Knadyn: A Terraneu Novel (Book Six)
Read Knadyn: A Terraneu Novel (Book Six) Online
Authors: Stormy McKnight
Knadyn
(A Terraneu Novel, Book Six)
By
Stormy McKnight
Copyright
pending, Stormy McKnight
Cover
Art by Brandi Doane McCann
Published
by Stormy McKnight
http://www.stormymcknight.com/
Knadyn is the sixth book in the Terraneu series. I would advise that the
books be read in order, to enhance the experience. However, I do try to write
them as stand-alone as possible.
Knadyn is a work of fiction and the characters,
events, and dialogue found within the story are of the author’s imagination and
are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons,
either living or deceased, is completely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying,
file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without the permission in
writing from the author
.
“So you are saying the prisoner being held here is an alien?” Ava Howard
asked disbelievingly and her father’s keen hazel eyes fixed on her intently.
“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.” Steve Howard moved her slowly
along the path to a bench near the garden. The entire community had only
recently been taken back from the overgrowth of nature, but the ground for the
garden had been cleared first thing. This spot had been chosen and cultivated
due to its nearness to irrigation and surprisingly low radiation levels. The
ground in certain spots were still highly irradiated so they had gotten lucky
with this area being so clean.
“You know I have been studying the anomaly that reappeared three years
ago?” her father prompted. Ava did know. Her father had been brought to
Scotland almost thirty years ago to study an anomaly and she had traveled with
him since she was on holiday from school. That is the only reason they were
still alive. Soon after arriving, a mysterious catastrophe wiped out all of the
Earth’s electronic devices. After that there was a subsequent re-set of the
planet’s human and animal populations. Her mother wasn’t able to make the trip
and as far as Ava knew, she hadn’t survived. They had limited communication
capabilities but nothing that could reach the United States.
While she had been daydreaming her father was still talking, “I think I
was able to ascertain the cause of the anomaly.” He moved to sit on the bench
and she sat next to him. After a minute, she sighed. Her father was losing some
of his mental clarity as he got older. He had laughed it off saying, “
The only thing worse than getting older…is
not
getting older
.”
“So you think you know the cause of the anomaly?” she prodded him to
continue the conversation.
“Yes. I have pieced together enough information to make an educated
extrapolation of what I
think
is
happening.” He leaned closer, his eyes burning with excitement. “The anomaly is
some type of wormhole.” He looked around when he said it then back to her,
running his wrinkled hands through his spiky grey hair. Whenever he did that,
he looked like pictures of Albert Einstein she had seen. “It happens on the
solstices for some reason. Possibly because that is the height of an energy
buildup in the atmosphere. All of the data points to something happening
twenty…” His focus faded as he tried to remember then sharpened again,
“No…almost thirty years ago. I had set up equipment to study the anomaly as
Renee requested. However, I wasn’t able to utilize any of that information and
the anomaly didn’t reappear until three years ago. Our current equipment isn’t
nearly as advanced as I used to have, but I was able to track some activity. The
young prisoner is the missing piece that I needed and I think I have finally
found the answer.”
Ava knew almost all of what he had just gone over, but she just smiled to
encourage him to keep talking. “Okay.” Ava wasn’t sure if her father was mad or
brilliant. “You think the anomaly is a wormhole and the man being held in
isolation is an alien.” She was intrigued enough to ask, “Why do you think that
they are connected?”
“Renee told me that they first spotted him during the raid on rebel
territory. According to eyewitnesses the prisoner was visible one moment, then
gone the next. The government forces have been hunting him for almost six
months. He was taken captive a few days ago and Jeromy was very boastful that
he had finally been caught.” Her father spoke quickly, “The
solstice
was six months ago and if I am
correct the wormhole would have been active. Also, the prisoner was wearing a
strange type of armor that the leadership had me study.” He looked at Ava
expressively, “I didn’t know where they got it at first and then Renee confided
that it was the prisoners.” Her father’s eyes shone with excitement at making a
new discovery, “I have never seen the like of this material. It was heavily
damaged but I know it was beyond anything this community had ever seen. I think
it had the chameleon properties required to make him “disappear” as the
witnesses stated. Jeromy asked me about it and I lied and said it was just a
fancy polymer. I told him that maybe the rebels had gotten lucky and found some
old military surplus.” Her father leaned back on the bench. “I have only seen
the prisoner from a distance a few times. However, I know he isn’t able to eat.
Every time they force him to try, he gets violently sick. They had to put him
on an I.V. drip to keep him hydrated. They haven’t gotten him to talk, and if
we don’t intervene it may be too late.”
She saw her father’s look and suddenly knew what he was going to ask.
Massaging her temples in frustration, she hissed so they weren’t overheard,
“No! I won’t try to influence Jeromy into letting me examine the prisoner. You
are asking too much.” She knew her father was getting further and further from
reality, but he was really gone if he thought she would use Jeromy that way.
She had dated him and they had even been engaged, but she had ended their
relationship years ago. Reasons being that Jeromy was selfish and spoiled. His
mother had passed away during childbirth and his father was one of the leaders
of their community so he felt he could get his way in everything.
“Jeromy cares for you still.” He rubbed his hands along his pants in
nervousness. “I know he can be difficult, but we have to try to help the
prisoner—”
“Jeromy only cares about himself…you and I both know that.” She put her
hands over his and squeezed. “I’m sorry father. I love and respect you but I am
not going to use Jeromy that way. If the leadership wants this prisoner
isolated it’s for a reason. Maybe they are right. Did you think of that
possibility? Whoever he is, perhaps he is dangerous.”
“The leadership knows about some parts of my theory of the anomaly. I
wasn’t able to hide all of my findings. I have tried to tell them that
lifeforms couldn’t travel through it. If they suspect that the prisoner is from
the wormhole, despite my telling them otherwise, they might call you in for
advice. If that happens, we are all in danger. The prisoner, you and me. It
will mean they don’t trust me anymore.” Her father’s face grew taunt with fear,
“They might suspect that the prisoner is an alien, one that is responsible for
all of the damage to Earth.”
Ava wanted to interrupt but before she could say anything, he went on.
“Ava, the leadership would be wrong in assuming that they are violent or
dangerous.” Her father waved his hands around in agitation. “I think quite the
opposite. They have been helping us.” Her father’s mood changed lightning quick
and he chuckled gleefully. He slapped his hands together and ignored her take
that the prisoner might be dangerous. “The atmosphere has improved much faster
than it should have. The soil tests show—”
“You have evidence of that?” She interrupted harshly. Against her better
judgement, Ava was losing patience with her father. Yes, the atmosphere had
improved at an astonishing rate, but what was his proof that they were being helped
by a benevolent alien race? Maybe the planet was just resetting itself. “You
have solid evidence that they are
helping
us? Then where is the food? Medicine? Technology?” She didn’t mean to let
bitterness into her voice, but she couldn’t help it. Her father was living in
the clouds if he thought the prisoner was here to help them.
“Ava.” Her father sighed resignedly, “Cleaning up the atmosphere would be
a first step. Even if they were willing to help further, attacking them and
taking their men prisoner doesn’t help our cause. If you were a greater
intelligence dealing with the likes of Earth wouldn’t there be rules of limited
or non-interference?”
“If that male is from such a greater intelligence, how did he get
captured?” she asked just to be annoying.
Her father ignored her tone, “Even the soldiers of this community could
get lucky under the right circumstances and catch an advanced being.” He paused
to rub his jaw.
Sighing loudly she ran her hands through her thinning blond hair and
pleaded, “Whatever you are thinking, please stop.”
Her father eyed her with such intensity that she squirmed, “Ask Renee to
let you work with the prisoner for a few days. He seems to be mellowing out in
his old age, and he always did have a soft spot for you.” He patted her hand.
“See if my theory about the prisoner is correct. You will have to work fast
because we have less than three weeks, and we are limited in what we can
accomplish in such a short time.”
“Less than three weeks for what?” Ava asked. She couldn’t imagine what
her father was getting at now.
“Well, that fellow might just be missed. If that is the case, I for one,
don’t want to be on the wrong side of an angry rescue party.”
Ava felt a chill go down her spine. If what her father theorized was
true, then they could all be in grave danger. “I will see what I can do.” She
promised, helping her father to his feet. He was getting more frail by the day.
His usually stiff posture had gotten a bit of a stoop to it. His warm brown
hair had whitened down and he moved much slower. “In return I need you to do
something for me.” She stated emphatically.
“What would that be?”
“Start taking better care of yourself.” She admonished lovingly. “You
haven’t been eating your rations and you need to keep up your strength.”
Holding tightly to his hand she started walking him back towards the living
quarters they had been assigned.
