A Seeker Betrayed

1. A Watchful Eye

"Are the mosquitoes out already?" The lanky old man named Aya Paladine swatted at the side of his neck, and hurried towards the entrance to the local underground. The hot mornings and mosquitoes were two of the things he hated about this part of central Thurinia, and he missed home.

"What I wouldn't give to go back," he muttered. "Guess I'm itching to go back," he complained, while he ran his hand through his golden hair and scratched at the back of his neck.

"Damned dragons," he said carelessly, to nobody in particular, as he was walking alone. He was grateful to have some time to himself, and he planned to use that time in 'The Downstars,' where there was an expansive gaming center and comfortable spots to rest and play at the same time.

Annoyed at the circumstances that caused him to have to walk across the hot pavement, he finally made it to the right doorway and stepped into the dark, cool chamber where the guards waited to screen visitors to this upscale ward in the Calix Cavern system.

If it had been anywhere else, he would have been given accommodation in the underground, but here he was still trying to negotiate a deal with the local governors and they weren't being friendly about it.

As he entered he made sure his universal ID was where the scanner could access it but the guard recognized him and waved him onto one of the two lifts. He descended quickly to the main level, and relished the cold air hitting his face as the doors opened.

Hoping to avoid running into any of his business partners or local officials, Aya kept his eyes pointed towards the wall of shops and followed the stream of people roaming along looking for something to buy.

Minutes later he sighed with relief; his favorite spot was free, next to one of the shallow pools that was fed off the cool runoff water. There were flat water channels through the complex cavern system and they were lit through with subdued colors ranging from a warm saffron orange to icy neon blue. He took a seat and ordered a drink while watching the fresh water slip slowly by, pushed along naturally as it drained down through the central valley from the high peaks in the south.

He was settling in, using the local system for choosing and connecting into the ongoing game, when his attention was pulled away.

Once again, he sensed the lightest touch to the back of his neck. This time he stopped to pay attention. It happened again, and he held himself still, fighting the urge to feel for it. What started as a tingle in the nerves in his neck dove into his spine with a firm scraping sensation. He involuntarily hopped to his feet, twisting around and reaching for his back to try and wipe it away.

There was nothing there physically. He sent his mind after it, in a way that few others could do, and it lit up all his senses. The something that was touching him was definitely far away, and he reached out consciously and tried to trace it to its source.

Aya had a skill for deep listening that humans usually didn't possess. Using it now he could hear a creature's lively thrumming, caught in a far off thunderstorm and casting for a way out. The prospect of gaming forgotten, he concentrated on the subvocal rumbling from afar. The component frequencies did not mesh well and he knew that what he was hearing might very well be the sound of an alien core.

He sat back down but remained fascinated by the sound, listening and trying to decide what exactly it was. If all it was was a simple alien then he might ignore it. He would be interested to see if the 'seekers' in his homeland would discover it. Then they could figure out what to do about it. Or maybe the Tharig - the artificial intelligence - would.

After listening for some time Aya realized that wasn't all there was. There was more than just one core. Intertwined with its sound was a familiar texture that made him shiver.