Today Aervounis from space appears as a planet covered by a network of lights from its floating cities. Hulking disk-shaped platforms hovered high in the skies, effortlessly carrying the weight of glistening skyscrapers, industrial complexes and a population of millions. Much like with the early days of the Aryile people, the surface of their world has remained almost untouched with the exception of a few research platforms, monitoring the progress and recovery of that planets eco system. And a few ruined cities in the polar region still exist, early Hashmedai colonies, during a time when the two races were allies.
The city of Veromacon was the capital of Aervounis and therefore the capital of the Radiance Union. It was the largest of all the floating cities, consisting of not one, but five base disks, a large central one, with the four others hovering around it. Each disk was connected via sixteen transparent tubes in which trains were periodically seen zipping across at rapid speeds. On top of each disk was a maze of buildings and forests. Waterfalls from the four orbiting floating planets poured a never-ending stream into the great ocean below. The central platform held the Radiance council tower, the tallest structure in the city reaching upwards into the bright skies. Various elegantly designed buildings surrounded it, blocking out the fact that the council tower had a small river forming a circle around it. Transparent bridges provided access to government workers heading to or from their high paying jobs. Visitors from other Radiance worlds recorded video with their holo cameras of the council towers as their trains moved past.
Transport ships flying away or toward the city came and went. During the night, the lights from those transports added to the astonishing set of lights and holograms visible to anyone approaching the city from space.
… … …
►► Gonvilei’s residence, Veromacon, Aervounis
► Luminous system
Ary Weiezei and his partner Ary Delvea exited a sleek designed transport on the outskirts to a six-story mansion, belonging to Ary Gonvilei the Aryile council representative. The white light from daytime sunlight beamed hard, slightly baking their skin as they walked through a maze of tall bushes that surrounded the mansion. A small foot bridge hanging above a moat guided them into the front yard where they saw several people from Gonvilei’s family enjoying life as an upper class.
Three groups of children ran around playing and tossing a ball back and forth at each other, yelling and laughing loud in the process. Several gardeners were hard at work maintaining the trees and other plants in the yard. Weiezei caught a few of them sneaking glances at Gonvilei’s eldest granddaughter as she leaned on the balcony of her fourth story room watching the wonderful sunny scene below.
They found Gonvilei sitting on soft chair, finishing a bowl of fruit brought out to him for his first meal. Gonvilei was quite old, probably too old to be running a galactic super power such as the union. His haggard hands struggled just to hold his bowl of fruit still as he ate. Gonvilei’s wrinkled face looked up at them and gave them a confused glare.
Oh gods, not this again, Weiezei thought then asked. “Are you ready to depart sir?”
“What?” Gonvilei shouted back. “Make art you say young man?”
“No sir, there’s a meeting remember?”
“What meeting?”
“With the council, you’re a member of it.”
“Yes, yes I know that!”
Delvea did nothing but struggle to hold back the laugher. Probably the best course for her, as this was her first day on the job. Give it another three weeks and she’ll hate this part of the job just like Weiezei did. The elections to replace Gonvilei as the Aryile representative couldn’t come soon enough.
“We’re here to escort you,” Weiezei said to him.
“What? Speak up boy!”
“I said we’re here to escort you to the council meeting!”
“I can find my own way there.”
“If you could just…”
Gonvilei got up from his chair with his cane in hand and slowly moved toward Weiezei, forgetting he had a bowl of fruit in the process, it fell to the green grass below summoning a swarm of scale covered rodents from the trees to descend and feast upon it.
“Young man,” Gonvilei said waving his cane in Weiezei’s face. “When I was your age I was assisting in deciding the fate of the union!”
“Yes, we all appreciate how long you’ve held your seat on the council.”
“No, you don’t! One hundred years I’ve held onto that seat, and now you don’t trust that an old man like me can make it there after doing it for so long by myself.”
“Sir, you ordered us to escort you anywhere you if you have to leave your estate.”
Weiezei looked back at Delvea. She still had that smirk on her face. Glad you’re enjoying this.
“What? Why would I do such a thing?”
“So you don’t fall and hurt yourself, amongst other things.”
“I don’t remember any of that.”
“You don’t remember us taking you to visit your great grandson yesterday?”
“I did that?” Gonvilei smacked Weiezei’s shoulder with his cane. “Oh yes, I remember now!”
… … …
►► Private yacht outside of Veromacon, Aervounis
► Luminous system
A silver oval shaped yacht hovered one kilometer above the surface of the great ocean next to Veromacon. Trees, grass and a tiny creek dominated the top deck, it gave the misapprehension that it was a small island rather than a pleasure vehicle. A deck below that contained a master bedroom and lounge in which the hungover bodies of several men and women of Aryile and Javnis races rested, with no memories of the fornication and less than professional behavior that went on several hours previously. Many of them would spend the next day praying for forgiveness from the gods, only to repeat this act three of four days from now.
Not Mil Armuzei however, he was the Javnis rep on the Radiance council. The gods would never dare punish him, the council needed him, the Union needed him, and therefore the galaxy needed him. He had no shame in throwing the sinful party last night or the fact that he bedded a teenage Aryile girl while his wife Keilea stood and watched with fascination.
Armuzei looked at himself in the mirror and started the hardest part of his daily routine. Trying to figure out how to proudly display his wealth to the public eye. Wear the expensive suit from Otalic Prime? Manipulate the color of his leathery reptilian skin to one that was uncommon? Gold chains and bracelets... He easily spent hours each day unable to choose, hours he couldn’t afford to waste as a day on this world was nineteen hours.
Unlike most Javnis he only had two eyes, the other two were plucked out by Hashmedai as a means of torture and insult during his days as a ranger on the frontlines. A bandana like eye patch wrapped itself around the two eyes that were no longer useful. It was both a blessing and a curse. The removal of the eyes rendered his vision slightly reduced. But at the same time, his appearance was now closer in line with all the other races that all had two eyes naturally. Combine that with his physique, other battle scars and confidence, he found himself attracting non Javnis women.
His wife Keilea entered behind him, her nostrils moved in close toward his shoulders, taking in the aroma of his scent and pheromones as her four eyes shut to enjoy the twenty-second sensation.
“Leaving already?” she asked.
“I have been summoned to a meeting with the council,” Armuzei said. “Natural or...” he pointed to the two skin tone manipulator canisters on the counter in front of him, “platinum?”
“You’ve always gone with natural for important meetings.”
“Yes but, there might be a dinner gathering afterwards at the university.”
“They still want more funding?”
“Of course, and if they continue to bribe us with fancy meals, I shall continue to vote in their favor.”
“Once they get their funding, they probably won’t treat you.”
“That’s wh
y I’ve convinced two others to vote no always. Plus, that old fool will vote no, his memory is selective, he’ll never forget that they rejected his granddaughter’s application.” She smiled and moved her hands lower, stroking the sides of his hips. He smiled as well, not at her, but at his appearance reflected in the mirror. One of them was highly attractive but she wasn’t one of them as far as he was concerned. “I got this all figured out.”
“Let me know when you’re invited to feast on high quality foods from the home world.”
… … …
►► Downtown Veromacon, Aervounis
► Luminous system
Za Iey’liwea stood on her penthouse balcony, staring at the reflection of the sun as it shone its light down toward the great ocean. She wore a visor that transmitted a holographic projection of Gab Xeniei, one of her advisors, along with the current status of numerous investments she made within the union and now the UNE. Though, she had doubts she’d be getting reports from the human markets in the next coming weeks.
“How about the surplus in xenethereal crystals?” Xeniei’s projection asked. “I was thinking of selling them to the humans.”
“The UNE economy is risky right now in the aftermath of the events two months ago, that and I think Herv industries plans to construct new colonization ships.”
“I don’t know, the humans are eager to expand their influence since the uplift, there is great profit in selling to them.”
“Listen...” Iey’liwea paused to turn her head away from the view of the ocean, and back into her suite. Her son and daughter ran about playing, jumping on the expensive furniture she’d just bought, rather than ensuring their data crystals stores were free for the long day of school coming up. “Trading anything with the humans might not be a wise idea right now, at least wait until the morning.”
“Why is that?”
“Tomorrow morning, if I’m right, selling the crystals to Herv will the best course,” she said, returning inside. It took five seconds for her eyesight to adjust from the bright sunlight outside, thus allowing her to see the full extent of the chaos her children had created. “Once they start building those ships, they’ll be looking for investors to help them out. And that’s where I come in.”
Text in the Radiance language appeared in front of her via her visor. A priority text message from the council was awaiting her. About time.
“I got to go,” she said to him. “I’ll call you back.”
Xeniei’s hologram vanished as she began the irritating process of getting her two kids ready for class, read the newly received text message, while monitoring her investments, still being projected to her.
… … …
►► Radiance Council Tower, Veromacon, Aervounis
► Luminous system
“You really need to go now though,” said Ure Byikanea after she removed her lips from, Ure Rusei, a lowly third-class ranger.
The two of them stood inside an elevator, one that hadn’t moved from its location for the last fifteen minutes as Byikanea held into the ‘hold’ button every time it was summoned.
“When does your husband return?” he asked after putting his uniform back on.
On that note, it might be a good idea to get dressed as well, she thought. The council meeting was in a few more minutes. “Two more weeks,” she said finally.
“Hmm, think I could come over tonight?”
“How about you get back to guarding the front door, before your superiors start to wonder what happened to you?”
They were fully dressed once again while her hands quickly restyled her hair to make it more professional, and less like it had been pulled by the hands of a strong young man in a bout of rough sex. The doors finally swung open, the white porcelain hallways appeared while Rusei stormed out, almost trampling over Gab Marchei in the process. Marchei was only three feet tall of course.
“Who’s been holding this up?” Marchei asked as the doors shut.
“I wish I knew,” she said, hoping he wouldn't take notice of the smell of sex within the small elevator.
“Another late night?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because you’re flushed and breathing deeply,” he said. “My guess is you woke up late and started running.” She began to flush more upon hearing that. “Don’t be ashamed if that’s the case, for I did just that myself.”
“You're late?”
“My extended family from the home world is here to visit. We Vorcambreum aren’t used to the shorter days here.”
“Drinking?”
“And sampling the finest slugs I had in my life. Gods I miss home.”
And therefore, too hung over to suspect anything, good!
There was silence as the elevator continued to make its climb up toward the top of the tower.
… … …
►► Radiance Council delegation chambers, Aervounis
► Luminous system
The Radiance Council delegation chambers were located up top of the top floor of the Council tower. It was an oval shaped room with tiny windows toward the ceiling, letting in small white rays of brilliant sunlight. A rectangular shaped desk was at the far back of the room with five wide leather chairs, and five small computer terminals on the desk in front of the chairs. Behind each chair was a psionic, one for each of the five races, all of them female dressed in dark blue robes with a light see through veil covering their naked upper bodies. The veil was light enough so that their cybernetics would work, but just concealing enough to hide their sexually.
One by one, each council member exited the elevator opposite to their desk. The first was Ure Byikanea, the Linl representative. Her dark auburn hair was tied back, resting on the shoulders of her light blue and white robe. Mil Armuzei entered afterwards the Javnis representative. His tall body dark green lizard like skin made him the most intimidating person on the council. Za Iey’liwea was the Rabuabin representative, she was the second oldest of them all, yet looked like the youngest as her long black hair showed no signs of graying. Rabuabin long life and slow aging was at work. She continued to wear the visor which projected up to date information on the financial sector she invested heavily in. Gab Marchei was the Vorcambreum representative, he wore a miniature version of the blue and white robes all the council members wore. Finally, after much delay, Ary Gonvilei crept over with his back hunched, and his shaking hand gripped onto his walking stick. Two Aryile aids stood next to him, guiding his heavily wrinkled, grey-haired Aryile body to his chair.
With all five members in their seats, next to their corresponding psionics the delegation was officially in session. The elevator doors were locked, preventing any unexpected interruptions as four rangers wearing combat armor stood around the door, all of them armed with magnetic rifles.
“Shall we begin?” Marchei asked.
Everyone nodded as Byikanea directed her attention toward Ure Kuei, a topless male Linl psionic with a firm body and a thin goatee as he stood with his hands behind his back. “Connect to the viceroy on Earth,” Byikanea said.
Kuei shut his eyes allowing his psionic brain to reach out toward Earth, some nineteen light years away to telepathically speak with Ure Crimei. “I have him,” he said moments later.
“Greetings I hope the humans have been treating you fairly given the rather unfortunate turn of events,” said Armuzei.
“He says ‘it could be worse’.” Kuei said after a short delay.
“What is the current situation on Earth?” Byikanea asked.
Kuei dictated Crimei’s thoughts to the council. “The humans have recently lost eight targets over the last few weeks. They suspect it’s the Hashmedai, though they haven’t been keeping him consistently updated.”
“Hmm, the Hashmedai,” Gonvilei said.
“With our forces gone they could easily move in now to take Earth,” said Iey’liwea.
“It’s only been two months, how could they know so quickly?” said Marchei “Let alone sen
d in forces. It takes eight years for a command ship to travel through the space bridge.”
“Perhaps they already had a fleet waiting in deep space,” Iey’liwea said. “Or have been sending smaller ships, they can traverse through the space bridge network faster using those.”
“The Hashmedai do not employ such tactics on us,” said Marchei “Why would they waste it on humans?”
“Humans are an easier target, we are not.”
“Viceroy, any updates on Fiesei?” asked Armuzei.
“He’s dead. His body was found inside a human ship that was hijacked by the Celestial Order according to him,” Kuei reported.
All five council members sighed dismally, some slamming their hands on the desk, other’s like Byikanea placed both the palms of her hands toward her face. “I hope he was trying to be a hero and take it back,” she said after two minutes of silence.
“The Viceroy says that, according to Michei and the account of two human soldiers, Fiesei was working with the Celestial Order.”
“Gods damn it!” Marchei shouted, smashing his tiny fists against the desk. “That’s another agent indoctrinated by the heretics!”
“How many does that make?” Gonvilei asked. “Three hundred?”
“Three hundred seventy-nine confirmed agents, and that’s not counting the ones that have been assisting the exiled,” said Iey’liwea. “We can’t even trust our own intelligence division anymore.”
“I propose we disband The Whisper, it’s doing more harm than good to the Union,” Marchei said.
“Noted,” Byikanea said then addressed Kuei. “Now how about the humans themselves? Will they be joining us?”
“Still no word,” he said after ten seconds.
“That’s a pity.”
“It would seem that assassin’s words have indeed swayed the opinion of the good president,” Armuzei said.
“Indeed, I thought she was going to defy him considering she refused to fake her death like he requested,” Iey’liwea said.
“We have a decision to make.” Gonvilei’s voice sounded tired. “Please stand by viceroy.”
Equilibrium of Terror: Part 1 (Splintered Galaxy Book 3) Page 7