Jack walks into the room first with Jinx not acknowledging anyone had walked in. He then apologizes for being a dick. The whole situation is starting to get out of his grasp and he just doesn’t handle losing control of a situation well. Jinx listens through the whole apology, not interrupting, then accepts.
Kat says, “So, group hug time?”
They all give her a confused looked, like they are trying to figure out if she’s serious about it or not.
Kat says, “Uh, guys, that was a joke. No need to get all weird on me. I’ve been working on my quips.”
Jinx says, “You need more work.”
They all laugh.
Kat says, “Ok, ok, I get it. Lets just get our gear and head out.”
6
She walks over to her locker and opens it grabbing the leather holster, which makes her remember that she isn’t bringing Whisper and Fury with her this time. It’s starting to feel like Ragnarok all over again. She had gotten so used to having them around, its like leaving a piece of herself. Placing the holster back, she walks over to the wall and grabs one of the assault blasters they have, taking the strap over her shoulder. Then she grabbed two extra energy clips and a cloth holster for them that wraps around her left leg.
Hanna, who was no longer wearing her arm sling, grabs a blaster pistol. Jack grabs both a blaster pistol and an assault blaster, two leg holsters and four clips. Jinx goes for Graven’s best knives and leather sheaths. Kat watches her closely, and it looks like Graven again, same motions and movements. She wonders if Jinx had more of an influence on Graven than she thinks, or has lead on. Either way it puts her a little at ease to see her gear up just as he would.
Geared and ready to go, the group heads to the cargo bay door. Kat hits the button, hoping the door would still work on emergency power. It doesn’t. She hits it three more time for good measure and frustration relief. They then have to go into the corner for the maintenance tunnel that leads out of the ship. It was in the corner near Armory, on the wall that connected the two. Kat feels around on the floor trying to find the panel. The emergency lighting didn’t offer much help. She finally finds the panel, and the lever, releasing the pressure from the hatch. She removes the three foot by three foot panel to the right of the lever revealing a wheel lock, which leads into a tunnel leading down and out of the ship.
The tunnel is larger than Kat thought it was going to be, but she still got nervous going down the ladder inside. It was a weird feeling, like the walls were too close together or closing in on her. She had never been claustrophobic before. Sure she hated to get stuck in a tight space but she’s never had a panic-y feeling about it like she is now. Breathing in through her nose, taking a calming breath, she reaches the bottom of the ladder and begins her search for the next lever to release the outside door.
Another hiss of pressure release as Kat pulls the lever. She grabs the wheel lock on the floor, turning it counter-clockwise. Lifting the door was much harder than the first but when she did, there was no way down to the ground. Kat has an audible moment of disbelief with herself. Hanna asks what’s wrong, and Kat replies nothing. Which it was, she just forgot to release the ladder, which was on the other side. She then closes the door so she can reach the knife switch releasing the ladder so she can get off the damn ship.
Once her feet were on solid ground she felt a soft breeze at her back while she was facing the copper tower. There was a sweet scent in the air she couldn’t place, or just had never experienced. The ship had landed in an open field surrounded by trees. White flowers filled the crescent shaped trees, each flower with a spiral yellow center and pink tipped petals. The crescent tops of the trees open toward the sun. It was something Kat had never seen before, it was like they were sculpted to look the way the grew naturally. It was mystifying.
Jinx steps up behind her and says, “This brings back the memories. A welcome home festival with this whole field filled Eydulan’s. The Etchten flowers in bloom, like right now, filling the air with sweet smells. Take’s me back to my childhood.”
Kat asks, “Etchten? Like etched-in?”
“Oh.” She says scratching her head, “Sorry, its Eydulan for star. Well the closest word you would understand as star anyway. It has more meaning for us, like a religious word. It’s also the name for our planet.”
“Planet Etchten huh, well that’s cool. I wonder how many out there even still know that."
Hanna says, “Not many I would guess.”
Jinx has a half smile on her face.
Jack says, “That’s far enough down memory lane, let’s get this show on the road.”
They head into forest, finding a road that was once traveled, but now covered in cracks, grass, and underbrush. Trees heavily line both sides of the road. From under each tree Kat thought she was looking up at a satellite dishes. It was strange to her how different the trees looked at different angles. From in the ship on the way in, she wouldn’t have thought anything of it. They looked like normal trees. Now from down on the ground, they still might be normal trees, but this planet is far from normal. Each tree has plump looking star shaped fruit hanging from the lower branches. They are all different colors, and have four to eight points. Kat asks Jinx about them, wondering if they are edible, not that she’s hungry. Jinx tells the group they are one of the primary fruits on the planet, and depending on the color their flavor changes.
The group walks over a hill through a break in the trees and Jinx tells everyone to stop. In the distance straight ahead of them is the copper tower shinning in the sun. In the sky above the black panel is moving closer, bringing what Kat believes passes for night here on Etchten.
Jinx says while pointing, “You see that clump of trees just over to the right?”
Kat nods.
“That is the resurrection site.”
The copper tower is just above the trees in the distance. It wouldn’t be out of the way to stop there and get Graven back. That would be one worry off of her mind so she could more easily focus on what their original task was. Saving Terra. Now all she had to do was convince the group.
Kat says, “So I guess we should go check it out, right?”
Hanna says, “What about meeting with Mark? We need to get to Terra as quick as we can.”
Kat answers, “I know we do, but if we get Graven back and still have Jinx we can be up a person. Plus Mark won’t know it took us an extra few minutes to get to him.”
Kat can see Hanna fighting the urge to argue with her. It might not be the best course of action with them already knowing where Terra was now, but if they had another person it might just help their odds of getting her and them out of there. She tries to tell herself this is the reason she’s forcing it.
Jack places his hand on Hanna’s shoulder, “It’s ok dear. I think Kat is making a good point.”
Hanna turns and stares at Jack. He returns the stare with soft eyes and the shake of his head.
Hanna takes a long breath and turns back to Kat, “Lets go get Graven.”
7
As Kat gets closer to the clump of trees she can see a large stone structure hidden amongst them, overgrown with vines and undergrowth. It looks like a small stone coliseum. There are oversized archways, etchings across all of the walls that look like the symbols she found in the Eydulan spheres, and markings on the ground around the outside. To her they look like a shape orgy mixing diamonds, triangles, crescents, and pentagons. Each shape both curved and regular. The entire place looks like there hasn’t been a living thing near it in centuries, but there wasn’t a single thing broken, chipped, or lost to time. Just lots of dust and overgrowth.
Kat catches Jinx watching her, and for a moment she felt it was Graven watching her. Then she moved, breaking the illusion with the unnatural way she makes his body sway his hips. She waves her to follow her inside.
Entering the archway, vines are sparsely covering the ceiling. The stone flooring beneath her feet is cut into one foot squares with etchings in every
other square like a chess board. Grass growing between them all. About half way through the hallway are doors on either side, each with a hallway. Along the center of the wall are more one foot squares with etchings on them. Kat starts to notice a pattern with the etchings, and wonders if they are just for decoration or for something more.
Exiting the long entry way they come to the center. They are in a coliseum, and they just entered the stage. The floor is white sand, and in the center is a large podium with a chest on it. It looked similar to the one that Hanna has all of the Eydulan spheres in back on the Felicity, but it was not nearly as fancy. This actually looked worn down due to time unlike everything else.
Jinx walks over to the wood and metal box, placing her hand on a round plate that was where the lock was on Hanna’s. A yellow and white dot light up and trace the plate in opposite directions. They meet back up at the top with the click of an opening lock. Jinx opens the box gently, and peers inside for a long moment.
Kat asks, “What’s inside?”
This breaks Jinx’s concentration. “There’re Eydulan cores in here, but they can’t be helped.”
She pulls out three spheres, each with cracks, chips, and scratches. Kat takes a closer look at each and clearly makes out a snowflake, a fire, and a bolt of lighting.
Jinx says, “Each of these were one of our five elders. They no longer can make a new body for themselves, but they can still teach what they know to someone else.”
Hanna says, “What do you mean teach?”
Jack echoes Hanna, “Yeah, what does that mean?”
Jinx says to Jack and Kat, “You can become magicians. They will willingly give over what essence of themselves they have left to you. Filling your mind with the knowledge they possess. It won’t give you memories, or change your personality. It will just give you the ability to cast the spells they know.”
Hanna stares slack jawed.
Kat says, “You mean I can cast spells.”
Jinx nods. “Each of you can. The fourth and fifth cores inside in the box were lost, and turned into dust, but there is still time with these three.”
Kat has a twinge of excitement in her voice asking, “What do I have to do, and does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt, although I’ve never done this before. I have seen it done many times in my existence. There wasn’t a single Eydulan that I witnessed in pain.”
Hanna asks raising her tone, “So what you’re saying is that humans can just get magic without butchering your people? Did the Guild already know about this?”
Jinx answers, “The first humans that found our planet here went through the process I’m suggesting you go through. I didn’t witness the succession ritual personally, but I did meet them. The whole planet did, it was a celebration like no other we ever had. I never had a good feeling about them either.”
Jack asks, “Is this really something we should be doing right now? We’re already running behind just coming here to separate Graven and Jinx.”
Jinx says, “If I said that there are three loaded rocket launchers just laying on the ground a few feet away with extra rockets wouldn’t you go get them before storming into an enemy base?”
Jack scratches his head then grumbles. “Ok, you got me there. Just tell me what I need to do.”
Hanna says, “Just wait a second here, you can’t be serious. Jack it took me years to learn how to do anything with my powers.”
Jinx says, “Stolen powers, yes. These on the other hand will be freely given.”
“What is that even supposed to mean Graven. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. This can’t be. It can’t be true!”
Jinx nods slowly, listening.
Hanna continues, “I’ve spent my whole life learning what I know to control my magic. I’ve then spent half my life trying to discover secrets about Eydulans. If the Guild new there was a humane way, they would use it. I know they have done some nasty things, but if they knew.”
Tears start to roll down Hanna’s face. Jack walks over to her and she falls into him sobbing harder than she started. He tries to comfort her, whisper into her ear.
Jinx walks closer and says softly, “Hanna. The Guild knew, but it is an Eydulan’s choice to pass on their knowledge this way. When we stopped giving, that’s when they attacked. They always wanted more. Those first men and women that came here were evil. The leaders of your Guild are those same evil people who we gave our secrets too. I know that isn’t the same for all humans, but that wasn’t always the case. It took 35 years in this body of experiences to show that to me. You have to understand, my people really weren’t fighters. Sure we had magic and advanced technology, but not the experience in war that humans have had. This world was build to keep us hidden, and safe. It was our mistake to let anyone else in.”
The tears are steadily still streaming down Hanna’s face. She has a shuddering sob before saying, “My… my parents, they would never…”
Jinx kneels down getting eye level with her. “You’re parents never knew anything to my or Graven’s knowledge. You’re parents are good people, which is why you are too. There aren’t many in the Guild who would turn against everything because of what you saw. Most would think of it as the conquer controlling the conquered. But not you. You saw the horrible sadistic acts taken against my kind and wanted to do something about it the only way you could. You’re a hero Hanna. So please don’t think of yourself in any other way. Forgive the ignorant, because it hill help your heart and ease your burdens.”
Jinx stands and walks over to Kat placing one of the sphere’s in her hand with a smile on her face. Kat looks into the sphere and sees what looks like a snowflake. There is something different about it than the rest of the cores - as Jinx calls them - that she’s seen. The snowflake is moving. It spins slowly at first as a golden line traces it’s edge. The traced line becomes the new edge, and then fades away with the corners of Kat’s vision leaving nothing but darkness.
8
Kat smells fresh snow. Opening her eyes confirms that she was right about the snow, but she is no longer in the coliseum. There is a forest of white barked and leafless trees around her covered in snow. The sky is black but where she’s sitting its clearly daytime. The cold of the place touches her skin but she doesn’t feel the chill with it. She also feels there is something she’s forgetting. That she should be somewhere else and with someone else.
Behind her is an old looking log cabin that’s seen better days. Parts of the roof are missing, possibly collapsed in from the weight of snow. Every window is completely or partially shattered. The pure white entry door is barely hanging on by the hinges, and the sides of the cabin look as though they’ve been through a fire, a copping contest, and some makeshift repairs. But there is a light Kat can see inside the cabin.
There is an almost magnetic attraction in Kat’s mind to go inside the cabin and see what that light is. Fighting back the urge, she tries to remember who she got here. A golden snowflake was all that comes to mind. Shaking her head and rubbing her temples with her thumbs she thinks harder. But nothing comes to. The need to go to the light in the cabin grows with each moment she stays put.
She finally stands giving in to the fingers clawing the part of her brain telling her not to go. Her feet do not leave tracks in the snow as she takes her first few steps toward the cabin. It confuses her, but at this point she doesn’t have the mental capacity to care. The pull is just too strong.
Placing her first foot on the tiny porch eases the mental pull bringing back her hesitation. Whatever was inside of this cabin was most definitely pulling her inside, but Kat couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad thing. Without the reason why she’s here or how she got here, it was all a mystery.
The door - if you could even still call it a door - was easily opened and immediately falls to the ground. The sound was an echoless thud, which again confused Kat like everything in this place had. She just ignores her curious nature to indulge in it by looking into
the cabin. It looked small from the outside, but it was even smaller looking inside. There was something resembling a stove in the left corner of the room. It was a dull steel color with a pot over a small fire of the same make. Next to the stove was a wooden table with two wooden chairs, each had seen better days. On the right side was a bed with the covers pulled over a lump. The lump was human sized, and Kat guessed it was the person who put the pot on to cook. At the foot of the bed was a pile of roof covered in snow with the occasional snowflake falling in from the sky.
Kat calls out to the person in the bed with no response. Which was just wonderful. She ends up some place for some reason to find a dead person in a log cabin in the frozen woods. It sounds just like something she would find. Calling out again, she tells the lump that she’s coming to check on it. She wouldn’t want to intrude but they might have answers to her questions.
Placing her first foot inside the cabin the boards creak beneath her. Still no movement. She walks over to the lump and places her hand on the sheet. There is a crest and fall or breath. She lets out a sigh of relief that she doesn’t have to bury someone she doesn’t know and grabs a chair, placing it beside the bed. Sitting in the chair she places her hand back on what she thinks is the shoulder of whoever is sleeping and give them a gentle shake.
Kat says, “Hello. Are you awake? Or near death possibly?”
A man’s voice says, “I’m still alive, but only just.”
Kat pulls back the covers to find a handsome young man. Platinum blond hair, with chiseled facial features that she could see through with what looked like a trimmed three day old blond beard. His shirt was a short sleeve royal blue color with white rings around his arms and neckline. Right below the collar of his shirt is a single snowflake that looks like one she’s seen before. She could feel herself blush just looking at him which wasn’t like her at all. She was a married woman. One that couldn’t remember who her husband was at this exact moment, but still, she was a loyal and faithful partner. The man opened his eye revealing deep icy blue irises, ones that she could get lost in.
Starship Magic 3: Abducted Page 4
