Alien Manifesto

by T. W. Embry

  It was two full light cycles and many ergs of pitch-black passageways before the column of aides reached the royal birthing chamber. The young nymph opened a chamber, which on the outside looked exactly like the hundreds of other chambers the column of survivors had passed, over the last two light cycles.

  The young nymphs’ torchlights revealed an inside covered in crystals from the floor to the ceiling.

  “Place the energy collection globes there,” said the young nymph, pointing to an empty corner. “Now follow this passage until it ends on the surface, then forage and return here. We will use the adjoining chambers as our nests until the new Queen is ready to travel to the Queen’s chamber and take her rightful place on the throne. Now go: I must begin the quickening.”

  Once he was alone with the royal egg the young nymph reverently placed the dead Queen’s crystal in its rightful place on the wall. Pausing and exhausted, the young nymph slowly circled the pedestal the gleaming, golden royal egg rested on. It was being held in place by an exotic work of art made of pure gold.

  Then the young nymph began searching for the lever that would open the portal in the ceiling and focus the sun’s life-giving rays on the golden royal egg. It was not long before he located it. It was exactly where the Queen said it would be.

  As he pulled, harder than he expected, the ceiling began to open slowly, spilling the sun’s light into the crystals that lined every inch of the walls. Once the ceiling was fully open, a beam of sunlight, concentrated by the crystals, shone directly on the royal egg, making it gleam. What the young nymph did not know was that each of the crystals contained the lifetime memories of a different former queen. As the new Queen soaked up the sun’s energy, she was also absorbing the complete knowledge of each Queen before her.

  PART TWENTY

  Onward to the Treasure

  As the team arrived at the flat, protruding cliff that lead to the doorway into the Queen’s chamber, they found it closed.

  “Blastersss at the ready,” hissed Snarth, as I opened the door again. Two by two, they went through the door, with the Irishman taking his usual rear guard position. “Cloaksss on,” hissed Snarth. “Rowl, take point and keep it quiet.”

  “Yes sir,” growled the canine master, his twin swords twirling as he flexed his arms, preparing for whatever may come.

  The team crossed the Queen’s chamber without seeing any sign of whoever or whatever closed the door. We headed for the hidden passageway that led to the chambers SSlice had located. Still no sign of the aides or any sign of recent activity, according to SSlice’s scans.

  That left a trip down the black passageway. Even my enhanced night vision would be useless. At the entrance to the passageway, Snarth reached into his pack, producing four headlamps. Their brilliant beams sliced through the pitch black, revealing that the hallway extended further than the beams could reach. Illuminating dozens if not hundreds of rooms, all sealed, just waiting to be opened.

  “Rowl, take point, I will back you up, hissed Snarth. “Human Tom, you and the Irissshman guard the rear ssso ssSSlice can work on the door.”

  SSlice began scanning the door then reached for a hidden lever. Opening the door a crack, with a hiss of escaping atmosphere, a fetid, dank smell invaded the passageway, leaving the team to wince and groan at the smell. With a shuddering grinding against its frame, the door slowly opened for the first time in at least five hundred years.

  What was inside dumbfounded the entire team at first glance; stacks and stacks of brilliant blue crystals each a full twelve inches long, ten inches in circumference, each with exactly the same inclusion in the exact center.

  “Those are banking jewelsss,” hissed Snarth as it dawned on him the magnitude of wealth that was in front of them. In addition, this was just the first chamber.

  “There must be thousands of them,” breathed Rowl still in awe.

  “One hundred thousand, one hundred and ten to be exact,” answered SSlice at the conclusion of his scan.

  “What are banking jewels?” I asked.

  Snapping out of his muse, Snarth hissed, “They are the intergalactic currency that one planet paysss another or the credit lendersss lend, in the courssse of intergalactic trade. Without them the Galaxy would fall into countlessss sssmall warsss very quickly,” he hissed. “A cache thisss sssize may well caussse ssseveral large onesss, at the sssame time thossse who suffered under the Onesss’ reign of terror will want war reparationsss.”

  Turning to the team, Snarth hissed, “We mussst be very careful. If word of thisss treasssure getsss out, and it will, I fear we may all be killed in the russsh azsss many very large playersss in the galaxy maneuver for their ssshare of thisss treasssure. Any ideasss, ssSSlice?” hissed Snarth.

  “Yes, but I must return to the ship to get my answers,” whispered SSlice in his usual cryptic speech.

  “Human Tom, you and ssSSlice head back to the ssship on the double. It isss almossst time for the feline massster to come out of the bacta tank anyway,” hissed Snarth.

  “Yes sir,” I answered as I turned to follow the rapidly retreating SSlice.

  “Azsss for you two,” Snarth hissed, pointing at Rowl and the Irishman, “I want to open a couple of more roomsss. Rowl, you take point and if we sssee any of thossse aidesss, keep it quiet! Irissshman, you do what you do bessst, cover our retreat. Now move out,” he hissed.

  As the trio opened the next three doors, they found that each of the three chambers had exactly one hundred thousand, one thousand, one hundred and ten brilliant blue crystals in it.

  “OK, my friendsss, I have ssseen enough for now,” hissed Snarth. “Let’sss get back to the ssship; I have sssome inquiriesss and sssome plansss to make. Move out.”

  PART TWENTY-ONE

  A Team Healed

  Once I was back on the ship and had stowed my cycle, I went straight to the medical bay to check on my mate. She should be out of the tank soon, I thought. And I want to be there when she does. The lead surgical mech was waiting for me when I arrived at the medical bay.

  “Your mate will be out of the bacta tank in fifteen short time units,” croaked the mech in its metallic version of galactic standard, even before I asked. Just enough time to shower, I thought.

  “Thanks Doc,” I said, my heart aching a little less at the news. Looking around I did not see any sign of SSlice. Probably up in the bridge talking to the ship’s computer again, I thought as I headed to my, errrr, our quarters. I have a lot to get used to, I decided, the happiest I had ever been.

  Snarth, Rowl and the Irishman soon arrived. Once their cycles were stowed, Snarth turned to the pair and said, “I am going to my quartersss. I have many arrangementsss to make in private. ssSee to it I am not disturbed unlessss it isss an emergency, and I do mean an emergency,” then with a swirl of his cape, Snarth disappeared in the direction of the owner’s stateroom.

  “Hey buddy, do you want first watch?” the Irishman asked Rowl.

  Seeing for the first time in a long time a practical joke in the making coming from his friend: “OK old friend, I will take the first watch, you go be with, what did you name her?” answered Rowl, before his friend could launch into an explanation or some silly game to see who took first watch.

  “Mona is her name,” answered the Irishman hotly.

  “Sorry my friend, I forgot OK, forgive me please,” said Rowl with exaggerated pronunciation. “Now get the hell out of here before I decide to wrestle you for it.”

  Back pedaling his way out of the forward lounge, the Irishman said, “Yeah, you and whose army?”

  “Army one and army two,” said Rowl as he flexed each of his massive arms.

  “Maybe later I will let you try,” retorted the Irishman as he turned and headed for his quarters, leaving Rowl to stand watch to see that Snarth was not disturbed.

  It was good to see his friend happy, thought Rowl. If only my matters of the heart were so simple, turning his thoughts to Kareen, his betrothed on his home world.


  ~

  I watched and fidgeted nervously while the last of the bacta solution was washed from my mate. Soon the mechs would bring her back to consciousness and I wanted to be the first thing she saw as the effects of the stasis field wore off. I did not have to wait long.

  With a gasp of fresh air, my mate opened her eyes and grabbed me around my neck, holding me very tight. Our silent embrace lasted several minutes, and as we reluctantly broke the embrace our eyes locked, sparks flying.

  “Doc here says you will be as good as new in a couple of light cycles. Until then you are on bed rest,” I said.

  “The bones must have time to strengthen. Your body will require much nutrition,” bleeped the head surgical mech. “Eat whenever you are hungry for the next three light cycles. I recommend a protein rich diet,” he bleeped.

  “Bed rest,” purred my mate: “My thoughts exactly,” as she grabbed me by the front of my tunic, drawing me even closer, embracing me, crushing her lips against mine, causing a painful pounding in my groin.

  We retreated to our quarters, only emerging for an occasional feast. SSlice was holed up in the control room talking to the ship’s computer and Snarth had sequestered himself in his quarters having his meals delivered to his room by servant mech. This is how it had been for three light cycles, leaving the Irishman and Rowl to run the security of the ship and stand guard over Snarth’s quarters.

  PART TWENTY-TWO

  Time to Collect

  “Thisss had better work, ssSSlice, or I could lossse a valuable member of my team,” hissed Snarth over his private channel, from the captain’s quarters.

  “It will, my friend, it will. Rowl has been betrothed to Kareen since birth and soon he will not be able to resist the urge to mate. I am sure she will come. She must be tired of waiting on Rowl by now,” answered SSlice in his breezy whisper of a voice.

  Then Snarth asked the one question that was on every team member’s mind “Are the jewelsss real or not ssSSlice?”

  “Every scan I can run from here has been done. I cannot say with 100% certainly but I would have to say yes: only a series of specialized scans by a banking jewel expert can tell for sure,” whispered SSlice.

  “You do know what the penalty for possssessssion of fraudulent banking jewlesss isss and I have much to do before I die,” hissed Snarth.

  “Did you get in touch with ssSniggle?” hissed Snarth after several tense short time units, changing the subject.

  “I did, and all is forgiven for only twenty percent,” answered SSlice with his wispy laugh.

  “ssSniggle has always been sssuch a good sssport,” hissed Snarth with a grin.

  “I do hope he appreciated my gift of ssShorty and hisss organization, that isss if hisss petsss left any identifiable partsss of Shorty,” Snarth hissed with a chuckle.

  “And what of the feline master’s pregnancy?” whispered SSlice.

  With a grim-edged glint in his eyes, Snarth hissed, his grin disappearing “Let usss get through the party firssst. Perhapsss by then we will have a better underssstanding of the royal hierarchy on the feline home world. Let’s not poke the feline assssassin’sss nest, ssshall we, that kind of trouble we do not need,” hissed Snarth. “It will be up to Human Tom and the feline master azsss to whom they ssshould tell and when.”

  ~

  “My love,” said my mate as we curled up together in one of our brief rest periods between lovemaking. I stirred, having almost dozed off. “We must talk,” she mewed. Turning to her, I looked deep into her exotic green eyes, nearly losing my self-control in another sudden flush of renewed passion.

  As I struggled to restrain myself I whispered in her ear, “I already know about the babies and I could not be happier.” With a loud purr, my mate pushed me back down on the bed, straddling me, and that was the end of my self-control.

  ~

  As we rested, cuddling once more after a bout of lovemaking so tender as to move my soul, the ship’s intercom squawked, destroying the moment. It was the Irishman, “Wake up you two; Snarth wants us all in the forward lounge in fifteen short time units.” We would have just enough time to bathe, barring any repeat performances.

  “We will see you then,” I answered for the both of us as my mate headed for the fresher, her muscles rippling as she walked, with her best come-hither look on her furry face. I had better hurry, we only had fifteen short time units.

  As it turned out, my mate and I were only five minutes late to Snarth’s briefing in the forward lounge.

  “Nice of you to join usss, you two,” hissed Snarth, half in jest, half in disapproval.

  “It won’t happen again Sir,” I said, standing at attention out of reflex.

  “ssSee to it that it doesss not. Take your ssseatsss and let’sss get ssstarted,” hissed Snarth, unable to hide his annoyance at being kept waiting.

  “Now that I have everyone’sss undivided attention,” Snarth hissed, “ssSSlice tellsss me that the banking jewelsss are authentic azsss far azsss we can tell. An expert will have to certify them before we sssell them of courssse. I have decided to use ssseveral different third partiesss to sssell them to the highessst bidder,” he hissed. “That may give usss sssome time before anyone connectsss the dotsss and dissscoversss what we really found.”

  “I estimate we will be able to sell approximately sixty seven percent of the crystals in the first chamber before any disruption in the credit market is felt and an investigation into the source is started,” whispered SSlice. “If we were to dump the two additional chambers’ crystals onto the open market, the entire galactic financial system would collapse as the value of banking jewels plummets,” he whispered. “We must be very, very careful my friends. We will undoubtedly make some very powerful beings uneasy and that makes them very dangerous,” said SSlice, whispering his warning.

  “Uneasssy to sssay the leassst,” hissed Snarth, “-outright ssscared isss more like what the galactic government will be. Unlessss we unload them very ssslowly, sssay one hundred at a time, we will be dissscovered quickly,” he hissed. “That meansss you may all have to wait on your own private essstate planetsss for a little while. If we all agree, I will take care of all the necessssary arrangementsss.”

  “I am good with that,” I said.

  “Me too,” purred the feline master.

  “Us too,” said the Irishman, after a quick glance at and nod from his friend Rowl.

  “It isss agreed then, hissed Snarth. The four of usss will bring one hundred cryssstals for each team member back to the ssship. Then we will ssseal the chamber and head for home. ssSSlice: get the ssship ready for take-off. Massster feline, you are on bed ressst,” hissed Snarth, holding up his hand to stop any protest, “by doctor’sss ordersss, not mine. You all have your ordersss: now move out.”

  In our parting embrace the feline master purred softly into my ear, “Tom, I have something very important to tell you and it cannot wait any longer. We must speak of it tonight. Come back to me safely my love.”

  “Something more important than your brother the king or the twins?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she mewed in answer.

  Puzzled, I gave her one last quick peck on the lips, “Nothing can keep me from coming back, not your brother or any the of Queen’s leftover bag of tricks. I have too much to live for now.”

  Hearing that, Snarth grinned hugely inwardly. “I will bring him back, Massster Feline,” Snarth hissed. “After all, Uncle ssSnarth hasss a training ground for young onesss to build and I am not doing it alone, that’s for sssure.”

  ~

  As I climbed on my cycle, my thoughts were on the future, not on the mission, and that was a first for me. Would being a father dull my edge, cause me to withdraw rather than go for the kill? My thoughts drifted back to something Snarth had said not long ago. How did it go? Oh yeah; there are old warriors and there are bold warriors but no old, bold warriors.

  ~

  After the short trip back to the ledge leading into the Queen's
chamber, the team was happy to see the door wide open. As we dismounted under the cover of the hovering Irishman’s blasters, the team cloaked and secured the landing site so the Irishman could join the party.

  Rowl and I were on point while the Irishman did what he did best; guard our retreat. Peering inside the Queen’s chamber for the first time since our battle with the Queen gave me the jitters. I half expected a horde of the Queen’s aides or worse, One warriors, to come swarming out of hiding and into the main chamber to guard the dead queen’s body, claiming a bloody vengeance on all of us.

  “By twosss to the treasssure chamber, Human Tom you take point, Rowl back him up, move out,” ordered Snarth as we made our way into the Queen’s chamber. I felt a flush of hate and revulsion as I passed the queen’s decomposing body.

  There was still no sign of any of the queen’s aides or warriors, much to my relief. I suddenly realized I was way too keyed up and overly anxious for such a simple mission. Then it dawned on me that I may have already had my edge dulled by my new responsibilities, and that bothered me. Shrugging off my bad thoughts, I focused my attention on the mission and just what was in the long hallway I was leading the team down.

  With a sputtering hiss and a bright flash, Snarth lit the flares to illuminate the passageway that led to the treasure chamber. We arrived at the chamber without incident and Snarth opened the door under the cover of my blaster rifle.

  Rowl had point and the Irishman the retreat. Flares had been deployed at the entrance and as far down the hallway as the launcher’s limited range allowed. We would see anything coming from either direction, giving us enough warning to engage whatever came.

  The sight of a room filled with neat stacks of the most beautiful blue jewels I had ever seen awed me once again. “How much are they worth?” I breathed out loud.