The Independent Worlds (The Sixteen Galaxies Book 2) (11 page)

“The Kentiks,” Tenseel explained, “Have reflective surfaces on their wings. They can change the colors these surfaces reflect. I designed them to use nanocrystals, and they can alter how close those nanocrystals are to each other, thereby shifting the wavelength of the light refracted and reflected off them.”

As Mandy watched, the Kentiks all changed color together, and the colors shifted through the spectrum in perfect unison. “These creatures are now linked to me via an implant in each one,” Tenseel continued, “which I can engage when I want to control them for a show.” She stepped inside a circular ring of some kind on the ground, and the Kentiks then formed a larger diameter disc formation around her at waist height. “The ring on the ground emits colored laser light, which I also control. The light is reflected off the Kentiks and up to a point in the air above me.”

The ring on the ground emitted a soft light, and a globe of light formed above Tenseel’s head. She appeared to be encased in a giant translucent diamond; the rays emitted from the collar went out and up to the Kentiks, and then in and up to the point above her head. “The image that I form with the light will appear different to everyone in the audience, as it is designed to interact with, and stimulate, the subconscious, as well as the conscious. I hope that all makes sense, Chris and Mandy.”

Both women gave a polite smile and a nod, although Mandy was sure Chris was as lost as she was.

Tenseel smiled. “Excellent. Then I will begin.” She closed her eyes and started to sing. Mandy could see no audio equipment, but Tenseel’s voice was amplified perfectly. She didn’t sing words, just vocal notes, eerie and soulful. Mandy felt her heart swell at the beautiful sounds the young girl made. Every note was pitch-perfect. Her eyes were drawn to the orb above Tenseel’s head, which shifted color and shape in time with the song.

As the display progressed, Mandy started to discern images, and her mind lost track of both time and place. The people around her vanished, and she felt herself almost drawn into the sphere of light. She saw her parents, who smiled happily at her. Then a dull red glow developed around them, and she saw smoke, then flame. Her heart almost stopped when the flames engulfed them, but she was distracted by a shadowy figure who slipped away into the distance. She raced after him, and grabbed him by the shoulder. He turned around and she realized she was lying on the ground, and the man looked down upon her. It was Jack. He was cut all over and covered in blood.

She heard sirens wail in the distance. Jack looked up and staggered off into the dark. She rolled over the other way and saw her family’s home engulfed in a wall of flame. She saw a body which lay amid the inferno; another man, someone she didn’t recognize. He lay perfectly still. There was a large knife plunged into his chest.

There was a scream beside her; “
DAVID!
”

Mandy snapped out of the trance to see Chris beside her, pale as a ghost. Tenseel stopped singing and ran towards them. Chris jumped to her feet. “Get away from me, you little
witch
!” she yelled, and ran off into the darkness.

Tenseel paled, and tears welled in her eyes. “What happened? I don’t understand!”

The older man from the council got to his feet and embraced the young girl. “It’s alright, my dear, it’s alright. I think I know what happened. I should have foreseen this. And even if I didn’t, I know someone who should have.” He turned to Hiram, who sat with his head in his hands. “Are you alright, my friend?”

Hiram looked up, his face also pale. He nodded, but he didn’t look happy at all. “That was…a little too intense for us, I think.” He looked across at Mandy. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, but her mind still whirled from the experience. “I…I’ll go find Chris,” she said. She got to her feet and walked in the direction of the forest of immense trees; the way she’d seen Chris run off. The crowd parted for her, a look of deep concern on every face.

Asdrin held Tenseel until the poor girl’s sobs faded. He found her parents and handed the distraught child over to them.

Once they walked away, he connected to the Entity.
‘Care to explain why you let that happen?’
he asked.

‘I apologize that I did not forewarn you, Asdrin,’
the Entity replied,
‘But, it was necessary to assist the humans to resolve matters in their minds. Perhaps not Hiram, so much, but the two women both have great heartache. The light dance will prompt resolution for both of them.’

‘I think Tenseel may need some help to recover, she was traumatized by it all.’

‘She has the resilience of youth on her side, Asdrin. Her parents will care for her. Besides, she is destined for the council, in the long run. She needs such experiences to prepare her for her position.’

‘And what shocked Christine to such a degree?’
Asdrin inquired.

‘I’m afraid, Asdrin, what affected her so deeply was a vision of the future she fears so much.’

‘And is her fear for David well founded?’

‘I’m sorry, but I don’t know that, yet,’
the Entity replied.

*****

Mandy found Chris at the foot of one the monstrous black trees. Chris sat slumped against the trunk and stared at the ground, her eyes red-rimmed.

Mandy sat down beside her. “Hey, you okay?” she inquired softly.

Chris shrugged and remained silent. Mandy kept her peace and the two sat quietly together, each wrapped up in their own memories of the visions elicited by Tenseel’s performance. It was only a few minutes until Asdrin found them. He asked if he might join them and Chris shrugged again. Mandy gave him a wan smile of encouragement, and he set himself down with a sigh. “I sincerely apologize for that experience. I did not see it coming, and that is unforgivable; I am truly sorry.”

“Why did we see such awful things, Asdrin?” Mandy asked. “Surely you people don’t consider such torture a pleasure, do you?”

“Absolutely not,” the councilor replied. “Since Tenseel invented it, the light dance has become a great source of joy to us, with no unpleasantness at all.” He raised a finger. “But, there is a good reason that you should have such a negative reaction to it. It is because of who you are, and where you are from.”

Chris gave him a hard look. “If it’s not suitable for mere mortals like us, why expose us to it?”

Asdrin shook his head. “You are not mere mortals, Christine. You are the most important race in the known universe. As to why you had to see what you did, please let me explain.”

Chris scowled at the ground. “You go right ahead.”

Asdrin drew a deep breath. “The light dance plays on both your conscious and your subconscious mind. It suggests certain things to your brain, and your brain then fills in the gaps, as it were. I’m sure you’ve both seen what happens when you look at one of those digital images of yours; how it’s all blocky up close, but if you move it away, it then resolves into a clear image, yes?”

They both nodded. “But,” Asdrin went on, “that image doesn’t change at all. What happens as you increase the distance between you and the picture, is that your brain fills in the missing details for you and smooths out the angular nature of the component parts. You don’t really see the clear image; your brain just tells you that you can. The light dance does the same thing. The pictures are suggested in a vague way by the light and sounds, but what you see is a product of your mind alone.”

“Then why such awful scenes?” Mandy asked. “And why don’t you people see such things?”

Asdrin smiled at her. “Because our people don’t have to deal with such matters, Mandy. Our lives are filled with positive experiences. Think about it. Who on this planet goes without? Who suffers loss, illness and death? All the things that conjured up such terrible images in your minds, we eliminated from our society thousands of cycles ago. We see beautiful things in the light dance, because beauty is all we know.” He swept an arm out to the forest. “We are surrounded by it.”

“In contrast,” Chris responded, “all we see are negative things. We are surrounded by ugliness, so that is what we see with your light show.”

Asdrin shook his head vehemently. “No, Chris, that just isn’t true. There is much beauty on your planet. Your people are capable of great acts of kindness, charity and love. No, your
focus
is on negative things. It is what you fear that dominates you. Thus it is your fear that paints the pictures from the light dance.”

Chris turned to the councilor. “What we saw, is that the future?”

Mandy shook her head. “I saw the past; definitely.”

Asdrin held out a hand to them. “What you both saw is what you are yet to deal with. They are matters that hang in the balance, at this time. Your mind fears what will happen when you face those events, but it also yearns for them to be resolved. Neither of you, nor even I, can see the future; because it hasn’t happened yet. Even the Entity can only extrapolate future events based on calculations using the knowledge of the present.”

“Well,” Chris said, “I hope you’re right about that, because I saw David die.”

*****

Global News Update

“…In a press conference today, US President Michael Maitland said he intended to put pressure on the world’s leaders to begin talks in earnest on the subject of empowering the United Nations to become a true world government. He pointed to the continued turmoil caused by anti-globalization protesters as a major factor and said that the move to a one world government was inevitable. He said further delay would just empower the protesters even more. ‘What people want is concrete change,’ the president stated, ‘And these protesters must understand that causing violence and destruction around the world is not going to stop what needs to happen. The sooner we get this done, the sooner the protesters will wake up and smell the coffee.’

“He also pointed to the growing global shortage of political candidates, as the Letter Box Sniper continues to take lives at an alarming rate. When asked if he felt he should stay out of the public eye to avoid any risk, President Maitland merely replied, ‘Not an option. Besides, if this sniper really does only target corrupt politicians, and I’m not saying that he does, then I have nothing to fear, anyway.’ The increased size of the security detail for the US president has come under fire from members of the US senate, who protest the enormous cost of keeping their leader safe.”

*****

Western Queensland, Australia

David, Jack and Ron blinked in the harsh sunlight. The sudden transition from the perfect climate of Nuthros’ ship to this arid place was quite a shock.

Jack Short gazed at the sparse bushland that surrounded them. “Where are we, Africa?”

David laughed, “Not quite, Jack.” He led them to a battered old Toyota Land Cruiser which was parked under a tree nearby. Ron Baxter nudged Jack and pointed to the vehicle’s license plate.

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “Queensland?
Australia
? Well, that plate ain’t wrong; it’s the sunshine state, alright. Damn, how hot is it?”

“It’s not that bad once you’re acclimatized, Jack,” David replied. “Besides, it’s actually winter here at the moment.”

“I’d hate to be here in summer, then,” Jack grumbled.

As David guided the four-wheel drive over a rocky bush track, he explained the choice of location. “This is a very remote area, and that’s one reason to base out of here. We’re actually just over an hour and a half’s drive west of a little gemstone mining town called Sapphire. The locals here, what there is of them, are extremely private and self-sufficient, for various reasons. That suits us just fine.”

Jack sat and watched the dusty countryside roll by the window. Mile after mile of empty, arid scrubland. Trees shimmered in the heat haze, and he felt an overwhelming sensation of dryness. The word Godforsaken came readily to mind. It was a good choice, he thought. His years in the SAS had drilled into him a strong emphasis on anonymity. Out here, anyone could disappear.

“Why portal in away from the base? What’s with the drive?” Ron asked.

“Truly always portals me in and out of a different location to avoid Kestil’s AI getting even a rough idea of where I land,” David replied. “His AI relies on Earth technology, which includes satellites. We have no idea just how far the AI can ‘see’ from each satellite, so Truly times it to be as far as possible from any satellite’s field of view. Until today, I would drive this truck to a different location and then portal myself to another place before jumping to the ship.”

Jack frowned. “Until today?”

David smiled. “A new chapter begins today, gentlemen. From this moment on, we go operational from right here on Earth.”

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up outside a run-down shack made of rusted corrugated iron. There was an outside toilet behind the shack. The toilet door hung open, which allowed the men to discern it had not been cleaned in a very long time. Old machinery lay scattered about the place, along with a few car bodies, an old water tank on its side and a big pile of gravel. Flies buzzed in a cloud around a kangaroo carcass that rotted nearby.

Ron gagged at the smell. “Dear God, why don’t you clean the place up a bit?”

“In case someone happened by,” David replied. “The smell would discourage any curiosity.”

Jack waved some flies away from his face. “Wouldn’t a simple ‘Keep Out’ sign suffice?”

David led them to a square box with a metal lid on it. He swung the lid open. Inside the box was a shaft going straight down into darkness. The shaft was half-blocked by cobwebs about ten feet below the surface, and Jack could see the shaft had collapsed in on itself just below that. David swung himself onto a rusty steel ladder that appeared none too firm.

He stopped and looked at the two men, who eyed the ladder with trepidation. “Don’t worry,” he said with a smile, “it’s meant to look dangerous, but it’s perfectly safe, I can assure you. The cobwebs and collapsed walls are a hologram; the shaft is perfectly clear.”

Jack stood back and beckoned Ron forward. “After you.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “You SAS guys, always with the survival thing.”

“Pull the lid shut behind you,” David called from below, “a satellite’s due over in fifteen minutes. Best to be careful.”

On his way down the ladder, Jack took a closer look at the ladder’s anchor points. David wasn’t lying, they were actually heavy steel bolts, but the ladder mounts were on short sliders that gave the illusion of it being unsafe. He gave an involuntary shiver as he passed through the cobwebs, which looked so real he was sure he could feel them. The climb down through the collapsed rubble was even more disconcerting.

The ladder went down about twenty feet after the false floor. The shaft stopped and a tight tunnel greeted them. A string of bare electric globes lit the way. Jack noticed the tunnel walls were solid rock. “It would have been a nightmare to dig this,” he observed.

“Actually,” David told him, “the walls were dirt and gravel wash when I arrived. It was none too stable; I can tell you. We used a spray-on Nano compound to convert it to a granite approximate; a simple enough process.”

The tunnel took three sharp turns before it expanded out into a tunnel large enough to walk erect in. The bare light bulbs were replaced by soft diffuse light from an unseen source. A polished steel door slid open soundlessly, and they walked into another world.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Ron whispered.

“Welcome to your new home, gentlemen,” David said.

Jack gave a low whistle. “How long have you had this lot here?” he asked.

David smiled wryly. “Just over a week, Jack.”

“
A week
?!” Ron spluttered. “But how? I mean, this would be years in the making. A week? Come on, David.”

Ron and Jack’s disbelief was understandable. The whole place was straight out of a trendy house and garden magazine. From the polished stone floors, the white walls, the same perfect climate as Nuthros’ ship, to the sleek furnishings, the modest gardens and the large pool filled with crystal clear water just across the way from them.

David nodded. “I know, it’s pretty incredible, isn’t it? You guys remember how Truly built that energy weapon on Nuthros’ ship?”

“Yeah,” Jack replied. “It just sort of grew, didn’t it?”

“It seemed to,” David said. “Actually, though, it was built by micro-drones, from simple matter. Everything you see here was made from the dirt and rocks that were removed to make way for it; matter conversion. Everything is made from atoms, after all. They just have to be converted into the right atoms, that’s all. I brought down all the requirements to make this in one small bag.”

“David, I need to see you, man.” A lanky young man approached from a corridor opposite. He looked out of place in a pair of faded jeans and an old Def Leppard tee-shirt.

David spun on his heel. “Garth! Please, let me introduce you to my two friends; Ron and Jack.”

They all shook hands. David frowned at Garth’s attire. “I thought I asked Truly to craft you some better clothes.”

“Yeah,” Garth replied, “she did. This tee-shirt is a collector’s item, and I designed the jeans myself. Too good an opportunity to pass up, I thought. What do you think?”