Intrinsic: Book One of the Terran Cycle

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  They stopped directly in front of them and spread into a line. Up close Kalian could see every feature on their face. His eyes were darting all over trying to take in every unbelievable detail. They had strong elongated necks that were hidden behind a sloping head that almost reached down to their chest. To Kalian the most obvious features were their lack of features. They had no chin or nose to speak of. Their head sloped down into a mouth that appeared to reach from one side of their narrow jaw to the other. Two small fangs peered out from either side of their bottom lip and resting against a lipless ridge. Above the mouth their face curved inwards leading to six small holes opposite one another. If basic physiology was anything to go by that had to be their nostrils. Either side of this was a small line of what resembled hair, each strand appeared sharp and tough in texture. At first glance they could be missed; they were colourless on the surface with a milky white transparency. It had been the only sign of hair on their entire body, if it was indeed hair.

  Kalian’s breath was taken as he gazed into its eyes. They were twice the size of any humans, predominately black in appearance. The centre of their eye was like a spiralling galaxy made of every colour with a golden pupil- they were hypnotic to look into. The creature in the blue robe stood opposite Kalian, it turned its head on the side as if to better examine him. It reminded Kalian of the way a dog would tilt its head at something new. As it moved Kalian saw giant pointed strands flowing from its head down to its waist; they were made of the same translucent hair that surrounded their nose.

  The Ambassador cleared his throat getting everyone’s attention.

  “Welcome,” he said the word slowly as he bowed his head. “I am Ambassador Sebastian Arlek... of Earth.” The last part sounded strange, no human ever had cause to use such an introduction regarding their planet. There was a long pause and Kalian realised the Ambassador had no intention of introducing the others.

  Arrogant son of a bitch.

  The alien in front of Kalian raised one of his upper hands displaying the palm. Again Kalian was struck by how different and truly alien it was. There were four digits in total; the most recognisable was an opposable thumb. The middle finger was about two inches longer than the rest and thicker too. The fingers either side were more delicate. They all had an extra joint than human fingers and he noticed the ends were all slightly bulbous. That very human part of him wanted to reach out and place his own hand against it.

  It raised its head as it spoke in some unintelligible language. There appeared to be no audible breaks in between what Kalian assumed were words. The sound was guttural as it resonated from somewhere deep in its throat. The one standing in front of Li’ara reacted to whatever had been said by reaching round to a rectangular pouch on its belt, using one of its lower limbs. It produced a small disc-shaped object in its large hand. Using his other lower limb he handed it to himself and passed it to the leader in front of Kalian.

  The leader presented the object in front of them, making it easy to examine. It was about the size of a human palm. The metal casing appeared dull in comparison with the armoured plating they were wearing. It didn’t reflect all the colours or even have particular shine. On top of the disc was an intricate design Kalian had never seen before. It reminded him of the writing style used in ancient Japan and China before the conversion to the Central language. Kalian had seen firsthand, scrolls and parchments inscribed with the beautiful language in museums. The symbol was split in half as the top layer of the disc parted in the middle. The sudden movement of the alien object gave Commander Hawkins cause for alarm. He had half drawn his side arm almost completely removing it from the holster. If it hadn’t been for the Ambassador placing an arm in front of him, he would probably be levelling a gun in their face by now.

  “Wait Commander...” Arlek never took his eyes off them, trying to gauge any offence. The Commander’s movement had caught their attention but it didn’t appear to faze them in the least. He readjusted his weapon back into its holster but Kalian noted he hadn’t released the handle. Li’ara hadn’t reacted the same way but subtly placed the flat of her hand against her own weapon. The tension was increasing between the four of them; the aliens however appeared as calm as before. Maybe they had done this before. From what he suspected of the original ship found on Charon, it might be possible they aren’t the only two species in the galaxy. If that were true, this might not be the aliens’ first encounter. He didn’t have time to hypothesise about other life in the galaxy- there was other life right in front of him.

  They all peered into the newly opened object to see what they were being presented with. Inside were four smaller discs of the same composition as the container. Judging from their size Kalian guessed he could fit one on the tip of his finger. The leader stood back allowing its companions to reach the interior using their upper limbs. They each, including the leader, picked out one of the small discs on the tip of their fingers and held it out to each of the humans.

  “What the hell are they supposed to be?” The Commander was instinctively suspicious.

  “A gift perhaps?” Countered the Ambassador.

  The apparent leader of the group raised his hand and tapped his own throat, lifting his head as he did so. It then turned to point at a spot a few inches behind its golden eye. Evident to the group was a series of holes similar to the ones above its mouth, except these holes were in a circular pattern. As it removed its hand they all saw a small metallic disc placed just behind the holes, it was identical to the discs in front of them.

  “I think that’s its ear...” The Ambassador’s sharp look reminded Kalian he wasn’t supposed to speak. The leader lifted his head almost imitating a nod while making a small grunt. It tapped the side of its head again and flexed the finger presenting the disc.

  “I think it might be a way for us to communicate, that’s why they have one as well.” Li’ara looked to the Ambassador, then the Commander. The Commander appeared to be chewing it over, assessing any possible risks.

  “I believe she’s right Commander, I think this may be the only way we proceed,” Arlek turned to Commander Hawkins. “Unless you can think of a better way to communicate.” He raised a questioning eyebrow at the Commander.

  “So be it.” the Commander released the grip of his weapon but kept his hand close by.

  The aliens showed a measure of understanding as they reached towards the humans in unison.

  “Wait!” Li’ara raised a hand in front of Kalian. She looked up to her partnered alien, “Do it to me first.”

  “Li’ara-” Kalian began to protest but Li’ara shot him a steely look. This turn of events seemed to please the Ambassador as he stood in silence.

  “She’s doing her job, Kalian.” The Commander interjected. Kalian noticed he hadn’t volunteered. Again the aliens appeared to understand what had transpired. It slowly extended its hand towards Li’ara’s face, the thicker middle finger pressing against her neck while the smaller digit disappeared behind her ear. There was a quiet hiss while Li’ara’s cheek twitched as the disc made contact. The alien retracted its hand and continued to stand patiently. Li’ara blinked very slowly turning her head in every direction as if she were looking for some hidden object. It eventually passed and she stood at ease again as if nothing had happened.

  “That felt weird...” She reached behind her ear to explore the new device with her finger. The leader uttered a few sharp grunts that increased in pitch. “Say that again,” her focus was entirely on the alien as it repeated the same sounds as before. Li’ara’s eyes widened in what Kalian thought to be shock. “Can you understand that?” Her question was aimed at the others who all stood in silence, shaking their heads.

  “Can you?” Kalian knew he wasn’t meant to speak but he couldn’t stop himself. The leader said something more complex than before.

  “Yes, you need to let them do it.” She faced the Commander knowing he was the one to convince.

  “Well then,” the Ambassador cleared his throat a
gain. “Proceed.” He turned his own head to the side allowing access to his ear. The Commander’s lack of action was his only invitation.

  The remaining devices were placed behind their ears and Kalian experienced the same sensations as Li’ara. The pain was over in an instant as it attached to the hard skull behind his ear. He could have sworn there were whispers coming from all over the hangar causing him to instinctively search them out. As quickly as the whispering started, it ceased altogether and he was left with a strange metallic taste in his mouth. With quizzical looks on their faces, the other men appeared to have experienced the same sensations.

  “Greetings of peace, Kalian Gaines...” Kalian raised his head to the source of the deep gravelly voice. He couldn’t believe it- an alien had just said his name, and he understood it. He couldn’t form the response; his experience with the disc had left his throat dry. The sound of the voice was extraordinary, the leader clearly hadn’t enunciated those words but he had heard a distinct voice with tone and emotion. The Ambassador had also understood the alien words and did not seem pleased that he wasn’t the first to be addressed.

  “I am the Ambassador for Earth, Sebastian Arl-”

  “We know who you are Ambassador Arlek, and who you represent,” the leader spread out both pairs of arms. “You are humans...” As he uttered the word, all four aliens bowed on one knee making them all equal in height. The Ambassador looked shocked at the display; he nudged the others and attempted to imitate the bow thinking it a mutual sign of respect. Before they reached the floor all four aliens had risen to their greater height. The result was an awkward half bow from the humans.

  “Perhaps we should continue this on the command bridge?” The Ambassador suggested quickly. “I think it better suited than the current surroundings.” He aimed his question at the leader.

  “As you wish Ambassador.” The leader bowed his head submitting to Arlek’s suggestion. They all entered through the door behind them that lead to an access corridor. Li’ara had told Kalian it was designed so higher ranking officers and generals could gain access to the bridge as quickly as possible.

  The corridor had sloping curved walls on each side covered in black square panels. The panels were outlined in fluorescent white light giving a harsh reality to their surroundings. Fortunately it left a good foot of space above the towering aliens. They walked in silence for a minute until they reached the security blast door to the command bridge. Kalian had glanced back once to see all four pairs of golden eyes watching him. The sight would have unnerved him if it hadn’t been for the hypnotic nature of their eyes.

  Commander Hawkins placed the palm of his hand over a blank screen next to the door. Green circles lit up around his finger tips while a small scanner above his hand ran a fine laser over his eye. The whole screen flashed green and the heavy blast door slowly opened disappearing into the wall. Standing in the doorway Kalian could see the corridor was actually a T-junction branching off either side to other parts of the station.

  The command bridge was situated at the top of the central sphere allowing for a glass view port at the head of the room. The view port curved into the ceiling to give an even wider spectacle of the vast space beyond. Kalian found himself drawn to the vista walking across the bridge. From the orbit of the station he could see the moon on his left, the size of his fist, with Earth on the right taking almost half the view port. In the centre of both was the distant Sun illuminating the solar system.

  He turned back realising that he had left the group behind in the centre of the bridge, except for Li’ara who had remained a few feet behind him. In their brief look at one another Kalian felt an understanding pass between them, don’t leave my side. He quickly remembered what Commander Barnes had said about sticking with her. Together they returned to the rest of the party. The four aliens stood in silence as if waiting for the humans to make the next move. The Ambassador acted on their silence.

  “Let me start by saying that on behalf of Central Parliament and all human kind, we welcome you.” His hands shifted with every word like a true politician. His words hung in the air as the aliens stood watching Kalian. The Ambassador hadn’t expected the silence to follow; it put him off for a moment. His experience shone through as he pushed on as if the awkwardness had never happened.

  “You have me at a disadvantage,” the Ambassador said. “You know who I am and who we are, but we know nothing about you...” He trailed off hoping for a reply.

  “Forgive us Ambassador, we are the first of our kind to meet a human in the flesh, it is a... humbling experience.” Watching the leader speak was a peculiar thing; Kalian could no longer hear the guttural grunts but instead crystal clear Central. He had no special love for science but he found himself curious as to how the disc behind his ear could translate something so alien.

  “We are Novaarian,” he extended all four limbs gesturing to his companions. “We are from a constellation of stars many light years away, in a different arm of the galaxy.” His eyes flickered towards the stars in the view port. “I am what you would call a captain, the Valoran is my ship,” his head tilted to the bulkhead above, as if they could all see the wondrous ship floating outside. “My name is Telarrek, this is Numanon, Ilyseal and Youl,” as he said each of their names they pressed both upper hands to their chest and bowed.

  Kalian examined them each in turn looking for any unique features. At first glance they could all have been clones of one another. With a closer look there were some subtle differences; he noted a darker shade of speckled blue around the eyes and nose on Telarrek, and the one named Ilyseal had narrower set of eyes. Now he was looking he couldn’t help but see the subtle differences. From his vantage point he could see the long tendril hair of Ilyseal and how several strands were actually red instead of milky white. Kalian wondered how similar they must look to the Novaarians. Telarrek’s introduction of his companions highlighted the Ambassadors lack of regard for his own company.

  “Yes, well...” Arlek half turned his head. “This is Commander Hawkins and Lieutenant Commander Ducarté.” He paused slightly before introducing the last member of his party. “And this is Kalian Gaines.” The mention of his name caused no reaction from the Novaarians; they just gazed at him with their penetrating eyes. Kalian felt like he was being examined from the inside out again.

  “If I may,” The Ambassador asked. “Why are you here, why now?” Kalian knew he was referring to the crashed ship found on Charon, but he also knew he was directing the conversation away from him. It was a fair question however since four hundred plus years had gone by without any contact. All four Novaarians shared a brief but unknown look.

  “Our kind has always had designs on making contact with your species. We have been observing your use of Intrinium since you first discovered its existence.”

  “Intrinium?” Asked the Ambassador.

  “You call it Solarcite, the fuel that allows for faster than light travel.” Telarrek paused to ensure they were still following him. “Since you did not invent the technology that harnesses Intrinium, we have observed your use of it to ensure your own safety. In the wrong hands it can be used as a powerful tool for destruction. We are thankful you have only used it for propulsion purposes, it shows evolutionary progress that some do not share.”

  “But we’ve had Solar Drive technology for nearly five centuries,” the Ambassador looked as if he were calculating. “How long have you been watching us?” He had an almost pleading tone.

  “We discovered your race not long after the Laronian freighter entered your Solar System with the meteor shower.” Telarrek stated the fact like it was common knowledge. “We have been watching to see how your race matures under the influence of such technology. From our calculations we believe you would not have discovered Intrinium on your own for at least another millennium. We realise for you it must seem like we have stood ignorantly by, for a long time, but for Novaarians it is only a short span. We had to be certain of you.” Kalian was sure Telarrek
was looking directly at him as he said the latter. He felt like there was more behind those words than what they were hearing. He was desperate to interrupt and ask all of his own questions, to find out why he’s here. For now though the Ambassador was asking questions even he wanted answers to.

  “Wait, what freighter are you talking about, what is Laronian?” The Ambassador was sounding more confused.

  “The ship you discovered on Charon, it was a Laronian mining freighter.” Kalian was astonished by the Novaarians knowledge of human information, to even know the name given to a distant moon.

  They really have been watching us.

  “You mean... you mean it wasn’t one of your ships?” The Ambassador was trying to piece together a very old puzzle. Telarrek took in a deep breath reminiscent of a human sigh.

  “That in part is why we must reveal ourselves as we have.” Telarrek dipped his head a little closer to the Ambassador. “You are part of a far greater galaxy than you thought. Like us you are but one species in a sea of many. The Laronians are your closest stellar neighbours, and it was their ship you reengineered that has put you where you are today.”

  “How did a Laronian vessel end up in our solar system, how close are they?” Asked the Ambassador.

  “Their home world is fourteen thousand light years from here. One of their deep space mining vessels was searching for Intrinium deposits outside of Laronian territory, without permission from the Conclave. Not too far from your solar system they found a rich deposit in what we believe were two asteroids, close in size to your moon. After claiming it for their own they began the mining process without notifying the Laronian High Command. The debris scattered throughout your system is evidence of the catastrophe that befell them. It was one of our own exploration vessels that detected the explosion and the Laronian emergency beacon. It was tracking their ship that lead us to you, but you had already discovered the crashed ship before we could intervene.”