Dinosaurus Planet Survivors

“Bonnard’s horde of Thek,” Kai replied, with considerable irritation. Even Thek, or especially Thek, should follow ordinary flight safety procedures.

“What did they think they were doing just then?” Varian demanded, expressing a similar outrage.

“Preparing for a conference,” Lunzie replied, and once again her tone was strained. Abruptly, she divested herself of the seat belts. “Can you slow down, Ford? Just Kai and Varian are called to this meeting?”

“No, the commander is, too, and,” Ford now pointed to the view screen, it looks like someone from the settlement and the transport have received invitations.” Captain Cruss was plodding across the grid, and the two sleds, one from the cruiser and the other from settlement, each with a single passenger, headed toward the Thek. “Now what are they doing?” Ford demanded in a perplexed tone.

He flipped up the magnification on the forward screen for a better view of the activity. The smaller Thek horde had not landed by the bigger ones. While some hovered, others began to attach themselves to the Great-Big Bears, defying gravity by creating an overhang. Suddenly the three Medium-Size Bears appeared. Two of them hovered as well, turning tapered ends down to fit themselves into the gaps between the biggest Thek.

“Yes, I was right,” Lunzie said softly. “I’ve heard of this configuration, but I never thought to see one. It’s a Thek conference!” Awe and amazement tinged the medic’s voice. “Kai, Varian, if you’re to remember more than just what they want you to know, I’d better buffer you.”

“I don’t understand,” Kai said, glancing from the edifice the Thek were constructing to Lunzie’s stern expression.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course, and I trust the Thek, too. They’ve never done our species any harm.”

Lunzie’s mouth twitched in a wry smile. “You do know the opinion they have of us ephemera’s, though? They subscribe to the ‘need to know’ school of information transmission. Frankly, I’d rather know all there is to know about what has been happening on Ireta that has broken out so many Thek. Wouldn’t you?”

Kai had to concur with that.

“Well, then, I know three things about a Thek conference. One, they don’t happen frequently-maybe once a century. Two, there is no way to elude complete disclosure during one. I don’t even know how Thek delve into alien minds, but there is absolutely no doubt that they do.” Lunzie’s stern expression relaxed to the point of a reassuring nod. “You have nothing to fear, Kai. Your clear consciences and pure hearts will stand you in good stead now. The third point is that, considering the time generally spent within that Thek enclosure, the reports of participants confirm the fact that they remember relatively little of what actually occurred during the conference. In fact, only what concerned them in particular. I don’t know if a mind buffer will help, but I think it’s worth a try in these circumstances. Don’t you?” She cocked her head, regarding Kai steadily.

“Lunzie has made three valid points,” Ford said with a quiet earnestness that held a note of urgency. “And I’m going to have to land soon.”

“I’m game,” Varian said, straightening her shoulders and pointedly not looking at Kai.

“This conference is something you will want to remember, Kai, in toto,” Lunzie added gently. “Once in a while, we ephemera’s need a break. It’s no disloyalty to the Thek, you know.”

With a sharp nod of his head, Kai agreed, despite some lingering reluctance. He couldn’t have said why he resisted what was eminently a sensible precaution because he most emphatically wanted to know exactly what had been happening on Ireta. Especially if the ARCT-10 had reported in and could very well be on its way to retrieve the expedition.

“Relax,” Lunzie said, “clear your mind of thought, breathe slowly and deeply, ready to enter trance.”

Unlike a barrier situation, Lunzie merely reinforced commands originally implanted during the training Varian and Kai had received as Disciples, intended to prevent post hypnotic suggestions. She finished the buffering just as Fordeliton brought the pinnace down, a slight distance from the towering Thek edifice. A narrow aisle remained between two of the Great-Big Thek while the Medium-Size Thek hovered. The smallest Thek which had not fit into the roof of the building had locked themselves against the sides like flying buttresses. A cathedral! Yes, Kai decided-that’s what the structure resembles, and a suitable reverence suffused him.

Sassinak and Aygar descended from their sleds, the young Iretan looking at the Thek structure with out right suspicion. “Why have they done that?” he asked Varian, then looked almost accusingly at Kai. “What’s going on? Why was I compelled to come?”

“The Thek are about to tell you,” Sassinak replied.