The Archer's Paradox - The Travis Fletcher Chronicles (20 page)

“I trust you have learned a valuable lesson.” The Council Leader intoned, leaning forward over the stone table and fixing him with an icy stare.

“Not…even…started.” Travis retorted between fits of coughing, and raised a two finger salute. His mental shield had disintegrated, so Travis’ unbridled contempt was on full display. “I’ve always had a reputation for being a stubborn bastard and you’ve really pissed me off. I think you need my pink little body alive, or you wouldn’t have gone to all the bother of putting me back together again, am I right?”

“Not your body, just your brain.” The Council Leader admitted, with a dangerous edge to his voice.

“So when he,” Travis jerked his thumb towards Wingu Kanzu, “told me that a simple operation to take a sample from me would save your race and neglected to mention that it meant cutting open my brain, did he lie to me?” Travis saw Wingu Kanzu’s expression change, as he had seen Xnuk Ek’’s previously, so he charged on before he could react. “Or was he only repeating what he was told by you?”

Wingu Kanzu relaxed a little, but the Council members looked at each other in consternation. “Do you question our honour?” the leader asked.

Travis had been here before, but this time he had the whip hand. “Does it need questioning?” he countered. He had no intention of questioning anyone’s honour directly, he had learned that lesson very quickly, but he was dammed if he was going to be shuffled about like some sort of commodity. The Council looked from one to another
purposefully as if multiple silent conversations were going on, occasionally looking at Wingu Kanzu as if asking questions.

Finally the leader spoke again.

“Bringing only your body would not have sufficed, as the material we need would have perished in transit, even in stasis. Also, Wingu Kanzu spoke the truth; a simple operation would have rendered the material we need. However, as you have heard, the attack by Xnuk Ek’ has had unforeseen side effects.”

“And these are?” Travis interrupted.

“The charge from the weapon has affected dormant portions of your brain from where we would have harvested the material.”

“Which means?” Travis asked, insolently. He was heartily sick of half stories.

“Which means that operating now would not only kill you but render the sample useless.”

“So what happens now?”

“We must wait until your
Ts’ats’aak
has completed her treatments and you are sufficiently recovered so you will survive the procedure. Until then you will be a guest of the city.”

“Guest?” Travis asked sceptically. “By ‘guest’ do you mean spending the next two months locked in a room, like I did for most of the trip here? And what happens after that?”

“You are not a prisoner.” the Council Leader stated simply, but it did not make Travis feel any better. “You may travel freely about the city, but we insist that you have a guide. Agreed?” Travis contemplated this and nodded his acceptance. “We will discuss your future after we have what we require.” Travis made to interject but the Council Leader raised his hand and Travis felt a pressure stopping him from speaking; not as forceful as before, but still effective. “We will discuss whether you will remain among us or return home.” Travis could have sworn he saw a faint smile cross the Council Leader’s lips as he finished.

He allowed Wingu Kanzu to manoeuvre him from the main chamber and back into the ante room where the aged
Aantah
gave his guide some detailed instructions. Travis only gave the conversation half an ear while he pondered the Council Leader’s parting comment. The statement could have a number of meanings, and in this culture governed rigidly by truth and honour it was far too ambiguous to take at face value. He was sure he caught an undertone from the Council Leader, but his senses were still too immature for him to be sure. On Earth he seemed to be able to predict other people’s actions and reactions by instinct alone, but his instincts were failing him repeatedly here. Witness his altercation with Xnuk Ek’ for starters.
Should have seen that coming a mile off!
He thought to himself, fingering the scar under his ship suit absentmindedly.
Good call
, he congratulated himself grimly for insisting the doctor leave him a reminder of his error in judgement.

He was still pondering the nuances of meaning when Wingu Kanzu brought him back into the present. “You have been assigned quarters and a guide for the duration of your stay.”

Travis ears pricked up. “Anyone I know?” he asked hopefully.

“Your guide has been assigned by The Council so it is unlikely to be anyone you are already acquainted with.” he replied in an offhand manner.

Travis was not surprised, but still disappointed. “As long as they’re more sociable than that dickhead you gave me last time. Wingu Kanzu allowed himself a small smile and gave Travis a slight nod before leading his charge back outside.

As the chamber door closed behind The Original, Travis Fletcher and Wingu Kanzu, K'an Aayin cast his senses slowly round the assembled members. As was mandated during Council sessions they all left their minds open for examination, although, anything more than a cursory scan without an invitation was considered intrusive; just enough to pick up emotions and their foremost thoughts. When The Council was first formed after The Fall there was still a great deal of animosity between the survivors. There was little wonder considering the extent of the genocide that had gone before. It was decreed therefore that mind shields should be down in an effort to promote trust between members. Any member who did not conform was ejected and a new member selected from that star. Similarly if any member betrayed that trust without good cause then the consequences were swift and final. The strategy had worked well for thousands of years, even if there were a few stumbles along the way, especially at the beginning. Most wounds had been healed and alliances remade, but there was still an undertow of distrust, especially between the older generations, even after all this time. The almost complete self-annihilation of the most advanced and influential race in the known galaxy, including the complete destruction of two inhabited worlds still leaves scars that will never completely heal. Of the four remaining Xi Scorpii worlds, only one had a chance of supporting life again without intervention, and that would only happen if they could secure a cure for their creeping sterility.

Old ghosts, it seemed, had returned to haunt them again K'an Aayin thought to himself, in the form of Travis Fletcher and…his gaze rested on the five empty chairs at the end of the semi-circle. The final table had always remained available for the Xi Scorpii E members to take their seats although they never had; some wounds run too deep. In fact the survivors of Éðel, the Xi Scorpii E home world, had never been heard from since The Fall, until now. It seemed too much of a coincidence that their absent kin had chosen to reappear not long after the acquisition of Travis Fletcher had been confirmed. It was not too much of a leap to deduce that they had been under scrutiny for all this time from the shadows, possibly from a traitor or traitors within. He felt his stomach knotting and he picked up overtones of disquiet from the other delegates too.

K'an Aayin stood and addressed the room. “We should conclude our deliberations over The Original, Travis Fletcher, at a later time. We have more pressing matters to attend.” he cast round the room again to ensure everyone was in agreement. In contravention to protocol he suggested that mental shields be in place for the next encounter. Again the Council reluctantly agreed. It seemed that the other members were as wary of their next visitors as he was.

**********

Wingu Kanzu led Travis Fletcher from the Council Chamber to the outer anteroom where the waiting
Aantah
had the promised information about where The Original would be quartered. The tower was not far from the Council Pyramid. It seemed to Wingu Kanzu that the Council wanted to keep The Original close by. They could walk there comfortably, but he had business that needed to be attended to without delay after what the shuttle pilot had told him, so they made their way back to the vehicle he had requisitioned at the shuttle port.

Both men seemed locked in their own thoughts as they descended from the top of the great pyramid and Travis was craning his neck to take in the view of the City as the steps conveyed them downwards. It was not until they were back in the gardens that surrounded the great pyramid and he was sure that they could not be overheard that Wingu Kanzu broke the silence.

“You have a talent for angering almost everyone you meet.” he snarled through gritted teeth, referring to the recent incident with the Council Leader. “Did I not warn you to treat The Council with reverence?” he admonished Travis.

Travis stopped and stared down the dark alien before replying. “You told me to treat them with the same reverence as I would hold my own leaders in, or something like that.” he replied through clenched teeth. “I am fed up with being shuffled around like an undelivered parcel so I kicked back, alright?” he snapped. “I wasn’t expecting a civic reception or anything like that, but a little respect doesn’t hurt.” he finished haughtily before turning on his heel and stalking off in the general direction of the vehicle. Wingu Kanzu looked thoughtful for a moment before setting off after him, his long loping strides soon bringing him level with the little alien once more.

“K'an Aayin could have killed you.” he observed.

“But he didn’t, did
he
?” Travis snapped back. “I may be just a piece of meat to you lot but I’m useless to you dead, or so that old doctor told me. Something about what that bitch did to me here,” he tapped the side of his head, “when she shot me.”

“You should be wary of who you anger,” Wingu Kanzu warned, “your usefulness may come to an end someday.” he finished with a sinister edge to his voice.

Travis was not to be deflected. “But not today.” Although he might owe his life to these people, he was damned if he was going to live it on bended knee to them.

They reached the car and finished the short trip to the tower in silence; Wingu Kanzu parked in the underground car park before they took a bounce tube up to Travis’s floor which was about three quarters of the way up the translucent blue structure, over half a mile above the City’s streets.

The rooms were substantially larger than his cabin on the ship and all the furniture was permanent. The door opened to large living area with comfortable sofas and chairs, and what looked like a work area to the right side. Ahead, the living area opened on to a large balcony with enough room for about twenty people to stand and not be crowded, and which had a spectacular view over the city and the central pyramid. It took Travis a moment to work out why there were no doors to the balcony; the City was under a dome so there was no weather, and presumably no change in temperature. Next to the work area was an arch through to dining and food preparation area. To the right, a bedroom and bathing facilities. Only the bathroom floor was made of the same substance as the ship’s floor so the toilet worked in the same fashion. The rest of the apartment was constructed from the same silky smooth blue glass as the rest of the building. Travis wondered idly what would happen if he hammered a nail in to hang a picture. Wingu Kanzu showed Travis how to operate the door and the lights before turning to leave.

“Just one question.” Travis forestalled Wingu Kanzu’s exit. Actually, he had a whole raft of questions, but he sensed that his guide wanted to be somewhere else. In fact he got the distinct impression that Wingu Kanzu was getting more and more impatient by the minute, as if he had discharged his duty and wanted to be rid of him as soon as possible,

“You have been assigned a guardian who will be with you shortly.” With that he turned and left.

“Twat!” Travis spat at the closed door. “Arse hole!”

Travis investigated his new environment. If this was on Earth, just think of the parties! He smiled, imagining the balcony full of people drinking beer and laughing. He imagined himself showing off to his friends and pointing out points of interest from his balcony. He looked out at the alien city surrounding him and had a sudden pang of homesickness. He made his way back inside. The bedroom was similar to his cabin with the floaty bed, but there was a device on the wall opposite the bed like a smoked glass panel about eight feet high and three across, with symbols etched beneath the surface that he could not decipher. It was the same in the kitchen. There was nothing that looked like cooking apparatus or anywhere to store anything, but there was a similar, but smaller, device built into one wall. The work area in the living room had the same keyboard as his cabin but no-one had ever shown him how to use it. There was nothing that looked like a television or stereo.

He realised he was hungry. On a whim, he thought of fish and chips, but nothing appeared. So, the city seemed to use a different technology to the ship. He thought about going out to see if he could find a restaurant or shop where he could get something to eat, before he realised that he had no idea where to look, what to look for, what sort of payment he would need, or even if he would understand the menu. His temper was never good without an easily accessible supply of food and was just starting to get irritated when the door chime sounded. He operated the door which slid to one side to reveal a slim person, shorter than the majority of people he had met, with dark hair and dark, opal eyes. For a moment his heart soared, before he realised that this was a male, albeit with the characteristic build and features of Xi Scorpii B, but not his friend from the ship. The newcomer was dressed in black silk trousers, inlaid with silver filigree, soft black boots and a simple white shirt with high collars and no buttons.

Jagā No Ashi bowed low and introduced himself formally. He had only recently graduated to become
Nuuktak
and was still coming to terms with the honour that The Council had bestowed on him: his first
Paal Kanik
was to be The Original, Travis Fletcher.

“I’m starving, how do I get food?” Travis snapped before remembering his manners. He mentally reprimanded himself before imitating the other’s bow and introducing himself. “I’m sorry, it’s been a long day and I’m hungry; I’m never good when I’m hungry.”

Jagā No Ashi smiled with good humour. He had assimilated all the reports that The Original’s
Ts’ats’aak
had submitted along with the young
Aantah
that had befriended him, and even the ones submitted by the
Paal Kanik
that was supposed to be his
Ka’nsah
before she had gone insane, so he was not completely taken aback by The Original’s outburst. He took him through to the dining area and showed him how to use the food preparation unit. The databanks of the Interstellar Explorer that he travelled on had not yet been downloaded into the city’s systems, so he was unable to select dishes from Sol 3, so he asked Jagā No Ashi to choose something close to a mental image he shared; a marine animal, filleted and covered in a white paste then cooked in hot oil and served with the tubers of a root vegetable chopped and cooked in the same oil. It all seemed very unappetising and completely lacking in nutrition but he found something from Hadar 4, a planet that had been visited recently by the second Interstellar Explorer and whose inhabitants enjoyed a diet derived mostly from the sea. It was at least a type of fish, and it was served with root vegetables, although they were also marine based.

Jagā No Ashi could tell that The Original did not really enjoy his meal but tried to hide his thoughts and insisted on finishing every morsel. Travis even thanked him when he had finished and Jagā No Ashi got the impression that he was just glad to have had something to eat. Travis’s second request was easier to fulfil, as just about every inhabited planet produces something similar, so now they were sat on the apartment’s balcony, overlooking the city and drinking ‘beer’. The sun had gone down and the city seemed to have come alive. The surrounding towers glittered and shimmered with multi-coloured lights and in the centre the squat, utilitarian structure of the central pyramid appeared to be wreathed in thousands of gold and silver snakes that glowed and writhed with lives of their own.

“Tell me about this city.” Travis asked suddenly.

Jagā No Ashi raised an eyebrow, not knowing how to interpret the request.

Travis stroked the wall of the balcony. “This feels like glass.” he prompted.

“It is glass.” Jagā No Ashi affirmed.

“The whole city is made of glass?”

Jagā No Ashi nodded.

“Wow! But why? And more to the point, how?”

“Do you know what the main constituent of glass is, Travis Fletcher?” Jagā No Ashi prompted gently, with a smile.

Travis thought for a moment, wondering if this was a trick question, before answering, “
sand
?” he responded tentatively. He had quickly built up a rapport with this one, just like the nurse on the ship, and felt quite comfortable.

“And what do we have an abundance of outside the dome?” Grinning broadly, Jagā No Ashi asked the question with the obvious answer.

Travis laughed loudly. “Sand!” he proclaimed. Was it coincidence or was it that the oriental looking ones were easier to get on with? “But….”

“And sand with an abundance of silica, perfect for making glass.” Anticipating his next question, Jagā No Ashi launched into a short explanation. “I am not a construction engineer.” he apologised.

Travis dismissed the apology as unnecessary.

Jagā No Ashi smiled in appreciation of Travis’ understanding before continuing. “Other chemicals are mixed in to make the glass stronger, more flexible and lighter, or else the towers would collapse under their own weight.”

Travis stood and looked out over the city. He pointed to a badly lit area some distance away. “What’s over there?” he asked. “Why is that bit dark?”