Chapter 3
"We appear to be approaching this star system," Buck announced.
"Analysis show it to be an M-type star with… six planets orbiting," Theo added.
"Navigations says we're heading for the second planet. We should be there in about… fifteen minutes."
"It appears to be inhabited. I'm picking up signs of an advanced civilization."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: I hope they're friendly."
"Yeah, me too," Buck muttered. "Last thing I need right now is a dogfight."
The closer they got to the planets, the more Buck expected to hear some kind of message from the authorities or spaceport on the planet, warning or greeting, but neither was forthcoming. Once more Buck tried the controls, but still nothing happened. He sat back, but remained on guard.
"It's pretty," he said as they approached. "Kinda looks like Earth, I mean the Earth I grew up on. Lots of forests and oceans."
Suddenly every light in the cockpit disappeared, only to be replaced by a green, ever-present glow that seemed to surround the ship.
"Tractor beam," Theo explained, even though he didn't have to. "A very powerful one too."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: my circuits are quivering."
Buck rested a hand atop the droid's head. "Relax, Twiki. Someone went to a lot of trouble to bring us here. I highly doubt they brought us here to kill us. They could have done that in space."
"No, I mean my circuits are quivering… literally."
"The strength of the tractor beam is affecting Twiki's internal circuitry, sending additional current through. Maybe you should go into sleep mode until we land."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: no way. I'll ride it out."
Buck tapped Twiki's head again. "That's my little trouper."
With intent interest, Buck watched the shuttle descend into the planet's atmosphere and fly over a massively large, thick forest for several minutes until it stopped suddenly at the edge of a large lake. For another couple minutes all they saw was the sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water. Suddenly a sparkle of light appeared on the horizon. The sparkle quickly grew into a gleaming, beautiful, multi-faceted, multi-spired, immense castle built on a small island near the other edge of the lake. The foundation of the castle appeared to take up nearly the entire island. The shuttle slowed, then began to circle around to the front of the island castle. On the other side of the island appeared a wide, long, arcing bridge connecting the island with the mainland and the sprawling, bustling, advanced city beyond. The shuttle continued to descend and circle the castle until Buck noticed a small opening at ground level and to the right of the large castle doors. The shuttle entered the tunnel and almost immediately entered into a wide, sparsely occupied hangar. The ship set down in the exact center of the hangar. Buck glanced to his right and shrugged.
"We're here," he announced, taking off his helmet and gloves.
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: but where is here?"
"Well it's not the middle of nowhere," Theo offered.
Buck shrugged again. "I guess we follow Quasi Modo there."
He pointed out the viewscreen at the tall but hunched over man standing at the far end of the hangar. Buck unholstered his pistol, checked the charge, then re-holstered it.
"Might I suggest you leave that here?" Theo asked.
"No!" Buck and Twiki replied in unison.
They left the shuttle and slowly started across the expanse toward the hunched old man. He waved for them to follow, but didn't say a word. He led them into a small elevator and depressed a button once everyone was in. It ascended for about thirty seconds before the door opened. He gave them an, 'after you' gesture, but once Buck and Twiki exited the elevator, the door closed again with Quasi on the other side. Buck shrugged, tapped Twiki on the head.
"I guess we go this way," he said, starting down the short corridor to the set of double doors ten feet ahead.
Cautiously he moved down the hall, but stopped at the doors. One hand rested on the door handle while the other rested on the pistol. "Here goes nothing."
Slowly he opened the door. Instantly his breath was taken away by the sheer size and beauty of the audience chamber. The one Ardala had had her ceremony was large, but nothing compared to the size and beauty of this room. Hundreds of stained glass windows lined both sides of the chambers and even the ceiling. Some of the windows were opened to allow a marvelous scenic view of the sparkling lake surrounding the castle. In between the windows hung tapestries depicting many different images and colored patterns. The furniture, the walls, the chandeliers hanging from the fifty foot ceiling, even the tessellated floor tiles assaulted his senses almost to the point of overload.
"Wow," he breathed. "I've never seen anything like this before! It's beautiful!"
"Thank you," sounded a feminine voice from the front of the room. "You made good time, Captain Rogers. I've been expecting you."
Buck's hand tightened on the pistol's handle, but kept it holstered for the time being. His eyes narrowed and focused on the beautiful woman walking down the center aisle toward them. Her long black hair trailed down both shoulders, contrasting sharply with the shimmering white robe she wore. She moved to within five feet of him before stopping and waving one hand horizontally out in front of her.
"You do not need your weapon. I assure you I am not here to harm you."
"Who are you?" Buck asked, hand still gripped on the handle of the gun.
"My name is Cicada."
"Why am I here?"
She grinned. "Is that a philosophical question or a practical question?"
"Why am I here on this planet, in this castle, in this room talking to you?"
"Because my daughter programmed your shuttle to come see me."
"Your… daughter?"
"Syndria."
Buck's eyes widened. "Ardala's mystic?"
"Yes," the black haired woman said with a smile. "She wished you to have an audience with me. She wished me to help you… come to grips on certain decisions you have made in your recent past."
"You are a mystic then?"
"Yes."
He released his grip on the pistol and nodded. "You were right, Theo. I should've left the gun in the ship. If she's as quick as Syndria, weapons won't do me any good here."
Cicada grinned. "I'm a little older than Syndria, but I'm still quick enough to hold my own." Slowly she raised both hands to chest level, eight inches apart, and held them out toward Buck. "May I?" she asked simply. "It won't hurt, I promise."
He stared into her wide, crystal clear, colorless eyes for only a moment before he felt a wave of peace flow throughout his body and soul. He nodded. The woman stepped up to him and placed a hand on each cheek, then closed her eyes and began to murmur almost inaudibly. After only three seconds, she stepped back and lowered her hands.
"I see," she whispered.
"What do you see?"
"Why Syndria wanted me to meet you. you bear a heavy burden. You bear the burden of a mystic."
"What does that even mean?"
"Walk with me, Buck. May I call you Buck?"
"Beep-be-de-de-beep."
"Have no fear, little one," Cicada said toward the droid. "Although I am far from harmless, Captain Rogers has nothing to fear from me. Doctor Theopolis, I sense you would like to go to our archives and read up on our history."
"Yes I would, but how did you know?"
"I would have my steward show you the way, but I think it will be faster if I just tell you where to find it, or rather show you where it is."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: no way, sister! I'm not leaving Buck!"
Buck tapped the ambuquad on the head. "It's okay, Twiki. I don't know why but I think we're in the safest place in the known universe."
"Maybe not in the universe, but at least in this realm," Cicada said with just a bare hint of a smile. She rested a hand atop Twiki's head and held it there for only a second before removing it. "There, I have shown you the way to our library. Please take your time and be at ease. My home is now your home."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: say what?"
"Until it is time for you to leave, of course. I didn't wish to imply that you could never leave. you may leave now if you wish. You are not my hostages."
"No," Buck interrupted immediately. "I, for one, would like to get to the bottom of this." He tapped Twiki on the shoulder. "Go ahead and take Theo to the library. I'll be okay with Cicada."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: why do you always get the girl?"
Cicada snickered and shook her head. "I don't think Buck wants this girl. Actually, come to think of it, I may be the only girl in the galaxy close to his age. I am 344 years old, after all."
"Wow, you don't look a day over 150."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep!"
"Captain Rogers-"
"I could say the same of you," Cicada said.
Buck grinned, nodded once. "Touché. Go on, Twiki."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: I'm going on the record of saying I don't like this."
"Don't worry, little buddy. If she truly is a mystic, she can't kill me."
"Why not?"
"Cosmic mystic rule number one. If she kills me, she loses her powers."
"Ahh, I see Syndria has already initiated you! Excellent!"
Beep-be-de-de-beep."
"Let's go, Twiki," Theo said. "Let's leave the captain with our host. They have much to discuss and I would like to see these archives."
"Beep-be-de-de-beep: fine."
Twiki turned and began to trudge away. Cicada watched him go for a moment before turning to the much larger man. "He thinks very highly of you. No truer friend has a man ever had."
"We've been through a lot together."
She nodded knowingly. "I know." She took Buck's hand and turned the other way toward the front of the audience hall. Once more he could feel a sense of power, peace, and serenity overwhelming his soul. He turned to look at the beautiful woman.
"I didn't see a spaceport here."
"We have one. It's on the other side of the city across the bridge."
"Do they always let people land here without so much as a peep out of them?"
She smiled. "Only when they don't know someone's coming." She snickered at the look he gave her. "I hid your approach and descent from their instruments. They have no idea you're even here."
"You can do that?"
"I can do many things."
He stared into the side of her expressionless face. "Normally when someone says something like that, they're boasting. I get the sense you truly can do many things."
She grinned. "I like you, Buck. You're a lot like my beloved. Not only are you smart, but you are also wise. That's not often a trait people share nowadays."
"There's something about you," he started. "I feel this awesome… aura, this power around you but yet you hide it deep inside."
She sighed and looked away. "Only the weak have to flaunt the power they have." She suddenly stopped and turned almost into Buck's chest. "True power comes from here," she said, placing a hand upon his heart. "Not from here," she added, moving her hand to tap his forehead. She winked at him, then took his hand and began to walk again. "Come, we have much to discuss and much more to do before Colonel Deering arrives."
Buck's eyes widened and his hand broke free from the mystic's. "Wilma's coming?!"
"Yes," Cicada replied matter of factly as she continued to walk toward the front of the room. "But she won't be able to find us until I'm done with you."
"Excuse me?"
She stopped, turned and smirked. "I made us invisible."
"The palace?"
"The planet."
"Whoa! You can do that?!"
"Come along, Buck. You have some friends who are dying to talk with you."
"What!?"
She giggled as she turned and began to walk again. "Just a little joke! Actually they're already dead."
"Uh…"
"Come along, Buck. Don't make me drag you… unless you think I can't!"
He quickened his pace to catch up to the swift moving mystic.