Through the Kisandra Prism (34 page)

Blodwyn noticed the Admiral’s reasoning is accepted by the other aliens without argument. Blodwyn kept her mouth tightly closed: her life depended on the Admiral’s decision. She was dying to ask what would happen to her if Sebus was wrong but felt ashamed of asking such a question so heavily laced with self interest.

Two armed frigates land behind a sand dune out of sight from the lakes: time was running short. Blodwyn was first out and breathed in the atmosphere of four hundred and eighty million years before she was born. A certain stillness prevailed. A very unnerving stillness: one she had never experienced before. It was not an atmosphere created by life-forms that did not wish to advertise their presence but simply a void because there was as yet no life on the land – a land totally devoid of life. All life evolved in the water – but created by whose hand?

A slow procession follows the three Galla Qualls. On reaching the edge of the first deep salt lake the three Galla Qualls begin to flash blue: just like squid. Blodwyn focused her eyes just below the surface of the water; large, flat-headed jelly-fish with two dark eyes had risen and were watching them.

‘We come in peace… you are our direct ancestors,’ says Admiral Sebus, trying to communicate with the delicate blue creatures.

There is no response: the watching eyes had disappeared back into the deep.

‘They are not even curious,’ says Zander… curiosity, is the first sign of intelligence… we must hurry Admiral … Time is catching us up!’

The group moves to the second lake. Reaching the other golden shore the Galla Qualls stop and study the tracks in the sand: Galla Quall tracks! Floating near the surface are many jelly fish; their heads are large and rounded with big dark eyes, just like the Galla Qualls. Standing at the water’s edge the three Qualls all begin flashing blue again: the Jelly fish respond.

All three Galla Qualls then cast off their thin, pale layers of semi transparent cloaks: “My God!” thought Blodwyn, “their legs were tentacles! This was the first time she had seen what these aliens used as legs; they were only one step away from a jelly fish themselves, but with a massive brain.” She now knew why the Qualls moved so slowly on the ground.

The three Galla Qualls slipped gracefully into the water. The aquatic Ida Jaade quickly followed, armed with lasers in case the Medusa was still in residence. Being gilled and filter breathers the two species of aquatic, aliens could breathe under water and swim with the speed and grace of fish. Blodwyn was left alone; she was curious and walked into the water, up to her waist then dived. What she saw was amazing. The Qualls and the Ida Jaade were soon joined by the inhabitants of the lake, still flashing blue. All gracefully swam in unison in some kind of synchronized ballet; as if familiarizing whilst communicating with each other.

She surfaced and stood on the sandy bank, four hundred and eighty million years BC … she looked up at the clear sky, her pulse racing; would she see Time catching them up: would she just end up a small pile of dust on the sand? She hoped they would hurry back to the surface. She felt uneasy as if she had no right to be this far back in time.

To Blodwyn’s relief the Qualls and Ida Jaade surfaced – followed by their distant ancestors. Sebus spoke in gentle tones, coaxing their distant kin to surface from the depths. at least four or five hundred jelly fish were floating on the surface.

‘Time is short Admiral,’ reminds Commander Galus.

‘Prepare the frigates to dive,’ orders Sebus.

She watched the frigates gain height and dive into the lake vertically, like hungry gannets to pick up their new passengers. It seemed the Medusa had left.

‘Gentlemen we must hurry!’ says Sebus our ship is picking up a powerful force approaching exactly at the speed of Time… it is closing fast.

Blodwyn’s heart raced.

The creature within the lake depth’s hid its frightening form,

far beneath the ripple’s liquid rim.

Always present, floating in its watery lair, sensing, listening;

hiding below the enchanted, deepest, dim..

With the distant ancestors safely aboard, the Time-ship builds up speed to leave Quilla Prime before Time; the same Time they had overtaken on their journey into the past, caught up with them: they just made it! Blodwyn was soon to know exactly what this felt like in her next and last adventure, but she was lucky: on that occasion Time was not angry – because she had only cheated Time by only eighty four years.

The Time-ship made its way back to the present time and to the planet of the Worm-eaters, Signusgraag in the Mira six region. To any alien onlooker, standing on any distant lonely planet, the Time-ship would flash past their entire horizon as a fleeting streak of light, before they could even focus: such was its great speed.

Reaching the Mira-six region the silver Time-ship began to orbit Signusgraag; monitoring the lake below where the creature dwelled.

‘This lake has the deepest water I have ever known,’ comments Commander Galus, who is scanning the planet below, ‘it continues completely thought the entire planet… there is a very large life-form, deep within the lake… it has begun to rise rapidly at our approach!’

Admiral Sebus does not respond to this information… but remains with his own thoughts; he had a good idea what the creature was.

‘Prepare to land,’ orders Admiral Sebus, ‘I believe the creature in the lake controls all the other life-forms that dwell below and above the ground… that is except the Worm-eaters who may even control the creature in the lake. I must meet this creature before we release our ancestors into the water. I must establish our goodwill and provide safe conduct assurance for our distant kin.’

‘But sir,’ says commander Galus,’ surely the creature will recognize us from our last visit?’

‘This powerful life-form cannot recognize anything … it is blind and will have to touch me for confirmation… its touch is deadly. I must meet this life-form on my own… regardless of the consequences.’

An armed frigate leaves the Time-ship; on board, with the Admiral are Galus, Blodwyn and an Ida Jaade escort. The armed frigate lands in a clearing. Marcus the Ida Jaade Centurion escorts the Admiral to the lake. Blodwyn gazes around; there was a different feeling now… but still a sense that their every move was being watched! She hoped the mysterious inhabitants would recognize them?

The air no longer smelt bland; fragrant scents now drifted, filtering through the gentle atmosphere. Paradise trees grew in abundance; their various fruits littered the ground with other kinds of forest debris, unlike their first visit, when not a single twig or leaf was to be seen on the ground; it was as if swept clean by mysterious groundsmen who appeared out of the earth, every time a single leaf fell. The Ida Jaade Centurion Marcus returned alone; his red crest fully erect in fear for the safety of the Admiral.

By the lake shore stood the lone frail figure of the Galla Quall, Admiral Sebus; the wisest of his alien species. His large liquid eyes gazing across the gentle ripples of the lake’s rim, the delicate alien bravely glided into the water until waist deep, unafraid. He speaks in his gentle tones.

‘I am also an aquatic life-form,’ announces Sebus to the large empty space of water before him. We both belong to the oldest life-forms in the Antares Cluster… we are kin. I seek your counsel … for you are older and wiser than I. My species is on the brink of extinction!’

The surface of the lake remains calm.

‘Show yourself,’ says the Galla Quall, ‘I can feel your presence… I know you are listening to my words.’

The middle of the lake begins to bubble; from the depths a mighty figure of a humanoid rises in a cascade of water. The being’s facial features and every part of its body were indistinct and clearly made up of unstable water; it towers high above the delicate Galla Quall!

‘And now you see me Quall,’ answers the giant figure.

‘I only see a Shape-shifter!’ answers Sebus, ‘show me your real species.’

The giant figure seems to bow its great head in shame.

‘You Quall… would not be pleased… I am an abomination … hated throughout the Antares Cluster… floating in space… attacked… unwanted… until I found this lake… and the Worm-eaters allowed me to stay. I am now at peace… I am the last of my kind!’

‘Then show your true self… your true form… my race accept all other life-forms… regardless of physical shape, species or nature.’

‘You will hate me!’ answers the giant being.

‘Show … your species,’ repeats the Quall.

‘You have been warned!’ answers the creature.

The giant, vaguely shaped humanoid slowly collapses and sinks back into the depths leaving a depression in the surface, a void, until opposing waves crashed together to form a fleeting liquid spume that rises high. All is now quiet. The Galla Quall stands in the shallows without expression, waiting with its own alien thoughts.

Movement in the lake again. Something, without features or recognizable form was rising, breaking the surface – this was no Shape-shifting humanoid form but a true abomination!

This was no vertebrate or invertebrate but a feared nemesis of the deep in its own right. Sebus watched silently and waited for the entire beast to rise above the ripples: he recognized the creature. He uttered just three words:

‘A Hydra Medusa!’

Indeed, towering before him was a Hydra-Medusa, its skirt-wings pulsating, keeping its luminous bulk out of the water. Dozens of pale blue and crimson, trailing venom-laden tentacles hung downwards grotesquely moving up and down in some weird, mesmerizing dance of death; each colorful tentacle festooned with deadly nematocysts!

Two of these tentacles slowly and slyly begin to approach the Galla Quall underwater; feeling their way towards his frail body.

‘Let me touch you Quall!’ groans the Medusa, ‘judge your motives … confirm your species… for I am blind and rely on touch.’

If the Galla Quall was afraid he did not show fear.

‘You have acted well Medusa,’ was all that the Quall answers.

The deadly tentacles reaching Sebus began to encircle the delicate alien’s body; feeling their way… touching… testing… tasting. Just one of the discharged nematocysts that covered the mass of tentacles would have sent the Quall into convulsions of un-reversible death!

‘You are the same as I,’ says the Medusa, ‘of the genus Hydrozoa… a Quilleian. Now you know why I am ashamed to face you… It was I who decimated your ancestors on Quilla Prime. It troubles me to this day. They were so trusting – they welcomed me and played around my ungainly mass and tentacles – as hungry as I was, I never embraced them for many sunsets. But hunger in time overcomes emotions… principles. I caressed your ancestors with deadly touch… their death was swift… I ate my own kind… I became one of the lowers life-forms in the Antares Cluster… a cannibal!’

‘Then make amends,’ offers Sebus, ‘we have brought our distant ancestors back … the waters of this lake and the beings here are capable of accelerating growth… evolution! Repay your debt… a hundred fold.’

‘Bring them … bring them. I will guide… tend… protect them… with the help of all the other life-forms and the Worm-eaters… we will accelerate development… I am longing for the company of my own kind again.’

‘Do you still kill?’ asks Sebus.

‘No… see for yourself… the fish here do not fear me… I gain sustenance from this enchanted water… from the trees and the Worm-eaters… in return I help protect them from the tree-killers and those who come to mine x-nine.’

‘What will you require in return?’ asks the Galla Quall.

‘Only discretion… the Jed-Bella or the Rendell-Ness must not know my last hiding place… they are powerful now… they would introduce Crabanoids – stork-eyes… crab-like alieniods who are protected by their thick shell from my venom… they feast on our species… they would eat me alive! Your gift of the Paradise tree’s bounty fulfills all our needs, here trees and plants never die, so there was no need for flowers or fruits… we missed them greatly… now look around …the Worm-eaters, the Perrin-Jills are happy… even the Shirr-Ells… look.’

The Galla Quall hears excited voices and turns, several naked, slim, sprite-like humanoids rise up from the water and run on its surface into the forest to collect fruit and rush back giggling.

‘The trees no longer crave nutrients,’ continues the Medusa, ‘the various fruits of the Paradise Tree litter the ground… the Perrin-Jills are no longer hungry! The wonderful tree gives us all we need… in return for tender care.’

‘And the Worm-eaters?’ Sebus asks.

‘Content… and deep underground,’ answers the Medusa.

‘What is your power source?’ asks the Quall.

‘The power of the elements… trees…the sky… the earth… this water. If left alone each element can create its own life-form… working in symphony. I am the protector of the lake … they nourish me… they are my eyes.

‘Our ancestors have long memories!’ says the Quall.

The huge mass of the Medusa slowly sinks in a bed of bubbles; the water settles. Then just in front of Sebus a familiar being arises: a giant Galla Quall flashing – vibrant blues.

‘I will arrange their arrival,’ says Sebus.’

‘Return in three circles of the two suns of Signusgraag (four earth days) I will need one of your species for genetic information… the Worm-eaters will do the rest.’

‘Will we ever see a Worm-eater?’ Sebus asks.

‘Even I have never seen a Worm-eater!’ Answers the Medusa, making a noise that could have been mistaken for a chuckle. The creature slowly sinks into the water and disappears. The group re-joins Admiral Sebus.

‘I will remain,’ volunteers Commander Galus when all the group join Sebus at the lake rim. He walks into the water, disappearing from sight. The group boards the frigates.

‘Prepare to enter the lake,’ orders Admiral Sebus. All Gala Quall space craft are built underwater and are at home in that environment.

The two armed frigates circle like gannets then dive vertically into the water: the Hydra-Medusa was waiting. Blodwyn watches through the port hole as the distant ancestors of the Qualls are released into the lake.