Hogla-Krazu E-Book

Namor Glofre

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 608

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

In the year 2129, people lead a modern life full of conveniences. But the seemingly harmonized states are ruled by the system, which makes use of tracer impulses, X5 seers and grass-green longos to stay in power. 18-year-old Lura Sun is the seeker and must find the forgotten path. Always at her side: Arul, the love of her life. When Satanor manages to escape from the planet Jaro, Lura is in great danger. However, Fara, the guardian of the mist and white magic, makes it difficult for Satanor to carry out his plans. Chrisnato, the creator of the worlds, appears and the mysterious Hogla-Krazu awaits the great providence. Science fiction, mythology and religion meet humor, romance and emotion and whisk the reader away into an exciting fantasy world.

Leseprobe

Characters

Lura, a young woman of eighteen, has managed to be released early from Lehrrat as a T-class loyal to the system through an unknown force. She lives with her mother Chanu on Lake Constance. Lura changes for a profound reason: little by little she develops abilities that go far beyond the human level, which frightens her. There is an incredible secret behind this change. Her uniqueness harbors a great danger: black magic wants to connect with her. But white magic and extraterrestrial powers help Lura. A path full of danger lies ahead of her. How will this path end?

Arul, just twenty years old, loves a physical challenge, but he often reaches his limits. Years ago, there was this strange light in his hands that brought a little girl back to life. The festival of the night maiethrows him off balance, the reason being Lura's dark brown eyes. Their first encounter turns into a deep love. He has no idea how dangerous their path together will be.

Luff, a genetic bio-development from the research laboratories, is Lura's birthday present from her mother Chanu. Luff constantly twists sentences and words, is lightning blue and can fly with his oversized ears. He always makes Lura laugh. The two become friends.

Longo, a mixture of biocells and mechanics, highly intelligent and extremely arrogant. Its outward appearance: asparagus green, grass green, strikingly ugly and bubbles bubbling all over its body. Designed to serve the system. But its intelligence allows it to go its own way. Created by humans, it sharply criticizes the inadequate development of its creators.

Chanudecided against artistic success because she wanted Lura to grow up with her from the very beginning. Mother and daughter have a lot in common, they are friends. But Chanu is often sad because she can't forget the love of her life, Lura's father. He drowned in a small forest lake, at the time she didn't know she was expecting his child. No man could ever win her heart again after that. But then something unbelievable happens.

Risor, the second in command of the system, must be a tough dictator, highly intelligent, emotionally cold and loyal to the supreme ruler. But nothing is as it seems. Behind the neat facade, he is pursuing a mission. Forty thousand people who are hiding underground from the dictatorship of the system need to be protected. When Risor is alone, strange things happen: objects move, controlled by his will. There is a deep secret behind this.

Nukeis subordinate to Risor. Deceitful and malicious, he strictly pursues his goals. Risor is the biggest obstacle on his path to success, and he must eliminate him. Nuke is rich and also creative when it comes to devising scheming plans. He is not afraid to use people who have to pay for it with their lives. Will his plans work out?

Liluis not only Lura's friend, she is also the complete opposite of her: overly precise, dutiful and in far too much of a hurry to grow up for her twenty years. Lilu is an excellent technician. She loves the lively nature of her friend, who always manages to carry her along. The two complement each other perfectly and understand each other without words. But then suddenly both their lives are in danger.

Rekoris almost sixty years old, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him - his boyish face, short blond hair and easy-going manner match his attitude to life. Rekor studies the psyche of people, he is fascinated by the different ways of life. He has fallen in love with Lilu and the two feel a deep connection. Forty years difference in age is just a number to them.

Filalives in Suri, an underground city with forty thousand people hiding from the system. But Fila is only twenty-five and doesn't want to spend her whole life underground. In the past, when Fila could still walk carefree through the woods, she often started to sing - then the birds were always very quiet. But Fila doesn't believe in her talent, a terrible tragedy throws her completely off track, then events come thick and fast and nothing is ever the same again.

Trokuses his eighty-five years of life experience to protect Suri's inhabitants from the system. The people listen to him. He is happy in Suri, but he also senses that his daughter Fila does not share this feeling. He takes her on a diving trip, but as beautiful as this excursion begins, it ends terribly, but what happens next borders on a miracle.

Optimusis well over a hundred years old, but as lively as a young hopper. He loves people, he also lives underground, but not in Suri, but in Olinara, named after the flower of life Olina. Grown on an alien planet, the flower of life has created a strange world underground that is not only unique, but also works wonders.

Kiku, Optimus' granddaughter, gets a lot from her grandfather and wants to be everywhere. Kiku is curious and full of childish mischief. They bring each other up, which can't always go well.

Makituis afraid, she is a prisoner on the island of Asge. This is where the system's outcasts are taken. Enforcers strip the unyielding of all rights. Makitu has to endure terrible things, her son is tortured to death and then thrown at their feet like a piece of cattle. The claws of horror won't let her go, she has to be at the service of her son's murderer and chief enforcer whenever he feels like it. But then something happens that nobody expected.

Litois the highest-ranking member of the system and the supreme ruler. He pursues his goals coldly and unfeelingly. Any means are acceptable to him. He has people tortured and executed just to find out where the rebels are hiding. Lito's weakness is exceptionally beautiful women. He uses them and disposes of their services when he is tired of them. Lito demands unconditional loyalty, utmost respect and obedience to the death from his subordinates.

Feku, the supreme enforcer on the island of Asge, hunts rebels mercilessly. He strives for recognition and fame, and tortures and kills for it. But someone envies him his position. After Feku is caught by the second leader of the rebels, his rival tightens the noose. Feku loses everything and seeks revenge.

Sehru, almost a boy, is tortured into unconsciousness by the system. He finds a new home in Suri. Trok found him back then and took him in as his own son. He is lively and full of bubbly ideas. Sehru reprograms a discarded X1 viewer, which makes everyone laugh with its cheeky, almost human nature. But during a dive with his foster father Trok and his secret love Fila, something terrible happens. Trok is swept into the depths of the sea by a longo. Fila and Sehru are accompanied by deep grief and never-ending pain. But what happens next transcends all logic and every imaginable miracle.

Sepolis a biologist and works at the House of Research. His life is characterized by genetic mutations, new breeds and hot nights with his assistant Tasina. Everything is running smoothly for him until Fila enters his office. She is the daughter of his best friend, yet he has never seen her before. He is fascinated by this woman, which creates conflict.

Tasinaworks as Sepol's right-hand woman in the House of Research. She wants to please Sepol, he takes what he is offered. But from the moment he meets Fila, he only has eyes for her. Tasina burns with jealousy. She continues to act friendly towards Fila, but she is secretly weaving a dangerous web.

Furrylives alone and abandoned in the forest. The little dog is hungry and very sad because there is no one to look after him. Then he meets Chanu, who feeds the little one meat sticks, but she can't take him with her. Furry trots off with his head hanging down. Then he hears screams, quickly runs back to the lake and sees Chanu being pulled into the water by a longo. What happens next moves him to tears.

Miksiis a little girl, curious, fun-loving and very friendly. The flight in the gig scooter is a lasting experience for her. It gets off to an exciting start when she meets L1, Lura's first robot. L1 and Miksi get along great, but then the flight takes a dramatic turn.

Sense impulsesare two and a half meter tall spiders. They use scanners to observe every irregularity. Half animal, half machine, they are used by the system to carry off people who rebel against the system. With their flying skins, they can cover long distances in the air.

L2is Lura's new robot and differs from other robots thanks to its personality recognition. L2 can acquire knowledge independently, perfect itself and is able to analyze emotions. But he is always at the service of humanity.

Reptosare creatures made viable by damned souls combined with black magic. As servants of Satanor, they have only one mission - to kill.

Satanoris the reincarnation of the dark power. He wants to lay the veil of black magic over four worlds. No ray of sunlight can penetrate it and all life is extinguished. But to do so, he must connect with Lura. He flees the planet Jaro in search of her. Why Lura? The answer holds an incredible secret.

Retokslive on the planet Jaro, their average height is four meters. They are human beings, masters of telepathy and often use their thoughts to communicate with each other. Their level of knowledge far exceeds that of humans. With their scaly blue-green lizard skin and glowing predatory eyes, they inspire fear, but they are friendly beings and stand up for community and equality.

Chikmatsare the inhabitants of the planet Kokul. They use what appears to be hair as arms and hands. An expressive eye shines in their face. When a Chikmat looks at you, it is like a ribbon of bliss. They also have the gift of telepathy. They have been observing the earth for a long time. Many decades ago they attempted their first encounter, something terrible happened back then. What remained was the life flower Olina, which created the strange world of Olinara under the earth.

Jesuncan understand people and animals; not only are his eyes profound, but so are his words. He manages to give warmth to the cold and strength to the weak. He turns fear into courage and hopelessness into confidence. Jesun is the first son of the Creator and the father of Arul. Jesun carries the power of the light of life in his hands.

Chrisnato, the creator of the worlds, holds his holy hands over them. But disaster has many faces, and the eyes of the blind must be opened. Chrisnato sends Fara, the guardian of the mist, the metal claw of the heavenly eagle and the white owl. Four white feathers float towards Lura, they wrap themselves around her wrist as a silver ring and merge together. A mysterious word burns itself into the night sky, Hogla-Krazu.

Alokralives in Hamburg and is Fila's girlfriend. A bit crazy and always open to new ideas, there's never a dull moment with her. When Fila comes to visit her, she surprises her friend with an unforgettable experience. But as beautiful as this day begins, it ends terribly. After that, nothing is ever the same again.

Chapter 1

A small, round silver sphere flies towards the city of Lehrrat at lightning speed, its diameter is just fifteen centimetres. It is an X5 seer, weaving its way through the crowded airspace. Its silver skin is covered with tiny antennae that make it look like a spiked ball. Today is a particularly critical day because the airspace is full of tracers, probes and scouts. Time and again, the feelers of the X5 Seer have to perform precision work, skillfully dodging them without colliding.

The X5 seer approaches the city of Lehrrat, huge egg-shaped buildings soon obscure his field of vision. The transparent buildings are each made up of three thousand honeycombs, resembling a honeycomb in shape. The egg-shaped structures have an opening at the top that closes in the event of danger. M classes are kept in the honeycombs, M stands for defective. These are people who have rebelled against the system; they are reassigned to T classes in Lehrrat. Brainwashing and forced productivity are some of the methods used by those in charge of consciousness. T-classes function in the interests of the system and are therefore loyal supporters of the regime.

The little silver ball flies towards one of the countless honeycombs. Once there, it stops and inspects the facility. In one corner there is a small operator who dispenses food and liquids. The playback panel, a bucket seat with worktop and a sleeping tub are standard features of the sparse furnishings. However, there is also a hygiene chamber in this room. The X5 seer uses his mechanical voice:

"Combine, special allocation hygiene chamber."

Only through deep remorse and obedience can an M-class receive special allocations. A hygiene chamber isthe only unobserved space in the otherwise supervised daily routine.

The basic check of the X5 viewer does not reveal any indications of system-hostile indications. There is nothing out of the ordinary in the honeycomb. It scans every nook and cranny with a scanner, and even now it can't detect anything. The scanner runs on - over two dainty feet, up long legs, to a slender body. It lingers a little longer on the narrow face. It moves over a small snub nose to the full lips. He scans the closed eyelids particularly thoroughly, his check ends at the wild mane of curls. His mechanical voice echoes monotonously on the relaxation screen.

"Preliminary result: no system-endangering objects or substances, siiiiiiiiis."

As quickly as the X5 seer appeared, it disappeared into the crowd of other flying creatures. He analyzes his data on the return flight, suddenly he stops, his memory registers minimal fluctuations, an accumulation of energy that he cannot assign. He must have overlooked something crucial and quickly flies back to the honeycomb.

Suction cups adhere to the plastic screen and activate the special program of the X5 viewer. It opens its metal skin and a transparent mesh surrounds the relaxation disk. The net is equipped with small pulses of light that act on the relaxation material. The disk contracts and the mesh penetrates the honeycomb. Any irregularities hidden in the room are now detected. The net adapts to the exact size and shape of the honeycomb. Suddenly the light pulses flicker.

"M-Class must be eliminated immediately, M-Class must be eliminated immediately!"

His program constantly repeats this command, the X5 viewer pulls back the net and both halves close. The relaxation disk spreads out over the honeycomb again.

Suddenly, he is hit by a powerful blow and the X5 seer slams into a steel pillar at high speed.

"External influence, danger, danger!"

Before he can activate his emergency program, he is hit by a second blow. He crashes into a hard wall, which falls apart into several pieces. The impact blocks the X5 seer's emergency program and he can no longer protect himself.

What's happening in front of my honeycomb? I open my eyes, an X5 seer is being attacked, but there's nothing to see. Maybe an energy wall, but where is it coming from and why is it attacking an X5 seer? I hear the X5 seer's voice ringing through the relaxation disk:

"Activate all available sensory impulses, danger, danger!"

A strange black cloud approaches, its shape reminiscent of a bird of prey. A huge bird's leg with a huge claw made of metal skin shoots out of the cloud. The claw has seized the X5 seer and crushes the Zitrex cloak with ease. Zitrex material is indestructible and yet it has just happened. Wiring and connections spill out of the small ball, a rain of fire falls into the depths, the X5 seer is simply incinerated between the huge claw. The claw retreats into the black cloud, which dissipates a short time later as if it had never been there.

The sky is full of scouts and reconnaissance planes, quietly making their rounds. "Why didn't any of the flying objects notice the destruction, and where did the claw come from?" I just sit there and find no answers. The numbers on the timer blur before my eyes. I find it difficult to organize my thoughts. An unknown force has just saved my life. And destroyed an X5 seer. There are fewer reasons to be taken to the island of Asge, I'm incredibly scared, my hands are shaking.

Today is March 16, 2129, it's my eighteenth birthday. "Will this day be my last?" I look up at the sky, but no sensory impulse attaches its hairy spider legs to my relaxation disk. The X5 seer has obviously failed to relay its information to the control center. "But what has he discovered, why should I be eliminated?"

Chapter 2

"Rarr, rarr, rarr, red area for productive time, blue area for thought mediation, yellow area for bio source!"

The tinny voice of the information disk snaps me out of my reverie.

"Seven, eight, four, four, your field of application is Lectate Technology, you have no meters to lose!"

I am slow to understand. Have I slept so deeply despite my fear? The fear is still there, but no trace impulse has carried me off to the island of death Asge during the night.

"Rarr, rarr, rarr, in fifteen meters every M-class has to leave the honeycomb!" Two spoonfuls of energy porridge and a conditioner cookie give me enough nutrients to get through the day. I activate the playback panel and it projects me into the room. Black curls fall wildly around my head and cover my eyes, I blow a curl out of my face, it tickles. Big dark eyes, a small nose and, as a contrast, a full pout, I am also satisfied with my height of two meters thirty. People used to be much smaller, today the average height for women is two meters thirty, for men two meters fifty. I sigh, time is pressing, I quickly deactivate the playback field, the virtual mirror image collapses.

"Seven, eight, four, four, the timer shows a counter above the arrangement."

I just manage to jump into a catcher that takes me straight to the work center.

"Put on your protective suit!"

There is a transparent box on the wall and I enter the cubicle with great discomfort. A gel-like liquid pours over my body. It solidifies immediately and forms the necessary protective cover. The oppressive feeling alreadysets in. Every time the protective cover pours out, I struggle to breathe. The body needs a few meters before it gets used to it.

"Seven, eight, four, four, follow the longo, he'll lead you to the reading technique!"

A green creature with a body as thin as as asparagus and arms whose hands almost drag on the floor comes shambling towards me. I press myself against a wall in horror. A longo - I'd only heard about them before, but had never actually seen one. Their stick-thin body is a good two and a half meters tall and consists of mechanics, chemistry and a biological network of cells. They are said to be highly intelligent, arrogant and repulsively ugly, the latter of which I can certainly confirm. There is only a broad, metal ring around his waist. A few buttons can be seen on it. Longos have no body covering, they can adapt to any temperature and absorb moisture. Research Group 9 released the first four specimens a few months ago. The reason for this is simple: Longos develop abilities that can escape the control of the system.

It's strange, such a rare creature has been given the task of accompanying me to the reading technique? I don't have a good feeling and watch every movement of the grass-green longo with disgust and suspicion. Bubbles are bubbling on its body and its small head is covered in pustules. Red frog eyes stare at me disdainfully.

"You're supposed to be in the reading technique? That's ridiculous."

He shakes his head contemptuously. I'm upset and just stammer incomprehensible words:

"Yes, there, there, that's what I'm supposed to, that's, uh, what my assignment is. The, the, uh, should, uh, I have to carry out."

"What is this uncontrolled stammering, the Lectate Technique requires specific training, I doubt you even know what it is. No idea why they dug you out of the burial chambers?"

His bony hands pass easily through my protective cover and grab my chin, I recoil in horror.

"Yuck, that's disgusting."

A sticky green mass sticks to my skin, I want to wipe it off in disgust, but the stuff sticks like pitch.

"Disrespect is not your place, you should feel honor, I am a Longo after all. You, on the other hand, are an evolutionary shock and for that reason alone you have to take a step back."

"Sorry, dear Longo, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Hahaha, feelings, ... what's going on in that empty, empty brain?"

He hits my forehead several times with his finger so hard that my head is pushed back and the green mass sticks to my face.

"You think, no, thinking is a completely absurd formulation for you; you assume I have feelings. Only your underdeveloped species burdens itself with feelings."

A long tongue appears, the longo licks his yellow pointed teeth with relish before continuing: "Human analysis is simple and unpleasant. You lack receptivity, discipline, ambition and, above all, logic. You are the best example of this." He appraises me disapprovingly with his red frog eyes.

"Your biological structure is inadequate, you can't do anything on your own, you need technical aids for everything."

I don't know how to behave, the arrogance of the green asparagus is unbearable, but I try to give in anyway.

"It was not my intention to criticize you."

"Hahaha, the water cell mixture didn't want to criticize me. How could you? Criticism is only for the superior. An underdeveloped cellular substance like you should do what it does best _ keep quiet."

His thin, long tongue slaps against his face left and right, mucus runs down his warty cheekbones. Cautiously, I venture a counter-argument, "Wasn't it the underdeveloped cellular substance, as you call it, that created the perfect Longo?"

What's gotten into me, I'd better hold back, this thin, green ugliness is about to devour me with skin and hair. The longo's tongue flicks back into his mouth with a loud smack, his bulging lips twitching contemptuously. The longo has narrowed his eyes to slits and is scrutinizing me from top to bottom.

"Your brain is seriously flawed, nothing seems to work up there, nothing at all."

His palm hits my forehead, I stumble and just manage to stay on my feet. He stretches out his fingers in my direction, they move like spider legs. The sticky mass comes off my face and claps back against the longo's body, where it joins the bubbling skin. I don't feel comfortable with the longo, I walk backwards and fall over a box, the elastic cover makes me bounce across the floor like a ball.

"What was all that silly hopping about, Zellsprung? Yes, Zellsprung, that's how I'm going to register you."

He rubs his hands together and grins smugly. I can't stand his ugly face and this arrogance any longer and take a good look at the rock face. The longo, meanwhile, is looking down at me, from above of course, his thin arms resting on two bony protrusions that are supposed to represent his hips.

"Zellsprung, learn, if you even know what that is. What do you think distinguishes a longo from your primitive life form?"

He drums impatiently on the bony protrusions with his thin fingers.

"I'm waiting!"

And I keep quiet, he won't expect an intelligent answer from a Neanderthal anyway.

"Straightforwardness, ability to combine and physical adaptability. I am your breed's dream, I am perfect!"

He stretches his arms upwards, his neck is two meters longer than usual. His eyes leave their embedding, they are only held by long green threads. His eyes move a few millimeters along me, his lips are drawn upwards unwillingly, his pointed teeth are menacingly close. I stand there like a figure carved in stone, I have even stopped breathing for a moment. Only my face reveals that there is still life in me. The red eyes stare at me suspiciously.

"What are you up to, is something not to your liking?"

I whisper the question and look fearfully into the green warty face, my eyes snap back into place, my neck collapses, my hands clap on the floor.

"Is something not in my interest? Oh yes, there is something wrong with me, and that something is you. I don't know what's wrong with you yet, but I'll find out. You can count on it, it's only a matter of time."

Longos can read minds, that's why I count stones.

"Aha, you're blocking the nonsense that's going on in your head, good, that's a welcome relief for me." He looks at me condescendingly.

"The level of development of a Neanderthal would be an evolutionary leap for you. Follow me, but keep a respectful distance."

As soon as he says it, he hops away in light leaps. "Dang, dang, dang."

His jumps echo monotonously off the rocks and I struggle to follow him.

Chapter 3

Dark clouds slowly drift by, bringing drizzle that covers the delicate buds of the trifruit trees. Two fat sparrows nestle close together, fluffing up their feathers to protect themselves from the cold. But the wind blows between their feathers.

Chanu hurries towards an orchard, looking anxiously left and right before continuing on her way. Shivering, she pulls her shoulders upwards, in her haste she has forgotten to put on her safral, Chanu knows that she must not be late. A twig cracks behind her and she turns around, startled. It's just a blackbird, carrying a small branch in its beak.

It can't be far now, the recorder shows five hundred meters separating them from their destination. Chanu has hidden an identification card under her pullstrap; she clutches the card tightly. If a reconnaissance probe crosses her path, it's over, the registrar would immediately capture the file. Identification cards must always remain anchored in the registrar; they are proof of a person's classification and right of residence. Removing the card file is considered intent to tamper with the identity, which is treason and punishable by death.

Chanu is incredibly scared, but she keeps running, aware of how important it is to reach the meeting point at the specified time, if she doesn't make it, it's over. The artificial barrier from the registrar dissolves, the removal of the card index becomes obvious. She and her daughter are executed. The thought of it brings tears to her eyes. What has she let herself in for? But any reproach comes too late, she has to move on. Chanu is torn inside because she doesn't know whether she is doing the right thing, she hopes so with all her heart, everything depends on it.

Again and again she sees the terrible images in front of her, sees Lura desperately stretching her arms out towards her. A gripper had seized her and pulled her into a scout. Her daughter's tear-filled eyes had begged her for help. She can still hear her screams, as if it were happening right now.

"They want to take me with them! You can't let that happen, you can't!"

Chanu had run to her, but a tracking pulse had seized her, she could do nothing and had to watch helplessly as the scout took her daughter away. The tracking pulse dropped her from a height of ten meters and flew after the scout. Chanu lay in a rehabilitation chamber for three days before her countless broken bones healed.

That was eight months ago, and Chanu still has no idea how Lura is doing. The educational measures, as the system calls them, are incredibly harsh. Lehrrat is a mental torture chamber for people who attract negative attention. A tragic coincidence brought Lura to Lehrrat. Lura saw a storage box lying on the floor and curiously picked it up. At that moment, an X5 seer flew over her, registering hostile information sources from the box, the rest was a matter of a few meters.

Two days ago, she received a strange message. First she heard a rustling in her ears, then there was a voice:

"You can free Lura from Lehrrat, come to the specified meeting point in two days at exactly the twelfth time unit, the pathfinder will guide you. Bring Lura's identification card with you, we will set up a barrier, no one will notice when the card is removed. Exactly at the twelfth time unit, the lock will dissolve and the card index must snap into our registrar. You must not be late, otherwise you will be lost."

She searched for the strange voice, but there was no one to be seen. A wayfinder suddenly floated in front of her and she hastily grabbed it.

There are only six meters left until the twelfth time unit. Chanu runs, branches whipping her in the face, but she pays no attention. She sees the clearing ahead of her, a river with a strong current blocking her path. She jumps into the ice-cold water and fights doggedly against the current. The current sweeps her away, she has to swim against it with both arms, but Chanu holds the card up high, she mustn't get wet. A gripper comes shooting out of the clouds, pulls the card file out of her hand and disappears again.

Chanu can't think about what has just happened, her head keeps sinking into the raging waters, her strength slowly failing her. Desperately fighting for her life, a boulder juts out of the water and she hurtles straight towards it. She holds on to it with the last of her strength. The current catches her again, but this time it pushes Chanu to the shore, she clings to a root and pulls herself out of the icy water.

Chanu lies on the grass, gasping for breath, her whole body trembling. Now she has time to think about what she has experienced, terrible thoughts racing through her mind. The snatcher was suddenly there and snatched the card file out of her hand. She feels a stabbing pain that runs through her body. Chanu panics; it was just such a gripper that dragged Lura into the scout. Chanu screams her despair into the forest, but the trees just stand there motionless, stretching their bare branches into the sky.

Chapter 4

"Hey you."

A squeaky voice can be heard, I listen, but apart from the longo's jumps, everything is silent. Am I starting to go crazy? Nothing would surprise me anymore. Trapped in this horrible city, I run after a green asparagus brimming with arrogance, I am desperate.

"Hey you."

The squeaky voice is right by my ear again.

"Who are you and, more importantly, where are you?"

"Don't look for me, I'm a micro-communicator."

A microcommunicator is a tiny robot that is fed with information. It is no more than two millimetres in size and remains in the ear canal until the program entered has been completed. These little beasts can make you lose your mind.

"We need to exchange information."

"We don't have to do anything, get out of here and don't get me in trouble!"

I fight with my last remnants of self-control, but I can feel myself losing the battle bit by bit.

"We need to exchange information, you want to get out of this city and I'm here to make that happen. That's my program and that's why I'm staying here."

"You go and I will dutifully fulfill my duties on the teaching council and gratefully accept every lesson. This is the only way I can be convincing and start afresh. Have I made myself clear?"

"You have, but you won't. Your only chance to be free is me."

"Yes, I will be free, and without you. No one can help me, you hear me, no one but me! Get out of here, otherwise Longo will hand me over to the gryphons, he can read minds, he can hear us."

"No, he can't hear us, the thought carriers are blocked when he hops."

"I will execute the saved program."

A bad premonition makes me think of the day before.

"Tell me, how long have you been with me?"

"Since yesterday, my communicator was active, the X5 viewer had registered that. A functional weakness in my program, it's been fixed."

"So, is that her? This malfunction almost cost me my life!"

"You are alive, that's all that matters, I have a program to carry out. The unity of Chanu and Lura is to be established. To do this, you must be released."

I am taken aback. "How do you know my mother?"

"I don't know any mother, only my programming. I implement the program, Chanu and Lura become one."

By now I have to run so as not to lose sight of the longo. I trip over my feet and knock over a few glow sticks, they fall to the ground with a crash, the longo hears the impact and stops.

"What's the matter, Zellsprung, is that little walk bothering you?"

I have managed to get hold of a few more glow sticks and cling to them.

"No no, everything's fine, I just wanted to shed a little light on things."

"We have lost valuable meters and for this reason alone we have no time for your silliness. For a reason I can't fathom, there are assignments waiting for you in technology class. You're probably supposed to count specks of dust, hahaha."

He hops away in great leaps and I run after him, panting.

The corridors become more and more branched, I have to stay close behind the longo, otherwise I'm lost in this labyrinth. My concentration is so great that I barely notice my surroundings. There are speed bumps along the way, they are spaced twenty meters apart and transport objects. The weight determines the flight path. One careless step and I'm flung four spaces further - as light as a feather. I whizz past Longo, who looks after me in bewilderment and shakes his green head in disdain. A wall of energy stops me, otherwise I would probably have disappeared into never-never land.

We leave the transportation route, walls slide apart and a huge room stretches out in front of us. The floor opens up, revealing eight spires that slowly tower up into pyramids. They stand there, dark and menacing. The longo waddles purposefully towards a pyramid, he places his hand on the black surface, then a narrow rod rises and makes way for an opening. A monotone voice can be heard: "Your recognition!"

The longo touches a button on his metal hoop. A red light flashes, the rod lowers, but the pyramid remains closed.

"Double detection necessary, enter rectol key!"

Longo looks petrified.

"First I'm supposed to guide this lowly cell jump through the corridors and then this. A rectol key, what a waste of time with the evolutionary shock."

He inspects me from top to bottom, while I count the stones on the walls.

"You're trying to hide something from me, I can't be fooled."

He continues in an even sharper tone,

"Keep your distance from the pyramids, if you disobey the order, you will suffer the consequences, it will end very badly for you."

He pierces me with his gaze, I pierce the sandy floor with the tip of my foot. The longo disappears into the maze of corridors.

"Dang, dang, dang."

"There's a pyramid to your right, put your hands on the surface!"

The micro-communicator beeps its instructions insistently through my ears. I want to get rid of it as quickly as possible and walk towards the pyramid.

"You have to get the second rectol key, then two elements, Chanu and Lura, will become one."

I stand in front of the pyramid, undecided, I don't have a good feeling, suddenly the walls move and I recoil in horror.

"Overcome your fear, put your palms on the wall."

The micro-communicator is relentless, the material rises and falls, hesitantly I place my hands on it. A black, viscous mass creeps over my skin, then the mass contracts and flows along the pyramid. Muffled rumbling roars from the walls, a deep black hole gapes in front of me.

Chapter 5

The light of the two setting suns shines purple over the planet Jaro, falling gently over the Assan trees. They stretch their crowns four hundred meters towards the sky. Slimy threads hang from the huge, fan-like leaves into the depths. Krekele twist themselves into the threads, their fleshy naked bodies are covered in slime, which quickly solidifies into pouches. Metamorphosis begins in the pouches. Many pouches hang from the leaves, one manages to burst before the two suns set, a shimmering Liballea flies into the sky. The violet light is fading and can barely supply the Assan trees with energy. The leaves pull the pouches upwards and curl up. The huge moon rises on the horizon, its luminosity so intense that it never gets dark on Jaro. White light falls over the Assan trees, giving the forest a ghostly appearance.

Long transport tubes snake past the giant trees, barely perceptible shadows hurtling through them at high speed. In certain time cycles, a tube opens and ejects a bubble-like structure. Inside the bubble is a Retok, the inhabitants of the planet Jaro. Retoks are highly developed; in two million years of existence, they have managed to merge technology and nature.

At the edge of the Assan forest stands a huge, wave-shaped building. The corrugated walls absorb the white light of the moon, on which the flesh flower Seka grows. A thousand suppositories emit a highly toxic, viscous slurry. The white light of the moon and the nubs of the inner walls turn the poisonous substance into a mineral- and nutrient-rich slurry. The buildings are also known as nutrient converters and are the Retoks' source of survival.

The transport tubes become lively, more and more shadows shoot through them and are repelled by the tube. The bubbles head straight for the roof of the giant nutrient converter. A particularly thick bubble is diverted onto a secondary route that ends at an outer wall. The bubble dives behind it and lands on a platform. The bubble quickly contracts and disappears into a narrow bracelet. The wearer of the bracelet is a slender Retok called Lor. He closes the clip conscientiously. Two short arms extend left and right from the twenty-centimeter-long neck. The yellow, thin membranes between the four fingers are equipped with small pores that release a secretion. Lor runs it over his thick, dark red hair a few times. The secretion protects the hair and binds it together so that it doesn't fall into his face.

Lor stretches his legs, he should be running on the wide sandy roads again. A Retok is fast, the running technique on four legs has been perfected over the long period of evolution. It can cover almost two hundred kilometers in fifty cycles, its claws securing its footing on slippery ground. It massages the claws on its hind feet with its two long arms and digs the claws of its front feet deep into the ground. Restlessness always causes his claws to itch, but he misses out on every sinking he starts. The healing subsidence in the moors would stop the disturbance, but the tasks of securing the planet take up all his time.

To the left and right of the head, six antennae are protruding, they are positioned far outwards - a sign of high alertness, Lor is expecting important news.

Its breathing is difficult, small gills vibrate on its neck. A funnel-shaped air opening under the slanted eyes also aids breathing. It observes its surroundings attentively before walking towards a wide corridor.

At three meters fifty, Lor still has the final growth leap of fifty centimetres ahead of him. He should spend ten sessions in deep sleep, but he keeps postponing completion. He is preoccupied with completely different thoughts at the moment. Something terrible has happened and it is taking away his inner peace. He still doesn't know how to explain it to the council.

Lor is in a hurry and quickly runs past funnel-shaped suction cups, thousands of which adhere to the walls. The suction cups produce germ-free air, which he breathes in deeply. Without the germ-free air, the Retoks' immune system would collapse. The high-dose ultraviolet rays from the two suns have been weakening their immune system for countless generations. Only two hundred weather changes ago did the Retoks succeed in creating a regenerating mantle around the planet that filters out the harmful rays of the two suns. The filtered air is attracted by the suction cups and sterilized. The Retoks still need a good one hundred weather changes to fully recover from their immune deficiency.

Lor reaches into his katu and quickly finds what he is looking for: The small triangle is a contactor. Determined, he presses the sensor and checks the accumulation of energy. Finally, the connection to his representative Rit is established. The image rises before him. The strong body, otherwise straight and elastic, looks slumped, the broad shoulders are bent forward, the mighty head is lowered.

"Today be with you."

Rit raises his head and crosses his two long arms over his chest as a sign of respect and esteem. He has spread his hands, the yellow skins between his four long fingers move up and down in a fast rhythm. Rit is visibly nervous, Lor returns the greeting, but he is impatient, he is expected by the Council of Sages.

"Do you have any new information, Rit?"

"Lor, you are on the fourth level of the Recognizers, the Council values your opinion, you are a master of straightforward formulation."

Rit's green eyelids tremble nervously.

"Don't talk around the sentences that are so crucial for all of us. Your whole demeanor tells me that you have bad news to share."

"Forgive my incompetence, but circumstances often change the basic picture of communication."

He takes a short break.

"Your fears have come true, Satanor has escaped."

Lor clutches the fabric of the katu tightly, struggling for composure.

"How could this happen, Rit, how?"

"A deluded man, he was not discovered, see for yourself."

Lor looks at a small blackboard and watches the recordings, breathing heavily. He presses his palms to his forehead, making circular movements in an attempt to regain his inner calm, but he is unsuccessful.

"I have to tell the wise men the outrageous news, but how should they deal with it? How can the Council trust me if I can no longer trust myself?"

Lor speaks more to himself, he has been living in seclusion for two hundred changes of weather, he needs this peace and quiet to research new technologies.

"I am on the verge of finding the solution to lay the perfect protective cloak over our world. But what does that matter? My previous developments have failed, I have failed."

His palms are still circling his forehead.

"Lor, you're very excited, that could work against the talks."

Rit looks worriedly into the animated face of Lor, who is looking thoughtfully at the funnel-shaped suction cups on the walls.

"There is only one solution, I hope the wise will share this view with me."

The hands of the short arms stretch upwards, the hands of the long arms fold into each other before he continues speaking:

"The circle of the Seven Wise Men must be closed, you know what that means?"

"Yes, venerable Lor, the creator of the worlds is to be summoned, but how will you convince them?"

"There is no other way out, conviction is not needed, take all precautions and generate all the energy reserves. We must prevent Satanor's final escape from our galaxy at all costs. Rit, the worlds are in danger!"

Lor's voice has risen, his hands are shaking, Rit has never seen him like this before. Lor finds it difficult to regain his inner calm. When he has collected himself a little, he nods briefly to his representative.

"Sorry, it's the uncertainty that makes me so upset, go and act in the spirit of unification, may the morning be with you."

Chapter 6

After every fifty changes of weather, the Retoks look for their most capable thinker. He controls the destiny of the planet with the wise men, he is the appointed one. Fis had objected to his elevation at the time, he had not felt the strength and inner calling. But the entire population of the planet Jaro stood behind him, which changed Fis's mind. He accepted the honor of the Appointed One and has been governing the planet Jaro with the ten wise men for twenty changes of weather.

Fis has placed the palms of his long arms on top of each other and the skins between his fingers are very elastic. He interlocks his fingers and presses them firmly together, which is the best way to concentrate. His long red hair falls in waves over his broad shoulders. His auditory antennae are curled up, a clear sign that Fis does not want any interruptions. His eyes wander thoughtfully over the huge treetops, which sway back and forth in the white light of the moon. There is something mystical about the forest, the branches move like arms reaching out for anyone who approaches them.

Fis is getting impatient.

"When was Lor due to arrive?"

"Three beats ago." It is Siri who has replied, her slender hand resting on his shoulder.

"He will definitely come, Lor is reliable."

Siri has known Fis for a long time, he works hard and is aware of his great responsibility.

The harsh climatic conditions and the power struggles lasting over a thousand weather changes have left their mark. The Retoks have become tough fighters. But deep inside their hearts is the gentle, sensitive being that the Retok was before the great conflict.

Fis likes Siri's calm manner, he looks at her delicate face and smiles. Siri's slanted eyes are unusually large and shine a bright blue. She smiles back, a strand of black hair falling into her face. No Retok has blue eyes and black hair, a genetic defect gives Siri this unique look. She raises one short arm and brushes the strand of hair out of her face with her slender hand. The pores immediately produce the secretion and the strand bonds firmly with the other hairs.

"Ffffzzzz."

The soft sound snaps Fis out of his thoughts, everyone present turns to the entrance portal, Lor enters the room: "Today be with you."

Lor bows his head in greeting and crosses his long-armed hands over his chest. The wise men return the greeting, Fis hesitates, sensing the excitement emanating from Lor, which does not bode well. Hesitantly, he returns the greeting,

"May today be with you, Lor. What has kept you? Your high level of urgency is in contrast to your delay. Why the delay?"

"I had to give priority to the conversation with Rit, as he had new findings to present. I therefore apologize for my delay."

Fis nods in agreement. "Speak, we are waiting for your report."

Lor lowers his gaze, unable to look Fis in the eye.

"Satanor escaped, he was able to free himself from the Tekan fields, three protectors were killed by him."

There is consternation in the dome, the wise men stare at Lor in disbelief, F sharp struggles for words. "How could this happen? Seven Tekan fields have surrounded Satanor! No being in the universe is capable of breaking out of the center of these fields. Satanor must have received help from outside. There is no other conclusion."

Lor raises his eyes and looks into the broad face of the appointed man. The protruding cheekbones turn dark red, a sign of extreme reproach.

"There was another deluded man, he was hiding in the underground passages. Satanor's telepathic influence made him his tool, which is how Satanor got hold of the energy blocker. He could switch off the fields for a clock."

Fis' eyes narrow, his air funnels open and close at a rapid pace.

"Do you know anything about the blinded man? Who is he and, above all, what could have made him so weak, I ask you?"

Fis looks at Lor insistently, his scalp begins to vibrate. Lor can't give him an answer.

"Why didn't he resist the influence? The will of a Retok is firm. How could this have happened? That was the activity of a madman, yes, a madman!"

Fis has lost control of himself, his arms flail wildly through the air, his voice echoes shrilly through the room, his whole body vibrates. Everyone present rolls up their ears in a flash to avoid hearing damage. They are shocked by the unrestrained outburst of the appointee. Fis himself is so shocked by his outburst that he immediately takes a step back.

"I seem to be in no way inferior to the deluded one, my reaction was uncontrolled and penetrating in the extreme, relieving me of my elevation."

Siri places two small hands on Fis's forehead. She requests a telepathic entrance, Fis grants it, he hears her gentle voice in his thoughts:

"Sure, you had an uncontrolled overstimulation, but it had to go, it was time."

Siri's eyes shine at Fis and proclaim great trust and confidence.

"Your mind had to free itself from all these accumulations, that was a good thing. We are Retoks, not unfeeling, mechanical companions. Remain the Appointed One, we all assess this overstimulation realistically and trust you."

"I thank the wise for this trust, clear understanding will guide my decisions from now on."

Siri loosens her hands, Fis looks calmly around and nods gratefully to the wise men, then turns to Lor: "Speak, I will follow your report carefully."

Fis even shows a brief smile, it is an apology to Lor. Lor reconsiders his explanation, then begins:

"There are Retoks who don't want to accept the new laws, we've turned a blind eye for too long. Satanor will have made promises to them."

"Why am I only finding out about this dissatisfaction now?"

Fis approaches Lor, but keeps his distance and looks him in the eye.

Lor adds: "We underestimated the dissatisfaction, nobody expected Retok's otherwise clear mind to take over."

"So you underestimated this dissatisfaction, but that is precisely one of your tasks. You shouldn't expect takeovers, you should prevent them before they happen. You must agree with me, right?" He looks insistently at Lor, who does not avoid his gaze but confirms it with a slight nod.

F sharp places his palms together, giving his voice a clear, distinct sound:

"Recognizing, evaluating and then acting sensibly is the talent of our thoughts. Germs of ignorance must not grow from the breeding ground of dissatisfaction and proliferate as weeds."

Fis meticulously smoothes the drape around his strong shoulders as he speaks.

"There is no excuse for this misconduct, but it doesn't help us either if we shower ourselves with accusations. They burden a clear mind, and we need that now. We have to find a solution."

He takes a short break.

"Do you feel up to the task, or do I have to assign another Retok to the mission?"

Lor looks the supreme sage openly in the eye, his face showing determination.

"I am ready to put an end to this intolerable situation. We will stop Satanor with the utmost determination. We will exhaust all the means at our disposal. If the wise follow this path with the same consistency, we will find Satanor."

Lor knows he's going out on a limb, but that's his straightforward nature, he's never unfaithful to himself. Lor stretches all four palms up in the air to underline his statement. He has shifted his voice to a powerful bass, which echoes impressively through the room:

"Rit has the authority to exhaust sixty percent of the energy reserves, Satanor must be tracked down, but we have a big problem: the runners are not enough. We have to call upon the Creator."

Lor breathes heavily through his gills, now it's out, now we'll see what the wise men have to say.

"Do you actually know what you expect of us? Why have we perfected our intelligence and our minds in the course of evolution if we are now unable to use these abilities?"

Fis is horrified, but inside he knows that Lor is right. "But rushing to judgment is unacceptable, I need some time to get my thoughts in order."

Fis lets his gaze wander over the mighty treetops, his ear feelers close to his head, a sign of maximum concentration. It is so quiet that you can hear the air vibrate. He gazes at the mighty crowns of the Assan forest, then turns resolutely towards the Council of the Wise:

"I agree with Lor's suggestion, we must close the Ring of Sages and call the Creator. If you disagree, speak now."

The wise men remain silent, but raise their heads and open and close all four hands several times. It is clear that they share the opinion of the appointed person. F sharp turns to Lor:

"You will receive the trust of the Council, go and try to track down Satanor before his final escape from our galaxy. I will personally inform you of the great contact. For our rescue, we use our wits before every step."

He crosses his long arms over his chest and puts his short arms behind his head to demonstrate his confidence.

"Tomorrow be with you."

Lor says goodbye in the same way, and the portal closes quietly behind him.

The wise men rise and form a circle, no one says a word, each of them knows what to do. F sharp steps into their midst, then the wise men close their eyes, their heads sink to their chests. Slowly, the hands of the long arms interlock, the hands of the short arms place themselves over the forehead, the retoks fall into a deep meditation. Fis raises his arms, his voice suddenly sounds very strange:

"Circle of worlds, arise, bring us together with the great Creator!"

A tremor shakes the room, F sharp lowers his arms, the floor opens up and a bright circle rises. The sages stretch their long arms into the center, sinking deeper and deeper into meditation. An almost unbearable pain runs through them and puts the retoks to the test. White talons grow from their fingertips, their shape reminiscent of the talons of Lukus, the largest bird of prey in the sky of Jaro. The wise men spread out their arms until their hands touch each other, their claws intertwining. Some moan softly in pain, but they hold on. Slowly they raise their heads, their voices resounding through the dome despite their sealed lips:

"Great Chrisnato, open your portal, Satanor has escaped. Help avert the downfall!"

It is quiet, a gentle wind blows through the room, it carries a white feather, it sinks to the ground and turns into a silver hoop. The wind picks up, thick clouds darken the sky, bright flashes of lightning light up the land, accompanied by rumbling thunder. The room has become detached from the building. The ceiling has disappeared, the wise men are standing on a platform floating in the sky. The silver frost begins to glow and sends its rays into the clouds, tearing them open at the spot.

Chrisnato, the creator of the worlds, has appeared, standing on a bright cloud. His face, characterized by infinite wisdom, looks down on the Retoks, his long white hair glowing silver. A wide white robe covers his body. His face reflects kindness and mercy. Anyone who is allowed to look into these eyes feels a new, unknown strength and deep confidence. It is such an incredible feeling that it burns itself into the heart of the chosen one forever.

The creator has crossed his palms over his chest, lightning bolts shoot out of the clouds so powerful that the energy catchers are overwhelmed with the storage. Chrisnato raises his hand, the storm dissipates, the moon shines in its white light.

"Do not use your carelessness for knowledge, for the realization to call for me comes too late. Satanor transformed through a galaxy hole two beats ago. However, I am not here to judge you, nor to teach you, for only life is the teacher of knowledge. You have neglected the doubters, so what had to come has come. Recognize and act with humility, but wisely. See with the eyes of faith and believe in what you see. Ways are taken and then forgotten, but you should never forget. Remember and pass this memory on to those who will search for the forgotten path."

F sharp looks openly into the face of the great creator.

"Will eternal night now fall over our planets?" There is great concern in his voice.

Chrisnato's eyes are fixed on Fis:

"This is a question of the future, ask the question of the present. How can the disaster be stopped? Satanor has fled to a planet called Earth. The life form that exists there is called human and is at the third stage of development. A very young and inexperienced culture. Satanor attempts a daring union with a hybrid being. If this union succeeds, he will reach the tenth rank. This must not happen, otherwise black veils will spread across the worlds."

The warning words of the Creator sound ominous, a murmur goes through the wise men,

"The black veils must be prevented, otherwise four worlds would be lost."

The Creator's white hair shines in the light of the moon, he stretches a hand towards the sky, and a shining ring emerges from the dark clouds, hovering above his head.

"A pair of oracles will be sent to earth to bring about knowledge at the end of the forgotten path. It will begin what is predestined."

Chrisnato spreads out his hands and the ring above his head begins to rotate. A huge whirlpool of light is created, which gathers in his hands. A snake of fire grows out of the vortex, coiling into two magical words that glow far into the sky.

"Hogla-Krazu."

Chapter 7

The pyramids stand there like menacing sentinels guarding a secret. In front of me is the torn open wall, the black hole ends somewhere in the unknown, muffled noises come from the depths. I have the feeling that someone is down there watching me. Suddenly something reaches for me, but I can't see anything, yet I am inexorably drawn towards the black hole. I try to cling to the pyramid wall, but instead I grab hold of a pulpy mass and slide down it. The black hole gets closer and closer, I lose my grip and hurtle down a shaft at high speed.

"Aaahh, aaaahhh!"