by T. R. Harris
“Just one comment, my Pleabaen,” said Molison. “With our ability to counter the suppressor beam, our position with the aliens has tilted in our favor. So far we have not seen any advanced weaponry from their ships beyond the blue beam. They may be relying solely on that weapon to provide the advantage over their enemies. If this is so, then we may now have nothing to fear from them.”
“And we now have the means of producing the pulse beam ourselves,” Rius added, speaking for the first and only time.
“This has been important input, Master Jons…and Rius Olinous,” said Simblor. “However, it is not the aliens we have to fear the most. As always, it is the Humans. It is always the Humans.”
191
“This is making me sick!” Sherri said. “Just look at them. Hey, you two, get a room!”
Her mock call out to Riyad didn’t travel much beyond where Adam and she stood, near a side wall of the temporary structure the aliens had constructed for their guests. This was the main meeting/dining tent; eight other structures had been similarly erected nearby to house the nearly sixty Humans present. The unnamed planet-x had a suitable atmosphere, gravity and protection against solar radiation so the Humans didn’t need to stay crammed into the black ships.
This was the first general get together of all the former captives, and to his obvious delight, Riyad had reunited with Ophelia Naidu. Whether from his telling of the story, or from a genuine interest she had in him, the starry-eyed look the dark-haired beauty now gave Riyad made Adam and Sherri mentally score one for their friend. From here on out, it would be a slam dunk….
“I thought your thing for him was over?” Adam said, teasing Sherri for her very apparent jealousy.
“What are you talking about? Of course it’s over. It’s just that he hardly knows her, and I don’t want to see Riyad get hurt.”
“Again, you mean?”
“It was mutual between us, and you know it.”
“It’s never mutual, sweetheart,” Adam countered. “That’s just what people say. Someone always gets hurt.”
“Still, he needs to keep his head in the game. The others around here may think the frickin’ aliens have turned over a new leaf, but we know better. Just look at these scaly gray things; you can almost see them salivating when they look at us. Would you like your Human with or without salt?”
Adam was about to continue his torment of an irate Sherri Valentine when Omar Piero walked up to the pair with the senior Human of the delegation, Associate Ambassador Unis Yellen.
In his typical over-the-top bureaucratic-speak, the attaché introduced Adam and Sherri to the official.
“I don’t know exactly what happened, but I want to thank you beyond words for helping us,” said Ambassador Yellen. “That beam they used on us may have left us incapacitated, but I still have some recollection of what transpired while we were under its influence. And then once they had us locked away on their ship and the beam turned off, I got the distinct impression we were prisoners, not guests.”
“I wouldn’t drop your guard all the way, Madam Ambassador.” Adam advised. “These aliens are new to our dimension and we’re both in a feeling out period.”
“Yes, I heard about that! Travel between dimensions, is that really possible?”
“It appears so. And I believe the Klin built that big-ass array out there—pardon my language.”
Yellen smiled. “It is a big-ass array, isn’t it, Mr. Cain? And I assume the Klin built it after our last encounter with them in the Dysion Void. That fact opens up another whole other can of worms.”
“We always assumed some of the Klin survived,” Sherri said. “Now it seems as though enough of them are still around to pull off something like this.”
“It’s our hope that they built the portal so they could escape to another dimension and be out of our hair for good.” said Yellen. Then she shook her head. “Yet I’m too much of a realist to truly believe that. I’m sure they built that array out there so that they could—figuratively—shove it up our ass.”
Adam smiled. He liked the older woman. She had to be in her late sixties and had a down-to-earth way about her. What she was doing way out on Unisid and dealing with the Que’l beat the hell out of him. Her outspokenness seemed out of place for a career diplomat.
“Are they allowing you to contact Earth?” Adam asked.
“Not yet. They say they will, but that communications need to synced. Something about their equipment not being compatible with ours.”
“We have equipment aboard the Pegasus.” Sherri pointed out.
“I told them that, and that’s when the translators suddenly began acting up. These creatures may be smart enough to travel between universes, but they’re not very convincing liars.”
Unis Yellen stepped in a little closer to Adam and Sherri. “So do you have a plan working? Not to put any pressure on you both, but your reputations do precede you.”
“We may have something, Madam Ambassador. When we’re ready to put it into action, you’ll be the first to know.”
The older woman winked at him and then nodded at Sherri, She walked away with a spring in her step, with her doting pet Omar Piero in tow.
Sherri looked at Adam. “You don’t have any idea what we’re going to do next, do you?”
“Not a clue.”
Adam, Sherri and Riyad had been granted the special accommodation of staying aboard the Pegasus while on the planet, rather than being assigned to one of the huge, white tents the aliens had erected for the rest of the Humans. The compromise was that the ship was locked down, all except for the environmental systems. They had heat and air and food processing, but nothing else. Now they were all on the bridge, along with Ophelia—much to Sherri’s poorly disguised disapproval—when the alien scientist Panur came calling.
He regarded the fourth member of the party with bright-eyed interest. “I have seen the data records,” the alien began. “You are Ophelia Naidu, aged twenty-six Human years, a trade specialist with regard to construction minerals and mining techniques. You are helping to negotiate resource acquisition for other members of your tiny stellar union. May I inquire as to your presence here?”
“She’s with me,” said Riyad Tarazi forcefully.
Panur smiled at him. “A defensive reaction. Am I to assume she is not privy to our prior conversation?”
“What conversation?” Ophelia asked. She didn’t know anything about Panur, and since she and the alien were about the same size, she didn’t feel intimidated by his presence, either.
“She can hear anything you have to say,” Riyad interjected.
“Just a damn minute!” Sherri said. “We don’t know anything about her, Riyad. It’s a little late to bring another person into the gang.”
“We’re not a gang, Sherri,” Riyad countered. “She’s cool. We can trust her.”
“Trust me with what? What are the three of you up to? Does Ambassador Yellen know?”
“See what I mean? She’s going to rush out and tell Yellen everything.”
“What everything?”
“It’s private,” Sherri barked at the younger woman.
Sensing the dynamic between Sherri and Riyad, Ophelia visibly bristled. “I know you and Riyad were involved before, but he said it was over. Now I see he was right, that you obviously don’t feel the same.”
“Get a clue, lady, this has nothing to do with me and Riyad—”
“Will the two of you knock it off?” Adam ordered. “This is some bullshit. We have a bunch of hungry aliens sizing us up for barbeque spits, and all the two of you can do is squabble over a man.” Adam looked over at Riyad and then did a double take. There was a glint in his eyes, along with a thin smile escaping his lips. Damn, he’s enjoying the hell out of this!
Adam turned to Ophelia. “If you’re going to stay you have to promise to keep everything you hear a secret, even from Yellen. We’re working on something to save all our lives and we can’t let anyone else know about it. If
it blows up, these aliens are going to lop off our heads and feed on our brains.”
Ophelia’s jaw dropped open as she stared at Panur, fear evident in her dark eyes.
“No, not that alien,” Adam said. “The bigger ones.”
“We’re wasting time,’ Sherri said. She looked at Panur. “Why did you come here in the first place?”
The alien regarded all the Humans for a moment before answering, the amused smile still on his thin face. “I came for another purpose, yet the interaction between Humans is quite entertaining. I have studied countless strains in my years, yet I have to say I’ve not found one so governed by emotions as you. Even in the face of grave danger you will let other, more personal concerns, override the situation.”
“Grave danger? What’s going on, Panur?” Adam asked.
“Oh, it is just that a vessel has been detected approaching the planet. It is rather large and round and like nothing we have experienced so far. It nears without hesitation, so I assume this to be the Klin strain you mentioned.”
“The Klin!” Ophelia explained.
Riyad quickly put his arm around her and placed an extended finger to his lips. Her mouth snapped shut and she remained silent.
“That didn’t take long,” Adam commented.
“The point was made to parade you before the hidden cameras. Your Klin must have been watching.”
“Okay, Panur, this is your game. What’s the next move?”
“I have made it so that Vosmin will seek to entertain both strains.”
“How’s that going to get us free?” Sherri asked. “That was a major point of our negotiations with you.”
“All is working according to plan, Sherri Valentine. Be patient—” And then the alien laughed. “I’m sorry. I must remember I am speaking with Humans. You do not practice patience very well.”
And then as abruptly as he appeared, the mutant was gone.
Adam walked up to the huge forward viewport and looked out at the towering three-antennae array only a few miles away.
Riyad stepped up next to him and followed his gaze. “What are you thinking, my friend?”
“I’m thinking we need to slam the door shut.”
“Panur could build another.”
“Only if we let him.”
“So could the Klin.”
Adam looked at Riyad and frowned.
“Yes, I know; only if we let them.”
192
The Klin had arrived in a smaller version of a colony ship; a spherical vessel carrying a compliment of ninety, including crew and passengers.
In most cases, the Klin never traveled with so many of their scarce population aboard one ship, not unless it was a Colony ship with a population of over twenty-five thousand. However, since the tragedy at the Dysion Void four years before, only four such space stations survived. When counting the dozen or so small land-based enclaves, the Klin race was down to a mere one-hundred sixty-four thousand individuals.
Even though an aggressive repopulation move was afoot, the Klin were barely keeping up with age attrition. Exposing themselves once again to the wrath of the Juireans and the Humans was a terrible gamble. Even if the trans-dimensional aliens could be enlisted as allies, the Klin still had an uphill battle to keep from becoming a statistic—just one more extinct species along the timeline of the galaxy.
Molison Jons and Rius Olinous had joined the delegation sent to meet the aliens, even though the Pleabaen had personally raised his objections. The intellect of the Senior Scientist was a precious commodity for the dwindling population. In the past, the race could count on their population producing a constant supply of superior thinkers. Yet with their numbers so low, these individuals were becoming scarce. The last thing the race needed was to expose these rare individuals to even more risk.
Yet with the possibility of the Humans having deluded the aliens into believing that they had built the array, including the actual inventor as part of the delegation became the deciding factor.
For his part, Molison wasn’t nervous. He felt that he would find kindred spirits within a race capable of such an achievement as travel between dimensions. Yes, he was conflicted with the reports received so far. These aliens certainly appeared to be less civilized than expected, at least with regard to their treatment of other intelligent species. Maybe they had their reasons. Maybe not. It was Molison’s job to find out which.
The ship entered the star system the Klin had designed as TD-1—for Trans-Dimensional-One—and been immediately picked up by an escort of the much smaller black ships. Molison knew that his questions and concerns would soon be answered, and as a scientist, that was an exciting prospect. Knowledge was the goal he sought; whether that knowledge brought pain or joy was immaterial. It would be what it was, and Molison would accept it.
Even as the young Rius Olinous was in a state of near panic over what they might learn.
“Please, Master, remain aboard until the tone of the aliens can be assessed,” she pleaded. “With the canceling beams installed, you should be safe. Once the threat is determined, then you can decide on further action.”
“Seeing from the reports that the aliens have vastly more ships in the system than initially estimated, I believe even with the neutralizer beam, if these creature want us dead, we will be dead, whether I stay aboard the transit ship or not. We must not appear weak and afraid, Rius.”
“Still I plead, Master Jons.”
He reached out a tender hand and stroked her hair. There had been a discussion between them regarding the status of their relationship, and an accommodation had been reached. If they survived the encounter with the aliens, they would indeed consummate the bonding. The Klin attitudes towards sex were changing rapidly, now encouraged by the government. A union would be welcome news within their circle of influence. Yet they would wait. Even Klin have emotions, and it would not serve to be committed to another when one might not survive the mission. The logic was impeccable. And so it was agreed.
Molison—with Rius at his side—soon boarded a shuttle for the planet’s surface. He had spent many a month here supervising the building of the array, so he felt comfortable with the surroundings, although it seemed that the aliens had built a small community at the base of the low-lying hill, a community currently housing a fair number of savage Humans.
The scientist was one of a growing cadre of Klin who had never met a Human. Even though he had been alive at the time the race was building a force made up of Second Generation Humans—the 2G’s they were called—he was engaged in other projects at the time and not involved in that aspect of the Klin overall plan. The 2G’s had been tasked with securing the cooperation of the bulk of the Human population in the Klin’s four-thousand-year-long struggle against the Juireans. The stories Molison had heard at the time, plus the data he’d studied, showed that the gambit had not borne out. Instead the Humans surprised everyone by rising to the top of the galaxy’s ruling class, a position the Klin felt was reserved for them.
The resulting years of death, destruction and pain had left the once proud Klin race merely a shadow of their former self. The name was still known, even though the mythical quality of their reputation was long gone. They were now just another desperate race engaged in a struggle for survival—and for significance.
The initial delegation sent to meet the aliens was only nine individuals, and upon landing they were escorted across the dusty surface to a large white tent set off to itself about three hundred yards from the main grouping of structures.
Tables had been set up in the tent, along with computer banks and recording devices. There was also a fair number of black-armored guards, each with their ominous sword-like weapons dangling from leather sheathes. A huge creature, wearing black armor and helmet with a clear faceplate, approached the Klin delegation. Next to him was a much smaller being, wearing a simple white smock and blue pants. He had Prime features, with extremely smooth, pale skin which made it hard to discern his age.
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br /> “I am Noslead Vosmin Yon, leader of the Sol-Kor expedition within your universe,” the alien in the black armor greeted. He neither bowed nor extended an arm. “I welcome the Klin to our camp. Who speaks for you?”
“I do. I am Senior Fellow Dinis Zimfelous of the Lead Council of the Klin.” The aging Klin representative looked around the interior of the tent and noticed a large delegation of Humans seated at a table to his left. “I would respectfully request a meeting in private, Noslead Vosmin Yon. As the builders of the trans-dimension portal, we feel the presence of the Humans is unnecessary and counterproductive. I am sure by now they have informed you as to the animosity that exists between our two species.”
“I have been briefed, Senior Fellow, yet I must insist that for this initial meeting the Humans remain. We are new to your universe, so a basis of understanding must be established first. I will entertain the input from both your strains—your species—before further protocols are announced. Please sit where indicated.”
The alien abruptly turned away and took a place at the center table, facing out at the two flanking arms of the horseshoe shape. The smaller alien remained near the Klin for a moment, staring up at them with bright eyes and a faint smile, before he turned away and took a seat three down from Vosmin Yon.
Molison and Rius followed the visibly perturbed Senior Fellow to the assigned table. He sat next to Dinis and stared across the setup to the table of silent Humans. At the center of their table sat an aging female with an abundance of wrinkles invading her face. To either side of her were another twelve Humans, mostly younger males. Two wore military uniforms, the rest civilian outfits. At the end of the table were seated four other Humans, two males and two females. At least one of the males in this small group looked vaguely familiar. Molison searched his memory for a reference, yet it did not come, at least not until Dinis spoke up.