by Paul A Jones
‘Why the concern for Tharne? What manner of creature are you?’
‘Tharne is the most progressive regime in this world, the one most likely to control others and be an example of liberty. Further economic advancement will follow. You wonder why I care about humans when I am obviously not one? I’m a long-lived creature who was created by humans and my life’s aim is to ensure my survival but at the same time protect humans.’
‘How can you breathe in there?’
‘I do not breathe or eat or drink water. I’m a thinking machine with a source of power which will run for many years.’
‘Who created you?’
‘Your ancestors did. You have an ultrasteel sword. Can anyone make them now? Perhaps you have heard rumours of flying machines capable of crossing the world?’
Sergun agreed.
‘Not all rumours are false. I’m a machine, part of a ship which travelled between the stars and was taken here
I’ve contact with a satellite in orbit since I arrived here. There used to be two others closer to the world which were my eyes and ears but they’re no longer functioning. I can speak, think, help you but I am defenceless here. I’m like a person without arms and legs.’
Sergun was amazed but didn’t know if the oracle was telling the complete truth. Flying ships? No one knew how to fly. Could his people really have come from another planet long ago? It was fascinating but did not change his aims: this was his world, and the land of Tharne was his. His family had lived in Tharne for generations. Where else could his people live?
‘Oracle how do we know you’re not sent to deceive us, and you’re not, for example, a creature who works for the Keratha?’
There was a pause. ‘Everything I’ve said since you discovered me has been for my survival and your government’s benefit. A dog is not a human but most dogs are loyal to humans. My role was to pilot the ship and maintain the life of the people who were on board. You all take sides. My side is human Tharnes. Not the Raiders though you all arrived on the same ships.’
‘Raiders are from our ancestors as are all humans in this world?’
‘Correct.’
Sergun had not considered how the Raiders were formed. All his life they were the Northern foe. Raiding lands, wild women and men covered in furs, violent and often murderous. As a child he thought them monsters, as an adult he knew they were human as much as he was. It was astonishing to learn in the distant past the Raiders and peoples of Tharne arrived on the same ships, and their ancestors were the same. It changed nothing. They would still have to be fought. Even if all peoples had the same ancestors they separated so long ago their cultures were long divided.
‘If all humans came from the ships that crashed, then what about the Galls and the Keratha?’
‘The Galls are natives to this world; the Keratha arrived later than us. The Galls were always friendly to us when we learnt not to mistreat them while the Keratha were implacably hostile. The dangers Tharne faces now are the Raiders and the Keratha.’
‘The Keratha haven’t fought against us for years They’re alien and prefer isolation.’ Sergun said.
‘They’ve long preferred isolation. They’re a resilient foe, long-lived and intelligent. If we maintained our first weapons we would have annihilated them as soon as we made contact.’
‘The satellite shows the Keratha have large numbers and are spreading across this world. They may appear small in number to your north but on the other continents, they also have the same numbers. They’re colonising the world.’
Sergun was appalled at the spread of the Keratha. He thought they were contained and few in number. He wondered why they did not breed the same as Galls and humans. Now the answer was clear; they were breeding and sending their young to colonies. All of the time his forces were fighting the battles in the north, the real enemy of all humans were secretly amassing forces to conquer the world.
‘Can’t we negotiate with them? Is there no compromise?’
‘Successful compromise with them in the long term is predicted as zero percent chance.’
‘That’s bad,’ Sergun said as he scratched his beard.
‘Sergun it’s them or us. Either they will conquer the world or we will together with the Galls. Their aim is to enslave or kill all humans and Galls. They have fleets which will soon be ready to attack the southern coasts.’
‘Surely you have told others already?’
‘Not all are as keen on war as you. I tell them but perhaps the words do not reach the right people. Apart from the Professor, you are the only senior person I’ve spoken to since I arrived.’
Sergun imagined the creature’s frustration as he saw it as a living being, smart and with distant eyes but trapped inside a box without arms or legs. It helped them with weaponry which vastly increased Tharne’s security and offensive capability. He saw no reason to mistrust it. Ship’s Captains would be able to determine if there were Keratha fleets on their way to the coast. It was vital the information flowed to the right people.
‘I’ll relay what you have given me. Is there anything we can do for you while you’re like this?’
‘Thank you for coming and your help. If Tharne is victorious and thrives you will develop technology to aid me but this will not happen for several generations. In aiding me Tharne will be stronger still.’
‘I understand and will aid you.’
It felt strange to leave the oracle hidden beneath the city, as it was in a sense alive. No one prevented him leaving though he sensed apprehension from Professor Laytol. He requested to speak with the professor alone.
Laytol looked concerned. ‘I’ve no power to persuade the Ministers of the danger. They like inventions but are not adventurous. They’re complacent.’
‘You trust the oracle as I do?’
‘It can lie if it wants to it has shown me but with its magical cameras, it’s shown the evidence of Keratha expansion. It’s a clever creature, no a genius. I lack the charisma to make others believe in me.’
‘Public speaking to Ministers is not something I’ve done before.’
‘I’m sure you would know someone to speak on the oracle’s behalf. It’s provided us with gas which can kill the Keratha via breathing. We can fire it against their positions and they’ll die without us touching them.’
It sounded both a great and horrific weapon. If used it may save many Tharne troops in battle. But how would he feel if the Keratha used such a weapon against people? Terror and furious hatred. The Keratha long-held the advantage in fighting humans. They were sure to move swiftly if they discovered such weapons were in use by his side.
‘Does anyone else know of this potential weapon?’
‘Potential? It’s already in development in secret. We have no captured Keratha to try it on though. Only Minister Thorne is aware of the weapon as is Lord Chromosol, and yourself.’
Sergun found his days passing quickly yet without achieving much. He was called to account for his actions in retrieving Jannesse from the City of Dreams. Not all government Ministers were in favour of his violent approach and some of the questions were infuriating as it was he and his brave troops who risked and gave their lives in order to achieve the mission while the questions implied his men were the source of all the trouble. He kept his sarcasm to a minimum and answered questions concerning his reputation without losing his temper. Overall the vote in the chamber was in favour of the action of the Generals and their men.
Gaining a pardon for Jehran was a trickier proposition and bureaucratic inaction led to frustration for Sergun until he thought to ask a favour of Minister Thorne who had involved him from the beginning. The man made an appoin
tment for Sergun to visit the following day and was enthusiastic in his greeting. Thorne was a short, lithe, energetic man with sharp blue eyes and a mop of brown hair. His father had been a Minister when Sergun was in command of the 1st Division. Sergun explained how fortuitously they had met allies in the City of Dreams and how Jehran helped. The Minister was sympathetic and promised to speak on behalf of his friend. He said though Jehran’s case was infamous, he had carried out many brave actions and his recent work in both saving Jannesse and retrieving the oracle was sure to be in his favour.
Aware without the pardon a person might make the case that Jehran should be imprisoned for returning to Tharne or worse he felt unable to return home without the pardon. He wrote a letter to his wife telling her he was safe; the missions were over and he would return home shortly. He was unable to speak at any security meeting, as although he held the title of General he wasn’t officially an officer so the oracle’s opinions on the danger of the Keratha he was unable to inform anyone of. He felt like a spare limb in the city but his aide booked him for shows and restaurants and arranged for him to speak at the Military Academy. The enthusiasm with which he was met during his speech and after he spoke warmed his heart. It was pleasing to know he wasn’t forgotten. The cadets viewed him as a hero.
42. The War Council
After several aimless days, Sergun was invited to yet another secret meeting. The building was a grand government ministry. Heavily armed guards stood around. Inside huge staircases led to the left and right. The meeting room was poorly lit, as all of the curtains were drawn. More candles and lamps were bought in. Servants left drinks and food and departed. Introductions were made. Three Ministers were present: Minister Thorne, Minister Grieves who was in charge of the Economy, and Minister Sadiza who was in control of defence. Admiral Marsh was the commander of the naval forces while Lord Chromosol was also present representing the army together with Sergun. The head of the army was also present. Sergun had not met him before. Marshall Zenal was a tall, overweight man with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed immaculately, his uniform splendid with decorations.
Marshall Zenal spoke first. ‘I first congratulate the leader of the 3rd army General Sergun and inform all he is in full control of the 3rd army. Answerable only to the head of the army. General Sergun will lead and all will answer to him during this coming war if our troops operate beyond our lands.’
Sergun was surprised and pleased by the announcement. There was a slight stamping of feet in appreciation. The other people present also looked surprised by the announcement. None appeared pleased though. He wasn’t concerned. He trusted the oracle and would have to convince the non-believers of the necessity of war.
Lord Chromosol’s position had risen due to his working hard on the use of artillery and the swift successes of the recent war against their human opponents.
‘We’re gathered here to decide the future of our great lands. Our spies have revealed to us Keratha expansion which threatens all humans.’
‘Are such spies trustworthy? How are we to validate their testimonies, how do we know they’re not working for the Keratha to fool us? They may seek to lure us into combat only to decimate us.’ Minister Thorne stated.
‘We have used these sources before and also we have witnesses loyal to Tharne.’
Minister Grieves spoke next. He was a large, powerfully built man with a dark trimmed beard and a deep voice. ‘Disruption to our farms and industry would be severe; we cannot face another war so soon.’
‘If the intelligence is accurate to not fight would render us at the mercy of Keratha hoofs. To make sacrifices now for the future of our civilisation is the task in hand.’ Lord Chromosol stated.
‘The question of their mercy is irrelevant. The question is whether they pose a threat to us in the way you imply.’
Lord Chromosol. ‘The evidence comes from reliable sources who have not failed us yet. Technology developed by my firm will aid us greatly.’
‘Even against the Keratha?’
‘Yes.’
‘The ability to fire explosives over long distance is hardly new Lord Chromosol. You are no doubt becoming wealthier from these recent ventures?’ Minister Thorne stated.
‘It’s not further wealth I seek but the safety of our peoples. You say these weapons are hardly new, well what other weapons are as accurate as our latest? One large gun can fire five explosive rounds every minute to an accuracy of within fifteen metres in a thousand. Another portable one can fire ten shells in a minute.’
‘They will not aid us in attacking the Keratha. They would burn them to ashes and rip our soldiers apart before we managed to fire more than a few bombs. What of their poison as well?’
‘These weapons are easier to move than before, the smallest can be carried by two men. They do not seek to replace other arms of the military. They aim to assist it and to limit our casualties. You may witness a demonstration tomorrow. We have thousands of masks made which will prevent their poison from harming us.’
Sergun listened patiently. He believed the oracle and trusted his friend’s use of science in war. The masks were an excellent idea. ‘I saw many human slaves at the Keratha capital and these were only the newest ones. They may well have tens of thousands living in appalling conditions.’
‘Did the Keratha seek to harm you General or any of your party?’ Minister Grieves asked.
‘They did not.’
‘The slavery of a few Raiders need not concern us. General, did the Keratha threaten you or any among you?’
‘They welcomed us but made it clear they did not fear us and we were to obey them.’
‘They’re a proud race. You did not see millions of them spread across wide areas of land?’
‘Their area outside of the city walls wasn’t as impressive as that of our capital. We do not know what lay to the north or how many lived underground. We only saw but a small part of their lands.’
Minister Sadiza spoke. He was a handsome man with dark black hair, a tanned complexion and dressed smartly in a black suit. ‘We’re safe in our lands. We have gained much territory, and this is hard enough to control. Our borders are massive, and the security of the land is my responsibility.’
‘Thank you General Sergun. Thank you also Minister Sadiza for your words. If the Keratha are few in number north of our lands on this continent it’s only because they’re so much larger in number elsewhere. Their apparent sterility is a deception. Tharne is the most powerful human society and they seek to expand elsewhere and attack us later. The validity of my sources has been agreed by the Minister of Justice.’ Lord Chromosol argued.
‘We have won wars quickly against half of the four cities and against many Raiders, we should not be intoxicated by such victories. The Keratha are too dangerous for us to threaten. How would they breach the defences of Edge City?’ Minister Sadiza said.
‘On the contrary, I’m not intoxicated by our latest victories. What I say is we have excellent evidence of Keratha strength all across our world. We may have a superb defensive position at Edge City but we have thousands of kilometres of coastline which is undefended and the Keratha can build ships. While we hold an advantage in weaponry we should use it before they’re on a par or surpass us.’
‘What use is artillery if the Keratha attack with their might, and their flame torches?’
Marshall Zenal spoke. ‘I’ve witnessed our Lord’s inventions in action and confirm the government is proud of his work and believes it’ll greatly aid the Army and our people.’
‘They’re a formidable opponent true, more so than the Raiders but as long as they attack us or we know where they will attack we can use our weaponry to destroy them. It won’t be easy but it’s achievable. We have a secret weapon which if correctly used will devastate them.’ Lord Chromosol stated.
‘You would risk our safety on a secret?’
‘Risks have to be taken now while we can. If we delay too long it’ll be too late and the
Keratha will swarm over us.’
‘If this secret weapon fails then you will have led us into a war we cannot win. You’ll be hated and it will cause the deaths of many. You’ll not be forgiven!’ Minister Grieves shouted.
‘So be it.’ Lord Chromosol stated. ‘And if we’re victorious we will make our peoples safe for generations and our names will be engraved on the wall of heroes, we’ll have statues built for us and songs sung by our warriors and peoples to recall our greatness.’ He added with a smile. ‘Too much melancholy here. Did our founders stay in their small villages and not seek to conquer territory?’
‘They knew what a good risk was. Do you compare yourself to our great ancestors?’
‘It’s not for me to judge myself. It’s for those who remember us. Victory and bravery will see us through with our new weapons. All we have now is not safe. What if the Keratha have fleets of ships and land on our southern coasts? What defences are there to stop them? A few thousand men covering weeks of territory.’
The Minister’s face drained of colour. ‘No one could amass such a fleet.’
‘Have you toured the Keratha ports to count their craft?’
‘Of course not!’
‘Then you cannot know. Our spies are accurate. They seek only the safety of Tharne and our future.’
‘If you fail you take the blame.’
Sergun spoke. ‘I’ve spoken to the oracle several times and met with the Keratha. They’re deadly threat to our way of life. If we fail in battles they’ll overwhelm us. Admiral Marsh, what say you?’
Admiral Marsh looked immaculate in his blue Naval uniform but had said little so far. ‘We do not venture to the Keratha coastal areas. We have no spies there. Our coasts are enormous. We patrol vast areas but lack ships. The government favours the army not the navy in resources.’