Return to Earth

by Brad Stucki

  "Wow." Javin said. "Who needs a name when you can do that." He couldn't help himself but to vocalize. The impression he conveyed was enough and their host gave a slight wiggle of the head and slight chirp that Javin felt was laughter.

  This means of communication would be difficult, Javin thought, but at the same time it is more precise, harder to hide anything. It's a good thing Javin had nothing to hide. Or at least didn't know if he did. The feeling of apprehension threatened to surface again. He definitely felt he had encountered this race before. He had started to refer to them as Toads again, but caught himself. He needed to give them another name, more closely resembling who they truly were, then a name came to him. "Aquarians." He smiled and turned to Sauros, whose brows were furrowed in confusion.

  "It is a legend, a constellation and symbol on the world I come from. It means water bearer and messenger. Very noble and important," Javin said. He knew Sauros wouldn't understand the words Aquarian or constellation, but since they had begun communicating with impressions and feelings, it would be something he could grasp even though he wouldn't have the slightest clue what a constellation was.

  Sauros concentrated a bit on what Javin was sending, then nodded. He got the gist of it and agreed. Their host gave another wiggle of the head and chirp, then abruptly stood.

  Javin was startled, then felt someone approaching, someone important by the attitude and feeling coming from their host and the guards, who came to rigid attention. He and Sauros stood also. Then Javin caught a faint hint of another . . . Someone he knew . . . As he recognized who it was, a dense shielding fell around he and Sauros, trapping them in a way which was all too familiar.

  Chapter 14

  Javin should have expected something like this. He knew there had to be some reason why these Aquarians didn’t seem surprised at their appearance. Now he thought about it, it did seem as if they were expected. That’s because they were.

  He barely had time to probe against his shielding, sensing Sauros doing the same when another Aquarian, shorter and more slender than their guards, strode into the room in the races’ characteristic swinging gate. This one was followed by, of course, Nemesis!

  Nemesis was dressed the same as the Aquarians around them, black briefs with a belt carrying assorted instruments, including a long knife. His pale skin was smooth, slender and contained evident, ropy muscles. Indeed, a mirror image of Javin, though with black hair instead of brown, and sporting a short, well-manicured beard, giving an overall sinister appearance to match his well-earned reputation.

  Nemesis was smiling broadly and patting the pouch hanging from a thin strap from his belt. Javin knew that’s where two Articles of Power sat. He could now sense their power being wielded by Nemesis to produce the unbreakable, invisible shield around he and Sauros. It worried Javin a bit as he sensed the subtle blending of the two Article’s powers. They weren’t joined directly, but their power was being weaved together to create something Javin and Sauros had no hope of escaping.

  Evidently Nemesis had been experimenting with the Articles and had begun to perfect their use. Javin studied his shielding and could make out its subtle workings.

  Nemesis was followed into the room by another Aquarian. This one taller again, with the horned ridges. Dressed similarly as all the others yet had what looked like a brass arm band on each bicep. This must signify rank of some sort, Javin thought. This was backed up by the Aquarian’s demeanor and the deference all but Nemesis paid him as he entered the room.

  The first Aquarian who had entered seemed humble, subdued. Javin had the sense of ‘feminine’ about ‘her.’ The mottled green of her back colors were darker in hue than the others. There was also an absence of the horned knobs at the eye ridges. The wide, oval features of her head and face seemed more smooth. That, combined with the impression Javin was receiving indicated a female of the species.

  “Well, Javin,” Nemesis said. “Welcome to the world of the amphibians. Hope you don’t mind. I thought I’d get here before you and prepare a suitable welcome.” Nemesis held his hands out wide. “See. You’re an honored guest.”

  “Since when are honored guests shielded?” Sauros said in a rumbling growl. Javin sensed his inward hostility, could see in his mind’s eye Sauros’ desire to wrap his clawed hands around Nemesis’ neck, snapping it in retribution for the death of his betrothed. Javin knew if he could pick this up from Sauros, so could the Aquarians who were observing them.

  “Easy,” Javin said. “Now is not the time.”

  Sauros said nothing. Nemesis smiled. Javin knew he would have received the impression as well. Part of their bodies’ adjustments coming through the portal had made them more sensitive to this form of communication – especially since this was how the Aquarians ‘spoke.’ That, and having the Crystals embedded in their breasts.

  Then Javin felt something else. He looked at the female. “You are a Keeper?” he asked. He spoke aloud for the benefit of Sauros though he knew the spoken word wasn’t necessary. He was just so used to it, it was natural for him to continue, and he spoke in Sauros’ native tongue for the Aquarians didn’t have a spoken language as was evident.

  The female bowed her head slightly in assent. He felt the impression acknowledging she was the Keeper then pointed to the other Aquarian with the arm bands. The impression came through her deference and gesture that this was the king of this world – and her father.

  Javin bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Your Majesty,” he said aloud. “We are your humble servants.”

  The king’s haughty bearing acknowledged the obeisance as his due then he turned to Nemesis.

  ‘These are those you expected?’ It wasn’t spoken.

  Javin and Sauros understood the body language and impression in their minds.

  Nemesis nodded, his smile not leaving his face. “Yes. These are the imposters I warned you of. As you can see, one wishes me harm. We will leave him here, shielded. We will take the other to the room prepared for interrogation.”

  “You have nothing to fear from me,” Javin said. “As Manos told you on the last world, I want you to know everything I know. We should be working together, not as adversaries.”

  “Oh I agree,” Nemesis said. “I should know everything you know, and as far as working together, we’ll see about that. I just want to make sure it’s on my terms not yours.”

  Beside him, Javin could sense Sauros’ anger increasing. So could all the others in the room. This time Sauros provided the image in his mind of why he was angry, showing the image he had burned into his memory of Nemesis hurling bolts of white-hot energy directly at a seemingly defenseless Javin. And the emblazoned image of his beloved, Mourah’ Lah, stepping out in front to take the blasts, protecting Javin with her own life.

  That image caused a stir in the room.

  “These people need to know who you really are,” Sauros said. “If they communicate through these impressions you will not be able to hide your true character.”

  “Very entertaining,” Nemesis said.

  Javin was paying close attention to the mood of the room. He sensed a slight change in their visage of Nemesis, Sauros and Javin, though they were very guarded, offering deference yet now he could sense a slight confusion.

  Nemesis turned to the King. “Let us adjourn to the interrogation room.”

  Javin knew Nemesis was feeling what he was feeling and sought to take control of the situation. Javin was content to let things play out. After all, Nemesis had two Articles of Power and had shielded he and Sauros. They were at his mercy and there was no telling what damage Nemesis would cause these people if he felt he was losing control.

  Javin wanted to have a one-on-one discussion with Nemesis anyway. He needed to convince him to Share completely and fully. Javin wouldn’t resist it. And hopefully through that, they could reach an accommodation once Nemesis realized they needed to work together in order for any of them to survive.

  Chapter 15

  Javin felt the shi
elding sphere surrounding him move towards the doorway. He had to move with it, awkwardly. Nemesis and the Aquarian King followed him out of the room, down the hall, and on the left into another room.

  This room was spartan, no decorations, no furniture. It was located in the interior of the building so there were no windows.

  Javin was stopped in the center. He turned to faced Nemesis and the King.

  “I told you I’d cooperate willingly. There’s no need of this shielding.”

  “You won’t blame me if I’m careful, will you?” Nemesis asked. “I recall the last time we met. You’re a canny adversary and I’ll take no chances.”

  Javin tried to reach out to the Aquarian King, to get a sense of him and found nothing, which was odd. Then Javin detected it. A subtle shield of a different sort had been placed around the King. Nemesis wasn’t taking any chances – especially after noticing the effect Sauros’ imagery had in the other room. The shielding was so slight he doubted the King even noticed it, unless he would shortly realize he wasn’t getting any impressions from Javin. Well, back to plan A, Javin thought.

  Javin prepared himself for the Sharing. He started to think about what he could receive from Nemesis then cut that thought off. Obviously, Nemesis had access to Javin’s knowledge that the Sharing always went both ways but probably hadn’t realized it yet because he hadn’t sought for that information. The Sharing was odd in that you received all the other’s knowledge and memories, but didn’t access it until you looked for something specific. So something important could lay hidden within the memories or knowledge of another if you didn’t know to look for it.

  Still, Javin was completely open to giving all the information he had, hoping it would make a difference. “I’m ready whenever you are,” Javin said. And it was then Javin felt the first tendrils of Nemesis’ probing into his mind and memories.

  Javin let go, let him establish the conduit through which Javin’s memories, his knowledge, his ‘all’ would flow. There was no pain this time, for there was no resistance. And aided by the power of the two Articles the transfer seemed to go more smoothly. Apparently Nemesis had learned. The first time he’d done this to a Chameleon-Man on Sauros’ world. Nemesis had drained him harshly and had completely sucked the life-force from him along with his memories and knowledge. Nemesis was much subtler and more precise now.

  The process of Sharing seemed to go faster too. Perhaps it was because it was aided by the power of the Articles Nemesis was using. Javin remained conscious of it all, feeling the memories flowing and the barely perceptible backwash, flowing back to Javin of Nemesis’ memories and knowledge, which Javin quickly ignored lest it give Nemesis notice of what was happening.

  Javin glanced at the King, who stood passively, arms folded across his breast, looking back and forth between Nemesis and Javin as if wondering what was happening. Why the silence from them both? He would soon realize he had been shielded . . . If he hadn’t realized it already.

  ***

  In the next room Sauros was containing his anxiety at being separated from Javin only through sheer will power. As Javin had been leaving, Sauros had reached out with his own tendrils of thought and found he could ease through the shielding with a subtle thread of inner awareness and establish a tenuous link with Javin such that he could ‘see’ and ‘experience’ what Javin was. Well, ‘see’ was an overstatement. He could ‘see’ with his mind’s eye and ‘experience’ what Javin was feeling through that link.

  And now Sauros was experiencing the Sharing between Javin and Nemesis as well, and he too could feel the backwash of the transfer of what Nemesis had experienced and learned recently flowing into Javin. And from Javin into him.

  Then Sauros sensed another presence. He hadn’t realized the Keeper had joined in as he had been focusing on his link with Javin. The Keeper had even moved over and sat in the seat vacated by Javin, and was staring intently at Sauros. She had subtly joined the link and was gaining all that he was gaining.

  Sauros, rather than fight it, recognized it as an opportunity and welcomed her, and together, they strengthened the link they both had with Javin, sending him strength as well as receiving from him and Nemesis.

  Then Sauros also realized, not only was the Keeper receiving from Sauros, Javin and Nemesis through the sharing, They all, in turn, were receiving from the Keeper. They were all Syncing together. Sauros wondered at the wording that had come into his mind, then realized it actually had come from Javin. He smiled. And hoped that Nemesis was still ignorant of what all he was getting. It would be too much to hope for. It was all so hard to understand yet simple in the actual experience of the Sharing.

  Sauros continued to open himself up, to Share, to receive and get a greater sense of the Keeper, the Aquarian woman sitting across from him who was still staring intently, her eyes wide with awe at what she was experiencing – learning – retrieving and giving. Sauros could feel her wonder and dawning comprehension.

  It was at that point Sauros realized the Keeper must surely have a Crystal embedded within her breast as well. Not only did she have the amazing ability to communicate through empathy and gestures, but she was also a Promised One, along with he and Javin, Kokos and Chahzuu.

  The Gestalt Stones, as they were called by the Ancients, were given to each Promised One to bind them on their quest to combine all the sentient beings in the galaxy to form a Great Matrix through which they would all escape the coming Dark.

  Sauros could tell the Sharing was coming to an end. This had been the easiest time he’d experienced yet. Once the Sharing was complete, what would happen next?

  Would Nemesis finally realize he needed to cooperate in order to save himself? Sauros had mixed feelings about that. His hatred and anger at Nemesis continued to smolder deep within. Nemesis had killed his beloved. There was no way he could work with a man so evil. Yet for the sake of the others, and for their plan – indeed the plan of the Ancients – he had held deep his anger, reigned in his desire for revenge.

  Chapter 16

  Javin felt good. Better than he’d ever felt after a Sharing. And there was something else. During the sharing it felt different . . . A bit crowded, like there was a great deal more information being Shared than just between he and Nemesis — unless Nemesis had picked up a lot more since the last time Nemesis had contact with them.

  “You have hidden the 3rd Article of Power,” Nemesis interrupted Javin’s thoughts. “How untrusting. I thought you said we needed to work together.”

  “I’m sure we can find a way to do that,” Javin said. “If you pay attention to your new memories, you’ll see we need to help each other or we all die.”

  “I guess trusting is the wrong word,” Nemesis said. “Gullible is more apt since you are taking the Ancient’s word for it. I’ve learned the hard way you can’t just trust everything you pick up from strangers. I need a bit more than just what the Ancients recorded for us to find. They have a Grand Plan, I’m sure. However, I’m not certain they are as beneficent as you assume.”

  “You could be right,” Javin said. “Do you want to take that chance? Ignore the knowledge and see what happens?”

  “That wouldn’t seem wise, either,” Nemesis agreed. “Still, I think I want to verify before I decide.”

  “That’s a great idea. How do you propose to do that?”

  “I’ll go to a place I know has the capability to check for the Great Dark out in the cosmos and see if it even exists. If it’s close enough to pose a danger to me in my lifetime, it should be visible. Or, more to the point, the absence of light in a certain area of space should be noticeable. If that is verified, I may take this more seriously.”

  “Where would that be?” Javin asked.

  “Back to Earth,” Nemesis said.

  “Back to Earth?” Javin asked. “That implies you’ve been there before.” Javin took the time to quickly access any memories from Nemesis. Flashes of images poured across his inner eye, knowledge and memories filling into the f
ront of his mind.

  “Home?” Javin asked. “That’s where you’re . . . And where I’m from?”

  Nemesis stared at Javin, his eyes glaring, “How did you . . . ? Oh, I see. I hadn’t realized until now that the Sharing, as you call it, goes both ways.” Nemesis was silent for a moment again as he checked his inner memories. “I see you were going to keep it a secret from me. Why did you clue me in?”

  “Let’s just say it’s a show of good faith,” Javin answered.

  Nemesis was silent again for a moment. Javin could tell he was accessing more memories and knowledge. This was getting pretty weird, he thought. Not only could he tell by Nemesis’ actions, he could sense what he was doing on a deeper level. Just like what he Shared with Sauros. It must be this place . . . this planet where they communicate on a subvocal level, through intricate observation of gestures and enhanced empathy. It was essentially a form of telepathy. Javin and Sauros had been adjusted for this type of communication in coming through the Archway. He realized, now he had Nemesis’ recent memories, Nemesis had, indeed come through the same Portal and been similarly adjusted.

  Javin looked at the Aquarian King. He was standing passively, observing closely. He noticed Javin looking at him and nodded solemnly, acknowledging Javin’s notice of him. Was he still shielded? He didn’t show any evidence of it now. Was Nemesis loosening up a bit? That was encouraging. Javin looked at Nemesis who was staring at him, obviously seeing and feeling Javin’s own thoughts. It would be incredibly hard to be false with anything on this planet. Would Javin retain this ability when he left this planet?

  “I see that your memories are still blocked,” Nemesis said. “I can see you’ve tried to unblock them a couple of times without good result. It didn’t fare too well with those trying to help you either. Still, I can’t help but think there is something buried within your memories which might help us both.”