Rajani Chronicles I

by Brian S. Converse

  “You’re sure there’ll be a minimum amount of scarring?” James heard Yvette ask. He smiled, knowing he wasn’t the only one feeling nervous.

  “Very little, Yvette Manidoo,” answered Rauph’s voice over the intercom. He was now in the control room across the corridor from the medical bay, as Bhakat programmed the machine with instructions for the operations. “Please, all of you count to ten.”

  James got to three before everything went dark.

  #

  Rauph watched on a portable tablet as the medical machine performed the surgery on the Humans. When the medical bay doors were shut, the room emitted a gas, killing any pathogens or other viruses, which sterilized the room, as well as the medibot. No one could enter the room until the operations were completed, ensuring it would remain a sterile environment.

  He replayed the conversation he’d had with Bhakat before initially waking the Humans up over and over in his head. Bhakat objected to implanting these Humans with the stones. It was against Rajani law to be implanted or to implant another inhabitant of Rajan with them. He’d told Bhakat he doubted that it mattered. There may not be any Rajani left to enforce the laws. They really had no other choice.

  The largest concern Rauph felt was the fact there was no way of knowing what the Johar Stones would do to the Humans. They may have implanted the stones in beings who would show no discernible effects from them. Although the Rajani physiology was similar, there were differences, especially between the brains of the Humans and the Rajani, from what Bhakat had told him.

  Rauph, as an Elder, and most importantly, as Keeper of the Stones, was one of the few Rajani allowed access to historical records relating to the stones. He had read files on data disks from past Keepers of the Stones explaining that the effects of the stones would become apparent eventually, no matter where they were implanted, due to their nature, which the Rajani had discovered after years of study. The quickest method was implanting them directly into the cerebellum of the individual. They needed enough time to see what those results were, which meant they had no time to wait.

  For the Rajani, the stones had produced consistent results in those implanted. Their strength was enhanced far beyond a normal Rajani, and each bearer of a stone was surrounded by a protective energy field. This energy field could be turned on and off according to the bearer’s wishes. It took on a solid appearance most times, appearing as though the bearer were encased in stone-like armor.

  The stones also appeared to have an effect on the physiology of the body, though Rauph saw there were some disputes over what these were among the various accounts of Keepers of the Stones he’d read. Most agreed the stones appeared to make the bearer become, or at least appear, younger. It was as if the stone restored the body to its physical peak, no matter the bearer’s age when implanted.

  Although the evidence collected by Bhakat suggested the Humans’ bodies would respond to the stone, this would all be for nothing if they didn’t. They would have to turn the ship around and continue their journey toward the seat of the Galactic Alliance in search of assistance, as they had first planned. Rauph strongly doubted assistance would be forthcoming, as the Rajani were not popular in the halls of the Alliance. It had been years since any official diplomatic contact had been made between the Rajani and most of the members of the Alliance, but memories of the war-like Rajani lingered, even after almost two thousand years of peace.

  No, Rauph thought, this must be our answer. He prayed the Humans would respond well to the operation.

  #

  James awoke a few days later. At least, he found himself lying on the operating bed staring at the ceiling. He had needles of pain sticking in his corneas, and his pulse was pounding in his temples. When he finished his self-examination, he found that something felt ... different, though not necessarily in a physical manner.

  It was almost like the night his wife had died. The whole way to the hospital, he thought something was different, as if something important was missing. He hadn’t even known at the time that his wife was already dead, but he’d somehow felt it. Now it was like he’d gained something back. He once again felt complete, though it was different than he’d ever felt before. He looked around at the others, all of them still sleeping, and wondered if the operations had been successful.

  He stood slowly and stretched, feeling the same familiar tightness in his body, as if he’d been asleep a while once again. He wondered when, or if, his powers would appear, and what they would be. Suddenly, he felt a charge run through his body and saw a translucent outline around his arms. He blinked, surprised, and it disappeared just as quickly.

  He concentrated again, and the energy field appeared once more around him. He looked at his arms, and then at the rest of his body, which were encased in the field. That’s it? he thought, feeling disappointment. He sat back down on the bed and waited for the others to wake.

  In the medical bay, Gianni rolled onto his side, rubbing his neck and grimacing. “Well, I feel great,” he muttered. Alien bastards aren’t putting me under again, he thought.

  Soon all of them were slowly sitting up and rubbing at their necks and eyes, except for James, whose bed was empty.

  The mechanical voice of Rauph came from the overhead intercom once again. “You must quickly become used to your stones. It will take us only a few Standard months to reach Rajan.”

  David yawned. He felt like his head was filled with cotton. “Wait. Where’s James, uh, Mr. Dempsey?”

  Kieren sat next to James’s bed, which appeared empty. “I don’t know,” she said, standing up slowly and stretching her arms out.

  “Maybe he changed his mind,” Gianni said, feeling like he would puke if he sat up too fast. “Figures.”

  “Be quiet,” Yvette told him. “He wouldn’t have done that.”

  James’s voice came from above his bed. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”

  Kieren was suddenly encased in a field of energy. She flew off the ground and away from his voice. “Oh my ...!” Her energy field appeared like a blue gem surrounding her body.

  James appeared. He was also surrounded by an energy field, which looked like lava rock; dark but not quite opaque. Kieren hung in the air a moment before returning to the ground clumsily. Her energy field disappeared as she touched the floor.

  “Guess I’ve discovered one of my new powers already,” James said. “So have you, Kieren.”

  Gianni threw his hands up again. “Great, I always was a slow learner.”

  “Not surprising,” Yvette said.

  David looked down at the black robe he was wearing. “Um ... can we please have our clothes back now?”

  #

  Yvette was pleasantly surprised to see the operations had left only a very small scar at the base of the neck on all of them. Judging from the one she saw on the back of Kieren’s head, hers was probably only an inch long, at the most. They hadn’t even had to shave any of her hair, which she’d been growing out for a few years. She would have been disappointed if she was forced to cut it off and start over.

  She’d woken up curious to see if she would feel any different. The only thing she’d felt was a slight headache for a few hours. When James’s and Kieren’s powers had manifested, she’d thought for sure her own would as well at any time, but it had been a full day, and still nothing.

  She was beginning to have doubts anything would happen, and decided the best thing to do would be to take her mind off it all. She began to work out in her room, practicing her martial arts training. It helped to both relax her body and focus her mind. If it turned out she never got powers, she wouldn’t be helpless in a fight, at least, though she would be very disappointed.

  #

  After waking from the operations, the five Humans had all gone back to the various crew and guest quarters to rest and recuperate. James had felt like he needed to sleep, but after sleeping for so long already, he kept finding himself awake, his mind unwilling or unable to shut down so soon after regaining con
sciousness. Now, on the second night since the operation, he was once again awake and restless.

  James had never been an eloquent speaker, though he’d held his own at the press conferences back on Earth. He found most of the people under his command didn’t want a leader who used flowery language or large technical terms when addressing them. It was more of a mindset than anything. Most of the men and women in the force had at least an associate’s degree, if not a bachelor’s. Yet old thinking died hard, and the culture around the department was still of a workmanlike, blue-collar approach to the job.

  James did appreciate good writing, especially good poetry, though he never let anyone see that side of him when he was working. Not even his partner, Steve, knew of James’s collection of poetry. It helped him deal with the stress of his job. Without poetry, he knew he probably would have turned to the alcohol, painkillers, or other drugs many of his peers used to cope with the horrors they dealt with on a day-to-day basis.

  When James discovered the little alien known as Janan had downloaded a variety of books and music to the ship’s central computer, he was happy to see some of those books included classic poetry from Eliot, Poe, Yeats, Dunn, Frost, and Whitman; a few of his favorites. He was able to access the poetry using the handheld tablet Janan had given him, which was linked to the ship’s central computer.

  The tablet was an amazing device, able to physically expand from a screen only a few inches square to one two square feet in diameter, depending on the user’s needs. Yet it felt like it weighed only a few ounces, and was as thin as a credit card. It put any of the electronic tablets back on Earth to shame.

  James was also surprised to find there was the option of having the ship’s computer read the books; sort of like an audiobook on Earth. He’d never heard the aliens talk directly to their computer or the computer talk to them, so it was interesting to find the computer was capable of that type of interaction.

  The important thing, though, was the availability of poetry. It helped him to wind down when he was feeling anxious, and to remember there was more to humanity than the horrific acts they could commit against each other.

  There were deeper truths to humanity than murder and deceit. Yes, there was darkness, but there was also light. He had forgotten that lately, and it felt good to remember it.

  Interlude

  Senator Josiah Manidoo was walking out of the Capitol Building, surrounded by other senators and their aides. A few reporters with cameras and recording devices hurried up to him as he was heading toward a waiting car. He hated how they always looked like scuttling insects. It was starting to rain, and his aide was standing by the open door of the car. Josiah sighed, wishing the man had thought to bring an umbrella.

  “Senator Manidoo,” one of the reporters asked. “Is it true you’ve filed a missing persons report on your daughter, Yvette?”

  “No comment,” Josiah said, hurrying as fast as he could on his bad hip. He was closer to the car, but the reporters persisted in their attention.

  “Is it true you’ve hired a private detective to find her?” another reporter asked.

  “No comment,” the senator replied, his hip starting to really burn now. He finally made it to the car and scowled at his aide. The man would be lucky to keep his job after this. The door was open and waiting for him to enter.

  “Is it true your daughter’s disappearance has derailed your plans to run for the office of President of the United States?” the first reporter asked, aggressively sticking his microphone in the senator’s face before he could close the door.

  “No goddamn comment,” he muttered angrily. The car door slammed, leaving a gaggle of reporters wide-eyed at the language used by the prominent senator.

  He knew it was unwise to show anger toward a reporter in the run-up to an election year, but he didn’t care at the moment. His daughter was missing, and that’s all that mattered. He’d worry about his public image later.

  Chapter Four

  “Rajan is smaller than your home planet,” Rauph intoned. He was standing before the gathered Humans in the same briefing room they had been in before their operations. It had been three days since the Humans had awakened from the procedure to insert the Johar Stones into their skulls, and Rauph thought it time to begin teaching them a little about Rajan.

  He’d had Janan round up three of the handheld tablets and then programmed the central computer to display a picture of Rajan on each of them. “The days, therefore, are shorter than on your planet, and the gravity lighter. I assure you, though, you won’t feel much of a difference when we arrive. You’ve been living with the decreased gravity since coming aboard this ship.”

  “Instant weight loss,” Moretti said, patting his plump midsection.

  Rauph saw Officer Dempsey give Moretti a frown of disapproval. He continued with his lecture quickly, not wanting to sit and wait for the two Humans to start up their feuding once again. “It’s also a little farther away from our sun, though close enough, still, to sustain liquid water, which is essential for life on most planets.”

  He reached down to the closest tablet and tapped the screen, and all of the screens zoomed in closer to the display of Rajan’s surface. “Because of the distance from the sun, Rajan is also somewhat cooler than the Earth,” he said. “The two poles are much like Earth’s, though they extend farther north and south, respectively. The population of Rajani, Sekani, and Jirina live along the equatorial region on Rajan’s only continent, mostly living in the capital city of Melaanse.”

  He tapped the tablet screen again, and it zoomed in to the coastline of the large continent. “Melaanse is also the largest city on Rajan, and is located on the eastern coast of the continent, almost exactly on the equator. West of the city is a large uninhabitable desert, which means the population lives mostly north and south along the coast.”

  “Wait,” Dempsey said. “Jirina? Who are they? You haven’t mentioned them before.”

  “They are another sentient species living on Rajan,” Rauph replied. “They are a ... helper species. I don’t know if my words are making any sense translated to you. The Jirina ... serve in the houses of the Elders, mostly, though they also work on the farms outside of the city.”

  “So we’ll have to save them too?” Gray asked.

  “Yes, I suppose so, now that you mention it,” Rauph said. “Forgive me for not bringing them up before, but it didn’t seem important to our story at the time.”

  “Okay,” Dempsey said. “But we need to know that kind of information if we’re going to be prepared when we arrive.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Rauph said, rubbing his hand over his beard. “If there are no other questions at this time, I believe we should take a break for our midday meal and reconvene here afterward. We shall then begin learning the fundamentals of the Talondarian Standard language, which is spoken throughout the Alliance.”

  #

  Kieren found she picked up the alien language quickly, which was not much of surprise. She was a teacher, after all, and was used to learning in this type of environment. The words almost translated themselves in her mind before Rauph told the group what they meant.

  She noticed James and David did well in the classes too. Yvette, it seemed, didn’t care about learning the language, and Gianni ... well, Gianni never seemed to care about being there. She thought about offering to help him study, but was afraid to offer. She felt like a high school girl again, afraid to show too much interest in a guy, so she decided it felt too much like asking for a study date and kept silent. It was what she’d always done, played it safe, to avoid the risk of being hurt. Speaking up brought attention, something that always made her feel uncomfortable.

  She’d always been a shy and reserved person, even when she was a little girl. Her brother, Dennis, was the wild one; the one who always had to have all eyes on him. She was happy to let him make a fool of himself as he strove to garner everyone’s attention. She was content to sit back and observe people. Any t
ime she chose to be assertive, she felt like a jerk afterward, like she was being too pushy with her opinions. It wasn’t in her to boss anyone else around or to forcefully tell people off—though she could control a classroom of six-year-olds fine. Yet she also got angry with herself at times for not speaking up when she needed to. Dennis wasn’t around anymore to do it for her. She sighed, wondering if her brother even knew she was missing.

  #

  Police lights flashed in front of a hotel in Detroit, Michigan, on a cold and rainy night. Police officers and ambulance attendants milled about a section of the pavement which had been cordoned off with yellow police tape. Within the tape, two cars sat, mangled from a high-speed impact and the use of Jaws of Life in the aftermath. A crowd of people, some with umbrellas, and some without, stood around outside of the police cordon. Their breath steamed in the cold night air.

  James Dempsey and his partner, Steve Montgomery, arrived on the scene in an unmarked police vehicle. James was dressed in his old Marine dress blues uniform, complete with medals and sword. This was his dream, and his mind mixed together parts of his life unrelated to each other.

  “Another one,” Steve observed.

  “Uh-huh,” James answered.

  They stepped out of the car and walked to where Officer Kelly stood, writing in a small notebook. Steve drank from a white Styrofoam cup the size of a small bucket.

  “Kelly, what happened here?” James asked.

  Kelly looked at Dempsey and showed no signs of recognition. “Excuse me, sir, you shouldn’t be in here.”

  The dream changed. Kelly was now a male nurse in a bloody green smock, holding a medical chart. James’s partner, Steve, had disappeared completely. “Sir? I said you’re not supposed to be in here.”

  James stood in the doorway of a hospital room, where nurses and attendants worked around a bed containing the body of a young black woman; they turned off lights and shut down medical equipment in a slow ballet of resignation. The woman was James’s wife, Jennifer.