Page 27 of Abalim

Saphira stood beside him in the middle of the ship's bridge.

Above them, the ceiling arched into a translucent dome, giving a panoramic view of the planet below. The bridge was a marvel of extraterrestrial engineering, with a seamless blend of organic and synthetic design. The command panels in the oval room pulsated with a soothing rhythm that illuminated the space with a kaleidoscope of contrasting textures.

Abalim itched to see how the control stations that resembled ergonomic sculptures functioned as they floated above the floor like glassy, mineral growths.

When one of the crew members touched a portion of their station, it responded with a symphony of harmonious chimes.

His host focused her attention on the main video screen showcasing the planet Qorath.

Not that he blamed her.

The rotating planet was a beautiful sight, a breathtaking celestial sphere of wonder. The surface combined a mesmerizing blend of natural beauty and diverse landscapes—majestic mountain ranges with light-pink snow-capped peaks, sprawling valleys adorned with lush violet forests and the meandering rush of light-coral rivers. A single vast ocean of dark coral reflected the brilliant cream color of the sky as soft yellow clouds of various shapes drifted lazily across the horizon, occasionally gathering to create a whirl of spectacular storms on different continents.

“Here. I brought these for you.” Saphira held out her hand with an open palm. On it rested two round discs, hard to see at first. “These are called PsyShields. We developed them to block out most psychic energies that leak from others.” She gave him a small smirk. “We made them mostly to keep out the emotional psychic energy we encounter. Even though I suspect your psychic abilities far exceed ours, I’m sure these should help you when you’re around the Xeltrians. Just put them on your temples and let them absorb into your skin. No one will even know they’re there.”

Abalim picked up the dots she offered and held them in his palm. “JR15, please analyze and tell me what you think.”

His AI companion scuttled out from behind his neck and traveled down his arm to rest on his open hand. The little bot's third eye opened in the middle of his forehead as a pale green beam highlighted the small round shapes. “They are as she says, Mister Abalim, sir. They should be compatible with your genetic makeup. I do not foresee any lasting harm they would cause.”

“How do I take them off?” He directed the question to Saphira.

She shrugged. “All you have to do is this.” She placed her forefinger on her temple and pushed twice. When she pulled her hand back, the small disc became clear on the tip of her finger. “I’m afraid though, once they are removed, they’re useless. You have to get a new set.” She tilted her head and studied him with narrowed, brilliant-green eyes. “You have a deep emotional connection to that human, don’t you?”

“I hardly see how that’s important.” He looked at JR15. “If, for some reason, I can’t take this off, would you be able to?”

“Oh, yes, Mister Abalim, sir.”He nodded his bulbous head. “I can definitely disrupt its signal if you ask me to.”

“I thank you,” Abalim said to Saphira as he put the discs into his vest pocket. “It’ll be handy to have if needed.”

JR15 became the focus of Saphira’s attention. “What your little droid can do is very interesting. We’ve been looking for a way to have these remotely disrupted.” She stepped closer to study his robotic companion. “I don’t suppose you consider selling it to us?”

“I can’t sell JR15. He’s my friend. Not someone I own.”

She stepped back and crossed her arms. “Pity. Maybe when this is over, we can come to some sort of trade agreement where my technicians can meet yours. That way, they can show us how to make our own.”

“You’d have to speak to my father, Captain Saphira, ma’am.” Ever the diplomat, JR15 scuttled up Abalim’s arm to rest on his shoulder. “He may be eager to see what you have to offer.”

“We’ll hold yer to dat,” Gilipthor announced, joining them in front of the main video screen.

Even though Abalim sensed when the little alien got close, it still startled him when the guy seemed to appear out of nowhere. No doubt his patchwork cloak, made of various alien textiles, gave him some type of camouflage abilities.

Giliphtor turned his wide orange-red eyes to Saphira. His horizontal slitted pupils expanded. “The Xeltrians are making contact. Ya wanna talk to ‘em?”

“Hang on.” Saphira faced Abalim. “I know you thought to use the PsyShield later, but I’d advise you to reconsider before we open communications.” She nodded in the direction of his vest pocket. “From our experience in dealing with them, they can take over your mind if you don’t have something to prevent them from doing so.” Reaching into an inside pocket on her jacket, she pulled out another set of PsyShield dots and replaced the last one she wore.

Abalim glanced at JR15 before giving in. Might as well see what happened. He pulled them out of his pocket, putting one on his forefinger. He studied it before placing it on his temple. Nothing happened. He glanced at Saphira, who nodded for him to continue with the other. With a grimace, he put the other one on his naked temple. The immediate, destabilizing effect almost brought him to his knees. The sense of his psychic talent ripped away was mind-boggling. Eyes shut, he rubbed the bottom of his palms over them. It was like he lost his eyesight and stumbled around, trying to remain steady.

“Take a deep breath.” Saphira’s warm voice pushed through his panic. “Give yourself a chance to adjust. Trust me, you’ll be just fine.”

Clenching his jaw, Abalim dropped his hands and concentrated on letting his mind go. He took her advice and drew in several deep breaths before opening his eyes. While his vision hadn’t changed, everything looked a little flat and out of sync. Like there were colors and textures missing he’d never noticed before. The disorientation made him stagger. He might have fallen if Saphira hadn’t caught his elbow. He straightened and waved her off.

“Better?” she asked as she let go.

With a dry gulp, he nodded. “Thank you. I’ll be fine.”

Giving him one last lingering look, Saphira turned to her crew behind them. “Yve, open communications so everyone can hear.”

Without a word, the other Crichian waved her hand over the console in front of her. The eerie multi-tone of a Xeltrian came through.

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