Child of Time (32 page)

“Give him a break, Theo darling, remember how long it
took me to stop sleeping?” The familiar voice of Kendra joined the
conversation.

“I...I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
Fred hadn't been expecting Kiyan's parents.

“No need to apologize. You can't interrupt something
that hasn't started yet or something that you are invited to. I
count at least two reasons you aren't interrupting.” Kendra's
musical tones reassured Fred.

“The real reason we invited you both was because we
think we found something that could help us in the war.” Theo
brought up some holograms over the table as he continued. “Our
scans detected a temporal anomaly in a system.” The hologram of a
small system shimmered above them. “I think it is a temporal
fragment.”

“What is a temporal fragment?” Fred asked before
Kiyan got the chance.

“Temporal energy is not constant. There are some
areas where the flow of energy is stronger than in other places. In
some spots the energy is so strong that it coalesces into solid
matter. A piece of temporal energy is a powerful energy source. If
the drakken get it they may be able to open a stable portal to the
drakken home universe. Drovak told us that their portal is unstable
and destroys any organic matter. They were only able move a few
sequences before Kiyan sealed the portal. They are stuck with a
fraction of their active clones. Drovak also says that if they have
more than one clone active at the same time from one sequence both
of them start to deactivate.”

“More clones mean more ships and agents.” Fred
understood what Theo meant.

“So what about this planet. Do they know what they
have?” Kiyan returned the discussion to its track.

“If they did know what they had they would have
probably used it by now. The temporal energy release would have
been enormous.” Kendra cleared Kiyan's question up.

“Exactly, what we need to do is meet with the
inhabitants of the planet and see if we can get it if they already
have it.” Theo brought up a closer hologram of the planet. “The
problem is that they are somewhat xenophobic and don't welcome
strangers. The hologram showed weapon platforms and a dense
minefield surrounding the planet.”

“It could hold off a drakken fleet!” Kiyan examined
the defenses.

“So a protectorate battleship flying up might not get
the kind of attention that we want.” Theo explained.

Kiyan remembered his dream from just a bit earlier.
“I think they have the fragment and they don't like us.”

“How do you know that?” Theo was a bit puzzled.

“I had a dream or I think it was a dream. I felt like
I was there and they could see me. I found something that had
temporal energy but they attacked me before I could look at it.”
Kiyan told them about the dream leaving out no detail.

“This changes everything.” Theo was pacing the room.
The planet is the kayloo home world and the people there are a race
that came to the planet a few thousand years ago. I had hoped that
you and Fred could go to the planet and seeing that you both are
bonded with kayloo might be able to open negotiations. If they
attacked you while you were dream walking then they must have
developed some telepathic abilities as well as who knows what. They
have some interference generators so we couldn't get good scans of
their planet.” Theo became silent as he paced the room
thinking.

“Why don't we just go back in time and grab it before
the people come to the planet?” Fred offered an idea.

“I wish it was that simple. The fragment wasn't
always there. It only formed a few years ago.” Theo again became
silent for a moment. “You are sure that the minds you touched were
being controlled by a computer chip?”

“Yes. I was able to interface with it. It appeared to
overpower the will of the mind it was connected to.” Kiyan watched
as Theo continued to pace. “It was like they were slaves or
something.”

Smoke rose from Theo's breath as he moved. “I should
have put a stop to it the first time I met them. Instead I just
brought some kayloo to the refuge planets. Lightning cracked as he
smashed his hands together.” Kiyan had never seen Theo so worked
up.

“Honey, calm down. You couldn't know this would be
the result.” As Kendra spoke Theo began to relax.

“I condemned them to living in slavery. I could have
stopped them.” Theo took one of the seats at the table.

“Let us go. We can scout it out and collect
information about the fragment. Kiyan and I can't be hurt and we
could escape if we get in danger.” Fred spoke with enthusiasm as
Kiyan nodded.

Ray glanced at Addy's scowling face before speaking.
“I speak for myself and Addy when I say that we will be coming with
you.”

“I... I can't let you do that, its too dangerous. It
is my problem to fix.” Theo held his head in his hands as he
spoke.

“Honey, it’s not your choice any more. We are all
coming if need be.” Kendra gave Theo a look that prevented further
argument. “Tell us everything you know about this planet.”

“It is the Kayloo home world. They lived for years as
a primitive life form in small settlements or alone. The Voth came
a few thousand years ago and proceeded to chase the kayloo away
from the places the Voth chose to live. I brokered a peace between
them and they seemed to be living peacefully for years. The peace
broke after a couple hundred years and I evacuated as many kayloo
as I found but most of them adapted to living in hiding or refused
to leave. I watched until the war ended without any appreciable
losses on either side. If I had known I would have done something.”
Theo obviously was blaming himself for the current state of affairs
on the planet.

“What race are the Voth?” Fred seemed intrigued by
the story.

“They are a carbon base race like humans but
different. They are bipedal and look similar to humans but they
have as much in common with reptiles as they do with humans. Kind
of like a hybrid. Smooth skin and hair but they have a slow
metabolism and lay eggs. Normally I wouldn't want to interfere in
how another race chooses to live but these Voth are enslaving
another race on their home world.” Theo was looking at the hologram
of the planet over them. “So they are enslaving the kayloo using
computer chips implanted in their brains. Until we know more we
can't make a firm plan.”

“How about this. Fred, Ray, Addy and I go in and
begin to investigate. We can slide in without having to test their
defenses. The four of us might even be able go undercover as Voth.
You and Kendra can come in with the ships or whatever when we find
what we need.” Kiyan was prepared for an adventure.

“When you find out exactly what is happening then we
can come in guns blazing or whatever.” Kendra laughed at the last
part. “Some plan but we do need more information so someone will
have to go in and find out more.”

“I can give you what you need to speak their
language. At least what it was a thousand years ago.” Kiyan merely
uploaded the language information into his implants and transferred
it to Ray but Fred had a little more trouble with having alien
knowledge loaded into his brain. It took him a moment but Kiyan was
able to understand the words that Fred was saying.

“That is weird.” Fred summed it up. Alec had joined
them and had improved Kiyan's firewalls and uploaded a virus
capable of completely disabling any computer chips that the Voth
might try implanting into any of them. Fred, Ray and Addy were
outfitted with chips that held the virus in case any one of them
should be captured. Kiyan's implants were more than enough to hold
the virus so no further enhancements were called for.

Kiyan and the rest of his group had all altered their
holograms to look like Voth citizens. Kiyan was long range
teleported first and the rest would be coming in one at a time. The
teleport sequence completed and as he focused on his surroundings
he realized that he had landed in the middle of a group of people.
Cries filled the air as half a dozen people in uniforms appeared.
Kiyan reacted by shoving the first one and dodging the second. A
quick jab and he had disabled the third. A couple more charged him
and he decided to make a run for it. Dodging scrambling people he
tried to melt into the crowd. Kiyan noticed that the clothes he had
were different than the Voth around him. There was a glimmer as his
clothes changed but it was too late. Kayloo of several different
kind surrounded him with Voth standing at their sides.
Well you
don't always have to be free to gather information.
Kiyan
connected with Theo and relayed what he had discovered about the
Voth wardrobe and the fact that there were Voth bonded with kayloo
as he was being captured.

The message that returned informed Kiyan that the
changes had been applied. Kiyan was silent as his captors escorted
him through the city. He took the opportunity to look around him.
The level of advancement surrounding him surprised him for a race
that practiced slavery. Tall majestic buildings reached toward the
sky on all sides. They were made of metal and various other
materials but the workmanship was impressive. People moved on all
sides of him and Kiyan noticed many of the people appeared to have
a kayloo of one form or another accompanying them. After his
initial capture the kayloo and their Voth companions had been
supplemented by several Voth carrying sinister looking blasters.
Kiyan noticed that none of the bonded Voth had any weapons not that
they needed any with their fearsome creatures.

Kiyan's observations ended as he entered a large
guarded building constructed with the same skill as the rest of the
city. The bonded Voth didn't enter the building and Kiyan didn't
see any inside. He was escorted through a series of hallways until
he came to a door marked with words that Kiyan recognized as
meaning leader and law. Probably one of the head people here with
the police. Entering the room he was directed to sit in the chair
on the other side of the desk from a Voth dressed in official
paraphernalia. Kiyan was surprised when he sat down in the chair by
restraints snapping around his arms and legs. The official began
speaking in a language that was vaguely similar to what Kiyan knew.
It was close enough that he could understand most of what was being
said.

“Teleportation is illegal. What are you doing here?”
The Voth repeated himself as Kiyan thought.

“I'm sorry I didn't know it was illegal. I didn't
mean to upset anyone.” Kiyan stopped when he noticed the glare from
the Voth.

“Why do you speak like you are from before the
awakening? You know time travel is also illegal.” The tone of the
last part wasn't sounding like a joke.

“What? No I didn't know, I mean I'm not a time
traveler.” Kiyan was having difficulty understanding everything
that was being said.

“You are definitely something. Probably a fugitive.
Are you going to insult me by saying that you had a perfectly legal
reason for running from security officers?” The Voth glare was
intensifying.

“OK I will admit that I teleported and was a little
unnerved by the people with guns charging me.” Kiyan wondered what
the penalty was for teleportation. Kiyan decided to get a little
intel and attempted to scan the mind of the Voth. He was about to
connect when he felt a searing pain in his mind. When the pain
cleared he saw the Voth sitting back with a satisfied expression.
“How did you do that?”

“You are bonded with a kayloo. We have "devices" that
block telepaths. I know telepathy is sanctioned but there are the
occasions that blocking them is handy like now. For some reason you
don't have a chip. We can remedy that.” The Voth made a few taps on
his desk and an officer entered the room. After getting a few
orders he returned with a box and proceeded to set up the machine.
There was a sharp pain as Kiyan deactivated his shields and hoped
the virus would take care of the implant. A moment of darkness
forced itself on his mind then it was gone.

“I don't know how you managed to evade us for so long
but now you have been chipped and work for us. Bring your kayloo in
and we can chip it also then the two of you can be together.” Kiyan
didn't like the tone of the Voth now.

“He... He is rather independent. He broke contact
with me about the time you caught me.” Kiyan truthfully didn't know
where Ray was. “How did you know I was bonded?”

“I ask the questions now.” The Voth scowled before he
continued. “Only bonded Voth develops abilities. Can you reconnect
with it?”

“Not without him wanting to also.” Kiyan tried to
sound submissive.

“Order him here when you reconnect with it. We can't
have unchipped kayloo running around. I will be lenient on you
because you obviously only just bonded.” Waving at the guard the
Voth returned to his desk. Kiyan was escorted down a few levels and
locked in a cell. The cell was unusually tow tech. A few metal bars
was all that held him. The guard took up a position outside the
door. Kiyan looked at a dozen other cells lining the walls of the
room. Only one of them was occupied. Casting his mind out he
recognized the other prisoner as Fred. Connecting with him he spoke
to Fred.

“
How did they catch you?”
Kiyan almost
laughed.

“
Did you know teleportation is illegal? I did it
in front of a police officer.”
Fred picked up on Kiyan's
laughter. “
It’s not funny. How did they get you?”

“
Same thing. I'm going to ask my guard some
questions.”
Kiyan had to admit that it was a little funny being
scooped up moments after trying to infiltrate an alien world.

“
No such luck. They aren't supposed to talk to
us.”
Fred was taking his turn at silent laughter.

Ignoring Fred Kiyan carefully connected with the
guard letting the virus disable the blocker. Free to explore the
mind of the guard Kiyan found the language center and learned the
modern Voth language. The next thing he did was make the guard
forget he wasn't supposed to talk to the prisoner.