by Karl Morgan
The Pal-No-Fa descended into the atmosphere and the sails were extended to replenish their air supplies. Landing parties soon discovered extensive ice islands and shore leave was given to all crew members. More landing parties were sent to gather food. The fresh food on board had run out long ago and the military rations were not pleasing the crew. After two weeks, the Pal-No-Fa rose into space again where an odd thing occurred. They were receiving a hail from one of the two terrestrial planets. The wars against terrestrial Beings had only ended with the Battle of Gallicea a few months ago. While Fa-u-Bay was concerned how his crew would react, he could not pass up this opportunity to find new friends. He returned the greeting and exchanged vocabulary databases. Then his ship left orbit over Basangi and approached the new planet.
They were invited to meet with the planet’s leaders and Fa-u-Bay and some of his officers flew down to the planet’s surface where they met the first valakars a Gallicean had ever seen. They seemed oddly familiar. They had wings too, but were covered with black feathers. They called themselves the Bandabar and claimed this was their home world. They were not as tall as the Galliceans but had developed quite an advanced society, which seemed odd in an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Fa-u-Bay and his team visited the planet several times over the next few days, culminating in the signing of a peace treaty between Greater Gallia and the Bandabar Fold. The Bandabar knew several other civilizations on nearby planets which they shared with Fa-u-Bay. That gave them a new course to head back home. They left as friends and vowed to establish trade together. Chapter three ended as the Pal-No-Fa left the Bandabar system, continuing the journey home.
“That was perfect, Dave,” she smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. “You are now as fluent in Gallicean as I am. I know it’s early, but I’m exhausted. I guess that action this morning wore me out. You don’t mind if I sleep a little, do you?”
“Of course not, Lini,” he smiled and kissed her forehead. “Between my nerves then and reading Gallicean, I could use a nap too. I’ll close the black-out blinds.” He rose and put the book back on its shelf. Then he walked over to the window to close the blinds. Rain was pouring down outside. “I hope this place doesn’t flood,” he said as he turned around. Lini was already asleep. He closed the two blinds and laid next to her, pulling the covers over both. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.
Chapter 47
Dave dreamed he was flying over Lubna with Lini. They were high above the planet holding hands. He did not bother to wonder how he was breathing the noxious atmosphere or flying, but was just happy to feel her hand in his. Looking upward, he could see Solander baking in the reflected sunlight. He thought he could see their tiny cottage, which should be impossible from thousands of miles away. Then he realized it was a dream, making him even happier. They flew for some time, just enjoying each other’s company and breathing in the sweet fresh air of the planet.
After a few minutes, Lini pointed downward. A tiny snake seemed to be approaching them from far below. As it came closer, it grew and grew in size until it seemed to be hundreds of miles long. Lini squeezed his hand so hard it ached and he could see the terror in her eyes. He smiled at her and told her not to worry; after all it was just a dream. Suddenly the snake rose up from below and they were riding on its back. Lini had calmed down and seemed to be hugging the beast tightly. Dave held on as the snake dove downward into the swirling bands of gas. Dave was frightened he would be separated from Lini and the snake until a small voice spoke into his mind, “Hello again Dave. Do you remember me?”
“Ondeen?” Dave asked. “Haven’t I seen you in a dream before?”
“Yes, I’m glad you remember. But you’ve also seen me in real life as well. Do you remember that?” the Bolofaz asked.
“I think I’d remember that, Ondeen,” Dave huffed. “I only remember dreaming about you two times.”
“The second time was no dream,” Ondeen replied. “If you think about it a bit, you’ll remember everything.”
And he did remember. “I came here with Fa-u-Bay when Fola Untor tried to run me down. I remember that now. You said my recollection would be like the memory of a dream. Why do I remember it now?”
“This is not a dream either, Dave,” Ondeen replied. “We told you our paths would likely cross again. That day is approaching sooner than you might think.”
“Why didn’t you save me from Fola this time, Ondeen?” he asked. “I thought the Bolofaz protected against time travelers doing bad things. You could have stopped him from taking Dar Lini too. Why didn’t you?”
“As we told you the last time, we only protect the past,” Ondeen began. “The future is not written yet. We cannot judge good or evil, Dave. That is God’s realm. This time, Fola Untor traveled to your future and did this. We cannot say this was not your fate. If the Source had protected you, that would be a sign, but it did not. For us, that means this is your fate. You and Lini will be here as long as it is your fate to be here.”
“Ondeen, what is this place?” Lini asked. “Frankly, I don’t know what you two are talking about.”
“Please be at peace, Lini,” Ondeen said. “The planets of the Bolofaz exist outside of time, which is why your clocks don’t work well on Solander. We guard the past because it was written by the will of the Source.”
“Can you help us leave this place, Ondeen?” she asked, squeezing Dave’s hand again.
“Unfortunately no, Lini,” Ondeen replied. “As we told Dave the last time we saw him, we might be drawn together again and that appears to have been true. Every life in this system is now in extreme danger. Many others have discovered this location and are headed this way. While we Bolofaz do not exist in your conception of time, our bodies are susceptible to your weapons of war.”
“But who will guard the past if you are attacked?” Dave asked. “Didn’t you tell me there were other Bolofaz planets?”
“That is correct Dave,” Ondeen replied. “The Source will not permit the extermination of all Bolofaz, but this is just one planet. The past will be secure. That doesn’t mean we want to die though. Tonight we have brought you here to ask for your help. Dave and Lini, please do your best to keep your friends and enemies from attacking this planet.”
“Of course we will, Ondeen,” Dave said as he patted Ondeen’s soft skin. “The Beings coming here are looking for the Hive planet or for me. But this is not in my time. Fola has sent me away from my normal time where the attack will occur. Can you help us get back to our own time?”
“That is an interesting thought,” Ondeen said. “I don’t know the answer but will confer with the rest of the Bolofaz. None of our futures are written yet, so perhaps there is a way you can be helped.”
“Perhaps the Hive on Fistan can help us?” Lini suggested.
“Another idea with merit,” Ondeen replied. “We will discuss this and decide what we can do. Thank you both.”
“Ondeen, can you tell me how far I traveled in time to be here?” Dave asked. “I cannot do anything to change the past with that information. I’m just curious.”
“Of course I can, Dave. Based on a year measured on your home planet, you traveled backward in time three hundred and seventy five thousand years,” Ondeen replied. “Actually, that is quite ironic,” he chuckled. “Perhaps there is another way.”
“How so?” Dave asked. “It seems like a rather random number.”
“I think I’ll let you figure that out,” Ondeen laughed. “Yes, that is a miraculous coincidence. I’m feeling better already.” They could feel his body shudder with laughter. “Oh, before I send you home, I wanted to talk to you both about something personal, if I may?”
“Go ahead, Ondeen,” Dave said.
“Hmm. I’m not quite sure how to put this,” he began. “Both of your connections to the Source are quite strong and the electricity between you two is very powerful. We could feel it surging from Solander to Lubna. We think you should explore that. After all, this is only a dream.”
&nbs
p; “I thought you said it wasn’t a dream, Ondeen,” Dave said.
“Dave, who am I to say? I could be part of your dream too,” Ondeen laughed. “After all, you are flying on the back of a massive snake, breathing a noxious atmosphere. When you went to sleep, you were on the nearby moon in a tiny cottage. How could any of this be real? But I’ll leave the interpretation of your dream to you.” Ondeen dived downward leaving them floating in the atmosphere.
Lini came to him and put her arms around his neck, kissing his lips. She pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, “It’s only a dream, Dave,” and kissed him again. He thought for a second about his circumstance with her body pressed tightly against him. He looked around. There was no cottage, only bands of gas. He could see Solander setting behind the planet. On the opposite horizon, the sun was beginning to rise. Lini’s hands were all over him now and he was very aroused. “It’s only a dream, Dave,” she said again as she pulled him into her and they flew along, making love high over Lubna.
Chapter 48
Dave woke feeling great. He had not felt so refreshed since before he was sent here by Fola Untor. Lini woke before him and he could hear her singing in the shower. He smiled as he remembered making love to her over Lubna. With his imagination satisfied by the dream, he felt better prepared to work with her now. He opened the blinds to see the cottage surrounded by hundreds of herbivores munching on new growth that sprang from the heavy rains. The nearby hills were dusted with snow. Winter on Solander, he thought.
He went to the kitchen and prepared a pot of coffee. He stood watching the coffee drip into the carafe. The fragrance filled the room and raised his spirits even higher. He felt Lini wrap her arms around his waist and her face on his back. “Good morning, Dave,” she said. “I feel fantastic this morning. How about you?”
He pulled two cups from the cupboard and filled them with coffee, handing her one. “I feel wonderful too. I don’t know if it was the rain or the excitement from yesterday, but I slept like a baby.” He sipped the coffee and wondered if the animals outside gave milk or cream he could use.
“For me, it was my dream,” she giggled. “It was so real and you were very affectionate.”
His jaw slackened and the color disappeared from his face. “Tell me about your dream, Lini?” he asked, almost terrified to hear her answer.
She blushed. “It was just a dream, Dave, but if you must know, you and I were flying over Lubna. It was so weird that we could breathe the atmosphere and fly. Absolutely amazing!”
He swallowed hard. “Please go on.”
“Then this giant snake came up from the planet. I was scared but you told me not to be. Then we were riding on its back. He said his name was Ondeen and wanted our help to protect his planet,” she smiled. “He was so sweet!”
“This can’t be happening,” he sighed. “Lini, my dream was exactly like that. Please tell me the rest.”
“It’s a little embarrassing, Dave,” she whispered. “Why don’t you tell me your dream?”
“It was the same as yours Lini,” he began. “He told us several fleets were headed to Lubna and wanted us to protect them. He reminded me that I had been there before when Fola ran me over with his car. We suggested he could help us reach out to the Hive on Fistan or send us back to our own time to help stop the fleets.”
“Three hundred and seventy-five thousand years,” she gasped. “Then what happened, Dave?”
Dave put his hands on her shoulders and looked in her eyes. Both were breathing heavily and bright red in the face. He kissed her gently on the forehead. “Then we made love while flying over Lubna.”
“Was it a dream, Dave?” she asked, too embarrassed to look in his face.
He took her face in his hands and turned it up to look at him. He kissed her lips again and held her close to him. “I don’t know if it was real or not, Lini. But I do know it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I love you, Lini.” He kissed her again.
She pushed back and broke his embrace and ran out of the kitchen crying. He ran after her, catching as she was opening the front door. She froze at the sight of hundreds of animals munching new wild flowers in every color of the rainbow. Dave pulled her back inside and closed the door, locking it in case other strange beasts arrived. He led her to the small table and sat her in a chair and then sat across from her. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted that too?”
“Dave, I’ve told you every day that I love you,” she replied, wiping the tears from her cheeks and eyes. “But not like that; not in a shared dream. I wanted you to want me here while we were both awake and knew the consequences of our actions. I wanted you to choose to be with me, not live out a fantasy in a dream.”
“Lini, that wasn’t a dream. Don’t you remember me asking Ondeen about that? He was very vague. I think it was real. I’ve flown over that planet before. I think we were both wide awake and acting the way we chose to,” he argued.
“I don’t think I can believe you, Dave Brewster,” she replied. “The Bolofaz implanted this dream in us. We were sleeping here the whole time. We are humans, Dave. We cannot breathe that atmosphere.”
“But it wasn’t a dream, Lini,” he argued. “Don’t you remember the Galliceans breathing without suits on Zulanan? That’s impossible too, isn’t it? That wasn’t a dream either.”
“I don’t care what you say. That dream robbed me of what I wanted most in my life,” she cried. “Now, you are lost to me forever. I am beginning to wish I had stepped away when Fola Untor asked me to. At least, I’d have my dreams of you then.”
“Lini, I don’t think you understand what I’m saying,” Dave continued. “Then I thought it was a dream. Now I know the truth. It really happened.”
“That’s what you say, but how can I ever know the truth? How can I ever be sure it wasn’t a dream?” she asked as the tears welled in her eyes again.
“First let me tell you that I love my wife and family,” he said. “At this moment, none of them will exist for almost half a millennium. And whatever happens on Solander; stays on Solander.” He pulled his chair close to her and took her hands in his. “Lini, I’ve already made love to you once. It would be my honor if you would consider loving me again. I do care for you very much. And I promise to love you from this moment until long after we are both dead and buried. I have been one with the Source and we will always be together there.” He kissed her and caressed her face. “I will always love you Lini, and I propose we live together as husband and wife for the next three hundred and seventy-five thousand years.”
She laughed and kissed him. “You realize the Bolofaz might send us to our own time any minute. Or at least they might send us to Fistan. That’s not much of a commitment on your part, Dave.”
He laughed and stood up. He walked to the windows and lowered the black-out blinds. He came back to Lini and helped her to her feet. He kissed her face and whispered, “We’d better make good use of the time we have then, shouldn’t we?” He began to undress her. She blushed again.
Chapter 49
After the night on Lubna and the following day, their activities returned to normal. Lini was happy knowing Dave returned her feelings, but understood they would return to their own time soon and be separated, possibly forever. They would practice their language skills by speaking only Gallicean one day, English the next, and Nan the following day. Lini seemed convinced the Nan on Fistan spoke that language, but there were no guarantees. If the Bolofaz sent them there and the natives spoke some other tongue, there would be no way to communicate, putting their mission in serious trouble.
The days stretched into weeks and still they did not hear from the Bolofaz. Dave and Lini tried to stay optimistic, but it was possible they would live out their lives on this desolate moon on the edge of the galaxy. The winter on Solander was in full force. Heavy snow floated down and almost buried the stone cottage. Each morning, Dave would shovel away snow from their front door and windows so they could see the world around them.
All of the animals had migrated away and the cold was bone-chilling. Both were experiencing the symptoms of cabin fever and wishing for the days when the temperature would soar over one hundred degrees again. Lini found a large store of fabric in the underground pantry and worked to create heavy coats for them to wear outside. She also made duffle bags from heavy canvas. It was time for a vacation from this place. They had plenty of power packs for the flying vests and planned to look for warmer parts of the planet to escape the dark cottage.
“Dave, our coats are ready to go,” she smiled as she modeled the one she had made for herself. “When can we get out of here?”
“I’d leave right now, but it will be dark soon,” he laughed. “Let’s see how the weather is tomorrow. If it’s a nice morning, we can at least take a short trip to determine which direction to go to find warm weather.”
“Come on then,” Lini said. “Put on your new coat and let’s go outside to see how well they keep the cold out. You can see there is an insulated hood too.” She pulled the cords on her hood and it tightened to allow only her eyes and nose to be seen. “See, snug as a bug in a rug.”
Dave laughed. “Well, you’ve got old Earth sayings down pat.” Dave pulled on the insulated trousers over his uniform pants and donned the heavy parka. Both put on gloves and grabbed their blaster rifles. Dave opened the door and they stepped outside. Their boots crunched into the foot of snow on the ground as they stepped off the porch. Fistan glowed in reflected sunlight, illuminating their surroundings in pale light. “Keep your rifle in firing position, Lini. Who knows what sort of things we might run into tonight?”