by T. W. Embry
As I rounded the ship, I moved toward a pile of rubble in just the right place to give cover and allow an unrestricted field of fire. Still no sign of whatever it was that was probing our position as I slid behind the rubble. With my blaster rifle at the ready, I waited for further orders, signaling Snarth that I was in position with good cover. Hold, were his orders, so I held.
I could sense that my mate was flanking me on the other side of the cliff. She was up high, as she preferred, but exposed on a small open ledge about twenty feet in the air, quite a jump even for her. Minutes turned into one hour then two with no movement on either side of the ship. I signaled my mate, Do you think they left after the ship’s blaster volley?
If they have, we are safe. If they have not then we must wait. Either way it will be dawn in about two long time units. We will know for sure then. Patience my love, you must practice your patience.
She was right of course, so I settled in to wait for dawn, straining to hear even the slightest sound, or see the smallest movement. My neck ached from the weight of the blaster rifle, the strap cutting off the circulation in my left arm.
It would be light very soon and our unseen opponents would either attack or leave, I was ready for either. As I shifted my weight to get some circulation back in my arm, a small rock rolled down the cliff on my left side, landing about a foot in front of me. Glancing up I realized they were overhead and below. That is why they had delayed their attack, so they could capture the high ground. Devious little bastards, whatever they are, I grimaced.
There was a bright flash of blaster fire as my mate opened up on something out of my sight, overhead. With a soft sickening thud, something landed nearby. I knew the sound of a dead body hitting the ground when I heard it.
Here they come, come get some! I thought to myself. I flicked the selector switch on the blaster rifle to automatic and I waited calmly for the attack to come. It never did. I could hear the feet scraping in a rush fading away; they were leaving in a hurry. Apparently, they had no appetite for bloodshed.
Snarth decloaked near the dead body, prodding it with his blaster barrel. Whatever it was, it was dead.
“ssSSlice, come outssside and bring a ssscanner with you. I have never ssseen anything like thisss before. It isss not a One warrior, that’sss for sssure,” Snarth hissed into the com-link.
SSlice arrived moments later and Snarth flipped the body over so a thorough inspection by scanner could be made. Tucking the scanner back in his vest pouch, SSlice said, “That is a Queen’s aide. They attended to the queen’s administrative needs. They are not aggressive as far as I know, probably just hungry. That explains the power loss. They must be all that survived the Queen’s death.They appear to have some sort of natural stealth ability. That is why the scanners didn’t pick them up.”
“All right my friendsss, everyone getsss four long time unitsss of rack time. I sssuggest you make the mossst of it. Then we move out to where ssSSlice thinksss the temple of the sssun isss,” Snarth hissed. “ssSSlice: arm the ship’sss defenssses and maintain a watch on the power readingsss. Move out.”
PART TWELVE
A Prophecy Fulfilled
While out scouting for food for his nest, the young nymph saw a strange thing, something from the ancient memories. It was a ship not of this world landing in the nearby canyon, on the other side of the waterway, where he was gathering the delicately delicious blooms that grew at the water’s edge.
The elders would not believe him. Could it be the beginning of the prophecy of the Queen’s return? He was sure it was, why else would a ship come here after the great defeat? He had only to convince the elders. Abandoning his foraging the nymph hurried back to the nest; he had to tell the elders.
The senior elder held up the talking staff, signaling for quiet. The council chamber was packed full of curious Ones and very noisy, he could hardly think much less hear. The object of that curiosity, a young nymph, was in the center of the room, surrounded by the elders.
The young nymph had quite a story to tell. The council had gathered not just to hear his story but to determine if in fact it was the heralding of the prophecy of the Queen’s return. The senior elder had his doubts. Many times in the past similar claims had been made, only to be proven false.
“I tell you I saw a ship. Just like in the ancient memories. The time of the prophecy is here, now, this season of the sun,” insisted the young nymph, refusing to back down even to the senior elder.
“Young one,” started the senior elder, “No one believes in that ancient religion anymore. The prophecy is just that, a memory. The Queen is gone, as is our place of honor in the galaxy since the great defeat. We must concentrate on this season’s harvest. The dry season will soon be upon us. We must be prepared, or many will starve. I will hear no more talk of seasons of the sun or prophecies.” Murmurs of approval for the senior elder’s statement echoed through the council chamber.
Seeing that his story was falling on deaf ears and closed minds the young nymph resolved to fulfill the prophecy himself. He would steal energy for the Queen from the alien ship, bringing her back from the netherworld where she waited. Then they would all be sorry they had not listened to him. If only he could convince a few of his nest mates to join him; he resolved to try.
The council meeting had delayed the young nymphs’ family meal. An uncomfortable silence had prevailed after the ritual prayer to the Sun, the giver of life. Knowing that he was the cause, the young nymph spoke out of turn, “I know what I saw.”
“That will be quite enough from you young one,” rebuked the senior female of the nest.
“First you return with almost no food for the evening meal. Then you tell a wild tale to the senior elder of all people,” added the senior male who was also a junior elder. “I do not understand why you did not come to me first.”
“Because I knew you would not believe me,” answered the young nymph.
“We will be the laughing stock of the colony,” scolded one of the junior females.
“SILENCE,” roared the senior male. “It is as the senior elder says and that is the end of it. Do I make myself clear young one?”
“Yes sir,” answered the crestfallen young nymph.
“Tomorrow I expect you to make up for the shortfall in your gathering today as punishment for embarrassing our nest. Is that clear also?” continued the unrelenting senior male.
“Yes, sir,” answered the now chastised young nymph.
Much later, in his private chamber, the young nymph again resolved to do his duty to the Queen, to bring the prophecy to be, even if it meant disobeying the seniors of his nest. The young nymph realized that the duty had fallen to him and no one else. That was why only he had seen the alien ship. That was why only he believed in the legends.
Early the next light cycle the young nymph was up and gone early. Even before his nest mates awoke to start the morning meal. The young nymph even daring to miss the assignment of the day’s work by the senior male and female, not without the senior male’s notice and anger.
The young nymph knew he would not be seriously missed until the evening meal. That was fortunate, for he had a long way to travel to the Queen’s chamber. He was after an energy collection globe, and the Queen’s chamber was the logical place to find one. The young nymph knew he would be disciplined for his failure to forage. He did not care, for he was on a Queen’s mission. Any punishment the seniors heaped on him would only make him more determined.
It was much later in the daylight cycle than the young nymph planned when he finally arrived at the Queen’s chamber at the temple of the sun. He realized that there was no way he would make it back for the evening meal as he had planned.
Especially after he would be burdened with the unknown weight of an energy collection globe. The young nymph had never seen one, except in in the ancient educational texts every nymph was expected to learn. He had no idea how large or heavy it would be.
As the young nymph entered the temple of the sun thro
ugh the entrance designated for the Queen’s aides, his legs began to tremble with exhaustion. It had been a much more difficult journey than he had anticipated.
Plus the fact that he had not eaten since the night before caused the realization that his labors had only just begun. Stopping at the final entrance to the Queen’s Chamber, the young nymph paused in order to catch his breath and strengthen his resolve.
When the trembling had finally subsided, the young nymph entered the Queen’s chamber. He was instantly awe struck at the sight of the Queen still sitting on her jeweled throne. No longer did he doubt his destiny. He was indeed the one to bring the Queen back, fulfilling the prophecy.
As the young nymph looked around trying to locate an energy collection globe, he noticed the energy collection crystals all around the Queen’s chamber. He especially noticed the largest one directly underneath a closed opening in the roof of the chamber.
The sight of that crystal triggered a long buried memory from the ancient texts of his early childhood. If only he could remember. It will come to me, the young nymph thought, as he continued to look for an energy collection globe.
When at last he found a globe the young nymph remembered at the same time what the largest crystal was for. The season of the sun started the next light cycle. When the sun reached its zenith in the afternoon sky, it would strike the largest crystal, filling the Queen’s chamber with energy. Only if the opening in the great dome that marked the beginning of the season were open. That meant the young nymph might not have to use the energy collection globe after all.
The young nymph realized the significance of his being in the Queen’s chamber at just the right time. All he had to do was figure out how to open the sun’s portal so he could resurrect the Queen.
Many nergs passed and still the young nymph labored with the puzzle of the portal. Dizzy and weak with hunger the young nymph knew that if he did not eat soon he would die, failing in his self-appointed destiny. He had finally worked up the courage to search the Queen’s throne for a way to open the portal.
In desperation, the young nymph looked upward from the throne and stumbled, losing his footing and falling against the Queen’s body. In horror at his desecration, the young nymph tumbled down the steps leading up to the throne.
As he lay bruised, battered and desolate in his failure at the base of the steps, an amazing thing happened; the portal opened with a grinding rumble. As the blackness of unconsciousness took the young nymph, he took delight in the fact that he had succeeded in his destiny.
It was much later that the rays of the sun streaming through the portal returned the young nymph to consciousness. As he took stock of his condition after his fall, he remembered where he was. With a start, he turned to face the Queen’s body.
The crystals in the roof and chamber reflected the sun’s energy and the throne’s crystal, glowing, directing a beam of concentrated energy directly at the Queen’s crystal. As the young nymph watched, it too began to glow and pulse. It was happening right before the young nymph’s eyes, the return of the Queen.
Spellbound, unable to move, the young nymph forgot his injuries, his hunger and the wrath of the nest that waited for him upon his return. His complete attention was focused on the Queen’s body. Many more nergs passed and still the young nymph waited. Finally, the blackness of unconsciousness brought on by extreme hunger began to cloud the young nymph’s vision. As he struggled to hold on, a miracle happened; the Queen woke.
Seeing the young nymph’s condition the Queen spoke. “Come young one, feed on my energy before you perish from hunger.” Shocked by the huge honor, the young nymph found himself moving toward the Queen to feed, not knowing how for his body seemed to not be his own.
As the young nymph fed greedily on the sun’s energy, the Queen spoke to him again. “Tell me young one, are you the one who has wakened me?”
Dizzy from the intake of so much energy at once the young nymph answered, “Yes my Queen.”
“And where are your nest mates? Why are they not here as well?” asked the Queen.
This caused the young nymph to squirm for he knew the answer might well spell death for all in his nest. Carefully he answered, “My Queen, the elders of my nest disagree with me about the prophecy of your return. I acted on my own.”
“What a brave young one you are,” said the Queen. “Protecting your nest mates is an admirable thing. Tell me why the elders disagree with you.” Realizing the Queen had seen through his desperate attempt to save his nest the young nymph decided that their fate now lay in the whims of the Queen.
“My Queen, it has been five hundred seasons of the sun since the great defeat,” explained the young nymph. “The elders have lost faith in the old ways. They did not believe that I saw the landing of the alien ship that heralded your return. For I am just a nymph and prone to many wild tales,” he said, his chest plate scraping the ground.
“An alien ship you say,” exclaimed the Queen.
“Yes, my Queen,” answered the young nymph, “On the far side of the north river, in the canyon leading to the river’s head.”
“No others have come in five hundred seasons?” asked the Queen.
“No my Queen, not to my knowledge,” answered the young nymph earnestly.
“How long ago did the alien ship land?” asked the Queen.
“Two light cycles, my Queen,” answered the young nymph, bowing even lower, his young fear scent reaching the Queen’s sensing antennae.
“Fear not, my brave young nymph, for I shall raise you high in my inner circle now that I have returned,” praised the Queen.
With an audible gasp, the young nymph stammered his reply, “Thank you my Queen.”
“Now go and bring your entire nest before me,” commanded the Queen, “We have much work to do, beginning with the capture of that alien ship so I can feed on its power cells and regain my full strength.”
“I obey, my Queen, but how am I, a lowly nymph, to convince, much less command, a nest elder?” gasped the young nymph.
“Tell them I have named you chief aide to the Queen and under the penalty of death I command them to appear before me with all haste. If they refuse show the senior elder this,” said the Queen as she held out a ring to the young nymph.
Trembling, the young nymph accepted the ring. It was the ring of the chief aide to the Queen. “Wear it with pride young one. Now go, and be swift for time grows short and we have much to do.” What the young nymph did not know is that the Queen had removed the ring from her former chief aide as she fed on his life force, just before the great defeat.
It was early in the next daylight cycle that the young nymph arrived at his nest. He went straight to the senior elder’s nest and asked for admittance.
“Why do you disturb our morning feeding,” asked the senior elder grumpily.
“The Queen commands the entire nest to appear before her at once,” said the young nymph with much more confidence than he felt.
“The Queen is dead,” answered the senior elder flatly.
“No, she has returned and I am here at her bidding,” insisted the young nymph, his confidence falling rapidly.
“Enough of your foolishness or I will banish you from the nest,” roared the enraged senior elder, losing his patience completely. In anger at the senior elder’s blasphemy, the young nymph brandished the ring the Queen had given him.
Seeing the shock on the senior elder’s face, the emboldened young nymph shouted, “The Queen commands you under the penalty of death to appear before her at once.”
“Where did you get that ring?” gasped the senior, his air of authority destroyed.
“As I said, the Queen has returned and she gave it to me just in case I met with any resistance,” said the young nymph, emboldened by the visible crumbling of the senior elder’s authority. “She has named me senior advisor to the queen for my faith in the old ways and for returning her to her throne,” continued the young nymph quietly.
Bowing
and scraping his chest plate on the ground the senior elder exclaimed, “Her will be done. Gather the nest at once, we leave for the Queen’s Chamber immediately.”
“No, I am not going to gather the nest; you are,” said the young nymph, firmly asserting his newfound authority.
It was late in the light cycle before the entire nest, every male and female young and old, was ready to make the journey to the Queen’s chamber. The senior elder approached the young nymph bowing, waiting for acknowledgment. “Would it not be better to leave at the beginning of the next light cycle?” asked the senior elder.
“Perhaps you would like to explain why the nest kept the queen waiting after I gave a direct command in her name,” answered the young nymph coldly, reveling in his new found power, remembering his humiliation at the hands of the senior elder.
“No, senior advisor, the Queen’s will is our command and you are the Queen’s voice,” answered the senior elder. “Please lead the way.”
It was a full dark cycle and most of the following light cycle before the members of the young nymph’s nest arrived at the Queen’s chamber. Not knowing what to expect, the young nymph led a procession of elders to the base of the Queen’s throne. Each elder scraping his chest plates harder on the chamber floor than the last, trying to gain favor as they waited for an acknowledgement from the Queen.
For quite some time the Queen just stared at the assembled elders, saying nothing. Soon the fear scent was so thick in the air that the Queen knew she had all of the elders’ attention. “Who can tell me why I was awakened by a mere nymph? Who can tell me why the season of the sun goes uncelebrated? Who can tell why it has been five hundred seasons before I was awakened?” raged the Queen, her anger scent filling the chamber. “Well? Must I guess or shall I feast on all of you?”
Trembling with fear the senior elder stepped forward, “My Queen,” he began.
“Silence you fool,” rebuked the Queen, “I do not need excuses, I need loyal subjects who believe that the Sun is the all-powerful giver of life and that I am its voice.”