Patrik Jones and the Code of the Universe

by Robert S Kleinstone

He thought of all the times he had seen a Kentauro killing young people of every race with extreme ease and without mercy.

  A shiver froze his blood. But then he thought about the shockwave that Patrik had generated on the Olympia while they were headed there. This encouraged him slightly.

  If only they had more time...

  The door opened and Kalberham, Marco and Patrik entered the bridge without speaking. After a moment Tadiero also appeared with the inseparable Camilla on his shoulders and Myah, followed by a pair of soldiers in uniform.

  No trace of Alannah, Patrik thought.

  «Well» King Karmora began talking to all the interlocutors. «I see we're all here. The moment has come. The royal spacecraft is ready to take us to the sacred planet. I remind all of you that, given the sacredness of the place, it is absolutely forbidden for anyone to carry firearms on the ground of Kentaura».

  Marco jumped as he saw Tadiero and the royal guards put all their weapons on the star chart table.

  «Nice rip off, eh Marco?» said Patrik, nodding a bitter smile, looking at his friend. «After all this, I'm still happy. As silly as you are, you would have been able to get in trouble» he continued, putting a hand on his shoulder to try to cheer him up.

  «You're an idiot!» he replied with shining eyes.

  «I need you to promise me something» said Patrik to Kalberham and the king of Solyar.

  «If it goes wrong, you have to bring Marco home and make sure my mother is well. I also want you to inform her about everything that happened to my father. I want her to know the truth».

  «This is a promise I give you on my honor, Patrik Jones» said Kalberham solemnly.

  «Forgive me, my lord» Andal said suddenly, turning to the group intent on leaving. «Arkassian ship on the monitor. Arrived this instant. I think it's General Greymar».

  «Yes, that's his ship» Kalberham said quickly.

  «They’re hailing us, my lord».

  King Karmora took two steps forward trying to look proud and dignified.

  «On the central screen» he ordered.

  General Greymar, seated in his command chair, appeared dressed in the black robe of the arkassian Guardians.

  Next to him, standing, the faithful Darnar with the black uniform reserved only for the highest ranking officers in the army.

  «Your majesty, my tributes. I find you well» said Greymar sarcastically, nodding slightly.

  «General Greymar. You have attempted to take the life of Kalberham and his crew for half a galaxy. I find your conduct as a military man outrageous and without honor. The truce...»

  «The truce?!» Greymar interrupted abruptly. «Planet Earth is out of the galactic pact. Over there every Flower candidate can be recruited and trained by anyone. And apparently you have not wasted time. The boy has already been initiated by the skilful Kalberham» he added, seeing Patrik in the guise of the Guardians of Solyar.

  «The boy is the son of Commander Jones and logic imposes...».

  «Ahahahah, the solaryan logic. The same logic that condemns billions of Arkassian lives to their fate for blind faith in the Flower».

  «If you had had the patience to listen to the council of the planets a long time ago, the clash would not have been necessary. Many lives could have been saved». So saying, with tears in his eyes, King Karmora thought of his son.

  «Patience to listen? What a profound thought, your majesty. Patience to listen! Yeah, it's a great thing, and it's easier to have when you're not forced to die».

  «The Code always knows where to go, Greymar. You know it like all of us» said Kalberham, turning to the arkassian general.

  «And what did the Code bring you? Let's see?! Oooh, but look here! A terrestrial boy about to be torn apart by Kentauros. Ahahahahah ... poor deluded thing. You're sending him to the slaughterhouse like you did with his father».

  At the sound of these words, Patrik looked at Kalberham incredulously.

  Greymar noticed and increased his verbal attack.

  «Oh poor thing! Didn’t they tell you?! The one on Vortix was a suicide mission. Nobody returns from Vortix. But this is typical solaryan, terrestrial boy».

  «Commander Jones decided to spontaneously take part in the mission. What you say is false and...».

  «Enough!» said Greymar, who was not interested in listening to Kalberham for a moment. «I don’t care about him, like the rest of you. We will await the death of the terrestrial boy and the truce will end. And after that, there will be no peace!»

  The connection closed and on the bridge, for a few moments, silence fell.

  Patrik didn’t know what to think.

  He had listened to the words of those beings thinking that they were telling the truth, but how could he know it was so? Who could assure him that they were not lying?

  He didn’t know them. His father trusted them, yes. But what was the truth? And what did "suicide mission" mean?

  He was confused.

  Marco said nothing, just sat looking at his friend.

  King Karmora put a hand on Patrik's shoulder. «You don’t have to listen to General Greymar. He’s trying to confuse you so you can lose over there».

  Kalberham turned to the door and, starting to walk, said «Let's go now. We have a mission to fulfill».

  Everyone began to walk except Patrik. He stood there motionless with his eyes on the floor.

  «What does suicide mission mean?» he said, blocking everyone.

  Kalberham turned and walked toward him until he was inches from his face.

  The two stared at each other.

  «Your father knew well the risks that were in that mission. His enormous courage convinced him to undertake it. Do you want to know if he’s still alive? I don’t know. Want to know if there are chances to save him? Not even I know that. What I know is that if you want to find out, you have to survive there. So I need you to stay focused and think of nothing else but your opponent».

  That said, he took his siel and squeezed it tightly. The weapon began to run down his forearm like a mad snake and then returned to a cylinder in his hand.

  «You have great power within you. Become a Guardian and, if the Code will grant you, you can see your father again and ask for the answers you are looking for».

  «All right» said Patrik, without looking away from the Solaryan. «But I want to fight in my clothes».

  Everyone listened in disbelief.

  «I hear about faith and death and I don’t like that. Even on my planet these two words often go hand in hand, but this is not my war. If I fight I will do it only for him».

  Kalberham smiled.

  «Tadiero, accompany Patrik to our ship so that he can change».

  «But he cannot enter the arena like that. It's not regulation» said King Karmora.

  «Why not?» answered Kalberham. «If we believe in the sacred path of the Code, we must also believe in the free choice of one of its candidates. He will fight as he wants».

  Nobody said anything more.

  Selidar, Tadiero and Camilla walked with Patrik and Marco towards the ship that led them up to the Olympia.

  *

  Patrik wore his jeans, the white hooded sweatshirt and white sneakers. Marco entered the room just as his friend laid the Guardian's robe on the bed.

  «Your father trusts them. As I have heard, they have a high opinion of him. Why did you want to take off your tunic?»

  «My father, do you mean ...?» replied Patrik, his eyes taken by the strange symbols that bordered his solaryan clothes. «I've lived a life without him and now that I've found him, I'll probably die for him. And do you want to know why? You want to laugh? I will do it for the truth. I will do it for all the times when my mother and I were alone. To let her know that if he was away to protect us, we were part of something big. To let her know that the real reason was among the stars.

  Patrik looked at him with a smile. Marco remained motionless, listening to a person he understood only partially.

  «And t
hat's why I want to die like this. With the sweatshirt and jeans ... as she has always seen me».

  At that point Marco put his hand on his friend’s back and placed his forehead on Patrik’s.

  «You will not die Patrik Jones» he said with tears in his eyes. «You are able to do extraordinary things, you are extraordinary. A little slow with women maybe...» he smiled, crying, «...but extraordinary. So you come back safe and sound or I'll have to come and get you from hell!»

  They hugged.

  15

  The planet Kentaura appeared full of green and wild nature from the monitors of the imperial spacecraft. Patrik almost seemed to be faced with the landscapes of the African savannah interspersed with thick and inaccessible rainforests. Streams of animals of strange species, some similar to those of Earth, ran in the distance. A huge river crossed the valley, which at first glance showed no trace of civilization.

  He and Marco looked at each other in disbelief, after observing brontosaurus-like beings devouring tall trees.

  A flock of birds as big as small touring airplanes swarmed, looking unfriendly, and no one dared approach.

  «Sir, I don’t understand. The controls aren’t responding!» the young Andal said as he tried to steer the ship.

  «It's all under control» Kalberham replied quickly, putting a hand on his shoulder. «They are piloting us at the moment. We are inside the sacred area. Nothing can be done. You will re-arm your commands when everything is finished ».

  The sound of those words was like a punch in the stomach for Patrik.

  Kalberham turned to the crew.

  «The docking of the spacecraft is slightly detached from the Spindorf. We will have to continue on foot and cross the village of the Kentauros. Their absence of pupils means you can’t understand which way they are looking, so avoid looking them in the face. They are not dangerous and they know why we’re here, but they don’t like being observed».

  «What is Spindorf?» Marco asked, interpreting his friend's curious expression.

  «Spindorf is the fighting arena. The place where you will face your trial» answered Kalberham, looking at Patrik.

  «Here, you see in the distance». Tadiero pointed to the window of the spacecraft, while Camilla threw itself down from his shoulders to go and see the view better.

  Patrik took a step towards the glass and saw a large circular stone structure, with very high walls, about the size of a football stadium.

  The village all around was made mostly of stone and straw huts, very rudimentary. The Spindorf, put there in the middle, had little to do with that decidedly primitive place. Patrik thought of a change of level in those games like Age of Empires, where you have to build new structures in villages and cities to pass through the different ages.

  The spacecraft landed after a few seconds and they all headed for the exit. The ships of representatives of other Flower planets were located in the same area. Even the strange black ship that had challenged Earth's gravity a few days earlier was there, controlled by two guards that looked anything but reassuring.

  «Greymar is already here. This is unusual, I wonder what he has in mind?» Selidar said turning to Kalberham.

  «I wouldn’t know my friend, but I have the distinct feeling that we'll find out soon» he replied.

  Three very strange beings walked in the direction of the group. When they came close, they bowed their heads towards the sovereign of Solyar.

  «Your majesty, I welcome you. We are all eagerly waiting for this last fight. All the delegations are inside the Spindorf, but the Kentauros haven’t come out yet».

  «My dear Lincamash, it is a pleasure to see you again» replied King Karmora with a smile that seemed more of a formality than true happiness.

  They wore a kind of tight-fitting suit containing a blue liquid that circulated inside. Their complexion was clear and smooth, slimy like sepia with big dark eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth. On the neck, where the suit ended, there were cracks from time to time that looked like gills. No hair, small pointy ears and two long catfish whiskers.

  «Is your ruler here on Kentaura?» asked King Karmora again.

  «Alas no. Important state affairs have kept King Bandash and the whole royal family on our planet, but they are following the event with enormous interest».

  Then the strange being looked at the two young men, suddenly emitting a kind of suction noise with his mouth. Marco's expression faithfully represented what his stomach felt at that moment.

  «Then? Who is this terrestrial boy who will face the trial?»

  «Him» and everyone turned to Patrik.

  «Come on boy» said King Karmora, extending his hand to invite him to approach. «May I present Lincamash, the vice-king of the planet Acqua, of the inner ring».

  «Nice to meet you» Patrik said shyly.

  «The pleasure is mine, young boy».

  The strange creature approached him curiously, as if faced with something rare.

  «So... a terrestrial candidate ... I would never have thought I could meet one in the flesh». Then his tone changed and became darker. «You are killing all the marine life on your planet. The whale population, one of the most splendid animals in the galaxy, is reduced to its very limits. You should be annihilated just for this!»

  Patrik didn’t know what to say. «Well ... it’s not down to me. I don’t…».

  «Of course» Lincamash said immediately, nodding with a smile to try and get over the awkward moment.

  «And then surely you have something else to think about at the moment».

  «Good. We want to start?» said Kalberham cutting him short.

  «Yup. I would say so» answered Solyar's ruler.

  The group began to walk towards the village.

  Marco approached Patrik looking annoyed at those three scaly beings that preceded them.

  «If that sort of walking tuna fish talks about the Terrans that way again, I'll put it in a box in oil, where it belongs!».

  «Try to be calm, boy, it's not time to get nervous» Tadiero interrupted immediately, who had joined the two of them.

  «Calm, my foot!» Marco continued. «Did you hear that boiled fish talking about my people?»

  «Enough now!» Patrik interrupted him abruptly. «Do you think I care about what that thing thinks at a time like this?!»

  Marco was surprised. He hadn’t expected that reaction from his friend.

  «And then we are honest, mister nice hasn’t spoken the pure and simple truth».

  «Yes I know. But it's not our fault...».

  «Is not it our fault you say? But look around Marco. Look where we are. We are responsible for what happens in our world, in our galaxy. Each of us is. And now this responsibility I find on my shoulders and you know what the truth is? I'm scared. I'm so scared».

  Marco didn’t know what to say.

  He tried to find the right words to give courage to his friend, but the hand of Ta-diero on his arm made him stop. It was better to leave him alone for a few minutes.

  Patrik was nervous and really could not be blamed for this.

  He let the little outburst remain unchallenged.

  *

  As the group walked in the direction of Spindorf, Kentauros in the village behaved as if nothing was happening, as if no aliens were crossing their main road at that time.

  Patrik saw some beings that were at least six meters tall, taking care not to stare at anyone intensely because of what Kalberham had said a few minutes before. Despite their large size, their tone consisted of little more than a whisper. Something similar between the hiss of a snake and the shrill roar of a cheetah.

  «Why do some have wings and others do not?» asked Marco.

  «The wings are only adult males. The ones you see without are females» said Selidar, who was walking beside him.

  «And the children? Where are the children?».

  «Children are scarcely seen. Only twenty percent of those born survive into adulthood. The rest are killed in the
first years of life».

  «By who?!» Marco asked again, bewildered.

  «From the Kentauros themselves. They are very long-lived beings and the natural selection that they impose is among the most terrible in the galaxy. Only the strongest of the strongest survive. Look, you're lucky. Here is one».

  Everyone turned to look at a young man of about a meter and a half, who ran towards them in the distance. After a couple of seconds, another, much bigger, followed him running with a big stone in his hand.

  As soon as the latter reached him, with a powerful push from his arm he shoved him over, and with his foot he pinned him on the ground, raising the stone to deliver the coup de grace. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, one of Alannah's daggers stuck into the monster's calf.

  «Let him go, beast!» cried the Princess of Solyar. Everyone turned to look at her in amazement, while she stood there staring at the Kentauro with a menacing air.

  The boy managed to free himself and took trembling refuge behind her.

  Patrik and the whole group were amazed. Where had Alannah come from?

  All the great creatures of the village of Kentaura stopped to look, creating a circle to watch the scene. A multitude of pupilless white eyes stood there looking at Alannah, the two Kentauros right by her and the group that was heading towards the arena a little further on.

  It was as if a voice had finally told everyone hey, there are foreigners in the village!

  After about four or five seconds of absolute stillness, the big monster took the dagger from his calf as if nothing happened, flexed his fingers against the stone in his hand and headed for Alannah, shrieking in a threatening manner.

  Kalberham began to run, turned his siel into a kind of halberd with two blades at the ends, and with a feline leap he managed to cut the Kentauro on his forearm, before it could club the princess to death.

  This was not enough, because with the other arm that huge mass of six-meter muscles managed to strike Kalberham and throw him several meters.

  The Kentauro turned again to Alannah, but at that point he stopped.

  Patrik was still motionless with open arms, staring at him.