| |
It was Kole, a human, who thought of creating a settlement on Vastus. For years the brilliant strategist and combatant prepared for the project, researching planets and gathering data to organize a primitive settlement for the Peace Bringers. Thousands of years prior, human scientists created Vastus Station and terraformed a planet to study various plant and animal species found throughout nearby galaxies. Kole researched the planet until he located the world long since left to grow wild.
When he arrived on Vastus Station, Kole was surprised to discover how many plants and animals were from Senja, the shapeshifter’s home planet. He understood that humans first met shapeshifters in space, over a thousand years ago. The first battle between them occurred when shapeshifters fired on a human civilian ship—on sight and without warning. Though humans contacted shapeshifters to resolve the dispute, shapeshifters refused to discuss the battle. To Kole’s knowledge, shapeshifters and humans had never been on friendly terms.
Not long after the Peace Bringers gathered to create a settlement, Kole asked a tall shapeshifter protector about how Vastus might have become populated with life from Senja. Though his maroon eyes showed the flicker of a secret, the shapeshifter pursed his white lips, and claimed he didn’t know. Kole didn’t pursue the matter further for fear of offending him. Life on Vastus Station was tense enough without pushing for more information.
Seeing animals from Mendje was not a surprise to Kole. Humans met telepaths thousands of years before the war started. Though humans and telepaths were never comrades, initially they were some-what courteous to each other. Animals and plants from Mendje could have arrived on Vastus many ways.
The war between humans, shapeshifters, and telepaths was fierce. Humans and shapeshifters struggled to survive. The group of shapeshifters had little to lose by trying peace. Still, Kole was surprised they agreed to be part of the project. They were secretive people and had refused to work with humans in the past.
Telepaths were winning the war, but at a terrible cost. When Vierd Geryn first contacted Kole about being part of his plan, Kole was suspicious. Why would a powerful telepath be a willing participant in the project? Kole still wasn’t entirely certain of the answer.
Kole stepped in front of the mixed crowd of shapeshifters, telepaths, and humans. A few shapeshifters peered at each other, as though wondering if they ought to back out. Some adjusted telepath blockers that stuck behind their pointed ears. Shapeshifter protectors were always ready to show their unique and powerful skills should plans for Vastus prove to be a cruel plot.
Telepaths were nervous, but far more certain of themselves and the project they had committed to. Telepaths were assured by Vierd Geryn and his adopted son, both powerful telepath leaders, that humans were being honest, and would not trick them. If the telepaths knew how many humans had developed contingency plans for an attack, they would have been far more concerned. Or perhaps telepaths did know of some human plans for defense and were quietly planning their own. Kole wasn’t sure.
Humans showed an interesting range of emotions, from panic and uncertainty, to resignation. Some paced restlessly, searching for any sign of an attack that might warrant execution of their clever strategies. One strategy involved creating a defense room which would obliterate everyone on Vastus Station who wasn’t human within seventy-two seconds. Though the humans who developed these plans desired peace, they were not going to blindly trust telepaths and shapeshifters.
The room was open, leaving few places for shapeshifters to hide and take their enemies by surprise. Aside from future Vastus inhabitants, the room held a hovering, holographic control panel which allowed people to input their destination in the Short-Range Ephemeral Transport. A large, blue circle told people where to stand for transportation via the SRET to their destination.
Kole studied the brown-orange heads of telepaths and a sea of white shapeshifters. It was inspiring and terrifying to face the people he had fought against, declaring himself as a leader. Kole spent days preparing a critical speech with his wife, Finna; much depended on it. They both knew how hesitant Peace Bringers were about the project, and the project needed to succeed; otherwise, the galaxies would be torn apart by war. After thousands of years fighting, it wasn’t easy to gather Peace Bringers from each species. Kole needed to convince his former enemies of his sincerity in the project.
Before beginning, Kole breathed in slowly through his narrow nose. “I understand you are hesitant to follow through with this project. Perhaps I can help by reminding you of why we are here. I am not the only person who has calculated projections for the war. Slowly, our numbers are dwindling. Unless peace is established, in two to five hundred years not enough people from any species will survive to fight the war. We are here to end the war and save each of our species.”
Kole paused briefly, letting the gravity of his words linger. “I understand some of you are uncomfortable with having your memories modified. I ask you these questions. Can you set aside the horrors you have witnessed through your lives of war? Can you forgive others in this room who are likely the reason for loved ones passing long before their time? Knowing of the lives we have all lived, do you honestly believe we can live peacefully among each other with our memories from the war?”
Murmuring blanketed the room. Kole waited for silence. “Like all of you, I have lost family and friends in this war. Moving on can be painful; however, continuing this fight will not end well. Peace is our only viable option.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Every adult in the room had participated in at least one battle. What would happen if, while talking to their new associates, they discovered they fought each other in the war? Could they forgive each other for defending themselves if it meant a Peace Bringer killed a loved one?
Kole continued, “We are here because we want a better life for ourselves and for our children. We are here for the future of our races. We stand together on this space station as evidence that we have enough hope and courage to start again!” Kole’s eyes swept the audience, gauging reactions. Some stood straight, focused, eyes alight with hope and determination. Others needed more encouragement. Kole continued, “You have each helped write memories for your new life. We will watch over each other until the chimes which will activate our new memories, then we will all begin again. As evidence of my conviction in this project, my family will undergo the memory treatment first.”
Memory imprints that affected decades of a person’s life were particularly difficult. Vierd Geryn was the most powerful telepath on Vastus Station. Despite his own misgivings about telepaths, Kole needed to trust Vierd Geryn and Vierd Geryn’s son, the only two people on Vastus Station capable of modifying memories.
Together, Peace Bringers had made detailed plans for the city, and developed memories for each person of where buildings and their homes were located. All the memory imprints were coordinated and placed in a program Kole developed to prevent contradictions. Vierd Geryn and his son held onto the telepath recorder that was used to help imprint the memories in each person’s mind. It was a squarish, metal block that obviously had sophisticated electronics hidden inside where humans couldn’t figure out how it worked without taking it apart and destroying it.
Kole ruffled his dark, brown hair as he nodded to Finna. She stepped forward with three mischievous, wiggly children. The memory recorder flashed projections of chosen memories in the air as the memories were implanted into Finna’s mind. The twins squirmed when Vierd Geryn placed memories in their minds. A memory treatment for their youngest child, who was too small to talk, was unnecessary. Kole nodded his approval and stepped forward.
It was at this point most humans decided to take the next step toward Vastus. Trusting a telepath was unusual to say the least, but Kole was a powerful human leader and was well-respected. His tactics were uniquely brilliant and had won countless battles.
Unlike humans, Telepaths didn’t question their leaders. They submitted to the new memories as though it was part of their daily life.
Shapeshifters were sensitive to telepath mind readings—sensitive enough that a powerful telepath could kill a shapeshifter simply by reading their mind. This was likely why shapeshifters stood to the side, their large eyes watching, waiting for someone else to be the experiment.
Vierd Geryn assured Kole their memory modification technique was safe for shapeshifters. Weeks passed following the memory modifications for humans and telepaths, but shapeshifters refused to step forward. Peace Bringers went about their tasks, gathering plants and animals for their new homes, developing herds and learning how to expand their food supplies. Kole and Finna broke up sporadic fights and hoped shapeshifters would eventually agree to the memory modifications.
Finally, the shapeshifters requested a meeting. Kole immediately locked his tablet and strode into the SRET room. Shapeshifters had already arrived, their stance threatening. Kole refused to cower. A protector faced Kole, towering above him, her eyes glimmering with anger and suspicion. “We find it difficult to believe telepaths will allow their own memories to be modified.”
Shapeshifters knew little about how telepathy worked. Kole had a plan for this very concern. “Would it help if we sent some telepaths to the surface where the memory modifications will activate? As you know, the memories will not begin until after they have arrived and the bell chimes forty times.”
The shapeshifter glared at Kole suspiciously.
Vierd Geryn and his son were obviously talking telepathically. Though Kole couldn’t hear the conversation, four telepaths stepped inside the blue line. As Vierd Geryn began the process of sending them to Vastus, young Eira squeezed through the off-white jackets and gleaming hair to get a better look at a telepath, Vierd Geryn’s son. Her orange eyes had followed him closely since her arrival in the SRET room that day. Kole thought it odd that a young shapeshifter would stare at Vierd Geryn’s son.
Eira’s mother grabbed her slim shoulders to hold her back, but Eira, undeterred, peeked between the shapeshifters in front of her. “Mum, that’s him! I’m sure it’s him!”
“Who?”
“The telepath svilg who saved us.”
A telepath svilg was a powerful military leader. Having a svilg on Vastus Station still made Kole nervous, despite their time on Vastus Station together.
Eira’s mother peered at Vierd Geryn’s son. “Do you mean the svilg who attacked the Csilla?”
“Yes!” Eira rotated her head around until she spotted her brother. “Do you remember him, Damir?”
“They all look the same to me. I can’t even tell a male from a female.” Damir shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly then tossed his long, white hair behind him. Though telepaths had different ridges on their cheeks and neck, extending around their heads, they all had the same, square build and were within a centimeter of height. Though some had markings on their skin, they were subtle, making it difficult to distinguish one telepath from another.
Damir searched for a trait that might help him identify the telepath. “He has the correct number of fingers.” Damir pointed his white finger at the telepath’s hands with six, stubby, brown-orange fingers on one hand and seven on the other.
Damir’s mother narrowed her red eyes. “How do you know it’s him, Eira?”
Eira walked toward the telepath who was standing next to Geryn and touched a scar on his arm. “His scar looks like a thyliani flower.”
Eira’s mother watched in shock. “Don’t be thoughtless Eira. Stay away from the telepath!”
Before Eira’s mother could protest further, Damir interrupted. “I can remember everything that was said. When the Csilla was attacked, we were sent to the back of the Csilla. An alarm told us to evacuate, but as a child I didn’t have access to the escape pods. I hacked into the system to gain access. Right before the door opened three telepath attackers walked in. I was sure they were going to kill us. The svilg arrived and said . . .” Damir didn’t go further.
Vierd Geryn’s son interrupted, “What are children doing on a new shapeshifter battleship.” His voice was monotone, like all telepaths. His eyes patiently rested on Damir as though he saw no need to rush, nor was there a place he would rather be than on Vastus Station, among those who, months ago, were his enemies.
Damir’s white lips spoke, “Yes. We told him we were going to a safer place. The two other telepaths wanted to kill us. They said we would grow to fight them, like all the other shapeshifters.”
“We are here to destroy new shapeshifter technology, not kill children. Put them in an escape pod and program it to fly to Senja.”
Damir jumped at the telepath’s voice. “Yes. That’s what the svilg said. Is it really him, Eira?”
Eira remained near the telepath. “It’s him, Damir. I know it is!”
At ten the girl was taller than the telepath. Her gaze shifted from the bald telepath to her mother in the tense room. Eira’s mother finally stepped forward. Her straight, white hair gleamed under the bright lights, almost blinding the telepath waiting to give her new memories. “Only if he does the memory modification.” She pointed to Vierd Geryn’s son then shakily removed the telepath blocker from behind her ear.
The telepath cautiously reached for her forehead with his stubby hand. The shapeshifter closed her eyes, as though trying to forget the telepath, and placed herself at the mercy of a species that could kill her with a single thought. Of all the events that transpired during their stay on Vastus Station, this was likely the most significant. Tension between telepaths and shapeshifters began when they first met. Of all the species, shapeshifters were suffering the most from the war.
Air rushing from vents on the station hummed. A human child shuffled his feet, yet the shapeshifter hovered over the telepath, her eyes closed, as though silently hoping she would be alive a split second later.
The telepath nodded his head toward Kole and brought his hand to his side. “You’re done.”
A wave of relief swept through the room. Other shapeshifters slowly stepped forward and removed the telepath blockers from behind their pointed ears. The small, metal disks found their way into pockets, or shapeshifters held onto them for comfort. Vierd Geryn’s son grew tired, but shapeshifters would only accept the memory modification from him. Days later, the memory modifications were finally complete.
Kole studied the last group of Peace Bringers, the revgiln eggs in front of him, as he turned a ring on his finger. Revgiln were enormous, powerful beasts that evolved on Mendje. From Kole’s understanding, the revgiln began on Mendje as violent animals with little reasoning abilities. Telepaths on Mendje tamed the beasts, although a vierd had to constantly control the revgiln telepathically. Revgiln masters, also known as vierd, took credit for saving the revgiln species. Telepaths considered it a revgiln privilege to become slaves to the telepaths. Vierd Geryn disagreed with this commonly held view of revgiln and insisted the revgiln should be part of the project.
Revgiln babies could remain inside their eggs for almost two hundred Vastus years. The revgiln however, presented a problem. If a revgiln became out of control on Vastus, it could destroy entire cities. Vierd Geryn assured Kole the revgiln would be okay, but Kole was skeptical. Revgiln were powerful, ferocious, and always controlled by telepath vierd. Kole made his own plans, uncertain if they would succeed.
While still in their eggs, a revgiln could communicate with telepaths and with each other, a secret Vierd Geryn told Kole while on Vastus Station. After talking to the revgiln, Kole discovered the distance from Vastus to Mendje was too far for them to communicate with their home planet. Memory modifications would keep the revgiln from spreading knowledge about space.
Kole circled the eggs, speckled with black, brown, orange, red, white, and green. During their weeks on Vastus Station, Vierd Geryn insisted the south side of the island better suited the eggs than the city Peace Bringers built. Though Kole had a hunch Vierd Geryn was hiding something from him, Kole relented and decided to send the revgiln to the south mountains as Vierd Geryn suggested.
Kole and Vierd Geryn treated the eggs as they normally would be treated when they were around other telepaths to keep others from suspecting the truth, that revgiln were far more intelligent than most telepaths, humans, and shapeshifters believed, and were somewhat aware of their surroundings while still in their eggs. Before other groups arrived in the SRET room for transport to the Vastus surface, Vierd Geryn and his son completed the revgiln memory modifications and placed the revgiln eggs inside the blue circle for transport. Kole moved his hands around the SRET control images. The eggs disappeared.
Four shapeshifters, chosen for their thorough and precise nature, entered the room with equipment to detect telepath blockers, electronic devices, exotic matter, and explosives. Kole’s family waited at the beginning of the line to transport to the surface. The protectors found tablets filled with science games in the twins’ jackets, but nothing else. The tablets were placed into a large bin as Finna and her children disappeared.
Sending his family first gave many others assurance that Kole intended to follow through with his own plans. Some humans calmly waited for their turn. Reluctant humans followed. The bin continued to fill with various items, mostly telepath blockers. Since telepath blockers were made of aurium, a metal which couldn’t be transported via the SRET, it didn’t matter if humans tried to bring them. After each group was transported, Kole gathered more blockers into the bin.
Telepaths didn’t protest when Vierd Geryn told them to step into the circle. Soon only two telepaths remained on Vastus Station, Vierd Geryn and his son. A large group of shapeshifters glared at Kole while waiting for everyone else to leave. Finally, shapeshifters programmed their destination and ordered the computer to send them to Vastus through the SRET. Since the SRET was a short-range transporter, and the only remaining ship was controlled through telepathy, shapeshifters could only transport to the Vastus surface. Peace Island was the only place on Vastus where Kole thought people could survive.
Only a few people remained. Kole allowed a shapeshifter protector to scan him thoroughly. She took interest in a green ring on Kole’s finger.
Another shapeshifter frowned at it. “Did you scan it?”
“Yes. The ring doesn’t contain aurium.”
“Can you detect any electronic devices?”
“No. The ring is at least a thousand years old.”
“A family heirloom?”
“Most likely.” The protectors hovered around Kole, as though trying to think of a reason to stay on Vastus Station a little longer.
Kole raised an eyebrow. “Are you done, or would you like more time?”
Protectors were powerful shapeshifters, with unique skills that enabled them to battle humans and telepaths, and all the remaining shapeshifters were protectors. Despite Kole’s skills, being near protectors made him uneasy. Powerful protectors could kill a human before the human knew they were being attacked. The protectors reluctantly stepped back.
Kole scanned the protectors, carefully eyeing one when the scanner informed Kole the protector was carrying aurium. The protector scowled at Kole, as though daring him to ask that the aurium remain. Kole decided not to worry about it. The SRET would take care of the telepath blocker. Kole breathed in deeply while he scanned the planet and Vastus Station once more for anything amiss. He glanced at his ring and forced himself to breathe normally. “Are we ready?”
Vierd Geryn scrunched his forehead and searched telepathically for anyone aboard. “Vastus Station seems clear. I believe we are ready.”
A protector ran her own scans, spending far longer reassuring herself that no one else was aboard than the telepath did, searching for life signs using four different scanners. “I cannot detect any signs of life, aside from us.”
Kole gazed at the projection of their destination, a primitive city. Building the village on Vastus was difficult. Kole separated the species and gave them different assignments to keep peace between them, a task that almost did not work. Peace Bringers created small wood, cement, and stone homes then sent them to the surface. Gardens, farms, shops, and homes lined the streets of their new city. Animals that were too hazardous to live near people were transferred elsewhere. They gathered animals that could be domesticated from around the planet and placed them in barns and stalls, hoping time and care would tame them. A new world awaited its occupants.
Peace Bringers wrote books about ways to live without advanced technology. Herbs for healing, indoor plumbing techniques, weaving cloth, farming, and raising animals would play a role in their new life. Only time would tell if all their hard work would suffice.
Kole made certain that shapeshifters and telepaths were studying the SRET controls then he pushed in the stone on his ring with his thumb as he rotated the stone. He inputted a long code into the computer, locking the SRET to prevent others from transporting back if they managed to sneak communicators to the surface. The protector input another locking code, longer and more complicated than Kole’s. Vierd Geryn and his son didn’t bother. Kole made one last scan of Vastus Station to be sure no one remained, then the final Peace Bringers traveled through the SRET to the planet. Kole appeared near his new home where his family awaited his arrival.
Slowly Kole and his family walked up the wooden stairs, anxiously glancing at the somewhat familiar people around them. Vierd Geryn checked for the final sign from Kole. Kole waved and nodded. A bell chimed thirty-nine times and then stopped. People watched through their windows and on their steps. Others stared at the tower, some covering their faces with their hands. A group of human teenagers huddled together in the street with their arms around each other’s shoulders. Several shapeshifters kept their fingers firmly in their ears, a vain attempt to tune out the bell. The bell chimed for the fortieth time. Telepaths ringing the bell forgot why they were ringing a bell. Instead, they glanced at the sun, as though deciding it was the midday chime.
Though Kole informed all Peace Bringers the chimes would trigger memory modifications, he and Vierd Geryn included more ways to trigger them. One was the chimes, another a three-fingered wave from Kole, an act Kole quickly accomplished, ensuring all Peace Bringers around him were subjected to the memory modification.
Kole questioned Vierd Geryn to be certain the memory modifications worked on the revgiln. It was strange to hear a telepath speak directly to Kole’s mind, but it was an effective way of communicating sensitive information. In the mountains, on the other side of the island, the revgiln rested in their eggs, hopeful of a new life. The last chime from a recorder in the cave cleared their memories, leaving the revgiln to rediscover who and what they were, then the recorder disintegrated, leaving behind no evidence of advanced technology.
The revgiln remaining on Mendje had been enslaved for such a long time. Sending their young to Vastus was a great risk. The revgiln knew they were dependent on another species for their sanity. Since they were dying in the war anyway, the project was worth the hope of freedom. Anything must be better than their current lives, but one message remained well ingrained into the revgiln minds, an emotion and a command not easily erased after years of listening to their parents. “Do not trust telepaths.” Kole wondered what would come of such a strong emotion in a memory wipe.
In the village, on the north side of the island, Kole and Finna attentively studied their three children as they explored the small, wooden house in a daze. Kole watched the streets, waiting for chaos, but little happened.
Finna glanced at the brilliant, blue sky with a shaky smile. “It’s time for lunch.”
“Yes.” Kole strode into the kitchen and pulled the pump handle up and down, enjoying fresh water running from the new, metal spout.
Finna fumbled through the pantry for something to eat. She carefully unwrapped the soft cloth, revealing crusty, brown bread. Kole’s twins bounded across the wooden floor into the kitchen, declaring an immediate need for food. The city street, visible from the window, was calm with occasional people walking along the smooth, dirt. A sly smile grew on Kole’s face as he watched the scene before him. His plan was working.
Kole tore off a thick chunk of bread then walked along the street to his guard station while watching the Vastus forest for signs of dangerous animals. Another guard on the bell tower was oblivious to the secret behind Kole’s smile, but Kole’s plan extended far beyond what he could see. The settlement on Vastus was only the beginning.
