by Frank Carey
"The aeries regularly monitor city radio transmissions. We've been paying close attention since Dr. Minty arrived."
"Ah, I should have realized you could do that. The antennas on your spires indicate an interest in electro-magnetic communications. Tell me; is your species native to this planet?"
"Yes, unlike the others whom we are at undeclared war with."
"I see, then why am I here? Don't get me wrong, I live for this sort of thing, but I am one of the others."
"Not quite," she said as she walked around and gently tugged on a wing. "You are the first Basili I have ever seen with wings."
"You know how it is; clean living and a well-balanced diet will do wonders."
"As will being born in a different galaxy. Tell me, how is travel through the gate, as you call it?"
"Oh, you know about that."
"As do Red and her people. Only they thought it was broken. They used it once to transport a bunch of crates, then never used it again. That's why it's in a museum, one currently undergoing renovations. They have a science and security team working on it. We tapped into their transmission and saw... Well, we saw people..."
"Katalans, elves, and humans, oh my. Since you know our secret, can I ask if your people built this gate?"
She shook her head. It was built by Red's father, a god known only as Zeus. Legend has it that he built it so he could more easily visit a faraway land.
"Ah, Zeus. I know one of his daughters. Furia, why am I here? I can't believe it's my charm and quick wit."
Furia laughed, a sound similar to a calliope. "No, those are reason enough. When we got word that you had broken out of not one, but two high-security installations, I realized you could be of great help with a problem I have."
"A problem? What kind of problem?"
"My son, Jorgan, is part of an insurrectionist cell, one that was captured earlier today. Perhaps you noticed the forces surrounding the fortress?"
"I thought it was payday."
She gave him a sideways look. "No, it’s to keep my people out. It seems the appearance of your Dr. Minty triggered a security alert. I have been trying the diplomatic route, but to no avail. Red is stubborn, a stickler of legality and protocol. She wants to prosecute my kid for sedition, then hang him."
"I take it that you and she have issues."
"Too many to count. She's half-Malroth, daughter of Zeus and all. After a fight with daddy, she takes off then comes back with a shipload of refugees on ice without even a how-do-you-do. Now they live in a police state and want my people to submit to their will."
"You want me to break Jorgan out, don't you?"
"Kenta and her team were trying to do just that when your Dr. Minty showed up. We have no chance of getting in there now that Red's forces have been alerted.
Kel looked at her and saw only a frightened mother and an angry mayor. "Fine. Is there anything else I should know?"
"She and Jorgan are to be wed in a few weeks."
"I'll do as you ask, but I'm going to need help."
"Kenta and her team are at your disposal. What do you plan to do?"
"Find this realmoria, then return it and Dr. Minty to Alyson. Once back, I am going to have a talk with the people who threatened her and my family."
"Understood."
"One more thing, have you and Red tried to talk things out? History teaches us that both sides end up talking no matter how many people end up dying in the process."
"What are you saying?"
"Minimize the number of dead while you have a chance."
She looked at him for a moment, then looked at two fliers perched behind him. Kel looked and saw them nodding in agreement. "Fine. I will look into it."
"I should get going. Can you contact Kenta and brief her?"
"Yes. I assume your companions can contact you about a meet up?"
"Clio and I have a special bond between us. I will know what she knows."
"Good luck, Dr. Hardy, for both our sakes."
"Copy that, Mayor."
Kel turned and walked out onto the patio. Once clear of the door, and with a wave to his escorts, he took off and headed out of the aerie the same way he had come in.
"Being a recluse is starting to look appealing again," he said to himself. Ahead, the exit loomed, beckoning him to enter its dark embrace.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kel was out of the aerie and heading back toward the city when his bracelet lit up with an arrow pointing just to the left of his current heading. He changed course, then called Clio over the sub-audible comm link. "Hey, buddy, did Furia brief you?"
"Yep, Hey, I can see you! Look down and to your left, just inside the tree line on your side of the river.
Kel squinted and saw a pair of conveyances. Next to one was a figure waving at him. He changed course to intercept.
Landing nearby, he walked over to where Clio waited for him. She had a worried look on her face. "What's up?"
She explained about Sheila and Sage. "She's terrified," Clio explained. "She thinks Zor is involved."
"That's not possible," Kel said. "Zor doesn't fit the mold. Don't get me wrong, a number of Sokuhl patriarchs were monsters, but not Zor, and I'm not saying that because he's my grandfather. I have never known him to be duplicitous in any of his dealings."
"I agree. This whole thing stinks like a pile of week-old dead fish, and Sage is at the top of the heap. You and Sheila need to talk."
"Where is she?"
"Down by the river."
"Stall Kenta for a few minutes, would you?"
"Easy-peasy."
Kel nodded, then went to find Sheila. He followed the sound of the river until he saw her standing on the shore, staring off into space. Looking around, he spied a flower. Using the scanner first, he picked it, before walking over to stand next to the young woman. So deep in thought, she didn't hear him walk up. He coughed while holding the flower so she would see it.
"Kel!" she blurted out while running into his arms. A flood of worry, guilt, and embarrassment poured from her as he held her and the flower, keeping both safe. She stopped, and pulled away slightly. "You love me?"
He showed her the flower. "Yep. By the way, the scanner says it’s safe for you to touch."
She took it from him. "Only you would use a scanner to check if a flower was safe. How can you forgive me?"
"Forgive you for what?"
"Stunning you."
"Hey, you used the lowest level that would stun me. I call that thoughtful."
"You're insane."
He nodded.
"Have you ever heard of a realmoria?" she asked
"You mean the thing Sage is searching for? Nope, never heard of it, but that doesn't mean anything. It could be something in the hidden archives, or it could be a lost relic known only to the Patriarchy. It's amazing how many secrets the government keeps 'For the safety of the people.'"
"You sound like Kenta. I was wondering where they were keeping the tin foil hats."
"I'm not that bad... Am I?" he asked with wide, puppy dog eyes
She cuffed him "Kel, Kenta is a Basili. Hell, the city's full of them. You've found your people!" She stopped, hesitating. "Are you going to stay here?"
"I wasn't planning on it. I would prefer to spend the rest of my life in my home galaxy, with the woman I love. Oh, I think that's you."
She stood on her tip toes and planted a kiss on his lips. They stood there until they were interrupted by a smiling Clio. "We need to get back to the group. I can fill you in on the way. You two good now?"
They both nodded.
"Good. There are nefarious deeds afoot, so there is no room for doubt in our hearts."
They applauded as she bowed.
The three of them returned to the others to start the second part of their journey.
###
The team stood waiting while Kenta had one more consult with Torga before briefing them. For the most part, they spent their time staring at Kel as he stoo
d behind Sheila while flexing his wings.
"You gave them a good workout, today, didn't you, Kel?" Clio asked.
"Yeah, and it felt good."
"Sir," one of the insurgents-a smaller Basili female--said, "You were born with those wings?"
He stuck one out to its full length. "No, they appeared when I hit puberty. I guess they were there before that, sort of. It took two years for them to finish developing.”
"And the tail?"
"The same."
"Damn!"
"I have a question for you," Kel said.
"Shoot," a big Sokuhl said.
"Why did you leave the home world?"
The others looked at each other. They shrugged. "According to Legend," the big Sokuhl said. "A disease ravaged the population of the home world, a disease which made the Sokuhl deathly ill, but was one hundred percent fatal to the Basili. The rulers of the home world decided to send the uninfected Basili and their families to a nearby star system where they could start a new life safe from the ravages of the disease."
"A nearby star system. How nearby?"
"The legend tells of a journey of twenty light-years."
Kel took Sheila and Clio by an arm. "Could you excuse us for a moment?" He led them to a spot out of earshot of the others. "We're not twenty light-years from the League. Hell, we're not even in the Milky Way Galaxy."
"Then where are we?" Sheila asked.
"The Large Magellanic Cloud, over 150,000 light-years from the home world."
"Excuse me? Did you say we're in the LMC?" Sheila asked. "How is that possible?"
Kel looked at Clio. "Are you going to tell us, or just let us guess?"
"Fine. The gate is probably one of my father's projects. It would explain the nisium tank. The man was never one for subtlety."
"Wait a minute, Zeus did this? Why?"
"I don't know..."
"I can guess, at least from a historical point of view."
"This I've got to hear," Clio said.
"He was lonely. The Olympians matured and no longer needed him or the other gods, so he took off to find a place populated by people who would believe in him. While here, he created a family. After that? I just don't know."
"Family? What family?" Sheila asked
"Red," Kel explained. "She's Zeus' daughter."
"We're dealing with a goddess?" Sheila asked. "A real goddess?"
"Watch it, sweetie, I'm not a can of chopped liver, you know. Anyway, her mother was a mortal Malroth which makes Red a demigoddess, like Helen of Troy or Hippolyta," Clio explained. "Since I never heard of her, I suspect no one in the family knows. My father, the immortal player."
"Does she have powers?"
"Since she was somehow involved in the Basili diaspora, I suspect she's at least partially immortal," Kel explained.
All of us goddesses were kinda task specific. I'm the history buff while my sister, Calli, was into poetry. Red? Who the hell knows? Just remember, Dad's gifts were always two-edged. Look at me; I try to teach you mortals lessons from history, but does anyone listen?"
They were interrupted by Kenta walking up. "We're ready. You three OK?"
"Shit, yeah," Clio said. "Just peachy. How are you holding up?"
She smirked. "I've done better." She looked at Kel. "Can you get Jorgan out of the Fortress?"
"I hope so. I really don't want to disappoint both you and Furia."
Kenta smiled. "Thanks. We're ready for the briefing."
A table was setup between the vehicles, a map and a diagram of the fortress laid out on it. The group gathered around it as Kenta began the briefing. Pointing to the map, she said, "We're here, at the edge of the Malroth Expanse. To the east is the Alta Aerie, and to the North is the City and the Fortress where Jorgan is being held. As we are all aware, the Fortress is virtually impenetrable, especially after our last failed attempt at breaking in."
"Sorry," Kel said with bowed head.
The group chuckled.
"Yes, well, we have a contingency plan." She picked a bag off the ground and removed a device from it. "This is the latest in single-purpose computers developed by the Malroth. It is based on a design from one of Red's labs. As it names suggests, it has only one purpose, in this case, inject a virus into the Fortress's control system. The virus will do several things. First, it will unlock all the doors in the complex. Two, it will scramble all security feeds. Three, it will remove all passwords from the system, allowing us unfettered access to the computer records."
"How do we infect the system?" Sheila asked. "Is there an external link into the system?"
"Kel. We use Kel," Kenta explained
"Kel?"
"Me?"
Kenta nodded. "The detention area is located on the top floor to allow for roof-top loading and unloading of prisoners. At the center of the level is a server room surrounded by the internal security force. Plug the device into any port in that room and voila, infection."
"Then what?" Kel asked.
"Our mission is two-fold--get Jorgan out and download Red's plans for attacking the Malroth. You find Jorgan while we steal our information and Dr. Minty searches for information about this realmoria object. Furia will have two fliers orbiting above the Fortress. They will escort you and Jorgan back to the Aerie while the rest of us escape through the city. We will rendezvous when the op is finished."
"Sheila," Kel asked. "How were you going to find the realmoria the first time you visited the Fortress?"
"Sage gave me a program which could activate a beacon. Scanner,” she asked Kel’s device, “are we still detecting the beacon?"
"No, mistress. Beacon is off-offline. This could be due to system failure or an attempt at power conservation."
"Hopefully, its location will be in the Fortress's data banks. Sheila, I'm going to be busy getting Jorgan out of the building. Can you take care of finding this artifact?"
"Of course."
Kel looked at the diagram. "Why won't they see me when I land? I'm not real good at hide and seek."
"Diversion. We have something planned that will fill the area with smoke and confusion. A number of buildings around the Fortress are empty. Several of them now contain remotely detonated pyrotechnics. You will be landing in a faux war zone. We'll be waiting for your signal by the front door of the fortress. When you're ready, we'll detonate. You'll then signal us when you place the virus."
"The front door? Kenta, are you insane?" Sheila blurted out.
"Did I forget to mention the virus will sound intrusion alarms at every entrance except the front door? My bad."
"How will we be doing all this signaling?" Kel asked. "I assume that all EM frequencies will be monitored.”
"I was hoping Clio could help with that regard."
Clio squinted at Kenta. "So, you know about me."
"I guessed since you keep going off to talk with Kel, yet we pick up nothing on our EM scanners. Red does the same thing with her aide, Chukka. Are you two related?"
"We're half-sisters. Our father was kind of a player, if you catch my drift."
"Clio, I was hoping you would join us on this OP," Kenta said.
"I was planning on it. I wouldn't dare let those two out of my sight," she said referring to Sheila and Kel. "A muse's work is never done."
Kel laughed as Sheila frowned. Clio gave her a pert smile for her trouble. "The sun is setting. I need to make a call before we go," Kel said
"A call?" Kenta asked.
"Yeah, it'll only take a second." He walked off into the growing gloom. "Scanner, record mode."
"Working... Proceed."
"This is Kel Hardy. We've arrived on site and have found Dr. Minty." He then quickly explained about Agent Sage. He finished by explaining about the Sokuhl, the Basili, the Malroth, and Red. "I will contact you as soon as we take care of this final loose end. Special note to members of my family: Beware this Sage. He is not to be trusted. Kel out. Scanner, close recording, and burst transmit."
"Wo
rking... Transmission sent."
Kel walked back to the group. "We should go. I just burst-transmitted a report to my people. I doubt Red's people even heard it, but we can't be too careful." He leaned over and gave Sheila a kiss, then winked at Clio. "I'll call when I'm in position."
"Be careful," Kenta said.
"Copy that," he replied. He stepped clear of everyone, then leapt into the air, and disappeared into the blackening night.
Sasha, the woman who was being interrogated with Sheila whistled. She looked at Sheila and smiled. "Sister, I'll take him if you don't want him."
"Sasha! Behave!" Kenta scolded the young woman.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Alex and Bryntana sat in his office and watched Kel's scanner data playback on the office's large viewer screen. "So, Dr. Hardy's mythical Basili do exist," Alex said as the data streamed by in multiple windows.
"Yeah, but that raises two questions," Bryntana said. "Why is there almost no mention of them in the Sokuhl histories and why did the century ship’s computer find it necessary to change the Basili's genetic makeup? I see no matching change in the Sokuhl's genetics. And why only the wings and tail?"
Alex stared at the data. "Something is definitely not right here," he said. "Add this to the bullshit this Sage is spewing. I think Dr. Hardy and our mining team may have inadvertently opened a large can of worms."
"I sense a triple-extra-large can," Bryntana said. "Especially with that probe rolling into the cave from the gateway. Someone on... What did Kel call that planet?"
"Arctillus."
"Somebody on Arctillus is aware of us, which means they're aware there are more than just Sokuhl running around."
"You're probably right." He leaned over and tapped the intercom. "Felicity, see if Dr. Orsi is available. I would like to speak with him."
"Yes, sir. I think I saw him talking with some of the historians. One moment."
"What are you thinking?"
"Century ships were designed to slowly prepare the colonists for their new lives. This means the computer needed to know the conditions of the destination planet. According to the data burst Kel sent us, the ship landed on an unknown planet in the Large Magellanic Cloud, over a hundred thousand light-years off course. There's no way they could have known of conditions ahead of time, not at the distance, so what was the computer doing?"