Charlie Boone
by Geron Kees
Life Is Like A New Suit of Clothes, Charlie Boone! - Chapter 11
It was some hours later that the Ardvoon got back to them.
"It would seem that your reason for being here is now voided," the speaker said. "The information that the fourth-order beings were carrying, the information that could harm your people, has somehow become useless."
Charlie and Kippy exchanged surprised glances. How did the Ardvoon know? And, did that also mean that the chelpee knew their valuable data had been corrupted now, too?
"Fancy that," Charlie responded calmly. "I wonder how that happened?"
"Indeed," the Ardvoon returned. "It has been suggested that you possess some way of moving about our world that is not detectable by us."
"You asked us to keep our ship here, and we did," Charlie returned. "That should have been obvious."
"Your ship remained in place, yes. But did you?"
"That has no bearing on what comes next," Charlie decided. "Since our mission here is basically accomplished, there is no reason for us to stay on your world."
"We give you no permission to leave. There is still the matter of your trespass here."
Charlie sighed. "I don't think you could stop us if we did choose to leave. But, at least for the moment, we will remain, providing that you talk with us, and offer a solution that both sides can live with."
There was silence from the other side of the negotiating table.
Charlie leaned forward in his seat then. "And, we may be able to help you with your own problems."
The pause that came after that suggested surprise. "What could you know of our problems?"
"More than you think," Charlie returned. "We know of the purge that occurred here in your distant past, and that the resultant depletion of diverse thinking has damaged your culture deeply. We also know that you have, for some reason, distanced yourselves from the third-order life that shares your world with you. Just these two factors alone suggest that something is happening here that is distressing your people."
"You do have a method of exploring here that is undetectable by us," their host concluded. "You are now doubly dangerous to our welfare. So much so, it would seem that it is in our best interests to allow you to depart, after all."
"You don't feel a need to destroy us?" Charlie asked, feeling a little perverse now.
"We are not destroyers by nature. Yet I sense that our efforts to end your existence would be unsuccessful, anyway. Your arrival here has been attended by much power, both detectable in your vessel, and in whatever accompanies it."
"Bingo," Robin said softly. "They may not be able to directly sense Minerva, but they certainly do sense something out of the ordinary."
"We may be able to help you," Charlie repeated.
"You cannot."
Charlie sighed at that. "Why do you refuse assistance? How do you know that we can't help you?"
"You are third-order life forms. What can you know of us?"
"More than you think. We have some fifth-order friends of our own. We are not without insight into your different way of being."
"Our problems are solely our own."
Charlie nodded to himself. "Thinking that way is one of your problems."
Surprisingly, after a moment of silence, their host seemed to relent. "What do you suggest?"
Charlie sat forward in his seat. "Up until now, we've simply been guessing at what is going on here on your world. You could assist us in assisting you by telling us more about what is troubling your people."
Again, a moment of silence. "The idea will be considered. We ask that you remain here, both in body and in mind, until we make our decision."
"Agreed," Charlie promised. "We will wait here now until you get back to us."
He sensed the withdrawal of their host's attention, and the circle of bright globes surrounding them now pulsed with light, as if a discussion was taking place.
"Bright little fellows, aren't they?" Robin asked, watching the display keenly. "Looks like a genuine conference going on now."
"I'm actually surprised they listened to you, Charlie," Adrian said. "They seem like some stubborn folks to me."
"To me, too," Charlie agreed, smiling.
"I think they have reached a point where they know they need to do something," Browbeat suggested. "This guy sounds to me like they are going to consider talking to outsiders for the first time in a long time."
Charlie nodded at the flyer. "You sensed that, too, huh?"
Browbeat tittered happily. "I ain't no dummy!"
"I sense that they want our help, as well," Chi Baradee said. "I believe their conference will go in our favor."
Horace laughed at the exchange among his friends. "I thought I was the only one that sensed their interest in us." He turned to Charlie. "They were seriously impressed that we bypassed their defenses, even if they didn't let on about it. And they do seem to sense the presence of Minerva. She would be a very big deal to them, a fifth-order entity like themselves, but of vastly greater power."
"What do you think?" Amy asked, turning to the star-filled eye seeming to sprout from the deck nearby. "Can they sense your presence?"
"It would seem they can, to some degree," Minerva responded. "Perhaps not in great measure, and they would have no idea of my origins; but they can sense enough to wonder.what I might be doing in your company."
Browbeat tittered again at that revelation. "In the company of lowlifes, you mean?"
The eye that was Minerva bowed in a definite smile now. "Not at all. I'm sure there are many instances of third- and fifth-order beings associating in this particular universe. It just seems uncommon here, in this space, and especially to the Ardvoon. They seem to be having enough of a problem handling the fourth-order beings they have confined below."
"The chelpee are not exactly the sort you invite to parties," Rick said, shrugging. "I'm not surprised they aren't on better terms with their hosts. It sounded to me like they resented the Ardvoon as much as they did the Loturi."
"Especially now, since their precious data is gone," Amy suggested. "I'll bet they're having a fit over that, wondering who is responsible! People with a chip on their shoulder like these guys often don't have many friends. And here, they're going feel surrounded by enemies now."
"Or they don't have any friends," Charlie elaborated. "These chelpee seem not to want to associate with anyone but their own kind. And by their own kind, I do not include the other kawisp. That's a very acute form of prejudice, and one very hard to deal with."
"It is the hallmark of their sect," Chi Baradee said. "Even the other kawisp tend to shun them, because of the trouble they make between our people and theirs. And there is the matter of chelpee ferocity, which even our armed forces find difficult to deal with."
"How so?" Kippy asked. "You mean those lightning bolts?"
"That was a single discharge," Rorna pointed out. "In battle, the effects are cumulative. A dozen chelpee can form a joint blast that can level buildings and penetrate even the defensive screens of our ground-based armor. In battle, they are fierce beyond reason, and this is another reason their own people have such a problem dealing with them. The chelpee don't care who they fight with, even their own kind. This makes them scarcely tolerated on their home world, and dealt with fiercely in turn when they cross the line. One thing they are always facing on their homeworld is being vastly outnumbered."
"That probably makes the chelpee even angrier," Horace offered, shaking his head. "They have to feel like no one trusts them."
"No one does," Rorna put in. "Their government watches them carefully on their own world. It's one reason you will often find them journeying in space, or living and operating on other worlds. On their own planet they are treated like foreign agents, and have no freedom to draw their plans against us."
"Diplomacy," Kippy said, somewhat distastefully. "The chelpee are an embarrassment to the rest of their people. On the galactic stage, anyway. The kawisp want to be on good terms with the Loturi, and the chelpee keep messing that up."
"There's no way to get that back, either," Robin mused. "No matter what the chelpee do now, even their own kind won't trust them. We are going to have to assume that the chelpee no longer consider the impact on their own people of their actions against the Loturi."
"I've been assuming that," Charlie revealed. "This hatred of the Loturi became an obsession with the chelpee long ago." He considered that. "I have to wonder what this group was doing before the Loturi came on the scene. Hate groups can often change their focus to take in new circumstances." He turned to Chi Baradee. "Did the chelpee exist as a group prior to the meeting of your two peoples? And if they did, what was the focus of their animosity at that point in time?"
Baradee and Rorna looked at each other. "It is a question that has not been asked, to my knowledge," the woman said.
Robin frowned. "It may not be as simple as prejudice, Charlie. I am sensing something here that rings a bell in my mind...something from long ago." He smiled. "There are stories among our own kind of warriors who fought in this manner. Whose sole reason for existence was the destruction of the enemy, and at any cost."
"You mean the IRS?" Rick asked, grinning. "Oh, I think some of those stories are way overblown!"
History's greatest thief laughed. "No, not them." His smile waned to a more serious expression "I'm referring mostly to old Scandinavian legends of the berserkers."
Charlie blinked in recognition at that. "I've heard of them."
Kippy shook his head. "I haven't, though I know the word berserk. It comes from a people? Who were they?"
"I've always thought that they were a class of warrior imbued with a very unique form of skwish," Robin said. He nodded. "Even shapeshifters, perhaps."
"The Norse bear warriors," Horace said then. "And the Germanic wolf warriors."
Robin looked delighted. "You're a true scholar, my friend."
"I've long been interested in unusual manifestations of what I now know of as skwish," Horace returned. "I ran across most of these stories in my early researches on Gretchen."
Adrian and Rick exchanged glances. "You mean true shapeshifters, like werewolves?" Adrian asked.
Rick laughed. "Or Charlie?"
"Exactly that, though the legends vary in how much they attribute the abilities of berserkers to true magic. The Norse believed in the hamask, which was an actual transformation of these warriors, imbuing them with the qualities of the bear. In the Norse dialect, berserker referred back to the words ber, meaning bear, and sekr, meaning shirt. Literally, these were warriors that supposedly could assume the qualities of bears within their human forms. Some accounts even report that these warriors actually assumed the look of trolls inbattle, with massive, barrel-shaped bodies that were almost impervious to steel."
"Whatever their true ability to transform, their ferocity in battle was legendary," Robin agreed. "Their sole aim was to destroy the enemy at any cost."
"There's a science fiction variant to these legends back home," Charlie said then. "An author named Fred Saberhagen wrote a series of tales round alien machines, created for some long-ago war, whose sole purpose was to wreak havoc on the enemy. Unlike regular warcraft, these machines were not designed to survive the war, not designed to come home again. Run by artificial intelligences, these machines were over-engineered, over-powered, and frighteningly aggressive. Humans encountered them when they first started journeying among the stars, and found them almost impossible to deal with. They called them berserkers, after the Norse legends. These alien machines varied in size, from tanks on the battlefield to battleships among the stars." He nodded. "And the sole mission of these machines was to destroy every enemy they encountered, and everyone was the enemy."
Rorna looked unsettled by the recounting. "That does sound much like the chelpee. They have no friends, just enemies, it seems."
"They don't sound like good neighbors," Browbeat decided. "There are realities in the lower layer that have wars between things like this. They're amazingly dangerous places to go, even for observers. I kind of avoid them, if you know what I mean."
The humans all smiled at that. "I remember hearing something or another about a place like that while we were dealing with Lane Tallfield," Rick said. "I'm not sure now who mentioned them."
"Berserkers," Charlie repeated, nodding to himself. "It might explain a few things, though we can't be sure of anything just yet. But if there is even a remote correlation between these legends and stories and chelpee philosophy, it means they're even more dangerous than we first thought. We will need to walk softly here, until we know more."
Amtapora spoke up then through Grim: "I have completed my survey of this world, Charlie.There are some surprises here I think you should know about."
"I'm all ears," Charlie said, smiling, glad to move away from the darker subject of chelpee aggressiveness.
"We are correct that this continent is inhabited by the Ardvoon, and the others are not. This continent is also surprisingly devoid of third-order life, but there are also many exceptions. The pollinator species, and those important to the survival of plant life on this continent have remained, but only in cases where an interdependence upon removed third-order life forms was not crucial to their survival. I have found that third-order species are especially prolific on the continent positioned almost opposite this one in the planet's western hemisphere. That continent shares a similar latitude, and is a quarter again larger, providing for an almost identical ecosphere as this one."
"Are you saying that the third-order species that inhabited this continent were moved there?" The idea of such a move was a colossal undertaking in his mind, and if the Ardvoon had accomplished this feat it spoke volumes about their powers.
"This other continent suffered a volcanic-inspired extinction-level event only a few thousand years past. A super-volcano erupted, and as much as 90% of the life there failed. But it appears that the Ardvoon successfully confined this event to that one continent, rather than letting it affect their entire world. A marvelous ecological achievement, and one to be applauded."
Another amazing example of fifth-order power. "I'm impressed just hearing about it," Charlie admitted.
"These Ardvoon obviously have what it takes to master this planet," Robin said then. "Yet they seem to have done a poor job of selection, in more than one area."
"They're a bit paranoid of other ideas...and other species," Horace mused."That has reduced their effectiveness considerably. They must be choosing a lot of second-best options in how they operate here."
"Moving all the animals elsewhere is a tremendous achievement, but it's sad that they felt the need to even do it," Amy agreed.
"I believe I have the reason for this mass transfer," Amtapora said.
Kippy sighed. "You'll tell us, I guess?"
Rick laughed, but didn't add anything, and he and Adrian grinned at each other.Here we go!
"Among the species living on this other continent is a biped just exiting the hunter-gatherer phase of evolution. These people have mastered fire, and are in the elementary stages of farming and animal husbandry. And, they are power-users, albeit largely undeveloped ones at this point."
Power-users!
Kippy gave Charlie a poke with his finger. "That's why the Ardvoon moved them, I'll bet. They were feeling a new species coming up that had the power to sense them!"
"It's entirely likely you are correct, since a survey of the continent we visited earlier to observe the chelpee reveals former habitations of this biped culture. I would say the Ardvoon's chief interest was in moving this species, and they simply moved all the other higher-level, third-order species to ensure the survival of the bipeds in a booming environment.The other continent was virtually empty of higher-order animal life due to the extinction-level event. Plant life recoups much more quickly than does animal life after such planetary depredations. The project seems to have worked out well."
"Unless the super-volcano goes off again," Amy pointed out.
"That probably will not happen. It appears to me that efforts have been made to seal the plume that drove this volcano from accessing the surface again. Some rather marvelous planetary engineering has occurred, and changes have been made to the plate beneath this other continent. It appears to my senses that they are effective enough to prevent a similar disaster from occurring in the future. The Ardvoon are truly gifted in their understanding and use of their powers. It's just a shame that they are applied so illogically in this particular case."
"They want to be left alone," Kippy said. "They fear other people and other ideas. They even feared other ideas enough in their own people to send them off into space to live on other worlds."
Charlie mulled those ideas a moment, and nodded. "It seems odd that a people wielding so much power could be so afraid of other ideas. But this refusal to adapt, to change, is killing them. They are engaged in a case of slow intellectual suicide."
"That kind of says it," Horace agreed.
Robin smiled at Charlie. "So...how can we help them?"
Charlie returned the smile. "I don't know just yet. But they do need someone to talk to, and we are it at the time. I'd like to help them actually. Their care for life seems at direct odds to their fear of others. Compare them to the chelpee, whose fear and distrust of others seems to allow them to kill freely. These two peoples share a trait here, but how they each apply it is a study in contrasts."
"Maybe it's not a fear with the Ardvoon," Kippy wondered aloud. "Maybe it's something else, entirely."
"Then we need to find out, so that we might help them," Charlie returned.
"I find your compassion moving, Charlie," Minerva said. "I will assist in any way that I can."
"What can we do?" Browbeat asked. "We have to get them to talk to us first."
"I think they'll decide to do that on their own," Charlie decided. "As Chi Baradee has said, she senses that they want our help now."
"I do feel that," the Loturi woman agreed. "There is a sense of desperation among them. They understand that they have a problem that is slowly destroying them, but they have no idea how to repair it."
"They have been doing the wrong things for too long," Kippy said. "They can no longer sort them out." He shook his head slowly. "Being powerful sure doesn't mean being visionary, does it?"
"No one is perfect," Minerva said again.
Everyone smiled at that, and Charlie nodded. "Let them talk it out. They'll get back to us, I'm sure now."
Rick sighed, and looked around the circle of faces. "I'm for some lunch, guys. Isn't anyone else hungry?"
"We have made our decision," the Ardvoon spokesperson told them upon returning. "How do you think you can assist us?"
Robin winked at Charlie, and Charlie had to suppress his own happiness that things appeared to be moving along now.
"Well, it seems to us that your people have first systematically culled your own population of alternative thinkers, and then gone out of their way to keep new thinking and new ideas from entering your culture from other peoples."
"Your observations are correct. For the longest time it was thought that alien ideas would pollute our purpose in attaining purity of thought."
Purity of thought? "Exactly what does that definition imply?"
"It is the ability of a large group of individuals to think in total concert, total harmony, and so address the universe with one goal of understanding. It has long been considered that the mysteries of spacetime can only be theorized by individuals and smaller groups, but never totally understood save by a group mind of size, with each individual working as one element of that mind towards a unified goal." There was a pause for a moment. "The concept is valid, but the implementation is another issue altogether."
"You see things differently now?" Charlie hazarded.
"What we have found is that there is no easy way to attain this purity of thought. Even like thinkers often conflict over basic ideas, reducing the effectiveness of group thought, and negating efforts directed at one goal from being successful. We have been unable to attain purity of thought within our group, because individual thoughts can never be absolutely aligned. Too late did we discover this to prevent damage from occurring to our society in the interval."
"It's not too late to step back," Charlie said. "You haven't reached the precipice yet."
"We know. This is why we have decided to speak with you. It cannot hurt us further to listen to your ideas and consider them."
"You moved the third-order bipeds that once inhabited your continent to the continent on the other side of your planet," Charlie said. "And the other higher-order animals went with them. This was because you feared that the bipeds emerging mental powers would detect you?"
There was a momentary silence from the Ardvoon. "It amazes us that you have learned so much in your short stay here."
"Curiosity is a trait of our race," Charlie said, shrugging.
"Of our own bipeds, as well. They had already begun to detect our people here on this continent. It was just a matter of time before their thinking moved to other areas. We have not always been isolated here on our world. Our own studies of galactic cultures have shown that when two races, one advanced and the other primitive, share a world, the tendency for the primitives to deify the advanced peoples is common. Such a move here would only damage the biped's ability to move forward in their evolution. Our own principles forbid that we knowingly cause harm to others."
"That didn't stop you from purging your own people in the past, and sending them off to be prisoners on other words," Kippy dared.
"Our principles were not so evenly administered in the past," the Ardvoon admitted. "But how do you know of this? These purges, as you call them, occurred certainly well before your own people had left their world and journeyed into space. Well before you were the people you are today, even."
Charlie rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, but Kippy just smiled in return, not at all embarrassed at having let the cat out of the bag.
Charlie thought fast. "We encountered one of your exiles in our travels. His nature had been altered so that he could only draw energy from the world on which he now lives. But he was not at all upset at having found a new home. He seemed quite content, in fact."
"The idea has been put forward in our own internal debates that repatriating these people would be in our own interests," the Ardvoon offered in return.
"You might find that not all of them would be willing to come back."
"That thought had actually not occurred to us. But we will need to factor it in if we make the attempt. It is clear we would have to offer a return, rather than demand it."
"I'd say so," Robin put in. "And you might have to prove to them that you've had a change in your thinking. They would want to know they had freedom of choice over their own destinies again, among other things."
"This cannot be the extent of your thinking on assisting us," the Ardvoon guessed.
"It's not," Charlie agreed. "Um...have you actually talked to the chelpee you have detained on your world?"
"This is what the fourth-order beings are called?"
"Yes."
"We told them they were safe, but that we needed to keep them segregated for the time being. That was the extent of our conversations with them. They demanded in return to be set free and placed upon their way. Your arrival precluded further communications with them. Complicated things, so to speak."
Was there a hint of humor there? Charlie smiled.
He noticed Chi Baradee watching him then, her eyes clearly questioning, and just as suddenly inferred her thinking: He had told the Loturi that the Ardvoon had requested assistance from the Carpathians because the Loturi were bombarding them. Because the Ardvoon world was a part of the Carpathian Empire.
Oops.
The woman smiled at him, and Charlie sensed the promise there: we will speak of this later, Commander Boone!
He nodded at her, and returned his attention to the Ardvoon. "Do you have a name? In our culture, friendships generally begin with a name exchange. I am called Charlie."
"My designation would be a meaningless burst of energy to you. I see no way to respond to this request."
"Let me interpret what you are called," Amtapora said. "I may be able to supply Charlie with an acoustic analog."
A brief sound reached them then, and even Charlie's ears heard it as an almost squeaky Rulapeerrr.
"There is already a sound component, as the lowest frequencies are within your range of hearing, Charlie. Would you like to use that?"
"I don't know. May I call you Rulapeerrr?" Charlie asked the Ardvoon.
"If it will bond us and speed communications, I find it acceptable."
Charlie relaxed at that. These people weren't so difficult after all!
He sighed. "The very first thing you are going to have to acknowledge to yourselves is that not all thinking from outside your group is dangerous to you."
"As I have already said, we have discovered that there is no purity of thought."
"Diversity is what makes a race go," Charlie returned. "Your people have stagnated due to the level of inflexibility you've installed in yourselves. There is never only one path to the future."
"We are coming to understand this. Or, perhaps to remember this, might be a better way of saying it."
Charlie nodded. "Then you have already taken the first step in helping yourselves."
"And the next step?"
"Understanding your friends. And your enemies."
"To my knowledge, we have neither."
"You have us now as friends," Charlie insisted. "We place stock in the idea, and stick by it."
"And our enemies?"
"You are sitting on them, even now. The chelpee. They are going to view your holding them as captivity, and not take kindly to it."
"It was for their own protection."
Charlie winced at that. "I hate to pollute your own ability to judge the chelpee with our own ideas. But we have come to the conclusion that these people may be viewed as a cult of some sort among their own people, or at least follow a mindset that precludes them from being friends to others. They seem imbued with a virulent desire to harm their enemies, something we are having a difficulty understanding, because all living species seem to be their enemies. And, they seem to be power users of a rare sort, which makes them doubly dangerous."
"We have done nothing to rate ourselves as their enemies, Charlie," Rulapeerrr returned, sounding almost exasperated.
"I'm afraid they won't view it that way. These seem not to be reasonable beings. They exist on a narrow band that defines the universe one way - their way - and, they resent and hate anything or anyone that crosses that line."
"We will need to see this for ourselves. We have barely communicated with them as yet. They have no reason to view us as enemies." The Ardvoon sounded insistent.
Charlie held up a hand. "I am just telling you my thoughts on this, so that you will not be surprised to find them hostile. They have little tolerance for others, and not even the more even-tempered members of their own kind."
"By that standard, your arrival here will make you their enemies, as well."
"There is no doubt in my mind," Charlie agreed. "And especially now that their precious data has been corrupted. They will view us as the potential perpetrators of this act, and seek revenge for it. Especially once they know the Loturi are with us. The friend of my enemy is also my enemy."
There was a moment of silence before the Ardvoon responded. "We may be able to learn from you, after all."
Charlie smiled. "I'm sure it will work both ways, my friend."
"Our history is a long one," Rulapeerrr told them. "Our memories are deep with time. It has become a project among us now to review our oldest memories, in order to understand how we veered onto a path of such inflexible thinking. We must understand where we erred in our considerations, in order to understand how we can guide ourselves back to something more diverse."
"That's an interesting project," Horace replied. "Among my own species, our oldest memories are usually not among our daily thoughts. These older memories need to be prompted to appear, and that most often happens in conversations with others. A comparison of memories, for instance. A comparison of times in one's life to those of another. Others experienced the same eras as we did, but saw them and remembered them differently. This alternative perspective is important to understanding the whole. Or, at least, I think so."
"It would appear to be a proper tool in gathering information," the Ardvoon agreed. "We have already found that, among our own people, there were deliberate repressions of some memories that did not conform to the group perspective. Individuals did not wish to run afoul of the system, and so did not divulge their alternate interpretations of reality."
"I can understand that very well. In totalitarian or conformist societies in the history of our own world, the freedom to express individual thoughts and ideas was often severely suppressed. But these thoughts could not be destroyed, only their spread attempted to be stopped. And the individuals involved varied in their responses to these extremes. Some simply did not resist and conformed to the demands - took the path of least resistance - and toed the line. Others existed in a more passive-aggressive state, appearing to follow the rules, but airing their opinions when they found themselves in like company." Horace sighed then. "And, most pointedly, others simply took a stand against the suppression, often resorting to violence to resist."
"Our people are not violent by nature," Rulapeerrr responded. "It was long thought that there were only two sides to our thinking - those that were in agreement, and those that resisted. Those that were in agreement were the vast majority, and felt that those that resisted needed to be removed from our culture in order not to spoil the quest for purity of thought. What was not realized was that there was a third party to our thinking - those that disagreed with the primary tenets of purity, but who appeared to go along because they did not wish to be ostracized. This segment was actually the majority, but no one understood that until recently."
Horace nodded. "For many it becomes a simple bit of mathematics, weighing the consequences of resistance against the price of conforming. Far too many appear to go along with a repressive society rather than lose the gains they have made in life. But the resentment simmers, and sometimes it moves these people into the third category I described, the one where violence against the repression seems to be the only way out of their problems. Most repressive societies eventually have to face a growing resistance over time, and sometimes this resistance becomes strong enough to topple them."
"There has been no move to topple our society of late, only to change it. That, in itself, has been enough to redirect our focus on our goals. Even those who still wish to seek purity of thought have come to agree that destroying our society through inflexible thinking is not the way to achieve that goal."
"Well, understanding that you have a problem is the first step towards dealing with it. I'm happy to learn that your people had already made this step, as I much doubt that we could have talked you into it, just by appearing here."
"I agree. Though your arrival here may now be considered one of those prompts to review older memories that you described."
Charlie, who had been listening to the conversation, nodded his head. "It sounds like you were ready for change even before we arrived."
"The movement has been gaining force for some time now," Rulapeerrr agreed. "It could no longer be disregarded. Your arrival and our current exchange of ideas seems to point to the fact that we are ready to accept a change. It was not that long ago that you would simply have been ejected from our world, or, if that had proved impossible, simply ignored."
"Have you made any decisions yet on what to do with the chelpee?" Charlie asked.
"It has been determined that the best way to deal with them is to allow them to leave."
"Have you considered the idea that they may not just go away?" Kippy asked. He shrugged. "They have to be mad at losing their bargaining chip with the Abask. They'll want to take that out on someone."
"They can do nothing to harm us. Putting them off our world and disallowing their return should be sufficient."
Browbeat, perched on Kippy's shoulder, briefly buzzed his wings. "These guys don't seem the type to just go away. What will you do if they don't?"
"If we eject them, they cannot return. If they wish to waste their time orbiting outside our defenses, or testing them, they will simply be ignored. It has already been determined that they cannot get back in."
"You didn't know we could get in," Rick pointed out.
"We now attribute that success to your fifth-order friend," Rulapeerrr replied. "We have been looking for this one, and have found definite signs that he exists."
Amy chuckled. "He's found us out, Charlie."
Charlie didn't want to volunteer the hernacki's presence without consulting her first, so said nothing. Even asking Minerva if she wished a more direct conversation with the Ardvoon, while Rulapeerrr was listening, would be exposing her to their further awareness.
"Shall we go and talk to the chelpee?" Charlie asked. "Maybe if we do this together, you can get a better appraisal of what they want now. Just give us permission to fly our ship to where you have them segregated, and we can get down to business."
Robin looked surprised. "You want to talk to them in person?"
"I think it will be safe enough, providing we're careful with our defenses. What about that, Amtapora?"
"Standard EV suits may not be enough. I will manufacture battle suits that will provide a more thorough defense against unfriendly energies."
Browbeat fluttered on Kippy's shoulder. "What about me?"
"My analysis of the defenses the Madracorn have equipped your body with indicate that they are more than up to dealing with the chelpee tendency to fire off electrical bolts of energy."
The flyer looked delighted. "I'm a tough guy, huh?" He tittered, and smiled at Charlie. "Who knew?"
"I think some of us have suspected," Charlie returned, reaching over to give the little flyer a fond caress. "But you use your power so wisely--"
The flyer sighed happily. "You guys are so fun!"
The suits were provided quickly, and Investigator moved to land close by the dome holding the chelpee. The ring of sparkling globes that was the Ardvoon appeared nearby, and descended to ground level outside the dome. Charlie and the others disembarked from their ship and strode across the grassy plain to stand near the Ardvoon outside the dome. He could see the chelpee within, and the sudden agitation that appeared in their gaseous columns.
"You!" A belligerent voice screamed at them in their coms then. Chi Baradee had worked to program their com gear with her translations. "We knew you had to be involved in this!"
Clearly, the speaker meant the two Loturi.
"We could not allow you to do so much harm to so many innocents," the woman returned. "That which you stole from us has been dealt with."
"Innocents! They work to steal what belongs to others!'
"Just as the Abask work to take what could rightfully be ours," Baradee returned. "It is a competiton for space, not a war."
"All things are war!" The chelpee returned. "All species are takers, and all must be dealt with when they take what belongs to us."
"What happened so long ago was an accident," Charlie put in. "The Loturi have gone out of their way to make amends."
The sound that reached their ears then could almost have been a sneer. "I do not recognize your species, but I will remember your interference here. Should we meet again, you will be dealt with as well."
Charlie peered curiously at the aliens inside the dome. "We are not the ones being detained, you are. And your powers are known to us, and we can deal with them."
There was an incredible flash of light then, and a bolt of energy pierced the dome and struck out at them. Charlie and the other suited members of his group were pushed backwards amidst a crawl of violet energies over their defenses, but none lost their footing nor were injured.
Browbeat launched himself off Kippy's suited shoulder and hovered before the group just as another group bolt of energy released by the chelpee reached them. A translucent dish of energy appeared before the little flyer, deftly caught the bolt, and turned it back at the dome. It crashed into the Ardvoon containment with a roar, spitting smaller bolts of lightning in every direction, and the grassy plain rang with the power of the strike. The chelpee within the dome vibrated furiously, bumping into each other, and the air of shock among the aliens at the move was clear.
"You...had...better...watch...your...step," Browbeat grated, in a voice Charlie had never heard the flyer use before. "We aren't people you can bully. I'll kick your arrogant electrical asses if you try something like that again, you hear me?"
Kippy laughed; and then all the humans were laughing in surprise and delight.
"I don't know your kind, either," the chelpee spokesman said tightly, "but I will remember you, too." But no more bolts of lightning were released their way, either.
"Empty threats," Browbeat returned, his golden eyes narrowed. "I've got your number now."
"Look," Charlie said to the chelpee, trying for patience. "This whole affair is over. Done. Why don't you fellows just be on your way? You are not wanted here, and the Ardvoon are set to release you."
"That is correct," Rulapeerrr said. "No one is out to harm you. Be on your way from our world, and you will be free to leave. We guarantee you safe conduct into the cooee. But you are cautioned not to linger here, and not to return. We will be less patient with you should you come here again."
Somehow, Charlie sensed that the chelpee simply weren't used to being treated this way, and were at a loss on how to proceed. Their spokesman offered small whirls of electrical energy within his gaseous column for a full minute, and finally responded. "Release us. We will leave."
"Damn right, you will," Browbeat said softly, initiating another grin from Kippy.
"Then we will escort you outside our defenses, and you can be on your way," Rulapeerrr agreed. "But remember our cautions: do not return to our world."
"There is nothing here to draw us back," the chelpee agreed. "A particularly disagreeable place."
If the Ardvoon were in any way insulted, they did not show it. The dome containing the chelpee simply disappeared, followed by the circle of Ardvoon, save one.
"Will you remain to speak further with us, Charlie?" Rulapeerrr asked.
"Sure. We're looking forward to it, actually. Shall we wait right here?"
"You can. We will be back once the chelpee are released on their way." And then Rulapeerrr disappeared, too.
Kippy immediately raised an arm and pointed at Browbeat. "You. Tough guy." He patted the shoulder of his suit. "Come here this instant."
The flyer spun, cast an uncertain glance at Charlie, and them proceeded to fly to Kip and land on his shoulder.
Kippy raised a gloved hand, and ran it carefully down the flyer's back. "What do you mean, jumping out there like that? What if those guys had electrocuted you or something?"
"Aw. They're a bunch of punks. They can't hurt me."
Charlie could see his boyfriend fighting not to laugh within the clear dome of energy over his head. "They could have had a secret weapon. You never know."
Kippy turned to Charlie then. "Do I still need this helmet? You said we could breathe here."
Charlie shrugged, and looked around the empty plain. "Nah. Deactivate it, if you like."
Kippy banished the globe, and turned his head to smile at Browbeat. Everyone else moved to get rid of their headgear, too. Rick took a deep breath, and nodded. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Kippy nuzzled the flyer with his nose. "I'm proud of you, that you wanted to defend us. I just want to caution you about jumping out there in the future. It would break my heart to have you hurt...or worse."
Browbeat sighed. "I'm learning a lot about this body now, Kip. One thing it does is let me know if I can handle a situation or not. The Madracorn sure can pack a lot in a small package." He laughed softly. "Those chelpee may be able to power New York City on a busy day, but my sensors told me they couldn't breach my defenses." He smiled. "Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless, okay?"
Kippy nodded. "That makes me feel better."
Charlie smiled at Chi Baradee. "I have a feeling you want to ask me something?"
The woman laughed. "Oh...I did. But I've thought about it, and decided against it. Some things are best left unknown."
Charlie nodded. "Just know that we're friends, and I hope that will be enough."
"It will be. Maybe someday we will be able to discuss who you really are, and where you've come from."
"I told you. The Carpathian Empire."
The woman nodded, her eyes amused. "So we can expect a representative from your empire to contact us about the border, and open relations?"
Charlie laughed,. "Well, maybe. Or, um, maybe not. This is such a distant border, and such a backwater, too. I don't even know if I can interest anyone back home to bother to come."
The two Loturi looked at each other, and Rorna suppressed a smile. He stepped forward and offered his hand. "Well, then, thank you, whoever you may be, for helping us to right this wrong. Lives have been saved, and that's what counts."
They shook hands, and Charlie could feel the honesty in the man. Rorna would not pass on his doubts to his superiors, and if no one showed up to open relations with the ancient Carpathian Empire, well, then...yet another mystery would be born into the universe.
They stepped apart, and Rorna looked around the empty landscape. "I hope the Ardvoon will want to open some relations with us. Even if we do nothing but say hello in passing, they would be a nice addition to our realm."
He walked over to Horace and Robin then, who were in discussion about some aspect of their adventure, and offered his hand to them.
Chi Bardadee briefly waved her arms, and then stepped forward and offered Charlie a gentle hug. "Thank you, Commander Boone."
"My friends call me Charlie," he said.
"Then thank you, Charlie. We honestly could not have accomplished this mission without your assistance." She sighed softly. "And, I Have changed the way I think about my,,,skwish. I will try to develop it more, and not wait for it to develop itself."
Charlie chuckled. "There you go. Horizons are only horizons until you reach them. And then they become the new lay of the land."
The Ardvoon returned then. "The chelpee are on their way."
The others of Charlie's group came over then, and crowded around him.
"This is a very nice plain," Horace said. "And the forest over there looks quite inviting, too. They're just so...empty."
Rulapeerr evidently could take a hint as well as the next purely energy being. "Perhaps we went too far, in moving all the third-order life to the western continent. Maybe we can bring some of the animals back, enough to form a viable biosphere, at least. It is rather lonely here."
"Nothing like gazing out your window and seeing the wildlife bounding by," Adrian said, smiling.
"There are no windows here, but I understand your meaning," Rulapeerrr answered. "Charlie, shall we talk some more? I would like to hear what all of you have to say, actually."
Charlie smiled at the change that had come over the Ardvoon. They were actually eager to talk to others now. "Sure. We have time. We don't have to be anywhere for a few days."
It turned into three weeks before they were able to offer farewells to all involved, and give promises to return, and provide a special, encrypted com channel to the Loturi and the Ardvoon, just in case they were needed again sooner. The Ardvoon had re-learned the power of talking to others, and the Loturi weren't sure now that they could talk enough on their own to keep their new friends happy.
Charlie had an idea they might be hearing from both parties, much sooner than later.
And, he would welcome that contact, certainly.
A brief, warm glow on his chest reminded Charlie that his friend Castor was near, always watching and listening, and that he was now in tune with Charlie's thoughts and moods well enough to agree.
They said their next farewells to Minerva, who would be returning her full focus to the impervious zone, that strange place that was the basement of the multiverse. She told them to visit anytime, that she would be happy to assist them again, and that Horace could always contact her from Earth through the link they had established, but that any of them that knew the way could return and seek her out.
"I had a good time, actually," she told them. "I'd heard your people were fun, Charlie."
He laughed at that. "Blinken and Esmerelda telling tales, huh?"
"I just know that two...three now... of my people have had positive learning experiences while engaged in travels with yours. It is our nature to learn, and to experience new things. It seems we can get both needs filled in associating with your kind. I will welcome further instances of adventure, should you choose to offer them to me."
"I rather think we will," Charlie said. He turned to Horace. "What do you say?"
"Oh, I agree fully. I am fascinated by you and your kind, and I'm sure I just won't be able to leave you alone. You'll have to tell me directly if I am being a pain."
"I don't think that will happen, Horace. Time is something I will always have more than enough of, and can manipulate to suit my needs. You will be welcome to all of it you can grab."
Horace looked over at Charlie. "Is it just me, or is Minerva talking more like one of us with each passing minute?"
"It's not just you," Charlie agreed, his eyes bright with humor.
The hernacki's eye bowed again in smile. "When on Earth, do as the Earthers do."
Horace laughed. "We all don't speak as well as you do, so you'll have to be careful."
"No one is perfect," the hernacki said.
Elias Grampet sat back in his chair and took a sip from his cup of green tea. "Quite an adventure you people had. And, a successful one, too. I am happy to learn that my people are okay, and that they are moving in the right direction once again."
"We hope so," Kippy agreed. "Nice folks, actually. I liked them a lot."
Robin leaned forward in his own seat. "Will you go home now?"
"Oh--" Elias gave a brief shrug of his shoulders. "Someone would have to come from home and restore my ability to get power from the universe at large, first. I'm not sure I want others from my world learning about yours." He smiled. "I like it here. Wouldn't want to clog the place up with a lot of Ardvoon tourists. Hoi-polloi, you know."
They all laughed at that.
The man finished his tea, and rose from his chair. "Thanks, guys. You did good. I'll pay Ms. Wingspanner on the way out."
Charlie and Kippy got up and followed their client to the front desk. Amy provided a bill, one with a generous discount, because Charlie felt like the case had more than paid for itself with the addition of Investigator to their tool rack. The ship was sitting at the field on Engris, towering over most of the other vessels there, and while it had generated many comments among the other patrons, especially within the pirate market, no one had directly asked them about the ship.
And, they had learned some things about fourth-order and fifth-order life, and made some new friends, too. Any voyage that turned out like this one had to be counted as a winner.
"What's this 'entertainment discount'?" Elias said, looking down at the bill. "It's more than half our agreed-upon price for your services."
Kippy laughed. "We had so much fun, we have to give you a discount."
Elias opened his mouth as if to argue the point, and then closed it again. "I've learned in my long life not to argue with a discount." He turned back to Amy. "Will you accept gold coins?"
Amy blinked at that, and looked up at Charlie, who nodded.
"They're good," Elias said, grinning. "Fifty-dollar gold pieces. I stocked up on them a hundred-odd years ago. Figured I'd need them for something someday."
Kippy groaned, looking down at the small pile of coins that Elias laid on the desk. "You're giving them to us at face value? These look almost uncirculated! And the gold in them is worth way more than the face value! And then there's the collector's market...!"
Elias held up his hand. "I have a barrel full of these things, Kip. Just take them, and we'll both be happy."
Charlie put a hand on his boyfriend's arm. "They can go in the safe, for a rainy day."
Kippy sighed, and nodded.
Elias got his receipt, tipped his hat, and moved towards the door.
"Wait," Charlie said, already feeling the disconnect from the age-old energy being. "Will we see you again?"
"Sure. I'll drop in now and then."
Kippy groaned. "What do you mean by 'now and then'? Ten years, Fifteen? A hundred?"
Elias laughed. "No. I can work in smaller time frames when I need to. I plan to be back this way in the summer. How about then?"
"That would be fine," Charlie said. "Take care."
"And you, too." Elias waved at Amy, and then he was gone.
That night at the dinner table, Rick talked non-stop about their most recent case. "Sure, Ad and I didn't have a lot to do in this one, but neither did anyone, really. Charlie did all the talking, but that's his job. But, man! I sure learned a lot on this case. It was worth every second just for that."
"We didn't need to use a lot of skwish," Adrian agreed. "Some cases are just bound to be like that."
"We got to learn some power tricks, especially with that zero-point energy," Kippy reminded. "We just didn't need to use it for anything."
"Look at all the cool stuff we got with Amtapora and Investigator, though," Browbeat said, from his spot in the middle of the table. "That ship is going to be a huge asset to the business!"
"I hope Horace is okay with his new role as hernacki magnet," Kippy said, grinning. "He always looks so unsettled by these sorts of things."
"Amy will keep him straight," Adrian figured. "And they sure were in a hurry to get home, weren't they?"
"Horace was worried about Gretchen," Charlie explained. "We were gone a month. He thought she might be worried."
Rick laughed. "Well, it's a story, anyway. But I saw the way he had his arm around Amy, too!"
"I called my mom first thing," Kippy said, glaring momentarily at Rick before changing the subject. "I said I'd be by to see them tomorrow."
"We all need to go home to see the folks," Charlie agreed. "My dad said he can't wait to hear about this one."
"Robin was sure in a hurry to talk to Nicholaas about something," Rick considered then. "Did he tell any of you what was?"
"Not me," Charlie said. "It was some sort of big skwish stuff, I imagine." He grinned. "You know how those old guys like to stick together."
Everyone smiled at that. Robin was one of the best things to come along for Nicholaas in ages. A true friend, someone he could really talk to and share ideas with.
Kippy leaned over against Charlie's shoulder. "We made some great new friends, didn't we?" But then his mood darkened a bit. "And then, there's the chelpee."
"We made some enemies, too," Charlie agreed. "But they don't know who we really are, or where we are. We may never see them again."
"Let's hope," Kippy said. He smiled. "I love you, Charlie Boone. We have such good times together."
"I love you, too, Kip. And not just because we have good times. I know I can always count on you to be there, and to do what's best for all of us."
"I love all you guys," Browbeat spoke up. "And not just because you're so much fun!"
"We love you, too, sweetheart," Kippy returned. He waved a finger then. "But remember what I told you about playing the tough guy."
The little flyer tittered happily. "All I did was throw their own lightning bolt back at them. I could have made it four or five times more powerful, first!"
Rick coughed into his hand. "Um, remind me not to get on your bad side, buddy."
Kippy sighed happily, and tilted his head over onto his boyfriend's shoulder. "Amy said we already have another case in the wings. She said she got a call from a Mrs. Bangalor in Bangor today."
Charlie turned his head, and kissed his boyfriend's hair. "How's that?"
Kippy smiled at the kiss, then frowned. "Or, maybe it was Mrs. Bangor in Bangalor? I forget now."
"Did she say what it was about?" Rick asked, looking eager. Adrian sighed, and closed his eyes as he leaned on his own boyfriend's shoulder. "Calm down, Rick. It'll still be there in the morning."
But Rick was adamant. "Well, Kip?"
"Amy was a little vague, but I think she said that Mrs. Bangalor...or Mrs. Bangor, was having trouble with her business. She makes organic cat food. She said that twice in the last month, something has come into her shop at night and eaten half her stock in one sitting. She put a camera in after the first raid, and it caught some decent footage on the second raid. Trouble is, she doesn't know if the perpetrator is a cryptid, or an alien. She said it's ten feet long, bright orange in color, and looks like no sort of cat she's ever seen before."
Adrian sat forward then. "That actually sounds interesting!"
Rick shrugged. "I think it sounds a little slow after what we've just been through."
"It's something, though!" Browbeat said, sounding excited, too. "Are we taking it? Let's take it!"
"Maybe," Charlie said, grinning at his friends "But not tonight. I'm tired! Ask me again in the morning!"
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