Shadows of Golstar (71 page)

He
went over to the parlor’s entrance and looked in. He saw the large ornate door
on the other side of the room and nodded. “Okay.”

“My
mother’s files are in her office at the end of the hallway. It might be
difficult for us to hear the beginning overtures of a break-in from that far
room, so I would ask that you to stand watch here and listen for anything
unusual while I am looking through the documents. You can come back and alert
me at the first sign of forced entry. Hopefully, should that occur, we will
have sufficient time to return to the passageway.”

“Okay,
sounds reasonable,” he nodded. “Why don’t you go ahead and start looking. The
sooner we’re out of here, the better.”

She
nodded and went down the hall while he turned, walked into the parlor and over
to the door. He put his ear to the jamb and listened intently. After a few
seconds, he was gratified by the unbroken silence. He pulled back, turning to
lean against the door and with arms folded, prepared to wait for however long
it took for Sharné to find the information.

As he
lounged against the door, his eyes wandered around the room, noting the
indistinguishable lumps of sheet-covered furniture crowding the floor. His gaze
stopped on a small table. It was the only the piece of furniture left
uncovered. A flat box or book rested in the center of its top. He wondered at
its significance. The table was ash-colored with the accumulated dust, but the
Victorian influence on its design was still easy to discern.
 
His curiosity finally got the better of him
and he walked over to the table and picked up the object. It was a box about
twelve inches square, four inches deep and covered by the ubiquitous layer of
dust. It seemed heavy for its size and he carefully opened it.

He
didn’t know what he might find and was a little surprised by the unusual item
that rested within the box. It was a small black rectangular housing made of
metal with two short wiring harnesses connected to one side. What was curious
was that almost half of its metal surface was covered with irregular, ragged
holes, exposing burnt circuitry beneath. The pattern of damage looked as if
something had splashed against the housing and eaten away the metal and
electronics underneath. A strong acid might have been responsible for the
damage.

What
an odd thing to find in a dead noblewoman’s suite. He took out his light and
shined it on the metal surface. He couldn’t see any markings, nothing to
identify the manufacturer or indicate the function of the small, mysterious
apparatus. He gently lifted it out of the box and looked at the object’s
undamaged back panel. He spotted a label with some faint words and numbers.

He
brought it closer to his eyes, trying to read the faded tag. He could just make
out the words, ‘S-link speed controller’ followed by a serial number. He
replaced the now identified speed controller in the box and put it back down on
the table. He walked over to the door and again listened until he was satisfied
that there wasn’t anyone trying to enter. He leaned against the door and looked
back at the table. Minutes passed as his mind wondered at the small mystery of
the box.

● ● ●

The
old secret passage was the only access to the Sanctum from his rooms. The Grand
Patriarch hoped that he would reach the Sanctum’s access before someone
remembered the route and began searching it. It did not take him long to travel
down the dark, narrow passageways to reach his destination. However, he had not
foreseen a major stumbling block that would ultimately obstruct his path.

The
Grand Patriarch stood in the passage, staring at the door in frustration. It
had no handle. Only a sequence of pressure points would open it and at the
moment, the Grand Patriarch could not remember the combination. He had not used
the passage for years and never thought that it would ever be needed. He had
attempted a few sequences that seemed familiar, but with no success.

He
rubbed his brow trying to remember the exact pattern, but try as he might, he
could not recall it. Time was passing and he knew he could not afford the time
to just futilely stand there, searching his memory for the elusive
sequence.
 
The chance of discovery
increased the longer he stood there. There had to be another way. Then he
remembered. His wife’s old suite was in an abandoned wing. From there he could
get to the empty reading room across the hallway. It had a direct, computer
access to the Sanctum.

● ● ●

Sharné
returned from her mother’s private office and entered the parlor. Her
expression seemed troubled. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she
said, “I have some good news and bad news.”

“Just
once I’d like to have only good news,” He sighed, leaving his post by the door.
“Well, what is it?”

“I
found the birth and death dates and wrote them down in the proper sequence.”
She passed him a sheet of parchment.

He
saw a string of numbers. Then he noticed the space right before the last four
digits. “Uh, oh, I think I just spotted the bad news.”

“Well,
it is not truly so bad,” she replied. “The records are old and faded. I could
not make out the day of the month for the aunt’s death. Until reaching Golstar,
we used Earth’s calendar-keeping methodology, so the only missing number in the
sequence must be between one and thirty-one.”

Her
somber expression seemed to belie her words and he wondered what else might be
troubling her. He said, “No, I guess that’s not so bad after all, just
thirty-one possible combinations.”

The
Grand Patriarch stepped out from the adjacent room. “No,” he said coldly. “I am
afraid that I must disagree. It is very bad.”

Owens
and Sharné quickly turned toward the Grand Patriarch. Owens started to raise
the shocker.

The
Grand Patriarch’s pistol was pointing at his chest. “Please drop your weapon.”

Owens
didn’t move. His arm holding the shocker remained frozen, pointing at the Grand
Patriarch’s legs. Glaring at the Grand Patriarch, Owens said, “Would you shoot
the only chance to get immediate access to your precious alien technology? If I
die, it would take some time to clone a new key and time isn’t something you
have in abundance.”

The
Grand Patriarch expression became thoughtful. “An excellent point,” he said and
turned the gun on Sharné. “I repeat, drop your weapon. I know you have feelings
for my daughter, so if you do not relinquish the shocker, I will most certainly
shoot her.”

Owens
looked at the gun. It was pointed unwaveringly at Sharné. “You won’t shoot
her.”

The
Grand Patriarch said, “If you do not comply, I will not hesitate.”

“She’s
your daughter, for God’s sake.”

The
Grand Patriarch’s expression grew fierce, “My daughter? My
daughter
would not betray me or our People. My
daughter
would not abet your
escape; she would not commit the crime of high treason!” These last words were
shouted.

 Unflinching,
Sharné stared back at her father. “It is not I who betrayed our people. It is
not I who employs the Trah-tang technology to subjugate our people. And…” she
paused as if finding the words she was about to speak, blasphemous, “it is you
who have known all along the reason for the population’s decline, you and the
Grand Matriarch before you.”

“You
foolish, foolish child, you know nothing!”

She
shook her head sadly, “My mother knew and now so do I. I found it her last
journal when I was searching for the key code. In it, she revealed the truth.”

The
Grand Patriarch sneered, “The truth? What did she know of the truth? She
understood only a fraction of the entire problem. Only I and my predecessor
were privy to the true picture, its complexity and the consequences of choosing
the wrong path. ”

Tears
were starting to track down Sharné’s cheeks, “Wrong path? Father, there is only
but one solution. My mother knew it. She told you, tried to reason with you.
She begged you and when you continued to refuse…”

“She
threatened me, me the Grand Patriarch, the rightful ruler of Golstar! She
actually tried to intimidate me, said she would take it to the People, allow
them to decide.”

“But you
could not let that happen, could you Father?”

He
shook his head slowly. His voice lowered, “She threatened the Way of Light. Do
you not see? She was wrong and had to be stopped. Dear Founder, she had to be
stopped.”

“And
so,” her voice was barely above a whisper. “You had her killed.”

He
stared at her, his face alternating between anguish and anger. He said nothing.
The gun continued to point unerring at her breast. The cold silence stretched.

Owens
broke the tableau, “It was you. You sabotaged the transport your wife was
riding in.”

The
Grand Patriarch’s gaze remained fixed on his daughter. “Very good, Janus Owens,
you are indeed a capable investigator.”

“It
wasn’t so hard. Sharné told me her mother died in an accident. You left the
incriminating evidence lying on a table in this room.”

The
Grand Patriarch said, “I know I should have had my wife’s rooms cleared, but I
am not without sentiment.”

“Saving
a piece of the mechanism you sabotaged as a memento of a murder doesn’t strike
me as particularly sentimental. In examining your macabre trophy, it appears
you had acid applied to a component of her vehicle’s speed control.”

The
Grand Patriarch smiled coldly, “That and the braking system, yes. My wife loved
to tour in reproductions of ancient, wheeled vehicles. Many of the upper
classes enjoyed them for recreation. She said it made her feel more in touch to
her surroundings. Often, she would go out on long drives to clear her mind.
Unfortunately, for her, the mountain road she was so fond of traveling proved
to be quite treacherous. Sadly, the vehicle lost control on a particularly
sharp turn and sailed over a cliff, killing her instantly. I will always remain
empty without her in my life.”

 “Yeah,
I’m sure you were really broken up.”

“Make
no mistake, I loved my wife, Janus Owens, but the needs of the People must
always come first. It was a terrible sacrifice but one I had to make.” He
paused, and then said, “I have indulged your transparent tactic for delay, but
now the time for discussion is at an end. You have really no choice, Janus
Owens. You must now yield to me and fulfill your destiny.”

Owens
looked at Sharné. The tears on her cheeks had dried.
 
He withheld a caustic reply. Instead, he
asked, “Patriarch, before I give up, would you at least answer one more
question?”

“You
have no leverage to exhort any more answers, but I will allow you one question.
It will depend on you whether or not I provide an answer. I am still waiting
for you to drop your weapon.”

Owens
ignored the demand and kept a tight grip on the shocker. “What is the cause for
the decline in population?’

It
was Sharné who answered. “Owens, it is the aliens’ orbs of teaching. They were
not designed for humans. The constant bombardment of the ultrasonic sounds and
a subtle form of radiation causes accumulative tissue damage in human fetuses,
including the reproductive organs. Along with a number of other maladies, the
control spheres are ultimately responsible for the infertility!”

Owens
said, “I don’t get it. Why not just shut them down? The problem would be
solved.”

“That
was what my mother proposed.”

“Silence!”
The Grand Patriarch’s angry voice filled the room. “To turn off the mechanisms
would have created chaos. The People need the Orbs of Light. They teach and
reinforce the principles of the Way. They aid in putting minds on the path to
enlightenment. Generations of unborn children and adults alike have benefited
by the subliminal teachings.”

“But
that is not all that they do, is it, Father? Discounting the tissue damage for
the moment, they also instill in the People blind obedience to authority, your
authority. It gives them a false sense of hope, comfort and the belief in the
infallibility of the ruling classes. It shrouds the imperative for unthinking
obeisance with the counterfeit feeling of peace and contentment.”

“Sadly,
as it was with your dear mother, you are misguided, Daughter. They unite the
People for the common good of all.”

“No
Father, they indoctrinate the People to follow blindly the edicts of the elite
families... whose members are shielded from much, if not all, of the effects of
the orbs.”

The
Grand Patriarch shook his head sadly, “You are your mother’s daughter. You
voice the same tired accusations she once raised. However, she was wrong, as
are you. My path is illuminated by the Light, the only true path. Soon, with
direct access to the Controllers, I will find the answer to the decline in
birthrate without the loss of the orbs’ benevolent influence.”

Owens
saw that the Grand Patriarch’s hold on sanity was precarious at best and that
nothing rational would sway the Golstar zealot. “I understand the fundamental
differences between you and Sharné cannot be resolved, but I ask she not be
punished. If I have your promise not to hurt her, I’ll surrender.”