Intrinsic: Book One of the Terran Cycle

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  Kalian thought the outside of the ship was beautiful and alien, but the inside was a sight to behold. Every corridor was cavernous, stretching up into a smooth point. All the surfaces were a magnificent shine of purple like the ships exterior. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling lights in a brilliant blue. The mix of colours was extraordinary; it wasn’t too bright or too dark, making everything easy on the eyes. Everywhere they went smelled of fresh flowers. If he closed his eyes he could almost believe he was in one of the artificial meadows on Earth. The thought of Earth opened up a pit in his stomach, the sense of loss was so big it was hard to comprehend. It wasn’t just the individuals that came to mind, he couldn’t grasp the masses of families, people, animals or even the other planets. Everything that had stood long before human beings took their first steps was gone, erased from the universe for the rest of time. He pushed it to the back of his mind and concentrated on what was in front of him.

  It was easy to see where the smell was coming from, in random points along each corridor and even spreading up some of the walls were plants and flowers he had never seen before. He was sure some of them even moved as they walked by.

  There were Novaarians everywhere walking around going about their duties on the ship. They passed through large circular doorways that were highlighted with white light around the edges. All of them stopped when he passed by, they just stood and watched him intently with those golden eyes. He was actually starting to get used to it.

  The oddest thing happened right in front of him; as they were turning one of the long curving corners a Novaarian appeared above him walking down the wall. Li’ara noticed it too and they both stopped, taking in the unusual sight. The Novaarian was literally walking upright while descending to their level.

  “To utilise as much space as possible there are rooms all around us, we have augmented gravity wells under the floor and inside the walls.” Ilyseal’s long fingers gestured to the Novaarian approaching from above. “As you step onto the wall, gravity will shift beneath you so the wall becomes the floor. It can be quite disorientating the first time but I assure you, you will become accustomed to it.” The Novaarian in question descended to their level and made a small step onto what Kalian knew to be the floor. His long athletic legs made the motion appear seamless as he continued walking on their level.

  Kalian attempted to comment but failed, “That’s...” He looked to Li’ara who was equally speechless.

  “Shall we continue, Kalian Gaines?” Despite the question Ilyseal appeared as if she could wait all day if that was what he wanted. Their response was interrupted by a high pitched humming noise from somewhere high above. It was hard to describe what passed them by, it had been so quick. Then another two from the other direction. This time he got a better look from afar. It was a pair of Novaarians each in control of what resembled a Mag-bike. It had no wheels to speak of but it was thin and elongated like a Mag-bike. From the ground they could see the three bright blue circles against its silver undercarriage. Each Novaarian was almost lying flat while driving it. That was as much as he saw before they flew round the corner and out of sight.

  “As I said, the ship is very large and can take some time to traverse; certain aids are required at times.”

  “Do we get one?” Li’ara couldn’t quite keep the enthusiasm out of her voice. With a life slightly more adrenaline filled, it didn’t surprise Kalian that she would prefer a faster pace.

  “The bridge is not far, another time perhaps.” Ilyseal motioned to the mountainous wall up ahead. Aware that she had shown too much emotion Li’ara made the effort to show no response.

  At the base of the wall Kalian could see the door about fifty metres above them, clearly highlighted by a white outline. The so called path that led up the wall was outlined in blue lights. The idea of walking up the wall was a little dizzying.

  “So we’re going up there then?” He craned his neck looking from the door to Ilyseal. She sensed his apprehension, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

  “That will not be necessary to reach the bridge, Kalian Gaines.”

  “Please, you can just call me Kalian, Gaines is my last name.” It was unusual hearing his whole name every time he was addressed. Ilyseal tilted her head at the request. Kalian took the gesture as a question. “In human culture it’s not required to say a person’s whole name...” Ilyseal didn’t appear to understand.

  “But it is only half of your name.” Her golden eyes narrowed.

  “The second name is more of a formality or a family name; you don’t need to say it every time. So I’m Kalian...” he turned to Li’ara without looking at her. “And this is Li’ar-”

  “Lieutenant Commander.” The words came out of Li’ara a little sharp. Kalian reasoned that it was probably easier for her to be a soldier right now, too many emotions attached to Li’ara Ducarté. Ilyseal lifted her head once which he had come to see as a nod.

  “As you wish Kalian, Lieutenant Commander.” She turned to a small dome shaped protrusion on the wall. Her alien hand spread out across the dome creating a reaction on the wall next to them. White light came to life giving the outline of a circular door that had blended into the wall itself.

  “The Translifts are the only way to enter the command bridge.” The soft glow was inviting and dream like. Kalian was happier with a mode of transport he was familiar with. Much like the lifts in The Hub he was unaware of any displacement. It made a universal ping as it arrived at its destination.

  The command bridge was a buzz of activity with Novaarians working on terminals and consoles. It was an incredible sight of efficiency; each console appeared to have a hard surface with multiple holograms projecting all around them. The Novaarians were able to use their bottom limbs on the hard surface with their upper limbs working the holograms. Kalian couldn’t imagine how they possibly operated both at the same time.

  They stepped through the portal lead by Ilyseal, from what he could tell the lift was situated in the back corner of the bridge. Everything stopped; Novaarians in the distance were standing up to see over their console at the aliens on their bridge. He saw Li’ara taking the opportunity to absorb the details around them. Her tactical mind was probably taking over in a new environment. He assumed she was looking for exits, counting the number of Novaarians, scanning for weapons and assessing any threats. She never switched off. Kalian looked around but couldn’t see what she saw. Instead he took in the architecture and technology that was so different from any human design.

  It wasn’t as grand in size as the corridors but it was still bigger than any human command centre. Kalian had seen the inside of UDC ships in films and documentaries, and knew it was human tradition to build bridges to fit about a dozen personnel. Looking around him there must have been at least three dozen. From what he could see the room was split into two areas; directly in front was an oval shape of consoles with the Novaarians working on the inside and outside, opposite one another. At what he imagined was the front of the bridge was another bank of consoles in a smaller oval shape with the same layout. In the middle of each was a small platform with a Novaarian standing on it; they were entirely encompassed in holographic images in an ever changing pattern of colour.

  Further still he could make out the back of two individual Novaarians at the far end both sitting at their own console, apart from the others. In front of them was huge arcing viewport. The length of the ship could be seen stretching out in front of them. The space beyond was curiously black, no stars in sight. These particular Novaarians caught his eye due to the simple fact that they hadn’t stood up to look at them, that and the florescent tubing that looked to be coming out the back of their heads and disappearing into the floor. It was a lot to take in, he had never been on a UDC ship or any kind of Command Bridge, now he was standing in the most technologically advanced room in the galaxy and he had no idea why. It was hard to believe the chain of events that had led him to this spot. Only hours ago, he had been rushing to work b
ecause the biggest concern in his day had been getting up late for work. Now he was travelling through space at a speed he was sure he couldn’t even comprehend. The thought brought his attention to the fact that he had no idea where they were, were they close to Earth? How far had they travelled in the time he had been unconscious?

  “Greetings of peace.” The alien voice came from above. The floating platform that descended towards them was only big enough for one, in this case Telarrek. He stood in a semi circle of hard consoles each feeding him different information from around the Valoran. The dome-shaped bottom fit into its corresponding space making it one with the floor. There was something about Telarrek that made him stand out from the others; he was more regal in stature, with a presence that commanded attention over others. He stepped away from his consoles, lowering his long jaw until it was resting against the rings across his chest.

  “My people grieve for your loss...” Kalian picked up on Li’ara’s body language; she may have been in awe of their surroundings a moment ago but Telarrek’s words made her visibly tensed.

  “We need to get to Century now!” All eyes were on her but no one reacted. “I don’t know where you’re taking us, but if it were Century we’d be there by now. You need to make a course correction ASAP, we’re wasting time, and they need to be warned!”

  “I am afraid I cannot do that Li’ara Ducarté.” Telarrek had resumed his full height stepping off the platform.

  “It’s Lieutenant Commander to you, and why the hell not?”

  “Even I receive orders, Lieutenant Commander, and mine are to bring Kalian Gaines before the Conclave.” Telarrek replied evenly.

  “It is just Kalian, my charge.” Ilyseal’s large eyes darted to the humans and back to Telarrek. He turned his head the same way Ilyseal had in slight confusion. Kalian couldn’t figure out the facial expressions that passed between them but Telarrek quickly resumed his position and continued.

  “We have sent an envoy to Century to warn them of this new threat. My crew has been analysing the data since our encounter, I assure you we will identify the species responsible for this attack. Their crime is beyond words or understanding, but the Conclave will see to their punishment.”

  “I don’t know what this Conclave is, but you can’t take us against our will. We need to get back to our own people, chains of command need establishing, what’s left of the fleet needs to know what it’s up against.” Li’ara was starting to look like a newly caged animal. Telarrek paused a moment.

  “You will be our guests aboard the Valoran, I assure you Lieutenant Commander you are not prisoners. Quarters have been prepared for you; the journey will take seven of your days to reach-”

  “The Valoran couldn’t help save Earth, what do you think an envoy is going to do?” In her anger she turned away from them. Kalian had a bad feeling. He wasn’t sure how much the Novaarians could pick up on human facial expressions. He watched her eyes pass over everything and everyone. This wasn’t like before, there was urgency to her movements, she was calculating the odds. He was sure in her head a scenario was playing out in which she overcame the nearest guard taking his weapon, killing everyone between them and the Fathom, and escaping to Century. He was afraid in her anger she might be overlooking the details to her plan. For one they had no idea where in space they were, and that was if they even made it to the ship, and judging from the display Numanon gave on the Icarus, he doubted she would be able to overcome the first guard.

  Li’ara turned on her heel back to Telarrek with purpose in her stride. The guards that had slowly been closing in on their conversation moved as one, taking a step closer. Kalian had to act now, if only to save Li’ara from getting into a fight he knew she couldn’t win. Stopping her mid stride he placed himself squarely between Telarrek and Li’ara.

  “Stop!” He wasn’t facing Li’ara; instead he looked Telarrek straight in the eyes. By telling Telarrek to stop, Kalian knew he was telling the guards to stop. Everyone froze around the three of them. Kalian had his hand flat out against Telarrek assuming the gesture was universal.

  “She’s right, Telarrek.” He kept his voice calm. “I don’t know what your interest in me is, but you’ve saved me enough times today to know I mean something. If I’m worth saving aren’t they?” He spread his hand out towards the viewport, Century was out there somewhere.

  Kalian wasn’t sure how much Telarrek had heard, the aliens concentration had been entirely on the human hand in front of him. Using his right hands Telarrek reached for Kalian’s outstretched hand. His touch was delicate like the hand was precious somehow. He spread Kalian’s fingers replicating the gesture he had used moments ago. The alien hands moved over the surface of his skin, large Novaarian eyes inspecting every detail. Telarrek inhaled one slow breath pushing his chest out. He released Kalian’s hand and his posture had changed as he became the captain again.

  “We shall try...” Telarrek turned to face his crew and Ilyseal. “Full stop, course correction, we are going to Century. I want maximum yield, contact the envoy and inform them of our arrival.” The crew’s pause was momentary while they received their instructions before the hum of activity resumed. A deep pulse resonated from somewhere in the ship and the viewport flashed as millions of stars were now visible beyond the ship. The starry field slid to the left, blurring into streaks of white light. It occurred to him that the Valoran was moving to the right, not the stars.

  Kalian faced Li’ara, thinking she would be pleased with the turn of events, but her face said otherwise. If anything she looked confused, almost concerned with their change in circumstances. He simply shrugged in answer to her silent question. Even Kalian wasn’t sure if it was his words that changed Telarrek’s mind, and he had no idea what was so interesting about his hand.

  Both Kalian and Li’ara moved as they felt a small jolt from beneath their feet, the Novaarians didn’t move at all. The streaking stars vanished as quickly as they appeared leaving the same empty void as before.

  “It will take point four of a cycle to reach Century, my Charge.” The soft glow of Ilyseal’s bracer illuminated her large golden eyes.

  “How long is that?” Li’ara was her controlled self again, collecting data, making her own internal assessments.

  “Almost six of your hours, Lieutenant Commander.” Now she had a time frame.

  “You said your crew had been analysing the attack.” It was a statement, not a question. Telarrek simply bowed his head in response. “Then I need to see it, I want to know everything about them. If we get to Century in time I’ll need to brief command, things will move quicker if I talk to them.”

  “Agreed, our presence may complicate events.” Telarrek turned to Ilyseal, “Send all the data we have through to the observatory.” Without waiting for a response, he began walking towards a large circular door behind them. Kalian recognised the same wavy line that cut the door in half. He expected light to pour out of it, like all the other rooms he had seen on his journey to the bridge. Instead this room was darker, in deep shades of blue with minimal lighting.

  “Follow me.” Telarrek lead the way inside the circular room with only Kalian and Li’ara accompanying him. The room was bare except for a circular ring that floated in the centre. The only place to move was on the walkway that surrounded the empty circular island. The only light came from six spotlights in the floor that encompassed the room. It seemed such a contrast to the rest of the ship. Everything Kalian had seen so far was full of light exposing the alien beauty of his surroundings. Even the ceiling was lower than the one he had been operated on. The room became darker still as the door sealed behind them.

  “This is the observatory, from here all the Valoran’s scans and sensor data can be correlated for observation and analysis.” Telarrek reached out to place a hand on the central circle. At his touch the dull metal came to life with orange lights appearing over its surface. For the first time in his life Kalian was looking at a language he couldn’t recognise. On Earth there h
ad only been one language, Central. To see an alien language in front of him was both exciting and frustrating. Twinkling specks of light began to appear on the floor in between the circular console with corresponding lights on the domed ceiling. A holographic image in full colour appeared in the centre, forming a column of light that gradually dissipated towards the ceiling and floor. In the middle was a sharp picture of the Icarus station with the Moon on one side and the Earth on the other. From the angle of the image it was clear that this had been recorded from a lens on the Valoran’s hull.

  Both Kalian’s and Li’ara’s eyes lingered on the image of Earth. Kalian had a strange feeling of regret. Seeing his home world now he appreciated its beauty for what it was. Perhaps more so because he knew he would never see it again, or any of the planets in his system. A wave of nausea passed over him as he realised the population of Mars was close to rivalling Earth’s.

  All those people... gone.

  He wrapped his hands around the inside edge of the ring, leaning on it for support. He looked to Li’ara expecting her to be feeling the same if not worse. Her face was a blank canvas, no emotion or response. He used her lack of response as a crutch; he tried pushing all his thoughts of home away. If they were going to think clearly and get through this they had to be objective. He needed to be more like Li’ara. They were the only two human survivors. How did they survive? Out of the billions that died in a wave of fire and light, how did two humans survive, why them? It seemed to Kalian that Li’ara’s survival was at least a little more probable; she had been trained to fight and survive. But him, shouldn’t he be dead as well?

  “So this is what you’ve been doing for four hundred years?” Li’ara walked slowly round the hologram so she could see both Kalian and Telarrek, but her eyes never left Earth. “You’ve been watching us through a microscope, learning everything about us, shadowing our every move. How is it, a race so good at observing didn’t see or know about a ship or species capable of this kind of attack?” There was an edge to her voice. Li’ara wasn’t showing any emotion, but she was angry. Kalian felt the scale tip, as Li’ara became angry he became calm. It was odd to him, but he felt like he needed to balance them being the only two humans present. It was an attachment he had never felt before. In this instance it helped to focus him, pushing away his guilt of surviving, he focused on what was happening in front of him.