At the perimeter of the compound, a man (presumably a man) dressed in nothing but a long red cape, stopped and stared at the prisoners. He had enormous and well-developed muscles around his chest and shoulders, and his head was that of a lion, a magnificent animal known to be Earth-native. His eyes seemed to glow as he peered at the captives. He snorted and walked away as he had come.
Keeler and the others stared after him. “Nothing like that is an accident,” he said.
“What do you mean?”Alkema asked.
“Evolution does not randomly produce a creature with a lion’s head and a human body. Somebody made them. They were bred to form, fitness to purpose. These people have figured out how to produce four-armed people, dragon people, flying people with wings, and apparently lion-heads, but look at the rest of their technology? They can do genetic engineering, but the rest of their civilization is from the Dark Ages? That makes no sense.”
“Advanced genetic engineering existed in the Old Commonwealth. Maybe these people held onto it,” Alkema suggested
“But why do it?” Keeler demanded. “Why make humans with four arms, wings, funny heads … whatever.”
“Maybe it wasn’t genetic engineering,” Alkema suggested. “This Eden could have been a major inter-stellar port-of-call in the days of the Commonwealth. Maybe when the Commonwealth collapsed, a lot of alien species were trapped on Eden. Maybe their genotypes became cross-mixed with humans.”
Keeler brightened. “Now that is a highly intriguing suggestion, albeit a genetic long-shot. Still, a thousand years in a common environment might have caused genetic impacts we could not anticipate”
Alkema heard a small chime from the communicator built into his landing gear. “Time to check in with the ship.”
“Patch me through,” Keeler said. He stood, not knowing why, it simply seemed appropriate. “Landing Group Alpha, Keeler here.”
“Pegasus here. Lt. Navigator Change. Status Report, Captain.”
Keeler looked round. “We are on the surface, all well. We’ve been taken to one of the urban areas and are being held in a large reception hall. The local leadership is debating whether or not we should be allowed to keep living.”
There was a moment before Pegasus’s response. “Do you require evacuation, Landing Group Alpha?”
“Not just yet. I think we have the means to defend ourselves if necessary. How fast can you have more ships down here?”
“Aves standing by in hot-ready condition. Thirty-seconds to launch, another six minutes to reach your position at maximum safe speed.”
“Maintain status. How are the other landing parties doing?”
“Gamma Landing Party reports touchdown at designated coordinates. No contact with indigenous inhabitants. Scientific operations underway. Team Beta reports successful touchdown and contact.”
“That’s it.”
“No further reports.”
“I wonder if Commander Redfire is having fun, yet,” Keeler said.
Eden – The Farside
On the other side of the planet, Redfire, Ironhorse, and a few others from his party were being led by Winter through a gloom colder than death, in which the chill seemed to grow stronger each minute. Winter was explaining things to them. “The valley of Green Witch is protected by the mountains from outsiders. The mountains also shield us from the winds. It is possible to grow food here.”
“Crops?” Redfire said incredulously. He checked the temperature. It was minus 15 degrees.
“How can you grow crops when it drops below freezing every nine days?”
“Our plant life here is adapted to a short growth cycle. We use the hot springs in the caves to extend the cycle for some of the other crops.”
Human resourcefulness, Redfire thought. Boffo.
“The presence of humans has driven most of the carnivorous beasts into the wilderness beyond the mountains. It is a relatively safe inhabitation.”
Redfire had studied the topographical holomap in the cabin of Titus II. “The storms and the mountain passes would make it difficult to attack by land.”
“No Prefecture has enough forces to mount a land assault, and they have too many differences to assemble a coalition, if it should ever come to pass however, we keep a year’s worth of food for every person hidden in caves in the mountains. With enough warning, we could evacuate every soul.”
She seemed intelligent and well-spoken. Redfire did not think it was solely because of the Lingotron. “Do you have contact with other settlements on this side of the planet?”
“We maintain a force of guards to protect us from raiding parties, but they are fairly rare. Green Witch is the largest Sanctuary, but there are others… and unlike the Prefectures, we are not at hostilities with one another.”
“And all the people here are people who fled from the Prefectures on the Dayside?”
“That is correct.”
“Why did they come here?”
“Most of them were slaves,” she answered matter-of-factly.
Redfire was shocked. “Slaves? The people on the Dayside practice slavery?”
“Of course. Anyone who is not gifted is assigned to serve those who are.”
“What does it mean not to be gifted?”
“To be like you... unable to change your form, without any special ability. Why is this all so surprising to you, Tactical Cmdr. Redfire?”
Redfire was still unclear on the concept of being gifted, but he sensed that would require a longer discussion later. Instead, he answered her question. “Slavery has never been known on our worlds.”
“There are no slaves on your world?” She was as surprised as he was.
“I am willing to bet not one schoolchild in fifty even knows what the word means.”
“Every man his own master. It is hard to imagine.” She scowled. “So, who does the work on your world... the work no one wants to do.”
“We have machines to do most of it. For the rest... we have found that there is no job that someone will not perform for the appropriate compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“Wages... payment that can be exchanged for something else you want.” He sensed she was now thinking that economics would be as complicated to explain to her as the discussion of being “gifted” would be to him. He found himself looking forward to being able to discuss these things with her … alone.
“What if someone chooses not to work at all.”
“Then, they receive a minimum level of sustenance, nothing more, nothing less.”
“The same as our slaves are assured here.”
“I can not imagine why anyone would choose to live in slavery.”
“The slaves are assured, at least, of sufficient food, care for their persons, shelter. A hard-working slave is valuable property, and they are taken care of, at least until they are too old or sick to work. In the sanctuaries, there are no such assurances. All that you have, you provide for yourself.”
“For myself,” she concluded, “I believe that to die as a free being is better than to live as a slave.”
“I agree.”
“Not everyone does,” she told him. “For every 100 that reach our sanctuaries from the dayside, 60 will return within a year. Twenty will die.”
Redfire could not help but smile. “Fascinating how different our worlds are.”
“What is your world... was it called Sapphire?... what was Sapphire like?”
“The first human to see it called it ‘a beautiful blue jewel set in the black velvet of space.’
The sky is blue, as are the oceans. There are great cities…”
“Cities… like the citadels?”
“Larger. Our largest cities are called Corvallis and New Cleveland. More than a million people live in each of them.”
“What did you do on your world? Were you a warrior?”
“I was an artist.”
“An artisan?”
“Neg, an artist, I created ... I created things purely
to interest, entertain, and provoke the people that watched them.”
“You will have to explain that to me some time. How many worlds have you visited,”
Winter asked.
“Only one, besides yours. Our voyage has just begun.”
“What was it like?”
“It was called Meridian. Its skies were green, not gold like yours. And it smelled bad. The people all lived in giant cities. They were all slaves of …” how to describe it to a woman who knew almost nothing of technology. “… a powerful force that had come to their world from another one, cast a spell over them and made them destroy their own culture.”
“What did you do?”
“We used our ship’s weapons to destroy the evil force, and set them free.”
“You liberated an entire planet from slavery?”
“Or doomed them to extinction. We couldn’t wait behind to see what happened.”
“So, you are a warrior after all.”
Eventually, they reached a large structure. It looked as though a natural circular rock-formation had been supplemented with large rocks to fill in the gaps between the boulders. The roof was constructed from tree trunks, into which a combination of branches and animal pelts had been tightly inter-woven. The party was led through a flap of animal fur that served as the door. Winter led them in, protectively. A thousand eyes stared back at them from the fierce and grubby faces of the village’s inhabitants.
The light inside the large round hall came from torches, tiny flames encased in some kind of crystalline substance that intensified the light. It was still quite dark. Winter whispered to Redfire. “If they seem unduly angry, please remember, we usually sleep through the nights, it preserves our energy.”
There were some awkward seconds, before Winter explained. “Every newcomer is expected to explain himself.”
“What do I tell them?”
“Usually, you would state the name of your Prefecture, Scion, and Master, and also the tale of your escape.” She paused and thought. “Just tell them of your journey.”
Redfire stepped forward. The crowd was regarding him balefully. He saw a woman with two filthy children huddling beneath her wraps. “We are strangers here,” he began. “I am Commander Phil Redfire of the Pathfinder ship Pegasus.” He could see that it did not register with them. “Pegasus is a great ship, larger than your village, it flies among the stars. It is high in the sky over your world now. It brought all of us here from two distant worlds…”
The crowd set to murmuring, and to Redfire, it sounded like highly dubious. A short man stepped forward. “They can not possibly come from other worlds.”
“Thistle!” Winter hissed.
“I tell you,” the man continued, his nasal voice oozing super-confidence. “They can not come from other worlds because there are no other worlds.”
“Who do you suppose they are, then?”
Thistle twitched. “Agents of the Prefectures. Come to take us back to slavery.”
“Then, why haven’t they?”
“Why should they need to, if we invite them into the warmth of our homes and give ourselves up without any fight whatsoever?”
“We know nothing of these Scions,” Redfire interjected. “We have come because all of you belong to a great family of humanity, scattered across the stars. We are your brothers.”
“And brothers of the Scion also,” said Thistle.
“No,” said Winter fiercely. “They are not of the Hauptarchy. I will stand for them, for as long as they remain.”
The room grew silent. Redfire had a sudden sense that her offer to stand for them had made the difference between acceptance and rejection. He looked at Winter again. She held the respect of the whole village.
How much more was there to this woman? He was looking forward to finding out. Eden – Dayside – Citadel Altama
The Scion re-entered, trailed by a large Mardi Gras parade of courtesans and bodyguards in outrageous costumes and bodies, all of whom regarded their visitors with venomous stares. They took positions around the hall, forming a semi-circle around the landing party, focused on the Scion.
“I have chosen to over-rule my court of advisors, and not kill you outright,” the Scion said, his voice flowing with equanimity.
Keeler faced the Scion. Show no weakness. No gratitude. “I would suppose then that you had determined that we are too valuable to be destroyed. Perhaps, you had in mind some service to the Prefecture might be accommodated by our presence.”
“You speak ... strangely,” said the Scion, waving off the remark. Playing his cards close to his chest, Keeler thought.
The Scion went on. “My advisors tell me that, if you have indeed crossed the space between stars in order to arrive at our world, that such a journey must be both dangerous and costly. So, the question is, why would you undertake such an expedition?”
Keeler answered, “We are searching for Earth, the ancestral home of all humanity.”
“I have never heard of such a place.” One of the Scion’s council leaned over, whispered into his ear. The Scion nodded. “Perhaps, ‘Earth’ is another word for the Great Kingdom, whence the gods sprung. Do you know of the Great Kingdom?”
“That term is unknown to me.”
The Scion appeared to lose interest. “Why did you choose to land your ship on our most humble prefecture?”
“We chose it on the basis of its population, its position along obvious trade routes, the city…”
“So, it would be a strategic position to occupy in the name of conquest,” the Scion said, speaking with an easy tone. “We know why you have come to this world. You are not the first, although you are the first to come to this Prefecture.”
“In ancient times, we believe your world was visited frequently.”
“And in the present time as well.”
Keeler was stunned. “You mean other humans, people like us, still visit your world?”
“They have been coming,” the Scion answered. “This is the first time they have come to Altama Prefecture. Our spies tell us that in three of the Outward Prefectures, have been incidents with ... humans who claim to come from other worlds.”
We’re not alone, Keeler thought. Incredible, but not to the Scion Altama, who continued talking as though he had said nothing of significance.
“You came here to learn the secrets of our world, is that the truth?”
“Essentially,” Keeler said, hesitantly.
“You will not learn them here. You need to go north, to Chiban Prefecture.”
“Chiban Prefecture?”
“Chiban Prefecture, 900 wheels dawnward of here, is the dominant prefecture of this world. They control the harbor at the mouth of the River Akura. As such, they control all trade on the dawnward side of the continent. In the Citadel of Chiban Prefecture, there is an ancient temple dating from the days when gods came and gave life to this world, the temple of the Z’batsu. The history of our world is written on the walls of the temple, and your questions may be answered there.”
Alkema spoke up. “900 wheels, that would be ...”
“About three and a half days travel overland. You would not want to travel in your... skyships. And if your underling addresses me directly again, I will have his throat slit and his remains fed to the calves of my dragons.”
I wish I could deliver a threat like that, Keeler thought, as Alkema walked backwards quickly. “Why can’t we use our ships?”
“Scion Chiban is a very... suspicious man; as befits a ruler of his standing. He would interpret your arrival and your technology as a threat, and would be difficult to deal with. If you do not have land vehicles, we can provide them to you, as a boon, given in friendship, from Altama Prefecture.”
You are such a bad liar, Keeler thought. He could not quite yet read the Scion’s thoughts, but he knew the old man was lying, and that he furthermore intended them harm.
“You will travel here along the path of an ancient roadway. Centuries ago, or
so legend has it, it was paved with bricks of hardened gold. The paving stones are long gone, but you can still travel along the roadbed. Do not leave the path.”
“Do not leave the path,” Keeler found himself repeating involuntarily.
“You will not communicate with your ship.”
“Do not communicate with the ship. Why not?”
“You will not be allowed into the Prefecture if the Scion believes you are spies. You will also leave behind that man, that man, that man, and that woman as my guests, until you return.”
By chance or deliberation, the Scion had chosen all four of the Aves pilots. Before Keeler had a chance to ask why, the Scion shot out a final instruction and left with a sweep of his robes. “You will be led from the Citadel in immediately upon completion of your departure feast. Eat well, food is rare on the highway.”
Keeler’s landing party was led from the garden under the watchful eyes of guardsmen, and led into a banquet hall that adjoined it. Food had already been laid out for them, comprising primarily meats and bowls of various mashed fruits and vegetables. Eden – Citadel Altama – The Scion’s Chambers
The Scion did not eat with them, but instead retired to his chambers, which Keeler would have found disturbingly modest, accompanied only by the Lord Guardsman Hroth. He calmly issued instructions to his subordinate. “Any slaves who viewed the newcomers must be put to death,” the Scion decreed, without preamble.
“So shall it be,” the Lord Guardsman agreed, betraying only a fraction of his enthusiasm for the project.
“The men they left with us are to be killed also,” said the Scion, “but quietly, and without implication of responsibility.”
The Guardsman nodded. “The Court Assassins shall see to it.”
The Scion nodded sagely. “Kill the Travelers as well, but not here.”
“Right,” the Lord Guardsman understood. “Which Prefecture shall be blamed?”
The Scion looked at him in frustration. Perhaps, the reason this should have been obvious to him was why he was Scion. “Chiban, of course.”
Chapter Seven
Pegasus – The UnderDecks
The transport pod shot down the length of Pegasus, dropped ninety decks and, when it could go no further, swooshed to halt beside a boarding ramp. Trajan rose from his seat and adjusted his pack. The hatch slid back and up. Trajan said a standard prayer, made a circle over his heart with his right hand, and stepped out.
Worlds Apart 02 Edenworld Page 9
