Tara in Space Book 01: Kidnapped

"I hope Karenna wine vintage 87 meets with your approval?" Mallow said

"I have remarked many times girls to your Master. I would travel from one end of the galaxy to the other, waste all my life in doing so, just to spend one night in your Master's famous wine cellar."

"Well there is a cost my friend, although the girls will keep my bed warm whilst I'm away with you. Give them a quick history of the ancients; explain to them in simple terms, they are after all just slave girls. Though I sense a little more may lay behind those eyes. Now let us see if they are interested in anything other than pleasure, again this maybe a long session and I do not want them falling asleep. So go on old friend whilst I pay homage to this fine grape and open the bottle with true reverence."

Oh I remember Melina," Cronicks laughed.

"Aye she fell asleep," Mallow said.

"Then it was a marathon, how long was it nearly eight hours?" Cronicks replied

"No it was eight hours forty three as I remember and the last two bottles of Covanta 67, what a loss, the very last two in the entire Galaxy" replied Mallow.

"What was her punishment the kiss of the whip Oran?" asked Cronicks.

"No I hung her from my ceiling hook with just her toes touching the floor and went to bed. She stays awake now, but her mind seems only for the pleasures of the flesh, not for dry old history, so whipping her would not increase her awareness or her intelligence. So go on my friend tell the girls of the ancients, but try not to put them to sleep.

"Girls lift your heads," Cronicks commanded.

We waited.

"Do it girls, or feel my wrath." Mallow said, gently taking an intricate device from the tray.

"Yes my Master," We whispered, and raised our heads. Hoping we had done it right.

Cronicks was a thin face; the skin tanned by the sun looked leathery. The huge hooked nose, curved out from the face, separating the deep walnut eyes that held me in their gaze. His pale lips parted and I could see the hint of ageing ivory in his teeth.

He shook his bald head and winked.

Both men smiled to each other and I felt a thrill we had guessed right. It had been a test, and we had passed.

"It would appear you both have your wits about you girls. Now let us see if you have something more than paradise between those thighs."

"Now a very long time ago, a planet we call Gaspra was settled on by a civilisation older than maybe any records other than legends can refer to. This mighty and noble race of beings, which we have called the Kalooni lived on the planet for an undetermined period of time. Ethically as well as technologically they were a million years ahead of us. For in unlocking the mysteries of nature, they had conquered and advanced in both knowledge and travel within this galaxy, and maybe beyond we have no idea. They appear with our limited knowledge to be the first and in doing so; they met no others to match them. Where did they come from? We can only hazard an educated guess. Possibly from the outer reaches of the spiral arm of the galaxy for that would probably be where the stabilisation of planets and suns came first. Then in less than a millennium they were gone."

Mallow handed the glass to Cronicks, who continued.

"In the centuries that followed their cloud-piercing towers, of glass and porcelain and adamantine steel have crumbled back into the soil of Gaspra."

"So how do we know of such a race?" Cronicks continued asking himself the question and continuing to provide the answer.

Cronicks sipped the wine. "In trading your Master and myself have come across many legends handed down through generations, most our but stories from a furtive mind, others contain a grain of truth. Over the years we have both come across artefacts, relics, some fraudulent others genuine on this race of super beings.

Five years ago on this waterless planet your Master sent geologists to explore for Tellurium, a rare metal used in heat shields. They found none but some ancient ruins hidden within a small canyon at the side of a huge extinct volcano, and he sent word to me."

"Tell me does the wine not please you?" Mallow interrupted.

Cronicks lifted the glass again this time to the light for a moment, and then back to his lips, and sipped the drink letting the liquid roam around his mouth. For a moment, silence filled the room.

"No the container is wrong." He looked at me and smiled.

"What container would you suggest?" said Mallow his voice terse.

"May I show you old friend?"

"Of course my house is your house."

He leaned forward in the chair and moving the glass, turned it at such an angle he dipped my Mothers nipple into the wine. The chill of the liquid made her gasp, her tummy quivering.

"Stay still girl," Marlow spoke with a smirk on his lips. "Pray Master Cronicks continue."

Bending I watched his lips wrap around her wet nipple suckling it for a moment. He pulled away, and lifted the glass in salute.

"Now this wine would be perfect only if it was drunk from this girl's flesh.

They both laughed.

"Now what brings you hurrying hot foot to me from that dusty old planet? I hope it's not just for the wine and the pleasure of one of my girls?" Mallow said.

"Gaspra as you know is a third the size of Optera, well it got me thinking. Even this size and its distance from the sun, it still supported life millions of years ago. There is very clear evidence of erosion in many places on the planet, including large floods and small river systems. At some time in the past there was clearly some sort of fluid on the surface. Liquid water is the obvious, but other possibilities could have existed. There may have been large lakes or even oceans.

In the canyon where the ruins lay, there was once a small river.

Across the floor of the canyon, the settlements have returned to dust. Only the shielding effect of the volcano protected some from the icy north winds. On the ruins themselves although elaborate they would be crude in comparison with the capabilities of a more advanced civilisation. These people may have been descendants, who finally died out when the planet could no longer support life. Of course there are countless possibilities, the carvings along the walls, show a relationship with the ancestors not as equals but more subservient. On how they lost their abilities or for that matter the knowledge I yet can only hypothesize."

"Could they have been the planet's own inhabitants?" Mallow interjected.

"Unlikely the planet because of its size and distance from the sun, it would mean only possibly a few million years for life to involve, and that was too short a time period for highly intelligent and sophisticated life forms to evolve."

"So what makes these ruins so special, that you hurry back to me old friend?" Mallow asked.

"In their carvings they recount their gods wearing golden clothing, and flying boats. They relate to chariots which the gods drove over the land and sea, and of terrifying weapons that were like lightening. So legends grew with each generations passed down through to the next and their elucidations carved in stone becoming more the memories of dreams than actuality."

Cronicks' held up his hand, "I know Mallow, we have seen this style of carving from the primitive before, but one thing is different it does not relate to one day the Gods will return like it does in so many other friezes we have seen. These crude stone pictures tell of them never leaving. In fact they were still on the planet not in a physical form but in another."

33.

Marlow looked at Cronicks and I felt the atmosphere suddenly change. "What have you discovered you old bastard?"

"Remember we talked about the Kalooni being seekers after knowledge, from all the evidence we have found in the artefacts

"Yes I understand that." Marlow interrupted, "But was it not lost in the eons of time."

Cronicks shook his head, "No I don't think so. If they were clever enough to seek knowledge they would know enough to preserve it. Obviously paper was not their medium, nor I think was carving it on stone. No they had another means of storing data I'm sure of it. But what I have no idea. We use digital disks but they would not last even a thousand years. No they must have another form of data storage. They would not lose all that knowledge even to time."

"You seem certain my friend, what have you discovered?"

"Cronicks smiled and tapped his nose,"

Mallow laughed and said, "Friend this room is sound proof, and you never came here, so no one will know when you left vertical or horizontal. Now tell me"

Cronicks laughed and looked at me and winked. "That why I respect your Master's words. He is straight to the heart of the matter, now I think I better tell him girls before I feel his wrath too."

Cronicks hand slid along my mother's shoulders and down her back. "You bring me distractions but do not fear my mind is still on the ancients.

He turned back to Mallow, with a wink.

I shivered seeing my Mother silent and on display her eyes avoiding mine.

"You may recall the majority of the ruins lay at the base of the volcano," replied Cronicks.

"Yes it was the biggest on the planet."

"Well whilst there, an earthquake occurred along the fault ridge of the canyon which brought down what was left of the ruins and a huge chunk of the volcano."

"I hope no one was killed or injured?" asked Marlow.

"I'm happy to say apart from bruises. Some lacerations and one broken finger we had no fatalities, however we did lose a very useful heavy excavator."

"Go on," Mallow said his voice showing excitement.

"Remember I said we had side scanned the volcano and found a maze of passageways and rooms. Some because of their perfect angularity were not made by free flowing lava, but by whoever lived on the planet."

"Yes you were looking for a way in, but where afraid of blasting just in case you started an earthquake that would bring the volcano down on top of you," said Mallow

The tension in the room was almost physical, even my own heart stopped for a moment as I held my breath.

"Yes although it looks solid on the outside it is riddled with tunnels some natural other's made by the hands of whoever lived there, and of course the unpredictable earthquakes make it hazards for us to say the least."

"So what are you saying, you can't go into the volcano?" Mallow asked.

"Not by blasting, maybe this will help." Replied Cronicks

Pulling a card from inside his tunic, he gave it to Mallow. Who touched the surface and suddenly a black screen appeared and disappeared to be replaced by a strange red landscape, and a dull pink sky? A moment later the picture shook and a huge flowing wave of dust came towards the camera engulfing it in darkness.

"The moment of the earthquake, lucky we had taken a break from the site, or I would not be speaking to you now.

The two men looked at each other and Mallow broke the spell.

"So what happened next? Asked Mallow,

"The earthquake, brought down what was left of the old buildings; I'm afraid destroying two of the three mini diggers as well as the heavy one. The third we were able to salvage, but it will need extensive repairs."

"So?" Mallow sounded tense.

"Whilst we were clearing away the debris we found this amongst the rubble." Cronicks hand went into his jacket and brought out a white cloth wrapped around an elongated shape.

The green crystal bar caught the light flashing it back into my eyes and the mirrored reflection of my face. It rested in the palm of Cronicks hand, Smooth and round for two thirds of its length, at one end a complicated eight faceted cuboid shape finally rounded at the end, touched the tip of his index finger.

Marlow took it and lifted it to the light peering into the crystal s

Cronicks watched and began to speak, "If you look closely Oran you can see a complex pattern within the crystal, far more complex than many of the crystal's we have seen so far."

"Have you any idea what it is?" asked Mallow.

"We thought it might be just another crystal, then when we finally pulled away what was left of the rubble we found this cave and something. Press the tablet again and you will see," said his voice a little excited

34.

Mallow looked again at the card and touched the surface, the picture changed to the interior of a small cave, its vaulted roof surprisingly high. The floor looked covered in a deep layer of dust and rubble. Up along the curving walls, stress cracks created abstract patterns along its entire surface. The doorway recess showed a distorted archway bent and twisted by the weight of the rock from above, the power of the earthquakes below, and millenniums of time. However the door from the small screen looked perfectly smoothed and surprisingly new.

"Does it," Mallow asked, seemingly unable to ask if it opened.

"No I'm afraid not Oran, not even a thermal lance applied for three hours, hardly made it warm, no this door is firmly locked." Replied Cronicks

"Jammed through age possibly," Mallow asked.

"No strangely it looks well maintained, although the cave is covered in dust and the usual detritus of age, the door does not. No this door is locked, how we open it, I have only one idea and that I cannot take credit for. One of my assistant came up with this possible explanation."

"And that is, asked" Mallow his voice tense.

"The crystal in your hand Oran is probably a key."

"A key," murmured Mallow "is there any recess in the door for it to fit.

"None its smooth and very hard, we scanned the metal, but its density was off the scale on our sensors, so no there are no places to slot this in."

"So why do you think this is a key then?" said Marlow his voice showing signs of exasperation.

"Because we think this key is only the first part of the code to unlock the door. Look again at the intricate patterns within the crystal. All those crystals you have on display in your library. We know are clear or have a simple linear pattern in interconnecting lines running parallel within the crystal. This pattern as you can see is far more complex."

"So if you do not have the code, how the hell are we going to get through the door, possibly by blasting maybe?"

Cronicks shook his head, "no that would be suicidal. You saw the cracks and fissures in the rocks from the extremes of temperature on Gaspra With the honeycomb of tunnels. I suspect if we went in blasting the old mountain it would probably come down on top of us. Although we did use a thermal beam for over two hours, the moment we removed it, you could touch the door with your hand, and feel no heat.

Now if we had all the time in the world, we would I'm sure crack the code and open the door, but a few days ago on the ether I had a message from a friend at the Palace. Out illustrious leader has decided to get himself involved in the history of lost civilizations, and he has put together some wonderful minds, to help him find his ancestors. Mostly from his private security services oh and one Professor you may know him Mallow? His name is Weldon Jadin

"Why am I not surprised that bastard is involved with the Emperor. So has he given up searching for the dark arts?" Mallow asked

"Oh no Balbinus wants him to continue, he as even put a couple of the stellar class Frigates at his disposal," replied Cronicks. "Each I might add carrying the latest Black Night missile."

"Does he know about our site?" asked a tense Mallow.

"I don't know, if he does we have little time before his henchmen take it over, and archaeology becomes mechanical excavators and blasting rods. Cronicks lifted the glass to his lips and drank the last of the wine and placed the glass back on the tray.

"My friend I have not told you what drives our fat little emperor. Apparently he is dying from his vices, and even our medical knowledge cannot save him. Only the knowledge of the Ancients he was told can save him now."

"I can guess who told him that," Mallow interrupted.

Cronicks chuckled, "Weldon Jadin wants the priceless treasures for his jaded clientele, who are seeking more and more rarities. In the secret market of antiquities which I'm told is the only safe haven in these trouble economic times, especially when Imperium money is soon to be worthless.

Mallow pulled out a card, and tossed it to Cronicks, "this is the credit we use around the outer planets. It's backed by my extensive estates and of course my trading conglomerate.

"So Oran we have one crack at the door, it's not archaeology but those who are coming will destroy all our work, and steal what they can find."

Cronicks slumped into the chair obviously exhausted.

"We could sit here for centuries trying to figure out this puzzle, for now my friend let us get you into your bed for I suspect after very little sleep if none at all. Now before we decide out next action you need to rest, relax let Sarah give you a massage, she is the best in my Kennels. Then maybe after a rest, you will visit paradise, and be able to look at the problem from another perspective," said Mallow.

"You are right as always, old friend."

35.

Marlow stroked my hair whilst my head lay on his belly. Tonight I had not been used. Mallow's mind was not on me.

Laying there I felt his fingers above me play with the crystal, if it was a key I had no idea how it would opened such a door. Then if it also needed a code it would probably be unbreakable. I had heard of course of some theories pertaining to the Incas and their gods coming from space, back on earth. Then I had been sceptical. The Nazca Lines with huge birds etched in the desert, which could only be seen from the air, could easily be done for religious purposes or seasons, not flying saucers. Yet Mallow and the professor were sure they existed or did they just hope,

"Kneel girl at the bottom of the bed," said Mallow

Slowly I slid down, and coming to the foot board knelt, my thighs parted wide.

"Good girl, as always you gleam in want for me, but tonight you will pay homage another way," resting on the pillows his cock lying asleep across his hips.

"Now put your hands between your legs," he said softly, "and show me the true slut." I shuddered, and looked down. My body felt hot, tense, and shivery. To my own amazement, I dropped my hands between my legs and felt the wet slippery lips. With my fingertips I touched my vagina, and let out a stifled moan. "Open it and reveal it to me," he said, resting back in the pillows. "That's it, wider." I stretched my little nether mouth. A soft, lazy sensation of pleasure, an echo of the ecstasy of his hardness, further heated my face and neck. My thighs were so wide apart, I was completely open to him. "And the clitoris," he said. "Lift it." It burned against my finger as I obeyed.

"Move your finger to the side so that I can see," he said, his voice sounding husky, his cock stirring on his thigh.

"Now stretch the little mouth wide again and thrust your hips forward." I obeyed, but with the movement of my hips there came another wave of pleasure. I could feel the blush in my face and in my throat and on my breasts. I heard myself moaning. My hips rose higher, moved ever more forward. I heard my own moan become louder and supplicating. It would begin any moment, the desire that was so sweetly waning. Even now I could feel my lips thickening against my fingers and my clitoris palpitating like a little heart, and the pink flesh around my nipples tingling.

My eyes went wide as Marlow moved the crystal into his left hand

"You crave something else girl. Maybe this key will open you," he chuckled.

Suddenly he turned the crystal showing me its length and thickness. Slowly he lifted it and touched my lips.

I kissed the cold tip, and he pushed for me to open my mouth. It felt so hard on my tongue I tried to suckle it to show him, but it caught the back of my throat and I gagged.