In Search of the Alter Dom (16 page)

Suddenly the Ora-Pellas spot Blodwyn hiding behind Karak! They are curious and approach smiling. Blodwyn felt like running – she did not wish to be burnt to a cinder! But no: she decided to keep her composure! Blodwyn gracefully curtseyed. The two higher beings followed suit and giggled. Then one Ora-Pella gently removes Blodwyn’s thick-lensed spectacles. “Oh no,” thought Blodwyn, “please don’t melt them.”

‘Ah, beautiful bag of water with green eyes – like we,’ says one of the Ora-Pellas. The two Ora-Pellas took turns trying on Blodwyn’s spectacles: giggling at the size of their magnified eyes. The Ora-Pellas then began to admire Blodwyn’s long golden hair, and began to unbraid it; letting it fall below Blodwyn’s shoulders.

Then using Blodwyn as a model, they began tugging, and pulling at each other’s hair – till it was the same length. Noticing Blodwyn’s breasts: they modeled their own flat chests to match hers – and proceeded walking around the flight deck pushing their new naked bosoms out! Then they began to duplicate Blodwyn’s features, by pulling and reshaping their pretty faces till they were both her exact doubles – although still remaining green.

Then to Blodwyn’s embarrassment the two naked female Ora-Pellas took a keen interest in what lay underneath her dress; lifting it they had a good look around. They stared in surprise at her footwear. Blodwyn, in her rush to reach the bridge, had slipped on her oversized walking boots. An Ora-Pella pulls off Blodwyn’s boots, and puts them on, and then she clumps around looking like a three-year-old wearing her mother’s high heels.

Then both Ora-Pellas held out their hands for Blodwyn to take! Blodwyn hesitated for a moment; Ora-Pellas were unpredictable – she had witnessed their power. Blodwyn noticed Karak, and the Na Idriss watching her – waiting for a reaction – she knew the feline Na Idriss could smell fear! Blodwyn looked down at the Ora-Pellas’ waiting hands – she was dressed as Grunwalde Angharad – so why not act like her! She confidently grabbed both the hands of the Ora-Pellas – their hands were as cool as a mountain stream: Blodwyn giggled in relief. She and her two exact green doubles – using Karak as a maypole, danced around him. ‘We want to bathe – wear dresses,’ demands the Ora-Pellas in unison.

‘Of course,’ replies Karak. ‘Blodwyn will take you to her quarters.’ ‘Blodwyn!’ repeat the two Ora-Pellas. ‘Beautiful name – “white flower!”’

“How on Earth did they know that?” wonders Blodwyn.

‘Come white flower – beautiful bag of water,’ say the two Ora-Pellas. Holding hands the three young girls ran skipping towards Blodwyn’s quarters. Inside the three young women admire the row of dresses. ‘We can bathe first then try the dresses,’ Blodwyn suggests.

‘No,’ giggles the Ora-Pellas, ‘we dress first – then bath in our dresses.’ ‘What a good idea,’ Blodwyn agrees. The three girls tried on dresses, like typical teenagers at a sale – tugging and pulling at dresses from each others’ grip, giggling. This was a perfect chance to gain information.

‘Do you know the Alter Dom?’ Blodwyn asks casually.

‘Yes,’ answers the Ora-Pellas together, ‘he is our Lord.’

‘Are you looking for him?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘Oh no,’ replies the Ora-Pellas, ‘we hide from him,’ they giggle. ‘He gives us work – we don’t like work!’

“A right couple of skivers,” thinks Blodwyn, “just my luck.”

‘Are you the two Ora-Pellas who saw the Alter Dom entering the Event Horizon, of a feeding black hole?’

‘Yes,’ answer the Ora-Pellas, ‘we were spying on him – we saw the Alter Dom enter a new feeding black hole that appeared in the Bellatrix sector, near the Orion Nebula – we were afraid to follow, beyond the Event Horizon,’ they says mischievously.

‘Is the Alter Dom dead?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘Oh – no,’ answer the duo, ‘he is just in another universe somewhere.’

‘Where?’ she asks.

‘There are more Universes than grains of sand,’ reply the Ora-Pellas.

‘When will he be back?’ asks Blodwyn, hopefully.

‘Maybe one Stellar year!’ came the reply.

‘I presume that’s a long time.’

‘Two hundred Earth years!’ came the answer. She could see the Ora-Pellas had other matters on their minds; such as dressing up and titivating themselves with Blodwyn’s make up box.

It was obvious to her that the Ora-Pellas were frivolous; very dangerous; had a short concentration span, and were down right lazy – but she liked them! ‘Please just one more question,’ she pleads. ‘Why did the Alter Dom enter the Event Horizon?’

‘He was summoned by his master the
Dom Maximus
! the Ora-Pellas answer. ‘Do you mean God?’ gasps Blodwyn: religious passion sweeping over her. Her mind and heart raced – so there is a supreme being! It must be God! Blodwyn believed in God, but sometimes felt unsure: was this confirmation?

She quickly went through her list of sins. Especially the time she and Myfanwy Jenkins, spent a good ten minutes practicing some new swear words they had just heard that Blodwyn’s Irish father Brian used when he dropped a stone on his foot, while dry stone-walling.

‘That is two questions,’ says the Ora-Pellas, ‘now we dance.’ Blodwyn realized further questions were useless: getting out her tin whistle she belted out “The rocky road to Dublin.” The Ora-Pellas did a leaping dance around her: giggling. Blodwyn was actually feeling happy. Suddenly the Ora-Pellas saw the full bath and dragged Blodwyn towards it; with girlish laughter.

All three jumped into the massive bath, splashing each other – the water turning the Ora-Pellas blue. Soon the three of them looked like drowned rats! ‘We must go now, beautiful bag of water Blodwyn,’ the Ora-Pellas suddenly announced.

‘Please take me with you!’ Blodwyn pleads.

‘We can’t,’ reply the two Ora Pellas, ‘beautiful bag of water will burn!’ ‘Where do you live?’ she asks. The two Ora-Pellas pointed to a Super Nova visible through a porthole! ‘There,’ they answer.

Before Blodwyn could say another word; the two Ora-Pellas merged into their original single shape. ‘Please – please,’ says Blodwyn to the single female, ‘have you ever seen the Dom Maximus?’

‘Yes,’ answers the single Ora Pella, ‘he passed twice a long time ago.’ ‘Where was he going?’ Blodwyn asks.

‘To Earth – of course!’ answers the single Ora-Pella: melting back into a swirling mass of green gas; that probed the edge of the porthole with a fine point. Finding a weakness, the whole green mass disappeared; leaving behind two soaking wet dresses, discarded on the floor. Blodwyn was left stunned by what the Ora Pella had says. “Was she being too optimistic – was there another explanation for the Dom Maximus’s visit to Earth?”

Back on the bridge, Karak was pleased with Blodwyn’s performance; she had defused a volatile situation. ‘What do you know of Grunwalde?’ Blodwyn asked Karak, testing his knowledge.

‘She is beautiful,’ answers the Cold-blood, ‘has a childlike disposition, is volatile, and I am told very willing to bite if provoked! She has terrible table manners, but she is not to be taken lightly, for she is a true changeling; and has great magical powers!’

Blodwyn couldn’t have put it better herself; although Karak could have added: expert liar, greedy-guts – and full of wind.

‘Mind you,’ continues the Cold-blood, ‘I do not suggest you bite any of the diplomats at the coming banquet!’

‘Of course not,’ replies Blodwyn, ‘but I might threaten to!’

Back in her quarters, Blodwyn ate her last pork pie, and then checked her rucksack. She was in a good mood after her experience with the Ora-Pellas. Then she thought of Goya Perilus – the next stop, and the Oga Koya that dwelled there. Blodwyn no longer felt cheerful.

A long way behind Blodwyn, the two Lings had also begun their journey to Goya Perilus with the hope of rescuing Blodwyn. Nearing the Capalla Wormhole, they were caught up in a meteor storm and forced to seek shelter in a cave – on a Planet unknown to them. Meteors moving at high speed were dangerous and could kill or damage Lings!

The bombardment of burning meteors illuminated the cave’s interior. Moving deeper the two Lings stopped; as the shadow of a large creature slowly rose onto its hind legs from the cave’s floor, at their approach.

The creature’s shadow towered over them: Lings are not of a nervous disposition, and held their ground although they could not identify the creature by its shadow – but its smell was familiar! The two Lings sniffed the still air of the cave and moved forward to investigate.

Two shadowy antennas arose from of the creature’s large head and tested the air. The Lings knew the creature was of insect origin – distant kin! The two Lings gave the accepted greeting of life forms of different insect origins.

‘Cocoon or chrysalis we be kin – let our three hearts beat in peace within.’ A low murmur: a gentle type of hum arose from a cavernous chest of the creature. And then without speaking the creature gave the two Lings the reply, via telepathy: ‘To harm our kind is darkest sin. I am Narrisa a Nemesian!’

The Lings approached the giant – this creature was the same species as their first Queen, the fearsome Nemesis! The giant hornet-like Nemesian slowly sank back to the cave floor exhausted. The meteor storm had badly damaged her wings and outer keratin shell.

The two Lings immediately began tending the Nemesian: as is their nature. Moss from the cave walls was gathered and soaked in a pool of water on the cave floor and squeezed into the heavily armed mouth of the Nemesian.

The large green compound eyes and the body of the giant were then wiped down. A deep purring sound of contentment came from the giant hornet. Lings carry their own wing-mending kit internally; this substance mixed with their saliva, becomes stronger than any stainless steel; they repaired the Nemesian’s wings and outside keratin shell. The Nemesian began to revive. The Lings re-braided her course red hair. Then – a communication from the Nemesian.

‘I seek my sister Nemesis – she was taken away a long time ago by the Galla Qualls, from our home planet Nemesa in the distant Fourth Quadrant, do you have news of her?’

‘Nemesis was our Queen – she is dead. She died, because she broke cocoon early to take the Lings to Earth, from Venus!’ says the Mayling: without emotion. A single tear trickled from the large green compound eye of the Nemesian, and dripped off her powerful jaws. ‘Then my quest is over,’ communicates Narrisa. ‘Now I must return to my remaining sister – she will be lonely and will need tending and protection when in cocoon.’

The two Lings explained the purpose of their journey to Goya Perilus. Narrisa listened without comment and rose to her feet. ‘Now I must hunt for prey,’ communicates the giant hornet-like creature. ‘Remain here and rest, and when I return, I will help you through the Cappalla Wormhole – in my wake.’ The meteor storm over, Narrisa crawled out of the cave; stood upright on her powerful clawed hind legs and took off into the night. Her senses told her the two Lings were not eaters of flesh – she will kill and eat alone this night!

Beyond Saturn’s spinning, blue moon dust bangle.

Past the far off Andromeda’s starry amber spangle

Beyond the distant Aquilla’s misty, purple triangle.

Past the dim, blue, swirling wormholes secret gate.

Past where two lovely, frivolous, Ora-Pellas wait

The sand-swimming orb-eyed, Oga Koya dwell:

In that scorching, barren hell of Goya Perilus!

After two days travelling on the Na Idriss Night-Cat Battleship, they reach the Capalla Wormhole. Blodwyn was on the flight deck. ‘Now hear this,’ announces the Cold-blood Karak, ‘due to our delay caused by the Ora-Pellas, we are entering the wormhole at warp two!’

A murmur of fear spread through the Na Idriss crew. ‘The ship might break up!’ Captain Timasek protests.

‘Not if the Na Idriss built this ship to Malis Afar specifications!’ answers the Cold-blood, ‘everyone be seated – fasten stabilizing belts.’

Sometimes when Blodwyn was afraid and could not do anything about the situation she pretended she was someone else – all this was happening to another person; someone with nerves of steel – she became an observer! Nevertheless Blodwyn dreaded the moment of entry into the wormhole: gateway to the next Galaxy – Andromeda!

A powerful surge, a hundred times stronger than an Energy Band, made Blodwyn feel she had left her stomach behind. Light and dark streaks flashed by with incredible speed. She felt the spaceship shudder under the strain of the wormhole’s pull. But in seconds the ordeal was over; they had travelled millions of miles in seconds through the Capalla Wormhole and were now in the Andromeda Galaxy – two point five light years from Earth, and into another time zone.

After a few hours, Lt Jibba the Na Idriss announces. ‘Commander, we are reaching the strong gravity pull of Goya Perilus!’

‘Cut engines and cloak,’ orders Karak: studying a chart. The Na Idriss battleship disappears – under cloak! ‘Steer four degrees to port,’ orders the Cold-blood Karak, ‘hold this course on silent thrust – till over the site of the rendezvous between the Salas Panar and the Oga Koya. Lt Mussa, prepare an armed frigate and a twenty man landing party – Captain Timasek, you remain on board, be watchful – we are in Galla Quall patrolling range!’

‘Commander,’ announces Captain Timasek, ‘I have a Salas Panar trading vessel on our scanners – it is preparing to land in a deep ravine.’ Karak watches the scanner screen. ‘We are in perfect time – we will land the armed frigate in the next ravine.’

‘I would like to come,’ says Blodwyn, not wanting to be left onboard with the Na Idriss, yet dreading the visit to Goya Perilus – home of the Oga Koya! ‘If you wish,’ responds Karak.

Blodwyn had come prepared, and had changed her footwear to light flats and wore a summer dress – she had not forgotten her rucksack and stout stick.

As the shuttle silently glided down to the surface of Goya Perilus, Blodwyn looked at the barren, desolate, depressing landscape of rock and sand; beneath a scorching red sky; dominated by two burning suns. Not a single bird or blade of green could she see!