Gracie - Box Set #6, Part 2 of Ever After [an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel]

by Robert Iannone

  “If I may finish the thought? How very stupid of me. Bree, the creature had not made any threatening moves. My ill-conceived notion of gallantry could have caused our deaths.” To his wife, he said, “Never send a man to do a woman’s job . . . or a Sister’s job at any rate.”

  Egg bent over and kissed her husband. “Well said and duly noted.”

  “Analysis complete,” interrupted the medical unit.

  “Specify.”

  “Three ribs sustained hairline but non-displaced fractures.”

  “Recommendations?”

  “Wrap tightly in elastic bandage. Administer mild pain suppressors. Refrain from all physical activity for two weeks. Longer if required.”

  “All activities?” asked the Prince.

  “Confirmed.”

  “Well, that’s a bummer,” he replied in his best earth vernacular. “Sorry, my dearest, but I do believe the honeymoon is over.”

  “Not a chance, my liege. You now have a doctor’s note to postpone your contractual obligations for a fortnight. After that, I expect you to make up for lost time.”

  “If you two don’t stop right now, I’ll get the ‘doc’ to give you both sedatives.”

  “Sorry Bree.”

  “EGG,” came a scream over the intercom. “That thing is attacking Skotti.”

  “Sparky, beam me down now.”

  “No,” cried her husband to the fading image of his wife. “Bree, help me up. I need to get to the control room to monitor the proceedings.”

  “Benny . . .”

  “Please don’t argue. Fetch Serenity’s wheelchair. If she’s using it, push her out.” The man was deadly serious.

  “Stay put. I’ll be back quickly.”

  *****

  Egg materialized inside the Sanctum. The monster was on its side under a small pile of rubble. Skotti was kneeling next to it – apparently trying to move the debris off the creature’s body.

  “Are you all right? What happened?”

  “Give me a hand with this.” He was trying to move one rather large rock.

  Egg did as she was told. Together, with a great effort, they succeeded. “What’s going on?”

  “He had just fed on the light saber then looked up at me . . . and began giving off an explosion of flashing lights. It charged and I thought I was about to come to a heroic end. But he knocked me out of the way as the ceiling began to collapse,” and the young man pointed up. “Instead of burying me . . . well, you can see what happened.”

  “This creature was trying to save you? Why?”

  “First, he thanked me for giving him the laser. Apparently, it had been awhile since its last meal. I guess he was trying to repay me for my kindness.”

  “Wow. That was pretty unexpected.”

  “Oh good. I thought it was just me that thought it was weird.”

  “Skotti. Skotti.”

  “Hey girl . . . I’m good. No injuries, but our friend down here is hurt.”

  “Friend?”

  “He saved my life. Now we need to save his.”

  “Sparky, beam the three of us to sick bay. First, make sure my husband is moved out. Don’t want to scare the blue out of his skin.”

  “Dearest, I heard that.”

  Egg smiled. “Hi sweetheart. Feeling better? Hope the pain pills aren’t making you hallucinate.”

  “Ah, you’re quite right. I could have sworn I heard you say something that was demeaning to my manhood.”

  “Silly man. When it comes to your man . . .” but the rest was cut-off when Bree reached across Serenity and hit the transporter switch.

  “Don’t want to hear it. I really don’t.”

  *****

  “Apparently that creature saved Skotti’s life.”

  Kon’dor was as stunned as everyone. “Your compatriot fed this thing with a beam of concentrated light for which it thanked him. Then to show its appreciation, it risked being killed in order to save the young man. How very extraordinary. Please tell Egg that she was correct and I was in the wrong.”

  Bree liked the fact that this man would apologize considering all that he had been through. “You’ll find that our dear leader is like no other individual you’ll ever meet . . . no disrespect to L’elle.”

  “BreeZee . . .”

  “Please, just Bree.”

  “As you wish. Bree, I lost L’elle a very long time ago. It has taken me many, many years to come to grips with that. But, I have. No need to defer to her memory . . . though I do appreciate the courtesy.”

  “May I ask you a personal question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Have you found . . . that is to say . . . have you, um . . .” she just couldn’t speak the words.

  “If you’re asking have I found someone else, the answer is no. I haven’t felt the need.”

  “Oh.”

  “May I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is there someone in your life?”

  The girl actually blushed at the communicator. “No.”

  “Why?”

  “I just never found my soulmate like you did.”

  “And you would never settle for something less, would you?”

  “No.”

  “Bree, I don’t mean to sound impertinent, but I find myself looking forward to meeting you in person. Am I being presumptuous?”

  Her blush deepened. “No, Kon’dee. Not at all.”

  *****

  The Rak’nex lay passively on the floor since the hospital bed was too small by half for its large body. The auto-doc was doing its best to analyze the alien.

  “Here you go; your very own human-to-giant-bug talking machine,” and Serenity handed one to both Egg and Skotti.

  “How does it work?” asked Egg.

  “Just hold that red button and talk. The universal translator will convert speech to light patterns.”

  Egg walked over to the creature. “Can you understand me?” The device twinkled the message.

  “Greetings,” came the mechanical voice through the translator.

  “Are you in pain?”

  “Negative.”

  “Can you tell me what type of injury you received?”

  “No injuries. Depleted energy reserves.”

  “Skotti, point that laser beam at it. Serenity, can you come up with an electronic doohickey that continuously emits a laser light for it to consume?”

  “I’ll work on it. Jax’x, meet me in the lab.” Asking the other girl for help was so unlike Sparky that Egg’s eyes went wide in surprise. The gesture went unnoticed.

  Egg turned back to the creature. “Is the light helping?”

  “Affirmative. Gratitude.”

  “Bree, are you getting this?”

  “I am.”

  “Be sure to relay it to Kon’dor. At some point these two will have to talk to each other. Both will have to set aside their past experiences and concentrate on the here and now.”

  This time Kon’dor, duly chastised, responded. “Understood.”

  Back to the creature, Egg said, “My name is Egg. The male holding the light is Skotti. He thanks you for saving his life.”

  “He showed kindness. I repaid it.”

  “Do you feel well enough to talk?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Do you have a name?”

  “Ix’nay.”

  Egg had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the ‘Pig-Latin’ she just heard. She wanted to ask if it was a he or a she but felt too embarrassed to do so. “Are you alone or are there others of your kind on this world?”

  “Only I survived.”

  “And the rest?”

  “One in three died on impact. The others died from lack of nutrients weakened by poor atmospheric conditions.”

  “Why did you attack the Sky’lords?”

  “What are Sky’lords?”

  “The inhabitants of this world.”

  “We have encountered no Sky’lords.”


  “They took refuge in the Reverie Glass.”

  “What is Reverie Glass?”

  “That arch you saw down in the cavern. The one you seem intent on finding.”

  “The Cognitron.”

  Egg looked at Skotti for help. He addressed Ix’nay. “Did you invent the device?”

  “Negative.”

  “But it’s important to you?”

  “Without it, my people will suffer unimaginable harm.”

  “It’s not a weapon – something you fear?”

  “Weapon? Negative. It forces the Rak’nex to sentience.”

  “Say what?” That was Egg.

  But Skotti’s response was “Ah. That makes much more sense.”

  Both the Prince and Kon’dor responded simultaneously with “why?”

  “To exit the Glass, all you have to do is picture yourself on the outside. I thought that was very odd to say the least. But if the Glass is forcing someone to sentience it makes perfect sense. Only someone who is self-aware – of themselves and where they are - can do that. It’s the final test for these . . . um, people. If you can’t think your way out, you haven’t achieved sentience.”

  Egg turned to Ix’nay. “Really?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “If you didn’t invent the Cognitron, who did?”

  “The Mentorians.”

  “Why would they create such a device in the first place?”

  “They were great scientists. It was an experiment.”

  “What happened to these Mentorians?”

  “Destroyed. Enemy unknown.”

  Skotti picked up the line of questioning. “So you went looking for the Cognitron and found everything destroyed. But, you discovered the device had been taken away. You were able to track them and followed them to this world. Is that right?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Why didn’t you land and try to negotiate the return of the device?” This time it was the voice of Kon’dor.

  “We attempted communication with your fleet but without success. When one of your ships flew into our path, we diverted our ships to avoid injury. Later, our attempt at landing was disastrous. This world has insufficient magnetic radiation and we could not reduce speed. We crashed. We searched for inhabitants to make amends for any damage we may have inflicted but found no one. We then began our search for the Cognitron. I had given up hope for my people.”

  “Ix’nay, we will return the Reverie . . . the Cognitron to you once we have exited it. My people did not know its significance or its rightful owner. On behalf of all Sky’lords, I apologize.”

  “Gratitude. Infinite gratitude.”

  Chapter 2 – Kon’dee

  “It will take weeks, at the very least, to repair the damage to the iris mechanism. All other solutions will take even longer to devise and execute.”

  “No, no Serenity, that’s not satisfactory,” complained Bree. Waiting that long to finally meet Kon’dor was totally unacceptable. All the others smiled knowingly – even the unseen Sky’lord.

  The Rak’nex who was also privy to the conversation asked, “Proposition, if permissible?”

  Everyone turned to look at the giant bug with surprise (an innate prejudice of humanoid beings who considered all other life forms inferior). Without realizing how demeaning she sounded, Egg asked, “Do you understand the problem we’re trying to solve?”

  “Affirmative. Inability to sever power source to the Cognitron.”

  “Right. The mechanism that controls the iris was destroyed. We have no way to turn off the big lens.”

  “Apologies. Incorrect statement.”

  Egg couldn’t help but grin (while Serenity glared nonplussed). Apparently, the giant bug could outthink Sparky and her sidekick Jax’x. How fun. “What do you suggest?”

  “Apply a reflective coating.”

  The solution was insanely simple and lower than low tech. Egg and Skotti burst out laughing while Sparky mumbled something unintelligible. Jax’x growled.

  “What say you, my resident smarties?” chided Egg.

  “Shut-up.”

  Jax’x was a little less rude. “Not very elegant.”

  “I think it’s brilliant,” said the grease monkey. “Well done, Ix’nay.”

  The creature bowed its head then asked, “Additional proposition?”

  “Absolutely. What else you got?”

  “Inspect the Cognitron before severing power. Much seismic activity. Damage possible.”

  “Excellent suggestion since Kon’dor has said that he cannot exit the device by any means. However, if it is damaged, we have no way of repairing it,” said the Prince.

  “Incorrect.” That got everyone’s attention.

  “How so?” asked Egg.

  “Ix’nay is knowledgeable. Countless cycles of training by the Mentorians.”

  “You’re an expert on this technology?” asked Skotti.

  “Affirmative.”

  “Do you understand the science of it?” The young man was as excited as the proverbial kid in the candy store.

  “Affirmative.”

  “Can you explain . . .”

  “NO. Skotti, now’s not the time. There are eight thousand people waiting to be rescued.”

  “Sorry, Egg. Guess I got carried away.”

  “Understandable in a mysterious and mostly unfathomable sort of way.” To the bug she said, “Let’s go take a look if you’re feeling up to it.”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Let me go too,” requested Skotti. “I might be able to help.”

  “And me.” Egg turned to BreeZee who continued with, “I think I should be there when Kon . . . when the first Sky’lords exit the Glass.”

  Feeling a bit playful, Egg asked, “Kon’dor, what say you to my sister’s request?”

  “EGG,” cried Bree embarrassed. But she giggled when he answered with, “Not to sound ungrateful or petulant, but if BreeZee isn’t there to greet me, I won’t come out and you can’t make me.” He definitely had a sense of humor.

  “Well, then that’s settled. Okay butterfly girl, you’re with us. Serenity, how long to coat the lens?”

  She mumbled something.

  “Say that again?”

  “Fifteen minutes . . . maybe less. Probably less.”

  Egg chose not to laugh.

  *****

  The four materialized in front of the arch holding the mysterious Reverie Glass . . .

  Skotti, the ever-curious engineer, went up the steps to get a close-up look. He had to kick a few stones and accumulated rubble out of the way. Unseen in the detritus, was the broken intensity control unit.

  “So you just walk in?”

  “Yes,” responded the Rak’nex.

  “I know Egg doesn’t want to get into a full discussion of the physics of this thing, but I have to ask one question.”

  Egg scowled. “Just one.”

  “And make it fast,” added Bree whose heart was pounding so hard she knew everyone could hear it.

  “Ix’nay, why did they design this thing to stop time if its primary function was to bring your people to sentience?”

  The disembodied voice of Kon’dor agreed. “Good question? I would like to hear the answer also.”

  “Because a young Rak’nex could take many cycles before they became self-aware. The Mentorians did not want to waste a child’s most formative years. It would prove counter-productive.”

  “So they simply stopped time! Just amazing.” Skotti was awed.

  “Ix’nay, please finish your inspection,” semi-demanded BreeZee.

  “Affirmative.” The big bug walked completely around the Arch. When he re-appeared, he said, “No malfunction detected.”

  This time it was Egg who was curious. “How do you know that”?

  “The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Cognitron conforms to specifications.”

  Well that was helpful. NOT. Egg turned to Skotti.

  “He’s saying that the green lig
ht we see is doing what it’s supposed to be doing.”

  “Oh. He should have just said that,” but she didn’t communicate that thought to the Rak’nex. “So, can we turn off the power?”

  “Affirmative.”

  Bree didn’t realize that she was squeezing her own hands so hard that it was leaving a mark. Then she began to panic. “No, wait. Wait.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “What happens if he doesn’t like me? If he thinks I’m ugly?”

  Kon’dor heard the question since she had forgotten to turn off her communicator. “Bree, please don’t think I’m so shallow as to put physical attractiveness above internal beauty.”

  “Wow, that was sweet.”

  “Shut up, Jax’x. You’re not helping.”

  “I wasn’t trying to help,” came the snide response.

  “Ok, ok. I’m going to step to the side so that I’m the last person you see. Maybe seeing the others first will make me look more attractive.” She was kind of, sort of kidding.

  “Hey, that was hurtful.” Skotti smiled as he said it. “Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”

  “Good one, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks love,” he called back to Sparky.

  “I hate you all,” said Bree as she walked to the side of the arch. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Serenity, turn it off,” requested Egg.

  “Launching the drones now.” Each of the four drones held an equal amount of the reflective material that they would spray over the lens. “In about ten minutes all power will be cut-off.”

  In about ten minutes, the Sky’lord nation would cease to exist.

  *****

  Back on Aerianna

  “Daughter, you wish to see us?” asked Rose. She and her husband had entered the Queen’s private quarters.

  “I just received the most amazing communique from Jax’x.”

  “Is there a problem? It’s not your brother, I hope? If he did anything to upset Egg I will . . . I will . . .” she turned to her husband. “What will I do?”

  “You will chain him in leg irons, toss him in a dungeon and throw away the key.” Then Lord Z’kkk grinned.

  Rose smiled then laughed. “Very funny.”

  “What are you two prattling on about?”

  “Those were the words my dear father said to my mother when he heard I had flown off Q’umulus. I was ten at the time.”

  Meggy rolled her eyes. “I do believe I have heard that story on more than one occasion. May I get on with my news?”