The Terran Cycle Boxset

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  “I’m just different.” He couldn’t think of a better word. “I’ve always been this way. If it helps, I have no idea how I did it, I’ve never affected another person before.” Kalian felt a wave of relief as he said the words out loud, he always expected to feel trapped and out of control but it actually felt good to tell someone.

  “Different? What does that even mean?” Li’ara was pacing the length of the bed. “You just pushed me and lifted half the stuff in this room without even moving!” Her eyes looked everywhere as she tried to come up with a logical reason for it, perhaps for some alien device she hadn’t noticed. “I know the UDC toyed with the idea of creating super soldiers, but that was centuries ago. But it obviously never worked out...”

  Kalian wasn’t sure if she was speaking to him anymore or just rattling off ideas. “How do you know it didn’t work?” He had fanciful ideas of how he might be a rogue experiment and he was made to be some super spy for the UDC.

  “Because if it had worked, I’d be the one pushing you around, wouldn’t I?” Kalian felt he was back to being the moron again. “How long have you been able to do stuff like that?” She whirled her hand in the air.

  “Since I was a kid. It was worst when I was a teenager though. And it mostly affects electrical things anyway. If I had a C-cred for every Info-band I’ve broken...”

  Li’ara was just staring at him; it reminded him of the way Telarrek and the other Novaarians looked at him, a combination of wonder and suspicion.

  “Is this why they wanted to meet you?” She looked away for a moment trying to put everything together. “That’s why they made you a condition, it must be! Why else would they travel across the galaxy to meet a history lecturer from San Francisco?”

  Kalian could see the connection too now; it was the only thing that made sense. Somehow these Novaarians knew about his… weirdness. But what did they want from him? How did they even find out in the first place? Another fantasy emerged from his imagination; what if he had been abducted as a child and given these weird abilities by aliens?

  Don’t say that one out loud...

  He tried to change the subject. “What about them?” Kalian was talking about the others, the ones that obliterated Earth without so much as a warning. “Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that another alien ship appears at the same time as the Novaarians?”

  Kalian knew the topic of his weirdness wasn’t over but he thought they had more pressing matters to deal with. He had no idea what their next step should be but the notion was sobering. The switch in topics hadn’t escaped Li’ara’s notice but the soldier in her clearly agreed that there were bigger concerns right now.

  “We need to make contact with the UDC.” Li’ara started for the door on the far side of the room.

  “How? The Hub was destroyed along with the Chief Commander and half the fleet!” Kalian instantly regretted saying it as Li’ara gave him a quick glance back. He didn’t know much about Li’ara but he was willing to bet she had just lost a lot of friends in the UDC. Kalian being the loner he was could only empathise with her situation.

  “We need to get to Century ASAP. If they were jamming our communications, Century might not even be aware of what’s happened. We need to establish a chain of command and coordinate all remaining UDC ships.”

  It was like he had never made the comment, she was back to being the soldier again.

  As Li’ara walked away Kalian began to actually take in the view of the room. He felt like he already knew its layout and shape from that peculiar experience when he woke up but seeing the room with his eyes reminded him he really was on an alien ship. Everything had a soft glow to it, he almost felt like he was in a dream. It was obviously some kind of medical bay; everything was perfectly clean and sterile. On the wall at the base of his bed was a large screen with the outline of a human body in the centre. He could see the entirety of the circulatory system being pumped around by a glowing red heart in the chest. Various lines were pointing at different sections of the body each with some alien script underlined. Kalian couldn’t make sense of it, but he realised it must be scans of his own body from the procedure.

  Before Li’ara could reach the circular door Ilyseal entered the room. She was instantly recognisable from the red in her long tendrils. As she walked through the door Ilyseal almost appeared to be the same height as them but Kalian realised all the doors on a Novaarian ship must be pretty tall. She was so graceful Kalian wasn’t sure if she walked in or glided over the floor.

  “Greetings of peace.” She bowed her head. “It is pleasing to see you are well again Kalian Gaines, many of our crew were concerned for your health.”

  Kalian absently reached behind his ear to feel the circular device attached to his skin. Her voice still had guttural undertones but it had a feminine quality that was melodic and almost human.

  Kalian still wasn’t used to the sight of aliens, let alone talking to them. “Well, thank you for...” He awkwardly pointed to the mechanical spider above him.

  Ilyseal simply bowed her head again. Li’ara did an almost undetectable shake of her head in despair of him and his awkwardness. He wasn’t sure how much time Li’ara had spent among the Novaarians while he was unconscious, but she had obviously acclimatised to their presence. She sharply turned back on Ilyseal.

  “We need to get to Century as soon as possible.” Ilyseal’s golden eyes met with Li’ara’s.

  “Charge Telarrek requests your presence on the bridge.” It was impossible to tell what Ilyseal was thinking. Her face was too alien to pick up on any subtle changes that would be obvious on a human.

  “Fine, let’s go.” Li’ara and Ilyseal stood looking at Kalian.

  “What?” He had done nothing but listen.

  “You might want to put some clothes on.”

  Kalian followed Li’ara’s eyes to the flimsy material covering his waist. “Oh...” He gripped the material a little tighter.

  Kalian had thought the outside of the ship was beautiful and alien, but the inside was a sight to behold. Every corridor was cavernous, stretching up into a smooth point. All the surfaces were a magnificent shine of purple like the ship’s exterior. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling lights in a brilliant blue. The mix of colours was extraordinary; it wasn’t too bright or too dark, making everything easy on the eyes. Everywhere they went smelled of fresh flowers. If he closed his eyes he could almost believe he was in one of the artificial meadows on Earth. The thought of Earth opened up a pit in his stomach, the sense of loss was so big it was hard to comprehend. It wasn’t just the individuals that came to mind, he couldn’t grasp the masses of families, people, animals or even the other planets that had been destroyed. Everything that had stood long before human beings took their first steps was gone, erased from the universe for the rest of time. He pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on what was in front of him.

  It was easy to see where the smell was coming from; at random points along each corridor and even spreading up some of the walls were plants and flowers he had never seen before. He was sure some of them even moved as they walked by.

  There were Novaarians walking everywhere, going about their duties on the ship. They passed through large circular doorways that were highlighted with white light around the edges. All of them stopped when Kalian passed by, they just stood and watched him intently with those golden eyes. He was starting to get used to it.

  The oddest thing happened right in front of him; as they were turning one of the long curving corners a Novaarian appeared above him walking down the wall. Li’ara noticed it too and they both stopped, taking in the unusual sight. The Novaarian was literally walking upright while descending to their level.

  “To utilise as much space as possible, there are rooms all around us. We have artificial gravity wells under the floor and inside the walls.” Ilyseal’s long fingers gestured to the Novaarian approaching from above. “As you step onto the wall, gravity will shift beneath you so the wall
becomes the floor. It can be quite disorientating the first time but I assure you, you will become accustomed to it.”

  The Novaarian in question descended to their level and made a small step onto what Kalian knew to be the floor. His long athletic legs made the motion appear seamless as he continued walking on their level.

  Kalian attempted to comment but failed. “That’s...” He looked to Li’ara who was equally speechless.

  “Shall we continue, Kalian Gaines?” Despite the question, Ilyseal appeared as if she could wait all day if that was what he wanted.

  Their response was interrupted by a high-pitched humming noise from somewhere high above. It was hard to describe what had passed them by, it had been so quick. Then another two flew over from the other direction. This time he got a better look. It was a pair of Novaarians each in control of what resembled a Mag-bike. They had no wheels to speak of but were thin and elongated like Mag-bikes. From the ground, Kalian could see three bright blue circles against each silver undercarriage with their Novaarian riders almost lying flat to drive. That was as much as he saw before they flew around the corner and out of sight.

  “As I said, the ship is very large and can take some time to traverse; certain aids are required at times.”

  “Do we get one?” Li’ara couldn’t quite keep the enthusiasm out of her voice.

  With a life slightly more adrenaline-filled, it didn’t surprise Kalian that she would prefer a faster pace.

  “The bridge is not far, another time perhaps.” Ilyseal motioned to the mountainous wall up ahead.

  Aware that she had shown too much emotion, Li’ara made the effort to show no response.

  At the base of the wall Kalian could see the door about fifty metres above them, clearly highlighted by a white outline. The so-called path that led up the wall was outlined in blue lights. The idea of walking up the wall was a little dizzying.

  “So we’re going up there then?” He craned his neck looking from the door to Ilyseal.

  She sensed his apprehension and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “That will not be necessary to reach the bridge, Kalian Gaines.”

  “Please, you can just call me Kalian, Gaines is my last name.” It was unusual hearing his whole name every time he was addressed. Ilyseal tilted her head at the request. Kalian took the gesture as a question. “In human culture, it’s not required to say a person’s whole name...”

  Ilyseal didn’t appear to understand. “But it is only half of your name.” Her golden eyes narrowed.

  “The second name is more of a formality or a family name; you don’t need to say it every time. So I’m Kalian...” he turned to Li’ara without looking at her. “And this is Li’ara-”

  “Lieutenant Commander.” The words came out of Li’ara a little sharp.

  Kalian reasoned that it was probably easier for her to be a soldier right now, too many emotions attached to Li’ara Ducarté. Ilyseal lifted her head once which he had come to see as a nod.

  “As you wish Kalian, Lieutenant Commander.” She turned to a small dome-shaped protrusion on the wall. Her alien hand spread out across the dome creating a reaction on the wall next to them. White light came to life giving the outline of a circular door that had blended into the wall itself.

  “The Translifts is the only way to enter the command bridge.” The soft glow was inviting and dreamlike.

  Kalian was happier with a mode of transport he was familiar with. Much like the lifts in The Hub, he was unaware of any displacement. It made a universal ping as it arrived at its destination.

  The command bridge was a buzz of activity with Novaarians working on terminals and consoles. It was an incredible sight of efficiency; each console appeared to have a hard surface with multiple holograms projecting all around them. The Novaarians were able to use their bottom limbs on the hard surface with their upper limbs working the holograms. Kalian couldn’t imagine how they possibly operated both at the same time.

  As they stepped through the lift’s portal lead by Ilyseal, everything stopped; Novaarians in the distance were standing up to see over their consoles at the aliens on their bridge. Kalian saw Li’ara take the opportunity to absorb the details around them, her tactical mind taking over as she entered a new environment. He assumed she was looking for exits, counting the number of Novaarians, scanning for weapons and assessing any threats. She never switched off. Kalian looked around but couldn’t see what she saw. Instead, he took in the architecture and technology that was so different from any human design.

  It wasn’t as grand in size as the corridors but it was still bigger than any human command centre. Kalian had seen the inside of UDC ships in films and documentaries and knew it was human tradition to build bridges to fit about a dozen personnel. Looking around him there must have been at least three dozen. From what he could see the room was split into two areas. Directly in front was an oval shape of consoles with Novaarians working on the inside and outside, opposite one another. At what he imagined was the front of the bridge was another bank of consoles in a smaller oval shape with the same layout. In the middle of each was a small platform with a Novaarian standing on it; they were entirely encompassed in holographic images in an ever-changing pattern of colour.

  Further still, he could make out the back of two individual Novaarians at the far end, both sitting at their own console apart from the others. In front of them was a huge arcing viewport. The length of the ship could be seen stretching out in front of them. Space beyond was curiously black, no stars in sight. These particular Novaarians caught his eye due to the simple fact that they hadn’t stood up to look at them, that and the fluorescent tubing that looked to be coming out of the back of their heads and disappearing into the floor. It was a lot to take in. He had never been on a UDC ship or any kind of command bridge and now he was standing in the most technologically advanced room in the galaxy but he had no idea why.

  It was hard to believe the chain of events that had led him to this spot. Only hours ago, he had been rushing to work because the biggest concern in his day had been waking up late. Now he was travelling through space at a speed he was sure he couldn’t even comprehend. The thought brought his attention to the fact that he had no idea where they were - were they close to where Earth had been? How far had they travelled in the time he had been unconscious?

  “Greetings of peace.” The alien voice came from above.

  The floating platform that descended towards them was only big enough for one, in this case, Telarrek. He stood in a semi-circle of hard consoles each feeding him different information from around the Valoran. The platform’s dome-shaped bottom fit into its corresponding space making it one with the floor. There was something about Telarrek that made him stand out from the others; he was more regal in stature, with a presence that commanded attention.

  He stepped away from his consoles, lowering his long jaw until it was resting against the rings across his chest. “My people grieve for your loss...”

  Kalian picked up on Li’ara’s body language; she may have been in awe of their surroundings a moment ago but Telarrek’s words made her visibly tense.

  “We need to get to Century now!” All eyes were on her but no one reacted. “I don’t know where you’re taking us, but if it were Century we’d be there by now. You need to make a course correction ASAP, we’re wasting time, and they need to be warned!”

  “I am afraid I cannot do that, Li’ara Ducarté.” Telarrek had resumed his full height by stepping off the platform.

  “It’s Lieutenant Commander to you, and why the hell not?”

  “Even I receive orders, Lieutenant Commander, and mine are to bring Kalian Gaines before the Conclave,” Telarrek replied evenly.

  “It is just Kalian, my charge.” Ilyseal’s large eyes darted to the humans and back to Telarrek.

  The Novaarian turned his head the same way Ilyseal had in slight confusion. Kalian couldn’t figure out the facial expressions that passed between them but Telarrek quickly
resumed his position and continued.

  “We have sent an envoy to Century to warn them of this new threat. My crew has been analysing the data since our encounter, I assure you we will identify the species responsible for this attack. Their crime is beyond words or understanding, but the Conclave will see to their punishment.”

  “I don’t know what this Conclave is, but you can’t take us against our will. We need to get back to our own people, chains of command need establishing, what’s left of the fleet needs to know what it’s up against.” Li’ara was starting to look like a newly caged animal.

  Telarrek paused a moment. “You will be our guests aboard the Valoran, I assure you Lieutenant Commander you are not prisoners. Quarters have been prepared for you; the journey will take seven of your days to reach-”

  “The Valoran couldn’t help save Earth, what do you think an envoy is going to do?” In her anger, she turned away from them.

  Kalian had a bad feeling. He wasn’t sure how much the Novaarians could pick up on human facial expressions. He watched her eyes pass over everything and everyone. This wasn’t like before, there was an urgency to her movements, she was calculating the odds. He was sure in her head a scenario was playing out in which she overcame the nearest guard taking his weapon, killing everyone between them and the Fathom, and escaping to Century. He was afraid in her anger she might be overlooking the details of her plan - they had no idea where in space they were and, judging from the display Numanon gave on the Icarus, he doubted she would be able to overcome even the first guard, let alone make it to the ship.

  Li’ara turned on her heel back to Telarrek with purpose in her stride. The guards that had slowly been closing in on their conversation moved as one, taking a step closer. Kalian had to act now if only to save Li’ara from getting into a fight he knew she couldn’t win. Stopping her mid-stride he placed himself squarely between Telarrek and Li’ara.

  “Stop!” He wasn’t facing Li’ara; instead, he looked Telarrek straight in the eyes. By telling Telarrek to stop, Kalian knew he was telling the guards to stop. Everyone froze around the three of them. Kalian had his hand flat out against Telarrek, assuming the gesture was universal.