Stolen Worlds (The Harry Irons Trilogy)

by Thomas Stone

  "The kitzloc sound bad," said Yoni. "I am glad they are not on Bedor. Still, a throbber might find us." Yoni uselessly tried to look out the window, then faced Harry again. They can not get in here, can they?"

  "No, we've got ways to keeps things away."

  The boy had grown tired of talking. Satisfied that he was protected from animal attack, he stretched once and curled up on the seat. In minutes, he was asleep and Harry was alone with his thoughts.

  He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to stretch beyond the confines of the vehicle. Impervious to the cold, he flew out into the falling snow, up and through the air to the caverns where he followed a trace of Kathleen's essence and finally found her among a group of Bedoran women. He whispered her name and she turned her head.

  Kathleen abruptly stopped what she was doing and hurried away.

  *

  "Japar, don't you understand?" Kathleen looked at the translator. "Is this thing working?"

  "Yes," said Japar, "I understand you. It is you who does not understand. Storms of this magnitude come quickly and pass quickly. Travel is impossible. It is better to wait."

  *

  In an instant, Harry returned to himself, unsure of what had happened. Once again, he was back inside the rover. The experience was real enough but so were his dreams. Was it so bad now that he was losing the ability to distinguish between reality and dreams?

  For certain, he knew the kitzloc's poison continued to course through him, but the changes it wrought were so far impossible to understand. The vision he'd just experienced seemed real enough.

  The fuel gauge crept lower. Soon, the fuel would be gone and the heater would stop working. It wouldn't take long for the intense cold to find its way inside the rover. Harry again thought about trying to find his way back to the shuttle, but as before, he ended up dismissing the idea, not because of the previous reasons, but because a peculiar thought occurred to him. There was another way to survive the storm.

  Harry pulled one of the thermal blankets around Yoni. The boy muttered something in his sleep, but otherwise remained out of it. Harry's right hand moved of its own accord and hovered over the boy's head. A fuzzy heat spread from his chest and ran into his right arm, all the way down into his fingertips. He watched in fascination as his hand and fingers began to glow.

  Harry felt more like a witness than a participant. Everything happened of its own accord as Harry watched. There was a murmur in his head, a vibration he recognized as an instinctual desire to survive. It was the threat of death that had switched it on and Harry was somehow controlling it.

  Red-tinted plasma exuded from Harry's fingertips like protoplasmic finger extensions reaching for the top of Yoni's head. When it touched him, he didn't stir. Indeed, Harry could feel the boy's sleep, his placid state of mind. He wondered if he could see into the boy's dreams, but something told him he didn't have the time.

  Yoni's heart rate dropped and his breathing slowed until it seemed he hardly took a breath at all. When he was deep into the trance, Harry took his hand away. The protoplasm floated in the air for a moment before it faded.

  He now laid the same hand over his chest and felt as his own heart slowed. The blood in his veins pounded a slower count, a deeper rhythm, a beat not entirely human.

  Chapter 6

  A shadow appeared at the passenger window. Snow fell away and someone peered inside. Yoni was wrapped in the thermal blanket and Harry sat erect in his seat, staring straight ahead.

  Muffled voices floated to Harry. Somewhere, deep inside his mind, consciousness stirred and meaning was attached to the voices.

  "They're in there. Quick, get them out!"

  The passenger door opened and Kathleen stuck her head inside. She touched Yoni and noted that the blanket was frozen.

  Harry looked as though he had frozen to death. "My God, no!" whispered Kathleen. She reached out and touched his cheek. To her surprise, Harry turned toward her.

  "What took you so long?"

  "Harry! You're alive!"

  "Of course, I am. So is the boy." He placed a hand on the boy's back and gently shook him. "Yoni? You can wake up now."

  The boy stirred. Yawning, he sat up. "Storm passed?"

  "How long," Harry asked, "how long have we been here?"

  "Three days."

  Harry showed no surprise.

  "How did you do it?"

  Harry shrugged in response and climbed out of the rover. Kathleen stared after him.

  Harry was able to fend off Kathleen's questions until they entered the cavern, then she took him by the hand and led him to a private place where they could talk without being interrupted. She pushed him onto a crude bench and stood over him.

  "Now. I want you to tell me what happened out there."

  "Well, it snowed a lot."

  "Come on, you know what I mean."

  Harry spread his hands. "What do you want me to say? We survived. Isn't that enough?"

  "How did you do it? The temperature dropped under one hundred degrees below zero. Without heat, there's no way anyone could survive that. Not for three days."

  "Well, that's not entirely true. Here I am. Yoni's all right too."

  "Harry, I'm not letting you up until you tell me what happened."

  "All right, all right, I'll tell you what I know, but I want you to understand that until I understand it, I don't want anyone else to know anything about it. Is that a deal?"

  "Deal."

  "Okay." Harry sighed and told Kathleen about seeing her in the cave and about the trance, as well as how he was able put Yoni under. "You've got to believe me, I don't know how I did it. I just did it. It was like I was watching and things were just happening. Don't ask me how."

  Kathleen listened intently without interrupting. When Harry finished, she took a moment to get her thoughts together, then she spoke slowly to her ex-husband.

  "I don't have to ask how. I know. And you know too. It's the kitzloc infection. Harry, we need to get you into a medical facility, have experts take a look at you..."

  Harry waved her off. "There's nothing they can do. Besides, if I did let them know something was wrong, I'd probably live out the rest of my life in a test tube. No thanks, that's not for me."

  "It might end up killing you. No one has ever survived a kitzloc..."

  "...attack." Harry finished the sentence. "I know, I know, this is old ground. We've covered it before."

  Kathleen eyed him critically. "How do you feel now?"

  "Fine. Very clear."

  "Harry, you can be so stubborn."

  "I'm all right. You're just going to have to take my word for it."

  "I believe you, at least for now. But what if you start losing it? What if there are other changes?"

  "What if? What if? I don't know. If I go crazy, shoot me, tie me up. What do you want me to say?"

  "It's a waste of time talking to you."

  "About this subject, it is."

  At that moment, Yoni found them. "My father is ill. Would you come and help?"

  "Yes, of course," replied Harry. Harry started away with Yoni in the lead and Kathleen on his heels.

  "We're not through talking about this," she promised.

  They found Arai lying on a bed of straw and animal skins. The illness had come on quickly, sapping him of his strength and belaboring his breath. Kathleen bent over him and passed her handheld med-scanner over his body.

  "It doesn't look good," she whispered to Harry.

  "What's wrong with him?"

  "It looks like the Bedoran equivalent of pneumonia. He's old, by Bedoran standards, and that doesn't help."

  "Can we do anything for him?"

  Kathleen shook her head. "Our medicines weren't meant for Bedoran physiology. All we can do is keep him comfortable. Other than that, pray."

  Yoni asked if his father was going to be all right. Harry put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Arai is very sick. We'll do everything we can."

  "When the rescue ship gets
here, they'll have a doctor and a complete infirmary aboard. They'll be able to do more."

  "Maybe," Harry echoed. He didn't want to voice what was on his mind. He and Kathleen had been there only a few days. The rescue ship wasn't due for a long time yet. Whether Arai could last that long was unknown. If Arai was going to make it, he was going to have to make it on his own.

  Some of the Bedoran women fed Arai concocted home remedies. They might have helped if Arai had been able to keep the herbal medicines down. Unfortunately, he promptly regurgitated everything he attempted to ingest. Even water made him gag.

  By the next day, Arai was dehydrated and out of his head. For awhile, he spoke to no one in particular, reminiscing about things in the past. Later, he called out to Kretin, his dead brother, asking if it was safe to go outside and how the hunting was going.

  In turns, Kathleen and Harry sat with their alien friend, keeping him as comfortable as possible and listening to his rantings. With each passing hour, Arai grew weaker until he finally stopped talking altogether.

  When Harry relieved Kathleen, he asked, "How's he doing?"

  "Worse. He hasn't been conscious for the last two hours."

  "Why don't we try giving him some of our antibiotics?"

  "We can't. I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure it'd kill him. Their physiology just doesn't work the same as ours."

  "What are we going to do? I can't just stand by and let him die."

  Kathleen sadly shook her head. "I don't know. Stay with him, keep him comfortable. Beyond that, it's not up to us." Kathleen yawned. "I'm tired."

  "Get some rest. I'll stay here."

  "All right. Let me know if there's any change." Kathleen walked away.

  Harry looked at his sick friend and wished there was something he could do. Arai's breath rattled in his chest but, for the moment, he appeared to be sleeping comfortably. Harry remembered the first time he'd seen Arai and how he had come to understand that the band of primitives who called themselves Bedorans were the most honorable species he'd come across in all his travels. Arai had saved his life more than once. Harry was frustrated that he was powerless to return the favor. Arai was younger than Harry, but old for a Bedoran. His limbs were riddled with arthritis and the furry hair that covered him had turned silver with age.

  Harry wondered if he could somehow cure his old friend with the powers that the kitzloc had conferred upon him. Even if he could, he didn't know how to call up the thoughts, the proper state of mind, whatever it was.

  Life had dealt the Bedorans a poor hand. Harry considered how many other intelligent species had evolved and perished due to the machinations of the universe. In many respects, so far, the human species had been lucky. How long would mankind continue to exist? Earth was severely over-crowded and although colonization efforts were being made, it was still a crowded, miserable place to live if one was poor. The Bedorans, on the other hand, had always lived in a comparative paradise, that is, until the change of climate. Well, a few humans had managed to live through the ice ages; perhaps the Bedorans would as well.

  The corporation had rules about cultural interference and Harry had been reprimanded before for tinkering with nature. The marks on his record didn't really matter. When it came down to it, the corporation was more interested in the bottom line. If interference meant profit, well, in that case it was easy to manipulate information when incidents happened light years away.

  Harry didn't care about that. Arai was dying. If he only knew what to do to save him, Harry would only be too happy to interfere.

  Taking a damp rag, Harry mopped Arai's fevered brow. As soon as Harry touched him, something stirred in his mind, a feeling that was becoming familiar. Along with the odd sensation came the thought that there was little he could do for his sick friend. He could not fight the microbes that infected Arai's body, but there was a way to alleviate the suffering. Something like an electric shock passed from Harry to the Bedoran and Arai opened his eyes.

  "Hello, my friend," he said.

  "Hello, Arai," answered Harry.

  "I am afraid I am no longer of use to you. This body of mine has seen better days and I fear I am at the end of my time in this life."

  "No, we don't know that."

  "It is true. There is no denying it. Water, please, give me some water. My mouth is dry and I want to tell you something."

  Harry helped him take a drink.

  "What is it?"

  "You want to know about Fagen and Blane, do you not?"

  Harry said nothing.

  "I think there is unfinished business between you. You and Kathleen would like to find them, am I right?"

  Harry nodded.

  "I have told you where they went. It is dangerous. The Malaaz are not easy to deal with. Fagen may need your help, if you are willing to let go your troubles with him."

  Harry must have looked surprised because Arai continued, "Yes, I can tell things are not right with you. Remember, my friend, it is within you to make changes for yourself. I grow weary and must rest. I am glad you and Kathleen have come to Bedor and met my son. When my life leaves this body, it will fly over your heads. If you watch closely, you may see me wave at you. Forgive me if I talk no longer." With that, Arai closed his eyes and fell unconscious.

  Harry sat back and dozed.

  Arai slept through the night and all the following day. In the meantime, the weather cooperated and Kathleen hiked back to the shuttle. She re-fueled the rover, not returning until the next day.

  Arai's condition worsened and his sleep deepened into a coma. In the meantime, Harry helped Yoni check traps for game. Unfortunately, they were all empty. Yoni and some of the Bedoran men managed to net a few fish, but not nearly enough for the entire tribe.

  When she returned, Kathleen brought more of the food packets with her. A quick survey of the remaining stores told Harry the food wouldn't last a month.

  Chapter 7

  The Emergency Messaging System worked. It had proved its value practically from the day it was activated and over the years it had saved many a survey crew. The system was simple enough: deep-space relay stations monitored the emergency channels and, when a call was detected, the signal was boosted and omni-directionally re-sent. Chances of the message being picked up were increased dramatically. It didn't have to get all the way back to Earth before someone knew a survey crew was in trouble. Harry believed in the system for the simple fact that the Corporation wouldn't lay out the credits to finance something if they weren't sure it would pay off.

  The company still lost survey members and sometimes an entire team, but it didn't happen nearly as often as it did before the EMS was deployed.

  As fate would have it, Harry's signal was received by an EMS buoy only three days after it was sent. The relay station performed its sole function without a hitch and in seconds the signal was amplified and sent back out. Six hours later, a space freighter hauling nickel and iron ore out of Sirius detected the message and passed it along to survey command. The Corporation reacted within three hours, sending out a rescue cruiser along with a full crew and a complement of Marines.

  Harry received the message when he stopped by the shuttle returning from the lake. He and Yoni had been fishing, but the weather had started to turn sour again. They decided not to take any chances this time and they headed back to the shuttle until the wind made up its mind what it was going to do.

  "Kathleen will be glad to hear this. My people will be here tomorrow. They'll have additional supplies for your people as well, Yoni."

  "That is good. But how will we repay you?"

  "It's not necessary. I'm an honorary Bedoran, remember?"

  "You have a point."

  "I think I'll call Kathleen and give her the news." Harry pressed a switch on the control console and radioed Kathleen. She answered immediately.

  "You must have been waiting beside the radio."

  There was hesitation before she answered. "Yes," she said, "I was."

  "Gue
ss what? The rescue team is on their way. They'll be here tomorrow. Also, they have a doctor with them. He thinks he can help Arai."

  "I don't think so."

  "Well, I don't know. No one's treated a Bedoran before, but they're making miracles happen these days, you know..."

  "Harry, stop it. Arai's dead. He died an hour ago. Never woke up."

  Harry glanced at Yoni. The boy looked expectantly at Harry. He could hear Harry and Kathleen converse over the radio but he didn't understand what was said. His expression showed the wonder of all the new things he'd seen and experienced over the last few days. Harry knew all that would be forgotten when he told the boy his father had died.

  "I hear you. Yoni's here. I guess I'll break the news to him and then we'll head back."

  "Be careful. I'll be by the radio if you need me."

  "All right. See you soon."

  Harry turned to the boy and spoke in Bedoran, using the customary phrases to indicate he had something important to say. The boy flicked his tail in understanding and raised his eyes to look directly into Harry's. According to the Bedorans, there could be no lies passed if you looked directly into the eyes of the speaker.

  Harry could tell Yoni knew something serious had happened. Probably knew that Arai had died and hoped it wasn't true, figured Harry. As much as the boy had been through, the loss of his father was still likely to be traumatic. Harry told him the news as gently as he could. The boy took it well, but in a way that struck Harry as particularly human, he cried. Afterwards, Yoni wiped his eyes and announced that, according to Bedoran custom, he was taking up his father’s name. “From now on,” he said, “I am Arai.”

  *

  The weather cooperated and the shuttle from the rescue ship set down precisely on time. In a somber mood, Harry and Kathleen were there to greet the landing party.

  While supplies were unloaded, the crew set about recording all the survey data. The doctor checked out Harry and Kathleen, and, other than being a little undernourished, they both appeared to be fit. When the doctor escorted Harry out of the makeshift examining room, Kathleen asked if he had found anything unusual. Harry gave her a quick look.