Center Moon: The Stone of Cordova

by Stephen Gambuti

  The craft zipped down an outdoor corridor protected by huge cannon blasters. The horizon had numerous steel domes. In the center sat the tallest of round structures. Huge beams of light grew larger as the structure opened its bay doors. Jonas stretched out far enough to get a lay of the territory.

  The area was familiar to him. It was the side of the moon his father had so often described. In fact, Jonas had such a good mental picture in his head that he could have drawn a map by memory. This was where so many Parliamentary invasions had taken place. He also knew this was not the place where prisoners were held. It was the place where the Emperor resided. This facility was also where the termination process was held.

  The transport trembled. A loud humming sound captured everyone’s ears. The usually dark insides of the craft had become so bright that Jonas’s eyes hurt until his pupils readjusted. Through the back windows, Jonas watched the bay doors slowly close.

  How are they ever going to find me? He thought about his cousin and Liotta. Maybe I should have listened to Liotta’s plan. Jonas could not help but look at the slain officer next to him. He knew his career at the Academy was over. It was completely his fault that Kiyo had lost his life. If he ever returned home, the Council would probably make him pay with his own life.

  *

  Nine

  The transport lowered to touch the ground. The guards inside the dome swiftly left their posts to greet the craft. The ones inside put their hoods back over their heads. Jonas thought this was rather strange. The rear hatch steamed open.

  Jonas noticed a completely different style of uniform. These Crows wore body armor. In the center, they had their black sashes.

  Four guards entered the transport and cuffed the teen’s neck with a metal collar. One guard unstrapped Jonas while the other one tugged him as if he were an animal.

  Jonas was not even on his feet when he found himself being dragged down the ramp. “Easy…”

  “Shut up, Sapian.” The guard whacked Jonas with the heel of his palm.

  The other two guards hitched a chain to the end of the foil wrap, which covered the dead officer. With one hard jerk, the corpse flipped out of the craft. Jonas was astonished by the monstrous strength these men had.

  They dragged Jonas towards a huge entrance hall at the end of the port. The doorway was heavily protected by a guard station. The guards kicked and spit at Jonas as he was being paraded past them. The guards committed horrible acts to the Enforcer’s corpse.

  I can’t believe these animals. What have I done? Jonas thought.

  Once past the entranceway, there was a long, gray corridor. Voices of all kinds were heard. They grew louder with every step. Along the way, Jonas discovered doorways without doors, which opened up to small rooms. The guards stopped midway down the corridor and unclipped Jonas’s neck cuff. He twisted his head a bit to loosen his stiff neck. Two guards gave him a swift shove into one of the rooms. They laughed a bit and continued down the hall with Kiyo’s body.

  Jonas picked himself up off the floor. He brushed off his stolen uniform. Rock dust. He looked around slightly confused. He didn’t understand why they would put him in a room without a lock of some sort. Jonas angled himself so he could see down the hall. No guards around within sight. He inched closer to freedom. He looked the opposite way. No guards there either. Jonas cautiously stepped through the doorway.

  Zap!

  Electrical jolts sprang from every corner of the door. His body danced involuntarily with the high voltage until he was finally thrown to the floor. He remained on his back, lifeless.

  It was a good hour before Jonas came around to consciousness. His hair was grayed a bit and his skin seemed to have aged a couple of years. His eyes were set back deep in his head surrounded by broken blood vessels. The teen sat up to better orient himself. His attention was on that stupid doorway. He should have known better than that. His father had always told him stories about the Crows’ sucker traps. If it looks too good to be true … it is.

  A deranged giggle echoed from the cell across the hall. Jonas rose to feet and limped over to see who thought his pain was so humorous. There sat a little man with his hands over his mouth. He was just chuckling to himself. Jonas could tell that not all the man’s facilities were functioning. Something was different about him though. Physically.

  His demeanor exhibited that he could be either a Crow or a Sapian. His forehead was not as thick as the others but still very much dominant. His nose was smaller, more squared than round. All Sapians had smaller features. The main thing Jonas noticed was the man’s hair. It was thick black, sprouting wildly from his head. Yet his arms were bare. Crow head, Sapian arms. Jonas studied the older man until he was caught gazing.

  The man lowered his hands, discovering Jonas with his piercing eyes. “Is my giggle bothering you?”

  “Ah … no.” Jonas stepped back, and remembered an electrical door must secure the man as well.

  “Don’t run, boy. I won’t hurt you. I can’t hurt you.” The man reenacted Jonas being blasted by the electricity. He fell back with unrestrained laughter.

  Stepping towards the door Jonas snapped, “Think that’s funny? Wait till I get outta here. I’ll show you funny.”

  “Now, now, boy. Relax. I’m only fooling with you.”

  Jonas sat down, preparing for a conversation. “Why are you here?”

  “Like you … was caught.” The man giggled a bit.

  “I wasn’t caught,” Jonas said defensively. “This is part of my plan.”

  The man burst out in small chuckles. “Nice plan.”

  “I came here to find someone.”

  “Of your kind, I suspect.” The man rubbed his right arm, showing off his physical similarities.

  “No, actually. I was caught so they could bring me to this holding prison. With any luck, I will run into him in the galleys.”

  “Stupid boy. There no galleys. Think this is like a Parliamentary facility? Toss morsels in. Leave you here to die.”

  Jonas suddenly realized this man was right. All his plans were off track. He was betting on the fact that he would get to at least have contact with Darden. Then he could plot an escape. If he were bound to this room, then he would surely perish. “When do they come with food?”

  The man laughed again. “Hungry already, boy?”

  “My name is Jonas. No, I’m not hungry. I’m getting out of here.”

  Sarcasm flowed through the man’s voice. “Two guards deliver food. Both have taser keys for doors. No way will you beat them.”

  “How do you know? You look like someone who’s just given up.” Jonas stood up and walked away.

  “Given up?” The usually jolly man was enraged. Jonas heard a loud crash against the wall. “Listen, you stupid fool! Don’t know the life I had. Morsel a day and roof over your soul is better than being bumped around as a half-breed freak!”

  Jonas stood up and walked away from the door. He was not interested in this man’s story.

  “Where’d you go, boy? Show yourself!” The man was angled in his doorway trying to catch a glimpse of Jonas.

  The man rambled on for minutes. Jonas ignored him—until the man started to pique his interest.

  “Want help getting out of here? Do you?” he screamed.

  Jonas bent towards the door. He saw the man’s deranged eyes peering at him.

  The man smiled. “Here, boy! Give you solid piece of advice.” The man flipped his rags off his back. From shoulder to shoulder and along the length of his spine, the man bore a deep scar that still looked fresh.

  Jonas’s mouth hung open in horror. The man’s back resembled a slab of half-eaten meat. Jonas’s first thought was that the poor guy had been attacked by a dracosaur.

  “Get good look, boy,” the man raged. “Get good look at what happens when you try to get out of here.” The man flashed his back for only another second. Then he lifted his rags, revealing scars running in all directions.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t k
now.” Jonas actually felt ashamed for the first time in his life.

  “Think they’d let an innocent man free? Way they saw—all of them—their side and yours, my parents committed crimes. I was to pay for it.”

  “Your parents?” Jonas empathized.

  “I am half-breed, stupid child. No one likes my kind.” The man sat back down in front of his door. “Amazes me. They were loving folks. Father with the original colony that migrated to Earth. A good group.”

  Jonas also sat down. His interest was piqued. “What happened?”

  “Then came … second wave.” The man stared straight through Jonas as he spoke. “Called themselves the Parliamentary Council. Bastards. Promised Mother’s people they’d live together in peace.”

  “Your mother was a Crow?”

  “Course. Back then no labels for anyone. Until the Enforcers were formed.”

  “Stop!” Jonas put up his hand. He knew it was coming. He did not want to hear anything else bad about his father’s life.

  “Don’t want to hear the rest?” The man got his chuckle back.

  “Why are you in a Crow holding prison?” Jonas laughed now. “I mean, if the Council was so bad.”

  “When you different, no one wants you. Crows have nothing to do with half Sapian. Where they are concerned, am just like you.” The man rubbed his arm again.

  Jonas leaned forward, looking deep into the man’s eyes. “If I get out of here … I promise to take you, too.”

  “One of the Enforcers? Sorry. Cannot myself trust you.”

  Jonas suddenly remembered he was in an officer’s uniform. He attempted to cover the nameplate. “This is not mine.”

  “Sure.” The man chuckled.

  “Honest. I stole it.” Jonas just realized that he’d just asked a man to trust him and in the next sentence admitted he was a thief. “It’s a long story.”

  “Relax, boy. Know it’s not yours.”

  “How can you tell?” Jonas was glad the man believed him.

  “Sleeves folded up, pant cuffs wrapped over your heels.” The man chuckled loudly. “Deal.”

  “Huh?” Jonas became confused by the man’s last word. “Deal?”

  “You escape … May rescue me.” The man raised his unibrow and giggled like before.

  “Time for bits.” A guard standing at the door called to Jonas. “Hey, you. Wake up. Time for bits.” The guard was standing in the center of the room, nudging Jonas with his foot.

  Jonas shook his head a little, waking himself up. He saw the guard leering over him with a clay dish in his hands. The teen thought about rushing him, but figured he should wait. Now was not the time. He needed a plan. For the moment he would just take the food.

  “Come on. Take it.” The guard handed the food down to Jonas.

  Jonas grabbed the bowl and glanced over at his new friend’s cell. He saw the other guard in there doing the same thing. When his friend took the food, the guard delivered a swift kick to the man’s side. The man crunched over, dropping his food. Jonas waited for the same. Sure enough … it came. The guard whacked him right in the ribs. The teen dropped his bowl on the ground, shattering the clay pieces.

  “Stupid, Sapian.” The guard laughed. “Clean up the mess when you’re done.”

  Jonas lay on the floor holding his side. He watched the guards reactivate the doorways. His friend looked at him from across the hall with sadness in his eyes. Jonas looked back with hope in his. He had his plan.

  Days passed and Jonas’s relationship with his friend, Leo, flourished. His birth name was actually Leonodo, but everyone called him Leo. As each day came and went, their plan became more and more sophisticated. They were just waiting for the perfect time to strike. That time was this evening.

  Jonas got the guards used to coming into the room to look for him. He would fake sleeping along the far side of the cell. This way he would not be seen from the doorway. The guard would have to come in quite a bit to hand him his food.

  Jonas played up the fact that he was a weak little teenager. He took his daily shot to the ribs with pride. The teen rehearsed the best wails and moans.

  Once free, Jonas would search for Darden. They would release as many people as possible, and that would create enough of a distraction for them to get to the port. Leo warned him though. They would need to exit via transport. There was no other way to travel on the moon’s surface because of the absence of gravity and atmosphere.

  *

  Ten

  “Hey, Sapian. Time for bits.” The guard stood dominantly over Jonas. “Wake up. Time for bits.” The guard nudged him with his foot.

  Jonas shook his head, pretending to wake up. He opened his eyes and saw the food plate lurking over him. He reached up to grab it. Once the bowl was in his hands, as usual, the guard raised his knee, preparing to deliver a kick. Jonas dropped the bowl and caught the guard’s boot with one hand. He snatched a piece of broken plate, from the other day, out of his sleeve. Jonas lunged the makeshift knife directly into the Crow’s groin.

  The Crow clutched his blaster but the pain was so unbearable that he could not keep his grip on it. Jonas took advantage of the opportunity and snatched the weapon. He forced the guard to the ground. The teen hopped to his feet, ripping the taser key from his captor’s sash.

  The other guard responded to the sounds of the struggle. He was making his way toward Jonas’s cell when Jonas pointed the key at Leo’s doorway and set the lock. The guard was so focused on helping his partner that he did not realize Jonas even had the key. The Republican officer walked right into the electric field and danced violently. He was thrown onto his back. Leo gladly helped him forfeit his blaster and taser key.

  Leo saw Jonas standing over the bleeding guard. “He’s about dead. Get his armor off or it will be stained.”

  “Good idea.” Jonas stripped the guard. The man was screaming silently for help. Jonas kicked him in the side. “By the way, your bits were disgusting.”

  The man held his hand out, pleading to Jonas.

  “Stupid Crow.”

  “No need to get nasty. Or personal,” Leo said, dressing in his guard’s gear.

  “These bastards killed my mother.” He kicked the man again. “They killed my father.” He kicked the man a third time. “They tried to kill me.”

  “Put personal feelings aside. Came here for reason.” Leo giggled as he tied the sash around his waist.

  Jonas completed his outfit. He also tossed his Enforcer’s uniform on the naked guard. He dragged him to the corner. “Now they will think you are me.” He kicked the man a fourth time. “Stupid Sapian.” Mocking the dying man.

  Leo stepped out of his cell and started dancing about the hall. His giggle was justified. He started twirling with joy and shaking uncontrollably.

  “Hey! Calm down. Calm down, Leo.” Jonas ran out to the corridor. “Leo? Leo?” Jonas pressed down on Leo’s shoulders. “Relax.”

  “Can’t believe it. Am free. Am free. Haven’t left room in six revolutions.” Leo’s giggle trickled into tears.

  “We aren’t out of here yet. Let’s stick to the plan, okay?” Jonas tugged on his friend. He motioned for Leo to follow him down the hall. “We need to find Darden.”

  The two cautiously glided down the corridor. Jonas quietly called out for his friend. With every cell they passed, he hoped one would give him a response. As they made their way, Leo noticed symbols on each door. Jonas could not comprehend them. Leo briefly explained that each design represented the order of entry into the cell. The other symbol next to it stood for the crime. Jonas looked over at Leo wishing he could help him read one in particular. The first symbol was similar to a number. It was three tally marks followed by a crescent moon. The one next to it was of a stick figure with curving legs.

  Jonas tapped his fingers up against them. “What’s that say?” In a whisper.

  Giggling, Leo answered, “Three half moons time. Tried to retreat in battle.”

  Jonas quickly picked up on the l
anguage. After all, the Parliamentary number system was more advanced but had the same foundations. It took him a moment to understand the picture. The more he studied it, he could identify a man running from a battle.

  While passing each holding area, Jonas was able to notice the symbols. He came across one that had one tally mark and a full circle. He explained his guess to Leo and found that he was correct. The symbol meant that the prisoner had been there only one full moon ago. Not a very long time.

  “Hey, Leo?”

  “Yes, boy?”

  Tapping on the full circle. “Is this the shortest amount of time symbolized?”

  “Yes. That person was here since last full moon.” Leo chuckled a bit.

  All the cackling was starting to get on Jonas’s nerves. However, Leo was someone he needed. “That would mean that Darden’s cell would probably have the same number. He was captured not even a full round ago.”

  “Only a round, then assume that doesn’t have number yet.”

  Jonas realized that the cell they were looking for would not have anything labeled on it yet. They had already searched over half the corridor. It would not be long now.

  “Darden?” He whispered.

  “Who calls?” A sad voice slipped into the halls.

  “Darden?” Jonas broke his whisper.

  “Who calls?” the monotone voice repeated.

  Jonas pinpointed the voice. He angled himself in the doorway until he spotted Darden lying in the corner of his room. He whipped out his taser key and powered down the entrance. Jonas readied his blaster in his other hand because he did not want to be turned in again. As he stepped closer to Darden, all the thoughts he had of killing this man returned. He had to focus on why he was here. He did not risk the lives of himself and his friends to interrogate a dead man. He would restrain himself and use the blaster only as a bargaining tool.

  “Hello, Darden.” Jonas stood over the man with his weapon aimed right for the Crow’s face.

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” Leo warned sarcastically.

  “Shut up, Leo!” Jonas kept his eyes trained on Darden.