The driver instructed them to wear their seatbelts in the comfortable rear seats as it was local custom, and then set off for Grantchester by country lanes. Rakul was pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the wheeled vehicle, especially the legroom of the earthly limousine. It had clearly been designed with the comfort of rear seat passengers paramount. The village itself was not remarkable, small homes with nobody about, then a couple of left turns took them into another narrow lane that was Shelford Road. Scrubby hedgerows were tight to the vehicle’s passing but they occasionally disappeared to reveal overly nettled gaps through which fields rich with crops blinked into view.
This bucolic scene was arable abundance to Ivanka after the parched earth and scant precipitation of Jarlanka. These people of planet Earth must be rich indeed.
“We could do a lot worse than claiming this world for ourselves,” Rakul observed mildly, impressed by the eager growth of food crops. Soon a stand of low trees in parkland approached. The luxury of not having to farm every available inch of cultivatable ground! Then on the left-hand side came a strange park with broad mown avenues where occasional people strolled pulling small carts containing strange implements. Perhaps some form of micro agriculture, but what could be the purpose of something so inefficient when the people clearly had equipment capable of working large fields? Neither the Jarlankans nor their driver were capable of discerning the purpose of the Gog Magog Golf Club or its devotees.
*
Daniel was meeting Professor Kitteridge in his rooms at St John’s College in Cambridge academic heartland. It was their usual medical check-up for Professor Kitteridge disguised as a teaching supervision. They were also fleshing out impact scenarios of the fast-approaching official Gayan first contact journey to Earth. Earthly political leaders would have to consider the societal effects of meeting alien people with far superior cosmic understanding. Professor Kitteridge was sceptical that political leaders of any stripe would be capable of standing up to that kind of company. Alien superior technology would cut across all earthly institutions and enterprises that currently defined religion, politics and major industries. Transportation, energy and pharmaceutical companies would be transformed immediately beyond all recognition. All commercial organisations would be affected and would need to adapt. If you could think of an industry that would be unaffected by exposure to alien technology you just hadn’t thought it through enough. Specifically, ruling elites and inherited wealth would be overturned as the foundations of their dynasties were ripped away by revolutionary new technologies. They would be exposed as outdated, unnecessary and unjustifiably wealthy. The peoples of planet Earth would be shown new, exciting and fulfilling lives, better connected to the great number of populated planets. Opportunities for career travel or leisure would multiply beyond imagining. Some long-established wealth and power would rail against these revelations, clinging to old orders that preserved their silver spoon birthrights; they would react negatively to the newcomers and the more criminally minded may even resort to violence to reject the aliens and their new order. Nothing in this was new and the Worders of Gaya were well aware of these pressures. A major part of transformational Enlightenment at the business and cultural level would be organised by them soon after first official contact.
Professor Kitteridge was assembling data files on these impact scenarios with the help of Daniel and Charlotte. Spirit Duncan was even more important: as a Guide of Dawn he was more schooled in these educational matters. He was represented solely-soul however and required an embodied Gayan to communicate with his old friend Reginald Kitteridge. So it was that Duncan was communicating on a broad channel soul to soul with Daniel who then conversed verbally with Professor Kitteridge who in turn was committing his notes to data storage on the University cloud computing network via his tablet. This information was too valuable to leave on local storage; much better to risk security of access to this essential knowledge than the risk of its loss from Professor Kitteridge’s local computer storage. Professor Kitteridge could feel his old friend’s spirit presence on the edge of his consciousness and it was frustrating not to make the breakthrough he was sure he was capable of and be able to communicate directly with the spirit of his old colleague.
It was at this point that Daniel paused as new information came to him. Since the banishment of the Omeyn to planet Etheris, Duncan had adopted the Zharna Ghola as his personal pet. The Ghola, nothing more than a ghost in Spargar culture only known at the highest Omeyn level and despised even there, had been left totally alone without even understanding the nature of its being, the commands and reports cut off that had been the only reason for its existence. When the local Omeyn was abducted that link had been severed and the Ghola attached itself to Duncan, who had taken pity on him. Duncan had managed to communicate with the Ghola on a rudimentary soul communications level, different to the rich information capacity of Gayan soul to soul association but the Ghola was thrilled to have any kind of interaction and appreciated Duncan’s just being there. This communication was as different in fact to Gayan soul speak as Duncan’s main interest, the communion of the Grand Whales and their offshoots on sea worlds across the universe. Duncan had rudimentary understanding of both Ghola and Whale speak but did not have a comprehensive command of either of their languages.
Duncan had kept the Ghola more or less within the bounds of the Cambridge Union Society building. The building was old enough that if the Ghola were to be detected somehow then it would passed off at worst as a local haunting; well known in popular culture but disbelieved by most Earth people. The Union Society building was populated by passing groups of students and university staff making for endless distraction for the Ghola; Duncan had not wanted it following the Gayans around in their meetings with Professor Kitteridge’s entourage as had been its original instructions when it was a spy for Zarnha agents of Spargar. Duncan had been successful to some extent in weaning the Ghola off its hanging around their presence as its commands from the Grantchester headquarters had ceased and hopes of their renewal had faded. Duncan would always warn his earthly friends of the close attention of the Ghola when it did come to visit.
When the surprise command came from his old Spargar masters, it was a strong sensation in alpha wave form that suddenly the Ghola was required to return and report to the Zarnha Grantchester HQ after all this time. The Ghola was registering pleasure at the reconnection to his own culture tempered by fear of their authority and annoyance at being abandoned. It nevertheless accepted the command and set off on its way south along the river Cam to Grantchester to meet whoever reassumed control of their lost surveillance asset.
“Just a moment, Professor,” Daniel stalled the verbal conversation as Duncan communicated the news silently to him.
Duncan messaged to Daniel.
*
Duncan left St John’s College and travelled to the old manor house in Grantchester that was the Zarnha HQ building locally. He arrived shortly after the Ghola. He noted the high-ranking Zarnha agent Tatsu was clearly waiting for an important arrival in the drawing room, her slim figure’s body language seeming fragile and vulnerable with both her sister Haruka and their Omeyn missing. Michiko was still handling their affairs in Silicon Valley, far away in California. Tatsu was unaccustomed to being in sole command of Spargar forces on Earth. Duncan ascended the fine walnut
stairs to the office where he found the Ghola leaning into the frame of its access port to exchange commands and reports with the Mind biological computer.
Duncan was able to get the gist of the information transfer after spending so many hours in rudimentary communications in the recent days after the Ghola had been abandoned and Duncan had been its only companion. Duncan was unable to influence the conversation between the Ghola and its access port. Once the Ghola had plunged its head into the frame Duncan could not glean any of the exchange with its commanders in some kind of secure hidden communications transport. Duncan could at least guess that the Ghola was downloading a full assessment of the Cambridge group with Professor Kitteridge at its head. It would still be a confusing story naming the small inner circle comprising the Gayans as well as the wide team of cosmologists working with great diligence on the same topic but unaware of the Gayan influence. The Ghola’s report would be collated by the Mind and made available to the Conclave of all the Omeyns across the galaxy, crucially including the sole current male representative, Rakul MuneMei, currently en route in person to Grantchester by limousine.
Duncan sensed the powered wrought-iron gates to the manor house opening to admit the limousine and then felt it crumpling gravel on the drive as it sedately swept to a stop outside the small wooden porch framing the shiny royal-blue door entry to the Georgian manor house. The driver swivelled round and mimed pressing the red bar to release the seat belts and Rakul and Ivanka followed his example. The driver sprang out and opened Rakul’s door first, affecting the ways of a local limousine driver; any small failing of application of local customs could have been noted by onlookers. There were no customs favouring the females in Spargar culture, only Rakul’s superiority over the junior Ivanka. The two Jarlankans exited the car and stood to take in their surroundings. The house was ideal for their purpose, not overly large but tastefully proportioned. It was quiet and rural, entirely surrounded by tall dark shrubs with red brick walls as high as Rakul himself beyond. Grasses were grown in a circle in front of the house, cut very short in a style unproductive for agricultural use. The decorative trees that grew alongside the garden walls were once again without any capability of food production; impressively wasteful! As they stood alongside the vehicle a fine precipitation coated them with tiny soft droplets of rain so delicate that each formed a tiny ball of water. The drizzle softened the outlines of the lawns and shrubs, washed the colours together like an old English watercolour. Rakul could almost sense the plants sucking up the gentle mist and growing, so different to the harsh droughts of his home world. An expressionless servile male Zarnha agent dressed all in black shapeless garb opened the door in welcome so that Rakul was untroubled by entry procedures himself at the portal.
Rakul bowed his head to pass under the lintel and Tatsu greeted him in the tiled entrance hall. Ivanka followed Rakul through the door, smiling widely and bobbing in deference to Tatsu. Tatsu ushered them into the elegant drawing room and invited them to take seats in upholstered wooden armchairs that were decorative rather than comfortable. Servants brought in small platters of dried spiced fruits and hot teas aromatic with ginger and bitters, which were the most similar they could find in local markets to Jarlankan refreshments. Rakul asked Tatsu for her report of the events of that fateful evening when her Omeyn had disappeared together with Haruka, prior lead Zarnha agent in Cambridge, and the entire band sent to apprehend the Gayan suspects in Thetford Forest. Tatsu set out the story, which was well documented, already knowing that Rakul was establishing his superiority and distaste for their performance that fateful evening. Fortunately, her training and style allowed her to repeat the whole story animatedly but without negativity. Rakul found her politesse frustrating in the context of their obvious failure but he kept his counsel and concentrated on the story again.
“Now present the flight leader of the Spargar craft used that evening,” Rakul commanded. Tatsu left the room and returned with a Zarnha captain. He wore a high-collared black flight suit with no adornments. He was thin-faced and sallow with limp dark hair slightly too long for Rakul’s taste in an officer.
“You flew the Zarnha raiding party the night in question,” Rakul stated. Ivanka produced a recording device that she placed on the table by the refreshments.
“Yes, my Lord,” the captain responded.
“I don’t recall asking you a question,” Rakul observed. “Limit yourself to answering questions only.” The captain continued to stand, head bowed after Rakul gestured Tatsu to sit. “Your report states that you delivered the raiding party to an area of open country where only three Gayan suspects were to be apprehended. Is this correct?”
“Yes, Lord.”
“The extent of the raiding party was how many?”
“A cohort of four platoons, 360 individuals approximately, under the control of number-one echelon Zarnha commander Haruka and our Omeyn in the field,” the captain replied.
“A very large contingent to capture three individuals,” Rakul observed, turning to make his remark indolently to Ivanka. She nodded slightly in assent. The captain restrained himself from adding that these were Gayan suspects, not normal people, more like leopards in human form.
“What happened when the Zarnha force deplaned?” Rakul continued.
“I stood off over in nearby trees as instructed. The commander wanted to use all the available light at the site and to hide the craft after delivery of our troupe.”
“So you disappeared from the scene. What did you know of events following?”
“We monitored the attack from our flight bridge. We saw another suspect run from the trees and join the targets. They were surrounded and overwhelmed by our forces in a depression in the ground ideal for our purposes. Then our forces were overwhelmed by four concealed Gayan craft that rose from the ground around the rim of the depression.”
“So this whole thing was a trap you fell in to. You are aware that Gayan craft have the capability to conceal themselves in this way.” The captain was uncertain whether this was a question or not so remained silent.
“Commander Makhtarian, what would be the consequences for a Jarlankan flight captain who abandoned a Rakul in battle?”
“I have never heard of such a thing, Lord,” Ivanka answered. “The shame alone would result in self-strangulation and assimilation of nervous matter into the Mind.”
“And yet you stand here before me with no shame at your failure,” Rakul directed his comment back to the isolated captain. “At least you can be useful before you decide on your own course of self punishment. I will require your full assessment of the courses of these Gayan craft as they left with your brothers in arms. Also any possible witnesses of earthly origin. Other than that you are dismissed.”
Once the captain had left the room Rakul addressed Tatsu. “His report can help us very little in any case. We will capture any Earth people in close proximity to the site and interrogate them on board our ship. The key individuals are the ones who defeated our forces that night. They reveal themselves as Gayan agents if only by their remarkable success. I will now interview the woman spy we have amongst them.” From the first floor Duncan witnessed the frail blonde form of Anya brought to the drawing room to face Rakul. He was sure he detected that she was drugged or otherwise affected by the Spargar forces though she did seem capable of voluntary control.
Rakul regarded the young Earth woman who had been kidnapped by Spargar spacecraft as a child and reintroduced to the Cambridge theatre of operations to infiltrate the Kitteridge group that threatened Spargar goals. “Please sit,” he said and then, “are you comfortable?”
“Yes, Lord,” Anya answered.
“You have done well to become close to the group that are using the Kitteridge person to make plots against us. Are you yet aware which of them are the Gayan leopards?”
“Not specifically, Lord. All the people around the Professor could be involved, I c
annot say myself which may be Gayan agents.”
“How many are close associates of the Professor altogether?”
“There must be a hundred or so.”
“Yet some must be closer than others. We can detect them by their frequency and quality of access. You will list these individuals and any observations you can make as to their intimacy with the Professor.”
“Yes, Lord,” Anya agreed and was led away to make her lists. Duncan continued to observe.
When Anya left, Rakul said to Tatsu, “We will immediately apprehend all suspects who could shed light on either the Gayan infiltrators around Kitteridge or have knowledge of the abduction of your Omeyn. You will assist us with making the local arrangements but I must take all these people right away. Gaining their knowledge at this point is more important than our concealment.” Tatsu was visibly surprised at this news but remained silent. “Once these lists are finished I will determine priority and we will carry out the captures immediately.” Tatsu, for all her experience and rank, was unaware that Rakul would be able to cross-reference her lists and those of the woman spy with the report from the Ghola, enabling him to identify the clearest suspects before his actions were noticed by his enemies.
Edge of Revelation Page 16