Viole[n]t Skies

by Derek Baker

  “I was still scared to death.”

  When I ran away for a few days out of the city back in my pre-teen years, my father made me promise to my mother upon my return that I would never leave unannounced again. Then, naturally, he beat my ass.

  “Well besides me, what’s been going on in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Galihue?”

  “Still working,” my dad replied, “at least up until a couple days ago. Everything’s come to a standstill. No one wants to produce when we’re not sure if there’s even gonna be another tomorrow, ya know?”

  “Yeah…but believe me. There will be, Dad. There will be.”

  “At least someone’s optimistic.”

  “Aw, look on the bright side, Dad. I probably won’t be asking for any more money now.”

  To this both my parents laughed.

  “Of course not, honey, and besides, you’re famous now,” my mom responded.

  “Famous? I don’t know about that…”

  “Well, not yet, I suppose. You may not realize this, but the whole world is watching, waiting for you. You’re ‘the other one’ as they’re saying all over the news.”

  “Great. I’ve never known what fame felt like,” I remarked sardonically.

  “Don’t worry about it, son. Focus on getting better first,” my dad said.

  They stayed a bit longer, but saw I was starting to get drowsy again. As we hugged and kissed once more, my mother said to me: “And sweety, there’s someone else here to see you.”

  “Who?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

  “Claire…and someone else.”

  “Someone else? Who?”

  My mother gave me a warm, genuine, matriarchal smile. “You’ll see.”

  “I’m proud of you, son,” my father said, getting up to leave.

  “Love you too, both of you.” Out they went.

  I heard them talking, saw the shadows of their feet underneath the crack in the door. I heard another voice, young and feminine. Claire…so many things to resolve, so many questions unanswered.

  The door swung open again. There she was. Only she wasn’t alone. The world went suddenly silent, as there in Claire’s arms, was a baby girl.

  So perfect and angelic. Clothed in a little white gown with pink stripes, nuzzled in her mother’s arms but wide awake and fully attentive to her surroundings. Her hair was the same chestnut of her mother’s but her eyes were a deep blue. She turned her little head and our eyes met. It was like destiny, meant to be. I was instantly in love, and I knew without asking who the tiny bundle of joy was that she was without a doubt my darling daughter.

  Claire’s slender body had grown just a bit from child-rearing, but it still held the immense beauty it carried the night we made love. In fact, it was even more radiant now. Her eyes, as they did that long past morning, showed her fatigue, grief, and joy all in one expression. I couldn’t imagine the strength she had to endure all those months, thinking the father of her child was gone.

  My new family approached the bed. Tears swelled in Claire’s eyes. Mine did likewise. She didn’t take her eyes off of me, but I felt in a dilemma going back and forth between her and the baby.

  “Look sweety, it’s your daddy. Can you wave to him?” she groped her daughter’s arm, emulating a wave motion to which I returned the gesture.

  My voice quivered, “She’s…beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” I swallowed, a heavy gulp. “What’s her name?”

  “I named her Violet. It means to have a purpose,” she smiled amid tears, “I don’t know what that purpose is yet, but I’m sure we’ll find out.”

  “Violet…Violet…” I breathed the name, the letters and all, intoxicated by its essence, “Yes, I think we will find out.”

  “You want to hold her?”

  “More than anything.”

  So there I was, a brief moment of happiness in the midst of an uncertain time. I held my daughter Violet for the first time, and as I held her, Claire bent over and gave me the first kiss we’d shared in such a long time. For the time being, nothing else mattered.

  Chapter 20 – April 2135

  The interstellar neighborhood, at the time of Wendra’s imperial conquests, was largely a two sided fight for control. Wendra, the dominating superpower, was perhaps a millennium into its space age when its militaristic background propelled it towards imperialism. Before this, it had mostly engaged in trade with the swampy planet of Gemo Kaya, seeking the natives’ medicines in exchange for their metal alloys. On the other side of the coin, Mars was an ancient civilization, tracing its roots back millions of years. Their subterranean cities and highways were the results of their ancestors’ engineering prowess when the surface of Mars became uninhabitable to life. Their society turned from warlike to intellectual; its array of city-states, centered around the city Tai, each housed prestigious universities with rich histories of educating not just Martians but other species around the surrounding parsecs.

  The Wendran War bore much resemblance to the Persian War studied in history classes on Earth. Wendra, an empire seeking to branch out, to control and conquer, played the role of the Persian empire. Martians represented the less united city-states of the ancient Greek civilization. When war broke out of Wendra’s invasion of lesser planets with no fleets to defend themselves, Mars saw the necessity to protect itself as well as its allies. Among these allies, unbeknownst to humanity, was Earth.

  Upon my return to Earth, the simple fact was that our governmental structure had to change virtually overnight. We had to rid ourselves of the weak confederacy that was the United Nations and replace it with a strong, central government that would be able to control global matters in a swift, effectual manner. A new capital was constructed, with the help of Martian technology, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, a strategic bunker of a location for what would become the city of Phalanxia.

  In the months preceding the Wendran invasion of Earth, we faced many challenges to say the least.

  -Alexander Curtis

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The room felt comfortable, a warm, rich ambiance to it, almost bedroom like, a strange thing to say about the office of the woman who was presumed to take over as the head of government for this new international coalition to represent Earth. One would have expected more tidiness, but perhaps that would imply narrow-mindedness. And that was something not wanted nor needed at this time.

  “General Patrick Webb, a pleasure to see you again,” her wrinkled, withered hand met his rough, sturdy one. She swayed back a lock of her long grey hair back behind her shoulder. “I understand you’ve brought me an aspiring young man here today.”

  “Mr. Alexander Curtis, I’d like to introduce you to the Minister-Elect, Ashton Presley.”

  Alexander brought his hand to hers, meeting her look of politeness and graciousness. The trio took their seats, hers behind her desk and the gentlemen in their burgundy armchairs. A candle on the desk burned; it smelled of roses.

  “Mr. Curtis,” her face softened, almost looking like a therapist would to a patient, kind and understanding. “I would just love to talk to you for hours about everything you’ve gone through if I could, but I’m afraid I can only give you a few moments of my time. Busy, busy, you know?” She laughed with a sarcastic look in her eyes. Alexander and the General laughed too to be polite.

  “So let me get this straight, Ambassador Chym from Mars has asked for you to act as a sort of middleman, messenger type between him and myself?”

  “Um, why yes, he doesn’t have to keep his correspondence secret anymore, so he figured it might be easier to go through me. Plus, I, uh, I mean, you know, would love to have the experience in my resume if at all possible –”

  “I see, I see, of course,” her face looked concentrated, almost like she was focusing on some other problem in her mind.

  “It would either be that, or I…well, I don’t know what I would do. I suppose I could sign up for the new space force they’re going to make.”

&n
bsp; “No, no,” she waved her hand at the thought, “that wouldn’t do for someone like you. I watched you at that news conference. Sure, you were a bit shy at first, but when you pulled it together you really shined, my dear. I take it you’d like to get into politics someday?”

  Alexander sighed with relief. “Yes, of course. When I attended Poston University –that is, before I was abducted– I was actually majoring in Political Science.”

  “Yes, true.” Her eyes squinted. “However, you dropped out.”

  “As I explain before, that was because the whole university was being run by those damned Havenists. Excuse my language.”

  “No offense taken,” she shrugged.

  The general looked over with a doubtful scorn at Alexander. “Was it really that bad there? I mean, couldn’t you have at least tried to stick it out?”

  “I probably could’ve. But then I wouldn’t have gotten a job repairing cameras and telescopes. Which is where I met Delvon and found a friend to go to see Halley’s comet with, which was where I was abducted. If I hadn’t dropped out, it’s likely none of the three of us would even be sitting here right now.”

  The creeping realization sunk into both of their minds.

  An awkward moment later, the Minister-Elect said, “Well, if Chym’Buk’Tai recommends you for this position, I’m afraid I can’t refuse him. It’ll be easier while trying to form this new government to have an easy contact with the Martian hierarchy. I suppose I only have one question.”

  “What would that be?” Alexander leaned forward in his seat.

  “When do you start?”

  Alexander smiled.

  ~~~~~~

  Chym woke from his sleep, a less frequent occurrence for one accustomed to space travel such as himself. He was, as an even rarer circumstance, in his own quarters in the city of Tai. He was home. He rose from his bed, a comfortable foam-like mattress, pressed the button to open the shades, winding up with a slow hum to reveal the brightness behind them. The well-lit streets of Tai surrounded him, their depth an awesome sight. Buildings towered over him; others dwelled down below in the valley of the massive cavern that housed the capital.

  Turning back away from the light which hurt his eyes, he faced his room: a spiraling disarray of shelves in which sat the Martian form of storing information: written language. Books, journals, manuscripts. Some say the Martians are the cause of recorded human history; they influenced our ancestors into making symbols that represented words in their oral messages. The walls remained barren behind this assortment of knowledge at Chym’s disposal. All served a reminder to the Martian of the life he led before his father became Prime Minister.

  Being the son of Shri’Buk’Tai held its responsibilities. He was required to be trained in military and diplomatic disciplines. At heart, however, Chym was a scholarly Abb, or male. He studied the arts, histories, and social interactions of the known planets. Earth in particular had always fascinated him as it was so closely tied with Mars. A kinship that had long evaporated was in the process of condensation once more.

  But no, Chym was not resting or studying on Mars. He was busy every day. After going to Earth and making the eminent situation known to the Humans, his father had assigned him to overseeing the transport of human soldiers and politicians back and forth to Mars. This served two purposes: the first one to give visual proof of the existence of the alien civilization, the second to provide training in the new style of combat humans would be experiencing in fighting the Wendrans.

  Indeed, humans were skeptical. Seeing Chym on television and the ships hovering over Washington D.C., was not sufficient evidence for either side of the American political spectrum. Liberal Havenists voiced their doubts by saying the Conservatives had created the Martians as a tool to destroy Havenist sympathy. Conversely, the conservatives countered with the accusations that Martians were on Earth to takeover for themselves.

  At any rate, such division was not acceptable. America would have to either forget its feuds and join the new world government being created or risk being out of the loop. This was not in any way desirable to Mars, as America was the homeland of Alexander Curtis and Delvon Galihue, the two most important humans as plans moved forward. Shri’Buk’Tai ordered, and Chym agreed, that training humans on Mars was an effective method for dispelling these rumors.

  On the other hand, it was also imperative that Martian soldiers go to Earth and train themselves there, getting used to the gravity of Earth so that they would have the advantage when the time came. The ultimate goal was for Martians and Humans alike to travel back and forth between the sister planets in a mash-up of shared knowledge and preparation.

  Military, throughout Martian and Human history alike, had been tied with technology. Technology was the result of science and experimentation. In short time, Martian scientists had imparted their knowledge of space travel, advanced weaponry, and other significant areas of science into the minds of the most formidable human minds. There were already plans –preliminary, of course– to build a space fleet designed for humans, by humans. This along with the utilization of Earthly metals rapidly advanced human technological capacity in a heartbeat. So unnatural, yet justified, to meet the demanding circumstances, thought the majority of Martians.

  Another very important matter was economics. Should the defense of Earth prove successful, it would become most beneficial, even necessary, for Earth to begin trading with other planets. This, along with military, was best to be decided by the new government of Earth was in its infancy in formation. Earth was a special planet without a doubt; its water proved a valuable commodity for most of the known planets, including Mars. Which led to a question many humans were asking themselves: why would the Martians bother helping us if they could just use us instead? Indeed, it had proved a challenge months ago to convince the Martian legislature to lend militaristic assistance to Earth in the first place, as Alexander and Delvon had experienced.

  As Chym had explained to his companions, the Martians were not a destructive race. They had a sense of a greater good, inconceivable to say, the Wendrans. Earth was more useful as an ally, not a subject of Martian control. While Mars protected and sheltered its sister planet throughout the centuries, it couldn’t keep the truth hidden from those beloved neighbors any longer. Such a motherly role Mars played in the development of Human society. A course of action unthinkable to a greedy, spineless race like the Wendrans.

  Chym dressed himself in a silvery gown for formal purposes, deep in thought about the day which lay ahead of him. The cramped study room gave him his ideal environment for matters requiring his mental capacity. He sat back down on the foot of his bed, eyes closed, with palms clasped together. His breathing slowed.

  Ding! Rang the tone of his communicator, which lay at his desk.

  Chym, disengaging from his trance, abruptly stood back up, walked over to answer it. He pressed the button on the device, a small white chip that all Martians used for communication.

  “Yes?” he said, waiting for a response.

  “Chym, this is Shri,” it was his father, the Prime Minister, speaking the Martian language.

  “In what matters am I needed today?” asked Chym, maintaining a formal tone in his native tongue.

  “There is a Human General, by the name of Patrick Webb, who will need a tour of our facilities today. Afterwards, I need you at the capitol building for a meeting.”

  “Understood. What of the meeting?”

  “Our intelligence has observed the Wendrans building up an armada orbiting their moon Eridos. This may be the force with which they plan to invade Earth,” explained Shri.

  “If we know of this, is there any way we can intercept their onslaught?” wondered Chym.

  “Such matters will be discussed later today. I’d rather not speak of it now due to security reasons.”

  “I understand. In that case, I will speak with you later,” said Chym.

  “Very good. Zim baray yu rilan. Stay strong and intelligent,”
concluded his father, giving the traditional paternal farewell of the Martians.

  “Zim baray yu rilan,” Chym returned.

  “Oh, and one more thing of interest to you, before I forget,” said the Prime Minister.

  “Yes?”

  “I thought you may take pleasure in hearing your friend Delvon Galihue arrived the evening prior for pilot training.”

  The equivalent of a smile bent Chym’s lips. “You thought correctly. It is excellent to hear he is pursuing a place in our fleet. Is his family with him?”

  “Yes, his mate and child have joined him. Human families are so interesting, with only two genders,” remarked Shri.

  “I too have always found it fascinating. Anyway, thank you for bringing such good tidings to my attention. I shall make the effort to pay them a visit.”

  “Excellent. Zim baray yu rilan.”

  “Zim baray yu rilan.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  It took me a moment to remember where I was when I first opened my eyes. Then it came back to me: I was on Mars, in the city Tai.

  The last time I was here was a bit shaky, but I was glad to return. It was refreshing to regain a more stable environment, with everything changing so quickly, like a bomb exploding, back on Earth.

  Alexander and I had hardly seen each other since our return. He was busy implementing his political prowess as well as his experience from being on Mars to help draft a new global constitution. Granted, he wasn’t an elected official; he was more like a kiss-ass to the men and women that were more prominent. However, everyone there wanted him around. He was the celebrity, who had talked on live television when the world got its first glimpse at their alien ally.

  Me? I was the other guy. But I was more than content with it. Alexander and I had spent some time talking about the effects of fame. I couldn’t say I was envious of him. He was having a rough go of it, but at the same time having the time of his life, doing what he loved best.