They sat in silence for some time, each contemplating the upcoming events most certain to happen. The outcome may depend on an alien scientist whose brother was killed by the people who are now asking for his assistance.
Sam was the first to break the silence, "Eliot, start the sequence to bring Delack out of stasis and start the other thing we discussed earlier."
"Yes, Sir."
"What's going on, Sam?"
"Eliot and I discussed bringing Delack out of stasis and preparing food to nourish his body and bring him to health and awareness via the quickest route. We need him awake and mentally functioning. We have a very short window of time to accomplish both."
Chapter Twenty-One
As Grant and Sam left for the Ebony Belle, Tayana and her crew made their way deep into the planet's caverns astride their C-Rexes. They made their way by torchlight down narrow passageways with high ceilings. Tayana's vague recollection of where she needed to turn and how far they needed to go, was all the information she had to rely on.
Tayana was confident as she spoke, but she was unsure of the exact way to go, "We need to go about a quarter of a mile into the cave, then make two left turns, two right turns, go another quarter mile and veer left, then we should reach our destination. Stay close, do not stray or fall behind.”
The crew acknowledged her directions as they made their way deeper into the damp darkness of the cave. They did not know where they were going or why. The eerie shadows cast on the walls from their torches made the crew fearful of their fate. The looks on their faces said it all, they thought they were going to become lost and die in the caves.
“They are just shadows, stay with me!” Her fearless demeanor gave them courage to continue into the darkness.
Tayana began to doubt she accurately remembered where the correct turns were located; they were further apart than she remembered. She questioned herself, was it two right turns then two left turns? She was about to turn back when they emerged into a large open space. There in the middle was what she sought. Her father built the device to protect the village against anything that could or would possibly destroy their way of life. Her father was a scientist, an explorer, and a brilliant man. He sought to preserve life at all costs, especially hers.
“We need to get the device's sled attached to my C-Rex quickly. We have to get back to the village and have this installed before dawn. Let's move! ”
“Aye.” Was the simultaneous cry of her crew. They began hooking up the sled. Time was not on their side. The ropes attached to the sled had dried out from age and broke as soon as weight and tension was placed on them.
“Use the ropes in our packs," Tayana said, “we can still use the metal rings, and they have fared better than the ropes. We need to hurry.”
They emptied their packs, replacing time-battered, rotten ropes with sturdy, strong ropes. One of the crew said, "We are almost done, Tayana. It will be close, but I'm certain we can safely make it back to the village with this rigging."
"Good, let’s get moving as soon as we can. This device needs to be setup on the shrine rock and placed in a precise manner. It may take us longer than expected. Time is not our friend, and neither is this cave. There are creatures in here that would have us for a snack if we tarry too long."
With her words fresh on the crew's minds, their speed increased, and they finished replacing the ropes in short order. "We are ready now!"
"Back to the village, quickly. We need to be wary of the cave creatures. The hour is late and they know we are here. We did not enter with stealth, but we will leave with stealth, if possible."
They began their journey back to the surface. They moved less than one hundred feet before the walls behind them began to move, as if they were melting, undulating in a crazy mix of wave and texture. Tayana had only a moment to duck and avoid being knocked off her C-Rex by a large mass of bat-like creatures making their nightly journey to the mouth of the cave to feed on insects and whatever else they could find. She nudged her C-Rex to the ground and hid beside it. The entire crew threw themselves to the ground avoiding being attacked and eaten by the ravenous flying creatures. They huddled in small groups, arms over their heads in a defensive posture, some crying, others screaming, and many flailed their swords at the flying beasts who easily avoided the sharp blades. The noise was incredibly loud. The flapping of so many wings and the clicking sounds they made to navigate their way around the caves was terrifying, especially to those who had never ventured into the caves or into any such enclosed area.
Once the creatures were past them, Tayana ordered the crew to press onward. "They are insect eaters, grow a backbone. Move forward, now!"
Tayana was driven and angry beyond her normal angry, driven self. The trek out of the cave went smoothly and quickly with Tayana urging her C-Rex at a rapid pace. Her thoughts turned to their situation. It would take precious time to get the device set up and functioning. If they failed, her people would be forced to resettle elsewhere, or worse, die. She found both outcomes unacceptable. The valley was their home. It protected them from the helium fall and provided everything they needed for a beautiful life.
Emerging from the cave Tayana cried, "To the shrine rock! We must move quickly.”
Her crew hastened to reach the village before helium fall. Tayana looked back to check on the device attached behind her C-Rex. She noticed small wisps of flame coming from the sled's coated runners. Dragging the sled rapidly over the rocky trail generated friction causing sparks to ignite the small traces of hydrogen reaching ground level. Full on helium fall would occur in a few short minutes. Time was running out, but they only had a short distance to go. She pressed on, picking up the pace, driving her crew to move faster.
Five minutes later, with sled rails beginning to catch fire, they arrived at the village outskirts. They wound their way expertly between village pods and structures, taking the shortest route to the shrine in the center of the village.
As they approached, Tayana yelled at the villagers who were diligently preparing for their morning departure, "to the side, to the side!"
The villagers quickly stepped out of the crew's way, their eyes wide at the sight of the sled with flaming rails, and its secret cargo. Several curious villagers dropped what they were doing and followed the burning sled to its destination.
Coming to an abrupt halt, Tayana jumped off her C-Rex and climbed onto the shrine rock. "We need to uncover the protector, remove it from the sled, and place it where I am standing. Hurry!"
The crew, with help from several villagers, uncovered the protector, removed it from the sled, and hoisted it to the top of the rock shrine.
On her hands and knees, Tayana searched for the markings she saw many years ago. She was dismayed. Some of the markings etched into the surface of the rock had disappeared. Others markings were etched deeper into the face of the rock. She found a depression in the middle of the shrine and began frantically tracing small but perceptible lines emanating from the center. She found enough markers to know where the device needed to be set up.
"Place it here with the panel facing the falls. Easy now, this might be the only thing saving our village and us from certain destruction."
Villagers noted the sound of Tayana's voice and saw her agitated state. She sounded almost desperate. It was a tone they had never heard from her before and it made them uneasy. To them, Tayana was a strong, fierce, unflappable leader—she was their rock. She could not crack under pressure, she did not know how.
Finally the protector was in position. Tayana urged the villagers to back away while she tested it to ensure it worked properly. She wracked her brain trying to remember what she was supposed to do to make it function, then she remembered the instructions her father had given her.
She ran to her pod to search for a document. It was in a safe place, but she couldn't quite remember where. For many years, it sat on her bookcase, but when she changed pods, she put it between the pages of a book for safe keeping. She wondered, is it in
"Potters Guide to Herbs, Fields, Flowers and Fauna", or "In Times of Trouble", which book? She turned the pages of several books and found it. Running back to the protector she prayed the device would work and her village would be safe.
The instructions indicated a water source was necessary to power the device. After looking over the instructions again, she shuttered, there was a part missing. She grabbed a torch and ran back to the sled. She searched everywhere. It was not there. She broke down and cried for the first time since her family was killed so many years ago. The stress of saving the village was becoming overwhelming. Should she just tell them all to get on the shuttle with Grant and Sam and leave? Her thoughts were a mess and she felt at a loss. One of the older women approached her and sat down beside her. Wrapping her arm around Tayana, she pulled her close. Tayana sobbed into her shoulder and held her tight.
Gently, the woman spoke, "This is not the Tayana we all know and love. We are your people; we love you, and will do whatever it takes to help you save our village. You need only to direct us and we will go."
Tayana slowly pulled away, wiping tears from her eyes, and brushing her long black hair from her face. "What I need is to find the other piece of the protector. It should have been on the sled, but I do not see it anywhere. It is silver and has a cable attached."
The woman stood and said, "Men, please search the sled and its wrappings for a small device, it is part of the protector. It is silver and has a cable attached to it or near it.”
The men began their search immediately, without question.
Tayana said, "Thank you! You have no idea what it means to me."
"I do have some idea." The woman said. "You have not had a mother for a long time. Sometimes you just need a hug and a little push."
Tayana smiled, stood, and made her way back to the protector.
From a tree near where they uncovered the protector, a man called out, "It is here. It was behind a tree, out of sight." He rushed to give it to her.
Tayana, quickly regained her composure. She connected one end of the cable to the device and the other end to what appeared to be a canister full of small holes with something very heavy inside. Turning to a villager, she said, "Take this canister and place it in the center of the pool below the falls."
The villager ran to the pool, waded out to the middle where the pool was deepest, and lowered the canister into the water. He exited the pool in short order and returned to the group.
At first nothing happened. Tayana reread the instructions. She flipped a small red switch and the protector began humming, the lights turned on, and the control panel lit up brightly. Again, she urged the villagers to back away from the device. She was uncertain what would happen when she activated it. She only saw it operate once, over two hundred years ago. Some villagers backed away, some hid behind trees, and others turned sideways to reduce their profile.
"I will turn it on briefly to test if it is functioning. If it works, I will explain further." Tayana pushed the green button and a crystal clear dome began to form above the protector. She pushed another button and the dome began to expand. Its edge passed through the villagers, pods, and everything in its path with no harm. A couple villagers were spooked when the dome passed through them, but they giggled with excitement when it was past them and they were still alive. The dome was the height of the falls, encompassing the entire village.
"It is working! We can pass through the dome to leave, but we cannot return once we have left its safety. Nothing can penetrate the dome. We are all safe if we are inside. Those who wish to stay may stay. Those who wish to go with Grant and Sam may do so with no recourse.
If you decide to stay, be prepared to do battle with whatever may come our way. If they are injured, finish them. We can shoot arrows out, but they cannot shoot anything in through the dome. If my father was correct, and I believe he was, the dome goes all the way under us. There are no edges to dig under."
The villagers clapped and cheered. The tension had abated and their thoughts turned to dinner. Tayana turned the protector off and began instructing others on how to operate it in case she was delayed or dispatched. The village women prepared a late meal with remaining rations. It may be their last meal together as a village for some time. They would have a quick breakfast, but would not all eat at the same time.
"Family, thank you! Tomorrow is the beginning of what may be our darkest hours. It may also be the beginning of our finest hours. We may be separated, but we are in unity when it comes to our lives. We are family and we will come through the other side. We may lose some of us. We may lose all of us. But we will never lose the love we have for one another. Be blessed and safe as we venture forth tomorrow. May Grant and Sam return to battle along side of us, as family! The villagers cheered. Everyone was happy and smiling. The looming battle was no longer on their minds, not for the moment, anyway. The meal began and Tayana's thoughts drifted to Grant.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Grant and Sam tried to formulate a more concise plan as they approached the Ebony Belle. "Sam, we need to talk with Delack before we make a decision on how to proceed, but we need some sort of plan before we approach him!"
"You're making this much harder than it needs to be. We let Delack know the situation and ask his opinion, and then we come up with ideas and present them."
Grant needed cold hard facts and as much information as possible to formulate a solid plan of attack, or defense, whatever was called for. He was frustrated with Sam because he was so nonchalant.
"We will be docking with the Ebony Belle in twenty seconds." Eliot counted down, until they came to a gentle stop, and heard four loud clicks. "We have docked. You may depart the Varizone."
Grant was the first to move. He quickly made his way to the hatchway opening. Sam, a bit more casual, sauntered towards the hatchway at a leisurely pace. He found Grant in the hallway as he suspected he would, waiting impatiently for the elevator to the med room.
"Nice day for a stroll, hey buddy?"
"Sam, you have to take this seriously. We're about to be wiped off the face of the universe and you say, 'hey buddy'?"
"You need to calm down. Look at yourself, waiting impatiently for an elevator, rubbing your hands together anticipating walking into a room with an alien lying on a table in stasis so you can press a button. Once the button is pressed it will be another five to ten minutes before he opens his eyes and another five to ten minutes before he can move, sit, or stand. Then, we need to get him to the galley so we can put food and nutrients into him that'll bring him back to some resemblance of normal. Tack on another twenty to thirty minutes before he can speak. So roughly an hour from now we'll be able to ask our first question and get an intelligent response. Ya getting the point?"
"Sam, you're right, I am freaking out. Mainly, because I don't want to die, but also because I haven't gone to the pools with Tayana. It's truly something I don't want to miss out on."
"So you do have feelings for her!" Sam grinned from ear to ear, he knew Grant had feelings for her, it was unmistakable. The way he smiled when he saw her, the flirting, being a stand up guy, and the complete lack of balls to ask her to go swimming for an hour. Sam knew Tayana felt the same way. Maybe not the part about the balls, or maybe she did. She was, after all, a beautiful, vibrant woman with killer instincts and a body that would make a priest blush. He saw her flicker of want pretty early on, when she was inside his mind.
"Yes, I have feelings for her. I'm completely in love with her and I'm too chicken to say anything."
"Grant, walk up to her tomorrow morning, wrap your arms around her, and plant a long wet one on her. She'll either passionately kiss you back, or vigorously cut your nuts off."
"It's the later that terrifies me!" They smiled and laughed deep belly laughs. Grant's stress diminished as he found a new perspective. He was in love and needed to let her know before either of them were dispatched by the upcoming battle. Right now, he had other things to focus on as the elevator doo
rs opened. Stepping inside, the pair continued snickering and laughing, until Sam farted. "Jesus, Sam you couldn't have done it in the hallway? My mouth was open!"
Sam laughed and with each laugh, came a little fart. The more he laughed, the more he farted, and the more the two laughed together. "You're killing me, Sam, we're supposed to be all serious and you're over there crapping in your pants." Sam let go a juicy fart in response. Their faces were red and their eyes watered from the laughter. "We have to get a grip!" The elevator door opened on the med deck. Grant and Sam piled out laughing like two kids still in grade school.
"Oh my, we needed a good laugh!"
"Sam, do you need to wipe before we get started?"
"Maybe so!" They laughed some more as they approached the med room.
"Enough for now, we have to get serious. The process will take some time, but we need to be on top of things so it flows smoothly and quickly." "Agreed!"
"Eliot, please have the galley prepare the concoction we discussed and have lots of fruit on hand, as well."
Eliot replied, "The process has begun."
Grant rounded the machine keeping Delack in stasis and pressed the right combination of buttons on the control panel to begin the reviving process.
"Sam, better get some appropriate clothing for our friend here. If you remember he is quite shy. I believe the synthesizer created a set of clothing to his liking."
"On my way."
Sam bounded down the hallway to the clothing synthesizer where he found a neatly folded uniform in the product tray. "Delack will be happy to see this." The clothing catalogue caught Sam's eye and he stopped to look for a minute. Silky short-sleeved shirts with flowers and birds, a nice pair of shorts to go with the shirt, and a very comfortable pair of sandals to round out the outfit. Sam envisioned a beach with palm trees, a fruity drink in his hand, and Kyera and Dyanta lounging beside him on the beach loungers, wearing skimpy bikinis. The warm ocean breeze softly blowing across his unbuttoned shirt ruffled his chest hair.
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