The Third Craft

by James Harris

  “Almost there. We must be careful. It could be a trap.”

  The group slowly emerged from a small opening and looked about. It was all clear.

  “We’re in a con tube, aren’t we?” Stell said. “You dug a tunnel out of the side of a con tube. I’m impressed.”

  “You’ll be more impressed in about two minutes,” Simon said, checking the time. “We must wait inside the tunnel or we’ll be crushed by a passing transporter.”

  A few minutes later, a transporter hissed to a halt directly in front of the crude makeshift passageway entrance. Its doors flew open. The four threw themselves inside.

  “Ready to go home, Sire?” Simon asked.

  “You have no idea.” The very word home elicited excitement throughout Stell’s wiry frame. He fought the nagging uncertainty of leaving this home with complete strangers. To change his mind now would mean certain death as he now knew their secret palace entrance.

  “We’re headed for the Narok spaceship terminal at ground level. We will need your help to acquire an escape vehicle.”

  Stell had the Gift, and Asunda had taught him well. Once in the terminal, he used his mental prowess to commandeer a short-range exploratory ship and escaped from the House of Narok. He returned home along with a handful of loyalists. Shortly after, he organized a small troop loyal to the crown and advanced on the palace of the House of Abishot and recaptured it with ease. Overnight, the returning prince had become a national hero. The Boy King was home at long last.

  The young prince’s rebellion stirred larger groups of Abishot loyalists into action. They seized a sizable portion of the idle Narok spaceship fleet. Docked at the North Pole, the ships had been used as domestic and galactic traders. Half were immediately converted into warships. The other half were launched into space to gather food and resources from nearby planets to feed and equip the growing Abishot military ranks.

  Following his glorious return to the palace, Stell listened willingly to a hastily reconvened council composed of several of the old guard Abishot. The young man was easily led by the more experienced military monarchy council. He was grateful to them because they had orchestrated his escape from Narok; he was in their debt. A number of corrupt old-guard governors were reinstated. Any remaining Narok civilians were banished to the South Pole, their possessions confiscated by the state. Abishot dissenters were imprisoned. Stell became the ruling monarch of the Abishot – or so it would seem.

  Before long, Stell’s mother returned triumphantly from exile. She had secretly been pulling the strings of the puppet government since the day she was banished. It took Stell’s return to serve as the catalyst for her official return to the palace.

  All who knew, or knew of, the queen mother recognized that she was the real power in the House of Abishot. She was an imposing figure of indeterminate age, statuesque, and as hardened-looking as her years were numerous. Her movements were slow and deliberate. Her smile was insincere. She seemed to be looking through you, as though you were transparent, whenever she engaged you in conversation. Of course the word conversation was a misnomer. She neither solicited nor respected the opinions of others. She used people only as a sounding board. A request from the queen mother was an order, and a frustrated, angry order from her usually meant death for anyone resisting her.

  It is worth noting that the queen mother’s life had been spared by the generosity of the King of the House of Narok. Usually the spouse of a defeated warlord is put to death upon the defeat of the clan’s monarch. However, despite having been spared, she felt only hatred toward the Narok.

  Her hatred wasn’t based on truth; it was based deeply in her subconscious, imprinted there since childhood. Her entire kingdom was a house built on hate. It had been that way for generations. Hate was the cement that galvanized her people and distracted them from their misery.

  There was a price to pay for the Abishot’s new-found freedom. After the initial fervor of Stell’s triumphant escape from the House of Narok and his taking back of the palace of the Abishot, things settled down. There was an economy to run and people to feed.

  In retaliation, the Narok cut off all trade. The Abishot remained resource-poor despite the successful raids on the Narok outposts. There was a chronic lack of food and water. Poor planning and resource deprivation had caused mass discontent among the Abishot population. As a nation, they were paying for focusing on fighting and destruction rather than building and growth. The repressive military government had diverted the people’s unrest by blaming the House of Narok for their economic ills. Secretly sanctioned raiders, under the queen mother, had sponsored cowardly surprise attacks against the Narok, and the Narok had reluctantly retaliated. The ill-equipped warriors of the House of Abishot were summarily crushed, time after time. But like rabid pit bulls, they kept coming at the Narok.

  Stell commissioned two old galactic fighter cruisers to be repaired, converted, and sent toward distant star systems in search of supplies. It would prove to be a futile effort. The round trip would take too long, and the people would perish before the ships could return.

  Stell, operating under the delusion that his voice counted in external affairs, engaged in a violent disagreement with his mother and her council over the fate of the Abishot people. Having lived amongst the Narok, he knew they had no appetite for fighting. On his own accord, Stell contacted the House of Narok and attempted to negotiate a trade deal. To his utter humiliation, the House of Narok was not the least bit interested in what the House of Abishot had to offer. The Abishot had nothing of any use to trade with. The Narok themselves barely had enough supplies to sustain their own people. Besides, the House of Narok had bigger problems: The End of Days was upon them all.

  The Abishot wizards had warned the council about the impending disaster of the sun going supernova and destroying Sargon. The leaders had foolishly decided to ignore their warnings and focus on increasing the frequency of their raids against the Narok. This hampered the Narok program to build galactic cruisers for evacuation. Precious time was wasted.

  Stell, at seventeen, had been gone from the Narok for two years. Life with the Abishot had not transpired as he had imagined. After the initial exhilaration and exaltation of his escape from the Narok, life returned to normal. Even worse, the population grumbled about Stell’s failure to improve their lives. He felt alone and totally alienated from his Narok family. After a while he also felt detached from his Abishot family. It seemed that no one had time for him. He was too young and inexperienced to lead the Abishot people. He had no friends, and it became clear that his mother and the council were humoring him. He was nothing more than a puppet prince. He turned a blind, impotent eye when rumors persisted of cowardly Abishot raids for food and water on unarmed outland colonies of the Narok. The Narok did not retaliate though, because that would only escalate the situation and drain precious resources. They were facing the threat of imminent extinction and were focused on evacuating the population, rather than resurrecting a past conflict with an old enemy.

  Then, a few days before the attacks on Able City, Stell was surprised to find out that the Narok had invited him to participate in their evacuation plans. He had accepted cautiously, knowing that his people’s resources were stretched to the limit. The council warned of a trap, but Stell knew that only a fool would ignore the obvious fact that the planet was in mortal danger. A meeting of the princes on the neutral moon Alpha, to formally discuss evacuation terms, was suggested and accepted.

  “Amonda, why is it that we have the resources to attack Narok cities, but none to evacuate this wretched planet?”

  Stell had joined Amonda in her room. He was already packed. They were preparing to leave for the summit on Alpha moon. Amonda was the palace wizard for the House of Abishot. She was also Stell’s only friend and steady companion. She took pity on the young man and made sure that he felt a sense of inclusion in the affairs of state. She was older than he was by a few years. She was of normal height, about four and a half fee
t, and normal proportions. Her large skull and piercing black eyes gave her the appearance of an extra intelligent being, which she was. She was skilled in the arts of wizardry. Amonda used her Gifts of the Song and telepathy to aid the council in their daily business of managing the people. She knew, because she could read the minds of the council, that they were conducting raids on defenseless Narok civilians. Amonda issued warnings and had battles with the senior councilors over these heinous acts. Only when the queen mother, a master wizard, interceded, did she back down, and reluctantly at that.

  Amonda glanced up at Stell as she shoved a few meager items into her satchel.

  “Stell, we had the resources at one time. But the constant warring ruined our technological infrastructure. That raid on Alpha City did nothing to empower us. I concur that we cannot spare the spacecraft or the resources to carry out these senseless attacks. This blind hatred will be our undoing.”

  “I did not authorize the attack on Alpha City.”

  “I know that, Stell.”

  “Then you must know who did.”

  “The raid was blamed on Abishot extremists.”

  “But that was just a cover, right?”

  “Yes, extremists could never operate without the tacit approval of the government,” Amonda said, watching Stell for his reaction. “It was approved, even encouraged, by the council led by the queen mother.”

  Stell sighed in frustration. “I know that she is my blood – but, Amonda, I hardly know the woman. The royal family of the House of Narok raised me. When I think of the word mother, I cannot relate it to my biological mother: I relate it to the Queen of Narok.”

  “Stell, don’t feel bad, it’s only natural to have these feelings. Give it time.”

  “How could time fix this?”

  Amonda spoke to him like a co-conspirator. “The queen usurps your power, Stell. She has her own private guards, a private army. She does as she wishes.”

  “I know. I know.”

  “Her random attacks are vicious and vengeful. Perhaps she hates the fact that you were no longer hers to raise and nurture. The Narok accomplished that task for her. Perhaps she wishes to punish the Narok for taking her boy and her husband from her all those years ago.”

  Stell studied Amonda carefully. “Perhaps. We will have to deal with the queen mother when we return from Alpha. These raids must stop. They only serve to provoke the House of Narok. Can I count on you?”

  “What do you mean exactly?”

  “Your loyalty. Can I count on your loyalty?”

  “If you mean for me to choose between you and her, please don’t ask such a thing. My choice would only dishearten you.”

  “But surely you don’t condone her actions.”

  “Of course not. These are criminal acts.”

  “Then why …?”

  “Because I am bound to the queen in ways that I cannot explain.”

  “Then I am truly alone.”

  CHAPTER24

  The king accompanied Kor and Asunda across the polished stone tarmac to the waiting white-gray shuttle.

  “What’s wrong with you, Kor? You seem so tired.”

  “Oh nothing. I didn’t sleep well.”

  “No wonder. Where were the two of you? We had reports of both of you leaving the city. Is this true?”

  “Why would we leave the city, Father, especially at a time like this?” Kor said, looking over at Asunda. “It must have been a faulty equipment reading.”

  “Yes. Most likely faulty readings due to the radiation fluctuation from the attack on …”

  “… Able City,” Kor said. His naked eyebrows rose as he stared hard at Asunda when he said “Able City.”

  “Yes. Able City, my King,” Asunda said, realizing that Kor must have followed him. Asunda and Kor locked eyes.

  There was an ancient illuminated sign that read SURFACE EXIT above a huge round tunnel hole in the rock wall. This was a biosphere con tube that originated near the palace and terminated at a docking station located in a deep cave on the planet surface. The surface station was a massive hangar carved out of solid rock that housed about sixty short-haul spaceships with room for double that. New long-haul galactic spaceships were scheduled to be built and added to the fleet in preparation for the departure to the new world.

  The king held out one arm and placed it on his son’s shoulder. “Be wary of Stell, my son. He is like a wounded animal, filled with anger and hurt.”

  “I will, Father.” Kor fidgeted. He was anxious to get on board.

  “Asunda, use your special talents and protect the prince.”

  “I will, Majesty.”

  They nodded respectfully to the king and walked hurriedly toward the light gray shuttle. Four palace guards, carefully selected, stood waiting at attention as they entered. All aboard took seats in preparation for departure. Kor nodded to the pilot and the ship lifted off.

  Kor and Asunda sat comfortably, watching the main screen. The ship shuddered slightly as it took off. The pilot activated a powerful radiation shield, and the ship became enveloped in a glowing green protective aura.

  “We must talk,” Asunda hissed over at Kor.

  “Yes, we must. But not now,” Kor replied, glancing at a palace guard nearby.

  Asunda nodded.

  The shuttle began its journey to the planet surface two thousand feet above. The connecting tunnel was designed so that it did not rise straight up to the surface. It rose at about a 20-degree angle. The shuttle sped through the tube and passed through the six-thousand-foot-long tunnel quickly. Although they had traveled a distance of six thousand feet, they rose only two thousand vertical feet to reach the surface terminal.

  The royal shuttle burst through the tunnel opening and stopped immediately after entering the terminal. The wailing of a warning siren heralded their arrival. There was light traffic milling about the large building. Spaceships were being manually maneuvered into rows to make up for the limited space. The air traffic controller cleared the royal shuttle to maneuver about the terminal. The shuttle edged up beside a larger, more graceful spaceship.

  The only visible marking was the royal seal of the House of Narok embedded within the exoskeleton of the ship. The intense heat of the planet’s surface and the sun would soon singe the skin of the ship.

  The group exited the shuttle. They raised their faces upward as they neared the ship. Their encoding was scanned and confirmed by the craft and the door flicked open for them. Kor always enjoyed the sterile scent of a spaceship. It was a fresh, clean pure oxygen aroma mixed with the smell of new plastic.

  The control tower was cut out of rock and encased in hardened glass about forty feet above the cavern. This allowed the ATC to observe firsthand the coming and going of spacecraft on the terminal floor. The shuttle pilot acknowledged his clearance and aligned himself with the exit doorway.

  An alarm sounded, and the area was enveloped in an extra radiation protective shield. Two massive doors slid open with a grinding groan, revealing the hellish scene outside on the planet surface.

  The ship maneuvered into position by the open doors and flew out into the spewing turmoil. The occupants were painfully buffeted about as the shuttle pitched and yawed. It gained altitude swiftly and began its escape from the clutches of the planet’s gravitational pull. The pilot activated an infrared-filtered reverse rear screen that penetrated the thick cloud layer, enabling the occupants to observe their boiling, dying planet fall away as they rose toward outer space. They broke through the stratosphere and the clouds thinned. Then the ionosphere. There were a series of orange cloud layers that circled the globe.

  But it was the sight of the sun that caused everyone to gasp.

  “It’s huge!”

  “The sun looks like it is right on top of the planet.”

  “Soon it will be.”

  “The End of Days.”

  The sun itself was dreadfully beautiful. Massive jutting tongues of yellow flaming gas undulated from the surface. The onc
e blinding white-yellow color had darkened, having cooled to a yellow-orange. It was a bloated angry orb buzzing with radiation. Intermittently, there were sharp bursts of Gamma and x-ray emissions exploding off the sun’s surface and soaring through space. Each time there was a burst, their ship would be buffeted by the solar winds. Particles of destroyed planets and moons and radioactive debris flew past the craft. Their protective shields were diminished after each onslaught. The radiation levels were staggering. Were it not for the green aura shields, the crew would have evaporated in the intense radiation and heat. The shuttle’s flight operating system would have been liquefied. Arcs of lightning circled the craft.

  Liquid hydrogen was pumped to the forward hull to help mitigate the onslaught of deadly radiation waves. The hull was aglow, but was intact and stable.

  The pilot spoke to Asunda, pointing to the control panel monitors. “Observe, Master Asunda. The sun now releases anti-matter. This will speed up the destruction of our solar system.”

  Asunda was already interpreting the flood of information flowing through his personal eye-screen. His body was wirelessly connected to the ship’s computer through the bio-implants under his skin next to his ear. His right eye was displaying data and his mind was offering scenarios and projections simultaneously. “Indeed, Master Pilot, indeed,” was all he said.

  Asunda knew that the pilot had already laid in the course for Alpha moon. “Alpha is still safe from the radiation and the anti-matter because it is on the far side of the planet. But the anti-matter annihilations within the sun’s core are troubling. They will no doubt lead to accelerated deterioration. We have even less time than was originally projected. I will make the king aware of this disturbing news. How long before Alpha?” He knew the answer before asking the question. It was a matter of protocol.

  “Six days, Master Asunda.”

  “Prince Kor and I will retire for now. If you need to talk to either of us, merely speak our names out loud. I will hear and respond immediately.” Turning to Kor, he said, “We have much to prepare, and there is little time. Shall we retire to our chambers?”