Hellhole (42 page)

“I’m not sure if I like this unexpected demonstration, either.” He turned to the joined aliens, raised his voice. “I think you’ve shown us enough for one evening.”

The Xayans ignored him.

The ground began to shake, like dry ripples in a pond beneath the dome. The tables and chairs slid. Bottles of Sophie’s wine tipped over and fell to the ground. Several people were knocked off their seats.

With a great wrenching lurch that nearly threw Sophie and the General to the floor, the large greenhouse dome and a chunk of surrounding soil ripped itself out of the ground, uprooted like a tree blown over in a furious gale. Beside her, Adolphus braced his feet, as if he were on the deck of his flagship in one of the battles of the rebellion.

The Xayans didn’t move, didn’t flinch. As the excavated greenhouse rose even higher, the telemancers stabilized the upward movement, and the trembling beneath the floor stopped. The dome hovered in midair, like an island torn from the sea.

Amazed spectators got to their feet, some whispering nervously as they rushed to the reassembled window segments. Looking down at the scattered lights of Michella Town, the General could make out the gaping crater that once held the greenhouse.

The anxious crowd looked to him for reassurance, and the General stood firm and faced the Xayans. “All right, you’ve made your point. We’re impressed. Now please return us to the ground.”

Fernando-Zairic opened his eyes. “I assure you, General – I assure you all: we don’t mean to intimidate or frighten you.” His placid expression changed to a grin, revealing a flash of the old Fernando. “You have to admit, it’s damned impressive. Don’t worry, we can put the dome back, just like we restored the shattered crystal panes.”

The Zairic portion of his personality didn’t seem to comprehend the reason for such consternation, but Fernando explained, and all the Xayans understood.

Encix bowed her supple neck. “Very well. Enough.” The greenhouse dome rotated in the sky to give everyone a perfect view of the town lights.

Sophie squeezed the General’s hand tightly and whispered with wry disappointment, “So much for keeping this a secret.”

“I’m not so sure. We’ve identified most, if not all, of the Diadem’s spies – I can watch them, spread around a few bribes if I need to. Who would believe a report about this?”

“I’m more concerned about the Xayans. Do you trust them?”

Adolphus pondered a moment. “Let’s see what they do.”

As promised, the greenhouse dome settled back to the ground, rotating until it fit perfectly into the crater. The people let out a collective sigh of relief, and Adolphus gave the Xayans a stiff smile. “Thank you.”

The Originals released their hold upon each other, detaching their fingertips. Fernando-Zairic stepped away from them and beamed at the crowd. “Now you see why I’m so excited by the possibilities! Not only do I have all these amazing memories of an ancient civilization, I have new abilities too – and Zairic’s only begun to teach me how to stretch my mental skills.”

Fernando-Zairic gave a formal bow, and the four Xayans did the same, bending their soft bodies with exceptional flexibility. “We wanted to show you the powers we have, and the advantages of becoming one of us.” He raised his voice. “As many of you know, I was just a human before, a regular colonist with little to show for my life. When I accidentally immersed myself in the slickwater, I became something much more significant, far beyond a simple man.”

He looked around the gathered people, saw that he had their full attention. “The sentient pools wait for all of you. Countless Xayan lives are stored there, just waiting for someone to accept them. You could all have the skills we demonstrated here tonight. Imagine accepting an exciting and mysterious alien life as part of your own memories. Humans and Xayans in perfect synergy, an alliance of tremendous potential. It’s a win-win situation.”

“You want us to jump into those pools and . . . become aliens?” asked Devon. “Why would anyone want to do that?”

“Think about it, young man. Most of the people on this planet came here because they had nowhere else to go. This is an opportunity to be part of something wondrous. There are no drawbacks. You would remain human in appearance, like me.” Fernando’s voice was reverent now. “I’m still here . . . but I’ve got a second life, too. Another set of memories from an amazing time and place.” Grinning, he turned toward Sophie. “Sophie Vence, you could establish a camp there, provide a place to stay for the curious, make the experience comforting. I promise you, people would come there.”

She chuckled uncertainly. “A health spa out at Slickwater Springs?” She meant it as a joke to point out the absurdity of the idea.

But Fernando-Zairic gave an earnest nod. “An apt comparison – immersion and sharing would have amazing restorative effects for the human body. Volunteers and curiosity seekers would come and prepare to immerse themselves in the slickwater. You would provide a great service.”

Considering what she had witnessed, Sophie realized that Xayan telemancy might give the General an unexpected edge against the forces of the Constellation. When the Diadem tried to crack down on his plans – and she certainly would – Michella wouldn’t have any defenses against alien powers. The old bitch would certainly not expect to encounter a surprise like that.

Adolphus said finally, “This does bear further consideration. Xayan knowledge could benefit us all.” Sophie could hear the ambiguity in his voice, and she understood what he was thinking. After the demonstration of such powers, he would already be calculating the advantages of an alliance with these aliens.

Sophie folded her hands together on the table in front of her, considering the pragmatic aspects. “You really think people would be willing to take on an alien . . . hitchhiker? Who would sign up for that duty?” As she said it, Sophie was sure that some of the General’s loyal veterans would volunteer if he asked them to.

Antonia Anqui, though, gave a much more straightforward answer. “Anyone who doesn’t like their dreary lives – in other words, most people on Hellhole.”

“And to possess those telemancy powers . . .” someone else mused.

“Sounds like a scam to me,” said an elderly businesswoman. Several people laughed nervously.

“I’m certainly familiar with scams – but this isn’t one,” Fernando said, in his own voice now. “When a few others take on Xayan memories, maybe they’ll be better able to explain how wonderful it is.”

Cippiq glided forward in a smooth, eerie motion. “Any person immersed in the slickwater will possess the lost memories and lives of great Xayan philosophers, leaders, dreamers. Isn’t that reason enough? And some of you will become telemancers in your own right.”

Encix added with an edge in her voice, “This is our world, General Tiber Adolphus. All we ask is that you give us this opportunity.”

Sophie looked at Adolphus for guidance. The General seemed concerned, deep in thought. “I know there are other pools on the planet, so I can’t prevent anyone from finding a reservoir. I’d rather do this right. Best if we proceed with caution, monitor and control, as the Xayans suggest. Establish an outpost by the slickwater pools, start out small.” He looked at her. “We all know you’re the person best suited for the job, Sophie.”

She considered the idea. “I can set up the camp, and we’ll see who comes.” With a look at Fernando-Zairic and the four Originals, she added, “I’m certain we’ll have curiosity seekers, but I can’t promise you’ll have any takers.”

“Oh, we will have sufficient volunteers,” Zairic said in his distant alien voice. “You may be surprised.”

T
he nosy Constellation prospector, Luke Pritikin, remained oblivious to the fact that he had been sent off on a fool’s errand. Following the (intentionally uncertain) coordinates the General had provided, Pritikin wandered the wilderness landscape for weeks until he stumbled upon the sheer-walled canyon bursting with large quartz crystals. It was a dazzling natural landmark, and the Diadem’s man was quite impressed.

Back at Elba, Adolphus received a happy message from Pritikin. “I’ve found it, Administrator – and you are quite right. This is a remarkable area with exotic beauty, though I’m not convinced of its value to the Constellation.” The inspector transmitted numerous images of tall crystals that protruded in wildly angled clusters, like fistfuls of transparent needles.

“Maybe the beauty is a value in itself,” the General offered, leaning closer to the video screen.

The Constellation inspector sounded dubious. “I’ll recommend it as a possible tourism opportunity, but it’ll be a hard sell. People don’t think of scenery when they think of Hellhole.”

Adolphus smiled congenially. “I can only offer what the planet offers, Mr Pritikin.
I
didn’t choose this place for myself.” The man was innocuous, though annoying at times. At least he had been away from Michella Town during the reception for the Original Xayans, and so far the secret had been kept.

Sophie had already departed with work crews and supplies to establish a rough camp out at the place she had named Slickwater Springs. Adolphus made her promise (without too much difficulty) that she would never enter the alien liquid herself. With a warm chuckle, Sophie had put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Oh Tiber, my life isn’t so bleak or boring that I’d want to take on another, no matter how exotic it might seem. But for a lot of people here on Hellhole, I can’t say the same. Zairic’s assessment may be right. We could get a lot of volunteers.”

In the meantime, the General was intrigued by what the alien memories could offer him for the defense of Hellhole. The mental powers they had demonstrated were impressive, and entirely unexpected. The strange lost race was a resource the Diadem could not even imagine. A very nice surprise.

And so far, Michella’s spies had no idea what was happening.

“Have a safe trip back, Mr Pritikin,” Adolphus said before signing off. “Take your time.”

With Sophie and Fernando-Zairic out at the pools, General Adolphus took the time to meet alone with Encix in an isolated agricultural area outside of Michella Town. The other three Originals had returned with Cristoph de Carre to their museum vault in the mountain to help excavate the lost treasures that had been sealed there for centuries. Before the female leader of the survivors also retreated to the deep redoubt, he wanted a private conversation with her, one not filtered through the perspective of Fernando-Zairic.

The Xayan civilization beckoned to the General. He had always wanted to know more about the mysterious relics, though now his proud collection seemed laughably insignificant. More importantly, considering the risky plan for his own stringline network and independence from the Constellation, the alien telemancy – and the possibility of granting the same powers to human “partners” – offered a new defensive edge he hadn’t counted on.

So long as he could keep these aliens secret from Diadem Michella.

Encix joined him at the edge of a lush green wheat field, and the two of them walked a perimeter path that had been pounded down by the treads of farming machinery. Adolphus had chosen this place for its remoteness, and his security people had already swept the area to make certain no one else was around.

Encix glided alongside him on her caterpillar-like pad, her abdominal muscles rippling to propel her without disturbing the ground. Adolphus was surprised at how easily he had come to accept her intelligence and personality; the novelty of her bizarre appearance had worn off quickly.

He touched a stiff wheat stalk, feeling the plumpness of the grain as it matured. Encix extruded long fingers from the ends of her hands and imitated him, also touching the wheat. “Your vegetation survives well here,” she noted.

“This species of grain has been modified for rapid growth and quick harvesting. It’s necessary in this environment because so many bad things happen – storms, dust clouds, static discharges, native blights. We have to plant and harvest in a hit-and-run fashion. We load our grain silos as quickly as we can before some disaster occurs.” He did not feel the need to tell her about the dozens of similar fields scattered around various settlements, nor complete details of the colony’s food production. “Your planet is a hard one to settle.”

Encix paused and tilted back her torso as if to absorb sunlight from the tinted sky. “This is no longer our planet, General Adolphus. Our beloved Xaya died when the asteroid struck.
This
is only a scar.” She moved ahead in eerie silence. A breeze picked up like an invisible hand brushing through the wheat stalks. “We once had a thick carpet of feeding fields that we used to nourish ourselves. Xayans did not have to fight for food. Our landscape was conducive to luxurious consumption. It allowed us to develop our minds.”

When Adolphus inquired about the large predator that Fernando had seen out in the badlands, Encix brushed it aside. “There were, of course, hazards on Xaya. A race grows strong through its challenges.”

The General laughed without humor. “Then humans will certainly grow strong here – if given the chance.”