Teramar: The Gathering Night

by Thomas Michael Murray

  Miandar tried to defend himself, “Sire, the princess unconsciously spoke to us during this most recent trance. She was mumbling commands and I feel we were close to getting the security codes from her. If there are indeed security codes…”

  Lord North fingered a short beard. He flicked his black eyes from one to the other. Miandar winced expecting punishment any moment. “Yes nephew, I saw that mumbling bit. Of the hours you’ve spent with her, that’s as close as you got to anything interesting, other than your fool brother’s putting a child in her womb, a bastard royal born to the town idiot. I only hope the poor thing doesn’t inherit your family’s rodent-like faces and sneaky personalities.”

  “F F For, Forgive me, sire,” were Cornelius’s shaky first words in the interview.

  “Shut up. Did I say speak?”

  A full range of lights clicked on. Everything went even blacker around them. A door above whooshed open and the low murmur of a roar rose from another room. They sensed quick, feral movement. Something paced, making a circle above. The creature then sprayed warm urine on them. Cornelius grabbed for his weapon but realized he had none.

  “What do you want from us, Uncle?”

  “One of you must pay for this.” The spotlights went brighter and the ring went darker. Lord North’s voice seemed to float. The brothers instinctively moved their heads to follow the sound of the large animal trotting along the ring. The creature banged against a rail. A menacing three-dimensional roar ran over them. Cornelius recoiled. Miandar stood his ground and tried to locate the beast.

  Again, he shouted, “What do you want from us, Uncle?”

  “You two owe me a debt for your failure with my sister’s daughter. That was a rare opportunity to show your worth and you squandered the assignment on your own insatiable appetites.”

  Rhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrr. The monstrous noise drowned him out. The creature could smell the fear wafting through the air. Padded feet continued to pace the circle. Then, another door that was level with the young men slid open, casting a rectangular path of light. “That door is the way out, but only one can leave. One of you must offer nourishment to my pet. With this sacrifice, the stain of your collective behavior...”

  Before uncle could finish his words, Cornelius lay on the ground gasping for air and moaning. Miandar trotted for the open door as his brother lamely crawled after him.

  “Miandar, don’t leave me,” screamed a hysterical voice.

  Uncle Charles’s final word echoed in the large room, rolling over a blubbering Cornelius, “Maybe there’s hope for you yet, Miandar. Please do not do this again.”

  Room With A View

  Ben’s huge tongue worked the corners of Angela Munoza’s glorious cut peach. From his many years in professional sports, and the countless women he had enjoyed, Ben was a proud connoisseur of the female apparatus. He knew that the time spent priming the pump with his ladies returned rich rewards. New recruits like Angela had to be carefully prepared. Otherwise, they invariably snapped shut like an angry bed of clams.

  “Good god. Your tongue is miraculous. You really know what you’re doing. Ahhhhh. Yesssss. That is it!” Ben smiled inside. The dirty talk didn’t sound quite right on this girl with Grace Kelly good looks. Unflinchingly, large hands continued to till the ripe body, imbuing her with his will. In a rush, he turned each page like a dirty magazine. Then quite abruptly, she ceased to move. “What,” he said in a husky voice?

  Angela replied with her own question, “Do you think she’s watching us?”

  Ben’s words were garbled by long slurps, “Who ares. I’m ge__ng you _eady.”

  Jessica was indeed watching the two lovers along with the millions of other observed tasks she catalogued every microsecond. A biological coupling was as ordinary as a battery change. Still, the computer viewed sexual intercourse, as an entirely excessive procedure. “Couldn’t there be an easier way to coax out the male seed?” She actually forecasted her guests would breed that evening. “Near seventy five percent probability.” Jessica noted the historical evidence in the man.

  Upon their arrival, Jessica sequestered the earth couple in one of the grandest apartments. The bedroom was luxurious with living trees on each side forming a canopy above the sleeping pallet. There under the trees, Angela imagined herself a missionary’s daughter, deep in the jungle. “Ouch,” she complained. Ben was testing her. He was used to initial resistance and used sexy words to push her open. Then carefully and gently, he wiggled his way in – just past the entrance. He waited for a brief second. “But not too long,” he said aloud. Quickly, he loaded the rest. This guillotine procedure occurred before she even realized he was all the way inside. Angela tried to close her legs in protest, but it was too late. Ben knew the first minutes were painful. He held her down, cooing until the complaints turned to whimpers. Soon pleasure began to work its way through the body as she tried to awkwardly greet gentle efforts. “Woman, just lie there,” he quietly complained. In another hour, they finished, reclining in their own vapor.

  Angela purred, “Wow. That’s all I can say. Ben, you know how to treat a lady.”

  “I’ve had practice.”

  “I’m sure you have.”

  Until now, they avoided any conversation of the starship or their predicament. Now that the sex was over, the couple nervously lay there gazing up at the Termarian trees. Quietly, both contemplated the day’s events. Ben broke the ice, “Do you wanna walk onto that deck over there and take a look?”

  She didn’t say anything at first. Ben encouraged, “Come on. It looks safe.”

  “Alllll right. It’s not everyday one gets to be an astronaut.”

  Angela sat up. In many ways she had a boy’s body. Gingerly holding hands, the couple made their way to an observation terrace that was made for someone such as her majesty. The balcony itself was a technological marvel without wall or window. Only force fields kept the vacuum of space at bay. Ben walked to the edge. The great expanse of earth slowly moved below them. The planet’s luminous surface curved away in a soft fuzzy arc. Ben whistled and said with genuine awe in his voice, “Wow. There she is.”

  “Yeah. And, no walls or windows.”

  “Standing out here kinda gives me the creeps. Why aren’t we sucked into space?”

  “Some invisible shield perhaps? The view is remarkable,” Angela added with bright eyes.

  “I wonder what the other two are doing.”

  “Probably same as us.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Two guys after all.”

  “At least you admit to the frailties of your gender,” the girl giggled.

  “Angie, do you think we can go home soon? I’ll miss practice today. We have a big game tomorrow. Radcliff is not an easy-going person.”

  Jessica’s melodious voice interrupted their conversation. “Ben Smith, I took the liberty of informing Coach Michael Radcliff that you would be missing practice but attending the game on Sunday as the prince promised.” The computer was loud. Ben jumped at the abrupt stereo sound.

  “The prince,” he imitated. Ben looked round expecting her to appear.”

  Reading his thoughts, she added, “I rarely appear in a physical form.”

  “Thank you, Miss Jessica. You are very helpful.” Ben felt foolish speaking into the air.

  Angela added reassuringly, “Don’t worry about Radcliff. The newspapers don’t think much of your coach. He would be the world’s hugest asshole if he benched the two of you, especially after everyone witnessed the events from Indianapolis.”

  Big Ben smiled. “You Angela Munoza, you know your sports. Those pretty outfits of yours misrepresent true interests.” There was a twinge of pride in that voice. Angela turned. Smooth black hair framed dark eyes. He wanted to endlessly kiss and hold that face.

  Loudly, the grand door slid open. They could hear the roll of large wheels. Thereafter, bare feet shuffled across a polished floor. Prince Hadrian stood there in his Teramarian sarong. The slope of his shoulders showed the re
newed confidence of youth. A prince had returned. He smiled at the nude lovers standing in his conservatory.

  The athlete put up both hands communicating, “Whoa.” Ben said with irritation, “How about knocking first, your worship?”

  “Am I interrupting something,” Hadrian cheered.

  “A little privacy? Look at us? We’re standing here in the nude,” Big Ben grumbled!

  The prince good-naturedly retorted, “Sorry, Ben. I didn’t know you were such a prude. What is the big deal? You and I have showered at Shayne’s gym.”

  “For one, you’re gay now, Hadrian,” Ben snapped. His normally pleasant expression was definitely somewhere else. Even Angela felt her friend’s irritation like a magnetic field.

  “There’s no need to get nasty.” The prince wanted to be friends. “I understand your association with me will permanently change all your lives. I am sorry for that.”

  Ben moved into a grim look. “There’s been much to digest recently.” He gestured to the planet below.

  “At least, you are making the most of this experience,” countered Hadrian, also nodding at the terrace. The breathtaking view continued to roll. “I’m sorry to interrupt but I wanted to let you know that Jessica arranged for food. We were getting hungry.”

  “I am getting hungry too,” admitted the athlete.

  Angela said, “By the looks of this place, I suspect Jessica lays out a good table.” And then she whispered up to Big Ben, “I hope you can handle a woman with a nice caboose? I do enjoy a good meal.”

  “That an’t gonna be you, baby,” Ben whispered back in a cur’s voice.

  As the couple hastily tumbled under the other’s spell, quickly forgetting the prince, Hadrian had to clap his hands to dispel the trance. “Ok, my friends. Maybe a half an hour?”

  “Forty five,” said Angela with a tart glance? “Do you want to join us?”

  The prince was amused. “You’re incorrigible, woman. I’m sure an old pro like Ben has things well in hand.”

  “I do!” Ben gave him the ‘you-betta-split-look.’

  “Alright. If you need anything, give a shout. Watch how I do it.” The prince changed his stance and loudly addressed the grand surrounding. “Jessica, two soft robes for our guests.”

  A drawer automatically popped from the wall. “You’re robes are in that drawer.”

  “Ah ha.” Angela gave a mischievous grin. She mimicked the prince’s stance and voice, “Jessica, please transfer ten million U.S. dollars from Hadrian’s accounts into my checking account in New York.”

  “My lord,” asked the computer?

  “You’re a quick one, Angie. And a good imitation.”

  Turning to the computer, Hadrian said, “Jessica, let’s transfer a third of that for now although the U.S. government is trying to freeze all of your bank accounts. In retaliation, Jessica is freezing all of theirs including the president’s.” Hadrian laughed alone. The other two obviously didn’t seem to appreciate their complicity.

  “Come on now. Your government is trying to fuck with you? I’m protecting you guys.”

  Angela shook her head. “They’ll think we’re collaborators.”

  “You are? Aren’t you?”

  “Probably. I don’t know.”

  Changing the subject, the prince offered, “We were talking about food. If you need to wash, the bathroom is through the arch over there. Afterwards, Jessica will guide you to the dinning hall. I know the ship appears cavernous but there is an easy pattern once you get used to it. Shayne and I are hungry so don’t be too long.”

  Alone again, Ben returned to Angela with a deep kiss. This time, she eagerly pulled on him. Without a word, he scooped her up like a neat little bride and marched over to the living bed. Lacking a formal preamble, this second session was an urgent matter, with both of them clinging to this new future that might include the other. Each understood that the cyclone of change raged around, washing all before it, leaving a barren landscape that was fresh for new life to take hold.

  Afterwards, they required the mundane amenities of a hot shower. Once the couple had an opportunity to actually see the royal bathrooms, practical needs transformed into a lazy sojourn of Teramarian comforts. Jessica had thoughtfully laid out moisturizers and other miscellaneous sundries that the queen preferred. Angela didn’t ask questions but rather experimented with the various vials and tubes. Checking her work in the mirror, she said, “I could get used to this. Are you ready, Ben?”

  They followed a miniature hover to the dinning hall. When the couple arrived at the destination, the bird-like device stopped moving and turned another color signaling the journey’s completion. Shayne and Hadrian sat at the edge of the pool quietly talking. The scene was serene, except for the sloppy rhythm of the water.

  “Hadrian, this place is astounding. I can’t even tell we’re on a spaceship.” Angela gestured to the ever-present trees.

  “Our horticulture has a practical purpose. The gardens consume carbon dioxide producing breathable air for us. We’ve also found that lush foliage on ship soothes the human psyche on long journeys. My people have a tradition of bringing the natural world inside.”

  Ben loudly interrupted in his deep bass, “Angie’s right. This place is one miracle after another. I mean… How about your toilettes? The machine basically cleaned my ass with warm water and then dried it. Really felt good! I think it’s turned me gay.” He wore the saucy expression of the class troublemaker.

  Laughing, the prince added, “Likewise… when I first arrived on earth, I found wiping my own required some adjustment.”

  Shayne looked at the two men with utter disgust “Both of you are sickening! We’re about to eat!” He waved his hand in the direction of a well-laid buffet.

  Ben said, “Mmmmm. Smells good.”

  There was no need to say, “Dinner is served.” The four young people descended on the buffet like carrion beasts. Shayne sat at the end of the long table near the pool. The others joined him there. Other than the gratuitous sounds of people enjoying a meal, no one spoke.

  Angela finally commented, “This barbeque is wonderful. Is tonight’s dinner typical for what you normally eat on your home planet?” She spoke with food in her mouth. Ben grunted in agreement as he gnawed on a large piece that was dripping with a bloody gravy. The smell of charred meat wafted throughout the hall.

  Hadrian answered, “All of these foods are favorite dishes from my home world. We’re obviously carnivorous. The meat you’re eating comes from a large antelope we hunt. I would describe this creature as close to North American venison. Very succulent.”

  “What is the name of your planet again,” Angela quietly asked? Her dark eyes were bright with curiosity. She stopped chewing.

  “Teramar,” answered Shayne. “Hadrian has a few things to tell you two.” Shayne’s tone didn’t sound very bright, ignoring the lighter mood of the other two.

  Hadrian cleared his throat. He still carried a sincere guilt for lying all these months, although Ben and Angela’s faces didn’t seem to judge. “When we left Indianapolis, I gave you a truthful explanation of myself and my family. But I never got to finish the story. I guess I’ll just say it…”

  “Say it, Hadrian,” pushed Shayne.

  “All right.” He exhaled. “My mother’s people are sending a fleet of ships to earth. The purpose of this mission is to retrieve my person for a return trip to Teramar. My fear is that once they see earth and her natural resources, the Termarian military will leave a contingent behind to process the planet.”

  A halo-screen dropped. Hadrian pointed, “This is an image of the fleet that’s on an intercept course.” The earthlings collectively took a long breath at the alarming presentation. “Even if I left the planet to lure my people away, they would still send ships to investigate. The word about earth is out.” A nervous silence filled the hall.

  “Friends, I do have my own significant resources out here. Jessica has great ability. And with help from your leaders, we
can come out on the right side of this.”

  Hadrian took a sip of wine. He tried to collect his thoughts. These were his friends and he wanted to convince them to be on his side. Carefully, he finished, “Shortly, I am going to drop to earth to discuss my plans with your leaders. You three need to remain on the ship until I secure their cooperation. And yes, I’ll keep my promise to get you boys back in time for the game.” Hadrian drained his glass.

  Angela asked, “So we’re not going back to earth?”

  “This afternoon.” Hadrian was his old royal self, issuing orders.

  An obviously irritated Shayne took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to be left behind. “Hadrian, I am going with you. You’re not leaving me again.”

  The prince slowly shook his head. “You’ll be safer up here.”

  “One, the president is a big fan of basketball. I’ve actually met him. Two, I am your witness.”

  “I don’t know, Shayne. I’d rather keep you out of it.”

  Shayne slammed his hand down on the table rattling the dinnerware. A rebellious frown faced the prince. “I am coming with you. That’s it!”

  Of course, Ben wasn’t listening to any of the conversation, as he was too busy sucking the marrow out of the bone. “This is delicious. Um Jessica, what is for desert?”

  Lions At The Watering Hole

  A mushroom shaped tree covered a courtyard of polished stone. Perennially in bloom, the tree cast off a carpet of yellow petals, giving the fragrant air a sweet rotting smell. A cheerful waterspout inside an ancient fresco gurgled in the background – a very feminine setting for two Teramarian warriors in their prime.

  On the embattled home world of the true king’s people, Lord Alimar, liege to one of the great Uriah clans, reclined on a divan with his old friend, Prince Titus, the younger brother of the now imprisoned king of the Capets. After a hurried conference with what remained of the high command, efficient servants delivered cold beverages and lightly grilled fish. Although Lord Alimar was of the queen’s family, his quiet defection to the true king’s cause delivered devastating results on the Uriahan side. Alimar had an intimate knowledge of all plans and strategy. Softly inspired to save the empire from itself, Alimar couldn’t trust intermediaries to deliver his secrets. Rather, he personally conveyed them to Titus, often traveling in disguise as an old woman. If ever found out, the queen would have waved a jeweled hand to order the slaughter of his entire family - possibly with the exception of Sineas.