Guardian Generations

by C. Osborne Rapley

  Now that he was not fighting for his life, Octavian could feel their fear. He shuddered; it was strange to sense so many undisciplined minds. He had got used to Seonaid, but she had been on her own; a group was unnerving.

  “You are the leader now.” The warrior opened his mouth to protest but Octavian interrupted him. “You have a choice, you can either stay, and live peacefully with the people here, or you can move on.”

  The warrior turned and looked at his comrades; they stood silent watching them. He raised his voice, “We have a choice – go or stay.”

  There were some murmuring and several shouted, “Go”.

  The warrior turned back to Octavian.

  “Normally we do not fight at this time of year. We wait until the spring. She…” he pointed at the Cartigian, “has led us a long way from our normal home. Everything we have is in our wagons.” He paused for a moment. “We will return to the last village we conquered, rebuild it and make it our home.”

  “If you go I don’t want to see you or your kind anywhere near this village again. Is that clear?”

  The warrior nodded to Octavian. “Yes, it is clear.”

  Octavian could sense they were warlike and violent; any promise he could exact from them would probably be short-lived. He hoped their fear of him would keep them away for a while at least.

  “What about Emrhydreg?”

  “She stays with me,” Octavian replied. “Now go!”

  The new leader turned to the others and shouted orders. As the band started preparations to leave, Octavian had a sudden thought.

  “You will leave your slaves with me.”

  The leader turned back to Octavian and started to protest. With a quick command to his battle armour computer, the air shimmered around him as the full armour suit unfolded. He stood in front of the Celt, suddenly encased in the green Guardian battle armour. To the Celt, it was powerful magic and he had no intention of arguing with a God. He nodded and turned back to his comrades, ordering them to release the slaves from the back of the wagons.

  Octavian sighed with relief; he didn’t want another confrontation. He folded the armour back with a quick thought. The released slaves ran to the open gates of the village, carefully avoiding Octavian as they did so. He walked over to the Cartigian, picked her up and unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder. He needed to show the Celts he was far more powerful than their erstwhile leader. He then shouted over to them, “You can take this wagon as well.” He picked up her gun and the communicator she had hidden under the seat with his free hand and strode back to the gates of the village.

  He wished he had left his armour partially unfolded, as the Cartigian was heavy! He suddenly remembered Seonaid – she was still hiding in the trees at the edge of the clearing. He was about to call her over when he had an idea – he used his mind to command her to follow him into the village. The guilt he felt at entering her mind was lessening, but still, he suppressed a shudder. Octavian watched as she broke cover and walked towards him. The Guardian uniform she was wearing still looked clean. Octavian held her mind and ensured she said nothing. She fell obediently in behind him and followed him into the village. He needed to use her again.

  The village leader was waiting for them and led Octavian to the largest central hut. The porch and entrance were high enough for him to walk through without stooping, although Octavian was a good head taller than the people around him. It took a few moments for him to become accustomed to the gloom, but there was a fire in a central hearth that gave some light. The building smelt of smoke as there was no chimney for it to escape from. The roof was thatched and formed a high cone above them. Octavian felt his eyes sting slightly from the smoke, and blinked to clear them as he dropped his burden onto a large wooden couch near the entrance just as she started to regain consciousness.

  He ensured Seonaid was standing quietly just behind him in full view of the Cartigian. He spoke with the Cartigian, “Do you know what a Guardian is?” She nodded. “Right, I shall untie you – if you try anything you will get hurt, do you understand?”

  She nodded again. Octavian untied her cautiously. He felt tension in his shoulders as he held himself ready to grab his laser from its holster. The Cartigian made no attempt to struggle or flee. Octavian forced his breathing to appear normal. He had unconsciously been holding his breath. He faced the Cartigian.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Trying to control these ignorant savages.”

  “Why?” Octavian asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? This was our planet once.”

  “Yes I know that! I want to know what happened.”

  “Don’t you know?” she asked.

  “No, I’ve been away,” Octavian retorted. “I want you to tell me everything.”

  The Cartigian glared from under her heavy eyebrows. “Can’t your AI tell you, Guardian?” She almost made the word Guardian sound like an insult.

  “No, she has been deactivated for a long time. I have only just arrived on this planet and reactivated her.”

  He forced Seonaid to bow her head in acknowledgement. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and hoped the strain of controlling Seonaid did not show. At least the idea he had, that the Cartigian might be fooled into thinking that Seonaid was the planetary AI, seemed to be working.

  “Well?”

  The Cartigian sighed. “I and my colleagues left our colony ten years ago our time. We lost FTL technology during the Great Dark Age so our relative travel time would be about 3,000 years.”

  “What Great Dark Age?” Octavian asked.

  The Cartigian looked puzzled. “You don’t know?’

  Octavian thought quickly; the strain of holding Seonaid was getting tiring but he had to have the answers to his questions.

  “I have come from the far side of the galaxy; there was no Dark Age there. Tell me what happened.”

  He could tell the Cartigian was not fully convinced, but she started to tell him what happened.

  “We are not sure what exactly occurred because our records are sketchy, but there was a large gathering of Guardians here on Cartigia. They used the large island called Atlantis, which was in the centre of one of the main seas—”

  “Yes, I know full well where it is,” Octavian interrupted.

  “Well, there was some sort of natural disaster and the island was destroyed. Most of the Guardians were killed, as were many Cartigians, because of tidal waves and the fallout from the island’s destruction. Due to the Guardians being all but wiped out the galaxy plunged into war and chaos…” The Cartigian looked at Octavian through narrowed eyes. “In this sector anyway.”

  Octavian ignored the remark. “Go on.”

  The Cartigian continued, “Well, as our civilisation was all but destroyed on our home planet our colony was isolated. We barely survived. Many things were lost and forgotten. It took several millennia before we were in a position to return here. We set up this expedition to return to our home world and find out what happened.”

  “Well, what happened?” Octavian clenched his fists and hoped the strain was not apparent in his voice.

  “It seems that after the disaster the whole planet lost its civilisation. There was a regression back to hunter-gatherer level. Unfortunately for the surviving Cartigians, there were a few surviving Guardians. They lost everything as well; however, it seems they were better able to cope with the meagre resources and the changing climate caused by the destruction of the island. Our race died out, and the planet became the home of the Guardian descendants.”

  Octavian nodded. “Tomorrow, we will locate the rest of your people wherever they are. It is obvious this can no longer be considered as your planet. You will return to your colony which will from now on be your home world and leave this one in peace. If you do not, you will answer to me and the other Guardians who are following me. There is now an active AI on this planet and I assume your records tell you of our capabilities.”

  It was the Cartigi
an’s turn to nod. Octavian called over some of the village people who were standing outside the building’s door and instructed them to take the Cartigian away and to ensure she was guarded until the next morning. One of the villagers mentioned they had a pen where they kept prisoners and slaves. Was it acceptable to hold her there? Octavian confirmed that it was. The Cartigian was marched out. Octavian sat down with a sigh of relief, releasing Seonaid simultaneously.

  She collapsed to her knees, and shook her head. “What did you do to me? I could not move.”

  Octavian felt sorry for the young woman. He should not have done what he did. “I am sorry, Seonaid, that person I was talking to was very dangerous and I needed her to think you were the same as I. I didn’t have time to explain what I wanted so I used some magic to control you.”

  She looked at Octavian and he could see the fear in her eyes. “Will I have to help you more times?”

  Octavian hoped not, but he needed time to think. He was suddenly hungry and thirsty. The village elder was hovering nearby. “Seonaid, ask them whether we can have some food and water please.”

  She stood and went to do as he asked. Octavian considered his options. It was probable the Guardians no longer existed, or if they still did they were inactive in this part of the galaxy. Cartigia had become the home of the descendants of the Lantians caught up in the catastrophe, which had been the beginning of the end. The Cartigians were obviously going to be a problem. If this planet were the last refuge of his people then he could not let the Cartigians gain control; there had to be a way to prevent them returning. Having no Star Drive was an advantage – if the Cartigians had rediscovered the technology since the ones here had left they would probably be here in numbers by now. Luckily the Cartigians were not the brightest of the Lantian constructs, and they had always relied on the Guardians and other races for their technology. Hopefully that had not changed, and if they did not have any Star Drive technology they would be unlikely to ‘invent’ it on their own.

  I wonder what happened to the other construct races after the Guardians ceased to be? Octavian asked himself. The ones bright enough to make a go of it would be the Sicceians. They were troublesome and arrogant, so if they had gained ascendancy the other surviving races would have a hard time of it. Octavian shook his head, there was little point wondering; it didn’t help the immediate situation. He had to find a way to get the Cartigians off this planet and to leave the Lantian descendants to themselves. Maybe one day they might regain their telepathic powers and return to the galaxy that was theirs – ours, Octavian corrected himself.

  There was one solution. He had to be tough with the Cartigians. They obviously knew of the Guardians and the capabilities of the planetary AI. Perhaps there was a way he could get them to return to their colony. If he went with them, he could ensure they did not return. Because of the relativity the journey back would take millennia, giving time for the situation here on Cartigia to change. Maybe the surviving Lantians would by then have regained some technology and be more able to look after themselves.

  So I have a plan, a pretty poor one as plans go but better than nothing. Now all I have to do is get it to work! Octavian did not relish spending years on a ship with a bunch of Cartigians so he hoped they had sufficient stasis pods so the trip could be spent in peace.

  While he had been running the plan through his head, the villagers had brought food and drink. Octavian ate slowly with Seonaid hovering nearby watching his every move. He caught her unguarded thoughts. If she were to be handmaiden to a God, she would do it properly. Octavian sighed; she was pretty, but he had taken enough advantage of her for one day.

  “Your people Seonaid would they attempt to harm us.” Her eyes went wide; he could see the horror in her mind

  “Harm a God who has just saved them? Never!”

  He thought for a moment then removed the power pack from his spare laser pistol and handed the pistol to her. “A talisman for the hand maiden of a God.” He sensed her pride and joy at being singled out for such an honour. He sighed, “It is time to sleep,” he told her. He felt the question in her mind but ignored it.

  She led him to a rough cot, helped him remove his uniform and he lay back exhausted, He kept his link with her active so he would be warned of any move against him and fell into a light troubled sleep. He stirred when he felt someone putting furs over him, but otherwise slept through to dawn.

  He roused to find Seonaid lying close to him, and felt her warmth. She sensed he had woken and snuggled close. Her emotions washed over him; there was chaos in her untrained open mind. In the half-wake half-sleep state he was in, his thoughts were overtaken with what she wanted, and feeling her naked body pressed against him he pulled her tight. She had fanned a flame borne of stress, adrenalin and pressure. She responded, and the passion overcame any reservations he felt. Her breasts were soft and firm, and her hair smelt of wood smoke. She writhed under him, arching her back and gasping as he entered her. He took her with a force that afterwards made him feel guilty.

  When they had finished, they lay exhausted under the soft warm furs. He caught her thought; I will be mother to a God. Octavian shook himself; she had caught him as he had woken and he had been unguarded in his response to her. She had an ulterior motive – she wanted the status, and importance, and he would provide it. He kissed her forehead and heard her sigh as she stirred next to him snuggling close. He felt his emotions which seemed to be a jumble – what did he feel? He didn’t love her that was certain, but there was something. He shook his head; from the stray thoughts he knew they had used each other for mutual benefit. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her soft warmth. The air in the hut was chilled as the central fire had burnt down and was now just glowing embers.

  Octavian stood and shivered with the cold. He quickly replaced his clothes and strapped on his belt. She watched him from the pile of furs. Once he was dressed, he walked over to the hut where the Cartigian was being held. The two guards nodded to him as he entered. The Cartigian was still asleep. Embers from a fire glimmered in the central hearth. Octavian shook her awake.

  “What, Guardian?” she asked once she had woken.

  “How far to your ship?”

  “About five days walk, Guardian – but can’t your AI transport us?”

  Octavian thought quickly, “No, she can transport me, but you don’t have the genetic marker for her so it won’t work for you.”

  The Cartigian nodded. “Why do you want to go to my ship?” she asked.

  “You will summon your colleagues, and you shall leave this planet in peace.”

  “What if we do not agree to leave?”

  “Then, I will have no choice but to force you to leave. Don’t forget the power of the planetary AI.”

  “All right, as you wish, Guardian.”

  “What about your ship? Could you not take us in a fraction of the time with your Star Drive?”

  Octavian felt his mouth going dry and clenched his fists – the lying was making him uneasy, and it was becoming increasingly difficult as he had to counter the Cartigian’s questions.

  “It’s damaged.” He hoped the Cartigians did not know too much about the Guardians and the capabilities of the AIs. If all they knew was from legend and recovered records, then hopefully it was sketchy. A fully functioning AI was capable of repairing any malfunctioning Guardian ship.

  Octavian involuntarily held his breath and let it out slowly when the Cartigian replied, “Oh, that’s unfortunate.”

  “If I were to return with you I could teach your people how to build your own Star Drive.”

  The trap was baited, would the Cartigian take him up on the offer? Octavian forced his breathing back to normal and resisted the temptation to wipe his brow with the back of his hand.

  “You would do that?” the Cartigian asked. Octavian nodded. The Cartigian seemed to consider his offer. “All right, that would help us a lot. Without Star Drive technology we are isolated and other than nearby systems the galaxy
is closed to us.”

  Octavian relaxed a little, the Cartigian had taken the bait. “Right, we will leave immediately.”

  He called the guards and instructed them to organise rations for the two of them for a week’s march. They ran off to obey, not wishing to earn a God’s displeasure.

  He turned back to the Cartigian. “Please wait here a moment.” She nodded.

  Octavian returned to the main village round house and found Seonaid. She was sitting by the hearth waiting for him, and she stood as he entered.

  “I am leaving for a while, and I want you to stay here for me. Will you be safe?”

  She looked sideways at him. “I should accompany you.”

  “No, I want you to stay here. Will you be all right?”

  “Yes, they are my people. When will you return?”

  “I cannot say for sure, but I want you to stay hidden while I leave with the Celt’s leader –do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  He sensed some fear and jealousy from her; almost automatically now he suppressed it. She shook her head as if she had forgotten something and returned to the fire.

  With a last look at her sitting there, Octavian ducked out of the hut door. The guards had spoken with the village leader, and they had produced three small stocky horses, one each to ride and one as a pack horse.

  Octavian was grateful that he had learned to ride these creatures during his Guardian training, since the last thing he wanted now was to lose the respect and awe of these people just before he left. They might reconsider the horses and the supplies. The only problem he had was that there were no stirrups, and the saddle looked to be no more than a thick cloth stuffed with straw. He noticed several villagers had gathered round to watch him and the Cartigian depart.

  He walked up, and with a trembling hand touched the small horse’s flank. It stood obediently so he could mount, and Octavian hoped the horse would not sense his nervousness. He held the creature’s mane and reins in his right hand to steady himself as he jumped up then swung his leg over its back. As soon as he had settled on the saddle, the horse moved forward. He had a worrying moment, as he didn’t feel secure on the rudimentary saddle.