

#  The Chronicles of Han Storm

#  Creata Adventure

#  Book 1 Preserving Creata

#  Part 3 - Progress

www.chroniclesofhan.com

Copyright © H Gibson 2009-2019

Revised Edition (Single Parts) 2019

ISBN: 978-1-928471-04-2 Chronicles of Han: Preserving Creata: Part 3 Paperback  
ISBN: 978-1-928471-05-9 Chronicles of Han: Preserving Creata: Part 3 eBook

30,302 words - Approximately 3,5 hours of entertainment

(This is the Smashwords edition)

#

#  Note about this book:

Back in 2008 when I sat down in front of the laptop for physiotherapy to 3rd degree burn scarring to both my hands, I had no idea where to start. "Where shall we start?" I tentatively wrote and a floodgate opened. Many books have seen the light since then, each one better written than the previous. Every time I want to come back to 'fix' this book, readers encourage me to 'just leave it' and rather write the next book. Please also note that the book has been translated into English and is my past life recollection. More information available on my website.

#  Other books in the Chronicles of Han Series:

Creata Adventure:

Preserving Creata: Part 1: Learning Curve

Preserving Creata: Part 2: Higher Education

Preserving Creata: Part 3: Progress

Preserving Creata: Part 4: Regeneration

Preserving Creata: Part 5: Final Keys

Preserving Creata: Part 6: Transformation

Preserving Creata: Part 7: Culmination

Preserving Creata (Book 1: Part 1-7 Original Compilation)

Reclaiming of Duback (Book 2: Part 8 Original)

Taming Encha (Book 3: Part 9-10 Original Compilation)

Sovereign Dōhr (Part 11)

Leilaka Adventure:

Leilaka #1

Saving Leilaka #2

Behind the Scenes Blog Booklet

Living a Multidimensional Life \- NDE, Life Review and Aftermath Autobiography of H Gibson

#  Legal Responsibility:

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H Gibson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. This right has been asserted by the author in accordance with the copyright, designs and patents Act. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including the Chronicles of Han Emblem, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hire out or otherwise circulated without the copyright owner's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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www.chroniclesofhan.com
The Chronicles of Han Storm

Creata Adventure

Book 1 Preserving Creata

Part 3 - Progress

Note about this book:

 Other books in the Chronicles of Han Series:

Legal Responsibility:

Introduction: Living a Multi-dimensional Life

Part 3 - Progress

*** Chapter One ***

*** Chapter Two ***

*** Chapter Three ***

*** Chapter Four ***

*** Chapter Five ***

*** Chapter Six ***

*** Chapter Seven ***

*** Chapter Eight ***

*** Chapter Nine ***

*** Chapter Ten ***

*** Chapter Eleven ***

*** Chapter Twelve ***

*** Chapter Thirteen ***

Author Support

About H Gibson

#  Introduction: Living a Multi-dimensional Life

Where shall we start? Out of the many lives I've lived in the physical realm, which life memory should I recall? I guess the best one should be the latest adventures that started on a Planet called Creata.

Creata can be found in a dimension parallel to what you call Earth, and is very similar to Earth.

I am Han, and this is my life-memory . . .

After the devastating Wars of the Universes, and the closing of the Transport and Planetary Portals, a Bedtime story was told to children about a person that would be born that would change the way we knew life on Creata.

In the beginning, some people imagined that the story was created to give parents and their children hope at better things, or maybe they wished for the kind of life that their ancestors had enjoyed.

The story led that, when the time was right, and the peoples were re-opened with the knowledge of the Higher Worlds, The One would return to open the Portals, and Creata, Place of Wealth, would become prosperous once more.

As the years passed and generation after generation related this story to their children and their children's children, it passed into Legend.

Some Clans built their new lives around this Legend.

Others moved to believe it still a bedtime story . . .

Creata reverted back to a Planetary Governing Body. The residing Clans were left to decide for themselves where they wanted to take their peoples. Some were capitalists and opted to stay in the Cities and use the technology still available after the Wars.

Some Clans decided it best for their people to revert back to basics, and some gave their people the option of both worlds.

Yet, all had to pay allegiance to the Planetary Government.

#  Part 3 - Progress

Han Storm returns to New Haven to wrap up the challenge with his enemy in a unique fashion. The three colleagues start their new career as Security Force Investigators, inadvertently being placed on the path of Destiny in assisting their Planet.

#

#  *** Chapter One ***

We bounced back up the mountain and started the dreadful trek to the makeshift airfield. There was no chance for communication while trying to stay inside the vehicle.

By the time we reached the airfield, we were all physically exhausted and were extremely relieved to find Ray had a four-seater aircraft available for our return.

The take-off was a near disaster with Ray pulling the plane up at the last possible moment, managing to only clip a few top branches of the surrounding trees.

Everyone spoke Creatan, out of consideration for Panam.

Once safely in the air, we settled comfortably in our seats where everyone except Ray caught up on lost sleep. For a change, I received some rest too.

Some time later we refuelled ourselves and the aircraft at the little sleepy town of Lone Wolf where Peetra, who was also the owner of the Diner and Uncle to Racewater, was brought up to speed with events.

Peetra seemed relieved that I was not in the building that was destroyed in Gancor, Racewater's home village, and wished us Universal Speed when we left.

We landed at New Haven's airport in the early morning hours, refreshed and thankful that we did not have to drive all the way back to my home city.

Captain Truman and Lieutenant Stone met us at the aircraft. Stone took over Racewater's position as the Head of Homicide when I lost my partner, Tucker. Racewater became Tucker's replacement.

The Captain quietly spoke to Racewater while Stone ushered Panam and me into an unmarked vehicle, nondescript and just one of many seemingly rundown vehicles.

We waited for Racewater to finish with the Captain before Stone drove us into the slums on the outskirts of New Haven. We eventually turned into an area for mobile homes, neatly parked in rows and marked with numbers. After a few twists and turns towards the middle, we stopped in front of one.

These units were demarcated Government Housing. It was free to everyone who wished to have housing, on condition that they could keep up with the utility bills.

The sun was sprawling over the horizon and the inhabitants were starting to stir. Stone hurried us inside the small home that turned out to be amazingly spacious inside.

Panam busied himself with making refreshments, while Racewater took me by the arm, steering me into a sleeping area, securing the door behind us.

I pulled one of the lower bunks down and sat on it. He did the same with the one across from me.

We eyed each other. This was the first chance we have had to speak privately.

"I know that you are supposed to be on this mission to find a Portal and open it, and all that," Racewater started.

I kept my features relaxed and non-committal.

"Right now, we need to adhere to the policies of the people we work for. We cannot afford to put you in any spotlight. Do you agree?" he wanted to know from me.

I nodded the affirmative.

"For now, we start our new jobs as part of the Planetary Security Forces. We are to report to Prosia in two days. We will do so.

We will continue normally, until we know for sure what else we need to do regarding your mission. Am I still right?"

I gave him another affirmative nod.

"So you agree to follow my orders?"

I sighed. I could not commit totally, especially if I was needed by the Other Side.

"For now," I answered.

He seemed relieved, standing up. "Stone also wants a private word with you."

He left, indicating to Stone that I was ready for him. He closed the door behind Stone.

Stone took the seat vacated by Racewater, leaning forward slightly, folding his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on his knees.

It was either threatening body language, or indicated severe nervousness from him. I did not want a confrontation and pretended that his actions did not intimidate me.

Sloucing back on the narrow bunk, I allowed my buttocks to catch the edge of the seat, resting my shoulders on the wall.

Stone's harsh voice crossed the silence between us. It was barely louder than a whisper with every word pronounced.

"You know what I did," he stated. "You have your reasons why you kept me out of it. I do not like to owe people favours. What is your price?"

The favour came back clearly. This man murdered the Low-life that was responsible for putting his daughter in a coma. I helped investigate the murder and came across the truth, yet never revealed it to the authorities. It was still an unsolved case.

"I want Custos Morgan," I replied in the same whispered tones, sitting up, imitating his pose.

Stone's eyes widened.

"Why?" he asked.

"The man you murdered was his eldest son from a secret lover." I placed emphasis on the word. "Morgan knows that I know who did it.

Justice was not served in his eyes and he will hunt me down until he feels that his son's death had been avenged. I cannot continue with what I need to do until he is out of the picture."

I was listening to myself.

Dear Universe! We were planning a man's demise!

What am I?

*A realist,* Sensaii announced into my thoughts. *Enemies need to be eliminated.*

With that phrase came flashes of memory.

People, places, dark figures, blue lightning!

Death and destruction.

"Hey, Storm!"

Stone's voice penetrated my sudden vision.

He was shaking my shoulder.

"Sorry, I sometimes go away like that. Tucker was used to it," I apologized.

"You two worked well together," Stone grated. "Tucker and me went back a long way. He thought the world of you, you know."

"Yes, I do," I agreed.

"How do you want this done?" Stone wished to know.

We discussed the details in hushed tones with Stone's eyes widening at times. He finally left with a huge grin on his face.

If all went according to plan, we both would have our revenge before the sun went down.

Mara was right. I had a definite dark side and I was just getting reunited with it.

I lay down on the bunk pretending to sleep.

Panam came in with some coffee. He left me, closing the door behind him.

"He is sleeping," I heard him informing Racewater.

They dropped their voices not to disturb me, probably relieved that I was resting. I had been giving the two a hard time the last few days and they needed a break.

I returned to my train of thoughts.

Psychic weapons!

Small wonder the Government wanted to control all of us.

I lay thinking about the man that had killed Tucker. I had followed his life-memory before. I could find him if I concentrated.

Relaxing, I slipped my spirit out of my body onto the plane of active entities. This place presented itself to me as a dark background with tiny pinpricks of light moving around within it. Every light represented a living entity with a distinct aura around each one.

This was how I found 'missing' people. By concentrating and matching their vibrations to their auras, I could pick them out of the crowd.

I orientated myself by concentrating again on the aura I had seen within the recordings. I knew the area where I should start seeking and the intuitive response to the 'feel' of the energy always helped me.

I soon came across the group of entities I was looking for, the group where I would find Regent, my enemy.

Found him!

Forcefully bumping my enemy out of his body, he knew immediately who I was and what was happening.

Untrained and with no natural psychic abilities, it was like taking sweets from a baby.

Excusing my stolen body from the card-game, I went to a public comm in the passage.

While dialling Morgan's private line, I ignored my enemy's silent screams.

"Yes!" Morgan shouted.

Not wasting time, I spoke with my enemy's voice, giving Morgan the ultimatum.

"I have The Psychic with me. I will bring him to your yacht. One hour. Be there." I hung up before he could say anything.

Fear welled up in my enemy's body.

*Keys?* I requested.

*Right pocket,* came the involuntary reply.

I went outside, ignoring questioning glances from colleagues. They knew better than to ask uninvited questions.

*Vehicle?*

*Yellow Mont-Marie.*

This was probably too easy.

I squashed any doubt.

The topless sports-vehicle turned out to be a real joy to drive. A feeling of pride from the owner came through telepathically, followed with a feeling of regret.

We made good time to the pier where the yachts were moored, arriving early for the appointment. I invaded my enemy's memories to confirm that his boss' vehicle was not there.

Driving past the parking bays, I hid the little yellow vehicle behind some containers at the water's edge.

Checking the firearm in the shoulder-holster, I thought it would do perfectly for my purposes. Using my enemy's memory, I found the right yacht.

I expanded my senses to check that no-one was on board before hiding in the cabin.

I did not have long to wait. Morgan walked into the cabin a few minutes later without his usual body-guard escourting him.

It was a foolish thing to do. He had a bad habit of coming alone onto his yacht, which I was counting on.

Surprise to see Regent turned to fear when I lifted the fire-arm.

It kicked into my palm, the hand holding it strong, the body well trained.

The sound was deafening in the small area.

Morgan dropped to his knees, a red patch forming over his heart.

I was trained as an accurate shot in the Academy. My enemy never missed a target. We made a lethal combination.

Once more the trigger was pulled.

A second explosion and a second patch of blood on Morgan's chest.

His body-guard should be on his way already.

A third explosion and Mr Custos Morgan's body perished.

I left the body of my enemy. He was done for anyway . . .

I opened my eyes feeling dreadful.

Maybe this was not such a wise idea.

This body, this mind, which I knew was basically good, just killed a man in cold blood.

I saw myself standing on the yacht, covered in blood up to my elbows.

I flew off the bunk, ripping the door open and lunged for the ablution.

Both Racewater and Panam poked their heads around the door.

"You okay?" Panam wanted to know.

I waved a hand at them to let me finish in peace.

I thought I would feel better, but I did not.

I could not see straight.

I could not think straight.

I had a hell of a headache.

I just murdered a man.

Racewater grabbed me by the arm, dragged me out of the ablution and propped me into a seat in the kitchen area.

Panam handed me a mug of revolting coffee and two tablets to drink.

I drained the contents of the mug.

The headache increased tenfold.

I closed my eyes and groaned in pain.

*Sensaii. I thought this was supposed to get better. Why is this happening?*

*You subconsciously asked for possibilities when you lay down. You had one possible option presented to you. The option you most wanted.*

*So this did not happen in real-time? I did not murder Morgan? He is still alive?*

*Yes. You were in a relaxed state of semi-consciousness. Did you have your full attention present at all times?*

*No. Then I can still follow a more acceptable route?*

*Yes, a path that would allow you to live with your own conscience.*

I thought about it. *I did not see and feel myself integrate back into my body. This can become a dangerous game.*

*Only if you adhere to your darker side.*

My darker side.

That probably made sense.

It still did not help with the headache. A tourniquet had been placed around my head and was being tightened all the time.

My attention was required by Panam.

I found myself sitting on the floor.

Panam was talking to Racewater.

"I cannot give him a knockout now. We just gave him tablets and they work against each other. It could kill him if we overload his body with these drugs. You also need him for tonight to bring that other guy to the boat."

"So we just let him suffer through this?" Racewater did not sound impressed.

"Yes," Panam confirmed.

Great! No help from that side either.

I wanted to retreat from this physical pain. I was feeling so good before my supposed nap, now everything was back to square one.

Sensaii's words regarding possibilities came flooding back.

I needed to find another, acceptable possibility to do away with Morgan, once and for all. Something not involving me pulling the trigger.

I held my head in both hands, trying to relieve some of the pressure with energy healing.

It seemed as if I was starting to succeed.

A face came up.

A face of a dead man.

This was so easy. Why did I not think about it earlier?

I laughed out loud, making the pain worse.

Racewater and Panam looked on helplessly while I struggled to bring my breathing under control.

I asked Sensaii to help me locate Morgan's eldest son.

Or as I knew him from my first case-files, the Little Low-life.

The tablets, combined with the energy healing, kicked in and the flashes of pain shifted to a dull throb.

This was bearable.

I knew now why Panam always said it was a risk every time I had a vision.

It was so real, it could just as well have happened. The only thing was, it was only me that kept an imprint of the memory – no-one else was involved.

Focussing, I stood up.

"We need to start communicating like you and Tucker did," Racewater said. "I cannot be of any assistance if you do not talk to me."

I took the fresh mug of coffee Panam offered and found a chair. Taking a sip, I gave myself time to think about how best to respond to this request.

"Sometimes things happen and it takes time to sort it out for myself. This is one of those times. I am sorry if I gave you a scare. I was terrified myself. But it is over now. I just need some time to adjust and I will be my old self again."

Racewater turned away from me, throwing his arms into the air in a sign of helpless exasperation. He went outside, his jaw clenched tight.

"That was not needed," Panam remarked. "He is really trying his best to help you. Besides, you will never be your old self again."

I stared at Panam who was busy preparing some sandwiches.

"You are no longer the psychic I met in an apartment on Market Square," Panam explained. "You have grown beyond what I consider normal skills. You have matured and your body has aged. Just take a look at yourself."

He opened the ablution cubicle's door that had a full-length mirror on the inside.

Seeing my own reflection, my body was lean, a bit on the thin side, although muscle-tone was still firm.

My soft boyish looks were gone. My face and eyes had grown harder, more determined.

I smiled at myself. Even that was different. There was a trace of sadness about my features. The skin was still smooth and pale.

I stood up to take a closer look at my face.

Yup! There were some grey hairs at my temples.

The mop of black hair also needed a cut.

I somehow expected to find some facial hair on my chin, relieved when the inspection turned up none.

Some Clans had this distinct feature in all the males and called it 'beard'. They wore their facial hair with pride. I personally never thought much about it. It was simply something unique to them, and not something I wished to have for myself.

Other Clans were born with different skin colours. My skin was a pale creamy colour. Panam had the more usual pinkish, reddish hue, typical of the lighter haired, blue or green eyed Clans.

Racewater belonged to the mountain Clans. They generally had darker brown skin tones. The plains peoples had a yellow hue. Sensaii presented himself as a plains 'Oriental'. The people in the tropical areas varied from light brown through to black and a very dark purple-black.

Variety was at the order of the day on Creata. Most Clans only procreated within their own groups. But no-one worried or cared if two people form different Clans loved each other. All children were considered equal. (Except psychics of course). Every person had something to offer.

It was said that my mother was from the southern regions. She apparently had green eyes and flaming red hair with a very pale skin. Moira should be born with a light tan skin tone. Both Mara and I had dark eyes and hair which we should hand down to her.

Panam interrupted my thoughts.

"You done staring at yourself?" he asked, closing the door.

Sitting down at the table, I helped myself to a sandwich from one of the plates.

So what if I have changed. It was not going to be a problem. Or was it?

Panam took the two other plates outside and closed the door behind him. He was upset with me too.

Too bad. I was upset with myself, and I had work to do anyway. I needed to find the Little Low-life.

After finishing lunch, I retired back to the 'room'.

It turned out that I did not need to find him. Sensaii had him waiting for me in the room.

"I received a message to come see you," the Low-life told me.

I smiled and kept explanations short and sweet.

"I now know who cut your life short," I told the Low-life.

"Interesting, it is no fun hanging around my grand-parents. They are so thick they do not even notice when I move things around the house. I am quite good at that now. But continue."

He was as cocky in death as he was in life. I really disliked him.

"Do you know a man called Custos Morgan?" I asked.

"Yes, the financier. I had a few deals with some of his smaller money lending companies. A very hard businessman."

"Well, he is the guy that sunk you."

"Now really. We all knew he was dirty, but not even we could prove anything. You say he had me killed?"

"Yes. Purely a business decision," I confirmed.

"And the man that did the actual killing?"

"Oh, I know him very well."

"Then how can I go about having my revenge?"

I proceeded to explain the scenario I had lived through only a little while before.

He seemed impressed. "Excellent! Now just one question. How do I take over this assassin's body?"

After much explanation the Little Low-life departed on his last mission.

I sat back, still feeling devilishly cruel. It was both thrilling and revolting at the same time. I kept my emotions closed off to the inevitable end result. I knew what was to happen to the Low-life when he realized his mistake.

*The stage is set. The players are in place. Your work is done,* Sensaii soothed.

At that moment, I hated myself.

A vehicle pulled up outside. The door slammed and Racewater greeted Stone.

Panam knocked on the door, stating that they were waiting for me.

I was not yet ready for this, but pulled myself together.

It was already late afternoon.

We all entered the vehicle and Stone wound his way back to the main entrance of the housing park. From here we took the shorter route through the slums to the pier.

Part of me was looking at the people that had either very little ambition, or very little hope in this life. They survived from day to day.

To live this way was their choice. They called themselves the Free Peoples of the Cities. The people that do not acknowledge the Cities' authority and therefore any help they wished to offer. Yet they were dependent on the Cities for their survival.

The other half of me was busy helping the Low-life getting acquainted with his new body.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the rear-view mirror.

My body was stiff with an intense expression of concentration on my face. I was leaning forwards and had my hands tightly folded in front of me. Panam was eyeing me suspiciously.

I visibly relaxed my outward appearance to take Panam's attention off me. The rest of me was at breaking point. The Low-life was on the deck of the yacht now.

We left the slums and drove past privately owned properties. This was one of the medium-income housing areas that created a buffer for the slums on the outskirts of New Haven.

Office-buildings followed the neat residential area, followed by our destination, the docks.

The Low-Life pulled the trigger.

My body jerked, bumping my knee on the side of the vehicle.

All three men briefly stared at me.

"You okay?" Panam asked.

I was relieved that he had actually kept quiet for so long.

"Yes."

Should I tell them?

*You are supposed to be the psychic. Is it not your function?* Sensaii reminded me.

"Custos Morgan just died," I calmly notified them.

Racewater and Panam gaped at me. Stone kept a straight face, being forewarned of events. He simply placed a blue Security light on the top of his vehicle and proceeded at high speed towards the pier, the screaming of the siren clearing the way.

We arrived, hearing another shot being discharged. Racewater and Stone raced to Morgan's yacht. I stepped out of the vehicle, but stayed where I was, expanding my senses to 'see' what was going on.

Morgan's body was indeed dead. My enemy's body lay slumped over Morgan's.

The little Low-life blew away his borrowed body's brains. I did not pick up on any spirits. Everything felt peaceful, as if peace had been made and the essence of this feeling was left behind. Racewater and Stone were securing the area.

I closed my senses and called the incident in. Back-up would be here soon.

I had worked hard this day and saw the toll on my body this morning. Climbing back into the vehicle, I closed my eyes and relaxed into the seat next to Panam.

It felt as if I was swimming through thick soup. Someone was poking my arm.

A voice surfaced.

"Get up Han, you are going to miss your flight."

It was Stone.

"I am awake," I acknowledged.

"Good, now get going!" Stone encouraged me.

Comprehension came flooding in.

We were at the airport!

Racewater already had our bags out of the holding compartment and Panam was helping him carry.

Stone held the door of the vehicle open. Bending down towards me he whispered, "Well done Storm. We are even now, yes?"

"Yes," I agreed.

Stone straightened up, slapping the roof of the vehicle.

"Good luck to all of you," he told us, waiting for me to exit.

Without furher adue he entered his vehicle, grinning all the while.

I followed Racewater and Panam to the aircraft that looked huge compared to the small craft Ray had transported us in.

This was a private chartered craft. It was black and had lovely smooth lines, indicating that it was built for speed. There was a yellow logo on the tail, the glint of the setting sun disfiguring it.

Someone had a lot of money to spend on us.

I forgot. I was considered property.

I should feel flattered, but I was feeling offended and angry. Actually, just plain mad.

Taking my bag from Panam, I marched determinedly into my new life.

#

#  *** Chapter Two ***

The interior of the aircraft turned out to be exceptionally comfortable.

We had a male flight attendant that served dinner and handed out blankets in case we wanted to sleep.

Racewater and Panam settled in for the night. I sat staring out the window. It was already dark outside. We would be in Prosia tomorrow.

Prosia was the seat capital of Creata. It was the one City I really would have preferred to avoid. It was three times larger than New Haven and not a friendly place at all. The Government ruled from there.

I hoped the Security Forces had all their paperwork regarding me in order as I would hate to fall into Government hands.

The flight attendant came up to me.

"I am glad you are still awake. The Captain wishes to speak with you."

Following him, we passed the peaceful forms of Racewater and Panam. They needed rest desperately too.

The attendant announced my arrival and left me at the door to the flight cabin.

"Enter please."

Closing the door behind me, I was surprised to see no co-pilot.

"Please be seated," the Captain indicated the empty seat. "So, you are the psychic?"

"So they say." I kept my tone neutral and professional. What did this person want?

"For your sake, I hope you are as good as they say you are," the Captain replied.

Obviously this man knew a lot more about me than I did in this point of time. Let us find out.

"I have been left in the dark about arrangements regarding myself. Would you care to share information?"

"As you noticed, I am not just a Pilot."

"And your assistant is not just an assistant."

"Good, you catch on quickly. We are here as much for your security as for your detention."

Now why was I not surprised?

"The information please?"

"It will take too much time to tell you everything. Do you do downloads?" he wanted to know.

I understood. He was thoroughly trained in the possibilities of psychics. He also had experience and training in controlling his mind and thoughts. That was why I could not pick up on the thoughts foremost in his mind. It was easy to do so with people that did not control their thoughts and allowed it to run loose and random.

"Yes," I answered.

"Then you must be as good as they say," he commented.

"I will not chance a download with you flying. Is it possible to use the autopilot while I am busy with you?"

"Of course." He checked the controls before switching to autopilot. Then he turned to me. "What do you need?"

"Just your hands, palms up."

He frowned, but presented his hands.

I took both in mine. Making sure my fingertips touched his palms, I closed my eyes.

It took only a few electric moments.

I broke contact.

The Captain looked surprised.

"I do not understand. I did not feel a thing. Is it done?" he wanted to know.

"It is done," I told him.

Standing up to leave, my legs gave way and the Captain helped to steady me.

I know it is a lot to take in all at once. I just think now you will have a fighting chance," he said, releasing me.

I simply nodded at him before returning to my seat.

I was going to have to spend another sleepless night sorting out some-one else's memories. I was thankful that the Captain had kept his private life closed. Neither did I prompt for it. I took only the information that he had foremost in his thoughts.

Relaxing in my seat, as if going to sleep, I started sorting through the information he had provided me with.

One: - The Planetary Security Forces had special permission from the Government to make exclusive use of my talents – for now.

Two: - My name was not flagged. I came under the spotlight through a connection Morgan had in the government.

Three: - I found my Government Case File and the Captain was privy to it. I duplicated his memories.

Name: Han Storm

Mother: Annayeke Storm

Father: Unknown (Note: the mother claims there was no father – claim pending further investigation)

The date of birth made me almost twenty-three Creatan years.

Then followed a long list under the heading of Current Status. It started with a list of about twelve or so foster families.

There was a single note at one of them. The date indicated that I was about six years old.

Seen Professor Zane, Private Psych Teacher. Three weeks in attendance. Not much interest shown. Minimum participation in classes.

There was another entry in this handwriting stating that they had 'lost' me. It was dated near my tenth birthday.

I remembered that day very clearly. It was when I ran away from a neglectful couple and started making my own way in the world.

There was a newer entry dated about three weeks ago. It was typed. It read:

Status: FOUND. 308 Heights Building, Market Square, New Haven. Current occupation: New Haven Security Forces Psychic, Homicide.

I guessed they probably were not going to lose me a second time. I 'turned' the page as the Captain did in the memory and faced a page on what 'they' had to say about me.

Psychic abilities untested. All information unconfirmed. Specialty seems to be visions of events in the past, present and future. Also displaying signs of telepathic skills. Worked missing persons. Success rate: 99.9%.

Recommendations: Keep in semi-private environment with Level 1 Security Status. Monitor closely with daily reports on events and performance. Case referred to 24 hour monitoring service. Satellite Tracking Implant advised.

I smiled at myself. Let them try. Universe, just let them try!

Something brought my attention back to real-time.

I was floating about six inches from my seat and I could feel myself preparing to teleport.

I now realized this to be panic mode.

Calming my heart rate, I slowed down my vibration. No use revealing my most powerful weapon just yet.

I slumped back into the seat.

My chest burned.

Opening my shirt, I had a peek at the scar. It seemed red and inflamed. Ignoring it, I went back to the memory. There was one more entry dated two days ago.

Trans-medium skills confirmed.

Right! Who spilt that bit of information?

Not the Clan I now considered my people?

Or Racewater and Panam talked about it and we were bugged.

Oh, Crap!

If that mobile home was bugged 'they' would know everything!

*Sensaii!?*

*Not so. Your aura's energy output disrupts most sensitive electronic equipment, especially when you are vibrating at a higher level.*

*Do you know how they received that last information?*

*The same way Morgan found you originally, through the Government.*

The face of an old man came up.

I did not want to believe it.

Peetra was the Government spy in our midst!

I thought of him as an old man. I took another look through different eyes.

There was a shadow over his aura, reaching within, only half overlapping and seemingly carried on his back.

I shuddered. He had a dark entity attached to him. This was what the Government could do. He did not even know he was giving information away.

I was shocked and revolted. Racewater would have to be told. But just not right now.

There was nothing I could do at this stage for Peetra, so I came back to the interesting bit about me disrupting sensitive electronic equipment. That was news to me.

*How do I disrupt electronic equipment?* I wanted to know from Sensaii.

*The same way most people cannot see me. I vibrate too high.

You can take out everything in your path with a thought. Check your memories.*

I did.

I was an electromagnetic time-bomb. I could literally 'take out' all electronic equipment around me if I so wished.

Even better, I could create such a force around me and others, creating disturbance in the environment not even the best equipment could penetrate.

*Then a tracking device would be insufficient?* I asked Sensaii.

*Even if they do manage to place one in your body, it would be rejected.*

*Meaning?*

*That you would probably be violently ill and not be able to control yourself. Let us hope it never happens.*

I carefully opened up and scanned the aircraft for bugs.

There was a recording unit in the pilot's cabin and one in the cabin where we were seated, as well as a direct link camera at the tail-end of the cabin.

I smiled as I scanned them from up close. Some-one, somewhere, was having a hard time explaining why they were receiving static.

This would unfortunately not do.

*What if I wanted 'them' to be included?*

*Then you would have to bring your disruptive output close to your body. The equipment should work then. It would be your choice what you want them to know.*

*But it would also interfere with my normal functioning. I would have to be alert at all times. This restraint would not be an automatic reaction.*

*I am sure practice would make it easier,* Sensaii replied confidently.

*If this disruptive effect of my energy output is so severe, why do I not affect the aircraft's normal electronics.*

*Aircraft are specifically built to withstand high levels of electronic interference. Security devices are not.*

*In other words, I could still have an adverse affect on an aircraft?*

*You could, but until now, you did not need to control your energy, making the possibility for an accident virtually impossible.*

I sat thinking about that.

*Thus my untrained body is quite safe. If I trained it, changing it to become a weapon, then I would need to constantly monitor all electronic equipment in my immediate vicinity. Am I correct?*

*You will have to monitor your energy first and then the equipment to judge your success.*

*I will also have to warn the others. It is a pity they are not telepathic.*

*Yes. Do you want to practice non-interference now?*

*Yes, let us do so.* I definitely did not want to rest and had nothing better to do, anyway.

I pulled the blanket over me, pretending to sleep.

It took a while to enter into the state where I could see the energy particles. My natural aura enveloped a huge area of the aircraft.

I brought my energy levels back, compressing it in my solar plexus from where I could use it for anything, including a weapon if need be.

I now had a small area glistening around me. The energy was concentrated and it felt as if I was going to explode at any time. I kept my energy contained for as long as I could bear the pressure. Then I released it slowly to the original, breathable distance.

I was suddenly feeling dead tired.

This was really hard work.

*Would you keep track of my energy field for me while I try and rest a bit?*

*I will wake you if it changes.*

My last thought before drifting into a restless slumber was that I was glad for a guide and helper that knew what he was doing.

#

#  *** Chapter Three ***

Racewater woke me by kicking my foot.

"Get ready, we are landing in fifteen minutes."

I checked the scanning equipment on my way to the ablutions. They were still ineffective.

After freshening up, I took a long hard look at myself in the mirror. There seemed to be more grey hairs at my temples. Otherwise, I looked tired but determined. I was still fuming inside.

Good. Let that work for you.

I took the seat between Racewater and Panam. Racewater was sitting at the window. We were halfway across the world and definitely not in a familiar environment any longer.

I felt it was important that the others be aware of what our new environment held in store for us.

"I need to tell you. From now on we will be under Government Surveillance around the clock."

"How do you know?" Panam asked.

"He is psychic, for Universe sake," Racewater replied on my behalf.

"Sorry, this is such an adventure for me, I forgot for a second," Panam apologized.

Racewater was not the easiest man to get along with. I continued before the atmosphere could tense up.

"Whatever happens in the next few hours, I will deal with my issues on my own. Panam, I want your promise not to interfere. No matter what happens. Agreed?"

"I cannot do that. I am here to keep your body safe and healthy. I will not allow you to harm yourself."

The determination in his voice and eyes convinced me.

"Okay, will you at least do it if I promised not to destroy my body?"

He thought about it. The landing sign came on.

"Okay," he finally agreed.

I turned to Racewater. "The same goes for you."

"You know something we do not?" Racewater replied. "And you are not going to share, right?"

"Let us just say that there is a possibility of events that we are trying to avoid."

"Who are 'we'?" Panam asked.

Racewater leant over to hear the reply.

"'We', like in Higher Forces, Mission, etc," I answered Panam.

"And would this influence us negatively if this event does happen," Racewater wanted to know.

"It all depends on how I would be able to manage the situation."

I lowered my voice even further and placed my head near Panam's.

"I need to let you know that I tend to have severe reactions to foreign objects placed within me."

"Like needles?" he whispered back.

"No, that is acceptable."

I touched the scar on my chest.

Panam's eyes widened again.

I nodded my head. "It gets dissolved."

Shock registered in Panam's eyes. "You mean that that is in you?"

"Yes, but it is no longer in the same format."

Panam stared at me, thinking about the morning they had found me at the caves.

I would have to teach both of them to control their minds.

The aircraft started its descent.

Sitting back in our seats, we braced ourselves for the final bump of the landing.

#

#  *** Chapter Four ***

We were met by two professional Planetary Security Forces personnel and ushered to an unmarked vehicle.

It was a tight squeeze in the back seat with the three of us. The sinking sun was bright and mostly in our eyes, so we could not see much of where we were going.

Being tired, I did not want to chance it to expand my senses in order to find out more about my new environment.

We were dropped in front of a huge building that looked more like an office block than living quarters.

After retrieving our bags from the storage facility of the vehicle, we followed one of the men up a flight of stairs to the lobby.

A professional woman was in attendance. She retrieved keys without speaking to the man. He silently took the keys from her and we followed him into the elevator.

I was not fond of elevators. This one felt as dubious as the one back home.

Back home.

I did not have a home any longer. Home was with Mara. I would not see her or my daughter again, unless a miracle happened. I knew that in my heart. It brought a pang that made me gasp for air, breathing hard against the racing emotions.

Panam gave me a concerned glance. The man with us looked at me suspiciously. I closed myself to these feelings and made anger surface again.

We reached the fourth floor. Our apartment was 403. The man unlocked and we walked into our new quarters. It was not uncomfortable, being similar to the apartment I had in New Haven.

We would cope.

The man gave Racewater the keys and they remained in the passage to discuss procedures.

Panam was already investigating the kitchen. He had been watching cooking disks and he could not wait to start practicing his new knowledge. I sincerely hoped it pays off.

Walking to the middle of the lounge, I quietly extended my senses, looking for bugs. I found one in each room, including the bathroom. I did not pick up on any hidden cameras.

Sensaii explained that I had to expand to monitor the devices and at the same time contract to let them operate.

How I have to do it, was up to me and another matter entirely.

Trial and error, I guess.

But I had no room for errors. At the moment I knew the bugs were only relaying static. All my senses were wide open.

I took the room with a single bed for myself, dumping my bag on one of the two chairs in front of the window.

I needed to speak to Panam, calling called him into the room.

"I need to see what you saw when you worked at the Psych facility," I requested.

"Where do you want me to sit? Is this going to be uncomfortable for me?" Panam wanted to know.

"In a chair, and no, you will not feel a thing," I assured him.

I settled on the edge of the bed across from Panam. Racewater closed the front door, locking it. He joined us, dropping my bag on the floor and settling on the remaining chair.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"Han wants to know some things and I can help him. He is going to read me," Panam announced with pride, as excited as a little child.

"We are being monitored with recording devices in every single room," I informed them. "At the moment I am disrupting their input/output modes and the recipient is only receiving static. They will try and rectify the situation as soon as they can, which should be tomorrow when we leave.

It seems to be an automatic response that I create a disturbance near electronic devises, but we cannot allow them to have static all the time. They will most certainly arrive at the conclusion that something is out of the ordinary.

I am trying to see if I can rectify the situation by not interfering with bugs," I explained to them.

"And when you no longer do so, we are going to have to be careful what we say and do," Racewater commented.

"Yes, and what you think too. They have telepaths that can pick up on your uppermost thoughts. You are going to have to train your minds not to think openly. It helps me to pretend that I wear an invisible cloak that no-one can see through.

But sometimes I have to drop it. Like what I am attempting to do now, with Panam. It is an exchange of memories. I have to open up in order to receive Panam's memories and make them part of me. I am totally exposed at times like that."

"Will I receive your memories too?" Panam looked concerned.

"No, I will not allow it. You are not a telepath. It should be almost impossible for me to give you any of my memories anyway. It is quite safe," I reassured him.

"Will I still have my own memories when you are finished?" Panam was not entirely convinced of the safety of being read.

Good question. Could I take his memories away from him if I so wished, instead of sharing them only?

*Yes. You could. But it is a practice only to be done in specific instances. It is mostly used for healing purposes.*

Thank you Sensaii.

"No, I will only be sharing your memories, not taking them," I reassured him again, not disclosing the truth.

He sighed with relief. "Okay, I am ready."

"I need you to think about the Psychic Facility and only about what you saw there. Let it play back as if you are watching a movie," I advised.

I gave him a few seconds to concentrate on what I wanted from him, and when he nodded, I took his hands into mine, again making sure I had contact with my fingertips.

It took a few seconds only. I released his hands and lay back on the bed, curling up into a ball.

Panam came around the bed and looked into my eyes.

"It is terrible, is it not?"

His voice was soft and full of sympathy. He knew he did not have to carry his burden alone any longer. I shared it with him now.

Panam indicated to Racewater to leave me.

"I will tell you about that place someday," he told him. "Right now, Han needs to sort out what he can use."

The facility where Panam used to work as a Doctor's aid was a terrible place. Psychics were tested and abused to the point where they killed themselves to get away from their unbearable lives.

I was thankful that I have been able to skip their fate so far.

I scanned through Panam's memories quickly, looking for something I could use to help me.

Right now, I could not determine anything. I left it at that, giving my attention to practical matters.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I concentrated on working out this expansion/contraction of my energy fields. An idea was forming and I wanted to act on it right away.

Allowing part of my aura to expand even larger than normal, I incorporated the whole apartment. Then, while keeping myself open and expanded like this, I tried to bring the highest vibrating energy particles back into my body, focussing on them to go to my solar plexus.

When I had reached a not too uncomfortable level, I carefully scanned the bugs with the part of me that was still extended.

The energy in me did not want to stay put and started leaking back into the expanded area.

For a moment I had the satisfying feeling that the bugs worked for a second before I lost control and the bottled up energy escaped.

It was a messy release that blasted through the Matter, shattering a vase and rattling the mirror in the bathroom.

I heard at least two more breakages in the kitchen.

I was not feeling worse for wear and poked my head around the doorframe.

"Sorry, just practicing a bit."

Racewater looked absolutely inconvenienced with a broken glass in his hand, his drink spilt all over him, but said nothing.

"Just be more careful next time," was Panam's response as he started to clean up the mess.

Next time came immediately. I tried it again, managing better control over the release.

I was not entirely satisfied with the result and practiced anouther round.

Walking around the room, I concentrated hard on what was needed. I wanted this to become second nature for my body that needed to respond in an automatic fashion.

Although having a lot more control over the release of the energy, I was tiring.

I joined Panam in the kitchen. Racewater had retired to the other room with the two single beds.

"Enjoyed yourself?" Panam asked.

"No, but I am happy enough with the result I was looking for. Tomorrow will be an entirely new day of course."

Panam just smiled at me and dished up some hot stew with loads of veggies.

It was delicious. The cooking lessons were paying off.

#

#  *** Chapter Five ***

We passed the night without further interruptions and daylight found us preparing to leave early. Panam provided breakfast and I took my time to finish a good portion of it.

Racewater did not want any, preferring coffee. We were finishing up when there was a knock on the door.

Racewater admitted the same person that drove us here from the airport. We all followed him to the vehicle we came in last night.

We were finally receiving our first good look at Prosia. The apartment building we spent the night in was of monstrous proportions. It looked as if it spanned the whole block and as we turned the corner, I could see another entrance in that street as well.

Prosia differed in one huge way from New Haven.

It had plants and trees wherever you looked. As far as I could see, trees lined every side of the wide streets. Every spare bit of ground was covered by shrubs or flowers. The late Autumn flowers were almost ready to bloom. Birds could be seen and heard everywhere and the buzz of insects were evident even inside the vehicle.

Prosia also did not smell like the typical city. We had already passed three public parks and everything looked neat and clean.

Panam asked the question in my mind – addressing the nameless driver.

"Does all of Prosia look like this?"

"Most of it, but we do have our slums too," the driver replied. "We try and keep those elements to the outer edges of the city. Midcity and the living and business areas mostly look similar to this."

"How do you keep it so neat and clean?" Panam asked his next question.

"Everyone found littering, or not recycling, is fined heavily. You could even be sentenced to a period of service with one of the clean-up crews if you cannot pay the fine."

"Are there any other rules and regulations we need to know about?" Racewater wanted to know.

"I will make sure you are issued with a code of conduct list. That should cover all the city common rules. Not that I think you will need it, as your flight is booked for this afternoon."

Racewater gave us a quick glance. "To where, if I may ask?"

"The destination is as yet unconfirmed. I am to take you to headquarters now and then back to the apartment to collect your things. Those were my only orders."

We stopped briefly at a gate leading to a huge building situated in an impeccably sculpted garden. The building was as black as the plane that brought us to Prosia. The same yellow insignia that I had noticed on the aircraft was on a plaque above the front entrance. It was a bird of prey with open wings.

We stopped in the back of a parking area and had to walk all the way to the entrance. Judging by the good quality vehicles in the parking area, this place spelt money with a capital M.

As we neared the building, I relinquished my easy, natural manner and found the icy place that kept my energy inside my body, my senses scanning the outside.

While practicing last night I had found this iced place. It kept the energy locked up until I released it.

It was cool inside the building. The reception area was open all the way up to the roof. Plants grew in the middle of the building where ancient trees and giant ferns reached for the skylights.

We did not stop, passing by reception, the receptionist giving us a long interested stare. I was nervous enough as it was and did not want to break my concentration by trying to scan her mind.

We entered an elevator where the Driver pressed Basement number three. There were six levels under ground and twelve stories above.

The doors admitted us into a sterile environment.

The Driver led us down the corridor and opened one of the doors, indicating that we should enter into a room that was fitted out as a small boardroom.

"Please wait here," the driver requested, closing the door behind him.

Up until now I was satisfied that all scanning equipment and cameras were minimally affected by my energy output. There was no indication of scanning equipment in this room and I released some of the energy to a more comfortable level.

One side of the room had a huge mirror and any fool in the Security Forces knew that it was an observation window.

Panam settled at the table. Racewater stared out the window. I lounged in the corner behind the door, next to the mirror. This was the only angle where they could not see me.

Expanding my hearing, I incorporated sound from the room on the other side of the mirror.

The driver was speaking. "They seem to be a tight unit. Racewater is your PR person. He speaks for all of them. Dr. Ridgeback is unusually inquisitive and is constantly asking questions."

"And the psychic?" another voice wheezed. This person did not sound well at all.

"He is a quiet fellow. I have yet to hear him speak," the Driver answered.

"What is your honest first impression regarding the psychic?" a voice with a lot of authority behind it asked the Driver.

"Director, all I can say is that the man scares me."

"In what regard?" the wheezing voice asked.

"He makes the hairs on my neck rise. It is the kind of scared you can do nothing about except circumventing the cause."

"Thank you for your honesty. You can return to your duties," the Director said.

A door opened and closed.

"I made an extremely expensive investment here. I want to see results. You know this is a first for this institute and better not fail me," the wheezing man threatened.

"Do not worry, father. I am sure you will make your money back quickly."

The Director went out into the passage.

I brought my expanded hearing back to normal but stayed where I was, folding my arms over my chest.

The scar was burning again.

Almost immediately, the door opened and we had our first glance at the Director of the Planetary Security Forces.

I was not impressed. He was a head shorter than me, balding with spectacles on his nose. His hands and sculpted body indicated that he was trained well in the arts of hand-to-hand combat. He was a very dangerous little man.

He closed the door, keeping me in his sight at all times.

Racewater came over while Panam stood up too. Formal introductions were to follow.

He held out his hand to Racewater.

"I am Director Thornton."

Racewater returned the handshake. "I am Captain Racewater and this is Dr Ridgeback."

Panam shook his hand too.

"As you can see, our Mr Storm is not inclined to physical contact," Racewater covered for me.

The Director nodded at me. I returned the gesture, not moving out of my corner.

We were all watching Thornton for his next move. He was visibly becoming uncomfortable.

He finally cracked under our stares.

"This is as new to me as it is to you. Your Captain contacted me with this special request and through a lot of effort and financial input we secured Mr Storm for our institute.

You are probably aware by now that the Government Psych Department will be monitoring the progress of this unit. They also reserve the right to terminate the project at any time." He sighed, then continued.

"All I really mean to say is that you guys need to perform top notch, or I will terminate you myself."

Well put. At least we knew where we stood.

"Your cases will be varied and I am sure, challenging. You are flying out to Atlantica in the Southern regions this afternoon," the Director continued.

Thornton turned and looked me straight in the eyes. "There was one more request the Government insisted upon. Mr Storm is to be fitted with a Satellite Tracking Device."

Racewater stared hard at the Director.

I kept my cool and did not flinch under Thornton's stare.

It was Panam that did the talking now.

"I am afraid that that would not be possible," he told the Director.

"Excuse me?" Thornton broke contact and turned on Panam.

"Mr Storm shows severe reactions to foreign bodies in his system," Panam informed the Director. "It would be unwise to insist on placing any sort of device or foreign body within him."

"And what sort of reaction could we expect from Mr Storm?" Sarcasm was dripping from Thornton's words.

"I would rather not enter into details right now, but be assured that your investment would be harmed and unable to operate at full potential for a considerable time-period."

Thornton glanced at the mirror. Then made up his mind.

"Would you consent in accepting the device on behalf of your patient?" he wanted to know from Panam.

"It will not do you much good, but if you insist, you can place the device within me." Panam was facing me now. He knew that I would render the device useless as soon as we were alone.

Forewarned not to interfere, Racewater kept quiet.

Thornton looked from Panam to Racewater.

"You do not look surprised or concerned by any of this?" he queried Racewater.

"I was forewarned to stay out of it," Racewater answered the Director.

"By whom?" Thornton was really looking interested now.

"I am partnered with a psychic. There is not much that they miss." Racewater made it sound like an everyday occurrence.

Thornton looked at me. "And you have absolutely nothing to say to me or anyone else?"

I positioned myself in front of the mirror. Expanding my senses, I could clearly see an old man sitting in a wheeled chair, wheezing with an automatic breather pumping air into his lungs.

I had a notion that this man was telepathic. I reached out to him asking permission softly.

His eyes widened in recognition of one telepath of another.

*Do you need healing?* I asked him.

*No-one can help me with this dreadful disease.*

*Do you wish healing?* I repeated the question.

*Yes. Can you help me?*

*With your consent I will help you.*

*I would be eternally in your debt if you could prolong my life and help me regain some comfort in the process.*

*Then tell your son you want a private word with me and my Doctor.*

I broke contact and turned back to Thornton. The whole telepathic conversation took only a few seconds.

There was a crackling noise as the intercom was activated.

A wheezing voice announced, "Director, I wish a private word with Mr Storm and his Doctor. Would that be possible?"

"Yes, of course. I will take Captain Racewater to the offices to hand over the case-file we need his team to investigate." Thornton looked puzzled, staring hard at me for a moment before he and Racewater left.

I indicated to Panam to fetch the old man from next door while I listened in on the conversation.

"Hi. I am Dr Ridgeback, but you can call me Panam."

"Good day to you Doctor."

So it was to be kept formal then.

After drawing the blinds open, I took a stance in front of the window. The early morning sunlight spilt into the room, blinding both the old man and Panam.

Panam pushed the old man into the room. Closing the door, he stood to the side, giving me room to do my work.

"Do you wish complete and permanent healing?" I asked my client.

"Can it be done?" the old man wheezed.

"Everything is possible when you believe."

"Yes, I wish complete and permanent healing."

"Then relinquish your fear of taking in life and release all feelings of being unworthy to live. You have done many great things, including raising a good man and changing the path of this Planet."

I had his full attention.

I was weaving a hypnotic web, aware that this knowledge was coming from Mara's memories. This was her speciality.

I allowed myself to be guided by Source Energy that was already pouring into the top of my head. Stepping aside, half out of my body, I became an interested observer.

A voice that was my voice, but yet not my voice, hypnotically continued, "It is your birthright to live fully and freely. You love life. You love yourself."

The old man repeated after me with half closed eyes, "It is my birthright to live fully and freely. I love life. I love myself."

"You are safe and loved by the Universe and yourself. All your needs are always met."

"I am safe and loved by the Universe and myself. All my needs are always met."

He had reached a deep hypnotic state.

I saw the golden energy running down my arms, collecting around my hands.

Stepping forward, I placed my hands near the old man's torso.

The energy increased in brightness, surrounding the torso, penetrating the damaged tissue. I had control over it and as I had healed my own foot not so long ago, I started vibrating the cells' molecules into acceptable form.

The damaged tissue dissolved into new, correctly formed cells.

The old man's breathing deepened. The wheezing became less and less.

I kept up the energy flow until I could not see any further cells that looked damaged.

Even his enlarged heart was vibrated back to normal proportions and the clogging of the arteries was dissolved. I solidified the matter and softly disengaged the energy. Everything in the upper torso was healed.

This would indeed go down as a miracle healing. The excess energy dissolved around my hands and I could no longer perceive the golden light. I closed the connection to Source Energy, taking enough energy to sustain me.

I was once more, just myself.

"On the count of three, I want you to wake up, feeling refreshed and ready to do whatever needs to be done."

I waited for a response and there was a slight nod from the head.

"One, two, three."

The old man opened his eyes. He took a deep breath before switching the automatic breather off, taking a breath of air all by himself. There was no evidence of a wheeze.

I backed off.

Panam stepped in.

"Your body is not used to being well again," he informed Mr Thornton. "Your muscles are atrophied and need to be rebuilt slowly, including the muscles between your ribs.

You need to see a physician as soon as you can to confirm the healing and to be advised as to the best course of action to rebuild yourself completely. For now, I would suggest you still use your inhaler from time to time to help the muscles cope with the new workload."

The old man stared at me. The feeling of euphoria I had was coming down on me with a crush. I knew I would regret this later.

"Is he going to be okay?" he asked Panam.

"In time, yes. All he needs is a bit of rest," Panam answered.

The old man looked at me with softened features. "How can I ever repay you for what you have done for me," he asked me.

"By keeping me out of the Government's clutches until the time is right," I replied.

"I do not understand," Mr Thornton replied, "but I vow to do everything possible to help you, including not adhering to their preposterous insistence of a tracking device."

"In that regard, I thank you."

"Your friend will meet you at reception. I will call on my son now. I trust you will find your own way upstairs?"

"Yes. Look after yourself."

We met Racewater at reception before walking back to the vehicle. Our Driver was already waiting.

Racewater looked at me with concern while Panam gave him an "it is going to be okay" stare. The two of them were starting to create their own type of rapport.

I was tired and relaxed into the back seat.

Panam woke me when we reached the airport.

Racewater already had our bags out of the storage compartment, ready to board. The Driver was standing next to him.

Boy, I must have been wiped out. I missed everything from Headquarters to the Airport. I really wished to see more of Prosia and felt extremely disappointed.

#  *** Chapter Six ***

The aircraft and crew were the same that brought us to Prosia. The Captain introduced himself as Captain Heraldt and the assistant and co-pilot simply as Nic.

We were left mostly to our own devices throughout the flight to Atlantica. Panam saw that we all had enough to eat. I practiced to refine my skills with the electronic equipment, being careful not to disrupt the aircraft's equipment.

We also started on Racewater and Panam's training regarding the safeguarding of their thoughts.

It made an interesting game to them to see if they could hide their thoughts from me. They quickly managed the fundamentals and could soon feel when I tried to access their thoughts, successfully blocking me.

Nic broke up our game by announcing that we were going to fly over Atlantica in five minutes.

The airfield we were to use was situated near the most southerly tip of the huge island. It was the only place with a long enough airstrip to land our aircraft.

We all restrained ourselves in the seats, each one making sure he sat next to a window.

It was a spectacular view. I had never imagined such green in all my life. There were no mountains, just gentle rolling hills of the most emerald green you have ever seen. Clumps of pink and purple on a darker green background looked like it could be flowering shrubs. I could not see any tall trees.

We flew over a few tiny settlements and then over a bigger town, all the time losing altitude and speed.

We finally glided onto the landing strip and Captain Heraldt hit the brakes, bringing us to an abrupt stop. As the aircraft swung back towards the airport buildings, one wing extended over a cliff. We had barely made it.

We were met by what looked like the local Law Enforcement Agent. He was a middle-aged man with broad proportions around the waist, wearing a light tan coloured uniform.

Introductions followed swiftly with nods and we were escorted to a marked vehicle.

People kept on staring at us as we drove through the town. It did not seem as if they saw a lot of strangers around here.

The town itself was an ancient place. It was solidly built with most of the houses being from the same rock as the surrounding area. Mosses grew everywhere. The sun had disappeared and drizzle was wetting everything.

We stopped in front of an old building that stood apart from the others. Following the Agent into this square, double-storey building, we passed a counter behind which stood two other uniformed men.

They greeted our agent with smiles, barely acknowledging us, before continuing their paper-work. The opposite wall sported a row of empty holding cells.

We entered the Agent's office and he closed the door behind us. Shuffling in behind a desk, he indicated that we should take seats too.

Racewater and Panam took the chairs. I preferred to slouch with my back to the wall near the door. It seemed an unconscious positioning to be near the middle of a building.

The Agent glanced at me, then placed his intertwined fingers over his huge belly, relaxing back into his chair.

"So! You are the fellows that are to help me?" he announced.

Racewater relieved the tension. "We have received a brief indication as to why we are here, but I would like the whole story from you please."

The Agent sat up, resting his elbows on the desk, looking straight at Racewater.

"In early Spring our community lost a girl of almost seventeen years old. We looked everywhere but could not find her. No body was washed up on shore. She simply disappeared, without a trace."

I quickly calculated. This happened about three months ago.

"The girl was not known to go anywhere without permission and there were no strangers around, so you see, we were devastated when we could not find her.

Since that date we have lost four more girls. Vanished from their beds, without a trace. Parents are running scared, barring their doors and windows.

Atlantica is not such a huge island. We have organized search parties and have covered the area from coast to coast. Every inch of it. Five times already – with no results." He sat back, looking helpless.

Racewater glanced at me. It had been a long flight without rest. He made up his mind.

"We will refresh and rest now and start first thing in the morning. Would it be in order if we could have a look at your files this evening?"

The Agent pushed a pile of files over the desk towards Racewater.

Placing them on top of his own case-file folder he stood up to leave. "Now, who can show us where to rest?"

The Agent called one of the uniformed men to escort us to the boarding facility. We retrieved our bags from the vehicle and walked the short distance to another double storey house.

This house was surrounded by blooming flowers and looked a feminine place. The assistant left us at the door.

We were received by a friendly aging woman. "I have single rooms ready for you gentleman. You can take any of the first three rooms. The ablutions are at the end of the hallway. Dinner will be served at seven in the dining area."

She handed us our keys and we made our way upstairs to the sleeping quarters. Racewater placed me in the room between him and Panam. "In case you need us."

I opted to head straight for the bathroom.

The ablutions had two separate full bathrooms, some extra toilets and two showers with their own dressing cubicles. I chose one of the full bath areas to freshen up in.

I felt strangely detached from everything as I ran water into the bath. The hot water was soothing to my body and I began to relax.

*Why do I feel this way? So utterly detached from everything. As if I am here, but not part of any of this?* I asked Sensaii.

*This is your way of preparing for the next step. A lot would be asked from you soon and this is your way of safeguarding your body and spirit until the time for action is needed.*

*I am somehow apprehensive about all this, as if this is not something that belongs to this world.*

*There is a first time for everything. I am sure you would be able to cope with whatever happens.*

Sensaii knew I was unconvinced, but made no further comments.

I felt much better after the bath with a set of clean clothes and the thought of dinner to cheer me up.

I had heard Racewater and Panam coming into the showers. Panam was still busy but Racewater joined me in the passage back to our rooms.

"We will have a bite to eat and then I want you to take a look at those files. Maybe you can pick something up from the images."

I nodded back at him as I dropped my bag off in my room.

An array of food was set out over low burners to keep it warm. Only three sets of plates were on the table. We were to dine without interference.

I scanned the room for bugs but found none. Panam joined us and dinner proceeded in total silence. Even the usually talkative Panam was subdued.

After dinner, we did not even need to discuss the issue. Panam and I fetched our bags and took them to Racewater's room. We all felt that we needed to stick together.

Panam locked the door behind him, pocketing the key.

He dragged the chair nearer to the bed. Racewater sat on the bed and I took the floor in my usual cross-legged sit.

Racewater placed the files on the carpet in front of me. "The newest file is on top. Do you feel up to this in this strange environment?"

"No, I am extremely apprehensive. I have scanned the area and there are no bugs, but I cannot help feeling watched."

"I am feeling the same way," Panam commented.

"Same here." Racewater confirmed.

We sat in silence for a while. I was trying to think of the safest way to investigate this phenomenon. Whatever was happening here was not supposed to be happening.

"Right!" I stood up. "I have never before explained some of the things I do. It is time now for you to learn.

Under controlled conditions, I can expand my senses, either individually, enhancing hearing or sight, or all together, taking in everything within an area, becoming one with everything – all at once. It has its disadvantages and I am not sure what I will run into.

Under these strange circumstances I think this to be the best and safest option to investigate this phenomenon."

"Can you do this from here?" Racewater wanted to know.

"Yes, it would be the safest for my body."

Panam dug out some injections from his bag.

"I'm ready too." He smiled at me.

I stood up, taking a solid stance. The three of us made a triangle.

Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to expand.

Growing to incorporate all around me, I felt my body's vibration heighten. I pushed myself further outwards, ever growing, ever taking in everything.

Scanning the surface of every living entity, I became the earth, the plants, the houses. I felt everything. I felt everyone.

I felt the ripple in the surroundings.

It was not correct.

I backed my senses to the point where I had briefly detected this wrong feeling.

I came across the same rippling effect.

It was an airy draft on an otherwise thickly mattered plane.

A part of my consciousness stopped in front of the draft.

I recognized the problem immediately. Matter was pierced here.

The draft moved away.

I moved with it.

This was not an accident.

This was on purpose.

Who on our planet had this knowledge?

A time rift was a serious problem.

Someone from a parallel world could gain entry. It was like hacking your own Planet, but in a parallel Universe.

I felt sure that this rift was created by someone who knew how to manipulate the matter. This entity was the one 'watching'.

This entity was able to scan this Plane for what it needed or wanted. It was curious about me, but neither did it want to be pinned down, hence the movement in the rift.

I felt a pull to return to my body.

I left this environment, once more becoming the individual.

My life-essence was running low. A burning pain in my chest brought me all the way back to my body.

It collapsed into the waiting arms of my friends.

They lay me on the bed. Panam brought the bottle with bitter herbs to my lips. I drank deeply, gratefully feeling the integration of spirit and body.

He took one of the injections and looked at me, inquiring.

I declined. I had more urgent work to do.

Struggling into a sitting position, I grabbed Racewater's arm.

"I need to go away for a while. I am leaving my body in your care. Do not disturb me. Just see that it keeps on functioning until I am back."

I knew that the rift was already closing.

I had to hurry.

Lying back down, I allowed my spirit to slip out of my body, leaving an astonished Racewater and Panam staring at it.

A thought took my astral body to where I had last seen the rift.

This was going to be tricky.

I picked it up a few hundred meters away from the original opening point. It was moving out over the ocean, already closing up.

Another thought took me out over the sea.

Slipping into the rift, bright white and blue lights danced around my consciousness . . .

I stepped out of the time-rift into what looked like a teenager's bedroom.

This was amazing.

How did a boy find out how to create a working worm-hole?

I suddenly realized that this was as much training for my future as it was a task to find the missing girls.

Turning, I could see the door, and a boy of about sixteen or seventeen staring at me.

"What are you? You are not a ghost, I know those. It was you who found my entry. You followed me here. What do you want?"

He was scared and excited and obviously psychic too, to be able to perceive me in astral form.

"I came to fetch the girls home. Their families are grieving for them."

"They do not want to go home. They wanted to come here with me."

"And where do you let them stay? Your family definitely does not know about them, do they?"

It occurred to me that we were conversing in the same language but with a slightly different accent. Was this parallel world so much like mine?

"In the basement. You are right, they are in hiding here."

"Who gave you the right to play agent? Those girls chose their time and dimension carefully for their own growth. You might be hampering them severely. Did you think about what you were doing before you invited them to join you here, with absolutely no way to return home if they so wish?"

"No." He sat down on the bed, still holding a control of some sort in his hand.

I noticed that the still opened portal was becoming smaller all the time.

"How did you do it?" I quizzed him.

"The worm-hole?"

"Yes."

"We had a science project for school and I started fiddling around with my uncle's stuff in the basement. I came upon a plan for a stable worm-hole that one could use to go places. I thought that it could lead to great adventures.

I made a miniature version first, but it did not work so well. I presented that as a theoretical for the project and received great marks.

Anyway, I started working on the bigger version as soon as I could. I seemed to just know what to do and when to do it. When it seemed to be ready, I tested it and travelled to your world, where I met one of the girls.

She came back here with me. She hated her life there and did not want to return. She also had friends that wanted to get away from their homes, so we went to fetch them."

"You also like to play at watching the people in my world."

"Yes, it is extremely interesting. They are so – primitive."

"We might look ancient, but it still does not give you the right to place a whole population in panic. They are mostly a simple people and do not understand these things.

How much control do you have over your portal?"

"Not so much," he admitted, "it keeps on shifting position, but it mostly stays in the same region, as if that is the only entry point to your planet. I find that there is a six hour window period where I can get a nice open stretch to actually visit there myself."

"And that window is closing now, is it not?"

"Yes, it is almost closed. You do not have your body here, and I do not know what would happen if you get stuck here. I suggest you try and get back to your own space in time, before it is too late."

"And I suggest you speak to the girls and have them ready to travel by tomorrow morning, or at least have something ready to give their parents."

I looked at his computer on a desk in the corner. It looked like an ordinary computer and one of the disks positioned in front of it, like a normal disk we used on Creata. Just maybe they were the same format.

"I personally would like a disk with the information you have, and I suggest you do not use your portal again after this. You might attract a lot of unwanted attention."

"I already have. How can I find you, I do not even have your name."

"I am Han Storm."

"I am Hack Brannigan. Pleased to meet you. Travel well."

He used the control in his hands to increase the energy feed to the portal and it opened a bit wider, but with a lot of resistance.

I knew Hack had spoken the truth. I did not know what would happen with me stuck here without my body and no trail to follow back to it.

As I slipped back through the time rift he had artificially created, I knew I trusted him to try and keep it open for as long as possible.

I returned to my body with a memory of blue light caving in on me.

Jerking myself upright, I had a crushing headache right away. Panam was at my side, a syringe in his hand.

"Half," was all I managed to say before he found my vein and peace enveloped my body and spirit.

The sun was barely rising when I struggled out of bed, waking Panam and Racewater. Panam was up immediately but Racewater was a bit grumpier.

"You look fine this morning," he complained. "You gave us a terrible scare with going away so far that your body started fading on us. And then waking up bright and chirpy and making us get up too."

"We do not have time for this. Find us a vehicle. We need to go pick up the girls."

Well, that captured his attention.

"I will contact the Agent immediately," he replied.

We were all dressed and hurrying downstairs by the time the Agent and his assistants arrived.

There were two marked vehicles ready to go. The Agent took us in his vehicle and the assistants followed. I had described the meeting place I saw in Hack's thoughts to Racewater earlier, therefore the Agent knew exactly where to go.

The Agent raced down narrow lanes at break-neck speed. Judging from the huge smile on his face, he did not often get a reason to go full throttle.

We came to a huge field covered mostly in grasses. It was at the edge of the cliff from where I had followed the rift out over the sea.

Stopping in front of a little building near the edge, Racewater requested everyone to stay near the vehicles.

I walked to the point where I had picked up the rift the previous night. Expanding my senses, I started taking everything in, concentrating specifically on disturbances in the Matter.

I stood motionless. It was easier for me to concentrate with closed eyes and keeping my body perfectly still.

We did not have long to wait.

The rift was opening. The air danced and shimmered, but not out in the open as I hoped. The rift was opening inside the little building.

Indicating to Racewater to wait where they were, I walked over to the building.

The rift was most definitely opening inside.

The door was unlocked and I went inside, not bothering to close it behind me.

A bright blue light appeared in the one corner of the room, growing from a small ball of static fire to an opening large enough to admit an adult.

Hack jumped out of the opening, looking flushed with the rush of adrenaline. He grinned a greeting at me, then turned to help the first girl out. Three more girls followed.

The worm-hole danced and shivered and Hack kept on glancing anxiously at it.

"It is not stable any longer," he answered my unspoken question. "I do not know why, but it is best I get back soonest."

He gave me the requested disk. "I made sure there are no viruses on it. We do not want your technology infected with something."

"Thanks for this. It will help us greatly. And thanks for convincing the girls to come back."

"Rabecca wrote a letter to her parents in a way they would understand. The rest made a vow never to speak of this to anyone. I hope that is to your satisfaction."

The home-made portal danced again. More static crackled inside. We knew our brief meeting was over.

We suddenly stepped up to each other and shared a brief, awkward hug. Then Hack turned and jumped into the portal. He was barely gone when it closed completely behind him.

I could not follow his progress as the rift in the matter had also closed. For all purposes, this never happened.

I felt sad and concerned. I would never know if he made it safely back home.

The Agent and deputies were overjoyed to see the girls troop out of the building. One of the girls handed the Agent a letter. He stared at the handwriting, then slowly broke the seal.

He sat down on the grass, tears streaming down his face. Rabecca was his daughter. She had decided to stay with Hack because she was in love with him.

I knew what that was like. I battled with it every conscious moment not spent concentrating on something else.

I went over to the Agent, touching his shoulder.

He looked up at me.

"I saw her. She will always love you. This was her choice, her destiny. This was what she wanted."

I walked back to the vehicles. The assistants were already taking care of the girls. We waited for the Agent to get a hold on himself and then drove back to town.

There were no further questions asked from us and we were dropped at the boarding house.

#

#  *** Chapter Seven ***

After breakfast, we went for a walk around the town. For such a small town it had a lot of interesting avenues to follow.

Panam stopped at a gift shop and found a painted picture of the town. Julie apparently collected these portraits and this would make a great addition to her collection.

"Is this to be a gift, young man?" the shop assistant wanted to know.

"No, not really," Panam replied, "but I do need to post it from here, if you can wrap it up ready for postage, that would be super, thank you."

I directed Panam's attention to some other portraits in the shop and as he looked away, I inserted the disk Hack had provided me with into the protective covering of the portrait going to Julie.

I had already included a letter asking for safekeeping and privacy, and was waiting for the correct opportunity to get it to her.

The assistant finished securing the portrait.

"May I include the postage details as well?" she wanted to know.

"Yes, please," Panam replied, giving Julie's address to her. The assistant then directed us towards the Postal service.

As we waited outside the Postal building for Panam to send off his package, I brought up a tender subject that had been bothering me since leaving Prosia. I asked Racewater about the titles he had used in the 'interview' at Headquarters.

"I see that you and Panam were promoted, but why did you refer to me as 'Mr'?"

"It is actually Sergeant, with the appropriate increase in salary. It seems to go down better with most people if you are not associated directly with the Security Forces. It makes them feel safe to deal with one of their own, rather than with another Agent."

I saw his point and kept quiet.

As we explored the town further, I felt drawn to the buildings at the waterfront while Racewater and Panam dutifully followed my every whim as to where I wanted to go next.

Most of the people here had very pale skins and dark hair, like my own. Their eyes were either dark purple, bright blue, or emerald green in colour. Some had flaming red hair.

This made me think about my mother and the description one of my foster mother's gave me when I had asked her how my mother looked. I was wondering whether she came from these islands.

We passed more shops before Panam suggested we stop for coffee. We all agreed that it was a good idea and went into a refreshment house.

Racewater ordered while Panam and I made ourselves comfortable at a table near the window. He joined us and we were discussing the unique architecture when the waitress brought our drinks.

She placed mugs in front of everyone, not committing to eye contact.

As she turned to leave, she looked up and saw me.

She froze.

I could only stare at her.

Her thoughts raced and I could see a face with pale skin, framed with wavy red hair and the largest, greenest green eyes you could ever imagine.

In that image I saw another image.

One of myself. Similar facial structure, similar hair, similar eyes, just the colour differed and I was more masculine.

I did want to cut my hair, but had not had an opportunity. At the moment it was loose and hanging to my shoulders.

Time froze for a second.

And then rushed on.

"Please. Where can I find her?" I asked the waitress.

Everyone at the table, including the waitress was astonished.

"I am sorry, I thought I recognized you for a second, but I must have been mistaken," the waitress replied.

The image of a tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket was foremost in her mind.

I followed the thoughts.

The child was given to a fisherman to take far away. They never saw him again.

"Please," I begged again. "I need to find out what happened to my mother." It came out a husky whisper.

The waitress bent over and took my coffee from me. Out loud she said, "I am sorry, I will just replace this for you." Quickly she whispered, "I will see you out back when you are finished."

She left and I sat there staring at the table, my hands in my lap.

Racewater sipped his coffee. Panam stared at me. None of us spoke.

Another waitress brought me a replacement mug and left.

It was delicate timing. All of us knew that. We had been loafing around the whole morning and knew the Agent would be looking for us shortly.

We finished as soon as we could and went around the building to the back.

The waitress was waiting for us. She only had her attention on me. She wiped my hair from my forehead to have a clearer look at me in the daylight.

"Aye, it is you. There is only one that could have Annie's features. You do remember me, do you not?"

"You are the one that gave me to the boatsman that took me to the new worlds."

"Well, I'll be. Annie said you would know things."

"Where can I find her, what happened to her?"

"I am afraid she passed on years ago. She always insisted you had no father and was conceived through Source."

As she spoke, I could not get a picture of any funeral or cremation. All I saw was a picture of a deserted area with a tiny house on it.

I investigated a little deeper, receiving an image of a woman with graying hair.

My mother was very much alive and well!

"You always were her best friend," I agreed, holding out my hand in the formal greeting style.

She placed her hand in mine and I forced my body to act upon the gesture while my senses read her mind.

By the time I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it, I had all the information I ever wanted on my mother.

"Thank you," I told her.

I turned and she let me go, a deep sigh following my still expanded hearing.

We were around the corner, heading back towards the boarding house, when my strength failed. It was not so much the mental depletion, but the hard travel the previous night.

Panam caught me and set me down on the pavement. Racewater called one of the Agent's assistants on his comm to arrange for a vehicle to pick us up.

Panam produced a chocolate bar from somewhere. It was a bit melted, but heaven sent. By the time the vehicle arrived I was feeling well enough to continue the adventure.

"Do you know a place called The Yew?" I asked the assistant.

"Yes, it is a small cottage on the northern side of the island. Why?"

"Would it take a terribly long time to get there?"

"No, do you wish to go there now?"

"If we could, I would appreciate it."

"I will call it in, and then we can be on our way."

There was a pronounced silence in the vehicle. It was as if this place made everyone quiet and turned into themselves.

Panam made a soft comment, more to himself than to anyone in particular, "I now know why Han does not converse so much."

It started raining hard, with a slanting wind driving the rain. The assistant drove carefully down the slippery track towards another little cottage with a low wall around it, matching the cottage rock. There was no gate and we drove right up to the door.

A light was shining out of one of the windows. I kept my senses closed. I did not want to have advance knowledge of this meeting.

I was thoroughly drenched by the time I reached the door.

It opened before I could knock.

The woman I saw in the mind of the waitress stepped back, admitting me entrance into her home.

She closed the door behind me, wordlessly handing me a towel while I felt a familiar pressure in my mind as a request for permission to communicate telepathically.

I opened the link.

*I knew you would find me some day,* my mother told me.

We moved to stand in front of a blazing fire in the one corner of the room. Steam was already rising from my clothes.

*Who am I really?* I asked her.

*You know the answer to that question already. I just helped provide a suitable body for you. You must embrace your own destiny, the mission you were sent here to complete.*

This was not as I imagined it should be between a mother and a son.

Her eyes widened slightly in sudden understanding.

*You have yet to come to terms with yourself!

I only agreed to carry you in my womb. It was your own choice to make things easier not to be attached to one person.*

Mara and Moira's memory surfaced painfully. She was right. I could not afford the luxury of attachment to individual entities.

*You never married or had other children,* I pushed her. I wanted her to at least acknowledge that I was wanted.

*I never wished for more after your birth. It was just too painful to let you go. I did not wish to go through that again.*

*Yet, now I am here and you will have to let me go again.*

*Now it will be bearable. You know who you are. You know what you must do. My life was worth living because of you. Take this.*

She took a silver chain from around her neck. It had a charm attached to it. She carefully placed it around my neck, being extremely careful not to touch me with any part of her body.

*You have visions too?* I asked, surprised.

She smiled sadly. *Yes, but unlike you, I only see things in the future-possibilities.*

Now I understood another reason why we could not be together.

*I keep universal things to myself,* she continued. *Individuals come here for 'readings' and that is how I make my living. It also brings great revenue to Atlantica. That is why my gifts are revered here. No-one would dare interfere.

But you, born from me. They would have taken you away early, and ruined you to your purpose.*

*They found me.*

*Yet you are mostly free. There are great, powerful people backing you up. Looking out for you.*

That was an eye-opener.

Director Thornton's father's face came up.

*Where do I go from here?* I wanted to know from her.

*You carry on with what you need to do. Everything is being readied in preparation for a new beginning for this Planet.*

*May I ask about timelines?*

She nodded. *Which ones?*

*When will this momentous happening occur?*

She was quiet for a few moments.

*I only see you busy for some time yet. Then a green season passes and an event of great proportions occurs. Everyone on Creata would know about it. There you will step into your path and proceed. If I interpret the vision correctly, I would say another half year or so.*

Like Mara, she was a total professional.

There was no more to say between us. We were, literally, living worlds apart.

She was already closing the telepathic link.

I let her go, escaping into the rain.

Racewater kept the vehicle's door open for me.

As I jumped in, I made him wet also. He was not impressed.

The assistant drove us carefully back to the housing facility.

Safely back in my own room, I took the opportunity to have a closer look at the charm. It turned out to be a miniature version of the medallion, now a scar on my chest.

I was actually scared that it might dissolve as well and carefully tucked it away inside one of the boots Mara had materialized for me. I kept the boots in the bottom of my travel bag. It was a special reminder for me and I did not want to wear my treasures again.

#  *** Chapter Eight ***

A hot shower and meal later, Racewater asked us to go to his room once more. We were to discuss the happenings of that morning and what we were supposed to reveal to the Agent.

I tried to explain what happened, to tell them about my discovery of a working, controllable worm-hole, but the words were not allowed to flow.

It felt as if someone had placed an iron shackle around my throat and I could not utter a word while Racewater and Panam were waiting expectantly for an answer.

I could just stare at them. I was aware that Racewater was raising a hand at Panam so as not to disturb me.

*Sensaii!* I shouted. *My body does not want to respond.*

*It is a safeguard. You are not yet to discuss these things.*

*Then what explanation do I give?*

*The elders request an audience. Relinquish all control and just go.*

One second I was still struggling to get my voice going, the next I was standing in the ancient place, in front of the same entities I had visited once before.

"Why can I not speak to the people I am supposed to trust most?" I asked them, being quite upset.

As before, the entity looking like a druid, answered, "As you know, preparations are being made to reopen the physical portal on Creata. As yet, we cannot allow free-willed entities to have knowledge regarding these things. Our plans are too fragile to be placed in jeopardy. You will not be allowed to speak of these things until the time on your Planet is right, everything is prepared and in place."

"So what do I tell these people? They want answers from me."

"Nothing! We will send messengers to intervene on your behalf."

"What about the disk?"

"Keep it safe, as you have done. We will provide the right people to decipher it. You will know when you meet them."

I felt sure that I would indeed know. I had a question I wanted to ask Sensaii, yet I was here now, and I thought that the panel would be the ideal time to bring it up.

"I travelled in spirit form from this world to a parallel. The portal was closing here. Was I in any danger of losing my way and my body?"

"Inter-dimensional and parallel travel is froth with danger and risk. You are well trained to follow particle trails and to travel between dimensions. Parallel travel is similar. The risk is just so much greater because you need to know your exact location at starting point in order to return."

I did not even pretend that I understood anything he was saying to me.

"You wish to download the information regarding this?"

"Yes, I wish it," I confirmed.

"Then go to the Education Halls, receive your downloads and return to your body."

It was a dismissal.

I never liked the taste of alcohol. I have never been drunk or had an alcohol induced hangover. But this morning I thought I had the worst hangover anyone could get.

A pounding headache was raging in my ears. I could barely see out of my eyes and the diffused light in the room was like a dagger.

For a moment I lay there groaning, trying hard to get my bearings.

I was trying to tell Racewater and Panam about the girls.

Okay . . . so I was back on Atlantica . . . in a boarding house . . . in Racewater's room . . . in a bed, probably Racewater's.

That seemed logical.

My chest felt as if a herd of buffalo had stampeded over it. It ached almost as bad as my head.

Was the infection back?

I hoped not.

I felt my head. It felt cool to my hand.

I sat up, throwing the blankets off me.

I only had pants on. My shirt was over the chair.

Panam was sleeping on the floor in front of the bed. I could not see Racewater.

I tried to wake Panam, but my voice still did not work, so I slipped out the other side of the bed, careful not to disturb him.

There was a jug with water and glasses on a table. I dug in Panam's bag until I found the headache tablets and helped myself to a double dose.

After a few attempts, I managed to force my voice to work again.

Going back to the bed, I lay down, praying silently that the tablets would do their job quickly.

Sensaii was asking to be heard.

Even if I wanted to, I could not gather my concentration to be involved in telepathy.

He was insistent.

Eventually the headache was pushed to the back in order to let him proceed.

*Yes!* I answered in exasperation.

*You need to pick up on Racewater right now. He is on his way to the Agent. You need to hear this.*

*I cannot even get my body to concentrate. How must I get my senses to expand to incorporate him?*

I tried, but my energy was so depleted that I could barely pick up on my own aura in the room. It would take time and special application to get myself fully back to normal.

*You are going to have to do better than this,* Sensaii advised. *Your recuperation time will have to become exceptionally quick in order for you to do what you eventually must. Find a way that would work for you even under the worst of physical conditions.*

I was not impressed with this lecture. I felt like excrement at the bottom of a pit, and then I get told by a bodiless entity what is expected of me.

*Obstinate.*

*Thank you, now just go away and leave me in peace for a while.*

I tried to go back to sleep, but sleep avoided me.

So I stood up, dressed and went hunting for food.

The friendly hostess was busy in the kitchen. She looked surprised to see me, but smiled a greeting and asked me to sit down at the overgrown kitchen table.

She brought a can of coffee and I helped myself to a mug, adding a lot of sugar and some cream. Then she provided me with some steaming porridge, a kind I have never had before. It tasted like chocolate and was absolutely delicious.

I was finishing the last few bites when Racewater came in.

He looked at me for a while, as if making a decision, and then asked me to join him in his room.

Panam was still sleeping and Racewater woke him unceremoniously by kicking his foot. It was becoming a habit with him.

"Get up, I want to talk to both of you."

As soon as Panam was back in the land of the living, Racewater continued.

"The Agent explained to me what had happened. His daughter fell in love with a man from the seafaring crowd. She left with this man and has decided to stay with him.

She had some friends over to visit the islands at the other side of the ocean, but they were not happy with the lifestyle and wanted to return. The sea people brought them to the cottage.

That is where you found them. Is this the correct story?" He was staring hard at me.

Great, a story was already made up. I did not need to tell them anything.

"Yes," was all I managed before the infuriating collar prevented me from saying anything more.

"Then, if the return of the girls was a 'natural' event, where did you go when you were away so long?"

I could not answer that either.

I felt a small pressure in my head and suddenly knew what to answer.

"I found them and influenced the sea people to have the girls back in the morning. They agreed." It came out with such a sound of relief, I thought they would not buy it.

Racewater did not seem convinced at all.

"And just what happened last night? You were going to tell us what happened and then you collapsed."

"We almost lost you Han. I had to bring your spirit back twice. You probably noticed your sore chest." Panam commented.

At least now I knew the pain in my chest came from resuscitation.

"I am so sorry. It happened once before. I am physically exhausted and mentally depleted at the moment. I think this is what they call an overload at the facility."

"Let me get this straight," Racewater continued, as much to me as to Panam. "If Han does too much, he can die?"

"Yes," we both answered at the same time.

"So how do we know when you do too much?" Racewater wanted to know. "I would hate a repeat of last night."

They both waited expectantly for an answer while I had no idea how to tell them this. I, myself did not know when I did too much. How can we co-ordinate this?

"Tucker used a timing system. Thirty to ninety second visions were average and did not deplete my energies too much. Anything more than that became a stretch, although I could cope fairly well with three minute visions. With what I do now, one cannot really put a time-limit on. This is as new to me as it is to you."

"We are thus in a grey area, breaking new ground and you do not have a clue where you will end up next?" Racewater looked concerned.

"No, I do not."

"Are there techniques that you can use to recuperate sooner after depletion?" Panam wanted to know.

"Yes, there are, but silence and solitude are needed for successful recuperation."

"Would it help if we leave you in peace and do not interfere for a while after you have gone away and did whatever you had to do?" Racewater seemed to start to understand the situation.

"Yes, I definitely think it would. Tucker always tried not to pry until I was ready to commit myself to answering questions."

"You know we are bound by time and we do not always have that luxury," Racewater reminded me.

"I know."

"Okay. You two get ready to leave. I will meet you at the vehicle in ten. They are flying us to the next assignment."

#

#  *** Chapter Nine ***

I tried not to be too sullen on the aircraft, keeping mainly to myself, declining the food and drink Panam brought me.

I just needed some time to myself to sort through the downloaded information.

Racewater requested everyone to avoid me until I wanted to make contact again. This brought me welcome relief from unwanted attention and I settled into a comfortable position from where I could work.

I brought up the words, hoping that the answers would flow forth.

Entity. An individual spirit experiencing its own memories, emotions and feelings.

Spirit/ Soul. The pinprick of light that is really yourself, without a body attached, with all its memories, emotions and feelings of all its physical and non-physical lives intact.

Astral body. The substance an entity presents when travelling outside a body, but still being connected to it with a strong particle path.

Astral Travel. The journey an entity can undertake when leaving the body behind, but still being connected to it. You can travel wherever your level of training allows you to. You can view everything on your planet, or on other planets.

You can go to the lower astral dimensions where negative entities reside.

You can go to the higher astral dimensions where you can visit the Recording Halls, either for your residing Planet or for individual entities.

Or you could be trained or receive even more information that you might want or need. I, personally, call these sessions 'Downloads'.

You could also visit higher dimensions and go home for a while to rest or plan something else to do on the planet your body resides on.

Particle/Energy path. Everything leaves an imprint in the Cosmos. These particles are useful in finding your way around.

Ghost/ Passed over Spirit. The spirit of an entity no longer connected to a body. Generally not yet left for the home dimension or visiting for a specific purpose. Usually presenting themselves in a form recognizable to the person they wish to visit.

Body. The electromagnetic matter that ultimately becomes a total receptor of psychic energies and can also be used to project psychic energies.

Psychic. A person sensitive to and aware of forces not recognized as within the natural laws of their physical world.

Energy Points on the body. The body has various energy points that need to work together, in harmony, in order for the body to function at optimum potential. Also referred to as Chakras by some Clans.

Guides, Spirit helpers, Guardians. Entities trained to assist one or more spirits that are connected to the physical planes with bodies. These helpers might have had physical lives before, or none whatsoever.

Matter. Thought is the highest vibration. Thought expands into the vibratory frequency called light. Light's vibration is then further slowed down to become electrum. Electrum's vibration is further slowed down to become Gross Matter. Gross Matter is further slowed down to become solid. Electrum can be manipulated to form everything physical. Thus Matter is Light, slowed in vibratory frequency and taken to its densest form.

Electrum/Aether. Whitish, bluish, cloudy stuff smelling like ozone. Usually filling 'space' between air particles. The building blocks of all Matter.

Dimensions. Different spaces overlapping one particular area. Every Planet has its own Dimensions. From the 5th dimension onwards are where our spirits usually reside, unless they want to experience the physical. Then they need to re-create a body on the third or fourth dimensions and re-integrate into it.

Inter-Dimensional travel. When you are aware of the different dimensions of a Planet and can move your consciousness and/or spirit from one to the other, or be aware of your consciousness in any one or more of the dimensions at the same time.

Here is were you can consciously travel to the Recording Halls or visit an entity's life-memories. As long as you know how to get there, and are able to leave your body in a safe environment without interruptions, you are quite safe.

It is when you are unexpectedly interrupted that you can lose your way, get lost or even separated from your body.

Usually a disturbance of any kind pulls you back to your body in an instant, but sometimes, especially if you were away a long time, you cannot reach your body in 'time' and it may perish from lack of your spirit being in it. A body needs the spirit to reside to function properly.

Parallel Worlds. The Cosmos seeks infinite experience. Therefore it created different versions of the same thing to 'run' at the same time. Sometimes the time continuum is so thin that the worlds actually touch and overlap, creating havoc in both time-lines.

Parallel Travel. Physical parallel travel is where you can enter a world or time, parallel to the planet you are on. The parallel planet usually represents your own on almost all levels.

You may or may not have a 'double' in the parallel. This entity is as unique as you are; as the other planet is.

Travelling in the physical form is safer, as your spirit goes with the housing. Your physical portal may collapse in on you, in which case you lose your body, or you may get stuck on the new planet and be forced to finish your life-term there.

Parallel Travel in the Astral form. Here you can use two techniques. Either enter the parallel world through a portal, which will give you the similar experience I had. I could only follow my energy trail back, thus needing the portal to stay open.

The second, more commonly used, and safer technique also requires specialized training. Here you leave your body behind on your own planet, safeguarded from disturbance and under constant surveillance and supervision. Then you can relatively safely go to a parallel world to do whatever you must and come back to a well preserved body.

This second technique can also be used for inter planetary travel and inter galactic travel.

Universe. The collective consciousness of everything in a certain area of creation.

Galaxy. A lot of star systems forming a particular Universe.

Inter Planetary Travel. Travelling from one planet to the next within the same Star system.

Inter Galactic Travel. Travelling from one star system to the next within the same Universe.

Cosmos. The Ultimate Consciousness, incorporating everything and all the Universes and Galaxies. The Creator of all things, God itself.

Source or Source Energy. The connective Cosmos energy. That which creates everything. It can be tapped into and used for various purposes, including manipulating Matter for various reasons.

Portal. Various fixed spaces that allows for physical (or non-physical) travel between places, planets, either within the same Universe, inter-galactically or to parallel worlds, or spiritual (or astral) travel between different dimensions.

Portal Travel. Nothing. So I still cannot access this one.

Let's try Worm Hole. An expansion of energy between space, creating a pathway to other planets, galaxies, parallel and dimensional worlds.

Time Travel. Multiple choices.

Time Travel - life memories. Every entity has his or her life memories available in a Cosmic recording facility. You can usually gain access to it through the Recording Halls of your own Planet, which is somehow also linked to the Cosmic Recording Facility. You can either go to your current life-memories, or access all your physical life memories in this way. Similar to regression.

Time Travel – physical plane. Currently not allowed. Parallel worlds are created for all the different scenarios and can be accessed by specially trained entities to adjust or re-adjust timelines.

By this time my head was spinning with all the 'new' terminology and the memories each one brought up from past lives lived a long time ago.

There were feelings and emotions attached to the memories, some good and others terrifying.

I have been through the mill and made it time and again.

This lifetime seems to be going the same way. Maybe all the memories would help make my life easier. But right now, it was definitely creating more confusion within me.

I felt someone standing in front of me and gave the person my attention.

Panam was offering a mug of coffee and a sandwich.

"Thanks," I told him, taking it from him.

"You are welcome. You have had nothing to eat and the Captain let us know that we will be landing in about 15 minutes. So finish that and get ready."

#

#  *** Chapter Ten ***

I obviously did not catch the conversation which stated where we were flying to.

As we exited the aircraft, a burst of super-hot air assaulted us, snatching the breath right out of us, sending rivulets of sweat streaming down our bodies almost immediately.

The glare of the sun was so bright, we had to squint to see where we were going.

A low, long vehicle, with six doors instead of the usual four, was waiting at the edge of the landing-field. It drove up to us slowly, rolling to a halt, as if to make sure we sweat a bit.

A back door was opened and we followed Racewater into the air-conditioned luxury.

We settled opposite a hard-faced, dark-haired man dressed in a business-suit.

The driver headed out into a desert area that looked like a sea of sand.

"I am called Hamish. I am the local Agent for the Batista County," the man introduced himself.

The county name brought memories of organic fuel of the type most vehicles used. It was one of the richest counties with almost unlimited resources available to them.

"I am sorry to say but you do not look like the team of specialists I have been promised," Hamish told us disappointedly.

Racewater, already irritable from the travel and the hard days we have just been through, snapped back, "We have just wrapped up a difficult case in Atlantica and have been ordered straight here. I would appreciate you backing off a bit and giving us some space to rest up before we proceed. If that is in order?"

Hamish gave Racewater a really hard look. Then he took a closer look at Panam and me.

It seemed to dawn on him that we all looked under the weather.

"The mine cannot proceed until this situation is sorted out. I am receiving pressure from every angle. We already requested forensic help a week ago, and now they sent me a bunch of overworked people. Any suggestions to sort out this mess?"

Racewater visibly calmed himself.

"Give us until tomorrow morning to rest up. In the meantime, you can fill us in on what your big problem is. We have not yet received the documentation, except to get here as soon as possible."

"Our biggest mine had authorization to dig a new tunnel at deep level. Our specialized Organic Fuel Scanners indicated that there is an exceptionally large deposit of fuel at that level.

Before they were able to reach the level, the digger fell through the roof of a huge cave.

When my people reached the digger, they found the bottom of the cave covered in human remains. We were scared that it could be the site of a plague and requested the Government's involvement. They have run tests and assured us that there is nothing to fear in that regard.

But, it is still a mystery, and the bosses want to know who those people were and why they were down there in the first place. The whole place will have to be cleared out as it is right on top of the fuel deposit. Our local doctors did not want to estimate how long the bodies have been there. I really hope you will be able to help."

We were driving towards a double gate with guards. They threw the gates open in time for the vehicle to pass unhindered.

We entered a compound surrounded by mean looking fences. Guards in special heat resistant-suits were posted every hundred meters. It made fascinating viewing and I wondered exactly how the suits worked. It looked as if they could be recycling body-water.

"Why all the security? It is surrounded by desert," Panam queried.

"Yes, it is surrounded by desert and the desert is swarming with desert people not wanting us here," Hamish replied.

"The war has raged since the beginning of the mines. Lately, the intensity had increased dramatically. No-one is safe outside the fence any longer," he informed us.

I was wondering if the war had anything to do with the graveyard somewhere under the sand.

"Has anyone ever asked the desert people why they are waging war on you?" I asked.

"I honestly do not know. I have been posted here for almost ten years and know the habits of these people as well as anyone else.

They are wild and do not mingle easily with anyone not from their own Clans. No-one ever left any notes as to why they waged war on all strangers. I must say that the mines in the rockier areas do not have quite so many attacks."

Definitely something to do with the cave. I would really want to get down there and have a look for myself.

The vehicle stopped in front of a domed-shape building. Double doors automatically opened and we drove inside. The doors closed with a whoosh as they sealed. Only then were we allowed to get out of the vehicle. This place was air-conditioned as well.

Hamish escorted us to an underground sleeping facility. We were shown a comfortable room with all the facilities needed to freshen up properly.

"The water is rationed, so you only get a three minute shower each," Hamish informed us. "I will send some food. There is bottled water in the fridge. Do not drink or brush teeth in the wash water. Let us just say, it is not to be trusted.

I have to see to my other duties now. I will leave a guard at your door. You can ask him to get in touch with me if you need to. Otherwise he will organise whatever else you might require. Rest well gentleman. I will see you bright and early."

Racewater closed the door and bolted it. Turning, he looked at us.

"Well. It does seem as if they are a bit paranoid. Han, you shower first. I want you fed and rested as soon as possible. I have a lot of work for you."

I nodded and went ahead to receive my three minutes of cold water. It really did wonders to the body to be clean. By the time I was finished, the food had arrived and we lunched on cold meats, sliced fruits and an assortment of biscuits and cheeses. Not a meal that would go a long way, but satisfying enough for now.

Racewater unceremoniously ordered me into bed to get a head start on rest.

He woke me what felt like late afternoon. It was confirmed by the electronic time-keeper above the door. Dinner was served and there was enough solid food to go around. We had a hearty meal in silence.

"You ready to go to work?" Racewater asked as I pushed my empty plate to the middle of the coffee table.

"After coffee?"

"No, you can have coffee when you come back. It would be an incentive to return quickly."

He was serious. I have never seen him this way. "What do you want me to do?"

Even Panam was getting in on the act. He lent forward in a conspiring way, waiting for Racewater to give me the order.

"I want you to go see what this Hamish guy is up to. I do not trust him one bit and I have this gut feeling everything here is about money and nothing about any-one's welfare."

"I have scanned the room. There are no bugs. Does that let you feel better?"

"No, not really. Now get going."

I made my body comfortable and left on my astral quest. Concentrating on Hamish's aura and his particle path quickly allowed me to go where I wanted to be.

This was an enormous underground facility. There might be a few domes sticking out on the surface, but under the sand, it was a city.

I had to travel down, into the bowels of Creata, passing through a few layers of sleeping quarters, followed by a whole floor that served as a mess-hall with kitchens and dining areas, before coming to the office areas.

Hamish was easy to track. He had a very strong aura, shining brighter than all the people around him.

He was busy on a video-link with what I could only presume to be one of the bosses, judging by the apologetic way in which this usually authoritive person was speaking.

"They only arrived a few hours ago," he told the person on the screen.

"Have they been to the cave yet?"

"I am sorry sir. They seemed exhausted and I thought it best for them to rest first. We will go there tomorrow first thing."

"I have deadlines to meet. I cannot afford to waste even one day. Do you get me! Not one single day!"

"I know sir, but the other investors first want to find out what is going on. As you know, the government is involved now and we cannot do otherwise but adhere to their wishes. They have requested a full investigation and that is what we have to give, or they shut this shaft down."

It looked as if the balding man on the video-link was going to have a fit.

"Okay, okay. Just get it over with as quick as you can. That is what I pay your bonus for."

He logged off. Hamish spat at the screen.

It would have been an eye if the other man was still on.

"Fool, always hurry up and then I have to clean up the mess," he muttered to himself.

A shadow detached itself from a darkened corner.

Hamish was not surprised.

"How do you want to handle the Planetary Security Force people?" Hamish asked the shadowy figure.

"Very carefully. The Captain seems straightforward and the Doctor is fine. I cannot pick up on that Storm guy. He is the one that might be a problem."

I suddenly recognized the shadow. It was a specialized person too.

I quickly brought my shields up to guard myself from being noticed.

I need not have bothered. This person had heightened senses, but was not a trained psychic. I softly scanned him. He did not even detect my scan.

This person was Hamish's edge in this place. His own, private edge that could perceive beyond the normal. That is probably what Racewater picked up on.

"I would advise to leave them to do their job. Then we can re-assess the situation and make plans from there," the person with heightened senses said.

"I will play along with it for now. But I cannot afford more delays. You know it as much as I do." With that remark, Hamish left the room.

The would-be psychic went back to reading in a corner, the light barely lifting the figure out of the gloom.

I carefully 'snuck' up for a closer look.

And was shocked right back to my body.

I landed hard and stood up with a shudder, the grisly features engraved on my mind.

Both Panam and Racewater were taken unawares and jumped up as well.

It took me a second to get my body under control. Then I sat down again and related to them what I had seen and heard.

"Is there anything you could do for that poor deformed man?" Panam asked when I had finished.

"No, not unless he wants to he healed and look normal again. Even then, it will take a great deal of energy to realign all that tissue damage. It is a much bigger task than I had done with Director Thornton's father."

"And we really need to stick together on this one. It looks as if we might be in for some fighting. Panam, as Han does not know what might happen tomorrow I want you ready with everything you have," Racewater added.

We discussed some more strategies and safeguards and then Racewater ordered all to bed.

#

#  *** Chapter Eleven ***

My sleep was invaded by dreams of caverns covered in strange markings. Dancing and chanting people filled these caverns. They were inviting me to join them.

By the time Racewater woke us, I was feeling more exhausted than before going to sleep.

"You did not rest, did you?" Racewater asked me.

"No. I kept on having the weirdest dreams."

"Did you get any specifics?" he wanted to know.

"No, it was vague, filled with things I feel I should know."

"That is weird," Panam chipped in.

We had no further opportunity to discuss my dreams. The guard knocked and Racewater opened up.

"I am to take you to the Chief. Come, follow me."

We were in a labyrinth of passages, steadily working our way to the middle of the complex.

We eventually emerged at a central transport system. I took a quick peek over the edge. Up and down went on for what looked like forever. The whole shaft was lighted with a bluish tint.

A cage came to a stop and opened up. We stepped onto a mesh floor from where we could see almost all the way down.

Suddenly it felt as if the ground did drop out from under us!

My stomach threatened to pop out my mouth. Racewater kept his usual unconcerned calm. Panam looked as if he was going to be sick.

The guard smiled. "It takes some time getting used to."

"Why is the elevator not solid?" Panam gasped at the guard.

"Security reasons. This way everyone can see if someone does not belong here."

Good point.

We kept on going down for a really long time and I stopped counting floors when I reached approximately twenty.

I was just getting used to the idea of falling when we came to a sudden, bone-jarring stop. The doors opened and Panam and I stepped out on unsure legs.

Racewater kept on moving and we had to hurry to keep up. The guard was already on his way back up.

"At last. I expected you ten minutes ago," Hamish complained. There were two more guards with him. Racewater followed behind Hamish and the guards brought up the rear.

We all entered another cage at the end of the passage. Cool air was blowing from an air-conditioner unit. It was actually cold.

The Elevator did not have a light and we went down in darkness.

It was even scarier not being able to see. Small lights lining the walls threw some light from time to time, just enough to make us aware that we were now faced on all four sides with bare rock. This was a new shaft.

We stopped, dust settling on us.

Hamish threw a switch and most of the cavern was thrown into the glare of spotlights.

It was of gigantic proportions. The roof could barely be seen in the glare. The cave made a natural theatre.

We were at the top end. It sloped down gradually to a slab of rock which could have been used as a platform or stage. Heaps of dust lay everywhere. There were definite open passages between these mounds.

Hamish walked over to one of the heaps of dust and carefully moved it with his foot. A dried-out face of a mummy became visible.

"All these little heaps represent mummified remains of people. Even the clothes are still discernable. Unfortunately, the few mummies we tried to move crumbled to dust. The Government people did not find any known viruses floating around, so it should not be dangerous to us.

Still, for so many people to have died all at once, whatever happened, must have been of catastrophic proportions.

That is why you are here. The investors want to know what happened. My bosses are taking a tremendous loss because of lost time. So I am advising you. Whatever you have to do, needs to be done quickly."

Racewater nodded. Turning to me he asked "When you are ready?"

I nodded back in silence.

My heart was racing with excitement and apprehension. This place was ancient and a memory was trying to surface. It was stuck somehow, but I knew it would come.

Ignoring everyone's stares I started walking through the crowd of mummies.

I found a path running along the back of the cavern.

I have been here before.

Firelight was dancing off the walls.

People were milling around.

Those nearest me were reaching out to touch me, but every time stopped short of the actual deed.

I looked back at Racewater.

They were still standing in the bright glare of the spotlight.

They were still watching me.

At the same time I could see more torches, held by white-robed priests. They were also standing where Racewater was standing, sharing almost the same space.

I was experiencing an overlapping vision.

One part of me saw the exact current time, yet at the same time some other part of me was experiencing what had happened here eons ago.

Continuing, I started to walk through the crowd.

They were calling my name.

I knew it was my name.

I knew they were revering me.

I smiled at my people, extending my arms to acknowledge their gestures. They moved back to open more space around me.

I turned into a passage left open between the people. It would take me all the way to the raised platform.

The people were chanting now. I knew I was supposed to know this language.

*Request a download.*

Sensaii's voice was a long way off. It was barely audible against the noise of the chanting inside my head.

Noise became words.

They were singing the praises of their warrior that would go forth and plead for their childrens' lives before the Galactic Council.

It was a song of survival and love and passion for life. It was a song of regret and the pleading for forgiveness.

I came to the raised platform.

In actual time, it was a slab of rock, covered in dust with huge blocks of rock strewn on the top.

I turned back to the people. They were all kneeling. The singing and chanting came to an end. They were no longer looking at me.

I could still see Racewater's group watching me. It seemed unimportant, yet my brain recognized it.

I turned to a man in a white tunic. He was waiting on the platform. An upside down horseshoe shape formed the back of the stage.

The man spoke to me. "We only have one chance to open this portal before total collapse. You must make it to the Planetary portal. Only then will we be able to save our children. All these people are sacrificing their life-energy to open this portal for you, our only hope."

He took my hand in his. Even now, in this vision, my psychic senses took over.

I saw the surface of the planet covered in green growth. Children of all ages and some adults were waiting on the surface, praying silently that their parents would not give their lives for nothing. If they lived through the next seven days, they would know that their parents were successful. If not, it would not matter anyway.

The man turned towards the people. I stepped up to the now non-existent portal.

I could feel the electricity of thousands of people draining their life-energy to open the portal for me. They channelled their energy to the man on the stage. He was starting to glow, taking in all their energy.

I waited expectantly.

He touched the portal.

It started to form the sticky substance I had encountered before.

I knew the people were dying. I could feel their spirits leave.

The portal was ready to enter.

I looked back at the priest one more time and stepped through. . .

And off the other end of the stage.

My body did not have far to fall.

I knew I had relived one of my lives.

Suppressed memories were flooding back.

I could hear running.

I placed my back against the granite of the stage. Encircling my legs, I buried my head in the gap between my chest and thighs and wept.

This was a holy place.

The desert people were my descendants too. They were trying to protect this place. Creata's history was intertwined with this cavern system.

Racewater, Panam and Hamish came to a stop in front of me. Hamish tried to say something, but Panam hushed him.

"He is still busy," Racewater whispered. "Let him be until he returns by himself."

They backed off a bit, but I could feel all eyes expectantly on me.

I made my decision.

I stood up, keeping my face blank and my eyes unfocussed, hoping that Racewater would not see through the deception.

I addressed them in the language of the vision.

It really created consternation amongst them.

I walked up to Racewater, touching his arm I pointed in the direction from which they just came.

Again I requested him to follow me. Again using the old language.

He nodded. I started walking.

"What is going on?" Hamish whispered at him.

"He is still in a vision. He seems to want us to follow. Come." Racewater started after me. Panam and Hamish followed. Hamish indicated to the guards to stay put.

I took them to the back of the cavern. There were several entrances here which led to further chambers and I was sure one would lead directly to the fuel-fields.

The entrance I was heading for was still sealed. I read the markings, which were no longer strange to me, before placing my hand on the entry panel, letting a small bit of my life-energy drain into it, hoping the door would respond after all these years.

I have never heard such a joyous sound as the grating of that door. It opened up without difficulty, as if it had closed only yesterday. I marvelled at the science, now lost to this Planet and its people.

It was dark in the passage.

Memory – Light!

I wondered if the crystal would still respond to the order to make light. If it was built as good as the door, it should.

"Neono!" I ordered.

Wonder above wonder, the blue haze flicked and sputtered and then blinked on. One panel after another.

I was smiling from ear to ear. I could not help myself any longer.

This was once my home. I guess that after never having had a home as a child in this current lifetime, this still was my home after all the years in between.

My home.

Ancient memories surfaced. Memories of loved ones. Loved ones left behind in order to save them.

I walked to the travel capsules or elevators as they are now called.

After pressing in the code from so long ago, the capsule did not respond and was deactivated.

I hit the door in frustration, then turned around, walking back the way I came, passing a slightly flabbergasted Racewater. Panam had concern written all over his face. Hamish wore one of awe.

I found the back-up system. Punched in the code.

Again nothing.

This was bull!

There was a way in, so there must be a way out again.

Think!

Remember!

Ah! Yes, the hidden stairwells.

I started knocking on all the panels, listening for the distinct hollow sound.

I found it almost all the way back to the start, at the beginning of the tunnel.

Putting my shoulder to the panel, I broke the fragile crystal into millions of shards, cutting my hand in the process.

I had the common sense not to touch my own blood and allowed it to drip.

The next assault made the base material shatter. It was not built to withstand so much shock after thousands of years.

I came out onto a landing. Aluminium stairs ran up and down in a long vertical shaft.

There were no lights here, only torches. I took one and put the flint next to it into action. It took like tinder.

I did not wait for the others but started up the stairs, two at a time.

"Wait!"

It was Racewater's anxious voice.

I ignored it.

"Han, Wait!"

It was an order.

I stopped. I did not dare turn around.

Another flick and another burning torch started coming up the stairs.

"Please," Racewater's voice was soothing now, "please Han. If we lose you now, we will spend an eternity looking for you and might never find you again."

I did not answer but started up the stairs again.

We passed three more landings before we came to the one I was looking for. It had a sign on it that read Sub-Level 44. To the others it would just be a bunch of scribbles.

The door was bolted from my side. I opened it and asked for the lights in the corridor, which also responded promptly. I doused the torch and replaced it carefully in the rack holding other torches.

Racewater was right behind me. Panam came up behind Hamish, who also followed my lead and put away his torch too. I proceeded down the corridor.

This was where I used to live with my family.

I wanted to see and feel my home one more time. I was here, and this would be the only opportunity I would ever have again.

I remembered the route to take as if it was yesterday. The other people kept close to me.

I stopped in front of my door.

Would it respond to my new body?

The life-essence is supposed to stay the same.

"Where are we?" Panam asked without thinking, making Racewater jump and almost give him a slap.

"Home," I answered in their language.

Somehow, I was still part of the past, not the time where the other three individuals resided.

For me, time, at this moment, was turned around.

Sensaii was trying to warn me that I am going too far. That what I was doing was dangerous.

Right now it did not matter. He was no longer my concern. Only my family was.

I released some life-energy into the locking mechanism.

I was right. The life-essence stayed the same, no matter what body you occupied.

The door opened and I walked back into my life . . .

My beautiful wife had her finest on. A gilded flowing dress, revealing graceful arms and shoulders, placing emphasis on her slender neck. Her golden hair was fastened on top of her head, one lock hanging down the side. Her strange hazel eyes bored into mine.

I stopped just inside the door.

Her eyes were accusing me. Accusing me of leaving her and the children to fend for themselves in the wild world on the surface.

These were the memories I had locked away. Now I had opened them up and was having a total emotional flow-back.

I should have listened to Sensaii.

It was too late now.

My children were already up on the surface. No-one would ever again come here. All this luxury would eventually be forgotten.

"Why did you volunteer?" my wife was asking me.

Once again I gave her the same answer "That is what I was born to do."

Judging from the stares I was receiving from my companions in the exact present time, I must have spoken out loud. I was just not entirely sure in which language I had answered her.

"Take the crystal. It will protect you on your journey," she continued, holding a protection crystal out to me.

The first time I declined it. It was still lying on the marble table in the middle of the floor.

I stepped up to it and took it into my hands. It started images I did not want to have right now.

Pushing it down into the pocket of my pants, I left, continuing to walk fast to the other landing at the end of the passage. I did not wait for anyone anymore. They will just have to keep up.

I wanted to get out, do what I needed to do and retire to be by myself. To grieve by myself - once more.

I heard the others hasten after me. Someone closed the door behind them. The typical 'whoosh' of the seal told me it locked securely. No-one would disturb my old home's peace.

From this landing I led them into another stairwell. We proceeded down another four flights.

Using the torches as before, I found the door that led to the fuel reservoirs. We almost never used fuel, as the clean, inexpensive crystal energy was freely used in my time.

I smiled at myself.

My time.

I was still very much within my own vision.

I placed the burning torch in a niche specially cut for this reason. No fire was allowed into the reservoirs. The door was unlocked and I entered, indicating with a hand for the others to wait for further orders.

I fumbled around in the dark until I reached the manual switch that was used here. Flipping the switch, the whole area was washed in brightness.

Hamish doused the torches before entering.

We were standing on a landing at the top of the reservoirs. A guard rail ran the circumference of the cavern, preventing people from accidentally falling into them.

This was the hoard that Hamish and his men were digging for.

They may have it, as long as they avoid the sacred ground. I turned to him, switching back to present time and our shared language.

"These are the reservoirs. They are filled with fuel. The office would have the exact figures in storage, but it is at the bottom level and the elevators are out. I am not going to walk twenty floors down to get that for you."

I was suddenly feeling tired.

"Where do we get out?" Panam asked, always the practical one.

"There are doors on the surface leading here. We never used them, as the quantities of fuel needed from the reservoirs were so little. I will take you there," I told them.

Hamish was still in shock. "This beats drilling any day. Where exactly is this surface entrance?"

I was already on my way to the other side of the cavern and did not bother to answer him.

They followed.

I found the stairwell I was looking for and lit another torch. Handing it to Racewater I flipped the switch behind us, hiding the cavern in darkness. I made sure the door was locked and proceded up the stairs.

Another few flights later, we reached the loading bay.

Hamish and his team would just have to figure a way out to get the cargo lifts working again.

The huge double doors were still sealed. It had been made to admit cargo aircraft. I headed across the empty floor to the side of the doors. There should be smaller entrance doors at the side.

I found one on the left-hand side, hidden behind some storage containers.

After moving these out of the way, I inspected the locking mechanism. It was another energy lock.

Only authorized personnel used to be allowed here. I was confident that I used to have this authorization, so placed my hand over the lock and released some of my life-essence.

We all waited in expectation.

Nothing happened.

I tried again, releasing a bit more energy.

Still nothing.

I backed off from the door.

There should be writing indicating what type of lock this was.

Signage in red presented over the top. These doors could only be opened through DNA identification.

Now that opened memories I really did not want to remember. The darker side of our times. I sat down heavily, holding my head in my hands, as if this could make the sudden, invasive flashes of memory more bearable.

"Han, we need you to get us out of here," Panam's voice reached me from far away.

I pulled myself together, shaking my head to clear it.

DNA markers were still swimming around in it.

Could it be that this body I now occupied still had some of the same markers of my previous body?

Highly unlikely.

A memory hit my mind like the crack of lightning.

I involuntarily ducked down at the force of it. Panam helped steady me.

I have always been born from Source Energy. Always!

In all my physical lives, I have not once known a father. NOT ONCE!

I pushed Panam gently away from me and parked myself in front of Racewater, holding out my hand to him.

"Knife please," I requested.

He handed me his pocket knife without a word.

Opening it on the way back to the door, I noticed that everyone was closely following my every move.

Holding my hand over the key, I cut my thumb, letting the blood drip into it.

A holographic screen appeared, showing the markers of my blood.

I cleaned the knife on my sleeve, closed it and handed it back to Racewater.

The screen was sifting through hundreds of possibilities. Panam placed a plaster around my thumb to stop the bleeding.

The screen beeped, showing two sets of markers matching my blood exactly!

We all stared at the screen. This was supposed to be a physical impossibility. This was not natural.

The sound of the door unlocking brought our attention back to the immediate crises of getting out of this maze.

We hurried to the door, making our escape. As we started down the tunnel towards a light somewhere at the front, we heard the door close and locking behind us.

The DNA match was something both Racewater and Panam were going to want answers to.

And me too.

#

#  *** Chapter Twelve ***

We carefully walked to the origin of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hearing voices, we looked at Hamish.

"Desert people," he warned. "We must be silent and careful. They will show us no mercy if they find us here."

The tunnel led us to a wide cavern. Glow-globes were everywhere, lighting the whole place. It was obviously lived in by many people from the beginning of time, resembling a town.

As far as the eye could see, the cavern walls were covered with what looked like separate cave entrances. Ladders led up to these and people were clambering up and down, just getting on with their business.

Our position was precarious. Between us and the entrance to the cave was a whole colony of wild Desert People.

Our position looked hopeless. We backed up into the tunnel.

"There is no way we will pass through there unnoticed. Any suggestions?" Hamish whispered, glaring at me, the person responsible for plunging us into this mess.

Fate chose for us.

A small catlike animal was entering the cave inquisitively. It came up to us with gleaming fluorescent green eyes. Sniffing the air, it opened its mouth and uttered a scream that ripped through our bodies, and through my psychic senses, leaving me dazed and disoriented.

People stormed into the cave. My colleagues raised their hands in surrender.

I pushed the hands away that were shoving at me.

I caught Panam's eye for a second. He was scared out of his wits.

Someone was going through my pockets, taking my crystal.

I tried getting it back.

A fist made contact with my stomach.

All the air went out of me.

As the bile slipped up my throat, I swallowed hard, struggling to breathe.

*Take small gasps. Talk to them.*

Sensaii was welcome in my head.

I did as he advised, starting to get some physical control back. I was not making it easy for the people dragging me after my friends.

We were manhandled to an open area in the middle of the indoor cave-city. People were shouting to each other. Orders were given. I did not understand.

We were held in a line. Someone was coming from the other side of the cavern. It looked like a leader of some sort.

He stopped in front of Hamish and asked a question. Hamish shook his head in the negative. They did not understand each other.

Our belongings were placed in front of this man on the ground. He took Hamish's firearm and placed it in his belt, pocketing the extra clips. He also pocketed Racewater's knife and pen.

He looked at Hamish's security card and laughed. He knew who he had here. He shouted something at the watching crowd.

A cheer went up.

He asked Hamish the same question as previous. Again Hamish indicated that he did not understand.

The leader looked at the other articles on the ground. Panam's empty syringe, still sealed. Two needles, still sealed. A few plasters. A small roll of cotton-wool and bandages. Some antiseptic. Some ampoules of drugs I might need and a bottle of bitter-herbs.

He asked a question. A man pointed at Panam.

He asked Panam a question. Panam answered that he did not understand the language.

The man ignored the pieces of paper and Racewater's notebook. He picked up my crystal.

I struggled against the two men holding me.

I warned him in the ancient language. "Leave it. It does not serve you."

Everyone that heard me went quiet.

The leader stared at me. He quietly asked a question to someone in the crowd behind him.

He placed the crystal in the centre of his open palm.

I needed to understand what they said and asked silently for an instant download. I closed my eyes for a second, searching desperately for this language. I felt the slight drifting sensation and then one of saturation. It was done.

By the time I opened my eyes, comprehension was there. I was in time to catch the guarded answer from the person in the crowd.

"It may be that he is the one we have always been waiting for. The legends did say he would be the one to hold the keys to the old structures. Did they not come from out the tunnel leading there? Were you able to open the doors?"

The leader looked at one of the men. "Well, did you try to open the doors?"

"They could not be opened, sir."

The leader turned to me. He was looking at the oblong, one-inch crystal on his palm.

"It is said that these crystals cast a glow when the owner embraces them. It apparently lights up the whole hand."

He was speaking loud enough so that the people in the vicinity could also hear. He held the crystal in the air for all to see. "Let this be a test of ownership then."

Agreement came from every mouth that could hear him speak.

He held the crystal out to me. "Release him."

The men released me. I pulled myself to my full height, trying to look as regal as I thought I was supposed to. I stepped forward to the leader, carefully taking the crystal from his hand.

I brought it to my chest, cradling it in both hands, feeling the heat starting from the scar on my chest, working down my arms to my hands. I closed my eyes and felt the images rising to the surface.

I was not ready for this. I wanted to do this in private, not in front of a whole crowd of people. I knew that every scene I was about to see, would be relayed in hologram format by the crystal. Racewater, Panam and Hamish would also see this.

I tried to keep emotion out of it. It did not quite work out so well . .

My beautiful wife rushed after me with my crystal, recording all the way.

I was a spitting image of my current body, right down to the shoulder length hair.

She followed me to the portal hall.

I saw myself repeating the scene I had lived through just hours ago.

I saw people falling everywhere.

I saw myself stepping through the portal.

My wife backed up to the entrance. The priests were not happy that she had the recording crystal there. They ordered her away from the hall.

She aimed the crystal back at the hall. Everyone was lying on the ground. Not one person remained standing. The priest lay still on the platform. The portal started to crumble and fall. This was a sacrifice for survival, of love.

The crystal was placed on the table. My wife's beautiful face was presented. She left a message for me. One of eternal love . . .

The recording ended.

The glow dissipated around my hands.

My chest burnt.

I really did not want to open my eyes and face this world.

I was torn and bleeding inside. Tears escaped from under my eyelids and rolled down my cheeks.

I could hear sobbing in the crowd.

I did not think they would kill us any longer. I replaced the crystal in my pocket.

The leader cleared his throat.

Someone touched my shoulder.

I looked around.

Panam indicated that my attention was needed. I turned back to the leader.

"What is the name they call you by?" he was talking flawlessly in the ancient language.

"Han," I answered.

"A Favour from God!" Another murmur went up from the crowd. The leader stepped back, again listening into the crowd.

"Find out what he is doing here."

I was intrigued now and quickly pinpointed the old man, hiding behind some men. This was a high ranking person, if not the real leader of this Clan.

"We need to request the reason for your appearance in this unorthodox way?" the current leader requested.

Careful with this answer.

*Trust yourself. The answer is ready on your lips.* Sensaii again.

I allowed the words to flow out of my mouth in the ancient language.

"It is time for all my children to return to their rightful homes. The only price we once again have to pay, is the black fuel, stored inside our ancient palace. And peace with all the peoples of this Planet.

I cannot stay long. There is much work for me to do. I came here for the other keys." I took a step forward, pointing to the old man in the crowd. "And you have it."

The ball was in their court. They were stunned.

A small signal from the leader and dozens of firearms were trained on us. "Keep them here."

He followed the old man through the crowd towards one of the cave entrances. They disappeared inside.

I sat down. My colleagues followed. Facing inwards, we made a tiny circle.

"Just what the hell happened?" Racewater demanded in a barely audible whisper. "It was you in that recording. You!"

"I know. Is that not weird?" I tried to look mystified too.

"Cut the crap!" Hamish interrupted a bit louder than a whisper. "You know more than we do and you speak a language their leader understands."

"I am working to save our necks here. . . and get you your fuel without having to fight for it all the time. So be quiet before they shut us up."

"How do you know the language?" Hamish insisted.

"Be quiet! They are coming back," Racewater cautioned.

They were indeed returning this way. They stopped briefly before another entrance. The leader nodded to one of the men near us. "Come," the guard beckoned to me.

"Stay right here. Be quiet and do not move," I whispered before getting up.

The guard escorted me to the entrance where the two leaders were now standing. They went into this cave. The guard motioned me to follow, taking a stance in front of the entrance.

It was dark inside. I heard the shaking of a glow-globe and a soft golden light washed over everything. We were in a miniature cave cut from rock. Clumps of rock were left to serve as chairs and tables. The 'chairs' were covered with rough material and equally dull cushions.

The old man had a box in his hands which he placed on the table.

It looked familiar.

The leader beckoned me nearer.

I stopped in front of the table, inches from the box.

It was made of a substance not from this Planet, that much I could see. It was sealed on all sides with an engraving on the side facing the top.

I took a closer look. It was the same seal I had on my chest. I could feel the scar starting to burn again.

All these things were somehow connected to my ultimate goal.

I took a step back. The burning subsided.

I took a deep breath.

"It is yours if you can open it," the old man said.

I noticed he was talking in the regular Clan language. So he already figured out I can understand it too.

I knew I was in for a wild ride the moment my scar started burning. I had figured out by now that all these things had to do with unlocking the physical portal, wherever it might be.

I stepped back up to the box. Looking from the old man to the leader, I closed my eyes and pressed my left hand onto the box, making sure I covered as much area as possible.

It felt as if my arm was going to be ripped out of my socket.

It took all my physical energy to keep holding onto the box.

I was forced to my knees.

I felt myself grinding my teeth.

There was a sudden release of white-hot energy from the box to my chest. . .

I was floating in thick, black fuel. A beautiful golden-haired woman was standing at my shoulder, looking down at me.

She was holding onto my torso, preventing me from drifting away.

The woman looked familiar. I could not place her at first. Then the memory surfaced.

It was my lovely Illia.

"Am I dead?" I asked her.

"No, far from it," she smiled.

I tried to move.

"No, just lie still with me for a little while. I have waited for you for such a long time, but you only returned now. After this, I can go in peace and live my own life again."

"Why am I in this space?"

"Your body needs the chance to integrate the second key. You are the keybearer. You must collect all the keys in order to unlock the portal."

I gave myself some time to let that sink in.

"Am I to take all the keys into my body?"

"No. Some will be carried by people like yourself. You must find all the keys and bearers. That is your first task."

I groaned inwardly.

"So what is the second task?"

"I am only to lay the first task on you. I am not knowledgeable regarding the others."

"So how many other keys and bearers are there?"

"This knowledge was locked within the box."

"And the box is now part of me," I finished for her.

Wonderful.

How do I open a locked box within myself?

Illia was talking to me again. She touched my face with her gentle fingers.

I smiled.

"You must wake up from this place now Han. It is time for you to go. Wake up Han. Wake up." She faded. I did not want to let her go . . .

"Wake up Han. Wake up."

It was Panam.

I groaned.

All three were squatting around me.

Hamish looked flustered.

Racewater and Panam looked relieved.

While struggling up into a sitting position, I glimpsed the old man and the leader in the background.

Panam was placing an empty syringe back in his pocket.

So they had to bring me back. I will be weak for days again.

I looked at the table. The box was gone.

I felt my chest. It was sore and the scar was swollen. It had not been a vision.

"Well, help a man up please," I asked a surprised Racewater who promptly helped me to my feet.

"Hamish. This is one of the leaders you need to speak to regarding permission to get to their fuel," I introduced the two opposing parties. "I would suggest you find someone that can speak the language and start negotiating.

All these fuel deposits belong to them, so I guess your company is in for a huge law-suit that will stretch back many decades."

Hamish was not impressed, but knew that I was stating a simple fact.

I turned my attention to the old man and the leader. Changing to their language I asked, "I have no recollection of what happened after I touched the box. Would you please inform me of this."

They looked at each other. The old man sighed and took a seat. He indicated to me to do the same. I did not mind, my legs feeling like rubber anyway.

He continued in the old language. "You placed your left hand over the seal of the box. The next thing we saw was that you were standing on your knees. The box was dissolving, spilling over your hand and rushing up your arm to your chest.

There the energy passed into your body with such a bright light that it shone through your clothes and lit up your face. You were thrown onto your back.

Ka-Desh felt your life-throb. There was none. He called for your medicine man who administered the medicine with the needle. He massaged your chest too.

When he opened your shirt, we all saw the mark of the Portal. It was still glowing.

Whatever your medicine man gave you worked. Your friends were very relieved to have you back.

They have lots of love for you.

That man you call Hamish. He is the one we need to speak to. I do not understand all you said to him. My outsider language skills are poor, but Ka-Desh can read and speak it well. He will arrange for your return to your base-camp. I have the assurance that the Holy Place would not be disturbed further?"

"I give you my word."

"One more thing before you return to the world where you must go. We need you to show us how to unlock the entrance to the ancient palace."

"It is not as easy as it seems. Do you have ones with special mind-gifts?"

"Yes, we have a girl. She is descendent from your line. She has the mind-gift. I will let her come here.

Bring Kyira," he ordered.

A man at the entrance departed to go find her.

"How must we handle this new period in our lives?" the leader asked.

We spent another half an hour discussing how they should proceed to integrate the current with the ancient.

My team lounged around, bored with not being able to follow the conversation. Panam came up twice to take my vitals. I could not blame him and allowed him to do so. He was concerned for me.

Eventually the arrival of the girl was announced. I stood up and turned to the door when I heard a lighter tread.

There was no doubt that she was one of my descendents. She was the spitting image of my wife. She was about my age, and could definitely not be called a girl any more.

I swallowed hard as I wondered if a direct download would work with her. What training did she have?

*I can read thoughts?* It was a request for me to open the link. I did.

*Can you read mine now?* I thought about how the pilot and I exchanged information.

*Yes. We can do that. When?*

*Right now? I do not have a lot of time. I need to get back to my own space to rest.*

*Let us then make ourselves comfortable.* She looked around for a space to sit. The cave was becoming crowded.

*Take my seat. I will settle on the floor,* I offered.

She smiled up at me. She was shorter than Illia used to be.

*No. You sit and I will settle on the floor,* she countered.

*You are letting me feel old.*

*You are old.*

*Thanks for the reminder.*

It was meant to be sarcastic.

She giggled while settling on the floor in front of my chair. Everyone stared at her. She did not seem to notice.

Settling down, I fought to get my mind and emotions under control, taking the few seconds I needed to bring all the information regarding the underground facility to the front of my memory.

I needed to download all the information as quickly as possible to her, without giving unwanted information through. She only needed to know about the facility and how it worked.

Standing amazed at the volumes of information suddenly retrieved, I knew I would have go through it at a later stage, having to deal with too much lately.

I desperately needed time out, but all this would take me weeks of Creata time to sort through.

Rather let her sort through it herself.

It was going to take time from both sides to learn to co-operate in any case, time enough to get things running like they should have run a long time ago.

Holding out my hands, she placed hers in mine.

I enfolded them softly.

She opened her mind to me.

I did not pry into her private life, starting the download immediately. Her eyes bore into mine, intense concentration on her lovely face.

I had to remind the emotional part of myself that this was a professional download.

I scanned softly along the link. I could not find any emotions being downloaded to her.

Good. I was getting better at this.

It was done.

We broke the connection at the same moment.

It was a clean cut. We could not have done better.

We were exhausted.

Panam was at my side in a flash, checking my vitals, then my eyes. I knew my body was not responding as it should.

"We need to get him to the base as quick as possible. He is in bad shape," he told Racewater.

I could almost laugh at that observation, if I just was not so tired.

My eyes kept on drooping and my mind was sluggish. I knew I had once again done too much, too soon.

I was sure I was hearing the buzz of a vehicle.

Supported between Racewater and Hamish, I was taken out of the house cave into the cavern.

My hearing did not mislead me. One of Hamish's own vehicles was waiting for us. I could feel his anger at the sight of one of his hijacked vehicles.

The Clans-people laughed at his anger. I smiled at their rude remarks aimed at him as we entered the vehicle. It was not going to be an easy task to integrate these two Clans.

I was glad it was not my job.

I allowed myself to fall into slumber as they dragged me into the vehicle.

#  *** Chapter Thirteen ***

My body was cold.

I felt for the blanket.

It was at my feet.

I pulled it right over me, sighing as the heat from my breath warmed my hands and face. I took a huge gulp of hot air, releasing it back over my cold hands.

Only my left hand was cold. I could not figure out why I could not close my right hand. I pulled the blanket off my head to have a look at it.

It was bandaged. My left thumb had a new plaster on it too.

For a moment I could not figure out where I was.

I lay back, thinking desperately while staring at the strange ceiling.

As my functions started to kick in, I became aware that I was not alone in the room. I turned my head slightly and could see the end of my bed.

Panam was watching me with amusement. I could see he was glad to have me back. He was also amused by my obvious confusion.

I felt ashamed for a split second and then forgave myself. I had the fullest right to be confused by all that had happened the last twenty-four hours, or was it more?

I sat bolt upright.

Wrong move!

My head spun so badly that I had to lie down again.

"Give yourself some time to get back here. I gave you a double knock-out when we returned. The effects should be worked out in a few hours. Just take it easy for a while and you will be as good as new."

It took some time to absorb the information. I still had tunnel-hearing.

Rest?

Double knock-out?

So I have been out for at least 24 hours.

I lay quietly on the bed.

*What is happening out there?*

No response from Panam.

*Use your voice.*

*That might help, thank you Sensaii.*

Fuzzy brain. I hated those drugs.

"What is happening out there?" It was more a croak than a voice. Panam brought a glass of water over. He helped me take a sip while answering.

"It is actually progressing quite well. The Desert people's driver turned out to be an excellent interpreter. He is helping with negotiations regarding land and fuel rights.

As far as I know, the Desert people do not want any compensation for fuel taken off their land, thus far. They are only going to charge for fuel taken from the storage facility. They also agreed on peace to live their lives in a better way, of course."

"And the sacred place and internal dwellings? Were they able to open it?"

"Yes. Whatever information you gave that girl had spectacular end-results. They have opened it up and almost everything is already working. There is a lot of technology there that the rest of the Planet can also use.

That girl must have received economics from you too. She is already negotiating to have everything lawfully patented to the Clan. All profits are to go to them."

I smiled. "Good."

Panam took something out of his pocket. "Give me your hand."

I presented my unbandaged hand, palm up.

He placed my crystal, now attached to a golden chain, on my palm. I closed my hand around it. It did not give off any glow. Its holographic recording was already spent.

"To keep your family near your heart." He turned and went out the door.

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#  Author Support

Thank you for purchasing this Chronicles of Han Book. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Please take a moment to read this note in order to support Independent Authors.

In the massive publishing industry, most Independent Authors need your assistance to allow like-minded readers to find our books.

What is the best method of supporting Independent Authors who do not sell through Commercial sites?

1. Word-of-mouth: Tell someone else about their books. If someone borrows the book, ask them to please leave a rating or review on one of the Author's Social Media sites as energy exchange.

2. Support the Author's Social Media sites. Like them on Facebook and/or follow them on their other Social Media sites. The more people who acknowledge visiting their sites, the more exposure they receive. Social Media sites are usually listed on their websites.

3. Leave a rating or review on Goodreads.com and/or mark their books as 'to read'. This allows more people to view their books.

4. Send them an email with your review or a thank you note. This means a lot and will be published on their websites or social media sites. You will also be added to their mailing list and will be notified when the next book is available.

Kindest Regards

Han

www.chroniclesofhan.com

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#  About H Gibson

Author of The Chronicles of Han Storm

In 2004 the Author of Chronicles of Han Storm sustained third degree burns to 35% of her body including her face and both hands. She twice went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by the emergency personnel. It took quite a while for her to regain functionality, with healing, physiotherapy and two small children to contend with.

In 2008, after the scarring finally started to heal with the products her husband had developed for her, he gave her a laptop, encouraging her to stop saying that she would one day like to write a book and actually do it.

One book quickly became a Trilogy with all books over 600 A5 pages of reading excitement.

Author www.chroniclesofhan.com

Originator of Rejuvinit Beauty www.rejuvinit.com

H Gibson's Books are listed on  Goodreads

