The Dave Brewster Series

by Karl Morgan

  Fa-a-Di stopped and turned to wait for Dave. “Sorry Dave, I’m just in a hurry to get away from all the people here. I’m starting to feel like I’m on a government junket rather than my Sojourn.” When Dave reached him, Fa-a-Di lifted him up and secured him in the harness on the Gallicean’s chest. “There, now your little legs can get some rest.” The group continued across a broad pedestrian boulevard and entered the small park. A group of priests were gathered in the park, as it was the custom to be blessed before heading out onto the planet. As Dave’s group approached them, the priests noticed De-o-Pa among them and began to bow respectfully.

  “Please stop that, brothers,” De-o-Pa said as he approached them. “Today I am just another citizen on his Sojourn. I am honored by the gesture though.” The priests gathered around the Prelate and introduced themselves while kissing his hand. “That’s quite enough, brothers. People are backing up now for their blessings. Attend to your flock. No-be-Ka, please join us.”

  The young priest bowed to the Prelate and kissed his hand. “Yes, Prelate, how can I be of service to you this morning?”

  “My friends and I are leaving to explore Gallicea now and would appreciate your blessing, my son,” De-o-Pa replied.

  “I will handle this blessing personally,” said an approaching voice behind them. They turned to see High Priest Um-e-Ka moving quickly forward through the throng of Galliceans. Most of the people bowed or stared in disbelief as the High Priest rarely left the sacred Temple of Galli. All of the priests and De-o-Pa dropped to one knee and lowered their heads in respect. “Please get up, all of you.” He shook hands with De-o-Pa and his brother and then approached Fa-a-Di. “High Commissioner, I wanted to see your friend, Admiral Brewster before you all left.”

  “It is an honor to meet you, your Eminence,” Dave said, bowing his head, which was all he could do strapped in the harness. “Thank you for allowing me to join my brothers on this trip.”

  Um-e-Ka touched Dave’s helmet with his hand, saying, “My son, it is an honor for me to meet you as well. Fa-a-Di has told me of the adventures you have shared. I hope one day you can talk to me more about the tekkans and their Hive technology. Finding a connection between our physical world and the spiritual one is a miracle all believers have prayed for.”

  “Eminence, it is amazing technology, but I don’t think it’s proven that Universal Power is related to spiritual reality,” Dave answered.

  “Perhaps,” the High Priest frowned. “Fa-a-Di, do you think I could have a private word with the Admiral?”

  “Of course, Eminence,” Fa-a-Di said as he unbuckled the harness and lifted Dave out, setting him gently on the ground. “But please walk slowly as his legs are much shorter than ours.”

  “Not to mention the pressure suit brother,” Dave laughed. “It’s awkward to walk in this thing too.”

  “Of course, my son. Please follow me away from the crowd for a moment,” the High Priest said as he turned and began to walk away. Dave hurried to keep up. After a minute or so, they came upon a bench on a small hill. Um-e-Ka helped Dave get up on the bench and then sat next to him. Dave remained standing so he could look at the other in the face. “Dave, thank you for this moment of time.”

  “It’s my pleasure, Eminence,” Dave replied.

  “Let me cut to the chase, Admiral,” Um-e-Ka began. “I understand there is no conclusive proof on whether Universal Power is related to our souls, but what do you think? You are the only Being I know who has experienced it.”

  “Frankly I’m not certain how I feel, Eminence,” Dave pondered. “In my experience with Universal Power I have seen and done amazing things. I have met the soul of a dead friend and my unborn grandchild. I have traveled back from the Andromeda Galaxy and then took my own son back with me. In my mind, there is spiritual energy in the flow of Universal Power, but I don’t know if that energy is a small part or all of it.”

  “That is the most troubling part of Universal Power to me,” the High Priest said. “Science and religion have always fought for the hearts and minds of people. While science seeks to define the knowable, only religion has attempted to define the unknowable. If Universal Power bridges that gap, the separation between science and religion would blur. I’m not sure that is a good thing.”

  “Eminence, my good friends, Odo and Obu, would disagree. The clerics in their society use the term Source for Universal Power because they believe it is the foundation of all physical and spiritual reality,” Dave replied.

  Um-e-Ka looked stunned. “Dave, I have heard those names before and my mind cannot believe you mentioned them.” His head dropped to his chest and then rose again. “I have met two men with those names in my dreams. Some of my priests call them visions, but I am not so certain. Most often, I am dreaming I am asleep in my bed and wake up suddenly, unable to fall asleep again. As I sit on the side of my bed, two globes of light appear and slowly resolve into two human shapes. They called themselves Odo and Obu.”

  “That is amazing, Eminence,” Dave remarked. “They never mentioned visiting you to me.”

  “So, they are real men, not apparitions?” Um-e-Ka asked.

  “Oh, they’re real men, Eminence,” Dave smiled. “Each is the spiritual leader of their worlds in the Andromeda Galaxy. What do they tell you, if I may ask?”

  “It’s not easy to remember everything,” Um-e-Ka said as he closed his eyes to concentrate. “They are always happy and grateful to be with me. I think they have told me I am not responsible for all of Greater Gallia and I should be happy in my life. That is not an easy lesson for someone in my position,” he replied.

  “They have told me the same thing,” Dave said as he put his hand on the High Priest’s shoulder. “If I may confess, Obu visited me just last night.”

  “I still can’t believe any of this is true,” Um-e-Ka gasped. “I was so certain these were just the dreams of an old man. I was also certain they showed Heaven to me. On a few nights, I will awaken and find myself in a very quiet place full of stone temples. I wander around until I find those same men sitting in a small temple overlooking a long range of mountain tops piercing a sea of clouds that stretches to the horizon. I feel so at peace there. Odo and Obu do not speak to me then. They look at me, smile and then let me sit between them. It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. Isn’t that Heaven?”

  “No, Eminence, it is not, although the Temple on Mount Alila is a magical and powerful place. It is the most important temple on Lagamar Ulu and Obu Neela is the High Priest there,” Dave said. “I have felt the same way when I was there. Unfortunately, the reality of that planet is not as glorious as the temple. Most of the planet is indeed shrouded with clouds, but they are made of smog and not water vapor. The Ulu race serve as manufacturers for most of the goods in the Society of Humanity. Now that the Society is crumbling, I don’t know their fate.”

  “But Dave, you are not responsible for the people in that galaxy,” Um-e-Ka said.

  Dave laughed and smiled. “Eminence, those are exactly the same words that Obu and Odo have said to me more than once.”

  “Our visit has been helpful for me, Dave,” Um-e-Ka said. “I have kept you too long from your friends. I can see they are becoming restless. Please have a blessed Sojourn and come see me again to tell me of your experience.” He extended his hand and Dave shook it.

  “Thank you Eminence,” Dave replied. “Hearing your story has helped me keep Odo and Obu in my heart. I will thank them for this when I see them again. Goodbye, Eminence.” Dave climbed down from the bench and began to walk back to Fa-a-Di.

  “Dave Brewster, I bless you in the name of all of Gallicea. Have a wonderful Sojourn!” the High Priest shouted.

  Dave turned around and waved back. Then he hurried over to Fa-a-Di who lifted him into the harness again. Then the three Galliceans took to the air and flew off.

  Chapter 14

  The sky was clear and warm as the shuttle from Mondor descended through the atmosphere of Vilu-Zan. Ont Valoo
looked out the window as the capital city of Pa-Ka appeared on the horizon. It was clear these valakar had left the trees long ago as the mass of skyscrapers grew in front of them. As the shuttle moved into the center city area, thousands of Vilu could be seen flying to work or running errands. Ont felt a sense of dread about this place, but quickly pushed it back. Perhaps there was an instinctive fear of bird-like Beings for the insect-like Maklakar. There were ancient folk fables about flying creatures attacking and feeding on maklans, but most knew them to be just stories intended to make children be careful and listen to their parents. He turned away from the window and looked at his team. For this first visit, he brought only his confidant Vard Kalak and a security team. Vard had made progress befriending the spies on the battle station, and today the entire team was recruited from the Supreme General’s agents.

  The shuttle set down on the designated spot and powered down. After a final atmospheric reading, the shuttle bay opened and Ont led the team onto the tarmac. It was very warm and humid in the capital today. The door on a nearby building opened and a small group of Vilu approached them. Vard and Ont immediately recognized Captain Zi At-at at the front of the group. “Captain, it is a pleasant surprise to find you here!” Ont said.

  “Thank you Ambassador,” Zi said smiling back and offering his hand to shake. “The Premier thought seeing someone you already met might make you more comfortable.” Everyone in the group shook hands and then turned back toward the building. “We will travel from here to the Premier’s office. It is a short trip. Please follow me to the shuttle vehicle.” As the group walked through the terminal building, every Vilu in the crowd stopped and stared. Most had never seen a non-valakar before. Most of the Vilu were about three feet tall, close to the size of the Maklakar. Their feathers were in a rainbow of colors and most were neatly groomed. There were a large number of soldiers with blaster rifles on their backs. “This terminal is the only one in the center of Pa-Ka, so we take security very seriously. Most shuttles leave here for our star port, where our people and goods travel to other planets where we have trading partners.”

  “Captain, are there other Vilu planets?” Vard asked.

  “No, and please call me Zi. May I call you Vard?” the valakar replied.

  “Of course,” Vard replied. “We captains need to know each other. If the negotiations go well, we may see a lot of one another.”

  They exited the terminal and climbed aboard a large shuttle that then lifted a few inches off the road and zipped away at rocket speed. “Please don’t mind the speed. All our vehicles are remotely controlled and integrated. The risk of an accident is extremely remote.” Within five minutes, the vehicle stopped in front of a two-story stone building sitting in the center of a small park ringed by a wide boulevard. Past the road, the site was surrounded by skyscrapers hundreds of stories tall. “Gentlemen, welcome to the Premier’s office and residence,” Zi began again. “As you can see, the residence is modest as the Premier is the servant of the people, not the other way around. Please follow me inside.”

  While the building was modest compared to the buildings surrounding it, it was still large with each floor covering five thousand square feet. A large porch lined with stone columns led to the ten foot tall glass doors which opened automatically as they approached. They felt the cool of the air-conditioned interior as they stepped through the doorway. The entry was a large room suitable for celebrations or large meetings. There were doors all around leading to different parts of the building. The group approached one door and Zi opened it and then stopped. “Ambassador, as you can see, the Premier’s office is not large. Perhaps your security detail can remain with me while you and maybe one other enter. Is that acceptable?” Zi asked.

  “Lord Valoo, this is very irregular,” Poli Zua, the head of the detail complained. “We cannot guarantee your security if we are not with you.”

  Ont smiled and put his hand on the other’s shoulder. “Major Zua, I appreciate your concern, but Vard and I will go alone.” He winked at Zi and turned back to the guard. “If anything happens to either of us, you have my permission to destroy the planet.” He laughed and stepped into the room with his friend.

  Zi closed the door, looked at the guards and said, “Let’s get some coffee guys. They’ll be just fine. By the way, he was kidding about destroying the planet, right?”

  Ont and Vard were alone in the office. A large desk sat on the opposite side with four chairs in front of it. Behind the desk were two large windows looking out at a small flower garden lined by short trees. The other walls were lined with bookcases and cabinets filled with awards and pictures of many Vilu citizens or historic figures. A small side door opened and Premier It Ka-la and another Vilu entered. The premier walked up to the two Maklakar and shook hands. “Welcome to my home, gentlemen. I am glad you made it here today. This is my personal assistant, Ai Uli and she will bring us some coffee and perhaps some pastries, even lunch if we speak that long. Please be seated.”

  After sitting, Ont began, “Premier, as I have mentioned, the Maklakar are keen to form positive relationships with other societies. We have lived in isolation for too long.” The assistant returned with a tray of coffee and pastries and set it on the Premier’s desk. She smiled and left again.

  It poured his coffee and added cream. He put a pastry on a small plate and set it in front of him. He sipped the coffee and looked at the two maklans. “Frankly, we are more afraid of the humans and tekkans than we are of the Paxran or Donnaki,” he said calmly and smiled at the two. The maklans looked stunned and bewildered, so It knew he had hit the correct nerve. “Don’t be afraid or shocked by my words, gentlemen. I know quite a bit about the Maklakar society. That’s why we were so relieved when you said this was a peaceful mission. As you can probably tell, our defenses are no match for your weapons. Peaceful trade and mutual defense treaties are exactly what we are trying to forge in this area of the galaxy.”

  “Premier, I am very pleased you share our desires, but also shocked you know so much about us. Where did you learn this?” Ont asked. “We believed ourselves to be well hidden in our little corner of the galaxy.”

  “If we are to be friends, then we should forego formality. In my home, you may call me It and I shall address you as Ont and Vard, if that is satisfactory to you,” the Premier said. The Maklakar nodded in agreement. “Good, now we can get down to business. First of all, we know you have fifty planets at the end of this arm of the galaxy. Clearly, you should realize we do not have the technology to know these things. We are a single planet of small valakars.”

  “How do you know so much about us, It?” Vard asked.

  “As I said, we have a trading network that includes many other worlds,” It continued. “For generations, one of our key trading partners has been Tak-Makla. I am told you are very aware of that planet. The story I heard was you attacked their Hive.”

  “That was a terrible mistake in my view, It,” Ont replied. “I argued against it, but I am just one man.”

  “Lord Valoo, perhaps we should not discuss such things here,” Vard suggested. He turned to the Premier and said, “It, perhaps we can forget this incident.”

  It laughed. “Please don’t take me wrong on this. I think you did the galaxy a big favor by taking out their Hive. Those tekkans have too much power for their own good. Now they know the risk they take by attempting to usurp the power of the divine for their business interests.”

  “I don’t understand, It,” Ont replied holding his head in his hands. “You trade with them but want them harmed. Are they your friends or enemies?”

  It rose and walked over to a cabinet and withdrew a glass bottle and three glasses. “It seems like we could all use a stronger drink. This is the best brandy on the planet.” He poured the liquor and handed each a glass. He raised his and the others clinked their glasses together and drank a toast. “That’s better,” he smiled. “To me, the tekkans are like a small child who takes a grenade to school for show-and-tell.
The child has tremendous power over the other students and teachers, but can he be trusted with it?” It refilled the glasses and sat behind his desk again. He leaned forward and whispered, “You don’t know what a Hive is, do you? You destroyed it not knowing why. That’s amazing.”

  “What is a Hive then?” Ont asked. “Why do you trade with the tekkans as allies but then applaud us for harming them?”

  “I have a couple friends visiting Vilu-Zan. Let me ask them to explain,” It said as he tapped a button on his desk. “Ai, please send in my other guests.” He sat back and smiled at the Maklakar. The side door opened and Altamar and Valamar Zendo walked in.

  Ont and Vard jumped to their feet. Ont shouted, “Predaxians! This is an outrage, It! These monsters are a scourge on the galaxy.”

  “Calm down, gentlemen and sit down,” Altamar said. “I guess you didn’t hear my brother lost the war and the Alliance is gone. By the way, this is my niece, Valamar.”

  “We have been telling the Premier here how the tekkans destroyed our empire with their damned Hive. We were so happy to hear you attacked them. Thank you for that,” Valamar smiled. “Why don’t you two sit again and let me tell you all about Hive technology?”

  Chapter 15

  The Ka-la-a where De-o-Nu has his family lodge was expansive, covering more than five square miles. The lodge was constructed of very light wood imported from terrestrial planets in Greater Gallia. The floor was designed to spread the weight of the structure over a large area so the ice would not break. Dave was relieved to find a special suite of rooms had been upgraded for his visit. The pressure at this low level of the atmosphere would normally crush him, but this room featured lower pressure and breathable air. It was a pleasure to get out of the bubble suit and take a hot shower. Jake had accompanied the Galliceans on a tour of the local area while Dave refreshed and relaxed.