 
The Earthers eventual find a suitable planet called Giliesa to build Quad-City from the surviving citidomes. In a short time, they discover that Giliesa has a Benty garrison occupying its picturesque mountains.

Zoey has an unexpected hair-raising adventure in Giliesa's dense jungle that ultimately leads to the discovery of an Enac super weapon and new allies to help them fight the Benty.

Finally, the Earthers confront the Benty for their survival and all the suspense that goes with it in the Battle for Giliesa.
Battle for Giliesa

By Lawrence Sky

Smashwords Edition

Companion Book Series

Copyright 2015 Lawrence Sky

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this eBook.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

All images in this eBook were Free to use, Share or Modify, and Commercially Usable.

Smashwords Edition License Notes. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

I would like to acknowledge my cousin Ronald as an enormous inspiration to me in finishing my sixth eBook

Milky Way Galaxy (Panoramic view) – Photo by en.wikipedia.org
CHAPTER 1

My Name is Marten

Secret door – Photo by en.wikipedia.org

When a mysterious door opened six months ago on Cefon5, the young earthers cautiously climbed down a steep, spiraling granite staircase into the bowels of an ancient mountain. No one said a word as they traveled downward into an unknown alien world. Fear rose among them as they continued in silence, most had throats to dry to utter a word. The dirt walls soon turned into a white sheet rock with embedded handholds. Zoey led the way down for 30 minutes more. Finally, she halted the procession and sat down on the hard granite stairs. The others followed suit without comments. Up until now, they had been submerged into semi-darkness. ight began to trickle up while looking down over the edge. It was silent with only heavy breathing piercing through the darkness.

Someone close behind Zoey thought they heard a door open and panicked. She grabbed the person in front of her by the neck pushing them into the next person starting a chain reaction. As a result, Zoey was almost pushed over the edge. She caught herself in time and sighed deeply looking up behind her. She stood up without saying a word and started the long journey down again.

It was another hour before the earthers noticed that it was getting warmer with more light flooding the area. Finally, sounds of life started to bubble up. Everyone was excited and afraid at the same time. They were all wondering whose life they were eavesdropping on.

"Welcome visitors don't be afraid, we have been expecting you." Everyone froze in their tracks. Petrified, they could only turn their heads to look at one another in panic.

"Relax, it's all right. We understand your fears. You made it just in time. The Benty has sent a squadron of attack ships to capture you. Zoey has served you well; you should be grateful for her leadership," said a strong male voice coming from nowhere and everywhere.

"Travel another 40 minutes and you will come to a door. Open it and meet us. We are the Veronans from Verona, which is now a dead planet. We continued our civilization on its moon, Cefon-5. We are mostly scientists with our families who narrowly escaped Verona, so please forgive our melodramatic behavior in the cave. We have not met sentient beings for a long time. I mean civilized beings. We just wanted to know more about you. My name is Marten."
CHAPTER 2

We Will Always Be Friends

Battle weary companions rigged a makeshift force field around citidome three keeping it intact and re-routing its life support systems to keep it from venting out more gasses. They had no real defense capabilities against such a massive attack and the companions though formidable could only do so much to defend against coordinated attacks designed to board or destroy a citidome from numerous directions.

Citidome-1 was now in charge of what was left of the convoy to navigate them through the wormhole. The battered convoy arrived at planet Giliesa a few months later as they moved in the shadow of its star much larger and dimmer than Earth's sun about 120 light-years away from Earth's solar system.

Giliesa's Red Dwarf Sun – commons.wikimedia.org

The planet was in what scientists referred to as the habitable zone of its star (roughly 93 million miles away). A large ocean circulated heat around the planet, which possessed bizarre uncontrollable jungle with weird looking animals that roamed the countryside.

Giliesa was a moonless planet heavier than Earth and, in some places, just as mountainous with a landmass one and a half times the size of Earth's. Giliesa's Earth-like gravity was governed by its mass as it sailed around its sun with 14-hour days and nights.

With the Benty still pursuing them, this world would have to make do at least for the time being. The planet's overall appearance looked like one of Earth's time periods when it had one supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras roughly 300 million years ago called Pangaea.

But despite Giliesa's surface for landing they had lost one citidome with its inhabitants. Citidome-3 was badly damaged leaving three intact citidomes to shoulder the responsibility for defending their convoy until they could rebuild the fourth. The 100 thousand companions assigned to the convoy were now reduced to 80 thousand after heavy fighting with the Benty fleet, something they were not equipped to handle. With upgrading, their lasers were just not designed for destroying heavily armored spaceships.

The convoy decided to land on the eastern side of the continent, close to the ocean. They continued orbiting for several more days in a geosynchronous orbit collecting data on the planet's habitability until plans were finalized for a suitable landing site. They found an area with a valley and a river running through the center of the landscape down to the ocean. It was covered with jungle foliage resting at the foot of a large mountain with a beach on the other side. From high above, they studied a meandering river flowing through the valley floor, tame and gentle with high banks periodically straddling its sides. It was a perfect landing site for the settlement, so the order was given to land; doing so in a cloud of loose soil and tons of organic debris. Each citidome dug into the soil like huge drilling rigs planting firm foundation columns deep into the ground to anchor its platform above.

Citidome on ground – Picture by L. Sky

They landed forming a square with great precision. The citidomes distanced themselves with just enough space between them to build small tram car bridges linking them together to form a perfect square.

Days Earlier on Cefon-5

"How did you know they went to Giliesa?" queried Zoey.

"Remember, we are a race of scientists, it was easy to predict where your people would need to go to find a suitable planet to support life."

"You know Marten; we really appreciate all that you have done for us. Words can't describe your generosity. I've never met people who have lost everything, be so receptive to our needs. We were total strangers."

"That's not entirely true. We spied on you since the day you arrived. We should have contacted you sooner, but we were afraid. Especially with the Benty on our moon. When you all arrived in the cavern, our children became very excited and wanted to see you up close. I guess to play with you as well. But whether you dug that hole or not, we would have come out to greet you. We will always be friends."
CHAPTER 3

If I am Needed

"When will we land on Giliesa?" Zoey asked Marten who was dressed in a flexible one-piece, skin-thick, orange metal jumpsuit. Marten was standing beside Zoey as she watched hundreds of stars zoom past his old fashion saucer-shaped starship.

Flying saucer – Picture by en.wikipedia.org

"I estimate within an hour," said Marten to his lovely passenger standing beside him looking out a window at her reflection. She continued to lament over Dax, her boyfriend.

"Any word on the citidome survivors yet?"

"No, Zoey, it's been pretty quiet; as a precaution, I guess no one is transmitting much. Silencing our communications will make it harder for the Benty to find us. However, the last communications were 350 thousand missing or dead. A few rescue ships must jump back to search the nearby planets for survivors. It will be a long process and very hazardous. If they are captured, they could reveal your new location and start the attacks all over again," said Marten.

"What about those nanobots we were infected with on Earth?" asked Zoey.

"Don't worry; they neutralized them before they jumped into the wormhole, so they can't use them to track your friends again. And unless they have something else planted on you, we haven't detected anything. Your group was free of them the moment you landed on Cefon-5, with our special radio probing techniques. So, you can relax."

She admitted to him, "I never expected anything like this to happen. Everything was going so well. It was actually beginning to feel like home on the citidome,"

"From what I understand, nobody really believed anything would happen, Zoey. But nothing is certain when you are out here in space. It's like walking through your jungles or swimming in your oceans on Earth. Every step can be an adventure with great discoveries around each corner or a horrible death. This is what I imagine makes life so exciting for humanoids such as yourself to be given the ability to explore and learn," he said to her; his golden eyes searching hers.

"I don't feel adventurous right now with my friends missing out there. I feel like this is all unfair and not what I envisioned when I imagined exploring space, the so-called final frontier," she said to Marten looking down at his meter-tall stature. To her, the Veronan's resembled a flesh-colored mouse with a stretched jawline to give it a snout for a nose and large, hairy, rounded ears. His golden-yellow eyes sparkled with intelligence as he studies the stars passing before him.

"There must be something greater than all of us at work here. Maybe there's a master plan that holds the universe together. I just don't want to be eaten by anyone or anything. I know you will protect me. I guess I now understand how the rabbit feels knowing that the fox is lurking outside his...or her hole in the ground! It really does put things into perspective. I just never thought that nature would play such a cold cruel role in the universe on such a grand scale," she said to her little friend who peered back at her with his tender golden eyes sensing her emotions.

Marten said in a low whisper, "You have a warm heart Zoey, I will always be your friend,"

"Best friends Marten! But Marten, can't you help me find Dax. It hurts just thinking about him somewhere out there in space."

"I know it hurts; I am slowly starting to learn what pain means to Earthers. Eventually, I will be able to understand you enough to help you. I will find out about Dax, you need not worry about it. I will go directly to your leaders and request information about him. Trust me, I will tell you as soon as I can find out anything."

***

Later, Zoey and Marten went to a conference room with survivors from Cefon-5. She saw her friends as family and felt eager to get them back to their citidomes. They no longer felt like rebellious youngsters determine to give the establishment a hard time. They had matured and the Veronans somehow helped them to understand the consequences of their actions. Eventually, the Veronans came to where the citidomes were attacked. It was like looking at a hole in time and as they viewed partially damaged buildings floating in space. Everything was shrouded in darkness devoid of any life. All around was death and lifeless things floating aimlessly in outer space, after once being so full of life and...happiness. Before the attack, people were beginning to accept their fate, looking forward to rebuilding their own planet and making a life that would be peaceful and healthy for everyone.

"Don't worry my friends," Marten spoke out to them. "We will make it to Giliesa and you will flourish again. They will use the citidomes for your infrastructure to build on and then only your imaginations will limit what you can achieve. Many of you are mourning loved ones as expected. But the spirit of survival is still there, waiting to resurface again."

"Thanks, Marten. We needed to hear that. I'm going up to the control room to see if I can be of help to take my mind off Dax. Do you know who is in charge?" she asked, glancing around the large dim room with survivors leaning or seating down against the walls. Most of the windows were occupied filtering sunlight that casted long dark shadowy fingers reflecting the mood of the people staring lifelessly at the streaming stars.

Marten grinned up at Zoey and said, "This is an automated ship, and I am in control of it. I programmed it to take us to Giliesa. My presence is not required in the control room. The ship will tell me if I am needed."
CHAPTER 4

Whenever Possible

A Week Later

After a few days, the earthers began to settle in and quickly realized that Giliesa's sun loomed in the sky at least two times larger than Earth's sun. The new inhabitants found it hard to get used to its presence so prominent in the sky. Gravity on the planet was roughly the same as Earth's making it easy for their muscles to adjust from weightlessness in space as they began the arduous task of rebuilding citidome-3.

Partially Damaged Citidome-3 – Picture by L. Sky

The planet seems exotic with its overgrown jungle landscape. Covered with trees, accompanied with large ferns, very tall grasses and thick heavy bushes.

***

A hazy greenish-blue sphere came into focus peeling away enormous patches of deep dark blue and brilliant greens and browns.

Viewing the landmass from above revealed huge scattered patches of green foliage surrounded on one side by small mountain chains and the other side a greenish-blue ocean. Off from a distance rose a larger mountain range complete with snow-capped mountains running the length of the continent. In essence, Giliesa was a lush tropical jungle with many mountain ranges and deep valleys running towards the ocean. The billowy clouds had a trace of yellowish tint from its dim sun, that shines down twenty hours a day with six of those hours forming dusk. Rainfall occurred only sporadically at dusk and at least once a week. Marten and Zoey were standing near the controls looking at an enormous island-continent as they flew into the horizon heading across a jungle that seemed to never end. From closer inspection the mountains ringed the entire continent from every vantage point. Then, like magic, through breaking clouds, Zoey and Marten got their first look at Quad-City. The four citidomes were linked together forming a perfect square covering over nine square kilometers of the landscape.

Quad-City – Picture by L. Sky

Citidome-3 was under heavy re-construction with cranes swinging and small robotic workers moving and lifting material for automated builders to assemble new structures. In the center of Quad-City stood a tall metal-glass, conical tower with a wide apex and wider base. A bright blue neon light ran the length of its core.

Light Energy Tower – en.Wikipedia.org

The light touched Zoey's eyes and made her draw back and blink. Link with an x-bridge, the light from the tower at night shined as a cool fluorescent blue that could be seen as a landmark anywhere in the city.

As the saucer continued to descend, more of the city came into view diverting her attention away from the light tower as the highest point in Quad-City.

Other striking features around the City were small glowing red domes that generated free wireless electricity. All transportation systems such as electric cars fed off its power making these devices operate seamlessly in and around the citidomes, including small electric airships that traversed Quad-City serving as slow moving alternative mass-transit systems. In addition, airships also serve as a recreational attraction to help Earthers acquaint themselves with whatever parts of the city they glided over for shops, parks and basic services. There were even electric trams traveling to each citidome connected by bridges erected between citidomes to past the void of cleared away jungle stopping at key access points in and around the city. Any places were the citidomes didn't join, various walkway bridges were constructed to aid all manner of crossings by foot or mechanical devices.

Looking further out, beyond the boundary of the city, a vacant circular strip of land was carved out. A ten-meter-high metal glass wall was erected to separate the settlement from the jungle surrounding the complex. Beyond, the majestic mountains loomed high above the valley. Quad-City sat inside a valley; halfway between the mountains and the beach. The shoreline was more like a small desert composed of tiny bleached crystals like sand found on Earth. Eventually, the beach opened into a bay and from there the warm ocean that was lifeless in appearance only. It had more vicious ocean dwellers than Earth prowling every depth of its waters in search of food.

Searching his database for more information Marten said, "They say there are dinosaur-like creatures on this planet," he unexpectedly offered. "I hope we will be able to see some of them. On Giliesa they have rare seen bird-like, reptilian predators with feathers, possibly roaming deep in the jungle in search of food. They are thought to be ferocious and must be kept away from the city at all cost or they will bring death and destruction according to the information given by the companions," said Marten as he pulled up an image of the beast for Zoey to see.

Thetoks – Picture by Wikipedia.org and L. Sky

"My, it doesn't look playful," commented Zoey with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"You will be safe inside the city. These creatures are very sensitive to certain sound frequencies. Quad-City has constructed sound barriers to surround the city like a dome keeping them out. Actually, there are two types of bird-like creatures that may have evolved on this planet. The first one is land bound an believed to be reclusive and stays deep in the jungle's interior. No one is exactly sure what it really looks like because there is no fossil record. But if they still exist, they are probably quite intelligent. The second bird-like creature looks similar to the land creature but can fly, and we will see them soon enough."

"Are there any other creatures on the planet?"

"The monsters as the earther's call them are believed to be the only deadly creatures on the surface with the exception of small mammals and insects. I would suspect the large oceans have yet to be explored. But I suspect large predators are there as well.

However, the companions have noted genetic anomalies that make them completely different from everything else found on the planet," said Marten paraphrasing what he was reading on the computer's screen and continued.

"Like many predators throughout the galaxy Zoey, herbivores have evolved to be the main food source for the majority of carnivores. Nature, as you call it, has the same theme on most planets that evolve with predators. Strangely, Giliesa does have herbivores but not enough to justify the existence of so many carnivores. In nature, herbivores and carnivores keep the food chain in balance. If a planet were to lose its herbivores, as a rule, the carnivores would shortly die out soon after. But these predators persist in relatively large numbers which mean there must be as yet an unknown food source available to them or they are not of this planet and can adapt to eating anything."

"What do they think the predators are eating?"

"Maybe they've adapted to eating plants or grasses that cover a large portion of the planet's surface when meat isn't readily available. The trees on this planet alone are numerous with diameters of up to six meters and heights of up to fifteen meters with many branches that contain thick broad leaves and fruits growing as large as one of your young children. But at least there are no carnivorous species of plants on the planet for you to worry about. These animal carnivores more than make up for it. Without a doubt, they are extremely dangerous. They plan their attacks on the local herbivores in such a manner that they don't deplete their prey's number in any given area they are hunting. Thus, they keep a natural balance between the two populations at all times."

"You must promise to stay clear of them and never go out into the jungle alone."

"Oh, I promise Marten, I'll never go in the jungle alone. I've learned my lesson on Cefon-5 not to go into a jungle by myself, ever!"

***

Surprisingly, the city already had a lived-in feeling. It was beautiful, populated with structures that had form and function. The buildings were cylinders, spheres, rectangles, pyramids and perfect squares of all imaginable sizes and colors. High above, a tinted screen blocked out the suns' harmful rays like sunglasses. Above the sunscreen, Zoey could just make out brightly colored bodies moving endlessly in a circular pattern. They soared gracefully captivating her as she followed their journey through wispy clouds that momentarily hid them, only to reappear gliding out at incredible speeds diving towards the city, then swoop back up as if repelled by an invisible force.

"If they didn't have a sound barrier protecting the city, it would be impossible for anyone to live here," offered Marten.

"Why not simply remove them if they are so dangerous?" Zoey naively offered, remembering her struggles with the Plantimals.

"Your governing committee has no desire to destroy any of the indigenous inhabitants of this planet. They realize that we are the visitors here and therefore pledged not to upset the balance of life for selfish reasons. They have strongly vowed to uphold this policy," replied Marten and continued. "They will build safety precautions to ensure that everyone and everything are safe to thrive in their own environment with minimal intrusions whenever possible."
CHAPTER 5

Marten...?

Marten landed his spaceship as instructed on a rooftop airport. A female companion disguised as a human greeted them.

"Welcome to Giliesa. My name is Marissa and I will be taking all of you to your temporary living quarters. You can stay there for a few days until you can find your own living quarters," she voiced and turned towards Zoey and Marten. "You two are expected at the governing committee's administration building today. I will take you to a bubble car and program it for their building. Now if you will allow me to take the others to their transportation, I can return, and you can begin your trip to the governor's office."

Quickly, everyone rushed to Zoey to hug her and say goodbye to Marten. It took several minutes as a mild breeze blew around them and the sounds of life trickled up to their rooftop.

***

Zoey paid very little attention to the workings of the bubble car; its construction and operating principles were simple enough.

Community Bubble Car – Picture by bossspace.wikispaces.com

It had hookups on both sides for additional cars to attach. In one instance, she saw three cars hooked abreast of each other with the inner side doors removed to allow passengers to have conversations while the computer-controlled cars took them to their destination. Windowless buildings were lined on both sides of the smoothly paved embedded highway. The road was cut below the platform surface so that the top of the highway tube was flush with the pedestrian walkway accompanied by a small waist high metallic fence separating the sidewalk from the open highway. If someone did fall onto the highway, all nearby traffic would automatically stop until it was safe to go again.

The walkways were transparent slabs that traversed the highway at regular intervals allowing pedestrians to cross at a leisurely pace. The car's bubble muffled any sounds the city generated as Zoey and Martin were whisked between bronze and silvery buildings glistening in the filtered alien sunlight.

Sitting side by side, Marten reached over and tapped into Quad-City's main computer to gather additional information about the status of their commute to the governing committee's main offices. They sat very comfortably on a soft back cushioned bench that consumed a large volume of the car. Everyone hundred meters a tubular bridge would zip overhead with self-propelled two-wheel personal transportation carriers or shuffling feet going in both directions. Their figures played with the filtered light that showered down onto the highway casting intermittent light and dark shadows. The overall feeling was calmness as their bubble car kept pace with the traffic that flowed towards citidome-1.

"It should not take long if the traffic remains as it is, but..." suddenly Marten commanded the car to go faster. A red light was flashing on the small dashboard.

"There's a message stating that the sound barrier protecting the city has been destroyed by an explosion and the flying bird-beasts are inside attacking people and causing damage to the city."

"Are we in danger?" insisted Zoey, trying to peer upwards through the tinted car's bubble.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. They are flying over this part of the city right now. I will do all I can to protect us."

Terrified, Earthers were running for safety inside the tube bridges seeking refuge from the horror gliding above. The silence in the bubble car gave Zoey and Marten no hint of the chaos that gripped the city in a matter of moments. The yelling and screaming were deafening and non-stop. Huge shadows flicked passed their car and disappear within the canyon of buildings. Debris from the building's caused by the birds fell onto the highway forcing the traffic to slow down, then stop. Frighten Earthers jumped out of their cars and ran in all directions for safety. Many found emergency doors that led to tunnels giving way to stairways that led to buildings and eventually the outside surface. A few Earthers tried to scale the highway wall, hoping for a quick escape but were picked off by the bird-beast's sharp claws. Some Earthers running on the smoothly paved highway were violently plucked away; struggling to get free. Their twisting only mangled and shredded their bodies on the bird-beast's razor shape claws.

Many of the victims slipped out of bird claws plummeting hundreds of meters to the jungle floor into an organic oblivion. Some landed on the beach and some in the ocean were their lifeless tortured bodies sank down through several layers of food chains vanishing completely halfway down.

"Hold...on...Zoey," shouted Marten as she felt a crash and then her body rising slowly off the ground. Marten was knocked unconscious from one of the bird's claws wrapping around the car. Higher and higher they rose; the city below revealing its complex layout filled with smoke and flames rising high into the sky. From a distance, Zoey glimpsed another bird with an unfortunate earther that dangling in its claws, and then dropped as their body struggled to get away; falling into an inferno of fire and black smoke that was once a magnificent building. Zoey looked upwards, into the unrestrained sun. The car's tinted glass tried to compensate for the sun's intensity, but not before she saw her car trapped within the bird-beast's claws squeezing tighter and tighter. She couldn't make out the creature's full body except that its wingspan from what she could see was enormous and the claws clutching the car were long, thick, curved and very sharp. Struggling to get the bubble higher, it bellowed loud shrieks that penetrated into the interior of the car capturing Zoey's imagination of death. She looked down at the city continually getting smaller every second.

They flew deeper into the jungle. Heavy white clouds engulfed her car, blocking her visibility as Quad-City disappeared altogether. It was replaced with a dense jungle; a place she was told never to go alone. She was slightly relieved that Marten was with her. All she could do was hang on while the car bounced and swayed with the motion of the bird like an out of control roller coaster. She looked down at Marten and prayed that he was only unconscious. Her attempts to revive him, however, were futile.

The badly battered car started to descend bobbing up and down precariously 30 meters above the treetops. Without warning, there was a bang and a mild current that traveled across her body that sent the bird into a dizzying spiral down towards the jungle. The giant bird beast forced to descend, caused the little bubble car to violently brush across the treetops that snatched the car free from the clutches of the bird's claws. In response, the car smashed through the tree canopies at a steep angle. It slammed into branches and broad leaves that luckily cushioned and slowed the car's rapid descent. Finally, it hit the ground and rolled through a thicket of bushes and young trees along its path.

As Zoey tumbled downward, she had enough sense to rock the car from side to side to help it veer passed a large boulder directly in its path.

Large granite boulder – Photo by commons.wikimedia.org

It would have fatally smashed the small car into thousands of pieces, gravely injuring her and Marten in the process.

"Marten...?"
CHAPTER 6

Off into Deep Space

The room was cool and quiet except for the hum of an air conditioner. Sunie found himself standing in front of his director, sitting behind a thin glass desk. The desk was covered with writing tablets filled to capacity with memos and protocols. A large flat screen sat off to the right side of the desk and every now and then, she would glance at it as if getting instructions on what to say to him. Sunie was noticeable nervous, he had never been summoned to a Director's office in all his twenty years as a scientist. His work had always been highly praised at the Science Center, so he stood before his director mortified; afraid to even breathe or swallow; his mouth dry from nervous anticipation.

"Relax Sunie! Sit down, you're not in any sort of trouble; in fact, our government needs your expertise. You have been chosen to go to the planet Giliesa as an ambassador for Photopia."

Sunie shifted his weight in his thinly padded contour chair.

Seeing how uncomfortable and somewhat awkward he was, the director leaned forward to rest her elbows on her desktop placing her chin in her small open hands.

"You do want to go to Giliesa, Sunie?" she said seductively.

"Yes...yes I do. But I'm not sure exactly what you want me to do as ambassador," he said starting to tense up again.

"Well, surely I would not have called you here if I thought for one moment you were not capable of handling this important assignment. Your new friends specifically asked for you. You should be proud that I have agreed to choose you to represent our planet."

"I am grateful for your confidence in my abilities. But exactly what is it, you...want me to do?" The room grew very quiet; a communication device cried out and shattered the silence. She picked up an ear bud and began talking.

"Yes...," she paused to listen. "He is with me now...," she paused again, looking playfully at Sunie. He was handsome for a male photopian and in turn, he was accustom to such glances; especially now that he could think on his own. "Yes, I believe he will do it for us," she said looking up and smiling at him. He smiled back at her, not knowing what he was getting into. She swiveled her chair around to turn her back on him. She gazed up at five pictures mounted on the wall forming a mosaic pattern of abstract artwork against a white wash wall. The pictures reflexed the light in such a way as to give her a clear image of Sunie behind her. She continued talking in a low whisper. Sunie took the opportunity to gaze around the room. It had very little furniture; her desk and chair, his chair and to his right, a small brown sofa next to an even smaller window that looked out over the city; they had recently added windows to all the buildings. A window was highly regarded as a status symbol for success meaning that she was a powerful woman and not someone to be taken lightly in government administration. To his left was a giant picture of Photopia painted to precise scale; even he was impressed as he marveled at its accuracy. And then he saw it, a small table that was sitting off to the right behind her desk, now visible after she moved her chair. He moved his chair a little to the right to get a better look at it. A model structure was perched on top of the table held up with a delicate stand. It was a model with extraordinary detail. He was so captivated by it that he barely heard the supervisor finish her conversation on the communicator by removing her ear bud. She watched him as he traced the bonds of the strange molecule down to its most minute detail.

"It's made of solid thetonium and guaranteed to last forever so they say," said the charming young director.

"May I come closer to see it," Sunie asked.

"Sure, Sunie," she said laughing at his childish behavior.

"This is the original molecule Fredrica synthesized to free Photopia," she acknowledged, watching him stare back at her stunned, unable to say anything. "It is now a historical item that unfortunately some are trying to alter its molecular structure for what they believe will be for the good of all photopians," whispered the director very calmly as she stood up. She led him out the door and across the hall to a room where a small contingent of technicians where harmoniously working together. A large screen was recently erected on a bare wall randomly displaying every lab in real-time.

"They are working on a way to augment our sexes using her molecule to make it easier for other humanoids to distinguish the sexes or more bluntly, males from females," she said with a bit of laughter. But everyone knew the difference between male and females on Photopia. Why would you want to change it for others, he pondered? But the bigger question was why were more humanoids coming to Photopia?

***

Word spread quickly once Zoey and the other young earthers landed on Giliesa. When Dax heard, the news while still on Photopia, he became wildly intoxicated with joy. He quickly petitioned Dr. Linkgar for him to bring her back to Photopia. Dr. Linkgar just as enthusiastically rejected his request for her own selfish reasons and only willing to compromised for someone to bring her back to Photopia. She enjoyed having the two cousins together. She speculated and fantasize about what her future would have been like had things went differently.

***

It took only a week with the help of photopians elite technicians to modify an ISC spacecraft to make the journey to Giliesa. One of Photopia's most prominent scientists, Sunie, would make the historic journey with them. His trip would not be as dangerous as the first ambassador's; he would be suspended in hibernation with a companion to watch over him. Ever since the Citidome convoy was attacked, the likelihood of a companion being captured was more than probable. Fortunately, capturing a companion (if active) would automatically self-destruct. Companions were family and the loss of one would be deeply felt. Consequently, the instructions given to the companion assigned to Sunie was quite detailed in that it was not to leave Sunie for any reason until they set foot on Giliesa. This particular companion, named Niam, belonged to Dr. Linkgar as her secondary assistant because of her position on the committee and therefore was extremely knowledgeable and invaluable as a companion and crew member of the Fia. When they started searching for a companion for this mission, no other companions could be spared for such a duty and Dr. Linkgar's primary companion could fulfill all the necessary requirements for the committee chairperson. So, with great anxiety, Dr. Linkgar escorted her companion to the modified ISC spacecraft designated as ISC-P where Sunie was standing outside the craft waiting to board. Dr. Linkgar looked at Sunie from head to toe. She tried to get a quick impression of the tall lanky photopian dressed in a yellow lifesuit to match his eye color.

Not really accepting the idea of losing her companion, she decided it was best not to say anything except the usual.

"Sunie, my companion has been with me for many years and I consider him like family. Please be careful with him," she said knowing that it was the other way around. "I understand you have never been to another planet. This should be a real adventure for you. Be prepared for anything on your historic voyage. Stay long enough to bring Zoey Weaver back here."

"Thank you, Dr. Linkgar for your kind advice," said Sunie with a warm smile. "I am excited to make the journey to Giliesa. I hope I'll have plenty of time to visit all the citidomes. I am also anxious and privileged to meet the human called Zoey Weaver who is so famous in our galaxy," said Sunie, who paused and then said. "Will I be able to meet the Veronan, Marten, who rescued her and the other survivors from Cefon-5?" asked Sunie.

"Who knows, it really depends on how long he plans to stay on Giliesa. It will take about a month for you to get there. Hopefully, he'll still be there to see Zoey off," offered Dr. Linkgar not really interested one way or the other.

"Oh, and I will do my best to take care of Niam," he offered as an afterthought.

Dr. Linkgar looked at Sunie with surprise; he was somewhat of a talker and obviously not aware of the great power that her companion possessed. A few of the ship's technicians started to gather around the spacecraft ushering Sunie inside as they did a final check on the ship. Standing in the middle of ISC's control room with no visible instruments to give him a sense of orientation, Sunie felt awkward and in the way as the technicians scurried around him while going about their duties. Finally, Niam appeared hovering above Sunie pointing his red eyespot at him and projected. "We will be underway shortly. They have a few more things to do and then we will be leaving for planet Giliesa."

"I'm ready, I think?" said Sunie startled by the sudden appearance of the companion hovering above him.

"My name is Niam, as Dr. Linkgar has probably told you," he projected, his red spot swirling in a mesmerizing pattern to try and soothe his new temporary master. "Do Photopians dream?" projected Niam softly into Sunie's mind.

"Yes, we do?" replied Sunie subconsciously. The floor opened up and a sleep chamber appeared behind him.

"Well, happy dreams," projected Niam as Sunie slowly climbed down into the sleep chamber and prepared himself for a trip of a lifetime.

"Will you be sleeping too?" projected Sunie.

"No; I will watch over the ship...and you. I will let no harm come to you on this journey."

"Thank you, Niam," Sunie projected as he made himself comfortable on a thick foam bedding that induced him to quickly fall into a state of unconsciousness. A thin film covered his sleep chamber turning opaque to block external light. Sunie never felt gravity tugging on him, or the ship leaving his planet's atmosphere, as they streaked off into deep space.
CHAPTER 7

Wait and See

ISC-P eased into orbit around Giliesa a month later preparing for entry into its Earth-like atmosphere. Niam floated over to Sunie's sleep chamber and electronically interacted with its circuitry to start the wake-cycle protocols. An hour later, Sunie was sitting up looking around, re-establishing his orientation to his surroundings. Niam watched carefully for signs of disorientation or weakness. Eventually, with a little difficulty, Sunie stood up; his long legs wobbled and then straightened. He climbed out of his chamber and it quickly disappeared under the floor. Slowly, he looked up at Niam, not bothering to vocally communicate, but instead listened.

"The dizziness will pass shortly. Your body will need a little time to adjust," projected Niam.

Groggily, Sunie projected back. "Why did we stop so soon? I was dreaming of Photopia. We had a revolution not long ago and I remembered being on the tram when it ran off the rail and flipped over on its side. Luckily, we were on the surface and not the elevated rail. That would have been disastrous for a lot of us riding that day. I remember being almost suffocated by the bodies piled on top of me."

"I am sorry for your dream. I was hoping it would have been more pleasant for you. Did you have to wait long to be rescued?" projected Niam.

"It was so scary that I can't remember except that I was trying to crawl up to an open door. Many of the tribe members were moaning for help all around me. They were heavy and pressing down on my body. For a moment, I was not sure if I would make it. I guess I panicked and started thrashing to get them off me. Bodies started to shift, and someone hit me hard on the head and I became unconscious. I was in a makeshift care center when I woke up again. I will never know who or how I was rescued."

"We are now orbiting Giliesa," Niam said aloud, changing the subject, sensing Sunie's willingness to talk and his growing anxiety about his traumatic ordeal back home.

"That's impossible; I just put my head down and...," he caught himself, realizing that time had slipped passed him while traveling at near light speed through a worm hole.

"Can I see?" asked Sunie walking over to a section of the ship where instantly a view screen materialized on the forward bulkhead. He could see they were descending even though he felt no sensations from the ship. His eyes began to widen as he marveled at his first alien city unfolding beneath him.

Quad-City on Giliesa – Picture by L. Sky

"This place is huge, but it looks like they have been fighting." voiced Sunie with concern.

"I have already been in contact with the governor's office. They have been attacked. The committee in charge of Quad-City will be waiting for us at airport #11 to welcome you as the ambassador of Photopia."

Excitedly Sunie asked, "Why is that tower in the center so bright?"

"That is the energy tower. It's made of metal glass infused with blue neon light. On top of the tower will be the orb for the city's protection against space invasions. At night, it is very beautiful. We are starting to turn for our final approach to the airport," said Niam.

A fine mist of clouds swirled around the craft as they decelerated over a stretch of the ocean towards the landing pad. The airport was perched on top of a square white building, three stories high; one of many such airports scattered throughout Quad-City.

"Are those big flying insects?" whispered Sunie excitedly in his mind.

"No, they are not insects Sunie, they are birds! They were responsible for the attack on the city. Don't, worry, we are safe now. They can't attack the city again."

"You mean birds can fly, like us in spaceships?" said a shocked Sunie.

"You must understand that throughout most of the galaxy, birds exist that commonly have feathers or some type covering over most, if not all of its body and wings that allows them to actually fly through the atmosphere," he said projecting images of birds into Sunie's head for understanding and continued by saying.

Birds flying – Photo by en.wikipedia.org

"But they can't go beyond their atmosphere into outer space. They are gas breathers and must stay within the planet's atmospheric envelope to survive."

"What do they use as an energy source?"

"They use cellular energy that is replenished by eating organic matter. They are not like you; they cannot survive solely on inorganic substances like salt the way you can."

"You mean...they can eat me and get the energy to fly," stuttered Sunie in his mind.

"Yes, that's one way of getting cellular energy. But I wouldn't advise you personally to try and feed the ones flying below us, they are extremely dangerous."

"How do you know all of this?" interjected Sunie mentally.

"The companion network; anything they know, eventually I can selectively download to my memory cells. In turn, they know everything about you and the planet Photopia."

"Zoey...knows about me?" thought Sunie.

Speaking aloud, Niam said. "Of course, she does! She is very anxious to meet you too. However, I must caution you, she is missing her friend and may not seem as happy. Many of the younger earthers were left on Cefon-5 until the citidomes could find a suitable home. The young earthers eventually met the Veronans and through their generosity brought most of them here to Giliesa."

"You said...most of them. What happened to the rest of them?" voiced Sunie with concern.

"They stayed with the Veronans. You might say they fell in love with them and their way of life," voiced Niam.

"What do the Veronans look like, Niam?"

"All I can say is that they have a light-brown complexion, golden-yellow eyes, about a meter tall, with highly advanced technology."

"Anyway, as I was saying earlier, her missing friend may cloud her judgment at times. Be patient, I will try to smooth things out with her."

"I don't understand, but I will be careful not to say anything that might upset her."

"Sunie, she's just lovesick, I think they call it. She'll be fine!"

Passing through an invisible hole in the barrier, ISC-P continued its vertical descent until it landed on a flight platform. The craft landed with no sensations or vibrations. A hatchway appeared on the side of the bulkhead allowing cool crisp air to rush in engulfing the cabin. Sunlight poked through the clouds to paint the insides of ISC-P satin white, helping to guide the way out onto the landing platform.

"It's time to go!" whispered Niam inside Sunie's head. Sunie moved towards the hatchway, ducking down to avoid hitting his head as a cool breeze reached out to greet him. A small staircase materialized and waited for Sunie to make his first step onto an alien world. He came out and was immediately greeted by a stronger breeze; his hands grasped the sides of the seed-shape hull to momentarily stabilize his balance and felt a tingling sensation from the hull that forced him to quickly withdraw his hands. For a moment, he felt energy being drawn from his internal battery. He took a second to look at the black hull to see if he could deduce what it was made of, but its black pearly material eluded him.

"It's okay, it won't harm you if you don't touch it for too long," whispered Niam and continued. "You are the only species that I am aware of that it has that effect," admired Niam, reappearing to show the earthers that Sunie was not alone as they started to approach him.

Sunie looked out beyond the flight platform and embraced the sights and sounds of a vibrant megacity. Below were cars gliding along neatly carved highways in and around the inner city and out towards the richly fabricated countryside.

A small delegation of earthers came closer, anxious to meet their first true celebrity. Everyone wanted to see a photopian that had not been seen by anyone else in the galaxy for hundreds of thousands of years. Sunie boldly stood in front of his spaceship with his head held high wearing a short sleeve black smock made of a sophisticated synthetic material that hung down to his lower thighs on top of his yellow lifesuit. A large golden scarf also made of synthetic materials with elastic properties was used as a belt and pouch for all his immediate needs that wrapped several times around his small waist. He stood two meters high watching the committee approach him with his large yellow eyes. They marveled at his black hairless, baby soft skin, lean long arms and five narrow digits on his hands. He wore flat black shoes with gold braided elastic bands that wrapped around his ankles. He appeared majestic as he began to speak to the crowd with the companion interpreting for him.

"My name is Sunie and I am from the planet Photopia. I have come on an urgent mission to find an earther among you named Zoey Weaver," he said. The earthers looked at each other shaking their heads knowing the person he was asking about.

"But first I must go to see the governor," commanded Sunie. The crowd understood his urgency and opened a path allowing him to go through as he gracefully came down the steps and walked passed them. As he walked, he was impressive; his smooth black complexion shined rich and healthy without a single blemish to be seen anywhere on his exposed body surfaces. His face was expressionless with no facial features like eyebrows to give clues to his state of mind. He continued and went into the building where he encountered more curious onlookers watching him board an elevator. He bent slightly to get in and quickly went down to ground level, where a bubble car waited for him.

Niam programmed the car to take them to the administrative offices that were not too far from their present location.

"The city is still beautiful despite the destruction caused by the birds. I like it here; I hope we have time to see more of it."

"If Zoey is not too anxious to leave, which I highly doubt, we may have some time to explore the city."

"I am nervous about meeting her. I've never thought I would meet such a famous humanoid like her. What is she like?" thought Sunie.

He twisted his body until he could get both hands into his pouch. He felt around and found what he needed; eight salt tablets, enough to last him sixteen days. Fear began to embrace him, seizing him around the waist; a natural occurrence for photopian's when they felt threaten or extremely uncertain about something to happen in the future.

"You must make your own judgment about Zoey. The word is she's strong and wise. But you must find out for yourself."

When Sunie arrived at the Governor's Offices, a barrage of workers frantically scoured about.

"What's wrong?" projected Sunie.

"It appears that Zoey...is...missing in the jungle with Marten!"

"Is there anything we can do to help, Niam?"

"No, not now. Nobody knows if they are alive or dead at this point. All we can do is wait and see."
CHAPTER 8

Much Needed Harvest

Jungles across the galaxy were all basically the same, hot, sometimes steamy and humid places with copious amounts of plants and animals. The entire indigenous plant populations of Giliesa evolved to propagate via insects, water or natural resources. Their seeds were dispersed via the wind or carried on animal fur or eaten by small animals that passively disseminated them across the jungle floor. Because of the natural cycle of life and death, Giliesa developed an extremely large variety of saprophytic plant species (including fungi). These plants were capable of assimilating any type of organic material at all stages of decomposition channeling it back to its basic components in a relatively short period of time. Nothing organic was wasted; everything was recycled if left untouched. Along with this constant daily grind of life and death among the plants, the animal kingdom was also unusual from an evolutionary standpoint. The population of lower forms of mammal species was nocturnal. They roamed for food in the hours of dusk. Many species lived in the jungle and a few in the mountain habitats. The animals were made up of various species of rodent-like animals that made the majority of their existence underground in a maze of tunnels allowing them to be well adapted from millions of years of uninterrupted evolution.

When the Benty first arrived several thousand years ago, they introduced genetically bred monstrous aberrations to intentionally disrupt the ecosystem and the predominant sentient beings ruling the planet at the time. With predictable results, the alien beasts unchecked depleted a large swath of the animal population into extinction within less than a hundred years. The calamity brought about a new hierarchy in the food chain that practically put the alien monsters on the top overnight. Nothing was off-limits for their voracious appetites with the exception of a few minor organisms that didn't taste good. Over time, however, the lower order animals became very scarce and the Benty creations quickly turned to the larger more advanced beings in the food chain making sentient survival more and more difficult. They kept their populations scattered in small pockets away from their magnificent cities to avoid the wrath of the beasts from above and those that roamed the jungle floor below. Keeping the inhabitants penned down in small pockets was a classic strategy employed many times by the Benty to control and conquer intelligent or near intelligent species for harvesting. They had little or no interest in the planet's ecosystem or its indigenous life forms; unless it was an alternative food source suitable for their tastes or a threat to the well-being of the Benty Empire. This meant that they left many planets in their wake environmentally broken and stripped of higher life forms that were once the stewards of their planets reducing them to a bleak future for the few that did manage to survive.

***

A Month Ago

The only true vestiges that resembled the original intent of nature on Giliesa was deep within the oceans that occupied nearly 80% of Giliesa's surface.

Planet Giliesa – Photo by NASA.gov and Pictures by L. Sky

Here, the leviathans still ruled armed with sharp teeth and armor plating. They roamed untouched for millions of years in a deep, dark, murky world where life was cruel, and its dominant species were unmerciful and unrelenting with impunity. It was also here that the Benty fell short because here the ocean was an extremely salty aquatic habitat forcing the organisms of Giliesa to evolve around harsh conditions to survive. These savage predators knew no limits to survival. The prey equally had to adapt to withstand the challenges of these cunning predators. Any organism not qualified was quickly eliminated regardless of its true origin. This fact also applied to the Benty as well.

The Benty loathed salt water environments and regularly avoided them unless forced and only then with extreme precautions. Any incursion into this watery jungle was done so with military precision. Unfortunately, they were humanoids too, bound together with imperfections and weaknesses that tied them to all the other humanoids species around the galaxy prone to making mistakes. So, until they could build suitable underwater bases, they too could not venture into the water to conquer its inhabitants.

Two hundred meters offshore, a small silvery-bluish sphere bobbed and weaved with the waves. Inside were delicate sensors that detected electromagnetic energy in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree radius and converted it into high definition images. The fiber optics cable it was attached to was anchored to a huge underwater base. A technician at the base was the first to detect the bodies of earthers hitting the water's surface after dropping from hundreds of meters by bird-beasts in a hurry to carry their prey off to a nesting site. Using a special optical periscope, a Benty technician carefully isolated the incoming images. He witnessed hundreds of humanoid bodies falling from the sky. He reported his finding to the base commander who in turn ordered one of the three twenty-meter long special arms to detach from the base.

Benty Underwater Base – Photo by Flickr.com and Picture by L. Sky

The small autonomous module swiftly headed for the surface to retrieve the bodies before the local scavengers took their harvest away. While under the cover of dusk the module surfaced and the crew consisting of one Sergeant Commander and two crew members opened the main top hatch. They were captivated by the large space platforms in the distance spewing large columns of flames and smoke hundreds of meters high from around the city. The light show and sudden bursts of electrical discharges created an eerie feeling of euphoria among the small crew as their ghastly figures danced in the light of the city's fires.

A strong wave pushed against the module, but they paid it no attention, as they stood awestruck by the destruction left by their spawned creations. The waves slapped against the sides of the module, again and again, pushing them closer to the beach. The crew was without fear of being detected by the city with so much going on inside the citidomes fighting to get the fires and electrical discharges under control. Finally, the module was pushed close enough to shore until under its own power it automatically released a hidden set of all-terrain wheels to bite into the sand allowing them to drive onto the beach. Waiting for the cover of more darkness, half the bounty was already lost to the local scavengers. But despite the loss, the harvest was still plentiful. There was only one small problem confronting them, an extremely fierce thirty-meter long meat-eating predator. Its body rippled with muscles towering over the module as a formidable challenge for the few weapons they had onboard. Armed with long teeth, sharp claws, and an enormous swaying tail, it picked through the humanoid carnage without fear of being challenged. The experienced sergeant commander decided to pull back and wait for the huge beast to have its fill of the bounty and leave rather than provoke its wrath. Just as he reversed his engines to go back into the water a loud boom shook the beach. One of the crew members broke his arm falling back down the module's hatch from the jolt. He screamed in painful agony until they could cover his mouth. The cautious sergeant commander re-opened the hatch in time to catch an extremely large sea beast, sixty meters long grab the head and upper neck of the sea predator. The bite force was so powerful it caused the eyes to pop out of its sockets from the tremendous pressure of the new predator's jaws. The dazed predator was dragged back into the sea, kicking and screaming in pain from the sharp dagger-like teeth lodged in its head. It all happened in seconds as the predators disappeared underwater with only violent bubbles marking its exit to a watery death. At the same time, a large column of water shot up and crashed down onto the shore threatening to wash everything away. Quickly, the sergeant commander and the uninjured crewmember leaped out of the module and began dragging bodies to the module while constantly looking behind them to be sure nothing was coming for them next. After one gruesome hour of hard work, the module sank to the bottom to re-attach to the command module with its much-needed harvest.
CHAPTER 9

Hard to See from Above

Plop, plop, plop; cool drops of water trickled from a crack between the window canopy and the doorframe, hitting Zoey on the forehead. It ran down the narrow bridge of her nose, and then down to the window on the other side that she was resting on. It was getting warmer and the air stale inside the plastic car. Early morning was still too dark to make out anything around her. Muffled screams seeped through the cracks in the windshield reminding her, she was not alone. As far as she could tell, nothing was broken as she moved her arms and legs to be reassured after tumbling numerous times; crashing into small trees and thick bushes before the car landed on its side. The car had settled in a high patch of yellow grass several meters from the banks of a shallow stream. If not for the tall grass, she would have been exposed on the sandy bank; out in the open with a dense jungle overshadowing her that now blocked the morning's sunlight. The stream percolated as it rolled passed making Zoey realize she was exposed from the other side of the stream. Looking up across the stream, she saw a dark orange and blue sky with a hazy pink sun trying to escape from the clutches of tall jungle trees decorated with thick waxy yellow leaves that shimmered in a steady breeze. Zoey studied the path of their crash landing, which was represented by a swath of small broken trees and flattened bushes. There was a large dark boulder in the middle of the path; somehow the car missed it or...her mind snapped back into focus. She felt a stirring beneath her and looked down to see Marten rubbing his forehead.

"Welcome back," said Zoey.

"Was I out long?"

"Well, long enough."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted looking out at the stream. "You have a bad cut on your head. I'll tear off a strip of fabric from the bench and make a bandage for you," said Zoey, dabbing the cut with a piece of cloth.

Zoey had to assume the worst as fear began to embrace her chest when she felt threaten. Her mind kept tugging at her subconsciousness; she looked back at the stream bed, she was missing something. Twenty meters away, on the other side of the stream, was a small black object smeared with grass and mud; the morning light was just beginning to cast a shadow over its circular form. She struggled to get the door open above her and found it to be more a matter of leverage and not strength, flipping it open with a loud clang. It smashed into the bulbous windshield further cracking it until it almost split open if not for the hard-plastic frame that held it together. She stood up, feeling for the first time how cramped her body was in such a small container.

"I see a companion on the other side of the stream. I'm going to get it to see if it's still working," she said feeling the mugginess against her exposed skin. "Wait here, I shouldn't be gone too long."

"Be careful, remember what I said. This place is dangerous," he cautioned as her black lifesuit crawled out of the car.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful Marten. You just hurry and get your strength back." Marten smiled faintly and waved good-bye.

It was extremely humid outside with deafening jungle sounds from unseen creatures either roaring or screaming with a viciousness that made Zoey feel small and unprotected. She felt completely out of her element as the sights and sounds of an alien jungle swirled around her.

She jumped down from the car onto soft ground that sank beneath her feet making deep impressions of her footsteps on top of thousands of previous footprints. As she slowly walked over them and waded out into the stream, she gently tested her footing to be sure she wouldn't sink too deeply in the muddy water.

A shadow flashed over the stream; she froze and looked up. A large bird-beast like the one that carried them away was circling above her, starting to descend.

Bird-Beast – Photo by common.wikimedia.org

Quickly, she splashed across the stream and scooped up the mud-laden companion. Zoey was surprised at how light it weighed as she dashed towards a clump of dense trees for protection – on the other side of the stream. Once she was satisfied that she was out of danger, she gently began to rub the mud and gunk off the companion's dented black surface. Instinctively, she shook it to see if anything was broken inside, but the little robot felt hollow. Its red dot staring lifelessly back at her.

She felt the air getting cooler kneeling in the shade. The morning's dew had settled on the foliage around her, dripping over her lifesuit. Zoey tried thinking to the companion. It was to no avail; frustrated, she shouted at the lifeless orb, "Wake up!" Nothing happened, but the jungle noises increased a notch as a result of her yelling. She felt so alone in the jungle. How were they going to survive their predicament? She looked about trying to survey her surroundings for better shelter, but soon realized that unless they were prepared to go deeper into the jungle - which she wasn't. Their best and only chance for them was to remain with the badly damaged car and wait for help. If only the companion would work, she pondered. At least the bird-beast was gone for now; unable to secure an easy meal.

With the companion tucked safely under her arm, she dashed back across the stream, kicking up a spray of water, marking her way. She jumped back into the bubble and slammed the door shut, looking about the cabin not satisfied with its orientation.

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah, but I think it's broken."

"What's wrong?" he asked, examining the etched expression on her face.

Zoey sat the companion down on the window serving as the floor. She studied the situation; having the doors upright would make it easier for them to exit if a quick escape was necessary. It was then that she became aware of Marten's heavy breathing, but she didn't have time to think about it so she pushed it aside in her mind. Looking skyward, nothing was around; she quickly jumped out and struggled to upright the car. It took four tugs before it was sitting on its small solid tires. Next, Zoey began pushing it with some resistance towards the jungle away from the stream. Finally, she crouched down and rummaged for nearby branches and uprooted bushes, using them as brakes to keep the car from rolling further on the soft soil and a few more to cover the car making it hard to see from above.
CHAPTER 10

Without Hesitation

Marten woke up with a buzzing in his head. He rubbed his forehead and looked around the cramped cabin thinking he could locate the sound, but he couldn't find it. Zoey was still sleeping peacefully. He needed to get out and stretch his legs while getting some fresh air. The buzzing persisted, despite his efforts to locate its source. The pale orange sky was cloudless and the sun low but rising fast as dawn gave rise to morning. The bird-beasts were not out yet and the jungle was quiet for the moment. Marten cautiously eased out of the car; looking in all directions to be sure nothing was watching and waiting for him to come out of his little sanctuary. He made a hard sprint across the stream splashing water everywhere as he went to the edge of the jungle. There was more protection from above with plenty of tall bushes and trees to hide from any land creatures prowling about as well. Crouching inside a clump of bright yellow bushes allowing his orange lifesuit to blend in with the shadowy surroundings. His headache suddenly subsided as he relaxed his mind and then his muscles. He panicked again for a brief second, spinning around to check his rear; he eerily felt exposed as if someone was watching him. He could hear something foraging down by the stream and heading his way. Marten could only make out its shadowy outline, but it was quite large. It walked upright on two massive legs, splashing deeply as it crossed the shallow stream towards the other side and continued into the dark jungle. He found himself breathing heavily and trying to control it, realizing how close he came to a savage death.

Looking around once more, there was nothing, only silence. The jungle was thick with undergrowth; his clump of bushes was surrounded by tall grass providing the only real cover from the jungle. His thoughts wandered off to Quad-City; all he could remember was the bird-beasts diving down snatching up their bubble car. He could only imagine the extent of the devastation caused by their attacks on the city. For the moment, Zoey seemed distant with the jungle pressing hard against his reality. Trying to settle into more productive thoughts, he was sharply yanked from them; heavy footsteps pounded into the ground and rippled across the stream. Trees groaned from being violently pushed aside by something large and strong. Marten strained to see it or determine its direction from the sounds it made, when suddenly from a distance up the stream from him, it emerged from the jungle; its black, yellow and green body patches glistened from the moisture dripping off it massive feathery body. An instant flash of Zoey flooded his mind and without thinking, he ran back across the stream and jumped into the partially demolished car for protection.

It saw marten and in no time, towered over the bubble car as it bent over to peer inside; its sticky purple tongue drooled onto the bubble leaving a smear of mucous-like saliva as it trickled down to the ground. A massive black curved beak tapped on the windshield causing it to whine and squeak. The commotion woke Zoey as she peered up at the bird-beast. Without warning it used its colossal head to nudge the bubble, forcing it to tumble forward. Zoey and Marten braced with their arms and legs pressed hard against the windshield as they began to tumble parallel with the stream. It seemed like it took forever rolling as it gradually picked up momentum. They were wedged between the seat and the cracked windshield, secure for the moment. Without warning, Marten's head began buzzing again followed by a persistent headache. By now, the landscape started to change; small rocks replaced soft dirt from the stream's bank making the bubble car harder to roll after each forceful nudge. Finally, the bird-beast turned its head to one side and tried to pick up the car in its massive jaws. However, its beak couldn't grip the windshield, smearing its thick saliva on it in the process. After several more attempts, it settled on one of the plastic tires and swiftly lifted it up into the air. It waddled to an outlying crop of rocks off from the stream. The rocks served as a platform for a built-up circular bed of branches and grasses held together with varying thicknesses of mud forming a crude deep pocket for six oblong brown-speckled eggs larger than the bubble car. By this time Marten's body was tumbled about like a piece of cloth as he fought to steady himself, sitting on the back windshield of the bubble beside Zoey. The entire car groaned trying to keep itself in one piece. Peering up, all Marten could see was the inside of the beak and a purple tongue dangling from side to side, licking the windshield. When they felt the backside of the car hit a solid surface beneath them, their body's instinctively relaxed. The bird-beast disappeared and only the wind was heard rustling through the trees nearby. On either side, they stared at the brown-speckled eggs that effectively blocked their side views with the exception of the orange sky above. One of the eggs began to rock from side to side then stopped. Clueless, Marten pondered over all that had just happened. He had a vague idea where he was and how far he had traveled; roughly a hundred meters from their original crash site. The buzzing in his head came back followed by a searing pain. But he couldn't worry about it. He knew that they couldn't stay in the car. The eggs beside them meant the creatures would be big once they hatched. Another one began to rock, cracking its thick shell up at the top. Something was trying to poke through the egg's shell with violent determination. Sensing grave danger, Marten said, "Zoey, kick your door open." His door was wedged between one of the smooth oval eggs. With a little effort, she opened her door and slipped out the car with the companion in her hand sliding down to a makeshift floor packed with mud, and branches, and something else. She quickly searched about for anything to help them climb out of the tall nest, with Marten standing beside her. As she looked for a hand or foot hold; she could feel the heat permeating from the eggs as they unexpectedly rocked with a pecking sound that followed its motion.

"We've got to get out of the nest, fast or we'll be first on their menu," shouted Zoey.

Finally, after searching frantically around the nest, Marten found what he needed; a makeshift plastic hook-like object from Quad-City. He handed it to Zoey.

"Marten climb on my back."

Together they began climbing out of the nest. Looking down from the rim of the nest, Marten was amazed to see they were inside a huge bowl with four eggs surrounding their car. To his astonishment, he also saw other dead organisms of various types heaped into a pile underneath the car. It was then that his nostrils began to register the odor that quickly caused him to violently gag. While trying to recover, one of the eggs broke open and a hairless head with a sharp stubby beak rammed its way out followed by a loud shriek. Marten hugged Zoey's back tighter from the volume of the roar that pierced through the jungle with unimaginable force. Another brown-speckled eggshell broke open and repeated the same voracious roar. Zoey's legs were dangling over the side of the nest, trying to find a foothold. Suddenly, she felt the jungle tremble and a blast of sheer terror bellow out in answer to what became mere cries below. Fear gripped Marten's legs struggling to find something big enough for her feet to leverage him off Zoey's back. Urgency drove both of them to peer down below to see how far it was to the ground. Then without thinking, she let go and fell to the ground. To her surprise, she landed on her feet without any injury to either of them. Marten jumped off her back as Zoey crouched and turned from side to side surveying her surroundings. She looked at the stream for cover and bolted off with Marten close behind her.

Running and panting hard, Zoey's legs ached from fatigue. She needed to eat, but the bird-beast was too close for them to even consider stopping to rest. The animal showed remarkable intelligence and was acutely cunning. She knew they had to find a place that would completely conceal them. Marten, on the other hand, felt like a dead weight as he struggled to keep up with her. The small humanoid started to realize just how far away from home he was and wished he was home right now. Marten was carrying the companion and he could hear something inside rattling each time he shook it with tiny sparks popping out of its side. Occasionally blue electricity would arc from several places on its sides giving off a blue haze of foul smelling smoke. Marten also noticed that each time he was near the robot; his head would buzz until he moved it away. Now remembering, when Zoey fell to the ground to get off the nest, she dropped the companion hard and the rattling went away replaced with a vibration. He was determined not to lose his little friend, so he clutched it tighter as the weak vibrations streamed through his hand and up his arm, to his head. Behind them, across the stream, trees crackled in the distance as their pursuer revealed that it was nearby, plowing over anything in its way. The mother's acute hearing could pick up her babies cries from far away as they savagely squawk amongst themselves; demanding to be fed fresh food. Their squabbling upset her even more, forcing her to rush back to them, determined to investigate if anything else was wrong. Her footsteps were heavy and purposeful as she hurried over to the nest to make certain her younglings were safe. In her small mind, she had left them a meal inside a funny-looking egg. When she peered harder into the nest, the funny objects inside the egg were gone. She looked about and spotted movement as Zoey was sprinting hard along the stream; she stopped to look back to see if the mother would give chase. They both looked hard at each other. Zoey felt safe until her eyes shifted away for a moment to look at the stream. That split-second set things in motion for the next several hours. Realizing that she was the thing inside the egg, the mother reared her huge head back, stretching her neck straight up ruffling her carpet of small scaly feathers under her neck and gave a fierce roar. In a flash she was on the run, catching Zoey and Marten by surprise. It was quickly at the edge of the jungle and then the stream. Without thinking, Zoey stepped backward then turned, running blindly into the dense foliage. They could hear her smashing through trees and bushes making a path through the jungle behind them. It was getting darker the more they penetrated the heavily foliaged area; the overhead canopy blocked most of the waning sunlight. Zoey dared to look behind her to see the bird-beast tangled in vines, fighting fiercely to get free. Trying to calm down, Marten took a deep breath and slowed his pace, searching for anything that would provide him cover or protection. Zoey saw him and did the same. It was futile; nothing but trees, broadleaf bushes and hundreds of vines blocked their view. Another scream bellowed from the bird-beast capturing their attention, forcing them to look back at the monstrous animal. She appeared to be getting tired from her struggling, her massive head starting to droop. But in an instant, she was free. Somehow her massive claws on her feet snared one of the vines in the right spot allowing her to escape. The whole time she was struggling she watched Zoey trying to make her escape with very little progress even though she dropped out of sight behind thick foliage. Determined to catch her, she studied her every movement. Occasionally, she eyed Marten; too small to be a real meal for her youngsters. She slowed her own pace, avoiding any more obstacles that might hinder her progress from re-capturing her family's meal.

From this distance, she could smell her prey, sensing that it was not too far away. Instinct forced her to press on as dusk grew nearer. Meanwhile, Marten started to feel hopeless, his head buzzing to the point that his forehead was hot! Its intensity blurred his vision, tugging at his mind, causing him to trip and fall several times; losing his orientation. The darkness further hindered his footing as he constantly tripped over things and stumbled, struggling to get up each time. He rubbed his head, squeezing his golden eyes shut, trying to force the buzzing pain away. Regaining his footing, he could hear the mother nearby slashing through jungle foliage with her wings, getting closer and closer. Zoey was getting further away. However, there was another sound, distant; pressing on the edges of his consciousness. He felt the bird-beast getting closer, but stubbornly, he still stopped to listen, to detect where the source of the other sound was originating. The sound was getting louder, like static; stronger with each passing second, while the bird-beast pressed on, sensing one of her prey was near. It grew much darker and the jungle thicker with all manner of growth that profusely covered the ground. As a result, the bird-beast eyes adjusted and could make out the shadowy black edges of her prey standing within a cluster of trees ankle deep in leaves with other organic debris, presumably to trick her senses. But she was not fooled by it. She homed in on Marten with a deadly keenness from over a thousand years of evolutionary tinkering and a lot of genetic engineering. Marten stood, transfixed to the sounds that were becoming more and more audible. The bird beast was only fifty meters, then forty meters and closing; her twenty-centimeter claws unsheathed and ready to grab its prey. She used her wings like arms to balance her movements as she planted her curved clawed toes firmly into the soft soil, littered with the dead debris of plants and animals. Now, only twenty meters away, she could feel his body heat emanating from behind a barrier of several trees, bushes, and hanging vines; easy for her to push aside. Marten's headache grew fainter as the sounds got clearer until finally, he heard and echo, "Marrrr-ten" said a voice. "Run, Marten, run for your life. There is a danger, run!" Marten looked up just in time to see the bird-beast burst through the last barrier of trees and vines, now only ten meters away. She stopped to consider her next move. Her prey was not moving, and she sensed it could be a trap. She stood motionless. Her red glowing eyes fixed on Marten in the dark as she studied his body language for any clues.

"Help me! If I move, she'll attack me. I can't outrun her!" he pleaded inside his head.

"I'm searching the area, hold on."

"Hurry!" projected Marten, relieved that the companion was working.

"Okay, I found something that might work. When I tell you to, I want you to run to your left. About fifty meters in that direction is a large hollowed out tree. Go inside and wait for me, I believe it will protect you."

"What about Zoey?"

"Don't worry she's safe for now."

"What are you going to do?" projected Marten.

"You'll see! Just run when I tell you too."

"Okay! But hurry. If I so much as move my eyes she may charge me!"

The bird-beast took a few steps closer and stopped. Then two more steps and then opened her dark green and black wings to their maximum length. She was trying to appear larger hoping to frighten her prey into submission. Then, predictably, without warning, she charged at him.

"Now, Marrrrr-ten...run!"

Marten took off to his left, and as he did so, he looked back for a fraction of a second and...saw a glowing figure of himself running to the right with the bird-beast right behind him...or it! Captivated by the spectacle, Marten slowed to a trot and then stopped altogether, watching the companion stream along as a brilliant flowing rainbow of colors behind an image of him.

Running companion – Picture by ipaustralia.com and Photo by fr.wallpaperswiki.org.

It tricked the small primitive brain of the bird-beast screaming with rage as she tried desperately to catch up to her prey of colors; stabbing viciously with her razor-sharp claws at the ghostly image before her. She was so infuriated by her inability to bring down her prey she never once bothered to look behind her; if she had, she would have immediately caught sight of the real Marten and ripped him to pieces in a blinding rage. Marten, regaining himself snapped back to reality, finding what appeared to be a tree with a shallow hole inside. It was getting darker and the surroundings were shadowy with long fingers. But the tree did indeed have a hole located at the center of its broad base. Upon closer examination, he discovered that the hole carved out of the tree was about one and a half meters high and about one meter at its widest point. There was a gentle rustling of leaves from a breeze emanating from grossly distorted trees in the darkness. Mixed with faint growls in the distance, Marten could only imagine what was happening. In the darkness, Marten noticed what looked like a crude wall made of mud and stones covered with brown and yellow vines intertwined with short mature trees concealing its outline. Looking harder at the entrance, there was something peculiar about the arrangement of the foliage surrounding the hole. He stepped closer and stooped to peer inside. He waited for his eyes to adjust. He soon realized that the tree had actually split and grown around the sides of this artificial hole allowing entry into a larger darker room. A damp musty odor rang out and clung to his nostrils. It was no mistaking that it was probably quite dangerous inside, but the companion would have mentioned if there was any danger before directing him to this mysterious refuge. So, without hesitation, he proceeded to enter.
CHAPTER 11

My Name is Anu

A wall camouflaged with thick mud and heavy vines about ten meters high went on in both directions. For a distance, it seems impassable. If it wasn't for the fact that it appeared as a rise on the natural surface of the land, the crack in the wall may have gone unnoticed forever. It was just large enough for Marten to squeeze through if he crawled on his hands and knees. As he wiggled his way through, loose gravel and dirt caused the crack to enlarge more than he would have wanted. Luckily, the tree's natural entrance was small enough to keep out the larger predators. Fading sunlight made it difficult to determine the interior's dimension or composition, sloping about ten degrees inward with a steady draft sucking air from the crack-like entrance. The ground was thickly littered with dead leaves and other organic debris along with new ones taking the same path of decomposition. Leaving the small entrance behind, it quickly turned into a bumpy gravel passageway with a ceiling roughly two meters high that gradually sloped downwards. After crawling a short distance on his hands and knees, the passageway tapered outwards. Soon he felt as though he was in what seemed like a larger hallway as he stood up in a crouched position to protect his head in pitch darkness; vines and other objects dangled from the ceiling. A steady draft came from the other end of the hallway, indicating that there was another opening somewhere up ahead. Cautiously, Marten began to follow the draft back to its source not knowing what he might run into at the other end. With one hand stretched out and the other groping for the cold damp floor; Marten crept forward, guarding each footstep as if it was his last. The buzzing started again inside his head, but it was different this time. It was like a distant ringing that barely reached his ears. It could have been his mind, silently screaming for help as he navigated his way through the still darkness. Nothing moved in the direction of the draft. There was a thin mist clinging just above the floor. A faint intermittent beam of light managed to sneak in from somewhere behind him. He turned and followed the narrow stream of light to its source and found a faint ball of sparkles heading his way. Any sounds Marten made seemed to bounce off the walls as he panicked and started to rush ahead to avoid being caught by whatever it was steadily coming up from behind him. Suddenly, for him, it was like traveling down a long corridor with an invisible path beneath his feet; his only guide until he almost tumbled down a small incline leading into another damp earthy-smelling room.

The companion was vibrating again, trying to force Marten to stop running. Finally, the little companion burst into the room behind Marten. It rolled on a circular bed of static electricity forming a cushion underneath its little body. Electrons in the form of electrical sparks flew off in all directions. The energy from this display partially lit up the room giving it a warm glow making it easier for Marten to see his surroundings and more importantly, its secrets.

"Marrrr-ten, Marr-ten...can you hear me?" said a weak voice inside his head.

"Yes, yes, I can hear you," projected Marten quite relieved, he thought it was some type of security device to remove him from wherever he was. "You're back! Can you help me? I need more light!" he thought. He looked down at his little friend. "There is something on the walls. Maybe it will tell us where we are?"

"My abilities are limited but hold on a moment," projected the little companion, attempting to gain more control over its programming algorithms. "First of all, we must stay close in order for me to reach your thoughts for communication. Secondly, I am truly sorry for what happened earlier. I was responsible for the headaches trying to communicate with you. If I caused you any discomfort, it was because I was trying to tap into your neural energy to help with my repairs. Your personal energy was required for me to gain the control I needed to bypass some of my damaged circuits until I could make adequate repairs. Marten, I am forever in your debt," projected the companion. "You really had an adventure and you survived without my help! I also see that I was greatly mistaken about the hole in the tree. It seems that my sensors are only partially working too!"

"What about Zoey? Do you know where she is?" projected Marten.

"She's not too far behind. She insisted that we find you right away."

"What do we call you?"

"My name is Anu."
CHAPTER 12

Zoey's Inner Body

"Well, what did I miss? I see we now have the companion working and not a moment too late either!" said Zoey out of breath.

"Yes," said Marten. "I would like you to meet Anu. Our newest member."

"Actually, I've been with you from the beginning. I was responsible from dislodging your car from the claws of the bird beast. It took a hard knock to do so, my laser had very little effect on it. My ramming it plus the long drop scrambled my circuits, Marten, your neural network was perfect for restoring my circuits. I was giving you all those nasty headaches. In return, I can now block the pain in your head to give you some relief."

Zoey looked at Anu with renewed strength and said, "Anu, why are you here with us."

"I was sent by the Governor to be your companion."

"Well then, can you get us back to the city?"

"Not right away. I'm still not at full strength. I can't make a bubble and fly. I can't even call for help. All I'm good for is cheap parlor tricks and communicating with you two at close distances."

"Trust me, that's better than nothing at all, right now," offered Marten.

They all fell silent and looked around the room they now occupied. The walls were brightly painted in earthy browns, pink, and beige colors giving no clue to its age or who painted it. As Anu illuminated the room, it became obvious that the warmth in the colors reflected an underlying intelligence not seen anywhere else on the planet. Drawn on all four walls were elaborate pictograms depicting life on Giliesa hundreds or even thousands of years ago. However, the person or persons that drew them apparently did not want to give their identity away. They drew detailed and elaborate pictures of their culture and other species but nothing of themselves. One scene even described a large city that loomed above the jungle. It was like any other urban setting with buildings and vehicles transporting invisible inhabitants. It became obvious after a while that the beings of this advance civilization were deliberately hiding from view but were proud of their accomplishments.

"This is strange Zoey," said the familiar voice inside her head.

"Can you make any sense of this?" thought Marten to Anu.

"No, I'll need some time. I'm still not completely myself yet nor can I protect you with my force field without first doing some more repairs to certain critical circuit chips that were damaged during my fall from the sky. However, you could help me repair those chips, Marten, by placing me next to your head again. I promise not to cause you any more headaches or discomfort. I was only trying to communicate with you earlier to get your help. I felt trapped and very helpless," admitted Anu for the first time to an organic being.

"What happened to that bird-beast that was following you instead of me?" asked Marten.

"I merely circled back to her nest and once there, she realized it and left me to attend to her young. She may come back; there is no guarantee with this type of predator and I have no reliable database of information to help us understand how it is motivated."

"Let's hope she doesn't come back," said Zoey with a shiver. There was a sudden shuffling in the far corner behind Zoey that made her snap her head in the direction of the sound. Anu quickly gave off a burst of intense light that instantly illuminated the entire room. It stood just over two meters tall with winglets attached to its armpits that jointed at the elbows like little flaps of skin, ending with arms containing five long slender digits on hands with an opposable thumb. Its hands went up to block the sudden burst of light. It had a small faded yellow beak from years of weathering or aging, with a slight downward curvature at its end. Its featherless body was orange, brown and yellow patches that overlapped in some places on its body like splash patterns on a canvas of thin muscles and fleshy body parts. However, the striking feature was its large, round, beautiful eyes. They were soft blue orbs with green vertical slits in the irises protected by featherless eyelids that blinked profusely from Anu's bright light. In response, Anu softened the light and the creature relaxed and stared back at them in silence with no hint of fear from them.

"She said who are we? No...no...who am I? It's telepathic, Zoey," excitedly projected Anu.

"I am Anu and this is Zoey and Marten– humanoids. What is your name?" he projected his thoughts to all of them allowing everyone to communicate as well.

"I am Nanya. Why do you speak in two voices?" she said looking at Anu.

"Two voices...oh!" thought Anu. "Our friend Anu is a talking mechanical being," Marten pointed to Anu and then thought for a moment. "Anu is there any way that you could show yourself to Nanya. She may not understand the concept of robotics."

"My image will not be that solid, I still need repair, but I can appear as a male version of Dr. Linkgar, but you must promise to never tell her."

"I promise; I just don't want to confuse Nanya."

"I agree, just give me a moment to reconfigure some of my programs." In a matter of seconds, an unstable female figure appeared. The image flickered but was enough to put Nanya at ease.

She fluttered her featherless winglets and stepped closer swiping her hand through the image trying to touch it. She stepped back and cocked her head in deep thought.

"Is it alive?" she projected to Zoey. Anu looked at the creature and gave a fond smile.

"Only for a short time, I have to go into my ball shape to recharge," projecting to Nanya.

"I understand. He is electronic. He needs a constant supply of energy. I know about these things. They were once quite common here in the city. What are you doing here? It is not safe here in the city," projected Nanya.

"We are in a city? What city?" mentally questioned Anu, but he was getting weak, so he dismissed questioning for later and projected. "We must get back to Quad-City. Can you help us?"

"Quad-City...oh, you mean the new flying city!" projected Nanya with excitement.

"Yes, the flying city! Can you take us there?" interjected Anu.

"Yes, I can take you if you like. It is very far but we can do it. It is dangerous to stay here."

"Why is it dangerous?" projected Marten.

"The Thetoks come here often to try and take some of us to feed their young. We must be on constant alert to avoid them."

"What are Thetoks?" projected Anu getting weaker.

Cretok – Photos by Wikipedia.org

"The thing that chased you in the jungle is a Thetok. Some fly and others walk, but both are extremely dangerous. If you follow me, I will take you back to your city now."

"Nanya, wait! What do these pictures mean and what happened to the inhabitants of this city?" said Zoey in her head.

Nanya looked at the projection of Zoey and blinked her eyes in surprise as a physiological response characterized by her higher thought processes.

"Don't you see them?" she projected, pointing to the pictures around the room.

"No, where?" projected Marten.

"Do you see that tree painted on the corner wall?" She pointed to a pictogram.

"The tree with all the colorful drawings around it?" projected Zoey.

"Yes, that one will do!" she said. "They are standing all around the tree looking at you. Don't you see them?" she insisted. But all she managed to provoke from them were blank stares.

"No, we don't see them! How are you able to see them?" projected Anu starting to feel uncomfortable about his inability to do things.

"I know how to look at them," she finally admitted blinking her eyes. "They were masters at hiding images and creating optical illusions. Sometimes they used special techniques to project layer upon layer of hidden images throughout a painting. However, if viewed incorrectly, the images could trick your eyes into seeing false images and shapes in an attempt to confuse the onlooker. They used these techniques to baffle the Benty for over fifteen hundred years. I believe the secret involves distance, angles, spatial relationships and patience in order to view their hidden world correctly."

"You are talking about volumetric multi-dimensional displays, but did you say the Benty?" projected Anu.

"Yes, the Benty. They were responsible for all of the destruction that you see. They also brought the Thetoks to this world. They were created and trained by the Benty to guard over the inhabitants and to keep them off guard while the Benty raided the cities to stock their food supply. Many of our young inhabitants were taken which affected the population's ability to breed resulting over time in a dwindling population. When the main force of Benty finally left our world, the Thetoks were left behind and they quickly multiplied and became extremely savage."

"What about the rest of the Benty? What happened to them?" thought Anu.

"When they saw that the population could not be maintained at the necessary levels to support them, the main force left never to return but left behind a small base in the mountains. The ones left behind tried to feed off of my species, but we could not satisfy them, so they used us as target practice or allowed the Thetoks to hunt and eat us for food. But we are good at hiding and that saved us from extinction until we could evolve with newer techniques for survival."

"What about this base you mention? Do you know where it is?" projected Zoey.

"Oh yes, we all do. They think they can hide from us, but we see them all the time. They were responsible for letting the flying Thetoks into your city. A group of them came to the flying city late at night and attached a device to some machinery connected to the city. We would have removed it but some of them stayed behind to guard the device. We have no weapons, only our skills at hiding from them. We are also afraid of the earthers because they are meat eaters too! I took a chance and that is why I did not flee so that you could see me and talk."

"We appreciate you allowing us to meet you Nanya. However, even though the earther's do eat meat, they do not intentionally eat intelligent beings such as you. They eat nonsentient livestock that is bred only for that purpose. You will be safe with them," replied Anu.

"Safe!" said Nanya confused.

"Yes, they will be your friends. They will protect you from the Benty as best they can," said Anu and continued. "They too were attacked by the Benty and some taken as food and others killed. We have a common enemy and we must join together for our mutual safety," projected Anu.

"We can be friends?" asked Nanya.

"Yes, we must trust each other," thought Zoey moving closer to Nanya to touch her featherless body. She, in turn, stepped closer to allow her to touch her, which she did and held her hand in hers.

"Yes, we will be friends!" she replied, feeling the warmth flowing from Zoey's inner body.
CHAPTER 13

A Place Called Rubius

"Nanya, when you were with the people of this world, did they ever mention the Enac?"

"Yes, they did. We thought it was one of their ancient myths because it was something that happened over 100 thousand years ago. They called them their second creators because they believed the Enac showed them the way to intelligent life by giving them the means to build a civilization. Everything you see in the city they believed was a direct result of the Enac helping them," said Nanya pointing to the walls. "Oh, I do miss them so much!" she said sadly.

"How old are you Nanya?" projected Anu changing the subject.

"Old...what is old?" she replied.

"How long have you lived?" asked Zoey.

"I have lived forever!"

Zoey looked at Marten puzzled.

"What we mean Nanya, is that do you one day go to sleep forever?" queried Anu.

"What is sleep?" she replied.

"Do you close your eyes and rest, or do you stay awake? "Marten projected gesturing with his eyes.

"I never sleep as you call it. I have been like this for a long, long time. I was here when the Benty came and left our world hundreds of years ago. None of us have ever slept that I know of, except for those of us that were taken away by the Thetoks. They are no more...is that death?"

"Yes, that is what you call death," projected Zoey nodding her head in deep thought. The only time they saw the resemblance of death was when one of them was unfortunate enough to be eaten and that was not too often which meant there wasn't any precise word for death in their vocabulary other than to be eaten by something.

"My species live for a very long time and never had the opportunity to see one of us die a natural death. As long as there is sufficient food supply, we can survive indefinitely and, if the food becomes scarce for some reason, we can automatically slow down our metabolism and become dormant for hundreds or thousands of years if necessary, without any harmful side effects. What keeps us in balance with the cycle of life is our reproductive process. The female gestation process lasts twenty solar years meaning she can carry a fertilized egg in her womb indefinitely without any further development; suspended in time. We believed that if you are unfortunate enough to be consumed, our spirit or essence would come back as some other living creature, thus continuing their cycle of life." Projected Nanya

"You said we could see them on the wall if we knew how to look at the wall?" projected Anu.

"Yes, it takes time and practice for untrained eyes to see them. But I will try to show you how!"

Anu floated a few meters away from the wall and began performing a spectral analysis of the wall paintings as Nanya and Zoey both looked on rather confused. Beams of light uniformly spread across each wall as Anu rotated (more like swirled) his red eye clockwise until he had touched every possible surface area of each wall. He repeated the procedure in yellow, and then blue light. He stopped for a moment as if contemplating and then began again with green light. During this time, Zoey and Nanya stepped back into a little passageway that led to some other part of the building while still watching Anu do his analysis. They stared at the lights swooshing across the walls. Zoey's imagination suddenly went down another path, thinking of Earth and how she would love to see it again, and then just as quickly she snapped back to reality when the light show ended.

"Well," said Marten impatiently. "What did you see?"

"It's just as Nanya had said," replied Anu. "It's in cryptic layers, and the images are in holographic multi-dimensional layers, meaning that if you are not careful you could misinterpret its true meaning. It tells about how the Benty tried to enslave them and that some were taken to another planet for breeding; a place called Rubius!"
CHAPTER 14

Fast Approaching

"I'm sorry Nanya. But I have a recent report about Rubius.

Your friends are no longer on that planet," explained Anu.

Zoey, Nanya, and Marten continued to listen to Anu read each wall until Anu projected something that caused Zoey to look into the eyes of a holographic Dr. Linkgar.

"Does this wall also talk about an ancient orb hidden somewhere on this planet or in the city that came from the Enac long ago."

"Yes, but it was discovered too late for them to study. They thought it was part of the myth until it was accidentally discovered in the mountains and brought back to the city for examination. This building is not far from where we are now called a Strato-building which are very tall."

"I can take you to the place to find this orb if you like and then, I can take you back to Quad-City," offered Nanya. "This building is located in the heart of the city, a few days' journey from here."

Ruined Ancient City - Photo by win.plp.cl

"Good, let's go, it should be light outside now," said Zoey not realizing how time had quickly passed looking at the time on the sleeve of her keypad.

"I agree, Zoey. I think it would be safer if we go now while it's early morning and still cold out there," said Anu and reverted back to his natural self.

***

Nanya waddled more than walked as they quietly followed close behind her through crumbled city streets. The ground was slippery from an orange slime that covered the walkway a few millimeters thick as partially digested organic debris. Its odor was stifling at first until you got used to its sickly-sweet smell. There was just enough early morning light squeezing between the remnants of vine covered buildings to light their way. Much of the light was reflected off broken glass windows that twinkled from sunbeams. They passed by doorways with no doors along row after row of abandoned buildings weathered down to a light grayish complexion. Its true colors were hidden in cracks and crevices.

Nanya kept a smooth brisk pace; sure, of where she was taking them. Looking around, Zoey felt small amongst the distant dead that walked the streets and played in its alleyways so long ago. Her mind wanted to hear them laughing and talking as she carried Anu under her arm, still too weak to travel long distances on his own. It was better to conserve his energy in case they needed him for an emergency.

"Nanya, are we alone in this place?" whispered Marten into her mind; Anu kept the link open for them to mentally communicate.

"Yes, however, my kind doesn't normally come here alone. I was here because a Thetok caught me not paying attention and tried to corner me in the jungle. I'm not ready to be eaten just yet, so I came here to the city to escape. Fortunately, they are too big and clumsy to fit through any of the entrances along this side of the city's walls."

"Can't they find some other way into the city?" said Anu. "I noticed that some of the walls are covered with soil forming a gradual slope that they could easily traverse."

"That might be possible, but I only know about this side of the city's walls that have entrances. Other parts of the wall several kilometers down are closed off to the city and it just goes on forever deeper and deeper into the jungle with the mountains on the other side of the city as a natural barrier. I've never seen any actual evidence of them inside the city. I believe we are safe here, you can relax as far as the Thetoks are concerned," she offered, but now she also wondered why they never came into the city by using the over sloping hills that easily breached the walls. They were not known to miss an opportunity to feed and it would have been a great place for them to build their nests too.

"Are there other animals that you know of in the city?" queried Marten.

"Yes, but they are rarely seen and like to remain hidden. However, since we must go into the center of the city, I cannot guarantee what we will find there. I don't go there much myself," mentally replied Nanya.

"How did your species survive the bird-beasts...the Thetoks?" projected Zoey.

"We have adapted over time the ability to repel the Thetok, unless of course, they catch us off guard and frighten us."

"What is it? This ability that you speak of?" queried Marten.

"We can make a very high pitch sound that is quite irritating to their sense of hearing the same as your Flying-City. They won't come near us unless they are extremely hungry or like I said if they can frighten us, which restricts our vocal box and keeps us from making the necessary sounds for stopping them."

"You will have to show me how you make these sounds," said Marten.

"I can try, but I doubt that your vocal cords have evolved like ours," she said to him telepathically. Her throat had developed over time into an organ for making high-pitched sound waves as a result of environmental pressures placed on her species by the Thetoks.

After walking for hours, Nanya suggested that they stop and wait in a small alcove for the night to pass as dusk was fast approaching.
CHAPTER 15

To Overpower Them

The next morning was bright and peaceful as Nanya announced that the building was not too far from their current position.

"Being here in this part of the city makes me remember what it was like when my friends were here. My species and theirs were very close friends and we lived together harmoniously in this great city. That was many hundreds of years ago before the Benty systematically exterminated them. Now they are just a memory and some of us are starting to forget them altogether. Hopefully, their pictures on the walls will help us to remember them forever," she said sadly, feeling her loss, as they walked through a dead city that once held life and happiness for her.

"Marten, I now think I understand her relationship with the others. It's really sad," projected Zoey.

"Understand who!" projected Marten.

"Nanya was a pet," interjected Anu and added. "She was a highly evolved sentient pet! I realize that you don't have pets on your planet but on Earth it is quite common, only the pets are no way near as intelligent as Nanya. This greatly explains her feelings and loss for her dear friends," explained Anu, his red spot fading from red to pink swirls.

"Yes...," projected Nanya. "That is indeed the word that could have described our friendship. They took very good care of us and in return we loved them unconditionally."

"Hey, what is that?" exclaimed Marten pointing at a large nest jammed between the rubble of two dead buildings. It was made of dried dirt and debris. It stood over one-meter-high (taller than Marten) and about the same in diameter. Lined with dried leaves for support, it harbored three, silver eggs, eighteen centimeters long and ten centimeters wide blending well with its surrounding leaf cover. Marten, quite curious about the eggs, without thinking, picked one of them up to examine more closely. However, camouflaged like a chameleon, over twenty meters away were the parents and family members foraging for food. They were highly unusual creatures evolved with a central nervous system wrapped around their inner body producing three-dimensional color images as they watched this early morning event in horror. With their sophisticated strip of sensory receptors, they viewed the crisp images of Marten manipulating an egg in his clumsy hands. After a moment, Marten placed the egg back in the nest and stepped down off the ledge. He joined the others to continue the journey towards the heart of the city. But by now the creatures were enraged with anger as they instinctively began stalking their victims, waiting for the right moment to overpower them.
CHAPTER 16

The Weapon is Here!

Trekking through the city ruins amidst piles of rubble, Nanya suddenly sensed that several creatures called chromaphages. They possessed the ability to camouflage their bodies to match their surroundings. Skillfully they shadowed the threesome. Nanya had seen them before and then only from a distance when they were resting non-camouflaged. She now recalled that they were creatures that exclusively inhabited this part of the city ruins and were alien to her planet. They arrived on Benty transport ships as stowaways from some distant unknown planet many, many years ago. Their physiology was quite foreign to life on Giliesa. They were extremely adaptable to new habitats and so they began to breed and rapidly flourish. For survival purposes, below the surface of their skin was a thin layer of trapped ionized gas used to make its crab-like body translucent with only the faintest of an outline for hiding and hunting. They appeared as shimmering heat waves for those capable of seeing it. A small electric current induced by their brains causes a gland to release a special hormone that produces the translucency in the presence of other atmospheric gasses. The skin is composed of hard thin opaque layers of keratinized epidermal cells that allow the hormones to ionize the gas which penetrated through the skin to erase its skin color thus matching their environment. They were using this ability to track their intruder that had invaded their nest. Stealthily, they moved among the rumble not to disturb any of the debris that might give away their presence. However, being stealthy came at a price producing lots of waste as a fruity smelling colorless gas released through side pores along their lemon-shaped bodies. The toxic waste was from the metabolism of body fluids taken from hosts via contact with the outer surface of their body pressed against the victim. The only part of the body not involved with the nutrient acquisition was the head which was more like a knob with no mouth and packed with sensors that extended as a neural sensory ring around the body. Their four narrow but capable legs/arms that ended with webbed hands/feet with fine, long, slender claws were used for attaching themselves to their prey. As a consequence, an attack from a chromaphage initially resembled a burn on the victim's body.

The chromaphages behavior resembled a parasite; feeding off the contact area of smaller animals by grabbing them with their front two arms/legs while the other two arms/legs anchored them in place so that they could make firm contact with the host's external body surfaces. Once they accomplished this, the touching sensation initiated a diffusion-like process that caused the host to become weak and then unconscious as their cells turned into sieves channeling fluids to freely pass out of their body. After a few feeding sessions, the host was completely drained of all its body fluids turning into a tough leathery hull of their former selves. The chromaphages also had the ability to control how much they took from a host during a given feeding session. The host was made to slowly release its juices lasting up to several days if necessary, a process, which first incapacitated the host's, by draining fluids from their limbs making them useless for the host to resist repeated attacks. Sometimes, as a group, the chromaphages took turns feeding on the same host at regular intervals until the host was essentially desiccated. However, lately, their feeding habits began to change, and they were now attacking larger and larger prey to sustain their growing insatiable hunger and population.

"I think some creatures are tracking us. Run, but follow me!" exclaimed Nanya.

Once discovered by Nanya, the chase began forcing them deeper and deeper into the ancient city. Finally, Nanya led them into a building that Anu recognized as one of the buildings painted on the wall. Inside the empty torso of a once beautiful stratosphere revealed a huge mound of rubble and metal-like beams that once supported the mighty superstructure shooting high up into the sky for hundreds of meters. Ironically, its entrance doors were the only evidence that a magnificent building of its magnitude ever existed. They rushed in and slammed a heavy pair of transparent ceramic looking doors behind them. The doors were secured with several heavy-duty rods lying amidst the rubble. They were used to prop against the door frames to keep them from being pushed open by the chromaphages. Streams of light laced with dust and silt filtered in above their heads from thousands of small to medium size holes and cracks in the building's deteriorating superstructure. The chromaphages brutally banged on the doors, determine to get inside. Nanya looked around at what use to be the main lobby and then straight up several meters high at a massively wide empty shell of an atrium, once opulent in its day. Eventually, she looked down and around the lobby with her long-curved neck and saw a faded sign that was made difficult to read from centuries of dust.

"We must go below to find what you are looking for," Nanya whispered in their minds as if to keep the hollow echoes to a minimum; their footsteps alone was enough to bring down copious amounts of dust and silt all around them. After a brief search of the lobby, they found what they were looking for. It was a passageway hidden in the rubble like an Earth-type escalator, but without steps; it had well-formed bumps that probably served as steps that gradually sloped downward until they reached the lower level atrium, now a mere hole cut out of the upper-level ceiling. The lower atrium floor was dominated by a layer of thick dust and small pieces of debris scattered over a still highly polished tiled-like floor. Anu projected a two-dimension picture of a pictogram on a featureless wall that helped them orientate them in the right direction for the room they wanted to find. Judging from the pictogram, they were indeed in the right building and on the right level based on its layout. But there were too many real doors than what was on the pictogram, causing them some confusion. After a while, Anu was able to convince them that the number of doors was not important, only their actual position in relationship to the pictogram was relevant. And so, they quickly found the door that stubbornly opened after registering a huge echo of rebellious squawking accompanying silt and debris. They found themselves staring down a long dark smelly corridor. Obviously, something else was living down here too, but Anu projected an intense beam of light that assured them that nothing was in the corridor for the time being. However, there were several doors lining both sides, but they were all tightly shut and some even locked. It looked like the corridor ended at the placement of a single black door, but it was only an illusion. The end of the corridor actually split into a "T" as the length of the main hallway hid the side openings to the adjoining corridor until you were right on them. Anu flashed the wall painting on the black door and oriented it like a map; they chose the dank smelling corridor to the left. Traversing the hallway in silence, they came to another black ceramic door on their right that looked rather plain and very inconspicuous. It was still attached firmly to its hinges; faded and worn by the years. When Zoey turned the door handle and pushed, it screamed loudly and gave some hesitation, but opened. In a single file with Zoey first, they walked into a large cool empty room filled with pictures of the ancient city hanging crookedly on all four white walls; the furniture was long since removed for whatever reason. Despite its quiet demeanor, the room was unusually clean and free of dust or any debris. The most striking attribute in the entire room was it floor; seamless black shiny onyx tile substance. They gazed down, and each saw their own reflection in perfect detail. The soundproof room muting any noises made by Zoey and Nanya as they shuffled about looking for any signs of a hidden door or compartment on the walls.

"This can't be the room we are looking for," offered Marten somewhat disappointed. "I was expecting a hidden room, deep underground; not this ordinary room in what seems more like an office building instead of a science facility."

"This is not an ordinary room, Marten," projected Anu in a low voice. "I have seen a room like this once before, trust me, the weapon is here!"
CHAPTER 17

Past Experiences

"The switch that controls the floor with these types of devices could be anywhere in the room, but if you understand its basic principles it is merely a circuit-breaking switch. It electronically interrupts the flow of current allowing the floor...or a portion of the floor to open as a seamless entry way," projected Anu to his friends.

Understanding its function made it very easy for Anu to find and unlock the secret floor. It was only centimeters away from Nanya's feet near the doorway entrance. It opened with a faint hiss from long forgotten air trapped and now able to escape along with a shaft of intense light that rushed out from its long captivity. As they circled around to looked down into the room, more lights automatically came on for the first time in hundreds of years. Marten and Nanya stood there, transfixed as they watched a thick stream of smoke harden into a small staircase descending into hopefully...the end of their little journey. It was at that instant that Anu detected movement in the outside hallway. Without warning, a chromaphage barged into the room submerged in a sea of light; its sensors blinded by the light's intensity making it unable to see Nanya and the others. However, it could faintly detect their presence somewhere close to it. Going around the beam of light, another chromaphage came in and then another. Slowly, Zoey along with the others moved around the shaft of light in the opposite direction, noting that six chromaphages had entered the room forming a semicircle around the beam of light with the entrance directly in front of the chromaphages.

"Keep walking, they will follow you around the light," projected Anu inside their heads. Following his orders, they did so and as Anu had predicted, they were all now standing in from of the entrance to the secret room. The creatures moved to the opposite side in response. "Go down the stairs, they can't see what you are doing, the light is canceling out most of their receptors."

"I don't know, Anu," thought Zoey nervous about the situation. "They might decide to follow us by moving forward and then jump into the room with us," she finished saying while looking at Nanya for her opinion. She just simply stared back at her and waited for them to make the next move.

"It's a risk I agree, but you will have to take it," said Marten and continued by saying. "I think they will merely move around to the spot you were last standing. If they start to jump, just come back up...quick."

"I will close the floor trapping them down there!" projected Anu to his friends.

"What about the weapon?" thought Marten.

"One problem at a time my friend," quickly projected Anu.

Cautiously, they went down the stairs one by one while the chromaphages simply remained where they were, unsure of where their prey had gone. Once they were all safely in the room, Anu electronically integrated with the wall panel's circuits and turned the current back on. The floor solidified again, shutting off the light. At that same instant, the chromaphages rushed across the room where they thought their prey should have been standing only to find nothing. Immediately, they frantically scattered searching every centimeter of the room.

***

Once the bright light emanating up from the room was extinguished, it was more than enough to trigger the chromaphage's full array of senses. Having a relatively less intuitive brain prohibited them from envisioning going in both directions at the same time, thus cornering and capturing their prey. This small flaw in their evolutionary genetic makeup was the single factor that now allowed Zoey, Marten and Nanya to look up in amazement from within the secret room. The floor above them appeared transparent, invisible to the unaided eye as they watched the strange creatures frantically scurrying about looking for them in vain while making tapping sounds with their hands/feet on a solid invisible floor. After a time, the sound became irritating to their senses forcing Nanya's soft hand to tap Zoey's shoulder to get her attention. With her other hand, she pointed towards the black orb that sat on a raised platform.

Planet Giliesa's Orb – Picture by L. Sky

"Is this what you are looking for? I've never seen such a thing before" offer Nanya to take their minds off the tapping from above.

"Yes, this is it!" projected Anu.

It was about a meter high off the real floor made of ordinary composite tile. The orb had a magical glow that bathed the tiny room with lighting making it appear surreal in nature. The black elliptical orb was so shiny and perfect looking that it seemed to have a slippery quality of its own that defied the senses as it shimmered, sucking energy from its surroundings while giving off a low musical hum.

Nanya approached it first and touched it with her slender fingers. It was two meters long and one-meter-wide at its farthest point and extremely slippery with no friction whatsoever. The low audible hum raised an octave letting them know that it was aware of their presence. Marten stood off at a distance, not sure what to do next as Anu floated out of Zoey's hand to the floor and rolled over to Nanya. He asked her to place him on the table beside the orb. Gently touching it, Anu began to glow as he telepathically began collecting an account of the orbs past experiences.
CHAPTER 18

A Warm Livingroom Chair

"The orb has been here on this planet for about one hundred and fifty thousand years. It was placed here to protect the planet from other planetary invaders that would do grave harm to its inhabitants. I guess the Benty figured out how to overcome the inhabitants fast enough so that they did not have the time or the opportunity to figure out how to use the weapon," reported Anu.

"They were very peaceful and kind natured," said Nanya with sorrow in her thoughts.

"Nanya, I now know all too well, but I have learned from experience that it's also a very dangerous shortcoming as well," emotionally added Zoey.

Then Anu projected to all of them, "I don't have to tell you that there are beings in our universe that want to do us grave harm. We must be strong and stick together. What has happened here should be a lesson to us all that we must help each other survive. I am certain that my planet, Enac will stand by you and help you. My only hope is that you will do the same for my people as well."

"Zoey, it's hard to speak for all my friends but they too want the same things that you want and I'm sure they will be more than willing to help in any way they can. The Benty are a common enemy for all of us. Together we can stop them!" said Nanya.

"Both of you sound very diplomatic, but it's more important that we make sure this orb is operational and can be safely transported. Once we get it back to Quad-City, we can position it to protect us from any space invasion mounted by the Benty. However, it's the Benty on the surface that should concern us most. We have plenty of companions to protect and preserve your way of life if necessary, but we first must consider those creatures above if we are to think about a long-term co-existence on this planet," projected Anu.

"What about them?" asked Zoey mentally, looking up at the scurrying creatures that refused to give up.

"Let us see if we can wait them out. They should grow tired and leave once they think we are really gone," projected Anu.

"I hope you are right," said Marten looking about trying to figure out how he could make himself comfortable, while he waited. Nanya sensed what he wanted and sat down in a corner of the room and motioned for Marten to sit down on her soft torso like a warm living room chair.
CHAPTER 19

A Second Thought

After almost an hour of waiting for the chromaphages to give up and leave, a Benty patrol suddenly stormed into the room, apparently using a tracking device to locate Zoey's earthly signal. Instantly, they took control of the situation by destroying all the chromaphages that were super agitated by so many organisms endangering their habitat. Initially, the Benty had overheard earthers on their communications network trying to gather information about Zoey and Marten's location, if they still were alive. They knew her escort back to Photopia was waiting. After skillful analysis, the Benty were able to deduce that Zoey was needed on Photopia to assemble another great weapon against their mighty harvesting fleets. In response, a patrol was organized to capture Zoey or Marten, but when they heard about their fate with the bird-beast, they quickly began tracking her to make sure she would never go back to Quad-City alive.

They all watched in horror as the Benty decimated six strong adult chromaphages. They had no obvious clue as to why the chromaphages were in that particular room in the first place. So, not seeing their earther, they rushed back out to search the rest of the building to avoid the stench of the gas released from the chromaphage's dead carcasses. The team leader, however, was baffled as to why they did not find Zoey because the signal was so strong for her presence minutes before they arrived at the room. He was ready to go back to the room when a sound attracted their attention on the level above and they rushed to investigate, ignoring the detector's constant insistence that the earther was nearby. The team leader was willing to accept the probability of a false echo as he led the charge back upstairs, his men duty bound to him as they followed without giving it a second thought.
CHAPTER 20

Maybe Later

After the Benty left, Zoey, Marten, and Nanya waited a few minutes longer to be sure the Benty were gone from the area before coming out of hiding. During the excitement, Anu took the opportunity to siphon some of the massive energy stored in the orb to bring most of his working circuits up to eighty percent capacity. He still couldn't fly, only hover or float, but he could use his bubble to hide his friends or ward off a small attack if necessary. Now confident, Anu floated over to the wall panel and electronically activated the switch to re-open the floor's doorway. He then scanned the building above only to find that his energy could only penetrate a few meters beyond the walls. Curious, he scanned the walls themselves and was amazed to find that the entire building was grown by some synthetic material that was similar in properties to the elements number eighty-two and twelve. The fact that the building was crumbling despite its apparent strength and flexibility meant it was in needed of care or it was just really very old; thousands of years old! Quickly, Anu made a digital sample of the material and floated up to the main floor with the rest in tow. It was easy to find their way back out of the building following the Benty footsteps in the thick dust. Once out of the building the day was bright with promise Anu as Nanya cautiously started them on their journey back to Quad-City.

"Anu, why not call and inform the committee that we are okay and coming back?" offered Marten.

"It might be intercepted by the Benty patrol. I am certain they're still around searching for us. I don't want to give them a chance to find us again," projected Anu.

"You think they were looking for me?" said a confused Zoey. "How could they possibly have known I was here in the ancient city?"

"Finding you was the easy part. They were more hoping you were alone or dead," projected Anu.

"I agree," said Nanya telepathically to Zoey and Marten. "You must be a threat to them somehow and they will not stop until you are found. We will have a hard time crossing the jungle. It will be easier if we keep at a steady pace, we can all manage."

"Okay, I understand," said Zoey and Marten conceding to a Nanya's wisdom.

While they were leaving the building, a Benty from a nearby rooftop overlooking several streets saw them heading towards the jungle. Once they were far enough away from the building's weird effects, it was then that Anu detected the Benty patrol in pursuit of them. Anu decided that it would not be wise to lead them to Quad-City for fear that they might further endanger the earthers. So, he decided to be a decoy again and lead them in another direction to give his friends more of a head start. His plan was working as he imitated Zoey. But when he turned a corner, they completely ignored him, instead relying on their tracking devices. Meanwhile, the others crawled through a crack in the wall large enough to allow them to pass through without too much difficulty. They ran towards the jungle for cover unaware that another Thetok regularly patrolling the area quickly spotted them and gave chase, screaming in their wake with hunger. This unexpected development so soon forced Nanya to take them deeper into the dense jungle foliage with the beast close behind them, knocking down thick trees and bushes in the process. With instinct and quick moves, the bird beast was able to corner them against a thick wall of trees and overhanging vines that prevented them from going any further. Being the superb predator, it immediately blocked their most likely immediate escape route behind her by spreading her long muscular wings while inching towards them for the kill. The beast's head towered above them, its hot fetid breath struck Zoey's body like a blowtorch, shocking her body into stiffness. Marten yelled for Nanya and Zoey to run to the right, while he ran to the left, forcing the beast to choose so at least one or two of them could escape. But Nanya just stood there mortified by the presence of the beast so close to her. Marten shouted at her again and again until finally he remembered that she was telepathic and could not hear him; Anu was his translator and he was now gone. Without thinking, he began waving his arms at her in hopes that she would quickly understand its meaning. But this only allowed the Thetok time to trap Zoey as she slowly angled her massive beak towards her to make a fatal stab into her slender body. Standing close by, Nanya was so mortified that her vocal cords refused to work as the beast moved in closer, cautious not to let either of them gets past with her outstretched wings blocking any view to escape. Just as it was about to seize Zoey, she closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate, but worth it, if Nanya and Marten had enough time to escape with their lives. But instead, she felt a pleasant tingling sensation wash over her body forcing her to peek only to find both she and the others inside a milky white room; a bubble. They rolled away from a hunger beast totally bewildered and frustrated.

***

"Where are we Zoey?" projected Nanya bewildered about her strange surroundings but obviously safe from the beast. Zoey turned and smiled looking into her large round eyes grateful that Anu was close by in time to save them.

"You're inside Anu. We're safe now. Don't worry," projected Zoey.

Inside Anu's bubble, they sat on his soft foamed platform thoughtfully provided by him. The platform remained fixed in a horizontal position as Anu rolled along the jungle floor. The beast could still sense the electromagnetic forces given off by Anu's energy field and in response froze and swept its head from side to side searching for an invisible prey. Meanwhile, the Benty tracking Zoey stumbled into the situation. They noted the odd behavior of the beast surmising that it was tracking something it couldn't see. Swiftly, the Benty took advantage of the situation and began encircling the beast and whatever it was looking for. But in doing so, one of the Benty accidentally stepped on a dried twig. It broke with such force that it gave a loud crack snapping the concentration of the beast's fixation on something invisible to something it could see. The Benty that made the clumsy mistake panicked and froze in place with terror gripping his heart.

The Benty patrol had no way of detecting Anu and at the same time, Anu dampened the bio-signal of Zoey such that the Benty could only suspect that she was nearby. Without more sophisticated equipment, they were utterly helpless pinpointing her exact position. Instinctively, the bird-beast stalked its new prey, catching one of them off-guard. With its lightning speed, it rapidly devoured a Benty soldier as he violently screamed for help. On cue, the Benty patrol of twelve men strong began rushing towards their subcommander's last known position in time to witness his legs gruesomely going down the long-curved throat of the flying Thetok. Seeing the other humanoid-like creatures triggered her instinct to fly away to avoid harm. She stretched her wings to their maximum length forcing some of the Benty to step back to avoid being hit and possibly injured from its powerful thrust. But the Benty used to such behaviors from the beast felt no remorse savagely attacking it. The foot-soldiers cut the bird-beast up into small chunks with their laser weapons exposing parts of their subcommander's undigested lifeless body. Despite his gruesome body, they continued to systematically dismember the Thetoks' body into smaller and smaller pieces. Meanwhile, Anu silently rolled away deeper into the jungle and away from the disgusting carnage. Zoey, Marten, and Nanya watched it all unfold with wide eyes of disbelief.

"This brings back old memories of a time when the Benty ruled this world," projected Nanya.

"Yes, I can imagine it must've been hard times for you and your friends," projected Marten and continued by adding.

"They have very little appreciation for life other than their own. They mustn't be allowed to contact their home world to start a new feeding frenzy on Giliesa. We must warn your friends about this danger. There is no doubt in my mind that they will eat all of you and those that they don't eat they will take back to their home world or a satellite planet to be used for breeding. In fact, I have heard rumors of a planet in our solar system that had a large facility built for experimenting on humanoids to improve their breeding of humanoids. We believe some of our friends from here were also captured and taken somewhere for experimentation," projected Nanya.

"Nanya, why do you call your friends inhabitants? What are their real names and what did they look like?" asked Zoey.

"Why...they looked like...like...you, Zoey! They were black and hairless with large dark blue eyes that glowed in the dark."

"And what were they called, Nanya?" projected Zoey.

"To say their name would bring great sadness for me. I cannot say it just yet, maybe later."
CHAPTER 21

Energy-Consuming Machines

When Zoey and Marten returned to Quad-City with Nanya, a boat-racing contest was in full swing to restore peace after the savage attack. Located in the middle of Quad-City, a huge manmade lake was constructed with four long bridges forming an "X" connecting the four citidomes at four points. The arching bridges were built high above the river allowing the long sails to freely pass underneath.

The racing contest centered around twenty-two, sleek, nine meters long, extremely lightweight sailboats. Each had super thin solar panels powered by the city's artificial sunlight and wind. Each boat was constructed of a high impact plastic body frame made of carbon fiber produced from nano-replicators and a special epoxy resin hand painted over the hull. In place of conventional sails was a pair of paper-thin, super-lightweight rectangular solar panels that extended outwards from the ship's body at a thirty-degree angle as winglets. When the wind died down, the solar panels automatically extended horizontally outwards to release enough electricity to power the boat's electric motors for forward momentum. When the paper-thin wings were in their upright, ninety-degree sailing configuration, they looked like delicate venetian blinds capable of catching the artificial wind. For the race, each sailboat represented a community and wore its colors as a sash across the boat's bow.

The boats themselves were a plethora of colors in various combinations expressing the livelihood of each community.

Thousands of earthers took up positions at the starting and finishing points of the race on opposite sides of the river. The shorelines were invisible to the unaided eye due to the slight curvature of Quad-City's surface. A thin mist hung over the river as condensation from clouds gave a cooling effect from the wind generated by the turbine wind towers in combination with the warmth of the artificial sun above.

Maglev wind turbines created the necessary convection currents. Scattered throughout the high points of the city, they looked like glass white towers adorned with six broad blades attached to magnets churning to produce energy with very little friction. They turned the wind allowing the turbines to spin at very low wind speeds to generate enough power for a significant portion of the Quad-City dwellings.

To maximize the energy and limited real estate surrounding each citidome were relatively small circular algae farms. Standing at 120 meters in diameter they were impregnated with a species of genetically enhanced algae that produced tremendous amounts of hydrogen gas. The gas was used for the city's consumption of hydrogen fuel in most of large transportation systems and other large energy-consuming machines.
CHAPTER 22

Trying to Meet You!

As the Giliesa River's water vapors rose, the boat's winglets caught the wind. The sailboats briskly plowed through the crystal-clear blue water. They bobbed and weaved from side to side as they lunged headlong towards the midway marker. The famous blue edifice towering above the water on a small island was built dead center of the river. The tower resting on the artificial island used blue neon light to highlight the mid-point of the race. Its rotating solar-powered beam of blue light washed over the sailboats precisely every sixty seconds.

The scene was colorful and exciting as earthers cheered lively at the two marinas hosting the event. Each marina loaded with boat slips were overshadowed by a huge glassed-in mall that provided seating and refreshments for hundreds to enjoy in a cool luxurious setting a magnified view as far out as the light tower.

Accompanying each marina was a pristine beach complete with nano-replicated fine white sand. The boardwalk 55 meters from the shoreline served two purposes; the first and most obvious being the simple enjoyment of a walk along the beach. It was an alternative way for those who chose not to get wet but simply to enjoy watching those who frolicked and sunbathed in or near the water's edge. The second purpose for the boardwalk was to provide energy for Quad-City's energy grid. Every sunbather's footsteps striking the boardwalk interacted with sensitive pads installed underneath the boardwalk's pavement. When depressed under the weight of each footstep it caused a sliding motion against a second platform that converted the kinetic energy of their footsteps into electricity. Everyone was encouraged to get out and walk on the boardwalk day or night to exercise and donate energy to the system. The racing contest alone sent massive amounts of energy to the power grid via the boardwalk. Hundreds of earthers enjoyed the festivities surrounding this first annual event and their ingenuity to overcome and triumph against tragedy.

During the boating event, Marten spoke to the governing committee about the nature of Quad-City's attack on the sound barrier and the Benty behind it. He also gave his personal accounts of the ordeal they all faced in the jungle and the discovery of the ancient Enac weapon. When the committee heard about the presence of the Benty Base, it was like throwing cold water in their faces. It suddenly grew very quiet in the conference room.

Nanya then introduced herself with the help of several companions telepathically linking everyone together. She gave her account of the Benty base hidden in the mountains that overlooked Quad-City. Just as Nanya finished her report when a newcomer to the meeting rushed in. She excused herself for being late, but the racing event caused a huge traffic jam as travelers either slowed down or stopped their vehicles on the bridge to see the event from above. She declined to sit with the committee, sitting instead with the concerned earthers who felt they had a right to hear about their fate. The mood was calm until Zoey Weaver nodded to some of her earther friends she had met during her ordeal on Cefon-5. Anu had filled her in on the proceedings while they were stuck in traffic and so presently, she was fully aware of the situation for the moment. Surprised that there were not more earthers at the meeting, she remained silent. Anu had picked up Sunie's signal before he entered the building and informed Zoey that he was present at the meeting too. Sunie was elated and watched Zoey from across the room with great enthusiasm. He was finally going to meet the human he was sent to get and take back to Earth. He was amazed at how much she had aged for such a young earthling, despite the fact that he knew nothing of earthling physiology. When she walked in, their eyes momentarily connected and then she turned away not wanting to recognize him. She did not want to leave without knowing that Dax was alive and safe. In fact, she felt sullen and moody, not wanting to feel pleasant about the whole ordeal. Anu sensed her anxiety and tried to reason with her.

"Zoey, this is not the time to feel sorrow for your friend. The earthers here need your strength to figure out how to stop the new Benty threat."

"Yes, I know Anu," she thought back. "I want to help, really I do, but I just don't have the energy or the will to do anything about it right now."

"The ambassador from Photopia is interesting and very eager to meet you. He has traveled millions of miles to see you. It wouldn't do you any harm to talk to him," he projected.

"What could he possibly do that I have not done already?" she thought to her loyal companion. "Right now, I just feel powerless to do anything. I'm tired and I just want my Dax here with me."

"Wait...wait, the ambassador's companion has just informed me that Dax is on Photopia waiting for you!"

***

"As I told you earlier this planet according to my testimony had sentient beings. They were driven to extinction by the Benty. It is in their city that the Enac weapon was found and now you are tasked to decide on how best to retrieve it for Quad-City's defense," suggested Zoey to the committee.

"We agree with you. Once you get the orb and destroy the Benty base, it will be possible for you to leave for Photopia to find your friend," said the governor sensing Zoey's mood changing for the better.

Zoey stood up in the middle of one of the committee member's giving a speech about how they should not provoke the Benty and try to just live in peace with them. Zoey could not believe her ears that someone could be so naïve after the way the Benty savagely attacked them in outer space and now Quad-City, with the flying Thetoks. She was compelled to speak her mind and despite the dark puffiness around her eyes and her weak posture from lack of sleep for days, she still addressed the committee with zeal.

"Madame Governor," Zoey said to a motherly looking middle-aged woman. "I would like to suggest that we form an expedition to the ancient city to recover the weapon and at the same time, send another expedition to deal directly with the Benty base. We are not safe with this base overlooking our city. They are prone to cause more mischief until their main fleet can arrive. It would be unwise to think that they will consider living in peace with us when they clearly see us as a dinner waiting to be had. No, we must strike quickly and not give them a chance to try anything else the way they did with the flying Thetoks."

"I agreed said the governor of Quad-City." Looking around the rectangular table at her elected committee members, who, one by one began to nod their heads in agreement.

Swiftly, they worked out the details for the two expeditions and decided on who would lead the team to recover the weapon and who would lead the attack on the Benty base. After a little under an hour of hard discussion, a leader for each expedition was chosen and sent for by two companions that would take them to the chambers of the governor where together they would work on the final details.

Happy, Zoey slowly made her way to Sunie as earthers began to leave with a feeling of hope giving smiling glances towards Zoey. She approached the ambassador and was amazed at how tall he was; sitting down hid his true size. Immediately, he rose to greet her and extended his arms to embrace her as if he had known her forever. A bond between them had formed instantly as she felt safe in the arms of her new friend.

"Miss Weaver. Before you become acquainted with the ambassador, the committee needs to speak to you for a moment," said a member of the committee.

Zoey looked up at Sunie and excused herself and followed the committee member into a small chamber room. Everyone found a chair around an oblong table with the governor sitting on the opposite side where Zoey was offered to sit.

"Miss Weaver," said a male committee member to her right. "Because of your celebrity status, we cannot let you go on either of the expeditions. You will remain here until they return...victorious we hope!"

"But they will need me!" she pleaded.

"Not as much as Quad-City young lady," said Madame Governor. "This is not a request. We are ordering you to remain here at Quad-City until they safely return. We will keep you informed of their progress via your companion. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, but I am officially protesting your decision," she replied.

"Your protest is duly noted and recorded, and we expect you to fully comply with our orders."

"Yes, I understand, and I will try to abide by your wishes."

"Good! Now go talk with your ambassador. He has been through a tremendous ordeal just trying to meet you!"
CHAPTER 23

Assassinate Zoey Weaver

The failure of his best foot-soldier to surprise and eliminate Zoey Weaver was more than troubling. Many good men had been lost because of her cunningness to survive. He was now faced with the possibility of annihilation at the hands of the pathetic earthers, the Benty base's commander contacted his home world and nearby harvest ships summoning them to the planet Giliesa. But his more pressing concern was dealing with the one earther in particular. Her presence on the planet was his good fortune and a way to earn significant favor from his leaders. He desperately contemplated a way to get close enough to destroy Her before the reinforcements arrived. Stubbornly, a plan started to take shape that he could put together in a short time. He figured the earthers wouldn't dare mount an attack against them, which would give him time to prepare and execute his plan. He was going to need a volunteer that would mean certain death by the hands of the earthers if they failed or...by him if necessary. Things of this delicate nature were generally handled by a junior officer with no real accomplishments and highly disposable. He walked through the cave all night looking at his officers and trying to draw some definite conclusions about them that would satisfy his requirements. Early the next morning, tired and weak with hunger his eyes finally settled on a junior officer; he had thought about him earlier but dismissed him on account he was so young, even for a foot soldier. But the more he thought about him and the role he would play, the more certain he was that this soldier was right for the job. With no political or family connections, he promptly ordered the junior officer to his quarters and began his pitch to enlist him in his plot to assassinate Zoey Weaver.
CHAPTER 24

Ready for Departure

A steady breeze stirred as Sunie, dressed in his traditional black smock with a gold sash serving as a pouch, gazed out at the jungle's perimeter. The perimeter was cut a hundred meters out from the citidomes. It was maintained by automated plant cutting machines, but more for security than aesthetics. The jungle's mosaics colors of greens, yellows and oranges made it appear cheerful on the surface in the early dawn's light, but only because there was a metal-glass wall a few meters beyond the perimeter. The breeze came from huge turbofans underneath the citidome's platform sucking up a constant supply of air to the city and helping to keep the temperature above the platform livable for its residents. In the meantime, more sunlight edged its way towards Sunie's feet, pushing the semi-darkness further back towards the inner core of the platform until artificial lighting captured it to loosen its grip and push it back. The quietness added to its shadowy nature like a strong hand that gripped the semi-darkness in a vice. Standing under one of the citidomes was an awesome feeling; its massive columns reaching ten meters high to hold up the staggering weight above it.

Ground-Level Citidome with Sound Barrier – Picture by L. Sky and commons.wikimedia.org

Suddenly, more lights began to pop on around the platform's shadowy underworld trying to keep the darkness at bay. For the moment, the underworld was quiet and empty with only the sound barrier humming in the background reaching out to the clearing to keep any unwanted creatures from venturing too close. Within the shadows, a heightened concern was spawned with the awareness of the Benty sharing the same planet. Extending down from Quad-City's huge platform, a large elevator quickly became crowded with earthers coming down and gathering into small groups. The early morning sun was brighter now and the sky clear, promising to be a pleasant day for traveling. More earthers began to assemble and the volume of noise increased, as the two expeditions hastily made ready for departure.
CHAPTER 25

To Meet You!

Only earthers in the expeditions could come down to the surface, which for an earthers was a rare treat never having seen the underside of a citidome before. The occasion gave off an air of excitement as well as the urgency of the situation that could escalate if not quickly dealt with. A familiar figure emerged from the elevator into the light heading towards the outer edges of the citidome.

"Nanya, everyone is deeply grateful that you are leading the expedition to the Benty base," said a well-rested Zoey as she gracefully approached him. His tall slender figure made him highly recognizable in a crowd of humans, aliens and hybrids around him. His Soft white complexion and hairless body glowed in the artificial light. He seemed like a royalty figure as he towered over his friends that greeted him, wishing him well on his journey.

"You are my friend forever," said Nanya as Anu translated. "Together, we will make the planet safe once again for everyone. Earlier, I told you that the inhabitants looked similar to you. They used sodium chloride as their energy source mined from underground veins that ran underneath the city like rivers of water. I remember them saying that they were descents from another planet and that they had escaped the Benty after being captive for many hundreds of years. They came here after a big galactic war that was more than five hundred years ago. This is why their paintings were so cryptic. They did not want others to know where the origin of their species could be found in the galaxy."

"Do you know where they were originally from, Nanya?" projected Zoey holding her breath with anticipation.

"Of course, I do. They told us many times and spoke about going back one day."

"Please tell me. I must know!" projected Zoey with a plea in her silent voice.

"They came from the planet Photopia!"

"What were they called Nanya?" projected Zoey with excitement.

"They were called...," she said then hesitated for a moment.

"...Kalians."

"Don't you mean Photopians?" projected Marten overshadowed by everyone around him.

"That was the name given to them by the Benty. Their real name is Kalia or kalians."

"I know that between the Benty and the beasts that walk and fly the Kalians were slowly destroyed over time. What you do not know is that the descendants of that world were taken to the planet Rubius for experimental breeding many thousands of years ago. I believe they said the galactic war set them free when the Benty never came back to Rubius. When you came into the room with the ancient paintings, I realized that I should have helped you earlier. But instead, I panicked and tried to hide. I thought you were experimental descendants coming back from Rubius again and I was ashamed of myself for not helping you sooner when you're flying device crashed in the jungle and again when the bird-beast rolled you away to its nest."

"You saw all of that?" projected Zoey.

"Yes, I did. We are everywhere and communicate instantly with each other. We wanted to be sure you were not one of the Benty experiments. We are not as brave as you, traveling through time and space."

"Kalians," said Zoey. "That's a nice name. I will never forget it. Thank you, Nanya. And...Nanya, I want you to be very careful so that you can come back and tell me everything that happened on your expedition!" said Zoey with a trace of sadness in her voice. She had grown attached to Nanya since their ordeal together and got to know her quite well. Nanya was warm and loving and very attentive to her feelings, she was the perfect pet! "I have a surprise for you, though, Nanya. In just a few minutes someone is coming down the elevator to meet you!"
CHAPTER 26

Millions of Photopians

A tall dark figure emerged from the elevator and walked up to a parting crowd. Nanya scream, "Master you have come back to us!" She ran and embraced Sunie so tightly until his arms became numb.

"Zoey said to come down to meet someone. I can only assume it is you. But why are you calling me you master?"

"Because master, this was once your home planet Kalia. You are a Kalian! Your species and mine were inseparable and lived happily for thousands of years. The Benty came and some of you were taken away for experiments. I guess some of you survived and escaped to colonize another world. But this is your true home, here, with us!" Sunie looked at Nanya incredulously, not knowing what to say to her.

"This a lot to take in Nan...ya. When you get back, we must talk," he projected to Nanya with a warm feeling and lightheadedness. Sunie turned away to the elevator with wobbly legs and his body slumped over from the incredible words he just received. All his life he lived a lie, a creature with amnesia that will never be the same once he returns to Photopia with this astounding news. Slowly, he boarded the elevator and was whisked away to ponder is fate and the fate of millions of photopians.
CHAPTER 27

The New Earth!

"Thank you, Nanya meeting Sunie. I'm deeply sorry that you had to meet like this, but we are required to become a force to deal with the Benty. This ordeal will help us to understand the meaning of survival."

"Good, Zoey, you will need it. I am sure the Benty have already planned to attack this flying city again soon with the help of the Thetoks attacking from the sky and the ground. My friends have communicated to me that they are building more facilities underground to process the earthers. The Benty patrols have been ordered to shoot us on sight because we can interfere with their delicate equipment with our sound waves. The real excuse is that because we don't taste good, they just hate us, seeing us as useless. Fortunately, they live high enough in the mountains that it takes time for them to come down to the jungle to harm us. Your friends in the flying city are in deep peril. Hopefully, we will return victorious and both of us will be able to share our glorious adventures!" said Nanya, ever so softly patting Zoey on the head, eliciting a warm smile from him.

Sunie from a monitor with others watched his friends disappear inside the companions and saw the orb expedition silently slip through a secret hole in the wall and into the jungle. Anu suspended above Zoey's head kept a watchful eye as Marten's team began loading equipment into four companions, and then disappeared into the jungle foliage to begin their journey to recover the ancient Enac weapon with the hopes to save the planet; the new Earth!
CHAPTER 28

Squeezing the Life Out of Them

When the committee left the room, they were unanimous about what to do and deliberate with their actions. No one said anything amongst themselves, but everyone knew what everyone else was thinking as they looked at the governor with burning eyes of commitment to never let it happen to them. They pleaded not to let Giliesa suffer because of their decision to come to Giliesa to seek sanctuary from the Benty.

***

The earthers were one hundred strong rolling through the jungle five inside each companion's invisible bubble. Nanya, inside a bubble with four other colonists, confidently led the way to the underground base. The overall fear they shared was that they were being watched by the Benty the moment they left Quad-City. Many were worried that the Benty re-enforcements would arrive to make it even more dangerous for them to attack their base. However, the companions continually assured them that this was not the case, and so they re-affirmed their agreement that the Benty base had to be destroyed at all cost.

It seemed so long ago when Nanya arrived battered and bruised inside Anu's bubble. They quickly carted them off through the city to see the governing committee for debriefing.

At first, their story was too incredible to believe. But Nanya was proof and assured them they were in danger of being attacked by the Benty force already hiding on the planet.

***

Fully repaired and totally functional again, Anu was eager to lead the expedition back to the Ancient City. Their journey was uneventful, safe inside the bubbles of their companions. Later they found out that the expedition to the Benty base was not as fortunate. First, traveling on the surface made their trek three days longer instead of just a day had they flown directly to the base. But, if they had flown, the flying bird-beasts would have instantly detected their energy fields. It would have heightened their natural curiosity to follow the expedition. In packs, the bird-beast squawking and making suicidal passes for just such events would immediately alert the Benty soldiers. Understanding the tale tell signs, the Benty would have prepared themselves for an attack. Then, as luck would have it, the bird-beast did play out the exact scenario, but on the ground, destroying any hopes of surprising the Benty force. Secondly, because of the number of bubbles making their way across dry land that hadn't received rainfall in over six months, the plumes from their dust trails made them visible for several kilometers in all directions. Lastly, and the most damaging was that a sleek-looking Benty attack ship capable of carrying up to a dozen foot soldiers unexpectedly appeared presumably to investigate the strange behaviors of the bird-beasts. The attack ship was electronically equipped to see the outlines of energy fields generated by companions and knowing this, two companions quickly broke from formation and flew up to engage the scout ship. The Benty fired first at the lead companion causing it to flicker revealing its cargo inside. Then without warning, the energy field collapsed and released all of its contents, smashing it to the ground with a loud thunderclap. The second companion retreated long enough to unload its cargo and then rapidly reduced its size to normal and in a flash was directly over top of the scout ship matching its speed. It fired a single beam of light that split the ship's top hull open like a giant bug causing it to rapidly lose pressure and drop like a rock.

Companion vs Benty attack ship – Picture by en.wikipedia.org and L. Sky

It hit the ground with an explosion that sent millions of pieces of debris scattering over a large portion of the jungle. Some of the pieces were Benty foot-soldiers as its echo roared with a concussion that knocked trees down in a radial pattern around the enormous crater it made.

Attack ship crash – Picture by en.wikipedia.org

The silence that followed became as deafening as the explosion itself. About a third of the earthers who were outside their bubbles watching the engagement. They were showered with flying metal that wounded or killed many of them. After a few minutes, the sounds of life gradually came back. Humanoid voices cried out from their ordeal after the unimaginable devastation that had resulted. In turn, the jungle animals roared in harmony from the savage disruption of their normal routine of hunting and being hunted amidst the huge destruction of their habitat.

***

The only entrance to the Benty base was recessed in a high mountain with a pair of camouflaged laser cannons overlooking the jungle valley, Quad-City and then the beach. As a precaution, the Benty placed natural looking barriers like boulders and artificial trees made of metal to block the rugged entrance and the light that spewed out from inside it. Not far from these implants were small well-fortified bunkers in key positions to cover the entrance from both sides with maximum firepower. The doorless entry was also heavily riddled with alarms to give early warning against uninvited intruders and large predators. Inside, the facility had a large volume crisscrossed with hallways and hidden side rooms to confound any enemy that might manage to survive the gauntlet outside. Towards the back of the cave was a large cavity that was gouged out of the mountain and always well lighted and tactically organized with all of their weapons, equipment, and supplies.

Their main mission on the planet was to conduct limited experimental breeding with beings in and around the solar system. The lonely outpost basically contained at any given time around fifty males, mostly breeding scientists and their technicians. The rest were highly unmotivated foot-soldiers. Their mission was simple; maintain the base's two large laser cannons that had the destructive power to destroy all of Quad-City if given the opportunity. It was also the duty of the foot-soldiers to maintain ground assault readiness for any intrusion on Giliesa by outsiders.

What the earthers didn't know at the time, was that half the detachment assigned to the base was killed when the attack ship went down, leaving only a small contingent of foot-soldiers to defend the base. Even so, they were extremely well armed with the advantage of cover, high ground and reinforcements on the way. Their morale was high and confident of crushing the puny humanoids and their hybrids that lacked any kind of military discipline.

A very popular sub-supreme commander name Eydis oversaw the secluded mountain base. Throughout the day, he talked about how they would drive the earthers back into outer space forcing the citidomes to travel slower with its greater mass (new buildings) making them an easier to target in space for their harvesting fleet. All day long he would reminiscence about their plans for Earth. They would harvest the earthlings, then genetically remove the frontal lobe of their brain. They would have no intelligence or presence of mind to become more like their cattle they now breed. Then, as a final gesture, they would export them throughout their twenty-three planet colonies, never to be hungry again. He could envision a time when they would stop traversing the galaxy in search of food for generations to come thanks to the earthlings. He concluded that the planet, as a last resort, would be seeded with their special black cloud compound. As a rule, most biospheres on planets with sentient life forms were usually very fragile and as such it was the weapon of choice for extinguishing a difficult species. The sub-supreme commander had the authority to use The Black Cloud of Death on Giliesa as part of his battle plans. He never personally ordered a black cloud before, but he saw firsthand that when released it spread into a layer of black soot covering everything and inhibiting all growth. Being strictly a military type, he was still vaguely aware that it caused an interaction with a planet's atmospheric gasses. The compound quickly replicated spreading a film to block precious sunlight from reaching the planet's surface, trapping all the toxic gasses produced from their own technologies. Knowing how it would affect the inhabitants of Giliesa. It made him grin revealing jagged canines as he felt confident that it would solve all his problems once activated. He wanted revenge for the death of his foot-soldiers he had grown to be fond of on this worthless planet. He would personally supervise the preparations for the release of the compound from his virtual console in his office if it came down to that. He would leave nothing to chance if the reinforcements failed to arrive in time. The personnel under his command could evacuate the base within an hour's notice. They could rendezvous with a transporter hiding in outer space for emergencies. It carried the large storage tanks attached to rockets filled with the Black Cloud for launch from deep space. When it reached its target planet, he would enjoy watching it diffuse across the planet like a cold hand of blackness devoid of any compassion. It was an extension of his own hand squeezing the life out of them.
CHAPTER 29

Future Generations

The companions were fully aware of the Benty willingness to use this weapon on civilizations refusing to yield to their demands. They feared that the Benty would use it on Giliesa, forcing the earthers to abandon their new home. It came as no surprise when the governor authorized a small team in a modified ISC spacecraft to watch over their newly claimed solar system. Their hope was to detect such a weapon. The rationale being that if the Benty couldn't conquer the planet's new inhabitants without too much violence, then they would destroy it, forcing the earthers back into space. Since the earthers were only a few million to begin with. Eradicating them would be no great loss and as a bonus, their removal as a potential threat in this quadrant of the galaxy would benefit their future generations.
CHAPTER 30

I Cannot Protect You

At the request of Professor Bodie his companion named Sami flew straight up two hundred km above the planet's surface to use a hyperspectral lens that took pictures in twenty different wavelengths of light exposing any high concentrations of organic (plant or animal) features and inorganic (artificially-made) structures associated with advanced societies. Sami also employed ground-penetrating radar that produced photographic images of the entire area. At first glance, it was just a jungle and certainly not the site of an ancient sentient city. Quickly transmitting her images back to the ground crew, the official planetary archeologist, retired Professor Bodie, formally from San Diego, California, expertly examined the electronic images and immediately declared a huge discovery. He then projected back to Sami to widen her angle of view and take more images of the surrounding area. The second batch of images confirmed his suspicions about another theory he had and quickly announced to his team that the ancient city was so large that Quad-City was actually sitting inside its great boundaries and that the city stretched from almost coast to coast (east-west) some ten thousand km stopping north at the foot of the mountain ranges and south, down towards the beaches. This information was the final piece needed to confirm that a sentient society greater than Earth's had once flourished on Giliesa and that excavation work was a must to learn as much as possible about their culture and technology. Professor Bodie did a small show of euphoria by tap dancing when Sami projected back.

"Professor Bodie. I have just recorded a large explosion near the mountain coordinates of the second expeditionary team."

"Can you tell if it's...," His throat got dry with worry. "If it is related to fighting?" the professor projected to his little friend.

"I think so, but I would need to get closer to be sure," projected Sami.

"No, you must not give our presence away. Radio the Governor of our find and that we are leaving to recover the weapon."

"Yes, of course, professor!"

"I will take half the team of fifty men and proceed to recover the weapon," projected Professor Bodie. "You will be in charge of the survey team until we get back."

Sami routinely left his master on his own while on digging projects and eventually grew comfortable with the arrangement. Sami was also the only companion on site, while the rest of the companions returned to the city. The governing committee felt with large numbers of men with weapons that it would be enough to repel the Thetoks.

"What about the creatures they reported?" projected Sami.

"Well, I haven't seen any creatures since we arrived. I suspect there are too many of us for them to feel bold enough to try anything. Do you see any creatures from up there?"

"No Professor. Not unless they can hide their heat signatures. However, there is a large concentration of Thetoks walking the perimeter just south of your current position," projected Sami with a professional voice.

"Are they trying to get inside the city?" insisted Professor Bodie.

"No, they appear as if waiting for something. I will maintain watch over them until you return. If they do come in, we will head your way."

"Good idea, Sami and take care my little friend!" projected Professor Brodie.

"You do the same professor and be careful since I cannot protect you," projected Sami.
CHAPTER 31

Eternal Silence

The colonist waited for the early morning; a common attack strategy for humans. But the Benty could go for days without sleeping and so they were wide-awake and alert for action when the attack came.

Riding on clouds of static electricity in the early morning mist, a method to distract but also to support forward mobility, the attack began. When the Benty saw the companions moving in the mist on these clouds of charged particles, fear naturally gripped them as they imagined that the electrical current would somehow harm them. So, without hesitation, they retreated further into the cave expecting the fortified bunkers to stop their advance. But despite the valiant effort of the bunkers and barricades that provided a good defense, the larger than life companions rolled with earthers visually inside firing weapons through their bubble shield made the attackers appear intimidating, striking fear into the foot soldiers who just earlier felt that all they needed to do was hold out for reinforcements to arrive. The reality of the companions made the foot soldier sober enough to realize they couldn't win against such an attack.

Meanwhile, the companions continued to advance slowly moving forward with guns blazing. Their ammo started to deplete becoming a serious concern as they hoped they could route the Benty before they ran out. The focus was not to kill them but to capture and interrogate them to find out information about any invasion and harvesting plans. But the Benty proved to be a hardcore as they fought with ferocity inside the cave.

"Sub-Supreme Commander Eydis, will the reinforcements be here in time, colonists will smash through our defenses any moment. My foot-soldiers can't hold them back much longer. Also, we intercepted a message from the Ancient City. They have an expedition there looking for the Enac weapon," said a worried subcommander name Ake.

"That is not good. We need more time. Ready the cannons to level the area where the radio signal originated from. Oh, and did you add the new modifications to the cannons that I gave you? I want nothing to survive. Is that clear?" he barked.

"Yes, sub-supreme commander Eydis, I made the new modifications but what are they for?" said the young officer with some enthusiasm coming back into his voice. Hearing his leader fire orders at him made him feel confident.

"The modifications are something special for those troublesome robots. They will soon realize that they are no match for us," voiced a jubilant Eydis. "I only wish we had the hand versions for the weapon. It's being field tested now and should be available to our foot soldiers soon," he finished saying gloating over his superiority. Quickly, his junior officer fired off his own set of orders in his headset putting everything into motion.

"Also," said Eydis. "The secret weapon I personally have been working on is almost finished. Have everyone not on the cannon team to move up to the front of the cave and prepare to fight to the death to protect my secret weapon. We just need a little more time!" said the Eydis looking slightly unnerved as the thought of no reinforcements coming in time to stop the enemy from overrunning his base started to sink into his gut.

"But sir, the cannon team will need as much protection they can get while acquiring the target. It's a good distance down range from the mountain. "

"They are still within range of our cannons, yes?"

"Yes, sir. But it will just take some time to pinpoint the target," said the sub-commander Ake.

"Alright, you can use three of my foot soldiers to protect them, but no more. My plan of action to save our home world from disaster is my top priority. Is that understood, sub-commander Ake?"

"What is this plan sub-supreme commander Eydis?"

"I cannot risk telling you; you might be captured."

"No, they will not capture me, sub-supreme commander. My foot- soldiers and I are prepared to die before being captured by these inferior beings," said Ake with a stern face, but the Eydis only thinly smiled at him.

"I think you and your foot soldiers may very soon get their wish. I will join you of course, but first I must be sure that my secret weapon succeeds."

"Sub-Supreme commander Eydis, one moment, sir," said Ake placing his hand over his headset. "We have just intercepted another message from the Ancient City. We can now pinpoint that grid section with our cannons," said the subordinate and held up his hand for silence. "We...have destroyed the entire area," said an exuberated Ake. "We can now pull back and secure the cannons as ordered, sir," he said, hearing the earthers inside the cave and the sounds of gunfire growing nearer. The sub-supreme commander smiled at his Ake and pushed him aside. His headset was very active as well informing him that his secret weapon was now set into motion and that he could relax or die, whichever came first. He preferred the latter in hopes of giving his secret weapon more time to get settled. He charged towards the front entrance towards the yelling and screaming that preceded death knowing that he would be hearing his voice among them in a short time as well. He ran like a humanoid expecting to embrace a long-lost friend with a small number of foot soldiers behind him adding their voices to the confusion that would soon enjoy an eternal silence.
CHAPTER 32

I Don't Feel Safe

The end came swiftly, as the earthers began to search the cave for survivors not realizing how extensive the facility was. There were many hidden rooms that the Benty booby-trapped to inflict as much damage as possible. In one of the rooms, a laboratory was constructed and the earthers found a human captive; a tall female with long blond hair in her mid-twenties. She was unconscious and lying on a narrow cot locked in a holding cell. She appeared to have been tortured with a strange device anchored to the wall with a long arching arm with various sizes of hypodermic needles looming centimeters over her half-exposed body. When they revived her, she was frantic claiming that the Benty kidnapped her from Quad-City to gather information about the city's inner defenses. Beyond this bit of information, her mind was expressing pain from torture, which they assumed, as part of their interrogation process. If she escaped or was rescued the companions could not scan her mind to replay her real origins. She was a state-of-the-Art impostor. She had several chip implants for human readings when scanned by a companion. A repeating loop of thoughts played in thirty-minute cycles to confound the companions. She could maintain her appearance for seventy-hours with taking special medication. This was a problem for her because she forgot to get her pills from the commander with so much going on at the time.

The earthers, quite taken by her natural beauty, readily accepted her explanation and quickly made arrangements to get her back to Quad-City. Meanwhile, Vana, she gave as her name was allowed to roam freely around the base, helping the wounded whenever possible. However, Nanya felt nervous that she could not communicate with this young humanoid that must have sustained a horrible ordeal at the hands of the Benty. She was also familiar with the types of equipment used by the Benty and was surprised that she did not see the normal equipment they used for torturing. The device that loomed above the cot was completely unfamiliar to her. She looked deeply at the tall woman; not too tall to be a Benty disguised as an earth-humanoid, but still there was something peculiar about her.

Later, during the day, as predicted, a sub-dermal patch was placed on her neck that slowly dissolved to bring her memory back and a memory scan test administered which she easily passed allowing her to join the next returning earthers going back to Quad-City. Her publicly stated goal when she returned to Quad-City was to find Zoey Weaver and convince her not to leave the planet. She argued that Zoey was the main topic of her discussion when the Benty tortured her. They were somehow afraid of her and what she could do to them. Secretly, she was obsessed about meeting her and committed to stopping anyone that stood in her way.

Inside her white lifesuit, she had pills and special information placed under her skin inside her armpits that could be dug out with her fingernails to help her maintain her human disguise. Without the pills, she would gradually revert to her original self with numerous genetic coding errors that would distort her appearance beyond imagination and prevent her from meeting Zoey Weaver.

Alone together, walking between the rough cave walls down a corridor towards the main entrance, Vana stopped in her footsteps and said in a low voice knowing Nanya couldn't hear her. "Did you hear that?" she said as Nanya turned her head to look at the female suspiciously, not being able to understand what she was saying, but comprehended the meaning of Vana's arm stretched out to stop her from continuing. "Wait here," Vana said. "Let me check ahead," she said using her hands to show her intentions of going around the bend and checking to be sure there was no one there waiting for them. "You are one of the great leaders and we don't want anything to happen to you," she voiced knowing that her words fell on deaf ears.

Vana quietly tiptoed around the corner and disappeared. Nanya waited as she watched her walked around the bend.

Seconds later, a laser flash lighted up the corridor.

***

"We were walking together," said a teary-eyed Vana. "When suddenly a flash of light came from the darkened corridor and once my eyes adjusted, I found Nanya lying on the ground beside me...dead!" she said between sobs and continued. "Once my eyes were able to focus clearly, I saw a dark figure run past me back into the cave. It knocked me down. It must have been a Benty from the size of him."

Two humanoids guarding the front entrance had rushed down into the cave where they heard Vana screaming for help.

"The Benty must have secret compartments in the cave. Nobody is safe in here without a companion for protection," said one of the guards looking about and convinced that they were all still in danger.

"I want to go back to Quad-City immediately. I don't feel safe here anymore!" she exclaimed.
CHAPTER 33

Final Destination

Vana stepped out of a companion and into a world she only heard about. A soft breeze blew through her golden hair as her green eyes watch lighter than air blimps pass overhead. She had nothing in her imagination to translate what she saw or felt at that moment. Vana shook her head to try and erase the feelings that came persistently into her mind. I have thirty-six hours left to find my target, she thought to take her mind off the excitement that played itself out before her. I have no idea how to find her at this point. If I reach her before my time is up, it will be because it was meant to be! I must try to tap into their directory somehow to track her down. Oh, this place is so wonderful and exciting. I must find some place to hide and check my weapon. If only I could find her. Where would she go? Does she have a favorite place that she goes to on a regular basis? I would love to ride one of those flying things to view the city from above. That's it, I can ride one and look for her that way for a start.

***

For several hours Vana road the flying transport/tour air blimp. It was low enough for her to make our people and faces. As hard as she tried there was no sign of Zoey anywhere.

At this point, she was determined to kill anyone that got in her way. She felt a little twitch and needed some rest. No, I can't stop. I must continue, I cannot fail my commander. If I was a young human woman in a beautiful city where would I go? Vana continued searching and sighting seeing at the same time. Everyone seemed free and relaxed to enjoy life as it came to them. Nowhere did she witness fighting or arguing with one another. Everyone was happy and peaceful. This is nothing like the Benty Empire that prides itself on dominating everyone or thing in its domain. But these humanoids seem truly happy and without want of anything. If only I could spot her, she mused and suddenly it happened. She felt her body shifting and moving inside. She wasn't supposed to need a pill, but she felt she needed one. The blimp was crowded, and she was in a corner. Without too much attention she drew her arm up her sleeve and crossed over to her armpit. She dug around with her fingernails until she felt the shape of what she wanted. Vana gouged out a pill and quickly withdrew her arm. She looked at her hand, a small tumor had appeared. She used her other hand and pushed the tumor into her skin and it disappeared. It was too early to start changing back. Something must have gone wrong with the procedure. Down to two pills, Vana's forehead began to sweat and she placed the pill in her mouth and swallowed hard to get it to go down. Vana felt desperation, she had to maintain her human disguise otherwise, she would gradually start to change back with genetic coding errors riddling her body. She backed deeper into a corner and held her hand up to her face. As a reflex, she pulled her helmet on; her only option.

It was the helmet or everyone seeing her as a monster. At the next stop, she got off and headed down to the street level. She passed by a storefront window and saw the first signs of her morphing into a real grotesque monster from the tumors that grew inside her body pushing their way up through the skin. Gazing at herself for several moments, she suddenly regained focus and decided to abandon her mission and at least die to cause as much damage as possible to the city. Before leaving the Benty caves, the commander had glued into her lifesuit form-fitting bombs that matched the contours of her outer thighs with remote detonators inside her pockets. Her mind made up, she headed to the one place she figured she could do the most damage to the city and incite fear. It was one place that they all loved and used continuously; a place that would put an ugly scar on the city's face and perhaps teach them that they were not safe no matter where they went in the galaxy. Her body swiftly changing, she founded an abandoned electric two-wheel personal transportation carrier.

Two-wheel personal carrier – Photo by hci-dpsd.wikispaces.com

Traveling quickly, she tried to hold herself together until she reached her final destination.
CHAPTER 34

Leave That to Me!

Sitting on the edge of the beach with her bare feet dangling in the crystal-clear water, Zoey watched the sailboats cruise by wrapped in its artificial breeze. They gracefully slipped around the light tower with the watching the spectacle. Zoey took it all in without giving it much thought. A soft breeze that gently played with her hair pushed each wave that lapped over her feet. She looked out over the river in deep contemplation with Anu visibly hovering over her head; his red eye following her sweeping views and her thoughts.

"Zoey, the network is reporting an explosion near the Ancient City," he projected.

"I don't understand; what happened?" she countered.

"There's a lot a chatter at this point, but it sounds like the Benty have fired a large weapon at the Ancient City. Maybe they're trying to target the Enac weapon."

"You don't think...," she thought and paused, sending a mental image of Marten being trapped under tons of rubble.

"I can't confirm anything yet, but... it now appears that the Chromaphages have consumed all of the dead and now attempting to get the survivors trapped under the rubble," he projected and stopped abruptly in mid-sentence. "The Governor was quite clear about you not leaving the city for any reason. They have already dispatched twenty companions to the site."

"What happened Anu," she insisted aloud.

"Telling you would only get you upset."

"What is it?" she projected.

"Well...the site, where the explosion occurred, is exactly where the Enac weapon was located. No information is coming out of the area. I have access to an area photograph. One moment, while I analyze the image." A stronger than usual breeze came through the area pushing hard across the river and towards the light tower forcing high waves to shower a huge spray of water over the structure and its small island-foundation.

River spray – Photo by en.wikipedia.org

The sailboats responded by tipping over on their sides in its wake and then quickly righting themselves. What Zoey didn't realize was a large energy wave had swept across most of the jungle's landscape in response to the collapse of many large buildings that sent a shock wave reverberating throughout the city's energy barrier. The new energy transformed into a strong wind once it penetrated the citidome's barrier. At the same time, several large familiar shadows flew over Quad-City as a reminder of their constant danger. Zoey continued to contemplate and watched, taking it all in while Anu felt her anxiety levels mounting.

"Okay, that's it! I'm going and don't try to stop me," she projected not waiting to hear any more details.

"I can't stop you, only advise you as to the right thing to do. But if you insist, I must go with you...unfortunately. But, fortunately, I won't get into any trouble for your lack of judgment when the Governor hears that you are gone. You are a free spirit and I can't and won't try to control you. I am not programmed to do that function, although I can see where it could come in handy at times with you."

"We will leave at once after I get a few things. Oh, by the way, how do we get out of this overgrown bubble anyway?" she mused.

"Leave that to me!" replied Anu.
CHAPTER 35

Waiting... Staring!

"Commander Salmar, we can't get a signal from the surface base. Do you want to send a team out to check on them?" reported his Number Three, Randver.

"No, we must not give ourselves away. Hopefully, sub-supreme commander Eydis' battle plan will work. In the meantime, we will remain here and listen. The harvesting fleet will need us to guide them in when the time comes."

"Yes, commander Salmar, but the crew had friends on the surface," said a concerned Randver.

"So, do I, but they would want us to wait to deal the final blow. It is more important that the earthers don't know that we are here. I don't want to give them any reason to suspect anything. If we are careful, we will have the advantage of surprise, which means no one leaves the base without my permission. Is that understood?"

"I don't think any of the crew would dare risk going out on their own in a small submersible, sir," replied Randver.

"Yes, I don't think so either. I can still see the unfortunate crewman that went out with me to collect that secondary harvest. I would not have believed teeth on a creature could be that strong. Even I now have more respect for those savage behemoths patrolling outside. I believe they could attack the base and do serious damage to it if they wanted too."

"What's stopping them, sir?"

"I honestly don't know, Natan," replied Salmar to his Number Two, falling into deep thought realizing that they were being spared for some unknown reason or they were just too small to pose a threat, which he didn't really believe.

The base was designed for combat against lasers or missiles. Its detachable self-sustainable cylinders were also battle-hardened containing living quarters for six crewmembers, if necessary. Inside the main semi-sphere were living quarters and workstations for the Salmar, his two subordinate officers, and sixteen support crewmembers. From the semi-sphere, the commander oversaw his crew's duties and controlled the communications networks throughout the base. They were all serving a twelve-month rotation until the earthers arrived and forced them to stay indefinitely so that their position could remain a secret. Everyone was feeling the stress of being confined for such a long time in a cramped environment with death constantly lurking all around. No one dared to make any unnecessary sounds in fear of attracting anything that might be passing by. Working in shifts, most of their time was spent sleeping or looking out a small re-enforced window that constantly reminded them of what Giliesa was capable of producing after millions of years of uninterrupted evolution. One creature was frequently spotted staring at the base from a relatively safe distance. Every millimeter of its mouth contained jagged metal piercing spikes for teeth that forced it to keep its mouth gaped open. Chunks of rotting flesh dangled between its teeth as lifeless reminders of unknown creatures' unfortunate enough to cross its path. For most of the crew, it was the sheer size of the monster that glared back at them that was the most intimidating. The creature had eyes like black pools showing no expression other than to eat (which was poetic since the Benty held the same look; it was like looking into a mirror and only seeing one's self-reflecting back horror for the beholder). It was three times the length of the base from tip to tip and one and a half times its size. It floated without effort always in the same spot; several hundred meters away, staring... waiting... staring!
CHAPTER 36

His Next Victim

Bird-beasts were always coming close to the city's sonic barrier checking for any signs of weaknesses. There was one visitor that routinely checked the barrier at one precise spot at least twice a day. The sound waves created by the collapsing buildings in the Ancient City made such an enormous sound that it sent shock waves through the jungle. Many trees and plants were flattened by the sonic shock waves as it reached out beyond the city ruins. The city's daily visitor was making his rounds when the shock wave reached him. He was extending his clawed arm to test the barrier when a strong wind unexpectedly pushed him through the barrier when the two energy fields touched, and the city's barrier collapsed for an instant. The huge bird-beast immediately recognized what had happened. Without hesitation it flew over the glass wall and through the barrier for the cover of darkness under the city's huge platform. It panted wildly at its good fortune, not sure what to do next. For now, it was content to hide in the silence of darkness as he laid down to rest. After a short time, his rest was suddenly interrupted with the mechanical sounds of something moving above his head. Instinctively, he shrank further back into the darkness and waited. Not long, a single set of footsteps penetrated the darkness, heading in his direction. Automatically, his long rows of canines revealed themselves as a reflex drawing his mouth back in a fierce yawn in anticipation of a meal. The footsteps sounded unsure as the prey fumbled in the darkness presumably to find their way. The elevator went back up with its telltale mechanical sounds leaving the lone figure in the dark. Silently, the bird-beast unsheathed his claws watching the red outline figure emanating a heat signature only a few meters away from him. He primed his sinuous muscles to get ready to leap as he calculated the precise distance. Zoey's eyes were taking longer than usual to adjust to the pitch-black surroundings. She could barely make out the daylight one hundred meters away appearing as a thin narrow band of white light that lay sandwiched between two layers of blackness. Instinctively, she headed towards the light, not knowing what might be lying on the path she had chosen. When it is extremely dark, the origins of sounds can be difficult to pinpoint with only its intensity recorded by the brain. The loud stomping was so sudden and everywhere around her until she had no time to react except to crouch down on the ground for protection. In that same instant, she heard a muffled thump and saw the familiar pearly-white wall surrounding her, bathing her in light as she remained crouched. Anu became transparent in time for Zoey to see the bird-beast take its second leap at a target it could now only sense was within his grasp. Zoey drew back in fear at first that turned into astonishment as the bird-beast slammed against Anu's bubble only to bounce back. Stunned, it shook it head in pain and got back up to try again. "Anu, why didn't you tell me I was in danger?" Zoey projected.

"You must learn to trust me and not walk in fear," he projected back to her. "I will always protect you. This was just a lesson for you to remember as we go out on dangerous assignments. I will always be there for you unless something gravely happens to me."

Zoey looked at Anu's bubble, then shifted her gaze downward as Anu flew to accelerate their trek to the barrier. The bird-beast gave chase and ran out into the light with its head raised and winglets extended watching Anu quickly disappear into the clouds, while still somehow trapped inside the barrier. Satisfied that it had lost its prey, he slowly turned around and went back into hiding to wait for his next victim.
CHAPTER 37

A Brilliant Idea

When they arrived at the campsite inside the ancient city, she walked towards several desiccated bodies of earthers and soon noticed Professor Brodie's companion Sami, smashed and scattered on the ground as well. Apparently, she made a vain attempt to save her master. This was puzzling to Anu who had never seen a companion completely deactivated except for repair. He found himself feeling vulnerable and more concerned for Zoey's safety as he cautiously took on human form right before Zoey's eyes and started gathering all the Sami's pieces. She watched him swiftly walk about as he reminded her of someone, she once knew that now seemed like ages ago. She forced herself to try to remember, only succeeding in provoking a smile on the young man's face as he turned to look at her for a moment, they resumed what he was doing. Finally, in stark disbelief, she soon realized who the figure was, and it drew tears to her eyes. She held her hands up to her face to hide her tears while shaking her head and smiling.

"Of all the people you could have impersonated, this one gives me the most comfort and security; my father. You look just like that old photograph in the family album except you have given him a glow that the photo could never have captured. How did you know?" she projected at him.

"I scanned your mind for the most trusting life form to help you take your mind off the dangers we are facing and perhaps even spark some confidence in you as well."

"It's working," she projected. Anu stopped in his tracks and in a flash was hovering over Zoey's head.

"I detect those creatures-the chromaphages are heading this way from the west. They probably sensed your presence and are coming to investigate." Anu invisibly formed his bubble around Zoey and together they remained invisible as the creatures entered the partially destroyed campsite with supplies and pieces of tents scattered everywhere. They came right up to the spot where she was last seen standing before Anu hovered off the ground high enough, so the creatures couldn't reach them.

"How did they know I was standing right there?" she projected.

"Maybe they can smell your scent to pinpoint you. Don't worry, they can't reach us," he projected and continued. "That gives me an idea. If I project sound coming from no specific direction, it might trick them into going back to where the others might be trapped to check on them."

"Yes," projected Zoey. "That's a good idea and it will certainly save us some time from searching on our own!"

It took them over an hour to find the missing expedition. The five chromaphages they were following behaved more like dogs that stopped at every outcrop of rock or tree that came across their path and thoroughly searched it for something. In one instance, they stopped and in unison turned and looked straight up at Anu as if they could see him. He quickly emitted more sound waves that got their attention back on what they hoped was the right path. The sun was directly overhead meaning half the day was gone and eventually they would lose sunlight. As they pressed on, the magnitude of the city became more and more obvious. Up ahead was a lingering dust cloud where something very big must have fallen. Zoey was getting excited when Anu cautioned her that they might see some unpleasant sights. She was optimistic from Anu's high perch above the chromaphages. It took both of them a while before they noticed that they were actually staring at the same building they were searching for an hour ago. It had been reduced to half its size with less rubble than anticipated presumably because the explosion blew away most of the debris in a wide radius. The chromaphages were digging in one area in particular that drew their attention. Anu used small bursts of energy to penetrate the debris where the creatures continually clawed with slow success. Beneath the rubble, Anu could clearly see at least three survivors struggling to dig their way out, not knowing that the creatures were doing the same thing with different motives. The bigger problem was that they were only thirty meters away from reaching each other before disaster struck.

"Any suggestions, Anu?" projected Zoey feeling frustrated at the rate the digging was going. The chromaphages were slow, but the survivors were slower. If the creatures managed to get into the chamber, none of the earthers would survive the resulting encounter. "Anu, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she said to herself.

"Of course, I am and it's a brilliant idea too," he projected back to his master.
CHAPTER 38

Safety First

It was easy to pass the chromaphages as Zoey laid flat on her belly as Anu encased her in a flat bubble. They floated overhead and past the creatures just before they were about to break through to the earthers. As the last piece of rubble crumbled away, the earthers gasped when they saw the chromaphages on the other side of their desperate efforts to break free to the surface. Moments later, the scene was replaced with Zoey sliding down from a milky-white sliding board and into their tunnel. Behind her, the milky-white substance remained in place blocking the chromaphages. The professor shouted, "We're saved," and stepped up to hung Zoey like a big bear. She looked down the tunnel behind them and saw several more earthers nursing their wounds and the shiny orb further off to the side, safe from harm.

"How long can your companion hold them off?" said Professor Bodie.

"Indefinitely, if necessary," boomed a voice from nowhere. "But it won't be necessary."

"Gather you people and let's get you out of here!" commanded Zoey. Without hesitation, the Professor went back down the tunnel with the other men and rounded up all the survivors and led them up the tunnel behind Zoey. Anu's milky-white wall started to advance back up the tunnel centimeters at a time until the pace picked up and they were moving several meters at a time.

Behind the wall, the chromaphages were grudgingly giving up ground as Anu pushed them back up the tunnel and towards fading daylight. At the mouth of the tunnel, Anu expanded outwards allowing the survivors to get inside his bubble. Only five earthers had survived, but no Marten.

"What about Marten and the orb?" voiced Professor Bodie.

"We will come back and get it later. We must get you all to safety first," offered Zoey.
CHAPTER 39

Direct Hit

"You don't have to search for Marten. He's behind a big slab of concrete-like substance off to the right of where we were," said the professor. "We couldn't move it or break through it. But he is alive. We can hear him banging on the slab for help. The only problem is the area we were in is weakening from all the weight from above. It could go any minute now."

"We must find safety for you first before we attempt any rescue," said Zoey, her mind racing with thoughts.

Anu rose up above the rubble site and turned to allow the others to view the landscape from any possible place for him to land. Not far away was the remains of a building that survived the Benty blast and had a ledge high up above the city floor. It was remote and large enough for all of them to rest and recuperate without fear of the chromaphages getting to them. Anu landed and in moments, Zoey was heading back to find Marten and recover the orb.

"Why didn't Sami help him get out?" projected Zoey.

"She must have been deactivated."

"How is all of this possible?"

"They must have a new weapon that can neutralize our energy source."

"We must report this to the governing committee."

"I already have Zoey. This is very serious. Perhaps it was a good idea that we came out here to rescue them. We can't let the Benty get one of us and try to take us apart. We are set to explode if tampered with. It could endanger everything on the planet."

"What do you mean," she projected.

"We are programmed to give off a nuclear explosion that could be catastrophic."

"We must find Marten quick, there's the entrance let's see what we can do to free him and then get the orb," projected Zoey. They zoomed into the entrance with Zoey lying flat on her belly as they floated deeper into the makeshift tunnel slithering down the rubble like a snake. Meanwhile, the chromaphages were slowly making their way to the area where the survivors were left to wait for Zoey's return. They began spreading out to give each other more space, not concerned with life going on below. The fresh air was like precious gold to be handled with care but savored at the same time like the last cigarette. Getting back to normal, Professor Bodie began to hear the sounds of life again and noticed a fruity smelling odor accompanied with scratching sounds below him. He looked over to one of his colleagues to get his attention and pointed a long finger downward. Catching the hint, his colleague edged his way over to the ledge and slowly peered downward. He had an automatic response to jerk his head back up as if to hide. The whole scene was comical with the Professor assuming that the young colleague was simply afraid of heights. So, to be fair, he looked over the side for himself and he too jerks his head back as if to hide. The other members of the party looked on in bewilderment until the scratching sounds grew louder. Bodie's young colleague crawled over to him and said, "Do you think they can make it up here?"

"I don't know," he responded looking around for ideas. "Grab all the pieces of rubble you can find and place them on the ledge like so," he demonstrated to everyone. "When they get close enough, we can throw the rubble at them to maybe knock them over, forcing them to go back down or at least stay where they are," he said not knowing what would happen. They had no alternatives, so they quickly did as he suggested and waited for them to get closer. Fifty meters below, six large males were making their way up using their arm/legs to grab hold of anything that would allow them to pull themselves upwards. Their silence was deafening. The only audible sounds being made were the scratching of their claws on the hard rubble that was still clinging to its identity as a once great Strato-Building. When the first piece of rubble was thrown, it careened off a smooth surface and hit another chromaphage squarely on the lower chest knocking in thirty meters down. It plunged onto a sharp protruding piece of rubble splitting open like a melon revealing orange and yellow fluids and all its organs. Above, on their plateau, they cheered. They were amazed it worked and started to get excited over their first victory, which soon died. Instead of six, there were now fourteen creatures making their way to the plateau and when the second piece of rubble was thrown, the chromaphage sidestepped it and continued. The young colleague looked at Bodie and frowned with disappointment. They quickly needed a new strategy and without saying a word to each other, they threw two pieces at the same time and scored a direct hit.
CHAPTER 40

All of Us

Every millimeter they descended made the tunnel moan more with stress. They were almost to the makeshift room when strong cracking sounds started to replace the moaning.

"Hurry Anu, don't mind me. I'll be okay." Zoey was turned upright and released from his bubble. A laser shot out from his red eye that hammered at the slab until a tiny hole appeared. The surrounding dust gave way after being sucked into a growing hole and when Teddy stopped, a dusty head poked out gasping for fresh air.

"Step back and Anu will get you out," exclaimed Zoey.

The dusty head went back in and the laser started up again until a hole large enough for Marten to pass through was created. As soon as he came through, the newly created hole began to crumble from tiny cracks that appeared almost instantly due to the enormous pressures being exerted on everything around them. The whole room was unstable and began to tremble knocking Zoey and Marten off their feet.

"Marten, where is the orb?" shouted Zoey getting back up and helping him to his feet.

"Further down the tunnel this way!"

Anu formed another bubble surrounding the two of them and proceed slowly down the tunnel. Then all hell broke loose!

***

Anu compressed himself as much as possible with his passengers squished inside shooting out of a whole like a rocket with his friends barely holding on to handles created just for them. It took a moment for them to recover and realizing that the ordeal was over when a huge crash sounded behind them. The whole area had caved in over one hundred meters wide.

"Oh my gosh. With all the excitement going on I completely forgot the weapon," said Zoey.

"I did as well," said Marten disappointed.

"Don't worry, I got a fix on it before we left," projected Anu into their minds. "As a matter of fact, it has been pushed up towards the surface as a result of the building shifting. It's no more than ten meters deep in the rubble. We can get the others and come back for it later," projected Anu feeling the relief oozing from their bodies.

A few minutes later, they were confronted with another life-threatening event. The chromaphages had managed to get to the top ledge and the earthers were now all backed into a corner with large stones in their hands poised to hurl them at the creatures.

Without hesitation, Teddy formed a twenty-degree angled shelter over the survivors to protect them while the creatures walk on top of it baffled by its sudden appearance. While still looking for their prey, they receive a mild electric shock that scrambled their signals rendering them unconscious. About nine creatures were temporarily incapacitated before the rest scurried back over the plateau for safety. Anu was then able to form a large enough bubble after they gather there belongs and equipment to carry them back to the city. As they rose above the Ancient City, they could see hundreds of chromaphages massing together and heading in the direction of Quad-City. The dust plume was enormous viewed from the air as they marched in a zigzag pattern of shimmering heat waves. Everyone went silent with a look of doom on their faces wondering if the metal-glass wall and sound barrier would be enough to hold them back.

"How long will it take them to reach the city," asked Bodie to no one in particular.

"About thirty days at the rate they're moving," replied Anu so that everyone could hear him.

"What about the weapon? We can't leave it," insisted Bodie.

"I have the coordinates for it. Another expedition will have to come and dig it up," offered Teddy and continued. "You have been through enough for the time being. All of you need rest and medical care. The report over the net is that our expeditionary forces have successfully taken the mountain base with only a few casualties. However, I am deeply sorry Ambassador Marten, but Nanya didn't make it; I'm sure she will be missed by all of us."
CHAPTER 41

Reckless Behavior

Professor Brodie's expedition came back to the city with a dust plume marking their arrival. Zoey and Marten went straight to the governor's office. Together, they explained everything that happened and the chromaphages march towards the city. "I'm not sure the wall or sound barrier will have an effect on them," suggested Zoey.

"We can use each citidomes defense shield as a backup if necessary," offered the governor with her stately looks and calm demeanor. "If the defense shields can't hold them, then the companions will have to destroy them, which would be unfortunate," said the governor and paused. "Tell me more about Professor Brodie's companion; Sami. You said it was deactivated?

Do you know how it was done?"

"No, Madame Governor. I can only speculate that what the Benty fired at the ancient city may have a component that can deactivate companions," offered Zoey with a worried look on her brow as the governor turned away before she spoke again.

"We had heard about such a weapon. I didn't realize the Benty could deploy it so quickly. We do have a counter-measure for it, but it's not here yet. If we could contact Photopia, perhaps the Fia starship could get it here in time to protect us from the Benty if they decide to invade. I must tell you, though, Sami was not just deactivated, his memory was erased as well. I can't begin to tell you how serious this situation is for our companions. We can't afford to lose their knowledge that spans millions of years for some of them." The governor turned back around and looked at Sunie now standing silently beside Marten.

"I see now we were just lucky this time, that the commander of the ground base didn't use it in the city," said Marten.

"Why can't you communicate with the Fia?" asked Sunie.

"We believe the Benty are blocking all signals leaving and coming into the planet. Naturally, this could only mean one thing.

They plan to attack us soon!"

***

Standing outside, in front of the Governor's Administrative offices, Zoey, Marten, and Sunie looked out at the city.

"I was surprised that the governor said nothing about your disobedience. I was sure she was going to at least reprimand you," said Anu as he materialized over her head.

"I think the governor has bigger things to worry about," said Zoey as she left her two friends and headed for the x-bridge. She was going home to finally get some rest. The breeze felt good on her skin as she looked out to see the sailboats racing around the light tower. Her dark blue lifesuit expressed her feelings at the moment.

She walked to the top of the bridge and looked out over the city. It was full of life and happiness; everything was in harmony.

"Oh, my god, Anu, we forgot the bird-beast down below." "Relax, I took care of it already. Nobody was hurt, and the bird-beast was freed."

"Wow, I didn't want to get blamed for that one!"

***

T he huge dome over the city started its cycle of sundown with the artificial sun weakening above. Vana felt relieved knowing the end was near and the pain she was feeling would soon be over. The warm evening sun and colorful sights stimulated something inside her brain to remember her home world and the pleasures she felt as a Benty. Everything was rapidly coming together in what was left of her sanity. The sights and sounds of life continued to press on her as the carrier took her speeding up the ramp of the bridge. She had pushed the autopilot button to take her to the center of the x-bridge and then stopped and waited for the next command that would never come. Vana tried to hold her head up, not focusing on anything until something flashed across her vision. Something familiar tickled her mutating brain, forcing her to reevaluate her situation. She blinked her eyes in response and steadied her wobbling head. She tried to find what she was looking for and there it was on the other side of the bridge less than twenty meters away. Without thinking, she turned off the autopilot and began her pursuit now abandoning caution. The x-bridge accommodated personal carriers and Vana pushed and weaved her way through them. Her mind was now focused on only one thing as the other riders honked and jeered at her reckless behavior.
CHAPTER 42

Dax's Arms

Vana mindlessly raced across the road towards Zoey, not caring who was in her way. She knocked over several personal carriers as she sped across the bridge to the other side. Zoey had her back turned looking at the water when she heard the traffic commotion. She slowly turned around not fully realizing what was going on around her. Horns barked, and brakes squealed as Zoey casually tried to discern what was happening. She thought it odd someone was wearing their lifesuit helmet, racing across the foot traffic until that person was heading towards her. Stunned, Zoey watched them roll right up to her and stop three meters away. By now the traffic had completely stopped to watch Zoey and the crazy driver with a helmet on. The helmet's visor was pulled down, so the face was not visible.

"Hello," said Zoey. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," said a gravelly voice. "I think you can Zoey Weaver!"

"Well, I see you know my name. Tell me, what is it I can do for you?"

"I want to see you die! I have suffered a lot to get to this moment. My mission is to kill you in front of witnesses. My life is of no consequence at this point. I will die soon after you. But I must admit, you're not what I expected for a woman."

"Oh, what did you expect," offered Zoey, not too afraid with Anu above her head.

"I thought you'd be much older. But, instead, you are quite lovely. It will be a shame to kill you this way. Speaking of which, where is your companion. I have something for him too."

"I'm here!" announced Anu above Zoey's head; her red eyespot swirling with anticipation of something to happen very quickly.

"What I have is for both of you."

"May I see my executioner at least?" demanded Zoey, mildly intrigued. Just when I thought my troubles were over, now this. I must be a trouble magnet, she thought to herself.

"Sure, but you are not going to like it. It appears that I've been able to fool everybody except my body. But, here's your...executioner!" Vana slowly pulled her helmet back and instantly, her head shriveled like a mashed potato. Her eyes stuck out like grapes on a vine, staring at Zoey with deep conviction. Zoey gasped and stepped back. Her back hit the bridge's railing and she almost fell over. Nothing could have prepared her for what see saw standing before her.

A small slit served as her mouth as she said, "Not a pretty sight, huh. Don't worry you'll be joining me very soon."

Zoey watched horrified as the human form before her melted out of the lifesuit into one solid lump of brown flesh.

Vana – Picture by en.wikipedia.org & L. Sky

The head morphed into a second lump with two lopsided eyes and a line between the two lumps formed a mouth. More importantly, a rudimentary handheld a pencil size rod aimed at Zoey that swayed to and fro to compensate for its weight. Zoey, with her back leaning against the bridge's railing, slid to her right. The assumed weapon accurately followed her. Zoey relaxed, and the sounds around her flooded her ears as people yelled and screamed for her to run from the monster. Zoey looked up at them and just smiled, knowing that in a second, she might be dead.

"I suspect that weapon will deactivate me and then erase my memory before trying to shoot you. Perhaps in that moment, you can get away before it can take aim at you again," projected Anu.

"What is your name?" asked Zoey.

"Vana was my human name and Ugo, my true name as a Benty officer."

"What are you going to do to my companion?"

"You know the answer to that question. He will be one less companion for my people to deal with when they invade your city. However, I must admit, I liked Quad-City. It was nice and colorful I guess for an earther's taste. Shame they will have to destroy all of it."

"Can't we help you," pleaded Zoey, pitying the thing below her.

"No, you can't help me, and I don't need your pity either. I am...was a foot-soldier and I will die doing my duty."

Suddenly, the crowd started to close in on them as people questioned what was going on.

"Don't get any closer," shouted Zoey to everyone. "Everything is going to be okay. Can someone get a doctor for us?"

"Stay back!" Vana growled. And the crowd immediately stopped advancing and scrambled back. "I don't want to harm anyone. You will be needed for the harvest. This is between her and me. She is not the strong woman you think she is. In a moment, you will see she is mortal like all of you. So, stay back."

Zoey remembered a light flash over her head and then something aimed at her chest. In that instant, she was in a bubble surrounded by Dax's arms.
CHAPTER 43

Safe

"I'm sorry dear, but I just couldn't wait for Ambassador Sunie to bring you back. So, I roughed it with Nia's bubble. I couldn't stand another moment being away from you."

"I'm just glad you're here. I guess you saved me...again."

"It's turning into a habit with you, Zoey. But I love you just the same. We have a lot of catching up to do. We'll only be on Photopia for a short time. We must rush to a planet called Rubius."

"Oh, I heard about that planet," said Zoey.

"This time, you'll get a chance to see it up close. We have to carry out a rescue mission to save some friends of mine on a piece of a citidome."

"You mean, some of them made it to another planet."

"Yeah, but they weren't so lucky. The Benty have them at a research facility. We must save them before anything happens to them."

"Anything for you, love. Just don't leave me again," voiced Zoey, grabbing Dax by the arm.

"I don't want to do that ever again either. But, I'm old fashion. We should get married before we leave the city."

"Yes, dear, I insist!"

***

As their tiny spacecraft rose above Quad-City. Zoey, Dax, and Sunie looked down through a window instantly provided for them by Nia to see the departing city laid out in all its magnificence. Zoey had grown fond of the city during her short stay. She dared look beyond the city's boundary and out into the jungle. Far off in the distance, she thought, that jungle tried several times to kill me. But I survived and now I'm Mrs. Northwind...forever!

The flying Thetoks were circling something near the Ancient City ruins. Beyond loomed the snow-capped mountains where poor Nanya lost her life. For a moment, it all felt surreal like in Norfolk, flying high above the city in Peder's bubble for the first time. Her emotions started to flood her heart. The past events she experienced shaped her as a woman. Another chapter to add to her life's history. She watched as ISC slip past the city's sound barrier and poke into darkness, the Quad merely a pinpoint on a mosaic design as the craft turned to jump towards Photopia in another solar system that stood between her and destiny.

***

Thirty days later

The crab-like chromaphages continued to march on the city by the hundreds as the earthers watched with curiosity and some with fear. Finally, the chromaphages reached their goal confronting the tall metal-glass wall. The lead chromaphages stomped around the wall like dogs sniffing the wall looking for weaknesses. In the end, they started to pile on top of one another forming a crude bridge that led them to the top of the wall. A single chromaphage leaned over into the sound barrier for a moment as if testing the air. Without warning halfway through the sound barrier the creature tumbled back down the pile of determined chromaphages. It was paralyzed and could not move. Somehow the intense sound waves permanently destroyed its neuro-network. This event occurred dozens of times more until finally, the bridge started to disassemble and walk away in defeat. Collectively, they sensed the futility of their actions and decided it was not worth the effort. So, slowly with confusion the column of chromaphages slowly turned around and headed back to the jungle leaving their dying or dead comrades behind.

***

Meanwhile, beneath the ocean's waves the lone Benty outpost sat in isolation. All transmission from the land garrison had ceased. The base commander became riddled with panic losing all communications with the land base. He was afraid to contact the Benty space fleet for fear of being discovered by the companions. So, his command sat and waited with hunger until cannibalism gradually started to weave its way throughout the base. The commander couldn't stop it as the stronger preyed on the weak until only he was left. Isolated and alone deep underwater, his screams were unheard as starvation unhurriedly swallowed him up.

For the moment, the new inhabitants of Giliesa were safe.

The End...for now!

Also read:

Book #1: Alien Sinkhole

Book #2: No Turning Back

Book #3: Cefon-5: The Plantimals

Book #4: Planet Rubius

Book #5: Photopia

Book #6: Battle for Giliesa

Book #7: Return to Planet Rubius

Easy reading for:

Train Stations – Trains

Airports - Airplanes

Auto Road Trips

Acknowledgements:

Wikispaces.com

Wikimedia.org

Wikipedia.org

NASA.gov

Win.plp.cl

Razzle Dazzle Design for the Companion and Selfpubbookcovers for the Book Cover.

About the

Author

My Shadow

Lawrence Sky became interested in UFOs as a young man. His desire to know more about them officially started when he read the controversial UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. During his career, he has witnessed UFO sightings in 2005 and 2014 in North Carolina, U.S.A. Since then, he has been committed to understanding the truth about UFOs.

Lawrence holds an undergraduate degree and two advanced degrees in the biological sciences. As a result, his writings reflect many years of research on the UFO phenomena.

Currently, Lawrence Sky is calling his work Science-Fiction Infotainment eBooks. He wants to educate and entertain his readers about the UFO phenomena using the rich canvas of eBooks.

Background

Information

Hancock, Graham. Finger Prints of the Gods. NY. Three Rivers Press. 1995. Digital File.

Doran, Mark D. Alien Invasion: and the origins of Mankind. Smashwords Edition. 2012. Digital File.

Good, Timothy. UNEARTHLY DISCLOSURE: Conflicting Interests in the Control of Extraterrestrial Intelligence. London. Arrow Books. 2001. Digital File.

Dolan, Richard M. UFOs, and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973. VA. Hampton Roads Publishing Co., Inc. 2002. Digital File.

Colonel Corso, Philip J. The Day After Roswell. NY. Pocket Books. 1997. Digital File.

Bibliotecapleyades.net. A-Z of Alien Species active in Earths Evolution. Date Unknown. Digital File.

YouTube video: UFOs and the National Security State \- Richard Dolan LIVE. 2010. Video File.

YouTube video: The Secret Space Program and Breakaway Civilization \- Richard Dolan Lecture. 2014. Video File.

YouTube video: Richard Dolan, UFO speech, Best speech ever, Citizen Hearing on Disclosure, Rich Dolan, IMU. 2013. Video File. Video File.

YouTube Video. Extraterrestrial UFOs are real: Ben Rich Lockheed Skunk Works CEO admits on his deathbed. Oct 12, 2010. Video File.

Additional

Information

Companion Technology

Companions produce a bubble with zero-point energy taken from their surroundings (the Universe). They can manipulate their interior to any desired configuration. The bubble is impermeable to any outside forces. Invisibility is a result of shifting the electromagnetic spectrum outside the visible light spectrum necessary for humans to see it.

Factually speaking: It is also known as the quantum vacuum zero-point energy, which is the lowest possible energy that a physical system may have. In other words, it is a motion that exists even at absolute zero. Another term is vacuum energy.

Benty

A race of beings enhanced by the Enac. The Benty, as an advanced civilization practices cannibalism. Their insatiable hunger for humanoid flesh has driven them to overpopulation. They now hunt humanoids around the galaxy to keep pace with their ever-growing demands for more food.

Citidome

I have given my personal rendition of a Citidome. Obviously, it's like a cruise ship, but much bigger with more creature comforts. Oh yeah, its travels between stars. Ahhh, but what a ride! Would you be willing to leave Earth to travel to some distant planet to restart your life? I think I'd say...yeah!

Companion

A companion is an autonomous super robot. A companion is a mixture of liquid metals and semi-liquid high-impact plastics controlled by a powerful zero-point energy supply. It is the size of child's bowling ball. The device hovers above its master's head. My only wish is that I could see one built in my lifetime!

Enac

The ancient Enac were the first within the Milky Way galaxy to compile the book of life or the complete interpretation of DNA. They compared DNA of potential species with theirs and made the necessary changes to their genes to get the desired results they wanted. Their decision for which genes to change came from the planet's natural conditions, such as gravity, climate, and the overall diversity of life.

The DNA virus is artificially created by the Enac to produce a second and the third evolution of pre-humans. Keep in mind that the original DNA sparked the first natural human evolution.

Lifesuit

The lifesuit is not real. This suit is totally imaginary, right? The closest thing to it right now is a military exoskeleton suit.

UFO Organizations

Below is a list of my favorite UFO organizations for studying the phenomenon:

Mutual UFO Network (MUFON)

An American-based non-profit organization that investigates cases of alleged UFO sightings. It is one of the oldest and largest civilian UFO-investigative organizations in the United States.

National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC)

This organization is in the United States that investigates UFO sightings and/or alien contacts.

British UFO Research Association (BUFORA)

A United Kingdom organization dedicated to investigating UFO phenomena in the British Isles.

Zeddi

Zeddi is an imaginary alien race from the planet Zeddi. Zeddi is an imaginary alien race from the planet Zeddi. They are similar in appearance to humans with the exception of a long forehead.
