by J McGovern
‘I thought this was supposed to be a celebration,’ Glitz muttered, as they joined the Zierons in the square.
‘We do not believe in losing ourselves in good cheer, neither do we applaud forced joviality. The coronation of the Winter King is a distinctly dignified occasion.’
Glitz and Alyce stared out at the other Zierons, who were constantly arriving in the grey transport cubes. They looked remarkably like humans, except for their oddly straight-backed posture, and neutral expressions. Alyce couldn’t help thinking to herself that a Zieron man wouldn’t make a very good lover … She began to notice patterns in their dress. Some of the creatures wore nondescript grey robes, whereas others were attired in buttonless navy suits of the same design as Rell’s. What did all the variation in clothing mean?
When Alyce asked this question aloud, Rell explained that the Zierons organised their society by means of a sort of caste system, whereby all babies had their career path genetically predetermined from the moment of conception. In human society, Rell argued, many people were unhappy due to being genetically unsuitable for their jobs. Millions of receptionists craved a career as an artist, and millions of engineers secretly harboured dreams of becoming actors. The problem was, not enough of such jobs were available in human society to meet the number of people who desired them. Clearly, the most effective solution was to create people who would be perfect for their assigned jobs. For example, if the Zierons calculated a future need for another bookkeeper, they would produce someone with a feverish love of order and system. Genetic traits could be manipulated to such a precise degree that there were always the right amount of people for any vocation. Again, Alyce felt an instinctive loathing towards this policy of social engineering, but she could not seem to come up with a logical argument to oppose it.
As the time neared for the ceremony to begin, Rell explained that he had to leave; as Keeper of the Seals, he was required to change into a special robe for the festival. He vanished in a flash of light. Glitz and Alyce observed the scene with curiosity; none of the Zierons paid attention to them, or tried to engage in conversation. They stood on the paved area with the creatures, right at the edge of the empty green square, waiting for something to happen. About thirty minutes later, the ceremony began properly. The gathered spectators watched quietly as a slow procession emerged from a domed hall and began to proceed across the grass. The members of the procession were all dressed in vivid robes; Alyce picked out Rell, who was donning a purple and gold cloak. There had to be around fifty participants in the ceremony itself. The members of the parade stopped on the grass, and conjured a large stage into existence. Then many long-winded formalities were carried out, most of which Glitz and Alyce found to be abstruse, even incomprehensible. The Zieron elected to be crowned as Winter King was a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes; from what Alyce gathered from the proceedings, she had genetically engineered a new fibrous plant for cloth-making that was easier to grow on the outer worlds of their empire. Alyce had noticed that all of the more educated castes in Zieron society — the ones wearing suit-like clothing of various colours — all had blonde hair and blue eyes. The worker castes all had dull brown or grey hair. This was yet another aspect of Zieron society which she found troubling.
The whole affair lasted for almost two hours, during which time both Glitz and Alyce began to lose patience. Finally, the ceremony was completed, and a garland of golden flowers was slowly lowered onto the head of the female Winter King. Rell approached them once his role as Keeper of the Seals was completed, and asked them what they thought of the ceremony.
‘It was interesting,’ Alyce said.
‘I understand it may have seemed slightly tedious to a non-Zieron,’ Rell admitted. ‘Many of the customs you observed can only really be understood by someone with a full knowledge of our culture and history. You must be tired. Come, I will show you to your lodgings.’
‘There isn’t any need for us to stay.’ Alyce glanced at Glitz. ‘There’s a war brewing back home. We should —’
‘Nonsense! You must stay!’ The old man’s eyes twinkled. ‘I promise you, Alyce, that if you stay the night here you will not regret it. I have a gift for you both, but it shall not be ready until the morning. Stay, I beseech you.’
Alyce shrugged reluctantly. ‘Well, I guess we can stay one night …’
Beaming, Rell led the two humans out of the square, through the city, and into what appeared to be a forest. They did not recognise the trees, but they had similarities with the ancient oaks and redwoods preserved on the planet Chase. As soon as they entered the forest, it was as if a thick blanket had fallen over them. The silence of the forest was broken only by the chirping of woodland birds and the rustling of small mammals. As they followed Rell through the trees, sunlight streamed through the faraway leaves, bathing them in a gold-emerald glow. Finally, they reached a small cabin, which was made of hewn logs. It was set in a small clearing in the forest. Outside, there was a small log pile next to an axe.
‘Here?’ Alyce said.
‘It’s getting late,’ Rell replied. ‘The sleeping hours are nearly upon us.’ He pointed up; the bright sunlight was beginning to dim; the dusk was approaching. ‘You will find the cabin perfectly suited to your needs, I trust. Now, I must leave you. Good night!’
After that abrupt farewell, Rell disappeared in a flash of light before they could argue further.
‘I really hate it when he does that,’ Glitz muttered.
They stared at the cabin, and Glitz was the first to enter. It was a small, one-room affair, but nonetheless cosy. Fading light streamed in through two windows, and gently-burning candles provided additional illumination. There was a heady scent in the room; some kind of oil was burning over the flames. His spice trader’s nose decided that the scent bore a resemblance to vanilla and cloves. There was one noticeable problem with the cabin.
Alyce stepped inside, and noticed it immediately. ‘Only one bed.’
At the end of the cabin, there was a decorative, gilded bed, with silver knobs. It was covered in a silken material, and scented rose petals — or something of the kind — were sprinkled over the surface. In the dim light of the candles, it seemed very romantic.
Alyce blushed. ‘I guess … I guess Rell thought we were a couple.’
Glitz stood next to Alyce, facing the luxurious bed. ‘Well, waste not want not?’
Alyce punched him in the arm. But she couldn’t help grinning.
Feeling a rush of sensuality, Glitz read Alyce’s race; the connection was maintained. Slowly, gently, he drew her towards him and kissed her gently on the mouth. She flushed, and returned the kiss. With slightly trembling hands, Glitz stroked his hand across the back of her pink dress, and then unfastened it, letting the dress fall to the ground. She was wearing no underwear beneath the dress, and he began to caress her breasts gently. Then he removed his own clothes quickly and silently, and they both climbed under the sheets.
***
In the morning, Alyce and Glitz woke to the sound of birds singing. Fresh morning sunlight was seeping into the cabin. They sat up slowly, quickly realising that they felt none of the tiredness that usually accompanied mornings. For some reason — possibly the air was purer on Zieros, or maybe there was a higher level of negative ions — they awoke feeling perfectly refreshed and happy. Of course, it helped that they had both enjoyed a night of intense passion. Glitz realised that Rell must have left a single bed in the cabin on purpose; the man had recognised that they both had feelings for each other, and decided to give them a prod in the right direction.
‘I hope last night was OK for you,’ Glitz said softly, looking into Alyce’s eyes. Somehow, he had a feeling that he had left her very satisfied.
‘It was perfect,’ Alyce replied.
Glitz smiled, and conjured up a tray of coffee and pastries, courtesy of the nanobots that filled the air even in the forest cabin. They ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence, and then willed on a pair of c
lothes each. Glitz opted for a Vellorm jacket and plain trousers, while Alyce fabricated a comfortable black skirt and blouse. When they had dressed, there was a knock at the cabin. It was Rell. He smiled at them both.
‘I hope you slept soundly?’
Glitz and Alyce both smirked, avoiding each other’s gaze with slight embarrassment. Rell was wearing a navy suit again. ‘I have a gift for you. It is something that may help you in your crusade against the Weerms.’
Alyce frowned. ‘I thought you said you couldn’t help us.’
‘I said I could not build you a weapon. That is because Zierons have realised that there are invariably more intelligent ways to protect oneself against violence. I cannot build you a gun. But I have something for you of even greater utility.’ He beckoned them to follow him with a finger.
He led them to another clearing in the forest, a quarter of a mile from their cabin. There was a raised platform on the leafy soil, which seemed to be made of a marble-like rock. Alyce gasped when she saw what was on top of the platform. It was a ship — but a ship like she had never seen before. The central part of the ship was reminiscent of a huge missile, and three nacelles attached in a triangular arrangement defined the shape. The material was white, with a strange sheen.
‘This is the Deliverer,’ Rell said proudly. ‘My son, Horran, is a spaceship developer, and the inventor of the fissionable forcefield. He produced this ship as a prototype for the Zieron Defence Force, but it was ultimately judged as unusable, due to the use of rare materials in its design. The hull is made from a type of polymer — it is stronger than any metal, and will withstand almost any attack. In addition, the ship has three layered forcefields, as well as a full auto-repair system. It has FTL technology, of course, as well as all other regular features. An antimatter drive generates unlimited power for the ship; there is never any need to refuel.
‘But the really special thing about the Deliverer is the control system. The ship’s computer runs on an intelligent operating system, known as Seraph. The computer can handle all day-to-day operation, including flight, landing and defence.’
‘So you’re … giving this to us?’ Glitz said.
‘Yes.’ Rell smiled. ‘It is the least I can do. You have been very gracious guests, and I wish for you to win in your fight against the Weerms. All of your possessions from the Middlemarch have been transferred to the Deliverer. Of course, you may still take your other ship back to your galaxy if you wish.’
‘Well, thanks.’
‘I think I’ll leave the Middlemarch here, if that’s OK with you,’ Alyce said. ‘I never was very fond of it.’ She paused. ‘Aren’t you worried about being pestered by other humans? I mean, if people find out where the Deliverer came from, everyone will want one. It won’t be too hard for them to work out how to open the wormhole, I would imagine. Then you risk being inundated with people begging for a super-ship of their own.’
Rell nodded. ‘That would be a troubling thought. However, I’m afraid it will not be possible for humans to ever visit Zieros again.’ He paused, a dark look coming into his eyes. ‘There is a darkness coming, something that threatens our entire empire. The chaos has been foreseen by every soothsayer, every prophet of the Zierons.’
‘What kind of darkness?’ Alyce breathed.
‘We do not know. That is the terrible thing. We simply know that a great evil is soon to be visited upon this part of the Universe. The Zieron Council have agreed unanimously that our empire must be relocated. We have achieved immense power over the millennia, but it would be foolish to risk injury.’
‘Relocate? I don’t understand.’
‘The Universe consists of two types of space — creation and uncreation. This is an oversimplification, but close enough. The Universe is constantly expanding and changing; old galaxies die out and become emptiness, and new galaxies are born out of the chaos. We are simply taking control over this process. Our three galaxies will be shifted into another part of the Universe, an empty, creationless space called the void. We will then, I hope, be far from the reach of the great evil.’
Alyce shook her head, trying to comprehend the Zieron’s mind-boggling words. ‘So the wormhole will no longer lead to your galaxy.’
‘I am afraid not.’
‘So when do you plan to move?’
‘Today. The effects on the inhabitants of the Zieron Empire will be minimal. Many will not even be aware of the change. All visible constellations will stay exactly the same. To all intents and purposes, our three galaxies will remain unaltered. They will simply exist in a different part of space.’ He smiled at Alyce and Glitz. ‘If you like, you may stay to observe the galactic translation. We can still produce a one-time wormhole for you to return to your galaxy, once the process is over.’
Alyce glanced and Glitz, and smiled. ‘We’d love to see it.’
***
Glitz and Alyce were standing in a large underground cavern, surrounded by red-cloaked Zierons. As Rell had pointed out, red was the designated colour for engineers and scientists. It was these men and women of science that had developed the process to move the three galaxies. The great darkness had been prophesied by the Zierons nearly a century ago, and the time had finally come for the theory to be put into practice.
The cavern was located miles beneath the crust of the planet; Rell was unsure of the exact measurements, but believed it to be close to the actual core. Temperature-control devices maintained a habitable environment. The controls to shift the planet had to be located near the centre of the globe. Zieros was, quite literally, in the centre of the three galaxies. The calculations required for the matter translation process mandated the physical force to originate close to the centre of the empire.
‘I am glad you came to witness this,’ Rell said. ‘No human will ever be able to witness such an event again. You are both very honoured.’
Dozens of red-cloaked figures were checking devices built into the walls. A green island was located in the middle of the cavern, surrounded by a glassy blue lake of pure water. The cavern itself had to be at least a mile in diameter. Most of the engineers were working on machines at the periphery of the cave; the island seemed to be deserted. The whole place was illuminated by an artificial sun, which gave them the odd impression of being in daylight. Glitz swallowed as he observed the scientists. Now that the time was at hand, he was beginning to have second thoughts. What if something went wrong with the process? The idea of moving three galaxies across space sounded risky. What if the empire simply blinked out of existence? But it was too late now; the empire would be translated in less than thirty minutes.
‘Come with me,’ Rell said.
He was dressed in a ceremonial robe, complete with a gold jewelled chain. Three other Zierons approached, dressed in robes of various colours, and were introduced to Glitz and Alyce. The Grand High Zieron was wearing a yellow robe with white stripes, the Secretary was wearing a silver robe, and the Defence Force Leader was wearing a black robe. They bowed to the four dignitaries, which included Rell, the Keeper of the Seals.
‘It has been decided that you will be allowed to travel with us to the Wheel Island,’ Rell said. ‘If you so wish, of course. It is from the Wheel Island that the process of galactic translation will be initiated.’
Glitz and Alyce readily agreed, and were instructed to leave all electronic equipment behind. They complied, and followed the dignitaries into a large golden boat. There were no oarsmen, but as soon as the six people were safely seated, it began to move of its own accord across the lake, creating small ripples on the crystalline surface. It took them slowly to the Wheel Island, which appeared to be covered in a kind of jungle. The boat moored in a small lagoon, and Alyce and Glitz stepped off with the others. The jungle was eerily silent; there was apparently no animal life.
‘The Wheel Island uses plant-based energy as a power source,’ Rell explained quietly. ‘The translation process is extremely delicate, and any sort of electric device could disturb the pro
cess. Even a slight error could send our galaxies into a collision with another physical space, or cause us to dissemble.’
Glitz and Alyce silently followed the men into the very centre of the jungle. The robed Zierons walked with an almost holy reverence. A giant wooden wheel, with jutting spokes, stood in the middle of a piece of rock. There were no wires, no computers, no visible power source. Glitz began to wonder if the whole thing was nothing but hokum. How could a piece of wood move three galaxies across the Universe? After considerable chanting, the Grand High Zieron bowed to his fellow officials, and climbed on to the wooden platform. After taking a deep breath, and soliciting the good favour of Chance, their deity, he took hold of the wheel …
Alyce took hold of Glitz’s hand, and he squeezed it gently. As the wheel turned with a low clicking sound, a white glow began to fill the island. The light seemed to be filled with smaller sparkles, and Glitz felt a strange calm come upon him. It got brighter and brighter, filling the jungle with warmth — and then it faded.
‘Is it done?’ the Grand High Zieron asked.