The Cain Legacy (The Human Chronicles Saga Book 18)

by T. R. Harris

  Now all they had to contend with were any planetside defenses.

  From his new vantage point, Adam could see that the large, shiny ring around the planet was artificial in its own right. It was solid and made of metal. It was also about five thousand miles in diameter and with a constant width of sixty-two miles. Adam rotated through the various exterior camera views, studying the massive object.

  “It has to have a purpose,” he observed.

  “Undoubtedly,” Panur said. “It’s giving off a magnetic field. It could serve as a deflector for damaging cosmic rays, the same as magnetic fields around traditional planets with molten cores. Over the time this facility has been operating, it would have been bombarded by lethal doses many times over, even without being close to an active star. There would also have been gamma ray bursts over this time period which could have been harmful to the occupants. Very ingenious of the Aris.”

  Adam turned the cameras on the surface of the asteroid, zooming in for a better look. It was as J’nae had said. Over time, any rogue lump of material in the area had been slowly drawn to the gravity source, where ii was deposited on the exterior of the metal ball surrounding the gravity generators. This lightly-packed crust had built up until it was over a hundred miles thick in some places. In others, it was only half a mile or so, which allowed Adam to spot sections of the inner globe through crevasses in the rock. The supporting structure wasn’t solid, but rather a matrix of huge girders and beams measuring a half-mile in width by several miles long. It was an amazing feat of engineering, dwarfing anything Adam had seen before, even the huge Colony ships of the Klin. In fact, a hundred such vessels could easily fit within the interior of the globe created by the Aris.

  “The world of the Aris would be within this grid-work,” Panur announced. “The gravity at that distance from the generators would be that of their homeworld.”

  “We must set the ship down on the surface somewhere, since we no longer have a shuttle to make the trip,” Trimen pointed out. “Finding a safe landing area could be problematic.”

  “The smoothest areas are where the crust is the thickest,” J’nae said. “That will hinder our access to the interior. We must either find—or clear—an area near the thinner sections.”

  “We could use the gravity-well from the Najmah Fayd to form a landing zone,” Adam offered.

  “Excellent idea,” Panur exclaimed with a smile. “Let us proceed. As I said before, the Aris know we’re here, so let’s not keep them waiting.”

  ********

  The boulders, fragments and dust that had accumulated on the surface of the huge metal grid over three billions years gave way easily to the effects of the ship’s gravity-well. Adam made several passes, each time attracting great swathes of material before speeding away and cutting the well. The rock rained back to the surface in great eruptions, looking like a strafing run over enemy territory. Soon a section of surface was cleared all the way to the metal framework large enough for the Najmah Fayd to land and giving the team direct access to the metal shell of the Aris hiding place.

  There was an atmosphere with an almost Earth-like chemistry and pressure, held in place by the massive gravity generators only a few hundred miles below the surface. Creating artificial gravity wasn’t unusual, just not for an object this huge. The Aris resting place was like a spaceship seven hundred miles in diameter.

  Adam and Trimen strapped MK-47’s to their waists, with Adam adding an M-101 Human assault rifle and a MOLLI pack with extra ammo and other gear he might need. He found it amusing that he was stocking up with conventional weaponry to go up against creatures billions of years old. It didn’t matter; he felt better being geared up than not.

  Panur and J’nae did nothing special, except give each member of the party a small box about the size of a cigarette pack. “Place these on your bodies somewhere. If I’m right, they should be able to negate the interphase affect when activated.”

  Adam placed the box in a utility pocket on the right thigh of his fatigues. Panur placed his in a small pocket of the khaki jumpsuit he wore.

  “If you’re right?” Adam asked. “You’re not sure these will work?”

  “There was no way to test them without recreating the interphase affect, which I could not aboard the ship, but I have confidence they should work.” Panur surveyed Adam’s weapons pack and smiled. “You’re willing to carry such a heavy load knowing it would be ineffective against the Aris?”

  “It’s a Human thing,” Adam replied. “You can never have too much firepower.”

  Panur shrugged before leading the team off the ship and into the artificial atmosphere of the huge Aris space station. Adam found the air to be fresh and slightly intoxicating after the staleness of the Najmah Fayd. He stood on a steel platform, appearing to be a solid floor beneath his feet and extending below the mountains of loose rock rising up around them. He knew it was an illusion. The floor was just one face of the miles-long girders that made up the geodesic globe surrounding the gravity generators.

  From above, the team had spotted an edge to the plate which they could access the interior, but without finding stairs or elevators, they had some climbing to do.

  “Wouldn’t it be preferable to let the Aris come to us?” Trimen queried.

  Panur began to lead them toward where he knew the edge of the plate was located. “From what we know of the Aris, they are curious creatures. I would assume most of our journey will be a test and observed by the Aris. They will make their presence known when it is to their advantage. In the meantime, I am quite anxious to explore this fascinating station. It is the most incredible construct I’ve ever encountered.”

  “I concur,” said Trimen. “Yet we are not on a mission of discovery or exploration. We are on a mission of rescue.”

  “Agreed, and getting to know the lay of the land is always advisable, my friend,” Panur said.

  They made their way through gaps in the huge boulders until they reached the edge of this girder. Fifty feet away was another, with smaller structural members joining the major beams together. Huge rocks filled in the voids, keeping larger surface material from falling into the interior.

  Panur gazed over the edge. About five hundred feet below was a metal screen, with most of its surface covered in finer rocky material. He looked left and right for a way down but found none.

  “J’nae and I can jump, but I’m afraid the distance is too great even for you, Adam, and definitely beyond the capacity of Trimen to survive. So I suggest you each climb on our backs and let us carry you down to the next level.”

  Adam moved toward Panur before Trimen could react. His past experience with the former Sol-Kor queen made hoping on her back not an option. She may be on his side now, but the memories of when she wasn’t were still there.

  The drop to the next level of the structure was thrilling, to say the least. The station’s gravity was very close to Juirean standard, so they fell at an alarming rate. The thick framework of the structure was obvious as it blurred past, with Adam gripping the gray mutant around the neck and squeezing with all his might. He knew he couldn’t hurt Panur, but in a way, it still gave him a sense of satisfaction having his arms wrapped around the scrawny neck of the alien, strangling him.

  Panur extended his legs for the landing and then pulled them back in, absorbing the force of the landing. It was smooth and uneventful, much to Adam’s relief. He released the mutant and stepped down onto loose rock resting on the top of the metal screen. There were larger rocks around, those that had fallen through the framework above, but other than that, this level was much more open and relatively debris free.

  Adam looked off into the distance. With a structure seven hundred miles in diameter, he couldn’t notice the curvature of the globe from where he stood. The surface ran off in all directions, appearing like a flat landscape littered with rock. Thousands of columns rose to the level above, supporting the myriad of triangular sections that made up the outer surface of the artificial
world. Adam was standing in what appeared to be an impossibly large room with a ceiling and a floor, yet extending to the range of his eyesight. He was awed by the grandeur and scale. Light was everywhere, yet came from no visible source.

  “Where to next?” Trimen asked. His voice conveyed the same sense of wonder Adam was experiencing.

  “There appear to be trails in the debris,” J’nae pointed out. “Most lead toward that stanchion to the right.”

  The paths in the dust and smaller rock were obvious, yet they were very narrow, not like that traveled by creatures such as man. This got Adam wondering what mobile defenses the Aris might employ against anyone making it this far? Would they be passive or active, living or robotic?

  The group set off toward the tall metal beam two hundred feet away, J’nae in the lead. Three distinct trails converged at the location, with a mound of rock ten feet high surrounding the column. They encircled the support beam, thrilled to find a door set in the shiny metal. Adam ran his hand along the surface. No signs of rust or deterioration, even after three billion years. This definitely wasn’t normal steel.

  There was no knob or entry keypad on the door—

  Adam heard a clicking sound behind him; he tensed, but didn’t turn immediately. He looked to the others. They had heard it too. Adam turned slightly to his left, while placing his right hand on the handle of his flash weapon. He heard the sound again, this time louder.

  He dropped to one knee and turned, pulling the bolt launcher from its holster. He pointed the weapon at the top of a mound of boulders—and at the spindly metal creature sitting atop it.

  It resembled a large dog, but one made entirely of metal and covered in a mesh of wire revealing the inner workings. The large head featured an elongated mouth with multiple rows of uniform metal teeth, all tipped with needle-sharp points. Black eyes stared down at him, unblinking and uncaring.

  The creature sprang, its mouth now open impossible wide. Adam jumped to his side, soaring through the air twenty feet before rolling on his right shoulder and assuming firing position. The gravity of this artificial world must have been lighter than he assumed, because even for Adam, it was quite a leap. He fired his weapon.

  The bolt struck the robotic attack dog while it was still in flight. The bolt penetrated the mesh skin before being absorbed by the various electronics within the body. Sparks flew and the creature shuddered before landing on the metal floor and skidding to a stop at Panur’s feet.

  Adam looked behind and above the mutant, as another of the metal dogs appeared. It jumped, landing on Panur’s back. Four-inch long, needle-sharp teeth sank into his gray flesh, biting at his narrow shoulder and then onto his neck. Panur stood there, letting the mechanical beast have its way with him, even looking bored and annoyed. Eventually, he reached a slender arm over and grabbed the dog around the neck. He squeezed, collapsing the wire and metal frame as if it was made of cardboard. The robot didn’t make a sound as its body went limp. Panur tossed it aside.

  There was clicking off to Adam’s right; he turned in time to see Trimen place a brilliant blue-white bolt into the mouth of another mechanical dog flying through the air toward him. The Formilian calmly stepped aside as the sparking robot flew by him.

  The team circled the stanchion, looking for more threats coming their way. All was quiet and still.

  “That answers the question regarding other defensive measures,” Panur said with little emotion. The bite marks on his shoulder and neck were long gone, the only trace of the attack being the ripped cloth of this one-piece uniform. The collar material was still intact, so the garment didn’t fall from his body. He turned his attention to the door in the support beam.

  He rubbed his fingers along the surface and then the doorframe. Then he placed his hand at the center of the door and pushed. The panel recessed a couple of inches before sliding sideways.

  He turned to Adam. “Why would they need locks?”

  Adam shrugged.

  Beyond the door was a simple room lined with metal. It resembled an elevator, if there had been floor buttons. Instead, the walls were smooth and seamless. Panur stepped inside, followed by the others, after which the door slid shut without any coaxing.

  Chapter 11

  The elevator began to move down, not fast, but slowly, methodically. It came to a stop without notice and the door slid open. They stepped out into a large receiving room. Adam was relieved to see that it had normal dimensions, along the line of fifty by fifty, rather than the vast expanse of the prior floor. They had reached the living level for the Aris.

  A four-and-a-half-inch diameter, green-tinted orb floated in the air at Adam’s eye level.

  Adam rushed forward. “Zee! I’m glad to—”

  A ray of white light shot out from the globe, striking Adam in the head. He was blinded and staggered by the blast, tumbling back into J’nae’s massive body. Panur stepped between the orb and Adam.

  “I assume you know that I will simply absorb the energy and become stronger as a consequence?”

  The globe floated inches from Panur’s gray face; Adam got the impression it was staring at him even though no eyes were present on the green surface.

  I am not Zee, Adam heard in his mind.

  Then who are you? Panur asked mentally. Both Adam and Trimen carried Formilian brain interface devices, so they could hear the conversation with the orb. The mutants didn’t need ATD’s to do the same.

  I am Ri, assigned to Jos. You have breached the outer layers. How?

  Before Panur could answer, Adam heard a low hum in his mind. The Aris service module—Ri—seemed to pause, listening. Then its awareness returned to Panur.

  You will follow me. My master wishes to speak with you.

  The orb began to float away. J’nae lifted Adam up by his underarms and placed him upright on the floor. She slipped past him and joined Panur and Trimen as they followed the ball across the room.

  Adam was the last to follow.

  ********

  They entered through a vast portal into a chamber with a dome ceiling—or what Adam assumed was a ceiling. Above was a blaze of stars, appearing near and far at the same time. The entire skyscape was in motion. Being inside the huge space station meant this had to be a projection, a very life-like projection.

  A frail looking figure stood off to the left, a gown of light blue covering the thin frame. The features were standard Prime: two almond-shaped eyes, a thin nose and a wide mouth. The head was hairless, while two small ears balanced out the face. Long hands extended from the sleeves of the gown, four fingers and an opposable thumb.

  Adam had speculated why the Aris would look like Primes, concluding that they were probably the originals, with most advanced life in the galaxy modeled after them.

  The alien’s eyes were piercing blue and they watched the visitors approached with a mix of curiosity and concern in the orbs.

  Ri, the service module, landed on a small table next to the Aris. The globe had referred to its master as Jos; Adam assumed this was he. The alien stepped forward, walking slowly along the line of visitors to his world, starting first with J’nae, then Panur, Trimen and finally Adam. He peered into the eyes of the Human with an intensity that made Adam uneasy.

  “You are the birth father, the one referred to as Adam Cain.”

  “Where’s Lila?” Adam tried to sound unafraid and forceful. It didn’t work.

  “In time, all will be revealed,” said the Aris. “I find it admirable that you have made it this far in the quest to retrieve your mutant offspring. The paternal instinct must be stronger than we anticipated.” He glanced to the others in Adam’s team. “Yet I see you had help.”

  Jos stepped back, and a moment later all four of the visitors were enclosed in glowing blue bubbles of the interphase effect. None of them activated their countermeasures, however, content to let the Aris believe they were trapped in their shimmering blue prisons. Adam gave a mental shrug; none of them knew if Panur’s device would work, the
y would have to take it on faith.

  Three more Aris entered the room through side portals. None seemed very upset with the intrusion, more curious than concerned. Unlike the last time Adam had seen them, they were in normal space and not encased in the blue bubbles. For his part, Adam didn’t feel any different. He could still sense the floor beneath his feet and see clearly through the thin film of the containment sphere.

  To Adam’s surprise, he noticed each of the Aris had distinctive features. He’d been expecting a homogenous blending of features making each alien hard to distinguish from the other. One of the new Aris stepped up to Adam’s bubble.

  “We meet again, Adam Cain,” said the alien verbally. His face was smooth and pale, yet this one had deep brown eyes with only a trace of wrinkles at the edges, giving him an almost jovial look. “You are taking time to realize now how similar we are in features,” said the creature. “You are correct in your assumption. Nearly all creatures you call Prime can trace their origins back to us. This is not because of one extensive seeding program, but from numerous experiments conducted over thousands of years by my kind.”

  He turned to look at the others in the blue bubbles. “You can imagine how fortunate we surviving Aris are to see the end result of our many experiments, of which some have been more successful than others.”

  He stepped over to Panur and regarded the squat gray alien for a moment. “I am called Nunki. If you wish to speak literally then you can use that name. Mentally, the thoughts you project will identify the subject.” He leaned in closer to the shimmering screen, separating him and the mutant by only inches. “You are not one of our creations. You are Panur; the Apex Being has spoken of you.”

  “What has she told you?” Panur asked evenly.

  “Do not be alarmed. She has not revealed anything that is not to your liking. In fact, it is because of her revelations about you that she is still exists in a single form.”