Sang the Stray (Completed)

62. Aether

Lake opened a voice-channel to me, which is the Taren equivalent of a phone call.  However, when someone opens a voice-channel you don't get any choice about answering. Abruptly, their voice is just there in your head.  Only people with a certain level of authority can do that, generally for emergencies.  This was a big one and woke me from a sound sleep.

"Tsen Sorenson, come as quickly as you can to the Gate Lock," she said.  "Ready for entry into the Ena."

"Something happen?"  I asked, quickly stripping off my pajamas and rushing into a goo-shower.

"The Pillar investigation teams have gone down," Lake said, and I took off at a run through the corridors. My breath came in short pants now and heart squeezed.  Fourth Squad was in trouble.

I wasn't the last to arrive.  Both Seventh Squad and Tenth Squad were gathering. Most of them looked mussed and sleepy since they were on an earlier shift and should have just gone to bed when the call came. The implications of that silenced me as we waited for their remaining squad members to arrive.  This was bad.  They were going to use two squads who had just come off-shift, and put me with them, squads I rarely or never worked with.  I didn't even need to see the worried glances they kept exchanging. This was the first time I'd seen any of the Setari really scared.  Karen arrived and took charge.

"Following our regained access to the Pillar space at the beginning of Shift Two," Karen said, "all but one of the scanning drones stationed there were recovered intact.  These revealed a steady energy signature from the Pillar, but no other activity.  The space itself is exposed to deep-space and heavily frequented by roamer Ionoth: primarily swoop-type, and some larger.  Second and Fourth Squads were deployed to perform an external examination and, if satisfied it was safe, to commence investigating the interior.  Given the caliber of Ionoth, First, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth were assigned as support."

Once we were all in near-space, Karen and the Tenth Squad Captain, Talon, both gave the order for a quick march in formation.  The squads each settled into pairs with me near the center in a row of three and we started off.

"Take a look at the Pillar schematic I just sent each of you," Karen continued as we headed toward the Gate. "Sixth Squad was stationed in the adjoining entry space to observe, and the primary teams entered without incident and commenced the external examination. At this time, three groups of swoop-types and one tarani attacked.  These were well within projections, and easily dealt with.  A little over one kasse ago, the decision was made to open the Pillar." 

Talon took over speaking, "There was no apparent locking mechanism, and the doors were opened easily using a drone.  When no negative reaction was detected, Second and Fourth engaged in another set of scans preparing to enter.  They had not yet completed those scans when this happened."

We'd reached the first gate out of near-space, and though all these spaces would have been recently cleared, Talon and his partner did exactly the same pause, scan and clear pattern that had become familiar.  Before we went through the Gate, he gave us all a fragment of recorded memory to analyze first. The file was recorded by Sixth Squad member, Wren, according to the name and life-monitor display in the view.

The first image was of the Pillar space through the Gate from the Platforms space.  Wren had looked left, where there was only white flatness with a rainbow-tinted backdrop, and a handful of Setari.  Then she'd looked right, back past more Setari to the tower in the distance.  It was a lot further than I'd thought, maybe a hundred meters away.  The doors were open, and Second and Fourth Squads were standing well back from them, playing with a drone. I saw Tsee Blackbourne just before he moved.  He turned his head sharply and I think he shouted, but it was too late. A massive beam of white light roared out of the open doorway, spreading to completely block sight of the Pillar and the Setari.  For about ten den nothing could be seen and Sixth Squad bit back startled comments.  Then the whiteness began to lift, or drain down, quickly clearing at the top.  The hazy outline of the Pillar came visible first, and then black shapes, lying in a settling mist.