Eric Olafson: Space Pirate Page 8

  It was the preordained faith of all who conspired against…

  The images displayed on the projection field now showed an elegant glittering object that appeared like a precious jewel floating over a deep blue ocean and these powerful emotions and thoughts that had gripped me just moments ago faded away.

  I was puzzled and quite confused about my own train of thought—who conspired against whom and how I would know all this?—even as I tried to concentrate and hold on to these alien thoughts inside my mind. They faded away like a puff of smoke in a fresh breeze of air, leaving me wondering what I was I was just thinking about.

  That crystal thing, I had seen it before, and this time I knew where. It looked exactly like the crystal construct on Pluribus, where the Diamond Ball was held. These new images made the other dark thoughts fade away. As much as I tried to hold on to these strange insights about the Dark Ones, they slipped away. After a moment, I wondered what I was trying to remember.

  As if waking from a dream that had taken me away from reality, I remembered where I was, and the voice of the Mother Superior once again reached my ears as she said, “I know you recognize this sphere; it was the original hall of assembly for those who spoke for the Saresii, our leaders, back then. The Sphere was donated to Pluribus as a symbol of Sares’ commitment to the Union.”

  I still felt as if I had cobwebs around my mind. While I did not feel tired, I could barely keep my focus on her presentation. I knew I had seen something profound and important. More important to me than anything and yet it was gone. I could not remember!

  It had to be the scent, the candles.

  Her voice went on, and inside the projection field, we now saw seven white-haired men in floor-length robes standing in a semi-circle inside the crystal hall. They looked regal and wise and full of authority.

  While I looked at these images, she said, “These seven men represented the seven core worlds, and they had made that decision for all Sares, to join the Seenians and to fight the Dark Ones. Now, after we were soundly defeated at any engagement, they demanded that we fight even harder, that we invent and develop new weapons and that our greatness as a civilization would only be measured by our success in our success fighting the Dark Ones. There were other voices and these voices culminated in that woman you see standing before the seven.”

  The image showed a woman looking very much like a Saresii, with a skin-tight suit and long silver hair. She argued with the seven men standing in the regal hall of the Saresii High Council.

  Even though I did not understand the language, it was clear by the reaction of the men that her demands were not immediately accepted.

  Impatiently, and with a commanding gesture, she waved her hand, and a group of twenty women entered the room.They pointed little silvery devices at the men.

  As the old men of the High Council collapsed to the floor in withering agony, I recognized the small mushroom-shaped projector heads on the business end of the silvery devices, quite similar to the ones on modern Neuro Rippers.

  Mother Superior said, “This was Deepa and her followers. They believed that it was men’s aggression that caused the war, and it was she who contacted the Dark Ones and negotiated conditions of surrender.” Her voice became harder, and she said, “The true reason why the Dark Ones did not destroy the Seven Worlds but every other Saresii location was her act of treason. She revealed all locations and the position of every Saresii ship and promised to destroy all means of Saresii space technology and knowledge, in exchange for the safety of the Seven Worlds.

  “This part of our history is not taught in any school, and not even the Saresii know anymore, but her act worked. For the prize of thousands of Colonies and billions of lives, the seven Sares Worlds were safe. The Seenians are nothing but a memory; the Saresii are still here.”

  I could see her outline through the projection screen and she spread her arms. She continued, “Some think she was a spy of the Dark Ones and that was the reason she could contact them in the first place. Some believe she was a hero. It all was a long time ago, but this was also the beginning of our story.”

  Most of the facts she told me about the Saresii from that point on, I had heard in some form or another.

  Her presentation and narration were not over, and she continued, “Saresii women blamed the catastrophe and the war on the power hunger and the aggression of our male leaders and swept everything away that was an expression of male gender.” She sighed. “The truth, of course, is that women are just as power-hungry and capable of violence as men. During that time when Deepa and her group overtook government, plunging Sares culture into a long, dark and violent epoch of our history, there were those who believed the Dark Ones might come back, despite Deepa’s deal.

  “Since neither psionics nor any known weapon was successful in stopping the Dark Ones before, the Saresii back then were determined to find another way to defeat the dark forces if they ever came back.

  “It is not clear why the decision was made for a group of about two hundred women to leave Sares Prime on the last spaceship known to exist, to find out if the threat of the Dark Ones was still there and to find a way to defeat them, should they decide to come back.”

  She sighed and added, “Without the details of that decision, it seemed like a fool’s errand to embark on such a quest. Sadly, time erased many of the details of these reports, so we may never know if they had more reasons and details that made them decide on this course of action.”

  The projection sphere showed a Saresii tile ship leaving its star system. If these images were as old as she said, I wondered why their ships had not changed much in all that time. While the Saresii technology was considered highly advanced and at least Tech Level Nine, it seemed to me they had not made many advances. The Tile Ship design was one of the worst hull designs, and the interior layout was not exactly practical, but I kept my observations to myself and listened to her almost boring presentation. I was sure all this was fascinating and educational. I wished it was over soon.

  She, however, went on to tell me the story of the origin of the Sojonites. “After a long and fruitless odyssey, they found no traces of the Dark Ones, but plenty evidence of their recent presence. After almost five years of searching, they had come farther than any Saresii expedition. Close to the Galactic Core, they found a planet that should not have existed, at least not naturally. The world was as beautiful as any Saresii world, a green and blue world with crystal clear oceans but no higher life forms. It was clear that the hand of a sentient culture had groomed this planet and yet there were no cities. After landing and a closer survey, they found a single temple, looking much like this one, just magnitudes bigger.”

  I was mildly interested and said, “I don’t think it is unusual to find the remnants of an old culture on a NiOx Garden world. To find such a world near the Galactic Core, however, is, with all the radiation there sterilizing the area.”

  She agreed, “As I said, the planet should not have existed by any common scientific wisdom. There was no detectable forcefield, and the magnetic field of the planet was way too weak to deflect all the particles and radiation. The temple had the shape of a naked human, adding to the human mystery, as we determined that this statue and the technology inside was neither Pree nor Uni.”

  I shifted my position. The Auto-Dresser that made me look like a girl did not change my skeleton or add that incredible flexibility girls seem to have and sitting this way had made my legs fall asleep. “I know very little about the Uni or the Pree, but I ran into Pree technology, and I know that there is this general consent between scholars, that the human mystery can be explained by either the Pree or the Uni seeding human life. I never heard of a third ancient civilization, at least none associated with the human mystery, that is.”

  Again, she agreed, “Neither have we, but the statue and the rainbow temple do exist. It is there we found libraries and archives, books, scrolls, and every data recording device and medium you could imagine filled with
only one topic, but in seemingly endless variations; a document describing in detail how beings of all kinds made love and procreated. Details to the finest nuances about sex and everything related to it. We realized that there indeed was another power, another weapon, or force in this universe. Between life and death, there was also love. Love and strong emotions have the power to overcome death, create life, but also to willingly go and seek death and end life. Desires and emotions are much stronger in almost all sentient beings than the basic instincts of survival and self-preservation. So, we decided to continue this pursuit, and we founded this sect, this religion. We discovered the keys to unlock a psionic power no one had ever heard of, the power to shift and change shape.”

  She then added after a short moment of silence, “You are the first outsider who has been told all this.”

  I asked, “But why? Why am I told all this? Why are you training me?”

  “The Narth have chosen you to be a representative. We know of the Coven and we know you have been the first outsider to ever visit their planet. While we know little about the Narth and even less about the Coven, we know they were old and traveling the universe when we Saresii discovered fire.”

  “It sort of happened and I think it was a coincidence that I met Narth and became his friend, and it seems that my friendship with him sparks interest in others to a point they want to abduct me to get to him. I don’t understand what you just said, and it did not sound like an explanation.”

  “In many ways, you are of course just a Neo-Viking from a little-known planet, but your friendship to the Narth elevates you into a unique position. I wanted to train you and give you as much information as I can about us. As you know, we left Sares so long ago on a quest to find an alternative to defeat the Dark Ones should they ever return. We have not accomplished that quest.”

  “What has all this to do with me?”

  “We think that the Dark Ones might return, and we believe that if anyone has a chance to defeat them, it will be the Narth. You might be the only human, the only person in the universe, who will eventually understand and know who or what the Narth are and perhaps it is you who will fight with them, against them. We wanted to make sure that if that ever happens, you have all the knowledge possible and that you remember Sares and the Sojonites.”

  My head was spinning, and I didn’t feel too good. I was certain there was more to it all, but somehow my head didn’t work as it should have. I tried to concentrate and said, “Somehow I have the feeling I am getting prepared for an event I know nothing about. I still don’t understand what all this has to do with me. All I want to be is a starship captain.”

  The field screen sphere disappeared, but everything seemed as if I was inside a cocoon of foam padding. The candles had big soft auras around them, and even the Mother Superior appeared out of focus. I knew I should have been concerned, ask more questions, but I didn’t really care. Nothing really mattered, and even the smell of the incense no longer bothered me.

  Her voice was distant, and she said something. I was sure I understood what she said, but I could not recall a single word. My mind seemed to dissolve from the rational, male side of my persona. A voice inside me warned me that in a state like this I would be very receptive to hypnotic suggestions, but this concern was melting away and did not feel very urgent.

  She came closer, and I could hear her say, “Embrace your female side, make her part of you, and don’t shut her out even when you return to be Eric.”

  Her voice became a whisper, “There is so much more to being a woman than looks and outer differences. Use your hands; trust your instincts. Let them be your guide. Forget logic and reason, and let go of the penetrating aggressive nature of maleness.”

  The voice was soft, and so was the skin I touched underneath the wispy chiffon and satin I wore. It was a different corporal awareness, unlike anything I’d experienced before.

  She was close, and her voice was almost like a song, a soft melody, “There are secrets of corporal existence the Narth have long forgotten, the Coven try to regain, but only humans can experience. Let the Goddess Sojo, the spirit of love and passion, give you the answer you seek.”

  Something happened to me. I felt it; I was changing, not at all like the mechanical manipulations of an Auto-Dresser; it was different and came from within. The skin I touched was soft as foam and what should have been there was no longer. Pure electricity pulsated through every nerve ending in an exciting, animalistic fashion where reason had no place and thought had no meaning. I had a feverish hunger that could not be quenched with food, a desire I could not explain or put into words. Never before had I really felt the clothing I wore, but now I could feel the satin that cupped the false breasts. There was nothing artificial about the tingling sensation.

  Reality and dream were no longer separate. The waxen statue of the goddess no longer looked artificial but alive.

  Somehow I realized I had taken the very same pose as the statue, arching back, and then I touched something. It was like an explosion of stars, pain, and pleasure indistinguishable. Whatever happened then I could not recall.

  I found myself in the cool little chamber they had given me as a room, lying on the bed and my mind was as clear as ever, but the memory of what happened was foggy and unclear. I remembered the presentation and some of the things she had told me. I knew she spoke about the history of the Saresii and the Sojonites, but the scent of the incense candles must have knocked me out. I felt like I had woken from a night of drinking but without the headache. I’d never tried drugs, and after that experience, I was certain I did not want to experience it again. Something had happened to me, something profound, and yet I could not really remember any details. I didn’t like anything had messed with my head, but something felt different.

  I received more training and the last traces of this surreal experience faded fast, but the nagging question about why all this happened became stronger.

  With all this, time flew, and on the first day of my fourth week at the Sojonit temple, the tall Sojonit from Earth told me that this would be my last day, and again I was taken to the vaulted worship chamber with the Goddess statue. This time, however, there was no burning incense or the sweet overwhelming fragrance it had produced the last time I was here.

  Mother Superior was already there, and she said to me, “We would like to welcome you as an honorary member of the Order.”

  I bowed and said, “I am deeply honored by this, and I respect the Goddess and your beliefs, however, and despite all my secret desires, I am a son of Nilfeheim. I swear upon Odin and ask Thor for strength. I am also a Starfleet officer and cannot put any other organization before that.”

  She looked at me from behind the eye slits of her mask. “I respect that very much, and I actually expected a reaction like this from you. I don’t ask you to believe in the Goddess or abandon your religion. The Sojonit Order is not a fraternity inside the fleet. It is an honorary membership and not a commitment like a Sojonit Sister makes. It is simply a formality ritual to welcome you as a friend and not as an outsider and give you access to our network.”

  “I don’t mind that, and I know I asked this before, but why me?”

  “It is you who came to us for help, and you have been allowed to hide behind the identity of a Sojonit. To us, this is a religion, and to us, the commands of the Goddess are quite real and binding. Yes, we are part of the Saresii Intelligence Network, but the Order is real. Making you an honorary member will please the Goddess and make the help we gave you legitimate to our laws and customs.”

  There was nothing I could say against them; they did save my life, and I knew that the members of this order took their religion and their commitment very serious. From what I knew about Wetmouth, she too took all this very seriously; so, I agreed.

  I was asked by her to take everything off, and I stood naked in the middle of the room.

  Somewhere a bell rang, and twenty Sojonites entered. All of them wore black versions of the
outfit, and their masks had an angry, almost evil, expression and the false lips were closed.

  Mother Superior stood before the statue and said, “The Goddess has welcomed a new member, and she is no longer an outsider. The gate to the Rainbow Palace is open to her. We welcome her as an honorary member of the sinister aspect of our Order.”

  She took a mask from a pillow and motioned me to put it on. A wig and a similar black outfit followed, and she said, “The Goddess will know your true name. To the world, you are henceforth known as Nightshade.”

  The others bowed and said in unison, “Welcome, Sister Nightshade.”

  Mother Superior and I flew aboard a Mercedes flyer back to the mainland and to the very same spaceport I had arrived at four weeks ago. It did not look any different from the air and to me looked more like a garbage dump than a spaceport landing field, but now I could see how big it was, and there were space ships in the process of being loaded or unloaded. A Kartanian Megla Cruiser with heavy battle damage was being repaired by a gang of men, while another group stood guard.

  Mother Superior leaned over and said, “That is the Crimson Terror, the ship of a ruthless and infamous pirate named Agus Denann, but better known as Captain Terror. It looks like he had a rough time.”

  Our flyer landed next to a small, fast-looking ship. I was not certain, but judging by the sharp edges and the oversized landing gear, it could have been of Togar origin.

  Without delay, we boarded the ship over a side ramp and were greeted by a thin-looking mostly humanoid being wearing a blue and yellow uniform. He bowed deeply and said with a muffled voice, “In the name of my lord and master Duke Donheer, I’d like to welcome you aboard. It is as always a pleasure to do business with the Sojonites.”

  She nodded. “And business it is; when can we leave?”

  He walked us through a short corridor into a luxurious and expensively furnished lounge with a large balcony-like viewport and said, “We lift off shortly and should reach Alvor’s Cove in eighty-four hours. Please make yourself at home, while I get us underway.”