by F. E. Arliss
She was delighted that she didn’t have to channel any energy with him during sex. She could have if she’d wanted, but she didn’t need to. Freux was inventive, attentive, and considerate, wanting her to be happy and delighted with what they had between them. If this was the Idolum culture’s way of honoring their queens, she was all for it. She wasn’t experienced with many different men, but Freux made the others pale in comparison.
They were happy. That elusive thing that humans had sought for eons, was hers. Happiness. Such a simple thing, yet so hard to find. Hers after betrayal, loss, grief, and more betrayal. Such an odd thing to be found after so many hardships.
Chapter Eighteen
Talio’s Story
They had been on Geboren for two years when Juls stumbled across another settlement on Geboren. Her memories from Altum Vis bore fond images of a human settlement near the habitat. It seemed in the memories that she had had human friends there. Scans had shone that there were human settlements widely scattered on the planet.
After Freux’s gift of the first orchid to her garden, Juls had begun searching for and collecting other orchids around the lush moon they made home. She’d begun ranging far and wide on a small motorized air-scooter. Accompanied by Dent or Axel for safety, she enjoyed these outings immensely. Her garden was literally dripping with blooming genuses from around the planet.
Aware that there was a humanoid settlement near where they were going today, Juls made the decision to have a ‘look-see’ at the habitat. Riding the air-scooter on a higher trajectory than usual, Juls circled the human compound.
Situated in an open meadow on a gentle hillside, the compound was surrounded by a cut timber fence edged with wooden spikes. The pointed, whittled spears looked to be a hippolite deterrent, and Juls could see how the gentle, but immense animals could unintentionally wreak havoc with the settlement’s gardens and structures.
To her immense surprise, children spotted her and waved, then scattered to different huts. A few seconds later, several adults appeared and soon a small knot of adults and children were watching her and Axel as they descended on their air-scooters.
A middle-aged woman came forward and bowed to her, “My Queen, welcome! It has been many centuries since we were last graced with your presence. We would seek news of our forefather, Talio.”
Juls managed to hide her surprise and studiously kept her jaw from sagging open. “Talio was your ancestor?” she asked curiously.
“Yes, my Queen. We hope he is well and flying to all the worlds he dreamed of.” The woman continued, “I am Saoirse, his granddaughter some twenty generations removed now, though the story is still passed down around the fires at night. When the children saw your hovercraft, they believed you to be the same Queen. Is that so?” she asked.
“I am not Queen Altum Vis. I am Queen Altum Juls. I hold Queen Altum Vis’ fond memories of this settlement, but they have grown dim over the centuries. Would you tell me the story?” Juls asked, excitement growing in her. “Is this where Talio is from? Is this his village?” she asked.
“Yes, my Queen. This is the original settlement of Talio, the pilot of the great Queen’s personal vessel. We would love to tell you the tale,” Saoirse said with a delighted smile. “It will be our honor and our celebration!”
Motioning Juls and Axel to follow her, they wound through the village to the largest of the huts in the center of the settlement. It turned out to be the village hall, so to speak. Water and food were prepared, as more of the villagers trickled into the hut. Most seemed unafraid, though somewhat wary of her and Axel’s presence.
She and Axel were seated in front of a banked fire on soft cubes of compacted grasses, handed food and beverage, and extorted to listen to the greatest tale their village had ever seen. Juls could barely contain her excitement. It reminded her of her history stories as a child about how legends would have been passed down around the fire in the ancient societies on Earth.
An old man of indeterminate age shuffled in, sank more nimbly than appearance dictated onto one of the cubes, and proceeded to sway gently side to side. Silence fell over the villagers.
“More than nine hundred revolutions of the sun have been seen on our planet, Geboren, since the days of the two wise men, Talio and Chronite.
Raised as friends, the boys roamed the peaceful hills of our world intent on becoming great providers and marrying into one of the distant tribes. A bride - the hardest item to procure on Geboren - was what they dreamed and worked towards. As they grew into men, the were both hard workers and good providers to the settlement,” the old man began the tale.
“In those days, as in these, the land was peaceful and bountiful. But that has not always been the case. In the twenty-eighth summer of their lives, the great ice barrier in the sky reigned giant spears of water-fire down upon us. Clouds of soil the size of the sleeping mountains to the east, flew up into the sky. The sun hid. The meadows died, the gardens died, the hippolites began to starve, as did the village,” he continued. No one stirred in the large hut.
“One of the first spears of water-fire came down straight towards fields on the outer edges of our compound. Talio and Chronite were working that field with several other men from our village. As the spear hurtled itself towards the ground, it was clear that two of the older men would not clear the area on their own in time to escape. Talio and Chronite ran towards the men and threw themselves atop them.”
“Great showers of earth exploded all around them. When Talio and Chronite woke, they were heralded as heros. Though heros they may have been, neither felt valorous when they learned that each had been severely wounded. Talio could not move any part of his body from his neck down. Chronite had lost both limbs on the right side of his body. In the months that followed, as the planet continued to die, both young men, though healing, felt the despair of inadequacy. None of the young maidens would even look at them now. They were maimed and scarred. Heroes perhaps, but all their dreams were gone and their planet was dying.”
“Finally, in desperation, the two young men defied the orders of their elders and set out to seek help from the Queen of the life-users, Queen Altum Vis. Though specifically told not to approach her for fear of their lives and those of the villagers, Talio and Chronite decided they had nothing to lose. Enlisting one of the carts used to haul hippolite dung to fertilize the fields, Chronite slowly shoved them along with a large pole.”
“Some Geborans said that the ‘life-use’ Queen did not kill, only weakened those who approached her. Perhaps in exchange for their energies, the great Queen could help them save their world, poor sustenance though they each thought they’d be.”
“The Queen had great powers. She could move items with her mind and controlled a huge ship that contained many warriors. Surely, she would have some idea how to heal the planet. They made haste, for fear she would leave the planet now that the vegetation and animals were dying. They did not know why she had not gone already.”
“When they approached the valley were the Queen’s large ship sat at rest, they were stunned to find warriors in an agitated state. Imploring an audience with the Queen was met only by them being dragged before her as a food source.”
“Fearing they were to die anyway, Talio began telling Queen Altum Vis of their village and its plight to survive the darkening of the skies. As he lay weakened from her feeding, she began to draw energy from Chronite. She ordered her warriors to go to the village and bring all the inhabitants to the ship. She needed their energy to save her eggs. The dying of the hippolites had interfered with her ability to nurture her eggs, which now lay hidden in a cavern at the top of the valley.”
The old man paused for effect, “Talio begged her to let them help her keep the eggs alive, and in return would she help them clear the darkened skies. Suddenly, the Queen turned to him and laughed. ’You are an obstinate one and a clever one, my boy. You offer only what I could take.
Though you are immobile, you do not run away, but towards d
anger with your equally imperfect friend. Your bravery impresses me. I also see the sense in enlisting your cooperation. Go, bring your village. My warriors will accompany you. Meet me at the bottom of the hill to the east. We will strike an agreement there.’ And with that statement, she set the two young men free and, carried easily by two of her mites, they returned to the village,” he continued.
“All their neighbors were surprised to see them alive and well, and borne along by the Queen’s mites. When they saw that the Queen had allowed them to live, and that the boys had bargained with the Queen to exchange energy for her eggs in return for help clearing the skies over Geboren, many were doubtful. Finally, as Chronite spoke persuasively about the future, most agreed. A large column of villagers set out for the foot of the great hill to the east.”
“When they reached the bottom of the hill, the Queen awaited them. ‘In return for helping me maintain enough energy to nurture my eggs, I will help you clear the dust from your planet. When the eggs have hatched and are safely aboard the nest ship, I will fire heat weapons at the ice directly over your planet. This will cause it to melt and shower down into the atmosphere as rain. The rain will clear most of the dust. Do you agree?’ she asked.
The villagers, though doubtful and afraid, agreed. Over the next several weeks, they took turns feeding her energy and then recovering, as the food sources dwindled and water became scarce.”
“Finally, the eggs began to hatch. Hundreds of them were birthed and warriors ran to and fro taking tiny wailing Idolum warriors to the great nest ship. When all was done, the Queen had hatched two-hundred seventy-one warriors. About fifty were consumed by other hatchlings in the struggle to survive. The Queen consumed another ten that were female hatchlings. This terrified those witnessing and distrust grew.”
“It came time for the Queen to leave the planet, and many of the villagers worried that the Queen had used them only to fulfill her own wishes and that she would not turn the ice in the atmosphere into rain,” the old man was now almost whispering, raising the tension in the hut to palpable levels. Truly, Juls thought, he is a master storyteller. Her own insides were quivering in suspense.
“Talio and Chronite went forth to speak to the Queen one last time. They were surprised when she thanked them for their foresight and assistance in saving her nest. She promised them she would come again, and touched her hand to each of their foreheads in an honoring gesture.”
“As the great nest ship rose into the atmosphere above Geboren, great flashes of light cracked overhead in a spectacular display. At first, nothing happened. Slowly, one drop at a time, rain began to fall. Flashes of light continued for several hours and the rain picked up. Finally, with one last eruption of the cannons aboard the nest ship, it disappeared from sight and sound. The rain began to come down in earnest. For two days the rains poured in a steady downfall. The villagers hid in their huts. When the sun rose on the third day, it was the first time the sun had shone in months. The village celebrated.”
“As Talio and Chronite aged, the Queen came many times to talk with them. She began to trust their judgement and found them to be wise men, despite their isolation and innocence. Great pain does that. It hardens and hones insights. In one of their many talks, Talio told Queen Altum Vis that he and Chronite often dreamed of sailing the endless universes that she traversed, as they lay on their backs in the evening watching the stars. It was then that they discovered that each Idolum ship -- by then they knew her species was called Idolum -- was made with a sentient brain. Often taken forcibly from a highly intelligent species called the Gatekin. They were a sea living people and highly developed technologically.”
“Talio joked that the human mind was just as powerful, surely, and that next time Queen Altum Vis should take his brain instead. He thought it would be the best ending imaginable to sail the galaxies in a great war ship seeing unending surprises all around him. To his amazement Queen Altum Vis agreed to honor his wish. At the time he chose to die, she must be sent for. She would harvest his brain and promised him that he would be given a resting place in a powerful vessel that was capable of great voyages and great conquests.” The old man’s voice had risen with this grand pronouncement.
“When Talio and Chronite chose to die, they were but thirty-seven years. They gave their minds to the great Queen Altum Vis and she harvested them. Chronite awaits his birth still. But Talio was resurrected almost immediately in the Queen’s personal vessel, Talio.”
“Our ancestor lives among the stars! He sails the endless galaxies! He is immortal!!” cried the old man. There was a resounding cheer from the villagers and even Juls clapped her hands. Slowly, as the sound died down, all eyes turned to her.
“I am honored,” Juls began, “that such a great history has survived these many centuries. Talio does indeed live. Actually, Talio continues to be a hero to this day. He lay in the great ‘knotted abyss’ for centuries after Queen Altum Vis was murdered. He protected her essence and he protected her crew. He sheltered me and led me to be resurrected as Queen Altum Juls. He rests now in the valley beyond the hills and protects me even now. Talio lives!” Juls added with a ringing triumph in her voice. The villagers cheered again.
“Chronite lives on as well,” Juls continued, a tomb-like silence followed this statement, as shock struck the villagers. “You may know him as the great ship that grew on the plains to the west last year. His name is now Labrys, and he carries General Freux with honor and courage. Long live Labrys!” Jules shouted.
The villagers returned, “Long live Labrys! Long live Talio!”
The party continued far into the night.
Chapter Nineteen
The Odysseys of the Young
Queen Altum Juls looked up from her position in one of the terrace planting beds that lined the patio outside her quarters on Geboren, and acknowledged General Kor as he approached. It was late afternoon, a time she particularly liked on this planet. It was still warm, but a few shifting breezes brought cool air to the patio and circulated the wonderful scents emitted from dozens of drooping blooms. Most had been transplanted there from other areas of the planet. A few that had been naturally in place had spurred the idea for the original garden.
It had been three years since the crew of the Talio had been brought out of the knotted abyss by Queen Altum Juls and brought to this sanctuary far away from competing nests or intruding alien species. It had been an idyllic time of growth, harmony, and regaining of strength. There were now three generals in her nest. Her original supporter, General Monsav still crewed his small, but heavily fortified and armed nest ship. She accompanied him frequently to rally support for their nest and her queenship among nests that had lost or were losing their queens.
Juls thinking was that if they spurned General Monsav for his ragged appearance and holistically inspired way of dealing with energy consumption, then she wouldn’t want them anyway. They’d had quite a lot of success in winning support.
The fact that General Freux was another nest supporter with the remnants of his once great Irisian nest also drew supporters. All of his planet-bound warriors had relocated to Geboren after a year of learning to work together with the Khyberians and the crew of the Talio.
The birth of their hatchlings upon the occasion of their first meeting had cemented the bond. Time had deepened their connection into trust, and then to love. The fact that his ragtag crew had utilized the same method to survive on the planet they’d crashed onto as the Khyberians -- honoring the givers of life-energy -- only made the relationship easier. Juls and Freux made a good team. They were passionate lovers and compassionate parents.
One of the secrets Queen Altum Vis had left to Juls was the existence of another nest stem cell. Or, in other words, a brain to power the growth of a new nest ship. Growing a nest ship took tremendous energy, and over months of meditation, the new ship had grown slowly on the far plains behind the habitat.
It, like Talio, was grown from a volunteer human brain. Queen Altu
m Vis had been far, far beyond her time when she’d developed that plan to Obtain brains from humans trapped in paralyzed bodies and enable them to travel the stars via their own organic ship. It was a gift beyond measure for those she’d chosen.
Labrys, as they named the new ship, had its maiden voyage a year ago. Freux was delighted with it and as he patrolled their space and protected the galaxy and those other galaxies within their realm, its notoriety had grown. He’d named it, with Juls input. A labrys was a type of Greek double-edged axe. This was meant to represent both the Irisian and Khyberian nests, with Talio and Queen Altum Juls at the center joining the two halves. General Monsav had been pleased.
They were all surprised when he proposed that the new nest be called Bastions. The ships would now be the Labrys and the Centurion, again with the help of Juls’ history lesson. Talio would remain under the command of General Kor and remain the ‘queen’s’ ship. Everyone felt that the ships were an excellent portrayal of them in their new state. They were indeed a double-edged nest, in more ways than one. They were a bastion of protection of all they loved.
General Freux was admired for both his cunning and his ruthlessness. The word that he had a new queen and a new nest was a tantalizing bait for his admirers. Some of his warriors returned from other nests when word of his new ship reached them. Several small landlocked nests that had suffered similar losses of nest ships joined them as well.
Slowly, news of the large joint nest they had built leaked into the outer worlds. Juls knew that General Kor approached for a reason she did not want to think about. Her children were grown. She had to laugh, on Earth she’d never wanted children. Now she wanted to keep hers young and with her. Three years was a fast growing span and it had passed in a flash of brief, but intense, joy.