CHAPTER 18: A RENEWED HOPE
City of Chast. Koroan's Palace ?
Ciminae floated in the air, above Celeste's dying body. She was more beautiful than ever; more so than Celeste remembered her ever being. No longer was her spirit trapped inside its clay vessel, revealing her true beauty. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled with pride as she stared lovingly at her daughter. Her long, flowing black hair seemed to wave in the wind along with her brighter-than-white robe, even though they were inside. And then her mother opened her mouth to speak. "Remember ? the source of your father's power."
Celeste then grabbed her throat and tried to pull away the strong fingers that threatened to take away her life.
And then she was awake. Celeste coughed and inhaled the oxygen her body desperately needed. She sat up and wiped away the cold sweat that dripped from her hair. How long was I not breathing this time? she thought.
Celeste glanced over at the extra bed that had been placed in her bedroom. Kylee was sleeping soundly; her body finally resting after Koroan ordered that all biological weapons testing done upon her cease. Celeste stared in admiration. She wished she could sleep just as soundly. Ever since her re-capture, Celeste continued to re-live her near-death experience the night her mother died and Vlamer Kreuk tried to kill her.
Thinking about the experience caused Celeste severe emotional pain. She placed her head in her hands and began to sob. She missed her mother desperately, especially now that she was in enemy territory. It seemed that every Gnol on Terrest knew of Celeste's treachery. The only people she could trust were gone. Nichelle was with Jake and the rebels. And of course, the one who understood her most had passed on. She couldn't confide in Kylee because Kylee slept more than she was awake, trying to recover.
The thought of Jake caused Celeste to tremble as she cried. Oh, how she longed to be in his arms and feel the warmth of his body. At no other time in her life had she felt so low; so depressed. She was exhausted beyond comprehension and couldn't escape the pain by sleeping. Every time she fell asleep, she would re-live the nightmare of her mother's death.
Frustrated now, Celeste gritted her teeth, looked up at the ceiling, and said out loud, "What am I supposed to do? Please, Mother. I don't know ? help me."
"You know what you're supposed to do."
With the dim light of Terrest's full moons giving the room some illumination, Celeste spun around and locked tired eyes with Kylee. Kylee was sitting up and had an expression of concern on her face. "Oh ? Kylee, I-I didn't mean to wake you."
Kylee gave Celeste a warm smile and motioned for Celeste to sit beside her. Celeste rubbed the tears away from her eyes and made her way toward Kylee, who seemed now more like a sister.
In fact, that was why Celeste didn't have her hands bound at the present time. She promised her father that if he wouldn't bind her hands behind her back, she wouldn't use her newfound abilities. And her father, in turn, declared that if she even attempted in the slightest to harm the guards that guarded her room twenty-four hours a day, he would have Kylee brutally tortured and killed. Celeste agreed, and now here she was, miserable and helpless.
She sat next to Kylee and looked into her warm, inviting eyes. Kylee smiled warmly and said, "You know what you have to do."
Celeste gave Kylee a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"
With a deep sigh, Kylee seemed to look through Celeste's eyes and into her soul. "Celeste, ever since I was brought to stay with you in your room, I have witnessed your dreams."
Celeste was shocked. "Wha ? how?"
Kylee shook her head. "I ? I don't know. It's weird. I don't know how else to explain it other than every time you have your dream, I actually witness the night your mother died. The only difference is that when your mother speaks in my dream, she is speaking to me. She addresses me by name and tells me where to go to find the source of your father's power."
Celeste was speechless. How was this possible? Celeste and Kylee both had their Mind Inhibitors in. There was no possible way Celeste could have made a mind connection with Kylee. Unless ?
"Maybe ? I don't know. Maybe-"
Kylee cut Celeste off before she could finish. "Maybe, your mother is communicating with me as well."
Again, Celeste gave Kylee a puzzled look. "But ? I don't understand. Why would she? What does she want me to do?"
Kylee shook her head. "Think about it, Celeste. What did your mother mean when she says remember the source of your father's power?"
Celeste looked down at the floor and thought for a few seconds. "I ? I don't know. The night she died, she mentioned something about the source of my father's power. But so much went on that night. I can't ? Wait!" she said, jumping to her feet. She turned to face Kylee. "My mother did mention the thirty-fifth floor of this palace ? that's ? yes ? that's where the source is."
Kylee smiled and nodded her head. "Well, then, you know what you have to do."
Celeste shook her head as if in defeat. "But I can't. These ankle bracelets my father had placed upon us track our every movement. If I even take one step out of this room, my father will be alerted, and you will be killed. I won't let you die so I can satisfy my curiosity."
Kylee returned Celeste's look of frustration. "That doesn't matter now, Celeste. If your mother is communicating with me as well, then it is important; more important than me."
"Don't talk like that. I am not going to let you sacrifice your life."
Kylee motioned for Celeste to sit beside her again. After Celeste sat down, Kylee grabbed her hand and looked deep into her eyes. "Celeste, listen to me. You know as well as I do that I am as good as dead already."
Celeste shook her head and began to speak, but Kylee placed a finger to her lips. "Shh. No. Listen, Celeste. The poisons your father's scientists have placed into my body are slowly killing me. Your mother suffered the same fate. Perhaps, that's why she is communicating with me as well. You need to go. You never know. Maybe, whatever is on that top floor is the key to defeating your father and your freedom - the freedom to finally be with Jake."
As tears streamed down her face, Celeste shook her head. She looked at Kylee with compassion. She wasn't going to risk Kylee's life for the sake of her own happiness, even if it meant being with Jake again. "No, I won't do it."
"Celeste, I'm dying anyway. You need-"
"There is an antidote, you know."
Kylee's head snapped around to the entrance to Celeste's room, and Celeste jumped to her feet. "Commander Runa. Wha ? how long have you been standing there?"
Commander Runa smiled warmly at Celeste. He was a young Gnol of small stature, probably around 5'8" in height, and in superb physical condition. Of all the guards that were assigned to guard Celeste's room, Commander Runa was the only one Celeste liked. He still treated Celeste like royalty, and whenever Kylee needed something, he took care of her with compassion.
As he walked in, the door slid shut behind him. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I heard you two talking and entered to see if you were all right. You were so caught up in your conversation that you didn't even notice me enter."
Celeste returned Runa's smile. "You don't need to refer to me by that title anymore, Commander."
"What? Your Highness?"
"Yes, you know my father outlawed my title as royalty. You know as well as I do that he has declared me on the same level as the human slaves."
"Perhaps ? but to me, you are still the princess."
Celeste returned to her seat on the bed. "Thank you, Commander. But, please don't. For your sake."
Runa slowly made his way around Celeste's bed and sat directly across from Kylee and Celeste. "No, I need to, Your Highness."
Celeste gazed into Runa's bright green eyes. She continued to stare and noticed compassion about him. Besides her mother and Nichelle, Celeste had never seen empathy in another Gnol. Most of the Gnols she knew were arrogant, greedy, and selfish, but Runa was different. "Why?" she asked.
Runa glanced at Kylee, smiled shyly, and then turned his a
ttention back to Celeste. "Because ? because I can see the goodness in you ? in both of you."
Celeste gave Runa a look of apprehension. "You do know, Commander, that if my father finds you treating us like this, you will be relieved of your duties ? or worse - killed?"
"Let me worry about your father," replied Runa. "And please, call me Nateal."
Celeste, still a little suspicious, glanced first at Kylee and then back toward Runa. "Okay, Nateal. You said there was an antidote. And if there is, why didn't you let me know when my mother was suffering?"
Nateal Runa rested his elbows on his knees and looked intensely at Celeste. "Yes, there is an antidote, but I did not know about it until after your mother's death. I overheard your father mention it in a meeting."
Kylee sat up a little straighter and spoke. "What? Why didn't you let Celeste know when she was recaptured?"
Runa turned his attention to Kylee and smiled warmly. "Because I had to make sure it was true."
"And is it?" Celeste asked.
"Yes, I found out that your father's scientists conduct medical tests on human slaves at the medical facility a few miles from here. After I volunteered to lead the guard detail for you and Kylee, I-"
"Wait! You volunteered?" Celeste asked as she stood, glaring at Runa with mistrust.
"Yes, I volunteered because I knew that any other Gnol would have mistreated you both."
This new Gnol she just met days ago now intrigued Kylee. "Wait. So you're guarding us to protect us?"
"Yes. I will explain later, but first will you let me tell you about the antidote?"
Celeste sat back down and nodded along with Kylee.
Runa continued. "I was assigned to take a number of slaves to the medical facility. While I was waiting for the scientists to finish their tests, I decided to do some looking around, and I found it. There is an antidote. It's in a vault within the heart of the facility and heavily guarded by military guard and security systems that I haven't figured out how to crack yet."
Kylee shook her head with doubt. "So if the antidote is as secure as you say it is, how were you able to find it by just snooping around?"
Runa gave Kylee a cocky smile. "Oh, I have my ways," he said as he stood up and made his way to the door.
"Wait!" said Celeste, jumping to her feet. "Where are you going?"
Runa held his hand up with his attention still toward the door. "I will be right back," he said as he left the room.
A few seconds later, Runa returned with his computer in hand. He sat back down on Celeste's bed, typed a few keystrokes onto the keyboard, and turned the screen to face Celeste.
Celeste was shocked by what she saw. She was staring at the entire blueprint of her father's palace; every floor and, most importantly, every access code to secure locations. She looked back up at Runa. "Wha ? How? Those codes are restricted. You don't have a high enough security clearance to have access to these codes."
Runa still had a confident smile on his face and said, "I do now. You see, Your Highness, while I was in the medical facility, I hacked into their computer system and found the antidote."
Celeste was about to speak, but Kylee spoke first. "I don't get it. Why would you want to help us, especially me?"
Runa placed his computer on Celeste's bed and looked compassionately at Kylee. He then looked at Celeste. "Do you want me to start from the beginning?"
Celeste gave Runa a small smile and looked at the clock on her nightstand. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I," said Kylee.
Runa nodded his head and let his expression transform into a serious look of determination. He then turned and stared with such intensity into Celeste's eyes that she wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. There was something familiar about Nateal Runa.
"Celeste, look at me. Do you remember who I am?"
Celeste continued to gaze into Runa's eyes, combing through her memory of who Nateal Runa was. Suddenly, her mind was back on Gnolom. She was ten years old again, preparing food with her mother and sister outside their tent. She looked up and saw Nateal Runa waving at her and her family. He looked to be about fifteen years of age.
Celeste snapped out of her trance and let a large smile grace her face. "Nateal, you were part of my tribe on Gnolom."
Nateal smiled back. "Yes, we were childhood friends, and my name wasn't Nateal Runa. It was Tashak Arahad."
A flood of childhood memories engulfed Celeste's mind. She remembered playing childhood games with Tashak and her sister. She even remembered him being the first boy that she had ever thought she loved.
"You remember."
Celeste nodded in disbelief. "But ? but I thought you were killed. My father said that your family suffered a tragic accident. He told my sister and me that you, your mother and father, and your sister were killed by a rival tribe that didn't believe my father to be the savior of the Gnols."
"Now, Celeste, do you believe everything your father says?"
Celeste shook her head. Nateal was right. Her father had lied to her most of her life. "But why didn't you let me know before?" she asked.
"I couldn't let you know. I had to keep my identity a secret."
"But why?"
Runa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Celeste, do you remember my father?"
"Yes, he was on my father's tribal council."
"Yes, and he was part of that last hunting party your father led before he and Vlamer Kreuk came back with new technology and abilities far superior to our own."
Celeste nodded her head. She remembered the night her mother died; her mother had told her that her father had led a hunting party of one hundred Gnols in search of food on their dying planet. Her father and Vlamer were the only two that returned. They had somehow learned of new and incredible technology that would take the Gnols from their dying world. In fact, it was on this trip that her father claimed the goddess of light had visited him.
Runa continued. "My family was devastated when your father and Vlamer were the only two to return. I missed my father so much, but we did what your father asked of us. Things were changing so fast. Your father had factories built, computers assembled, spacecraft constructed, and Mind Inhibitors produced by the millions. We even learned the new language of the goddess. My family and I truly believed that your father was the one prophesied in our ancient scriptures."
"But you don't anymore?" Kylee questioned.
"No. A few months after your father's return, we were asleep one night in our tent, dreaming of our exodus to our new world, when a man entered our tent. The man was terrifying. His body was scarred from severe burn wounds ?"
Runa stopped and wiped the tears away that were beginning to trickle down his cheeks. Celeste placed her hand on his and spoke softly. "He was your father, wasn't he?"
Runa looked back at Celeste with tear-filled eyes and nodded. "Yes, he told us not to follow Koroan; that he wasn't the one prophesied. He told us that a goddess didn't visit Koroan. It was actually ?"
Kylee, with anticipation in her voice, responded. "What? It was actually what?"
Celeste could tell reliving the memories were painful for Runa. Tears now streamed down his face as he tried to force a smile at Kylee for her reaction. "I-I don't know. He was just about to tell us when Koroan entered our tent. I have never seen such evil in anyone's eyes before. Koroan killed my father before he could finish telling us and then killed my mother and sister right in front of me. He thought that he had killed me, but he just rendered me unconscious. In fact, that's where I got this scar."
Celeste watched as Runa lifted his uniform shirt, revealing a three-inch wide scar extending from the bottom of his neck to his navel.
"When I woke up, our tent was on fire."
"Yes," Celeste said. "I remember. That was the night my father told us that an enemy tribe had attacked."
Runa nodded and continued. "I was able to escape with the fire providing a cover. Another tribe, on their exodus to your father's new flying ma
chines that would take them off Gnolom, found me. I was near death, but they took care of me and nursed me back to health. I was afraid that when it was time for the exodus, your father would recognize me and have me killed, but there were countless numbers of Gnols around, trying to get on the transports. I never saw your father, and he never saw me.
"When it came time to board the transport, the tribe that found me gave me another name, so my original name wouldn't come up in the computer registry. That's how I came to be so good at computers. I enrolled in the military computer-training program your father started after his successful attack on Terrest. I learned how to crack security systems and invade other computer programs. That's all I focused on. I figured that's how I could reveal the truth that your father was a fraud. I thought I was alone, until I found out about you, Celeste."
Celeste was speechless and angry beyond comprehension. She wanted to sneak into her father's room down the hall and kill him. She never could have imagined the evil he had inflicted, not only on the humans, but to her fellow Gnols as well.
Runa wiped the tears away and turned his attention back to his computer. He turned the screen to face Celeste. She looked at the screen and noticed two blinking red lights in one of the rooms of the blueprint.
You see these two lights?" Runa asked.
Kylee and Celeste both nodded.
"These lights are signals from your ankle bracelets. If either of you exceed a distance of one hundred yards from this wrist band that is strapped to the guards in my detail, your bracelets will self destruct."
Celeste and Kylee glanced at each other with defeat in their eyes. Celeste shook her head. How was she ever going to make it to the top floor to find out her father's secret, not to mention obtain the antidote for Kylee, and escape?
Runa seemed to know what Celeste was thinking. He looked at Kylee, again with compassion in his eyes. "Miss Palmer, can you walk?"
"Please, call me Kylee. And yes, I can."
"Okay, Kylee, will you please leave the room and walk down the corridor to the elevator."
Kylee nodded, knowing what Runa had in mind. She got up, walked out of the room, and walked down the corridor.
Celeste watched the computer screen as she did so. Her eyes widened, as the blinking light representing Kylee did not move. She looked back up at Runa as Kylee returned. Kylee made her way back to the bed and sat down. "Did it work?" she asked.
Runa smiled at Kylee. "Yes."
Celeste looked first at Kylee and then back to Runa. "Am I missing something here?"
Runa let out a small laugh. "No. The only ones that know the access codes to those bracelets are your father and his chief computer officer. But, unbeknownst to them, I was able to crack the codes and can now virtually place you anywhere in the palace."
Celeste jumped to her feet and hugged Runa. He nearly dropped his computer. After Celeste pulled away, Runa became extremely serious and said, "Now, Celeste, I suggest you go now to discover your father's secret."
Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1) Page 82