PART ONE-CHAPTER TWO

The enemy fleet was vanquished without a shot, but not
without a cost. Many have died, and many more will die
...at the hands of an enemy who has no feeling for the
senselessness of violence and the futility of solidifying
one's own existence. However, the ordeal has been too
much for my tired, frail body; the Lord of Death awaits me.
I shall forgo rebirth in this cycle, but another will be
born to take my place in the next eighteen hundred years.
It is up to you and your descendants to carry on in my
place and maintain this shrine in a condition fitting for
his arrival.
H.H. Polira, the Mahakarmin
on Merudhatu. January 20, 4000

The Tangent was on the final approach to Perimeter Station II in South Columbia. It had been an hour since it had out-warped from the hyper-void and had switched from null-detection mode to lighted mode. Something was different this time. The station queried the Tangent for its identification codes more persistently than was usual, and there were so many starships in parking orbits near the station that they restricted navigation. Some kind of conference was in progress at that very moment.

"I can't wait out a ten hour delay!" Jan protested weakly to the station's control center as Rig gave her another injection of pain killer. "I have to process through immediately...I NEED medical attention! My people are waiting for me on the station!"

"We're all tied up at the moment with this conference," replied the young woman on the screen. "Several planets have been attacked by an unknown enemy, and Betelgeuse Station may have been destroyed."

"We have some information you need, and I personally destroyed Betelgeuse Station. I was wounded in that battle! Hurry, the pain is becoming intense!"

"I don't believe you; you're not even armed."

"I'm in no mood for petty bureaucracy. Please get your supervisor."

As the supervisor, an older woman, arrived, Jan removed the Brandon from its case and held it up for her to see. When she spoke, Jan realized that 'she' was actually a 'he', an androgyne like Devon.

"I'm Harold Carnes, chief of security. All bays are full, but you have permission to transmatter to chamber 9. Bring that weapon with you!" he said in an acidic tone. "It's illegal, and should have been turned in with all the other tools of destruction!"

'Of course, he is right!' thought Jan, 'but he does not even know a small part of the actual story.'

When Jan and Rig stepped from the transmatter chamber, they were surprised to see Alexan and Dr. Bradford standing at the door, while Devon held the station security people at bay. Despite Devon's petite feminine appearance, he spoke with an air of commanding authority. Still, his eyes told Jan that he was preoccupied with other matters; he kept glancing over at Robberta, who was impatiently waiting about five meters behind the crowd.

Jan looked squarely at Robberta, who expectantly looked back at Jan. Jan could only shake her head as she thought solemnly, 'Sorry, daughter, they were already dead when I got there!'

"You've gone too many days with these wounds," said Dr. Bradford as Rig and Alexan lowered Jan onto a mobile medical float pad. "I'm going to hook you in, seal the pad up, and then knock you out. First, I have to do a cut on just a part of this suit: it might hurt a little."

"Oh!" yelled Jan as she jerked from the pain. Rig held her in place. His hands had a grip like steel. Between the spasms of pain, she wondered if he was the strongest human being.

"I'll take care of this," said Devon as he took the weapon case from Rig. "I can make exact duplicates with a repliscanner, you know. We're going to need more of these, I'm afraid; we don't have much in the way of weapons."

"We have weapons," began Jan weakly. "Every ship of the Great War has one of these hidden away inside of it. And we still have a fleet, the deadliest fleet ever: six Vulture Tandem Battlecruisers."

"Nonsense, those ships were destroyed, smashed into Brewster's planet. I've seen the wreckage!" said a man who was one of the security team and a stranger to Jan.

Jan did not get a chance to argue. The transparent cover snapped into place and automatically turned on the anesthetic field. Jan scanned all the faces staring in at her as she lost consciousness.

Her body was immobile, but a long stream of visions swept past the dreamscape of her subconscious mind. She relived her marriage to Bob; then she was rescuing Aiu from Betelgeuse Station just after she had been wounded. There was something she was supposed to remember, but all she saw were veiled clouds, which gave way to an immense, primeval forest. An incongruent object rested on the ground in an open glade. It was a bright silver spaceship, a ship she knew would transport her to the center of creation.

A voice called to her. Jan looked all around, but she could not find the source. Abruptly, a radiant white light melted the very fabric of her surroundings. The voice called again, but Jan still could not see who it was; in fact, nothing could be seen, for her entire dreamscape had vanished. It was replaced by a flourish of rainbows against a white background.

'Who are you? Why can't I see you? 'asked Jan.

'Dream?' asked Jan. 'What dream?'

'I see you, I see you!' said Jan as she faced a young woman, wearing a flowing dress. 'How can you do this?'

'I did not know you could personally be in my dreams.' said Jan as she left her unconscious dream.

'Oh, your Holiness, you're young and beautiful again. I am so happy for you. And you were right: I did have to use the weapon. However, it was futile; I could not save anyone. Even Tendzin and Gianna are now gone! 'Jan lamented.

Polira continued. 'They did not die; they are very much alive. It is I who has died. Remember: this is but a temporary rebirth, one of many that will pass as I enter the Paradise of Joy, where I will stay until the coming of Maitreya'.

'The Buddha of the next age'.... began Jan.

'When will all this happen?' asked Jan somewhat expectantly.

'Only when the time is right, but enough of this topic. Everyone knows of and ponders the next coming. My time is short, so I cannot delay any longer. You must undertake a quest; only afterwards will you have some of the answers you need.'

'What kind of a quest is this?' asked Jan hesitantly, sensing that it was not going to be trivial.

'How far will we go?' asked Jan in a doubtful tone. 'It was always my understanding that it was too far...well beyond our navigational beacons of charted space, and over a decade of travel time.'

'It is less than 41,000 light-years distant and will take scarcely one year to reach.' Polira said.

* * *

"Nina, do you see those readings on the brainwave monitor?" pointed Dr. Daniel Kyle, as he worked alongside Dr. Bradford to cut away the last pieces of the hazard suit from Jan's limp body. "She is out cold, but look at that activity!"

"Oh, I don't like that at all! Those readings are not normal even for Jan! We'll have to pause a moment, Dan, while I get Rig."

Rig was reluctant to enter, but Dr. Bradford kept pulling at him, so he let her lead him into the operating room.

"Excuse me," he apologized, as he cleared tears from his eyes, but I did not want you to see me like this. My mother has just died. At this moment, her body is being transferred to a capsule which will be shot into the star Meru Major."

"How awful," replied Dr. Bradford as a stream of tears streaked down her cheeks. "How will we ever survive without Her?"

Dr. Kyle motioned to Rig to look at the monitor. Rig looked at Jan's featureless, unconscious face; then he worriedly looked at the monitor again. He put his hand on her forehead, hoping that he could sense what was wrong. He wished that Gianna were there, for she had the empathic touch.

Rig concentrated for a moment; then he smiled. "Thank you, Dr. Bradford. If you had not brought me here, I would not have known! My mother is here! My mother's psycho-kinetic stream has briefly merged with Jan's dreams as she (in death) passes out of our realm!"

* * *

'Trust me; the journey is possible. If you follow my directions and make the necessary alterations to the hyperdrive matrix and other systems, the journey will take just one year each way. I must speak quickly; this state of concentration is difficult to maintain and, pardon my attitude, but the problems you are having are fast becoming very unimportant to me! Ah, Rig has now joined us; he will share in our thoughts!' continued Polira.

'Yes, Rig! He has devoted his life to me, and I have not given him anything in return. They say he is as strong as five men.' Jan told her.

'I am listening, but it just does not seem possible. Over those distances, there will not be anyone to help us in an emergency.' Jan said doubtfully.

'We will have to fight our way there?' asked Jan nervously; she had always been adamant about not arming the Tangent.

A long silence followed; then Her Holiness spoke, 'All the remaining details have now been entrusted to your mind. You now know all that I know about the quest; you shall have to learn the rest. It is time for me to leave.' said Polira softly.

The image of Polira began to fade against a background that grew whiter and more brilliant with each passing moment. It was a breath-taking panorama that was unimaginably bright, but it was becoming obscured by the return of Jan's dreamscape.

'Perhaps I will join you there someday!' yelled Jan as the gateway to the path to the Paradise of Joy began to close.

'It is not likely; our destinies have different paths!' said Polira.

'How will I know what to do on the Mother-World?' asked Jan.

'You have the key!' replied Polira as she seemed to point at Jan.

Abruptly, the involuntary dreamscape of Jan's subconscious mind took over Jan's thoughts. It was as though nothing had really happened.

* * *

"We're done!" Dr. Bradford finally announced. "The damage has been repaired. Now all she has to do is rest and recuperate."

"How long before she will be ready to go?" asked Rig, as his mind was still occupied with other thoughts.

"Not for about six weeks," said Dr. Brandon as she shut down the operating equipment; then she paused. "Of course, knowing you two, I have to ask: just where are you going?"

Rig hesitated, but he could not think of a good lie, so he told her, "It may be far-fetched, but I guess we are going to the Mother-World, a fifth of the way around the galaxy! Somehow, Jan will know the way and means to get there!"

"See, Dan: this woman may not look imposing, but she lives her life at the cutting edge. Jan confronts the impossible and survives against incredible odds."

"She is also a unique incarnation," added Rig.

* * *

Jan opened her eyes. With a bit of a struggle, she sat up. She knew the room: it was the main bedroom of her estate house on Aurora. She had not slept there much since Robbert died. The veranda outside the large sliding window overlooked the great inland sea. And the room was packed to overflowing with people: all her children were there, along with some of their children. Rig was there, as well as Gianna and Tendzin.

"Now that was quick, wasn't it?" she said as she looked around. "It was only a minor wound, so all this attention is really not necessary."

"Mother," Robberta complained, "it was not minor, and you have been in a healing trance for four weeks!"

"Gianna, Tendzin: you're not dead!" she yelled as she leapt out of bed and gave them both a firm hug. She looked at herself for a moment and touched the area of her abdomen where she had been wounded. There was no pain.

"My, I'd better be more dressed than this," said Jan in a slightly embarrassed tone as she grabbed and put on her robe and slippers; then she wobbled toward the window. "The muscles don't work very well," she commented as she pressed the button that opened the sliding window. A mild, warm breeze blew her hair as she stepped out onto the veranda. "It's great to be home," she said as her eyes almost hypnotically scanned the panorama before her. South Columbia was more than four hours from setting, while the bright point of light that was North Columbia was about to set.

She turned toward Rig, who was unusually silent. He stared at her quizzically. "Is there something wrong?" asked Jan nervously.

"Do you remember?" asked Rig worriedly.

"Remember what?" Jan replied quizzically.

"What your mind saw when you were knocked out," he replied. "You must remember what happened."

"Remember? I always have a lot dreams, restless dreams, but I never remember them. I know I have been out for weeks, because my stiff muscles show it, but it feels like it was just moments ago that I left the Tangent and got into that medical pad."

"You don't remember anything else?" Rig sighed.

Jan concentrated as best she could, "Is there something I am supposed to remember? Like...."

"Like a visit from my mother!" Rig reminded her.

"In my dreams? Is that possible? Maybe for her Holiness, but nothing like that happened," said Jan, feeling that it would have been interesting.

"And what of the great quest we are to undertake in the Tangent to the Mother-World?" asked Rig somewhat impatiently as his muscles tensed; then he forced himself to relax.

"That would be interesting, but it is just too far away. We don't have the time; we have a fleet to restore!" Jan announced.

Rig stepped back while everyone else tried to move closer to Jan. It disturbed him that Jan could not remember anything about the visit of his mother in her dreams. It was also disturbing that she talked about casually restoring the wrecked Columbian fleet. Outsiders might take both of them to be slightly crazy.

* * *

Three weeks later, the Tangent approached Brewster's planet. There were eight of them on board: Jan, Rig, Devon with two of his associates, and Harold Carnes and two of his security men. Save for Jan and Rig, everyone else was an androgyne.

'Rig is not the least uncomfortable, surrounded by all these feminized men; nothing ever perturbs him', observed Jan. 'Devon is especially radiant in his red skirt-suit. I never looked that good.'

"By the way," began Devon'', "what you said about the Brandons was true: every ship that existed during and before the Great War does have one hidden away inside. This gives us many more examples for duplication."

'His fascination is disturbing. Weapons are not just another mechanical device! 'thought Jan nervously. "They should have been destroyed. The way they kill is not pleasant! We're now in orbit!" announced Jan as the mainscreen switched to a view of Brewster's planet. It was a cold and airless planetoid that orbited South Columbia a distance four times farther from the star than Jupiter IV. It surface was covered with extremely rough terrain that consisted almost entirely of craters, mountains, and chasms. Strewn about, apparently at random, were the fragments of what had once been the Columbian Spacefleet.

"It doesn't look useable!" commented Devon as he shook his head.

"Watch," she said as she took a memory trace and plugged it into a slot on the control console, "this will prove that I am not crazy. Everyone, I'm going to trigger the first sequence. I am not crazy!" 'Grandmom Franklin, I sure hope this is not a joke!'

Jan pressed the controls that caused the Tangent to read all the information on the memory trace. Then she commanded, "Start reconstruction sequence number one!"

Rig came up beside her; she gripped his hand very hard in her anticipation. 'Something had better happen!' Jan urged to herself.

Something was moving on the surface of the planetoid. A large object, dull black in color, emerged from one of the larger craters and moved up two thousand kilometers above the planetoid's surface. It stopped there, having assumed a parking orbit directly over the debris field. The object appeared to be changing shape; rather, various pylons and control towers were emerging from its interior.

"That's the control core of Vulture One!" said Jan exuberantly. "It will pull up the rest of the pieces and assemble the ship around it."

"Nowhere in the manuals does it say that the Vultures are self-constructing ships," remarked Devon. "Most of the information about them was made classified at the time; then it was lost."

"Destroyed!" said Jan as she corrected him. "They thought it was safer to fake the destruction of the fleet and then to destroy only the documentation."

Two hours passed. The control chamber remained silent as everyone's gaze was turned toward the mainscreen. Vulture One began to grow toward a shape. It was as if hundreds of unseen spiders dashed around. Parts were pulled seemingly at random from the surface of the planetoid into a cloud of pieces floating next to the ship being assembled. Then they were assembled in a given order. Once all the needed parts had been pulled into space, the completed battlecruiser began to take shape over Brewster's planet. The Tangent also went into orbit as it moved another thirty kilometers farther away from the planetoid's surface.

Jan turned on an information screen in the control console. She somewhat absent-mindedly scanned through hundreds of schematics of the Tangent until she reached the section on the hyperdrive. She scanned more slowly until she came to the matrix; then she expanded the scale until the matrix core filled the screen.

It was as if Jan's fingers had minds of their own as they operated the keys and joystick controls. Without giving much thought to what she was doing, she marked nodes for expansion or modification. Then she either delineated several portions of the schematic for duplication or else pulled several other schematics from a special library stored in the Tangent's computer.

The assembly of the Vulture One was accelerating. It looked nothing like the Tangent, for it was a complex intersection of many spheres, cylinders, and polyhedrons. It had grown so large that it dwarfed the Tangent. As Jan's eyes fixed on the mainscreen for a moment, she typed in that she was done. The information screen displayed that verification was proceeding; then it asked some simple questions whenever it detected situations where parts interfered with each other. Soon it announced that verification was successful and that it was ready for the update of the master pattern. Jan looked down and typed in permission to update the pattern. Deep inside the ship, the self-repair mechanism had already identified the components as being out of specification and so had begun to modify the hyperdrive in order to bring it into compliance with the master pattern.

"It should only take eight more hours!" announced Devon; "then we'll be able to...." He stopped suddenly as he glanced at the display in front of Jan. Thousands of changes were taking place in the hyperdrive matrix, and Jan did not even notice.

Jan finally noticed that he was staring at the display. She looked down at it with a questioning expression, "Lord, look at all the activity. Someone has begun a complex modification." Jan stared at Devon quizzically, while Devon stared back at her. She looked around; then she looked down at the console. She was the only one seated at a console; everyone else was standing or sitting in a flight chair. "I guess," she reluctantly admitted, "that I did this, but I do not know how or why!"

The modification sequence had completed, so Jan let Devon have the console. "I will do an analysis to see just what we have here." There were almost three minutes of silence, then he spoke very excitedly, "You've done it, Jan! You've broken the hyperdrive limit. We've been trying to do this for centuries, and you just did it in a few minutes! Look at those values! You solved the 36th harmonic, and to think we've been struggling all this time with the non-closure solutions of the 30th and the 31st harmonics and the temporal abberations of the 32nd harmonic. How?"

"I don't know! And I also do not know if this is all the necessary modifications; biological compatibility has to be factored in."

Jan paused for a moment as she waved to get Rig's attention. He started walking toward her. "Something may have happened in my dreams, but only Rig really knows about it. Be patient, but please explain again what happened in my dreams," she said somewhat apologetically to Rig.

Rig reiterated the long sequence of events that he had witnessed in Jan's dreamscape when his mother had come to visit, concluding with a description of the quest that she had wanted them to undertake.

"These things just unfold. I don't plan them," Jan explained, "but they just surface in my mind. I have this feeling that there is somewhere I have to travel to shortly, but that is all I know so far. Maybe it's to the Mother-World, but it seems I will know only when the time comes!"

"We can begin to get the Tangent ready now," asserted Rig. "I knew that I did not imagine the visit in your dreams, Jan!" he almost shouted as he grabbed her and kissed her in a fit of joy.

"Yes," she responded somewhat weakly, for she had seldom seen Rig express himself so openly.

"Jan," began Devon impatiently as he tugged at Jan to get her attention, "it is time for a test flight. Just a short one, while the Vulture One is completing its assembly."

Jan shook her head in disapproval, but Devon was persistent. Jan finally relented, even though her intuition warned her that the Tangent was not ready. "Only ten seconds, and everyone has to be strapped in!" warned Jan abruptly, as he gave a series of commands to the Tangent.

The star system of South Columbia receded from view and vanished as the Tangent entered the hyper-void. The mainscreen had gone blank, for characteristically there was nothing to see in the hyper-void.

At the prescribed time, mode two of the hyperdrive came into operation. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary, save that the mainscreen now showed a series of expanding, concentric rings of light that began as blue and changed to red before they expanded out of sight. Without warning, it felt as though the entire command chamber was turned upside down, as the concentric rings changed into an expanding spiral of light.

'Lord, there's no way I could walk around with my balance all skewed like this,' thought Jan as she concentrated to read the information being displayed on the mainscreen. The message had the normal horizontal orientation, but she tilted her head to read it anyway.

WARP FIELD NOT CLOSED
REACTIVE CONFLICT WITH GRAVITY FIELD
TEMPORAL FACTOR OUT OF BALANCE

"We're back in normal space...but where is here!" yelled Devon as he peered into the mainscreen.

The Tangent responded with the following messages on the mainscreen:

DISTANCE FROM SOUTH COLUMBIA: 0.023 LIGHT-YEARS
UNBALANCED TIME DIFFERENTIAL: + TWO HOURS, NINE MINUTES
SYSTEMS EVALUATION: NO DAMAGE
TRAVEL TIME TO POINT OF ORIGINATION: 101.6 SECONDS

"Well, gentlemen," began Jan, "I dare say there are some other changes I have yet to make. But don't look so glum; we successfully went faster than any human before us. I trust the record will not stand for long. It will not take much time to get back, but we lost over two hours external wall clock time during the trip, so Vulture One must be nearly finished."