Teramar: The Gathering Night

by Thomas Michael Murray

  Smelling victory, Metak unleashed fresh squads that overran the earth force. Without Jessica, the prince’s ships were far from formidable against this second wave. The earth armada started to visibly lose ground, bit by bit. In a flash of light, Hadrian’s hover pushed right as one of the drones exploded. Even his specialized cannons we’re losing power. The prince was at a loss for the next move. The destruction of Jessica was certainly a mortal wound. Victory was slipping through their fingers with no rabbits except for one reluctant card. Persuaded by the earth generals, Hadrian’s hover was outfitted with one of the United States’ doomsday weapons. On Teramar, the monarchy viewed these as dishonorable and had banned atomics many years ago. Victory by one bomb was unthinkable. Nothing was earned, and smashing atoms would permanently ruin the natural world.

  Earth’s people, however, did not entirely share this view. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the prince was going to deliver their measure. Hadrian had not forgotten the great sacrifice by Archibald Cox – “Archie, the friend who died so I wouldn’t.” Billions of lives were at stake – on earth and on Teramar. Determined, Hadrian waved off the remaining hovers and input the coordinates for a last run at the command vessel. “Tommy, return with the others.”

  Commander Bryd replied in a veteran’s hard voice, “I know what you’re going to do. I am coming with you. Your drones are done. Someone needs to clear the way. That bomb you carry has to be detonated at a close range.”

  The prince couldn’t push Tommy Byrd off, and there was a small comfort knowing he wasn’t alone during these final moments. The two drove directly at the flagship slamming their hovers into the hull like divers hitting deep water. Hadrian felt the cold vacuum of space rush into the cabin. Barely conscious, he knew his life was over. Shayne vaguely flashed through his mind like a television turning on and then just as quickly off. Broken, the prince had a finger on the ignition. “Goodbye mother,” he said.

  The bomb silently went off. Starships evaporated as the atoms collided. Radiation flew back to earth. The scene was finished.

  The Mountain

  A small bright object flew from space plummeting in a fireball to the Grand Tetons. The entity crashed in a thick wood near a small cattle ranch, just outside the enormous national park. The force of impact sent a shockwave across a cold landscape. A herd of long horns immediately took flight at the booming sound. Dogs barked and lights winked on in the homestead about a mile away. All of nature’s creatures witnessed a dark smoke rise from a hole in the forest.

  The hatch of the pod shushed open revealing a silken doorway with steamy air gushing forth. A white, bejeweled hand heartily gripped the doorframe in an effort to steady her stance. She couldn’t remember why she was here. The ride to earth was turbulent and the passenger had failed to strap herself into the vessel’s plush chairs. Not surprisingly, the capsule reeked with the contents of her stomach. A large bruise also started to spread across the right side of her face. Unsteadily, she raised herself into the cool alpine air. The evening sky was bright with stars. Her slipper crunched onto the melted snow and mud. Spring was late this year.

  “Cold,“ she muttered. She couldn’t recall what she was doing here. “By nature, I smell.”

  The woman was about to return inside and pour herself another round when she heard the crack of branches and whinny of a horse. “Come on Besse.” That was a man’s voice. Quickly, she lurched back into the womb-like interior.

  Jake Rittinger was sleeping in a warm bed when he heard the ominous thud of impact. Jake’s mother woke as well. Since his father passed, Jake quit community college to manage their small ranch. He had an uneasy sleep that night. Like most people on earth, Jake was well aware of the battle above. He knew this obvious crash had to be ominously related. “That sound was no airplane.” Nervous, he saddled the old mare and rode out to where a smoky steam billowed. Besse shied away from the site and he had to urge her with a strong kick. Thanks to a clear moon, the cowboy could easily find his way. Wearing an old hat and a long fleece coat, the wind bothered him only a little. He had a lean hard body from years of work. Young by seasons, his face was nonetheless delicately lined due to the dry air and bright mountain sun. Jake was close to the clearing now and he could smell the burnt wood.

  Timorously peering from the hatch, she heard the clomp-clomp of the hooves and saw the spotted animal flit through the pines. The old mare had to jump a fallen tree. The rider pulled up to the downed pod and dismounted. His young eyes were wide looking at the woman who cowered inside. The woman assessed this man as he dismounted. “He seems harmless enough.”

  The silken slipper cautiously edged outside the door again. Jake caught a whiff of the vapors emanating from the pod. “Smells like someone had a party in there,” he shouted at the door. The rough edges to a cowboy’s accent were softened by a nervous cadence.

  Unsteadily, a golden haired woman in a dirty white dress wobbled. She found it difficult to propel herself through the opening. “Hold your distance,” she slurred with a foreigner’s accent - putting up a shaky arm as warning. Taking another unbalanced step, the woman nervously tittered, first falling backward and then forward. Jake caught her before the ground did.

  Smiling up at this savior she revealed broken front teeth. What could have been a very pretty girl or woman (Jake wasn’t sure) stared back at him. “Man, you do smell,” he muttered.

  “I am not a man,” she said. Her face flashed in a moment of entitled anger that was interrupted by a delicate belch. Jake thought she was indeed very beautiful. The cowboy started to take in this female. As her natural lures took hold, a satisfied smile crept through her face. Appreciating the good fortune - not for being alive; rather, for always being desired - she leaned back against this stranger’s arm and let forth the deep-throated laugh of an older woman. Livia said to the young man with a wry look, “You can call me, ‘Majesty,’ dear.”

  Turbulence

  Prince Alexander’s rag tag fleet stretched in and out and then out and in as they made the inelegant step out of light speed. “Boom-Pow-Boom” cracked the hull as the ship strained through the transition. Bouncing into the current dimension, the crew jerked to the sound of sandy debris racing along the length of the ship. “What was that?” Heavy pieces of matter began to pelt the vessel. Outside the dome, the crew observed a sea of floating rubble.

  “Is earth surrounded by an asteroid field,” inquired Alexander? Following their many months on the road, the young crew was weary of space travel and eager to complete this mission. “Recovering the prince” was topmost on everyone’s mind.

  “My lord, I register intense levels of radiation.” The dome was humid with the smell of men. Everything was slippery to the touch. Condensation rolled down Alexander’s back.

  Bang. BANG. CRUNCH. “Ouch. That was big!”

  The helmsman reported, “These objects are not space rock, my lord. They appear to be man-made plasteel with traces of vaporized human matter.”

  “By nature’s way. What could have happened,” Alexander said aloud?

  “Did we miss the battle? Could they have mutually annihilated each other?” Atomics reared in his mind. Years ago, the major families outlawed those devices. There was no honor in using any of it. “Hadrian certainly would not detonate a radiation bomb so close to a planet with a captive population?”

  The rising heat inside the bridge grabbed at his attention. In an angry voice Alexander snapped, “Can we get a ship’s engineer to look at climate control? I prefer a warmer environment but the dome has become uninhabitable.”

  “Yes, my lord. They are working on the situation. We’ve had much to repair since we fled Remus.”

  “We didn’t fleeeee Remus,” snapped Prince Titus’s son.

  No one in the crew doubted what lay below the ship. Their current orientation to the stars matched mission coordinates. The ship’s astro compass appeared to be functioning properly. Outside was indeed earth. Alexander leaned forward and aske
d his men, “Does anyone see the Uriah fleet?”

  The helm responded, “No, my lord. There are no starships in this system. On earth’s surface, however, two small transport hovers idly sit on what earthlings call the North American Continent. They are Teramarian by design. Capet registration.”

  “Bunny, put me on the emergency channel for widest and farthest distribution. If someone is on the run, I want him or her to hear me.”

  “Aye aye, my lord.”

  The bridge’s speakers squawked going live. Everyone winced at the sharp sound. The prince shook his head at the disaster that was his flagship. “This hover is falling apart although it was a newly commissioned!”

  Alexander cleared his throat and spoke in the proud voice of the monarchy, “To all who can hear, this is Prince Alexander of Teramar. Please respond?”

  Although the beacon was set to run far and wide, silence answered their call but for the eerie hiss of more debris rubbing against the hull. Alexander repeated the query with authority, “If you can hear me please respond? This is Alexander, a Prince of Teramar. Answer if you can hear these words?” His voice was rich, loud and deep.

  A return signal quietly sounded on Alexander’s com. The prince transferred the image to a large halo-screen for all to see. There sat a telegenic, grey haired man, almost entirely wrapped in clothing. Alexander was suddenly conscious of his bare chest in the sweltering dome. “So much for a dignified first contact.” The man was his father’s age and like his father wore an air of solemn authority.

  “Greetings, Prince Alexander. I am the President of the United States of America, the head of state for one of the countries on earth. Welcome.” The president wore a friendly but serious expression.

  “Greetings to you too, sir. We are searching for his highness, Prince Hadrian of Teramar. He is my first cousin. Our fathers are brothers. We have reason to believe he is or was on earth.”

  “Sir, I wish I could welcome you with welcome news.”

  Alexander’s translator intermittently cut out. The image of the president flickered in the halo. “Earth leader, I can not understand. You have ‘welcome news’ you say?”

  The president repeated the statement, this time clearly enunciating with great diction, “No. I do not have welcome news. Repeat. Not welcome news. Everyone is dead. The Uriah Battle Group, Prince Hadrian – all dead. We believe your Queen Livia is also among the dead. Can your instruments read the radiation blowing back onto earth? Some of our people will get sick. Can you help us?”

  “Sir, we see the poison and my people are already deploying fresh shield nodes. We should be able to deflect most of the radiation. Repeat. Yes, we see the particles and will contain.”

  The halo-image appeared visibly relieved. “Thank you, Alexander. You will save many lives.”

  The report was shocking. “Hadrian and the queen are dead and her fleet smashed?” Alexander struggled to maintain the face of a confident leader. Forcing a calm voice, he said, “We are happy to save lives. As Prince Hadrian’s first cousin, I would appreciate a better understanding for the circumstances surrounding his death?”

  Although the Teramarian Bridge was dark, the president could clearly assess this Alexander on his own com in the White House. Hadrian outfitted all the earth governments with modern, Teramarian communications equipment. The president watched the young man struggle with the tragic news. Carefully, the leader of the free world chose his next words. “Recently, your Prince Hadrian presented himself to us and made clear the dangers of an approaching Uriah strike force. We took him at his word and chose sides – joining with him. Yesterday, the battle raged above our skies. The fight went poorly for us. Prince Hadrian made a final run on the Uriah command ship where he detonated an atomic weapon. The protective shields on both sides of the conflict were inoperable. Without shields, the bomb incinerated everything in its path.”

  Alexander shook his head in disbelief, “Where did Hadrian get an atomic weapon? Atomics were outlawed on our world a long time ago.”

  The president replied in the firm voice of an equal, “We gave him the bomb as a plan of last resort. Atomics are a deterrent to war on our planet.”

  “A highly dangerous strategy. Imagine if my ships did not arrive at this very moment to push the radiation away from earth. How many more would have died?”

  The president quietly answered, “And how many would have died if the queen’s armada was left standing?” Furious, disgusted, Alexander waved the screen off.

  The bridge bristled. A tense rage grew out of the men. “Prince Hadrian – dead! We are late! A terrible miscalculation.” Fully appreciating the horror of this news, the helmsman was the first to speak, “Sire, my condolences for the death of your cousin, our lord prince.” The words trailed to a voiceless whisper.

  Both men gazed at each other from their respective stations. The helmsman lowered his eyes accepting responsibility. The rest of the crew did the same. No one spoke. And yet, Alexander knew the truth. He should have abandoned the slower ships, letting them fend for themselves. The prince cleared his throat – choking back a sob. Assuming a brave face, he addressed his crew, “Thank you, men. You are all my cousins and brothers. Capet blood runs in most of us here. Yes, our prince may have died yesterday, but you and I are certainly not dead. And because of that, we will get just compensation for this outrage!” His voice turned into a howl of misery. They all roared their assent.

  He then carefully turned from man to man. An obvious sorrow hung in the heavy air. Pushing aside the grim emotion, Alexander’s voice grew louder, “Complete destruction of the Uriah clan will be our price. This is possible now.” There was a long pause. “The enemy has suffered, losing three of their largest ships and scores of hovers.”

  Another added, “Metak and the Uriah whore – dead!”

  “Hurrah,” went the cry!

  Alexander absently nodded his head trying to remain strong. “Hadrian dead.” The news was appalling. He never imagined the story would end this way. Alexander rubbed watery eyes. He didn’t want them to notice the tears.

  “Send word to my father. Catalog all of this – he waved to the scene of battle. I will review the message prior to your sending. And most importantly, the news must be shrouded in the tightest security. We don’t want the enemy to learn of these events before our own people.”

  Alexander then looked down upon the blue and green world below. A living planet was indeed a rare find. All the young military men had heard the rumors that the prince learned to favor earth. Alexander wanted - needed - to know more. “Did Hadrian make acquaintances there? He obviously gave our technology to these people.” Alexander suspected the planet somehow changed his cousin. “Bunny, can you locate the prince’s signature on the surface. I am sure he left equipment.”

  “Yes my lord, I am checking.” The console glittered and flashed twice. The main halo-screen then presented an aerial view of a long, narrow island. “Sire, I have found a concentration of his possessions in a place called New York City. I have exact coordinates.”

  Curiosity peered out of Alexander’s dark eye. “I know father will ask me the same questions. I need to see this earth for myself.”

  The room was a hush now. He scanned the bridge and saw eager young faces. “They all want to go.”

  “Only two on this first trip,” he forewarned. “We will respect the planet and their people. Prince Hadrian obviously thought well of them. We start slowly.”

  He turned to his headman, “Kolya, please have appropriate clothing prepared that blends with the native population. We will execute a night drop.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Alexander bounded out of his command station. Bunny, you’re with me.” The lanky helmsman rose to follow his lord commander. Another officer immediately took the latter’s place behind the consol.

  One of the men spoke, “But sir, with the death of Prince Hadrian, you are now the second male heir to the living throne. Is it appropriate that you make t
his first trip to the surface?” Alexander almost hit this man. Some quietly agreed with the sentiment.

  Ignoring the comment, Alexander issued final orders, “Please direct the fleet to move into a tight orbit. We will rest here before making the long journey home. Everyone will have a chance to sojourn on the surface.”

  Bunny asked, “What of their leader. That ‘president’ with whom you just spoke.”

  “Yes, I almost forgot. Please open a channel to this person.”

  The trill of the com rang upon connection.

  “Earth leader, this is Prince Alexander. Sir, we plan to make a quiet trip to the surface. I will contact you after we land.”

  The president replied, “Yes, Alexander. When and where will that be? We are eager to meet Prince Hadrian’s cousin. The prince was a good friend to the people of earth.”

  “The familiarity and insolence of this flabby foreigner.” Alexander forced patience upon himself. Then ever so slowly something that resembled Hadrian’s smile crept across the young face. The similarity between the two cousins could be quite obvious despite the difference in their physical appearance. Alexander then applied all the force of his voice into the com. “Sir, you will meet me soon enough. Patience for now.” If one closed his eyes, Alexander’s deep tenor sounded exactly like the dead prince.

  The United States President anxiously felt the power and charm of the young man run through his body. “God help us all,” he thought.

  From the desk of Thomas Michael Murray –

  Fellow Dreamer,

  I earnestly hope this tale of Teramar provided some diversion from life’s labors with a modest laugh, a fussy cringe or two, a quickened heartbeat or preferably all of those things occurring simultaneously. In today’s overrun world, a person’s free-time is truly a precious commodity so it is with great humility that I say thank you for your hours spent with me on Teramar.

  For the real New Yorkers, which I am not but pretend to be, and also the real musicians, please excuse some of the obvious inaccuracies in my book. I added balconies to notable New York buildings amongst a few other liberties. And for the musicians, Dorothy Delay left us in 2002 when advanced smart phones were not prevalent.