He nodded, apprehensive. “I understand. I’m just not used to seeing things about our base so easily accessed.”
She picked up the tag, and fondled it. “K’pec … funny it should be referenced.”
Her baiting tone snagged their interest.
“We already decoded that log you took from the mercenaries on Allia’s world. It confirmed what we already knew. The mercenaries were shipping goods for the Nukari, but they were intended for K’pec. We already suspected there might be Nukari there, just because of what K’pec is, along with the reports of scientists disappearing.”
To the confusion on their faces she said, “Let me backtrack a bit. K’pec is a research world for a race called the Xiteb’rn. They’re as affluent and resourceful as the Be’Inaxi.”
“A whole world of scientists?” Mencari said.
“A satellite world actually.” She called up a projection that revealed the blotted terrain of a large planet. “As you can see, there are a number of dead zones on K’pec.”
Mencari scowled at it. “Looks like massive blast craters.”
“I always thought that too. Supposedly, K’pec naturally generates storms and conditions that created those areas. Whether it’s true, I don’t know.”
“Or whether they took the world by force,” Seigie added.
“They already had a homeworld, and had no need for colonizing or for resources, so the Xiteb’rn made it one for research. In fact, one of the most infamous research facilities in our region of space. You name it, it’s done there. Their population of researchers is almost as diverse as the races found in the Trading Post. The topics of research are just as numerous. All in the name of collaboration and betterment.” She spoke the last words as though she’d just tasted something bitter.
“Missing scientists can’t go over too well there,” Mencari said.
She tipped her head, eyebrows raised in agreement.
“The Nukari could’ve wormed their way into one of the projects there,” Seigie said.
Eyani gave a derisive laugh. “Or are running an entire operation themselves. It was nothing to put a few of our own people there. We forged credentials, provided some training, and then inserted a few ‘scientists’ and ‘researchers’ there. One has already gone missing, however.”
Mencari said, “When?”
“Four standard days ago.” She turned, weighted eyes on Mencari. “We want to put together another team to go there, but can’t spare the people. Space is a big place to cover.”
“Maybe we could help with that,” he said.
She smiled. “I had hope you’d say that. Let me know who’s going, and I’ll take care of their access.”
Bob bleeped, and projected a myriad of reports and video panels. “More reports coming in.”
“Which reminds me, we have more news on our creature friends, and the Nurealians,” Eyani said. “In fact, it seems more by the minute.”
“New sightings?” Mencari asked.
She nodded. “And more violent each time.”
“Just the creatures, or those silver streaks too?”
“Both, though not every time.” Eyani shook her head. “What’s frustrating is they’re very good at cleaning up their messes. Or perhaps neither side can injure the other? Outside of the finger Allia found back on Jadrell, there’s been no physical remnants of the battles.”
“Did the Be’Inaxi envoy find anything more about the Nurealians?” Seigie asked.
“Not a thing.” Eyani’s stomach churned painfully. “In fact, everything we had on them looks false.”
“What?” Mencari’s tone showed disbelief. “How does something like that happen at a place like this?”
“It takes time to verify things. We assume if you’re giving us gigaquads of information about your world, it must be real. Our teams were in the verification process when the Nurealians disappeared.”
“But we do know they’re at odds with the Nukari, which has to be good in some way for us,” Seigie added.
“Enemy of my enemy?” Eyani shrugged. “Hopefully.”
“Speaking of the enemy, we have a lead of interest.” Mencari pulled up a star chart with a thick pink line across it. “It’s trailing the same particles found from crafts found on Aeun and Argosy.”
“What’s the scale on that display?” Eyani said, confounded. “It looks colossal.”
“It is.”
“What are you planning to do about it?”
“Nothing for the moment.” He wasn’t successful in hiding his amusement. “I doubt we’re ready to take on something that big. So we’re just keeping track of it.”
She considered his words. “Let me talk to Ghn’en. A single Nukari vessel—even that size—might be something he can handle.”
“Ghn’en?” he said, curious. “Have I met him yet?”
Her head shook. “We call him in when we need … firepower.”
“And he could take on something of that size?”
“I believe so. I’ll get back to you. Say,” she added. “Before I forget, we’re getting strange readings from the star in the Drago Nebula. Can you send a probe out there to check it out?”
“Of course. Anything in particular to look for?”
Eyani looked down to Bob, who sat unusually quiet. “Just report back anything you find.”
“So beyond probes, there isn’t much else to do?” Seigie said, looking from Mencari to Eyani.
Eyani shook her head. “Soon we’ll have more leads than we’ll know what to do with.”
* * * * *
“So everyone’s here but one.” Seigie spoke as she looked around the room.
“Naijen said he was going to the mines, and to call him when there was something real to do,” Allia said, cheerful.
After sharing a frustrated glance, Mencari and Seigie summarized what they had discussed at Eden. Mencari finished with, “Eyani needs time before we tackle that ship, and for her to get us into K’pec.”
“So what will we do in the meantime?” Allia was already fidgeting.
“We do this,” Seigie pulled her memory crystal from a concealed pouch, and looked back at Mencari with cautious eyes. “I know we didn’t talk about this, but Allia, Toriko, and I found something interesting when we hooked this up to the crystal reader.”
Allia peered at it. “You think D’mar will still be there?”
“The D’mar—the ancient D’mar?” Mencari asked.
“We found an embedded message from Yeno Voleri, back from when we evacuated D’mar itself during the first Nukari invasion. There were coordinates where we were supposed to regroup if we escaped destruction.”
“Could our people still be there?” Osuto asked.
“I doubt it,” Seigie said. “But I still want to see.”
More than wanted, she needed to. Mencari could see that in her stony eyes.
“I think it’s a worthy venture,” Osuto said, solemn. “At best, we find our people and allies. At worst, perhaps some closure. Let me know the minute you find anything. I’ll work with Nikko and Cogeni in the meantime.”
“I have some probe work to do,” Toriko said. “Eyani mentioned the Drago Nebula, right?”
Mencari nodded.
“If you need me, I’ll be in the control room.” Toriko headed off with Spark trotting behind.
Osuto hesitated, then said, “And what about Naijen?”
Seigie huffed. Mencari’s mouth clamped shut before reluctantly answering in his best Naijen impersonation, “Well, I’m sure he’d say something like ‘no bustin’ heads, then count me out.’ This should be a pretty safe mission. So let’s just leave him alone for now.”
Mencari could’ve sworn he saw a slight smile cross Seigie’s face. But that couldn’t be, since she never, ever smiled.
* * * * *
“Using our link to Eden, Bob and I did some digging. The only thing I found was a planet called Luon near the coordinates given.” Seigie spoke while she called up the flight
plan on the ship’s console.
“Luon,” Allia muttered, thoughtful, and chanted it like a curious rhyme.
“Can I see the Voleri recording?”
“Sure, Rhysus,” Seigie called up her personal files and sent a copy of the extracted video to Mencari’s console.
Numerous red alerts flashed up on the navigation panel. Moments later, in a fountain of light, Mini-T appeared with Bob’s avatar at her side, warning, “Possible Nukari detected.”
Allia smiled and waved. “Hi, Toriko.”
“Hello Allia. Though, I’m not Toriko. I’m the upgraded, super-awesome, one-of-a-kind Mini-Toriko 6300 Neo-Ultra! Er, but I guess simply ‘Mini-T’ still works. And I believe you know Bob?”
“Bob?” Mencari said, surprised.
“Greetings and salutations!” Bob said in his usual welcoming tone. “Eyani mentioned the integrations! Now I can help you anywhere you go!”
“Um, we can help them anywhere they go,” Mini-T corrected.
“But of course we can!” Bob said, punctuating the correction.
“Now seriously,” Mini-T continued. “Among my many enhancements, included is new scanning hardware that allows me to scan for Nukari emissions in-flight. And, assuming the sensors are calibrated correctly—”
“That’s a big assumption,” Seigie interjected.
“I’ve detected them in the vicinity.”
“Where?” Mencari said.
“Multiple trails.” With a gesture, a projection appeared displaying all her findings. “Faint, but the trails are getting stronger by the minute.”
Seigie glanced at Bob in alarm. “Do we get off the spaceway—”
“Oh my gosh!” Mini-T interrupted, “I’m detecting a massive spike in trail density.” Even the antennae on Bob’s avatar were rigid. “Rhysus, they’re really close now. Be careful!”
Mini-T gestured again, adding an overlay of thickening trails of small pink particles. “See how it’s becoming denser?”
“Spaceway maps indicate a safety port should be ahead,” Bob added.
“Look at the concentration!” Mini-T blurted. “Don’t stop there!”
Her hands waved, summoning a small, holographic terminal before her. “Scanner ready,” Bob said.
Mencari’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing, Mini-T?”
“Initiate scan!” Mini-T said before turning toward Mencari. “A low-frequency scan, to see what’s there as we pass by—”
“Scan complete!” Bob said as the results displayed in new projection.
Mini-T lurched. “Forty-three ships. It’s a Nukari convention!”
“Relaying information to Eden,” Bob added.
A different tone rang out as both Mini-T and Bob looked toward the rear of the ship. “Rhysus, two ships just left the safety port,” Mini-T warned. “They’re closing fast.”
“Any signs of weapons?” he said.
“Passive scans show—”
“Yes or no!”
“No. No!”
“Seigie, stay the course,” he said.
The two ships soon flanked them. Silence fell across the cabin while they waited to see what the ships would do next.
“I can charge the EM pulse,” Seigie offered. “Toriko mentioned it can down ships.”
Mencari considered it, then shook his head. “I’ve seen it in action, and hitting would be difficult. Besides, I expect they’d be able to detect that.”
“Yes, they would,” Mini-T said, followed by Bob reporting, “The probability of successful charging and unleashing an EM pulse, given agility of flanking ships, is near zero.”
The mercenary ships burst ahead and disappeared into the horizon. Mencari breathed a heavy sigh, noticing for the first time the tension he’d carried in his shoulders.
Seigie reviewed the navigation panel. “Nothing else seems to be following us.”
As they continued, they found diminishing gatherings of mercenary ships along the way.
“I don’t like this,” Seigie said. “This feels too much like a gathering of forces.”
Mencari nodded agreement. “Let’s focus on this mission, then get back.”
“We’re almost there.” Seigie took the next off-ramp into normal space. After another bumpy but uneventful span, they arrived in orbit above Luon.
Far below, the world teemed with dense forests, white-capped mountains, blue lakes, and patchy deserts.
“This is way bigger than any other planet we’ve been on.” Allia was looking out the port window. “Where do we even start to look for the D’mar? If they’re even here.”
“Allow me!” Mini-T projected an image of the planet. In moments, the globe began to highlight in patches of color.
Seigie looked to Mencari. “When does she find the time?”
Mencari smiled at the unusual praise—at least he thought it was praise.
Mini-T pointed as she explained, “Each color represents animals, minerals, natural phenomena, unnatural phenomena—”
“Unnatural phenomena?” Seigie said.
“Formations distinctly different from their surroundings, or structures not formed through the natural course of planetary mantle shifts or weather patterns.”
Seigie’s brow furrowed. “You mean built by people?”
“‘Built by people,’ or ‘manmade,’ might be appropriate alternative definitions for unnatural phenomena.”
“Fine, start there.” Seigie gave a flippant wave. “Anything built by people.”
Many of the overlaid colors faded, leaving only bright peach-colored highlights behind.
“Look at the concentration there.” Mencari pointed to an area on the projection. The section lit up as if he’d touched it. “Smaller pockets around it too. Like mini-satellite structures.”
“We’ll start there.” Seigie pointed to a greenish patch.
The ship computed the entry vectors and descended to an area near the concentration on the map. They found themselves above a dense jungle.
“All I see are trees,” Allia said.
Seigie shrugged. “What better way to hide what you don’t want seen from space? We might need to do some exploring.”
The ship hovered a moment before returning navigation control to Seigie. They circled the area and found a spot in the dense jungle just large enough to land the ship.
* * * * *
“Ready?” Allia jittered, waiting at the airlock.
“Atmospheric readings say it’s breathable.” Seigie made her way to Allia. “Not that it matters to us. Go on.”
Allia opened the hatch and was greeted by the sound of birds and wind rustling through the tall, jungle trees.
“It’s so beautiful,” she breathed, poking her head outside. “Just like my home.”
The deep scent of leaves and moss hung heavy in the moist air. Allia sniffed. “The air is so fresh! And look at those flowers.”
Exotically shaped flowers in brilliant colors were both lovely and bizarre. The most captivating among them, a dense plume of deep purple petals, sat atop eight thick, thorny vines.
Without hesitating, she ran to them and gazed in wonder. “Pretty!”
After she checked to make sure Ichini was in tow, she found a smaller version of the plant. Using her Flower Blade, she dug it up, and darted around Seigie, who was just emerging from the ship.
The matriarch looked at the plant on the floor, her eyes curious.
“Okay, all set,” Allia said, beaming.
“What is that for?” Mencari asked as she bounded out of the craft with a mighty leap.
“Well, I thought we could add to my grotto, if it’s okay to take it back with us?”
What’s the harm? “Just be sure to clean up the dirt before Toriko sees.”
She jumped up and hugged him. “Thanks, Rhysus.”
Mencari disentangled himself, saying, “Let’s see what else we can find here.”
* * * * *
“According to the scans, a structure should be just
up ahead,” Mencari said.
Seigie groaned, then looked ahead for a break in the greenery. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on such a slow, arduous trek. It had been less than two hours, but the constant stops while Allia used her Flower Blade to hack and slash the dense foliage gave just enough time for her massive body to sink partway into the soft groundcover.
Time to move a few feet once again. Begrudgingly she pulled her stony legs from the brownish-green death that threatened to swallow her. What was worse, her skin turning to solid crystal and making her a statue for all eternity, or living entombed in this muck?
How did she get herself in such situations anyway? She inwardly cringed when she recalled she brought this little adventure upon herself. Perhaps she could just charge a few red crystals and strategically burn this jungle hell down?
Just a few, it would be worth it.
She took in a deep breath. The air was dank here, without the freshness of the area near their landing site. It almost smelled like a marsh. That would explain why the ground was increasingly malleable. A slight glinting in the distance drew her attention.
“Over there.” She pointed. “Do you see that?”
Poking up from the mounds of foliage were thick posts of corroded material. Allia hacked down the last of the tall grass before her, and craned her neck for a look. “I see some kind of hill!” she said, bounding ahead.
“No, we stay together,” Mencari protested.
“I’m just going over here….” She scaled the mound with Ichini, heading toward the posts. Unexpectedly, she cried out and disappeared.
“Allia!” Mencari yelled as a golden glow covered his body, and he leaped into the air. In a moment, he landed where the girl disappeared.
“I’m okay! I’m O-K!” Her muffled voice came from somewhere ahead.
“What’s going on?” Seigie yelled, watching as Mencari looked down into the mound.
“It’s hollow down there. Stay back, this whole area could be like this.”
See? she thought. Entombed in muck! This place would be her end yet!
“It’s not just a mound, it’s a … ship!” Allia’s muffled voice called out.
D'mok Revival: The Nukari Invasion Anthology Page 44