“The penetrating defence systems knowledge pod and one other have been tampered with,” said Jeff “you are definitely not going to like this last one.”
“Well?” I asked impatiently.
The “one off one way time shunt knowledge pod,” he replied. “They might be aiming to time shunt up to a future version of the Repository.”
“A future Repository would be all the harder to penetrate and avoid detection in.” I replied.
“So that’s why they obtained the knowledge in the other two pods,” said Jeff “penetrating defence systems and ultimate stealth.”
Suddenly it all became clear.
The thought of this individual or individuals possibly having carte blanche with the advanced knowledge pods of a future Repository sent shivers down my spine.
End
The Real Dream World
The T Rex kept coming. I couldn’t get away from it. No matter how good a hiding spot I used it would always find me out. Just like an old childhood dream. Except this T Rex was genetically engineered. Bigger, faster, and most unnervingly of all much more intelligent.
I was sleeping with my late model dream controller on and should have been able to take control of the dream. Especially when I approached wakefulness or a lighter moment in my sleep cycle. It was then that I would wreak vengeance on my dream tormentors. Whomever or whatever they might be. It always felt good. Yet now I couldn’t do that.
For a moment it seemed as though I was awake. In the familiar surroundings of my study but then I was yanked back into the dream. Had I only dreamed that I had woken up I wondered.
The dream changed and I found myself in darkness in the confined crawling space of a narrow seemingly endless tunnel. There was not even a hint of light coming from either end of it. There was a foul smelling thick fluid in the tunnel and creatures slithering and sliding all over me. They felt vaguely reptilo-insectoid with hints of something else I couldn’t even begin to imagine. Something very alien. In the dream I was starting to have some trouble breathing.
The next dream rescued me, albeit temporarily.
I found myself inside an Earth made Mark 9 Patton battle droid on a bleak windswept unquestionably alien landscape. In battle with an overwhelming force of superior Vlorg integrated battle droids. My droid was already badly damaged and the Vlorg were getting ready to prise me out of my droid. Back in my days as a star trooper I’d heard stories of what the Vlorg did to the unfortunate occupants of vanquished enemy battle droids. I earnestly hoped for the start of a new dream.
The dreams went on endlessly. Though the terror level varied the general trend was definitely upwards. I wondered about my physical body. As to whether it could withstand the strain. As to whether I might suffer a heart attack.
Why couldn’t I just wake up? Or just take control of the dreams? I wondered.
It began to seem like all eternity since the dreams had started. Since I had last been awake. I began to wonder if I actually would ever wake up again. If this was the way it was going to be from here on. An eternal succession of dreams.
Some part of me sensed that couldn’t be. I couldn’t see how either my physical body or my mind could continue to withstand the escalating fear. Something would have to give.
If I died then the dreams would stop wouldn’t they? And grant me oblivion thank goodness.
The last time that I had very briefly “dreamt” that I was awake my body had been sitting very still, very immobile, in my study. Presumably asleep.
How much time had elapsed since I started the dreaming? I wondered indeed did time mean anything at all now.
Somewhere, somewhen in the dream cycle I knew with certainty there would be no waking up. At least not to the world I had known. I just knew that was gone now. The short dreams where I thought I had briefly woken up had long since ceased.
As the dreams became ever more bizarre ever more distorted there was nothing left in them to remind me of home. In the end nothing even vaguely Earthly about them.
For a time I recognised in distorted form things I had encountered as a star trooper and later when I was an alien hunter. Yet eventually the bizarreness of my dreams went far beyond these experiences. Where had all these bizarrely cruel dreams come from? Not my mind surely? Something had to be feeding me new material. I was not capable of dreaming such things. I was sure of that.
Yet just when I thought I couldn’t possibly withstand another dream escalation some force deep within me kept me going. As if my mind, my very soul, was hardening to the escalations.
Eventually, thankfully, the dreams reached a plateau of terror. Then after that they became more solid. I became more solid. Then they no longer varied. I continued to be in the same dream indefinitely.
An environment so utterly alien that it would once have simply and instantly crushed my mind. Those I now fought for and alongside were beyond humanities worst nightmares. Yet for all of their alienness I sensed a goodness in them. That what I was now doing was right and just. Concepts that still applied. Even here in the unthinkable place I now found myself.
Eventually I realised that this indefinite dream was no longer a dream. What was happening to me now was very real indeed.
Somehow the succession of bizarre escalating dreams had represented a transitioning for me, moulding my mind, hardening it for the otherwise inconceivably terrible and brutal existence that lay beyond.
This new plane of existence was now my world.
My new life after the death of my physical body.
End
The Dleene
It was a relief to drop out of hyperspace.
If our exit was detected we would be in deep trouble, if not, then we might be better off here than continuing our journey.
For a time we sat in a cloaking cocoon at the edge of the planetary system we had emerged near. If the Tlorg came we had maybe one short hyperspace jump left in our damaged star ship. One last desperate manoeuvre.
We watched and we waited. The planetary system before us was intriguing and seemed a place where we could possibly rest and make repairs unhindered. Yet still we waited. If the Tlorg caught us in the middle of repairs perhaps in orbit around one of these worlds then we were as good as dead.
Eventually we moved into the system and headed towards the fourth world from the sun. It was an Earth type world. A priceless gem. If anything more Earth like than Earth itself as scans suggested a pristine purity. The like of which Earth had not known for a millennium. We detected no signs of any civilisation on either this world or any other in the system.
As we came into high orbit about the Earth type world finally something registered on our scans.
“Life forms, humanoid, in smallish numbers at seven separate locations about the world,” offered my number two.
I wondered why, with our vastly sophisticated capabilities, we hadn’t detected this sooner yet I didn’t say anything.
We stayed in high orbit for a time. Not rushing to make planet fall. Repairs commenced on the ship. Thankfully there was still no sign of the Tlorg.
“There are none of the signs of advanced civilisation here,” said my number two as we continued our observations.
“It looks very much like an agrarian set up,” I offered “no machineries or energy emissions evident.”
“Perhaps we should leave them undisturbed?” suggested my liaison officer. “Our coming could cause major upheaval in their lives.”
I looked at him. “That one grouping of theirs in their northern hemisphere temperate zone sits close to a rare mineral deposit. Einstein-Newtonium. Those on the bridge gasped. The great alternative fuel source. Never used much because of its scarcity in the Multiverse.
“We would only take what we need,” I said reassuringly. “Easy to extract, easy to refine, easy to use.”
Just as a small group of us were about to take a transit shuttle down my second in command had a warning for us. “We’ve just detected energy sources on this system’s
outermost world presently on the opposite side of the system to where we came in.”
I hesitated before enquiring “Tlorg?” warning bells ringing in my ears.
“Not even remotely,” responded my number two “the energies and energy signatures, though heavily shielded, are of a fundamentally different nature to anything associated with the Tlorg.”
I hesitated for a moment wondering whether to proceed.
“Should we just finish our repairs and get out of here?” enquired my number two anxiously. It seemed like a sensible idea.
I decided to head down to the planetary surface anyway. It would be another planetary axis rotation before we could finalise repairs and the Einstein-Newtonium was inviting. More than that there was something about this system. Something that demanded further investigation.
On the smooth near flawless descent in the shuttle I thought I felt something brush ever so slightly against my mind. Reminiscent of a quick mind skim. Such as some advanced races with esper leanings used. Yet I dismissed this thought. The feeling was too slight and the mind protection built into our headgear should protect us against any intrusions of this nature.
They were definitely not savages. Friendly but not naively so. Not surprised to see us at all. Not even when I explained who we were and where we came from. Apparently good listeners they revealed not too much at all about themselves but soaked up everything we told them about ourselves
“They’ve welcomed off-worlders before,” said my Head of Security. At our mention of the Tlorg their seemingly expressionless faces appeared to take on a slight hint of distaste. Yet that may have been nothing more than my imagination. Reading alien body language is hardly a specialty of mine. I have enough trouble reading human body language.
The Dleene as they called themselves showed us around apparently hiding nothing even if they were not so overly forthcoming about themselves. There was no sign of any of the traditional trappings of civilisation. Of what we had come to think of as civilisation anyway.
Large attractive looking wooden dwellings, some interlinked, some free standing predominated. They were set among an oasis of alien vegetation. Small ponds and streams of aqueous fluid, possibly water, and a larger fluid course, again possibly water, flowed nearby. There were occasional neat areas of what may have been some kind of vegetables.
It was almost idyllic. Yet something about it didn’t sit right. Then I realised just as my third officer piped up “its warmer here and more humid than it should be. The vegetation doesn’t belong to this temperate part of the planet.”
I nodded in agreement.
Then after the tour our principle escort among the Dleene, Lhilliadren led us into a large enclosed area. An area too large for any of the buildings we had been shown thus far.
“Possibly an extra dimensional annex,” said my Chief of Security.
“For that to be true would point to a technology we have seen no evidence of thus far,” I replied. Yet it was my own thinking exactly. There was far more to the Dleene than met the eye. Of that I was certain.
Several of our hosts were already in the enclosed area and several others joined us soon after. We were told several more would be coming from other areas of the planet.
“Can we help in transporting them here?” I offered “one of our shuttles could quickly make the journey.”
Lhilliadren, tallest present among a tall race, smiled slightly. “Ohh thank you but we won’t need that.”
A few moments later the individuals were among us. Then three dimensional images of just several others appeared before us. Images superior to any holographic projections I’d ever seen. On any world. So good as to not obviously be images. It was as if the participants were there in the room.
Almost without our realising it the basis of communication between us and the Dleene had changed from audio to telepathic. The Dleene seemed equally adept with either form of communication. There skill compensating for our relative clumsiness.
“In their search for you the Tlorg are coming inevitably to our planetary system,” said a very senior looking male introduced as Tleldonarl, without any pre-amble. It felt a lot like an admonishment of our actions in coming here.
I explained the circumstances which led us here. It was almost an apology.
I realised that everything else had just been a preamble. That now we were getting down to brass tacks with the enigmatic Dleene.
I was somehow reminded of my early childhood in Southampton, England when confronted by the headmaster. Here I was the captain of a Unified Command star ship feeling just a little like a naughty English school boy.
The meeting finished. We would be able to make our repairs and leave or we could remain and contribute to the defence of this star system. The choice was ours.
The unified mind comprising upwards of 200 adult Dleene moved through their star system. I was part of this great consciousness. A visitor, a guest, sitting protected and cocooned among a collective of far greater minds than mine. Yet I was in no way excluded. I could see what the powerful unimind could see. Far, far more than I could ever have seen as captain of a mere Unified Command star ship. It was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. I was in no doubt that I was just a passenger along for the ride. My puny mind would add nothing to this fantastic construct. Yet I would be allowed to report back to the Unified Command on my experience.
We passed the outer world that I now knew housed their alternative technology complex. Technology for a race of psionic entities if their psionic capabilities should ever fail them. From there a small fleet joined us. The vessels were small compared to those of the Tlorg and I could feel through the Uni-Mind that they were largely manned by artificial intelligences.
Then we were joined by a second Uni Mind of even larger size. In tow near it a small moon from one of their system’s outermost worlds. I had thought it a natural moon when we passed by earlier. I wasn’t even going to guess how it got here or what it could do. No doubt I would find out quite soon.
The Uni-Mind, the collective consciousness that I was now an integral part of was now outside the Dleene planetary system. Though far removed from its component physical bodies I had no sense of it being diminished in any way.
My mind was operating on two entirely different levels. There were my own individual thought processes but also I was part of higher group thought processes. At least to the limited extent that I could understand and participate in these thought processes.
The Uni-Mind that I was part of focussed on a volume of interstellar space now well outside the Dleene planetary system. I realised the mind was actually looking into hyperspace. To what depth I couldn’t imagine but the group consciousness perceived the on rushing Tlorg.
If we could see or sense them could the Tlorg, masters of hyperspace travel presumably bar none, see or sense us? I asked this question at one level but at another level I already knew the answer.
Then the Tlorg, as technologically advanced as they were maliciously evil, came out of hyperspace. Almost on top of us. Were they that arrogant? my individual mind asked. They could no doubt have come out of hyperspace at a more strategic distance.
At that precise moment that the Tlorg came out of hyperspace, the two Dleene Uni-Minds operating simultaneously teleported a major solar flare from the system’s sun across the system directly into the path of the Tlorg. To me it was an awesome feat by any standard. Yet was it enough to stop the Tlorg?
The short answer to that was no. Five 20 mile long Tlorg star ships emerged through the solar fires seemingly unscathed. They looked angry if a star ship can look angry.
At that point the small Dleene alternate technology fleet engaged the Tlorg. A weird battle if ever there was one with technologies so fundamentally different it took them a while to engage. Yet different as they were the technologies appeared equally advanced in their own way. The engagement was inconclusive and the Dleene ships eventually withdrew. Apparently largely unscathed.
It was a withdrawal with a purpose as both Uni-Minds then launched a massive psionic attack on the Tlorg. The effect of this, we later learned, was to eliminate the corporeal presence on the Tlorg fleet. A minor inconvenience at best as the fleet was apparently largely run by artificial intelligences. Much as the Dleene alternate technology fleet had been.
The Tlorg fleet readied to move in towards the Dleene system and the Dleene home world.
It was then that the Dleene moon construct, more natural than most natural moons, was brought into play. Moved by a combination of a small teleport and massive telekinesis the small moon was literally dropped into the middle of the Tlorg fleet.
The Tlorg opened fire on it with truly fearsome energy fusillades – only to their detriment. The small moon transformed into its true nature - an interstellar sink hole construct akin to an artificial mini black hole. Which by some miracle had been cloaked until now. It soaked up everything the Tlorg fleet had to offer and then some with the fleet itself breaking up and entering the sink hole.
In a very short space of time indeed the mighty Tlorg battlewagons were totally consumed.
The Uni-Mind that I was part of looked deep again into hyperspace to see if there were any more Tlorg en route. There were none. Then the Uni-Mind that I was part of looked into the interstellar sink hole. It saw something but the sight was too much for my humble human mind even though it was linked to the Uni Mind. I simply could not process what the Uni-Mind saw.
Then the two Uni-Minds operating together very deliberately moved the artificial moon now quasi black hole into a particular set of space time coordinates and withdrew.
What happened then beggars belief – but somehow the mighty Dleene Uni-Minds working in unison and utilising the artificial black hole were able to close down any potential hyperspace approaches to the Dleene system for several light years. An awesome feat by any standards.
In the end my humble star ship and its crew were never called upon to contribute to the defence of the Dleene system. They simply weren’t needed.
A Collection of Science Fiction Gems Page 9