by Josi Russell
“Not the plant and animal matter that you are used to. We are sustained by drawing energy from the beings around us.”
Ethan’s eyebrows drew together. “You mean like parasites?”
“A parasitic relationship is beneficial to only one partner. As we draw energy from our companions, our energy also feeds them. Life energy here is not as . . . limited as it is in your species. Drawing it from another does not deplete their stores. They simultaneously gain strength through the exchange.”
He took a bite of a chocolate chip cookie. “Interesting.” It was strange, conversing with these creatures in such a civilized manner. After the last few days, he had begun to feel that everything unfamiliar was also unsafe. These Alorans had a calming presence, though, a deep peace about them that penetrated the entire room.
“You said. . .” He hesitated. “You said that the creatures we’d encountered were also Alorans? Why are you all so different?”
Sybillan and Lassaya glanced at each other and then nodded.
“The Others,” Sybillan began, “are Alorans, but they are not considered part of our Class 15 civilization.”
Ethan was stunned. “They certainly consider themselves part of it.”
“Yes, well . . . they are young and still very impetuous. They have strong opinions about many things.”
“So, what are they, then?”
“The Others are a subspecies of our own. For some genetic reason, they did not evolve as quickly as the rest of us. Many eons ago, we noticed this happening. Some of us began to advance in mental and physical capacities. Some did not. Over many millennia, the Others grew further and further behind. They began to be hostile and resentful. Conflicts arose which were intolerable to our society. They began to incite riots and stage attacks on those of us who had advanced. Though they posed no actual physical threat, the conflicts began to take their toll on our people’s way of life. As we evolved further, they grew more and more discontent. We were forced to separate, both for our own comfort and for their safety.
“At one time, we moved freely across the whole planet. Then, with these conflicts, we were forced to isolate ourselves in the city you saw. We fortified the city against their attacks.” Sybillan paused, an almost sorrowful look crossing his features. “We . . . underestimated them, as they seem to have underestimated you. They began to develop substitutes for the powers we’d developed. They encased themselves in armor impervious to the energy pulses with which we’d been able to control them. Though this made them bulky and unwieldy, it allowed them to infiltrate our city, pass the guards, and take possession of it. We fled the city and came here to dwell. We have not entered the city for many spaces of time.”
Kaia spoke from where she had awakened on the sofa. “What are they saying, Ethan?”
Lassaya turned to her and spoke in English. “Hello, Kaia Reagan. I am Lassaya.”
“You know our language?” Ethan asked. It had been an effort keeping up with their formal Xardn, and he was relieved to think they could communicate more easily.
“The language, too, is drawn from your memories,” said Sybillan. He recounted what he had told Ethan.
“So it was not really the Alorans who have been collecting species from across the galaxy for experimentation?” Kaia asked.
Lassaya shook her head. “It was not us. The Others have long sought to force their own evolution, and over the eons they have tried many things. They began by experimenting on each other, causing great distress and death to many of their own. When those avenues were exhausted, they began to gather specimens from other planets, other galaxies. Their current ruler, Traxoram, has become frantic about finding the secrets within his own lifetime. They are finding that modifications to their bodies which they have already instituted have shortened their lifespans, and time is running out for their plans to be fulfilled.” Ethan and Kaia exchanged a look.
Sybillan interjected. “They are also running out of resources. They will not be able to gather species much longer. They have only a single small vessel capable of interstellar travel.”
“What?” Ethan shook his head slowly, “We understood that they could come to Earth at any time and obliterate or enslave our species.”
Sybillan shook his head. “No. The Others are not technologically gifted and have not acquired the skills of building ships with instantaneous travel capabilities over large distances. The vessel they have is ours. Before we left the city, we destroyed our fleet, but were forced to flee before we could destroy the last small ship. The Others have used it to gather small numbers of specimens, but they are not capable of gathering many at one time. This limits their potential for harm.”
Ethan swore softly. “They were bluffing. That’s why they ‘settled’ for such a small number of us. They couldn’t come after more.” This meant that the rest of humanity was safe for the time being, no matter what happened here. But it didn’t change the fact that his family was still in jeopardy.
Lassaya resumed her explanation. “The Others are growing more desperate. Traxoram has instituted a contest which promises royalty to anyone whose experimentation delivers the secrets of evolution. His people will stop at nothing to gain that place of power.” Her voice filled with sorrow. “They cannot see that they will soon destroy themselves.”
Ethan felt a slight jolt of hope. “How soon?”
Sybillan smiled. “Soon is a relative term. To creatures as long-lived as we are, ‘soon’ is many of your millennia.”
Ethan was disgusted at their cavalier attitude. “Don’t you see how much damage they could do in that length of time? How many civilizations they could enslave on this quest for evolution?”
Sybillan nodded. “Yes, my young friend. That is a consequence of their actions.”
“Then why haven’t you stopped them?”
Sybillan moved to look out the window of the little cottage at the fields surrounding them. Ethan wondered then why there were windows at all in these clear buildings. He was distracted from the question by Sybillan’s voice.
“You should understand, Ethan Bryant, that not all Alorans are interested in this conflict. We few are the extremists in our society, who feel some responsibility for the Others. Most of our civilization has no interest in any of this.”
“No interest? What do you mean?”
Sybillan and Lassaya exchanged a glance and then nodded in sync.
“May we take you somewhere?” Sybillan asked.
Ethan looked at Kaia. “Do you feel like travelling?” But he knew the answer before she spoke it. “No. You should rest.” He turned back to the Alorans. “I’ll go with you as long as you promise she’ll be safe here.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Lassaya said kindly.
Sybillan nodded, and Ethan found himself being transported. When they arrived, they were standing in a vast meadow. A cool breeze ruffled the red grass around them, and thousands of creatures like Sybillan were lounging, moving, and conversing in groups throughout the meadow.
Ethan was momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of them. He took deep gulps of the sharp, fresh air and willed his head to stop spinning.
Sybillan guided him among the Alorans. Most didn’t even notice him, but some glanced in his direction and then returned to their conversations.
Ethan heard discussions about astronomy, philosophy, and the physics of Beta Alora. He heard comments on the plants and discussion about the weather. The entire meadow was full of ideas, and even though he listened, he didn’t hear a single wish or a single question.
Finally, just as the strangeness of the Aloran conversations began to unnerve Ethan, Sybillan moved to the nearest Alorans and spoke, “Bellicas, Xenndrani, I have made the acquaintance of a most interesting being.” He gestured. “Ethan Bryant, of Earth.” The Alorans turned their beautiful faces to him and nodded.
“Pleased to meet you.” Ethan used his best Xardn, trying to replicate the true Aloran pronunciation. As he looked closely at the new crea
tures, he was struck by the vacancy of their gaze.
“Ethan Bryant has recently escaped the city,” Sybillan said. “He seeks our help to free his family from the Others.”
Ethan thought he detected a hint of annoyance from the two Alorans as they glanced at Sybillan.
The one Sybillan had addressed as Bellicas responded calmly, “Be patient, Ethan Bryant. The Others will destroy themselves eventually.”
Ethan stepped closer. “But we don’t have time! They’ll be experimenting on my people soon—maybe today. I need your help to stop them.”
The creatures looked at him blankly. “Time, as even your species knows, is relative. Your passions cloud your reasoning. Calm yourself and allow the natural course of events to flow around you. You will find it liberating. When you are not tied to these petty desires you will see that all things pass away.”
“So you won’t help us?” Ethan said, his fists clenching.
“Our best assistance is to avoid interference.”
“So you’re content to lounge here in your meadow while innocent people are tortured by your cousins? When you have the power to help?”
Bellicas, finished with the human, turned away and resumed his conversation with Xenndrani. “The planet’s rotation is, of course, influenced by the gravity well . . .”
Ethan threw himself at the creatures, his hands arched into claws. Suddenly, he found himself being transported. Sybillan was moving him back to the cottage.
When he felt himself standing solidly back on the ground, he whirled on Sybillan. “What kind of advanced race are you? I thought Class 15s were benevolent and wise!”
Sybillan shook his head. “There are many kinds of wisdom, Ethan Bryant. Many kinds.” He drifted across the room.
Kaia reached for Ethan’s arm. “What happened, Ethan?”
“They don’t care. Don’t care about anything! Even themselves.” Their vacant stares flashed in his memory. “We won’t get any help from them.”
Kaia’s eyes were clouded with confusion and discouragement.
He knelt beside her. “We’ll just have to do it ourselves, Kaia. We’re not giving up. We’ll get to them. We have to.” He put a hand over hers and attempted a smile.
“Your species is refreshing,” Lassaya said. “It is remarkable to see such passion again. More remarkable that such passion is not aimed at destruction.”
Ethan remembered his rage at Bellicas and Xenndrani and felt ashamed for a moment. “We have our share of that kind of passion, too.”
“Certainly, it seems wise to strive for a balance,” she responded. “We are out of balance. Because our civilization has advanced so far and has unlocked all the secrets they have encountered, they have stopped striving for . . . anything.”
“But you are still so powerful,” Ethan said. “You could defeat the Others.”
“Only if we were to gain access to the city again, and only if we could find some tactical advantage. The city, and the Others themselves, are fortified against our powers.”
“What about the tunnel under the lake? Couldn’t you gain access to the city through there?”
“Unfortunately, we originally created those tunnels to drive them out. The tunnels, and every other entrance, are only passable one way. They are protected by strong energy pulses which allow for exiting the city but not entering it.”
“How did they get back in, then?” Ethan asked, standing and pacing around the room.
“As I said, we underestimated them. The modifications they made to themselves shielded them from the pulses and allowed them reentry.”
“But there has to be a way!” Ethan cried. “You said yourselves that your abilities are greater than theirs, that you are more powerful.”
“That is correct.”
“But even you have given up so easily. You could find a way, I’m sure.”
“Bellicas was right to remind you, my young friend, that these things will work themselves out. They will be resolved in time. All things are.”
Ethan scoffed. He glanced over at Kaia. As his eyes locked with hers, he heard her thoughts.
“I can’t believe it. They will just sit and let people be destroyed.” The strangeness of hearing her voice in his mind overwhelmed him again.
“Can you still hear me?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her voice rang in his mind and she smiled.
Simultaneously, he heard the voices of Sybillan and Lassaya in his mind. “Of course.”
He spoke aloud. “You can hear our thoughts?”
Sybillan nodded. “This is unexpected?”
“Very. We couldn’t even hear each other’s thoughts until . . .” he shuddered, remembering the dark scene in the auction room. “And I thought we had to be touching each other.”
Kaia nodded. “We did . . . before.”
“Interesting. You are gaining control of this new power at a surprisingly rapid rate. Where did this power come from?”
Sybillan’s question sparked some hope in Ethan. The Alorans in the meadow didn’t question anymore. Sybillan and Lassaya were different. Perhaps they could be convinced to help after all.
“I’m not sure. Do you know?” he asked Kaia. He turned and then looked at her more closely.
“Kaia, your face. It’s hardly bruised anymore.” He turned to their glowing hosts. “How long have we been here? Is there a time warp or something?”
Lassaya shook her head. “The time here is the same as it is in the city. You have only been here a short time.”
Ethan ran a gentle finger over Kaia’s face. “Our species doesn’t heal this quickly. She should have had those bruises for many days.”
Lassaya glanced at Sybillan again and then spoke carefully to the humans. “Would you tell us what experiences you had in the city? What you saw and what happened to you? We do not wish to bring about painful memories, but perhaps it would help us interpret your . . . unique energy signatures.”
Ethan looked at her. “Our energy signatures? What do you mean?”
“Well, the two of you have very unique patterns of energy emanating from you. They seem to be in flux. Most creatures are stable, dwelling on a certain energy plane. You, however, seem to be changing . . . constantly.”
“That doesn’t seem good.” Ethan said, not really surprised. “We went through some testing there. Traxoram ran some kind of experiments on us.” He looked at Kaia. “They seem to have allowed us to read each other’s thoughts.”
She nodded.
“And—” He hesitated. “Could that have been why I—did what I did?”
A look of fear crossed Kaia’s features for a split second, and it cut Ethan to see it.
“What did you do?” Sybillan asked.
“I’m still not sure.” Ethan began, sitting down in a chair. “It’s how we escaped. We were in a big auction room.” He put his head in his hands as the memory came back to him. “The Alorans—the Others—were selling the passengers off our ship. They bought 4,000 of us, you know, from our government. We were on a colony ship and we were diverted here. There are many others still in the city . . .” His voice cracked. He took a moment to compose himself.
“During the auction I got angry,” he continued. “I got very angry. I felt a power overtake me, and it lashed out, knocking everyone over. I just grabbed Kaia and ran. I don’t know what it was or if it will come back. I did that to her—” He gestured to her bruises but saw that they were even more faded. Springing up, he crossed the room to her and dropped on his knees in front of where she still sat on the couch. Reaching up, he stroked her face. She didn’t flinch.
“What, Ethan?” she said, confused. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is it worse?”
He shook his head. “No. It’s . . . better. Almost completely.”
Lassaya spoke. “Do not be afraid. It is simple tissue regeneration. The girl is healing.”
“So quickly?”
Lassaya responded. “This is an expected effect of evolution. The b
ody grows increasingly adept at repairing itself.” The true Alorans exchanged a concerned glance. “The Others,” she said, “are getting closer.”
“That seems to bother you.” Ethan said straightforwardly, “what about everything happening naturally?”
“If the evidence you present to us is accurate, then there is nothing natural about the experiments they are conducting. Such genetic manipulation, if applied on a broad population, could disrupt the entire fabric of civilization.” Sybillan’s calm demeanor seemed only slightly ruffled. “The natural physical laws, when broken, cause vast and irreparable consequences. It threatens not only our way of life, but also our very existence.”
“So,” Ethan said. “Not ethical responsibility, but self-preservation will encourage you to act?”
The calm exterior had returned. “Ethics are a result of societal norms. They are not as absolute as you may think. But self-preservation is, in most species, a universal motivator.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Ethan admitted begrudgingly. “So, where can we go from here?”
“Your description of what you experienced in the auction room intrigues me,” Sybillan said. “Would you say that it compares to this?” With that, he extended a hand swiftly forward and a pulse of energy shot from it, across the room, shattering the far wall.
Ethan and Kaia stared.
With a wave of his hand, Sybillan restored the wall. “Does that seem comparable?”
“Uh . . .” Ethan floundered, trying to regain his composure. “Yeah. Yes. That seems like a much more concentrated and controlled form of what happened to me.”
“Interesting. It seems you have evolved farther than Traxoram intended. You have gained some advanced abilities, Ethan. You have gained energy manipulation, regeneration, telepathy. Time can only reveal if there are more.” He considered a moment. “These things, of themselves, are not enough to help us succeed in overcoming the Others. We ourselves possess these abilities and many more. However, the combination of your unique energy signatures, these abilities, and the physical characteristics inherent in your species, as well as the fact that the Others will not be expecting this kind of progress, may give us some slight advantage.” Sybillan turned slowly to them. “We must meet with the few of our fellow Alorans who may consent to help and reach a consensus on how to proceed. Will you please rest here until we return?”