Shadows of Golstar (73 page)

“You
are a fool. It would have been too complicated, too many factors outside of our
control. It would have been impossible to approach him without resources put in
place prior to a confrontation. Our agents would have been exposed for an
extended length of time. To abduct someone of Janus Owens’ capabilities would
require a large team of agents and incremental transportation needs. Why risk
discovery when the subject could deliver himself?”

“Yet
you readily risked exposure when you sent your guards to break into
Confederated Planets’ DNA record centers.”

The
Grand Patriarch shook his head, “A surgical strike with minimal exposure. Only
two people involved with the resolve to leave no evidence if things went
wrong.” 

“I
see… and what about the two other excursions into enemy space? Your Preservers
of the Way not only further risked exposure, their attacks could have put an
end to your so-call one last hope for Golstar. The Outsider could have been
killed.” Talin shook his head, “Each preemptive action you purport to have
taken to assure Golstar’s future, instead only brought it closer to the brink
of darkness.”

The
Grand Patriarch glared at his one-time friend. “At the risk of repeating
myself, Janus Owens was never in any true danger. I made sure there would be no
evidence that the Preservers had entered Confederated Planets’ space. That
Confederated Planets attributed the attacks with piracy or disgruntled
adversaries is proof that my precautions were effective.

“You
continue to deny the jeopardy in which you have placed the People,” Talin
challenged.

“I
deny nothing! Golstar was already experiencing an accelerated rate of decline. The
population’s viability to recover has been reduced to mere decades, yet our
scientists continued to fail in their search to find the cure for our waning
numbers. You know as well as I, the problem grows worse by the year. Only the
Controllers have the capability to find a cure, but I, the ruler of Golstar,
was denied my rightful access to them. My plan provided the crucial key to
again unlock their unlimited power. My intention all along has been to
resurrect the birthright of People and regain the alien technology to wage the
righteous war. I am the Grand Patriarch and the wisdom of my decisions cannot
be questioned, least of all by you!” The Grand Patriarch strained against his
restraints. “Release me!”

Talin
stood up abruptly and said heatedly, “You are quite insane. You have proven to
be no longer fit to be the Grand Patriarch!”

The
Grand Patriarch’s mouth hung open in momentary shock. In all of his life, not a
single person ever raised a voice against him. A wave of raw hate passed over
him.

● ● ●

Owens
said in a low voice, “I’m going to try to contact the
Holmes
.”

“Owens,
how is that possible? Your communications link should not be able to operate
within the palace. In any event, your communications would be overheard.”

“Hec
found a way around the palace’s jammers and monitors. I’ll explain later.” He
fumbled at his wrist.

“How…
Wait,” she whispered urgently. “I think I hear something.”

Owens
froze, listening. Straining, he could just hear the faint sounds of voices
coming from the direction they had fled. “They don’t seem to be taking any
pains to be quiet,” he whispered. “The acoustics of the passageway allow sound
to travel quite a ways, so I think they’re still pretty far away.
 
It will take them more time get here if they
search the side passages we passed.” Owens ran down each passage for a few
yards to leave false trails in case they were tracking their footprints.

“Here,”
he said. “Take this.” He handed her the shocker. He pointed his light on the
revolver he had taken from the Grand Patriarch. Being an ex-cop, he was
familiar with projectile weapons. He carefully rotated the cylinder and was
thankful that all six chambers were loaded.

Sharné
whispered, “What are we going to do?”

“First,
do you still have the small light?” After she said she did, he withdrew the
hardcopy with the numerical code and said, “Turn it on and use your hand to
shield the light. I want it to only shine on the code.” She did as he asked and
he switched off the larger light.

He
activated his wrist-comp, and put his mouth close to the device, “Hec, if you
can hear me, don’t respond verbally. Flash the receive lamp once for yes. Owens
stared at his wrist for a few tense seconds before the tiny amber indicator
flashed once. He breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, flash twice for no. I assume
you’re still in contact with the Controllers and they can monitor my words?” A
few more seconds passed before the indicator flashed once.

He
felt Sharné tense beside him. “It’s okay. Hec’s been in contact with them.
That’s how he’s able to override the palace security systems. I’ll explain when
I can.” To Hec, he said, “With the Sharné’s help, I’m free and have most of the
code to access the Primes. But since I don’t have all the numbers, I’m going to
recite the possible access code sequences. If I hit the right one, will the
Controllers obey me, assuming they can take another remote sample of my DNA
like they did before on Selane?”

The
response took longer this time. He waited as the seconds ticked by. Finally, a
single flash winked on his wrist. “Okay, Sharné is with me and you’ve probably
already figured out that we’re in a little bit of a bind. I’m about to be
recaptured. So when I hit the correct combination, can they immediately
transport Sharné and me to the
Holmes
? The indicator quickly flashed
twice.

“Damn
it,” He thought a moment, “Then is there any way to transport us to a safer
place than where we’re currently located?” Owens was rewarded with a single
flash. “Then that’s where we want to go. Here comes my first try.” He recited
the string of numbers, inserting zero and one for the missing digits. His wrist
flashed twice in response, one down and thirty to go. He recited successive
combinations ten more times, and at the end of each sequence received two
flashes.

He
was about to begin the next sequence when the voices of the search party began
to grow noticeably louder. “Shit, just once I’d like to get a break.” He
quickly spoke the next sequence of numbers. His wrist-comp answered with a
negative signal. He looked down the passageway and could see the flash of a dim
light in the distance. He raised the pistol, and whispered to Sharné, “Plug
your ears, going to give our pursuers something to think about.”

He
aimed for the general direction of the bobbing light. He pulled the trigger.
The gun bucked in his hand with a loud bang and he was momentarily deafened.
The distant light was instantly extinguished. He had no indication that he had
hit anyone. He quickly recited the next sequence. It too was wrong. With his
luck, it would be the last one, he thought darkly.

“Sharné,”
he whispered. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,
I plugged my ears when you fired.”

“Good,
I still have some ringing in my ears. Switch off the light; I have the numbers
memorized now.” The light she had shielded with her cupped hand vanished. .
“Okay, listen for any noises. Now that they know we’re here and have us
cornered, they may take their time... maybe even send someone back for a set of
no-light goggles, gas grenades or something.”

He
recited the next sequence and received the twin flashes.
 
He had just begun another string of numbers
when a sudden loud explosive sound and blinding strobe of light from a
flash-bang grenade went off two meters in front of them. Suddenly deaf and
blind, Owens fired the pistol at the ceiling and doggedly finished the numbers.
He couldn’t see the indicators on the wrist-comp, but since nothing happened,
he knew that it was one more wrong sequence.

Before
he could open his mouth for the next series of numbers, he was hit by multiple
bodies and brought down heavily to the hard stone floor. He gasped as the air
was forced from his lungs. He struggled to breathe and managed to gain a few
shallow breaths. All the while, he fought with his attackers as they grappled
to attach heavy-metal restraints to his wrists and ankles. His thoughts turned
to Sharné and a shot of adrenalin fueled his muscles. He redoubled his efforts
and managed to bring up a knee into someone’s groin and felt the man fall away.
But before he could do any more damage, he received a stunning blow to the back
of his head.

With
his struggles momentarily halted, restraints were successfully attached.
Blearily, he felt the weight of his attackers diminish as they disentangled
themselves and stood away from him. His head cleared and his sight slowly
returned. The light from a number of hand-held lamps dimly illuminated the
passageway. He took a ragged breath and began to speak the next sequence.

He
could hear muffled voices. His hearing was also coming back. He heard a rough
voice, seeming to come from a distance, ask, “What is he saying?”

An
answering voice chuckled, “He seems to be babbling numbers. It appears his
skull is no harder than yours, Spence. That little knock on the head must have
addled his brain.”

Someone
else asked, “What about the Keeper of the Way? Is she alright?”

The
man with the rough voice said, “Unfortunately, she remains unconscious.”

“Well,
you had better hope she is not seriously injured. The Guardian will certainly
have your head otherwise.”

“It
appears she struck her head against the wall when we rushed the Outsider. We
had no way to know she was here with him. The cowardly son of darkness must
have taken her as a hostage. If our orders had not specified he would come to
no harm…”

Another
voice said, “Enough talk, the objective has been met. It is time to take him
back. He looks heavy. James, I want you, Brinton and Spence to get a stretcher.
I will carry the Keeper.”

The
rough voice asked, “What about Christen? He is still doubled up from the
Outsider’s knee.”

“After
you have taken care of the Outsider, come back for Christen and take him to the
infirmary.”

Owens
just finished the last number in the latest sequence when he felt the harsh
tingle of a shocker, then nothing.

 It
was morning. The palace was beginning to wake. The hustle and bustle of
everyday activities provided a comforting background to the acting Grand
Patriarch, as he and Minister Joselé strode down the corridors with two guards
trailing behind them at a discrete distance. He looked toward the Minister,
“So, it is finally time to meet the Outsider. Are you ready to meet the nexus
of our ex-leader’s plan?”

She
looked at Talin, now the most powerful man in Golstar, “Yes, very much so. And
I admit to some degree of curiosity in regard to this man, beyond that of his
value to Golstar. I have to say that his repeated success at escaping death is
most intriguing, if not outright incredible. That he managed to escape his
confinement within these hallowed halls is difficult to believe as well.”

“I
must agree,” Talin replied. “His heritage notwithstanding, he has exhibited
some rather unique talents and I find myself interested as well. His most-recent
success in escaping his confinement has me seriously reconsidering some aspects
of our military training disciplines. His ingenuity, coupled with his strength,
overcame resources that should have been more than sufficient for our first
attempt at his retrieval.”

“I must
admit that for one man, he has proven to be a rather formidable opponent,” she
conceded.

“Well
I suppose, but some of his success must be attributed to an incredible streak
of luck.”

Minister
Joselé said with some satisfaction, “Yet his good fortune did not last and his
loss was our gain. With his recapture, we can now take advantage of the
fortuitous opportunity presented us. Through his presence, access to the Primes
will soon be reacquired. He provides us with one-half of the critical key.” She
paused, and then said, “How goes the search for the other half, the numerical
code sequence?”

“Not
very well I am afraid. I was confident it would be in our possession by now,
but the Grand Patriarch was clever. He hid it well. Though his residence and
offices have been thoroughly searched, nothing has been found. In the hope of
finding it elsewhere, I have expanded the search into the historical archives
and now have people searching other rooms within the palace that he often
frequented.”

The
Minister looked pained, “Please, do not refer to that man as the Grand
Patriarch. You have lawfully assumed that title. You are now the true Grand
Patriarch..."

“It
is an old and well polished habit. I find it difficult to think of him simply
as Geoffrey. However, I will endeavor to correct my references to him in the
future. But as to my assumption of the title, as you very well know, the full
Assembly has yet to confirm me.”

“As I
now hold the Lead Chair, it is only a formality. It will take a little more
time to consolidate your support within the Assembly. The last of our
ex-ruler’s supporters have either changed their allegiance or quietly
resigned.”

“Yes,”
he nodded. “Those who have resigned will be restricted from attending Service.
Within time, deprived of… Geoffrey’s altered messages from the Orbs of Light,
they too may eventually repudiate their former allegiance.”

She
said, “While that may be so, we are moving forward. With or without their
allegiance, we will soon be ready to compose the final ruling, issue it and
make the public proclamation on your confirmation as the interim Grand
Patriarch.”

“I
will defer to your expertise in this matter.”

She
smiled, “Thank you, Grand Patriarch. Of course, it remains vital we reprogram
the spheres as soon as possible. Even those of us with natural resistance are
beginning to show the strain. The coding of the spheres must be corrected along
with the reactivation of the filtering gems. How are the efforts going on that
front?”

“My
right of entry into the Sanctum has allowed our technicians to access the
programming code. I am confident they are making excellent progress. I fully
expect the replacement programming to be in-place within a few days. A full
complement of new filters should soon be available as well.”

“Finally,
some favorable news,” she sounded pleased.

“Speaking
of news, I have been so inundated with my new responsibilities I have not
thought to ask after Sharné. What of her condition? How is her recovery
proceeding? She is feeling better, I hope?”

“I
looked in on her earlier and physically she seems to be recovering quite
nicely. However…” she paused. A look of worry creased her brow. “She still
seems to be suffering somewhat from psychologically-induced shock.”

He
looked troubled, “That is worrisome, but I suppose it is to be expected. First,
she was taken hostage by the Outsider, only to be injured later during his
recapture. If that was not enough, once she regained consciousness, she
realized her father’s absence. We had no choice but to tell that her father had
suffered a mental breakdown, was not able to see her and could no longer
perform the duties of his office.”

“Yes,
but when told of her father, I was informed she did not react in any meaningful
way. In fact, I was led to believe she was almost seemed pleased by the news.”
Minister Joselé shook her head, “Whether it is due to her ordeal with the
Outsider or the blow to her head, Sharné is not acting as I think she would
normally.”

He
asked, “What does her physician say?”

She
sighed, “Only that she is fine physically, but mentally, her full recovery
could still take a little longer. The prognosis is optimistic.”

“Good,
we can only hope her doctor is correct in her diagnosis and she will recover
soon.” He added, “And as soon as she does recover, she will begin the first
phase of the training she will require before assuming the reins of power that
are rightfully hers.”

Still,”
the minister said, “it will be some time before she can do so. For unknown
reasons of his own, her father neglected a crucial part of her education and
indoctrination.”

The
sooner, the better, Talin thought. He had never harbored the desire to be the
Grand Patriarch. His role as Guardian of the Way had been more than enough to
satisfy his ambitions. In answering only to the Grand Patriarch, Talin could
avoid much of the political bickering and infighting that often went on within
the Assembly. He both enjoyed and excelled in military and security matters and
would be quite content when he could resume his duties as the Guardian of the
Way.

They
walked in silence for a few moments, and then she asked, “From your earlier
reference, I assume that… Geoffrey has been uncooperative in disclosing the
location of code.”

“He
has proven quite obstinate and unless we can discover where it is kept on our
own, other more drastic measures must soon be considered.”

“Frankly,
I am not at all surprised. We have always known drastic measures might be
necessary,” she said, stopping before a door. “Our problems are significant and
their resolution must not be delayed by the whim of a single, stubborn old
man.”

He
stopped beside her. “You are right, of course, but I am sorry it may indeed
come to that. He was my childhood companion and over the long years, my closest
friend. It will be difficult for me to sign the order, but as you say, the
People must come first.” He stood by and waited for the guards to open the
door.

● ● ●

Owen
heard voices through the door. He wondered who was on the other side and what their
arrival might portend. He had only awakened a few minutes earlier and found he
was securely strapped in a hard, straight-backed chair. He had immediately
tested his bonds and found them resistant to any of his attempts to loosen
them. Secured as he was, he could not gain sufficient leverage to test his
Loder muscles against the straps. It looked like they were taking no chances.

In
spite of a dull headache, he had immediately taken in his surroundings and saw
he was in a room with no windows and few furnishings. The floor was bare of any
covering. Its dull, scuffed wood seemed well worn from years of foot traffic.
The furnishings consisted of a single large chest positioned against one wall
and a round wooden table with four chairs, one to which he was currently
strapped. Lighting was provided by the ubiquitous glowing globes, mounted on
wrought-iron metal sconces attached to pale yellow rough plastered walls. It
looked like it could have been used as a storeroom at one time.

As
his thoughts cleared, Sharné immediately came to his mind and he felt a sharp
stab of apprehension. He could vaguely recall the conversation between their
attackers. He remembered them talking about her, that she had struck her head
against the corridor’s stone wall. He fervently hoped her injury had been minor
and she was alright. He also hoped her association with him had remained
undiscovered. He didn’t want to think of what his captors might do if they
found out. So far, Owens had heard of one only type of punishment practiced
within the borders of Golstar and that was the last thing that he wanted to
consider where she was concerned.

He
believed she would not knowingly betray him and hoped her involvement with his
escape would remain unknown. At this thought, a tiny shred of optimism inserted
itself. Provided she was well and continued to remain free, there was a
possibility, however slight, she still might be able help him.

His
mind continued to sharpen as the pain in his head began to recede. His thoughts
returned to his captors and who they might represent. Were they a part of the
original attempt to remove him from the Grand Patriarch’s custody? Or had it
been the agents of Grand Patriarch who had engineered the assault? At the time
of his recapture, the flash-bang grenade effectively blinded and deafened him.
Even though he had started to recover, his senses were still impaired enough to
prevent confirmation that the latter assailants were the same as those who had
tried to kidnap him earlier. And what was behind the attempted kidnapping? Was
it a competing faction trying to gain control of the alien technology or
something more convoluted? It was one more question to add to an incredibly
long list of questions.

His
mind turned to what he had been doing right before his capture. He had been
trying to trigger the numerical part of the key. He had to have been getting
close to the combination right before the attack. For all he knew, it could
have been the very next sequence. He looked down toward his hands, hoping to
see the wrist-comp. It was not unexpected, but he was still dismayed to find
that they had taken it. Damn it! His only link with Hec and the Controllers had
been removed.

The
door then opened and Owens was immediately brought back into the present. He
watched warily as two people walked into the room, a man and a woman. They were
both relatively tall and slender. They stopped halfway to the table and stared
at him. With as much insolence as he could muster, he stared right back. He was
surprised to note the man was dressed in robes similar to those of the Grand
Patriarch. His short-cropped gray hair and stiff military bearing seemed at
odds with his trappings of royalty. In contrast, the woman was dressed in a
plain, floor length dress of dull burgundy. A heavy gold chain hung around her
neck, supporting a large jeweled pedant that was her only adornment. They stood
motionlessly gazing at him as one might a rare caged animal.

He
decided to break the silence and said with false good humor, “You don’t need to
stand on ceremony. Come right on in and take a seat. I’d get up, but…” He
looked down at his bonds and his voice hardened. “I’m tied up at the moment.
You people do know how to make a man feel wanted… dead or alive.”

At
Owens’ provocative words, the man’s head turned and he looked at the woman. She
didn’t seem to notice. Her attention remained focused on Owens. Owens could
almost feel a physical pressure from the intensity of her gaze. As she
continued to stare at him, he noted her face was a little pale. Her eyes were
wide in what looked to be mild awe. Finally, she reluctantly turned to the man
and said, “Grand Patriarch, please accept an apology for my momentary
preoccupation. I was simply unprepared for the striking resemblance of…” She
paused, as if trying to remember, “…Janus Owens to the Founder.”

Owens
wasn’t particularly surprised by her declaration of his resemblance to their
venerated Founder. Instead, he was surprised by the new Grand Patriarch.
Another small piece to the growing puzzle clicked into place. His attempted
abduction was part of a coup. What effect would this have on Sharné’s standing?
Was she, he wondered, at this moment occupying another room similar to his?”

She
turned to look back at Owens while still speaking to the new ruler, “As you know,
Grand Patriarch, I am a student of our history, particularly the Founder’s
history. I can say with some certainty that the young man sitting on that chair
could easily pass for the younger Founder, long before he experienced his first
revelation while on old Earth.”

The
new Grand Patriarch rubbed his chin, now looking at Owens with a speculative
expression. “Interesting, even knowing that his DNA was virtually identical to
that of the Founder, their physical similarities had not struck me. However, as
I look at him now, I do see some resemblance to the Founder as he appeared in
some of Golstar’s older historical archives. However, as I have not studied the
Founder’s pre-Golstar history as closely as you have, I had no conception of
his true likeness to our great leader during his pre-colony days. In this, I
must bow to your expertise.”