by T. R. Harris
“Depends on how much you need the food.” Riyad countered.
“So far they’ve only attacked individual starships,” Adam joined in. “There’s no evidence that they could even subdue multiple ships, let along attack whole planets.”
“Call me a Pollyanna then, but I expect the worst in most situations,” Riyad said.
“I thought that was my job?” Sherri said.
“Stow it, both of you,” Adam said in his best command voice. “Everyone knows I’m the alien with the attitude around here. If anyone’s a Pollyanna, it’s me.”
“Who the hell is this Polly Anna, anyway?” Sherri asked.
No one had a chance to answer before alarms began blaring throughout the ship.
“The following ship is now within range, Noslead. Shall I engage the pulse?”
“Yes, and make it full strength,” Vosmin answered. “Having contacted the ship within a gravity well, we shall first need to suppress the crew so they will dissolve the well. And that ship is of an advanced design; I suspect their weapons would be superior, as well.”
“You’re being generous when speaking of advanced design, my Lead,” Panur said from behind the command chair. “They still employ focusing rings and gravity wells for propulsion.”
“It was effective enough to catch us, scientist.”
“Yes, but it is such an energy-wasting mode of travel.”
“Not every strain can have the benefit of your genius.” Vosmin’s sarcastic tone was not lost on Panur. He made a mental note to speak with the Queen upon his return regarding the Noslead’s treatment of him. At least she respected his contributions to the Colony, even if Vosmin did not. And then we shall see who has the most influence within the Colony.
“Pulse engaged. The alien ship is slowing—the well has dissolved.”
“Good, brings us around and find a suitable docking port. I will be curious to learn how they were able to track us—”
“Jump bits, that’s obvious,” said Panur.
“With such primitive instruments? Does that not contradict your prior statement?”
“Of course not. All is relative. I could build a device that could easily track our movements as well.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“There’s been no need. We know where we’re going.”
Panur watched as Vosmin shook his head. When will they learn they cannot match logic with me?
The scientist now watched through the viewport as the black ship lowered directly over the smaller alien vessel. Vosmin wasn’t bothering with a shuttle; this ship was too small to call for one. Yet even as he watched with bored detachment, Panur began to wonder how much longer he would tolerate the insufferable Sol-Kor. Granted, the Queen gave him unlimited resources to pursue his interests, a relationship that had been beneficial to both for over five thousand years. But here was a new universe and with aliens in desperate need of his talents. Perhaps it was time for a change….
187
“Whatever you do, don’t let on,” Adam said in a harsh whisper.
The aliens were just now cracking the hatch while the three Humans were seated in the bridge, testing their final zombie looks to make sure they were convincing. They had plenty of video evidence of how people under the influence of the blue beam should react. They could do this. And if not, then the MK-47’s hidden under their consoles would speak for them.
Even though the trio had not been completely overcome by the beam, they did feel its influence. The pain in his head was nearly unbearable, and he was doing all he could to keep his face as neutral as possible. None of the others in the videos had showed signs of pain. If any of them did it would be a dead giveaway.
The Pegasus had raced headlong into the blue pulse, and Adam’s first reaction had been to fight when he realized he wasn’t going to be overcome. But then Riyad pointed out that the black ship was carrying over fifty live Humans, so destroying the ship would be a tragedy. It was decided they would play along, at least until the situation could be assessed. Yet if the black aliens came aboard with swords drawn, then that would be another matter. As Adam reasoned, at least then they’d have access to the alien ship through the scuttle. It would be a longshot, but they could at least have a slim chance of rescuing the other Humans and escaping.
Slim…but a chance nonetheless.
Fortunately, the aliens came aboard with weapons sheathed, and after a quick assessment found that the three Humans were the only ones aboard. Another alien, different from the huge armored creatures, came up to where Adam and the others sat. He looked them over briefly before turning to one of the others.
“I will begin my study of the Humans with these three. Please do not harm them and take them to my laboratory. Also, Vosmin, you say this ship is of advance design? I now agree with you. Let’s take it along with us as well.”
“I see nothing of note within the ship to make you change your prior assessment. What do you see?”
“Much more than you ever will. Now please honor my request.”
“As you wish, yet you have been acting very strangely as of late.”
“It could be the phase shift between universes. Do you not feel it yourself?”
“I do not, and I have been to other universes. I have not heard of this phase shift you speak of.”
“Then it must be something unique to my body. I will not speak of it again.”
“That would be welcome.” The black creature turned to another. “Slave this vessel to the mainship. We don’t have far to go, so it should be a minimal drain on our energy.”
“Yes, my Lead.”
The creature named Vosmin looked at the catatonic trio of Humans and grunted. “They are so small. If they are indeed proven to be eatable, it will take many to fill my gullet, as well as the needs of the Colony. I only hope they come in bountiful quantities.”
Even though he had heard the small alien request that they not be harmed, from the violent way they were manhandled aboard the alien spacecraft and hustled down wide corridors, Adam would never have believed the command was being honored. He heard Sherri groan involuntarily a couple of times but there was no reaction to it from the two black aliens doing the manhandling or from the smaller alien who followed behind.
When they entered a large room, stocked full of scientific equipment and exam tables, the black aliens clamped metal cuffs on their wrists and thighs. “The pulse will be deactivated momentarily, scientist,” said one of the escorts. “Do you wish us to remain for the time they recover?”
“No, they are well-restrained. I will be safe. You may go.”
Adam, Sherri and Riyad now stood in a small cluster, still playing zombie, when suddenly the headache vanished. They each reacted with blinking eyes and audible sighs, which meant the act was over, whether they wanted it not. They looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time.
“Where are we; what happened?” Adam asked, trying to sound as convincing as he could.
He looked at the small, pale alien as the creature smiled at him.
“Excellent! I am impressed. You did a fine job to pretending to be under the influence of the pulse. I commend you.”
“I don’t understand,” Riyad said. “Who are you and what have you done to us?”
“Please, Humans, I know better. And be calm, this room is shielded from recordings. We are alone.”
Adam wiped the silly look of confusion off his face and hopped the short distance to the pale alien. “What the hell are you doing to our people?” he growled. “You’re eating us as if we were cattle.”
“I do not know what is a cattle, but I assure you, I am not doing the eating. That would be the Sol-Kor.”
Adam had noticed the gravity aboard the black ship was quite a bit less than would be found on Earth. This was an almost constant advantage Humans had over the aliens. Maybe it would be the same with this one. He pulled on his cuffs, hoping that in the lighter gravity the alloy they were made of would be of
a weaker mixture than needed on Earth. His muscles strained as he stared wide-eyed at the composed alien as he felt the cuffs begin to twist. The alien seemed to content to wait for Adam to finish with his exercise, raising no alarm and without taking any precautions. Adam continued to the work the metal back and forth, feeling it grow warm on his flesh. Then it snapped, and with his hands free, he clamped them around the neck of the smiling alien.
The creature just leaned against the edge of an exam table while Adam squeezed. His thighs were still shackled, so the being could have attempted to run, but he didn’t, offering no defense at all. Instead, he let Adam squeeze until his neck was only a couple of inches in diameter, and still the thin smile continued.
The creature mumbled something, words Adam couldn’t understand. He mumbled them again.
Frustrated at the alien’s complete lack of reaction to his attack, Adam released him. The deformed neck remained so for a few moments before it began to assume its original shape.
The creature spoke again, and again it was unintelligible. Then he raised his hand, as if to indicate: Hold on a minute. A few seconds later he was able to speak.
“I asked if you were through? I must say the pressure you exerted was quite impressive. I’m afraid my Sol-Kor partners may be in for a surprise if ever they engage you in a contest of strength.”
“What the hell are you?”
“I wish I knew,” was the unexpected reply. “I was once of a strain called the A’nor, but I was different. I now refer to myself as a mutant, although that would imply a mishap of some sort in my development. Fortunately, this so-called mishap has given me the ability to withstand nearly all physical abuse, among other things. But the bigger question I have: What are you, and how did you resist my pulse beam?”
Adam reached down and began to fumble with the shackles around his thighs. These were made of thicker metal and it would be impossible for him to break through. Riyad, in the meantime, had broken free of his wrist cuffs and was now helping Sherri with hers.
That was when the pale alien handed Adam a notched piece of metal. “This will release the restraints. I am growing weary watching you struggle with them. The sooner you are free, the sooner we can commence with the analysis.”
Once free, Adam and Riyad ran to the door of the laboratory, one grabbing a measuring rod as a weapon and the other a glass flask. Sherri lifted a squat metal instrument box of some kind from a table and held it in a cocked position aimed at the pale alien. The creature just looked at her calmly and continued smiling.
“I must ask that you concentrate. We haven’t much time. When the ship arrives at the array there is a possibility it will go straight through and I will have to do the analysis on the other side.”
“The other side of what?” Sherri asked.
“The other side of the portal. I sense that you are not the builders, either.”
“The builders of what?”
“Of the array, of course. What else are we talking about?”
“I don’t know what we’re talking about.”
“Then perhaps you should listen instead of waving those ridiculous objects around, as if they will cause me harm.”
The two men looked at each other before Adam addressed the alien again. “Is this door locked? We won’t be having any of those giants come storming in here, will we?”
“The door is locked. We are alone and it will remain that way until we arrive at the array.”
“What is this array you keep talking about?” Sherri asked as she set the box back on the table.
“The array that creates the portal.”
“The portal? You mean like in a door?” Adam asked as he returned to the alien, who was still leaning against the table as calmly as ever, with his neck now showing no sign of the earlier attack.
“Exactly…a door. The language files we attained from the large warship have been assimilated into our translation mesh, so I can understand what you say, even if I do find your English to be quite limiting; however, you appear to embrace it smoothly so I will continue to use it.”
“Thanks, now how about a little more detail?”
“Of course. It is a portal—a doorway—to another universe. To my universe.”
Stunned was a mild word for how the three Humans felt at that moment. For twenty years, Adam had been kicking around the galaxy, and he’d seen a lot of strange things that were impossible to believe and concepts found only in the wildest science fiction stories. Yet behind it all, the miracles of the modern galaxy made sense. The science was logical, the explanations convincing. However, through it all he’d yet to come upon anything that could termed truly mystical, magical or supernatural. Yet portals to other universes…well that came damn close.
“You can travel between universes?” It was Sherri who broke the awkward silence.
“Obviously. Now please, if you’re going to ask questions, make them more than simply a repeat of what I just said.”
“All right, smart ass,” Adam said with force. “Just who the hell are you? You do have a name, don’t you?”
“Aboard your ship you heard Noslead Vosmin refer to me as Panur. Do not try to pretend anymore. I know you were conscious at the time.”
“You’re not like the others.”
“Again obvious, and again a repeat of what has already been revealed.”
“All right, so you’re Panur, a mutant of the A’nor race, and you come from another universe. So who are these other creatures you hang out with?” Adam asked.
“Ah, a quaint colloquialism. Even though your language is basic and primitive, I do enjoy the way you seem to create images with it. Hang out, as in to associate with, yet on a more informal basis. I hang out with the Sol-Kor. They represent the Colony of Kor, which is in turn ruled by the Queen. They are simple creatures, who for the past five thousand years, have enjoyed the fruits of my intellectual endeavors to dominate tiny fractions of four universes—yours will be the fifth. Even as they may consider themselves superior beings to all within a dimension, they have little comprehension of the insignificant impact they make. After all, how big is a universe? How many worlds does one contain, and how many intelligent strains are there? The Sol-Kor do little to impact a universe, and yet they insist they do. And in the instances where this is true, it is only because of my inventions, my genius.”
“So if they barely scratch the surface of each universe they visit, why do they bother with others? Isn’t one universe large enough to keep the Sol-Kor amused?” Riyad asked.
“It should,” Panur answered.
“Wait a goddamn minute!” Adam nearly shouted. “You said these Sol-Kor characters had been doing something with your intellectual whatever for five thousand years. What exactly does that mean?”
“It is as you suspect. I am over five thousand of your years old.”
“Bullshit!”
“That is a strange response, seemingly completely out context.”
“You can’t be five thousand years old!”
“Alas, I am. Now accept what I say so we can move on. As I was saying, the Sol-Kor seek territory and engage in exploration for the sole purpose of acquiring new food sources. They care not for the thrill of discovery or the diversity of life in the universe—in all universes. All they seek are more numerous and bountiful crops. Hopping between universes is a simpler way of achieving this rather than conserving what they have.”
“You don’t sound too happy with them, Panur. That’s your name, right?” Riyad asked.
“Yes, I am Panur, and it is true that I have begun to grow weary of the Sol-Kor. The Queen and I have a special relationship, yet beyond that, I am often treated as just another drone within their Colony.”
“Special relationship?” Sherri probed. “You…and the Queen?”
“It is not what you suspect. We have lived for a similar time; in fact I am slightly older than she. A Sol-Kor Queen can live for many generations, as long as she provides for the Colony and they
for her. I was very young when the Sol-Kor came to my world—to feed—yet it was my unique abilities that spared me.”
“You mean your longevity…and that you’re damn hard to kill?” Adam asked.
“That was part of it. I was seven hundreds of your years old at the time the Sol-Kor arrived and was already considered a freak among my race. Yet as I continued to live, I also continued to learn. I have near perfect recall, and when given enough time, many of the mysteries of the universe can be solved. I had been working on a new propulsion system at the time of the invasion and the Queen took notice, seeing in my research the means for expanding her feeding grounds. She saved me and then provided for all my research and prototypes.”
“And that’s your blip-type drive, the one we followed here.” Sherri said.
“Oh, no, that came much later. What I developed back then was a version of your primitive gravity drive. It sufficed for a long time until I made something better. I must admit, my jump-drive is not as fast as your system, yet it consumes vastly less energy, allowing for larger ships and longer journeys between refueling.”
“And you invented this inter-dimensional portal thingamajig?”
“I did indeed, although thingamajig is not what it’s called.”
“So why do the Sol-Kor keep asking if someone in this universe built the array? You just said you did,” Riyad asked as the Humans tag-teamed the alien with questions.
“No, I said I invented it, not that I built it, at least not here. I built the major array in my dimension, yet for it to work, there has to be a mating facility in another. So far there have only been four, including yours.”
“Someone on this side built the array that allowed you—and the Sol-Kor—to come here?” Sherri asked incredulously.
“I have asked that you not repeat what I just said. However, for clarification, yes. Some entity within your dimension built the array for which we are headed.”
“And you don’t know who it is?” Adam commented, a wry smile crossing his lips.