“Can you believe this?” Alex asked. Kutch shook his head. “I think I remember this pot and exactly where I last saw it.”
Alex set the pot back down on a flat rock as though that was exactly the place it should be. “We should be looking for the beacon.”
“Yes--yes we should. I think I remember a trail from here leading up that way,” Kutch pointed.
Alex checked her coordinates on the beacon up the canyon. The signal was a little stronger, but not by much. The beacon was, at least, in the general direction Kutch was pointing. “That way is the right direction,” Alex confirmed. “During the winter season, the days will be shorter--we only have a few hours to search.”
Kutch took one last look at the rock-slide area before they both disappeared into the thick tree line on a path toward the beacon.
*** Reed and Toolkit decided to follow the Elvonians up the canyon to locate the beacon. Kutch and Alex had just reported they were currently following a path up as well, and neither Reed, nor Toolkit wanted to be left behind if they found the entry to the clans in the mountain.
The snowy mix soon became a heavy, wet snow after only a few hundred meters, following a narrow path that traced the edges of a river flowing out from the depths of the mountain. The elevation gain was minimal at first, but the pocket of cold, dense air coming down from the mountains and out of the canyon, drove the temperature down, along with the snow level.
As they followed the Elvonians tracking the beacon with an enhanced sensor array, the trail became harder to see, covered in a thickening layer of snow. Reed and Toolkit followed the foot steps of the Elvonians, but without realizing, were falling further, and further behind.
The trail followed a natural ridge along the side of the mountain, and away from the river below, then opened up into a large, flat clearing. The heavy snowfall was covering the tracks faster than Reed and Toolkit could follow. They lost sight of the Elvonians’ trail before they got half-way across the clearing.
“Can you see them?” Reed asked Toolkit. Toolkit adjusted his visual sensors, adding several side bandwidths, including infrared and ultraviolet and scanned the tree line several meters away. “Try the coms,” Toolkit offered, as he continued to make more visual adjustments. There was an interference coming from somewhere, but he couldn't determine where.
::Kutch--Alex?:: Reed transmitted, although all he could hear back was a static-like crackle. “Did you get their names?” Reed asked.
“Of course--Kutch and Alex!”
“No! The Elvonian guys--”
“Oh...I never asked,” Toolkit admitted.
Reed thought a moment. “Me either.” ::ELVONIAN
GUYS!:: Reed transmitted, but the return signal was only a crackle. “I'm not getting anything visually through all this interference and snow fall,” Toolkit offered.
“ELVONIAN GUYS!” Reed yelled. The sound of his voice seemed to be swallowed up in the thick, falling snow.
::Pia are you getting any readings?::
::Too much outside interference,:: Pia replied with concern.
“I'm not getting any heat signatures,” Toolkit reported. “I would think I would be able to see the Elvonians out there somewhere, as cold as the temperature is for a backdrop.”
“ELVONIAN GUYS!” Reed tried again in a different direction. Again, his voice appeared to be absorbed by the thick, heavy-falling snow flakes.
“Try the shuttle,” Toolkit suggested, as he scanned all directions for any heat signatures.
::Shuttle pilot--:: Reed stopped. “Did you get her name?” Reed asked Toolkit.
“Uh--”
::No functional signal available,:: Pia affirmed.
“Never mind--we're only getting static,” Reed answered dejected.
“Well, I'm getting some heat signatures now--”
“Great! The Elvonians--where are they? Which way?”
“Umm...there,” Toolkit pointed out toward the tree line.
Reed looked hard, but could not see much through the thick, snow. “There?”
“And--over there,” Toolkit pointed a few degrees to the left.
“What?”
“And--there,” Toolkit pointed again a few more degrees to the right.
“How many?”
Toolkit turned around and kept pointing in new directions. “There, and there and--”
Reed caught a glimpse of movement, low at the tree line, several meters away. “The Elvonians?”
“I don't think so,” Toolkit offered. “There and over there. I think that's nine total.”
“Who are they? Earth humans from the clans?” Reed asked, holding hope.
“As I understand it, on average, the Earth humans are very large, like Hyak,” Toolkit stated, continuing his search for more heat signatures.
“Generally,” Reed agreed.
“These are small.”
“Oh--how small?”
“Smaller than Hyak--larger than us,” Toolkit calculated.
“Larger?” Reed felt a little unsure.
“And they are definitely encircling us,” Toolkit updated his visual report.
Reed stepped closer to Toolkit and took a slow scan of his own all around. There were dark shapes moving out of the tree line from all directions, and it didn't help that the snow appeared to be coming down even harder. “Any ideas who they are?” Reed asked.
“I'm thinking not a who, but a what--”
“WHAT then?” Reed hissed through his departing patience and growing concern.
“One of the indigenous animal life-forms Kutch and Alex talked about?” Toolkit guessed.
“Right. Kutch mentioned some of them were friendly,” Reed remembered.
“Some--” Toolkit said, standing very still.
“Are these the friendly kind?” Reed asked as he looked to the same direction Toolkit was facing. One of the dark shapes had approached without a sound, to within only a few meters. The animal was on four legs, covered in thick silvery-white fur, with brown and black streaks down its back, and a long bushy fur-covered tail. Its eyes were a bright yellow that held a steady, intimidating, fixed-gaze, directly at Reed and Toolkit. The long teeth and deep growling noise, answered Reed's question.
“I don't think so,” Toolkit whispered his best guess.
*** “I can't get through to either of them,” Kutch complained.
“My logistics AI is having difficulty getting any kind of a signal through all this interference,” Alex affirmed. “If this snow gets any thicker and comes down any harder, we'll need to turn back.”
“We've been through worse,” Kutch quipped.
“Sure, but THAT was downhill,” Alex argued.
“Well, turning back would be downhill, but I'm not so certain I'd want to traverse that last part of the trail we just climbed--that was steep AND slick the first time. That won't be any less slick for the return trip. A fall from there won't be as soft as it was on Mars either,” Kutch concluded. “I say we push on, find the clans. Besides, Li probably already knows we're on our way and is looking for us too.”
“You're probably right,” Alex relented, then turned when she thought she heard something.
“What’s the matter?” Kutch asked.
“I'm not sure. I thought I heard something,” Alex answered still looking out over the canyon from their high position on the side of the mountain.
“What did it sound like?”
“Yelling--or screaming, I'm not certain which.”
“Maybe someone from the clans is searching for us?”
“Maybe,” Alex said, trying to listen for the sound again.
“Let's keep going,” Kutch suggested, and gestured toward the small beacon scanner in her hand.
Alex checked the coordinates and direction. “That way,” she pointed. Kutch nodded and led the way.
***
Part 6
The sleek class D shuttle was the first of the four craft to exit the Interstellar Gate located at Mars Solar Sys
tem, passing several long rows of staged Galactic class freighter-chains, waiting to depart for destinations hundreds, and even thousands of light-years away. Each chain of freighters reached over one hundred kilometers in length.
Cain made the connections to all media outlets and every communications channel available, throughout the Mars solar system and points beyond, taking down all scheduled programming and interrupting communications with visuals of the four craft arriving. He wanted to make sure, without question, everyone would become very much aware of his arrival, and who, exactly, was now in charge.
::Target the Galactic class freighter-chains,:: Cain ordered to the K'nal's on the other ships through the necklaces. ::Standby--::
::Standing by--:: several replies returned from all three freighters and the shuttle.
As the last Class C freighter passed from the Interstellar Gate, Cain made the order. ::NOW!::
Long tubular cross-sections of vital areas on each of the Galactic freighter sections vanished, one after another, exposing structurally-delicate components to the vacuum of space. The collapse of internal integrity began a chain-reaction of violent explosions along each chain of Galactic freighters. The Class D shuttle and three Class C freighters proceeded to full-thrust, escaping the everexpanding blast radius and chaos behind. Their new course was straight for Mars.
Cain changed the view transmissions to one of himself, seated upon his large, bone throne replica of the original in Drelund. He was wearing his full ceremonial battle armor, bone and golden-metal breastplate with a long red leather cape made from the skins of conquests and honored Trupes. He had shaved the bulk of his head, exposing the many scars from the removal of lumps, and gathered the remaining long red hair to a tail from the back of his head. A style he had liked while inhabiting Hyak, of the NorWes clans.
“I AM Lord Cain, Master of Corporate, God of Realms!” His volume was accentuated through the broadcast. “I am coming for you Corporate and will take my rightful place as SUPREME ruler! I WILL tear you apart! ALL WILL bow down before ME! Worship ME! FEAR ME!”
*** “Are we back, Amanda? I think we're back,” Joel asked getting confirmation from his AI and producer of the number one-rated, mid-managers, Corporate talk-news of the 22:00 hour, in the 24-hour programming schedule. His multi-colored jacket had shoulder points to one side, and his matching colored hair pointed to the opposite side. His extreme style was part of the popularity of the show.
“I'm getting confirmation, Joel--we're back live,” Amanda confirmed with data from her AI producer. “Welcome back to 'Corp-Talk 22,' sponsored by the JJX-99 Power Bar and Nuke-Glow Gel-Cap100's, Production Boost in a Gel-Cap'--now 100 strength.” Amanda spoke with a never-ending smile. Her outfit was the exact mirror of Joel's, duplicating everything including her pointed hair.
“What WAS THAT?” Joel asked as his program producers pulled up a freeze holograph of a portion of visual that had interrupted their regular scheduled programming.
“I'm not sure, Joel--but our producers are confirming we were not the only ones interrupted,” Amanda explained.
“Apparently the interruption was across all
communications channels,” Joel agreed. “Are you able to make any particular details in that visual?” Joel pointed to the holographic projection still shot.
Amanda shook her head. “Nothing clear, although I think the audio--yes, my AI is confirming now--the audio is a variant of Elvonian, Joel--if you can believe that? We're getting a translation now.”
“ME...LOUD Cain...Main Corporate...good--real!” A secondary producer AI translated and vocalized with gusto, in an attempt to mimic the original audio.
“Wow, Amanda, that makes no sense to me at all. You?”
“None whatsoever, Joel. And the rest is not translating
any better...”
“Amanda, I can't help but feel this is some kind of
promotional stunt,” Joel quipped.
“Joel, I'm not seeing any product placement, what's
the promotion?”
“Elvonian?”
“It does seem odd enough,” Amanda agreed. “What's
the angle?”
“My AI producer just reminded me, there was the
recent Corporate Security news release, after the
Corporate Security Detention Order on all Elvonians had
been dropped, due to high-level Corporate contractual
agreements.”
“That would be a pretty bold stunt, Joel. The visual is
vague, distorted with absolutely no AI telemetry, and the audio translation is not much better--I think they needed more development time, and a much larger focus group
budget, before going mainstream,” Amanda criticized. “And, we're still not getting any clear data on a
sponsor or product placement,” Joel added. “Unlike the
last two minutes of Corp-Talk 22, brought to you by the
'Mx2 Sport Sled Deluxe, When You Need More, Go Mx2,'”
Amanda announced with fervor.
The programming view cut to a dramatic head shot of
Joel. “Coming up next hour, the NEW Corp-Talk 23,
'Elvonian Stunt Discussions,' presented by ProSec Jumps,
work jumpers that keep your AI safe from going Free
Radical--Have you been arguing with your AI lately? Don't
take the chance--try ProSec Jumps! A product from a
division of Corporate Security, 'Keeping you SAFE and
SECURE.'”
*** Jerry covered the main control panel wall of the Power Coupling Substation, Maintenance Facility, Lat15-New Mosc, with several holographic entertainment channels, along with several regular communications channels, to see if there were any other interruptions by the strange transmission.
“What was THAT?” Chuck asked Jerry, setting up a repeating cycle of the strange visual.
Jerry shook his head. “It looks like someone sitting on a pile of broken plumbing, but I don't see a piping maintenance sponsor.”
“What's that he's wearing?” Chuck asked.
“Looks like something shiny--is he wearing a metal plate? Who would do something like that?”
“Corp-Talk 22 says it's Elvonian,” Chuck offered, still cycling through different channels for more information.
“Elvonian? I don't think I've ever even seen one of them in person--they look like THAT?” Jerry asked.
“I saw one at a transportation station once, but that one sparkled--different colors. Still hard to look at, much like this one,” Chuck explained.
“What are you two talking about?” Joey asked as he stepped out from the waste closet. “What was all that strange noise?”
“Elvonians,” Jerry offered.
“Elvonians?”
“Corp-Talk 22 says so,” Chuck answered. “There's a new program coming up to explain all the details on CorpTalk 23.”
“Well, you two can tell me all about it when I get back next shift. I'll see ya in 48,” Joey said as he headed out to the division snow-glider for a ride back to a small residential complex supplied by Corporate for the regional facilities employees.
“Yeah, you go on--we'll figure it out ourselves.” Chuck gave Joey a sarcastic wave.
“That translation, 'ME...LOUD Cain...Main
Corporate...good--real,' I wonder if that has anything to do with that Corp8 Security agent that was here? Agent Lieutenant Real--remember him?” Jerry asked.
“How can I forget? You never stop talking about him! Not everything has to do with that Corp8 agent!” Chuck argued.
“It might--”
“That was over seven fiscal years ago, Jerry,” Chuck reiterated.
“I still got my retinal scans of the interview. I was famous!”
“You weren't famous!”
“I was too! I got three hundred shares for my retinal scan interviews,” Jerry boasted.
“And what good has that done you?”
“I'm saving
up for one of them new ProSec jumpers that came out,” Jerry explained.
“Jerry, have you been arguing with your AI?”
“No--”
“Have you EVER argued with your AI?”
“No, but you heard what they said, and I don't want to take the chance--I want to be SAFE and SECURE!”
*** Anthony was too stunned to react right away, as Presley1285 recycled the interruption for review. “This signal interrupted virtually every entertainment channel, information channel, and communications channels throughout Corporate, and possibly Duissis,” Presley1285 explained.
“That was CAIN?” Anthony asked, still unsure as to what he had just witnessed. He was able to discern a figure seated on an odd, enlarged, seating arrangement, wearing strange garments, speaking a form of Elvonian, but what he was saying didn't make a whole lot of sense.
“Our preliminary analysis shows affirmative,” Presley1285 assured.
“Duissis too?”
“We're still checking,” Presley1285 corrected. “The signal looked terrible. Am I correct--there was no
AI telemetry?”
“Our analysis concurs,” Presley1285 agreed. “Then no one--”
“His signal was virtually a distorted blur at best, for
nearly all of Corporate,” Presley1285 confirmed. “His Elvonian dialect was horrible--”
“He appeared to be speaking a slightly different
dialect from what has been documented from the clans in the NorWes,” Presley1285 explained. “Does Corporate have any current translators for that dialect?”
“It would appear not, as the translations from various programs, differing commentators and analysts seem far removed from our understanding of what was said,” Presley1285 explained.
Anthony sat back in his lounging cube, still feeling a bit in shock. “Current heading?”
“The four ships appear to be tracking a course for Mars,” Presley1285 reported.
“ETA?”
Birth Of A Goddess Page 24