Echoes of Esharam by Robert Davies

Author:Robert Davies [Davies, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, sci-fi, epic, Adventure, action, fantasy, space wars
Publisher: BHC Press
Published: 2017-12-22T05:00:00+00:00

THE COMPOUND WAS silent and eerie when they returned. A cold, gentle wind carried swirls of dust over the corpses of Kez’Erel mercenaries scattered across the grounds, but no one seemed to notice as they made their way once more to the library chamber. In the center of its bowl-shaped floor, a circular array of consoles surrounded the structure that was the Merchants’ memory transfer unit. Norris stood for a moment, watching the images from Settis’ memories to orient himself and initialize the first access protocols that would enable the download to begin. They waited while Rantara finished dragging the dead soldiers and Merchant technicians out to pile them in the hallway. At last, and satisfied Banen knew what to do, Norris was ready.

They went quickly to the ship and Norris sat again in a reclining chair placed carefully on the surface of the machine’s pedestal. The process would take little more than an hour, Banen said, but everyone knew the nature of the upload and the result when the bulk of Norris’ memories—and his identity—were removed and stored inside the Transceptor. Though she showed as brave a face as she could manage, Rantara struggled against a growing fear something could go terribly wrong and he reached for her.

“Don’t worry about this. Banen knows what he’s doing and I’ll be back to my old self in no time.”

“I know,” she said softly, moving her fingers through his hair with a delicate touch.

“Are you ready, Darrien?” Banen asked from the Transceptor’s control panel.

A thin tube fed the sedative’s gas directly into Norris’ nostrils and in seconds, his eyelids began to sag. The effect was immediate and with his mouth slightly open, he went suddenly limp. Above, the emitter glowed in its curious, swirling colors until a long tone signaled the proper connections had been made. Banen passed his hands over the surface of the panel and stood back with a satisfied nod; it was working properly.

For the full hour, Rantara stayed close. She wandered around the wide pedestal, watching Norris closely as a parade of images passed through her mind. She smiled at the memories of their first tentative embrace and the happiness that made her feel almost weightless when she woke next to him the following morning in his cabin aboard Premara. As the mysterious, ancient device did its work, she remained silent, watching over him through it all.

Finally, a last tone sounded, startling her as it told Banen what he needed to hear; the memories were safely stored and catalogued inside the Transceptor. Slowly, Norris was lifted from the deep sleep, yet he could not move. Rantara looked to Banen.

“Will he understand his name?” she asked with a worried expression.

“Yes,” he replied. “He will seem almost childlike, but he will follow your commands. Haleth said this may be disturbing for us, but there is no reason for concern; simply tell Darrien to move and he will comply. All his autonomic systems are untouched, and he will be able to walk without difficulty, so long as you hold onto his hand and guide him.

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