Kodon
Page 23
“Herald,” Ron chuckled.
Ronald Wulf had a bit of a gut to him. Unlike Herald, he had a full set of hair. The vibrant auburn didn’t seem like he and Herald were close in age at all. The two hugged, Ron smacking Herald’s back a bit hard. He chuckled from his belly. Stephen’s eyes lit as the man grabbed his hand and shook a bit hard.
“Good to meet you, Stephen,” Ron said with a big smile. “I hope my hospitality will help some from your events last night. Such events should not come.”
“Thanks,” Stephen said. Herald did say Ron was a lively man.
“Come in,” Ron said. “I must apologize. Shannon got held up. She won’t be back on Galat II till late.”
“Oh,” Herald said a bit disappointed. “I had hoped to catch up a little bit with her.”
“Give it another five years or more, and we both will be together a lot more.”
Shannon was a Kazmilin, as the picture in the living room revealed above the mantle of a fireplace. Twin Kazmilin girls stood before them, possibly mid-teens, each dressed as if going to a wedding. Herald spoke of the twins being off in the galaxy now.
Ron had a nice home. Outside may be plain, but not this. The living room was furnished, matching well with everything that had been picked. Fancy black and red fixtures gave a nice light to the place. This felt like a home. Natural light came from the windows, yet outside had yellow fields, not traffic. Stephen could settle in here and forget. In today’s age, he bet some people never had to leave home. They could forget where they were.
“You’ve upgraded,” Herald said.
“No kids,” Ron chuckled. “When I’m done teaching, I think we’ll move off this planet. We want our dream home to retire.” How long did people live with all the advances? Some races lived naturally longer, some too short if life took its course.
Ron took them into a kitchen unlike any Stephen had been in. The counters were black until Ron neared. They suddenly all came to a nice navy blue. The middle island had a fixture floating above with cooking tools hanging. Several only had handles with a dim lit screen. Did Ron have a choice on what utensil to use? Ron came around past a silver oven. Its top came to a strong blue glow, revealing four rings that may be able to move. A tall fridge rose by the counter and had a natural shine to it with the warming light around. A screen ran down the front and there wasn’t a sign of a handle. A selection lit with a tap. The very text projected off some and revealed the current stock, as well as a feature to start tonight’s meal.
Ron asked for a beer, which convinced Herald. Stephen could only think of water. The bottom part of the screen vanished. A dark tray hovered out with their selection and soon retreated as they took it. The cool tall glass felt nice. Ron and Herald clinked their green bottles together and took back some of their choice. Stephen found it hard to drink at first, eyes roaming about this awesome kitchen.
“Fill free to get something else,” Ron told Stephen. “The selection can be brought up.”
“I’m fine,” Stephen assured. “Can we take a look at the tube?”
“Straight to it, eh?” Ron questioned. Stephen nodded. “Good thinking. We can catch up later. You’ll have plenty of time to get back and ready for your meeting.” A suit hung in the hotel room for Stephen to wear - overkill to most interviews in his life. The style of it must be nice to some eyes - not his.
Ron took them through the home. Paintings hung on the wall of his girls over the years. “Wasn’t this?” Herald began.
“Yep,” Ron said. “No kids, more space. She doesn’t care.”
What had once been a large bedroom came far from it. The lab had a long counter on the wall, a couple tables, Ron’s desk, and much equipment. A window here gave view of fluctuating, dark red nebula. Stephen scratched his head. Ron motioned to chairs in front of a table. A mess littered it, like an old professor kept his office back at the university.
Ron moved aside some of the clutter for his beer. “Don’t mind the mess,” he said. “I finished something and meant to clean it up.”
“Sure,” Herald said.
“Honest,” Ron assured. He took hold of a bin on the floor and spent little time dumping all the pieces and tools into it. “See? Better.”
“Something broke,” Herald said. Ron rolled his eyes and took another swig. “Stephen.”
The containment tube rolled across the table. Ron snatched it up and eyed it closely. “All this fuss for this little thing,” he said. “It matches what you sent me. Cancels out a signature and has a nifty onboard computer.”
“Open it,” Herald said, “and Ron, it’s not just a little thing.”
“Sorry.”
“Open it.”
“Give me a minute,” Ron said. He walked over to his desk and brought back a tablet. Next came a spherical device to the table. It had a slot at the top. A screen came to life on the side with a tap. The slot popped open and up came a new clear tube to replace the one they had. “Do you want to do the honors, Stephen?”
“Open it.”
Ron sighed. He tapped at his tablet. A connection flashed upon it. A black box popped up for a bit with lines of code. It vanished. A green checkmark flashed before an operation menu of what may be the onboard computer for the containment tube. Tap.
Hiss. Ron brought the tube upright with a smile. He pulled. Herald leaned in, like Ron. The whole inner chamber came to rest on the table. “It is gone,” Herald said blankly.
“You knew?” Ron questioned.
“Stephen saw last night. I hoped, I really hoped -”
Ron picked up the inner chamber and tube. “Hmm,” he said. He walked over to the counter with them. Stephen hung his head. A hand came on his shoulder. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to see the empty chamber again to know what Darren revealed. He wanted to smash things like Darren. Stephen cringed as the press hit in his mind.
“We’ll figure this out,” Herald assured.
“No,” Stephen said. “If it’s gone, let it be.”
“Hmm,” once more came from Ron and soon another. He worked on his tablet bobbing his head. He brought a magnifying glass from a shelf and peered at the tube and its inner chamber. Didn’t they have scanners to do that?
“Sam didn’t make mistakes,” Herald said. “She sent me everything I needed.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
“What have you found?” Stephen questioned.
“I’m still looking into it,” Ron said. “This is very interesting.”
Herald kept by the table with his beer. Stephen took back the last of his water. When he got back to the hotel, he had good news to tell. No Kodon, no more trouble. That object of unlimited power was most likely lost. Whoever sent Darren never would have expected Stephen to know a damn thing. They might presume the empire had it. No one, but those in this room and back at the hotel knew the truth.
Ron finally backed from the counter. He hurried to his desk and scooped up twin small, clear balls. As he closed, Stephen spotted some circuits inside. “Catch,” Ron said. Stephen about missed the first. The second landed. A vibrant blue light surged within. “Wow.”
“Cool,” Stephen said, trying to be amused. “Are these supposed to lower my stress?” The light faded as the roll on the table. Herald picked them up. For a bit his fingers went over them. Stephen didn’t see some sort of trigger. He snatched one up. The glow returned. This energy swarmed inside with such beauty.
“What is this?” Herald questioned.
“Kodon,” Ron said.
“What?”
“He is Kodon.”
Stephen picked up the other ball and brought it close. The glow might mask much, but as he moved it on his fingers, he could spy a concentration on their tips. The balls hit the floor. He stared at the table. “This isn’t possible,” he said. “How? I don’t get it.”
“The computer read when Darren opened it,” Ron said. “It also read an emergency code triggered the day you were sent the data, Herald.”
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��What?” Herald questioned.
“It detected a surge within, and the computer vented what it could to cool it down. As you know this tube is completely sealed. It had to vent based on its failsafe. It’s monitoring of the object vanished. Kodon escaped. Samantha did note that Kodon had shown some signs of -”
“That’s preposterous,” Herald said.
“You read her reports,” Ron said sternly. “Has he?”
“My handheld broke,” Herald said. Stephen only knew about the potential of Kodon; its unlimited flow at any capacity without any impact on it.
“Kodon moved on its own and not to a predicted pattern. Those balls have experimental draw technology that I based off the data the Porters worked on.”
“So, I am Kodon,” Stephen said.
“How in the galaxy did Kodon do this?” Herald questioned. “It’s an energy source.”
“An energy source does not explain this,” Ron said. “They found a way to draw from it that destroyed multiple machines before they realized it had to be restricted. Alvin focused on that, not the further answer to what it was. Kodon may have been means of a new source of power, but did we ever think to look at what Samantha’s own studies found? She claimed she watched it move, as if it was alive.”
“Ron,” Herald said. “If Kodon is Stephen, that means that somehow it chose to bond with him.”
Ronald pulled out a handheld. He tapped a few times at it and nodded. “He is reading as the whole signature,” he said. “Kodon has no form, but him now.”
“I’m right here!” Stephen shouted.
Ron and Herald’s eyes locked. “I do apologize,” Ron said. “This is unexpected. I had hoped the reaction would not appear. Kodon bonded with you when you were but an infant. You could have not known.”
“But why?”
“If I knew that,” Ron said, “I’d tell you. There is -”
Stephen rose, shaking. The glass shattered on the ground. “Damn it,” he cursed. He felt a ball turn in his chest. He could slam the wall and kick a chair across the room.
“Try to calm down,” Herald said. “We can think logically on this.”
“Think logically? This doesn’t make any fucking sense. We are chased by Darren for this damn thing, and the whole time it was me. Am I damned now?”
“Try to -”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Stephen shouted. Herald hung his head. “You, you.”
It felt like a hand came on Stephen’s shoulder. “Let it go,” his father spoke. “It will tear you apart.” A tear fell.
“Damn this,” Stephen said. He hated this. He hated being angry. People liked him because he didn’t hold to it. His old sensei would have him on the floor meditating.
Stephen relaxed. Herald held to him. “I swear to you,” he said, “we will figure this out.” Stephen managed to stem his tears. He hated crying. The ball broke inside. Let it go. “This isn’t fair. Let us help you.” Stephen nodded his head.
Stephen returned to the table and apologized for the glass. Ron shook it off with a smile. “The situation back then had been tense,” he assumed. He kicked back in his chair and rested his feet up on the table. “I can’t imagine what happened.”
“Sam didn’t include what happened,” Herald said. “I wish I knew why this happened to him.”
“Possibly,” Ron spoke, “Kodon sought safety and chose Stephen.”
“It’s a parasite?” Stephen questioned.
“No,” Ron said. “Your scans read perfectly healthy. The scanner module I installed did help me isolate it. Kodon is new and unique. Most scanners will detect an odd signature. They may not pick it up right away. Your body and it are one.”
“I’m a battery,” Stephen said.
“In some ways, but we are the only ones to know. We found it hard to believe. Others will too. No one expects it.”
Stephen nodded. It gave some protection. “Why didn’t it leave me after it knew it was safe?” he questioned.
“You’re asking questions we can’t answer. This is what I can conclude. Kodon may be of living nature. It may be a sentient being. It explains why it acted. I am not sure why it won’t let go of you. Maybe it has its reason or maybe it can’t on its own. Somehow it can produce the energy, and sadly, nothing more went into finding out what it may be. We can try to understand it more, but I feel right now it is time to figure out what to do with your current situation.”
Herald scratched his chin, like Ron. It looked a little funny, as if they were exchanging brainwaves. “The only people out there that may know something are the Aliefens,” Herald said.
“I agree,” Ron said.
“Who?”
“They are a race of advanced aliens who keep to themselves. No one knows where their homeworld is or any colony. They have in the past helped several races from dire events. Their technology is greater than ours. If anyone could give some input, it would be them.”
“They may not like it,” Herald said. “We have to remember Project Nova.”
“They did that?” Stephen questioned. “I thought -”
“No,” Herald said. “Data captured from a wrecked ship was used to assist in it. We only know that.”
“True,” Ron said. “I’d have liked to understand it. The idea of helping humanity wouldn’t be met well. However,” He dabbed a finger at his lip. “This is very curious and something they will want see to. That by itself may sway them to help. They may wish to keep it if they can separate it from you.”
“They can have it,” Stephen said. “I don’t want any more part in it once it’s gone.”
“Your mood has changed.”
“I have to figure this out,” Stephen said. “I have to be able to breathe here. I chose this, and I have to face it.” He could sense his father smiling at that. The greatest man he ever knew fought to the end - so why not Stephen?
“We should compile a report,” Ron said. “Councilman Wallace will need everything to understand this truth.”
“Yes,” Herald said. “Let’s get to work.”
“I want to help,” Stephen said. “We need to get this done.”
Traffic lost its effect after a while. Stephen sat in a chair that hovered on its own near the rail of Ron’s dropzone. The term driveway felt silly up here. He pressed the ground, moving himself back and forth. Tiredness had left after he started helping with the report. He had little to add. Herald was used to this stuff, and Ron had a powerhouse of knowledge with what he had been experimenting with off of Stephen’s biological parents. It was odd - how could he test things without Kodon?
Stephen rolled the glowing ball full of energy in his hand. It felt unreal to be able to bring it forth with help. He envisioned an old anime where the characters drew upon an inner power to act. That fiction never would happen here. His body had too many years to bring forth something. Kodon was part of him, nothing more.
Stephen took another breath to fill his lungs. Anger would be an enemy and he still felt it lingering in him. If it came back in full force, he had to be cautious. Too much had happened. How could he let it all go?
Horns blared above. The truck started to move once more, horns continuing after. Things here weren’t bad. Living in Galat II would take getting used to. Stephen hoped to leave the planet. It sucked not having a clue of the future. Stephen always felt like he had some idea of what would happen in the past until he fell. He saw Kodon being gone, not how, and then a life of his choosing after.
“Stephen,” Herald called. “We need to leave. I called for a taxi. I sent the report to Councilman Wallace. I am not sure if he’ll have time to read it all before. We must keep quiet about this till then.”
“What about the others?”
“We’ll have little time when we get back. I don’t think it’ll be enough to make them understand. Ron suggests bringing one of the balls with you. We’ll have to see what happens and adjust.”
“Play it by ear.”
“Play it by what?”
r /> “It’s a saying we have in the past. When we don’t know how to go about something but need to do it.”
“I like that. I might use it.”
Stephen chuckled. “Different worlds,” he said.
“Is that another?”
“Yes,” Stephen said. He chuckled and let out a sigh. Hopefully, there would be time to come for the two to really talk and not worry. It felt like go, go, go.
“It’s nice to see you smile after last night.”
“What can I say? Better to be positive and smile then pissed with gloom.”
“I can’t say I’d have the same attitude.”
“I have to.”
Chapter Nineteen
The slim fitting, teal suit had a coolness to it. Stephen would be tugging at the collar back in the past. When he went to visit the university of choice for his doctorate, he wore a suit that had him sweating like crazy. Had it been or could it have been also that it determined part of his future? This would have made it easier. It was light, thin, and the coolness didn’t fade. Herald mentioned something in the fabric. The suit didn’t seem to fit Herald, like Stephen. Andy above all had the best look in one - like he could be on a magazine.
The taxi kept with a slow line of traffic in the Galatian Empire Sector of Galat II. Cruisers floated about, and the security would have Stephen watching his speed and what he said fast. The cab they got didn’t let them see the driver, which at first worried him a little. Fortunately, the driver got out and helped them in.
Stephen kept his head on the window. Tiredness had returned not long after he got in here. He hoped this would be straightforward. A drumming caught his ears. Gabe’s fingers kept to the headrest behind Stephen. Stephen brought his elbow back once.
“Sorry,” Gabe said.
“Relax,” Kim said.
“This is the biggest government in the universe.”
“Well,” Herald said, “we don’t know that. Try to keep some peace that we are meeting with Councilman Wallace. He’s not some figure who will tell you to keep your mouth shut. He’s promised to meet us as soon as we are there.”
“Jeez,” Gabe said. He whistled lightly. “Look at the size of that.”