"And this is, how we remained," Shalamorn finished her report. "Over the next few weeks, all of us will have to do some inventory of our remaining resources, and discuss the requirements for a settlement."
The throne room of the pyramid was unusually stuffed with people. All the guards and serving personnel had gathered around the royal family to get the news, they had brought from Vancouver. Jason's father was also there, – and Brett, of course.
Six members of Shalamorn's council back on the Ocean Planet looked down to them from the triangular screen hanging in the air.
With respect to the humans in the room, Shalamorn had insisted on reporting in English. Jason could tell, the council members weren't very happy about this decision. Some of them barely spoke English, even though they understood most of it.
"They expect us to wait for another couple of weeks?" one of the female council members asked with a sour expression.
"Yes," Shalamorn replied. "We have to be patient, Councillor Chianba. It is very much, we demand from Earth People. To grant asylum is not a decision, the senators can make on their own. They intend to involve the civil population. But going public needs preparation."
"And we need nourishment, and a clean ocean to swim in for our children," another advisor, bold but with a heavy grey beard, exclaimed, while his colleagues nodded in agreement. "Couldn't they at least consent with our necessity to send some of them?"
"I'm afraid, they already feel threatened by the Ocean People already inhabiting the pyramid," Shalamorn said. "I was informed that our presence on their planet had an intimidating effect."
She didn't look at him but Jason felt some other pairs of eyes on him throughout the room.
"And our advanced technology makes it even harder to build up good relations," she ran on. "If we want to gain their trust, we first have to respect their decision."
"The people of the Opal Planet are of a destructive nature," Councillor Chianba argued. "So are their decisions. Getting more of they precious currency is all they care about."
"May I remind you, we were the same once?" Shalamorn answered calmly.
The council members didn't like to be remembered, obviously.
The bold councillor snorted. "Ancient history. If we would take over them, we would make wise decisions for both our people. They are just primitive apes compared to us."
"Unfortunately," Jason said aloud, and heads turned to him in surprise, "it seems your survival is depending on the primitive apes."
"You may attend, but you may not speak, boy" Chianba snubbed him. "Only people of royal blood and council members are allowed to speak here."
"Honoured members of the council," an unexpected voice rose from the crowd, and Shersheba stepped forward. "I am of royal blood, and I have the right to speak." When one of the councillors opened his mouth, she just cut him off with a gesture of her arm and ran on. "I will switch into the native tongue, to make sure you understand what I have to say: …."
The few sentenced of hers sent a wave of shock through the room. Some of the council members began to yell with outrage. Neri flinched, while Mera quickly inhaled. In contrary to the others, Jason spied a trace of amusement on Mera's face.
"What did she say?" he asked her in a whisper.
She broke into a grin. "You want the exact wording or the tame recap?" She grinned wider at his startled look. "Well, Shersheba told them, that it was that primitive ape, who came up with the solution to the Red Virus. She called them names, also arrogant and stubborn. And that you … saved their asses" – she smirked, – "again in Vancouver."
"Wow, Jase," Brett, who stood behind Mera, murmured. "Seems, you got yourself a fan."
Jason gave Shersheba a look and their eyes met. Neri drew his attention away by taking his hand.
"Enough," Shalamorn exclaimed and the angry voices died down.
"Why is that person still allowed to call herself princess?" one of the councillors asked.
"I already explained my reasons for pardoning her," Shalamorn responded. "She fell for Malakat's lies, as did so many of us. But she realised her mistake in time and pried the cure to the Red Virus away from his hands. She could have kept me in stasis, but instead, she decided to help me to reclaim my throne. She regrets her actions, and I will not deny mercy to someone who asks for it."
"Honoured members of the council," Shersheba interjected. "I apologise for my harsh words. I understand they were inappropriate. But listening to you is like listening to Malakat. Primitive. Destructive. Hostile. These were the words he used. Jason Bates made me see the truth. As you, I was guided by fear. Jason" – she shot him a glance, – "is one of the views in this room untouched by his arrogance, and unspoilt by his ideas. In the final attempt to stop Malakat's doing, he was ready to die alongside the princess. He deserves not just to speak, but also to be heard."
The room was in thoughtful silence. No one had expected her to speak out, especially for a human. People were looking from Shersheba to him, back to Shersheba and then to the floating image above them.
Except for his parents. Unbelieving, they stared at him, and it suddenly hit him, that he had never actually told them their real plans back then. They had only known, that Neri had wanted to go into the pyramid for a last attempt to stop Malakat. That this plan had involved suicide … Well, some things would have better stayed a secret.
Obviously, for the council members, these were hardly news. Throughout Shersheba's speech, the crimping of their noses and mouth's corners in disagreement had slowly changed into recognition. They exchanged looks, then turned to face them again.
"Alright then," Chianba addressed Jason. "Speak."
His heart was beating frantically in his chest, but his voice sounded calm. Talking to authorities seemed to become a habit recently.
"Our weapons are not as advanced as yours, of course," he started. "But nevertheless, they cause massive damage. If you try to invade, force your settlement upon the people on Earth, they will fight back. They will fire at you with everything they got. And, when the dust is finally cleared away, there will be no planet left, where you can immigrate to. Are you really ready to take that risk?"
Chianba exchanged another glance with her colleagues. A silent communication took place. In sync, they rose from their chairs.
"We will start with the inventory right away," the bold councillor said, but his tone still told of a certain doubt. They won, - for the moment, at least.
"Your Majesty. Your Royal Highnesses." They bowed in direction of the Queen, Neri, Mera and Shersheba, although this last bow was not as deep as towards the others. After a second of hesitation, the councillor implied a bow with a nod in Jason's direction. To his surprise, the other members of the council followed his lead. Then the image was turned off, and the crowd thinned out, as the guards and the serving personnel returned to their duties.
"I don't understand, why things are still this bad," Brett said. "The synchronium is supposed to heal the oceans, isn't it? Why can't you just use it again?"
"Unfortunately, the synchronium is a one-shot," Mera explained. "When the Red Virus appeared, people got angry. They blamed the council because they sent it to Earth. They said, using it on Earth was a terrible waste because sooner or later, people of Earth would start polluting the oceans again."
"Well, it can be used more than once actually," Shalamorn corrected. "But it has to get charged."
"Charged with what?" Jason wanted to know.
"By the touch of the Chosen Ones. People in possession of the Gift."
"But you have the Gift," Brett argued. "And it worked with only Neri, Mera and Charly. Now there are the four of you!"
"The synchronium does require far more than just the thoughts of few individuals," Shalamorn responded. "It was already charged when it was sent to Earth. For centuries, it has been passed on from generation to generation, touched by my mother, my mother's mother, and so on. It was Charly, who gave the missing drop, and enabled my daughters to get it to work."
"Oh," Brett acknowledged bleakly.
"Is it true?" Diane stepped forward. Her voice was shaky, her eyes filled with tears. It was unnecessary to ask her what she was referring to.
Jason sighed. "Yes, Mum. It's true."
His father stood silently next to her. Jason still read shock in his face, but also comprehension dawning. Paul put a hand on Diane's shoulder, but she shook it off.
"You were ready to die?"
"We figured, the only way to stop Malakat, was to destroy the pyramid," he explained.
"By blowing yourself up with it?"
Jason nodded. Diane looked from Jason to Neri. "And you would have let him?" she asked unbelievingly.
"It was my decision, Mum," Jason objected her accusation.
She ignored Jason's interjection and took another step towards Neri, who's eyes were now also glittering with tears.
"Mother," she whispered.
"You would have taken my son to death?" Diane asked her again, her whole body shaking. Neri flinched, as though Diane had hit her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Mother, please!"
Diane took Neri's face into her hands. "I love you," she said. "But I can't forgive you for taking my son away from me. If you truly loved him, you would never have let him go with you."
Abruptly, she retreated and turned away from Neri. "Mother," Neri whispered again, while tears ran silently down her cheeks.
Diane looked around "You all knew about that?" Her voice was thick of sorrow, disappointment and anger. This was no question, but a finding. She gave Shalamorn a furious look. "And you used my son as a shield, made a target out of him!"
"Diane," Paul murmured, touching her by her arm.
"Mum," Jason said sharply. "Stop it! It was my decision, my choice!"
Diane wildly shook her head. "No, you're just saying that, because you don't know any better. You have been tricked into this."
"I'm not a child, Mum. I know, when I am manipulated."
She ignored him. "I will not let you use him for you own purposes. We're done here!" She took Jason by the arm and dragged him with her a few steps before he freed himself.
"Dammit, Mum! Stop it already!"
She stared at him, slouching. "So, this is what you want?" she whispered.
Jason took a step back and nodded. "I'm sorry, Mum. But if you force this choice on me, you already know my answer. I'm staying. It's the right place for me to be."
"And now," Diane replied bleakly, "it's also the only place."
They all stared at her. Paul cleared his throat. "Diane, you're not seriously ..."
"I can't," Diane cut him off, "and I won't watch you getting crushed." She turned around to get to the transport device which would open the tunnel to the cave in the outback, where an ORCA chopper was waiting for them. "Don't bother coming to ORCA again. Brett will catch your things and bring them to you."
She pulled the trigger and Paul followed her on her feet. They vanished in a blue cloud.
Brett moved forward. "Jase," he murmured. "I'll talk to her."
Jason shook his head. "It's pointless."
Brett turned to Neri, who was shaking now. "Mum's gonna come around," he promised. "Just give it a little time."
"Brett," Jason tipped him off. "Just let it go."
With a helpless shrug, Brett pushed the button and disappeared as well.
Jason finally turned around to Neri, but when he wanted to touch her, she flinched away from him. Startled, he dropped his arms.
"Mother says right," she sobbed. "I should never let you go with me."
"Don't you dare," he said in such a warning tone, that she forgot to cry and looked up. He cupped her face with his hands, stroking with the thumbs over her cheeks. "Don't you dare," he repeated. "I chose to come with you because it was the right thing to do. So, you better stop right now to blame yourself with aspersions. Don't you take this away from me! Don't you dare!"
She took a breathe, and nodded. Then she conquered the few inches of space between them, to bury her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. He stroked her hair and held her in close embrace.
Mera's face read shock. She sat down on the stairs, her eyes also swimming in tears.
"Jason," Shalamorn started, but he cut her off with a sharp look.
"Not now, Shalamorn."
She nodded with a helpless expression.