Meltdown Ophilion - Book One

42_INTERROGATION

They followed Monti past their dormitory, heading towards the building to the left of the entrance gate. They had, by now, come to fully appreciate the gravity of their situation. They could be here a long time if they lacked the ability to convince these highly intelligent, very determined individuals. They were deep underground and the commander was not even mildly sympathetic.

The Antarion had told them that they could not assist them at this point; the Chiefs had to make their decision without direct interference from the Merenthaal. What the Antarion had not told them is what the contingency plan was for their rescue, if their proposal was rejected. They realized that they had not, until now, considered that possibility.

Jenna felt a sickening wave of hopelessness come over her as they passed a guard on the street who openly eyed her with suspicion. For the guard, she represented everything he hated. How she wished she were in the Geleb meadow now, training Cachel to fly the Spiral Course. She had raised her from a chick. She was a ketela, a medium sized intelligent species of bird whose ancestors, for over forty generations, had lived with the Regala.

Cachel had the makings of a champion, but that wouldn't happen this year, they had lost too much time already. Tren, Athilia, Leno and the others would be far ahead of her, training their ketelas. Today they would be in the meadow, at the Spiral Course, by the brook Enth-Paal. Jenna looked up at the photon conveyer above them. There was so much sky in Bonthran-Tell, so much air, so much beauty, so much love – she hadn't realized it before she started her mission. When she got back home she would look at her native land with new eyes; she would never again complain about the trifles she had considered inconveniences.

They were led into a modest building, then into a conference room and shown to four seats at one end of a large rectangular table. As she slowly lowered herself into her chair Jenna regretted having indulged her emotions, it had not helped to steady her nerves. Besides the sensation of loss, she also felt the oppressive weight of responsibility.

She had been fantasizing about a scenario like this since Takea had visited her when she was a small child. Only, she imagined she would be addressing representatives of the Order – the ruling counsel in the upper floors of a tower in the center of Kypro, not the anti-Order deep below the surface. She felt she might be sick. She breathed deeply and employed her most effective meditation techniques.

Carlin entered, followed by Renro, Frezor, Roshil and the rest of the Chiefs – fifteen in all. The ones the young Ophilion hadn't met obviously knew about them, which was disconcerting. Now, the young representatives of alien beings stationed in the asteroid belt would have to tell them of a plan that went against everything they had been so carefully constructing for the last five years. They would be ridiculed at best.

Once everyone had been seated a repressive silence pervaded the meeting room; a silence which the leader of the Chiefs allowed to continue until he felt the intruders were sufficiently intimidated. "Orion, Jenna, Celli, Fel." He pronounced their names as if he were preparing to issue them long prison sentences, or a death penalty. "We have discussed your situation."

Another pause as he looked them over. He saw before him four young people who, while they were anxious and unsure of themselves, had purpose and determination written in their eyes. They had obviously experienced something unusual – they obviously had connections, powerful sponsors somewhere. In his five years underground the appearance of these four individuals was the most alarming event he had experienced, and it came at the worst possible time.

"We will give you a chance to speak. We have not determined whether you are a direct threat, but... we must assume that whoever sent you has malicious intent. Why else would they choose people as young and as inexperienced as yourselves? Orion, it's easy to see why they might have chosen you – your father was one of us, what better way to convince us. And you two, you're his close friends, you're a mrith team, you would be loyal; and you..." he paused with his eyes on Jenna; something about her suddenly caused him to falter. "You are not from any com-zone. You have a newly implanted com-chip." He was about to accuse her of being an alien invader when Jenna unexpectedly cut him off. Her clear, confident voice forced everyone's full attention.