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  Hadaie nodded. “Want to see?”

  It was Mike’s turn to place a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  A few minutes later and both men were in Hadaie’s quarters. Olena gave Mike a hug as he entered. Mike could tell she was very much pregnant.

  “Ulon told me the news. I am so happy for you both,” Mike exclaimed.

  Olena appeared very happy. She and Hadaie had joined only a few months after the Lexington had departed Thera on the last visit. Since that time, Mike had received several messages and images of the two visiting other worlds. After a few minutes talking together she asked, “Do you want to see the baby?”

  Mike stopped. “What do you mean?”

  Hadaie began to laugh in the snorting way Angelans do. Olena didn’t seem to understand.

  “They cannot see their babies before they are born,” Hadaie explained to Olena. He turned to Mike. “Angelans carry their child in an almost transparent sack along the female’s stomach. We can see our baby’s forming and they can see us,” he explained.

  Olena drew back the blouse that was covering her stomach. There, comfortably sitting in its amniotic fluid was a child. Mike was even more surprised, when the child turned and looked at him. He saw it raise its small hand and place it against the outer wall.

  Hadaie smiled. “He wants you to place your finger there,” he said.

  Mike placed his index finger against Olean’s stomach where the baby was pressing its hand. Mike could suddenly feel the baby’s presence. He could sense the baby’s curiosity. He looked at Ulon. “It’s like he’s trying to talk to me,” Mike said.

  Hadaie chuckled. “He is. Our children get to know us and begin communicating by about half way through the pregnancy. He removed Mike’s hand and replaced it with his own. In a few seconds, the baby looked back at Mike and smiled. Unsure what to do, Mike simply waved at the child. Once again, he was surprised when the child waved back.

  “This is amazing,” Mike exclaimed. “I would have loved to be able to do something like this with our children,” he said.

  Olena covered her stomach back up. She was learning so many new things while with Hadaie. But the best was getting to know his friends and the closeness they shared. It made her feel very special. “It will not be long before our son will be with us. I hope our children will be able to share some time together,” she said warmly.

  “That would be awesome,” said Mike. “I can’t wait for you to come down and see the family,” he said before catching himself. For a moment, he had let himself forget that his son was missing. The realization showed in his face.

  Olena touched Mike. “It will be fine. You will get him back. Then we shall all have time together,” she said.

  They were interrupted by a call on the communications panel. “Bridge to Mister Wilkes.”

  “Wilkes here.”

  “Sir, your mother is trying to get hold of you.”

  Mike winced at that one, but shook his head. “Please patch it in here.”

  The comm panel activated again and his mother’s image appeared. “Mike, have you seen your father?”

  “Not since just after supper, Mom.”

  “Well, we can’t find him. He was very agitated before I went to bed and he’s not around the house or in the yard. He may have streamed back to the ship,” she said.

  Mike suddenly stiffened. “Don’t worry Mom, I’ll find him. I’ll call you back in a few minutes. Wilkes out,” he said shutting off the communications and then dashing from the room.

  Three minutes later Mike arrived at the small arms locker to find his father sitting in a seat surrounded by security guards. The Captain looked none too happy and Thompson was replacing two particle beam rifles in their brackets. They all looked at Mike when he stepped into the space. His father just lowered his head into his hands.

  Mike took a deep breath and let it out slow. “Oh Dad,” he muttered shaking his head.

  Professor Aanod entered the bedroom on Olan’s property as everyone had been entering the site, through the window. It was already way after sunset outside and nearly everyone had gone home for the evening. This suited the professor well. He preferred to work without interruptions. After adjusting his glasses and taking out a pad of paper and a pencil, he began to furiously take notes. The bodies had been removed earlier for study, but the professor was more interested in the site itself. He very carefully surveyed first the ceiling fixtures and worked his way to the floor. He carefully examined the textiles to see how they had been made, what materials were used, their feel and texture. Then he examined the furniture. It was made of a new material he had never encountered except at other archaeological sites. He was amazed at the state of preservation. Even the colorings were fresh looking. The fit and finish were flawless except for occasional scuffing, indicating normal use.

  Finally the professor got down on the floor and examined the coverings. There was a carpet that completely covered the floor. It looked plush and expensive, yet it was not made of wool or any of the other materials he was used to. Plus it looked very dense. Obviously this was machine made.

  And so it continued from room to room. In the bathroom he too tried the faucets and was amazed at the water flow. After a moment, he took a scoop in his hand and tasted it. The water tasted cool, fresh and clean. Turning the other faucet, he was surprised when hot water came out after only a moment. After securing the water, he studied the sink itself. It looked like it had been carved from stone. It even felt like stone. But when he looked under the cabinet he could see it was some sort of formed composite of materials he wasn’t familiar with. Reaching up, he felt a small piece of the material protruding from one corner. He took it with his fingers and with effort, broke it off. The material was placed in a small paper bag and stuffed into his specimen bag.

  House by house, he methodically examined everything. As he was going through the last house before the cavern ended, he found himself in a small den filled with comfortable sofas and chairs covered with several textiles, whose color matched the paint on the walls. He found himself thinking how comfortable this room was. For a few moments, he found himself relaxing on one of the sofas. The soft covering was firm, but very comfortable. Then he remembered that the last time someone had relaxed on that sofa was nearly 5,000 years ago. Out of respect for the former inhabitants, he got up and continued his examination.

  The same regimen was followed as in the previous houses until he came to one wall. There was a bookshelf covering all but the center portion. On close inspection, he noticed a small gap in the wall hidden by the bookshelf. Slight taps told the professor there was a door there. Despite his efforts to push it open, the door remained solidly in place. He carefully searched first the opening and then the bookshelf for a way to open it. On his second inspection, he noticed what appeared to be a nail protruding just inside the lip of the shelf at arm’s height. Feeling it gently with his fingers, it didn’t have the sharp point like a nail would. He gave it a slight push downward. With an audible click, the latch opened and the door swung inward.

  Inside the small room was a small desk covered with several stacks of papers. There was also a desk lamp that the Professor switched on. This was a small office for one of the family members. Unlike the other rooms this one was very dusty. Cobwebs were formed along the walls and fixtures. On the desk, pens and other writing instruments were neatly placed in a cup. Some magazines were in order on a small bookshelf beside the desk. The chair was dusty as well and there was a musty odor in the space. What caught the Professor’s eye was a small flat instrument on the desk that looked like it was made in two sections. Carefully, be lifted the top section and found it hinged to the bottom at the back. As he raised it further, he could see keys with letters on them, some looked familiar. Then as he pulled the top back fully, a small beep was heard from the machine and it began to hum and chirp occasionally. Within a moment, the top of the machine changed into pictures and letters, eventually talk
ing in a strange, but surprisingly familiar language.

  Captain Dickson stared at the small instrument the Professor had retrieved from the house. It had a familiar shape. Very much like one of his desktop communications and computer consoles. The instrument had been carefully cleaned and the metal covering seemed to shine. He looked over at Hadaie.

  “You are sure you have matched the power source,” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” Hadaie answered. “Fortunately, the power source is very similar to our plasma conduits. To match the energy source we simply had to tap into one of our conduits and step down the power.”

  The Captain nodded and turned back to the Professor. “And all you did was open the top?”

  The Professor kept his eyes on the machine. “Yes, I lifted it from the front and it just came on.”

  Captain Dickson reached down with both hands and gently lifted the top. Once again the hidden switch was thrown and the machine started whirring. Again, a color image appeared on the screen in the lid and after a moment, it stopped and remained. A voice began speaking in a strange language and then stopped.

  Hadaie had already pulled out his scanner and was taking readings. Until he was sure of how it worked, he held back on touching it like he did other computers. After a moment, Hadaie’s face changed from concern to understanding. “Captain, I believe this is a small hand held computer. According to my scans, it has a central processor operating at nearly over 500 gigahertz. The data storage is capable of holding a very large amount of data and indeed has a large amount stored there,” he observed. “I believe this computer has been designed to be voice activated.”

  “I don’t understand a word you said,” the Professor said with a strange look on his face.

  “It is what we at one time called a laptop computer. Are you familiar with computers?” the Captain asked.

  “I know we have computers that fill whole buildings. They use them with the rocket forces,” the Professor said.

  “Well, this is the same thing, except this little computer could run the entire rocket program, your military systems and communications all by itself and at the same time. This technology is far above yours,” Dickson said turning back to the computer. “Can you download the information in the memory?” he asked Hadaie.

  “I will start immediately sir. I should have it analyzed later this afternoon,” Hadaie said.

  Suddenly the picture changed on the screen and a haggard, starved looking man appeared and started to speak. None of them understood what the man was saying, but the pained look in his eyes and the obvious strain the words were taking were readily apparent. After a few moments, the man seemed to slump into his chair and the screen went blank.

  Captain Dickson slowly let out a breath of air. This was indeed a giant mystery. Something terrible had happened on this peaceful planet nearly 5,000 years ago. This man’s plea was calling out even across these centuries. He looked at Hadaie. “Please download all of the information on this computer and give me a synopsis by the end of the day,” he said. “I want to know what happened and how these people died,” he said quietly. Turning to the professor he said, “It has been a long night professor. If you would like, you can have a room aboard the Lexington until morning.”

  The professor looked at his watch. “It’s nearly sunrise now, Captain. But after what we have uncovered, I could stand to have some time alone. That room would be very helpful.”

  The Captain rubbed his eyes. He had been up all night and was bone tired, but the message from the past was already haunting him. There would be no time for sleep. “I’ll have someone show you to a stateroom. Please feel free to stay as long as you desire. But I must insist that you not wander about the ship. We are concerned that...”

  The Professor cut him off. “I know, Captain. I have no desire to see things that we both might regret. But this computer, as you call it, may have changed everything,” he said. “If you noticed, the man on the screen was a Theran.”

  The Captain had noticed. It was just one more thing that bothered him. It may not really change what they were trying to do, but it did indicate that the Therans once had a civilization far more advanced than the current one.

  Chapter 8

  Plans

  The two probes had been launched an hour before sunrise and had positioned themselves, one directly above and the other at an angle to catch differences from the other and provide a three dimensional image. During the night, the images had been nearly totally dark. But as the sun’s rays crossed the area, a sprawling military compound had emerged. There were barracks for troops, training facilities, firing ranges, a vehicle compound that had trucks, automobiles and even some rudimentary armor. Aside from the standard administrative type buildings the thing that caught everyone’s eye was the two huge hangar type buildings beside a very large ramp facility. In front of these was a strip of concrete a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide.

  “That proves beyond a doubt Brana has at least some shuttlecraft. I would figure those hangars can hold at least a hundred of the things,” Thompson surmised.

  “Even more if he has some stored in the overhead,” Dickson said. “You see these canister-like tanks?” he asked pointing to a large yard of the tanks on their sides one building away. Several had frost on them as if they were very cold. “He is keeping his fuel very close indeed.”

  “And if the colder ones are any indication, he has them full,” Mike said as he studied the images. Then he pointed quickly to a tower near the fuel tanks. “There! That is one of the dampening towers like the one I destroyed,” he said pointing. Then he pointed to another tower. “There’s another,” and he pointed again, “And another. That’s why you couldn’t see anything with the ship’s sensors.”

  “I agree,” said Dickson. “But I am wondering why the runway right here,” he said pointing to the mile long strip. “Those shuttlecraft wouldn’t need a runway, and if there are no aircraft?” he questioned looking back at the men.

  Mike’s father in law was wondering the same thing. Mr. Ramey was one to remain silent until he had something to offer. He was watching what looked like groups of men moving toward the area. A little further back some vehicles were moving in as well. He reached down and ordered the camera to zoom into the center of the area. There was a structure at about that position opposite the hangars. After a moment of thought, he smiled and sat back.

  “It seems our General Brana is a very vain man,” he said to no one in particular.

  Dickson didn’t catch on. “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “Well, if I’m not mistaken, he is having his men paraded before him this morning,” he said with a smile. “See all these people headed in that direction? And over here, these vehicles are moving. Some have already positioned themselves,” he said.

  Sure enough, after watching for another ten minutes, large formations of men and equipment were positioned in rigid lines along the entire mile of concrete. The structure was simply a reviewing stand or some sort of addressing stand where Brana could look out over his troops. A few minutes more and the formations became very exact. Then a car pulled up and people got out and went onto the raised stand. You could tell someone was addressing the troops.

  “Too bad we can’t hear what he’s saying,” said Thompson.

  “I don’t know if I care to hear,” Dickson said smiling at him. “Let’s look at the area in general.”

  The imaged widened to see the entire valley and the area surrounding it. The surrounding area was crossed with soft rolling hills with larger mountains in the background. To one side the hills flattened out in the distance as the land headed toward the sea. From the sea in a winding path was a large river that had, over the centuries, carved its way from the mountains downward leaving the flat plain. There was a lake within five miles of the facility and again at the closest point to the base. There were also some old wharf facilities along the lake where supplies could be brought in. There were several boats tied to the wha
rves. The main gate to the base was found and a road wound, not toward the river, but back to the closest city in the country, nearly 100 miles away. Completely surrounding the base was what looked like a thick growth of rain forest with an impenetrable canopy. No other roads could be seen outside the base, however there was a cleared area, measuring only about 10 meters across that seemed to go through the woods and back to a place 10 miles away where a small compound of buildings stood. It too had a tower with its own dampening field.

  “He’s situated pretty well sir,” Thompson began. “Nothing really within 100 miles of him, jungle all round and only one road in or out except for the river. And if you notice, there is nothing on the river either. I would say he patrols that periodically with these boats at the wharf. What would you guess that the natives, if there are any anymore, call it the river of death.”

  “I agree, Number One. Getting people in and out will be difficult at best. We can’t stream people there because of the dampening field. And we can’t use the sensors to locate your son for the same reason,” Dickson said studying the problem.

  “And despite how much I’d love to blast our way in, I just can’t sanction using anything above their technology level because of their situation,” Mike said. “These people are just getting to the point of being able to handle things on their own again and have the confidence to do it. It’s a very sensitive time and I really don’t want to change things again.”

  “Do you really think they cannot handle us using our own technology?” Mr. Ramey asked.

  “For the first year, we saw governments from around the planet scramble to find bits and pieces of Levid’s technology and use it in their armies. We were able to beat them to it in most cases, but not all. One government down there found a box of his laser rifles. They massacred all the people in ten towns before the rifles ran out of energy. The government forces were able to take back the towns, but the damage was done. We were lucky that they didn’t know how to use the recharging system they also had, but had thrown away. Even now one government has one of Levid’s sensor arrays operating in their defense network,” Mike said throwing up his hands. “Remember, this society has not evolved near as much as we might imagine. The notion of manifest destiny is alive and well here. And power is a deadly aphrodisiac.”