The Legend of Earth

“You’ve scanned all along the lanes, even the most obscure?”

“Yes, my Lord. The gravity routes to Juir are the most-traveled and monitored in the galaxy, even coming from that side of the Core. If there was a fleet in deep-well transit it would have been detected.”

“Then the Human has lied to us,” Hydon stated, pursing his thin lips together in anger.

“It appears so — but to what end? He had to surely know we would attempt to verify his claims, and if no traces were found, then our evacuation efforts would have been delayed only temporarily. Are the Humans so anxious to kill Juireans that even a few days’ delay in evacuating the population would mean a few more of us left behind to kill?”

“They are a deceptive and diabolical race. They appear to thrive on subterfuge and underhandedness, so their motives are always in question. I will be in my personal office in an hour. Have Adam Cain delivered to me at that time.”

“Yes, my Lord. And what of the evacuation?”

“Hold off until I have another chance to speak with the Human. He may reveal more in this second meeting.”

Hydon’s personal office was located three stories below the Pinnacle conference room. It was a large room, yet not as large as Adam would have expected for the leader of the galaxy. It was dimly lit, except for the area around the large wooden desk where Hydon sat. There were the ubiquitous computer monitors placed to his right and behind him on a matching wooden credenza, and on a secondary table set off to the left was a pile of datapads all stacked helter-skelter on its top. The entire scene reminded Adam of what an aged college professor’s office might look like, albeit without any disheveled library lining a wall-length bookcase.

The overall impression of the office was eventually brought full circle when Adam was directed to take a seat opposite the Elder, and noticed that Hydon was even wearing what appeared to be a thin pair of eyeglasses. Adam had to suppress a chuckle as he took the seat. Aliens wearing glasses — what next?

Hydon looked at Adam over the thin glasses. “I have security measures in place, but I’m hoping we will not have to deal with any such nonsense, Mister Cain — I believe that is the traditional prefix for a male of your race?

“That’s correct, Lord Hydon; I was told that is your preferred title. And you won’t have to worry about me doing something stupid. I don’t have a death wish.”

Hydon simply snorted. “That is precisely the reason for this meeting.” Hydon slipped off the glasses and set them on the desk. He continued to stare at Adam with an intense look of exasperation. “We have been unable to detect any trace of this Klin/Kracori fleet that you say is headed for Juir. You must realize what will happen to you and your companions if you are found to be lying to us? If anything, your wild tale has only delayed the inevitable by just a few days. So why would you lie?”

When Adam had been summoned to Hydon’s office, this was the last thing he expected to be confronted with. He knew there was a Klin/Kracori fleet — he had been present when the Klin Pleabaen had been in communication with it. What he wasn’t so sure about was where they were at the present time.

“I assure you, there is a fleet, and I’m ninety-percent positive that they would be looking to attack Juir before we do. It just makes sense.”

“So now you’re saying they may not have designs on attacking Juir after all?” Adam could hear the tone of Hydon’s voice raise an octave. But he was so sure….

“The Klin could move on Juir at its weakest moment, ransacking the planet like you did to their homeworld thousands of years ago. It’s what I would have done.”

Hydon snorted again. “I have only recently had direct contact with your kind, yet all I have learned of Humans is that you are a savage and heartless race. Of course you would seek to take millions of innocent lives to satisfy an ancient vendetta. That is your way, but that is not saying the Klin would. The story you told me about our attack on your Earth was logical and sensible, and I believe there is indeed another fleet — a Klin fleet — out there somewhere. That is why I gave you this reprieve. But the Klin have been running from us for thousands of years. They may have simply decided that now is not the time to strike against Juir. And if that is the case, then it is only your Human fleet that we must fear.”

Hydon paused and leaned forward in his chair. “Mr. Cain, are you still willing to contact your fleet and attempt to have them call off their attack?”

“Yes, of course! I honestly believe that the Humans and Juireans would not have gone to war against each other if it hadn’t been for the Klin.”

“Can you do it?”

It was Adam’s turn to hesitate, an event which caused the Elder to slam both his hands down on the desktop and push back in his chair.

“Why have you built up my hopes just to have them crushed? Is that the answer — to play games with my emotions? What kind of creatures are you?”

“I’m not playing games with you. I can try to convince them to call off the attack, but I can’t guarantee they will,” Adam pleaded. “I realize this will probably mean all of our deaths, but all I can do is try.”

“Then try you will!” Hydon yelled. “And there is no reason to delay. I will begin immediately to locate the communication frequencies associated with your fleet — and then you will try-”

A large monitor to Hydon’s right suddenly burst into life; on the screen was the face of Fleet Marshal Relion. “Pardon my intrusion, my Lord,” he said, his eyes darting between Hydon and Adam.

“What is it, Relion?”

“A curious development, my Lord.” He looked directly at Adam.

“Speak freely, Fleet Marshal,” Hydon commanded. “The Human is either on our side — or he will die.”

“Yes, my Lord. We have detected curious ship activity originating from Sector Three.”

“Sector Three? What kind of activity?” Hydon’s voice deepened and he looked at Adam.

“Larger than normal ship traffic, and it appears to be broken into clusters of ten to fifteen ships each.”

“Have the signatures been analyzed?”

“It is difficult, my Lord. The signatures are overlapping — and there appears to be some sort of wave disruptor causing interference.”

Hydon’s eyes grew wide. “Where are these ships headed?”

“Various locations within the Clusters. Many are now well within the outer boundary.”

“You’ve tried to communicate with them?” It was more of a statement than a question.”

“Of course, but the wave disruptor is making it difficult. Garbled replies are all we have received. They appear to be trying to communicate with us, but can’t.”

“How convenient,” Adam said. He could see the veins on Hydon’s neck dancing to the beat of his heart.

“I take it we have no adequate defense in place at this time, Fleet Marshal.”

“It is well sooner than two months’ time, my Lord, so no. We have nothing to counter an attack, if this is indeed an attack.” Relion’s voice had grown more panicked by the moment. He appeared to be anxious to get off the screen, as others around him were trying to get his attention. “Lord Hydon, even if this is not an invasion, it would be wise to have you and the other council members evacuated immediately. The closest unidentified ships could be at Juir in less than an hour.”

Hydon looked down at the top of his desk for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then he looked back at Relion. “No. I will stay here and take refuge in the bunker vault beneath Malor Tower. But do have all the other council members evacuated. Use my authority to make them comply. And Relion, no exceptions, is that understood?”

“They will protest.”

“Let them, but get them away as quickly as possible. Now tend to your duties.”

The screen went blank immediately and Hydon turned back to Adam, appearing to have aged ten years in the past two minutes. “You may have been right about the Klin fleet, Mr. Cain, if not about the timetable.”

“How could they have gotten here so fast?” Adam asked, not knowing now what he should do. Without a defense, the Cluster would be decimated and the planet Juir excoriated.