Bach escorted the men back outside. “The bells will stop soon.” He yelled to the others on the ice-covered lake, “The storm caused a problem. Stay there, keep fishing.”
Tobit and Zerah’s bags were already packed, but Tobit added another bag with goods from the supply station. As soon as Zerah came from the belfry, they fled with Bach and Star. Alpha was in the perfect spot for the animals’ arrival at the back of the lake. The four neared the ship to the sight of a variety of beasts lumbering, scampering, running, and flying toward them. Star opened the ramp with the remote and, with Zerah and Tobit’s help, guided the animals inside to their module.
Bach didn’t make it all the way to the ramp. He stopped alongside the big ship, which was camouflaged by twenty inches of snow, wondering if the extra weight might cause a problem at liftoff. At the same time, he got a surprising revelation. Heat from the running lights had thawed a vertical swath on the ship’s metal hull, exposing the beginning letter on each painted word of ALtemus Rider’s Kingship. The downward message read, ARK. Amazed, he wondered was this planned or a prophecy? He got Star from inside and led her to the side of the ship. “Look.” He pointed and shuffled around with restless energy.
She stared.
“Do you see something awesome?” he asked.
“I see Alpha covered in snow.”
“No,” he said. “Look again, what else?”
“There’s nothing else. Am I supposed to look at the ship?”
“Yes,” he replied, unable to stand still.
She waited a few seconds. “I see Alpha, covered with snow. I see the running lights, working fine, and I see where the lights melted a patch of snow and ice.”
“Yes, yes,” he prodded.
“Bach, what’s wrong with you?”
He huffed, shook his head, and folded his arms across his chest for a moment. Then the confused look in Star’s blue eyes made sense. “Oh, Star, I’m sorry. You wouldn’t know about the ark, it’s an earth thing, you couldn’t know. I was so excited about my discovery, I wanted to share it with you.”
“Ark? The letters a-r-k mean something?”
His smile lit up. “Yeah, they mean something. There’s a story about a mission like ours planned by the Creator. I’ll tell you about it when we get a quiet moment.” He took one last look and talked to himself, “I don’t believe this.”
*****
Inside the ship at the flight deck, Bach spoke into a voice-activated computer and recorded planet Shushan’s search details. While struggling to put into words the discovery of Alpha becoming the Ark, it dawned on him why Altemus had painted a capital letter L after the A. “Star,” he motioned her to his side, “I think I figured it out why Altemus painted the large letter L after the A. He was painting the name ALPHA on the ship and had the first two letters painted when the enemy arrived. So he painted his own name as a ploy and what should have been the Alpha, became Altemus Rider’s Kingship with the capital L.”
“I bet you’re right,” she said.
“Why don’t we call our ship the Ark? It’s fitting and prophetic.”
She nodded. “And now we’ll be Arkmates, with a great group of Arkriders in the modules.”
“Arkmates and Arkriders, perfect!” He cranked up the heaters with a grin. “Boy, this heat feels good.”
“And it’s good to be out of the E-suits and headgear.”
“And all that cold weather.” He sang a little song, “Shushan … is like a constant … three-dog night.”
“Three-dog night? Is that another Ravens’ oddity?”
“No.” He laughed. “It’s an old saying. On Earth, dogs are domestic animals that people keep as pets … like you keep wurrs. Years ago on my home planet during winter weather, before electricity for heat, people piled on blankets and slept together to stay warm. They even took pets to bed as a source of warmth, and to also keep them from freezing. A three-dog night was a bitter cold one—they’d need at least three dogs in bed to stay warm.”
“My wurrs sleep with me,” she said.
He chuckled. “That would be a two-wurr night. And you and Lotus and Arro wouldn’t last long on a cold planet like Shushan.”
She shook her head. “But Tobit and Zerah are happy with their onboard igloo. All the Arkriders are doing great. And, the animals have adjusted with no problems. A bonus is the time we picked up en route to Shushan. I haven’t figured that one out yet.”
“Me neither, but being closer to schedule is a big help.”
While Star readied for liftoff, Bach began bobbing up and down and playfully snapping his fingers in rhythm. He burst into a homemade song, “Oh, Troas, await our arrival, and please make it easy for us, we’ve been hot, cold, threatened and hungry, and are weary on this old sky bus.”
The Ark rumbled through frigid air with Bach singing and Star giggling.
*****
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
During the lengthy flight to Troas, Bach immersed himself in a little personal research. Busy with a hand-held computer, he didn’t see Star approach the flight deck with a lunch tray. She sat beside him and lifted the device from his hands. “Time to take a break.”
He leaned back and stretched. “I’m contemplating the universe.”
“And?”
“The Creator’s realm is more far reaching than I had ever imagined. I’ve been dissecting theories of parallel universes.”
“It’s a fascinating premise.”
“I may never know for sure, but it’s awe-inspiring to think about. What I’ve experienced since leaving Earth surpasses comprehension. Parallel universes, mirror universes. What do you think?”
She smiled and pointed to the food. “I think you need to take a lunch break.”
He nodded and picked up a crispy, flat green triangle. “Mmmm. Space cuisine. Looks like you’re a good cook. Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No. None of them lived past their first meal,” she deadpanned.
Bach hooted.
“Now, back to your question about additional universes. I’ve never seen hard data to substantiate the theory,” she said. “But the Specter’s paranormal appearance stirred an awareness of possible life forms elsewhere in space.”
“I don’t get it,” Bach said. “If he’s another life form from somewhere in space, wouldn’t others of his kind come here too? Or try to find out why he never came back?”
“Good questions.”
“Do you think he was evil from the start, or just someone with the mental capabilities to act on a thirst for power and dominance?”
Star didn’t answer right away. “Shortly after he appeared, the thoughts and emotions of many Durans began deteriorating. We looked for a cause and tied it to the Specter’s paranormal abilities. Data captured from his energy aura indicated a latent evil nature.”
Bach’s sigh seemed a pressure valve release. “I wish the Creator had given me instructions for what to do when we get back to Dura. In his presence I lost focus of everything but him. I didn’t ask questions. I didn’t even ask about my crewmates. It’s killing me not knowing where they are and what’s happening to them.”
“The Creator is in control.”
“I know, but I can’t shake an odd feeling.”
She studied his face. “About our mission, or afterward?”
“I’m not sure. But when our countrymen and the enemy find out that Altemus is gone, you know that things will change on Jenesis. I wonder what we’ll find when we get back.”
“No one in Dura could know about this mission yet, or that Dad is gone. But the Specter does. So, on our way home, I’ll configure a communications link tie-in with Dura’s internal transmissions. If anything’s wrong there, we’ll know before our arrival.”
Bach nodded. “Good idea. I don’t want to have to fly this big ship out of there in a hurry.”
“Where would we go with all the Arkriders and animals?”
“We could get to Earth with
this technology, but we’d need more fuel, and I’d have to find my crewmates first. I won’t leave them behind.”
“Are you having a little stress-induced anxiety?” she asked. “Everything will be fine.”
“It’s more than anxiety. The Creator gave me seventeen days to complete this mission and we’re two days behind.”
Star gathered the lunch leftovers and headed to the galley. “I’m confident that we’ll return to Jenesis according to the timetable. In the meantime, think about all the wonderful people we’ve picked up, and their diverse skills. I believe that, over time, the talents of all these faithful people working together to improve planet Jenesis will bring about the downfall of the Specter and his Rooks.”
Bach spoke softly so Star wouldn’t hear. “I just hope we don’t have to get out of there fast.”
*****
CHAPTER THIRTY
Bach piloted the Ark by instrument readings through Troas’s fog-filled atmosphere. Once beyond the haze with the planet in view, his expectancy short-circuited. “Whoa!” he shouted. “Look at that! There’s no color. Everything’s black and white! It looks like something from an old-time movie.”
“It’s a colorless planet,” Star advised, looking at a viewscreen image of black, white, and shades of gray draped in a ghostly silver mist. “It happened over time.”
“Colorless?” he mumbled.
Suddenly she cried out, “No, no!” and tapped on the keyboard with her eyes glued to the viewpanel.
Bach slid in beside her and took over. He enlarged the image and his breath stopped for a moment. Colorful shards of a wrecked co-op ship lay scattered like confetti on the grayscale planet. A second ship nearby was unharmed.
Star stared at the monitor, hardly able to speak. “One of our ships … crashed.”
“The Rooks!” Bach pounded his fist on the console.
She computerized an aerial scan. “There’s no Rook ship on the planet or airborne.”
“Then they were here and left.”
Upon landing, the two hurried for a firsthand look from aft ship. Seeing the co-op ship’s remnants, Star choked on emotion. “One of Dura’s crews must be dead….”
Bach feared the worst. Struggling with his own feelings, he pulled Star close and tried to stay focused.
“My countrymen, my friends,” she whispered.
“Maybe they’re okay.”
She found relief in tears. “They couldn’t have lived through a wreck like that.”
He knew she was right, but had a troubling question. “Why would two co-op ships be here at the same time?”
Head shaking, she said, “They’d never be out at the same time.” Trembling, she whispered, “I didn’t expect we’d ever face anything like this.”
“Me neither.”
Star stepped from Bach’s embrace, wiping her eyes on the way to the cockpit to scan the area one more time.
Bach stuck his face close to the viewport. “I’m going out. Open the ramp.”
Star swallowed the lump in her throat and let the ramp down.
Thoughts racing, Bach set foot onto Troas as if entering a vandalized graveyard. Two Durans may be dead. Who were they and why did they crash? He examined the ruins but found no bodies in the wreckage or on the ground. Star waited just inside the Ark’s door. “I can’t tell what happened,” he said on returning. “I hope they’re still alive. Let’s head out and see what we can find.”
“The atmosphere here is continuously semi-dark,” she advised. “Inhabitants can’t tolerate bright light.”
The landing site was bordered by five trails fanning into a misty gray forest of black trees and withered vegetation. None looked more heavily traveled than the others. Bach stared at the colorless roads then turned to Star with a strange look on his face. “What an odd sensation … like someone staring at me … taunting me to choose wisely.”
“Yes, I feel someone watching.”
He walked around and looked down the roads. “I don’t see anyone, and from what little I can see through the fog, none seems a better choice. All seem to go nowhere.”
Contemplating which trail to take, the Arkmates’ mind game unwound further when a huge creature flew from beyond the surrounding woods. The all-white stallion landed nearby, folded its massive wings against its body, and raced forward with a clamber of hooves. Stopping just yards from the pair, it reared skittishly then spread its wings and flew down the middle road. Sparkling silver dust swirled in its wake as it disappeared into the mist.
Bach had to catch his breath. “A pegasus! We told stories about them on Earth. A real pegasus!”
“His name is … Pegasus?” She looked down the center trail. “Let’s follow him.”
*****
Bach and Star walked the foggy middle path for a distance, but never saw the winged horse again. As they neared a large, sloping hill, both heard sounds coming from the other side.
“Listen,” Star said.
Bach nodded. “It’s not people or animals.” He stopped for a moment. “It’s music. Let’s climb up and see who’s over there.”
They looked from the crest of the hill into a shallow valley below where music came from an amphitheater shaped like a giant half-open clamshell. A crowd of four hundred or more spectators had gathered for a concert on the hill’s slope—the closest sitting less than ten yards away.
On the stage, a symphony orchestra played heavy classical music. As the tempo quickened, the audience reacted with choreographed hand movements.
“I sure didn’t expect anything like this,” Bach whispered.
“Me neither,” Star replied. “It’s interesting that all the women are in white clothing, and the men in black.”
In the midst of the solemn, yet passionate concert, Bach suddenly noticed that everyone there had white hair and pale skin. “Even the people lack color,” he said in amazement. Then he whispered as he walked, “We also have people on Earth with white hair and pink-colored eyes, Albinos.”
“Pink eyes would be light-intolerant, so it may be best that the planet is not bright.” She looked down the hill. “Oh, I hope our crews are okay.” She let out a small yelp and grabbed onto Bach. “Look! There they are!” she pointed to an area alongside the clamshell stage. “See, there’s Nova’s red hair and Griffon’s brown hair.”
The Arkmates hurriedly wound their way behind the crowd and inched down the hill.
“They’re standing so still,” she said.
“Something reverent’s going on.”
As they neared Griffon and Nova, the music intensified and the audience rose to its feet in a wave of black and white motion. Then all uncovered glowing glass orbs and held them above their heads. The softball-sized jars twinkled inside with captive fireflies, giving a warm glow to the colorless hillside.
The tone of the event grew more intense, and in what seemed slow motion, two huge white drapes on stage opened to reveal floor-to-ceiling glass boxes containing thousands more twinkling fireflies.
Bach and Star arrived alongside Griffon and Nova, and Star hugged Nova. “I’m so glad we found you. Where’s our other crew?”
Nova pulled away and put her finger to her lips. Her eyes were moist. “Shhh! Can’t speak now.”
Bach persisted. “The wrecked co-op ship….”
“Shhh!”
The concert stopped, and the audience parted to clear an aisle. Two ceremonial leaders in long black robes marched down the embankment from a shrine on the hill. They carried glowing silver staffs to light their path to the stage.
After retrieving two polished white urns from a table, the leaders placed them center stage. Then the orchestra resumed as the men grasped the trailing ends of long black scarves suspended from the rafters. When the music climaxed, the leaders pulled the sashes and the air came alive with whistling percussion from the wings of a hundred white doves set free. The birds flew high above the hillside, hovered like a cloud, then vanished into the hazy sky. The leaders descended the
stage and the crowd dispersed. Many wept.
Nova turned to Star and hugged her. “What are you two doing here?”
Bach spoke at the same time. “What’s going on? We saw the crashed ship. Who crashed? Are they okay?”
Griffon draped his arm over Bach’s shoulder and moved him forward with the crowd. It took a moment for him to reply. “Reno and Elan crashed yesterday.”
Star stopped, in shock and whispered to herself, “Reno and Elan.”
“This is a service in their honor before we take their remains back to Dura for burial,” Griffon added.
“Burial?” Bach’s mind drifted back to the night in Dura’s party facility when he first met Elan, the pretty mystery lady, and when his newfound buddy, Reno, rescued him from scheming Lavender Rose. He found it hard to accept that he’d just attended Reno and Elan’s memorial service.
“Why are you here?” Nova asked again. “Everyone thinks you’re in the Ultimate World. Things are tense between Dura and Ulwor. A war could break out.”
Griffon glanced at Bach. “And where’s Altemus? Is he with you?”
Bach didn’t want to tell him, but he had no other believable story. “Altemus won’t be back.”
Griffon pulled him aside and searched his face. “Altemus left a note that said—”
“The note was a temporary solution to a complicated problem.”
Star let it out all at once. “Dad’s dead. The Rooks tried to abduct him and he brought them down in the death lake.”
Griffin gasped, “No!” and looked at Nova’s stunned face.
No one spoke as the foursome solemnly followed the crowd toward a residential area. Then Griffon dashed a few steps out and looked back at Star and Bach. “What are you doing on Troas? How did you get here?”
Bach thought for a moment, wondering how much to share. “We’re on a confidential expedition. I can’t discuss it now. But you and Nova must not tell anyone what you know about Altemus, or that you saw us here.”
Alpha Rising Page 22
