Grand Design

by Matthew Bullis

  “Barlon was away for the day when Darren came come. Father greeted him with open arms. He was so happy in fact, he called for a feast in his honor. When Barlon returned home he was dismayed why they threw a feast for Darron’s return when Barlon was the loyal son.

  “Father was overjoyed that the son he lost had returned, and that the family was united. The brothers’ of humanity have been split ever since the age of the guardians. At one time we were all together and united for peace. Someday we will be united again.”

  The child looked up and asked, “Why do they want to hurt us?”

  “Because they’re confused, because they’re afraid. Any disagreement can escalate to war. It usually starts as something simple, and threats are countered to threats until one side is so afraid that they feel they have to fight. Peace is always harder than war, we must learn to give up our hate and embrace love.

  “I am tired now, go get some sleep. If the universe wills it then I’ll see you in the morning.”

  The child leaves, looks back and smiles then turns a corner. Madeline tucks herself into her bed and turns off the light.

  Zn returned to Kar and said, “Madeline is my friend, if we are to survive this we will need her help.”

  Kar stared at Zn for a moment and spoke. “They decided to contact the Warren.”

  Zn felt a chill down his spine, “What are they thinking?”

  “There is no greater weapon against an enemy then another enemy. They will fight each other while forgetting us. We will recover and take what’s left.”

  “God help us if we don’t recover.”

  Kar says with confidence, “It is God’s will.”

  The following morning Madeline was awoken to fighting in the close distance. The Meeran / Loman armies have broken the line. She quickly jumped up and ran back toward the corridor her friend sent her down where she finds him. “What’s happening?” she asked Zn

  “We’re evacuating everyone to the Arks.”

  “The what?”

  “The fleet from Whim is here, but they’re being turned backed by the blockade. We’ll get our people out with the Arks.”

  “I don’t understand!”

  The ground starts to shake violently and Zn takes her to a window. “You’re on a ship, large enough for thousands of our people.”

  She looked out the window and saw the ground moving further away, but in the sky she sees thousands of ships she has never saw before. Each ship was a structure or building in the city, the surrounding areas collapse as each ship took off.

  “How were you ready? How.... No.” Madeline finally understood. “These ships were for the horde!”

  “Very good, now you know what the others will think. We built the ships first and then started the cloning. If they just waited six more months, we would have had an army to take the planet. In a year we would have taken the Empire. In twenty years the galaxy would once again be ours.”

  “They will take this to the Imperial Parliament. The Empire will unite against the Adlit!”

  “Even if the Empire turns against us. I doubt the Meeran and Lomen kingdoms will return to the fold. They have become too powerful.” Zn paused, as if afraid to ask his friend to do something against her beliefs. “How far would you go to preserve the peace. What will you do for the Empire?”

  “Anything I can of course.”

  “We want to you do something, we want you to kill Jacob Lanner.”

  “I cannot kill, even if I could, I can’t even get near him.”

  “But you still have connections on Lomen, perhaps you can get his brother to do it for you.”

  Chapter 5

  Kingdom of Whim

  Laura and Frank step off the shuttle at the spaceport. A line of beautiful men and women dance to music behind a sign that said, ‘Welcome to Whim, the planet of love.” A statue the roman god Venus stands in the center. They’re quickly escorted to the tramway for their ride to the visitors center. While on their ride they see the sky fill up with ships, large ships.

  “Frank, they sure get a lot of visitors.” she said looking up.

  “What are they giant cruise ships? They don’t look pretty, wonder what discount line they are.” he responded.

  The tram stops and the visitors are escorted to the visitor center, most of them watching the ships land as they’re prodded their way indoors.

  The big doors shut and a video presentation begins. A woman shows on the screen and begins to talk, “Welcome to the Kingdom of Whim, Where even your fantasies come true. Whim is an open and tolerant world. We do not forbid anything unless it affects others. You are free to visit the Garden street where all sorts of herbs are sold and openly used or the red light district where anyone can fulfill their fantasies without hiding. All vehicles on Whim are automated for your safety. Remember what happens on Whim stays on Whim.” After the video they’re handed several ‘educational’ guides to the planet.

  Frank and Laura are arm and arm holding each other tight. They’re escorted to customs and talk t0 the officer at the desk. “Welcome to Whim, do you have anything to declare. Any contraband weapons, religious materials or banned media?” the clerk asked taking their passports.

  Frank seemed stunned, “Religious materials? um no we don’t have anything. I thought this was an open society.”

  “Yes, we are open. Now open your bags.” The clerk starts going through their belongings.

  “He’s going through my underwear.” Cried out Laura, “You’re a pervert, didn’t your mother teach you better?”

  “Now Laura don’t make a scene.” frank said trying to calm her down.

  “A scene? He’s not even wearing gloves. Find yourself a girlfriend!”

  “This is the planet Whim, he probably has lots of girlfriends.”

  “Then why does he do this for a living?”

  At this time the clerk was about to laugh but he regained composure and gave their passports back. “Move along.” he said waving them through.

  “Hey she looks like Abby.” Laura pointed a women out, “Na, she’s blond and too many tattoos.”

  “Why do you have such a big purse, what do you carry in it all over the place?” asked frank.

  They walked over to the transit system and to wait for their ride to the hotel. While they waited they noticed a large number of people coming in. These didn’t look like normal people.

  “Laura, I think these are Adlit.” Frank said checking the grip on their bags.

  The Adlit come in and the clerks start to question them. One of them took exception to the questions asked and began to make a seen. What started as a single upset Adlit turned into a group of angry ‘visitors’ and then turned into a mob.

  “Laura grab your bag and RUN!” They started to walk quickly as the mob turned into a small riot. Rocks were starting to be thrown, windows broken. The guards were overwhelmed and began firing.

  “Forget the bags, run for your life!” said Laura pulling ahead of Frank then grabbing him to the next building. They get inside the the store owner quickly closes the security gates and pulls everyone in the back.

  Frank asks the shopkeeper, “You have a gun?”

  The shopkeeper turned to him and said, “Guns are illegal on Whim, only the police have them.”

  “I wish someone told the Adlit that!” they all duck a little lower as gunfire exploded outside the store.

  A loud bang and a crash sounded as someone tried to get in. An Adlit squeezed his way inside and starts to look around through the clothing. Frank jumps out holding on to the Adlit’s back holding the arm with the gun up high. Laura quickly beats him to the ground with her purse. They take a few belts and tie their victim up by hands and ankles.

  Frank picks up the gun, “Next one that gets in, gets his head blown off!”

  “We have to stay quiet!” said the shopkeeper.

  “Then we’ll just use her purse again.”

  “No more bad talk about my purse!” she stated.

>   “I love you dear.”

  “I wonder if it’s in the water?”

  “They just got here!”

  Zn and Madeline are in the middle of the chaos trying to calm the crowd. Watching is disbelief of the madness that is going on around them. Zn climes to the top of a bus and screams out, “Calm yourselves! We are here as guests, why have you all sunk to suck madness? Don’t you understand that is why others have come to fear us? If we cannot accept gracelessly the hospitality of others then where can we go?”

  One rioter yelled, “They asked for our guns and told us to hide our religious symbols. These beings aren’t even human, how can we stand for this?”

  “Because we are on their world, and we come to seek shelter. They welcomed us here and must behave like civilized beings”

  “But they are not civilized. They do out in the open what must not be seen! We cannot live among this!”

  “But this is only temporary, until the Empire settles the situation or finds us a new home. You must be patient!”

  “Never” the protester hits him with a stone knocking him clear off the bus.

  Madeline ran to him and rolled him into her arms, “Help, someone help, Zn is injured.” She yelled out but everyone was wrapped up in the riot.

  “Maddy...” Zn spoke softly, “They’ve done far worse...”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The Warren are coming, we called them.” He pause for a moment to cough, “We’re on the eve of another galactic war. Pray that the Guardians return and the prophecy be true.”

  The Leaders of Whim called an emergency session to discuss the riots. They all sit in a secure room called the King’s inner court. Not a secret location but a more secure one. The dust is thick as the room has not been used in ages.

  “This is unprecedented, we’ve not had an outbreak like this in hundreds of years.” Said the kings hand.

  “We’ve never opened our doors to a three and a half million refugees.” Said the security minister.

  “There are more on there way, they could number in the tens of millions!” Said the hand.

  The King sat forward, “We opened our arms at the behest of the Chancellor. I’m beginning to question his motives. Our request for help seems to have gone on deaf ears.”

  “We’ll give you all the help you need, your highness.” Bianca steps in, she was out of order but felt it was the moment she need to interject her message. ”I regret that our actions have pushed the Adlit to your territory. It’s because of their lack of civility that drove us to act as we did.”

  “Everything comes at a price.” Said the security minister.

  “Yes, but it’s not much. We would like to use your moon as a staging area. It has not been used since the mining accident over a decade ago. After we are through with the Adlit, we will leave planet Whim except for a small garrison.”

  “How long will it take to get help here?” Asked the hand, while the security minister is stunned at even the consideration.

  “A day and a half, we’re already prepared.”

  “We will confer on this and give you our response later. For now I wish to seal the chambers. No more outside interference.” Said the king, the guards escort Bianca out and others who did not belong and close the doors.

  The security minister stands, “No way should we be entertaining this! The Meeran and Lomen have been grabbing territory beyond that of the Adlit.”

  “All of it peacefully, they were invited for reasons of security. Something Tara Prime is unable to supply.” Said the hand

  “They mean to use our moon as a staging and resupply to extend their assault to Tara Prime!”

  The King spoke, “The Chancellor must help us or the empire no longer holds meaning for us. If a radioactive moon is the cost, then let them fight over it. I’d much rather the Empire be preserved, but not at the cost of our world or kingdom.”

  Finally two Adlit doctors come to care for Zn Madeline is stunned by the news. She could not have imagined that the Empire she once knew is about to be altered beyond recognition. Knowing her friend was cared for she got up and ran. She ran from the madness to gather her thoughts.

  She finally stopped by an old alleyway and sat down. “Why can’t anything ever be black and white?” she whispered to herself.

  “It is from my perspective.” Said Bianca hiding in the darkness.

  “You...! You’re behind this madness!”

  “No, I didn’t do this. What I have planned is far worse.”

  “You and your brothers, your whole family is destroying everything. The Prophecy...”

  “No the Chancellor is to blame, as well as the Adlit. His connections with them seem inseparable. Soon he will be gone, they will all be gone and Jacob will be emperor.”

  “Your brother or your lover? I know what you did, what would your brother do if he knew?”

  “Why do you make this so easy?” She pulls out a gun.

  “So what do you have planned?” Madeline’s stalling for time.

  “How long do you think you can keep drugging the people of this world? The guards are inept and the people hide in their homes. What do you think will happen when the drugs wear off?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The water... you (the chapel) manufactures the drug three blocks from here. You ship it planet wide, what a grand experiment! A world full of love, too bad they’re all doped.” She smiled pointing her gun, “I’m going to blow it up and watch this world implode.”

  “You’re mad!”

  “You’re dead.” Bianca fires into her.

  Madeline falls to her knees. “You can’t kill me, I’m everywhere...”

  Bianca fires again.

  With her last breath she says with a smile, “I already sent the message.” Madeleine is dead.

  “Gorkey, get out here and throw her body into the dumpster.”

  Gorkey comes out of the shadows. “What was that she was talking about?”

  “Who knows, they always have their mind bending chants and mystical beliefs. Hell, they even have a Prophecy!”

  “Oh I have to hear this one.”

  “They believe a child will be born to an Adlit and Terran, that it will bring peace to the Galaxy and bring us all back to earth.”

  “I didn’t think it was possible to interbreed and what is earth?”

  “A mythical place that is the birthplace of the humans, and therefore the rest of us.”

  Gorkey picks her up by a leg and arm and tosses her into the dumpster. Bianca opens a liquid packet and pours it in. Finally she lights a match and lights the whole dumpster up. “These Adlit are so destructive! Let’s get back to our room and watch the show. And remind me to call Olivia with the good news.” They got into their transport and sped away.

  Another woman walks down the alley reaches out to the dumpster and glowing ball floats to her hand. She holds it like a puppy in her hands and says, “We are together again my sister, the rest will soon join us.”

  Back at the Presidential Suite at the Capitol hotel Bianca and Gorky wait for the sun to set, she walks out to the roof balcony and sits on the lawn chair and crosses her legs. She raises her glass and says, “Merlot please, and top it off. I want to enjoy this evening.”

  Gorkey grabs the bottle of wine and fills her glass up and puts a triggering device in her hands. “Can’t this be tracked back to you?” he asked.

  “Nope, the Lomens’ built these for espionage. They use a quantum bit to communicate and the trigger completely self destructs. Very expensive. They only made Five of these babies, I got three of them. But we only need one for now. Now sit down.”

  Gorky pours a small glass for himself and sits down.

  Bianca lifts the trigger and presses the button. The local temple starts to smoke, small explosions rock the building. Each explosion grows and finally the steeple falls.

  “You know Gorkey, we blew the one on Meeran up the same way, and we
blamed it on the Adlit too... All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They all have their exits and their entrances;” She laughed. “My communicator please.” Gorkey hands it to her and she starts the connection. “Olivia, this won't take long, I’ll meet you on Frontier. We’ll have so much fun, I’m going to see daddy! ”

  ***

  Meanwhile back on Lomen. Terrence is readying for a final push to remove the Adlit from all of Lomen. He is surrounded by his loyal advisors.

  “We, should not have dedicated so much of our soldiers to the Whim operation before finishing what was left here.” said his general.

  “Olivia and Jacob have proven too popular with the people, I had no choice then to join them in their mad quest to conquer the Empire. All I wanted was peace from the Adlit. Never the less, it is taking longer than expected to achieve that peace.” responded Terrence.