Aklesh

Aklesh

Published at Smashwords

By Samuel Jarius Pettit copyright 2011

Chapter 1

There is no freedom in the universe as great as flying.

Prince Gareth Orestes came again to this familiar realization as his shuttle burned a red streak through the sky of the foreign planet.

He wasn’t supposed to be taking joy rides through the atmosphere of an unknown and distant galactic protectorate. Parliamentary law forbade such frivolously reckless behavior. Still, if a crown prince couldn’t take such an entitlement, what worth was there in even having the title? Besides, in populated systems one always had to bother with air and space traffic regulations. Even on aerotracks Gar still felt confined, like an animal pacing in its cage.

Open skies were the only places where he could stretch his wings, so to speak. He rationalized that any galactic protectorate already knew of the Galactic Congress, they just chose not to take part in it and continue as planet-bound savages. If those people weren’t using their beautiful skies like every other civilized culture, why let all that glorious space go to waste?

Gar tried to close his mind to everything, with the exception of the view through his screen and the vibrations from his shuttle as it cut through the air. Although the hum from the thrusters helped him to let go of most things he’d left behind, it couldn’t shut out the nagging voices that tugged in his recent memory. The anger and indignation he’d been trying to escape began to swell up again like water rising to a boil under constant heat.

This just wasn’t working for him.

The young prince gripped the controls of his shuttle tightly and took the ship into a spin. Accelerating, he gave the thrusters a boost and shot across the white, sunlit plain like a comet.

There were only a few things that made dealing with his life easier, and the speed of flying a shuttle – really flying it – ranked close to number one. His family and advisors would call his other recreations more along the lines of vice, but he saw them as essential therapies for a royal condition.

The landscape beneath him changed and erupted into a forest of gorgeous purples and lush violets. Gar had never been to this protectorate before. In fact, he had barely looked at its interstellar assignment when he punched the code into the planetary access portal. But he liked the way it looked. All inhabited planets were different in some way, like variations on a theme. Teraforming had a fairly universal effect on an environment in order to make it livable for humanoids, but each individual world always had its own distinct interpretation of the process. The resulting effects were, most times, spectacular. Gar made a mental note to remember this place for future excursions.

After cruising for a few minutes, Gar loosened his grip and his breathing began to relax. He even realized he was clenching his teeth and allowed his jaw muscles to release. In the atmosphere of an unknown planet, he could find some much-needed peace. He allowed the shuttle to slow down and started to fly casually. This planet gave off a sweet serenity.

There was no such thing as serenity on his home world of Orestus, at least, not for him.

Sure, he would be admonished later for not letting anyone know where he was going, but it was worth it for the precious distraction. Recently, all he could think to pursue was distraction. Anything to keep himself off of the palace’s royal radar.

Anger began to creep upon him again. Instinctually, he put on speed, accelerating towards a large water mass in the distance. The hope was to somehow out-race his feelings.

Just then a small, blue warning signal showed up on the lower part of his screen.

***

It was an hour earlier and Princess Gwendolyn Coradae Orestes stood in the doorway of Gar’s private chambers watching him prepare to run off again.

She was dressed in a sleek gown of ornate and rich fabrics that were of the current fashion. Her rich ebony hair was pulled back and accented by green jewels that matched her eyes. Dark hair and emerald eyes were traits shared by her slightly older brother and were defining features of the Orestes line for many generations. Gareth’s only sister was a striking figure of poise and beauty, qualities she had in abundance. In the whole mess of family, government and the complex machine work that entwined the two, she was the single pearl of serenity, love and reason for the troubled prince.

He sighed as he pulled on his burgundy piloting jacket with the royal family crest emblazoned on the upper left breast -- an elegant black design of delicate swirls and gold leafing. Everyone on the thousands of planets in the Orestian Dynasty knew that emblem. Some saw it as a symbol of unity in a cold universe; others saw it as a representation of something much darker. But either way, it was instantly recognizable and inescapable, especially for Gar.

Gweni, don’t even start, he said as he began to fasten his right boot. I just had to go through this with mother, and I hear this from the parliament every other minute. Please, not from you. Not today,

Gwendolyn folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. Gar turned his back in order to avoid the wordless expression that said volumes. For many years they had been able to speak to each other as only close siblings can, with the nuanced looks and subtle gestures of two people whose lives are so intimately intertwined. It hurt him deeply to have been keeping so much from her.

I just need to get away for a while, he continued defensively.

You’ve said that before, more recently than I think you realize, she replied, a coolness to her voice.

He stomped his foot down to secure it in the boot and started on the other boot, still avoiding her glare.

You just wouldn’t understand, he said, a little louder that he intended. He hoped she would stop pursuing the issue while still knowing she wouldn’t.

You’ve said that before, too.

Her reminder made Gar angry. He found himself getting angry more often in recent months and usually with little provocation. It was a spark that got ignited too easily and a fire that he couldn’t control. And issues or perceived slights would gnaw at him long after they had passed for everyone else.

Well, its true, Gweni! he said, irritated and dressing with more determination, still not looking at her. You are not inheriting this massively horrible responsibility. I am. How could you possibly have any idea of what I’m going through? You live in a bubble filled with little ceremonies and ribbon cuttings and stupid social circles. I have crap!

I wouldn’t say that, she replied in her cool, unaffected voice. You have your gambling, your partying, your whoring.

When the young prince would go into a blaze, his sister always kept an even keel. Her sudden, rather accurate attack caught him by surprise and he stopped momentarily, creating an awkward silence.

You don’t know what you are talking about, he mumbled.

Lacing his other boot and standing up, he finally looked her in the face. What Gar had expected to see was an expression of anger or sympathy, but this time what met him was an expression entirely different and unexpected. It was a look of sadness. But somewhere, just below the surface of those emerald pools, there was another emotion.

It almost seemed to be fear. Gar was sure he was mistaken.

Stay, she said, simply. It’s not too late.

It was odd for her to be so vulnerable. To most people, including her brother, she tried to shield her emotions. Yet in that moment, she was his little sister looking at her big brother, needing reassurance. He swallowed his anger and kissed her forehead.

You’re worrying over nothing. He forced a smile and walked past her. Don’t be such a silly little girl. As he passed she took his hand and squeezed it.

Please, she said. Be safe.

***

In no time, the little blue warning signal had erupted into a whole screen full of multi-colored caution lights demanding immediate attention to all the failing systems.

Several different diagrams of the shuttle were popping up and indicating problems while warning alerts sounded in a cacophony of chaotic beeping. Something had gone terribly wrong incredibly fast. The severe shaking of the capsule wasn’t helping much either.

What the hell?! Gar swore aloud.

His fingers flew as he worked through the warnings as quickly as possible to get to the bottom of the problem. It took only seconds for him to isolate it, knowing this shuttle inside and out as he did. After all, the ship was his baby.

What was becoming clear was that there had been a malfunction in the right booster. It was the part that controlled the plasma output for the right thruster. This had set off a chain reaction that had disabled the entire thruster, making it almost completely useless. There really weren’t any better ways to screw up the whole shuttle that fast.

With a massive Crack! the thruster blew entirely and the ship was thrown into an uncontrolled spin. Gar could only partially correct it by firing his stabilizers. He put them at full thrust on the right side while compensating for the massive amount of power he now had to deal with coming from the left. This stopped the shuttle from careening out of control, but even with that small success, there was no stopping the shuttle from crashing into the planet surface.

Meanwhile, more warning diagrams popped onto the screen concerning other malfunctions that were taking place throughout the craft. Beyond the tech haze he could see the purplish trees of the landscape in front of him becoming clearer as he lost altitude. The massive alien lake loomed dangerously ahead.

Gar knew there were a few deck technicians back on Orestus that were going to lose their jobs, at the very least.

That is, if he survived.

***

Janphor scurried down an immense hallway of the palace.

The servant had been running around for the past half hour in an attempt to intercept the prince before he took off on some foolish escapade. This errand had been on the princess’s bidding.

The entire royal palace was furnished and decorated with rich fabrics and precious metals, draped lavishly over the towering walls and high ceilings while the marble floors stretched around him. Indeed, the huge scale of each room and passage made him feel a bit like a long distance runner in trying to traverse them.

The creature hurrying along so urgently had been Gwendolyn and Gareth’s tutor when the children were young and their attendant as they got older. Being from a planet on the outer rim known as Knall, his species, the Knalites, were one of the few of the known galaxy that had not descended from the origin race. He was small, standing at barely five feet, and rather lizard-like in his appearance. His eyes were large and oval like smooth black stones and his scaly skin olive in color. He wore the standard garb of his people consisting of flowing pants with a long ornate jacket and hood in the colors of the royal family.

When the prince and princess were younger, Janphor used his shape changing abilities to educate and entertain them. He would adopt the appearance of different human hybrids throughout the galaxy and instruct his pupils about their cultures and customs.

In recent years he could be seen darting around the main living quarters of the royal family busily searching after one member or another. He was a rather nervous seeming creature, but this was typical of most of his kind. His outward appearance aside, he was very clever and good at the job he performed.

Lately, that job was keeping tabs on the royal family -- namely the two heirs. The prince was making this task far more difficult. His escapades had become more numerous and their results much harder to cover up. His royal highness had developed into a rather effective magnet for scandal and an extravagant lifestyle.

Although the prince’s recent reckless cavorting came as an annoyance to Janphor, he loved both the children as if they had been his own hatchlings, though he would never admit to this since such claim was far above his station.

Janphor came upon Gar just as he was entering the shuttle bay; his helmet hooked under one arm. The royal fleet was housed there, containing all the shuttles used to transport the royal family as well as any luxury vehicles in their collection. Gar was walking towards his personal shuttle, a sleek red ship with gold detailing and two massively powerful twin thrusters three times the size of the cockpit. It was the prize of his collection and commissioned specifically for the prince, who had developed a taste for such toys. Indeed there was none like it in the universe. Janphor knew this since he had been the one to arrange for it.

Your majesty, Janphor called in his trembling tenor voice, as loud as he could project. Gar sped up his pace, which was already difficult for the Knalite to keep up with, being without shoes. Footwear was considered taboo by his kind. Prince Gar, please stop for moment. I have a message for you. Please.

The prince did not slow down but reached his ship and climbed the small access ladder as the five shuttle bay workers finished last minute preparations for takeoff. Janphor moved as quickly as his three-toed feet would allow and got to the shuttle just as the prince was starting the preliminary flight sequences. He was out of breath but still did his best.

My l-l-lord, he panted. I come with a m-m-message.

Out with it, Janny. Gar said impatiently, using the children’s nickname for their old friend. What could be so important that it can’t wait?

It’s from your sister, princess Gwendolyn… Janphor started.

Gar interrupted, I have already spoken with her. She can have nothing more to say. And with this, he put on his helmet and started the thrusters. They began to lift off the smooth metal surface of the shuttle bay and warm up. The noise from their vibrating made shouting even harder for the small creature, who was already struggling to be heard.

She asks… Janphor shouted, …pleads with you to stay a little while longer. She has something important she wants to discuss with you.

In response Gar started to close the inner and outer shuttle capsule doors. The noise was now becoming deafening, and soon Janphor would have to step back to get out of harm’s way. His clothes were whipping in the air that was blasting from the huge thrusters.

At least tell me where you are going?! Janphor shouted as loudly as possible.

Out! Gar yelled back.

Janphor saw the prince punch an interstellar assignment code into his control pad. He could only make out the first number on the shuttle’s screen, which was zero, before the capsule doors shut completely. Out beyond the shuttle bay, the lights on the royal family’s private planetary access portal lit up, receiving the information from the prince’s shuttle. Since all royal codes were restricted, there was no way to find out where he was going.

The prince was now merely a shadow behind the protective layers of the cockpit shielding. The silhouette waved to his tutor, who had cleared back a good 50 feet. Air was rushing all around and Janphor had to keep his hand on his hood. He watched as a burst of beautiful golden energy came from the thrusters. There was a loud ‘BOOM’ and the shuttle shot out of the bay into space, only to instantly disappear through the access portal on its way to some unknown destination.

***

Plasma was pouring out of Gar’s right thruster in massive quantities, leaving a jagged trial in the atmosphere of the foreign planet. He was shooting like a meteor out of the sky and there was no way he could stop it.

The giant lake was rushing towards him and it would be seconds before the shuttle collided with it. Gar knew the shielding of the spacecraft would offer some protection from impact, but after that, there was no telling what would happen. Gritting his teeth, he gripped both hands on the controls in a vain effort to somehow have power over his descent.

The whole shuttle vibrated wildly. The malfunctioning thruster sputtered and buzzed on his right. Instinctively, Gar covered his face as the ship skidded along the surface of the alien lake, sending a stream of water spraying into the air in its wake. Then the right thruster buckled and broke off from the main pod with a thunderous ‘CRACK!’ The whole ship crashed into the water with an explosive splash.

There were three shields that protected pilots in these ships. Two of those were the physical shielding of the cockpit and the other was a projected shield of energy surrounding the ship itself. Although this third shield could absorb a great deal of shock, it wasn’t foolproof.

The result being that he was alive but badly thrown about. His eyes had been squeezed shut for the impact and Gar knew he’d have to open them. The glugging sound he heard told him everything. The shuttle, or whatever was left of it, was already fully under water and sinking rapidly.

His heart was pounding as he opened his eyes to a screen that was firing on and off randomly as it broke down. In the quick pictures it did show, Gar could only see bubbles and blackness.

Any chance of survival meant ejecting from the shuttle. He took a deep breath, grabbed the safety harness that strapped him into his chair and pressed the control. The shuttle pod’s door opened suddenly. Water pounded in quicker than Gar had expected and the pilot seat, with him in it, shot out of the pod.

The extreme rush of cold water and the thrust of the seat’s ejection felt like a punch in the stomach. The shock forced out all his air. All the precious oxygen he needed was gone. Now he only had moments.

And the shuttle chair kept him prisoner, dragging him further into the inky blackness.

In a panic the prince wrestled with the harness, desperately trying to release the mechanism. His gloved fingers fumbled awkwardly, but finally he got free. He shimmied his body from the straps as the chair continued to sink below him, but at least he was free. Gar forced his helmet off. Frantically he flailed his arms and kicked his legs but got nowhere. The ice-cold chill of the water was seeping into his skin, and his head began to pound. Without meaning to, he opened his mouth and water forced itself into his lungs.

Gar struggled in vain but soon lost the ability to fight. A strange feeling of serenity came over him. It was all over. He could do nothing more to save himself.

At that moment the whole situation struck Gar as hysterical. The circumstance was ridiculous! He was a galactic prince who had spent all of his time roaming space. Now he was dying alone on some unimportant planet, deep under water and no one knew.

Drowning.

He looked below into the blackness where he’d soon descend and saw the blinking lights of his ship, very small now, like a broken toy. The lights flickered as their power drained and finally went out. The metal shapes faded into the silent nothingness of the abyss.

Gar lifted his face up to where the water was more grayish and where he was sure the surface was, the one he would never get to. In his last moments he reached his hand towards the ghostly light. As his eyes began to cloud, he saw a vision.

It was of a being surrounded by a halo of light that shown from the surface. Gracefully it stretched out a hand to his, arriving to take him into the next realm. The prince thought of ancient stories of winged people from beyond that carried the dead to their final resting place.

He smiled peacefully. It was so beautiful.

And then everything faded to white.

Chapter 2

Drifting.

This was the first sensation that Gar was aware of.

A calm drifting, like a feather on a soft breeze. He found himself naked and slowly descending through a pale fog. There was nothing around him beyond his own hands and feet and a comfortable warmth to the air. His chest felt a lightness, as if all burden was lifted.

It was such an easy dream.

Inside his mind there was nothing of what had happened or the chaos he had come from. Was he dead? Was this the afterlife? The answers to these questions no longer mattered. The gentle gliding was all that existed, and in it there was absolute peace.

The next sensation that came upon him was of soft grass beneath his feet. It came as no surprise to Gar that he might feel this. After what could have been a moment or a lifetime, he looked down at where he now found himself standing. The grass itself was pale and long with some of the blades weaving between his toes.

Gar looked up and realized he was standing on a large plain. The field stretched as far as he could see, and above was a cloudless blue sky. There was no sound beyond the soft rustling of the grass all around him. The sight was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Footsteps in the grass.

The sound started softly behind him. He couldn’t tell if it was an animal or humanoid. Soon more steps in the grass joined it, as if in the distance. Gar looked around but saw no one. He turned in a circle several times, searching the horizon for whatever was rushing towards him. On the last turn a large outcropping of rocks about 150 feet high appeared before him in the distance. He stood staring in wonder at the stone hill that hadn’t been there before.

The sound of steps became running, and it was getting closer and closer. The amount of footfalls had increased and meant there were a huge number of people coming like a stampede. Still he could see no one but the noise grew ever louder. Soon whoever they were would be right on top of him.

Just before the sound reached a deafening percussive height, it ended abruptly.

It was then he felt a stinging pain in the center of his forehead. He began to touch the spot when a single body suddenly rushed past him. It stopped a few feet ahead of where he stood and turned, regarding him slowly.

It was a member of the Orestian royal guard in full ceremonial uniform, but the individual was not a person he had encountered before. His skin was grey and his eyes were strange.

They stared at each other for an immeasurable amount of time. The only thought that came into Gar’s mind was that this person, dressed as he was, was out of place on the grassy plain. He did not belong.

Soon the sound of people running began again. Gar turned.

Stretched as far as he could see was the whole royal court. He could make out his sister and parents, the high ministers and parliamentary leaders. Among them as well were lords and ladies of the court and several of the royal guard. Each person was dressed in finery only reserved for coronations or funerals. They were all running as fast as they could. At first he thought that they were being pursued, chased by some unseen assailant. Then it became clear.

They were hunting.

Gar turned back to the guard who he had seen first. With a simple gesture the strange soldier beckoned for him to follow. At that moment the young prince realized he was also dressed in a ceremonial uniform. This scenario was again strange and yet not totally unexpected.

As was his desire to join the hunt, and he too began to run.

Once they all reached the rocks the people started to climb without hesitation. Every person took hand to stone and began to ascend. The bulky clothing posed no obstacle as they worked their way to the top of the hill over rocks and dried branches. The prince was in the lead of the company, following his overwhelming urge to get to the top.

He reached it first.

There was a cave in the rock and whatever was in there gave a snort.

In the darkness the unmistakable sound of metal scraping ground could be heard. In the shadows a shape began to take form as one of it huge legs edged forward into the light. The haunch was red and shiny with gold detailing. It was well muscled and had huge claws. As the large foot pulled out of the shadows Gar realized he was staring at one of the thrusters of his shuttle. It was and yet it wasn’t.

For the first time the prince began to realize that something was terribly wrong. None of this was possible. The monster crept out of the opening, slipping from the shadows of the rocky overhang to reveal its gigantic form. Gar stared in confusion at the creature that was a wondrous paradox.

It was his shuttle. Yet, warped and perverted into monstrous life.

His ship was transformed and had somehow morphed into an impossible animal. It stood on the two large thrusters like huge front haunches 15 feet high.

Suddenly it reared up on one thruster, threw up the other high in the air and roared menacingly.

This made the crowd surge and take up a whooping battle cry. The lords and ladies rushed toward the creature with a feverish desire to destroy the vicious beast, attacking it without mercy.

Gar stayed in place. The impossibility of everything he was witnessing sank into his being. The massacre of the creature seemed to go mute as his mind worked hard to wrap itself around what he witnessed. It was a horrible, twisted dream of things he understood and other things that were completely foreign to everything he knew.

Something wet began to drip from the center of his forehead.

When he touched his finger to the spot, there was a sting of pain. Gar winced and pulled his hand back. On his finger was the unmistakable redness of blood, his blood. He was bleeding