NEBULAR Collection 3 - Morgotradon: Episodes 12 - 16 Page 8

  »Quick, Pi, open the other cells! All of them!«

  Freedom

  Vasina and Maya, with the unconscious Paafnas in tow, found themselves standing outside in the hot air. The only way to get down the mountain in time was to jump from the terrace. A low frequency hum filled the air, and Vasina adjusted the anti-gravitation settings of her shield. They descended in slow motion down the volcano slope, and they heard bursting, crashing sounds behind and above them. Maya held Paafnas around the midsection and tightened her grip on Vasina. She didn’t dare look back.

  »What’s happening?« she asked in a panic. »Is that the Palace blowing up?«

  Vasina, concentrating on their descent, made no reply. She had to trim the shield for the extra weight, while avoiding any sharp edges along the mountain slope. Suddenly, flying rocks ricocheted from the slope at them. Vasina let them descend faster to get out of the way.

  »What’re you doing?« Maya screamed.

  »Either we collide with the slope or we get hit by these flying rocks and crash. The mountain is blowing up!«

  Maya stared back over her shoulder at the volcano with wide eyes.

  »Fly! Fly faster, Vasina! It is blowing up!«

  After a harrowing flight, they finally landed at the base of the fortress. Maya’s knees gave in and she collapsed, exhausted. Vasina’s head wound was still bleeding; she ignored the blood staining her suit. The low frequency hum was still audible, accompanied by quakes from the volcano. The ground shook.

  Vasina looked nervously over to the Crystal Palace; it glowed with a bright light.

  Suddenly, the gate to the fortress opened and column after column of prisoners poured out. Some carried weapons taken from the Treugolan guards. They gathered on the assembly grounds where they milled about in loose groups. All of them seemed to sense the mortal danger looming over their heads.

  Arkroid was one of the last to leave the fortress. He saw Vasina on the assembly grounds, and ran to her, breathing in relief. He glanced over at the Crystal Palace and paled. He had to cover his sensitive eyes, bred in the muted light of the undersea cities, from the blinding glare. The deep hum filled the air.

  »What in god’s name is happening up there? A thermo-nuclear reaction?« he shouted over the din.

  »I’ve never seen such an effect in my entire life!« Vasina shouted back.

  Pi attended Maya Ivanova with a stabilizing injection.

  A a red-glowing bell-shaped energy field expanded over them, isolating them from the noise and the bright light. It seemed as if all the beings present were holding their breath.

  The comm-devices activated, delivering a stern warning from the Techno-Ferry.

  »The unknown energy matrix has reached a critical state. Evacuation is not possible! I have established a bell-shaped defense field over the assembly area.«

  »What are the guard ships doing?« Arkroid shouted. »Are they attacking us?«

  »Negative!« the Techno-Ferry replied. »The Trox are fleeing into free space – abandoning the system! The crystal emission is changing rapidly … it’s diminishing. The built-up energy is about to discharge. The crystal energy has been interfering with the Trox-Altar, probably inhibiting the Trox’s nomadic drive. That’s the only reason they remained in this system for so long … Attention! I’m registering a huge energy outbreak. You’re in utmost danger!«

  Arkroid yelled a warning and then threw himself onto the ground.

  At first the energy outbreak began as a pinpoint explosion, but rapidly expanded into a huge, ultra-bright, glowing fireball. The entire top half of the volcano vaporized!

  Awestruck, Arkroid stared in disbelief. A huge chunk of the mountain, including the Crystal Palace, was missing. Seconds later, large pieces of debris were crashed onto the energy bell, but were deflected. The ground shook like an earthquake. A several meter wide gap appeared in the Tachyon Portal’s center, while large rocks from the explosion destroyed the portal’s pillars, triggering more explosions.

  The Treugolan fortress, outside the energy bell, collapsed into rubble. No one inside could have survived.

  Morgotradon had unleashed an all destroying process, wiping out his former base.

  After the quakes and the debris showers had ended, the Techno-Ferry deactivated the bell shield. If not for the ship, Arkroid wondered, how many people would have perished?

  Arkroid got up slowly, still in shock. The base had been obliterated in mere seconds.

  Pi staggered over to Arkroid and helped him to his feet.

  »That glare! I’ve never seen such a bright light in my life. I took care of Maya Ivanova. She told me how she, Fosset and all the others, were sent here. It seems that the Lord of the World here serves the Dark Brotherhood. He’s practically immortal, and get this – he’s a Progonaut !«

  »The Trox ships have cleared the system,« the Techno-Ferry announced, as it slowly descended to the assembly area, casting a shadow over the destroyed base. »I took the liberty of contacting the Yax K’uk’Mo’ once the danger from the Trox-Altar was ended. The pyramid ship has adequate capacity to evacuate and accommodate all the former prisoners. You can move about freely, there‘s no residual radiation from the explosion,« the Ferry added as an afterthought

  »You did well, Techno-Ferry!« Arkroid commended the ship. Then he walked over to Vasina, Fosset, Ivanova, and Pi, who were mingling with the other former prisoners. The prisoners thanked him in all kinds of languages and dialects.

  »The Yax K’uk’Mo’ will be here soon to take in the evacuees. Let’s grab a quick rest and then get together. We can go over what happened here, and devise a plan. I’m worried about the threat to Humanity, and I have a load of questions. Maybe we can answer some of them together.«

  The team agreed to Toiber’s suggestion.

  An animalistic scream sounded from the fortress. Maya shivered … she knew that voice! An injured Treugolan staggered from the ruins of the former fortress, waving a hatchet over his head. His body was bleeding and wounded, but he was still walking upright.

  Knockmerg!

  »You dared to destroy my world!« he screamed, and advanced with threatening swings of the axe. The former prisoners milled about in panic. »But you will pay! The Lord of the World will avenge us!«

  His hateful laugh turned into a hacking cough.

  »You think you’ve won? You’ve won nothing, you’ll find out soon!«

  Knockmerg didn’t have enough strength to hold his hatchet and the weapon fell onto the ground. Then he collapsed and fell next to it.

  Lai Pi wanted to approach Knockmerg, but Maya held him back.

  »Leave him, Pi! He deserves to die like this … believe me!«

  Pi stepped back, shocked, as he looked into Maya’s eyes. He had never seen such cold hatred in Human eyes. He nodded to her and walked over to Arkroid. He hated to imagine how Knockmerg must have treated his prisoners, but the gnome had died as he had lived.

  The former prisoners reacted according to their species’ customs as they saw the pyramid ship descend from the sky. Some frolicked; others fell to their knees while most just looked on in awe at the great ship, mumbling something that sounded like prayers. All of them saw the ship for what it represented: freedom! Their slavery was ended.

  Expect the worst

  They met in Scorge’s refuge and had also established a link to the Techno-Ferry. Together they tried to put together answers of vital importance for Humanity.

  »Morgotradon is a former Progonaut,« Maya Ivanova began the meeting. »He used to be an honorable fleet commander. He helped other Progonauts to flee from the enemy.«

  »However, he came under the influence of the crystal intelligence, which took over his body, transforming it. When the Dark Brotherhood’s cohorts arrived on Baldar, he was already changed. We also know that these tragic events occurred in the Vega system, a long time ago,« Vasina added. »The crystal intelligence still exists rudimentarily inside Moontrap’s atmosphere.«

  »The Dark
Brotherhood must have realized that the crystals can also transform other living beings. With the right dosage and conditioning, an intelligent being can be manipulated to act on behalf of the Brotherhood. Morgotradon, the prototype of those zombies, was used to create more such beings to work for them,« Arkroid concluded.

  »These crystals can attack special cell groups and replicate them, in Morgotradon’s case his brain. This was one of the reasons why I was not able to copy his neuronal matrix and to simulate it with my vertoflex organ. The replicated cells seem incompatible with my senses. The same applied to the Treugolans, who were also infected,« explained Paafnas, who was recovering well. He had asked Maya Ivanova if he could stay with her. »Since I now know what caused my mental numbness, I believe I can detect an agitator when I see one!«

  »We were able to find a network and destroy a central hub,« Pi added to the discussion. »The Dark Brotherhood and Morgotradon won’t like that. We’ll have to prepare for their counter actions. The Globusters are still in the solar system. They seem inactive, but nobody knows for how long. To make things worse, Morgotradon has sent a larger Trox contingent through the portal, according to Maya and Paafnas. The Genorantan portal network seems vast – the Trox could be anywhere, but just the thought that they could have reached our solar system makes me sick.«

  »I wonder why Morgotradon just fled the planet, abandoning his base.« Maya Ivanova interjected. »That doesn’t make sense. He could have crushed us with his troops!«

  Vasina took the thread and replied, »What is most important for a virtually immortal being?«

  No one replied, so she gave the answer herself.

  »His own life! I mortally injured Morgotradon, I know I did. My strike cut through his spine and several arteries. There was no way he could have survived these injuries, unless the crystals inside his body not only lend him longevity but also have regenerative properties. He had to find a place where he can recover over time.«

  »What about the Trox?« Pi asked.

  »The Trox left the system as soon as the crystal emissions subsided … at the same time as the volcano blew up. This proves the Techno-Ferry’s theory that the crystals disrupted the Trox-Altar. Their nomadic drive had been stilled by the crystals, forcing them to remain in the system as guards. Morgotradon took advantage of that. Maya and Paaf reported that there were negotiations underway at the portal when the Trox landed. It doesn’t look as if the Trox were following orders blindly – and they were becoming difficult to control,« Arkroid summarized.

  »The bad news is they’ve been unleashed throughout the galaxy again – and worse, they’re now close to my home-world. If they reach our system, and we Shwakans cannot protect all of our people with the neutralizing gas, we face disaster!« Scorge remarked worriedly.

  »It would be a disaster for us too,« added Arkroid. »All we can hope for is that the Globuster Matrix is still doing its job, shielding the Solar System from the outside world, giving us time to prepare!«

  They all had gathered around Scorge’s command seat. Scorge had agreed to take in all the former prisoners. It was unprecedented for him to have that many visitors aboard his ship, which seemed to depress him.

  »I know, Scorge, you’re acting against Shwakan principles by welcoming all these different people on your ship, and then flying them home. We appreciate the gesture,« Arkroid tried to lift Scorge’s spirit.

  Scorge slumped and didn’t look very well.

  »A lot has changed, since I went on this expedition with you,« Scorge began talking. »The Trade Guild is corrupt and works with the pirates, who are Dark Brotherhood accomplices. Our long believed vanished forefathers re-appeared on the scene and are scaring me. My ship is hosting almost three hundred different galactic beings – it’s turned into a galactic trade platform. My days of beloved seclusion are over.«

  »Scorge … see it from the bright side,« Pi encouraged him. »Think of all the presents you’ll receive when you bring these beings back to their home-worlds. You’ll have to tell us about all the celebrations when you return to Earth.«

  »I didn’t look at it that way,« Scorge admitted. »This could mean big business for me!«

  Arkroid grinned.

  »The rest of us will return to Earth with the Techno-Ferry. The situation will become more dangerous, and we don’t know what the enemy has in mind. We have to expect the worst. If Morgotradon is still alive then he’ll be mad as Hell!«

  13 - The Original Spark

  Written by Thomas Rabenstein

  Sometimes it’s hard to see ...

  Sometimes it’s hard to see small events as parts of a bigger picture.

  One puzzle piece doesn’t make a picture, any more than a small stone fragment can reveal a mosaic. More parts are needed to see the picture. Humans do not yet have the framework to fully understand cosmic events in terms of a backdrop they know nothing about. A glimpse at things the universe needed millions of years to develop isn’t enough. Trying to make sense of such events with inadequate knowledge is just foolish.

  Beings who have reached a high enough level of evolution to think in terms of higher dimensional orders may possess the knowledge to understand more complex processes. There may even be some who have learned in their long existence to plan ahead millions of years, to predict the life-cycles of stars and galaxies, and to understand the rise and fall of ages and galactic civilizations.

  Discovering the Globuster Matrix and facing the dangers connected with the Dark Brotherhood, Humanity is slowly beginning to understand that it is part of a long-term plan – a plan devised over a million years ago!

  Time is of the essence, because, unknown to Humanity, the platform in Neptune’s atmosphere, is a Tachyon Portal, connected to a vast network of portals – a gateway to new threats that Humanity is unaware of, let alone able to counter.

  Quo Vadis, Humanity

  Triton Base, 20 September 2113

  The tactical holographic display of Neptune and its satellites was changing color from red to green at the same speed as a counter that marked the seconds from10 to 0 and beyond.

  Nok Daralamai, the new Triton Base commander, relaxed and took a deep breath.

  X minus 10 Seconds!

  As predicted, the alien platform disappeared behind Neptune’s visual horizon, as seen from Triton Base.

  There had been none of the incidents that the fleet tacticians had warned of, to everybody’s relieve. The platform’s location was calculated from the data received from sonar bombs; however, this didn’t mean that it was completely accurate, nor that their visual view showed the platform’s real position. The platform occupants’ defenses were too good; too many sonar bombs had been intercepted and destroyed, leaving the fleet guessing as to where to find the platform in real terms.

  Nok suspected that their interrupted line of sight to the object created a safety factor, as no one knew what kind of weapons the aliens possessed.

  Triton Base’s neuronal computers were calculating and assessing the margin of error based on shaky data. Simulations were only SWAGs at this time. So far, the disc-shaped object had been stationary in Neptune’s atmosphere with respect to the planet’s surface, but this could change; the arrival of the Shwakan-like occupants was a new factor. The strangers concentrated on keeping the sonar bombs and Hawks at bay. That told Nok that they might be trying to disguise a possible relocation of the platform, like moving it even deeper into the atmosphere to prevent further spying attempts.

  Shwakans! Nok thought bitterly. Should we be worried about Vasina, Arkroid and Pi too? Can we trust Scorge? Are they his people, or are they what our xeno-biologists assume – a different but similar species? Maybe even the Trox, Vasina, was talking about when she met Scorge on Earth?

  Nok Daralamai belonged to the esoteric circle of people fully briefed by the Solar Union government. She had access to all the information they had, including the Crypto-Secret protocols from Uluru. Their reports said that Vasina had a run-in with Scorge dur
ing their first meeting; she called him a Trox.

  Well, she didn’t know if they were Trox, but she could assume that a potentially dangerous group of beings were about to launch an attack on Triton Base.

  So far they haven’t. They’ve reacted passively, defending themselves without using force when they had a chance. Don’t they have any spacecraft? Are they stranded on the platform?

  Rumor had it that the strangers had arrived in a spaceship, although nobody could explain how they could have flown undetected through the solar system. Some scientists took the easy way out and blamed it on superior technology that made them undetectable to terrestrial equipment. Others speculated that they had been on the platform all along, suspended like the Globusters.

  That’s all we have – speculation!

  She liked to base her judgments on facts.

  Suddenly, she turned away from the holo display and sounded the All Clear. She sent a brief coded message to the Hawks and ordered them back to the base from their hiding positions inside Triton’s shadow.

  The Hawks returned immediately.

  With the All Clear, all base personnel not assigned to specific Battle Station posts left the underground bunkers and went back to their normal work duties.

  How long are we going to keep this up? They haven’t attacked us, but there they are, sitting under our noses and expanding their base – in our solar system!

  She reached to the side for her comm-switchboard panel, twitched – and pulled her hand back again.

  No! I won’t contact the Blue Moon! I will maintain radio silence, according to my own orders!

  Nok Daralamai had all the best reasons not to overrule herself, even if she was burning inside to know what Petrow’s progress was. She had to make sure the agitator did not learn of Petrow’s mission.

  The real agitator! she added in her mind.

  Samuel McCord, heir to the Fosset Empire, had been under constant surveillance since he’d returned – alone – from the platform. The secret services had become suspicious when he started making some very strange and uncharacteristic decisions in the guise of downsizing and other business related assessments. His actions were legal, but many people saw them as acts of sabotage against the Solar Union. He issued instructions and corporate orders on a daily basis, all seemingly designed to undermine the Solar Union’s economic health and weaken its social structures.