The Secret of Mars

Jeanip strolled into the Communications Room. He was expecting a reply from Jazee confirming when Swaybuk and Anew would be arriving on Mars. As Jeanip read the piece of paper, his eyes began to fill with tears. He allowed himself to fall into a nearby chair, his legs no longer able to support him.

“Uncle, what is wrong?” Earon asked. No matter the event, this mountain of a soldier never faltered; but there he was sitting in a chair with tears clearly visible on his cheeks. Something terrible must have happened. Without a word, Jeanip handed Earon the communique. It read:

Kliinew reports his team arrived at last known coordinates of Amber. Ship destroyed. Apparent pirate attack. No known survivors.

Jazee

“No, that is not possible,” Earon said, plopping down beside Jeanip. “Is it not possible that the Pirates took her?”

“If they had you would have received a ransom note by now,” Tong stated, reading the note over Earon’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Your Majesties. You must assume the worse.”

“That pretty much seals Mary’s fate too,” Jeanip said. “Amber’s connection to Mary was our one main hope.”

“Anew will be here tomorrow,” Earon stated, still holding onto hope. “There is still a chance she can do something. After all, she is an Ancient.”

“While that may be true, I believe it was the connection between the two sisters that was needed to open the portal,” Jeanip replied.

“Poor Medi and EJ,” Earon said, remembering his grief over his oldest son’s death. TJ was killed in an act of spite by a human who feared his fossil fuel empire was in jeopardy. His death had served no purpose other than to satisfy the desire for retribution of a money-hungry man. Everything on Earth reminded Earon of his lost son, so he and his mate had withdrawn to Europa and became piiquid farmers hidden in the land of the VeeRay. They remained secluded from everyone and everything they loved for years. But it was not grief that Earon tried to hide from. It was his guilt. TJ was an unwanted son, conceived in another female’s egg chamber through trickery in a plot to overthrow his sister, Queen Europa. How many times he wanted that egg to die. Then, many years later when he loved his son dearly, his wish came true. He was responsible for TJ’s death. No one else. He probably would have lived the rest of his life hidden amongst the lilac waters of Europa if his mate, EeRee, had not become implanted. With the hatching of his new son came the desire to live again, to be a better father and monarch. Although they remained on Europa to raise his son and the one that followed, Earon often traveled to Earth to spend time with his sister and her family.

“Uncle, if you have no objections, I think I’ll return to Earth once Swaybuk and Anew arrive,” Earon announced. “I know the devastation EJ and Medi are going through. Perhaps I can help them with their grief. I only lost one child. I cannot imagine losing two.”

“Don’t say that,” Jeanip yelled in anger and frustration. He jumped up, hitting the chair and knocking it across the room, smashing into one of the consoles. Instantly, warning alarms began to sound throughout the Settlement. “Amber’s not dead. She can’t be.” His emotions getting the best of him, he hurried to his room and locked himself inside.

“He must have been very fond of his nieces,” Tong said after the heartbroken soldier left.

“Yes, they were very dear to him,” Earon said. “Even more so because they are the granddaughters of his queen. Jeanip was my sister’s second father. He devoted his life to her for many years. With this latest news comes the realization of the sorrow she is enduring.”

“He is not responsible for her sorrow,” Tong stated, trying to understand the Oonock’s outburst.

“To him, he is,” Earon explained. “He will always be her protector. In his eyes, not to prevent such sorrow is a failure in his duties. Plus, Europa is implanted with a son. She does not do well with implantation and stress. There is the possibility she could lose this unborn because of everything that is happening.”

There was a soft knock on Europa’s door. “Come in,” she said. She was surprised to see Chancee’s head pop through the doorway. “Chancee, what a wonderful surprise.” She rushed into his open arms, rejoicing at his hug of love. Holding onto his hand, she led him to the nearby couch. “Although, it is probably more than likely Kiijon sent for you.”

“He is very worried about you and your unborn,” Chancee stated. “He tells me you’ve barely stopped grieving since getting the news about Amber. And you’ve had nothing to eat either. I take it the TeePoon leaves are not working?”

“How could they, Chancee?” Europa asked. “My precious granddaughters are both gone. And I’m stuck here because I carry an unborn son inside my egg chamber. Why or why did I agree to get pregnant again? Everything was fine until the egg was implanted.”

“Are you blaming your unborn son for what has happened?” Chancee asked, concerned about Europa’s emotional state.

“Of course not,” Europa shouted, rising and swimming around the room. “Well, maybe a little.”

“You cannot blame another for the road the Fates plant one’s feet upon,” Chancee said. “Because you are with an unborn son does not mean he caused what has happened to Amber. And Mary is not dead – just misplaced at the moment.”

“Really, Chancee?” Europa said, staring at the spiritual leader, a gyrue. “You are honestly going to use the line that Mary’s misplaced?” Europa began to giggle.

“It’s the best I could come up with on such short notice,” Chancee laughed. “Although perhaps not the best choice of words, the meaning is correct. There is no proof that Mary is dead. In fact, there’s no evidence Amber is either. Will you do something for me?”

“I will try,” Europa said.

“Come and sit here next to me.” Europa did as asked. “Now give me both your hands and close your eyes. Search within yourself, to where the power of the Orbs lives. Can you feel it?”

“Yes.”

“Reach out with that power and connect with the other Orbs,” Chancee continued. “Feel your strength increasing tenfold. Send out your powers to search Mars and the surrounding galaxy. Search for Mary and Amber. Can you feel them?”

Europa opened her eyes and withdrew her hands. “I know what you are doing, Chancee. You are trying to give me hope. We both know I do not have the ability to stretch out my feelings that far to search for the girls. My powers have a very limited range.”

“If the Orbs had the ability to connect the girls over such an Expanse, they also have the power to help you sense them,” a confident Chancee stated. “Indulge the whim of an old patoot, Your Majesty. Give me your hand and just try.” Without a word, Europa placed her hands inside Chancee’s and closed her eyes. “Now, think of Mary and Amber. Stretch out your feelings. Reach into FarCore and take the power you need from the Orbs. Clear your mind and let the Orbs guide you to where you need to go, feel what you need to feel. The Orbs have no boundaries, so neither do you.” Europa stretched out her feelings, sending it through time and space, to Mars and beyond, as her amulet glowed brightly. “Can you feel them?” Chancee could feel something, what, he didn’t know. But something was happening. “That’s it, Sweet Child, reach out. Can you feel their hearts beating? Can you hear their lungs breathing?” ”

“Chancee, I can feel Mary. She is a little frightened, but safe, in a world between worlds.”

“Stretch out further. Look for Amber. Leave Mary behind and concentrate only on Amber.”

“I cannot find her, Chancee,” Europa sorrowfully said. “There is nothing. Just emptiness.”

“Surrender yourself to the power of the Orbs,” Chancee encouraged. “They will take you to where her essence is. If it is spread across the cosmos, then she is indeed gone. But if it is connected, contained within one place, she is alive. Do not try to find her, Europa. Let her essence come to you.”

No longer connected to her body, Europa drifted further into the unknown. She kept her desires hidden, allowing the Orbs to lead her where she needed to go. “She is alive,” Europa shouted as she opened her eyes and jumped up into the water. “Kiijon, Kiijon, they’re both alive.” She raced toward the door to tell her mate the news.

“What’s wrong? Is something wrong with our egg?” a panicked Kiijon asked as he rushed into the room.

“No, My Dearest Love. They are alive.” She saw the perplexed look on her mate’s face. “Mary and Amber. Chancee helped me reach out with the Orbs, and I was able to find them; to actual FEEL THEM! Hear their hearts beating. They are alive, Kiijon. Amber and Mary are alive and well.”

Unsure what had happened, Kiijon looked at Chancee still sitting on the couch. He smiled and nodded his head signaling that Europa told the truth. “There is no limit to what the Orbs can do if one only asks. Our Queen states the truth. She found your granddaughters. Both are alive.”

“Come, we have to go send a message to the Estate right away,” Europa shouted, grabbing Kiijon’s hand and trying to race down the hall to the Communications Room. “EJ and Medi have been so afraid. They do not have to be any longer.”

“Slow down,” Kiijon laughed, trying to keep his mate from dashing off. “You know you’re supposed to take it easy. Besides, what about Chancee? We can’t just leave him here alone in the room.”

“Oh, you are right. I forgot Chancee,” Europa giggled, dropping her mate’s hand. She quickly swam over to Chancee and grabbed his hand and pulled him toward Kiijon. Taking both of their hands in hers, she announced, “You have to come with us. Then we will have a huge celebration in the dining area. I am starving. Ice cream for everyone.”

“Sweetheart, we’re in the ocean. We don’t have ice cream here.”

“Well, we will have something delicious!” she laughed. “They are alive!”

The news of the destroyed freighter devastated EJ and Medi. All hope that Amber was still alive faded into the darkness of the night. And neither held out much hope for Mary either. Both of their precious daughters gone.

Their son, Robert, had offered to come home, but EJ advised him to stay at college. Robert was working on his Ph.D. in chemical engineering, hoping to continue his father’s work to return Earth to the way she was before global warming, deforestation and pollution. Although global warming had stopped and was beginning to reverse, there were still some problems with the Polar Regions. Robert was working on a theory of how to reform the glaciers and refreeze the polar ice caps. EJ said the girls would want their brother to continue to save the planet they so dearly loved.

“Your Majesties, I am sorry to bother you, but King Kiijon and Queen Europa are on the communications band,” Ospree quietly said upon opening the door. He could see the monarchs huddled together on the couch. Even from across the room he could also hear Medi crying.

“Take a message,” EJ somberly replied.

“I tried, buy your parents insist on talking to you immediately,” Ospree said. “They said it’s of the utmost urgency.”

“Maybe they discovered something about Mary,” Medi said through her tears.

“I will go see and be right back,” EJ stated and began to rise from the couch.

“No, Prince EJ, your mother said that both of you had to come and speak to them this very instant. And if you hesitated to tell you it was a direct order from your king and queen.”

The infant inside EJ began to get angry. How dare his parents order him and his mate to come and talk to them? Did they not realize what they were going through, what state of grief Medi was in? Ok, if his parents wanted to see them, they would. But they would be none too happy at the response there were going to get.

“Come, Medi, we have to go see what they want,” EJ softly spoke.

“I can’t, EJ,” Medi cried.

Knowing Medi did not have the strength to walk down the hallway to the Communications Room, and fearing he didn’t have the stamina to carry her, he asked Ospree to bring in the portable communicator.

“I just happen to have it right here,” Ospree stated, wheeling a cart with a portable screen inside. As he entered, he flicked on a few of the lights. He almost stopped upon seeing the young monarchs; both looked so distraught and drained of life. Hoping King Kiijon and Queen Europa had some good news for the parents, Ospree quickly connected the communicator. Within seconds a watery picture of EJ’s parents appeared on the screen.

’Mattwa, Dattwa, this is not a good time,” an angry EJ stated.

“They are ALIVE!” Europa shouted.

“What did you say?” a confused EJ asked. He would not trust his brain to decipher what his mother had said.

“They are alive, Enok. Medi, Amber and Mary are both alive.”

“How do you know this?”

“Uncle Chancee helped me use the Orbs to search for them,” Europa shouted, excitement and happiness spread across her face. “I felt them. I heard their hearts beating.”

“No,” shouted Medi, rising from the couch, angry pulsing through her veins. “No more Orbs, or special powers, or feelings or anything else.” She stared hard at Europa. “Give me proof, Mattwa. Prove to me what you say is true, or leave me to my grief.”

“We thought you two might have trouble believing us,” Kiijon smiled. “So Chancee is on his way to the portal as we speak. He should be arriving there within minutes. He will help EJ make the same journey as his mother did. EJ will see for himself that the girls are alive.”

“No,” shouted Medi again. “Not Enok. He has to prove to ME that my daughters are okay.” She then collapsed onto the couch, too emotional drained to go on.

“I do not know if Chancee can help Medi see, EJ,” Europa said.

“I will make her see,” EJ stated with confidence. Europa knew that her son had had the power to rebuild the flesh on Medi’s leg after she was attacked by a shark, thanks to his great love for her. Perhaps that same love could help a grieving mother see her daughters were alive. “What do I need?”

“A couple of Orbs,” Europa replied. “Two is fine, but four would be better.”

“Ospree, run and get the Orbs,” EJ commanded. “What else?”

“Just Chancee,” Europa said.

“I’m coming,” came Chancee’s voice from down the hallway. “Don’t move quite as fast as I used to. Eighty-nine hundred years tends to make the body move a little slower.” Finally, his head appeared in the doorway. He was surprised the two young parents were not elated at the news.

“Uncle, Medi needs proof that Mary and Amber are alive and well,” EJ quickly stated. “She has to see for herself.”

“I, well, um, I don’t know if I can do that,” Chancee admitted.

“I will get her to see,” EJ stated. “You just get me to connect with each of them.” Silently, so that Medi did not hear, he telepathically added, “Uncle, this better be legit. Medi cannot take any more disappointment or sorrow.”

“Your mother speaks the truth,” Chancee silently replied. “Your daughters are only lost for the moment.”

“Here’s the Orbs,” Ospree said, breathing heavily from running around the house gathering Orbs. “I could only find three.”

“Three will do nicely,” Chancee said out loud. “Place them on the floor beside the couch, one at each end and one in front of EJ and Medi.” Ospree quickly did as told.

“EJ, I’m afraid,” Medi said.

“Do you trust me?” he asked his mate.

“Always.”

“Then trust me now, My Love. If Mary and Amber are out there, as Mattwa says, I will get you to see them too.”

“Clasp your amulets,” Chancee instructed. “And with your other hand, take your partner’s hand.” He waited until they did as asked. “Now close your eyes. Try to calm your insides. Forget your sorrow. Find your inner peace. EJ, find that part of you where the Orbs exist. Embrace it and allow it to fill your entire being. Reach out and, through the three Orbs, draw whatever energy you need from the Orbs inside FarCore until they are a part of you. Allow their energy to flow out of you and out into the world. Let it find your daughters and show you they are alive.”

EJ did as told, but he could not feel his daughters. “Chancee, I am not feeling anything,” he silently said.

“You’re trying too hard,” Chancee replied. “You need to be calmer. More relaxed. Surrender to the Orbs. Allow them to take you.” To Medi, he said out loud, “Medi, you are their mother. The bond you have with them is unique. It is eternal and strong. Reach out with your feelings. Let your love for Mary and Amber combine with EJ’s. Together you can find them.”

The amulets around EJ and Medi’s necks began to glow brightly, as did the three Orbs on the floor. Both parents could feel themselves floating, traveling across space and time.

“Ahh, Mary,” screamed Medi, pulling her hands away from EJ and breaking the spell. Tears streaming down her face, she looked at Chancee, then at EJ. She lifted her hands to her nose and breathed in. “I can smell her. Smell, EJ.” EJ brought one of Medi’s hands to his face and breathed in deeply. Amazed, he too could smell the fragrance of his daughter.

“I did not feel her,” EJ said, looking at Chancee.

“As I said, a mother and daughter’s bond is great. Let’s try again, but this time, Medi, don’t break the bond no matter what you see or smell. Okay?”

“Okay,” an anxious Medi replied.

Once more, the two clasped their amulets and each other’s hand. With the Orbs’ help, they continued their search. Within seconds, they found Mary again. “EJ, can you hear it? Can you hear Mary’s heart?”

“Yes, I can hear it. Mattwa was right, My Love. Mary is alive.”

“Allow your feelings to drift further, past Mars, to the outer edges of our solar system,” Chancee instructed. “Let the Orbs fill you. They will take you to Amber.”

The Orbs on the floor glowed so brightly that Chancee was afraid they were going to explode. But it was not only the Orbs in the house, by those inside FarCore as well. Once more, the young prince had reached through the sealed portal of FarCore and taken all the power he needed.

“Amber. Can you hear me?” EJ called out. He could sense her, far away, safe. “Where are you?” The floor globes’ glow intensified to the point that, as Chancee feared, all three shattered, sending fragments of Orbs everywhere through the room, thus breaking the spell once more.

“Did you see her, Medi?” an astonished EJ asked his mate. “Did you see Amber?”

“Yes,” Medi cried, throwing her arms around EJ. “I saw her.”

EJ turned toward his parents on the screen. Tears were running down their faces also at seeing what had just transpired. “Dattwa, tell Kliinew to go to Helix Six. Amber is there. Safe and with some surprising companions. Oonocks.”

“Oonocks?” a flabbergasted Kiijon and Europa asked at the same time.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” Lady Critchee greeted, as Amber walked into the eating room. “I hope you had a good night’s sleep.”

“Yes, thank you,” Amber stated. “Leader Gart’s home is extremely comfortable and quiet.”

“I feared that you might be too excited to sleep,” Gart stated, walking into the room and having a seat. “Everything is set for our departure tomorrow. In five days I will have you on Mars.”

“Gart, you do not need to take me personally to Mars,” Amber replied. “I have my guard unit. And Lord Clute and Lady Critchee are escorting us along with twenty Oonocks and two guard ships. Surely your daughter needs you here.”

“I wish that were true,” Gart responded. “But she will be returning to her foster parents to continue her upbringing. Remember, my mate and I were the only Caberan to have children. We could not possibly raise all the little ones that hatched.”

“How many children do you have?” Amber asked.

“At last count, four hundred and twenty-two,” Gart proudly replied. “And there are still one thousand six hundred and sixteen eggs in the nursery. They will be allowed to hatch over the next ten years, while my daughter grows. With some luck, there will be one or two more princesses in the unhatched eggs.”

Amber quickly did the math. “You have two thousand and thirty-eight offspring?” an astonished Amber asked.

“There is no guarantee all the eggs will hatch,” Gart answered. “Some of my children who have already hatched have died, including the two daughters I told you about. I would imagine that by the time I step down, I will only have around sixteen hundred offspring.”

“Only!” chuckled Amber.

“Our contribution to our race is quite small,” Gart continued to explain. “My parents had more than four thousand children. Annise, my mate, had more years to produce eggs. Her early death puts a hardship on the survival of the Caberan. ”

“While sounding enormous, Your Majesty, the number of offspring Leader Gart will have is not that much more than Oonocks do,” Lord Clute stated. “We just spread our newborns out amongst joined couples. The average Oonock pair has two to four children. Over several hundred years, approximately four thousand newborns are hatched.”

“Have any Oonock eggs hatched since you have been here on Helix Six?” Amber asked.

“Oh, yes,” Lady Critchee answered. “We have been blessed with fifty-two males and four females. The seas of this planet are denser than on Europa, and the chemical composition is slightly different. Once our bodies adjusted to the thicker liquid, procreation followed close behind.”

“Since both races reproduce through the process of eggs, are Oonocks and Caberan able to mate and produce viable offspring?” a curious Amber asked.

“Not to our knowledge,” Gart said. “Several Caberans have joined with Oonocks, but since our males cannot produce children, we have no idea if they are compatible genetically.” He smiled mischievously. “I guess the only way to know would be if I mated with an Oonock.”

Amber’s cheeks blushed slightly. “So you live, Lady Critchee, down in the seas?”

“Some do,” the female replied, chuckling to herself at the princess’s change of subject. “But most of us exist as Caberan and live amongst Leader Gart’s people. I thought if you wanted to, Clute and I would take you around and show you what your Oonocks have been able to do.” Amber did not reply. Thinking perhaps the princess did not hear her, she turned to ask again.

Amber was sitting there, her mouth open and her eyes wide. She had a look of wonderment on her face.

“Princess, are you alright?” Gart asked. Again, no answer. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know,” Lady Critchee replied.

“Crit, look at her amulet,” Lord Clute stated.

Amber’s amulet was glowing a bright lilac, the color of Europa. From deep inside her came a very quiet sound – a word. “Mattwa.”

“Mattwa,” Mary called out in her unconscious sleep. In her delusional state, she ran through the field of lavender searching for her mother. Although she could feel her love surrounding her, Medi was nowhere to be found. Then she heard her mother call her name. “Mattwa, I’m here.”

A cloaked figure walked over beside her. He bent down and, taking a cold washcloth, wiped the young Oonock’s face. “Soon, precious wonder. Soon you will awaken. And together, we will discover why you were taken from your world.” He looked towards the caverns where the secret of Mars was hidden. For a brief moment, he wondered if she had come to take Mars’ treasures home.