The canopy city of Waquis is spectacular and Maria never wants to leave. It’s hard for her to believe that the city is constructed hundreds of feet over the surface; there are elaborate wooden walkways large enough for pedestrian and motor vehicle travel that connect to wooden residential and commercial buildings constructed among the leaves and branches.
She walks the wooden streets with Whadgaf, and a man named Kal who wears a hood to cover his face. There is plenty of shade on the street, but the rays of the planet’s suns do penetrate the canopy vegetation in some spots.
Maria is overwhelmed with wonder. Everything seems familiar, the brown branches and tree trunks, the mostly green leaves in a rainbow of tones, the multicolored flowers that bloom, but it is all very different from what she is used to.
“Stay close,” Kal says to her as she gets distracted and falls behind them.
The people are just as fascinating to Maria as the setting. She sees many men with children, men and women with children and they could be human, but they have red skin that ranges from light pink to deep brownish-red. She wants to talk to them, she has so many questions, but she catches up to Kal and Whadgaf as they enter a large building with a branch covered in leaves protruding from the facade. Inside, Maria recognizes it as an apartment building made completely of wood and Kal leads them to an elevator, then takes them up a few floors. He knocks on one of the apartment doors. A man answers, there is a baby nursing at his nipple and he holds another who sleeps on his chest.
“What can I do for you all?” the man asks, obviously annoyed.
Kal removes his hood and Maria sees the man’s expression change.
“Brother Qor, I thought I’d never see you alive again. Come inside, please.”
He ushers them all inside and Maria is wowed by the furniture that is made of wood and suspended from the ceiling with ropes. They all sit in individual chairs that are like swings and Maria sways slowly as Kal hugs the man and his children.
“How are you here? First Captain Nuren made you a traitor to the public. People hate you more than the d-.”
Maria realizes that the man says a word that the translator in her ear can’t translate into English. It was easy to forget that the translator was translating because it worked so seamlessly, so the skip was very noticeable to Maria.
“What was the word he used?” She whispers to Whadgaf.
“It’s like a demon, a monster, but that’s not quite it. There are people on Wiis who exist as a separate people. They are considered barbaric, they are the monsters in the shadows of stories told to Rhasdwiis children. They are not really monsters, it is difficult to explain.”
Maria nods and turns her attention back to Kal.
“Telin, I know it’s risky to be here. But my friends Whadgaf and Maria need information that I know we could only find here. And you were an assistant to the First Captain. I’m glad you’re not working with the military anymore.”
“I loved my job and being a father is so much harder. These babies are always hungry and they need so much attention. I’m not complaining, Yeun is an amazing wife…”
“You married Yeun?” Kal says as he erupts in laughter. “You hated her! She was Pen’s most annoying friend!”
Telin smiles. “She loved me so much. I couldn’t believe how eager she was to retire. She does private security now, she’s organizing security for the Waquis governor. We have a good life here.”
“I was surprised that you owned an apartment building, but I guess that all makes sense.”
“How did you find me?” Telin asks.
“The banned regions are full of rumors, and I paid a lot.”
“So why are you all here? You didn’t risk your life to catch up with an old friend.”
“I need to understand what Pen is doing with the Interstellar Panel. You were her assistant when I left. What was she doing there?”
“Kal, I don’t think I should be discussing this. I’m not employed by the military, but First Captain Nuren is important. I still have security detail from my time with the military, and it’s not for my protection. If anyone recognizes you, First Captain will know.”
Kal looks sad. “I need to know what Pen is working on, Telin. I understand if you can’t talk, but please keep my secret and point me in the direction of someone who can. You know I am no threat to Pen, I would never hurt her or do anything to undermine her safety. I have made the safe zone of the banned regions my home and things are happening now that threaten that. I have lost one home, I couldn’t bear to lose another.”
Telin shakes his head.
“First Captain has no interest in the banned regions. You shouldn’t worry about that.”
“But we have seen whatever politics First Captain Nuren is involved in negatively impact the banned regions in recent history,” Whadgaf says. “Refugee settlements have been demolished and innocent people have died on at least two planets. The Captain has an alliance with the Krognians, Hafjeris, and a new representative from a planet called Earth. Her ignorance of the banned regions is contributing to it’s neglect.”
Telin considers Whadgaf and then he looks to Kal.
“The First Captain’s work isn’t the prerogative of an assistant. I worked closely with her before she moved permanently to the IP, so I really wouldn’t know anything at all about what she is up to now. I’m sure you’ve heard about the First Captain’s exploits around the universe from the IP news transmissions. She is making the Rhasdwiis a preeminent species of the universe, making a good name for us all.”
“Do you really think that’s all it’s about?” Kal asks. “I know we were born in different circumstances, you grew up with Pen in the north, surrounded by the military and you trust it implicitly that everything they do is for a greater good. But I lost my brothers, Telin. I know how selfish they can be.”
“We have all lost things,” Telin says sympathetically. “I understand your skepticism. But honestly, I wouldn’t know. You would have to talk to someone who is active in the military. I don’t know who would help you, though. Unless…do you remember Pen’s cousin?”
Kal shakes his head, “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.”
“She still talks about you. And she would give anything to make Pen angry. You should talk to her.”
Kal hugs Telin.
“I’m sorry to burden you, but it really was so good to see you.”
“I’m glad you came. And I will keep your secret. I won’t even tell Yeun that I saw you. Just please be safe. And know that Wiis is a different planet than the one you left. Everyone views the military as heroes and if you’re an enemy of the First Captain, you’re an enemy of almost everyone. I am here if you need me.”
Kal leaves with Maria and Whadgaf. They walk for a long time and finally come to a small home.
“We can sleep here,” Kal says and when they are comfortable inside, he explains that the house had belonged to a relative he knew to be dead.
They relax in the small house and it reminds Maria of the small house where she lived with her mother as a child.
“There are beds in the back if you all are tired. We will have to find transportation to the north. We were only able to safely land in the south because there is less military surveillance where there are less military bases. If we take our ships north, we’ll be asking for trouble.”
Whadgaf produces three metal rods from the large bag on her back. They are not very long at first, but they grow to about five feet as she holds them away from her body.
“Jet bikes,” she says. “Kazi Lograt lent them to me the last time we met in the banned regions. They are solar powered with backup batteries. They change shape of course. We can cover a good distance on these.” Whadgaf secures them at her waist when they begin to shrink to a more portable size.
Maria sways in a chair and she listens to Whadgaf and Kal as she drifts off to sleep.
“I think that Pen is after war,” Kal says. “I just don’t know who she would be at war with. Wiis isn’t involved in any conflict, the rivalry with the Krognian Queen is being played diplomatically, the Fhetat hasn’t been a threat for many rounts.”
“Maybe she is after control of the IP,” Whadgaf offers
“But there is no leader of the IP. They are specifically designed to have equal representation.”
“But they could change that presumably,” Whadgaf says. “Vwrawl got it’s warpway, maybe the First Captain asked to be the head Representative.”
Maria is barely conscious at this point in the conversation, but just before she slips away into sleep, there is commotion at the front door and two armed men in military attire enter yelling commands.
“Down on the floor!”
“Move, move, move!”
Kal stands with both his hands above his head and Whadgaf stands next to him, her empty hands itching in the air. Maria stands and yells “Stop!” Both men are still as statues.
“What’s going on?” Kal asks. “Why’d they stop?”
“Maria, who are they?” Whadgaf asks, ignoring Kal’s question.
Maria can feel the recent memories of the men who are very still in front of them. She can feel their determination to find someone, and the relief that they finally have. She can feel their panic at being frozen in place and she parrots the words inside the mind of one of the men who speaks in a language that Maria does not know.
“They know I’m here,” Kal says.
“What do I do with them,” Maria asks, suddenly back to herself. “I could do to them what they planned to do to us,” she says with anger in her eyes.
“What is happening?” Kal asks.
“Maria has a power that allows her to control others,” Whadgaf explains, “and she can access their minds in a limited capacity.”
“That’s convenient,” Kal says. “Can you tie them up?”
“Then what?” Maria asks. “Won’t they kill you if they find you here? The military knows exactly where you are and if they report back that they found you, they’ll confirm you’re here and we won’t ever leave this planet. I should kill them.”
Whadgaf looks at Maria with shock on her face.
“Don’t kill them, it will raise the same flags if these men disappear. Make them call their superiors and tell them that they found someone here who wasn’t Kal. That should throw them off of us for a little while.”
“Then do I kill them,” Maria asks, “because if we leave them they will eventually contact their superiors.”
“Don’t kill them,” Kal says. “Can you make them stay here until we find Pen’s cousin and speak with her?”
“I’ve never tried, do you want to experiment with it now?”
Whadgaf sighs. “They came in that vehicle we can all fit into. We should go now to find this cousin and Maria, you keep them quiet for as long as you can while we get what we need. How far is the trip north?”
“In that security vehicle?” Kal looks out the window at it. “it will take three to four rounts. That jet bike technology can get us there in a few daylight cycles.”
While the two discuss it, Maria eyes the Rhasdwiis men. She can still feel their thoughts in their heads. They hate Kal. The things that they imagine doing to him are horrific and Maria is disgusted by them. She gives them a command, she doesn’t speak it, she only thinks it, and the men quietly turn their weapons on each other. When they both fire, they both fall dead, and Whadgaf and Kal both shriek with surprise, Whadgaf draws her weapon.
“Did you do this?” Whadgaf asks. She is very angry and moves to stand in front of Maria.
“We don’t have time for philosophical discussions,” Maria says. “We are risking Kal’s life every minute we spend on this planet, and I won’t let him die. We can find this cousin and be gone before they find us. Let’s go.”
Whadgaf shakes her head and then gives her the metal rod that transforms into a jet bike.
“We will talk when this is done,” Whadgaf says, and then she turns to Kal. “Rest would have been good, but Maria is right. We are now on the clock. Let’s get this done.”
Maria is the first out the door, she wants to make sure there aren’t other security vehicles or officers looking for Kal. And then the three stand while bikes materialize from the metal rods they hold, and then they take off toward the north.
PRL Serials 