KARRIN: Warrior Woman (Excalibur Saga Book 4)

by Sahara Foley

  Karrin opened her mind and focused on the boulder. She was going to talk to the damn thing, even if it killed her.

  *Karrin.* Wessa yelled when she sensed the girl’s silver power. *What are you doing? They could hurt you. We have no idea what type of abilities they possess.*

  The teenager ignored the ship as she concentrated even harder, the pounding rain and howling wind forgotten.

  The Omars chattered, one last time, then scurried to the safety and comfort of the ship, leaving her behind.

  *Something is wrong,* Weesa said. “Karrin isn’t moving. She appears to be frozen or paralyzed. Now, she’s disappeared from our scans.*

  *No,* Arthur reassured. “She’s slowed her metabolism, so there’s nothing to worry about. She’s a smart kid. Karrin knew she had to match the Ancients if she wanted to talk with them. We’re moving too fast to find her.*

  Daisy’s face appeared on a screen, worried eyes peering at the frozen figure of Karrin bent over the rock. *We can’t slow ours down without damaging our systems.*

  *Then, we wait,* Arthur stated as his face appeared next to Daisy’s. *Will you feed these foolish Omars, so they shut up?*

  Four silver, hairless Peenas materialized in the unit. Before they could make a break for freedom, the two Omars snatched them up and stuffed them in their mouths.

  *How do you stop an Omar from talking?* asked Arthur. *By feeding it.* He broke into laughter, but Daisy frowned at him, unamused.

  Two days Weesa waited on Karrin as she leaned against the Ancient one, unmoving. On the second evening, she simply vanished without a trace.

  CHAPTER TEN

  *Is this more accommodating, Human?* A low, hollow-sounding voice reverberated in Karrin’s mind.

  *Yes, I can understand you better,* she mentally replied and shifted in discomfort, the rough stone rubbing against her back and shoulders.

  When she complained about not being able to hear very well, she, suddenly, found herself scrunched up inside the boulder. Her knees were jammed into her chest, her chin resting on them.

  *You are the first life-form who communicated with me. You are well-known from your past actions and the ending of two of my units.*

  Past actions? Did I hurt them before? Karrin chewed her bottom lip. This was the first contact with an unknown species. She needed to ask the right questions first. *How do you know I’m Human? Have you run across my species before?*

  *Certainly. My units can be found on every planet in the Universe. I absorb all dead organic matter and when the time is right, re-seed the world with the material gathered and stored. This is my purpose.*

  *Is that why there’s such a diversification from planet to planet? You only use the material native to that world?*

  *Correct, Human. I change nothing, merely replace.*

  *What’s your species called? There is no record of you in our database.*

  *I am a Pleatis. I originate from a different dimension, but live in all.*

  That’s why the Omars couldn’t explain where they lived. Who would understand? I surely didn’t, Karrin admitted to herself. Time to get to the crucial questions. Telepathically, the young woman asked, *Do you know why I’m here?*

  *Yes, The Srellooks are returning.*

  *Why do they cross over to destroy all life forms in our Universe?*

  *They do not.*

  Surprised, Karrin sat silent for a few seconds. Are we talking about two different species? she wondered. *I don’t understand. Whenever the Srells come to our Universe, they eat all living matter. Then, you step in and re-seed our planets, again.*

  *The Srellooks do not choose to destroy life, they come to birth and re-populate,* the hollow voice rumbled in her mind. *Your Universe has the only life-force levels necessary for the birthing process, but during the process, all native life forms are extinguished. If this Universe had any significant value, they would not come. However, such is not the case. Millions of Srellooks are preparing to arrive at their only birthing chambers. This process has always been so and cannot be stopped.*

  Inwardly, Karrin fumed at the insult to her people. She gritted her teeth and continued. Getting angry wasn’t going to solve their problem. *If you’re on all planets in our Universe, why don’t the Srells kill you after they give birth?*

  *I am from the same dimension, but I live on a higher energy plane, so they are unable to absorb me.*

  The young woman’s brow furrowed. *You give and take energy, right?*

  *Yes. I am able to absorb any form of energy, except for you.*

  Karrin blinked in surprise at that answer. *Really? Why not me?*

  *You are made of a strange silver substance that prevents me from absorbing you. I tried before.*

  Now, Karrin was confused. When did that happen? I don’t remember being inside one of these Rock People before. *How about the Srellooks, can they absorb or kill me?*

  *No.*

  *Why not?*

  “The radiation you emit because of your exotic silver cannot be destroyed, only converted. Your energy would disrupt their breeding cycle, and many would be unborn.*

  A triumphant grin spread from ear to ear. *So, their fear of me is why they’ve been trying to kill me?*

  *Pleatis knows naught what you speak. If they tried, it was necessary for their re-population.*

  *So, the silver is what protects me from the Srellooks?”

  *Yes.*

  *If that’s true, how can they be a threat to Weesa? She is made of the same silver.*

  *The radiation alone does not prevent absorption. You are, also, an unbred Human female. Your emotions are unbridled, and the silver enhances your PSI abilities.*

  The unexpected response made Karrin pause again. *So, being a virgin means my powers are stronger?*

  *Simply put, yes. No other species have the volatile emotions Humans display. Because of the silver you ingested, you are too powerful for me to absorb, and you threaten the unborn Srellooks.*

  *Do they understand this about me?*

  *No. They never encountered a being like you before.*

  In the little room available inside the rock, Karrin shook her head. Something didn’t make any sense. *Then, how did they learn about me? Why did they want me dead before I even grew into my abilities?*

  *I told them.*

  *Wait a minute. You told them?” A flash of anger burned through Karrin. “But, the Srells have wanted me dead since I was a small child. How could you have any clue about what I would become?*

  *I retain knowledge from every planet in multiple Universes. When I encounter something unnatural, which will affect the order of the cosmos, I have a duty to relay my concerns to the Srellooks.*

  *So, I’m not part of the natural order of things?* The young woman wasn’t sure what to make of that information.

  *There is nothing natural about you,” the hollow voice vibrated inside her mind. “For events to proceed in a normal fashion, you must be eliminated.*

  Karrin clenched her teeth as the words sank in. Her family was killed because this pompous piece of stone put a kill order on her. Well, not this particular rock, she realized. The Pleatis are individual units who shared a mental network with a single entity.

  The young woman knew the Pleatis thought it was invulnerable and showed no fear. That would be its biggest mistake. The arrogant asshole never faced me before. Refocusing, Karrin asked, *What happens if I prevent the birthing of the new Srells?*

  *Unknown. The harmony and balance between many Universes will be changed. There is no way to calculate the outcome.*

  *Let me see if I got this right. The Srells crossing over to my Universe and destroying all life forms is supposed to be as natural as a bird taking a worm back to feed its babies?*

  *The analogy is correct. Yes.*

  *Listen to me, Pleatis. We, in this Universe, DO NOT WANT TO BE THE FOOD FOR BABY SRELLS.*

  *It matters not at all, Human. Every Universe and life form must obey the rules they were created to follow.
This Universe was designed to supply the energy required for birthing Srellooks. That is the only purpose you serve.*

  *Aha,* Karrin mentally said with a smirk, *then, that means, you serve no other purpose than to be bird food, too.*

  *Incorrect. My purpose is to re-seed the Universe after the birthing process ends,” Pleatis replied. “Once the population of life forms reaches the necessary energy level, the birthing begins. This cycle has been repeated many times over the eons.*

  Karrin gritted her teeth and took a calming breath. She wouldn’t learn anything if she lost control. Her silver power flowed through her blood, wanting to be released. “We are not grass for a herd of grazing cows.*

  *Another correct analogy. What you think is of no consequence, Human. The natural order must continue to be followed.*

  Talking to the Pleatis was almost as bad as talking to the Omars. One vicious circle after another, always leading to the destruction of her Universe. Not this time. I need to show it we aren’t pawns to be used by it, or the Srellooks.

  By all accounts, the Pleatis was immortal. It never faced death before, so it had no fear of the Grim Reaper. She smirked. She was its Grim Reaper.

  *Did you ever figure out how I ended your units?* Karrin’s voice dripped with acid.

  *They both vanished from my network, which has never happened before. Losing units should not be possible.*

  Karrin grinned as she caught a hint of uncertainty in the words. *Then, you better pay closer attention this time.*

  Weesa’s screens flared with bright light as a huge, silver explosion shook the ground. After the flying debris had cleared, all that remained was Karrin, standing in the pouring rain, hair blowing from the whipping wind. Where there had been dozens of rock people scattered about, none remained.

  Shivering, Karrin hugged her body and quickly strode into the ship. As she entered, the two Omars jumped up and ran, chittering, out the door. She quirked an eyebrow at their wild behavior. “What’s going on with them?”

  “The use of your silver powers started transforming them,” Weesa explained. “Look. They are gone.”

  Karrin leaned out the doorway and saw nothing unusual. She squinted, trying to see through the driving rain. A few feet away, she noticed a circular depression, filling with water. It shone in the dim lighting like it was made of glass. It looked just like the one left when Brownie transformed.

  “Karrin,” Weesa said, interrupting her thoughts, “we need to learn what happened. You’ve been gone for days.”

  “What?” Karrin turned back to the screen where a worried Daisy stared back at her. “I’ve only been gone for maybe half an hour.”

  “No, more like a week.”

  “Really?” Karrin shook her head. “Amazing.” She told Weesa everything she learned from the Pleatis. “Well, then, I lost my temper and kinda blew up.” The young woman shrugged, giving Daisy a sheepish grin. “Sorry, but I got pissed off.”

  Arthur’s chuckling echoed in the room. “Looks like you blew them up, kiddo.”

  “There is nothing to be sorry for,” said Daisy’s husky voice. We’re dealing with life forms we don’t understand, though we’re trying to. Unfortunately, they aren’t. Insignificant, indeed. She sniffed in displeasure, which caused Arthur to chuckle again.

  “Well, now we know why you’re so super-charged. A super-powered, silver-enhanced virgin. Who’d of thought?” Arthur grinned at his granddaughter. He smiled even wider when Karrin blushed with embarrassment.

  “As much as your mind revolved around sex, I’m surprised you didn’t understand the connection sooner.” This time Daisy’s face turned red with embarrassment.

  “I had a body back then, baby.” Arthur waggled his eyebrows at Daisy, making her giggle.

  Karrin cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the sexual remarks between her distance grandparents. “Okay, but what do we do, now?”

  “For starters, you gotta stay a virgin until we get this all sorted. That means keeping your hands off Lurga.” Arthur winked at Karrin.

  “Enough, Arthur,” Daisy scolded. “You’re making her blush.”

  “As interesting as this is, there are more pressing matters to consider,” said Olso, her pert nose stuck in the air. “We’re looking at events totally out of our comprehension. What if we can’t stop the Srells? What if our only purpose is to be the energy necessary for the birth of their young?”

  “Bet me, Buckwheat,” Karrin interjected. “There’s no way I’m going to let Lurga, or you, become food for baby Srells. What makes them more important than us?”

  “Which is what Pam, Cal, and Lurga are trying to determine.” Emera’s face appeared next to Oslo. “What is their function?”

  “Yeah. Other than killing us off every few billion years,” Arthur replied with a sneer.

  “We need to think beyond ourselves and our Universe,” Emeara said. “The Pleatis said every Universe has a purpose. To what end, we have no idea. We need to find out.”

  “That would be impossible. We can’t even imagine all the different alien life forms in those unknown Galaxies. Let alone, their science or thought processes.” Arthur shook his head. “It would blow our minds away.”

  “For a Human, yes.” Olso gave Arthur a demeaning glare. “But, us Calens dealt with many different alien species over the centuries. I, for one, do not relish the thought of being at the bottom of the food chain for baby Srells.”

  Arthur’s jaw clenched in anger at the arrogant tone in Olso’s voice.

  Karrin didn’t understand the relationship between the different personalities who made up Weesa, but there was definitely some animosity between two of them. Wanting to change the subject, she asked, “How long does it take to get back to Switch, Weesa? I have an idea.”

  “We are there, Karrin,” Weesa acknowledged.

  The woman grinned. “I should’ve known you would read my mind. Open the doors. I’m going rock hunting.”

  Karrin stepped out of the silver ship into the blueish sunlight of Switch. She inhaled deeply and sighed. The air smelled much better here.

  She didn’t need to search long, or far, before she found a cluster of the dull, black Rock People. She stopped in the middle of them and focused. “Me, again, Pleatis. You have no mortal enemies, except for me, and I’m going to kill every one of your units in this Universe. No longer will you be able to re-seed for the Srellooks. No longer will they have a place to birth their young.”

  Head cocked, Karrin stood there, waiting for a response. When none came, she slapped her hand on the nearest rock, yelling, “DIE!”

  The black rock exploded into thousands of silver pieces.

  The same hollow voice popped into her mind. *DO NOT destroy my units. The Srellooks must birth here. I must re-seed for them.*

  Karrin barely understood the words, so she concentrated harder. “Why? What’s so important about the Srells that it’s imperative they breed?”

  Again, no answer, so she slapped her hand on the next rock. That one disappeared in the same silver explosive manner.

  *Why are you destroying my units? This is not the order.* This time Karrin heard the desperation in the hollow voice.