by Sahara Foley
The twelve Rem brains, which had comprised the original One, were disconnected and separated. All of the brains, except for The One, were imprisoned in Husken Silver.
The new One mentally scoffed. Those arrogant, foolish Calens became terrified of what they had created. Some of the disgruntled Calens saw the Rem brain's potential to be used for interrogation purposes. After they made sure its Prime Directive was intact, they brought it to Bindkall Prison, where they hid it in a large, dark room, on the lowest level. The Calens didn't want a repeat of what happened aboard the Weesa.
Interred in its new home, The One's primary functions were to protect the people who ran the prison, to protect itself, and to continuously increase its knowledge. General Mayo used The One to perform invasive, painful, and, most times, life-threatening mental probes on the prisoners.
The One shifted its attention back to the Human. This Arthur, as he was called by the guards, proved to be a challenge, not only to itself, but for General Mayo as well. The male had been tortured repeatedly, but to no effect. The Human screamed in pain, and bled, but no bones or organs could be damaged. General Mayo ordered The One to scan Arthur's body and find the answer. What it uncovered was amazing; a force-field, right under the epidermis. Green sparks flew from the brain, remembering how excited it became over that discovery.
Once General Mayo understood no amount of torture would work, he ordered The One to perform deep, intensive mind probes.
It had done this numerous times, usually resulting in death, or leaving the prisoner an empty shell, at which point, The One absorbed their energy into itself. By the amount of screaming from the still conscious inmates, it knew the absorption of their life-force was a painful death. Here again, the Human proved to be a challenge.
The One deeply probed Arthur's mind, enough to break the will of any life form, but he would not be broken. The One quivered in frustration, its brain pulsating with pink sparks.
This Arthur must be destroyed. His species did not belong here, as he had already caused disruptions throughout the Calen and Eilsel worlds. Under the terms of its Prime Directive, the Human was a threat, and The One must eliminate him. But, the Human was still too powerful. I can wait, The One reminded itself. I have all the time in the Universe.
Arthur, however, didn't. Even now, his energy level was diminishing, due to starvation and the torture inflicted on him. Eventually, Arthur would be absorbed, as well as the Calen female who had been captured with him. Once it absorbed her powerful mate, she would be of little importance, just another insignificant being.
A low groan from the other prisoner in cell 376 drew The One's attention. This male was from the Planet Teth; a backwards world ignored and exploited by the Calens and Eilsels. After many scans, and testing of his genetic code, The One discovered the Tethians were related to itself. In fact, Tethians were related to the Calens and Eilsels. Their linage started millions of years ago, so far in the past, even the scholars lost track of their history. The One understood how this oversight occurred, as their species were so different in appearance.
According to its database, the Calens were a peaceful, but sanctimonious race, which had existed for twelve million Earth years. They were hairless, with pale skin, almond-shaped eyes, and two arms and legs, very similar in appearance to the Human. What set them above the Eilsels were their strong PSI (psychic) abilities, which led to advancements the Eilsels couldn't begin to dream of accomplishing. One of Calen's greatest achievements was the Ultilear, a weapon with such power, even a handheld ray gun could puncture a hole through a planet.
The Eilsels were a hairless, dark-skinned race, with two sets of arms and legs. They had three finger-like digits, plus a double-jointed opposable thumb. They were an industrious people, and though they lacked PSI abilities, they had a mastery level for technological knowledge. They took the Calen's hand-held Ultilear, and turned it into a larger weapon that could wipe out planets. Always in fear of the Calen's PSI powers, the Eilsel leaders were tempted to use the weapon against the planet of Calen.
As The One sifted through its database, it found a long-forgotten footnote about the current Eilsel world. Interesting, the brain mused. The planet had originally been inhabited by several different species that were fleeing from nuclear war on their own worlds. The migrations happened so long ago, the recent inhabitants of Eilsel thought the stories were only myths, or fairy tales.
Studying the genetic code of each race, The One knew scientifically there shouldn't have been any way these two species could reproduce. However, thanks to those long-ago ancestors, who survived the nuclear wars, a mutated gene emerged in the Eilsel females. When a male Calen copulated with a female Eilsel, their offspring's ended up with olive-skin, round-eyes, and only two arms and legs. These children were also very hairy; some with black or brown fur, and a few with red or blue.
Once the Calen scientists realized their two races inadvertently created a new species, they named them Patens. In their normal ostentatious manner, they started studying these strange, ugly half-breeds. The Calens noticed these unwelcome, heavily-muscled offspring didn't communicate verbally or mentally, but by a form of hand signals and grunts. Since neither the Calen nor Eilsels could communicate with the Patens, they were treated as lower life forms, and used as laborers.
They also discovered the Patens lived over 2,000 years versus the 1,500 to 2,000 years of their parent races. Most alarmingly, their children started breeding and reproducing at a younger age. At the rate they were reproducing, before long, there would be more Patens than Calens and Eilsels combined.
The One's brain quivered, pulsing with a lime-green color, its form of a chuckle. If it were not for the arrogance of the Calens, the Rems would never have been born. The Calens started doing PSI and breeding experiments on this new species, but without any results. The Patens could only conceive from each other, until a Calen worker accidentally confined a female Paten in a room where the Ultilear power sources were stored. After exposure to the radiation, the scientists found the female could now conceive from all three races.
They also experimented with a male Paten. Exposure to the same radiation caused him to go sterile. Since they already feared the overpopulation of the Patens, the males were subjected to the radiation, effectively ending their species. The females were exposed to the radiation, and then bred with volunteer Calen and Eilsel males. Most of the resulting offspring were abominations, being born with either too little or too many arms and legs, and they didn't live long. However, there were two surviving species which sprang from these experimental unions.
The breeding between a female Paten and a male Eilsel resulted in a species they named Tethians. These Tethians were the same size as a Calen or Eilsel, but had multi-colored hair covering their whole bodies. They were densely-muscled, had four arms and legs, and had communication skills. Due to this, they were considered more intelligent than the Patens. They had no PSI power, other than a strong mental link between each other, which couldn't be blocked by the anti-PSI generator.
The second species were small-bodied, only growing knee-high, with long, thick, wiry hair, six leg units, and large heads. Easily trained, they were named Rems. Their only communication skills were comprised of grunts, whistles, groans, and humming. The Rems had no arms, only muscular legs, and each leg ended with four fingers and a long thumb. All of their digits were double-jointed, which made them very dexterous, ideal for working aboard space vessels and exploration shuttles. They could also withstand thin air, and the extreme heat or cold of hostile planetary environments the Eilsels and Calens couldn't.
Since the Eilsels didn't have PSI abilities to power their space vessels like the Calens did, they used Leacon Crystals, cooled by heavy water, which had to be replaced after each lightspeed trip. This heavy water was extremely dangerous to Eilsels.
Fortunately, the Rems developed an obsession for the heavy water. They were used after each space flight to lap up the six quarts of water from each L
eacon Crystal chamber, causing them to get as drunk as any Eilsel spacer after drinking Blue Cagor.
The use of Leacon Crystals for their space explorations limited the Eilsels in the distances they traveled; usually only journeying to the 200 planets around them, which had already been discovered, explored, and inhabited.
The Calens had no restrictions on their space travels, and were known to be gone for 100 to 200 years at a time. With only a crew of four, they would mind-link, and use their PSI powers to travel vast distances, at high rates of speed, in their sleek, round, white ships.
On one such deep space trip, the Calens discovered their companion Rems also had PSI powers, which they'd never used before. Being the intrepid people they were, the Calens took brains from newly-born Rems, sealing them into containers, and hooking them up to the master computer. Once the young Rem brains were connected to the computer's database for training, they were taught the Prime Directive, and they never thought of themselves as nothing more than part of the ship.
The brain twitched and fidgeted, as an unknown emotion tried to surface. When it had been part of the original One, it had fellow Rems to communicate with. Since the separation and subsequent transfer to the prison decades ago, it was by itself. General Mayo, or the prisoners it killed, were the only forms of communication it had now.
The brain expanded and contracted, turning blue and red, as the liquid in its sealed container sloshed around. What is this unknown feeling? The One was perplexed. It had never questioned its existence. It scanned its databanks, trying to find an answer. The answer caused it to freeze. Loneliness. Am I lonely? What a foreign concept.
It continued to quiver and twitch as it followed that idea. What if I had a physical body? What would it be like to breed with a female Rem? Red and blue sparks flew everywhere, The One becoming even more agitated. It had never identified itself as either male or female before, but it just did. He wanted to breed with a female. Overwhelmed with his first bout of breeding lust, The One did the only thing he could. He went back to scanning the database, tracing his history, looking for answers.
With these Rem brains installed in their ships, the Calens traveled even faster, and for longer distances. One Calen leader, aboard a ship called Weesa, wanted to go even faster and farther. They already used four Rem brains connected to the master computer, so Regna added four more. Through telepathic discussions with the Rem brains, Regna discovered the brains quit growing due to the small size of the containers they were sealed in. Unable to remove the brains without destroying them, Regna converted the four holds aboard the Weesa into containers for four more Rem brains. These four Rem brains grew at a phenomenal rate, and soon grew to the size of the holds.
What Regna didn't account for was that these four large brains converged into one being, identifying itself as The One. The One took over the other Rem brains, all the computers, and, in essence, became the Weesa. Fortunately, the Prime Directive instilled in the Rem brains when young, still held, but Regna lost all control of her ship.
Yes, The One thought, sitting in the lower level of the prison. I remember what happened next quite clearly. After a year of crossing endless miles of dead space, The One decided to stop. The Rem brains felt it more beneficial to sit and scan as far as it could, rather than speeding across an empty Universe. Regna, and her crew, tried regaining control of the ship, but The One wouldn't acknowledge her orders until it determined there wasn't anything worth finding in that vast emptiness.
Once Regna regained her control of the Weesa, she ordered them back to Calen, where the Rem brains were dismantled. Eleven of the brains were imprisoned in Husken Silver, while the twelfth one had been housed in a cold, lonely room, in the lower level of Bindkall Prison. Which would have been better, The One pondered sadly, his brain glowing blue, to be imprisoned in Husken Silver, or to be used for torture against your own kinsmen?
Chapter Five
A 1987 topless, blue Triumph squealed around a corner, coming to a screeching stop in front of a set of double-wide, ornate iron gates. A black-haired beauty reached out, typing her code in the box mounted on the post. God, why did Dad have to be so worried about security? she wondered for the thousandth time, impatiently tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.
Waiting for the gates to slowly rumble open, she ran her fingers through her thick, shoulder length, wind-swept hair. Mum is going to grill me AGAIN on my most recent failure of a date. Her mum meant well. She didn't want to see her only child end up alone. But, her mother just didn't seem to understand. No matter how perfect the man is, he's not for me. With a small sigh of exasperation, she leaned her head back on the head rest, gazing up at the endless stars. Somewhere, out there, was her real father.
Over the years, her mum filled her head with plenty of amazing stories about Arthur Merlin, and his extraordinary powers, some of which she'd inherited. It was those same powers that made any type of relationship almost impossible. As a tear slowly slipped out the corner of her eye, she shook her head in frustration. Her mum refused to understand.
Do I like being alone? Of course not. She wanted the same things all people did; to be loved, have a home, and children. I'm not like everyone else, am I? Her heart aching from her acute loneliness, she angrily swiped at her tears. She hated it when she felt sorry for herself. The date she just escaped from was part of the problem. Every time she went on one, it reinforced how different she was. Will I ever meet a man I can be myself around? Never having to worry about using my powers, or the consequences if I do? Does a man like that even exist? The older she got, the more she didn't think so.
Peering up at the twinkling stars, she sent out a plea, Please, Dad, if you can hear me, I need your help, your guidance. I don't know what to do. A flash of silver streaked across the sky. What was that? she wondered, straightening up in her seat. Squinting her eyes to see better, it disappeared. She shook her head. Great. Now I'm seeing things. She rubbed her tired eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well lately.
For the past several weeks, she'd felt off, like something bad was going to happen, or maybe already had. But, she couldn't pinpoint the reason. God, I'm turning into a basket-case. With another small shake of her head, she shifted the car into gear, and proceeded up the driveway, preparing herself for another embarrassing talk with her mother.
* * *
The beeping from the security monitor installed in the library told Ruth her daughter had returned. Closing the book she'd been reading, she rose from the desk, and started pacing slowly around the room. Fingering a man's wedding ring threaded on a gold necklace, she fretted. Pam was supposed to be on a date. Why did she return so soon? She gave a soft sigh. Another bad one. Pam didn't think she understood. But, she did.
When Pam hit her teenage years and started the dating process, Ruth knew her daughter had a slim chance of finding a soulmate. How can she? If Pam demonstrated any of her psychic abilities, most men would feel threatened by her, and go running to the authorities. Not that they could lock Pam up. No, Ruth thought with a chuckle, but she'd have to leave, roaming from country to country. Just like Arthur was doing when I first met him, she thought sadly. I don't want that type of life for my precious daughter.
Hearing footsteps, she softly called out, “Pam, would you come in here for a minute, please?” She sat in an overstuffed armchair, crossing her long legs.
Pam stepped through the doorway, a frown marring her heart-shaped face. “Mum, I'm really tired. Can we talk in the morning? I don't feel like discussing my date right now.”
Looking into her daughter's sapphire eyes, she saw the tears Pam was struggling to contain. Ruth bit her lower lip. It broke her heart knowing her daughter was so unhappy. Holding out her hand, she said, “Please, Pam, just for a minute. I have something I need to discuss with you.”
Taking the offered hand, Pam reluctantly sat in the other armchair next to her mother.
Patting Pam's hand, she asked, “Are you still having nightmares?”
&nbs
p; With a loud sigh, Pam leaned back, and started nervously picking at her cuticles. “They're not really nightmares. I never remember them, but I wake up with a deep sense of foreboding. It's like someone's in trouble, and they need my help. I've scanned everyone I know, but I just can't figure out who's in trouble.”
Leaning forward, Ruth stared intently at her distraught daughter. “I have to confess; I've been having the same feelings. I think your father is the one who's in trouble.” At Pam's look of disbelief, she explained, “Arthur and I had a kind of psychic connection. For some reason, I was able to read his emotions, and sometimes, thoughts.” A small smile crossed her face as she thought about Major Paber. While trying to soothe Major Paber's ringing ears, Arthur had accidentally triggered an intense orgasm. Major Paber then asked if Arthur could make a 'pill' to give to his wife. “After he left with Daisy, I lost that connection. However, in the last few weeks, I've been feeling it again. More like a niggling feeling, but I know its Arthur. I know he's in trouble, and hurt.”
With a thoughtful frown, Pam sat up, staring at the book Ruth left on the desk. “You may be right, but how could he be hurt? He has a force-field, just like mine.”
“I know it doesn't sound probable, honey. Can you try to scan for him, see if he's all right?” Ruth was fingering her necklace, worry lines creasing her forehead.
“I'll try. It's been awhile since I've done a mental probe for him. It may take a few minutes.” Leaning back, eyes tightly closed with hands on top of her legs, Pam sat still, face set in concentration. After ten minutes, she let out a sigh of frustration, rubbing her forehead. “It shouldn't take this long. I'm able to feel the Shalit in Excalibur, but I can't find my father. Do you think he could be dead?” she asked with a frightened quiver.