Star Missions - Book One - Part IV

Chapter 33 - The Jamill

THE JAMILL

A voice woke him. It was so real that he could have sworn that someone was in the room with him, speaking to him. He heard it again. It was a woman's voice, but he was alone.

He had no idea where he was. Ray's head hurt, as though it had been in the engine room of a freighter class cargo carrier for days without ear protection. Though he was still not able to open his eyes, he knew he was no longer on the Food Planet. He was relieved that he had not been eaten or still marooned on the planet. He thought to himself that at least he was alive.

The floor beneath him was hard, metallic, and the air smelled stale. If he had to guess, he would say he was on a space ship. The humming in his ears, the vibrations of the deck, the sound of air pushed through vents, were the signs. But he did not recognize the sounds of the engines.

Still, the voice continued. Ray desperately wanted to open his eyes to see if someone else was in the room with him, though he sensed that no one else was there.

A few moments passed, and he was able to open his eyes. He glanced around. He did not recognize the designs of the ship the room displayed. As he suspected, he was lying in an empty chamber. Its only feature a single uncomfortable looking chair. He was still wearing his flight suit, but all of his equipment and his weapons were missing.

"Who's there?" he asked.

He quickly realized that the voices weren't coming from the room or a speaker or even from outside. Instead, they were bouncing around in his head.

He could hear the voices but could not make out what they were saying. He wasn't sure if this was some form of torture or psychiatric examination. The room did not look too hospitable, and he remembered that he was hit and saw something just before he passed out. Ray realized he was a prisoner, but who was in his head!

"I hear voices in my head!" Ray exclaimed out loud, the idea shocking him back to full consciousness. He then tried to control his mind to block out the voices. Instead, the voice came through much more clearly.

<Do not be afraid> the voice told him. It sounded odd as if he were having a discussion out loud with himself, though he didn't control part of the conversation. Plus, he could tell that he was speaking to a female. He didn't know how he knew that, but he did.

<I am communicating to you with my thoughts,> the voice continued. <Calm down and do not speak. Only focus on your thoughts.>

Ray knew he had to concentrate and calm down. He wasn't going crazy. Ray was communicating with some outside force, not with himself. He figured it must be the way telepaths communicate. He did not like the idea of 'talking' that way with someone he could not see.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" he said out loud, almost in a panic.

Then he remembered what the voice in his head said, "only focus your thoughts." He concentrated and thought.

<Who are you?> he tried to say mentally. He tried not to think of anything after that and waited for a response.

<I am Teleka of the Jamill> the voice in his head told him. The answer was clear and concise. However, based on what the Alien had told Blue-Ray, the Jamill are the ones that attacked Nisthura. They were the enemy. Ray doubted that any good would come from their communicating.

<The Jamill!> he thought back angrily. <Why have you attacked us? We were on a peaceful mission. You have no right to keep me here.> were the main ideas of his thoughts though he had a harder time separating the questions into separate sentences. Teleka must have understood because her answer was an attempt to reassure him.