Cast Under an Alien Sun (Destiny's Crucible)

by Olan Thorensen

  ***

  While Culich Keelan and Okan Akuyun both foresaw future paths, one dark and one beckoning, Joseph Colsco, aka Yozef Kolsko, had no such clarity. He sat on the porch of his house, the Faughns long asleep. The sounds of the night were similar to Earth’s but different. A breeze wafted across his face. The scents were similar to Earth, though not of Earth.

  The stars were bright on this clear night, as they would be on Earth, yet not the same stars. There were no recognizable constellations as seen from Earth. Did the Caedelli have constellations? If not here, elsewhere on Anyar? He wondered whether he could even see any star here that was also visible from Earth. Harlie, the disembodied voice that had been his only contact with the aliens whose vessel collided with his flight near Denver, had never answered his queries about Anyar’s location. It could be within sight of Sol or tens of thousands of light-years across the Galaxy.

  Were the Watchers, or whoever they were, up there looking down at Anyar . . . at Caedellium . . . at him? Was this just someplace where they dumped him and went on their way again? Would anyone ever know what happened to him? No, he decided. No one would know. At least, not in his lifetime. His journals could someday let it be known. But now . . .

  He stood and paced the porch slowly, back and forth, his footsteps helping anchor the feeling that he was here and now. Once again, everything had changed. On Earth, he had been satisfied with a predictable future. Then he’d been ripped away and left on Anyar. He’d been here almost two years. Anyar years. He’d struggled to accept and adjust. And he had. He had begun to think he knew the direction of his life here: satisfied and predictable, once again, as it had been on Earth. Now . . . ? What was predictable?

  The Narthani and the Buldorians were a reality of this world. He could easily have been killed at the abbey, and who knew what might yet happen? The Narthani weren’t going away. They’d be back, and if what he heard was accurate, it sounded like soon. And it wasn’t just him. He did care for these people. They were rough in many ways but basically honest and appreciative of the lives they had. Even the Faughns, with all of their struggles, had a pride of self. The Narthani might destroy all of that.

  He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. There must be more he could do to help, both for himself and the Caedelli. Some knowledge he could dredge out of his enhanced memory. God! I might have to accept that this life may never be safe and predictable. It wasn’t a comforting realization, but it somehow eased the confusion of his thoughts and kindled a determination to face reality.

  Yes, he had to give all of this much more thought. But not tonight. He entered the cottage, walked to the bedroom, and climbed under the covers. His last thought before drifting off was that whatever came, he would have to face it.

  Major Characters

  Abulli, Omir. Buldorian mercenary from different clan than the Adalan’s.

  Adalan, Adel. Buldorian mercenary. Second-in-command to cousin Musfar Adalan.

  Adalan, Musfar. Commander of Buldorian mercenaries.

  Akuyun, Okan. Commander of Narthani mission to conquer Caedellium.

  Akuyun, Rabia. Wife of Okan.

  Balcan, Mamduk. Narthani religious prelate.

  Beynom, Cadwulf. Scholasticum student. Son of Diera and Sistian. Friend and employee of Yozef.

  Beynom, Diera. A medicant. Abbess of St. Sidryn’s abbey. Wife of Sistian.

  Beynom, Sistian. A theophist. Abbot of St. Sidryn’s abbey. Husband of Diera.

  Bolwyn, Elton. A medicant at St. Sidryn’s abbey.

  Dyllis, Saoul. A medicant at St. Sidryn’s abbey.

  Erdelin, Memas. Narthani colonel.

  Faughns, Brak and Elian. Elderly home staff couple of Yozef.

  Fitham, Petros. Elderly theophist at St. Sidryn’s abbey.

  Fuller, Filtin. Skilled worker and friend to Yozef.

  Gwillamer, Cadoc. Hetman of Gwillamer Clan.

  Harlie. Name given by Yozef (Joe) to alien artificial intelligence created to interact with Yozef.

  Hizer, Sadek. Narthani Assessor reporting direct to Narthani High Command.

  Kalcan, Morfred. Narthani naval commander.

  Keelan, Breda. Wife of Culich. Mother of Maera.

  Keelan, Culich. Hetman of Clan Keelan. Father of Maera.

  Keelan, Maera. Eldest daughter of Culich and Breda.

  Kennrick, Pedr. Advisor to Hetman Culich Keelan.

  Ketin, Erkan. Narthani colonel.

  Kolsko, Yozef (a.k.a. Joseph Colsco). California chemistry graduate student who boards an ill-fated flight to a conference and meets an unimagined future.

  Linton, Bronwyn. Widow owner of farm near Abersford.

  Metin, Nuthrat. Narthani colonel.

  Miron, Yonkel. Abersford boy who first discovers Yozef lying on the beach.

  Moreland, Anarynd (a.k.a. Ana). Friend of Maera Keelan. Distantly related to Moreland Clan hetman.

  Moreland, Brym. Father of Anarynd. Cousin to Moreland hetman.

  Moreland, Gynfor. Hetman of Moreland Clan.

  Puvey, Carnigan. Physically imposing member of abbey staff. Friend of Yozef.

  Tuzere, Nizam. Narthani civilian administrator.

  Vega, Denes. Magistrate and sheriff-equivalent in town of Abersford. Commander of Abersford fighting levy.

  Vortig, Luwis. Advisor to Hetman Culich Keelan.

  Vorwich, Longnor. Keelan Clan boyerman (district chief) of Abersford and St. Sidryn’s area.

  Watchers. Name given by Yozef to alien creators of Harlie and whose spaceship destroyed Yozef’s flight to Chicago.

  Zulfa, Aivacs. Commander of Narthani group troops on Caedellium.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my wife, Kathleen, for encouragement, tolerating my sequestering away for endless hours writing and revising, and for reading drafts. Thanks to editors Felicia Sullivan and Patricia Waldygo for catching flaws I couldn’t see and contributions and teaching me those things about writing and grammar that I didn’t learn in school. Cover by Damonza.com.

  To Readers

  An advantage of electronic publishing is the ability to correct errors, oversights, inconsistances. Please email me with any such comments at olanthorensen@gmail.com. I promise to read all emails, though I won’t be able to answer personally every one. Maps of Anyar and Caedellium are available at olanthorensen.com. Also, if you enjoyed the story, please leave a comment/review on appropriate venues, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. And, of course, if you want to know what happens next, Book II, The Pen and the Sword, is available.