Dark Firmament

by Ezra Manes

  He held Ecina close for a moment, and then followed his parents into the large greeting room of the home. Close family members, senior clergy, and government representatives were gathered in small groups talking in hushed tones. The room quieted as they entered. Many of his first cousins were present, plus all his siblings; his younger sister and three older brothers.

  Joqi’s parents nodded to those close by as they hurried across the room, with him following close behind.

  Oh, Joqi.

  Startled, Joqi stopped. That intruding thought came from someone other than his grandpapa. Looking around, he was drawn to his sister. She had such an anguished look on her face!

  It will be okay, Alandi.

  Now it was his sister who was startled. She was unaware that she had communicated with him. Until this moment, only he, his grandpapa, and the artificial intelligence entity Eve were known to communicate this way. The grief of the moment had freed Alandi’s mind to reach out to him.

  Joqi smiled at her, then projected, Keep this secret until we can talk.

  She nodded, surprise still showing on her face.

  He turned and followed his parents into the private quarters in the back half of the home.

  CHAPTER 2

  G ranpeda!

  Joqi projected the involuntary thought outward when he saw his grandfather’s gaunt, ashen face. Was he still breathing? He lay limp on top of the bed covers with only a light, dark-blue nightshirt on his frail body. His arms lay motionless along his sides and his head and shoulders were propped up on pillows. His high priest ceremonial tunic lay across his feet, the rumpled, dark-blue material trimmed in gold lace looking no less regal.

  A slight smile formed on Prophet Sepeda’s face and his eyes fluttered open, causing murmuring to ripple among those holding vigil in the room.

  The large bedroom was in semidarkness with only dimmed lighting over the bed. Joqi’s eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness as he and his parents approached the bed. It looked like all eighteen of the prophet’s other children, all sons, were crowded into the room. The prophet having all sons by his two wives was considered a minor miracle. The sons’ birthdays spanned a period of thirty-five years.

  The High Priest of Zilerip, Olinza Harsn, stood on the opposite side of the bed. She was outfitted in formal high priest attire; dark blue clothing and a blue cape trimmed with gold colored lace. She looked trim and proper, as she had every other time Joqi had seen her.

  “Bless you, my son, my Rici,” whispered Prophet Sepeda as Rici gave him a gentle hug. “Be strong as you give up Joqi to his mission.”

  Joqi’s mother sucked in her breath sharply and reached over to grip his arm.

  My mission? Confused thoughts raced through Joqi’s mind as whispering spread throughout the room and then quickly subsided.

  “My Joqi,” his grandpapa whispered. He beckoned with a trembling hand.

  Joqi patted his mother’s hand and she released his arm. He moved quickly to tenderly grasp the prophet’s feeble hand. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and kissed his grandpapa’s hand. Leaning slightly forward, he looked into dark brown eyes that exuded wisdom and solemn confidence. Joqi was so choked with emotion that he couldn’t speak.

  “All here must bear witness and attest to what I say,” said Prophet Sepeda, in a surprisingly loud voice. He looked around at his children and the High Priest. “A terrible danger hovers close by, one which imperils all humankind, not just our Zilan civilization.”

  The room remained surprisingly quiet, although Joqi could see the tension and concern in the faces of those standing close about.

  The prophet held out his other hand and Joqi’s mother leaned over and handed him a folded and sealed single sheet of paper. She stepped back, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  Prophet Sepeda handed the paper to Joqi. “You and Dawn must be at this location at the peak of the next two-moon eclipse. This is the critical first step in countering the imminent dark danger.”

  The prophet again addressed those assembled. “Joqi has within him the knowledge and wisdom to do what is necessary. You must give him your full support.”

  The 139 years old prophet’s eyes closed and his hands went limp. Several of those present began weeping.

  Joqi felt numbness forming inside, as if to suppress his grief. Why select him? Was there no other information? What was the nature of the danger? Who was Dawn? He closed his eyes and bowed his head to hide his confusion and the tears welling up.

  Granpeda, what is this danger, what must I do?

  You will know, my Joqi. I will watch over you.

  Please stay, Granpeda. I need your guidance and wisdom.

  Trust your instinct, your intuition. Joqi, always remember your leadership role in advancing our society.

  Joqi’s thoughts reached out in anguish, trying to maintain the link with his grandpapa’s thoughts, which were dissipating in death like wispy fog rising to greet the morning sun. It was no use; his queries were quickly lost in a void of darkness.

  Gasps and murmurs of awe from those nearby caused Joqi to raise his head and open his eyes. A shimmering, moon-like sphere of bright light hovered above his grandpapa’s head.

  Granpeda! He shivered and goose bumps danced up his arms and across his back.

  His father knelt beside him and placed a hand on his right shoulder. His mother did likewise on his left.

  Joqi felt a mental nudge to hold out his hands, palms upward, and he complied. The radiant sphere began moving, crossing slowly from above Prophet Sepeda’s head to hover above Joqi’s hands, shining brightly like a full moon. The sphere suddenly brightened more, causing him to instinctively close his eyes.

  A panoramic view spread out before him. He was high above pearly white clouds, looking at a bright sun starting to set at the horizon. The sun was much brighter than their local sun Arzét. He stood on firm ground, on a rocky, barren mountain top. He shivered in the cold, acrid air, which smelled of sulfur. He needed oxygen and drew in deep breaths of the thin air, even though it burned his throat. He knew of no place like this on Zilia.

  Grandpeda, is this where I must go?

  Receiving no answer, Joqi opened his eyes as the panoramic vision dissipated. The bright sphere lay nestled in his open palms. It dimmed to full moon brightness, and in a blink it was gone.

  A respectful silence pervaded the room for a full minute. High Priest Harsn looked at Joqi questioningly, and then began reciting the Prayer of Deliverance. All in the room joined in, including Joqi. The respectful prayer eased the transition to the spirit world, and was considered most effective when delivered as soon as possible after someone started the journey.

  After the prayer, the High Priest, and then each of Prophet Sepeda’s sons, approached the bed and touched the prophet on the arm, giving a touch of respect and taking a touch of peace, as was the Zilan way.

  As the others filed out of the room, Joqi remained kneeling and holding his grandpapa’s limp hand. Memories of the prophet’s two wives came to mind. Gloria Ceyam Sepeda and Ceripe Largena Sepeda had preceded him in death many years before. Surely they were waiting to greet his grandpapa in the spirit world. Joqi had known his kind grandmothers in his childhood days, but didn’t remember much about them. Ceripe Sepeda was his maternal grandmother.

  He sensed the presence of another.

  Eve?

  Yes, Joaquin. I have stayed close to Prophet Sepeda this past year, at his request. His transition leaves a great void in our world. I am now at your service.

  Joqi looked more closely at the room. In the dim lighting, he could just make out a small camera pod in the corner at the ceiling of the wall behind the bed headboard. The pod provided Eve video access to the room; however, she could communicate directly with Joqi.

  He and his grandpapa were the only ones that could link directly with Eve. She was the artificial intelligence that had achieved sentience during the journey to Zilia with his grandfather over a century earlier. And now pe
rhaps another could communicate with Eve as well—Alandi.

  Joqi rose, still holding his grandpapa’s limp right hand. He positioned the prophet’s arms and hands so the fingers intertwined on the center of his chest, the position he had seen so many times when his grandpapa meditated or prayed.

  Did you record the small moon moving from Grandpapa to me, Joqi asked.

  Yes, Eve replied. I will provide a copy for High Priest Harsn.

  Who is Dawn?

  Dawn and I are one and the same. I will explain this and many other things soon, Eve projected. I leave you now.

  Joqi touched his grandpapa’s arm reverently, and then sat in a meditative position on the floor. He lost the battle to control his emotions and his shoulders heaved with each sob.

  • • •

  Joqi’s father, mother, and High Priest Harsn greeted him in the hallway outside his grandpapa’s bedroom. His mother and father hugged him together, and then stood close beside him, each holding one of his hands. His mother squeezed his left hand so hard it hurt; she was taking loss of the prophet hard, plus now having to deal with Joqi’s selection to lead what must be a dangerous mission.

  High Priest Harsn stepped forward to touch Joqi lightly on both arms. “Our hearts are heavy this day, but we are thankful we had Prophet Sepeda to guide us through the past century.”

  Joqi could only nod his agreement. He didn’t know the high priest very well, but his father and mother held her in high esteem.

  “Did Prophet Sepeda convey additional information about the imminent danger,” the priestess asked, dropping her arms to her sides. She was aware of Joqi’s telepathic ability. “You appeared to experience something when the sphere hovered in your palms.”

  “A…dream-like vision came to me, of a place like none I can imagine existing here on Zilia.” He explained in detail what he had experienced.

  “Before the sphere appeared,” Joqi continued. “I asked Grandpapa what the dark danger was, but he was circumspect in his answer. He said I would know and to trust my instincts.”

  Joqi hesitated, and then added, “He would have told me if he knew more.” He bowed his head and said, “Why me?”

  “Joqi, we must trust your grandfather. His visions have always borne truth and guided us well.” The High Priest smiled and touched him on both arms again. “You were chosen for good reasons, even though all are not apparent now.”

  Joqi nodded numbly. Were there no answers? Was he to blindly march ahead?

  “Have you opened the sealed paper,” his father asked,

  “No, Father.” He searched his pockets for the paper. “I must have left it with Grandpapa.”

  They followed him back into the bedroom. High Priest Harsn smiled and nodded her approval of how he had placed the prophet’s hands. She picked up the sealed paper from the side of the bed and handed it to Joqi.

  “I request you share what is written inside with our Council of Priests and our Supreme Leader, when you are ready.”

  Joqi nodded and without hesitation broke the seal on the folded paper. The hand-drawn markings confused him for a moment, and then he understood. His grandpapa had drawn seven reference points in space. Three of the points clearly represented the alignment of their planet Zilia with its two moons at the next Primary Two-Moon Eclipse, which would occur in five and a half months. This set the time reference for location of the other points.

  Each of the other four points had a solid line emanating into space, with a specific angle annotated next to each point. The lines converged at a point in the outer reaches of their solar system. The line emanating from Zilia’s outer moon to the intersection point was a dashed line. The intersection point must be where his grandpapa wanted him at when the next two-moon eclipse peak occurred.

  He looked at his grandpapa laying as if in a deep sleep. I understand, Granpeda. I will be there as you wish, if at all possible. He did not expect, nor did he get any reply.

  He focused attention back on his parents and High Priest Harsn. He held the drawing up for all to see.

  “The drawing depicts a coordinate system with seven points of reference identifying a specific location in space and time. The reference points are distant stars plus the planet Zilia aligned with its two moons.”

  His father leaned closer. “The stars are not identified. The one closest to Zilia must be our sun, but what about the others?”

  “I believe the reference points refer to stars in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy,” Joqi replied. “We must run simulations to find stars that fit the time and angles referenced by the intersecting lines. This process will quickly locate and verify the reference points.”

  There were more lines crossing at the intersection point than were necessary to locate the point in space, which could mean one or more of the lines had additional significance. He decided to hold off bringing up this point; hopefully the significance would become apparent once the referenced stars were identified.

  “The moons are perfectly aligned with Zilia, as they will be in our next Primary Two-Moon Eclipse,” the High Priest said. “As you know, this is also our next Holy Seven-Year Two-Moon Eclipse.”

  The High Priest frowned and looked closer at the drawing. “Prophet Sepeda must have drawn this some time back. The annotations are in his handwriting and are crisp and smooth. He was unable to write this way the past several months in his weakened condition.”

  Joqi nodded slowly. He had an uneasy feeling that the timing of his grandpapa’s death had great significance to the mission that lay before him. They had five and a half months to get to the intersection point.

  Apparently the High Priest was having similar thoughts. “The religious symbolism is very important to solidify support for your mission,” she said. “May I take this drawing to show to our Council of Priests and the Supreme Leader?”

  What was this, the High Priest asking his permission? And she had mentioned the supreme leader twice, which made Joqi wonder why Ciasan Tojmera was not present, as other key officials were.

  “Certainly, I would feel better if you safeguarded the original copy. But I need to place a working copy on file where it will be accessible to those helping get me to the location specified.”

  He held the paper up so it was clearly visible to the camera pod.

  Eve, please copy and save this drawing.

  It is done, Eve conveyed. I will start the simulations to find the reference stars and the intersection point.

  Eve paused, and then added, Joaquin, you and your mission are now my top priorities.

  Joqi handed the drawing to High Priest Harsn, who looked him squarely in the eyes until he became uncomfortable. She was looking for some response from him, but he had nothing else to say.

  “Do you recall viewing the recordings of the Third Moon Rising miracle when you attended religious services as a youth,” the High Priest asked.

  Yes he did, and the memory raised goose bumps again. He nodded slowly.

  “Seeing the bright sphere hover above Prophet Sepeda and then your hands,” she added, “reminded me of that most holy event that occurred over a century ago.”

  “Eve will provide a recording of the sphere moving from Grandpapa to me,” Joqi said.

  “I hoped she would,” the priest said. “Thank you.”

  The High Priest touched him lightly on the arm again before leaving the room. To have the “touch of respect and touch of peace” administered by the high priest of their religious order was unnerving, to say the least—as was thinking about the Holy Third Moon Rising event.

  He turned to comfort his mother, who was crying again. “Why you,” she whispered through soft sobs as he held her close.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Is there no other way?”

  Joqi’s question seemed to linger in the air like a foul mist; some in the room fidgeted, others found somewhere else to look, avoiding his eyes. The one at the front center of the assembled group did neither. He was tall, with dark black hai
r, and sported an impressive mustache that curled at the ends. Lenjay Genai, launch project manager, looked at Joqi stoically for a full minute before giving a response.

  “Not if you are to get there at the appointed time,” Lenjay finally said. “I would recommend launching today if the ship was ready. But a few modifications are necessary if you are to survive the journey.”

  I agree with Lenjay, Eve conveyed privately. Prophet Sepeda pushed hard the past two years to get the Horizon Quest outfitted with the latest technology. Now I understand why.

  Joqi shook his head, slumping back in his chair. The plan was crazy, but it was the only feasible approach to get him and Dawn to the exact point his grandpapa’s drawing depicted at the specified time. It required launching the Space Agency’s research vessel, the Horizon Quest, no later than four weeks hence. And to top it off, it would require full acceleration all the way to the intersection point for another four months.

  The first stage acceleration would be provided by detachable, outboard pulsed fusion engines to conserve onboard fuel. They would jettison the outboard engines after accelerating for one month, and then the onboard pulsed fusion engines would take over. The problem was that full acceleration resulted in a sustained g-force that far exceeded what a human could withstand!

  In addition, the Horizon Quest would arrive at the intersection point at a very high velocity. The pulsed-fusion engines could slow the spaceship after reaching the target point, but it would take considerable time. So, how were they to engage whatever the threat was at the intersection point while traveling at a significant relativistic velocity?

  It had taken two weeks after Prophet Sepeda died to come up with this approach. It was the only possible way with current technology to get to the intersection point at the specified time, now just five months away.

  Joqi was sorry he was unable to participate more in the mission planning activities, but there was no way he would miss his grandpapa’s funeral and ceremonial spreading of the prophet’s ashes over farm fields. In addition, the mission planning process was clearly a very challenging engineering problem with time constraints, requiring an experienced team from the outset.