Looking Glass: Glass Trilogy, #3

1

Far North Queensland, Australia

~30,000 B.C.

The northernmost reaches of ancient Australia baked under a hot sun. Where the patterns of rainfall allowed, the land steamed under a layer of thick, humid air. Long stretches of tropical rainforest intermixed with tall gums and other flowering trees made the landscape a primal jungle of aggressive plants and animals, each seeking to survive in a hostile world. A roar, loud enough to make the leaves shake, blasted through the foliage, shortly followed by a high-pitched scream of a terrorised, dying creature.

A river ran through the rainforest, rushing and tumbling over water-smoothed rocks in its upper reaches, flowing slowly and widening as it reached the coastal plains. Oily water rippled softly, parting as the armoured head of a large crocodile rose above the surface of a slime green backwater next to the outer perimeter of the forest. Cold reptilian eyes scanned the muddy banks of the river and the small mob of short-faced kangaroos milling nervously near the water in the hot afternoon sun. The crocodile sank imperceptibly, a lazy flick of its tail moving it closer to the riverbank.

Massive, six-foot tall reddish brown kangaroos moved toward the water's edge, impelled by a growing thirst. In spite of their great size, they were nervous, scanning the river and the dense shrubbery along its banks for predators. Females nuzzled eager youngsters back from the water, unwilling to be the first to drink. A young buck gave a bark of alarm and leaped towards the cover of a stand of paperbark trees when a shadow swept over him. The shrill cry of a fishing eagle immediately reassured him and he turned towards the river once more. Dropping onto all fours, he slowly moved down to the water and, ignoring the other kangaroos, lowered his head to drink.

A surge of water rushed over his snout, death following so closely that the young kangaroo never even registered the fact. The head and chest of the animal disappeared down a yawning gullet as teeth ripped through its hide, crushing its rib cage. The momentum of the crocodile's rush carried it halfway up the riverbank, scattering the mob of kangaroos that fled screaming and barking for the undergrowth. Lying half on the bank, the hindquarters of the kangaroo hanging from its mouth, the full size of the saurian became apparent. The young kangaroo had stood six feet on its hind legs but the head of the monster alone matched that size. The crocodile ponderously swung its forty-foot bulk, slipping back down into the water and disappearing beneath the surface with a muddy swirl. The water calmed, leaving only a few tufts of hair floating near the bank and a splash of blood congealing on the grass.

The sun edged closer to the horizon. Gradually, life returned to the riverside. A family group of diprotodons, huge cousins of the wombat, lumbered into the shallows, drinking thirstily. Smaller wallabies hopped cautiously in their wake, sipping quickly then leaping again for the relative safety of the forest. A lone thylacine drifted silently from the undergrowth to the bank, while peering suspiciously around, then it drank and faded back out of sight. The fishing eagle that had startled the young kangaroo--now past all caring--returned, circling the scene then settling onto a branch of a dead gum tree hanging over the water.

The bushes upstream from the dead tree parted and a scaly snout pushed through into the grassy clearing. The eagle turned its head, looking down with interest for a moment before returning to its grooming. The diprotodons snorted and splashed ashore, herding the youngsters away from the intruder. Black eyes gazed impassively as the huge beasts walked back into the forest. The intruder pushed through the bushes with a sinuous motion, its immense bulk held clear of the ground. The giant monitor lizard, Megalania prisca, dwarfed even its cousin to the north on the island of Komodo, reaching a length of over twenty feet. The lizard's flat head weaved from side to side; its long forked tongue flicking as it tasted the air. It made its way slowly down to the edge of the water where it drank. After a few minutes it raised its head and turned slowly, tongue flicking again. Abruptly it erupted into motion, moving swiftly up the bank. It nosed hungrily at the patch of dried kangaroo blood. Casting about, it found nothing edible and moved on down river, tasting the air, following a trail of bare packed earth that held the impression of many feet. Grassland lay in that direction.

Shrill voices chattered and screamed as Aboriginal children raced through the long grass, waving sticks as they ducked and weaved in some complex game. Motionless and unnoticed, the small figure of a young girl sat quietly on a termite mound near the edge of the grass. Pale-skinned but bronzed by the fierce sun, she was naked except for a loincloth and sun hat woven from grasses. She smiled as the children played, half wanting to join them.

Why do you not, then? A gentle thought wafted into her mind.

The girl sat still, recognising the flavour of the mind that spoke. I am no longer a child, Rima. I am twelve years old and can feel my womanhood rushing upon me. There is something I am called to do... The girl's smile faded and she turned toward the figure behind her. Although she sat on a termite mound over five feet tall, she had to turn her face up to look at her friend and protector.

Gazing back at her was a huge, hairy being. A tall, conical head with a pronounced sagittal crest sat squarely on wide shoulders and a massive torso. Long arms stretched almost to knee level on muscular legs. Small flat breasts revealed the sex of the creature despite the thick silky hair that covered the whole body and face in a wave of brown with golden highlights. Large liquid black eyes peered out of the hair, the intelligence in them obvious and comforting.

The girl grinned and stood up, throwing her arms out to balance herself. Images danced through her mind of things never seen by her but remembered all the same. Gorilla, large African primate...Bigfoot, semi-mythical creature of the American northwest...Yeti, seldom-seen primate of the high Himalayan snows...Yowie, the Australian version of Bigfoot.

How wrong they were, she thought privately, locking away her thoughts from the mind of the creature before her. They thought the yowie was a primitive, or a myth. Instead it is a creature created long ago--or rather, in years to come--for a specific purpose. The girl opened her mind: I love you Rima, she thought fiercely.

A low rumble answered her as the yowie put out a massive hand to stroke the girl's leg. What brought that on, little one?

I miss her, Rima.

The yowie patted her leg softly, nodding. Your mother loved you, child. I believe she still does and will find a way to come for you. You were everything to her, her whole world. That is why you were named Gaia. Rima chuckled softly. She had to explain that to me.

I can remember her, you know, although I was only a baby. Her mind was open to me and I can recall everything she knew. Gaia grinned suddenly. Even why she still calls you 'Cindy', despite you having a name of your own, a name of your people.

Rima shook her massive head, her silky hair swirling around her head like a cyclone. That was the first time I came face to face with humans. I liked her. The yowie glanced up at the sun dipping behind the low hills. We must go back. It is late.

Gaia nodded and held out her arms. Catch me then! She bunched her legs to leap off the termite mound then hesitated. She dropped her arms and half turned toward the river. "Hunger, she murmured. Great hunger and coming swiftly." Gaia turned back to the yowie with an urgent expression on her face. Go, Rima. Quickly! Chase the children toward the camp. The great goanna comes.

Rima nodded and dropped into a crouch, her long arms reaching forward as she flowed into a ground-covering gallop toward the playing children. She roared inarticulately, her mind hurling unheard warnings to the Aboriginal children ahead of her. They looked up at her approach and ran screaming, then turned and raced around her, laughing and throwing clumps of dirt and grass. Rima! Rima! they chanted as the yowie turned and weaved, trying to chase them away from the river.

A small boy, clothed only in a broad grin, ran close to the scrub leading down to the river. As he neared them a brown avalanche hurled itself at him, long jaws agape, saliva trailing in thick ropes. The boy screamed and fell over, his legs tangling as the giant monitor lizard raced closer.

Gaia stood atop the termite mound and watched the boy fall over. She closed her eyes, concentrating. The lizard halted abruptly, all four legs scrabbling at the dry earth, and froze in place only feet from the sobbing boy. It hissed, belching gouts of foul, saliva-specked breath. Lashing its tail in a fury, it backed up, still hissing. Suddenly it turned and raced off, its body raised and tail flying, crashing through the scrub.

Gaia opened her eyes, smiling. She jumped down as Rima ambled up with a questioning look. I made it see a bigger lizard, she grinned. It got scared and ran off.

Shouts erupted from the forest. Several Aboriginal men emerged from the trees, carrying spears and killing sticks. The children ran to them chattering excitedly, leading the still sobbing young boy.

Gaia put her hand in the giant hand of the Yowie. Come on then, Rima. You can carry me back to the village. Tjimi needs us now.

Rima frowned. How can you know that? There was no mental message.

I can feel it. Something is going to happen and we will be needed.

2

Molten rock, along with half melted machinery, twisted along the corridors and inside the great caverns of the Glass House Mountain complex. Strange, surrealistic sculptures of metal and rock now permanently decorated what was once a sterile, functional series of caves, each designed for a specific scientific purpose. The inner sanctum of the secret society that had watched over, and gently guided, mankind's development for centuries was damaged but not destroyed.

Inside one of the smaller caves that still remained functional, Dr James Hay and his wife Samantha stood behind the hunched back of a grey-skinned scientist who typed vigorously on a computer keyboard. They watched lines of data scrolling down the screen at an amazing speed. The dolphin-like scientist kept his saucer-round black eyes on the screen while he spoke in a high-pitched whistling voice that stretched some of his words into a sibilant hiss. When the yowie and Gaia tried to move through the portal ssstonesss, a backlash of incredible energy sssurged through with them. The portal wasss flooded not only with our own power sssource from the Earth's mantle but with titanic energiesss from the Vox Dei machine your sssister built, Msss. Sssamantha.

The scientist glanced up at Sam's strained face and attempted a smile. The result was a split in his face that converted most of the lower half into a chinless monstrosity--full of peg-like teeth and thin-lipped. When Sam flinched and responded with a wan uplift of her lips, Dr Xanatuo took that as encouragement and continued with his analysis, content that he was comforting the mother of Gaia, the one they sought.

The combined power sssent them both back to a point in time that drew them like a magnet. He tried to scratch his bald head with a long, clawed finger but succeeded in missing the spot altogether. How can I explain thisss to humansss? he murmured while trying to reach the spot again.

Sam reached over and gently scratched the top of his head while she asked, We don't need to understand the why or how, doctor. We just need to know if we can either return her here or go back there too. We must find our daughter. Her hand froze on the last words and her voice came out choked and strained.

Xanatuo reached up and patted the hand still resting on top of his head. There, there, my dear, we will find her. Ressst assured we are doing all we can. In fact, we do have great newsss for you. His round eyes stared up at James and Sam without emotion but the dolphin grin was back on his face.

What? James asked, aware that his heart was racing.

A rock painting wasss dissscovered on the Atherton Tableland of a young girl, apparently with yellow hair, and a large hairy monssster being attacked by evil ssspiritsss, the Quinkan. Thisss isss believed to be Gaia and Rima. The doctor continued to stare at them, clearly waiting for some response.

James sat down heavily on a chair, staring at the scientist. Sam looked puzzled. How can you possibly think it is Gaia? she said. My baby is just that...a baby, not a girl.

That isss true, lady, but the coinsssidensssesss are interesssting.

James got to his feet again, his face tight. He towered over the seated grey, staring into his face. This had better be good. I don't appreciate anyone getting our hopes up, only to dash them because of some fanciful notion. He gripped his wife's arm and added, We've had too much of that already in the last six months.

Dr Xanatuo looked up at him calmly. Very well then, doctor...lady. Pleassse be ssseated. He stood, turned and folded long-fingered hands into the wide sleeves of his white robe and took a deep breath. He stood looking at them as they slowly retreated to two office chairs. When he felt the couple was giving him their undivided attention, he donned his teacher's demeanour and began the lecture in the simplest terms he could think of.

Firssst, yellow isss a very rare colour usssed in rock paintingsss. The pigmentsss are difficult to obtain and are only usssed in paintingsss of great sssignificanssse. We know from your genetic makeup that your daughter hasss an eighty-ssseven per sssent chanssse of inheriting blond hair.

Yes, doctor, we know all this, James retorted with barely concealed irritation in his voice. His grey eyes bored into the smooth face of the scientist with an angry stare.

The grey smiled thinly as he continued. Sssecond, the monssster in the painting can only be a yowie. There isss nothing elssse in Aboriginal legend that would fit. He paused, enjoying the expectant look on the faces of the humans. But yowiesss were created only resssently, by the sssame people who created this fasssility. They did not exissst in prehistory.

I'm getting very tired of this pompous ass of a mutant treating us like we're imbecilic children, James thought just before he opened his mouth to protest.

But my baby...how could she ...? Sam began, cutting him off before he could start another argument with the creature that was trying to help them find their daughter.

Lassst, the time frame, Dr Xanatuo interrupted her, oblivious to the human's growing anger at his lecture. The pigmentsss were analysssed, carbon-dated usssing sssertain refinementsss. We also applied thermoluminesssenssse techniquesss. The datesss are in close agreement. Thossse picturesss were painted approxssimately thirty-two thousssand yearsss ago, give or take five hundred yearsss.

Dr Xanatuo held up his hand to preempt James's and Sam's attempts to interrupt his statement. We have alssso calculated very carefully the power sssurge that made the two of them disssappear. Basssed on their known masssesss, the energy involved, resssearch into the archivesss and our theoriesss on ssspace-time topologiesss, we can be sssertain they went back thirty-one thousssand nine hundred and four yearsss.

The grey opened his mouth wide in a feral grin, displaying his rows of peg-like teeth, sure that the humans would finally appreciate his great intellect and the information he now had to give them. Taking all thessse factorsss into account we are tolerably sssertain your daughter sssurvived to become a young girl.

Sam felt stunned, unsure whether to rejoice or wait until the doctor finished his speech. Finally, a fragment of what the doctor said grabbed hold of her mind and stopped all thought for a moment. A young girl? she thought, while trying to wrap her mind around the alien image of her baby as a young girl.

James shifted in his seat. You said these two images were threatened by Quinkan?

Yesss. That isss an interesssting point. Asss you may know, the Quinkan are an Aboriginal embodiment of evil in the environment. They are believed to be mythological thin black beingsss who live in crevisssesss and cracksss in rocksss. They come out to caussse missschief and harm. Dr Xanatuo wrinkled his impressive expanse of forehead. It isss difficult to imagine thessse as real, however, unlesss they are the sssame thingsss asss the shadow beingsss you encountered. However, asss they did not exissst back then, it isss more likely they represssent sssome generalisssed threat. They were uncivilisssed timesss.

Sam raised her stricken face. Then she could be in danger and we sit here doing nothing. The fiery red of her hair became a stark contrast to the paleness of her face. She stood up suddenly. You stand there prattling on about your scientific discoveries, about how you think this and believe that, and all the time my baby, my Gaia, is in danger... her voice rose in pitch and volume, ...and you bloody well do nothing!

Xanatuo took a step back. His thin neck vibrated with shock and membranes flicked across his large dark eyes. Lady, pleassse, control yourssself. We are mindful of your emotional ssstate and we are working asss fassst asss we can. We have a meeting thisss afternoon of all conssserned partiesss. We promissse you we will alleviate your consssernsss. We will be outlining exactly what we can do then, if you wish, we can sssend you back to find her.

Sam's mouth remained open and she exhaled the breath she had drawn for another angry outburst. James stood and came to her side, gripping her arm tightly.

Send us back? You can actually send us back?

Marc Lachlan stood by a pair of large French windows, gazing out into the night. A black, forbidding forest of pine trees pressed close around the cabin nestled between rocky spurs in the Colorado Rockies. He shivered slightly, watching dark shadows flicker and sway as the breeze moved the pine branches, occluding the light of the waning moon.

He could feel the tight muscles under his skin crawl with an unfocused dread. So much for being a big tough guy, he thought while watching what was left of the moonlight dim into more shadows, sending his six foot two frame shivering again.

A feminine voice, soft but insistent, insinuated itself into his mind. Marc, my sweet hunk. Are you all right?

He turned sharply, knowing even as he did so that the room was empty. A low log fire cast a dull red glow over the gleaming wood floors, overstuffed furniture and bookcases. He stepped rapidly to the open door between the living room and the kitchen, calling out as he did so. Andi, I wish you wouldn't do that. You know it makes me feel uncomfortable.

A feeling of amusement swept over him. That's not what you said last night. Let me see...if memory serves...'Oh, God, I feel part of you, I can feel you from both...'

Andi, please! Marc cried out. That's only for us. He concentrated his thoughts. Andi. Those are intimate things, between the two of us, when we're together. Anyone could be listening. I mean, anyone who...

Oh, Marc. I've told you before. I can direct my thoughts to you alone. Not even my sister Sam can hear us and she's much better at this than I am. A figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Andi, his wife of three months, tall, long-legged, with the dusky dark looks that made his heart pound every time he saw her, stood majestically at the head of the staircase to his right. She smiled down at him, her green eyes flashing as they captured the firelight. The moment stood still while he gazed up at her and wondered, not for the first time, why she loved him.

Her smile widened with a mysterious uplifting of her lips. Then she glided down the stairs and threw her arms around him before kissing him lightly on the lips. I love you because you're the right man for me, even if it did take a mountain blowing up and my near death to realise it, she whispered in his ear.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, snuggled his head into her neck and nuzzled her ear before nipping it lightly with his teeth. When she squealed and pulled back, he said, That's for invading my mind again, you minx.

She laughed and stepped into his arms again. I'm sorry, darling. But it's such a useful trick and I need to practice.

Well, you can practice with your sister. Speaking of whom, how is she these days? Any word of Gaia?

Andi's smile slipped. She shook her head and stepped back. Not until today. I've been trying to contact her mentally of course, but for some reason I haven't been able to get through. She reached into a back pocket of her jeans. Then this arrived.

You didn't tell me a letter came. What does it say?

You were out walking when it arrived. I've been reading and re-reading it. It's not so much what she says as what she doesn't say. Here, see for yourself. She handed the plain white envelope to him.

Marc took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it. Moving over to the lamp beside his favourite recliner chair, he rapidly scanned the single page of writing.

Hmm. She sends her love...they've met up with Nathan and Ratana again...going into the Glass House Mountains...come to North Queensland immediately. She even gives exact latitude and longitude. He flipped the sheet of paper over, glanced at the blank back then peered at the postmark on the envelope. Odd. There's no name of the post office, only a date and a year, '1770'.

It's not a year; it's a place in Queensland. Apparently there's a small town called 1770 near the Glass House Mountains. It's just where it was posted from.

Marc grinned. Why am I not surprised? Australia's full of weird animals, odd things in the rainforests and unpronounceable names. In fact, 1770 is refreshingly ordinary.

The map reference is for a spot on the Atherton Tableland, just inland from Cairns in North Queensland. I looked it up in the atlas. Of course, I couldn't tell exactly where but we can look it up on a decent map when we get there. In spite of the casually spoken words, her face was serious and unsmiling.

When we...we're going to Australia? When did you decide this?

I must go, Marc. There's something not quite right. Sam's overwhelming concern at the moment is finding Gaia. In all the conversations and letters I've had with her over the last six months, she's talked of little else. Then I get this terse note asking us to go to some out-of-the-way spot, without any explanation or mention of Gaia. I'm worried, Marc. I've got to go. Andi reached out to Marc. I'm hoping you'll come with me.

Marc smiled wryly. You don't imagine I'm letting you out of my sight, do you? Of course I'm coming with you. He frowned. Not that I'm particularly looking forward to going into the Australian bush again. I had some bad experiences there.

I know you were there when Sam and James first met. Sam told me about the trip as far as the Glass House Mountains but said I had to ask you about the rest of it. You always said there wasn't much to tell, she stated with an expectant unspoken question woven within the words.

Marc fidgeted and looked away. I wasn't completely honest about that, Andi. I forgot the details for a while but I gradually remembered. I know I saw creatures in the Australian forests that are not supposed to exist. Yowies, and lake monsters, though I didn't actually see one of the latter. The others say they did and I believe them. He turned back to Andi, gripping her hands and looking earnestly into her eyes. It was only when you went to work for Morgan on that project in California that it all came back to me. That's why I know you saw those horrible shadow things and that incredible thunderbird.

Andi smiled and hugged Marc tightly. And knowing these things exist you're still willing to get involved again? No wonder I love you, mister.

Yeah, well...I always had more guts than sense, even when I'm scared shitless.

3

Dr James Hay and his wife Samantha hurried along a sterile-looking passageway deep within the Glass House Mountains. Despite months of feverish work to restore the complex, there were still many signs of the enormous and destructive energies that had ripped through the installation when the Vox Dei machine had been turned on them. In places, the very granite of the walls had melted, flowed, and now lay in weird congealed shapes around burnt out machinery of uncertain origins.

Ahead of the pair of humans scampered a small grey technician, his short legs twinkling as he hurried the humans along. Every few seconds he turned his round grey head with its huge black almond-shaped eyes to reassure himself that they were following. The Grey beckoned again then pointed at a doorway set into a relatively unscarred section of the wall. He bowed then raced back the way he came.

James stopped outside the door to catch his breath before entering. Sam patted her long, red hair and smoothed her pantsuit. I wish they'd given me a chance to tidy up first, she muttered. What's this meeting about anyway?

Search me, replied James. All I know is our immediate presence was requested. He ran a hand over his hair and took a deep breath. Come on then, love. Let's see what's up. It might be to do with Gaia and sending us back to find her.

The room they entered seemed small at first glance, despite the number of people in it. James looked around at the mass of people and realised the lack of size was due more to the crowding rather than the actual dimensions. The room itself, James now saw, stretched over fifty metres in length and about half that in width. The ceiling soared above him, lost in darkness above the soft glow of suspended lights. Rows of seats stretched across the room, facing a raised podium with a large table and several chairs. A whiteboard ran behind most of the podium. To the right of the table and chairs stood a row of seats turned slightly away from the table and facing the audience.

Most of the seats were occupied and the faces he saw there immediately grabbed James's attention. Seated at the far left of the table was a pair of young Aborigines whose presence at once brought a smile to James's face.

Nathan sat relaxed in a comfortable looking swivel chair, his legs stuck out in front of him. He played with a pencil on the table in front of him; his repetitive motions the only sign of stress he displayed. His wife Ratana sat stoically, waiting to see what happened.

Two empty seats separated Ratana from the only other person seated at the table. Dr Xanatuo sat, back into a ramrod straight posture, hands folded primly in his lap, facing out into the room. James took the opportunity to study the scientist for the first time, despite his earlier discussion with the being. He was used to the small grey technicians who scurried around the complex, performing the many scientific tasks of the community. The small Greys resembled nothing so much as the archetypal 'alien' of UFO abduction scenarios. The figure seated at the table resembled them, but only as a humpback whale resembles a dolphin. The skin was grey and the head swollen, bulging out in front like the domed prow of a cetacean, the eyes large, black with no whites showing, and slanted. The mouth differed markedly from the small Greys, however. Instead of small slits, rarely opened in speech, the wide lipless slash of mouth stretched across his face. James shuddered involuntarily when he recalled the rows of peg-like teeth that flashed when Xanatuo spoke. A long, mobile tongue flicked over the teeth, speaking English when required with an easy facility, though marred by an annoying, if slightly amusing, sibilance, a drawing out of the 's' sounds. The scientist was tall, with long, spindly limbs and, when he moved, showed his dolphin ancestry in the flowing way in which his skin rippled beneath a pristine white laboratory smock.

Standing beside Xanatuo was a tall, old, Aboriginal man, his once-black hair and beard now greying. He stood with a stoop, clothed incongruously in a tee shirt, shorts and battered sneakers. James nudged Sam and inclined his head.

It's Ernie, he murmured with delight. Damn, it's good to see him again.

His voice reverberated through the silent room and James suddenly became aware of the audience when a sea of unfamiliar faces turned in his direction. He flushed and stood uncertainly, enduring the scrutiny of a host of human, near-human and alien-looking beings. The majority of the faces turned toward Sam and James displayed receding jaws, with large overhanging eye ridges and sharply sloping foreheads. Despite the experiences of the last year, James still felt his heart race at the sight of genuine Neanderthal men and women. Scattered through the white upturned faces of the 'cavemen' were several Greys and a few other, stranger beings. Against one wall lounged a restless, moving mountain of hair. Several yowies, the eight to ten-foot tall, gorilla-like beings specially created by the Neanderthal genetic program, turned their huge heads toward them. Intelligence glowed in their eyes, belying the fearsome aspects of huge size, muscled bodies and protruding canine teeth. A wash of interest swept over James's mind as they stared at him.

Ah, Dr Hay, said Ernie. If you and Samantha would care to join us up here, he gestured at empty chairs at the table, We can start this meeting.

An amused voice drifted into James' mind. I had not realised my temporary identity as Ernie the tracker would have such a lasting effect on your memory, Aparrerinja. To make it easier for you, I will once more adopt this identity.

James felt all eyes on them as he and Sam walked up the aisle, up the few steps, and onto the raised podium. He held a chair for Sam then sat down himself. James nodded and smiled at Ratana, while quickly shaking Nathan's hand. He leaned back when Ernie started talking again.

Friends, he started, addressing the audience, I asked you here for an important reason. Most of you have heard of Dr Hay and his wife Samantha Louis. He nodded at the two. They were central to the events of the last few months. I and the Council gathered here today felt you deserved to meet them and to hear for yourselves what we've decided.

James felt hot blood rush to his cheeks again and saw that Sam was also in the throes of embarrassment. He was used to public speaking but to be the focus of so much un-human attention was distinctly unsettling. He forced his attention back to Ernie's speech.

...as Chairperson of the Council, Garagh. The familiar figure of Garagh, the Neanderthal leader reputed to be older than Methuselah, smiled and sat down again. Next to him is the Head of Physical Sciences, Dr Qerentuo. A tall Grey, showing the same dolphin-like features as Xanatuo, stood up and nodded at the audience before folding his long limbs into the chair again. Dr Fssthtok represents Biological Sciences. A small furry humanoid rose gracefully and inclined its head toward the audience, then toward the table before sitting down.

James knew of the incredible genetic manipulation programs that took place in this complex and probably in many others around the world.