by Karl Morgan
“You are very generous for a lunatic, Fola,” Dave laughed. “Too bad you won’t live long enough to come back for a visit.”
Fola laughed again. “Well, I think the time eddy should evaporate pretty soon. You and your friend slept for several hours after the jump. By the way, I also left several blasters in the supply cabinets as well. If some of the local beasts come by, you don’t want to be their dinner. If you don’t mind, I’m going to stun you both now. It will be a small charge, just enough so I can escape before you find the weapons.”
“You’re a horrible man,” Lini snarled.
Fola smiled at her and said, “My dear, if you are very lucky, Dave was wrong about my impending death. If I kill him in the past, you’ll find yourself back home with no memory of any of this, since it never occurred. Please remember that I asked you to move away from Dave. It wasn’t my intention to do this to anyone else.” He smiled again and shot her with the blaster.
“See you in hell, Fola,” Dave growled. Fola only smiled as he shot Dave, who collapsed onto the bed. He rose slowly and walked out the front door, closing it behind him. It was very hot and trickles of sweat formed on his face immediately. He pulled on the flying vest and pressed the power button. He rose off the ground and soared away.
After twenty minutes of flying, he looked at his temporal scanner which showed no evidence of the recent time eddy. He smiled and looked for a spot to land. After setting down and removing the flying vest, he pressed some buttons on the device attached to his left arm and disappeared in a violent flash of light. A cloud of red dust rose and a few nearby cacti burst into flames.
Chapter 43
Dave awoke from the stun blast and sat up. Lini was nowhere to be seen. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, he thought he could hear her singing. He rose and walked over to a closed door and knocked. “Lini, are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m just taking a shower, Dave,” she replied. “You can come in if you like.”
“I’ll just go check out the kitchen and see what there is to eat,” he replied. He walked down a short hallway to find a small kitchen. It included a small stove, a few cupboards full of basic plates and utensils and a sink. How odd not to find a refrigerator, he thought.
“Check out the pantry,” Lini said as she came up behind him. He turned to find her wrapped in a towel with another around her hair. She looked so much like a small young Darlene that he almost took her into his arms. She walked past and stood on a small platform, motioning him to join her there. When he did, she pressed a single button on the wall and the platform descended into the floor. After a few seconds, they were in a basement with a large cooler on one side and racks of non-perishable supplies on the other. She walked over to a large cabinet and said, “Come take a look at this!” Inside were three blaster rifles and four pistols, along with several power packs. Everything was plugged into an unknown power source. “It seems that crazy man kept his word on this stuff anyway.” She climbed up on a crate so she could look him in the face. “Dave, I’m scared. What if he succeeds in killing you?”
“Then you’ll be back home with no memory of any of this,” he smiled as he brushed her cheek with his hand. “Unfortunately for you, I already know he failed. You and I are stuck here for a while.”
She put her arms around his neck and hugged him close. “Good, I like this a lot better.” She kissed his lips.
“Lini, please. I am a married man,” Dave said. “We can be friends, but that’s it.”
“I’m sorry Dave,” Lini said. “But we are already much more than friends. I am your crewmate and your cellmate.”
They both laughed. Dave kissed her on the cheek and helped her down from the box. As they rode the lift back to the kitchen, he said, “We need a plan, Lini. We can’t just sit here and wait for anyone to find us. We need to find out where we are.”
“I already know that, Dave,” she beamed. “This is the moon Solander. The other moon is Fistan and the planet is Lubna.”
“How can you know that, Lini?” Dave frowned. “I admit it does seem like that place, but I was told that was an ancient legend.”
She looked confused. “Perhaps you’re right, but come take a look at this.” She took his hand and led him back to the main room where she began to rummage through her bags. After a minute, she pulled out several books, one of which was quite large.
“No wonder your bags were so heavy,” Dave laughed. She set the large book down on the table and sat on one of the chairs, motioning Dave to sit next to her. “I don’t understand this language, Lini? Is this from your planet?”
“No, this is Gallicean, Dave. It says Ten Years to Gallia,” she replied.
“You can read Gallicean? How is that possible?” he asked.
“Honestly Dave, what do you think we’ve been doing for the last thousand generations while they have been coming to our world? That’s why many Nan watch them in their camps. That is how we learned their language and discovered their intentions.” She rose and grabbed the rest of the books and set them on top of the other. “You know how children are. They always forget things. These are all textbooks left behind by children over the years. Between listening to them and studying these books, we have a good grasp of their language. I only needed the translator device to understand you.” She stood and dropped her towel, revealing her beautiful body. Immediately she began pulling clothes from her bag. Dave immersed his attention in the books.
“This is amazing, Lini,” Dave said. “I’m beginning to understand what some of these words mean, although the symbols won’t help me speak Gallicean.”
“I can help you there, Dave,” she said as she approached, buttoning her pink blouse. “I can speak Gallicean. If nothing else, we can keep our minds active by learning new languages and not needing the translators anymore. What do you think?”
“Assuming we ever get off this rock, that would surely impress Fa-a-Di,” Dave replied. “Okay, let’s give it a shot.”
Lini stood inches from Dave and stroked his cheek. “Now watch my lips, Dave.” She reached out and pulled the translator gently out of his ear. She looked in his eyes and said, “Lok mi zaze indo, Dave.” Then she put the device back in his ear and he heard, “I think I love you Dave.”
He held her two small hands gently and looked back at her, saying, “Lini, you are very beautiful and I do love you, but let’s keep this professional for now, okay?” She smiled and hugged him.
After a light breakfast, Dave and Lini left the cottage to survey their location. They sat on a long bench on the front porch watching small groups of birds flying around looking for food. Sitting here was oddly familiar, Dave thought, although he did not know why. He even imagined some of the birds might be Galliceans already coming to their rescue. It all seemed like the memory of a dream. Dave brought a rifle and pistol to train Lini on their use. If something happened to him, she would have to protect herself. The day was remarkably cool, which did not seem to match the desolate landscape of red clay and sand, broken only by rock outcrops, scrub brush and cactus. Solander seemed much closer to the planet than Fistan, which probably caused the difference in habitat. At this hour, only Lubna was visible, spinning incredibly close by.
After an hour of practice, Lini was proving to be an excellent shot. Dave was comforted knowing he had been able to teach her something. The sun began to rise on the horizon, causing the temperature to soar. By the time it cleared the horizon, the temperature was over one hundred degrees and still rising. The two retreated back into the cottage to escape the heat. Dave took the opportunity to take a shower himself to wash away the sweat and dust. When he came back to the main room, he found Lini sewing. “What are you making, Lini?”
“Dave, I had my two bags with me, but you only had the one suit,” she replied. “You’re going to need more clothes. I found these supplies in the pantry so I thought I’d make you some outfits.”
“Wow! Thank you,” he said. “That’s really amazing. No one ever
made clothes for me before. We just went to the store to buy them.”
“Unfortunately, there are no stores in my village,” she smiled. “We have to make what we wear.” She laughed. “I just realized how lucky you are to have me here, Dave. You’d be stinking like crazy in that one set of clothes in a few days.”
He sat on the bed next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I am very lucky Lini, but I still feel bad for you. Why didn’t you move away? Why did you choose to do this?”
Lini set down her sewing and took his hand. “Dave, I already told you and everyone else. My life on Zulanan was normal, but boring. The most excitement I would see is marrying someone from another village and moving a few miles away. Now I’m on a remote planet with you, Admiral. I have total faith that we will be found and I will join your crew and help expand the Free Society. That is my destiny.”
He smiled. “But what if we are never found, Lini? What then?”
She sighed softly and replied, “Then that is God’s will for us. If we are here for years with little hope, someday you will become my lover and we will be deliriously happy together. But I will not allow myself to have any babies with you here. I will not condemn another to my fate.”
“If that is our fate, it will be a wonderful life with you, Lini,” Dave said as he kissed her on the cheek. He stood and looked around. “It’s not such a bad place. I know Fola provided all of this so I would go insane from the solitude, but you being here is a godsend. If it takes years to be found, they will be good years. Thanks Lini.” He walked to the opposite window and looked out at the heat waves rising from the desert. “This is a terrible place. With Lubna and the sun, there won’t be that much darkness for sleeping.”
“I already thought of that, Dave,” she laughed. He turned to see her holding a bolt of heavy black fabric. “I’m going to make window shades out of this. We need to measure the cycles of both Lubna and the sun. Then we can make our own days and nights. Regular sleep periods are very important.”
“That’s a great idea,” Dave replied. “I also found a flying vest in the pantry. I didn’t see any footprints where Fola ran off, so there must be another out there. Tomorrow I’ll go find it. Then I’ll teach you how to fly. What do you think about that?”
Chapter 44
The com-link in Altamar Zendo’s ear crackled to life. “Alta, it’s Val, how is everything going on your end?”
“About as well as can be expected Val,” he laughed. “You know how difficult it is to gain full control of a new species. Thankfully, these maklans are not that different from us, unlike those from No-Makla or Tak-Makla. I’m sitting on the couch in the Ambassador’s office and he hasn’t noticed my presence.”
“We found there is a secure chamber deep in the center of this battle station where fifty Maklakar are using their sensors to look for us,” she replied. “They haven’t figured out it doesn’t work yet. But there is a significant risk they will find the errors in their code and correct them before we can gain full control.”
“That’s a risk we have to take, my dear niece, although finding that chamber should be a top priority for our team,” Altamar continued. “These maklans were never going to join the Brotherhood Alliance. They would rather die in battle than sit face to face with the Paxran, and I can’t say I blame them.”
“Uncle, it’s been many generations since we made peace with the Paxran. Can’t we let the dead rest in peace and worry about our future instead?” she argued.
“I think that is what we are doing, Val,” he replied. “We tried to bring them to the table. I personally sat with Kolu Inzaka and tried to bring the group together. But Fola Untor is a fool to believe his silly desire for revenge could overcome centuries of animosity and warfare in this galaxy. His hatred made him stupid.”
“You really believe the alliance is dead in the water, Uncle?” she asked. “I thought there was genuine progress at that meeting.”
“Oh there was progress. Unfortunately, a real alliance with shared goals is far, far away, and I doubt we have time for that. We need to focus on the mission at hand. We need to take this ship to Tak-Makla and destroy the Hive planet!” he shouted. He noticed a changed expression on Ont Valoo’s face. He seemed to be looking around as if he’d heard a sound. Altamar whispered into his com-link, “Shit, this maklan heard me shout, I think. I’m on my way to your coordinates now. Out.” He rose quietly off the couch while pressing a notion into Ont’s mind. The ambassador rose and turned to his cabinet and removed a bottle of whisky and a glass. Altamar walked slowly toward the door. Ont poured a small amount of whisky in the glass and swirled it about. The door opened noiselessly and Altamar slipped out of the room and moved quickly down the hallway.
After a few minutes, he stepped into an unused dormitory his team was using as a headquarters. Ten Predaxian agents worked around the clock to force the idea this area was off-limits and contaminated into any passersby. In the two weeks since the station had left Vilu-Zan, no one had dared open the door. While the guards were armed, they could not possibly hide the signature of blaster fire if the door was breached. Then they would all die. Altamar rushed through the rows of bunk beds and into a dining room at the back of the room, next to the small kitchen. Valamar was sitting at the table with Pandofar Unterloo and Deela Califas, two of her chief lieutenants. Altamar sat with them and sighed. “That was too close,” he said. “Me and my damned big mouth almost cost all of us our lives. I apologize for that.”
Valamar put her hand on top of his and said, “Uncle, I am afraid your own zeal to destroy the tekkan Hive is overwhelming your best instincts too. We can’t make the same mistakes as Fola Untor.”
He sat back and thought for a moment looking at his close friends sitting at the table. “I know you’re right, Val. You three have been with me for a long time and I certainly don’t want us to die here with these filthy Maklakar. Do you think my plan to destroy the Hive is misguided? Please be honest. If I can’t trust you three, who can I trust?”
Pandofar Unterloo began, “Altamar, our adventures together have been amazing. I remember when you found me working in the mattress factory. I would have never known about my special ability without you. I’m with you no matter what you decide.”
“Thanks Pando,” Altamar smiled. “But have you forgotten when I turned against our group to stop my own brother? Did you agree with me then?” Pando blushed but did not reply.
“I think that was an unfair question for us, Uncle,” Valamar said. “But personally, I think your plan is misguided. The tekkans came to the aid of their allies. They did not kill any Predaxians either. They have no empire and they do not control any other races. Attacking them will likely unleash more enemies than we can handle.”
“I agree with my cousin, Uncle,” Deela said. “There is no guarantee we can defeat the fleet guarding Tak-Makla. Our spies tell us their Hive is also much improved. There is believed to be a second Hive on another planet working together with the tekkans for mutual defense. We may condemn these Maklakar and ourselves to a horrible death if we proceed. We all witnessed the destruction of the planet Localus. That was many times larger than this station.”
“Suddenly, I am feeling very old,” Altamar sighed as he held his head in his hands. “What are we to do now? This station will arrive at Tak-Makla in a few weeks. The tekkans will view it as a threat. They may even be able to discover our presence and unmask us to the Maklakar.” He looked at Valamar and took her hands in his. “Val, what do we do now?”
“I think we need a change in plans,” she said, softly caressing his hands. “There are plenty of planets out there for us. We have more than one thousand of our brothers on the ship two days behind us. If we can convince this station to find a place for us first, then we can leave this ship and begin a new life, far from our enemies and in the warmth of each other’s company. Perhaps in the future, our descendants will be able to grow their influence and create a new civilization based on our unique skills.”
“That sounds a bit too Pollyannaish for me, sweetheart,” he laughed. “I’m not certain I’m ready to fade away into retirement on some desolate planet.”
“I think you misjudged my idea, Uncle,” Val frowned. “I want us to find an inhabited planet to control. I just fear the attack on Tak-Makla is an unnecessary suicide mission. I don’t know if we need to build an empire like our ancestors. If we have one rich planet where we are treated like demigods; that should be enough for now.”
“Ah, now I see,” Altamar replied. “You know that is a good idea. But where do we find such a place.”
“I was hoping you’d ask that,” Valamar laughed as she stood up. She ran over to her bunk and opened her duffle bag. After a minute, she returned with a large book, which she laid on the table. She fumbled through the pages until she found a large picture. “There!” she said pointing to a small planet orbiting a massive gas giant.
“What book is this, Niece?” Altamar asked. “I’ve never seen writing like that. Is that Gallicean?”
“Yes it is, dear uncle,” she laughed. “We all served during both wars with Greater Gallia. To help control our Gallicean spies, I learned their language. I found it much easier to manage their thoughts if I could speak in the same way they think.” She closed the cover of the book and continued, “This book is called Ten Years to Gallia and was written by Fa-u-Bay, one of their greatest leaders. The planet I showed you is called Fistan. It is apparently the home of a human species. As we all know, they are easy to control, although we have little contact with their planets.”
“Where is this place, Val?” Altamar asked.
“It is on the edge of the galaxy. It will take this vessel two months or more to reach the planet. According to the book, it is very lush with incredible resources. The sister planet is called Solander. While it is pretty bleak, the mineral resources are extremely abundant,” she said.