Omega Force 6: Secret of the Phoenix

by Joshua Dalzelle

  “Captain Burke,” De’Elefor said as he approached, bowing deeply.

  “De’Elefor,” Jason said, nodding to the A’arcooni. “Is there some title that accompanies your position? I mean no disrespect by simply referring to you by name.”

  “Your concern is appreciated, but unfounded,” De’Elefor said. “I have intentionally attached no title to my office as a constant reminder to the people, and myself, that my service is temporary and that a new government still needs to be elected.”

  “So what can I do for you?” Jason said, dreading what the alien might say next. It was either good news or De’Elefor was about to throw a massive roadblock in his way.

  “We wished to speak to you away from the chaos of A’ara,” he said carefully. “With the arrival of Crisstof Dalton’s ship there are a lot of unfamiliar faces about.”

  “Fair enough,” Jason said. “We can talk in the galley aboard my ship. I have to warn you that we’re in the middle of some repairs so it’s a little hectic in there.”

  “You saw how we once lived aboard ships,” De’Elefor said with a small smile. “I’m sure it cannot be as bad as that.”

  Jason didn’t answer, but he vividly remembered the unsafe living conditions on the A’arcooni ships they’d been flying around on. It was so bad that if Crisstof hadn’t pulled them off and provided extensive medical treatment it was likely eighty percent of the A’arcooni population would be dead.

  Jason led the three aliens up the ramp of the Phoenix and into the galley. After they’d declined anything to drink he sat and patiently waited for De’Elefor to speak.

  “I think I know what you are looking for, even if you don’t fully know yourself,” he began. “I believe you’re searching for the lost tribe.”

  “If you mean a group of your people who have stayed behind and can tell me what I’m supposed to do with the pieces of this Key, then you’re correct,” Jason said, hope welling up in him.

  “They exist,” De’Elefor said simply. “But there are some complications. They will have no contact with those of us who have returned from the ships nor are they defenseless.”

  “You say that as if they might be hostile,” Jason said.

  “They can be,” De’Elefor said. “They have moderately advanced weaponry and still operate much of the technology that was gifted to us by the Travelers.”

  “So is there any chance I’ll be able to speak with them?” Jason asked, wanting to get to the heart of the matter.

  “It is possible,” De’Elefor said carefully. “But if you try to fly there in your ship or approach them with any of us it is probable that they will retreat into their bunker and you’ll never get a word in.”

  “That’s not very encouraging,” Jason muttered.

  “If you want to engage them, appeal to their curiosity,” De’Elefor continued. “Make them want to help you by presenting them with a problem they can’t refuse. Your question of the Travelers’ ancestors will appeal to them, but you’ll have to find a way to make them listen. To that end I’ve brought you this.” He reached into his tunic and brought out a universal data card and laid it on the galley table.

  “I’m assuming those are planetary coordinates?” Jason asked, taking the card.

  “That and some background information on the tribe,” De’Elefor said. “I’ve given you all that we know about them, little as it is. Good luck to you, Captain.” With that he, and the other two, rose out of their seats and filed out of the galley. Jason trusted them to find their own way off the ship, twirling the data card in his hand.

  “Lucky! Get in here!” he shouted. “Bring the antenna with you.”

  ****

  Jason and Lucky trudged up the narrow mountain path after having been dropped off by a skimmer which the crew of the Defiant had brought down to the surface. The pair had both memorized the data in the file De’Elefor had provided and knew exactly where they were going, but neither had any idea of the reception they would receive.

  “Captain, might I inquire why you asked me to come along instead of any of the others?” Lucky asked as he tirelessly climbed the steep grade.

  “Besides the fact I enjoy the company?” Jason asked. “Simple. You have the most tact and grace when dealing with situations like this out of all of us, myself included.”

  Lucky seemed pleased by this explanation and let the subject drop.

  The path was well-defined, but it was obvious that only animals had been using the trail recently as the surrounding forest threatened to reclaim it. According to the map they were given it would be another three kilometers before they reached the plateau where the supposed lost tribe of A’arcooni were living. They’d left the skimmer some kilometers behind them in an effort to appear less threatening when they arrived, but Jason had no doubt that the aliens they were on the way to see already knew they were coming.

  It was another fifty minutes before their leisurely pace took them out of the woods and into the loose scrub that grew in the rocky soil along their final ascent. When they crested the rise and looked out over the gently sloping plateau, they saw that they would at least get the initial chance to plead their case. Two A’arcooni dressed in loose, light brown garments stood in the middle of the clearing with their arms crossed, facing where the trail came out of the trees.

  “I would assume they are the greeting party,” Jason said quietly. He walked slowly towards them, arms hanging loosely at his side. Since he came with Lucky he’d decided to come unarmed, as he didn’t want to send the wrong message given the pitched battle that had been fought in A’ara less than a day ago.

  “Greetings, Captain Jason Burke,” the taller A’arcooni said. “That is far enough. We would ask why you’ve come to our home.”

  Jason looked around and could see no obvious signs of a settlement. “We’ve come to ask for your help,” he said. “It’s a matter that pertains to the Travelers.”

  “We have no help to offer you in regards to De’Astor Ka’s cult,” the A’arcooni said, turning to leave.

  “Not that,” Jason called out. “The Travelers themselves. More specifically, the species that gave birth to their civilization.” This caused the A’arcooni to pause in his turn and regard Jason for a moment.

  “I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time, Captain,” he said. “Please bother us no further.”

  “Have you ever seen one of these?” Jason asked, pulling the antenna out from behind him and holding it up, the sun glinting off the golden alloy. Neither A’arcooni were able to hide their reaction and Jason knew he had them.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “In a sealed cave on a deserted planet on the other side of the quadrant,” Jason said. “There are two other components that accompany it, but we’re woefully short on information regarding what it is and what it controls.” Both A’arcooni approached them slowly with a hungry look in their eyes.

  “We do not know what it is either,” the lead A’arcooni admitted. “But it has the writing of the Ancients all over it. Please follow us, Captain. We will try and discover the purpose of this device together.”

  Lucky and Jason followed the A’arcooni across the clearing and towards a break in the rock that was now revealed to be an entrance as they got closer. De’Elefor had said that the tribe had an almost compulsive need to understand the Travelers and their teachings. The Ancients, as Jason was already referring to them, figured heavily in that equation. As he’d hoped, the antenna and its seductive hieroglyphs were just what he needed to gain their willing assistance.

  Chapter 20

  “The script along the outer ring is most definitely the Ancients’ language,” a wizened, elderly A’arcooni named Ke’Elam said. Lucky and Jason had been unceremoniously turned over to him and the three were now in a surprisingly sophisticated workshop studying the ring. “It isn’t anything profound, however. These are simple instructions.”

  “So the user’s manual is printed along the outside,” Jason mused. “That
makes sense if you wanted it to last through the millennia.”

  “Indeed,” Ke’Elam said, bobbing his head up and down. “But this appears to be only one piece of the machine. While interesting, it is useless without the other two.”

  “In theory we have the other two,” Jason said to him. He’d been dolling out the information on the Key slowly, letting the scientist fill in the gaps without any prompting from him. “One other part I have for certain, the other is supposedly hidden on my ship, but we’ve been unable to locate it as of yet.”

  “This instruction set only tells us how the antenna is to be positioned in relation to the transceiver,” Ke’Elam said. “Have you attempted to put those two units together?”

  “No,” Jason said. “We had no idea as to how the antenna was supposed to be oriented, much less read the text that’s on the transceiver itself.”

  “Ah,” Ke’Elam said. “So more complete operating instructions are likely printed on that component. In order to help you I will need to see this other piece, I’m afraid.”

  “I can have it brought here,” Jason said slowly. “But perhaps it would be helpful if you came down to where my ship is. It’s separated from the city of A’ara … it’s inside a hangar on the old aerodrome grounds.” He could see the sudden anxiousness and indecision on the elderly A’arcooni’s face.

  “We have had no interaction with De’Astor Ka’s cult since you brought them back,” he said. “I’m not certain we’re ready for reconciliation.”

  “That’s not what I’m suggesting,” Jason said. “It would be only me and my crew. No A’arcooni from the Traveler ships would be present if you did not wish them to be.”

  “Could I have a few hours to consider your request, Captain?” Ke’Elam asked.

  “Of course,” Jason said with a nod, forcing himself to keep the frustration from his voice. “Our ride to the aerodrome won’t be back for a few hours anyway.”

  Ke’Elam bobbed his head in that odd, birdlike manner the A’arcooni sometimes had and left the shop.

  “Do you think he will come with us?” Lucky asked.

  “I couldn’t say,” Jason admitted. “While bringing up the transceiver for him to translate would be a tremendous help, there’s no substitute for having an expert onsite while we’re trying to find the encryption module.” He idly walked around the large workshop, looking at various disassembled components and drawings for others that were scattered around the bench tops. “You know, they’re a lot more advanced than you would assume when seeing that they basically live in a series of caves and crude shelters.”

  “I get the impression it is the study of what the Travelers left behind that gives their life meaning, not necessarily the application of that technology,” Lucky said.

  “I guess,” Jason said. “Just think of the jumpstart the A’arcooni on this planet would have if the two camps combined. All the technology here and all the labor force and production capability down there. Hell, they’d be a spacefaring species again within a decade.”

  “I think that is what these A’arcooni are trying to avoid,” Lucky said.

  It was an hour and twenty minutes before Ke’Elam and a younger A’arcooni walked back into the shop.

  “We will accompany you down to the aerodrome, Captain Burke,” he said, much to Jason’s relief.

  “And who is this?” Jason asked, gesturing to the younger A’arcooni.

  “It is not important that you know who he is,” Ke’Elam said pleasantly. “I’m not being deliberately mysterious, but he will be accompanying me as an observer only.”

  “So he’s there to protect you from us, or you from the other A’arcooni,” Jason guessed.

  “I was under the impression the Cult was now non-violent,” Ke’Elam said with a smile.

  “Not that sort of protection,” Jason said. “He’s to shield you from any influence or undue contact. Not to worry, Ke’Elam. I will ensure the hangar is empty before we get there.”

  “Quite perceptive, Captain,” Ke’Elam said with a nod. “He is also to report back on my actions. If I break our pact and make contact with any members of the Cult I will be exiled. But the opportunity your device presents is worth that risk.”

  “I’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that,” Jason promised. “Shall we go?”

  “Of course.”

  “Lucky, call ahead and tell Doc of the conditions we’ve agreed to with Ke’Elam,” Jason said, picking up the antenna. “Let’s not start off with any misunderstandings.”

  ****

  The skimmer dropped all four of them off just outside the hangar before lifting again and heading back to the city. The pilot was given explicit instructions to tell any A’arcooni in the city who asked that Jason had been unable to make contact with the mountain tribe. Doc was waiting for them at the door and Crusher was sound asleep on the landing gear, one of his favorite nap spots.

  “Are the other two pulling the reactor apart?” Jason asked.

  “Already at it,” Doc confirmed. “He shut it down this morning and purged the main chamber. He’s already dropped the intermix housing.”

  “That was quick,” Jason said. “I hope he’s taking precautions. Doc, this is Ke’Elam and his … friend. He’s a researcher with the A’arcooni who survived De’Astor Ka’s purge. He’ll be helping us with the Key.”

  “Kellea brought the transceiver this morning,” Doc said. “She’s on the ship now with it.” That part surprised Jason a bit. With a captured warship in orbit and a heavy ground action just wrapping up, he didn’t expect to see much of her before they were all ready to leave the system.

  He motioned for the others to follow him and walked into the hangar, ignoring the heavy snoring coming from the landing gear as well as the steady stream of cursing that was coming from an open access hatch near the main reactor. They went up the ramp and into a cargo bay strewn with tools and pieces of the ship that Jason hoped his engineer would remember how to put back.

  “It’s not usually so cluttered,” he said apologetically as he led his guests up the steps and onto the Phoenix’s main deck.

  “It is an impressive ship, Captain,” Ke’Elam said perfunctorily. Jason knew it was a meaningless platitude, but his pride in his ship came out anyway.

  “Thanks,” he said. “She’s saved our lives on more than one occasion, not to mention the lives of countless others we’ve helped.” He continued on until he saw Kellea sitting at a galley table with the transceiver case sitting in front of her. She smiled when she saw him and he was relieved that she seemed to be mostly over the stunt he’d pulled in her hangar bay.

  “Kellea, this is Ke’Elam,” Jason said as she drew close. “Ke’Elam, this is Captain Kellea Colleren.”

  “Ah yes,” Ke’Elam said, “the captain of the Diligent.” Jason winced, but remained silent.

  “The Defiant, actually,” Kellea said smoothly. “The Diligent was unfortunately lost some time ago.”

  “My apologies,” Ke’Elam said. “It would appear my information is out of date. Shall we get started?”

  Kellea gestured to the case and stepped aside. Ke’Elam correctly took this as an invitation and walked over to the table.

  He popped the latches on the case and peered into it, catching his breath as he caught sight of the larger component. Reverently lifting it out, he nodded for his observer to move the case and set the device gently on the table.

  “This is simply incredible,” Ke’Elam breathed. “A working piece of Ancient technology.”

  “How do you know it’s functional?” Jason asked.

  “Look at the antenna you’re holding, Captain,” Ke’Elam answered. Jason looked down and saw the symbols around the ring, which had looked to simply be etchings in the metal, were lighting up in a peculiar sequence, each in its own unique color.

  “I probably shouldn’t be holding this thing,” Jason said, handing it to Lucky. The battlesynth glared openly at him before placing it on the table at the opposite e
nd of the transceiver.

  “The language is in a dialect I’m not fully familiar with,” Ke’Elam admitted. “But much of it is still familiar. I’m confident I can activate the device.” Everyone looked to Jason, waiting for his response.

  “What the hell?” Jason shrugged. “I haven’t come this far to not turn the thing on. Let ‘er rip.”

  Ke’Elam looked at him questioningly for a moment before deciding that Jason’s untranslatable idiom meant to proceed. He began pressing on the symbols surrounding the disc of the transceiver in a confident manner, eliciting a response from the device immediately.

  The component began to also emit light, the jewels embedded around the disc glowing from blue to a bright white. There was a sudden bright flash that made them all turn away, and when they turned back the jewels were now back to a muted blue. There was also an additional person standing in the galley.

  The alien was tall and thin, almost spindly with narrow shoulders and hips. It had a large cranium and enormous, almond eyes that appeared black. There was no discernible mouth and only a pair of nostrils. It sent a chill down Jason’s spine as he realized, even down to the skin tone, that he was looking at a fairly accurate representation of a “gray” alien from Earth’s modern lore.

  “Identify yourself,” Lucky said harshly, moving to step between the alien and Jason. The alien looked at Lucky, then to Jason, before speaking in a language his implant couldn’t translate. Jason looked at Ke’Elam, who simply shook his head helplessly indicating he had no idea what it was saying.

  “Can you understand me?” Jason asked in Jenovian Standard. The alien appeared to be ignoring him as it walked over to the terminal in the galley and moved its hand to touch the interface. Before Jason could stop it the alien’s hand sunk into the terminal, only a slight discoloration at the point of contact breaking the illusion.