NEBULAR Collection 3 - Morgotradon: Episodes 12 - 16

by Thomas Rabenstein

  »… I can remember every damn detail – and especially the Trox!« she interrupted in a cold voice, barely hiding her revulsion.

  »I understand your feelings. Would it help to know that the Original Spark made us something we didn’t want to be? There are still many of our people under the influence of these sparks – and that for many generations. We are ashamed and sorry that we have caused so much pain and suffering.«

  »It’s that easy?« Maya snapped. »The Original Spark is gone and everything’s sunshine?«

  Sworge swayed a little in response to Maya’s harsh words and his tentacles began twitching. It was obvious that Shwakans and Trox were related.

  »No! it is not easy!« Sworge admitted defiantly. »The Original Spark influenced our entire organism, changing our character at a hormonal level. At the same time the Original Spark produced a mesmeric attraction that we could not resist. As soon as we were free from its influences again … when the Dualytes picked up the spark, the hormonal changes were reversed. Unfortunately, we lost our memory during this process.«

  »How convenient!« Maya replied sarcastically.

  »If you understood our how our organism works, you’d think otherwise. It’s probably for the best that we lost our memory of what we did. Many of us would probably not be able to live with it.«

  Maya’s expression became softer and her eyes lost the grim stare.

  »Okay, Sworge, I’ll try to keep my feelings to myself. It’s hard for us Humans to trust after what we’ve been through. Trust and respect have to be earned.«

  »Sworge wants to stay with us,« Pi picked up the thread again. »Maybe he can help us identify the stranger, or establish communication with him.«

  Ivanova nodded and pointed at the energy sphere at the portal.

  »Who is inside that sphere? Have you heard or learned anything?« she asked Sworge.

  »We heard his voice,« he replied mutedly, »and it was horrible – it almost killed us!«

  »What do you mean, Sworge?« Maya asked, perplexed. »Was it what he said or how he said it?«

  »His voice was so powerful that it almost killed us! He caused pain when he spoke – unbearable pain!«

  Ivanova didn’t understand.

  »Is it one being or several?« she asked.

  The energy sphere at the portal was large enough for at least ten Humans.

  »At first it was only one. The light emissions of the portal were so strong that we couldn’t tell what the stranger looks like, but I think that shortly after two more of them appeared later, going by the changes in lighting and shadow within the sphere.«

  »Hmm … there are more than one,« Maya repeated, and threw back her long hair. »Another invasion?«

  »I don’t know,« Sworge replied. »I am sure, however, that whoever came through that portal will soon make his intentions known.«

  Struggling to keep the upper hand

  The scream was purely mental, but it shook my whole body. I didn’t know how – but I knew know that something as terrible as it was sudden was about to happen, and I knew that I couldn’t let it. I sat up and looked out the window of the isolation cell. Shocked faces were staring at me. Had they thought me asleep or dead? Hectic movements occurred beyond the window, cameras were pointed at me recording every move, and people all talked at the same time. A few of the voices were clear enough for me to understand inside my cell. My new perceptions detected nuances in the vibrations which transferred through the glass. I squinted, annoyed. They think I’m dangerous!

  That was inconsequential right now though – I had bigger worries. A prophet had arrived at the portal!

  Get up – get out of here – before it’s too late! said a voice in my head.

  I got out of bed.

  Too late for who? I asked myself, and halted. The question surprised me, even if I was the one who’d asked it. I shook my head, wiped my hand over my face and then through the air as if to chase away the thought like an annoying insect.

  Outside, beyond the window, they must be wondering what I was up to. Let them!

  I knew that I would never be the same – I was like a schizoid. Something stronger than me was trying to take over my thoughts – the other part of me. The symbiosis had shifted. I was still dominant, but the ship’s soul tried to get the upper hand. The Human part of me wanted us to try to cooperate instead of struggling against each other.

  My thoughts and impressions were jumbled. The ship’s soul superimposed itself on my conscience and something new emerged. Suddenly, I had problems distinguishing between right and wrong. I could remember the Prophet and the million-year plan.

  I pushed away from the bed; two fast steps – faster than I had expected – brought me to the window. On the other side of the thick glass, a young woman looked up and met my eyes. She froze! Had I scared her? A holo-foil, probably with my medical data, slipped from her hand onto the floor. I estimated the thickness of the safety glass, stepped back and commanded my body to generate a disintegrating energy charge. The result surprised me, because the glass as well as part of the wall in front of me disappeared in a cloud of gas. The gap was enough for me to escape the room. I entered the next room through the gap, and people fled. One of them threw a heavy object at me from my right, but my personal defense shield protected me.

  Why were these people so aggressive?

  The young woman I had seen through the window retreated to a corner of the room and crouched in fear.

  Why is she doing that? I didn’t do anything to her!

  Determinedly I moved on and destroyed another wall by disintegrating the molecular structure of the material. I was well aware by now that my new abilities were frightening these people, but I couldn’t waste time.

  I only knew this base by its name, but I had to find the command central. I needed to do something, to prevent catastrophe. It would be too late once the Prophet began announcing his message.

  Too late for who? I asked. There was no answer.

  Strange colors

  One of the soldiers noticed it first and yelled a warning. The spherical energy field became transparent and three silhouettes appeared inside it. The sphere burst with a loud report that rolled like heavy thunder over the platform.

  Lai Pi and Maya Ivanova twitched, startled, while the men and women of the landing party tried to find cover, aiming weapons at the three strangers. Two of the strangers seemed to belong to the same species. All three of them looked humanoid, but the third being was different in appearance and flanked by the other two.

  »Who the hell is that?« Pi whispered, narrowing his gaze.

  Maya relaxed. She’d expected to see the Lord of the World. It was not Morgotradon who was standing there, but they were no less wary.

  The newcomers were about a hundred meters away, and Pi could make out significant differences between them.

  While the being in the middle was tall and very slim with blue skin and dressed in a robe, his companions were stocky with wide shoulders. They were wearing ribbed body armor, over almost white skin. They looked threatening. Their hands were clenched to fists and their hairless heads were shiny as if polished. Ears and noses were definitely not Human. Their trunk-like noses split just above the mouth to form a mustache-like coil to the left and right of the mouth.

  The blue-skinned being in the middle looked entirely different, with big eyes and pointy ears. He looked around attentively; he could not have missed the armed troops, but he Blue remained calm and unperturbed.

  He feels safe – superior!

  Pi was surprised to see the Blue moving his head by 180 degrees without moving the rest of his body, while the pointy ears moved like butterfly wings. Pi noticed the large golden tattoo-like mark on the stranger’s forehead in stark contrast to his blue skin.

  »Strange and bizarre beings,« Pi whispered, »I wonder what they’re looking for?«

  »Their arrival is no accident!« Maya Ivanova remarked seriously.

  Pi tried to assess the
situation. There were about 50 heavily armed troops surrounding the portal, looking up at the strangers while they looked down on the troops, calm and controlled.

  »Do we go and make contact?« Pi suggested, but Maya shook her head vigorously.

  »I’ve been pulled into the portal once … that’s enough for me, Pi. We’ll just walk toward them, but only as far as the portal steps. We’ll make them come down to us.«

  Maya spoke into her control-comm and commanded the troops to fall back slowly by 15 meters. Not everybody obeyed. Some of the soldiers didn’t dare to move. She scowled. Control and calm were vital. One shot fired because by a nervous soldier could ruin the attempt to make peaceful contact.

  Ivanova calmly repeated her orders and now they were followed, cautiously.

  Pi looked up to the energy shield surrounding the platform and the portal. He saw the Nova-Hawks holding at a distance. He knew that the Hawks also had weapons aimed at the portal. His mouth became dry and he swallowed hard. He felt like a sitting duck.

  Maya Ivanova had followed his glance upwards and smiled.

  »Don’t worry, Pi. They won’t blow us up! At least not immediately,« she commented.

  Pi paled.

  »That’s up to our visitors. Nok Daralamai won’t take any chances,« he replied dryly.

  A warning from the OIC prompted Pi to look at the strangers again. The two sturdy beings also looked up, and positioned themselves protectively in front of the Blue.

  Pi’s nerves only got worse.

  »They’ve seen the Novas!« he commented.

  Suddenly the stocky strangers’ armor came alive. The bulky suits began to pulsate and seemed to disintegrate. Strange patterns formed on the armor’s surface and entire patches dislodged which didn’t fall to the ground but remained floating in the air near the two strangers.

  »What the …!« Pi started, then held his breath.

  Parts of the armor drifted away and formed a stream of small particles. These collected at the strangers’ feet to create an egg-shaped object. The Blue ignored the process and continued to stare at Pi and Maya. The egg-shaped object seemed to have transformed into a technical device!

  The new object began to glow.

  »Look up! The stars are vanishing!« somebody yelled via the tactical-comm.

  »Pi! What is that? Are we under attack?« Ivanova inquired loudly.

  Lai Pi looked around nervously. His eyes quickly glanced at Maya, the stars and back to the extra-terrestrials.

  »No, I think they just changed the consistency of the defense shield.«

  Now the stars were gone completely, replaced by a milky curtain. Even Triton could no longer be seen. Instead it looked as if a light fog floated all over the platform. The gas-like anomalies floated around and through each other then mixed with other currents and created a new substance in different colors.

  Like a painter trying to mix his watercolors by gravity pull, observing how they flow into each other! Pi thought, mesmerized.

  Suddenly, he felt Maya Ivanova’s hard grip on his left arm. She was shaking him.

  »It’s not the energy shield!« Ivanova realized. »They’ve transported us and the portal into a different space! Do you have any idea where we are?«

  Pearls of sweat appeared on Pi’s forehead. He had no explanation, but he agreed with Maya’s assessment.

  »Pull the soldiers back and have them lay down their weapons!« Pi suggested urgently.

  »What?« Ivanova asked, perplexed.

  Pi became very calm.

  »Do it, Maya, before somebody starts shooting!« Pi demanded. »We’re witnessing what the strangers are capable of. We have to negotiate and only use military force as an absolute last option. Do I need to be any clearer?«

  Maya glared at him, but commanded via tactical-comm, »Listen up! Secure your weapons! Retreat slowly and in an orderly fashion to the outer edges of the platform. Lai Pi, Sworge and I will attempt to make contact with the strangers. And stay calm!«

  Ivanova looked at the Trox, whom she’d all but forgotten. Sworge had slumped in place, and he was shaking.

  »What’s wrong with you?« she asked him. »Are you all right?«

  Sworge’s universal translator only produced some gurgling noises.

  »We know these people from our myths. They come from far away – from the other side of the galaxy!«

  More revelations

  Petrow, Bulkin and Drustev waited for the killing voice, but all that came was a high whining sound. Even the Conceptor was singing, an octave lower than the rest, and he sounded strange and out of key. They sang for a couple of minutes, until Nadja Bulkin couldn’t bear it any longer. She stepped forward and yelled, »Stop this stupid singing and talk to us!«

  Petrow was impressed by her nerve, and to his surprise – the singing stopped!

  The Blues looked at Nadja interestedly, then turned their heads around again and stared at the Conceptor, as if waiting for his response.

  He began to speak again, in a voice that wasn’t painful to the ears … just very deep in pitch.

  »You haven’t failed – we have! The data has become clearer and I am beginning to understand. The degenerated technology sent by the enemy sabotaged our project by deliberately interfering with your development over time. The Retreat wasn’t able to provide what you needed. It is not your fault!«

  Petrow shook his head, not understanding. He stepped beside Nadja.

  »We’re anxious to hear your conclusions – but right now the Globusters are the more serious concern. Our ship is located near Sedna! The Globusters could well leave the base and attack my ship and crew. We have no way to defend ourselves; our technology is nowhere near their level. Can you help us?«

  »The Mind Catchers are not responsible for their actions. They’re controlled by the enemy,« the Conceptor repeated.

  »You said that already, but it won’t help in this situation,« Drustev cut in. »We’ve eliminated the Soulwalker and the Stinger, but that only means that the Globusters are leaderless, and probably even more dangerous.«

  »The Globusters are not without control or without leadership – they never were! We do not know what a Soulwalker is, but it seems to me that he was the being responsible for retarding your development … not the Globusters.«

  »You don’t know about the Soulwalker and the Stinger? We assumed a direct link between them and the Globusters. As soon as they were destroyed, the Globusters fell into a stasis!« Nadja Bulkin replied. »The Stinger emitted control impulses directed at the Globusters.«

  »Maybe there was a link, but you misinterpreted the purpose!« the Conceptor replied. »I detected a strong tachyon signal. It must have been emitted when you destroyed the Stinger. The pulse’s intensity was very high, and it disabled the degenerated technology. This, however, would have not lasted for long and the Globusters would have come out of stasis on their own at some point. In the meantime, however, a recently generated strong impulse from your 4th planet reversed the Stinger’s stasis-shock impulse.«

  Petrow started to argue, but changed his mind.

  »Are you saying there was an explosion on Mars?« he asked worriedly. »That’s our largest colony! What does that mean?«

  »It means that someone released a tachyon impulse that restarted the degenerated technology. It seems that the pulse was deliberately created to interfere with higher level technology!« the Conceptor replied.

  »… like your coffins?« Drustev asked quickly.

  »Exactly!« the Conceptor acknowledged. »The effect of such an impulse cannot be fully anticipated. It could have had no effect at all. Our coffins should have been able to withstand even such an impulse. Consider yourselves lucky; in that had been the case you would have been subjected to the degenerated technology and likely destroyed. An impulse like that can have chaotic results.«

  Petrow paled.

  »In other words, we’re alive because of a coincidence?« he asked, coughing.

  The Conceptor hesit
ated. Then he said, »That is correct!«

  A tremor suddenly shook the room, making the holo display flicker briefly.

  »What was that?« Nadja asked worriedly.

  »Your small ship was destroyed a moment ago. The degenerated technology must have considered it hostile,« one of the Blues replied.

  »We need to warn the Blue Moon! If the lens ships launch, they won’t stand a chance in Hell!« Petrow demanded.

  »The influence of the degenerated technology is still present, but I am able to make increasingly more use of the base’s forces,« the Conceptor assured Petrow in his deep voice.

  Another holo display resolved, showing the outside of the base where the Hawk had stood. The ship was gone! Only a flat crater filled with molten debris remained. Several hundred Globusters were moving toward the large Globuster tender. Some of the lenses had lifted off and moved toward suddenly opening hangar doors outside the base ship.

  »They’re pulling out!« Nadja Bulkin remarked aloud. »Why?«

  »We don’t know,« one of Blues admitted.

  »Are they going to attack Earth or the colonies?« Drustev demanded.

  »We do not know our enemy’s plans,« one Chiropter stated.

  »We can’t let it happen; they can’t be allowed to leave Sedna!« Petrow railed. »If you’re our friends you have to stop them – and protect our ship in orbit!«

  Somewhere, deep underneath them, powerful machines began to rev. Petrow and his team could clearly hear the sounds and feel the vibrations.

  »We Chiropters are obligated to the Protectors, whether you have fulfilled your mission or not. There is, nevertheless, hope … there is a second Retreat!« one of the Blues remarked.

  Petrow had been concentrating on the Globuster base ship and had missed the Chiropter’s remark. Another holo materialized, displaying an entirely different ship.

  »The Blue Moon!« Nadja yelled in surprise. »It’s still waiting in orbit!«

  Petrow swirled around and addressed the Chiropters.

  »Please, let me contact my ship before there’s a fatal misunderstanding! They must have seen the explosion of the Hawk and they’re preparing a response. I must prevent them from firing at this base and destroying it,« he urged the Blues.