Special Notes: Some of you were here when I wrote the Zam fantasy story. I tried initially to fit Zam into the Science Fiction story. But he never fit. What you are seeing now, is the result of Zam being completely re-written to fit into the Scifi story. Some may remember, some may not. The Mountain Zam found his father, Fox, at was called: Crystal Mountain. I hope you have been enjoying a much more realistic Zam that still maintains his original story-line, but now fits correctly. In this episode you will see many elements of the old Zam slip in, and click in place. *****AUDIO FILE***** "Chapter 57 - Crystal Mountain - Audio File" [The White Raven, Chapter 57, Crystal Mountain] [Lake Ruffee, Planet Demonia] “I am Zam, and there is only one of me.” The water lapped up lightly on the rocks, making a pleasant soothing sound that Zam liked. But he didn’t like the big metal-monster that stood at the edge of the lake watching him; anytime he got near water the metal-monster showed up. Zam had figured most of it out - the metal-monster was too far away to stop him from ‘jumping’ into the water and creating another explosion, but if he did, it would be the last thing he ever did - the metal-monster was guarding him. Ruffee, the fox, played at the edge of the water, and there was another fox with him, a smaller fox - a girl fox. And that was what was bothering him. There were always two foxes, or two of the yellow cats, or two birds, and he was fairly certain there was probably two of each frog, fish, snake, and maybe even the little bugs that crawled under the rocks. ‘But there isn’t two of me. Shouldn’t there be another Zam?’ Zam had existed since the beginning of time - since the creation of the world - He was the first being created. But there had to be another. Maybe he needed to go look for the other Zam. He wanted someone to play with too, like Ruffee had someone to play with. Zam picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake. Ruffee looked up, annoyed that Zam had just scared the fish away he was trying to catch. Zam grinned, feeling mischievous, and tossed another rock to splash Ruffee. The girl fox, Zam thought might be smarter, danced away from the splash, but Ruffee got a bit of water on his muzzle - not that he wasn’t already wet from playing in the water. ‘Ack-ack-ack-ackawoo,’ chattered Ruffee, irritably. ‘Don’t be such a baby,’ replied Zam, and tossed another stone. This time, the rock didn’t plop down in the water as Zam had intended. The rock skipped twice across the surface of the water before sinking into the lake. Zam sat up and cocked his head to the side - this was something new. Ruffee noticed it too. ‘Yah-yah-yah,’ Ruffee warbled, asking Zam to do it again. Zam wasn’t sure how he had done it, but picked up another stone and tossed it into the water. The rock made a nice splash, tickled Ruffee’s nose with a few drops of water, and sank unceremoniously into the lake. ‘Ack-ack-ack,’ said Ruffee, telling Zam he had done it wrong. Zam chose another stone and tossed it from the side, in an almost under-hand throw. This time the stone skipped three times across the water before sinking. ‘Ackawoo-ackawoo,’ shouted Ruffee, dancing in a circle gleefully. The girl fox sat patiently, rolling her eyes and waiting for the two boys to finish playing with the stones. ‘It’s flat stones,’ Zam told Ruffee. ‘That’s the secret.’ Zam carefully picked another flat stone and tossed it. The stone skipped four times and Ruffee tried to chase it, making Zam laugh at his friend's enthusiasm. Zam spent the next hour skipping stones until Ruffee was thoroughly soaked from chasing the rocks. Ruffee shook the water off his fur and used Zam’s leg to wipe his face. ‘Yah-yah-yah,’ said Ruffee, telling Zam that was fun, but now he had to go play with the girl fox and that he would see him later tonight. Ruffee and the girl fox ran off together, and the loneliness returned. Zam walked along the edge of the lake, the cave was too far to walk back to, or even jump back - actually, he wasn’t even sure where the cave was. He had wandered quite some distance away from the cave, hoping to get away from the metal-monsters that always followed him. Zam stomped in a mud puddle and made it splash. ‘That’s what I did to make the water explode. When I jump I’m really fast and made the water splash.’ The mud puddle gave Zam an idea. He sat down next to it and stared at the muddy water. Zam glanced up as the metal-monster started to walk towards him. Zam stuck his tongue out at the metal-monster before it could get too close and ‘jumped’. He didn’t jump far, in fact, he didn’t jump anywhere, but he did stick his hand out and returned to normal space with just the tip of his finger in the water. The mud and water exploded violently and drenched Zam from head to toe. Mud dripped down Zam’s face as he wiped his eyes and looked up at the metal-monster. There hadn’t been any damage done; with such a small quantity of water, the force of the water-displacement dissipated quickly into the ground. ‘What are you laughing at?’ sputtered Zam, spitting out a mouthful of mud and throwing a bit of the mud at the machine. The metal-monster showed no emotion, but Zam had the feeling it was laughing at him. The machine turned around and walked back to the trees. “That was dumb,” said a soft voice. Zam spun around, his eyes wide, and then scrambled on his hands and knees to the edge of the lake. A small… Zam… no, not another Zam, at least not like him… a girl, it was a little girl. “You can’t do that in water.” said the girl. “You mean jump?” asked Zam. “That’s a weird thing to call it,” said the girl. “Who are you… where did you come from?” stuttered Zam. “I’m Corae - I come from there,” said the girl, pointing up at the moon. “You’re from the moon?” asked Zam. “Of course, you should be up there too, but Dragon won’t let you come home,” said Corae. Zam looked up at the moon. “Ohhhhh… now it makes sense, I should have known, that’s why there’s only one of me,” said Zam. “The Moon is my mother.” Corae tipped her head to the side, hesitating, unsure how to respond to such a ridiculous assumption, and then settled on her best observation. “Boys are really stupid,” said Corae. “I’m not stupid,” said Zam. “Why are you covered in mud?” asked Corae. “I was…” Zam started to explain, but the truth was he wasn’t sure what he was trying to do with the mud puddle, so he opted for a shrug instead. “There isn’t much mist left, but it can hurt me,” said Corae, kicking at the light layer of mist on the ground. “I have to go.” Zam stood quickly, he didn’t want to be alone again. “Will you come back?” “I’ll come back,” said Corae. “When?” asked Zam. “I don’t know,” said Corae. “I have to go now.” Corae looked up at the sky. “Someone’s coming, I don’t known them.” And then Corae was gone. Zam looked up at the moon, he couldn’t jump that far; girls must be able to jump further than boys. Zam didn’t understand that Corae was a full Corax, and he was only a genetic manipulation with very little Corax DNA mixed with Demonia and Kitsune DNA. Zam stood and walked over to where Corae had been standing, there was something strange there - a light shimmer, arcing up and towards the moon; he could see the trail of where she had gone. Zam took a few steps back, now that he knew the trail was there he knew what to look for. Zam watched the shimmering trail slowly dissolve until it was gone. Zam grinned. He knew how she had jumped so far. He couldn't jump as far as she had, but he would be able to get away from the metal-monster. 'I'm dumb, why didn't I think of doing that?' Zam whispered to himself. A hill in the distance looked about the right distance. Zam concentrated and jumped. He was capable of jumping nine times in a row now; the older he got, the more hops he could jump. Zam slipped under the universe, but instead of jumping one thirty-four foot hop at a time like he always had done, he linked his nine jumps together and traveled just over three-hundred feet. Zam ducked behind a tree on the hill and peeked out to watch the metal-monster. The machine ran to where Zam had been and looked around wildly for him. Zam crawled down the other side of the hill and took off at a run. Ruffee would find him later. Somehow Ruffee always knew where to find him. The sun was starting to come up. Zam started looking for a place to sleep, he always slept during the day like Ruffee did. It was better to be awake and alert when the animals that hunted were out. Zam had just tucked himself under a small out-cropping of rocks when he heard the roar in the sky. The birds complained loudly and took flight to escape the intruder. Zam peeked out from under his cat-hide and saw a new type of metal-monster. All the monsters could fly, but this one was different, it had wings, and fire that came out of it’s tail. The flying metal-monster roared over-head and then turned, it’s wings tipping until it flew on it’s side. Zam watched it circle a few times and then move off a little further and repeat the procedure. He would have to be careful, it looked like it was hunting. Zam pulled the cat-hide over his head and ignored the hunting monster. ***** [Dragon Seed Ship, Draekus Moon, Planet Demonia] Ring walked the central outer walkway of the docking bay. Countless thousands of the terraforming machines were docked in the vast open chamber. Ring couldn’t see the ceiling, or the floor, just the endless machines that receded into the darkness. Only a small fraction of the terraforming machines available were used on the planet below. There were many more of the specialized machines that remained dormant, un-needed on a terrestrial world with an active hydrosphere. Far below in the darkness were terraforming machines larger than a Battle Carrier; primarily used on water planets. But, there were also specialized terraforming machines for silicate, iron, carbon, and even hydrogen worlds. Ring had inspected the database of life-forms that would populate a hydrogen world - terraforming such a world with such alien life would be something he would very much like to do. The walkway ended and Ring walked deeper into the ship, towards the Dragon A.I. core. He passed darkened rooms that had once belonged to the long dead Aedi crew. The Seed ship could house millions, and really should. Terraforming Demonia had been easy, it had already been terraformed billions of years ago; they were just repairing what had been damaged. But, to terraform a world from scratch would need a living crew of terra-biologists. Ring waved his hand over the access panel and entered the Core of the ship. Dragon’s red brain crystal rested in it’s containment box. Ring couldn’t get to the crystal yet, but soon he would have full access and then he intended to remove Dragon from the Seed Ship. He wouldn’t kill Dragon, he had a plan, but not one he had spoken out loud; he didn’t dare take the chance of letting Dragon know what he was planning. “Good morning, Dragon,” said Ring. “There is a hostile ship approaching,” replied Dragon. Ring thought the A.I. sounded sulky. “When were you planning to tell me?” “I just did,” replies Dragon. Ring was getting tired of Dragon fighting him on every detail of the Seed Ship’s operations. “Show me,” ordered Ring. An image of a ship appeared on a Vid-screen. Ring stared at it for a moment. “That looks like a Battle Carrier, though not a design I’ve seen before. Has Jon Black re-opened the Nav-lanes?” “No, the ship arrived by trans-dimensional travel,” replied Dragon. “TDT was only a theory when I left Darai,” said Ring. “Someone made a break-through, that’s good, it’ll break Jon Black’s strangle-hold on the galaxy.” “Hostile fighter ships have been launched at us, I’m preparing to destroy the invaders,” announced Dragon. “Calm down, Dragon,” ordered Ring. “It’s just one House Raven Stealth Dart, probably a scout. Find me the Com-link.” “Link-established,” replied Dragon. Ring picked up the head-set and put it on. The Aedi technology could have easily built speakers and built-in directional microphones, but they had learned that biological creatures needed tactile controls to maintain a healthy mental balance - the entire ship was designed with manual controls whenever possible. “House Raven Scout Ship, this is Master Raven Ring of House Eagle, aboard the Dragon Seed Ship. You have entered restricted space, turn around immediately and I will speak with your Battle Carrier Commander.” “I do believe that would be me. Ring, is that you?” “Raen?” “That depends on how much chocolate you have?” says Raen, using a Moeth Alliance identification code phrase. “Two little Chirps ate it all,” replies Ring with the authentication phrase. “Good to hear you, buddy,” said Raen. “Send me your coordinates, I’ll come to you.” “That won’t be possible, I’m not in full control of the Seed Ship yet,” replied Ring. “But I need you to do something. Vel and I have been trapped aboard the Seed Ship for the last five and a half years, and Prince Mischief was marooned on the planet.” “Good Goddess, has he been down there alone this entire time?” asks Raen, annoyed with himself that despite everything he knew about the Goddess, he still involuntarily invoked her name. “He was in a safe location, an old research facility,” replies Ring. “Let me guess, that mischievous demon didn’t stay put,” said Raen. “No, he didn’t,” explained Ring. “He went outside while a chemical was present on the planet that accelerates plant growth.” “Has he turned into a vegetable?” asks Raen. “Almost. No, he’s suffered irreparable brain damage, he won’t ever remember who he was, or who you are. I don’t know if he can even still speak. Try to find him, he’s only one-third Kitsune, his body can’t heal as well as a full Kitsune. He’s likely malnourished, dehydrated, or suffering any number of illnesses or injuries.” “Poor child, I’ll do my best,” said Raen. “But you know if he doesn’t want to go there isn’t much chance of capturing him.” “I know. How long would it take you to get to Kitsune?” asks Ring. “We have TDT engines now,” said Raen. “I can be there in three days.” “Okay, if you can’t find him, or get him to go with you, go get his father and brother, they may be the only ones capable of bringing him in,” said Ring. “And be sure you wear breathing masks on the surface.” ***** [Raven Stealth Dart, Planet Demonia] Raen turned around and opened the hatch to the passenger compartment. “We’re heading down to the planet,” shouted Raen. “Prince Mischief has been marooned down there for over five years. Break out the breathing masks, there’s a chemical in the air that’s very dangerous.” “How did Prince Mischief survive?” asked Master Sela. “I don’t know, but the chemical in the air causes brain damage, he doesn’t know who he is anymore, and he won’t know who we are,” replied Raen. “He’s a Kitsune, and should be about eleven years old now,” added the Sergeant. “That’s old enough for a Kitsune to be very dangerous, and if he doesn’t know who we are, he might see us as a threat and attack.” Raen turned back around and concentrated on flying the Dart. The Kitsune were a race of super-soldiers, and even at eleven years old, Prince Mischief could be dangerous. And with his ability to jump, provided he could still remember how, Mischief would be doubly lethal. The Kitsune had invaded the Darai solar system many times, and the only defense was to stop them before they could land on the planet. The Darai had sacrificed countless millions over the eons to stop the Kitsune from making land-fall - on the ground, not even the Cormons had been able to stop them. Raen dipped down into the atmosphere, it had a reddish tint, but that was due largely to the red giant star the planet orbited. Demonia, at one time in it’s distant past, had been a frozen and lifeless world. When the red giant had expanded, the inner planets had all been engulfed, leaving only the distant planets intact. Demonia, by sheer luck, had then come into the sweet-spot and became capable of complex life. The red giant only had perhaps two billion years of life left, but that was more than enough time for the Demonians to evolve and leave their world in search of a new planet. Raen came down over a vast ocean. This alone was an amazing feat of technology. Even before the ecological disaster that had destroyed all life on the planet, the oceans had only been a fraction of their original size when the planet was first formed. But now, this was a full and healthy ocean. The shore of the ocean gave way to hundreds of miles of swamp land, and then primordial forests, grassy plains, and a lot of snow and ice. Raen turned the Dart and headed south, the northern hemisphere looked like it was in an ice age. There was no signs of the great cities, carved from the living rock, or even that any civilization had existed here. How had all this happened in only five years? The Aedi technology must be far more superior than anyone could have imagined. Raen found the Research Facility after several fly-overs, it was covered in brush, but the launch tunnel seemed intact and he decided that it was a good place to start. The launch tunnel was open and Raen guided the Dart into the inner hanger-bay. The Dart ramp dropped and the Dark-Storm-Turtle Wings rushed out to secure a perimeter. Raen hoped they would choose a name soon. Raen crawled out the back of the Dart and found the Sergeant kneeling next to the skeletal remains of something that had been very large, and with very long teeth. “As a boy I loved dinosaurs,” said the Sergeant. “That is a Smilidon, better known as the Saber-Tooth Tiger.” “I wonder how it died,” said Raen. “If Prince Mischief killed it, then we have a very dangerous little boy on our hands,” replied the Sergeant, picking up the skull. “If you don’t mind, I’m keeping this.” “Sir, over here,” Master Sela called out. The Raven was poking around inside an old Dart ship. Raen looked inside and the Raven held a few objects up with her Talon Dagger; an old blanket, some clothes, and several objects that Prince Mischief might have pressed into service as toys. “He was living in here.” “Lord Raen, you should come see this,” shouted one of the soldiers. Raen ran up the stairs to the observation room. The soldier was kneeling next to a small spinning sphere making a whooshing noise. “Run down to the Dart and get the atmosphere monitor,” ordered Raen. The Ravens stuck their heads in the door. “We’ll check the rest of the facility.” The soldier returned and Raen tested the air; the sphere was producing pure clean air. The Sergeant searched the room and then went off to help the Ravens. Raen walked over to the big observation window and stared out at the primordial forest that was now Demonia. Prince Mischief had stood at this window and watched the entire process. Raen shook his head; five years alone is a long time for a hatchling to be marooned. “Sir, there’s nothing else here,” reports the Sergeant, returning to the room and looking out the window with Raen. “That’s a big forest, we’re not going to find him very easily.” “I agree, we need help,” said Raen, activating his Com-link. “Albatross, this is Raen, are you there?” “This is Lord Struthio, we’ve finished the breaking maneuver and are headed for the planet.” “Change of plans,” replied Raen. “The planet has been terraformed, it’s a primordial world now. Prince Mischief has been lost somewhere on the planet for five years. I want you to send one Squadron of Storm Wings, a Cargo Ship with sixty crew for the search party, and a fuel tanker. We will also need enough supplies for an extended stay. Drop the ships on your way past the planet. I need you to go to Kitsune and get Emperor Sionnach, and then to Darai to pick-up Prince Malice, you might want to bring Prince Vengeance also, and a Demonian Advance Party for a re-colonization reconnaissance survey.” “Understood,” said Lord Struthio. “Where will you be?” “Send the Squadron down to this transmission, we’re at an old research facility,” Raen laid his hand on the observation window, it was made from re-enforced crystal glass. “We’ll use this facility as a base, lets call it Crystal Mountain.” “Roger, Crystal Mountain,” said Lord Struthio. “The Storm Wings are launching now, I’ll have the Cargo Ship and Tanker follow in an hour. Good luck, I’ll see you in two weeks.” “Crystal Mountain out,” replied Raen. “Okay people, you heard the orders,” barked the Sergeant. “We’re going to be here awhile. Get that hanger-bay cleaned up, we need room for the incoming ships. I want the fuel tanker outside, but the Cargo Ship and Darts are to be in here.” “We need to seal the launch tunnel as soon as everyone is inside,” adds Master Sela. “I’ll get the oxygen scrubbers and generators working.” “And put a fence or something up around that spinning thing, it isn’t safe,” said Raen. “That dark stain around it is dried blood, Mischief tried touching it at some point.” Raen turned back to the window while the others began breathing life back into the research facility. “Where are you, boy?” whispered Raen.