“Secure the room.”
Panels immediately dropped from concealed recesses to cover the windows and doors. Then a uniform telltale shimmer appeared, shading the walls and ceiling; a force-field was erected around the room’s perimeter.
Owens looked at Sharné and saw her bewildered expression. Obviously, this was unexpected to her as well.
“The room is now secure,” the voice announced. Then the voice once again asked, “Order?”
“Open the entrance to Founder’s Sanctum.”
The voice responded, “The secondary entrance is now accessible.” A portion of the force-field parted, and a large panel had started to swing inward even before the voice had finished. It first appeared as a door-sized, black rectangle. A moment later, white light flickered to life, illuminating the entrance to what looked to be a flight of descending stairs.
The voice asked, “Order?”
“Maintain the present security level; no entry is to be allowed without my express permission. I have no further orders at this time.” The Grand Patriarch nodded as if to himself, then said to Owens, “I believe the proper surroundings will aid your understanding of what I am about to tell you. Follow me.” He turned, entered the stairwell and began to descend.
Owens and Sharné followed the Grand Patriarch down a short flight of steps. The bottom of the stairwell led to a corridor. At its end, it opened into a barren room. The Grand Patriarch led them to the center of the room where the soft lighting revealed a large, mosaic design inset into the floor’s surface. It was a stylized picture of a sun, complete with a corona of over-sized flames encircling the bright yellow tiled orb.
“Stand with me in the center,” the Grand Patriarch commanded. Owens and Sharné stepped inside the circle of the sun. Then the Grand Patriarch announced, “We are ready for conveyance.”
Owens was startled with the instantaneous change in their surroundings. It was the same experience he had had on Selane when the Controller had transported him and Sharné back to the planet’s surface. There was no sense of transition.
He looked around their new surroundings and saw that they were now in a much, much larger, circular room with a high-domed ceiling. To Owens, it felt like a sports arena. They were standing off to the side, facing near one of the numerous, regularly spaced openings in the wall. Owens glanced about the soft-lit room. He detected movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly turned toward the center of the room.
The Grand Patriarch had watched Owens spin around and said, “It appears familiar to you, does it?”
Owen stared at a large object. He was fascinated by its ceaseless movement. Complex, geometric shapes rotated and turned, rods pushed and pulled, levers pivoted back and forth, combining to create dizzying reflections and flashes of light. It seemed to shrink, then swell, making it seem like a great tethered creature, heaving to break free of its bonds. Yet with all the object’s frantic activity it made no sound that Owens could discern. He recognized it immediately. It mirrored Sharné’s description of the Founder’s Shrine on Selane. It was a Messenger.
● ● ●
“He is not presently in his assigned quarters,” the captain said. He stood before the Guardian’s massive wooden desk. “The guards were removed this morning and by direct order of the Grand Patriarch, the outsider was taken away. We conducted a cursory search of his rooms and found that most of the clothing he was provided remains in the wardrobe. So it would appear it is planned that he will return. There is no official record of him leaving the grounds, and the extra men you have stationed around the palace’s perimeter have confirmed no one has left or entered the palace. The outsider must be somewhere else within the palace, possibly in the company of the Grand Patriarch.”
Talin leaned back in his chair. “As the man’s whereabouts has not been posted, can I then assume the Outsider’s location is under the Grand Patriarch’s seal?”
“Yes Guardian.”
Talin asked, “And what of the Grand Patriarch?”
“His personal security will say only he is in conference and cannot be disturbed. The Grand Patriarch’s present location is also under seal.”
The Guardian of the Way nodded. So, he thought, the Grand Patriarch had invoked his seal of privacy. The penalty for breaking that seal was death. Technically, all of Golstar’s security forces reported to the Office of the Guardian of the Way. However, in this case, Talin could not expect any of the inner palace’s security forces to reveal Janus Owens’ or the Grand Patriarch’s location.
Had the Grand Patriarch discovered his conversation with the Lauren and decided to move the Outsider? No, he immediately dismissed the thought. If the Grand Patriarch had suspected anything, Talin would now be sweating in a hot interrogation room. He brought his thoughts back to the missing private detective.
“Obviously the Grand Patriarch’s conference involves the outsider,” Talin said. He straightened in his chair. “No matter; I believe I can easily find out where he is meeting with him.”
The Grand Patriarch was not stupid, but he was long accustomed to his orders being carried out without question. His merest word had the force of law, so here within the palace he likely wouldn’t think to take the simplest of precautions. He pressed a button on an antique com-box. “Jahnsen, what is the location of the Grand Patriarch’s day duty guard?”
“They are stationed just outside of the negotiation room,” the captain responded immediately.
“It is as I expected,” he said with some satisfaction. He looked up at the captain. “Collin, you may return to your post. I trust you will continue the preparations we discussed earlier?”
“Yes Guardian, I leave here to complete the arrangements.”
“The men you have chosen for this assignment, are you absolutely certain they can be trusted?
“Yes, Guardian, all of them have been with me for the last four years. Their discretion and loyalty is without peer.
“Very good, and remember Collin, as my most trusted adjunct, you have my complete confidence in this matter. I look to you for a successful completion of the mission.”
“I will not fail you, Guardian.”
“Good. I expect nothing less.”
The captain smoothly about-faced and left the office.
Once he was gone, Talin frowned. Why would the Grand Patriarch exclude him from the discussion? Talin was supposed to play a role in pushing the plan forward. He glanced down at the portfolio on his desk. In it contained the pictures of the ‘stolen’ statuette along with numerous investigation reports, all carefully crafted to match the scenario Sharné had by now given to the outsider.
From the Grand Patriarch’s perspective, though the attack presented a serious complication, he had remained convinced the plan could be salvaged. What had changed? His frown deepened as he puzzled about what else may have gone wrong with the precious plan he hadn’t been told about.
He touched an area under the desk’s surface, unlocking one of its drawers and pulled it open to reveal a small control panel studded with old-fashioned dials and buttons. It controlled a number of listening devices he had personally placed throughout the palace. He recalled his own anxiety when the Grand Patriarch had revealed the devices he had discovered in the Reception Room. Talin had experienced a moment of near panic, until he saw the devices were not the same as the ones he had placed.
He reached down, rotated one of the dials and pressed a switch. Voices from a hidden speaker immediately began to fill the air. “…understand that you slept poorly,” the Grand Patriarch’s voice began. Talin lowered the volume and continued to listen.
Some time went by as Talin concentrated on the words exchanged between the Grand Patriarch and the Outsider. His agitation increased on hearing of Janus Owens’ experience on Selane. He listened until the Grand Patriarch said, “Secure room.” From that point on, nothing further could be heard.
“By the Light,” the Guardian of the Way muttered. Janus Owens had been exposed to
Golstar’s most important secret. With this latest unexpected turn, what would the Grand Patriarch do now? Talin knew that in the past, the Grand Patriarch only invoked that security measure when he went down into the Sanctum. Was he thinking of actually taking the Outsider into the Sanctum? What could possibly be the purpose? The thought of the Outsider being given access to another of Golstar’s important secrets made Talin almost physically ill.
He had to know what had happened. He switched off the listening device and thought about what he must do. He had his own right of entry to the Founder’s Sanctum, but he didn’t have access to all the areas. He needed to find out what the Grand Patriarch was planning. He made a decision and said, “Secure Room.”
● ● ●
“You are now in the Founder’s Sanctum, the master control annex,” there was a hint of pride in the ruler’s voice. “Among other things, the Sanctum is designed to serve as a gateway into the Prime Four complex, base-Controller Four, which sprawls beneath where you are standing.”
Owens dragged his eyes away from the fascinating alien construct. He asked, “Among other things?”
“Follow me and I will show you some of those things for which this facility was intended.” The Grand Patriarch walked over to a nearby opening in the wall. As he approached, the telltale flicker of a force-field winked out. He entered with Sharné and Owens following close behind.
“This series of chambers was constructed at the Founder’s direction. The Sanctuary was not an original part of Prime Four. In addition to acting as a primary interface to the Controllers, it was designed to perform independent functions outside of those managed by the Controllers. It has its own isolated transportation system, built using the Prime’s technology. There are five similar gateway facilities scattered among the other planets.”
Owens tried to follow the Grand Patriarch’s words but found that he was distracted. While he was anxious to know more, with each revelation, his fate was reconfirmed. He knew without a doubt he would not be allowed to leave the Golstar system, ever. The only question was, how long would they allow him to continue living? And right at the moment, with all of these supposed secrets being so openly revealed, his prospect of surviving beyond the purpose they had in mind for him was shrinking rapidly.
And why was the Grand Patriarch showing him all of this? Was it simply because he could, because he knew that Owens would not be in any position to share such knowledge? But why reveal it at all? What was the need? Was he attempting to justify his actions to Owens and perhaps more importantly to Sharné?
He looked over at her. She was staring at her father; her expression seemed troubled as she followed his words. Much of what the Grand Patriarch was saying was obviously as new to her as it was to Owens.
His voiced hope of eventual escape was tempered by the knowledge that if he could by some means get out of the palace undetected, where could he possibly go? He was just one man surrounded by a planet-full of hostile inhabitants. With no knowledge of the geography or customs, he doubted he could elude even a cursory search.
He absently rubbed his wrist-comp. They had allowed him to keep it, probably, he thought, to show their complete disdain for any chance of his escape. Even if he could secretly contact Hec, and the AI was able to find the means to break away from its restraint, the Holmes couldn’t enter the planet’s atmosphere without being easily detected.
His attention was pulled back to present when they entered a smaller, though still quite large, high-ceilinged room. Like the area they had just left, it also had something of interest at its axis. At its center was a raised circular platform. Suspended high above the platform, without visible means of support, was a large flattened ring. The Grand Patriarch approached the platform, looked back and said, “Join me.” Sharné and Owens followed him up onto the platform.
They could feel a subtle vibration as three mounds silently rose up from the platform’s surface and quickly resolved into high-backed seats. The Grand Patriarch chose one and sat down. Sharné and Owens followed his example. Owens was surprised to find that the seats were slightly warm to the touch and yielded comfortably to the contours of his body. With all three seated, the ring began to descend. It stopped at desk level, the ring surrounding them completely.
The Grand Patriarch turned to Owens, “Bear with me; all will be made clear very soon.” Then, he addressed his daughter. “Sharné, this will be your first exposure to some of the inner workings of Golstar, part of the Mysteries I mentioned to you yesterday.”
He turned back, facing the area of the ring closest to him. He extended his hand over its blank plane. The ring’s surface rippled. Once featureless, the ring was now covered with flashing indicators, panels and touch-point switches. The Grand Patriarch touched a small lit area.
Immediately, they found themselves looking down the center aisle of what could only be a church. The room had been overlaid with an incredibly detailed hologram projection. If he hadn’t known better, Owens would have thought they were actually in the church. The realism of the scene was truly astonishing. “Impressive,” was all Owens could say.
“Yes,” the Grand Patriarch responded. “The Trah-tang technology is quite impressive. This master monitor is one of many. Unfortunately, it is the only one that remains fully operational.” He grimaced, “As with much of the ancient race’s technology, systems are failing across the globe.”
“While this is all very interesting, my question remains, what does my being a genetic match with the Founder mean for Golstar?”
The Grand Patriarch was staring at the scene before him. He raised a hand distractedly. “Indulge me just a little longer.” He made an adjustment to the controls and they then seemed to float down the aisle. The image stopped before a large, gray glassy orb. “This is…” the Grand Patriarch looked down at a prominent readout, “…the Cathedral of the Light, sector nineteen in the Lowman district. You are looking at its Sphere of Light, the symbol of Golstar’s faith.”
“If you’ll forgive my observation, it doesn’t look very inspirational at the moment,” Owens commented.
The Grand Patriarch sighed, gazing at the scene, “No. It does not. When operating properly, its bright light fills the senses with hope, comfort and key insights. However, it has malfunctioned. The cathedral is now closed to the public.” Anticipating his daughter’s question, he said without turning, “Yes Sharné, the Spheres of Light are indeed based on the same mechanism as the one you and Janus Owens encountered on Selane.”
Owens cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. In its darkened state, he had not made the connection.
“Their proper name should be Mind Controllers.” The bitterness in Sharné’s voice was unmistakable.
The Grand Patriarch turned and flashed his daughter an irritated look, but did not reply.
Based on his experience on Selane, Owens guessed the meaning behind her comment. The subliminal sounds and radiations emitted by the spheres had some effect on the minds of the worshipers. Was it, he wondered, deliberately used to mold and control their emotions, even influence their thoughts?
The Grand Patriarch touched another control. The scene abruptly changed to a large room dominated by tall metallic cylinders, connected to coiled tubes, pumps and other complicated-looking machinery. It appeared deserted. Carts laden with what looked to be medical instruments were scattered haphazardly across the floor. The shelves of glass-fronted cabinets lining the walls were empty; some with their doors left gaping.
“This is one of our birthing centers. Natural childbirth, though not illegal, is actively discouraged in our society. The state provides much of the early nurturing for our citizens. The centers are the first steps of integration into the Way.”
Owens suspected the ‘integration’ process also used the same technology as the orbs, and was more akin to brainwashing. It sickened him to imagine tiny human embryos being bombarded with mind conditioning emissions, indoctrinated by cold, unfeeling alien machines.
&n
bsp; It was fruitless to dwell on conjecture. He concentrated on what the Grand Patriarch was saying. “…the center’s location is unimportant. The apparatus supporting its functions failed long ago. It has been shut down for some time.”
Good, Owens thought.
The Grand Patriarch touched another control and the hologram vanished. He turned around to face Owens and Sharné. “These were but two examples of areas where the machinery of our civilization has broken down. Hospitals, some modes of transportation and manufacturing have experienced similar setbacks. And, oh yes, our space weaponry has also suffered significant degradation.”
Another bit of good news, Owens thought.
“To put it plainly, the Trah-tang technology deployed across the civilized planets of Golstar is breaking down at an accelerating rate.” The Grand Patriarch looked at Owens, “I imagine you are about to ask, what is preventing it from being repaired?”
“Well yes, why can’t you fix the machines?”
“We do not possess sufficient knowledge to do so,” the Grand Patriarch said.
The plot finally thickens, Owens thought, though the Grand Patriarch’s glib answer didn’t seem plausible. Could it actually be that they used alien technology for centuries, but never bothered to learn anything beyond its operation?
As if reading his thoughts, the Grand Patriarch said, “A decision was made long ago to limit the knowledge associated the inner workings of the alien technology. Such advanced information could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Under the Founder’s direction, the sub-Controllers could manufacture and maintain the alien technologies quite easily, thus relieving our people of an unnecessary burden.”
Shadows of Golstar Page 55