Prologue: Segaan
The Jirga Kaiser watched with narrowed, yellow eyes as Zha Obeel cautiously approached him. Rule had been thrust upon the Jirga suddenly, with the unexpected accidental deaths of his first brother and his father. Having eliminated just about every disease known, an Azar was virtually an immortal and could technically live forever, barring accidents. A crushing injury to the torso or depriving the brain of oxygen—as in a drowning—were some of the few unavoidable causes of death among the Azars, which was why the death of two royals in a transporting accident 400 cycles ago had stunned the nation. The current Jirga had assumed rule in the midst of the present crisis, and unfortunately, the deference due a Jirga was seriously undermined because he was viewed as a young, brash second son with a ferocious temper. He now waited in silence, impatient with Zha Obeel’s slow approach.
Beside Zha Obeel walked, Loya Favood, the most powerful psychic of Segaan. At the required twenty paces, Zha Obeel stopped and prostrated himself on the floor. Loya Favood stood silently next to him. The psychic’s eyes were open but his gaze unfocused in concentration. His robe and hood covered his form from head to toe leaving only the pale blue of his face and hands visible. As a tenth-degree psychic, and leader of the psychics, he only could remain upright in the presence of the Jirga.
<“Eighty full cycles ago Loya Favood made contact with the aliens. He has disabled their outside communication system and the controls of their flying machine. They were forced to land on Segaan and cannot leave.“> Zha Obeel voice was monotonous as he raised his head.
His mental words reached all, including the Jirga, who grunted in assent.
Zha Obeel resumed his mental report. <“We have captured some of the aliens and Loya Favood been studying them carefully.“>
Slowly the Jirga extended his hands from his robe to touch the pads of all four fingers with each other. Within the last 100 cycles his skin had taken on a translucent hue. Although a reversible process, it was a sure sign of stress among the Azars. And the Jirga was under a great deal of stress. As imperial ruler his responsibilities would have been enormous. With the turmoil of the past forty alifees, the Jirga, and indeed the entire nation, were now at risk. Unfortunately, the stress had not only caused his translucent skin, but it had also drastically worsened his notoriously short temper.
Nevertheless, the Jirga Kaiser was determined to find a solution to save his people−hence this new experiment. He now waited in silence, impatient with Zha Obeel’s slow approach.
Although he had requested this meeting, he was unsure how it would develop. Normally, this, his central receiving chamber would be bustling with advisors. This cycle, however, the hall had been cleared. Even the guards had been banished to the other side of the closed doors. The Jirga had allowed only four of his most senior advisors to be present. They were standing silently behind him and would remain silent unless he requested otherwise.
Zha Obeel head was bowed as was customary. Zha Obeel was neither a minister nor an advisor within the imperial government. He worked as a Blocker for the Psychics. The Azar’s system of government had two branches: the Jirga and the Psychics. And although the Jirga was the ultimate ruler of all Segaan, in the history of the Azars, none had ever dared to ignore the powers of the Psychics. Within the Psychic chambers Zha Obeel’s position was undoubtedly revered. The imperial rule however, consistently refused to grant Blockers the almost mystical privileges reserved for the Psychics. Here in the Jirga’s chambers Zha Obeel was regarded as an ordinary citizen.
Zha Obeel continued mentally. <“We have captured some of the aliens and Loya Favood has been studying them carefully.”>
<“My advisors say that you have brought twenty-one of the females and one male into the sector. What have you learned so far?”> The mental question was addressed to the psychic standing silently in front of him. But again, it was Zha Obeel who answered. A psychic could communicate only through his blocker and even then, communication was mental. Without a blocker, communication with others was often difficult, many times impossible. There were recorded incidents in history of psychics dying from mental jamming in attempts to communicate directly. The psychic needed the blocker as a shield to filter the mental static of others, especially a high- level psychic such as Loya Favood.
<“Contact is dangerous, but Loya Favood believes we are compatible.”>
<“Believes?”>
<“Loya Favood wishes more time, Jirgaar.”>
<“We have no more time,”> the Jirga roared. <“So inform Loya Favood. Have him send an image of these beings.”>
Loya Favood remained impassive as he communicated with his Blocker.
<“Loya Favood wishes to study the beings more before....”>
But the Jirga interrupted harshly. <“An image!”>
<“It is as you wish, Jirgaar.”>
The same fuzzy image began to form in the minds of all present. It slowly took shape, showing three aliens. They were naked and unconscious, lying on a smooth surfaced, table-like structure, in a sterile-looking chamber. All were female.
<“These are the first females we captured and the ones we are studying. The others are in a conscious state and kept in separate chambers.”>
Initially, the Jirga’s face remained expressionless, as he stared at the females. Unlike the Azars, the skin color of these beings was pinkish—a skin color unknown to the Azars. Stranger yet was what looked very similar to hair, concentrated on their heads and groin area. The Azars did not grow hair. Two of the beings had thick, shoulder-length, yellow-brown head hair. The third had flowing black head hair that almost reached her waist. Lower animal life forms were the only living things on Segaan to have such hair.
<“Are these intelligent beings?”> Now the Jirga did not disguise his disgust.
<“Loya Favood is convinced they are intelligent. Their flying machine is superior to our travel technology.”>
The Jirga did not like that comparison. <”We have the ability to develop flying machines. We choose not to do so. It would be suicidal for us to travel in the sky!>”
<“As you say, Jirgaar.”> Zha Obeel tone was carefully respectful.
<“What of the males?”> the Jirga was now frowning deeply.
<“We have only captured one male. The others were accidentally killed on the Upside. He is being kept in a separate chamber.”>
<“Is he like the females?”> the Jirga demanded.
With the Jirga’s repugnance obvious, Zha Obeel was now blinking nervously although Loya Favood remained impassive. Two of the advisors shifted in disquiet.
Despite the general unease, nothing prepared them for the next image. He was undoubtedly male, and he too was naked. But he seemed totally unconcerned about his nudity as he stood shouting at someone unseen. Despite the fact that he was caged, his angry expression and the enraged shaking of the bars on his cage caused advisors to gasp.
The Jirga gave the mental equivalent of a growl. <“They look nothing like us.”> Now his voice reverberated in anger. <“The Loya Favood said these beings were as we are.”>
Certainly, the male was even stranger than the females. Although tall, he was still not nearly as tall as the average Azar, and his skin color was a dark honey brown with eyes that were either dark brown or black. Like the females, he had hair that was noticeably thicker on his head and in his groin area. Unlike the females, his head hair was tightly curled, sitting like a cap on his head but he also has short, yet clearly visible hair covered his entire body.
The Jirga was furious and seemed actually repulsed. Azar’s eye colors were all varying shades of yellow making the black color of this being’s eyes seem even more shocking. And none in Segaan had ever seen anyone without the blue skin of their own people. Add these differences to the body and head hair—phenomena unknown to the Azars—and the result was total abhorrence mixed with fear. They had also noted the absolute fury on the face of the male.
<“Outside appearances will not matter if we are compatible,”> Zha Obeel rushed to explain. <“Loya Favood thinks they have the appearance of our early ancestors. Loya Favood is still investigating their biology. It is most difficult. He cannot see their insides clearly.”>
Unfortunately, the Jirga’s disgust had hardened. <“Already the Loya Favood has spent eighty cycles examining them. Our early ancestors were primitive being and lacked intelligence. If these beings are in a primitive stage of their development, they are useless to us. What more time does he need?”>
<“Perhaps twenty or more cycles. Loya Favood needs to confirm....”>
. <“We do not have twenty cycles to waste. It was the plan of the Loya Favood that we use genetic material from the female aliens. Surely, he has already tried this? We need to know the results of his experiments!”>
The Loya Favood was finally indicating possible emotion, not in his features, but his stance widened slightly.
<“Loya Favood begs more time Jirgaar. It is critical....”>
<“Enough! The Loya Favood can continue his examination of the beings already captured. We need not bring any more Downside. How many more are there?”>
<“Loya Favood has touched 153 females and 215 males, Jirgaar.”>
<“Tell the Loya Favood to send a pulse to destroy them all.”>
<“A pulse is not possible Jirgaar. Touching the alien mind is proving extremely dangerous. This first-cycle the mental contact killed one psychic.”>
<“Very well. We will send a small party Upside. We can wait no longer.”>
There was a brief pause. The Loya Favood remained expressionless and Zha Obeel, still prostrate on the floor, lowered his head in obeisance. <“Loya Favood submits to your wishes Jirgaar. However, let it be known that only one psychic will accompany the Upside party. Segaan cannot afford to lose another psychic.”>
The Jirga grunted. As the Jirga Kaiser, he was determined to find a way to save the Azar race. After over eight thousand alifees of civilization, the Azars would not all die—not while he was Jirga Kaiser. He would do whatever it took to save his people, which was why he had reluctantly agreed with his council when Loya Favood first made his proposal.
However, now that he had seen the strange beings, he did not think this plan would work. The aliens looked repugnant. He did not wish children from these beings populating his world. To change course, he would need to eliminate Loya Favood. That would be difficult if not impossible. There was no other psychic powerful enough to challenge the Loya Favood—assuming he could even find a psychic willing to oppose their own leadership. A better alternative would be to pretend to go along with Loya Favood’s plan. Perhaps he would spare the females for a while and let Loya Favood continue with his experiments. The male, he would have killed immediately. That too would be difficult to arrange, but it was feasible. It was certainly not necessary to have any live alien males on the planet. Besides, even the Loya Favood admitted that they were a danger. He did not want even a remote chance that any would survive. And without males the aliens would not be able to reproduce.
With an abrupt mental command, he dismissed Loya Favood and his Blocker, <“Go! I will allow you more cycles to study the aliens you have captured. But the ones on the Upside will be destroyed. Also, we must have an alternative option. This I will think more on. Our survival is in the will of Tooaal.”>
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