by Adam DiSalvo
“It is,” he insisted. “Though I never thought I’d actually see it. The Ayut et Ili. The 'promise of light’."
Raffa turned her hand over and pointed to the interlocking circles at the end of each line in the engravings.
“Those represent the twin suns. Or in this particular case, ‘the divine light’. Those symbols let you know which culture created it. This was made by the desert cultures of Meritas.”
“Next you’ll be telling me my future,” laughed Laylani.
“Just wait I’m gettin there.”
He traced the symbols on the ornament.
“It says, ‘All is yours, before the light’.”
He looked up at Laylani.
“Does it?” She asked.
“Well the literal translation is, 'All that is mine, the light is yours’ but, that sounds a lot more like a marriage proposal, doesn’t it? I think my translation sounds better. Don’t you?”
Laylani jerked her wrist away with a wary look in her eye. The guards went rigid. Raffa pulled back.
“Mr. Calderon. I’m afraid you’re going to have to clarify your meaning.”
Raffa placed his hands in his lap.
“Well Minister, the Meritas worshiped Lord Ty in the ancient times although, they didn’t call him, Lord Ty, no. In the ancient times they called him 'Jah Santeo Ili’. The cleansing light.”
“You're quite the historian.”
Raffa perked up.
“Ah, that’s not all though. This item was a gift to the love of his life. What was her name?”
The two guards looked at one another.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know mythological history. I studied more practical arts.”
“Yes, mythology,” Raffa smiled, “You’re a quantum programer, right?”
He clapped his hands together and pointed to Laylani.
“Khylania! That was her name!” he exclaimed.
He shook his head.
"She was the only woman he ever loved.”
Laylani raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Was she?”
“I used to think so,” he replied with a grin.
“That’s quite a story Mr. Calderon.”
“That’s quite a bracelet.”
Laylani rose from her seat. The guards snapped to attention.
“Well Mr. Calderon that was a riveting history lesson. Thank you. I hope that your preliminary meeting this afternoon with Our Lord is worthwhile for all involved.”
“Indeed Minister. Thank you for such an enlightening discussion. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Laylani looked at Raffa with suspicion.
“You’re welcome Mr. Calderon. No, thank you. I think I’ll be on my way.”
Raffa smiled and offered a slight bow. Laylani returned the gesture with a nod of her head. She turned to leave, followed by her flanking guards who folded in behind her as she filed down the two columns on either side of the door. As the last soldier left Raffa reached down and grabbed his communicator.
“Lusio.”
He waited a few moments.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
"I have a task for you. I need it done in less than an hour.”
“Yeah, what do you need?”
“I need you to secure the Minister of Security.”
Lusio laughed.
“Is that all?”
“The Lord of Light is in love,” revealed Raffa.
"With the Minister of Security? Are you sure?”
“He is.”
“Isn’t she human?”
“She is. Albeit a very exceptional one. It’s Laylani Sundive.”
“The girl who was all over the news a couple years back? The one who won all those awards for AI design?”
“That's her."
"That can’t be right,” objected Lusio. “The other four would never stand for that.”
“That gives us further advantage.”
“You’re going to use her as a bargaining chip.”
“Can you do it?”
“Have you to talked to Serena about this?”
Raffa scoffed.
“Are you serious? She’s my secretary. I don’t have to run everything by her. Plus she’d quit if she found out we kidnapped a member of a foreign government.”
“This is a huge risk Raffa.”
“Can you do it?”
Calderon waited, holding his breath.
“We’ll have her within the hour."
CHAPTER 12
JAITHEN CROUCHED DOWN next to an old portable heat lamp on the second story of Terralat’s botany labs. Chandra sat with him as the street lights around Terralat began to die a few blocks at a time. Occasional outbursts of gunfire erupted throughout the dying subterranean metropolis.
“Chandra. If we continue down this path things are only going to get more difficult,” Jaithen whispered.
Lilyth lay in Marcus’s arms as the two slept soundly a few yards away.
“What the fuck are we supposed to do if we get them off world?”
“They needed our help Jaithen. They still need it. Were you just going to leave them?” Chandra hissed through Jaithen’s headset.
“Yes! Yes I was!”
Marcus adjusted in his sleep.
“They have nowhere to go even if we make it off world.” Jaithen added. “They have no ID. No birth record to get one. And even if they did, if Lilyth gets DNA scanned anywhere she’s going to come up ether and then everyone’s fucked.”
“New Fate granted you a new identity.”
“Chandra. That’s completely different.”
“Why?”
Jaithen took a breath before explaining.
"When I was five years old, the syren in control of Abbelist at the time, Chet’Broden Pserana, found out my father was selling protein to New Fate from their mealworm plant. She confronted my parents about it and New Fate showed up shortly after to protect us but, they didn’t make it in time."
Chandra’s downcast expression was telling. She lacked only tears.
“Chet’Broden killed both my parents and would have killed me too if they didn’t kill her first. They raised me. They’re not the type of people that help ethers, Chandra. They kill them.”
Chandra looked over at Lilyth.
“They’ll kill her too if we bring her to them.”
“Would you kill her?”
Jaithen furrowed his brow.
“What? No! They’re more likely to kill me for helping her!” he spat as he pounded his chest.
Lilyth rocked in her sleep. The two froze. Chandra broke the silence.
“What about Cantiga?”
Jaithen shot her a confused glance.
“To the Black Star?! Chandra, those are the oldest and most violent ethers in the system!”
She looked back at Jaithen.
“There must be something we can do,” she pleaded
“We weren’t prepared for this Chandra. We just weren’t. We were supposed to come here, drop something off, bounce, and get paid.”
“We were actually supposed to die according to our last assessment. Remember?” Chandra reminded him.
“Aren’t you proving my point?”
“I am. I know Jaithen, I am. Leaving them isn’t the morally right thing to do though and you know it.”
Jaithen nodded his head.
“I know. But it is the thing that would keep us most safe.”
“Jaithen, you swore to Marcus you would help him.”
“That was when we both thought she was a little girl.”
“What?”
“Chandra don’t act like you didn’t conclude the same thing I did. Marcus lied to us. He didn’t tell us his daughter was grown and he sure as styx didn’t tell us she was ether born. He only told us she was special.”
“Of course he lied to save his family. You would have done the same.”
Jaithen was stunned.
“You have the chance here to spare some
one from the same pain you experienced. Aren’t you going to take that opportunity?”
He looked over at Marcus and Lilyth.
“Swearing to Marcus I’d help him was a mistake."
“They would have died, Jaithen.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. Look around you. Everything Marcus’s family built is gone. In one day.”
Jaithen shook his head and looked back at Chandra.
“This is so fucked. You’re suggesting we walk an ether born right onto our ship.”
Jaithen ripped open a ration bag and grabbed the pepper cheese packet. He tore the packet open with his teeth and spat.
“They lost their whole family Jaithen. How can you still be this way?”
“Chandra we’re not just talking about normal people. She’s a fucking ether! They don't need our help. Did you see what she did to that drone?”
“Yes.”
“Well?”
Chandra sat silent. Her ghostly blue eyes stared into the darkness.
“Well what?” came Marcus’s voice from over Jaithen’s shoulder.
Jaithen looked over.
“Ah, nothing,” he replied waving his hand. "Just deciding what the next best move is.”
“And?” Marcus asked.
“And what?”
“And what’s our next move?"
Lilyth stirred in her father's arms.
“Dad?”
“I’m here.”
Lilyth looked at Jaithen, then back to her father. She sat up as tears gathered in her eyes.
“It wasn't a dream.”
The group stayed silent. The hum of the heat lamp droned on between them.
“I hoped I’d wake up in bed.”
Lilyth turned to her father.
“Dad. Baby Liam.”
Sobbing, she fell back into his arms. Marcus placed his hand on the back of her head. Chandra shoved passed Jaithen and knelt down next to Lilyth placing her hand on her shoulder. Lilyth turned to meet Chandra’s celestial gaze. She spoke through tears.
“Who, what are you? Why are you with my dad?”
“Lilyth, my name is Chandra. I’m the AI onboard the ship that’s going to get you out of here.
She looked back at Jaithen.
"That’s Jaithen,” she smiled, turning back around. "Or asshole if you want. Suits him.”
“What? What ship? What do you mean? Terralat is destroyed. There’s nowhere to go."
“Sweetheart, Chandra and Jaithen are from off world.”
Lilyth sat up looking back and forth between the group.
“I was sorta raised on Abbelist.”
“Abbelist?”
“It’s an industrial moon. Just, an awful place.”
Lilyth wiped her tears away.
“You’re serious?”
Jaithen nodded, his steel eyes went soft.
“Yeah.”
“Dad, you always said Skylauren was under quarantine by people form the stars but, I never believed you.”
“It’s true.” Chandra replied. “We however, broke through and made it planet-side.”
Lilyth turned to her father.
“Wait. Is this why you insisted to the council that you had to go?”
Marcus nodded.
“I couldn’t trust anyone and I’m glad I didn’t. We never would have had this chance.”
He looked at Jaithen.
"If it weren’t for them I’d probably be dead.”
His eyes shifted to Chandra.
“I owe them my life.”
“You don’t owe us anything.” Chandra assured him.
Jaithen shook his head and slung his weapon over his shoulder.
“We need to find our way out of here soon. It won’t take long for the Imperials decide wether they want to occupy this place or drops rocks on it from orbit.”
Lilyth gasped. Jaithen nodded his agreement to her sentiment.
“We need to go.”
Chandra stood up while Lilyth pleaded with Marcus.
“What about the people of Terralat? How long do we have? Father, we can’t just leave them all behind.”
Marcus let out a breath. Lilyth shot to her feet.
“Dad!”
Marcus looked up at his only surviving family member.
“I now understand what our ancestors went through when deciding how to build this place.”
He stood and placed his hand on Lilyth’s shoulder.
“We can’t save all of them.”
Lilyth shook his hand off.
“I know.”
“So which ones will we save?”
Lilyth shrank back.
“I —“ she paused. "I don’t know.”
She leaned up against the wall. Her emotions pressing down on her.
“This is our home,” she whimpered. “They’ve destroyed our home.”
She looked up at Marcus. Her eyes lakes of despair. Chandra glared at Jaithen.
“Dad, they destroyed our home.”
Marcus stepped toward his daughter.
“Why,” she cried.
He wrapped his arms around her and held tight. Tears rolled down his face as he patted her on the head.
“I don’t know.”
“What do they want from us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh goddess,” she bawled. “Everyone’s dead.”
Marcus shut his eyes tight, trying to fight back the floods of sadness. He held Lilyth as they cried.
“Captain. I will not leave them,” voiced Chandra through coms.
Jaithen raked his fingers over his head, clenching his eyes shut. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. His eyes were glossed over once he opened them. The smuggler shook his head trying to gain composure. Lilyth turned to look at Jaithen.
“Why don’t you want to help us?” she asked, confronting Jaithen’s body language.
Jaithen straightened up. Chandra attempted to explain.
“Lilyth it’s not like th—“
“Actually. It is a bit like that.” Jaithen interrupted.
“What?” Marcus snapped.
“Jaithen!” barked Chandra.
“Hold up! Both of you!” Jaithen shouted, raising his hands. “Chandra and the Alejandra are my only real concerns. Everything else is secondary.”
Jaithen waved his hand silencing Chandra. before she spoke.
“Marcus. Lilyth. You have no idea what life is like in the Empire. Ether’s rule their districts and planets absolutely through violence and oppression. You've never witnessed an ether blood bathing.”
“Jaithen. You don’t need to do this.”
His steel eyes met her specter-glare.
“Chandra stop. I’m not being an asshole.”
He turned back to Lilyth and Marcus.
“You’re entering into the crucible. None of you here have witnessed the games on Pyra Prime. You’ve never witnessed a deck cleansing. You’re not leaving a burning styx. You’re on the precipice of one. I’ve spent my whole life being chased by these people. Ethers. Syrens. At the end of the day, where I’m from, it’s live on your knees or die on your feet. The pyras glitter with devil's gold. Where will you go when the boatman leaves you at the fucking gates?”
No one answered.
“This is my point!” Jaithen yelled. “There is no answer to where you guys go after this!”
Lilyth slid down the wall and placed her hands over her face, squeezing tears from the sides of her palms.
“I want to help you. I know Chandra wants to help you but, you have to understand you don’t have many options once you’re off world. I have no idea what they’ll do to you if they find out you’re ether born from Skylauren!"
Chandra stood silent. Jaithen placed his right fist into his left palm, then both hands over his mouth. He took a few steps around the group.
“Just get us off world!” cried Lilyth from behind her palms.
Jaithen stopped. Chandra looked over
.
“Who cares what happens after!” she roared as the ground shook. "Just get us the fuck out of here!”
Nobody moved. The ground shook again as the metal pipes beneath them twisted into spikes and stabbed up through the floor.
“Are you fucking listening to me?” she bellowed.
“Whoa! The fuck!” Jaithen yelled as he back pedaled brandishing his weapon.
“Lilyth!” Marcus cried.”Stop! What are you doing?”
With a wave of her hand Jaithen was paralyzed and his weapon was ripped away into Lilyth’s waiting grasp. Chandra slammed into the ground on her hands and knees.
“What?” she stammered, unable to get up. “Gravity?"
Lilyth lifted into the air pulling Jaithen towards her. She brought him in close. Chandra was further pressed into the ground.
“You’re all the fucking same,” Jaithen taunted.
“Lilyth! Stop!” Marcus demanded.
“You don’t know me,” Lilyth growled, jabbing Jaithen’s gun against his throat. “You’re nothing to me.”
Jaithen gagged.
“Lilyth, please,” Marcus pleaded. “Don’t do this. Let them go.”
She looked down at her father.
“Why? They won’t help us anyway! What if they turn around and hand us over to the snatchers?!”
“Lilyth, Jaithen gave me his word he would get me here and take us off world.”
Lilyth looked back to Jaithen, pressing the weapon deeper into his neck.
“Dad, how can that be true when he says these things?” Lilyth weighed.
“We thought you were a little girl!” Chandra blurted out. “Marcus didn’t tell us you were grown!”
Lilyth released her hold. The group froze in a cold reality as it landed between them. The mechanical device came to a rolling stop against the heating lamp.
“Shockwave!” Jaithen screamed as he tried to wrench Lilyth to safety.
Chandra darted from her prone position to Marcus, wrapping him up the best she could. The weapon detonated, releasing a surge of electricity. The force threw Jaithen and Lilyth into the cement wall next to them as Chandra was sent tumbling with Marcus safely cocooned in her arms. Smoke and dust filled the room. No one moved.
“Four down!" came a voice from a nearby stairwell.
Black masked snatchers poured into the room where the four lie motionless. One of the men knelt down next to Chandra and Marcus.
“What the fuck was going on here?” he mused grabbing at Chandra’s arms.
“Take these two,” ordered another removing an object from Lilyth’s arm. “Leave the rest.”