Center Moon: The Stone of Cordova

by Stephen Gambuti

Darden turned over to discover who was standing over him. When he saw it was Jonas, his face filled with confusion. “Not you.”

  “Why not me? Friend.” Jonas shoved the weapon against Darden’s head.

  “Kill me if you want. I don’t regret what I did. If I had my way I would kill you myself.” Darden sat up, ignoring the blaster in his cheek. “You are just like he was.”

  “Like who?” Jonas asked.

  “I am going up before Emperor Pernius for trial tomorrow. He will be pleased to know that you have come to him. Then I will be set free.” Darden erected his posture with dignity. He swatted the blaster from his face.

  “Like who?” Jonas demanded.

  “To think I was going to risk everything for you. A Sapian.” If Darden had any fear of Jonas, he did not exhibit it. All the nervous energy transferred into Jonas.

  The teen began second-guessing himself for coming to Cordova. “I need to know who, who I am just like?” He cocked the trigger on his blaster. “Why did you hand me over after your friends mentioned my father’s name?”

  “You really want to know?” Darden stared right into the blaster. “Just like your father. Evil.”

  Jonas stepped back, extending his arm, ready to blow off Darden’s head off. “Evil? I will show you evil!”

  “Easy, boy,” Leo cautioned from his spot by the door. He then stepped in and put his hand on Jonas’s shoulder. “Let’s go, boy.”

  Jonas shrugged the half-breed off.

  “You deserve to die just like my son did. They were almost there. Almost to Strom and your father cut them down!” Darden nodded his head up and down rapidly. “That’s right. Your father killed an innocent child because he was different.”

  “You’re crazy.” A deranged look came over Jonas’s face as he tightened his grip on the weapon.

  “No. Your father was crazy. That’s why the Council let him go.” Darden smiled.

  Tears began to fill the curves in Jonas’s eyelids. His lips quivered. “That’s not true. What do you know about Strom?”

  “Your father broke code and murdered most of his own men so they wouldn’t talk. Your father was known for killing anyone who got in his way. Including my ten year old son.”

  “He was a hero.” The weapon started to tremble in his hand. Jonas cried, “A hero!” Jonas trembled as his blood began to boil. “Tell me about Strom!”

  “I’m sorry. He was an evil man, making his way up the ranks. Did he ever tell you about the time he wiped out a whole family of Crows? He also wiped out the team that was with him. His own kind.” Darden studied Jonas’s reactions. “It’s a wonder they didn’t assassinate him sooner.”

  “Strom!” Jonas was coming to the realization that these stories sounded more and more logical. How many missions did he remember his father coming back the sole survivor? The teen stood with the blaster, ready to take off Darden’s head. How he wanted to call him a liar. How he wanted to stick the weapon in this man’s deceitful mouth and put his brains on the wall. Instead, he just dropped the weapon to the floor, staring pitifully at the man who had lost his boy at the hands of his ‘War Hero Father’.

  Darden did not hesitate. He scooped up the blaster and quickly aimed it at Jonas’s face.

  Jonas wanted to die. His image of his father had always been his strength.

  “Duck.” Darden pushed Jonas aside with his left foot and unloaded the blaster towards the door. Two guards went down in a matter of seconds.

  Leo sprang back in surprise. “My Gods! Didn’t see them.” He ripped his weapon from his sash and ran back to guard the door. “Are no more.”

  “There will be.” Darden joined Leo at the exit. “Come on, kid.”

  Jonas remained on the floor where Darden nudged him.

  “Jonas, let’s go,” Darden yelled.

  Leo remembered the rest of the plan. He pulled out his taser key and powered down all the electrical fields. He woke prisoners up, banged on the walls and whatever else he could do to create total chaos. “You free! Run to main port.”

  “Jonas!” Darden noticed that the young Sapian still had not moved. Jonas stayed there, hoping someone would come along and put him out of his misery. Darden went over to him and grabbed his arm. “Today. We will make the world a better place. Besides … your friends need you.” Darden gestured to all the inmates running around without direction.

  Jonas related ‘friends’ to his cousin and Liotta. He had to get them off Cordova. They came here for him. Hopefully Carlen was putting the rest of the plan into action.

  He grabbed Darden’s hand. “I’m fine.” He approached the dead guards and stole both of their blasters. “Let’s get outta here.”

  Leo ran over to Jonas with smirk that could slice through metal. “Isn’t it glorious?” He roared with laughter.

  The corridor was flooded with inmates. They were a combination of Crows, Sapians and half-breeds. Jonas noticed they were all helping each other with one common goal—survival. He moved to the front of the group and whistled as loud as possible. Everyone quieted down suddenly. “Follow me to freedom.”

  Everyone cheered and pushed through to the prison entrance, which led to the main port.

  The prisoners forced the doors open. Jonas, Darden and Leo stayed back a bit in case the guards were waiting. Blasters from the other side tore through the crazed inmates. The survivors continued being cut down by the guards one by one.

  Jonas pointed his weapon at a post that sat high above the entrance. The guards were firing down on the prisoners. Darden noticed it. They both aimed their blasters at the lookout. Jonas squeezed the cold steel trigger, taking the guards by surprise.

  Leo let out a number of hoots as he charged the Crows protecting the transport. Jonas could not believe the half-breed’s fighting ability. He was glad that he had befriended him. Leo took all three guards out and turned back to Jonas. “Get that Crow. Let’s go!” Leo chuckled at his poetic ability.

  Jonas grabbed Darden’s elbow and pulled him from the others. Darden resisted and shook his head. “We can’t leave yet.”

  “Why not?” Jonas couldn’t understand Darden’s refusal.

  “We need to help these people.”

  Jonas observed all the madness. The inmates were fighting for their lives. Jonas had used them as part of his plan. In his heart he knew if they were left behind they would quickly be squelched. “There isn’t going to be room for everyone.”

  “We need to make room. There are four transports over there.” Darden gestured towards the crafts. “They will take us right home. These crafts are designed to slide through the atmosphere.”

  “I can’t go right home, Darden.” Jonas shook his head. “I have to pick up my friends.”

  Darden wrapped his arm around Jonas. “Okay. Okay,” he said thinking. “You and Leo do what you need to. I will gather some of these people up and head back to Earth.” Darden motioned toward the ship Leo was nearby. “Go.” Darden suddenly remembered something. “Oh.” He reached into his pouch. “This belongs to you.” He pulled out the stone.

  Jonas went to grab the moon rock from Darden when a huge blast vibrated the port.

  Darden tossed the stone back into his pouch. “Get out of here. I’ll meet you on the planet.”

  Jonas wanted that stone but knew it would be useless to him if he was dead. He took off toward the craft.

  Jonas had spent the last round of days hating Darden. He forgot why. This Crow was concerned about each of these different people. Crows, Sapians and half-breeds. Darden wanted to rescue all of them.

  “Let’s go.” Leo ran into the transport.

  “I’ll see you down there.” Darden’s weathered cheeks lifted from his smile.

  “Where?”

  “Outskirts of the Safe Zone. Forget the Academy. Chances are the probes weren’t from Emperor Pernius.” Darden walked away and rounded up teams of inmates.

  Jonas headed over to the transport, discovering Leo in the captain’s chair. “Move ove
r.”

  “Over?” Leo jumped out of his seat. “Yes, sir.” He saluted with a cackle.

  Jonas analyzed the foreign control system. It was exactly the same as the craft Liotta’s father had. Piloting this vessel would be no problem. He pressed his index finger into a blue squared button that rested in the panel’s center. A light hum accompanied the vessel’s vibration. Leo began laughing and cheerfully clapping his hands against his knees. The craft slowly hovered.

  “Leo? Leo?” Jonas set his eyes on the huge bay doors. “We have a problem.”

  Leo stopped celebrating. He realized that the exit panels could only be opened from the control area. Getting to it would be impossible since there were inmates attempting to overtake it.

  “What if we blast it?” Jonas hoped for Leo’s approval.

  Leo pointed with his thumb. “People will instantly be sucked in space.”

  “So what should we do?” Jonas was frustrated.

  Leo giggled as he squeezed a red trigger, which rested along the back of a shift stick. The transport’s blasters fired upon the doors. “Seemed all clear back there.” A giggle followed, as bodies of guards and dead inmates floated past the transport and through the fiery hole. “Oops.”

  Jonas got a kick out of watching the Crow guards float out of the port. “Let’s be on our way.” Jonas gripped the semi-circular handle while putting as much pressure on the foot pedal as he could muster.

  The transport escaped through the freshly mutilated doors, zipping down the cannon filled trail. The teen’s concentration was so intense that he did not notice the laser barrels sprouting from the cannon capsules, which lined the trail. The turrets rotated on their axes, attempting to target the fleeing transports.

  The huge weapons rattled in rapid succession toward the vessels. One of the cannons connected its blast with one of the other crafts. The force of the explosion lifted Jonas’s craft and propelled it farther down the path. His transport was now clear of danger.

  Jonas worried that the blown-away transport was Darden’s. He had no way of knowing since these crafts did not have any apparent communications instruments. Leo had reinforced that suspicion when he informed Jonas that all ship-to-ship contact was usually made via their hand held units. If Darden had not wanted to save everyone, he would have been safely aboard their vessel.

  Jonas had to focus his efforts on getting his cousin and Liotta. He piloted clear across Cordova. They did not encounter any more resistance. Jonas believed the others had a more difficult escape. As the transport approached a grouping of domes, Jonas was scouting the terrain for familiarity. He searched his memory for the sector that held all the landing ports.

  Leo pointed out an escort vessel landing in the foreground. “There. Over there.”

  Jonas quickly shifted his eyes towards the direction the half-breed was giving him. That was it. The sky blue dome, which was larger than the rest. That was the port they were led into when they arrived. Jonas tilted the transport’s nose closer to the rocks’ surface. The craft was being carefully piloted along the runway towards the indoor city.

  “The next part of your plan, boy?” Leo stared out of the window with an intense look.

  “If everything works out as planned, we will glide this baby in and my cousin will have the other one fired up.” Jonas wrapped his fingers tightly around the steering handle as the transport’s ride grew bumpier.

  “Gravity stones,” Leo remarked.

  “The what?”

  Leo stopped gazing out the window and turned toward his young friend. “The gravity stones.”

  “What are gravity stones?” Jonas asked, as his arms were jolting for better control of the craft.

  “Don’t fight, boy. Stones creating this ride. Power hasn’t been decreased.”

  Jonas did not understand.

  “Flat rocks of tremendous size buried under each city. Are designed to simulate Earth’s natural gravity. This causes concern for some alarm.” Leo’s eyebrow went up in the center.

  “We didn’t get this bumpy ride before.”

  “Exactly. An escort ship brought you. Those ships get close, huge lead plates slide over stones, modifying gravitational force of the city. Magnifies the pull inside so people do not drift off while bay doors are open.”

  Jonas was astonished by the amount of knowledge Leo had inside his thick, ugly skull. This news was not what the teen wanted to hear. “Okay. So then?”

  “If aren’t expecting us, bay doors will not open. If doors do not open, will be pulled into the dome anyway.” Leo giggled.

  “Come on, Leo … This is serious. We will go through the dome then?” A bead of sweat trickled down Jonas’s forehead.

  “Not exactly. Domes built to withstand Sapian attack. Most likely disintegrate when we hit.” A half chuckle slipped out.

  “W-W-What do we do?” Jonas pulled the handle into his chest.

  “That won’t work.”

  “I can see that.” Jonas’s attempt to lift the craft up and out of the runway was failing. He strained his forearms so much that they were getting numb from the heavy vibrations and his consistent pressure.

  The city was looming closer. Jonas’s face was soaked with wet beads of worry. “Please, come on. Please, come on.” The teen tugged so hard, the moisture of his palms caused him to slip off the handle. He flew back in his seat, whacking his skull against the headrest.

  Leo chuckled a moment and took over the controls. He raised his thick, hairy index finger, pressing down on the ignition button. Jonas popped up to restart it. Leo threw his palm up against Jonas’s chest to hold him off.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Jonas grabbed Leo’s hand.

  “Time to trust, new friend.” The craft decelerated, moving steadily to the surface. Leo removed his hand from Jonas’s chest. Then he wrapped them around the handle, guiding the transport so it would not crash.

  Jonas felt secure. He picked up on Leo’s little plan. Leo was bringing the ship down to the surface. He was not doing anything reckless. “Why?”

  “Stones will pull us if we are up or down. If down, at least have surface friction, slowing down process of exploding into side of city’s steel atmosphere.” The mad man smiled, more so to gratify himself.

  “What happens next, Galee?” Jonas could not understand why Leo was not laughing. Did he not get the joke?

  “Galee?”

  “Galee was a master teacher. Very smart. Very famous. It was his theories that launched the migration of the Sapians,” Jonas explained.

  “Because of him, Sapians came to Earth?”

  “Right.” Jonas grinned.

  “Remind me to thank him for my looks.” Leo let out a bellow of hard laughter.

  “Funny, very funny.”

  “Least my humor made sense,” Leo retorted.

  “Okay. So why did we land?” Jonas returned the conversation to its original topic.

  “Wait here for escort craft. It dumps the other vessels. We’ll have a way in. Stones power lowers.” Leo looked at Jonas, hoping the teen understood what he’d just said.

  “Gotcha.” Jonas sat back. “So I guess all we have to do is wait.”

  Leo scrunched up in his chair to make himself as comfortable as he could. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Why did you not ask about Strom?”

  “What?” Jonas perked up.

  “Strom … Leo take you there.”

  “Really? You know about Strom? Does it exist?”

  Leo popped open his eyes and tilted his head towards the teen. “Strom exist, Jonas Troupe. Your father is Troupe?”

  “Yes. Yes he was. Strom really exists?” Jonas finally felt as though he was not crazy. Then again, Leo, who was apparently crazy, was the only one who knew about this place.

  “Leo takes Jonas home.” Leo leaned further back in his seat and released a yawn. “Talk later.” He turned away.

  Anxiety burned through the teen’s body.

  *

  Eleven
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  Jonas and Leo sat patiently waiting for the next escort ship to release a load of vessels. Leo explained that it would be a while longer because escort ships only picked up crafts orbiting Cordova and guided them to this city. This was the moon’s only port of entry. Most vessels never made it past Earth’s clouds because of the Parliamentary Enforcers. When a surviving Crow vessel was detected, it was pulled in and redirected to this city.

  The conversation quieted down a bit. Both Leo and Jonas were extremely tired. They each took turns keeping watch while the other napped. Jonas was exploring the moon through the window, while Leo kicked back in the opposite chair.

  Jonas reached into his pocket pretending to retrieve his father’s rock. He longed to hold that stone in his hands. He could not believe he had just let Darden take it again. He had gained a certain sense of security with it.

  Jonas felt himself getting upset. He tilted his head against the window and glared out at the craters. He placed his palm against the clear plastic and pretended to touch the rocks along Cordova’s surface. He slowly pulled his hand away and wrapped his fingers around an imaginary rock. He thought of his father again. This time the memory was not pleasant.

  Jonas closed his eyes as he pictured his father walking through the front door. Captain Troupe was struck in the head with a plate accompanied by his mother screaming.

  “How could you?” Her rage increased as she pounded him on the chest.

  Jonas never understood what they fought about, but all the bad memories began to fill his mind.

  The transport jolted violently along the ground. Jonas strapped himself into his seat, noticing Leo slept right through it. Outside, craters and rocks slid by the window. Jonas could feel the floor rumbling below him. He glanced over at Leo again with a nervous gleam in his eye.

  Leo did not even break from his rest. “Relax, boy. It’s only the stones pulling us closer to the city.” He quickly returned to his dreams.

  Jonas had experienced plenty of these pulls while they waited, but this one felt different. Stronger. As the transport glided along the surface, rumbling overhead grew louder and louder. The teen peeked upward through the front window and discovered three small crafts, like Liotta’s father’s, cruising past them. This is it.