After Dark

Chapter 4 - Terras V

Dipper stepped up to the gate as he took the lead. The portal was thrummed with power as it fabricated a rift in dimensional space. Dipper took a deep breath and took the first tentative step through the gate leaving behind Earth and everything he knew definitively.

The light of their star beat down upon them softly similar to their sun that was far brighter than the cave temple they had just left. They squinted back the light and Mabel sneezed as Pacifica patted her on the back. They had stepped into a temple that was very similar to the one they had just left. No doubt the creators were one and the same. Dipper checked to see that everyone had made it through the gate safely. Then as he looked forward he saw a line of armed soldiers guarding the temple doors. A group of council members passed the soldiers. The leader veered off from the group to greet the humans. Dipper waited respectfully. As he did he had time to observe the council member and the rest of the race. They had blue soft skin, not unlike their own. Their hair much like humans had varying colors lengths and styles that added flair to each individual.

The leader now standing before him stood almost a foot taller than him. Their race seemed to average around seven feet some even closer to eight feet in height. The leader clasped her hands together and bowed slightly. Ford spoke in his earpiece. "It is their custom much like ours to show respect. You may return the greeting." Dipper imitated the bow and respectfully inclined. The leader smiled almost human-like. Then to his surprise, she spoke English.

"Welcome to Terras V young travelers. It has been many years since we have had a traveler from Earth. Before that, we had never had visitors from earth. In the age of veneration, we sojourned to Earth. In those days earth was not as technologically advanced and we could build our temple underground undetected. Though we have not entered the temple of Dhaxor in over two hundred generations we still monitor it remotely and survey the stars from its observational perspective. This brings me to my point and frankly the most concerning one we have ever faced."

Dipper was rather surprised seeing how technologically advanced they appeared to be. Even standing here he could see capital ships as they ascended and descended from orbit. They were utterly massive and probably around the same size as the abandoned ship that Dipper had seen on the dark planet that was tidally locked. That broken ship must have been around twelve miles long. These ships were certainly at least that big. With a scale so grand it was hard to determine the actual size and breadth of the capital ship. They were elegant with curving gold contours that shimmered and sparkled behind the attenuated forcefields that surrounded the ship in a soft clear blue light that appeared to take on the rough shape as it bubbled around it in a bullet-like shell.

Dipper focused his attention back on the council leader. "What could pose a threat so great?" he asked clearly perplexed seeing their formidable technological prowess. The leader's eyes waxed hard. "It is a coming darkness and a dark omen that remains yet shrouded to us. As the dimensional equinox approaches it spells doom somehow. We are trying to figure out how." Great uncle Ford now asked in his headset, "for this dimension or our dimension?" The leader looked concerned as she said, "For all dimensions. We are initiating wake protocol. We are drawing our siege weapons and capital ships from deep storage." She lowered as her eyes shown with furry. "The light of our people won't go down without a fight. For our ancestor's sake!"

Dipper was once again jarred slightly at having his question read by telepathic ability. He suspected that Zuri had read his mind when he had met her in the tournament. How he missed her soft kind smile.

The leader spoke again. "The little one of our people whom you saved named Zuri is here and is eager to meet you and  your friends once again." Dipper smiled now looking forward to seeing the smiling little angel. Then he remembered the grave threat. "What can we do to stop or at least prepare for this coming darkness?" The leader looked sad now as she answered. "All we can do is wait as its arrival method remains yet unknown other than it is somehow tied with the dimensional equinox. Great uncle Ford spoke up. "I am familiar with the dimensional equinox." The leader spoke, "It is an event where all planar dimensions are aligned. It has not happened in the eons of our race's existence."