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Episode 77: Seek, and Ye Shall Find
Nova wandered down the dull corridors for what seemed like hours, but when she looked up to check the clock, it only showed the passing of ten more seconds. Time in this place seemed to be erratic. Sometimes she would look up and one second was gone, and others, two or three.
She trudged onward.
She'd been walking so long that the walls felt like they were closing in on her. Just when she thought she couldn't take any more of it she saw far in the distance, a patch of color.
She quickened her pace, eager to see something other than lifeless grey.
She broke into a run and was surprised to find that, no matter how fast or hard she sprinted, she did not feel fatigued.
She quickly reached her destination. Expecting to find some sort of phantom like before, she was surprised to discover that this was more than just a building sitting in the middle of the maze.
Enormous trees spilled their limbs over the mazes walls, and vines hung everywhere. Orchids dotted some of the upper branches of a number of the trees, and a hundred different types of plants covered the ground.
She listened for the sound of wildlife, but heard none.
Carefully, she stepped into the trees. Pushing aside branches and brush, she waded through the jungle. Periodically, she looked to either side of her, wondering if the maze walls extended into the trees. She veered off to the right, but, no matter how far she went, she never hit the wall again.
She came to a clearing and stopped short; before her lay a ruined valley. It was scarred by craters and scorch marks. The grass was dry and brown, and the remains of shattered trees lay everywhere.
The most striking feature of the area was the hideous structure jutting up out of the ravaged ground. It was surrounded by a high, black fence. The cruel spikes atop it warned away potential intruders.
Nova swallowed hard, a sense of dread suddenly rising in her throat. This place looked nothing like what little she'd seen of Gamilon.
After giving the clearing a thorough survey, Nova darted across the open space between the trees and the fence. She stopped in front of a closed gate made of the same black metal as the rest of the fence.
She reached out and unlatched the gate. With an unearthly screech, it swung open. Nova stepped through the gate and went up to the door of the building she'd seen from the trees.
The outside of the structure was rather unpleasant to behold. Its sickly grayish purple color made the dead grass look all the more sad. Its twisted spire and misshapen supports made it look like someone's failed attempt at a haunted house, but the place had an air of darkness about it that made its strange shape into something terrifying.
Nova shivered as a wave of the place's foul presence settled on her.
She swallowed hard once again and reached out toward the door. Just before she touched it the portal flew open, and the rush of wind gushed out the door forcing her back two steps with its intensity. Nova threw her arms up in front of her face.
Just as suddenly as it began, the wind stopped.
Nova slowly lowered her hands and proceeded forward in small, tentative steps. She peered into the darkness beyond the door. Just like at the house, she could just make out something glinting a good ways inside the building.
She looked up into the sky outside. In the short time it had taken her to cross through the trees and clearing, five whole seconds ticked away. She was down to eleven minutes, thirty-five seconds.
She took a deep breath, picked up one foot and placed it in front of the other.
She managed to get inside the building without dying of fright, and once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see the dozen or so tall columns that lined either side of her path. They stretched all the way from floor to high ceiling.
Fixing her eyes on the still-glinting object, she forged ahead into the strange place, not stopping, even when she thought she heard footsteps behind her.
She finally reached the source of the glinting. She reached down to touch it. The object was light and small. She turned it over and was surprised to find that it was a simple mirror with a silver backing. She held up the small looking glass and peered into it.
When her eyes met the image, she shrieked in horrified surprise and dropped the mirror. It clanged to the floor with the crackle of shattering glass. She whirled around, hands raised, ready to strike.
"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" She demanded of the stranger standing not three feet from her.
A woman with long, auburn hair and light blue skin stared at Nova. She wore a plain green dress, with no other adornment save a small, gold chain around her neck.
"I am the manifestation of Talonka of Gamilon. I have come to help you find what you seek," the woman said.
"And why should I believe you?" Nova challenged.
"I have no reason to offer you, Eratite. But, if you do not accept my help, your time will run short long before you reach your goal."
"Why would a Gamilon help me find something that I'm going to use against your own Leader?" Nova narrowed her eyes at the stranger.
"Because he is not my Leader," the woman replied, "I passed long before he earned that title, and even in death I cannot allow him to destroy Erats this way. I am not truly myself, but I am enough of her to know that she would not want this, and that she would fight to the last to prevent it."
Nova looked at the woman quizzically, sensing that there was something this manifestation wasn't saying, but now was not the time to pry, "Then I would be grateful for your help …"
"I shall take you to your friends. It will be safer if all three of you are together."
"Alright, lead the way," Nova replied, motioning for the phantom to go first.
Talonka gave Nova a bright smile and ushered her out of the haunting hall.
Once out of the building, Talonka lead Nova back across the clearing, and off into the trees in a different direction than the one the Eratite came from.
They forged through a section of jungle, pushing past more vines and underbrush. Nova shoved aside one particularly large leaf and was met by smooth, jet black walls.
"We're back in the maze? "Nova wondered aloud.
"We will catch up to one of your friends shortly," Talonka called back to Nova.
Nova's mind reeled as she tried to process the fact that she was following a woman she didn't know into a place she'd never been. Something about this woman was familiar, but Nova couldn't quite determine what it was. She was still trying to reason out why this was a good idea when they came upon another opening in the maze.
Before them lay rolling grasses, rippling in the gentle midnight breeze; stars glittered brightly above, and the sheer beauty of the scene took Nova's breath away.
It was only when Talonka spoke that Nova managed to tear her eyes away from the twinkling sky.
"We must set a quick pace if we are to catch up to him," the woman said.
Nova nodded silently and fell in behind Talonka as she led the Eratite woman through the quiet savannah.
Adam stumbled through the dark, tripping over roots and rocks. He'd made it through the grassland without incident, but as soon as he'd reached the trees, the way had become muddled. He could no longer see the light that beckoned him. Under different circumstances, he would have waited until dawn, but those were hours he could not afford to waste.
He stopped and looked around to get his bearings.
He was in the middle of a dense forest. The ground sloped up in front of him, so he knew he was going in at least roughly the right direction.
The night was eerily silent. There were no insect sounds, or songs of the night birds. The only thing he heard was the wind as it whistled through the tops of the trees, and the branches as they rustled at its passing.
He sighed wearily. Even though he couldn't feel fatigued here, his mind was growing tired. The struggle to concentrate on what he was doing became more difficult with every passing moment. The darkness around him made him desperately want to sleep, but the glowing red numbers in the sky pushed him forward.
"It is often unwise to traverse the forest alone at night."
Adam jumped nearly six inches off the ground and let out a yelp of surprise. He jerked around to see who was speaking. There, in the shade of a large oak stood a stranger. They wore a long traveling cloak with the hood pulled up over their head, so Adam could not make out very many details, but he could tell the stranger was a woman by her voice.
"If it is so unwise, then why are you here?" He challenged.
The stranger stepped forward, and Adam noticed they made no sound when they walked.
"I've come to help my father," Adam replied, watching warily as the stranger approached.
"A noble endeavor, I'm sure," the woman replied, now a mere five feet away from Adam. "I have watched you and your companions."
The stranger reached up and pulled back her hood. Adam was taken aback by her blue skin.
"What do you want with me?" Adam took a few steps back. "If you're here to stop me, I can't let you. I haven't seen my father in over six months."
"You misunderstand," the woman replied softly, "I am not here to hinder you, but to aid you."
"But why? Here I am, breaking into your computer system and looking for something that will help my people against yours. What do you have to gain from helping me?"
The woman looked down. Adam couldn't see the expression on her face very well, but in the low light, he thought he could see the signs of a sad smile. "Sometimes the right thing is the hardest…" The stranger replied.
"So, you're helping me because you think it's right?" Adam asked, still skeptical.
"Indeed," the woman replied looking up at Adam, "Have you never done something difficult simply because it was the right thing to do?"
In his mind's eye, Adam beheld the day that changed his life. He remembered Alex looking at every one of the crew of the Yukikaze with fierce determination and saying, "They're going to make it home. But that means we probably won't." Because of their sacrifice, Adam's father's ship had made it back to Earth.
"I can say that I have," Adam replied.
"Good. Then we are on equal ground," in one fluid movement, the woman brushed past Adam. He was too startled at the action to react quickly enough to stop her, but instead of running him through, or harming him in some other way, she merely motioned for him to follow her. "Come, we must find your companions if you are to succeed."
"Who are you?" Adam asked.
The woman let out a low chuckle, "I am someone you do not know, and will never meet in this life. Will you be content with knowing my name?"
"I suppose," Adam relented.
"I am Eliora," the stranger replied, "May the light of Adonai guide us."
"You know Adonai…?" Adam asked quietly, surprised that this phantom from an alien computer would even know his God, much less invoke His name.
"Not I, but myself does. I am merely the manifestation of one who has passed. I am here now at the behest of another. You may meet him soon, or, perhaps you will never see him, but, if you too know Adonai, you will surely meet him in the place where Shaddai dwells." With those words, the woman turned and began to walk further into the forest.
Too stunned to do otherwise, Adam followed her.
"How do you know what I'm looking for?" Alex asked Masterson.
The Gamilon folded his arms over his chest, closed his eyes and sighed, "When I became aware of the plans to take your world from you, I protested. But, the Leader would have none of it. He sent me and many others so far away that we could not interfere. The only one remaining in the capital who does not agree with the Leader's efforts is my father. It is because of him that I am able to help you now."
Alex raised an eyebrow at Masterson, "You still haven't answered my question. If you know so much, then what am I looking for?"
"You are in need of finding the resonance frequency for the field that holds your friends' ship," Masterson replied without hesitation.
"All right, so you're well-informed. That doesn't mean I can trust you," Alex retorted.
"This is true, but you do not have time to test me as you would prefer," Masterson motioned toward the ominous numbers hanging in the sky.
"You can see that?" Alex asked, taken aback by the revelation.
"I see many things. The key to true knowledge is not simply in knowing, but in understanding. I know little about you, but I understand your need. Trust or distrust, it matters not, but if you wish to find your prize, you would be wise to follow me."
Masterson unfolded his arms and brushed past Alex, making his way straight through the middle of the camp.
Alex waited for the Gamilon to stop to see if he would follow, but Masterson did no such thing. When Alex realized the Gamilon was not going to stop and wait for him, he hurriedly caught up to the younger man.
"Okay, I'll follow you for now, but if you waste my time, I'm heading out on my own," Alex relented as he kept pace with Masterson.
The Gamilon nodded and picked up his pace, making it all the way through the camp and out the other side with not even a second ticked off the clock.
"The way will be long," Masterson said, and pointed to what Alex could only identify as a small ship. "To go on foot would take far too much time." Without another word, Masterson opened the ship's cockpit and climbed into the pilot's seat.
Alex cautiously got into the strange ship.
Contrary to his expectations, Masterson did not close the cockpit. Instead, he turned and stared off into the trees.
"Well, are we going or not?" Alex asked, impatient to get underway. He stole a glance up at the clock, noting that in the short time it took for them to board the ship, two seconds disappeared.
"We will go when it is time," Masterson said evenly. "The others will be here shortly."
"Others?" Adam asked.
Masterson didn't reply, only continued to look off into the distance.
The sky was lightening, approaching dawn when Nova saw him.
"Adam!" She called out. "Adam, we found you!" Nova sped ahead of her guide and reached her friend in an instant. It was not until she caught up with him that Nova realized he had a guide as well.
Nova turned to look at the stranger, "Hello."
The woman with Adam nodded to Nova then called back to Talonka, who was just catching up to the group, "He is not far."
"He is waiting for us," Talonka replied.
"Who?" Adam asked, "Who's waiting for us?"
"The one appointed as your friend's guide," the woman with Adam replied, then looked at Nova and introduced herself, "I am Eliora." She bowed slightly.
"I'm Nova," the Eratite returned the pleasantry with a similar bow.
"And I am Talonka," Nova's guide introduced herself to Adam, "Now, we must be on our way. Even though time does not flow normally here, your journey is not yet over, and you will need as much time as you can muster."
Without another word, the four set off up the hill.
The sun began to rise, but Nova couldn't see it well through the trees. Its light sifted through the high branches of the forest, sending rays of light beaming down onto their path.
They hiked through increasingly dense forest, crossed a small waterfall, and scaled a short rock face. Even though she didn't feel the physical exhaustion, Nova was beginning to wonder how much longer she could take the pressure of watching the clock in the sky tick down at such an inconsistent rate. It would be easier if there were some pattern to the passing of time here, but, thus far, she couldn't find one.
With a full two minutes now gone from the time she'd entered the maze, Nova began to wonder how long this journey would take, and if they would be able to accomplish their goal in the allotted time.
They broke through another stand of trees and out into a clearing, bathed in morning light.
There were several small buildings and campfires built around the area. The place appeared much less foreign to Nova than the house she'd encountered back in the maze, or the large building she'd seen in the jungle.
"Are we on Earth?" Nova asked Talonka.
"No, we are on Gamilon, but this place is far from anything you have seen here," the woman replied. "This was once the center of operations for a group of rebels who overthrew an unjust king."
"That must have been some time ago," Nova commented as she surveyed the nearby buildings.
"Two years since the usurper was overthrown. But this camp has been in operation far longer than that. It took this group nearly a decade to right the wrongs of the former king, and even then, there are lasting consequences that cannot be undone," Talonka whispered, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Certainly this group will act again," Nova asserted, "The Leader in power is not acting in the best interests of his people."
"That Leader is the man who led this group of rebels to victory," Talonka replied as she took Nova's arm and began to lead her through the old camp. "That was the Armory," she pointed to a rundown building, now falling apart, "And those were barracks for the troops who had no family."
Nova listened with wide eyes as her guide continued to point out building after building.
"And this," Talonka pointed off to a large clearing with giant circles filled with stones, "was the resting place of the dragons and their riders."
Nova stopped, stunned, "Dragons? There were dragons?"
"Yes, indeed. The dragonriders were an instrumental part of many a battle against the Usurper. But, come there is no more time for stories. Perhaps someday you will hear them." Talonka took Nova's arm again and quickly led her the rest of the way through the camp.
Nova glanced back over her shoulder and was relieved to see Adam and Eliora following them. She turned her eyes back to where she was going and stopped short. Sitting just outside the camp was a small ship, its cockpit open and ready. Sitting in the pilot's seat was a young man she didn't recognize, and next to him, looking confused, but none the worse for wear, sat Alex Wildstar.
The pilot waved to all four of them, motioning them to board the ship quickly.
Nova picked up her pace and made it to the ship almost instantly.
"We've been looking for you," she said to Alex once she'd settled into the seat behind him.
"I've been looking for you guys. What took you so long?" The Alex replied.
"Hey, we didn't get dropped here like you," Adam socked his friend in the shoulder before he climbed into the seat beside Nova.
As soon as everyone was inside, the cockpit closed and sealed with a hiss.
"Be prepared," the pilot warned, "The place we're going is not a pleasant one. It stinks of death and decay, and many have breathed their last within its walls, but if you are to succeed, you must be willing to walk through even the valley of the shadow of death."
All three Eratites nodded solemnly as the ship rose from the ground and shot up into the air, hurtling toward their destination.
Episode 78: Riddle of the Beast
"How much longer?" Alex asked, looking out over the barren wilderness below.
"You can see it from here if you know what you're looking for," Masterson replied ominously.
Nova pointed to a dark bank of clouds, clustered over the dry, rocky ground. "There. Is that where we're going?"
"Indeed," Masterson said without further explanation.
Alex stared at the patch of earth, studying it. There was nothing especially distinctive about it. Boulders and coarse grass sprouted up from the ground, and there was no source of water in sight. Dust blew across the barren land, and if he'd been standing down in it, Alex knew it would be all in his face and hair.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. As soon as is eyes were shut, he felt like someone was watching him. His eyes flew open, and he subtly glanced around. Masterson was paying him no mind, and Nova and Adam were busy looking out the windows. Their guides were doing the same.
He sighed and closed his eyes again.
The feeling returned in full force. He opened his eyes once more, and this time, he didn't close them again.
The dark clouds drew ever closer, much more quickly than Alex anticipated. Masterson was preparing to land near the dreary patch.
Alex felt his stomach rise into his throat as the ship dropped, and settled onto the ground. The cockpit canopy hissed as it unsealed and popped open, allowing everyone to disembark.
Alex climbed out of the ship and warily set foot on the parched earth. He looked around, searching for something that would indicate they reached their destination. Finding no such marker, he rounded the front of the ship and found Masterson staring up at the clouds.
"Is this really the place?" Alex asked his guide.
"It is," Masterson replied without taking his eyes off of the sky. "Myself never came here, but its existence was recounted to me by another."
"So, how do we get in? I don't see a door, or anything that would allow us entry," Alex asked, pointing to the solid ground beneath his feet.
"This place is not so literal as you would make it," Masterson stepped over beside Alex. "Stand there," he instructed pointing to a spot a few feet away. Then he motioned for the three women and Adam to join them.
When all six of them were gathered, Masterson looked up at the sky and threw up his hands, "We would enter the valley of the shadow to find the answer we seek."
Alex blinked.
One instant, he was standing outside by their ship, the next, he was somewhere far underground. It was so dark he couldn't even see Masterson, who stood right next to him.
"Is everyone here?" Alex said into the darkness.
"I'm here," Adam's voice replied.
"Me too," Nova echoed.
"We are here as well," Nova's guide said.
"Do not be afraid of the darkness," Masterson encouraged, "It is but for a moment."
Just as the Gamilon said, an instant later the blackness was pushed back by a single light.
"Hello…" A child's voice echoed from the darkness, and the light bobbed up and down, growing larger until it was about the size of a lantern.
"Hello," Nova replied, kneeling down to look into the little one's face as they approached. "What's your name?"
The child stood just far enough away from the lantern to where it was difficult to see their face, but at Nova's question, the child, no more than eight, leaned in towards the light. Short, gray hair with a purple tint to it was just visible around the girl's face. Large dark eyes peered back at Nova. In the low light, it was difficult to tell what color the child's skin was, but it was clearly not the same hue as Nova's, nor was it the blue of the Gamilons.
"I'm Miezella," the girl replied gazing from Nova up to Alex and all the way around the rest of the group. "Why are you here?"
"We're –" Nova began.
" – Here to find something to help our friends," Alex quickly finished for her. The odd appearance of the girl struck Alex as suspicious. He glanced over to Masterson, but the other man didn't seem bothered by the girl's presence.
Taking a cue from Nova, Alex knelt down in front of Miezella and asked, "Are you here all by yourself?"
The girl shook her head, "No…" She looked away from Alex, and he could see her eyes dart from him and Nova down to the floor and back. She wouldn't look him in the face.
"Is there something here you're afraid of?" Alex asked.
"There's... something else living here, but I can't ever see it. I hear it breathing sometimes, and when it's awake, I hear it growling in the dark," Miezella replied quietly.
Alex looked over at Nova, and the woman returned his expression of reticence.
"Do you know where it lives?" Nova asked the child.
Miezella nodded, "I know where it goes. I stay away from there."
Alex looked back toward Masterson again and stood up to talk with him. "It has to be there."
Masterson nodded, "Undoubtedly."
Alex bent down again, "Miezella, will you take us to where it lives?"
Miezella squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands. Her lantern clanked against her forearm as she shook her head violently, "No! No! No! I'm afraid!"
"It's okay, we'll be with you," Nova reached out and took the girl's shoulder. "We won't let anything happen to you."
Miezella peeked out from behind her hands, "You won't?"
"I won't," Nova reassured her.
The girl slowly lowered her hands and stepped a little bit closer to Nova. "I'll show you, but I'm going to walk right beside you. I can be brave if you're with me."
Nova smiled at the child, "Good. Then we'll be brave together, alright." Nova let go of Miezella's shoulder and reached out her hand to take the little girl's.
Miezella quickly took the offered hand and clung to it.
"We need to get there as soon as we can," Nova said to the child.
Alex watched as the girl looked up at Nova, "Alright…" Miezella held out her small lantern in front of her, "This way."
Nova looked over at Alex. He nodded and stepped in just behind her. He motioned for Adam to take the rear, but all three guides protested, and would not move to follow the child until Adam took his place with Alex.
Now with Masterson as the last in their short line, they forged through the darkness, guided by the single light of the little child they followed.
Alex looked up into the blackness, and was surprised to see the clock still hovering there, its glowing red numbers counting down even farther. Right now, the clock read eight minutes, twenty-three seconds. Alex supposed they still had a decent amount of time, but as he watched the numbers, ten seconds disappeared in an instant.
He turned his eyes back down to their young guide. The small light bobbed up and down with the girl's footsteps. Only then did he notice that he couldn't hear her feet as they hit the ground. He stopped for half a second and listened. The only footsteps he could hear other than his own were Nova's and Adam's.
He started walking again an instant before Adam crashed into him.
Alex began to count his steps. When he reached two hundred forty-one his skin began to crawl. He stopped short, and this time Adam did run into him.
"Hey!" Adam yelped in surprise.
"Quiet!" Alex hissed, "Don't you feel it?"
"What?"
"Someone's watching us," Alex whispered back.
"That's ridiculous. We're the only ones here besides whatever lives in this place," Adam replied, voice low.
"Maybe it's here," Alex answered, "Maybe –" Alex jerked his head toward Nova, "Stop! It's a trap!"
With his words still echoing through the darkness, another voice oozed through the thick, black air. "I see you have met my waif," it rasped. "Quite convincing, is she not?"
"What can you do to us?" Alex demanded. "We are not even here."
The voice cackled, "Maybe not, but I can waylay you. In taking what time you have, I take the lives of all those still remaining on your pitiful world."
What little light they had winked out, and Alex heard Nova squeal in surprise, "She's gone!"
"Stay where you are," Alex instructed Nova. "You aren't very far away from us. Whatever happens, we're all in this together."
"Ah, such an idealistic attitude," the putrid voice growled.
The ground began to rumble, and Alex could hear the rocks under his feet cracking. Adam and Nova called out to him, trying to find him. Alex reached out into the darkness in either direction, hoping that his outstretched hands would find those of his fellows, but in all his desperate flailing, he only managed to snag thin air.
The floor gave way and he tumbled into the pit below.
Alex hit the ground hard. Just like when he'd been thrown away from the wall inside the maze, he felt the impact, but not the pain. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have survived such a fall.
He sat up as quickly as his avatar would let him. Here, farther underground, it seemed darker somehow. The air was thicker and bleaker, almost like being dropped into a fog of despair.
"Adam? Nova?" He hissed into the darkness.
"Over here," Adam's voice rang back.
"I'm here too," Nova replied from somewhere nearby.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. At least he knew he wasn't alone. "Masterson?" He called into the darkness. There was no reply.
"Masterson?" Alex questioned the darkness again.
"They were sent back from whence they came," the foul voice echoed from above. "They were meddlers – the lot of them. I have no use for those who try to subvert my wishes."
"Who are you?" Alex heard Nova's voice.
The voice chuckled ominously and replied, "I am the keeper of this place. All who come here must go through me."
"We will not leave without what we came for," Alex asserted.
"You will if I tell you to," the voice suddenly seemed much nearer and Alex could hear the heavy breaths of something very large. Fear burrowed into his heart like a parasite seeking refuge. He could feel the eyes of the beast.
A growl rumbled near his ear and he jerked away from the sound, rolling across the floor for a few feet, then gathering himself into a crouch, ready to stand and fight.
The beast laughed, "I can see you, little man. Running away will only delay the inevitable. Why not simply do what I ask and leave." The beast growled the last two words.
"Because I won't abandon them; I won't let them die," Alex answered, slowly standing upright.
"And what about your friends here? What is there to keep them from doing what I wish?" The beast taunted.
He heard Nova reply," I am here for the same reason as him, and I won't leave until we have what we need."
Then Adam answered, "I am here for my father, and the brave men and women under his command. If I were in need of his help, my father would gladly give it. I can do no less for him."
"I see," the beast barked, "I cannot reason with fools."
With a mighty roar, light blazed from every corner of the pit, blinding them all.
When Alex regained his sight, he opened his pained eyes to see the gigantic head and long snout of an enormous black bear. It roared and reared up on its hind legs, clawing at the air with its taloned paws. Razor-like white teeth gleamed, even though they still wore the blood of some long-slain enemy.
Alex stared at the monster, shocked to see such a thing here, of all places.
He didn't even realize the bear was charging him until he felt the impact of another body slamming into his.
His lungs burned, the wind knocked out of him.
He did not hear the bear's paws hit the floor, but he saw it when it turned to charge again. Still trying to catch his breath again, he scrambled away from the angry beast. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Adam pick himself up off the floor. On the other side of the room, Nova was just standing to her feet.
"You will have no prize today, Eratites," the bear growled, eyeing each of them.
Alex finally managed to take a full breath, "You don't know what we're capable of."
"Oh," the bear rumbled, "let us see." The beast reared up on its hind legs again and came crashing back down to the floor, making it quiver with the impact. "I shall match you three in a battle of wits. You are sorely outmatched, but if you can answer three challenges, I will allow you to take what you seek."
"This is another trick," Nova called to Alex as she inched her way closer to him and Adam.
"Probably," Alex replied, "But, if there's even the slightest chance it's telling the truth, we have to take the risk." He looked at Adam, "What do you think?"
Adam paused a moment, then nodded firmly, "I don't see another way."
"Fine, we'll play your game," Alex relented, "What's your first question?"
"No, no," the bear raised a front paw and waggled a toe at him, "There is a rule. Only one of you may answer each challenge, and you must choose who will answer before I ask it."
Alex narrowed his eyes at the beast and pursed his lips in thought. He looked from Nova, to Adam, then replied, "I will answer your first question."
The beast made a gurgling sound, which Alex took to be a sign of approval, or at the very least, perverse pleasure. "Very well." The monster's voice softened into a melodic purr as it uttered, "War and hunger, dead of night, on whose wings will I take flight?"
Alex desperately searched for an answer, thinking back to everything he'd seen here in this realm. He didn't even know if the beast's riddle had anything to do with where he'd been, but finally, he decided to say the only answer he could feasibly muster, "The dragons."
The beast growled, showing its teeth, "So you came by that path, did you. You have passed the first question, but you will not pass the next."
The giant bear turned its beady black eyes towards Adam, "Will you answer the next challenge, or will you leave the woman to do it for you?"
"Yes, I will answer," Adam replied. Alex held his breath as he waited for the beast to ask his friend the next question.
"In farthest realm, on nearest shore, who is the key that will open the door?"
Alex's heart began to pound in his chest as he watched Adam's face fall in confusion. The other man muttered to himself for a very long time. Alex chanced a glance up at the clock and, in horror saw the numbers nearing four and a half minutes.
Adam began to pace, but the beast growled at him after he'd taken two steps. In lieu of walking around, Alex watched his friend's eyes roam the bright room, stopping in every corner, avoiding the bear's gaze.
After what would have been nearly twenty minutes, Adam bowed his head and answered, "I don't know…"
Alex covered his face, expecting to be back in the real world the next instant, but, instead, he heard the enraged roar of the beast, "You are right, silly man. No one knows the answer to that question, not even I, mighty as I am."
In surprise, Alex withdrew his hand from his eyes and recovered his vision just in time to see the beast make a slow, deliberate turn towards Nova. He could see she was trying to be brave, and succeeding relatively well. She wasn't shaking in terror, or weeping uncontrollably. The only indication of her fear was her stiff posture.
"I give you the last challenge," the bear thundered closer to the woman, so close that its snout was thrust into her face, "Ruler fair and maiden bold, reveal my face to claim your gold."
Nova backed away from the beast slowly, trying to get some space between herself and the savage animal breathing down her neck. With every step she took, the bear matched it.
Alex was beginning to feel smothered simply watching the bear's relentless advance.
Nova did not answer right away, but, unlike Adam's silence, Nova's was rewarded with a deep growl and harsh words, "I give you, a woman, the last challenge and you fail? You would fail this simplest of inquiries? How hard is it to show another woman her own face?"
Alex's eyes widened as the beast continued to badger Nova until she was trapped against a wall with nowhere else to retreat.
The beast thrust its snout into Nova's face and bared its teeth.
Alex saw Nova wince and turn her head away.
"Look at me, Eratite. I never thought you could answer my challenge. I knew you could not pass the test. It is impossible. Even I cannot see my own face here. I have no mirror, no portrait, and no means by which to attain such a thing."
The bear backed away from Nova, and Alex let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. The beast lumbered around the room in an agitated circle.
If Alex didn't know better, he might have thought the monster wanted Nova to be able to provide an answer to this challenge.
He looked up at the clock again and in despair saw that only two minutes and twenty-five seconds remained. He turned his back to the beast, defeated. There was no way they could succeed now.
"I…" Alex heard Nova stutter, "I think I can show you."
Alex turned back around slowly, not daring to show the spark of hope slowly dwindling in his heart.
He watched Nova as she reached down into her shirt and withdrew a piece of jewelry. "Here," Nova said, holding out an amulet made entirely of silver. Alex squinted to see what was engraved on the oval plate. His eyes widened when he made out the outline of a woman's face.
The beast spun around to face Nova and quickly thundered over to her, sniffing at the amulet, then studying it intensely with its fierce dark eyes.
Alex held his breath again, waiting for the beast's answer.
A long silence fell, broken only by the breathing of the enormous bear.
"It is I," the beast answered slowly, then backed away from Nova. As it took a step back, the bear began to dissolve into beads of golden light. A moment later, before them stood a woman clad in a long black dress. Her fiery red hair hung well past her waist, and she had the emblem of a bear emblazoned on her chest. She glared long and hard at all of them before holding out her hand and dropping a small object on the floor. The instant their reward left her hand, the woman vanished.
Shakily, Alex stepped over to the item and scooped it up. He opened his hand to examine it. A bright green number floated just above his palm.
Before he could study it more, he blinked, and instantly he was back on Iscandar, standing beside Adam in exactly the same place he'd been when they set out on their journey through the alien computer.
"I've sent the frequency to the Argo via my Interface link with their engine core. They've already received it," Starsha sighed heavily and stepped away from the computer, shoulders sagging with weariness.
Alex looked around the group and saw in both Nova's and Adam's eyes the same questions he had, but none of them spoke up to ask them. Instead, they all trudged over to a nearby couch and sat down in silence, hoping they'd found the answer in time to make a difference.