Questor Page 4

  Triena knelt by his side and placed a hand to his temple, brushing his fair hair aside. “He’s not too far away, he should wake up soon,” she said, her tone somewhat distant. She was careful as she felt over his body for other injuries and at last, gently touched his left arm. When she spoke again her tone was normal. “There are two bones in the lower arm, one is broken. Lector, get transport for him. We’ll take him to Sanctuary and tend to him there.”

  Manny listened to this exchange with growing puzzlement. The female seemed to know what was troubling Jon by mere touch.

  She stood and moved to Manny, stared into his face, smiling. “Do not be alarmed. We’re friends; you’ll be safe with us. We’ll look after Jon Hardesty. You, too, have an injury, to your left shoulder. We’ll tend to you also.”

  Manny returned the smile, a reflexive yet genuine gesture. He could trust this female, yet he couldn’t understand how he knew this. He couldn’t explain why he believed as he did, he just did. It was almost instinctive. He stopped trying to understand, aware he never could. For a moment he returned to the shuttle and activated the security seal, hoping there was enough reserve power to do the job, pleased to see that there was.

  He decided some explanation was long past due. “We’re from a ship called Questor. It’s a long story, but our crew was stranded a long way from home and we’re trying to return. We needed supplies and discovered your planet. We came here on behalf of our captain to ask if we could barter for what we need. We did try to contact you as we came into orbit but we couldn’t get any response to our calls. It's probable it was the extreme turbulence in the atmosphere.”

  “We get few visitors,” she replied with an odd kind of half-smile. “We do have a communication system, but it’s not often checked anymore. As for the atmosphere, that’s more complicated.” Again her answer was somewhat cryptic and she seemed unwilling to explain further. Instead she glanced down at Jon.

  “You and your friend, Jon Hardesty, what race are you?” She continued to look down at Jon as she spoke. She reached over and placed a hand on his forehead again, and after a moment she nodded as if to herself.

  “We’re Humans, from a planet called Earth that is many light years from here. Can you tell me what caused our craft to crash? We’d just entered your atmosphere when Jon lost control. He’s an excellent pilot but he could do nothing. He said it seemed as if there was some kind of dampening field in the atmosphere.”

  She took her eyes from Jon, and stared long at Manny before replying. “Yes, he’s correct. A shield has been placed around our planet by a race called the Mideans. They began visiting us a short while ago. First they came as friends exploring their newfound boundaries. Then they came back with a view to trading for some technologies they needed.”

  “The Mideans? But Questor is in orbit of Midea, bartering for other supplies we need.” Manny noted her expression of concern, which didn’t help his apprehension. “We learned what little we know of you from them, though they weren’t as forthcoming as we'd hoped. While we did find some of their information conflicting, we’d no idea there was any…any disagreement between you.”

  “That’s a somewhat polite word for it,” she replied with a smile. “When the Mideans first came they were quite open as they bartered for our technical skill, but when they returned they decided they wanted more than we were prepared to give. Far more than we were prepared to give.” She stopped for a moment. “The Mideans weren’t aware you were coming here, were they?” She sounded troubled.

  “I’m not sure. We left for your world in our shuttle knowing nothing about it at all, while our ship stayed in orbit of Midea. Our captain took a landing party and visited the surface. During our journey here we received information learned on the surface during their negotiations, and it was the captain who informed us he wasn’t sure how reliable the information was.”

  “I don’t think it safe if they discovered you intended to visit here. After we refused their demands they left, or so it seemed. Then they came back and somehow erected this shield around our world to keep us prisoner and stop anyone else from entering. They’re trying to force us to comply with their demands. They decided our technology would be of great assistance in their chosen lifestyle. But we refused; our discoveries are not for others. We believe each race should find its own path.”

  “I think the crew of Questor, at least most of them, would agree with that philosophy.”

  “I am pleased to hear that. I’d like to discuss this with Jon Hardesty, when he is better,” she said, glancing at the helmsman again, and it occurred to Manny she didn’t seem to want to take her eyes from Jon.

  “You can just call him Jon, that’s his given name. Hardesty is a family name. His friends call him Jon. My friends call me Manny.”

  “Oh, I see. You and he would consider me a friend?”

  “Of course, you’ve helped us. Isn’t that the act of a friend?” asked Manny at his most charming.

  She beamed. “My full name is Triena of the Rhi, and I’d like to be a friend.”

  “Wonderful,” Manny said.

  Just then Lector could be seen coming over the nearby hill, bringing with him a type of stretcher. It proved to be a somewhat intricate device, which included some kind of holding field. With care they laid Jon on the stretcher and began to walk back, the stretcher moving alongside. Manny couldn’t see any kind of machinery at all supporting the stretcher, but he supposed it must have some type of anti-gravity system. It was fascinating and Manny wanted to find out more about it.

  As they topped the hill Manny was surprised to see the terrain was way different on the other side. It appeared Jon had been lucky to find the large open meadow. Beyond, as far as the horizon, was a forest of huge trees of many varied hues. It was a beautiful sight, and Manny stopped and just stared for a moment before hurrying on to catch up with the others. He saw the knowing smile pass between Triena and Lector.

  They hadn’t travelled too far into the forest when a broad path opened out into a clearing and there under the panoply of trees was a village, a large rather primitive-looking village.

  The Rhiava were indeed a contradiction, reported to have advanced technology, and Triena acknowledged the fact. There was the proof in the form of the stretcher, but there was no other outside evidence of this. From choice they lived almost as primitives. But as Manny was to discover, that was just an illusion.

  THREE

  The Midean reported to his supervisor. “Sir, I’ve tracked where the strange craft came down. It doesn’t register as any type we have on record. I can but assume it came on some kind of trading mission and got caught by our shield.”

  “Any craft that isn’t Midean would be caught by the field,” Supervisor Charod replied with a frown. “Without the codes the field can’t be neutralized for entry. Still, it would be of extreme interest to discover who these people are and what they want. It’s not wise to just assume they’re here for trade.” Charod paced up and down by the control center. “Contact the nearest outpost. Get a squad sent out there to see if there were any survivors. And tell them to be on the lookout for any of the stray Rhiava. We have to find out where they are hiding.”

  As Jon became aware he recognized sounds around him, then voices. He was cautious and kept his eyes closed because he couldn’t hear Manny’s voice amongst them.

  “Ah, you’re waking at last, Jon, good,” a sweet voice spoke.

  Jon’s curiosity won out and he opened his eyes. He squinted for a moment at the light coming in through the door, before he was able to focus on the face hovering over him. And what a face! Skin the color of honey, large dark eyes that seemed to sparkle from within, and hair of a warm chocolate brown looking as if it was spun with gold. Besides the somewhat unusual coloring, the rest of the female’s features were remarkable in that they appeared quite human looking; except on her right temple and down the side of her eye she had an elaborate motif painted in hues of blue and green. Overall it was a most attra
ctive package, like nothing he’d ever seen before.

  All of a sudden she gave him what he could but describe as a cheeky grin, and he had the overwhelming notion she knew just what he’d been thinking. He felt the heat rise in his cheeks.

  “You don’t mind my calling you Jon, I hope? Your friend, Manny, said all your friends just call you Jon, and as we’d helped you following your crash you’d consider us friends. I am called Triena.”

  Her disarming grace overwhelmed him. “What a beautiful name. Of course, you must call me Jon if you wish. You helped us? The last thing I remember was crashing the shuttle into the meadow. What happened? Where’s Manny?”

  She gave a detailed explanation of what had happened, finishing with, “Manny is just outside; you will see him soon.”

  Jon dragged his eyes away from the wonderful vision and, looking to his left, saw another female, quite a bit older than Triena, but also attractive in her own way. He’d been so overwhelmed by Triena he’d not even noticed someone else was present.

  “Let me introduce our healer, Irida,” Triena said.

  Jon nodded at the older woman and watched as Irida removed something from his arm. It appeared like a thick cloth, but it also seemed as if it could be metallic. She then ran her hands over his left arm creating a rhythm as she did so. She wasn’t touching him, though he was aware of warmth sliding through his arm. That was when he realized there was no pain, yet he remembered hurting the arm in the crash.

  “It feels fine,” he said, sounding distracted. “Thank you,” he said to Irida, who nodded in return. She also nodded to Triena and touched her temple before leaving.

  “Your arm should be fine now. You also had an injury to your head, and Irida treated that too.”

  “How?” he asked. The question was vague, but her expression made Jon think she knew just what he meant.

  “Oh, we have many methods, ancient and modern. The point is they work and you are healed.”

  It wasn't enough of an answer, but he realized it was all she was going to give. He decided this wasn’t the time to push it. They’d come here for help and for sure this was a good beginning.

  “Do you feel like coming outside? It’s time to eat now. You are hungry?”

  “Yes, thank you, I am indeed hungry,” he replied with a smile as he sat up, half expecting to feel dizzy following being knocked out in the crash. However, he felt fine.

  Triena led him outside the building into a large clearing. He was surprised to see just how primitive a building it was. All around there were other similar buildings of varying sizes, all under cover of the loveliest trees Jon had ever seen. He’d not had time to study the landscape on the way down, other than to look for a safe place to land. Now he understood what he’d missed. He saw Manny at the far side of the clearing, hunched up with another Rhiava near a large pot on the ground over a huge fire pit.

  Everything surrounding them reminded Jon of a primitive village, which didn’t equate at all with what he expected. He decided there was something strange here. He peeked over at Triena and found she was watching him.

  “I see you’re puzzled by the way we live. I'm sad to say this isn’t by our choice.”

  Again it was as if she knew what he was thinking. It was rather disconcerting. As they talked they walked around the village, which he learned was called Sanctuary, and Jon took in as much as he could.

  “I believed you lived a much more advanced life, if your technology is any indication.”

  “That’s true, but just to a certain extent. However, we live in this rather primitive fashion at the moment because we’re forced to hide from the Mideans.”

  “The Mideans! But I don’t understand.”

  “I’m sure you don’t. I believe they like to keep it a particular secret. Manny told us your ship is in orbit around Midea to trade and you two came here hoping to find minerals and other supplies. The Mideans came to us for such purposes too. However, a short time ago they decided they no longer wished to trade for what we were prepared to offer. They wanted more, and that we refused. We have a tenet of life, which Manny says is something you’d understand, in that we think each species should make their own advances in their own time.”

  “Yes, I do understand. And when you refused?”

  “I’m afraid we were too trusting. We just expected them to take our refusal and leave. However, they didn’t. Somehow they’ve put a shield around our world, trapping us in and keeping others out. You were, in fact, lucky you were able to pilot your ship at all through the atmosphere. Manny said you are a good pilot, and indeed you must be.”

  The heat of a blush suffused his face at her compliment. To hide his embarrassment, he rushed on, “You’re hiding from them. Then they are here on the planet?”

  “Yes. We haven’t yet discovered from where they control the shield, but they do have bases here. Our population isn’t great and a large percentage of our people are under threat from the Mideans. Some of us have managed to get away, including most of the Elders, and we hide in villages like this. We have more forms of camouflage than just the trees. We may not use much of our technology from choice, but some we do now choose to use for our own protection.”

  “Ah, Jon, I see you’re back with us. You look well again. Triena said that by the time the food was ready you’d be better. I’m afraid I doubted her. Sorry,” Manny said as Jon and Triena approached the cooking pit, this last comment directed at Triena.

  “I am glad to see you’re all right, Manny. I feel fine now, and hungry. What’s on the menu?”

  “Jon, I’d like you to meet Wirva,” Manny said. Jon nodded to the alien, and Wirva gave a slight bow. “He’s showing me how they make a stew from a local small animal and some delicate vegetables they grow here. It smells delicious.”

  “I can assure you it tastes even better than it smells,” Wirva said, and Triena laughed.

  “Stop boasting, at least until after we’ve tasted it,” she said.

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  “Mistress?” Jon asked. “Have I been lax in the social graces?”

  “No, no. It’s just a mark of respect. I’ve asked them to stop using it, but they insist.”

  “I’m sorry you’re uncomfortable with your title, Mistress, but it’s tradition and I’m a traditional being,” Wirva said.

  It was somehow strange Triena was accorded a title when there was a distinct impression of equality amongst the Rhiava Jon had met so far. He’d seen no form of subservience. The bowing he’d observed was just a form of politeness; it seemed everyone bowed to each other with little cause.

  “I can see I’m just going to have to give in,” Triena said with good grace.

  Jon gave Manny a glance but he just shrugged. There was some undercurrent here; a definite deference given to Triena and not just by Wirva. As he thought back, he recalled as they walked through the clearing how everyone gave him a small bow of welcome. They also bowed to Triena, accompanying their bows with a gesture to their temples. It was then Jon registered every Rhiava had a face painting of some kind, but each one was smaller than Triena’s, and she had the only one that used two colors in the design. Was that significant?

  They reached a large communal table toward the far side of the clearing where everyone was gathering, and as Jon searched for Manny, he saw him approaching with Wirva. Also coming was the large cooking pot—on its own, floating in the air toward the table. Jon watched, fascinated. How was it controlled? He saw no device in Wirva’s hands, but with a slow and gentle motion the pot floated down to settle in the center of the large table.

  There were about thirty Rhiava gathered around waiting to eat, but they all stood until Triena took her place at the center of the table on one of the long sides. She indicated Jon should take a seat on one side of her and Manny on the other. Everyone sat then and Wirva commenced serving. Another indication of some form of rank, perhaps?

  An old Rhiava stood up and silence descended. “I welcome Jon and Manny to our
table as friends of the Rhiava. Even though we’ve been disillusioned by the action of the Mideans, we refuse to believe all strangers are so deceptive. We accept your word and take you into our midst.”

  Jon leaned toward Triena and commented, “We are grateful for your trust, but I hope you continue to be wary.”

  She laughed and told him, “As a general rule we are good judges of character, and just because once we made a mistake, doesn’t mean we’ll repeat it. Besides, one of the reasons for the error was because at the time of request by the Mideans, most of the Elders were in Ritual and those remaining were not strong enough in the Gift to be sure. However, there are enough of the Elders here now to know you.”

  Captain Sullivan returned to Questor feeling quite relieved. He, Henson, and Simpson had at last arranged for everything they needed, but it had been hard work. All he wanted to do now was go to his quarters and rest.

  “Captain, the commander asked you contact the command center as soon as you arrived back onboard,” said the crewman on duty in the hangar.

  Sullivan sighed. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? “Sullivan to Barlow. We’re back onboard. Is there a problem?”

  “I’m afraid so, Captain. We’ve lost all contact with the shuttle.”

  At once the tiredness lifted from Sullivan’s shoulders. “Call a meeting of the senior officers. We’re on our way.”

  Barlow was quick to explain Piper had been trying to contact the shuttle for thirty minutes after it ought to have landed but without luck.

  “No response at all?” Sullivan asked.

  “No, sir, not even that strange static when we lost contact last time. It’s as if the shuttle isn’t there.”

  Captain Sullivan asked, “Is it possible there was a serious fault with their transmission system, and that’s the real problem?”