Godling (Kairenz Jistora Book 1)

by Dusks, Rydre

  The blue button unlatches my seal. I will get out myself. You just push the button, and I will let you go.

  “Stop it!” I exclaimed as I turned away from the monitor. “Stop doing this to me!”

  Come now, human. Where is your sense of trust? You can read my mind--we are connected. And soon the world will understand the glory of this moment. Press. The. Button.

  My arm flung back to the monitor, nearly smashing against an entire control panel. A small square switch beside a digital readout was marked with Emergency Pressure Release. That had to be the one this creature wanted me to press.

  No, I retorted as my finger hovered over it. Dentrin's watching us. He'll see what I'm doing, and I'll get in trouble for letting you out.

  It will all work out in our favor. You don't need to worry yourself about that. Press it!

  I wasn’t able to stop myself. I pressed the button before my conscious mind could halt my progress, and a distinct hiss emitted from the creation’s tank. A sheen of fog coated the glass, obscuring the view of the figure even further.

  Leave now. There is much work to be done. You will visit Saydea again, and we will see each other formally then.

  Still against my will, I was pushed out the door and back across the Zone. The entire period leaving Saydea was a blank to me. I didn’t become aware of myself once again until I was back at Toanwar’s house and stumbling into my bedroom. I collapsed on the mattress as the Saydea Project’s piercing voice filtered through my head as an echoing memory.

  I felt shaken and confused about what had gone on, and my thoughts raced. Dentrin had claimed to have created this Sylvain to be KahRatese, but all I’d perceived was a monster.

  I viewed the legends of the gods as complete myths. There were twelve supposed divines of our planet known as the Crei, and they held dominion over different traits. There were the two parent gods named after the sun and moons of Kairenz, and their ten children who looked after the planet and its inhabitants.

  I had difficulty believing in such beings. As an Anli, I grew up with strong spiritual beliefs. However, since the trauma that my birth father had caused me in the forest I struggled to understand why gods, and so many of them, would not come to any mortal's aid when they called on them for help.

  I heard a door open down the hall and someone pad toward the living room. I checked the time briefly before turning my phone off, noting that I'd cut it close. It was most likely Toanwar or his android assistant Zlade that was awake. Stelliot was still too small to understand how to climb out over his bed rails, and Click didn’t "wake up" until one of us turned him on.

  I stripped off my coat to make it a little more inconspicuous that I had gone anywhere, dropping it on the floor.

  The door creaked open, and I immediately turned my head. It was Zlade after all, distinct even in the dimmest of light due to his blond hair and off-colored eyes.

  "Oh… You’re awake," he greeted. "Toanwar says it’s going to get hot out this afternoon, so we’re going to go to the cemetery as soon as you’re ready."

  "Okay. Is Stelliot awake yet?"

  "Not yet."

  Zlade walked back down the hall as I dragged myself into a stand and threw a fresh set of clothes. Despite not knowing Kajaru Tojoru for very long, he'd been the man to save me from the desert heat and had given me a place to stay, as well as an education. In just four years he had reformed my life and provided a way out of hell. I respected him deeply, and had even given Stelliot the middle name of Kajaru so my adoptive father’s spirit could be passed down through my bloodline.

  I pushed open Stelliot's door and stepped up to his toddler bed, pausing to gaze at his sweetly sleeping face. He had stuffed part of his pajama sleeve into his mouth to chew on while he rested. I picked him up gingerly and wrapped him in a blanket before carrying him out of the room. On my way to the living room I nearly ran into Toanwar. He patted my shoulder before heading back to his room. I hoped he wasn’t suspecting of my early morning trip.

  As I kept Stelliot on my shoulder, I searched in one of the kitchen cupboards for snacks to keep him occupied if he woke up.

  “Zlade, is Click turned on yet?” I questioned.

  The android stepped into the kitchen to see me. “Oh, did you want me to go do that? I wasn’t sure if you wanted him to come with us or not.”

  I hesitated before shaking my head. Click had few memories of Kajaru left in his data, as a lot of it had been erased over to program him to follow Strejc orders. He wouldn’t appreciate the trip as much as the rest of us would.

  I stared out the window with Stelliot in my arms during the moody drive. When we reached the cemetery Toanwar was very quiet. Zlade obeyed his master by saying nothing, and I carried Stelliot from the car silently as well. The scent of earth was potent as we walked over lumps of grassy graves. The sun had not fully risen yet, but the nearby lights of buildings illuminated the graveyard. I remembered where Kajaru’s grave was--right next to a large drooping tree. GreyCross didn't have many trees, making Kajaru's placement unique and memorable. Toanwar led us to it, stooping to place a bouquet in front of the headstone.

  "Here you are, friend," he breathed. Kajaru and Toanwar had been very close. They'd grown up together in GreyCross, and there wasn't a day that passed that I didn't see the depth of pain in Toanwar's eyes concerning Kajaru's death. I knew the sole reason Toanwar was so protective of me was because I was the only living connection to his late best friend.

  Toanwar broke me out of my thoughts. "Crow, do you want to say anything?"

  My chest was tight--I didn’t wish to express my feelings--but I figured if Kajaru's spirit really was present then it would be necessary and do us both some good. I stepped up to the grave, kneeling with Stelliot still in my arms to stare at the carved letters of my adoptive father’s name.

  "Kajaru… Happy birthday," I uttered. "As you probably know, I’ll be turning twenty-one near the end of this year, and Stelliot’s turning three soon. The Strejca are well… especially Insidd. He’s managed to get a girlfriend who's actually shorter than he is." I chewed on my lip a little. "…I love you. And I miss you. I wish you were here to see your grandson growing up. He loves hearing stories about you."

  The motion of my kneeling had awoken Stelliot, who was in the process of reaching for Kajaru’s bouquet.

  I straightened and gently guided his hands away from the flowers. "No, bud, those are for your other grandpa."

  "Mapa Zo?" he questioned while chewing on the collar of his shirt.

  It brought a small smile to my face to hear him call Kajaru "Grandpa Two."

  Zlade walked forward to pay his respects, and when finished, spoke to lighten the mood. "I vote we all go out for breakfast."

  I raised an eyebrow. Despite Zlade not being able to eat, he was always doing his best to make everyone feel better.

  "I think it’s a good idea to get a little food in our systems," agreed Toanwar. "I’m sure Stelliot is hungry."

  Stelliot bounced in my arms in answer to him.

  "I’ll be back in the car in just a couple minutes. I want to stay with Kajaru for a little longer," I stated.

  Toanwar nodded his head once and left with Zlade, leaving Stelliot and I to stand in front of the grave.

  "Where Grandpa Two?" Stelliot questioned as I knelt in front of the grave again.

  I was quiet for a few seconds, debating on how to answer him.

  "Grandpa Two in dirt?"

  "Well... in a way. But he just left Kairenz. He's here with us in spirit--you just can't see or hear him."

  "Papa go in dirt and be spirit?"

  I smiled solemnly. "No, squirt. Papa has to stay here and take care of you, silly. My journey isn’t done."

  It is far from done.

  I snapped to attention, glancing behind me only to realize the voice had been echoing in my head. It brought back memories about Saydea from earlier this morning, and I had to repress a small shudder at the awful experience.

  "Pa
pa?" Stelliot alerted. "Food."

  I stood up, trying to shake the sense of being invaded. "You’re right, Stelliot. We should go eat."

  I headed back to the car where the family waited, getting in and holding Stelliot close. As Toanwar drove away from the cemetery I closed my eyes, attempting to shake myself from the last remaining strands of thought that felt like Sylvain’s.

  3

  Project Sylvain

  The minute we’d arrived home, I pulled out my phone and turned it back on. Within seconds it blasted its ringtone. I was a little taken aback when I saw the name of the caller, and it caused my stomach to make a weird sort of pull... as if shrinking further back toward my spine. I stepped into my room to answer it privately.

  “Hello?”

  "Crow, this is Dr. Dentrin. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours now!"

  "S-Sorry. It was family matter, so I had my phone off."

  "I need to talk to you about what happened down there in Zone 7."

  I knew it would be about Sylvain. “I don’t feel like talking right now. Please just leave me alone.”

  “I’m afraid this is urgent. Any ordinary individual tampering with that seal on the tank would be arrested, but you were acting quite bizarrely. You even spoke out loud. What happened?”

  “Listen, maybe we can talk later. I’ve had a really long morning, and today’s not the best day for this.”

  “I need answers, Crow. The Project slipped out from his tank after the seal was broken. Although my assistants tried to get him back in there, he avidly refused. We had to put him in a critical conditions lab in Zone Five. He is very frail. He escaped before he could finish growing, and now I’m certain he’s ruined his development permanently. I’m debating whether I should just put him with the other failed experiments.”

  “I wouldn’t call him failed. He manipulated me against my will.”

  “About that,” Dentrin continued. “It looked as though you were communicating… telepathically with him. Is this the case?”

  Once again I’d been roped into talking with this crazed scientist. I could have hung up the phone now, but knew his incessant calling to get answers would be even more frustrating to me. “Yes,” I sighed as I dropped to the edge of my bed in a slouch.

  “That is extraordinary! In that case I need you to come back in right away, so that I can test the two of you speaking again--”

  “No, Dentrin. I’m disgusted with what you’ve done to me, and I’m finished with this Saydea business. I’ll have nothing more to do with it,” I snapped.

  “You need to come in. If you don’t, I could turn around and have you arrested for--”

  “Oh no you don’t! I could have you arrested for what you did to me! Don’t even try that!”

  Dentrin’s voice grew soft and careful. “Alright, alright. There’s no need to make a fuss. And that reminds me… Concerning the incident this morning, I sent a check for ten thousand jels to your home as compensation.”

  Jels, or jela in Iasona, were the typical currency of the northern continent. Ten jels was enough to buy a lunch. Ten thousand was enough to put two payments down on a new house. It was a staggering amount, and would have carried me far financially, but I didn't want his money or his apology.

  “I’d rather rip it up,” I spat. “Your obsession with me is nauseating.”

  A sharp ringing stabbed at my ears from the phone connection, and a buzz of static distorted whatever Dentrin said next. It almost sounded as if a scuffle occurred.

  “He really is a pest, isn’t he?”

  Oh… the feeling. That voice shot chills through my body and forced my hair to stand on end. Despite never having heard it audibly, I knew who it belonged to.

  “You and I have so much to talk about. While you were away I poked around and discovered who you are. It pleases me to be able to speak to the great Crow Hightower.”

  Sylvain had the voice of a young teen, but there was so much depth to his words. Each syllable he spoke hinted dark wishes and masked secrets.

  “I want to make a plan with you, Crow. Side with me in taking over this corrupt planet. With your strong sense of justice and my divine mental strength, we could do it.”

  “Why would I have any desire to do such a thing? You’re as mad as your creator.”

  “I loathe this place, Crow. And you will see it soon, too. My scientific father here is the lunatic--not me. This isn't the place for someone of my talents, but I have no other choice. I am here on an important mission, and I want you to be a part of it.”

  “You will never convince me to help you with anything.” I took the phone from my ear. My thumb hovered over the option to end the call, but I heard Sylvain’s words again faintly.

  “You, Velzae, and I have so much to discuss. We are all connected, and you will see soon enough.”

  I ended the call and threw the phone onto my bed, dropping my head into my hands.

  “Crow?” I looked up at the door. Toanwar stood in the entry with a concerned expression. “You were shouting. Is everything alright?”

  Stelliot wedged his way between Toanwar’s legs with a giggle and raced over to my bed. He jumped up onto the mattress head first and nearly rocketed himself over the edge. I whipped across the bed and caught him before he could bang his head on the opposite wall.

  “I’m fine,” I managed as I strained to pull Stelliot back. His little face was alight with surprise. “Just… soliciting calls. You know how annoying they get.”

  My godfather knew it was a lie, but he returned a simple nod of his head before walking back toward the living room.

  “Papa, play!” Stelliot whined. He gripped onto my upper arms and wiggled to express his distress. “Play outside!”

  “You’re only this hyper when Zlade or Mapa gives you sweets,” I commented. I let him tug at my fingers and urge me out of the bedroom. The distraction was a blessing for me as I stepped out into Toanwar’s backyard and let my son run out all his energy. I was ready to push away everything that had happened previously and simply focus on my life as it was now. We spent the afternoon enjoying the nice weather while playing games.

  “Hide game,” Stelliot announced. “Papa count ten.”

  I grinned. “Alright, Stelliot, but remember. You need to actually go hide this time. You can’t just stand in the middle of the lawn.”

  He wiggled his torso and then covered his own eyes, taking over both sides of the game. “One, two, nine, ten!” He pulled his palms away from his eyes and glanced around the yard before pointing to his own chest. “Found me!”

  I stifled a chuckle and let him do it the same thing a few more times.

  When Stelliot had worn himself out, we reentered the house. He was back to his quiet self, spending time in the living room gently pulling on Click’s hair while I cooked dinner. I began to feel better as I occupied myself with routine tasks. The thoughts of what had occurred over the last couple days began to dull, allowing me to enjoy family time more.

  I placed Stelliot in his highchair with Toanwar and Zlade at the table, sitting down once dinner was set. It wasn’t often that we got to sit and eat together like this, so the occasion was special. Before starting in on the food Toanwar whispered a small prayer to the sun god SolTansra and to SiyariDendo.

  “We also invite Kajaru to dine with us tonight. May he know that he is never forgotten, and that our love for him still carries on through this family,” he finished. Despite my disinterest in the gods, I never mentioned that I found the prayers useless.

  That night I fixed a bath for Stelliot, as he’d made quite a mess of himself at dinner. As I poured the water down his back, he waved a bath toy over the tub and scrunched his face into an animal-like gnarl, chomping his teeth together.

  “What are you doing, silly?” I questioned offhandedly.

  “Big teeth with black wiggles,” he replied.

  I paused and frowned. “What?”

  “I a big teeth monster with black wiggles,
” he stated more clearly, although I still didn’t understand.

  Something he saw on TV perhaps… I assumed, until Stelliot’s hand broke the surface of the water to point to the doorway of the bathroom.

  “Like that one!”

  I turned my gaze to the side to see whatever he pointed at but was met with nothing in return. Stelliot’s eyes fixed to the spot as he pointed, and he chomped loudly with his teeth again. A shudder swept down my spine, but I brushed it aside. There was no reason to grow paranoid over Stelliot’s imagination. I’d welcomed his desire to spend time with me today, and I wasn’t about to ruin it with anxiety about nothing.

  After putting my child to bed, I entered my room for the first time since that afternoon. I picked up my phone, noticing the resentfully large number of Saydea calls I’d missed.

  No more. I shoved the worries away once again and lifted a book I’d had stashed under the nightstand, reading until I fell asleep.

  4

  Paternal Nightmares

  Toanwar was in the living room when I walked in the next morning. He’d just turned on the television, and he didn’t look particularly happy to see me.

  "Are you sure you’re making a wise choice?" were his first words.

  I was still groggy from sleep. "What are you talking about?"

  Toanwar sat down on the dusky tan couch and patted the spot next to him. I knew I was in trouble as I walked over and took the seat, clasping my hands in my lap.

  "What is it in Saydea that intrigues you, Crow?"

  Since my explosion toward both Dentrin and Sylvain yesterday, I’d had a feeling Toanwar would catch on. It was either that or the fact that I had left my phone out for anybody to see. He could have noticed the calls I’d missed.

  I decided to play dumb. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

  His voice was low. "Don’t lie to me. You like to hide things, but your eyes tell everything. I told you it’s not a smart idea to go there."