Erica Olafson, Rise of the Dark One 0006

Ch 06: Monster of Mustar

Lord Lumis regained some of his old composure, the remaining knights affirmed their allegiance. He had just traveled back to Avondur and was greeted by Uritel at the gates of Sandakaar the old city.

Uritel had not been recruited by him but joined the Knights of Light. Crea herself hinted that Uritel was perhaps as powerful as Lumis and was an entity that came to the Prime Universe from an Upper realm.

The creature certainly looked very impressive in his segmented armor of a metal that looked like polished silver. Uritel sported predatory bird-like wings and walked on non-human legs. The head and face of this old champion of light and order hidden beneath a wing adorned helmet with a stylized raptor beak further enhancing the bird of prey appearance.

Uritel summoned him saying he had information about the WEAPON.

An artifact, Crea assured him was able to defeat the Dark One.

Uritel greeted him with a nod and said."Will you abide by the rules and conditions of this place and respect the Circle of the Seven?"

With his composure regained, Lumis also returned to his haughty ways."I am Lord Lumis, I only abide by the will of Crea, the Spirit of Creation and all that is must respect me."

"This place is at the very center of it all. It was here the singularity grew into the beginning of the Prime Universe. This world and its sun are as old as this Universe and there are many rifts and gateways. The contracts and agreements governing this world were accepted by Crea.

I am a defender of order and will denounce my association."

"Crea is my guide, and I will abide. Now, what news of the WEAPON?"

Before Uritel could answer, Lumis and everyone able to sense such things were suddenly hit by a sensation of true cosmic power. It was so vast, so immense and intense it drove him to his knees. Uritel shook in fear.

For the first time in his existence, Lumis became aware of his close connection to Crea. He was able to feel her. She was still far above him and yet he felt Crea's fear and despair. Never before had she known such primal emotions. Crea for all her long existence knew the day of her punishment was close at hand.

Every creature, every denizen of the Netherworlds, servants and Demonlords alike heard a soundless voice. "I am the Judge!"

No one ever mentioned the ruler of the lowest realm, the place where ultimate punishment was served. A cosmic secret revealed the Dark One and the Judge had always been one and the same.

Lumis cried."Even Crea is afraid!"

Uritel tried to find his composure."Then let us find that WEAPON. Refuse the Dark One ultimate resurrection. The Red Knights guard a vault in their stronghold that holds the key to this WEAPON."

--""--

I had to admit, I was not entirely sure what to do and in such cases, I decided to go by the book. A primitive society that had not discovered Translight technology was to be avoided if possible. However, if such contact was made accidentally and was unavoidable, Union law was quite clear. Every step had to be taken to assure the culture shock of the primitive society was kept at a minimum and every effort aimed to educate the primitives about the peaceful nature of the Union and its representatives.

That the local natives were a primitive society was obvious. They were armed with spears, dressed in crude tanned leather and coarse woven fabrics.

I counted at least two-hundred of these beings that reminded me of upright walking turtles, complete with an oval shell. The natives, spears and most of their things were decorated with colorful beads and feathers. The natives were about one hundred seventy centimeters tall on average.

The other beings with crude neck rings, arms tied to their backs, wearing nothing in terms of clothing were undoubtedly slaves, sacrificial presents perhaps. There were at least five hundred of them. Not just Turtle beings but members of other species. No humans, but I recognized several Pim Pams, two Roxomani and a bunch of beings of somewhat human proportions.

The Turtle beings also brought along many dozen beats of burden. Also, turtle-like but walking on four legs and carrying ride harnesses or dragging sled-like contraptions.

Mao told me that the fleet of twenty-seven unknowns was of vastly different sizes, energy signatures, and Tech Levels.

They were on a direct approach and all indications showed they were about to land, right on the same continent we had landed.

Har-Hi standing next to me and looking like me at the images of our main viewer.

I sighed. "Do you make any sense of this?"

He said."If I had to guess, this is a re-occurring event. The natives don't act as if they were alarmed or surprised to see us."

"I just wish we could rely on our Janus device. I think I see some Roxomani among those prisoners and they just might know about the Union."

Warner, who was sticking halfway inside a console via an open access panel crawled back and closed the panel."Captain, our Janus Device is back online for quite a while now, and we are displaying the Silver Streak mask."

"That's good news. Maybe I should have gone down to engineering instead of following Meeze."

Circuit appeared from the left IST access and said."Well, we are back in business. Dime Tap, Shields, Sensors and Janus Device all fixed."

The natives outside begun setting up camp, while the first unknowns landed.

No one paid much attention to us. One of the ships was a 600-meter Roxomani unit. Mao was busy identifying the ships as they came down, landing in a loose circle right around the camp of the natives.

Shea, Hans, TheOther and half of my security team and the Marine contingent were still out with the Apparition. that is why Ak Fective was behind the security console and Narth acting as Science Officer. SHIP herself used her Ego remote to physically be present and act as the OPS officer. That this was a most unusual arrangement concerned me not the least, this was the USS Tigershark after all, and we did thing differently.

Ak Fective receiving the same scanner data as Mao said."There are two known pirates, Captain. The Violent Viper, a Karthanian just as we pretend to be but a more recent model." He swiped through his readouts."According to our last security file update, we received while at Deep Blue, the Violent Viper is commanded by a shipmaster calling himself Hot Bolter. Not much on him in the database, other than the fact he now holds the third most wanted spot. He advanced quickly."

Har-Hi said."Nature abhors a vacuum and so does everything else. We cut off the heads of quite a few pirates and then stopped doing so. Following the Red Dragon and pursuing another clear into another galaxy left a big empty gap right here. It was only a matter of time others stepped up to fill that spot."

"I can see that, Mr. Hi but we are about as far as can be from Freespace. Finding a Freespace pirate here?"

"We are not as far as can be from Freespace." Narth corrected me."

"Narth!" I exclaimed."You are long enough among humans to know what I meant."

"That, Captain is also incorrect. There is a significant number of Non-Humanoids aboard this vessel and it is in this company I spend the greatest part of my time since I left the Narth collective. Thus I did not spend enough time among humans to assimilate enough to comprehend all those eccentric ways humans chose to express themselves." He turned his hooded head towards me, and for the first time, I realized seeing his eyes and not just the yellow shine I used to see. He said with a sarcastic tone."And the term human does not fit you anymore, Captain."

I frowned."Let's get back to the business at hand. We could simply leave.  This is indeed a re-occurring event and has nothing to do with us."

Mehedi who had taken a seat behind one of the multi-task consoles on the back bridge, the part behind me and the Nav Tank.

"I concur, Captain. The natives use these large reptilian turtle creatures to cross the oceans so it appears and they may have no need for nautical or navigational instruments. Perhaps utilizing similar natural senses as migratory birds and other species of Earth for example.

The event is clearly planned and everyone, natives and visitors are prepared for it."

Har-Hi gave me another one of his trademark looks. "We could leave, collect Shea and the rest and continue to find that Unpronounceable, but I see six humans among those slaves and I bet my new cutting hardware against Circuits Real Terran Replica Sword that we won't leave until they are free."

More ships landed, and to our surprise, we were hailed by a Trontigmakader ship. I signaled Elfi to put it on audio only, The buzzing humming singing voice of a Trontigmakader had a clear accusing quality."We know this ship and we think we are seeing the Silver Streak under Black Velvet. Remember Cosporus and Mustar?"

I responded while Tyron flowed around me and simulated my old Black Velvet outfit. somewhere inside my female vanity felt pleased and I had to admit I had greatly missed it. "Still in audio mode only I said. "Cosporus? Was that the planet where they insisted I leave as fast as possible?"

"You are the monster of Mustar!"

Narth responded silently in my mind."There is a bounty on you, the highest ever issued by their Chief Decider. They want to earn it, but don't have a plan yet."

I gave Elfi a sign and she cut the transmission.

Har-Hi was right, six humans came out of a crude-looking cage that sat on one of the these dragged sleds, two of them had Blue skin."

A voice from the back of the bridge said."If weeze noz needz zem, canz Meeze eaz one?"

"Mr.Meeze, we don't eat people."

"You donz? Meeze doez. Wiz ze Strawberriez!"

I turned and said to Circuit."Can we not rig him some sort of Voice Box? One that goes two ways. Have you cleaned the officer's lounge?"

"Yeez, alz iz gonz. Whaz a shamez."

Circuit rubbed his smooth chin."We should be able to make one."

My engineer waved at the worm."Come then, Meeze let's see if we can't get you talking like everyone else."

"Pffz, Meeze doez zis andz noz eatz the peoplez, stoopiz" He grunted but followed Circuit anyway.

Har-Hi said."We still need to decide what we do about the situation out there."

"I think I have an idea."

--""--

Egill could not hide the awe he felt, as the approached the elegant looking ancient building of considerable size and perched on a steep mountain piercing out of a dense and deep green forest. It suddenly reminded him at his old Pillar Burg back on Nilfeheim.

Granted his burg was tiny compared to this complex. Elegant bridges arced between at least four peaks, each topped with buildings of the same archaic elegant architecture, that hinted Saresii style but was unlike the filigree, frilly style he had been familiar with. This wasn't his first visit to Sares One after all, but he had never been here.

His mind drifted back in time and old memories of his hermit lifestyle. Living for centuries after the last clan war all by himself. Only visited by Tyr during the Short Summer years and the occasional petitioner or supplicant trying to gain the endorsement of the Oldest.

Oh, of course, the rare visits of Elkhart now and then.

He had lived on a mountain of waste and trash, surrounded by garbage and filth. Brooding over his losses and his evil deeds to avenge the death of his wife and sons.

As they approached that Seenian monastery, that reminded him of his old life and home. He felt an irrational and silly spell of homesickness.

It was silly indeed, as the Saresii not only saved his life when he came to Sares the first time but in the process, he became friends to Alegar and the Narth. Beings that were as dear to him as that boy with the implanted essence of his sister."

Alegar padded his arm."It is not a silly notion my old friend. I think you need to show us your burg when we are done with this."

"And introduce us to Tyr." The Narth Rep said."The Narth Supreme sees a kindred entity in Tyr. As a Narth of all Narth, I shared that meeting, but as a Narth that is your friend, one likes to meet your mentor and friend."

The small shuttle had carried them from Sares Hub, down to Sares One and now landed on a small concrete platform built atop a narrow rock pillar, with wisps of clouds below and a narrow long bridge connecting it to the main building complex.

Now that they had landed, Egill realized just how tall and immense that monastery really was. That narrow bridge was wide enough to allow five Fangsnappers walk side by side with room to spare.

Egill was glad about that because that bridge had nothing in terms of side rails or barriers, that would prevent a fall. He had lived most of his life in a Pillar Burg, some hundred-fifty meters or so above churning waters, or hard ice depending the season. The Nilfeheim alcove was inside a sphere of 12,000 meters diameter and almost 6,000 meters above the equator line and the focus point, but standing here on that smooth concrete surface, while a brisk wind tugged on his Nilfeheim fur cape he realized he was not entirely immune to the fear of great heights.

He followed Alegar who had taken the lead and marched behind him and next to the Narth across that bridge and towards a tall gate.

The Narth said."Why are we relying on Shuttle and pedal locomotion? I am well capable to teleport all three of us to that library. All you need is focus on the destination as you know."

Alegar said. "This is a sacred place to us Saresii and it is protected by powerful shields preventing teleportation."

"Not all that powerful, friend Alegar. I have noticed them and they could not prevent a Narth."

Alegar sighed very human-like.

The Narth said."One shall abide by the sacred customs. One has legs."

The bridge was quite long and while they walked, the Narth asked Egill. "Why have we not invited Phil the Detective to join us?"

"Because he left for Police headquarters. I think he wants to get warrants or something like that. In this regard, he is as lawful as our Eternal Warrior. Without these warrants, he says he can't pursue the case to where he thinks it leads."

"One shares this experience of corporeal existence and interaction with you and it still holds many mysteries to Narth, but I begin to understand. I am making progress in the pursuit of developing true individualism."

"I think you do indeed." Egill agreed while Alegar reached the tall gate, tall enough to let pass one of the Faceless Seven if those statues would ever come alive.

The gate was open but guarded by a trio of Saresii in gray and black robes. All three wore the likeness of a cat creature as masks before their faces. The one in the middle raised her hand holding a smooth staff, with a green cat eye sculpt on top. "No further may these non Saresii approach. No one but an observant to the Societies of cats may go further."

Alegar stepped closer."I am no mere Saresii, I am Alegar. To my left is a Narth and to my right is Egill. Both are more gifted than I am, both are beyond these ancient rules. These gates have been opened for a human before. Now step aside and let us pass."

"It is true, those with great gifts may enter if endorsed by an ancient master. Deliver proof of their gifts then."

The Narth sounded astonished."Alegar, they require a demonstration of one's psionic abilities?"

"Indeed, friend Narth, they do not know what they are asking. They do not know Narth."

The masked guards considered themselves formidable Psi talents, but seeing the left gate wing, an object of many hundred tons bend and deform like melting plastic was frightening indeed.

All three guards were lifted off their feet, their robes, staffs, and masks deteriorating into dust while Egill drew his sword."I am just a Backwater planet Neo Viking, but I have learned to manipulate matter down to microscopic level. Want me to demonstrate what I can do with bones, blood cells and the like? I am an old fool, forgetting most of the time what I can do, but I am glad I get reminded now and then."

A fourth Saresii walked close."I am Master Alameda, let them pass as most honored guests."

Alegar said."We came to find out if a member of the Black Cat society had come here and asked for information?"

"Yes indeed. Lurega Donomensi had been here. A Saresii, member of the Black Cat society and a Union Science Scholar."

Alegar asked."Is it known what information he was looking for?"

"Yes, he asked about Avondur, the Planet at the Center of the Universe."

"Is this information available?"

"Yes, we gladly provide you too with what is kept in the library. It is not a great secret after all."

Egill interrupted."And do you know where that professor, the Union Scholar might be?"

"If I understand it correctly he is on his way to a planet called N'Ger."

--""--

The man, known the galaxy over as the richest man had to admit that the assets he lost were quite valuable, several Saresii and four Seenian Sentmacs, but he did not feel the slightest remorse after he killed Lurega Donomensi. The Saresii operative had met his ultimate employer aboard the Black Sirius after he received rendezvous instructions.

Rex Schwartz wearing the full armor of Invictus Rex including the scary skull-shaped helmet had crushed the throat of the Saresii researcher, just to test the inhuman strength the armor was bestowing on him.

Lurega Donomensi's remains had been broken down by nanites and fed into the recycling system of his highly advanced private yacht.

But Rex was no longer aboard that quite famous ship. He had switched to a non-descript D-30 long-range shuttle and had landed on N'Ger.

The Black Sirius on her way back. No one knew about the true identity of the armored and skull masked entity. A voluminous hooded cloak further obscured much of his appearance.

Lurega Donomensi had done his job and identified the location of Avondur and more so, a way to get there.

He could feel the time of his destiny getting closer. He had instinctively known about that ever since he could think, back then when his mother handed him control over a Fortune 500 company on Earth, before the Ascent.

Then the Sarans landed on the White House lawn and everything changed for Earth and also for him.

The Guardian; nothing more than an advanced AI construct sent by the Master Servants to assure the rise of Homo Sapiens, so the Dark One could resurrect in a human Vessel as prophecized; raised him into the circle of Immortals.

Rex never had any moral boundaries or scruples to grow his company. He remembered the surprised face of Mortimer Walters, as he killed him for the claim of Psycho 16. An asteroid made of iron ore, gold, and other precious metals. Worth many times more than the entire GDP of all nations of Earth.

Schwartz Industries became known as the Good Company and the biggest Mega Corporation.

Yet his destiny and life changed once again after he moved Corporate Headquarters from Venus to Omni Planet and during the construction of SII Needle II a hidden tomb was discovered. The chamber of Invictus Rex.

Invictus, an expelled Nnnth attempted to raise himself to a higher level of existence and thus become a true entity failed.

Rex and Invictus merged and became one. It was destiny indeed, as he was Homo Sapiens and born of Earth, the conditions of the Prophecy met, now endowed with the spirit of an Nnnth and the ruler of the mightiest empire ever to rise. Gifted with this armor and with powers far beyond mortal beings.

He obtained the only copy of that prophecy and had it translated."The Dark One was to resurrect at the Center of the Universe. There was such a place, it was called Avondur, the Planet at the Center if the Universe.

That world was beyond the reach of any starship, and none of the recently discovered Ancient Gates connected to Avondur Galaxy, 65 million light-years distant.

But there was an Iridium coin in his private collection of curiosities, an Avondaler. If this coin had made the trip, there was a way.

Thanks to the now quite dead Saresii professor and asset he learned that there was a hidden Nexus point in the mountains of N'Ger that connected N'Ger with Avondur.

He stepped down the rear boarding ramp of the shuttle and paused to orient himself. This place was called the Glaring Desert of Profit, besides a bone dry salt lake bed that served as a landing field, there was an ocean of stalls, tents, and huts. In the distance the high walled enclaves of local merchant houses and lining the horizon all around mountains.

Just as he was to walk across the rest of the landing field to seek out a local information source. A tall man with large birdlike wings, radiating a deep red glow stepped into his way. "Go back, little human. Leave this affair to real gods. I am Luc."