The Light-Field (34 page)

He looked to Mythric, shocked but not affronted. ‘That's a name that only royalty would know,' Ringbalin said, calling for the stranger to explain himself.

‘I am of the House of Vidor,' Mythric acknowledged, which roused a quiet gasp from Kassa and Leal.

Ringbalin was a little uneasy to find himself suddenly in the company of a royal from his home planet, and bowed his head a little in reverence. ‘I am at your service.'

‘Did you once answer to the name of Quanah?' Mythric queried, with such emotion that Ringbalin appeared a little hesitant to answer.

‘It was a name given to me for a time, by the late Dowager Duchess of Sermetica.' Ringbalin was open and honest, as was company policy. Everyone present, including Taren, was shocked to learn this and see this synchronous moment unfolding before their eyes. This was why Taren was insisting that they were all so open with each other, as many of them knew little about who they really were. By being open, she hoped to solve many of the mysteries about her crew that had been buried throughout their lives for their own protection.

‘What were the chances?' Mythric near choked on his delight. ‘Do you remember Maiara bringing you a young child to heal, when you were about five —'

‘He was her great grandson,' Ringbalin said surely. ‘I remember the babe still struggling for life despite the knife through his tiny body … that is not an image one forgets, sir.' His eyes welled with tears at the memory and so did Mythric's.

‘He was my son.' Mythric's gratitude welled within in him. ‘And I am deeply indebted to you for saving his life.'

‘You are Spyridon Vidor?' Ringbalin dropped his head in reverence once more. ‘Your Grace. Of course I saved him, how could I not?'

‘I am no lord anymore. I renounced my birthright that same night, believing my son had been murdered along with my wife.' Mythric hugged Ringbalin, who normally would have objected, but did not. ‘Thank you,' he uttered at last and let the lad go.

‘He lives then?' Ringbalin ventured to ask. ‘The little prince — that's what Maiara called him.'

‘I'm right here.' Zeven came forward out of the crowd gathered around the doorway to the nursery, his eyes moist with the emotion of what he'd just learnt. ‘So, we
have
met before.' He raised half a smile as he approached his old friend.

‘Wow, the little prince got bigger than me?' Ringbalin noted, brushing his tears away with his wrist — the only clean part of his hand.

‘You saved my life, man …' Zeven overwhelmed Ringbalin with a hug, and Taren felt her tears starting to flow. The pair broke apart, but were obviously rather stoked to have found each other after all this time.

‘So what name do you go by now?' Ringbalin asked.

‘Any name but my real one.' Zeven shrugged. ‘Call me Kale, Zeven, Starman, Bob.'

‘I like Bob,' Leal piped up to vote.

‘No,' Zeven insisted, ‘I hate Bob.'

‘And you?' Kassa looked to Mythric. ‘Do we call you BA, Spyridon or Lord Vidor?'

He found this amusing as he thought about it. ‘I like Mythric.'

‘Mythric it is then,' Taren decreed. ‘Mythric and
Bob.
'

‘I don't think so,' Zeven maintained, arms folded in protest. ‘I want Zeven back.'

Taren grinned in conclusion. ‘Zeven it is, Starman.'

‘Yes!' He clenched his fists close to his chest in victory. ‘I finally get to be me again!'

‘On board this vessel,' Taren advised. ‘But outside of the vessel you are still BA and Kale Tane, just to be safe.'

‘Well.' Leal slapped his hands together. ‘I'm glad we got that sorted out. I'm just going to stick with Leal, if that's okay with everyone?'

‘But Bob is still available?' Zeven bantered, just to be annoying.

‘I'll pass.' Leal declined all the same.

‘Well, Ringbalin.' Taren approached him as he was appearing quite stunned and delighted by the morning's events. ‘We were actually here to take your guided tour.'

‘Certainly.' He pushed his glasses back up on his nose, keen to show off his progress. ‘Follow me, all.'

 

After their tour of Module C, their party caught up with Aurora in the cafeteria area around in Module B. This was not yet fully stocked and operating, but some of the crew still ate there. Aurora had run into Jazmay and Yasper Ronan, along with their son, Fari, who was meeting Thurayya for the first time.

Fari had a piece of metal pipe and was bending it with his bare hands, as if it were made of foam.

Thurayya was delighted by his display and clapped. ‘May I have a go?' she asked politely, gently touching his shoulder.

‘Sure thing.' Fari handed the metal over and to his shock she didn't drop it.

‘Now let's see?' She observed the twisted piece of metal a second, and proceeded to twist it like a balloon into the shape of an animal. ‘Ta-da!' She held the metal back out to the boy, whose jaw was waning. ‘You're like me!'

Ray shook her head. ‘I am like everybody! And so I am unique,' she repeated what her parents had so often told her.

‘Yasper Ronan!' Mythric spotted his old MSS team mate and was excited to see him again.

Yasper hurried over to greet him. ‘Mythric, my man … seems like an age!' He bypassed the handshake and hugged him.

‘You got the levitating under control, I see.' Mythric noted that Yasper was not floating about aimlessly like the last time he'd seen him.

‘With a little training in psychic control from my wife,' Yasper agreed, stepping aside. ‘You remember Jazmay?'

The beautiful femme fatale came forward, as sombre as ever until she unexpectedly burst into a smile. ‘I was not surprised to learn that you fathered our Starman. It's good to see you both back here in one piece.'

‘I am very pleased to meet you again also,' Mythric said, ‘as I need to ask a favour.'

When Mythric explained that the captain had seen a spirit hanging around him the night before and who that spirit was, Jazmay, unlike most Phemorians, was very keen to help the banished princess. She also knew how it felt to be cast out by her own people.

‘I don't know how accurately I'll be able to repeat the Phemorian,' Lucian said, ‘but we can give it go.'

‘Would you like me to telepathically convey what you are perceiving to Jazmay?' Kassa suggested. She was obviously keen to get into the team spirit where her Power was concerned.

Lucian looked to Mythric — it was his call.

‘I'd appreciate that, doctor, thank you.'

Zeven appeared keen to be invited, but Mythric did not extend him an invitation. ‘I'll keep you informed.'

Hence the captain, Mythric, Kassa and Jazmay adjourned to Lucian's onboard office to try to solve the dilemma of why the Princess Satomi was not resting in peace.

 

In the office, Jazmay took a seat beside Lucian and Kassa stood behind them both with one hand on each of their shoulders. Mythric was too restless to be seated at present, and stopped pacing when he saw his crewmates were ready to assist him.

‘At your leave, Mythric, ask your questions,' the captain cued.

‘So Satomi is here with us?' he assumed.

‘She never leaves your side,' Lucian informed. Mythric feared he was about to learn what a huge disappointment he was in the eyes of the woman he still loved above all others.

‘Satomi, why are you still with me after all these years?' he appealed, regretting how he'd lived following her death.

Lucian concentrated on the empty space beside Mythric and Kassa closed her eyes to focus. ‘I could not rest until you had found our son,' Jazmay replied. ‘And I will not rest until he destroys Khalid, just as Maiara prophesised!'

All three of his crewmates appeared a little shocked by the response.

Mythric winced at her answer also, dreading seeing their son pitted against Khalid. ‘But Khalid is locked away —'

‘Shhh!' Lucian was focused on the spirit Mythric couldn't see, so Mythric looked to Jazmay to discover what was being said.

‘Khalid is not human, he is a soulless abomination, whose life force is entirely dependent on the lost souls at Dead Man Downs … just as the Phemoray feed off the dead souls at the Pit of the Obstinate on Phemoria. Khalid Mansur will not be contained much longer. He's worked out how to free himself.' Jazmay was concerned by her own translation. ‘All he needs now is an opportunity.'

‘What kind of opportunity?' Mythric queried.

‘He only needs to sever a few limbs and he will free himself from the triple S and his dead father.' Jazmay frowned, dismayed by the information. ‘What?'

‘There's more,' Lucian advised quickly, as he listened intently to the silence in the room.

‘Fortunately, when Khalid was restrained, he was at one with the evil spirit of his father, Chironjivi.' Jazmay's eyes opened wide, for that name was embedded in every Phemorian's memory. ‘As in the son of Qusay-Thurayya the first?'

There was a moment's pause, as Lucian and Kassa focused and then Jazmay answered her own question. ‘Yes, Chironjivi used what he'd learnt watching his mother's dark magic create the Phemoray and the cursed crown of Phemoria. He expanded on her twisted theology to absorb all the souls of his dying crew, extending his own life long enough to rape my mother and produce a son. This he did
to seek revenge on not just Phemoria, but all womankind.' Jazmay was gobsmacked.

‘I had no idea,' Kassa mumbled, ever more enlightened by the second.

‘You were saying we'd been fortunate trapping Khalid with Chironjivi. Why?' Mythric attempted to keep the conversation on track.

‘Chironjivi left his decrepit form to award Khalid direct power over his evil dominions,' Jazmay explained. ‘For they can see the Zagriata, but only as pure white light, which they cannot stand to be near! When Khalid was psychically restrained, this also cut his father's control over his ghostly crew. They returned to Dead Man Downs and destroyed what was left of Chironjivi's form, in their battle to become captain first.'

‘So the ancient prince is finally dead,' Mythric clarified.

‘Only in body,' Jazmay warned him. ‘His evil soul-mind is trapped inside Khalid's body with him. Chironjivi knows if Khalid is freed he will dispel him from his body and he shall finally cease to be able to experience physical world pleasure, which to the dark prince of Phemoria has always been closely tied to the bloodletting of women. Chironjivi is slowly trying to drive Khalid mad and into submission. Khalid is just biding his time to finally free himself from his inner tormentor.'

‘That does not sound good,' Mythric agreed with Satomi's analysis, inwardly thankful that the conversation had not drifted toward his personal failures.

‘You never failed me.' Jazmay's reply to his unsaid thought startled Mythric, and the cool-headed Phemorian had tears in her eyes. ‘I led you into a life of torment, and I nearly paid for my mistake with the life of our son and your sanity.'

‘No,' Mythric objected, not knowing where to look to address her. ‘We were not a mistake, not for me. Our son is anything but!'

‘Not for me either,' Jazmay uttered, tears streaming from her eyes. ‘Much good has come of our pain, and still more will follow. Oh, but I miss being seen and heard by you.'

‘But you are always felt.' Mythric was on the verge of tears himself. Deep down he had always felt her close and although he thought it just wishful thinking, he had never stopped talking to her.

Jazmay smiled suddenly before delivering Satomi's response. ‘Nice to know you weren't just talking to yourself all these years?'

‘Yes,' Mythric agreed, ‘although there were times I felt sure you wanted to give up on me in disgust.'

Jazmay's eyes filled with tears again, and she shook her head. ‘Not one.' Jazmay stood and broke away from Kassa's restraint. ‘I need a break.' She sniffled back her emotion. ‘I haven't been this emotional since I was pregnant, and there's only so much I can take. Sorry, Mythric.'

‘Not at all, I am very grateful,' he assured her, having had enough therapy for one morning himself.

‘Dear heavens, Lucian.' Kassa came around to take a seat next to him. ‘I had no idea such events were even possible! Satomi mentioned the Zagriata. Was she talking about the super being of legend?'

‘Super beings,' Mythric clarified. ‘Us, in other words.'

‘Us?' Kassa was shocked and delighted. ‘You expect that we are going to restore love and balance to the United Systems?'

‘Can you think of a better crew for the job?' Lucian asked.

‘Well, no,' Kassa admitted, ‘but how —'

‘Getting AMIE airborne ASAP might be a good start.' He looked to Mythric, who nodded once in firm agreement. Lucian looked back to Kassa, who was still rather stunned.

‘The past few days have been so inspiring and wonderful, I couldn't possibly go back to the space program.' Kassa resolved to give the captain her full support. ‘When do we move in?'

With a considerable amount of effort from their super crew and zero fanfare, AMIE was launched into space a full five months early. Most of the time it had taken to get her airborne had been spent seeing to the deconstruction of their operations base on Frujia.

In contrast to their last time line, AMIE was to have no ground-based operations for the first five years of her life in space. This time around the project did not have to report to a government body, nor were they taking on board independent researchers before D-day. Swithin Gervaise had joined the space staff, and had become more heavily involved in the marine department with his wife soon after they'd married.

 

Before Taren had left the Universe Parallel to come back in time to save AMIE and Maladaan, she had made a list with Lucian of goals they needed to achieve. There were eight items on that list.

Stop AMIE taking the sample

Wake Lucian up to Amie and Swithin

Lift mother's curse

Reunite parents

Expose Khalid

Free Jazmay and Fari

Return to Kila to warn Rhun about the Orions

Save Yasper.

 

Since returning to the past, Taren had managed to achieve half of her objectives. Items 1 and 7 on her agenda could only be achieved in the fullness of time, so items 3 and 4 were very high on the agenda. One could even say that AMIE's first mission had been decided long before the vessel had ever been built.

‘Although preventing the inter-system gateway to Oceane from being opened is a top priority,' Taren began her address to the crew, minus the children, who had been tucked in to their sleeping pods. ‘I believe releasing the Queen of Phemoria from her curse, so that she can work in cooperation with us and President Anselm, against the injustice on Maladaan, is just as urgent.'

The rest of the crew agreed, especially the two Phemorians. Many of the crew were still unaware that Taren was speaking about her parents in this instance, but both Jazmay and Ayliscia were aware.

‘Anselm has, after four years of negotiating and pleading for a meeting, finally persuaded the Queen of Phemoria to grant him an audience, and we shall be his guard.'

‘Yes!' cheered Zeven. ‘Some action, at last!'

‘I really need to speak with Anselm.' Yasper was also keen. ‘Only he knows where my long-lost sibling is. They might be in this very room and I would be none the wiser.' He made light of his dilemma, looking to his father, Zelimir. The chief had also joined the crew's medical department, having developed his talent as a psychic healer and a seer of auras.

‘I know you've not forgiven me,' Zelimir said, ‘but Anselm will not have let me down.'

‘I can't believe you never even bothered to find out if you'd fathered a boy or a girl.' Yasper replied without angst; his father was a very different man these days.

‘Absolutely, Yasper, you are on the team,' Taren confirmed to end the affront. ‘There's a good chance we'll need you to create a bit of an airborne diversion for the Phemoray.'

Yasper wasn't too sure he liked the sound of that.

The only crew who were originally involved in the decrowning of the Queen of Phemoria were Lucian and Ringbalin — both of whom were essential to this mission. They needed Lucian's etheric sight to keep tabs on what the angry female thought form that guarded the crown of Phemoria was doing during their visit. They needed Ringbalin's ability to influence the moods and emotions of others, to keep the queen's Valourean guard in order.

‘I have to be touching someone to pacify them?' Ringbalin was panicked upon learning this. ‘I cannot do it en masse!'

Taren knew that in the future he would learn to, but during the instance in question his talent had been no more developed than it was now.

‘That didn't matter the last time we went through this,' Lucian reassured him. ‘You still had hardened Valoureans pleading to their queen to spare your life!'

Zeven gave Ringbalin a chug on the shoulder. ‘You little heartbreaker, you.'

Ringbalin was very embarrassed. ‘Why was I in trouble with the Phemorian queen?'

The captain was stumped for words for a second.

‘The Queen of Phemoria tried to kidnap me, and wasn't happy when Lucian protested.' Taren jumped in to spare explaining to Ringbalin about a love affair that was yet to happen for him, and its tragic end — which would hopefully never eventuate. ‘Of course you sided with Lucian and …' She shrugged in conclusion.

Ringbalin was looking at Taren sideways, as though he sensed he
was not getting the whole truth. ‘Well, if you need me, I am at your service.'

‘I'm coming, of course.' Zeven fronted up.

‘Ah no.' Taren was frank. ‘I need to leave someone with PK on board, and I need Jazmay with me.'

‘Wha —' Zeven didn't have to ask why — Jazmay was Phemorian. He sucked up his disappointment and didn't argue. ‘Bugger. What about Mythric?'

‘Mythric has Satomi with him, and I have a feeling she may want to come along.' Taren looked to Mythric.

‘Definitely.' Mythric spoke for her.

‘She is giving that the big nod.' Lucian confirmed Mythric's gut instinct.

Taren looked back to Zeven, who had resigned himself to his role. ‘Aurora can keep an eye on us from here, and if we look like we are in trouble …'

‘I'll pop on by,' Zeven confirmed.

‘We're also going to need a telepath.' Taren looked to Leal and Kassa.

‘I'll go.' Leal didn't hesitate.

‘Hey.' Kassa was offended. ‘The Phemorians are more disposed toward women than men, so … I should go.'

‘I don't need their permission to read their mind,' Leal bantered, with a grin.

‘Neither do I,' she challenged, grinning back.

‘I can't risk injury to our doctor.' Lucian called it. ‘Leal is trained for this kind of thing.'

‘Oooh,' Kassa protested with a big pout.

‘The Phemorians are going to be more on guard than they were last time around,' Taren advised. ‘Anselm is the man whom the Qusay-Sabah Clarona despises most of all, but with any luck my presence will pacify the queen's wrath long enough to get the crown off her head.'

 

Their team of seven joined Anselm in the presidential suite of his hotel on Phemoria. They were all dressed in the dark blue uniform of his regular guard and wore nothing that might connect the group to AMIE. Taren had purposefully left Dr Portus on board, as the Phemorians could identify her as the agent they had sent on board AMIE.

The president had given his regular guard the day off, advising them he would be using his psychic task force for protection from the Phemorians at this meeting. Anselm had a regular psychic task force back on Sermetica that he'd been developing with the help of Aurora DeCadie, so no one was any wiser that the Zagriata had been brought on board for this event.

‘Are you feeling confident, champ?' Taren rubbed her father's shoulders as she stole a quiet moment with him in his room while he finished dressing.

Her father breathed deep and then blew a weak raspberry, as he put his shirt on. ‘I
am
confident … that we are going to be ambushed by every Valourean on Phemoria.'

‘Don't be so negative,' Taren lectured. ‘She loves you, she's always loved you. It's only the curse of the Phemoray that stops her from expressing how she really feels. You'll see.' She had never seen the Sermetic leader appear so unsure of himself.

‘There's only the fate of the United Systems at stake, right?' he clarified why he might be a little nervous.

‘And the fate of every psychic on Maladaan,' she added with a grin to amuse him.

‘I think most of the psychic population have moved to Sermetica in the last few years,' he joked. ‘Sermetica is the vogue place to be at present.'

‘Who knew being psychic could be chic?' Taren joked. ‘And the local acceptance has been amazing! It shows just how far the Sermetic
people have come since the sexual revolution. They're ready for this reconciliation.'

Anselm gave himself the once over in the mirror, and felt presentable. ‘I just hope the Phemorians feel the same, once they know what we know.'

‘Knowledge is power,' Taren told him, sounding like a chip off the old block.

He raised both brows, questioning his own spin. ‘Let's get this little family reunion under way, shall we?'

Their party climbed into two vehicles. Lucian, Taren and Ringbalin rode with Anselm, whilst Jazmay, Yasper, Leal and Mythric rode together in the lead car.

‘Be aware that the last time this happened, we were lead to a meeting with the captain of the guard, who was masked,' Lucian told his father-in-law en route.

‘How did you get past her to see the queen?' Anselm queried.

‘We didn't have to, the masked warrior was the queen,' Lucian replied and Anselm nodded.

‘I shan't get impatient with her charade then,' he concluded.

‘That would be very wise,' Lucian agreed.

 

The Qusay-Sabah Clarona, and the Phemoray who controlled her, had been coerced into this meeting by their own people. Anselm had done so much for the cause of psychics within the United Systems that the Phemorian people were starting to wonder why their queen had not acknowledged his efforts and offered to assist him to stop the oppression on Maladaan.

Phemoria had a secret that only Taren knew about; at least she'd never discussed her knowledge of it with another living soul. It was one of the sacred mysteries of her people and although Taren had never considered herself Phemorian, she would not betray her mother by repeating what she had learnt in confidence from her once upon another time line. The earthly bodies of thousands upon thousands of
Phemorian women lay sleeping in a vault beneath the city, whilst their light-bodies inhabited a celestial city that interpenetrated the capital, Tonissia — the name literally meant ‘twin or double city'. Taren had visited this place herself and knew it was no fable.

From information she'd gleant over the years from the Phemorians she'd known, Taren had learnt that at a young age all Phemorian women were split into groups. The strong would become Valoureans, the smart would pursue studies and professional careers, and the very pretty became breeders — the hunters of men who kept the population booming. Only the more psychically gifted Phemorians were chosen to leave their physical bodies behind, for their own protection, and live and develop their psychic skills in the invisible city.

Yet now that psychic freedom was accepted on three out of four planets in the United Systems, Taren wondered if these souls were aware that they were no longer in danger? If they were made aware, might not at least some of them want to resume their lives in the physical world? Did the astral realm still feel like freedom to them, or was it now more like prison?

The president's two-car delegation arrived at the royal palace, with minimal unarmed security as agreed prior. Taren's crew fell in around her father to escort him through the palace. A small Valourean guard led the way to the throne room, where the official meeting would be taking place.

Flanked by his guards, Anselm entered the grand throne room of Phemoria. There were three thrones: two smaller for the queen's viceroy and captain of the guard, both of which were occupied; and a much larger and grander throne for the queen herself — this was currently not occupied.

The viceroy and the head Valourean rose to address Anselm as he entered. The captain of the guard was masked, as Lucian had foretold, and came forward to conduct the proceedings. Anselm glanced at Lucian, who gave a nod to confirm it was the queen. With his second
sight, Lucian could clearly see the angry mass of female angst that followed the cursed crown everywhere it went, hanging over the masked woman's head.

‘Phemoria bids you welcome, President Anselm, but our queen is not as eager to embrace you.' The masked warrioress informed. ‘She believes your conviction to the cause of those with the Powers to be a trick, designed to turn her own people against her!'

Anselm held his hands out to appeal. ‘Well, I —'

‘Some are calling
you
the Zagriata,' she scoffed. ‘Balance you may know about, but
love
?' She gave a mocking laugh. ‘You are a man and therefore completely ignorant in that regard.' All the Phemorians had a chuckle at Anselm's expense, but were stumped when he spoke up for himself.

‘I couldn't agree more,' he agreed. ‘For starters, I believe the Zagriata is a mass consciousness, and not any one person. If your queen would kindly speak with me, I am sure she will see I have only the greater interests of both our planets at heart. The division that has kept our nations at odds for so long is no longer applicable. I believe now is the time to bury the ill will of our history and band together for the common good.'

The masked warrior looked to the viceroy, who was squinting and shaking her head as she glared at Anselm. ‘What is it?'

The tall elegant viceroy's name was Jalila Lamus; Taren had met her before and hadn't liked her very much. But then, like just about everyone, the viceroy had been putting on a front. She was eager to dethrone the Phemorian queen and her Phemoray witches and replace them with a properly functioning government — so, indirectly, they were on the same side. Jalila was fiercely telepathic, and had Khalid not been exposed and sent to jail, she would have been conspiring with him by now, and being deceived.

‘I cannot read any of them,' the viceroy explained to the masked warrioress. ‘There is only light and music,' Jalila sounded more enchanted than frustrated.

With a stomp of the warrioress's foot, the Valoureans who stood at ease around the chamber all snapped to attention. ‘What trick is this?' She pointed an accusing finger at the president.