Center Moon: The Stone of Cordova

by Stephen Gambuti

  Jonas could not wait to see his dad, Captain Troupe. Many in his village bragged about how heroic he was. Jonas heard thousands of stories about his dad being the sole survivor of large battles and secret missions. The teen longed for his father to dedicate his time to him. Not the Council, not the cause—just him.

  “Pull over.” Carlen pointed to the gates. “On the side.”

  “Why?” Jonas figured it was time for his well deserved beating.

  “Do it before I pound you.” Carlen unclicked his strap.

  Jonas brought the craft along the deteriorating wall of the city. He slowed the vehicle down to a halt. How he wished he could drive it straight home and outrun his cousin into the dwelling.

  “Get out.” Carlen shot Jonas a stern look. “Now. You walk right into those gates and head home.”

  “What are you doing?” Jonas could not figure out his cousin. He had the perfect opportunity to do whatever he wanted. He could not believe he was letting him off the hook.

  “Go to my house and tell my mother I had an accident. Tell her some pebbles caught up into the hover fan and it flipped the vehicle. I will be near that treeline.” Carlen pointed to the natural boundary around the city. He took control of the empty driver’s seat. “Make sure she knows that I’m okay. Tell her I will need a tow.” Carlen shook his head.

  Jonas could tell his cousin was not happy about what he was doing. Maybe it was time to start treating him better.

  “Enjoy your party. I probably won’t be there.” Carlen flashed Jonas a sarcastic grin.

  “Thanks … Geek.” Jonas smiled back and headed through the gates.

  *

  Two

  The three moons lit up the night sky as they held their orbit over the city of Tigris. The Troupe dwelling rested along the border of the city’s most elevated community. Outside along a sandstone wall sat the seventeen-year-old Jonas, staring at the display of bright stars. One day … he thought. It was only a few moons away before he would go to the Academy. Then he could assume his father’s role. After all, that’s what Captain Troupe wanted more than anything, ever since Jonas was born. His father would have shoved him into an Enforcer’s uniform sooner if it would fit.

  His father dedicated himself to the constant growth of the Parliamentary Council, and earned top ranks with the Enforcement. His job, like all Enforcers, was to eliminate all Crows. For the past fifty years the Council had one primary mission: total world domination.

  Jonas always thought there might be a chance that everyone could live together without all the fighting. His master at school explained that even though the Crows imitated the Sapians in many aspects, including technology, their brains could not reason. Therefore, they would remain primitive and hinder the civilization’s advancement. Jonas figured that he could work his way up in the Council and change the way people perceived each other. Until then, he would wear his armor plated clothing and wield his blaster like the rest of them.

  Inside the dwelling, there was a gathering going on, celebrating his father’s return.

  Jonas never cared much for socializing with the adults. He hated the folks who asked a million questions about school and whether or not he had any girlfriends. He knew they really didn’t care and all they were doing was wasting his time. Then his mother’s friend was forever trying to fix him up with her daughter, Meegan. She was disgusting. She weighed at least two hundred pounds and never brushed her hair. Yet Jonas always managed to get himself cornered by the nagging lady about how beautiful her little princess was.

  No party would be complete without Aunt Cleonia yapping about Carlen. Captain Troupe had used his influence to get Carlen into the Academy. They were very selective and usually admitted only direct family members. That was the Council’s way of maintaining loyalty. Cleonia acted as if Captain Troupe had nothing to do with her son’s success. Unfortunately for Jonas, Carlen was the kind of kid who did everything right. He always earned the highest honors on the Master’s List at school. Aunt Cleonia constantly reminded Jonas of that.

  “Hey, son.”

  Jonas glanced over to see his father walking out of the dwelling. “Hey Dad…” Jonas snapped up. The Enforcer’s olive skin had paled immensely during his years in space. He had his son’s overpowering green eyes and sandy brown hair, though much more tamed than the teen’s.

  The biggest asset Jonas inherited was his mother’s attractive nose. Captain Troupe’s nose was larger and more round. People used to fool with him, calling him a half-breed. Half-breeds were known mixes of Crows and Sapians. Troupe would just laugh it off.

  “At ease, son.” Captain Troupe sat next to him. He wrapped his arm around Jonas.

  “What’s up, Dad?” Jonas never understood why he was so excited to see his father but he was. Maybe it was the fact that he barely ever saw him.

  Troupe put his hand on Jonas’s knee. “Just wondering why you aren’t inside.”

  “Oh, I’m uh … I’m waiting for Carlen. He said he was coming by.” Jonas knew Carlen was not doing anything for quite a long time. It was just an excuse to keep from going inside.

  “Okay … You didn’t hear about the accident?”

  “Yes, sir, I did.” Jonas wanted to confess so badly.

  Troupe tightened his arm around his son. “We’ll have some quality time together before you leave for the upcoming school season.” Troupe stood up and stared into the night sky. He pointed to the center moon. “See that moon there? Twenty of us landed our crafts and attempted to capture Cordova. That’s where the Republic’s Emperor has his main base.” The father proceeded with caution. “Only five of us returned from the battle of Cordova.”

  “Five? Your whole squadron was wiped out again?” Jonas loved it when he heard war stories directly from his dad.

  Troupe looked down at the sand. He paused briefly and raised his head again. “So, how’s your schooling?”

  “We learned all about the other race. The Crows.” Jonas stood up. “Before we came here, people with huge foreheads controlled this planet.” Jonas used his hands to exaggerate his own forehead.

  Troupe stared at the dwelling as the noise of the party grew louder and stole his attention.

  “Well … we just took over their planet.” Jonas was feeling his father out for his opinions.

  Troupe focused on the laughter coming from their home. “We were a more intelligent breed.”

  “Isn’t the Emperor a Crow?” Jonas asked. “He would have to be pretty intelligent.” Jonas noticed his father was paying more attention to the sounds of the party than their conversation.

  “Look, I have to get back inside. They’re having too much fun without me.” Troupe patted Jonas on the back.

  As his father headed in for the night, a slight whistling sound filled the air. His father looked down at the sand. Nothing was stirring but the sound grew heavier. He stopped and looked around but didn’t see anything.

  Jonas watched his father enter the dwelling. The teen hoped he would be more important than his father’s social life. After all, he did have only a few rounds left before the Academy. Jonas spotted his mother looking out the window. She was probably checking on him. The teen had never seen her so happy.

  With the celebration over and the dwelling empty, Jonas laid in bed thinking about his new future. He looked around staring at all the souvenirs his father had acquired from his travels. One shelf was completely filled with different moon rocks. One rock for every moon Captain Troupe has visited. Each one represented at least another month his father hadn’t been a part of his life.

  A greenish glowing rock rested in the center of his entire collection. It was larger than most of the others. That chunk was from Venus’s moon after it collided with an asteroid. The collision sparked the end of Venus’s magnetic core. Once the moon had been destroyed, the atmosphere began to dissipate, forcing the Sapians to live elsewhere.

  However, the newest in his collection was a tiny stone. It came from Cordova’s Spunk Cra
ter. Jonas did not display it upon his shelves. He kept it in his pocket because he had been showing it off for two days. He promised his father he would create a necklace with it so he could wear it wherever the Academy sent him.

  As he rolled the stone between his fingers, his mind began to play tricks on him. He was not sure his father being home was a good thing after all. For the first time he realized that someone would be here to tell him what to do. That meant no more late nights. He would be like all his other friends: “My dad said ‘no’.” His mother never gave him rules. Jonas cut out the lights, allowing the illumination of the night sky take over.

  A light whistling sound came from outside his window. It resembled a cross between wind and a humming bird. It was getting louder and more annoying.

  Jonas buried his head into his pillow and wrapped the ends around his ears. He was hoping the whistling would stop. He rolled repeatedly because this sound was becoming more irritating. What the heck is that?

  Jonas hopped out of bed and went to the window. The sound stopped. It was as if it knew he was there. He looked around the night sky but did not see anything but the moons overhead.

  As he walked back towards his bed, a red beam of light brushed the hair on the back of his head. The beam danced in a small circle along his temple as he turned. The laser trailed Jonas as he rested his head into the comfort of his pillow.

  Jonas turned over in his bed, unaware he was being tracked by something. When he flipped over, he discovered the red beam of light running across his nose. He quickly noticed a probe, which hovered outside his window.

  The machine’s intimidating metalwork promised certain destruction. The oversized turret, which sat above its steel body spun back and forth like it was laughing at its victim. Antennae sprouted from the lower portion of its cylinder shaped body.

  “Oh no.” Jonas ducked under his covers.

  Zap!

  His pillow blew into fifty pieces. He slipped onto the floor and treaded backwards under his bed. Why was this happening? Who is doing this?

  “Jonas?” Troupe came smashing through the door with his blaster. “Jonas?”

  “Dad?” A voice bellowed from under the bed.

  “Son? Are you all right?” The Captain bent down to find Jonas as far under the bed as possible.

  “Dad? Watch out!”

  The red beam readjusted against the side of Troupe’s torso.

  Troupe looked up at the probe. “Uh oh…” The way the Captain’s eyes rounded signaled his realized defeat.

  Slam!

  The Captain’s stomach exploded.

  From his hiding spot, Jonas watched his father’s body hit the floor. Troupe’s blaster slid under the bed, next to Jonas.

  Jonas stared at his father. He could not believe what had just happened. Every dream he ever had was gone. The games of Puk, the stories, and the next few rounds before the Academy were lying on the floor in front of him. His father had beaten these enemies so many times before. How could he be caught off guard? Something had tried to kill him, but it had gotten his father instead.

  “Get up on your feet, boy.” His father’s voice muttered against the floor.

  Jonas reached out as far as his arm would stretch. He had his eyes on his father the whole time.

  The probe fired, just missing the blaster.

  Jonas quickly retracted his arm, catching a couple of deep breaths. He looked back at his dad—he was hoping the probe would not hit him again.

  The probe invited itself into the room through the window opening. Tigris had never protected their dwellings with solid windows. Never had an attack come to the most elevated community. The floating machine hovered towards the floor. It was bringing itself closer to the teenager hiding under the bed.

  Jonas outstretched his arm until his fingertips touched the end of the blaster. He then quickly snatched it. The teen rolled out into the center of the floor. He stared into the probe’s dull black electronic eye. Jonas suddenly realized he was not shooting stegolizards.

  He could see dilation in the lens. The beam that blasted his father was pinpointed on his face. The robotic iris expanded in slight burst and would then shrink to a desired setting as it prepared for its kill.

  Jonas lifted the blaster.

  The probe aimed, clicked and rotated its guns.

  The teen wished this was just a bad game of Puk. Jonas closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger.

  His shot slammed into the side of the cylinder shaped body. The turret above trembled like the robot was losing its electronic mind. The killing machine erupted in flames.

  The teen wiped the sweat from his eyes and focused on his father. “Dad?” Jonas rolled up to Captain Troupe.

  He was lying still with his eyes wide open. His lips quivered as he tried to push words out, “There’s so much…”

  “Oh, Daddy … Please, Daddy…” Jonas began tucking his father’s shirt back in his pants as if he was attempting to put him back together. “Dad!”

  “Son … This is my fault … All my fault…” His father’s eyes glazed over.

  Jonas stared at him. He was speechless. He didn’t know whether to hug him or scream. “It’s okay, Daddy … It’s okay.”

  Troupe grabbed onto Jonas’ pant leg. His grip was strong. “I’m no hero, son … Cordova … Cordova…” The Captain stared into his son’s eyes. “So many secrets to share. You must find Str…” Troupe’s grip gave way and his hand fell to the floor. His eyes formed a deep dead stare.

  “No!” Jonas grabbed him by the shoulders and jerked him back and forth. “Daddy, wake up. Dad?”

  The silence of death blanketed over the room. Jonas leaned into his father, clutching his hand.

  “Oh my Gods!” a woman’s voice shrieked from the doorway. “Why are you allowing this?” She kept throwing her hands up to the sky as if to hit one of the Gods above in hopes they would stop this tragedy.

  “Mom…” Jonas ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her. The teen felt worse for his mother than for himself. She had been the dutiful wife waiting all these revolutions to be with her husband. The poor woman always played second best to the Parliamentary Council. All those revolutions of sacrifice amounted to nothing.

  The two stood in the doorway with their eyes fixated on Troupe’s body. It only took his mother a second to fully realize what had happened to her husband. She started shaking, trembling and twitching.

  “No. No. Oh no!” She tried to break away from his grip.

  “Mom? Mommy. It’s—”

  “Get away from me!” His mother broke free as she went to see for herself what had happened.

  Jonas watched his mother screaming for Troupe’s return. Even though he’d witnessed the whole event, he still could not believe it. His father, who had been away for most of his life, was gone for good. Tears slid down along his cheeks as his heart went out to his mother. Watching her weep over Troupe’s body was more than anyone could bear.

  The whistling sound returned. Jonas knew that meant trouble.

  “Mom. We have to go. They’re coming for us.”

  His mother ignored his warning as she clung to her husband. She was rocking him back and forth, singing to him.

  The whistling sound grew closer.

  “Ma?” Jonas yelled, wishing she would get up.

  She continued to ignore him.

  The sound was right outside the window again.

  “Ma?” Jonas ran over and ripped her off Troupe’s body. “We need to go. Now.”

  “No. No. I can’t leave him.” The woman struggled to stay.

  “They are going to kill us next. Let’s go.” With one arm, Jonas flung his mother back into the doorway.

  The shadow of the new probe glided along the bedroom wall. Jonas pushed his mother into the hall.

  Whack!

  The probe fired at him, just missing. Jonas dodged behind his dresser for cover.

  Wham! The probe destroyed the entire dresser set.

  He
hopped up and ran towards his mother where she was crying in the hallway. She kept mumbling something repeatedly. Something about finding a storm.

  The probe followed. The sound of the lens was constantly grinding as it was trying to refocus on its target.

  Jonas dropped his blaster as he picked up his mother. He hobbled his way down the hall, trying his best to carry her. He was looking around for an escape route. Mini explosions were chasing him. His parents’ room seemed the safest place.

  Suddenly, whistling sprang down the hall from the living area. Jonas knew he would soon be surrounded. He forced his shoulder through the door and landed on the bedroom floor.

  “Mom! Get up!”

  She remained curled up in a ball.

  “Stop it. It was always just you and me. Now it’s still you and me. I can’t do this without you,” Jonas pleaded.

  His mother stopped crying and stared up at him.

  “Please, Mommy … You’re all I got.” Jonas put out his hand.

  She stood up slowly, taking it.

  The horrid lens clicks of the oncoming probes tapped the air.

  “Mom?”

  “Your father and I have been hiding—” His mother suddenly flew off the ground. She slammed into the wall and onto the bed. The hole in her back revealed a direct hit by the probe.

  “No!” Jonas ran to the bed and dragged his mother to the window. “Come on…”

  The teen cradled her into his arms and pushed her through to the outside.

  Jonas heaved his body up over the window ledge. He landed face down in the dirt. He discovered his mother leaning up against the wall, holding her side. Her eyes rested upon her son with a glazed stare. “Jonnie? Forgive your father.”

  “Mom?”

  The woman slumped into the dirt.

  “Come on, Mom … We have to go.” Jonas gracefully lifted her head up to get her attention.

  His mother’s lifeless body dangled in his arms.

  “Oh, no.” His face flushed with rage. He stuck his head inside the window.

  There were two probes investigating the room. Jonas observed the machines’ methodical patterns. He gripped the top of the windowpane. Jonas pulled himself up and swung his strong legs into the dwelling.