All options reverberated inside the cranial confines of Tee’s brain. He needed to think this thing through. Who would the people of Triolux North be after such a plot? Could they say they were not a party to the beliefs of complimentary behavior? No, they could not. They would have to define themselves as folks who talked about universal improvement but acted differently when faced with a belief system that differed from theirs. When threatened they would pull out all stops so in fact they would be feared. And it was fear that created aggression in the first place. What a mess.
As a husband and a father he now had some skin in the game and it was making all the difference. Until you experience something you don’t know, you can only hint by declaring that you empathize, but what is that? A layman’s guess is all that is and once the victim and the witness part ways the witness is soon returned to normal. That’s what he’s been, a poser. Lacking direction, Tee scheduled a committee meeting to discuss the option Alex had brought to the table. The team needed to know its options. It was too much for one man to carry, if that man was Tee Calmwater.
He didn’t have to mention all the options. By doing so he was opening up a can of snakes. And yes, he was willing to go along with whatever the committee decided. But he thought long and hard on it and decided there was an alternative. That alternative was to have the weapon made and use it as insurance if their plan to improve the lives of the believers failed, or if their fight against them went badly. Their entire economy was now leaning toward defensive and offensive weaponry. Who would have thought in less than a year a peaceful planet would turn from universal peace to having an obsession with war.
This change squarely rested at the doorstep of Zellhigh. And in keeping with the belief system that Tee still held as the Universe’s best hope, he wanted to punish and improve Zellhigh. Once they fully embraced a new way of life they had to amend and pay restitution to all the planets they had ruined with their false god and their destructive past. This would further ensure they understood the price they would pay for any relapse. Tee would bring this latest revelation to the fold.
Chapter 7
After hearing about financial restitution and the possibility of total annihilation, Gert said, “It can’t be both. You either destroy something or you don’t. I like the idea of restoring the planets the believers destroyed and paying us for taking our plankton and all the rest.”
They were going around the table and the next to speak was Oland, a father forced to witness a line of men use his daughter like a dish rag. “I am of the opinion the men of Zellhigh should be made to suffer in every way imaginable. Financial would be one of a long list. I have some ideas on the other ways. They should have their minds and their bodies torn to pieces.”
Kortell said, “I like the idea of repaying for past discrepancies. It’s keeping with some standards applied to reduction of guilt and putting something behind you.” Kortell was a social engineer who worked on housing disbursement and special needs. She was abused during that troubled time and she used the experience to observe her assailants. She said, “They were drugged and appeared to be despondent.” She also said, “None of it was about sex, it was all about power and a deep - seated belief that if they didn’t do this to the women the women would somehow, miraculously” - she rolled her eyes – “One day out of the blue” - another eye roll – “Take over their lives and install the men of Zellhigh into some kind of subservient position. “
Furthermore it was her belief that the majority of the men were in an unspecified servitude or bondage to their leaders. She felt their participation was a step toward freedom. She admitted, “Of course this is speculation. Most people were in so much fear and shock they were unable to study who was doing what to them. They were caught in the act and couldn’t get past the action of the thing. That’s where I believe I was in a unique position and so my insights aren’t without some depth and training.”
Lain spoke next. “I was in on the action and it’s true I didn’t decipher or analyze what was going on. When I was made to turn around and lie on my stomach I was able to see my dead boyfriend’s eyes. This went on and off for three days. By the third day his eyes had turned cloudy and there was no longer any color to them. That’s what I thought at the end. All the color is gone, even the sky seemed bleached. My hope was the child I bore was his; it was of course a mad dream. She is not his, only a product of a mass perversion.
“She called Tee ‘Da da’, today. And he is a sweet man and I saw the joy she brought to him. I learned in the tunnels I would defend her to the end. I’m just tired of having to revisit this horror. It is a wound that won’t heal. I lost love, and because of it, I found love.” Lain shrugged and she looked out the window as if something would soon be delivered that gave her some kind of peace. “I want this to end and it never will. I want what can’t be.”
It was decided that the original plan of offering the occupants of Zellhigh a chance to rectify their wrongs and strive toward improvement, including magnetic mind manipulation, or death, was the committee’s choice. It would be the believer’s prerogative. “If for any reason things start to go bad for the forces of Triolux North, we will employ the final solution.”
The following morning Tee, Lain and Lacy climbed into their used Airlite for a trip over the Tri Sea to evaluate the progress of an artificial island. The island would be a stimulus to the Waterfalls. The marine biologists had recently made a breakthrough in regard to artificial insemination with female Waterfalls. Though the creatures resembled rock formations and often reached twenty feet in height. Their skin was like that of most marine mammals, slick and soft, and below it was a thick layer of fat. Things were looking up for a rise in their population. A record plankton crop was thought to be in the future.
What Tee did not tell Lain was that the island was a hidden launch site for defensive weapons. The thinking was simple: the island was away from any population center and if it was attacked civilian casualties would be limited. This twofold idea would be replicated in both oceans, and the bay of Noren. Submarines were delivering supplies that were hidden to any spy satellites. Using reverse engineering the astrophysicists and analytical and nuclear weapons experts didn’t believe anything in their solar system was spying on them. Tee weighed the cost and erred on the side of caution. They would continue to build as if they were being watched.
Lain packed a picnic lunch into the sidecar and tucked Lacy deep into the space above her thighs. The sky was bright and nearly cloudless. Talium Nine was sinking to the west and the air was warm. There were snatches of fragrance from the blooming flora that was on full display at this time of year. The Airlite’s magnets began to spin and the core had a full day’s charge. The guide plate was secure over the front wheel and Tee glanced at his beautiful wife and daughter and made sure they were tucked deep into the sidecar and that the safety harness had seated itself.
They were outside their apartment building. The tall structure loomed over them and the air walks going in all directions to their neighbors’ buildings cast crisscross shadows across the staging area for the Airlite. The common ground to the left was complete with a children’s play area that was sunk deep into the earth and used landscaped berms to keep toddlers from staggering off. The pit was filled with kids screaming with laughter. A low murmur of gossip and the squeak of moving playground equipment could be heard over the low hum of the Airlite.
“Drive smoothly and she’ll be asleep in no time.”
Who doesn’t know kids sleep when they’re riding in an Airlite? Someone brought up on a distant galaxy, that’s who. There’s not a parent on Triolux that hasn’t taken their two – year - old for a spin on a warm night with the sky plastered with stars and Ventoris #6 lighting the way. So Tee nodded to Lain and as they rose above the soil and broke free from gravity he thought about what she’d said in the committee meeting. “I’d lost love, and I found love.”
He wondered as he steered around the high - rise buildings and gain
ed altitude, was she talking about him, or just Lacy, or both of them? Would he ever know her true feelings toward him? He felt they had reached a comfortable state. The problem was his apartment was assigned to a single man and now there were three of them. He had talked to Kortell about moving to something larger and the sooner the better.
Kortell had let him know she’d look into it and put him on a list. She had showed signs of stress because allocations were putting damaged people in a bad position. Families that had recently been reduced by the violence were being gently and softly asked to downsize. And women who had been abused and were now delivering newborns were moving into the larger units. It was a double slap in the faces of those being forced to move into smaller units. Sometimes those units were further from their jobs or other family members.
All these fractures came about because of the misdeeds of an aggressive planet full of bad actors. These situations made Tee think the best way for the occupants of Zellhigh to understand all the damage they caused was to force them to walk in the shoes of their victims. He was tired of visiting this subject and for his own mental well-being he was going to give it a break. He didn’t want to miss out on the moment and he knew Lain needed some space from all the talk of war and so on. He turned to her with her black hair blowing under her scarf and smiled. He patted her hand and made a conscious decision to do his best to make his marriage one that constantly strived for improvement.
Once above the city the seats warmed and the sidewalls came up leaving only their heads open to the air. He decided to detour and glide along the mountains and see some greenery and the Pluthe groves. At this time of year the trees would be full of yellow blossoms, a sign the pink fruit would be coming soon. It is said that nature feeds the soul and what better way to start off his new commitment to Lain than to feast her eyes on the hills and the valleys and glimpse all manner of the outdoors.
The mountain range came into view and the setting moon of Talium Nine hung like a big white lamp perfectly stationed in between two peaks. It was a beautiful view and Tee glanced at Lain to see her eyes fixed in the great distance. He often wondered what she was thinking and concluded that she would probably remain a mystery. They dropped slowly and without a surge until the sidewalls came down and the Airlite was low enough for them to smell the moisture and the occasional fragrance of the Pluthe trees.
After riding the ridges and dipping into the valley to catch snatches of spring water oozing out of dark crevices they turned toward the sea. The sea allows the soul the ability to expand. It is a wet desert that goes on as far as the eye can see, even in an Airlite. This day will leave them both refreshed. Tee realized the importance of giving his eyes a small vacation. Until this day he hadn’t realized how serious and consumed he’d become.
“I want to make sure that we step away as often as we can.”
“It’s important, Tee, and I agree with you.”
Lain had a little more color in her face than usual. It could be a slight wind burn, or a product of the sun. But Tee chose to believe it was the outing and the consumption of beauty. As usual he wanted all of the people of Triolux North to experience a rebirth. But he let it go and met the committee group with a question concerning the relocation of some of the citizens who seemed to be getting punished twice - first from the abuse of the believers, and then from having to downsize. There had to be some mechanism that wasn’t so harsh or softened the blow somehow. Kortell worried her hands as he spoke and nodded in agreement. Her face also betrayed her and Tee knew she had no answer. Each member of the planet was given equal space and to break that protocol would cause a flurry of resentment and even more harm.
Fairness is a lofty goal. It is also subjective and can’t be easily quantified and accepted by the masses. Fairness in housing has always been a measurement based on square - feet -per - person. This is so fundamental to the citizens that the group knew the concept shouldn’t be tampered with. It would only muddle minds going through changes. But there should be a positive compensation rather than another loss.
Perhaps the only position Tee should take is one of surrender. There comes a time when a person realizes that not all wrongs can be addressed and corrected. A litigious society will do all it can to make an injured man whole. If they’ve been mentally injured from a long period of abuse there is no mechanism to fully compensate that victim. The plaintiff will ultimately be rewarded a monetary sum to afford him physical comfort for mental harm. The Triolux society is not built on a set of legal parameters, nor does it promote a capitalist system where a wide variety of wealth is openly displayed and men are born into a certain cast.
Not all wrongs can be made right and it might be wise to stop looking under every stone to find a solution that might not exist. But in the back of his mind Tee was going to bring this problem to Alex and do his best to explain suffering to an entity that didn’t feel pain. He followed the advice of a guide that lacked emotion. Improvement was a thing fixed in flux. What Lain had said at the committee came to mind, “I want what can’t be.” Tee’s effort to help the people ravaged by the barbarians and then politely asked to move to a smaller apartment, because they were now by themselves, bothered him.
Chapter 8
How do you test a weapon aimed at a target in the sky without anyone knowing about it? You don’t. So the team of weapons experts cloaked a space ship and headed for a distant spot that was blocked by an asteroid belt. They would target practice on rocks and come back with their report. Lem Cantour was in charge of the expedition and they vowed to maintain communication silence, unless there was an emergency. The ship departed in the night from a bunker dug into the side of Wind Mountain.
Meanwhile laser pistols were issued to all the adults in good health on the planet. This was the defense of last resort. The thinking was that if they were overrun they could blacken the nose of the tyrants before succumbing to whatever nightmare would follow. Suicide was considered a violation of all the teachings they had learned. It was turning one’s back on the goal of improvement. However, that was a lesson taught before the barbarians came. Like any major shift, be it marriage or illness or a weather calamity, there is the before and then the after. Thoughts were being adjusted and Tee was thanked by women and men alike when he was in the public. They liked having a weapon. They never considered it in the world of before. In the world of after it was a comfort. It allowed them options.
On the day the spaceship returned word circulated that a child had accidently killed his mother with her laser pistol. Before the month was out a despondent man had taken his life with his weapon. Did Tee have blood on his hands? People continued to stop him on the walkways and thank him for all he was doing. They consoled him about the weapons and how some would be misused; it was bound to happen. “Please,” they pleaded, “don’t second guess yourself by focusing on a small fraction who are not responsible. Mental fragility, improper storage, these things happen. The majority of us need personal protection.”
Lain had both of their lasers hidden on an upper shelf and in easy reach. If the alarm was to sound again she had the sedatives ready for Lacy. She would go to the tunnels and hide. She would have her laser gun with her and use it appropriately - meaning that if it looked like a repeat of her last encounter with the believers she would end her life and the child’s. This is the consequence of brutality; it creates a world where fear becomes a tide that never fully recedes. It’s a season that comes without warning and it’s scary and can cause internal panic. Even if it’s unrealized and a feint, the terror becomes a stampeding vision of horror that plagues a people and can turn into a phobia.
Anxiety can grow into a plague of paranoia and suffocate an entire community. Sleep is just out of reach, yet somehow, the laser pistols bring comfort. Tee saw it Lain. He’d watched as her eyes wandered to the shelf and he watched her facial tension diminish. He wondered if it was because of suicide. Having that option at the ready brought comfort. This is a sad comment.
&nbs
p; When Tee studied up on the two other planets that had been sacked by the believers he found that the military men had suffered torture. This was in an effort to divine any hidden weapons or threats. The torture often ended in death or mental ruin. He knew he would end his life before betraying his planet. If he was tortured he would be no different than any of the rest. He would confess to anything to make the pain end. So now, he too looked at the laser guns as a plus. He was slowly turning his planet into an armed nation and going into debt spending its future on war. All of this was against the peaceful march they were on toward improvement. Once again this angered him toward Zellhigh. They must be made to realize all the pain and suffering they brought into the universe.
If there was a hierarchy in their scheme of governing then the upper echelon would face an uncertain path. He didn’t feel he could control a group of his own warriors jacked on anger and revenge. When that time comes he may lose all reason. All of it brought to their doorstep by the invasion of the believers. There was little room for pity. We reap what we sow. The Triolux North spaceship reported great success with the new weapons. Even their ordnances were cloaked. The timeline for observation was getting close. A live feed would be linked to the military headquarters now housed inside Wind Mountain.
Six stationary spy satellites, cloaked and supplied with self-defense weapons and self-destructive orders were set to be launched the third of the month. This would be the day after the lunar festival, when the Triolux clan would walk the local parks and forest and enjoy the night blooms and the star moths they attracted. It was a quiet reflective festival unlike any held during the day. Streams of reverent folks would stroll past the blossoming flowers that only showed their brilliant white petals once a year.
The star moths were large, the size of an Airlite wheel with glow- in-the-dark electric wings that illuminated the flowers and glowed in a vibrant blue and orange variety. It was a magical time for the inhabitants of Triolux North and referred to as the season of romance. Tee squeezed Lain’s hand as they wheeled Lacy in her stroller. The air was warm and the crowd around them subdued. They were silent and gazed from the path at the flowers as they lit up under the colored glow from the moths.
Ths Sacking of Triolux North Page 4