by T. R. Harris
“Yet you do!” Panur exclaimed, as he studied Adam’s eyes. He moved away from the table and approached the Human. “Who built it? I am quite anxious to meet him.”
“I don’t know for sure, but I have a pretty good idea.”
“Tell me!”
“Why?”
Panur took a step backwards. “Why? Why what?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Because I asked.”
“That’s not good enough.”
Panur shook his head. “I am at a loss as to why you have suddenly developed this attitude of resistance with me. I thought we were having a pleasant conversation.”
“You mean after I tried to strangle you to death?”
“That was a lesson you had to learn for yourself. I mean about everything else. I have been very open and forthcoming with you. I would expect the same from you.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you expect the same from us? We’re prisoners, not friends. And to your friends we’re just food. Unless there’s some benefit in it for us, I don’t see any need for cooperation.”
“Ah, you are negotiating!” Panur’s smile was wider than Adam had ever seen it. “This is an incredible event. You must realize there is no negotiating with the Sol-Kor. They are of one mind and one purpose. They seek food and nothing else. Either provide it, or be it, those are the only options. I help provide for it, so I survive, and as such I have never had to negotiate for anything during my entire existence.”
“Now you need information, information that has some value to you. That’s the basis of negotiation, bud. You want something I have, and I want something you have.”
“And what do you want?”
Adam raised his eyebrows in shock, before looking to his companions. “We want to live, and more than that, we want to be free. And while we’re making a list, we also want to be free of any threat from the Sol-Kor…or from you for that matter. Is that plain enough?”
Panur furrowed his pale brow. “I see. And how are negotiations to proceed when most of what you ask is beyond my ability to provide? Is that when negotiations break down, as I understand it?”
“That’s when we seek solutions to our mutual problems.”
“I have no problems.”
Adam smiled. “Of course you do. You’re tired of being treated like shit by the Sol-Kor and you’re looking to make a break. You believe the builders of the array might help you with that. Yet as long as the array is operating on this end, the Sol-Kor can always come looking for you. You’ve lived for over five thousand years, yet nearly all of it has been under the thumb of the Sol-Kor. You’re a genius beyond compare yet you’ve never been given the credit you’re due. You believe that in this new universe you could find a more welcoming home, yet you need help to make that happen. You’re intrigued by the Humans, as well as the other lifeforms in this universe, that’s why you brought us in here for a private conversation, and why it was probably you who convinced the Sol-Kor not to kill the Humans on the other ship. You’re in the middle of a gambit that could be very dangerous, and you believe the Humans—the three of us—might be able to help. Does that more-or-less sum it up?”
All three sets of Human eyes were now locked on the pale alien. His thin-lipped mouth had fallen open slightly as Adam delivered his speech and now he needed a moment to recover. When he did, his eyes grew wide and the smile returned.
“You gathered all that from the very brief time we have been together? I am very impressed. That speaks of an ability for intuition and logical thinking that I have not experienced with the Sol-Kor. It is obvious I could never consider you an equal, yet I can offer you a small degree of respect. What is your name?”
“I’m Adam Cain. The female is Sherri Valentine and the other male is Riyad Tarazi.”
“I am quite pleased to meet the three of you. And as for the female, you must understand the entire working class of the Sol-Kor Colony consists of males. They are separated into castes based on aptitude and trained for different functions within the Colony; however, there is only one female, and that is the Queen. There are many species that emulate this arrangement, yet I have yet to encounter one so far advanced along the evolutionary order as the Sol-Kor. With respect to gender, I find it refreshing to meet a female who shares the intelligence and physical capabilities of the male and who is treated as an equal, at least one that is not scheduled for the dining table of the Colony.”
“See you two, that’s how you compliment a lady.”
Adam took a moment to shake off Sherri’s backhanded insult before returning his attention to Panur. “So do you see a compromise in the negotiations, or are we at an impasse?”
“Adam Cain, solving problems is my passion, be they cosmic in size or interpersonal such as between us now. I will have to think on it for a moment, yet I’m sure a compromise can be worked out. That’s how these things are resolved—through compromise—is that correct?”
“In most cases.”
“Good, then we have an agreement. I will work towards meeting your goals, and you will work towards meeting mine.
“What guarantees do we get?” Riyad asked, flashing his brilliant trademark smile.
Panur noticed the expression. “I see there is a marked contrast in the color of teeth within the Human strain. Does the brilliance of yours cause you to be ostracized by others of your race? It can be most distracting.”
“Actually, the whiter the better.”
“No jest?”
“No jest. Now back to my question, what guarantees do you offer that you’ll help us?”
“I said I would.”
“That’s it?”
Panur looked at the faces of the all three Humans. “I don’t understand. I said I would help. What more…oh, you believe I have lied! I know of the concept. It is obvious your race is very suspicious of others and of their true intent. I assure you I have not lied. I do not have the need to lie.”
“Yet if you help us, you may be called upon to lie to the Sol-Kor. And if you always tell the truth, then how can you deceive them while helping us?”
“I understand the concept of lying, and yet you do realize there are two types of lie? One is the blatant misrepresentation of facts. The other is the omission of vital information from the narrative. I have quite often withheld data from the Sol-Kor, for a variety of reasons. I will continue to do so. In the case of a misrepresentation of fact, since I am aware of the concept, I feel I am capable of this deed as well. In fact, I may find the intentional misrepresentations to be quite the entertaining game to play with the Sol-Kor. I would be anxious to gauge their reaction to my misrepresentations—my lies—and to study the consequences they bring about. Thank you, Riyad Tarazi. Already I’m finding our affiliation to be most stimulating and beneficial.”
“Glad I could help. And if you need any other guidance in the finer points of misrepresenting fact, please consult Ms. Valentine here.”
Sherri pressed her lips together as her eyes burned at Riyad. He answered the glare with one of his offensively brilliant smiles.
“I detect the skillful application of a disguised insult.”
“It wasn’t that disguised, Panur,” Sherri replied with venom in her tone.
Adam could see that Panur was ecstatic, enjoying his interaction with the Humans like a child in a petting zoo. “So what’s next?” he asked.
It took Panur a moment to break from his study of the non-verbal conversation taking place between Riyad and Sherri, yet when he did his manner was serious.
“Noslead Vosmin is under the suspicion that my pulse beam is not working properly, or that it is not effective against certain races within this universe. That was why I kept your condition a secret—by the omission of certain data I had in my possession.” He nearly burst out laughing. “I lied!” He regained his composure. “I know the capabilities of my beam, and I have seen it work on other Humans. So why were you not affec
ted?”
Adam took a non-verbal survey himself of the other two before responding. With slight nods he was given permission. He reached out with his imbedded Artificial Telepathy Device—his ATD—and sought to gain control of the electronics within the laboratory. Not finding any compatible controllers—these truly were of alien origin—he elected instead to begin collecting the negative ions within the dry atmosphere in the room. As they responded to the commands from the ATD, a small ball of light began to build in the space between him and Panur. The alien noticed it immediately and his eyes grew wide as the ball grew larger.
“An accumulation of static electricity, drawn from the air. But how?”
The sphere was now about the size of a golf ball and seemed alive with tiny streaks of blue and white electricity, crackling faintly as it radiated a fair amount of heat.
“We—the three of us—have imbedded in our bodies devices that link with our brain waves and allow for the manipulation of other compatible electronic devices. Since your ship was built using a different technology, I can’t find any devices I can control, yet I am able to gather stray electricity from the atmosphere and concentrate it into a ball.”
“And you believe these devices spared you from my beam?”
“We felt the effects, yet we were able to function in spite of it. Our Artificial Telepathy Devices, as we call them, may have absorbed or counteracted the influence of the beam.”
“That would make sense. The pulse does affect the electrical functioning of the brain, slowing the processes and dulling the senses. Your device may have served as a filter to buffer the effects. How many Humans are equipped with such devices?”
“Only a handful.”
“That is regrettable. The Sol-Kor are soon to call in their reaper fleet and it would have been beneficial to have a sizeable force immune to the beam to stop them. I must study this device. I am sure I can find ways to make it more efficient.”
“I’m sure you can,” Adam said. “But what about this other fleet? You called it the reaper fleet.”
“Yes, that’s what’s called.”
Adam extended his hands, palms up. “What the hell is a reaper fleet?”
“Now I understand the question. Once the Sol-Kor find the source of the strain they wish to harvest, they will call in a very large fleet of vessels for the task.”
“A fleet to kill an entire population?” Sherri asked.
“The entire population of a planet or group of planets. It is quite efficient. The pulse beams used are of enormous proportions. I invented it, you know. Yet be calm. For the time being the Sol-Kor are more interested in the strain from the first large ship they attacked than they are of the Human homeworld. Although I must admit, once the analysis is done, I have no doubt the nutritional value of the Human brain may be just as compatible.”
“The Juireans? They like Juirean brains more than they do Humans?” Sherri asked.
“They are called Juireans? That is good to know. It is as I said, Sherri Valentine, your brains may be compatible, in which case the Sol-Kor will be just as interested in a Human harvest as they are a Juirean harvest.”
“How about we all work to make sure there’s no harvest, on any world, at least in this universe?” Adam said. “Does that sound like a plan?”
They all nodded, including Panur. “We may need new allies in the struggle, Adam Cain. Others who are more technologically advanced than any of the strains I’ve met so far.”
“You mean the builders of the array?”
“Precisely. You believe you know who built it.”
“It sounds like something they’d do; build a device that can link universes, on the off chance that what comes through can help them.”
“Who are they? Is it not an individual, someone like me?”
“No. I believe it’s a race of beings called the Klin.”
“And what help would they be expecting?”
“Help in defeating the Juireans…and the Humans. You see, we don’t like each other very much.”
Panur suddenly grew very serious. “So without knowing what to expect, this race—the Klin—built a portal to another dimension, expecting to then enlist the assistance of whatever superior race comes through in performing genocide against their enemy? Why would they assume this race—any race—would be so inclined to help? It is an extremely risky assumption.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Adam said. “The Klin are pretty conniving. They may have a plan in place that will pit any new aliens coming through the gate against their enemies. It’s what they do. The Klin are the technological masters of this galaxy and extremely patient. If they do have a plan, I wouldn’t dismiss it too quickly. In the past, they’ve maneuvered an entire galaxy into war, while they sat back and watched.”
“And now you say the Sol-Kor are already interested in the Juireans as food and may very well add Humans to the menu.” Sherri added. “Sounds like their plan is already working perfectly.”
188
Molison Jons had been staring at the analysis of the blue pulse beam for days now and still hadn’t figured out a way to neutralize it. His task should have been simple. There was plenty of data and the frequencies involved were nothing exotic.
With the pressure of the deadline weighing on him, he had chased several time-consuming dead ends, which only served to frustrate him even more. Molison was not the type of person to accept failure with grace, even if it was an honorable attribute of his rapidly declining race. However, with the delegation already selected, he was in even more of a rush than ever. There had to be an answer, and he feared it was right there in front of him, yet the pressure of the deadline was keeping him from seeing it.
Duplicating the beam was not the problem, which did give him real-life scenarios to work with. But no matter what he used to interfere, diminish or dissolve the beam, nothing worked. His assistant was now setting up a target—it was a creature called a Grek—who had proved susceptible to the beam. This would be a test of oblique jamming of the frequencies. Sometimes a scattering of waves at a forty-five degree angle could confuse the original beam, if not enough to completely negate it, then enough to limit its impact. At this point it was worth a try.
The blue pulse beam had come as a surprise to the Klin, even though they had anticipated a superior technological level from those who transited the portal. At first, the Klin plan had functioned perfectly, as the aliens followed the faint trail they’d left leading to the Juirean warship. What happened at that point was unexpected. The aliens had fired off their blue beam and then simply walked aboard the Class-Four without resistance.
After they left, the Klin sent an automated probe aboard to read the tracks. Then all data was collected, both from inside the Juirean ship as well as outside. This allowed Molison to duplicate the beam, the beam he was now trying to defeat.
As studies proved, the Klin were not immune to the beam’s affects. In fact, his race appeared to be potentially harmed by it in the long-term, causing a mild form of dementia if exposed for too long. That was the reason they now used aliens in their tests rather than Klin volunteers.
His assistant was a young female named Rius, and she seemed nervous working alongside the great Molison Jons. He did his best to put her at ease, yet his reputation as the inventor of the Continuous Wormhole communications method was something he couldn’t downplay. It had revolutionized communications throughout the galaxy, in all actuality bringing the races closer together while making the light-years seem shorter. With near-instant communications for up to an hour anywhere there was a matching link, Molison had made talking across the galaxy essentially the same as a link to the room next door.
What the general population didn’t know, however, that his invention was the forerunner of the trans-dimensional generator, the device that was causing all the tension within the Council of the Klin these days.
Rius was part of the inner circle who knew the truth, and although she, too, felt the pressure, it was he
r almost god-like worship of Molison that now was at issue. Even though she was extremely honored to be working with the great scientist, she often went out of her way to prove her worth. Molison appreciated the help, yet more often than not the female would stick her hands into places where she wasn’t needed.
Case-in-point was her instance in helping him align the beam for this latest test. There were several projectors in the large room, and they had debated on which one to use. Debate wasn’t the right word for it, because anything Molison said, Rius was quick to agree. So when confusion resulted on which beam he wanted at what time, a near-tragic event occurred that ended with some very fortuitous consequences….
“No, the other one,” Molison said. “Three more degrees, then activate—”
The beam was lit before the scientist could finish his sentence, requesting that the recording devices be activated, and not the beam itself. Molison had already aligned another beam, and when the second pulse mingled with the first pulse, they both disappeared.
The young assistant quickly realized her mistake and shut down her beam.
“No, wait! What just happened? Do we have a recording?”
“Not from this angle, my Lord. I am terribly sorry.”
“Replay what we have. I must see the readings.”
Even from another angle, it was clear to both scientist and assistant that the beam was defeated—both beams. But how?
The moment of discovery came soon enough when Molison noticed where the second beam was aimed. It was straight at the first.
In a mad rush, the two Klin carefully aligned the beams again and then turned on every recording device they had. The lights were dimmed so the blueness of the beams could be better seen in the recordings, and then they fired it again.
It was a wondrous moment as no beam appeared from either source. They tested the circuits and found both devices to be in working order. And then Molison had Rius shut down her beam. Sure enough, his beam now pulsed strong, steady and blue. And then he had Rius activate her beam again. Gone…both beams, just like that.