The Simpleton QUEST

by Mark Wayne McGinnis

“Please, Cuddy, just do what I tell you to do for once, okay? Spilor insists the chamber on this ship is…like…the next generation. It no longer creates adverse effects. It only heals…that’s it. Kyle is in the chamber now.”

  Cuddy thought about that. She had chosen Kyle over him to be the first one healed.

  Apparently picking up on his train of thought, her eyes narrowed. “They needed you to enact that crew succession bullshit…you ass.” She abruptly stood and headed for the exit. “I’ll be back. Somebody get him into the wellness chamber as soon as his brother comes out. And move this ship as far away from this place…from Dubon, as possible.”

  Chapter 38

  Kyle was there, along with Spilor, when Cuddy emerged from the wellness chamber. He looked around, not seeing Jackie.

  “How you feeling, bro?” Kyle asked.

  Cuddy thought about it. “Good…pretty much pain-free. You? How’s everything…um…down south?”

  Kyle winced and replied, “Fine, now. Though it was pretty bad before.”

  “Any side effects?” Cuddy asked.

  Spilor interjected, “This next generation chamber does not affect the Para hippo carpal gyros organ, which is located within the human brain, in the same way it did for both you and Brian on the Evermore. Kyle will have no adverse effects from this procedure.”

  “Yeah…I was kinda disappointed at hearing that,” Kyle said. “Was looking forward to moving shit around with my mind and communicating telepathically.”

  Cuddy suddenly remembered what was going on prior to losing consciousness. He tightly clenched his eyes shut then opened them up wide again. “The battle…what’s happening with the Howsh? The Dubon?”

  “Just before your lights went out, you resumed the crew succession parameters. Then Jackie took command of the bridge.”

  “Jackie?”

  “Yeah…apparently, that’s how Calph set things up. You were next in line as captain; Jackie, captain’s first officer; then me as…well, I don’t remember the title. Maybe the captain’s second officer,” Kyle said.

  “And the Dubon?”

  “We split…got the hell out of Dodge. We’re now idling in deep space somewhere. I think Jackie’s been waiting for you to come out of the chamber.”

  “Sounds like a smart move.”

  “Marzon wanted to fight it out, back on Darriall. Said the Farlight was more than capable of destroying the Dubon. Coming unglued, he then called her some kind of Howsh insult…that I think translated to stubborn.”

  Cuddy couldn’t argue with Marzon’s assessment, Jackie could be infuriatingly stubborn. But he suspected she’d done so for him. She knew he still wanted to respect the Pashier way—Tow’s way—of pacifism. But even for Cuddy now, it was becoming more and more difficult to follow that peaceful path. Cuddy’s human side was coming up hard against such merciless enemies, hell-bent on wiping out an entire neighboring species for reasons that were beyond petty.

  Are you going to stand around there all day?

  Cuddy didn’t hesitate, instantly answering her telepathic message. Hello to you, too, Haffan.

  I have something to show you, she communicated.

  You’re talking about the scrolls?

  I’ll tell you when I see you…how about that?

  * * *

  Cuddy found Haffan sitting on the deck within her cabin. Dark inside, the only illumination rose from her own Pashier glow—casting a bluish tint onto the scrolls spread out around her.

  Cuddy hesitated at the hatchway. “Is it safe to come in here?”

  “Hold on!” Haffan quickly rolled up several scrolls, then two she simply flipped over so the writings were face down on the deck. “It’s safe now.”

  Cuddy entered the cabin, noting it was identical to his own. He sat down on the edge of her bed and gazed intently at her. Sometimes he forgot she was only seven years old. Small in size in human measurements for that age, she often emotionally acted her age—seeming like a petulant child. But at other times, like now, she seemed much older, more adult-like. Not only highly intelligent, but perceptive too. An aspect of her was 8000 years old. It made sense. He waited for her to speak.

  “Jackie’s mad at you again, huh?”

  “I didn’t come here to talk about that.”

  She looked around at the scrolls by her. “I’ve read every line, every phrase, every word, a hundred times.”

  “And you’ve discovered what?”

  “That I don’t remember as much as I thought I did. I know I was directly involved with the authoring of these writings, and I can pick out my contributions with little effort. I remember the curse I put on them. A safeguard, you would call it, to keep them out of the wrong hands.” Haffan glanced up at him.

  “The Prophesy of Harkstrong? These scrolls are supposed to lead us to it. Even the Howsh are aware of that.”

  “The Prophesy is mentioned throughout the writings. They even better explain what it is, but not where they are hidden—or meant to be hidden. When we wrote these writings, they were still back on Mahli.”

  Cuddy thought about that for a minute.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

  “You’re a kid. A child,” he said.

  “So?”

  “And you’ve been rejoined many times…from a heritage pod.”

  “That’s right. I told you that.”

  “It’s just that…when Tow emerged from the pod he was in, he looked pretty much the same age. How is it that you emerged out a child instead of an adult?”

  Haffan tilted her head, as if trying to get her head around the peculiar question. “Because,” she said, “you choose the age you want to emerge at.”

  “You chose to be a child?”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “It’s just that this is important…hugely important. The entire fate of the Pashier race may fall in your hands. And you—”

  She finished his sentence for him, “Chose to come back as a kid, as you put it.”

  Cuddy nodded.

  Haffan let out a breath. “This rejoining…this life…needed to really count.”

  “What does that mean?” Cuddy asked.

  “Did you think the Pashier have an infinite supply of rejoining rituals?”

  Cuddy shook his head. He had a feeling he knew where she was going, but he suddenly didn’t want to know any more. Didn’t want her to say the words he knew she was about to utter.

  “Cuddy…this is my last life here. I’m sure you understand that I would want to live as long and full a life as possible.” She stared at him—the face of a child, but with eyes that revealed the depths of a very old soul.

  “I’m sorry…I don’t know what to say, Haffan.”

  “I’m not asking you to say anything. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore, if that’s okay.”

  Cuddy put on a smile that didn’t really fit what he was feeling inside. “How about we go over the scrolls one more time. Do it together. Maybe I can pick up on something that jogs your memory. It was eight thousand years ago…you’re entitled to forget a few things.”

  “You already know you can’t look at them.”

  “Yes, I know. Can you read them to me? Would the curse be averted in doing that?” he asked.

  She thought about it. “That should work, Cuddy. Good idea!”

  A soft knock heard outside the open hatch was Jackie, who looked down at the two sitting in the near darkness. “Hey.”

  “Hey there,” Cuddy said.

  “What’s going on in here?”

  “Haffan was about to read to me what’s on the scrolls. Want to join us?”

  Jackie hesitated, looking down the corridor. “I should be on the bridge.”

  “You’re no longer responsible for the bridge,” Haffan said. “He is.” She gestured to Cuddy.

  Cuddy said. “She’s got a point.” Sliding over, he made room for her on the bed. “I have a feeling that between the three of us, we’ll figure
this thing out.”

  “You think?” Jackie asked, studying the scrolls. “And we won’t start growing heads all over our bodies.”

  Haffan, shrugging a shoulder, said, “It should be all right,” as Jackie sat down next to Cuddy, though not looking directly at him.

  Chapter 39

  It began with a history lesson—not the Pashier, nor the Howsh, but with humankind. Haffan said, “For us to have a clear understanding of the historical course of events, it may be beneficial…give perspective…to use your own civilization as a reference. For instance, do either of you know when human civilization first emerged on your planet?”

  Jackie’s brow knitted. “I don’t know. I probably learned that in school, but…”

  Haffan turned her eyes to Cuddy.

  “Well…I don’t know what you’re looking for. Like, I can tell you the cradle of civilization is commonly thought to be the Fertile Crescent. Referring to Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Other civilizations developed independently; in Asia, along large river valleys…like the Indus River. And then there are Indian subcontinent civilizations…and the Yellow River. Let’s not forget too the Yangtze River in China…”

  Jackie stared at Cuddy—an expression he couldn’t quite read—as he continued. “But I think what you’re looking for is the transition, from prehistoric times to when humans first began writing things down, like…for their offspring…for future generations. The time period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, during the 4th millennium BCE.”

  Jackie continued to stare at Cuddy, suddenly speechless.

  “What is BCE?” Haffan asked.

  “That’s your question? You understood everything else that he said?” Jackie asked, incredulous.

  “Before Common Era…pretty much means Before Christ,” Cuddy said.

  “So…written historical records started…”

  “About two thousand years BCE. Let’s say four thousand years ago…roughly.”

  “How the hell do you know all that?” Jackie asked. “I understand your brain was repaired in the Evermore’s wellness chamber, but that doesn’t explain how such historical information got…stored in your memory. I don’t even know what Mesopotamia means. Is that a place, a people, or what?”

  “I like to read. And pretty much everything I read seems to stick mentally,” Cuddy told her. The whole issue of his memory suddenly brought back flashes from his past—memories thought to be lost forever. They pulled at his concentration—but he pushed them away—refused to acknowledge them.

  “So you have total recall? Why haven’t you mentioned it before?”

  “I’m not sure it’s anything like…total recall. That sounds so…”

  “Obnoxious?” Jackie threw out.

  “I just have a really good memory…let’s put it that way.”

  On noting Jackie’s annoyance with him, clearly evident by her expression, he didn’t understand why. Just one of many aspects about her he didn’t have a clue.

  Cuddy turned his attention back to Haffan. By the bemused expression on her face, she seemed to enjoy his and Jackie’s back-and-forth banter. He’d noticed her preoccupation with their bickering in past days too.

  “Pashier, as well as Howsh civilizations, go back much farther. I can recall events as far back as twelve thousand years. Although it does get a bit murky going that far back.”

  “You’re referring to personal experiences?” Jackie asked.

  As Haffan nodded, Jackie then asked, “So how does that help us figure out the scrolls…the writings?”

  Before Haffan could answer, the small compartment suddenly brightened—almost as if someone had turned on a light, although no one had. The brightness emanated from the being now standing before them.

  “Tow!” Cuddy exclaimed, recognizing that his appearance there was an astral projection. He’d witnessed it twice before, and the third time was no less captivating! Tow looked at all three—acknowledging them with a slight nod of his head. Just as he was about to speak, Haffan reached a hand out, letting it pass into Tow’s ethereal form. Tow, caught off guard, momentarily lost his train of thought. Haffan smiled mischievously, making Tow laugh. A laugh, both abrupt and unanticipated, that also was contagious. In that moment, Cuddy missed his alien friend’s company more than ever.

  Regaining his composure, Tow said, “Please…excuse my interruption. What you are doing…,” he gestured to the scrolls strewn around the compartment, “is immensely important.”

  “What is it Tow?” Jackie asked.

  Cuddy noticed Tow’s deep concern.

  “I have made a terrible mistake.”

  “What kind of mistake?” Cuddy asked.

  “More like an assumption, which turned into a mistake. One that affects your friend.”

  The three exchanged puzzled glances. Then turned to study the increasingly distraught Tow.

  “So just say what it is you did…all this dancing around is annoying,” Haffan said.

  “Don’t be rude,” Jackie scolded.

  “Sorry.”

  Cuddy inwardly agreed with Haffan. Why didn’t Tow just get to the point? Could it really be that bad?

  “Go on, Tow…I’m sure it’s all fine,” Jackie said.

  “Well…it’s Brian.”

  “Brian Horowitz? The one who…”

  Tow cut Cuddy off: “I am so very sorry. Truly I am.”

  Haffan dramatically sighed.

  “The heritage pod…the one I helped you transition him into…it wasn’t Pashier.”

  “What does that mean? What other kind of heritage pod is there?”

  Haffan answered Cuddy’s question. “It was a Howsh heritage pod…wasn’t it?”

  “Wait! The Howsh also have heritage pods?” Jackie skeptically asked. “I thought they despised the Pashier for their ability to transcend death. They think it’s…like a sacrilege…right?”

  “No, you’re forgetting Tow’s video; the one where he explains ancient history, when the two cultures were reversed a millennia ago. At one time, the Howsh were advanced beings, possessing great mental capabilities, while the Pashier were savages. The common Howsh of today have no clue about any of that.”

  “That’s right, I remember,” Jackie said. “But I never once considered that they too used heritage pods. So…Brian, he’s now stuck in a Howsh heritage pod? With Howsh life forces all around him?”

  Tow slowly nodded.

  “How did you find that out?” Cuddy asked.

  “That part is truly a miracle. I never heard of it happening before…”

  “Do you ever just answer a question?” Haffan asked.

  “Stop being rude, Haffan!” Jackie chided, this time more sternly.

  “A Howsh life form there…an elder of sorts…reached out across the empyrean expanse. There are areas of the expanse, evidently shared by both Howsh and Pashier. Today, there was a Shain ritual of the awakening on Primara. The information on Brian was passed on to me by an emerging Pashier.”

  “And you can’t get to him? From where you’re at?”

  “No…I am not within the same realm, Cuddy.”

  Jackie asked, “So is Brian okay in that…?”

  “Empyrean expanse,” Cuddy added. Jackie again rolled her eyes at his prompt recall.

  “I’m afraid not. Brian is not welcome there,” Tow said. They find his presence an unforgivable insult. Many would like to terminate his life-force…be done with him.”

  “And they can do that? Just kill him? I thought that expanse was like heaven…”

  “It is…but not all life forces evolve at the same rate. I have been given only a glimmer of hope to save Brian.”

  “Whatever it takes. What do we have to do?” Jackie asked.

  “Apparently there is a second Howsh world, a parallel Howsh civilization. Tiny, compared to the Howsh home planet of Rahin that you are familiar with. If you wish to save Brian, you must travel to Camilli-Rhine 5. With guarded reluctance, they will permit him to take pa
rt in their own version of a Shain ritual of awakening.”

  “That’s great!” Cuddy exclaimed, but then noted no sign of pleasure exhibited on Tow’s face.

  “Be warned, if Brian emerges from the heritage pod during the ritual…and you are not there to retrieve him, he will be killed. It will be a prolonged and painful death.”

  Cuddy asked, “So we should put the search for the Prophesy of Harkstrong on hold for now?”

  Jackie gave Cuddy a backhanded slap on his arm. “He’s one of us! Of course, we’ll put the search on hold, and anything else too. When does the ritual take place?”

  “And just how do we get to Camilli-Rhine 5?” Cuddy added.

  Chapter 40

  Soon after Tow’s ethereal form faded from view, Cuddy stood, ready to leave Haffan’s compartment. Scrolls with ancient writings would have to wait, since there was so much to do—a tight timetable to meet. Jackie said she wanted to stay a few more minutes; hang around with the young Pashier.

  Taking the lift, en route to the Farlight’s bridge, Cuddy was surprised at the increased level of excitement growing within him. The prospect of traveling to Camilli-Rhine 5 captivated his imagination. What would that divergent breed of aliens be like? How were they different from their Howsh brethren? Were they, somehow, the key to finding the Prophesy of Harkstrong? Cuddy could no longer ignore the recent confluence of events so rapidly taking place. At this point, it was more than simply saving the Pashier race, which certainly was huge in its own right. Where days earlier he felt adrift—like a small boat lost on an endless sea—he now was set on a defined course. His life had new purpose, other than searching for heritage pods flung across the galaxy.

  Cuddy’s thoughts turned to Brian, and the mess he’d walked into. He had mixed feelings about the oldest member of the team, who was selfish and arrogant. Also, Brian had the intimate relationship with Jackie that he himself hadn’t fully experienced yet. Possessing such knowledge carried its own level of resentment. But Brian was part of the team and, strangely enough, Cuddy almost missed him being around. Almost.

  Upon reaching the bridge, Cuddy found Spilor. The robot was standing still, unmoving, seemingly unaware of his presence. Out the forward window was only blackness and stationary twinkling stars. Glancing around the area, the bridge was quiet—only two Howsh crewmembers present. One sat at the Engineering station, and the other at Communications. Both gave him a sideways glance when he entered the compartment, as if too busy doing something. Cuddy felt their uneasiness, perhaps mistrust, of the whole situation—that an alien, a human, no less—was now acting-captain of their ship. But feelings of uneasiness were mutual. Cuddy knew that he’d personally have to do what he could to build some kind of relationship, rapport, with the Howsh crew, if at all possible.