Chapter 28: Fornax Cluster Interlude

The Herald was back in a holding cell aboard the same space station he had been freed not so long ago. This time he was not in a stasis field but from his head down in a clear plastic material suit with a metallic collar. No matter what he had tried, the material not only slowed down his every move, it resisted his diamond hard needle sharp claws. Right now the suit had bonded with the wall and he could not move even a few centimeters. He decided to research this more once he was free again. It was a very effective way of controlling prisoners he has to admit.

He had seen the traces of the boarding fight everywhere as they put him back, but he also saw armies of beings, both humanoid and non humanoid, fixing and repairing things.

A shrouded being appeared before the dividing force field and looked at him, he was certain it was a Narth.

He snorted.” The mighty and meddling Narth reduced to servants to weak and worthless beings. Who would have ever thought the Narth would ever take sides. Do you even know what you are doing by preventing our sacred task?”

“One will respond to all your accusations and questions. Narth do not serve these beings, Narth serves along these beings to accomplish a common goal. No being is worthless, not even you. Narth always knows what one is doing; you are the servant of a servant. It is you who cannot begin comprehend what Narth is doing. The ones you called masters so long ago, the UNI were the ones that meddled and thought of themselves as perfect and complete and yet were far from it. You judge the Union as weak? Let Narth show you what you and your kind are facing.”

The Heralds mind was forcefully and painfully opened and the Psionic shield shattered with ease and then images filled his mind. He saw endless numbers of Wedge shaped battle ships with the Images came the knowledge what he saw. Union Ultra Battle ships, Battle Robots, Marines and then his mind was filled with the combined history of every being and species that ever faced Terrans in battle and every War.

When it was over the Herald was shaking and he who could not cry cried in fear and horror. He, who was bread for war and destruction, was in utter despair realizing how feeble and weak he was against that.

The Narth spoke.

“These so feeble, mortal and weak humans of that planet Earth are weak indeed, but when it comes to war they change, they transform and it is not the Nul, not the Klack, not the Perthartians or the Y’All or any other species known to Narth who are the most aggressive and utmost brutal warrior race.”

The Herald whined,”It is them. They are them.”

“Yes they are and the Crucible has failed. The Master is on his way already.”

“How can the Narth stand on the side of Evil and darkness?”

“It is this fanatical believe in only one side that doomed the UNI and has doomed the Dark Ones. There is the third state. Narth Supreme has not taken sides; Narth always was and is the third Way.”

“Not even the Narth can stop the Master when he returns.”

“One will leave you now as it is incomprehensible to you and your kind. Like the UNI you think in absolutes. They tried to stop the Transport and the Guardian so long ago and failed because they were too self important to see the third way. The master cannot be stopped and those who want the master stopped will never cease trying and yet this Universe might hold the answer and end the eternal cycle and the Rule will not be broken again.”

“You are not Narth.”

“One is all, one is Narth Supreme.”

“What will happen?”

The future is yet to be determined. Your future however is quite clear. The one you call weak will examine you to the last molecule and fold of your being and it might take them some time but through you they will find ways to defeat your kind.”

“The Crucible is not alone. The Call has been made and those after us will come.”

GWEN

Gwen was sitting in the middle of the perfect circle made of molecular silver that was inlayed in the floor of black marble underneath the carpet of her living room and before her shimmered something insubstantial like a cloud of smoke. A face was inside that wafting field of glowing wisps of light and Gwen spoke to it.” The Black Robes have made their decision. No longer are they removed and separate. They have decided to take part in the Union and one has even become a Cadet.”

“The Circle knows of this. She who is with the Warrior has supplied us with such knowledge. She who is with the Warrior thinks it is time the Coven makes the decision as well. The signs have been seen and the signs point to the possibility that the ‘Prophecy of Before and Yet to come’ will be fulfilled soon.”

Gwen had her hands folded in a complicated way in her lap had closed her eyes.”The Black Robes believe the third way is the answer.”

“The black robes are so much older than even the Coven. Their wisdom must not be disregarded even if it is not the Coven way.”

“The human carries duality.”

“Did you read the Human? Could he be the one? Or could he be the one who will find the one?”

“Even finest Coven art can no longer read the human. He has shared the Huhgavh.”

“He has shared the Huhgavh and survived. He could be the one.”

“But the Legend of the Prophecy speaks of the White Being of immense mind and body, equal to Narth. The White Being is the Guardian of the Vault and has the key to the Mind of the One and there is no such being in the life of the Human. I have investigated his file.”

“We are not sure if he is the one and the White Being might still appear. The legend is not specific at what time or point the White Being is to appear.”

“What will the Coven do?”

“You know what the Coven wants and waits for, but the Circle is not blind to the wisdom of the Black Robes. The Coven wants the human to see that there are other ways. If he is the one it will be of our benefit. If he is not it will be of his benefit, have you sent him to us?”

“Yes he is picking up a space ship and he will deliver it not to the destination but to the Coven.”

“The Coven considers becoming a Union member; the Coven believes that the Union is the third way.”

“I am a Union Officer and only send the human because she hopes this will come to pass. For as much as I am of the Coven, I am becoming a being of the Union.”

“The one that is with the warrior, she who is the oldest speaks just as you do, who is the youngest. The Circle will decide when the human is with us.”

--””--

EXLORING CAVES

Now that Freya was awake and on the surface I enjoyed bathing and paying attention to little body comforts even more enjoyable than usual. Ever since I had left Nilfeheim I was traveling a lot and one benefit of having a virtually bottomless Credit strip was the fact I could afford the finest luxury accommodations. It sounded weird even when I was thinking it, but as Eric I would have been happy with just about any room, as Freya I enjoyed the luxuries much more. The Cattle King Hotel had several Ultra Lux suites and the King Ranch Suite I chose had everything you could think off, including a state of the art Auto Dresser.

While the entrance and the lobby of the Hotel was at least 200 meters underground, the suite was above ground and from the large panoramic windows you could see the mud and the cattle and the feed lots. I was sure that most guests of this hotel appreciated exactly that.

I expected to crawl around a cave and it would be my first normal day as Freya. Not going out or to a party or anything but just being me, working as a Midshipman on a real assignment. I wondered how it would be Brenda told me she would pick me up at seven and the door announced her only a minute after. She came in and whistled while looking around.”Nice choice, but I doubt the Science Corps will agree to cover the expenses on this suite. I was expecting to find you in one of the economy rooms.”

“No worries. I can afford it and I rather have a nice bath and an auto dresser, especially now.”

She looked at me and nodded.” Yes I can understand. Good morning by the way.”

“Good Morning, Ma’am.”

“We don’t do the Ma’am and Sir thing in the Science Department and usually call ourselves by first names or nicknames. Do you have a female name?”

“Yes I always go by Freya.”

“Freya it is, then.”

She wore her green uniform and had her hair put up in a knot, but a few strains had escaped and framed her face. It looked accidental, but I somehow knew it was done on purpose. I wore a similar green suit of Intelli-Fab, All Terrain boots, belt and jacket and the hair gathered in a pony tail.

“Did you have breakfast already?”

“I am not a big breakfast person and I had coffee already.”

“Great. Then let’s go.”

She landed her Utility flyer about three miles north of the rock formation that contained her lab. I could see it in the distance. The green valley with all the bones was stretching before us until it reached mountains. I estimated to be about twenty or thirty kilometers away. The valleys elevation slowly increased to where we had landed.

The air was moist and cool. The grass was about ankle deep and my boots were glistening wet after only a few steps.

She pointed at the grass. That is the real wealth of Wichita, it is called Wichi-green by the locals and while it is a native plant it is not unlike Phleum pretense or Timothy grass and is well liked and easily digested by Terran Cattle. Sixty percent of the planets land is covered with large steppes providing an abundance of food.”

I found this information about the local grass mildly interesting and enjoyed being outdoors and the fresh air and even though I was neither dressed glamorous or special and no one but Brenda saw me, the simple fact that I appeared female to the world and to me, gave me a great inner peace.

Brenda and I carried a small backpack, a heavy TKU Blaster rifle, rope and Sunbeam Torches mounted at the front of our caving helmets. After a short hike we reached the step rising rock wall of the northern Mountains of the Bone Valley and there was a natural looking cave entrance. She took the Blaster from her shoulder, set it to the lowest setting and widest dispersion and burned an area of grass away. The Grass turned to black ashes and in doing so she exposed the dirt beneath. Now I could clearly see hundreds of tracks coming out of the cave. I knelt down and examined them. Those were old tracks, no doubt and made by something big and heavy during a wet period. There wasn’t much detail left, but I was sure those tracks could not be older than maybe two three years.

“Brenda what is the amount of precipitation of this area in an average year?”

“I kept detailed weather data, one second.” She looked at her PDD and then showed me the curve.” There are basically three wet month with rain up to 2 centimeters. Then there is one month with snow.”

“Have these track been inspected by an expert? I somehow doubt they are 50 years old. This ground is not that hard packed, it allows grass to grow. There is rainfall and there is snow. I don’t think you would find any tracks even as deep and wide as these after three four years maybe. Of course I could be wrong.”

She had listened to me and said. “You are the first who really examines these tracks and it appears you know a bit about it, all I did was record and measure these tracks. I have sent my findings along with my monthly report to Venus. I have not gotten any response so far, but then the Wichita Bone mystery is not considered a priority project.”

Somehow the science bug had bitten me and I measured a few of the tracks, made pictures and said.” We should excavate a few big slaps and expose them to water and see how long it takes to wash out a similar track.”

“Yes we can do that. I have the robots set that up.”

We then approached the cave and I said.” Don’t get me wrong Brenda, but caves don’t just form. Usually it is done by lava or water or something. Do you know how this cave was formed? Are these mountains volcanic?”

She laughed silently.”You have the hallmarks of a good field researcher. You pointing out things I should have done long ago, maybe I am too much of a biologist, I should have seen the things in a geological context as well.” She then said.”As far as I know these are not volcanic mountains. I am going to ask for a geological assessment of my data.”

I examined the rock closer.” This looks like granite, not that I am a geologist either, but Limbur a friend of mine he loved the subject when we covered this in Class.”

She looked at me from the side:” I think it is wonderful to have a second set of eyes with me. Robots can’t do what you do, so please continue. Maybe by the end of the day you asked enough questions for us to get closer to solving the mystery.

The cave entrance was big enough to accommodate the big animals. Gravel like rocks covered most of the cave floor. We did have one class of about two days in Speleology and caving at Camp Idyllic, where a professional Cave specialist introduced us to the basics of this science. Several member species of the Union and many other life forms both sentient and non sentient were found in caves and similar sub surface areas on planets throughout the known Galaxy and so it was considered quite possible that we could end up in such an environment during our career. Aurellius told us that even wars were fought in caves and that the six year battle of Winston Planet was almost entirely fought underground.

The moment we entered the cave, I activated an Application I had added to my PDD as I remembered the recommendation of the Instructor. It was the Spelunker Assistant Program Suite and one app was called Ariadne Module. This feature would not only make a three dimensional scan of the cave as we advanced but would later help us to find the exit again if we got lost.

The air had a musky odor to it and was cool. The gravel on the ground was loose and shifted at every step and left little in terms of tracks, but I still looked carefully to see if I could find any tell tales if something had moved across it before us and after about 200 meters away from the cave entrance, I found what I somehow expected or hoped to find. A dried out pile of dung.

She was all excited and took a sample of the matter. “I think you are right, it does not look like it has been here for fifty years.”

We must have covered the better part of 2 kilometers now and while the cave had narrowed a bit, it was still a big corridor that was steadily declining and according to the PDD, we were already 80 meters below the level of the entrance.

Our lights made the cave bright as day. The air became moist and the walls shimmered wet. On a rock ledge she discovered a bunch of mushroom like plants and was happily examining them closer.

I found a boulder that was sitting more or less in the middle of the path and sat down on it, while she did her thing.

Just as I started to wonder why there was a single boulder and looked up to see where it could have come from. I saw something and it moved.

--””--

THE HUFFH

The entire ceiling seemed alive. Hundreds maybe thousands of dark brown drop shaped things hung from that ceiling, Brenda saw them too and said.”I think we just discovered this planets equivalent of bats, I wonder why there is no bat dung on the floor.”

Before I could ask her what bats are, there was a high pitched scream, first one then it swelled to a crescendo of many thousand voices and it did not sound friendly at all. The first things dropped and headed straight for us. They were about thirty centimeters and had leathery wings, long necks. One stuck to my shoulder and another to my helmet. Brenda moved in panic as one covered her face.

I could feel needle sharp claws or teeth trying to dig through the tough Intelli-Fab material of my suit and could hear a chewing scratching sound from the thing on top of my helmet. I dialed the TKU to widest dispersion and low setting and fired several times over our heads, then grabbed Brenda’s arm and dragged her as fast as I could along. Three more blasts killed many of these and we were not pursued. With my knife I killed the one on my shoulder and then cut the one off Brenda’s face. She was bleeding from several deep scratches and a terrible bite wound on her nose.

She was groaning in pain. I had the first aid kit open in no time and after disinfecting her wound, I pressed the Auto doc Pack on her neck and set the Derma Patcher over what was left of her nose.

Auto doc injected her with pain killers and she sighed.” I feel better now.”

The Auto Doc flashed a message to my PDD.” Strong bacterial infection of an aggressive unknown type of bacteria, broadband antibiotics administered. Wound is sealed, unit strongly recommends professional medical assistance as soon as possible, this unit is unable to reconstruct missing cartilage.”

She had heard the diagnostics as well and said.” I guess that will take care of our first foray into this cave.”

I agreed and said.”Are you well enough to walk back?”

“Yes, I am pain free.”

Something bit me painfully in the neck. I had forgotten about the little beast on top of my helmet. Brenda ripped it off, tearing a big chunk of skin along as the little beast had sharp hook shaped claws almost everywhere.

She had a tough time getting the wild thing in a specimen box, but finally managed. After she had doctored my neck she said.” Those things look like a mixture of Piranha fish, Vulture and Vampire bat.”

I looked at the trashing thing in the specimen container and said.”They are vicious and ugly.”

We both took our blasters and slowly made our way back. With our eyes and lights towards the ceiling, we reached the spot where I had first noticed them. There was not a single bat on the ceiling and I could find none of the ones I burned. Right behind the boulder that was sitting in the middle of the way was a solid rock wall. According to my PDD this was the way back, yet there was a wall and it did not look like it had been part of a moveable wall or something but there forever. Brenda was as surprised as I was.” We came from there, I am certain. Over there are the fungi and I remember that boulder.”

I was as certain as she was, as the path had not forked so far and there was no other path we could have chosen. I knocked at the rock and it felt as solid as a mountain, so I stepped pack dialed the TKU to max and tight focus and fired and the beam dug a deep hole into the rock material of at least 3 meters depth and yet it was still solid rock. Whatever blocked the path was thicker than 3 meters.

Brenda’s voice vibrated with fear. “I can no longer access GalNet. No matter how deep we are inside a planet. I should be able to connect.”

“Don’t worry we will get out of here. We are alive and we are well equipped and well armed, maybe the Cave has an exit on the other side.”

She tried to smile and said.” Yes you are right.”

We slowly went deeper into the Cave. Just a few meters from where we had stopped the first time fleeing from these bats and where I rendered first aid to Brenda, I noticed a thin metal band almost completely buried and obscured by the gravel on the ground. It ran across the width of the tunnel and now I saw it went up both ways and clear across the ceiling forming something like a ring.

I knelt down and wiped the gravel aside. It was a dark gray smooth metal and not a natural ore vein.

Brenda now noticed it too and said.” This does not look natural at all, it almost appears like some sort of threshold and we must have passed over it as we ran from the bats.”

She unhooked a hand held device from her belt and said.” I am only using this for Bio scans, but it is a Standard Field Science Scanner. I think you can do energy scans with it too.”

I remembered she had given me the same gear and I took the scanner and activated it as well. It was the same model we had been trained to use.” I am detecting multi dimensional energies here, very weak or maybe the scanner is not able to detect the whole spectrum.” By looking at the scanners read out and the representation, I said.”This ring is some sort of gate; I don’t think we are in the Kansas System anymore.”

Despite our strange and serious situation she laughed.” This isn’t the Yellow brick road, Dorothy but I wish you could click your heels and we get back.”

I looked at her with a big question mark on my face.” I left the Dorothy Mask at the hotel and I am not sure I know what you are talking about?”

“You just quoted more or less the most famous line of that old movie I told you about. Well if we get out of here I will make a point and we watch that old show.”

I smiled at her and wondered how that device was triggered and who had put it there. “Maybe all we have to do is step over this ring and we will be back.”

I stepped over it and nothing happened, but then I did not feel anything before. Brenda was still there and even after stepping over the ring several times, the rock barrier was still there and the faint energy reading did not change.

So we decided to move on and see where the cave would lead us.

INTERLUDE: HUFFH

The Huffh always were and could remember the beginning. Caram would soon reach the end of his journey in this realm and would pass on to the Valley, almost all the Huffh had gathered and many families had come. Even the Alikta Huffh family was here and they had to travel seven Sky ball rises.

Caram was not an old Huffh and if he did not have that accident where he fell from the cliff he would not have to go into the final Cave and seek the Valley so soon. But it was the way of things, Caram’s wounds had never healed well enough and Gulah and Parah the healers said Caram’s injuries were beyond the herbs, as a flesh eating fire had set around its Bones and soon Caram would no longer be able to move at all and die right here. To die not in the Valley was a terrible faith and omen, so Caram had received pain reducing herbs and would with his last strength walk into the final cave and seek the Valley.

Balmi was the life partner of Caram and the Huffh lamented her fate almost as much as they felt sorry for Caram as she would now live without ever becoming Anali and bring a Huffh from her own cave of life into this world. Balmi was standing with the Anali of her family and she moaned silently, not to make it even harder for Caram to enter the Final Cave. She had told no one, but she would follow Caram, tonight and be with him in the Valley. She did not have to tell anyone as it was expected and foreseen that she would go into the Cave before her natural time, all Huffh that lost a partner before life drew naturally to an end.

Caram still had a little time. The Cave to the Valley would not be open for passage until the light ball had moved behind the mountains and he dragged himself to UtnAnali, the oldest to seek comfort in her stories. She would soon seek the Valley herself and she was certain she would not see another White cold season, but she needed to tell all stories to the next UtnAnali and to all the Huffh.

The crowd that had gathered around the Old Anali respectfully made room for Caram, so he could be close and hear well.

The Old Anali gracefully lowered her grizzled head and exposed the few yellow teeth she had left, the mighty tusks worn down to sad stumps.” Caram it is good you seek us out.

So we all may radiate our affection upon you.”

Caram wheezed as a wave of pain from his shattered hind bones flashed through his mighty body. Before the accident he was a strong Huffh and his size and strength the source of friendly envy among the other Huffh.” Affection is what makes me bear my faith, Old UtnAnali. Tell me the Old Story and tell me about the Valley.”

She nodded again and three juveniles robbed closer so they too could hear the story better. The Old Anali began.” It was an era long ago, so long ago that no one can count the number of White Cold Seasons that happened since then. All the Huffh knew only one Place. It was a warm Place with much water. All that was crawling and walking on that Place came out of the water to claim land for the first time. Then a big ball of fire came from the skies and burned many of the others, the skies stayed dark and hot for many seasons. Some of the Huffh decided to go back into the waters and became separate from the Huffh and even changed their form over many seasons, but it is said they sing in the deep waters of the Old Place to this very season, and their songs tell of the days when they were Huffh. Again untold seasons came and went, and the wound and damage, the ball of fire had caused to the Place, was long forgotten and the Huffh that remained on land changed their shape and form just as our brothers changed that went into the water. The Water-Huffh bodies became more and more like the little things that always live in the water. Something else happened to the Huffh that stayed on land, the veil of ignorance slowly lifted of their minds. The Huffh began to speak to one another and there were words. The first stories were told and the first songs were sung. Little ones came, different from the Huffh in many ways, small they were and had no fur and looked weak and fragile compared to the Huffh.

They said that the Place was not for the Huffh and that the Place was reserved for others. We did not understand why the Place that was ours was not ours.”

One of the Juveniles forgot its manners and burst out, interrupting the UtnAnali.” What was the name of the little Ones? Why did the Huffh not eat them?”

The Old one forgave the Juvenile with a sad nod.” The Little ones called themselves the Uni and the old songs tell that they commanded fire and the light crack of the skies and they could burn the Huffh. The Huffh could not eat the little ones. The Uni explained that those who gain thought and word would be allowed to join the Uni and share all the knowledge the Uni possessed, but that the Huffh had a long way to go and develop more words and more thought, before the Uni would allow that. The Uni took all Huffh away from the Old Place and they brought all Huffh to this Place.

Here is where we should gain more thought and more words and one day they would return and make us part of the Uni.”

Another old Huffh grunted.” They have not returned and have spoken untrue to us. The Uni did not ask if we wanted to leave the Old Place or if we wanted to join the Uni.”

While the Old Utnanali forgave the juvenile for interrupting her, she did not like to be interrupted by someone who should know better and scolded the Old male with a high pitched whistle. It was rare for an Anali to make this sound and he lowered his head and made all three motions of apology with his short tail.

The Old Utnalai accepted but kept an eye on him as she finished her tale.” More Seasons than all Huffh together could not count have passed. We have learned many words and much thought and yet they have not come.”

Caram did not feel much pain when he was not moving and thanked the Old one for the story and then added.” Why is it that we must enter the Cave and seek the Valley when our time has come?”

She looked at the sick Huffh with much affection and said.”This is the Place of life and the Valley is the Place of death. Only by passing through the Cave can our spirit be freed from the body and return through the cave of flesh we female Huffh have and where the young one come to this world. A Huffh cannot die in the community; a Huffh must be alone to die. Your agony would last forever. In the valley you are alone, and then you die, only that way you can return”

Caram found comfort in this and said.” Maybe it won’t be long and I will be back that way.”

The Old Utnalai nodded slowly.”This is the way and this is what the messengers of the Caves have told us ever since we have come to this Place. It is time now for you to go to the Valley.”

--””--

FREYA AND BRENDA

We had walked for the better part of three hours, when I suddenly felt a little breeze on my face. The derma patcher had healed Brenda’s face, but she looked disfigured as the little machine could not do any reconstructive surgery. Neither of us was worried about that, once we managed to get back any doctor would be able to fix her up in no time. She kept herself busy with making scientific observations while I kept an eye on the scanner and held the blaster ready.

She had noticed the draft as well and just as she was to mention it, we saw light at the end of the Cave.

--””--

CARAM

Despite the pain numbing herbs, every step Caram took filled him with flaming pain. He and the Old ones had almost reached the Cave. Caram was almost glad it would be over soon. He hoped the cave would not be too long and too deep and the way to the Valley was not too far.

The Light of the Sky had almost set and its rays shone directly on the caves entrance, bathing it in soft orange light. The other Huffh had stopped a little behind and waited for him to disappear.

He was never that close to the cave. He had seen others pass, but doing the final journey yourself was quite different. He felt anger at the others, who were healthy, he was angry at the Old Ones who made him go. Why could he not stay and maybe the healers would find a way to help him better? He knew better of course, no Huffh with wounds like him and the bone fire ravaging had ever been healed. Maybe the Huffh weren’t as bright as the Old Ones said. Maybe the Uni had not returned because the Huffh were still unable to have words and thoughts to heal bone fire. He sighed in pain and his anger changed into fear. What would death be like? What was there at the other side? How did they know it was a Valley if no one had ever returned? The little ones that came through the flesh caves remembered nothing. He did not remember if he had done this once or perhaps many times before.