The Nosferatu Chronicles: Return to Vambiri

by Susan Hamilton

  He was the first to reach the bridge and rushed to a computer terminal to enter the retraction commands for the blast shutters covering the viewports. A planet slowly came into view.

  Vambiri!

  To his delight, he could see scattered patches of red.

  Hemo-fields!

  But there was also something new — polar caps. The planet had gone through intense climatic changes brought about by the gamma ray pulse all those thousands of years ago. He wondered if Vambiri now had a winter season like Earth.

  The swish of the double doors opening interrupted his thoughts. “Primus D’Hal,” he said with a smile. “Welcome home. How are you feeling?”

  “Surprisingly well,” said D’Hal as she walked to the viewport and stood next to Kevak. “Polar caps!”

  “It doesn’t seem to have been harmful to the hemo-plants,” he said, pointing out the scattered red dots on the surface. “They appear to have adapted to the cold.”

  Revived crew members continued to make their way to the bridge until all were present and accounted for. Kevak offered a silent prayer of thanks that none of the pods had failed during the journey. After allowing the crew sufficient time to recover from the effects of stasis, Kevak took his place in the commander’s seat.

  “I need diagnostics run on all electrical systems,” he ordered. “Confirm that every passenger pod is online, and above all, check the engine exhaust pathways for any obstructions.”

  There was no need for him to remind them that a blocked pathway could cause a devastating thruster malfunction; they had found that out the hard way when they crash-landed on Earth in 1459. The crew silently replayed the events of that deadly day in their minds and were determined that history would not repeat itself.

  “Commander,” said Miboj, “I’m getting some strange data.”

  “Explain,” said Kevak.

  “The outer hull recently experienced a temperature spike.”

  “How recent?” asked Kevak.

  “It’s still cooling down,” said Miboj. “Whatever happened took place a matter of hours ago.”

  “Use the computer logs to backtrack…” began Kevak, but Miboj had already anticipated his command.

  “Great Iam in Heaven!” exclaimed Miboj. “We’ve only been in stasis for thirty-one years!”

  “That’s why the adverse effects of revival were so mild,” said D’Hal.

  Kevak was caught completely off guard by this new information and struggled to hide the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. If true, this meant J’Vor would still be alive, along with everyone else he cared for. Before leaving Earth, he had spent nearly a year conditioning his mind to the fact that he would never see his adopted human son again, since the journey to Vambiri would take thousands of years. He willed himself to concentrate solely on the mission and pushed thoughts of J’Vor into the background.

  “The computers might have initiated a slingshot maneuver when we passed near a red dwarf,” speculated D’Hal.

  “No slingshot effect could propel us ahead enough to shave over ten thousand years off the crossing, Primus,” said Miboj.

  “Maybe multiple slingshots?” wondered D’Hal.

  “There’s no indication of it in the logs,” said Miboj, “but the gravity readings are all over the place.”

  “A black hole, perhaps?” asked Kevak. “But the Newisla would surely have been crushed, and the fact that we are now in a perfect low Vambiri orbit would suggest the events that brought us here were not random.”

  “Commander,” said Miboj, “we’re getting a signal!”

  “What kind of signal?” asked Kevak.

  “It’s automated,” said Miboj, “The old Korta Code — latitude, longitude, and depth.”

  “Location?” asked Kevak.

  “Extrapolating…” said Miboj. “It’s coming from Lun — deep below the Lowcaste sector.”

  “Miboj, we don’t make caste distinctions anymore,” chastised D’Hal.

  “I’m sorry, Primus,” said Miboj, “I meant no disrespect. I was only trying to give everyone an idea of the depth of the signal.”

  “What about radiation?” asked Kevak.

  “All within safe levels, Commander,” reported Miboj.

  “The spaceport above Lun is bound to be nothing but a twisted mass of debris,” said Kevak. “If we put down on the surface, we’ll have to make our way through with lasdrills. Our progress will be slow enough, not counting the hours of daylight lost when we would have to retreat to the ship. Scan for lava tubes beneath the surface large enough to accommodate the Newisla.”

  Once a cartography program located a suitable lava tube, it was time for the Newisla to enter Vambiri’s atmosphere and land. Everyone held their breath as the thrusters were tested with small pulses. It was precisely at this moment that the original Isla was doomed.

  “Everything’s five by five, Commander,” said Miboj.

  Kevak smiled at the human euphemism used by Miboj. The Newisla descended through Vambiri’s atmosphere without incidence.

  “Do a pass over Lun to inspect what’s left of the spaceport,” said Kevak.

  As he had predicted, the spaceport was unrecognizable. In the middle of the rubble, Kevak could make out the raised platform where the megaships had docked. He relived the moment so many thousands of years ago when he and Vrin sprinted toward the Isla when rebel forces firing lasguns caused a stampede on the ships. They had made it on board with only seconds to spare, and there had been no time for him to give Vrin and their infant son J’Vor a proper goodbye before he had to report to the bridge.

  Keep your mind on the mission.

  The Newisla traversed the lava tube for nearly three miles before it became too narrow to continue.

  “We’ll take lasdrills and walk the rest of the way,” said Kevak to the assembled team. “Will we need environmental suits?”

  “No, Commander,” answered Miboj. “Oxygen levels and atmospheric pressure are normal. But if Lun has been sealed off all this time, I would suggest using breathing units once we’re inside.”

  They traced the signal for just under a mile to the end of the lava tube.

  “It’s coming from behind this wall,” said Miboj. “And there’s a heat signature — someone has been trying to drill through from inside. There’s several feet of solid rock here.”

  As soon as the lasdrills carved through the outer wall, a rush of pungent air was released.

  “Bad air,” said Kevak to the team. “Use your breathing units.”

  “I’m getting a life reading, Commander,” said Miboj.

  “Just the one?” asked Kevak.

  “I’m afraid so,” he said, “and it’s weak.”

  Once inside the vast chamber, the team could make out a male on the floor struggling to breathe next to a lasdrill.

  “Carbon dioxide poisoning,” said Miboj as he placed an oxygen mask over the male’s face.

  The male’s eyes widened in panic as he gulped for air.

  “Easy,” said Kevak to him. “You’re safe now. I’m Commander Kevak of the Newisla. We will attend to your medical needs, but first…”

  “I know who you are, Navigator Kevak,” gasped the male. “I am Ikato, formerly Chief Astrophysicist to the Council.”

  Ikato’s eyes rolled back into his head, and his body began to convulse.

  “He’s going into shock,” said Miboj.

  “Get him back to medical,” ordered Kevak. “We need him alive.”

  NAZARENE

  Nazareth, 4 BC

  The noise woke Mary. It sounded like a storm was raging, but when she looked outside, all was calm, and she suddenly realized that the source of the noise was in her own room. She grabbed an oil lamp, but her hands were shaking too much to light it. Taking in a deep breath to call out to her parents, she stopped when a swirling light took shape in front of her.

  “Do not be afraid, Mary,” said a voice. “Look away from the light.”

  Mary
began to hyperventilate as she struggled to suppress her fear.

  “You have found favor with the Creator,” said the voice, “and shall give birth to a son and name him Jesus, and he will be king of Jacob’s people forever.”

  “How can this be?” asked Mary. “I am untouched by man!”

  “You shall conceive through the Holy Spirit,” explained the voice. “Your child shall be the Son of God. Return to your bed and lie still.”

  “I am betrothed,” she protested, “and will be stoned for this.”

  “No,” the voice assured her. “Put your trust in the Creator, for by the Creator, all things are possible.”

  Mary obeyed, and a red beam emanated from the center of the light, targeting her lower abdomen. She felt no pain as a pulsating warmth spread throughout her body.

  “I serve the Lord,” she murmured. “Let it be done according to His will.”

  *******

  “I could divorce you,” said Joseph. “That way we would no longer be betrothed. I could then claim the child as mine and offer your father fifty silver shekels to take you as my wife.”

  “But that’s a lie,” protested Mary. “You are not the father.”

  “Stop saying that!” cried Joseph. “I am trying to find a way for you to live!”

  Mary had been away for three months, visiting her elderly cousin Elizabeth, who was also with child after having been barren for many years. Joseph had missed Mary during her absence and was initially overjoyed to see her until she calmly delivered her devastating news. It made no sense to him — he knew in his heart that Mary was a virtuous woman.

  A stable boy employed by Zechariah must have drugged her, and in her compromised state, she believed she was being impregnated with a holy child.

  It was the only explanation he could think of, and the only remedy for it was to divorce her in secret as he had suggested. Mary would be spared death by stoning, and he could still wed her. They would never live down the shame — but they would live.

  “Say nothing of this to anyone,” ordered Joseph. “I leave at once to speak to Zechariah.”

  “You can’t,” said Mary. “When a holy voice revealed to him that Elizabeth was with child, he did not believe it and was rendered mute.”

  ******

  Joseph tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His intense frustration over Mary’s situation gave way to weeping. Even if he could fix it so Mary avoided execution, the rest of her life would be miserable. She and her child would be pariahs, and he would be snickered at as a cuckold. They would have to move away, which meant separating Mary from her beloved parents.

  Nothing good will come of this. What have we done to deserve this?

  “Joseph,” said a voice.

  “Where are you?” cried Joseph. “I can hear you, but there is no one else in the room!”

  “Joseph, son of David,” continued the voice. “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. The child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus, and he will save his people from their sins.”

  Joseph woke with a start and was surprised to find that he had slept through half the morning. He suddenly remembered the voice that had spoken to him during the night.

  I’ve never experienced a dream that seemed so real!

  A sense of tranquility came over him. He would put his trust in the Lord, who had surely communicated through the angel in his dream. The issue was settled in his mind — it didn’t matter what wagging tongues would say. Joseph now believed. He took Mary into his home, a public action that served, in effect, as a wedding ceremony.

  *******

  Bethlehem

  Eight Months Later

  The Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus had decreed that everyone must be registered, and so Mary, now heavily pregnant, and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, the city of his birth.

  After registering, Joseph led the donkey carrying Mary to several houses to ask about accommodation. It had been the same story with each house — the front guest room was occupied, but the animal shelter at the rear was available. It was common practice for residences in Bethlehem to have caves at the back that housed their prized ox or other beasts of burden, lest they be stolen. Joseph was hoping they would find a vacant guest room, but when he realized he had arrived too late, he accepted shelter in one of the caves. It was warm and dry, and the homeowner provided them with food and fresh hay and blankets for their comfort, as was the custom. It would certainly suffice for a few days rest before heading back to Nazareth, but then Mary’s waters broke and her contractions began.

  Roman bureaucracy had ensured that Jesus would be born in the hometown of his ancestor King David, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

  *******

  “Do not be afraid! I bring you tidings of great joy!” boomed the voice from within the bright light that had appeared in front of the shepherds. “For today there was born unto you in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord! And you shall find the babe lying in a manger!”

  The light in front of the shepherds dissipated, and a bright star appeared in the night sky.

  “The star is moving!” cried one of the shepherds.

  “It is a sign!” exclaimed another. “It will lead us to the Christ! We must follow it!”

  *******

  “Look!” cried Balthazar to Caspar and Melchior.

  The star the three men had been following was now hovering directly over a home on the outskirts of Bethlehem. A red beam descended and illuminated the dwelling. Upon knocking on the door, they were ushered through to the rear and beheld the infant lying in a manger, attended to by his parents and shepherds. The animals in the stalls were silent.

  They walked up to the manger and presented their gifts. After paying homage to the infant, Balthazar gazed into the face and was so awestruck that he could not speak — the tiny eyes met his, and there was an unmistakable ancient wisdom in those eyes. The newborn looked down at the gifts, then, ever so slightly, serenely nodded his thanks to Balthazar.

  This was no human child — this was surely a holy being that possessed a complete awareness of his surroundings and circumstances.

  Mary looked at the gifts and pondered them.

  Gold for a king. Frankincense, incense for a deity. Myrrh, embalming oil, signifying death.

  *******

  Jordan River, 28 AD

  The fearless preacher wore a garment made from camel’s hair that was secured by a thick leather belt. When the strange, unkempt man wasn’t fasting, he took long sojourns into the desert and subsisted on locusts and wild honey. All who saw him commented on his physical similarity to the prophet Elijah, with some even referring to him as “Newlijah,” although they were careful not to utter the nickname in public, since it had connotations of reincarnation.

  The preacher, John, was the miraculous son of Zechariah and the barren Elizabeth, and he used baptism as the central symbol of his messianic movement. Symbolically, the unclean person went into the water, repented of their sins, and came out of the water “clean.” John’s ministry of baptism was designed to announce and identify the Messiah.

  When Jesus came to him to be baptized, John protested. “I need to be baptized by you — not the other way around.”

  “Let it be so now,” said Jesus, “so that we may fulfill the prophecy.”

  John consented, and once it was done, Jesus went up from the water. The heavens opened up, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove and came to rest on his shoulder. A booming voice from heaven could be heard by those present. “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

  *******

  Mount Hermon, 29 AD

  Jesus went to the mountain with his disciples Peter, James, and John to pray. Upon reaching the top, Jesus was transfigured before them. His face shined like the sun, and his clothes emitted bright rays of white light.

  The prophets Moses and Elijah appeared, and Jesus spoke with them. The disciples underst
ood that although both Moses and Elijah had ascended into Heaven centuries earlier, they were now alive in the presence of the Son of God; surely this meant that the same return to life applied to all who kept their faith when faced with death.

  Peter asked Jesus if he would like for him to construct three tents but was interrupted by a bright cloud that overshadowed them. A deep voice rumbled down from the cloud.

  “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased — listen to him.”

  When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. Jesus touched them and told them to rise and have no fear. When they looked up, only Jesus was standing before them, and as they were making their descent down the mountain, he told them not to say anything about what they had just witnessed until “the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

  *******

  Jericho, 30 AD

  “Son of David!” cried Bartimaeus from the roadside. “Have mercy on me!”

  “Silence!” said someone from the crowd to him. “Your blindness is punishment for your sins!”

  Many more in the crowd rebuked him, but Bartimaeus shouted all the more. “Jesus, Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

  Jesus stopped. “Call him,” he said to the crowd.

  “On your feet,” said the nearest bystander to Bartimaeus. “He’s calling you!”

  Throwing his cloak aside, Bartimaeus jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

  “What do you want from me?” Jesus asked him.

  “Rabbi,” said Bartimaeus, “I want to see.”

  Jesus placed his hands over Bartimaeus’s eyes. Through the gaps between Jesus’s fingers, the onlookers saw that Bartimaeus’s eye sockets were glowing. Bartimaeus cried out — in ecstasy, not pain. His entire body shook as it was filled with the healing beams emanating from the palms of the Christ.

  “Go,” said Jesus to Bartimaeus as he removed his hands. “Your faith has healed you.”

  With his sight restored, Bartimaeus followed Jesus and his disciples along the road.