“Man, you are never going to believe this,” he heard Brylon say.
“What are you talking about, Brylon?”
“I just got an answer to the message you sent. The message I received wasn’t coded like the one you gave me to send. However, it was sent on a secure frequency. I figured that you’d want me to determine where it originated from, so I took the liberty of tracking it. It wasn’t sent from Drylon.”
“What do you mean Brylon?” Zirlo asked.
“Hello Commander. I didn’t realize you were there. I hope you are doing well.”
Before Brylon could say another word, Zirlo interrupted, “The message, Brylon.”
“Yes, the message didn’t come from Drylon, it came from Pernmock.”
“Can you send it to my tablet?” Zeb quickly said as he picked up the tablet he had stowed bag behind the seat.
“Just sent it,” Brylon replied.
Zeb touched the glass tablet and keyed in his passcode. He could feel his father beside him reading the message aloud over his shoulder.
Commander,
I wanted you to know that we have received your message and will send it to our son. He had contacted us several hours before we received your message to let us know that he had to cancel plans to meet us at a secured location that we do not wish to disclose at this time. We are worried about his safety in this endeavor. Keep us updated on all decisions made on this matter. We will relay them to our son.
May peace and honor be with you always,
Anton and LaLane Fenwick
“I remember meeting Anton once. Cranik was a good friend of theirs.” Zirlo said clearly lost in his thoughts.
“Cranik, he’s Kurtz’s father isn’t he?” Zeb asked.
Zirlo nodded. Brylon interrupted again, “To make this easier for you, I have routed all further messages from this frequency to be sent directly to your tablet Zeb. That way your father can answer them immediately, as well as inform them directly of any decisions or developments.”
“Thank you, Brylon. I don’t know what I would do without you man.” Zeb said as he continued to eye the message.
“Keep that in mind when you give me time off that I am going to be asking you for in the very near future. It is not easy to take care of a mate and three mischievous rewas when I am working all the time,” Brylon laughed heartily. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.” The communicator beeped to let them know that the transmission had ended.
“I haven’t heard that closing in a very long time,” Zirlo said as he took the tablet that Zeb handed him. “The Drylon people adopted, May peace and honor be with you always, as their doctrine when they petitioned their admission into the Intergalactic Council. Gatton forbade it to be uttered when he declared himself emperor. Imagine how great it would be to restore peace and honor to the Drylon people.”
“Are you sure that the Drylon people are ready to remove Gatton from the throne? I know that we talked about the prisoners and the necessity of freeing them, but we never discussed whether the Drylon people that remain on the planet are ready or willing to go to war to oust Gatton. For them, either way they choose will lead to war on their planet.” Zeb asked.
“It doesn’t matter. We have to free the prisoners. This is enough reason for us to declare war. Carel mentioned a big underground movement to bring the planet back to peace. I don’t know how large it is, but they will surely support us to remove Gatton from power. And if there are any Drylon citizens that choose to fight for Gatton, they will have to be dealt with individually. They may even forfeit their lives for the cause. As a commander, you will find that collateral damage is always to be expected in the outcome of any war.”
“I just want to bring our people home. I don’t want to risk bringing war back to our planet now that I have Avery and a daughter on the way. It’s hard to believe that I have so much to lose. I guess that I am afraid that if we attack, we may face what we did ten years ago.” Zeb looked pensively at his father who reached out and squeezed his hand.
“Son, I have learned many things over the years, but only a few things have stood out. You can’t change the future or the past. You have to live in the present and trust that what is meant to happen is going to happen. We can only hope and pray that we act smartly and wisely to bring this matter to a close without much bloodshed. We will pray to the Gods for wisdom and courage to deal with this swiftly. Believe me; I don’t want to see war on this planet either.”
“I hope you’re right, dad,” Zeb said as his father turned his attention to the tablet leaving Zeb to his thoughts. War was something that no one in command should ever take lightly. This would be something that he would learn a great deal from. Lives would be lost, but their people would be rescued. In the silence, he thought about what he would say to address the council.
“WHAT!?!” Gatton yelled out to the person on the other side of the door pounding on it like it was a drum. The two women were startled awake as he yelled. “Who dares to disturb me?”
Uphir, Gatton’s brother, and personal physician opened the door a crack and stuttered, “It’s Uphir, your Grace. You asked me to retrieve you when the Drylon guard came back with the evidence pertaining to Zirlo and Lars. He is here now, sir, waiting in your office.”
“Come in Uphir.” The two girls writhed over his naked body waiting for another round of his masochistic sexual games. He may have a body that was smaller than most of the men in the Drylon race, but his cock was huge and powerful. He looked down to see it in all its glory. He was quite vain about this particular male organ and noticed that it started to get hard again as the women clawed at his chest. His cock was a tool that he used in order to survive for as long as he had. The feeding off of innocent souls was food for him. Sure, he needed to nourish his mortal body with edible food like everyone else. But, sucking the life energy out of his victims was a necessary evil to stay within this host for such a long time. Men or women, it did not matter. He found over time that the meal would be more satisfying if they were sexually aroused. In this state, he would strip from them their youth leaving them with an empty death and him a more filling meal.
“Yes, brother.” Uphir walked over to the end of the bed and gathered up his master’s black silken robe. Gatton edged his way out of the bed with the marks of the women’s fingernails leaving red streaks on his flesh.
“Don’t worry my pets, I will be back,” he said as he kissed each one of them, sucking a bit more of their soul from their bodies with each kiss. The girls would virtually become his sex slaves as soon as he entered them. At times he would have to force himself on them, essentially raping them. Then, they would hand themselves over to him willingly until he sucked all the life out of them. He turned to Uphir, “These two have been quite enjoyable. You made an excellent choice brother.”
“I’m glad that they meet your needs.” Gatton’s need to feed had been increasing. Soon after he would take a mortal body, he could sustain off of four or five good encounters in a year. Now, he was always feeding. After 453 years, he knew that he was going to have to find a new host soon. Uphir was wasting too much time and effort finding him food when he should be keeping tabs on what was going on around them. Gatton had possessed this body far longer than any other he had in the past. It was by far the most complacent host he had ever lived within in his long life. Sometimes, he could even feel the voyeuristic joy his host held for him.
“Did you examine Fenwick’s evidence? Was it conclusive?” Gatton slipped behind the screen to dress in his uniform.
“Yes, sir. I examined everything he brought. Fenwick suggested that we speak to the Theron Doctor and listen to the testimony of a man from the same sector. I think it would be a good idea to do this as well. It might help to put your mind at ease brother.”
Gatton came out from behind the screen. Everything he chose to wear was a standard black. Black as the death, he planned to bring all the planets his father had he
lped create. You see, his father was Bezaliel, the ‘Shadow of God’. That was until God changed the meaning of his name to ‘damaged’. He was the 13th watcher of the twenty leaders of the 200 fallen angels listed in the Book of Enoch. He chuckled to himself. And Lars thought he wanted to know where Earth was. Uphir and I were conceived and born on that planet he thought to himself. We know exactly where earth is and have plans for its destruction very soon.
He put on his dark sunglasses to hide the large black irises. His eyes would change like that after he took possession of a man. They had made it a general rule to never possess a woman. He believed women to be weak and unsuitable leaders due to their wavering emotions. Just like Eve they had the potential to bring him to the brink of defeat with their emotions and sympathy. The only reason he chose to stay in this body so long was because it fit him like a glove. His host never complicated anything or rebelled against him. His host was even amused by his evil doings.
Uphir walked out the room and down the dark hallway, with his brother remaining at his right-hand side. Dark, everything was always dark. The walls were always painted black. The surface of the furniture was always red as blood and gilded with gold accents. It was just the way Gatton liked it. Uphir opened the door to the office where Carel was nervously pacing back and forth. When the door slammed shut, Carel stood to attention.
“Fenwick, what have you brought for me?” Gatton said in a manner he had noticed put people on edge. He saw Carel swallow hard and take a second to compose his thoughts.
“I brought you evidence that the two Theron prisoners, Zirlo and Lars, are dead and at the bottom of the pit.”
“Funny, this looks like a skull…and a hand, maybe?” Gatton took a knife from the top drawer of his desk and prodded the bones moving them this way and that. “They are burned badly. How am I to believe that these bones belong to the missing prisoners?”
“They were burned in the pit. Looks like a gas pocket ignited at the base when the cart slammed into the rocks and sparked. The bodies were trapped under the wreckage. I couldn’t move the cart by myself so I took only what was not hidden underneath it. I mentioned to your guard, Uphir, that I had received testimony from a doctor in the camp. Based on measurements taken from these bones, she had concluded that the bones were derived from someone of Theron decent. I also have the testimony of two men in Zirlo’s sector that can validate the location of a missing tooth that proves that the skull belongs to Zirlo. When you look closely at the hand, the bones of the fingers were badly broken and then reset and allowed to heal. The thumb is intact. This is consistent with the injuries that Lars was reported to have possessed before arriving at the camp. If you wish, you can hear the testimony of the prisoners yourself, Sir.”
“Lead the way soldier,” Gatton said. Carel gathered the bones, carefully putting them back into the bag. Then, Gatton followed Carel to the Emperors personal transport craft. Gatton strapped himself in beside the pilot with the others doing the same in the back. Uphir accompanied him as his personal physician. If something were awry, his younger brother would know. There are 36 hours in the day on Drylon. The planet is larger than Earth and UV-49 but not as large as Theron. In twenty minutes time, they made it to the camp and parked the fighter on landing pad #1. Coincidentally, the same pad that the Drylon fighter supposedly disappeared from.
“The doctor’s cave is just over here,” Carel said as he stepped carefully down the incline to the awaiting hovercraft. “I’ve arranged transportation for you Emperor.” It really wasn’t that far to the cave, but he knew that Gatton would not want to walk through the dusty camp. Carel clapped his hands at the entrance as Uphir shoved the newly hung, makeshift curtain over the doorway as Gatton made his way in.
On the ground was a grotesque woman with large lumps on her face. Gatton called out to the guards in repulsion, “Remove this…woman.” The two guards that drove the hovercraft responded immediately to his command. One grabbed under her arms and the other grabbed each of her ankles. Mattie screamed as if she were in great pain. They carried her out and set her roughly on the ground outside to lay in the direct sunlight. The woman covered her eyes with her arm as a male prisoner went to tend to her. The light must have been blinding to her. “Why is she still here?” Gatton turned and looked directly at the Theron woman doctor.
“Mattie is very ill. I don’t think that she will survive the week.” He could see that she was angry. It probably took everything not to yell or scream at them for the poor treatment of her patient. He watched as she turned away and faced the wall busying herself with folding of square cloths that she removed from the drying line. “What can I help you with Emperor Gatton?” He would excuse her tone this time.
“Fenwick said that you identified the remains he brought back. You say they are from a Theron Warrior. I’d like to hear how you came to this conclusion,” Gatton said coldly.
“Of course,” she looked up at Carel, “Do you have the bones?” Gatton caught something in the way that they looked at each other for just a fraction of a second. This woman meant something to Fenwick. He observed them in silence to glean whatever he could about their relationship. He could see it in her eyes too. He watched as Carel pulled the bones from the sack and placed them on the cot. “Do you have a light?” There it was again when she looked up at Carel. Carel pulled out a light and focused the beam on the bones. “Alright. According to my research, the prisoners in sector six and the majority of this camp consist of people from Pernmock, Theron, and UV-49.”
She picked up the bones of the hand carefully. “The hand had to be from someone of Theron or Drylon decent. There are five digits, four fingers, and one opposable thumb. As you know, Pernmock’s have three fingers and two opposable digits. Uvites have three fingers and one opposable thumb. I also noticed that the fingers on this hand had been broken by some kind of blunt force trauma; say a hammer or some other instrument. See, this bone in the middle digit was crushed completely. It looks like the fingers were set and a medicine to hasten healing was prescribed. The thumb suffered no damage.”
“The skull is clearly from a person of Theron Decent. With several measurements, such as brow ridge projection and crown circumference versus the distance from just under the nose to a point above the jaw line, it is conclusive. The wear patterns on the teeth that remain suggest that this man is at or over 250 years of age. I also found that one tooth was extracted from the upper left side of his mouth about one year to six months ago. The patterns in the way that the jaw bone healed suggest that the tooth had abscessed and, as a result, had to be pulled.”
“Danuwee, a Pernmock male in Zirlo’s sector, has offered testimony. He told me that he pulled the tooth from Zirlo’s mouth about a year ago when it became too painful for Zirlo to function with,” Carel interjected.
“Is he here?” Gatton asked.
“Yes Emperor. He is just outside.” Carel shifted the curtain and called the man in. Danuwee ducked low to enter the small cave. “This is Danuwee.” The pernmock man stood with two sets of arms clasped in front of his chest as he bowed.
“You say you pulled the tooth. Can you tell me where you removed it from?” Danuwee turned as if he would walk over to the bones. “Stand fast prisoner. Don’t touch that skull. If you pulled it yourself, it should have been a memorable experience. Don’t you agree?” He looked around and Uphir and the accompanying guards all nodded nervously. “You should know exactly what side and where in his mouth the tooth originated. Think hard prisoner. If you answer wrong, I’ll kill you where you stand.”
Danuwee swallowed hard. A bead of sweat formed at his temple and slowly trickled down his face. “I pulled the tooth from Zirlo’s upper jaw, left side. It was the third from the back, I believe.”
Gatton removed his glasses and picked up the skull and pried the jaw apart. The prisoner indicated the correct tooth. “You are dismissed. Return to your sector.” Danuwee turned sharply and wordlessly left the cave. “It seems that your testimony is consi
stent. Uphir, do you have anything to add?” Uphir shook his head no as he examined the skull where it lay on the bag. “Fenwick, when you come back from leave you will report for duty as the supervisor of this prison camp as I’ve promised.”
“Yes, sir.” Carel snapped to attention.
Gatton with Uphir at his heels entered the hovercraft that would take him to his ship waiting on landing pad #1. Once onboard Gatton turned to his brother, “Uphir, something is amiss. I don’t know if I trust Fenwick. I have a feeling that he’s in league with the woman doctor. I want you to test his loyalty. I want him tailed while he is away. Have Frenier do it. Then, find out when he is due to return and send several of our shadiest guards to visit our good doctor. I want them to do as they wish with her and I want him to walk in on them while they are doing it. If he turns away and leaves them to their business, we can believe him. If he intervenes, I want the both of them thrown in the dungeon at once. They will remain there until I can figure out what to do with them.”
“Yes, sir. I will do as you ask,” said Uphir as he buckled himself into his seat.
“Good,” He turned to the pilot of the craft. “Let’s get back to the palace. I have two pressing issues I need to deal with.”
“Do you think he bought it?” Jenaya asked when the coast was clear.
“I hope so. Only time will tell.” Carel said.
Jenaya went out quickly to check on Mattie. Being in the hot sun would not be good for her. She was showing signs of dehydration before she was thrown outside. If only Jenaya had access to IV fluids. “Can you help me bring her in Carel?”
He squatted down beside Mattie’s limp body and cradled her in his arms. Jenaya pulled the curtain closed as he carefully placed her down on her pallet. “She doesn’t look very well. Do you really believe that she may not last a week?”
The Theron Residency (Brides of Theron Book 4) Page 16
