Gateways, Aer-ki Jyr [sci fi books to read .TXT] 📗

Only the trailblazer was strong enough to process it, and from it he got a single concept hammering him in what he thought was an emotion of excitement coming from the Nightcrawler…or hope…or relief…or probably some emotion he didn’t even possess himself, but the concept was coming through loud and clear.

Master.

8

The Jedein immediately tried to link through Amir, which he allowed, and tried to help translate despite being shut out from the other end. This behavior was completely unrecognizable to every interaction it had had with the Nightcrawler to date, and the threat level had just ramped up considerably as it was beginning to expel heat at a far greater rate than before…but Amir made the Jedein stand down, asserting that he would handle this as he pulled on all the experience he previously had had with the Uriti to try and understand the telepathic language being used.

But he didn’t have to, for as they went back and forth with various images, feelings, and a few basic words the Nightcrawler was adapting to him faster than he was to it. Its telepathy was so powerful he had no idea if his blocks were holding or how exposed he was, but when it realized this it backed off in intensity and the two quickly began to establish a synthesis of mind.

I do not recognize you, he said, less in words than concepts.

You are master. Different, but same vibe. We have been lost. You told us to wait. You never returned.

When was this?

Amir got a mental image of stars swirling around the center of the galaxy, which apparently was how the Nightcrawler measured time. The trailblazer had no fixed point to monitor, but the visible swirling effect had to be in the hundreds of millions of years…and it wasn’t this galaxy it was showing him, nor from within it. The viewing position was far outside it.

What have you been waiting for?

Your call.

I do not know you.

You are Master. Your body is different, but you are of their breed. You are they. What happened? Why didn’t you come?

I don’t know what you are talking about. We are less than a million years old, he said, trying to picture this galaxy swirling a tiny amount to match. What is it that makes me familiar?

We serve you. We know our Master. Why did you not come back?

Does my body make me Master, or my mind?

Both are Master. Master is conquest. Master is protector. Master holds dominion. Master directs us. Master teaches us. Master is carried in us. Master shows us our purpose. Master has been gone. Master has not spoken to us. Master left us. We waited. We waited, it repeated, and Amir could sense it emotionally crying.

What did the other Master look like?

The image that came into the Amir’s mind wasn’t just physical, but a mix of mental and Essence signature, as well as a fictional component that detailed the potential that its Master had, almost as if a historical tally of badassery…and it was nearly on par with the Archons.

Except they had tails.

I understand now, the trailblazer said, sensing a need to pick up on the other’s responsibility that was left abandoned. I do not know what happened to the others, but they are most likely dead. I will assume their place, but I need to know more of what your missions were.

We carry Master into the dark places. We have become toxic to starlight to do this for Master, for Master cannot exist there without harming those they try to help. When Master did not return, those they helped were destroyed by others. We waited. We stayed afar. We were ignored for long time, but then they came for us. To destroy us. We fought back, killed many, and still we waited. Too many died, we had to flee to the few dark places beyond. We had to disobey to survive. Those who refused to leave were destroyed. What were we supposed to do, Master?

Stay alive to fight another day, Amir said simply, not understanding the context, but it seemed clear that their Masters were not inclined to have left them behind willingly. Not if his assumption of their lightside status was legit. How many of you are left?

We scattered when they pursued us. They followed us to the swirls of stars. Hunted us. We could not go where we once had. Our bodies had changed too much and we do not know how to change them back without Master. We scattered so some of us might survive. I found this dark place and they did not follow here.

How can they survive the star light here?

They have armored ships. Master knew of this. Master said they had attacked before and must be prevented from doing so again. They can kill in different ways. Ways we were learning. We never finished. Master never came back.

Why did your Master leave?

Called to war. We could not come. Our bodies would die from normal weapons in one damage. Master said they would return to us. Master never did.

Was your Master a person or many persons?

Many persons. I can hold many.

How do you hold Masters?

Inside. I am changing to match your air and light needs.

Master rides inside you? Amir asked for clarity.

Master cannot enter dark areas without us. We are their passage. We are their voice. We are their weapons. In us, Master can exert their will where starlight races cannot go. Darklight races will destroy them without us.

Amir cringed for a moment, getting lost in the concepts, until the Jedein stepped in.

Tri’vey, Tri’se, and Tri’to. Tri’to is the starlight. Tri’se is the darklight.

Thank you, Amir said, switching telepathy back to the Nightcrawler. How do the darklight damage the starlight?

They make them bleed. They