by NB VanYoos
Calm Before The Storm
Tyler was fully de-briefed after the conference on his one blunder. Apparently, the Imperial Palace had abolished religion long ago. In its place, the Imperial Palace had placed themselves as the spiritual head of the planet, claiming no god existed in which to believe in.
After several thousand years of rule, religion disappeared, and very few people still held onto such beliefs. Unfortunately, as a result of the war, old philosophies began making a come back. People were flocking to the religions, calling upon god to help them in their time of need.
The Imperial Palace was careful not to persecute the heads of these factions for fear of making martyrs out of them. Instead, the Palace went out of its way to spread lies and propaganda against the movements, making sure to downplay their actual size and rate of growth. The people who followed them were labeled disgruntled citizens whose unpatriotic beliefs and actions worked against the common cause. However, they stopped short of calling them enemies of the state.
Tyler’s comment had rocked the fragile boat. Considering the current crisis and their lie, Tyler’s comment threatened to release forces currently held in check. At Marshall Sliss’ urging, they’d released a press briefing to indicate the Admiral had no link to, or sympathy for, those few misguided people espousing a belief in dead religions. It went on to point out how dangerous these old beliefs could be, and how they threatened the very war effort they must win.
To date, most in the press and the general public seemed satisfied with the rebuttal. Since the religious people were a fringe element on the planet, it was easy to convince the rest of the populace that their National Hero could not conceivably be a part of it.
Tyler felt confident Thosolan wasn’t involved in this planet’s affairs. Thosolan had admitted to letting his creations evolve on their own for many millions of years. However, a part of Tyler wondered what god the old religions believed in. Did they believe in Thosolan? Maybe it was some other god. Thosolan by another name? More than one? He was curious, but knew it was far too dangerous to seek answers to his questions. He was already in hot water, so he tried to smooth the wrinkles and get a better feel for this world and his role within it.
Tyler remained in the hospital another week after the press conference. Doctors ran additional series of tests before announcing he was fit to move. His plan was to move into the Admiral’s Tooland estate to recuperate and undergo physical therapy. Tyler was pleased to leave the hospital, despite the excellent care Nurse Soldan had provided. He wanted to be far from the public eye, someplace where he could focus on healing and learning.
During that final week, Tyler tried to track down Toosia but failed in every attempt. He’d left numerous messages, verbal and written, but never received a reply. These constant attempts brought frowns from both Marshall Sliss and his assistant, Eyleeria.
He understood Eyleeria’s position, but wasn’t certain about the Marshall. Perhaps the Marshall and Toosia harbored ill will towards each other? Tyler searched, but the Admiral’s memories could neither confirm nor deny this. He wasn’t yet comfortable to press the Marshall about such things, but he wasn’t going to let it stop him from trying.
At one point, Tyler suggested contacting Toosia’s father in the Supreme Council, but the Marshall had adamantly opposed the idea. According to the Marshall, there were many members on the Council not happy about the lie they perpetrated against the public, and the fact that the National Hero went along with it, forced them all to comply. Admiral Osloo was not popular with many on the Council, including Toosia’s father.
Despite these troubling reports, Tyler continued his daily attempts to contact her. He hadn’t lost hope, but wondered whether she’d ever speak with him again. Regardless, he refused to give up.
After his release from the hospital, the ride to Tooland was both interesting and peaceful. Although Poolto employed a great deal of technology, they still maintained much of the natural beauty inherent on their world. Both the technology and culture was far more advanced than Earth’s, and that made it seem even stranger that humans and these creatures were so similar.
The comparisons with Earth preoccupied Tyler as the ground car carried him silently to the mountains. The vehicle was a marvel. Somehow, it hovered quietly about three feet above the roadway. Tyler didn’t understand the physics involved, but memory revealed the force to be created by something called Paaymeen. Unfortunately, the word had no translation in English, but Tyler didn’t care as long as it worked. He replayed memories of Earth and realized he didn’t really know how a car on Earth had exactly worked. Despite the mysteries, the ride was smooth and quiet, even at speeds which blurred the scenery along the roadside.
Tyler estimated the ride to be about four hours long. On the way, he’d searched the Admiral’s memories for information on the estate. The Tooland Estate had been in the Osloo family possession for many generations. His parents had given it to the Admiral and Toosia as a wedding gift, but the Admiral rarely spent time there. Tyler assumed it was due to the fact that it was in a remote, mountainous part of the planet, but primarily because the Admiral’s work kept him either in the capital or outer space.
Toosia never liked the estate because of its remoteness and lack of husband. Though the estate continued to run and operate, neither he nor Toosia had been there in over five years. The last time the Admiral had come, it was to overlook paperwork regarding the production of the sloose berry wine the estate produced to help offset taxes.
As the ground car wound its way up the mountain, it slowed to a more modest speed allowing Tyler to watch the incredible scenery this part of the world offered. The country was mountainous with enormous peaks soaring thousands of feet above the roadway. Although the mountains were primarily rock, here and there, Tyler saw patches of green peek out of crevices or spread across valley floors. The rock itself was nearly black with streaks of white and gray to break it up. It appeared both hostile and beautiful at the same time.
He tapped the Admiral’s memories for the regional history of the area. The estate was embedded in a long chain of mountains that split the continent into separate pieces. Originally, the region was ruled by the Admiral’s ancestors for thousands of years. At one point in the past, they’d been the seat of power for the continent. The people of this region were powerful and warlike. Their positions in the mountains had provided the perfect defense from those on the flatlands. The Admiral’s ancestors were described as some of the fiercest warriors in Poolto’s history.
Their mountain fortresses were legendary as they’d been easy to defend and hard to assail. For thousands of years, their power and position separated them from the rest of the continent. It wasn’t until the second Emperor, Goolo Deena II, established peace between the Admiral’s people and the Empire. Now, after thousands of years under Imperial rule, the world had become smaller, and the history became legend as it faded from consciousness. The tribes and regional cultures of the past no longer held meaning, and the regional differences and beliefs were replaced by a common set of ideals created by the Imperial Palace.
This was especially true once Poolto made first contact with Krildon. Independently, both worlds developed along similar paths and timelines. Though Poolto had been first to enter space and travel to Krildon, earlier communications having been established using wireless technology. Shortly after developing the radio, both worlds turned their antennas skyward and heard the other’s voice from across the ecliptic plane. Prior to meeting, they’d established a relationship between their worlds.
It was after this remarkable meeting that the great transformation of Poolto into a single planet occurred. The people of Poolto began to think of themselves as a single people from a single world. Similar cultural changes took place on Krildon. Together, both worlds began to think of themselves as citizens of the solar system. It was one more step in their evolution, but one that united a planet.
Their budding relationship spurred on a technologi
cal race for vehicles capable of traveling to the other world. The race finally ended when an unmanned craft left Poolto for Krildon and back again. From this humble beginning, the two worlds forged a relationship spanning thousands of years. They evolved together, traded together, and explored together—partners in the joint exploitation of their solar system.
Tyler thought back to Earth and its own regional differences. He was certain most people on Earth still believed they were alone in the Universe, so they thought of themselves in regional terms rather than as a species. However, considering the war that tore both Poolto and Krildon apart, Tyler wasn’t convinced the transformation had really benefited anyone. It only moved the inevitable conflicts off-planet.
Tyler began to understand more of the world he was an integral part of. They weren’t necessarily different from humans. Like man, the people of Poolto had descended from arboreal creatures inhabiting the equatorial regions of the planet. However, as man had descended from the great apes, these creatures descended from nocturnal tree dwellers, preferring night to daylight. Their position as the top predator of the nighttime canopy developed their claws, their brains, and their opposable thumbs.
Poolto had never known large predators, so their species quickly dominated the planet. Over time, this dominance afforded them the luxury to live both in daylight and darkness. Despite this obvious change in their schedules, the species still retained many ancestral traits, such as a remarkable ability to see in darkness.
Instead of the low light being reflected off the back of the eyes, typical in Earth animals, their eyes developed the ability to see thermal radiation or heat. At first, the ability took Tyler by surprise. His eyes registered the darkness, but people and objects seemed brighter, as if glowing. Only after searching the Admiral’s memories for an explanation had Tyler adapted to this additional sense.
Despite these obvious differences, the species was very similar to humans. Their reproductive methods, diet, culture, and governance were all similar to those on Earth. Tyler wondered how common earthly traits were in the Universe.
He knew the people of Krildon had descended from a non-arboreal creature very similar to Earth’s early dinosaurs. Their opposable thumbs and brain size had evolved from their position as fast and deadly predators. Their early ancestors caught most of their prey on the run. Because of that, they still retained much of the strength and agility. This made them physically faster and stronger than the people of Poolto. Until the war, this had never been an issue. Only the characteristic claws of Poolto were a physical advantage over the Krildon who had nails similar to humans.
The Krildon’s appearance was very different from both humans or the people of Poolto. They stood on long legs that looked more like dog legs than human. Their height was nearly nine feet unlike the average Poolto height of four. Their arms were small when compared to their legs and their hands held five fingers, each sporting nails that looked very human.
The Krildon had a distinctive brown color to their skin, no hair, but a set of ridges that ran from the front of their narrow heads down to the base of their necks. It gave them the appearance of a lizard although their faces looked like a narrow human. Despite the similarities, the length of their nose, and the thin lips gave them a slightly reptilian look, especially when viewed from the side.
On either side of their heads, small, compact ears lay flat against the skull. The eyes were somewhat large for their narrow heads, but they faced forward and were predominantly colored bright yellow with black, almond shaped pupils. They were a daytime species, and like man, their nighttime vision was poor. This deficiency was surpassed by their nearly perfect eyesight. No one on Krildon needed eye correction and could accurately see intricate details a mile in distance.
Despite the obvious physical differences between the two people, their worlds were more similar than different. Both societies had been turbulent and warlike during their early history. Both had developed amazing civilizations and cultures, seeking out knowledge and science in an attempt to understand and control their environment.
When they first made contact, they had reveled in their similarities, and each had sought ways to combine their worlds in a peaceful and prosperous way. After three thousand years of prosperity, the peace had finally ended, and war threatened both planets. For Tyler, it was both sad and discouraging to see such technologically advanced people fighting like primitive tribes. Perhaps a species never got past the instincts that had raised them above all other creatures. Survival of the fittest might be a blessing and a curse.
In the early days before the war, fighting had been small skirmishes over resources within the asteroid belt. As each world pursued various business ventures, they vied for the next big payoff. The great expansion on both worlds led to the development of powerful technological societies, and with that, a growing hunger for more and more resources.
As a natural consequence of Krildon’s position within the solar system, it was blessed with a greater abundance of water. Early in the relationship of these two worlds, the difference hadn’t been important, but as more and more colonies expanded into the far reaches of the solar system, water had become both precious and expensive. This turned Krildon into a powerful trader with Poolto.
This disparate supply of water became a constant source of conflict leading up to the war. It was rumored Krildon business interests were deliberately sabotaging Poolto water production facilities in the asteroid belt, then swooping in with the required water marked up for huge profits. Nothing was ever proved, but the growing suspicions fed the increasing distrust developing between the worlds. Thus began the era of skirmishes over resources. Over time, these skirmishes fed the political climate that increasingly sought to support their own people’s interests instead of those of the common solar system.
The increasing division grew into an all out confrontational debate and threat of war. Looking back, no one could pinpoint exactly when it all broke down, but many historians point to an incident on one of the largest mining colonies where both worlds had vested interests. The colony, called Cisten III, had been one of many joint efforts between two companies, the Liisten Corporation from Poolto, and the Cirran Company from Krildon.
For decades, the joint operations had run smoothly, both companies benefiting from the profits the mines produced. Prior to the incident, discord began between committees that oversaw the operations for both companies. The Cirran committee members insisted water for the colony be provided by a Krildon company Cirran had a huge stake in. Meanwhile, the Liisten committee members insisted they break from the expensive water supplier and build their own production facility.
Both argued for years without resolution until finally, in frustration, the Liisten Corporation announced a buyout offer for the Cirran Company. They generously offered twice the appraised value of the operations, but Cirran summarily rejected it and made a counter offer to buyout Liisten.
The resources provided by the mine were critical to Liisten interests, and they didn’t want to start paying market prices for those riches. The battle raged through the courts on both worlds, with no compromise ever being reached. The publicity of the battle became a political hot potato as each world claimed the other was trying to cheat them out of rightful resources. Expensive, negative marketing campaigns reinforced this concept.
The crisis came to a head when a devastating accident rocked the mining colony. Through no fault of either company, a reactor went critical. The plant’s crew struggled to get it under control, and nearly succeeded, but their efforts were too late to stop the chain reaction. The power plant erupted in an explosion that nearly split the asteroid in two.
The colony suffered an incredible forty-five percent loss of structures and fifteen percent of its residents. They probably would have survived to rebuild, but the incredible force of the explosion sent the asteroid on a collision course with an even larger one nearby. This asteroid contained most of the mining operations.
&
nbsp; Despite an attempt to evacuate before impact, the two asteroids collided, splitting the smaller into three fragments and the larger into two. The ensuing destruction was catastrophic for the colony, virtually destroying everything. Over twenty-four thousand people were killed in the collision—people from Poolto and Krildon.
Both worlds called for formal investigations and the blame game began. Not surprisingly, both worlds concluded the fault was with the other world’s company, and therefore, all proceeds and awards should be granted to their own world’s interests. Neither planet budged from the stalemate and began freezing each other’s off-world assets. Trade and commerce ground to a halt as hostilities in the off-world colonies became open and violent. Three thousand years of peace was shattered.
Soon, the hostilities turned into conflict, and within a year, both governments formally declared war. It was during this time that the Admiral was finishing school at the academy while his parent’s served as Ambassadors on Krildon. The Admiral’s father attempted to divert the war, but once it was officially declared, the Admiral’s father was recalled to Poolto. Both worlds moved to eject the other’s people from their planetary surface and retake all wholly owned properties.
The Admiral’s father refused the recall, and until his arrest, worked hard to prevent the war from happening. His efforts failed, and Krildon eventually arrested him as a spy. He was thrown into prison, and his wife sent back to Poolto. The Admiral had always believed his father was loyal to the Emperor and to Poolto, but his refusal to leave Krildon was viewed on Poolto as a direct disobedience to an Imperial order. The Emperor branded him a traitor. The Admiral knew if his father had returned, he would have been imprisoned on Poolto as well. Instead, he was trapped as a prisoner of war.
Early in the conflict, the Krildon government begrudgingly allowed the Admiral to communicate with his father on a restricted basis, but after the missile attacks that nearly destroyed both planets, no further communication was established. The Admiral wasn’t even sure his father was still alive. The missile attacks destroyed hundreds of population centers, killing billions on both planets. Each barely survived the destruction, and this only solidified the hatred that had grown between the two species. In an awful act of retaliation, the Poolto government publicly executed all remaining Krildon prisoners. It was rumored Krildon did the same.
For the past twenty-one years, both worlds built enormous military machinery. Each constructed a ring of protection surrounding their planet—protection from both invasion and missile attacks. The war moved off planet into deep space where epic battles waged to gain control of the resources needed to feed their war machines. This was where the Admiral made a name for himself. He’d won more battles than any other commander in the history of Poolto, and many began to recount the legends of his ancestors and their prowess as warriors. As these legends were revived, the Imperial government used them as a means to rally public support for the mounting costs of the war.
This placed an incredible burden on Tyler’s shoulders, and he grew discouraged. Both peoples would never stop growing, thus both worlds would always need resources. The hatred between the two species had evolved into a prejudice that both governments fed through propaganda. Tyler suspected neither would know peace. Nothing short of mutual destruction or an outside threat would end the conflict that existed. The loss of billions could not be easily erased by peace talks and negotiations—only blood and violence would be accepted now.
It was these sobering thoughts that disturbed Tyler as his ground car pulled into the Tooland Estates. He stared out the window, eyeing the place he would spend the next few months. The Palace, at least that’s what Tyler thought it looked like, sat upon a hill at the base of a snow capped mountain. As Tyler surveyed the land stretching below, he could make out the hundreds of acres of sloose berry orchards that memory assured him were tended by a small army of workers.
Somewhere in those orchards, one of the largest wineries in this region produced the highest quality sloose berry wines on the planet. Tyler was curious to taste it, but memories warned him the Admiral never drank wine, or any other spirit. Apparently, the Admiral saw drinking as a character weakness and refused to partake in it. Ironically, his winery produced the best on the planet.
Tyler didn’t care. He wanted a drink, and if he was careful, no one had to be the wiser. After all, what privilege was rank if you couldn’t reserve the right to change your ways? He was older now, a National Hero and injured, surely that warranted a drink of his family’s estate wine. The thought cheered him slightly as they pulled through the enormous gates. He noted the gates were open as though they were never closed. Considering his position, he could understand why security wasn’t an issue. After all, if you couldn’t trust your National Hero, who could you trust?
The Palace sat far back from the front gates, and the drive up to it wound gently through manicured lawns dotted richly with tended gardens, trees, and statuettes. Tyler didn’t think the effect fit the Admiral, and he thought he understood why he’d never spent time there. It was late afternoon when they arrived, and the sun descending behind the property warmed it with a soft, inviting glow. Though the estate was large and ostentatious, Tyler wasn’t intimidated and felt confident he would enjoy living there.
The car glided to a stop in front of the entrance, and Tyler stole one more glance toward the gate. Stretching away from the Palace, the well groomed grounds sloped gently toward the main road. From there, the ground dropped sharply to the valley floor covered in a multitude of orchards. The entire estate was framed by the black, rocky peaks of the surrounding mountains, some topped with snow. Everything glowed red in the late day sunlight, and the effect was surreal.
Tyler was a long way from Los Angeles, but he drank in the beauty with his renewed sense of adventure. The mountain air was cool and crisp, and Tyler looked forward to a prolonged stay in the lap of luxury. But more than anything, he looked forward to the generous supply of the Admiral’s wine!