The Celaran Solution (Parker Interstellar Travels Book 9) Page 9

  “Not impossible,” Telisa9 said. “Trilisk technology can be used to experience the consciousness of an alien. Not that our brains are all that good at interpreting it all, even with Trilisk help.”

  “What happened in the... dream or whatever?” Caden asked.

  “I was some kind of cunning, evil worm! Swimming through water. A tadpole with piranha teeth that struggled to kill and kill—it was a living hell. I could remember killing dozens of others just like myself.”

  “Just a fight to the death?”

  “We were in the water. I was young. I had to prove myself. I had to fight and scheme and surprise and cheat... anything to kill all the others. It was a test. I knew I would only have a life if I made it to... maturity.”

  “In water, you said,” Arakaki probed. “Could it have been a Quarus memory?”

  Siobhan shook her head. “I have no idea.” She sounded shaken up. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry guys, but this was... stronger than any ordinary VR.”

  “Recover for a minute. The medikit is giving you something to calm you down,” Telisa9 said.

  “No, I’m... okay...” Siobhan said.

  “How could it be stronger than total VR input?” Caden asked.

  “I had no sense of my Terran self,” she said. “I really was that thing. It was all I was. And I could have died at any moment.”

  “You were only out for a moment,” Caden said.

  Siobhan sounded confused. “Not to me, I wasn’t. It was hours, at least... what is that, some kind of Trilisk mind trick?”

  “Probably,” Telisa9 said, trying to reassure Siobhan without really answering her.

  “You felt a memory like that once, right? A Trilisk one?” asked Caden.

  “Yes,” Telisa9 said.

  “You experienced a Trilisk memory?” Arakaki asked, aghast. “What was it like?”

  “I wasn’t one being, but three, it felt like. Or there were three parts of me, three faces. My body had three sides, and each side had a personality, a purpose. It was something about their war. The war which must have shattered their civilization.”

  “What kind of enemy could have faced them at their peak?” Caden asked, shaking his head.

  They took another minute to let Siobhan recover.

  “Okay guys, let’s not wait any longer for me. We have a job to do,” she said, standing up.

  “Move out,” Telisa9 ordered. She pointed the way.

  They left the pillars behind and moved into another long, dim Trilisk corridor. Everyone stayed alert and in a formation with clear firing lanes. Telisa9 could tell that this Siobhan and Caden had been training as hard as her own team. Except for the lack of attendants, it could have been any of a hundred VR training scenarios.

  They had walked over a hundred meters before Telisa9 saw another room ahead. She made out familiar shapes in the distance: Trilisk columns rested within.

  Telisa9 was the first to step into the room. She immediately noticed that one of the columns lay open. After two more steps forward, she realized that although an outer opaque cylinder of the column had lifted into the ceiling, a clear barrier remained. A creature hovered within the lit interior.

  “Frackjammers,” Siobhan exclaimed.

  “By the Five,” Telisa9 breathed. “It’s a Celaran.”

  It’s in stasis, like I was, she thought. Like the real me probably is back at Sol right now.

  The Celaran within the column was much thicker and shorter than the snakelike creatures the Terrans had become familiar with. It was about a quarter of a meter thick with a maroon exterior. Instead of three skeletal fingers, the alien had three much larger black limbs at each end. Telisa9 counted two knobby joints on each of the half-meter long arms which ended in sharp spikes.

  “I guess that symbol on the capstone wasn’t as stylized as I thought,” Siobhan breathed.

  “This creature is much more dangerous,” Arakaki declared.

  “Could it glide?” asked Siobhan.

  “I don’t think so,” Caden said. “But those long claws... could this be one of those ‘underleaf’ predators they like to talk about?”

  Telisa9 agreed that the thing did not look like much of a flyer, but she believed the powerful spiked arms would have been able to fling that thick body among the vines quickly. She had no doubt that any Celaran caught in its double grip would be in trouble.

  “No jaws, at least,” Caden said, taking a half step closer.

  “Fracksilvers, are you kidding? Those super-fang things in its mouths aren’t any better! Looks like it could drain us dry in a minute!” Siobhan said. Her voice wavered.

  Telisa9 looked at one of the mouths nestled in the center of where the triple arms connected to the trunk. A hollow mouth part emerged there like a partially retracted fang. Like the rest of the body, it looked stronger and more menacing than any Celaran proboscis.

  “No way that thing could get through your Veer suits,” Telisa9 said confidently, dismissing the idea.

  Get yourself together. Where’s my Fast-n-Frightening?

  Telisa9 recalled again what it had been like to feel the Trilisk memory. She had vomited afterward. Siobhan just needed more time.

  “It’s asleep and we leave it that way,” Telisa9 continued. “Anything else here?”

  They carefully examined the room without touching anything. Caden and Arakaki shook their heads.

  “Okay, onward,” she said. They left the second column room behind and headed into another tunnel. This time, instead of another chamber, they came to a fork in the tunnel.

  “Should we split?” asked Arakaki.

  Telisa9 considered the idea. It sounded too dangerous to her.

  “We have time. Everyone together. Left,” she said.

  They headed down the new tunnel. Up ahead, Telisa9 saw a warm yellow glow. She tried to discern more columns, but as they neared, it became apparent this was not another column room. She did not see any dark columns or even the other side of the room ahead. It was something big and complicated.

  She stepped forward slowly, drinking it in. First, she saw that the bright room opened up above and below, not just left and right. A clear wall lay straight ahead.

  Many clear walls, she corrected herself. An entire maze of them!

  They had apparently stepped up to the edge of a chaotic underground building. Telisa could see up and down through clear floors. The rooms above and below were not at fixed distances like the floors of a Terran building. Instead, several smaller sub-floors were seemingly random distances above and below them. Opaque ramps and banks of equipment broke her direct line of sight through the complex. Even the transparent areas became too confusing to understand after four, five, or six clear walls. Everything merged so that she could not tell how far the place might stretch in any given direction.

  “Any idea what this is?” Caden asked on the channel. His echoform stood alert with weapon ready.

  “None,” Telisa9 replied.

  “It’s like a three-dimensional maze with glass walls,” Siobhan summarized.

  “Let your attendants go,” Telisa9 said. “They might be teleported out, even down here, but it’s worth the risk. We need them now.”

  The two remaining attendants flew forward and found their way through the first sets of open portals through the glassy walls. They started to record what they found and place it on the team’s shared tactical map.

  “I can see the feeds, but I can’t tell what I’m looking at,” Siobhan transmitted.

  “We have to check it out,” Telisa9 said. “For now, maybe keep this exit in sight. I don’t want it disappearing on us.”

  Siobhan and Caden looked back nervously. She knew they were thinking about the Thespera complex simulation where the layout changed, trapping them inside.

  They advanced in the wake of one of their attendants. They walked through a smooth round hole in a clear wall out onto a balcony. The view downward was dizzying, though Telisa9 saw opaque ramps and machinery at various int
ervals below. Ahead, a clear walkway led to a group of transparent rooms. Above, the multitude of clustered rooms connected by ramps and walkways told of the vastness of the complex.

  “Which way?” asked Caden. “I can’t see any obvious end to this, or anything unique to head toward.”

  Before Telisa9 could answer, she caught a glimpse of sapphire reflecting through the panes in an attendant feed. She instantly felt a stab of adrenaline.

  “Something’s moving!” Arakaki barked.

  Telisa9 knelt and looked for cover even though she was cloaked. It was a hard habit to break, besides, it was possible that a Trilisk might still sense her. Telisa9 saw sapphiric legs moving. They were part of something larger than a Terran, moving quickly. Several see-through walls separated it from her spot.

  “It’s a Trilisk robot,” Arakaki reported.

  “Or a cyborg!” Siobhan said.

  There’s nothing we can do, nothing we can do... it will be too powerful.

  “Spread out,” Telisa9 ordered.

  “It’s getting closer,” Siobhan said.

  A bluish beam of light zigzagged through the clear walls. Its movement pattern made Telisa9 think it was searching.

  Or targeting.

  By the Five.

  Chapter 12

  “[Caution not to disturb the vine] I hope this is not offensive to ask, but are you sure we can trust these Thrasar?” Strongjumper asked.

  The team had been invited to meet with the local Thrasar leader. Athet, their contact, had sent them nothing more than a location pointer.

  Nalus answered calmly.

  “[None underleaf nearby] They have no reason to lie to us. You’re potential allies against the Screamers.”

  The Rootpounders made slow progress through the ruined vine field as Sarfal and Nalus drifted lazily ahead. Sarfal considered the cybernetic Thrasar. They had seemed dull before the Screamers attacked. Now Sarfal saw the value in working harder as the half-machine Thrasar did. Sometimes the universe required more from its inhabitants than feasting and games.

  Sarfal watched the inputs from the alien spheres as they had trained to do. It was not far to the base, but they had to watch out for remnant Screamer machines.

  It still astounded Sarfal how much they owed the Rootpounders. Without the clumsy creatures from distant stars, Sarfal would be dead and Thrasar reunification would be impossible. And yet their technology seemed to be behind that of the Thrasar. It was only the other alien, the one they called Loud, that possessed comparable tools.

  “[Predator underleaf] The Rootpounders think we’re flying into the net,” Nalus told Sarfal. “That’s why they ask so many questions right now.”

  “[Friends on the vine] Could it be? Are your kind also changed by the disaster?”

  “[The season has changed] Changed, yes, but not dangerous under the leaves.”

  “[A new spot to feed] I think we’re here.”

  Sarfal saw a beacon glittering below. It simply announced, “[Below the leaves] We’re down here.”

  Sarfal hovered lower. It required a brave effort. The ground neared, filthy and dangerous.

  “[Which vine is it] It’s here? Is it camouflaged, or...” Strongjumper asked.

  “[The darkness underroot] It’s underground,” Nalus told the Rootpounders. ‘The darkness underroot’ was a phrase of legend for the Thrasar, a deep darkness equivalent to a Rootpounder concept of a place of ultimate punishment.

  “[A vine unthinkable] It’s logical to hide there, for what could conceive of such a horrible place to go?” Sarfal said.

  “[A different leaf altogether] Shiny’s race lived underground,” Strongjumper said.

  “[Dirt covered creatures digging at the roots] No wonder you don’t like that one much,” Sarfal said.

  “[A practical solution] It is logical,” Nalus answered.

  Fake vine stalks pulled away to reveal a black metal disk on the ground. The disk rotated, causing its parts to slide across each other until there was a hole.

  I don’t think I can go down there... Sarfal thought, then a light turned on below. Sarfal could see it was bright and clean inside. Then the idea at least became contemplable.

  “[Journey over mountains to discover new vines] Just think of it as a spaceship,” Strongjumper said to Sarfal.

  The Rootpounder knew what I was thinking! That one knows us well. As they said, Strongjumper is their leader for more reasons than strength and speed.

  Strongjumper dropped inside. She fell like a rock, but her two massive legs absorbed the energy of the fall at the bottom.

  That’s Strongjumper. Just slam down into the dirt as if it’s the ground that will get hurt when you hit it.

  Sarfal dove through the opening and flitted around Strongjumper below.

  “[Clutching the vine] Do you mind if the others drop an artificial vine and descend on that?” asked Strongjumper.

  “[Find the vine you need] Grasp your artificial vines; nothing could be more natural,” Nalus told them ironically.

  The other Rootpounders dropped a rope and started to climb down as was their way.

  A cyborg floated out to greet Nalus and Sarfal. Its silvery body was just like Nalus’s, though of course its chevrons were placed uniquely.

  “[Welcome to my sweet vine travelers] I am Athet, the leader of these Thrasar who have chosen artificial bodies.”

  “[Glad for fresh sap] I’m glad to find you,” Nalus flashed. “I’m Nalus, and my soft friend is Sarfal. The other told you about these Rootpounders?”

  “[A tale of giant vines] Correct, though I only half believed until now. Such beasts! And yet they use tools.”

  “[The jungle hides surprises] Trust me, they’re very clever. They fly the stars as we do. And now, they help us resist the Screamers.”

  The Rootpounders finished descending as a wide flyway opened up. Sarfal glided forward through the well-lit opening. The scary, pressing walls widened apart to form a large open space like the hollow inside of a building or a star cruiser. Sarfal flew three or four easy loops, getting a good look.

  The poor Rootpounders just stomped forward and stopped at the edge of the vast room. They were unable to proceed because the partitions blocked them, as they could not fly to whatever section they wanted to visit. Sarfal saw that Athet and Nalus had hovered near the aliens to console them. Sarfal flew down to join them.

  “[Underleaf all along] So this faction of Thrasar never left the planet?” Grimfighter was asking through Nalus’s electronic connection.

  “[This is only a runner] It is only an outpost of the cyborgs,” Sarfal explained. “It’s amazing even to me... Thrasar almost never contemplate descending underroot.”

  “[A new vine discovered] Yes, I didn’t realize that Thrasar would ever go underroot,” Strongjumper said.

  “[A fresh vine] This is a new facility, designed to monitor our homeworld,” Athet said. “The design is extreme.”

  “[Predator!] Five powerful beings!” Strongjumper said suddenly, crouching in fear.

  Sarfal darted away in an instant.

  “[Predator!] What danger?” Sarfal was not sure what the alien meant; had the translator failed? Yet it was clear something alarming had occurred.

  A large object flew by on Sarfal’s right. Sarfal twisted in the air to get a nervous look. A silver and black delta-winged flyer hovered high over the floor. It was five times the size of Sarfal. A three-fingered metal tentacle dangled from the front, the only clue it was Thrasar in origin.

  That’s one of us! Such a large body.

  “[Are there predators?] What is that?” asked GrimFighter.

  “[The vines rustle] What was that?” Strongjumper asked at the same time.

  “[Strongest vines] One of us, with a body made to use tools for destruction as the Rootpounders do,” Nalus said.

  “[Searching the leaves] That one was different than any of you I’ve seen,” Sarfal flashed to Nalus and Athet.

  “[A strong vine stem
] We have developed new bodies to face the Screamers,” Athet explained.

  The Thrasar sent Sarfal a data pod to examine. Sarfal addressed the Rootpounders through their electromagnetic protocols.

  “[Serve the vines] Some here are so dedicated to protecting us from the Screamers that they have given up any resemblance to their Thrasar bodies. They take whatever shape they need to defeat the predators that hunt us.”

  “[A strange thing in the jungle] Intelligent predators,” Sarfal flashed.

  “[A new vine discovered] That is exactly what they are,” Nalus said.

  The Rootpounders stood, shifting slowly on their massive legs as was their way. Sarfal was not sure how much they were understanding. Athet decided to address them again.

  “[The vine accommodates many suckers] I’m glad to welcome friendly aliens! Why have you sought us out? I’ve heard bits and pieces but you can tell me yourself.”

  “[Protect the largest vines] There is a Thrasar colony world, vast, covered with many new vines. A small but growing Thrasar fleet and a large Rootpounder fleet protects this place,” Strongjumper told Athet through Nalus’s link.

  “[News of a distant vine full of sap] Nalus has told us this, and much about you. You think we should abandon this world and go there. It’s a tempting idea.”

  “[Revealed in the star’s bright light] We only inform, not suggest. I do hope, though, that we can stand unified against the Screamers. The different factions of Thrasar are stronger together, and if you allow us to be your friends, stronger still.”

  They always speak of stronger, never of safer. But they are aliens, after all.

  “[News of sweet sap travels quickly] We will inform others of the colony that is protected from the Screamers,” Athet promised.

  “[Acknowledge your ownership of the vine] With your permission, we would leave one of these spherical devices here to communicate with you. Surely we could come to some agreements that could collect sweet sap for us both.”

  “[I favor this vine] I’ll stay here and help coordinate communications,” Nalus said.

  “[Slight startlement] Thank you, Nalus,” Strongjumper said.

  “[How many on the vine] Are there many of you here?” Athet asked. “The Screamers may return.”