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AEthereal
First, to my new family at Whiskey Creek Press, especially my phenomenal cover artist, Jinger Heaston, and my editor and friend, Chere Gruver. Working with you two is always a pleasure.
Finally, to my children, Heather, Chris, and Amber, for reading all the different versions and helping me make it better, and my wife, Patti, for believing in me for all these years.
Eric Johansson was high above the city watching the crowds gathering around the Washington Monument. It had been an incredible two years since he had been partnered with Judy Deavers for the first time. They had both been FBI agents then; she was the Special Agent in Charge of the Spokane office, while he had been head of the Domestic Counter-Terrorism Department. Drawn together to solve a series of bombings, they had been plunged into the secret of the AEthereal. At the time, the existence of the AEthereal had been so secret, only the Presidents of the United States and the reigning monarch in Great Britain knew of them. Then came the renewed war with the Grays, an alien species determined to take over the planet and strip it of everything useful. At that time, it became apparent that the secret must be told. In discussions with the other governments of the world, it was determined the President of the United States would make the announcement to all countries.
The President had declared a special holiday, mandating the closing of all businesses and schools. All the network television and radio stations had preempted their regular programming to cover the announcement. It was also being broadcast globally, simulcast in every language using the phenomenal translating staff of the United Nations. All the White House bulletin had said was the President, in coordination with all the governments of the world, would be making an announcement of global significance. The media, ever doubting official pronouncements, had immediately contacted the embassies of every nation and had learned it was true; every single nation in the world had agreed with the upcoming statement. That alone was newsworthy; no one could recall any other time where every government had agreed about anything.
The large black dragon drifted high in the sky, waiting. 'How much longer, Eric?' came the thought in Eric's mind. Eric chuckled at the impatience he detected in that thought. One would think Ebon the Black could be a little more patient since he'd been waiting for this day for over sixty-five million years.
'I'm sure you're in touch with Astra down on the ground. She's in a much better position to know than I am, Ebon. After all, I'm up here with you.' Eric thought back to Ebon. Eric enjoyed the telepathic link he had with Ebon since they had formed their partnership.
The Washington Monument formed the backdrop behind the President. The clear blue sky, lightly dotted with small white clouds, and the bright sunshine completed the scene. It was a perfect image for the cameras. Numerous foreign dignitaries were gathered on the stage behind the President, including the Canadian Prime Minister, the British Prime Minister, the Russian President, and ambassadors from every nation. Even the Secretary-General of the United Nations was present. At the scheduled moment, the President of the United States stepped up to the podium and began to speak.
"My fellow Americans and all citizens of Earth, I am speaking to you on this momentous day on behalf of all the governments on this planet. What I have to tell you is going to change how we each view our world and the universe. It will sound both fantastic and perhaps frightening, but I ask you all to hear me out." The President took a sip from the glass of water on the podium.
"First, I must tell you that mankind is not now, nor have we ever been, alone on this planet. We share this world with another sentient species, or perhaps I should say, they have shared it with us since they were here long before the evolution of mankind. There have been legends about them from every part of the world, but our modern world decided those tales were merely folklore, or allegories. When mankind took its first steps into the atomic age, another species made themselves known to President Truman in an effort to stop the development of nuclear weapons. When underground testing began, they tried again. At that time, President Eisenhower entered into what has since been known as the AEthereal Accord, an agreement to protect their secret while they continued to protect our continued existence."
The President took another pause to sip from his water. Now comes the first shock. "Events of the last year have made it necessary for us to now reveal them to the world at large. Not out of fear, but friendship. For as long as mankind has existed, they have watched over this world, and us, protecting both from harm. It is time for them to be able to move openly among us, for we must now join in a new relationship, that of partners in the continued security of our world. They call themselves the AEthereal, for they regard themselves as beings of the air. Our legends have called them dragons."
'Now, Ebon,' came the mental summons from Astra.
Ebon the Black banked his massive wings, plummeting toward the monument grounds. At first, the crowds took no notice until his huge shadow raced over them. At the first signs of panic, the President shouted, "Everyone, be still! There is no reason for fear!" The sound of his voice stopped the retreat before it even began.
As Ebon flared his mighty wings and settled to the ground next to the platform, the President said, "Ladies and gentlemen of the world, I now present Ebon the Black, Guardian of Earth, and his human partner, Eric Johansson." The President timed his words to match the moment Ebon's feet touched down alongside the platform. Eric slipped off the dragon's back and walked over to the President. "Mr. President," Eric whispered as he passed the President to stand alongside Astra and Judy Deavers.
Ebon's midnight black scales glittered in the brilliant sunlight. His massive wings were now furled back along his sides. He looked exactly like something from a book of mythical creatures---over three hundred feet in length with a long tail and serpentine neck, huge ebony eyes, long snout, and teeth just over six feet in length. Huge claws on his twenty-five foot wide feet; the only thing missing was a blast of flame from his mighty throat. 'Don't you dare!' Astra thought to him, using the tight, personal channel they had since they had hatched in the same nest over sixty-five million years in the past.
The President stepped back up to the podium and the crowd settled down to listen. "Ebon the Black is responsible for the protection of this planet, and he has been doing this for millions of years. He has not been alone, for their whole species is dedicated to that mission. He has saved us more times than we will ever know. I must say again to you all; the AEthereal are our friends and are not to be feared."
He paused once again. "I know many of you are wondering how they have managed to live among us all this time without our knowledge. The AEthereal are also shape shifters. Many have moved among us disguised as humans. In fact, you have been looking at another AEthereal all this time. I now present Astra the White, the Master Healer for Earth and the Liaison to Humanity." Astra stepped forward, the cameras zoomed in for a close-up, and the world stared at the incredibly beautiful woman.
Her warm voice soothed any residual fears in the audience. "Good people, it is a pleasure to stand among you revealed. We have eagerly awaited this moment when we can openly share the beauties of this world with you. We each have much to share with you to make this a better place to live." She stepped back from the podium, smiled at the cameras, and then walked off the platform into the cleared area opposite Ebon. There, in front of everyone, she called up the nimbus of blue that presaged the formation of a portal. The light enclosed her and then grew to a large blue glowing sphere. When it faded, Astra the White stood revealed in her natural form---a dragon, solid white with iridescent highlights, two hundred feet long, with her wings slightly unfurled in the soft summer breeze. Her large silver eyes stared back at the crowd.
"Astra's human partner is Judy Deavers." The President gestured for Judy to step forward. The crowd suddenly realized that Judy was wearing a white leather suit, similar to what a motorcyclist would wear. Judy stepped across the platform and sprang onto Astra's back, slipping into the flying harness that anchored her to her seat. Simultaneously, Eric returned to Ebon's back.
As soon as Judy was settled, Astra sprang into the air away from the crowd. At the same moment, Ebon also returned to the air. The crowd was enthralled as the dragons soared and swooped, and then they all gasped as one when Ebon let loose a blast of flame that arced through the sky. The legend was complete; the AEthereal were fire-breathing dragons.
The President calmly stood at the podium, letting the crowd adjust to the new reality, a world that now included the presence of no-longer-mythical dragons. That was the easy part. Any minute now, it's going to dawn on these people that I said the AEthereal had been defending us and they're going to start to wonder from what. He could see the crowd slowly starting to turn back to the podium, still astonished by what they had just witnessed.
"The media has had a good time speculating about the tremendous explosions six months ago near the moon. There have been stories of a nuclear war in space between the military forces of the United States and Russia. I will now tell you the truth about that day, and reveal to you the reason the AEthereal have finally come forward." The President paused to let the moment build. "For decades, there have been stories about unidentified flying objects, little gray aliens, cattle mutilations, and abductions. These stories are all true." The President paused to let the crowd settle down after the stir his last statement had created. "There is a race of beings we call the Grays who have been trying to take this planet for their own use. Six months ago, they came with a full invasion force. Between the AEthereals and the use of tactical nuclear weapons, we were able to defeat that force. We have complete documentation and evidence to provide to the media for their own verification."
Looking steadily at the camera, the President continued, "The Gray threat is real. The AEthereal are real. The time has come for mankind to accept our own responsibility in defending this planet from aggression outside our world. You all saw Eric Johansson and Judy Deavers. They are partners with the AEthereal and they are the nucleus around which we are going to build The Guardians, a joint AEthereal-Human force for the defense of us all."
"Well, I think that went well," the President said, snapping off the television. They had been watching the usual talking heads discussing the President's speech and the implications of the AEthereal.
"I agree," boomed Ebon's deep voice. Now in human form and clad in black leathers similar to those worn by Eric Johansson, Ebon was seated at the President's side in the residence portion of the White House. "It was amazing to be there in natural form in front of all those humans and not have any of them running away."
"Ebon, behave yourself," chided his sister, Astra. "Mr. President, this has been a good beginning. The question is what we do next."
"According to my Press Secretary, the White House switchboard is being swamped with calls for you four." The President looked at each of them. "I would suggest you resign yourselves to a period of being media celebrities. It would be the easiest method to both get your message out, and to make people comfortable with the AEthereal."
"Not a bad idea," Judy Deavers spoke up. "I think a few appearances on some of the major talk shows would have a great impact. We could do the major morning shows, such as the Today Show and Good Morning America."
Astra smiled, "I want to do the show with Regis and Kelly. I like her so much better than Kathy Lee."
The President called his Press Secretary in and explained what he wanted done. In a few minutes, the man returned with a scheduled series of interviews and guest appearances for the four.
Regis was so excited, he could barely contain himself. He chatted excitedly with Kelly as the show began. "Today, we're in for a real treat. Our guests today are making their first appearance on any show." He looked at the studio audience. "Please welcome the Guardians. Ebon the Black, Astra the White, and their human partners, Eric Johansson and Judy Deavers." As the four strode onto the stage, the audience went wild with cheers and applause.
Ebon, clad all in black leather, was an imposing figure in his human guise. He stood almost seven feet tall, with the heavy musculature of a body builder, but he moved with a predatory grace. His black hair was combed straight back. It was his eyes, black as space itself, which dominated his face.
Next to him, Eric seemed diminished, even though Eric was a large man himself. Black leather also covered his six foot four inch frame, emphasizing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A former SEAL and FBI agent, Eric was a man who could handle himself in almost any situation.
Astra was not as tall as her brother, a mere six feet, but where he was dark, she was light. Her hair was the purest white, hanging nearly to her waist in a shimmering waterfall. Her white leather outfit hugged a slim, athletic figure. To call her beautiful was to say the Mona Lisa was simply a painting; she transcended the everyday standards. Her eyes defied description for they seemed to shift in color atop a base of shining silver.
Judy Deavers, the shortest of the quartet, was also clad in white leather. She stood a respectable five feet nine inches with shoulder-length auburn hair. She, too, was slim and athletic as befitting the former Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Spokane office.
Regis was clearly taken aback by Ebon, who loomed above him even seated on the guest stools on the stage. "Wow, you are big!"
Astra's delightful laugh defused any tension that might have been caused by Regis' remark. She said, "He just does that for effect. He needs everyone to know that he's The Guardian, even when in human form."
"Well, it works!" Regis responded. "Are you all so intimidating?"
Astra answered. "The males all tend to be large, especially the warrior classes like the Blacks and Browns. The warrior females are slightly smaller, while the Golds and Whites are the smallest."
Kelly asked, "What do the colors mean?"
"The Blacks, Browns, Reds and Oranges are all warriors," Ebon answered. "The Blues are Scientists and the Greens are explorers. The Golds are our historians, while the Whites, like Astra, are Healers.
"Since our primary mission is to defend Earth and Paradise, over half of the species is devoted to the warrior class," Ebon continued.
"Paradise?" Regis asked.
"It is another planet we call home. Most of the AEthereal moved there once humans began to spread across the Earth," Astra explained.
Eric looked at Regis. "The AEthereal are capable of opening a doorway, or portal, between two locations. They can then move through that doorway and travel immense distances in a split second."
"Wow!" Regis looked at Judy Deavers. "What's it like, flying on a dragon?"
"It's incredible. The feeling of freedom, of being up in the sky like that, far surpasses anything found in flying a plane or helicopter." Looking at her partner, she added, "Sharing the mental bonds simultaneously with Astra makes it even more exhilarating. I can feel the wind on her wings and the way her senses scan the area."
Kelly looked confused as she asked, "Mental bonds?"
"The AEthereal are telepathic, Kelly. They can communicate with one another from anywhere, although a substantial amount of effort is needed to talk across interstellar distances," Judy explained. "Think of it as the difference between whispering to someone right next to you, as compared to trying to talk with someone a long way away."
Kelly turned to Astra. "Can you talk that way with anyone?"
Astra nodded her head slightly. "To a degree, yes. I can make my thoughts clear to anyone. Only those with a compatible mind can answer me."
Regis turned to Ebon. "So why have you stayed in hiding all this time?'
Ebon smiled. "Well, the last time we roamed the world, you humans used to try to kill us with sharp metal lances while wearing armor and riding a horse." Ebon chuckled. "And to set the record straight, we never ate virgins or burned villages out of spite."
"That's good to know," Regis quipped. "What can you tell us about the Guardians?"
Now it was Eric's turn. It had been decided ahead of time that he would be the one to explain the concept of the joint AEthereal-Human force. "As the President explained, up until now, the AEthereal have been defending Earth by themselves. For the most part, they have been highly successful at it. But modern technology has made that task more difficult, despite the accord between our peoples. Advances in radar and weaponry meant that, sooner or later, someone was going to take a shot at one of the AEthereal. And while it wouldn't hurt the AEthereal, it might interfere with protecting the Earth."
"Wouldn't hurt? You mean, even our advanced weapons can't harm one of you?" Regis asked Ebon.
"An AEthereal in natural form is invulnerable to almost anything," Ebon added. "For a while, the Grays used an energy beam weapon that hurt us, but a human named Doctor David Borland developed a shield that not only prevents the weapon from harming us, but allows us to turn the effects of the beam back on the one who fired it."
"That's amazing!" Regis turned to Eric again. "How bad are the Grays?"
"Pretty bad, Regis," Eric answered. "The Grays are planet strippers. They move onto a planet, strip it of all its resources, and then move on to another world. They have already ruined perhaps twenty percent of this galaxy."
"So now they want Earth?" Regis asked.
"They have been after this planet for a very long time," Ebon added. "The Grays launched the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs in an effort to kill the AEthereal. Only a few of us were killed, including Astra's mate."
There was a look of momentary confusion on Regis' face as he tried to make sense of Ebon's statement. "Astra's mate? That would mean..."
"I am over sixty-five million years old, Regis," Astra said. "No AEthereal has ever died of old age, so we have no idea how long we can live. We are, to all intents and purposes, immortal. We can die as a result of severe injuries sustained in an accident, or from the Grays, but that rarely occurs if there is a Healer nearby."
There were several seconds of stunned silence, and then the show cut to a commercial. During the interval, Regis wondered whether the AEthereal would take some questions from the audience and both Ebon and Astra agreed.
"And we're back with the Guardians. Talk about some fascinating stuff! Immortal dragons and alien invaders." Regis mugged for the camera. "Our guests have graciously consented to take some questions from the audience." Pointing to a young woman in the third row, Regis said, "Go ahead, miss."
She stood and took the microphone. "My question is for Ebon. How do you like human women?"
"Lightly roasted with a bit of ketchup," Ebon replied. He waited for the laughter to subside. "Seriously, my mate would arrange for one of those serious accidents Astra was talking about if I even started thinking about human women. She's a Red and has a fiery temper." The audience laughed at the idea that this imposing figure could be intimidated by anyone. "Uh oh, here she is now!"
A blue nimbus appeared on the stage and out stepped the voluptuous Hecate. "You flirting with the humans, Ebon?" Shaking her wild mane of red hair, she strutted over next to Ebon. The skimpy red leather outfit, complete with knee-high boots, showed off every curve of her lush figure. She made every human female present feel like a prepubescent adolescent.
Regis hopped down from his stool so Hecate had somewhere to sit. Ebon turned to the flustered host and said, "Regis, may I present my mate, Hecate?" As Regis took her hand, he looked into her face and was captured by her eyes, which seemed to have flames dancing in the pupils.
"He's cute. Maybe I'll keep him." Hecate smiled at Regis and he remembered to breathe.
Astra's voice was as frigid as an arctic wind. "Leave him alone, Hecate. He's our host."
"Oh, very well." Hecate sighed. She looked at the woman in the audience who had asked the question. "We AEthereal mate for life, my dear. And when you consider just how long that is for us, it is a serious commitment. Plus I cannot imagine any human female would want to come up against me as the scorned spouse!"
The woman in the audience quickly sat down and another stood to take the microphone, this time a young man in his early twenties.
"My question is about the Guardians. How does one join?"
Eric replied, "That's an excellent question. For the most part, the AEthereals themselves will select their human partners for the Force. It is vital there be compatibility in the way their minds mesh together. For those who want to help but are not partnered with an AEthereal, we expect there will be many support roles available." Eric looked out at the audience and into the camera as he continued. "We have been authorized to accept volunteers from the military as well. Service in the Guardians will be considered the same as service in any military branch. Nor is there a restriction regarding nationality. This force will defend the entire planet and is open to everyone." He paused for a moment. "There will be an announcement within a few days to give those interested the procedure for volunteering. Remember, we're not just looking for warriors. We will also be looking for scientists, explorers, scribes, historians, and medical personnel to augment the other colors as well."
A soldier stood up in the back of the audience. Taking the microphone, he asked, "What will the relationship be between the Guardians and the regular military?"
"I'm not sure anyone knows right now." Eric turned to Ebon. "Any thoughts you'd care to share?"
Ebon stood and walked to the front of the stage. "The Guardians are not interested in the internal politics of the human nations. We do not intend to dictate to anyone. We will not interfere in any nation's sovereignty. We exist to protect this planet, whether it is from the Grays, or from humans armed with weapons of mass destruction. Any person---any nation---which uses a nuclear, chemical, or biological weapon on anyone, will answer to the Guardians. This is not negotiable. We will protect this planet and the penalty for breaking that prohibition will be severe."
Every magazine in the world carried articles about The Guardians. Many of the articles included the history of the AEthereal and their explorations among the stars. The articles included photographs of Astra and Ebon in both human and natural form. Their physical immunity from harm and virtual immortality were stressed. Their ability to portal between locations was put to the test for the media, vanishing from a studio in New York and appearing in a studio in Los Angeles before live cameras.
The call for volunteers resulted in thousands of applications, but only a small percentage of the volunteers were found to be acceptable to the AEthereal. Those selected were immediately taken to Paradise for familiarization and training, plus bonding with their new partner. Unknown to the populace at large, many AEthereal wandered the planet in astral and human form, seeking their perfect partner. This soon became the most effective means of selection. Magazines soon documented tales of people whose whole lives were suddenly turned upside down by the mental contact of an AEthereal saying 'You are the one.'
It was approaching dawn in the forest. Danny Trasker had been quietly creeping through the brush, slipping from one tree bole to another as he stalked the deer. His goal wasn't to kill the elusive creatures, but to capture on film the birth of the fawns he knew was imminent. The sun was just starting to illuminate the sheltered glen and he could see the doe was beginning her labor through the telephoto lens of his camera. His top-end camera was equipped with a nearly silent motor drive and he began snapping stills of the birth. As he finished, a voice sounded in his head. 'Wasn't that the most incredible thing?'
Danny looked around. He knew there couldn't be another person anywhere near him, or the deer would have spooked. Yet to his surprise, there was a man clad in green leathers standing almost by his side.
'Do not speak aloud, or you will panic the deer. Just think what you want to say.'
'Who the devil are you and how did you sneak up on me like that?' Danny thought furiously, realizing at the same moment the man had to be one of them---an AEthereal.
The man grinned. 'Exactly. My name is Forrest, oddly enough. I have been looking for you.'
'Whatever for?' Danny wondered. He was unaware of anything he'd ever done that could have attracted the attention of one of the Guardians.
'Why, to be my partner, of course.'
'Me? Why me?' Danny asked.
'You have a mind that exactly meshes with mine and we have the same love of nature,' Forrest replied.
'I wouldn't be any good as a Guardian, Forrest. I abhor violence.' Danny was vehement in his denial.
'I am not a warrior, Danny. I am an explorer and I am inviting you to join me in exploring new worlds.'
The idea filled Danny with a sudden rush of excitement. To be the first human to set foot on some distant world; to capture the images of strange creatures on some new planet. He simply nodded his head, his acceptance ringing joyously in both their minds.
Quietly, Forrest stretched out his arm and clasped Danny's forearm. There was a silent flare of blue light and the forest melted away into the cool, moist air of a subterranean chamber lit with soft, indirect lighting. "Where are we?" Danny asked, a slight tremor in his voice.
"We are in my home on Paradise, Danny," Forrest replied. "I thought it might be easier for you to talk with me away from everything."
Danny gulped. "Paradise? You mean we're on another planet!" There was a slight edge of hysteria in Danny's voice.
"There is no need to feel any concern, Danny. I will not let any harm come to you. As I said before, I want you as my partner."
"What could I possibly contribute to such a partnership?" Danny asked. "I don't have any special skills to provide."
"Danny, a partnership with one of us is more than a mix of skills. I have been looking for someone like you for a long time ... someone who has the same love of the natural world and its creatures as I have, combined with a sense of adventure. Someone who would be willing to spend their lives in the pursuit of that dream, always eager to see what lies beyond that next hill."
"I'll grant you that I have those dreams, yes," Danny said, "and the chance to travel to new worlds is incredible. But what would I have to do? What good can you possibly get out of having me along?"
Forrest chuckled. "The first thing I would get is a companion, someone to share my delight in the places I visit. Secondly, I would gain a second pair of eyes to see what I might not. And finally, I would gain a greater understanding of all humans through my interaction with you."
"What would I have to do?"
"Well, the first thing would be to settle your affairs back on Earth. Then we will get you outfitted as a member of the exploration arm of the Guardians. Once you have your flying gear, we will see how well you can handle flight." Seeing Danny's awed expression, Forrest smiled. "I think you will love it. Then we will take a small trip to let you get the feel of what other worlds have to offer."
Danny's mind raced as he thought it all over. There wasn't anything truly holding him to his present life on Earth; even the pictures he had been taking that morning were being done on speculation since he knew nature magazines were always looking for photographs like that as filler for their publications. He wasn't seeing anyone romantically and both his parents had passed away a few years ago. "Okay, Forrest, let's give it a try. If it doesn't work out for either one of us, we can part with no harm done."
The pair made a brief stopover at the Guardian training facility on Paradise to register Danny as Forrest's partner and to get him fitted with the special dark green leathers worn by the explorers. Arrangements were made to have several spare sets delivered to Forrest's home. The pair then returned to Earth near Danny's old pickup truck at the edge of the forest. Driving back to town, Danny said, "I guess I won't be needing this old truck anymore, will I?"
"Not really. I can get us anywhere we need to be with a lot less wasted time," Forrest replied. "What will you do with it?"
"There's this young kid who lives next door to me who could use it. I think I'll give it to him, along with anything else of mine he might want. All I want are my cameras and darkroom equipment. I mean, the apartment was furnished, so I actually have very little in terms of material possessions."
Very little turned out to be a rather large pile of eclectic items by the time Danny finished sorting through his apartment. Besides the darkroom gear, he had added his CDs and DVDs, plus his clothes. Forrest opened a portal back to his home and moved the items through. The apartment emptied, Danny went to see his landlady.
Like Danny Trasker, many people had their lives suddenly changed by their selection as Guardians. A special law had been passed which eliminated the problems with leases, permitting the new Guardians to terminate without notice or penalty. Danny's landlady was sorry to see Danny leave, as he had been an excellent tenant; always paying the rent on time and never being any trouble. She was a little in awe of Forrest, which kept her from becoming too emotional in her farewell of her favorite tenant. His young neighbor was thrilled by Danny's gift of the old truck, stereo, television and video decks. He, too, was sorry to see Danny moving away since he had come to regard his neighbor as a mentor---not for the wildlife stuff, but in being a man. Danny promised he would come by to see him whenever he had the chance. Finally, all was done and it was time to go. Forrest opened a portal once again, and together, they stepped through it back onto the Guardian training base.
"What are we doing back here?" Danny asked.
"Before we can fly together, I need a saddle for you to ride upon. I had one made a while back and it is stored here. Once it is in place, I will show you around Paradise as it should be seen---from above." Forrest led the way into a huge warehouse area, almost the size of a hanger for jumbo jets. Most of the inside was empty, a vast space large enough to park a 747 with room to spare.
"Wow! Why such a large empty space?"
"We need lots of room when settling the saddles in place. We have to stretch our wings and check their range of motion, and that takes a lot of space for some of us, especially the blacks and browns." Forrest paused. "I need you to go stand over there by that wall, Danny. I need to shift form and I am going to need some room."
Danny walked over to the indicated space and watched as Forrest transformed into his natural state. Instinctively, Danny pulled his camera up to his eye and began shooting. While not as massive as Ebon the Black, Forrest was very large for his color group. He was close to two hundred and eighty feet long and had a wingspan of close to two hundred feet when fully extended. His shoulders soared forty feet off the floor. He was predominantly a dark green in color, with subtle hues of that color which seemed to shimmer in the reflected sunlight. Even his claws were a light apple green and his eyes were the color of a dark forest pond, dappled with shadows of overhanging trees.
A group of Guardian science support staff, clad in powder blue leathers, came out of one of the storage areas carrying Forrest's flight saddle. Danny continued to photograph the process of getting it in place on Forrest's broad back. A voice to his right startled him.
"They're now making the connections between the saddle's power unit and sensor system to the filament web covering Forrest's body. I'm glad he's finally having it done; I've worried about him flying around other worlds without the protection of the beam shield."
Danny turned and faced the stranger. Holding out his hand, he said, "I'm Danny Trasker, Forrest's partner."
"Everyone calls me Spyder," said the tall, red-haired man clad in the dark blue of the Science Corps. "I oversee the support staff here." Spyder looked Danny over. "New leathers, I see. Has anyone scheduled you for your helmet fitting yet?" Seeing Danny's look of confusion, he added, "The helmet gives you access to the data from the sensor arrays built into the saddle, as well as protection for your head from a Gray beam weapon, should you encounter one. Since I suspect you'd rather not have your brain microwaved, why don't we take care of that while Forrest is out testing the saddle's fit?"
Danny glanced back at the floor in time to see Forrest stride out of the large bay doors and then launch himself into the sky. Turning back to Spyder, he said, "Sure. Lead on!"
Now equipped with his new helmet and after being carefully taught how to mate the helmet to the special collar in his flying leathers, Danny sat at a table drinking a cold soda with Spyder.
"So tell me about the Grays and this beam weapon thing."
"The Grays are a society sort of like ants or bees. They communicate telepathically and have a collective hive mind they call the Overmind. Like humans, they're limited to physical travel through space and time. They've been traveling through the galaxy like a plague of locusts, stripping the planets they encounter of all resources and leaving behind a denuded wasteland. Anyway, when they encountered the AEthereals here on Paradise, they attacked with a focused energy beam weapon that was able to penetrate the natural armor of the AEthereal's scales. Essentially, they fought to a stalemate in a war that had waged for about six hundred years when we humans joined the fray. My friend, David Borland, came up with the shield net. It captures the energy of the beam and stores it up. The rider---that's you---can then aim a projection device back at the source of the beam and send it right back at them."
"What protects the rider?"
"You have the same sensor and shield net built into your leathers. In fact, the network is so finely woven and so strong, it will also serve as a flak jacket stopping most projectiles. You are essentially bulletproof in your leathers. The same is true for your helmet, which also provides you with oxygen when the AEthereal fly really high."
Danny looked a bit uncomfortable for a moment, and then asked, "How often does that kind of thing happen?"
"Well," Spyder said, "I haven't run into any Grays on any of my missions off-world but I have been shot at back on Earth once or twice. Not everyone is excited to have the Guardians around, Danny. There's some real hotheads back there and the integration of legendary dragons into our society will not be easy, especially when the hotheads finally realize the AEthereal are in charge."
"What do you mean?"
"These beings are over sixty-five million years old, Danny. You cannot conceive of the wisdom they've developed in that time. Plus, there is absolutely nothing we can do to harm them, short of nuclear weapons and now they'll soon have complete control over those." Spyder grinned. "But don't sweat it because they are the perfect race to be in charge since they only want what's best for the planet and its inhabitants and aren't ruled by greed or dishonesty."
"A question just popped into my head, Spyder. How do I hook up that saddle again? I mean, it took eight of your technicians to do it and they know what they're doing!"
"Not to worry. The saddle doesn't come back off unless Forrest gives up having a partner. It just goes wherever the rest of him does when he's in human form." Spyder grinned. "Don't sweat it, my friend. I gave up trying to figure out all this dimension stuff a while back."
"So who's your partner?" Danny asked.
"I don't have one," Spyder replied. "I came on board very early and was part of the team that developed the shield suits. Once we went into production, I took over managing the Science Support Staff, primarily to fit the suits and saddles to the individual AEthereal. My background in computers made it a natural, I guess, to extend that management to all the functions the support staff performs, including the logistics area."
Before Danny could ask Spyder more about his background, their conversation was interrupted by Forrest's arrival in the breakroom. "Ready to go flying, Danny?"
After thanking Spyder for all his help, Danny followed Forrest back outside the massive building and onto the grassy field adjacent to it. He marveled as Forrest once again shifted to his natural form and then wondered how he was going to get on that saddle way up there on Forest's spine. 'Step on my forearm, Danny,' came the answer in his mind.
He planted his foot on the proffered forearm and then was lifted upwards until he could reach the saddle. Following the instructions Spyder had given him, he attached the connections between his suit and the saddle which gave him environmental control, like air and temperature regulation, as well as access to the sensor data that was now displayed on the inside of his helmet's face screen. 'All set?'
Gulping a bit in apprehension, Danny thought back, 'Let's go!' and suddenly, he was pushed back in his seat as the AEthereal sprang up into the air, his mighty wings lifting them effortlessly higher into the sky. Within moments, they were high above the ground and Danny was enthralled by the magnificent vistas that stretched as far as the eye could see. Vast forests covered most of the land with high mountains in the distance. After they crested the mountains, they flew over a huge plain in which a variety of beasts roamed, reminiscent of the herds of buffalo that once inhabited the plains of the midwest. Mighty rivers ran from the mountains into the plain. What struck Danny was the complete absence of any sign of intervention by outside agencies. There were no roads, no buildings, and no boat traffic on the rivers. Even as he thought about it, Forrest spoke to his mind.
'This is what Earth was like eons ago before the coming of man.'
They flew toward the only spot on the planet that had been transformed by the AEthereal, the mighty amphitheatre of the Grand Council. After landing in the center of the tremendous bowl, Forrest explained how the ledges held the AEthereal in the thousands to discuss events that affected all the Guardians. He told Danny about the last Council in which the Gray menace was discussed, the rescue of Starfarer, the arrival of the other Guardian races, and the decision to come out into the open on Earth. Forrest explained the roles of Eric Johansson, Judy Deavers, and Spyder in identifying and stopping the terrorists who were trying to expose the AEthereal presence, and then how Eric had helped the AEthereal defeat the Grays on Paradise.
Forrest shifted once more to human form and said, "Come, my young friend. You surely must be hungry and tired, for it has been a long and eventful day for you. Let us adjourn to my home." Forrest opened a portal and they both stepped through it. Once again, the cool, moist air of the subterranean chamber surrounded them. Ushering Danny through a door concealed in a cleft of the chamber, Forrest led Danny down a hallway into what appeared to be a modern apartment. "Your room is this one," Forrest said, indicating the door to his right. "Why not get settled in while I check what is available for dinner?"
Danny turned the knob and entered his new home. It was like a large suite in itself. Immediately through the doorway was a living room with a leather sofa and recliner facing a wall-mounted plasma screen. His DVDs were next to a player near the screen and underneath it were the stereo system and his collection of music CDs. He walked over and inserted Vivaldi's Four Seasons into the player, then walked through the doorway into the bedroom.
A stylish, king-sized platform bed was centered along one wall, flanked by a pair of matching end tables. Another plasma screen television faced the bed. Danny shook his head; for some reason, he didn't think they had cable on Paradise. There was also another recliner. Archways led to two large walk-in closets. One side of the first closet was filled with his new Guardian leathers, while the other held his personal clothing. A built-in drawer unit held his socks and underwear, and a set of cubbyholes held his shoes and boots. Yet another archway led from each closet to the biggest bathroom Danny had ever seen. Not only was there a huge shower with three showerheads designed to converge in the center, there was also a large sunken whirlpool tub, as well as the standard toilet and sink. Large bath towels were aligned on a shelf. Danny decided he would test out the facilities and enjoyed a leisurely soak in the hot, steamy shower.
After dressing in a pair of old jeans and a Fighting Irish sweatshirt, Danny slipped his feet into a pair of loafers and then headed out into the hallway. He walked through the large living room and into a huge kitchen that could have been featured in an edition of Architectural Digest. Here, he found Forrest hard at work.
"Do me a favor and pop those potatoes in the oven, would you?" Forrest said as he sliced tomatoes for use in the garden salad. "I hope you like steaks, baked potatoes, tossed salad, steamed broccoli, and yeast rolls."
"Sounds good but it sure looks like too much food for just us."
"That's because it will not be just us. Laranja and her partner, Katarina, will be joining us."
Danny looked a bit nonplused. "Who's Laranja?"
"Laranja is the lovely Orange who has traveled with me for the past millennia. The Oranges are charged with protecting the Blues and Greens whenever we travel. Over the years, Laranja and I have become almost constant companions. Katarina is her human partner." Forrest looked at the clock on the wall. "They should be here in about twenty minutes. You might want to change into something a bit less casual, Danny."
Danny had just reentered the kitchen, now dressed in his best slacks and a nice dress shirt, when there came the sound of a musical chime in his mind. "Oh, good. They are here early," said Forrest as he moved into the large living room, Danny following a few steps behind. He watched as Forrest embraced a lovely woman wearing a stylish pantsuit of burnt orange. Laranja kissed both of Forrest's cheeks and then stood away from him.
"So this must be Danny." Her voice was a rich contralto, her face enhanced by a dazzling smile as she reached her hands out to grab Danny's hands. "I am so pleased that you have joined us. Forrest has looked for you a long time." Shaking her long hair back, she turned and said, "Let me introduce my partner, Katarina Kasperov."
Katarina was just a shade shorter than Danny's six feet in height. Her graceful movements indicated she had been a dancer, an athlete, or a soldier before joining the Guardians. Her dark hair was short in some kind of layered cut that emphasized her high cheekbones, arched eyebrows, and dark blue eyes. Her tapered jaw line made her look like an elf from one of Danny's fantasy novels. She was clad in simple black slacks and a sleeveless blouse with an understated floral print, adorned with a simple gold chain around her elegant throat.
"I am pleased to meet you, Danny." He could not place her unique accent, other than he thought it was from central Europe.
"The pleasure is all mine," Danny replied.
A timer sounded from the kitchen and Forrest directed the ladies to the dining room while dragooning Danny into helping him dish up the food and serve it. Soon, they were all seated in a cozy dining room enjoying the simple but tasty meal.
"Katarina, I'm having trouble placing your accent," Danny said in an attempt to open a conversation with the lovely woman.
"I am from a small town in Hungary," came her soft reply. "And where in America are you from?"
"I grew up in Colorado and lived most of my life there, except for a brief period when I just traveled around. I was a nature photographer," Danny replied. "What did you do before you met Laranja?"
A shy smile danced across her lips. "I studied to be a ballerina but grew too tall. Ballerinas must be small, yes? Then I went into government service."
"Your English is good. Were you a translator?" Danny asked.
Katarina laughed delightedly. "My instructors would laugh to hear that! For a long time, they despaired I would never learn to speak well enough to be understood. No, Danny, I was trained to be agent to spy on the West. Even after communists fell from power, there was much distrust between our countries."
She took a sip from her wine glass. "When I was finally ready to be sent on a mission, I was given fake identity papers and brought into United States as secretary at embassy in Washington. No one watches lowly secretary. One day, I am sitting in park waiting for courier, when voice rings in my head. It is Laranja, so I am spy no longer."
Danny was amazed that this woman had been a spy against his country but knew it was no longer a concern. The geopolitics of Earth were being shaken to their foundations since the appearance of the Guardians and Danny suspected that, sooner or later, it would all eventually work out into some form of world government. It would probably take a century or so because people could be so hard-headed, but it seemed to be the only logical outcome.
"Have you been to many other worlds?" Danny asked.
Laranja responded, "Not yet, Danny. Forrest has been so busy looking for you, that we have not made any trips since Katarina joined me. We are both hoping that is about to change since you have joined us."
Forrest laughed. "Getting a bit bored, Laranja? We cannot all have adventures like Sierra and Terra." At both Danny and Katarina's confused expressions, Forrest told them about the raid on the Gray warehouse and the search for power cells, and how, to defend the humans along on the mission, Sierra and Terra had transformed into their natural state inside the warehouse and then ported themselves and a sizeable chunk of the warehouse back to Paradise. And how, serendipitously, the power cells they had gone after had been found in the material they had accidentally brought back with them.
"Speaking of power cells, that brings up a question I have," Danny said. "Where do you get electricity here on Paradise? I didn't see any kind of power generating facility when we were flying around."
"That is correct. There is no heavy industry on the planet," Forrest explained. "We use a combination of geothermal energy and the captured Gray technology to provide our power. There is more than ample energy available without resorting to environmentally unfriendly methods."
"I can see that and I'm glad. This planet is too beautiful to be spoiled that way."
Katarina added, "Does your room have big TV screen? We can get shows from Earth recorded on discs. Just tell me what shows you like and I will have them recorded for you."
"So that's how it works," Danny laughed. "I had wondered when I saw the TV screens everywhere. I couldn't imagine a local cable company on Paradise, or even satellite TV. Sure, I'll give you a list!"
Forrest said, "Well, your wish is my command, Laranja. Why do we not go see someplace new tomorrow morning? Shall we meet at the base at, say, six thirty to enjoy the sunrise and then head out?"
Katarina turned to Danny as they prepared to depart. "Remember to bring your weapons with you tomorrow. We never know what we'll find on trip like this."
"Weapons?" Danny muttered under his breath as the two women ported away. "Who said anything about weapons?"
Ebon the Black stood before the General Assembly as a guest of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He knew he was about to cause a problem, but it was something that had to be done, and there was no better place than the United Nations for what he had to say. He stepped up to the podium and waited for the polite applause to die down. Soon, the vast chamber was quiet as the assembled representatives waited for him to speak.
"People of Earth, you have heard me say that the Guardians will not tolerate the use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. I stand here today to announce that, effective immediately, each nation will surrender control of their nuclear stockpiles to the Guardians. These weapons will be used solely in the defense of the planet and, since that responsibility belongs to us Guardians, it is necessary we take over their control. Representatives of the Guardians will meet with your respective leadership to coordinate the assimilation of your strategic forces into the Guardians."
Ebon waited while the translators repeated his message in the languages of each delegate. The non-nuclear nations were plainly happy by the apparent leveling of the international playing field. The outrage on the faces of the nuclear powers was evident, including the United States. Before they could begin to say anything, he resumed speaking. "In addition, you should all know that we are able to track all nuclear material anywhere on, or in the planet. You cannot hide the weapons from us. The only permissible use for these weapons is to defend this planet from a spaceborne attack. These weapons will not be used on, under the surface, or in the air of the planet. The Guardians will control them from now on. This is not negotiable. Any nation that chooses to dispute this is welcome to discuss it with me at any time. I thank you for your attention. Good day." With those words, Ebon opened a portal and left the General Assembly.
Bedlam broke out as each delegate clamored for recognition. They all had something to say regarding the Guardian's demand. Most of the non-nuclear nations proclaimed a new era for mankind, one freed of the horror of nuclear war. The nuclear nations railed about the breach of their sovereign rights but, in the end, all nations knew the AEthereal would take control of the weapons.
Assuming control of the nuclear arms of most countries went relatively smoothly. A few diehard generals were quietly retired and more practical military leaders took their places. The strategic forces themselves were quietly integrated into the Guardians under the control of the Blacks. There were some places, such as North Korea and Israel, which were not as forthcoming in their cooperation.
Nuclear Weapons Depot, North Korea
The faint light of false dawn was just beginning to allow the sentries to see the full shape of the reinforced concrete shelters around which they patrolled. Each guard had been on duty for almost eight hours and the end of this shift was rapidly approaching. While they had been carefully screened for both party loyalty and military prowess, the mind-numbing routine of guarding these special storage igloos had taken its toll. No one could approach the facility without detection by external security forces. The roving security patrol walked around the igloos in the extremely remote chance that someone might get past the layers of detection sensors and armed response teams.
The sky was suddenly lit by a blue glow that expanded until it seemed to surround the facility. Sentries trained their weapons in the general direction of the glow. It faded and the sky was now filled with AEthereals. The sentries opened fire. The anti-aircraft batteries filled the skies with a torrent of depleted uranium slugs.
The AEthereal had spaced themselves around the weapons depot, the barrage of weapons fire bouncing off their scales. Once in position, they opened their mouths and blasted flame at each igloo. Reinforced concrete is fire retardant, but was not designed to withstand extremely high temperatures. Since dragon flame exceeded one thousand degrees Fahrenheit, the igloos began to burn. The sentries were consumed in an instant; brief human torches that never even had the chance to scream.
Even as the AEthereal appeared in the sky as the diversion, another group of them opened portals within each igloo. These AEthereal very carefully removed each of the North Korean nuclear weapons, porting them for storage to the Guardians' secure site within a cavern on Paradise. Within moments, the storage igloos were empty.
The North Korean government began their protests at the United Nations before the first fire units arrived on scene. Their protest was illustrated by aerial video feed of the burning and slagged igloos. Their protests fell on deaf ears, however. The rest of the nations were actually relieved the rogue Communist state had been stripped of their weapons of mass destruction.
The lesson was not enough to convince Israel. They continued their decades-long denial of even possessing nuclear weapons. Ebon himself met with the Israeli Prime Minister to inform him that the AEthereal were well aware of the secret weapons facility buried under the sands of the Negev desert. He then gave the Prime Minister the classified location of each dispersed weapon currently deployed for defense. The choice was Israel's. Surrender the weapons quietly and privately, or have them taken by force in a manner even more public and devastating than what had happened in North Korea. Ever practical, the Israelis surrendered the weapons without further debate. As the Prime Minister acquiesced, teams of Black and Brown AEthereal appeared at each weapon location and silently removed them from Earth.
The President welcomed Astra and Ebon to the Oval office. "I am so pleased you could come see me today." He gestured for them to be seated in the comfortable chairs. "I am growing concerned about some of the more radical reactions to the presence of the AEthereal." He gestured to the stack of newspapers and magazines on the coffee table. "The tabloids and fringe press are seeing you as the harbingers of the Apocalypse. The religious fundamentalists are calling you Satan's minions and are calling for a holy war against you and the Guardians."
"Speaking for the AEthereal," Ebon said, "we are not concerned for ourselves, but we are worried about what might happen to our human partners. As you know, there have been isolated attacks on human Guardian members when they have been away from their AEthereal partner. Two of the science support staff were killed by a car bomb last week."
The President nodded. "I've seen the FBI reports on these incidents. In fact, the director and I talk every day and the threats against the AEthereal and the Guardians are our highest priority."
"Something you may not know about is an incident that involved one of the Browns last week. While on a patrol over what you call the Middle East, he was fired upon by a small missile, probably what you call shoulder-launched. He, of course, merely flamed the missile out of existence and suffered no harm, nor did he go after whoever fired the weapon." Ebon shrugged. "We all knew there would be those who could never accept the AEthereal; just as, I am ashamed to say, there are a very few AEthereal who see humans as nothing more than noisy food."
The President paled slightly at that.
"Oh, do not worry about them. Negron and I chose them as the ones to work with the other Guardian species. Since none of us has ever eaten a twenty foot telepathic purple bear, it seems to be working," Astra said. "Their biggest problem has been convincing the other Guardians not to try flying on their backs." She sipped her hot chocolate. "Perhaps we should start showing humanity another side of the AEthereal. Right now, everyone sees just the warriors. I, along with some of the other Whites, will start working with your medical establishments. This will give the media what you call 'a human-interest angle' to use in advancing the AEthereal position on Earth."
Astra, Etienne, and four other Whites appeared in front of the main doors to the Children's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Since this visit was unannounced, they moved quickly inside. Approaching the information desk, Astra informed the flustered receptionist they were there to see the senior medical staff. Moments later, the CEO of the hospital himself ushered the six AEthereals into the executive conference room.
Once the CEO and his staff were seated on the other side of the table from the AEthereals, Astra explained the purpose of their visit. "We are here today to help you cure these children. We would like you to take us to each suffering child, starting with the six most critically ill, so that we may heal them. We ask only that the television media be barred from filming while we are with the patients."
"Lady Astra, I don't want to appear ungrateful, but I must consider the welfare of my patients," said the senior oncologist. "Some of these children have no hope of any cure and have resigned themselves to their situation. I won't have you giving them false hopes."
Astra smiled at the doctor. "I do not give false hopes, Doctor. I deal in the reality of healing. While these diseases may be beyond your medical capability, they are within ours. We ask only that you allow us to help the children."
The AEthereals paired up with a medical staff member and were taken to the six most critically ill patients. In each case, the White AEthereal reached out and placed their hands upon the small patient, reaching inside with their empathic healing senses to discover what was needed. Cancers, leukemia, massive burns, and deformities soon gave way under the tender ministry of the Whites. Behind them, in joyous astonishment, they left healthy, vibrant children; children who now were at the statistical norm for every function of their bodies, free of disease and pain.
It took the six AEthereals a full day to make their way through every floor, every ward, in the large medical complex. When at last the final patient was turned over to his joyous parents, the strain on the AEthereal was evident. Healing over three hundred cases in a single day was incredibly draining.
The expected crowd of reporters and television crews were on scene, surging forward as soon as they emerged from the hospital. "Please, ladies and gentlemen of the press, I have a brief statement." The reporters thrust their microphones toward Astra; the cameras focused in on her face. "We have come to this place to offer our services in the healing of the children, a service gladly given. Over the next few weeks, we will continue this work throughout the world. I am sure the hospital staff and the families will provide you all with the details of the work we have done, but for now, the others and I must depart to rest. Thank you." As the reporters began to shout questions at the AEthereals, a blue nimbus of light swallowed the Whites and they vanished.
All the networks carried special reports that night about the healings. Joyous families, their voices charged with emotions, described the ordeals of the past and the miracle of the day. Each tale was similar: a fatal disease stealing the vibrancy of a beloved child; every medical procedure failing to arrest the course of the disease; imminent death, and then the AEthereal came. Now the children were healthy, with all traces of the disease eradicated. The heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving for the AEthereal intervention ended each interview.
Astra and her teams of Whites would visit every hospital, hospice, nursing home, and geriatric center in the world over the subsequent months. At least one hospital in every major city had a White on duty to handle major emergencies. A call to that hospital could have a White portal on scene at almost any emergency.
The Browns began to assist in search and rescues, especially in cases involving large fires, and the news media picked up countless tales of harrowing rescues by the Guardians. One night, the news was dominated by an amazing story. A passenger jet with three hundred people on board had been struck by lightning at the joint of the left wing and the body of the aircraft. In addition to suffering major structural damage to the wing, all the aircraft's electrical systems failed and the engines stopped. It began to fall from the sky out of control. A group of Black AEthereals surrounded the plane, supporting its weight on their own bodies, and arresting its fall, despite the handicap the aircraft posed to the movement of their own wings. Once the plane was stabilized, the AEthereals opened a portal and brought the plane and its passengers safely to the ground next to a nearby terminal.
Soon, the streets of the world's cities started to have members of the Guardians in their distinctive leather uniforms. The color groups became common knowledge to everyone. The Black, Brown, Red, and Orange of the Warrior classes. The Blue of the Science Corps, the Green of the Exploration Service, Gold of the Historian/Archivists, and the White of the Medical Corps. Most AEthereals chose to mimic their human partners when traveling on Earth, appearing in human guise with the same distinctive leather uniform. Each wore the new crest of the Guardians, the blue, green and white sphere of the Earth imposed on a shield promoting both the defense of the planet and the positive benefits of the AEthereal-Human partnership.
Danny Trasker was amazed how quiet the training depot was at six thirty in the morning. A low ground fog drifted in wisps across the surrounding fields, lit by the beams of sunlight just starting to creep over the mountain ranges in the east. As if the light itself were a common switch, hundreds of small birds began to sing. Moments later, the sun itself began to peak over the mountains and the full light of day was upon them.
"Well, shall we go exploring?" Forrest asked the group. Laranja nodded her willingness, but Katarina held up her hand in a gesture of negation.
"Where are your weapons?" she asked, glaring at Danny. "I told you last night to bring them. You never go to strange world without some means of defense."
"I don't have any weapons. I don't want any weapons," Danny replied. "I won't carry any weapons except for the one needed to reflect the Gray energy beam."
Katrina shook her head, amazed. "I thought you said you were nature photographer."
"I was," Danny affirmed.
"Then how you take pictures of dangerous animals without having weapon to defend yourself?" Katarina looked him up and down.
"Um, well," stammered Danny. "I never took pictures of dangerous animals. I focused on the non-aggressive species."
"What? You go into mountains of Colorado with no weapons, just a camera?" Katarina exclaimed. "You are either very brave, or very foolish. Colorado has mountain lions, yes? Also big bears?" Shaking her head at the chagrined expression on Danny's face, she said, "Foolish man, then, never to think about running into hungry mountain lion with no way to defend yourself. Maybe you take nice picture of lion as he leaps to tear out your throat, hey?"
Katarina turned to Laranja and Forrest. "I will take him to the armory and get him something to use for personal and group defense." Looking at Danny, she added, "Come with me."
As Danny followed the amused and smug Katarina across the tarmac to the armory building, he felt smothered by conflicting emotions. He was both outraged and humiliated by her condescending attitude, yet watching the sway of her hips in the tight leather pants brought out a completely different, and more basic, emotion. Damn, she's attractive. As they walked away, he could have sworn he heard a mental chuckle from his AEthereal partner.
Thirty minutes later, Danny had been issued a Glock 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and an MP5 submachine gun. Katarina promised the weapons master that she would personally train Danny in the use and care of each weapon. She carefully showed Danny how to load each weapon and how to make sure each one was properly "safetied" to preclude accidental discharge. With the pistol in a holster riding on his hip and the MP5 on a sling around his neck and shoulder, Danny felt very much like he was pretending to be something he was not. Even the sight of Katarina's hips in those tight pants couldn't shake his feelings of inadequacy.
They exited the portal above a vast ocean of liquid. Danny didn't think it could be considered water, since the liquid was a light purple in color. A large ringed planet covering a quarter of the visible skyline down to the horizon dominated the sky. The distant landmass they were flying toward seemed to be covered in dark violet ferns, each towering at least three stories above the pale lilac moss that covered the ground. Obviously, chlorophyll was not a basic building block on this planet. 'Do not open your helmets. The air here is not acceptable for you to breathe,' came Laranja's command.
"Danny, check your sensors to southeast." Katarina's voice over the intercom was clipped by the digital security system. "Do you see some kind of high frequency emanation on tactical display?"
Danny quickly shifted his heads-up display in his helmet to show the tactical screen. As she had said, the sensors had detected something emitting a strong high frequency signal off in the southeast. "I have it, Katarina. What now?"
'Now we go take a look to see what or who it is that makes such a signal,' came Forrest's response in Danny's mind. Forrest dipped his wings and altered his flight path to the southeast, homing in on the signal. Danny looked around for Laranja but could not see her. Where could a big orange dragon vanish to in a cloudless sky?
The tone of Forrest's mental voice was amused. 'They fly high above us, which gives Katarina a greater range for her sensors and adds an element of surprise should Laranja need to attack something.'
'Oh, that makes sense.' Danny then asked, 'What should I be doing, Forrest?'
'It probably would not hurt to make sure the shield lance is ready, just in case, Danny.'
Danny reached down, slipped his arm into the special braces, and sat back up with the shield lance now mounted on his arm. He knew from his talks with Spyder how to operate this defensive weapon, at least in theory. He hoped he didn't need it but it was nice to know the shield would collect the energy from a Gray weapon's blast and then allow Danny to return it to whoever fired at them in the form of a much more concentrated beam.
'Make sure your straps are tight, Danny. I would hate to throw you out of the saddle if I have to make an evasive maneuver.'
Danny quickly checked the fit and position of each of his flying straps. The idea of suddenly being tossed off Forrest's back gave him a small frisson of fear along his spine.
'Do not worry, Danny. I have never lost a rider.'
'You never had a rider before!' came Laranja's mental retort. 'Katarina says her binoculars show a Gray compound in the distance. We should get out of here before we are detected. Let the warriors deal with this group.'
Danny felt a sudden shift in his weight as Forrest banked his wings and swung away from the Gray compound and slipped lower to the ground. Moments later, Laranja drifted into formation alongside and they flew into the blue nimbus of a portal back to Paradise.
Danny found himself sitting quietly in a chair at the back of the conference room beside Katarina. Seated around the table itself was the largest group of AEthereals Danny had ever seen, which he had to admit, wasn't all that many. But he was quite intimidated by Ebon and Negron, the two Black guardians. Not that the two Browns, Grendal and Brundig, were much better. And then there were the two Reds. He was just too embarrassed by his reaction to them! The sheer overwhelming sexuality of Hecate had stunned him completely, and to his everlasting chagrin, she knew it and so did Katarina. He did not know the two Golds but he recognized Astra the White from the many television news reports about her. He shook his head and concentrated on what was being said.
"Let me make sure I understand, Forrest. You and Laranja took your riders on a first flight to a relatively unknown planet, which you found to be completely unsuited for humans and barely marginal for AEthereals. At the same time, you also found a Gray presence on a planet normally outside their apparent parameters." Ebon shook his head. "I will not comment on the questionable choice of taking two relatively untried humans into such a situation. We will discuss that privately," he said, shooting a dark look at Forrest and Laranja. "What I want to know is what the Grays are doing on a planet they would normally have ignored."
Ebon directed his next comments at the Browns. "This requires investigation to discover exactly what they are up to. And of course, they need to be stopped anyway. Work out a plan to gather intelligence on what they are doing and how extensive their operation is. Once we know that, we can best decide how to exterminate them."
The two big Browns nodded in agreement. Grendal spoke up. "I think we will need some assistance from the Blues on this to determine what they are doing, so that also means having some Oranges to cover them."
As the formal meeting broke up, Danny was surprised to be greeted by Erik Johansson and Judy Deavers. He was a little in awe of the first two human Guardians.
"This will now be a private meeting for the AEthereals, so why don't we all go get a cup of coffee or something and get to know one another?" Erik suggested.
Doctor David Borland was in his lab, a frown of deep concentration creasing his forehead as he studied the Gray power cell. His work in adapting the cell to power the shields for the AEthereal and their human partners had already earned him the accolades of the Guardians, but now his goal was slightly different. He knew the small units were almost inexhaustible and could deliver an amazing amount of power. What he wanted to do now was find some way of mass-producing the devices in a relatively inexpensive fashion. If he could do that, it would mean cheap power for the entire world and an end to the pollution associated with burning petrochemicals.
'Still at it, I see,'' came the familiar voice in his mind. Indigo had slipped quietly into the lab without anyone noticing. It was amazing when he considered the AEthereal scientist's sheer size. While not as overpowering as Ebon the Black, Indigo was almost seven feet tall and was easily two hundred eighty pounds of lean muscle. His blue robes had been replaced by the now standard leathers of the Guardians, his in a rich navy blue.
"Yes, my friend, still at it. I can't seem to get around the need for this one element. Unfortunately, it isn't found anywhere on Earth or Paradise." Doctor Borland sighed. "I might as well give up."
Indigo's rich baritone asked, "Why give up? All we need to do is find you a source. It has to come from somewhere."
Borland looked up at his friend. "Do you really think that's possible? Could your explorers find some?"
"Well, they may already have done so. A Gray mining operation has been found and they need our help analyzing what they discovered." Indigo chuckled as he reached his arm out to clasp Borland's shoulder. "You need some fresh air and new scenery anyway, my friend." A blue nimbus surrounded them and they vanished.
Indigo was immediately dragged into the conference with the other AEthereals about the upcoming reconnaissance mission, so Dave Borland went looking for Erik and Judy. He found them sipping coffee with another couple in the leathers of the Guardians.
"Room for another?" Borland asked as he walked over to them.
"Dave!" Judy rose to her feet and gave the scientist a big hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Indigo had an idea he wanted to discuss with Forrest and his new partner, and he insisted I come along." Borland shook his head. "He said I needed some fresh air and a change of scenery."
"He's right! We haven't seen you in months," Erik said. "Since you came here to see Forrest, let me introduce you to his partner, Danny Trasker, and Laranja's partner, Katarina Kasperov. Danny and Katarina, this is Doctor David Borland. He invented the shield imbedded in your leathers and the shield lance you use in defense."
Everyone shook hands and fresh coffee was distributed all around. As Borland took his seat, he said, "I hadn't heard that Forrest had a partner until Indigo mentioned it a little while ago."
"It just happened two days ago," Danny said. "One moment, I'm in the woods taking pictures and the next, here I am on Paradise."
"You wouldn't know much about Forrest's explorations, then." Borland sighed. "I really am stuck." He looked at the quizzical expressions on everyone's faces, so he continued. "I'm trying to reverse-engineer the Gray power supplies and I've solved everything except the most important and fundamental part of it. The Gray device uses an element I've never seen before and one not found on Earth, or here on Paradise. I was hoping that Forrest or Celadon had run across it somewhere in their travels."
"Well, if you can tell us what to look for, I'll certainly keep my eyes open for it during our explorations," Danny said. "How urgent a need is it?"
"From the standpoint of the Guardians, we'll need more power systems soon to protect more of the warrior classes and exploration teams. We don't have near enough. But that's just the beginning. If we can find a reliable source of this element, we can mass-produce these generators for use on Earth and also here on Paradise. It would mean an end to polluting, and the use of environmentally dangerous power systems, such as coal, hydrocarbon, petrochemical, or nuclear plants. Basically, we could have free power for everyone on both Earth and Paradise."
Danny was stunned. "You do realize the economic and social upheavals that would come in the wake of such a change in the status quo back on Earth, don't you? Almost every facet of our way of life would be impacted. There would be huge dislocations of the work force as the petrochemical and other industries collapsed overnight. The power industries would also be wiped out. Every means of transportation on Earth would have to be reengineered to take advantage of the new technology."
Borland looked shocked. "I never really thought about it. I figured free power would be a huge gain for everyone."
"It will be, in the long run, Dave. It's the short term that will be bad," Erik responded. "Look, I don't want to be an alarmist, but you need to keep this idea of yours very, very quiet. There are many folks out there who will have ample reason to stop you from completing this project, and several of them wouldn't hesitate to use violence to achieve their objectives."
"Surely you're overstating the danger, Erik." Borland looked a little uneasy. "I can see where there would be some resistance to the idea, but certainly the overwhelming benefit will overcome the objections of a few."
Judy spoke up. "Dave, you've lived too long in a laboratory! Never underestimate the power of greed. You are talking about wiping out some of the biggest business cartels there are. Most wouldn't hesitate to kill you to stop you."
As Doctor Borland left the group to join Indigo, he looked pale and troubled by the warnings he had received from his friends. After saying farewell to Erik and Judy, both Danny and Katarina trailed after the scientist.
Once again, the AEthereals and their human partners met in the conference room at the Guardian base on Paradise, this time, to hear the result of a stealthy surveillance mission on the Gray incursion found by Forrest, Laranja and their human partners. Since the planet was inhospitable to humans, the scouts had not taken any along with them. They had, however, fastened a variety of sensors and recording equipment to their saddles, and the results of those scans were displayed on the screens around the room.
"Essentially, this is a large strip mining operation. Whatever it is they are mining must be pretty important to the Grays because they are all wearing full environmental gear. They have sealed shelters, too," Grendal reported, showing the video footage of their flight. "As you can see in the video, the operation seems to be in three parts. First, at this pit, they appear to be mining two separate minerals. You can see two distinct piles of material away from the tailings. The second operation involves the material from the larger pile. They appear to be sealing the individual material in some sort of plastic. The final operation is packing the two materials in separate containers for shipment."
Turning to the sensor data displays, he said, "We detected no emissions to indicate any type of radar coverage, so it seems the Grays do not expect any trouble at this location."
"Seems almost too good to be true," Ebon said as he turned to Negron. "Well, my friend, how do you want to handle this?"
"Seems straightforward enough," Negron replied. "We go in fast and flame everything. Shattering the shelters should eliminate every Gray within, since they probably will not be in suits inside them. The rest should be easy targets, too." Looking at the replay of the video and the analysis of the sensor data, he added, "There does not seem to be any defense weaponry deployed around the site, either."
David Borland spoke up. "Once you've eliminated the Gray presence, what are the chances for bringing in a science team to get samples of what the Grays are harvesting? It could be vitally important."
Ebon looked at Negron and Grendal, who both gave small nods of their heads. "That should not be a problem, Doctor. We will let Indigo know when it is safe for your team to go in."
Not taking any chances, the AEthereals struck with overwhelming force. Fifty Blacks and Browns appeared over the Gray mining camp, scorching the ground with their flames. The highly oxygenated air within the Gray environmental suits flared up like small suns as a wall of flame engulfed the Grays. The shelters exploded. Within moments, the fires died out as the oxygen was consumed. Four AEthereals concentrated their fire on the single Gray spaceship, melting it until it, too, was destroyed.
Cautiously, the AEthereals swept over the mining operation, searching for any sign of Grays. A few landed and began moving amid the rubble to determine whether any Grays were in hiding. The debris from the shelters was shredded as they searched. Dead Grays were thrown off to one side and, once all had been collected, the pile was destroyed by another blast of flames that continued until nothing was left.
After a last check, Negron sent a mind call to Indigo clearing the science team into the site. Five Blues appeared in the sky near the site and then landed in the cleared area near the open mining pit. Sliding down from Indigo's saddle, Doctor David Borland began collecting specimens of the minerals the Grays had been harvesting, while the other human science team members dispersed to examine whatever Gray technology survived the attack.
Borland found the Grays were mining a peculiar mineral that seemed to occur in spherical nodules. Each nodule was roughly ten inches in diameter and weighed about eight pounds. Not very dense. The fire did not seem to have affected them at all. There were a lot of nodules already freed from the ground and mounded off to one side. These were then sealed in some kind of plastic before shipment. Odd. Why seal them like that? Hmmm. Prevent contamination of either their ship or the material, most likely. No, has to be to protect the material, since they don't take the same precautions with the other mineral.
'Indigo, could you have some of these sealed nodules taken to my lab? I'd like the rest stored where we can get to them later. Do not take any of the unsealed ones.'
Indigo directed some of the Browns to the mound of nodules. Once Indigo had separated out half a dozen, the Browns extended their minds and opened a portal around the remainder. They, along with the nodules, disappeared in a blue glow.
Meanwhile, Borland moved over to the other mound of minerals. He reached down to pick up a rock about the size of his fist and was startled by its weight. Wow! This thing weighs at least forty pounds. He very slowly put the sample into a carry bag, fastened it to Indigo's harness, and climbed back into the saddle on the AEthereal's back. Indigo opened a portal back to Paradise and they stepped through, taking the sealed nodules with them. Once on Paradise, Borland dismounted and Indigo shifted to human form. Another portal and they were in Borland's laboratory on Earth.
After the departure of the science teams, the remaining strike force members fanned out to search the rest of the planet for signs of the Grays. Since they were not carrying human partners, they once again activated the video and sensor recording devices attached to their saddles to provide a record of the unusual vegetation they encountered. The AEthereal detected no sign of any animal life; just millions of acres of big purple ferns and vast light purple seas.
David Borland started examining the extremely heavy ore sample he brought back from the Gray mining operation. So far, he had managed to break off an extremely small piece but had destroyed five diamond drill bits in the process. Really hard stuff. The small piece had then been subjected to a variety of chemical tests but had revealed almost nothing. It didn't react to any acids; they just ran off the fragment like water. He'd subjected it to an electrical discharge and found that it was highly reactive. The material could hold a huge charge without even getting warm to the touch, and then discharge almost the exact amount of energy it had held. Placed in a circuit, it was highly conductive. In short, the material appeared to be a naturally occurring superconductor that did not require intense cooling efforts. If he could just get an analysis, he would bet this was the stuff the Grays used in all their electrical circuitry. Deciding that he had exhausted all he could do with the sample in his small lab, he sent it over to the DARPA metallurgical laboratory with notes on everything he had discovered about it.
Next, he contemplated the sealed nodules. Why had the Grays gone to such lengths to seal these things? What could possibly ... wait a minute! That planet didn't have a breathable atmosphere. Now where did I put those sensor readings? Borland rummaged around on his desk, looked through his bookcases and every other surface he could think of in search of the elusive readings. Finally, spotting a small corner of white sticking out from behind one cabinet, he leaned over and extracted the errant piece of paper. Let's see. Nitrogen, sixty-seven percent. Methane, twenty-one percent, and gaseous ammonia about ten percent with some really rare gases like neon and argon making up the final two percent. Not one trace of oxygen. Best approach this in a vacuum.
Borland transferred the nodule into an airtight manipulation chamber. After sealing the door, he activated the pumps to draw all the air out of the chamber. He then activated a pump to flood the chamber with inert nitrogen gas. Grasping the controls of the remote arms, he slowly scraped away the protecting sealant from one side until he revealed about a quarter of the sphere. Holding it still with one remote arm, he slammed the other down, fracturing off several pieces of the material. The smaller pieces he transferred into several small, airtight containers and then he moved the large piece into a bigger one. Once sealed, the containers would also hold the inert nitrogen. He used the arms to move the small containers into the airlock on the chamber. After extracting the containers and placing them in a foam rubber lined shock case, he then moved the bigger container holding the large fragment out through the airlock.
Borland then moved the shock case with the small containers and the remaining fragment into a heavy storage cabinet, shutting the door and locking it. All that's left now is the small amount of powdered material still in the chamber. He pondered the problem that dust represented. Ideally, he could vacuum it up, but in doing so, the dust would be exposed to the atmosphere once it left the chamber. Since he had no idea what the result would be, that was an unacceptable risk. As he thought, his computer keyboard caught his eye and that reminded him of the tiny battery-powered vacuum he bought to clean it. It was small enough to fit in the chamber and, more importantly, mount in a sealed container afterward. He placed the little vacuum cleaner in the airlock, and then carefully picked it up with the remote arm. Turning it on took a bit of fancy maneuvering, but he eventually had the little unit sucking up all the dust he could see. Convinced he had finally gotten it all, he switched the unit off and placed it in another environmental container, which he then put in the airlock.
Once he had all the containers carefully stored in his locked cabinet, Borland shut down the nitrogen feed to the manipulation chamber and opened the lines to return normal atmosphere. As he turned to go, there was a tiny flash of light. There, in the corner of the chamber was a very tiny fragment of the nodule---probably not more than two millimeters in size---glowing like a miniature sun.
Doctor Borland stared for a moment at the blazing fragment, his mind racing at the implications. Energy is being released in the presence of oxygen. He quickly activated all the various equipment that monitored the conditions within the environmental chamber. No measurable radiation. No appreciable change in temperature. He extended a probe configured to serve as an induction voltmeter set to its highest setting and found a flicker on the meter. Switching the meter to a lower scale and reading the result, he was stunned. The tiny grain of material was creating a steady voltage measuring almost five hundred volts. Now how can I adjust it?
Borland closed the valve admitting normal atmosphere and slowly introduced nitrogen into the chamber, watching the effect on the voltage as the ratio of oxygen was altered. The meter reading crept down as more and more nitrogen was introduced. As the concentration of inert gas peaked, the light from the material dimmed, flickered, and was finally extinguished, the reading on the meter now at zero.
By adjusting the oxygen level in tiny increments, he brought the power being produced to exactly one hundred twenty volts, which was standard household voltage in the United States. Now the question was how long the material could produce the energy. He aimed a web camera at the glowing pinpoint while a second camera recorded the meter reflecting the output. The computer provided a continuous time hack for the video feeds.
While that experiment ran in the chamber, Borland took a pad of paper and began to sketch some ideas for adapting the material into some type of functional delivery system. It would need to be encapsulated by a conductive medium, except for some tiny point through which a controllable amount of oxygen could be introduced. He stopped, thought for a moment, and changed direction as unworkable. Better to control the voltage externally to the material through circuitry since it would be simpler. He quickly sketched a couple of simple circuits to regulate the voltage and current, plus another circuit to convert the output from a steady direct current, such as one gets from a battery, into one alternating, like that provided by a wall outlet in a house.
Okay, we need to encapsulate a piece in some kind of conductive mesh case that goes to the regulating circuits and then to some connection point. For the sake of simplicity, how about a standard electrical outlet? Insulate the whole thing, while leaving enough space for airflow. Put it in some rugged casing and, presto, a small portable electrical outlet. Humming an upbeat jazz melody, David started listing and rejecting various materials for the different facets of the construction.
Danny stood with his arms extended, trying to capture the sight picture Katarina described: the blade at the end of the barrel centered and even in the U-shaped sight at the back of the pistol. When he had that steady, he tried to relate the blurred view of the small target fifty yards down the shooting range. After a few moments of concentration, he realized he really could focus on the target and still keep the blurred sight picture straight. Controlling his breathing the same way he did when handholding a camera, he gently squeezed the trigger with a slow and steady pressure of his finger. He quickly repositioned the pistol after the recoil, reestablishing the relationship between the sight and the target. Once again, he fired the weapon. Once the slide locked back on an empty chamber, he put the pistol down on the firing shelf and removed his hearing protectors.
Katarina activated the retrieval mechanism and they watched in silence as his target was brought back to the firing line. Danny couldn't stop smiling when he realized that all but one of his shots had been in the x-ring, while the one "flier" had hit the nine-ring. Not too shabby for his first time ever holding a pistol!
Katarina said, "As I expected, your experience with camera makes you almost natural at shooting with handgun." She smiled at him. "You already know hardest part, how to control breathing." She put a fresh target in the clip and sent the target back down the range. "Now hard part. See if you can hit target with ten rounds from MP5."
Danny asked, "Aren't there thirty rounds in the clip?"
She nodded. "Yes, there are. I expect remainder will hit sky, not target."
More than a little challenged by the dismissal implicit in her tone, Danny squared himself on the range and lifted the MP5 machine gun. Heavier than the pistol, he knew it would be harder to maintain the traditional sight picture. Furthermore, he expected the recoil to be stronger and would tend to lift the muzzle skyward. Quickly thinking about the physics involved, he decided he would just get the weapon aimed toward the center of the target and concentrate on keeping it from climbing as it was fired. Without any delay, he pulled the trigger and used the strength in his hands and arms to control the recoil.
He had no idea what to expect but the loud, vibrating monster in his hands surpassed his worst nightmare of shooting any kind of weapon. He thought he'd done well at first, but the sustained burst caused by his convulsive lock on the trigger quickly generated an ever-increasing recoil he could not control for long. Before he lost complete control, however, the clip had emptied and the firing stopped.
He set the weapon down and shook his hands to get the tingling feeling to stop. The sensation reminded him of spending a couple hours using an orbital sander on a really hard oak plank. Katarina placed the target on the scoring table and began marking the bullet holes. Straightening, she turned to him, shaking her head. "I don't believe it. My first time with one of these, I hit target five times out of thirty. That was after spending year shooting pistols, rifles, and shotguns. You pick up first time and hit twelve times, with six in x-ring!" She sighed. "Never before have I seen natural shooter like you. Wonder what you could do with sniper rifle and good scope."
She gathered up the targets while he policed up all the expended brass cartridges. Katarina led Danny into a small building located next to the firing range. She showed him how to field strip the two weapons and then taught him how to clean them. He soon recognized the elusive scent he'd detected on Katarina before. It was bore cleaner. He scrubbed the weapon parts and would then hand each piece to her to examine. If it was clean enough, she placed the piece on a small towel to dry. Those that failed her inspection were handed back to him, along with a brief explanation of why it had failed. After a few false starts, she soon passed every piece.
She then separated the pieces into two piles, one for the pistol and the other for the machine gun. "Now pay careful attention. Is very important you put weapon together correctly, or it will not fire when needed." She then showed him how each piece of the pistol was connected to the other. When she finished and dry fired the weapon, she quickly disassembled it to its component parts. "Now, you try."
Danny thought he'd paid close attention but she had to correct him a couple times. Whenever she did, she made him tear the weapon back down and start over. He could finally put both weapons together quickly and correctly.
"Katarina, why do I have to do this in such a rush?"
She smiled at him. "You are in jungle. A large, hungry creature is starting to move toward you. You go to fire shot to scare it away, but your weapon jams." She could see comprehension dawning in Danny's eyes. "You have to tear down and put together fast and right, or you become dinner."
Once Danny had put away the supplies and tossed the debris from cleaning the two weapons, Katarina then strode over to the firing line. She sent a fresh target down the range and then snapped her pistol from her holster. Without even appearing to aim, she snapped off all fifteen rounds without pause. When the target came back, Danny was not surprised to find that all of her shots had been in the x-ring. She then fired the MP5 at another target; only this time, she used small bursts of fire, perhaps five rounds per burst. Once again, her shots had all been in, or just outside, the x-ring.
While she was firing her weapons, he used his camera and took some pictures of her, trying to capture the steady concentration and poise of an accomplished shooter. The late afternoon sun cast just the right amount of long wavelength light to give her face a soft glow, while seeming to highlight the intense look in her eyes as she aimed the weapons.
He helped her clean the weapons and then she made him put them back together to make sure he remembered what she had just shown him. Fortunately, he had remembered correctly, because he knew that her life would be the one endangered if the weapon malfunctioned. Guessing the reason for his deep concentration on the task, she said, "Before every mission, I always strip these down and clean and oil them. So don't worry so much, hey?"
He smiled at her reassuring words. Looking at her dancing eyes and shy smile, he could feel himself starting to fall in love with the dangerous Katarina. He knew he would be spending some hours in the darkroom that night processing the film he'd just used. If that last shot came out the way he'd hoped, he knew he would be printing a copy for himself.
Forrest spoke as Danny entered the kitchen a few mornings later. "I hope you got plenty of sleep, because we will be gone for a while."
"Where are we going?" Danny asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"We, along with several other explorers and their partners, are going on a major field trip. Plan on being in the field for several days."
"Just explorers?" Danny asked.
Forrest chuckled. "She will be there, too. Laranja doesn't let me go anywhere off planet without her." As he slid a nice, three-egg Western omelet onto a plate aside the trio of sausage links, he added, "Since that will mean Katarina will also be there, I recommend you include both your weapons and an adequate supply of ammunition, as well as your cameras and film."
As the group exited the portal high above the surface of the new planet, the beauty of the scene below struck Danny with a sense of awe. It reminded him of Montana, known as the "Big Sky Country" for good reason. There were majestic mountains, capped with snow. Vast plains dotted with large stands of trees, mostly conifers. A tremendous waterfall from one mountainside fed a wide river.
'Sensors are all clear. No emissions detected.' Laranja reported to the entire group. The Oranges had deployed themselves in a shell around the Greens, placing themselves as a barrier between any potential enemies and the exploration team.
'I recommend we set up the encampment near that waterfall as it will place us at a junction between mountains and plains. With the abundant water, there should be animal life as well.' Forrest banked his wings to shift his flight in the direction of the proposed site even as he shared his thoughts with the group.
Laranja flew alongside Forrest, and Danny could see Katarina grinning as she listened to Laranja's mental grumblings on a private channel to her mind alone. Apparently, Forrest had a habit of making decisions like that without consulting the Orange, but that hadn't made it any easier for Laranja to accept. The two reminded Danny of his own parents, content in their relationship and able to needle one another in a hundred small ways without any anger. It had, for his parents, become a means of expressing their love and trust, and Danny suspected the same was true for Forrest and Laranja.
Once on the ground in a clearing near the river, the camp was immediately set up. Portals were opened back to the staging site at Paradise and an amazing array of accessories was brought into camp. No tents for this group! A small, yet comfortable, prefabricated shelter for each partnered team was quickly erected, all powered by a small Gray generator. A larger shelter was set up in the center to serve as a communal meeting and dining place. There was also a storage shed for keeping extra supplies for teams who would be traveling away from the main encampment overnight, including the expected tents, sleeping bags, and other accoutrements of camping so familiar to Danny. This reminds me of that National Geographic expedition I went on back in 2003 with the fully equipped base camp and then the more basic field kits for away trips.
Even as the support teams from Paradise were setting up the camp, the Oranges and Greens began their sweeps in the immediate area of the camp, spiraling outward. First and foremost, the sweeps were to identify any Gray presence in the area, and secondly, to identify any signs of an indigenous sapient species. From his post atop Forrest's back, Danny trained his sensors and binoculars on the terrain below, looking for any signs of animal life.
There. Something moved under the edge of the conifer stand off their left wing. Reacting to Danny's excitement, Forrest banked around the spot where Danny had seen motion. It was quadrupedal with an impressive rack of antlers. It appeared to be eating the tender shoots from the lower branches of the trees. Reminds me of a cross between an elk and an elephant. After making sure he had some video captures of the creature, the team resumed their search. Even as they flew, they were receiving mental updates from the other teams. Some kind of catlike creature had been spotted in the mountains. Various bird analogues were everywhere. There seemed to be abundant insects, and the river was teeming with aquatic life.
Yet nowhere in the vast tracts over which they flew had they seen any signs of an intelligent species. 'Not all species are driven to make over the surface of the world to conform to their desires, Danny. The test of intelligence is not whether there are roads and buildings,' Forrest reminded him.
'That's a good point, Forrest. I guess I was a bit homocentric in my viewpoint. After all, I doubt if the AEthereal had much use for buildings and roads until you took up with us humans.'
Forrest's reply was tinged with a mental chuckle. 'There are those among us who feel the human preoccupation with altering the world to meet their own needs is a sure sign of the absence of intelligence.' Danny laughed aloud as he swung his binoculars in yet another direction, continuing the search.
The exploration team was beginning their fifth day on-site and had gathered for their communal morning meal and conference. Over their meal, the conversations were cheerful and lively. A wide variety of animal, insect and plant life had been cataloged. No live specimens had been taken of any of the animals and only a few of the more unusual insects. They had found no evidence of any form of sapient life form, although the feline species spotted on that first day had proved to be extremely elusive, leading several members of the team to speculate whether the cat was the most intelligent form of life on the planet.
Thus far, there had been no sign of any Gray incursions on this planet. Since the world appeared ideal for both human and AEthereal, a more permanent plan needed to be developed to protect the world from the Grays. Obviously, a Guardian presence would be required.
Forrest stood up to address the assembled group. "We have just been informed there will be a Grand Council tomorrow morning on Paradise to discuss some news from the other Guardians, as well as the future of this planet. All AEthereal will be required to attend the Council. That hour on Paradise is even earlier here on this world, so we shall have to leave here today. The question I have for the human contingent is whether they wish to return to Paradise as well, or remain here while we are gone."
Danny spoke up. "I'd like to remain. So far, we haven't found a sign of any predators that we cannot handle with our weapons, so I don't foresee any danger in remaining."
"Since he's staying, I will stay as well," Katarina added. "We can protect all those who choose to stay."
Danny was pleased to hear Katarina support his decision. Perhaps some time alone with her without the AEthereals would give him an opportunity to see if the attraction was mutual. At the end of the discussion, all the humans elected to stay behind. After all, what could happen?
Once the AEthereal had departed, Danny and Katarina had spent the entire day exploring the area around the campsite. Danny was an accomplished climber and he soon discovered that was another skill Katarina had been taught back in espionage school. As they climbed, Danny studied the rock strata and conformations. The mountain range was young and had not experienced much weathering. It reminded him more of the western mountains in the United States, rather than the more rounded, older ranges found along the eastern seaboard. Young ranges implied active tectonic movements that forced the mountains to grow as plates push together. There were no obvious signs of any slides or discernible cracks in the rock face, so it been a very long time since there had been any kind of activity.
They would periodically take breaks on likely projections of rock. Perched on one of a pair of huge monoliths of rock overhanging the camp below, they studied the panorama displayed before them. The entire river valley was spread out below them. They could see herds of the elephant-elk creatures moving in the distance toward the river several miles downstream from the camp. Birdlike creatures rode the thermals along the mountainside.
"It is so beautiful," Katarina said. "Laranja said Earth was once like this everywhere."
Danny looked at the wistful expression on Katarina's face. "I know what you mean. I see all this natural beauty and wonder how we could ever have let it get messed up." He shook his head at the foolishness of that thought. "I know we acted the way we did so mankind could progress and make the world more suitable for our own interests, but I look at this and wonder if perhaps the Native American Indians didn't have the right idea. They believed in living in harmony with nature, rather than trying to control it."
Katarina just nodded as she looked out over the vista before them. "Live in harmony, like the AEthereal."
After a bit, they rappelled down the monolith and went to the community center for dinner. They spent most of their dinner conversation telling the other diners about their climb. Most of the other explorers were not interested in climbing themselves but looked almost envious as Katarina described the magnificent views they had seen from the top of the monolith. From some of the looks, Danny was unsure of whether they were envious of the missed vistas, or the time he had spent alone with Katarina.
After dinner, they stayed together talking with the others until after the sun had set. As the group started to break up, Danny led Katarina down by the river. One of the two moons was high in the sky and providing plenty of light by which he could see her dancing eyes. He tried to think of what he could say, when Katarina stepped up to him, put her hand behind his head, and kissed him. The kiss seemed to last for hours, although he knew it had just been mere moments. When she let him go, he stood there, amazed and not sure of what to do next.
"Danny, what you feel, I do, too. Laranja says we are what they call life bonds. Since our minds so closely match AEthereals we partner with, it is natural our emotions will match theirs as well. Since Laranja loves Forrest, it is natural I will fall in love with you." She smiled at his happy expression. "Of course, had you been coarse pig, all bets were off! But lucky for me, you are exactly right." She leaned forward and kissed him again, this time taking his hand and pressing it between her breasts.
He silenced her with yet another kiss, then took her hand and led her to his cabin, the furthest from the rest of the camp.
I have to be the luckiest man alive! First, I get the best job there is as a partner in exploration with an AEthereal, and now this! He snuggled closer to Katarina's sleeping form, her naked back pressed against his equally nude front. Their attraction had definitely been mutual and they had made very good use of the hours since their AEthereal partners had returned to Paradise. Danny had never been one for romantic walks in the moonlight but he would gladly take them from now on, especially if the reward was another tryst with Katarina. He laid his head back on his pillow, listening to her soft, gentle breathing and started to drift off to sleep, his hand resting on the silky curve of her bare hip.
Suddenly, the room began to pitch and shake, and there was a terrible groaning deep within the ground. Screams from the other team members were barely audible over the cataclysm affecting the ground. Earthquake! Danny pulled Katarina to the floor and over to the doorway as the tremor grew stronger. There was an even louder roar as the entire mountainside let go, tumbling down upon the encampment, burying all signs they had ever been there.
'Forrest?' Laranja sent on a focused beam into the Green's mind.
Distracted from the report by the team sent to work with the other Guardians, Forrest took a moment to reply. 'Yes, Laranja?'
'Have you contacted Danny recently?'
'Not since it became apparent he was about to mate with Katarina, dear one. It would not have been proper to maintain the link at that time.' Forrest's amused approval of the bonding of his human with Laranja's colored his emotional overtones.
Laranja's concern was starting to reach Forrest. 'What is wrong, Laranja?'
'I can't feel her at all now. Something is wrong.'
Forrest calmed himself. He'd had no trouble feeling his partner when he arrived for the Council, so he reached out for Danny's mind. Nothing. Forrest quickly beamed a question to each member of the Greens who had been a part of the exploration team. 'Can any of you reach your partners?'
When it became obvious that none of them could, Forrest opened a general broadcast to the Council. 'May I interrupt, please? There is a problem on the new planet. We cannot reach our partners at all, even though we had been able to a short time ago. I fear something has happened.'
The Council had already determined to add the new world to their sphere of protection and had appointed a new Guardian for the as-yet unnamed world. Obsidian had served under Negron as his wingman throughout the six hundred year war with the Grays on Paradise. Etienne volunteered to lead a contingent of Whites to assist the Blacks and the members of the exploration team in determining what had happened on the new world. Excused by the Council, they immediately departed through portals around the arena.
'The camp is gone! The mountainside has buried the camp!' Forrest exclaimed as they appeared over the site where the river had been. The waterfall was cutting a new channel farther away from the area where the camp had been located. Fortunately, the slope of the ground had led the water around the massive debris field until returning to its original riverbed. It was only through the placement of that original riverbed that the exploration team was able to approximate where the camp had been.
Tons of rock and dirt had come down the mountain, spreading out in a debris field covering almost a mile in diameter and achieving a depth of up to fifty feet. Still in dragon form, the AEthereal began digging, their massive clawed feet hurling dirt and rock at a prodigious rate. Boulders, some weighing as much as a ton or more, were ported away in the blink of an eye. But even the mighty AEthereal required several long hours of labor to begin to reach down to the level where the camp had been. Finally, one of the Browns helping to dig cried out, 'I have found something!'
All the others in that area began to assist in excavating that spot. As more debris was removed, it became apparent that what they had found had been one of the individual shelters. Carefully, the team dug down into the flattened structure, shifting rocks and shoving aside dirt until they began to expose the body buried within. Etienne shifted to her smaller human form and knelt beside the exposed lower leg. She reached out her hand and touched the body, extending her senses. No life remained. Slowly, reverently, they exposed the rest of the corpse. One of the Greens stepped forward, his mental keening over the death of his partner echoing in everyone's mind, then he carefully picked up the corpse and, without a word, opened a portal and vanished.
Knowing whose shelter this had been, the position of the rest of the camp was quickly approximated. Each member of the exploration team went to where the shelter for his or her partner should be under the rubble and started to dig. The remaining AEthereal came to them to help, while the Whites stood by to heal anyone found alive. One by one, the shelters were excavated and, one by one, an AEthereal would transport their dead partner back to Earth.
Forrest and Laranja worked together on the site where Katarina's shelter had been. Rapidly exposing the shelter, they searched it but didn't find a body. That could only mean the two humans had shared the night in Danny's shelter located on the other side of the camp, under the deepest rubble and largest boulders.
The others had finished excavating the rest of the camp. All that remained was Danny's shelter. Since they knew it was buried under at least forty feet of rock, dirt, and shattered trees, the AEthereal started scooping out the layers using small portals, transporting the rubble across the ruined clearing and into a pile. This technique removed the first thirty feet very quickly, except where two massive boulders had crashed down close together. Small rocks were also wedged in and around these monoliths. As the rescuers neared the bottom layer of the debris, it became apparent the boulders rested squarely on what had been the center of the shelter. One corner of the smashed bed was visible under the edge of one of the boulders. Calling for quiet, Etienne extended her senses into the remaining mound of rock, seeking for some hope. There! A faint flicker of life. Probing even deeper past the first flicker, she soon found a second, even weaker pulse. The lack of contact could only mean the two humans were unconscious. Etienne quickly informed the assembled group that both Danny and Katarina were alive.
Pandemonium erupted as the combined human and AEthereal reacted to the news. Etienne explained that both seemed to be buried between the two monoliths. Another large rock above them was holding back the other boulders which threatened to crush them. Great care would be needed to extract them without causing the whole mass to shift, but time was also important, as their life signs were very weak. Teams of Black AEthereal, now in human form, began removing the layers of rock starting at the very top of the mass. Each rock removed caused smaller debris to filter downward.
As the teams worked from the top, another team began tunneling in from the side. A small exploratory opening was made into the mass until finally a hole reached the tiny space enclosing the unconscious humans. This was quickly shored up using a six-inch pipe, and an oxygen hose, brought in from Earth, was introduced into the chamber to provide breathable air to the victims. Once the oxygen had been provided, Etienne detected improvement in the life signs of both trapped people.
Another two hours passed, and the layers of rock had been reduced almost to the last barrier. Timbers had been wedged between the upper faces of the monoliths to prevent them from shifting closer to one another. The exposed chimney provided Laranja with access to the final obstacle. Stretching her human shaped body against the rock, she examined it with her senses, determining its exact size and shape. Concentrating even harder, she then opened a carefully crafted portal around herself and the rock, appearing a split second later on the ground outside the excavation area.
Etienne quickly clambered down the now clear channel to the two humans. Grasping one hand from both Danny and Katarina, she opened a doorway to the circle of waiting Whites. Still in the same position they had been in when they were struck by the falling debris and rock, Danny was lying atop Katarina as if to protect her from the disaster. He was moved away from her and a team of Whites went to work on him, while Etienne and two others tended to Katarina. All the other AEthereals and humans gathered around them in a circle, maintaining a respectful distance, yet lending their support to the healers.
Etienne quickly surveyed Katarina's body. Broken left femur, several broken ribs, no doubt caused by Danny's weight upon her ribcage, lots of cuts and scrapes, and a swollen knot on her right temple caused by some falling rock. Leaving the broken bones to the other Whites, Etienne concentrated on reducing the swelling inside Katarina's skull and repairing the small skull fracture. Knowing her patient might soon regain consciousness, Etienne covered the girl's naked body with a soft wool blanket brought with the rescue supplies.
Looking over at the group working on Danny, Etienne slipped her mind in with the other Whites. Danny's injuries were very similar to Katarina's, mostly broken bones and bruising. He, too, suffered a fractured skull from a falling rock, a bit more severe than the woman's. However, the Whites had stopped the internal bleeding and reduced the swelling before knitting the bones back together. The two patients were then transported back to Paradise to complete their recovery in more familiar surroundings.
At Laranja's insistence, Katarina was placed in Danny's bed alongside her lover. Tiptoeing out of the room, the two AEthereals went to the kitchen for some water.
"Are you sure about leaving Katarina here, Laranja?" Forrest asked.
"Who said anything about leaving?" Laranja replied archly. "Take a lesson from our partners, you old fart. It is about time you realized I love you as much as you love me." Rising to her tiptoes and grasping his head in her hands, Laranja kissed Forrest soundly. "I am going to take a shower. Care to join me?"
At the prearranged moment, all television stations around the planet interrupted their broadcasts to carry a special address by Ebon, the Guardian of Earth. The screens of everyone's set displayed the now familiar crest of the Guardians and then cut to display Ebon, standing behind a podium.
Ebon smiled. "Good evening, citizens of Earth. I have asked to speak to you all tonight to discuss a unique opportunity. As you know from the interviews we have given, the AEthereal live on both Earth and a planet we call Paradise. We have recently found another world much like this one. Paradise and the new world we call Serenity are unspoiled planets, rich in resources and fertile.
"We would like to offer these worlds for settlement by those willing to adopt a much less technologic lifestyle. For those who would like to return to a more agrarian way of life, the fertile lands offer the chance to grow the food necessary to feed three worlds. For those who wish to create, these worlds offer peace and solitude away from the travails of modern civilization. There are no armies, for there is no need for them on the planets. There is no crime, no hunger, and no strife. Protection of the planets and those who choose to live there will be by the Guardians.
"Travel between the worlds will be available on a scheduled basis for those with a need to come back for whatever reason, even if just to go shopping. There will be no heavy industry on these worlds, nor will there be any pollution of the rich waterways, air, or land. Areas have been set aside for recreational purposes for those people of Earth who wish to merely vacation there.
"For those left behind on Earth, this emigration will reduce the crowding of your world, slowly at first, but inevitably as more and more people settle the outlying planets. Other worlds will be settled as we expand throughout this portion of the galaxy. It is past time for all of us, human and AEthereal alike, to branch out from our home world.
"If you are interested in emigrating to either Paradise or Serenity, please contact your local Guardian facility, or call the toll-free number that appears at the bottom of your screen. This broadcast will be repeated four times each day so everyone has the opportunity to consider this chance at a new life."
Within the first twenty-four hours following the broadcast, nearly a million people from all over the world had volunteered to move to the two planets, most opting for the more settled Paradise, while a few hardier souls wanted the challenge of the untamed Serenity. The first group of one thousand settlers was brought to Paradise through a massive portal opened by ten AEthereal acting together. All their possessions, except their pets, made the move. The AEthereal had learned a valuable lesson from the rabbits in Australia.
The rush to move to the other worlds was causing some concern among the national governments of most civilized countries. Reviewing the list of those emigrating had revealed the bulk of them were either farmers or the creative parts of their population. Those involved in highly technical fields were also moving in small numbers, mostly to become part of the growing Guardian Science Corps or the science support staff on both worlds.
This was creating a gap in their own countries as the best and brightest left for the new opportunities to be found on the virgin planets. The criminal elements had tried to infiltrate the exodus, but screening by the AEthereal prevented any of them from succeeding.
The North Korean government tried to stop its citizens from leaving, sending military units to seize the embarkation points. The units found themselves faced with a virtual wall of Blacks and Browns in natural form, preventing the units from closing the portal centers. Soldiers from the units deserted wholesale, rather than combat the dragons. The one unit who tried to comply with their orders was given the opportunity to abandon their equipment before it was destroyed. As the last man ran clear of the line of tanks and armored assault vehicles, the AEthereal melted the vehicles into bubbling puddles. Once the military forces had been dealt with, the common people resumed their quest to apply to emigrate.
Ebon met with the United Nations Security Council in a closed session. He listened as the various government representatives discussed the growing unrest within their countries as a result of the emigration of so many key citizens. The loss of a productive work force was a major concern for the heavily industrialized nations.
Ebon spoke up. "Each of you has a young and trained work force you do not use in support of your nations, even though they represent an incredible drain on your economies. I speak, of course, of your military forces. For what purpose do you maintain such large forces? Has there been any aggression by any nation since the AEthereal came forward? No." Ebon looked at each delegate in turn. "You are here because you represent the most technologically advanced nations and you possessed nuclear weapons. Those you no longer have.
"It is time to put aside all thoughts of military aggression against your neighbors or your own citizens. The AEthereal will guarantee the national integrity of any nation that decides to put aside their military and channels those resources into peaceful pursuits. With the financial and personnel resources thus freed, you could rehabilitate your entire country's infrastructure and create a better standard of living for every one of your citizens."
The delegates were stunned, but many also appeared thoughtful. "Is there anyone here who doubts the AEthereal could defeat any, or all, of your military forces should it come down to a conflict between us? We control the nuclear arsenals, so you cannot use those weapons either. Since this was your only means of actually causing us harm, it becomes obvious that the only remaining purpose for your military is for use in aggression against one another. I have just told you that the AEthereal will not permit that. Therefore, I challenge you to confer with your national leaders immediately to discuss this plan."
Within one week, the world was stunned by the simultaneous announcement by the entire Security Council of their intent to abolish their own national military services, dedicating many to massive reconstruction of their national infrastructures and augmenting their police functions. The AEthereal pledge to protect national borders encouraged the other nations of the world to take the same step.
Of course, the rogue armies of the various international terrorists took this as a sign to strike against both the governments and the AEthereal.
Doctor David Borland was excited by the call he'd gotten from the metallurgy team. They had found a variety of ways to work with the other Gray mineral. It could be melted at a temperature of a mere one thousand five hundred degrees, almost half of what was necessary to process steel. That meant steel could be used to shape the molten material. The mineral had an extremely unusual quality as well; it refused to bond with any elements from Earth. That meant it was impossible to contaminate the molten material while it was being processed. Whatever extraneous elements were introduced merely floated on top of the mass.
Borland sat down with the team to discuss their findings and to outline a special project he wanted them to undertake. He handed them a set of drawings detailing a tiny filigree cage to enclose a small sphere the size of a five millimeter ball bearing. The cage would also have a tiny wire of extruded filigree extending outward exactly seven millimeters. He refused to answer any questions about the purpose of the object, other than to tell them it was to support the Guardians. The team examined the diagrams, exclaiming about the tiny tolerances. Finally, the team chief explained the filigree size of one millimeter would be possible only if they could cast the cage using a mold, rather than trying to make the hemispheres from tiny loops, and each half would have its own small wire. Finally, they asked what he had decided to name the element.
Borland smiled. "When I first encountered the stuff, I was struck by how hard and dense it was. So I decided it is only fitting to name it after something equally hard and dense. I call it Ebonite."
Back in his lab, Borland started the laborious process of milling the fragments of material down to pellets five millimeters in diameter. Using a second environmental chamber filled with inert gas, he slowly shaped and polished the tiny spheres. Need to come up with a name for this stuff, too. I guess I'll call it AEtherium. The fragment he'd broken off before yielded sixty tiny spheres after nearly six hours of concentrated effort. He placed one in a small airtight container and the rest in a larger one. He then vacuumed up the entire residue, taking extra precautions to make sure he got it all this time. A small percentage of oxygen introduced into the chamber failed to activate any residual AEtherium.
He next met with the microcircuitry team and explained exactly what he wanted in the form of power limiting and conversion. They, too, grumbled about the size limitations. They also brought up a problem he had not considered. All electrical circuits require a closed loop, whether explicit through wiring, or implied through a common ground. The team suggested that the filigree cage, since it was being cast in two pieces, actually form the positive and negative plates for the circuit. He called up the web camera covering the two millimeter fragment on the computer in the conference room.
"Here's the power source. This tiny fragment, no bigger than a grain of table salt, has been continuously generating one hundred twenty volts of power for a little over three weeks. I intend to use a piece two hundred and fifty percent larger to create a portable power source that can be carried in a pocket."
Once he had delivery of the circuitry and the Ebonite cage, Borland concentrated on designing the casing. He wanted something small enough to fit in a pocket. He'd need something to cover the outlet when not in use, too. He rummaged through his desk drawer and found an old Zippo™ cigarette lighter. He removed the interior mechanism and drilled a series of very tiny holes in the base for airflow. Now, if I place the AEtherium here, and the circuit chip over here attached to a small two-prong outlet there, then I can cover the whole thing in a nonconductive epoxy. He handcrafted a mold in the size of the old interior mechanism from the lighter, and then filled the mold with a totally nonconductive epoxy resin. He then sliced the solidified resin so it would open like a book. Carefully, he carved away portions of the resin until he had custom pockets for the Ebonite filigree cage halves and a spot for the circuit chip. He drilled tiny holes from the spot for the cage to the end of the resin block to provide a path for air, and then carved a small channel along the end to link the holes together once the resin was inserted into the case. A modular outlet was bonded to the resin block. All the pieces were carefully connected to each other.
Taking the resin block and the small airtight container with the single AEtherium pellet, he went to work using the environmental chamber. He very carefully inserted the pellet into one-half of the Ebonite cage and then closed it. The pellet was now between the two halves of the cage. He slid the assembled resin block into his modified lighter casing. Plugging a measuring device into the electrical outlet at the end of the block, he shut off the nitrogen and introduced standard room air into the chamber. The device registered a nice, steady one hundred and twenty volts of alternating current. It worked!
Borland met with the people who had worked on the project and demonstrated the device they had helped fabricate. They were excited by the potential and spent a lot of time discussing the ramifications of Borland's discovery. It was obvious to them that the discovery of both AEtherium and Ebonite would have a dramatic impact upon society as a whole and a far-reaching economic impact on almost every company in the world. Little did Borland know, but one of those present had seen something else; an opportunity to sell the information to those industrialists most threatened by the idea of unlimited and virtually free power for the entire human race.
Danny Trasker cried out and clasped his arms over the back of his head to protect it from the falling rocks. His legs seemed to be buried under something restrictive and the ground was soft and ... still. Now wait just one minute! Danny opened his eyes to see ... a bedside table? Where the heck am I and where's Kat? He turned his head to the other side and saw her still asleep beside him. She was filthy, her hair matted with dried blood and dirt, and still incredibly beautiful to his eyes. The sheet and blanket had slipped down, revealing her naked upper torso and Danny could see that, despite the heavy layer of grime, she appeared unharmed.
He reached out and caressed her cheek, remembering the passionate night they had spent before the earthquake had introduced terror into it and knew he loved her more than he had ever suspected. Katarina opened her eyes, but he spoke before she could begin to panic.
"It's okay, Kat. We're safe."
She sat up in the bed, looking around. "Where are we?"
"This is my room in Forrest's home on Paradise. They must have rescued us from the quake and brought us here. The last thing I remember was pulling us into the doorway and something hard hitting the back of my head."
"I also recall being struck by falling stones, yet I feel no pain anywhere. Healers must have treated us before bringing us here." She looked Danny over, then gazed down at her own body, and tried to run a hand through her hair. "We are mess. Since this is your room, you know where to find shower, yes?" Giving Danny a smile filled with promise, she added, "You wash my back and I'll wash yours."
When they finally left the shower some time later and returned to Danny's bedroom, they found the bed had been made with fresh linens and clean clothes had been laid out for them both.
"Laranja obviously knows where I am since only she could have gotten these clothes from my room," Katarina said as she donned her clothes.
Danny had never shared living space with a woman before and he found the process by which Katarina donned her undergarments interesting, to say the least. She caught him looking, and he blushed, turned away, and quickly put on his own clothes.
Katarina walked up to him and put her arms around his neck. "Is okay that you watch, Danny. I like the way you look at me." She kissed his cheek and then whispered in his ear, "I was watching you, too."
Hand in hand, they left Danny's room and headed for the kitchen, where they found Forrest and Laranja preparing breakfast. Forrest made them sit down and start eating, giving each a plate of French toast, potatoes O'Brien, and bacon. Coffee, juice, and milk were available from carafes on the table.
Once everyone had started eating, Forrest described the rescue effort, including the fact that Danny and Katarina were the only survivors. None of the team's equipment or any of the data that had been collected had been recovered. When both Danny and Katarina expressed an interest, Forrest led them to the living room and showed them the video footage of the rescue that had been automatically recorded by their sensor systems.
Both Danny and Katarina were silent as the scenes of the camp's total devastation were revealed. Large tears streamed silently down Katarina's face as the video showed the discovery and removal of the dead. Finally, the scene shifted to their rescue. The extremely small space between the two monoliths that had crushed the rest of the shelter showed how narrow the margin of their survival had been.
"If you hadn't pulled us into that doorway, we would be dead now like others." Katarina hugged Danny. "You saved my life."
Danny smiled down at her. "As much as I'd love to take credit for that, I have to be honest about it. We're only alive because of a fluke in the way those two massive boulders landed on either side of us and then sheltered us from being crushed by any other big rocks." Looking at the video of the Whites working on their battered and unconscious bodies, he added, "We're also alive because our friends wouldn't let us die. I suspect it was a lot closer than Forrest lets on."
Forrest looked back without revealing a thing in his face. Never play poker with an AEthereal. They have had eons to practice hiding their reactions.
Now that Danny and Katarina had recovered, they joined the rest of the Guardian Exploration Corps, as well as everyone else who chose to attend, at a memorial service for those who had died in the quake. Since the AEthereal did not believe in the ceremonial internment of remains, the bodies of the dead had been returned to their families and friends back on Earth. The Guardians had decided to honor their dead through the use of a cenotaph inscribed with the names and dates for each of the fallen. Everyone who had known one of them was given an opportunity to speak, to relate some shared experience that captured who the dead had been and how much they would be missed by the living.
Once the memorial was over, the routine of living took precedence. Back in Forrest's home once again, the two humans sat on the couch while the two AEthereal sat in facing Queen Anne chairs. Katarina spoke first. "We must speak about future. I wish to live with Danny because I love him and he loves me. I know this will mean leaving you alone, Laranja, but I must be with him."
Laranja smiled at her partner. "I know, my dear. Your things have already been moved to Danny's room." She glanced over at Forrest, who nodded with a shy smile on his face. "As for me, who said I would be left alone?" The Orange smirked. "My things have already been moved to Forrest's room. The old fart finally accepted the inevitable. Like you, we have become mates."
The quartet soon settled into a comfortable routine. Forrest finally confided that he had built his house with every intention of eventually asking Laranja to become his mate. He had added the extra suite because he had known that someday, he would find a partner who would eventually also have a mate. There were even more rooms for any children the future might bring. Danny was floored by the idea of children but not in a negative way. Some day, he would love to have children with Katarina. But for now, there were worlds to explore. And that reminds me; I need to replace my camera equipment! When he broached the subject to Forrest, he was given a credit card in his name.
"That draws upon the Guardian accounts in Earth's banks. Buy whatever you want and that goes for Katarina as well. When would you like to go to Earth to shop?"
"Did I hear someone say shop?" Katarina spoke up from the hallway. "We can go shopping? I love shopping!"
Danny and Forrest laughed at her evident joy. "The sooner the better, Forrest."
Within an hour, Forrest opened a portal to the Mall of America, which boasted of being the world's largest shopping area. Shooing the two humans through the portal, Forrest advised them he would open the portal in exactly the same place each hour commencing in, say, four hours. When Danny said they couldn't possibly shop for four hours, Forrest just shook his head.
"Trust me in this, Danny. Four hours is the minimum time you will need."
Once the portal closed, Katarina turned to Danny and said, "You go to camera store and get whatever you need. I will be doing personal shopping, so why don't we meet here in two hours?" Kissing his cheek, she quickly walked away and Danny once again admired the way she filled out those dark orange leather pants.
Shaking his head to get his mind back on track, Danny set off for the biggest camera store he had ever seen. He walked in and was suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what was available. This store carried everything from small digital cameras to top-of-the-line single lens reflex cameras, and studio motion picture cameras. A small man walked up and introduced himself as the store's manager.
Danny explained that he needed some high quality camera equipment suitable for use in a variety of climates and terrain. The camera had to be capable of taking clear photographs in a wide range of light, from extremely bright to very low levels. The two men discussed cameras, lenses, apertures, and film speeds happily for almost two full hours. Danny had picked out three camera bodies, six lenses of various sizes, including some of variable focal lengths, a myriad of filters for each lens, and a rugged case in which to pack it all. He also added several hundred rolls of film in a variety of speeds, as well as some of the processing supplies he needed to develop and print the exposed film later. When the manager came back with the credit slip for him to sign, the manager asked, "Aren't you Danny Trasker, the nature photographer?"
Danny was surprised anyone had seen his work as he'd only published a few of his pieces in a couple of obscure journals. The manager was a devotee of nature photography and had several of the magazines in his collection. Danny autographed one of the articles for him. Bidding the man farewell, Danny shouldered his new camera case and bag filled with film and other supplies, and left to meet with Katarina.
She was already at the appointed spot, with a large collection of bags. Catching the logo of a famous lingerie store on the bags, Danny suspected most of the contents would be something he would enjoy very much. As if she could read his mind, Katarina whispered in his ear, "I will model some of these for you later tonight. The rest, I will save for suitable occasions."
As they passed by the windows of a huge bookseller, Katarina pulled Danny inside the store. It seemed Katarina, like Danny, was an avid reader. While he browsed the photography section, she headed for the romance novels and general fiction. Before he was aware of it, another two hours had passed and they each had a large number of books to add to their already large collection of purchases.
They returned to the appointed place just as the portal opened between the mall and their shared bedroom on Paradise. Danny carried the packages through and then returned to Katarina at the mall. Bidding Forrest a cheerful goodbye and a promise to be ready to return in another four hours, the two lovers walked off hand in hand to explore the mall. They stopped for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants, and then went shopping for clothes. "After all, Danny, a woman can't wear leathers all the time and neither can her man!"
Danny watched bemusedly as Katarina entered into her element. Speaking quietly with the salesclerk, Katarina described what she wanted for Danny. After ascertaining his sizes, the clerk soon departed to gather what Katarina had requested. Soon, Danny was modeling the various garments she had picked out, from the most comfortable slacks he'd ever worn, to the softest cashmere sweaters. Fine, hand-tooled leather loafers rounded out the outfit. Oxford shirts in both long and short sleeves, crew neck pullovers, and cable-knit sweaters. A veritable mountain of clothing. The only thing she picked out that he rejected was the thong underwear, substituting some low-rise briefs instead.
The process was then repeated in the women's department, although she did not purchase as many clothes for herself. When Danny asked her about it, she laughed. "I have plenty of clothes, but you have practically nothing but blue jeans and work shirts. Laranja told me to buy you lots of decent clothes, knowing it would be something I like to do anyway." Looking him over in his new clothes, she added, "You look good in your leathers but you are marvelous in cashmere."
Once they had returned to their suite on Paradise, Danny opened the large, walk-in closet that had held his few pairs of jeans and old slacks and shirts. The jeans and work shirts remained but the other clothes were gone. It took him almost an hour to hang up all his new clothes and place the sweaters, underwear, and hosiery into the drawers in the built-in dresser within the closet. When he finished, he found Katarina had been shelving her books in one of the many bookcases in the living room portion of their suite. He selected out the books for the darkroom and shelved the remainder. Taking Katarina into his arms, he kissed her deeply. Could life get any better than this? Recalling her many purchases at the lingerie store, he knew that it could indeed get better.
The second planet they went to explore looked very much like the first one---idyllic pastoral scenes, rugged mountains, and mighty rivers all teeming with a rich and abundant animal life. They had all agreed not to camp anywhere near the mountain ranges, so they began looking for a good spot to set up their campsite.
Their first inkling of danger was when the Gray beam struck Laranja and Katarina from behind. The shield collected the energy of the strike and stored it within the lance. Laranja pivoted on her left wing and Katarina aimed the lance at the attacking Gray scout ship. Katarina triggered the lance and her return beam struck the ship on its nose. The beam scorched the exterior of the vessel, which went into wild and erratic flight movements in an effort to evade the AEthereals. Laranja flamed a burst at the ship, melting a portion of one of the wings.
A second scout ship opened fire on Forrest and Danny seconds later. Danny was a bit slower in his return fire at the ship and his beam missed. However, in evading the shot, the second scout had strayed within range of Laranja and she flamed it out of the sky.
Before any other Grays could respond to their presence, the Guardian exploration team returned to Paradise in a blaze of blue light. They reported their discovery of the Gray incursion to the warrior teams, who then launched a strike to eliminate the Grays. Turning to Laranja, Forrest said, "Do we want to try another one?"
"Why not? We're all dressed up for it." She grinned impudently at her mate. "That is, if you're still up for it."
The entire team laughed at Forrest's mock outrage. With their laughter still ringing in the air, they opened another portal and slipped away.
After carefully checking all their scans, they determined there were no Grays here on this world within their sensor range. It was dusk where they had come out of the portal and they flew toward the setting sun. In the fading light, the planet looked much like Paradise. Deciding to set up camp before it grew too dark to see, they settled on a flat spit of land formed by a large loop in the wide river. Once the shelters had been brought over from Paradise and set up, the group gathered in the communal shelter for a meal.
"Forrest, there is something I've been wondering. How do you know where to open a portal on a planet you've never seen?" Danny asked. The rest of the human contingent listened intently for this had long been a topic of speculation among the explorer partners.
Forrest thought a moment to find the words to explain. "You are all aware of the Gray device we captured that had the big map of this galaxy? You recall how it showed where the Guardians, as well as the Grays, were and such?" Seeing everyone's nod, he continued, "Working together with the Blues and other Guardian races, we expanded the data to include planets where the map says there are no Grays. Knowing the rough position of such a world, one of the Greens does a very difficult and tiring thing. He comes here in astral form, fixing the coordinates of a place to open a portal. He passes the information to us and we come check it out."
"Why couldn't he tell that last planet had Grays?" one of the other humans asked.
"As I said, it is very difficult and tiring to travel such a great distance in astral form. He is only on the planet for a brief moment to fix information for the portal. Only if there is a Gray ship somewhere he can see it in that moment will he know about Grays on the world." Forrest grimaced. "Remember the mining planet? In astral form, we are not really a part of the world around us. As a result, the guide did not know the world had no oxygen. It is for that reason, we always have you sealed up tight in your suits when we first enter a planet's atmosphere.
"Because we have arrived here so late and without a chance to observe the area, I want to mount a defensive guard tonight. Two of the Oranges will revert to normal form and patrol the camp." Forrest looked at everyone. "All human personnel will remain armed at all times. Whenever you are outside tonight, I want your suits sealed and helmets on." Hearing everyone's groans, he added, "I will not take any unnecessary chances with your lives. Either suit up, or stay sealed in your shelters tonight."
Life in the camp was filled with days of discovery and no one was more involved than Danny. He and his cameras were in constant demand to document each and every discovery. Borrowing on his experience as a nature and wildlife photographer, he constructed blinds and set out remotely operated cameras. He used several different types, with one set loaded for daylight exposures and the other with infrared film for the low-level light at night. Video cameras, linked by both cable and wireless, provided a digital record of every creature that passed within view of the lens.
A wide variety of animal life was found. A deviation from the pattern found on most worlds, the creatures on this one all seemed to have six legs. In the case of arboreal wildlife, the foremost set of limbs seemed to serve as true hands, the rear served as feet while the middle set seemed to be able to function as both. One of the more aggressive feline-like creatures decided to see whether humans were edible and the target it chose was Danny.
Danny had just reached the farthest blind to change out the film canisters, when the snarling mass of fur, teeth, and claws landed on his back. The weight of the creature drove him to the ground, knocking the breath from his body. The animal's claws and teeth could not penetrate the titanium mesh of his leathers, but there was nothing protecting his head. Danny quickly moved his arms to cover the back of his head and neck from the claws and teeth. One paw hooked around his head and the claws raked his face, causing a wave of intense pain to crash through Danny's mental link with Forrest.
Seconds later, the outraged roar of a mighty Green AEthereal sounded in Danny's ears as Forrest portalled to his side. The huge clawed hand of the dragon snatched the snarling beast away from Danny and threw it into the woods, smashing it against the bole of a large tree to lie still, its spine and skull shattered upon impact. Before Danny could regain his senses, Forrest had brought him to the camp.
"Why did we not bring along a healer?" Forrest raged as Katarina applied an emergency dressing against the freely bleeding wounds in Danny's face.
"Oh, hush that noise!" Laranja said. "I have sent a call to the healers and one will be here any moment. These injuries are not life-threatening so there is no reason for this uproar!"
As if called by her words, a blue nimbus presaged the opening of a portal, and Astra stepped through. "You cannot say we never make house calls, Forrest," Astra said. "And here is my patient with his favorite nurse, I see." She knelt down on the floor beside the injured man and, carefully lifting away the blood-soaked dressing, she examined the furrows in his flesh. "Hmmm, nasty looking wounds. Just missed the eye, too. Some kind of carnivore, which means these wounds will soon be infected if we do not treat them right away. Big cats always have tiny bits of decaying flesh under their claws, you know." Taking Danny's face in her hands, she locked her gaze on his eyes. "Danny, this will not hurt at all, but it will take some time to do it right. So I want you to just look at Katarina and not pay any attention to what I will be doing. Can you do that?"
Danny moved his eyes to see Katarina's beautiful face, so filled with concern for him, and he reached out with his other hand to touch her cheek. She pulled his palm against her lips for a tender kiss, as Astra sank deeper into her healing trance.
Astra extended her senses into the deep lacerations, searching for every tiny fragment of embedded foreign matter, regardless of how infinitesimal. Once she was sure the wounds were clean, she began repairing the muscle cells and blood vessels from deep within the lacerations upwards to the surface of his face. Finally, she repaired the damage done to the skin itself. The newly repaired skin showed as slightly paler lines along his tan, four lines stretching from just below the inner corner of his right eye alongside his nose and down across his face to the edge of his jaw below his ear. She knew these lines should, in time, blend with the pigmentation tones of Danny's skin, but for now, they would serve as a reminder to him, and everyone else who looked at his face, that they were operating on an unknown and potentially hostile world, and that complacency can teach its own painful lessons.
Wearily, Astra sat back against her heels. "Let this be a warning to watch your surroundings, Danny. Next time, you might not be so lucky." Looking up at Katarina's tear-streaked face, she said, "Wipe your eyes, child. Take your man home while I head back to Earth."
The noisy babble of many humans talking at once cut off as Danny entered the communal dining facility the next morning. Everyone inside, human and AEthereal, stopped to stare at him as he made his way to the steam tables which held the morning meal. He tried to act normally, but being stared at was seriously affecting his nerves to the point where he had difficulty pouring himself a cup of coffee. Turning at last, he faced the group and said, "All right, I'll bite. What's going on?"
One of the xenobiologists spoke up. "We found the remains of the creature that attacked you, Danny. Most of us are amazed you survived the initial attack long enough for Forrest to rescue you. Anyway, we've been trying to decide what to call the thing."
Danny set his tray of food down on one of the tables. "I have to tell you, I never even got a look at it. All I know is that it was heavy, had lots of teeth and claws, and really bad breath!"
The assembled group laughed at Danny's response. The xenobiologist brought over the digital pictures someone had taken of the creature before they had started the autopsy on it. Even dead, the beast looked menacing.
It was about the size of a mountain lion back in Colorado, but it had the now familiar six legs found on most life forms indigenous to this world. If it weren't for the extra pair of legs, it would look very much like a lynx. There was no tail and it had tufted ears, mottled gray fur with a white ruff around its neck, and lots of sharp claws and teeth. It reminded him of a big cat in one of his favorite science fiction series called a hexapuma. Maybe we could call this a hexalynx. Just as he was about to suggest it, the xenobiologist told him that, by unanimous vote of the exploration team, it would henceforth be known as a trascat, short for Trasker's Cat.
"Gee, thanks I guess," Danny mumbled, embarrassed by the attention. "Although I would prefer something else."
"Too late," boomed Forrest's voice behind him. "We have officially recorded the name in the logs of the expedition." Forrest then handed Danny a large package.
When Danny opened the wrappings, he found the pelt of the trascat, carefully cleaned and preserved and incredibly soft. Rolled inside, he found the six sets of two inch long claws of the beast that had tried to make a meal out of him. He was terribly moved by the gesture the team had made in giving these to him.
After wiping away the tears that had unexpectedly stung his eyes, Danny asked, "Any ideas what we'll call this world?"
Forrest shook his head. "That will be up to the council when they appoint a Guardian." He looked at Danny. "The council thinks you are good luck, you know."
"Me? Why?" Danny asked, thinking of the disastrous earthquake that had taken the lives of the other exploration team and then his ignominious meeting with the trascat.
"Since we teamed up, we have already found two habitable worlds. In the millennia since the AEthereal started traveling to other worlds, the only other one we ever settled was Paradise."
"Forrest, why have you not named one of the worlds AEtheria?" Katarina asked.
Forrest smiled. "We did and still call it as such among ourselves. You just call it Earth."
Katarina and Danny were enjoying their nightly stroll along the river, walking hand in hand. Each was lost in their thoughts, content to be together and enjoying the moonlight as it dappled the slowly moving water. She stole a quick look at Danny's face, noting once again the four streaks across his cheek that refused to tan or fade away, despite Astra's best efforts. She had come so close to losing him, not only once, but twice now. Knowing that was one of the risks they faced exploring new worlds did not make it any easier to accept. It did make their moments together that much more precious.
What amazed her the most about the explorations she been part of was, with the exception of their very first world, the rest had been remarkably like Earth. She knew, of course, they had been specifically targeting worlds upon which the two species could live, but what were the odds of finding Serenity and this world so soon, each without any intelligent life?
Danny was having a pleasant fantasy about what could happen later back in their cabin when his attention was caught by something that should not be there---a flicker of light from one of the distant peaks. "Katarina, did you see that?'
"See what?" she asked, catching his excited tone but not knowing the reason for it.
Pointing outward into the dark, he said, "Watch that middle peak, about a third of the way down from the top."
Dutifully, she stared into the night at the point and, just as she was beginning to suspect it was some kind of joke at her expense, she caught a flash of white light.
'Laranja! Check the sensors!' she thought at her AEthereal partner.
Laranja's thought came back immediately. 'What is it?' Taking her information directly from Katarina's mind, she focused the scanning equipment on the region where the light was located. The sensors did not find any kind of electromagnetic emissions in that area. No radio frequencies were being used.
A team of Oranges flashed over Danny and Katarina, their steady wing beats lifting them into the night sky. Their human riders were barely visible for the moment it took them to pass overhead and then the pair slipped into the darkness. Danny and Katarina ran back to the command post so they could monitor whatever was happening.
Both Forrest and Laranja opened the link with their human partners, as did each of the other AEthereals present. They were all interconnected mentally with the pair of Oranges now approaching the source of the small white light.
'The light is coming out of a small crack in the rock face. I will extend my senses inside the rock to see what lies beneath,' reported one of the Oranges.
The entire exploration team could feel the Orange extend her astral self through the tiny opening in the rock. After a few inches, the rock fell away and a vast chamber lay within. Bathed in the glow of floating white spheres, the chamber was filled with activity. Many six-limbed creatures moved among what looked like dwellings carved into the face of the cavern and the spires of rock throughout the chamber. Some were carrying what appeared to be reed baskets filled with fruit, which others seemed to be haggling over. They witnessed an exchange of some kind of tokens for one of the baskets, and the one who purchased the basket carried it into one of the dwellings, while the seller went elsewhere. Here and there, smaller beings raced to and fro; obviously children.
'So much for the idea this planet was uninhabited!' Forrest's thought came through everyone's link. 'Okay, everyone. We must break camp and leave no trace that we were here.'
As the rest of the group hurried off to start packing up all their equipment and supplies, Danny turned to Forrest. "What happens now? We can't just leave this planet open to invasion by the Grays."
Forrest turned to Danny and Katarina as they all moved across the camp to their own shelter to pack. "We will not. This world will be protected in the same manner Earth was for millions of years. A dedicated corps of warriors will protect this planet covertly without the indigenous life forms ever being aware until such time as they are ready for the knowledge. That is our way. We will not interfere with their development, but we will guard them from the Gray menace."
Borland stood at the podium in the lecture hall waiting for the assembled scientists, dignitaries, and journalists to settle down in their seats. Once the buzz of their private conversations was finally stilled, he took a deep breath, triggered his first slide, and began to speak.
"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. About three months ago, a joint human-AEthereal team exploring a new world chanced upon a Gray mining operation. Subsequent investigation revealed the Grays were after two unknown minerals. Samples of these minerals were brought back for analysis by the Guardian Science Corps."
The screen now showed a photograph of the dense element. "The first element is a remarkably dense material that will not bond with anything found on Earth. While this would ordinarily make the material useless to us, the unusual electrical properties of the element overshadow any such limitations. This material, which I call Ebonite after Earth's Guardian, is a natural superconductor. It achieves heretofore unknown levels of conductance without any power loss and without the need for supercooling, as is the case with what we use today. The implications and applications of Ebonite are endless."
Another sip of water and the next slide appeared. "It is the second element, however, that overshadows the first in importance. The Grays had gone to great lengths to seal this element away from contamination, so we used very stringent protocols in our investigation."
Borland then took the assembled group through the various steps he'd followed, including his accidental exposure of the tiny grain of material to oxygen within the chamber. The screen now replayed the video of the tiny glowing speck. "This speck, about the size of a single grain of table salt, has been steadily providing one hundred and twenty volts of stable power for the past three months."
Borland waited while the crowd settled down following their excited outbursts. "To demonstrate the practicality of AEtherium as a power source, we created a small portable generator using a tiny pellet of AEtherium." The screen now showed a photograph of the modified cigarette lighter case with its single electrical outlet. "This device, which I handcrafted, is designed to produce stable alternating current at one hundred twenty volts. I originally thought of it as a simple portable generator for a single device, hence the single outlet. And while that would be exciting in and of itself, it doesn't really demonstrate the power of AEtherium. So, with the help of the facility engineers, we ran duplicate wiring to every electrical device serving this auditorium, including the lights, sound system, and the computer running this presentation. For the last two hours, this room has been powered by this source." Borland held up a single cable that connected to his modified lighter casing. "In a moment, I will disconnect this cable and it will get very dark. I ask your patience while the engineers reactivate the regular circuits for the lights and everything else. Ready?" he asked rhetorically. He then disconnected the cable from his little generator and the auditorium was plunged into darkness.
Within two minutes, the lights and sound system were operating once again, but the computers were a bit slow in booting back up. The audience was finally settling down again.
"Let me apologize for the theatrics but it seemed the only way to demonstrate the amazing possibilities of AEtherium and Ebonite. Once production of these devices is begun, we estimate the actual cost to make them will be less than ten dollars."
The journalists exploded in a frenzy of questions, each trying to outshout the other. Borland held up his hands in a gesture to quiet the unceasing babble of voices. At that moment, a single .30 caliber rifle bullet with a fulminated mercury tip punched its way through the bridge of Borland's nose and blew the back of his skull and most of his brains across the stage.
Ebon was meeting with the President about the dissolution of America's military when word reached the White House. A secret service agent interrupted their meeting. "Mister President, I regret to inform you that someone has just shot and killed Doctor David Borland during his presentation on the energy cell he has created. The assassin escaped in the confusion and panic created by the shooting."
The President picked up his phone. "Get me the Director of the FBI." When the Director answered his phone, the President said, "You will assume control over the investigation of the shooting of Doctor David Borland this afternoon. This will be treated as a federal crime. Yes, I know he was working for the Guardian Science Corps but he was also a top DARPA scientist, so that makes it federal. You will also keep me and Ebon informed every step of the way." Looking over at Ebon, he added, "I presume the Guardians themselves will also be involved in the investigation. Your people will render them any assistance they ask for."
When the President hung up, Ebon said, "I do not understand what the anti-AEthereal forces could hope to gain by killing David Borland. Yes, he was a visible human partner and therefore vulnerable, but it still would not affect human-AEthereal relations."
"Ebon, my friend, that had nothing to do with this killing. When we get to the bottom of this, we'll find this murder was committed for nothing more than sheer human greed. Borland's new power source is a threat to huge business interests around the globe, and he was undoubtedly murdered in hopes of keeping his discovery off the market so they could maintain their wealth and position."
Spyder sat down in front of the computer in the office provided by the FBI, his face set in a grim expression that mirrored the anger he felt inside. Dave Borland had been his friend, and there was no way he would permit whoever was behind Dave's murder to escape retribution. Obviously, the leak had to have occurred from within the small group of scientists and metallurgists Dave had consulted when building the prototype generator. Activating several searchbots of his own design, Spyder began to dig into the lives of each of the twenty-seven names provided to him by Eric and Judy. At the same time, he launched another series of searchbots into the telephone company records of every pay phone within a five mile radius of the workplaces and homes of the suspects. Spyder also began wide web searches for any major wire transfers from any US banking facilities to any overseas accounts that occurred between the time Dave met with the suspects and the time of his death.
A hit on the banking records. A wire transfer from a major oil corporation to a new account in the Cayman Islands happened just two days after Dave had revealed to the group what he was doing. While the timing was right, it was the relatively small dollar amount that convinced Spyder he was on the right track. Most of that company's overseas wire transfers were in the range of twenty or thirty million dollars, and those were directed at the accounts of their overseas subsidiaries. This one transfer, however, was for one point five million dollars, much too small to be legitimate, but just about right for someone selling a secret.
Security on the computers in the Cayman Islands was a joke to Spyder, and he was through their firewalls and other safeguards in a matter of moments. He tracked that transfer down to the individual account and then cross-referenced it to the account data file. Now he had a name and a scanned copy of the identifying documentation used to open the account. Sometimes, people were so stupid. The suspect had used his own passport and driver's license for proof of identity.
Spyder turned to Eric and said, "That's him. Follow him and we'll have who's behind Dave's murder."
While Eric departed to arrest the suspect, Spyder went back for more evidence against the man. Armed with his name, he tightened the focus on the searches. Almost two hours after Dave's last meeting with the group, a call was made from the pay phone on the corner near the suspect's apartment to a private line assigned to the oil company. The call lasted two minutes. The private line belonged to the chairman and chief executive officer of the oil company which had made the deposit in the suspect's account. Spyder queried the system and found something even more interesting and damning. A ten minute call made from that private line to the telephone in the suspect's apartment later that same night. So the first call was to dangle the bait and the second was to sell the goods.
Spyder then concentrated on every call made from the private line immediately following the call to the suspect's apartment. Most followed a pattern long established for the line; calls to his residence, to someone who appeared to be a mistress, to stockbrokers and other business executives. There was one number called, though, that was out of place. It had only been called once, and the conversation had barely lasted a minute. Why would such a high-powered mogul like this guy call a cheap, fleabag laundry service in Washington, D.C.?
Spyder switched his attention to the laundry service and cross-referenced every incoming call it had received in the past five years, filtering out all those originating from private homes. Very strange. This small laundry received calls from all over the country from several major business leaders and from pay phones scattered around the world. Very suspicious. Acting on a gut feeling, Spyder cross-referenced the dates of those calls against known assassinations contained in the FBI's computer systems. In each and every case, within three days of the call, there had been a shooting of someone by a high-powered rifle from long range. Spyder had found the base of operations for the assassin.
The microelectronics engineer was taken to a Guardian facility and led to a small room. Unknown to him, the doorway to that interrogation room also served as a portal to Paradise and the room was actually inside the Guardian facility there. When the door opened again, it was to admit Eric Johansson and Judy Deavers.
Eric spoke first. "Mister Anthony Richards, you are being investigated for treason against the United States of America and complicity in the murder of Doctor David Borland, Guardian Science Corps. As a result of an executive decision by the President, jurisdiction for these crimes has been given to the Guardians, although the government has reserved the right to prosecute for crimes against the nation."
"I want a lawyer," whined Richards.
"Perhaps you didn't understand the implications of what he just explained," said Judy. "You are now in the custody of the Guardians and are no longer on the planet Earth. We are here to provide you an opportunity to make a clean breast of things to us before we turn you over to the AEthereal." She held up her hand to forestall Richards from speaking. "You cannot lie to an AEthereal, because they can read your mind. If you resist, it can be very painful as they strip your mind clean. They don't care about concepts like rights or civil liberties. They think anyone who would betray someone for something as ludicrous as financial gain must be mentally imbalanced and either must be cured, or destroyed for the benefit of everyone."
Richards grew steadily whiter as she spoke. It was clear to him that he was in serious trouble and there didn't seem to be anything he could do to get himself out of it either. "What do you want me to do?"
Judy handed him a pad of paper and a pen. "Start writing, Richards. We want to know to whom you sold information. Start with the very first time you were approached to sell secrets and document each and every time you violated your oath. Make very sure you're detailed in your confession, Richards, because you will go over it with the AEthereals, and they won't tolerate evasions or half-truths."
Eric and Judy sat there and watched as the man bared his soul on paper. It took him nearly four hours to write it all down. As he finished one pad, it was removed and turned over to a pool of typists, who entered it all into a computer. Once Richards was finished, it took less than thirty minutes for the typists to finish entering his confession. The printed copy filled nearly twenty-five single-spaced pages covering a period of six years.
Judy slid the printout across the table. "Read this over and make any corrections, additions or deletions you feel necessary."
While Richards read over his confession, another computer program, designed by Spyder, was culling the document for names. The list of names, annotated by relevance, was then provided to the Guardians on Earth. A joint task force of federal agents and Black AEthereals were dispatched to detain each person named by Richards in either his treason, or in his complicity in the murder of David Borland. A federal agent accompanied by two of the large Blacks apprehended each detainee privately. The detainee was then formally remanded to the custody of the AEthereals who portalled the individual to a cell on Paradise.
Each detainee was then offered the same thing as Richards---voluntary written confession, or interrogation by the AEthereals. Once all the confessions were completed, a new list of names was generated and more people were detained. In all, the investigation resulted in the arrest of almost two hundred people for treason and associated crimes, but only one name was given as a link in the murder of David Borland. The person named was the aide to a powerful oil magnate with ties to both political parties and who was a personal friend of the President of the United States. Surprising no one, that oil company was the same one that made the deposit in Richards' offshore account.
The arrest team waited patiently in the dark living room of the aide's apartment. They expected the aide to return to her apartment after the reception her boss was hosting. Entry to the apartment had been through the simple expedient of opening a portal through the locked door. At two thirty in the morning, they finally heard her key in the lock.
Katherine Dwyer kicked off her high-heeled shoes as she closed her apartment door and turned the twin deadbolts. With a tired sigh of release, she flexed her nylon-clad toes against the thick, plush carpet. As she reached for the zipper on her evening dress, a voice came from her darkened living room.
"I would leave that fastened for now, Miss Dwyer." The lamp next to her favorite easy chair came on and she could see a large man clad in the black leather uniform of the Guardians sitting there, calmly returning her stare. A slight movement in her peripheral vision made her jump. Two more Guardians stood on either side of her, and judging from their size, these two weren't human.
"What do the Guardians want with me?" she asked, grateful that her voice had held steady. "I have no interest in joining the Guardians if this is one of your fabled recruiting visits, so I would appreciate it if you would all leave."
"This isn't a social call, Miss Dwyer." Eric Johansson stood. "As a federal agent and member of the Guardians, I am placing you under arrest for complicity in the murder of Doctor David Borland."
As Eric placed his handcuffs on the frightened young woman's wrists, the two AEthereal stepped forward and each laid a hand on the shoulder of one of the humans. A blue nimbus surrounded them and they left the apartment, reappearing in an interrogation chamber on Paradise. Eric gently pushed the stunned woman into a chair. Opposite her sat Judy Deavers and Astra.
"Miss Dwyer, I'm Judy Deavers. I'm a federal agent assigned by the President to the investigation of the murder of Doctor David Borland. Sitting beside me is Astra, the Master Healer of Earth. You have been identified as a part of the conspiracy."
Katherine Dwyer donned her haughtiest expression. "I have nothing to say to you. I demand my right to have an attorney present."
"You have no rights here, Miss Dwyer, because you're not on Earth," Judy responded. "While I might consider the suspension of your civil rights a violation of the laws of the United States, I find the ruthless assassination of a good man even more abhorrent. You will answer our questions completely and honestly right now, or Astra will take the information from your mind. You have the choice of voluntary cooperation, or having your mind raped."
"You can't do this to me! Do you have any idea of who I am?" Dwyer blustered, her fear running wild.
"I know exactly what you are, Miss Dwyer. You are either a blind fool, or an actual coconspirator. Either way, you will not be returning to Earth for a very long time." Judy slid the pad of paper to Dwyer. "The choice is yours."
Eric and the FBI's arrest team, accompanied by a contingent from the Guardians, surrounded the small laundry in Southeast Washington, D.C. Ebon probed the building with his senses, and said, "I detect four people inside. One appears to be a customer preparing to leave. There is one woman at the counter, another back by the laundry machines, and a final female in the small office in the back."
As they waited for the customer to leave the facility, Eric worried about everyone present being female. Was their shooter away from the laundry, or was it one of the women? There were no documented cases of female snipers in the records of the FBI, but that didn't mean it was out of the realm of possibility. In fact, the prejudice law enforcement had about such things would work in the favor of a female sniper. Cops would automatically start looking for a man following a shooting. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced the woman in that office was their real target.
"Ebon, can you portal into the office?" Eric asked his partner.
Ebon concentrated on the images he had "seen" with his astral senses and nodded. "Take your sidearm out and get ready. I will place us right behind her chair. If you have your weapon about three feet high and aimed straight ahead, it will be pointed at her head when we materialize in the office."
"A little extreme, don't you think?" Eric replied.
"Not really. There are many weapons in the room and such an action on your part would prevent some unnecessary unpleasantness," Ebon said. "Are you ready?"
Eric took his weapon out of his shoulder holster, aimed it as Ebon recommended, and nodded his head. Ebon placed his hand upon Eric's shoulder, called up the portal and stepped into the blue nimbus.
"Freeze!" Eric shouted, and then said softly, "Don't move a muscle. I'm a federal agent and you are under arrest."
The woman in the chair had nerves of steel. She didn't move a single muscle as she felt the barrel of the gun pressed against the side of her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the distinctive black uniforms of the Guardians. "There must be some mistake, officer. This is simply a laundry."
As she spoke, Ebon tripped the panel in the wall open and revealed the small arsenal hidden inside. There were several high-powered rifles with scopes, along with half a dozen handguns of various calibers, each equipped with a sound suppression device. The rifles were all capable of being broken down into smaller components, which would probably fit inside the various cases on the floor of the concealed space.
Ebon said, "She is the shooter, Eric."
"How can you be sure?" Eric asked.
"I went into her mind and read her memories of the shooting. In fact, she has many such memories, but she is the one who shot David Borland," Ebon replied. "She is a very disturbed person. Not only that, she is not alone in this. The other two women are also involved and are both snipers, as well."
As the woman made to rise from the chair, Ebon was ready and grabbed her arm. The small caliber pistol she fired at him did not prevent Ebon from transporting her, Eric, and himself to an interrogation cell on Paradise. The sudden relocation disoriented the woman and Eric easily removed the pistol from her hand. He quickly snapped his handcuffs on her wrists and pushed her down into the chair. "Better go have Astra take a look at that gunshot wound, Ebon."
"There is no need, Eric. Remember, this is not my real body, so the wound cannot harm me in reality." Ebon seemed to phase out of the room for a brief second and then once again appeared solid. "All I really needed to do was reconstruct this form and the damage is repaired."
"I want a lawyer," the woman said.
"There are no lawyers on Paradise. We already know you are guilty of the death of David Borland and others, so you and your partners have been removed from your world to prevent you from harming anyone else," Ebon said. He pushed a pad of paper toward the woman. "When the handcuffs are removed, you will write down your confession and tell us who hired you to kill Doctor David Borland."
A modern-day robber baron, oil magnate Cyrus Mueller had risen to his position of power through his own efforts. Starting out as a driller's apprentice in the oil fields of Texas, he had worked his way up through the ranks using his brawn, brains, and complete amorality. As far as he was concerned, anything was permissible as long as it benefited Cyrus Mueller. He had bribed, threatened, beaten, and occasionally killed in his rise to the pinnacle of the oil industry.
Like all those with immense wealth, Cyrus Mueller was also given a deference and respect beyond what he deserved, but that he accepted as his due. As a result, he thought nothing of receiving the invitation to visit the White House. In fact, he'd been expecting it. After all, the President was well aware of what would happen to the American economy if that Borland generator were ever marketed.
What bothered him slightly was the disappearance of his executive assistant. No one had seen her since the limo service had dropped her off at her apartment complex. The security tapes had shown that she had taken the elevator to her floor and entered her apartment. The police had gained access to the apartment as a part of their investigation into her disappearance. Her purse, with her wallet and credit cards, was found intact on a table in the foyer. There was no sign of a struggle or any indication of forced entry. The police felt she had just run off for a romantic rendezvous with an unknown party.
The limousine passed through the entry checkpoint at the White House and drove up to the main doors. A secret service agent met Cyrus Mueller as he left the limo. Cyrus endured the obligatory security check and metal scan, and then followed the agent to the anteroom outside the oval office. The door to the President's office was open, and the President waved Cyrus inside. The agent closed the door once Cyrus had entered.
"Sit down, Cyrus. Thanks for coming on such short notice. Care for a drink?"
"Why, thank you, Mister President. I could stand a touch," Cyrus said as he dropped into one of the easy chairs. Taking the drink from the President, Cyrus added, "So what can I do for you, Mister President?"
The President sat down opposite his friend of twenty years and said, very quietly, "You can explain why you had David Borland killed."
"What was that? Are you accusing me of something?" Cyrus blustered, his rage at being held accountable only held in check by the office in which he sat.
"I know you had him killed, Cyrus," the President said sadly. "What I want to understand is why."
"I don't have to sit here and be slandered like this, even if you are the President!" Cyrus shouted as he stood and started toward to the door. That was when Cyrus became aware of the others in the room. There were four very large men in the distinctive black leather uniform of the Guardians, and they were between him and the doorway. Cyrus turned back to the President. "You can't get away with this!"
"Cyrus, you have no idea what I can get away with." The President shook his head. "Good bye, old friend. Enjoy Paradise."
The four AEthereal stepped forward and surrounded the stunned magnate. Seconds later, they were just a memory as the President sat down at his desk. He had long suspected that Cyrus Mueller had been operating with flagrant disregard for both public morality and the letter of the law. He had, however, never expected that his friend was capable of having a good man killed because he threatened Cyrus' status quo.
Another blue nimbus announced the arrival of another AEthereal. Indigo, clad in the dark blue leathers of the Guardian Science Corp, stood before the President's desk. "Mister President, forgive the intrusion, but I thought I would take this opportunity to let you know that I have recovered all of Doctor Borland's notes, as well as the prototype. I have been assured the devices can be easily manufactured. We intend for the initial production runs to be used on Paradise and Serenity. Once the needs of the Guardians and settlers are met, we will make them available for use here on Earth. That should give you time to prepare your industry and society for the changes that will result."
"Thank you, Indigo. I know Doctor Borland was your friend. The production of the Borland generator will make a fitting memorial to the man who wanted to free humanity from the costs of energy."
The sun rose and cast the first ray of light into the amphitheater on Paradise. The assembled AEthereal in their thousands stood silently, each taking a private moment to honor the passing of a good man while welcoming a bright new day to make his death have some meaning.
Within the center of the amphitheater, shivering in the morning chill, stood the two hundred humans involved in the treason against the United States and in the conspiracy to murder David Borland. All had been stripped of their fine clothing and now wore a plain gray jumpsuit devoid of any markings or individuality. Each and every one of them was absolutely terrified to be surrounded on all sides by thousands of massive dragons.
'Humans, you are here today to atone for the crimes you committed against your fellow humans and against the AEthereal,' Amber's mental voice pounded into their brains. 'You have been brought to Paradise to serve your sentence.'
There was a quiet murmuring among the prisoners at that announcement.
'Your sentences range from five to twenty years, depending on the nature of the crimes you have committed. For many of you with lesser offenses, you will work in the Guardian Training Facility in support of our operations around the galaxy. The rest of you will perform services in support of the new human settlements here on Paradise and Serenity, our new world. You will all be watched by one of us. You cannot shirk any task, because we will know. You cannot lie, because we will know. You cannot escape, for there is nowhere for you to go. The only road back to Earth lies with us and you have been banished until your term of atonement is at end.'
Astra the White spoke next. 'You have each been seen by a healer and anything that was wrong with you has been corrected. You are now in the best health you have ever experienced. Healers will attend to any and all injuries you may sustain in your period of service. This is just one of the many benefits you will have with us.'
As she went back to her place, Negron the Black strode forward. By far, one of the largest of his kind, the bright spear of sunlight glittered from his scales as he took the center in front of the huddled humans. 'You are now under my care and will be guarded by members of the Paradise Battle Wing. As Amber the Gold has said, there can be no escape. You can only hope for the peace that comes from atonement and your eventual return to Earth as productive citizens. As I call your names, I want this first group to move over to your right and gather in front of the man in the dark blue leathers. Those whose names I do not call will remain here pending your assignments to various work parties.'
It was early evening in Washington, D.C. when Ebon and Eric entered the oval office. The President waved them toward the sitting area and then joined them.
"So it's done, then?" the President asked.
"Yes, sir. Those whose involvement was very minor or who were merely duped into the process have been given support roles at the Training Facility. In fact, our old friend Spyder has been assigned a new assistant, Katherine Dwyer," Eric said. "The rest will be put to work building houses and other facilities for the new families being settled on Paradise."
"What about Cyrus Mueller?"
"Cyrus has been assigned to the construction crews like the rest of them, sir. We made no distinction with him, nor do the rest really know he was behind the death of Doctor Borland." Eric paused. "I am afraid the others would kill him if they knew. Doctor Borland and his generator held a great deal of promise for everyone and they view his death right up there with the Kennedy and King assassinations."
The President sighed. "I do, too. And not just because of the loss of his genius, either. David Borland was a truly good man who had the best interests of the entire human race in mind in whatever he did. He had a vision of a world where energy was free for everyone and knew that it would drive down the costs of modern life. It would also eliminate so much pollution, that the world itself would become better for everyone."
Ebon spoke up. "I met with Indigo just before we came here. The Science Corps has duplicated Borland's process and has successfully recreated his generator. In doing so, they have introduced some refinements and alterations of scale, making it both easier and cheaper to produce."
"How much cheaper?"
"When we start marketing the devices, Mister President, we will be selling them at a little over the cost to manufacture them. A unit capable of powering a typical family dwelling, with all the attendant electrical devices like refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, heating and air-conditioning equipment, with lighting included, will cost the consumer five dollars. It will last for about ten years."
"That's amazing!" the President exclaimed.
"We have also developed a model that can power an electric vehicle for longer than it will last."
Ebon held up a hand. "But, Mister President, the first year or so of production will be dedicated to those living on Paradise, Serenity, and supporting our teams throughout the galaxy. We will be providing units to important facilities, such as hospitals, here on Earth during that first year. The principle reason for this decision is to give you the time needed to put your house in order. You must prepare your society for the changes that will result. You must ready your industries for the change.
"If you do not or cannot prepare, then we will begin disbursement elsewhere on the planet, in the impoverished and neglected corners of your world." Ebon looked steadily at the President. "I know your country has been our ally and we acknowledge that debt openly. But even you must know the AEthereal will treat all humans equally and openly. By all rights, this new power source should go to those without before those who are the biggest consumers on the planet. To do otherwise is to invite chaos and strife as those who labor against us use the Borland generator as a cause to rally the disaffected."
Spyder looked up as the security detail of two human guardians in their black uniforms entered his office area. It's Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dumber. Look at these behemoths! Where do they find normal humans this size? Too bad neither one has enough brains to blow their own nose. Spyder was so lost in his thoughts regarding the guards, that at first, he failed to notice their prisoner.
"So what can I do for you, gentlemen?" Spyder asked.
"We're here to deliver the prisoner for work, sir. We were told you expected her here at eight sharp."
Spyder looked past the bulk of the nearest guard and saw his new "assistant." He had asked for help for so long, that when they finally offered him a qualified assistant from the involuntary labor pool, he'd accepted. Spyder sized her up. Beside Tweedle-Dum, she looks like a child. She must be all of about five foot six inches tall and I doubt if she weighs more than one hundred fifteen pounds. Hard to tell in that shapeless grey jumpsuit, though. She looks so much like an elf, that I wish the stylish cut of her brown hair was just a little shorter so I could see if her ears have points. And those eyes are the most devastating blue I've ever seen. "Well, Sergeant, I hardly believe she'll run away from you. Okay, you've delivered her to me, so you can run along."
The two security guards saluted and, before they left, the sergeant said, "Sir, we will return at 1700 hours to pick up the prisoner."
"Whoa, hold it right there, Sergeant. Tell me where she needs to go and I'll take her there. And from this moment on, you will refer to her by name, not as 'the prisoner'. Is that understood?" Spyder snapped.
"Yes, sir. Miss Dwyer must be returned to the female dormitory by 1730 hours for roll call and evening meal."
"Fine. That will be all."
Once the two guards had left, Spyder closed his office door and gestured for Katherine Dwyer to have a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk. He sat down and faced her across the messy desktop. "Hi, I'm Spyder. I understand you're my new assistant."
Katherine gave him a shy smile. She'd been checking him out since she had been escorted into the room. He was tall but well-built, with wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tight butt the dark blue leathers of the Science Corps showed off. His handsome face was capped with a mane of fiery red hair drawn back into a ponytail that reached halfway down his back. A few freckles were scattered across his cheeks and nose, and his frank blue eyes were clear and intently focused on her face. He had a very mobile mouth that seemed to hover on the edge of an irreverent smirk.
"My name is Katherine Dwyer," she said.
"Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Katherine, so I can determine how you can best help me?"
"Well, until recently, I was the executive assistant and aide to Cyrus Mueller, the CEO and chairman of the board of ARPEC Oil. In that capacity, I handled all the details of his schedule, as well as much of his correspondence. I graduated from Harvard with a degree in political science, and was hired by ARPEC initially to work in their Washington office in support of their lobbying efforts. I caught the attention of Mr. Mueller and was moved to his main office in Houston."
Spyder gestured at her gray jumpsuit. "And how did you come to be here in sunny Paradise?"
Katherine grew somber. "I was contacted by a man named Anthony Richards, who had been selling information to Cyrus Mueller for a long time. He said he had a really important piece of information to give Cyrus but that it would cost a lot more than usual. He wanted a million dollars!" Katherine sighed. "I passed the call to Cyrus. The next thing I knew, I was abducted from my apartment by three guardians and brought here. It turned out Anthony Richards was a scientist working with David Borland and he was selling the information about the Borland generator to my boss."
"So you were swept up in the witch hunt following David's murder." Seeing her look up at him, he added, "Yes, I knew him quite well. I worked with him in developing the shield suits for the AEthereal and human guardians. Well, I can see that you didn't knowingly conspire to have him murdered. In fact, I'm not really sure you were actually guilty of doing anything illegal." Spyder looked at her. "Note I said illegal, rather than wrong. I'm sure that at some level, you knew that dealing with Richards was wrong, especially when mere information was worth that much money."
Spyder stood up. "Well, that's all in the past and you get a new start here. Let me give you the nickel tour of the place and I'll explain what we do and how I need your help."
For the next few hours, Spyder gave Katherine a tour of the huge Science Support Facility, which contained all the materials for supporting the deployed exploration teams, as well as the warehouses that contained the thousands of leather uniforms for the guardians in the rainbow of colors. She asked many insightful questions regarding inventory tracking and scheduling, making Spyder think about how they presently did the myriad tasks necessary to ensure a smooth operation. When she could, she offered some small suggestions to improve the operation.
Timing their arrival at the cafeteria to coincide with one of the lunch sessions, Spyder bought Katherine some lunch. During their meal, they continued to discuss the differing aspects of the warehouse and how they would operate. Spyder was very impressed by some of the ideas Katherine suggested for streamlining some of their tracking processes and, once they finished eating, took her back to the office and showed her the computerized record and ordering systems he had put in place.
While they had been out, a second desk and computer had been installed in the office area so Katherine got right to work, familiarizing herself with the systems and the various items they tracked. By the end of the workday, she felt like she had a pretty fair handle on the job. Spyder escorted her back to the designated dormitory just in time for roll call.
For the next week, Spyder would be waiting outside her barracks in the morning and then escort her back each evening in order to spare her the humiliation of having security guards take her everywhere. He knew how much she hated the embarrassment it caused her because she never really felt like she deserved being a prisoner. The other women in the facility had been guilty of some pretty nasty things, ranging from treason to contract murder. Spyder was always thrilled by the joy that would illuminate her face each morning and shaken by the depression that would descend on her as they approached the barracks each evening.
Finally, after watching her enter the plain wooden barracks building, Spyder turned and set off in a rapid stride toward the main administration building of the guardian complex. Once he entered the building, he bounded up the stairs and down the hall to the unmarked door he knew was the joint office of Eric Johansson and Judy Deavers. Simultaneously knocking on the door and turning the handle, he surprised the two in an embrace. "Oops!"
"Oh, come in!" Judy said, "Honestly, Spyder, you are supposed to wait until somebody says to come in before opening a door." Shaking her head, she sat down at her desk and looking over at Eric, she asked, "Should we tell him?"
Eric grinned. "Either you tell him, or I will."
Judy looked at the puzzled young man. "Spyder, we were just celebrating some news. We're going to have a baby."
"Why, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you both." Spyder strode over to Judy, gave her a gentle hug, and then shook hands with the beaming Eric. "So about when will the blessed event occur?"
"In about six months." Judy then asked, "Will you please keep the news to yourself? Eric and I want to tell some folks ourselves."
"No problemo. Your wish is my command. Have you told Astra and Ebon the good news?"
"Who do you think told me?" Judy laughed. "Astra informed me that it would be a very healthy baby boy. I just came from seeing her and told Eric."
The trio spent the next few minutes talking about Judy's plans to travel to see her family in South Carolina and telling them the news in person. Finally, Judy asked, "Spyder, not that we aren't happy to see you, but why are you here?"
Spyder then told them about his new assistant and how much help she was proving to be. "The thing is, I think she's been given a serious raw deal. I mean, all she really did was relay a message from the guy at DARPA to her boss, this Cyrus Mueller guy. She never really broke any laws. She was just caught up in the sweep following Dave's murder."
"Spyder, we don't have the authority to send her back home," Eric said.
"I'm not asking for her to be sent home. Heck, no! I need her here!" Spyder exclaimed. "What I want to do is spring her from durance vile, those crummy barracks they have her stuck in with mandatory roll calls and such. She would be a lot more help if I could work her with flexible hours and without all the 'prisoner' nonsense the security folks are browbeating her with."
Judy said, "I'll ask Astra to speak with your Miss Dwyer and find out whether she agrees with letting her out to run free here on Paradise. If she is freed, she will become your responsibility, Spyder."
"I can live with that. Also, can we please get her something other than those depressing gray jumpsuits to wear? I mean, they aren't quite as bad as the international orange jumpsuits worn by prison work gangs, but they are close!"
Judy laughed at Spyder's request. "Tell you what, if Astra agrees to let her out of jail on probation, I'll get her some decent clothes."
"Why not just outfit her in Science Support Staff leathers?" Eric asked. "That would seem to make sense if she's going to be working there."
"Men!" Judy muttered. "A girl can't wear leather all the time!"
Looking at Eric with a big grin, Spyder replied, "Why not?"
Katherine Dwyer was sitting in her bunk in the barracks, trying to ignore the other women milling about in the bay. She definitely was not cut out for this kind of life. There was absolutely no privacy of any kind. Her meager possessions, which consisted of basic toilet articles, three gray jumpsuits, and plain cotton underwear and white socks, were stored in an unlocked locker at the end of her bunk. The juxtaposition of her present surroundings and the very enjoyable day she spent with Spyder made her realize just how far her life had slumped. She was fighting back tears when a voice shouted from the doorway, "Dwyer! Front and center!"
Katherine stood up and walked down the center of the barracks, putting up with the catcalls from the other women in the dormitory. Some were wondering aloud what she had done wrong and more than a few were making offers for later that night, which made her quite uncomfortable. Once she reached the doorway, the guard told her she was wanted in the main building for an interview with one of the AEthereal.
Katherine wracked her brain, trying to figure out what an AEthereal could want with her now. She had told them everything she knew about Cyrus Mueller and his dealings, as well as every conversation she had with Anthony Richards. Above all, she prayed that whatever the AEthereal wanted, it wouldn't be something that would interfere with her new assignment with the Science Support Corps.
The guard opened a door and ushered Katherine into a plain interview room, furnished with a large table and some chairs. One wall had the ubiquitous one-way glass facing the side of the table with the single chair. It was a standard interrogation room, just like she'd seen on TV. The only discordant note was the color of the room; it was painted an attractive shade of pale blue rather than the somber tones usually associated with such a room. She sat in the chair and waited.
Moments later, the door opened and in walked the same two Guardians she had met with before. Astra favored her with a small smile as Judy Deavers spoke first. "Good evening, Miss Dwyer. Let me start by saying that I owe you an apology for the brusque manner in which we treated you the last time. I let my emotions over the murder of a good friend get in the way of my professionalism and I am sorry for that."
Katherine was surprised by the agent's admission. In her experience, limited as it was, police rarely offered apologies to someone involved in a crime, even those whose involvement was peripheral at best.
"I was asked by someone whose opinion I value highly to look into your case once more to see if an injustice has been done to you." Judy nodded toward Astra. "I have asked Astra to assist me because, as you know, she can read what is behind a person's words and see past any attempted subterfuge."
Judy opened a folder she had brought with her. "I have read over your statements carefully and, to be honest, agree with the assessment that your involvement was purely one of an assistant relaying messages, and therefore, do not of themselves constitute a criminal act. However morally reprehensible those messages may be in context, they did not personally involve you in the conspiracy to murder David Borland, nor did they personally implicate you in treason against the United States of America."
Joy leapt in Katherine's heart as she heard those words. Could this nightmare really be over? Cold reality hit her with Judy's next words.
"Unfortunately, your name has been irrevocably linked with the conspiracy in the media back home. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how much general animosity is aimed at those involved." Judy looked at Katherine. "Bringing everyone here to Paradise was done as much to protect them from mob violence as it was to extract some form of recompense for their actions."
"So what does this all mean? What am I to do if I can't go home?" Katherine asked, a note of despair creeping into her voice.
Judy looked at Astra in a silent question and Astra nodded. "Katherine, if we could undo the damage that has been done to your name, we would do so," Astra said. "But that we cannot do. There is no way we could let you go back to Earth right now without risking your life. What we would suggest is this. Spyder would like to have you work as his full assistant here on Paradise. If you agree, we would make you a member of the Guardian Science Support Corps reporting to him. Obviously, we will provide you with better accommodations and much more suitable clothing."
Judy picked up the conversation. "Once things have calmed down on Earth, you could probably go back if you still desired. As soon as I can arrange it, you will have an official Presidential pardon, eliminating any legal repercussions from this whole affair." Looking at Katherine, she added, "How long will it take for you to think about all this?"
Katherine shot to her feet, nervous energy suddenly propelling her from the chair. "Are you kidding me? Think about it? I accept! I would do just about anything to get out of that damn barracks and regain my self-respect."
Judy reached out her hand. "Welcome to Paradise as a free citizen, Miss Dwyer. Now, let's talk about something practical. What sizes do you wear? Let's get you out of that hideous jumpsuit."
Spyder stepped through the door of his office and stopped dead in his tracks, his jaw open in dumbfounded amazement. Katherine Dwyer was standing in front of her desk, attired in the powder blue leathers of the Science Support Staff, a large smile on her face. She did a slow turn to give him a three hundred and sixty degree view of her new leathers, which fit her like a glove. No doubt about it. I seriously misjudged how attractive this woman is! Spyder swallowed
"Well, what do you think?" Katherine asked.
Spyder grinned a little, then said, "I think you had a visit by Judy and Astra, and that things went the way I had hoped they would." Walking around to his desk chair, he added, "Now I don't have to worry about those stupid goons coming to look for you if I make you work overtime!"
Katherine laughed at his response. "You know, I can't help but wonder what the other women in that barracks thought when I never came back last night and the guards cleaned out my locker."
"Most probably wished they were you," Spyder said. "Well, let's get to work on that new inventory system you were talking about."
After several hours of designing and playing with different approaches to handling the flow of materials through the inventory control system, Spyder announced it was lunchtime. As they walked over to the cafeteria, Katherine asked, "Is there a gym anywhere near by? I really need to get back into working out again if you insist on eating all these high-calorie lunches."
"There's a great one in the basement of our building and it's solely for the use of the Science Support Corps. I use it all the time. I'll show you where it's at after work this afternoon."
True to his word, Spyder led Katherine down several flights of stairs into what had been a cavern underneath the support facility. The gym was fully tricked out with all the latest nautilus and free-weight equipment anyone could desire. There were also saunas, an indoor track, and separate locker rooms.
"There are no attendants on duty most of the time. Try to schedule your time with someone else. That way, you can be sure you'll never use the free-weights alone. You need to provide your own exercise clothes and personal products, like soap and shampoo, but there are always lots of big, fluffy towels." Spyder looked at the young woman at his side. "Since you don't have anything to change into, let me show you how to get out of here and then you can take me to where they moved you."
Judy stopped by their table at lunch the next day, delivering a small package to Katherine. "As promised. Hi, Spyder. What's new with you these days?"
"Not much. Katherine has been making some great changes in the way we track inventory that should simplify the whole process." He beamed at his new assistant. "What's in the package?"
"Same old Spyder." Judy laughed. "Always did have too much curiosity for one person." She shook her finger at him. "The contents of the package are for Katherine, not you."
Taking pity on Spyder, Katherine explained the package contained some exercise shorts and tops, along with a pair of track shoes.
"Great, we can go to the gym after work for about an hour before we have to be back to process Celadon's exploration team," Spyder exclaimed. "The one thing this gym lacks is a great heated lake like we had back at Astra's place on Earth."
Katherine listened as the two reminisced about the times they shared at Astra's. She envied them the warm camaraderie they shared. She had been on the outside looking in for as long as she could remember. She sensed, however, that this was a group she could finally belong to over time and she realized that was something she really wanted.
They spent the afternoon preparing all the gear for the mission deployment that night. There were fifteen of the portable shelters, one large communal facility, associated kitchen equipment, plus food for fifteen humans and sixteen AEthereal. The extra AEthereal was an unattached Green on his first mission. There were also tents and other gear for the small party groups that might spend a night away from the camp.
"Okay, that's enough for now. The rest will have to wait until just before we issue it," Spyder announced.
"What's missing?" Katherine looked the lists over and couldn't see what she had forgotten.
"Ammunition for all the personal weapons," Spyder replied. "Your basic Guardian only carries enough to last for about one serious firefight of about thirty minutes. They don't carry any heavy weapons with them when they first go out."
"That makes sense. I forgot these teams are really heading into completely unknown worlds and that there might be things there which can hurt them."
"Just ask Danny Trasker about the local animal life," Spyder said. "He was mauled by a large, six-legged cat with big teeth and claws. Damn near cost him an eye. He did bring back the beautiful pelt and claws as a keepsake."
"Did he kill it?"
"His partner Forrest did while keeping the trascat, as they decided to call it, from ripping Danny to pieces."
Katherine gave a small shudder at the thought of someone she might know being torn apart by some wild animal. To change the subject, she said, "Let's head for the gym while we can."
Twenty minutes later, Spyder was once again amazed by Katherine's appearance although this time, he had the good sense not to let it show. Katherine was now wearing the tightest spandex exercise shorts and shirt he had ever seen and it was doing things to his pulse that normally only happened after about fifteen minutes on the treadmill. While the outfit covered everything, it also left virtually nothing to his imagination. After they had each warmed up separately, he spotted for her as she started using the free-weights. After a respectable workout, they switched and she spotted for him once he had reset the weights. Spyder was glad his days as a skinny nerd were behind him. For some reason, he found he really wanted to impress this woman.
Checking the clock, Spyder announced they had about thirty minutes left. Katherine suggested the sauna, followed by a shower. Reluctantly, Spyder agreed. Five minutes later, they met in the sauna. Spyder had a towel wrapped around his waist and Katherine had one wrapped around her torso. Spyder had already started the sauna system before they had gone to change, so there was a lot of aromatic steam already in the room when they entered. By unspoken agreement, they went to opposite sides of the sauna and stretched out on the benches. Through the heavy steam, Spyder could barely see her and he was both glad and slightly disappointed. While he didn't want to be less than gentlemanly, he was still young enough that he wouldn't have minded an accidental peek.
A sudden beeping from her side of the chamber announced her time was up. An eddy in the steam offered him a tantalizing glimpse of her as she adjusted her towel back around her body, and then she slipped out the door to the ladies' locker room. He sat there a few minutes longer, then went to take his own shower. What am I thinking? Do I really want to get involved with someone who directly works for me?
Once he was showered and dressed once again in his leathers, he met her in the hallway outside the gymnasium. They chatted about inconsequential things until the rest of the Support Staff joined them and they readied for the upcoming deployment.
The Sword of Islam, an offshoot of the al-Qaeda terrorist group, had been planning this attack for many months. The hardest part had been smuggling agents into the groups of emigrants heading to Paradise with the necessary materials. But by being very careful and making small shipments to those who had already emigrated, they had succeeded in transferring enough material and agents to do what needed to be done. Other agents were also moving into position throughout the world, all ready to make a strike against the real Great Satan. Allah had revealed the true evil, these AEthereal serpents with their designs on Earth and their dismissal of the teachings of Allah by their very existence.
Sayid Ahmed Yousef had carefully infiltrated the great support facility and had spotted the ammunition storage area. With others already targeting the armory, he knew his group had to take out this area in the initial attack. Fortunately, Allah had blinded these infidels to their vulnerability. They could not believe that anyone wishing them harm could be located on this world, except for those contemptible fools they had captured and put into work gangs building farms and houses. They would all soon know how wrong they were for Allah had decreed the Great Satan would be punished in less than an hour. The jihad would begin.
Astra opened the portal to Judy's family home after drawing its location from Judy's mind. Even as the portal opened, Judy persisted in her efforts to convince Astra and Ebon to come along. Finally, Ebon nodded after exchanging a knowing glance with Eric and they all went through the opening.
It was a typical summer morning in South Carolina, with a clear blue sky and temperatures already in the low nineties and humidity approaching one hundred percent. The wide, tailored lawn swept up to the veranda of an authentic antebellum mansion. Massive magnolia trees dotted the side yards while palmetto trees lined the driveway. Off to the right were the exercise and practice steeplechase courses. Judy explained her family had entered horses in the Carolina's Cup every year, winning about every three years.
As they climbed the steps to the veranda, the front door opened and Judy's parents came out to greet them. Judy's mother came forward to first hug Judy and then Eric while her father hung back for a moment. When he had the chance, he, too, hugged his daughter and then shook Eric's hand.
"Mom, Dad, let me introduce you to Astra the White, Master Healer for Earth, and my partner. Astra, this is my mother, Elizabeth, and my father, William Deavers."
Astra exchanged a quick greeting with the parents of her partner, quietly extending her healing senses to verify they were in good health. Fortunately, their lifestyle of hard work raising horses had kept them both in good physical condition, and they looked younger than their chronological ages. Once she had completed her scan, she stepped back and thanked them for the invitation to visit.
Judy then said, "And this is her brother Ebon, Guardian of Earth, and Eric's partner."
William Deavers extended his hand in a traditional greeting, impressed by the being who stood before him. He had followed all the news regarding the AEthereals ever since the world became aware of them, and every report about Ebon had revealed the Guardian was a being of honor and integrity with the best interests of the planet at his core. Elizabeth Deavers was not as reserved. With typical southern hostess charm, she gave the large AEthereal a quick welcome hug and then looped her arm through his and began to lead the group through the wide double doors of the house.
Since they had arrived just before the lunch hour, they were soon seated on the screened-in dining porch with a traditional southern lunch of fried chicken, potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, and corn bread. Large pitchers of iced tea, sweet and unsweetened, were placed on the table. While they ate, William Deavers explained to Ebon and Eric the operation of the family farm and the chances their prize stallion would have this year in the Carolina's Cup. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Deavers was telling Astra and Judy all about the local gossip.
Spyder walked into the office to find Katherine bending over to pick up her gym bag. As she straightened, she said, "Oh good, you're back. Did Judy and Eric get off all right?"
"Yes. Astra and Ebon decided to go with them at the last moment, so they opened a portal directly back to Judy's family home in the Carolinas." Looking at her bag, he asked, "What's up?"
"I thought I'd skip lunch today and have a good workout instead. Care to spot for me?"
Spyder tried to appear like he was thinking it over, but she knew he would agree. In the weeks she had worked for him, they had become really good friends and spent most of their off-duty time together. Frankly, she suspected she was really starting to fall for the tall redhead, but he was keeping her at arm's length, so to speak. She suspected it was due to the whole fraternization concept or implications of sexual harassment. Until he figured himself out, she planned to just enjoy his company and hope for the best.
Spyder stopped dithering and grabbed his own bag, following her out the door. No matter what, he enjoyed walking behind her. Her hips had the most delightful sway.
They spent about half an hour on the various equipment stations and then met for a session in the sauna. Spyder had become more comfortable with sharing the sauna with her. Apparently, she had also become more comfortable, since her towel would occasionally slip and expose some portion of her anatomy to his gaze. Take right this moment, for example. Unless he was mistaken, her towel had slipped a bit and he could just make out her right nipple. Grow up, Spyder! You're acting like a love-starved teenager! He glanced at his watch. Twelve fifty-nine p.m. Still plenty of time.
Sayid Ahmed Yousef glanced at his watch, which had been synchronized with those now worn by the leaders of the other eleven teams. Each team would strike on both worlds at the same moment. Yousef's team, wearing counterfeit powder blue leathers, had infiltrated the support facility and scattered to their respective targets. Yousef knew another team, garbed in fake black leathers, would be approaching the armory. A last glance at his watch as he leaned against the ammunition and weapons storage locker and he saw it was time. He triggered the radio pulse that would detonate the explosives each member of his team wore strapped inside their leathers.
The Guardian headquarters buildings in Washington, London, Moscow, Rome, Tokyo, Beijing and Cairo ceased to exist as the teams assigned to those targets triggered the explosives either secreted on their persons, or through huge truck bombs. For a few seconds before the truck bombs were detonated, special valves inside released a fine mist of gasoline vapor into the air. Combined with the explosives, the resulting fireballs and blast effects destroyed almost the entire city block housing the target buildings.
The armory assault team had actually bluffed their way into the facility before the weapons master became suspicious. He knew all the security team personnel and did not recall any Arabic members. When they triggered their explosives, the secondary explosions from the munitions stored within obliterated the armory on Paradise.
The support facility actually stood up to the initial explosions fairly well, a tribute to its construction, as well as its sheer size, which prevented the danger from overpressure within. Unfortunately, the secondary explosions from the stored ammunition destroyed the office spaces and collapsed the weakened structure completely. Directly below the munitions locker was the gymnasium.
The entire sauna shook as all the lights went out. Spyder assumed Katherine was screaming because her mouth was open, but the horrific groans of twisting steel and thunderous crashes of falling concrete overwhelmed all other sounds. Spyder was thrown to the ground, his head striking a glancing blow off the center steam post. He reached out and found Katherine's bare arm. Pulling her to him, he covered her with his own body as much as he could. An even greater explosion shook the facility, bringing down even more concrete and steel reinforcing beams. One of the falling beams punched through the roof of the small sauna directly in front of the door to the women's locker room. The accompanying load of concrete rubble smashed the bench upon which Katherine had been laying only moments before. Water from ruptured pipes trickled down into the room but drained through a crack in the floor. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the crashes ended and they were left in silence and darkness.
At precisely one in the afternoon, Astra and Ebon both suddenly sat bolt upright, as if a massive shock had just surged through their systems. As quickly as they had done so, they both turned and said, "We must go. Something terrible has happened." Without another word, they both disappeared without ever leaving their chairs. Before they could begin to speculate about this sudden turn of events, one of the household servants ran in and told everyone to come watch television.
At the precise moment the twelve teams struck, the Sword of Islam released a statement through various Arabic news agencies of their responsibility for the assault upon the Great Worms of Satan and they called for all true believers to join them in a jihad against the AEthereal and their lackey nations. As the news flashed around the world, the city disaster response forces in the targeted cities were just responding to the reports of the explosions. The television news media, using helicopters and camera crews, began broadcasting from the scenes of devastation even as the first fire trucks rolled up. They had learned, however, from the experience with the Twin Towers; the video feed was prescreened before it went out on the air, an important decision since the raw footage contained views of hundreds of casualties, some people literally torn to pieces by the blasts, while others were burned or crushed.
The sheer magnitude of the destruction was only evident when seen from above. The use of the truck bombs, located on either side of the target buildings, had leveled everything around the center of the explosion. Neighboring buildings had either collapsed already, or were burning out of control and in danger of collapsing at any moment. The film crews could see injured civilians helping others also hurt out of the rubble, while still more were digging in hopes of finding anyone trapped by the collapsing structures.
The impact of the visuals was multiplied when the scenes from the other target cities were put alongside them. Seven major world capitals; seven identical scenes of death and destruction.
Ebon and Astra had portalled back to Paradise as soon as they had been informed of the explosions there. The grim work of moving aside the rubble of the support facility to retrieve the remains of their human support staff had begun, the work being done by AEthereals in natural form since they would be immune to the heat and fires, plus their immense strength. Tenderly, reverently, the mortal remains were carried off to one side and draped with a sheet once the grisly work of identification had been completed. Ebon knew there would be no remains from the armory since there was nothing left there but a large hole in the ground filled with twisted metal and brick. Still, it would be searched. His attention was drawn to his sister, who was organizing a vast team of Whites.
"Astra, we will not need your Whites here," he said as gently as he could.
"I know that," she snapped. "Whether you realize it or not, this attack here was small compared to the hell that has happened on Earth. My Whites are needed there to assist with the hundreds, possibly thousands, of victims in the seven cities." She cast one last look at the smoldering rubble that had once been the huge support facility. "You and Negron have a lot to answer for, brother. How could this happen here?" With those words, she and the Whites went to Earth.
The Guardians were everywhere, helping with the rescue of those trapped in the collapsed buildings while the Whites moved among the injured, healing what injuries they could. Some injuries were too severe to be helped by their abilities; even they could not reattach amputated limbs. The hundreds of dead were taken away for identification. The all-seeing camera lenses of the news media captured every poignant moment of the tragedy.
One scene was broadcast over and over. A huge Brown AEthereal lifting away a large girder to reveal a small, bloodied body of one of thirty elementary school children who had been on a field trip to the Guardian building to learn about the AEthereals. The Brown shifted to human form and gently picked up the child and carried her across the rubble to a waiting White, who laid her hands upon the still form in the arms of the Brown. The White lifted her head to look at the Brown and shook her head. The Brown seemed to slump in defeat and he carried the child over to the ranks of the dead, the camera zooming in to capture the tears running down his face. None of the children had survived.
Even as the rescue efforts were underway, Ebon and his Blacks were descending upon the Middle East. Almost ten thousand very angry AEthereal, without their human partners, began the hunt for the members of the Sword of Islam. In most cases, they were met by weeping people who shared the AEthereals' outrage at what had happened. "Islam is a gentle religion, tolerant of all other faiths," they were told by the people. "What the Sword practices is a perversion of Allah's will." Local people, either from their own outrage or from fear of reprisal, had already captured many of the Sword members and they were turned over to the Guardians for justice.
Occasionally, a group of Sword members would try to resist, or foolishly, attack the Guardians. There was no hesitation in the Guardian response. They sent the so-called 'true believers' to Allah as blazing human torches, flaming them until nothing remained but ash. Where the believers had taken hostages, the AEthereal waited until they could free them or the terrorists had already killed them in trying to provoke the AEthereals. The end result was always the same. The only Swords who survived an encounter were those who either surrendered immediately, or had been captured by some of their former friends and neighbors.
The governments of the seven nations all offered huge rewards for the leadership of the Swords and any other extremist group. Rather than ignite a jihad against the AEthereal, the Sword of Islam had triggered a worldwide backlash against all forms of terrorism. Humanity had had enough.
The news crew from the local Columbia television stations had besieged the Deavers' farm as soon as they found out Judy Deavers and Eric Johansson were staying there. Judy and Eric consented to be interviewed by one station as long as the feed was available to all stations simultaneously. The national news channels quickly picked up the feed, and their small interview had suddenly become a worldwide media event.
Judy was not wearing her Guardian Whites, nor was Eric wearing his blacks. They were both dressed in somber clothes, however, to suit the national mood. The world was in mourning over the senseless slaughter of innocents by the Sword of Islam. As agreed upon beforehand, Judy opened the interview with a brief statement.
Facing the camera, she said, "On behalf of the Guardians, I extend our condolences to all who have suffered loss or injury as a result of this atrocity. The attacks, both here on Earth and on the planet Paradise, have only harmed human beings. Not one of the AEthereal was injured in any way. I note this as it illustrates the complete senselessness of attacking the Guardian facilities in an effort to hurt our new neighbors, for there is nothing we can do to harm them. Such attacks only kill innocent men, women, and children without any attempt to limit the casualties to those who are actually members of the Guardians. The cowardly nature of these attacks, the so-called 'tactics of terror' practiced by the Sword of Islam, should be familiar to us all for every terrorist group we have ever known has used them against the innocent around the world. Iraq, Israel, England, Ireland, Lebanon have long known the tragedy that was just experienced in so many places. Now, as in the past, we also know the futility of the terrorist bombing as a means to achieve any goal outside of random killing."
Eric then spoke. "The Guardians have begun sweeping up all those responsible for these attacks. Those who resisted have been killed, but those captured will be tried for their crimes. The AEthereal do not believe in what we call capital punishment. Rather, they pursue a policy of atonement through work and education. Those convicted of complicity in the attacks will be taken to Paradise and put to work rebuilding the facilities they destroyed and in growing food to feed the hungry on Earth and Paradise. We again express our condolences to everyone even remotely affected by these terrible events."
With that, Eric nodded to the reporter, who began from a list of questions. "I understand that you were here visiting family, Agent Deavers."
"Yes, this is my first visit home in almost two years," Judy responded. "My parents had a brief chance to meet both Astra the White and Ebon the Black, our AEthereal partners, before they were called away to deal with the atrocities."
"What are your plans for this visit?"
"Well, aside from letting my parents get to know my husband, Eric, and for them to get used to the idea that they'll be grandparents before the year is out, we plan on just resting. We may take in a show at the Koger Center and just visit the great spots in Five Points. It all depends on what's happening elsewhere, of course. As Guardians, our time isn't really our own and we could be called away at any time. But for right now, I think we'll probably be here for two weeks or so."
Ibrahim al-Hakim, leader of the Sword of Islam, turned off the television in his Washington, D.C. hotel room, faced the other two men, and said, "We must find these two Guardians and kill them. They are the most visible and known human collaborators working for the Great Worms." He took a map from the table and said, "They are not that far away. We just drive down Interstate 95 to South Carolina and get onto Interstate 20 toward Columbia. We can be there in less than ten hours. Once we are there, we can study the area and make plans."
The Council had gathered to discuss the attacks and they invited the leaders of the nations involved to attend as a courtesy. Only the President had chosen to attend; the other leaders felt the attacks were a Guardian problem, rather than a national one.
Ebon spoke first. "One hundred and forty-six terrorists resisted the Guardians and were dealt with. A total of twenty-three were captured or subdued by the local populace and turned over to us for trial. There are still a couple of them out there somewhere, but their pictures and descriptions are being provided to every media outlet in the world. We have also been given about five hundred terrorists from other organizations on Earth."
Negron stood to address the group. "Here is what we have pieced together so far. Apparently, members of the Sword of Islam have been slipping into the emigrating groups one or two at a time. Each wave of emigration has been used to bring in small quantities of explosives hidden within household goods."
"Why didn't the mental screening catch them?" Azure the Blue asked.
Astra the White replied, "Apparently, we haven't been probing deep enough. Those who emigrated had been trained to concentrate on their relief from fleeing the endless violence in their homelands, or to think calming thoughts from the Koran whenever they were being probed." Astra shook her head sadly. "I fear even I would have been fooled by that. Who would suspect this level of violence from someone whose thoughts were of peace and freedom from violence?"
"The same is true for screening the household goods," said Grendal the Brown. "There is just so much material being moved at once, that it is virtually impossible to prevent small amounts of contraband from passing through unnoticed."
Negron resumed his report. "The attack on Paradise was the work of six men. From what I have been able to learn from deep reading the humans around the armory, two of the terrorists approached the building wearing fake leathers to appear to be members of the Black security force. They somehow obtained entry into the facility itself before detonating their bombs, which in turn, triggered all the ammunition within the armory. There were no survivors at the Armory." Negron paused for a moment, a gesture of respect for those who had died. "A similar pattern was used at the support facility. Four men, each wearing fake Science Support Staff leathers, were involved. They targeted the main support pillars in the building, except for one, who was just outside the munitions storage locker. The building apparently withstood the initial blasts but the secondary explosions from the munitions locker collapsed the structure and took out the office area. Once again, we found no survivors, although we do have two people still unaccounted for. While the office area was badly damaged in the explosions and collapse of the structure, there should have been identifiable remains, as was the case for all the other workers in the facility. In their case, no remains have been found."
Two days in the darkness, listening only to the drip of water and the random crash of falling debris. They were both getting weaker from the lack of food and water; the rubble contaminated the annoying drip that plagued them, rendering it undrinkable, even if they could somehow reach it.
Believing they might not get out of the fix they were in, Spyder turned to Katherine in the dark and said, "Katy, there's something I need to say to you. In a way, the darkness helps because I've never said anything like this before." He paused. "I love you. I've never said that to a woman before. In fact, I've never even had a girlfriend. But ever since I met you, I can't stand the thought of living my life without you."
Katherine reached up and stroked Spyder's face. "They say that people in these kinds of situations feel all sorts of things for the ones they're trapped with."
Spyder said, "No, it's not like that! I've felt this way about you for a long time."
"Then why haven't you said something before now?"
"Because I'm your supervisor, and I didn't want you or anyone else to think I was using that position as a means of forcing you into a relationship."
Katherine pulled Spyder's head down and, just before their lips met, whispered, "I love you, too, Spyder."
As their mouths met, Spyder was swept away by the heady sensations caused by her lips and tongue touching his own. Her hands were sliding along his back and, without conscious thought, his own moved from her hair and down over her shoulders. "I've never been with anyone," Spyder whispered as they came up for air.
"That will make this even more special for us both," Katy said as she pulled him into another kiss.
Their passions finally spent, Spyder took stock of their surroundings once more, driven by the need to get Katherine free of this underground chamber. He knew the exit to the women's locker area was blocked by a fallen steel beam and chunks of concrete, so he crawled over to the doorway to the men's locker area. He could feel the grit and small rocks abrading his skin as he tried to find some way past the rubble. When he could, he shifted the debris aside to make a larger passageway. Perhaps he could even find a way to get them both out of here.
An hour later, after he had progressed more than ten feet from the doorway to the sauna, disaster struck. A large wedge of concrete with extremely jagged edges slipped down from above and pinned Spyder's hand against another block. The pain was excruciating. He felt his skin tear and the bones in his hand break as the heavy block smashed downward. Despite his efforts at self-control, a small cry of pain slipped from his lips.
"Spyder! What's wrong?" Katherine asked, fear evident in her voice.
"I'm trapped. A falling piece of concrete has pinned my hand." Pain was evident in his voice.
Katherine quickly wormed her way along the passage Spyder had made. Once she reached his feet, she began to climb over him. The film of sweat coating them both made her naked skin slide easily over his and she soon reached his head. Feeling forward, she followed his arm to the block pinning his hand. The wet, sticky feel of blood on her fingers told her that Spyder was hurt pretty badly. She reached around and found a short piece of a broken steel reinforcing rod and forced it into an opening between the two blocks nears his trapped fingers.
"Listen to me. I'm going to try to shift this block enough to take the pressure off your fingers. As soon as you feel it ease, pull your hand out."
With those words, she began to lever the rod to lift the wedge. Spyder could feel her muscles straining and her efforts exerted a downward pressure on his ribcage making it hard to breathe, but he could also feel an almost infinitesimal decrease in the pressure on his hand. He reached forward and helped her pull downward on the rod to lift the imprisoning concrete. The block suddenly shifted backwards, momentarily crushing his fingertips before toppling away into the darkness.
While he had thought his hand hurt before, the sudden release of pressure increased his agony exponentially. He could feel blood dripping from his hand as he cradled it against his chest. Yet even as he fought the nausea induced by the pain, he was very aware of Katherine's breasts pressed on either side of his head as she lay above him.
"We need to go back, Spyder. We can use the towel to bandage your hand and try to control the bleeding." Katherine began to worm her way backwards over Spyder's body. Despite their predicament, Spyder found the entire thing quite erotic but mentally berated himself as a fool for doing so. As Katherine passed his feet, she reached out and tapped his foot to get him to start moving back to the sauna.
It was slow going, and Spyder knew he was becoming weaker by the minute due to blood loss. After what felt like an eternity, Katherine found the doorway and, once through it, she searched for the towel. She knew it was dirty, but it was all they had to staunch his wounds. As Spyder finished backing into the sauna, Katherine tore two strips of cloth from the ragged edge of the towel and then folded the remainder into a pad. Working by touch, she wrapped the pad around Spyder's mangled fingers and hand, then she secured it in place using the two strips she had torn free. Once she had finished, she cradled Spyder against her breasts, her fear for him causing her tears to fall like raindrops.
Spyder found the sensation of being pressed against Katherine's breasts both calming and exciting. Lightheaded from the blood loss, he had trouble focusing. For some reason, it felt like it was raining on him; hot, salty drops kept splashing on his nose and lips and at the same time, there was something pressing into his ear. Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he realized it was Katherine's nipple.
"Let me get this straight," Astra said in a cold voice. "Spyder and Katherine are missing. No one has seen them since before the explosion. There has not been one trace of them found in the rubble of the facility, yet you are assuming they are dead."
Negron looked a little abashed at her angry tone. "Astra, if they are not dead, then where are they? If they were alive, they would have come forward to help!"
"You idiot! They can't come forward if they are trapped somewhere inside that rubble. They may be dead for all we know, but if they are alive, they cannot have much time left," Astra spat out.
"We have cleared the whole structure, Astra," Negron said in his defense.
"And what about the subbasement gymnasium? Has anyone looked there?"
"What subbasement gymnasium?" Negron looked stunned.
The entire group portalled to the site immediately. Astra showed them where the entrance to the subbasement had been covered by a fallen slab of concrete. Seeing that flat cap, she could understand how the others could think it was resting on the foundation slab, rather than covering the one entrance to another level. Grendal and Brundig shifted forms and lifted the huge slab out of the way.
The passageway down was blocked by fallen chunks of concrete and other debris that had fallen before the slab had covered the opening. As teams of workers began clearing the debris from the passage, Astra slowly paced her way across the cleared slab toward the point of most destruction. Here was where the munitions locker had been; the huge slab crushed downward, the gaps filled with chunks of concrete and twisted steel. "Negron! Come over here!" Astra called out.
The large Black appeared by her side almost immediately.
"Look down there. See how the debris has fallen down through the gaps in the slab. The area under this part of the slab is hollow and that is where the gym was constructed," Astra said, pointing out the rough dimensions of the underground facility.
Summoning more help, Negron himself climbed down into the pit and began passing up debris to attempt another way into the subbasement. The large, broken pieces of the slab were portalled across to an empty field while the smaller ones were passed hand-to-hand by a chain of AEthereals in an effort to speed up the process.
Astra stood off to one side, extending her senses, trying to find her young friend below the rubble. She had shifted to her natural form to free up all her energy for this effort, shutting down her external senses to extend her inner ones. She probed deeper and finally found what she had been hoping for, a faint flicker of life. She extended her healing sense to see how badly they were hurt, infusing both humans with some of her energy to strengthen them. 'They are alive and relatively unhurt. They are about forty feet below us and off to the right,' Astra mentally addressed the assembled rescuers.
Powerful field lights were set up to provide enough illumination to continue the digging after the sun had set. Spyder had recovered enough to engage in a mental conversation with Astra, describing the conditions under which they were trapped. Astra quickly portalled to her own home and selected some clothing for the two trapped humans. No one wants to be rescued naked, especially when they are conscious. As the AEthereal finally reached the doorway to the sauna room, Astra passed the clothing through the still partially-blocked door. By the time the door was finally cleared enough to open, Spyder and Katherine were dressed enough to protect their modesty.
Once back on the surface, Astra began to work on Spyder's hand, aligning and healing the fragmented bones, then beginning on the torn and bruised tissue. The rest of their condition would be set straight by a long, hot shower, a good meal, and some decent sleep. As she worked on his hand, Astra noticed the protective way Katherine hovered around Spyder, and through her close communion with Spyder's mind, Astra also knew what had transpired while they were trapped in the sauna.
Once she finished with Spyder, Astra turned her senses onto Katherine, giving her a complete scan to make sure she had no hidden injuries. As she worked, she could sense the depth of the young woman's love for Spyder and knew this was not a romance born of terror and the fear of death. This woman was in love with Spyder before they were trapped and she loved him even more now.
Astra was pleased for her young friend. He had gotten over his adolescent crush on her a while back but had never seemed to find a woman who could hold his attention, let alone capture his affections. Now, it seemed the fates had provided that woman in the form of Katherine Dwyer. Astra stood and turned to the group.
"Our lost sheep have been found but need some rest and recuperation time away from all this hubbub. I am taking them with me for at least a week, so you will just have to get along without Spyder and Miss Dwyer for that long." Without another word, she took the hand of each of the two rescued humans and they portalled away.
"Welcome to my home, Katherine," Astra said once they arrived. "Spyder lived here before, so he knows where everything is. I want you two to recover in peace, so I brought you here where no one will intrude without my permission. The place is yours. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask for it."
Katherine impulsively hugged the tall AEthereal and, when she stepped back, Spyder did, too. "Thank you," he whispered in Astra's ear. Taking Katherine by the hand, he took her on a tour of Astra's underground home, showing her the gym and the underground lake, explaining how Eric had taught him to swim here and then all about the night the son of the terrorist Bartlett had shot them while they were swimming. When they reentered the main house, Astra had fixed them all something to eat. While they ate, Astra arranged for some clothing in Katherine's sizes to be placed in Spyder's old suite. Once everything was arranged to her liking, Astra turned to the young couple and said, "I will be leaving now and will not be back for a full seven days. Until I get back, the place is yours. All I ask is that you clean the kitchen before I return. I hate a dirty kitchen. If you need anything, all you have to do is think my name very hard and I will hear you." With those words, Astra left in a blue nimbus of light.
Spyder took Katherine in his arms and kissed her slowly and deeply, while she seemed to melt against the hard length of his body. Huskily, he said, "Let me show you our suite and the magnificent shower in the bathroom."
Danny and Katarina walked into the temporary support facility, looking for whoever was now responsible for outfitting the exploration teams. They needed to discuss the projected supplies for their upcoming deployment. Much to their surprise, they found Spyder talking with a woman clad in the powder blue of the support staff.
"Spyder!" Danny called out as he walked over. "I didn't know you were back!"
Spyder turned with a grin on his face. "They couldn't get along without me, Danny." Turning to the woman, he said, "Katy, I want you to meet Danny and Katarina. They're part of the best exploration unit we have. Danny, Katarina, I want you to meet my wife, Katherine."
"When did you get married?" Katarina asked.
Katherine blushed a bit as she said, "Well, we haven't actually gotten married. We are living together and think of ourselves as married, but there wasn't an actual ceremony or anything like that, yet."
"I know exactly what you mean. Is the same with Danny and me." Katarina looked at the two men talking and laughing. "You know, perhaps is about time we did something about that. Let's go see Astra."
While the two women walked off, Spyder asked, "So what brings you two down to my humble establishment?"
"We have a big deployment coming up and wanted to go over the supply list," Danny said.
"And where in the galaxy are you off to this time?" Spyder asked.
"We're going back to Serenity to explore one of the other continents. So far, only the area around the original campsite has really been explored. Unfortunately, the build up in that area is driving away the wildlife, so it's been decided that a real mission to document the local life forms needs to be undertaken." Danny's expression was one of excitement. "It also means I'll have several camera teams working for me on the project. Ebon actually contracted with the National Geographic Society for the use of their teams for this effort. This also means we'll have many extra humans to deal with on the deployment. Everyone will need shelters, food, and an overall increase in consumables for the whole team. I thought it best we discuss this with you beforehand so you're prepared for the increased demand," Danny added.
"How many extras?" Spyder asked.
"Well, NGS is providing a full list in a few days, but I estimate about fifteen to twenty new people. They'll also need a special shelter configured for use as a mobile photographic laboratory since the AEthereal will no longer permit moving large trailers or containers to Paradise or Serenity. I have the specifications for you." Danny reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, extracted a sheaf of papers and handed them to Spyder.
Spyder glanced them over. "Hmmm, doesn't look too complicated. I think the best choice would be to use an environmental unit with airlocks. They have no windows and the airlocks would serve as light shields for the darkrooms. It's a closed system, so the used chemicals from the film developing would be captured in the tanks for disposal once the unit is back here. It will take perhaps three days to get it completely configured the way you want it."
"See what I mean?" Danny asked. "I would never have thought of using one of those. Instead, I would have been trying to make one of the portable living shelters into something without light leaks."
The two men wandered over to the cafeteria and had some lunch while they waited for the return of the two women. Danny said, "Spyder, if I'm out of line, just say so, but I have a question. I thought all of us in the Guardian color groups had AEthereal partners."
Spyder was quiet for a moment, as if weighing how to answer. "For the most part, that's what most people think. Actually, there are a lot of humans in the Blacks without partners, mainly in the strategic forces and guard functions. I think I'm the only Blue without a partner, though. None of the support staff have partners, either." Spyder walked along a few minutes before he added, "Indigo once told me that my mind is too full of technology for any AEthereal to really feel comfortable meshing with, but since I was such an integral part of the science team that developed the shield suits, I was made a member of the science corps rather than the support staff. I did get to fly once, though. Back when we were developing the first shield suit and saddle, Astra took me up." Spyder looked at Danny as he added, "I envy you that. It was so amazing."
Astra looked up as Katherine and Katarina walked into her office. "What a wonderful surprise!"
"We need your help," Katarina said. "We humans have this quaint custom called a wedding."
Astra looked stunned. "How could we have forgotten something so important?" Looking at the two human women, she said, "We must take care of this right away!" Standing, she said, "Let us go shopping!" As she opened the portal to Earth, she sent a thought to her brother. 'Ebon, you need to get with Spyder and Danny to arrange for tuxedos. We are having a double wedding!'
About ten days later and a few days before the wedding, Danny spoke with Forrest. "Forrest, do you think it would be okay if we invited Spyder and Katherine to visit with us while we're on Serenity?"
"I see no reason why not, Danny. While he is not partnered, there is no AEthereal alive who does not welcome Spyder. Any one of them would be pleased to fly him or his wife around anytime they might wish it."
"That is excellent news," Katarina said. "Just today, Katherine was asking what it was like up in sky."
"We will be taking some unattached Greens and Oranges along on this mission to watch over the camera teams," Laranja said. "I will see if any of them would like the opportunity to try flying with a rider. That way, we can all go up at one time together."
"It can be our honeymoons! After all, most people try to go somewhere exotic after they wed, and I can't imagine anyplace more exotic than another world!" Katarina suggested.
"Spyder, Danny, come with us." Ebon and Forrest were dressed in plain civilian garb rather than their normal leathers. "We want you to dress casually as we are without anything showing your Guardian status."
As they portalled to their respective rooms to change, Danny turned to Forrest and asked, "What's up?"
"Eric reminded us of another age-old human custom. We are meeting the others in a little bit for your bachelor party." Forrest grinned. "I am quite looking forward to it!"
Danny quickly changed and they portalled to Earth, meeting in an alley. Danny could feel the bass beat of music through the wall. "Where are we?"
Before he could answer, other portals opened and Spyder, Ebon, Eric, Indigo, and many other Guardians, human and AEthereal, stepped into the alley. Taking the lead, Forrest said, "I believe it is what is euphemistically referred to as a 'Gentlemen's Club.' This one is called the Pink Pussy Cat."
Spyder groaned, "Katherine is going to kill me," while Danny nodded his head in agreement.
Forrest grinned. "Stop worrying. Right now, Katherine and Katarina are with Hecate and the others at some place called Chippendales."
The day of the wedding finally arrived. They had chosen just before sunset in the grand amphitheater on Paradise as the venue for the ceremony. Everyone had helped decorate the site with garlands of flowers that led the way to a canopied riser. Rose petals formed two pathways across the floor. What seemed to be acres of white folding chairs formed rows of seating for the assembled throngs of guests. The AEthereal were all seated in human form next to their partners. Meanwhile, the unpartnered AEthereal sat on the risers in their natural dragon forms, sitting in mixed groups forming a kaleidoscope of color. The sun was slowly setting directly behind the canopied riser, painting the sky in a wash of gold and orange.
A hidden sound system began to play Mendelssohn's Wedding March and twin portals opened at the ends of the two rose petal paths. In synchronized steps, Katherine and Katarina stepped through the portals on the arms of their escorts. Indigo the Blue, escorting Katherine, was resplendent in a dark navy blue tuxedo with a crisp white ruffled shirt, navy blue ascot and cummerbund, and platinum studs and cuff links. Forrest escorted Katarina. He was in a matching tuxedo of dark forest green with matching tie and cummerbund. His studs and cufflinks were of solid gold.
As wonderful as the two AEthereal looked, they could have been invisible for all eyes were on the two brides. Katherine's brown hair was swept up on top of her head, adding an inch or two to her diminutive five and a half feet. Wearing a diamond tiara that secured the veil, her face was slightly obscured from view while matching diamond earrings graced her slightly pointed ears. The rest of the veil draped down her back without hiding the details of her form-fitting dress, which had as the basis of its design, a simple Grecian gown of the past, flowing from one shoulder. It was made from a flowing jersey fabric with a satiny sheen, while the white silk neckline was embroidered in white satin iridescent thread with a repeating motif of Grecian keys.
Katarina was also wearing a tiara adorned with the clearest emeralds anyone had ever seen. Matching emeralds graced her ears and neck; the green signifying her partnership with the exploration arm of the Guardians. Her sleeveless white dress had a heart-shaped neckline. The white satin of her form-fitting bodice was overlaid with rose-patterned lace decorated with thousands of hand-sewn pearls. The flowing skirt was trimmed at the bottom with lace and pearl overlays in the repeating rose pattern.
Timing their arrival at the dais at the same moment, the two escorts handed over the custody of the brides to the waiting grooms. Both were dressed in formal black tuxedos with tails, starched white shirts, white bow ties, and white cummerbunds. Danny and Spyder took the trembling hands of their respective brides as Negron, Guardian of Paradise, solemnly intoned, "Who gives these women unto these men for the purposes of marriage?"
Indigo and Forrest answered back, "On behalf of the AEthereal and their departed parents, we do." After speaking their part, both AEthereals were seated in vacant chairs in the first row reserved for their use. As they sat, a hush fell over the amphitheater.
"Friends and family, we are gathered here today in the sight of this great host to join these two couples into the union known as matrimony. Between these two couples exist the same bond that forms between AEthereals---what we call a life bond. There can be no question regarding the depth of their commitment to one another, nor is there a need to promise fidelity, for once a life bond is formed, there can be no one else in their lives. They are truly two halves of one whole. Yet, in the shared belief of us all, it is the wish of both couples to express their love before this assembled host as witnesses."
In unison, Danny and Spyder reached out, took their bride's hands into their own, and spoke. "I promise to love only you until the day I die. In sickness or in health, whether rich or poor, you will be the center of my universe. I will honor you and cherish you forever."
Katarina and Katherine then spoke. "I promise to love only you until the day that I die. In sickness or in health, whether rich or poor, you will be the center of my universe. I will honor you and cherish you forever."
Negron stepped forward once more. "As the Guardian of this planet, I am honored to pronounce you husbands and wives. Gentlemen, you may now kiss your brides."
Danny and Spyder each raised the veils from their bride's face and then swept them into their arms for a single deep kiss of undying devotion. As if choreographed, the two couples broke the kiss at the same moment and then turned to face the throng of guests. Now illuminated solely by the torchlight around the amphitheater and the moons rising in the darkened sky, the brides seemed to glow.
A gasp from the crowd drew everyone's attention to the sky above. A quartet of flaming dragons flew overhead, their flames forming arcs and swirls in the wash of their wings as they danced among the stars.
Negron spoke quietly to the two couples. "Please accept this as our gift to you. When AEthereals mate, they fly like this in celebration of their union. These displays can last for hours and cover thousands of miles, but for tonight, they will remain overhead to dazzle us with their skills and artistry."
At one point, while everyone's attention was still on the display overhead, Astra slipped over to Spyder and Katherine. Placing her finger against her lips in the universal signal for silence, she led them away from the guests and opened a portal back to her home on Earth. "See you in two days," she said as she closed the portal behind the departing couple.
Astra then went over to Laranja. "Did you get Danny and Katarina away?"
Laranja smiled. "Yes. They are spending the next two days on an island far away from the settled areas on Paradise."
Astra smiled back at her friend, satisfaction evident in her manner. "This went well. Not only did we celebrate the joining of two life-bonded couples, but we banished the sadness lingering after the attack." She sighed. "I think I will go flying. Want to join me?"
Three days later, as the last of the supplies for the deployed team went through the portal, Spyder and his nervous bride stepped through the blue nimbus and onto the southern continent of Serenity. At first, the hustle of the humans and AEthereals moving the supplies into place masked the reality of their move across the galaxy. Once they stepped free of the crowds and went over to their waiting friends, they finally got a chance to look around.
While Serenity was much like Earth and Paradise, the camp on the southern continent was perched on a plateau overlooking a large rainforest similar to the Amazon River Basin on Earth. The elevation of the campsite spared the exploration team from the humidity and ever-present insect life that existed in the area below the plateau. Looking down from the rim, all Spyder could see was a dark green canopy of endless trees, broken only by the presence of mighty waterways. Small avian forms darted amid the treetops in a kaleidoscope of bright colors.
Noting the extra spring in his step and the feeling of being lighter, Spyder muttered, "Gravity is different, lighter. Probably nine-tenths Earth normal."
"Air is different, too," Katherine added as she took a deep breath. "I think it has a higher oxygen mix."
Danny and Katarina greeted them and led them to a portable shelter. "Here's your home away from home," Danny said as he opened the shelter door and let the couple drop off their bags before leading them on a tour of the camp. He showed them the communal center and the various labs set up to analyze the specimens obtained by the exploration team. Spyder was amazed by the size of the effort. He hadn't realized just how many shelters had been pushed through the portals over the past few days, but seeing them all spread out before him in neat rows brought it home. There were over two hundred scientists, photographers, explorers, and other support personnel living on top of this massive sheet of rock.
"Why so many people?" Spyder asked.
"Well, it's a dream come true for most of these scientists. So many different groups wanted to come here, we had to institute a policy of mandating a thirty-day rotation among them. This campsite will grow as time goes by and additional camps will be established as they are needed. I've heard some of the scientists talking about some projects that will take years to complete, but they're all like a bunch of kids in a candy store." Danny pointed across to a group wearing dark blue. "And it's not just the humans, either. There are probably more Blue AEthereals here than I've ever seen gathered in one place outside of a Grand Council."
"This is truly amazing!" Katherine exclaimed. "I'm not sure what I'd expected but it was nothing like this."
"You can't really grasp how much is going on from down here, but wait until you see it from air," Katarina said. "We have arranged for each of you to be paired with some unpartnered AEthereals for duration of your visit, and they are looking forward to taking you flying." Looking at the angle of the sun, she added, "In fact, we should be meeting them about now over at the community center." Taking Katherine by the arm, Katarina led the group back over to the large communal facility. Entering the air-conditioned space was a shock after the warmth outside, and they just stood there a moment adjusting to the change. A wave from across the facility caught Danny's attention, and he led the way over to a group of four AEthereals sitting around a table.
Forrest's voice boomed out a greeting to Spyder, "So, you managed to escape the drudgery of being a storekeeper! Good!"
Laranja just shook her head, and then stood to greet the newcomers. "Please excuse him. He thinks he is funny for some reason. I am Laranja and he is Forrest. This is Sorcha the Red and Striker the Black. Like you, they are on their first off-world trip."
Spyder extended his hand to Striker while Katherine greeted Sorcha. "Forgive me, but I thought you used colors for your names," Katherine asked.
"Most of us do, my dear. But there are several million AEthereal and only so many decent color related names. Try to imagine a regal Blue and the affront to his dignity if he were called Cornflower. Even the quiet Golds might have a problem with Buttercup. Since none of you are capable of speaking our true names, we are permitted to choose our own nicknames, although sometimes, they change over time. For example, one young Brown decided he would be called Streak, presumably because he felt he was so fast in the sky. However, through a series of mishaps and a rather serious collision with a mountain peak in a cloud, everyone started calling him Bumper. At first, he was angry about it, but over time he, too, saw the humor in it all and accepted his new name gracefully."
Forrest stood and said, "Enough talk. These folks want to fly!" And with that, he led the way outside to the vast clear area at the edge of the camp. Once they reached the right spot, Forrest opened a small portal and reached through to retrieve two bags, which he presented to Spyder and Katherine. When they were opened, the contents were revealed to be two new helmets, one dark blue, and one powder blue. Before Spyder could express his gratitude, Forrest strode into the center of the area and transformed into his natural form. Danny sprang up onto Forrest's forearm and then into his saddle, pulled on his own helmet, fastened the connections to his leathers and his flying straps, and slapped Forrest on the neck. Forrest sprang into the sky.
Sorcha next transformed and Spyder assisted Katherine in getting settled in the saddle. Once she was aloft, Striker transformed and Spyder was soon in the air. Laranja and Katarina quickly followed. The four pairs formed up in the sky high above the plateau. The vista displayed below them was incredible.
The plateau was a really a mesa jutting above the jungle canopy, and covered an area of nearly five miles. Below it, the jungle spread for several hundred miles in all directions, interlaced with connected waterways teeming with life. Beyond the jungle to the east and south were vast plains, with stands of trees growing along the waterways. A wall of snow-capped mountains lay to the north and to the west was a sere, barren land where nothing grew.
The unusualness of that bleak landscape drew them and, as they approached, Spyder could see the familiar shape of the prefabricated shelters deployed by the team. They touched down to be greeted by the small team of scientists working at the edge of the wasteland. Spyder was pleasantly surprised to see Azure the Blue in charge of the group.
"Azure! How are you? It's been a long time!" Spyder exclaimed as he slid off Striker's back. After brief introductions, Spyder turned to the old AEthereal scientist and asked, "So how do you account for such a phenomenon as the juxtaposition of a verdant rain forest next to such absolute barrenness?'
Azure looked sad and replied, "All we can say at this point is this is not natural." He waved his hand to indicate the bleak surface. "There was some catastrophe here that rendered this land absolutely sterile. Nothing lives here; our team cannot find even the smallest microbe. I myself have flown for many hours across that surface, all the way to the far distant mountains that lie between here and the western ocean, and found nothing." He looked at the appalled expressions on the faces of the new arrivals and added, "The wasteland is roughly circular, so whatever happened originated in the center and spread outward in a fairly constant and consistent manner, destroying all life before it. The radius of the effect is roughly five hundred miles." Shaking his head, he mumbled, "I wonder what they did."
"Wonder what who did, Azure?" Danny asked.
"The species who lived here." Seeing the puzzled look on their faces, he said, "Has no one told you about the ruins in the jungle?"
Ibrahim al-Hakim studied the farmhouse through his binoculars. There did not appear to be any real security surrounding the place. Americans were so trusting, so secure, that they never conceived anyone would attack them in their homes in the countryside. He studied the horses in the paddocks. Fine animals, but he preferred the strength and stamina of a champion Arabian. As the sun drew lower, he observed various workers leading the horses to their stalls in the barns and then closing them up for the night. All but one climbed into the trucks parked near the barns and drove away from the farm. The single remaining person walked up the steps to the main house, entered, and closed the door.
About one hour later, the door opened again and four people came out. Ibrahim could see their faces clearly through his binoculars. It was his two targets, along with an older couple. They got into a sedan and drove away from the farm on the road that went toward Columbia. No matter; Ibrahim knew they would return later that night full of fine food and tired from a long day. A small smile of satisfaction flickered across his narrow lips. Allah had provided them with the perfect opportunity. Ibrahim and his men would be waiting inside when the fools returned.
Following directions provided mentally by Azure, the four AEthereals and their riders winged their way across the broad expanse of jungle canopy toward the northern side of the mesa. After about fifty miles, they began to notice a thinning of the larger trees and an increase in the smaller shrubs and vines. Finally, the remains of a city appeared below them looking much like the growth-encrusted ruins of Central America, slowly being consumed by the jungle. The group settled into the largest clear area they could find and began to explore.
Spyder's first impression was of immense age. Even though jungle growth is comparatively rapid, the weathering of the exposed surfaces indicated a long passage of time. Forrest forced open one of the doors to the structure and they went inside. Even here, the jungle was making inroads as creeper vines covered most of the walls and small creatures scurried about in the foliage. Katarina switched on a flashlight and played it over the walls. With a cry of discovery, she drew the group over to one wall. There they could see carvings in the stone, a bas-relief not yet eroded away by time or the elements.
The figures revealed were humanoid in appearance, walking upright with symmetrical limbs. The figures had large eyes, reminding Danny of lemurs or those doe-eyed paintings so popular in the past. The arms seemed to terminate in hands with only four fingers. Surrounding the figures were symbols carved deep into the surface, obviously some form of textual commentary. Danny took many photographs of the relics from different angles while Katherine and Spyder drifted away into another part of the room.
Spyder glanced through a doorway and saw a mound of debris. Artifacts from the past, abandoned on the floor and covered by the drifting detritus from the jungle and its denizens. "We need an archeological team to study this properly," he said as the others joined him. Danny took some photographs of what Spyder had found, and then they all flew back to the mesa.
Obsidian was waiting for them. "Hello, Guardian," Forrest said as he assumed his human form. "What brings you to this side of Serenity?"
"Azure has informed me that the remains of a city have been located within the jungle," Obsidian said, adding, "He has also told me of the dead zone to the west and his conjectures about its cause."
"Well, the ruins are there. We just left them," Forrest said. "Danny has taken many pictures of the area we looked at and Spyder recommends we bring in a full archeological team to examine them properly." Looking at the tall Black, he added, "I agree with him. The previous inhabitants of this world were humanoid, so human archeologists may have an advantage over our own in interpreting what they find."
Obsidian thought for a few moments, then nodded his assent. "Agreed. I worry about the increase in population down here without adequate forces to protect them. I will contact Ebon and Negron to see if they can add another wing to this deployment." He turned to look at the young Black standing next to Spyder. "You are called Striker? Negron has spoken to me about you. If you wish to remain here on Serenity, I welcome you to my wing."
Startled and yet pleased, the young Black bowed his head, "I am honored."
Turning his attention to the young Red, Obsidian said, "The same is true for you, young Sorcha. You are welcome to remain here on Serenity."
Danny was amazed to see that an AEthereal in human form could blush, but Sorcha's cheeks flared red as she stammered her acceptance of the offer to join the wing on Serenity.
"Good," Obsidian said. "For now, your duties are to remain here with this group and protect them as necessary. Forrest, I will convey the request for additional teams, especially archeologists, to Ebon for action." Without another word, Obsidian vanished into a portal.
Danny excused himself, heading for the photographic laboratory to develop his film. Katarina just smiled and shook her head as she watched him go. She knew it would be several hours before she saw her husband again. She turned to the others and said, "Let's go get something to eat and settle in for long evening. We won't see Danny again until he has those pictures in his hands."
It had been a wonderful evening. After attending a Broadway musical at the Koger Center, they had gone out to dinner at one of the better Italian restaurants in Columbia. Carrabba's Italian Grill™ was a favorite of Judy's; their homemade pasta was divine and their recipes for the sauces, either red or white, was the best she had ever tasted. It was a full Italian dining experience, with several courses---antipasti, pasta, the main course, and dessert---topped off with rich cappuccino or espresso coffee. Wines had been served with each course, along with unlimited bread sticks and salad. Eric wondered just how much weight he had gained eating that much rich food, but the evening had been one of the most pleasant he had ever spent. He truly liked Judy's parents and they seemed to like him. Driving back to the farm in the dead of night with Judy nestled under his arm drowsing, made him realize that life just couldn't get much better. His hand rested protectively on the slight swelling of Judy's stomach. A child. A son, according to Astra. He laid his head back with a sigh of contentment.
A late night thunderstorm was flashing in the night sky with long tongues of lightning and the rain had become a heavy deluge as they drove off the interstate highway at the Camden exit. The storm had obviously done some major damage somewhere as all the power seemed to be out in this part of the state. Their progress down the roads leading to the farm was slow, avoiding those awash with runoff from the rain and the occasional downed limb from a tree. Lightning blasted a tree nearby, but the heavy rains put out the fire before it could really get started.
Finally, they reached the gates of the farm and, as they turned onto the long driveway leading up to the farmhouse, William Deavers spoke quietly. "Eric, are you armed?"
Eric replied, "No. Why? What's wrong?"
Still moving slowly down the drive, Judy's father said, "Someone broke into the farmhouse. There's a silent alarm installed in the house connected to a battery back up when the power's out. When it's tripped, it flashes a small red light under the eave only visible from the driveway. It's flashing now. I don't know whether there's still anyone inside, but I don't want the women to go in there until we know for sure."
"I resent that, Dad," came Judy's voice. "You know perfectly well I can shoot better than you can."
"That may be true, princess, but I'm not pregnant and you are. I want you to protect your mother while Eric and I check this out." William's voice was firm and brooked no further argument.
Eric shook his head. Someday, I'll have to get William to teach me how he does that! Aloud, he said, "Are there any weapons accessible to us before we go inside?" William shook his head.
"Why don't we just call the police and let them check it out?" asked Elizabeth Deavers sharply. "That is what they're for, you know."
Knowing something is the smart thing to do is one thing; overcoming years of training as a law enforcement agent is something else entirely. Eric handed his cell phone to Judy. "Call the police. Meanwhile, your father and I will check things out." As Elizabeth whispered in protest, the two men quietly exited the car and started for the house.
The front door was still locked and the house seemed quiet as they entered the foyer. They moved as silently as they could into William's study to reach the gun cabinets. Just as William started to insert his key into the cabinet lock, he was struck on the back of his head by the butt of a gun, knocking him to the floor unconscious. At the same moment, Eric was jumped by another intruder. Despite his training and experience, his reflexes were slightly impaired by the wine he had drunk with dinner and he, too, was soon knocked unconscious, although he had managed to land some solid blows to his attacker's face, breaking his nose.
Judy tried to contact the police on the cell phone, but the power outage had evidently affected the cell towers and there was no signal. Just as she started to speak to her mother, the door to the back seat was violently thrown open and the cold wet muzzle of an automatic weapon was jammed into her swollen belly. "One move from either of you and this baby dies." With that threat, Judy knew this wasn't just some routine home invasion; she wasn't showing that much, so whoever this was knew she was pregnant beforehand. The absolutely cold tone of that voice drained any thoughts of resistance from Judy. As long as that gun was aimed at her baby, she knew there was nothing she could do.
Speaking to her mother, the man said, "Get out of the car and walk around to me. Try to run, and I pull the trigger."
Elizabeth stepped from the car into the pouring rain just as a flash of lightning and the almost simultaneous boom of thunder split the sky. In that split second, she could see the cold, implacable gaze of the man as he watched her. When she reached his side, he grabbed her by the hair, twisting it in his fist, and then he moved the muzzle of the gun under her chin. He turned to Judy. "Now you get out and we will go join the others."
Judy eased out of the car and into the cold rain, which soaked her to the skin in seconds. She could see the terror in her mother's face with each flash of lightning, along with the deep impression being made by the gun's barrel into the soft flesh of her mother's neck. Judy had no doubt this man would blow her mother's head off unless he was obeyed instantly. "Just do what he says, Mom."
The man gestured for Judy to walk ahead of them to the front door. As she walked through the heavy rain, she wondered what had happened to Eric and her father. She knew this man had not been operating alone, and she wondered whether any of them would see the sun come up.
'Judy! What is wrong?' Astra's voice rang in her mind.
Judy quickly recalled all of the events of the past few minutes, knowing Astra would read them from her mind in seconds.
Astra's reaction was swift. We are coming. Do whatever these people say to do until we get there.'
Strengthened by the brief mental contact with her partner, Judy walked up the steps and opened the door to the house. Another gunman was waiting in the foyer and he grabbed her roughly and pushed her to the floor of her father's study. A flash of lightning briefly lit the room and Judy could see two shapes lying on the floor a few feet away. Her father and Eric. Her father was moving slightly but Eric was still and his face was covered in blood. She watched as another man with a gun walked over to Eric and kicked him in the side hard enough to lift Eric from the floor. Another lightning flash showed Judy that Eric had not gone down without a fight; his attacker's face was also bloody and swollen, with a misshapen nose and split lips. At that moment, the gunman from the foyer grabbed Judy's hair and began to drag her to one of the Queen Anne chairs in the room. She had to scramble on her hands and knees to keep from having her hair torn from her scalp.
Judy's mother was likewise forced into the other Queen Anne chair. Silent tears were running down Elizabeth's face as she caught sight of her husband's still form on the floor beside the gun cabinets. She started to reach out as one of the gunmen grabbed the back of William's coat and roughly pulled him across the room and threw him onto the leather sofa. The slap of a gun barrel on the top of her head made her sit back, almost sick with fear for her husband.
The gunman similarly tossed Eric onto the other end of the sofa. The gunman then began to truss William's legs with a heavy plastic cable wrap, the same thing used by police departments for emergency restraints. Once his legs were bound, the man pulled William's arms behind his back and bound them with another in the same manner. As he reached to bind Eric's feet, Eric struck out with his foot, catching the gunman in the eye with the toe of his hard-soled shoe. Eric then leaped on the man with all the anger he had inside, his fists crashing again and again in the man's face. Judy was splattered by blood as Eric knocked several of the man's teeth from his mouth. A shot was fired from behind her and Eric spun to the floor from the impact of the bullet.
The enraged gunman he had been fighting sprang onto Eric and the flash of lightning that lit the room danced on the blade of the large knife the man was preparing to stab into Eric. Eric saw the knife descending and shifted so the blade plunged into his shoulder rather than his throat. The white-hot spear of pain raced through his body as the knife pushed completely through his shoulder and into the hardwood floor beneath him.
As Eric struggled with his attacker, three massive dark shapes rushed silently into the room. Brundig came up behind the gunman near Elizabeth and twisted the man's head around with a mighty snap of his hands. Judy heard the man behind her taken down, the snapping of his bones were like the crack of a pistol.
Ebon himself reached down for the man assaulting Eric. With one hand on the back of the man's neck and another on the man's thigh, Ebon lifted the man completely above his head and smashed him against the ceiling. Then, like snapping a piece of kindling, Ebon brought the man down across his leather-encased knee, breaking his spine. Flinging the corpse away, Ebon swiftly pulled the knife out of Eric's shoulder just as Astra came into the room.
Astra quickly made sure Judy and the baby were in no danger, then turned to Eric on the floor. Her scans showed that he had several broken ribs, the penetrating wound in his left shoulder, and the one from the gunshot to his right chest. By shifting the way he had, the knife had merely penetrated the heavy muscles of his upper shoulder, missing the bones and brachial artery. It took her mere moments to heal the torn tissues and broken ribs. The gunshot was much more serious. It had penetrated his lung and emerged through his back. She quickly healed the damaged tissue, sweeping away the pooled blood from the lungs. She then sealed the pleural cavity and repaired the damaged muscles in his chest wall and back. Finally, she closed the epidermis, knowing that her rush would mean there would always be small scars to remind Eric he was not bulletproof in regular clothing. There was no time for the bruises and other strains; she would deal with them later.
Astra then went to William's side. The blow to the back of his head had ruptured a blood vessel inside the skull and the pressure inside was building to a dangerous level. She extended her senses deeper, controlling the bleeding and repairing the damaged vessel. She then drained away the excess fluids, relieving the pressure and finally, repaired the tiny skull fracture. She even erased the bruising that would have been present on the outside, completing the healing process on this kind and gentle man.
As she finished, William tried to sit up. Ebon snapped the bindings that held William's legs and hands together, and then helped him upright. Elizabeth rushed to his side, holding him tightly to reassure herself that he was all right once more. When Judy started to get out of her chair, Eric told her to just stay still. He slowly stood up and made his way to her side, perching on the arm of the chair with his arm draped around Judy's shoulders in a tender embrace.
Moments later, the power was restored. William turned on the lights in his study and they all looked around. The dead attackers were lying where they had fallen. One was swarthy and heavy-set, with a short dark beard, black oily hair, and a prominent hooked nose. The other two were both younger and looked like typical hired thugs. The one who had fought with Eric had long dirty blond hair and gang tattoos on his neck and arms; the other was so similar in appearance, they could have been brothers.
"He's not here," Judy said. "The one who pulled us from the car is not here."
Once Ibrahim al-Hakim had pushed the two women through the doorway of the farmhouse into the arms of his waiting gunmen, he went back into the downpour to deal with the car that had been left in the drive. After closing the back door, he climbed behind the wheel of the Lexus sedan and drove it behind the farmhouse. As he started to walk around the house, he caught a flare of blue light through one of the darkened windows of the house. The Great Worms had come. Knowing the arrival of the dragons meant his mission had failed, Ibrahim slipped away into the stormy night.
He spent days making his way through the states of South Carolina and Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. He had walked most of the way, avoiding any type of official vehicle, afraid of being recognized by the police, who would be looking for him. Once he reached the outskirts of Jacksonville, he dialed a contact number and spoke the coded phrases given to him before he had come to the United States. An hour later, he was picked up and taken to a safe house. There, he was given fresh clothes, an opportunity to clean up, food to eat, and a place to rest.
He had a visitor the next morning. The Imam of the Shiite sect waited patiently as Ibrahim prostrated himself before him. The Imam knew that Ibrahim feared for his life after the recent failures, but the Imam knew what lay before this tool of Allah.
"Arise, my son," the Imam said. "It is good you have come here."
"The Worms of Satan arrived before we could complete our task and my men were lost."
The Imam waved his hand to dismiss this as inconsequential. "All that matters is Allah has protected you for a greater task. You will be taken from here to the caves to learn your role in Allah's will."
Bowing his head in acceptance, Ibrahim silently exulted. Afghanistan and the caves. Rather than being killed for his failures, he was being brought into the inner circle of al-Qaeda.
The archeological teams had been working for about six weeks, doing little more than clearing the jungle growth away from the abandoned city to reveal the structures and roadways. It had been very hard work at first because of the oppressive heat and the daily rains, but the past two weeks had been much cooler and the rains had lessened. Smaller groups had begun exploring the structures themselves, documenting the myriad carvings and writings found on the walls.
A large group had gathered that evening in the communal facility to discuss the research thus far. Forrest was leading the discussions while Danny sat back and listened. His camera crews had been instrumental in the efforts to preserve the artifacts for study and he was curious about what the scientists were able to learn. From what he could gather by listening to them, it hadn't been much.
A blue nimbus formed in the corner and Obsidian stepped through the portal. All discussion stopped as the Guardian of Serenity stepped over to the group.
"We are abandoning the settlement on the northern hemisphere and moving everyone back to Paradise," Obsidian announced.
"What? Why?" Forrest asked.
"This world must have an extreme axial tilt because we have gone through a tremendous climatic change in the past two weeks. We are now having roaring blizzards with extremely heavy snows and ice storms. Temperatures have plummeted to the point where they have become life threatening with only a few moments exposure."
One of the human scientists spoke up. "That would explain the change in our weather as well. The rains have stopped and the temperatures have moderated. I don't suppose anyone has ever looked at this world from space or plotted its orbit around its sun?"
"No, Mike, that is not possible for an AEthereal. We, too, must have air to breathe and there has been no thought to bringing any satellites here from Earth," Forrest replied.
The scientist responded, "I think there's more to this climate pattern than just an axial tilt. I would recommend we concentrate our studies of the city on the more likely buildings in case we, too, have to abandon the planet."
Several of the others agreed with the idea of concentrating their efforts and began to discuss the most likely buildings to work on. Danny got out of his seat and walked over to Obsidian.
"Excuse me," Danny said, "but how is Azure doing? We haven't seen much of him in the past couple weeks."
Obsidian shook his head. "Not well. His team continues to explore the dead zone, but they have found absolutely nothing. He still thinks that whatever caused the destruction of all living matter within that area had its origin in the center, but there is nothing there. No structures or even remains of anything. It has the old Blue very puzzled."
Danny and Forrest were flying over the jungle approaching the cleared portion of the city when he caught sight of an anomaly off to the right. 'Forrest, could you fly over to the right a bit? I see something strange.' Forrest banked his wings and they flew down closer to the canopy.
The declining temperatures had brought drastic changes to the canopy. After a few days of brilliant fall colors, many of the leaves had now faded and were drifting down to the ground. The greatly reduced foliage permitted Danny to see what had been masked by the verdant growth earlier: another building. This one looked different somehow. Its shape was more rounded without any sharp edges and there were no window openings.
Danny slid to the ground and Forrest shifted to human shape before they started to walk around the new structure. "Except for the size, it reminds me of an igloo from Alaska," Danny said, picturing in his mind the domed Eskimo dwellings made from ice blocks. Unlike an igloo, this structure had four long exit tunnels extending almost twenty feet from the facility on opposite sides, one from each quadrant of the circle. As Danny reached one of the tunnels, he could see what looked like an airlock door about halfway down the tunnel. "Forrest, look! There's a green light lit on the airlock. This facility is still working!"
The discovery of the operational facility revitalized the scientists. Small probes were inserted inside it using brief portals, and the results astounded everyone. The air inside the building was fresh and clean, rather than stale. The remote-controlled drones made their way slowly through the facility, transmitting video and telemetry readings out to the gathered science staff. When the monitors revealed what appeared to be elevators, every AEthereal extended their senses underground to discern the true size of the building. They found the first subterranean level was over one hundred feet below the surface and there were a total of twenty-five levels below ground. They could detect no signs of life, however. This facility, like the rest of Serenity, had been abandoned.
Azure was recalled from his work at the dead area to take charge of the exploration of the massive bunker complex. At Azure's request, Spyder was brought to help examine the technology. The steadily declining temperatures soon forced everyone to move into the underground facility. As the first gale force winds howled through the denuded branches in the jungle, only the remote sensors left in the facility tunnels recorded the event. The surface of Serenity had been abandoned once more.
Danny found Spyder sitting alone in the dining hall, flipping through images on his laptop computer. Pulling out a chair, he sat down opposite the morose redhead. "Cheer up, Spyder. At least you aren't outside. It's now a nice twenty-five degrees below zero with a wind chill somewhere around fifty below."
Spyder looked up. "Might as well be outside for all the good I'm doing here. I have never had so much trouble trying to interface with a computer system before. It looks so similar to what we use, but it just doesn't mesh together."
"I can imagine that would be frustrating. I remember being struck by the bas-reliefs and how similar their development was to our own. If you overlooked the bigger eyes and strange hands, you would have thought they were human," Danny said.
"What are you talking about?" Spyder asked.
"When we first started exploring the city, we found all these carvings of the species who lived here." Reaching out, he grabbed Spyder's laptop and spun it around. "Let me show you. I put a bunch of the photos on an internal website for folks to study." Finding the file on the network, he opened the image viewer and brought up one of the clearer images of the carvings. "See, their eyes are really big in proportion to their faces."
Spyder looked at the photograph and then started muttering as he zoomed the image in on the hands. "Four digits. They only have four digits. Everything in their mathematics must be expressed in octal. Base eight. Of course, that's why it looks similar. It's all eight bit. Our sixty-four bit processors are just running all over it and trying to make it into single instructions."
Spyder's fingers flew over the keyboard, popping up code windows and typing furiously. After about fifteen minutes, he suddenly stopped and exited the windows. He looked at Danny and said, "Well, here goes nothing." Spyder typed a command at the run line to activate the small application he had just written.
Suddenly, his computer started to display a video file, one which the exploration team had not created. Instead, it was a program with alien symbology across the bottom of the screen that depicted a hydrogen atom, followed by a helium atom. Spyder had done it; he had found the interface.
Days later, after closeting himself with the team's linguists and scientists, Spyder's small interface had unlocked Serenity's secrets. Gathering everyone together, Forrest announced to the assembled exploration team and the support personnel they would begin withdrawing from Serenity immediately. In less than one day, Forrest wanted everyone and all their equipment off the planet and back on Paradise.
"What's the rush?" demanded one of the scientists. "We aren't anywhere near through studying this technology."
"In less than a week, anyone who remains here will be dead. This planet will soon freeze solid; even its atmosphere will be a chunk of ice for several thousand years. The inhabitants of this world accidentally disturbed the path of the planet and shifted it into a long, elliptical orbit that pulls far away from its sun. That is why they all left."
Spyder stood at the podium in the amphitheater and directed everyone's attention to the screens around the area. "We've finished our analysis of the records recovered from Serenity. One of those found and translated was actually left intentionally for anyone who came along afterwards. It was a compilation of the history of their world, along with a diary of the final ending of life on Serenity. It answered many of the questions we all had about the strange and beautiful planet."
Flashing through a series of slides showing some of the artworks found in the records, Spyder said, "Their civilization progressed over a long period through the stages common among most species, but they were intrinsically a peaceful society. They were not plagued by wars among themselves as we humans were. Their arts and sciences were devoted toward peaceful solutions. This left them ill prepared for the arrival of another species bent on conquest."
The screens now depicted the all too familiar shape of a Gray invasion craft on a fertile plain. "The Grays arrived and began taking over the planet. The people of Serenity tried to communicate with the Grays, but in each attempt, the Grays slaughtered the representatives who came to meet them." The screen showed the tall thin humanoids approaching the edge of the Gray encampment and the Grays turning beam weapons upon them. "The people tried to fight back, but their normal weapons were just no match for the Gray energy shields." Another sequence of video showed the humanoids attacking the Grays with projectile weapons, which failed to penetrate the Gray defenses. The attacking humanoids were destroyed.
"Finally, one of the people's greatest theoretical scientists developed a startling new weapon of immense power. Its construction is very similar to our own nuclear weapons but it used an element other than uranium as its core. Unfortunately, the scientist had grossly miscalculated its effects." The screen now depicted the Gray encampment as seen from a high elevation and a great distance away, perhaps taken from a nearby mountain peak overlooking the plain or an aerial observation platform of some kind. "The figures you see running across the bottom are analogous to our countdown, or the time to target. As the count reaches zero, the weapon detonates."
The explosion was greater than anything ever experienced on Earth. It was as if a small sun had suddenly appeared on the surface of the world. "The detonation was catastrophic in effect. Everything within almost a thousand mile circumference died instantly. The peak of the highest mountain was sheered off. Yes, that's how that mesa we were using was formed and that is how the so-called 'dead zone' was created."
The images on the screen were now replaced by a representation of the planet as seen from space. "The blast also shifted the planet twenty-eight degrees on its axis and caused tremendous earthquakes and other natural disasters. Millions died. It was after they dug their way out of the rubble from that shift that they learned the final horror. They had also disturbed the planet's orbit around their sun. Instead of its usual almost circular orbit, the planet was now moving away from the sun. Whether it would stabilize again or continue to drift farther, they did not know. What they did know was their way of life was at an end."
The next screen shot showed a vast globe hanging in the space above the planet. "Over the next decade, they built fleets of huge space arks to transport their civilization away from their dying world. One by one, the arks departed into the uncharted depths of space, never to be heard from again. Finally, they were down to a small group of scientists who stayed behind. They had built a tremendous shelter to house livestock and those people who did not wish to emigrate. As the world cooled around them, tremendous storms raged on the surface of the world, eventually entombing the shelter in ice. Everyone began to die. The archive discusses the choice they made at the end. The dead were all placed in chambers that reduced them to their constituent gases, which were then vented deep into the underground chambers surrounding the fortress.
"At the end, there were only four left. Still barely alive, they programmed the chamber to activate and then vent automatically when the process was finished. They entered the chamber and died. The facility's automatic sensor recording systems kept a record of what happened after that. Once the winter storms arrived, the planet cooled rapidly. Within a week after the last of the people had entered the chamber, the atmosphere of the planet itself had become a frozen mass. All life support systems in the facility shut down. For almost twenty thousand years, the only data recorded was the passage of time. About ten thousand years ago, the sensors began to pick up a subtle change in the temperature of the outside world. Soon, air was once again circulating in the facility. Once the sensors determined that conditions outside were favorable, it began an automated sequence to defrost frozen embryos and then release the newly created animals back into the wild. From that point, the records only observe the various animal life forms whenever they came into the proximity of the shelter. The system continued to monitor the orbital deviation of the planet and started collecting specimens of the animal life once again about thirty years ago, restocking its supply for the next cycle."
Spyder then showed a slide depicting a sudden surge in the system readings from the facility. "It was at this point, the facility detected our presence. We put the facility into a real quandary because there was nothing in its programming about unknown life forms. It had no defensive capability. We didn't match its known biologic profiles so it didn't try to collect any of us for its zoological freezer. It decided to do what all computers do when confronted with the unknown. Nothing. It just watched and studied us. When we finally penetrated the facility, we were a close enough match to the humanoids that it willingly gave up all of its data."
The screens went dark. "An astral probe of Serenity by Azure confirmed the planet's atmosphere is now completely frozen. Based on the historical record, it will stay that way for about twenty-three thousand years."
The audience sat in stunned silence, broken only by a single voice from the back that said, "There, but for the grace of God, was our own fate. Oppenheimer actually thought the first atomic bomb would set fire to the atmosphere and incinerate us all."
There was no moon in the night sky as they made their way through the rugged mountains of Eastern Afghanistan. The Afghani rebels seemed to sense the whereabouts of the infidel American troops and their almost magical technology. The rebels and their cargo moved like ghosts through the rocky terrain. Once in a while, they would stop in a cave. At first, Ibrahim al-Hakim felt the stops were an insult to his ability to travel among these veteran rebels. He finally realized the stops served another purpose. Some were to shield the group from detection by American warplanes and surveillance satellites. Other stops were to mask their presence from the roving patrols of Special Forces personnel who were relentlessly pursuing the rebels and the members of al-Qaeda hiding in Afghanistan.
At one point, the rebels had come upon a hidden sensor net put in place to detect movement in the isolated mountain pass. The rebels moved high above the pass and levered rocks free, triggering an avalanche to bury the sensors. They joked as they moved on that the infidels would think the rockslide was a natural event and never suspect the rebels of such sophistication.
After many days in their company, Ibrahim began to feel welcome in their group. He had done all that was asked of him and more. He was surprised to learn the leader of the rebel patrol was a highly educated man, a former professor at the university in Islamabad. When the Taliban were toppled from power, many, like the rebel leader, fled into the hills to resist the foreign invaders. It was not that they supported the Taliban's policies; in fact, most despised the narrow, bigoted philosophy the Taliban espoused. They became rebels to resist any change imposed from outside. And that is the lesson America never learns. No one, especially not any Muslim, would ever accept any outside nation's forced changes.
After hours of travel, the group would hide in one of the many caves that riddled the mountains. As long as the sun was in the sky, they would sleep in the cool darkness of the deep caves. One or two rebels would always be on watch, looking for any of the infidel troops or their native supporters. They changed out every hour or so to keep fresh eyes on their back trail. It was during these breaks that Ibrahim grew to know the leader. Like him, the leader knew the isolation of command---especially command of intellectually inferior subordinates who he would one day send out to die.
At last, the night came when they reached their goal. They traveled through a very narrow defile, passing under a ledge and around a spear of rock that nearly blocked the path. There, in the shadow of the rock, was a small opening into the wall of the defile. One by one, they crawled through the dark hole. The passageway twisted first to the right, then to the left, and finally upward a few feet. This convoluted path formed a perfect blind to prevent any light from leaking out of the caves beyond. It was also a formidable natural defense, for an invader could only move through the passage one at a time.
As Ibrahim moved out of the small confined tunnel, he was guided into another, smaller cave. He was told to spend the next few hours undergoing the purification rituals. First, he used the primitive sanitary facilities to rid himself of his body wastes, and then bathed himself while reciting passages from the Koran. Donning clean linen garments, he knelt upon his prayer rug and bowed his head in ritual supplication toward Mecca. As he continued his ritual devotions, he felt his spirit expanding into the peaceful oneness he attributed to connecting to Allah. As always when he achieved this state of meditation, he surrendered himself to the will of Allah.
He had no idea how much time had passed as he prayed, alternately sitting erect only to lower his head until his forehead touched the rug in complete and abject submission. When he finally regained an awareness of his surroundings, he found another figure seated facing him. Ibrahim involuntarily caught his breath and once again touched his head to the floor in submission for the tall figure facing him was the most hunted man in the world: Osama bin Laden.
"Forgive my failures, Great One," Ibrahim murmured.
"Inshallah, my old friend. It was the will of Allah that you be brought here at this time to perform a great work in his name." Osama's voice had lost none of its charismatic quality in the years he had been hunted by the infidels. "Before I explain this new task, I must tell you of events a decade ago.
"Long ago, when I was still treated as a prince among the Saudi nation, I was approached by a member of the Russian delegation. This man was known among us as a conduit for weapons, many of which were far beyond what the freedom fighters were presently using. What he offered this time was even more impressive than all the weapons I had previously contracted. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, many high-tech weapons had found their way into the black market but never before had this been available: a fully functional nuclear weapon with an approximate yield of one hundred megatons. It was transported under the greatest secrecy into the vast emptiness of the Saudi desert. There, with the assistance of some nuclear technicians from East Germany and France, the Sword was sealed into a shroud of reinforced lead and ultimately into a steel vault. Mounted on the vault, disguised by false steel panels, was a control panel to arm and ultimately detonate the Sword."
Osama took a small sip of purified water before he continued. "It took three years to move the Sword in its vault to the land of the Great Satan. Once there, the vault was installed into the basement of a building under the floor. When we planned the strike on the Great Satan in 2001, I had planned to use it then, but Allah spoke to my heart and said it was not yet time.
"Events of that day showed the ways of Allah surpass understanding, for the man called Bush was in Florida and not in his capitol city. It would not have fulfilled Allah's will." Osama locked eyes with Ibrahim, who was lost in the commanding gaze. "You have been chosen to return to America and travel to the heart of the Great Satan. On my signal, you will arm the weapon and prepare it for detonation. Once it is started, you will join us to watch Allah's Sword smite the infidels."
Ibrahim bowed his head to the rug in acceptance. Allah be praised. His will be done.
Ebon appeared in the Oval Office at the White House as soon as he received word that the President had asked for a meeting. "I apologize for the delay, Mister President. I was unavoidably detained elsewhere."
The President waved his hand toward the seating group. "Don't worry about it, Guardian. We both have a lot on our minds at this time."
Once they were seated, the President continued, "As you know, when the Roswell crash occurred, we started monitoring strange events around our country to watch for incursions by the Grays. Disappearances, cattle mutilations, alien abductions, UFO sightings and the like were all recorded and plotted. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the number of incidents peaked and then began to decline. This was attributed to the increased effectiveness of our radar coverage and jet fighter aircraft, making the Grays more reluctant about moving openly. We know now, of course, that was also due to the more effective patrols by the AEthereal.
"Like all good bureaucracies, the office that collected this information continued to operate, even after the AEthereal went public. I looked it up today. With the advent of computers and the internet, the staffing was reduced to one clerical person who monitors the software application that parses news stories and police reports from around the world. Anything that fits its search parameters is captured and downloaded into a file. Once a month, regular as clockwork, that file is transmitted to another office, where it is printed, bound, and forwarded to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Advisor, and myself." The President held up a bound report perhaps half an inch thick. "This is the report for the past month. I would have expected that, since the AEthereal are now patrolling the skies openly, this report would be almost empty. Imagine my surprise when I found that, instead of declining, the incidence of disappearances of people and livestock has actually increased!
"Ebon, is it possible the Grays have found some way to circumvent your patrols and our detection systems? Are they systematically raiding this planet?"
Taking the blue binder from the President's hand, Ebon said, "Sir, we will investigate this immediately and I will get you an answer. If the Grays have found some way to get past our combined efforts, we need to know so we can find some way to counter them."
The shepherd had been searching the upper pastures all night for some sign of his missing flock. Stupid sheep, he thought as he climbed his way down into yet another gully. Always wandering into out-of-the-way places. Must be some sort of stupid sheep game. After a while, though, he began to think this was something else entirely. Perhaps one of those Basque bastardos from over the mountain had stolen his flock.
He climbed even farther up the mountain, finding a patch of fleece here and a hoof mark there. He almost passed one narrow fissure in the mountain when he heard the distinctive bleat of sheep from within. He slipped into the narrow opening and wormed his way deeper into the cleft, scraping his chest and back on the rocks. Thoughts of mutton began to fill his mind as he forced his way passed a large outcrop on his hands and knees.
His mind could not grasp what he was seeing. He mumbled, "Madre de Dios," as he crossed himself, and then he began to scream as it approached, dropping the partially devoured sheep from its maw. The shepherd turned to run but the outcrop prevented him from escaping quickly enough. Something grabbed his leg and he was jerked from the rocky passage and into the air. He was still screaming as the massive jaws closed around him, crushing his bones, before he, too, was swallowed whole.
Sam Mbuto loved twilight on the Serengeti Plain. The heat of the day had mitigated enough to permit him to run freely without fear of dehydration, yet there was enough light for him to see his way. Each and every night he would run, forcing himself to travel farther each week in preparation for the Olympic trials coming in three months. As the night darkened around him, the character of the Plain changed as well. Daytime was the time for the grazers, the herbivores, while the night belonged to the hunters. The added risk of attracting the attention of one of the large cats of the Plains gave him a bit of an adrenaline boost as his bare feet pounded over the well-worn pathway he always traveled. The large, full moon gave him enough light to scan the surrounding territory for anything that might be lying in wait, especially on the tree limbs that overhung the path.
A large shadow darkened the moonlight and then was gone. What was that? Sam wondered as he ran on. Dismissing it as a passing cloud that momentarily obscured the moonlight, Sam nonetheless, picked up his pace. He was nearing the end of the tree line and soon he would just have the long, grass covered slopes that led back to his village. Reaching deep within himself, Sam found the energy to run even faster, his feet almost flying down the path onto the slope. Suddenly, there was a terrific pain in his shoulder and Sam found himself leaving the ground itself. Ten feet, twenty. The ground fell away as he struggled against whatever held him. He turned his head and saw a mighty set of claws, one punched completely through his shoulder, holding him. The claws swung him forward, flipping him into the air, and all Sam could see was a forest of teeth closing around his flying body.
"That's right, Sheriff. Them rustlers stole almost sixty head of cattle off the east range last night." The rancher was furious. "Checked on 'em myself last evening just before sundown but when I went back there this morning, there was no trace of 'em. Didn't see no tire tracks, neither, so I'm damned if I can figure out how they took 'em." The rancher listened to the sheriff's reply, looked at the telephone instrument as if disbelieving what it was saying, and then said, "Well, come out here and look for yourself, then! And check around. I ain't the only one being robbed at night!"
Danny and Forrest had been flying along the ridges in Colorado in a rare moment of spare time when they encountered an unpartnered Brown in the sky along the mountains.
It was only through his mental link with Forrest that Danny heard the Brown say, 'Forrest, I see you have chosen to partner with a human.' Danny could sense an overtone of disdain and disgust in the Brown's remark.
'What I chose to do is my affair. What brings you here?' was Forrest's chilled response.
Danny saw the Brown's lips form a snarl. 'Enjoying the freedom of our home world's skies for the first time in thousands of years, old one, and I do not have to account for my actions to you.' With that, the Brown swerved off, opened a portal, and vanished.
'Who was that?' Danny asked.
'He does not have a name that can be said by humans and he is no friend of our partnerships with your kind,' Forrest finally replied. 'Ebon must be informed of this.'
Movement on the ground caught Danny's eye and he activated his visor to trigger the telescopic view. 'Forrest, there are several police vehicles down there in that pasture. Perhaps we should see if there's something we can do.'
Forrest banked his wings into a gentle glide down to the empty area near the pasture fence. Danny slid down from Forrest's back and walked over to the fence as one of the uniformed officers ambled over to it. "Hi! I'm Danny Trasker from the Guardian Exploration Service. Is there some way we can help you?"
The deputy glanced nervously at the Green AEthereal. "Bigger than I thought from television. I mean, you don't really get a true feel for them that way, do ya?" The deputy shook his head as if to clear his mind. "I don't think there's anything for the Guardians here. Just some cattle rustling. It seems someone made off with about sixty head of Black Angus between about eight last night and seven this morning." Glancing over at the Green, he added, "Say! You don't suppose it's them Gray alien critters, do ya?"
Forrest shifted form and walked over to join Danny and the deputy. "That does not sound like something the Grays would be doing anymore since they have done that in the past. Would you mind if we looked around ourselves?"
"I don't know, Guardian. I mean, it's not my call. Let me get the sheriff." The deputy walked across the field to a group of uniformed officers and one who was obviously the rancher. The sheriff walked back.
"Afternoon, Guardians. I'm Sheriff Wilkins. I understand you'd like to look around."
"That is correct," Forrest replied. "My senses are slightly different from yours and I may detect something you might miss."
The sheriff tilted back his Stetson and peered out at the vacant pasture. "Well, if you can find anything we've missed, you're welcome to look. Who knows, maybe you poking around will get that rancher off my back."
Forrest returned to his natural form and Danny climbed back into his saddle, reconnecting his suit to all the sensor arrays imbedded in the AEthereal shield suit. Once Forrest was back in the air, they began a low sweep of the pastureland using the sensors and Forrest's natural senses.
The disturbed grasses told a story Forrest could easily read. The herd had been up at the north end of the pasture when something caused them to panic. First, they had just milled around until they finally began to run. The racing herd was turned by the fencing and was eventually funneled downhill to the southern end of the pasture. All the while, members of the herd had been disappearing one by one. The herd which had gathered at the southern end was significantly smaller than the one which started out at the northern side. Forrest's senses could detect drops of blood, too small to be seen by the unaided eye, all along the trail and even more here at the end. He could also detect them beyond the fence line, randomly scattered across the landscape. This had not been the work of any cattle rustlers.
Focusing his thoughts into an extremely narrow beam, Forrest called, 'Ebon! We have a problem. Gather the Council.'
The torches in their wall sconces once again lit up the Council chamber located deep inside the Alps in Austria. A fire blazed in the great hearth. The dancing light from the torches and the fire cast eerie highlights on the huge painting above the hearth, giving an illusion of movement to the red dragon within the painting along with the warhorse and knight pinned under her claws.
The sixteen stone thrones, set in a circle along the ley lines of the magnetic fields of the Earth, suddenly flared with the blue nimbus of light that presaged the opening of portals. When the nimbus faded, the members of the Council occupied their seats.
Nodding toward Forrest, Ebon said, "You have asked for this meeting."
Forrest looked at the assembled Council members a moment, marshalling his thoughts. "I am afraid we have a greater problem than we suspected. As you know, Ebon met with the President about an increase in disappearances of both humans and livestock around the world in the last few months. The concern expressed was that the Grays had found some way to circumvent our patrols and the human detection systems."
Forrest continued, "While flying in Colorado today, Danny and I chanced upon the scene of a recent cattle disappearance being investigated by the human authorities. They have decided the cattle were stolen, although they are at a loss to determine how the sixty animals were removed from the scene.
"Although I said nothing to them, they are wrong. Using my own senses, I traced the flow of events. I found small traces of blood everywhere, even beyond the confines of the pasture. The cattle were not stolen, they were eaten and most of them were consumed on the run. The small remainder that made it to the end of the pasture was taken away for a meal later. This was not the work of the Grays. This could only have been the work of one or more AEthereal." Forrest sighed. "We have some renegades."
Before anyone else could speak, Forrest added, "Earlier today before we encountered the humans at the scene, Danny and I were flying along the mountain ridges. We encountered an unpartnered Brown. Our exchanges made it very clear he was not a friend of humanity. This Brown is not a part of the battle wing assigned to protect Earth, nor does he have any legitimate reason to be in Colorado. In fact, I thought he was one of those assigned to work with the Ursaria."
Astra quickly spoke up. "It is imperative we handle this quickly and without the humans' knowledge. You cannot imagine the distrust and fear that would arise should they ever learn that AEthereals have been feeding upon the people of Earth."
Ebon turned to her and said, "Handle it how? I agree that we must do something to end the predations by the renegades, but what? Will we be forced to fight with our own kind in order to protect the humans?"
No one had an answer to Ebon's questions. Deeply troubled, the Council members withdrew from the chamber leaving Forrest as the last one remaining. He walked over to the hearth and gazed at the painting of Hecate and the knight. He ran a hand along the shattered lance that rested on the mantle. AEthereal against AEthereal. That thought revolved in his mind as he walked the perimeter of the chamber, extinguishing the torches, until only the fire in the hearth provided illumination. He sat in front of the fire and continued to ponder. What could they do to stop the renegades?
Danny and Katarina were visiting Spyder and Katherine. They had just finished sharing an excellent dinner, when Spyder asked, "Have your partners seemed distracted and guarded lately?"
Danny glanced at his wife. They had been discussing the exact same thing earlier in the day. "Yes, they have. I'm not sure what is going on but something is that they aren't sharing with us."
Spyder said, "I was afraid of that. I think I know what it is." Spyder leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure you are both aware that I was something of a hacker back in the real world. The Guardians have made use of my skills often enough. As a part of my work for them, I have a computer system back on Earth that monitors the World Wide Web to look for items of interest that might affect the AEthereal or the Guardians. I don't just scan the web pages, either. I get into the USENET postings, blogs, whatever is out there. Lately, I've found a disturbing trend. There's a growing belief that the AEthereal are hunting and killing people and livestock all over the world. The conspiracy theory nutjobs are saying the governments know all about it and are hushing it up. If there are some AEthereals behind the thousands of missing people and livestock disappearances, then that would explain the recent changes we've observed in the behavior of the partnered AEthereal."
Danny sent out a mental call to his partner. 'Forrest. I need you, and bring Ebon with you.'
'What's wrong?' came Forrest's response.
'The cat's out of the bag. Humans are openly calling the AEthereal predators.'
Seconds later, there was a soft musical chime that rang in the minds of the four humans. The equivalent of a mental doorbell, it was Forrest's way of requesting permission to enter Spyder and Katherine's home. After receiving a mental, 'Come in,' from Spyder, a nimbus appeared and Forrest and Ebon entered the room.
"Thank you for coming so quickly. Ebon, I was just explaining to Danny and Katarina what I've found in my recent scans of the Internet back on Earth," Spyder said after the two AEthereals had been seated. "Someone has been collating all the known disappearances of humans and livestock and have started saying the AEthereal are behind it all. While not accepted into mainstream yet, it's only a matter of time before it reaches the world's populace at large."
Ebon looked resigned. "I knew it was only a matter of time." He looked at the four humans. "We have some renegades. We are not sure how many or exactly who they are, but they have been feeding on Earth. I suspect it is less than a dozen of the younger ones, mainly Blacks and Browns. The Council has been trying to come up with some way to stop them."
"Oh, this is bad on so many levels," Danny said. "We just went through all that stuff with the Sword of Islam and right now, the public is on our side. But if people start to wonder whether the AEthereal are eating us, then fear will take over and they might start attacking the Guardians."
"That is exactly what we are trying to avoid, Danny," Ebon said. "We just do not know how to stop them, short of resorting to violence."
Spyder shook his head. "It's worse than that, Ebon. The attacks haven't been limited to Earth. For weeks, I've been hearing about missing settlers on Paradise and even some of the work crews have had their numbers mysteriously reduced. I did a routine check on all the settlements this afternoon. One of them has been completely wiped out."
Every male, regardless of species, knows there is one place he can turn when confronted with an issue seemingly without a resolution, and that is his mother. Ebon was no exception. He requested and was granted an audience with Amber and Starfarer. He knew this meeting would be held deep in their personal cavern and in natural form.
Starfarer was still recovering from his millennia as a captive of the Grays. While his physical health had been restored, his mental stability was still precarious. He had been captured long before the advent of mankind on Earth but he was beginning to grasp the idea that the AEthereal now shared the planet with humans.
Ebon greeted both his parents with love and respect and then explained what had been happening. Amber immediately saw the implications upon human relations, and knew the horror that Ebon felt at the idea of a physical confrontation with the renegades. Her son could face any challenge or adversity with aplomb, but the idea of fighting another AEthereal was abhorrent to them all. All avenues had to be explored before it came down to that.
'I shall call a Grand Council for two days hence at sunrise. We must first understand the scope of the problem. This Grand Council must include all the AEthereal, even those presently away on missions among the other Guardian races.' Amber paused. 'This Grand Council will be restricted. No other race may be present. We shall discuss the question formally among ourselves and reach a decision.'
'Do you not think the humans have a right to be present?' Ebon asked.
'The right, possibly, but the need, no,' Amber replied. 'This matter impinges upon the honor of the AEthereal and we will not discuss it before outsiders. You have my leave to discuss the results with them afterwards.'
Ebon bowed his head in acceptance of her decision. Within the structure of AEthereal society, Amber held the unique position of being the leader of the Grand Council and, as a result, the final arbiter among the AEthereal. Her word was law.
The President threw the tabloid onto the table between himself and Ebon. "Look at this garbage! I had expected some paranoia about the Grays but I never expected them to start blaming the AEthereal!"
Ebon scanned the headline. DRAGON ATTACK! He quickly scanned the lurid text and winced as the import registered; an eyewitness account of a woman being snatched and devoured by a large black dragon. Ebon shook his head. Spyder had warned him this was coming. He had just hoped it would wait until after the Grand Council when he would have something he could tell the man across from him. Well, he deserved to hear the truth.
"Mister President, I truly regret to say they are right."
"What did you say?" The President slumped back into his chair in disbelief.
Ebon reached out his hand to the man he knew was a friend. "We have some renegades that are behind the raids here. There are only about six or seven of them, all unpartnered. At sunrise tomorrow, we will convene a Grand Council to discuss the situation and what action we will take to stop these raids."
"But what can we do to defend our people from these attacks?"
"Right now, Mister President, all you can do is downplay the idea the AEthereal are behind them," Ebon responded. "I will return to you tomorrow after the Grand Council to advise you of what transpires there and what actions we will be taking to stop these attacks from occurring again."
Sunrise at the Grand Council amphitheater is always impressive, especially when the rays of the rising sun start to refract from the scales of millions of AEthereal, crouched along the rows of terraced stone like a living rainbow. This was the largest Grand Council ever assembled, for all AEthereal were in attendance, down to the youngest fledgling capable of dimensional travel. Only those extremely few birthing mothers with young too small to be left alone were physically absent; by special permission, they attended in astral form.
As the light from the rising sun finally struck the spot where Amber stood, her wings spread to catch the light, she declared, 'Let this Council be opened. We have called you all to attendance because the matter to be discussed reflects upon the honor of all AEthereal. Among us today are some who have placed themselves above this Council's decisions regarding our home world and its inhabitants. They have been hunting and consuming the humans.'
Even as outrage swept through the assembled mass, one large Black stepped forward to the center of the amphitheater. 'What of it, I ask? Is it not our right to hunt game on our home world? And now that we control their nuclear weapons, what is to stop us from ruling that world, as we should?'
Ebon stepped forward from his place in the center front row of the Blacks. 'Humanity is a sentient species who we have entered into a partnership with for the betterment of both races.'
'Humanity is a collection of jumped-up primates, nothing more. They are weak, crunchy, and taste delicious,' the Black said with a sneer.
Amber said, 'It was the decision of this council that humanity would be accorded the same rights and privileges as any of us. We recognized their sentience and have found much to be gained by allying ourselves with them in the war against the Grays.'
'I do not recognize this Council's rights to make decisions in my name,' replied the Black.
There was a shocked silence in the amphitheater following the Black's arrogant statement. Six other AEthereals, three Black and three Brown, came forward to join him. Their mental echoes of agreement with the Black's statement reverberated through all the AEthereal present. The renegades were now in the open.
Ebon stepped forward once more. 'There is something I know you recognize and that is force. As Guardian of AEtheria, now known as Earth, I challenge you to single combat. Upon your dying body, I shall enforce this Council's rulings.'
"Ha! And what if I win, Ebon? I am younger and stronger than you. What if it is your broken body that falls from the skies?' He spun to Amber. 'If I win, this Council's decree regarding humanity lies repudiated and the humans will be no more than food.'
Amber glared at the young Black and his six fellow renegades. 'Agreed.'
Single combat among the AEthereal evolved between rival suitors for a female. It was rarely fought in modern times for the life bonding had become the accepted norm for the mating selection. It had never been fought beyond recognition by one male of the superiority of the other. There was no doubt, however, that this combat would be to the death.
Ebon and the renegade both opened a portal to a point high in the sky above the amphitheater. Even with their telescopic eyesight, the assembled Council could only see them as small dots. The two dots came together with a clash of wings and claws, locking together and falling toward the ground. They grew larger as they fell and details became clearer. Necks entwined, the two Blacks ripped at one another with their mighty rear claws while attempting to shred the fragile wing membranes with their front. The renegade Black loosed a blast of flame into Ebon's face, attempting to blind the Guardian. The two broke apart and portalled back into the sky.
The Borland Guardian Base was deserted. Only the human partners and support personnel were on the base, since all the AEthereal were at the Grand Council. None of the AEthereal was maintaining any kind of link with their human partners; their silence in the human minds grown accustomed to the constant connection was eerie.
The same situation existed with those human Guardians on Earth. Ebon and Astra had informed their partners of the impending Council and that the link would be down for the duration of the meeting. Since they knew the reason for the Council, they were not concerned by the silence.
Judy was, therefore, unprepared, for the sudden connection with Astra. 'Judy. You need to go to Eric and stay with him. Ebon is engaged in single combat to the death with another Black. If the worst happens, Eric will need you.'
'What's going on? Who is he fighting, and why?'
"I have no time to bring you up-to-date. Ebon is fighting the leader of the renegade AEthereal who have been preying on mankind. At stake is the very future of our relations with humanity.' With that, Astra broke the connection.
Judy looked over at her husband. He was sitting across the room at her parents' farm reading a novel. What could have happened in the past few weeks that had resulted in Ebon fighting a single combat to the death? And how will that battle impact the relationship between the AEthereal and humanity?
As if sensing her scrutiny, Eric looked up and smiled at her. Reading the depth of her concern, he asked, "What's wrong?"
She quickly explained what Astra had passed on to her. Eric came over and sat beside her, holding her hand, while they waited for news.
The battle in the sky over Paradise had now waged far longer than anyone could have predicted. Almost six hours had passed since the initial flurry of strikes between the combatants. The fight had been among the clouds, including the massive thunderheads near the mountains. The renegade and Ebon had struck at one another even as bolts of lightning slashed around them, scorching even their tough scales, forcing them out of the storm.
As Ebon closed to grapple once more with the renegade Black, the Black suddenly portaled away. Ebon backstroked his wings to go stationary in the sky until he could find the renegade.
The renegade came out of the portal high above Ebon, folded his wings, and stooped to strike the unaware Guardian. He came from out of the sun, expecting the bright sunlight to further hide his approach. He came with claws outstretched, aimed at the junction between the base of Ebon's skull and his neck to snap the bones.
Ebon, however, was a very old and canny fighter. He had, in fact, won Hecate from a rejected suitor through one of the last single combats ever fought. When he had not appeared nearby, Ebon knew what the renegade had planned and readied himself to respond. It was hard to hold himself relatively motionless in the sky, an inviting target, while casting his senses behind him to detect the exact moment to respond.
A split second before the renegade would have struck, Ebon flipped in midair, thrusting his own claws at the renegade's wings as he streaked past Ebon. Ebon's claws slashed into the renegade's wing membranes just behind the front bones. The Black's downward momentum caused Ebon's claws to rip completely through the length of the wings, reducing the membranes to flapping rags and disrupting their ability to support the renegade in the air. All the AEthereal could hear the Black's anguished scream as he plummeted toward the ground below.
The Council opened a portal below the falling renegade to bring him safely to the ground. Once he was at rest, several Whites moved to him and began to assess his injuries. His wings were in tatters and there were multiple deep slashes in his flank, wounds that would take months to heal. Even as they worked to stabilize the renegade's life signs and begin repair of his injuries, a second group of Whites under Astra moved to assist Ebon.
Like the renegade, Ebon has sustained damage to his sides, legs, and wings, although not as serious. Some of the wounds would take several days to completely heal. Astra reassured her brother the wounds would heal without any impairment to his flight functions.
Amber sent a tight-beamed message to Astra. 'Daughter, is it possible to isolate the centers of the mind that control the ability to portal?'
Astra thought a moment and then replied, 'I believe so.'
'I want you to burn them out of the renegade's mind. Once that is done, I want you to repeat the procedure with the other six.'
'You want me to knowingly cause harm to another? Mother, that goes against all I believe.'
'Is removing a cancer doing harm? These renegades are a cancer in the body of the AEthereal. As long as they can travel to Earth, they are a danger to all who live there and our relations with humanity.'
Astra could see and accept her mother's logic. She walked over to the wounded renegade, who lay insensible on the floor of the amphitheater, and focused her mind into a small area of his brain. Finding the tiny region, she began to destroy the tissue. Once she finished with her work, she stood and walked over to the remaining renegades.
'You have a no real choice. You can either permit me to remove your ability to open portals, or face combat with Ebon, Negron, or one of the others. In the end, when you lie bleeding on the ground, I will still do this.'
Each stared across the arena at the implacable expressions on Ebon and Negron's faces and knew they would fare no better in combat against the experienced Guardians. In fact, most knew that Negron would not hesitate to kill them. Turning to Astra, the renegades knelt in submission, placing their heads on the ground at her feet.
'Judy, it is over. Ebon is slightly injured, but he will be fine. Let Eric know all is well.' Judy smiled in relief as Astra's reassuring thoughts reached her. She gave Eric's hand a squeeze. "It's over. Ebon's okay." Eric leaned his head back against the seat back and let out a big sigh of relief. It had never occurred to him before that someday, he might have to face life without Ebon and today had been a sobering experience.
The President looked thoughtfully at Ebon. "So what will become of the seven renegades?"
Ebon replied, "Without the ability to open portals, they are at the mercy of the other AEthereals to travel anywhere other than under their own wing power. It is truly one of the harshest punishments. For example, without the ability to portal, they cannot mate because they will not be able to travel to the birthing chambers here on Earth. Their usefulness as members of a battle wing is quite limited. Because they cannot escape through a portal, they will probably die if they ever encounter the Grays. The added insult of having to be accompanied by a rotating group of Blacks from Negron's Paradise Defense Wing serves as a daily reminder that they placed themselves outside the Council's laws and that it will take several millennia before such arrogance is forgiven. It will never be forgotten, and the renegades know that any further transgressions against humanity or the Council will be dealt with harshly."
"How much more harsh could you possibly be?"
"Mister President, you really do not want to know just how cruel we can be when properly motivated." Ebon's eyes were as flat and cold as agate.
The mood on Paradise among those who returned from Serenity was sad. They had spent months building their new communities, only to have to abandon them as it had become far too difficult to survive. The knowledge that Serenity was now a huge ball of ice heading into the far reaches of that planetary system did not make acceptance any easier.
Negron entered the auditorium from the rear and paused to assess their mood. He didn't need to use his telepathic sense to feel their frustration. They had been promised a new life, only to have it taken away. He nodded at Spyder, who then dimmed the lights and started a slide show. The audience was silent as the screen showed images of a rugged mountainside with a cascading waterfall that fed a river into a broad, fertile plain. As more images appeared, one man stood and angrily shouted, "This is cruel. Why show us images of the place we had to abandon? Don't we feel enough grief over the death of our dreams?"
Negron strode to the front of the room. "Look at the pictures again. Do you see any signs of the rockslide that killed almost all of the first exploration team? Do you see any signs of the structures you have labored so hard to create?" He let them study the pictures again, hearing them spot the subtle differences. "These images were taken here on Paradise's southern continent. That area has never been settled, so you will face the same challenges as you did on Serenity. There are differences between Paradise and Serenity. It does not snow on the southern continent, except at the highest peaks of the mountain ranges. There has not been an earthquake on this world in over ten million years. This is a very stable and safe place, and I offer you a new home among us in the setting you have seen in these images. However, for those of you who wish it, we will take you back to Earth and set you up with a new life."
There was an almost palpable change in the spirit of the room as a new emotion swept the group: hope. They started talking among themselves almost immediately, the buzz of voices rising ever higher as they competed with their neighbors in conversation. Finally, Negron broke through their discussions. "Those who wish to return to Earth, please see Spyder as you leave the auditorium. For the rest of you, please be ready to leave for your new homes in one hour."
Spyder lingered at the back of the auditorium watching as the last families left the facility. Soon he was alone, yet he waited another fifteen minutes in case someone had been too shy about speaking with him in front of the others and wanted to catch him alone. Finally satisfied no one was coming, he walked over to the new support facility to double-check the last minute preparations for the move to the southern continent.
Vast amounts of building supplies and rations had already been transported to the site, as had enough shelters for the Serenity group. A communal kitchen had also been set up on-site and stocked to support the deploying group. There was even a schedule for replenishment until the community became more self-sufficient. There were times Spyder felt less like a computer nerd and more like a city planner, juggling the needs of the exploration teams against those of the settlers. With Katherine to help him, he found he enjoyed the task immensely.
"Good morning, Mister President and honored guests." The air force colonel providing the daily threat briefing in the Situation Room beneath the White House was clearly rattled by the presence of the strangers. Material discussed here was routinely classified Top Secret and usually involved HUMINT, or Human Intelligence, meaning someone's life was on the line in the field gathering the knowledge and the slightest whisper of the information could betray that asset. Not that the colonel believed for one minute that Ebon, Guardian of Earth, or Astra, Master Healer of Earth, would ever divulge anything they learned here.
"We have received intelligence that Ibrahim al-Hakim, leader of the Sword of Islam and the person behind the attacks on the Guardian facilities here on Earth and on Paradise, as well as the attack on the Deavers' farm in South Carolina, met recently with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan." The colonel paused to see if there were any questions.
The President asked, "Just how good do we rate this intelligence? I mean, we can't find bin Laden, yet we know with whom he's meeting?"
The colonel replied, "We rate this very high, Mister President. This came from an extremely reliable source."
"If this source is so reliable, why haven't we nailed that bastard bin Laden yet?"
Ebon spoke up. "The source is one of my people, Mister President. The AEthereal have never seen a need to interfere in this region before but that does not mean we have been ignoring the potential threat."
The President looked at the Guardian very coldly for a moment. "I must remind myself that your agenda may not always be the same as America's."
"In this case, they are very much the same. We learned that Osama bin Laden has a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere within Washington. Once we have that weapon, we will take care of Osama bin Laden."
"How is it possible for there to be a nuclear weapon in Washington?" the President demanded. "How could they have gotten it here or hidden it without anyone knowing about it?"
"It has apparently been here for many years, Mister President. According to what was said, the weapon is sealed inside a lead shroud, then a steel vault and buried in the foundation of a building. We just don't know which building, but we are searching for it," Ebon said.
"So what do we do about it? We can't evacuate Washington!"
"There is nothing we can do now, except keep searching and hope that we find it before they detonate it."
"Just how big is this thing? Is it a tactical weapon?"
"It is our understanding it is bigger than that. Osama bin Laden said it was a one hundred megaton warhead."
"Good God! That would destroy the entire city! The initial fireball alone would cover over a mile." The President was ashen-faced. "Ebon, you have to find this thing. There are millions of lives at stake."
There was no way to search a city the size of Washington without attracting attention, so the Guardians were out in force, both overtly and undercover. Teams of Blacks and Reds swept the city from the air, extending their senses, seeking any trace of the hidden weapon while other teams traveled the ground, block-by-block, doing the same. The United States government had teams from the military's radiological detection units sweeping the city as well.
There were also some AEthereals moving through the city in disguise. Some had assumed the forms of human derelicts, the ever-present street people who fade into the background of most cities. Some had assumed the persona of immigrants from the Middle East, infiltrating neighborhoods where Ibrahim al-Hakim might hide, searching for any trace of the man or weapon.
The nightly news was dominated by images of the distinctive shapes of dragons in the skies above the city, while other footage showed the easily recognizable leathers of the Guardians patrolling the streets. The fact the patrolling human Guardians were all armed was not lost on the media. Everyone was demanding to know the purpose of the presence of so many armed Guardians. The presence of the unmarked vans from the radiological detection teams added to the ever-increasing paranoia. Many news stations stopped the Guardians on the streets for impromptu interviews but they came away disappointed. While the Guardians were always pleased to talk with the media, they used the opportunity to talk about human and AEthereal coexistence and the growing settlements on Paradise. They never explained what they were really doing on the streets and in the skies of Washington.
Behind the scenes, the Federal Bureau of Investigation had begun a search of the city's records for all building construction done in the past ten years. The decade had been one of unparalleled growth for the city, with hundreds of new construction sites alone, plus just as many renovations. The search focused on any construction that involved work on the foundation of a building. Although the list was extensive, each and every site had to be visited and checked by either the Guardians or the radiological units.
Ibrahim looked out the window of the apartment at the cityscape of Washington spread out before him. The view at night was the most impressive. To his right could be seen the glowing dome of the Capitol Building, bathed in soft spotlights less than half a mile away. To his left, he could barely make out the top of the White House, still well within the blast radius of the Sword. He knew this city would vanish in a pillar of fire, its monuments to American pride and imperialism consumed by Allah's wrath.
He could also see the Guardians patrolling the streets and skies. Even though the infidels somehow knew about the Sword, they could not find it or stop him from completing his mission. Allah was great. He had nearly panicked when they had walked around his building, but Allah had protected the Sword and they had found nothing suspicious. Even the radiological units had driven by without being aware how near to their target they were. Ibrahim knew this building would not be on any of the infidel's lists because the work done on it was completed covertly and without permits. Late at night, the huge hole in the subfloor of the basement had been dug by hand. When the vault of the Sword had arrived, it had been placed within the hole and the electrical connections had been made. The hole had then been filled in around the vault, and fresh concrete had been poured over the top of it all to seal the Sword in place. Ibrahim knew that the ones who had delivered the vault and those who had worked on sealing the Sword in place had all been sent to Allah to preclude even a whisper of the Sword's existence from reaching the infidels.
Ibrahim left the window and sat in a chair still gazing out at the night, his thoughts on the mission briefing given to him by the Great One, Osama bin Laden himself, in that cave in Afghanistan. He glanced over at the wall. Behind it was a small electrical box. Once he broke open the wall and unscrewed the two screws holding the cover of the electrical box in place, he would see a switch and a tiny microphone. At that moment, he would take the satellite telephone and call the preprogrammed number. At the moment the call was answered, he was to flip the hidden switch and hold the receiver next to the microphone so Osama's technical people could send a signal to it through the telephone. Throwing the switch would arm the bomb and the signal would start the countdown. At that moment, Washington would have only thirty minutes left to exist. He was then to leave the apartment, travel by the nearby Metro train to the Alexandria Virginia station. In the parking lot of that station would be a car and driver waiting to take him away from the city. It would be close, but Allah surely would not fail him at the moment of his triumph over the Great Satan.
All he had to do was wait until the right moment to strike. And that moment would be tomorrow night as the President stepped before the Congress to deliver his State of the Union address.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" The President guided the very visibly pregnant Judy Deavers to a chair in the Oval Office.
"How often does a girl get the chance to ride in the Presidential motorcade and attend the State of the Union address, Mister President?" Judy replied. "Besides, Junior here isn't due for another few days and I have Astra along in case of an emergency."
Much to everyone's amusement, Astra responded with, "I don' know nothing 'bout birthin' no babies."
Judy laughed. At Ebon's confused look, she explained, "It's a line from a famous film called Gone With The Wind, Ebon."
Ebon just shook his head. Astra was becoming more like the humans every day and sometimes Ebon wondered whether that was such a good thing. Turning his attention to the President, he asked, "You have your speech prepared?"
The President patted the front of his suit to indicate the speech was inside his pocket. "Right here. You know, this is truly a pivotal night for America. Tonight, we will start down the road to demilitarize our nation, while simultaneously rebuilding our country's infrastructure. We will truly begin to reap the harvest of peace..."
"Why don't you save that for the Congress, dear?" came the voice of the first lady as she entered the room. "Oh please don't get up," she said to Judy. "You poor thing! I know you must be uncomfortable. Why ever would you subject yourself to this?"
Judy smiled as she took the first lady's hand in her own, "Because it is my honor to be here, ma'am. I wouldn't miss this for anything except the birth of this baby, which shouldn't be until well after the speech."
A Secret Service agent stuck his head in the door and said, "The car is ready, Mister President."
"Don't you just love that? The car is ready, like there's only one. Do you realize a Presidential motorcade usually has ten or more cars involved? And that doesn't count the units from the police department!" The President held his arm out to his wife in a courtly gesture that seemed such an intrinsic part of their marriage. "Come on, old girl. Look on the bright side. This is my last State of the Union address of my second term."
The President and first lady led the way out of the Oval Office and out to the portico. They entered the second of three stretch limousines assigned to the motorcade. Judy, Eric, Astra, and Ebon were directed to the first one, while others of the presidential staff were seated in the third. There were several Secret Service vehicles in front of the limousines and many more behind. The flashing lights at the gates onto Pennsylvania Avenue gave testament to the number of police vehicles waiting to escort the Chief Executive.
A string of police cars, lights flashing, took up station in front of the Secret Service vehicles as they turned onto Pennsylvania Avenue and more waited for the last vehicle to exit the White House driveway. The roads between the White House and the Capital Building had been cleared and blocked. Along each road, cordons of police and Guardians held back the crowds that, despite the clear cold night, lined the streets to watch the motorcade pass by.
Ebon said, "I wonder if the President has noticed his other escort. The crowd certainly has."
Eric glanced at the crowd and noticed several people pointing into the air. Craning his neck to see upward, he spotted the wings of a large Black AEthereal keeping pace over the motorcade.
Judy watched the crowds along the sidewalks as they traveled toward the Capital. The President had ordered the motorcade to move slowly enough to permit the citizens an opportunity to glimpse the President on his way to visit the Congress. Eager, happy faces smiled as the people waved at the motorcade. All except one face. For a brief moment, Judy locked eyes with that face and she recognized him.
'Astra! Ebon! He's here. The man from the farm is here. We just passed him!'
Ebon immediately passed the knowledge to the other Guardians in the area and they began searching for the man Judy had seen.
Ibrahim cursed himself for a fool as he ran down the alley toward the apartment building. He just could not resist watching the motorcade pass, knowing that his target was only a few feet away in that moment. But he had spent enough time evading law enforcement personnel around the world to have also developed a kind of sixth sense that told him when someone was watching him. That feeling had never been stronger than when he had looked at the first limousine. Now he needed to get back to the apartment and watch the television. When the President walked into the chamber, he would make the call.
Sorcha had spotted the man because he had moved in opposition to the crowd; while everyone else had stood and waved at the motorcade, he had ducked away and moved furtively into the nearby alley. She followed him, never losing sight of him, but did not worry about him spotting her. He would be watching for a human-sized figure and never suspect something as insignificant as a house cat. It was a hard form to keep, but she had found being a cat was quite interesting. She kept an open mental link to Obsidian, her Wing Commander, as she followed Ibrahim to his lair.
The door to the building closed behind Ibrahim before Sorcha could get inside. She opened a tiny portal and slipped inside, racing down the hallway with her senses extended. She could hear pounding on a wall from an apartment on the left. She opened another portal through the apartment door in time to see the man opening an electrical box inside the broken wall. 'Obsidian! Striker! Anyone! I need help!' Even as she screamed her cry for assistance, she shifted her shape to that of a large Bengal tiger and sprang toward the man as he pressed some numbers on the telephone he held in his hand.
Ibrahim identified himself into the phone and pressed the toggle switch inside the recessed electrical box just as the television showed the President making his way into the great chamber in the Capitol Building. As he did, he heard Osama bin Laden's voice saying, "May Allah receive you with kindness." Ibrahim knew at that moment there never was a delay sequence, nor any escape from what was to come. The bomb was preparing to detonate.
Sorcha closed her jaws on the throat of the man, tearing it away, even as she sensed the sudden buildup in the nuclear weapon below. Linking with the other AEthereals, she tore open a vast portal around the whole building extending below the foundations and threw the entire mass into that hole, herself included. For one brief second, she saw the frozen chamber of the fortress on Serenity and then the bomb detonated.
Ebon caught the President's eyes as he started to give his speech. The brief nod of Ebon's head produced an incredible sense of relief in the President, for he knew it could only mean the bomb had been found and neutralized; once again, the AEthereal had saved them all. He gazed out over the chamber at the assembled leadership of the United States and shuddered inwardly at the disaster so narrowly averted. Everyone who held any form of power in the United States government was present in this one room. Both houses of the Congress and all nine members of the Supreme Court. The entire Joint Chiefs of Staff of America's military. The vice-president. The entire government would have been wiped out in one fell swoop. Never before had he accepted so completely the AEthereal's ban on nuclear weapons as he did in that one moment.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, there was a small cry from the distinguished visitors, a sudden flurry of movement, and a brief blue nimbus of a portal opening. When it cleared, Astra, Judy, and Eric were gone. "Well, it seems not everyone wants to hear me speak tonight. Please forgive our guests' hasty departure. I suspect Judy Deavers may be doing her own delivery before I finish mine." The President let the expected laughter subside before he began his speech. "Mister President Pro Tem, Mister Speaker, thank you for your invitation to address this august body on the state of the union tonight. This has been a year of momentous change, not only for America, but for the entire world."
Judy lay back in her bed at Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, cradling her newborn son to her breast. Eric stood at her side, a look of utter satisfaction on his face as he gazed lovingly at his new son. Astra had just left in her usual manner to join Ebon at the White House. Judy's labor had been remarkably easy and Judy suspected she had Astra to thank for that. There was nothing like having an empathic healer at your side to dampen the pain and facilitate recovery. Judy recalled how Astra had stood by her side throughout the birth of the baby and then, after Judy had expelled the afterbirth, Astra had pressed her hands down upon Judy's stomach, healing everything that had been stretched or damaged during the delivery.
Before Astra had left, she told Eric and Judy about the events surrounding them that night and how Judy's chance recognition of Ibrahim al-Hakim had prevented the destruction of Washington. She also told them of Sorcha, Obsidian, Striker, and three other AEthereals who had lost their own lives in the backlash of the nuclear explosion within the portal used to take it off planet. Finally, Astra revealed a final act by the young Sorcha. In the final brief milliseconds of life that remained to her, Sorcha had opened a second portal and had swept Osama bin Laden into the nuclear hell he had caused.
Spyder and Katherine stood on the field at the Borland Guardian Facility on Paradise, staring upward at the memorial cenotaph at the six newly inscribed names. Neither spoke as they remembered the irreverent Striker and eager Sorcha who took them flying in the skies of Serenity. Unpartnered, they felt the loss of each AEthereal personally and most especially, these two young ones. When they had learned of Sorcha's sacrifice, neither had been surprised. Duty had run strong in the breast of that Red dragon.
A small noise behind them made them turn to face the new arrivals at the cenotaph. It was Danny and Katarina. Katarina swept up the smaller Katherine into a hug of sisterly compassion.
"Spyder," Danny said, "Ebon is looking for you."
"Did he happen to say why?" Spyder asked, his eyes returning to the names once more.
"He said something about a request for your help from the Ursaria," Danny said.
Katherine turned to Spyder. "Who are the Ursaria?"
Spyder responded. "They're another species of Guardians created by the Ancients to fight the Grays, Katy."
"What are they like?" she asked.
"Try to imagine a twenty foot dark purple telepathic bear that walks upright. That's an Ursar," Spyder said. "I wonder what they want with me? Well, only one way to find out. Let's go find Ebon and see what the Guardian has to say."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a small boy, the first novels I ever recall reading were the many works by Edgar Rice Burroughs, especially his series set on Mars, Venus and Pellucidar. As I grew older, I remained a voracious reader of just about every genre but I always retained a special affinity for stories about dragons. Whether the dragon was an evil ravening beast like Smaug or those wonderful partners on Pern, I found dragons were portrayed as more driven by nature than by their minds. AEthereal was born from the premise what if the dragons were smarter than we were. How would our two species interact?
After spending 24 years traveling the world for the Air Force, I retired to South Carolina and presently work as an IS Regional Infrastructure Support Manager for a Fortune 500 company, covering a dozen locations from Florida to New Jersey. I have six children, twelve grandchildren and step-grandchildren, three dogs, and a library of over 1,500 books of almost every genre.
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