Chapter 13: Analysis

“Brecht, thank you for a fine dinner. Today was a day of trials and tribulations, yet I am confident we are finally progressing. I have a full account of the events in the hospital and another important incident where we missed the obvious. We must correct these deficits in command, or the enemy will surprise us repeatedly. The Emperor relies on us, and we cannot let him down. He will need our full support until we defeat the Gazronnaas,” said Adm. Osgood Grunwald.

“Please move on, Osgood,” said Orma Chatzke.

“The young people in the hospital decided not to take Philippa’s offer of hospitality on the estate as three of the four had premonitions the Dinnion would attack the hospital. They hacked into the Dinnion general’s AI and discovered she had deployed special forces to assassinate Horti in the pod. Her friends informed the Captain of the guard about their premonition and later showed her the evidence. She politely dismissed their concerns and suspicions and informed no one in command. The young people did not rest; they continued to seek the source and nature of the impending attack.”

“Did they find anything?” Asked Brecht.

“Aubrey is a superb hacker, and Charlie is an excellent investigator,” said Craig.

“Yes, Craig, we discovered how well they operated. They were the ones who discovered who had attacked Horti. They unraveled the plot and the participants. Aubrey was playing a game in the sky above the campus with Horti and several other young people when the drug-addled son of the Naturalista general struck Horti.”

“Horti had warned us all about her impending death and rebirth,” said Craig.

“I am impressed by how quickly they reacted. They knew a disaster would strike her and implemented their plan when the shuttle injured her. Sammy, the doctor, protected her in the trauma unit and struggled to alert Craig while Aubrey and Charlie worked in tandem to hack into the AIs to discover what was happening. When they found out what occurred, they gave the information to Heather, who used her media contacts to expose the heinous activities of the general.”

“That is impressive work, considering they are in the first year of studies,” said Craig.

“They accompanied Horti in our hospital ship. While here, they followed the general’s actions and uncovered her visit to a military unit to brief the special forces she ordered to attack the hospital. They believed they faced five special troops in the hospital and two outside. They found an order for equipment that referred to five. The youngsters did not realize they faced Unit 5 of the special forces inside the hospital and Unit 2 of the cyber warfare group outside. Aubrey and Charlie discovered the unit intended to use gas, assault rifles, and cloaking. They knew of the explosives.”

“Osgood, surely they warned our people. They had evidence to show what was to occur,” said Orma Chatzke.

“They warned the captain, showed her what they discovered, and were so concerned about her lack of response that they insisted on speaking to the major. The captain strenuously resisted their attempts to speak to her superior. After Heather gave up, the Captain, after a one-hour delay, warned the major. Neither took it seriously. The major ordered the guards to use armor but did not pass on the information about the gas. She did not inform the colonel of the gas when she took charge of the operation. The colonel and her troops thought an attack highly unlikely and behaved as if it was an enjoyable tour. Our colonel and her officers flirted with doctors and nurses and had a ‘jolly good time,’ as the colonel said shortly before the Dinnion killed them all in their sleep,” said Osgood.

“I cannot believe the incompetence,” said Orma Chatzke. “How clear was the threat in your view?”

Osgood sighed. “In retrospect, the threat is obvious. Three levels of command failed to respond appropriately. The colonel thought it was a party. It turned out to be her wake.”

“Carry on,” said Orma. “I shudder to think what might have happened.”

“The students set up runes to warn them of the Dinnion and set up sophisticated magical traps to kill as many as possible. They believed they had used overkill, as only five attackers were coming. They told the captain what they were doing, warned her of the gas again, and suggested her troops use armor. The students then slept in shifts. The students woke each other when the Dinnion triggered the first runes. The students once more attempted to warn the guards. The pod was unattended and unmonitored, as were many other pods.”

“How did the pods manage?” Craig asked.

“The pods cut themselves off from the network when they faced a cyberattack shortly before the physical attack began. The pods can function independently for a week. The enemy cut all communications.”

“How did the students communicate?”

“The students moved themselves to an Azloc telepathic channel to communicate. Chloe taught them how to do it. The rest of the story I told you this morning. Can either of you enlighten me as to what all these runes and powers these young people have? I am missing critical information,” said Osgood, looking at Craig intently.

“Osgood, you told my secretary about another incident before you arrived. What was it? Afterward, Craig will show you an interesting holovid,” said Brecht. “He will also explain about the runes.”

“I told you we were having problems ensuring we could back up the consciousness and memories of all Horti’s friends. I may have mentioned that Dinnion sent over a team of crystal experts who had been thoroughly pod vetted. The last injured Heather was so damaged we believed the crystal might be our last resort. The Dinnion weapon that destroyed her pelvis also damaged her learning device. We caught the leader of the Dinnion team twice walking toward Horti’s pod. He acted confused, and our people guided him to the refresher, his alleged target. When our doctor gave Heather’s crystal to his group and was asked to leave, the Dinnion team leader killed the guard and tried switching the crystal off as it started its startup. That would have caused catastrophic failure of the crystal.”

“Why was only one guard present?” Asked Brecht.

“The group leader said they needed space, ejected the guards, and refused to allow our doctor to remain with the crystal.”

“Did he damage the crystal?” Craig asked.

“The second in command threw a knife into his left eye, another into his heart, and finally, a disc to divert his hand as he tried again to switch off the crystal. She then raced toward him, hit his snout with her palm, and used the knife in his heart to cut his neck to the bone.”

“How could the knife penetrate the chest?” Craig asked.

“It is a knife with a blade that will cut through metals,” said Osgood.

“Fortunately, someone was alert. The Naturalista has penetrated deeply into Dinnion society. Is the crystal intact?” Asked Orma.

“Yes, the crystal was undamaged. The Dinnion second in command was so distraught she vomited over the body but called the guards and doctors and ensured one of her colleagues backed up the power. She recovered her composure after a brief visit to the refresher. She showed our doctors how to switch on and download the crystal and also taught our people how to interrogate a Dinnion crystal even if the person is unwilling,” said Osgood. He took a deep breath, paused, and drank a mug of water.

“Subsequently, she told us she had been suspicious of her boss and why. She found he had used the same medical facility as the general’s son. It is a haven for the Naturalista,” Osgood added.

“Osgood, could the doctors use the crystal?” Asked Orma.

“The doctors and technicians think it is intact but are validating it and,” said Osgood, “they are backing it up in stages while checking its integrity. Craig, do you know about her genetic makeup?”

“No, she has not told me anything about her genetic makeup,” said Craig.

“I met with Professor Gorfath Lemtok, Professor Parbath Gremmith, the Dinnion AI professor Piaa Atu and our famous genetics Professor Marthad Apmatenu. It was a fascinating meeting.”

“While I am interested in genetics and medicine, can you explain the relevance of this line of inquiry?” Asked Orma.

“I believe you will find what they told me of vital interest. I suspect what I am to tell you is of concern to the entire universe. The professors informed me the gene structures of the three students apart from Charlie are probably from another Multiverse. It is much more ancient than the Uzliumbax. The process of reconstruction of Horti will take twenty days. Parbath restructured the Teokraeus under the supervision of Gorfath. They have more experience with complex body rebuilds than anyone in the Empire. They say the brain of Horti and the students is extraordinary, yet both the Dinnion AI and Marthad know Horti cannot fully use her brain. The students told him en route here that they knew all the runes and could use them.”

“Are the runes difficult to learn?” Asked Orma.

“The dragons take hundreds of thousands of years to learn them. Few dragons can master the second set in a lifetime. Those that can learn both are regarded as grandmasters. Horti’s mother learned both sets in a month,” said Osgood.

“Who are these people?” Asked Orma and turned to Craig.

Craig shrugged. “I know nothing about any of this. I am as stunned as you are. She is a good student and an athlete, but I would have never suspected she has highly unusual genes.”

“We talked near her pod. I can feel the same power I felt when I was near Jason’s pod the second time he was here. The others remarked on it first. As you instructed, they will give her the most advanced extras. They can do so much more since the days of Jason’s rebuild,” said Osgood.

“Why is it going to take so long to rebuild Horti?” Craig asked.

“I am sorry I ejected myself from my mind shuttle. I lost my train of thought. It would have taken much longer, but the genetics professors have mapped her genes and defined how this unique species operates. They know enough to build her body, but it will take time as it is so complex.”

“Horti seems very much like us and comes from the city where I was born. I had no idea about this gene stuff. She seems so much like us. Osgood, I will show you how she and her team work together and what they can do once you conclude your report,” said Craig.

“Horti left instructions she wished to be rebuilt as defined by her ancient genes but does not want her natural inverted Safion ears,” said Osgood.

Orma Chatzke and Osgood were using their human bodies. Orma raised her eyebrows.

“The Safion had ears like the Uzliumbax, but the ear was taller and ended in a point. In her species, the pointed part of the ear was downward. She wants to avoid sticking out and looking too different from the Uzliumbax, Dinnion, or other Earth people. We assume the others will feel the same. The medical people believe they must be careful and go slowly as her brain is so big and complex.”

“How different are her gene structures?” Asked Brecht.

“Ours is a double helix. Hers is a multilayered sheet that carries billions of times more information than ours or the Uzliumbax. Some of the material is in other dimensions. Horti had common Earth double helix DNA. The sheet is steadily taking over cell by cell.”

“The Uzliumbax and Dinnion have a second double Helix, as do the Azloc and the Destroyers. Horti’s genes contain infinitely more information than the Uzliumbax,” said Osgood.

“Will it make her a different person?” Asked Brecht.

“The doctors first thought so. However, her sheet-like genes incorporate her DNA into the structure. Her brain has improved enormously as her body. The doctors tell me her people look like the Uzliumbax but are much more advanced,” said Osgood.

“How much larger is her brain compared to ours?” Craig asked.

“Her consciousness and memories almost filled her crystal. It is many thousands of times bigger than ours. It is larger by far than the consciousness and memories of an Azloc queen who holds the knowledge of her people.”

“Did she have more memories than the ancient destroyer priestess we rebuilt?”Orma asked.

“Like the Destroyer priestess, our doctors can see experiences for which we have no frame of reference. They see rock figures and prolonged time. We estimated the priestess we encountered was twenty million years old. Horti has memories many orders of magnitude older; two hundred million to a billion years is the best guesstimate. You can imagine how excited the doctors and scientists are. This is new territory. It is probable evidence of another multiverse which sent people here.”

“Craig, show Osgood the relevant section. I want him to understand her significance.”

Craig set up his slate and set up the hologram. He showed what happened at the dinner they had with Chuck and Chloe.

Osgood sat riveted during the section on the predictions made by the oracle and then the fortune-teller the subsequent year.

“I wonder what Merken will think of her?” Osgood asked.

“Merken contacted me urgently while I was in an important meeting and told me to send a small hospital ship to Dinnio Prime. Half an hour later, Philippa told me about a young woman who needed medical treatment here as she was Craig’s girlfriend, and someone was trying to kill her. I told her the ship had departed and was halfway to the portal. Philippa was ready to send troops if the Dinnion got difficult,” said Orma. “Philippa then contacted Queen Basarab to get her released.”

“If Merken knows of this young woman, she must be a significant person,” said Osgood. “What did the family oracle say?”

“Merken told me Horti came from a much more ancient people than us and must be treated like the Emperor. She knew her name. She told me Horti was different and complicated. Horti would need a long time in the pod and must have every modification known to keep her safe,” said Orma. “Before I continue Merken’s advice, can you show us what you wanted us to see, Craig?”

Craig showed them the fight Brecht had recently seen and Horti’s subsequent interaction with the police.

“Horti is an impressive young woman, as are her friends. I cannot see those powers, can you, Craig?”

“Yes, our family can see trunks of power in different colors extending to the sky and into the ground. Horti and her friends can use them. They learned from the dragons.”

“What is the game they talk about?” Asked Osgood.

“I have been playing the game. It is a high-quality simulation that behaves differently with each individual. I will give you a copy to disseminate and test. You can see for yourself what you think about it. I am enjoying it and learning a considerable amount,” said Craig. “What did Merken suggest?”

“Merken does not suggest. When she feels strongly, she tells me what to do. She insisted Horti and her friends come to stay on the estate after the treatment. Then she said the Dinnion would delay the start of the university, as a Dinnion professor was an idiot. Jason would sort him out, but it would take time. She told me much as the oracle did I was not to tell the Emperor about Horti or her abilities. He had another path to tread for a year before Jason’s mother and father came here from the universe Norbut 19 with their people in living ships. Horti would become Craig’s wife and was a much better woman than that fool he married first. That is what Merken told me to think about Horti,” laughed Orma.

“Orma, I spoke to Merken to thank her when I returned,” said Craig.

“What did she say?” Orma Chatzke asked. “Craig, Orma is my title; please use my first name, Brecht.”

“Thank you, I will call you Brecht. I first spoke to Mazzod. He told me his mother was excited and couldn’t wait to meet the magic woman who would be the queen of an Empire bigger than my father’s, but we had nothing to fear.”

“Merken is more excited than I have seen for some time,” said Brecht. “She told me she called Philippa and repeated the instructions she gave me about the hospital ship and told her I would send the ship, and she must contact Queen Basarab.”

Brecht laughed. “I am surprised she allowed Mazzod to speak to you.”

“She didn’t allow him to continue. Merken grabbed the communicator and shouted at him. She told him she instructed him to call her immediately I call there. She called him a naughty little grub and told him to go to the kitchen and finish chopping up some insects they were having for dinner,” said Craig.

Brecht laughed again. “Did she ask you about yourself and the family?”

“She didn’t ask me anything. I didn’t say a single word. She told me I was looking well and Horti would be good for me as I needed a meaningful sense of purpose. Merken launched into telling me I had wasted enough time and must tonight call my father and arrange to visit, but Horti must not meet him for a year.”

Brecht laughed again. “She is like that with those she regards as close family. I wonder how your father will like Horti?”

“Merken said they would be close friends, much like grubs in the same batch who become lifelong friends with fellow hatchlings. Dad would bless the marriage and help save her Empire, but she would give us much more than all of us combined gave her,” said Craig, “and then the prophecy moved into territory I could not comprehend.”

“What did Merken say?” Asked Osgood.

“Dad would become friendly with some rocks, and someone else would live inside him. This person was very ancient and was unlike the scrambled empress that previously lived in my father or the manufactured one who lived in the cockroach or even the Una. He was much older and an important person in Horti’s life. Merken told me I would love and see my grandparents here in a year. They also had old critters in them. The stones and these old guys were the keys to saving Horti’s people. It makes little sense to me. My head hurt by the end of the conversation.”

“Many prophesies we can only recognize retrospectively,” said Brecht.

“Dad has the strangest experiences. I cannot imagine becoming friendly with a rock and having someone living inside me,” said Craig.

“Remember when your father had a Una that he found in another dimension living in him? Was that all that Merken said?” Brecht asked.

“Horti will buy a haunted house, and I will live there with mushrooms. I assume her grandparents will grow mushrooms as they are in the farm program.”

“What is Horti like?” Brecht asked.

“Horti is remarkably like Dad and Philippa. They are driven. I am trying to teach Horti to relax and slow down. I took her with me to learn to play borm. She played well and enjoyed herself. She has begun playing other games. The shuttle hit her when she played another team game with her friends.”

“Did Merken say anything else?” Brecht asked.

“Yes, she spoke to me for some time. Another enemy of Horti will soon appear. This one is worse than the irrational general. She said Horti was as good as Grandpa at bringing the evil ones to face the light, and they would continue to find her. The encounters with her enemies were vital to learning who she was.”

“Now we have two black holes attracting trouble,” said Brecht laughing. “What a nightmare. How did Merken end the conversation?”

“Merken told me she was happy I called to speak to her and told me I should call more often. She would see me tomorrow. She then insisted Horti and her friends must go there on holiday and learn to fly. She cut the connection. I didn’t say one word.”

Craig laughed along with Brecht and Osgood.

“Osgood, I’ve decided to tell Jason I faced an attempted coup. I will say nothing about Horti. Queen Basarab will tell him about her similar problem. Osgood, please liaise with the intelligence services of the other civilizations and warn them of the growing Naturalista threat they will all face. I’m not too fond of these bigoted fanatic groups. They can be so vicious, malicious, and vindictive.”

“Horti, how are you feeling?” Craig asked.

“It was difficult but less traumatic than I expected. I knew what was ahead and was prepared to work hard in rehabilitation. Learning to move the first muscle was not as bad as I expected. I went about it systematically. I had two superb support people and your visits daily. The others are struggling more than I did. Charlie had the most difficult time as he was the least prepared. The others knew what the process involved. They knew they could be injured defending me or even die,” said Horti.

“How do you talk to the others?” Craig asked.

‘ Like this silly, they were in telepathic range.’ said Horti telepathically before reverting to speech. “Craig, how much time do we have left of our vacation?”

“We have two full weeks. I propose ten days at the estate, then back home. When do your parents and grandparents return to Vendaska?”

“Round about the time we get back.”

“Is there enough to do on the estate for ten days?”

“Everyone who has been there loved spending time there. Philippa’s two sisters manage the estate, and they adore having guests. I have been there on and off for the last month. How did you get on with my sister?”

“I appreciated her visiting me. Lauren told me several Chuck and Chloe stories. I never realized how remarkable they were. We will keep in touch. I’ve also spoken to Philippa many times after she visited,” said Horti.

“I like her as much as I like her mother. Something about the bugs appeals to me,” said Craig.

“How is Jeanette getting on?”

Craig pursed his lips. “Lauren had her with them for a week when she left the hospital. Her partner beat her up when the money ran out. Lauren loathes Jeanette even more than I do. Lauren will throw Jeanette out in a week. She offered Jeanette a chance to reeducate herself in Cassius’s Empire, or she could go it alone. It was a one-time opportunity, and Lauren will never do anything for her again. I couldn’t bear seeing or talking to Jeanette, but I forced myself. I had a very brief word; that was the last I would ever communicate with her. She no longer has a cent of the settlement I gave her.”

“The boyfriend sounds like a nasty piece of work,” said Horti.

“Lauren sent the boyfriend to Porquenta for evaluation. Porquenta sent him to an Ordreg work camp for hard cases. Half die there, and the others learn to be decent citizens. He will get a crystal that monitors him if he ever gets out. Porquenta told me he would never learn and was a simple, stupid, brutal man.”

“I like Lauren. She, Chuck, and Chloe visited again this week. She told me she might see you on the estate,” said Horti. “She didn’t know you were seeing your father.”

“I only got back this morning,” said Craig.

“Lauren and company brought along the Schlogg, who befriended them. She was delightful and amusing. She cheered me up. I love the rich, infinitely nuanced chemical language they speak. The Dinnion one is dry, flat, and boring, while the Schlogg one is enhanced and multi-dimensional. I prefer a Schlogg learning cylinder to the Dinnion learning device,” said Horti.

“The Azloc language is equally rich though different in many ways,” said Craig. “We can’t risk introducing you to them and their language for a year; my father is on their network and would know all about you long before he should.”

“How did you go with your father?”

“Let’s wait until we get to the estate, or I will tell you the same twice or more. They will ask all the same stuff at the estate. Let’s go, they are expecting us for dinner. It will save me from repeating myself. I should have stopped you earlier; you will hear some of it again.”

“Craig, should I change or travel as I am?”

“Travel as you are. When we get there, we will see what body they want us to be in. We must walk to the front of the hospital to use the guarded portal. Security is tight.”

“Kram, Pleb, this is Horti, my friend.”

“Friend indeed, why are you taking so long? Pluck up your courage, young man. Don’t be tentative like your father. He dances around women, complains about his past beliefs, and then whines about having too many wives. Be decisive and accept your decisions,” said Kram as she rubbed antennae with Horti and touched her face with her claw.

Zanta did the same. “Horti, you have a ferocious but lovely form. Does such an insect exist on Earth or Dinnion Prime?”

“Zanta, my body is an insect called a hornet. I have a formidable stinger and lots of poison. We were apex predators in the insect world on Earth. There we were bigger than most beetles but smaller than a mantis. Here I am bigger than most insects. I can’t wait to learn to fly. Hornets were among the fastest fliers in the insect world. I want to add my powers and go even faster,” said Horti.

“I arranged for you to spend time with the older children. They will teach you to fly, and you will learn some of the flying games they play. Kram and I have estate chores we must do daily. If we slack off, Philippa blasts us,” said Zanta. “Craig wanted to wait for you to learn flying together. It is so romantic. Once you both can fly, Craig can take you around Nobatia. It will be interesting to see how they react to you, Horti. Bugs are curious.”

“Where are Mazzod and Merken?” Kram asked, looking around the family room. “Come through to the sitting room and relax for a few minutes. I acquired a dozen vintage aphid nectar casks in honor of your visit. Let’s have a quick drink, then go upstairs and change bodies. We dress formally for dinner in a humanoid body and use the dressers. Craig will show you your room.”

“Your parents stayed in your room when they visited. They told us you are a magnet for disasters, just like someone else we know, Craigie?” Zanta asked, giggling.

“Mazzod left a chilled bottle, but I can’t find them anywhere,” said Kram, walking back from the kitchen. “The food smells delicious.”

“I found a small ceramic jug in the drinks’ stasis box. Zanta handed them a tiny red etched glass of nectar. “Just a taste to whet the appetite before you go upstairs and dress. The original Uzliumbax Emperor gave us those glasses over a million years ago. They are as lovely now as they were then. Drink up and go upstairs. The refresher takes five minutes on Superwash. Horti, you want to get all the hospital muck off your insect body, then change in the shower and wash again.”

“We loaded the dresser with some gorgeous templates. Touch the menu and follow the prompts. We left several choices of jewelry for you. We don’t yet know your taste,” said Kram.

“I don’t think I have ever enjoyed a dinner so much,” said Horti. “Mazzod, I would like to compliment the chef myself.”

“My mother, for the first time in her life, had a fit of shyness. She sees you as a crown princess and then a great queen of an Empire much bigger than the Uzliumbax Empire. She could feel your power from the hospital, and she quaked in her chitin,” said Mazzod.

“I am hardly fearsome, Mazzod.”

“When you arrived, Mother peeped out and saw you, then ran to her room. She is wringing her hands in the kitchen. She wants to come out but cannot push herself to do so.” Mazzod turned to walk back to the kitchen, carrying a large tray of plates and cutlery.

Horti moved quickly around the table and followed Mazzod into the kitchen.

Merken prostrated herself on the floor.

Horti, without thinking, lifted her telekinetically and then gently put Merken onto her feet. Horti hugged her tightly. Merken sobbed and held on to her desperately.

Merken finally let go, moved back a step, and looked at Horti. “You look lovely in this form. You and Craig will be happy together and have many children. He must go with you when you visit your people later this year. We will talk further, you and Craig, together. I am too overwhelmed to speak.”

“Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Merken. You are a magnificent chef.” Horti touched Merken’s shoulder and returned to the dining room. She related what happened in the kitchen.

“Horti, you can barely keep your eyes open. You need your rest. You will have a full day of flying tomorrow. Then you will know a different kind of tired,” said Kram.

Kram and Zanta chortled.

“Now off with you both,” both sisters said together.

“How was your day at work, Kram?” Horti asked.

“Same old stuff, different day.”

“Kram, I feel terrible enjoying your hospitality but not reciprocating. My room is magnificent, better than any hotel I have been to, and the food is spectacular. I was hungry at breakfast but famished at lunch. I have never eaten so much in my life.”

Kram laughed.

“Horti, we love to have guests, fascinating ones. We have always lived with an oracle, and anyone who is the subject of major predictions is fascinating. We love your company and how you are sorting out Craig. Philippa will be here shortly. She can’t wait to speak to you out of the hospital. She went to see Mother first.”

Kram hugged Horti. “I can feel you are special. You feel more than Jason was at the same level; he was like a magnet of power, charisma, and gravitas. You have an innocent charm as he did. He also struggled to understand who he was and to find his people.”