“Shh.”
Her gaze drifted back down to the city, and Zahn’s eyes followed hers, noticing for the first time that, within the huge variation of shapes, there was a discernible pattern. From here, it was easier to see that the entire city was arranged in concentric circles, and on the far edges of the city, Zahn could discern figures flying around several new domes that were being built.
“These people seem addicted to building things,” he said.
Asha looked over to him. “Can’t say I blame them. If you had the power to create huge structures directly from your imagination, would you be any different?”
Zahn said nothing, his eyes following one of the long spokes back to the center of the city, where it joined the others near the egg-shaped monument.
The Empress Monument.
Something about that made a chill run up Zahn’s spine.
“Classic hub and spoke model,” he said. “Your father’s outpost is laid out the same way, isn’t it?”
“Yep.” Asha wandered back inside, examining their bizarre living arrangement, and Zahn followed her over to the round puffy platform he’d seen earlier. “I wonder if this is a bed.”
While she examined it, Zahn noticed a large window, also round, that overlooked a valley on the other side of the suite, not unlike the one where they’d landed. When he looked intently, he thought he could make out ruined structures on the far end of the valley, but it was too far to be sure. Then a strange thought came to him. If they were both nonphysical, if he only inhabited his etheric body, then why should there be any limit to how far he could see?
With a burst of curiosity, he focused intently on an unnatural shape in the distance, and to his astonishment, his perception of it grew and grew. An image of a long, toppled tower covered in yellow-green shrubs flashed into his mind. Behind it, countless more bits of stone littered the landscape.
“Hey Asha, can you see a fallen tower in the distance? I don’t know about you, but I can see a lot farther in this realm than I could in the physical.”
Asha furrowed her eyebrows and looked out. “Hmm.”
“Way out there, behind the strange projections. It looks like pieces of an old tower. If you relax your mental focus, you should be able to—”
But before Zahn could finish, a wave of exhaustion hit him, and he completely lost his balance.
Asha caught him just before he hit the floor. “Careful, Zahn! You know, I think Jyana was right. I think manifesting that object must have taken a lot out of you.”
To his surprise, she picked him up and brought him over to the round platform on the other side of the room. “Why don’t you lie down?” She gently put him down onto the bed, and he found he couldn’t speak. “I’ll look for the energy packets that Jyana mentioned, okay?”
“I don’t know what happened.” Zahn whispered as he sank slightly into the puffy platform. “I just felt weak all of a sudden.” His vision blurred as the full weight of his fatigue hit him. His eyes grew heavier, and before he knew it, he lost consciousness.
CHAPTER 10
A HATCHLING WORLD
Across the unspeakable vastness, invisible tendrils of thought bind all beings together, and for especially sensitive people, the presence of another may be felt across great distances, even across galaxies.
Zahn was not one of these people.
As he rested within the sunset suite perched on the edge of Mirage City, he had no inkling of the anxiety that grew within his father over fifty-thousand light-years distant, way out on the radiantly blue world of Avani, nestled within the fourth band of the western spiral arm of the galaxy. In fact, he wasn’t even aware of Asha lying beside him in his dormant state.
Meanwhile, their parents were sleeping less and less. None of them had heard from Zahn or Asha in days, until that morning when Asha’s father had finally received a message from Navika. The message was short and bore an official Confederation seal, but after learning that his daughter had been recruited on yet another mission, Yantrik grew frustrated.
He knew quite well what Asha and Zahn had already accomplished together, and he wanted to trust the wisdom of the Confederation. Yet he confessed to Zahn’s father Vivek that his faith in them was slipping. After all, he was a talented engineer and pilot, as well as the owner of Outpost 33, and they hadn’t recruited him for anything.
More importantly, as Asha’s father, he wanted to be there for her, with or without Confederation approval.
So when Yantrik disappeared for the rest of the day, Vivek grew concerned. He knew all too well the feelings of protectiveness that he’d felt when Zahn had left on his journey, and he hoped he could calm Yantrik’s anxiety.
Maybe it was silly, but Vivek felt that if he could remind Yantrik that their kids weren’t alone out there, he wouldn’t feel so bad and then perhaps they could all sit down and talk about it together. So he searched the house and the forest around it.
He couldn’t find Yantrik anywhere.
In most situations, Zahn’s father was not the kind of person to observe a friend without their knowledge, but in this case, he made an exception. Vivek knew the trails within the sapphire forest just as well as Zahn did, and Vivek used that knowledge to search for Yantrik in near silence.
From the familiar forest path, Vivek could see nothing, no fighter ship, no technology of any kind. So he stepped off of the path, searching instead with his intuition. And as he quietly searched the forest, Vivek spoke to the trees around him.
“Hello forest,” he whispered. “I know it’s been a while since we spoke.”
He followed what appeared to be a recently trod path under a gap in the blue canopy and froze, listening carefully.
“If you can give me a sign, some signal about where my friend is, I’d really appreciate it.”
SNAP.
Vivek looked up to the left where the sound had come from, and approached as quietly as he could. After another minute, he came upon something nestled within the forest that Yantrik’s cloaking field could never hide: a large depression in the layer of ferns that carpeted the forest.
“Thank you,” he whispered and grew closer, choosing his footing so carefully that his footsteps scarcely made a sound.
He held his breath and strained to listen.
Just above the dark depression in the ground, he heard a hiss.
What’s he doing in there? Repairs? If he’s doing repairs, that means he’s getting ready to leave. But would he really leave without telling us?
The hissing stopped, and Vivek considered what to do as a light rain began to fall.
He retraced his steps and followed the path back to the house. He didn’t like being out in the rain without a rain shield, and something about sneaking up on Yantrik felt wrong to him.
In the end, he decided to reflect on the situation over tea. He couldn’t talk about it with his beloved Darshana yet because she was upstairs sleeping, so he sipped his tea in silence, trusting that the path ahead would reveal itself.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Vivek gasped, startled. “Hold on! I’m coming.”
He walked back under the arch that led to the front room, furnished with two large couches covered in turtle-patterned blankets with a fireplace at the far end. Vivek turned the handle and held his breath.
Beyond the threshold was a middle-aged man, sporting the same shade of ash-blond hair that Vivek had. It had since stopped raining, and the man stood motionless for a moment, wearing a sleek, jet black uniform, featureless except for a small stylized logo of an eye on the collar.
“Good afternoon. I am Officer Taktakayana of the Ashraya Observatory, designation: Auditor, L-2. But you can call me Tak. I’m investigating certain anomalous events that have occurred in this district recently. Have you seen anything unusual lately, sir?” The officer’s eyes dropped back down to the large reading pad he was holding, no doubt reviewing all of the houses he had to visit today.
Vivek blinked. Of course he had.
&
nbsp; But if the observatory knew where Yantrik and Asha had come from, the scientists would scan and test them from now until nova day. And while he didn’t like to lie, he wasn’t going to let his friends be taken, especially since his whole world needed their help.
“What do you mean by unusual?” Vivek asked.
Officer Tak raised his gaze, radiating a quiet annoyance. “Happenings out of the ordinary. Objects missing, disturbances on the beach, injured or destroyed wildlife… anything like that?”
“Well, I don’t think so. Is that all? I should go. My partner will be waking up soon.”
The officer raised his eyebrows. “I do not appreciate you being short with me, sir. There was a large impact on this beach recently, and your official statement is that you saw and heard nothing? Is that right?”
“Ah,” Vivek hesitated, “I didn’t see anything like what you describe, officer.”
“Sir, in light of the situation, I’m going to have to ask to scan the interior of your home for foreign contaminates.”
“Foreign contaminates?!” A voice called out. “Well, that sounds like fun! Where can I get some of those?” Yantrik walked up behind the officer and put his hand on his shoulder. “Do they do anything interesting, like make you hallucinate?”
“Unhand me!” Tak barked, deflecting Yantrik’s arm away.
“Whoa, now! No need to get pushy. What’s all this about, anyway?” Yantrik looked over to Vivek and then back to Tak.
Officer Tak turned around and studied him for a moment. “Sir, is this not your residence? I am here to formally scan this house for potential contaminates and radiation left by a highly anomalous event.”
Vivek narrowed his gaze at him. “Sir, do you have a warrant?”
The officer’s eyes grew dark, and he pointed to the silvery beach behind him. “An object impacted upon that sand. Right there. We found an impact crater. It’s empty. Your house is the closest to the impact, so I’m going to ask you one more time: Do. You. Know. Anything? Please be aware that withholding any information could have dire consequences. And if you’re holding any foreign or spy technology, I would remind you that the penalties are severe.”
The officer held a fiery gaze on Vivek.
“Is that what you’re worried about? Spies? Hah!” Yantrik said. “Why would we be involved in spying? That’s absurd. Spies aren’t your problem, fancy uniform man.”
Officer Tak twisted up his face in disgust and turned to him, and Vivek shook his head rapidly, gesturing for Yantrik to calmly back down.
“No, Vivek,” Yantrik held a finger up to him, “I don’t appreciate being accused without any evidence. Listen officer, there are far worse enemies to Ashraya than mere spies.”
The officer winced. “Is that a threat, sir?”
Yantrik folded his arms. “No, it’s a fact.”
“Who are you? It is my duty to report any obfuscation of a lawful process.” The officer indicated to a shiny black square on the edge of his reading pad. “Press your thumb to the plate.”
Yantrik only chuckled and shook his head.
“Sir,” the officer continued, “I am within the law to request proof of identity.”
“I’m so sorry,” Vivek interrupted. “He’s from… another province, and as my guest, I believe my proof of residence is adequate, within the bounds of the law, of course.”
The officer pursed his lips. “Indeed.”
With a quick press, Vivek’s file showed up on the pad’s screen. He was in excellent standing.
The officer was expressionless and turned back to them. “I am obliged to tell you that this investigation is ongoing, and we will find the truth. Master Nirupak is intent on it. I would advise you to be mindful of your actions. Good afternoon.” He tipped his head slightly and turned around, following the narrow path back into the forest.
Vivek heaved a sigh of relief and glanced over to Yantrik. “Don’t you ever pick up on nonvocal cues?”
Yantrik rolled his eyes. “He wasn’t going to do anything. And if he tried, he’d find himself waking up with a big headache.”
Vivek walked in and Yantrik followed. “Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?” Yantrik said, closing the door behind him.
“Don’t joke about him. Those guys are serious business, Yantrik. I don’t know what it’s like on your outpost, but here we have hierarchy and organizations and agents that act for other people. If the observatory decided they wanted to take you, there wouldn’t be much I could do about it.”
“I’d like to see them try,” Yantrik said, stretching back on one of the couches. “You know, it’s really no wonder this world was put under quarantine. No basic manners, for one thing.”
“What do you mean, quarantine?” Vivek walked into the kitchen, returning with his cup of tea. “Is that why no one from the Confederation ever contacted us before? We’re excluded?”
“No, no,” Yantrik called back. “You’re… protected, I guess you could say. At least you have been so far. The Confederation considers Avani as a hatchling world, and it’s not only because you haven’t developed faster-than-light travel yet.”
Vivek walked into the front room and sat on the couch across from Yantrik. “You know, I’ve heard you say that before, but it’s still not clear to me. What exactly is a Hatchling World?”
“It means that this planet is not a mature, global civilization, at least, not in the Confederation’s view. A world must act as one to be considered anything but a hatchling world.”
“But we’ve made so much progress, Yantrik. Even within my own lifetime. Our trade agreements are global, and we know we are one people.” Vivek frowned and sipped some of his tea, now cool. “What else does the Confederation want?”
“One people?” Yantrik leaned in and studied Vivek’s face. “Then why was that guy so concerned about spies? And who is spying on who, anyway?” He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid it’ll take a few more generations, at least, before your planet unifies. Either that, or some huge event that could bring you together.”
Vivek’s gaze drifted up toward the crystal ceiling and the clear blue sky beyond. “Well, if the Vakragha come back, that could happen. But even if it did, it would be our last act as a civilization, unless we had help.” He settled his gaze onto Yantrik. “You know all too well how powerful they are.”
Yantrik leaned back and ran his fingers through his short black hair. “Vivek, I already told you. I’ve contacted the Confederation dozens of times. You know how unpredictable they can be. For some reason, they’re strangely noncommittal to sending support here to Avani, saying there’s much more at risk now, that their forces are already stretched thin. They won’t tell me exactly what’s going on, but they may be facing a direct attack on Amithya for all we know. If that’s the case…”
Vivek’s gaze sank down to the cup he was holding. “We’re on our own.” He paused for a moment before looking back up to Yantrik. “So why stay here on Avani? Why not go looking for your daughter?”
Yantrik slowed his breathing. “She could be anywhere. Without a lead, searching for her with my fighter is pointless. Anyway, she and Zahn make a good team, so I try not to worry. Hey, by the way, do you know anything about Ashraya’s encryption schemes?”
Vivek furrowed his eyebrows. “No. Why?”
“My ship detected several encrypted channels. They appear to be constant uplinks. Your people don’t seem that secretive, so I was surprised. Makes me wonder what they’re hiding.”
“Well, there are lots of reasons to use encryption, Yantrik. Could be governing organizations that work with citizen data. Or it could be private sector communications. Could even be the observatory. Of course, without breaking the encryption, it’s impossible to know.”
The old engineer grinned. “My thoughts exactly. Anyway, don’t worry about it.”
Vivek’s eyes narrowed at him. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing? It’s a punishable offense. Let it go, Yan.”
&nbs
p; He shook his head and walked up to the door. “Sorry—can’t leave any stones unturned.”
Vivek stood up to follow after him, but he closed the door before he could reach it. By the time he opened the door, Yantrik was gone.
CHAPTER 11
UNPREDICTABLE PAYOFF
Far below the sunset suite, nestled within the wild architecture of Mirage City, was a community dome. Within this dome, dozens of people worked and played, and most were delighted to be so close to the Empress Monument, a landmark of great honor. The closer one lived to the monument, the more desirable their dome was.
Years ago, Torin had fought long and hard to get this spot, a comfortable little place on the seventh floor of the structure. And since the domes grew smaller with each floor, Torin and Jyana’s shared space encompassed the entire seventh floor, a position which brought with it a significant level of prestige.
That is why, when Jyana found herself standing on the dome’s roof just a few moments after saying farewell to Asha and Zahn, she took care to whisk away a rare visitor to the structure: the grey, translucent outline of a small shadow sprite.
No doubt it was trying to find a way to get inside and feed off of their energy reserves.
Jyana, still wearing a simple blue shirt and thin pants, furrowed her dark eyebrows. Studies had shown that the shadow sprites couldn’t linger in places of true joy, that the emotion itself repelled them.
Then again, things had been less than joyful lately.
She walked over to the center of the dome, where a reflective cap was located, and dropped down through it, finding herself in the omni-room where clusters of little multicolored spheres, precious thought-nuggets of stored information, drifted around toward the ceiling.
Because it was the entire seventh level of the building, the room was expansive, containing areas for information processing, etheric regeneration, refined energy production, a recreation nook, and even a small area for meditation at the far end.
Jyana glanced over to her right, finding Torin sitting in midair by the info processing area. She admired his short black hair and the way he so casually sipped an energy packet floating in the air beside him, half-full with a bright red liquid. Jyana watched as familiar pinpricks of light shot up from a nugget into his forehead, like droplets of white rain falling upward. She knew that look. He was sifting through the open nugget at great speed.
The Mirage on the Brink of Oblivion (The Epic of Aravinda Book 3) Page 6