Authors: Paula Bradley
It was several hours before the red sun would set. The wind at the bottom of the gorge huffed lethargically. Sateron’s anger and fear was evident by the smoldering look on his face as he watched Mariah wander around aimlessly, kicking at rocks, causing dust to billow and plume. With nothing to do but follow her movements, his mind drifted back to her emergence from the grove of quercus trees...
His eyes wide in disbelief, Emmanuel’s knees had buckled. He would have collapsed if not for the supporting arm of al-Amin. His voice filled with terror and bewilderment. “Oh ... My ... Lord.”
Rigid in incredulity, Siddhartha and al-Amin just stared, their hearts thundering in their ears.
Aleris and Sateron were not frightened, just captivated and amazed. Even though they had more experience with transmutations, they were unprepared for this. He observed Aleris involuntarily reach out toward Mariah; then realizing how ludicrous was this gesture of support, her arm had dropped by her side.
In one singular moment, the change in Mariah’s appearance created by the dicit was as dramatic as all the numerous transformations her body had undergone during the past year.
Her clothing was gone. In its place was an opaque body covering of pale blue that form-fitted like a second skin, even enveloping her head and hands, but not her face.
The material was nothing the Anorasians had ever seen. Without a source of light, this casing shone with a preternatural brightness. Over the entire surface, pinpoint spots becoming brighter then faded as other spots illuminated. As Mariah moved, the garment shifted with her rather than a normal body suit that was just a fitted casing.
It appeared to flow as if she were under water. As scientists they were thrilled, immediately desiring to inspect, eager to investigate further, never having encountered anything like this in their vast experience.
Yet it was more than a sheath. When Aleris made her gesture of assistance, she encountered an energy field which she psychically shared with Sateron. Mariah was wrapped in a biological and organic substance—and it had gently kept Aleris from physical contact with its host through a psychic and
intelligent
barrier.
The sclerotic layers of Mariah’s eyeballs were no longer mustard yellow or auburn; they were back to their original white. However, the pupils were now permanently dilated, completely obscuring the irises. Incredibly, she was taller, now nearly five feet ten inches.
Although more than twelve inches shorter than himself, Sateron sensed tremendous, inconceivable raw power and knew, without doubt, that he could never best her if ever they were to engage in physical combat. This realization did not bother him a bit; in fact, he was fascinated and elated.
There was more. Light, with no obvious delineation, encircled the crown of her head. Yet, if he looked elsewhere, his peripheral vision picked up a clearly defined shape ... a halo, a corona of scintillating iridescence no more than half an inch distant from her cranium.
All of them held back. Was she still the one they had come to love? But her smile warmed them all, her gaze tender as she met their eyes, understanding their fear. They sighed collectively with relief. Her eyes settled on him last even though her words were meant for them all.
“I see myself mirrored not only in your eyes but your minds. Let me state the obvious. While I have retained many human and Anorasian characteristics, I believe I am now not either.
“You were right, Sateron. Eocene dicit’ledoni is not native to Izorach. It’s probably not even native to this galaxy. It may even exist in many dimensions, maybe sent by your forefathers, at best, twice removed.
“And, no, this isn’t what your forefathers looked like although I have several of their characteristics.”
Missing was the rasp in her voice. The tone was now sweetly melodic, as if a harp had been blessed with the miracle of speech. The effect was soothing; nevertheless, beneath the gentle tones was an unmistakable energy force that literally vibrated with omnipotence, heavy with incredible consequence.
They followed her out of the forest and into the hangar where she told them what she was about to do. Outraged, Sateron demanded she abort her plan by attempting to dissuade her with scientific fact. But she was adamant. Helplessly resigned, he took her to the canyon floor via the LIMC, the Localized Inertial Mass Controller, deliberately slowing its deceleration to continue his harangue. She smiled and said nothing. She would win in the end, as usual.
When he returned alone, stiff with disapproval and dread, he opened a section of the rail enclosing the LIMC and the four who waited for his return mounted the platform. He stabbed irately at a button on the free-standing panel array, causing the lift to rise noiselessly to the observation walkway.
The LIMC stopped without sensation, seamlessly aligning with the walkway which extended over all the eco-chambers. They dismounted and turned away from the observation deck, following a path that the glow orbs lit as they approached, their trail leading toward the outer wall of the lab.
The passage widened then ended before a wall of solid quartz. A transparent protective energy array materialized. It spanned twenty feet from floor to ceiling and fifteen feet from side to side, giving them a magnificent view of the opposite wall of the Agrist K’anna.
Sateron halted before a control panel set forward in the viewing area. Fingers tapping impatiently on its display, he brought several consecutive illuminations to life. Radiating coldly in the near dark, the light provided an eerie glow that cast uneven shadows on their bodies and faces. The angle then shifted downward, affording them a view of Mariah in the canyon.
Less than fifteen minutes after she walked through the PEA and onto the canyon floor, Zubeln’s frail light began to shrivel, casting dark serpentine shadows on the walls of the gorge. Siddhartha frowned and turned to Emmanuel when he heard his friend mutter: “The sun will be turned into darkness on the last day.”
Mariah finally quit her wanderings and climbed a mound of hard-packed dirt in the only clearing for hundreds of feet. Tendrils of hair whipped around her face, a sign that the wind was increasing.
Emmanuel looked worriedly at Aleris. Without turning her eyes from the figure in the canyon, she said in a hollow voice, “She will follow her course no matter our advice to the contrary.”
The wind moaned as eerily as a Halloween ghost. The volume increased until it reached a shrieking crescendo, as if it had glanced down into the chasm, spotted the lone figure whose head was now raised upward, and felt itself challenged.
The colossus which had defeated Sateron’s attempt to fly through it began to roll down the canyon wall toward her. It erupted in a monumental rage, exquisite in its ferocity.
Rocks and dirt pelted the crystals protruding from the canyon walls; lightning discharges intensified until the canyon seemed lit by strobe lights. The continuous detonation created more than enough voltage to produce sizzling sparks that blazed into a kaleidoscope of color when the lightning jags struck the quartz crystals.
Mariah raised her right arm, her hand outstretched toward the malevolence above. In a heartbeat a bolt of lightning ceased its assault on the canyon walls and stabbed her hand—and in a heated flash of light, she was lifted up and hurtled several feet through the air, landing flat on her back.
They watched her roll over and get slowly to her feet, stumbling as she resumed her position on the knoll. Then, as though in defiance, Mariah shot both hands into the air ... and summoned, twin jags of lightning sped toward her, striking her fingertips. Spun around several times, she dropped her arms, cushioning the impact as she fell to her hands and knees. The five inside could see her chest heaving as she tried to draw superheated air into her straining lungs. Her head now nearly touched the ground.
“Has she become demented? Is she trying to kill herself?” shouted al-Amin, his voice crazed with horror. After several words of prayer, Emmanuel became silent. His eyes clouded with anguish, tears sliding copiously down his cheeks as he leaned heavily against Sateron.
Siddhartha, the only human who had not uttered a sound, stared unblinkingly at Mariah, his lips compressed into a thin line, his arms folded tightly across his chest as if trying to protect his heart.
Neither Sateron nor his colleague spoke. They could only imagine her intent, but could not comfort the humans who were too emotionally involved. The fact that she was still alive was an obvious testimony to her incomprehensible capacity to absorb exorbitant quanta of energy.
Mariah rose to her feet, the expression on her face grim, determined. She stumbled up the dirt mound; her arms lifted parallel to the ground, palms raised upward. She was surrounded by ever darkening lavender light as dirt began to churn around her.
The howling wind abruptly changed to a snarling whine as it found itself being forcibly sucked down the narrow gorge. As if suddenly incensed at this effrontery, the entire fierceness of the Agrist K’anna headed straight for the intruder.
A vicious whirlwind of debris consisting of rocks, dirt, and fractured pieces of crystal formed a cone which surrounded Mariah. The lavender glow darkened to violet then to black. Mariah never moved. Behind the safety of the energy barrier, the humans and Anorasians watched as the debris produced its own lightning bolts, bombarding Mariah from every angle.
And then, unbelievably, she rose several inches off the ground. They were never sure if the updraft from the brutal wind caused her to rise or if she had at last attained sufficient psychic energy to levitate.
Ascending slowly, the halo of light previously encircling only her head expanded until her entire body was bathed in it, now eclipsing the black haze. Rocks and stones pelted her, sand as sharp as needles stung her, and lightning bolts caused her to jerk like she was a marionette under the control of a crazed puppeteer.
Finding his voice, Emmanuel roared, “
No more, she cannot take more
!
”
Whether precision timing or divine intervention, the lightning suddenly ceased hammering Mariah’s body and the gale force wind lost heart, conceding defeat. Lowered gently back to the ground, her legs buckled and she fell face down in the rubble.
The five who witnessed this astonishing display rushed down the passageway and leapt onto the LIMC. When it reached bottom, Sateron psychically keyed the mechanism to open the PEA and they exploded out into the canyon.
She had not moved. Dropping to his knees, Emmanuel’s hand reached out toward her. He stayed it when Sateron said softly, “Do not touch her. She may have residual electrical energy and you have not the means to defend against it.”
Helplessly they waited and watched. Only Sateron and Aleris, who were able to maintain professional curiosity, noticed that her chest no longer rose and fell with the expansion and contraction of her lungs.
Before they could question this more in depth, she lifted herself onto her hands and knees then rose slowly to her feet. The halo encompassing her body shrank, returning to its original position around her head. Once again, she stood before them, encased by that sparkling blue energy sheath.
She looked into the faces of each one. They were mesmerized by the light that emanated from her eyes. She touched Emmanuel’s cheek and his look of fear and anxiety disappeared instantly. The halo of fantastical light encircling her head was now plainly visible. Its brilliance, and the glow that radiated from within her eyes, was almost painful to behold.
Mariah’s gaze settled last on Sateron.
We must go to Hakilam and quickly. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
Unique in its texture, Mariah’s psychic sending was received differently by each one. They would not know this until sometime in the future, but the light from deep within her eyes wrapped each one in serenity and reassurance.
The vid-screen in the MERS relay station was programmed to respond to any changes in Mariah’s psychic abilities. No one was there to see the numerals pulsing with intensity. No one was there to gasp in astonishment, frightened and awed at the same time.
No one except The Shadow—Galaxaril, Minister of Finance. He had set his own relay from the Lepitera’s NMIP to the hidden screens below the Sho’revra.
He stared at the green numerals. She was now much more powerful than any of the Min’yel’os individually:
His hands clasped before him at chest level, his impassive face carved in granite, Galaxaril stared at the flickering flames licking the inside of the orb. He allowed himself the tiniest hint of satisfaction; immediately one of the fingers of fire became a pinpoint of light which detached itself from the roiling fury and struck the spot between his eyes.
There is that which you find amusing in the destruction of our military cruiser, Minister?
Nay, Masters, not in the demolition of the
Prehendere
and the loss of its complement. I allow to a certain curiosity regarding the tutivillus, this ... supernatural being. Although never to equal Your might and intellect, it does possess extraordinary psychic capabilities heretofore unknown in Your Empire. Could we but subjugate rather than destroy it, our geneticists could learn much of its astonishing evolution. I am affirmed that You have rationaled this and wish it to be in-drawn. What appears to be amusement is naught more than exultation at Your sagacity, combined with some scientific consideration. Amnest me the ambiguity.
Mollified, the Min’yel’os withdrew from his mind and Galaxaril continued to remain attentive. He was finally dismissed after receiving several terse commands. Hastening to his quarters, he allowed himself unfettered delight at the Hevru’s performance.
He believed she would no longer be psychically visible to his satellite probes, but he had no further need to chart her progress. What more proof need he then she had manipulated an Intezelin Torpedo, causing it to target and destroy the
Prehendere
? This act alone proved her more powerful than any single Anorasian in the documented history of their race. Still, she would need his assistance when she came to destroy the Min’yel’os ... and even then, the outcome was doubtful.
She was on her way to Hakilam, of that he was certain. The Min’yel’os at last comprehended this unquantifiable force, a dynamism that would require immediate preparation. Yet Their colossal arrogance would prevent Them from taking the necessary precautions to defeat this superanimate—something he anticipated with relish.
Because it was expected of him, Galaxaril formulated a plan of action to defeat the Hevru (human no more). With the loss of Meron Senala, Galaxaril assigned a new Prime Commander, Meron Ta’daeu, he with far less experience than the former commander plus having a more exaggerated sense of self-importance. Ta’daeu’s conceit and ignorance would be invaluable.
We will have little time to wait
, the Minister reflected, his amber eyes gleaming with righteous fervor.
The words of the Great and Glorious will be reverenced and clarified by the destruction of the Evil at the hands of the
Man’asorai
, the Chosen One
.
Awake in the dark hours of morning, Aleris’ mind was uncharacteristically a jumble of unresolved questions. Finally giving up the attempt at sleep, she headed in the direction of the
Lepitera’s
bridge compartment
,
psychically seeking the one she knew would also be awake at this hour. Receiving a response she reversed her direction and made for the lab.
She found Mariah studying a newly developed hybrid of dicit. Not wishing to intrude, the Anorasian remained still, her mind replaying the conversation with Mariah several days previous...
“It’s time to answer your questions to the best of my ability,” Mariah had said, addressing the five before her.
“First, all of you think I’m experimenting with the moss to see if I will find a newly created version that will reveal its inner secrets. Not going to happen. I do it so I can see what happens physically with the change. This has nothing to do with how I react to it.
“I don’t believe dicit has conscious thought as we know it. I can’t communicate with it, but I know it’s sentient. And there’s race intelligence. When I stepped into the quercus grove, they recognized me. At first it felt like they were touching my skin, my hair ... and then they were inside me, charging me like I was a rundown battery. It was a
Joining
like I’ve never experienced before; frightening and wonderful at the same time.
“Possibly Eocene dicit’ledoni was created by a race even the Anorasians know nothing about. Maybe they seeded it throughout many universes to see how it would interact with different life forms.”
Pausing, she seemed to be listening to something they could not hear. Aleris had received Sateron’s confusion; to whom, or to what, does the Hevru listen? Mariah had sighed and come out of her trance.
“So, what race created the dicit? And, more to the point, are they still around? I’ve received images and sensations from the dicit but I’m not evolved enough to understand. Nevertheless I sense that the Anorasian race istied to the race that created it, maybe descendants several times removed.
“Since we now know humans descend from the Anorasians who colonized Earth, we can assume the genetic code of this superior race is imbedded in human DNA.
“I wish I knew where all this is leading. But something happened these beings didn’t count on—something I feel is death and destruction on an unimaginable scale. It may have even destroyed them. And I sense it’s tied to the bizarre SOS I’ve been receiving.”
Again she paused. The light coming from deep within her eyes pulsed and shimmered. It was like observing her brain processing data by staring directly into her pupils which had, thankfully, returned to their previous state.
Emerging from her reverie and coming to her feet, Mariah said briskly, “Anyway, the next logical question is; what am I becoming? As simply put as possible, I seem to be mutating into an energy form. I absorb energy from my surroundings through this blue sheath. You received a first-hand demonstration when I absorbed energy in the Agrist K’anna. This bodysuit is, by the way, a dual-action transfer medium, absorbing energy to keep my vital organs running while setting up a barrier against the physical world. And if that’s not enough, it has intelligence, reasoning, and communication.”
She smiled at their dazed expressions. “Remember that surveillance van I destroyed? I could pop a dozen now with very little effort. And I canconvert anything into fuel for myself as long as it’s made of atoms. Which everything is.”