by E J Gilmour
‘How many people live in Hadeseron?’ asked Cynthia.
‘Two and a half million,’ answered Khar. ‘We expanded the city to accommodate our entire population. The surface of the planet is not safe, even with the EPHX cannons, because the EPHX cannons can only prevent spaceships, rockets and bombs reaching the surface. The aliens use long range lasers against anyone who chooses to venture above ground. There is nothing we can do to stop the laser attacks.’
They entered one of the elevators, which was large enough for a vehicle. Moments later they were rapidly descending. After about two minutes the elevator came to a complete stop.
‘We are three kilometres beneath the surface,’ said Khar.
The elevator door slid open. Directly ahead was a massive subterranean cavern. Lining the rocky walls of the cavern were five levels of walkways. Many metal bridges spanned the distance between the walkways. Side tunnels shot off in every direction. The area was bustling with people, and it seemed to Michael that the cavern was the centre of the underground city.
Every man had an untrimmed beard and mountaineering clothes, and the women wore long silky dresses, which appeared to be colour coded depending on their age. The women seemed to be congregating in groups away from the men, and it was instantly apparent to Michael that the Morosian culture was strictly divided along gender boundaries, which the entire population adhered to without exception.
Khar led them across the smooth stone ground into the city and everyone stared at them as they continued on.
‘Our survival is linked to our ongoing commitment to our traditions and cultural values,’ said Khar. ‘Every Morosian is happy to follow our traditional way of life. We do what we must do to survive. You should know, Captain Michael, we think Morosians are far superior to every other civilisation in Triangulum. Our ongoing survival is evidence of the strength of our people. We have outlasted every other civilisation in our region.’
‘That’s absolute space junk,’ said Ajax with a laugh. ‘The only reason you have survived so long is because you have those EPHX cannons. When they fail it’ll be goodbye Moros Gamma. I’d give the aliens two hours to wipe you out.’
Khar lifted his chin. He glared at Ajax and his eyes burned with wrath. ‘You insult my people,’ he hissed, his lips curling sharply downward.
Ajax met Khar’s stare and stood tall. He clenched his fists. ‘No, I’m not insulting your people, but I think you’re insulting everyone who has died fighting in the war. We are in this together. No one is better than anyone else.’
The situation was about to explode. Khar was a proud man, and Michael could see he wasn’t someone who would easily back down. The last thing he needed was a fight between Ajax and the leader of the Morosians.
‘General Khar, we admire the self-discipline of your people,’ said Michael. ‘We understand the suffering and sacrifice you have faced whilst fighting the aliens. Ajax, tell General Khar that you understand the sacrifice the Morosians have made.’
‘I understand,’ said Ajax soberly, but he didn’t unclench his fists.
‘You see,’ said Michael, looking back to Khar.
Khar’s eyes shifted from Ajax to Michael. ‘You will never find a more self-disciplined people anywhere in Triangulum,’ he said. ‘It is wrong for me to become angry. The words of your crew carry little weight and will not change the way things are. My men will show you to the guest chambers. Later this afternoon I would like to host a feast in your honour. It is our custom to welcome guests.’
‘A feast?’ questioned Cynthia.
‘Indeed, a feast,’ said Khar. He directed some of the men to guide them to their rooms and then walked away without another word.
**
They were taken down a side tunnel which led away from the main cavern. Their rooms were not far from the exit elevator and were small chambers carved out of the rock. They were each given their own room which consisted of a small bed, a communication console which was attached to the wall beside the bed, and a small wooden desk.
Cynthia rested on her bed. She reflected on the time since joining the crew of the Out Drifter, and her mind was in a spin with everything that had happened. Her original plan was only to get off the space station; at best she hoped to join a crew and make a modest income. The last thing she expected was to be working for the Epherian Emperor and be caught up in a quest to save humanity.
Her doorbell sounded. She quickly sat up and walked across her chamber. Acacius was standing outside the door.
‘Acacius, is everything okay?’
‘I need to talk with you, Cynthia. There is much you need to know.’
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Gartax was on his knees in the central dome of the alien fleet command. He was trembling as the Master Shadow swirled around him like black smoke. The darkness pressed against the light. Icy shivers were shooting through his body. He had never been so terrified in his whole life, and he could hardly keep himself from falling face first to the ground. The presence of the Master Shadow was overwhelming, and he felt he could die at any moment.
‘There is a risk,’ said the End Machine. ‘The exiles could escape before I arrive at Moros Gamma. You will send a message to your commanders and tell them to offer the Morosians a peace treaty. Tell the Morosians that they will have peace if they deliver the exiles to us. I have calculated that they will give you the exiles. The exiles must not be harmed; I want to examine them closely before I destroy them. In three days I will arrive at Moros Gamma, and I will take the exiles from your fleet. They must not be allowed to escape.’
‘They will not escape,’ said Gartax, bowing low. ‘What if the Morosians refuse to hand them over? What if they don’t trust us to keep the treaty?’
‘They are desperate people; they will cling to any glimmer of hope you give them. I will completely obliterate their world if they do not agree.’
‘What about the treaty? We cannot suffer the existence of a human world at the centre of our growing empire.’
The End Machine laughed, and the menacing laughter echoed throughout the dome. A deathly silence followed. Gartax lifted his eyes and gazed up into the swirling shadows above. Terror filled his entire being.
‘Your kind was built to consume. You are parasites and nothing but an aberration. You have more in common with a machine than a living creature. I attempted to rebuild a human being from raw elements. You are the failed consequence of my ambition, entirely corrupted. Your hollow minds are focused solely on the acquisition of power; nothing else will ever matter to you. You only work together for mutual benefit. For these reasons you would not be able to honour a peace treaty even if you wanted to. Once you have imprisoned the exiles you can continue your siege or do whatever you want with the Morosians.’
Gartax bowed his head low. ‘We will do what you ask.’
**
Michael sat at the desk in his chamber. The strain of the enormity of the task at hand was beginning to show. He felt the shadow of the machine was growing nearer. His priority was to get off the planet as soon as possible.
He lifted his wrist-com. ‘Sara, how are the repairs progressing?’
‘…Well hello, Captain…’ she answered. ‘…They’re nearly complete, or at least we don’t have a hull breach anymore. Gopher is quite a mechanic; even Ethan is impressed with his skills…’
‘Are we ready to fly out of here?’
‘…We can leave if we need to. Ethan and Gopher are working on repairing the outer armour, but, Captain, to be honest, I don’t think we can pass the alien blockade…’
‘We made it through once. I’m sure we can do it again,’ he said.
‘…Captain, we had the help of the Morosian fleet, and the Out Drifter was nearly destroyed. We narrowly avoided a rapid decompression. A few more seconds and it wouldn’t have mattered if I sealed off the cargo bay…’
‘Do you have a plan, Sara?’
She didn’t reply for a long moment. Michael looked at his wrist-
com, thinking it may have automatically switched off.
‘…I’m working on it, Captain. It’s going to be very dangerous. I’ll do my best…’
‘You’re the best pilot in the galaxy.’
In that moment the doorbell sounded. Michael crossed his chamber and hit the door switch. The door slid open and Ajax was standing outside. Michael could instantly tell something was wrong.
‘What happened?’
Ajax didn’t answer and instead signalled for him to step out. Michael glanced left and right down the tunnel; Ajax was alone. The door automatically closed behind him.
‘They have planted listening devices in our rooms,’ whispered Ajax.
‘Are you sure?’ asked Michael in a low voice.
‘I’m completely sure. I have an advanced spy-scanner integrated into my wrist-com. I don’t trust these Morosians. Cap, we have to get off this planet.’
‘I agree. Sara said the Out Drifter is nearly ready to fly. Once we make the credit transfer we will leave without delay.’
‘Sooner the better,’ said Ajax. ‘What should we do about them spying on us? It’s not right, Cap.’
‘Don’t do anything. My guess is they’re only spying on us as a precaution. Pretend you haven’t noticed. It’s best if they don’t know that we know. We’ll be out of here soon, and I don’t want to create any unnecessary commotion.’
**
Cynthia, Acacius, Ajax, Ivan and Michael were taken into a large luxurious dining chamber which was adorned with fine tapestries. Before them was a long oak table covered with dozens of prepared dishes. Khar directed the company to sit along the right hand side of the table. Five commanders of the Morosian armed forces were seated opposite them. Khar took the seat at the head of the table.
‘The tapestries are impressive,’ said Michael.
‘Indeed, they are,’ said Khar. ‘These tapestries were woven four hundred years ago by our people to record the history of our civilisation. The first tapestry shows the era of settlement and terraforming our world. Our world was never considered a prime world by the Epherian Empire, but to us it has always been treasured, and we would not trade Moros Gamma for any prime world. Actually, I would be prepared to say the harshness of our world is the precise reason we are so strong in our disposition. It takes a strong world to forge a strong people like us.’
‘They are well made,’ said Ivan.
‘Yes, they are. Such ancient crafts have been lost elsewhere in the galaxy.’ Khar lifted his chin; the haughty expression never entirely left his face. ‘You will be happy to know we have pooled the one billion credits together on a single GCTD.’ He reached into his jacket pocket and drew forth a GCTD. He looked at the device for a moment and he drifted off into thought. ‘I remember the time when credits were important. Our trade with other systems was always at the forefront of our minds. The alien attack changed everything. Credits are worthless to us now. After our last trading partner fell to the aliens we decided to abolish the guild credit system. You see, there is really no need for credits anymore. We only need to survive the invasion.’ He placed the GCTD on the table and slid it across to Michael. Michael read the indicator which clearly stated one billion credits.
He took out the GCTD that Tyr had given him and connected it to the other which was unlocked. The credits instantly transferred from one device to the other.
‘Thank you,’ said Michael.
‘As I said, credits have little meaning to us. Gathering the funds was a simple process. My people were more than willing to part with them.’
‘We will be ready to leave in the morning,’ said Michael.
‘The sooner the better,’ said Ajax gladly.
‘Very well,’ said Khar, averting his eyes. ‘However, there is one problem. My commanders believe there is no chance of your ship breaking the alien blockade. We simply do not have a fleet able to help you pass as you did before. For these reasons we have decided not to lower our defences.’
‘What are you saying?’ growled Ajax.
‘Powering down the EPHX cannons again would carry a significant risk,’ continued Khar. ‘The aliens are waiting for us to drop our guard. We believe you should remain here permanently because it is impossible for you to leave.’
‘We have no intention of staying here,’ said Michael firmly.
‘Lowering our defences was never agreed to in the terms of the deal with the Tunnel Makers. We only agreed to transfer of funds, nothing more,’ said Khar, staring blankly at Michael.
Michael leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. ‘Obviously it goes without saying. We deliver the goods and you allow us to leave.’
‘Not necessarily,’ replied Khar. ‘My first priority, as I previously stated, is the survival of my people. I will not put my people at risk to benefit a small group of smugglers.’
‘You knew this was the case when we arrived,’ said Michael, raising his voice.
‘Perhaps, but it does not matter. We are two and a half million people; your needs are insignificant in comparison. You are a reasonable and intelligent man, Captain Michael. Surely you understand that it is not wise to risk the lives of so many for the benefit of so few.’
‘But we only need you to shut down the cannons for a few seconds,’ argued Michael.
‘Seconds we cannot spare,’ replied Khar indifferently.
‘You lied to us,’ said Acacius. ‘We would not have made the delivery if we knew of these terms before our arrival.’
Khar lowered his eyes and shook his head. ‘You will be given a place among our people, which is a great gift from our perspective.’
‘This is space rot!’ yelled Ajax, kicking his chair back and standing up abruptly. He slammed his fist into the oak table. ‘We don’t want your gift! I’m not staying here. I don’t care if I have to use a jetpack to get off this planet!’
‘I don’t want to stay here either,’ said Cynthia.
‘Don’t worry, Cynthia; we will be leaving,’ said Ajax with a snarl directed at Khar.
Khar ignored Ajax and Cynthia. He looked directly at Michael. ‘Your ship would be incinerated in seconds if you tried to pass the EPHX cannons; nonetheless, you are more than welcome to make an attempt.’
Michael stood up and stared harshly down at Khar. ‘You are pushing me into a corner, General Khar,’ he said sternly.
‘I don’t have a choice,’ said Khar, his voice icy. ‘We will give you time to think about our terms. I’m sure, if you are reasonable, you will see we are right.’
‘You always have a choice,’ said Acacius.
‘I do not agree,’ said Khar.
‘This feast is over,’ said Michael. ‘Everyone, gather any gear you left in your rooms. Return to the Out Drifter as soon as possible. We need to discuss our options.’
**
Michael and Ivan were walking back to their rooms together as their rooms were located in a separate tunnel from those allocated to where Cynthia, Acacius and Ajax.
‘My facial and emotion recognition programming detected some inconsistencies with what General Khar was saying to us,’ said Ivan.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I believe General Khar’s mind is divided. I recognised patterns of a person who is choosing between two options.’
‘It seems like he has made up his mind to me,’ said Michael.
‘No, Captain, he is considering a second alternative. He may want to dispose of us, or something of a similar nature.’
‘Why would he want to kill us?’
‘I do not know; nevertheless, murder is only one possibility among many.’
‘All the more reason we get out of here as soon as possible,’ said Michael, quickening his step.
They turned to enter the tunnel which led to their rooms. They were met by a group of ten heavily armed Morosian soldiers. Michael instinctively reached for his pistol.
‘Freeze!’ commanded the leader of the squad.
Michael’s hand was resting on t
he holster. The soldiers had their plasma rifles ready to fire. He considered using his powers, but he knew that would only show the End Machine their exact location.
‘What’s this about?’ he asked. The soldiers didn’t answer.
A moment later a second squad of soldiers appeared in the tunnel behind them, cutting off their exit. General Khar walked up from behind the second group.
‘This is about the survival of my people,’ answered Khar. ‘Don’t worry, Captain Michael; you will not be harmed.’
‘What do my crew have to do with your survival?’ said Michael. ‘We delivered the goods you requested and you paid us. We have no further business.’
‘You are right. I am sorry for treating you and your crew this way, but my people face desperate times, and we must take every available advantage.’ Khar turned so he had his back to them. ‘Just before I met with you in the dining room I agreed to a peace treaty with the aliens.’
‘The aliens are not interested in peace,’ said Michael.
‘You’re wrong, Captain Michael. They offered us a peace in exchange for you and the crew of the Out Drifter. They want you unharmed. We agreed to the terms.’
‘No!’ said Michael as icy shivers spread through his body. ‘You can’t do this to us.’
‘Regretfully, we have no choice. I already agreed to the treaty,’ said Khar as he started to walk away. Michael felt three darts strike his chest. The potent synthetic tranquiliser quickly seeped into his bloodstream. He struggled to hold himself up, but he collapsed within seconds and everything went dark.
***
Michael woke and looked up at the reinforced metal ceiling.
To be continued…
Rise of the Exile: Book Two of the Epherian Chronicles.
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BOOKS BY E J GILMOUR
The Sword of Light: Book One of the Veredor Chronicles
The Journey West: Book Two of the Veredor Chronicles
The Gate and Beyond: Book Three of the Veredor Chronicles
Ecorian: The Complete Veredor Chronicles
Kaloren