Socar played on the floor while Oncar sat beside a sniffing Freidla.
With his help, the construction of the domed surface cities started. He was satisfied at their progress, but his mind swirled with turmoil. This past week, his insides had a terrible feeling about Ucat. It was time to return to his father.
Freidla sat beside Oncar, tears rolling down her face. Little Socar gave him a confused frown. Why would you make Mother sad?
I need to leave for a while. One day you will understand.
The child climbed on his father’s lap.
Oncar’s blue finger trailed down the baby's face as he cautioned his son. Remember, don't trust Uncle Ibidimin, start screaming and crying when he gets near. If he tries to touch you with the round silver thing, kick it from his hand. Trust your mother, she understands about this. I will return, but first I must check out my people on Ucat.
Adac appeared in the doorway and observed their tearful farewell. "We're ready to leave. Here give me Socar while you tell Freidla 'good-bye'."
His face scrunched into a frown as he was picked up. He's scary.
Oncar grinned. But, fun! Trust him.
The baby let out a squeal of laughter as Adac tickled his feet.
Go, go now. The longer you stay, the harder it is. Freidla pulled Oncar's head down to give him a long kiss. "Now give me Socar and Go!"
The two men hurried down a vacant hall. Adac put the glass to his eye and they disappeared. Arriving in the ship's control room the commander slid into his chair started the engines. With a quiet hum, and then a louder thumping, they left Anddus.
"Thumping's new. Want me to check it out?" Oncar stood behind him.
"Later but wait until we clear the Anddus atmosphere. Until then, sit and talk."
In the co-pilot chair, Oncar stared into space. His last view of Freidla and Socar played across his mind.
"Kid doesn't take a mind-reader to realize what you're thinking about." At the concern on Oncar's still blue face, he added. "I'll check on them, every trip."
"I worry about her brother, Ibidimin. He's up to no good."
Adac agreed. "He has a bad reputation. Every planet he travels to, accidents happen."
"He showed me his collection of devices."
"Showed you that, did he? Nasty stuff."
"I told him it was 'nice', really upset him." Oncar grinned.
"Not a sound idea to play with snakes."
"Everything all right on Ucat?"
"No problems, but last time I visited your father, he acted worried. Kept asking me when you were coming back. The people on Anddus give you a hard time?”
"At first, but later, after I found the original plans for external domes, they accepted me. With the rolling balls of fire gone, protected cities can be built on the surface. Three communities are already under construction."
Oncar closed his eyes. As the distance widened, Freidla and Socar's thoughts became fainter. In the end, there was nothing. He rose with a distracted gaze and wandered through the ship. He found the off-balance engine and with quiet determination, repaired a part. Finished with his project, he sat back down next to Adac.
"We seem to be traveling faster."
"Yes, I upped the efficiency."
"I'll have to re-calculate all departures and arrivals." Adac gave him a frowning glance.
Oncar smiled back. "Anything else you need me to do?"
"No, I think you've done enough."
A day before arriving at Ucat, Oncar paced with eyes fixed downward. Something about his attitude alarmed the crew. Their thoughts grew fearful. Could something be wrong with the ship? Or, Ucat, have the people been attacked?
He ignored their worries until Adac called to him. We need to talk. Come to the control center.
Oncar slid into the co-pilot's seat and answered Adac's question before he could ask, "I can read my father's thoughts. As we approach Ucat, they get stronger. Buscar told me that he has been betrayed. One of the scientists stole the turquoise stick from his quarters. I just don't understand; my father should have known their thoughts. If the Hydelea is turned on again, our planet would be in danger."
The commander leaned back and closed his eyes, "Some thoughts I shielded from you. That can be done by reciting long, complicated passages of writing; sometimes sounds like gibberish. Your minds probably block out the aggravation. If he can remember anyone special doing it, that's your man."
In Oncar's mind, Buscar's voice responded to Adac's question, I discovered who he is. I'll talk to him, try to retrieve the stick.
I should be there in a couple of your minutes to help you.
I don't think I can wait that long. The men are trying to block me, but one or two could not. They've turned the device on.
"Adac, I won't have much time when we dock. You must warn your people. I will go down and try to correct what the scientists have done."
A mist of steam hissed out as the ship's pressure door opened. Unable to wait, Oncar had his eyeglass in place and visualized the hall outside his father's office. His feet landed in a swirl of blue dust.
Maybe I'm in time. He felt a deep rumble vibrate under his feet. A crack spread across the ceiling and showered sharp rocks down on his head. Nothing was stable. Walls broke apart and crumbled around him. Off balance, he fell to his knees as more rocks crashed down. Billows of blue dust filled the tunnels. Oncar pushed himself free and struggled to stand. His breath came in gasps.
Father! All he could see was a blue fog.
Oncar, in here. Buscar's thoughts were faint.
He stumbled through rocks and rubble to find his father on the office floor. Green blood seeped from cuts on Buscar's head and body. Shocked at what he found, Oncar ripped off a corner of his shirt and knelt to wipe the blood off.
A new rumble streaked through the ground. More debris fell around them. He bent over his father to protect him. You have a broken right leg and arm, and not too sure what else. This room is dangerous. I need to move you.
Leave me. Go to the lab and turn off the device. You did it once before, do it again.
I can't leave you.
You must! Ucat will crumble in on itself if you don't stop it. I can wait. Go now! He closed his eyes to avoid more dust floating down.
You are more important.
Think of your wife, the baby. Go! With his usable arm, he shoved his son away.
Oncar stumbled through what was left of the door frame and glanced backward. With horror, he saw a heavy silver rock fall from the ceiling. He cried out loud in shock as it landed on his father's still form. No!
Stop the device now. Buscar gasped as his body convulsed with pain.
His mind was filled with his father's silent cries of agony, while he groped through the dusty halls. Nothing was familiar. There were black holes where walls once stood. Boulders blocked his path. The air was heavy and difficult to breathe. Where did the lab go? He could not hear any thoughts, just silence.
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Another rumble, stronger than the last, shook everything. His mind picked up a faint voice. Oncar struggled toward it. Up ahead a blue glow from the lab penetrated the dust. The room appeared before him just as another strong rumble hit and more walls fell away.
The Hydelea, glowing green and vibrating, sat on a table covered with rocks and dust. As another roll shook the ground, it doubled in size. A lone man leaned forward and turned the attached turquoise stick.
Don't do that, Oncar called out.
I must turn it off.
More rocks fell in reaction to the adjustment.
Oncar charged into the room and shoved him aside. The worker called out, But, you don't understand.
With a light touch on the turquoise stick, Oncar turned it backward and then forward. As he unscrewed and removed the stick, the Hydelea shrunk down to its original small size.
He turned and angrily asked, What don't I understand?
Assor stared back at him. All of a sudden there were twelve Assors speaking in unison. This. Every time I touched the handle, I doubled or tripled. Not sure which.
They all turned and studied the small, dangerous object. An Assor blinked, and the men merged back into one.
Oncar tucked the Hydelea in his waistband. Father told you not to turn it on.
We were just going to do it for a few minutes. Manozar, the lead scientist, clutched a countertop and stood. All around them, rubble started moving as more men struggled to stand.
What good is a leader for if you don't listen to him? Father--
Oncar turned and rushed back to his father. Big boulders blocked his way. He shoved them aside and looked around. Everything was changed. The blue stone wall cracked open and revealed a clear crystal glaze underneath.
He called out again, Father, and turned toward a faint response.
Stepping over a rock, he touched the wall for balance. A shock went through him, and it felt like his thoughts were being drawn from his mind. To his surprise, images of his past came alive across the glazed surface. A young Oncar ran through the tunnels; glass clutched in his hand. He stood mesmerized, in the end, as Freidla and Socar stood watching him leave. He reached a finger out and touched her face on the wall. A tear rolled down his cheek and dropped bright green on his shirt.
He stared at the moisture for a moment before realizing, That is my blood. The eyepiece had wedged deep in his skin. Removing it, a sharp pain shot through his jaw. He wiped the blue dust off and placed the glass back up to his eye. Where are you, father?
Here.
Oncar stepped forward through an opening in the crumbled wall. His father sat on a corner of his desk. Our existence will be changed forever.
I know. You won't believe what appeared on the wall.
Buscar studied his son. You're bleeding. Pick up one of those silver rocks. They fell when the ceiling cracked open. He pointed toward a pile of silver stones. His hand rested on a larger piece on the table next to him.
If I travel too fast the eyepiece digs in. He slid the glass into a pocket and, with a questioning glance to his father, bent to pick up a stone.
Intense pain shot through his face. He fell to his knees in shock. Jabs, like knife cuts, went up and down his body at every place where the rocks hit him. Oncar leaned forward on one hand and took deep heaving breaths.
What just happened? It did the same to you? He remembered his father's broken arm and leg.
When these rocks fell on me, my body was on fire with pain. After the sensation passed, I was able to stand and walk. My body was repaired, but the scars don't go away. He opened his shirt and revealed a healed slash across his chest.
Oncar examined his father’s healed wound and then remembered what else happened. There were some other things also that occurred. I can’t explain; you will have to see them for yourself. Can you walk? I'll take you to the wall first.
His father stood. I'm fine.
Climbing over rocks and caved-in walls, they stopped at the shinning crystal. At Oncar's touch, his image came alive. With a couple of flicks from his finger on the wall, Freidla and Socar appeared.
How did you put these here?
I touched the wall, and they transferred. He put his hand on the crystal again and more images appeared. These showed Oncar’s struggle through the halls as he dodged falling rocks, ending with him kneeling on the ground in pain.
The baby?
Oncar slid his finger across the wall and Socar's face stared back with scared blue eyes. When Adac reached out and tickled his foot, the child exploded with laughter.
Ah, he looks just like you as a baby, big ears and all. Lost in his thought, Buscar placed his hand on his son's shoulder.
There's more, come to the lab. Assor kept trying to turn off the Hydelea and at every touch, he was replicated.
They climbed over more rocks and entered the lab. Twelve Assors were at work cleaning up broken glass.
Why would you do this? I told you how dangerous it was.
I thought if we were careful, only a slight turn----. One of the scientists had managed to stand.
Neber, I realized you stole the stick. Once I figured out how you blocked me, I tracked the source. You are responsible for this destruction and possible deaths. Never again come near this lab. Your job will be to sweep floors for the rest of your life. Assors, you finish cleaning up this mess. Later I will call an assembly. We need to rebuild.
Oncar studied what was left of the lab and noticed the glass sheet lying near his feet. He lifted the glass and looked for a clear place to set it down. With a loud pop, a corner broke off and flew upward. At the same time, he and an Assor reached out to catch the fragment. A sharp edge sliced across their hands. Green blood flowed onto the glass and turned the piece from a clear blue to a murky green. Two Assors stepped forward and took the second untainted piece from Oncar while a third Assor removed the green colored glass from their hands.
They laid both pieces on the table and lined up the broken ends. Scientists and Assors bent over them in fascination. Both sections appeared to be crystal blue, but when an Assor or Oncar touched the broken fragment, it turned green. The other piece stayed clear.
Careful. Don't let the glass cut anyone else. Oncar reached in his pocket for a cloth to wrap around his hand and touched the silver stone. Pain shot upwards through his arm. His head swirled, and everything turned dark blue. Buscar caught him before he collapsed.
You're trying to do too much.
I'm alright. I forgot about the silver rock in my pocket and touched it. The shock was a surprise.
Men, start cleaning this up. And don't touch the shining wall. If you do, your deepest secrets will be revealed. I will explain later. Buscar commanded and guided Oncar back to what was left of his office.
So much has happened all at once. It started with the birth of Socar. Oncar sat on a broken bench in his father’s office.
No, it started with the glass. All else has fallen into a plan, even your marriage. To what end, I don't see yet.
The Historian knows, he just won't tell me. I have read parts of his thoughts, enough to understand there is more to come. I worry about Freidla and Socar, their place in all this. Adac married a woman from Anddus, and they have two children, a boy, and a girl. His wife does not show any indication of problems like our women did. It could be that down here, they became old and died, while the men did not age. I want to bring them to live on Adac's level and be close to them. Freidla's brother is dangerous. He would kill Socar if possible. There is more going on than we understand. I need to protect him. Oncar rubbed a hand across his forehead.
Buscar considered the idea. Talk to Adac. I agree, if you can, bring them to Ucat.
Oncar stood and stretched. The dizziness was gone; his body felt rested. I need to go up and find out how they survived. The movements here lasted only a few seconds but could have been stretched out over days on the upper level.
Go, I'll take care of things down here.
Oncar placed the glass over his eye and flew upward.
He landed in an almost too quiet hall. A sudden burst of yells led him to the closed galley door. He inched it open and discovered Adac’s men in another contest. A couple of them stood and rushed to the door when they saw him.
"Who did this?" Sosad studied Oncar's ripped, bloodied clothes and pulled out his knife. The other man slipped out, alert for any attack.
"No one. We had massive land tremors. Walls and ceilings fell in. You didn't feel it?"
"Only a little; a cup fell off the shelf and broke," a man shrugged.
Oncar gave a sigh of relief and turned to leave. "I must talk to Adac. Is he in his office?"
"No, having some private time. He'll be back soon."
"Can you let him know I need to talk with him? I'll wait in the library."
"Might be a problem there. The library door disappeared, so no one can enter."
"Show me." Oncar headed toward it. As they turned a corner, the door appeared.
"I guess the Historian's back." His escort shrugged and walked off.
"Please tell Adac I'll be in here?" The door swung open and then closed as Oncar entered.
The frail Historian sat waiting for him. His sleepy eyes took in Oncar's appearance. "They turned the device on, knew they would." He nodded in agreement with himself.
"If you believed that why not stop me from taking it down there? Or was that part of your plan, manipulating me through all of this? I am ready for answers." Oncar put both hands on the desk and leaned forward.
A small, frail hand went up as if to push him away.
Oncar sensed a shove of air and pressed back.
The old wrinkled face broke into a grin. "You have grown up".
"Answers, I want answers."
"I have told you most of the story. The Hydelea’s concept as a 'Planet Starter' was meant to help people. If a planet showed signs of dying, a Sentinel could turn the device on and, using the old matter, develop a new one.”
"How do you know so much about this?"
The old man looked around at stacks of books and papers around him. “Ancient documents."
"No, there's more--" His eyes widened in shock. "You're the Sentinel."
"Look at me, now how could that be? Now, let me see the device," A frail, shaking hand reached out.
Oncar pulled the Hydelea and turquoise stick from his pocket and thrush them at him. "They're yours; I don't want anything else to do with them. They have caused so much pain and destruction. Take them." He turned to leave and faced a solid wall.
"I wish it was that easy. I have no control over this. Prophecy is yet to be fulfilled." A strong voice shook the room. Stacks of books toppled over.
Oncar glanced back over his shoulder and was not surprised at who appeared. Gone was the frail old man. A tall muscular image in glowing white stood in his place. Two gleaming swords, clutched with massive fists, crossed his chest. The Sentinel stood before him with blazing eyes.
"Socar has a role in this, doesn't he? The emblem announcing his birth was on the Hydelea diagrams, as well."
"Yes, and I agree with your decision. They must come here to live. Your child will grow up safely."
"How did you know my plans?"
The door appeared and Adac entered.
"Ah, just in time, we were talking about you." The Historian was again small and wrinkled, sitting scrunched down in his chair. His narrow eyes gleamed with amusement at Oncar's frustration.
"Don't think you can stop there; I still want answers."
"They will come. Until then, take one step at a time. Adac, Oncar has a favor to ask."