Chintamani Chronicles. Crystal of Truth

Blow… silence… blow… hush… hush…

She seemed to be gliding along a warm river, fragments of memories flashed and faded in her mind… Is it really the end? But there was no end. She was carried by the current of the river… A bright flash of light… As if through a dream, soft music burst into her brain. So strange and calm… But then her memory began to come back to life. The whole meaning of what was happening suddenly dawned on the girl. She’s in space, in a starship! But all of a sudden she just dreamed it all? The girl squeezed her eyes shut and then slowly opened her eyes with excitement. Her eyes fell on the ship’s cozy cabin, apparently the medbay. She was lying on a capsule-shaped bed, under a soft warm bluish light. Squinting her eyes, next to her, on the same bed, she saw Arthur. Covered with a light blanket, he did not move, breathing evenly and calmly, as if sleeping.

So it wasn’t a dream? The girl stretched out her hand… In the bluish glow, she seemed to be fashioned from ivory. What does she look like then? However, as soon as she moved, the door opened and a pleasant young woman in a snow-white suit entered the room.

– Are you awake already? Perfect! – She took the girl’s hand, looking at the monitor. – Everything is okay.

– Right? – the girl fell silent, not recognizing her voice, unexpectedly high and melodic.

– Exactly, – the young woman smiled. – You’re doing great, Anna.

– Saima? What happened with me? And where is Mikkel, Alex? – the girl raised herself on her elbows. Looking around herself, she turned pink – she had no clothes on at all. – Ouch…

– Don’t be embarrassed, – the young woman approached a strange-looking device that looked like a 3D printer. – As soon as I’m sure you’re all right, you can meet them. How do you like your updated avatar?

– I… don’t know what to say, – the girl sat down. Every movement now came to her with unprecedented ease and grace. – It looks like I need time…

– I’ll help you, but first, please get up here.

The girl obeyed. The doctor led her to a circle in the floor. From somewhere above, warm water poured onto her, immediately evaporating upon contact with the body, at the same time giving a feeling of freshness. Observation did not let her down – the robot-printer quickly “printed” clothes for the girl. Dressed in a silver-colored outfit consisting of a thin sweater and tight-fitting trousers, Anna turned to the now mirrored wall and gasped. Looking at her was a graceful young girl, about eighteen years old at the most, with short black hair that beautifully framed her face and turquoise eyes.

– It’s me?

– Well, certainly not me, – the doctor laughed merrily. – How do you feel?

– Perfect! That’s just… I have a strange feeling. I smell, but I have absolutely no thirst and hunger. This is fine?

The Doctor nodded.

– Yes. Your body is no longer a biorobot, although it retains a set of former qualities, including the consumption of food as a pleasure, but not a need, although your digestive system is much more perfect than before and is not subject to any negative influences. You don’t need any more of this nourishment, as we have long since learned to draw energy from a special spectrum of light waves, emotions and sensations. So, positive emotions give strength, and negative ones drain us. We are also not subject to the destructive effects of the external environment, but nevertheless we can be destroyed by a special type of energy weapon. Over time, you will understand everything, working in space expeditions…

The girl glanced at Arthur.

– Will he… wake up?

– Yes, – the doctor approached the motionless young man. – But he needs time. Arthur is more difficult, he is too attached to the past. Midgard won’t let him go so easily… But his will is strong, he can handle it. We are sure of it.

Anna nodded as she walked over to the capsule and looked at it. Arthur’s face breathed calmness, the wrinkles smoothed out… He looked ten years younger. The girl smiled softly – all resentment, pain evaporated without a trace. There was an indescribable lightness in her body… as if she woke up from a serious illness and now her whole being rejoiced. Saima went out, and the girl turned once more in front of the mirror. Yes, she will also need time to get used to the new sensations of freedom and strength that overwhelm her body. It was as if she woke up from a serious illness and now her whole being rejoiced. Mikkel, Art! She must find them, thank them… Glancing at Arthur once more, the girl went out into the corridor. Entering the elevator, Anna was a little confused, but then she remembered, Mikkel’s words, that the ship was also controlled telepathically. It was worth a try.

– Please, captain’s quarters. I don’t really know what level…

Contrary to her fears, not even a second passed before the elevator opened again, and the girl found herself in a long corridor, on the sides of which there were several doors. Interest overcame shyness. As soon as she approached one of them, it immediately opened, and Anna saw a spacious bright hall, and in the middle of it a huge pool with such clear blue water as she had never seen in her life. As soon as she entered the room, a small shining white ball lit up in the middle of the hall under the ceiling, it became warmer around and from somewhere a pleasant sea breeze blew. Yielding to the environment, the girl resolutely took off her clothes and, running up, dived into the water. She gently accepted it, and Anna gave herself the opportunity to sink to the very bottom – the depth of the pool was at least two to three meters! Then, with a few swings of her arms, she surfaced. To her delight, the water turned out to be so warm that it was possible to stay in it indefinitely. It was nothing like the disinfected sports clubs where she sometimes ventured to swim. In addition, there she always had to make a lot of effort to stay afloat, but here the water itself kept her! It was wonderful…

– You are a great swimmer!

From surprise, Anna almost went under the water again. The girl looked around in amazement and saw a young man standing nearby. The dark gray suit beautifully fitted the man’s slender body, and his tall stature and soft movements gave him a resemblance to a flexible and strong cat… Panther, that’s how she could characterize him. Brown eyes followed her, and her lips parted in a half smile. Adjusting a strand of dark curly hair, he put a hand to his chest.

– I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.

– No, you’ll forgive me for allowing myself…

Then it dawned on her that she was in front of a stranger in what her mother gave birth and blushed. But most of all, she was struck by the behavior of a man who calmly watched her.

– Uh, mmm, could you turn your back… Or give a towel?

– Of course, here you go, – the cosmonaut, holding out his hand, helped her out and held out a towel. The embarrassment of the girl obviously did not bother him.

– So you won’t turn away?

– In terms of? Ah, I get it. Do not worry, soon you will understand that we have not been shy about the beauty and perfection of our bodies for a long time. Our Body is the creation of the Almighty, so why should we be ashamed of what is given to us by the Universe?

The girl nevertheless turned away and, wrapping herself in a bathrobe given to her by a man, decided to translate the conversation.

– Still, I’m embarrassed that I’m like this, without permission…

– Well, what are you. I didn’t mean to disturb you, but you are indeed a great swimmer.

– Thank you… And you? How do you feel about this kind of sport?

– Actually, I really like to swim, but there is not always enough time.

Anna nodded. After drying off, she threw off her robe and, still turning pink, dressed quickly.

– Mikkel, I’ve wanted to ask for a long time… Art never explained to me why his name sounds different in this world?

The captain shrugged.

– The Commander is not the first time incarnated on Midgard, so he decided to move into the category of mentors. And the name… It is not forgotten if the memory does not go out, right? He has been preparing for this for a long time, because the Commander is half Lanthean, half Alvian… Their civilization belongs to the constellation Cygnus, like yours, by the way.

The girl looked at the young man in astonishment.

– My? I thought my home was Earth. Even though I know that our meeting with Art was preordained. I saw him in one of the memories of a past life. But my family…

– So it was, – Mikkel nodded in agreement. – But now you’re back to who you really are. And soon meet your real family.

The girl lowered her head.

– It’s hard to forget the past.

The young man took the girl by the hand.

– No one is forcing you to forget them. They will always be in your soul, as a part of you. But you cannot deny your true nature. You are a purebred swan, Aria. Princess…

– I? – the girl looked at Mikkel in amazement, he smiled.

– Yes, and your people, like your family, are waiting for your return. Soon your memory will return to you… By the way, – the young man handed the girl a pendant made of a strange-looking stone, with unusual runes carved on it. – That stone did not just find you. Now you can rightfully wear it as a Guardian.

– I don’t understand.

– Everything has its time. You will understand soon…

The girl shrugged. A pleasant warmth spread from the stone through the body. Smiling, Ann… Aria looked at the astronaut.

– And you, Mikkel… also a swan?

– No, I’m an Orion, though not a pureblood. My mother is an Orion and my father is a Lyrian.

– I have so many questions … – the girl tousled her still slightly wet hair, collecting her thoughts. – I’ll start with the main thing. My transformation… is it complete?

– Completely. It remains to be trained.

– I’m ready…

The alien nodded.

– We have contacted the Council. They allowed you and Arthur (when he wakes up) to be trained on Orion. In the end, we have one of the best schools… In the meantime, the flight lasts, they offered to bring you up to date.

– And who will be my mentor?

Mikkel smiled slyly.

– And what do you think? He is in front of you.

– Well, – the girl held out her hand to the man. – We are glad to cooperate. When do we start?

– Tomorrow. True, here, in space, eternal night reigns… But time is the same for everyone.

– I have always loved the night…

– Then it’s decided. By the way, we have already entered the dimensional tunnel. A few more tens of parsecs and we will jump into hyperspace. If everything continues to go well, then in two or three days we will be ready to jump into zero-space. By the way, would you like to take a look at the tunnel itself? It’s pretty interesting.

– Why not?

Moving forward along the corridor, they entered a small round room, in the center of which stood a pair of chairs. The whole wall of the room was occupied by a huge screen. The young people sat in comfortable chairs that instantly took on the shape of their bodies, and Mikkel turned on the surveillance screen. Immediately, the whole room was plunged into darkness, and a spatial window appeared on the screen. The ship moved in such an incredible overflow of colors that the girl could not even imagine. The stars turned into white streaks that instantly swept past, and the tunnel itself shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow…

– Mikkel… It’s so beautiful…

– I knew you’d like…

***

Suddenly, an alarm sounded through the ship. The screen flickered and went out, and a bright light came on all around.

– What’s the matter?

– I don’t know yet, – Mikkel jumped up, but then the ship shook so that he was forced to grab onto the back of his chair. – Hurry, follow me.

They ran out into the corridor and hurried to the control room.

– What happened? – Mikkel went up to his assistant, peering into the instrument readings.

– I have no idea. Fuel is good, but the ship has exited the dimensional tunnel.

– What? – Mikkel pressed the button, causing the shields blocking the view moved aside, and their eyes had an incredible sight. The stars disappeared, and the ship itself moved as if in a light purple mist. Entered at that moment, the Commander froze. – Can’t be!

Approaching the captain, Art took from his hands a tablet with constellation diagrams.

– I’m afraid the testimony is correct, Mikkel…

– What’s the matter? – Aria walked over to the captain, who was staring intently at the purple clouds. Every now and then they seemed to flare up from the inside with bright flashes. – Where are we?

– I’m afraid that the most unforeseen happened – we got into one of the very dangerous nebulae. There’s a strong gravitational field here, which means…

The captain’s mate interrupted him.

– Mikkel, look.

The captain bent over the indicators, but, peering into the play of signals, he abruptly straightened up and, going to the dashboard, pressed several buttons. Immediately, a voice was heard throughout the ship:

– Everyone, take your seats! I repeat, all crew immediately take their seats and buckle up, in case of turbulence!

Mikkel switched off the loudspeaker and, after exchanging glances with Art, sank into a chair next to him. Aria followed suit. Soon, through the fog, the outlines of a huge planet began to be seen.

– Mikkel, what is it?

– A planet of spectral type F. In other words, a supergiant with an incredible power of gravity.

But can we bypass it? – girl excitedly looked at Commander Art. The Commander shook his head.

– Not. In addition, our engines have not yet recovered after leaving the space tunnel… Deg Lennart…

– Yes captain!

– On the left, I noticed a small satellite. We’ll be in orbit around the planet for about an hour. Send a scout robot to its surface.

– Do you offer boarding? Deg looked questioningly at the Commander.

– Yes. We have no other choice. It will take several days for our engines to restart. But, fortunately, we have enough fuel.

A few minutes later, the capsule with the robot was lowered, and the team could only wait. However, the voice of astronavigator Kama Tar was soon heard, reporting a safe landing. Everyone hurried to the observatory.

An image of a desert gorge with sharp rock ledges appeared on the screen. The robot itself, by a lucky chance, landed on a large flat area. Some time later, soil and water samples showed the absence of harmful impurities.

– The air is very rarefied, – Commander Art turned off the screen. – I think we’ll still have to use spacesuits. Let’s go.

– Are we going to land on the planet? – Aria looked at Mikkel in amazement.

– Yes, this is a common practice, we must see with our own eyes the world where we fall by the will of fate and leave a beacon there, putting the planet on a map of the constellations, this is part of our work. But I think you’re better off…

– I’m with you.

Fortunately, the spacesuits turned out to be not the bulky suits in which the people of the Earth went into space. They were made of a thin synthetic material that was like a second skin and hardly felt on the body. But, according to Sa-Ira, the ship’s engineer, they could easily withstand a hundred degrees of frost, and not just thirty degrees, which was on the planet. Putting it on, I looked in the mirror. Silver in color, it tightly fitted her slender body and, in combination with the snow-white waterproof raincoat attached to it, perfectly completed her image. Finally, making sure that the suit fit perfectly, she went up to the control room, where Mikkel and Art were waiting for her, also already dressed in similar suits, which suited them very well. Sitting in a chair next to the Commander, the girl buckled up, the captain nodded to his assistant, and he pressed the landing lever.

Aria felt an unknown force lightly push her into a chair. The ship rushed from its place and, breaking through the dense atmosphere, began to describe circles, looking for a profitable landing site. Finally, she was found – in a small gorge among the rocks. As the ship softly touched down, Mikkel unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned back in his chair, breathing a sigh of relief.

– We are in place. Well, it’s time to find out what we’re dealing with…

Rising to her feet, Aria felt how strong the gravity field of this planet was. Her whole body was constrained, and movements were difficult, but deciding not to lose her face in front of the crew, she gathered her strength and followed. As Art had predicted, the planet was freezing cold, fortunately barely perceptible through the spacesuit’s heating layer, and a strong wind was blowing, and dark cumulus clouds were crawling across the light purple sky. All together it looked like a picture of a science fiction movie. The commander turned to the people accompanying him.

– So, we’re here. But let’s agree – never go anywhere alone. And do not lose vigilance. Aria!

The girl, who thoughtfully fixed her gaze on the mountains in the distance, turned to the Commander.

– Yes?

– I say we should be careful. Do not forget – this world is not familiar to us and we should be very careful.

– Okay, – Aria nodded with a shrug.

Commander Art sighed and shook his head.

– Just be on the alert… Let’s go.

They slowly began to climb up the big hill. To everyone’s surprise, even with such a frost, flowers grew on the planet, but due to the lack of sunlight, they were completely colorless and, moreover, huge (at least two meters in height) in size. Under the gusts of wind, they bent to the ground, making it difficult to climb. Having risen to the top, the friends were finally able to look around. The entire area was completely empty. There were no trees, they were replaced by white thorn bushes. In combination with the dark brown soil and purple sky, the whole surrounding picture evoked a strange feeling of unreality of what was happening on the travelers.

Aria suddenly froze as she listened.

– What happened? Art looked at her warily.

– I do not know. I thought I heard some kind of noise…

Here everyone really heard something similar to the clatter of soft paws. Aria looked around anxiously.

– Mikkel, be careful!

The astronaut turned sharply, having managed to see a huge beast rushing towards him. But at that moment, Aria pushed him away and the beast, having missed, rushed towards her. Mikkel pulled out a stunner attached to his thigh, essentially releasing a couple of electric waves. However, the beast turned out to be completely insensitive to the action of the weapon, which only angered him even more. In a rage, he attacked the girl, knocking her to the ground. The astronauts froze in horror – the monster was pushing Aria to the edge of the cliff…

– Aria…

– Mikkel, stop!

Not listening to the Commander, the captain, pushing him away, rushed to the girl, as a bright flash of light illuminated the surrounding area. The mysterious creature, howling, rushed away and disappeared into the darkness.

– Aria! Are you okay?

– Sort of. What was it?

– An incredibly strong lightning strike, and this “something” was extremely like a big wolf, – Mikkel held out his hand, helping the girl up. – Of course, I could deal with this… beast myself. But thanks anyway.

– Don’t, I couldn’t have done otherwise.

She swayed. Despite the fact that the strong material from which the suit was made protected her from the claws of an alien creature, the fall made itself felt with severe dizziness. Art shook his head.

– Mikkel, Aria needs Saima’s help. We return to the ship.

– Yes, of course, – the young man held out his hand to Aria, and she shook it tightly. – Let’s go…

Chapter 6 New World

Finally, minor breakdowns were eliminated, the engines were restored, and the ship, having overcome the gravity of the planet, broke out of the purple nebula at a powerful speed and re-entered the spatial tunnel. Fortunately, Aria escaped with only a small concussion and a couple of bruises, and, thanks to enhanced regeneration and the efforts of Saima, she soon recovered so much that the doctor no longer considered it necessary for her to stay in bed any longer, and the girl happily returned to normal life. And she’s not alone. On the first day, after leaving the infirmary, the girl, walking around the ship, wandered into a huge room, all filled with luminous plates, standing on shelves rising to the ceiling of racks. It looks like a library. Aria took out one of the plates, which looked like a thin 3D computer. But as soon as she touched the flower depicted on its surface,

– Beautiful … – the girl turned to the voice behind her. Arthur chuckled at her surprise. – Not expected?

– You woke up, – Aria looked down in confusion, not knowing whether to be happy or not. The unexpected appearance of a man stirred up a whole storm of feelings in her chest, from almost extinguished resentment to delight. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to smile. – How do you feel?

– Very good, – going up to the girl, Arthur looked at the plate. – Can?

– Of course, – the girl handed him the plate. Scrolling through the images, he clicked on one of them, and immediately the room was transformed into an underwater world. Glowing jellyfish swam around them, somewhere in the distance the singing of whale-like creatures was heard. Yes, here they are. The girl staggered back, grabbing onto the young man as the huge creature passed within an inch of them. The picture disappeared and she met Arthur’s smiling eyes. – Sorry I…

– Nothing. Pretty realistic, right? Arthur chuckled. – Scared?

– No… although it was unexpected, – Aria put the plate back in place. – What?

– Nothing, it’s just… It seemed to me that you couldn’t be frightened so easily, – Arthur looked meaningfully at the girl, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

Arthur, you know. We couldn’t do otherwise…

– Indeed? – from his glance, the girl again became uneasy.

– I… – the girl shrugged her shoulders. – Arthur… Please don’t do this.

– Anna, I don’t understand you. You let me in, then you push me away, like I’m a leper. What’s the matter?

– Arthur, I’m sorry… It’s hard to explain. Although you do understand. Sarah, Boris. I don’t want to hurt anyone and ruin your life.

– Anna, – Arthur stepped closer, and Anna felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Turning around sharply, the girl found herself in the ring of his arms. “We are many thousands of light-years from Earth. And if you think logically, then during this time the Earth that we knew simply does not exist…

– Not quite, you did not take into account the speed of the ship. Getting into a hyperspace tunnel, time is reduced. And we will arrive at Virdu just a month after leaving the Earth. So that…

The girl tried to pull away, but the man’s grip did not loosen.

– Did the captain tell you? Yes of course. How can I compete with an alien in the form of an Elven Knight, – Arthur smiled bitterly. – Princess…

– Arthur… Actually, it was your idea. So what’s my fault? I don’t need this title, I’m ready to change.

– Well, – Arthur smiled arrogantly and bowed in an exaggeratedly polite way. – I understand you. Who am I to argue with the future queen of Daaria. Rest easy, I won’t bother you anymore.

Ignoring the upset look of the girl, Arthur disappeared through the door. Aria thoughtfully moved to a large stained-glass window, behind which a starry abyss shone. Arthur… It’s a pity that they met so untimely. Well, it has always been that way, from the moment they met. Anna was working in the archives when a new employee came to their university. Artur Dalivin… Tall, stately (like Don Juan), the young man immediately won the attention of the entire female part of the team. But their communication somehow did not work out right away – they were too different. Always collected, with cold blue eyes and a slightly mocking smile, the young man who immediately received the favor of the leadership was her complete opposite. But something in him attracted her… And she realized that she was unable to cope with it.

***

Soon the ship slowed down and prepared for a hyperjump. At this time, it was decided to put the entire crew back into a state of suspended animation, with the exception of the Commander, the captain and Aria, who flatly refused to go to sleep. As Mikkel had warned her, the sensation she experienced was not pleasant. It felt like falling into a bottomless well, flying, spinning in the fog, and you don’t understand where the top and bottom are, and then a bright flash of light follows and… Opening her eyes, Aria noticed a huge number of bright stars and a string of planets rushing past at great speed. Turning around, she saw that Mikkel was smiling.