Journey to the Center of the Galaxy

Sillans long life in the galaxy had exposed him to just about every danger and scenario a person could imagine (and beyond). But if he had ever faced an invincible foe; the monotony of the brig (of Lylan's ship) seemed the most formidable. He had been there two space-days now, and was starting to think he would go insane.

He had yet to contact Alpha-Central again. He was continuing to craft a new plan for himself; but even that was bordering on meaninglessness. He sat in the cafeteria again, eating lunch with the rest of the prisoners.

As a "Ksenia" Sillan often found relationships with others to be fleeting; and--besides Kevin and Savanartha--had never been in one place long enough to call anyone a long-term friend. At least not for a hundred years.

He was dining on a meal that (he guessed) was prepared by a cook from Enlo. The meal consisted of a series of protein gelatins (that had recently become a trend on the planet). They were surprisingly delicious for prison food. He drank a blue colored, protein-fortified beverage. He watched as the other prisoners did the same. The man with red hair and green skin continued to fascinate him.

He was sitting alone (like Sillan) on the other end of the dining room. Sillan couldn't get a read on this character at all. The other prisoners seemed much more content on being held captive; which was becoming deeply vexing to Sillan. His facial tattoos continued to be non-functional, and now just appeared as a cosmetic feature. Sillan remembered his young, formative, training days on Luneris.

When he was young, Luneris had already spent tens-of-thousands of years being one of the most advanced races in the galaxy. There was a time...long, long ago when Luneris wasn't too different from the planet Earth. The Lunerian's had long since departed that level of technology and existed somewhere between mortals and immortals.

Two security officers, clad in blue Federation uniforms, quickly entered the dining area. The door behind them shot closed and locked.

"Sillan Octavion!" One of them announced.

Sillan set down the glass of blue protein and gazed back at them.

"Yes?" He inquired from across the cafeteria.

"Please come with us," said the second security officer. "You have another interrogation scheduled."

Sillan slowly stood up and walked away with the two officers. This was the first time any of the other prisoners had heard the name "Sillan Octavion."

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Sillan found himself across the interrogation table from Lylan again (in the same interrogation room).

"Yes?" Sillan asked.

"How did your contact with Alpha-Central go?" She asked. "I didn't have any reports of them assisting you, past the initial contact."

"The conversation was brief..." Sillan explained.

"You requested no assistance from Alpha-Central?"

"I only made them aware of my current situation..."

"Okay...."

Sillan and Lylan had another brief but intense stare down.

"Do you know the real reason I am here?!" Sillan insisted.

"You know that; you were in violation of-

"That's Fen Fen nonsense!" Sillan yelled. "No one in the entire galaxy would put this much effort into arresting me if there wasn't a greater reason!"

"I...." Lylan began to say.

"They sent you to track me down in a newly designed ship with brand new technology..." Sillan continued.

Lylan looked completely vexed. They both stayed quiet for a long moment.

"They want to give you a medical exam..." She continued.

"I'm starting to wonder who the "they" is supposed to refer to at this point...."

"You know who the "they" are," Lylan retorted. "The higher echelons of The Federation."

"Yeah," said Sillan. "Those guys..."

Another stare down took place.

"How did you lose your eye?" Sillan asked.

"That question is inappropriate," Lylan replied, reaching towards her eye-patch and looking like she was remembering something painful.

The staring continued.

"I am going to leave you in this interrogation room," Lylan said. "Doctor Fendrad will be in here soon to give you an exam."

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Lylan had left the interrogation room without giving Sillan much to work with.

He sat for a long time in the cold, clinical room. He stared back at the one-way window; not knowing who was gazing back from the other side.

Someone finally entered the room. The doctor came in briskly and strangely. He was wearing a dark trench-coat and thick, oval shaped sunglasses. He looked somewhere between a scientist, a psychologist and madman.

He sat in front of Sillan coldly and then gazed back at him. Sillan raised his head slowly; partially between amazement at how this figure could emerge out of nowhere (in regards to the usual Federation types) and how he was even a real person at all. He gazed into Sillan strangely for a little while longer. The doctor looked back at the one-way-mirror.

"A lunerian!" He said suddenly and abruptly, looking like he had reached a conclusion about something.

Sillan looked back.

"Why in the galaxy would The Federation employ someone who looked like an actual mad-scientist?" Sillan wondered.

"Do you need something from me?" Sillan asked calmly.

"We here with The Federation would like to learn more about that precious Lunerian DNA and technology..."

"Huh..." Sillan replied.

"I've always been fascinated by the technology of The Lunerians..."

"It's some of the most advanced in The Galaxy..." Sillan replied.

"Can you tell me more about the gestation process of your Lunerian Biological Technology?”

Sillan already knew where this was going.

"You know you could probably just call Alpha-Central..." Sillan replied.

"There are no secrets among Lunerians..." Sillan continued. "All of our research and technology is available to the general galactic-public. Many of our libraries conta-

"Yes!" Dr. Fendrad replied.

"My name is doctor Fendrad," he said out of nowhere. "I am a clinical-psychologist under the employ of The Second Branch of the Federation Special Safety Initiative Board.”

“That was a strange time to say that…” Sillan replied. “We’ve been talking for a minute now.”

"Oh yeah..." Said Sillan, leaning back in his interrogation chair. "That..."

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This was the first time in the greater galaxy that Kevin had met an android. She was remarkably tall and remarkably beautiful. Her skill in combat had blown Kevin's mind; even if the man in the black mask seemed untouchable. Kevin was ready for anything.

"Sillan is your boyfriend?" Kevin asked.

They were now both sitting on opposite ends of a metal dining table.

"He is my boyfriend," she explained without batting an eye. "Can you tell me where he and Spaceship Ksenia are!"

"I heard you stole his old ship...a ship of the gods!" Kevin insisted, leaning back in his chair (while holding Earth Hammer) and trying to imagine he was Han Solo.

"That isn't what happened!" She replied.

She gazed down at her own waist and very gracefully looked at the parts of her that were organic and technological. She brushed her long blue hair aside and continued to look back at Kevin with urgency and sincerity.

"Spaceship Ksenia was destroyed!" Kevin began to explain, not sure how to deliver the bad news. "But Sillan is still alive, obviously..."

"Where is he!?"

"He was taken in by The Federation, by a very specific individual...I don't know what happened after that..."

"Who are you!" She insisted. "Why are you located in one of Sillan's outposts?!"

"Who are you?!" Kevin retorted.

"My name is Savanartha," she explained. "I'm Sillan's girlfriend."

"My name is Kevin," Kevin explained. "I'm from Old Casadasius."

"You're from Old Casadasius!?"

"Correct..."

"What are you doing out here?! You should be on your little closed-off world, ignorant of everything else!"

"Well...I'm not!" Kevin explained. “I’m here like you.”

"Fair enough..." She replied, looking impressed. "How do you know my boyfriend!?"

"He rescued me," Kevin explained.

Kevin started to think about the very words that had come out of his mouth. This was the first time he conceptualized Sillan's sudden appearance on Earth as a "rescue."

"But wasn't it..." He thought.

"He rescued you?" She insisted.

"He was hired by The Vend to take me off planet...."

"To do what?"

"To get my DNA to The Illawayan and extract information from it."

"The Illawayan?!"

Kevin thought long and hard about this conversation (at this moment.) The UDF was the most secret among secrets; and the information Kevin now had was universe sized in terms of importance. Who could he trust?

"What could possibly be that important for The Illawayan to be involved?" She asked.

Kevin thought about just telling her everything. If this was really Sillan's girlfriend; couldn't he trust her? Kevin was deeply unsure about what to do.

"How about we just go to Sillan and he'll just tell you the rest?" Kevin replied.

Savanartha's eyes flashed in a way that were both deeply empathetic and mechanical at the same time. It was like watching a computer that ran on love. A litany of philosophical questions sprang up in his mind. He could see (in her deep-blue eyes), that, unmistakably, her love for Sillan was just as strong as any other love, if not stronger.

"Where is he exactly?" She asked.

"He was arrested by Lylan Afee...a general of The Federation. He is most likely being held on her ship. Or some other Federation base or vessel."

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Sillan gazed back at Dr. Fendrad. He was ready for the inevitable moment when the doctor’s kind facade would give way (once his true goal became clear). It was becoming obvious that, at this point, The Federation (or at least someone within it) was really after his Lunerian technology.

It wasn't entirely true that all Lunerian technology was on free display to the rest of the galaxy. Only the outer, superficial concepts were available to the general public. The heart of Lunerian Integrated DNA Nano-Technology was deeply rooted in the spiritual traditions of Luneris; and were something Sillan didn't entirely understand himself.

He missed his tattoos deeply now.

"I understand you are 742 years old?" Dr. Fendrad asked with eager eyes.

"Correct," Sillan replied.

"The oldest person in The Federation is only one-hundred and seventy years old..." He replied. "How remarkable."

"Well...it is," said Sillan. "You know there are some isolated alien races in the galaxy that live even longer."

"That's just a theory," Dr. Fendrad insisted.

Sillan already knew that wasn’t true.

"I'll be honest," Dr. Fendrad explained. "I've already checked with every single Lunerian data-base."

This was the moment now. Dr. Fendrad’s lust for new technology would overtake his fake demeanor.

"And?" Sillan replied, lifting a hand in a gesture that probably didn't translate to Fendrad.

"And we still can't figure anything out!" The doctor said.

"Hmm..."

"All the ideas are there...completely there," he continued. "But we haven't been able to get a single use out of our own experiments."

"What did you try?" Sillan replied, leaning back in his chair.

"It's the facial tattoos..."

This was the moment.

"The gestation period is considerably longer than any biological technology The Federation uses..." Sillan replied.

"Yes…" The doctor replied. "We tested them on genetically aged test subjects."

Sillan already knew why that was wrong.

"And?"

"And the technology only functioned on a superficial level. The seeds planted at gestation became activated at the right age; but the biological, neurological and psychic benefits were considerably less than those observed on Lunerians."

Sillan knew why this was. The technology of the Lunerians worked because it was just as much spiritual and connected to the order of the universe; with the man-made aspects (no matter how advanced the technology) being only half the picture.

Dr. Fendrad wouldn't be able to make anything more advanced that what The Federation could already make.

"So what am I missing here Sillan?!" He insisted.

"You are going to use me being captive here as a way to get your hands on Lunerian secrets?"

Doctor Fendrad looked surprised and then eased back into his chair. He crossed both his arms and looked like he was calculating something.

"You were arrested for violating the under dev-

Sillan slammed his fist on the metal interrogation table; sending the doctors pen flying. Dr. Fendrad looked surprised again and then looked back at Sillan.

"Don't you want to help the Federation?" He asked Sillan.

"Help The Federation do what?" Sillan replied.

The doctor didn't look sure he knew what to say.

"What's the point of just accumulating greater and greater technology if you're not going to do anything truly special with it?" Sillan insisted.

"I'm not sure that's what we are doing..."

"You are..."

"Here is the deal Sillan," the doctor said, leaning forwards into the table and taking on a dark and elemental appearance.

Sillan looked unaffected.

"The Ishmaru are rapidly building weapons and we don't know how they even discovered them…"

"Oh..." Sillan replied.

"It won't be long before they are able to outmatch The Federation. They are already closing in on the outer-systems and our territory is starting to noticeably weaken; at least on it's edges...for now."

"So you want Lunerian technology so you can make a bunch of super-soldiers and ultra-powerful lasers?

"Yes...can you imagine what would happen if The Federation collapses."

"I've seen worse," Sillan said. "That's not what Lunerian technology is for. How do you think we got so advanced? It's because we know how-to live-in-harmony with the galaxy."

Dr. Fendrad looked like he wasn't very familiar with such a concept.

"No matter how hard you try..." Sillan continued. "If you don't learn how-to live-in-harmony with the galaxy; you'll never become that powerful. I don't know what the hell The Ishmaru think they are doing; but you'll see why they are stupid."

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"So how did you and Sillan meet?" Kevin asked Savanartha as they continued to sit across from each other.

"It appears you don't trust me and are quizzing me for authenticity," she replied.

Something mechanical and technological happened in her eyes.

"And?" Kevin said

"I'm the reason they call Sillan a 'Ksenia," she explained. "His life changed a lot when we first fell in love. He was already heading towards being labeled one. It's so rare among The Lunerians."

"Did you meet him when he was doing errands for The Gods?" Kevin asked.

"That is not the appropriate-way-to-phrase-that...” Savanartha said, sounding like a computer for a moment. “But yes.”

"How did you meet?"

"The short story is that he charmed me and took me for a ride in The Radnarand."

"His ship of the gods?"

"Yes."

"What's the long story?"

"He was on the run in The Radnarand," she explained. "Someone put him in a position where he was accused of destroying a planet. It was ridiculous."

"Planet Chenvast?"

"Correct...I guess he told you then. That was such a stupid name for a planet."

"How did that happen?"

“Is this getting me any closer to seeing Sillan?!” She insisted.

“Just answer the question,” Kevin replied.

“The Ishmaru were doing some incredibly reckless asteroid mining around the planet. At the same time; Sillan was conducting tests with his bolan-Crec technology. They ended up destroying the planet while Sillan just happened to be in orbit around it. The Ishmaru used him as an excuse; it was on the galactic news.”

“And that’s why Galawan hates him?”

“Correct; he is still being harassed by that Galawan weirdo?”

“I’ve seen him twice now.”

“Sounds like you and Sillan have been up to a lot.”

Kevin still wasn’t sure how much he should tell her.

“How do-

“Look!” Savanartha interrupted. “This line of conversation could go on forever. Please take me to Sillan!”

“How did you get here?” Kevin asked.

“Why would-

“Let’s start from where we are,” Kevin interrupted, suddenly having an idea. “And we will work from there.”

Dr. Fendrad had left Sillan alone in the interrogation room. Sillan sat for a long time; staring back at the one-way-mirror and wondering who was on the other side. Eventually he was returned to the cafeteria for lunch.

The man with green skin and red hair sat across from him. He was slowly eating away at a variety of different colored protein gels on his plate.

“Are these good?” He asked Sillan, finally breaking his usually silent demeanor.

“I’m not sure…” Sillan replied.

The both sat quietly for a moment.

“I’m sorry…” Sillan said, looking fascinated. “But where could you possibly be from?”

“Nowhere you have been…” He replied.

“I can’t believe that…” Sillan replied. “I’ve been everywhere!”

“You sure?” He replied as some gelatin landed back on his tray. He looked like he had a memory that almost looked like a trauma; but the experience was something very profound.

“What is your name?” Sillan insisted.

The man looked like he was thinking about a variety of important things.

“My name is Hasidd,” he finally said.

“Why does that sound familiar?” Sillan asked.

“You wanna’ see something cool?” Replied Hasidd. “Wanna’ see some Fen Fen CYLOO?”

“Okay?” Sillan replied, suddenly hearing his own language.

Hasidd slowly stood up, pushed his tray towards the middle of the table, collected himself (in a respectable manner), and then started to walk to the door (and the two armed guards there). He walked over confidently, waved at both of them and then walked into the locked door. It shot open instantly and Hasidd casually strolled away. The two guards were completely unaffected and continued to stand there as if nothing had happened.

“Whaaat…” Sillan said out loud.

Sillan sat in disbelief for a minute. Eventually Hasidd came back in and promptly sat back in front of Sillan.

“What the Fen did you just do?” Sillan insisted. “They didn’t even care.”

“Like I said Sillan,” he continued. “You haven’t been everywhere.”

Sillan started to weigh the possibility that Hasidd was actually with The Federation; and was just trying to trick Sillan. That possibility sounded wrong, however. Why would they try such a stupid trick? No one would fall for that.

“I am not bound to this world,” Hasidd began to explain. “…to any world for that matter. I can come and go as I please; and no one will stop me.”

“Prove it again!” Sillan insisted.

“Okay…”

Savanartha had come to the asteroid mine mostly by chance. She was in the Enlo region of space; preparing to get an upgrade on various aspects of her android body. It didn’t take too long for her to pick up (on The Radnarand) the signal from spaceship Ksenia and the warp that had occurred. Assuming it was Sillan in distress she departed for the Ishmaru asteroid mine immediately. She docked the Radnarand at the nearest entry point (towards the signal) and then blasted her way in.

Her sensors had picked up at least four life forms (plus the strange signal that had come from the space-demons). She cautiously found her way to the floor above the signals, and then blasted her way downwards towards the kitchen Kevin was in. She was surprised Sillan was not there at all.

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“That’s how you got in here?” Kevin asked.

“Yes!” She replied, gazing out into space.

Kevin could see space and the stars reflect in her eyes the same way they did in Sillan’s eyes.

They were now sitting in the piloting module of The Radnarand. They sat across from each-other. Kevin quickly realized why it was a ship of the gods. From the outside, the entire ship was golden. Not the gold of Earth (although it could be described that way). It was the gold of the Milky Way.

“How are we going to find Sillan?” Kevin asked. “How would we know where Lylan’s ship went to?”

Savanartha looked like she was processing a lot of information all at once (while also looking like she was thinking normally with her brain).

“You were outside the atmosphere of Enlo when Sillan was arrested?”

“Correct,” Kevin replied, looking at Earth Hammer.

“Well then I have an idea!”