NEBULAR Collection 2 - The Expedition: NEBULAR Episodes 6 - 11

by Thomas Rabenstein

»I give you an artifact that survived the explosion of a supernova, extracted from the core of a melted space rock. A relic of a culture … extinguished when the star exploded!«

  Arkroid looked around and saw that the eyes of all the traders in the room were glued to the holos. The guardian had them under his spell …

  I wouldn’t be surprised if they use some kind of suggestive tricks, Arkroid thought.

  »Nobody knows how old this expensive piece is, because we cannot determine the material it is made from. The artifact resists all test methods and undoubtedly holds a dark secret only the new owner can unlock.«

  Arkroid smiled.

  Yeah, right!

  The Tolmekan made a brief pause before he continued.

  »Collectors who have owned this piece have suffered untimely deaths because it is like a magnet for greedy and envious people. So, listen first to my warning and prepare a safe storage place for it. If you still dare to possess this artifact then take this opportunity before it’s too late!«

  »What a shyster!« Pi grinned.

  »The Guild obtained this artifact from its last owner, who submitted it to us in his dying hours – a being from a lineage of honorable Fallakans. The object was first found inside a meteorite core on a forgotten moon near the galactic center and extracted by the original finder.«

  A murmur went through the crowd as the lights dimmed and a pedestal extended upward on the stage. Deep chimes sounded to enhance the atmosphere in the hall.

  Arkroid was more fascinated by the beings’ reactions than by the object itself; he was forced to shift his attention as Vasina clasped his arm.

  »What?« he turned around in pain and anger, then saw Vasina’s pale face. He recognized the artifact immediately as he followed her eyes toward the stage.

  »That’s impossible!« he hissed in amazement. »Is it what I think it is?«

  »Yes!« Vasina replied with a trembling voice. »One of the four missing Jamal-Combs!«

  With a swift movement, Vasina pulled her Jamal-Comb from her hair and hid it in one of her pockets.

  »We need to get that clip … whatever it takes!« she screamed hysterically at Arkroid.

  Suddenly, all Hell broke loose in the auction hall and the two hundred traders were shouting and screaming from the top of their lungs to throw in their bids. They shoved and pushed each other around fighting for better positions.

  Arkroid looked around for Scorge, but he had already plunged into the midst of the chaos on the auction floor.

  »Tell me how we’re going to do that!« Arkroid shouted at Vasina over the ambient noise level – but she was gone too!

  Arkroid threw a glance at Pi.

  »Things are getting out of control!« Pi interpreted Arkroid’s glance correctly.

  Flat-soled slow crawler

  Shug-har didn’t have any problems finding the Humans – he just followed their bio-electric aura. They were standing a bit off side in the entry lobby of one of the many auction houses. The auction was in full swing, but Shug-har didn’t give it any attention. As he had in their first encounter, he altered his skin color to be less conspicuous. Sneaking up on a prey was his second nature.

  »You don’t seem to be too interested in the offer? Why are you here then?« he asked in a friendly tone.

  Arkroid turned around and recognized Shug-har immediately, as did Pi.

  »Our companion is trading for us, we’re just observing,« Arkroid explained nervously. Without Scorge and Vasina around he felt abandoned.

  »That’s what it is, eh?« Shug-har replied mockingly and came closer, faster than Arkroid had thought..

  »My offer is still standing. You can trust me. I know every nook and cranny on Lottruun and I can give you good advice, especially if you want to buy really rare items.«

  Arkroid was suspicious about how hard Shug-har was trying to gain their trust. Nobody, especially in this place, offered his services for free.

  »Thank you, but we really don’t need your services at this time,« rebutted Arkroid, noticing how Shug-har’s skin changed to blue.

  Is he getting angry now? Arkroid asked himself.

  »You people caused quite a stir,« Shug-har tried a direct approach. »The Myzellans are acting really strange after your question period. This is unprecedented!«

  »We wouldn’t know anything about that,« declared Arkroid reservedly, trying to get through to Shug-har that he had no further interest in this discussion. Demonstratively, he turned his back to Shug-har. He had no idea how an intelligent alien being would react to that gesture. When he turned around again after a couple of minutes, Shug-har was gone.

  Lai Pi gave a sigh of relieve.

  »We better watch our backs. I don’t like that guy. He’ll give us problems if we’re not careful!« he warned.

  Arkroid thought the same.

  »Something stinks here … I think we need to vacate Lottruun as soon as we can. Maybe Vasina was right after all and we have Brotherhood agents on Lottruun. Where is she anyway? I’m getting worried,« Arkroid replied.

  Pi looked around.

  »It doesn’t take much to disappear in this chaos. Maybe she’s using her shield, doesn’t it project a disguise or cloaking field?«

  »Anything seems possible now,« Arkroid responded, deep in thought, still looking around.

  »I just hope that the sudden reappearance of the Jamal-Comb doesn’t make her do anything stupid. We’re not even sure it’s an original. I find it too coincidental that the comb was offered for sale just at the time we entered the stage. What do you think, Pi?«

  Pi pondered.

  »Can’t be a coincidence. It seems staged to me – and I mean it literally!«

  »Yupp,« Arkroid acknowledged.

  A loud scream interrupted Arkroid’s and Pi’s conversation, then a gap opened in the auction floor chaos. Arkroid couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Scorge, in a scuffle with another Shwakan. Their tentacles were flying; they pushed and wrestled each other.

  »You offspring from a nest of rotten eggs!« Scorge screamed at his opponent, who was striving to topple Scorge.

  »Our females say that you can’t mate anymore after the second round!« countered the other Shwakan. »Is that true?«

  Scorge jumped at his opponent and tore away his holozygraph.

  »You’re the one who hides behind the elders on the Day of the Shwakans while the real males are doing their mating!«

  Instead of replying, Scorge’s opponent attacked, recovering his holozygraph from Scorge.

  Not believing his eyes, Arkroid just stood open mouthed. Then he walked swiftly over to the two screaming, fighting Shwakans and tried to separate them, but was effortlessly brushed aside.

  »What’s going on here? Scorge!« Arkroid yelled, which in turn caught the attention of other beings. They wondered why a humanoid wanted to get in between two fighting Shwakans and mess with their affairs.

  »What does this ugly, smooth-skinned duoped want?« the other Shwakan screamed at Scorge.

  »He wants to save your tentacles which I will pull out in a moment … one by one!«

  »You? A son of a sand louse!« Scorge’s opponent yelled angrily and attacked again.

  More and more traders shifted their interest to the fight than the bidding on the object from the Guild. Arkroid was now in the middle of the fight and he had to move carefully not to be injured.

  »Scorge! Is that necessary?« Arkroid shouted at him, angry himself now. He had been hit by painful blows from tentacles. Finally he succeeded in separating the two from each other. Pi had arrived and was helping Arkroid in his efforts.

  »I think I’m seeing double,« Pi joked, not even sure which of the two Shwakans was Scorge. They both looked the same and had the same stature, even to the skin colors and markings.

  »What’s this all about, Scorge?« Arkroid asked. He rubbed his wrist where it had been hit. »Who is the other Shwakan and why the fight?«

  »That’s Smorge! Shame over our nest! He br
oke through the egg last and trampled on all the other egg shells, the clumsy bragum! Everyone on Hexaquotl’ knows that causes a lot of bad luck!« Scorge screamed.

  »… and you’re only alive because the nine-headed nestslurper refused to eat you because of your ugliness!« Smorge butted in. »It would have had a bad stomach ache and diarrhea if it had!«

  Arkroid was totally dumbfounded.

  »You mean, Scorge, that’s your brother?«

  Scorge slumped.

  »According to your social understandings … ye …yes!«

  Smorge wasn’t impressed by Scorge’s embarrassment.

  »I wonder why the pirates didn’t roast you over the nearest neutron star!« he continued. »The auction is over and the artifact unsold … all your fault, you home to a thousand mushroom lice!«

  Arkroid looked to the stage. Smorge was right, the Tolmekan had left the stage when the fight started between the brothers. Arkroid had lost track of the auction.

  »Who bought it?« Arkroid asked quickly. »Was it bought at all?«

  »No,« Scorge replied. »Nobody submitted the minimum bid and the Guild pulled the object from the catalogue.«

  »Thanks to you, Scorge!« Smorge raged. »It would have fit nicely into my collection onboard the Pot’Let’Urg!«

  »Huh … that’s what you think, you shell-breaker!« Scorge screamed from the top of his lungs.

  Arkroid rolled his eyes.

  »Well … so far nobody has it, right?« he added to the heated debate. The fight must have started because of the Jamal-Comb. They probably tried to out-bid each other.

  »No Shwakan interferes with the bidding by another Shwakan!« Scorge kept raging. »I opened the bids, you should have retreated. You flat-soled slow crawler!«

  »Please, Scorge, listen to me a moment!« Arkroid pleaded. »Vasina has disappeared right after you began bidding. I don’t know where she is now … I’m worried!«

  With Scorge’s viewing angle of 360 degrees, he didn’t have to turn around to search the auction hall. Most of the traders had already left seeking better deals.

  »She’s not here, she must have left the auction hall,« Scorge stated.

  »Why would she do that?« Arkroid asked in hard tones. »That makes no sense to me!«

  »I’d guess she wants the Jamal-Comb. It’s identical to the one she already has,« Pi speculated.

  »There’re two of those?« Smorge inquired.

  »None of your business!« Scorge snapped at him.

  Arkroid noticed a free interview nook and walked toward it.

  »Sort out your family affairs on your own time!« he shouted back to Scorge over his left shoulder and kept walking. »I’ll find out for myself! Pi, if anything happens, retreat immediately to the Yax K’uk’Mo’. Is that clear?«

  Pi looked at the two Shwakans, but nodded sourly.

  As soon as Arkroid entered the interview nook, the ambient noise level disappeared, replaced with white noise …

  The energy field … it seals me from the outside!

  Terminate the Myzel

  »Did you find out if these visitors arrived on the same ship in the reports?« a voice asked from the receiver.

  Shug-har ducked his head respectfully as he heard the voice from the Guild headquarters.

  »I was able to identify the female humanoid, but her companions have a slightly different aura, as if they belong to a different people.«

  »Are you certain you can rely on your senses in this case?« the unknown voice asked.

  »Absolutely!« Shug-har replied quickly. »However, the female has vanished. The last time I saw them, only the two males were there.«

  The unknown voice was silent for a pause.

  »The female is not to make contact with the Myzellans again! You will not allow another interview to happen!«

  Shug-har shrank even more.

  »I’m afraid it’s too late for that,« he replied mutedly, turning pink.

  »Then make sure that the aliens yield no more information to the Myzel. Plant false information if you must, to confuse the Myzellans. Go down to their world and terminate the Myzel if you see no other way. We have attached special instructions on how to do so. We will take care of the Shwakan ship after they have left Lottruun. Our friends are already on standby.«

  Shug-har acknowledged, copied the attachment and left the secret comm-room. The assignment suited him well, even satisfied him – it favored his hunting instincts.

  Shug-har went to his task immediately, and entered the wet zone via one of the contact nooks. He swam with powerful strokes and adapted his skin colors to his environment, becoming almost invisible. The Guild would be satisfied. He never doubted that he’d succeed.

  A dark shadow

  Arkroid didn’t have to wait long for a reaction from the Myzellans. Seconds later after he had entered the interview nook, he saw the silver reflections in the water before him, approaching fast.

  Gnorrbarrt! Arkroid thought, relieved.

  It seemed as if the Myzellan had been waiting for him.

  Gnorrbarrt recognized Arkroid and came very close to the divider.

  »I’m glad to see you,« Gnorrbarrt said via the translation device. »I hope we can continue our conversation.«

  Arkroid only nodded.

  »I was looking for another contact myself, Gnorrbarrt. I need to ask you some very important questions.«

  Gnorrbarrt looked at Arkroid for a couple of seconds without retreating from the divider.

  »I appreciate an open discussion. I enjoy talking to you, Arkroid,« he replied diplomatically.

  »Please listen to me,« Arkroid requested impatiently. »Something’s happened for which I can’t find an explanation. I need your help.«

  »I think we have the same goal, Arkroid. I, also, am looking for answers,« Gnorrbarrt replied.

  »No, I don’t think you understand,« Arkroid threw in quickly. »I’m worried about the well-being of our female companion. Vasina has disappeared and I have the feeling that only you can tell me where she could be.«

  Gnorrbarrt’s tone changed and it seemed as if he was smiling at Arkroid.

  »I understand your worries, but that’s not important at the moment. Most important is that the Myzel has formed a bigger picture based on your information.

  Arkroid became impatient and made his voice louder.

  »I’m sorry, to me it’s more important to find out where Vasina is! I will not continue any conversation until I know what happened to her. What does the term Myzel mean, anyway? Is that your government, or an authority that in your name?«

  »The Myzel is our collective brain,« Gnorrbarrt corrected Arkroid. »Do not worry about the Progonaut woman. She is safe!«

  Arkroid froze.

  »She told you her identity, she shouldn’t have done that!« Arkroid replied in shock.

  »You are wrong. She told us nothing. The Myzel deduced it. We recognized her Jamal-Comb and correlated her statements with knowledge we have possessed for many hundred-thousands of years.«

  »You offered the second Jamal-Comb at the auction to get her reaction and then lured her!«

  »Only partially true, Arkroid,« Gnorrbarrt assured him. »We don’t want anything bad happening to you or your companions. Our goal is merely to expand our understanding of the universe.«

  »Where is she?« Arkroid persisted determinedly.

  »She has agreed to an intensive interview in return for our knowledge about the Progonauts. She was transported to Coip-Pertyl via the planetary elevators and is under the Myzel’s protection.«

  »Where did you get that Jamal-Comb?« Arkroid asked excitedly. »Is it a fake, or the original?«

  »The comb was given to us a long time ago and stored on the bottom of our ocean. It was one of five. Now there are two again!«

  »Who is the polyp-like being who’s always after us and asking questions? Is he working for you?« Arkroid pushed. »He says, he’s a trader, trying to offer us his services. I don’t beli
eve him – I think he’s a spy!«

  »I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that. We have many visitors on Lottruun who could fit your description. I can’t answer your question,« Gnorrbarrt admitted.

  Arkroid moved closer to the water divide and submerged his right arm and shoulder into the water. Gnorrbarrt moved back in surprise.

  »You cannot live in my environment. What are you doing?«

  »I’m coming to you! You will bring me to Vasina and the Myzel. I want to see for myself that she’s well,« Arkroid replied sternly, not allowing for rebuttal.

  Determinedly he entered the wet zone completely and held his breath for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath. He had been right that his personal energy shield would protect him, not only in the vacuum of space but also under water, supplying the necessary oxygen and compensating for the higher water pressure.

  »I’m fine. I can find my way around in your environment!« Arkroid asserted, as he slowly swam toward Gnorrbarrt. »I also live in the ocean on my world and I’m used to the water.«

  Gnorrbarrt’s resemblance to a sea horse could not be overlooked. Arkroid reached for Gnorrbarrt’s back fin and he understood at once what Arkroid wanted from him. Gnorrbarrt didn’t move away and instead pulled Arkroid with him. Both dived deeper into the Myzellan environment and living spaces. After a while, Arkroid’s eyes became used to the diffuse lighting underwater. The cloudy water absorbed the incoming light from the interview nooks almost completely. He could still see many details around him.

  This section of Lottruun offered an entirely different view than the dry zone. Arkroid swam with Gnorrbarrt through rooms and spaces that resembled underwater cave systems. Some spaces were outfitted with technical equipment. The Myzellans had never developed any technology, Arkroid knew; the equipment must have been installed by the Guild. They stopped before an oval entrance.

  »This is the entrance to one of the many planetary elevators leading to Coip-Pertyl. It is normally taboo to outsiders. We want to preserve and maintain our living space for ourselves without outside influence. Such is the wish of the Myzel on which we all depend. Your visit to Coip-Pertyl is a privilege and an honor.«