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Episode 89: A Very Telling Incident
Dara worked through the night to gather the survivors. She did her best to avoid the old woman who recognized her. Every time the matron saw Dara she bowed and whispered, "Thank Adonai."
The ash outside had dwindled to nothing, and she was grateful that so many made it through the crisis. In just under twelve hours, she and those she'd found nearest the tower discovered and rallied over two thousand men, women, and children. The surviving buildings were not large enough to accommodate such a number, and the group did not wish to be separated again. Not far from the collapsed tower stretched a wide swath of ground where a series of courtyards used to be. The area was littered with scorched remnants and pieces of metal and stone, but it was large enough for everyone.
The sun was long gone by the time enough land was cleared to start setting up shelters.
As the night wore on, Dara wondered how long it would be before she had to face Dietz. He and Elisa were on a perimeter sweep, checking the far reaches of the cavern for anyone they might have missed.
Just before dawn, Dara raised Dietz on her comm, "Do another check on the tower now that the heat's dissipated. I want to know if there's anything there – anything at all."
"Heading there now," Dietz responded. "Elisa is asleep, so barring an emergency, I will wait until she wakes to land."
"I think that's a good idea," Dara agreed. "When's the last time you had a proper rest?"
"I'm an old man. I don't sleep much," came the reply.
While she waited for the Admiral's report, Dara took a seat just inside a battered supply shack. She pulled the tiny device out of her ear and scanned it with her suit's instruments to see what was specifically wrong with it. The sensors identified the problem. Several of the components were melted. She bit her lip and wanted to cry. There was no way she could get such specialized parts here. Any hope of that went down with the tower.
Belarus – Rapha'owr – was dead.
She surveyed the barren ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. The survivors milled about, talking with each other and helping where they could.
Dara watched two boys, no more than thirteen, help haul a stone slab away. Several younger children helped a man and woman set up another tiny shelter.
"Why were such little ones not sent to a safe place?" She whispered as she watched.
The thick whir of a ship filled the air. Dara shot to her feet and peered upward. Her heart caught in her throat.
The recon plane settled down, sending up dust clouds. As the air cleared, the boarding ramp clunked onto the ground and out stepped Elisa followed by Dietz.
In a panic Dara grabbed for her helmet and shoved it back onto her head. She flipped the visor closed and darkened it.
As the Admiral and Councilwoman disembarked, many of the survivors stopped what they were doing. Faces lit up in recognition and many men and women went to meet the pair.
Dara's heart pounded beneath her suit and sweat beaded on her hands. Dietz and Elisa wove their way through the welcoming crowd toward her. The closer they got the more nervous she became. How could she tell Dietz? If she somehow found a way to fix her mask, perhaps she could prolong her ruse.
Elisa waved to her above the crowd. They were almost to her.
She took a deep, shaky breath and tried to push down her fear. If she could keep her helmet on she could put off the truth for just a little while longer.
"Melda!" Dietz hurried through the last several men and women. "There is something beneath the Palace," he laid an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "We have the data on the ship. So far, we can't tell if anyone is down there, but we should be able to at least try to tunnel in."
"Is your helmet malfunctioning?" Elisa asked as she made it over to Dara and noted her dark visor.
"No. I have to… run some diagnostics," Dara managed. "The heat from the fire messed up some of my sensors."
"Why don't you take your helmet off? You'll be able to see much better," Elisa offered.
Dara began, "No, I –"
"Princess!" The old woman from the first group of survivors appeared out of the crowd. "Everyone is so glad you are here to help us."
Elisa turned away from Dara and looked at the woman quizzically, "I am sorry. I am merely a former Councilwoman."
"Oh, no. I was not speaking to you, dear, even though we are grateful to have General Dommel's wife with us. It was the Lady Daratina I was addressing." The old woman looked from Elisa to Dara.
Both Dietz and Elisa stared at the helmeted woman.
"Dara… tina…?" Elisa breathed, wide-eyed.
"Melda...what is going on?" Dietz whispered.
Dara sucked in one shallow breath after another. Her stomach clenched and her throat caught. "She is…" Dara rasped, "mistaken."
"My Lady, why do you hide yourself from these good people?" The old woman protested. "We are overjoyed at your return. Surely they will be as well."
Murmurs of agreement rustled through the crowd as Dara realized they were all staring at her now. Her pulse pounded in her ears so hard she could barely hear when Elisa asked, "Is it… really you, Princess?"
The hope in Elisa's eyes lent Dara the barest sliver of courage. She steeled herself and slowly reached for her helmet. She pulled it off and shook out her long red hair. With one deep breath she faced the father of the girl she'd impersonated for so long.
The shock on Admiral Dietz's face mixed with confusion as he recognized her.
Before the Admiral could say anything, Elisa threw her arms around her, "Oh, Dara, why didn't you tell us it was you? It's so good to see you. After you disappeared, no one knew when you would come back. Where's Constance?"
"I… she… I don't know…" Dara said with tears in her eyes.
"Where… is… she?" Dietz asked. "Where is Melda?"
"She –" Dara choked, "she never came back from the first offensive against the Eratites." From the inside pocket of her pilot suit Dara produced a tiny data crystal. "From what I know, she stole away on one of the ships on the front line. From there she broke into the weapons systems and sabotaged them. She made it possible for the Eratites to leave their world."
Elisa gasped, "You were –" the woman stepped away from Dara, a look of horror on her face, "you used his daughter's face? How could you do something so… terrible?" In tears Elisa went on, "You, who knows the pain of losing a child. How could you put someone else through that grief?"
"Elisa," Dietz stayed the distraught woman, and with tears of his own welling up in his eyes he bid her to let him speak on his own behalf. He met Dara's eyes, "You have done much good in her name – good she would have done herself, had she the opportunity. I… am glad you were the one to take Melda's place, old friend. Though I do wish I had known of her passing when it first happened."
"I am so sorry, Admiral – "
"Gul," he interrupted, "I am Gul. We fought together against the Usurper. There is no need for such formality."
The old woman stepped up beside the Admiral and indicated Dara, "Don't you see it?"
Dietz looked at the woman confused, "She fought beside us to bring Leader Desslok to power. I do not see how she could be the missing princess."
"I too fought at her side," Elisa offered. "Her name is similar, but that does not make her Lady Daratina."
"No. No, you do not see. This is the Lady Daratina of Gamilon, eldest child of Deun I and Talonka," the matron insisted.
Dietz looks at Dara again and noted a key difference in her appearance since he'd last seen her, "You've dyed your hair red, like Melda. It was brown – nearly black when we were in the Leader's service."
"No, Gul. This is the actual color of my hair."
The Admiral's eyes widened in fear as he bowed before Dara. "Forgive my ignorance, dear Lady. I did not know."
Elisa fell to her knees, head low.
The entire crowd knelt before their missing heir.
"Stop… please," Dara bent down and took Dietz's hands. She pulled him to his feet, "I just want to see Gamilon healed. I don't want your worship. I may have been Lady Daratina once, but I was Dara for much longer." She helped Elisa to her feet.
"Leader Dara," the old woman raised her hands toward the reluctant princess. "Will you be the one to guide us now?"
Dara froze as the light of morning washed over her, "I don't know if I can."
"Leader Desslok tried to save us, but could not. Perhaps you can," the woman struggled to get up off the ground. Dara reached out to help her. When she touched the matron's wrinkled hand, Dara saw in the woman's eyes the same hope she'd seen in Elisa's.
"I will do what I can," Dara allowed. "But, the first thing we must do is find out what remains beneath the Palace. If there are more survivors, they will need our help, and if we can find Leader Desslok, or any of the officers from the palace, we should."
A collective cheer rose from the crowd, but over the din, Dara could still hear her daughter's cry of distress as she was stolen away. Dara squeezed her eyes shut and let Constance's face burn into her mind's eye again. "I will come for you, neshamah sheli …" she whispered, "as soon as I can."
They searched the ruins for five long days. On the second day they broke through the melted mess and down into what was once the Palace sublevels. After that, they hauled out everything they could use. Even though the area was protected from the fire, the intense heat melted almost everything near the surface.
On the fifth day, Dara went down to the gutted wreck to see for herself what remained. As she approached the ruin, men and women parted, allowing her to pass. She looked into the bowed faces and wished her brother were here instead of her. She looked up through the corroded crust of the planet. Night was falling and the stars twinkled faintly above. Constance was somewhere out there, alone.
Sorrow gripped her and she fought to hold back her tears. She wanted to turn around and run – head for her tiny ship and leave, but instead she put one foot in front of the other until she came to the edge of the excavation.
She peered down into the hole. Below, torchlight flickered.
"Have you found anything else?" She asked Admiral Dietz, who stood on the other side of the shaft.
"No," he replied without looking at her.
Dara nodded. "I need to go down there, "she reached for the top of the ladder.
She swung over the hole and planted a boot on one metal rung. Before she had the chance to step down, she felt Dietz's hand on hers.
"Be careful," he cautioned, "some of the structure is unsound and may collapse without provocation."
Dara looked up into the soldier's eyes. He'd spoken little to her since her revelation and she was beginning to wonder if he was angry with her, but the look on his face now said everything.
"I'll be careful," she laid her hand on his and squeezed it once. "I have to see what's left."
"There are several areas no one's been able to get into," Dietz took back his hand. "The palace has many secrets, and some of them may still be intact. What guards them, I do not know, but if you can find a way to access them, they may be of help."
"If I find something, I'll bring it back," Dara started down the ladder.
"Contact me if you need assistance," the Admiral bid her farewell.
Dara descended into the semi-darkness. The lamps set up in the shaft were dim and far between. Her boots clanked on the metal, echoing in her ears.
She reached the bottom without incident and stepped off the ladder onto the floor of the top sub level. She looked around, noting the damage from the heat. On the far side of this room, half a wall lay slagged. The warped floor bowed beneath her feet. She spent a full twenty minutes scouring the first floor, looking for hidden doors or compartments the search party might have missed. Finding nothing, she looked for a way down to the next floor.
She found an inoperable elevator, then tried to find the stairs. Eventually she found where the flight used to be. Now, instead of a row of ordered steps, a glob of misshapen green sealed the way down.
She sighed and hiked back to the base of the ladder. Nearby, she found a way down to the next level, a hole sawed through the metal. A rope was attached to a stake firmly planted in the floor. Dara took hold of the rope and let herself down.
The second level was much like the first, damaged beyond repair. She searched again, but found nothing and was soon climbing down to the third floor. She repeated this process twice more until she came to the fifth level. The instant her boots touched the floor, she sensed something was different.
Everyone had cleared out for the night, and the flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the walls. Instead of the sad messes she'd come across before, this level seemed untouched. All the walls stood straight and the floor was sound.
She turned a full circle. There was a passage to her right, and a door blocked her way to the left. She approached the door, but it did not open. She searched for a manual override but couldn't find one. In lieu of forcing the door, she turned and headed down the hall. The gloom grew thicker and a chill ran down her spine as she delved into the lonely darkness.
The few patches of light lent little comfort, and the walls seemed to close in. Sweat dampened her clothes and she wiped her hands on her pants. Her breath came in short spurts, and the hall spun around her. She stopped and squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on taking deep breaths.
When she opened her eyes again, the world was normal.
She took one more deep breath and kept going.
The passage went on quite a ways, winding through a maze of open doors. She peeked into every one. Each time, there were torches scattered around the room and everything of value was gone.
She checked the time and saw it was getting late. She was about to turn around and head back to the surface when a blue-white glow appeared just ahead. Curious, she continued down the passage.
When Dara rounded a curve in the hall, she came face-to-face with a solid door. The light she'd seen emanated from three crystals, one embedded at the top of the door and the other two perched on each side.
She eyed the door, wary. She picked up one foot and stepped closer. As soon as her boot touched the ground, the glow intensified. Immediately she drew back and the light dimmed. She tested the door's response to her again, taking one step toward it. Just as before, the light grew brighter.
She felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle and a strange chill filled the air. Dara studied the three crystals. Though they made her uneasy, she did not believe them to be a threat.
She stepped right up to the door.
It opened.
She stood before the threshold wide-eyed with surprise. The room beyond was dark, so she stepped inside to get a better look. The instant she touched the floor lights blinked on.
The room was small and plain, but perched in the center of the tiny space, on a slender dais, rested a device she hadn't seen the like of since the rebellion against the Usurper.
With careful steps she circled the object. Shaped like an oval, no larger than a child's palm, the silver time-spoor shone like newly polished crystal. Carefully, she reached out and picked it up. She hefted it in her hand, noting how light it was. She had no idea how to use it, but the instant it touched her bare palm, images sprang to life around her.
Dara nearly dropped the device, but managed to grab hold of it just before it slipped out of her hand. When the contact with her skin broke, the images vanished, like frightened ghosts.
The haunting similarity between the phantoms she'd seen inside the Aquarius gate and the ones she'd just glimpsed was enough to give her pause before using the device again.
Dara stared at the time-spoor, noticing this time the back of the device. A perfect circle of blue green stone was mounted on it. Gold flecks sparkled inside the polished rock.
She held out a finger and tapped the strange stone. For half an instant, the same images blinked into existence, then disappeared. Hesitantly, Dara placed the device in her palm again. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths before cracking them open.
All around her, the phantoms stood, but this time Dara realized they weren't moving. The ghosts, though the very image of reality, were still.
She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and studied the visions. Men and women stood around, pointing to devices in their hands, or indicating places on the walls. No one looked particularly familiar, and Dara surmised most of these images must be of the room's construction.
She circled the dais, her back to it, looking for anyone who seemed out of place. When no one caught her eye, she stepped away from the dais to look at the scene from a different point of view. As soon as she put some distance between herself and the time-spoor's resting place she realized she'd been standing inside one of the phantoms.
A woman wearing a dark cloak and hood stood right in front of the dais. From behind, the stranger looked much like anyone else, but Dara was curious to see who this person was. She came around to the woman's side and was interested to see the stranger placing the time-spoor on the dais.
"Who are you?" She whispered and circled around in front of the phantom. As the woman's face came into view, Dara felt her heart ache with recognition. The woman's light blue skin and long auburn hair betrayed her identity long before Dara peered into her face.
She bent down to look into the familiar emerald eyes of her mother, Queen Talonka of Gamilon.
Episode 90: The Familiar Unknown
"Are you sure, Derek? It could be some other ship," Alex craned his neck to see over the trees. How can you tell for sure that's the Yamato?"
"I know," Derek insisted, stepping up the rise. "It's her."
"But how is that possible?" Feria asked. "I mean, the Yamato is up there," she pointed towards the water barrier above. "How is it down here too – and wrecked again?"
"I don't know," Derek shook his head. "Let's find out what's going on." He started down the hill towards the hulk. A few steps later he heard the thump of boots following him.
They pushed through the undergrowth. When they were close enough to see the hull jutting up out of the rocky earth, Derek stopped.
"Something's not right here," he held out an arm to stop anyone from taking another step.
"Agreed," Alex appeared beside his brother, "but we have to go in. We can't pass up this opportunity. What if there's something we can use to get out of here? We can't leave just because you're nervous to go in."
Derek bit his lip as his hackles rose at Alex's challenge. Reluctantly, he relented, "Yeah. Just – everyone be careful. If we run into trouble, we'll find another way to explore this place." The group nodded and started toward the downed ship. "And stay together," he added. "No one goes off alone – ever."
A chorus of agreement floated back to him on the thick jungle air.
Up ahead, Alex discovered an old, rusty access stairway, its base buried in the ground. It ran up to a door several dozen feet above the ground. Alex waved the group toward the rickety steps as he tested the first few.
Derek held his breath as he watched his brother take the first dozen stairs. Nothing collapsed. He sighed in relief and slowly followed the group up the stairs.
Alex reached for the handle and gave it a firm tug. The door didn't budge.
Feria stepped up to help and together, the pilot and former captain managed to pry it open.
"Come on," Alex waved Derek farther up the stairs. It's pretty dark in here, but I can see a light on the other side of this room." The elder Wildstar clicked on his flashlight and pointed it inside the door.
"Don't go in there yet," Derek called to them. "We're all going in together – to watch each other's backs." He took the last dozen steps several at a time.
Alex sighed and eyed the rickety stair railing, "Alright, but I really think one of us should go in first to make sure it's safe –"
"I'm not losing anyone else!" Derek stared hard into his brother's eyes. "You of all people should understand that."
Alex looked away. "Yeah…" he folded his arms across his chest, "I do."
"Be ready for anything," Derek instructed the group. "We don't know what's in there. This could be a way out, or it could be a trap."
Derek took the first step through the dark opening. As his eyes adjusted, he saw crates and boxes strewn across the floor. The light Alex mentioned shone dully through a crack in the far wall.
He motioned for the group to come ahead. The floor creaked beneath the group's weight.
Derek crept forward, silent.
He listened hard, straining to catch any unfamiliar sounds. Up ahead, the light still glinted through the hole. His boots didn't even click as he walked. The air crackled with energy as he drew nearer and nearer to the light.
He peered through the crack in the wall.
A single candle stood atop a golden candelabrum, a puddle of light in a large, dark room.
Derek leaned against the wall to get a better look. The wall gave way, sending him sprawling into the floor. A startled yelp nearly escaped, but he squelched it. He rolled forward and recovered, leaping to his feet.
The candle flame danced with the sudden gust of wind brought in by the new opening.
Derek's eyes darted around the shadowy room, searching for signs of danger. His teeth ground together as he stared into the thick gloom. The candle's light did little to aid him.
A light scuffing caught his ear and he whirled around.
"Whoa! Just me, Derek," Alex threw up his hands and backed away from the barrel of his little brother's astro automatic. "There's nothing here. We should probably see what's further in."
Derek tucked his weapon back into his holster, "Yeah… Let's go," he motioned for the other three to come on through the damaged wall. He looked up. From what little he could see, this place looked nothing like the inside of a battleship. The vaulted ceiling was at least thirty feet high and off to his right he could just make out the base of a winding staircase.
Flashlight at the ready, he trekked up the steps. The same sharp crackle filled the air and he fought the urge to turn around. The shadows pressed in around him, clawing at his feeble light. Then the darkness broke and he found himself at the end of a long, lit hall lined with doors.
He took a cautious step. Thick carpet lined the floor and old-fashioned lamps hung from the walls. "Looks a lot like an old hotel back on Earth," he muttered.
"Hey! This is just like where we went on vacation once when I was a kid. It's like one of those old-timey places in California," Feria passed Derek to examine one of the lights. "I loved these lamps." She ran a finger along the polished brass.
"Careful," Derek cautioned as he inched past her. "Just because it looks familiar doesn't mean it won't hurt you." Each door he passed, he studied. They all looked exactly the same except for the numbers hanging near the top corner. The hall came to an abrupt halt at the number two-oh three.
Another set of stairs led down into a lobby. Derek started out onto the landing. He peered over the side down into the lobby below and jerked back into the hall. "Quiet!" He hugged the wall, wide-eyed. "There are –" He swallowed hard. "– there are Gamilons down there!"
"What?" Feria hissed, dropping to a low crouch. She inched forward, craning her neck to see through the landing railing. Half a second later she pulled back. "Lovely…"
"Why are they here?" Homer shook as he crouched next to Feria. Royster blanched and started to keel over, but Derek caught him.
"The point is, they're here," Alex put in. "Let's take 'em out."
"No!" Derek shot back, making sure Royster wasn't going to faint again. "We can't just barrel in there, guns blazing."
"Why not?" Alex argued.
"Because…" Derek bit his lip as images of a desecrated Gamilon seared into his mind's eye. "We've done enough to them already…"
"So what do you suggest we do?" Alex challenged, fist balled. "I, for one, still owe them for what they did to me and Adam."
Derek shook his head. "Let's just get out of here." He led the way back to the dark stairwell and descended into the light of the lone candle.
"Hey, where's the hole we came through?" Feria asked from the top of the stairs. Her flashlight beam searched the wall.
"We're all gonna –" Royster wailed before Feria clamped a hand over his mouth.
"You want them to hear us?" she hissed. "Keep it to yourself for now, okay."
Derek heard a muffled agreement as Feria released the shivering science team member.
"It has to be here somewhere." Derek ran his hands along the wall, his flashlight tucked securely in his utility belt. The other members' lights flickered across the wall, illuminating bits and pieces of its surface. "Does anybody see where we came in?"
"Not getting anything," Feria answered.
"I don't see anything either, Wildstar," Homer agreed.
Royster whimpered from the top of the stairs.
"I don't think we're getting back out this way…" Alex muttered loudly enough for Derek to hear.
"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Derek growled back at his brother.
"Get back there and take 'em out," Alex replied.
Derek gritted his teeth and pressed his hand to his pounding head. "Let's get back to the landing." He trekked back up the stairs and down the hall again.
Back upstairs, Derek peeked out into the lobby, this time getting a better look at who was below. "I see three of them, and one's just a kid. There are five of us. We have a good chance of winning any fight they want to start, but I'm not going to be the one to fire the first shot." He narrowed his eyes at Alex. "We're going to walk out there and talk to them."
The elder Wildstar threw up his hands. "Fine. Just remember I didn't vote for this."
"Everybody up." Derek rose and started for the landing, hand hovering near his gun. Without a single pause, he led the way down the stairs.
"Galerans!"
Derek's head shot up and he stopped halfway down the stairs. The middle-aged Gamilon sitting on the lobby couch stared straight at him.
Derek's mouth hung open.
"What ship were you on?" the Gamilon continued.
"Uh…" Derek managed.
"You must be from the Mirangal," the man supplied. "It's a relief to see someone else stuck here too. We thought we were going to have to break out by ourselves."
"Break out?" Derek raised an eyebrow.
The Gamilon motioned for Derek and his group to join him. "Sit down. Tell us how you got here."
Derek looked back over his shoulder. No one made a peep. He gave them a subtle nod and went to sit across from the Gamilon. The boy he'd seen from the landing paced at the other end of the room and an old man hovered near the check-in desk.
He settled down on the couch, facing the Gamilon who Derek now saw wore a rugged scar on his cheek.
"Baren, Melhi," the stranger beckoned the old man and the boy over. "Maybe our friends here can tell us something we don't know. Raphan! Some of Captain Rikke's crew are here!"
Footsteps echoed on the hard floor as another man appeared from the dark archway beside the check-in desk.
"Um… well… We got caught in a haze," Derek began.
"A haze you say?"
The question startled Derek. "Yes. It was… very strange. We entered the area and weren't able to get back out," he answered the woman who rounded the end of the couch and sat down beside the scarred man. Her long, red dress swept the floor as she walked.
Derek's mouth went dry as she crossed her legs and smiled at him. She leaned into the couch backing and sighed. "We never encountered anything like that. How would you describe it, Berger?"
The scarred man leaned forward, "It was like being drawn into another universe. There was a song – loud and persistent pounding in my ears. Was it the same for you, Raphan?"
The man who'd entered later took a seat next to Derek, "Yes, very similar. I was alone in my cabin when I heard it. I can only hope no one else from my ship was imprisoned here. Perhaps my crew will find a way to get us out."
Derek tore his eyes away from the woman. He folded his nervous hands. "My group and I were out on a scout mission when we found this place."
"We were just discussing how we might get out of here," the scarred man, Berger, offered. "We could use your help."
"Of – of course," Derek stuttered. "What did you have in mind?"
"So you just went along with it," Alex sat down hard on the bed and growled, "Just like that!" The elder Wildstar folded his arms over his chest and glared down his nose at Derek. "You're going to get them all killed!"
"I can't explain it, but they can't see us as we are, and they can understand what we're saying," Derek protested. "Keep your voice down. These walls are like paper."
Alex gave a frustrated grunt and let his fist slam into the bed with a muffled thump. "What makes you so sure they don't know who we are? Maybe they're trying to get us to trust them before they kill us."
"Why would they do that? There are more of them than us."
"And who knows how many more are lurking in the shadows waiting to murder us in our sleep," Alex hissed.
"Just –" Derek held up a hand to calm his brother. "– give them a chance. Maybe they're telling the truth."
"Regardless, I'm taking the first watch tonight." Alex rose and began pacing. "There's no way we're sleeping in this place without keeping one eye open."
"Okay." Derek retreated to the bed in the far corner. "At least Royster and Homer can watch each other's backs."
"What about your pilot, Noble?"
"Oh, don't worry about Feria. She can take care of herself." Derek smirked as he pulled off his boots and lay back on the mattress.
"Leave the lights on." Alex caught his hand as Derek reached for the bedside lamp.
Derek rolled onto his side, facing the wall. "At least turn off the overhead."
The ceiling light flickered out.
Derek sighed and closed his eyes. Thoughts of that dark lobby at the other end of the hall haunted his dreams. In them, he clawed at the walls, digging into the thick metal with raw fingers. He dented the barrier over and over, but it would not allow him through. Hot panic rose in his throat as he pounded on the wall and shouted for someone to let him out. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked around, catching a flash of red.
"Your turn."
"Huh!" Derek bolted upright in bed. "Oh, yeah, right…" He rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned as Alex took off his shoes and tucked himself into bed. "Anything happen while I was out?"
"Nah. But you can hear Royster whining like a Chihuahua through the walls."
"Nothing from across the hall?"
"Not a peep." Alex rolled over. "See you in the morning – whatever 'morning' is in this place."
"Yeah…" Derek shoved his hands in his pockets and paced. A few minutes later he heard his brother's light snore. "I just hope we can find a way out of here…" he whispered. "I feel like I'm in a box… and all the walls are closing in."
"What a day," Feria switched off the ceiling light and plopped down on her bed. "Hope I can sleep." She fell back onto the fluffy blanket. Everything was quiet except for the muffled whimpering that leaked through from the next room over.
Feria clicked off the bedside lamp. She sighed and closed her eyes. Comfortable darkness settled on her as she drifted off to sleep.
"Feria…" a woman's voice nudged her groggy mind. "Feria Noble…"
"Who…?" The pilot propped up on her elbows to see who was calling her. "Who's in here?"
"Ah. I'm sorry to wake you."
Feria swung out of bed and turned on the lamp. "Oh! It's you." She spotted the woman from the lobby sitting in a chair near the far wall. She was still wearing her red dress. "How did you get in here? I thought I locked the door."
"Oh," the Gamilon woman raised an eyebrow and covered her mouth, "I'm sorry. I knocked, but no one answered, so I tried the door. It was open."
"Could've sworn I locked it," Feria quietly chided herself. "So what brings you here in the middle of the night?"
"I couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind," the Gamilon replied.
"You're… Captain Rikke, right?" Feria pointed to the woman's dress and heels, "Isn't that a little… impractical?"
The woman laughed. "Please, call me Neredia, and yes, I don't particularly fancy this ensemble."
"So why are you wearing it?"
"I was… trying it on when I heard the music and was drawn here," Neredia offered. "I wanted to see if it still fit after all these years."
"I see," Feria sat back down on the bed as silence fell between the two women. She watched Neredia's eyes wander the room and followed her gaze when it stopped at the bedside table.
"There is a story told among my people," Neredia left her chair and reached for a book tucked on the other side of the lamp. Feria hadn't even noticed it.
The other woman sat next to Feria and picked up the book. She held it up for the pilot to see. The script on the front was in unfamiliar characters.
"Who's the girl?" Feria pointed to the child on the cover.
"She is not named in the story." Neredia opened the book to the first page. The sprawling illustrations caught Feria by surprise. "The story of the Diviner is one long debated by historians and philosophers. I heard it many times as a child. I don't suppose you're familiar with it?"
"No," Feria shook her head. "Will you tell it to me?"
Neredia smiled as she stared at the first page, "Once upon a time, there was a blue land that lay far to the west. One day, a little girl arrived."
Neredia flipped the page and an image of the pale-skinned girl from the cover greeted Feria. The child's raven hair was striking.
"She came to the blue land because she wanted someone to be her friend. A lonely man took her into his home and made her his daughter, but she longed for another person to love her. She grew sad and cried out, 'Why will no one be my friend? Does no one want me?'"
"All the people of the blue land, except the man who took her in, hated the little girl." Angry faces filled the next page. "They despised and feared her strange power. She could change the elements around her, even dark matter. She's what is called a Diviner. Because of her power, she could destroy whole cities, even whole worlds. Her father forbade her from telling anyone what she could do, but one day someone saw her and told the rest of the people. The people fought over her, like a prized weapon. The little girl, afraid, locked herself in her home. When she refused to lend her power to anyone, the people called her a witch and tried to kill her. In her panic, the little girl lashed out, destroying the city and everyone in it, including her father."
Neredia turned several pages at once. The girl sat crying, a mountain of rubble lying in flames behind her.
"Weeping, she set out to find a faraway land. She sailed away in a ship Shaddai left for her in His compassion."
Feria stared in awe at the drawing of the girl's winged ship.
"It bore her to the land of tomorrow, which lies just beyond our sight."
The last page showed the girl one more time, but instead of black, her hair shone golden in the light of sunset. Her blue dress, once in tatters, was now whole again.
"It's just a fairy tale," Neredia closed the book and set it back down on the table. "If there were any truth to it, surely we would know by now."
"How old is this story?"
"A little over one hundred years." Neredia started toward the door. "I should be going. I think I've finally found it in myself to sleep." Just before the door clicked shut, Neredia said, "Goodnight."
"'Night," Feria waved awkwardly.
When Neredia's footsteps faded, Feria reached for the book. It was gone.
She rubbed her eyes furiously and looked all around the table, but the book was nowhere to be found.
"I'll look for it in the morning," she muttered and climbed back into bed. She turned off the light for half a second before clicking it back on, locking the door and going back to bed.
- The unaltered version of Neredia's story, called The Lonely Witch can be found in the Yamato movie, Ark of Stars/Odyssey of the Celestial Ark and is significantly different from the version found here. The original story can also be found online at ourstarblazers. com.