It is still dark as we make our way to Quarter-Point. My senses are tingling, but I can’t see anything that is aggressive. The animal life has been, more or less, eliminated by the Ancrons, and the Vennam. I think we have been fortunate not to meet any Ancrons, but sod’s law; there they are, about 50 yards away.
I said, ‘I thought they didn`t hunt in packs.’
‘Normally they don’t, but I think they know who we are. You know they are consciously aware, don’t you?’
‘Yes, but are they intelligent?’
‘No, of course not, but they can interact with each other, so we will have to be very careful. The stun feature won’t work on these creatures, so we’ll have to kill them, and we probably won’t be able to get them all before they reach us,’
‘You have the blaster, Reeas, and I will have the knife and chain.’ Before I can get the words out, they are on us. We stood back-to-back as the first one reached us, I hit it with the chain and it fell dead. Reeas blasted two as they tried to grab her. The biggest one is eying me up, as it backed away from the blaster, it lunged at me grabbing the chain, I brought the knife in under its jaw and it exited through its head. The other dogs started to back off having now seen the carnage. If ever I need someone to watch my back it is Reeas. The power of this body is truly awesome. I thought the light suit was something special and it is, in fact, the light suit is invulnerable, but the feeling of power in this body is something extra! Reeas said, ‘You really came through again, Dan.’
I said, ‘And you, Reeas.’
‘The Ancon’s don`t usually attack in numbers, but we saw them off!’
She touched my arm in a little gesture of affection. I smile, as best I can, in this tiger like face.
With all the excitement going on, we didn`t notice the ring of Vennam surrounding us, and behind them more Ancrons!
‘There is no way we can get out of this, Dan.’
Don`t count us out yet, Reeas, just be still and wait till they come nearer. Which way is it to Quarter-Point?’
‘Northwest.’
‘Right, I suppose we can’t shoot any Vennam?’
‘No, the poison might spread over us.’
‘OK, how are you at landing, Reeas?’
‘What?’
‘I`m going to jump us over this problem, I have enough strength to lift us about forty yards, but I don`t want you to get injured when we land.’
‘Don`t worry about that, I will take my chances.’
‘OK, I’ll wait till they get within about twenty-feet, then you climb onto my back, then I’ll jump. When we land turn around and blast as many Ancrons as you can.’
The Vennam are closing in, I can see the look on their faces, they are devoid of any emotion.
‘Now,’ I said. Reeas climbed onto my back. I summoned all my power and jumped. I am surprised at the distance we travel; it must be a hundred and fifty-feet, Reeas jumped off before we landed and rolled over several times, luckily, she is OK, I landed heavily but am also OK. The Ancron’s are charging down on us, fast. Reeas changed the setting on the blaster to spread and aimed low, she blew the legs off two Ancron’s and wounded a third. The second largest dog managed to come at me from the side I grabbed it by the neck as it jumped and then I held it up for the others to see before I killed it. That is enough for them! The Vennam must have been impressed also, as they just stayed put.
‘I`m sure glad you brought that blaster, Reeas.’
‘And I’m glad you have the extra strength, let’s get out of here.’
We started to run, and I must admit, we could go pretty fast, there isn`t much cover from the landscape, most of the land is desert and the occasional bush.
I said, ‘how are we going to get near Quarter-Point?’
‘We will find a place to hide out till later, and then break through the barrier and find a transport.’
After travelling about twelve miles, we came to some roughly built houses near the perimeter of Quarter-Point, we knew they were abandoned as there was no one around, but we still had to be careful as we entered the first one.
Reeas said, ‘This used to be a village for travelling people years ago, but the Vennam and Ancrons drove them out.’
‘Why do the government put up with these evil beings?’
‘As long as the Vennam and Ancron’s are isolated where they are, they are tolerated. The Vennam can’t be killed with blasters, and we know that they are immune to any known poison, the only thing that can kill them is direct contact, such as what you did to one of them, also the Ancrons can kill one or two now and then, and eat them, as they have developed a tolerance for them over the years. There is no actual government as such; it’s more of a Mob-State!’
‘Well, what do the Vennam live on?’
‘They don`t need to eat very often, they are like snakes in that respect, but when they do, they usually eat the weakest of their kind!’
‘You mean they cannibalize their own people?’
‘Yes.’
‘How can a race of beings like the Vennam evolve into any sort of intelligent civilization?’
‘You haven’t studied the other planets throughout the Universe, have you?’
‘I haven’t had the time, as yet.’
‘Believe me there are far worse creatures than the Vennam out there!
Please God, help us, I thought.
‘Dan.’
‘What.’
Reeas said, ‘I didn`t say anything!’
‘No, I am up here,’ the voice said.
I am so shocked, I can`t think. Reeas said ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I heard a voice,’ It said, ‘up here.’
‘I can’t hear anything.’
‘She can`t hear me, just you!’
I can now see the owner of the voice; it is a small pixie like creature of about six inches in height with butterfly wings; it is sitting on one of the beams above us. Reeas, can by now, see it, and had the blaster at the ready.
‘Please don`t shoot! I am a friend.’
I tell Reeas to lower the blaster.
I said, ‘I can understand it.’
‘Actually, I’m a she; I’m called Deria.’
‘Will someone tell me what’s going on?’ Reeas said.
‘I can understand it; she says she is a friend, please be patient, and I will find out what she wants.’
‘How do you know my name?’
‘I have a message from Sionn!’
I am stunned!
Reeas said, ‘All I can hear is squeaking.’
‘Deria said, ‘You have the ability to understand me, Dan, you were chosen to look into the light book.’
Reeas will begin understand me in a short while.’
‘Yes, now I understand, Sionn said I would be able to understand other life forms. Where do you come from?’
‘Our planet is Sandora in the Galaxy of Sauteir. We were over-run by a cruel race of people known as the Cryons; they looked on us as pets, and transported us throughout the Universe.’
I can`t get it through my brain what I am hearing from Deria. She said that Sionn is being held prisoner at the high security complex of Black-Wall in area eighteen at junction 50! When I told Reeas the info, even she looked stunned.
‘How are we supposed to get in there? It is the most secure jail at Far-Station?’
‘OK,’ I said, ‘let’s take a break; I want you to keep guard while I report back to Grenwer.’
‘Please don’t be long.’ Reeas replied. I found a dry corner of the building and am surprised to find that I go to sleep quite easily. Immediately I am in the same room that we shared on the astral planet of Terick 3.
Grenwer is staring at me. He said, ‘Did you meet Reeas?’
I told him the story so far. After careful consideration he said. ‘We are almost certain that Kallo still does not know about our plan. You have the information in your mind that Sionn needs to capture Kallo, and Sionn has the information that Kallo needs to destroy the Higher Worlds! If you were to be captured everything will be lost!’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘They would not use ordinary torture techniques on you, they would use mind probes of the cruellest kind, and that is probably what will be happening to Sionn right now!’
I am astonished. I said ‘Why can`t Sionn just kill himself and escape back to the Astral World!’
I know I have put my foot in it, again.
‘I`m sorry,’ I said, ‘I can`t think straight.’
‘You’re forgiven! You have been through a lot, and you have done well! Now is the time to act. When you get back go to the far right-hand corner of Quarter-Point; locate the building known as the Heavy-Mech section. you will have to break the door open, it is made of titanium and is reinforced but I know you will get through, once you are in ask Deria to get the key to the tunnelling machine. Deria will also be your guide to the security complex where Sionn is being held.’
‘Do you mean we will tunnel right into the complex?’
‘Yes.’
‘Won’t they expect something like this?’
‘No, that is the thing; they will expect a more technological approach.’
‘Yes, but guiding a tunnelling machine underground is, I suppose, technological, isn`t it?’
‘Yes, but we know they won’t be able to pick any signs up from Deria as she is too high in consciousness.’
‘What about Kallo? Will he not know?’
‘We believe Kallo has lost a large portion of his higher self through being at Far-Station, that is why we must act fast to save Sionn before he is lost.’ I didn`t want to say it but I did.
‘What if Sionn is lost?’
‘Then you will have to kill your selves or die fighting to get back here.’
Not much of a happy ending, I thought.
I wake up with a jolt. Reeas is on guard, and Deria was still sitting on the beam. I related my story to them.
‘We better wait till early morning so no one will be there, said Reeas.’
‘There is no time to wait, according to Grenwer we have to go now!’
‘OK, she said, but it’s risky.’
‘we`ll have to take a chance on that, I’m hoping that if we get away with it, they will think it`s only thieves.’
We ran across to the railings which I can see are strengthened as is everything at Far-Station. Reeas pulled at one railing and I pulled at the other, and we managed to make create a space big enough for us to get through. We didn’t want to risk jumping over as we might be seen.
‘The door won’t be that easy,’ Reeas said. I know she is right. It is still dark, and there isn’t anyone around. We had to be careful as we made our way to the Heavy-Mech section.
‘I will need some sort of tool to break open the door. Hold on a minute, what about the roof, maybe I could jump up there and break in.’ Deria said she would fly up and look. Within a minute she was back. No luck, she said, it’s heavy concrete. I’ll fly around and check out the area, and try to locate something for you to use. I said to Reeas,
‘We are lucky to have her.’
‘Yes, Dan, I just hope we can see it through to the end.’
‘I said, if you are here, I will be happy.’ Reeas smiled.
Deria came back and said there is a metal bar some way off. Reeas said she would get it. I said,
‘Be careful.’
Reeas said, ‘I can look after myself.’ I said, ‘Yes, but who will look after me?’ She smiled again.
I looked at the door and think, these people might be lower beings, but they sure know how to build things to last. The whole building is made of heavy steel and concrete.
Reeas came back with a big crowbar and a piece of scaffold board. I placed the board on the floor put the bar on the board, then I shoved the bar under the door, I heaved, the door started to move a little, after about two minutes the door was starting to give. I said, ‘Stand back.’ I then took six paces back and ran putting my shoulder to the door it gave way with a thunderous noise.
‘Quick, I said to Deria, go and get the keys while Reeas and I look for the machine.’ All Deria has to do is fly between the bars of the office to get the keys which are labelled for each machine. There is no mistaking the tunnelling machine as it is massive, with a corkscrew front. We have to climb up a ladder to get to the door; the machine is sitting on a giant truck. Deria is having trouble carrying the key as it was nearly as big as her, but she made it. We went inside the machine. Dear God, I thought, please make it start.
‘Lock the door.’ I shouted, as I ran to the front, I put the key in and turned it, and lo-and-behold it started. The controls are very basic, just a joystick, and pedals, also a depth-meter and warning lights such as air tanks, and fuel, I look at the fuel, and again, luck is with us, a full tank! I don`t know what type of fuel it is, but I’m not concerned with that. ‘Here we go.’ I said, I pointed the joystick down the machine rumbled; I put my foot on the pedal, and it started to move, I can`t see anything as there is no screen but we know we are moving as the front of the corkscrew hit the concrete, I know also part of the roof of the building is gone as the framework of the machine had risen up before we can slide down the ramp. I just hope the metal corkscrew can stand up to the concrete floor. By this time, I think, the security forces must be on site.
‘What about weapons I said, do they have blasters?’
‘Yes’ said Reeas, but they won’t be effective against this machine.’
It is too late anyway, as we are free of the concrete and going down fast. Deria sat at the side of me, we must have looked a comical site as I am much too big for the chair and she is much too small.