The Cowboy Who Strolled Into Town (40 page)

She grimaced as a gust of wind powered by the android’s approaching fist smoothed past her face.

“…Its effects are only temporary.” The voice in her ear crackled forth like an admonishment coming in from the distant past, but still managing to arrive late.

Maggie opened her eyes to see that she lay beneath the shadow of the android’s fist which had gone past her half-formed block to stop two inches from her blood drained face.

“Drill over captain, report now.” the voice signed out.

“Damn you commander!” Maggie yelled, but the relief on her face was visible from a mile off. It was certainly visible through the looking glass, and it mimicked the looks on all and sundry in the observation room.

“Good work gentlemen, lady.” Jonah said into the silence after the collective sigh of relief “But I think we still have some work to do. Top on our list being how to make this miracle enhancer permanent or at the very least predictable.”

He moved over to the door, “Alexa you’re the leader here. Assign someone to have a report ready for my in a few hours’ time so I can add it to mine, and pass on to the High council, or better yet you do it.” He quickly added with a wicked grin on his face before Alexa could protest.

Alexa sat waiting for Maggie at a secluded corner of the crowded cafeteria that was one of seven which served the gigantic world government building. Her eyes scanned the foray all over the expanse of the room, as far as her eyes could see. It was a well-lighted room that stretched for about a quarter of a mile, and was designed to serve close to three thousand people. How close? Alexa remembered asking one of the esteemed designers of the building. Her answer: It doesn’t matter! In the times we live in vagueness carries the day as all sense of the personal falls away. The team was thinking in terms of the whole, so beauty and comfort did not really come into it as much as functionality did.

Everything considered, with its neatly defined rows and columns of tables, it certainly was functional. All it needed now was a taxi service to ferry people along Alexa thought cynically. She could see Maggie coming from a distance, leaving a trail of admirers as she walked briskly towards the table they always sat at. She was still a ways off so Alexa tuned into the head set in her ear.

“If you don’t watch yourself Maggie you’re gonna bring the medical team in here someday.” Alexa teased

Maggie, face lighting up, touched her ear, “I only learn from the best sensei.” She stopped to exchange hellos with a middle-aged man, clad in green, who had smitten written all over his face.

“I know where you are going with this and nuh-uh. Not going to happen.”

Maggie could hear the smile through the earpiece, “I’m not giving up on you, yet Alexa, I mean, it’s been what? Fourteen months since the incident? It’s time you picked yourself up, and got back in the game!”

Both of them giggled naughtily as Maggie finally reached the table, and Alexa signaled for a servant droid to come their way.

“Man oh man I am starving after that work out earlier” Maggie said taking the seat opposite that of her friend’s. Theirs was a small table, designed for four people only, so had four chairs, “Thanks for saving my hide back there, back in the gymnasium. That sparring bot would not have stopped till my face was gone!”

The serving android came to the table, and produced a holographic display of all that was available for the day. Each woman went with her choice.

“Well what are best friends for?” Alexa continued, picking up from where they left off, “But if I must be honest we did not send a negative query to that bot’s computer system, we would not even have had time to, given the circumstances.”

“Wait, what are you saying?” Maggie asked, a puzzled look on her face, “it’s the year 2195, miracles are not supposed to be happening anymore.”

“Apparently, nobody told whoever is in charge of that department,” Alexa replied giggling “I don’t know what happened, but I’m glad it did. We’ll look into it before we file in our report on the whole exercise.”

“Maybe it just malfunctioned; I thought you greys knew everything.” Maggie teased, poking around her plate.

“I thought you soldiers were supposed to stay alive in battle.”

“Yeah, laugh all you want, but I had that fight covered-“

“Is that right?” A voice cut her off from behind-the same voice that had been in her ear just over an hour ago, “then I guess there was no need, for that fail safe I requested from the tech buffs that run the android protocol.”

Maggie blushed as she turned around to meet the erect figure of her commanding officer, Major Jordan O’toole. His eyes, set like diamonds in his usually stern face had a twinkle in them. Those who worked with him knew that was as close to a smile as you were ever going to get from the man.

“Oh commander, I did not know you ate-I mean” Maggie faltered, “I mean thank you sir!” She snapped to attention, “Thank you for saving my life sir!”

For the first time, Alexa had a good look at Jordan O’toole,
the
Jordan O’toole for the first time, from up close. Even at ease, his sculpted body looked much more formidable than Maggie’s at full attention. They said he never smiled, the word was he had lost so many of his friends in conflict that he no longer saw any reason to bother.  Hard to verify, indeed, he had just been transferred to this section of World Command a few months ago.  However, gazing deep into his eyes, Alexa could see the world weary look which would inspire such a tale. The most compelling thing about him though was the complexion of his skin; it was an exotic blend of pigments that came off as golden brown without looking feminine at all. A descendant of one of those peoples whose progeny got lost a few decades ago as the world boundaries gradually disappeared. The overall picture was of a man who was at once exciting and foreboding depending from which angle you approached.

Jordan sensed Alexa’s eyes watching him, and he quickly moved off leaving the bashful Maggie, who had been standing at ease for far longer than was appropriate to finally relax.

“Well he certainly is a looker I’ll give him that” Alexa said with a twinkle in her eye, “is that the reason for that school-girl look all over your face?”

“Yes! I will follow that man into a black hole, blindfolded and with my pants over my head! Who wouldn’t?”

Baleia:
4026.aa

Yann-Rostan’s face darkened as he read the reports that lay before him. The other Strigoi, scattered along different points on the time stream had replied to his enquiries, all unanimous in noticing the same thing. The knowledge that he had been right all along brought him no consolation however.

The disappearance of their sun would mean the end of their species-starting with the Strigoi!

Yaan closed his eyes as he felt his head begin to ache. In the last few days he had barely slept at all. His telepathic abilities, which could connect him through time stream to the other Strigoi, told him that several of them felt the same way.

“We need to come together again fellow Strigoi” He chanted telepathically to all of them scattered along the time stream, “we may be faced with the most dire situation we have had since the attrition.”

The rest squirmed at the mention of the attrition, but they knew he was right of course. Only one remained among their number, who was an eyewitness to those dark days, but each of them from that day onward had been born with the memory engraved on their minds. They were not entirely sure how. It seemed it rightly behooved the primo-radiation to forever remind every Strigoi of the day they ripped it from its abode under the ground.

They agreed to meet at the section of the time stream that belonged to Yaan-Rostan, since it had been his idea. Baleians could be democratic in this strange manner.

The stage was set. Yaan looked about him, at the artefacts that surrounded his office. Various objects that symbolized the rich history of his people, how they had, against all odds, survived, and thrived. His chest swelled with pride, and longing. Many of the stories represented by these objects were taught to every Baleian child from birth. Yes, he knew where they were coming from, and now he and the others had to put their fair heads together to find out where they were headed.

He rose to go to the Hall of Memories that lay at the center of their ancient civilization both geographically and symbolically. He telepathically summoned his assistant.

“You are tired. Why would you not rest Yaan?” Asked his assistant, a young Baleian by the name of Tenma-Asra, who was not even in the room, but was communicating directly to his mind telepathically.

“If you knew how tired I was, you would not assault my mind like this Tenma” Yann quipped before shutting her out. He had to get things ready for the arrival of the others.

Tenma met him at the door to the office.

“Something is on your mind Yaan.” Tenma persisted as she fell alongside him into stride, “You have not been to the hall of memories for a long time. What is going on?”

He felt like saying
Gee I don’t know for sure but I think the sun is disappearing
. He shuddered to think of the alarm that would cause on the permanently serene people.

“We have a meeting to prepare for.” He replied grimly as they burst forth in to the mild sunshine. A gust of fresh air lashed about their fair heads, mingling with their long shoulder-length hair. Yann stopped for a second to take in his surroundings. The building they came out of stood on one of several dozen huge asteroids that were wrapped within an enormous swirling mass of gas that constituted an atmosphere. Green asteroids stretched for as far as the eye could see, various species of flying animals crisscrossing the air as they acted as means of transport. The sounds of laughter floated on the wings of the wind, lashing against them, whipping through their hair. Yaan’s chest swelled with pride once more coupled with a deep desire to protect this at all costs. He could see that Tenma felt the same way.

She summoned the flying creature that would ferry them to where they were headed.

Chapter 2

Earth:
2195 A.D.

Alexa found herself on a ship, staring, through a giant glass which was several inches thick, at a stagnant cluster of micro-asteroids floating by in the distance. There was something vaguely familiar about this ship, but she did not know what it was. An unexplained feeling of dread washed through her which she quickly dismissed as due to her dread of space.

There were footsteps coming up the stairs towards her, and she turned with a view to finding out some answers. That was when she saw him: Harry Walker. Exactly as she remembered him. Same broad chest, same large brown eyes set in a face so well formed you would think it sculpted. Those same chiseled arms which had been for her, an unfailing refuge from all the humbug of twenty-second century life for the last three years. Alexa’s heart started pounding against her chest as only he could make it pound. It seemed to have a life of its own, and it would not be denied passage back into the object of its desire. She ran towards him, tears streaming down her eyes, she wanted to hold him, and tell him how much she had missed him, and scold him for staying away from her for as long as he did. Did he not know that she needed him to breathe as much as he needed air to live?

“You are not supposed to be here Alexandra,” He spoke to her, a twinkle in his eyes, seeming to drift away from her the more she approached. It all seemed so unreal and yet…

“Run Alexandra!” He screamed, a terror struck, and panicked look on his face “This place is gonna-“

As if on cue, half of the space ship exploded. The half with him in it! The force of the impact blew Alexa away, back towards the giant glass window which was no longer there, hurtling her into the cold emptiness of space.

A blast of cold air woke Alexa up from her nightmare. There were tears streaming down her face, and into her rapidly dematerializing pillow which stung because of the sudden draft.

“It is just after 5 o’clock Dr Kayma.” Alora intoned from around the walls, “I reduced the temperature of this room specifically, because your temperature spiked. I hope that will help”

“I had a nightmare Alora.” Alexa replied still sobbing, “What I need is a hug.”

“I am sorry to hear that doctor. Unfortunately I cannot comply.”

“It’s ok Alora. Just shut off the damn cold will you?”

That week was a momentous one politically for the people of Earth; plans were under way to complete a diplomatic deal with the ice-mongers of Pluto. It marked the completion of an ambitious global project that had begun about a century and a half before. A massive cover-up involving the then most powerful nations on Earth had been blown out into the open. It became apparent that the Earth had been visited by extra-terrestrials for several years-possibly centuries. The exchange of information, and technology had been behind the continuous edge these countries had had over the others. Conspiracy theorists patted themselves on the back as the people grew frustrated with the lies and eventually enraged by the betrayal. War inevitably broke out, the worst in mankind’s history. It was in the crucibles of this anarchy, that the one world government arose, ironically or maybe befittingly, led by one of the conspiracy theorists who had striven to bring the truth to the light. It was an uphill task, quelling the conflicts and uniting the people. Diplomatic ties were sought with friendly planets. It was common knowledge that Earth lagged a little behind when it came to technology, and this posed grave security issues. Technological innovation was prioritized, and intelligence exchanged with other species. Now, over a century later, the earth had become an inter-galactic cultural hub with several species calling it home.

To further add to their security, an alliance between the eight inhabited planets of our solar system was forged. The deal, which had been a decade in the works, was finally complete. Very soon, whosoever attacked the planets Venus through Pluto would have to face all of them at the same time. Interactions between Earth and Pluto had been going on for years, but diplomatic ties heretofore had been suspicious at best. Now in the Hall of Peace, a huge assembly hall designed to look like an arena with a nuclear-powered stage that could lift itself and move about, the representatives of all members of the alliance as well as invited guests were gathered to commemorate the occasion which the leader of the Plutonian delegation touted as “historic” and “long overdue”. Similar sentiments were espoused by the Earth delegation to the applause of all present. In truth nobody, human or otherwise, liked the ice-mongers of Pluto very much. They were shrewd, calculating, and sneaky and looked like overgrown fish. It was said that if a plutonian gave you a plate of food and said it was pasta, you check under the sauce to make sure. They controlled the trade routes that led into and out of the solar system, however, and everybody saw the wisdom of staying on their good side.

“Damn fish heads!” Maggie hissed, clearly she felt the same way about the Plutonians as others did, “And we had to sit there the whole time listening to both parties spewing hogwash!”

Alexa smiled, doodling with her food. Combat units had been on alert all day, and by lunchtime they had been stretched to their limits. Well almost all of them.

Major Jordan O’toole looked unruffled as usual, and went about his way as confidently, and calmly as time itself. He cast a fascinating sight.

“I swear that man is not human. Have you ever seen anyone so beautiful?!” Maggie asked excitedly, grabbing hold of Alexa’s hand. For a brief moment Alexa thought she saw him stare directly at her but it was so brief she was sure she had imagined it.

“You know what? I think the major likes you.” Alexa said in a suggestive tone, poking her friend in the side. She was trying to make conversation before her friend saw the dark circles under her eyes. Maggie immediately stiffened, and threw a side glance at her friend. Alexa’s was not in the mood for sharing, but she knew Maggie would not be put off easily, if at all

“You have been having the nightmares again recently haven’t you?” Maggie enquired sternly. “This has to stop Alexa! You need a life and I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

Alexa made a gesture in the air as if to dismiss but Maggie would have none of it.

“No do not even dare write this off. You hear me?” She hissed, her hands forming fists on the lunch table. “Harry is dead and gone ok?”

“Easy for you to say” Alexa retorted under her breath, “I should have been there with him! If I wasn’t so damn afraid of deep space I could have been there, done something-anything!”

“You would have died!” Maggie shot back, slamming her fists into the table, “I don’t care how smart you are you cannot outsmart an asteroid shower once it sets in. Now yes, Harry was a good man, and I loved him too but I love you more, and for that I am damn glad you missed that trip!”

Alexa knew Maggie was right, but she really needed someone to throw her frustrations off. Besides, she still missed him so. She doodled with her food.

“You really think he was a good man too?”

“I really think fourteen months is long enough to mourn.”

“But he-“

“Be he good or otherwise! Quite frankly I would prefer any man, any species to him right now. Even that creep Jonah Lake! I mean you are beautiful with your fire red hair, and almond shaped face. You are the smartest person I know but I don’t see the light in your eyes anymore.”

“Harry took’em.” Alexa quipped before she could be interrupted, and they both burst out laughing

“Now don’t get me started again ok?”

“On to a more serious note though; I think Commander who-now is into you. I have seen the way he hovers around you all the time especially during training. It’s almost sexist!”

“He takes care of everybody; it’s his job!”

“Yeah right”

“Ok sure! He is so into me, that is why he has been asking me about you the whole day!”

“What?! No!” Alexa asked, her face flushing red, “Whatever for? Are you serious?”

“Like space debris at full speed.”

Baleia:
4026 aa

The three hundred or so Strigoi occupied an amphitheater in the Hall of Memories. The atmosphere was solemn. Yaan-Rostan stood up to speak.

“Strigoi, it is time for the sharing of the memories.”

The was barely a whisper made as everybody present levitated to his feet

And so it began the retelling of their people’s lengthy history in song, led by Yaan. Strigoi always went through this in order to never forget the responsibility they bore and why it was so. Each person took a particular time period from the very first years after they walked out of the cosmic maelstrom, when the Universe was still very hot and very young, up until attrition. Millions upon millions of years of history which they had all memorized by heart.

“And then came the attrition,” Yaan intoned into the vastness of the great hall and all fell silent, “our very own Coloi-Eru is the keeper of the tale, nay he lived through it!”

Coloi the Elder as he was famously called in Baleian lore drifted to the center of the fold, barely visible like a phantom. He had lived for so long he was, in ways, really a phantom even to Strigoi.

“When the indifference that surrounded us sought our ruin. When our annihilation seemed inevitable, we faced our darkest days.” Nods followed all around the room. “Memories are the living experience of a people, when that experience becomes burns with a passion and intensity like ours it becomes alive! That is why this one moves with us as one, as our people evolve, along the streams of time,” More nods of appreciation and a few accompanying hums

“I was there that day, when our then Elders released the Neutron bombs toward the sun, and the attrition bomb was detonated on Baleia. The Yelegs, intent on spreading their cold reachers out to grasp what was not theirs, were intent on annihilating us, and they had just been joined by the nomadic Durmsa. But, we had a plan. We had even built the mandatory cloaking device, the biggest ever assembled back then, to ensure that we would never be troubled again. The two bombs were synchronized to go off at almost the same times, first attrition, then the other, so that our people would have a chance. Our foes had no idea what was about to ensue, however, and it was almost satisfying to see the looks on their faces when our planet first broke into half, then into several other pieces right in front of their eyes. They missed the appearance of the black spot that appeared behind them on the sun as well. I have never experienced such power as we had at that instant, not before, not since. The Prima-radiation had burst forth out of its chamber like something feral, but that was not why we were powerful enough to control it, and gather our people unto the newly formed asteroids, from the attrition. Sure, with the prima-radiation up close we were able to do what we could not do before, new abilities developed like apparition, among others. But unlike you have been made to believe, it was not the prima-radiation that empowered us that day. We had the debris to fight against, as well as the newly formed black hole which seemed to get bigger and bigger as it sucked up anything and everything. We gathered the people and chosen beasts, telekinetically wrapping them around a huge swath of gas that would serve as an atmosphere.  A special unit of Strigoi set about keeping the Prima-radiation within a giant spherical dome, forming the sun we have today. Every Baleian who was worth his salt, male, female and children did their part that day. We spent weeks actively drifting away from that black hole. Many were lost, but each of us who was lost, left the fold with the knowledge that our people had survived despite it all.

No, it was not the cosmic sea that strengthened us that day, it was-“

“The love and combined will of the people for the people!” Shouted Yaan-Rostan into the darkness, breaking the solemn song

The spell had been broken, and the other Strigoi were amused at the intrusion.

“Yes Yaan.” Coloi continued, “You are right.”

Earth:
2195 A.D.

Alexa found the Hologram device in the center of her house. She had no idea how it had gotten there. Alora had no clue either which was strange, because Alora had been programmed to record and analyses everything that went on wherever she was installed. At first she was tempted to think it was a joke being pulled by Maggie but she recalled that she had just left Maggie before entering the Power shuttle headed back home and Maggie had not been in the joking mood. The Ice-mongers were still around, and their presence had been unsettling to say the least. She inspected the curious mini-cube without touching it. It looked solid, almost metallic, but not quite. It looked like alien tech but that did not necessarily mean that it had not been assembled on Earth. She decided to leave it there untouched but not before scanning it for explosive properties. Whosoever left it there was smarter than average smart, and she did not want to touch it just yet. It was late, she was bushed, and she resolved to investigate more the next morning.

Despite all her efforts she had another nightmare riddled sleep. Then all of a sudden she awoke, aware that someone had touched her or spoken to her mind; she could not be sure. She was aware of an intense purple hue that shone through the door that led to the living room. She was frightened and was skeptical about checking it out but she heard it again! That light was calling her in her mind. She thought it was uncanny to say the least-telepathic light?!