“Please join hands,” asked Mahhzee, looking in turn at all of them.
At first a bit perplexed and hesitant, the eight humans soon complied. For François, who was the one seated closest to the female alien, the hesitation had been quite comprehensible. The long and tentacle like fingers of Mahhzee, each grabbed one of his fingers, as a tubular suction device would have. It instantly reminded him of a milking pump he had seen used on cows back on Earth. The sensation was foreign to say the least, but not unpleasant, he thought to himself. Directly across from him, at the other end of the circle, Liu, seated next to Gahneo, was going through the same odd experience. They both smiled at each other, feeling a bit strange and euphoric, like two drinking buddies sharing one too many drinks. The relaxed sensation soon went across everyone in the circle and was quickly replaced by a strong need to sleep. As the group slowly began to fall under, beautiful light waves of multiple colors began to swirl all around the sphere, extending progressively to the entire space around all of them. Dedrick tried in vain to fight the irresistible feeling of drowsiness, struggling to keep his eyes open on the beautiful light show taking place in front of him. It was a futile effort. Soon they were all asleep, but their minds were not.
Sabrina felt like she was falling in slow motion towards an invisible bottom, down a giant well surrounded by complete darkness. Although the sensation was unknown, she was surprisingly unafraid. She felt supported in some way, by something or someone. And with her eyes closed, she could “see” in this strange dream state. Soon, she was floating in space, countless stars surrounding her. A strong sensation of forward movement took over her, as if she was racing across the vast emptiness. Comfortably resting in her seat, she could see her colleagues floating along with her, their weightless bodies in their oversized flying chairs, slowly spiraling across the vastness. Flashes of light from stars zooming by appeared to flow right through them at times, giving the explorers a sensation of euphoria. It was an experience no word could describe, a feeling beyond any they had ever felt. And they soon realized something else. Their thoughts were shared as one and heard by all. The connection felt impossible and yet totally natural as well, almost comfortable and reassuring by its familiarity, and they could not help but feel a sense of calm and happiness they could not explain. They also knew they were not really there. It was a dream, a fantasy they were now experiencing in another dimension, occupying the abstract state between time and space. Their minds were adrift in a space they did not know, but felt reassuring and inviting, nonetheless.
Back in the spaceship, Jorh was in control of the ten beings asleep next to him. Mahhzee and Gahneo had the same ability to both be in the present and the past during a viewing, as they called it, but were passive spectators in this instance, sleeping conduits between him and the small human group. Of course, all three were capable of mentally exchanging similar viewing experiences without the need to be connected physically as they were all now, holding hands. They didn’t need to be asleep either, but Jorh and his companions had judged correctly that the humans would be telepathically limited to thought exchange only. To show the colonists visual memories or events, the three had to be physically connected to the humans by performing a melting, an ancient practice that had not been used for thousands of Kahnu years but was proving particularly effective in this instance. Jorh slowly opened his eyes and fixed a point on the ceiling above. Within seconds, the light around the room began to dim to a darker shade of purple, and the hovering spinning sphere in the center of the group began to display a light show like no human had ever seen. Unfortunately, none were watching. The group was now in a controlled state of sleep. On the platform in front of them, countless colorful lines, forming in and out of the sphere, flares weaving their vivid and luminous colors in countless shapes, moving like thin scarves flowing in an invisible wind, were now projecting a fantastic color light display across the entire white room.
Jorh, still controlling the sphere in front of him, sent a colorful burst of energy down his arms to his fingers, channeling through Mahhzee and Gahneo, on down to every individual in the room. Shimming through their unified awareness, a thousand small bells rang inside their heads, like countless droplets of water hitting a giant harp, and the blinding light of a million stars exploded in the infinite emptiness in front on them. As if sucked away by a powerful vacuum, their thoughts, feelings, bodies, and minds, helpless witnesses to an incredible experience they could no more control than resist, were now being taken on a ride along universal energies no other human ever knew existed.
Chapter IX
Kahnu
Floating silently into the emptiness of space, stars, and familiar celestial formations were beginning to become recognizable to them. Landmarks like the Orion Belt and the Big Dipper, which would have been better called sky marks, were easy constellations to spot for Dedrick’s team, after their countless years training with the Mars First space program. To their left, they could all see a larger body of light, a familiar celestial object they instantly recognized as the sun. They also soon noticed another bright body, far in the distance. They didn’t feel the sensation of pull anymore, but they were still floating in space, in their oversized egg-shaped chairs. Liu had just noticed, and so did all, that she could not see her own body; only those around her. Her hands and feet were there, she could feel them move, she could touch her chair with them, but she could not see them. They were completely transparent, as if missing. It was the case for all of them; a very strange realization. They did not dwell long on it. Vera was staring at the rapidly growing round object, when they all realized at the exact same time that they were approaching Kahnu, the alien’s home planet. This strange ability to sense and feel together as one was the most profound experience any of them had ever had. Although each individually retained the ability to think and look at what he or she wished, all of them thought and saw the same thing as well. Everything was instantly shared and understood by all, as if they were one entity, one individual, one mind. Within seconds, the large planet was taking most of the view in front of them, revolving slowly on itself, suspended in the darkness of space. If Earth was called the Blue Planet, this one would have deserved the Purple Planet title, without a doubt. Its atmosphere was almost completely free of clouds, giving the observers an unobstructed view of its geology. The alien world was one giant purple ocean, surrounding a single large, and mostly icy, continent.
“Look, there!” Everyone’s attention had already turned to a smaller body, passing rapidly between them and the purple world below.
“A moon,” they all realized.
“Frohee,” specified Mahhzee’s telepathic voice. “This was our world, Kahnu and its three moons, Ehoran, Ogg, and Frohee as they looked seventy million of your Earth years ago. Our planet used to orbit Alhis, your sun, between Kesra and Dahmes, the worlds you call Mars and Jupiter.”
Below, floating majestically in the dark vacuum of space, the large world was quite beautiful. Without a point of reference, it was difficult to estimate its size, but they all felt it was probably comparable to Earth’s. Occasionally breaking the otherwise uniformly white surface below, darker patches of land could be seen here and there. Approaching irresistibly closer, they soon stared in awe at the gigantic tree-like features along the shores of the single continent. They were amazed not only by their alien look, but also, and especially, by the enormity of their size.
“Klomags,” offered Jorh telepathically. “We lived in them.”
The light-brown giants towered over the icy world, their gigantic trunks disappearing down into the hazy distance below. Sporting only a handful of what could have been considered enormous branches, some of them interconnecting between Klomags, the towering trees were several kilometers tall and topped by a very large round space, open to the sky like a giant flower. Its dark shiny petals reminded the observers of the absolute blackness they had encountered in the Martian cave dwellings, but the aliens informed them those were two very
different things. All around the perimeter, long protrusions, the size of tall city buildings, hung upside down. Hundreds of spherical objects, as big as small houses, dangled from them, far above the several kilometer-deep abyss below. Coming down further, they began to notice dark spots and cuts along the Klomags’ trunk. They soon realized the giant edifices were riddled with tunnels and large cavities. Inside them, hundreds of Kahnu aliens were busy moving about, going through their daily activities, unaware of the travelers. On the upper side of the gigantic tree branches, hovering crafts were orderly flying from Klomag to Klomag. The surreal scene was rendered even more spectacular by the intense contrast between the dark giants and the blinding white of the icy world below. The Kahnus and their giant tree-world rested on top of a high plateau, a good hundred meters above sea level. Still approaching, a thundering noise was building up strength down below. As the group reached the edge of the cliff overlooking the purple waters, they soon understood where the mayhem was coming from. Hundreds of ice columns were breaking off the cliff walls of the plateau, floating away into the calm purple ocean, while others were coming back to reattach themselves to the icy walls, a truly odd geological process. They couldn’t help but watch, mesmerized. Most intriguing of all, the blocks were floating standing up. Tall and thin as they were, they should have fallen onto their side or sunk into the ocean waters, yet they miraculously stood in vertically, like giant ice needles. The group could sense the ocean was not the force behind the strange mechanism, and the detaching and reattaching did not appear to follow any kind of logic or rhythm. The obvious randomness of the spectacle made it all the more fascinating. The scene followed the contour of the entire visible coast until it disappeared behind the horizon. From one end to the other, thousands of ice columns were thrashing against the cliffs, while thousands more were breaking away. The noise level was still increasing. By now, the seven human adults were covering their ears. Mahhzee’s telepathic voice spoke.
“We apologize. We just realized this must be quite loud for you. We can hear them as well, but at a much lower level than you. We are used to them.”
Not wanting to prolong their passengers’ discomfort, the aliens moved the group away, and quickly moved on toward a large mountain beyond the plateau. Leaving the ice columns and the Klomags behind, they soon arrived at the top of a tall ice-covered mountain.
“Nott,” commented Jorh.
A small cave, its mouth guarded by a large Zarfha, was growing larger as they approached. When they finally entered, the cold icy surroundings gave way to a cathedral-size space. Its walls were covered by countless shiny discs of various sizes, each baring a unique marking at its center. Toward the back of the chamber, large columns covered in large grooves from top to bottom, towered over several Kahnus dressed in colorful clothing. Seated in a semi-circle, the Elders were engaged in a heated conversation with several Kahnus standing a few steps lower in the center of the hall.
François and his friends looked at the aliens hovering over the scene with them. With eyes blinking, Jorh telepathically explained. Yes, the Kahnu arguing with the council was also Jorh, a younger Jorh, trying to save his planet long before its destruction. He and a more seasoned scientist named Ldohar, had discovered the rogue planet would enter Alhis-Ta, the solar system, within a few years, and they were certain about the monster’s trajectory. It would collide with Kahnu.
“You are speculating, Jorh. Varih-Aru is still years away. Why are you so sure it will come for us?”
“And why are you so sure it won’t?”
To that last question, the Elders answered as they always did, by first condemning the insolence of the apprentice, still too young in the field of science to present his unwarranted opinion and then scorching him for daring question the council's decision. No real explanation needed be given. Keisha, the ancient mother, had spoken to them, and given her message of truth. No harm would come to Kahnu from the rogue space object. No more was to be said, the council's decision was irreversible.
The observing group suddenly felt a jolt, and soon, their seats were racing. Rushing forward above the giant ice terrain, occasional protruding land masses zooming by, the small humans and their three alien guides finally came to a halt. Still surrounded by the bright white surface, they were now in the middle of a large gathering assembled in an open valley. The flat area was surrounded by a group of icy mountains and two imposing glaciers.
“This was the last great gathering of Darkuj. Look…” pointed Jorh.
Their chairs hovering invisibly through the masses, the sounds and sensations they felt were almost as real as if they had been there. Dedrick’s group, fast asleep in their suspended state of unconsciousness, was reliving a moment long lost in time, an event that had taken place seventy million years ago. As the observers watched and listened, they also felt a sense of understanding, a feeling of knowing what was happening beyond mere observation.
The masses had gathered on the icy grounds of Darkuj, the valley where all grand ceremonies and celebrations took place. Thousands of Kahnus had come from all regions for the occasion. Friends and acquaintances were reuniting, seated in small to large circles scattered across the valley, talking about their lives and the impending danger of Varih-Aru that, it had been recently announced, would be soon averted. Some were listening from their hovering vehicles to the beautiful sounds the Ghervz, tall stick-like creatures, were making in the distance. Others were enjoying sharing pleasures with partners, in various group configurations. Young adults, who had only recently left Kahalla, the pool of birth, were joyfully playing imaginary games, one of young Kahnus favorite pastimes. Along the steep mountainside nearest to the large gathering, several niches carved in the ice were reverberating to the deep sounds of Barks, bulky cup-shaped disks, spinning around giant Zarfha spheres. Next to them, several Kahnus were stumping their oversized feet in rhythm, their low-pitched pounding creating a rumbling effect throughout the entire valley, a truly mesmerizing experience.
“The Shirzu turners. They are the beat keepers of Kahnu and always lead the gatherings with their beautiful rhythms,” Jorh said telepathically. “Tonight, the occasion is one of celebration. Soon, the flying ship Ehoran, will meet with the dwarf planet Varih-Aru and force it off its course, saving our world and its fifty thousand inhabitants.”
Below, large numbers of Kahnus were creating dazzling light shows, colorful displays of love and joy, all bathed in the purple shades cast by Kahnu’s three moons, brightly reflecting on the frozen continent. Further down the valley, the same thing was taking place in the Klomags. Bright flashes of various colors were sparkling like stars all along the giant tree trunks. The dark waterways below them adding to the dazzling effect with their own reflections of the fiery display, the visual result was breathtaking. On the horizon, massive alien machines appeared to hover silently above the purple ocean.
“Vakkehs; transport vessels,” Jorh told them. From afar, they resembled dark pyramids, cruising above the waters of Mohgvar, displacing powerful undulating waves across the purple ocean below. Although not the fastest vessels, they were capable of transporting cargo loads of up to twenty thousand tons and accommodate several hundred passengers. It was the most common mode of transportation on Kahnu, after individual Voks.
The small group of hovering spectators was transported seamlessly across the ice, toward another group of giant Klomags near the coast. Out of the flat icy terrain bordering the purple ocean, giant protruding roots connected the immense trees to the water. The group approached one of the largest Klomags. At its base, the gargantuan was several hundred meters wide. This was a truly enormous edifice. Tendai looked up. They all did. The massive trunk shot so high up into the sky, they could not see its top. A few kilometers above the spectators, the giant tree vanished in the thick upper atmosphere, as if swallowed higher up by an invisible fog. Liu smiled, and they all did. They had just noticed at the same instant the small filaments of light coming down from far up, falling quiet
ly all around the base like stringy snowflakes. A majestic scene.
“This was our home, Klomag-Darh. Thousands of Kahnus lived here.”
They stared in awe as their alien guide slowly led them to the entrance of the towering edifice. They were trying to take it all in. It was odd, and yet so breathtakingly magical. The observers’ attention was suddenly drawn to a fast approaching flying vehicle coming straight behind them. The semi-transparent Vok, not much larger than a small bus, passed right in front of the invisible group without a sound, and rushed on into the large tunnel ahead. They all instantly knew the individual at the control was Jorh. Jorh of the past. Vera and her colleagues turned to the alien near her. He blinked at them and turned his attention back to his past self. The Jorh driving the flying vessel was the first to arrive at Harzo, the Grand Entrance Hall of Klomag-Darh, and was quickly rejoined by three others. After parking their vehicles in their gelatinous spots, the three Kahnus rejoined him. The humans recognized Mahhzee and Gahneo instantly. Serm’s name was given telepathically to them for the third.
"Let's go," said the young Jorh.
Rushing along corridors and hallways, weaving through groups of Kahnus and a variety of hovering crafts, the team made its way deeper into Harzo, to the secret passage that lead several levels underground. To the humans, watching these large beings running was interesting, to say the least. Their powerful legs gave them an impressive stride. The background noise of festivities above soon vanished, and the determined aliens quickly kept on.
"What happened?" asked the one named Serm, while running. “I don’t understand. What did Garnak mean?" But no one answered.
When they reached the bottom, the small group rushed through a soft gelatinous passage, and hastily made their way to an immense underground pool. Near its icy edge, a structure François and everyone else immediately recognized as Chasma’s big white cloud, or one identical to it, was floating in the dark waters. Next to it, another Kahnu, even taller than Jorh, was waiting.
Kahnu (The Guardians of Tomorrow Book 1) Page 28