the central hub until you feel yourself drawn into its dimensions and the shield will trigger.”
Glimpses of random historical events blending with alien visions were suddenly shrouded into grayness; then the room returned.
I must have penetrated some altered state. Physically I experienced two bodies, two minds, two sets of senses, touching, seeing, and hearing everything simultaneously in two completely separate places in space. It was like focusing into separate pictures; enveloping two conscious identities. I could direct awareness to either or both: strange; yet effective.
Adt coached me forward.
“You’ll need a strong block so nobody can read your inner thoughts. You have strong will-power. Even with Sarleni’s link we required a significant amount of joint energy to probe your consciousness. Nonetheless, it will need to be further protected. You must master two minds.
“We will generate an embossed shield depicting illusional scenarios of a lifetime in Kanns. Your surface thoughts will include interactive reflexive intelligence because you do not want to appear dulled. Any Muti reading your thoughts will be suspicious if you appear drugged, shallow, or systematically predictable.
“You will be supporting both, in tandem on a parallel course. At times Sorla sustains all you are and ever have been. A shifting of your inner shell, a wall between immediate awareness and memory, will offset outside perception. When you assume this state, the Muti will know your conscious thoughts, and nothing else.
“Sit back.”
He continued, pulling his chair closer to mine.
“We’ll begin building that shield now.”
Before I could even think the question, he was in my mind:
I’m not alone. Sarleni’s here. We’re unified within the Zygo.
The expression in his eyes grew intense.
Yes. This is Sarleni. We linked, Adt and me. Get used to us. Adt is still struggling; even I am. We’re learning every day. In Helandi we will advance our studies to prepare for the coming conflict…I don’t have time. Moyi calls. Adt will teach you.
And it was a matter of days before his lessons were completed. Shortly before he prepared for his journey to Helandi, Adt handed me a small packet; a compact metal cylinder.
“Keep this. I put it together with the help of the Andon Foundation. It contains my adventures with Sarleni, in more details than you’ve known so far. I call it ‘Slavegirl of Noomas’; an ironic pun, all things considering.
“I’ve included a short, official report for the Proctor, containing a brief list of facts. What I’ve given you reveals everything I remember from the moment you fled that Diano camp to our return here.”
Once Adt had left, I felt a distinct loss. He would soon be going to the Northern Territories. Considering his suggestion, I practice fencing daily selecting different warriors as partners in sporting matches.
My time would be crammed with meetings and insurmountable tasks. I finished signing orders to activate the spy missions. It is always painful to send people on missions that could be death traps.
Just as I closed things down, Andon Janis rushed in unannounced. Without formality he stammered over his words.
“Torlo, I’ve found a record in an ancient scroll in the library. Here is my rough translation; hopefully the message is obvious.”
He extended an envelope which I opened and read. The following was scribbled in his bold handwriting:
We have reached the peak of heaven and the gods wailed:
You are ignorant fools—shunning the holy law, selfishly straying from the righteous path towards your own destruction.
The fires of your own blind passions will consume you. Each lightning bolt will strike your rebellious hearts and snuff you out, one by one, until madness destroys your lands.
The wise and strong will survive and witness with great agony. Listen for the voice of the stranger. For there will come one from above to guide the way into future generations.
Andon said, “I discovered another disturbing section.
“It read, in effect:
“Find the Scrolls of Wisdom, kept by the Guardian of Haldolen. Be warned. They tell where life begins and ends.
“Most intriguing: meaning what? It may be myth. Ancient texts take years to decipher even if we could find them. The task will never be completed in time to ward off this conflict.
“Useless rumors blown into legendary, historic nonsense,” Andon scoffed at his own absurdity.
“One day even you may become the root of the Legend of Torlo Hannis: ah yes, the very thing that I wanted to discuss with you; timelines and origins.”
He tapped the air as if touching some invisible screen then opened a large packet and spread its contents out on my desk.
“The Three Moons Festival has mythological messages and legends and, quiet frankly, it smacks of ludicrous nonsense for a person like me or you, who has experienced life in the Galactic Federation.
“Noomas is different. Ancient text and learning come down through myth and custom. This time we have found a correlation and timeliness is crucial. We’ve been tracing the astrological charts and according to our calculations, the current lunar cyclical trend will soon be at its apex. The latest evidence from Talni’s Message pointed directly to this date.”
The notes were technical and scattered, typical of Andon’s habit of mixing incomplete thoughts with coded note-taking which only he could understand.
“Read; read this!”
He insisted that time was extremely short, if his hunch were true.
I glanced over the material.
“What’s the significance? So the orbits of the moons synchronize once in a millennium. Legends point to major shifts in the cultural and spiritual essence of the planet at large. We all know from legend and history that even silly fables.…”
“Yes—yes,” Andon angrily snapped. “Notice the difference. It is saying the effect can have more than tidal influence. It is expected to bridge continental plates, cause internal quaking effects. More importantly, their strong magnetic field affects our thinking processes. Don’t you see?”
He tapped the bottom.
“Vile are the thoughts radiating from the core believers.
“Alas, we breathe in contempt; we madly seek escape from doom,
“And reach for higher lofts of strength, power and aggression.
“Seeds of Time, the painful birthing, all begins again. Thus, the wheel perpetually turns.”
I had never been influenced by threats or foreboding based on myth. In my opinion, writings and lyrical prose obscure facts with pompously over blown jargon. My patience was running thin. I could not afford to be wasting my time on this trivial material, but Andon was emphatic.
“Connect, connect! We know the basic effects between intergalactic bodies.”
He shook his head and his hand impatiently chopped into the air.
“The gravitational pull between two bodies intersect.…
“Well, I got off base,” he huffed, interrupting his own process.
“The magnetic field influences major global shifts, even earthquakes: not just weather patterns or ocean tides.”
Again he shook his head, aware he wasn’t easy to follow: standard stuff for Andon Janis when he got excited.
“Torlo, from our lives previous to Noomas, we both are familiar with well documented evidence of these factors. The populations here came from those galactic civilizations.