Trial by Ordeal

by Philip R Benge

Chapter Two

  Conspiracy

  Day 145 Helionia Calendar

  The election for the Presidency of Helionia was due in thirty days. The election was being contested between Marot Pallas and General Ares Fortuna, and it would be such a hard closely fought contest that none of the pundits could predict the result.

  Tonight the bitter contest was being fought out on prime time television between the parties. Marot Pallas who would now lead the centre of the road conservative party, taking over from the outgoing President, and Ares Fortuna who led the ultra-right Partisan party, which he had done so for the past ten years. Marot Pallas wanted to move the economy on by peaceful means, and Ares Fortuna wanted to take what they needed by force, although he didn`t spell his party`s proposed policies out in quite those words. The problem behind this difference of opinion was that for generations the people of the planet Helionia had depleted the planet`s fuels and metals, and thought little about the future. The planet had been exploited since the dawn of the industrial age, now it was short of natural assets and was facing stagnation. It was even possible that there would be a rapid fall in the living standards, which up until a few years ago had grown, to a record high.

  Ares Fortuna was the first to put his argument to the Helionian people.

  “People of Helionia, we all know that our future is bleak if something radical is not decided upon very soon. We, the Partisan party, think that it should happen sooner rather than later, which has not been the policy of the conservatives up until this election. They would rather close their eyes to the problem in the hope that it might just go away. We propose to rescue our planet from the depths to which it is fated to fall under the present administration, by approaching the small number of planets that are relatively near to Helionia, and which are far less technologically advanced than we are, and ask to share the mineral wealth on their worlds. In return, we will offer their people employment as they work to help us secure the future of Helionia. There is also the question of the wormhole that has recently been discovered by my own starship. The wormhole travels to the far side of the galaxy, and my personal starship the Dagger, travelled through it to explore the regions of space at the other end of it. I can now disclose to you that we found a number of uninhabited star systems that in the long term would make ideal colony mining worlds for Helionia, and they could supply us with all that we shall need in the way of natural resources. I propose that we despatch a fleet of starships through the wormhole to begin to extract all that we need from the numerous planets awaiting us. Now as regards our immediate needs. We also found a number of sparsely populated worlds. Just as the planets that are nearby, they are not too advanced technologically speaking. These worlds will have to be looked into more closely, before we can decide on any action that we should take, but we think that they can supply us with all of the natural resources that we require in the short term.”

  Ares Fortuna had not said why all of these planets, both near or far, would help Helionia, but most people recognised the fact that he meant that they would be forced to help them. It was thought unlikely that they would willingly give up their mineral wealth without getting something very tangible in return, such as modern technology. Ares Fortuna though had other thoughts in regards to this, for he was certainly not going to trade technology for raw materials. The points that he had made seemed very reasonable to the television viewers, if one didn`t push him for the details behind his plans to save Helionia.

  Marot Pallas now spoke to the people of Helionia.

  “My friends, the Conservative party also believes that we should approach our neighbouring planets and request their help, but we believe it should be done by offering technological advances in exchange for what Helionia requires, raw materials. This of course might limit the amount of materials that we can get quickly by these means, and it might be more expensive. It could also mean that we, the Helionian people, might have to accept a small reduction in our living standards. Surely, this must be more acceptable to an advanced civilisation such as ours is, rather than war, which would be the result of the policies just now outlined by Ares Fortuna. Interplanetary war would cost all of the planets involved in the conflict a great deal. However, it would take time before the benefits of any military action began to flow back to Helionia, and it would probably result in a fall in our living standards anyway. In the long term, I propose instead that we equip a fleet of small vessels to investigate all the uninhabited systems this side of the dark nebula, their job would be to search for the minerals that we need. There is also the prospect of setting up mining colonies in the uninhabited star systems at the other end of the wormhole, which Ares Fortuna recently discovered. So once again, I say that we should accept a drop in our living standards in the short term so that we can invest in our future. I also propose that our priests look into the religious restrictions imposed on our people that stop us from proceeding through the dark nebula. If they can find a way around the restrictions, then we can seek out fresh sources of supply there too, for there must be many more planetary systems there as well.”

  One member of the studio audience forced Ares Fortuna to admit that he was prepared to use force against any planets that wouldn`t assist them in securing their planets future, other than by supplying them with raw materials at the price set by the aliens. The televised debate was over, so Ares Fortuna left for home. Marot Pallas though spent another hour off camera discussing options with the studio audience. The discussions didn`t end here though, it was carried on inside the television studios of Helionia. Aged politicians were dragged out of retirement by the television companies to give their opinions to the viewers, and television pundits delighted in telling viewers why they wouldn`t work, and how they would save the planet.

  Day 146 Helionia Calendar

  Ares Fortuna slept late the next day, but during the afternoon, he met up with the leading politicians of his party to decide on their next move. Barack Viranco, his second in command, should they win the election, had been thinking long and hard about their opponent Marot Pallas.

  “Without Pallas the party would fall apart, they could never find another politician who the people would trust, the rest of the conservative party are already in the present administration, and have failed dismally to help get Helionia moving ahead, we simply need to remove him to win the election.” Viranco said.

  “That sounds fine but how do we remove him without the blame being laid at our door?” Fortuna demanded to know.

  “I can tell you a way Ares.” An old woman said to Fortuna, Ares Fortuna swung around, startled by the voice that came from behind the group of men, who were too taken up with their discussion to notice her entrance. He saw a very haggard old crone before him, she was in fact Ares Fortuna`s mother, but not even he knew that fact.

  “Magi, how did you get by my men, and why are you here. I thought that you were a friend of the Pallas family, why would you wish to help us?” Fortuna asked suspiciously.

  “Not everything is as it seems Ares, for did you know that I knew your mother, and that I promised to help her son in whatever way that I could. She died at the hands of the father of Marot Pallas and I am here to fulfil my promise to her. I have simply been biding my time to punish Marot for his father`s deeds, and now I`m ready.” The old crone said in a voice filled with evil that chilled the blood of even these assembled politicians.

  “If you expect me to believe that Compton Pallas committed murder, then you must think that I am simple, old woman, ready for my grave.” Ares Fortuna said in disgust at something that tore across all of their religious beliefs and what he thought to be credible.

  “No of course he did not kill her, but having made her with child he left her to care for herself, she died giving birth to you. If he had provided a doctor she needn`t have done so, she could still be here to sit by your side and comfort you, yes even now when you lead the partisan party.” Magi said when she saw the look of scorn that appeared in his eyes. Magi had bent
the truth, but so what, Magi had been sent away to die, and the person who had returned was not the innocent young woman who had been sent away.

  “Are you saying that Marot Pallas is my half-brother?” Fortuna asked sceptically.

  “Yes, except he got the money of the Pallas family, while you went to an orphanage, and had to work to get where you are today.”

  Ares Fortuna`s face took on an angry grimace. “So I do have a family then, but not for long if I can help it, what is this help that you offer to me Magi?”

  “We will arrange the kidnapping of Marot Pallas, as Barack suggested, and take him through the ancient portal that your men have been investigating so secretly.” Magi laughed at the surprise that came to Fortuna`s face.

  “I know many things Ares, maybe one day I will tell you some of them, for the moment listen while I tell you the rest of the plan, and of things that you do not know. For instance did you know that Patina Pallas has a young lover who pleases her while her husband wears himself out trying to find ways to stop you?” Fortuna sat back in his chair amazed at what the old crone was telling him.

  “No, you didn`t, well we will leave enough clues to ensure that even Captain Lysenko of the state police finds them, and the newspapers too, they will provide more than enough of a motive to show that Patina and her lover planned it all. We will arrange for Patina to travel through the vortex, you call it a wormhole, she will try to get help from the leader of those planets that you have been investigating on the other side of the galaxy, and she will get it, after a fashion. The person she gets the help from, help that she will so desperately require, will also be the one to kill her, and her husband too, in revenge for her crimes that she will commit against this alien and his family. Patina Pallas will be blamed by the people of Helionia for everything, for will it not be she who travelled to far off Orion to bring this man back to Helionia.”

  Ares Fortuna and his friends sat still, all lost for words, all afraid to be the one to ask a question of the evil old crone.

  “I have been planning their downfall ever since you were born Ares, ever since then I have learnt the secrets of the spirit world, and through this world I travelled through the vortex to the planet called Orion. There, I watched a man that I know you to be interested in, he is named Tyler Burrows, he is content with his life at the moment, Patina will ensure that this happiness doesn`t last for much longer.” Magi said with a sneer.

  Fortuna was amazed at just how much the old crone knew about the secrets located at the other end of the wormhole, and of his own plans for the people there, and of Tyler Burrows in particular.

  “How can you count on Patina Pallas, or even this man on Orion doing as you want them to do?” Fortuna asked.

  “As far as Patina is concerned she will have no option, for I will offer her help when no one else can, that and the fact that I can control her mind, for twenty years I have practiced on her, now she does as I say without even realising that I am guiding her through her life.”

  Fortuna looked hard at the old crone as he wondered if she could do as she said, and if so could she also influence his decisions, Magi laughed as she looked at him, her voice rising now as she continued.

  “Do not worry Ares, you have a strong mind, and as I said I have influenced Patina`s mind ever since her birth, I was her nanny for the first four years of her life, I only left because I was growing too attached to her. However, I have always been near enough to her to bend her mind to my will, she will do as she is told, and when she is told to. We will have our revenge on the Pallas family; and on Tyler Burrows for his crime against the ancient Heliot nation as well.” Magi screamed this last sentence out angrily.

  “Compton Pallas who you say is the father of both Marot Pallas and also of me, he died a violent death didn`t he?” Fortuna asked.

  “I drove him mad and he committed suicide, his mind couldn`t take all of the foul things that I sent to keep him company during the night. His family hushed it up of course and invented a fictional intruder to explain away his sudden death.” Magi said in a voice that not only made the flesh creep on the men assembled within the room, but caused them to involuntary burrow deep into the soft cushions of the chairs upon which they all sat.

  “As far as Tyler Burrows is concerned, no man born would allow either of them to live, after Patina does her work. Assuming that he lives through the ordeal and is able to escape from the portal and return to Orion, and then a report commissioned by yourselves will exonerate Marot Pallas, but not his wife and her lover. This will allow you to demand the death of Tyler Burrows in turn, and as the people of Orion will refuse to hand him over to you, then you can then invade the planet, and all the other planets that are allied to Orion, which is just what you want to do, isn`t it Ares?”

  Day 147 Helionia Calendar

  Patina Pallas was sitting on a large rug in the middle of the Pallas family estate, and far away from the eyes of the staff that ran the house, and away from the outside staff who were busy with the flower gardens at her request. With her was a young officer from the Helionia military, he had slipped into the estate through a gate that he had been given a key to by Patina, the gate allowed entrance through the rear wall and into the grounds of the large estate. Now he was whispering sweet nothings to her and she was allowing him to. Patina was just twenty years old, and had been married to Marot Pallas for two of these years. She was very beautiful with long ash blond hair and blue eyes, and a figure that made men turn around to look at her whenever she passed their way. She wasn`t tall, she had only come up to the shoulders of the young Lieutenant beside her, when they had stood in each other arms in the shrubbery to kiss, just moments ago. Although the young officer didn`t notice it there was something hard about her eyes. She always got what she had gone after, no matter whom she had to push out of the way to get it; Magi had seen to this, Magi had also made the young girl just a little too hard. She won Marot by pushing aside the opposition and acting the besotted female, now she had money, power and fortunately, for her, she had begun to fall in love with her husband. This though wouldn`t stop her having fun with the young officer currently playing court to the young wife of the aging conservative party leader, Magi made sure of this.

  Lieutenant Ajmer Vakas was twenty-five years old and stationed nearby in the old imperial barracks. He had long blond hair, blue eyes and stood six foot tall, he was very handsome in a boyish sort of way, but none too bright. This was his only failing, for Marot Pallas who was also six foot tall with greying hair, brown eyes and a very distinguished sort of face, was very intelligent. Patina found herself listening more and more to him as he explained the workings of the government, the failure of the present system, and the workings of the financial world of Helionia. In fact, she was beginning to be besotted for real by her husband, and the young officer was just a plaything to while away the long lonely hours of the day before her husband returned home, tired from battling the enemies of Helionia on the floor of the senate. A toy forced on her by Magi, who controlled the mind of the young Patina Pallas and so, its desires. Lieutenant Vakas looked deeply into Patina`s eyes.

  “You simply must come to my flat early tomorrow so that we can spend the whole day in bed; I am due to set off on manoeuvres the next day and I won`t be able to see you for at least another two weeks after that.” Vakas begged.

  Patina looked up at Vakas. “I might be busy tomorrow; I shall have to let you know.” She said teasing him, she tried to look bored by the idea but in reality she was eager for tomorrow to come. No matter how much she found that she loved her husband, their sex life left a lot to be desired at this moment, this was due to the amount of time Marot Pallas was forced to spend trying to win votes for his party.

  “I might have to meet the voters tomorrow or open something; one can never tell, being the wife of such an important man such as Marot.” Patina watched with joy as she saw the pain in her lover`s eyes, and so she took pity on him.

  “Oh all right Ajmer, tomorrow
I am yours, for after that I will belong to Marot and the planet of Helionia.” She could be very sweet when she tried.

  She knew that Marot had a lot of engagements planned for the two of them over the coming weeks to ensure that he won the election, but they were not due to start until the day after tomorrow. Lieutenant Vakas was overjoyed, and taking her in his arms kissed her long and hard before settling her down on the rug, and he slowly began to take her clothes off of her young firm body, for the next hour she was his.

  Later that morning a content Lieutenant Vakas was walking slowly back to his car whistling, he felt deliriously happy at this particular moment in his short life, he couldn`t imagine anything happening to spoil this wonderful moment. As he approached his car, two men appeared from behind a van parked just in front of his own car and slugged him hard upon the back of his head. They then pushed him in through the side door of their van, while one of the two men got into Vakas` car and drove it away, the other one tied Vakas up and then drove away with the unconscious Vakas lying in the back of the vehicle.

  Day 148 Helionia Calendar

  It was early the next morning and Marot Pallas had arisen early as usual, despite being still tired from the day before, to go for his usual morning walk along the paths of his family`s estate. Few people were up, and none of the inside staff had seen him leave through the large glass door that led from the huge family room into the garden beyond. Only the old gardener saw him disappear around a corner where a large shrub, full of blooms, grew. Marot was mostly happy with his life, for he had a young and beautiful wife who seemed to love him, his career was about to be crowned with the title of President of all Helionia, and he lived in the peace and solitude of his family estate set on the outskirts of Helios, which was the capital city of Helionia. He was just approaching the small garden pond, which had a fountain set in its middle, when two men appeared from behind a tall wall of shrubbery, and they were both armed with Phasers.

  “Marot Pallas, please stay quiet and we will not have to harm you, but we will hurt anyone who should come along in response to your cries.” The taller of the two men ordered. His face was covered in a balaclava and he was dressed in a shabby overall bearing the label ‘Kings Cleaners’ upon the breast pocket.

  “Who are you two men and what are you doing on my estate?” Pallas demanded to know, he didn`t appear frightened, for he didn`t know what was about to happen to him, but he knew thugs when he saw them though, and so treated them accordingly.

  “Get off my estate at once or I will have you both thrown off.” Pallas threatened.

  “We are going, and you can either walk along with us or my large friend here can carry you over his shoulder, you decide which it is to be.”

  It was the shorter of the two thugs, Hanson, who spoke. Hanson indicated with his Phaser towards the path behind him.

  “Move it Pallas, and now if you don`t mind.” The thug ordered.

  “I`m to be kidnapped am I, then you two thugs must be members of the partisan party, I heard that they had an enforcement squad, but couldn`t quite get myself to believe it.” Pallas sneered.

  “Well believe it now Pallas, we are going to take a little trip, and you are invited along.” Hanson ordered. “Now move it, or as I said before, my friend here will be forced to hit you hard and then carry you, and that would make him very angry.” Hanson ordered.

  “Ares Fortuna will pay dearly for this, when I am rescued I will take great pleasure in seeing that all who are responsible for my abduction are imprisoned for a very long time. It should also hand me the election on a plate.” Pallas threatened once again.

  “You have to be rescued first, Pallas.” The tall man replied to the threat from Pallas, almost matter of factually.

  They arrived at a small gate set in the rear wall of the estate, here Marot Pallas found that the lock had been opened with a key, one that they had taken from the young lieutenant the day before. The taller of the two men looked out to ensure that there was no one around, and then he beckoned the other two men through. Outside waiting for them were Vistas and Rhoads, Vistas was short and stocky, resembled a squat gorilla while Rhoads was slightly taller but rather thin, and resembled a weasel. Behind them was a van with the name Kings Cleaners painted upon its side, a driver sat inside the driver`s compartment patiently waiting for them. Rhoads opened a door in the side of the van and then gestured for Pallas to enter the van.

  “In here Pallas, we have company for you, a soldier boy all lonely for his sweetheart.” Getting into the van, Marot Pallas saw Lieutenant Vakas sitting upon the floor of the van, bound and gagged, he also appeared to have the beginnings of a black eye. It had happened when he had tried to escape when they were taking him back to this van this morning, it was the same van that he had been thrown into yesterday.

  “You be a good little politician and we won`t have to do the same to you Pallas. Sit quietly and you won`t be hurt.” Rhoads said condescendingly.

  Marot Pallas sat down next to the bound Lieutenant. “What have you brought him along for?” He asked indicating the Lieutenant.

  “Didn`t you know Pallas, he is the guy who is going to kidnap you.” Hanson said laughing, which in turn started the others off, Hanson seemed to be the number one thug, or so Marot Pallas assumed, he also assumed from what they had said that the young lieutenant was to be the fall guy, for some reason he would take the heat off the partisan party for kidnapping him. Marot Pallas also assumed that he wouldn`t be there to dispute the facts, and now he did feel the first signs of fear spreading through his body.

  Marot Pallas was baffled when they arrived at the newly discovered archaeological site, especially as it was now locked up as it was considered so dangerous to anyone who should dare to enter inside of it. The reason of course was that all who had so far tried to explore its secrets had disappeared within the mysterious portal, never to be seen again. It was an ancient piece of technology that had so far kept its secrets to itself, and as far as Marot Pallas was concerned, it could stay that way.

  The thugs soon broke into the locked compound that surrounded the ancient portal and were soon passing through the unlocked door of the security cabin that housed the solitary security man, Joslyn Malar, a retired police officer of sixty years of age. Malar immediately saw the Phaser pistols pointed his way and decided against resisting, and he soon found himself bound and gagged. Outside, the vehicle that had brought them drove away out of the compound to a deserted building a long way off, here the driver set fire to the vehicle and then walked away whistling a happy tune.

  The magnetic keys that allowed access through the portal were kept inside the same metal box in which they had been found, it was sitting inside a drawer of the desk behind which the security man had been sitting, also inside the drawer was the key to the security hut.

  The tall thug, Mottos, took out the ordinary door key, plus six of the magnetic keys, he then turned to one of the thugs with a cruel smile upon his ugly face. “Make sure those knots are tight, we don`t want him escaping now do we.” He said and then laughed.

  “Ok Vakas, will do” One of the thugs said using the young officer`s name to incriminate him even more, he promptly tested each of the knots.

  “Now pick up one of the back packs from the van, Pallas, inside it you will find food, water, a sleeping bag and a few toiletries, then we will all enter through the portal.” Hanson ordered the politician. The thugs had also picked up a backpack each, with Mottos carrying two, as he also carried one for the young officer.

  “You do realise that every single person who has entered through this doorway has not been heard of since, and that includes six robotic devices, for all we know we might find them all standing around waiting to die on the other side of this ancient doorway.” Marot Pallas asked, slightly baffled by their orders. In answer, Hanson pushed the politician forward into the portal.

  “Now Pallas, charge your magnetic key now by inserting it into that slot beside you.”

  Mar
ot Pallas did as he was told, and he was followed by the four thugs and finally Hanson who also charged the key meant for the lieutenant, as he was still bound and gagged and so couldn`t charge the key himself.

  “Don`t worry yourself sick, Pallas, because we have already been through to the world on the other side of this doorway, and we also know the way out, now move.” Hanson said and pushed Marot Pallas all the way through the dark portal. Mottos, was the last of the group to enter through the portal, as he had stopped to lock the security cabin with the key that he had taken from the drawer.

  The way led into a long dark tunnel that ended up inside a large cavern, lit by some form of bioluminescence that allowed them to see most of the cavern, although some of the corners were hidden in shadow. Once they were all safely inside, Hanson pulled off his balaclava and this one act told Marot Pallas that he was not going to live to see his wife again, again he was baffled by this action.

  The two new thugs had dragged the lieutenant passed the security cabin ensuring that the guard never caught sight of the face of the young officer`s face, so that Vakas would be seen as a kidnapper and not as a victim. They then dragged him through the dark portal and into the cavern beyond, where upon they cut his bonds around his legs so that he could walk unaided. Hanson had taken a map out of his breast pocket, it was a copy of one found by Trajo Fortuna on the sixth plate, the fifth plate showing the planetary system where the moon Galafrey could be found.

  The six men moved along the dimly lit tunnel until it ended in a large cave, one which opened up to show a mountainous landscape that disappeared into the far distance, and above their heads an enormous planet took up most of their view of the sky as it hung there, seemingly motionless in the sky.

  “My god, we aren`t on Helionia anymore, that portal must have transported us to another world that must lie far away from Helionia, for I think that we might just remember that gas giant above our heads if we were anywhere near Helionia.” Marot Pallas said in amazement. “Maybe this is why no word has come back to us from the other parties that went through the portal.” Pallas said.

  “Yes Pallas, that and a few other things which you will soon see. Now I suggest that you all take care along here, for if any of you falls off this track then it will be up to you to get yourself back to the main party, we will not risk our lives trying to save yours.” Hanson said. Far below them, Marot Pallas could see a roaring river that had carved out the deep canyon that it rushed through; they were far above it and walking along a narrow mountainous ridge.

  The men moved off along the rough rocky track that followed the main part of the mountain to the other side of them, and after just one short rest stop, they came to the next dark portal entrance. The first domain seemed empty of anything except for a few mountain goats and some birds that were flying home to roost as the sun that shone on this moon was beginning to set. As they had made good time through the first of the domains, Hanson told them all to get some sleep for they would be entering through into the next domain in just eight hours’ time.

  Marot Pallas sat down on the hard rock floor with his back resting against a large boulder, looked up into the night sky, and frowned.

  “There doesn`t appear to be any stars in the sky.” Marot Pallas said. A moment went by and then an awful thought entered his head. “My god do you know what this might mean?” Pallas groaned fearfully.

  “Yes, we are in for a cloudy night, hopefully it will not rain because I have only just got over my last cold.” Vistas said sleepily, for his had been a very long day and he just wanted to sleep now.

  “There wasn`t that much cloud about earlier on, no I think that it signifies something far worse than the chance of rain, I believe that it means that this planetary system is inside of the dark nebula.” Marot Pallas said quietly, for as yet their religion forbid anyone to enter into the nebula on pain of an eternity in hell, and to even hint that they were now inside of it scared him.

  “It is just a little cloudy.” Hanson said looking up worriedly at the night sky, as did the other members of his team now that the thought had been aired.