That Which One Begins - Chapter Fourteen On the ridge Rather than walk the long distance through the Arion lines, Lillith, with William in her arms, overflew the carnage of the valley to the peak of the ridge. It wasn't easy to navigate through the thick smoke, but the flowing air felt good on her face. She was soon hugging Large Grey warmly amid a few welcoming Tetrites. "It is good that The William has returned safely with The Mistress," the giant Tetrite boomed gratefully. Their feelings for each other showed in their smiles as Lillith and Large Grey parted. "Pheel?" asked Lillith with a tilt of her head. She pushed her long blonde hair aside to momentarily look around for the small Tetrite. "Did not The William speak of him?" Large Grey asked, casting a side-glance toward the Terran. "Uh, no," stammered William as he looked away for a moment of embarrassment. "We were pretty busy down there and... Well..." Without any enthusiasm for the task, William took Lillith by her shoulders, sighed, and tried anyway. "Lillith, I don't know how to tell you this, but Phil..." William sighed once, momentarily looking down before trying again. "Phil is dead." "Dead?" she gasped. "Oh, Skietra! How?" "Well he..." William blinked. "What did you say?" "I said `how'. Why do you..." Now, Lillith blinked. They both turned in the same direction to look down at a brown, fuzzy Tetrite scratching an itch on his back. The Tetrite had five legs. The entire second leg on his left side was missing, as was the front leg on the right. The leg behind the missing foreleg remained as only a short stub. All three wounds were bandaged much more than most normal medical procedures would require--but then, this was Tetra. The silence of the suspended conversation caused the Tetrite to look up at the humanoids with a mixed expression of curiosity and embarrassment. "The warmest of good even..." "Phil! Dammit!" William appeared to be upset. "You're supposed to be blown up." Phil's slightly scorched head rotated to the left, unsure of the problem. "My sincere apologies in regards to that, sir. It appears that I was indeed `blown up' as you so colorfully expressed it, but I am otherwise intact." "Hi, Pheel." "Mistress." Lillith kneeled beside Phil to lightly scratch his head for a moment before drawing his fur straight up with her fingers giving Phil a bit of a Tetra punk-rocker look. "I'm glad you weren't blown up," she said tenderly to him. Lillith stroked Phil's fur back into place before kissing him on his head. "Mistress, please," Phil whispered to her. "Such displays are quite embarrassing in front of..." "Oh, Pheel," Lillith chastised with a warm smile. A second kiss secured a covert smile from the theatrically annoyed Tetrite and Lillith patted him lightly before standing. William kneeled down next to Phil to replace her. "Shit, Phil," said William with concern, "you lost a couple of legs. Are you okay?" "The explosion severed three appendages, sir, to be quite accurate. Accurate information is most welcome, is it not, Mistress?" "Yep." "Okay," admitted William. "Three legs. But are you okay? Any pain?" "There is, sir, but I have information that it will subside with time. The explosion rendered me unconscious and I found myself in the care of a number of females from the village. They had informed me that my parabolic trajectory through the air terminated atop their nest. Quite fortuitous, sir, but I have no recollection of the event. I awoke in their care, I am alive, and that, sir, is quite enough to satisfy me." "Yeah, me too." William placed his hand on the warm back of his friend. "I'm glad, Phil. Welcome back." A moment of silence passed before William began to speak, turning to look up at Lillith. "Lillith, do you know what this guy..." She was gone. He glanced back toward the ridgeline and saw Lillith walking slowly along the front of where so many Tetrites had fought and died. She was looking down, into the trench.   Behind him, at the far end of the ridge, hundreds of Arion prisoners clustered together under the watchful eyes of armed Tetrites. Each of them observed Lillith's every move. They knew who and what she was, even though most had never seen a Velorian Protector before. Those who had whispered their experience to the curious. "Protectors? Worse than Primes. Don't mess with `em." "Filthy creatures. Kill you in a heartbeat just for lookin' at `em." "You look at those dead ships, boy, and you tell me what they're capable of."   The muttering among the Arions dissipated into uneasy silence as Lillith walked along the trench. The shattered bodies and torn remnants of Tetrites remained where they had fallen, twisted in uneven layers along the bottom of the trench. The look of sorrow on Lillith's face mixed with shock as she walked. Near the center of the main trench, a male Tetrite, one of the many workers clearing the trench of the dead, stopped his work to look up at the Protector as Lillith paused before him. "This is so very sad, Mistress Lillith," the weary Tetrite remarked to her. "So very sad." "Yes," she replied within a tired sigh. Her eyes rose from the trench to meet his. "Please, tell me. Did many survive the battle?" "No," the Tetrite answered with a shrug. "Some lived, but few, very few." "Oh," was her only sad response as her weary eyes fell again to the trench. The Tetrite pondered her in silence for few moments before he stepped forward to her. "Are you proud of them, Mistress?" he asked calmly, looking up at her. "Do their deaths please you?" "I am proud of their bravery," she whispered as her pain tried to force her tears. "But no, it does not please me. There is nothing here today that I find pleasure in." "There are few here who would disagree, Mistress Lillith. And yet..." The Tetrite paused to gather his thoughts. "What are the words to be chosen for this moment? Would words have enough goodness in them to comfort and console the Tetrite and Arion dead? Or, perhaps, it would be best for something to be done? What is there to do that will matter to all those whose lives have been torn so violently from this existence? Tell me, Mistress Lillith, do you know what should be done?" Lillith's tears crested her cheeks as she turned away to look out over the valley. "I know nothing," she murmured, her eyes closing tightly. "I just don't know." "I suspect that is not the case, Mistress Lillith. Perhaps you have always known. "Is it not what you are that tells you, Mistress Lillith? Is it not who you are? Look within, Mistress, and you will find what must be done. Know yourself, trust yourself, and out of your trust and your knowledge you will find the courage to do and say everything. Listen, Mistress. Listen." Lillith heard the sounds of the infants in the large village of Tetrite nests behind her and she turned to watch. Thousands of Tetrites busied themselves with needed chores as tiny children played among the rocks. For long moments, Lillith watched and felt and listened before she found what she didn't know was there. Lillith stood straight, lifting her proud head slowly before turning her gaze toward the collection of Arion prisoners at the far end of the ridge. Her face hardened and her eyes narrowed. "Yes," she said firmly. "I know what must be done." Lillith began a quick march across the ridge toward the Arion prisoners. They had continued to watch her and instantly responded to her approach by moving frantically away, much to the confusion of the Tetrite guards who weren't sure what to do about it. William was also watching. "Oh, shit, Phil," he said, jumping to his feet. "No, Lillith! No!" he desperately shouted at her as he stumbled quickly over the rocks to intercept her. "Don't harm them! Do you hear me? Don't do this! DON'T!" But Lillith paid no attention to his calls as she continued her forceful charge. The Arion prisoners scattered, fearful of what the Planetary Protector was about to do. They swept from her like birds from a cat. One prisoner, badly wounded, stumbled and fell to be left behind by the rest. Unable to get to his feet quickly, the Arion froze in terror when the sound of steps grew near and her shadow fell over him. "Argh!" cried the Arion with a mix of rage and terror as he flung his arm up to stop her. Shaking from fear, he bowed to his fate and pleaded with her. "Have your revenge, if you must, Velorian witch, but kill me quickly. I do not wish to entertain you with my agony." Closing his eyes tightly to prepare for his death, the Arion flinched at the touch of her hand on his head. To his surprise, her slender hand rested gently upon him and he opened his eyes to see the sorrow in hers. "There will be no more, Arion," the Protector of Tetra said softly. "There has been enough and it will stop here." A trick perhaps? A Velorian ruse to draw him into a deadly joke? He had heard from Primes about the endless cruelty the Velorians were capable of and all of the grizzly details of how they enjoyed killing Betas. But the eyes of this one looked into his as she caressed his hair. The look in her eyes wasn't cold or cruel. She was reaching across the infinite void between warring peoples to find peace and, within that moment of belief, were the beginnings of a greater good.   "Jesus," muttered William incredulously. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" "It begins," Large Grey replied with an approving smile.   "Velorian," the wounded Arion said quietly to her as the other soldiers warily approached. "What do you want of me?" Lillith smiled. "You will be my messenger to your people. Tell them everything. Tell them what you saw here. Tell them of your ships and how they were destroyed. Tell them of the deaths of so many on both sides. But tell them also of how we only wish to be left in peace. Of how you came to be returned to your homes and your families out of our desire for that peace. Tell them." "I will," nodded the impressionable young Arion. "By all of the gods, I will." The other Arions, not understanding what they were witnessing, approached cautiously but kept a respectful distance. Those in front, the bolder ones, could hear Lillith's words. "They will not listen, Protector," one of the boldest called out sternly. "We are warriors and it is war we desire. Blood and death are all we want from you and your species. They will not listen and we will return to reduce you and your planet to ashes." "It doesn't have to be that way," Lillith replied. "IT WILL ALWAYS BE THAT WAY!" the Arion shouted back at her defiantly. Lillith's face turned to stone and her cold, blue eyes stripped the Arion of his confidence. He melted into the crowd behind him. "Do not confuse a will for peace with a lack of will for war, Arion. Listen to me. I tell you now that if your people do that, you will be faced with a force you cannot imagine. I tell you all now that if you, if any Arion, comes back to this place with a desire for vengeance then my response will be absolute and total. Do you understand me? There will be no Arions to return to their homes. None. And your mates will only be left with their tears." Most of the Arion prisoners nodded meekly. Some, unconvinced, stared impassively. "I give you peace," she warned, looking each prisoner in the eyes. "Use it wisely." Lillith turned to Large Grey. "Grey, let them communicate with their transports. They may have two ships descend and pick them up. No weapons. Do you understand? I will not tolerate weapons." "Yes, Mistress. I will see to it." Large Grey bowed slightly with respect. "There must be peace between us," she said with a tired sigh to the wounded Arion. "This must not happen again." Lillith looked up toward the rest of the Arions and spoke loudly. "Leave this planet. You have two hours." Lillith turned away quickly and walked back to the trench as William and Phil watched.   "I've never seen her like that before." William was dumbfounded. "Damn." "Indeed, sir. The Mistress is quite sincere in her beliefs and clear in her duty." "Yeah." William was lost in thought as he continued to watch Lillith. "Do you know..." William paused to draw in a long breath. "Do you know where I found her, Phil?" "No, sir." "Down there, in the hell of that big wreck. Right in the middle of `em. From what I could tell, every damn Prime was after her. At least, that was the only area where I saw Primes." "It does not sound like a suitable place for a young Velorian, sir." "No. No, it doesn't." William drew a breath and looked down at Phil. "But she stayed and she faced them. She could have flown away without a thought, but she stayed. They beat her terribly, Phil. Hell, she's still bruised and bloody." "Perhaps the Mistress did not see a way out of the situation, sir." "No," William said softly with slow shake of his head. "No, she knew. She knew if those Primes came up here we'd all be dead. She knew. She knew they'd go after her instead of us and she stayed." William took another deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked back up at Lillith at the trenchline. "She stayed and took their worst and now she can still do what she did here just now. Damn, I don't think I'd be able to do that. I just don't think I'd be able to." William drifted away in thought for moment before again shaking his head. "Damn, she's incredible." "Indeed, sir. There is much about the Mistress that is most interesting." William smiled. "Yeah, there sure as hell is. C'mon, Phil. Let's go." They quickly caught up with Lillith who stood silently next to where the deep trench once was. She was looking down the length it, at the loose dirt and rocks that filled it. She looked confused. "Will'm?" "Yeah, hon?" "Where are the trenches? And the bodies, where are all the bodies that were here? "Grey told me they had them all taken down to the village, honey. The ones that were too torn up to be recognized or moved were left in there when they backfilled the trench." "Did they just do that?" "No," William shook his head. "Grey said they had finished that about an hour before we got back. Why?" Lillith's eyes scanned nervously up and down the long mounds. Nothing looked right. "Where's that nice gentleman I was talking to?" she asked with concern. "What nice gentleman, sweetheart?" "The one I was talking to when I was over here before. Brownish fur?" Lillith's hands formed a billowing motion in the approximate size of the Tetrite. "Lillith," William whispered seriously, "you were standing out here by yourself until you went over to the Arions. There wasn't anyone else." "But I... There was... He... Oh, pistu!" On the mound of dirt where the trench had been, the translucent image of a Tetrite faded into view. Before his smiling image had completely materialized, it faded back away. The apparition had lasted only seconds but it was long enough for William, Phil, and Lillith to see it clearly. The Protector of Tetra slipped discreetly behind William to peer nervously over his right shoulder. At the same time, a confused Tetrite named Phil rotated his head with curious interest. "Hoo, boy," William sighed through his wide-eyed, seen-a-ghost expression. "I hate when that happens." "T'aye," came the apprehensive murmur from behind.   A quarter of a million miles into Space Lillith had followed the remnants of the Arion fleet as it sped from the Tetra system. Consisting only of unarmed supply ships, tugs, a few fuelers, and the two troop ships filled with the survivors, the residue of the once formidable fleet now moved beyond the orbit of the outermost moon, leaving its blonde escort behind. She held position, watching their hulls shrink into the dark distance of Space until she was alone. The emptiness enveloped her in its arms. Lillith made no effort to fly and allowed herself to drift freely. She looked at the far nebulas and nearby stars in whatever direction random forces acted upon her to point her eyes. The intense cold of space cooled her skin and the airless silence was strange after the intense noise of battle. There was peace here and nothing to intrude upon her thoughts. Her eyes closed. She was the Protector. She had destroyed the enemy of her planet and driven off what remained. She had done what she was supposed to do, what was expected of her, and what she had trained for. It was suppose to be glorious and fill her with the greatest pride a young Velorian could imagine. Yet, all she felt was emptiness and sorrow and failure and, for reasons she didn't quite understand, she felt ashamed. She remembered a time when she asked Phil why Skietra would allow such a thing so cruel as war? After considering the question, Phil's only response was that, if war did not exist, how would anyone know how cruel each of them could truly be? At the time, she had dismissed the thought. How silly, she had said, he could be sometimes. What he had said no longer seemed so silly and Lillith rolled back into an arching flightpath home. The Arion Military High Command, on the planet Aria The Chief of the Arion General Staff paced thoughtfully before speaking again. In a dark corner by the door, a few of the survivors of the Tetra Campaign stood motionless, including the one touched by the Protector on Tetra. In the center of the room, a huge map of the galaxy under discussion was spread out on a large table under the only overhead light in the otherwise dark room. "Thank you, soldiers. An interesting message. Thank you. That will be all." With weak salutes, the survivors left the room. When the door had shut, the Arion Chief of Staff turned to a lone figure standing in the darkness on the far side of the map table. "General, it seems that your little 'exercise' on Tetra has turned into something of a disaster. What have you to say?" The lone figure stepped forward into the light. Stocky and gray-haired, he was an older man of many campaigns, a veteran of conflicts both good and bad. In spite of his experience, he looked visibly shaken. "As I have repeatedly pointed out," the General began to tutor, "it was not to be an assault. It was merely an operation to station a garrison on a remote planet at an extremity of that quadrant. It will be a simple matter to assemble another task force of sufficient combat capability to over..." "WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!" bellowed the Chief of Staff, wildly slamming his fist down on the map table with each word. He stabbed a rigid finger at the shocked face of the General and shouted the accusations. "This was YOUR idea and YOUR operation and now an entire task force is GONE!" On the last word, his fist impacted the table again. The General's left eye twitched nervously before he offered a calmer explanation. "My... My sources told me... Our Intelligence group informed me that..." "TOLD YOU WHAT? About these INSECTS?" The Chief of Staff leaned over the table to snarl his words. "There is now a Velorian Protector on this planet. You didn't mention her, did you? There were particle weapons on the planet. You didn't mention those, did you? DID YOU?" "It was... Not reported at the time. "Reported? REPORTED? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT WAS REPORTED!" The Chief of Staff grabbed across the map table to grip the tunic of the startled General. "What was reported was that your piece of shit nephew, whose career you so carefully orchestrated over too many years, needed something to save his ass before he got it vaporized in some backstreet whorehouse. Tell me, General, who was most likely to kill him: one of those Daxxan whores he enjoys so much or a competent officer who is sickened at the sight of him?" "Th... That's a lie! He..." "A LIE?" boomed the Chief of Staff. His fist caught the General squarely in the face, knocking him to the floor. The General remained on the floor, hurt more by the accusation than the blow. The Chief of Staff glared menacingly at the General, so angrily that the General could clearly hear his labored breathing. From his holster, the Chief of Staff pulled out a plated GAR-421 disruptor pistol. Its gleaming frame reflected a glint of the overhead light. "N... No," the General stammered, raising a hand for mercy. "You pathetic imbecile," the Chief of Staff sneered with contempt as he flung the heavy pistol on the map table. "Just know that it is for the rank on your uniform, not you. You are an Arion Officer; act like one." Not waiting for him to rise, the Chief of Staff spun smartly about to walk loudly to the door, his heel strikes booming in the empty room. With his hand on the knob, the Chief of Staff repeated the official position calmly over his shoulder. "There was no attempt by Aria to garrison Tetra. In fact, no Arion military operation has ever been conducted on Tetra. Any charges to the contrary are a violation of the Security Act. The task force was on routine maneuvers when an unspecified anomaly occurred, destroying most of the ships. There were no survivors." "B... But, the Betas..." stammered the General. "Are merely Betas. They are all in custody." The Chief of Staff looked the General in the eyes. "Within two hours, there will be no survivors." The General wiped his face with his hand and sighed. His acceptance came with a single nod before a final question. "Why are you doing this?" "You miserable..." The Chief of Staff composed himself quickly. "The Empire is engaged on five fronts as well as twelve planets whose occupation are currently in doubt. Add to that the covert operations on nearly every known planet within and without the Empire, including Terra. Just what resources do you think the Empire can spare for your disasters?" "It was a valid campaign. An outpost on Tetra would provide us with..." "TETRA IS NOTHING!" the Chief of Staff screamed, his voice reverberating off the hard floor and walls. "Do you think for a moment that our people would tolerate such a total debacle as this for a planet of bugs? Do you think I am going to stand idly by while incompetents like you do their best to destroy the Empire? By tomorrow, there won't even be a casual remark about your so-called campaign." "A... And what of the Velorian, this Lillith creature? Should not Section Five be notified?" "Velorian?" The Chief of Staff glared into the eyes of the General. "What Velorian?" "She is the..." The General abruptly saw things a bit more clearly and corrected himself. "Yes. Of course. I understand." The Chief of Staff raised one eyebrow. "It is insignificant whether you understand or not, General." "But I..." The General searched for some way to salvage his plummeting career. Having little else than familiar military etiquette, he came to attention with a loud click of his heels. "What may I do in service to Aria?" "Service? Tell me, General," the Chief of Staff growled, his contempt putting a deadly edge to each word. "What have you left that Aria could possibly want from you?" The door was opened and the Chief of Staff stood silhouetted in the orange light that flooded through the doorway. "If the General appears at this door," he commanded in a hard monotone to two unseen guards, "kill him." The Chief of Staff departed smoothly though the doorway before the thick wooden door slammed hard behind him. The General slumped and stumbled to the map table. His hands shook uncontrollably as he now looked across the map at a small, insignificant planet with seven moons that cost the lives of over 34,000 Arion men and women and a significant number of capital ships of the line. All it was suppose to have been was a simple exercise combined with the landing of garrison troops on an uninhabited planet. Instead, they had a decimated task force with only stragglers returning. What had happened on that planet? What was there that could do such a thing? How could they have missed something like that? How could he have failed so miserably? The shiny GAR pistol drew his attention. It felt smooth as his fingertips left streaks over its surface. It was heavy, with the long barrel bearing most of the mass of its unbalanced frame. Tipping the barrel up moved the weight into the palm of his hand, a hand very familiar with the feel of this weapon. The tip of the Gar felt cool against the side of his head, almost pleasant. Sweat let the tip of the muzzle slip easily along his temple as he moved it slowly up and down, only a handful of centimeters at a time. It allowed him a moment to think, to remember, and to let the last of his thoughts go. He stared at the map, at the planet with the seven moons, and thought, finally, of the dead. So many dead... So many. Perhaps, one more, just one more, would... Somehow... Make it all right. He closed his eyes, thought of them, and squeezed the trigger.   Following the battle on Tetra, the valley remained untouched for weeks. It took that long simply for the Arion military government to discretely work through the Scalantrans to organize any sort of arrangements. Finally, Scalantran traders, acting as retrievers on behalf of the Arions--for a worthwhile price, of course--extracted the bodies of the Arion dead for return to Aria. This was all done with characteristic discretion demanded by the Arions. The military government on Aria had no intention of ever acknowledging what had happened on Tetra. The landings had never taken place and no official records of the fighting existed. The dead, according to what records that did exist, were merely the victims of an incident in Deep Space, the details of which could not be discussed except that they had died gloriously, gladly, and had shown great bravery. This was something of a comfort to many of the families left behind as well as those in position of authority within the Arion military. The official secrecy included the existence of a Velorian Protector on Tetra. To acknowledge her would be to acknowledge that they had been there to encounter her. Since no such encounter officially occurred, no record of Lillith was filed. The entire disturbing episode was discarded and forgotten as those in charge of those who were lost moved on to more comfortable activities.   Even before the last of the Scalantran retrievers lifted from Tetra, the Tetrites and Lillith busied themselves with training William in his new powers. It was as interesting to Lillith as it was to William to determine his abilities and the extent to which he was capable of using them. William had developed incredible strength, almost as powerful as Lillith. This was far more than what could have been expected of a normal enhancement, yet Large Grey would only nod approvingly at the "fine progress" William had shown. Whatever the Tetrites had done with their bizarre equipment, the results were impressive to everyone. William also showed incredible speed. He could run and move so quickly that the eye couldn't follow. The one major problem was that, when he would suddenly stop, his feet would end up buried up to his ankles--a matter of physics that technique, Lillith assured, could overcome. She had experienced the same problem when she arrived on Tetra, years before. His energy vision was more of a liability than an asset. His concentration could be disturbed a bit too easily and more than one Tetrite had his or her fur scorched by a glance from William in the middle of an exercise. It was soon decided that William would practice on his own in a suitable, meaning `remote', location. William's telescopic sight was also unstable and he preferred simply not to use it. Seeing Tachyon fields was another matter and William enjoyed seeing in the dark, even if he did have some difficulty interpreting the images within a Tachyonic field disturbance. The difference between a door and a window in the dark was more guesswork for William than it should have been. Yet, as he practiced, he gained proficiency. The same could also be said for his keen hearing. It was, he soon learned, difficult but not impossible to separate single voices out of a crowd of mumbling Tetrites. It always took a great deal of concentration for him and he couldn't imagine how Lillith made it all look so easy. In spite of their best efforts, it was finally determined that William could not fly. As a pilot, his disappointment was very deep. For Lillith, it was particularly sad not to be able to soar with her mate, hand in hand, over the planet--a recurring fantasy of sorts. In spite of Lillith's romantic dream, William would remain on the ground. His smile was a bit forced when he said he really didn't mind. So, William continued to practice his new talents. Lillith would giggle mildly at his simpler mistakes, but always followed with praise when he overcame the problem. She was proud, very proud, of the way William, a Terran, was accepting and excelling at things alien to him. He was, she would never hesitate to point out, "proof of the spirit and greatness of the Terran species". William would only shrug, smile, and joke that it was simply that no one had told him that it was okay to fail. For Lillith, the days passed easily enough, but the nights were difficult. She suffered from recurring nightmares, most resulting in her sudden awakening from a fitful sleep. Her shouts and screams were becoming commonplace and the concern of everyone.   On the planet Tetra, before sunrise Rolling over onto his back, William sighed once to the darkness to signal his defeat and ran his hand over his tired face. Trying to relax, he found that he could only stare toward an unseen ceiling beyond the dark. Unable to sleep, there was nothing else to do. He had awakened nearly a half an hour earlier. It wasn't that he wasn't tired--he certainly was--it was just that his mind swirled with a multitude of disjointed thoughts, working overtime on some obscure problem, some intangible idea, some undefined something that he just couldn't put his finger on. Whatever was bothering him, it kept him awake against his will. He finally just gave in and sat up. Lillith did not share his problem and continued to sleep soundly. She had settled comfortably on her side with her back and rump tucked firmly against him. One of her arms was set at a skewed angle that looked much too uncomfortable to William. Still, her slow, even breaths told him that she was deep asleep and that was a comfort to him. For the first time in weeks, she was able to do so, undisturbed by the nightmares of the battle. For that, whatever the reason, William was thankful. He slipped quietly from the bed, very slowly, so as not to wake her. The stone floor felt cold as he stepped silently around the bed. Perhaps, he thought, a brief walk would help him get back to sleep. If nothing else, it was better than simply sitting in a dark room. William moved easily through the familiar surroundings, toward the door. At the window, William paused to look at the empty, smooth rock positioned on the table in front of it. It was curious that Phil was not sleeping in his usual place, but William only shrugged at the thought. After all, Phil had a life of his own. In a brief moment of curiosity, William wondered if Phil was seeing a female somewhere tonight and knowingly smiled. At the door, William swung the wood-like barrier open and stepped out into the cool night air. It was, he estimated, somewhere around three or four in the morning, the eastern sky touched by only the faintest glow of the new day's sun. He closed his eyes, drew the crisp air of Tetra through his nose to fill his lungs, and found it refreshing. When he slowly released his breath, William's eyes opened to see the orange glow of firelight fan out from behind a large wall of rocks not far from the habitat. It was unusual to see any activity overnight and his eyebrows lowered with curious concern. Movement at his feet distracted him. A tiny, fuzzy face was looking back up at him. The face rotated slightly and blinked. "Hello, Mina," William whispered with the quiet voice that early morning forces one to use. "What are you doing up at this time of night?" "We were waiting," she squeaked with anticipation. "Waiting?" asked William curiously. "Waiting for what?" "The warmest of good mornings, sir," interrupted the familiar voice of Phil as he approached from the direction of the firelight. "Morning, Phil," William whispered as loudly as he dared. "Guess you two couldn't sleep either, eh?" "I do regret disturbing your sleep, sir. It was quite unavoidable." "Oh, you didn't wake me up, Phil; I didn't hear a thing. Just couldn't sleep for some reason. It happens." "Indeed, sir. Would you accompany me, please?" Phil turned toward the firelight and began to walk, still a bit unsteadily. "Sure," shrugged William. He paused a moment to look down at Mina. "You coming too?" "We were waiting," Mina chirped proudly before trundling pleasantly as the third in line. The trio passed hundreds of Tetrites during the brief walk, all of whom nodded politely to William, but said nothing. Whatever was happening, thought William, it must be important to get so many Tetrites out of their nests so early in the morning. It was particularly curious that the Tetrites followed behind them toward the rock wall. A meeting of some kind, William considered with a shrug. Well, he thought, we'll know soon enough. Phil paused at the edge of the great rock wall and William stepped forward to his side. "Jesus," William muttered, his eyes wide. "What the hell..." The wall, a natural vertical formation of rock, towered nearly fifty meters high and swept through a concave arc to a length of over three hundred meters. Set away from the center of the wall was a large bonfire that flung flames nearly as high as the wall, the only source of light. But what struck William was the Tetrites. Hundreds of thousands of them sat before the great wall, thousands more rimmed the top. They observed him in silence as he followed Phil toward the fire. Every Tetritian eye was upon him and those William could not see, were felt. He nodded, he smiled, but they merely stared. The constant crackle and occasional snap from the fire was the only sound and William grew more uneasy with every step. Two identical rectangular planes of circulating mist, each about ten meters wide, extended from the surface into the night sky. Standing only a few meters apart, they were continuously parallel for their entire width and length. What William found discomforting was that the planes of mist seemed to lack depth. He found, as he moved around them, that they disappeared when viewed on edge. Equally disturbing to him was that he saw no shadow extend from the base of the planes. The swirling tendrils of mist reflected the firelight brightly, but no shadows remained. Two, large Tetrites tended to the two-dimensional monoliths like weekend gardeners fretting over prize roses. They looked and touched and discussed and analyzed, all the while nodding in agreement to some point murmured quietly between themselves. "Well I'll be..." William's voice trailed off in wonder. "Yes, sir, I quite agree," agreed Phil, staring up at the structure with him. "What the hell are those things, Phil?" "I am not quite sure, sir. I do not possess information regarding the device. However, I have surmised that there exists a spatially varying refractive index within the planes that depends upon the distribution of electrons within the lattice." William glanced down at Phil and shook his head once. "Nice surmising, buddy." "Thank you, sir, but it has been pointed out to me that the planes are not the width of an electron. Most disappointing, yet quite interesting nonetheless." "Not the width of an..." William looked back at the planes, his eyes showing his surprise. "That's impossible!" "Evidently not, sir." William again slowly shook his head and murmured to himself. "Evidently." "Ah, the William has joined with us," interrupted Large Grey pleasantly. His deep sonorous voice filled the arena like water in a glass. "What's going on, Grey?" William finally spoke in a normal voice. "Something I can help with?" "It is our time," said Large Grey calmly. "We wish to provide information to the William that the William requires before our departure." "Departure?" asked William, unsure of the `where' and `why' of the word. His weak smile finally indicated his assumption of some small matter that needed attention. "To where?" "To our home," replied Large Grey. William turned rapidly to look around at the Tetrites. Their nests were nearby and why going to them was such a big deal was lost on him. There was, he knew, something more going on and his smile faded. "Did I miss something, Grey?" Large Grey slowly shook his head at William's confusion. The mists grew thicker and faster. A pure, white light illuminated the tips of the fine, swirling tendrils, growing brighter with each passing moment. The two Tetrites tending the mist nodded their agreement again and one lumbered over to Large Grey's side. "It is nearly time," he murmured privately to the great, gray Tetrite. "Thank you," responded Large Grey with a slight bow. William still didn't fully understand and his discomfort with that was growing. "The William requires information," Large Grey announced to the gathering of Tetrites with his great booming voice, "information beyond that which he now possesses." Large Grey turned to speak directly to William. "That which one begins, all must complete." "THAT WHICH ONE BEGINS," repeated thousands of Tetrites in unison. "I don't understand, Grey," William said solemnly. "Our species suffered under the Arion occupation," explained Phil. "What the hell are you talking about?" William asked firmly. "There's no Arion occupation. Never has been one on Tetra." "It was not merely consideration of our species," noted one of the Tetrites at the planes of mist. "The epoch was in jeopardy," added the other Tetrite beside him. "We had to protect the Legacy," announced a third Tetrite nearby. "Legacy?" asked William. "What Legacy?" "The Legacy is that which must be maintained," answered Large Grey. William looked even more confused. "It simply could not continue," called out a Tetrite on the wall. "It simply could not," confirmed Phil. As all of the other Tetrites chittered their agreement, William nervously looked at their nodding faces. "Look," he finally said, his agitation growing with his lack of comprehension. "No Arion occupation could ever take place with Lillith here. That's what she's all about, dammit. And if she got wind of any of those..." "She was brave," Large Grey interrupted with a terrible sadness in his voice. "So terribly brave." "There was nothing we could do," lamented the Tetrite at the mist. "She would not wait. She would not see the wisdom of..." "Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" hollered William, not liking what they were suggesting. "What the hell are you saying?" Large Grey contemplated the ground for a moment before the seriousness of his voice chilled William. "The Mistress... did not survive. It was all simply too much and they..." He could not finish the thought. "She did not wait for the proper moment. We could not make her wait and it was her undoing." The coldness that ran through William settled in his hands, leaving them with a flat tingle that was anything but enjoyable. He rubbed his hand over his face and glanced at the glowing mist. It was all so crazy, impossible, terrible, but something, somehow, was starting to make some sense. "Lillith was... killed?" William asked. His answer was a simple, silent nod by Large Grey. William began to ask how, but quickly knew that he didn't really want to know that. He stepped away a few paces, running his hand across the back of his neck nervously. He glanced up at the planes that now glowed brightly and turned quickly back to face Large Grey. "So, you came back. You returned to this time somehow to change..." "That which one begins," prompted Phil. "That..." William blinked at the realization of what it meant. "The timeline. You changed the timeline?" "One does not change timelines," corrected Large Grey. "But one can change the reality across them." William again glanced at the planes, shaking his head. "Well, what changed?" "Existence is like a vessel on an ocean, moving in the direction of your choosing while slicing across the waves of time. You pass from timeline to timeline, never knowing the differences of the alternate realities you encounter. It is, as far as you know, all one experience. The waves do not change, only your place upon them." "But change the course of your reality," Phil added, "and you have altered your future. It is all analogous to vectors, sir. Most interesting, I must say." William looked down at Phil with a less than pleasant expression. "Thanks, math-buddy." "My pleasure, sir." At the planes, four Tetrites wheeled an odd looking device near it. Large, round, and brown, it was the same biomechanical device used to process William's enhancement. The planes were glowing brilliantly now, the stark white light nearly blinding to everyone. With an approving nod from one of the tenders, the Tetrites pushed the device forward into the planes. The opening between the planes was much too narrow for the device to pass through, but the wheeled device distorted, smearing and stretching into the space between. As soon as the first few inches of the device extruded within the planes, bursts of bluish light, like arcs, raced upward like a frenetic Jacob's Ladder. The device and all four Tetrites were drawn into the planes to disappear as photons of light. "Oh, shit," William muttered. One of the tenders of the planes trundled rapidly to Large Grey. "You really must hurry. The link cannot be maintained beyond the allotted time." "Please," Large Grey demurred. "Proceed. I will follow immediately." A quick nod and the Tetrite joined the other at the planes. One step forward together and their forms smeared quickly into the planes just before six brilliant flashes within the planes rocketed upward into infinity. "There were twelve of us," Large Grey called out to William as he moved toward the planes. "Only seven of us return to find the reality that begins now." "The other five," William replied. "The other five are on the ridge?" "Yes," Large Grey confirmed before his voice showed his own sorrow by falling to a whisper. "Yes." William stepped forward. "So you came back. You came back to save her. That which one begins. You are the one." "No," Large Grey said calmly as he stepped before the towering planes. "We returned merely to facilitate and observe. There was one other." "Well, who..." William froze when he saw Large Grey smiling at him. "Wait a minute," William laughed. "I'm a mistake. I'm a fluke." He looked down at Phil and shrugged. "I shouldn't even be here." William's smile faded when he saw Phil's serious expression. "I am a mistake, aren't I?" "It was you who came back to save the Mistress, sir." "But I didn't... How was I... Came back?" William's eyes darted nervously at the thought. "Came back?" William looked at Phil and muttered, "What year is this?" Without waiting for an answer, he spun around to face Large Grey. "GREY, WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" The planes were already drawing Large Grey in as William heard the great baritone voice for the last time. "It is the time of The William and the time of The Mistress. It is your time and the great beginning. For that which one begins, all must complete and it will be a most interesting forever." Large Grey distorted rapidly into the planes to disappear in a rapid series of flashes that streaked overhead. With a howling shriek, the planes quickly collapsed into themselves, leaving only a small twirling dustdevil that spun, slowed, and dissipated within moments. William stared in disbelief at the spot where whirling dust had died. He didn't notice how the Tetrites around him quietly left to return to their nests. It was only the dimming of the fire as four Tetrites kicked dust onto it that pulled William from his thoughts. The area darkened rapidly and William could only watch everyone leave in silence, unsure of what he had just experienced. "The warmest of good mornings, sir," waved Phil as he trundled rapidly by. "I shall retire now. It has been a rather busy evening." "Yeah," mumbled William. "I'll see you back at the house." With that, William was alone, except for a tiny Tetrite staring up at him at his feet. William looked down at Mina and shook his head. "Am I the only one who still gets amazed around here?" he asked with all of his confusion intact. Mina merely smiled. "We were waiting." "Yes," he nodded, looking up at the night sky where seven Tetrites and a strange machine had disappeared. "I guess you were."   William stepped quietly by his Tetrite friend who now slept soundly on the window rock. Without a sound, he returned to his side of the bed. Lillith had sprawled over most of it by now and her legs and arms turned awkwardly in every direction. He paused just to look at her as she slept in the light of three moons spilling onto her from the window. He watched her body swell and contract slightly with each breath. It was something he needed to see and he smiled. Nudging her gently for some room, William slipped into bed beside her. Her body was warm and she sleepily cuddled back into him as they spooned side by side. He nuzzled her hair and her familiar scent relaxed him. "Will'm?" she murmured through sleepy lips. "I'm here, darling," he whispered, eliciting a contented hum from her as she fell back to sleep. He held her close, as if she could be lost at any moment, and kissed her tenderly on her shoulder. His world was in his arms that night and, as he too drifted into sleep, he felt deeply grateful that, after what could have been, she was.   On the planet Tetra, nearly a thousand years later Richard Wesson remained sitting passively on the dry, dusty ground with his eyes closed. The amber aura that had enveloped him for so many hours faded quickly when Large Grey withdrew the touch of his broad leg and stepped back from the Terran. Richard's eyes opened, but he did not raise his head. His thoughts continued to control his emotions, overwhelming emotions he had not expected. Richard looked up into the ancient, sympathetic eyes of the giant Tetrite and nodded. "Thank you for that," Richard whispered, barely able to speak. "It was all..." He swallowed once and cleared his throat. "My questions," he said, almost pleading. "I have so many questions. Please, I..." "There is no time," Large Grey gently interrupted. "I have waited for you... Here... Waited so long. You will find the rest of what you seek in other ways, perhaps. Even within yourself." The giant smiled wearily. "Your ancestors would be pleased with you, Richard Wesson. You value information." "But there is so much more. The Supremis, the Ancient Ones, the Legacy. Where are they? What are they? Please, help me find the truth." "Truth has a marvelous way of finding those who need it, Richard Wesson." The great Tetrite raised his face to the sky and closed his eyes to the inevitable. "But there is no time and it must end as it once began." Richard suddenly realized that he had not been taking notes during his time with Large Grey. "Permit me, please," he muttered awkwardly as he turned to paw noisily through his dufflebag of material. "I am a terrible note taker, I'm afraid, and I must write it all down immediately or I will surely forget most of the wonderful details." Richard chuckled at himself as he continued to search for his recording device. "I can't even find what I need when I need it. Do you know what I mean?" There was a silence and Richard turned to see that the giant Tetrite had quietly died. Large Grey's great, understanding eyes had closed for the last time and his massive head had slumped silently to the ground. There would be no more. Richard let the bag roll to the side as he stood. A deep feeling of loss swept through him and he stepped closer to place his hand gently on the gray fur. "Goodbye, Large Grey," he said tenderly. "Goodbye, my friend, and thank you." Raising his hand, Richard noticed that the coloring of the fur was changing. A mottled, tan color spread quickly over the body of the Tetrite and Richard realized that it was rapidly metamorphosing into dust. He quickly stepped back to watch as each feature became an etching in the monochromatic grit. As quickly as the body had changed, it now crumbled into a large pile of tan dust that swirled away on the wind. Richard knelt down, picked up a handful of the ground beneath his feet, and let it spill away through his fingers. "That's why the fountain is buried," he muttered. "This is all of them. The Tetrites. They all came here. All of them." Richard looked up at the fading light of day as the sun settled beneath the horizon. It was time to make camp for the coming night and he gripped the canvas handles of his bag, lifting it from the ground. After one last silent moment with Large Grey, Richard turned to walk back to the shuttlecraft. A golden light pushed the darkness back, letting shadows stretch far from the rocks that made them. Richard turned quickly to see the source of the light and his mouth fell open. A glowing gold sphere rose smoothly to hover a few meters above the pile of dust that was once Large Grey. The sphere was at least twenty meters in diameter and the surface of it swirled noiselessly in endlessly random patterns of golden hues. It rose from the dust to suspend a few meters in the air, making the shadows along the ground shorten as it rose. Richard walked a few tentative steps forward, afraid to get too close, yet compelled to see everything. He raised his hand to touch it, yet felt that it would be wiser not to. His hand lowered to his side and he peered into the sphere with wonder. "The Legacy," he whispered. The sphere now moved again, rising higher into the night sky of Tetra. Richard could hear a faint, low droning sound as it did, pulsing slowly yet more loudly as it gained altitude. He continued to watch the globe high overhead with his head settled uncomfortably back. There was a blinding flash of bluish-white light from the sphere that forced Richard to duck away, falling to his knees for protection. But, when no sound of explosion or detonation was heard, Richard quickly looked back to the sky. The sphere was gone, replaced by a rapidly expanding translucent area of gold filling the night sky. Within it, millions of intensely brilliant pinpoints of multicolored lights swirled. Red, blue, green, and of every shade between, they moved in every direction, as if becoming more organized with purpose with each passing moment. The sky was now filled from horizon to horizon with the majestic overlay and the lights began to disappear by the thousands. Richard realized that they were not extinguishing, but moving out into Space and away from Tetra. Whatever the lights were and whatever their purpose, they were being released into the Universe on a journey to somewhere. For some reason, the thought made Richard laugh aloud with pleasure, pleasure at knowing that what was happening was what Large Grey and all of the Tetrites had lived for. The Legacy had been fulfilled. "It's wonderful!" he exclaimed, holding his arms out in celebration. "It's all so wonderful!" As abruptly as it had begun, it was ended. The last of the lights disappeared, the golden light dimmed, and in the darkness of the Tetra night, Richard Wesson was alone. Still, he continued to look up at the stars, wishing perhaps that the lights would return or that his friend, Large Grey, might appear again. He felt profoundly pleased at what he had seen, what he had heard, and what he may yet learn. Tetra. This marvelous place, Tetra. There was so much to do now, he thought, in the darkness. He would tell the story, all of it, just as Large Grey had told it to him. He would tell of the Velorian and the Terran and of all the Tetrites. He would see to it that everyone heard of what happened here so long ago. They needed to know where it all began. Richard took two steps forward in the darkness and tripped over an unseen object. He fell to the ground, muttering a mild curse. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an illuminator and switched it on. The stark, white glow from the solid-state tubes washed over the area in all directions, allowing Richard to see. Three large objects were half buried in the tan dust where Large Grey had died. One was on the far side and two were side by side opposite it. Richard crawled over the ground to them. Like logs in the sand, Richard uncovered them by pushing the light dust away with his hands. Two of the objects were jointed; the shorter one was not. He ran his hand lightly over the furry surface of each of them, marveling at the perfection of the prosthetic limbs before his eyes raised up to the stars. "You were Phil."   END Backcover That Which One Begins, Copyright © 2001 by S.T.MAC