Chapter 4: The Anomaly

“After breakfast, I would like all of you to come up to command central and have a look at an astounding object the sensor operators have found,” said Andrea chewing her almond croissant with relish and sipping a cup of coffee. “I am going up in five minutes and I would strongly recommend you do not delay and as a result miss what they have found.”

Andrea would not respond to any questions and led everyone up to command central where there were five sensor operators working and manipulating large holograms.

“If you look at my hologram, which I have enlarged, you will see there is a ship shaped object a half a mile beneath the surface of the planet in this valley.”

Andrea moved the focus of the hologram to show a wide valley covered with forest surrounded by tall mountain peaks.

“This ship was not visible to our sensors when we arrived. We are now detecting energy sources. The ship interior is clearly seen using our Collective sensors. You can see drones busily moving about.”

“Last night while I was asleep, I felt something calling to me,” said Jason. “It did not feel like one of the dragons, but it did feel like someone or something familiar. I felt as if it was a call from home. I first thought of Lauren, but the character of it was different. When I answered, I heard the being clearly say: ‘My Lord I am at your command’ and it then asked if I wanted my ship to be prepared. Well, I thought it was a dream and I said: ‘Activate the ship as soon as you can and prepare for war with the Ghouls’. The voice said that it was surprised they were still around, they should be inactive. I explained to the voice what they had been doing and it seemed very concerned. It was very interested to hear what happened with the Ghoul Queen. The voice told me the ship will take a day to be prepared for me, and I would be called when the ship was ready to receive me.

“It obviously wasn’t a dream. That ladies and gentlemen is my ship,” said Jason dramatically. “Two days ago, we met dragons, today I have a huge ship emerging from the ground. Tomorrow dancing girls will appear from a passing ancient civilization. Who knows what will happen next week!”

Jason chuckled.

“There is nothing to worry about or to concern yourselves with until sometime tonight when the ship will let me know it is ready. I had better warn Queen Elizaveta when we see her today. I can’t wait to tell Queen Lynas Parayekt. She will love to hear this story.”

Jason sat back and grinned.

“We leave for the planet in an hour,” said Linda dryly.

“Hang on,” said Andrea, “we are being hailed by an approaching small Azayal Fleet. They are requesting permission for the Queen and family to board. It is Mergal, Kalalal, Fallis and Relaren, they are joining us. I wonder what this is all about.”

“They sure are in a hurry, they have docked their shuttle and are on their way up. Sergei, you have been incessantly talking about Kalalal and how you miss her, it seems she has been missing you too!” Trackrof Graf remarked.

Sergei blushed.

“I have sent for some breakfast for them,” said Andrea.

“I am looking forward to seeing Mergal again. I think I am blessed with mothers-in-law,” said Jason. “We will soon find out if they have any dreams of dragons.”

Mergal swiftly walked into the room followed by her son Fallis and her two daughters; Relaren and Kalalal.

“Welcome to our ship,” said Andrea, “might we inquire as to why you honor us with your presence?”

“Certainly, my dear,” said Mergal pausing kissing her on the cheek and then strode over to Jason to give him a hug and rubbed his hair before standing next to him with her arm around his waist, “we had some intense dreams about dragons. In the dreams, we were sitting on the backs of the dragons. They feature heavily in our mythology.

“In the dreams, they were calling us to join them urgently. I contacted Lynas who told us where you were. So here we are. Of course, Kalalal has been nagging me to be able to spend time with Sergei, so what choice did I have?”

Kalalal smirked and looked at Sergei and licked her lips. Sergei blushed a dusky deep red that extended to his ears.

Mergal shook her head and continued. “There is nothing much going on, that can’t wait so we thought we would visit. I don’t know what the dreams mean, but rather than waste time calling and speaking with you, I thought we would simply visit. Tell me what has been happening?”

“I will call the Queen and ask permission for you guys to join us today. I will then explain what has been happening ... Right! ... I am getting through now,” said Jason.

As the image of the hologram began to firm and stabilize Jason saw Queen Elizaveta Epilex look intently at Mergal in her shiny black outfit. Mergal was frozen in position with her mouth open.

“You!” said Elizaveta, “you are in my dreams every night. Come down to the planet and you can ride with me. Bring your children, they are expected, the one at the University will have to visit later. Come Jason, hurry time is passing rapidly, go around the mountain and park on the flying side; you will be guided by an arrow.” She said and cut the transmission.

Jason explained briefly the events of the past few days. Kalalal and Sergei stood fused at the hip smiling broadly and looking at each other. Neither could have looked more pleased.

“That is a pretty austere looking castle ... It looks huge,” said Mergal, as they entered the cavern, “Oh my heavens they are much bigger than I thought.”

They left the shuttle and began to walk towards the dragons. Fallis made a beeline towards Coccydioborgus Effulix, the senior counsel to the Queen. He looked at Fallis as he walked towards him nervously. Mergal made her way towards Elizaveta Effulix, the Queen. Kalalal went towards a huge and powerful looking female and Relaren to a much smaller one. They watched the others mount and easily straddled the dragons themselves. The dragons walked ponderously towards the entrance, before falling over the edge, opening their wings and rising up vertically as they did the day before. Jason’s Dragon moved up to the front and the other dragons formed a V-shaped wedge behind him. Jason felt himself bonding to the Dragon and for the first time learning its name; Corvus Omulix the son of Persephone Omulix and Senior General of the Gromelix. Jason began to feel the minds of the other dragons.

“I feel drawn to take you to our firing range. We fire our weapons and practice our breath and electrical attacks there. We have other weapons we can use later. Let us try and see what we can do together,” said Corvus telepathically to Jason.

Jason could now feel the minds of all of his wider group, Mergal and her children. He felt their elation and joy in bonding with another and in the sheer pleasure of flight. The day was glorious with the sun shining a yellow/red color. Jason saw clouds scudding across the sky and the magnificent mountains piercing the clouds and rending them asunder.

The firing range was an undistinguished mountaintop pockmarked with pits and charred areas. Jason informed his group he was going to try and use his powers to hit the mountaintop. The rest followed him.

He first shot fireballs. They were at least ten times as big as they usually were. He saw Corvus pointing his claws at the mountain and a stream of flame thundered towards the mountain top. The balls and the stream hit at the same time. The fireballs exploded like bombs. Jason watched carefully and saw flames, fireballs, gravitational warp, penetrating beams, walls of fire and then the dragons belched fire at the mountaintop simultaneously before flying vertically into the sky and simultaneously somersaulting to attack the mountaintop again. Jason pulled out his Warhammer, shouted the war cry he had learned from the Azayal, and launched an earthquake wave like the one which destroyed Razza’s father’s palace and the Army besieging it. He watched the air hazily warp as the ground had twisted when he struck it. The entire top of the mountain imploded and collapsed inward casting boulders sideways and up as rocks exploded. They were struck by a concussive backlash which pushed back the dragons before they rose and turned half the dragons to the left and half to the right flying inches away from the cliffs before gliding back towards the mountain. Jason saw boulders tumbling down the decline. He brandished his Ghoul sword and discharged a green flame intertwined with lightning that struck the mountain and bored its way downward before exploding deep in the mountain causing huge cracks to form and superheated steam to escape from the cracks. He watched the others try their own techniques.

Suddenly, Corvus turned and Jason heard him call to the others. He felt something calling him as it called Corvus. Neither of them knew what was calling, but it was not the ship. The feel was different. The call was as familiar as the call from the ship.

“Should we follow the call Jason?” Corvus asked.

“Yes, Corvus it is something to do with me and my background I expect!”

They flew through a narrow valley in paired formation before entering a jagged rift torn near the stark summit of the mountainside.

The inside proved to be the crater of an active volcano. Boiling red glowing lava bubbled below belching steam. No opening was seen above them. The inside was lighted but there was no visible source of the light. The heat was uncomfortable and the stench of sulphur overwhelming even though they were thousands of feet above the lava.

The call was from above. Corvus and the other dragons circled and rose until Jason saw in the dim light a yawning cave entrance; easily large enough for the dragons to enter. Corvus led his team along the tunnel into a well-lighted area and landed. No source of the light could be seen. Jason felt himself pulled further down a narrower pathway.

Corvus indicated the dragons would wait for them.

“Jason, you must go, the voices are calling for you and your people.”

“Yes, Corvus, I hear them as well.”

“Come on people dismount, I feel something calling to me to go down that tunnel,” said Jason. “You are to join me. The dragons will wait for us. He jumped down and began to walk, without waiting for the others to catch up. The tunnel began to light up ahead of them.

“This is extraordinary,” said Mergal, “I wonder what is calling you, Jason. You always seem to be able to produce some unique entertainment for us!”

“It was dragons a few days ago, last night a ship. I am waiting for the circus and dancing girls,” Jason replied with a broad smile.

“Jason do you have any idea what we are going to see?” Razza called out from behind.

Jason shrugged his shoulders and shook his head as he speeded up. He walked around a gentle curve before reaching a solid circular door that looked as thick and heavy as a bank vault door. It glowed faintly. The edges of the door blended into the rock.

The center of the door formed a hand indentation which lighted up and flashed a dull red.

He looked at it carefully before slowly placing his palm on the door. He felt his hand bind to the door and felt a powerful mind push gently into his.

There a brief pause then a flash. They found themselves standing on a firm metallic circular floor with thousands of intricate runes glowing and pulsing. The air smelled stale. As he thought the thought the air freshened and smelled of eucalyptus. Jason looked around. There was only blackness.

A man dressed as an English Butler, carrying a white cloth over his left arm dressed in a morning suit appeared three yards from Jason and walked towards him.

“Welcome to your redoubt on Gromelikine, sire. It houses one of your minor castles. I am your butler Percival Jones, but I am usually addressed as Jones. Please accompany me ladies and gentlemen, to a fitting for your new armor. Your companions in the outer cave have been moved to a part of your castle dedicated to them and they are having fittings done as well. We will provide them refreshment as we will provide refreshment for all of you once we obtain your measurements,” said Jones politely.

“Thank you, Jones,” said Jason, “could someone show us around the castle briefly afterwards?”

“We most certainly can, sire. We will also show your companions around their accommodation in the castle,” said Jones. “Regrettably, your castle was built long before we created the Dragons. The design is not ideal to accommodate them in their full size. Sire, if it meets your pleasure you and your wives might like to consider a redesign of the facilities once you have completed your tour.”

Jason nodded slowly and looked at Julia, Razza and Perdita. They also smiled and nodded.

“Jones we will decide what is to be done once we complete the tour,” said Razza.

“Thank you, my lady, we will consult with you afterward,” said Jones, as he led them to a set of rooms that reminded Jason of a visit to the tailors in London, many years previously.

The walls were paneled in dark wood that extended up three yards, and showed cream painted walls above. The air smelled faintly of expensive cologne reminiscent of when he had visited the tailor previously. The men and women were copies of the tailors and seamstresses he had encountered during his fittings. He smiled at the memory. They wore suits as they were used into the plush fitting rooms. The men who were mostly bald, removed their coats to do the measurements and worked swiftly wearing shirtsleeves and braces. The women wore white tops and long dark skirts. A few carried pencils which they parked wedged on the top of their ears. It had a Dickensian feel.

Jason was then led into a cubicle where a man and a woman agin measured him in great detail from head to foot using tape measures. They were both very polite, addressing him as Sire. They worked quickly and efficiently for several minutes before releasing him to his guide, who led him quickly around the castle.

The style of the palace was informal but elegant and was a copy of Scandinavian designs as Jason remembered them. He was led through galleries of paintings of scenes from many unfamiliar worlds. There were portraits of diverse beings, none of which he had encountered. There were pictures of battles with novel weapons and armor.

“Sire, this is your bedroom suite,” said his guide.

It was a beautiful room with windows that filled the entire wall from floor to ceiling. The view of the valley below and the mountains nearby was breathtaking. Jason sat and bounced on the bed. The bed was covered with a soft duvet much like the one on his bed on Earth. The furniture was familiar and clearly derived from his memories of his favorite designs. The walls were paneled in a light-colored wood, which gave the room a warm feel. Jason looked up and smiled. The bed had a canopy reminiscent of an antique Royal bed he had seen at an exhibition of antiques. He recalled modifying it in his mind to a bed he could live with. He looked at the bed carefully and saw that it was exactly as he had pictured it after modifications. On the walls were pictures of his family that extended back to the time he had first met his wife. There were current pictures of his son and daughter and grandchildren. The wedding day picture of his wife brought tears to his eyes.

“Sire, I am very sorry to disturb you, but your butler wishes to speak to you urgently in your study,” said the guide apologetically.

Jason rose from the bed and followed the guide back down the stairs. The guide gently pushed on the impressive door and the light from within showed it was a foot thick, a heavy very dark almost black, wooden door that was at least 15 feet tall and 6 feet wide. There was no sound; as the guide pushed the magnificent ornate handle, opened the door with little effort and with a sweeping gesture pointed to the seats within. The room smelled of recently polished leather and was furnished with magnificent leather chairs, a desk with a large hologram and a set of couches around a circular coffee table. Each couch had a side table on both sides. On the low flat table in the center of the room stood a steaming mug of coffee. It looked like his favorite mug from home. Jason saw a coffee machine exactly the same as the one Sarah bought him for his seventy-fifth birthday. There was a strong smell of fresh coffee. Jones was frothing some milk. He used the machine as though he had been working in a coffee shop for years. A few moments later there was a knock on the door.

“Sire, I have taken the liberty of ensuring your most important people are part of this meeting.” Jones said before he called out. “Enter!”

Andrea, Linda, Julia, Razza, Perdita and Mergal entered the room accompanied by their guides who promptly left. The door closed, but opened again a moment later. Waiters dressed in white entered the room carrying steaming pastries on silver trays. The whole show had the feeling of a movie showing the royal family at home in Buckingham palace.

The waiters hovered behind the couches and placed food and drink next to each person. Jason noticed Mergal was given pastries that he recognized from the Azayal Palace. She also appeared to have a different drink. He watched her as she tasted the food and nodded, before drinking and smiling at him broadly.

After each was comfortably ensconced in a comfortable chair with food and drink next to them Jones dismissed the waiters with a wave of his hand.

A raised long fireplace with flames dancing in a forcefield enclosure stood near the back of the room.

“Sire, I have asked you and your close group to hear what I have to say. Having you all here will save time. Sire, we undertook the customary security evaluation of each of you. Protection of your family in your Castle has been a priority since its inception. We made a disturbing finding. Amongst you there is a traitor,” Jones said without the slightest traces of drama.

Jason thought the scene was typical of an Agatha Christie mystery drama. At the end of the movie Poirot explains what has happened to those assembled at his request.

“Your Majesty,” said Jones looking at Mergal, “you had a second Ghoul maid. In your homes several generations of Ghouls lived with your family. However, this maid was unknown to the others as she was sent by the Queen herself without the Queen’s own intelligence services being aware of her. The Ghoul Queen is highly paranoid and suspicious and does not trust anyone. This person is regarded by the Queen as her daughter and by the other Ghouls as the crown princess. The Ghouls have mimicked our families even though they are manufactured. The Ghoul Queen had her built to her own specifications. She has no intelligence or assassin skills and was taken out of her job as an engineer, to do her mother’s bidding. She had the unique skill and ability that no other Ghoul possesses including the Queen in that she could transfer her consciousness into another being.

“Sire, the aim of the Ghoul Queen was to infiltrate her into the palace and inform her of what was happening. Unfortunately for both of them, you were able to recognize Ghouls. The maid was highly disturbed after you killed the Vizier and was in a panic for a few days, since she was ill prepared for her task. Her situation became increasingly desperate as Castle security was tightened and tightened again. She could not do her micro-feeding. All the staff were alerted to the Vizier’s method of micro-feeding on the Royal family and other servants. On the last night in the palace before you went for training, she entered the room of Trackrof Graf and transferred her consciousness into her.

“On the first night that she entered Trackrof, she was able to induce Trackrof to sleepwalk and dispose of her casing in a palace replicator, which recycles components. She hoped to take Trackrof over, but unfortunately for her, Trackrof is very strong. She was relegated to the background after the first night and never managed to influence or control her again ... She lived closely with Trackrof and could experience everything she did, but couldn’t do anything herself.

“She had three more serious problems. The most serious is, that she resided in the crystal within Trackrof and Trackrof’s antivirus programs were chasing her down, she was fighting for her life every day. The second is, that she hates her mother and feels she owes her no loyalty but she is desperately concerned about the plight of the Ghouls, and lastly she fell deeply in love with you, sire.” Jones explained.

“This is a curious business! What do you advise Jones?” Mergal asked automatically taking charge. “Where is she now? you referred to her in Trackrof in the past.”

“She was immediately removed from Trackrof Graf after we discovered her presence. We have interrogated her and I informed her I would discuss the matter with Lord Kargo and the women leaders. I informed her she could remain incarcerated or a casing could be provided for her if you so order, sire.” Jones replied, looking at Jason.

“Could she not betray us?” Julia asked.

“After the disastrous experience we had with the Ghouls, we added sentinel AIs to watch for deviation in our military AIs. “The problem you had with Cyril with an implanted assassin crystal was well known to us. Adding sentinels to other crystals prevented the use of assassin AIs imbedded in crystals as all crystals validated themselves continuously.”

“Does she want a casing?” Perdita asked.

“I informed her that I could provide a casing superior to the one she had and she would look the same if not better than when she was a Ghoul. She declined my offer,” Jones said with a faint smile which disappeared so quickly Jason was not sure he smiled at all.

“Jones, she wants a casing like the one Sheila has, does she not?” Jason asked.

“Rendering universes!” exclaimed Mergal, “she wants a child!”

“Of course, she does, what else would she want. Lord profligate father, would not notice another few hundred babies,” Razza said laughing. “Mergal it would take a lifetime to meet all your grandchildren present and future!”

“I communicated with Porquenta on my own initiative to inquire about a fully capable biological form.

“I told him I knew Nuswa the mother of them all. Porquenta was very excited to hear I knew his mother as he calls her. He seems a very pleasant fellow, quite jolly, but has a sense of humor that if I may say so, is a trifle eccentric. I discussed casing options with him and asked what needed to be done to meet the requirements the young Ghoul requested. He said it could either be done by him or he could send me the necessary equipment. He has several spare sets of the necessary equipment available in case he discovers further planets similar to himself and will be able to deliver a set here in three hours. He is, of course, discussing the matter with Nuswa, Mars, Venus, Sheila and Claudette. Sheila and Claudette will accompany the equipment but they insist they interview her themselves. He said the final decision is yours My Lord.” Explained Jones before continuing, “I will send some sentinel AIs to him for his perusal. He wants to adopt the concept, since I informed him that many military AIs went rogue after sustaining damage in the early years. I am also sending him some weapons designs. It was indeed a fruitful meeting.”

“Jones, what is her name?” Perdita asked.

“She is known as Crown Princess Ixal Kabal, I can facilitate a discussion on the hologram,” said Jones.

“I would certainly like to interview the young lady,” said Mergal. “Do any of you have questions you would like to ask of her?”

“Jones what does she want of us and what is your impression of the young lady?” Jason asked.

“She is a young lady who has been well educated by her people but has had a miserable existence living with her mother. The Queen can be pleasant for half an hour, but it does not last. She is explosive, irrational and paranoid. Her mother has emotionally abused her for her whole life. The young lady seeks asylum and the opportunity along with some help to kill her mother. She is looking for a normal life, but she feels a powerful drive to help the Ghouls. She hopes, no she believes she can help turn the Ghouls into allies and she want to end the war with them as quickly as possible. She has become bonded to your extended group and feels very close to Trackrof. Prior to this assignment she worked on improving the technology of travel between universes,” said Jones.

“What is the risk to us?” Mergal asked.

“Her consciousness is contained within a constrained system. We have examined her memories, her thoughts, her drives, her motivation and the settings for her mood. We have gone through everything that makes up this young woman in laborious detail. Even without a Sentinel system she presents as low a risk of betraying you as any member of your current group.

“Our people believed a surgical removal of the Queen would bring all the Ghouls back into line. They would accept the Crown Princess as their leader,” said Jones. “We created the Gromelix for that mission and were preparing to execute the queen. The young lady firmly believes the Ghouls will fall into line after her mother is killed.”

“Jones do you know why they do not know how to charge themselves?” Jason asked.

“It is necessary to stop the Queen first. We could not shut her down. The Queen overrode the stop codes of the others. We made several attempts to assassinate the Queen without success. Finally, we released a virus that selectively removed the memory of the process of recharge. We later discovered the hideous practices they adopted,” said Jones, “and then they disappeared.”

“Let us interview her now,” said Mergal.

Jones stood behind Jason, while the hologram formed. The face of Ixal Kabal, Crown Princess of the Ghouls formed slowly. She was a young woman of refined features but a slate grey/blue skin with startling green eyes and very red lips. Her voice as she spoke was hoarse.

“What is going on?”

Jones explained in some detail, where she was physically located and where in the castle she was on hologram. She looked sad and woebegone. A single tear meandered erratically down her cheek.

“I did not want to be a spy but I wanted to get away from my mother. I hope Trackrof is all right. I never wanted to harm her. I like her very much. If you are here to judge me, I am guilty of spying and for transferring my consciousness to Trackrof. If I am to be destroyed in this machine, so be it,” said Ixal looking downwards.

“Why did you spy on us?” Mergal asked.

Ixal did not meet Mergal’s eyes.

“My mother made me to be a companion for her, to be what she imagined a daughter would be. I had a miserable life with her. She can keep herself in control briefly, then reverts to form. She has rages for no reason and she is insufferably intrusive into every detail of my life. She beat me for no reason. She kicked the servants, she shrieked at the generals and admirals. She betrayed our makers for no reason she could explain. She is so paranoid she watches both her hands so one of them does not stab her.

“I could escape into work, but we were always on the brink of power failure and had to operate for long periods at a minimal level of functioning. I experienced constant anxiety. Even the queen consumed the minimum so as to save our people. She loves our people despite her crazy, irrational and bizarre behavior.

“She told me to go to the Azayal and spy in the castle. I was given the unique ability to transfer my consciousness in an emergency. She would trust no other, but why she trusted me I know not. I had no training for the task. I had no specific brief. If I refused, she would have put me in suspension. Anyhow, no Ghoul can refuse her command. It is built into us. What she says goes no matter how irrational she is. We cannot go against her.” Ixal explained.

“What did you hope for? Why do you want to kill your mother and how can you achieve this?” Mergal asked.

“I hoped get away from my mother but as soon as I was away from her influince, I wanted to kill her! My people are suffering unnecessarily because of her and because of what she has done. She is a creature beyond hope of redemption and she deserves to die for what she has done. She is the perpetrator of misery and anguish for our people. She has no insight and no remorse. Even she herself can’t explain why she did as she has done. Our people desperately need leadership and help and if my mother dies, we can seek redemption. My leadership will be accepted and no one will go against my commands. We need to find a solution to our power problem. As an engineer, I know we are bio-mechanical beings but there is something wrong with my thinking when it comes to ourselves. I simply cannot rationally solve this problem and it puzzles me,” said Ixal Kabal.

“Why do you want a Porquenta bio-mechanical body?” Asked Jason.

“The essential issue for me is to have my programming sorted out, so I can kill my mother. As I am now I cannot. I need to have the solution to our people’s problem,” said Ixal.

“They could supply you with an appropriate body here, why a Porquenta body?” Razza asked. “You seem to be talking about two separate things. I am sure the programming issue could be fixed here.”