Thumar
Chapter 8: The Shadow

Terga woke Derak at five a.m. “Your shadow is arriving at 0700, and you’ll need to be ready. Casual wear will be appropriate.”

“What? Oh, that’s right! I’m up.” His feet hit the floor.

At 0655, Terga cued Derak. “She’s here.”

“Turn on the wall screen.”

He was surprised to see Therese standing outside his door. He buzzed in her arrival, and the door quietly slid open as he inwardly caught his breath. Earth never prepared me for this. “Come in, Therese. May I help you with your bags?”

“Thank you. Yes.”

“So you’re more than a waitress.”

“The festival was part of my assignment. Shesain wanted my opinion of you before she made her decision.”

“I take it you approved, seeing that you served as a witness.”

“Shesain is ecstatically happy. The entire Andehar family knows, and it won’t be long before it’s all over the vid casts. An engagement of this magnitude will be known system-wide and celebrated.”

As Therese entered Derak’s living quarters, she murmured, “Nice...”

“Is this going to be enough for you? It doesn’t look like ten month’s worth of clothing.” Derak carried her bags in and set them against the wall.

“I’m having the rest delivered as soon as I get settled in,” she said. “Where will I be staying?”

“This is your room.” He opened the door.

She asked as she gazed around at the room’s smooth walls with a perplexed look on her face.

“Where is the storage, the bathroom and clothes closet?”

Derak touched the wall next to the door accessing a control panel.

“Your controls are here. The drawers slide out of the wall on the left side of your bed. This green light is your clothes closet.” Pressing the light, a door opened to a large walk-in closet. “The blue light opens the bathroom door, and the orange light controls the storage drawers. The white touch light is for the lighting, there’s also a slider here for dimming. There are lights over the bed for reading.

“The closet, bathroom, and bedside tables have separate controls. If you want to skip all that, wear this,” he said handing her a thin open wire mesh bracelet. “Put this on your wrist. You won’t feel a thing and the color blends in with your skin. This allows entrance into my – our - quarters now, and all public areas including a gym/dojo.”

Her expression was one of awe. He smiled and continued, “Everything can be controlled by thought. It takes some getting used to and is more efficient. Until then, the manual controls are easy enough to operate.”

She stood and looked around in silence.

“Does the window open for fresh air?”

“No, but these horizontally lit wavy lines open up the vents to outside air, with a slider for air volume and speed.”

“Can they also be controlled by this?” she asked, holding up her wrist, trying to replace the bracelet she just put on. It had disappeared into her flesh.

“Yes, I told you it blended in. Your whole living space is wired like this. Actually, it’s wireless thought control. You’ll adapt.”

“Do you have… one of these?” she asked, holding up her wrist again.

“No. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can move familiar furniture in, and decorate to your taste. I’ll get your bags, and you can settle in.”

“This is different, but very comfortable.”

He turned around to face her at the door. “Would you like something to drink?”

Fetching some cold apple juice from the kitchen, Derak heard her exclaim in exasperation as the sound of multiple drawers opened and closed at once.

“Are you alright in there? Do you need some help?”

“No! It’s this thought control… Ohhh! These... never mind! I’ll figure it out.” After she unpacked her belongings, she walked back into the living room.

Conservative, yet… Lord, help me. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes. Iced tea,” she answered. Derak prepared the beverage, and, as he handed it to her, she asked, “What are Earth women like?”

He didn’t have to think much to answer her.

“All the Thumarian women I’ve seen have attractive figures. Your average height is considered on the tall side for humans. A much smaller percentage of Earth women have your curves. Human women generally have smaller figures. Their bodies range from thin and small, to large, and, sometimes severely, overweight. Their heights vary considerably, too. Some races have an average height of no more than five foot two inches; while others can reach six feet and taller.”

Therese looked intrigued by the descriptions.

“What is their average diet?”

“Most humans eat meat; sometimes, a lot.”

“What is the overall society like?”

“Before the second United States Civil War, in twenty-one seventy-five, most of human society practiced loose morals.”

“Most, but not all?” she asked.

“A minority of the population didn’t.”

“What were the men like?”

“Men and women cheated on each other. Divorce was an accepted release from marriage and practiced far too often. Mostly, men took advantage of women and then punished them for it. Then you have the practice of prostitution, where men and women sold their bodies for money.

“Some women rose to affluence and received an education, in spite of male domination,” continued Derak. “Some went on to long professional careers. Others achieved political positions similar to Remor’s. These examples are few and far between.”

“What happened after the war?” she asked.

“Some of these issues were addressed. Women’s rights got better and laws were passed and enforced. Women were allowed to serve in combat, and one of the URNA’s greatest fighting generals was a woman. She was a Jamar, Paul Jamar’s granddaughter.”

“Who was Paul Jamar?”

“His bloodline traces back to the European royal family of the same name. My father’s a direct descendant of Paul Jamar. He was a war hero and a key figure in the unification of the United Regions of North America.

“Issues such as social welfare were dealt with, but not as extensively, crime and prostitution were glossed over and swept under the rug. Both went deeper underground and are still closely tied to the black market.”

“Interesting,” Therese looked thoughtful. “I’m glad I’m not a woman in human society. How are you adjusting to our moral structure? Sometimes even Thumarian men have problems. I’m sure coming from an alien society might make it harder for you.”

“It’s going to make the next ten months very interesting, indeed.”

Therese drank her tea. The conversation lapsed, momentarily. “We’ll make adjustments over the next ten months to allow for this. Although, I believe you’ll adapt. My job is to ensure the purity of our marriage traditions and your commitment to it.” She took another sip of tea and handed him an E-pad.

He looked at the list. “A doctor’s appointment?”

“Yes, your physical exam. Every couple has one after the tea cup ceremony. Shesain should be showing up shortly. Both of you will be seen by the Andehar family physician.” She looked around and asked, “Where’s your phase keeper?”

By this, he knew she meant a wall clock. “Would you like one on the wall?”

“Yes, it makes my job easier.”

“Then, I’ll see to it. We haven’t much time according to this schedule. Shesain will be here soon. Are you ready?”

Therese walked to her room to change. In no time, she joined him in the living room.

Terga chimed in. “Shesain is coming down the hall.”

Waiting for the buzzer, he opened the door. She wore a new necklace and looked him over with an approving smile. The room lit up with her presence.

“How did it go with Therese?” Shesain asked him in the kitchen, after giving him a kiss.

“Fine, but she’s having fun adjusting to thought control.”

Shesain chuckled. “I really should have warned her about that. Did she meet Terga?”

“No! I don’t need three women in my head.”

She laughed. “I don’t blame you.”

Shesain stepped up to him and pulled out a one-inch in diameter circle broach. “This is the Thumarian symbol for engagement and marriage. It’s referred to as a Chimera and translates to, “a chosen one” in English. It’s made from gold with platinum interlaced into five intertwining ropes. It has the Andehar family crest in the middle, and it is studded with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. This is mine;” she tilted her neck to show him the matching necklace.

As she pinned it to his right shirt lapel, she said, “It’s to be worn at all times in public, and I expect to see it when we’re together, which will constitute most of your off-duty time. Your lessons will consist of mostly educating you on the finer points of Thumarian society, social soirees, and family gatherings. Therese will take care of your education. What she does not teach you, my family will.”

She smiled warmly, leading him out the door for their appointment. They walked in front, while Karn and Therese engaged in an animated conversation directly behind them.

The ride to the appointment became a tour of the surrounding countryside. As they approached the presidential palace, Shesain explained the physical exam.

“Every newly engaged couple goes through the procedure. Dr. Centur is our family physician and is one of the best doctor’s on Thumar. We have a full diagnostic and treatment center at the palace, and we’ll be given the results before we leave.”

The air car landed. Karn opened the door as Shesain and Derak exited. After turning the car over to an attendant, the four of them walked to the palace’s entrance. Remor and Rhemar greeted them at the door with Tranoka and Temela.

“Derak; welcome to the Andehar family.” Remor was smiling.

Rhemar embraced him and said, “Welcome, son.”

Once they were inside the palatial foyer, Rhemar stepped forward. “You are first, Derak.” He led him down a long corridor.

When they arrived to the physician’s office, a nurse opened the door. “We’re ready to start the exam now, Admiral Jamar, please follow me.”

“Lead on,” he said. Rhemar left him at the door.

The nurse led him to a room and asked him to change into an examination gown. Derak was relieved to see its back was closed. Then he was ushered into an examination room where his height and weight were recorded, and his pulse was taken. He tried to slow down his pulse before Nurse Teren wrapped the cuff around his arm. I hope I can last ten months! Just think of Shesain.

“A little nervous, are we? Let’s try that again,” said Nurse Teren.

This time he was able to slow his pulse down to normal. Next, was a vision and hearing test, followed by a blood draw and urinalysis test. The last room he was led to was the imaging center. The machine was different than any he’d seen before. Derak tried to imagine how it worked and was told that this scanner completely enclosed the patient and used non-visible light rays to perform a full body scan. He climbed in and thirty minutes later, was released. He dressed, and was met at the door by Remor and Rhemar. Shesain smiled as she entered.

“How did it go?” Remor asked.

“Fine, what do we do next?”

“We head up to the men’s club to enjoy some of the fine brandy that Rhemar produces, while we wait for the doctor to finish with Shesain.”

At the club, Rhemar went to the bar and poured out three snifters of brandy, handing one to Derak. “My finest,” he bragged.

“This is splendid. What’s the vintage?” Derak asked.

Holding the snifter up to the light, Rhemar replied, “One of my best years, 2396.”

“You seemed to have survived. How was the physical?” Remor asked, grinning.

“It was fine after I got my pulse down to normal.”

They both laughed.

“Teren is an impressive nurse, one of Thumar’s best,” Rhemar said.

“Quite impressive on many fronts,” Derak remarked.

The three of them savored the brandy.

Shesain entered his thoughts. “I’m finished.”

“How did it go? Are you on your way up?”

“The girls and I will join you shortly.”

A short time later, Tranoka called out, “We’re here,” from the entrance of the club. Tranoka, Temela, Shesain, and her sister, Shenar, were beaming.

“Time for lunch, gentlemen,” Shesain informed them, taking Derak’s hand as they left the room. “Teren said she had to take your pulse twice!” She teased him as they strolled to the dining room.

“Just a minor glitch.”

“That’s what all the men say. Teren’s the best on Thumar.” Shesain was laughing.

“Will Karn and Therese be joining us?” he asked.

“There’s no need for a shadow when you’re with family. Their place is in public and when one of us is not present.”

Tranoka turned to Derak, “Were going to introduce you to some of our Thumarian cuisine today. I hear you have the same Terran breakfast every morning. You should try some of our favorites. They’re quite delectable.”

Shesain and Temela walked on either side of him as they headed to the dining room. I could get used to this.

Temela started. “We’re a close family, Derak, and we value our time together, since there’s not a lot of it with our busy schedules. I hope you like games.”

“We’re very competitive, but we have a lot of fun,” Remor said.

They were seated at the head of a long ornate table meant for larger gatherings. The wait staff started with a glass of light white fruity Andehar wine with an appetizer of sweet fruits and cheese, followed by the entrée, taruk, a steamed vegetable pie.

Tranoka described the dish as it was artistically presented. “This is an Andehar specialty, made with quintar, fedur, poments, mortain and kabule, all grown on our estate grounds. It’s baked in our famous crust after the vegetables are steamed and covered in a secret white sauce.”

The pie was dome-shaped and smelled divine. Their glasses were refilled and they ate silently, enjoying the meal down to the last bite dipped into the remaining sauce.

“That was great,” Derak said, “my compliments to the chef.”

“Thank you,” Shesain answered.

“She can cook, too.” Remor playfully interjected.

“How am I supposed to maintain my figure with this kind of cooking?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you in shape,” Shesain replied with a mischievous smile.

The table erupted in laughter. Next, dessert was offered. A kind of frozen fruit sorbet was placed before Derak. Another waiter changed the glasses and poured out the dessert wine.

“Does the Andehar estate stock only your label?” Derak asked.

“We carry other vintners, of course,” said Rhemar. “I must know how my competitors compare to mine. Some try to come close to my varieties, but they’ll never catch up. We’ve had the finest vintages for five generations, and they improve with each successive year.”

When the meal ended, Remor asked, “Shall we relax in the parlor until the test results come in?”

As the servants cleared the table, they rose from their comfortable chairs and meandered over to an enormous parlor.

Upon entering, Derak noticed a white grand piano. “Where did you get this?”

“On my first diplomatic mission to Earth,” said Remor. “It was a gift from your government. Do you know how to play it?”

“Yes, my minor at the Academy was music composition and orchestration. The piano was my first instrument. Classical guitar was my second. It’s just a hobby now, with my busy schedule.”

“What don’t you do?” Shesain asked, in surprise.

“Cook.”

Laughter filled the room.

“You don’t have to worry about that with this family,” Shenar said.

“Play something for us, Derak,” asked Temela.

“Ok, but, I haven’t had the luxury of sitting at a piano in a while. My assignments have kept me from playing music.”

He sat on the piano bench and examined the instrument. To his surprise, it wasn’t a reproduction. “I can’t believe it! This is a late twentieth century Yamaha concert piano. Do you know how much it’s worth, Remor?”

“Yes, the Alliance spared nothing to secure the Thumarian government’s treaty.

Shesain asked, “Do you have one of your own?”

“Yes, it’s a late nineteenth century Steinway black grand. It’s in secure storage waiting for shipment to Thumar. I picked it up on one of my early assignments. It was stored in the back of a warehouse and is in pristine condition. The owners didn’t know what they had, so I picked it up for a song. It’s a priceless instrument.”

“What does for a song mean?” Shenar asked.

“It’s an ancient Earth idiom; it means that you acquire a very expensive item, very cheaply.” He paused. “Shenar, I hear that you’re seeing a lot of Jack these days.”

Her face broke out into a broad smile, and she blushed. “He is very handsome and sweet, and we have fun together.”

The other women exchanged looks.

“I can help arrange proper shipment of your piano, if you give me the location,” Remor offered. “For now, we’re waiting for you to show us your artistry.”

Derak sat down at the white Yamaha piano, loosened his fingers and broke into a short Brahms piano concerto.

“My next piece will be Mozart’s piano concerto, number twenty-one, one of my favorites.” As Derak launched into the concerto, nothing existed but him, the piano, and the music. Bliss filled his soul as he became lost in the melody. The moment was pure magic, and he regretted hitting the last note. Enthusiastic applause followed.

“That was – was the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard.” Shesain eyes glowed. “Please, play more.” There were murmurings of agreement.

Smiling, he continued with Beethoven, Franz Liszt, and ended the impromptu performance with a Schumann piano concerto. After the last note had sounded, he slowly lifted his hands off the piano. The room erupted in applause and cheers. In his reverie, he hadn’t noticed that the audience also included the palace staff and Dr. Centur.

Upon noticing the physician, Remor dismissed the staff and gestured to the doctor. Dr. Centur approached, wearing a look of consternation.

“Is there something wrong, doctor?” Shesain asked.

“Nothing is wrong with you, my dear. You’re fine, in the peak of health. It’s the admiral.”

“You can call me Derak, Doctor.” What could the blood work have shown?

“Let’s convene in my office.”

Once in the physician’s office, they seated themselves. Shesain remained next to Derak, holding his hand tightly.

Dr. Centur activated the 3D plaz-screen and began by showing three DNA sequences. Pointing to the first sequence, he explained, “This is a typical human strand. This is what we expected to replace with Derak’s test results, but his were different. This next sequence belongs to a Thumarian. The third one belongs to Derak, indicating a complex four-level strand. The three strands encircle a center primary strand. All four strands are separate, but tied to each other by fine webbing with intersecting nodes.” Stunned silence filled the room.

Shesain looked at Derak wide-eyed and then back to the odd DNA sequence. Derak’s mind raced to try and comprehend what this meant.

“My reaction as well,” said Dr. Centur. “After I dug up some old earth records, I came across an arcane entry about a twenty-first century Earth program designed to genetically enhance a branch of superhumans.”

“Superhuman?” Shesain and Derak spoke in unison.

The doctor continued, “Let me explain. The program was a success but, due to public outcry, it was stopped. We think they moved it underground, taken over by the military complex of the time.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Derak asked.

The doctor continued, “I believe that your DNA strand could be a result of this program.

“That’s impossible! My parents are humans.” He was in shock.

“What does all of this mean for us?” Shesain asked.

“Are you sure about your replaceings Dr. Centur? How can this even exist?” Remor asked. Up to this point, he had been sitting, quiet, listening in disbelief.

The doctor picked up from where he left off. “I am almost one hundred percent sure of the replaceings, Remor, and we have no idea what this means. Although I understand some of the functions of the structures, the rest puzzles me greatly.”

The doctor looked directly at Derak, who was sitting in stunned silence. “You have your primary DNA sequence, the secondary and tertiary strands are tied to the primary with tightly woven matrices connecting them all together. My guess is that, at a certain point, the main strand turns the next sequence on above it. It requires a trigger, probably flipped on by a saturation of the nucleotides in the lower strand. The second one looks like it affects your dexterity, strength, and stamina.”

Shesains eyes widened. Maybe this could be a good thing.

“The third one explains your intelligence and gives you a life span at least equal to Thumarians. That’s good news for you, Shesain,” he said smiling at her as she gave Derak’s hand an excited squeeze. “Derak, you won’t have to go through any longevity treatments,” he said. “Let me ask you this, Derak, do you have any family on Earth?”

“Yes, my mother, father, two brothers, and a sister. All of them are on Earth and on the Earth’s moon.” Then, realization struck him. The doctor and he exchanged a knowing glance.

“My family has the same genes, so…”

“They’ll live as long as you, Derak.”

“I’ve got to get them out of there,” he mumbled, as Shesain grabbed his arm. “They’re in danger if this is true.”

Remor cut in, “We’ll get them out and resettle them on Thumarian soil, Derak. We can work the details out later.”

“As for the fourth strand, that is beyond me… for the moment.” The doctor said.

With his master’s degree in biochemistry, he understood all that was explained, but,

Derak was puzzled by the fourth strand. Then, full realization suddenly occurred to him, at that moment. No wonder his wounds healed so quickly at the Chambar Valley Offensive.

Shesain picked up his change of expression. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

She gave him a long look and squeezed his hand again.

“Is there anything else, Dr. Centur?” Remor asked.

“Yes, just one more question for Derak. Would you mind if my staff and I study your DNA further, to see if we can get to the bottom of this matrix?”

“Feel free doctor,” said Derak. “I would be interested in going over your replaceings, and I would also like a copy to look at myself.”

“I’ll deliver one to Remor when we’ve come up with something.”

“Thank you, Dr. Centur,” said Remor, rising. “This has been an enlightening day.”

They returned to the parlor, and, once there, discussed the repercussions of the doctor’s replaceings. Rhemar and Remor both agreed that the results would have no affect on the upcoming wedding.

Remor escorted Shesain and Derak to the ground car. Halfway there he stopped and spoke, “Derak, I need to see your personal technology soon, say tomorrow at 1300.”

“Not without me,” Shesain insisted.

Both men looked at each other, knowing they would lose that battle.

Derak leveled a serious look at Remor. “Right now, I’m the only one who knows about it, and I have had my inventions stolen before. If the Alliance gets wind of this, I will be in a lot of trouble. In their minds, anything I develop belongs to them because I’m in “their military.” I’ll show it to you and Shesain, but no one else, not even your bodyguards can see this. No one else is to know about what you’re going to be shown. Agreed?”

“Fine, let’s meet at your place, 1300 hours, tomorrow afternoon.” Remor confirmed.

They continued walking to the car. But when they arrived, their air car was gone. Another one was parked where their vehicle should have been, and Therese was in the driver’s seat, with Karn next to her.

“Nice car,” Derak commented, looking at a brand new air car. “She has a sleek look.”

Remor smiled. “This is a new four-passenger model, with all the newest refinements. It’s assigned to you. The flags on the front fenders indicate Admiralty. Therese is a capable driver.”

Derak thanked Remor. They waved goodbye as the car sped off.

A dark soundproof window silently slid up between the driver and passenger compartments. Once they were alone, Shesain asked, “What was that look for in the doctor’s office?”

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“Not when it comes to you. You saw something in that report we didn’t.”

“You had to be there to experience it.”

“I had to be where? Stop being cryptic with me; it was the Voeleron war, wasn’t it?”

He sighed. She squeezed his arm and smiled, encouraging him.

“Yes. To be specific, it’s the Chambar Valley Offensive. During that battle, at one point, my wounds started healing instantly, wounds that normally should not have. I should have died there. Years of questioning what happened there were answered today.”

“You have your answer. Why are you still troubled?”

“I lost friends and comrades that day,” began Derak. He continued in a rush of words. “Why me? Why am I the one who lived? Why am I the one with this freak genetic code? Many questions to this grand puzzle are still unanswered. What does this mean for my future, our future? What are our children going to be like? Are they going to be freaks of nature, like me?”

“Our children will be wonderful.” She looked at him. The warmth in her eyes melted him to the core. “I’m very happy you finally have one answer. As for the rest, all that matter’s now is that you’re on Thumar with me. I will always love you. We will replace the answers together.”

“Since Thumarian men and women must be virgins before marriage, how are we going to handle the virginity issue, on my part?” Derak asked Shesain.

She thought for a moment. “Most of the population is willing to overlook that, considering your point of origin. However, several of the Primary Founding Families are protesting the engagement. Remor will handle them.”

Therese dropped Shesain and Karn off at her residence in Shenmar, and drove Derak back to the base. His com unit buzzed, and Shesain’s beautiful face greeted him.

“There’s going to be a delivery to your quarters today. So you have to open an exterior door

and let Terga know she’s to admit them.”

“Who are they and what are they dropping off?”

“They are delivering some new clothes, between you and Jack, we’re keeping Petar busy. I’ll see you tomorrow, my chimera.” She signed out with the usual screen kiss, and he passed her instructions on to Terga.