by NB VanYoos
Purgatory
After the destruction of Yooso, Tyler had no idea what to do. He fell into despair, haunted by the bitter loss of a chance at a normal life. He had missed the opportunity with Linda and now he had lost it with Toosia and their child. He’d found the Universe to be cruel and unfair, and he hated them for the retribution they’d bestowed upon him.
Anger and anguish fueled his hatred towards everyone and everything. He wanted to destroy the Onyalum that had helped bring on the devastation, but they were gone, lost in the Universe forever. He vowed if he ever ran into them again, he would have his revenge for the pain and suffering they had caused.
He thought about Nayllen and the Admiral’s father, as culpable as the Onyalum. All had been pawns of the other, but neither had suffered. Tyler was certain Nayllen felt no remorse for the way things turned out. He stood to gain power and prestige in the wake of the destruction.
Tyler could only guess at Nattur. Like Tyler, he’d been used by his allies to achieve what they had longed for, peace, but under their conditions. Perhaps he was as innocent as Tyler, or perhaps he was like Nayllen and also wanted to achieve his goals no matter the cost. Either way, both reaped the rewards of their treachery.
With no one left in the Imperial Palace, there was no one to uncover the conspiracy. In fact, no one person on Poolto even knew what had happened, except Nayllen and Nattur. Sure, the military was disabled by the Command Codes, but no one knew how. It was inconceivable to think the Admiral, their National Hero, had anything to do with it.
Everything had worked perfectly for the conspirators. Nayllen and the Admiral’s father were able to spin their own propaganda, and they started by laying the blame on the Emperor and the Imperial Palace.
Tyler uncovered this as he lingered around the remnants of Poolto. He observed and watched various viewers as they spun the details of the awful tragedy. Like some bitter ghost refusing to let go, Tyler floated in silence, searching for answers, and searching for Toosia.
He was often tempted to take another body, to become a member of their world once more, but every time he thought about it, he realized he would never be able to see his child, or be a part of its life. The pain fed his anger, so he watched their world pass by, detached and silent.
From his travels around Poolto, he caught many broadcasts that spun the lies Nayllen and Krildon had constructed. Evidence was fabricated, and Tyler knew who’d done the fabrication, Nayllen. All of it painted a picture of an insane Emperor out of control.
According to the propaganda, Krildon had been on a real peace mission when the Emperor had gone mad. His ravings and irrational behavior could not be stopped. Somehow, he had decrypted the Command Codes and disabled the fleet. Krildon, on a peace mission, had stood on the sidelines in horror as the Emperor wrought destruction on his own world. Even valiant efforts by top aides and staff could not prevent the horrible destruction that rained down on Poolto. The Emperor had used the Imperial Codes to turn the defense grid on his own world. The blasts rained down on an unsuspecting populace.
Krildon had watched in horror as the Emperor destroyed his own planet rather than discuss peace. It was a horrific lie, but no one remained to counter it. Nayllen’s knowledge and control of the military and government ensured no one would find a shred of evidence, other than the evidence he wanted them to find.
Tyler had to admit the plan was brilliant and had worked perfectly. This only increased the rage that grew within him. Krildon, the true murderers, were now portrayed as the kindly and helpful neighbors who wanted nothing more than to assist Poolto in rebuilding their tattered world. It made Tyler sick to see the lies they spread, blindfolding the public to the truth.
Everything they had wanted came to pass. There was peace between the worlds, and the way they had achieved it ensured no animosity between the two species. Instead, a new distrust for anything royal or imperial spread through the populace. They were ready to embrace democracy.
Unfortunately, Tyler had been a part of that lie. In fact, this lie was no different than the one they had fabricated after the Admiral’s failed offensive. Tyler had been a willing participant in all of it, and he realized he was as much to blame as anyone. It didn’t matter he’d been used by the others in the conspiracy, he’d put his own selfish needs above those of the planet, and now millions had paid the price.
As he watched the broadcasts, he saw the Admiral’s father return to his shattered world, the father of their hero, now their savior. He promised to rebuild the broken pieces, bringing Poolto into a new age of peace and prosperity. He was named interim president with promises to hold free elections after rebuilding the cities and the economy. He promised a free Poolto, one without a dictator that fed his own greed.
Remnants of the royal family and the ruling Governors were put on notice their days were numbered. Through crafty negotiations, each agreed to uphold their offices throughout the rebuilding until free elections put new Governors in their place. It was all done perfectly, everyone bought the ruse that offered neat and clean excuses. It promised a brighter future and created the perfect villain. Unfortunately, now the real villains were in charge.
Tyler understood the new government would be a puppet of Krildon for a long time. With Krildon’s good graces and infinite assistance, they had ensured a place at the table of Poolto’s future decisions. Everyone was happy, except those who had lost so much.
The numbers kept coming in, month after month, year after year. The final tally, assuming such a thing could be found, was seven hundred and thirty nine million killed in the Emperor’s mad attack. It was staggering, and everyone agreed to dismantle the military and the defense grid that had caused the tragedy. With Krildon as your helpful neighbor, why would you need a military?
Not surprisingly, Krildon decided not to abandon their fleet, at least not yet. In fact, reports indicated Krildon was maintaining a peace keeping fleet above Poolto—to protect from renegade Imperial members bent on regaining the power they’d lost.
Tyler knew it was a farce. Krildon had succeeded in conquering their enemy, and the irony was, they had used Poolto’s own hero to do it. It was more than Tyler could bear. He was responsible for the millions killed. Whole families were lost with the destruction of so many major cities.
Tyler was certain Toosia and their child was gone. He had no idea where she and her family were hiding. Even if he knew, he had no idea of how to find it. Poolto was a large planet, and even an Onyalum had difficulty tracking down a few individuals across an entire world.
He was ready to give up when he’d caught a broadcast about the Admiral’s father. President Nattur Osloo had finally been reunited with his grandson, Nayllen Osloo II. Tyler could not believe it, his son was alive. He watched as Toosia and little Nayllen were paraded on stage with the Admiral’s father. The son of the National Hero would now become a hero himself. They would use him as a tool for Poolto to rally behind, to support the new movement, and embrace the free government.
A sea of emotions ran through Tyler. He was happy, angry, and sad at the news his son was alive. It may have been the Admiral’s body, but Tyler thought of the child as his and his alone. In the silence he now lived in, he screamed in anguish at the unfairness that held him back from the joy he’d wanted.
The outburst had even scared Adanni, who had taken a willing back seat to Tyler’s ravings. Even though it had been years since the devastation, the rebuilding moved quickly. Tyler watched his son, now a small child, play a prominent role in the rebuilding of the world his father helped destroy. Tyler took some comfort in the fact the Admiral remained a hero. He knew Toosia and her family knew the truth, but she would never reveal it for fear of her only child. The only thing left from her marriage.
It had taken time for Tyler to track down Toosia’s location, but once he had, he never left their side. Like a guardian angel, he watched their lives as they picked up the pieces and rebuilt Poolto. Tyler cried as he saw the pain and the joy o
n Toosia’s face as she nurtured and raised their son.
Tyler was happy she never re-married, despite her parent’s attempts. She was happy with young Nayllen, and it was enough to fulfill her life and bring closure to the previous life she was glad to leave behind. Her father, now sitting on the President’s council for rebuilding Poolto, was more prominent than before. He and a handful of other Councilor’s had escaped the bombardment. The rest perished with Yooso. Yooso was being rebuilt and renamed Osloo City in honor of their beloved Admiral.
As the years passed, the pain, guilt, and anger ate at Tyler, twisting him inside, turning him feral with ravings. The few times Adanni had tried to reason with him, Tyler had lashed out with all the control he possessed. Before he realized it, Tyler had forced Adanni into an exile, back in the furthest part of his subconscious. Like a distant memory, Adanni existed far from the Universe he had once been an integral part of.
Tyler didn’t care, he blamed Adanni for all the sins of the Onyalum, for making Tyler what he was, and for making him feel the pain and loneliness of his stark existence. He gladly exiled Adanni, even felt a thrill of excitement at the sheer force of his new and cruel will. He vowed to make the Universe pay for his pain—he would make everyone pay for it!