Tarizon: Desert Swarm Read online

Chapter 35

  Linkh

  Jack took in a deep breath then glanced at Dolly who looked terrified.

  “What world are you from?” he asked Linkh.

  “A planet millions of miles away called Tarizon.”

  “How long did it take you to get here?”

  “About an Earth year.”

  “Then you traveled faster than light?”

  “Yes, we have recently developed that technology.”

  “Wow! That’s hard to imagine.”

  “Yes, we haven’t done a lot of space exploration yet. Our planet’s been at war for over a century and although we are at peace for the moment, now we are suffering from the effects of many super volcanic eruptions. We only came to Earth because we knew of its existence from our history books.”

  “How did Earth fit into your history?”

  “Earth and Tarizon were both settled by humans from the same planet, Pharidon.”

  “Pharidon? That must have been a long time ago. It’s not in any of our history books.”

  “So I’ve been told,” Linkh said.

  “So, what about the microorganism that lives in the crystal walls?” Jack asked.

  “The microorganisms you speak of are actually a life-form from Tarizon called the Nanomites. They must have existed on Earth at one time as our ancestors brought all the life-forms, animals, birds, and plants from Pharidon. The Nanomites have always lived in peace on our planet until just recently when the humans learned how to communicate with them. We taught them a lot about dishonesty and deceit. Much of our planet’s buildings had been destroyed by tremors, tidal waves and volcanoes, so an agreement was struck with the Nanomites to build new structures in return for the nutrients the Nanomites need to thrive, and for the right to occupy the buildings that they constructed. It would have worked out well, had the humans lived up to the terms of the contract.”

  “Yes, I can see they are fine builders,” Jack replied.

  “But the humans broke the treaty and refused to let the Nanomites live in the structures after they were built. Instead, they made them live in overcrowded farms and didn’t respect their civil rights. War broke out between the humans and the Nanomites after millions of Nanomites were murdered as a matter of convenience to their caretakers. The persons responsible were charged with genocide but acquitted when the Supreme Council of Interpreters determined that the Nanomites were not a life-form protected by the Supreme Mandate.”

  “The Supreme Mandate?”

  “Yes. It’s like your constitution.”

  “It sounds like your planet is much like Earth. We have the same sort of problems here. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to obtain justice sometimes.”

  “Yes, it’s the nature of the human race, I’m afraid. The war did not last long but the Nanomites did manage to nearly destroy the capital city of Shisk by weakening many of its skyscrapers and undermining the ground beneath them until they collapsed. Thousands died. So, back at Death Valley Junction when the Nanomites refused to return to the Bat Mountain Site, I knew they intended to fight.”

  “I see. So, where do you think the Nanomites will strike next?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but they will look for the tallest and largest buildings.”

  “There aren’t any tall buildings around here,” Dolly noted. “The largest building is the hotel downtown.”

  “They also like to destroy bridges and highways to disrupt transportation.”

  Dolly sighed worriedly. “We should warn the manager of the hotel. He should evacuate the place.”

  Jack looked back at Dolly, slammed on the brakes and did a screeching U-turn. They raced back toward town and immediately saw a cloud of dust and smoke rising from the small city. When they got to the outskirts of town they realized they were too late. The hotel and buildings around it had collapsed and fires were raging everywhere. They stopped and got out of their truck when they came to a section of the road that had sunk ten feet in just minutes. They looked out over at Death Valley Junction in shock.

  “Why are they doing this?” Jack asked. “These people didn’t even know the Nanomites existed.”

  “Yes. I told them that, but they believe your government is trying to enslave them as the humans did on my planet. The Nanomites have no tolerance for deceit.”

  “How did you stop the war on Tarizon?”

  “There were only two humans on Tarizon that the Nanomites trusted, a mutant named Threebeard and his sister, Artis. Artis warned the Nanomites not to enter into the contract with the government but they didn’t listen. So when Artis and Threebeard came to them as negotiators from the newly elected government seeking peace, the Nanomites listened to them and a treaty was worked out. The Nanomites knew that the government was sending a diplomatic ship to Earth, so one of the provisions of the treaty was that a Nanomite colony be brought here. This was important because nobody was certain that Tarizon would survive the cataclysmic volcanic eruptions, tremors, floods and wildfires that had plagued the planet for almost a year. So, if Tarizon became uninhabitable the Nanomites wanted to be sure its life-form would survive on Earth.”

  “So,” Jack said. “When I discovered the Nanomites building their new home and people heard about it, the Nanomites got nervous.”

  “Yes, particularly when the army came in with troops and set up a camp and flocks of pilgrims came to watch their cathedral grow.”

  “Cathedral? They are building a cathedral?”

  “That’s what we call a Nanomite city. It looks like a cathedral. That’s where our government, Central Authority, got the idea of having the Nanomites build structures for us.”

  “I see. So, the Nanomites thought they had been betrayed again,” Jack said.

  “Yes, that is what they believed and when a man actually attacked them with a saw and a sledge hammer, their fears were confirmed.”

  “Right, he was just trying to get a sample of the crystal for a museum. He didn’t know he was killing Nanomites.”

  Linkh shook his head sadly. “I know, but your government has not handled the situation well by keeping secrets from its people.”

  “That’s because they are afraid to tell the American people the truth,” Dolly replied. “They don’t think we can handle it.”

  Linkh sighed. “Leaders often think they know what is best for the masses, but they are usually wrong.”

  Jack nodded. “Well, we better get you to Agent Sanders,” Jack said. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

  They got back into the truck, turned around and drove off. They made it to Lone Pine before noon. George did a double take when they walked in with Linkh. He summoned Agent Sanders who was in her temporary office. She came out and her mouth dropped.

  “George, Agent Sanders. I’d like you to meet Linkh Leode. He’s a Seafolken from the Planet Tarizon.”

  George opened his mouth but no words came out. Agent Sanders smiled broadly. “It’s nice to meet you Linkh. How in the hell did Jack find you?”

  Jack looked around nervously and then suggested they all go to George’s apartment where they could talk privately. When they had moved their meeting there and settled in, Jack filled them in on what had happened at Death Valley Junction.

  “Oh, my God. I had no idea they were sentient beings.”

  “Yes, the swarmmasters have the intelligence and the workers have the strength and manual dexterity.”

  “What do they look like?” Agent Sanders asked.

  “I have been told that if you could see them they have a large head, two legs, four arms and two sets of wings. The wings fold inward and only appear in the rare instances that the Nanomites are forced out of a solid object. The second set of arms can also act as legs.”

  “Wow! So, are you going to be in trouble for talking to us?” Agent Sanders asked.

  “Yes, if they find out. They would execute me for treason.”

  “So, why are you taking that risk by talking to us?”

  �
��Because Jack saved my life for one thing. But also, not long ago I was but a slave. Many in the government still believe I should be treated like one still. So, I have no great loyalty to this government and will not participate in its treachery. I came with Agent Malone to try to stop a war but I have failed. So, maybe if you know the truth you can do something to stop it yourselves.”

  Jack sighed. “I’m afraid we have another problem.”

  “What other problem?” Linkh asked.

  “There’s another nanomite site that the government doesn’t even know about yet.”

  Linkh sighed. “How did that happen?”

  “It’s a long story,” Jack said and then explained what had happened at the Independence Site.

  “We better check the news and see how bad it is in Death Valley Junction,” Cindy suggested.

  George nodded. “Good idea.”

  Cindy got up and turned on the TV. The Noon News was already in progress. The camera was showing the devastation in Death Valley Junction..

  “An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale jolted the western Mojave Desert around Death Valley, California, early today, authorities reported. The trembler was recorded at the California Institute of Technology. The center of the quake was about 170 miles northeast of Los Angeles along the Death Valley fault line. Most of the downtown area of Death Valley Junction was destroyed and thirty-seven persons were killed with seventeen others missing. What buildings didn’t fall down were destroyed by numerous fires that swept the area fueled by severed gas lines.

  “The home of the late Deputy Sheriff, Mark Hanson, that was being worked as a crime scene by the Army Criminal Investigation Command, was actually swallowed up by the quake. Jimmy Malone of the Central Intelligence Agency and a government consultant, who were seen at the crime scene minutes before the quake, are missing and presumed dead. Neither the Army or the CIA have responded to our inquiry as to why an employee of the CIA was at the site.”

  “In other news—”

  Cindy shut off the TV.

  “Well, they think you’re dead, Linkh,” Jack said.

  “Yes. That’s good news.”

  “If it’s true. They may be trying to lure us into a false sense of security. We have to assume they know you left with me after the earthquake.”

  “That wasn’t an earthquake,” George said. “Cal Tech is the only place reporting it.”

  “No, it wasn’t,” Linkh agreed.

  “Someone in the government called in a favor at Cal Tech and got them to run the earthquake story,” George said.

  “You’re probably right,” Jack agreed.

  “So, now what do we do?” Dolly asked.

  “It’s up to Linkh,” Agent Sanders said. “Linkh. We can return you to your ship if that’s what you want or you can stay with us and we’ll find a place for you to hide.”

  “I’d like to help you stop the Nanomites from waging war first. When that’s done, then I’ll consider my options and make a choice.”

  “Why don’t we go back to the Independence site,” Jack said. “I’ve got a construction trailer there we can stay in while we try to figure out how to stop the Nanomites.”

  “Aren’t you afraid they’ll trigger another earthquake there,” George asked.

  “I don’t think so. There are no buildings other than the one they are constructing and we will stay clear so they won’t have any reason to attack us. Plus we have to be close by to figure out how to deal with them.”

  “Okay,” Agent Sanders said, “but don’t take any action without talking to me about it first. I’m going to try to convince my boss that the FBI needs to get involved in helping to neutralize this threat.”

  “You think that’s possible given the President’s directive for them to stay out of it?”

  “Yes, if I can convince him of the seriousness of the threat.”

  “Okay. I’ve got a construction phone on site so we can keep in touch.”

  After going out to a local restaurant for lunch, Jack, Dolly and Linkh drove back to the Independence site. When they got to the fallen tree across the road Jack went off-road across a meadow and over a hill where he caught the road again. When they got to the construction trailer they got out and admired the Nanomite cathedral that was rising quickly in the distance and was already nearly 20 feet tall. Jack told Linkh how much faster they were building their new home, nearly a foot a day rather than the five inches at Bat Mountain.

  “Yes, that is how they do it on Tarizon. All the materials are brought to the construction site and placed in piles as you have done. This makes it convenient for the Nanomites to build, so the work goes quickly.”

  That evening, sitting on a fallen log around a campfire, Linkh told Jack more about the Nanomites and their history and they discussed ways to stop them.

  “The way they kept the Nanomites on their farms was to build motes around them and fill them with toxic chemicals that would seep deep into the ground so the Nanomites would be killed if they tried to pass under the moat.”

  Jack cringed at that idea, fearing the long term consequences to the environment. “There’s got to be another way.”

  “Water will work too but it won’t necessarily kill the Nanomites. It will keep them contained as long as you can keep the area saturated. They don’t work or travel well in water so they will go to great lengths to avoid it. ”

  “So, we have to dig a moat. That won’t be an easy task in the desert where the temperature can get as high as 135 degrees and water is scarce.”

  “Fire will work too, but it’s difficult to control and millions of Nanomites will likely die before they can be driven back.”

  “So, how do you communicate with them?”

  “Telepathically. Artis taught the Nanomites Tari, the official language of Tarizon, so any human with that gift could theoretically talk to them.”

  “Do they think like humans? I mean, even if you communicate with them, is there really understanding.”

  “No. Not at first. When they are debating an issue all you hear are a jumble of random thoughts, some in Tari and mostly in pictures, but when they reach a consensus, one swarmmaster speaks for everyone and they can be understood.”

  “That must be very cool to be able to see into someone’s mind?” Jack said.

  “Yes, it makes you feel very close to them.”

  “If the people from Tarizon are related to all of us on Earth, I wonder why some of your people can talk telepathically but no one here on Earth has that ability?”

  “Most humans have the capability to communicate telepathically but few master it. On Tarizon you can train to improve your telepathic skills.”

  “Are you saying I could communicate that way?” Jack asked.

  “Yes. I’m sure you could to the extent of your gift.”

  “How do you find out if you have the gift?”

  Linkh shrugged. “I could probably tell, if you will open your mind to me.”

  “How do I do that?”

  Linkh turned toward Jack. “Just relax and look me in the eyes,” he said. “Now concentrate on something pleasant from the past. If you feel something pressing on your mind, don’t resist it.”

  Jack did as he was told and Linkh gazed into his mind. Jack felt a strange sensation like a gentle wind in his head. He shook his head trying to clear it.”

  “Don’t resist,” Linkh reminded him.

  Jack took a deep breath and tried to relax his neck and shoulders. He felt the wind again and tried to enjoy the strange feeling.

  Linkh smiled. “You were thinking of a beach on a tropical island. There was a woman you had feelings for but now there is only sadness.”

  Jack smiled. “Very good. I was thinking of my honeymoon to Hawaii. My wife and I are divorced now.”

  “Well, I think you do have the gift. I can’t tell the strength yet but you should try to develop it.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Look into my e
yes and concentrate. Try to look through them and into my mind.”

  Jack frowned. “I don’t know how to do that.”

  “You do it by thinking it. Look into my eyes and look for a door. When you see it, open the door and look into my mind.”

  Jack did what he was told but saw nothing.

  “Look for the door. Concentrate.”

  “Jack looked again trying harder to concentrate but saw nothing but Linkh’s pale blue eyes. “It’s not working.”

  “Well, it takes a lot of practice. Just work on it every day and eventually it might come to you. The trick is to make yourself believe it can happen. If you don’t believe you can do it, it will never happen.”

  When it came time to go to bed Dolly made up the sofa for Linkh and she and Jack took the single bedroom in the trailer. Jack tried to go to sleep but it was a futile effort as his mind raced over the day’s events, in particular the fact that he had an alien from another planet sleeping in the next room who could read his mind. He liked Linkh a lot and thought he could trust him, but he was worried about the other aliens, the ones who considered Linkh a slave. Of course, what was primarily keeping him awake was the big question—how could they stop the growing Nanomite population and keep them from getting to a bigger city where they might kill thousands of innocent people and cause millions of dollars in damages.