E:A Vol 1 Ch 3—March 1, 2115

“According to Kaven,” Gen. Cavanaugh started the meeting speaking of Kaven Maneese, one of the two native Andromedans on staff, “the Elgolians haven’t been in the industrial era long, much like his own people. This will just be a standard meet and greet operation. See what we can trade. I could use some good beef. I’d kill for a porterhouse. Dr. Carson, standard op for you as well, assess their medical situation, tend to what you can. John, you’ve got three days. Any questions?”

“Yes, sir,” Victoria raised her hand out of habit, “I’d also like to see if they have medical information about the Nix, and if need be, set up some sort of trade with them for it. It would be of tremendous help to our research. If we knew more about their physiology, it could lead us to some sort of inoculation against them. Or,” she frowned, “help us develop a weapon that’ll work against them. We have very little to go on. Even with Be’atta and Kaven’s information and what we’ve gleaned from the other planets we’ve visited thus far…well, it’s not much. So if you’d allow me to offer a trade for…”

“Agreed, Doctor. Work out the details with John. If you can garner any information, fine, but it’s not the priority of this trip.”

“Understood, thank you.”

The Alpha Team had five members. Colonel John Hagen and Major Christopher Chapman, both from Earth and both military. John was a pilot, Chris, a sharpshooter. The rest of the team members included Dr. Simon Harris, the brilliant, though skittish, mathematician, programming engineer, and computer expert; Victoria Carson was the team’s medical doctor; and Be’atta Jollan, an Andromeda galaxy native whose knowledge of bridge codes and familiarity with villages across their sector of the galaxy helped the Earthlings expand their exploration. She was also quite adept at combat and had been a leader of her village before they were relocated to Terra 2 after a Nix gathering. Once the Expedition found a suitable home for her people, Be’atta chose to stay on Terra 2, becoming an integral part of the Alpha Team.

Kaven Maneese was met in much the same manner as Be’atta. She had led the Alpha Team to a town they had traded with a couple of months after joining the Alpha Team. Its technology was more advanced than her planet, but they had a long trading relationship. Kaven’s town had been nearly incinerated. He was part of their military and was ready to use any and every means to track down every Nix in the galaxy and destroy them. Not only had most of his home town had been destroyed, but he lost his beloved wife in the fight. He, like Be’atta, joined up with Expedition: Andromeda. He quickly proved himself an ally and leader and was given the lead of his own team, though he was often included in higher priority missions with the Alpha Team.

***

It was a bridge portal that brought the Expedition: Andromeda team to Terra 2. The portal was found on Earth buried deep within the Rocky Mountains. The U.S. military studied it, sent probes through it, and after several years of tests, a small group of top personnel—combatants, doctors, scientists, and support staff—were sent through. They ended up in a dark glass tower.

The bridge portal in that glass tower was identical to the one found in the Rockies. It was fifty feet wide, two feet across, and made of a material they had yet to identify. A touchpad on either end of the fifty feet allowed travelers to punch in a code that would trigger a “bridge” to their destination. What the “bridge” was, whether a worm hole or some other cosmic mystery, was also unknown. It took years to find one combination of numbers and glyphs to trigger the bridge. Drones were sent through to find out what was on the other side, and to make sure the bridge on the other end could be used to return. Since communication with the drone relied on the bridge portal being “open” the only way they could test the bridge’s ability to trigger Earth required precision programming that could be carried out without human interaction. Simon Harris helped develop that program.

Another issue was translating the language on the keypad. The numbers were almost identical to the Hindu-Arabic numeration system used throughout Earth. There were some minor differences, but they were recognizable. But the glyphs were not like anything on Earth. Upon meeting Be’atta, and later, Kaven, they were able to translate some of them, though even they weren’t familiar with the language.

Finally, there was the big issue of finding the code to return to Earth. Its finding was an accident. While investigating what appeared to be the power supply on the side panel, there were several “digits.” The first programmed drone that was sent over in hopes of being able to open the bridge portal from the other side was programmed with that combination of numbers and glyphs. It worked. And so preparations began to send a reconnaissance team over.

The first time they crossed the bridge into the largest of the two main towers, it was obvious that it had been abandoned for quite some time. They found clues that led them to believe that the city had been abandoned over 9,000 years ago. That was if their translation was correct. And from the amount of dust, it had to be close.

From what had been learned since the Earth team set up headquarters in Terra 2, the original inhabitants of the planet and city had a higher level of technology than Earth, which was to be expected if the city had been home to the builders of the bridge portals. The technology was also far more advanced than any other they’d encountered in the Andromeda galaxy. The Nix were a close second, as far as they knew, since all they really had to go on were the jets and stunners they saw from a distance. No one had actually seen Nix technology up close and personal, at least no one had seen it and lived to tell about it. The Terra 2 facility also seemed to lack any sort of armory, but the Expedition hadn’t made it to all of the areas in the floating city yet, a year after inhabiting it. That would take at least another year barring any problems or Nix attacks.

Nix were a humanoid race that fed on the energy of humans. By using what the Andromeda natives termed as life or energy depletors in the Nix hands, the Nix were able to replenish their own energy, their own lives, by taking the lives of others. According to the legends found among both Kaven and Be’atta’s peoples, there had been a massive increase in the Nix population many generations ago. The result of the Nix boom meant more humans were killed, so the Mythicans, a legendary ancient race, took it upon themselves to go to war with the Nix to protect the humans in the galaxy. The sheer number of Nix clans throughout the galaxy, despite not being as technologically advanced as the Mythicans, gave them the advantage they needed and wiped out the legendary race. It was that race of people that Kaven and Be’atta believed built the city they now called home, and they were the ones responsible for building the bridge portals in both Andromeda, and the one uncovered on Earth.

But according to Kaven and Be’atta, there was no trace of the Mythicans left alive. Other than the bridge portal on Earth and those in Andromeda, and the city now called Terra 2 were all that was left of this ancient race. What the Expedition members wondered was since there was a bridge portal on Earth, was that their escape route? Did these ancient Mythicans leave Andromeda and the curse of the Nix and head to Earth? Or maybe they were the mysterious advanced Atlantians who disappeared—and left Earth and the Milky Way for Andromeda.

March 2, 2115

“Doc, get your gear ready,” Col. John Hagen said, “we’ll be landing soon.”

“Are you okay, Victoria?” Be’atta asked when Victoria didn’t immediately respond.

“Sorry,” Victoria said as she startled and began made sure her gear and weapon were at the ready, “was just wondering if I’d see him.”

“There are millions of them and hundreds of planets,” Chris Chapman said, “I’d think it highly unlikely. But I can stick with you if you’d like. I can be your personal bodyguard.” He grinned, “I’m all about saving damsels in distress.”

“I don’t think he’d hurt me if we did run into him. But thank you, good knight.”

The Expedition used shuttlecraft as they explored the galaxy. They found a hangar bay with a half-dozen of them in the top of one of the glass towers along with their own bridge portal, wide enough to allow the shuttle to cross over it. So the team would use the bridge portal, fly across it with the shuttle, and then fly to a village or city on the planet they were exploring.

With John’s background as a pilot, and a lot of trial and error, they eventually figured out the basic controls. He wanted to take it out into space, but they had no idea if she was capable of space travel, and they had no idea what most of the controls were for, so the shuttles were only used for crossing distances planet-side.

A shuttle was not much more than a transport, similar to a shuttle transport on Earth, though clearly far more sophisticated. It could easily hold up to twenty-five people, and the seats could either face forward or rotated to form a long bench down the sides of the craft. There was a pilot and co-pilot seat, then one station behind each with their own consoles and seats. They hadn’t figured out what they were for yet, but it was guessed that one was probably for navigation and the other, perhaps, was for weapons, of which they found none, or scientific scanners, or just a backup piloting system.

Typical trips meant the first four seats behind the pilot cabin were turned forward with the rest lining the shuttle’s length allowing more room for storage or, if things went bad, medical stretchers. There was both a side and back hatch for entry and exit. It’s white hull wasn’t much to look at, rather short and squat and rectangular, but she could zip along the countryside at amazing speeds. Earth transport shuttles could cross the entire U.S. in an hour. These could cross the same distance in fifteen minutes.

John landed a hundred yards from the town and the five-person Alpha Team disembarked to walk the rest of the way. Be’atta, their spokesperson, made lodging arrangements, and after dumping their changes of clothes, the team continued with their mission. Simon assessed the technological state, John, Chris, and Be’atta generally talked with village or town leaders to try and establish trade, while Victoria inquired about the medical situation, offering help.

Three days after arriving, they had established a trade with the Elgolians, gold for various items the E:A team could use, and Victoria was able to procure information on the Nix, including a cadaver and blood samples.

Dr. Becket McKenna met the returning team in the shuttle bay with a gurney for the cadaver, but he was primarily there to make sure Victoria was doing okay.

“Amazing specimen,” he said as he looked at the cadaver. “I’m glad you were able to talk the Elgolians into giving this up.”

“They saw the advantage of us working together to find out all we can about the Nix. Especially since our medical technology is more advanced than theirs. They lost a lot of people before this one went down. Oddly enough, the Nix left him.”

“That’s odd?” Becket asked.

“They take their dead with them,” Be’atta said. “So this is a good find, all the way around.”

“I agree,” said Vince Cavanaugh coming up to the team. “Good work, Doc.”

Victoria smiled, “I’m glad I could be of some use.”

“Doc, you’re always helpful,” Chris Chapman said. “Saved my life a time or two when we ran into some unfriendlies.”

“One arrow in the arm and a bullet in the shoulder. They weren’t even life-threatening,” she smiled.

“Hurt like hell, though,” he winked.

“If I remember correctly, you took those shots to get us out of danger.”

“Enough of this patting each other on the back,” John said, “let’s get this body in the lab then I’m sure the general would like to get the debriefing over.”

“Indeed. Got the trade agreement?” Vince asked.

“I do.”

“Did you get me some steak?”

“They had cattle,” John grinned, “and yes, I got them into the trade agreement.”

“The cooks and myself thank you,” Vince bowed slightly. “How soon until the cows come home?”

“You’ve been just waiting to use that, haven’t you?” John grinned.

March 5, 2115

“I take it you didn’t run into your Nix,” Becket said as they sat down in the mess hall for dinner.

“No.”

“Disappointed?”

“I guess. I have so many questions for him.”

Becket laughed, “I’m sure you do.”

“Pal’an, the head doctor in Elgolia’s capital, said Nix have digestive systems but they don’t seem to use them.”

“According to Kaven and Be’atta, they don’t eat, I mean not like we do,” Becket said. “It doesn’t provide sustenance for them.”

“But then why do they have a digestive system?” Victoria frowned.

“We’ll certainly find out as we gather even more information. That cadaver should give us a lot of information.”

“I’ll definitely be getting us more information. I’m determined now that I know they can heal people. But I’m…perplexed. Why is the Mythican library lacking something like this? Surely they came across bodies they could dissect during the war. The Nix couldn’t have collected all of the dead bodies. There’s only a mention of this being that feeds on humans by using its hands. Not really anything more.”

“That’s bothered me as well,” he said, “but we have to keep in mind, that seems to be a general library, not a medical one. We haven’t tapped even the tip of the iceberg yet. Translation takes time. The information might be there, but we just haven’t figured out the right words. All of that to say, we just need to stay focused on our own work. Find out what we can. Someday we’ll have a good translation and find the answers to our questions.”

Becket walked her to her chambers where they talked about non-work related things. “So, any news in the mailcom batch that came in today from Earth?”

“Regarding Jason? No. Nothing.”

“The divorce still not gone through?”

Victoria shook her head. “He won’t let it and his family is too well connected.”

“At least he’s not here,” Becket attempted to get her to look on the bright side, suddenly feeling as if he’d cast a shadow over her mood.

“Sad that I had to escape to a different galaxy to get away and feel safe from him.”

“I’m so sorry, love. Listen, I know if you talk to Vince, he might be able to pull some strings in the government. Get you free of him.”

“It’s not just the divorce,” she said as she reached out and clung to him to keep from weeping, “he won’t stop. He’ll keep looking for me and will hurt everyone I care about. I should have never told you. I…I shouldn’t have let you get this close to me.”

“Ssh,” he said and kissed the top of her head, “I happen to like being this close to you. You needed to tell someone. I’m glad you confided in me. And I really think Vince needs to know.”

“I can’t. I don’t want anyone else to know.”

“Jason nearly killed you. A few times, from what you’ve said. People need to know.”

“I tried telling the cops back on Earth. I tried pressing charges. I tried getting a restraining order. Everything. His family bought everyone off and made it all go away. I can’t trust the system. That’s why I didn’t hesitate when they asked me to come here. Secret government project, a different galaxy, away from him. I jumped at it.”

Becket sighed, “I wish I could do more. Talk to Vince. He’s got government connections, I really think he might be able to help. With what we’ve been through, I’m pretty sure you can trust Vince.”

“I’ll think about it.” She pulled out of his embrace and looked into his blue eyes, “And thank you for being my friend.”

Becket gave her one his most charming smiles. “Well, maybe someday we can be more.”

“Becket, I…” she gripped his hands, “You know I can’t. Just friends. Please.”

He gave her a slight nod. “Just friends. But should you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Victoria smiled, her green eyes sparkling, “I do. But please, don’t be pining over me. I don’t think I could ever get close to anyone again. Not even someone as charming and dashing as my favorite Scotsman.”

“A man can still dream,” he said after kissing her cheek.

“Good night, doctor,” she said, “and look up Elsie down in Botany. I hear she’s quite taken with you. Actually, most of the women on this base are.”

He shook his head, smiling as he walked away. “Good night, Victoria.”

April 5, 2115

Victoria and the Alpha Team returned to Elgolia a month later to help with an outbreak of typhus. It was a disease the Elgolians had been unable to fend off during previous outbreaks, so they asked the Expedition: Andromeda team for help. This time Becket joined their team since the outbreak had spread rapidly and infected over half of the capital’s 3,000 people.

“So you think you can reactivate their digestive systems?” Elgolian doctor Pal’an asked.

Becket nodded, “Our simulations are going well, but there’s still so much information about the Nix that we need to even consider our simulations valid. Plus we’ll eventually need a live subject to truly test it.”

“Good luck with getting one,” he smiled then nodded towards Victoria who was instructing another doctor on dosages and follow-ups. “She’s talented for a female.”

“Many of our best scientists and doctors are female. You’d do well to open up to the idea a bit more.”

“She said the same thing when she was here last time,” Pal’an’s smile remained, “But one step at a time.”

“Of course.”

Just as Becket spoke, a scream was heard, then another. Then they heard the buzzing of the Nix jets. Both Victoria and Becket reached for their guns, which all team members, military, science, and medical, were required to carry. Both doctors ran outside to meet up with the rest of the Alpha Team.

They ran through the streets towards the screams. “This isn’t right,” Chris Chapman said, “they don’t attack in the middle of a town. At least not one of this size.”

John Hagen stopped them at the courtyard, “Not Nix,” he said, “Gyhan.”

“Just like when I encountered them,” Victoria said, “I heard the Nix jets, but other than the one Nix that saved me, the villagers were being attacked by the Gyhan. Gyhan with Nix jets. Is that even possible?”

“Chapman, take up a position over there,” John pointed, “Be’atta, you’re with me. I want them alive. I want to know where they got those jets and why they’re killing humans. Carson, McKenna, Harris, cover us and be ready to tend to the injured.”

There were only a handful of Gyhan soldiers and were easily subdued but not until several Elgolians were injured. Becket and Victoria got to them as soon as John signaled them in. Meanwhile, he, Chris, and Be’atta, along with a few members of a local patrol, moved the Gyhan to a secure location.

Victoria stayed with the patients in the courtyard as Becket and the Elgolian medical staff began to move them to their infirmary. As the last man was picked up on a litter, Victoria caught a black and white figure out of the corner of her eye.

“Tell Dr. McKenna that I’ll be along in a minute,” she said to one of the nurses as she began running down an alley. It was only a few blocks before she found herself outside of the town gates with no sight of who she thought she’d seen.

She walked into a wooded area north of town, only a few yards. She didn’t hear him land behind her. He’d been up in one of the trees. When she turned to head back into the town, she nearly screamed as she ran into him.

He stood a good foot over her and somehow looked even larger than when she had first encountered him.

“Doctor Victoria Carson. We meet again,” he said in his deep, raspy voice.

“Who are you?”

“I believe your kind call us Nix.”

“I was referring to your name,” she said, “I’d like to know the name of the man who saved my life.”

Ignoring her question, the Nix continued, “The Gyhan are killing humans. They are trying to draw my people into a war.”

“But aren’t you at war already?”

“We feed on humans because we have to. It is not a choice. It is not a war we want.”

“What’s your name and why did you save me?”

“Would you rather I had fed off of you?” he asked closing the already small distance between them.

“You could have. I want to know why you didn’t.”

His silver eyes bored into hers, “It was a moment of weakness.”

Victoria managed to keep her fear under control and her eyes stayed on him, memorizing his face. “I’d like to know more about your people; your healing abilities. And you still haven’t told me your name.”

“Perhaps someday. I must depart. Your friends are searching for you.”

She stood half in shock, half in disbelief as she watched him run off. He was much faster than any human, and much more nimble than his physique let on.

“Doc, you okay?” Chris asked as he ran up to her.

“Yeah…yeah. It was him.”

“Him?” he asked then raised his gun, “The Nix?”

She nodded. “He’s gone.”

“You sure he didn’t hurt you? Didn’t try to feed…”

“No. He was after the Gyhan. He said they’re intentionally trying to start a war with his people by killing off humans.”

“Let’s get back. I want Doc McKenna to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Just a little shaken. He didn’t touch me.”

“Maybe he got into your head.”

“No,” she said as they headed back into the town, “why would the Gyhan…they have to feed off of humans. The Nix. He said they didn’t have a choice.”

“Come on, Doc. Let’s get you looked at.”

Becket took Victoria’s word that she hadn’t been touched and that she was fine to continue working, but he kept a close eye on her throughout the rest of the day.

April 7, 2115

“There wasn’t another jet, at least we didn’t find one,” John said two days later when they were back on Terra 2 after taking care of the Elgolian typhus outbreak. “Just the ones the Gyhan had used. We have no idea how Victoria’s Nix got to the village.”

General Cavanaugh gave him a quick nod and looked at Victoria, “He just ran off?”

“Yes, sir. I tried to get a name out of him. I’m sorry, I had so many questions, and I know I didn’t ask the right ones.”

Vince gave her a warm smile, “It’s okay, Victoria, you’re not sent into the field to interrogate the enemy, that’s for John and Chris. I’m thankful you weren’t hurt. To be honest, a name probably wouldn’t do us much good. Dr. McKenna, are the Elgolians set to handle the rest of this epidemic on their own or will we need to send a few more medical teams back in?”

“They’re good to go. We gave them the meds, all the information about side effects, everything they need to know.”

“Good. John, I want the Alpha Team to follow-up on this information about the Gyhan killing humans. It’s bad enough that the Nix are out there, but we don’t need humans killing off their own kind just to start a war with someone else.” He looked over to Be’atta, “Do you have any trustworthy contacts within the Gyhan camp that I can talk to?”

“A few. I could go in alone and ask some questions before we send in a team.”

“Take Kaven with you. Get a good day of rest first. Becket, make sure that Nix didn’t get into Victoria’s head. The rest of you take the day off. Good work all the way around.”

Victoria walked with Becket back to the lab. “He’s not in my head,” she said to him.

“I believe you, but if Vince wants scans to prove it, I have to run the scans.”

“I know. I just feel like I’m being such a bother. There’s so much more we need to be doing.”

“Well, we learned more from your Nix than the Gyhan we captured. And that’s something only you could have pulled off. I’m pretty sure if it had been me or John or Chris chasing after him, we would’ve been fed upon. You’ve got some sort of connection with him, so let’s see what we can learn. Maybe we should start sending out teams to look for him.”

Victoria shook her head. “I have a feeling that we wouldn’t find him.”

“Do you think he let you see him back on Elgolia?”

“Yes.” She sighed, “Actually, I don’t know. I really only saw a blur and ran after him. He was so fast. Faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“Long strides,” Becket smiled. “A foot taller. Hmm, that would put him at what, 6’7”?”

“If not more.”

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave