The Ocoda Chronicles Book 2 Lost Heroes

by Daniel OConnell

  Tess concerned asks, "Val, please let me tell them our intent, and let my brother know I'm alive."

  Val responds, "Your brother knows you’re alive. I sent him a holoimage of your arrival. As for the Paladonian fleet, they pose no threat to me, any more than the First One's shields can prevent me access to this Flower Stone."

  Tess sighs replying, "Val, we have other means to defend ourselves, other than just X'ena technology."

  Val looks up at the scanner, and points at the second seat to Tess. He says, "The holocom is open."

  Tess takes a deep breath and speaks, "This is Tess White on board my personal ship, requesting permission to enter Paladonian space."

  A few minutes pass when a voice replies, "Consul Tess White, this Valens control. You will enter our space within the hour. We have sent an interceptor to meet you. You will stand down and be boarded for inspection."

  Tess replies, "Negative, I'm a diplomat of my people and will not allow this."

  The voice on the radio replies, "We know who you are Tess White, and we know who you travel with. You will stand down, and you will be boarded. Failure to comply will result in the disabling of your ship, as we have set T-Challa mines throughout your flight path."

  Val looks up and says, "If you’re done, I need to continue focusing on bypassing their defense systems."

  Tess sighs and says, "Val, they won’t let you get to the First Ones moon."

  Val arrogantly replies, "I know what they want Tess. They want what's in my head, for as long as I'm alive to give them a military or scientific advantage, over the other sect's."

  Tess concerned asks, "So what are you going to do?"

  Val activates a holorecording of Caleb. Who immediately speaks to the Valens, "Be advised this vessel is under my direct protection any attack against it, or its passengers is a direct violation of my prime laws, and as such will enact the shutdown protocol."

  Tess says to Val, "You know that's not going to keep working every time."

  Val replies, "It only needs to work this one time."

  A voice replies from the Valen home world, "My name is Valentine, I was named after you Val Arao, and I have unfortunate news. Although I have ordered my ships to stand down several Captains whose ships are equipped with T-Challa technology are on their way to intercept you."

  Val unconcerned replies, "Sir, if they attempt to stop me, I will shutdown their life support and engines killing them all instantly by opening every airlock on their ships."

  Valentine shocked asks, "Mister Arao, you would be committing mass murder. This is not what the stories and legends have told us of you?"

  Tess interjects pleading, "Consul Valentine, you know who I am, trust me when I say this. Val’s mental state is in jeopardy, as well as his life, and unless he reaches the moon of the First Ones, he will be dead in just a few days. He no longer has human emotions. He is more like a machine than a human being. Those Captains are going to condemn themselves, and their crews to a quick and painful death."

  Consul Valentine replies, "I will do what I can to persuade the Captains of those ships to stand down."

  Tess replies, "We will be in range of their ships in just a few minutes."

  The com closes, as Val uncaring locks into the approaching ships computer systems, and prepares to carry out his threat.

  Tess tries to reason with him pleading, "Val, I know you don't think you can feel but slow down for just a minute please. They’re men that grew up honoring you. They’re named as a people after you. Give them a chance to listen to their leaders, please."

  Val looks up and continues with his programming, as he locks onto all the approaching ships.

  Tess crying pleads again, "Val, let me try and speak to their Captains please."

  Val quickly activates the com line as Tess yells out over the com, "Please! Whoever you are in those approaching ships, stand down! Val is not the man he was before. He has lost his humanity, and has no emotions what so ever. He has set a program up that will kill every one of you instantly, if you don't stand down. Look at your life support systems. You can easily see he is broken into each of your ships systems, please!"

  A voice responds, "Tess, we know what he is, and believe you are trying to take him to your own world, to give yourself an advantage over the rest of us. We do not believe you. Power down your ship, or we will disable it, and if necessary, board you by force."

  Tess crying pleads, "You fool! I'm not lying. Please don't make him into a killer. Please!"

  Val closes the com line, and says, "They will not stand down Tess, you tried."

  Tess looks at Val and says, "Val, these people took your name as their own. They have families, just as you do. Please don't kill them, if there is just an ounce of humanity in you. Please don't do this!"

  Val looks up at the screen, as the Valens ships prepare to fire. He quickly makes an adjustment on his program, and activates it.

  The Valens ships immediately power down, and their life support shutdown, but the air locks do not open.

  Val opens the com and finally speaks, "Be aware, I have tied the air locks into your torpedo control panels. Any attempt to fire on me will immediately open the air locks, killing you all instantly."

  Tess crying says, "Thank you Val. I knew you hadn't lost everything good inside you."

  The com opens up and Consul Valentine speaks, "Val Arao, the Captains of the ships have agreed not to fire on you. Will you please restore life support?"

  Val activates another program and closes the com.

  Tess asks, "Did you restore their life support?"

  Val replies, "It will reactivate once we are passed them, in about ten minutes. I would suggest that you prepare for departure, as we will be entering First One space in that time."

  Tess replies, "No Val, I'm coming with you."

  Val replies, "My understanding of the First Ones moon is that no one who has ever entered has left."

  Tess reluctantly replies, "That's not completely true Val. We do not record all our history."

  Val curious asks, "Please explain?"

  Tess sighs as she replies, "There is a ceremony we as the direct descendants of the original crew of Paladin are allowed to go to the moon of the First Ones. When we reach the age of eighteen, we are allowed to enter their moon through a special chamber, and we are brought to the Flower Stone. It is the reason that our life spans are much longer than anyone else's."

  Val curious asks, "What happened when you went to the Flower Stone?"

  Tess slightly embarrassed replies, "I don't remember Val. When we left, we had no memory of what happened to us, but I felt very warm inside. I felt complete for the first time... I really don't know how to explain it."

  Val goes back to the controls, as his nose begins to bleed profusely.

  Tess concerned asks, "Val? You’re bleeding. Is there anything I can do?"

  Val coughs, as he covers his nose, and locks the ship on autopilot, saying, "We will arrive in orbit in seven minutes. I will more than likely be unconscious by that time, so Tess you can contact the First Ones and get them to allow me entry, or watch me die."

  Val gets up, as he heads to the washroom in the cabin below, but as he does he collapses to the ground.

  Tess rushes to him, and tries to elevate his head and stabilize his condition. After a few minutes, she goes to the ship controls, and sees he has removed the lock out commands, allowing her complete control of the ship once again. She pauses, considering her options to take him to her home world, but realizes her responsibility and continues to the moon of the First Ones.

  After a few minutes, she receives an automated com message, saying, "You have entered restricted space. You will leave immediately, or be destroyed."

  Tess replies, "This is Tess White, I have Val Arao on board. He is dying, and unless you lower the planetary shield at once, he will be dead in minutes."

  A few minutes pass, when a voice replies in Tess's head, "Hello Tess, it has been a very lon
g time."

  Tess confused asks, "Who is this? Will you allow us access to Flower Stone?"

  The voice replies, "Tess, you will need to bring your ship to the edge of the shield, and you will need to use your phase shift cloak, to carry both you and Val to us."

  Tess very confused replies, "I can’t shift through a shield."

  The voice calmly replies, "Yes my child, you can, and you have done so before my child. You know the way through it."

  Tess very confused asks, "Who are you?"

  The voice replies, "You will find out soon enough. Now quickly Tess, bring Val to us at once."

  Tess moves Cavalier as directed right to the edge of the First Ones shield. She grabs Val holding him upright as she strains her arms trying to hold him upright. She swiftly activates her shifter and travels through the field. The first moment she can feel the void of null space push against her as she makes contact with the shield, but she can feel the pull of something dragging her through the shield. Then within a moment, she is on the surface of the moon, and inside a protective domed chamber. She gasps for air, as she tries her best to hold Val up right.

  A voice speaks out from the darkness, "Hello child, and welcome back."

  Tess confused asks aloud, "Who are you? Where are you?"

  Two cloaked men quickly approach. They are pushing an anti-grav sled. They immediately go to Val, and place him on the sled. The voice speaks, saying, "Follow these men Tess. They will take you to the Flower Stone and to me."

  Tess unable to locate the voice follows the two hooded men through a long corridor, and into a more massive chamber, which is filled with a strange mist.

  Tess sees movement through the mist, human shapes that she can easily discern, but then she notices another shape and is shocked as she realizes she is surrounded by T-Challa.

  Tess frightened jumps back quickly, grabbing her weapon. She prepares to fire, but hears a voice in the distance, "Tess! It’s Ok, you’re safe." Then other aliens appear from the mist, from all different races. Then from the back of the room, the mist begins to dissipate, showing a massive T-Challa Queen. She encompasses almost the entire room. Her image looks peaceful, compared to the images that had been seen before of the horrific Queen known to the humans. She speaks, "Tess, you cannot remember yet, but I will restore those memories now. You will then see child, but unfortunately, you will not be able to remember once you leave us. You see my child; you have been here with us before."

  Tess confused asks, "What is going on?"

  The Queen answers, "The mist is designed to prevent you from remembering what happens here Tess. It is for my protection, as well as all the other races that are hidden on this moon." The Queen pauses continuing, "Caleb decided to save all the races that my people were forced to destroy. Thus by bringing enough of each population back from the brink of extinction, and with the use of his technology, he saved or cloned each race back, from extinction. He also decided to recreate my people."

  Tess confused asks, "Your people? Your people destroyed everything! Laid waste to this galaxy, and now you’re helping to restore it?"

  The Queen replies, "We did not do any of those things my child, the Meli did. Try and remember Tess, it will come back to you now, just as soon as you are within the mist again."

  Tess confused, tries to remember saying aloud, "I remember meeting you over a hundred years ago. I remember entering the Flower Stone."

  The Queen replies, "It was the Meli that destroyed my descendants mind, and then twisted my people to its will.

  Long ago, the Meli were discovered by the X'ena thousands of years ago. They were evil vile creatures, which feed on pain and despair. The X'ena accidently discovered their dimension while working on gateway travel. The Meli killed many of the X’ena before they were able to trap them all inside their dimension for all time. However, one of the Meli was able to escape here in our dimension. The Meli feed on psychic energy, and at the time, my kin was the strongest mind in the galaxy. It eventually found my people. It then trapped my ancestors mind, and repopulated my people with its ruthless minions, who were bent on the destruction of the X'ena.

  However, Caleb discovered the truth about this in the alternate future, and found a way to clone me and allow my people a second chance to begin again, and to redeem our race."

  Tess takes in a deep breath and asks, "I remember it all, but why is it we can only remember in the mist?'

  The Queen answers, "That is an effect of my influence. Should the Meli learn of this place, or my existence it would do everything it could to destroy us."

  The Queen looks down at Val and says, "We have very little time. We need to bring him to the Flower Stone now."

  Tess calmly recalls and says, "I cannot enter can I? I remember. We can only enter one time."

  The Queen answers, "Correct child, Val must enter alone. You have already seen what is inside the stone, and you can only enter one time."

  The two hooded men move toward a small stone in the center of the room and as they approach the stone begins to glow brightly and the room is enveloped with a bright yellow glow, followed by a loud pitched whine, which is almost deafening.

  Then Val is gone from the anti-grav sled, which hovers by itself empty.

  Val awakes alone. He feels odd as he regains his composure. He instantly realizes all the knowledge he had is gone, and he is whole again. Extremely happy he says aloud, "Thank you God. I can feel my soul again. I feel complete."

  Then a familiar voice speaks from behind, "Sorry my brother, for what I did to you."

  Val's mouth drops, as he spins around and sees Caleb standing behind him. Val is overwhelmed with joy seeing Caleb alive. He tackles him to the ground yelling, "You crazy fool! I thought you had died!"

  Caleb smiles and says, "Sorry brother, but what you see here is me yes, but only to a point, and unfortunately it’s not the real me."

  Caleb takes a breath and says, "The Flower Stone has many gifts my brother. I found it in the time stream, it is actually alive, and it was lonely. It helped us, showed us things and in return, it creates duplicates of certain people. In this case, it created a duplicate of me, and all the members of my crew, as well as all of their decedent, which are deemed worthy are also allowed the gift of a long life."

  Val confused asks, "Cale I'm confused, what are you saying to me? You’re not real, long life, what?"

  Caleb smiles, and replies, "No Val, I have all of Caleb's memories up till the time I came into contact with the Flower Stone. The image you see before you is me, from a certain point of view. The Flower Stone merged with Paladin, and so all my powers work in here, just as they did on Paladin, which is how I healed you, and repaired the information I downloaded into your mind."

  Val shocked asks, "Didn't you remove it?"

  Caleb smiles as he replies, "No my brother, I just limited the way the information enters your mind. You will no longer be able to just create things at a whim. However, when you really need to know how to do something, the information will find its way to you, just as I originally intended it to work."

  Val feeling shame says, "Cale, I did terrible things with that knowledge. I could have hurt people. I think it’s best if you remove it from me."

  Cale smiles and says, "No my brother. What happened was beyond my ability to foresee, had I known that Carla could allow you full access to that knowledge, I would have done it differently. I’m sorry Val that knowledge made you its slave. I have put in extra safeguards, which will prevent even Carla from repeating that error again my brother."

  Val, still very confused asks, "Brother, you said the Flower Stone extends life? Will I live longer too?"

  Caleb replies, "Well Val, it’s rather complicated, the Flower Stone is its own dimension in which it recreates copies of us. It also endows us with an extended life sometimes more than tripling your normal life. However, because it recreates you exactly as you are, you can never return. Should you return you could destroy yourself and your duplica
te, because the laws of physics state that same object cannot exist in the same time and space, so if you attempt to return, you and your duplicate will die.

  Val confused asks, "Who else is here?"

  A voice answers from behind, "Hey Val, how are you?"

  The voice is Rachel Cooley, and standing beside her is Reggie White, and beside him he sees Tess who is much younger, as well as hundreds of others that appear from nothing."

  Reggie happily speaks, "Hey Val, we missed you very much.

  Val, uncomfortable, asks, "What do you do in here? How do you live?"

  Reggie replies, "Val my friend, in here we live an almost nirvana life. It’s nothing I can explain in simple words. The stone is in one word perfection."

  Tess noticing Val staring at her asks, "Do I know you sir?"

  Val smiles and says, "Yes Tess, you do."

  Tess confused replies, "I'm sorry, I don't seem to recall knowing you."

  Val smiles as he asks, "How long have all of you been in here, and where is Onatof and Benton?"

  A deep voice belches from behind the crowd. Benton speaks, "Hey my little friend. Time isn't like time out there. We don't feel time move if we don't want it to. For me, it’s only been a few hours since I came in here."

  Caleb speaks, solemnly, "Onatof, never made it to meet the Flower Stone."

  Val saddened asks, "What happened?"

  Caleb sighs, saying, "He sacrificed himself to save us."

  Val very saddened takes a deep breath, and says, "Scott was killed saving everyone. Mohammed was lost in the null space. Tess's brother Raphael was also lost in it as well. So many people my brother are gone, and I couldn't feel any remorse, or any sense of loss till now."

  Raphael appears next to Tess, asking, "How was I lost?"

  Val confused at seeing Raphael states, "Well, you had no choice, but to jump directly into null space or die."

  Benton overconfidently says to Raphael, "Don't worry kid, if you’re in null space, I'll find you."

  Then a voice speaks from all around, it is the voice of Paladin, "Hello Val, it has been a long time since I have seen you. I feel your loss of our friends, it is very sad to hear of this."