Prelude to War (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 10)

by T. R. Harris

  “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 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 content to wait for Adam to finish with his exercise, raising no alarm and taking no 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. He let Adam squeeze until his neck was only a couple of inches in diameter, and still his 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, 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. Through it all he’d yet to come upon anything that could be termed truly mystical, magical, or supernatural. Yet portals to other universes…well, that came damn close.

  It was Sherri who broke the awkward silence. “You can travel between universes?”

  “Obviously. Now please, if you’re going to ask questions, make them more than simply a repeat of what I’ve just said.”

  “All right, smartass,” 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 have 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?” Riyad asked, keeping up their tag-team questioning. “You just said you did.”

  “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 said, a wry smile crossing his lips.

  “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 life forms 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 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. There is only one female, and that is the Queen. There are many species that emulate this arrangement, yet I have yet to encountered 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 yo
ur 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, 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.