Hellhole

by Kevin J. Anderson

  The Zairic portion of his personality didn’t seem to comprehend the reason for such consternation, but Fernando explained, and all the Xayans understood.

  Encix bowed her supple neck. “Very well. Enough.” The greenhouse dome rotated in the sky to give everyone a perfect view of the town lights.

  Sophie squeezed the General’s hand tightly and whispered with wry disappointment, “So much for keeping this a secret.”

  “I’m not so sure. We’ve identified most, if not all, of the Diadem’s spies – I can watch them, spread around a few bribes if I need to. Who would believe a report about this?”

  “I’m more concerned about the Xayans. Do you trust them?”

  Adolphus pondered a moment. “Let’s see what they do.”

  As promised, the greenhouse dome settled back to the ground, rotating until it fit perfectly into the crater. The people let out a collective sigh of relief, and Adolphus gave the Xayans a stiff smile. “Thank you.”

  The Originals released their hold upon each other, detaching their fingertips. Fernando-Zairic stepped away from them and beamed at the crowd. “Now you see why I’m so excited by the possibilities! Not only do I have all these amazing memories of an ancient civilization, I have new abilities too – and Zairic’s only begun to teach me how to stretch my mental skills.”

  Fernando-Zairic gave a formal bow, and the four Xayans did the same, bending their soft bodies with exceptional flexibility. “We wanted to show you the powers we have, and the advantages of becoming one of us.” He raised his voice. “As many of you know, I was just a human before, a regular colonist with little to show for my life. When I accidentally immersed myself in the slickwater, I became something much more significant, far beyond a simple man.”

  He looked around the gathered people, saw that he had their full attention. “The sentient pools wait for all of you. Countless Xayan lives are stored there, just waiting for someone to accept them. You could all have the skills we demonstrated here tonight. Imagine accepting an exciting and mysterious alien life as part of your own memories. Humans and Xayans in perfect synergy, an alliance of tremendous potential. It’s a win-win situation.”

  “You want us to jump into those pools and . . . become aliens?” asked Devon. “Why would anyone want to do that?”

  “Think about it, young man. Most of the people on this planet came here because they had nowhere else to go. This is an opportunity to be part of something wondrous. There are no drawbacks. You would remain human in appearance, like me.” Fernando’s voice was reverent now. “I’m still here . . . but I’ve got a second life, too. Another set of memories from an amazing time and place.” Grinning, he turned toward Sophie. “Sophie Vence, you could establish a camp there, provide a place to stay for the curious, make the experience comforting. I promise you, people would come there.”

  She chuckled uncertainly. “A health spa out at Slickwater Springs?” She meant it as a joke to point out the absurdity of the idea.

  But Fernando-Zairic gave an earnest nod. “An apt comparison – immersion and sharing would have amazing restorative effects for the human body. Volunteers and curiosity seekers would come and prepare to immerse themselves in the slickwater. You would provide a great service.”

  Considering what she had witnessed, Sophie realized that Xayan telemancy might give the General an unexpected edge against the forces of the Constellation. When the Diadem tried to crack down on his plans – and she certainly would – Michella wouldn’t have any defenses against alien powers. The old bitch would certainly not expect to encounter a surprise like that.

  Adolphus said finally, “This does bear further consideration. Xayan knowledge could benefit us all.” Sophie could hear the ambiguity in his voice, and she understood what he was thinking. After the demonstration of such powers, he would already be calculating the advantages of an alliance with these aliens.

  Sophie folded her hands together on the table in front of her, considering the pragmatic aspects. “You really think people would be willing to take on an alien . . . hitchhiker? Who would sign up for that duty?” As she said it, Sophie was sure that some of the General’s loyal veterans would volunteer if he asked them to.

  Antonia Anqui, though, gave a much more straightforward answer. “Anyone who doesn’t like their dreary lives – in other words, most people on Hellhole.”

  “And to possess those telemancy powers . . .” someone else mused.

  “Sounds like a scam to me,” said an elderly businesswoman. Several people laughed nervously.

  “I’m certainly familiar with scams – but this isn’t one,” Fernando said, in his own voice now. “When a few others take on Xayan memories, maybe they’ll be better able to explain how wonderful it is.”

  Cippiq glided forward in a smooth, eerie motion. “Any person immersed in the slickwater will possess the lost memories and lives of great Xayan philosophers, leaders, dreamers. Isn’t that reason enough? And some of you will become telemancers in your own right.”

  Encix added with an edge in her voice, “This is our world, General Tiber Adolphus. All we ask is that you give us this opportunity.”

  Sophie looked at Adolphus for guidance. The General seemed concerned, deep in thought. “I know there are other pools on the planet, so I can’t prevent anyone from finding a reservoir. I’d rather do this right. Best if we proceed with caution, monitor and control, as the Xayans suggest. Establish an outpost by the slickwater pools, start out small.” He looked at her. “We all know you’re the person best suited for the job, Sophie.”

  She considered the idea. “I can set up the camp, and we’ll see who comes.” With a look at Fernando-Zairic and the four Originals, she added, “I’m certain we’ll have curiosity seekers, but I can’t promise you’ll have any takers.”

  “Oh, we will have sufficient volunteers,” Zairic said in his distant alien voice. “You may be surprised.”

  55

  The nosy Constellation prospector, Luke Pritikin, remained oblivious to the fact that he had been sent off on a fool’s errand. Following the (intentionally uncertain) coordinates the General had provided, Pritikin wandered the wilderness landscape for weeks until he stumbled upon the sheer-walled canyon bursting with large quartz crystals. It was a dazzling natural landmark, and the Diadem’s man was quite impressed.

  Back at Elba, Adolphus received a happy message from Pritikin. “I’ve found it, Administrator – and you are quite right. This is a remarkable area with exotic beauty, though I’m not convinced of its value to the Constellation.” The inspector transmitted numerous images of tall crystals that protruded in wildly angled clusters, like fistfuls of transparent needles.

  “Maybe the beauty is a value in itself,” the General offered, leaning closer to the video screen.

  The Constellation inspector sounded dubious. “I’ll recommend it as a possible tourism opportunity, but it’ll be a hard sell. People don’t think of scenery when they think of Hellhole.”

  Adolphus smiled congenially. “I can only offer what the planet offers, Mr Pritikin. I didn’t choose this place for myself.” The man was innocuous, though annoying at times. At least he had been away from Michella Town during the reception for the Original Xayans, and so far the secret had been kept.

  Sophie had already departed with work crews and supplies to establish a rough camp out at the place she had named Slickwater Springs. Adolphus made her promise (without too much difficulty) that she would never enter the alien liquid herself. With a warm chuckle, Sophie had put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Oh Tiber, my life isn’t so bleak or boring that I’d want to take on another, no matter how exotic it might seem. But for a lot of people here on Hellhole, I can’t say the same. Zairic’s assessment may be right. We could get a lot of volunteers.”

  In the meantime, the General was intrigued by what the alien memories could offer him for the defense of Hellhole. The mental powers they had demonstrated were impressive, and entirely unexpected. The str
ange lost race was a resource the Diadem could not even imagine. A very nice surprise.

  And so far, Michella’s spies had no idea what was happening.

  “Have a safe trip back, Mr Pritikin,” Adolphus said before signing off. “Take your time.”

  With Sophie and Fernando-Zairic out at the pools, General Adolphus took the time to meet alone with Encix in an isolated agricultural area outside of Michella Town. The other three Originals had returned with Cristoph de Carre to their museum vault in the mountain to help excavate the lost treasures that had been sealed there for centuries. Before the female leader of the survivors also retreated to the deep redoubt, he wanted a private conversation with her, one not filtered through the perspective of Fernando-Zairic.

  The Xayan civilization beckoned to the General. He had always wanted to know more about the mysterious relics, though now his proud collection seemed laughably insignificant. More importantly, considering the risky plan for his own stringline network and independence from the Constellation, the alien telemancy – and the possibility of granting the same powers to human “partners” – offered a new defensive edge he hadn’t counted on.

  So long as he could keep these aliens secret from Diadem Michella.

  Encix joined him at the edge of a lush green wheat field, and the two of them walked a perimeter path that had been pounded down by the treads of farming machinery. Adolphus had chosen this place for its remoteness, and his security people had already swept the area to make certain no one else was around.

  Encix glided alongside him on her caterpillar-like pad, her abdominal muscles rippling to propel her without disturbing the ground. Adolphus was surprised at how easily he had come to accept her intelligence and personality; the novelty of her bizarre appearance had worn off quickly.

  He touched a stiff wheat stalk, feeling the plumpness of the grain as it matured. Encix extruded long fingers from the ends of her hands and imitated him, also touching the wheat. “Your vegetation survives well here,” she noted.

  “This species of grain has been modified for rapid growth and quick harvesting. It’s necessary in this environment because so many bad things happen – storms, dust clouds, static discharges, native blights. We have to plant and harvest in a hit-and-run fashion. We load our grain silos as quickly as we can before some disaster occurs.” He did not feel the need to tell her about the dozens of similar fields scattered around various settlements, nor complete details of the colony’s food production. “Your planet is a hard one to settle.”

  Encix paused and tilted back her torso as if to absorb sunlight from the tinted sky. “This is no longer our planet, General Adolphus. Our beloved Xaya died when the asteroid struck. This is only a scar.” She moved ahead in eerie silence. A breeze picked up like an invisible hand brushing through the wheat stalks. “We once had a thick carpet of feeding fields that we used to nourish ourselves. Xayans did not have to fight for food. Our landscape was conducive to luxurious consumption. It allowed us to develop our minds.”

  When Adolphus inquired about the large predator that Fernando had seen out in the badlands, Encix brushed it aside. “There were, of course, hazards on Xaya. A race grows strong through its challenges.”

  The General laughed without humor. “Then humans will certainly grow strong here – if given the chance.”

  “Zairic speaks of your race with great optimism. He says humans have tremendous potential. Once the Xayan race reawakens to full power, we can all have hope again. We will achieve what we were destined to do – what the asteroid impact thwarted during our most crucial generation.”

  “And what destiny is that?”

  Encix hesitated. “I honor you by revealing this. Over millennia, our race developed its mental abilities. In the last years before the impact, Zairic’s bold teachings brought us to the verge of a remarkable evolutionary breakthrough. He showed us that if all Xayans united their mental proficiencies, merging their minds and souls, we could initiate an extraordinary evolutionary ascension. A physical and spiritual transformation that we call ala’ru.”

  Adolphus raised his eyebrows. Some kind of alien mysticism? “What does that mean, exactly?”

  “It is . . . ala’ru.” Encix turned her soft, pale face toward him, and her features moved, mimicking an expression of sincerity as best she could. “Our bodies, our race, sheds its physical form and becomes pure thought, pure energy. Like a larva metamorphosing into an entirely different adult. Do you understand?”

  “We know of creatures that transform in stages like that.”

  “We could have elevated our whole race to another plane, evolved and left this universe behind. We had nearly reached that point.” She paused for a long moment. “But a falling asteroid ruined our hopes.”

  “But if you were that powerful, couldn’t you use telemancy to deflect it? Weren’t there enough of you?”

  The alien leader thrummed in consternation, as if she had been insulted. “We had significant power, but moving the large asteroid was beyond our abilities.”

  Adolphus pressed his lips together. “And now only four of you remain.”

  “It is more than just the four of us – millions of Xayan lives are contained within the slickwater pools. If enough humans bring back those stored personalities, we can achieve a similar racial ascension, an ala’ru. That is how you can help us. And it would give our human partners the powers of telemancy as well.”

  Adolphus shook his head. “We have fewer than a hundred thousand colonists on this whole planet. The numbers won’t add up, even if every person on Hallholme accepts your offer.”

  “But billions of your race are scattered across the star systems. Tell them our plight. Call them here to help us. Can you not help us spread the word?”

  “I guarantee you that won’t happen,” Adolphus said frankly. “Some may be intrigued by the opportunity, but you’ll never achieve the numbers you need for critical mass.”

  Encix did not seem discouraged. “Fortunately, Zairic tells me that when our two races join, they exhibit a kind of . . .” She paused, searching through what she had learned. “Hybrid vigor. Humans and Xayans are much more powerful as partners than we are as individuals. Therefore, ala’ru will require far fewer proficient Xayan telemancers to achieve the level necessary.”

  Now Adolphus understood. “So that’s why you’re encouraging humans to use the slickwater. That’s what you really want.”

  Encix moved along with her rolling caterpillar gait, circling the wheat field. “There is nothing insidious about it. We only want to be remembered, General Adolphus. My four companions and I were placed in the preservation bunker so that we could eventually show an outside race – your race – how to access our information. And if we can gather enough Xayan mental power to trigger ala’ru, our race will transform to lead an incorporeal existence, leaving your people to run the planet. That is what we want – and what you want.”

  Adolphus pondered, weighing the options. If the earlier demonstration at the greenhouse dome was any indication, he needed those telemancers. Once the unified DZ worlds survived the aftermath of D-Day, once he and all the newly independent colony worlds stood up to the uproar from Sonjeera, then the Original Xayans and their converts could do whatever they liked.

  “I will consider it,” he said. “But in the meantime, for security reasons, I would prefer that you remain out of sight. Could you possibly return to the underground vault for the time being? There are political ramifications I will need to address.” He could make excuses for the camp out at the slickwater pools, and the converts like Fernando-Zairic could easily be excused as yet another oddball religious group come to Hellhole. But he couldn’t explain away an actual caterpillar-like alien wandering through the streets of Michella Town.

  “If that is your wish,” Encix said. “My companions and I have much restoration work to do back in our preservation bunker. That is where we feel most comfortable.” She paused. “Besides, we Originals were not part of Zairic’s
slickwater preservation plan. It does not concern us.”

  The General felt both relieved and troubled.

  When they finished their circuit of the field, Encix stopped. “I was sincere when I told you we have no intention of reclaiming this world, General Tiber Adolphus. Xaya is of little consequence to us. It served as a storage vault for our racial memories, and now it will become our launching pad. That is all. Once we have ascended, everything that remains will be yours.”

  56

  Along day of Council meetings wrapped up, during which time Ishop Heer hovered near the Diadem to offer his advice or to be available should she need him to discreetly attend to “unofficial” matters. At the end of the sessions, a smiling Michella handed him an envelope that contained an address and an electronic key. “Congratulations, Mr Heer. Your assistant is already supervising the transfer of your belongings.”

  “The transfer . . .?”

  Michella smiled to let him know he wasn’t in trouble. “A little reward for your work and your loyalty to me – a more prestigious domicile.”

  Ishop actually liked his nondescript apartment in the government quarter for the anonymity it afforded, but he could not decline the Diadem’s gift. He would rather that she recognized him as a lord of significant stature, but that would come later. “Thank you, Eminence.”

  Soon enough he would have a noble residence. That was a reward worth having. This would be just an interim step along the way, and he would be gracious to the Diadem; no need to make her ponder anything else until he had checked off the other items on his list.

  When he arrived at the new address after nightfall, Ishop found a two-story traditional redstone structure set among similar buildings scattered around an expanse of manicured lawns and flower gardens. Always alert, he noted that each unit had hedges and other plants artfully set up to create privacy. Good. Ancient ivy, wisteria, and other plants climbed the walls. Cozy.