A Paradox in Retrograde

by Faherty, John

  "Grunhuf be careful of your accusations. I have complete authority to deal with our prisoner as I see fit. I will give him access to what ever he needs to discover his identity. If my suspicions are correct and he is who I believe him to be, then it is imperative in the time that we have left to us that he should be exposed to as much of this forerunner technology as we can find. If we hope to survive, we must learn its secrets and master them." So engrossed were they in their debate, they had failed to notice Xora's appearance among them. In that short interaction Xora had absorbed a wealth of information. She was surprised by the emotional response elicited by the stranger in these usually cool headed men. There apparently was more going on than she was privy to. So what questions she had she would at least in the mean time, keep to herself. Grunhuf being first to see her spoke first, "Lady Xora I did not see you there."

  "Gentlemen, what is the purpose of this squabbling? We have the resources we need. I assure you we will get to the bottom of this man's identity. We must however be patient. I sense he is on the verge of breaching the doors that mask his memory." Though Grunhuf seemed dissatisfied by this course of action, it did offer them the only realistic opportunity to learn about this traveler. They tacitly agreed to her suggestions; however Landaus spoke again to land his point. "OK, do what you can today, but stay close to him. We can't afford to let him slip away just yet." Confident she did not hear them in their previous conversation he did not feel it necessary to elaborate any further to the potential dangers. The pair entered the conveyance. Landaus said as the gate locked behind him, "Don't forget bright and early."

  She watched as the car quickly descended down along the side of the sea mount toward the town. She turned and madeher way back to the house and her guest as she did; she remembered the big to do surrounding the arrival of that object from the beach. She wondered then how much of the anxiety that she sensed could be accounted to its arrival.

  After another moment she found her self again in Ananda's presence. As she approached his back faced her as he looked out onto the vast expanse of azure sea before him. A light wind born on the equatorial breeze blew steadily upward and spilled over the rock barricade. She approached and stood next to him. The warm air rushing upwards sent the cloth of his robes fluttering. She saw there upon his face a void of expression less emotion as dark as the sea. She reached out her hand and placed it upon his shoulder. The touch as if electric startled him from his melancholic daze. "Where were you?" She said. "You looked so far away."

  The trip down the side of the craggy cliff could be nerve rattling if the wind was blowing. For Landaus and Grunhuf today's trip was no exception. Descending quickly with each passing second the features of the ground below them grew more distinct. During the uneasy free fall they held firmly onto the metal railing without a word spoken between them. Their unease continued until the breaking mechanism to their relief brought the vehicle to a sudden yet soft landing at the bottom. "Infernal machines, I will never grow accustomed to them." spouted Grunhuf. An incredulous Landaus responded, "So you would prefer to walk along the ancient paths as we did in our youth? You should be glad to live in this era of rediscovery. The forerunners have bestowed a boon upon us. You should be grateful."

  "Landaus, there is no other in this kingdom that speaks to me in such a manner. You should be mindful that I am still the Lord Mayor."

  "This system under which we live has good reason to retain its checks and balances my friend. Think of me as the governor's way of keeping you from forming a dictatorship."

  "Your wit is unending Landaus. Perhaps you would care regale me with news from the capitol. You know the capitol, where your boss resides. Oh that's right you're too busy with your fingers in my pie to remember that you don't belong here."

  "Oh you make it plain every chance you get. If you think for one moment I would want take your job Mr. Lord Mayor then you are mad. I would be more than happy to take my son and leave this shit hole. However due to reports of an unending string of incompetence on your part, the governor has seen fit to keep me here to personally, oversee the investigation. Do you know how taxing this whole situation has been on me? If you could restrain your incessant moaning for half an hour it could be perhaps tolerable." Grunhuf was at a loss for words as this exchange had grown more heated than he had intended it to. "Landaus there was a time when this sparring of ours was good natured. This situation we have found ourselves in has filled our minds with rancor. I propose we call a truce for the sake of this city and for our friendship. I promise I will try to hold my tongue but you must try also." The pair was tired of this wrangling which had grown more pointed of late, shook hands and agreed to try to start over. "Grunhuf since this unsettling astronomical discovery several weeks ago, I admit I have been on edge." "Landaus please forgive for any additional burdens I have laid upon you."

  "Thank you it is much appreciated." It was easy for him to forgive this perceived slight from an old friend for it was obvious that the tensions for all involved had stretched them to their limits. "I fear I have spent too long with our visitor, for I am due back at the capitol. Until tomorrow then Grunhuf, then we shall see what this traveler of ours can tell us." The two shook hands as friends and went their separate ways.

  Landaus had made his way back to the station. Because of his rank there was no need for him to purchase a ticket. Before him upon a set of steel tracks a set of an ornate carriage cars connected in a long line pull into the station. He boarded the train for the two hour trip back to the capitol. From here therewas but one stop so he found his seat and settled in for the ride. After several moments the magnetic brakes disengaged and the train began snaking its way slowly at first, over the craggy wind blown landscape. Farther inland its speed increased as it floated within the shadows of verdant hills that reached high into the overcast sky. Landaus watched passively as this parade of images passed before his window. However as he moved across the land his mind could focus only on his responsibilities. These thoughts weighed heavily on him. How his government would strain to grapple with these most bizarre set of circumstances, amongst the rising tide of public hysteria still remained unanswered. As if that were not enough, there arose other still more mysterious questions to he could not speak of, even to those closest to him. These were held tight within an ever shrinking circle of trusted figures in government.

  The train arrived late to the dust choked mountain top town of Tauburg. So by the time Landaus had reached the assembly, he had missed the opening remarks. There was no line at the reception center. As he approached two armed guards stood at the ready. Though the guards had recognized the colonel, he was stopped at the door nonetheless. "I beg your pardon colonel, but it's our orders. Most of the members had already found their seats and we are not allowed to make any exceptions." He nodded in agreement, as these were his own orders. He was made to submit to a body search and had to sign an oath of secrecy prior to being allowed to attend the function. Due to the secretive nature to these proceedings Landaus would not allow any breach of protocol, even for himself. He had gone to great lengths to ensure these meeting were held in the strictest confidence. However, these measures did little to alleviate the palatable anxiety among the members assembled there. Having submitted to the screening he was cleared to enter. He made it inside just as the main presentation was about to get underway, and so he quickly found a seat near the rear. He looked around and recognized that those there assembled in the great hall were all the personages of power and influence the small nation could muster. They were called there, as they would soon discover, to this closed session of the legislature to hear a discourse from the astronomer royal. In light of recent events, Landaus sensed the mater in question could not bode well for Baldur.

  All noise lowered to a murmur as an older gentleman Landaus did not recognize walked slowly to the dais. He turned on the over head projector and spoke into the microphone introducing himself to the crowd. "Good evening ladies and gentleman. For those of you wh
o do not recognize me, I am Doctor Adler, the royal representative for scientific affairs. As such I have come before you leaders of Baldur with some news that may be shocking, but must be taken seriously." There upon the white washed walls of the great hall transparencies flashed displaying star charts and images of planetary bodies. These Landaus easily recognized from his early days of grade school when the students would call out loud, the names of the planets in order of distance from the sun. There were some images however he could not recognize. The old man talked on explaining his findings in terms more suited for graduates in mathematics than security officers. Despite this Landaus could recognize the trajectory described in this great arc could mean only one thing. There was something big, perhaps a planet, approaching the Earth. Once the meaning of his words was understood the room grew silent. The previously raucous crowd now sat quietly in rapt attention as the professor continued on counting down the potential dangers. "As can be plainly seen-" using a long wooden pointer he traced the arc across the transparency. "The cycle of this visitation brings this planet x within the realm of the inner planets for the first time in millennia. Though we have never previously documented this transit, we have been able to calculate to a high degree of certainty, the track of its present orbit. What we have discovered is that these dangers are real. Beyond the details of what physics can tell us, its velocity, mass and trajectory we know little about this wanderer. We can however extrapolate and predict its effects on the Earth and its celestial neighbors." One outspoken member of the legislatureseemingly not hearing the professor's previous statement asked a question. "Where has this planet x come from, and when will it hit Earth?" The professor rolled his eyes and scratched his stubby beard and tried as best he could to relay the answer in the simplest possible terms. "This planet x of which we have discovered may have existed in the cold attic of the Solar system since the beginning of time or Sol may have captured it, plucked from the blackness between the stars. It's too early to tell for sure right now. To answer your other question about a potential collision; there are two answers both with potentially grave consequences for life on Earth. In a nutshell it's like this a direct hit we're dead, an indirect hit we're dead. We are confident this will not happen. It is far more likely though these worlds closest to the Sun will experience large scale rotational and electromagnetic disturbances." The crowd unable or unwilling to absorb the meaning of this news seemed to let out a collective grumble. "In the best case scenario we may experience marked increases in the frequency and severity of the earth quakes, tsunami and global scale storms of the like we have already begun to experience."

  Little by little as the evidence mounted the gravity of their situation now was made plain to them. A panic among these usually sober men set in, as all decorum within the chamber was lost. A flurry of questions from the galleries fell deafly to the floor as a cacophony of voices strained to out shout their neighbors. Landaus having seen enough rose from his seat and left the chamber. He knew there were other more pressing matters that needed his attention. As he walked out he mumbled something to himself under his breath, "They don't know the half of it."

  What he knew he could not share even with those closest to him. For within the number that had been there present at the great hall, a small subset that was privy to even more startling news. The unsettling facts promised to be so profound as to potentially disrupt the civil order. This secret was known only by threat of death to several key functionaries within the government and a select corps of trusted service men. Among the rugged hills of Baldur, there several weeks before the discovery of a strange airship that had apparently crashed had been made. Despite the great lengths taken to ensure this discovery's secrecy it was only a matter of time however before word of the incident would leak out to members of the legislature and the general public. Somehow they had managed to keep it that way.

  On a high mountain pass late one night some casual sky watchers were shocked to see a trail of fire race across the sky. Landaus had been called and he dispatched a group of armed guards to secure the site until he arrived there. Landaus from his town home had traveled by cable car up the side of the craggy mountain. Though the sky had darkened as dusk approached the disrupted earth and twisted metal were plain to see in the fire light. Landaus stepped from the cabin of the cable car and was immediately hit with the acrid smells of smoke and fire. As he approached he found the captain of the guard rallying a bucket brigade. The fire had been raging since the guard arrived hours earlier. Due to their dogged efforts the fire was now under control. Landaus approached and spoke to the captain. "You've done quite a job here Captain Jagger." The captain saluted Landaus. "Thank you, sir."

  "At ease captain" "What is it? I know I wasn't called all the way up here to see you put out a forest fire. Is it more forerunner stuff?" "I think not", replied the captain. Landaus expression drew blank as the Captain replied, "Why don't I show you, it might be easier?"

  The two walked closer into the smoldering remains of what appeared to be some sort of crashed aircraft. Though this was unlike any craft he had ever seen. He took noticed to how about the ground was strewn bits and pieces of metal and glass of a type he had never encountered. The surface qualities to these materials were unusual for although they shimmered in the waning sunlight there was no reflection cast. He bent down and picked one piece of paper like metal from the ground. He examined the odd metal strip and discovered that despite its thin and flimsy appearance, its integrity was superior. He tried as best he could to tare with his hands the foil like substance, to no avail. The material gave easily as he twisted and crumpled it. Though the shape yielded to the pressure placed upon it, it snapped quickly back to its previous form once the exertingpressure was released. "Interesting" He walked another few pacesand found another shape of metal this time however it had marking upon its surface that appeared to be letters or numbersof a language he had never before seen. "That's odd." The captain then said. "I can show you something odd sir, come with me." Hefollowed behind the young officer as best he could as they left the area of the smoldering earth to another area where a makeshift camp had been erected. The captain came to the entrance of a tent, before which were standing a pair of armed guards. He gave the guards the order to stand down. "That will be all for now, take a break and return here in ten minutes. As the Captain unzipped the door of the tent he said, "You might want to prepare yourself. This is some rank stuff." Landaus looked down on the ground. He was shocked by what he had seen there. There on the ground were what appeared to be three tarp covered bodies. With Landaus now standing before the corpses, the Captain kneeled down and pulled back the cover on the body closest to him. These charred remains of these creatures were obviously humanlike. They were tall, pale skinned, with long locks of frosted amber hair and black doll like eyes. There arms and fingers were substantially longer than those of humans. The Captain of the guard bent down next to Landaus to show him one additional curious feature. He lifted up the left arm of the corpse closest to him and said, "Colonel if you would please take a look at what I discovered here on this fellow." Landaus looked down to see spanning from the wrist to his waist a large flap of skin that formed a membrane. "What in heaven, Wow that looks like a wing." As He spoke these words the seemingly dead creature's head turned towards them. It cast at them an empty glance with its deep set eyes as it let out a terrifying scream. The startled captain fell back in fright and the creature with the speed of a tiger was on him. The captain was fighting for his life before he had even figured what had happened. The captain fought to release himself from his grip as the creature's long incisors drew nearer to his naked throat. Landaus withdrew his sword and stepped back the length of one pace. He knew a sword thrust might kill the captain. Thinking quickly with his free hand he drew his flintlock pistol. With steady hand and deliberate aim he raised the gun up square with his shoulder and fired. The hammer slammed down with a crash and concussion of the pistol rang through the rocky valley. A horrible soun
d issued out then was silenced. From behind the dissipating billow of white smoke appeared the creature's broken skull, its contents spilled onto the visibly traumatized Captain. The creature however had not yet known it was beaten for with every ounce of fight it had left, it tried to rise up and face Landaus. With his sword ready he swung a broad pass of his blade across itstorso. The creature this time fell to the ground quite dead. The captain made it to his feet bloodied but largely intact. By the time the guard had responded to the commotion. The Colonel gave the order, "Burn these bodies! I want nothing left for the crows, do you hear me?"

  Chapter 4

  There along the high promontory, the light of the mid-day sun sat heavily upon its limestone walls. Standing there Ananda peered far out onto the shining sea. Since the previous night the tantalizing vision of that jagged dream set his mind reeling with questions. Though the view he stared upon offered an unparalleled vista, he knew his answers ultimately would not be found there. He also knew he was far adrift from his embarkation though he could not begin to fathom by how far. These holes in his memory he thought must somehow be key. He sensed these holes would soon be filled by something or someone waiting within that crystal room. So Ananda then was anxious to return there to complete some unfinished business.

  There he was visited upon again by that unknown tune that hung there raggedly in his throat. Rolling disjointedly over his tongue it floated in the distilled ether of his own memory just beyond his reach. He longed to know the words as he had once known them. Xora was approaching, so he turned from the wall toward her and said, "If you must know the state of my mind, then we should not waste another moment. We should return to the crystal room at once." With a look of disappointment on her face Xora responded. "Have you not enjoyed our hospitality, Ananda?" He looked into her eyes, and could tell she was somehow put off by his impatience. But was there something else he sensed? He thought perhaps she was infatuated by his manner. He decided he would not play the cad. He would need to be more sensitive for he did not want her to feel trifled with and thus alienate his greatest ally. He moved swiftly to ease her emotions. "What is the matter Lady Xora, have I said something to upset you? I do apologize if I have said or done anything to show disrespect. I have wished only to unburden you. I suspected this business with these gentlemen friends of yours to have distressed you. I can't help but think it was my presence here among you that may have caused your trouble. I wish only to relieve you of this distress, and be on my way." She was surprised by his keen insight and was now embarrassed by how much she may have inadvertently shown this stranger. "No you have been a perfect gentleman. I imagine I was enjoying the flow of this day so much that I had completely forgotten that there was real business to take care of. Do forgive me? Come, we shall again look upon the oracle and receive its blessings."