Heaven Saga 1: The Lost Hero (4 page)

* * *

It’s so warm.
Seles
opened her eyes and saw a glowing stone a few feet away, radiating heat. She
felt something warm around her. Brian slept with his head leaning on a
stalagmite.
He’s using his own body heat to warm me up!
She felt strange
and blushed. She turned and looked at him.
Celi said he was male. I wonder
if the males of my race looked like him.
Seles was lost in thought as she
stared at him.

“What are you looking at?” Brian asked as he opened
his right eye. He cracked a smile. Embarrassed, Seles turned away.

“I was just…looking at you,” Seles said.

“Am I really that interesting?” he asked.

“I didn’t think Terrans would look so much like us.
You’re also the first male similar to Kalaidians I’ve ever seen.”

He laughed. “Where’ve you been all your life to never
see a man?”

Seles looked at him again. “The males of my species
died out over a century ago due to disease. The only Kalaidians left are
female.”

“So you’re saying I’m the first man you’ve ever seen?
No wonder I look so different to you.” Brian’s stomach growled. “I just
realized I haven’t eaten anything in two days.”

She crawled out from his embrace and started sifting
through their emergency supplies. “I’m hungry as well. I don’t know what your people
eat, but I have some dry rations and water.” She pulled a pair of metal
canteens and what looked wrapped bars. She handed Brian one of each. “Hopefully
these suit your constitution.”

He took a slug of water and felt refreshed. He opened
the wrapper, seeing a granola bar. Seles did likewise, taking a bite of the dry
ration. Brian sniffed it before taking a bite; it tasted like a granola bar.

“Is it edible?” she asked.

He laughed. “It’s just like a granola bar from where I
come from. With all your advanced technology you’re still eating things like
this?” Seles sat next to the heated rock, enjoying the heat.

“So what about me, do I look strange?” she asked as
she stared at the glowing rock. Her purple eyes and long silver blue hair
reflected the light coming from the stone.

She’s really pretty.
He thought as he looked at her. “Yes, but not a lot. Your hair and eye
color are quite exotic, and your small size is a little odd. The pointed ears
are definitely different; it makes you look almost like an elf.”

“Is that an offshoot of your race?” she asked.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, elves are beings of
myth, not reality. But if I was to base the myth on any race, it would
definitely be yours.”

“Are you average size for your species? Or are you
much larger than normal?” she asked, looking at him intently.

“No, I’m actually a little shorter than average and
not particularly athletic. I’m decent when it comes to intelligence, but
otherwise I’m average. What about you Seles? I’ve only seen you and the blue haired
girl, Celi.”

“I’m about average size for an adult Kalaidian,” she
answered as she gazed at the stone.

He slid forward, kneeling next to the heated stone. “I
have a strange question for you.”

She looked up. “What would that be?”

“When I carried you in here I noticed I could see in
pitch black. I’ve never been able to do that before.”

“Remember when Celi ordered the arm to inject you with
nanomachines?”

“Yeah,” Brian said.

“Well, nanomachines do more than simply act as
universal translators. They enhance a being’s whole system. Your immune system,
vision, hearing; all your natural senses are enhanced.”

“Does everyone have the same kind of enhancements?”

She nodded. “Yes. It’s normal for those living within
Confederation territory to have nanomachine enhancement shortly after birth.”

“Nanomachines, such technology may only be a few
decades away for humans. I wonder what everyone will think when I return.”

Seles shook her head. “You can’t return to Earth.”

“Why can’t I go back?” he asked. “It’s not like I have
a place to go.”

“The Confederation has laws against visiting
undeveloped worlds. This law extends to all member races. Because you’re
enhanced by nanomachines there’s no way they’d let you go back now.”

Brian stared at the heated stone in a trance. The cold
had left the room long ago, but now an uncomfortable silence replaced it. Seles
could see uncertainty in his eyes.

“What do you plan to do?” she asked.

He snapped out of his daze, blinking and taking a deep
breath. “I’m not sure. If I can’t go home, then where can I go?”

“Why not stay on the Avoni? I’m sure Valis would let
you to join us.”

“I don’t know, I really don’t know. I’m an outsider
with no understanding of this world. Before a few days ago, I could only dream
of aliens. Now, I’m sitting here with one.” He shook his head, doubts filling
his thoughts. “I’m having a hard time believing this real.”

She moved next to him. “You’ll adapt.”

Brian smiled. “Maybe you’re right. When I think about
home, I think about how I never really fit in.” He paused in thought. “But
still, those I loved and knew will never know what happened to me. I vanished
without a trace. I can write off becoming an author.”

“You were working on becoming a story teller?” she
asked.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. If I live long
enough I might be able to tell my story. But, I don’t think Earth will advance
fast enough. I’ll be long dead of age before anyone leaves the solar system.”

“That’s not true,” she said, shaking her head.
“Nanomachines extend a being’s lifespan by four times on average. You may live
long enough to tell your story.”

“Are you telling me I could live for over four hundred
years?” Brian asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Yes, barring a violent death,” she answered.

“That’s interesting to hear,” he said, rubbing his
eyes. “Tomorrow I’d like to learn more about your technology and language.”

“Do you mind if I sleep next to you Brian? I don’t
want to get cold again.”

“Don’t worry about it Seles.”

* * *

“So, your projectile weapons use energy bullets rather
than lasers?” Brian asked.

Seles held her pulse rifle and showed its functions to
Brian. “Lasers use an immense amount of power, so Kalaidian scientists thought
it prudent to use pulse weapons instead. Most Confederation races use similar technology.”

“That makes sense.” He looked at the hand scanner and
chuckled. “What’s odd is your people’s language looks so similar to ours.”

She took the hand scanner, “How so?”

“Well, from what you’ve taught me, the Kalaidian
alphabet has twenty four letters. It even looks a lot like ancient Greek.”

She shrugged. “The reason our languages look the same
is because there are only so many ways to express words. It’s nothing unusual
at all.”

“That answers one question. By the way, how many races
are in the Confederation?”

“As of less than one standard year ago there are
twenty six member races of the Galactic Confederation. There are innumerable
species like yours, so the number will grow in the next few centuries. The only
known advanced race not a member is the Greys.”

“Even you call them that. Who are they? Do they have a
proper name?” he asked.

She put down the scanner. “From what I know, the Greys
were the first race in our galaxy to achieve interstellar travel. They’ve
existed since the beginning of recorded time. They’ve visited all the races we
know of and have gathered their genetics and technology. They don’t contact
other races and attack without provocation.”

“Aren’t your people advanced enough to fight them? Why
wouldn’t the Confederation fight them now?”

“It’s not like they don’t want to fight, it’s just the
Confederation is a loose governing body with little real power. What they fear
the most is the Terran desire to conquer, but some see Terra Prime as the only
people who can unite us.”

“Unite? My people can’t even unite themselves.” Brian
offered the pulse rifle back to her. She switched it for the scanner.

“The Greys control an area roughly equivalent to the
Confederation,” she said as she changed the pulse rifle’s setting. “It’s
unknown how many ships or species they control. All we know is that any ship
entering their territory never comes back.”

“If they’re so powerful, why haven’t they attacked
yet?” he asked.

“The Original Five species,” Seles answered as she
checked the sights on the pulse rifle. “As long as the Original Five exist the
Greys will have a difficult time conquering the Confederation.”

“Who are the Original Five?”

“They were the first races to travel space other than
the Greys. Of them, the most powerful are the Mylor. Since they‘re well over
two thousand years old, the Original Five are far more advanced than the
younger races, like Kalaidia, Shandi, and Malcov. It’s only because of them the
Greys don’t attack.”

“If they’re so powerful, why don’t they take out the
Greys?”

“Because as advanced as their technology is all of
them are dying races. Even with their technological and military might the
Mylor are fading away. Although the older races refuse to speak of it, we have
evidence their populations are steadily decreasing every century.” She put down
the pulse rifle and checked the emergency supplies.

“Why? If they’re so advanced, how come they’re dying
out?”

“No one knows for sure.” Seles paused. “Maybe their
kind and my people have more in common than they admit.”

“You mean how your people have no males?” He turned on
the scanner and showed Seles the information on Kalaidian history.

“Yes. In the blink of five years my people lost half
their population. Even using advanced artificial breeding technologies,
Kalaidia’s population continues shrinking every year.” Seles went silent, deep
in thought.

He handed the scanner back to her. “Let’s focus on
what need to do. You’re going to have to show me how send a message from the
shuttle.”

She nodded, passing through a number of screens on the
device. “This is the console you’ll need to use.”

He sat close. “Okay, what do I do once I’m there?”

Seles pointed at a series of buttons. “Remember this
order. It activates the emergency beacon. Afterwards speak into the panel and
press this button.”

He watched her go through the sequence. “Yeah, it
looks pretty simple. Do you mind if I practice before trying it for real?”

Seles handed the scanner to Brian. “You’re adjusting
pretty quickly. I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding a role on the Avoni.”

“That’s not the issue Seles. From what you’ve told me
humans are feared universally.”

“Yes, that’s the general perception,” Seles said.

“I feel I might be thought of as a freak show rather
than an intelligent being,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I wouldn’t worry about it. On the Avoni you may be
different, but once you show them how useful you are you’ll fit in just fine.”

“What kind of vessel is the Avoni?”

She leaned back and relaxed against the wall. “The
Avoni is a privately owned vessel captained by Valis Kein. She was once a
prominent military commander on Kalaidia, but disagreements with the upper
command turned Valis and her crew rogue. I joined only a few years ago when I
escaped from the home world.”

“What kind disagreements?” he asked.

“About five years ago, an event we call the Great
Upheaval occurred. At the time, about one third of the Kalaidian Star Forces
split with their rulers, as well as the second most powerful noble family of
Kalaidia, the Kein family. Since that time, most of those who rebelled have
taken to mercenary work and piracy to fill their coffers,” she said.

“What kind of captain is Valis?”

“She’s brilliant but reckless. She was the youngest
Kalaidian to ever achieve the rank of captain at the age of 19. Her fame was
won during the last war my people had with the Shandi, which ended eight years
ago. Valis also has an eye for talent so her crew is the best. Since the Avoni
isn’t run by the military anymore, I’m sure you can join up like I did.”

“I’ll consider the offer when the time comes,” he
said. “As for now, I need memorize the sequence you just showed me.”

* * *

“I’ll be back as soon as I can Seles,” Brian said,
throwing the thermal cloak on as he headed for the entrance.

Seles stood next to the glowing stone. “Are you sure
you can handle this on your own? I’ve only taught you the basics, and that’s
not much.”