The Secret of Mars

“Is such a thing possible?” Swaybuk asked after hearing Anew’s explanation of how they arrived at a destination so far from Earth.

“It is the only thing that IS possible,” Anew answered. “Quigbee must have activated the navigation controls when he touched the triangle on the Captain’s seat. When I reached through the star map to stop him, I inadvertently selected a destination. The ship did as requested and brought us here.”

“But how?” Quigbee asked, his leg repaired thanks to Anew. “Forget the fact that it is impossible for us to travel so far. What about the detail that it has only been four hours since we stepped foot onto this ship, or whatever it is. Nothing can travel that fast.”

“We could have traveled through the wormholes as we do in our universe,” Swaybuk offered as an explanation. “If they exist back home, there are bound to exist out here too. Perhaps whoever built our wormholes built these also.”

“You mean the Librarians?” Soojay asked.

“I think Swaybuk is on to something,” Jeanip announced. “It would explain a lot. How we were able to travel such distance in a blink of an eye. Why there’s a map of the unknown universe. Why we can’t determine what this starship is made of. Why Anew can talk to the ship.”

“You mean this is a Librarian’s ship?” Quigbee asked, equally as astonished as Soojay at the idea.

“Yeah, I guess that is what I’m saying, Quigbee,” Jeanip smiled. “We know it’s not Terrian. I’d say it belongs to the Ancients, but they’ve never needed or used starships. Isn’t that correct, Anew?”

“Yes,” she replied. “The Ancients only traveled through the Great Expanse inside FarCore. Even on their homeworld, they never used any flying machines.”

“And it doesn’t belong to any of the alien lifeforms known at this time,” Jeanip continued. “The scientists on Mars estimated it had been there on Mars, buried under all that dirt, for at least sixteen million years.”

“I believe it was at least nineteen million,” Swaybuk corrected.

“Okay, nineteen million,” Jeanip stated. “And who knows how long before that it was built.”

“Could Weenow have built this, in an attempt to escape Mars?” Swaybuk asked, looking at Anew.

“While he may be capable of building a vessel similar to this, he’d have no reason to,” Anew replied. “Remember, he can’t leave FarCore as I can.”

“Could he have influenced someone that lived on Mars to build it?” a curious Soojay asked.

“There is no indication that Mars had sentient life nine million years ago,” Anew answered. “And, again, for what purpose would he build it?”

“Let’s not forget about the obelisk,” Jeanip added. “Barook told EJ that the last mention of such an object in their literature was one hundred and fifty million years ago, meaning it, and possibly the spaceship, are at least that old. I know of only one race alive at that time capable of interstellar travel.”

“The Librarians,” everyone said at once.

“Very convincing,” Swaybuk said. “Except for one flaw. Anew is an Ancient, not a Librarian. She shouldn’t be able to understand Librarian dialect.”

“That may not be true,” Anew interjected, giving Swaybuk a warm smile. “The Librarians designed FarCore and the Orbs, as far as we know. The Ancients have been using FarCore and the Orb for millions of years, so we either knew their language at one time or assimilated it over the years. It could be embedded in us. When I was brought forth, I would have received everything the Ancients know.”

“Plus, Kree passed on to you all of his additional knowledge when he left,” Swaybuk said. “If what Anew is saying is true, that the Ancients knew the language, Kree would have certainly passed on the ability to translate the language to Anew.”

“But how do we prove it?” Jeanip asked, as his stomach grumbled loudly.

“I have an idea,” Swaybuk said, stepping closer to the Ancient. “Anew, ask the ship for food for us. Tell it we need nourishment or our bodies will cease to exist.”

Anew conveyed Swaybuk’s message. A scanning beam filled the room, starting at the top of the room and proceeding to the floor, taking readings of the five bodies inside. Then a kind of gibberish was heard.

“She says to take the lift to the third floor and follow the yellow lights to the galley,” Anew reported. “She will have the necessary supplements we need to sustain our bodies.”

“You heard the lady,” Jeanip stated, his stomach grumbling again at the thought of food. “Let’s go see what the ship has made us for dinner.”

As they entered the airlift, Swaybuk asked. “Anew, why did you refer to the ship as female?” He knew that in the Oonock culture, as in many cultures, ships were usually referred to as female. But Anew had never given inanimate objects gender before. He wondered why she was doing it now.

“Because she said that is what she is,” Anew casually answered.

“The ships alive?” a flabbergasted Soojay asked.

“Does that mean there are male ships out there too?” an equally surprised Quigbee asked.

“I do not know,” Anew replied.

“Does she have a name?” Swaybuk asked.

“Yes.”

“Well, what is it?”

“She is called Adreena.”

“You’re sure this is going to work, Latrill?” Earon asked, as he and the others intently watched the small rover position itself in front of the obelisk.

“We are sure it will open the obelisk,” Latrill replied. “But as to its response to the frequency, we have no way of knowing. That’s why we are using a small, unmanned rover. It is possible that the obelisk will perceive the frequency input as a threat and destroy the rover. But I believe we should be safe here.”

“You believe?” shouted the Commander. “Monarch Waters, I only agreed with this idiotic plan because you assured me there was no danger to my station. If there is any danger to it or the people inside, I want this experiment called off immediately.”

“I assure you, Commander, we will do nothing to endanger your people or ours,” Earon stated. “We have taken every precaution possible to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“I’ve heard that promise before,” grumbled the Commander.

“Are you ready, Amber?” Earon asked. Amber was standing in front of the Observation Window behind a shield of oxinized glass. Frank, Latrill, Colvin, Staybo and several others had developed it, stating the obelisk’s ray would not penetrate it. Earon prayed they were correct. He was taking a big chance.

“Yes, Uncle. I am ready.” She looked up at Gart, who was at her side.

“Just like we practiced,” Gart said, giving her an encouraging smile.

Amber closed her eyes and grasped her amulet. Clearing her mind of all thoughts but Mary, she began to hum the song of the Ancients, reciting the words “Ennay Benu Carif.” All watched in anticipation for her amulet to start glowing, signaling her connection to the Orbs. As she became more centered, more focused, the amulet around her neck began to glow slightly. Then, with each second, it grew in strength and radiance. Sensing the Orbs’ power, she began to chant instead of humming.

“Now,” Earon said, as the amulet shone brightly.

Latrill pushed the button, and the little landrover began to send out a signal on the obelisk’s frequency. Soon the structure began to hum, its tip pulsating to the tune of Amber’s chanting. Back at the Settlement, they felt a slight tremor when the pulsating increased.

“Mary,” Amber whispered, as she connected with her sister inside FarCore. Gart quickly turned and nodded to Earon, indicating a connection was made. “Your blood, Mary. Yours and Weenow’s blood can heal the window.”

The ground shook violently as a lightning bolt shot out of the obelisk and struck the landrover, shattering it into a million pieces. The bold of energy continued along the ground, heading directly toward the station.

“My gosh, that has to be a hundred feet tall,” Colvin said in awe.

“And packing enough power to destroy this entire station and everyone inside,” the Commander shouted. “Shut it down, NOW.”

“Shut it down, Latrill,” Earon said, fear gripping his heart as he realized the Commander was right. The energy bolt was coming right for them.

Latrill and Colvin frantically pushed buttons, but they could not break the connection. “We can’t, Sire.”

“What do you mean you cannot?” Earon shouted, trying to be heard over a deadening sound of the obelisk pulsating. It too was growing in strength, causing some to cringe in pain.

“We can’t break the connection,” Colvin shouted. “It’s locked onto us and won’t let go.”

Earon looked over at Amber and saw she was still in a trance. “Gart, break Amber’s concentration. Maybe that will stop it.”

Gart tried to bring Amber around, but she too did not respond. He shook her softly, then more vigorously, trying desperately to break her connection to the obelisk and Mary.

“Pull the damn plug,” the Commander yelled, running to the sidewall and yanking the power plug.

“Don’t do that,” Staybo screamed, but the Commander already had his hand on the plug and was pulling. It came free from the wall, pulling with it an enormous bolt of electricity. It shocked the Commander, sending him flying through the air into the adjacent wall. A line of fire traveled up the wall, incinerating all the electrical components inside.

In horror, the Oonocks and some humans watched as the console’s lights began to dim and die. Their only chance of stopping the oncoming electrical bolt was gone.

Latrill watched the electrical bolt growing closer. “Without the console, there is no way of stopping that thing. It will descend upon us growing in strength, and will probably kill every living thing in this building.”

“Everyone, run and try to find some cover,” Earon yelled, as he ran toward Amber. “Preferably behind something made of iron or stone. Anything electricity cannot penetrate.”

“I can’t break her connection,” Gart screamed over the deafening pulsating. Earon and Phameena reached out to grab their princess and carry her out of the room just as the energy bolt made contact with the building. They and Gart were thrown across the room. Thread of electricity danced and sparked around Amber, lifting her off the floor six inches. Unable to help, her protectors watched their beloved princess’s possible death.

The threads of electricity spread across the room, over to the console. It hungrily caressed the console, blowing circuits, frying metal wires, dissolving soldered panels until it at last burst into flames.

“I am sorry we failed you, My Queen,” Earon said, as he prepared to die. But then it grew hauntingly quiet. He looked and could see the obelisk had stopped pulsating. It was now a constant glow. He quickly looked at his niece and noticed that the energy threads around Amber had ceased sparking. They were now intertwining, changing color to a soft lilac, encasing her in a shower of brightly colored particles. Some were swirling around her amulet, which was floating in the air. It was almost as if they were inspecting the object, trying to decide what it was. He watched as a thread of light energy left Amber’s cocoon and traveled toward him. He tried to back away, but he was already against a wall. Sensing the danger, Staybo advanced toward his monarch.

“No, Staybo, stay where you are,” Earon said. “I do not think it means me harm. It might consider your advance an attack.”

Praying his liege was correct, Staybo and the others watched as the thread reached Earon. The thread wrapped itself around Earon’s glowing amulet, lifting it away from Earon’s chest. Another light thread broke away from the amulet and encircled Earon’s body, creating a shield of light, lifting him several inches off the floor. Within seconds, the light shield changed to a soft lilac color. Then, as if the obelisk inhaled all the energy it had sent out, the threads circling Amber and Earon were sucked from the room, across the land and back into the obelisk. As Earon fell to the floor, he quickly looked over at Amber. She too was now on the floor, but there was no movement to testify she was alive. He prayed she was.

“Well, that does not seem to be working either,” Mary sighed, as another attempt to mend the broken Window of Universes failed. “I had high hopes for this one.”

“As I have mentioned numerous times, Your Majesty, I tried many times to repair the window,” Weenow stated. “It cannot be repaired.”

“But Amber said we needed to fix it,” Mary replied. “We, Weenow. You and me. It is something we have to do together.”

“Without more of a clue, I am afraid we cannot discover how to repair the window.” Weenow heard a crackling sound, fearing their latest effort to repair the window had hurt it. But the window did not change. Then he realized the sound was coming behind them. He looked and, to his amazement and horror, the sound was caused by hundreds of energy threads rising up from the Orbs on the table, sparking and throwing out tentacles of power.

“Run, Mary,” Weenow shouted, realizing the danger they were in. But before Mary could move, the flames of energy leaped out and encircled her, trapping her inside. A massive wind blew across FarCore’s floor, tossing Weenow backward like he was a piece of paper, throwing him to the other side of the room and pinning him to the wall. He watched as the threads angrily licked Mary’s body, burning her skin with electricity, making her body convulse.

“Stop, take me,” Weenow shouted, unable to comprehend why the Orbs were attacking the young princess. What could have happened to cause such actions? Then he heard a deafening sound. “The obelisk. What have you people done?” He feared that somehow those outside of FarCore had tried to force the obelisk to open, thus triggering its defense mechanism. Mary screamed in pain, as blood trickled down her arms and face. Patches of lilac blood grew on her clothing as her body beneath her clothes bled.

“Stop it; you’re killing her.” Somehow, Weenow was able to fight the wind and swim to Mary, pushing through the barrier while screaming in pain. He grabbed Mary’s arm, but he could not maintain his grip. He ran to the Window of Universes, pounding on it, begging those on the other side to stop whatever they were doing. Then the wind and sound stopped. Weenow turned and saw Mary floating inside a cocoon of soft lilac light, tiny dots of color dancing around her body, healing her wounds. Several energy strands were circling her amulet. Then the threads of light were gone after it placed Mary gently upon the stone floor.

Ignoring his immense pain, the Ancient ran to the Oonock princess. He said a prayer of thanks when he saw she was breathing. “Mary, Mary, are you okay?”

“I know what we have to do,” Mary replied in a very soft silent whisper, too weak to say much. “I know how to heal the window.”

“I still do not understand why I cannot heal you,” Mary said as she continued to wash the white blood from Weenow’s arm.

“Because I am an Ancient and have no flesh, no bones,” Weenow explained again.

“Then why are you bleeding?” Mary asked. If he had no body, how could it be injured?

“That I do not know, Your Majesty,” Weenow replied. “We are mortal, even though we can live a hundred million years or more. And we do have a liquid inside us that is, I suppose, a kind of blood. But never have I heard of an Ancient being attacked and physically injured, causing this liquid to seep out of our being. Ouch.” Weenow winced, as Mary put extra pressure on one of the deeper cuts, trying to stop it from oozing the Ancient’s precious blood.

“I am sorry, but we must get this bleeding stopped,” Mary said. “You may be almost immortal, but your blood has a limited supply. You have already lost a great deal of the liquid that keeps you alive.”

“I have never felt pain before,” Weenow said, staring down at his wound. “At least not the physical kind. I don’t think I like it.”

“Few do,” Mary laughed. “Grandfather Terrance said it makes you know that you are alive.”

“That it does,” Weenow laughed too.

“Why did the Orbs attack us?” Mary asked, as she ripped off a piece of her shirt and wrapped it around the one deep wound on Weenow’s arm.

“I am not sure, but I think FarCore was defending itself,” Weenow replied. “When we were attacked, I heard a sound that I have not heard since the day the lifeforms were brought into FarCore through the obelisk. It was the noise of the obelisk breathing. I think someone on Mars tried to force the obelisk open. Maybe they thought if they could get the obelisk to open either you could go out or at least hear your sister again.” Both looked over to the Window of Universes. There, right in the middle of the broken window, was Weenow’s handprint. Mary’s blood that was on his hand had combined with his and, with the energy of the Orbs, had repaired the window to form a perfect impression of his hand. “The obelisk interpreted their undertaking as an act of aggression and retaliated. But that retaliation showed us, without a doubt, how to repair the window.”

“Hearing Amber’s words would have been sufficient,” Mary grumbled. “FarCore did not need actually to show us.”

“I totally agree,” Weenow replied.

“Do you think they are okay?” Mary asked, worried for whoever tried to open the obelisk. FarCore’s reaction almost killed the two of them. What could it have done to those on the outside who perpetrated the opening?

“That I do not know, Your Majesty,” Weenow honestly answered. “But since you heard your sister’s voice after the attack, I surmise she, and hopefully the others, are still alive. The obelisk has great power. Its builders built it to defend this portion of the universe from marauding thieves. It is capable of wiping out an entire legion of starships.”

“Then why did it not defend Mars from JeffRa when he attacked the colony?” Mary asked.

“I often wondered that same question,” Weenow asked. “But now, thanks to you, I know who and what the creature was who tried to destroy Mars. I believe I have the answer. Since JeffRa and the colonists were of the same species, the obelisk did not recognize him as a threat. It wasn’t until he started to destroy the planet that the obelisk realized its mistake and attacked. But it was too late. JeffRa’s attack was too strong and too much damage was already done. Everything was dying. To save what it could, the obelisk enabled me to bring the thousands of lifeforms inside, where they remain today.”

“Apparently the obelisk can learn from past mistakes,” Mary said. “It immediately saw my kind as a threat this time and did not hesitate to strike.”

“Hopefully, something they will not try again,” Weenow stated. He stood, grabbing the nearby rock to steady himself. He was very weak. “Perhaps, Your Highness, you would help me over to my crystal. I am going to need to sleep inside for several days to rejuvenate my body.”

“Of course.” The Ancient leaned on the young princess as she helped him over to the crystal chamber and his container. He was so weak that they had to stop several times so he could rest. Mary did not like the idea of being all alone for several days, but she realized that without the needed rest Weenow might cease to exist. His need to rejuvenate also meant they would have to postpone repairing the Window of Universes.

“Thank you, Sweet Child,” Weenow said as he entered the crystal. “Are you sure you’ll be alright being alone for several days?”

“What could possibly happen to me in here?” Mary teased.

“Apparently, more than we thought,” Weenow smiled back. “Promise me you’ll stay in this area. Do not go exploring or venture away from the cavern. It is very easy to get lost inside FarCore, and if you did, I might never find you again.”

“I promise,” Mary said. “I have lots of Orbs I can watch. You just rest and get better so we can start fixing that window and go home.”

“Is she alive?” Earon shouted as several of his Oonock soldiers helped him to his feet.

“Yes, thankfully,” Gart said, kneeling beside the princess.

“That’s it,” came a loud, angry voice as the Commander got to his feet. “I want you and your entire crazy crew off this planet on the next ship in two days.” He walked up and tried to tower over Earon, his face red with anger. “Not even your mighty King can help you this time, Mr. Waters. You almost got everyone on this station killed. How many more of your people and mine are you going to endanger before you admit your niece is dead?” Earon went to answer, but the Commander stepped even closer, barely two inches from the monarch. “Don’t even bother to give me one of your damn excuses. Just get the hell of this planet.” He pointed toward Amber. “Do your family a favor. Take that niece home before you kill her too.”

Phameena briskly walked over to her sovereign, blood trickling down her right cheek. “Earon, I did not come all this way just to turn around and go home. I will not leave without Jeanip.”

“I know, Phameena, but I’m not sure we are going to have a choice.” He saw Phameena tense. “At least for now. The Commander is right. After what just happened, the danger we put the station in, even King Kiijon and Queen Europa are not going to be much help. But we have two days. Maybe we will be lucky, and something will prevent the transport from arriving or taking off. Do not give up hope yet, Phameena. We ARE going to find Jeanip and the others.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Phameena said, raising her hand to her forehead and bowing deeply.

“Now, none of that,” Earon said, raising her up. “You and I have been through too much together to warrant such homage.” Earon looked over at the group clustering around the burning console. Several beings were spraying fire retardant on it in an attempt to quench the flames. “Phameena, I need to check on some things here. Will you help Gart take Amber to the medical unit? See if anyone else needs to go also.”

“As you wish.” Jeanip’s mate turned and surveyed the room. Amber was still unconscious, so she would need to be carried. Phameena imagined Gart would volunteer for that job. She saw that two humans were also in need of medical assistance. One appeared to have a broken leg and would not be able to walk. She walked over to the wall and pulled down one of the curtains. Quickly fashioning it into a stretcher, she asked several of the men present to carry him down to the medical unit. The other injured human was able to walk, and Gart followed with Amber.

“Okay, what is the damage?” Earon asked as he walked up to the group. “Wow, it is worse than I thought. Can anything be saved?”

Latrill poked his head out from underneath the charred console. “Looks like that energy bolt fried every piece of wire and component there was.” He crawled out, dusting off the charred ashes from his clothing. “Thankfully, we prepare for such events and . . .” He looked around to make sure no non-Oonocks were around, except Frank. “And we put the critical components in these.” He held up two soobree cubes. “The heart and guts of this operation.”

“Got the villo and hyperdrive modules,” Staybo said, crawling out from the other side.

“Where is Colvin?” Earon asked, not seeing the third programmer.

“Right here, Your Majesty,” Colvin answered, popping up in the middle of the mess, putting out a small flame that was in his hair. “I drew the short straw and got to go in for this baby.” He held up his prize, a large, two-inch square, green emerald. “Someone might want to put some more fire retardant on this mess. It’s still burning down there.” Two humans with tanks came running toward the debris. They pressed their nozzles, spraying both Colvin and the destroyed console with fire retardant. “You might have waited until I got out.”

“Sorry,” the two humans said when they saw Colvin covered in white foam.

“How long to get it up and running?” Earon asked.

“Without those modules, a good six months,” Latrill replied. “With the modules, six hours.”

“And with this baby, four hours and three minutes,” Colvin said, still holding up his prize, it and himself now dripping with liquefying foam. “Although I may want to take a shower before starting, so add another five minutes on.”

Everyone laughed. “As always, our Oonocks accomplish the impossible.”

“How is the princess?” Latrill asked.

“Alive, thankfully,” Earon answered.

“Why did the obelisk attack us?” Frank asked.

“I do not think it was attacking us, Frank,” Latrill replied. “I believe that it perceived the console as a threat when we activated the frequency. It did the logical thing, followed it back to its origins and attacked its creator – the control panel. Why it didn’t finish the job, I don’t know.”

“I believe I may know that answer,” Gart said, walking into the room. “It recognized the necklace around Monarch Earon and Princess Amber’s necks. If it hadn’t, none of us would be standing here now.” He turned to Earon. “Mistress Phameena is with Amber, but the medical personnel has requested your presence.”

“Is there a problem?” Earon asked, concerned the medical staff was requesting him.

“They would not tell me. Only that I needed to get you,” Gart replied.

“Latrill, you are in command,” Earon ordered. “Colvin, after you shower, help Latrill and Staybo with the new console. You will need to find somewhere to build it that the Commander will not find. Besides ordering us off Mars, I am sure he will not let us build another console.”

“If you don’t mind going across the courtyard, there’s a perfect room over at the engineers’ complex,” Frank offered. “No one ever comes over to visit us.”

“It will be a little inconvenient, but at least out of the way and away from the Commander,” Earon said. “Make it so. As soon as you get it up, get a complete report of this incident to King Kiijon. I’ll stop by the Communications Room and send him a small report, just in case the Commander decides to have him and Europa notified.”

“JaaJew, see how many were injured and the condition of the two Phameena took down to the medical wing,” Earon continued. “I want a report on the casualties and property damage in one hour. Have someone find Tonk and Glock and make sure they are both alright.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Staybo reached out and grabbed his monarch’s hand as he turned to leave. “Sire, we failed you. We were sure that shield would protect Princess Amber and our attempt to open the obelisk would not harm the Settlement. I resign my position and accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate.”

“We feel the same way,” both Latrill and Colvin stated, walking up next to their companion. “We deserve to be stripped of our rank.”

How like Oonocks, Earon thought. “None of us could have anticipated what that thing is capable of. If anyone is at fault, it is I. Besides, I need you three. I cannot get Mary back without you. Now, if that new console is not operational in four hours, then I’ll accept your resignations. And your punishment will be intense.”

The three soldiers smiled. “We’ll have it up and running,” Latrill said.

“Gart, I assume you are with me?” Earon asked.

“If you have no objections,” Gart replied.

“Not today.” Earon smiled, patting the alien on the back as they left the room together.

“Your Majesty, we just received a communique from Planetary Security and Development,” Wibblebee stated upon stepping out onto the back porch where EJ and Medi were enjoying dessert and coffee with Princess Misso and her mate, Wiiguard.

“That cannot be good,” Misso stated. “Not on a Sunday evening.”

“Perhaps it’s word about Mary,” Medi said, a look of hope in her eyes.

EJ tore open the communique and read its contents, forcing a smile to remain on his face as he read the devastating news.

“Well, do not keep us in suspense, Brother,” Misso said.

EJ knew there was no easy way to tell the news, so he simply read the note:

Dear Mr. Waters;

We are advising you that, as of fourteen hundred hours this date, your permits to search the planet of Mars for your lost civilization and family members is revoked. All Waters’ personnel must vacate Mars no later than 0-eight hundred two days from this date.

Signed,

General Joshua Higgins

“Revoked? Why?” Medi asked.

“He does not give a reason,” EJ responded. “That is all there was, Wibblebee?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the soldier replied.

“Was a copy sent to my parents?” EJ asked.

“No, only to the estate,” Wibblebee answered.

“Then forward the communique to my parents at the Complex right away,” EJ ordered. “Tell them I will be arriving there shortly.” He turned toward his sister. “Sis, can you and Wiiguard keep Medi company for a few hours?”

“Of course.”

“Will you be okay?” EJ asked Medi. He hated leaving her, but he had to know what was going on. And he couldn’t do that from the Estate. Something major had to have happened for them to lose their permits. He needed to know what and if Amber, Earon, Phameena and the others were in danger.

“I am fine,” Medi replied. “As long as it doesn’t say my daughter or the others are dead, I can hold up. You go and get us the answers we need, My Darling.”

“I love you,” EJ said, kissing his mate lovingly. “I will be back just as soon as I can.”

“I love you too,” Medi said.

EJ hurried inside, undressing as he walked down the hallway to the library. He said the Ancient words and stepped through the portal painting, immediately transforming into his true self. He arrived at the Complex within minutes. He was not surprised to see his father already waiting for him.

“What has happened and how is Mattwa?” EJ immediately asked.

“I’ll answer your second question first, since that is the easiest,” Kiijon answered. “She is probably about the same as Medi. Trying to keep it together. How did Medi handle the news?”

“Like you said, holding it together.”

“We received a communique from Mars about twenty minutes ago,” Kiijon began to explain. “It was sent from the Communications Room of the Mars’ station. All it said was ’Obelisk retaliation. Everyone ok. Console destroyed. Ordered off the planet. Details to follow.”

“That’s it?” a frustrated EJ asked.

“Kliinew estimates that if the soobree modules were not destroyed, they should have a new console up and running in about six or seven hours,” Kiijon added. “Maybe even sooner, if the new green emerald cube works. So all we can do is wait.”

“I am SO tired of waiting,” EJ said, frustration coursing through his body. “That is all I have done for months now. Waiting to see if Mary is alive. Then Amber. I do not know, Dattwa, how much longer I can keep myself together.”

“I know it is frustrating, especially since you cannot go to Mars yourself,” Kiijon stated. “I do have something, however, to help pass the time. I cannot leave your mother. We only have a few weeks before the baby’s egg emerges. I need for you to contact Planetary Security and Development and find out exactly why our permits were yanked. Once you have an answer, contact General McDouglas and former President Onsted and see if they can help with anything. I pulled in a lot of favors last time Jeanip almost got expelled from Mars. This time, with PSD involved, I’m not sure anyone can help.”

“You really think we may have to leave in two days, without Mary?” a fearful EJ asked.

“I’m afraid, Son, that is now a distinct possibility,” Kiijon replied. “And I believe we’re down to a day and a half. Don’t forget to calculate in the time it took for the communique to reach us.”