Teela of Kolander, page 14
“How very courageous of you both.” Juleeta patted both of the hands.
Mary looked thoughtful. “Earlier, you said something about what else Teela may have passed to me when she gave me the Barkolian language.”
“I don't want to go into depth on this right now, but briefly, it was us from Ander who first visited Earth, some twenty-five thousand Earth years ago, long before there even was an Empire. We were very active there for thousands of years and a sizable percentage of people on Earth carry much of our DNA. The entire first contingent of our explorers crashed there and had to stay and mingle into Earth's populations. Some later expeditions also stay voluntarily. The DNA they shared includes the potential for the psi talents we have. If you were in that group and had any latent talent in that area, Teela's push would have activated it. We'll know for sure in a quarter year or so.”
“Wow.” Mary whispered.
“Now. Time for rest. Tomorrow and for the next few days, I want to show my two daughters our ancestral homeland of Ander.”
Chapter Nineteen
-Respite-
Early the next morning, they all climbed aboard a primitive looking flying machine with wings for lift and two engines with propellers. They lifted off and flew slowly toward the nearest coast. Juleeta turned around in her front seat beside the pilot to face the girls in the back seat. “I have instructed our pilot to take us back to the palace by way of a circuitous and winding path around the island continent of Ander. This machine may look primitive, but be assured, it has all the modern technology, if needed. It is just hidden.” She smiled.
The pilot flew slowly over the unspoiled landscape while Juleeta revealed how the cities were constructed to blend in with landscape to prevent the Empire from knowing how much advancement they were experiencing. From above, the many small cities were partially or wholly hidden by vegetation, designed to camouflage them from above. None of their technology was visible, no towers, no transmission wires, few roads, and only a few very modest metropolitan areas.
They flew over the remains of a large modern city with tall dilapidated buildings and the remains of advanced elevated roadways. Beside it, Teela could just make out a space port with the deteriorated hulks of several large ships. “What about that?” She said pointing below.
“That was the capital, Anderstor, before the treaty, a thousand years ago.” Juleeta looked down at the ruins and shook her head. “We were required to abandon it and its technology after the treaty was signed. We left it unchanged for the Empire's benefit and as a reminder of the oppression we endure to guarantee peace.”
As the day slowly passed and the second midday meal time approached, they landed on a long flat meadow above a cliff overlooking the western coastline. Juleeta opened the door and climbed out. “Well, come on. It's time for a bite to eat. Come look at the cliff-top view first.”
Teela and Mary followed Juleeta to the cliff edge and looked down. The cliff dropped sheer for five hundred feet to a roiling, churning sea. The waves crashed into the cliff face throwing white froth and water hundreds of feet into the air. The ceaseless battering had eroded the base of the cliff into a field of boulders of all sizes and created a cavernous undercut all alone the cliff face.
Teela looked out at the horizon, seeing nothing but ocean and was immediately reminded of her experience in the Atlantic ocean on Earth. “That is a marvelous view but all the sea reminds me of when I was adrift.”
Mary examined the top of the cliff for cracks before speaking. “Doesn't the wave erosion eventually cause the entire cliff face to collapse and slide into the ocean?”
“It did for thousands of years, maybe longer.” Juleeta said between mouthfuls. “But we have now stabilized the cliff face from inside because behind it, we hide some of our newest, most advanced technology.”
Teela decided to ask the obvious question. “Mother, from up in the sky and even here, it appears that the people of Ander are still living at a very modest level of technology, maybe even pre-tech. You can't see any of it. You said that was your purpose. Why? Why hide it?”
Juleeta laughed. “Well, partially, just because we don't like the Empire knowing what we are doing. They are not trustworthy, and if discovered, they may break the treaty and try to confiscate it at the cost of many lives. We are under constant surveillance both at the border and from high above. They use sophisticated satellites in geosynchronous orbits and periodic military fly overs to monitor us.”
Teela nodded, still unsatisfied with the answer. “And the other part?”
“You'll see soon.”
Mary asked, “I bet that second part of it has something to do with my earlier question. I just saw what must have been a marvelous place, the wonderful old Anderstor. The loss of that and the freedom to travel anywhere in the galaxy must have ... well, just how did Ander deal with the sudden and severe restrictions to travel. After all, you said that they … Ander … had been traveling between stars for thousands upon thousands of years?”
Juleeta nodded sadly and smiled a little. “Smart girl. You both will see soon. But because our physical travel is so restricted, we have advanced our science of astronomy and remote sensing beyond anything in the Empire. Now, we principally use that remote technology when we explore.”
She smiled and winked. “But, not always. We still send explorers out periodically … and a few of them get through the Empire's blockade. Though it has been and still is often a suicide mission, we have many volunteers.” Juleeta straightened in her seat and looked Mary straight in the eye.
“To answer your question properly, I would have to say that we still chafe under the restriction. We fight them where we can and circumvent them where we can't fight them. But we do not want to ... can not ... go to full out war. The losses would be too great. We are poised to act when there is a path to independence that does not encompass mass bloodshed on either side.”
The pilot interrupted. “Your Highness, we need to continue our flight if we are to make it to the preserve as scheduled.”
After a quick clean up and take off, they flew along the cliff for a minute before beginning a tight steep circular climb. Within five minutes they entered the clouds that blanketed the lower levels of the Cloud Mountains and Juleeta nodded. “Okay. Girls, we'll be landing at the Ander Nature Preserve, a large area that occupies the entire upper portion of the mountains, just above the clouds. The area is actually totally technology free ... on the surface. It supports populations of nearly every animal and plant species on Kolander in their natural habitat and is, in its truest form, a massive Nature Preserve.”
Mary pulled herself away from the ship's windows reluctantly. “Your Highness … Juleeta … uh ...”
Juleeta smiled and gently took Mary's shoulder. “You may call me Juleeta, or Mother, or Mama J, whatever you are comfortable with, but never Your Highness or Majesty or any of that crap. All right?”
Mary returned her smile. “I understand, Mama J … I am amazed that the animal and plant species here are so similar to those on Earth. Convergent evolution is so powerful.”
Juleeta nodded like a professor. “And as far we know. There has been no genetic contamination between here and Earth … except in the human populations. In all the thousands of years we have traveled the galaxy, we have found that the basic constituents of life exist everywhere. All it takes is a favorable environment and life happens. On Kolander, we had very similar environments to Earth; gases, temperature, protection from solar radiation, gravity, and so forth. In similar environments, evolution creates similar species. True across the galaxy. What works, works, regardless of where it starts.”
Teela frowned and shook her head. “I understand evolution, more or less. I understand how Ander's DNA became entwined with the indigenous DNA of Earth those twenty-five thousand years ago. What I don't understand, however, is why they were that compatible in the first place, why we look almost identical. The only difference I see is the number of placentas in uttero.”
“We're landing now, please secure yourselves,” the pilot interrupted.
Juleeta laughed. “Not all intelligent species in the universe look like us or hold the same values. The universe is a very dangerous place. That's why the Empire was first constituted. Why we are genetically compatible is a mystery and is partially why Earth has been studied for so long, both by us and the Empire. But for now, we'd better get ready for landing.” Juleeta turned to the pilot. “Take us straight in.”
As they buckled their restraints, Juleeta pulled up a diagram on an overhead computer screen. “The one tech exception I mentioned … is under the nature preserve there. We have built our most advanced military and technological facility underground. It houses a great development and storage area for ships of all kinds; land, air, water, space ... and even interstellar.” She looked at Mary. “And Mary, It also houses our most advanced astronomical observatory. I understand that may be of interest to you.”
Mary grinned in anticipation.
They landed on a small landing strip beside a modest cabin that appeared to be a naturalist camp for students and scientific researchers. However, the ship didn't stop. It rolled past the cabin, across a small flat grassy area behind it, and into a grove of trees with great interlocking canopies. They stopped and Juleeta lead them into a cave hidden by the trees that grew directly up against the cliff face. Teela realized that this must be the camouflaged entrance to the underground facilities that Juleeta had mentioned.
An elevator moved them down to the military development and storage area, an underground facility that occupied fifteen subterranean floors. The uppermost floor was a gigantic open area used as a storage hanger for hundreds of ships for land, water, air, and space. The ceiling was at least a hundred feet high and seemingly held in place by only a few behemoth columns.
Mary stared out across the open expanse and frowned at the immense interstellar ship at the other side. “This place is bigger than a hundred football fields where I come from. How do you support the ceiling for such a large space and what about that big ship? I thought that you were restricted to flights below fifty-thousand dunits.”
“We've been working on a stealth mode device to make travel safer for us. When it’s ready, we'll be able to leave the planet whenever we wish without risking any of our scientist's and soldier's lives. The ceiling is supported by an energy field based on the anti-grav technology that powers our ships. The same energy field supports the cliff face we ate lunch above. Behind that cliff face is our primary research facility and what I really wanted to show you, our next stop.” Juleeta said as she ushered them back into the elevator.
After moving down another fifteen floors and taking a short tube shuttle, Juleeta said, “Mary, cover your eyes.” Then she helped Mary step out of the shuttle and turned her around. “Now open them.”
Mary looked up at a grand entrance carved into rock face of a large cavern. It read “Royal Observatory of Ander.” She grinned bigger than Teela had ever seen before and began walking toward the entrance.
Teela and her mother followed, grinning nearly as wide. Just inside the door, they were met by an older man dressed in an academic's uniform, similar to the ones on Bardonis that Teela was more familiar with.
He stepped up to Juleeta and bowed his head. “Your Majesty. Please introduce me to these two young ladies.”
“Girls, this is Professor Borun, astrophysicist and director of the observatory. Borun, this young red-head here,” she said indicating Teela. “Is my once lost daughter, now restored to me, Teela of Kolander. This other wonder struck young lady is my adopted daughter, Mary of Earth. She dreams of being an astronomer or maybe an astrophysicist.”
“Well met, Your Majesties.” He said and shook each of their hands.
“My dear Borun, could you spare the time to give Mary an extended, in depth tour, and introduce her to the staff and the various technologies. Teela and I will return to my residence. Please arrange Mary's return when she is finished.”
“Certainly.” He turned to Mary. “Your Highness, first, I want you to meet my son. He is studying cosmology and is here finishing up his last internship. He can take you around and answer all your questions.” He looked down the long hall and raised his wrist communicator to his mouth. “Boranni, please come to the main entrance. I have an interesting task for you.”
“I'm busy with the collector, Father. Maybe another time.”
“Now, Boranni. This is important.”
They heard an ungraceful grunt of irritation come from Borun's communicator and he grinned, a little embarrassed. “He takes his duties and studies very seriously, and he resists being redirected. But he is a nice and mannerly young man.”
Mary and Teela smiled but remained quiet.
Within just a few moments, Teela saw a young man walking rapidly, with heavy steps, down the hallway, seemingly angry. The elder Borun said, “Well, here he is, my brilliant, if obsessive son.”
The young man had long black hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a dirty lab coat. He had streaks of black smudge across his face and his hands were dirty. He frowned at his father as he approached. “Father, I was right in the middle of cleaning the collector. Could it not have wait …” He stopped when he saw Mary, Teela, and finally Juleeta, blanching. “I'm sorry Your Highness.” He bowed his head and glared at his father out of the corner of his eye. “Had I been alerted to your presence, I would have cleaned up first.”
Juleeta smiled. “No apology needed, Young Boranni.”
“Boranni,” his father said. “I want you to meet our Princesses, Teela and Mary. Mary is going to stay with us a few tenthdays and I want you to give her a complete tour of our facility and explain what we do here. Now go.”
Boranni bowed to Mary, blushing as he wiped his hands on his lab coat. “Please come with me. You will have to watch me finish cleaning the collector first, but then I'll show you the rest.”
“Don't bow to me and that lab coat did not help your hands. It was dirtier than your hands to start with.” Mary grinned at her joke as he looked dismayed at his hands. “Just joking. Please, I just want to see … well, just everything.” Mary stepped to him and he extended him arm which she took awkwardly.
Teela watched them walk down the hall and just as they turned the corner at the end, Mary glanced back at Teela, grinning so big, Teela thought it must have hurt her face. She looked at her mother. “She's not going to even know we're gone.”
“I believe your are right. Come on. I want to hear all the gory details about your life in the royal family and all the details of your escape and your then time on Earth.”
They talked all the way back to Juleeta's residence and late into the night. Teela's night was filled with nightmares about death, coups, and pushing people until they fall forward into their food. At a late breakfast, the next morning, Teela sat quietly, studying her plate of half finished food. After several attempts to get her attention, Juleeta whistled, loudly.
Teela looked up and frowned. “What was that?”
“That was me tying to see if you're still alive.”
“I'm Sorry, just thinking about the Empire, the coup, and Kregus. I've seen a lot of cruelty and death and I just can't think of him as my father.”
“In the beginning when I married him, and when he first became your father, he really wasn't like he is now.”
“Have you never remarried or had other children in all the years since?”
“No. I had lost my only two children and just could not face the possibility of loosing any more.”
“A lover then?”
“What? Just how old are you anyway?” Juleeta laughed a little self consciously.
“Old enough to understand that social experience and its biological counterparts and ramifications,” she replied, then grinned while she paused mysteriously. “But of course, with no actual experience of my own.”
“Good!” Juleeta paused overly long before she sighed. “Actually, there was a young man a long time ago, Mortulo. He had attracted my attention before I ran off and fell in love. We had been good friends and for a period, I had seriously considered trying to get closer to him. He was the son of a nobleman, some distant cousin, maybe a second or third. Years later, I tried to find him once again when I was grief stricken over being forcibly returned and exiled here. After all my attempts to leave and rescue you had failed, I was even more devastated; lost Borander, lost you, and lost my marriage. I also grieved over the loss of the person Kregus used to be. But I finally had to except my exile. The loss of life in my escape attempts had become unacceptable.
“I asked about him, only to find out that he had been assigned to train for a secret mission off world, on Earth, a year before you were born. After a couple of years of being considered missing and presumed dead, he suddenly returned to Kolander with a wife from Earth. But he died trying to cross the border back into Ander.
“His wife lived and now teaches Earth languages in our University. She had to abandon her own twin infants on Earth and has never been able to leave to go get them. Love and sex can get so messy. Stay young and innocent as long as possible. There will be plenty of time for all that stuff later.”
Teela blushed a little wondering where to go with the conversation after that, but Mary walked in and the diversion saved her. Mary grabbed a plate of fruit and sat down at the table.
She looked back and forth between Juleeta and Teela, noticing the lingering blush still on Teela's face. “Hey, what did I miss, something juicy I bet?”
Chapter Twenty
-Plans-
Mary continued to look back and forth several times between Teela and Juleeta while each of them looked away. She suddenly blushed a little. “Oh, that.”
Teela frowned. “You sensed that from us? Are you developing psi abilities already?”
