship. Kal began getting damage reports, and at first, most of them were minor. But a hit from the droid fried the projector that destroyed all but their weakest layer of shielding. “Okay,” thought Kal, I can deal with that."
That 10% of lights gone from the droid must have housed stablizers for droid. It’s descent into the atmosphere was more rapid now. It seemed purposeful, and was sliding in the direction of Base Command.
"How does it know, or is it coincidence thought Kall, as he opened fire again
With no warning ten more droids, but smaller, blossomed into the skies of Sevastol, and raced to surround the larger. Blue-white lights lanced between them as they formed a decahedron around the original. One of those lights then reached out almost lazily and tore away the forces of the remaining shields around Kal’s gunship. Alarms were ringing continuously on the bridg now, but Kal barely heard them. "Captain Trontiann! shouted his comm officer. "They tell me down below that they still can’t get their systems up! But their science officer found old specs for that class of droid. Capt, that sphere it formed is a planetbuster!"
If Kal had been designed for it he would have gone pale. Even so, the loss of blood from his normally gunstock brown skin was noticable. “What do we have left then?” Kal demanded. The officer touched a few points on his screen, and gulped. “Nothing that can hurt the droid now” was the reluctant reply.
Kal closed his eyes for just a minute, then snapped them open. “That’s it then” he rapped out. Everyone! Board the pods if you can, and abandon ship. That’s an order" Feet pounded as they left the bridge. Kal kept his place as the comm officer made a last few manipulations, and turned to go. “Captain! Aren’t you coming?”
“No.”
“CAPTAIN! Let it go, you did all you could, now COME ON!”
“Get out, and go hoist a cold one for me. I’ll see you in the Great Hereafter” and he turned his face away. Giving the officer time to find a pod, he set the gunship on a straight shot at the droid complex. Odd, it was kind of relaxing, he thought. Now there were no more worries, no cares, he wouldn’t even have to pay the taxes he owed. He would miss M’Kayla the most he knew. They’d had no children of course, and he wondered now if she had cared about the lack. Maybe he would see her later, if Xavvians and humans could go to the same places. He even laughed a little, because knowing M’Kayla she was probably thinking he was intent on doing something foolish. Well, he was.
The droid complex loomed brighter and larger, and judging by the way the gunship was rocking hits were being scored. But Kal concentrated on a straight, full ahead course.
On the surface of Sevastol the damage was no worse than that of an ocean based hurricane. For hundreds of miles around small children of all species saw the blast and cheered, thinking the “show” was a fireworks display. If
the droid complex, with the planetbuster, had managed to get any lower the tectonic plates of the planet might indeed have been sundered, and Sevastol destroyed. But the blast had occurred high enough so that the explosion had a chance to dissipate .
The explosion of the “mother ship” giant battle droid took out several of the smaller attending droids that had materialised to join the automatic fight. The other droids, berift of direction, took off on trajectories of their own, basically, whichever way their circuits decided.
The ground based computers began to come back online, but not enough to handle the planetary defense satellites. A call went out from the base for all courriers to “log in” to the network and assist the targeting of these smaller droids.
Instantly, M’Kayla, Martel, and Tobermory were part of a massive link up, allowing the targeting computers full access to the defense satellites. Though this had been done before in recent history, the effect was disturbing to all involved. Being linked with other courriers was one thing, coupling with machines was quite another. A lot of courrier communications were discussing or complaing about this, all while they allowed themselves to be joined to the network.
As the smaller droids were eliminated, one by one, transcripts and holofeeds of the kamikazi gunship were being uploaded into the network. It was supposed to be just on the machine level, but Tobermory had been altered to hieghten his crystal effectiveness, and he was receiving the machine level transmissions. He knew who was in that gunship. He had a comm link attatched to it, even though the video feeds were taken out by the droid’s first salvo against the gunship. Watching the feeds of the gunship manuever at high speed told Tobe all he neede to know. It wasn’t a point and let fly unmanned attack run. That ship was piloted. And he knew who it was at those controls at the moment of impact.
NO!!! came a scream into his crystal awareness. Forming into his awareness was an image of M’Kayla. Somehow, maybe because of Kathy’s help in her relinking, M’Kayla was reading the same machine feeds. And she put 2 and 2 together, to borrow an old Human idiom.
Before Tobe could respond to her, she had shut herself off, denying any courrier access. With great sadness, as much as for the loss of Kal as for the pain of M’Kayla, q’Satnt’Lit the Favoured reached out and shut off all crystal linkage through the temporary network. As a friend, he was deeply hurt and troubled. As a Royal, he couldn’t let this get out of hand. Not with Tag still on the loose. And not with Kathy still gone.
On the Planet of Eternal Peace, Kathy awoke with a start. Greif seemed to be a living person, attempting to contact her crytsally.
M’Kayla? Tobe? Martel? she reached out, trying to grasp hold of who was linking to her. Maybe they don’t even know they’re accessing me, she thought to herself…
An aide, maybe the same one as before, she couldn’t tell just now, entered the ‘rest’ room.
“The Assembly will see you now,” he announced.
“Huh? What? I’m sorry, I was just passing through. I did not mean to alarm the assembly. Please tender my apologies.”
“You don’t understand,” he continued, “You were sent for. Earlier. We waited while you rested, but now the Assembly will see you.”
“What do you mean, earlier?” she asked, sudden;y alarmed.
“We have need to speak with you. And you with us. That is why you were allowed here…, kept here. Come now. With me.”
The small uncertainty she had been feeling now blossomed into full fledge fear. A flight or fight response seemed to be in order. She translated the demensions of non space and jumped. Right into the little ‘rest’ room.
“Human! Do not try to leave again” the aide instructed. Petrefied by what had just happened to her, Kathy meekly followed the aide out of the room.
Almost half a galaxy away, partially embedded in stone, Tag awoke from his grief to feel another grief. This one pleased him. It affected Xavvians. And that Human woman. Removing himself from the rock, he strained to read more. As he learned what had happened, his grief was slowly turning to pure joy.
He almost jumped to them right away, but caution stopped him. He read something else now. From the Human woman. He read FEAR. YES! His body vitually quivered with the sensation.
So, he waited. And continued to read…
I’m tickled that you took time to integrate my storyline and take off with it. Thank you. Having Danielle leave the building was a minor monkey-wrench, but I’ve adapted. I just had to complete the scenario (and here it is). Now if there’s time in the story, everyone feel free to play with it.
Rolf called after her, “You might want to put on something a little dryer!”
Danielle needed to find Grevex, her grad-student, and find out what happened. He was supposed to be in the lab this morning running tests and no one even mentioned him. Her communicator buzzed as she descended the steps. She answered to see Grevex. I’m sorry Elle, we just panicked but I swear we didn’t cause the accident!”
“Where are you?” she asked worried seeing his bandaged head. “I’m in the campus hospital, and I’m really sorry.”
She said, “I’ll be right there,” and stopped at her apartment just long enough to grab some clothes. She arrived at the hospital in a loose pullover and jeans, and with her hair starting to dry. Grevex was in an open ward, bandaged lightly around the arms and neck. “I’m sorry Elle,” he began groggily and it sounded like he was more worried about her respect for him than for his wounds. “I don’t know what happened,” he pleaded quickly, “We were running the scheduled tests and goofing around, but not with any of the equipment when it happened.” Then he seemed to run out of steam.
“Grev, are you all right? And what happened to this other student?” Grevex sighed, looking at his hands, “I’m fine, just a few little burns, nothing serious.” Then he turned back with worry, “Nerin is a new recruit interviewing for your crystal harmonics programs,” he said as Nerin in the next bed was nodding quickly, “and we were just, ah, taking a break, when it happened.”
“We weren’t even near the equipment when these orangish curving streamers and clouds started to form.” And Nerin continued, “And before we knew it, it just seemed to jump out. It’s like it was coming after us, and,” he finished sheepily, “that’s the last I remember.” Grevex confirmed, “Me too. We must have been knocked out.”
“There wasn’t enough energy to cause any of this, so don’t worry. Something else strange is going on, and I’m going to find out what it is. Get some rest and call me when you get home.” she said. She reassured them again, left and found their nurse.
“Nurse, when will they be allowed to leave?” The nurse consulted their charts and said they were scheduled to be released after a nights observation.
Danielle got some food and prepared to camp out at the lab. Rolf had made the place livable but left the equipment as it was. Danielle reviewed the test cameras and the recordings, then the security cameras.
She saw Grevex and Nerin leaning back in the desk chairs. Well away from the accelerator or any controls. The glow of a PADD’s hologram lit their faces in a soft orange for a while. Danielle blushed and smiled as she realized they were starting to masturbate to the image. Then her smile dropped and she zoomed in on the peach colored streamers and cloudlike bubbles forming between the accelerator and the students.
They stumblingly stood up as the cloud undulated. Then it tilted toward them and a streamer curved around and swiped at them. They fell forward and slapped the floor as the cloud shifted backwards. The cloud imploded and then exploded silently, bending the frames and puffing the magnetic constriction tubes like soap bubbles. Then a crash of breaking glass jarred the silence and it was over.
Danielle studied the tape and recordings for hours, matching time stamps and just correlating every reading to see what matched what. Rolf entered the lab smiling, “Doc, should I just dust around you or will you be going home sometime soon?” All around were replays of the security cameras. All the monitors had been congregated around the desk and displayed various quantum and subspace holo-readings. Danielle’s voice cracked a moment, not having spoken in hours. “Rolf, this is incredible! I was testing crystal harmonics and energy transmission to prove Langston’s Gauge Theory. Instead I found it can’t work! These readings fit the Yeserbi-Thorvald-P’Nath Manifold Theory.” She smiled and giggled as she collapsed in her chair. She grabbed a chocolate bar. She didn’t worry about revealing research secrets to most people, but especially not Rolf. He was always a good listener and his clearance was higher than hers since he had to clean up everywhere on campus.
“Sorry, Rolf,” she giggled and talked as she ate her candy bar. “Crystal Theory and research has always fit a two-dimensional subspace theory like the proven D-Space communication. These readings show that a signal was rotated out into Yeserbi space and another perpendicular signal modulated it. Nerin somehow modulated a carrier wave from my test, and like an old-fashioned transistor he amplified it. I just wish I knew what.” Rolf was politely quiet, having heard many professors spill all sorts of incoherent ramblings in his ears. He learned to filter it and just provide some needed common sense. “Well, maybe that big orange cloud started with that little orange light,” he said as he pointed to the hologram showing the students starting their PADD.
“Idiot! Of course. Rolf, you’re a genius,” she jumped up, sending her chair bouncing off the desk, and stretched her barely 1.5 meter frame to kiss him on the cheek. She jumped back in her chair and spun around to zoom in on the display. Rolf smiled with a silent laugh, gathered up the trash, and left quietly.
Integrating security camera views she was able to piece together a hologram of the PADD display and the orange cloud. Then it became obvious that the cloud was a rough sketch of a buxom blonde crawling along the beach just like the skin flick on the PADD. Danielle laughed thinking about how a paper on this research would be introduced. Then she checked Nerin’s crystal specifications and those in her accelerator. They were from the same lot. This was not unusual since the leavings from the new courier’s implants were dispersed for use in low energy crystal research. What didn’t make sense was that they weren’t tuned anywhere near each other. She had readings that said there was a relationship between Nerin’s crystal and the accelerator’s with complex data that was the sex in his mind, and she had the simple readings from the crystal cataloguing scans. She set up some Quantum Fourier Transforms and let the computers start trying to find a match.
She woke two hours later to soft beeping. She realized she had been running on adrenaline and had crashed. She wiped her dry eyes and looked at the monitor. It had found a correlation between the crystals. It was complex because it involved sets of rotations through non-space, much like some immense Rubik’s Cube, but simple in that the signal itself guided the rotations.
She bundled up the readings and the analysis into a data message and sent it to Eric and Jacine Swanson. Then she called maintenance to find Rolf. Rolf was in the basement mopping when she arrived. “Rolf, you hinted that you could contact Professor Kenezr or Ms. Swanson if there was something important. Well, I’ve found something huge. Communication by crystal is just the beginning and here’s the proof. Could you get this to them?”
“I’ll try, doc,” he said with a smile. “I knew you’d figure this out. Uh, is there anyone else you’d really like to know about this but don’t think you could reach?”
Danielle beamed a moment but then dismissed the thought with a shake of her head. “Ideally I’d like Professor Yeserbi to know about this. He’s the one who made the theory, but I think Professor Kenezr should verify all this and contact him.”
“As you wish. I’ll see what I can do.” Danielle smiled and left.
“Yeserbi’s too stuffy for her,” he mumbled as he walked to the maintenance closet. “Besides, he thinks swimming is just glorified bathing. No, I think Soren is a much better choice; a nice boy.”
Danielle returned to the lab and paced. She stopped suddenly and realized that she didn’t want to just wait until someone called. She had the data and the equipment. So, she set about creating some experiments to test her theories.
Four hours later she shouted, “Yes!” as she powered down her experiment. As the hum died she could hear an echoing rap-rap-rap out in the corridor. And it was approaching. It sounded like a giant claw scraping along the tile. A huge shadow dropped over the frosted door panes. The door burst open and in stepped a huge man with long blonde hair. His two-meter walking stick, as tall as he, came to attention at his side. His scowl vanished as he scanned the lab and he smiled broadly. Danielle recognized his face from countless seminars she had attended. It was Professor Thorvald. “Ms. Levrosky, he began in a deep voice tinged with laughter, “I think you’ve been playing around with my manifolds.”
Danielle, caught in a dream, replied, “More like rotating your membranes.” Her eyes went wide; she blushed and turned to fumble at her desk. She bit her lip and said, “Uh, I’m mean I’ve been studying … What are you doing here?” She turned back to face him, fumbling to straighten a monitor.
“I received some startling information and I had to find out the truth. You apparently have data supporting our theories along with a 6th-dimensional manifestation. Is that right, Ms. Levrosky?”
“Call me Elle, and yes, I do,” she said. He took her hand and leaned down to kiss it while keeping his eyes on her. “Call me Soren.” She rolled a chair over to him and said, “I’ve got to show you something.” She started the experiment again and he sat back and smiled.
“I setup some equipment to reproduce the effect. I sent a signal through using standard crystal communication techniques. Then I had the sympathetic crystal begin quantum rotations modified by the rotated harmonics. This self-reinforcing pattern let the simple two-dimensional scan of a three-dimensional source produce this.” As a laser scanned over the surface of her coffee mug, a milky cloud started to form in the air between it and the accelerator. When the scan was complete a fuzzy image of the mug seemed to hang in midair. Danielle took a stir stick and tapped the fuzzy mug.
“Holograms and hyper-networks of data can, of course, be sent by crystal, but this is manifesting energy rotated to matter from non-space! This implies that mass can be pulled into real space or shunted into non-space and the theory suggests that it can be transmitted as well! Since the mind can communicate through a crystal I’ll bet a focused thought could generate a signal that a crystal could manifest. It might take two couriers, but I’ll bet even one could do it. And I’ll bet a standing wave could be created to shunt the courier itself into non-space. The possibilities are endless! And, I’m afraid this means your theory about C-planes is wrong; I think these are F-brane or maybe even I-brane interactions.”
Soren leaned forward and slowly tapped the image with his cane. It wavered out of focus with each tap but returned just as quickly. Distractedly he said, “Yes I know that theory is wrong. I recanted it when I published my Iota-brane theory.” Then he turned to look at her. “But you must know that since you built my prototype. I just hadn’t gotten the brilliant idea of rotated harmonics.”
“Your Idea!” She put her small frame right in his face. “These are my ideas and my equipment.”
“Right here,” he said as he brought up the list of his physics papers and tapped the screen, “is my paper on crystal harmonics where I outline this prototype.”
Danielle hit the enter key and a large access denied screen started flashing. “And right here is as far as I’m allowed to get into your classified research.”
He stared at the screen dumbfounded. “Those polyp ticks! I told them to declassify this at the faculty level.” Then he turned to Danielle and smiled broadly. “So, you figured this out all on your own. I’m impressed.” Danielle smiled.
“Here,” he said as he pulled out his PADD. He highlighted two pages worth of his articles. He held out his hand and she put her PADD into it. As he touched her PADD the articles were copied. “These are my latest researches and I’ll get you clearance tomorrow. Right now I’d like to refine this machine and then contact Jacob. And then take you out to dinner.”
Danielle felt her cheeks would break from all this smiling.
By the time she reached the Hall of Rites again Kathy was beginning to lose some of her fear, and was becomming annoyed. Once again she was being ordered about without her will, something she was really, really coming to hate. Mentally she tried to use the calming exercises M’Kayla had once taught her. She was, she figured, going to need to keep all her wits about her.
She entered the circular Hall at floor level. Tiers of seats rose around her. Allowing for size differences there seemed to be ample room for the delegates she had seen before, but while grand the Hall did not seem huge. Lighting was indirect, seemingly sourceless, and as Kathy lifted her gaze to look around there was never any glare in her eyes.
“Human” intoned a voice from nowhere, “you have been summoned here to…”
“Wait!” Kathy ordered, “Let’s get some things straight. My name is not ‘Human’. Call me by my name!”
“Katherine Irene Swanson, you have been summoned here to…”
Kathy had to admit she was startled that the Voice seemed to truly know her, as evidenced by the use of her full name, but she still didn’t like it’s attitude. “Wait!” she called again, “What do I call you?”
There was a short pause. “You may call me ‘Moderator’. You have been summoned here to…”
“Summoned by who? As I told the aide, I was just passing through.”
“…summoned here to…”
“That’s enough! You can ask for my cooperation, but don’t shove me around. It makes me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry!”
Once again the green lights appeared in front of her. She heard words in her head, with a seeming tinge of amusement. Moderator, We do believe this is the one we have sought for so long.
“You are certain?”
“There can be no doubt. There is her power, her talents, her atti…self confidence.”
“Moderator! I demand that you tell me what I am here for, or I will leave, with or without your consent!”
“You are in no position to speak like that.”
"Oh I’m not, am I?’ Kathy closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She didn’t want to shape change if she didn’t have to, it seemed to make her tired afterwards. But she could give this Assembly a surprise!
The delegates began to stir as they felt their minds being probed. The pressure increased…What might she learn that they wanted to conceal?
“That will be enough” the lights told her, there is no need for conflict in this place of Peace
“And who are you?” the angry young woman asked. “We are Wyrie. We are of Wayre, your q’Stant’Lit met part of us. We sometimes aid these delegates by joining their minds when there is crisis. It is our intent be allied, however loosely, so that we are not feared. A conjoined mind of Wayre is, collectively, no better or worse than a single mind. But the power is where you come in.”
Intrigued in spite of herself, Kathy queried “Where do I come in?” but it was the Moderator who continued. “Contact would not be all that frequent. But the deep-seated uneasiness, fear, if you will, about any aspect of Wayre, still gives some pause. With your talent you could contact Wayre with little fear, and assure an Assembly of true intent.”
“I have a job already.”
“This would not be full time. And your Institute has many talents to back you up.”
“May I think about it? I want to talk to some people I know”
“Of course Do you wish us to return you to Sevastol?”
“I can do it myself” and she made one last jaunt, back to Searcher.
How many times would this Swanson female disappoint him? thought Tag. there had been all that lovely, satisfying fear, but the short time he had been able to enjoy it had only whetted his appetite for more. He’d had a lovely taste, but the banquet had been snatched away. He had to try and strike back, but what would hurt her the most? But before he could get his pleasure, he felt a sharp pain, the source of whidh was on Sevastol. Tagga! Were they hurting her?
At first, Kathy thought Searcher was empty. She had jaunted back to the den like main room, but no one was there. She could hear several voices coming from the conference room, though.
As she entered the room, she was surprised to see one whole turned into viewscreen, with her father, an instructer from SKI (Danielle, was it?), several of Grav’s researchers, and some charts, graphs, andsecurity cam feeds on it. In the room, were Skoop, Grav (via holograph projection), Tobermory, Jacob, and both Channings.
Victor Jr noticed her first. “Kathy!” he excitedly yelped. “You’re safe!”
“I am?” she bantered as everyone seemed to want to hug her.
“Nice duds, by the by…” said Grav’s Holo.
“Oh this old thing? I just threw it on…”
“You have been to Forsetti, I see.” said Tobermory.
“Yes, I… How did you know that?”
“You are wearing the Cermonial Robes,” offered Skoop.
“A crime punishable by death,” added Victor Sr.
“Unless they Summoned you,” interjected her father on the viewsreen.
“You were Summoned?” asked Tobermory for all of them.
“Well, I guess so. But, I’ll tell you all about it in a minute. What’s going here?” she gestured to the graphs and video feeds.
“There’s been a major break in,” answered her father.
“Break through,” interjected her mother from somewhere in the back ground, out of the camera frame.
“Yes, break through,” her flummoxed and clearly excited father continued. “Thanks to the genius of Danielle here, we have the evidence of a firm link between the physical world and non space phenomena. And I don’t mean jumping through it with giant space ships or sending droid commands and holofeeds, I’m talking actual manipulation of non space matter (or whatever we want to call it) by real space energies.”
He paused to let that sink in…
“Wait a minute,” Kathy said, a confused look on her face. “You mean, instead of just going through it, or using it’s properties, we can actually touch it?”
“Touch is a very good word,” offered Jacob. “We can affect it, shape it, stay in it, destroy parts of it…”
“Wait,” she interupted, “Why would we want to destroy any part of it?”
Tobe walked to the part of the viewscreen displaying the image of Tagga in a nutrient tank, electrodes attatched all over her. “Because the Kel have used it as a safe base for millenia. It’s time to let them know they are no longer untouchable.”
“Huh,” offered Kathy. “Hey, where’s M’Kayla?”
Back on Sevastal, Tag affected the form of a young human female some 20 standard years old. Being careful not to actively read anything for fear of detection, he allowed himself to remain open to emanations, hoping to find everyone without giving himself away.
He didn’t have long to wait. The unmistakeable signature of that Human woman was nearby.
Seething with hate, rage, and an almost sexual anticipation, he waited. A smile formed on the face he chosen. It wouldn’t long now…
By saying “Back on Sevastal,” I actually meant, “Jumping back to Sevastal.”
Won’t be long now…
“M’Kayla is secluded in her quarters, in mourning” answered the image of Grav. “While you were gone there was a battle with that droid. To make a long story short, Kal Trontiann was killed. He piloted his ship into the droid to stop it, once there were no other options. And I, I was the one who sent him up.” finished Grav sadly.
“Grav” interjected Victor Sr., “you aren’t the only commander who sent folks out and had them die on you. You’ve done it before, and will probably do it again. Kal was a pilot for me for years, I knew him well, and Id lay you long odds he wasn’t unhappy when he died.”
Kathy got them off that subject by gesturing at the screen on which they could see Tagga. “What’s the plan here? Is she alive, or just on life support?”
Skoop, as a doctor, answered for Grav. "As best we can tell, she is alive. But on our insturments that monitor the various types of brainwaves, there is virtually no activity. In that last battle she was critically injured, and she also seems to have been shifting at the instant she went “unconscious.” Kathy made a face on hearing this last information, which would account for the distortions Tagga’s body showed. Skoop continued, “we have done everything we can think of to lessen any pain, but we know so little of Kel physiology that we can’t even be sure it’s working.”
Now Tobermory spoke. “As she is a Kel twin, I had figured on using her to call her brother to within range. He would not be able to resist such a call.”
“How did you figure on getting her to do that?” Kathy wondered out loud. “Wouldn’t she have refused?”
“No” said Tobe flatly, and Kathy didn’t press him. “But even I have my limits. I will not harm someone who can’t strike back. Besides, her pain is probably such that Tagga has already sensed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he in already back on planet?”
“Whatever you plan, just let me be in on it” Kathy said to Tobe. “Now I think I’ll go see M’Kayla.”
Kathy buzzed at the door to the quarters M’Kayla and Kal had taken when they came aboard Searcher “M’Kayla, dear? It’s me, Kathy. Can you see me?” There was no answer. “M’Kayla, I want to respect your privacy, but at least let me know you are alright. I don’t want to have to jaunt in there.” Now she heard some noises of things being shifted around, and finally the door snapped open. M’Kayla stook there, swaying slightly. Her face was dry, as Xavvians have no tear ducts. “Come in, Kathy” she said in a toneless voice. As Kathy glanced around her eyes fastened on a tiny corner shelf that M’Kayla had set up as a devotional. Sure enough, there was small amount of blood on the cloth. Kathy snuck a quick glance at M’Kayla and saw the blood must have come from her left palm, but it seemed to be already crusted over.
The Xavvian sat down abruptly on her bunk and wailed “I’m going to miss him so much! Why did he have to do that?”
“M’Kayla, from what I understand there was no other way to get to that droid. If it’s any consolation, Kal died helping to save this world. He was a true hero, nothing less.”
“Oh, I know all that! It’s just that I feel so guilty.”
“Guilty about what?”
“I’d been trying to figure out how to tell him about this.” Here she pulled aside the one flap of her robe, to show Kathy what seemed to be a thick welt across her abdomen, at about waist level. “Do you know what that is?” Kathy shook her head. “It’s my pouch forming! First time for me. It happens to us Xavvian females seven or eight times in our life. My hormones are going to start kicking up and unless I already have a partner I’m going to go out and find one. Or two. Or however many come across my path. It lasts for about a month.”
“But M’Kayla, do you mean that you and Kal were just, umm, friends?”
“What? Oh, I understand. This, (and here she gestured at herself again) doesn’t mean we can’t have sex whenever we want it. We just can’t get pregnant without the pouch. It’s thought we Xavvians evolved like this in a time when there was a high mortality rate. This “boost” more or less compels us to reproduce, or at least try to.”
M’Kayla got up and went over to her devotional corner, pointing at a small figure of the Great Mother. “See Her? She is depicted as always being fertile, always with a pouch. But She had just one Consort, and that’s how I hoped it would be for me. What will I do now?” and she almost broke down again.
“We’ll figure something out. Now, unless you really want to stay in here, we could use you in the conference room. I think things are getting ready to come to a head with this Tag.”
A long, indrawn breath hissed into, then rushed out of M’Kayla. “Tag!” she snarled. “His bitch Shaista nearly ruined me. Just let me clean up, I’ll come!”
As the two women entered the conference room, a heated discussion was going on.
“You can’t expect a courrier to behave that way!” bellowed Tobermory.
Grav’s holofeed responded just as heatedly, “If we want to survive as a race, someone’s going to have to!”
The rest of the group, both on the wall screen and in person, were embarrassedly silent. Two of the most powerful Xavians in government and military were ‘discussing’ the use of courrier based weapons. Being relative new comers to this crystal business, they were letting the Xavvians hash it out.
“What are you two yelling about?” demanded Kathy.
Hefting a large, bazooka looking weapon from the table, Tobe answered, “This. It is a weapon designed using what we know about non space. It was already in developement, but it’s usefulness and capabilities were theoretical only.”
“Until now,” interjected Grav. “Thanks to the new breakthrough insight from your own school, and with the readings we got from Tagga’s body, we were able to customise this prototype. It is now an operational weapon.”
“We can not benefit from the suffering of other sapients!” argued Tobermory, taking his role as q’Stant"Lit the Favoured very seriously. “Never have Xavvians resorted to such tactics, and we never shall. I forbid the use of any such weapon!”
Before Grav could reply, M’Kayla asked, “What does it do?”
Skoop answered. Touching controls on her Notepad, she brought up an animation on part of the viewscreen. “Imagine this is non space… matter, for lack of a better word. It manifests itself in our space but is essentially invisible and untouchable. However, it can affect matter in our space. The transfer is one way only. With this device, and using a crystal enhanced sapient for targeting and activation, we can… move… the non space matter.” Her animation showed a dissapating cloud of equations as she said ‘moved.’
“It’s sole use is destructive! And if that non space matter were a sapient being… the dissolution of the matter of its body would be equivalent to firing a Scantellite disruspter at someone. I can not, MUST NOT, ever allow our people to ever even consider such a use.” His tail twitching as he said this, Tobermory snarld at the end of his statement.
Kathy recognised the disrupter reference from her early schooling. It was a weapon which dissasociated the bonds of matter on a molecular level. Using it on living tissue was the most painful type of death imaginable.
Gesturing to the image of Tagga on screen, Kathy asked, “Did she suffer when you probed her for these reading?”
His face passionless, Grav responded, “We have no way to tell.”
Lunging towards the holo image, Tobe accused, “You motherless fool!”
The image of Grav winced. “We had to know! It means our very race!”
Kathy suddenly had a flash of insight. “So, you tested it. On her tissue. Oh, Grav…”
Alarms sounded
“We’re under attack!” yelled Victor Sr. “Grav, can you read what is happening?” Fiddling with various controls, Victor could not get a clear picture of what was happening. “Grav! Can you tell us what it is!” he repeated as the shp’s power failed. The holo image of Grav faded. To be replaced by an image of Tag.
Resplendant in his true form, Tag was an awesome sight. His skin actually glowed with the energy of a Kel adept. Drops of clear liquid dripped from his face and limbs. As large as the largest of Xavvians, but hairless as a Xian, his flesh rippled with hidden, alien musculature.
“I have come for my sister, Royal scum. And for repayment of the debt.”
The taste of hate and rage was heavy in the air. The room’s walls glowed with an eerie sheen. An almost inaudible hum permeated throughout the room.
“Tag.” responded Tobermory. “We did not mean to dishonor your twin. Please, take her body and go.”
“You dishonor LIFE! You dishonor EXISTANCE! You dishonor the Great Mother, whom you claim to revere.”
“What IS your problem, Creature?” asked Kathy.
“I will have debt payment from you soon enough, Human breeder. For now, SHUT UP!”
The very power of his hate threatened to overcome her. She tried to calm herself, to reach her crystal. But she couldn’t!
“I have taken care of you, Human. While you were playing with my sister’s life, I bound your crystal. You are already dead.”
Standing up quickly at the threat to Kathy, Victor Jr found himself flung to the far bulkhead. Collapsing with a groan, he lay crumpled on the deck, blood flowing from his mouth.
“I have the power of all Kel at my disposal! What can you Humans do to me? And now, Royal Son of a twisted mother, I will take my debt payment from you.”
Quick as lightning, he struck out at Tobermory. Tobe parried and thrust out his foot at Tag’s throat, claws extended. Grabbing the paw with a clawed hand that resmbled daggers in a vise, Tag twisted to the floor, flinging Tobe overhead. Tobe crashed into the same bulkhead as Victor Jr, landing on top of him. getting to his feet immediately, he slipped on Victor’s blood. Tag crashed into him in that moment of hesitation, biting into his neck. Tobe spasmed and fell limp.
“Don’t worry,” Tag said to Kathy, winking at her, an odd look for a nightmare alien, “He’s not dead. I will make sure his pain is prolonged.” Victor Sr had manuevered behind him and was about to thrust a ice pick looking tool into his head when Tag jerked his arm back and up, spearing Victor through the abdomen with his elbow spur. Straightening his arm forward, the spur left a gaping hole in the elder Channing and his body fell to the deck.
“I see you are surprised, Human scum woman. Never under estimate the power of a Kel. Especially when we are angered. And right now, I am very angry.” As he said this, he reached out and grabbed her by the throat. "Before killing you, though, " he looked down at her pleasing figure, “I think I will have some fun. Shaista wasn’t fun enough, you see…”
A bright, green light flashed in the darkened room. Tag lost his hold on Kathy and she scampered away form him. The light flashed again and Tag sunk to his knees, his features grimacing in pain. He recovered, standing and turning to meet this new attack. The light flashed again and he fell backwards to the deck. The light flashed again. Now a low pitched growl could be heard, filling the room as the hum had previously. Tag tried to stand agian, his motions answered by yet another flash of the green light.
His growl was replaced by a stream of completely alien sounds, words of a language of hate and fear, a language that hadn’t been heard in real space in over 3000 years. The green light flashed again. Now, a glow could be seen in his body. as the glow grew, Tag began to writhe and spasm. Attempting to right himself once more, he placed his hand on the table next to him. It slipped right through it. Parts of Tag seemed to be melting into the deck as his spasms and the volume of his cries increased.
Amazingly, he somehow managed to stand. He caught sight of Kathy watching mesmerised and rushed her, leaving bits and peices of himself behind. The light flashed again, stopping him in his tracks. One clawed hand mere inches from Kathy, he lifted his head and looked her in the eye. With an oddly modulated voice, heavy with unwordly pain, he spoke one more Kel word. His hate filled the air with a measurable heat and then what was left of his spasmimg body melted into the deck. His face retained the grimace of obvious pain and hate even though he was clearly dead.
The ship’s lights came back on, revealing M’Kayla, Grav’s new weapon in her hands. “Frell,” she said. “How many shots was it supposed to take?”.
click click click
The sound of Canus’s claws as he padded along the deck sounded eerie as it broke the silence after the storm of battle. “Where have you been?” asked Tobe
“Around," was the response. "You, all of you, had to do this on your own.” Canus started glowing, a short shaft of green light emanated from every strand of his fur. He turned toward M’Kayla, and spoke with the sound of a hundred voices. “Friend Xavvian, you have done well.”
Some measureless time later Victor Jr. felt himself coming to awareness. His eyes felt gummy as he cracked them open, and once again his mouth tasted like the bottom of a birdcage. Something heavy was lying on him, and there were several tubes and sensors sticking into and out of him. Glancing around he figured out he was in the sickbay of Searcher.
Rolling his head to the right he saw Tobermory, or q’Stant’Lit, in much the same state he was. But Victor closed his eyes again at the sight, because Tobe had Kathy seated at his bedside, holding his paw, leaning over and speaking to him in a tone too low for Victor to hear.
The door to sickbay opened and Dr. Skoop came bustling in, as pleased as any doctor that had patients to boss around. She took a brief glimpse at his vitals, then greeted him “So you’ve decided to rejoin us. What can I get you?.”
His voice was stronger than he had thought it would be, but still croaky. “Can I get some water please?” But before the doctor could reach for it another pair of hands was pouring, and holding a glass to his lips. Kathy! He gulped greedily at the cool water and let his head rest on the pillow again. “Thanks, I feel almost human again. But what is lying on me?”
Kathy had a smirk on her face. “It’s called a cotton sheet.”
Victor groaned as he managed to shift to an almost sitting position, and Kathy’s smile grew broader. “How can a sheet feel like that?”
“Well,” interjected Skoop, “when you get a knock on the head like that, and lose that much blood, it does tend to take it out of one.” She gave Kathy a quick look, with a question in her voice “Shall I tell him or…”
“I’ll do it” Kathy said, and her face lost it’s smile as she looked straight at Victor. “Victor, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your father is dead. He died after you were knocked out. Tag killed him. But Tag is dead, and Tagga too, don’t worry, I can tell you all the details later.”
Victor had thought he was hurt before, but now he felt real pain. “Has anyone told Vicki yet? Be careful how you tell her, she’s pregnant, if she hasn’t already delivered.”
“She knows. I called my mother first, so Vicki could hear about it face to face, rather than just being commed about it. And don’t worry, she’d already had the baby.”
“No twins, huh?”
“Nope. You are now the proud uncle of Mary Christina Peterson. Named for both of her grandmothers, as I understand.”
The door to sickbay opened again and M’Kayla entered. She gave the Favored One a short bow, keeping her distance,and her eyes, from him. She came to stand close by Kathy. “Kathy, I just had word from the Temple. Martel called, and told me that there is to be another funeral service this evening. With the last one not being finished, and what has happened since, it’s been decided to try again. Xavvians don’t like to leave their honored dead without a proper sendoff. They told me Kal” ,and here her voice broke a little, “will have a special place, for what he did to save Sevastol. Do you want to come?”
“Certainly I do” Kathy replied “What about the others?”
“I think just about everybody who can, will.” M’kayla looked over to Tobe. “I am sorry, my Lord, that you will not be able to join us.”
“The Great Mother knows I grieve” he said “we Xavvians know She takes note of good intentions.”
Victor called out to Skoop, “Doc, what would it take for me to go? If I promise to come right back, could I get a stim or something?”
Kathy scolded him. “You are in no shape to be getting out of that bed! You lay back down this instant, do you hear me?” as he began to sit up. “Hey, where are my clothes?” he asked.
Skoop came over with a small pill and a resigned set to her features. “I don’t know why I even bother. Here, take this with water, and if you don’t come back the instant the ceremony is over, I’ll…”
“Doctor Skoop, how can you let this fool risk himself like this? Tell him he can’t…umph”
Victor stopped her ranting by leaning over and covering her mouth with his own in a kiss. He broke off and looked at her “Who was it that said she was tired of getting pushed around?” He smiled and said “Now go get ready and let me get dressed.” M’Kayla led the bemused Kathy out.
As Victor dressed Tobermory looked after M’Kayla, giving a little sniff as she walked away. “I thought so” he said. “Thought what?” asked Victor. “I’ll explain later.”
The Temple was as crowded as it was before, perhaps even more so. There had never been a Death Rite quite like this one. A different adept priest presided this time, but the chanting and the music were much the same. This time, however Martel was assisting. In the course of his investigations with the priests, Martel, not devout before himself, had become quite drawn to the faith, and was actually considering taking a sabbatical from SKI to study on Sevastol. Martel was able, this time around, to provide partial translations for the humans present. He also joined in the final blood letting, allowing his blood to flow for Dr. Morgan, for Kal Trontiann, and for Victor Channing Sr. The names of all the dead would be engraved on a pillar that would have special honor in the temple’s Place of the Dead.
The party from Searcher returned to her in peace this time. Victor was asleep as her lay back on the bed in sickbay, and nearly everyone else soon followed. There was an emtional and physical letdown after the rites, as if some demons had been laid to rest.
Demons were exactly what Kathy was thinking of right now. When describing all she saw/felt/read about Tag, demon was the only word that even came close to the fear. dread, disgust, and hate that she felt whenever she encountered that creature. From the rape of Shaista, to the horrific death ritual melee, to her chasing him al through Known Space and beyond… She was glad it was over. But she was still concerned by what she learned from her conversation with Tobe before Victor woke up.
>>> “Tobe, just before he finally died, Tag said something to me. It took all of what strenth he had left to say it, and it filled me with pure abject fear, even though I didn’t know what he meant.”
“What did he say?”
“I don’t even think I could make a noise like that.”
“Kathy, use your crystal. He had used a link to the Kel Community to bind your link to your crystal, so whatever he said before you were released should have imprinted. Dig deep, you’ll know the word when you come across it.”
Peering into her crystal, the parts she still wsn’t familiar with, she soon came across a feeling of pure hateful malice. Identifying that as the last words of Tag, she communicated it crytally to Tobe.
“Are you sure that’s what he said?” Tobe asked worriedly.
“Positive.”
“I see…”
“Tell me, Tobe!”
Sighing wearily, Tobe asnwered… “It is an ancient word. A curse. The Kel spoke it just before the Council of Nith, but its origins are so ancient, it borders on religious myth.”
“So? Tel me! Please.”
"Loosely translated, it means: ‘We are not yet through with you.’ It’s a threat of sorts. But, it implies that plans are already in motion. Like the pogrom innitiated against Xavvians at the Council massacre.
’
Kathy’s face fell, her heart heavy with a mixture of greif, fear, and weariness.
“But,” added Tobe, "It may have just been him swearing… ’
“You don’t believe that. Neither do I. As Danielle’s calculations showed, he wasn’t acting alone for this attack. He had somehow linked with other Kel to further enhance his strenth and abilities. It was almost as if he were gloating when he said it. I swear by the Gods themselves, Tobe, I could feel that from him…”
“Perhaps,” added Tobe, “I should let Grav’s people continue with their research after all… But look! Your mate is wakening.”
Looking over at Victor Jr, Kathy smiled. “He’s not my mate!”
“Not yet,” Tobe said, winking.<<<
My mate thought Kathy to herself, surprised to feel herself smiling. Even with all that had happened, she still found herself feeling giddy and goofy when she thought of that kiss.
Three days later, most of them were lounging in the conference room, killing time, unsure of what each of them were going to do next. And not wanting to make any descisions about it, either.
The room darkened. Every one jumped up, expecting some form of attack. A greenish blue formed in the center of the room, growing into a slightly humanoid (or felinoid) shape. It became a alien of indeterminate species, dressed in the Robes of Council of the Planet of Eternal Peace.
“Do not fear. You are Summoned. q’Stant’Lit, M’Kayla, Kathy Swanson, Victor Channing, Martel. If you do not wish to jaunt, you may travel via Searcher. Council will convene when you arrive.”
And then the figure disappeared, exactly in reverse of its appearance.
“Frell,” said Victor, “I almost peed my pants when that guy showed up.”
Trying to hold it in, Kathy caught sight of Tobe’s inquisitive stare at Victor’s crotch. She exploded with laughter, setting off a chain reaction of several minutes of side splitting laughter.
Those who had been summoned elected to travel by ship, in Searcher, as not all of them were capable of making a jaunt. Victor had no psi ability or crystal, and Tobermory, although recovering well, had once again been told to not risk jaunting. Forsetti was far enough off that even in non-space, with the Sorenson-Patel hyperdrive, the trip would last nearly a standard week. This extra time before meeting the Council would let the five heal and relax even more, and get plenty of sleep.
On this trip it was M’Kayla who stayed in her quarters as much as possible, with Kathy often keeping her company. M’Kayla’s pouch was nearly ready now, although she was trying to pretend that nothing was going on. First time “boosters” like M’Kayla often tried to deny or surpress their biological imperative but it rarely worked. And their were two Xavvian males aboard who, once they had been in the same enclosed space with M’Kayla, were keenly aware of her condition. Tobermory had explained privately to Victor what his comment in the hospital room had meant. So the “secret” was pretty much an open one.
As the crew ran Searcher the others had little to do. It was pleasant, for once, to lay back with a cold drink, listen to music, and just chat. Tobermory told them more about his status as Favored One.
“Like I said once, it means ‘Heir of the Heir’ Mother willing, my uncle q’Lit’Liav, will one day inherit from his uncle, the Imperial q’Liav’Amhar.”
Victor was curious. “Don’t either of them have direct descendants, sons or daughters of their own?”
"Well, we Xavvians trace our lineage through the maternal lines, but a male always rules. And wipe that look off your face Kathy, it doesn’t take a crystal to know what you are thinking! My mother is the oldest female sibling of her brother, my uncle, and I am her eldest male child. So inheritance passes to me.
“But what about your own children?” Victor queried futher.
"One’s own children are always beloved and provided for of course, but they will not be in the line of royal inheritance, when I have them. My eventual heir will be the oldest son of my sister. She’s much youner than I am. Hmm, come to think of it, Corianiav is about the same age as M’Kayla. She may be getting ready to give me that heir any time now.
“After all this time of knowing you Tobe, it makes me feel bad I never really thought of you as being in a family” said Kathy wistfully. “First you were my pet, for crying out loud. After that I knew you as a friend, a teacher, and a lifesaver. But not as a son or a brother.”
“Ah, Mistress, I was never alone, as you were, with so little family and so few real friends. But am I wrong to think” and here Tobe looked at Victor, not Kathy “that her time of aloneness will be coming to an end?”
Victor stood up and held out his hand to Kathy. “Come on and let’s get away from these nosy neighbors! Captain Petrie told me there is an interesting configuration of stars out there that we can see just now.”
Kathy’s smile was all the answer he needed, but she quipped “I’m so interested in astronomy”, and the two quickly left the room. It was a while before those left out remembered that there would be no stars to see, as they were in the featureless void of a ship in hyperdrive.
Victor and Kathy had barely cleared the doorway when M’Kayla stalked into the room. Not looking at Tobe or Martel directly she asked, in a strained voice “have either of you seen Kathy, or Skoop?”
“Kathy’s busy just now” offered Martel eagerly,“but I suppose Skoop is in sickbay or her quarters. Is there anything I can do for you?”
M’Kayla gave him a withering glare as she hurried from the room, leaving the two other Xavvians feeling quite uneasy.