“No, I can’t do that. That would be...” Just then another blast rocks the vessel, create sparks and fire, a piece of wall falls on the captain knocking him out.
“As first officer I take charge of this vessel. Take the cuffs off of one of the prisoners. If he can help, we’ll consider the other one, if needed.”
“Aye aye, sir.” Ibiza is released. His rod is returned. He grasps it and his hands bleed. Lighting pours forth from it finding all the crewmembers and killing them. He releases R’Darik with a twitch of his rod and gets on the radio. “Hail, pirate ship. This is Ibiza, wizard from the Mountains of Geshtinanna on the planet Krani. Have you come to rescue us?”
“Hail, Ibiza. This is Mortak Rawgue. You are welcome to board our vessel. We have work to do, brothers.”
The two vessels dock, Ibiza and R’Darik board the Frigasht and they are of again.
Chapter 21 Valenza’s Contrition
Having been taken by force against their will, Valenza and Kyn were furious. They argued with their captors until they were blue in the face. Kathara and Sarita tried to calm them down, but they would not listen to their younger sisters.
“I thought you loved me, Sertis,” whined Valenza.
“And you, me,” pouted Kyn to her beau Kujack.
“But I do love you,” said Sertis to Valenza.
“And I love you, Kyn,” Said Kujack.
“Then why did you kidnap us from our mother?” Valenza and Kyn sat sulking with their arms folded.
“We’ve been trying to tell you, there’s an opportunity to be reconciled with the kingdom, but your mother doesn’t want to,” answered Sertis.
“Why does mother have to be so stubborn, Valenza?” complains Kyn.
“Oh, I don’t know. I hope she’s okay.”
Valenza and Kyn are reunited with their sisters when they get to the Citadel. Daxu Korth has them watched all the time, as they did not come willingly. They have to prove themselves before he will receive them back.
“So where is the big feast? Where are the gifts? Didn’t father have us brought back? Where is he?” Kyn kept complaining to Valenza.
“Not so loud. We’re probably being watched,” replied Valenza.
“Oh I don’t care. You know what I think?”
“Oh...what is it?”
I think father brought us back to lure mother here. He knows she’ll come after us. Then he’ll kill her, or send her to a place she could never escape from.”
“But Kyn,” said Valenza, “Mother could escape from anywhere now. She’s got dark powers. She’s a sorceress now.”
“You’re right, but we had better shut up about it.”
It was already too late Daxu Korth heard every word the girls said. His instincts where right in keeping these two away from their sisters. As far as the king was concerned, Valenza and Kyn were still with their mother.
Although they were treated and well fed, Valenza and Kyn were virtually prisoners in the Citadel. Armed guards stood watch around the clock. They were not allowed to go out. There was no way to escape. Sertis and Kujack came to see them often and tried to talk to them, have dinner with them, and spend time together. However, Valenza and Kyn’s confidence in them were shaken. They felt betrayed and accused them of doing it for the money. Sertis tried to convince Valenza that it wasn’t the money, but to her it seemed complicated and she felt she could never trust him again. Kyn, on the other hand, was in love with Kujack and listened when he tried to explain how things were. She thought he had a lot of wisdom, and being there at the Citadel was much better than being a fugitive with her mother. She started to realize that if Dvora had really loved them she would not have forced them to betray their father.
Finally, Valenza and Kyn could not stand each other. All they did was argue and were always at each other’s throats. It got so bad that one morning upon wakening, Valenza didn’t see Kyn and went to her room. Kyn was gone. Kujack had gotten permission to take her to a different part of the Citadel. Valenza now found her self all alone and thought she had ruined her chances of ever being with Sertis again. She had time to think all by herself and work things out in her mind and heart. She cried long and hard and wished that she could see Sertis.
Sertis did come. Valenza was happy to see him and he of course was happy to see her. Sertis took her away from the Citadel to a secret mountain villa that was only known to a few. He revealed to Valenza who he really was.
“I’m a one of the princes of the southern Quewythians. I was working as a spy for the kingdom when we first met,” he confessed. “I fell in love with you the first time I saw you and my love has just been growing stronger. I want you to be my bride.”
“I...I don’t know what to say,” replied Valenza, teary eyed.
“Say yes, my darling,” whispered Sertis. She finally did, after much long and tireless persuasion by Sertis. “You are still a princes in your father’s eyes, and you will be my princess together with me as your prince.”
Valenza’s matrimony union with Sertis proved to Daxu Korth that Valenza was contrite. As far as he was concerned, Valenza had been exonerated of all former charges against her for being a willing accomplice in her mother’s devious plans to kill their father and take over the kingdom. With his daughters all married and starting new lives with their husbands, Daxu Korth believed that the influence Dvora had over them was broken.
Now Daxu Korth must deal with the newly proclaimed sorceress. He heard the news about Dvora freeing the prisoners on their way to judgment. All of Daxu Korth’s enemies had been freed and most of them agreed to help her destroy The Kingdom of the Twelve Galaxies Cluster.
“I have no remorse nor do I feel guilty about anything,” she told her council of seven. “I now control and can manipulate more power than the great magicians and wizards.”
Ibiza and R’Darik both laughed. “If it’s a show of power you want, then let every one here be your judge,” said Ibiza. As he raised his horned rod the blood flowed from his hands and a ball of fire was created. He raised it and with his right hand threw the fireball at Dvora. She instantly raised both hands and waved them in front of her. To the astonishment of everyone, the fireball was quenched by water that appeared between her and the fireball.
“How well will you do with poison darts?” asks R’Darik. He raises both arms and thorn-like darts rise up out of his skin and through his tunic. He flings them at Dvora one arm and then the other. Dvora raises one hand and the darts stop in mid-air right in front of her. With a flick of the wrist and a jutting of her hand the poison darts return to R’Darik in the blink of an eye, piercing him all over. The very poison darts that rose up out of his skin turned on him. The poison worked instantly. The Warlock R’Darik was dead.
“Now I have a council of six. Please give me a reason not to kill all of you traitors,” she seethed.
“I am your dedicated servant Mortak Rawgue. I will follow you to the ends of the universe, my queen.” Mortak was down on one knee giving featly to Dvora.
“Thank you, Mortak. That touches my evil heart,” she screeched with laughter. And now you will all behold as The Subjugator, the brother of Daxu Korth, whose real name is Hyukitron Hoxenyth dies.”
The six outlaws gasped as they saw Subjugator hanging by chains on a black X being lowered to the floor. He struggled to get free, but to no avail. He screamed at his former companions to rise up against Dvora calling her a wicked and evil witch, promising them riches and glory if they join him again.
“All you did was lead us to into a trap,” said the wizard. The others agreed. Dvora turned to Subjugator hanging behind her, raised her hands above her head and opened her eyes and mouth wide. A stream of snakes came pouring out of her mouth that wrapped themselves around Subjugator’s throat, arms and legs and waist. They tightened their grip as he writhed in agony and gasped for air, while Dvora said all manner of evil incantations against him naming him as the lowest of the low forms of life. After several Earth minutes, the struggling
ended. Subjugator was dead. Silence was in the air.
Chapter 22 Arthos
Captain’s Chronicles: Nearing the planet I believed Arthos to be on, the frequency was adjusted by Infinity. Contact was made. We discovered that the DNA Infinity had assumed was Arthos, was not his, but that of Arthos’ son. Arthos had crash landed on the planet and spent his time there repairing his vessel. During that time, he had married and they had a son. He was two hundred years old and said that his father left for planet Earth one hundred and fifty years before. He invited Tristan to accompany him, but he declined, believing that his place was with his mother.
It was great to meet my uncle,” Said Tristan as they stood on The Iron Mountains in New Plains Desert on Gerdral II. The planet had two moons and the surface looked red from the abundance of clay and sand rock. Being 80 percent water, the planet’s habitable areas were limited to three mega cities equidistant from each other. Tristan’s mother had been full-blooded human and had died when he was a hundred and fifty. Even humans lived longer on this world than they usually did.
“Would have liked to have met your mother too,” Cruise said as he said farewell and said he would return on his way back, if it were at all possible. Arthos left a great legacy behind. Tristan was the leader of Gerdral II and two other planets in their solar system.
From the technological genes he inherited from his father, he was able to learn quickly from the materials Arthos left and build his world into a civilization rather speedily. Before Arthos came, the three societies were at war with each other and lived barbarically. Arthos taught them space travel and they colonized the two other planets in their solar system. He visited both worlds to help them get set up with cyber technology and other modern conveniences. Cruise admired his brother for taking time off of his main quest to make a family and help his wife and son’s people.
Infinity had evolved even further. She advanced to teaching herself how to create rips in the fabric of the universe, closing them up again as they passed through. This shortened the distance between destinations passing the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy in just a few Earth cycles. Infinity slowed down and came to normal speed near the planet Jupiter.
“I will not make the same DNA miscalculation again.” Infinity takes Cruise and the crew passed Jupiter.
“The last one was not a miscalculation, Infinity,” replies Cruise. The control room crew is talking in the background. “I got to meet my nephew.”
“That is a happy occasion,” says Glorainne.
“May I remind you, Glorainne,” adds Cruise. “That you are free to fall in love and get married anytime you choose to.” The crew laughs, and Caleo flushes.
“Captain,” says Commander Raslan Ardvik, “I think she already has fallen in love.” Now it was Glorainne’s turn to turn red.
“Well, what do you think we’ve been doing on your extended trips down to the surfaces of planets? Says Hujikom, second in command.
“Captain,” says Infinity. “I have located planet Earth.” The 4-D hologram of the solar system comes up all around the crew.
“Wowee,” remarks Caleo. “Infinity, you sure have been evolving beautifully.”
“Why, thank you, Caleo,” Infinity replies. “You’ve even taken to calling us by our first names now, uh...except for the Captain.”
“I’ll have to get his permission for that,” she replied.
Infinity zooms in on Earth. “There she is, Captain. The Blue Planet.”
“I can’t believe it,” says Cruise. “I thought it would take eons to get here.”
“It did, Captain,” Infinity replies. “I am making the necessary connections now, Captain, to make contact with the surface. Analyzing data now. Processing data and recording. Everything you want to know about Earth’s past present and future is in my archives now, Captain.”
“Did you say ‘future’ too?”
“I did.”
“In that case I’ll ask you to bring it up when we need to know...” replies Cruise. “Can you locate Arthos?”
“I did that ten Earth seconds ago.”
“You’re wonderful.”
“Captain, Arthos is contacting you now,” says Infinity and brings up a 4-D image of Arthos standing in the middle of the control room.
“What’s happening?” asks Arthos. “I can see you, Cruise and your crew as if I’m on your vessel.”
“You are in a way, Arthos. Good to see you. Infinity, the name of my vessel, has been evolving during our trip here. It’s really amazing the things she is capable of now. By the way, I met your son, Tristan. He’s a great man.”
“Glad to hear, good to see you too, coming down?” Arthos replies.
“Infinity has pinpointed a location in a place that used to be called Arizona. The place is known as The Grand Canyon, I believe. It seems to be not far from you.”
“I’m in a place called Nevada. It’s near an awesome lake called Tahoe.” Infinity bring up a 3-D image of the lake.
“I’m seeing it now and the crew is loving it. I think they’re ready for a vacation.”
Infinity landed in a clearing in the Grand Canyon large enough for her. The crew took turns guarding the vessel and taking leave. Earthlings were friendly and there was plenty of good food and drink. Most of the cultures and ethnic treasures had been preserved as well as historical archives. Infinity had already read and recorded every book, magazine, newspaper, all the records secret or otherwise, every data base on the planet including photos, personal information and every single iota of information that was online whether coded, encrypted or not. She hacked into all of the government’s top secret files and instantly downloaded them. She instantly located every criminal web site and their location and transferred the information to the proper local authorities.
The president of the New United States was having a cow when he heard that the most top-secret data in the country had been hacked. However, when the CIA and FBI reported that they suddenly received hoards of data on wanted criminals, terrorists and their location, he suspected that Arthos had something to do with it.
Arthos had already been working with the presidents over the years that he’d been there. He explained to President Cartwright the cause of the breach was his brother’s vessel.
“After almost a million years of history and space exploration, I would not have expected less,” said the president, who seemed to be a very open minded leader. “You told me that your brother would be here someday. Other presidents in the past looked forward to that day, but I’m proud and happy to be the one. This is a historical day and I declare it a holiday.”
The presidents of Earth had learned to rule in righteousness. That was why Arthos had stayed so long to help them. There were no more horrible dictators that waged war on their neighbors to get and steal what they wanted. Earth had evolved into a peaceful planet where all of the inhabitants cared for each other. Everyone had plenty, and there was no need for poverty or homelessness. Almost eighty percent of the Earth’s population where farmers and ranchers, gardeners, foresters, woodland keepers, land conservers, tree surgeons, flower growers, or some type of plant or animal husbandry expert.
There were, however, still some criminals and terrorists not happy with the peace and plenty who still tried to get more than they needed or deserved.
The population of twenty billion people was equally distributed upon the face of the earth. There was no population explosion, but still a degree of mass poverty and hunger. There were no nation against nation or religious wars, but there were still pirates and gangs of criminals who roamed remote areas or hid in large cities.
The major religions of Earth had been brought together to live in peace and tolerance of each other. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, Buddhism, Shintoism and all of the other religions of the Earth united not as one religion, but in understanding and at peace with each other. Evangelization had ceased. No one was attempting to convert someone of another religion or faith to theirs. Fait
h and religion was a cultural thing and everyone respected that. If someone desired to change religions there was no backlash or persecution. Everyone seemed happy and content believing what they chose to believe and life went on.
America, or the New United States of America, now included all of North, Central and South America. California and Baja California was gone, having been washed into the sea by the Great Earthquake of 5690 AD. Florida was also gone, having been flooded in 16570. New York City had been buried in the war of the year 30,897 AD. Half of Texas was gone due to the Super Hurricanes of 49,876 and 50,000 AD. The greater part of Japan fell into the sea in 187,654 AD. There was no more Caribbean Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, nor were there any of the South Pacific Sea islands left. All had been drowned or consumed by tsunamis. Europe and Russia; China also had suffered great losses of landmass due to war, blight, and natural disasters.
Deserts had grown, but people learned to live in them as nomads and gypsies. Advanced technology and science had contributed to creating large oases that eased the arid conditions in these parts of the world. They were such a success, however, that a great many of them were turned into resorts and vacation spots.
The North Pole had melted due to multiple Nuclear Weapons being detonated over her, which was responsible for the flooding of much of the upper Northern Hemisphere. The Earth had survived ten ice ages, twelve droughts with famine, seven floods from tsunamis caused by asteroids hitting the Earth. Antarctica and Greenland were now thriving Temperate Zone paradises. The axis of the Earth had shifted. War, disaster and erosion had reduced most of the highest mountains of the Earth to small mountain ranges where much of the population could enjoy skiing, snowboarding, snow surfing and snow-sailing.
Much of Europe was different too. The British Isles were gone, except for small islands that were once part of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, now called the English Isles. The continent of Australia was smaller, most of New Zealand was washed away and Tasmania was no more. Indo-China had receded; Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippine Islands had been reduced to small wide spread uninhabited islands which were now sanctuaries for birds and other animals.
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