Unexpected Destiny

by Trevor Gregg

  The pod came in at an angle, slamming into the ground, driving them against their harnesses hard enough to leave bruises. The pod was buried up to the nose cone at the end of a long furrow, the chute blowing lazily in the wind behind it.

  Kyren unbuckled, groaning, and went to open the hatch.

  “No! Don’t open that yet. It’s too hot for us to go out during the day, look at the temperature reading,” she said, pointing to the panel. It read a whopping one hundred twenty three degrees.

  “We’ll wait for sunset before we head out. As far as I know, this planet is uninhabited. But I spotted what looked like a city as the chute fired. That’s our best, rather, only bet. I’ve got no idea how far it is, though,” she told him. “We came in on an east-west trajectory, so we head east.” she explained.

  After waiting several hours for the sun to begin to set, Kyren climbed out into the warm desert evening, stars beginning to twinkle in the deep blue sky. He slung the satchel he had found over his shoulder, now full with supplies he had discovered in one of the pod’s compartments. They had water, some cans of un-appetizing looking food product, and a cryo-composite blanket.

  He fumbled with Bulgren’s revolver for a moment, finally breaking open the action and checking the shells. All but one round had been fired, the gun was almost dry. He snapped it shut and tossed it on top of the blanket.

  Alis’ wrench had transformed itself into a pair of digital binoculars. She scanned around, “looks all clear to me, let’s get going.”

  As they struck out across the dunes in the dim evening light, Alis transformed the binoculars into a flashlight. “Where’d you get that fancy gadget, anyway?” Kyren asked.

  “Oh this? It’s a quantum spanner wrench, or QSW. They’re pre-millennial war tech, the utility tool for an engineer,” she explained. “I inherited it from Old Kronus when he passed on. I have no idea where he got it.”

  They trekked on through the night, the beam of Alis’ light sweeping out the path ahead of them. They took few breaks, trying to cover as much ground as possible.

  The night sky was was quite magnificent but it was a sight Kyren knew well from the skies of Junoval. Even from the well-lit streets of Magar you could still see the larger pieces of junk leaving fiery trails in the sky if you looked up at night. If you went to the outskirts of Dust Quarter where the darkness was more pervasive, and you could see an even better show as the vindel tenders shepherded debris from precarious orbits to burn up harmlessly or land far from Magar.

  However, if the look on Alis’ face was any indication, Kyren knew she was surprised and impressed with it. Every few minutes there were small meteor showers streaking the sky with ribbons of light. This backdrop of shooting stars was punctuated occasionally by much larger meteors, tremendous fireballs streaking through the sky in a fiery trail before fading into the blackness.

  The temperatures cooled and Kyren was grateful they were walking, the exertion was keeping him warm. They walked for what felt like all night, but he couldn’t tell. He had lost track of time as they trudged on through the featureless dunes.

  The sky had begun to lighten and Kyren was getting worried they would be caught out in the open dunes during the day. Thankfully Alis was thinking the same thing.

  “We should probably find a spot to bed down for the day. I see possible structure a slight ways to the south, let’s see if we can make a shelter there,” she said looking through the binoculars, which apparently also had night vision capability.

  The structure turned out to be the frame of some piece of a starship, fallen to the planet’s surface from the debris field ringing the planet above. They built a shelter by hollowing out the sand at the base and stringing up the mylar blanket above them. They spent the day hunkered down, attempting to stay cool in the oven that was Pygar.

  The next night’s journey was much the same as the first, but Kyren was heartened there was finally sign of a change in terrain. They had passed several rocky outcrops in the night, and were now looking for one to build a shelter under.

  They spent another excruciatingly hot day under their mylar shield, at the base of a great pile of boulders, eating the last of their tasteless food product and finishing the last of their water. By the end of the third night they had reached the end of the dunes, but dehydration was already setting in. They began to climb the rocky, boulder-strewn terrain.

  “Look, there’s something bright just beyond these hills,” Alis said, lowering her binoculars. The eastern horizon was aglow, and he could tell it wasn’t the sunrise.

  “That’s good,” he replied through cracked dry lips. “Let’s go find out what it is. Hopefully we get there before the actual sunrise.”

  17

  The Oracle

  How many more days would she need to keep this up? She wondered how long her people could bear the burden. These last three nights of feasting and great bonfires had left them low on resources.

  The Pygars had become her people, to some extent, over the course of her nearly twenty six year stay here upon this dust bowl. The peaceful humanoid Pygars treated her with reverence and adoration, and she wanted for nothing. But that time was coming to an end, and she felt a measure of sadness to know she was leaving these gentle people behind. She was going to miss their exaggerated, cartoonish features, and their familiar hunchback shape.

  Anxious, she hoped they would arrive soon, the chosen ones. As the first rays of dawn began to creep over the horizon, she felt dismay. They had not shown. She knew they would eventually, her visions had always been true, she just didn’t know what it was going to take to get them here.

  The Oracle had seen their spacecraft entering the atmosphere, streaking across the sky to the west. Just as had happened in her vision. However, how far it went, she had no idea. But she was certain they were coming this way. She knew if they were following their destinies, their paths would intersect. She just hoped the bonfire would help them locate the city.

  Then there was a disturbance in the crowd of celebrating Pygars, a ripple as awareness passed through the crowd. Elarra’s eyes snapped into focus. Standing within a circle of her people were the two she was expecting, one a young human man, the other a rillian girl. Overjoyed, she thought to herself, the chosen ones have finally arrived! Kyren and Alis are here! But oh boy do they look haggard.

  Elarra the Oracle stood up from the large rough-hewn chair and stepped off the raised platform that held the chair. The crowd of Pygars parted like a wave as she made her way to the newcomers. The Pygars were tentatively reaching out to touch Kyren and Alis, only to skitter back in fear as they turned frantically to face them.

  “Go easy on them,” she told the Pygars in their native language, “they’ve been through a lot to get here. Give them space.” As the Pygars backed off she could see the two new arrivals noticeably relax.

  A Pygar tribesman pushed through the crowd and emerged into the circle bearing two clay pots full of water. She watched Kyren eye the pot greedily, accepting it as soon as it was offered, immediately gulping down the contents, water running down the front of his shirt. Alis drank deeply and accepted the platter of food offered up by another tribeswoman.

  “Now that you’ve had a bit of refreshment, I’ll introduce myself,” she said after a moment, smoothing down the front of her blue dress and her dark brown hair as well. “My name is Elarra. You may be surprised with my appearance, but I am no child. I am a liadi, an Oracle. We start out as humankind but cease to physically age. I am in fact two hundred fifty six years old.”

  Kyren and Alis were silent, eating and drinking, and watching her sidelong.

  “Kyren, Alis, please take your time and we can speak when you are sated.”

  Alis nearly spit out her gulp of water and Kyren coughed on a dry grain cake.

  “Yes, I know who you two are. I know a great deal about you,” she continued. “I have been waiting here a long time for you.” They had both frozen mid-bite. Kyren was reaching his hand slowly towar
d his bag.

  “There’s no need for that Kyren. Besides you’ve only got one shot left,” she said, smiling disarmingly. “Do you want to waste it on a harmless little girl?” He merely stared in surprise.

  “I know a tremendous amount about you two because I have seen you in my visions, and my visions always come true,” she said as she approached them. “When you have had your fill I will show you what I know.”

  Their interest in refreshments lost, they hesitantly followed her down into one of the Pygars’ underground warrens to escape the oncoming heat of the day. She took a small globe out of a pocket and gave it a couple of shakes as they descended the sandstone staircase into the dark underground. It sprang to light, bathing the pale brown walls of the corridor in a cool blue glow as she led them on.

  After passing several branches, they stepped through a door and into a large chamber with a small bed in the corner and a low table with some chairs. She walked over to a metal sconce anchored into the wall, and placed her glowing orb inside. Elarra went over to the bookcase heavy with books, lining one wall. She slid over a small stepladder and reached for a book on the top shelf.

  She carried the book to the table and laid it open, gesturing for Kyren and Alis to approach. She thumbed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. It was a rough sketch of a fireball streaming through the sky above a city much like the one they were in now. She thumbed to the next page, where three people stood to board a shuttle: Kyren, Alis, and the Oracle were represented there in her drawing.

  “These books are my journals, where I record my visions. As an Oracle, I am charged by my people to safeguard our race from destruction.” She spoke gravely, “I will be as frank as I can be, for time is short. You two are the salvation of our people, and of the whole galaxy.”

  18

  Where’s My Ride?

  “You two will stand against a great destruction, and if you are strong enough, you can avert the disaster that will otherwise befall us,” Elarra began.

  “So let’s say your visions are right, you were expecting us all along and here we are now. So what good are visions if we can’t get off this dust ball?” Kyren groused, not sure he believed in her mumbo jumbo, even if she had somehow known who they were.

  “You have a ship? Ooh, where? Can I see it?” Alis interrupted.

  “No, I myself do not have a ship. But do not worry, our transport will arrive soon. In the meantime, my pygars will tend to your needs.” Before either could speak, she stood up abruptly, and said while exiting the room, “you must excuse me now. Since we are going to be departing, I must make preparations for my people.”

  A pygar entered the room as the oracle exited. “Come, I will show quarters.” The pygar said in a sing-song voice. He gestured for them to follow.

  The accommodations were comfortable but the rooms bare of all except a low bed and a wall sconce with one of the glowing blue balls. The sparse furnishings did not impede Kyren from taking advantage of the chance to rest. He woke an unknown time after, to find a tray of food and another pitcher of water set at the door. The simple wooden platter contained palm hearts, dates, great bulbous mushrooms, and more pieces of the dense, sweet cake they had tried earlier. Kyren grabbed his tray and opened his door. Stepping into the corridor he rapped lightly on Alis’ door.

  “Who’s there,” said a sleepy voice.

  “They’ve left us more to eat. Let’s have a bite and then see if we can find this Oracle and get a straight answer on how we’re gonna get outta here.”

  A few moments later Alis’ door groaned open. She looked groggy and her hair was sticking out at odd angles, her cat-like ears lying flat in protest. They ate their fill, and Kyren was grateful not to have to eat any more of the food product they’d liberated from the escape pod.

  The food seemed to perk Alis up. “Let’s go find the fortune-teller.” She said as she used her fingers to smooth down her hair.

  Kyren and Alis wound their way back to the surface, Kyren following the mental map he’d built as they had come here. They climbed the stairs and stepped out into an oven. At least that’s what it felt like to Kyren. Despite the sun hanging low in the horizon, the desert was still incredibly hot. He immediately began to sweat.

  “Glad you remembered the way out,” Alis remarked.

  “Yeah, I have kind of a good sense of direction. It’s sort of like bot-fighting, remembering combinations of moves. Just stuff in a certain order, that’s all.”

  “Well, that is a natural talent. I sure as hell can’t do that,” Alis finished.

  Spotting the Oracle standing at the edge of the plaza, they trotted over to her. “Are you two ready to depart?” she asked quizzically.

  “Um, sure, but how exactly are we going to be leaving?” Kyren challenged.

  Alis tugged on his sleeve and pointed into the sky. A streaming fireball streaked from the eastern horizon, heading on a western trajectory. Soon the fire faded and a rumbling washed over Kyren.

  “What’s that sound?” Kyren asked, looking at Alis.

  “Sonic boom, dummy,” she said, poking him in the side. “Traveling faster than the speed of sound creates a shock wave in the air.” Her wrench transformed into binoculars and she focused on the craft. “Looks like a good sized shuttle, heading on a trajectory for our pod’s landing site.”

  The craft went out of sight over the horizon and Kyren felt a pang of anxiety. “Looks like they aren’t coming for us, Oracle,” he said disappointedly.

  Alis smacked him and pointed to the western horizon. Coming out of the sun’s glare, the shuttle bore down on the city.

  “Have faith, Kyren. I have seen it, so it must come to pass,” she said enigmatically.

  The shuttle approached, making directly for the plaza. The landing gear extended and it touched down lightly. The large, sleek and white swept-wing shuttle barely fit in the spacious plaza. Kyren choked as a whirlwind of dust was blown up by the thrusters.

  “Consortium!” Alis yelled over the sound of the thrusters, pointing to a symbol emblazoned on the gleaming white hull next to the hatch.

  The engines cut and the dust began to clear, then the hatch popped open. As a ramp extended to the ground, Kyren glanced around and realized they were standing exactly as seen in the Oracle’s drawing.

  19

  The Guardian

  The man striding down the ramp was clean cut, smartly dressed in a pressed uniform, and bearing a large laser pistol belted to his waist. Easy on the eyes, that one is, Alis thought, taking in his rugged features.

  Then she started to look at the shuttle, and forgot all about the man. It was some derivative of the standard consortium shuttle, the X-509 Falcon series, for sure. It had the swept-wing design and sleek hull coming to a point, with the large bubble dome covering the cockpit. But this one had larger thrusters and appeared to be clad in heavy white armor, unlike the standard model. This shuttle must be from a warship.

  “Greetings, I’m Sergeant Harris of the Consortium frigate Guardian,” the man said with a smile. “I’m seeking survivors of the attack on the salvage vessel Searcher.”

  “That’s us, we’re survivors!” Kyren said with excitement. Sergeant Harris nodded at Kyren.

  “Wonderful, and you even saved the little one,” he said turning his attention to the Oracle. “How are you darlin?

  “I’m fine,” she said shyly in a little girl voice, surprising Alis with her sudden change in demeanor. “We escaped from the ship, from the bad guys.” The Oracle had only ever spoken to them in an iron-edged voice, with a decidedly un-childlike cadence.

  Picking up the Oracle’s ploy and deciding to play along, Alis said “Yeah, we all managed to get away in one of the escape pods.”

  “According to the mayday, the ship was under attack from pirates. It was nowhere to be found when we arrived on station. We found empty escape pods floating in the debris field though. Then we found one more beacon coming from the planet and followed it to you. Are
you are the only survivors? The Searcher’s crew roster indicated fifteen crew plus captain and executive officer. Were you passengers or crew? And what happened to the young one’s parents?”

  Blank stares and tight lips greeted his inquiry, Alis grateful for her companions’ silence. “Okay then, I guess we’re done with questions. Shall we get you three up to the ship? We’ll get answers later,” Harris said eagerly, obviously beginning to sweat in the desert heat.

  “Where are we going?” Alis asked suspiciously.

  “To the Guardian, of course,” Harris replied, not understanding her question.

  “No, where will your ship take us?” She asked more specifically.

  “We are heading for the Sargassus system with all haste, and will drop you at Sargassus Prime,” he replied.

  Kyren turned to Alis and Elarra, “That’s good enough for me. At least we’re free. C’mon, let’s go see the warship!”

  Alis worked to keep the look of trepidation from her face but she feared Kyren had seen it anyway. If he had, though, he didn’t question her.

  It wasn’t that she hated the Consortium, but she certainly bore no love for the institution. She had grown up among it’s ranks, both her parents being officers. Strict disciplinarians, her parents had put her through consortium officer training, but she had rebelled at every turn. When she had reached adulthood, Alis had left her parents and tried to get as far away from the Consortium as she could.

  Despite her discomfort, she continued to gawk at the shuttle as she boarded, taking a seat as close to the pilot as she could. She was still unable to restrain her enthusiasm for starships, even in the face of her childhood institution. Sergeant Harris ordered the pilot to return to the Guardian, and the shuttle lifted off in a cloud of dust, leaving the planet of Pygar behind. Chancing a look back, Alis caught a trace of sadness flit across the Oracle’s face.