by Sarah Cathey
The king went on. “You have asked us to investigate and these are the findings. What you have told your population is your duty to manage.”
The same caste-leader responded, “Are we in danger.”
After a long pause, Horax let out a ruffled breath, “Perhaps. I have sent one of our best military commanders on a mission with the scientist who discovered the anomaly. We do not know if the asteroid will strike Jeen, but we have located the Cavern of the Ancients which we all know was the home of our ancestors when our world was frequently bombarded with asteroids. If we must, and I do not believe the asteroid will strike, we will determine who will move safely to the caverns.”
“But I have heard the asteroid will strike. Your scientist has calculated the path!” Cried out a superior.
Horax snarled and cursed under his breath. “We are here to discuss such concern. We must decide who will move to the cavern. How many from each caste and the responsibilities of the forced surface evacuation. Best estimates are that the initial cavern can house a couple of thousand Drjeen. We do not have an estimate for the rest.”
The audience erupted into an immediate argument over caste-importance. Horax fell back in his throne-chair to observe. He and Neparon had been watching the argument become more heated as time passed and surely as the third moon was rising, he had to put an end to an argument which was going nowhere.
The leaders of the farm-caste argued that their importance was necessary for the future of survival. However, with the farm-caste came the need for the lower-castes whom the warriors, scientists, and elites argued was unacceptable. No elite would sacrifice their position for a lowly worker. The warriors argued they would be needed for protection in an unknown cavern system, while the elites argued changing the system to a number of warriors per elite; a guard-type position. Other elites argued that the Daken would no longer be needed, conserving much of their rations which was another subject to discuss.
Neparon was as agitated as Horax, yet without standing or snapping a wing she took the staff from the side of her throne-chair and tapped it on the throne. From the single ornate gemstone on the tip of the staff came a blind-pulsing light which stopped the arguments as the leaders looked up to the Royals.
“My king has something to say.” She calmly responded.
Horax leaned to her, “I do?”
She whispered back, “You are the king. I see no other way.”
Horax stood, once again addressing the chamber. “I have heard enough of your bickering. Since it is obvious that leadership and compromise do not exist among you then I shall decide with an official declaration what we shall do. If you do not agree or follow my direction you may remain above-ground to await the blue star.”
Horax took a loud huff, bulked out his chest and raised his head. “All members of the aristocracy and royal family and their wards and staff shall go to the caverns.”
There was no objection as most Drjeen knew the king would interject this as a demand rather than a proposal.
“And for the rest, all of the warrior caste shall also be housed in or near the caverns, with no fewer than 2,000 within the cavern. The remaining will be allowed by the hierarchy as room allows. 300 scientists and 500 from all other castes shall be allowed with special treatment to unique talents. The remaining Drjeen, if they choose to follow will submit their name, their spouses' name and that of their children to be chosen as a familial unit for a random acceptance dependent upon remaining space.”
The queen was quite impressed with the king’s judgment and quick thinking. Despite being the intellect of the two, she doubted that she could have come up with a better plan on such short notice.
“Is this understood?” The king demanded. He was met with satisfactory silence. “I will leave decisions based on which Drjeen you choose. I expect a list within a week of the Drjeen you have chosen. If your caste-list is late you may lose positions.”
Sitting down heavily, Horax raised his clawed hand to his head and gave his forehead crest a rub. He had gotten tired of all of the complaints and worries brought to him in recent days. In the back of his mind, he still did not believe that the asteroid was going to hit the planet, but he had to admit that the light had been growing quite a bit in recent days and it did not seem to be moving.
Seeing her king in discomfort, Neparon reached over and placed her talons on either side of his head, just behind his frilled ears and began to rub. She knew that this often helped to relieve his headaches.
In a silky voice, she said, “You did well my king, a good decision made, making sure the right ones are saved.” She had been his support over the recent weeks and despite saying very little, he knew she was always there to back him. Quiet she may be, but he knew that no one would cross her as she was dangerous when angry and everyone knew it. So, the few words she had said to back him through the recent meetings were always met with an agreement in an effort to keep from angering her. She had been known to rip off the arm of one who had angered her before.
“Thank you for your support, my love,” said Horax as he relaxed into her care. He remained calmed by her for some time before heaving another sigh and placing his talons on hers, tenderly removing them from the sides of his head. “It is time that we prepare for this trip to the caverns. We must make sure that everything we need is prepared to be brought along.” He stood, stretched out his wings to their full display, “Come, let us prepare for the end of the world my queen,” he joked as he took her hand and lifted her to her feet. Laughingly, she followed him as they both left the audience chamber.
Ittar was rubbing a lotion moisturizer on his chest scales, finding that he was having a difficult time lately from keeping his scales from drying at the edges. Age, he thought. Then again he’d been weaker as the past weeks came and went and he wondered if there was more to his ailing body than just age. I must schedule an appointment. Those were the least of his worries as he replayed the events of the previous evening and then the interesting development of every caste-leader and superior filing into the royal chamber.
“I don’t know what is happening.” Agkhor had told him as he conferenced Ittar at an impossibly late time of the day. “They have all come. Father has summoned every one of them.”
Ittar had sat on the thought briefly, “Perhaps it is the princess?”
“No!” Agkhor quickly put the opinion to shame. “That is being dealt with in other ways. It is not her.”
Other ways? There was little doubt that Agkhor had jealousy for his younger sister, but would he go so far as to have her assassinated. No, that wasn’t it. Maybe… Did the bestial-leaning prince have a sibling friendship with her? Had he bonded with her? It would seem strange that any Drjeen could consider Agkhor trustworthy enough to be a friend, but maybe his sister. Or, maybe she was simply too strong for him and he feared her. It was a curious response from the young prince and one that Ittar would investigate and possibly have the advantage of in the future.
“Then what do you think it is my prince?”
“Your young scientist arrived during the last second moon and demanded an audience with the king and queen.” he left hanging.
Aput? Aput was back. But… “You sent an assassin to take care of him. How is this possible?”
“I’ve not heard any reports of my friend. Though, when the war-leader Shook reports on the mission I shall be there to hear every detail and purge him for more answers.”
“With respect, this is not a positive development. Aput will send all of Jeen into chaos. He will disrupt the future of the kingdom and possibly stir an uprising…” and he can ruin my career and advancement, Ittar quietly muttered to himself.
“I will contact you again when I know more. I am well aware of the predicament this causes.” As soon as Agkhor had appeared, he was gone and Ittar was alone in his quarters. He grabbed the first object he could find, an iron bowl he’d made himself dozens of turns ago when he was learning the geometric art of celestial understanding. It
was heavier now than he remembered it, but he lofted it and with as much strength as he could muster, he threw it across the room where it crashed against a shelf causing the shelf to fall scattering shards of ceramic and iron to shatter and clatter to the floor.
“How does he live?” Ittar unfurled his wings, knocking over a statue of himself.
That was all the previous night, and at least two moons had passed since Ittar heard from Agkhor. Events were moving fast and along with the arrival and subsequent leave of the caste-leaders and superiors, he’d also heard there had been a massive patrol flying out from the palace. Curiously the caste-leaders were in such a hurry none dared stop and talk to Ittar. In the least, he would have expected one to run his jaws with knowledge. The lower-caste leaders, in particular, were often quick to share their knowledge as if that meant they carried power or weight somehow. But, no. None did. Not a single one.
There was a sharp rap at his door and while he wasn’t in the mood to have a guest or guests, Ittar answered anyway, just in case Agkhor was paying a private visit. As the door opened, he realized his mistake. Standing in front of him was one of the new scientists.
“Sir.” the Drjeen said while bowing down, uncertain Ittar’s current hierarchical role yet that didn’t require subservience. Ittar did not stop him.
“Why do you bother me?”
“It is news I have of the late moon hour.”
“Yes, yes, I’ve heard. Secret meetings, clandestine attacks… You are boring me and making me angry with your rumors.”
“I do not… No, I’ve not heard of those things. I come directly from the telescope. It is the asteroid.”
Ittar felt the anger surging through him and much like the iron bowl from earlier he wanted to throw something at this young and insolent scientist.
“Sir, it has changed the trajectory. It is not going to strike Jeen.”
Ittar paused. Could this be true? “Was Aput wrong in his calculations?”
“No Sir. His calculations were correct. The asteroid has changed course on its own. My only speculation is that it struck another object, sending it on another course, or perhaps it had a weak fissure which eventually split the object sending a small piece to one end and the larger off course.”
While Ittar would have been happier if Aput was wrong in his calculations he also knew that he could present that case which neither the king nor the queen would bother verify. Either way, it did not matter if he had proof that Aput was wrong. He would start the investigation immediately into Aput’s falsifying scientific calculations for his own gain, the loss of fifty or more scientists who were assassinated by Aput’s lack of integrity and any other charges he could muster in the time it would take to file charges at the royal palace.
This may not be as bad a day as I thought.
Taking his eye from the eyepiece as he raised his head from the telescope, Aput stretched and rubbed his eyes. He had been surveying the blue asteroid for so long that he lost track of the number of passing moons since he and Shook had arrived back from their mission. While he’d heard rumors that the blue asteroid was now on a different trajectory, he’d failed to recognize a consistent path to lead him to the same conclusion that the asteroid would not strike Jeen. His calculations had been confirmed again and again, until now. Prior to this past observation, his only question was distance. He could not identify the approximate distance the asteroid was from Jeen, and the most important question; when would the asteroid strike? It could certainly be any day or a long time from now.
But tonight, something had changed. The asteroid appeared to be diverting from its path confirming the reports he’d heard. Until now Aput was not sure how this could happen. The asteroid maintained a perfectly straight path since it was first identified, but now, potentially a day or so away from Jeen, the asteroid appeared to be changing its path ever so slightly. Aput put his eye to the eyepiece again and studied the asteroid, hastily scribbling his observations on the pad at his side.
Something was wrong and he decided to follow another line of theory, directing the telescope ten-degrees. There was nothing. Then degree by degree, Aput adjusted the powerful telescope until finally, he saw something. Far off, yet of equal distance to the asteroid was a singular insignificant object moving away from the asteroid. Could it be? Aput focused the telescope deeper and moving between the two objects he felt that the rumors may have been true. This single piece of debris looked like it had once been fitted to the blue asteroid.
Taking the speed and distance of the shard moving harmlessly away from Jeen compared to the last known measurement of the blue asteroid when it was in a complete state Aput was able to determine not only a distance from Jeen, but also that it was on a new trajectory that would bring the blue asteroid terrifyingly close to Jeen, but not close enough to strike the planet.
Aput leaned back, sighing as he considered the ramifications of this. He had been giving Ittar daily updates on the path of the asteroid over and again confirming the impending strike. He knew that while he and Shook were searching for the Cavern of the Ancients, Ittar had been called into a private meeting with the Royals. This resulted in another meeting, not including Ittar, but which resulted in Ittar running around nervous and seemingly terrified as caste-leaders were in a constant internal battle to seek his attention.
Despite Ittar’s objection to Aput’s findings he appeared to be preparing for the arrival of the asteroid, although Aput knew little of what those preparations were except the eventual migration to the caverns.
Groaning, Aput realized he would now have to tell Ittar that the asteroid appeared to be moving and it did not appear that it would strike the planet. Aput was not looking forward to that meeting, especially considering Ittar’s protests and Aput’s subsequent actions; not insubordinate, but certainly bordering consideration. While Ittar may not have been initially correct, unforeseen changes put Ittar’s protests in a new perspective. One that may be detrimental to Aput.
Heaving a deep sigh and raising himself to his feet, Aput realized that he better tell Ittar now and suffer the consequences rather than put it off any longer.
Striding down the hall to Ittar’s office, Aput wondered what his response would be. Ittar had been so busy lately and Ittar was not one who liked to be kept busy. Considering it was Aput who single-handedly caused Ittar’s disruptive days he knew he was in for a severe tongue lashing. That in itself wasn’t uncommon, but with the curious nature of an entirely new scientific staff and no reason why, Aput was more worried about what happened after the verbal beating.
Aput was surprised to see Ittar’s office open and instead of knocking he decided to step inside, knowing that that would be the least of Ittar’s concerns. Aput took a deep breath and stepped inside. Pouring over a stack of papers, Ittar paused only briefly before looking up and snapping, “What do you want?”
Aput paused and then blurted out, “It appears the asteroid is changing course and will now pass by Jeen.”
The silence that fell between the two was deafening. Ittar stared at Aput, unblinking, his mouth hanging open. When Aput felt he could no longer stand the silence, he heard Ittar take a deep breath and in a voice barely audible, he said, “What?”
“The asteroid… it appears to be changing course and my calculations now indicate that it will pass by the planet. It will still pass dangerously close, but I don’t believe it will strike.”
Ittar took a deep breath and in a low angry hiss stated, “You have insisted that this asteroid was going to strike us, wiping out the Drjeen if we didn’t go below ground and now you say it is going to pass us! Do you know the chaos your predictions have created? The king and queen placed trust in you, a lowly subordinate, ignoring my repeated claims that your numbers were wrong, and—.”
“But my numbers were not wrong. The asteroid broke apart and that is why—.”
“I do not have time for your excuses or abstract theories to subvert chaos. I should have you penalized right now; I s
hould have you assassi…” Ittar let the word die on his lips not wanting to let his plan play out so easily to Aput who seemed to be a formidable mind despite his age. Yes, Ittar knew everything and forcing Aput back to his observation and calculations would only mean that Aput would be forced to face the king and queen on his own denouncing his prior statements and falling prey to the king’s famously impulsive anger, let alone the rumors of the queen.
“But I was not wrong, I—”
“And NOW you have the nerve to state that we have nothing to fear after all?”
Aput dropped his head knowing that there was no rational way to argue his point without getting into more trouble, “Um, yeah, I’m afraid that is the way it looks now,” replied Aput in a quiet, nervous voice.
“What am I going to tell the royals?!” Shouted Ittar. “They have been preparing for the worst and now all of their preparations have gone to waste. They will skin me alive for this!” Ittar said with a low almost squeaky voice. Then he paused and looked at Aput feigned anger sweeping across his face.
Aput didn’t dare respond but rather felt like shrinking into a small hole or flying off to a far-off settlement to live his days away in shame.
Then Ittar played his card, one that Aput realized would soon come. “I know,” Ittar slowly drawled, a smile wrinkling across his aging jaw and revealing his jagged and broken teeth. “YOU will tell the Royals this news, after all, it was YOU who told them that they must plan for annihilation!”
“Me?” hiccupped Aput. He knew if he was to tell the Royals this news, the next day would most likely find his various limbs spread throughout the city.
“Yes, YOU!” Ittar stammered with a rank hiss. “You caused this mess; you will clear it up!”
Aput took a long-drawn breath hoping to prevent vertigo from causing him to fall over. “Yes, master, I will go tell the Royals.” He then walked out of the room, his fate no longer of his own devices.