The Secret of Mars

A special unit was put together to investigate the disappearance of Mary, Jeanip and the others. It consisted of Oonocks, humans, and three other alien races with advanced surveillance abilities. They commandeered the large recreation room and equipped it with communication, analytic, and surveillance equipment. Several cameras provided a constant video feed of the obelisk and former site of the now disappeared starcraft. At the first indication of any disturbance, a slew of alarms would go off. Further down the hallway, scientists were analyzing soil samples, trying to determine the mysterious elements in a piece of starship and scannings of it and the obelisk.

With not much else to do, Earon, Amber, and Gart spent most of their day in the Task Room looking over the shoulders of the scientists and computer operators. So far, nothing new had been discovered.

Staybo walked into the Task Room with exciting news. “I just received a message from Jazee,” he shouted, holding up the note in his hand. “Phameena, along with Latrill and Colvin, left Earth three days ago and are on their way here. They should be arriving in two weeks.”

“That is great news,” Earon said. “If anyone can find Jeanip, it’s Phameena. And no offense, Staybo, but Latrill and Colvin are the best communications analysis in the universe.”

“None taken,” Staybo replied. “I totally agree with that statement. I may be great, but those two, especially together, are fantastic. If we pair them up with Frank and ClinJew from Regulus III, I bet they discover our missing Oonocks’ location in three days.”

“Yes, that is fantastic news,” a discouraged Amber replied. Getting excited about anything these days was hard. She looked out over the room of faces, each intently working on solving the mystery of where her Uncles, Anew and her two soldiers went. Where Mary was. Although no one said it, she knew they were no closer today to an answer than they were two weeks ago. “Are we taking bets on how many days it will take Latrill and Colvin to find them?”

Before anyone could answer, Frank yelled out,

“We’re getting a reading from the obelisk. An energy surge.” There was a blinding light filling the Observation Window, as something emerged from the obelisk, something shiny and odd shaped.

At the exact moment of the blinding light, a door opened in Amber’s mind. “Mary,” she yelled, running toward the window. “I am here, Mary. We are trying to find you. Fix the window. Fix the window, Mary.” She walloped the window, knocking herself backward for a moment. Outstretching her hands, she felt for the window. “Mary, you and Weenow have to fix the window.” Then it was gone – the light and the opened door. Her connection to Mary ended once again.

Gart and the others ran to Mary as soon as the light diminished. As they neared the princess, they saw she had banged her head pretty good. There was purple blood trickling down from a cut. A good size goose egg adorned her forehead where she impacted the window.

“Amber, you’re bleeding,” Tong said.

“Am I?” Amber asked, feeling the air with her hands. When they encountered a body, she asked, “Gart, is that you?”

“No, Amber, it is me, Uncle Earon,” the monarch answered, wondering if the collision had left her with a concussion. “Do you not recognize me?’

“No, Uncle, I cannot see you,” Amber replied. “I cannot see anyone or anything.”

To help pass the time inside FarCore, and in the hope of learning how to rectify their current situation, Princess Mary spent her days watching the recordings kept inside the Orbs. She was learning a great deal about what Mars was like when the Oonock settlers had arrived.

“Any luck today?” Weenow asked.

“No, just the same stuff,” Mary sighed. “Although I did witness a new species I had not seen before.”

“Perhaps you could start recording the various species you find and write down how they lived, what they ate, and so forth,” Weenow suggested, hoping to find a project to keep the princess busy. Days in FarCore were very dull and long. “When the day comes that we are free, we will need to know what type of environment the lifeforms need. And what they eat. Who are predators, who are plant eaters? We wouldn’t want to put a tigglehorn on land when it should be in some acid pool up in the mountains. Or a small lexprese with a heard of gallyloppers that it would eat.”

“Do you think FarCore will release the lifeforms before the planet is restored?” Mary asked. “Or will she use the Orbs’ powers to restore the planet so the forms can be released once we find out how?”

“She? When did FarCore become a she?” Weenow laughed.

“All great caretakers are females,” Mary laughed. “Did you not know that? FarCore is the giver of life. Therefore she must be female.”

“But it also protects life so it could be male,” Weenow teased.

“Females can be protectors too,” Mary adamantly stated.

“That they can,” Weenow laughed. Suddenly, his face turned to surprise as he dropped to the floor, unable to breathe.

Mary went to help him but stopped halfway there. She felt as if a door opened inside her heart. Then she heard Amber calling her. “Yes, Amber, I am here. Where are you? I do not see you? Amber, do not go. Please, take me with you.” Then the door closed and, just as swift as Amber’s voice came, it was gone. Only Weenow’s breathing was heard.

Mary ran over to the Ancient. “We have to fix the window.”

“What?” Weenow asked as Mary helped him to his feet.

“I do not know what just happened, but I heard my sister. I heard Amber,” a thrilled Mary stated, jumping up and down in excitement. “She said we have to fix the window.” Weenow sat down on the nearby rock, trying to catch his breath. “Are you okay? This is the second time you have collapsed.”

Weenow motioned his hand in the air, indicating he was fine. It took him several moments before he could speak. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, for frightening you. It’s like someone sucks all the air from my body and I cannot breathe. But thankfully, this time, I remember when this happened before. It was when the doors of FarCore opened, and I was able to reach out and save the surviving Oonocks. Whatever opened then has reopened again. And this time, your twin sister was able to communicate with you through the opening. You said she told you to repair the window?”

“No, that we must,” Mary replied. “I heard her say ’You and Weenow have to fix the window.”

“She said my name?” Weenow asked, a startled and perplexed look on his face. “How could she possibly know my name?”

“Because you are Hygone’s brother,” Mary smiled. “Do you not see? They figured out where I am, and that you are with me. That is what the shadow on the Window of Universes meant the other day. They are fixing the window on their side, and they need us to do the same on our side.”

“But how, Princess?” Weenow asked. “I know of no way to fix it.”

“It has to be something simple, something both they and we would have,” Mary stated, starting to pace around the room in thought. “Something both an Oonock and an Ancient would have.”

“Again, Princess, I am at a loss,” Weenow replied. “We are two different creatures. You are flesh and bone, where I am energy. The only thing we have in common is this place and the Orbs.”

“We have already tried the Orbs, and that did not work,” Mary said, trying to imagine what they were missing. “Unless we have to add something to the Orb. But what?”

“Without that piece of the puzzle, I fear we are no further ahead than we were before you heard your sister’s voice,” Weenow sighed, his legs wobbling as he stood.

“Oh no, Weenow, we are much further ahead,” Mary smiled. “I connected with my sister. And if we did it once, we can do it again.”

“Tell me, Your Majesty, if you can see my light,” the medical doctor stated as he shined a light into Amber’s eyes.

“No, I do not see anything,” Amber replied.

The doctor cupped his hand over Amber’s left eye, then removed it. “Any changes now?”

“No, Doctor.”

“I don’t know what that thing was that came out of that black tower, but whatever it was it was powerful enough to burn this child’s corneas,” the doctor told Earon and the others. “My medical advice is to get her back to Earth as fast as possible for a cornea transplant in both eyes. If not, I fear she will remain blind.”

“No, I will not leave until I find Mary,” Amber shouted

“Your Majesty, to delay even a few days could make the regaining your eyesight impossible,” the doctor replied.

“Uncle Earon, you know I do not need to return to Earth,” Amber said silently. “I reached Mary. I spoke with her. Remember what Windar said? She said if I stand before the obelisk it will let me talk with Mary. Only I can communicate with her. I cannot leave.”

“Doctor, might we have some privacy?” Earon asked aloud.

“Of course. I’ll be outside if you need me.”

Earon waited until the doctor was out of the room before whispering. “Amber, if something happens to you, your parents and grandparents will never forgive me.”

“Uncle, you know I can heal myself,” Amber whispered. “I am a healer.”

“Princess, even your Grandmother, as great as she is, cannot regenerate flesh,” Earon answered. “And your corneas are severely burned.”

“That is not true, Uncle,” Amber quickly replied. “Grandmother healed the burnt skin of the soldiers who were badly burned when the Lilac Rose was destroyed. It was what made her a Queen. The people saw what she did and pledged their allegiance to her.”

“But, Your Majesty, those soldiers still had viable skin cells beneath their charred flesh,” PiePie stated. “You have almost no cornea cells left.”

“Dattwa did it,” Amber quickly retorted. “When Mattwa was attacked by that shark, it took most of her thigh off. Father constructed new bone, blood vessels, and flesh. He did what everyone, including Uncle Chancee and Hygone, said was impossible. Even today, you cannot see a mark from the attack on her leg. My father LIVES in me. So does his ability to heal. Please, I beg of you, do not send me home.”

Earon looked at PiePie. She nodded her head yes. He next looked at Gart. Since there was a possibility their friendship would continue to grow into something more, Earon felt he too had a say-so in what happened. Gart lowered his head, trying to determine what to do. He raised his head and nodded yes.

“Okay, Amber, I’ll give you a chance to heal yourself,” Earon said. “The next transport to Earth doesn’t leave for three days. If you do not show improvement by the time it is ready to leave, I am putting you on it. Is that understood?”

“Oh, thank you, Uncle,” Amber said. “And once my eyes are healed, I can go and stand before the obelisk?”

“We will discuss it,” Earon replied, but he knew he would never allow it. It was much too dangerous. “PiePie, ask the doctor to come back in so he can bandage her eyes. And then, Young Lady, I want you in your room, in bed, resting. Understood?”

“May I have company?” Amber immediately asked.

“For a short while,” Earon replied, once again realizing the difficulty involved in caring for a young female monarch. For probably the fiftieth time since being on Mars, he was thankful he had all sons. “Now tell me again what happened. Do you think Mary heard you?”

“You look exhausted,” Staybo laughed upon seeing Gart walk into the Task Room. The alien male had been “babysitting” the princess for them, keeping her entertained and in her bed. He imagined it was no easy job to accomplish.

“Thank goodness the doctor stopped by to check on her,” Gart said, yawning. “He told her she needed to get more rest and sent me out. He also said the bandages could come off tomorrow at 0-eleven hundred.”

“That is good news,” Earon said. “Tomorrow we will learn if she can remain on Mars or if she has to return to Earth.”

“I don’t think I want to be around if you have to tell her she’s going home,” Gart snickered.

“Just be thankful you are not the one doing the telling,” Earon laughed.

“Are all Oonock females this difficult?” Gart asked.

Staybo and Earon looked at each other, then nodded their heads in agreement. “Most are,” Earon answered. “But female monarchs are the worst, especially those that are going to be queen. Do not even get me started on my sister. She is lucky that Kiijon loves her so dang much because she has pulled some doozies over the years. And my poor father. I remember when I was young I followed him outside one day after he and my mother had an argument over the usual – what she could and could not do. He went out back to this big pole and literally smacked his head into it, repeatedly. I thought he was going to crack his head open. Apparently, that was how he dealt with all that frustration my mother gave him.”

“And it worked?” a surprised Gart asked.

“I would not recommend it, but it worked for my father,” Earon said with a smile. “They had been joined for almost seven thousand years when JeffRa took her life. And until he died, not a day went by that he did not miss her. Did Amber ever tell you about the Quanundocii?”

“The Quandozee?”

“No, the Quanundocii. Apparently not,” Earon commented. “Next time you have a lull in the conversation, ask her to tell you about it. I think you will be impressed.”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty,” the human Frank said as he walked up. “I just received confirmation that the team was able to obtain what flew out of that obelisk. It’s being checked for contaminants right now. Then it will go over to the analytic department, in case you want to see what it was.”

“They didn’t give you any clue what they found?” Staybo asked.

“Jackson said it appeared to be some kind of boot.”

The three males looked at each other, wondering why a boot would be thrown out of the obelisk. Surely, someone was playing a joke. And they would find out that it was not a funny one.

“If you will excuse me, I think I will take a stroll down to the lab,” Earon announced.

“Mind if I join you?” Gart asked.

“You do not want to rest while you can?” Earon asked. “Female Oonocks also are not long sleepers.”

“Tong and PiePie are with her if she wakes up,” Gart replied. “Besides, I’m getting my second wind.”

“Then this way,” Earon announced. Glock, who was standing nearby, gave a grunt. Since Tong was not there to translate, they had to assume he also wanted to tag along. “Sure, Glock, the more, the merrier.”

The three very different aliens, now bonded as friends because of the current crisis, stood outside the Task Room waiting for the mysterious “boot” to arrive. Finally, after fifteen minutes, two scientists carried a box into the room and placed in on the table. They lifted the cover and carefully extracted – a boot.

“I’ll be danged,” Gart stated. “It IS a boot.”

“I was all ready to give someone a lecture on what is not funny,” Earon announced, disappointed that the object was a boot. “Are you guys sure this is the right object? That this came out of the obelisk?”

“We’re certain of it, your Majesty,” one of the members of the team stated. “Our initial assessment showed it contained trace elements of minerals not on this planet. And it has a slight variance in its molecular structure, just like that starship and obelisk.”

“What variance?” Earon asked. He never heard of any molecular structure difference.

“The starship had a point zero zero eight molecular variance from the rest of the rock encasing it,” the human replied. He saw the blank look on the three males’ faces. “Just like the obelisk has. Although its variance is a little higher – point zero one three. When that light shot out of it, it rose to two point two.”

“Why am I hearing about this for this first time?” Earon asked. “Did you know about this, Gart?”

“No. Like you, this is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“How about you, Glock?” As usual, Glock grunted. Twice.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but it was in the report we submitted to the Commander,” the human replied. “We assumed he passed the information on to you.”

“May I ask your name?” Earon asked.

“Trace, Sir. Trace Williams.”

“Well, Mr. Williams, is there anything in your rulebook that states you cannot send me my own copy of any reports concerning that obelisk or any findings on the current situation?” Earon asked.

“None that I am aware of, Sir.”

“Then, if you do not mind, I would like you to personally send my Commander, Mr. Staybo, a copy of every report you send or do not send to your Commander. Is that agreeable to you?

“I’ll have to get that okayed with my supervisor,” Trace replied. “Possibly even with the Commander.”

“Oh, leave the Commander to me,” Earon said, turning to leave. “Glock, Gart, care to take another trip with me to pay the Commander a visit? I particularly think you will come in handy, Glock.”

This time Glock gave a large, boisterous grunt. Apparently, he too liked the idea of visiting the Commander