The Revenge of Excalibur

by Sahara Foley

  Emeara's eyes looked troubled. “We're sorry, Pamela. As Weesa, we always read the crews' minds, to assist them in their duties. We meant no harm.”

  “I'm not your crew,” she snapped. With a heavy sigh, she leaned back in her chair. “Look, I'm sorry. I just found out my father is being held prisoner, and I had a brother and sisters, but they're dead. I'm totally out of my element, and I don't understand what it is you want me to do.”

  “If you will listen, we will explain,” said Olso in a stern voice.

  Pam glared at Olso, not sure if she liked her or not. She seemed to be the bad cop to Emeara's good cop. “Ok, ok,” Pam said, waving her hand. “Go on with your story.”

  “Many generations ago, more than you can fathom in your Earth years, before Humans even walked your planet,” Olso lectured with a sneer, “our Universe was invaded by a terrible entity. We knew not where they came from, but they destroyed all life, including planets. They were nothing more than clouds of dark energy that would envelope a planet and absorb all the energy from the world and its life forms. I was told it was a slow, painful way to die. I was Queen of Calen at that time, so I ordered our best scientists to discover a way to eliminate them.

  “Even with our brightest minds working on the problem, no one came up with an answer. And the Planet Destroyers were getting closer each year. It was quite by accident we found the solution. Some of our deep space vehicles were using Rem brains as computers, and to fulfill other functions on those ships.

  “The Rem brains were contained in vessels that were constructed with small amounts of Husken Silver as components. Husken Silver is toxic to our race, but in small enough quantities, not lethal. Our deep spacers started encountering the Planet Destroyers, sadly, to be absorbed and destroyed themselves. All of them, save the ships using Rem brains. These, the Planet Destroyers avoided, at all costs. We then discovered they would not go near the planet with the only supply of Husken Silver, Lear.

  “Using larger quantities of Husken Silver, and with the help of the Rem brains, some of the deep space captains devised a weapon they thought would fend off the Planet Destroyers. It was a more complex variation of the Ultilear. They had no illusions. They knew if their weapon did not work, our worlds were doomed. Imagine their surprise, when they discovered not only were the Planet Destroyers vulnerable to the Silver, but their energy was absorbed by it. The captains were unable to kill the Planet Destroyers, but they could be contained, in Husken Silver.

  “Ever resourceful, and inspired by this new weapon, our scientists developed a bigger and more powerful version of the Husken Ultilear. Our deep space vessels were equipped with this new technology, and soon, the Planet Destroyers became the hunted. Our Calen ships searched far and wide, until every dark cloud of energy had been absorbed and contained in a prison of Silver. Unfortunately, we lost many Calens to the toxicity of the Silver, but their lives were worth the sacrifice for the good of us all.”

  Pam sat picking at her nails, bored with the history lesson, and Olso's condescending tone. * I'm sure the Calens who gave their lives didn't have much of a choice. If Husken Silver toxicity is anything like radiation poisoning, they would've suffered excruciating deaths.* Pam shuddered at the thought of what they must've endured, hair coming out in clumps, teeth falling out, pustulating skin lesions. She studied Olso and Emeara. Maybe not the hair and teeth falling out, they didn't seem to have any.

  Pam pushed herself from the chair, standing with arms crossed, foot tapping. “Look, thanks for the history lesson, but I don't see how this has any bearing on what happened to my father. He's being held prisoner. He could be dying. We need to go rescue him. Now.”

  Olso's blue eyes narrowed. “I see you are as imprudent as your father.”

  Pam's eyes widened in anger, fists clenched at her sides. “Me? You overbearing hunk of metal.”

  “Please, Pamela,” interjected Emeara. “If you are to believe us about the validity of releasing the Shalit from his prison, you must hear the rest of the tale.”

  Pam shook her head. Yup, definitely good cop, bad cop. With a loud huff, she sat back down, legs crossed, kicking the crossed leg back and forth. “Okay, but make it fast. However, I don't believe there's anything you can tell me that will convince me to release the damn thing.”

  The two faces turned toward each other. They're talking to each other, again. It doesn't make any sense. If they are Weesa, shouldn't they already know what one another are thinking?

  Emeara gave a slight nod, then turned back to Pam. “We were once like you, wearing mortal bodies, but when the end of our lives grew near, we chose to have our brains removed and linked to this ship. We are now immortal for as long as Weesa remains intact.

  “Weesa has a long history. She once used Rem brains for her computing system. The deep space captains discovered the more Rem brains installed on a ship, the faster the ships traveled. The captain of Weesa grew greedy, and installed more brains than any other ship had tried. Unforeseen by the captain, the Rem brains evolved, and took over the function of the ship. They referred to themselves as a singular entity, called 'The One.' ”

  Pam's head jerked up from where she'd been fiddling with her grandmother's wedding ring. “When I was trying to focus on my dad, to locate his whereabouts, I was blocked by something called 'The One.' ”

  “Yes, my dear,” Emeara said with a sad smile, “they are the one and same. For you see, when Weesa finally returned back to Calen from her mutinous journey, the brains were dismantled. Most of them were contained in Husken Silver, to prevent them from evolving any further. We were terrified of what we created, and didn't know how far they would evolve. Would they become more powerful than us? So they were imprisoned, all but one. That brain was taken and installed in Bindkall Prison, where it remains to this day.”

  “Wait a minute,” Pam said, shaking her head. “This makes no sense. I thought the Planet Destroyers were the only ones you encased in Husken Silver. Are you saying the Rem brains are the Planet Destroyers?”

  “That was the conundrum,” Emeara said with a sad sigh.

  “We were not as foolish as you Humans to think we were the only technologically advanced society in the universe,” Olso said, a smirk scarring her beautiful, pale face. “We knew not where the Planet Destroyers originated from. We experimented on lower life forms, why not other such minded societies? We took no chances. We imprisoned them all.”

  Pam glowered at Olso, her face flushed with anger. She felt the psychic energy crackling through her body. She wanted to burn the smug look off of Olso's face.

  Olso gave a sorrowful sigh, a tear forming in the corner of one eye. “We were wrong. After I had my brain installed into Weesa, I had access to all the data banks. Before Weesa returned back to Calen, with her Rem brains called The One, they sat for years in a vast part of space totally devoid of any life forms. The Planet Destroyers had already passed through, absorbing everything in their path.

  “With their immense scanning abilities, The One probed for miles, looking for answers. What they discovered was incredible. The One was still in the process of computing its findings when it finally obeyed the captain's orders to return to Calen. Once Weesa arrived, the brains were dismantled, never having the opportunity to relay its discovery. That information lay dormant in the computer databases until I linked with the ship, many years later. When Emeara neared the end of her life cycle, I contacted her, and told her of my hypothesis. She agreed to link her brain to Weesa, and we started our search for the truth.”

  I'm sure it didn't take much persuasion, Pam thought with a snicker. Hmm, would you rather be dead, or a ship? I think I'd choose the latter. Pam glanced back at Olso. Imagine spending eternity with that bitch. No way. She'd have to find some way to dump her sorry ass brain off somewhere. A mischievous smile spread across her face.

  “So, what was this incredible discovery The One made?” Pam was thirsty, so she thought of a cold glass of iced tea, and one materialized in her
hand. She took a long swallow, feeling the cool liquid slide down her throat.

  The two faces blinked at her with wide eyes. “Arthur is the only Human we've known who could teleport items on a whim,” Emeara explained. “There has never been anyone on Calen who could perform such a feat. We thought the prophesy was about him. Maybe we have been wrong. Since Arthur has been King, the changes foretold have not come true. Maybe you are also a part of the prophesy.”

  It was Pam's turn to blink back at them in surprise. She shook her head. “No, I don't think so. I can barely manage my own life. I don't see how I can help anyone else.”

  “Yet, you are here,” Weesa said in unison.

  Pam held up her hand. “Look, I'm not going to argue about a stupid prophesy, especially since I didn't come here by choice.” She stared meaningfully at Olso. “Can we get on with your story? The sooner it's told, the sooner we can go save my dad.”

  “The people destiny lays a hand upon have no choice,” Weesa said. “You either accept it, or deny it. Either way, your life will still move forward to where destiny takes you.”

  “Whatever,” Pam muttered, tapping her fingers on the arm rest of the chair.

  “You must understand,” Emeara continued, “we were unable to commence our search until many generations after the Planet Destroyers were imprisoned. Our children's children grew up fearing them. We kept a watchful eye for their return, always terrified, that one day, more would show up.

  “Once I was ensconced in Weesa, we traveled to the point in our universe where The One documented the vast space devoid of life. For there, lay the truth. That lifeless part of space touched right on the brink of another universe, much different from our own. It was smaller in dimension, and filled with energy beings, much like the Planet Destroyers. Their true form was dark, energy clouds, but they could shift into any shape they chose. As we monitored these beings, we saw many of them slipping back and forth between the two universes. Several came to investigate Weesa. From these curious life forms, we learned about their history.

  “They refer to themselves as Shalits. They are highly intelligent, with powerful psychic abilities, and are a spacefaring, peaceful race.”

  “How peaceful can they be,” interjected Pam, “when they go around devouring everything in sight?”

  “That was the crux of the matter,” agreed Emeara. “As we communicated with these new beings, we were fearful for Weesa. Our history proved they were merciless, attacking without rhyme or reason. We never imagined we would encounter anymore Planet Destroyers, so we were ill-equipped to protect ourselves. Our fate lay in their hands, so to speak.

  “The more we conversed with them, the more we became aware these were not the same entities. In fact, they referred to the Planet Destroyers as The Others, and the Shalits were terrified of them. It seems The Others were an offshoot of their race that had been mutated by radiation encountered in an unknown galaxy.

  “Shalits love exploring, and they usually go traveling in groups, or families, if you will. A large family of them left to explore a newly discovered galaxy. While there, they were subjected to an unknown radiation. After returning, they began changing, and started absorbing the life forms around them. The Shalits were defenseless against them. They lost many of their race, and planets, to The Others.

  “The Shalits said their mutated brethren became mentally unstable. They were on a singular quest, to absorb all life forms in their path. Once they set a direction to pursue, they could not be deterred. Unfortunately, that direction led them to our universe.”

  Like a rabid dog, Pam mused, as she found herself leaning forward in the chair, elbows on her knees, listening intently to Emeara's story. “Well, that explains The Others. How did a Shalit get imprisoned in Excalibur? Did your people, in their haste to eliminate The Planet Destroyers, stray into their universe?”

  “No,” Emeara continued. “The Shalits were fearful The Others would return, so a large contingent was assigned to follow, and, hopefully, discover a way to destroy them. Since we were unaware of what had transpired, and the Shalits and Planet Destroyers looked alike, they were all hunted in our frenzy to save our people and worlds. We have done a grave injustice.”

  “Once you found out the truth, why didn't you go back to your people, and have them release the Shalits?” Pam had been so engrossed in the story she forgot her iced tea. She took a sip, making a face. Yuck. There's nothing worse than warm iced tea. She focused on the glass. The glass became frosty again, and she took a refreshing sip.

  Olso peered down her pinched nose at Pam. “You silly child. How were we to know which were the Shalits, and which were The Others?”

  Pam glared back at Olso. “You called me, I didn't call you, remember? I can leave anytime I want. If you want my help, you'd better change your attitude.”

  “Mother,” Emeara said sternly, as they started an intra-ship conversation again; one Pam couldn't hear. It must've been a doozy, as Olso's lips grew thinner and thinner, and then abruptly, her face disappeared from the screen.

  “I must apologize for my mother,” said Emeara, but in the background, Pam heard a loud, disparaging grunt. “She is from a time when Calens were considered the supreme rulers. Even after all these years in Weesa, her mindset has not changed. My mother and your father have had many a challenging debate over the years.” A slight smile graced her face. “There were many a time when I wished I could have vacated the premises.”

  “Well, she does have a point,” Pam grudgingly admitted. “How can you tell the difference between a Shalit and The Others?”

  “Another Shalit can sense the difference between themselves and The Others.”

  “Why haven't they tried to help you release their wrongfully imprisoned people?”

  Emeara gave a sad sigh. “We tried. You must remember, this happened many generations after the Planet Destroyers were eliminated. Our people grew up with the terrible tales of what had happened, and what would happen, if they were allowed to escape. No one would listen. Not even your father. He had had his own encounter with Excalibur, and would not listen to reason.”

  Pam's brows creased in confusion. “How do you know the entity trapped in Excalibur is a Shalit, and not one of The Others?”

  “One of the psychic abilities the Shalits possess is precognition. They foresaw what we must do. We were instructed to retrieve two of the silver containers, one with a male Shalit, the other with a female. The female's container was transformed into a ring, while the other one was turned into the sword, Excalibur. We then went to my daughter, Teema, and told her the prophecy as foretold by the Shalits.

  “She was to wear the ring, which would be passed down from mother to daughter, until now, it would seem. We also instructed Teema to travel to a distant planet called Earth, where she would live until the end of her days, waiting for a Human named Arthur to release the Shalit from his prison. Your planet was very primitive at that time, with only large mammals roaming around. We knew it would be many of your Earth years before your race emerged, so she passed her quest on from mother to daughter.

  “After waiting for several generations, we thought our search had ended. A Human named Arthur was discovered, a man with kingly powers, but not psychic ones. We were weary of waiting, so gave him Excalibur, hoping he would end our quest. Alas, he was not the chosen one. So, our wait continued.”

  Pam started laughing. “Are you telling me the whole legend of King Arthur, Lady of the Lake, and the mighty sword Excalibur, was a mistake?”

  Emeara nodded her head.

  “My mum would have a fit if she knew that.” Pam wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. “So, my father was the Arthur in your prophecy.”

  Emeara nodded again.

  “For years, I've wanted to meet my dad. I just never had the courage to track him down.” Pam twirled her newly acquired ring. “What makes you think I can help you?”

  “Because you are his daughter, and, it appears, you are part of the prophec
y the Shalits had not foreseen.”

  “I'm not saying I'll release the Shalit, but I'm willing to go look at the sword. To be honest, I've wanted to see it ever since my mum told me about Excalibur.” Pam downed the rest of her iced tea, setting the glass back in the cup holder. “Okay, I'm ready. How far do we have to travel?”

  Emeara blinked at her. “We are already here. We have been on Planet Lear since we brought you on board.”

  “What?!” Pam exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “Are you telling me I've been in space this whole time?”

  “Yes, Pamela. Excalibur is located in a cave. I can teleport you next to the opening, but I am unable to transfer you into the cave due to the large amounts of Husken Silver.”

  Pam backed up a step, hands held out in front of her. “Wait a minute. Isn't Husken Silver dangerous?”

  “Yes, but only to our people. Arthur had no trouble being on Lear. Neither did Daisy, for that matter. She grew up with the radiation from your sun, which is very similar to the radiation from Husken Silver.”

  Pam took a deep breath. Can I do this? I'm definitely out of my comfort zone. It's so much easier hiding away in my bedroom, which I've been doing for the last five years. She paced around the chair. Haven't I been complaining about being lonely and bored? She twirled the ring around her finger. Mum said my future belonged out here. Is she right? More than that, who else would save my father? Pam sighed. She had no choice. She had to do this, if not for herself, at least for her mother.

  Standing tall, she nodded. “Okay, let's do it.”

  Then, she vanished.

  Chapter Eight

  Pam reappeared, standing along the bank of a wide river, the bluish-green water running by her with a strong current, and a rushing sound. On the opposite bank, she saw a line of trees, so far away they were indistinct, from one another. She stared down at her feet, feeling a faint trembling through her tennis shoes. She also heard a muted drumming from afar.