Polaris

by Beth Bowland

  Nakal’s arm brushed against a table lamp, causing it to crash to the highly polished wood floor. The sound was thunderous, and he quickly looked out the window to see if anyone heard it. Then he knelt down and picked up one of the pieces.

  He felt a flash of heat course through his body, and instead of cleaning up the mess, he picked up another lamp and threw it against the wall, laughing as it shattered into pieces. He inhaled deeply and smiled. A euphoric feeling overcame him. He grabbed another lamp and threw it, kicked over the end table, and yanked several of the art pieces from the wall and punched holes through them with his fist before throwing them across the room.

  His rampage continued in the kitchen. He ransacked the cabinets and broke every piece of the imported china as quickly as his hands could get the next item. He swirled around and danced throughout the house, demolishing everything in his path.

  “Take that!” Nakal yelled at the portrait of the Gatekeeper that hung in the study. He reached up and pulled the massive oil painting down with both hands. It hit the ground with a thud. He stomped on it until it had a gouged opening the size of his feet. “You’ve been demoted!”

  He took his arms and swept everything from the Gatekeeper’s desk onto the floor. He pulled out each drawer, dumping the contents onto the floor. He stopped when he noticed a small, inscribed metal box. His breath came in short pants; sweat covered his face and dripped down his neck. He opened the box and found a library pod access card.

  Nakal smiled. “Jackpot.”

  Chapter 14

  Aaron, too stunned to move, stared at the floor of the glass room. Brilliant sparkling diamonds covered the ground so heavily it looked as if it were blanketed in snow. Aaron’s glare went from the diamonds that littered the floor of the glass room, to the human specimens that were crying, to Mr. Kessler, Zion, and D1, and then back to the diamonds.

  Aaron’s face dropped, his breathing was labored. “What is this?” Aaron cried out, glaring at Zion. “Why do you have these people locked up in your attic?”

  “Au contraire,” Zion held up her hands. “This is not our attic, but Mr. Kessler’s.”

  Aaron shook his head. “No. I got here through your house.”

  D1 chuckled. “Afraid so, mate. Somehow you crossed over to his area. We are here to find out what he’s been up to and stop him.” D1’s eyes twinkled as amber electrical sparks emitted from his pupils.

  “You lie!” Aaron shouted as he stumbled backwards. “Your eyes are telling me you are with the other team.”

  Mr. Kessler took a few steps toward Aaron. “Remember what I told you,” he said, his eyes still amber.

  Aaron backed farther away from him.

  “Aaron,” Zion pleaded, “we’re on your side.”

  “But your eyes are like Nakal’s.” Aaron shuffled around a large table, using it as a fence between them. “You can’t be on my side.”

  “Who told you that?” Zion demanded.

  Aaron turned his gaze toward Mr. Kessler.

  “I told you no such thing,” Mr. Kessler said.

  Zion smiled at Aaron and slowly walked toward him. Placing her hand on to his shoulder, she gave it a gentle squeeze. “Remember what we told you about him. He is not to be trusted. Our eyes have nothing to do with it,” she said. She gazed into his eyes as hers turned amber.

  Mr. Kessler grumbled loudly. He slammed his hand against the glass wall. “Those,” he pointed toward the people behind the glass, “are the oddlings they get for their so-called help. Look at them, Aaron! Notice all the diamond accessories your hosts have about them. During their experiments, they found out that human tears mixed with this atmosphere form diamonds.”

  “No.” D1 walked past Mr. Kessler, giving him a shove, and stood in front of Aaron. “As I said, you somehow crossed over to another place while climbing the stairs. This is Mr. Kessler’s attic. We discovered what he was up to and came to confront him about it. He works for a private sector of your government.”

  “What?” Aaron said.

  D1 continued. “He collects the diamonds for them, and they turn around and sell them to your fellow earthlings. Diamonds are not created on your planet as you’ve been taught. They’re created naturally here and cover the cavern walls like dust. They’re plentiful to us and they are placed deep within the Earth’s surface by members of the Fleet from the planet Venus, and you earthlings mine for them.

  Zion walked over and stood next to D1. “Diamonds are our gift to Earth. Your government has several trade treaties with other planets. However, the diamonds from our caverns are small and Mr. Kessler is correct, we did discover that human tears mixed in our atmosphere will also create diamonds, but they are much larger and this is why Mr. Kessler brings the humans here. It is for his benefit and gain.”

  “That is not true!” Mr. Kessler objected.

  Aaron inhaled sharply and held it before releasing the air. His mind reeled, his thoughts were hazy. “None of this makes sense.”

  Zion nodded. “Yes. It’s hard to believe, but this sort of thing has been going on for thousands of years. Currently, NASA is our main contact.”

  Aaron turned his attention to Mr. Kessler. “You kidnapped those people? Who are they, other people that you’ve talked into playing this stupid game?”

  “I … I was a victim of this game,” Mr. Kessler grumbled. “I would never put another human through this.”

  “But you did it to me!” Aaron screamed at Mr. Kessler. “You wanted me to trade places with you.”

  Mr. Kessler shook his head. “No, you misunderstood. I only wanted you to trade places with me because I didn’t want you to be part of this madness. They … ” he pointed at Zion and D1, “they basically kidnap people from time to time, bring them here to produce the diamonds, and then return them to Earth. You know as well as I do that no one believes people when they tell their alien abduction stories. We say they’re crazy.”

  Aaron nervously paced. “I can’t take this. I can’t take this anymore.”

  “Aaron,” Zion’s words flowed from her mouth as if she were soothing a newborn. “This is not something you need to worry about. You need to finish the game.”

  “Yes, you need to leave,” D1 said. “Zimmare sent word that Nakal is waiting to be summoned to an illegal meeting with Sirius. And if what we sense is true, they may be planning some sort of cheating tactic against you. He also left word that your next clue is near your home.”

  Aaron moved toward the entrance to leave, but stopped when he noticed a small replica of a building his father had told him about.

  “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Zion said. “It was one of my greatest designs I had built on Earth as a gift for your people. But now I’m afraid you only know it as the Palenque Mayan ruins.”

  Aaron shot a look at Zion. “You designed that and had it built?”

  “Oh, she and her brothers are very talented and have created several of your ancient landmarks,” D1 added. “Shameful, you all didn’t follow the upkeep instructions she engraved on the walls.”

  “Why do you say this is in Mr. Kessler’s attic if it’s yours?” Aaron asked accusingly.

  “Well,” Zion stumbled on her words, “he must have taken it.”

  Aaron threw up his hands and once again headed for the door.

  “Aaron,” Mr. Kessler shouted at him.

  Aaron stopped. His shoulders tensed up, and his teeth clenched. “What?”

  “I would not lead you wrong. We are from the same place. Do not trust these people. D1 is leading you to a setup. Head to the library,” Mr. Kessler pleaded.

  Aaron’s mind raced as he ran out and down the stairs. He looked at the doorway and saw it had changed. It was different than before. He remembered now. Had he really crossed into another dimension and entered Mr. Kessler’s house? He thought back to the paper mill when Mr. Kessler had not assisted him when those creatures attacked.

  Aaron continued down the rest o
f the stairs, through Zion’s house, out the portal on the wall, and stopped on the ramp of the municipal building. He laid his head back against the brick wall, closed his eyes, and listened.

  Nothing. That is, nothing out of the ordinary. Aaron knew his life could possibly change forever, based on his next move, and no one cared. He opened his eyes and watched the people of Bixie scurry about their day. If he lost the game, would his parents even realize Nakal was not their real son? Or would he really become part of the nothingness?

  Chapter 15

  Nakal continued to think back to that day, in his mind he was back inside the volcano tunnel. Breathing heavily, he leaned against the cavern wall. He reached for his backpack, opened the zippered compartment, and placed the fragrance and the access card inside. He pulled the bag close to his chest, closed his eyes, and thought about what he’d done.

  Nakal smiled to himself. “Wait until they get home and find that mess.”

  He stayed at the tunnel’s entrance for several minutes before deciding to head back home. He knew he’d waited too long to make it up through the tunnel, up to the surface, and back. After his home invasion he knew his rite of passage was over. He’d have to go home and face the consequences, which would probably be some menial tasks to complete so he would learn his lesson. But he wanted to visit the library pod one last time before his punishment

  As Nakal made his way back to the library, he looked in the direction of his home. His parents would be starting their evening routine: dinner, light cleaning, reading, and then bed. His father would surely tell his mother how proud he was and how today Nakal would become a man. His father would even reminisce about his own rite of passage, and then they would share a laugh. Nakal loved to hear his parents talking and how they shared everything with each other. It was at that moment the reality of his offense hit him like a ton of bricks.

  “What was I thinking?” His shoulders slumped, and a sound as if he’d been punched in the stomach rolled from his mouth. “The council members will not only punish me, but my parents as well.” He repeatedly kicked a large boulder, pummeling it with his foot as tears streamed down his face. “I’m so stupid!”

  He wasn’t concerned about his punishment by the council members; he was too stubborn to be broken by them. However, he hadn’t considered what they would do to his parents. He walked along the darkened streets alone. It was past curfew, and everyone would be in his or her bunk by now.

  The library was the most prestigious building in the area where the commoners lived. It was a gift from the council members. Something for the not-so-privileged to enjoy and have a taste of the finer things in life. Built entirely from white marble stone that was imported from Earth, it stood out against the gray clay homes in the background.

  While on a mission to Earth, the fleet discovered a beautiful tree called mahogany and said the earthlings made furnishings from it. They brought several tons back with them and created the furnishings that filled the library. It was a majestic place. It was Nakal’s oasis in the desert, and he wanted to visit it one last time.

  Inside the library, Nakal admired its beauty as he made his way to the pods. He removed the access card and inserted it into the pod. The door slid open, and he stepped inside, taking a deep breath as he made himself comfortable in the seat, after placing the card back inside his backpack. When the door closed, it illuminated and a voice said, “Welcome, Gatekeeper. Where would you like to go today?”

  Nakal sat up straight, and his pulse increased as panic ran through his body. He fidgeted, unsure if he should speak. He swallowed and chewed his bottom lip.

  “Take me to the last place I visited,” Nakal answered.

  The pod darkened, and then an image of Earth showed in the distance. The screen flickered, and an image of North America appeared. Fast forward again, the screen filled with an image of the United States, then the northwestern quadrant, and finally it zoomed in on one section of that quadrant.

  “Moving into Montana,” the voice said. The image zoomed in more. “You have arrived at your last location, Bixie, Montana.”

  “Could you remind me why I studied this place? It’s been a long day,” Nakal asked.

  The voice responded. “You were researching family life on Earth.”

  Nakal leaned back in the chair and allowed his mind to navigate through the town. He watched as families sat in parks with picnic baskets, having lunch. Parents were pushing their kids on swings, laughing, playing, and hugging one another—it was a beautiful, peaceful place.

  Just as he started to ask his next question, the pod went black and the door slid open. The red lights inside the library flashed, and the sirens blared, signaling something was wrong. Upon hearing the alarm, all families must calmly and expeditiously leave their homes or places of employment and proceed to the Circle.

  The Circle was the meeting place where major announcements were made, lawbreakers were punished, and new laws were announced.

  Nakal climbed out of the pod and ran behind a pillar that had a view of the Circle. He watched as families gathered, looks of concern on their faces. He scanned the crowd, trying to find his parents. They were probably concerned that something may have happened to him during his rite of passage. Those types of things were usually privately said to the families, but since the council members disliked Nakal’s father, he knew they would have no problem making a public spectacle of him.

  He spotted his parents near the edge of the circle, their arms embracing one another. They were one of the last families to show up. Nakal’s father stood tall and proud, his jaw locked in place. He looked down at his wife and gave her a reassuring nod that all would be okay.

  The flashing red lights stopped as floodlights filled the stage. The twelve council members of the Legend walked out in single file, led by the Gatekeeper. All eyes turned toward him. Nakal eased out the front entrance and hid behind a large boulder. His heart pounded in his ears.

  Nakal watched as the Gatekeeper scanned the crowed, his gaze stopping on someone in the back before he spoke. “I am sorry to have to disturb you at this hour, but due to the severity of the events it could not wait.” The Gatekeeper paused before continuing. “We try to maintain decency on this planet and believe that we treat everyone fairly and with respect. However, I have not been shown the same. Tonight, some vile member of our society has vandalized my home, causing considerable damage, stolen priceless items, and left my wife and children afraid.”

  Gasps from the audience rolled across like dominos falling.

  The Gatekeeper raised his hands to quiet them. “We cannot dismiss the fact that we believe the attack was planned to cause us harm, but thankfully we were not home at the time. Friends, we must act, and the guilty must be punished.”

  A disturbance came from the rear of the crowd. Nakal watched in horror as several members of the fleet grabbed his parents and dragged them onto the stage. A red spotlight centered on them.

  Nakal’s father pulled his trembling wife into his arms. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted.

  The Gatekeeper turned to face him. “Your son, Nakal, was the intruder.”

  Nakal’s mother shook her head. “No,” she cried out. “You are mistaken; he is on his rite of passage and probably on the surface by now. He could not and would not do something like this.”

  The wall behind the council members lit up as video footage showed Nakal ransacking the house. The footage slowed down as it showed him stomping the oil painting of the Gatekeeper in slow motion, causing him to look wildly insane. Then it zoomed in on his face as he screamed, “You’ve been demoted!” Specks of spittle flew from his mouth. The camera stopped on that image.

  Nakal’s mother cried out again as another red spotlight was focused on a large boulder near the library. The crowd all turned to look.

  Nakal rose slowly from behind the boulder and looked at his parents. “I’m sorry.”

  Nakal sat in a jail cell alon
e with nothing but his Thoughts. The council members had a device they used that released someone’s thoughts. They appeared as shimmery, wispy versions of the person they’d come from. They did this so they could find out a criminal’s inner thought process—perhaps give them insight on why the crime was committed. This way, nothing could be hidden from the council members.

  Nakal’s Thoughts sat directly across from him. “Well, you’ve done it this time, haven’t you?”

  Nakal glared at his counterpart but said nothing, knowing anything that was said would be held against him.

  “You do realize they are torturing your parents because of what you’ve done,” his Thoughts said.

  “Would you shut up?” Nakal replied.

  “If you admit that this was all your idea and they had nothing to do with it, maybe they will spare them.”

  Nakal sighed. “You’re right.” He stood, walked over to the door, and knocked on the glass. When no one responded he yelled out, “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt my parents. They had nothing to do with my behavior. Punish me, not them. Please.”

  Nakal’s Thoughts vanished when the door opened. A fleet member escorted Nakal to a larger room where his parents stood facing the Gatekeeper; they smiled weakly when they saw him.

  Tears poured down Nakal’s cheeks as he ran to embrace his parents.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring you in on this.” Nakal wiped the tears from his face as he continued to hug his parents.

  “Yes,” the Gatekeeper interrupted their reunion. “You should’ve thought about what you were doing beforehand.”

  One of the fleet officers handed Nakal’s backpack to the Gatekeeper, who reached inside and pulled out the fragrance and the access card and held them up.