The Sands of Time Chapter 42

 

A torchlit procession would its way towards the Mound. From where he was Joon could hear what sounded like chanting. 

"I thought you said there was no one else here on this planet?" Joon shouted to Rachel over the hum of the speeders. 

"I said no indigenous forms. That we know of," she added. "Remember last night I mentioned pilgrimages?"

He did remember. 

They kicked their speeders into gear and zoomed down the hill, roaring into camp. People scattered as they arrived. Rachel removed her helmet and got a status report, waving Joon over. 

"We got word from our sentry as they crested the dune," her assistant was telling her. "they'll be here..."

"I know. We're going to take a quick look before they do." 

Joon could see large tents and pavilions, and at least several crystals on displays. He wondered how many they were removing. Rachel ushered them back to their bikes and they took off, heading for the Mound. It wasn't far. 

They roared up to the base of the hill and dismounted. There were technicians scrambling around the rocks, and higher up she could see them working among the crystals. There was a sense of urgency, no doubt due to the approaching group. 

"We call them Seekers," Rachel explained as they climbed. "We don't know where they come from. They could be natives, but we've seen no sign of that, no settlements. They appear every couple months. Leo thought they came from somewhere else, that there might be more Gates here." 

"Why?"

"Who knows. They come from somewhere. They don't appear hostile." She was panting now as they climbed quicker. 

Howie had moved on ahead. 

Rachel's people were descending, and she nodded at several. "Make sure everyone is down," she told one of them. "Everyone stays locked down in camp until I give the all clear."

The woman nodded and hurried on. 

They were approaching the lower crystals now. Joon touched one as they passed. It was cool to the touch, and Joon almost felt like it... keened. He remembered Rachel telling him that Valerus thought they sang. 

Or was that Howie singing? 

Howie was ahead of them, moving from crystal to crystal. He usually floated slowly, but he was downright active now. 

Looking back he could see the torches approaching. 

Howie was very actively keening now as they caught up to him. He was changing colors almost. 

"Is he... eating?"

There was no reply. The crystals were immense, towering over them. Some of them straight up, others canted at an angle. Some looked like they had tipped over. Powerful artifacts and they just... grew here?

"He's... singing," Maia said slowly. 

Joon returned his attention to Howie. The creature was hovering near a large crystal, growing kitty corner out of the ground, and the light was pulsing in time to Howie's movements. He was changing color too, and keening. It was like a synchronized symphony. 

Emotions. 

Joon could feel waves of... something. Happiness. Hurt. Fear. Joy. 

Howie seemed to be cycling various emotions. Or was it him? Around them other crystals seemed to take up the music, or was it just the weird acoustics amongst the crystals? Joon had never felt like this before, and he took Maia's hand. She had a tear on her cheek, and was touching Howie with her other hand. 

"We have to go," said Rachel from what sounded like a mile away. The torches had reached the bottom of the hill. 

The sound crescendoed then ended. The silence afterward was deafening. The night air was cool, there were a billion stars overhead, and the only sound they could hear was the distant fire and noise from Rachel's camp. 

The torches began their climb. 

Howie floated to the crystal, touched it with his waving tentacles. The eyes were active, looking in all directions, and when they made eye contact with him Joon felt something. He was starting to understand Maia's connection. 

They descended the hill then, Howie leading the way. They were going to try and avoid the newcomers, but Howie went straight for them. Maia exchanged a glance with Rachel and Joon, and hurried after. 

They met the torches halfway down. Howie was there first. The newcomers were man-sized, in flowing robes, several of them carrying staves, and they were hooded. The most surprising thing was that they were masked. Garish, metallic. They could see eyes behind the plate, but the masks themselves were strange. Silent eyes regarded them. 

Howie began to communicate. He let forth a stream of clicking sounds, and the keening they were familiar with. Also images. Light pictures. Almost like holos. 

What was he saying? 

Several of the Seekers began to bow or kneel. Not all. Then Howie moved on. Tentatively Rachel followed. They passed each other, here on an alien world a galaxy away, and Joon looked into the eyes of a Seeker as he descended the Mound.