Eye of the Gazelle

by Marcia Tucker

  Then they received one more powerful burst from the Infinite, a summation of a vast and complex equation that boldly proclaimed: UNION.

  “Yes! Existence is All! And as they said, LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE SOURCE!” One crowed, excited to have reached the Infinite at last.

  UNION! ALL!

  *

  “Major Daro, the Eye—” Crater began, startled. “It's... shrinking. In fact, it's shrinking exponentially faster than it grew.”

  “What?!” Sabella gasped. And jabbed her finger at the Sixtheye interface. “Major Sabella Daro of the Defender Andromedea to Starguard Cenntl on the Nebulae Elektra in the Merak System... dual communication with Commander General Cenntl at headquarters on Althaea...”

  “It's happening, they did it!” Lieutenant Rand Vorclif shouted to Captain Miischel in the other room on the Tysona, blinking as his senses woke up enough to see the changes in the Eye in the Sixtheye displays. “The Eye of the Gazelle is shrinking!”

  Krendan, who had been slumped on the floor, got to his feet and went immediately to check the medbeds. “They've done it! But they're still merged, but definitely not present to us yet — all show signs of stress — but none of the three are in danger.”

  “The simplest but most complex equation,” One was relating to the Mind, elated. “I”m so used to my isolation that I could not have come up with those parameters. The Infinite understands now. We'll be able to achieve unity in order to work together to locate spores of my species with which to propagate this sector. Of course, we'll select for higher mind-forms like myself.”

  “Spores?” the Zena-Aspect inquired, incredulous.

  “Equivalents thereof,” Stander-Aspect said thoughtfully.

  “How did you convince it?” Novella-Aspect wanted to know.

  “Once the Infinite understood the Unity equation, I was able to convince it to cease mourning the terminations of my kind, and that there was only one parameter to follow in this time-vector, the forward parameter.”

  “Moving on, focusing on the future instead of the past,” Novella-Aspect murmured.

  “Mmm? Well, now that the Infinite has me. I can continue to encourage it with your angle of Unity. I will take over directing that vibration to the Infinite.” One sounded almost smug. “I will do that!”

  The Mind was surprised that One was able to so fully throw off its former miasma of fear. “You will?”

  “Of course,” One replied, puzzled now. “It is the only natural and logical thing to do. This thing you call 'roots of unity' — we consider this the highest form of—” And he launched into a new series of equations, then cut them off abruptly. “Well, that doesn't translate well.”

  “You are willing to operate at its higher frequency?”

  One emitted a sense of peace for the first time. “Yes, call it 'resonating' on its frequency. The Infinite and I are the only two entities presently occupying this variation of time on the same vector. Despite our vast differences in power, we need each other.”

  “But don't you fear the same thing might happen all over again? That the Infinite will inadvertently terminate your race in its, er, eagerness?”

  But the Psian radiated puzzlement now. “How? A variation cannot repeat itself. Now that it realizes the effect its aura has on lesser minds, there is no way it would do that ever again. That calculates out to a big zero!”

  Relieved, the Mind turned its attention to its own condition. Although Zena's stabilizing influence plus the Attitude of Unity held the merge3 firmly and solidly together, all the battering from the Infinite had taken a toll after all. They realized with dread that they would not have the energy to return to their own universe. The Attitude of Vitality had some limits after all.

  “You are still in distress, I estimate,” One added, noting their concern. “You have been harmed severely in this encounter. We will take care of that.”

  When the Infinite approached the Mind once more, it instinctively shrunk away in fear of further damage, but all fear evaporated at the first touch. Instead of clawing at them, the vast consciousness of Psi Universe applied a gentle touch, a healing anesthetic to all the torture they'd endured. Yet there was no sense of compassion from it, only an acknowledgment that their presence had had a significant impact on it in helping to break the grief compulsion. It merely wished to trade regard for regard.

  It almost seemed like the Infinite reversed time to unravel what it had done, but then time did not have the same meaning in this universe, being neither linear nor cyclic but rather something closer to physical distance. So when it was done, the Mind was restored to exactly the identical condition in terms of mental abilities and power and energy as when it first encountered the Infinite.

  Like it never happened... And the individual Aspects of that merger would never remember the agony endured. Separate, they might not have been able to manage the trauma of those memories.

  One was delighted with the results. “Be well, my new acquaintances! If you ever have need of my version of your Attitudes, don't hesitate to select one of my time-variations!” With that, the singularity of One retreated to continue its communication with the Infinite to make plans for restoration of its sector.

  *

  Free from the attacks by the Infinite, the Mind took a moment to look around what they could perceive of Psi Universe. Indeed it was vastly alien to both Alpha and Gamma Universes, bearing no matter at all, but instead swirling time-streams.

  “So the composite Mind survived,” Thho broke into their momentary reverie just before they were going to return to Alpha.

  “No thanks to you,” the Mind returned coolly.

  “The Eye is gone.”

  “We know.”

  Thho paused, realizing they were probably irritated that she had bailed on them so completely. “Very well, there is just one thing left to be said.”

  Another pause. “We're listening.”

  The Pelan, alone as usual in her cave, retreated to the darkest recesses though her powerful mind was perceiving and menttransing across universes. “Although I perceive that the composite mind is unscathed, be aware that this event has changed each component, likely dramatically. No harm was done, but this experience was life-changing, yes, even more than developing the Attitudes potential. Take the time you will each need to process and adjust. There will be decisions you will all need to make for the future, but you must allow time to make them. That said... I wish you well.”

  The Mind was stunned at her assessment. “We will heed your advice.”

  “And lastly… I am sorry.” Her presence withdrew completely.

  *

  The Mind returned to Alpha first, and to the Tysona. Still in the merge3, it would fall upon the energy entity to do the delicate separation as the merger had gone on for longer than any of them had ever merged — combined. But this was Zena's special skill, and the demerging was accomplished with the adept touch of a surgeon.

  The first to move was Vekta, though he made eye contact with no one. Of course he was still in a merge2 with the subconscious minds of his children. “I'll be back shortly,” he menttransed, then vanished, autoporting immediately to the apartment on Althaea.

  Slowly the other two Dracons came back to themselves as well, sitting up. Novella bit her lip when she realized Vekta was gone, then glanced over at Stander, who was very still. Then she looked at him more closely.

  Stander was holding his head, his eyes open and staring. He felt very strange, and worse, his emotional controls, his Tryker emform abilities, seemed shredded. He radiated excitement, fear, bewilderment, shock. Novella understood immediately what had happened.

  Belatedly she was aware that Krendan was also there, checking on them. “You're fine, Major Aurand,” he said, “but Major Kvaan... and where did the Colonel go?”

  Rand called from the control room at the same time. “The Andromedea is approaching; I'm moving the Tysona to intercept, Colonel.”

&n
bsp; “Wait,” Novella said to the medical officer, still focused on Stander. Then she looked at Krendan for the first time. “Kren, I'm taking Major Kvaan somewhere. The Colonel has already left, but I'll be staying with you. He’ll return soon. Kvaan is all right... and I'll be back quickly, I promise.”

  “Wait... what?” Krendan asked, blinking. But the room was empty except for himself.

  *

  “Your Attitudes potential has been activated, probably because of the prolonged merge with two Attitudinals,” Novella told Stander as she mattported them both to Pel Universe and the planet Pel deep in a globular star cluster —to Thho's cave. “That must now be completed. You knew this, didn't you, Thho?”

  The Pelan regarded the Dracons with one large, baleful eye. “It was unavoidable. Not something to be recommended for further developments of Attitudes potentials. I will take over and continue his development. Stander. was going to become an Attitudinal anyway, correct?”

  Feeling an equally strong need to get back to the ship, Novella ignored the question, switching back to speech. “You will need to restore his emform abilities first... and of course mattform his body to adapt to this planet.”

  “Done and doing,” the Pelan replied. “If this situation had not happened, I would have recommended that Stander first complete the seal on his Tryker powers. That is why control has been lost.”

  Novella glanced at Stander, who was seemingly in a stupor, lying face up in the shallow pool. She could see the gill slits open and close with his breathing on the side of his neck that was beneath the surface of the water. “Seal? What seal?”

  Thho swam in a slow circle around him. “There is no time now to talk about the initiation of a Tryker Dycene to become an Adept. Ask Stander about it later. As far as I can perceive, the Tryker is in merge depletion now. When he awakes we will begin.”

  “Damn, more mysteries. Very well, I leave Stander in your care,” Novella said to the Pelan. But still she held back.

  “Go,” Thho told her firmly, and she went.

  *

  Novella autoported back to the room with the medbeds on the Tysona, only to see Zena Hendrian in his usual manifest form — Fleet uniform as well — leaning against the door jamb with arms crossed. His long black hair was tied back neatly at the nape of his neck, with the single strand falling down the right side of his face. “You're back,” he said aloud, giving her a tentative little smile.

  She gaped at him for a moment, then in two steps threw her arms around him in a quick hug. Then she released him, stepping back. “We'd all be dead if it hadn't been for you, Zena,” she said, feeling like her own emmind was in flux. Vekta was gone, Stander was in trouble, his potential activated, the whole ordeal with the Infinite was over, the Eye was gone — and here stood this galactic trickster who had just made it possible for them to save Alpha Universe from eventual destruction.

  Zena felt a rush of emotion, too, pleased to be acknowledged, surprised by the hug, and this new thing, the sense of having joined with other telepaths for a monumental task. “Hey, doll, it took all of us. I didn't do much.”

  “There's no way, even with the Attitudes, that we'd have been able to stay merged that long,” Novella countered, embarrassed by her reaction to seeing him.“ A merge5 for, what, ten minutes? That's unheard of! And not to that depth and not with all that going on.” Then she realized she knew they had suffered terribly but she did not remember the actual harm.

  “I feel...” Zena glanced away, looking at the medbeds. “Changed. You know, we went through a hell of a lot, but it seemed that Infinite fixed what it did to us. Even so, Thho is right. We've all been changed by this. Stander?”

  Novella nodded, taking a deep breath. “His Attitudes potential broke open, activated,” she explained. “I took him to Pel so that could be completed.” Then she narrowed her eyes at him. “But you...”

  Zena shrugged, giving her a little grin. “Heck, I'm just too different after all. I know you all think I'm a Level 8 High telepath like you are, but as far as that Attitudes potential... maybe I don't have one, because some of my powers are likely Attitude-level already. You know, the merging thing?”

  Somehow she could grin back a little, wryly. “Also Attitude-level is your adaptability, you know. How you can relate to us, mimic a Human so perfectly!” Then she leaned closer, peering at his face. “No way...”

  “Eh?” Zena blinked, disconcerted to be examined so closely. “Um, what are you looking at?” Then he laughed weakly, understanding. “Hey, I've mostly been around you Dracons, so I have to look like one, right?”

  Novella noted the epicanthic folds at the inner corner of his eyes, a mark of her own subspecies. “Right... well, at least you don't sound like one. Your Englang accent seems more general, taken from a variety of accents you've heard on the Andromedea.”

  “Correct,” Zena said, chuckling again. “Actually it's rather more from that omniPanx Nexus thing. I'm rather fond of tapping into popular culture and social media. Of course, I got a lot from Crater. He’s a fun repository of all sorts of things, including the variances for your messy language.”

  “You might want to start studying the Fleet instead if you want to hang around,” Novella reminded him, sighing. “That's right, you're also quite the sponge. Perhaps you can tap into Crater's database on Fleet history and protocols? What are you going to do now, Zena Hendrian?”

  He thought, considering carefully. “Thho was right; that experience changed me. The merge5 and when you all asked me to commit fully...” It was his turn to take a deep breath. “I meant that, Novella. I'm all in with the rest of you. If that is the Perseus Defense Fleet — or the Perseus Guard — I don't know, but I'm there... it's me now. I never thought in a thousand years that I would ever think this way, or say something like this, but here I am. You people are all about justice and defending the Perseus Arm of Alpha Universe from predators like the Sdaldi... and I'm wanting to be there with you guys now.”

  “A thousand years?” Novella inquired softly. “Is that how old you are?”

  Zena shrugged, smiling again. “No way of determining that. Let's just say I was reborn when I took on this name. Or perhaps it was the time I complied with the first information-gathering task Rentclifv put on me. Even though I was grumbling every step of the way, I had a debt to pay, and if anything can be said for my kind, it's that we pay our debts. I think. At least I do!”

  “Maybe joining the Fleet or the Guard is how you can do that?” Novella asked, matching his smile.

  “I dunno about the Fleet. Eh, rules and protocols are so not my style.” Another deep breath. “So you asked what I'm going to do now. I'm thinking a chat with that General Cenntl guy is in order. And with Rentclifv; since I owe him the biggest debt, his opinion about my future is going to be an important one. I do owe him that.”

  Vekta... Novella thought about the man she loved, and knew the ache again for what he had had to do in involving the twins.

  *

  Vekta Rentclifv sat on the edge of the bed where his daughter lay sleeping peacefully, gazing down at her. He'd broken the merge2, and worked deftly to erase all trace of the experience of the merge in both of his children’s subconscious minds. I'm basically a horrible father, he mused soberly, also cepting Story in the next room. But they have come to no harm, and there is no trace of their involvement. I hate myself for involving them! But it was a terrible necessity to show the Infinite the “flavor” of a family bond. It made the difference after all.

  “You did watch over them?” he arrowed the question to Pel.

  “Of course I did,” Thho replied, then added, “Stander is here on Pel now.”

  “I know.”

  Then Vekta Rentclifv kissed his daughter on her forehead and went to do the same to his qild. Sighing deeply, he then regarded the wall in the apartment's living room — the housing for the Crater 0002 unit. I don't have time to poke into that, he considered. Guess it's all right to
just leave it like this? Maybe someone from JCC could come to check it out?

  At the moment, he didn't care. Starguard Maritza Litzer was still available to work with the twins. They would be fine and autoported from Althaea to his quarters on the Andromedea, the Defender now in the Gozgazel System where his officers were busy mapping the debris from the destruction of the fourth moon around Gozgazel Primary Alpha.

  *

  As the Nebulae Tysona entered the hold on the Andromedea, Novella felt a shift in the collective emmind of the larger ship — a subtle shift only an Attitudinal could detect. Vekta's back! she thought with a rush of feeling. But she was wary about contacting him, knowing his emotions could still be high after leaving the twins. Then she felt him shut himself off behind the Attitude of Powerlessness. Resolute, she concentrated on the task ahead. She needed to explain to the rest of the command staff about Stander, and report to the Commander General.

  Sabella Daro, still glued to the command seat though it had been fifteen hours since she'd had to relieve Austine at command, had only had a simple report from the Tysona's pilot that the craft was returning. She called it again now over the Sixtheye.

  Rand Vorclif glanced at the broadly smiling, black-haired man sitting beside him, as he answered the call. “Major Daro, just Major Aurand of the three Level 8's is here, plus... um, well, I guess he's called Zena Hendrian. Neither Colonel Rentclifv or Major Kvaan came back with us.”

  Novella spoke up from behind him. “Sabella, I'll vouch for Zena. I cannot explain about Major Kvaan right now, except to say he is all right and safe. The Colonel is back aboard the Andromedea in his quarters, but please wait until he contacts us. As the mission commander, I'd like to convene a meeting in Conference A. We can report to the Commander General then as well. What has he been told?”

  Sabella nodded, taking in the new information. “Both he and Starguard Cenntl had been informed about the shrinking of the Eye as soon as we detected it. And the explosion that destroyed the fourth moon of Alpha as well. We're tracking the debris at the moment.”

  “I'll contact Major Tauscher,” Novella said, sighing. Not looking forward to that... and I'm guessing Vekta doesn't want to deal with her either. “See you in A. Aurand, out.”