Jillianne stood, brushing dirt from the knees and seat of her canvas pants. She reached up to tuck a stray blonde hair under her wide-brimmed field cap as she walked to where Jardon fairly danced over his discovery.

"Calm down, Jardon." She stopped beside him, her gaze following his pointing finger.

"What is it?" She crouched down, careful not to disturb the object.

"Remember when Strathus' father told him we should look here? I had a feeling he knew something he wasn't telling us. And now this." Jardon looked around. "Where's Strathus?"

Jillianne straightened from her perusal of the strange box and turned away, shading her jade eyes with a slim hand still grimy from digging. It was one of the reasons Jardon liked her so much. She worked as hard as anyone, and always came out looking like she'd just done a photo shoot for some fashion magazine.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." A deep voice broke the silence. "How could anybody relax with you screaming at the top of your lungs? What is it, man?"

Strathus Manquee strode out of the communal tent the three shared, his long wings tucked neatly behind his back and held down by a leather band. "Let me take a look."

He peered at the object for a moment. "This is a mystery."

Jillianne reached around Strathus' shoulder and ran her slim fingers across and around the obelisk. Lifting it cautiously, she let her fingertips skim the underside of the object and felt it give an almost imperceptible shudder. A tiny drawer slid silently out of the object's side and a gleaming tube rose up and out of the drawer.

They jumped back, Jillianne retaining just enough composure not to drop the obelisk. The tube hung there in front of them, with no visible means of support, the suns' rays glinting off the metallic casing.

"What is it?" Jardon repeated Jillianne's earlier question.

"Don't know." Strathus ran his hand over and beneath the tube, like a magician proving to his audience no hidden wires held up his elevated object. Taking it between two fingers, he turned it over and looked at the bottom. "No identifying marks of any kind, no writing, nothing."

"Your father talked about a discovery here, didn't he? That's why we're up here wandering around digging holes in the dirt. Maybe this is what he sent us after." Jardon took the tube and replaced it in the drawer. The drawer slid back into its resting place. "I believe it's time to give him a call."

"Sure, okay." Strathus looked around, hands feeling his shirt and pants pockets. "Damn, Where's my communicator?"

Jardon tucked the obelisk under his arm and pulled a small communications device from his jacket pocket. "Use mine. You'd lose your head if it wasn't attached."

"Thanks." Strathus took the instrument and pressed a button. Within seconds, a low buzz sounded and he spoke. "Vasalus."

A holographic image materialized in front of them. Strathus smiled. "Hello, Father."

An older likeness of Strathus took form and steadied itself. "What is it, Strathus?"

"We've discovered something. Thought you might want to take a look."

Strathus retrieved the box from Jardon and held it out in front of him, turning it slowly so each side was exposed in turn to Vasalus. The older man frowned.

"Hmmm. Interesting. What is it?"

"Some kind of artifact we found just beneath the surface," Jardon interrupted. "Do you know anything about it?"

"What does it look like to you?"

"There's a small drawer here," Strathus pointed to the side of the obelisk where the drawer was located, "and a metal tube inside."

Vasalus shook his head. "It could be what we've been looking for, if I knew what we were looking for. This line's not secure, so I can't go into detail now, but here's the general scenario."

He frowned in concentration. "Some years ago, I was contacted by an organization that wanted to pass along some information to me. The group's executive body discovered data that an old relic hidden somewhere on Hubal might tell the story about the beginning of our universe."

"Do you think this is it?" Strathus asked, his voice hopeful.

"I don't know, won't know until I take a good look at it."

"Anything else we should know?" Jardon said.

"Not that I was told, but I have a feeling they weren't telling me the whole story. To be honest, throughout this entire project, I've felt as if I were under close scrutiny." Vasalus peered to the side. "Nothing solid, of course, just a suspicion."

Jardon stepped forward. "You know, sir, I've felt like we've been watched too, even here."

"I think you should come back now," Vasalus said. "I have an ominous feeling about all this, and I can't put my finger on it."

"We'll get started back right now. Be with you soon, Father." Strathus flicked a button and his father's image broke into fragments and dispersed like confetti in a wind.

Jardon turned to his companions. "Well, you heard it. Let's get cracking."

They packed up in no time. All the field equipment was designed to be lightweight and portable, even the comfortable tent. As they finished bundling everything up for transport, Jardon turned to Strathus. "Here." He held out the object.

Strathus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You're better at hiding things than I am." Jardon smiled sardonically. "Can you find a place for this?"

Strathus took the obelisk and carefully placed it into a padded recorder case's foam-lined pocket, then locked the pocket with a sound key. Opening the back of Jardon's communicator, he wedged the key among the hardware's circuitry.

"Just in case." Strathus closed the communicator carefully, then handed it to Jardon.

"You're worried about this just a bit, aren't you?" Jardon said.

"Yes, I am, and the sooner we get back home, the happier I'm going to be. In the meantime, make sure your weapons are fully charged and ready."

They loaded the equipment into a sturdy all-terrain flight-mobile.

"Let's get out of here." Jillianne strapped herself into her seat. Strathus swung into the chair beside her and pulled the safety harness across his chest.

Jardon took the pilot's seat at the front of the craft. "Got everything?"

"Go for it, Jardon," Jillianne said.

He reached down and touched several chromatic buttons on the brightly lit panel in front of him. Putting the flight-mobile in forward motion, he quickly lifted out of the clearing and up over the thick hardy tree-plants of the planet. As they gained altitude, he caught a flash of light as the twin suns reflected off something bright.

"Look." Jillianne pointed.

"You saw it, too, didn't you?" Jardon said.

"What?" Strathus peered in the direction Jillianne pointed. "I don't see anything."

Jillianne frowned. "There's something out there."

"Now I know I want to get home. We should reach the ship in about two hours." Jardon checked his instrument readings, then leaned down and pushed another button. A holographic map blinked into the space in front of him, colorful coordinates directing their flight path.

Suddenly, a brilliant beam shot up from below. Instinctively, Jardon threw the craft hard left, and a missile sped past Jillianne's port.

"Hang on! I'm going to do some heavy duty maneuvering."

Jardon had been a military pilot while getting his degree in archaeology. He whipped the little craft in a zigzag course away from the attack. One more gleaming shot came from below, just missing the flight-mobile's rear section.

"I think that answers some of our questions." Strathus looked at the others grimly. "We weren't alone."

"Your father's got some explaining to do, I think," said Jardon. "His hunches have all been correct, and he needs to tell us the whole story."

"I agree," Jillianne said. "There's much more to this than just an archaeological expedition."

Jardon swung the flight-mobile back onto its original course. "Let's just hope we can get back to him with whatever's in that tube."

"Whatever it is, it better be worth putting our lives in danger." Jillianne looked grim.

Strathus leaned back in his seat. "It'll be worth it, my friends, I'm convinced of that. Wake me up when we get to the ship." He stretched his long legs as far as he could in front of him.

Jardon grinned over at Strathus. "All you ever think about is sleeping. Don't you ever get caught up?"

"Meditation, Jardon, meditation," Jillianne laughed.

But Strathus was already lost in his spiritual world, hands folded across his muscled chest, eyes closed. Jardon found himself wishing he could just relax away his problems. Strathus had offered to teach him the process, but somehow he'd never found time. Soon, he promised himself.

"Get some sleep, Jilli," he said. "When we get to the ship, you and Strathus can take over the pilot duties, and I'll catch up."



THE REST OF the trip was uneventful. When they got there, Jardon set down just behind the big interplanetary transport. Reaching up to an instrument panel overhead, he flipped a red switch. The rear of the transport slid open slowly. Jardon guided the flight-mobile into the larger vehicle, parking it on the marked landing pad. As he flipped the switch again to close the rear door, he glanced out his window. As the heavy metal cover shuddered into place, Jardon had an eerie feeling the shadows to his right had somehow been disturbed.

He turned to his companions and held a finger up to his lips. "I think we've got company."

Silent as shadows, they exited the flight-mobile.

Jardon led them toward the left. "They're on the right side of the deck, so we'll go out here. They'll think they have the element of surprise."

Strathus turned to Jillianne. "Hang back a bit. Let's see if we draw any fire."

She glared at him. "You stay. You know where the tube is, and your father's the one who can tell us what's going on. I can shoot as well as you can."

Jardon grinned. "I hate to admit it, Strathus, but she's right. We'll be careful."

"You're talking to one of a warrior race, and you're asking me to sit here and wait?"

"Yes, we are." Jardon's voice left no room for arguing.

"All right, all right, I'm staying. You two just be careful."

Jardon and Jillianne pulled out their weapons and, hugging the wall, they inched forward. As they started out onto the ramp, a fiery blast greeted them.

The shot caught Jardon in the right shoulder, throwing him backwards to land in a crumpled heap next to Strathus. He was vaguely aware of Strathus grabbing Jillianne and shoving her down behind a bulkhead as he fired rapidly into the shadows. The close air inside the ship reeked of ozone.

Jillianne rushed to Jardon and dropped down beside him. He looked up at her through a red haze, thinking how beautiful her eyes were.

"He's been hit in the right shoulder." She ran her hands quickly over him, and brought one away covered with blood. "Strathus, get me the medkit, quick!"

Strathus jerked open a panel in the ship and pulled out the medkit. He handed it to Jillianne. Beyond them, flashes of light continued in the darkness. "Someone's fighting out there. I'll be right back. I'm going to see if I can tell what's going on."

Jillianne gently lifted the tattered sleeve of Jardon's jacket to expose the wound beneath. As she did so, he moaned softly. His eyelids flickered, and pain-filled eyes stared up at her from a face bereft of color. She pushed him back down to the deck. "Lay back and let me treat this."

He sank back against the wall, eyes squinted against the pain. She wiped the wound with a sterile pad, then quickly injected two quick bursts of liquid under the skin. She ran a thin flat instrument across the wound, drawing the artificial skin bandage together to seal off the opening. Reaching into the pack, she pulled out a transparent bag filled with a skin-colored gel and ripped it open. She squeezed, and the stuff coated the injury. Within minutes, it merged with his skin and his shoulder looked unscathed. Watching his face closely for a few moments, she was relieved to see color slowly return.

"Jardon?"

His eyes flickered open.

"Move your fingers for me," she ordered.

He complied, stiffly at first. "Hey, not bad."

She packed up the medkit. "Had a brief stint in the medical corps. They taught me a few things. You're going to be fine. Let's go check on Strathus."

She helped him to his feet. Aside from a slight wince and his torn jacket, she couldn't tell he'd been injured. Strathus came running toward them.

"We've got two opposing sides out there, and I'm not sure who won."

"Are any of them on our side?" she asked.

"I don't know." His communicator buzzed insistently. Grabbing it, he flicked open the channel. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"We're friends. All I can tell you is that your attackers have been taken care of." The voice was raspy, urgent.

"Sounds like it's being transmitted via a translator," Jillianne whispered.

Strathus nodded. "I repeat, who are you?" he asked. "What's this all about?"

The voice came again, sandpaper scraping glass. "Just know we are friends. Leave. Go home to Vasalus. Once you are safe inside, release the door for us to exit. We will take the bodies with us."

The three looked at each other in question, but this was not the time.

"Hurry," Jillianne said. "Let's get out of here."





ARTUR VASALUS WAITED for his son's party at the Port Authority. They looked exhausted. He shook his head. What had he gotten these three young people into? Still, it had to be done, and he'd have to deal with the fall-out.

He returned his son's quick hug, then lowered his eyes under Strathus' penetrating stare.

"I know, my son," he said, "you've all got questions. Follow me, and I'll do my best to clear things up."

They collected their gear and he led them out to a large vehicle. "Throw your bags in there. We'll sit up front."

The lab, a short distance from the Port Authority, had a secure entrance. Vasalus activated the entrance with a code and a card key, then drove down into the basement of the building.

"Come quickly. Given what you've described of the conflicts you've encountered getting the box to me, we may not have a great deal of time."

When Jillianne glanced over her shoulder nervously, Vasalus put a comforting arm around her. "I've found out a few things since I spoke with you. I'll talk while we examine the tube."

Strathus reached into the luggage compartment and retrieved the recorder case. Sliding the strap carefully over his shoulder, he followed his father. Vasalus led them up through wide halls to the second floor of the lab. Using his handprint and retina scan for identification, he hustled them into a bright, sterile room.

"Give me the obelisk, please."

Strathus had already removed the sound key from the communicator. Adjusting the tuning on it, he placed it against the recorder case pocket and pulled out the object. "Here."

Vasalus turned the box over in his gnarled hands, then set it on a table. "Interesting. How did you get it open?"

He glanced up as Jillianne started forward. "No, wait. Yes, there, I have it." The tiny drawer slid out under his inquisitive fingers, and the tube sprang out and up.

The scientist walked around the table the obelisk was resting on, studying the tube.

"We never got the tube open," Jardon said.

"Looks like that'll be the trick, doesn't it?" Vasalus plucked the tube from the air. "Let's see. I suppose it won't be as simple as 'open sesame.'" Nothing happened. "I suspected as much. Anyone have an idea where we go from here?"

"It's smooth, like the obelisk," said Strathus. "Maybe it's got the same kind of catch."

"Let me try." Jillianne took the tube. "Maybe it needs a woman's touch." She smiled as she ran the tips of her fingers over the tube. She touched one end of the tube and a dazzling light shot from a pinhole in the center of the end.

An amazing tableau began in front of them. In what seemed to be a very short time, it ended.

"Wow!" was all Jardon could manage as the action came to an end. "Did you get all that?"

The others stood, stunned, not quite sure what they had just seen. The beam had retreated into the tube, and the room took on an odd darkness.

Strathus spoke first. "I saw it all. And I understood the language. It came through, into my head, just like thoughts or dreams."

"Let me tell you what I know," Vasalus began, and he told them the story as he knew it. Bits and pieces of what they'd just witnessed started to fall into place.

"Now I AM scared," said Jillianne.

"And well you should be."

The deep, resonant voice startled them. A small man in baggy pants, tweed vest, and collarless shirt buttoned at the neck had entered the room so quietly none of them noticed.

"Dr. Ward." Vasalus welcomed the newcomer. "This is my son, Strathus, and his fellow archaeologists, Jardon Eveling and Jillianne Tourandis."

"What you just saw was sent to us from the Stargazer," Dr. Ward said.

"Who or what is the Stargazer?" Jillianne asked.

"She's been called many things, on many planets - Mother Nature, Gaia, she who gives life to us all." He reverently touched the tube. "These are the stories of her children. You might even call it the Bible of our galaxies. There are those who very much object to the discovery of her words."

"You mean the other organized religions who recognize only one male god," Strathus said.

Jillian smiled. "I've always believed there was a female deity, an equal partner. Why so many histories leave her out has always bothered me."

"Money, politics, the power behind the throne," Dr. Ward said. "You've witnessed yourself the lengths they're willing to go to stop her stories from coming to light." He looked into each face. "But the Stargazer has her own friends, those you met earlier. After so many years, now this is found, and the stories of her children will be known."

His words were met with silence, and then Jardon said. "In that case, can we see it again?"

Dr. Ward nodded. "A good idea, but there are too many to view at one sitting. We will start with the first three. Sit, relax, and watch the beginning tales of Stargazer's Children."

Copyright © 2004, Barbara M. Hodges, Jennifer des' Plantes, and Maggie Pucillo