All That Glitters Ch. 60

Almost as soon as she touched it, she felt a click through her hand and the hatch slid open. Inside was a space and another hatch. This one had seven lines drawn across it with two sets of oval-coloured marks side-by-side going up and down on the left of the lines one colour on each line.

It was Junelliya who figured this one out. "Ancient Pod-Drran musical notation!" she said. "But what song?"

"Song of life," Prakeshya answered for all.

The Kumaraie nodded in agreement. "That song is attributed to Poda-La."

Junelliya called up the images she had of the notation of the musical piece.

"First set of notes, Green colour third line," Junelliya told her daughter.

Ikekiya pressed the note and it glowed bright while the other colours vanished from that column, getting and audible gasp of surprise from the two girls.

"Second set of colours, blue colour, fifth line..."

"NO!" the Kumaraie interjected. "That is Sarqa, a colour in the blue range that humans cannot see."

"Sarqa on second line, Ikeki" Prakeshya showed her, pointing it out.

"You need to move it to be on the fifth line," Junelliya informed them.

Ikekiya thought for a moment, then put her finger on the colour. She dragged it down to the fifth line. It began to glow and all the other colours vanished. Two notes where now on their appropriate lines. A series of coloured notes suddenly lit up above the lines.

"Well, that shouldn't be a surprise," Junelliya snorted bringing a smile to the Kumar-Pair.

With the aid of the Kumaraie, Junelliya advised the children where to place each note as note-by-note, the line of colours disappeared. It was Ikekiya that noticed the problem.

"Momma, soon no more notes."

"She is right, there will be a blank space at the end," the Kumaraie also noted.

"Damn, I knew this was too easy," Junelliya cursed as she directed Ikekiya in placing the last note, leaving an obvious space for something more.

"Momma, this start of song. It also end of refrain and it repeat," Ikekiya reminded her mother.

"Of course!" Junelliya shouted. "Do you remember the old symbol for 'repeat', Ikekiya?"

"Um hmm, it like question," Ikekiya stated. She was correct, the repeat mark looked superficially like the standard language question mark, however, the loop of the hook ended on the line and the tail dropped below the line and was not straight down but roughly 45% to the left. She drew the mark with her finger and the lines and notes vanished.

The pair felt a click and turned to see the outer hatch close.

As the hatch closed, the link between the children and their parents stopped, surprising all the adults in the other room. They no longer had Comms with their children.

Sherm-Atem jumped forward but saw Ikekiya raise her hands making a 'back off' motion. She gave the child the circular nod of her head meaning 'yes' for the sister races.

"Kumaraie, I've lost connection to the children, however, I can see them through the hatch. They are OK. Ikekiya is motioning me back," Sherm-Atem advised the others.

"Damn, it must be shielded," Raymond muttered as he came into the room with the adults, still in his EVA suit.

Junelliya switched the view on the monitor to that of Sherm-Atem's camera and they could see the children inside the hatch. They suddenly jumped and clung to each other, but then laughed.

Inside the hatch, nothing had happened then the children were surprised by sound as air blasted into the airlock. They jumped into each other's arms and then laughed as they realized what was happening. The airlock was pressurizing. They gave each other nervous giggles but still clung tightly together.

As the air pressure came to near normal, it stopped and the inner hatch clicked and opened. They were now looking into the ship itself.

They could not' see much. It looked like it was just a transit option, with the bridge door on their left and another door on their right.

"I go first, hatch close. You no be 'fraid," Ikekiya said. "I no come back ten Mur; you press panel. You go out." She pointed to the panel in question.

Prakeshya gave a nervous Pod-Drran circular nod of the head as Ikekiya stepped through. Almost at once, the inner hatch closed leaving the two in separate places. Ikekiya waved at Prakeshya from inside the ship. She turned to her right and approached the door to the bridge. She could see into the bridge, which had a big chair facing her.

On the wall near the hatch, were four levers. Ikekiya remembered her dream. She had to move them in a specific pattern.

Ikekiya pressed down on the first lever, then the fourth lever. She pressed up on the second lever, and down again on the third. The hatch opened and lights brightened on the bridge.

************

From outside the ship, Sherm-Atem could see the inner hatch open then close. She suddenly noted lights in the nose of the ship. She moved to her left and saw Ikekiya standing in front of a chair. Ikekiya saw her and gave her a thumbs up which made Sherm laugh. Most of the Greater Community races had palms that cupped rather than lay flat. Only the humans did that so this was a distinctive human gesture.

Sherm did not try to return it, giving an OK sign instead. That too was something the humans did but most other races could copy.

In the other room, Junelliya was relieved to see Ikekiya standing on the bridge through the link from Sherm-Atem. She seemed to be saying something...

************

*Identification, please,* said a voice in ancient Pod-Drran. Fortunately, Ikekiya and Zarreniya had progressed enough with Prakeshya's teachings to be able to respond.

*I Palda Ikekiya Fatima Tema Se-Lam Poda-Rai-Dosri Piscium,* Ikekiya responded.

*Not enough, part of the name is missing,* said the voice.

Ikekiya did not know how to answer that, so she did what she had always been taught that scientists did and pulled out the scanner that she had been given to use. That is when she saw the new name that her Godmother had given her...

*Soona-Patak,* she added. There was a beep and sounds as the bridge came alive.

*Control of ship and activation sequence now with Ikekiya Se-Lam Poda-Rai-Dosri Soona-Patak,* the voice stated.

*You make ship safe!* Ikekiya ordered frantically.

*All security systems now rendered safe,* the ship returned. Ikekiya smiled.

Ikekiya waved to Sherm-Atem to come closer, and she showed her the readings from the scanner. Sherm pulled a pad from her Pal-Mal and wrote something down, showing it to Ikekiya. Ikekiya was not as familiar with Maha-Lei, so she scanned it and had her comp translate it.

"Ship is filled with helium. No oxygen. Not safe to open helmet," her comp translated. She gave a nod and the OK sign to Sherm.

*Prakeshya is in airlock. Please open door,* Ikekiya told the AI.

Ikekiya heard the hatch open and Prakeshya came into the ship. She saw Ikekiya sitting in the command chair and smiled. She went to reach for the controls of her helmet, but Ikekiya stopped her.

"No air! It all helium. No oxygen," Ikekiya told her.

"Why helium?" Prakeshya asked.

"No know," Ikekiya replied truthfully.

*Identification, please,* the ship asked hearing the new voice.

* Palda Prakeshya Se-Lam Poda-Raie.*

*Prakeshya, this computer's Artificial Intelligence is using the voice of Poda-La, my voice. My memories have been placed in this computer. I will give them to you to use. But before I do you must move to the back room of this ship where I lay. There, you can receive my memories.

*However, I would speak to the current Kumaraie, Pemipinae, and the Atohan before you receive my memories.*

*The Pemipinae has been injured and is not able to move into this vessel at this time,* Prakeshya informed the AI.

The two children looked at each other. "You stay on ship. I go lock," Ikekiya told Prakeshya.

A few minutes later, Ikekiya poked her head out of the airlock and smiled at Sherm-Atem.

"Momma, you hear me?" Ikekiya asked.

"Yes! Yes, Ikeki, I hear you," A suddenly very happy Junelliya answered.

"OK. Ship says, you and Godmother come. Ship need 'xplain things."

The pair looked at each other then at their families, who gave them tight hugs. The pair put on their gloves and activated their helmets. A few minutes later, they were at the vessel's airlock and Junelliya gave Ikekiya a brief hug.

"I be good, Momma. Prakeshya too, Godmother," Ikekiya reassured them. "Keep helmet closed. Ship all helium."

They cycled the lock and entered the ship. Junelliya noted that while the outside of the ship was battered, pock marked, and pitted, the inside was nearly pristine.

"Prakeshya!" Na-Maj called out and hugged her daughter.

*Identification, please.* came a voice.

*I am the Kumaraie Na-Maj Se-Lam Pod-Raie,* the Kumaraie replied. *I am the Marti of Prakeshya.*

*The other?* the voice demanded.

*I am Palda Junelliya Atohan Herlan. I recognize your voice. We have met once before,* Junelliya stated.

*Yes, Atohan, we have,* the voice agreed sending a shiver up both ladies' spines.

*Soona-Patak, please take them to where I am laying.*

Ikekiya looked at the others and moved to the second door, the one that lead into the interior of the ship. She saw four levers and again and briefly wondered about that until she remembered that the Pod-Drran and Maha-Rrin only had four digits. The pattern was different, but she remembered her dream.

The hatch slid open, and lights came on inside the room. They saw one of the crystal coffins. It was slightly raised toward the head so that they could see Poda-La's face from where they were. There was a walkway of sorts leading up and around the coffin. At the end of the walkway, above the coffin, was a column with a yellow ball that appeared to be lit from within. Otherwise, the room was bare.

The four stepped into the room, with Ikekiya scanning everything for Sherm-Atem and the other Tae. At the base of the coffin, the floor was slightly raised so that they could see clearly into the coffin. Junelliya was surprised to see one of the Chlaerge laying on the pillow beside the head of Poda-La.

It was as Junelliya remembered. It was slightly larger than the Cats and looked more reptilian. All the same, it was eerily similar to her Pod.

"It looks so much like Juneya," the Kumaraie commented, voicing Junelliya's thoughts.

"She is Poda-La. Her face is slightly older, but she is the person I met once before, so long ago," Junelliya told them all.

An image of Poda-La appeared on their left. It looked very realistic, including the Chlaerge riding her shoulder.

*Hello Na-Maj, my future Marti. it is a pleasure to meet you in person...so to speak,* the image spoke. The Kumaraie did not know how to respond so just bowed her head. Truth be told, she was quite frightened to suddenly be spoken to by a historical figure from more than thirty millennia in the past.

*Ikekiya, thank you for being my conduit. You were very important to finding and recovering my ship. Without you, it could not have happened.

*Prakeshya, it is so wonderful to actually meet you. You look so much different then I had expected. But then, I have never been able to see you in my dreams. As both you and Ikekiya are finding out, one cannot see oneself in the future.*

*Now, to why I have asked you four here. The glowing ball above my coffin is a memory transfer device. It is designed to transfer my memories to Prakeshya. But it will not do so all at once.

*As Prakeshya will face me four times, roughly once every four years. I am sorry to do this to you Prakeshya, but you need to understand things that would take you decades to learn through actual experience. Thus, the memory transfer.*

*How does the transfer work, Poda-La,* a worried Kumaraie asked.

*You need have no fear, Na-Maj. I will not take over Prakeshya's personality and body. The Atohan will be able to confirm that my memories will form a layer of memories for Prakeshya to select. They will not be her memories, but she will be able to access them in much the same manner as she accesses her own. She will know the difference.

*Prakeshya will be herself, more or less. As Prakeshya makes more use of my memories, there will be a slight shift in her personality, that is inevitable. However, over writing her personality is impossible. As far as I know, it cannot be done.

*I intend to give Prakeshya memories of how to use the powers at my control, as well as some insight into politics and ruling. They will be of great benefit to her.*

*What if we decide that the risks are too great?* Na-Maj asked.

*Na-Maj, it cost me a substantial fortune as well as many years of my life to prepare for the future reunification of the Oranae. We will only have one opportunity to do this for our people. If that is lost, so are we.

*Prakeshya will always be her own person. I cannot change that. However, I do wish to give her all the opportunity that I can for her to succeed. She does not have the time to gain that knowledge by herself. The forces arrayed against her will become more desperate as she gets older. If she is not prepared, she will not become the leader of the Oranae and there is a strong possibility she will die.

*Her friends, Soona-Patak and her sister, will help her. They will guide her and protect her. As will others. But she will be the person around which the Oranae will form. She MUST succeed.*

*Are there risks?* Na-Maj asked.

*Where the mind and technology interact, there are always risks. One fact is that one cannot accept too much information too quickly. That is why I shall provide her with all that I can in four sessions, spread roughly four years apart. It is to protect her from mental fatigue or the failure of those memories to integrate within her.

*You are the Marti, to you is the last act of protection for your daughter. However, your daughter has already made her decision.*

Na-Maj looked at Prakeshya and asked the question through a simple facial expression, to which Prakeshya gave the typical Pod-Drran circular motion for yes.

"I must do this, Marti. It is my duty to be ready to rule when I am of age. You will help but so will my past self," Prakeshya told her mother in the personification of Poda-La.

Strangely, this did not upset the Kumaraie as she had seen this many times before and was now inured to it. She understood that there was only so much she could do for her daughter, her daughter had to do the rest for herself...

*What must I do, Poda-la?* Prakeshya asked.

*Place your hands on either side of the globe and the system will function as it should.*

Prakeshya looked nervously at her mother one last time, then moved to the globe at the head of the coffin. Ikekiya followed her.

Prakeshya took off her gloves and gave them to Ikekiya.

*Step back Dosri Piscium. There should not be any danger to you but I would advise caution.* Poda-La told Ikekiya. Ikekiya took a step back from her friend.

Prakeshya touched both her hands to the orb. It was not a true orb in that it was not round but made for Pod-Drran hands so was more oblong than an orb. As soon as she touched the globe, she began to glow as if she was using her powers, only the glow was much stronger than her own personal glow.

Both Ikekiya and Junelliya felt the emanation of power, the signature of which Junelliya instantly recognized. She looked to the image of Poda-La and saw her eyes closed. Even the Chlaerge eyes were closed and it was in an upright posture. Not a dominance posture but a power posture none-the-less.

A Mur later, the glow stopped and Prakeshya turned around to face them.

"I no feel different," she said.

*It will take Prakeshya some time to assimilate the memories I have given her. As well, she is quite young and has no frame of reference for some of these memories. They will have to wait until she is older.

*This session, and the next to come, will teach her about using her powers. You will see that she will develop much faster now.*

*What should we do with this ship?* Junelliya wanted to know.

*It must be protected from those who would destroy Prakeshya's future. They would seek to claim it for themselves. It must also remain in space. Bringing it into an atmosphere will quickly cause it to rot. That must be prevented. Eventually, I would see my body placed on the surface of the new planet, when Prakeshya becomes the new ruler.*

*Some would like to come and see you for themselves,* the Kumaraie stated.

*You must decide if you will do this, however, I would suggest that only senior leaders be allowed aboard for now. Once my body is placed on the surface of the new planet, this ship can be opened to all. Currently, the gases that fill the ship to protect it, that would make general viewing difficult.*

*I bet it would,* Junelliya quipped.

*Prakeshya must live. Teach her all that you can about fighting. She will need these lessons. She will also need instructions in using her powers in combat. That will fall to the Atohan.

*Ruhm-Oran was mostly a peaceful world while I lived on it, so I did not develop the instincts needed to use my powers for combat. The Atohan has these instincts and my previous brief encounter with her showed me that her powers rivelled my own then. I suspect that she has become even more powerful in the time since.*

*What if Prakeshya wishes to speak to you?* Junelliya asked the question that nobody else had considered.

*Prakeshya, Ikekiya Dosri, Poda-Rai-Latti, the Kumar-Pair, the Pemipinae, and the two senior Priestesses of the sister races may come into my presence as you wish, though I would restrict the Priestesses from attempting to worship my form. They may come to see me for guidance, but I would ask that I not be venerated as a Goddess by them,* Poda-La ended.

*For those I have named, I will make myself available to speak with. For any others who wish to view me, I will not make my AI available to them. There are prepared speeches that I will initiate when others are present. This is to preserve my teachings for the ruling families and especially for Prakeshya.

*However, I will give you a gift. Behind the door across the room from this image, there are memory cubes filled with the knowledge of Oranae science. Most of this has been lost to the sister races. This will be my gift to the Oranae. You may not remove the cubes as they will be destroyed by the touch of oxygen. You will have to record them here.*

*Ship have antenna?* Ikekiya asked.

*You are suggesting that I broadcast my image, Ikekiya Dosri?* Poda-La asked. *I do not think that technology to receive the image exists now.*

*Do you have an emitter that could be placed in the adjoining room? That would allow many to view you without coming onto the ship,* Junelliya suggested. *However, we would need access to this vessel's AI to make it function, thus we would need an antenna or some place to connect to the ship.*

*I have a portable emitter that could be used. There is a small hatch on the right side of the hull of this ship that allows for connection to the AI.* Here, an image of the ship appeared and it showed them where the small hatch was.

*We would have to jury rig some cabling and a method of getting through the wall into the other room, but it could be done,* Junelliya explained. *That would mean people could view your image or speak to you as required without having to constantly board this ship.*

*That would be an excellent compromise. The AI could determine how much of its capabilities it would display dependant on who was present in the viewing room.

*Do you own this ship, Kumaraie?* Poda-La asked.

*The Pod-Drran do not, Poda-La. Junelliya's people do,* the Kumaraie replied. *However, the owner of this particular vessel was instrumental in preventing the war between our people and Junelliya's. I have great trust in this person.*