Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series)

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  ***

  The surroundings slowly changed from a light costal forest into a landscape of rolling hills, hip deep grass and sporadic trees and bushes. I was floating about eight meters of the ground and could see the herds of the Huffh. In the distance I could see the cone shaped form of a volcano and there was the greatest concentration of Huffh. The big animals slowly moved closer forming something that reminded me of a funnel that narrowed towards the mountain. I could now see a cave entrance on its side and two old Huffh sitting before it. Even from this distance I could see they were old and I was almost certain I had seen them before as they guided Caram.

  There was a great silence and I would have needed a small cannon and a landing tank to make a dent here if I had to fight!

  I had no plan of action and not many choices; Brenda was sick and was getting sicker by the hour. That little Auto doc could fix the bones of a walking whale but was unable to come up with a treatment for a simple bacterial infection, something I was fighting as well. There was not even a guarantee I had done the right thing. Maybe we should have stayed by the cave. One of the Old ones made a series of sounds the Translator of Brenda's PDD did not understand and Caram suddenly bolted forward with the same speed Balmi had shown fighting that Eel creature. He disappeared behind a wall of Huffh who closed before him and the old Huffh spoke loud." Uni if you follow we will crush your mate! If you use your light burn stick we will crush your mate. You think you can make wondrous things and no one remembers what you did, but you can bleed and you can be sick and the Huffh are strong and can make you bleed much!"

  Balmi screamed." This is not the Huffh way! We do not say things that are not true. The little ones are not Uni. They have helped us!"

  "Be silent. You are Anali now and you soon will gain the wisdom!"

  I was still hovering there and aimed the TKU at the old one speaking and said." I do not have to burn all Huffh. I burn you now and if my partner is not returned unharmed I will burn the other old one. I fired a bolt into the ground right before the one that had spoken; the bright bolt liquefied a good section of rock close enough for her to fee the intense heat."I want to see my partner now and safe or I will drill you and ask the next. I am sure I get her back after I killed the fourth!"

  I saw Caram emerging from the Herd but on the other side climbing up to the two old ones. He still carried sleeping Brenda on his back.

  The Old one screamed again and several Huffh leaped after me and I managed to fly out of the way only in the last second, one of them almost managed to snap after my legs. I flew towards Caram. I had to safe Brenda. The two old Huffh struggled down the short rock path to find safety among the numbers. I was angry and at the end of my patience, not that I had much energy left to teach them a lesson, but I yelled." This is how I deal with traitors!" I brushed the weapon beam across Caram's side and in doing so cut the ropes that held Brenda, of course I also burned Caram's side and I was certain he was mortal, if not seriously hurt. He screamed and instinctively rolled of the ledge of rock before the Cave entrance. I was glad he did not crush Brenda, even though he took all of Brenda's gear along. I landed dragged her into the cave entrance and fired three four blasts into the Huffh just to keep them a little longer at bay until I could find a position I could defend better. I let her limp body down to the floor next to a few boulders and hastily checked the Charge pack. I had five bolts left at this intensity and I didn't want to dial it down as this was the setting able to kill a Huffh. No one followed me at the moment, only one Huffh at a time would have followed me and they were smart enough to realize that. The cave behind me was dark and I didn't want to turn on my helmet light just yet.

  I carefully went forward and peaked out, I saw the grizzled head of the Old Huffh raised the PDD's amplifier to the max and said." I came in peace but if you want war, then you came to the right address!" the Old one was the leader and I hoped to cut off the snakes head and confuse them so I fired a well aimed shot and the energy bolt hammered right through the old Huffh skull, she dropped.

  There was a terribly wailing and screaming sounding like the worst thunder storm form all the Huffh outside, but then a single voice calmed the others down and I recognized Balmi." The Utnalai is no longer speaking for the Huffh, Little One Freya please come and heal Caram. He is dying and I am becoming Anali! "

  "I fell for your tricks and lies before. I can defend this cave all day long but when I come out the Huffh will try other tricks."

  "This is not the Huffh way, Caram was could not do any different he received the Anali. He did not want to betray you. I speak the truth and no Huffh will come near you or harm you. Please Caram is dying! He not has much left in spirit!"

  It was against common sense, but she pleaded again and I somehow believed her grabbed the other Auto Doc and the last tube of Emergency Foam and stepped out the caves entrance.

  The Huffh retreated and only Caram, the old Huffh and Balmi were there. The old one was dead, most of her head molecular ashes, but Caram was still breathing. My strafing shot had burnt his side, but colderized the wound at the same time. I was certain he had internal organ damage and wound shock.

  The Huffh stepped further back and it was a wall of silence. I put the Auto Doc on Caram and sprayed the last emergency foam over his side. The yellow Nanite foam was meant to seal a breach in a star ship's hull, but could be used to make an emergency shelter or seal of a Cave corridor to seal of explosive gases or water, the reason we had taken it along in the first place.

  The Auto Doc signaled that it was at its limits and all it could do is produce a few thousand more nanites to stabilize and synthesize a deep sleep agent for Caram. It would not be able to do more and it was the last the little thing could do. I was thankful for how much the little machine had done so far. The other unit had to remain with Brenda. I would not want to take it off of her.

  Balmi managed to whisper despite her size and said." Will he heal?"

  "I am not sure. My means are almost at the end; the Auto Doc will stabilize him and put him in a deep sleep so he can heal. I must return to my place so I can bring real help to Brenda and to you as well."

  Among the herd that was standing in about 100 meters distance forming a tight half moon circle was the other Old Huffh."You bring death to us and with death come the dark thoughts and the ways that the Huffh do not want. The Huffh do not lie or fight or feel evil thoughts about other Huffh and yet we have and I have! Another one has died among us and not alone in the Valley. Yet you come out and trust the words of a Huffh to help. We do not understand all this."

  "I don't understand it myself! But I can take the dead to the Valley maybe that will help, but I first must find a way how to trigger the way to the Valley."

  "Go inside the Cave of things, Uni! There are your voices and they will tell you!"

  I returned to the cave and checked on Brenda, she was still breathing but her life signs were weak.

  I made a pillow for her out of my jacket and tried to make her as comfortable as possible and then turned on my helmet lamp.

  The cave was not natural about ten meters after the natural rock; it became a smooth dark gray half sphere made of a metal like material. The metal cave was completely empty and about 100 meters in diameter. I felt disappointed as I walked more inside and only realized I had stepped across a ring of a different colored metal as it started to glow dark red. A pedestal formed in the center and a human sounding voice was speaking to me. I did not understand a word, suddenly a bright spot light caught me and the PDD began to chirp and blink on its own. "You carry the strength of Narth, yet you are not Narth! You appear like the Cova and yet you are male. You have the form of Uni yet you are not Uni. You have eyes yet you can see in the darkness."

  On the pedestal in the middle a strange object appeared. It glowed bright purple and was about as tall as me. It looked as if two snakes tried to mimic the DNA helix. Each of the snake like things had a head with a single bright blue glowing eye. I was certain it was a li
fe form of some kind but it was the most alien thing I had ever seen. It slowly wavered back and forth and those blue almost galaxy shaped eyes stared me down. My finger crept near the trigger of my TKU and the hair on my neck was standing up.

  The thing was speaking again and it was speaking with an acoustic voice and not in my head I was certain." This is the Dualix! It is from the beginning and waits for the coming."

  "I am Eric Olafson of the United Stars of the Galaxy."

  "It has been done; the One has chosen a vessel."

  "Excuse me Mr. Dualix. I do not understand. Could you tell me how to trigger that spatial gate the Huffh use?"

  "The Uni have failed as the Narth said they would. What way will be chosen? From a sudden opening in the ground a column rose right before me, it was perhaps twenty centimeters thick and perfectly round and it stopped as it was about belt high. On the smooth round top was a ring of bright silver and inside the outline of a human hand. I placed my right on it and the ring started glowing.

  The Dualix thing spoke." The gateway is active now!"

  I felt a sigh of relief and said."Thank you Mr. Dualix! I have to go and get my comrade to safety now!"

  The thing did not say anything but as I turned to go to Brenda I noticed a that the walls of the cave had changed and there were hundreds of alcoves and underneath red shining lights there were weapons displayed. Alien things of strange shapes and various sizes but I knew those were weapons. Even though I was desperate for a weapon as the TKU was near empty, I had no idea what these weapons would do or how to use them. Maybe they blasted half the planet away or they had no energy. Nothing I could rely on, but there on the side not even in an alcove but leaning against the wall was a simple battle axe. It was a beautiful weapon gleaming in a dark metal it had a crescent moon shaped blade on one side and a sharp pointed blade on the other. It was a two handed weapon. It was just an axe, but it would not run out of energy and by Thor I knew how to use one of these.

  So I racked the TKU in the shoulder harness and took the Axe. It was an ancient weapon made by a great weapon smith I was sure. Where the Axe head met the long handle there was small fanged skull symbol on each side, I had the feeling I had seen it before but could not remember where. But then weapons like this were often adorned with such symbols and I wondered just how long it was sitting here in this cave.

  The glowing snakes spoke with a vibrating voice." United once again!"

  Then the Snake thing faded away and the dark red lights dimmed until they were out.

  The Auto Doc said that Brenda had less than eight hours and I could feel the fever rising in me. So I shouldered the poor girl. Lucky for me she still had her flight belt on. While I could not operate two at the same time, I was able to use her Arti Grav to reduce her weight. I hoped my Belt would be able to take us fast enough back to the other cave.

  As I stepped out the Cave mouth the Huffh were there as I left them. Balmi said."You will leave us now?"

  "I must! You know my mate is sick and she needs help but if I can I will be back to see if I can help Caram better and get the dead one to the Valley!"

  The Old Huffh said." He is Uni! He will leave and then take us to another place we do not want to go! We can't let you leave!"

  She made her strange sound and two males attacked!

  Balmi who had sat near Caram roared and came from the back, but she did not attack me, but faced the two males!" No Huffh has ever harmed another Huffh, but I will harm you. The Little one has always kept his words to Balmi and Balmi will keep hers!"

  I could not fly away fast enough holding Brenda with one arm and using the flight controls with the other hand. I knew how fast those beasts could jump and I had enough of their deceptive ways. Balmi was alright but the old ones kept pushing and as Balmi had said these old Cows had some controlling Balmi's words caused as much uproar as the death of a Huffh. The Old one screamed." She had threatened harm to another Huffh! She is not Huffh her mind has been twisted too much by the Uni Littles!"

  Then Hell broke loose!

  Two Huffh moved in from the side trying to subdue Balmi. I had to lower Brenda to the ground, these beasts moved fast. The TKU had one or two bolts left, so I stood before Brenda holding the Axe ready to strike.

  Just then my PDD beeped! I almost dropped Brenda out of surprise. My PDD had less than 1 percent energy left and I had used hers the entire time." This is Admiral Mc Elligott calling Commander Brown and Midshipman Olafson!"

  I triggered the Comm. Link verbally open because one of the males attacked." Midshipman Olafson here, Sir. Commander Brown is very sick and unable to respond. I am sorry for the casual response Sir, but I have my hands full here!"

  The voice of the Admiral and the wonderful simple axe gave me new energy. The axe swiped across the lowered maw of the male and it sliced through it as if it was air. With even less effort than a vibro boarding axe. The Huffh backed away hurt and bleeding and it seemed that took the fight out of it.

  The Admiral responded through the still open channel." The Spatial gate is active and we are here, Midshipman. We have a fix on you!"

  Just as if to underline his words arm thick plasma bolts rendered the other Huffh male to molecular ashes and Marines in heavy destroyer suits and screaming turbines came roaring form the sky.

  I said as loud as the PDD let me." Huffh stay down and do nothing until we can sort things out! Stay aggressive and there will be no more Huffh!"

  The Marines landed and secured the area. In their Destroyer suits augmented Super strength they had no problem pushing Huffh aside with ease, the walking Whales were afraid but they heeded my warning and stayed where they were.

  A dark Red colored Quasimodo appeared last, it had a blue rectangle with a white Cross on its left shoulder Armor plate and I wondered what Unit it represented. The wearer of the suit stomped over to me and opened the helmet." Saint Mary of Scott, I need to make a visual of this!" It was Mc Elligott the Immortal Admiral himself.

  While a Corpsman took care of Brenda I briefed the Old Admiral and basically told him everything that happened. He had me take him to the Cave. The alcoves with the weapons were still there and so was the column with the glowing ring. Mc Elligott went straight to the alcove opposite the entrance. On the pedestal inside that alcove was a red glass ball the size of a human head and it glowed faintly. He said to me without turning."That is Pree Record Sphere." He touched it but instead of the snake like Dualix thing a humanoid appeared at the same spot, he looked very much like an X101, except it had greenish gray skin instead of chrome mirror metal.

  It spoke in a language the PDD of the Admiral immediately translated." There are those in the Galaxy known as the Uni and they feel very important and want to change and influence development and history for millennia to come. We are the Pree, while we don't want to interfere in this foolish seeding plan of the Uni we do not like their way of sterilizing worlds of other potential intelligent development and so we have set this world and three others aside and tasked the Uni to bring those potential life forms here instead of exterminating them. The Uni were reluctant but did as we asked them to do. I am the Keeper and I have guarded this place for a long time. The Uni are gone and so are the Pree, but I have remained."

  Mc Elligott said."What is the purpose of the Spatial Gate and is it stable?"

  "The Gate has been made by the Pree so that the guests of this world could return to their worlds once they gained the necessary knowledge, the Gate can be turned on or off using the control device active here."

  "Do you have a special directive regarding visitors?"

  "I am to turn over control to any sentient being that activates me and freely share all knowledge."

  The Admiral turned to me and said." We let the eggheads of Xeno Research talk to this projection and figure out the rest of these things. Finding a genuine Pree Installation, perhaps finding an answer to the Human mystery, making contact to walking Whales and solving the Bone Mystery of Kansas system and all while y
ou were supposed to be on vacation, Midshipman Olafson, you certainly know how to stir up things."

  "I am sorry Sir."

  "Well it is all good, but you know of course all this has to remain secret until we can answer all the questions."

  "I have a question Sir! How did you make it here so fast? When we used the Gate there was a seven day travel delay."

  "Because your disappearance made friends of yours worried and so we hitched a ride. Narth Supreme sent a Sphere when they heard you were stranded almost 94,000 light years away from the closest Union post."

  "What about the Huffh?"

  "I don't know yet, Midshipman. I guess it is basically their decision what they want to do. We have Specialists for that and the Corpsmen are taking care of the wounded, no worries."

  "I promised them to take the dead one to the Valley."

  "I will make sure this is done."

  "I think I need to sit down a moment Sir. I feel a tad dizzy."

  "Have you been bitten too?"

  "Yes."

  It all felt like a strange dream as I sat with Brenda in her Lab at the hollowed rocks. We both stood by the door and she looked over to the construction site, by the Cave entrance. Hundreds of robots and workers were building a high security Research and Access station to the Spatial Gate, it was all done under the direct control of taskforce CLOAK, a special unit within the Fleet I never knew existed until now.