Star Chaser- The Traveler

by Reiter

  Dungias looked away for a moment, taking in the wisdom of his teacher. “That was unexpected,” he thought. “For even a fool can stumble upon brilliance, so they can be followed. But that does not mean they should be followed without an escape course pre-plotted.

  “A novel yet incredibly simple concept, Kwinsoah,” Dungias said. “Thank you for the perspective.”

  “You’re more than welcome, Dungi. Shall we continue?”

  “Please!”

  “Very well then,” Nugar said, ushering Dungias to sit on the stool for the workbench. He did so, placing his satchel on the corner of the bench and resuming his visual inspection of the room. “The process is a very simple one: the candidate begins the construction of their Osamu and tries to make contact with the Stars. When that contact is made, the candidate and the Stars will choose what power of the Void will be used in the Osamu.

  “Normally, this is where the Teacher Traveler aids the Student Traveler to make their initial contact with the Stars,” Nugar announced. “However it would seem that you did that before visiting The Campus. Still, at best, that is only a guess.”

  “Then leave this matter to me, Kwinsoah,” Dungias said, looking at Nugar. “And yes, I know what I am doing; I am asking you to put me into place to become the stuff of legend. But you have had to carry so much for so long–”

  “A weight I was not aware I was carrying, Dungi,” Nugar returned.

  “And what a bliss that ignorance has afforded,” Dungias concluded. “Still, I have everything I need to begin this measure.”

  “Allow me to be direct,” Nugar said, quickly fetching a stool and taking a seat beside his student. “It is not only my desire that brings me to this.”

  “I know,” Dungias returned. “You have been, are, and will always be guided by the Stars. But I have come to an understanding, Kwinsoah: I cannot walk the path the Stars give me!” Nugar started to speak but Dungias put his hand on the arm of his teacher and gave a reassuring squeeze. “I have seen a picture of the Founders that has not been seen since before the time of your gemnur’s gemnur.”

  “That cannot be argued,” Nugar thought.

  The Master Traveler was uneasy with the way things appeared to be going, but he had been given some time to re-evaluate a few things. The most pressing of them: his faith in Z’Gunok Tel Dungias. For that departure from the norm, he had derived only one solution: his love for the discarded Malgovi was greater than his love for the Stars. Though it was more than loving Dungias, it was loving the ideal of him; a Malgovi who had returned to the ancient ways of their unified peoples. Nugar had yet to tell his student that at one time, there had been more Malgovi Travelers than Vinthur, and for good reason: they were better at it! Gifted would have been a better word. Their bodies could withstand brief exposure to the Void, an ability he was beginning to see Dungias demonstrate, and they possessed a better hand at the building of spacecraft. All of which led Nugar to the conclusion that perhaps he lacked what was necessary to train a Malgovi to successfully Jump-Stride, as the most ancient records showed they were better at the discipline. But things had changed with the passing ages, and with the arrival of the innate iro-form control, the Malgovi Traveler had departed and had not been seen since.

  “Did you know that the Osamu was foreign within the ranks of the Founders?” Dungias revealed. “They knew of the devices, even aided in the development and mastering of them, but no Founder ever crafted or carried one. Come to think of it, not one of the Shadow Corps raiders carried an Osamu.

  “I suppose then that the resultant ideal is simple: there is a path I must walk, but it cannot be the one you give me or the one the Stars suggest. I must find my own path if I am to be Dungias. With any true Light, and founded wisdom, that path will use what my Kwinsoah has given me and whatever the Stars opt to provide. Before and after that, this must be my journey. I can only hope I do not offend you.”

  “An act you have not shown since I shot you,” Nugar chuckled, getting up from the stool.

  “The Stars told me to take in this lesson, but they did not say how,” Dungias pointed out.

  “That will teach them to be cryptic!” Nugar joked.

  “That would be most helpful,” Dungias replied and Nugar turned to look at his student. He had to make sure what he had heard was accurate. There was no jest in his tone, only frustration and resentment.

  “By the Light of my nurs,” Nugar thought. “He seeks to correct the Stars!” In the time it took to pick up the extra stool and return it to its place against the wall, the sentiment of ‘why not’ echoed in Nugar’s head. “Given what I know of the Stars, I know that they were once us. It has not been stated or shown that ascension to the Stars removes the tendency toward imperfection. Poor souls! They don’t know what is coming for them. Or do they, and they are as eager to see it as I am?” A slight sparkle of light flickered in front of Nugar’s eyes and he suppressed very joyous laughter.

  “There is a cot and a lavatory in the far corner. I will send you nutritional units for the duration. If you need me, use the intercom.”

  “I doubt I will ever need you less than I did the star-term you pulled me from that cell,” Dungias testified. “You have been saving my life over and over again since that moment.”

  “You set a very impressive tone for our relationship, Dungi,” Nugar replied as he walked over to the teleportation pad. “I won’t bother to lock this. You are not to leave this room until the construction of your Osamu is done. I will leave it to your honor to remain here.”

  “Then I would ask that I be given clearance to approach the aperture if I find a need to,” Dungias requested.

  “The teleport pad works on the same premise as the nav-comp,” Nugar advised. “Make sure you enter in the right numbers!” Without any ceremony, Nugar signaled the device and was gone.

  Dungias did not keep his eyes on the empty space for long. He turned his attention to his satchel. He opened it and produced the gemstone and note BJ had given him. He read the note again before smiling and rolling it up again. He stuffed it back into the satchel and then set the stone at the highest point of his workbench. He took in a deep breath and then accessed the scans he had made of Nugar’s Osamu. He deleted them without looking at them again.

  While rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, Dungias took a look over the room and attempted to make a mental record of where everything was within the chamber. He then started making a program in his arm-top computer. He recorded his voice using one word commands such as sleep, eat, drink, stretch, exercise, relieve and work. He then created a program that would use the sensors in the room to monitor his body and its functions. He added a med-tech program to make sure he did not go too long without sustenance or rest. Taking another mapping look at the room, Dungias began to meditate, trying to bring two worlds together. On one hand, he wanted to be able to access the level of consciousness where he could talk directly to Thought and at the same time engage the sort of anticipative vision and planning methodology he had learned sparring with Kynsada and eventually all three of the Starfire team simultaneously, the essence of the Star-Stride. Dungias wanted to plan what his Osamu would need to deliver and facilitate it now. As he and Thought engaged in their discourse, Dungias removed his consciousness from the room. It was not necessary to concentrate on the workbench. He had memorized its placement in the room and all it held.

  “You are not nervous, are you?” Thought asked.

  “Of course I am,” he replied. “That is one of the reasons why I removed myself from the process.”

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  “I am not sure, but I can say that it feels right. So much of this is impression or perspective. It seems a crime to break away from the trend at such a vital point.”

  “And what makes you so sure that it’s vital?” Thought inquired.

  “Again, perspective.”

  “You know, at some point you might have to just do as you are told.”

 
; “That is all I did when I was too young or unable to think for myself,” Dungias stated. “As I age, I find that I am doing it less and less. Now it is you who sounds nervous.”

  The conversation continued and Dungias grappled with his concepts of metallurgy, ceramic engineering, mechanical engineering, micro-circuitry, internal construct diagnostics, iro-form engineering, telemechanics, and harmonics. Applying each one to the limit of his perception and skill, Dungias immersed himself in an impromptu orchestration of vision, artistic skill, wonder and anticipation. Thought came and went at its leisure, and most of the time it only asked questions that led Dungias into reflection. A part of his mind wondered what sort of impact that would have on the construct, but he allowed it, believing it was just as much a part of him as anything he had gained along the way. Therefore, memories were poured into the blend.

  His experiences in school came first. What it had been to discover what the term ‘shay-spawn’ meant and how it had applied to him. Suddenly, the troubles he had had at home could not be explained away with the phrase sibling rivalry. It did not matter whether the child was related to him or not, the reactions had been the same. Then came the race, his moment of triumph; a death-trap that had nearly worked… the Grenbi… the endless visitations to the analysts… the pelting of Danatra… being ignored by Gantee… the Iro-Games, meeting Nugar, Saru, Laejem and the Mal-Vin and the aftermath of the event… his exodus from Threm and a life of confusion and torment… his first time aboard a military space vessel… the Dwanstar Battle Group and more importantly the Starfire Team… running and flying along the exterior of Gavis Station with Nugar… the first time he had seen an Osamu in action… the truth behind the Founders… finding the domicile and beginning his training… encountering Sai-Eg, Flavicia and the Radients… the Constellation Conference (which was the name Dungias had given to the meeting of the Stars that became entities) and the quest of knowledge… The Campus and the Beta Forms… the knowledge and skills of the Shadow Corps, plus whatever BJ had done to his body and mind… the realization of dimensional travels, and the perils thereof… and the introduction to the Osur. All that was bane and boon to him he tried to embrace.

  Dungias could feel them all as they stirred in his mind and around his body. He smiled, noting the sensation was much like the swaying of the Chorus of Stars. They were with him, and had chosen not to voice themselves. Dungias hoped that meant they were in agreement with his perspective of what he had to do, and that hopeful thought cued their soft song. Everything was in agreement; fair or foul, all of the treks were coming together to one path… the Path Dungias!

  “You know, there is one thing about your construct which seems promising,” Thought said as Dungias felt himself beginning to return from his meditative state. He had no idea how long he had maintained it, but the most obvious reason for coming out of it was that he had completed the construct.

  “What is that?” he asked.

  “You made it, but you will not know what all it can do!”

  “For me, that is a major part of the goal,” Dungias admitted. “I will forever be taking it apart to explore its functions and its limitations. I will also be rebuilding it to constantly improve its design.”

  “That will take a lot of time,” Thought pointed out.

  “If I am to be a Traveler, I expect to have a great deal of time that I will need to pass in one fashion or another. As long as I am always building the Osamu, I am always focused!”

  “Then awaken and look upon your construct!”

  Very slowly, his gold eyes opened and immediately Dungias was taken aback at what he saw. The workbench and stool were gone and he was standing in the middle of the floor, his body trembling as he panted for air. He could feel the fatigue throughout his entire body, and that surprised him, though there was a more significant matter that took held attention.

  Suspended over the floor, parallel with it and holding steady at just above belt height, a slender, dull-matte, black rod hovered in front of Dungias. It was smooth, without any seams, and the only features were the silvery caps at either end. Some sort of vapor was still coming off the metal, and Dungias wondered if it was hot. He held up his hand, only to have it shocked by the rod. The delivered iro-form was not very painful, but it was enough to make Dungias remove his hand. He was mystified, but only momentarily, as a smile broke across his face.

  “Of course!” he said softly. “If there were ever a time for ceremony, this would be it.” Taking a step back, Dungias put his right knee to the floor and bowed with his head down. “I am Z’Gunok Tel Dungias.” One end of the rod touched down hard to the floor, delivering another crackle of energy. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said, extending his right hand. The rod flew to his grasp and Dungias closed his hands around the black metal which was actually quite cool. He closed his eyes at the sensation of something within the rod taking hold of him. He could feel a small degree of desperation and even fear.

  “No, Alpha,” he said softly, choosing to apply Founder Speak to name the Osamu. “Remember, it is not about what you fear… it’s about what you feel beyond the fear!” Dungias grunted as another wave of energy passed through him. The remnants of fear within the rod were gone. His Osamu had managed to purge itself of fear and doubt, cleansing its master of the two debilitating malefactors in the same stroke.

  Dungias stood up and looked at the Osamu before looking around the room. He could see where the workbench had been taken apart and stacked neatly under the cot he had been provided. When the notion of finding the stone BJ had given him reached Dungias’ mind, he felt a vibration coming from Alpha. His eyes flared in wonder for a moment. The width of the cylinder that was Alpha was smaller than the diameter stone. Seams formed along Alpha making sections in the metal that began to slide and spin. Alpha partially disassembled and then reassembled in another formation… a thicker, wider and heavier formation. In the center of Alpha’s body a small door opened and in the middle, a power conduit chamber held the stone which was glowing brightly.

  “Well done, high-pockets,” Dungias could hear BJ in the room. “Have to admit, I didn’t see that one coming!”

  “Neither did I, BJ,” Dungias shared. “I hope you do not feel wronged by how the stone was used.” Dungias could hear BJ chuckling.

  “I hope you don’t feel wronged, blue boy,” BJ laughed. “You’re the one who just entered into a brand new chamber.”

  “So it would seem,” Dungias said, looking at Alpha.

  “I’ll see you when I see you… good thing neither one of us is impatient for that day.”

  “Being impatient does not move the matter,” Dungias reflected. As much as he liked BJ, the young-looking Beta Form was right: he was in no hurry whatsoever to get back to The Campus. He looked at Alpha again and allowed a prideful smile to break across his face.

  “Show off for me,” he thought as he began to twirl the Osamu. When he took a firm hold of it again, the rod was slender and smooth once more. “No, I cannot say that I feel wronged. Now let’s go and introduce you to Nugar.” Dungias turned toward the teleportation pad, only to see that it had been deactivated.

  A quick overview of the apparatus revealed that it appeared to be functional. Working the control panel for a moment registered that no command had been given from this room to deactivate the machine. Dungias also noticed the control panel was not linked to Nugar’s main system…. at least, not any longer. He was sure he had seen the linkage on one of the consoles when he entered the room. He closed his eyes and Alpha twirled in his hand. When Alpha stopped, Dungias opened his eyes to see his rod pointing at the computer station. One glance at the monitor and he remembered what it had displayed when he and Nugar first arrived in the room. One of the status lines was the condition of the main computer. That status line no longer showed on the screen.

  Dungias closed his eyes again and took inventory of the room while he also looked back at the events his body had noticed while he was forging Alpha.
Again his eyes opened and he quickly moved from the computer console to his living area, specifically his dining furnishings. Every three star-terms, the machines were refilled to their maximum capacity. Water and nutritional supplements had been due for their twelfth refilling a star-term ago. Something had kept Nugar from sending food and water. The stores held enough for another ninety-six star-terms; more if one rationed their intake.

  “So let us consider the facts,” he thought. “For the teleport pad to be deactivated, a command would have to be given… the same to disengage this room’s computer from the main system. An accident befalling my Teacher would not yield this… but, if we were boarded and he wanted to hide me, these actions might be among his first.

  “But who could board this station?” he said softly as a tremor registered in his right hand. Looking at his Osamu, Dungias received from it the sensation of anger and a pressing need to take action. “I find myself in agreement with you, Alpha, though I would suggest we exercise caution in this matter. Perhaps we can align the two perspectives!”

  Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task.

  Dr. Haim Ginott

  Nugar was not unaccustomed to spending time alone; it was a common occurrence in the life of the Traveler. He had tried in earnest to tell himself that this was like any other time he had experienced, and he would have to be patient. After thirty-five star-terms, he had toyed with the notion of activating the sensor-readers in his workroom and taking a peek, but he had been able to contain himself by working on a project he had started two orbi-terms previously. It had been something unexpected, but that too was Traveler-like and a feeling with which Nugar had grown comfortable.