"Several months ago, when we began to construct this city, they began to see us as a threat to their security. Since then, we have had two violent encounters with them, each disastrous to both sides. Our emissaries have attempted to communicate with them on several occasions, but their only response is for us to vacate the island, a demand that would lead to our eventual doom if we agreed to it."
"What does that mean?" Matt interjected.
Before Dbarr could respond, the table server returned pushing a cart of food and drink. She sat plates and cups in front of them, glanced at Jake with an amused expression then walked away. As before, he watched her until she was gone.
This time it was Dbarr who noticed his interest. "Her name is Rael, Jake. She is one of our environmental technicians. Would you like me to introduce you to her?"
Jake nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes, I would, thank you, Dbarr."
Dbarr changed the subject. "Shall we dine before the food cools?"
They nodded and began eating. It did not appear to be much different from human food, except in color. There was a cubed substance coated with an orange crust that tasted like beef. One side dish resembled sliced tomatoes, but was a light green color. Another was a creamy white concoction sprinkled with golden flecks. Taylor could have sworn it was mashed potatoes and cheese. They ate slowly at first, tasting each item then began to eat with relish.
"Dbarr, I have to say that this is the best food I've tasted in quite a while," Matt said between bites. He lifted his cup and sipped some of the burgundy liquid inside. It had a strange, but exotic flavor; like coffee sweetened with pineapple. It provided a faint relaxing quality similar to mild wine.
"This is delicious, Dbarr," Taylor said. "Is it from your home world?"
"Yes it is, Taylor. I'm glad you are enjoying it. I think you will find that Vryanians and humans are more alike than different."
Taylor took a sip of her beverage then asked, "Really? How so?"
"Well, for example, our physiology. We have been here long enough to know that our two species are very similar. We learned most of what we know in that area from providing medical aid to wounded Fir Bolg who were abandoned on the battlefield. Our doctors were able to heal most of them through surgery, thereby gaining knowledge of their internal structure. If you disregard our height, coloring, and hair, we are basically the same as you. Our heart, lungs, brain, and almost all the other organs are in the same place as humans. In fact, our reproductive systems are almost identical. Given the correct circumstances and suitable opportunity, Vryanians and humans could conceivably start a new race."
"Then our worlds must be similar in geology and chemistry," Matt put in. "But I have a question that needs answering. You said that if you comply with the Fir Bolg demand that you vacate this island, you would be doomed."
Dbarr looked downcast for a few seconds then his placid smile returned. "Yes, your observation is correct. To leave here would be suicide. You see, Vryan is dying from lethal radiation. Our scientists tell us that your world is much younger than ours, so your ozone layer is still strong enough to protect you from cosmic bombardment. Unfortunately, ours has degraded to the point to where we can no longer occupy Vryan and survive. We only have a few more of your months to vacate the planet, or face certain death. Our population has already grown so small that we are in danger of becoming an extinct race. There are less than a hundred thousand of us left."
Matt rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I see your problem, and I can sympathize with you. But you must know by now that the Fir Bolg will keep attacking until you are all killed or until you destroy them."
Dbarr blew out a breath, his blue eyes looked tired and sad. "Yes, I do know it. However, we have no intention of destroying them just to save ourselves. Had that been an option, we could have vaporized them during the first battle. You see, our code of moral conduct prohibits the destruction of any sentient life form except in cases of unprovoked attack and then only if all alternate solutions have been exhausted."
"But you said that negotiations have failed," Taylor interjected. "Does that place you in a moral position to expunge them?"
Dbarr shook his head and looked down at the untouched food on his plate. "No, they will not be expunged, or otherwise harmed beyond what has already been done. Our World Council has decreed that we will not resort to those extremes. If we cannot live here without violating our own laws, we will accept our fate and die."
Jake had been listening to the conversation with interest. "That alternative might not be necessary," he said in a quiet voice.
Nonplussed, they all looked at him. "What do you mean?" Matt asked.
He shrugged his big shoulders and said, "Think about it for a minute. Irish legend, and a few sources of verifiable history don't support that position, so something else must have happened. According to what has been handed down to us from this time period, the Tuatha de Danann and Fir Bolg met a third time on the Plain of Moytura, where the final battle took place."
"Is that a prescient declaration, or just your interpretation of Irish history?" Taylor asked, somewhat mystified.
"Call it whatever you like, but you know that historical events can't be altered to any significant degree. All I'm saying is that there must be an alternative that has been overlooked." He glanced at Dbarr and spoke in a kind voice. "Don't worry, Dbarr. Legend says nothing about the Tuatha being destroyed; it's just the opposite. You'll probably laugh when you hear this, but your people are imagined to have become fairies."
"Fairies?" Dbarr raised his eyebrows, failing to recognize the word.
Jake grinned. "You'd have to know a lot about Irish history and legend to understand exactly what fairies are. For now, let's just say that you will be victorious in the third battle, only not exactly the way the bards have passed it down through the centuries."
"That sounds like a lot of doubletalk, Jake," Matt said, amused. "But for now, let's get a few more questions answered." He looked at Dbarr. "For instance, why don't you just vacate this island and go somewhere that's uninhabited?"
"That is easy to answer," Dbarr responded. "The door from Vryan only opens in this place. Its exact position is a few miles northeast of here. We have no control over where it opens. But even if we could change the gate's location, we would not have time to explore the rest of the planet looking for an unpopulated place and still evacuate our entire population. Besides, it would have to be an uninhabited island, or this same conflict with the neighboring humans would begin anew."
Matt pondered that for a long minute then asked, "How many of your people are currently here?"
"About ten thousand."
"Then you still have ninety thousand or so to refugee from Vryan," he mused. It was a statement rather than a question, directed at no one in particular.
"That is an accurate estimate," Dbarr said.
Matt scratched his chin, glanced at Taylor and Jake. "If Jake is correct, this dilemma must have been resolved in some way other than death to one side or the other," he said to Dbarr. "We know that both the Tuatha and Fir Bolg survived the last encounter. Are you sure you've exhausted every option to save your own planet?"
"Yes. There is nowhere else for us to go. Our universe is much smaller than yours, and our starships have failed to locate any suitable planet to which we could migrate. They are either uninhabitable, or already occupied by some strange, hostile intelligence."
"Starships!" Matt blurted out. "You have starships?"
Taylor and Jake stared at the alien leader, astonished. Dbarr looked shocked at their expressions. "Yes, but I don't understand your reaction," he said, puzzled.
Matt laughed at his own exclamation and shook his head. "Forgive me, Dbarr. There was nothing wrong with what you said; it's just that the subject is so monumental. Starships are the stuff of dreams for us. In our world, we have not yet reached our nearest planets, much less the stars."
Dbarr was silent for a short while then his eyes brightened as though a w
ondrous epiphany had occurred. "You spoke of your world, Matt. Would you like to see my world?"
Matt exchanged looks with his friends. It was obvious from their expressions that such an invitation could not be declined.
Taylor answered for him, her voice heavy with excitement. "Yes, we would!" she blurted out. The others agreed without hesitation.
"Excellent!" Dbarr said, standing up. "We will leave first thing in the morning."
Chapter 15
The Dark Universe
After breakfast they all went to the landing field and stood beside the vreel that was to take them to Vryan. They had been waiting for Jake to arrive for over ten minutes. When he finally showed up, he was not alone. The alien girl from the cafeteria, Rael, was with him. He seemed jovial, greeting everyone with his customary exuberance.
No one questioned Rael's presence, or Jake's motives for bringing her along. He had his own reasons for whatever he did, and though he possessed a phlegmatic disposition, he did not respond well to personal questions. Jake always thought beyond whatever events were unfolding at the present time, laying plans and considering options well into the future. He rarely revealed them to anyone until he was ready. Matt and Taylor knew that when he was set, he would tell them what he was thinking. If Dbarr had any objections to Rael's presence, he did not voice them. He had told them that she was an environmental technician, so who would be more qualified to explain conditions in a dying world?
"Howdy, folks," Jake said. "Sorry I'm a little late." He stood there for a few seconds studying the vreel. Nothing mechanical or electrical ever escaped his scrutiny.
"Hi, Jake," Taylor returned the greeting. She cast a quick glance at Rael. "Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"
The question broke his concentration on the airship. "Matt and Taylor, this is Rael."
The girl gave them a beautiful smile. "I'm honored," she said. Her voice was soft and melodious. None of the alien women they had met up to now were anything less than pretty; however, this one went well beyond that. More important, something in her eyes and expression beamed intelligence and character. They also took note that she spoke English, possibly learning it the same way as Dbarr had done.
"Nice to meet you, Rael. I saw you at the cafeteria last night," Matt said, returning her smile. Taylor followed suit.
"Yes, I remember all of you. Everyone in New Vryan is anxious to get a look at you. I'm very fortunate to have been invited along on this trip." She glanced at Jake and slipped him a Mona Lisa smile.
Matt gave her an appraising look. She was about an inch shorter than his six-foot frame, with features like a sculptor's model. The brow beneath the long, silver hair was only slightly pronounced, unlike the more noticeable bulge of the males. Taylor's eyes were emerald green, where Rael's were azure blue. Many times when he looked at Taylor he felt his heart beat a little faster, still in wonder that she was in love with him. He wondered if the same thing might be happening to Jake with this captivating alien woman.
"If everyone is ready, let's get aboard," Dbarr spoke up. They saw that he was learning to use contractions.
As they entered the vreel, Matt noticed that the pilot was the same one who had brought them to New Vryan. He spoke to him in English. "Good morning, Fremm."
Fremm gave Dbarr a quick glance then back at Matt. "Goud marnen," he answered.
Matt felt a slight tingle in his brain, as though someone had touched it with the tip of a feather. It was not an uncomfortable feeling, just surprising. He put his hand to his forehead.
"What just happened?" he asked Dbarr in a quiet voice.
"I'm sorry, Matt. Fremm doesn't speak your language. He obtained the meaning of the words you spoke from your mind and answered accordingly. He meant no offense, it was just an instinctive telepathic act on his part."
"Are you saying he can read my mind?" asked Matt, feeling a little rise of anxiety.
"No, absolutely not. We can only perceive the meaning of thoughts that humans transmit when they are speaking to us. It's similar to the images you see when you read a book, only not as clear. More like sign language. You said 'good morning,' and Fremm saw the picture of a greeting."
"In that case," Jake said, grinning at Rael, "I'll need to be more careful with my sign language."
"It may already be too late," Taylor said, raising her eyebrows.
Rael's smile was dazzling. "Don't worry, Jake," she assured him, "Mike DeLong is a good language teacher. I don't need to read signs."
"Well, if everyone will take their seats, we'll proceed," Dbarr said. He looked at Fremm and motioned for him to get underway. The ramp closed as they took seats on the benches. Matt and Taylor sat on one side, Jake and Rael on the other. Dbarr sat next to Fremm, in the copilot's seat.
As Fremm manipulated the controls, they heard the now familiar hum of the rotating crystals. The vreel rose from its berth and pointed its nose northward. The exterior of the ship became transparent as the crystals increased their speed. By the time they were a few hundred feet above the city, the viewports were totally clear. They all felt a mild feeling of forward motion as the vreel increased velocity and shot away toward the rising sun.
There was little talking during the flight. Everyone's attention was fixed on the passing landscape. To the east, Matt could see sun-streaked mountains, while behind them the landscape passed in a kaleidoscope of changing greens. They had travelled less than fifty miles before Fremm began to reduce speed and altitude. The viewports were growing dim in response to the slowing of the crystals; however, their horizontal centers remained bright and clear.
As they came to a stop, Fremm rotated the ship toward the west. Through the viewport they could see an opaque disturbance in the air, like a circular purple cloud. Matt estimated it to be about two hundred feet in diameter, floating thirty feet above the ground. He turned and checked the landscape. They were hovering above the crest of a tall, flat mountain with massive boulders partially buried in the soil.
"This is the gateway," Dbarr announced. "Before we enter, I want you to be aware that you will be seeing Vryan as it is now, not as it was a few thousand years ago. It is doubtful that you will see any people out in the open because of the radiation. Most of them will be safely inside the structures. Feel free to ask whatever questions you like."
He nodded to Fremm and the ship turned toward the cloud. From the new angle it looked like a disk with a bright nucleus surrounded by a purple periphery. The outer edge appeared to be slowly rotating around the center, giving the impression of an airborne maelstrom. They felt a slight turbulence as they pierced the initial layer of the gateway but it subsided within a few seconds. Taylor reached out and grasped Matt's hand. She could feel her heart beating faster. There was nothing in the viewports but a roiling violet mist. Had the ports been completely clear, they might have suffered from motion sickness. Matt looked at Rael, who wore a blank expression. He noticed that Jake was sitting close enough to her for their thighs to touch. The vreel began to buffet again, and within a few seconds they exited into the world of Vryan.
As Fremm increased crystal speed the viewports began to clear and grow larger. As they entered the dark world, the humans looked in disbelief at an alien landscape. A series of rolling hillocks covered with rust-colored grass and sand pits were first to appear. The scene resembled an immense, deserted golf course. Black clouds stretched away to the horizon, creating a heavy overcast with broken views of maroon sky. Far to their left, a range of jagged, needle-like mountains, thousands of feet high, jutted into dark clouds floating above them. Ahead, a huge lake lay motionless in the orange twilight, its glassine surface stagnant with algae. On their right, more shadowy mountains speared the air, lonely and forlorn. The land between the mountain ranges seemed to form what once must have been a long, fertile valley stretching to infinity.
Dbarr spoke in a melancholic voice. "In the far distant past that lake was teeming with pleasure boats, and a beautiful city lined its south shor
e. Of course, that was long before my time, but our holograms reveal that it was a paradise. It lies in ruins now."
The vreel's nose angled upward and entered the formless overcast. For a moment its interior lights came on then switched off as they burst out of the mist and leveled off under an ebony firmament. A weak orange sun poured light onto the endless expanse of clouds beneath them. To their left was a huge featureless moon, glowing orange in the reflected light of the sun, its lower hemisphere hidden below the horizon. Another moon, much smaller and cratered by meteor strikes, appeared to be in orbit around the larger one. Straight ahead, a titanic blue planet with two rings hung suspended in the black sky. Independent of Vryan, it occupied its own inferior orbit around the sun. To the eye, it appeared to be no more than a few million miles distant. Less than a hundred stars, cold and bright, speckled the cosmic background. Other than that, the universe appeared dark and empty.
The vreel gained speed, racing across the magnificent vista toward its destination. The humans, awed by the unearthly scene, had not spoken since their arrival in the alien world. They remained quiet as the ragged clouds streamed by beneath them. Then the airship began to descend into the fog.
The mist covered them for what seemed an interminable time before reentering the twilight world. They gaped in astonished silence at the sight before them. Endless miles of rusty grassland stretched away in every direction. In the far distance, an immense silver tower over a mile high rose into the sky. A massive blue disk encircled its center halfway up. At its base, a cluster of buildings sprawled for a half mile onto the grassy prairie. Lights twinkled like ice crystals from thousands of windows in the structures. Dozens of identical spires sprouted at random across the dim plain.