The 13th Star: An Action Adventure Sci-F Apocalyptic Novel

by Adam Peled

  “I don’t really see how one sends for it,” said Zoi.

  “Maybe we should wait. I think the palace is far better equipped than we estimated,” continued Mattoui.

  “Nevertheless, one can wait here until the day after next,” replied Berez.

  “I don’t understand why you’re so impatient,” rebuked Mattoui. At that moment, the elevator door opened and they entered. There was not even a button inside, but something—probably some kind of sensor—knew they were inside. The door closed and the elevator descended.

  ***

  Bergin and Coldor knew there was no need to physically abuse David. He already looked worn out, with Sarah’s death clearly reflected in his face. His body was bent and his eyes transparent, as if he saw nothing.

  “Well,” Coldor said to Bergin, “as we know, Rettoul is on his way or has already reached the Briskerian palace. He obviously doesn’t know a surprise awaits him there, but that’s okay. He’s got plenty of time to look for the scrolls.”

  “What do you say, Bergin?” Coldor continued. “Do you think he’ll take it hard when he finds out what happened to the scrolls and the Briskerians?” Coldor chuckled, his great laugh thundering in David’s head.

  David didn’t say anything. He knew these things were being said for his benefit more than to Bergin.

  “What do you say, David?” Coldor asked. “How will your illustrious guest react when he discovers the scrolls are not there?”

  “Rettoul knows, just as you know, that only a Levite may and can hold the scrolls.”

  “Oh, you stupid old man!” Coldor laughed. “Sometimes legends are strong, but the truth is even stronger.”

  David swallowed hard and tried hard not to respond.

  Coldor walked around David, increasing his speed. He suddenly revealed a table behind a heavy red curtain in the room with the scrolls on it.

  colder picked up one of the scrolls and laughed. “only levite can hold the scrolls"

  David choked and realized he had nothing more to fight for. His eyes closed.

  ***

  The elevator door opened and they found themselves in a large circular room with the elevator in the middle. Flaming torches lit the room brightly as they got out and looked around. There didn’t seem to be another door or extra space leading off the circular room. They walked around it, but couldn’t find any opening. Zoi ran his hands over the walls and nothing happened.

  “Very strange,” said Berez. “We descended in a special lift to nowhere.”

  “This is not nowhere. There’s something here; we just haven’t discovered it yet,” Mattoui replied.

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” Zoi said. “There’s only the elevator door, and that’s it.” He looked at the door.

  “True—the only door is that of the elevator,” said Berez and looked at the door. They faced each other with the elevator between them, each looking at the door. Suddenly they realized the elevator had two doors. One had let them out—the other would lead them to the place they were seeking.

  “How do we know which one?” They looked at each other. The two doors were identical and they couldn’t tell which one they had exited from.

  Rettoul smiled at them. “You’re tired, otherwise you would understand.” He stood with his back to a door and the elevator car opened again for them.

  “Yes, but how do we know we’re not going to go back up?” Zoi asked.

  “We won’t know if we don’t go in,” answered Mattoui, and the four entered. The elevator door closed on them again and darkness dominated the car. They didn’t feel the elevator moving, neither up nor down, as they felt before. And then the door opened. A wide corridor stretched out away from them, with a heavy door and a wide handle at the end. The handle creaked slightly as Rettoul pressed it, but opened into the room they sought.

  dedi was lying dead on the ground, his throat slashed. Beside him lay the legendary Queen Teresa. Her was skin fresh and only the red of the blood cried out. The scrolls’ niche had been left open and exposed. Rettoul rushed over and found the scrolls were gone. “It’s all over,” he said, burying his head in his hands.

  “Not everything is over!” said Berez, pushing forward two small frightened children.

  “Where did you find them?”

  “They were sitting in a niche,” replied Berez, pointing to it.

  Rettoul looked at them and didn’t say a word. Everyone looked at him.

  “Who are you?” Mattoui asked the children, who didn’t react. They just stared at him and seemed to curl up inside.

  “Do you understand what I’m saying?” asked Rettoul in another language, but there was still no acknowledgment. Berez, Zoi, Mattoui, and Rettoul tried to speak to them in several languages, but the children seemed not to understand a word.

  “Perhaps they’re deaf,” Zoi wondered.

  “They’re not deaf, but they don’t understand our words,” said Rettoul. “We don’t have much to do here. We’d better all get out of here.”

  “Just a second,” Mattoui said. “You can’t leave them alone.”

  “I said all of us.”

  “Yes, but we can’t take them with us. Everyone here is dead and they’re the only ones left alive. But they don’t say a word. I’m not sure.” Mattoui was thoughtful.

  “So what are you saying?” Rettoul questioned.

  “We should first try a little harder to find out who they are.”

  “We don’t have much time! Who knows? Maybe we’re next in line,” railed Zoi.

  “Mattoui’s right,” said Rettoul, handing the girl a fluorescent marker. He brought her to the table in the corner and, gesturing, asked her to draw for him.

  The girl drew a big, bald man with a thick braid in the center of his head. She drew four others around him, each wearing a cloak. She looked at dedi, pointed at one of the people with cloak, and swung a punch at dedi.

  “Coldor came with here his men to harm dedi and steal the ancient scrolls,” said Mattoui.

  They took the children and quickly left the palace. They didn’t know where they were running to, but they were afraid something would happen to them among the death prevailing there. Dozens of water soldiers were waiting outside and shot arrows at them.

  Berez was not surprised and hurriedly directed the group back into the palace. He remembered seeing a jewel in one of the rooms and hurried to fetch it. Arrows flew in all directions, but no shot or touch of a Jorash affected the balance of power. It seemed that the end of the mystery had arrived; the water officials signed a pact with Bergin and killed the Briskerians.

  “A little warmth and love never hurt anyone,” said Berez, returning with the jewel. Within minutes the water soldiers melted and the group rapidly returned to the Kaiser.

  Rettoul climbed aboard thoughtfully. Two things were making it difficult to clear his mind regarding the next step. One was what to do with the children, and who did they belong to? Second, since when did Mattoui know Cherka? Were there more secrets between them?

  Chapter 11: The Power of the Scrolls

  At noontime, the shutters in Bergin’s room were still closed. No light entered from outside and dust particles were scattered by the sun in the corners. A suffocating smell of a place not ventilated for days pervaded the room.

  “If you don’t mind, Coldor, I want to discuss something more urgent. I’m fed up with this Rettoul, with David, and with all the galactic battles. I want to finalize the details regarding the wedding.”

  His son, Zoron, was supposed to be getting married. Preparations were underway.

  Bergin was planning something big, while Coldor was trying to move it toward something much more modest. Coldor knew that things were very delicate, especially now, after what happened. He tried to increase the security arrangements for himself.

  ***

  “Rettoul,” called Zoi in horror, “do you have any idea what’s happened now?”

  Rettoul tensed, as did the others. “What, Zo
i?”

  Zoi approached and asked him to step in to the cockpit. His face was pale and he blinked repeatedly, as he rarely did, although always in response to pressure. Rettoul, who’d known Zoi for so long and so well knew he had something serious to say.

  “What has happened?” he asked again quietly.

  “You must come with me now to the cockpit. Someone armed it without my knowledge.”

  Rettoul squinted in disbelief. “What? What do you mean, ‘armed it’?”

  Zoi didn’t need to ask again. Rettoul hurried with him and Mattoui joined, running.

  When Zoi opened the weapons container, everyone paled. Inside were some of the most destructive and largest nitrogen bombs. All three knew the deadly power of each bomb. In all their fighting, they’d never used nitrogen bombs for only one reason—the bomb’s disastrous capacity prevented future restoration—forever.

  Because of that, nitrogen bombs were rare in the galaxy and few were allowed to learn and study their properties. To the best of their knowledge, they didn’t know a single pilot who was approved to fly with such bombs, except for Coldor, perhaps. He’d spoken about nitrogen bombs as a tool which would be the end of all wars. He just neglected to mention that those who dispatched the nitrogen bombs would win the battle only because no one else would survive. One bomb was enough to destroy an entire planet, no matter the size.

  The cold vapor rising from the bombs made clear that they’d just been placed in the Kaiser. Zoi approached, as if looking for something on the bombs themselves. Rettoul stopped him. “There’s no point in looking for fingerprints. Whoever left them is stupid, but not that stupid.”

  “But it makes me a suspect now,” said Zoi.

  “What are you talking about?” Berez didn’t understand.

  “Someone knew we would take Bar’s Kaiser. There’s no doubt it’s a signal for us.”

  “We’ve been exposed,” muttered Rettoul.

  ***

  A sentry entered the room and announced that everyone had returned. “If so, bring David here,” said Coldor.

  “Why do we need him now?” Bergin got mad.

  “It’s actually going to be interesting. I want to test the power of the scrolls.” Coldor laughed.

  “How are you, old David?” He didn’t answer. “I hope you’re comfortable in your cell, although we don’t have good conditions in prison.” David didn’t reply and Coldor became angry and thumped on the table.

  “I’m talking to you, so even if you’re tired, hungry, or anything else, you will answer me!”

  “What do you want?” David asked loudly.

  Coldor smiled broadly as if he hadn’t raised his voice a moment ago. “The truth is, not much. And certainly not from you. You’re just one of the masses now. There’s nothing special about you, no pedigree. Rettoul will soon join Sarah, and then you’ll probably want to accompany them, won’t you?” He smiled broadly at David and continued. “In any case, you’ll be the only one surviving on Levi, so you’d better be happy.”

  David’s face fell.

  Coldor took the scrolls and began to read from them in Cherka. David choked and his hair suddenly turned white. He had trouble breathing and, within minutes, he lost consciousness. Coldor continued reading while saying to a guard, “Wake him up. A lot of future things will happen now. He mustn’t miss them.”

  ***

  “Did you feel that?” Berez asked Rettoul, but he didn’t have to answer as they all looked frightened. The ground shook beneath their feet. The ice suddenly cracked and nearby buildings collapsed. Huge fissures opened in the ground, threatening their lives. There was no one to yell for help to because they hadn’t found a single soul on the planet except for the two children, but everyone’s panic was evident.

  “Get on the Kaiser, quickly,” yelled Rettoul.

  “But where to?” asked Zoi as the Kaiser took off from the ground, rising quickly.

  “To Moran. It will be much easier there for all of us,” said Rettoul.

  The Kaiser quickly rose to a great height. The skies of the galaxy raged and stormed as if they didn’t have a fixed path. Brisker was fast approaching Levi and everyone knew nothing could be done to save any life at either planet.

  ***

  “Brother!” Coldor laughed out loud when he noticed David recovering from his faint. “There’s no greater feast day. Levi, the hapless life's at the planet, will no longer exist in a few more seconds. And Brisker? Oh, Brisker—that wonderful cold planet. So cold that it will also be no longer. Best of all, the bunch of fools who follow your son will finally vanish from the galaxy. And if I approve—only if I approve—miracles and wonders will still be told about them. I haven’t yet decided when they will be bigger—in life or in death.”

  David could hardly swallow. Coldor’s comments shocked him and he winced. In a short period of time he’d lost his wife and his son, who was to have led the galaxy to its re-creation.

  ***

  On Levi, cries of pain and fear filled the air. The predators themselves were now terrified. The planet shook and swayed heavily—no one felt stable and there was nowhere to run. A flood began to swamp the country. There weren’t many people left, and the few who remained didn’t know what to dread more—the animals howling in fear, or the ground filling with water.

  at the streets ran Ben, a young, tall, and athletic youth holding tight to his little sister’s hand. He was headed to the deserts of the planet. An inner voice told him not to remain where he was. He could only save his little sister.

  The predators hadn’t yet reached the deserts. They’d found plenty of prey in the populated areas, and now they all ran away together—animals fleeting the shaking planet and humans fleeing from the animals’ starving mouths.

  Ben ran, leaving the screams behind. Occasionally water dams opened up from the ground and he stumbled, but he still held his little sister’s hand. He knew where he was going, hoping the place would afford shelter from the disaster that was befalling the planet. He didn’t know what to run from or what to be careful of—the predators or the terrific shaking causing buildings to collapse, trees to be uprooted, and the earth to open up.

  They reached the vast mountain range. The ground was solid under their feet and they stopped for a moment.

  “Soon, not a lot more,” said Ben, stroking his sister’s hair. She didn’t answer him, but her eyes said she trusted him.

  “You’ll see. Everything will be like something we dreamed.” He smiled at her and continued running. They came to alittle tree behind arock and Ben walked quickly and cautiously to one of the trees. He stopped and looked back. Nearby, the opening to a cave he’d located a few years earlier was visible. Since then he’d equipped it with everything he thought he might ever need. And the time had come.

  He put his sister down. “You go in alone. Don’t be scared. Everything you need is there, but I can’t come with you. But you’ve been saved. Remember that you’re my lovely sister and that you’ve been saved. Do you hear me?” She nodded.

  “I love you more than anything in the world. Never forget that. Promise?” She smiled and nodded again.

  “Come, give me a kiss, my lovely girl.” With tears in his eyes he gave her a big hug. The cave could only be sealed from outside. Her life had been better to her than his. He sent her in and closed the entrance. “I miss you already and want to see you again,” he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

  ***

  David knew the light in the galaxy stemmed from the tremendous explosion of two planets colliding. He closed his eyes and hoped that no greater disaster occurred in the galaxy. For who knew what was to come? As long the scrolls were in impure hands, the disaster was not over.

  ***

  “Well, sir…” Zoi smiled at Rettoul. “…you set the arrival time.”

  “We’ll cruise for a few days,” replied Rettoul, exhausted.

  “I’d love to because I want to get some sleep. We have enough fuel for twenty days of
cruising.”

  “You can’t really sleep, Zoi,” Mattoui said. “We’ll take shifts. We can’t use autopilot because the galaxy isn’t stable at the moment.”

  “He’s right,” agreed Rettoul. “Go to sleep, both you and Berez. The children are already sleeping, go and join them. The subject should be resolved before we get to Moran.” He meant the children. “Mattoui will take the controls and I’ll follow his shift. You have a few good hours to sleep.”

  Mattoui and Rettoul were left alone on the deck of the Kaiser. They were both tired, yet knew they couldn’t go to sleep.

  “There isn’t a day goes by that I’m not happy and grateful that you’re by my side,” said Rettoul.

  “I know. I feel the same.”

  Rettoul sighed and continued. “There are moments like this when I’m sorry you’re with me. I would be so happy to know you’re with Tamar, building your home and not fighting battles with me that aren’t yours.” He wanted to develop a conversation to touch on what had been bothering him for hours: Why and when did Mattoui learn the Cherka language, as he’d proven the previous day at the Briskerian palace? The total surprise gave him no rest. He’d been sure, until then, that he knew Mattoui inside out—that his soulmate knew him as he knew his soulmate. And then yesterday his world turned upside down.

  Mattoui didn’t respond. There was a deafening silence and he moved away from Rettoul. Suddenly, he let out a stream of words without stopping for a breath.

  “Your name is Rettoul and you’re putty in the hands of the Creator. You have two scars on your body, both made by man. The world knows only one scar, and you and those who know you also know the second, hidden scar. There’s no Jorash that can beat you, and you’re the one who will lead us to the birth of the thirteenth planet.”