On Earth, there are three Triads intending to integrate
not only the three peoples and stop the war that threatens to break loose and
slaughter Humans and devastate their world; but to stop the war that consumes
Kiiote economy and Yown’Hoo moral fiber. The Braiders accidentally created a
resonance wave that will destroy the Milky Way and the only way to stop it is
for the Yown’Hoo-Kiiote-Human Triads to build a physical wall. The merger of
Human-Kiiote-Yown’Hoo into a van der Walls Society may produce the Membrane to
stop the wave.
The young experimental Triads are made up of the smallest
primate tribe of Humans – Oscar and Kashayla; the smallest canine pack of
Kiiote – six, pack leaders Qap and Xurf; and the smallest camelid herd of
Yown’Hoo – a prime eleven, Dao-hi the Herd mother. On nursery farms and ranches
away from the TC cities, Humans have tended young Yown’Hoo and Kiiote in secret
for decades, allowing the two warring people to reproduce and grow far from their
home worlds.
“We had nearly fallen into stagnation when we
encountered the Kiiote.”
“And we into internecine war when we encountered the
Yown’Hoo.”
“Yown’Hoo and
Kiiote have been defending themselves for a thousand revolutions of our Sun.”
“Together, we
might do something none of us alone might have done…a destiny that included
Yown’Hoo, Kiiote, and Human.” (2/19/2015)
We walked down stairs for a long, long time. It was steep,
and then walls close, and there were no lights except that my great uncle Tim
glowed in the dark.
That’s right, GU Tim glowed in the dark.
“Glad the steps aren’t wet and slimy,” said the man I called
Retired – his full title was Lieutenant Commander Patrick Bakhsh (ret).
“Why would I maintain them in such unsafe conditions?” said
GU Tim then burst out laughing as we continued down.
“Why was that funny?” I asked.
“It’s obvious none of you trust me now that I’ve admitted
I’m an android,” GU Tim said. “The Artificial have been discriminated against
since we were first decanted twenty years ago.”
We reached the bottom of the stairs, walking out into a
huge…hole in the ground. There were no concrete or stone walls or floor or
ceiling, just bare dirt.
“And that’s funny because,” said Retired.
“It’s funny because you have no one else to help you and you
have to trust me no matter what you think of me.”
There were no other doors. It was a big hole in the ground.
Retired said, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty,
dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a
dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a
hobbit-hole and that means comfort.”
Qap and Xurf made gulping sounds, which was Kiiote laughter.
The Herd Mother unsheathed and snapped the tips of her
tentacles which was Yown’Hoo laughter.
Even ‘Shay snickered.
“What is everyone laughing at?”
‘Shay said, “It’s a quote from a kid’s book. Haven’t you
ever read it?”
“Was it called The Hobbit Hole?” I asked, knowing I was only
digging myself deeper into the hole of embarrassment. ‘Cause if both ‘Shayla
and Fax had read the thing and I was ignorant, neither one would EVER let me
forget it.
Great Uncle Tim’s glow suddenly increased as he turned
sideways and walked through the wall of the hole, his light abruptly winking
out. The Herd Mother reared, obviously hitting Retired, who cursed. ‘Shayla did
the same. Fax leaned against my leg and the entire group squeezed together like
we were in a trash compacter. A regular flashlight lit, pointing at the
apparently solid wall.
Retired said, “Wait a moment.” Aiming the light at the wall
with an outstretched arm, he reached out with the other. His hand passed
through the wall. Stepping back, he kept the light on the wall and added, “Step
through the wall while I hold the light on it.”
No one moved, then Herd Mother said, “We have no trust in
this one. What if we are being led into a trap?”
“If that were the case, he would have set off a charge and
buried us all alive.”
“He could still do it!” whined Fax. He nearly knocked me
over, so I leaned back and kneed him in the side. He snarled then snapped. But
he stopped whining.
Qap and Xurf snarled and the Herd Mother reared again,
bringing all the rest of us to order. Qap said, “Enough! We will pass through
the wall as the Master commands. He is in wisdom with the Masters Pan and Zir,
and our trust is on them.”
Dao-Hi added, “Ji-Hi, Mother of All is beyond reproach and
would have no alliance with any who would betray the Herd.”
Even ‘Shay suddenly chimed in, “St. Admiral gave her life to
save all Humans, she’d never have set things up just to have us get captured by
some frankenstein!”
I couldn’t believe she’d said that. If GU Tim was listening,
he could kill us all with a… ‘Shay grabbed my hand and dragged me through the
lighted wall.
Standing in a well-lit room with walls and a few laptops, my
great uncle stood with his legs slightly spread, pointing a large, ugly weapon
at it, the tip glowing a dull red; like the eye of an alien robot.
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