by Mario Routi
“Okay, everyone, climb into the carriage,” Bull called out to them. “This is the Highlow Cosmodrome. As you can see, it’s quite small and simple and it’s inside the Fortress of Utopia. Now we’ll head to the open-air theatre, where all of our important functions take place. Princess Felicia is waiting for us there, together with your relatives. It’s not far. Enjoy the ride.”
They all clambered into the wooden carriage, sinking into the soft leather seats and exchanging looks of wonderment, but saying nothing. Bull settled himself proudly up front and took hold of the reins, setting the horses off at a trot. He looked as comfortable as a coachman as he had looked as a spaceship pilot. Within a few easy strides he had effortlessly and humbly bridged the past and the future.
The carriage picked up speed as it rattled out of the Cosmodrome and onto a road covered with the same immaculate grass as the landing field. Elegant trees lined the sides of the road, with monkeys swinging through their branches. Brilliantly coloured parrots and other tropical birds swooped around the carriage in a squawking guard of honour. Deer, rabbits and squirrels frolicked in the road and played tag and hide-and-seek among the trees like carefree children.
Other horse-drawn vehicles and riders passed them, everyone looking happy and healthy. It was as if everyone was in their prime, no one stiffened or bowed by age or illness.
Rebecca had expected to see more futuristic architecture, like in the movies, but there were only simple buildings that rolled back the centuries - more reminiscent of Ancient Greece than another dimension. After driving for a few minutes, Bull pulled the horses to a halt amongst other parked carriages and tethered horses before leaping to the ground with the agility of an acrobat.
“Here we are,” he announced.
The young Orizons climbed out and followed him as he strode up a flight of steps and through an arched gateway into what looked like an ancient Roman amphitheatre. Tiers of seats rose up on either side and even over the gate through which they’d entered. The seats above the gateway formed a horseshoe shape, designed to fit Centaurs. This ground was also covered with the same kind of perfect grass the youths had previously encountered.
The bemused teenagers were ushered onto the terraces in a line and from there they could see Princess Felicia standing on a dais with Doctor Afterland and an impressive-looking group of dignitaries. Bull had left them to take his own place beside the Doctor. The Princess looked towards them and, as she spoke, everyone fell respectfully silent.
“I am Princess Felicia. Welcome to your homeland. You should be proud of yourselves. The revelations that you have just been subjected to would have shaken normal human beings, but you have all handled them well, as we would expect, proving that you are true Orizons.”
As she spoke, she walked back and forth along their row of seats. Her presence was so powerful and direct that each newcomer felt as if she was talking to them alone.
“Your training begins tomorrow. Here in the Fortress, we have both classrooms for theory and training grounds for practice. You will have lessons for eight hours every day. Your tuition will be completed whenever your trainers feel that you are ready. War - the Lomani, as we call it - can break out here at any moment but you aren’t allowed to take part until you have finished your training. Only then will you be adequately prepared to fight, if the need arises.
“At your homes, you will learn the customs of our land and you’ll see how simple and easy life can be, if we want it so.
“As you know, we must protect the Flame. It is the source of our great strength - the strength with which we fight to establish the reign of goodness.”
She swung round and pointed to a distant hill.
“Do you see how the Flame burns on that hill? The positive energy of the universe is concentrated there. We will never let it be taken. That place is sacred to us, protected by the Sphinx you see sitting beside it.”
Everyone in the theatre roared their approval and applauded. As the Princess waited for the applause to fade before continuing, Rebecca noticed that behind the group of dignitaries stood a small, but ancient-looking, tree. It had few branches and its foliage was threadbare. For a moment, she thought she saw something move in the middle of its trunk. It looked like a mouth, opening in a gnarled semblance of a smile.
“Now, before your families take you home,” Felicia continued, “I shall introduce you to your main instructors. Long ago a special gift was given to us from the Gods and it has been our wise counsel. It will teach you philosophy. It is The Wise Tree!”
The old tree rustled its branches and Rebecca realised that her eyes had not been playing tricks on her as it began to talk to the startled newcomers.
“Welcome children, welcome! Freedom, truth, honesty - I can see these qualities in you and these are ideals worth fighting for. In your new lives you will face many challenges, some of which can only be overcome by fighting and by holding on tightly to your faith, as faith will always triumph in any fight.”
“Thank you Wise Tree,” Felicia said. “Here is Doctor Afterland, who attended all of your births and gave you your first breaths of the Sacred Flame.”
Doctor Afterland stepped forward and opened his arms to them in welcome. “And, before you take your next breath of the Flame,” he said, “you will learn medicine and the science that explains our lovely world. Ah, and here’s the Amazon leader, General Claudia.”
General Claudia, a curvaceous Amazon woman with intricately-arranged long hair and pale, olive green eyes stepped out of the group and walked along the line to shake their hands.
“Welcome to our beautiful land,” she said to each in turn before swinging round to address the whole group. “I know you’ve all had some training in archery, but I will take you to the next stage, which is learning how to wield the bow as expertly on horseback as on foot. You will develop grace, precision, courage and the satisfaction of using the bow with the greatest imaginable skill.”
The next to step forward was General Hunter, a Centaur. He bowed respectfully to Claudia and Felicia before standing neatly and silently in front of the newcomers.
“The speed of the javelin and the spear,” he said, once he had their full attention. “How to defend with a shield. It shall be my honour to teach you all this.”
“Thank you both,” said Felicia. “And now, the leader of our armies, Field Marshal Foster!”
Field Marshal Foster strode forward, athletic and powerfully built with long, blond hair streaming behind him. The blue-sun symbol blazed across his broad chest and a crystal sword hung from his trim waist.
“Greetings! Along with Bull, who will teach you martial arts and the use of the dagger, I will be teaching you how to fight with a sword. My methods may save your lives one day, so make sure you listen well!”
“And if anyone wants a game of chess or some football? You know where to come!” added Bull.
Felicia gently touched the bark of the Wise Tree, which spoke once again. “Please remember this... Whenever we dare to try, we face the prospect of failure. Because of our wars, we often face the very real risk of death, too. If we do nothing, we will never experience the pain of failure, but neither will we experience the heady taste of victory. Consider my words carefully, for soon, the time will come when you must choose between remaining an Orizon or returning to Earth to live a simple life as a human being.”
They said nothing, mesmerized by the words of the Tree.
“The Gods have given us everything, but we cannot just sit back and enjoy it without giving something in return. I’ll always be here for you. Come to me whenever you feel the need.”
There was a solemn moment of silence as everyone considered what had been said, before Felicia spoke once more.
“And now you will finally meet your families. They will have the pleasure of giving you your first tour.”
A gr
oup of smiling Orizons entered the terrace area and went towards their children.
Tony and Lisa greeted Rebecca with tender hugs and kisses. They both were tall, slim and athletic. Tony’s short, grey hair was the same colour as his eyes. Lisa had an ethereal beauty, her long black hair contrasting dramatically with her pale skin. She looked no older than Rebecca’s mother, while her grandfather looked to be only in his early fifties.
9
Rebecca rode with her grandparents in their own horse-drawn carriage as they started their tour of the mighty Utopia Fortress, with her grandfather at the reins.
“Look darling, there’s the main school house,” Lisa pointed to a timber building they were passing. On the other side of the road was a low, but imposing, stone building. “And, just coming up - the armoury.”
“In there are all the weapons we need for war,” Tony said. “All we carry with us are our swords and javelins. Over there are the main stables. And there - that’s the library and that’s the museum.”
They passed by Bull’s wood and stone house just as he arrived home. He waved at them before disappearing inside.
“Bull has a large home,” Rebecca observed, looking back as they passed.
“He needs the big rooms so children of all ages can gather together,” Lisa explained. “He spends most of his time with trainees.”
“And in the back there’s a swimming pool,” Tony added, “and courts for basketball, tennis and other games. Most of the sports played on Earth started out here thousands of years ago.”
“You will learn so much here,” Lisa said, patting her hand. “You will be encouraged to think and understand, so that you can form and express your own views.”
“Bull is in charge of all education,” Tony explained. “He continually enriches his students with knowledge, including any new discoveries either from here or from Earth.”
They passed a large playground structure with young Orizons, Amazons, and Centaurs cavorting happily on the grounds.
“This is our orphanage,” Tony said, the pride shining through in his face. “It’s shared by Orizons, Amazons, and even Centaurs. Everyone in Utopia knows all the children by their first names. In fact, we have all adopted them.”
“The native language for Orizon children is ancient Greek,” Lisa said, “but they all learn English and the language of the race they come from as well. There are no exams or grades, only discussions. It is a better way to learn.”
Her grandparents continued their running commentary as the carriage passed a huge stadium and proceeded on to the administrative building that housed Felicia’s home. They pointed out indoor and outdoor theatres, the printing house, halls for cultural events and the colleges of fine art and music.
“We have centres for every form of art,” her grandfather explained. “Places where talented composers, musicians, directors and actors involved in all kinds of theatre and music can gather and exchange ideas. There are performances of most plays that have been staged on Earth, but we also put on dramatisations of literary works that have been forgotten there. It’s very interesting, very worthwhile. Our minds must have places where they can take flight and rejoice as well as work. Everything is done joyfully and enthusiastically, with no hidden agendas, by volunteers who love what they do. You’ll meet great artists here, Rebecca, some of whom made history on Earth, where no one ever knew that they were Orizons!”
Her face lit up. “Will I be able to meet some of my favourite actors?”
“Of course. But here, all actors and actresses are equally useful and receive the same recognition, irrespective of how they look or whether or not they play leading roles. You’ll also meet a brilliant composer, whose wonderful compositions we all adore. He’s also a mighty warrior. He had to leave Earth while he was still young.
“There are always concerts on, of all kinds of music. We also have dance competitions to suit every age group and taste. We often have parties in our homes as well as in recreation centres. It’s all about encouraging warm, human contact. However, I don’t know if your schedule will allow you to attend any of the cultural events at this first stage of your training.”
After sightseeing for over an hour, they approached the Fortress Walls and paused before an imposing stone gate.
“Here, the Great Gate of the Fortress!” Tony said, exchanging waves with the guards as he urged the horses on through the gates and into the outside world.
“See the trees?” Lisa asked. “That is our forest, called Domus. Many hard-fought battles have taken place there. Some parts of Domus are also used as training and exercise grounds. The treeless area which runs all around the Fortress is deemed to be a battle zone and the enemy has the right to use it when attacking. But beyond that point, where the houses of the Orizons, Amazons and Centaurs are located, the land belongs to Utopia. The enemy never goes there and never touches non-combatants or their belongings. Domus Forest is immense and it is neutral ground in times of peace, used by everyone. Every species of animal is represented there, without exception, even all sorts of dinosaurs, although all animals here are vegetarians and are non predatory!”
“Now we’re heading home and when we get there I’ll show you a map of the Land of the White Sun so that you can get your bearings,” said Tony “Every Orizon family has about twelve acres of land where, apart from the house, there are stables for the animals and orchards and fields where we grow whatever we like. We all have plenty of water that comes down from Mount Thunder and is channelled through a series of interconnected basins to wherever else it is needed. The whole system uses clay pipes so that water quality is never affected.
“As you can see, each house stands more or less in the middle of its plot of land and on a slightly raised artificial platform. Any water used in the house is then directed to the rest of the land through an irrigation system made of clay, sand and plant fibres. In this way, we irrigate all our fields without needing to discharge dirty or used water into our lakes and seas. It is a developed ecological purification system.”
“Do people build their own houses?” Rebecca asked.
“With the assistance of volunteers,” replied her grandfather. “We help one another, and we do so with pleasure. We also work together, as willing volunteers, on the public buildings within the Fortress and wherever else we’re needed - making weapons or other metal or crystal objects, printing, building furniture, and cleaning and maintaining all the facilities.
“We keep a few hundred houses empty. Couples who get married and start a family get one of these houses and cultivate its land. Until such time, the fields surrounding the vacant houses are left untilled. The trees continue to bear fruit, of course, and anyone can help themselves to the fruit and nuts, but that rarely happens because everyone has more than enough land of their own to live off comfortably. Everything here is simple and easy, unlike on Earth where, in order to build their houses, people mix the soil with sweat and blood instead of water and lime.”
“Everything we’ve told you applies not only for Orizons, but also for Amazons and Centaurs,” Lisa said. “We all have the same responsibilities. The only difference is that the doors on Centaurs’ houses are a little larger, to allow for their size.”
“When they were on Earth, the Centaurs were a savage, unprincipled tribe,” Tony said, “but everyone has the capacity for change if they want to use it. When they moved to this land they chose the side of Good, so now they are in our camp. The Gods, wanting to reward them for their decision, created female Centaurs so that they could reproduce.
“Something similar happened to the Amazons, who were divided on Earth between good and bad. Once here, however, they immediately joined the ranks of the Good. So the Gods rewarded them too, in roughly the same way. The Gods permitted marriages between Amazons and male Orizons, so that their all-female race wouldn’t become extinct. Quite a lot of male Oriz
ons are married to Amazons. In those cases if they have a daughter, she becomes an Amazon, and if they have a son, he becomes an Orizon.
“To stand out in battle, we Orizons wear white leather or silk clothes, blue boots and blue belts. The Orizon uniform has a blue sun emblem emblazoned on the chest. The Amazons wear brown leather clothes and boots. The Sharkans wear black leather clothes and boots, while the Porth and Cyclopes wear green.”
After a while they approached the family farm.
“You have no fences?” Rebecca exclaimed, surprised.
“Why would we need them?” Lisa asked.
They passed stables, hen-houses, and the barn before driving into the carriage shed and dismounting. As Tony tended to the horses, Lisa put her arm around Rebecca affectionately.
“And now it’s time for girl stuff!” she said, laughing at her granddaughter’s look of puzzlement. “Well, unless you intend to go on wearing your Earth clothes for ever! Let me show you your room and the clothes I’ve made for you.”
The house opened into a large living area that was practical, yet inviting. There were several beautiful paintings and sculptures on the walls.
“Wow, what a lovely house,” Rebecca said. “Did you do the paintings?”
Lisa nodded and led her through to a large farmhouse kitchen. “Come, I’ll show you our favourite room where we make everything. You’re an artist so I know you’ll appreciate it.”
Through another door, they entered a big workroom filled with artists’ materials, screens for printing, kilns and looms.
“I’ve always dreamed of having a place like this to work in,” Rebecca said, wandering from one object to another, examining and stroking them. “What a wonderful space. Can I come in here when you are working and watch? I want to learn everything.” She stopped in front of an object she didn’t recognise - a strange crystal pipe with water flowing through it. “What’s that?”