Dark Space (21 page)

“There are two types of
friends in this universe: those who are close to your allies, and those who are
far away from them. To survive for any great length in difficult situations,
one must know how to properly leverage each of their strengths at the right
moment.”

-Rough
translation of an ancient Tizarian proverb

   Shawn and Melissa’s eyes
shifted to one another at Doctor Uudon’s revelation. What could the doctor have
possibly discovered on Torval that could have given him any insights into
Meltranians? When Melissa asked him as much, the doctor’s eyes lit up brightly.
Uudon’s chest puffed out as he took a stance that Melissa recalled many a
professor at the Academy held when they were about to give—what they alone
felt—a very profound speech.

   “Approximately sixteen
months ago, the declassification of the original OSI operations here on Torval
became public information. Not long after, I took on the assignment of studying
this location for any historical significance it could provide in relation to
the Great Galactic War. Most of the structures on the surface provided little
to nothing of useful information.” He then looked to Melissa, the tone of his
voice taking on a more serious note. “The OSI, it seems, is very
thorough
in cleaning up after themselves.” He let the words sink in until he saw Melissa
shift uncomfortably, then continued in a more relaxed tone. “Nevertheless, it
was what I found here in the catacombs that altered the very focal point of my
research in general.”

   “And what was it that you
found, Professor?” Melissa asked.

   Uudon looked at her with
frustration. “If you’ll kindly wait, Miss Graves, I’m getting to that. Now, as
I was saying, I found something of importance to the Unified government. In the
caverns, about a mile beneath us, I came across what I initially believed was a
meteorite fragment from beyond our region of the galaxy.” 

   When he was silent for a
moment, Melissa felt it was her cue to ask a question. “The one that originally
formed this crater?”

   “Precisely. For several
months, I’d been attempting to study its composition, but I was unable to
determine some of the many compounds it’s formed from. That is, until the
Meltranians began invading our region of space.” Uudon then scowled at Shawn.
“I’m sure you,
Commander
, are aware of some of the altercations that
have taken place between the respective cultures?” 

   “Aware?” Shawn balked.
“More like I’ve been directly involved with them.”

   Uudon looked at him with
disapproval. “Indeed. Regardless, those encounters provided Unified scientists
with fragments of Meltranian technology. Those fragments are still being
analyzed, but some tantalizing facts have already been gleaned from them.”

   While Melissa was also
aware of those results, she had the distinct impression they were still highly
classified. Either Uudon had somehow hacked into the system, or he’d been
granted access to the materials. If that was the case, the good doctor was far
more important that she had initially believed—or he was somehow in cohesion
with the same entities that had claimed Jerry Santorum’s life. Pushing aside
the question of access, she instead went for the findings. “Such as?”

   Doctor Uudon casually
clasped his hands behind his back as he continued his lecture. “The initial
results of the metallurgical examination of Meltranian debris is remarkably
consistent with the composition of the object down in the tunnels beneath us.”

   “The meteorite is … Meltranian?”
Shawn asked. 

   Uudon sighed, then looked at
Shawn in disapproval, as a parent would a small child. “It is not a meteorite,
Commander.”    

   “The remains of a ship,
then?” he asked.

   The doctor closed his eyes
and shook his head slowly. “No. It is not that either.”

   “Then I’m afraid I don’t—”
Shawn began with a scowl before Uudon interrupted him.

   “No, young man. I don’t
suspect you would.” He then started to pace the confines of the small cave as
he pondered the next place to begin speaking. “You see, several days ago, a
transmission was sent here from outside this planetary system.”

   With his back to them,
Uudon didn’t see Shawn and Melissa exchange a knowing glance.

   “Did you know its source?”
Melissa asked.

   Uudon grunted softly in
disapproval. “Unfortunately, no. I was, however, able to deduce the general
vicinity from which it originated. But that’s relatively unimportant in the
grand scheme of things.” 

  
Like hell it is
,
Shawn thought, but kept it to himself for the moment as Uudon continued.

   “You see, up until the
moment the transmission was received here, no one knew exactly what these
objects were.”

   Melissa cocked an eyebrow.
“You’re saying other objects like this have been discovered?”

   “Oh, yes. A number of them.
Twelve to be precise, scattered across as many worlds.” He then looked at
Shawn. “Being human, you are familiar with the planet Mars in the Sol system, I
trust?”

   Shawn nodded.

   “Prior to this one, the
last was discovered nearly twenty years ago at the bottom of the Zumba crater,
widely suspected as being the youngest on the Martian surface. As far as any
other objects like this, I suspect that there are a great deal more, very
likely inside Kafaran space.”

   “Why hasn’t anyone ever
said anything about this before?” Melissa asked.

   “Again, it wasn’t until a
few days ago that anyone knew what their purpose was. They were inert oddities,
my dear. Nothing more. But now I know, and when my final thesis is prepared, so
will the rest of the galaxy.”

   “Doctor,” Shawn began in
earnest. “I’m not willing to wait that long. If you could tell us what this is
all about, and what these objects really are—”

   “Don’t you see, Commander?
Do you still not understand?”

   Shawn looked to Melissa,
who only shook her head in confusion.

   “They’re broadcast
amplifiers,” Uudon said triumphantly.

   “Amplifiers?” Shawn asked.

   “Yes, Commander,” the
doctor replied. “Highly sophisticated ones.”

   “And how did you come to
this conclusion?” Melissa asked.

   “Several days ago, moments before
the signal was received, I was in the caves below studying the artifact. I was
taking core samples, recording the procedure for posterity. That was when the
object began to vibrate of its own accord. Once it reached a fever pitch, it
began to pulse in steady, measurable ways. After a moment of initial surprise,
I began turning on the various pieces of equipment down there to measure the
object. A few moments later, the object’s glow diminished, and it returned to
its previous state. However, the wave inductor managed to record a fragment of
the incoming transmission, and the spectrum analyzer recorded the direction of
the amplified outgoing signal. The bit patterns of the two were identical.”

   “I’m still not quite
following you,” Shawn began after a moment of putting the information together.

   Uudon held his hands aloft
toward the overhead of the cave they were in. “The lattice structures of the
surrounding indigenous materials of Torval work in conjunction with the
devices, helping to boost the signal. There is no mechanical force at work
inside the objects. It’s pure energy transfer, but of a kind I’ve never before
encountered.”  

   “So they’re using them to
spy on us, to gather information from across Unified space,” Melissa said.

   “Perhaps they are now,
Agent Graves, but I don’t believe that was their intended purpose,” Uudon
corrected.

   “What makes you say that,
Professor?” Shawn asked.

   “Because our contact with
the Meltranians is very recent, Commander. Oh, the Kafarans have known of them
for some time, but galactically speaking, the Meltranians are just as new to
them as well.”

   “But that doesn’t explain
why this object is here,” Melissa said, “much less on other planets well inside
Unified space.”

   “On the contrary, Agent
Graves; it says a
great deal
about their purpose.”

   “So why, then?” Shawn
asked, quickly losing patience.

   Uudon looked at each as if
they had grown a third arm. “Because with little exception, each of these
objects is over four thousand years old.”

   Shawn and Melissa looked at
one another in astonishment before Melissa turned back to Doctor Uudon.

   “Show me.”

%%%

   Once they were back in the
softly lit corridor, Shawn and Melissa were met by Major Sisleon. In the dim
passageway, his horn-like protuberances reflected what little light they
received in all the wrong places, causing the slightly discolored surfaces to
appear is if they’d just gouged an unfortunate soul.

   “We need to take the doctor
to the lower levels, Major,” Melissa said in her most commanding voice. Her
rank and position negated the need for the Tizarian’s permission, but etiquette
and protocol required she ask before making it a demand. As it was, the SS team
leader consented without any reluctance.

   “All I ask, Agent Graves,
is that you allow some of my people to accompany you,” he grunted affably.

   “Oh?”

   The major nodded. “There
are a great many untraveled spaces down there. I wouldn’t want you to be caught
off guard.”

   “I know those caverns like
the back of my hand, sir,” Doctor Uudon said with little protocol and even less
concern. “I do not require a guide.”

   Shawn smiled at Sisleon
smugly, then turned it toward the doctor. “I’m sure we’d all feel a lot more
comfortable with a few extra hands down there, Doctor.”

   Uudon scowled and grunted
at Shawn in disapproval. “Very well, Commander.” He then turned with little
fanfare and began walking slowly down the corridor, with Melissa quickly
stepping in behind him.

   Before he got in step
behind her, Shawn was stopped by the major. “I’m a bit surprised by your
willingness for my people to join you, Commander.”

   “And why’s that, Major?”

   “Let us just say I was led
to believe that you prefer to work alone.”

   Shawn couldn’t help but
smile a little. “You heard that, did you?”

   The Tizarian nodded while
grunting an affirmation.

   “Well, I get the impression
that the Doctor Uudon has serious reservations about the military in general.
If my presence irritates him, then the addition of your men will only increase
that discomfort.”

   Sisleon pondered the
statement for a moment. “You believe that, in his frustrations, he might betray
guarded information?”

   Shawn smirked. “Let’s just
say … I like the fact that he’s under more than one heat lamp, and keep it at
that.”

   Sisleon uttered a series of
snorts, which Shawn took for laughter. “I like the way you think, Commander
Kestrel.” He then reached into a side pocket and handed Shawn a small
transmitter. When Shawn gave him a puzzled look, the Tizarian shrugged his
massive shoulders. “Just in case. One can never be too cautious … in the dark.
If you need me, you have but to press the red button.”

   Unsure of how to take the
statement, Shawn flashed his most dashing smile. “I do my best work in the
dark, Major.” He then turned to follow Melissa. As soon as he had rounded a
corner and was out of sight of the major, Shawn held up a small flashlight and
scanned the passageway ahead of him.

  
I hate the dark.

  
A few paces later, he’d caught up with
Melissa and the rest of the team. The two SS officers were staggered, one
leading the formation at the doctor’s side, the other between Shawn and
Melissa. There was an apparent lack of lights in this part of the mine, and
everyone save for Doctor Uudon had small lights waving around the corridor. The
walls were smooth in some places, jagged in others. Occasionally they would
observe other passageways or alcoves heading off in other directions, yet Uudon
continued down further into the abyss.

   When Shawn saw Melissa
checking her wrist computer, he quickly stepped around the SS officer to stand
beside her. “What’s up?”

   She laughed lightly,
obviously uncomfortable with their surroundings. “That would be the ground.
We’re almost a half-mile below the surface and still descending.”

   “That worries you, Angel?”

   She smiled at the pet name
Shawn seemed to have adopted for her. “We’re going to start running out of air
soon, if I’m not mistaken.”

   “You are not, Agent
Graves,” Uudon called back over his shoulder. “However, I have ample supplies
of portable oxygen, enough for every one of us. They’re just up ahead.”