by Darren Sloan
The people themselves seemed to all be in a rather relaxed state. They seemed listless, yet determined in their duties. It was like a kingdom of living zombies. Was that Arkane's doing, or the natural result of subterranean living?
I took it upon myself to tour the grounds. Everything looked very impressive. It felt like a real castle with grand antiques around every corner. It was clear a lot of time had been taken in making Arkane's castle as perfect as possible.
I was walking along a lonely hall when I heard a cold, yet familiar voice, call out from behind.
"Halt!" I turned and I had to do a double take. The guard approaching me was dressed from top to bottom in thick, heavy armor, but her face was exposed, and if I hadn't known better, I would have said that it was Panther.
"Panther?" I asked as the guard approached.
"Excuse me? What did you say?" She looked exactly like Panther, but as I looked closer, her eyes were different. They were normal. Everything but her eyes were identical though.
"Nothing. You just looked familiar."
"You're the man from Earth, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing out of your chamber? Lord Arkane didn't give you any such permission."
"I didn't think I needed a pass to walk down the hall. Who are you anyway?"
"I am Red Janet, and I have been instructed to keep you in your chamber until Lord Arkane instructs me differently." She said. Her armor looked heavy and old. There were tarnished stains along the front plate and the metal itself looked warn and old. It seemed to fit her strangely. It just hung off of her shoulders, which led me to believe she was not the original owner of that armor.
"I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit. How long have I been in there? It's kind of hard to keep track of time here."
"Please come with me now." She said as she struck the end of her spear into the ground.
"Fine. Lead the way."
Red Janet guided me back the way I had come and even though she was well hidden by her armor, I could tell that she even moved like Panther. It was more than a coincidence.
"Excuse me?" I asked. She inched her head slightly in my direction.
"What?" She asked with a cold timber in her voice.
"I can't help but notice that you look a lot like someone I know."
"That's nice. Keep up."
"I don't mean that you just look a little like her. You look a lot like her."
"I'm sure where you come from this would be very interesting, but I have no patience for useless chatter."
"And you're a lot like her on the inside too. Just answer one question for me. Please." Red Janet stopped and spun around to face me.
"Fine. What?"
"Do you happen to know someone who goes by the name 'Panther'?" Her face froze in a grim expression. Her cheeks turned red and her eyes narrowed at me.
"Don't ever speak the name of that traitor again!" She growled.
"You do know her." Red Janet turned from me and resumed her pace as though I hadn't said anything at all.
"She is my sister."
"She's your sister? What's she doing up there and you down here?"
"For generations, my family has supported Arkane's rule. My ancestors were nobles in his first court. We placed our faith in Arkane because we believe in Xenos. When Arkane fell, our family gladly followed him because we knew the day would come when he would reclaim his land. Panther is the pitiable black mark in our family history. She succumbed to the easy promises of The Council and has since become their eager lap dog."
"How long have you all been down here?"
"We are the fifty second generation."
"Fifty two generations?"
"The people above have fallen in love with their ignorance and embrace the false God of technology. In time they will see the error of their path. I understand that it is you who has brought the tool by which Arkane will ascend."
"I don't know about that. I guess that's what he thinks."
"It's what he knows. Take heart. You will be responsible for bringing balance back to Xenos. Something that it sorely needs."
We arrived at my bed chamber and Red Janet ushered me back in, as if she were corralling a stray dog. She shut the door as she left and I just got back onto the bed. I fell back onto the soft sheets and stared back up at the rock ceiling. I began to wonder about Tyler. It had seemed like days since I had even thought about him. I wondered what he was doing. Was he destroyed by my absence or was he over me already and back in the dating pool? Did he think of me anymore? I wasn't even sure how much time had passed on Earth. I had read enough science fiction to know that time can move differently on different planets. It had been a few days on Xenos, but for all I knew it had been months on Earth. Maybe years. Did I still have a place to live? Did I still have a job? What about my parents? All the thoughts were flooding my mind all at once. I couldn't stop thinking about it all. I tried, but it was impossible. It wasn't unusual for me to lay awake with a thousand worries on my mind, but I could usually distract myself and turn off the stress, but something was keeping the door open. Maybe it was the suit. It was pushing the thoughts forward. I sat upright and tried to think why it would do such a thing, and then it dawned on me.
"You want me to get out of here, don't you?" I asked. I felt my thoughts subside a bit, as if as a little reward for getting it right. "I think you're right. I don't know everything about what's going on, but I'm getting a bad feeling about all of this."
Interlude Three
Tales Of Earth 2:
Picking Up The Pieces
Tyler found himself going the opposite direction from his home after work. Every day after his shift, he would drive over to Jason's old apartment and check on things there. There was really nothing to do. There were no pets to look after or any plants to water. Heather was taking care of any mail that came. They didn't know when, or if, Jason was going to return, but they didn't want to give up any hope.
Tyler walked up to the door and, as he did everytime, he made a silent wish that when he opened the door he would discover Jason had come back. He walked in and it was dark and still. No one had been there for a long time and Tyler's heart sunk just a little bit more. He sat down on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. He just wanted the silence. He wanted the peace so that he could reimagine how it was before Jason left. He tried to construct him from his memory in hopes it would feel as it did when he was actually there. There were moments when he thought he almost had it, but the moment was lost as easily as it came.
"I told you I'd call if he came back." Heather said as she slipped in.
"I have a feeling he'd call first, but thanks. I just like to hang out here. Remember." Heather came around and sat next to Tyler and gave him a thoughtful look.
"What's wrong? I mean, you're not exactly happy when you come by here, but today you seem particularly down."
"I got a promotion today. I'm a detective."
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks. I just kind of wish he were here. I love to tell him this stuff. I know if I told him, he'd smile big, hug me and then offer to buy dinner. Of course, dinner would be a medium pizza with mushrooms and pepperoni, followed by a movie and some heavy petting." Heather then slid next to Tyler and put her arm over his shoulder.
"How's this?"
"I appreciate the effort, but not really doing it for me. Sorry." Heather then sat back and let out a deep sigh.
"I know. I miss him too. I don't know what I'm going to do next month."
"What's next month?"
"Well, if Jay isn't back by then, I'm going to have to find someone to move into this place. I can sweet talk the owner into a lot of things, but leaving one of the units empty isn't one of them."
"No. No one moves in here. I'll cover the rent."
"What?"
"You heard me. My promotion comes with a raise. I'll cover the rent here until he gets back."
"But we don't know," Heather began but Tyler
shot his eyes back at her.
"Until he gets back."
"Right. Until he gets back."
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little on edge. Things have been crazy lately. My first case as detective is to get to the bottom of all these freaks running around with those happy face masks on."
"I read about that. What are they?"
"No one knows, but it seems like there are more of them every day."
"It's so weird."
"What?"
"Well, when Jason started being Spectrum, a lot of people said a superhero would attract these freaks like a magnet, yet he's gone and it's actually gotten worse. There are more Neo-Human incidents these days and now this Legion Of Smiles gang."
"Legion Of Smiles?"
"It's just something I read online."
"Well, whatever they call themselves, they're becoming a real problem. I'm not sure how they're recruiting. We brought in an expert who specializes in gang crime and he hasn't been able to figure it out either."
"Maybe it's mind control."
"I wouldn't doubt it these days. Sometimes it feels like everyone in this city is under some spell. They all seem angrier. Something's changed here. I just don't know what."
"You see it too? I was at the store the other day and I swear, I thought old lady MacTavish was going to slit the cashier's throat because she accidentally shorted her change by a penny. It seems like everyone is just one step away from going totally psycho."
"There are a lot of people who'd say that's not really a change in most people, but I get what you mean."
"I just get this feeling if Jason were here, he'd be able to fix it."
"Yeah. Me too. We just have to hold down the fort until he returns."
"What if he doesn't?"
"He will."
"I know we both want him back, and I'm sure he will be back, but what if?" Tyler turned away from Heather.
"I don't think about that."
"I try not to either, but at some point, it may be something we're going to have to deal with. I mean, what about his parents? They have no idea he's gone now."
"I called them and told them that Jason was going away for a while. Told them he's going on a vacation."
"But what if,"
"Heather! Please! I know what this could be. I'm not stupid. I'm just not ready to go there yet. It's only been a few weeks. He's probably on a planet that's light years from here. He could be gone for months. Years."
"And you're going to wait for him?"
"He waited for me for years. I guess it's my turn."
Chapter 23
Two Sides To Every Story
I couldn't keep still. The room was appointed like a penthouse, but it felt like a prison. I felt the seconds slipping away and as they did, the goal of reaching Xenos was becoming a more and more distant dream. I thought of sneaking out once again, but I was sure Red Janet would be quick to track me down. I could see how she and Panther were sisters. They both had that scary intensity about them, but unfortunately Red Janet was just as fiercely loyal to her leader as Panther was to hers. I could also feel a cold, uncompromising lethality in her eyes when she caught me wandering the halls. That was where they were different.
I was coming close to releasing the suit in hopes I had enough time to use its power to bust out of wherever the Hell I was, but before I could come to a final decision, Red Janet walked into the room.
"Arkane is ready to meet with you." She said.
"What does he want?"
"I was instructed to bring you to Lord Arkane. That was all. Please follow me." I had some options, but I really couldn't see any of them ending well for me, so I just decided to go with it. I followed Red Janet down the hall toward the main hall but we took a sudden left down a small passageway I had not noticed before.
The path was narrow and dark, but finally opened up to a large chamber where Arkane was standing in a thoughtful pose. The air was stale and cold. The chamber we had come to looked as though it not been part of the main palace. It was rough and primitive. It looked like a simple cave. There were markings etched into the floor and walls. Red Janet forced me into the center of the cave and Arkane finally turned to face me. His eyes fell upon me and I could feel his power surround me like an icy cold fist.
"You wanted to see me?" I asked. Arkane's face lit up with a slight smile
"Yes, my friend. I've been anxious to speak with you since you arrived. I hope you've had a chance to rest."
"I managed to get some sleep."
"Excellent. I just wanted to have a moment with you so that I may explain some things to you. I'm sure you've been bombarded with all kinds of stories from those up above."
"They've just told me some history."
"From their point of view, I'm sure. I would hope you would at least listen to what I have to say. There are two sides to every story, after all." My mind was flying in two directions at once. His request sounded reasonable and it was true that there were other ways to see things. For all I knew, he was the victim of a new, suppressing regime that drove him and his people into a subterranean Hell. At the same time, I was getting a very severe sense of danger. I had sensed something past Arkane's graciousness and generosity. There was something dark in his smile. His eyes were predatory and the fact that his people trudged around like the walking dead did not give me a good feeling.
"Fine," I said. "They had their say. I guess I should at least hear you out." It seemed like a good strategy. I didn't want to go back to my room, and I was hoping there might be an opportunity to escape. I didn't know what to expect, but I was ready for anything.
"Wonderful. Red Janet! Take our guest to the dining hall," He said and then he shined his smile at me. "I was thinking it would be more comfortable to have this conversation over a nice meal." Red Janet came up behind me and pulled me away. We went back up the narrow path and I was taken to the dining hall. When we walked in, there was only one large table in the room. There was a feast laid out on top of it and something in the air smelled wonderful. I sat down at the table and as I did, Arkane appeared and sat down across from me.
"Please," He said. "Eat. I'm sure you must be starving. I've gone to the trouble of researching some of the food Earthlings enjoy and did what I could to recreate a feast that you would find pleasing." I was hard pressed to disagree with him on that. My stomach was rumbling as the scent of the food grew stronger. I could feel the saliva building in my mouth. I reached for what looked like a roasted chicken and tore it apart with my bare hands. I stuffed the meat into my mouth and swallowed it all down as fast as I could.
"That's good. Oh my God. So good!"
"I'm glad you enjoy it. Keep eating. I will explain to you the truth of Xenos. In the distant past, this world was ruled by what some refer to as the power of magic. It was a natural power that was born from the planet itself and shared amongst all living things here. The more it was used, the stronger it became. I had studied and practiced this art since I was a boy and I became a master of it. My body was a conduit between Xenos and all living things. I became one with the planet and the flow of all magic started to run through me. The people recognized my gifts and turned to me for leadership, and I was only too happy to take up the call. I built a fair and balanced empire for all of Xenos. It is true we lived off the land, but by the doctrines of our sacred texts, that was how we were to live. Our duty was to tend this planet and we tapped into the natural energies it offered to do so. Our lives were simple and humble, as they were meant to be. Xenos became a proud kingdom; a shining example of the best of her people and I was her king," I could hear the pride and majesty in his voice grow. He did sound like a king. "For thousands of years I ruled the planet with a firm hand. Everyone had their place and function and I saw to it that they were kept where they were meant to be. It was a delicate balance and I did whatever had to be done to keep that balance. There were times some would look upon me as a tyrant, but sometimes you have to risk being unpopular if you're set to d
o the right thing." He said.
"What about the tech? I mean, why couldn't people use technology?"
"I knew that the balance of magic was sensitive as it was, but with the advent of vile technology, I saw a greater danger for my people. Technology was the greatest threat to Xenos ever. It diverted from magic and if that were to happen, it would throw the entire world into chaos."
"But Xenos has closed itself off and they allow the rest of the planet to just be. From what I've seen, magic is still humming along after all this time." Arkane gave me a light laugh and patted my arm.
"Yes, it is still with us, but what you've seen is a bare glimpse of the grandeur that once graced the entire planet. That city above birthed a blackness that pierces through this world like a knife. Its very existence drains this world slowly but surely. The New Technologists overthrew my empire and drove us to this pitiful life. It is down here I have managed to keep some small part of the true heart of Xenos alive. My kingdoms were levelled and every sign of my rule has vanished with time. They hoped wiping away what I had accomplished would free them of me, but that cannot be. I am Xenos."
"And you believe I have some power that will help you reclaim the planet?"
"Come with me." He said. Arkane stood up and with a wave of his arm, one wall of the room opened up and a pathway leading down was revealed. Arkane merely motioned toward me. I felt a deep fear grow inside me, but I also felt compelled to follow.
We travelled down the dark pathway for what seemed like hours. The trail seemed old and forgotten with cobwebs and dust everywhere. The air grew colder the further we went. The walls were craggy and jagged and all the light we had was some strange blue glow coming from somewhere beneath.
We turned a corner and I could finally see the end of the trail. It opened out to a huge cavern and I could see nothing but an array of dilapidated vehicles and war machines.
