In Search of the Alter Dom (12 page)

The Na Idriss were another matter; there was something sinister about them, their sniffing and their unblinking stare.

When Earth lay adrift in the prehistoric mists of distant time: Amid lava

flow and basalt spume. A Cold-blood rose from viscous slime!

The group began their journey to the cave. Blodwyn walked in front of Karak the Cold-blood. A Na Idriss scout led the way moving on all fours; his shoulders rising and falling like any big cat. Blodwyn could now clearly see the Na Idriss’s feline proportions: long bodies and short legs. The scout stopped every now and again to sniff a leaf or the grass at the side of the trail. Suddenly the scout froze mid-stride.

‘Look Sir!’ the scout growls. Captain Timasek and the Cold-blood examine a long unshod clawed footprint on the track. ‘What being left the footprint?’ the Malis Afar Cold-blood asks.

‘Serpentils!’ the scout answers. ‘The tracks are about an hour old.’ ‘Serpentils!’ repeats Captain Timasek with alarm – all the Na Idriss look around nervously; drawing their swords.

To Blodwyn’s horror, she notices all the Na Idriss had fully exposed their retractable claws that looked as long and sharp as any tigers. She knew that once in their grip, there was no escape.

‘Who are the Serpentils?’ asks Karak the Cold-blood calmly, not bothering to draw his fine blade.

‘A new reptilian species – appearing in the Antares Cluster, Sir. Naked black, flat snake-heads with prehensile tails. They are venomous primitives who swallow their meat whole!’ Captain Timasek replies with disgust.

‘You mean venomous like the Lings?’ the Malis Afar asks with interest.

‘The Serpentils have haematoxin? snake venom.’

‘And Serpentils also stink,’ another Na Idriss warrior adds.

‘Where are this new species from?’ Karak asks.

‘We think Serpentils are using the new Lupus-three Wormhole to enter the Antares Cluster from Stellar space. We have met them before once in battle – they are formidable lightning-quick warriors.’

‘You fear unshod primitives?’ asks Karak, surprised.

‘Serpentils are Cold-bloods – like the Malis Afar,’ answers Captain Timasek. ‘Their speed with the sword cannot be matched. Their shiny scales act as Amour. The last time we met – they killed seven of our warriors – we only killed one Serpentil with a laser.’

‘What!’ Karak the Cold-blood exclaims, ‘you broke the warrior’s code – “blade against blade.’

‘We had no choice,’ Captain Timasek replies.

‘Did your scientist study the Serpentil’s corpse?’ Karak asks coldly.

‘Yes,’ answers the Captain, ‘they have only a single heart and a single lung, just like snakes.’

‘Where is their single primitive heart situated?’ Karak asks.

‘Below their neck sir – best reached under the arm where their scale amour is weak,’ replies Captain Timasek.

‘And their flesh is not suitable for eating!’ Lt Sanger adds.

Karak the Malis Afar gives the Lieutenant an angry glare for divulging this information in Blodwyn’s presence. Blodwyn now had confirmation – the Na Idriss were carnivores. ‘Who is their leader?’ Karak asks. ‘A Mar-lissa is their Empress!’ Captain Timasek replies.

‘A Mar-lissa!’ repeats Karak surprised. ‘A higher being ruling unshod primitives – it doesn’t make sense.’

‘Sir,’ calls out the Na Idriss scout urgently, ‘the storm is building and the temperature’s falling – we must reach the cave before the lightning and the rain!’ The group moves on.

Inside the cave Blodwyn keeps close to Commander Karak. The longer she knew the Na Idriss, the more she feared them. Karak placed his warm black cloak over Blodwyn’s shoulders, when the cold cave made her shiver. The cloak had some kind of heating device in it.

‘The nights on Tarrea are not only dangerous, but cold’ says Karak. Blodwyn knew the Malis Afar was trying to manipulate her with kindness; she was also astute in the art of manipulation – the alien was not aware of her acting skills. This was the perfect opportunity to use these skills to the full. She would go through her full repertoire of facial expressions. All those hours practicing before a mirror, now had to pay off: her life depended on it. Blodwyn decided to adopt the naïve, gullible, little girl lost persona, to bring out the father instinct in the cold-blooded Malis Afar. Little did she know there was no such thing as a father on the home planet of the Malis Afar, Afar Major, in the distant Aquilla Triangle!

The Na Idriss milled around the cave uneasily as the storm approached – their cat-like hate of getting wet ran deep. Lt Sangar holds up a skin. ‘Our national drink – Tarrish,’ he announces proudly, holding it under Blodwyn’s nose. ‘It smells disgusting,’ says Blodwyn, ‘what is it?’

‘Blood with alcohol anti-coagulant,’ replies Lt Sanger with enthusiasm. ‘Yuk sounds revolting,’ exclaims Blodwyn, ‘I would be instantly sick.’ Then, with curiosity, ‘Whose blood is it anyway?’

‘Blood is blood,’ replies Lt Sanger, ‘it’s all delicious.’ (Then getting carried away,) ‘But I must admit my favourite is….’

‘That will do Lieutenant,’ orders Karak – cutting the Na Idriss short.

‘Would you care to try some, Commander?’ the Lieutenant asks.

‘Alcohol does not suit the cold-blood of the Malis Afar,’ answers Karak. Lt Sanger joins a Na Idriss guard at the cave entrance; they drink Tarrish and whisper together. ‘Lieutenant,’ says the guard, ‘we haven’t eaten for four days. It’s all right for the Commander, he is Malis Afar, a Cold-blood – we are warm-bloods and need to eat often; let’s kill the female Terasil when the Cold-blood is asleep – she smells delicious. Young Terasil flesh is tender,’ continues the guard, ‘and is without fur – no hair balls to irritate my stomach.’

‘We have our orders,’ answers Lt Sangar, ‘now tend your duties and forget your stomach. I am going to look around outside before the storm begins.’

Inside the cave all the Na Idriss huddle in a corner drinking their foul brew, Tarrish. Only Blodwyn and Karak, the Malis Afar, sit by the fire.

‘We know you are seeking the Alter Dom,’ announces the Cold-blood, ‘but you are wasting your time.’

Blodwyn decided not to deny her quest. ‘I am only helping Grunwalde – she tricked me – has the Alter Dom really gone?’ Blodwyn asks with contrived innocence.

‘An Event Horizon of a feeding black hole,’ explains the Cold-blood, ‘is the most deadly and destructive force in all the Universes. Once past the Event Horizon there is no escape from its gravity pull and black matter, it swallows spaceships and planets. But once the Black Hole’s hunger is satisfied its mouth closes – there is no return even for a higher being like the Alter Dom.’ Blodwyn pulled her most disappointed face. ‘So the Alter Dom is dead.’

‘There can be no other outcome,’ replies the Cold-blood

‘Have you ever seen the Alter Dom?’ asks Blodwyn.

‘No,’ replies Karak, ‘we, the Malis Afar are not among the privileged few it shows itself to – but we fear its anger.’

‘Why do you refer to the Alter Dom as an “It?” Blodwyn asks.

‘Because the Alter Dom is not classified as a life form,’ answers the Malis Afar. ‘It is neither male nor female; it appears and disappears at will and constantly changes substance. It can even destroy a planet with an asteroid bombardment. The advanced races are afraid to antagonize it; some primitives even worship the Alter Dom. Its presence restricts the strong races like the Malis Afar from expanding their empires.’

‘Do you think the Alter Dom was a kind of God?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘Only the weak believe in a God or Gods. You Terasils spend too much time worrying about Gods – it is because your race has such a short life-span. Shortly after birth you Terasils are worrying about death! We Malis Afar never wasted time building useless monuments like the pyramids or giant cathedrals to a God, instead we concentrated on becoming space travelers; it saved our race.’

‘Some powerful being must have created the millions of universes that exist?’ replies Blodwyn. Karak the Cold-blood gave Blodwyn a long look, but did not answer. Blodwyn realized the Cold-blood Malis Afar was not really sure of his convictions.

‘You must realize,’ continues the Cold-blood, ‘that the Alter Dom has left a power vacuum – we must fill this vacuum. As you saw today, races from Stellar space, like the Serpentils and the Jed-Bella who have already colonized Aries Major, must be kept in order – stopped from expanding.’

‘What will you do when you re-occupy Earth?’ asks Blodwyn.

‘First, we have to persuade Grunwalde Angharad to take the Lings to another suitable planet – like Earth but better.’

‘Why don’t you just kill the Lings and their lying Queen?’ Blodwyn asks, putting on her most cruel face. ‘The Lings are unfortunately respected by some of the other powerful advanced races – because they are true Changelings –“three hearts.” The Galla Qualls, the Ida Jaade, the mysterious Jinnd, the elusive and dangerous Shi-Larriss, the fish eating Cilla and the Shapeshifting Semmi Tal all respect the Lings,’ answers Karak, ‘they would object to the extinction – killing of the Lings by us. We have to defeat the Galla Qualls and their dogs the egg-laying Ida Jaade. You see, they will object to our occupation of Earth as they admire Terasil culture. Earth was once ours – we just want it back!’

‘Don’t you admire Earth’s many varied cultures?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘We Malis Afar do not enjoy books, the classics or music – we prefer to hunt and kill.’

‘I agree,’ answers Blodwyn, ‘I hate books and music – I don’t care if the unfinished symphony remains unfinished – it’s far too long and boring anyway. But I do love hunting – I kill anything I get my hands on!’ she lies. The Cold-blood smiles a thin-lipped smile and continues. “Was he taken in?” wondered Blodwyn. ‘The Lings also have secrets the Malis Afar wish to obtain,’ adds Karak.

‘What kind of secrets?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘The Lings are cell-regenerates and live forever. They have three hearts – and are true Changelings,’ Karak answers, ‘they can absorb radiation and starlight – utilize it into magical powers. Their small thin wings are made of a substance stronger than Tellium that we cannot replicate – their bodies contain the formula. We want the secret of eternal life and cell manipulation – we want to understand how they change shape!’

‘How will you get those secrets?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘We have some of the best scientists in the Antares Cluster, they will dissect, operate on, study – duplicate Lings’ organs – cells. But there is a problem,’ continues the Cold-blood. ‘Lings are difficult to capture because of their speed – they also have a venomous bite – some even sting and there is no anti-dote. They are true Changelings – we will never know what or who we are fighting.’ Blodwyn’s respect for the Lings grew.

‘And don’t forget the Lings have raised many squadrons of fierce Daggled Nilks,’ Blodwyn adds, trying to put the Cold-blood off attacking Earth by sounding helpful. ‘Daggled Nilks are a race of winged warriors quickly raised from cocoon by the Queen – they have no fear.’

‘We need that knowledge,’ answers the Cold-blood, ‘to create life. Being able to grow disposable warriors in a matter of days is a great advantage. We must also persuade other advanced races that the Alter Dom is dead, and to join us against the Galla Qualls and the Ida Jaade. We can divide Earth – the Cilla for example, can buy the right to fish the seas – the Na Idriss, the plains of Africa; the Jal Mar the rainforests. The Dandy Indra can pay for mining licenses. We are holding a banquet – everyone will be there, will you masquerade as Grunwalde and agree to the return of the Malis Afar to Earth?’ Karak asks.

Blodwyn delayed answering: she had more questions. ‘Why do you fear the Galla Qualls so much? Are they great warriors?’ Karak smiles. ‘The cartilage skeleton of a Galla Quall can barely support its own large head on land, never mind a sword. You see, their ancestors were spineless jellyfish but they are the oldest and the most technologically advanced race in the Antares Cluster. They depend on the Ida Jaade to fight their wars.’ “Time for some flattery,” thought Blodwyn.

‘Why does such a brave and intelligent race like the Malis Afar associate with the feline Na Idriss?’ Karak smiled proudly. “Flattery always worked – when would males wise up?” ‘The Na Idriss are faithful warriors who have always depended on us for technology and leadership.’ Blodwyn guessed correctly – this was not the whole truth.

‘What will happen to Terasils when you conquer Earth?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘Nature is cruel,’ answers the Cold-blood, ‘remember your species once wiped out the simple Neanderthals and the small Cemimeds – both less intelligent races – we won’t do the same. The Malis Afar are Cold-bloods not cold hearts. Terasils breed rapidly – the advanced races are only few in number, they need workers. And because, by the time Terasils have finished the learning process, they are already dying – they will have to be constantly replaced by us – very viable. But if you help us with our plan to defeat the Galla Qualls,’ continues Karak, ‘we will help you.’

‘How will you do that?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘We’ll transplant another heart in your body and after certain procedures; you will live much longer – like us.’

“No thanks,” thought Blodwyn, but instead replied. ‘That would be wonderful – I have always wanted to watch my children die of old age!’ Blodwyn decided her only chance was to play up to the Malis Afar and bide her time before escaping. She did not trust the Na Idriss – they were dangerous. The smell of a Terasil seemed to ignite some predatory instinct in their feline hearts – but why? Blodwyn would not have to wait long to find out. ‘What do you want me to do?’ Blodwyn asks with a sweet smile.

‘Just masquerade as Grunwalde Angharad, Queen of the Lings,’ answers the Cold-blood, ‘at the coming banquet. Copy her mannerisms – you both look very similar.’

‘I am not much of an actress.’ Blodwyn fibs.

‘Not many of the Advanced Races have met the new Queen of Lings,’ assures Karak.

‘Will you give Terasils to the Na Idriss?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘Yes, they are our allies,’ answers Karak, ‘and must be rewarded.’