by Kelvin Teo
"If you need anything, you can come talk to me. I am the teacher here in the caverns."
"Teacher?"
"Yes, I teach the young ones that live here in the caverns. Don’t you have teachers in your world?"
"Yes. We call them skatori and they are most revered."
Susan laughed and said, "I like you already."
Susan turned and headed out the door and left just the handful of us.
Dean said, "If she isn’t going back into the cell, I think we need to assign at least one guard to be with her at all times to protect her. I trust most of the people here to leave her alone, but there are still going to be some headcases that won’t see it our way."
I agreed with him and asked him to take charge of that. We sat down around one of the tables, with Chessi taking a seat between me and Michelle.
Randy looked across the table at Michelle and said, "So, you’ve found a new friend, have you?"
He had a big grin on his face that disappeared when Michelle said, "Not just a friend. A roommate."
"What?"
"She is not going to stay in that cell any longer. Our place is plenty big and there’s more than enough room for her to stay with us."
Randy looked at me and I just put up my hands.
He said, "Before all this happened, I was just a single guy, living on my little piece of dirt about ten miles from here and enjoying life. Now, I have two teenage girls under my roof."
I laughed and all I could say was, "I feel your pain, buddy."
Michelle and Chessi locked arms and just looked at him. They were both trying to keep from laughing.
"Okay," said Mike, "what are we going to do about that portal?"
"The way I see it, we have a major problem with just going in a blowing it up."
I looked down at Chessi and she bit her lip. She knew exactly what I was talking about.
"If you blow it up, I can’t go home and neither can the others that are already here."
I nodded and looked back at Mike.
"So, we need to find a way to take the portal," he said. "I may be Special Forces and Dean and Steve here are fine soldiers, but that’s about the extent of our military might."
"Not really," said Vicki. "You have me and the other two that you rescued the other day. We are also trained soldiers."
"Okay, that gives us six. Not exactly an army."
I looked at Vicki and Deb and asked, "Are the Ospreys ready for a long flight to Bloomington? We can’t make any plans about what to do with the portal until we get a look at the area."
"Mine had almost a full load of fuel and its guns were fully armed."
Deb spoke up and said hers was the same.
"We’re looking at about a six hundred mile round trip," I said. "Any problems with that?"
"Shouldn’t be. Should have enough fuel for almost eight hundred miles," said Deb.
"Okay, I’d say tomorrow after breakfast we go. We just take one of the Ospreys, so you two ladies will be our pilots. Mike and I will be door gunners if it comes to that."
"The Opsreys have a very nice Gatling gun in the noses," said Deb, "and mine had a ramp gun."
"A ramp gun?"
Mike smiled and said, "Oh yeah, a rear facing gun on the loading ramp. It’s a real crowd pleaser."
"I’d like to go," said Michelle.
"Absolutely not!" said Randy.
"No Michelle," I said, "you’re not going. Not this time anyway. I think for the time being, this will just be the four of us. We’re only going to take a look, nothing more."
"You don’t want me going either?" asked Randy.
"No, Randy. I want you staying here and trying to keep things under control. There is no one else here that I trust with that."
Michelle stamped her foot under the table.
"Okay, one of two people I trust with this. Of course, I’m afraid I’ll come back to a few more broken noses if I leave Michelle in charge."
It was great to hear Chessi giggle at that.
6
Watching the two ladies work together in the cockpit made me feel a bit unneeded, so I went back and found Mike was checking the ramp gun at the back of the plane.
"With any luck we won’t need to use this," I yelled over the sound of the engines and wind rushing by.
"Look, Trev. I know we’ve all found out Chessi is a lovable, little Korlani, but the truth is, we may not get rid of the Korlani threat without fighting them."
"I know that, Mike. I just feel like we need to change the plan a little and hope to get them to go home peacefully."
"I guess we have to have our dreams."
I heard Vicki in our headsets that we were about twenty minutes out from the building we were looking for. I made sure my harness was securely hooked to the sidewall and laid down on the ramp. I was able to move to a position where I could see around the edge of the aircraft and get a bit of a forward view, but mostly I could see down below us.
A few minutes later we crested a tree-covered hill and dropped down low. I could almost count the leaves on the trees passing below us.
"Do we really need to be this low?" I yelled into the mic.
"Sorry, sir. It’s been awhile since either one of us have been on anything resembling a combat run!"
We started lifting higher in the air until we were about five hundred feet above the ground. That gave me a little better view of the ground below and what lay ahead of us.
"Lab building dead ahead, sir!"
I wasn’t getting the view I wanted and jumped up. I unclipped and headed for the cockpit. I stepped to the door on the right side of the aircraft and opened the hatch and was able to look out and get a much better view.
"Put the building on our right side so I can get a good look at it!"
The Osprey banked to the left and then straightened out, giving me a good look at the building. It was a low, single story building in the middle of an open field. It had parking lots on two sides and there were a few dozen cars down there. The cars looked like they hadn’t moved in months. Probably the cars of the lab workers that were there when the Korlani came through the portal.
Other than the cars, we saw no sign of life on the ground. I could see a large door open on the side of the building and had the ladies move the Osprey to a point in front of the door and then come down in altitude. I wanted to get a look inside. I didn’t think there would be much to see, but I wanted to take the chance.
Looking through a pair of binoculars, I was able to see exactly what I was looking for. The portal was a ring that was lit up along the edges. Being lit up like that showed me it was still powered up and open.
As we hovered, I heard Deb yell something and I saw a couple of Korlani come running around the corner of the building and head straight for us.
"Take us up, ladies!"
We rose quickly into the air and leveled out at a couple hundred feet. I looked down and saw the Korlani had stopped and were looking at us. Neither one had the usual blade and they were making no threatening gestures toward us. I couldn’t understand what they were thinking.
Then, three more Korlani came around the building and headed for the first two, who took off running.
"Aw shit!" I yelled as I unhooked my comms cable and moved back to the ramp.
"Ladies, put us in front of the first two, where Mike and I can see them from the ramp."
The aircraft wheeled around in the sky and drove forward, passing over the heads of the five Korlani. I called for Vicki to slow down and I looked down at the figures on the ground.
It was obvious the two in front were trying to get away from the three pursuers. They waved in such a way that is seemed they were begging for our help.
"Mike, put a couple of rounds in front of the three chasers!"
"You don’t want me to just take them down?"
"Not yet!"
He lined up his sights and pressed the trigger and five 50-cal rounds spit from the barrel of the ramp gun. I could
see the rounds impact the ground about ten yards in front of the pursuers and they stopped chasing immediately.
The other two ran even faster, putting a lot of distance between themselves and the others.
"Deb, is there a place to land in front of us for a quick touch and go?"
"Yes, sir, in a couple hundred yards!"
"Put us down, but keep the engines ready to lift off at a seconds notice!"
"Are we really going to stop for them?" asked Mike.
"Yes we are, but you be ready to put them down if my instincts prove to be very wrong."
"Oh, I’ll be ready!"
As our wheels hit the ground, I jumped off the ramp and moved about fifty feet clear of the Osprey and waited. Within seconds the two Korlani came crashing through the tree line and made a beeline straight for us. I was really beginning to question my actions when I saw the speed they were moving with.
I raised my weapon and pointed it right at them and told them to stop when they were about twenty yards from me. They skidded to a stop. They were one male and one female Korlani.
"What are your intentions?" I yelled at them.
"We must get away from those that chase us! Our mission is to try and stop this conflict!"
I kept my weapon trained on them and could feel in my bones they weren’t there to do us harm.
"If I let you on this aircraft and you make me look bad, I will command the pilots to crash it and kill us all!"
"We mean you no harm!"
"Trev! Move it!"
I looked past the two Korlani and saw the other three coming through the trees and heading our way.
"Get on the plane!" I yelled at the two and waved them past me.
As they moved to the plane I could see the other three had cut the distance by half and I ran to jump on the ramp behind the first two.
"Sit down over there!" I said pointing to the seats along the sides of the aircraft. They didn’t have to be told twice.
"Let’s go, ladies!"
As they lifted off, Mike fired at the ground in front of the three advancing Korlani, but they didn’t seem to get the message. He fired again and we were still pretty low.
"They will kill us all!" yelled one of the Korlani behind us.
I didn’t want to do it, but I yelled, "Take them down, Mike."
He didn’t hesitate to strafe them with the 50-cal machine gun, turning them into tumbling carcasses on the ground.
"Why did you hesitate to kill them?" asked one of the Korlani.
"Because we met a young Korlani girl, who has told us that not all of you want to kill us or even be here."
"Who is this Korlani?"
"Her name is Chessi."
At the sound of her name, one looked at the other and they smiled at each other.
"She lives, Miarta!"
7
When we landed back at the caverns, I could tell Mike was not a happy camper. He made sure to keep his weapon on the two Korlani every inch of the way from the Osprey to the gate.
As we walked to the gate I was happy we had cleared all the dead Korlani away from the entrance. Not happy about the fact we had dumped them in a mass grave just across the road, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Dean and Steve stepped through the gates and Mike turned the guarding of the Korlani over to them and walked through the gate without another word. I just shook my head as I watched him go,
I turned to Deb and asked her to find Michelle and Chessi and have them come out to the gate. She took off at a run to locate them, while Vicki, the brothers and I stayed with the two guests.
"So how did we come by these two, sir?" asked Dean.
"Rescue mission," was all I said.
It took a couple of minutes, but Michelle came walking to the gate and I could see Chessi was hiding behind her, not sure why she had been called to the gate. I could also tell Chessi had been introduce to the concept of a shower and was wearing some human clothes. Obviously they had found some military fatigues that fit her.
When Michelle stepped through the gate and saw the two Korlani she gasped and stopped dead in her tracks, with Chessi running into the back of her.
"Chessi," I said, "I'd like you to tell me a little about these two."
She looked up at me with a question on her face and then she peered around Michelle. That's all it took.
"Miarta!"
She flew into the female Korlani's arms and I could tell she was quite happy to see them. She looked at the other Korlani. She said something in their native tongue and I had to ask her to speak in English for the time being.
"I just asked Jinzi if mama and papa were here?"
"Sadly, little one," said Jinzi, "they are still in hiding."
"But, they are still safe?"
"As far as we know."
Chessi stepped back from Miarta and looked at me.
"This is my mother's sister, Miarta and this is her mate, Jinzi. They are good Korlani and will help us end this war."
I looked her in the eyes and asked, "You're saying it's safe to let them inside?"
"Yes, sir, I am."
I looked at the two of them and they could tell I was having a bit of doubt about this. Jinzi stepped forward and held out his hand, which I took without hesitation.
"Chessi speaks the truth. We want to end this war just as much as you do. From your perspective here, it is taking a massive toll on your people. I can assure you it is also destroying our own world and people."
I looked him in the eyes and even though they were glowing red orbs, I could tell they spoke the truth.
"Well then, let's get inside and sit down and talk."
We ushered them through the gates and had them closed and secured behind us. As we walked to the dining hall, I could see the fear on the faces of the people we passed. It got even worse as we walked into the dining hall, which was about half full with the lunch time crowd. A couple of the ladies shrieked and some kids started crying and huddling into their parent's arms.
I pointed the Korlani to a couple of chairs in the corner where they would have their backs to the wall. I looked at the brothers.
"Are you good at keeping these two safe or should I find someone else?"
"Sir," said Dean, "if they are here to help us stop this war, then I am here to make sure they stay safe."
Steve agreed with that.
Michelle went to the kitchen to get some water and a few things to eat and Chessi went with her. It wasn't hard to notice the people in the dining hall starting to file out, wanting to get away from the full grown Korlani. Only a few chose to stay.
After a minute, Michelle and her shadow came back with jugs of water and sandwiches. As they put the food and water on the table, Miarta looked at Chessi.
"Child, what are you wearing?"
Chessi looked down and then said, "These are pants and this is a shirt. Michelle helped me find some that fit me."
"Probably not wise to let your mother see you wearing those."
Michelle sat down next to me and Chessi sat down next to her, which surprised the other two Korlani, but they didn't say anything. About that time Ariel and Deb came walking in and sat down with us. Randy followed a few seconds later. When the Korlani saw him I could tell they were amazed at his size.
"I can see why Mike is in a foul mood," said Ariel.
"He'll have to get over it," I said.
"Easier said than done, but I'll see what I can do."
Randy took up a position directly behind me and again, I could tell without turning around, he had his arms crossed over his chest and was just staring at the two.
"Randy."
"Yes, Trev."
"Have a seat."
After he pulled a chair over and sat down behind Michelle, it was time to begin.
"First of all, I'd like to welcome you here. Though I do not speak for the entire world, or for this country for that matter, I'd like to hear what you have to say and see if there is any way for us t
o bring about the end of hostilities between our people."
"That would be our hope, as well," said Miarta.
I nodded at her and looked at Jinzi.
"Don't look at me," he said. "She's the boss here."
"Really?"
"Yes, in our world she is the sister of the queen and is one of our ministers. As such, she is empowered to act in the queen's name."
"Very well then," I said, making a note to myself to address Miarta with all relevant discussion.
For the next hour we found out more about their world and how they had been brought to this one. Jordan had opened the portal and was able to make a deal with some rogue military agents among the Korlani. In doing so, they tricked the others into coming here and then forced them into fighting against the humans and as Chessi had said, anyone that didn't do as they were told were killed immediately.
About halfway through our discussions, Mike came in and sat down behind me. I turned and looked over my shoulder at him.
"Sorry, boss. I should have been here earlier."
I turned back around and looked at the two across from me.
"Seems to me that we need to close that portal. With it open, the Korlani keep coming through and this war never ends. We may have to destroy it."
Jinzi looked at me and shook his head.
"If you destroy it, we won’t be able to go home. We will be stuck here in this world. Most of us could learn to live peacefully with you, but there are some that won’t stop fighting until they are killed."
"Power."
I turned and looked at Mike again.
"What about it?"
He looked at me and said, "That building has to have a power supply. It has to be coming from somewhere. If we could find that power station and knock it out, the portal loses power. In theory, it won’t be destroyed, just powered down."
"Once we figure out how to take the building, we could re-power the portal and send the Korlani home."
Mike nodded and said, "But, where is he getting the power from?"
"And what if he has a backup?"
"That, too."
I sat for a moment, thinking about the need for power to run the portal.