4
Upon returning to they discovered that they had been gone for six hours. Time seemed to be shifted or altered in some way inside the pyramid. Two hours later they were all seated in the lounge area around one of the tables, quietly subdued, Ian and his crewmen included. Jeffery and Amanda had just finished telling them about what they had found; Terry and Jonas verified everything. They sat there in stunned silence.
“Amanda,” Robert began shakily, “You’re saying that aliens; all this… ,” he said raising his hands and turning around, “is the work of aliens?”
“I know Robert, it sounds crazy,” she was feeling very silly right about now, “but I swear Robert, it’s the truth. All of you come with us and look at the records for yourselves.”
Jeffery stood, “Wait Amanda, look, the day is almost over. Let’s just get something to eat. We need rest right now; we can start over in the morning. I don’t know about any of you,” Jeffery smiled at her, “but my brain is pounding, I can’t handle much more today.”
“Amen!” shouted Terry loudly.
“All of you rest,” said Robert quickly, “You don’t have to go, I understand; but I’m going in there. Tell me what I have to do Amanda; I want to see this for myself.”
“I am going with you,” said a determined Ian, “Hell of a story Amanda,” he said giving her a wink.
“Well, you most certainly aren’t going without the rest of us,” piped up Hilda, with Bill and Beverly beside her.
When Amanda, Terry and Jeffery woke, they found their friends in the lounge drinking coffee; they all looked like they had been thru the ringer. They were just where Amanda and the others had been the previous day. Too much information to disseminate; the human mind can take in just so much before it overloads. Amanda went to Robert and kissed his forehead.
“I think we all need a break. Today we rest, lie about and do nothing.” She looked at them and her heart went out to them knowing what they were feeling. “Tomorrow we will begin again, together. Look, the information isn’t going anywhere, and we all need time for our brains to play catch-up.”
Robert arose wearily kissed Amanda on the cheek and headed off towards their quarters; Ian, Beverly, Hilda and Bill followed him quickly. They slept for 12 hours straight. When they awoke, they felt refreshed once again. They bathed and ate and then one of Ian’s crewmen, Dimitri, led them to the others in the atrium. Amanda spotted them coming down the hall and stood up and greeted Robert with a kiss.
“How are you feeling?” She said smiling, her hand on his chest.
“Much, much better,” said Robert kissing her hand, “thank God. I thought I was losing it there for a moment.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” piped up Jonas, “I did lose it! But I’m happy to say that I am much better. Things are in better order now, a new point of view, so to speak.”
“So,” began Robert, “is there a rule about discussing all this?” He was met with smiles from everyone.
“We were waiting for you guys to wake up,” said Terry smiling broadly.
They all sat down on the grass in the beautiful atrium and began discussing what they had seen. The implications of what they had seen were staggering. The part about the dragons seemed to have struck a special cord what with all that was happening in the world right now.
“So they’ve been here before, during the evolution of this planet,” said Beverly, shaking her head. “That would mean the dreams aren’t just dreams,” she whispered.
“Of course they have!” A voice boomed from behind them. They all turned and stared at the crewman, Dimitri. “You people don’t get out much, do you?”
As they continued to stare at him, Ian’s voice boomed out, “that will be enough Mister!”
Robert cut in quickly, “No Ian; he has as much right to speak as we do. We’re all in this together.” He turned towards the crewman, “Dimitri, come join us.”
Dimitri came over a little hesitantly, but after a word of encouragement from Ian, he joined them happily. Amanda asked what he meant by his remark.
“You people may be smart and professors in your various fields, but if you’ll pardon the expression, you don’t know jack. Not everything is written down in books. My great grandmother told tales she had heard from her grandmother, and she from hers. We can trace our family history back over 600 years before we began recording it on paper; and it goes back even further than that. And that’s just my family; there are many, many more.” He stopped and eyed them all.
Jeffery asked, “Go on, you have our rapt attention young man, please continue.”
He smiled at Jeffery and continued. “The rule has always been, ‘word of mouth only’, down thru the ages. Never rely on books and the written word. They can be changed...but the word of truth is always known. Pass it on so it will not be forgotten."
"Go on..." they all urged him.
"The short version goes like this: In times gone past, ages and ages ago, man and the great beasts of the sky worked together as one. They were here to serve and protect mankind. One from our own family bloodline was called to serve, and did so proudly.” He was beaming with pride. “My great grandmother also said that some kind of great calamity came upon the land and almost all were lost. A member of our family survived; she lived long enough to pass on the tale to her new family. And so it went until it came all the way down to me.”
They sat staring at the young man for some minutes. No diploma or masters degree, and yet filled with the truth. They were all speechless, almost.
“Son of a bitch,” blurted out Terry.
Everyone cracked up laughing spontaneously; which seemed to have the desired effect. They loosened up and were much more at ease with each other. After that they talked about the cavemen, and the creatures in the seas. They discussed everything, right up to the point of the volcano erupting.
The other crewman, Jimmy, came into the atrium, dripping wet. He was grinning like a little kid with a secret. He informed them that he had found a swimming pool in one of the other rooms. The water was clear, fresh seawater circulated about the pool. The roof opened when he stepped into the water and let the sun shine in.
“Anybody up for a picnic?” asked Terry laughing. After grabbing some fruit and such, they followed him to the pool and spent the remainder of the day there, simply relaxing.
The next morning everyone was up early. They were all filled with excitement at the prospect of finding out what happened to the alien crew. After a quick breakfast of fruit they all gathered in the ship’s control room and made themselves comfortable. Amanda started the record from where they had left off.
The captain was still standing in the laboratory, listening to what DuGan was saying. Her face showed displeasure, but also something else; fear. Apparently when the ship was hit by the huge boulder and slammed into the mountainside, the back was crushed in. As the ship attempted to lift off and right itself a small opening was torn in the wall exposing the inside of the lab. When the ship lurched back, it did so over the ocean and it was then that the specimen slid out of the ship and fell to the ocean below.
The captain snapped a question angrily and DuGan answered with a nod, something, something, Kraki, something, Arbolis.
Jonas translated without even thinking, “I think she just said it was a Kraki from the planet of Arbolis.”
“Nei!” The sound was a wrenching plea and broke the silence as the captain shook her head and looked about. She then turned back to the others wide-eyed, “Nei!” The record faded out here.
“Did you all get the feeling that she was scared shitless?” asked Terry in her unabashed way.
The next scene they had was the captain doing something to the recording device itself. She seemed to be adding something to it. When she was finished she went below to the living quarters and gestured everyone to the meeting room. She had several charts and notebooks with her.
“I call you all here for a vote,” she began.
Everyone in the cockpit jumped. “Did you all hear and understand that,” asked Jeffery quickly, looking about the room. Heads quickly shook on wide eyed faces.
“She must have put something on the recorder so that anybody finding it would be able to understand what they said.” Terry grinned, “She’s already decided to stay here.”
The recording continued. “I have placed a universal translator in the record keeper. Future generations will want to know what happened, to us and to the Kraki. I take no joy in saying this, I am sorry but the Kraki cannot be allowed to exist on this planet. In this oxygen enriched atmosphere the beast will grow to an enormous size; it could, in time, destroy all life here. We cannot allow that to happen.” She turned to the very frightened DuGan and asked, “How long before it becomes dangerous? Think, go over your records and get me an answer. We may still be able to save this world.”
The next few scenes were of them scanning the seas below, getting a fix and loosing it just as quickly. There was a scene with the captain in the control room. She was talking into a device, a radio perhaps, giving her coordinates and sending a danger signal. She spoke very low and the recorder was unable to pick up what she said. Now the record showed all of them gathered in the living quarters. Apparently the situation was very grave.
“As explorers and scientists we have all taken an oath never to interfere with any of the worlds we study. Even though this was an accident on our part and we have the perfect right to interfere we have received orders from the High Council to stand down and return.” The captain took a deep breath and continued. “I cannot in all good conscience leave this planet to its fate. I vote to remain here and try to rectify our error. We have the means to do this, and perhaps, in time, we will be forgiven for interfering. Who votes with me?”
“It was my error from the very beginning. I never should have taken the Kraki sample off of Arbolis,” lamented a very sad DuGan, “I will remain with you, Sha’el.”
Amanda stopped the record, and said triumphantly, “We have her name, Sha’el. Does anybody need to go or anything?” Heads shook and she continued the record.
The other two scientists stepped forward and said, “We will all remain with you Sha’el. The mistake was ours as a group; and as a group we will correct it.” The graceful women joined hands, and a prayer was said in their native language, not translated by the recorder.
The next several scenes showed a jumble of activity. Several flew over the oceans of the world taking several samples of different fish. Sha’el observed the dragons and humans interplay; she spent several long days observing and taking notes; developing a plan of action. She returned to the ship and called another meeting.
“I believe I have a plan, but I must warn you all, it is very audacious. To even attempt such a thing is contrary to our beliefs.” She looked about the room at her fellow scientists.
“Please continue Sha’el,” they asked.
“I have studied the many species that inhabit the seas of this world and have found only two species that are suited for what I have in mind. The large black and white Oreki, and the Dofin, a smaller version of the first are the most promising.” She pulled out some charts and data. “They are both different from the other fish of the sea as they are mammals. Their brain mass is larger, and there is intelligence there.” She looked about at her crew and then continued. “I have studied the large dragons; observed how they and the humans interact; I have discovered that they are linked telepathically. I propose to do the same, using these two denizens of the deep and humans from the valley.”
There was a large uproar among the scientists. Sha’el called them back to order forcefully. “May I continue? We will infuse both species with all our knowledge. Train them in the use of weapons we will make for them. And then turn them loose to hunt the Kraki.”
They stared at her in shock. One of the older females leaned forward and asked only one question. “What are the percentages of them succeeding and destroying this mistake?”
“Good, I believe they can do it - with the help of the dragons.” Her zinger had the effect she wanted as they all began at once.
“Nei! Sha’el that cannot be allowed; it is direct interference with the evolution of this world.
The law says we may not make contact. As it is, your plan is heresy!”
“If we do nothing, they have no hope! Need I remind any of you of the destruction of Gamut? Millions died needlessly, all because no one had the courage to do what had to be done.” Sha’el raised her voice gesturing with her hands. “Had the sniveling cowards observing that planet acted quickly and destroyed the monster that they themselves turned loose, it could have all been avoided. But instead they fled and left the planet to its fate. I will not allow that to happen here!” She pounded her fist on the table to the shock of the other women.
Composing herself she continued in a soft voice, “My friends, we must all agree to this, we must be united if we hope to succeed. There can be no half measures.” After a long discussion they analyzed her plan and came to the realization that her proposal was the only way. Each pledged that they would do their best and not fail her.
Several days later DuGan announced that the Kraki was growing. She explained that she was searching for it over the ocean when she stumbled on the remains of the island city they had found in the middle of the ocean. There was no sign of life anywhere on the island. The entire island was in shambles, the beast was on the move.
The scene now shifted again. Sha’el came into the cockpit and gave an order to the recorder. She then went to one of the flying runabouts and took off heading towards the continent. She headed straight for the mountainous area where the dragon community was located. She hid herself on a neighboring mountaintop and observed for two days. On the morning of the third day, Sha’el settled herself down and appeared to place herself in a trance-like state. She stayed that way for several hours.
“What do you suppose she is doing?” asked Jeffery.
Terry laughed, “Duh! She’s trying to contact the dragons telepathically. This is one strong woman.”
“Do you really think she can do such a thing?” asked Hilda in disbelief.
The scene now panned back to take in a much larger area. Off in the distance a black dot appeared and it seemed to be headed straight for the recorder. As it neared it took on form and there was no doubt as to what it was. A very large dragon was headed straight for the mountaintop. As it came closer they could make out a rider on its back. It approached and circled slowly. Sha’el stood and faced the enormous creature and bowed slowly.
The rider indicated a mesa and they flew off to it. Sha’el climbed on the skiff and followed quickly, settling it nearby she stepped off and walked directly to the large dragon.
He was at least 40 feet in length, black as night with a touch of purple on his wings and on the ridges of its massive head. Its rider dismounted and stood by its side. The dragon rose up to its full height and spread its massive wings. It then lowered its head and stared at Sha’el with eyes that left no doubt as to the intelligence behind them. They stood there for almost an hour. Several times the rider came forth and it seemed as though he were addressing her. But no words were spoken. Several times Sha’el gestured with her hands.
“They’re communicating telepathically,” whispered Terry informing everyone.
It was apparent that she was relating what had happened, and asking for their help. At one point Sha’el shook her head up and down, indicating assent to something. The dragon brought its wings forward and wrapped them around her.
“Holy shit!” exclaimed Terry.
"Terry!" Jeffery answered in exasperation.
A bright light began to form and became so intense that the device was unable to record what happened. As the light faded, Sha’el stood there before the dragon, a sublime look of peace upon her face. She bowed again and returned to the skiff. She took off and headed back to the island. Upon arrival she called a meeting and related what had occurred.
“They are going to help us,” she said softly, smiling. “They are a part of something far greater than we ever suspected. I cannot relate anything more - I gave my word. But I can tell you this; this planet is blessed by the One who made us all.”
Suddenly the scene shifted to a close up of Sha’el. “Our battery power is needed for other things right now. I am turning off this recorder while we construct the devices we will need. I will turn this device back on when we are finished and have powered up and recharged again.” The screen went blank.
“Is that it?” Robert got up and came over to the console. “Amanda, is there nothing more?””
“That’s all there is Robert, it turned itself off.” Amanda was just as surprised.
“Well, we know that whatever they did,” said Terry, “it must have worked. We’re all still here and the planet is filled with life.”
“Still,” added Jonas, “I would have liked to have known what happened to them.”
They headed back to the lounge and sat about discussing what they had just seen. Ideas were thrown out and guesses made about the fate of the aliens.
Amanda and Terry discussed their intuitive feelings and finally said what was on their minds. “I don’t think they killed it; Terry and I think they pushed it down into deepest part of the ocean and imprisoned it there.” Both women looked about the room.
Terry continued, “I agree, with Amanda on this. I think it’s broken free somehow and is on the prowl again.” Jeffery started to disagree but Terry continued quickly, “Think about it, everything that’s happened recently, the dragons return, the dreams, and the children. We all saw the changes that took place in Josh and Rain. I think it’s all happening again."
Amanda agreed, "I believe our children are going to be the ones who fight this monstrous thing; and it will be on the backs of the giant Orcas and Dolphins.”
“My God!” exclaimed Hilda.