The Cylinder (17.1)

CAPTAIN MITCHELL'S MTD JOURNAL:

Thanks to the combined planning and efforts of all of our friends, Dr. Smith and I made it back home safely. Thankfully, there were few casualties from the rescue mission and only minor injuries. Several personnel had bruises and a few burns from fried circuitry. Many of the ships suffered extensive damage.

Everyone is fine now though, and things are returning to normal. The Laskonians have returned home and the Colony ships are up and flying again. Chris has gone off on another ECOP assignment, and the Hawks still escort traffic between Earth and Exandra.

Perhaps now we can continue on our mission to find the next alien cylinder that will lead us on our way to finding the ancient manuscript we have dubbed the Intergalactic Bible. Laurie has gone off to talk with the ECOP leader and ask him if he has heard anything about the artifact we seek.

Captain Mitchell closed his MTD and looked around the main deck of the Star Traveler. The ship was one of the few places Captain Mitchell could go to find some quiet. His solitude was broken as he heard the double doors hiss open behind him. Sigh, he had been found.

"Captain Mitchell!" Laurie exclaimed as she rushed towards him.

"What is it, Laurie?" Captain Mitchell replied seeing the excited look on her face.

"Whirlp knows were the other cylinder is! He wanted to show me, but I insisted on coming to get you all first!" Laurie exclaimed.

"He's seen it! Well then, you go get your parents and Dr. Smith. We can get there faster in the Star Traveler!" Captain Mitchell replied with excitement.

"She already told us," Eli called as he, Dr. Kingston, and Dr. Smith all walked onto the deck and took their seats apprehensively.

"Good; then let's get going!" Captain Mitchell replied.

A few minutes later, the Star Traveler landed in a clearing at the coordinates where Whirlp had told Laurie to meet him. The crew excitedly stepped out of their ship and joined Whirlp and Tarpin. The two led the Star Traveler crew through a patch of bushes to the shores of a deep pond. Tarpin dove in.

"The Platonians have been searching for this artifact for a very long time. Sometime before I became leader, it was decided to dig this pond and sink the cylinder in it. It never occurred to me why the ECOPs had done so until recently. Can you guess why, Laurie?" Whirlp asked.

"Because they found out that the Platonians were afraid of water!"

"Yes; unfortunately, that particular piece of knowledge was soon forgotten, sometime after the inventor of the Aquarians' water guns disappeared. The site where he was last seen was covered with Platonian tracks.

"The legend says that this cylinder was left here by some strange being that left as suddenly as he came. The Platonians came to Exandra shortly thereafter, bringing chaos in their wake. The constant harassment of the Guild caused many of the creatures here to grow wary of strangers."

Tarpin resurfaced from the pond carrying the cylinder that was now covered in algae. He rinsed it off with water from the pond and set it on a nearby boulder. The Star Traveler team gathered around to see it. Laurie took out her MTD and set it on top of the cylinder; as she did so, a holographic display appeared, showing them the final piece to the map. It led them back in to previously explored space in the Perseus arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. It pointed to a planet called Udoran.

Once the Star Traveler team got back to Dirin City, Captain Mitchell radioed EASA to inform them that they had found the last piece to the map and were heading out once again.

"The Map is pointing us towards planet Udoran, sir; second planet in the Drietik system." Captain Mitchell said. "Don't we have quite a few colonies over there?"

"Yes; as a matter of fact, I just received word that, about a week ago, one of the colonies found something that resembles the artifacts you are looking for. I was told that the DataTech Corporation is looking into what it may contain, even as we speak.

"I have tried to ask Mr. Peter McClain, their CEO, to hold off until you all get there because you have more experience with these objects. As you know, though, they are a bit backward over there. Unless a person is on-planet, you have no jurisdiction over there. I would advise you to get your crew over there as soon as possible," the EASA official explained.

"I will sir."

*****

Elnhide was walking down the hallways inside the Guild's base. He stopped as he heard a few Platonians talking in hushed voices around the corner. Straining his tiny ears, he carefully listened to their conversation.

"I heard Escrib telling our Captain that those humans found some cylinder on Exandra that we have searched for over generations. All those tips that that human, Jean McClain, gave us never worked. Even after we attacked the humans they still beat us! Escrib is planning on having her executed!"

"Whoa! I wonder if we will get to watch!"

Elnhide frowned in disgust, then he realized the implications of the conversation.

There is another human here on Platonia! Elnhide thought to himself. I must get her out of here!

Elnhide ran back to his apartment inside the base and turned on his computer. Searching through the database, he saw one way to get this Jean away.

After he took a moment to look up where she was being kept, Elnhide ran out of his room.

As he approached the detention barges, he took a few breaths and forced himself to relax. Walking in measured steps, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment of the Guard on duty. Elnhide continued down the hall until he found the cell where Jean was being held. He opened the door slowly and found her sitting on the bench along the wall, with her knees tucked under her chin.

"Jean McClain?" Elnhide asked in a soft voice.

Jean looked up and frowned at him.

"You can forget it. Did you all think I'd still help you after you locked me in here? I heard about the attack on humans on Exandra!" Jean spat.

Something is different here.

Before this thought crossed her mind she had been prepared to berate this newcomer further. Instead she realized that he had said her name in Earth Standard! The alien device clamped over her ear had not needed to translate for him. Suddenly unsure of herself, she paused in her tirade, willing to hear him out.

"Shh," Elnhide replied urgently, kneeling at her feet, "I've come to get you out of here!"

His knowledge of Earth Standard was limited so he continued in Platonian, knowing that he had her attention now.

"The Guild were using you to keep your kind from finding the Intergalactic Bible. I'm sorry to say that unfortunately you have been misled into supporting the wrong side Miss Jean," Elnhide smiled at her kindly while she processed what the translator in her ear was saying. "The Platonian Military Guild, were trying to harm your people all along. They were not trying to warn them or help them."

"You said you could get me out of here?" Jean asked.

"Yes, come with me--"

Elnhide led the malnourished Jean down the hall and passed the Guard behind the desk.

"How come that guard didn't say anything?" Jean asked Elnhide in a whisper.

"We belong to the same underground movement. We try to spread the word of 'I am'‒ your people know him as 'God'-- throughout Platonia. Most of the Platonians are not believers."

"Oh," Jean replied, though she wasn't sure she quite understood.

"When you get out of here, contact the Star Traveler crew. They will be able to explain what I don't have time for," Elnhide replied, leading her out into Platonia's sunshine.

A few paces away sat a large Platonian ship. Elnhide led her into the belly of the ship and Jean gasped as she saw her research ship sitting inside the cargo bay.

"The Guild plans on using your ship to lure the crew of the Star Traveler into a trap on another planet. The Star Traveler crew are the ones looking for the Intergalactic Bible; the ones the Guild is working hardest to stop," Elnhide quickly explained. He led Jean to her ship and concealed her in a small closet in the back.

Jean looked around and realized she was in her equipment closet.

"You must stay here. They mustn't find you," Elnhide replied, looking around and plucking Jean's MTD from a shelf on the wall.

He took out an electronic device and transferred files into Jean's MTD through an infrared communication link. When finished, he handed the MTD back to her.

"While you are on your way, read over the information I have given you. It will tell you the truth of what the Guild has been doing and why they wish to destroy your people. Give yourself about an hour, then contact the Star Traveler and warn them of the Guilds plan to use your ship as bait."

"Thanks," Jean replied, with a small smile.

"Good luck and may 'I am' be with you!" Elnhide nodded as he crept out of the closet and closed the door behind him.

*****