by James Harris
“Not in time. Our production capability is almost non-existent. We have focused on construction of large cargo capacity cruisers for the evacuees. What of the House of Abishot?”
“We have nothing to speak of,” Amonda said. “Our spaceships are damaged or inoperable. We wouldn’t make it past Sargon’s surface or the sun’s increased gravitational pull. Our production is shut down. The shields are at less than 30 percent. The outer cities have been evacuated because of the radiation. Many have died as the shields in the perimeter cities collapsed without notice. Now safe drinking water is scarce and our people face death by starvation.”
“We look to the House of Narok for charity,” Stell said through gritted teeth. “We can no longer help ourselves. Our people are rapidly dying.”
Asunda looked down at the table, momentarily unable to look at the others. “We can’t do much to help your situation.” He and the king had agreed that there was room for no more than five thousand from Abishot. These spots on the cruisers would be made available by denying five thousand from the House of Narok a place on board.
“What can you do? How many of our people are you willing to evacuate?” Stell asked.
“To evacuate your people, we must sacrifice the lives of our own.”
“We realize that. Please don’t make us beg.”
“First, we must ensure that the two of you first leave on the scout ships.”
“Understood. What numbers?”
“Kor will captain the lead ship,” Asunda said. “Stell will captain the second.”
“Agreed.”
“The third ship crewed entirely from the House of Narok.”
“We will not quibble.”
Stell spoke up. “Kor, how many of my House are you willing to evacuate?”
“Kor! What say you? How many?”
“Ten thousand. We will take ten thousand of the people of the House of Abishot,” Kor said.
Asunda groaned inwardly.
“Ten thousand!” Stell screamed. Amonda grabbed his arm to hold him back. He shook her off.
“Ten thousand, and how many of your own will you evacuate?”
Kor met Stell’s furious stare but could not look him in the eye for long. He sat in stony silence.
“Let me guess, shall I? One million or maybe two million?”
Kor shook his head. “No, not that many.”
“Then how many more? Your refusal to answer tells me that I am close.”
“You are not close!”
“You lie! This is genocide. You’re a criminal!” Stell said.
“Not even one million!” Kor spat at Stell. “We can save perhaps five hundred thousand from our House. And I am no criminal. Maybe you should try to get off the planet by yourself. In your spaceships that don’t fly anymore.”
The youths sprang to their feet glaring at each other.
“You Narok war criminals destroyed our fleet. That’s why we have no ships!”
“Liar! You Abishot terrorists attacked us without provocation. We merely defended ourselves.”
“You starve us into submission, but we fight back. We don’t bend to your will.”
“Bend, no. You don’t bend. You murder and call it war. It’s only war if you declare it first. If you attack our civilian cities like cowards, it’s called terrorism.”
“It has always been war, Kor.”
“Maybe so. But you Abishot were so bad at it, we forgot and took peace for granted … especially after a treaty was signed.”
“There was a time of peace while I was being held captive. We were biding our time until I could escape.”
“Escape!” Kor sputtered. “Escape from what? No one ever stopped you from leaving. You’re such a gullible fool.”
“Spoken like the son of a murderer!”
Shields burst open and flared around the two youths. Sparks of energy flew from their fingers sending scorch marks along the table.
“Enough!” Asunda yelled. “You are Princes of the Realm, both of you. Kindly remember who and where you are.”
There was a pause as both councilors sternly advised their princes to mind their tongues. Stell went silent as he stared ahead listening to Amonda on his Bio-Com. Kor listened as Asunda admonished him for disclosing classified state information so recklessly. It was now public knowledge, if Stell wanted it to be. There would be rioting back home if this news ever reached the general public, in either House.
Amonda spoke first. “His Highness wishes to express his deep regret for his unseemly outburst.”
Stell bit his lip and stiffened.
“Prince Kor also realizes he misspoke,” Asunda said. “Perhaps the undue stress of the situation caused both Majesties to lose their heads. The offer to evacuate as many as ten thousand stands as a commitment. If we are able, we will evacuate more.”
“We are not insensitive to the difficult situation His Highness Kor finds himself in. It is only that we had hoped to save more of our House.”
“Join me for a moment, will you, Amonda.”
Asunda went off-line and covertly communicated directly with Amonda. Neither royal was privy to that communication. It lasted only a moment, but for those with The Gift it was plenty of time to understand completely the entire situation. Both councilors, having The Gift, empathized with the other’s situation.
“On behalf of the House of Abishot, we express our gratitude for the prince’s generous offer,” Amonda said. “All conversation has been classified and the record will be sealed before we depart.” She nodded to Asunda. There would be no public disclosure, no riots back home.
“Our House, in turn, welcomes you to share our good fortune and our ships. If His Majesty, Prince Stell, wishes, he may accompany us back to Sargon as the departure of the scout ships is imminent.”
Stell conferred silently with Amonda. “I will join your ship for the return journey to Sargon.”
Kor rose from the table, then everyone else, their right hands crossed over their chests. Stell maintained a steely silence as he walked to the main entrance. They stood for a moment at the entranceway of the trawler. Stell looked forlorn and somehow lost. He turned and looked at Amonda one last time.
“See you in the next life, Master Amonda.” His voice wavered.
Amonda nodded solemnly. “Another Sargon awaits us all. Good fortune to both Houses.” She stepped forward with a sliver of a smile and wrapped her spindly arms around Stell. He stood stiffly. It was like hugging a tree. She whispered in his ear. “Do your duty. That’s all any of us can expect.” She released him and began to walk away. Her back was to him. “And learn to control that temper of yours.”
Amonda and a guard departed toward their waiting spacecraft. The rest of the group headed to the royal shuttle to begin the return trip to Sargon. Stell followed behind a palace guard. He looked straight ahead, never glancing from side to side. Behind him was another guard. He looked like a prisoner on his way to the gallows. At the rear of the column was Asunda.
He turned and glanced over at Amonda. She turned back and smiled grimly, shaking her head. Asunda shrugged his shoulders and saluted her. She waved goodbye.
CHAPTER27
After the meeting on Alpha mo
on, Amonda returned to the North Pole without Stell. Stell was to command the scout ship Alpha II and, while he awaited transitioning into the crypt-orb for the space flight, he would remain a guest of the Narok. Stell and Kor wouldn’t share a room this time.
With Stell gone, the Queen Mother of Abishot was now clearly the monarch in charge. There was no longer any pretense of deferring to her son.
Amonda was granted a meeting with the queen mother in order to debrief her after the Alpha summit. Amonda knew it was Stell’s wish that his mother be kept on a short leash. Amonda admonished Stell for his naivety and apparent inability to see that the queen mother could not be controlled, but she agreed to visit her nonetheless.
The royal Narok cruiser finalized its approach from Alpha to the ground-level terminal. The return trip had been even rockier than the launch twelve days prior. Solar turbulence meant that conditions were now dangerously unstable.
The control tower signaled the incoming craft, approving a landing. The giant terminal doors screeched open along their cinder-encrusted track. All eyes were focused on the magnificent royal ship, which was all aglow like a hot ember. It swooped through the fiery sky and hissed as it touched down, blowing swarms of smoldering ash about the terminal floor. The huge terminal doors ground shut behind the craft, and the area was quickly re-pressurized and radiation-cloaked.
Normally silent, the protective shield hummed loudly as it fought off a relentless bombardment of solar radiation. The terminal was filled with the acrid smell of burnt clay and smoldering plastic. The ship slowly maneuvered beside the shuttle they had parked twelve days ago. The hull crackled and popped as it cooled. The crew waited several minutes before exiting and boarding the palace shuttle. The shuttle slipped into the tunnel that led down to the palace level two thousand feet below.
Down below, the shuttle ground to a stop on the narrow Narok palace terminus. The maintenance crews watched intently as the royal entourage deplaned. Ordinary folk were always awed by the presence of a member of the ruling family. They recognized Kor and were pleased to be so close to him. He was popular among the people.
Today he looked grim. He followed his two armed palace guards as they left the craft. Behind him walked a sullen Stell. They hadn’t spoken a word during the six-day return trip. Behind him was Asunda, who kept a watchful eye on him. Crews were whispering and pointing at Stell.
Kor and his entourage entered the palace through a massive guarded doorway. He immediately left the group and headed toward his quarters to prepare for the journey. His CPDs fell in line behind him.
Stell was assigned private quarters close by, under house guard. He wouldn’t be allowed to move about freely.
Kor was flanked by a pair of palace guards and two more CPDs trailed behind as he walked back to his quarters. As he gathered his thoughts, he recalled a conversation he’d had with Asunda on the return trip to Sargon.
“Kor, Stell’s behavior worries me,” Asunda had said. “He’s more belligerent than normal. He was always headstrong and had a quick temper, but he’s noticeably more caustic toward you.”
“Yes, I felt that, too. I thought that by now he would have recognized me as an innocent player in all this war business between the two houses.”
“I think there’s more to it than that. I’ve been watching him and there are moments when he almost seems deranged. This behavior isn’t characteristic. I suspect that he has fallen under the spell of some very persuasive people. It’s possible that he’s been mesmerized under some power of suggestion that’s controlling his emotions. His hatred of the Narok is absurd given his intimate knowledge of us. Someone may be compelling him to act irrationally.”
“Maybe that’s it, Asunda. I can’t get through to him, and frankly I’ve stopped trying. Who the hell does he think he is, anyway? I’m the prince. Someday I’ll be the ruler. I don’t grovel to anyone.”
“I remember when you were like blood brothers – almost inseparable. Such a pity.”
“He had a home with us, but he left and went to the North Pole, back to Abishot. He made the choice to leave. He ran away.”
“No doubt Stell felt he was returning to his own people, his own kind.”
“He had a place here with us as my adopted brother. He was a prince.”
“He still is a prince. He’s his own man. I suspect that he would rather rule in Abishot, than serve the ruler he suspects killed his father. It’s a compelling argument.”
“My father never killed his father. His father died in battle. He spared Stell’s life and the life of the powerful queen mother. God knows why he spared that ghastly creature. Stell owes us his life.”
“You make him sound like a slave. No. He owes the House of Narok nothing. We conquered his homeland and decimated his fellow countrymen. Your father showed him pity; yes, that is true. But the king was also wise to spare his life. By taking him hostage, as it were, the king ensured that the populace would not rise up against us as overseers of the conquered House.”
“I don’t like the word ‘hostage.’ He was free to go at any time.”
“Was he? Neither of you boys knew the history of how he came to be your brother. It was hidden from both of you. Once Stell learned the truth, or perhaps a twisted version of the truth, his world was shattered.”
“Do you think he really believes I knew all along? Do you think he believes that I somehow conspired with my father? I was a kid like him, how could have I betrayed him?”
“It’s probable that’s what he was told. Whoever taught him his history was no friend of the Narok, that’s for sure. It’s not unreasonable to assume that they would paint the entire House in an unfavorable light – and you in particular, because you cannot defend yourself.”
“But I tried to tell him I didn’t know anything. How could I? I was just as shocked as he was. I was a kid when the fighting broke out. No one consulted me about anything.”
“You and I both know that. Perhaps even Stell knows that, deep down. But for now he has a hatred for you that’s burning a hole in his heart and I worry that it’s affecting his mental stability.”
For Kor, the preparations for the monumental trip ahead had more to do with getting mentally primed for transition into the crypt-orb than anything else. He wasn’t kidding himself, he would be coming as close to dying as one gets. He would be digitally encrypted within a crypt-orb. What did that mean exactly? Would they transition all of him? All his parts that made him who he was? Who really knew? Would he automatically join with his Being or would it be like some forced marriage? Would he regain consciousness? Would he still be himself when he awoke in some stranger’s body?
He wondered if it was even possible to digitalize everything about himself. As if to say that digitalized was the same as trivialized. Are humans so non-complex?
He paced around his room one final time. He was a young man, but his immaturity lingered like a curious child hiding behind a window drape, peeking out at the world of grownups, not liking what it sees, and retreating back into the shadows. The solidarity and camaraderie that he and Stell shared as brothers had evaporated leaving a gaping hole. Although he was loath to admit it, he truly missed Stell. He missed the strength he had gained from Stell’s company. The insane and wild camaraderie. Stell could be erratic and spontaneous, but he was always honest. There was an unpleasant loneliness lurking within Kor as if he had forgotten something. A piece of him was missing.
His room had his familiar and not unpleasant odor. His mild scent was on his clothing and bed linens and pillows. Like most creatures, humans feel comfortable with familiar surroundings and aromas.
The room had modular walls that would change color on command. Kor found comfort in being able to change the color scheme of the room whenever he wanted, depending on his mood. If he felt like the need for soothing blue walls, he told the walls to change to blue and they did. A multitude of blues would begin to fade in and out. He would choose a tint that matched his mood and the walls would rema
in that color until he felt otherwise.
He ambled over to his trophy wall to say goodbye to the important treasures of his young adulthood. His hands ran along the illuminated shelves that were embedded into the porcelain-like wall. They were subtly backlit to highlight his meager memorabilia and old childhood toys. He spotted a 3-D photo album on the shelf. It was out of position. That was odd.
Kor reached out to adjust it. The four-by-six-inch screen was lit and on the screen was a 3-D video image of Stell and him playing together as children. The short video clip repeated itself over and over. At first he was mesmerized and saddened. And then he froze as he stared at the figures. He hadn’t left that image on display. He hadn’t left the machine turned on, either. He passed his finger over the screen to display the next picture. It was another old picture of Stell and him together as youngsters. He skipped through the next few frames. More and more pictures appeared of the boys together. Kor raised his hand like a traffic cop and the album closed. All the pictures were of Stell and him. He thought: that’s weird.
Someone had tampered with his album. It had to be someone who had access to his room. But his room was supposedly secure. It was the prince’s room, after all. The only people who came and went on a regular basis were the servants.
This idea that someone had toyed with his album was disturbing. It was an invasion of his privacy. Kor was alarmed, but didn’t feel that the incident justified calling his palace guards.
He would feel silly having to sound an alarm over such a minor incident. It could be nothing more than an object being moved during a routine dusting and cleaning. This should be something that he could handle on his own. But, as a precaution, he decided to play back his security monitor. He might get lucky and discover who had tampered with his album. Knowing who did it might give him a clue as to why they did it. On the other hand, it might disclose even other breaches of his privacy.
He thought a command and a brightly colored holographic menu appeared, wavering slightly, in front of him. He reached out and touched the images and symbols before him, selecting a visual history of the security of his room for the past twelve days. The monitor displayed images – flickering past at high speed – of various servants performing regular duties. Suddenly the holograph faltered for an instant, too quick for most human eyes to notice. But Kor was no ordinary human.
