Dark Metamorphosis

by John Coon

  Kevin gave his best attempt at responding with a sincere smile, but he could not disguise the worry swimming in his eyes.

  “I spent enough years in the US Army to recognize when someone is spying on me,” he said. “I don’t think your chief sovereign wants me to feel ‘at home’ here.”

  Xttra’s smile turned into a half-frown.

  “What are you saying?”

  Kevin licked his lips and shook his head. He rubbed his hand down part of his left cheek.

  “You know what I’m saying. Delcor sees my presence as a threat to him. This isn’t the best time or place to dive into it, but I’ve got some evidence I want you to see. I’m not making this up.”

  Calandra dismissed his claims, even after he later shared the compelling evidence he gathered. She refused to believe their chief sovereign was capable of the actions Kevin alleged. She thought her Earthian friend had been deceived by Confederation propaganda. Now, as she recalled his words, she wished she had given what he said more serious weight. He did his best to warn them. Neither she nor Xttra chose to listen. What she found in the Central Archives seemed to confirm what Kevin shared. Those unwanted revelations shook Calandra to the depths of her soul.

  She stepped out on her balcony and leaned against the railing. Calandra cast her eyes toward a telescope stationed in front of a wooden chair on the left end of the balcony. So many nights she spent gazing into the sky, wondering where Xttra was among those stars. What would he do if he were here now? How would he deal with the uncomfortable facts she uncovered? Loneliness gripped Calandra more than usual on a night like this one. If only he were here so they could face this together.

  If only she knew where to look for him.

  Her eyes drifted upward, first toward Laxa and then settling on Fengar. Both moons shone bright while hovering above peaks of the Aurora mountains.

  “Please help me find him,” she whispered. “Ahm, please bring Xttra home.”

  Calandra’s eyes drifted down and settled on her artificial arm. It rested on the railing. She drummed her fingers and studied each one as they moved. Why did her clan doctor struggle to obtain a fully functioning neural sensor? Weeks bled into months without him making progress on that front. Yet, Ominade supplied her with exactly what she wanted and needed on the spot.

  The whole ordeal aroused her suspicions now. Did her clan doctor intentionally deceive her? Calandra wondered if someone wanted her to focus on struggling with a defective artificial hand rather than taking note of the world around her. She did not want to yield to paranoia. Still, the thought someone would purposefully put her through this ordeal ate at her.

  What right did they have to toy with her life?

  She turned and faced the balcony doors. Calandra stared through the glass at the contact block Ominade gave to her earlier. The block sat on an end table next to the couch. It silently beckoned to her to reach out and probe deeper. Find more answers. The ancient letter engraved on the block symbolized hope.

  Hope for a better world.

  That’s what Calandra needed. She needed to create a better world. For herself and Xttra. A world where they could be together again.

  Calandra walked back inside her apartment and pushed a button on an artificial candle occupying a spot on the end table. A glass covering shaped like a flame topped the candlestick. Dim white light from a luminal shaft flickered on inside the glass. It gradually grew stronger until flooding the room. She snatched up Ominade’s block and pressed down on the letter.

  It began glowing around the edges.

  Calandra studied the block, wondering what would happen next. Ominade said she or one of her fellow rebels would make contact. How? She dismissed using an arca vox in their conversation earlier, labeling it an unsecured communication channel.

  This all seemed insane. Calandra’s eyes fell on her arca vox resting on the table in front of her couch. She should contact Bo’un or Alayna. Or speak with her parents and press them to discuss the real reason her grandfather resigned his office and left Lathos.

  A knock came at her door. Calandra cocked her head toward the door. Who would pay her a visit at such a late hour? She set the metal block down on the table again. Calandra hesitated to move, standing fixed to the same spot next to her end table.

  Knock.

  She tiptoed to the door, trying not to make audible footsteps. Calandra pressed a square black button on a panel affixed to the wall bordering the door. Visual and thermal sensors sprang to life on the other side. A little screen embedded in the panel showed a stocky freckle faced man standing in the hallway. Calandra scrunched up her face and released it into an annoyed frown. She opened the door. It slid into a slot with a whoosh.

  “This isn’t an ideal time for a visit. What can I do for you, Dal?”

  Dal brushed back his blond curls from his forehead and grinned.

  “I just finished watching an exciting maniogo race and since I happened to be in the neighborhood, I thought I’d come over and check on you. See how you’re holding up.”

  “There’s no maniogo racing in this district. That’s more of a Luma Flats activity.”

  “My definition of neighborhood is a bit broader than your definition, I guess.”

  Calandra sighed. A distinct robust aroma greeted her nostrils. She sniffed and twisted her mouth. Uzakian Ale. Laced through Dal’s breath.

  “Go home. Sleep off your excess ale.”

  Dal laughed and shrugged.

  “I only had half a jug.” He held up his thumb and index finger. “Just a small amount.”

  Calandra glanced over her shoulder and back at him.

  “You should have contacted me on my arca vox if you wanted to chat. Why are you actually here?”

  Dal rubbed his hand down his face.

  “We miss you at the observatory.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “I miss you at the observatory.”

  Calandra gulped.

  “This isn’t going where I think it’s going, is it?”

  His piercing blue eyes trailed down past her neck. Calandra instinctively draped her arm across her chest. Dal stumbled a bit as he looked downward before catching his balance.

  “I’ve always wanted to date you but never had the courage to ask. You’re so warm, happy, and—”

  “Dal, I’m married. You know that.”

  He squinted while trying to peek over Calandra’s shoulder into her apartment.

  “Where is your husband anyhow?”

  “Please go home.”

  She stepped back and raised her arm to seal the door. Dal’s eyes trailed over to the limb. He cracked a broad grin again.

  “Your new arm seems to be working fine. Tell me, why haven’t you returned to the observatory yet?”

  Calandra jabbed a finger at him.

  “Leave. Now. Or should I alert city guards to come escort you out of here?”

  Dal threw his hands up and gave her a grouchy stare.

  “So sorry to bother you. May Ahm smile upon you.”

  Calandra sealed the door again as her former colleague stumbled down the hall toward the elevator. She sighed and buried her face in her hands. Dal visiting her in a drunken stupor did not register as a life event she needed to experience at this moment.

  Two beeps sounded from the sensor panel in rapid succession. Was Dal outside the door again? When did her apartment suddenly turn into a sky tram station? Calandra stepped back and glared at the screen. An unidentified person with a hood covering their head stood outside her door. Their back faced the wall.

  Calandra opened the door a second time.

  “Seriously, Dal, if I have to keep telling you to leave me alone …”

  She trailed off when her visitor turned to face her and threw back his hood. Calandra’s mouth dropped open when she laid eyes on his fa
ce. Her legs stiffened and became rooted to the floor like tree trunks.

  Kevin stood before her.

  23

  A tidal wave of questions flooded Calandra’s mind. She spoke none into existence. All she did was stare at Kevin. This bordered on impossible. A lucid dream simulating reality without being real. He fled Lathos. Efforts to track him down led to Xttra’s abduction in the first place. Now her Earthian friend stood before her as though nothing had happened over the past few months.

  “Hello, Calandra.”

  Kevin greeted her with a warm smile. She blinked rapidly and drew in a deep breath.

  “Xttra told me you fled to a dissident colony on Fengar. I never thought I’d see you again.”

  “Life takes you down unexpected roads.”

  “You left without saying a word.”

  “What was I supposed to say?” Kevin frowned and shoved his hands inside the pockets of a deep brown jacket covering his light gray uniform. “‘Guess what? Old Delcor wants to assassinate me because I got the goods on him, so I’m blowing this popsicle stand. Peace out.’”

  Calandra stared at his hands while he made an Earthian gesture he referred to as air quotes. A confused look washed over her face when she made eye contact with him again.

  “Why would you blow a popsicle stand? What is a popsicle stand? Peace out? Huh?”

  “They’re common Earth expressions. In other words, I didn’t feel safe sticking around.”

  An urge to chide Kevin for his flippant attitude blossomed inside Calandra. She brushed it aside. He had every reason to not bid her or Xttra farewell before he fled from Ra’ahm.

  Calandra insisted Kevin let his imagination take control of him and quickly dismissed his concerns during their most recent conversation. Xttra’s reaction proved no better. He downplayed everything Kevin learned concerning Delcor’s crimes. Pangs of guilt sprouted within her as she recalled that whole episode. He had every right to feel hurt and distrust both her and Xttra going forward. Kevin sacrificed his old life on Earth for their sake. They did not stand by him when he was right.

  Calandra was better prepared to listen now after what she and Alayna uncovered in the Central Archives.

  “I was wrong to ignore your earlier warning,” she said apologetically. “I hope you can forgive me. I believe you now, for what it’s worth.”

  Kevin’s smile returned.

  “I wasn’t mad at you. You’ve known nothing except Delcor’s regime your whole life. I guess I couldn’t expect you to reject the cult of personality surrounding him overnight.”

  Calandra stepped forward without saying a word and wrapped her arms around Kevin. Her arms passed through his body. She gasped and stepped back a few steps. Calandra stared at him with unblinking eyes and trembling lips.

  “Are you—”

  “I’m not a ghost, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “Then, how … what happened to you?”

  “I’m not standing outside your door in the literal sense. Some cool high-tech equipment is making it possible for me to be here.”

  High-tech equipment? Calandra wheeled around. Her eyes fell on the glowing block inside her living room. It pulsated more brightly than before Kevin showed up. She turned to face him again and pointed back at the block.

  “Did that device beam your image here?”

  “More or less. Your block sends a signal to a corresponding block on my end. Then, I activate a virtual imaging chamber, step inside and, poof, here I am.”

  “How can you see me?”

  “Your contact block casts a particle field filled with light waves not visible to human eyes. When it broadcasts a signal back to my end, the imaging chamber picks up the signal and recreates everything inside the particle field. This lets me see my surroundings and move anywhere within the field.”

  “That’s … amazing.”

  “It resembles an Earth technology called virtual reality in some respects, only this is actual reality here.”

  Her eyes drifted over to the sensor panel. He showed up on the screen like a flesh-and-blood person. Still, the sensors detected no thermal data. Kevin amounted to nothing more than a projection. He felt more real, though, than anything she had ever seen on a holoscreen. His voice did not emanate from the block. His body was not partially transparent. He stood before her with the color and dimensions of a solid tangible person.

  Calandra beckoned to him. Kevin walked through the doorway, and she sealed the door behind him.

  “If you’re not here physically, where are you exactly?”

  “A safe place. Far from the reach of Delcor’s agents.”

  Calandra frowned. He answered her question without really answering her question.

  “How do you know Ominade?” she asked. “Did she track you down like me?”

  “I first met her one day after finishing my usual morning run near my old apartment. She’s quite an unusual character but, damn, she’s plugged into what’s actually going on around here.”

  Calandra nodded. Admitting Ominade spoke the truth made her heart heavy. She still did not want to believe people she once trusted fed her a lifetime’s worth of lies. What she uncovered with her own eyes forced her to accept that the chief sovereign and other Ra’ahm leaders were lying.

  “Now you work for her.”

  “I want to help others learn the truth about Delcor. Ominade offers the best avenue for making that possible.”

  Calandra turned and walked to her studio. Kevin followed on her heels.

  “What is her goal? Insurrection? Revolution? I’m not sure I’m comfortable getting involved with such things.”

  Kevin pinched his lips together and shook his head.

  “Your life has changed forever. It doesn’t matter if you like it or if you want it. You can’t run away and hide from this new reality.”

  Calandra opened the studio door. She turned and beckoned him to join her inside. After Kevin entered the studio, Calandra marched straight up to Xttra’s portrait on the opposite wall.

  “I’ve never once hidden since this ordeal began.” She tapped the bottom of the painting while turning back to face him. “Xttra is still missing. Weeks and months pass by without a word. Yet, I persevere and fight to find him.”

  Fear filled Kevin’s eyes as he stared at the painting of Xttra. He licked his lips and rubbed his hand down the side of his neck.

  “Xttra is missing?”

  “Didn’t Ominade tell you? Abducted from Fengar. While attempting to track you down no less.”

  Kevin lowered his head and gazed at the floor.

  “I had no idea.” His voice grew quiet. “Calandra, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for such an awful thing to happen. I tried to keep you both out of this mess.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  She stepped away from the painting and turned around, squaring her shoulders toward Kevin.

  “Bo’un thinks someone set a trap,” Calandra continued. “He’s probably right. My original theory was Confederation agents abducted Xttra and took him back to your home planet because he stopped their first contact with your world.”

  Kevin wrenched his head upward. His eyes widened.

  “Earth? You think someone took him back to Earth?”

  “Now, after learning what I learned at the Central Archives, I don’t know what to believe.” Calandra ignored his question. “I feel like I’m starting over in trying to learn what became of him. Maybe the chief sovereign just wanted to—”

  Her voice stuck on that word. Calandra could not finish the thought resting on her tongue. The chief sovereign would not murder Xttra.

  Would he?

  “What did you find out in your archives? Is this why you sent a contact signal to Ominade?”

  Calandra swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Repeating
aloud what she read in those records caused her to experience distress anew.

  “I learned the same things you learned.” She opened her eyes again and shook her head. “Our chief sovereign tried to murder the former prime oracle and may have assassinated his own father. The worst part is my own grandfather uncovered evidence proving he did these things and turned a blind eye.”

  “That’s not all I learned.”

  A crease formed in Calandra’s brow.

  “What do you mean? What else did you find out?”

  “Your former prime oracle is alive.”

  She tilted her head at him. Her eyes blinked rapidly, betraying her lingering disbelief in Kevin’s revelation.

  “Where is he? Xttra told me before his abduction you claimed to have evidence Valadius is alive. If you do, where has he been this whole time?”

  Kevin turned without saying a word and marched out of the studio. Calandra scrambled after him, wondering where he was going. He stopped in front of the balcony doors and thrust his index finger at a night sky lit by dozens of visible stars.

  “Beyond this solar system. Hidden in a place called the Land of the Three Suns.”

  Calandra’s mouth fell open. She pressed her hand to her lips and stepped back from him. Her eyes drifted from Kevin over to a copy of the Book of Ahm laying on the end table flanking her couch.

  “Are you familiar with such a place?”

  She nodded without looking over at Kevin. Calandra walked over to the table and picked up the Book of Ahm. She cracked open the cover and thumbed through thin pliable metallic pages.

  “Only from what I’ve read in the Book of Ahm. The Land of the Three Suns is an ancient land of refuge on a secluded world placed among hidden stars by Ahm himself. Only pure and humble souls are allowed passage to this land.”

  Calandra stopped on a page referencing the Land of Three Suns within the book. She walked over to Kevin and showed him the open page. He leaned forward and studied the words, written in the Confederation Universal language, as she steadied the book in her hand.