Across a Sea of Stars

by Michael E. Gonzales

  "The wars have gone on for generations, and billions have died. I will put a stop to all the wars here, forever."

  "And you'll attain this noble goal through genocide, murder, and rape?" Cris asked.

  "There is a reason it is called war, Cris. It is a thing to be avoided at all costs, and this is the cost of ending all war. Don't look so holier-than-thou. In Earth's wars, has there been no genocide, no murder, no rape? Have no civilians been killed? What soldier can say he only ever killed the enemy? You, perhaps?"

  Cris just stood there.

  "I didn't think so," Caval Du Mal said, smiling, and leaned back in his throne. "Think of it, Cris…all war ended, all reasons for war eradicated. What difference is there between you and me? I will tell you—whereas, you are an instrument of war, I am the instrument of peace!"

  Caval Du Mal pressed another button on the arm of his chair and the lights in the room dimmed, then the dome became transparent. Cris felt as if he were outside on the hull of the ship in space.

  Above them, encompassing most of what could be seen, was the planet Nazer. Its continents and seas, the snowcapped mountains, and the vast forests that covered most of the surface of the planet. They were in a low orbit. Turning his head to look out the other side of the dome, Cris saw the other ships of the fleet, all maneuvering into optimal attack positions.

  "In the way of orientation," Caval Du Mal said, "allow me to indicate a few points of interest, while they still exist." A red circle appeared in the sky. "This is the walled city of Kalak Mal, where my cargo ship landed. Here is where your ship rammed my son's ship. This is the spot where you landed in the forest. For some yet unknown reason, the Avory saved you and passed you along to this spot.

  "Here is where Gala once stood. I had it razed to the ground when you were not found there. From Gala, you followed this path through the forest. Here is where the hamlet of Aldeya used to be and this long black mark—well that was once the farm valley of Faretress.

  "We lost your track at the Cave of the Dark Moon. As there is no living memory of its depths, other than yours, which shall not be living much longer, we presumed that you, like all that enter there, had died. We only discovered you again when you attempted to breach the mountains at Narowdep. I found it odd that you should attempt to fly through there, where I maintain a garrison, rather than fly over the mountains.

  "Regardless, I alerted Bruckna the Sorgina as you advanced on the ruins of Galdo Heirya. The Sorgina had little power in the land of the dead but she brought you my warning and my offer of leniency to you, Tattie Bogle. I found her story of that encounter very interesting. She said you possessed some wand with the power to cause her great pain. I will miss her. Another reason to hasten your deaths.

  "Then you reached Emer Alda and conversed with my old friends the Gallaecia."

  "The who?" Cris asked.

  Caval Du Mal laughed. A real laugh, he was genuinely amused. "You don't know do you? The Gallaecia. That is what we called ourselves back when your planet was still a molten mass. My ancestors watched your Earth form. They marveled as everything fell into place, the distance from the sun, the degree of its orbit, the angle of the poles.

  "The atmosphere's development was truly remarkable, the ozone and the magnetic field, which combine into a natural force field to repel your sun's harmful elements. It appeared as if some vast intelligence superior even to our own guided your world's creation.

  "Life soon followed. Another near impossibility, but one we must admit happens throughout the universe, despite our inability to comprehend how.

  "At a time when you human beings were still living in trees and caves, we Gallaecians departed Nazer and headed for your new world. Not all of us, it is true, but most. We had advanced far quicker than any of the other races on Nazer, we should have been the lords of the planet, but the other, lesser, occupants here did not see it our way.

  "Moreover, the Avory ruled here. Their concept of progress and ours differ a great deal. Those early Gallaecians were faced with two options—war or relocation. Being of weak minds, they chose the latter. Our intervention on Earth brought rise to the civilization you enjoy today.

  "However, there was trouble in paradise. All of the Gallaecian colonists looked about and saw your Earth as a new beginning, but there was a difference of opinion. One group wanted to guide the early humans as they developed. The other saw them as an inexhaustible supply of workers to build our civilization afresh. You would use the word slaves, and I of course would, too.

  "Regardless, we lost the argument and your planet developed as it did with its endless wars, waste, pollution, and inefficiency. Had we ruled, none of that would have occurred. These past millennia would have been marked by peace, prosperity, and unparalleled progress."

  "Sound like it would have been great, as long as you weren't a slave."

  "We define slavery differently. Our slaves are well cared for, kept healthy, clothed, housed. Everything provided by a loving race of masters. Would this not have been preferable to the thousands of years of bloodlust your people have perpetrated on themselves, the wars, murders, and human sacrifices?"

  "You're a liar, Mal. I saw how you treat your slaves while I was among the Parenmer people. On Earth, people like you pop up every so often: Attila, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Saddam, Jenkins. All promising to care for everyone from the womb to the tomb, all you have to do is surrender your freedom. And of course, all the undesirables must die."

  "Freedom is overrated and leads to anarchy. And they are called undesirable for a reason. If such are removed from the gene pool, then within a couple of generations, there will be no more undesirables to contend with. By this act, many diseases and all birth defects would end."

  "Who decides what constitutes an undesirable?"

  Caval Du Mal just smiled. "You see, Cris, in a generation after I rule here, no one will even think to ask that question."

  "That's sort of my point, Mal."

  Caval Du Mal laughed again. Then a voice could be heard from a speaker on his chair. "My lord, in ten z’han, all vessels shall be in position."

  "Excellent." Caval Du Mal looked up at Cris, and smiling, said, “That would be fifteen of your minutes.”

  "It is said you're not even a native Nazerian," Tattie blurted out nervously.

  "I wondered if you would ask that question. The answer is complicated. Was I born on Nazer? No. Am I nonetheless Nazerian? Yes. You see, I was born on Earth."

  "Earth?" Cris was incredulous.

  "That's correct. From the Gallaecian colonists who settled there."

  "No wonder we've had problems."

  "Oh, but you are a humorous fellow. There is little humor in my life anymore, so I will miss you.

  "Perhaps you've been told that I rather excel in inventing new ways to kill, and it's true. I've a very unique death in store for you. Your friend, Tattie, here, will appreciate this. On Nazer there is a creature somewhat larger than an elephant, known as a slidrath."

  Tattie gasped at the sound of the creature's name.

  "It has no teeth…its jaws are boneless. When it eats, it swallows its victim whole. It prefers humanoids—no horns or hoofs you see—and our bones break with relative ease. Once swallowed, the creature's digestive acids can take weeks to kill. And as the creature's stomach also serves as its lung, you can survive inside it and remain alive as you are slowly disassembled and absorbed. What I have done, just for you, Cris, is to have a rather large window surgically added into a slidrath's belly so that Tattie Bogle and I may watch as you are digested. Should be fun, don't you think, Tattie?"

  ○O○

  Tarnus, Epney, and Capek floated helplessly before the sealed blast door. Tarnus looked at his two companions and considered his options. What did he have? Capek, with his schematic of the ship in minute detail, and Epney, who carried with him Cris's bomb. Additionally, they had between them two of the plasma firing pistols.

  "Capek, Cris said this bomb will produce a considerabl
e explosion."

  "Yes, it is a five-kiloton thermonuclear device."

  "I have no appreciation for the term kiloton, but I infer it is very large and very destructive."

  "Yes, sir."

  "Examine your schematic," Tarnus was not looking at them as he spoke, "and determine the best place to plant this thing to cause the most damage and how we can get there."

  "That will not be necessary," Capek said.

  "And why not?"

  "The sabotage that Cris worked in the secondary engine room is progressing as planned. We should make our way to the escape pods."

  "Not without Tattie and Cris!"

  Suddenly, Capek became bolt rigid and, somehow, he seemed to lose the light of life.

  "Capek?" Epney grabbed him.

  A pale glow now became visible behind his visor and a different voice spoke from within him. "Tarnus, flee and quickly, Tattie and Cris are in my care now."

  "Mag'Osnik, is that you?"

  "It is, old friend, you must trust me now—get away from here as swiftly as you can." Then, the light went out; as it did, Capek regained his own aura and slowly began to reboot.

  Tarnus looked at Epney. "Tell me you heard that."

  "I did. Will you trust the voice?"

  "I did not for many years; but now, I do, and I will."

  A few minutes passed before Capek was altogether up and running. "I'm very sorry. I am quite unable to explain what happened."

  "Are you all right?" Epney asked.

  "A system self-test is running as we speak, I will have the results in two point seven five minutes from now."

  "Capek," Tarnus said, drifting closer to him, "Mag'Osnik has instructed us to escape immediately, and informed us that he is caring for Cris and Tattie. How do we proceed?" Tarnus asked.

  "We must descend another two levels then make our way toward the stern. The escape pods will be on our right, about three hundred meters down that corridor."

  "Let us move with haste and diligence."

  As they could not descend beyond the blast door, the three flung themselves back up one floor and down a hallway to an access door into a large electrical conduit. Here, squeezing through the tubes and filaments, they descended to the bottom level where, using the pistol Capek had modified in the caves, Tarnus carefully cut a hole in the conduit and peered out.

  The path seemed clear, and he waved everyone out. They started floating down the long corridor that obviously ran along the ship's port side. The tunnel seemed to vanish into the distance. Epney was tempted to rush down the long traverse, but Tarnus knew better and held him back. Cautiously, Tarnus proceeded from one intersection to the next. He directed Capek to cover the rear. "Roger that," Capek said, "I've got your six."

  Tarnus only rolled his eyes, and, with considerable caution, continued on.

  Intersection after intersection and nothing, not a sign of their enemy. Tarnus smelled a trap, but Epney was convinced that they had deceived their foes completely. Still, Tarnus, the old morka, insisted on caution, more so now than ever.

  Up ahead on the right side of the bulkhead, the escape vehicle docks were visible, endless rows of them.

  There was but one more intersection to pass. This was a wider intersection, the confluence of their passageway and one of the bigger corridors. It was nothing new, they had passed two of these already. This one, however, raised the hair on the back of the head of the old soldier, Tarnus. This would be their enemy's last opportunity for an ambush, he felt sure that the blow would fall here.

  "There they are—the escape pods, let's go!" Epney was about to push off the wall and head across the intersection, but, fast as lightning, Tarnus reached out and grabbed the young Geldneth's undernourished arm, which felt frail to Tarnus, so he eased his grip.

  "Wait, the trap is set here," he warned the eager youth.

  "Wait? Did you not hear the words of your old friend? He implored us to get out now, and you have had us crawling along this tunnel slower than a blue Mudloth."

  "This is where they are waiting," Tarnus informed the youth.

  "You stopped us at every junction because you thought they were waiting, and you were wrong. You are wrong again!"

  Epney jerked his arm free of Tarnus's grip and sprang out into the intersection, pulling himself across as fast as his arms would move. He was not three meters away when the air lit with the light of perhaps twenty balls of plasma fired from enemy pistols. Epney grasped his left side and abdomen as a round struck him there, the force of the impact threw him violently into the bulkhead.

  Instantly, Tarnus pulled himself to the floor and returned fire, his modified pistol slicing into the bulkheads down the corridor.

  The enemy sent several balls of energy slamming into the bulkhead near Tarnus's head and into the deck near his feet. Shards of metal sliced into his right arm, shoulder, forehead, and right leg. He, however, did not flinch but kept up a steady and deadly accurate fire.

  With but one enemy remaining, a bolt of plasma cut a gully six centimeters long and two wide through the muscle of his right forearm. He ducked around the corner, released his pistol to float in the air near his left arm, and hastily tore a piece of leather from his shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound to stem the flow of blood.

  Tarnus's blood floated all around where he was now working to dress his injury. The enemy soldier must have seen the globules of blood and concluded he'd hit and disabled the big Geldneth. He eased out from behind his cover and floated silently toward the corner to confirm his kill.

  Capek saw the muzzle of the enemy's pistol the instant it became visible around the corner. Tarnus did not see the approaching enemy, and his pistol floated sixty centimeters from his left hand. As fast as Capek could move, he burst around the corner to attack the enemy soldier with nothing but his hands. This soldier was quick, however, and managed a shot toward Capek that struck his left hand. The thumb of that hand exploded away from its former position and struck Tarnus in the head, rendering him unconscious. Capek grabbed his enemy by the throat and squeezed the life from him. The pressure was so great as to almost decapitate the man.

  Capek looked around, assessing the situation. There were twenty-five dead enemy soldiers floating in the corridor. Tarnus was wounded and unconscious, as was Epney. He himself was missing his left hand but was otherwise operational. He knew that more enemies were undoubtedly on their way. He also knew what to do next: escape pod number 1,337, C.

  ○O○

  After hearing of Caval Du Mal's plans for Cris, Tattie erupted with a litany of the worst epithets she knew. "You are disgusting, you're filth, excrement, you are a destroyer, you feed on decay, you—"

  "Tattie, you wound me to the quick! And after I have arranged such a wonderful end to your life. Death by excessive pleasure, you see I have a great many Lautmen in my service, well known for their love making—"

  Tattie exploded. She struggled against her guards. "No! They shall not touch me!"

  Cris, too, reacted violently by swinging his elbow backward and smashing his guard in the mouth. Being bound, though, and not as skilled in zero-G combat as Caval Du Mal's soldiers, Cris and Tattie were quickly subdued.

  Caval Du Mal laughed and clapped his hands together. "No gratitude at all, after all my efforts. Don't worry Tattie, you have a few days before you are scheduled to entertain my Lautmen. First, you and I will spend some time watching Cris, here, die. Then, right here, under the stars, you will be the center of attention as I watch."

  Tattie spat her disgust at him.

  Caval Du Mal only laughed and said, "No, no—please don't thank me. I can't help it, my dear, it's the romantic in me."

  Caval Du Mal pressed another button and the center of the floor opened. From below, rose a skeletal structure made of tubular metal. To it, a harness secured a large slidrath. It was sedated by a steady intravenous drip of drugs, but it was very much alive. In its side was a large window, which allowed a viewer to see directly into the beast
's stomach. A light came on, illuminating the interior of the stomach, where the remains of a Parenmerian skeleton sloshed about. Tattie closed her eyes and turned away.

  "Oh, yes," Caval Du Mal said, "I had to ensure this worked. Wouldn't want to disappoint you two, would I? Cris, as you see, the creature is sedated. Couldn't have a large, powerful, and very angry slidrath bounding about my ship, now, could I? So, Cris, you can either crawl into the monster's mouth on your own, or be force-fed."

  Caval Du Mal chuckled to himself, then he nodded at the two guards holding Cris and they began to force him toward the dripping, oral sphincter of the slumbering beast.

  Tattie screamed.

  Rather than worry about his own slow, painful death, all Cris could think of was the horror awaiting Tattie. She would kill herself rather than be touched by one of those filthy Lautmen, which he had promised to protect her from. This thought gave Cris a strength he never imagined. He pulled free from the guard on his right, swung his bound and clenched fists around, and struck the man so hard that he tumbled backward several meters, unconscious, his jaw broken. Then, Cris swung on the guard to his left, who pushed backward and evaded the blow. He then lowered his weapon on Cris.

  "Don't shoot him, gimba, you'll spoil my fun!" Caval Du Mal shouted between bursts of laughter.

  The blast came without warning. Something somewhere exploded, and the entire massive ship began to tilt to the right, and down. All who were free-floating in the room remained steady, relative to their point in space. They seemed to be drifting up and to the left at a good rate of speed.

  Cris's guard collided with the domed ceiling first. When Cris slammed into him, he added to the impact with a two-fisted upper cut to the man's jaw, knocking him out completely. Cris snatched his weapon from him and pushed off the dome on a course to intersect with Tattie and the two still stunned guards holding her.

  Cris shot and killed the man holding Tattie's right arm and shoulder, and then Cris grabbed Tattie's right leg and aimed up at the second guard, who had just laid his hand on the grip of his pistol. They stared at one another.