~ Chapel Perilous ~

[Malaclypse 666]

Baffin System:

A chime sounded on the bridge of the TAZ-Mal. Malaclypse walked to the Nav display and saw the signature of a large pirate vessel near the Coronado jumphole. In a few seconds, the vessel's ID was confirmed, and Mal pressed a button which squirted his own ID and coordinates to the ship.

"Well, Shaman, it is time you learned how to cure your people. You would have discovered the truth eventually, but your tribe has suffered this indignity long enough. Here it ends."

Malaclypse took the lift to the lowest deck, where his crew was preparing a connection to a long flexible passageway which extended from the small planetoid below them. The tube was just being pressurized when a red light on another airlock indicated that it was being cycled from the exterior of the ship.

Mal walked to the airlock, and waited as the pressure inside equalized. When the indicator flashed green, he activated the inner door, and prepared to greet his guest.

A tall man emerged from the airlock. His vacsuit was emblazoned with sigils and designs in bright colors, reminiscent of petrographs from old Terra. The young man removed his helmet, revealing a dark, chiseled face. The Shaman's hair was long, with braids interspersed with beads which appeared to be made of turquoise and bone.

Mal extended his hand in greeting. The Shaman did not take it in the regular fashion; instead gripping Mal's forearm from the inside. Mal hurriedly duplicated the grip, and the Shaman smiled and nodded.

"You anticipated my arrival." said the Nayehiya medicine man. "I am Ganagati. Thank you for the gift of small fish. They must come from a very magickal place, sir."

Malaclypse smiled in return. "Indeed they do, Shaman. And we will waste no time. You will not require your helmet for this short journey. The answer you seek is located just below us, inside what appears to be a small moon. He led the way to a small hatch in the floor of the ship. "This is the enjoyable part. The moon's weak gravity pull will take us downward to the interior of the moon. Be prepared for an amazing sight."

The two men stepped into the hatchway, and began their descent. Slowly at first, but increasing slightly in speed as they reached the surface of the body, and then continued to drop several hundred meters more through the "crust" of the moonlet.

Ganagati's eyes opened wide in amazement as they finally dropped into the vast hollow interior of the body. The two men continued to descend slowly towards the center of the moonlet. To all sides, the interior of the chamber was completely covered with immense crystalline spires.

"I discovered this incredible place almost six months ago, Shaman. I have been fascinated with the Baffin system ever since I discovered the "Scrubbies" which live in the nearby Ellsmere Ice field. Those creatures have the unique ability to consume inorganic, sometimes toxic and radioactive materials, and to transform them into gases and organic substances which sustain human life. In essence, they are self-contained "terraforming" machines."

"So I have discovered." nodded the Shaman. "But that does not account for their miraculous ability to ease suffering and alleviate the symptoms of disease, Malaclypse. How do you explain that?"

"Let me digress once more. When I first began to study these "Scrubbies", I noticed that they frequented this place thru a small fissure in the surface of the moonlet. I spent weeks excavating a larger passage to follow them. That is how I discovered what we now call the "Goddess' Geode".

"We have no idea how this place was formed.. perhaps in some ancient stellar event of the nearby yellow dwarf sun. This chamber is some five kilometers wide. Once I had widened an opening into it, the Scrubbies started to come here in droves from the nearby ice cloud; so I moved my studies inside as well. As more and more Scrubbies frequented the interior, the atmosphere became breatheable."

By this time, the two men were approaching the center of the chamber. Below them they could see dozens of men working on a smaller sphere, perhaps 50 meters in diameter. Surprisingly, the sphere was constructed completely of wood. No metal or synthetic materials could be seen.

Malaclypse continued, "I spent several weeks here studying the Scrubbies. During that time, I began to notice some physical changes in my body. In the past, I was troubled with mild arthritis, some prostate problems, and complications from a rather severe knee injury. These problems have completely disappeared."

Malaclypse noticed that the Shaman had closed his eyes, and seemed to be in an almost trance-like state. Eventually he spoke. "There is.. magick here. I can feel great positive forces at work. There is a connection here to "All That Is". I do not know how better to describe it."

"Yes," agreed Malaclypse. "Somehow, these great quartzine crystals function as an amplifier. Ancient mystics on earth posited the presence of cosmic energies.. "Orgone", "Chi", "Kundalini", "Serpent Power".. it was known by many names. We think that the crystals serve to focus this energy here at the exact center of the geode."

"So. The 'scrubbies' absorb a part of this energy, acting as a sort of 'battery' to store the energy," said Ganagati. "But they are not the source. I see now why they are not the final answer for our plague sufferers."

"That is correct, Shaman. You must bring your afflicted people here. All of them who suffer. This central facility will be completed in a matter of days. They will stay here for several weeks. We believe that the 'Chi' focused here will cure them completely of the virus that causes the plague.

"The TAZ now owns Baffin System, and all it contains. We offer our hospitality and resources to the Nayehiya people, who were once the sole human inhabitants of this Sector. You deserve no less."

Tears streamed from the eyes of Ganagati. He clumsily 'swam' to Malaclypse, and hugged him fiercely to his breast. "I do not know how to repay your generosity, Malaclypse. I will contact my Principal Chief immediately, and we will begin plans to transfer our afflicted from Montezuma. Thank you!"

Embarrased, Malaclypse continued, "There is more, Shaman. Do you know what 'DNA' is? Well, those of us who have spent a prolonged time in the Geode have also experienced another physical change. Instead of the normal 12 DNA pairs humans have had since our inception, we seem to be developing extra strands. If you are willing, I would have you visit here often. You have proven your intelligence, and your connection to the "Spirits", if you will. I invite you to partake of this 'mutation'.. to help us study its course and effect on humanity.

"This aspect of the Geode's power must be kept a secret for now, even from your own Leaders and people, until it can be investigated and understood. Agreed?"

Ganagati hesitated a long moment, but his training as a healer and scientist finally prevailed. "Agreed, sir. I will visit whenever I can. I will join you in this quest for knowledge."

"Excellent! Well, we both have much work to do then!" Mal handed the Shaman a harness. "We must attach to that cable yonder for the journey out. It will take ten minutes or so; but I never tire of the view. Shall we?"

The two men began their ascent to the surface, and to a new future.

((ooc: My thanks to Ophiuchi for his collaboration. Mal.))

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