His indigo hair and thick beard, with slight traces of white, is indicative of his age. His facial expression is solemn. The 150-year-old engineering physicist feels that he can no longer hide what he knows. Seated farther away, Thanor and Ra’el are viewing the situation with great interest. Alverin removes his auvisuon out of his case and places it on the table. He switches it. Quafeira becomes his special focus of attention. “By now, I am certain that all of you have discovered some very unsettling things about this venture.”
“That depends. Whose side are you on?”
Alverin smiles. “Quafeira! I am happy to see that you are no longer that rambunctious teenager I once knew so many decades ago. Often, you were suspicious, confrontational and asking far too many questions.”
“You said that right!” Aarath thinks to himself.
“Is your friend dead yet?” Quafeira asks.
“Despite your animosity for him, Director Solabahn simply wants to heal old wounds so that our society can finally move forward.”
“Old wounds,” Quafeira protests, “are best healed by confronting and resolving the issues that caused such wounds in the first place.”
After a brief sigh, Alverin feels that debating with Quafeira regarding Solabahn is futile. “Even so,” he continues, “I agreed with what you had told him during the last determination meeting. I fear that Solabahn, in his old age, has become highly opinionated in his reasoning.”
Alverin pauses to make an adjustment on his auvisuon tablet. “Still, my issue is with the manner you handled the situation. Instead of attacking the problem, you attacked the person. Thus, you only aggravated the situation. That aside however, what I am about to tell all of you is of grave importance.”
“How so?” Quafeira asks.
“Earlier, I was one of Selvon Jarrak’s assistants during the Hilexos Project. Your father and I were final-year intermediate level students at Ravlok when he first conceived of the idea.”
“Are saying that Daljik was just seventeen when he first conceived of the extraspatial otivicon,” Aarath interrupts.
“Indeed,” Alverin admits. “Daljik and I had been good friends since we were children during our primary level years. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Daljik was an exceptionally bright student.” Suddenly, a multitude of questions begins entering everyone else’s mind.
Leaning forward, Quafeira asks a disturbing question. “Then you agree that someone had planned to kill my father?”
“Even if I answered yes,” Alverin states pointedly, “would that make a difference in the present situation? Quafeira, charging an individual with murder is one thing, proving that charge is an entirely different matter.”
As Quafeira leans away, Aarath cuts in. “Why are you here and why did you feel that you had to make the journey all the way from Dabenar?”
“Aarath, despite any security offered by our communications network technology, there are some things that are just too sensitive to be sent over the Intergalactic Communications Network.”
“In other words,” Quafeira interrupts, “then you do have information that can prove what I am saying?”
Although understanding her concerns, Alverin is irritated by her persistent charges. “I will be blunt,” he states. “I have information that could potentially get us all killed!”
The others look at each other in shock.
“Are you serious?” Ra’el asks nervously.
“Unfortunately, I am quite serious.”
“Who could possibly feel threatened by whatever information that you have so as to want to kill us?” Aarath asks angrily.
“Why are you all out here?” Alverin turns his attention to Quafeira as she is giving him a most puzzled look.
“I am out here to find my father,” she answers in a raised voice, “and I doubt seriously that anyone can feel threatened by this!”
Alverin’s reply is surprisingly calm. “My former employer does.”
“Tavus-Alverand Corporation, I assume,” Thanor speaks out. Like the others, he is becoming upset about the possible threat. Mentally, he vows that he would never allow anyone to hurt Ra’el again. As she is gazing at Thanor, she can sense his love and concern for her. While gazing back at her, Thanor senses the internal emotional battle that Ra’el is experiencing.
“Not the entire firm,” Alverin continues, “I am referring to a few high-ranking senior management officials who have a vested interest in the extraspatial otivicon. After I and a few of my colleagues were unfairly terminated, we knew that something had to be done.” Alverin manipulates several keys on his auvisuon. A holographic image of an elderly male appears. “Alos Keroth? He died over fifty years ago!” Quafeira exclaims.
The holographic image of Tavus-Alverand’s former CEO stands as lifeless as the real individual, now buried under six feet of soil.
“True, and as you are quite aware, Trevan Sericias Gaveil now holds the reins of power at Tavus-Alverand Corporation,” Alverin continues. “By now, much of this should become clear to all of you.”
Quafeira and Aarath begin thinking long and hard after a brief glance at each other. She shakes her head in disbelief as Alverin continues. “You were just an infant when much of this was occurring. At the time, Trevan Gaveil was Tavus-Alverand’s principal spokesperson. Trevan and two of his aides were duly summoned to appear before a Sanstean Bureau special investigation committee.”
“You mean they were summoned as criminal suspects,” she remarks.
“Yes, in a manner of speaking. Two investigation committee members were questioning Gaveil regarding the disappearance of your father and his pilot. Your mother was instrumental in initiating the investigation. She fought hard and long to find out what happened to her husband.”
“I know. I finally understood that,” Quafeira responds with heavy guilt. She thinks back to the trouble and emotional distress she had caused her mother and siblings. Brash and impetuous, the teenage Quafeira Ra’as felt certain that she, better than anyone else, knew of the circumstances surrounding her father’s disappearance.
Her actions, as well as her fierce determination to prove all others wrong, were causing major disruptions within the family. Finally, Leusha Ra’as had seen enough. Two days after Quafeira, then 18, was released after her arrest, Leusha began scolding Quafeira at the dinner table in front of the other family members. She forcefully reminded Quafeira that the entire family was feeling the bitter pain of Daljik’s absence. Leusha would cut no slack this time. “You have no right to condemn the rest of us as being unconcerned over father’s disappearance! You are being rebellious and irresponsible!”
Humiliated by her sister’s words, the teenage Quafeira quickly rose from the table. “I hate you! I hate all of you,” she shrieked in tearful anger just before storming out of the house. For some time, she spoke to no one within her family. Despite her older sister’s forceful rebuke, Quafeira finally came to a hard realization. She had failed to fully grasp the fact that her mother was instrumental in keeping intense pressure on Tavus-Alverand officials to continue the search for her father. Quafeira was only two years old when government officials, under immense pressure from specific military officials, made the decision to terminate all further attempts to locate her father. Thus, via a media statement, government officials declared Daljik Ra’as dead. Later, Adisa received an official government letter, via two military officers, that confirmed her husband’s death.
Mentally and emotionally, Adisa Ra’as was devastated. At times, Quafeira, then a small child, would hear her mother’s nearly uncontrollable cries of grief at night. The situation nearly tore the family apart. Decades later, Quafeira, who had been married for two years, visited her mother. After a long and heartfelt discussion, Quafeira Sibekk, 33, tearfully embraced her mother and apologized profoundly.
“I was amazed to hear the results of your own in-depth research as you stood before the Kijorian Judiciary Assembly,” Alverin continues.
“I had to,
” Quafeira replies. “There were far too many discrepancies in the official records. I had pointed them out to sub-kijorian, Imeth Sorvin.”
“Those so-called official records,” Alverin points out, “were at best a shallow veneer to hide the truth from the public. Your father had confided in me about many aspects of this situation.”
“How so?”
“Contrary to what you may believe…and as much as I hate to say this, your father and Selvon were also the very best of friends.”
“You are lying!” Quafeira protests loudly. “My father despised Selvon Jarrak! I despise that pitiful ba’athnuk!”
Alverin is not surprised by her bitterness. “Quafeira, I am truly sorry. Yet, I am telling you the truth. Your father and Selvon were among the top five brightest students at Ravlok. Your father, Selvon and I were among other Tavus-Alverand corporate interns during our final year at Ravlok. Selvon, though, was the one who introduced your father to several senior management officials. Sadly, Selvon ultimately betrayed your father.”
Quafeira becomes angrier. “How can you sit there and continually tell me these insidious lies?” Aarath rises and stands behind Quafeira and gently squeezes her shoulders.
Alverin does not back down. “Tavus-Alverand officials knew that Daljik was in possession of a phenomenal device. They hired him immediately after his graduation.”
Quafeira, refusing to back down as well, remembers the humiliation she experienced when Selvon lashed back at her. He ordered two security guards to forcibly escort her off company property. “I talked with Selvon! He never mentioned any of this to me. He did his best to avoid answering any of my questions!”
“Well, of course! Did you actually think that he would have told you the truth? Your father trusted Selvon more than anyone else. He freely shared many of his ideas with Selvon. Later, Selvon secretly arranged with Tavus-Alverand officials to obtain the extraspatial otivicon. He pushed to have a group of off-world physicists to help in the project.”
“You are referring to the lakarian engineering team on Paelos,” Thanor speaks out again. “I read about that.”
Alverin surmises that Thanor and Ra’el are much younger than he had initially realized. “You are correct, Thanor. The lakarian government had far less stringent safety rules and procedures.”
“Then I was correct in mentioning this aspect to the Kijorian Judiciary Assembly,” Quafeira asserts.
“Granted.” Alverin admits. “Still, all of you may find what I am about to say to be of grave interest.”
“Please explain,” Aarath tells him.
“On the morning of Anrean, 12 Vophar 2112, I had a serious talk with Daljik before he left with Rahmik on the Illasius. Daljik was irate because Selvon had left with the extraspatial otivicon without his authorization. As a friend, I pleaded with him to stay and wait. Selvon would have had to return with the agreement document from the lakarian engineering team. Then he could have confronted Selvon directly about the entire matter.”
Quafeira and Aarath are listening to Alverin Sahless with increased interest. Quafeira, though, is finding the details of Selvon and her father’s complex relationship a bitter pill to swallow. “You could have pressured him further to stay!”
“Quafeira, believe me. I wanted to tie him up and hold him there. Your father, though, would not listen. Sadly, he never made it to Paelos.”
“My father never made it to Paelos because the Illasius was sabotaged. We have uncovered evidence proving that specific corporate officials schemed to get rid of my father. By what you just told us, Selvon had to be responsible in a major way.”
Alverin is shocked. “You are certain of this?”
“Yes,” Quafeira avows. “Selvon and several other senior management officials were part of this scheme.”
“She is correct,” Aarath interrupts. “We have uncovered solid evidence proving that various senior management officials deliberately authorized software alterations to the Illasius’ replacement navigation/propulsion computer module, along with several other system components before its departure.”
“There is something else,” Thanor interrupts.
“What is that?” Alverin asks as he turns to Thanor.
“The emergency distress data buoy that was supposedly recovered from around the planet where the Illasius is believed to have crashed on was not the buoy that originally came with the Illasius.”
“Are you saying that the data buoy was switched?”
“Yes,” Quafeira replies angrily.
“This is most disturbing. All of us are now in serious danger.”
“From whom in particular?” Quafeira asks.
“First, I must tell you this. Before your father left, he made a troubling confession to me.”
“What did he tell you?”
Alverin pauses briefly. “Your father revealed to me that he had created a second extraspatial otivicon.”
“A second extraspatial otivicon?” Quafeira exclaims. “Do you mean to say that there is another one of those murderous devices out there?”
“Your father never intended the extraspatial otivicon to be a weapon.”
“Radridium and drabridium are very rare elements,” Aarath interrupts her. “Where did he obtain them?”
“Daljik obtained the elements from three thaon military engineering physicists.”
“Thaon physicists?” Aarath asks. “Was not he aware of the ban?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Sahless looks briefly at Quafeira.
“Still, Daljik’s covert trips to the meirosian colony world of Akumba had netted him more than just raw materials. He had learned disturbing information about the Anatahn Military Alliance.”
“What information?”
“The Anatahn Military Alliance has been in operation for many years. There are unconfirmed rumors of unknown aliens materializing out of seemingly nowhere on to the planetary surface.”
“Aliens materializing on to the surface?” Ra’el asks with disbelief.
“Yes, they apparently serve as advance scouts for a military invasion. Reportedly, thousands of worlds have already fallen to the Anatahn.”
“That seems unbelievable!” Thanor concludes.
“I agree,” Alverin concludes. “Yet, there appears to be some indication that Rahmik Sulbrin, the Illasius’ pilot, was a military intelligence officer. How he fits into all of this remains to be seen.”
For Quafeira, the situation is making her that much angrier. The media had charged her father and Selvon Jarrak in the deaths of over six hundred people. Daljik’s unexplained disappearance served only to convince some people that he went into hiding to escape punishment. She knew the charge was false. She is more determined to clear her father’s name.
“Alverin, are you certain of this second device?” Aarath asks.
“Yes, I examined it personally. Now, if this is of any consolation, the second one includes better safety features than the first one.”
“Are you saying that my father deliberately created a faulty device?”
“No. Had he arrived on Paelos, then his plan was to confront Selvon. His intention was to let the lakarians think that the first extraspatial otivicon had a serious design flaw.”
“So the other one is with Professor Sibekk’s father,” Ra’el concludes.
“Obviously,” Alverin agrees. “Of course, up to this point, no one else had suspected the existence of this second device.”
“You said: ‘up to this point,’” Thanor motions.
“Yes,” Alverin concludes. “I am convinced that these same officials within Tavus-Alverand suspect the existence of this second device.”
“However, they are unsure,” Quafeira tells him.
“They may feel that circumstantial evidence supports the existence of another extraspatial otivicon,” Alverin replies.
“Then how do they intend on finding it?” Ra’el asks, becoming angrier. Everyone else looks at Ra’el with surprise. She understands the message.
“We are being trailed,” Quafeira fearfully concludes.
“In light of the present situation and along with the facts that you have presented,” Alverin admits, “this would be the most logical conclusion.”
“That is impossible!” Thanor objects. “You cannot trail another ship into hyperspace unless”
“Of course!” Ra’el interrupts.
With the exception of Alverin, the others begin trading glances with each other before Alverin confirms their worst fears. “Yes. You have an informant aboard your ship who is giving up-to-date information to his covert operatives regarding your every move.”
“Then I will find this individual and take care of him myself!” Aarath yells as he lets go of Quafeira. Surprised, the others look at Aarath.
Again, Alverin is not too surprised. “Aarath, I do not think that such a rash move on your part would do you or this mission any good. However, I strongly suggest that all of you begin making immediate changes in your plans of action. Commander Ularik should be informed of this as well.”
Quafeira rises out of her seat and walks toward the drink dispenser. After tapping two keys, the glass fills halfway with her favorite ice-cold drink, solac.
After taking two nervous swallows, she continues to look at the glass. “Finally, all the pieces of this puzzle have come together,” she recounts as she turns to face the others. “All of them schemed to move my father out of the way.”
The Thaon Factor Page 2