Realm I

by H. G Ahedi

  “We have finally found it.”

  Aithon remained silent.

  “Explain your silence.”

  “It’s puzzling because it was not one of our ships,” Aithon said lowly.

  “I see.”

  A slight tremor shook the castle. Aithon looked through the windows of the large hall. A fleet of Orias ships flew over the castle.

  “Ahh. Our ships have returned after conquering another realm.”

  Aithon bowed.

  “After all this time you have served under me, you still do not approve,” the queen noted.

  “My queen. I am entitled to my own thoughts.”

  “Yes.”

  “Your father . . .”

  “My father was a fool!” screamed the queen. Her voice was so loud that it traveled to distant parts of the kingdom. Thunder crashed in the sky. The dark clouds circled the castle like a bad omen. The flying beasts hovered over the fortress.

  “My apologies,” Aithon said, getting back on his knees.

  “Do not remind me of my father. Because of him, I have to search the galaxies for what is my birthright.”

  “Yes, my queen.”

  “They burned this planet and buried its civilization and stripped away its beauty. I will restore it, no matter what the cost.”

  Aithon said nothing. The wind calmed down. The clouds disappeared, and so did the flying beasts.

  “Tell me why I am sensing it if we have not found it,”

  “Because someone else has discovered it,” Aithon told her reluctantly.

  The wind blew again.

  “How?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Where?”

  Aithon hesitated.

  “Where?” the queen repeated.

  “It is a realm far away. The species is humanoid yet advanced.”

  “And we have not conquered it yet?”

  “Our scout ship returned with some interesting information. I sent a small fleet, but . . .”

  “They failed?”

  Aithon became silent. “Yes. The fleet failed, but the three scout ships returned with valu—”

  “Returned? And you spared them!” the queen roared. “You should have thrown them in the valley of fire! Why haven’t you sent a bigger fleet?”

  Aithon had learned it was best not to respond to the queen immediately.

  “Why wasn’t I told?”

  “It was a survey mission.”

  The black smoke whirled again. It was apparent the queen didn’t approve.

  “What do we know about this realm?” the queen asked.

  “It is small and insignificant,” Aithon replied. “They live in their own world and are explorers and have limited ships.”

  “Then they are no match for us. We should eliminate them.”

  Aithon remain silent.

  “Do these limited beings have it?”

  “Yes, one of the pieces,” Aithon said.

  “That means they have discovered the first piece while we have been searching the galaxy and have failed! My father forced me into millions of years of slavery. I have waited long enough. What is mine should be returned to me! I should send you to oblivion!”

  The gale returned and rushed through the castle.

  “My queen,” said Aithon gently. “You ordered me to look for the pieces. I have done so. Even if they have discovered it, they do not know how to wield its power. They are not destined to use it. You are. They are created differently.”

  The gale disappeared. “You are right,” the queen conceded. “Their ignorance could benefit us.”

  “The best thing would be to get it before they learn more.”

  “Bring it to me.”

  “Yes, my queen.” Aithon stood upright. He bowed again and walked away.

  “On the other hand,” said the queen.

  Aithon stopped and turned.

  Titan, Deck 2, Conference Room

  Anastasia was disturbed. It wasn’t going as she thought it would. In the last week, Titan had turned into a political circus and a center for criticism. She had presented all the evidence to the tribunal. She had interviewed Emmeline, and understood the situation. But it seemed like the Imperial Command was not listening, and they began scrutinizing Titan. An investigation had begun looking into the officers who worked at the station, including herself. She had a feeling that this was a war she wasn’t going to win and wasn’t looking forward to the preliminary hearing.

  She found herself in a large dark hall, facing three rectangular screens. It was all wrong. What had begun as a venture to seek a simple solution for the naive actions of two young women had turned into a tense situation. She was sure that the admiral was playing both parties, and she felt her trust in his abilities fading. In the last two weeks, she could see a growing divide between the crews of the ships and Titan’s crew. She had heard from various sources that the admiral had been grooming the ships’ captains to take his side. Not that they liked him, but they feared the consequences if they didn’t follow his orders.

  Anastasia felt that the Imperial Command was using the incident to distract themselves and everyone from the truth. The truth about war and the danger from the Orias. It was apparent that because they had won the first war; they thought they could handle anything. It was arrogant and wrong. It was interesting was that the Imperial Command was not only questioning Emmeline’s motives, but also everyone involved. Titan’s crews’ loyalties were being tested. This was disturbing. This week all the senior officers underwent a review, including her. Anastasia felt her integrity as a commander was being questioned.

  Judge number one was Dr. Victor Hall, an elderly fellow whose face was creased with wrinkles. He was representing the science committee in this hearing. Anastasia could see his hands shaking as he read his notes.

  Judge number two was Lady Vermont. She represented the people of Earth. She was a sharp-looking woman who appeared to be in her thirties but, surprisingly, was one of the oldest humans alive. Some called her a celebrity; others called her a freak. Why? She was a result from an experiment of humanity’s longtime dream of becoming immortal. Turning off the aging genome. They’d found a way all right, but it had turned the subjects into maniacs who’d committed genocides and, one by one, had to be terminated. But somehow, Lady Vermont had survived. As a child, she’d differed from others. Quieter, smarter, and most of all, normal. The symptoms of craziness had never appeared in her, although she’d been constantly monitored for over fifty years. While scientists had questioned her survival and never left her alone, she’d put her time to good use. She’d studied law, worked harder than anyone, and now she was a member of the formidable tribunal. Someone who had power in the Imperial Command, and from what she had heard, Lady Vermont knew how to use it.

  Anastasia knew she still underwent scans, but the Imperial Command now considered her an asset, not a threat. The fact remained that she wasn’t normal. And immortality or long life had another heavy price: the subjects were sterile. While Lady Vermont’s life had made others envious, she did not impress Anastasia. She felt the woman was hiding something. Or maybe she just didn’t like politicians.

  Judge number three was Admiral Keith Vince. He was a stern-looking man whose only mission appeared to be to intimidate other people. Anastasia assumed he was around her age, but he was bald with hardly any visible eyebrows. His skin was pale, and he didn’t have any facial hair. His appearance added to his intimidation because he almost looked like an artificial being.

  “This is a highly unusual situation, Commander,” stated Lady Vermont.

  “Of course,” said Anastasia. “One of our young scientists was looking for a source of energy. She found it, but in the process, someone was killed. You must consider that this could be one of the finest findings of this century. I don’t understand. Instead of focusing on what was found and investigating the portal, we’re sitting here and focusing on punishing the only person who actually believed and had the guts to
go after it.”

  “And there were consequences,” stated Lady Vermont.

  “There are always consequences in science and war,” Anastasia argued. “She’s a bit naïve and immature. Yes, restraint is required, but logic suggests that we might need people like her at this time.”

  “What time?”

  “We are at war,” Anastasia declared. “The Orias might attack at any time.”

  “This hearing has nothing to do with that.”

  Anastasia looked at their faces. “It has everything to do with it. The Imperial Command is underestimating the Orias.”

  “From what we’ve seen, our fleet did an exemplary job,” said Admiral Vince. “It fought the Orias and protected the perimeter. You have all the help you need. You’ve erected shields around the perimeter and developed advanced weaponry. You have an entire squadron on standby, not to mention six of Earth’s biggest ships. And then there’s Titan.”

  “We barely survived the last battle. We need to be ready,” Anastasia said.

  “Is that why you were reluctant to send Prometheus to return to Earth, even for repairs?”

  “Yes, because . . .”

  “But you have no authority. Prometheus will follow orders and report to the Imperial Command,” said Admiral Vince.

  “Well, we are trying to fix it here . . .”

  “Commander, I think you’re overreacting. Nothing can penetrate the perimeter,” he added.

  Anastasia was dumbfounded.

  The tribunal made a few notes.

  “If you are blaming this girl for breaking the law, you should also reconsider the Admiral decision to enter the gateway. He was asked repeatedly not to enter the portal, but he did. That lead to the earthquakes, destruction of the planet and Delta death.”

  “That would have never happened if the girls had followed procedures and reported to you,” answered Admiral Vince.

  She thought was best not to argue.

  “You may now step down, Commander,” said Admiral Vince.

  Anastasia got to her feet, turned, and walked to sit beside Argon. Officers who were directly linked with the incident occupied one side of the hall. Emmeline sat alone on the other side, facing all her friends. There were a few silent spectators, including Mykel, whose face showed growing concern. Anastasia didn’t know if it was for her, Titan, or Emmeline. Next, Dr. Kent was called to the stand.

  “I have reviewed your statement, Doctor,” said Dr. Hall.

  Dr. Kent nodded.

  “You have a high regard for the young lady.”

  “She is hardworking, dependable, and one of my brightest students.”

  “And yet she has endangered lives twice.”

  Dr. Kent lowered his head and glanced at Emmeline. “She can be a bit . . .”

  “Reckless?” said Lady Vermont.

  The doctor said nothing.

  “The record show that two years ago, she conducted an experiment that involved radioactive material. A project that you now call the Phoenix. She got the material without your authorization and used it without training, endangering everyone’s lives on Titan,” said Dr. Hall.

  Anastasia and Argon looked at each other.

  “It resulted in damaging several systems on the space station and nearly destroyed the lab.”

  Again Dr. Kent said nothing.

  “But you took complete responsibility,” Dr. Hall added.

  “Yes, and that’s why I took extra caution,” explained Dr. Kent. “Since then, I’ve been very strict with her. I put additional systems in place so it wouldn’t happen again. I checked all of her activities and experiments. I took away her privileges to order equipment and materials. Everything needed to go through either me or Anastasia, and that worked. I have to mention that the idea of the Phoenix sparked due to her little experiment.”

  “If you hadn’t taken responsibility, what would have happened?” asked Lady Vermont.

  Dr. Kent bowed. There was a long pause.

  “Dr.?”

  “She would have been disqualified,” he replied, glancing at Emmeline, “It would have tainted her record and she could never become an astrophysicist.”

  Now Anastasia understood why Dr. Kent was so careful about everything Emmeline did or submitted to the science committee. He was protecting her. A sense of guilt engulfed her. She always blamed him and thought he was punishing her.

  “But this search for this mythical device was a personal endeavor,” Dr. Hall continued.

  Dr. Kent remained silent.

  “Rather than doing scientific research, she was out chasing myths,” added Admiral Vince.

  “Which turned out to be true,” Dr. Kent grumbled.

  “What does this thing do?”

  “You’ll have to ask her.”

  To that, the tribunal had no response.

  “Dr. Kent, you may now step down,” said Admiral Vince.

  Anastasia bit her lip. The tribunal seemed to check their statements and the extent of their support for Emmeline. That wasn’t unusual. If the Titan crew backed Emmeline, the issue would be taken to the high court, which would involve the science community and a broader audience. It could work for or against Emmeline.

  After hours of scrutiny, the judges turned to the group.

  “Looking at the entire picture, each one of you is indirectly responsible for what has occurred. This is indeed a tragedy,” said Lady Vermont in a firm tone. “Never have I come across such a situation. Commander Waters and Dr. Kent, you are her seniors. You were aware of what she was doing, and yet you didn’t act. Instead, you indulged her.” Her eyes shifted to Adrian. “You knew there was a high possibility that Delta Dune and Emmeline Augury had left the system and broken the law, but you told no one. In the tribunal's view, all of you have lost your good judgment because of the bonds you have created with each other.”

  Everyone looked at each other in astonishment and confusion.

  Next, Emmeline was called to the stand. A shiver passed through her body, and she avoided looking at any of her friends. She hadn’t spoken to anyone, not even her father. Due to the circumstances, the Imperial Command allowed him to come to the station. Arthur had not come to visit her, but Argon informed her that she had his support. The room was dark and cold, and she felt three pairs of eyes boring into her soul.

  “Could you explain what happened?” Lady Vermont asked her.

  Emmeline nodded. She spoke in a low, unenthusiastic tone as she explained her actions over the past couple of months.

  “That’s quite a story,” said Dr. Hall when she was done.

  Emmeline said nothing.

  “Can you explain these phenomena?” asked Lady Vermont.

  “No. I can’t explain the gateway or how someone or something was able to hide an entire planet. We need to study it further,” Emmeline replied.

  “Where is this . . . piece now?”

  “I gave it to Argon Keston.”

  The judges nodded.

  “Your record is outstanding. Despite your mistakes, your research is excellent, but I cannot ignore the fact that you have broken the two biggest laws of our society,” said Lady Vermont.

  “The consequences are not only going to affect you,” Dr. Hall said. “They’re going to affect everyone.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Emmeline, glancing at her friends. “It’s not their fault.”

  “It has been proposed that this situation has not been handled well. Perhaps room for new people should be made,” said Admiral Vince.

  Emmeline couldn’t breathe. Her gaze moved from one face to another. There was murmuring in the hall, but she ignored it. “They have to suffer because of what I did?”

  “Young lady, there are always consequences. This is a preliminary hearing. Nothing is determined,” explained Lady Vermont.

  “Can you elaborate?”

  The tribunal members looked at each other.

  “We were planning to outline these later, but now is a better time. These are
the recommendations of this tribunal to the Imperial Command,” stated Admiral Vince. “Lieutenant Olson should be dismissed and transferred to Challenger colony. Of course, he may appeal. Commander Waters and Dr. Kent’s records will show misconduct. The Crystal Lab will be handed over to the science—”

  “What?” roared Dr. Kent.

  “Remain silent!” Lady Vermont’s voice echoed throughout the room. “These are just the recommendations. Let the admiral finish.”

  Emmeline lowered her head.

  “A science committee will monitor all projects and experiments at Crystal Lab. There will be changes in the chain of command. Commander Waters will report directly to Admiral Donavan. The fleet, including the Prometheus will serve under the admiral. Of course, there will be further discussion about this.”

  Emmeline felt as if the room just became darker. When the admiral finished, Lady Vermont turned to Emmeline. “We went through your logs for the last month. There’s something else you should have reported.”

  Emmeline felt everyone’s eyes on her. She didn’t understand. “I . . .”

  “In your logs, you state that you may have found the remains of Alexander Hendrix.”

  Emmeline’s jaw dropped, and gasps sounded in the meeting room. Emmeline had never dreamed that knowledge would be used against her. She didn’t know if it had any bearing on what had happened. Her eyes turned to her friends. Everyone was staring at her.

  Admiral Vince looked coldly at her. “He was a wanted man, a man who robbed us of the truth about Nemesis. You had DNA proof that he’d died, and yet you did not report his death or the location of his body. That is a criminal act.”

  “I-I . . .” Emmeline now recalled the message from the clinical lab. Yes, the bone Delta had extracted from the body underneath the rocks had belonged to Alexander Hendrix. She recalled the small container she’d found with the rocky plaque, but she’d been so excited about finding the plaque that she’d completely ignored it.

  “I’m not done yet. Did you find any data on him? Any module or anything that would show what he was up to?” asked Admiral Vince.

  Emmeline pressed her lips together and shook her head.

  “Child,” said Lady Vermont in a long tone. “Answer very carefully.”