Fire Fury Frontier

by Amanda Rose

  Please ask anything you wish, Ecoatay’s telepathic voice sounded in all of their heads. It threw Norita off guard momentarily, the experience strange; like thinking a thought, except it wasn’t her thought and felt forced.

  Norita swallowed her discomfort, “Thank you. I, well, before we purposefully sent our ship through with Lieutenant Saito that was intercepted by Xan’s ship, another ship came through the wormhole about a day beforehand. A man named Link, Link Rose, he’s a fugitive…”

  Saaya looked to Zar questioningly. Zar pulled up information on his console, “There is no record of a second ship,” he said after examining the logs. His fingers continued to work deftly on the interactive screen, “There’s no file for any being registered on the Bastion by that name either.”

  “We’ll check the sensors. Please send us the time logs so we know what times need to be checked,” Saaya said definitively.

  “You have my thanks, I will send that along with the star map data,” Norita said. “This station is a marvel. I’ve been intrigued to learn more about it. I can’t seem to find in the records who built it?”

  “That’s because no one knows,” Ouct said.

  “My people found this station, though none of our records indicate they ever discovered who the builders were. Due to the expansive size of the Bastion we assume it was built in space. The first of our people to arrive found no traces of life forms. Materials and wooden objects left behind were all carbon dated; we have no exact date, other than to know this station is over 50,000 years old,” Saaya explained.

  Takeo and Norita looked at one another in surprise, “That’s remarkable,” Norita said.

  “The computers contained nothing?” Takeo asked.

  “The computer systems were recorded by the first arrivals as having been wiped clean of all data base information. The automated systems were all that were set up, and all systems set up for running and maintaining the Bastion were working, as far as we know, for thousands of years unmanned. It is a mystery we’ve been trying to solve, without luck, since we arrived. Perhaps one day we’ll learn the answer,” Saaya told him.

  Our people believe the builders ascended long ago, Ecoatay’s words blurted into their minds.

  “Then where are their bodies?” Ouct scoffed. It was clearly a topic of heated debate between them.

  All beings are composed of energy at their simplest state; they could have dissipated into pure energy, Ecoatay put forth.

  “Unlikely,” Ouct spat.

  “Wherever they are, they are no longer here,” Ent stated, trying to keep the peace.

  “A mystery yet to be solved, we understand,” Norita smiled. “I must say, the Bastion is a marvel, a true haven amongst the stars. I can’t help but think some of my people will want to settle here, if that’s possible?”

  “They’d be welcomed,” Zar said.

  “We must discuss representation,” Ouct said, his tone still indicative of his impatience.

  “Yes, we were getting to that,” Saaya responded to him in her soothing tone. “The Bastion, as I’m sure you’ve learned by now, is a safe haven for all peaceful sentient species. It is our custom on the Bastion to have a representative for every race. For matters aboard the Bastion, intergalactic trade, and decisions impacting all of us, a speaker for each species is necessary for the diplomatic decisions that affect us all. In order to represent your people as they join into our galactic community, we ask that you appoint a representative.”

  “Oh,” Norita said, stunned by the request, “I, uh, yes of course. I’ll need some time…”

  “There is no need to answer now,” Zar reassured her, “When your representative has been selected they will be welcomed aboard the Bastion and provided with a permanent residence.”

  “That’s most kind of you. I must say, I am inspired by the peace you’ve fostered here. So many different races, and so many cultures with such varying values… but you’ve truly made it work.”

  A common goal breaks down all barriers, Ecoatay communicated. The wisdom of his words rang with truth.

  “That’s right. Running the Bastion, and subsequently keeping the wormholes running with convoys, it is a large effort. One that’s too big to be the burden of one species alone,” Ent agreed.

  “We’re honored to be welcomed into this incredible alliance,” Norita said, meaning every word of it.

  “I’m afraid we’re out of time. Your accommodations are yours to continue to use while you are aboard. We still have much more to discuss and will contact you shortly to arrange another meeting. There is much to do as you and your people learn of the Bastion, it’s people, and laws. While we must ask for you to continue to keep your people on rotations coming aboard the Bastion due to your large numbers, we welcome you to stay docked while we continue to integrate your culture and your people who wish to stay onto the station,” Zar concluded.

  “Thank you,” Norita said and bowed. She wished there had been more time, she had had so many more questions. The speakers in the chamber all returned her bow, and then she and Takeo took their leave from the Conclave.

  Chapter 13: Cultural Exchange

  It had been 3 weeks since the Saisei had first docked with the Bastion. After Norita and General Yamamoto had left their initial meeting with the Conclave they had called the council of the Saisei into session. There had been much debate, but in the end Norita had convinced the councilors to go along with everything the Conclave had proposed. Norita returned to her quarters on the Bastion and had lived almost exclusively aboard the station since then. It felt like the first real vacation she’d had since she stepped into her position as Empress.

  The water Raiden had negotiated for had been delivered to the ship. The resources he’d committed in exchange, mostly a variety of livestock and plant life that was foreign to the aliens, were traded. It was a huge relief for Norita to know they were finally properly supplied.

  Crew rotations continued without pause; the joy of getting off of the Saisei to explore the Bastion had overcome everyone. And as a new species, many of the residents aboard the Bastion requested day passes to board the Saisei to meet the new additions to the galactic family. While it took some doing to convince the council, and arrange security details, Norita was thrilled that the cultural exchange had been initiated.

  Over 20,000 members of the Saisei population had applied for permanent residency aboard the Bastion since the announcement had come through that humanity was welcome to stay. Norita was thrilled about the population alleviation for the Saisei; food, water, and air production were all carefully calculated and painstakingly maintained to support such a massive crew. Over the past 50 years they had exceeded ideal population levels, and disincentivizing families from having more than one child had proved difficult.

  Though despite the respite it would provide, she couldn’t help but question why her people wanted to leave. Is it our way of life? My leadership? She asked herself. Deep down she knew it had to be the prospect of a new exciting life. The Bastion was wonderous, and after a life restricted to the Saisei, the youth especially were eager to expand their horizons. It had created a monumental amount of paperwork however, which Norita had the council forward to the station for her to work on.

  A few of the aliens who had visited the Saisei had sent in requests to come on tour when the ship was ready to depart the Bastion. Long discussions with the council and with General Yamamoto had ensued, but in the end, they felt compelled to agree. They had been welcomed, resupplied, and treated as honored guests on the Bastion. Extending the same kindness in return only seemed right. As the quarters of the people leaving the Saisei to live upon the Bastion became available, the handful of alien applicants began to move their belongings aboard, gleefully anticipating the new adventure.

  Councilor Merrick Uda had come aboard the Bastion several times since their arrival. On his 3rd visit he met with Norita to tell her he wanted to volunteer to be humanity’s permanent ambassador on the Bastion. While
it pained Norita to let him go, for she had always found his level-headed diplomacy to be a wonderful addition during council meetings, she knew he’d be the perfect representative for them among the galactic officials and approved his request.

  Norita was due to meet with the Conclave again the next day and was happy to know she could finally report that they had a representative chosen. It had been an eventful 3 weeks as everything had come together. At tomorrow’s meeting Norita was eager to finalize the arrangements for her people to stay aboard the ship.

  |

  Suki sat in her bedroom, on her bed, leaning her back against the cool metal of the wall. Scattered across her bed were the military handbooks uploaded on various data pads, the files opened for reading. She also had a data pad in her lap which she’d been taking notes on. Now she simply sat in the quiet of the room, eyes closed, her mind tired.

  It was October 11th, the day before her birthday. Her house was quiet, and she couldn’t help but remember last year how busy it had been the day before her birthday. Her mother had been cooking tirelessly the entire day, making a cake and confections, and perfecting a glaze for a whole chicken her father had spent a month saving extra wages for. Space for livestock was incredibly limited on the Saisei, so soy and other plant-based proteins were all they ate most of the time. To get any type of meat was a real rarity.

  The whole day she’d heard the clanking of pans and lots of commotion outside of her bedroom as her mother decorated and tried to create the perfect party set up for the next day. Suki felt guilty, remembering how annoyed she’d been at the incessant sounds. She had been trying to read and complete a book report for school that day, and her concentration had been constantly interrupted with her mother’s party planning. Thinking back now she couldn’t believe how she’d taken it all for granted. Now the perfect silence in her home was deafening.

  Suki felt a twinge of pain build up in her eyes, and she couldn’t fight back the tears when they came. She let out a slow exhale and gave into the grief. Death was a strange thing, it came and went so suddenly. Some days she’d been fine, and others, lost to her memories. She put her hand over her chest and applied pressure. She’d read a long time ago that it helped calm the nervous system, and ever since her mother had died and her father had gone AWOL she’d used it to help herself calm down faster.

  Once she’d finally calmed down enough that the tears had stopped, Suki opened her eyes. It took a few moments as the tears dried for her eyes to be able to focus full again. She stared straight ahead at the opposite wall, and her desk. There were several data pads, her computer, a cup of water, and a digital pen that lay on her desk. Her eyes lazily looked at them out of focus.

  Without reason she stared at the pen. She studied its shape and let her mind take a break from the chaotic thoughts. All day she’d been thinking about her birthday and signing up to be a pilot. The flight guides were tedious, but she’d studied them fervently every day since she’d received them.

  By noon she’d felt exhausted, her brain over taxed, and had tried to take a nap. But she couldn’t sleep. After laying wide awake in bed for over an hour she took up reading again. Now, mid-afternoon, time felt like it was at a standstill. All she wanted was for the next day to arrive; it had been all she could think about since the day she’d gone into the recruitment office.

  She’d gone aboard the Bastion once, but quickly felt overwhelmed. The sheer size of the station and all of the unfamiliar faces made her feel uneasy. It was as if she felt like a child again, and just wanted someone there with her to tell her it was alright. But no one was there. Her nerves were still frayed from the loss of her mother, and the lack of information about her father’s whereabouts, or even if he was still alive. After a short walk on the station she found herself heading back to the safety of the Saisei.

  Suki suddenly felt how dry her throat felt when she swallowed. She was exhausted, just as she always felt after a good cry. Her eyes lazily drifted over and looked at the cup of water. She wanted to get up to get it and yet she didn’t want to move. She imagined how good it would feel to drink the water as she stared and the cup, and suddenly the cup began to move across the desk towards her.

  “Holy shit!” she exclaimed and leaned forward. The glass immediately stopped moving. She blinked several times and wondered if it had really moved at all. Suki scrambled to her feet and walked over to the desk to look at the cup, which was now sitting ever so slightly perched over the edge of the desk. The cup had left a trail from its condensation on the desk. It did move! She thought surprised and excited.

  As incredible as it was she felt unsettled. How the hell did I do that? Did I do that? Did the ship just move? … no, nothing else moved. But… how? She stared at the cup again trying to move it, but nothing happened.

  Suki went back to her bed and sat down. After a few moments a thought came to her and she remembered the accounts from her history book, How we Brought Down the C.D.F.P., about two of the women and how they used an ancient power called ‘Magick’ to make things happen. Suki grabbed one of the data pads and did a quick search to bring up the book. She sifted through the pages for nearly an hour before she found what she’d been looking for.

  “Yu-Lee…” she muttered aloud after finding the name she’d been looking for, and then searched the name in the Saisei’s online directory. Several short articles that had been written by her on paper and uploaded to the data base as photographs had popped up and Suki read through them all:

  Universal Energy: Insights into the Power of the Mind

  After a life of dedication to understanding the ways of magick, otherwise known as life force energies, it’s become clear to me the simplicity of it all. Everything is composed of energy; rocks, trees, animals, humans, air particles, the moon and stars – everything. This is true of all matter in the Universe.

  In studies from scientific practitioners we have learned that our brains fire neurons when thoughts are generated. This occurrence is a form of energy. Like energy attracts like energy, and therefore our very thoughts can become manifest.

  It seems some are more naturally prone to be able to use their thoughts to create physical results, though all are capable. While I’m still studying the reason behind this inherent ability in some, it is my theory that their belief in their ability to conjure what they wish is simply stronger. If thoughts create our reality, surely doubt detracts from the ability to create as efficiently as those without doubt.

  When one is in tune with life energy, extraordinary things can happen. I’ve witnessed, and caused, many incredible acts of magick in my life. Changing the weather, levitation, psychic abilities… there appears to be no limits to what we can attain through the use of this Universal energy.

  Of all my students over the years, Suako was certainly the most proficient, in one instance she was able to walk on air. Her early death was extremely unfortunate. I wish we could have seen just how far she could have taken her powers. Her natural talent and connectivity to the Universal energy was far beyond that of my own.

  In conclusion, practice and faith in ones’ abilities appear to be the key to exponential development of these skills. For those naturally gifted, there’s no telling how far their abilities could take them. Practice and time will tell.

  Suki looked up from the data pad, “Incredible,” she said. She looked again to the cup perched precariously on the edge of her desk. She let out a slow exhale and focused only on the cup. For several minutes she stared at it and nothing happened. Then she remembered she was thirsty, she never ended up having a drink from the water glass, and she imagined a refreshing drink being taken from the cup. All of the sudden the glass nudged forward and fell onto the floor, spilling water everywhere.

  “It worked!” Suki squealed with delight and wonder as she sprung up from the bed. She stepped in the puddle of water, “Oh shit!” she ran out of her bedroom to grab a towel. While she riffled through the linen closet she thought about it all carefully in her mind
. It’s when I thought about drinking, not moving the cup, that it happened… hmmm. I remember reading about how amputee soldiers outfitted with electronic prosthetics had to imagine the end result they wanted to get the limb to do what they wanted, instead of trying to move the limb itself. This must work the same way, she reasoned.

  Suki dashed back to her room and mopped up the spilled water. After the floor was dry she grabbed the cup and walked into the kitchen to refill her it, and she drank deeply, quenching her thirst. When she was done she felt better. She set the cup on the countertop and looked at it for a long time, her mind pondering the possibilities of this newfound power.

  |

  “…Gin? Gin are you still with me?” Dr. Adonis Murakami asked.

  Adonis sat in a large reclining chair with a data pad in hand with which he was taking notes. Gin sat in a chair a few feet away, his eyes distant, as he stared blankly ahead. They were in Dr. Murakami’s office, which was just off of the main wing of the hospital.

  This was Gin’s second therapy session with Adonis. In the first session a week ago, Gin hadn’t said anything and had sat silently until the time had run out. His dedicated despondency had led them to keep him under 24-hour surveillance. The scar tissue from Gin’s suicide attempt was healing well, but emotionally he’d made almost no progress.