Chapter Sixteen
Another two weeks had passed and mankind still had yet to establish any form of contact with the alien visitors. Nearly three hundred Planet Farmers had spread out within man’s home system and were still maintaining steady orbits over Siren, Tyrran and Bouldon.
At the same time, from half way across the galaxy, Kamael had sent a message to the Siren government, announcing that three alien vessels were currently in orbit around Kier-en; following the same protocol as the Planet Farmers in his home system; by maintaining radio silence and remaining dormant, in husks of what appeared to be the scaly skin of a dead fish.
Much to Kamael’s dismay, upon making contact with his government via his sub space transmission, he learned that Drellic Kail had become the acting Prime Minister of Siren; Morn Kail having been unable to leave his bedroom for several days.
Both the Kails and the High Council knew that it was only a matter of time before Morn decided to lay down his charge, due to his deteriorating health. And since no other worthy officials had been left alive by the insurgency attack, the people knew that the prestigious title would fall onto Drellic’s lap.
And so it came to pass that on a warm sunny day in Siren City, on the front steps of the Great Hall, Drellic Kail recited the oath of office and was sworn in as the leader of the sovereign planet, Siren.
Following the inauguration, Drellic assumed a tall podium, forged in the purest white crystal on the continent, and announced his very simple intentions to the people. But not before he told the story of how his family had gone from being treated as pariahs, to becoming the backbone of their society.
“We Kails have proven ourselves in the past, and we are prepared to do so again. So, as we enter what could very well be the darkest time in our history, let us remember that are not slaves to our fears. We have the right to go on being as strong and as proud as we have ever been, in order to see each other through this horrific ordeal,” Drellic had said.
“Because only together, can we defeat our domestic terrorist threats, as well as any other unforeseen terrors that may present themselves to us,” he concluded, while trying not to glance up at the distant sea monster shaped blobs in the sky above.
Knowing that his words were being broadcast throughout the three human societies, as well as the new colony on faraway Kier-en, Drellic had made it a point to not speak of the looming aliens, directly. There was no way for him to know if the visitors were fluent in the ancient human language, and what combination of words might trigger their yet unseen tempers.
But at the same time, although he had some reservations, he felt that the presence of the unknown creatures did not warrant the cancellation of a Prime Minister’s inauguration. Drellic wanted to show his people that their government still functioned and that their leaders were committed to serving them, despite the recent assassinations and the arrival of the Architects.
The crowd roared with approval as Drellic left the podium. Their generous ovation humbled him and gave him the reassurance he needed to officially begin his term, with an optimistic view of the future. And for just the briefest of moments, the sea of smiling faces and their thunderous applause, made him forget that the aliens were still lurking overhead.
Later that night, Moya announced that she was pregnant again; with another boy, as the genetic precursor test on her DNA had revealed. Drellic was once again on a path to having a son and the thought of becoming a father was already more important to him than his new title.
The Kails sat down to dinner in the master bedroom to celebrate, in order to include Morn, who was still restricted to his bed. Drellic’s father was barely able to move his legs by this time, and only had minimal upper body strength.
Fortunately, his mind was still very much intact, as were his vocal chords. Once the Kail’s meal of poultry, fresh vegetables, sweet pies and fine wines had come to an end, Morn once again requested to be alone with Drellic; something he had been doing frequently as of late.
Once Syll, Moya and Delendra left the room and closed the door behind them, Morn began chuckling to himself.
“What are you laughing at?” Drellic asked; pleased to see even the slightest smile on the old man’s face.
“Call me crazy. But I’m fairly certain that Delendra is a little upset that she isn’t the one baring your child,” Morn replied with a quiet laugh.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Drellic said. “She’s overly friendly with me for her sister’s sake. She may not appreciate me at all, for all I know.”
“Now, who’s being ridiculous?” Morn snapped. “She’s wanted you from the moment she first set foot in this house; before you had ever returned from space. But no matter. We have more pressing matters to discuss.”
“Yes, sir. I know what must be done,” Drellic dutifully replied.
“It’s no secret that Moya is already on a quick path to becoming a sympathizer,” Morn began. “She’s been defending the aliens since they first appeared. She believes that they will just sit there and that they’ve come to save us from ourselves.”
“I know,” Drellic said with disappointment. “She may have joined the movement and not told us.”
“I’m certain she has,” Morn said. “But let’s let her think we don’t know that. She doesn’t know about our other suspicions either. We should keep it that way for now.”
Drellic nodded in approval, then sat beside his father.
The movement that Morn was referring to, was called a fate-ist movement, in which certain more religious members of society, were interpreting the arrival of the Architects as a sign from the fates. These people believed that the aliens were carrying a message of peace and sought to reunite mankind and save them from extinction. Moya had often expressed these beliefs; much to Morn and Drellic’s disapproval.
“We cannot be divided when the war begins; and a war is coming. I can promise you that,” Morn said.
“I understand, sir. I won’t let it come to that,” Drellic replied.
“If our family is divided, then how can we unite our people?” Drellic added.
Morn nodded with a smile and firmly gripped his son’s hand.
“You’ve got the right instincts, son. You’re going to save humanity; not those monsters. And don’t you ever forget that.”
The following morning, the people of Siren City were awakened by a loud humming sound; louder than even the roar of the usual early morning ship traffic. Upon exiting their homes and looking over the city skyline, the citizens were frightened beyond measure at the sight of the Architect Flagship, hovering over the downtown area.
The Flagship was the largest of the Planet Farmers present in the solar system. Dozens of monstrous tentacles stretched out from the ship’s center core. Each tentacle appeared as a separate organism; all having the characteristics of a scaly sea serpent, with rows of suction cups and slimy pulsating pores on their underbellies. The center core of the ship was covered in a long, slender metallic shell that appeared as rock in the light of the sun.
Circular holes of different sizes were scattered across the shell, revealing more dark organic tissue, comprised of veins, scales and large pulsing white sacs beneath it. Within the sac like compartments, a green glow periodically moved back and forth just beneath their surfaces, and was clearly visible to the gathering citizens below.
To the untrained eye, it looked as though a powerful electrical current was being charged inside the ship, giving the appearance of a devastating weapon being armed for impending use.
Once Drellic got his first glimpse of the ship from within the walls of his home, he ran to his wife, passionately kissed her lips and said, “It’s time. I have to do this.”
“I know,” she scoffed, while looking away. “You have something to prove.”
“It’s not about me,” Drellic insisted. “It’s about the future. What if they do attack? The people need direction. A leader should be present.”
Moya then looked back
into Drellic’s eyes, smiled and said, “You’ve always made me proud. I know you will again. And I know you’ll come back.”
He then kissed her again, but only long enough to whisper “Goodbye,” before darting down the stairs and into the dock; an armored garage behind the house, where the family air transports were stored.
Then without any regard for his personal safety, Drellic emerged out of the garage in one of his family’s signature orange transports, and rocketed into the downtown area; weaving in and out of traffic lanes and massing crowds of pedestrians.
Minutes later, he reached the Great Hall at the center of the city, which was resting beneath the lowest hanging tentacle of the Flagship. Drellic popped open the side hatch on his ship and ran up the steps of the hall, to get a closer look.
The green current was getting brighter and louder with each moment and was descending from the slimy stomach like sections of the center core, all the way down to the tip of the lowest hanging tentacle, which was just a few dozen feet above the rooftop of the Great Hall.
Thousands of people were standing in the streets behind Drellic. Some decided to run, but most realized that if they were about to be attacked, then there could be no escape; not with all of human society surrounded by other ships.
Seconds later, the current had become as bright as the sun, illuminating the lowest hanging tentacle so brightly that its shape was no longer recognizable.
Finally, as Drellic had the briefest memory of the cold discomfort he had felt during his encounter with the Emerald Fly in his bedroom, ten years earlier, the electric current extended downward from the end of the tentacle and struck the stone steps of the Great Hall; a few feet from where Drellic was standing.
When the light finally dimmed, and the people struggled to recover from the disorientation caused by the event, they saw Drellic standing at the top of the stone steps beside a taller man, bathed in the same enchanting green glow.
Drellic turned to the towering elderly man beside him, who reminded him of a paler, taller version of his father; with flowing gray hair drooping down passed the shoulders of his shimmering emerald cloak.
Upon following the green glow around the man with his eyes, to the hazy trail of green light which led back up to the looming tentacle, Drellic realized that there was no one physically standing before him. It was merely a holographic projection; similar to those used as viewers on Salvation.
“You’ve not even real,” Drellic thought aloud, inadvertently capturing the attention of the projected entity.
It was then that the visitor turned to him and asked, “But what does constitute as real, Drellic Kail?”
The Drellic Saga: Books One, Two and Three Page 71