The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus

by Carolyn Davidson Hicks

  Ellead was alive and well and all cheered his recovery that day. It would be a few more days while his operations came back online, but he was well on his way to a full recovery!

  Just one week later, Ellead became fully functional and online and requested Syra the Zhian leader’s presence and Zee10 called for her right away.

  When Syra walked into the room inside Elleads main control center, one of the first questions she had was, “How did you learn of me and my name?”

  It was the first words uttered out of Ellead, and Zee10 said it was impossible for him to have overheard anything.

  This was his first initial communication with Zhianites in a very long time. The council had been his main contact for as long as he has existed.

  It had always been messages that he sent back to Zhian only and council would reply and direct him.

  But he was now urgently requesting a conversation with his supreme leader by the name, Syra.

  When Syra sat down a seat for her and James and with no others present, Ellead began to introduce himself and address his new leader.

  Greetings, I am Ellead. I was created on planet Zhian several thousand passes ago. I was created with the purpose of exploring space. To find new worlds Zhianites could live on one day as they outgrew their own planet, they could occupy others.

  Our planet needed the rare blue crystal to keep stabilized and Zerk, the leader of the council, sent me on a mission to find a planet like Zhian so that he may relocate his people there.

  An older version of me had discovered Earth back when Earth had dinosaurs roaming its land. With each replacement of me over eons I grew smarter.

  My mission was to prove Earth had developed enough and could house the Zhian race. It was far too soon during the old explorer’s time for this to take place.

  The much-needed rare blue crystal was no more, and the planet Zhian had exhausted that resource other than one last batch.

  But the real true leader of the Zhian Council and planet Zhian was always Arteemus and Allieah.

  Their seed was under protection by the entire council when they met their demise.

  But the seed of the child would not be born until such time escape from Zhian was imminent.

  This child would be the new leader, she would rise above the need for a council. She would save her people and she would be called Syra!

  Ellead became silent for a time and Syra was not sure if he was waiting on her to respond or what, when he started speaking again and she listened carefully.

  Zerk wanted to be the supreme leader and after Arteemus and Allieah’s beings had been transferred inside the council’s core they became part of all discussions for the future.

  However, they had lost all power to Zerk. Zerk became the self-appointed leader and took over Zhian.

  The will of the Zhianites was that they have Arteemus and Allieah available and this gave Zerk no other choice but keep them active within their system.

  Zerk’s intentions all along were to come to Earth and become Earths new leader. But he needed Syra to be born and she needed to be between 25 to 30 Zhian passes in age and to be trained from birth to captain a vessel that would carry her and her people to Earth.

  There was yet another very long pause in time, but Syra was not about to interrupt Ellead. His entire statement would be printed out for Syra to read later but for now, Ellead had her undivided attention.

  Before I left Zhian, Zerk ordered one of the maintenance bots that was preparing me for my long journey to remove my self-destruct mechanism and replace it with the last remaining blue crystals to be used on Earth upon Zerks arrival.

  This assured the destruction of Zhian because those crystals would have lasted indefinitely even though it was the last known batch of them.

  But Zerk needed Syra to make the first contact and to establish a home on Earth before he could take over all systems in the world. His plan was to create a one world order, his.

  I was ordered to circle Earth until the arrival of Zerk. When I finally picked up on your vessels signature in space I waited as long as I could to give you enough time to make the first contact before delivering the rare blue crystals.

  My system has not fully recovered but as soon as I can, I will call upon you once again.

  When Zerk did not contact me upon your arrival here, I assumed he had been removed from the Zhian Council and I believe that is what is in the best interest of you and your people.

  Ellead went silent once again and Zee10 looked at Syra was a sadness he had never felt before. Syra would soon learn that Zerk ordered a maintenance bot to cause the transportation pod her parents were traveling in to crash into the wall of the main tower.

  This took place not long after their child was conceived and placed in birth stasis. The future for Syra was planned several thousand passes before her actual birth took place.

  Ellead needed to shut down and complete his recovery. The visuals of Zhian and Earth along with much-needed knowledge of Elleads discoveries would soon be available in Syra’s com center within the ranch and she awaited that day with excitement!

  It was time to move on and Syra did just that. Ellead remained in the care of Zee10 and Syra went about her daily life as if nothing had ever changed. No one mentioned the council nor missed them, and this was good.

  book one

  chapter nine

  A few weeks later Syra’s com system started receiving updates. Ellead was finally able to start the most important upload of his existence. This would continue for several more weeks and Zee10 was the overseer of this operation and he stayed by Elleads side.

  Zee10 was working diligently to make sure the latest Zhian technologies were not too much on Elleads systems and so they continued to take each step slowly. At some point, Ellead would be state of the art equipment and as good or even better than new.

  With the council still in sleep stasis and under the protection of a shield, Syra would need to decide what to do with it because she did not want the council aboard her Zhian Sphere any longer than was necessary.

  Meanwhile back on Zhian Sphere, Zee10’s head bot extracted Arteemus and Allieah from the council's core; upon informing them of the current status a few others were extracted and placed n a separate core and stored away in a special place only Zee10 and Syra knew of inside the Zhian Sphere.

  At the time, Ohtron was about to lose one of his beloved bitrons. He was one of the dozens that lived inside Ohtron and each was as important as the other. Each carried out many functions as important as the other and he cared for them all deeply.

  This bitron was capable of high speeds and had a compartment for storage aboard his frame.

  But, when it came to Zee10’s attention that this Bitron was expected to soon expire, he brought this up to Zee10 and Syra and made a suggestion that neither Zee10 nor Syra were prepared for.

  But it took Ohtron to think of it for none other would be capable of making such a sacrifice in their thoughts much less carrying it out.

  That morning it was explained to Zee10 and Syra that his high-speed bitron was about to expire and could not be saved. Ohtron suggested he be ordered by Syra to carry the council in his underside and transport himself and his payload to the Earths sun!

  Ohtron was aware the preparation would take a few days, but he did stress the urgency and that time was of the essence.

  The day had finally come. Syra and James along with Zee10 gave the speed bitron just enough energy to carry out his last and final mission.

  Once the bitron was fully charged he was ordered by Syra to travel to the South Pole where the Zhian Sphere was being stored. To await Zee10’s maintenance bot to extract the Zhian Council and its core and place it inside the bitron.

  Syra went back inside the ranch house, and she and James watched from her Com systems the entire operation as a second bitron followed the first to record this history-making trip for all Zhianites to watch.

  They watched the Bitron dock at the sphere, b
e transported deep inside the sphere to the central core. Most had never seen the central core of the sphere. They had only heard of it but had few references to compare it to.

  It was the heartbeat of the sphere and they saw the resting place of their once beloved council in a lock box surrounded by a special shield. Once they confirmed the box did, in fact, hold the Zhian Council inside it, the procedure continued.

  They watched as the lockbox was placed inside of the speed bitron and sealed up. This bitron did his duty as asked of him and proudly carried his cargo out the port and up and into the sky he flew! He was recorded right up to the moment he hit the Sun’s surface and simply evaporated.

  Ohtrons other bitrons were proud of him and the way he went out. Not as pieces of machinery to be repurposed. He had made the ultimate sacrifice and would become a legend of his own.

  All the citizens cheered him on, and he would be forever memorialized as the one bitron who saved Earth!

  When all the excitement finally settled down that day, things went back to normal and everyone went back to their daily duties.

  Ellead’s memory continued to fill Syra’s system which was almost complete. Once this was done, she would need to decide what to do with him because he had many good uses.

  Syra knew she would need to prioritize so that his resources would be used for the betterment of Zhianites and all of mankind.

  Every once-in-awhile Syra would watch a portion of the visuals of Early Zhian and be amazed by how much it reminded her of what she had learned of Earth. Syra would often wonder if they had been sister planets eons ago!

  Their twins were growing up way too fast and it would soon be time for them to go to college and neither was ready for that.

  Syra and her people had been on Earth twenty years now, and all had American citizenship one way or the other.

  Their children were born here made them Americans by default. But the love for the land of which they stood and lived, grew deeper inside them with each passing day.

  Syra enjoyed the conversations she could now have with her father and mother freely.

  The twins loved the holocom unit but when they left for college, neither wanted Zhian technology with them. Little did they know, it was not on them, but all around them. Those two kids had no idea just how important they were.

  It was good to spend as much time with her parents as she could, now that she knew more about them. Syra had suspected from birth they may be holocom beings because she never saw them except in a room where the unit was displayed.

  Syra had learned a lot about her parents but also about the past so very long ago, details that even Ellead did not know. In all retrospect, Syra was like a princess conceived thousands of Earth years ago on planet Zhian, and the time of her birth chosen by her parents and council.

  One day, Syra and Zee10 were going through the data received from Ellead and found something very interesting.

  Upon questioning him about the planet he had marked on his discoveries was not that far from Earth but appeared hidden from sight.

  If Ellead had not spun around that planet out of curiosity which was what he was programmed to do, he would have missed it entirely!

  Another planet just like Earth. Exactly like Earth but had no intelligent lifeforms on it but had Earth-like plants and animals. It was a perfect place to live, but the Zhian Council and Zerk only approved of Earth because it had occupants they could rule when the time came.

  The Zhian Council had discarded that planet as a possible home, and it would have been lost to the Zhianites if it had not been for Syra going over Ellead’s discoveries.

  All Syra could think about was how selfish and greedy the entire council and Zerk were.

  This new world would need a name and when she had decided, she would announce it soon.

  The Zhian Council and Zerk had not only assured the destruction of Zhain but robbed its people of a second chance on a planet they could call their own without having to invade it first.

  That was not what Syra ever wanted but would have done whatever it took to save her people.

  Perileous E-07 on the star map was now renamed Earth II. It seemed only fitting since it had continents as did Earth. Bodies of water teaming with life in it.

  Ellead had been there and scanned the entire planet inside and out. It’s what he did, and he performed his duties well.

  That planet was the exact copy of what Earth once was, far back before man roamed its lands. It was also exactly what Zhian was Eons before that. As far as the Zhians knew and from all their research, they were the first intelligent beings to populate any planet and build a civilization. But they never figured out what the origins were of the early humans for this place called planet Earth.

  “It would be a shame to spoil Earth II’s beauty, surely we have learned something by now!” James said.

  Syra was in such deep thoughts, she had to be asked several times for her opinion!

  “I just can’t speak my darling husband,” Syra replied.

  She was humbled by the beauty of Earth II because it reminded her of Early Zhian and now of Earth and of what it once was.

  After much discussion, Zee10, Ellead, Syra, and James devised a plan.

  An expedition was in order! Ellead suggested he take a small crew of 30 men and women, volunteers of course to Earth II.

  They could carry enough supplies with them and Zhian technologies to make a home for themselves. They would send back reports continuously, so others could decide if they wanted to move there too.

  They would await the arrival of any that want to join them and help them to settle in.

  Ellead reminded Syra that he is equipped to transport many things from equipment to living beings. He existed for expeditions and with his newly upgraded systems, he was ready to be of service.

  It was agreed that a first expedition was in order and they would start the planning right away.

  It was calculated that Ellead could make a trip there and return to Earth in as little as three years if he traveled slow. Now that he was equipped with a rare blue crystal, it was truly unknown how much speed Ellead could really achieve. It would be anyone’s guess on his actual achievable time and speed.

  It was noted by Zee10 that Zhian Sphere could also perform this same task in only one year according to his calculations if not sooner. Yet, all agreed unanimously to save that option as a last resort.

  At that time, should the rest of the Zhianites choose to leave they could leave as well. Those born on Zhian, born here on Earth either from Zhianites, Earthlings or both it would be a matter of time before they too could arrive in their new world.

  Syra missed her twins desperately, and with each passing day even more. But this expedition was important if she was ever going to attempt to guarantee her peoples survival.

  Within a few months, the 30 most qualified to make the expedition were chosen. Their names would go down in Zhian Earths history and the brave ones who tackled an unknown territory.

  This expedition was done much like the ones done on Earth many years ago and Ellead and his crew used them as motivation.

  Thus, the first crew named themselves The First Pioneers of Earth II. They would engrave their names on a plaque as soon as they arrived or not long afterward.

  Ohtron volunteered his services to help scout the best spot for the new settlement and everyone agreed he would be perfect for it. Zee10 reprogramed Zee-uV and had him transported to the ranch and he also trained as co-pilot for the expedition.

  15 women and 15 men had volunteered, trained and were ready. They carried as much technology as they could with them to help build a new settlement and to have direct communications with Earth starting from day one.

  In only a few short months, Ellead was full and they were ready for take-off to Earth II.

  The building around Ellead was always a shroud so removing it happened in the blink of an eye was impressive. Sleeper pods had been installed and the crew was now tucked i
n for the long trip to Earth II.

  “God Speed!” James said, as they launched into the sky and quickly into space. “God Speed,” he said one more time with tears in his eyes to have witnessed such an event.

  Things had gotten quiet around the ranch these days after Ellead and his expedition. Some of those on that expedition had children they left behind that were now attending college in different states and understood why their parents wanted to go.

  A lot of Syra’s crew had taken this challenge. The homes of those that left were disassembled and parts stored for future use or to repurpose.

  Syra kept herself busy these days waiting on her twins to return from college and trying not to miss those that moved on to Earth II for resettlement.

  She understood far too well why they went. She too was very tempted. But she had a place here on Earth and a purpose and it was not her time to arrive on Earth II yet.

  Syra spent her time combing through all the memories and recordings Ellead had downloaded. James was using his time to run his ranch and keep up the gardening, caring for his cattle and whatever chores came his way.

  Zee10 began to look like quite a natural riding the horse of his, and James loved it every time he saw him ride it. Zee10 had named the horse Lightning. He was a beautiful dark horse with a streak of lightning down the front of his face, it somehow seemed appropriate and that horse could outrun most vehicles.

  Zee10 kept himself busy these days so as not to miss Ellead. He had gotten accustomed to his time with him but was so proud of the how much Ellead had recovered and even took the upgrade and became something so much more than what he was before.

  Zee-uV settled into the co-pilots seat and with every transmission from Ellead to Earth, which always took a while to reach Syra, he could be seen diligently running the ship. Ohtron would be sadly missed no doubt, James and Zee10 both thought to themselves.

  Luckily, Zee10 had used the replicator and would be able to call upon exact copies of Ohtron and of Zee-uV if needed. But the risk of not sending the originals was simply too great to take chances.

  As time went on, the transmissions got fewer simply because there was nothing to add. But the speed at which Ellead was traveling sometimes interfered and caused momentary lapses in the streaming, also considering the distance the transmissions had to travel to Earth. Soon the visuals stopped and went silent for some time as Syra and James waited for a reboot of the systems or something that they would be able to watch but there was only verbal contact from Ellead.