Space Rocks! (18 page)

“Spit it out,” said Kalac.

“A hyperdrive field,” said Ghillen. “Faster-than-light travel.”

“Impossible,” said Ydar.

“It's not impossible,” said Hudka. “It's the Vorem.”

“D
o you honestly expect me to believe that we're under attack by a veth-time story invented to scare our offspring into cleaning their chambers?” shrieked Ydar, its voice a mixture of contempt and fear. “Perhaps next you'll tell me that you've found the shugg that lays the x'yzoth crystal egg!”

“See that big triangle on the screen there?” said Hudka, pointing to Ghillen's monitor. “That's the battle cruiser. Just like I saw when I was a kid. And those little ones around it? Those'd be Vorem triremes. A cruiser can generate a hyperdrive field large enough to bring triremes with it. “

“Look, I know you're older than space-dirt, but have you completely lost your mind?” cried Ydar. “Ghillen, check those readings again. I'm sure what we detected was simply a solar flare or some sort of malfunc—”

“High Observer, we're receiving an incoming transmission,” said Ghillen.

“What?” squealed Ydar. “Don't answer it.”

“They're overriding our—”

Suddenly, the dark screen in front of me came to life once more.

On it was a person—a creature?—covered in sharp, segmented black armor. This armored being sat in a big black chair, aboard a black ship. The dim red lights of computer consoles pulsated in the background.

“Greetings, Xotonian cowards,” it said in oddly accented but perfect Xotonian.

“That's not my dad,” whispered Little Gus.

“My name is Stentorus Sovyrius Ridian, archon of the Vorem Dominion, general of the Forty-Third Fleet. Humble servant of His Majesty Phaebus Onesius Aetox XXIII, the most glorious imperator of a thousand worlds.”

All the thoughts drained from my mind. I was face-to-face with a nightmare come to life. The deep, imperious voice. The chitinous armor. Truly, our legends did not do the Vorem justice.

I stood frozen and unable to speak for several seconds, until Kalac stepped in front of the camera.

“Greetings, General Ridian,” said Kalac. “I am Kalac, Chief of the Xotonian Council. We welcome you to Gelo.”

“So this is the fabled Sanctum,” said Ridian. “I will admit, I was expecting something more impressive.”

“Why have you come here, General?” said Kalac.

“You have something that belongs to us, of course,” said Ridian. “We want it back.”

“I'm afraid I don't know what you mean,” said Kalac. “But we will be happy to make any reasonable accommodations—”

“You know exactly what I mean. We demand the Q-sik.”

I felt the bottom fall out of my z'iuk. How could this Vorem know about the Q-sik?

“I know of no such thing,” said Kalac.

“I beg to differ. We recently detected an energy spike in this isolated solar system, near this dead, red planet,” said Ridian, gesturing toward T'utzuxe. “According to my scientists, the unique properties of this particular spike prove with absolute certainty that it could only have come from one source: the ancient Q-sik. The so-called Universe Ender.”

“Again,” said Kalac, “if you would tell me what this ‘Q-sik' is, then perhaps we could—”

“You're trying my patience, Kalac,” said Ridian. “We know the Q-sik is here. You have two options. You can turn it over to us and remain unharmed. Or I can destroy your world with the push of a button. Rest assured, I have the power.”

“And why should we give it to you?” cried Hudka, stepping in front of the screen. “The Q-sik is a Xotonian artifact! It's got nothing to do with the Vorem.”

“Now we are getting somewhere,” said Ridian. “At last I speak to one who acknowledges the truth. Or part of the truth, anyway. The Q-sik is not Xotonian. The idea that your little people could create a device of such power is truly risible.”

What was Ridian saying? Of course the Q-sik was Xotonian! How could it not be? It had sat inside the Vault in Core-of-Rock for ages, ever since Jalasu Jhuk had first put it there in the Time of Legends. . . .

“What is all this guano you're talking?” said Hudka.

“Are you telling me that you honestly don't know? Astonishing,” laughed Ridian, a thoroughly unpleasant sound. “Well, I suppose that at this point, I lose nothing by explaining. It will help you appreciate the magnitude of my achievement.

“Long ago, a spy for the so-called League of Free Civilizations—a Xotonian starship captain called Jalasu Jhuk—managed to steal the Q-sik from the Vorem Dominion. We conquered Jhuk's homeworld, but it nevertheless managed to elude us and hide the device somewhere in the vastness of the universe. Your asteroid is that somewhere.”

All the Xotonians in the room were dumbstruck. Could Ridian really be telling the truth? Was our Great Progenitor actually an agent for something called the League of Free Civilizations? Jhuk's holographic recording had mentioned a league, but . . . what was it?

“Bah,” cried Hudka. “Now I know you're lying. You never conquered Gelo.”

“Have you been hiding in your little hole for so long that you've actually forgotten who you are? Why you're here? Surely you realize that this asteroid, this space rock, is not your true home.”

Hudka said nothing. Our legends had it that Jalasu Jhuk traveled the stars. We'd never stopped to consider that Jhuk might have come from somewhere else first.

“Brilliant,” mused Ridian. “The Sanctum must have been deliberately isolated from the rest of the universe, the better to conceal its existence. I'd wager you don't even have space travel, do you?”

Again, Hudka said nothing.

“You don't,” said Ridian. “You've been completely cut off. Hiding in the darkness here through the long years, while history marched onward. All the more impressive then that I, alone, have found you at last. And as an added bonus, this solar system contains another fully populated world, as yet unconquered by the Dominion. It will be ours as well.” He meant Eo.

“So why do you need the Q-sik?” I blurted out, surprising even myself.

Ridian stared at me for a moment. “Why does this child address me?”

“Kid makes a fair point,” said Hudka. “If the Dominion is so tough—conquered all these planets, blah, blah, blah—then what's one more weapon to you? Who cares?”

“Because there are still a few deluded insurgents out there, hiding on scattered worlds, who refuse to accept Dominion rule. Rest assured, the imperator could crush them at his leisure. History shows that we have done so countless times before. But our sovereign is most compassionate. He wishes to conquer them without a regrettable loss of life. When we have the fabled Q-sik, all will give up hope of resisting us.”

“And you guys spent thousands of years looking for this thing?” I said. “Why don't you just make another one?”

“I have no reason to answer more of your questions,” said Ridian. “In fact, they are beginning to annoy me.”

“You can't. Can you?” I said.

“How dare you question the power of the—”

“You're just like us,” I said. “You don't understand how the Q-sik works either. If you did, you could just create a new one. But you don't, so you can't. The Q-sik might not be ours, but it's not yours either. I know that now.”

“Regardless,” said Ridian, “we will take it from you. Again, I repeat my offer: Give us the Q-sik, and we will leave you there to enjoy your little lives in peace. If you don't, I will use my ship's arsenal of nuclear weapons to knock your little asteroid out of orbit. It will burn to nothing as it falls to the surface of the red planet. You have one day to decide. We await your response.”

“I have an answer to your question, Ridian,” said Hudka. “We know why we're here: to keep the Q-sik from the likes of you!”

“Really? If you had not used the device, we would be searching still,” laughed Ridian. And the screen went dark.

A
silence hung over the Observatory. The screens on the walls now showed visible-light-spectrum feeds of the Vorem flotilla. Ridian's battle cruiser was a jagged hulk bristling with weapons, somehow blacker than the space around it. Nearby flitted the smaller, more agile triremes. They practiced sharp military formations and precise astronautic maneuvers. I supposed these demonstrations were meant to terrify us further. Speaking for myself, I was already plenty terrified.

At last, Little Gus spoke. “So what the heck was that all about? That dude looked, like, super evil.”

I roughly translated the exchange for the humans.

“So these Vorem plan to attack Earth as well,” said Hollins grimly.

I nodded.

“And by the looks of it,” said Nicki, “their weapons are far beyond anything we have back home. I wonder if Earth could hold them off for five minutes. I mean, they have faster-than-light travel. That's crazy. . . .” She trailed off as she noticed everyone staring at her. “You know . . . thinking out loud,” she shrugged.

“What did he mean when he said you had ‘used the device'?” asked Becky.

I sighed. I didn't want to tell them, but they needed to know. “We—we fired the Q-sik to destroy the tunnels underneath your mothership. That's what caused the asteroid-quake.”

“You mean . . . you used it on us?” she said. “We could have all died, you know. We almost did.” I could see pain growing in her eyes. “Why didn't you at least try talking to us first?”

“Some of us wanted to,” I gestured to Hudka. “But we held a vote, and the majority of Xotonians decided on a—a different plan.”

“Well, then the majority of Xotonians are no better than that creep in the armor!” she snapped.

“You might be right,” I said.

“Chorkle, I know this may not be the best time,” said Hollins, “but we need to get back into contact with my mom, with the
Phryxus
. We have to warn them that these Vorem guys are here now.”

I asked Ghillen.

“Negative,” said Ghillen, shaking its head. “The Vorem are somehow jamming all external communications. It looks like the only outgoing call we can make is to Ridian's battle cruiser.”

“Sorry,” I said to Hollins. He nodded. I could tell he was disappointed, but he put on a brave face.

I looked at Kalac. My originator still stared at the empty screen where the dark general had appeared moments before; its expression was grim.

“We should have listened to you,” said Kalac. “We used the Q-sik, and it brought our enemies here. We should have listened to you. To both of you.”

I expected Hudka to pile on, to give Kalac the traditional I-told-you-so treatment, only times a hundred. But Hudka said nothing.

Kalac addressed everyone in the room. “I'm going to call another Grand Conclave. Ydar, can we get the live feeds from your telescopes down to Ryzz Plaza? Otherwise no one will believe that the Vorem are actually real. Honestly, I can barely believe it myself.”

“It can be done, Chief,” said Ydar. There was no whining or resistance in the High Observer's voice now.

“Good. Bring whatever else is necessary for outgoing communication as well.”

Ydar nodded.

“Everyone, please gather in one hour,” said Kalac. “And spread the word.” Then it turned and abruptly left the Observatory.

Hudka, the humans, and I followed behind, down the endless spiral staircase that lead to the bottom of Dynusk's Column. We soon lost sight of Kalac, though. My originator was practically running.

“You should give the Vorem general the stupid Q-sik,” said Becky as we walked. “I don't want to die over some fight that you guys probably started in the first place.”

Had we started the fight with the Vorem? It turned out there was a lot we didn't know about our own past.

No one else spoke during our long descent except Hudka, who occasionally complained about its aching fel'grazes. I believe this grumbling was for my benefit. My grand-originator was trying to enforce some sense of normalcy on a universe that suddenly seemed insane. But I could tell that old Hudka's is'pog wasn't in it.

By the time we reached Ryzz Plaza, it was nearly full. I guess news travels fast—when that news is that monsters are real and that they've come to destroy you.

Kalac stood quietly beneath the statue of Jalasu Jhuk, watching the crowd swell. One by one, my originator was joined by Glyac, Dyves, Loghoz, and, at last, Sheln.

Loghoz looked around. “By Great Jalasu Jhuk of the Stars,” it cried, “let this, the eight hundred eighteenth Grand Conclave of the Xotonian people, commence! The first to speak will be Kalac, the Chief of the Council!” I quietly translated the proceedings for the humans.

“By now you've probably heard the rumors,” said Kalac. “I am here to confirm that they are true. The Vorem are real. They are here. And they want the Q-sik.”

Total silence descended on the plaza. There was no whispering or murmuring now. Six thousand Xotonians stared back at Kalac, utterly lost. They wanted someone to protect them. To save them from a waking nightmare.

“All right. As usual, I guess it's up to me to inject a little common sense into the proceedings,” said Sheln. “We know what those Observers say they think they may have seen. But I guess I need to remind everyone that we still face a clear and present danger. An immediate threat that we know is real. Folks, it's called the hoo-mins. They're coming back!”

Becky scowled as I translated this part.

“In fact, I, for one,” continued Sheln, “have to object to the fact that there are four hoo-mins here, right now, spying on this Grand Con—”

“Quiet, Sheln!” screamed someone from the crowd.

“Shut your fat gul'orp, you moron!” cried someone else.

“The Idiot Conclave is one block over!” yelled a third.

Surprisingly, none of these outbursts came from Hudka.

“I understand your skepticism,” said Kalac. “High Observer Ydar, please show them.”

Ydar, standing nearby, nodded and wheeled forward a large rolling view-screen (the very same one that Kalac had used to make the asteroid-quake presentation). Ydar punched a button, and the display switched to a live feed from the surface telescopes. The menacing bulk of the Vorem battle crusier now filled the screen.

Somewhere, a Xotonian child shrieked. In an instant, there was complete pandemonium in the plaza. Many began to convulse with uncontrollable fear. Others fainted where they stood. Several fights broke out. A few Xotonians simply ran off. The sight of their deepest fears made real was too much to bear.

“Please try to remain calm,” yelled Kalac over the sound of the crowd's anguish. “I want all of you to know that I accept full responsibility for this situation. The Vorem leader, General Ridian, revealed that they were able to locate the Q-sik when we fired it a few days ago. As you know, this was part of the plan—my plan—to rid Gelo of the human miners. You placed your trust in me as a leader, and I failed you. For that, I am truly sorry.”

At this, many paused uneasily. Despite what Kalac had said, they must have known that they bore a share of the responsibility as well. After all, they had voted for it.

“Ridian has given us an ultimatum,” Kalac continued. “He says that if we give him the Q-sik, we will be spared. If not, he will destroy Gelo. I don't have a reason to doubt that he has the power. We need to make a decision.”

“Well, I, for one, find this to be an incredibly easy choice,” shrieked Dyves, its four thol'grazes flapping wildly. “We should give Ridian what he wants, and then go on with our lives. I fail to see how this solution isn't completely obvious.”

“Agreed!” moaned Loghoz. “Looking at that battle cruiser, I see an enemy that is far, far more advanced than the humans of Eo. Realistically, how can we hope to resist a species that can travel faster than the speed of light?”

“If the Vorem are real,” said Dyves, “then who knows what else from the old stories is true? Maybe they can raise the dead and breathe fire too!”

The crowd seemed to be persuaded. Raw hysteria had given way to hushed terror. Fear always has its appeal for crowds of Xotonians.

“Are you two kidding me?” someone cried out. “The more you talk, the more I think Sheln might not actually be the dumbest member of the Council.” This time, of course, it was Hudka.

Loghoz sighed. “Surprise, surprise: Hudka wants to talk,” it said. “If the Council agrees, Hudka may address the Grand—”

Hudka didn't wait for a vote. “We cannot give up the Q-sik to the Vorem! That Ridian is meaner than a thyss-cat, but he knows a thing or two that we don't. Sure, it's always been our musty old tradition to guard the Vault. But did we ever think about why? I now believe it's the whole reason we're here. Gelo was Jalasu Jhuk's hiding place for the Q-sik. It's why we exist!”

“What do you mean ‘why we exist'?” said Dyves. “We don't exist for a particular reason any more than—than nosts do.” Dyves pointed to a clump of the small white mushrooms growing nearby.

“No,” said Hudka. “I mean that it's why we exist on Gelo. All those legends about the evil Vorem chasing Jalasu Jhuk all over space before it came here, why, I think they're true too! Jalasu Jhuk stole the Q-sik and then found the perfect hiding spot for it: an insignificant asteroid in the middle of nowhere. Astronomically speaking, that is. Then wily ol' Jhuk left some Xotonians here to guard it: our ancestors.”

“Pardon me,” said Glyac, who had remained calm (or perhaps asleep) so far. “But wouldn't that imply that there could be other Xotonians out there in the universe?”

Hudka shrugged. “I don't know about that. I suppose it's possible. But I do know that our Great Progenitor's top priority was keeping the Q-sik from the Vorem. I'm starting to suspect that it's more powerful than we ever imagined.”

“Speaking as one who has fired the Q-sik,” said Kalac, “I can attest to that. We used the minimum power setting on the device, yet it still vaporized kilometers of solid rock in an instant. And where we fired, it created a—a rip in space. A tiny wormhole, no bigger than the tip of my brip. This wormhole sealed itself almost immediately in a burst of dark energy, but the effect was . . . incredible. Terrifying.”

“Exactly why we can't let them have it!” said Hudka. “If we give it over to them, then who knows how much destruction they will cause?”

“Pardon me, but who cares?” cried Loghoz. “If we don't give up the Q-sik, it doesn't matter. We'll all be dead! If I understand your argument, you're asking us to concern ourselves with some hypothetical future danger instead of our own immediate and certain destruction! How does that make any sense at all?”

At this, the crowd began to mumble. There was a certain logic to Loghoz's position.

“Look, everybody knows I'm no fan of the Vorem,” said Sheln, “but these are extraordinary times. I say we contact this Ridian and propose an alliance against the hoo-mins. We can fight those two-eyed freaks together!”

The crowd erupted in disdain at Sheln's obvious overreach.

“Uh, excuse me,” said Hollins quietly. I translated his words into Xotonian.

“Can I have, er, permission to address the, uh, Conclave?” asked Hollins, speaking more loudly now. The Xotonian populace grew quiet.

“Absolutely not!” cried Sheln. “Now the hoo-mins want to dictate our domestic policy? Out of the question!”

“We should listen to the boy,” said Hudka.

“He's a real oog-baller! Let him talk!” cried someone from the crowd.

“If the Council agrees,” said Kalac, “the human Hollins may address the Conclave. All in favor?”

A quick vote was held. The result was three to two in favor, with Sheln and Loghoz voting against.

Hollins cleared his throat. “Cer'em,” he said. He was still pronouncing it wrong, but the crowd gave a light acknowledgment of his effort. Hollins certainly had gotten a lot of use out of that one word.

“With all due respect,” he continued, “Ridian isn't going to destroy Gelo. Not yet, anyway.”

“Oh, so hoo-mins can read minds now?” said Sheln.

“They can?” said Dvyes, clapping its thol'grazes over its head for telepathic protection.

“Hey, hoo-min,” said Sheln, “I'm thinking of a color right now. What color could it be?”

“Stupid isn't a color! Cram it, you shaved cave-ape!” This time it was me yelling at Sheln, in a clear departure from my role as translator.

Hollins was surprised by my outburst, but he continued. “Look, Ridian won't destroy Gelo before he gets what he wants. Because doing that would mean destroying the Q-sik itself.”

“So? Who knows what these Vorem are capable of?” asked Dyves.

“What we do know is that they've apparently been looking for this thing for a long, long time. That means they want it really badly. Ridian won't risk losing it. On the other hand, once you give it up, then Ridian has no reason not to destroy Gelo. The Q-sik is the only leverage you have over him. Turning it over is a bad move, strategically.”