by Karl Morgan
“Dave, my brother-in-law reported that two humans and one maklan had been imprisoned on Localus,” De-o-Nu said. “They had been moved to an unknown prison within Predaxian space long before our invasion.”
Dave stood and said, “Zee, I need to get to that planet and rescue our prisoners. Can you help us?”
“Of course, Dave, it would be an honor,” Zee replied. “To insure your intentions, I would like to entertain the Kong-Fa and the ambassadors until the mission is complete. Perhaps Charlie and Aria could remain as well. I will send one hundred tekkan soldiers with you for support. We do not know what may be encountered there. Nar, perhaps you can lead your team. We will jump the Nightsky to that area after lunch. Hopefully, you will all return in time for dinner. We have planned another feast for the full crews of both ships this evening. I’d hate for you to miss it.”
“I think that would be perfect Zee,” Dave smiled. “Our ambassadors are much better than me for negotiations. Perhaps all of our differences will be resolved and new treaties can be signed soon.”
“I think you are a bit optimistic, Dave,” Zee laughed. “Diplomacy is not a quick exercise. Once Ai-Makla is free again, I can assure you that we will work as quickly as we can to complete the process.”
“Thank you, Zee,” Dave said. “I think I can make a commitment on behalf of all of our civilizations. Once the Predaxian horde is defeated, we will grant your planet control for the entire quadrant where Ai-Makla is located. If any civilization can build a new planet to rival this one, it will be the tekkans.”
Zee laughed out loud, stood and hugged Dave. “Brother Dave, if I may call you that, I want to thank you for easing my mind on this issue. We still have a few hours before your ship will leave us. I have promised to show you The Hive. Our engineers have been working diligently since you were jumped here. Rather than show you The Hive, we would like you to join The Hive for a couple of hours. This is an honor that has never been given to any non-tekkan. Hopefully, in our new future of sharing and trading, we will do this for our other brothers and sisters as well. Let us go now.”
Chapter 36
Zee and Dave left the conference room and returned to the tube room where they had arrived from the Consul’s residence. Zee tapped the panel and it asked for a destination. Zee said, “Hive, level six-eight-four-four-two, ring one.” Zee put his face up to the panel. A soft green light illuminated him.
“Security scan confirmed. Welcome, High Consul. Ready,” the panel said. The shuttle door opened and they stepped in and strapped themselves to the seats.
Zee touched a panel and said, “Ready.” The shuttle zipped out of the room and barreled straight down for several moments. There were few tubes in the area and more of them veered off while they continued to plummet downward, until they were in the only tube visible. The shuttle slowed and turned into another tube room and stopped. “Okay, Dave, this is your stop,” Zee said. “This is Engineer Nok,” he said pointing to the female tekkan waiting in the room. “I’m returning to the meeting. Nok will take care of you and see that you get to your ship on time. I hope you enjoy your visit.” Dave shook hands with the Consul and exited the shuttle. The door closed and it zipped out of the room.
“Welcome to The Hive, Dave,” Nok smiled. “Please follow me.” They left the tube room and entered a curving hall that seemed to go on indefinitely. “We are on level six-eight-four-four-two, which is the lowest section of The Hive where top secret clearance is not required. I was assigned to study your anatomy and develop an entry point into The Hive that would be compatible with your body and brain. Please, if you experience any discomfort, let me know. We only had a few hours to study you and we may have missed something.” They continued walking past circular doors on the inside to the curve.
“What is The Hive, Nok?” Dave asked. “We’ve tried to ask that question over and again, but the answers are confusing.”
“The Hive is a tool we use to explore the universe Dave,” Nok said. “When we are part of it, our minds join together with universal power and we can explore any part of the universe.”
“So, it’s for science,” Dave said.
“Only partially Dave,” she replied as they stopped at one of the circular doors. She pressed a panel and the door opened like a camera shutter. “Let’s go in, Dave.” After they were inside, the door closed behind them. The room was around ten feet square with two chambers sitting side by side. The far wall was opaque black glass. “The Hive is also critical to our trade. With it, we can find new cultures to trade with and new resources we never imagined before.”
Nok walked to the black glass and touched it, causing it to become transparent. Dave was stunned as he walked to join her at the glass wall. There was a large empty central cavity that seemed to reach forever up and down. There were hundreds, if not thousands of similar windows all around on this same level and too many levels to imagine. Colorful filaments of light shot up and down the opening, illuminating the other rooms in The Hive.
“Each window represents a cell like this one. Most have two chambers like this one,” Nok said as she pointed to the fixtures in the room. “Below here, in the secret area, there is only one chamber per room.” She put her hand on one chamber, saying, “This is a standard chamber, which I will use. The chamber connects us to the minds of the other billions of tekkans working here. We created this helmet to enable you to connect with us.” She picked up the helmet and handed it to Dave. “Please try it on.”
“It fits perfectly,” Dave said. “What do I do now?”
“Just lie down in the chamber and relax. Once I am in my chamber, both will close and we will be part of The Hive. I will explain more once we are inside,” Nok replied.
Dave lay on the pad in the chamber and it adjusted itself around him. “Do I close my eyes or what?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “The sensation of The Hive would confuse your eyes. In a way, you might feel like you are dreaming, but I’ll be there the entire time so you know it’s real. The High Consul said I needed to make sure you get to lunch in his office in two hours, so let’s begin. Just relax and try to enjoy the experience. And remember to let me know if you are experiencing any discomfort, okay?”
“Yes, Nok, I’ll let you know,” Dave said. Nok climbed into her chamber. When she was in position, both chambers closed.
Dave felt a bit dizzy and thought about saying something, but before he could say a word, he felt his mind separating from his body. He thought he could see his body lying below him on the table with a slight smile. A strong force pulled his mind out of the chamber and into the center opening. He felt himself being absorbed into the filaments of light that filled the open center of The Hive. He was totally disconnected from his body and wondered if he had died. Millions of other strings of light surrounded him and they carried him upward. More and more strings joined the group as they shot out of The Hive and flew into space. The billions of lights streamed outward in every direction. Dave could see them flowing out along a faint pattern, which he guessed must be universal power. As his light-string flew around the planet, he could see the Kong-Fa and Nightsky in orbit. He thought about Jon Lake. His string turned to the ship and dived into the bridge. He could see and hear Jon talking with Fleet Admiral Adamsen about the coming battle for Localus.
“Wow, Dave, you got the hang of this right away,” Nok said as her silver filament of light wrapped around his blue filament. “I thought I lost you for a minute but then figured you’d be looking for your ship.”
“Are you telling me that I really am aboard the Nightsky, Nok?” he asked. “I can see and hear the crew talking. Can they see or hear me?”
“No, Dave, they cannot,” Nok replied. “If they focused their instruments, they might notice a slight power surge, but that’s it. You are still in the chamber next to me in The Hive. We have joined the collective mind of The Hive now. Our thoughts are able to go anywhere and see anything. That includes traveling through time. Since we
are only mental energy, we can’t affect the course of time, so there is little risk. What do you want to see?”
“How about the Nanda?” Dave asked. “We were not able to decipher their language and are trying hard to learn it now. If we went to Nanda would we understand them?”
“Of course,” Nok said, “as mental energy, we can understand any language because we are not hearing their voices; we are touching their mental images, which we have found to be universal. Just follow me?” Nok’s silver light shot away. Dave thought about her and his light followed.
“Nok, when we first left Tak-Makla, I thought I saw a dim pattern the other lights were following. Is that universal power?” Dave asked.
“Not exactly, Dave,” she replied. “The pattern shows the lines that universal power uses to glue the space and time together. Universal power tends to be the greatest where the number of converging lines is highest, such as at Tak-Makla and Ai-Makla.”
They were rapidly approaching a small planet with large oceans and small continents. Dave could see Kalidean research vessels and one Gallicean cruiser in orbit. Nok led Dave straight down into the atmosphere and toward a large city on the edge of an ocean. They moved through buildings and trees and stopped inside a large space craft hangar. A group of Nanda stood inspecting a recently completed small star cruiser. Nok stopped directly in the middle of the group.
“Admiral Kleeg, I hope you know what you’re doing,” shouted one Nanda to an elderly female. “Finishing this ship has cost us a fortune.”
“Don’t worry, Commissioner Valkor,” Kleeg replied. “I can’t stand by and allow those hideous creatures to orbit our world. I know they are planning an invasion. They have killed or captured my daughter and I demand that we rescue her.”
Valkor said, “We know that we lost ten pilots that day. What makes you think we stand any chance of defeating them with this ship?”
Nok’s filament wrapped around Dave’s again. “Dave, if you look closely in their eyes, you can see their own filament of light.” Dave looked and was astonished to see the lights behind their eyes. “All living Beings have the light within them. For most Beings, the light will only be free when their body dies. We believe they join with the stream of universal power and become the source that manages the universe.”
“On my home world, we believe we can learn much about another by looking in their eyes, Nok,” Dave replied. “Perhaps unconsciously our light is seeing theirs.”
“I believe that is true, Dave,” Nok said. “There are those in The Hive who believe that universal power is or contains universal consciousness. Those tekkans are generally housed in the top secret areas of The Hive. At the levels between four-seven-two-five-zero and six-eight-four-two-two, we are focused on exploration. We find new planets and civilizations in all the galaxies of the universe. The top levels search of new resources and keep an eye on existing civilizations and our trading partners. The lower levels are very secretive. We believe they are traveling in time and trying to unravel the mysteries of the universe. They may also be keeping an eye on each of us.”
“It fascinates me that I feel like I am standing here in this room on Nanda and these Beings are including me in their conversation,” Dave said.
“They can sense our presence, Dave,” she replied. “We have found that after a few minutes, any Beings around us start to be uncomfortable. Their inner light is probably recognizing ours. They don’t see anything, but somehow they know they are being watched. We should probably leave here. Where else would you like to go?”
“Can we go to Ai-Makla? I’m supposed to go there later and rescue some prisoners,” Dave said. “If I could see them and their condition, we might be better prepared.”
“Follow me, Dave,” Nok said as her light shot away. He thought of her and his light once again followed. Stars and planets were zipping by almost too fast to recognize. Nok slowed as they approached Localus. Dave could see the mass of ships in orbit, waiting for the Predaxian attack. A few seconds later, they reached the Predaxian fleet which was speeding to battle. Nok flew directly into a room on the Pondi and stopped. In front of them was Emperor Nokalez Zendo, pacing back and forth. Two empty brandy bottles were on the floor. Another Predaxian was passed out on the floor. They zipped back into space.
They passed hundreds of stars and thousands of planets. After a minute, the number of stars declined and space became even more dark and foreboding. Dave looked back and saw his string of light reaching out to infinity. “Nok, where does my string of light end?” he asked.
“In the chamber with your body, Dave,” she replied. “It will only separate from you when you die.” They slowed rapidly as they approached a black rock floating in space. Nok’s light stopped on the surface. The black rock was a large dead planet. Dave stopped next to her. “This is Ai-Makla, Dave.”
“Do you think our lights can penetrate to the chambers inside?” Dave asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “We have had many others visit here and they have only seen glimpses of what is inside. We can try. I’ll wrap my light around yours, and you imagine yourself inside the chamber below. We’ll see what happens.”
Dave imagined a dark cell buried in the center of the planet. He thought about the human and other prisoners there hoping for freedom. He tried to imagine the emperor’s son, imprisoned by his own father.
“Pan, do you think we’ll ever get out of here?” Lauren London asked.
“That’s pretty somber thinking for one who believes there is hope as long as we live,” Pan replied.
“I know, but I feel helpless, Pan. I am a soldier and I should be in space fighting to defeat the emperor,” she said.
Mitch walked toward them, then stopped suddenly, turned and looked at the spot where Dave and Nok’s lights were floating. He seemed to stare directly at Dave’s light-string for a moment, then turned and joined the others. “You know, I think I am more optimistic now than I’ve been in a very long time, although I have no idea why,” he said as he sat next to the other two.
“Why the sudden optimism, maklan?” Dok asked from across the room as he fumbled to open a box of food.
“I don’t know,” Mitch continued. “It’s just a feeling that others know where we are and the cavalry is on the way.”
Lauren put her arm around Mitch and said, “Mitch, your optimism is helping my mood greatly.” She turned to Dok and shouted, “Hey Dok, save some food for the rest of us. You look like you’ve gained five pounds since you arrived here.” The rest laughed.
Chapter 37
Dave Brewster popped out of thin air onto the bridge of the Nightsky. Jon Lake had been lost in thought when Dave appeared. “Yikes!” Jon shouted. “You practically scared me to death, Dave.”
“Sorry Jon,” he apologized, “that’s just the way the tekkans do things. Prepare the ship to leave orbit as quickly as possible. We have found some prisoners-of-war deep inside a dead planet in Predaxian space. The tekkans are going to jump our ship directly there from here.”
“Where are Darlene, Aria and Charlie?” Jon asked.
Dave replied, “Everyone else is staying here, Jon. The High Consul asked me to leave them here while we do this mission as a sign of our good faith. It will also give our ambassadors an opportunity to negotiate the alliance and trade agreements.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Jon said. “How is kidnapping a sign of their good faith?”
“Jon, please. Just follow the orders for now. There is too much going on to sit here and quibble about the details,” Dave replied. “There is more, Jon. I can’t tell you how I know this, but I’m fairly certain that Lauren is one of those prisoners.”
Jon’s eyes filled with tears. “Dave, how can you know that?”
“Jon, please get the crew ready. A group of tekkan soldiers will be joining us. Nightsky will jump to the planet. We will jump inside the cell and jump back with the prisoners. Then the ship will jump back here,” Dave explained.
“You have seen what the tekkans can do, Jon. They could have crushed our ships when we were twelve light-years away. What need do they have for hostages?”
“Aye-aye, Admiral,” Jon said. He barked orders at the bridge crew and stations lit up as preparations were made. “Donna, make sure offensive and defensive systems are at peak. We may be arriving in a war zone.”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” she replied. “All systems show green. I’m powering up the defensive array now.”
Minister Nar and five bodyguards appeared on the bridge. The group was in full battle gear. “Ah, Dave, I see you have returned from The Hive,” Nar said softly. “I trust you enjoyed the experience.”
“Yes Nar,” Dave replied. “It was amazing. I could never imagine something like that existed.”
“I have been told it is a wonderful thing. As a soldier, I have never had the opportunity to enter The Hive. I suppose I am a bit jealous of you, Dave,” Nar smiled. He turned to face Jon. “Captain, my squad has jumped to your shuttle bay. I trust you can find somewhere for them to be comfortable.”
“Yes sir,” Jon replied. “Donna, please see that the tekkan troops are moved to our armory and introduced to our ground commanders.”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” she said. “I’ve signaled Major Masterson to escort them.”
“Thanks to all of you,” Nar replied. “I have signaled Zee that we are ready to jump, is that okay?”
“Aye-aye Minister,” Jon confirmed. “All stations report ready.”
“Just relax everyone,” Nar said softly. “It should only be a few moments.” The bridge crew sat rigidly, not knowing what to prepare for.
The bridge lights fluttered for a split second. “Captain, Tak-Makla is gone,” Lia said. The vast green planet was no longer in the view screen. In its place was a black scar of a planet, dimly visible in the weak light of its dying sun. It seemed roughly the size of Earth but was clearly lifeless. The entire surface was scared and blistered as though a giant blow-torch had been applied to the surface.