Shipwreck on Lysithea (Mastery of the Stars Book 4)

by M J Dees

  The staff member returned the way he had come.

  “Do you think Fenris will beat you?” Sevan asked.

  “I don’t think so. I have had a lot of practise with the jetpack and I doubt he’s been racing on Zistreotov. At the very worst, I can stay within three lengths of him. But don’t you think it strange that they suddenly want to arrange games?”

  “I don’t know how things work in your culture,” said Sevan. “Everything seems strange to me.”

  “It might be nothing, but it just seems odd to me.”

  “Tell them you have changed your mind.”

  “No, don’t worry about it. Let fate take its course. Let’s go to the launch pad.”

  Sevan followed Ozli across the palace grounds to a platform which offered a spectacular view of the buildings which stretched on to the horizon. It delighted him that staff were already there with enormous quantities of pish, some in containers, ready to attach to the vehicle of the sort used by Ozli but also cups, one of which Sevan availed himself.

  They hadn’t been there for long before the President arrived with Ozli’s mother, Fenris, Kirkland and a platoon of guards pushing in two jetpacks.

  “Ozli, come here and greet Fenris,” said the President.

  Ozli did as the President asked him.

  “Forgive me, Fenris. I have done you wrong,” said Ozli. “Everyone here knows a terrible sadness has troubled me and some might say it drove me to the edge of madness. It was not Ozli who did these things, it was the madness. I have also been wronged, Fenris, by the madness. I didn't mean any wrong, Fenris, I have hurt you accidentally.”

  “I am satisfied with your apology,” said Fenris. “However, I still have to consider my honour until I receive an expert judgement in favour of reconciliation. But I will respect your words.”

  “Then let us compete for this wager. Come on, bring us the jetpacks.”

  “Yes, come on, one for me.”

  “Your skill on a jetpack is renowned, Fenris. I think you will leave me behind.”

  “You mock me, Ozli.”

  “Not me.”

  “Give them the jetpacks, Kirkland,” ordered the President. “Ozli? You understand the bet?”

  “I do.”

  “I have seen you, both of you, Ozli,” said the President. “But I think you will find Fenris improved.”

  “I do not like this pack,” said Fenris. “Let me see the other.”

  “They are the same,” said Ozli.

  “Yes, they are,” said Kirkland, giving Ozli the other jetpack.

  “Is the pish ready?” asked the President. “If Ozli wins the first or second lap, I will drink to him. Let us begin, pay attention.”

  “Let us go,” said Ozli.

  “Yes, let’s,” said Fenris.

  Staff attached the packs to their vehicles, and they made their way onto the platform to begin the race. Kirkland fired a signal, and they began their first circuit around the grounds of the presidential palace. The gathering watched on gigantic screens which tracked their progress but Sevan realised the entire circuit was visible without use of the screens and he followed the two vehicles, like black dots on the horizon, as they circumnavigated the grounds. As they returned to complete their first lap, there was nothing to tell between them and as they passed the finish for the first of three laps, they both thought they had the lead.

  “Ozli leads by a fraction,” declared Kirkland.

  “Give me some pish. Here’s to you, Ozli,” said the President as they attached the pish container to his vehicle. “When you finish, there is a container of pish with your name on it.”

  By the end of the second lap, it was still close, but Ozli was in the lead.

  “Another lap to Ozli,” said the President. “Replace my container of pish I will drink to him again.”

  “I will drink to him too,” said Ozli’s mother, attaching a container of pish to her vehicle.

  “No, not that container!” exclaimed the President. “That one belongs to Ozli.”

  Ozli’s mother ignored the President and attached the container to her vehicle.

  “It is Ozli’s container!” the President shouted to Kirkland. “It is too late.”

  Sevan looked at Kirkland, who appeared to be more concerned with some kind of control panel.

  As they rounded the third lap, the vehicles of Ozli and Fenris came close and their jet packs became entangled in each other’s vehicles.

  “They are caught together,” observed the president.

  While they were entangled, Kirkland pressed a button on his control panel and a part of Ozli’s jet pack exploded. Fenris’s jet pack took the full brunt of the explosion, and there was a second blast as something else on it exploded. Smoke emitted from both packs as the vehicles rounded the last corner.

  As Sevan followed the two smoking vehicles, Ozli’s mother passed across his sight and he realised there was something strange about her, her gas seemed to be discoloured.

  “President! Your partner!” Kirkland shouted.

  At that moment, the two vehicles struggled back to the platform and crash landed. When they emerged from the smoke, Sevan noticed that the crash had cracked both life preserving domes.

  “Are you okay, Ozli,” Sevan asked.

  “Fenris? It cracked your dome,” said Kirkland.

  “I have been caught in my own trap,” said Fenris.

  “What is wrong with my co-begetter?” asked Ozli, seeing his mother.

  “She is perturbed at seeing the cracks in your domes,” said the President.

  “No, it is the pish. I am poisoned.”

  Sevan watched as Ozli’s mother’s gas discoloured and then appeared to evaporate into a purple sludge which condensed on the inside of her life preserving dome before dripping down into a pool in the vehicle's bottom.

  “She has been murdered,” Ozli shouted. “Who is responsible?”

  “I am,” said Fenris, his gas already escaping from the crack in his life preserving dome. “You are fatally wounded, Ozli, nobody can help you now. You will be lucky to last minutes; your gas is escaping from your dome too. We will both die, and your co-begetter too. The President is to blame.”

  Ozli shot, cracking the President’s dome.

  “Guards!” shouted the president. “Help me! He’s compromised my dome.”

  “You will be more than compromised,” said Ozli.

  He used his mechanical arm to remove the half full pish container from his mother’s vehicle and attach it to the President’s.

  Sevan saw the gas of the President react in the same way that Ozli’s mother had until the President was only a pool of purple liquid on the floor of his vehicle.

  “Justice is done,” said Fenris. “Killed by his own poison. Forgive me, Ozli. Mine and my begetter’s deaths are not your fault, nor yours mine.”

  The gas of Fenris rushed through the widening gap in the dome until there was nothing left.

  “Go to the better place, Fenris,” said Ozli. “I will meet you there. I am going, Sevan. Goodbye, my co-begetter. Sevan, I am almost gone. Report the truth about what happened here.”

  “I will,” Sevan could barely speak the words. “A last container of pish?”

  “Give it to me, Sevan. They have dishonoured me today. If you ever liked me, tell my story.”

  There was a crash as someone opened the platform doors.

  “What is that noise?” asked Ozli.

  “It is Akpom Chuba,” said Kirkland. “He has returned from victory in the Wreckage of the Arint on Inic B'Campa, he comes with Corporation ambassadors from the Tomorrow space station.”

  “I am dying, Sevan,” said Ozli. “I am almost gone. I will not live to hear the news from Tomorrow, but I do predict that they will choose Akpom Chuba as the next president. I support him. Tell him all the events which have brought about...”

  Sevan watch with horror as Ozli’s gas escaped from the crack.

  “Goodbye Ozli,” Sevan whispered. “
See you in the better place.”

  Sevan turned to see Akpon Chuba enter the platform with two Corporation officers.

  “What has happened here?” Chuba asked.

  “What does it look like?” asked Sevan.

  “It looks like everyone has died,” said Chuba. “What feast must be prepared in the better place for so many lost at once?”

  “It is a terrible sight,” agreed one of the Corporation officers. “Our message from the Corporation comes too late, no-one survives to hear us, that the order to eliminate Tafazolli and de Wijs has been carried out. Who is going to thank us now?”

  “Not from the President, had he been here to thank you,” said Sevan. “He never gave the order. But since you have arrived at such a timely moment from invading the Wreckage of the Arint on Inic B'Campa or from Tomorrow, place these vehicles on public view, and let me tell the story of how this came about. You will hear of disgraceful and desperate acts, of murder, judgement, slaughter, cunning, revenge and mistakes which brought revenge on the revenger. I will tell you all of this.”

  “Tell us now,” said Chuba. “We will assemble the most important figures in the Republic. I have some historical claims in this republic and, although I wish it were in better circumstances, I would take this opportunity to stake my claim.”

  “I also have something to say about that,” said Sevan. “But let everyone hear my story now, before more misunderstanding leads to more misfortune.”

  “Have these vehicles carried to the great hall,” Chuba ordered. “Ozli would have made a good President. Let us have a ceremony to send him to the better place.”

  CHAPTER 12: LOST IN STRANGE WORLDS

  “It’s not your fault,” said Ay-ttho.

  “There’s no way you could have predicted what would happen,” said Tori.

  The three friends sat on the bridge of the Mastery of the Stars. They hadn’t known Ozli for that long, but they already missed his presence.

  “I guess there's no reason for us to stay any longer,” said Ay-ttho. “Ozli had the ship repaired and replenished with fuel and supplies. We may as well leave.”

  “I wanted to attend the ceremony that sends him to the better place,” said Sevan.

  “Of course.”

  “What happened to the pirates?”

  “They left as soon as Ozli had paid them off,” said Ay-ttho. “Straight after we arrived.”

  “We have a visitor,” announced Ron.

  “Who is it?” asked Ay-ttho.

  “It’s Kirkland,” said Ron. “He says it’s important.”

  “Let him in,” said Ay-ttho.

  As Kirkland appeared on the bridge, he seemed extremely agitated.

  “What is it?” asked Sevan. “What’s wrong?”

  “You should leave immediately,” Kirkland spluttered out his words.

  “We would go straight after the ceremony.”

  “No, I mean you should leave now.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s Akpom Chuba, the power has driven him mad.”

  “Already?”

  “He is blaming you all for the murders of the President, his partner and of Ozli, Fenris, Zarah and Kellen Kader.”

  “What? All of them?”

  “Fine by me,” said Ay-ttho. “We need to take the long way round to The Doomed Planet since Barnes destroyed the Atlas portal, so it suits me fine, the sooner the better. Let’s leave now.”

  “No, you mustn’t use the long way round,” warned Kirkland. “That’s where Chuba would expect you to go.”

  “What’s the alternative?” asked Tori.

  “You must go via the outer regions.”

  “Via the strange worlds?”

  “The Sirius route,” said Ay-ttho. “It’s true. Chuba wouldn’t expect us to be stupid enough to take the strange world route via Sirius.”

  “And are we?” asked Sevan. “Stupid enough?”

  “Apparently,” said Tori after taking a moment to examine Ay-ttho’s expression.

  “I have no navigational chart for the strange worlds,” said Ron.

  “That’s okay,” said Ay-ttho. “We’ll ask for directions.”

  “I wish you the best of luck,” said Kirkland. “And, if I were you, I’d never return to the Republic, let alone Future.”

  “Don’t worry, we won’t be coming back to Future any time soon.”

  “But The Doomed Planet is in the Republic,” said Sevan after Kirkland had left.

  “Don’t worry Sevan,” said Ay-ttho. “The Doomed Planet is on the edge of the Republic. We can enter on the far side where no-one will spot us.”

  “You mean we have to skirt around the outside of the Republic until we get to The Doomed Planet?”

  “That’s about it.”

  “But how long is that going to take?”

  “We’re about to find out. Ron, prepare for launch.”

  Sevan watched the city planet of Future retreating into the distance through the observation windows. He was sad to have left his friend behind, having not even been able to attend Ozli’s ceremony, but he was very glad to get away from the capitol planet of the republic and yearned for the more remote systems where he remembered life being quieter.

  “Head straight for the outer regions, Ron,” said Ay-ttho.

  “The nearest portal will take us past the Wreckage of the Arint on Inic B'Campa,” Ron warned.

  “The battle is over,” said Ay-ttho. “The Cheng-Huang decimated them.”

  “I hope you’re right,” said Sevan.

  As they approached the portal, Sevan gazed through the observation windows with apprehension, wondering what might be on the other side.

  “Republic vessels have launched from Future,” Ron announced.

  “They’re coming after us,” said Ay-ttho. “There’s no going back now.”

  She had barely finished speaking when the Mastery of the Stars entered the portal. Sevan held onto his chair and at first wished that he had taken some pish from the platform on Future before remembering what had happened to most who had drunk pish there.

  Within a few moments, the Mastery of the Stars had emerged through the other side of the portal and Sevan could see nothing but space.

  “Where is Inic B'Campa?” asked Ay-ttho.

  “How should I know?” said Ron. “I told you, I don’t have any navigation charts for the outer regions.”

  “Great,” said Sevan. “So, we’ve only just come through the portal and we are already lost.”

  “My sensors are picking up a planet ahead,” said Ron.

  “It must be Inic B'Campa,” said Ay-ttho. “We need a place to hide before the Republic ships come through that portal.”

  As they approached the planet, the destruction became apparent. The atmosphere was thick with smoke and, as they descended through the clouds, everything that could burn was burning.

  “Did Chuba do all this?” asked Sevan.

  “It looks like the Cheng-Huang have eradicated the Arint,” said Tori. “And all for the sake of territory.”

  As the Mastery of the Stars neared the surface, Sevan saw that what was burning was the wreckage of the largest ship he had ever seen.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “The Arint were a nomadic tribe,” explained Tori. “They had to abandon their home planet many eons ago and travelled the galaxy in search of a new home. Some even say they came from another galaxy altogether. When their ship malfunctioned, they crash landed on Inic B'Campa and for millennia made that their home until first the Republic and then other tribes like the Cheng-Huang expanded their territory.”

  “The Arint were a peaceful race,” added Ay-ttho. “But they took up arms to defend themselves against a series of invaders. Until now.”

  Sevan gazed out of the window at the destruction of what he imagined must have been countless generations of survival against the odds, all crushed in a relative instant by the Cheng-Huang just because they could.

  “Ron? Can you
sense anything?” asked Ay-ttho. “Maybe the Arint had navigation charts.”

  “But they have destroyed everything,” said Sevan.

  “Ron?” Ay-ttho persisted.

  There was a moment of silence while they all waited for Ron’s answer.

  “Almost all of their computing has been destroyed,” he said, at last. “I am detecting a faint signal which could represent some functioning equipment. I will navigate the ship there in the hope we can access their system.”

  The Mastery of the Stars circled the burning wreckage. Sevan marvelled at how enormous the craft must have been when it was whole, but realised that it would have had to have been huge to transport an entire civilisation from another galaxy.

  “We are closing in on the source of the signal,” said Ron. “I have also detected Republic ships this side of the portal heading this way.”

  “We need to land close to the wreckage and activate the cloak,” said Ay-ttho.

  “What’s the cloak?” asked Sevan.

  “It’s a way that Ron can shield our signals so the scanners of the Republic vessels won’t detect us.”

  “Why didn’t I know about this? We could have used it when we were being chased by the pirates.”

  “It doesn’t make us invisible, Sevan, it just screens our electronic footprint so they hopefully will think we are just another part of the wreckage.”

  The Mastery of the Stars slowed considerably as it approached a section of the wreckage which, though smouldering, had stopped burning.

  “I am detecting something in this section,” said Ron.

  “Land us in that space beneath the bulkhead and activate the cloak,” said Ay-ttho. “We will have to wait until the Republic vessels pass before we can investigate.”

  Ron landed the ship as Ay-ttho had instructed and switch the bridge to emergency lighting,

  From outside, Sevan could hear distorting metals, punctuated by the occasional crash of part of the bulkhead collapsing. Soon a different sound, a steady roar, overwhelmed the noise.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “That’s the sound of the Republic fleet entering the atmosphere,” said Ron. “They will circle the wreckage trying to pick up our signal, I’m shutting down all power except for life support.”