Tag: fiction

The Energy Shield (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

“Lights off,” Kanta said quietly.

The room became pitch black except for minuscule indicator lights that peppered the red-tiered consoles. Zara waited while the entire front wall began to glow. In a moment, the view clicked into sharp focus.

It was a view of the void, black as night with random stars poking through the curtain of the galaxy.

Zara waited for something to happen and then noticed a slight quiver off to one side that was gone before she could truly focus on it. She watched the region intently and after a few moments it happened again. A faint refractive shimmer appeared for a split second as if touched by a passing speck.

“I see it. Right there,” Zara said pointing.

“Exactly,” said Kanta quietly. “There is a bubble of some sort that circles a large part of the void ahead of us. We will approach slowly now, and analyze the perimeter as we approach.”

The Hsstak slid forward silently and imperceptibly. Nevertheless, very slowly after many long moments she noticed that the shimmering edges began to extend to the extreme edges of her view as if they were coasting into a dark and endless maw.

Concern overwhelmed her psyche all at once. “Stop!” yelled Zara, turning anxiously toward Viinox. “What will the barrier do to the Hsstak?”

Viinox tapped its console twice and then remained silent for a long moment. “It is merely an energy barrier of some kind that reflected light away.” It paused as if reassessing the previous decision. “I have probed the area ahead of the Hsstak with many wavelengths. None of them affected the surface of this… whatever it is.”

“Can you probe beyond the shield with anything that might pass through?” Zara shrugged. “You know, a way to feel beyond the barrier blindly to see if anything is on the other side. It just seems…” she raised her hands and then started her thought over. “Let us assume this is what we have come for. This is Nidix’s hiding place. If this is true, Xih ships must come and go through this barrier in some way.”

“It could be at a specific point where they pass through, or perhaps the ships are equipped with a special shield or a key.” Kanta’s flipper hands glided effortlessly over the console in front of her. A cloud of data fluctuated wildly in front of her. “Or it could be safe to pass through anywhere. The spectrum of energy that this shield reflects is amazing.” Her lips pursed in apparent concentration. “Nothing really gets through except neutrons.”

Viinox lifted its chin. “Based on the heat emanating from the shield, it’s possible that the Hsstak will be damaged if we pass through. Perhaps the kerflk will protect the vessel in some wau, but it would be unwise to gamble with our existence. This may be a plasma field, and if so, the solution will be to generate a sufficiently powerful magnetic field to bore a hole in the surface.”

Zara nodded. “Right, if it is plasma, it will be contained by magnetic fields.” She grinned with excitement. “Viinox, let’s try your theory.”

A laser shot out from the Hsstak and the point where it ended pinpointed the Hsstak’s distance from the invisible surface ahead of them. After a few moment’s work, Viinox looked up at the forward view and tapped silently on its console. The Hsstak moved forward slowly, and to Zara’s great satisfaction, the barrier began to deform ahead of them. Particles were shoved aside as the fields melded and morphed, some scattered, momentarily glowing like sparks blown in a summer wind. Slowly a depression formed, expanded, and then finally, a space opened into the void beyond.

Qon flickered unexpectedly on the edge of her vision in a way it had only done a handful of times. Zara ignored it.

“Hold us here!” she said quickly. “Capture all the information we can through this puncture, and then withdraw. I’ll take the lower wavelengths.” The Hsstak spat forth a tiny probe that jumped through the break in the barrier, and in seconds, clouds of data flooded into the air inside the command center. In a few long moments, Zara raised her hands and looked at Viinox. “We have what we need, and I’ve not yet seen an alarm raised, at least not yet. Take the Hsstak out slowly.”

###

Hours later, Zara stepped back into the command center with a grin on her face. “Let’s talk about what we’ve found!”

“We found Nidix,” said Kanta, turning from her console. “This great shield is the most incredible thing I have ever encountered. I have studied much of the Xi library regarding the nature of their universe and technology, but nothing I found was described like this.” She shook her head in amazement, and water sloshed in her helmet. “And to think, I was a dumb being a short time ago. Thank the deep that I can be here!”

Zara nodded in agreement. “The same for all of us, Kanta, and yes this must be Nidix. It matches the location we saw on Yefrtil and the shield itself has no explanation other than to protect the most important orb in the Xi empire. Nidix’s star is probably the shield’s power source. It boggles my mind to imagine the engineering to put this in place.”

Viinox lifted its chin slightly. “The shield is as reflective inside as it is on the outside, and the Xi cannot easily see out. I believe they must have sensors located outside the shield, at regular intervals. Otherwise, they would never know if there was a fleet of vessels outside waiting to attack.”

“I bet the defenses inside are also breathtaking,” muttered Zara thoughtfully. “But Xih ships can come and go in some way. Another interesting item to note: The aji are not affected by the shield, and Mangas’ Xih viewer can see through it as well. I tried the viewer earlier today and am still able to see our small probe, Nidix, and two vessels that appear to be located in its orbit.” She looked at Viinox, “and yes, I can see that there are sensors outside the shield. I don’t know what their capabilities are, but it is only logical to assume they were placed to have full coverage, which means they know we’re here.”

Kanta blew a small stream of bubbles. “We should probably leave then. Xih technology is quite amazing. There are many energy sources radiating from the orb itself. Many appear to be omnidirectional communication streams that must reflect off the inside of the shield.”

“Is there anything that we need to know before we can enter and land on Nidix?” Zara shrugged. “We can’t just go in unprepared.”

Viinox spoke. “I believe with only the Hsstak and Greki we might be able to make it to Nidix, but it would be especially wise to fully research every option before acting.”

“I agree,” said Zara thoughtfully. “We just don’t have enough information yet, plus I would not want to face the Predominant without my Da. Will our probe pick up any of the transmissions between Nidix and the ships there?”

“Those communications will be encrypted and may not be readable, but the probe will collect everything it can.” Viinox glanced down at its console. “Perhaps we should return to the nearest terminal and plan for our next visit?”

“I agree,” said Zara. “It’s time. Da will be excited to hear the news.”

Terminal Reception (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

Kpleeb raised his hand emphatically. “Biortl is out of the question. You think they haven’t fortified it with every vessel and defense array they could muster? It’s their most ancient stronghold beyond the twin orbs of Jiwlat and Qaplas.”

“There are not many orbs left to conquer, sir,” said Oiitr. “It will be more dangerous whichever way we decide to go.”

Kpleeb shook his head. “I know that we are running out of options. I know this, but Biortl is directly across the core and has the most natural resources while Qaplas and Jiwlat are in the direction away from the core. I believe they will expect us to take Biortl, and yes, I could be wrong. We are in a game of lynx and hare.”

Oiitr paused. “Lynx and hare? I am not familiar with this comparison.”

Kpleeb nodded absentmindedly. “An old saying from Fab Elder Shoofit… about the lynx and the hare. I never understood it until the Xih altered my brain, but the main point is… His eyes suddenly widened. “What about sending a spy probe through the terminal to Biortl?”

“Uhm-” Oiitr looked down at its red tiered device momentarily while adjusting to Kpleeb’s thought shift. “A spy probe. Unfortunately, we do not have a terminal registration for any probe. We could send a vessel, but it would not seem wise to waste a vessel and crew just to see if it comes back alive.”

Kpleeb grunted. “How many days to send a probe to Biortl without the terminal?”

“595 days.”

Kpleeb grunted again. “We are effectively stuck. What will it take to register more vessels for the terminal?”

Oiitr responded quickly. “The vessel has to have at least a hu-class control system, and then the vessel’s identifier must be added to the terminal database. This can only be done at the First Terminal.”

“That’s near Jiwlat, correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kpleeb raked his hair back with his fingers and paced across the command center twice. “It seems the noose will only tighten around our necks as we carry on. We have to go the First Terminal and change the balance of the future in our favor.”

“If you mean to register more vessels, we cannot unless we have vessels that are ready. We could travel to the great lutu manufacturing facility at Diport and take all of the smaller vessels for registration.”

“No,” said Kpleeb.”We will make the terminals allow any ship that can transmit a request code. I bet Zara can set this up with your help, and perhaps Tiirw can help as well.” He cracked his knuckles. “Someone will get it done, one way or another. I’ll talk to Zara about it.”

When her communicator beeped, Zara answered and spoke first. “Yes, Da?”

“We will need the terminals to work for us. Oiitr and I were talking about going to the First Terminal and changing the system to allow any ship to pass through as long as they can identify themselves using a simple code transmission. Can you work with Oiitr and Tiirw to make that happen?”

Zara paused to think. “Well- It’s a good idea. It will give us options we did not have before. Also, perhaps we can find a way to mine the First Terminal records for Xih ship patterns and locations of Nidix. That reminds me as well. Viinox and I went to the Yowiil Observatory and have not spotted anything where I believe Nidix is hiding. Our plan is to take the Hsstak to the region and obtain closer scans. We will first alter the Hsstak and Greki to make them appear invisible to the regular Xi vessel tracking systems.”

Kpleeb shook his head. “Seems like a waste. If the observatory can’t see Nidix, how will you see it by going there? Seems like a lot of risk.”

“If Nidix is there and cloaked, it would have been tuned to appear invisible to all known observatories. There is nothing more real than being there in person with our own eyes and sensors.” Zara smiled at her Da. “I would prefer to take the Hsstak to Nidix alone in secret, but first we can go to the First Terminal. Perhaps I will find more information about the Xih and Nidix.”

“Okay,” said Kpleeb gruffly, “We’ll start making plans.”

If seems like there are never ending tasks. Never ending barriers between the Predominant and my vengeance. … but I suppose that’s why they set all this up, to protect themselves.

###

Kpleeb felt an uncommon tension as the Hsstak and Greki coalesced into the void at the terminal nearest to Jiwlat. Tiirw had expressed uncertainty about whether the alteration to the Xih ships would function as expected.

According to Tiirw, “Only the Xih vessels have this extra hardware, the combination of certain hu-flugens and other exotic materials I have not seen before. I see the interface and the effects on the vessel, but I don’t fully understand the source.”

Now, the void around the terminal was empty, and the two ships approached the First Terminal. It glittered in the distance, and to Kpleeb, it looked like a needle. On one end, the gleaming tip was as sharp as anything. On the other end, a teardrop bulb spun lazily. As they approached, the structure grew in size until it dwarfed the two ships “So, very huge,” said Kpleeb quietly.

The ships both landed in a large slot that was set in the side of the First Terminal, and passed through a faintly glowing field that appeared to protect them from the void. Twenty-eight Xi in silvery armor stepped forward from the edges and surrounded the ships where they rested.

Kpleeb grinned to himself. “They want to show power?” He tapped a nearby console and spoke. “Dear Xi. If you attack us, I will destroy you. We wish to talk with your Iteek.”

Oiitr spoke softly. “Sir. If they attack, it will be directed at you and Zara. They will not harm the vessels while we are docked at the First Terminal as it would also harm the structure.”

Kpleeb nodded. “Zara, exit together prepared to defend.”

The doors to both the Hsstak and the Greki opened in unison, and there was a long pause before seven Ganix warriors trotted out from each ship and stopped in front of the Xi guard. Zara and Kpleeb exited at the same time as well, followed by Viinox and Oiitr.

Kpleeb looked at the Xi warriors as if he was a commander surveying his troops. He had become confident in Zara’s ability to shield him from harm, and after a moment, he walked out to the Xi, passing in front of their lines slowly. He eyeballed each of the warriors slowly as he passed them. They were identical in every way. Their eyes a cold blue and petite mouth closed. Their burnished silvery armor extended to the crown of their head, completely covering the breathing slits, yet still leaving a bare circle of skin exposed on the very top.

“Well,” said Kpleeb, stopping in front of what appeared to be a large doorway, “take us to your leader.” He gestured at the door. “I don’t want to stand here here all day.”

After a few moments of silence, Zara approached. “Da, Viinox says there are no messages and no movements. I am sensing nothing odd about the aji in this place.”

“Does it know where the command center is located?”

Zara nodded. “Viinox says it is not far from here.”

Kpleeb looked at one of the nearby Xi. “We will visit your command center now.” Looking at Viinox he said. “You lead the way.”

Fourteen Xi warriors pivoted and walked through the door followed by Viinox and seven Ganix bringing up the rear, disciplined and wary. Zara walked with Kpleeb. “Da, I have a bad feeling about this. It’s all just too strange, the warriors, and lack of a receptive leader.”

“We will be very cautious. You do have an aji shield ready?”

“Yes,” said Zara. “I am covering me and you, Viinox and Oiitr mostly, but a little on the Ganix as well. I am trying to grow stronger with the coverage, but…”

“Just do your best.” He winked. “We’ll be fine.”

The squadron exited the landing bay, their footsteps echoing down the corridor. They’d barely reached the first set of doors flanking the passage when twin explosions ripped through the metal. Shards of lak tore into the front line of Ganix warriors.

The impact slammed against Zara’s shield, her cry lost in the deafening blast. Her vision stuttered, and suddenly the hallway tilted—the floor now a vertical stripe to her right. Through swirling dust, she glimpsed the broken forms of her friends. Qon grew slippery in her palm; she clutched it tighter.

Silver-booted feet pivoted in slow motion. Lightning spears discharged behind her with their distinctive whine-crack. Her ears rang, muffling everything else. Xi warriors fell, their armor catching the light in one final gleam before darkness swallowed her consciousness and Qon slipped away.

Consciousness returned to Zara in an instant. Above her, shadows gathered on the ceiling, while harsh light flooded in from the sides of her vision. When she shifted her gaze toward the light, she found her Da stretched out on a lak table nearby. A Xi loomed over his body, its lanky form draped in a soft red cloak, while crimson droplets dripped steadily onto the floor below.

Instantly and without thinking, Zara reached for Qon’s familiar power and let out a hoarse scream as a blunt jackhammer of Qon erupted from her outstretched hand. The Xi’s red cloak ballooned violently outward as its torso erupted. Viscous gray goo sprayed in all directions as the Xi crumpled into a formless heap of cloth and ooze.

Viiinox immediately appeared before her with its neck-slits fluttering rapidly. “Zara, you’ve killed Jiartl-wa, the primary medical officer here at the First Terminal.”

“I don’t understand,” said Zara with a shake of her head.

“The Builder is injured, and Jiartl-wa was repairing his body.”

It took Zara a long moment to realize what she had done. “Da!” she cried. She lurched upward only to collapse as needles of pain shot through her. Viinox firmly pressed down on her shoulder with gentle insistence. Beyond them, she could see a teardrop-shaped device methodically vacuuming the gelatinous remains of what had once been Jiartl-wa.

“Zara, we have already called another medical officer. This one will arrive soon and continue its work.” Viinox blinked as if the loss of the primary doctor was no issue.

Tears welled in Zara’s eyes at the sight of her Da on the table. His exposed chest rose and fell with shallow, uncertain breaths while crimson droplets marked time against the floor below.

Moments later, a red-cloaked Xi hurried into the chamber. Two Xi warriors followed in its wake, only to find their path blocked by a cluster of Ganix standing guard at the entrance.

The doctor brushed past Zara without acknowledgment, focusing instead on Kpleeb’s prone form. After a brief examination, it turned, addressing Zara first before shifting attention to Viinox. “Your Builder, as you refer to this primitive specimen, suffers critical injuries. Death approaches. Treatment must commence immediately.” The doctor’s gaze returned to Zara, voice dropping. “Please do not kill me.”

Zara nodded. “You must heal him.”

The red-cloaked Xi worked rapidly over Kpleeb, as Zara watched anxiously. Each labored breath from her Da felt like a countdown. Viinox grasped her hand. “You are injured as well. Sleep.”

Zara focused inward, still holding Qon. Each of her own pains registered again through an incoming haze. Viinox patted her hand. Then, nothing.

Night Skies (Caveman Chronicles)

~ I. Graham Smith ~ Leave a comment

The Index -|-

Zara woke in her sling on the Hsstak. The low light and gentle whir soothed her senses, and slowly, she stretched and yawned. Pushing the thin blanket off, she stepped to the floor. “Light,” she said quietly. A glow incrementally brightened until she could properly see.

With another expansive yawn, she commanded the food cubby to make her hot tea. It took no time at all, only a long moment, but it had taken her much longer to ensure that the flavor matched the tea leaves Jial had used back home on Phaedro. After waking fully, she went to see Kanta who was just donning her airo-walking helmet when Zara arrived.

“Good day to you, Zara,” said Kanta with a smile. The water level in her helmet was just above her large, round eyes, and she reached to connect a tube to the intake port.

Zara’s eyes lit up. “Once I finally dozed off, I slept like a rock. But I kept thinking about that mural from yesterday—I can’t shake the feeling we’ve stumbled onto something really important.”

Kanta’s eyes gleamed through the water in her helmet. “Let’s go see this mysterious mural of yours!” She secured the last seal with a click and hefted her lightning spear from its stand beside the doorway. “Ready when you are. I bet Viinox is pacing the library already.”

Zara and Kanta found two Ganix warriors waiting for her and walked to the Yefrtil administrative center to meet Viinox.

Viinox’s neck slits fluttered at their approach. “Miss Zara. Your rest was adequate?”

Zara smiled and did not try to contain her excitement. “I did! You’ll never guess what I found yesterday. You have got to see this!” With a few taps, she brought up the image she had captured of the mural.

Viinox gazed silently for a long moment at the image before speaking. “This is very old. Where did you find it?”

“It’s just down the hall. There is a crossway there with two shorter halls that branch off. This is at the end of one of them. Which reminds me, I need to look at the other short hallway. There could be so many more past these!”

Kanta issued a command to the library system, and her water helmet sloshed as she turned to speak. “The night sky in this image may not be in the library, so I’ll search the star maps for the origin.”

Viinox lifted its chin slightly. “Good idea. I have never seen this image. The style is much different than today’s Xi design. It has so much more color, and this character…” By the way its neck slits fluttered, Zara could see that Viinox was experiencing some unusual emotion.

“It must be a past leader,” she said. “It’s so majestic!”

Viinox queried the library for an estimate of the mural’s age or the identity of the Xi in the image. After a few long moments, the library database stated with certainty that the painting did not reflect any known Xi, past or present.

“I don’t believe that” said Zara quietly. “This is too different, too unique and special. It must have been someone important. I wonder if this place has been closed to the public for long. Otherwise, wouldn’t there be other images of this?”

Viinox queried again. “The Yefrtil Administrative Center has been sequestered as a historical structure for over four-hundred and fifty ko. This is longer than any Xi has been alive. It is possible that you are the first to see this mural in over seven hundred of Phaedro’s years.”

Zara exhaled slowly. “Incredible. We will look for more artifacts. Will you come with us?” Just then, Kanta’s star map query returned its result.

“The map says the stars as were drawn from Yefrtil pointing in the direction of Ifdawn.”

Viinox appeared uncertain. “Are you saying Ifdawn is Nidix? That does not seem right. I have been there. It is very old and uninteresting.”

“But you also said that the Predominant only appear indoors. Couldn’t they be anywhere?”

Kanta spoke up in her bubbly voice. “It’s possible, and based on that theory, the Predominant could be here on Yefrtil or even have been destroyed with Juma.”

Viinox lifted its head. “However, our history has never wavered from Nidix being the seat of power.”

“You’re right. I suppose the best course of action is to look at the mural and look for more clues.” Zara stood. “Let’s go see it. You are going to be amazed!”

When they arrived at the mural, Viinox stood silently for many long moments before finally looking at Zara. “This painting is quite old,” it said matter-of-factly. It walked up to the wall and sniffed the surface while running its thin fingers gently over the dark blue background. Stepping back, Viinox turned around and looked the other direction. “We should go scout other areas.”

Zara was surprised at the lack of enthusiasm that Viinox showed, even for a Xi. They started to explore and found that the hallway across from the mural was unadorned, though equally short. They turned right at the main hallway instead of left toward the entrance. After five minutes of walking, another set of cross hallways appeared.

“Doesn’t it seem like these hallways come out of nowhere, at least visually?” said Kanta.

Viinox lifted its chin. “This is a well-known classic Xi architectural feature which is intended to make the main hallway appear infinite and unbroken.”

Zara turned left, and at the end of the short hallway was another enormous mural that depicted a majestic Xi standing on a hill with a background of night sky. It was dressed in a faintly bronze-colored armor, and in its hand was a flail. The handle was studded with grippy crosshatching and a short chain connected it to a spiky ball. “Amazing,” she said. “This is so similar to the other painting, but this Xi is different.” She stepped back to look for a name or a label. “Any idea what its name is?”

Viinox was still looking closely at the mural, but it murmured quietly. “This Xi is unknown to me.”

Aside from the mural, the hallway only contained its normal fixtures: ornate patterns on ceiling and walls and a lavish baseboard and a row of small statuettes perched on the angle between ceiling and walls. After a close examination of the area, they moved on and found that the pattern was repeated many times in the Grand Yeftil Administrative Center. Finally, back at their workroom, they processed the images they had captured, ate a meal together, and talked about what it all meant.

“The murals all contain stars in the background, and the search results show that each one was painted from a different location.” Zara pointed to one of the images. “Yefrtil, Ifdawn, Qalas, Bipsum, and Biortl.”

“These are the oldest known Xi orbs,” said Viinox.

“Right. They all center in on one location.” Zara displayed a large star map and pointed to the empty space in its center. “Nidix.”

Viinox tilted its chin down slightly. “There is nothing there.”

“How can we prove that? Is there a way to see with our own eyes?”

Viinox conducted a query in the library and then responded. “Yefrtil has an observatory on the other side of Yowiil. We can go there, but it will require the Hsstak and most of the day. Other than that, the only other method of viewing this area in space will be to be there.” With a few commands, the library displayed a land map of Yefrtil. Yowiil appeared to be almost halfway around the orb.

Zara nodded. “We will try this observatory, and if we have no results, perhaps we will take the Hsstak to Nidix.” She tapped her own communication device. “Da, Viinox and I plan to take the Hsstak to the continent of Yowiil. I’ll take the Ganix with me.”

Kleeb’s voice replied. “I will make arrangements with the Iteek so that there are no surprises.”

“Thank you, Da.”

###

For most of the long trip, Zara and Kanta huddled together in the command center and discussed Nidix’s possible locations. Finally, Viinox made an announcement.

“We will soon arrive at the Yowiil observatory.”

Zara stood and stretched while Kanta displayed a large view of the landscape ahead of them. It was dark outside, and even with the sensors amplifying the light, there was little to see. The outline of a huge pyramid was ahead of them, and soon the Hsstak approached and was enveloped in darkness somewhere on the side of the sloping structure.

Six Ganix warriors stood at the door as it opened. They fanned out into the space beyond, disappearing for a few moments. Finally, Tiv trotted back through the door. “Landing area secured,” he said with a terse nod.

Viinox led the way with Tiv, and Zara and Kanta followed. The landing area was smaller than Zara had imagined. She estimated there was around thirty paces on every side of the vessel. The ceiling overhead was pitch black, giving the illusion that it extended farther upward. At one end, an expansive doorway almost entirely filled the wall. The door stood open, and a bright light spilled illuminated a portion of the landing area in a highly contrasted semicircle. On the perimeters, the lanky figures of her warriors stood at the ready, and in the center, a Xi waited for them.

“We are here to use your long-distance telescope.”

Viinox tilted its head to the side and then looked at Zara. “This one, Ceetil, is the Yowiil Observatory administrator. It refuses to speak in audible words.”

Zara looked at the Xi, and it’s eyes stared back at her. She could see that it was old, and recognized that even in the vacuum that might be created between the outside world and the observatory, this Xi was used to getting its way. “My dear administrator,” she said, “we have come to look for ancient artifacts in the area around Yefrtil. We welcome your participation in this exercise.”

After a long pause, Kanta murmured quietly. “Participation denied?”

Viinox spoke again. “The administrator has no interest in helping Kpleeb and his conquerors.”

“That’s okay as well,” said Zara. “We will conduct our search without your help.” She gestured to Tiv. “Please make sure he stays with us. Viinox, lead the way.”

Soon they arrived at a small control room. One of the walls contained the door, but the others were entirely covered with stars. Tiv and Ceetil stayed outside, and Zara closed the door before speaking quietly. “For the sake of not alerting the Predominant that we look for Nidix, we should search toward Ifdawn, but be careful to make the appearance of scanning a broad area.”

“We will make a cursory grid search in that region but pass over our target many times using different wavelengths. Perhaps this tactic will conceal our true intent and still provide the information we need.” It sat at the console as Zara opened the door.

“Do you wish to observe our search?”

Viinox answered without turning around. “Ceetil declines. I am beginning the search process.”

Zara shook her head and closed the door again. “Not my problem!”