"STAR AND CIRCLE: THE SEEKER'S FIRE"
EPISODE SEVENTEEN: "A PLACE TO CALL HOME"
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(disclaimers and associated descriptions in overture)
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<<Act Four>>
Captain's Personal Log - Supplemental. Oct 29th, 2267.
To say that the last day and a half has been... interesting, is probably the understatement of the year. From our discovery of the First Ones orbital construct we named the Artifact, to Mr. Dawson's pilgrimage back to Earth... to my encounter with the entity that names itself the Authority - an encounter mediated by no other than Nicholas - our time here has been one moment of revelation after another.
Some personal observations - Nicholas seems to have dealt with the tragedy that has just befallen his family more easily than I would have under similar circumstances. For that I must... admire him, something I would have been hard pressed to say a short time ago. All the same, I would like to understand why this is so - what is driving him onwards, what, apart from the secret he shared with the Authority when he closed himself away from us, is keeping his spirits up... and how he made his peace with the reality of his sister's death at the hands of our mutual enemy, the Drakh.
Perhaps in due course he will tell me - and also, I hope, of the decision he has made, a decision he is keeping from me for the time being whilst he makes one more trip to Earth to attend his sister's funeral - a secret my Observer's side is screaming out to learn.
For now, though - there are other matters to consider.
* * *
Within the Artifact Ring City - 19:30 hrs, EST.
"So this is the truth, then..." Klairika muttered, a kernel of despair growing within her as she gazed along the axis of a city stripped bare long before her race had ascended to the stars, "When they left to travel beyond the Rim, the race that built this place and set you in place to guard it took everything with them that was important... their histories, their technologies. As the humans would say..."
"Damn?" the Authority observed, its expression wry. "A useful expression, that is - and, I am afraid... in this case, only too accurate."
"Then why your watchfulness, your orders to protect the Artifact? You have spoken of fleets and races seeking to plunder this place... why did you destroy them if there was nothing left to plunder?"
"Ah, but you see - it was not what this place *contained* that I was protecting... but the place itself, in their memory. They are long gone now, never to return - but as long as this memorial remains... then the memory of what they did here, what they accomplished - will remain as well. The other races who came sought to take this place by force, to destroy what they had no right to destroy... while you and your Rangers instead took the time to learn the nature of their airlocks and of other matters - in short, to *understand*. And in that doing, you proved that I was right in allowing your approach - while the opportunity to speak to someone other than myself for the first time in millions of years was, how shall I put it?... exhillirating."
"Of course - still, it's..."
"Disappointing?" the Authority observed. "Perhaps. From your viewpoint, it must seem as if another promising lead towards the cure to the Drakh plague has evaporated - that the time you have spent in this place was wasted. Let me assure you that this is far from the case."
"What do you mean?" Klairika asked with a frown.
"As you are aware, using my nanobots I was able to review your histories and logs - and because of my nature, I was also able, I believe, to make connections that you and the other short-lifes have not... to see the *big* picture, as some of you would term it. As such, I have something to tell you, and it is this, Brakiri." At which point the Authority's expression grew stern. "They *are* afraid of you, Klairika Alidiae. They are trying to stop you... and if they succeed, the last hope of the humans may be lost."
"They... who?"
"Your enemies - your nemeses. They know what you are doing - and even as we speak, I believe they are maneuvering to elliminate your vessel and crew from contention."
"The Drakh."
"No..." the Authority corrected, "Not the Drakh. You will forgive me my trespass as I have forgiven yours... but as I have said already, I have been alone for a very long time - and since you and the other Anla'shok have done something my creators never were able to, I will tell you what it is I have learned - what I believe is the truth you need to accept in order to succeed in your tasks.
Again... *they* know what you are doing, and they are afraid of you. Very afraid. And what you represent."
"Why?"
"Because... you are close to what you seek - closer than any of you believe. Because they do not want you to know what it is that they know. While it is my belief they would rather destroy you and the majority of their race than have those secrets revealed."
"I..." Klairika stopped, suddenly and in an instant realizing what it was the Authority was probably getting at. The black ships they'd fought with the help of Captain Gideon and his crew - the ships crewed by the Z'shailyl and others who'd kidnapped Azhahk Fenric and his team... was it true? Her eyes widened - no!... it couldn't *possibly* be true.
"I see that you understand my words."
"I think so... yes."
"Then you know what it is that you have to do, then."
"Yes..." Klairika breathed. "Defeat and reveal the power behind the Shadowtech hybrid vessels..."
"And, if all goes well, *and* I am right..." the Authority concluded, "Find what it is that you seek."
"And if you're not?"
The Authority shrugged. "Then I am not. But it is, is it not, a lead to be followed which would replace the one you have lost here... probably quite an important one. And I *would* follow it, if I were you - I would not wait for them to act first. For if and when they do...
You and all those who serve with you... will almost certainly be destroyed."
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Colorado Springs - 13:45 hrs, Local Time.
One more thing he'd promised to her, the last time they'd spoken... that he'd be there at the end, when they said the words - when they laid her to rest... in spirit, if not in body. And even though Nicholas knew the others couldn't see him - he knew that they knew he was there. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." he whispered, as he wiped a tear from his eye hundreds of light years from this green place beneath the mountains he'd once called home - a tear he hadn't thought he would shed, but there it was, just the same... proving that he wasn't dealing with this nearly as well as he thought he had been. "A casualty of war, that's all you were." he added, his eyes on the casket as it was laid to rest. "A war the damn Drakh think they've won."
At that point, his eyes hardened, however. "As someone I know would put it... like Hell. You'll be the first and the last member in this family to die because of this plague... because of this war. And you know what, kiddo? - the Drakh are going to pay for what they've done to us. This isn't the end - this is..."
"Only the beginning?" a voice asked, and a shocked Nicholas whirled to find two young women gazing at him, one with trepidation, and the other... with frank interest. "I couldn't agree more, Mr. Dawson.
I couldn't agree... more."
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How she'd done it, Kaitlyn didn't know - only that the instant they'd arrived at the cemetery, she'd closed her eyes... and then proceeded almost directly towards the spot where she knew the man's 'avatar' would be waiting, dragging a disbelieving Tracie behind her - until they were close enough to hear the muttering, the words apparently emerging from thin air - and then see something barely visible in the brilliant sunshine, something that at first appeared to be a ghost - something that Kaitlyn now knew was something *far* more interesting. "I think we need to talk, Mr. Dawson, wouldn't you agree?"
The nearly invisible man nodded curtly - and shortly thereafter, the two girls and he retreated to a slightly more secure location within one of the granite sanctuaries scattered around the cemetery... and then began the inquisition. "Okay... who do you work for, and how the Hell did you do it?"
Kaitlyn shrugged. "I didn't do this for anyone, and as for *how* I did it...I don't know. It was just in me to do it, okay? It was almost like... I was *supposed* to find you, to talk to you - I just knew you would be here." She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "I just knew."
The almost-invisible man raised one eyebrow. "You don't...say. Sounds like some sort of sixth sense to me - a gift for seeing things that aren't there - a knack for *observing*, you might say."
"Hey..." Tracie suddenly interrupted, "Didn't we watch a vid about this in history class, once? Something about a kid who could see spirits, or something?"
"Sssh!" Kaitlyn hissed, as she turned back to face Dawson. "Okay, so why aren't you more surprised and freaked out by this, huh?"
"Let's just say... that for now, I don't think you're completely unique...?"
"The name's Hughes. Kaitlyn Hughes."
"Kaitlyn, huh?" Dawson shook his head and laughed, the sound bitter in the quiet of the memorial, before he whispered, "And wouldn't you know it, another girl with the same damn talent... but why now, and why *you*?"
"What the Hell are you talking about, mister?"
Nicholas Dawson grinned. "Assuming that we actually *do* find a cure for the plague, you may yet find out first hand exactly what I'm talking about... Kaitlyn. By any chance are you feeling the urge to go someplace else, like offworld?"
"Well, I wouldn't call it an *urge* as such, but..."
"Yeah." Tracie interrupted again, as Kaitlyn glared, "She is, mister invisible guy. So what is this, some kind of hologram, or something?"
"Or something." Dawson finally admitted. "Well I *will* be damned - looks like the universe is definitely out to give me a kick in the ass today. I have some calls to make, Kaitlyn - but I can almost guarantee you'll be hearing from me again... and soon."
"What, are you looking for a contact on the inside, or something?"
"I just *might*, yeah - while if I'm right about you, a few associates of mine are probably also going to want to talk to you... Kat. But I make no promises."
"Kat?" Kaitlyn flared. "Who the Hell are you calling a..."
"Expect me when you see me, kiddo." Dawson winked. "Adios." At which point, he faded from sight.
"Kat?"
"Give it up already, would you?" Tracie retorted. "You got what you wanted, didn't you? So what if he's calling you by a nickname..."
"That I hate?" Kaitlyn shot back, as the two girls made their way out of the sanctuary. "Why do I suddenly get the impression that I'm already in over my head?"
Tracie made no reply - but then no reply was really necessary. While it would be the better part of another year before Kaitlyn found out just exactly how *right* she was in saying those words... of destiny.
Neither of the girls, however, noticed the figure watching from the grove of trees behind them - a figure that gazed at something in its hand, nodding in satisfaction as it did so.
* * *
In a dark and silent room, a silver haired figure waited for the call that he knew would come - and when the comm-screen came alight before him, the man leant forward to hear his operative's words, his eyes glittering with interest. "So - your hypothesis, was it correct?"
"Indeed it was." the other replied - while Paul Molyneux heard the noteof honest surprise in that voice, and knew at once that this matter was far more important then he had at first thought it might be. "We took the liberty of introducing a network of passive/active sensor drones throughout the cemetery where the funeral was taking place, all in the hope of detecting another, ah, visit... except that what we got wasn't exactly... what we were expecting. Sir."
"Explain."
"Actually, sir - if you don't mind, to start with, it will be easier to show you." An image appeared on the screen, showing a ghostlike image of a man... and what was this? - two young *girls* standing next to him, out of plain view for most of the people in the cemetery... but not from the electronic eyes of the operative's airborne drones.
"Who are the children?" Molyneux inquired.
The operative frowned. "Initially, our assessment was that these two girls were nothing special. Their names are Kaitlyn Hughes and Tracie Chambers, both in their final year of public school - but that assessment changed shortly after they entered the cemetery. The thing is, they proceeded in almost a straight line towards the location where the Dawson man's hologram was watching his sister's funeral..."
"Interesting." Molyneux's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities raised by this new revelation. "Were you able to deduce which of the girls was the one *leading* the way towards Dawson's avatar?"
"Yes, sir... we were. The Hughes girl - definitely the Hughes girl."
A chilling smile appeared on Mr. Molyneux's face at that news. "Consider, then, the possibilities if you will - here we have a child able to sense the presence of a hologram from hundreds if not thousands of feet away, an image probably cast from hundreds of light years away using alien technologies centuries ahead of anything man has created on his own. Impossible, some would say - but others know better."
The operative's eyes widened. "Do you mean to say that this girl is...?"
Molyneux nodded. "I do, yes. Our operatives tell us that only three of the unique human... metasensories named 'Observers' exist - two of which are Rangers, and a third who acts as one of their agents. And now, if we have actually located a FOURTH..."
"She is a plague carrier, sir." the operative reminded him, all too unnecessarily. "Until and if the cure is found, Miss Hughes is trapped on Earth with the majority of the human race."
"For now that is the case, yes." Molyneux allowed. "For now. But when and if the quarantine ends, what then?"
A moment of silence passed - and then understanding dawned in the operative's eyes. "Of course! Miss Hughes becomes valuable to us as a bargaining chip..."
"Exactly. While I suspect we may yet discover how far the Rangers will go to acquire her..." he replied. "What they will *sacrifice* to gain this prize. If all goes well, that is - if the crew of the *Excalibur* and those who protect Gideon and his flock succeed."
"Yes, sir."
Molyneux's gaze hardened. "In any case - your chiefest task will now be to... observe Miss Hughes - and to keep her safe from all possible harm, without endangering your own health in the process, that is. And when the end to the current crisis arrives..." Bureau 13's leader concluded,
"Then we will see what happens next, won't we?"
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Elsewhere...
"So now what happens? Do you have to go back to your ship?"
"Yeah - and it might be a while before I return, Meigs." Nicholas admitted. "There's a lot going on out there - while the captain's probably going to kill me if I try and pull this stunt again any time soon."
"Fair enough." their father replied, his expression serious. "One more thing before you go - what we talked about when you came to see me at the ranch, Nicholas... are you *sure* you know what you have to do?"
Nicholas nodded. "On that matter... and a couple of others. But when we find the cure, Dad - I'll be back, I promise.
And that time, it'll be in person."
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ISAS 'Shard of Night' - captain's ready room. 21:10 hrs, EST.
"In Valen's Name... could it be true?" Julia asked Klairika, as the Authority waited patiently nearby. "The force behind the hybrid vessels... should we consider the possibility that they possess the means to cure the people of Earth?"
"We have to consider every option in this search... however unlikely." the Brakiri acknowledged, her expression solemn, "And while the ISA might get a little upset with us if we decided to undertake a full scale search for those ships and abandon our other duties, I think the Authority's right about his other guess as well - we might not have to go looking for them if they come looking for us."
"Remember, though, that you must be *careful* in your waiting." the Authority cautioned. "They cannot hurt me in this place - but they *can* hurt you if they come on you unawares."
"We understand," Julia promised, "And thank you for your warnings."
"I pray that is true - for all your sakes." the ancient entity replied. "While now I believe it is time for you to leave. If you would not mind, Captain, I would have you say the words that matter to me."
Julia straightened as she turned to face the Authority. "Then you shall have them. As Anla'shok Val'na I stand before this day, appointed to this position by the President of the Interstellar Alliance - and I swear to you that as long as our watch over this galaxy continues, this place will be kept safe - this... memorial your creators left behind them. It is a wonder... and wonders should never die."
"Indeed." the Authority allowed with a smile. "Now *go* - time is, as I believe you would term it, 'slipping through the hourglass' - there yet remains much to be done before your own watch is concluded... Captain. When you and yours have succeeded in their tasks, however, you may return. I will be here... and we will talk, and you will tell me how it was that the Rangers helped to find the cure to the Drakh Plague, yes?"
"We will." Julia promised.
"I will be waiting." the ghostly voice of the Authority came to her, as its image faded from sight. "Go well - do well... and never surrender."
"Brave words." Klairika observed with a sigh. "If only it were that easy."
"Perhaps it *is* that easy." Julia countered, as the *Shard* slowly moved out of its orbit around the ring city and headed out into the void, carrying its cargo of Rangers with it. "Remember - as long as we dare to dream, anything is possible."
The door opened. "Speaking of anything being possible, Captain..." her chief engineer inquired, "Can we talk?"
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To be concluded...
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