The Space Traveler (The Space Traveler Saga Book 1)

by Devon Shubin

  The first advisor whispered to the King, “Your majesty, either we ask for volunteers or we draft. Which one?”

  “Oh, yes, yes, we shall draft...no, no…volunteer!” he excitedly proclaimed.

  The army of Bodas began snarling. Now, when the Bodas snarl this means they are uncertain also. When they hiss, they are deeply displeased. And, as you remember when they dance everyone else gets a good laugh in.

  “Wonderful suggestion your highness.” The first advisor said as the second advisor agreed with him, “Yes, your majesty, wise ruling.”

  King Beziah shook his big dragon bobble head up and down and issued the call, “Your King demands a volunteer!” he looked around at the hundreds of Bodas who began hissing. The two advisors shook their heads in disbelief.

  Meanwhile, down below in the belly of the mountain, the Space Traveler and Fretch were shoved into a cage. It was dark, only one torch burned on the wall and it was losing its flame. The guard snarled at them as he shut the door and locked it with a large skeleton-type key. He had the Space Traveler’s laser canon and the bags Fretch was carrying full of testing equipment. Then he walked away from them, snarling and hissing.

  The Space Traveler shoved his face between the bars of his cage and sarcastically said, “thank you!”

  Fretch was already sitting on his bed made of granite. The Space Traveler turned around to face his assistant and said, “Well, that looks comfy.”

  “Who is the Queen Amrodian was speaking about?” Fretch asked.

  “I don’t know Fretch. The Bodas have a Queen, but, she is not on Amrodians side that is for sure.”

  Fretch bounced his cushion butt up and down on the hard surface and said, “I hope we are not here long.”

  The Space Traveler could only smile at his carefree assistant who laid down on his bed and gave a few snorts into the air.

  “Fretch, how do you think your first day went?”

  Fretch quickly responded, “I thought it was good, since I escaped being eaten alive by the rebels. I’d say it was a big success.”

  He laughed at his trainee, “Yeah, that is a good way to look at it. But here is another way to look at it, the day isn’t over Bucky.”

  Snort! Fretch looked over at him and asked, “What do you mean?”

  The Space Traveler sat down next to him on his rock bed and explained, “Well, the Bodas never saw your skills. They have no idea that these bars can’t hold you.”

  Fretch sat up, “True, what do you have in mind?”

  “When they sleep, that’s when you will steal the key and free me.”

  Fretch thought about his boss’s plan for a moment and then hopped up off the bed. “I’m hungry. And when I’m hungry I do whatever it takes to feed the beast.”

  The Space Traveler shook his head, “I don’t understand, did you hear my plan?”

  Fretch replied, “Oh, I heard it.”

  “Good, but we need to wait until its nighttime when all the Bodas are asleep. So, get some rest and we will escape this jail in a couple of hours.”

  Fretch closed his eyes as his stomach began talking. The Space Traveler could hear the gurgling and moaning it made. It caused his stomach to start grumbling. He thought about when the last time they had eaten and it was early in the morning before they landed on Lordak Pogna.

  About an hour later a Boda was standing outside their jail, holding onto the bars. The Space Traveler was resting his eyes but he was not asleep yet. He could see that the Boda looked nervous. He scooted off his rock bed and walked up to the Boda. “Who are you?” he asked.

  The Boda handed him a translator earpiece and the Space Traveler placed it in his ear. The Boda now answered him, “I am a Lido, a spy sent by King Beziah. I have food for you.” He pulled out a loaf of bread from a bag attached to his waste and gave it to him. He took it, tore it in half and started eating while he walked back over to wake up Fretch.

  “Fretch,” he tapped his sleeping assistant up, “We have food.”

  Fretch’s eyes opened and widened simultaneously as he sat up and took the piece of bread. He looked very thankful. The Space Traveler turned to approach the Boda, but she was gone.

  “Smart man,” he said out loud and Fretch snorted. That was Fretchs way of acknowledging him.

  As they sat there in their cell, eating the bread, Fretch realized he was now thirsty. “Did he bring any water?”

  “I think it was a she, and no. Sorry.”

  Just then, the Boda appeared at the cell bars again. She had a container in her hand and stuck it through the bars. Fretch hoped off his granite bed and walked to her taking the container and drinking it up. He turned the container upside down and looked over at his boss as if to say sorry, but he did not utter those words.

  “Can you get more water?” the Space Traveler asked the Boda. She nodded her dragon bobble head yes, took the container from Fretch and disappeared back into the dark hallways.

  Within five minutes she was back and handed him the container. Fretch gave the container to his boss and the Space Traveler had his share of the water. “Thank you, Lido. Tell us, what is the purpose of your mission down here?”

  “During the battle, I infiltrated with the rebels and have been down here ever since. Once they sealed the entrance with metal blocks, I could not leave. Amrodian plans to starve the King and his supporters by withholding the sivle which is the salt seasoning for the sea food we eat. Bodas will not eat the sea creatures without it.”

  “Well, I have news for you, they are. So Amrodian’s plans have failed and now the King had sent for me to inspect Lordak Pogna for dlom. It may be the reason why Amrodian has turned against the King.”

  This news shocked Lido, “Bodas eating without sivle?” She shook her head side to side, “I have never. They must be very desperate now.”

  “Either that or someone is lying to us. Is it possible that all the sivle on the planet it here in this mountain? Because, I find that hard to believe.”

  Lido did not know the answer but she tried to reason on the matter, “I do not believe that all of the sivle is in this mountain, but the majority in the vicinity is here, and Amrodian was sly enough to relocate it here before his rebellion.”

  “Yes, yes, he is a sly one indeed. Do you think you can get us a meeting with him?”

  She thought about it for a moment and said, “I will try, in the morning. But what will I say as to the reason for the meeting?”

  “Tell him, we have sivle nearby, we brought it on my star ship.”

  “I think that may be to Amrodian’s liking. I will try in the morning. Now, I must get back to my sleeping quarters before I am caught.” She then disappeared back into the darkness.

  The Space Traveler turned around and faced Fretch who was looking at him funny. “What did she say?”

  “Oh, that’s right,” he held the translator in his ear, “You don’t have one. She said that she will try and get us an audience with Amrodian in the morning.”

  “What is the plan?”

  He sat down next to Fretch, “Well, I am glad you asked.”

  In the morning Fretch was already awoke and standing at the bars of their cell. The Space Traveler rubbed his eyes and sat up in his rock bed. “Morning. How long have you been up?”

  Fretch snorted, “Long enough. I’m hungry again.”

  “You’re waiting on Lido, aren’t you? Well, I hope she does return soon because that bread did not do it for me. I was hoping for some bird meat this morning. Perhaps some eggs and potatoes.”

  He could hear Fretchs stomach grumble now and he was at least ten feet away from him. Fretch was not the best communicator and did not share his opinions or thoughts so there was not much to talk with him about this morning. Instead of talking, they waited until they heard Boda feet marching down the hallway. Soon five Bodas approached the bars of their cell. The middle Boda spoke, “Amrodian will see you now, spies.” He then took a large skeleton-like key and unlocked the door to the cell. Fretch an
d the Space Traveler gladly walked out of their prison, as the Bodas escorted them down the hallway to a staircase that lead into a large room filed with bags of sivle.

  “Is that the sivle?” Fretch inquired.

  “Yes, yes, it is. Now I need you to do your work will I keep Amrodian’s mind busy.”

  At the end of the room, up against the wall was a throne made of rock and silver. Bags of sivle piled two Bodas high surrounded the throne. Amrodian was sitting on his throne, waiting for them. “Come to me!” he called out to them as they walked towards him. “If you have more sivle, this is a discussion we can have,” he said with a greedy smile.

  “Now, let me do all the talking,” the Space Traveler said to Fretch.

  They were now standing in front of Amrodian, Fretch snorted.

  “Well, tell me about the sivle in your star ship.” Amrodian demanded as he shifted in his uncomfortable throne.

  “Amrodian, we realize that you are a powerful King here of the Bodas, and your greatness and power has helped us see that we can become great allies if we try and work out an agreement. If I had in my ship thousands of pounds of sivle, would that not please King Amrodian?”

  Amrodian shifted in his throne again, grunting, “Yes it would please me, spy. How can I trust you? King Beziah sent you. You are not a traitor to him, are you? If you are a traitor to him, that would make me feel that I cannot trust you, as you would betray me as well.”

  “Amrodian, you do not need to fear my integrity. I am here to settle this dispute as a mediator, a consultant.”

  Amrodian interrupted him, “You do not have any sivle in your ship do you, spy?”

  Meanwhile Fretch was inside Amrodian’s mind. The Space Traveler knew he was losing Amrodian’s confidence in him now so he looked at Fretch who was deep in thought. “No, no King Amrodian, I can get you all the sivle you want. That is part of the negotiation process. If you let me intervene on your behalf with King Beziah, I can assure you that we can come to a compromise that benefits all parties.”

  Amrodian thought about it for a moment and then responded, “I have no need for more sivle, spy. My destiny is to be King of all the Bodas and lock Beziah here in the cells of my mountain. Now, take the spies back to their cell, we are done here.” He waved his front left hand/foot and the Boda guards hissed and grabbed both Fretch and the Space Traveler by their arms, pulling them away from Amrodian.

  “Amrodian, you are making a big mistake,” the Space Traveler said, “the King will be down here soon and there are not enough of you to defeat his army.”

  Amrodian stood up in his chair and in anger shouted at him, “You have made a bigger mistake in challenging me spy! I am King of the Bodas!” He then gave a long hiss.

  Back in their cell, the door slammed shut and Fretch climbed back on his granite bed and laid back down. Of all the years inspecting the seven planets, the Space Traveler had never experienced jail time before. He could remember one time where he was locked in a containment room and the mechanical door would not open. He thought he may suffocate to death before the Cudats could release him. Thankfully, they freed the door and he escaped just in time.

  “Well Fretch, what’s Amrodian’s mind?”

  “He wants to be King. He believes in all his heart that King Beziah will succumb to his demands and turn his power over to him.”

  The Space Traveler looked closely at his assistant. “Anything else? Could you see what his next step was?”

  “Yes, he was thinking about the word Wurtha. He would repeat it over and over. It was a semi-obsession with him.” He snorted.

  “Well, that would explain all of the gold and metals here. What about his plans with us?”

  Fretch placed his hands behind his head, “His first thoughts were that we are going to die in here. Then He was thinking about a Queen, fat, ugly and mean looking. She had two large beasts with her. He was handing us over to her.”

  “I have no idea who that could be,” the Space Traveler said. “It doesn’t really matter though, little does he know, tonight we’re breaking out of here.”

  When nighttime approached, the Space Traveler was standing at the bars of the cell. He could hear down the hallway passages snoring from some of the Bodas. He then looked over at Fretch and nodded his head meaning it was time. Hoping off his granite bed, Fretch walked toward the bars and began stretching his body the length of his maximum capacity. Like a serpent, he slithered his way around one bar then the other and began compressing it like a boa constrictor. The bars began bending inward. The Space Traveler walked to other side of the gate and peeked down the hallway as lookout. When Fretch released himself for the two bars, he slowly transformed back into his old plump self.

  “Wow! I’m impressed Fretch. I think I can squeeze through the bars now. Let me try.” He said as he put his left leg through the space between them, he then scooted his body through the space. It was tight, he grunted and wiggled, but he was on the other side within five seconds. He looked at Fretch and said, “Well, come on Fretch.”

  Fretch snorted and then stretched himself halfway. He squeezed through the bars and joined the Space Traveler. “Ok Inspector, now let’s get out of this place.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more Fretch.”

  As they carefully walked through the dimness of the tunnels, they could see many other rooms connected to the tunnels. Inside those caverns on the ground were gold nuggets, rocks and formed jewelry. They came to a fork in the road with a carved inscription that read ‘sivle.’

  The Space Traveler tapped Fretch’s shoulder and said, ‘Look, we’re on the right track.”

  “I thought we were getting out of here?”

  “Oh, sure we are. We just need to find out where they are storing the sivle and report back to King Beziah. It won’t take long, trust me.” He smiled in the darkness and then walked into the mouth of the tunnel. Fretch followed him like a dog with his master.

  “I hope not,” Fretch grumbled, “I don’t wanna’ go back in that dungeon again.”

  Walking down the tunnel, they came to a room with two guards sleeping at the entrance. Both were snoring loudly, resting up against the wall as their lower bodies were sitting down on the ground. The Space Traveler looked at his assistant in the darkness and put his forefinger to his lips. Then he whispered to him, “Can you slither by them and see what’s beyond?”

  Fretch shook his head yes and then stretched his body out, slithering on the ground like a snake. It was quite a wild scene, seeing a ten-foot slithering pig, but, well it worked and he was in the next room. He formed himself back to his original self and continued walking down into where the room became lighter. Along the walls of the octagon shaped room, on the ground were giant jugs with liquid that he assumed were water. In the center of the circular room there was a device with silver rings, the size of dining room tables. They were stacked on top of each other seven or eight feet high. Above them, illuminating in the center was a bright orange light. Fretch had no idea what the device was, but he knew it was activated because it was humming. He turned and walked back toward the Space Traveler who waited, hiding in the shadows.

  Behind the sleeping guards, Fretch waved for his boss to sneak on through. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. He was a dlom Inspector, not a phantom in the night. But, he knew they were not getting anywhere if he didn’t attempt to sneak by. And so, he tip-toed passed the snoring Bodas. He looked at both guards cautiously as he went through them. His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. His double vertebras even felt like a shock of pain rain down them. ‘Keep it together S.T.’ he said to himself as he finally was through and standing in the brighter room with the silver device.

  He whispered, “That is a transporter.”

  Fretch whispered back, “What does it do? Transport the sivle?”

  “Yes, and anything else you want to import and export. But how did they get it down here, and where does the exporting go?” He inquired out loud as he walked up
to the humming machine. He felt the first silver ring with his hand and said, “Well, its active. Which means we can have one of these questions answered right now if we chose.”

  Fretch held back a snort by pinching his nose with two fingers and asked, “What, you mean like use it?”

  The Space Traveler looked at his assistant and then climbed up the first ring to the next and up until he was at the top of the platform where the bright orange light beamed down on him. “Come on Fretch, lets solve this mystery.” Fretch just stood there, apprehensive about his two choices. He stared at the Space Traveler who looked like an astronaut ready for take-off.

  “You can either stay here or come with me. What’ll it be Fretch?”