SECTOR 680...A SIDE TRIP TO THE REALM OF DUNE.
- By Garth Edwards -
This story has been transferred wholesale from my DUNE Tribute website. This is why the entire story is written in capital letters. The time-frame for this story occurs during the period that Duke Leto and House Atreides have initially arrived on Arrakis. For a full viewing of the story, complete with pictures and music, go to my posted HOMEPAGE,...click on the flashing green 'ENTER' button...(you'll be transferred to the 'LINKS' page)...then scroll down the 'LINKS' until you find the DUNE tribute hot-button: SECTOR680.
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A BEGINNING...IS A VERY DELICATE TIME...
KNOW THEN, THAT YOUR JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF ARRAKIS (ALSO KNOWN AS 'DUNE') HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
IT IS NOW TIME TO DISEMBARK YOUR HEIGHLINER AND DESCEND TO THE SURFACE OF ARRAKIS.
I AM URLANI, ROYAL PILOT FOR HOUSE ATREIDES AND YOUR HUMBLE PLANETARY ESCORT DURING YOUR STAY ON ARRAKIS.
YOU WILL BE LANDING SHORTLY IN THE CITY OF ARRAKEEN.
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THE FIRST TO GREET US WILL BE THE IMPERIAL ECOLOGIST, DR. KYNES. HE WILL BE YOUR INFORMATIONAL TOUR-GUIDE DURING YOUR STAY HERE ON ARRAKIS. HE IS CURRENTLY DOING A PRE-FLIGHT FLIGHT CHECK ON AN ATREIDES THOPTER RIGHT NOW.
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HELLO DR. KYNES! THESE ARE ROYAL GUESTS...NEWLY ARRIVED FROM THE HOUSE OF RICHESE. THEY ARE HERE BY INVITATION OF THE ROYAL LADY JESSICA. THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO A FLIGHT OVER THE DEEP DESERT! THEY WERE HOPING YOU COULD,...
YES?...
OH...I UNDERSTAND. DUKE LETO REQUIRES YOUR PRESENCE FOR HIS FIRST FLIGHT THIS MORNING. WE UNDERSTAND. WE'LL SAY ADIEU TIL LATER THEN.
HMMM?
YES,...DR. KYNES' EYES ARE VERY BLUE INDEED. HE'S LIVED HERE ON ARRAKIS LONG ENOUGH FOR HIS EYES TO CHANGE COLOR...A SIDE EFFECT OF SATURATION OF THE BLOOD BY THE SPICE MELANGE.
OUR NEXT STOP CURRENTLY IS THE MUSIC ROOM WHERE WE WILL FIND GURNEY HALLECK. GURNEY WILL BE PROVIDING FOR YOUR PHYSICAL SECURITY DURING YOUR STAY HERE ON ARRAKIS.
YES, THERE'S STILL A STRONG HARKONNEN PRESENCE LINGERING ON THE PLANET. ALL DUE PRECAUTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN...
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THERE HE IS...
GREETINGS GURNEY HALLECK! THE LADY JESSICA'S ROYAL GUESTS HAVE JUST ARRIVED! THEY NEED TO BE BRIEFED LATER ON ATREIDES SECURITY PROTOCOLS FOR THEIR STAY HERE. HAS A PALACE SECTION BEEN RESERVED FOR THEM?
SECTOR 680?
CLOSE TO THE ROYAL GARDENS,...VERY GOOD.
PLEASE EXTEND OUR GUEST'S THANKS TO THUFIR HAWAT FOR PLACING THEM WHERE THEY REQUESTED.
HMMM? THE BALISET?
WELL GURNEY IS ALSO THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR HOUSE ATREIDES. HE PLAYS QUITE WELL ACTUALLY.
YES GURNEY?...
OH NO,...SORRY.
WE'VE NO TIME FOR MUSIC RIGHT NOW. LADY JESSICA IS WAITING. PERHAPS LATER...
AND TO CONTINUE...
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HERE WE ARE...THE ROYAL BEDCHAMBERS!
JUST ONE LEVEL ABOVE US NEAR THE ROOF GARDENS IS YOUR SLEEPING ROOM.
AHHH. PERFECT TIMING! THIS IS THE SHADOUT MAPES...THE HOUSEKEEPER...SHE WILL SEE TO YOUR NEEDS HERE IN THE PALACE PROPER.
IS SHE FREMEN?
WHO CAN SAY?...ASK HER SOMETIME.
AND NOW WE WILL PROCEED TO...
OH!...DOCTOR YUEH! HELLO...
YES, THESE ARE THE LADY JESSICA'S EXPECTED GUESTS. THEY SOMEHOW ARRIVED ON AN EARLIER FLIGHT FROM RICHESE AND..
YES?...OH...I UNDERSTAND.
YOUR PARDON ROYAL ONES,...DOCTOR WELLINGTON YUEH WISHES TO SCAN YOU FOR ANY SIGNS OF HARKONNEN TAMPERING...
MY APOLOGIES...ANOTHER SECURITY PROTOCOL. I'M SURE THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MOMENTS...
ALL DONE THERE DOCTOR?
GOOD!...(SORRY ABOUT THAT)...WELL THEN,...WE'RE OFF TO MEET YOUR HOST!
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AND HERE SHE IS!
MONSIEUR AND MADAM...
THE ROYAL LADY JESSICA; BOUND CONCUBINE TO DUKE LETO ATREIDES.
GREETINGS MILADY! AS YOU COMMANDED, I'VE BROUGHT YOUR GUESTS HERE WITHOUT DELAY. THE CHOAM COMPANY WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO ARRANGE AN EARLIER PASSAGE FOR THEM WITH THE SPACING GUILD.
YES YOUR HIGHNESS. THUFIR HAWAT HAS PLACED THEM NEAR THE GARDENS FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR STAY.
DR. YUEH HAS CLEARED THEM PHYSICALLY.
YES,...THEY'VE MET GURNEY AND DR. KYNES...
THEY WERE HOPING TO MEET WITH DUKE LETO SOMETIME TODAY. THEY'VE HEARD OF OUR ARMY'S NEW TECHNOLOGY. THEY'RE HERE TO PERSONALLY ASK DUKE LETO FOR A DEMONSTRATION.
HE'S BUSY NOW?
THEN PERHAPS LATER ON THIS EVENING.
WELL YOUR EMINENCES, AS YOU CAN PLAINLY SEE, THE LADY JESSICA IS STILL UNPACKING HOUSEHOLD GOODS FROM THE CROSSING! SO WITH YOUR PERMISSION MILADY,...
...MILADY?
YES,...THE ATREIDES ART COLLECTION HAS BEEN UNPACKED,...THEY'VE JUST BEEN PLACED ON THE INNER WALLS.
YES,...YOUR GUESTS HAVE TIME TO VIEW THEM BEFORE THE SCHEDULED MORNING FLIGHT. IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THESE WORKS TO THEM YOUR HIGHNESS.
IF YOU'LL ALL WALK THIS WAY...
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WE'LL START HERE...
THIS FIRST PIECE IS CALLED 'RISE OF THE MACHINES'. YES, WE ALL REMEMBER THE HORRID 'THINKING MACHINES'.
AND THIS NEXT ONE...WHAT'S IT SAY HERE?...
LET'S SEE...
"TO SERVE MAN?"...
HMMM...
NOW THIS NEXT PAINTING DEPICTS "THE GREAT CAPTIVITY"...A DARK TIME INDEED.
YES, IT IS A MOST REMARKABLE COLLECTION OF THE OLD MASTERPIECES. NOW THIS NEXT ONE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!
THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD! GLORIUS!...
THIS NEXT PIECE REPRESENTS THE FOUNDING OF THE BENE GESSERIT SCHOOL FOR WOMEN...THE RENDERING DEPICTS A REVEREND MOTHER TEACHING ON ONE OF THE MOONS OF KAITAIN.
WAS THAT FACTUAL? I BELIEVE IT WAS.
YES, THE LADY JESSICA IS HERSELF A STUDENT OF THE BENE GESSERIT TRADITION.
THIS LARGE ONE IS NEXT,...
THE SPACING GUILD OF COURSE...EVER OMNIPRESENT...
AND HERE...
OF COURSE THE SCHOOL OF THE MENTATS GETS EQUAL BILLING...
AND HERE WE HAVE...
THE CHOAM COMPANY?...
WELL...I SUPPOSE...
PULSARS! THE GRAND DUKE LETO HIMSELF...MAGNIFICENT!
YES, IT IS RECENTLY DONE. IN FACT I'D NOT SEEN IT BEFORE UNTIL JUST NOW. I BELIEVE IT WAS COMMISSIONED BY DR. YUEH,...A GIFT FOR THE DUKE IN HONOR OF THE CROSSING IS WHAT I HEARD.
NOW THIS ONE COMING UP...
SINK ME!...THIS IS RECENT ALSO!
IT'S A THIRD STAGE GUILD NAVIGATOR ON ONE OF THEIR FAMOUS 'VISITS' TO THE EMPEROR!
WELL,...IT'S NO SECRET THAT THEY MEDDLE IN LANDSRAAD AFFAIRS FAR MORE OFTEN THAN THEY LET ON.
DO WE HAVE A RENDERING OF EMPEROR SHADDAM THE IV?
AS YOUR HIGHNESSES ARE NO DOUBT AWARE,...
LANDSRAAD PROTOCOL REQUIRES ALL THE GREAT HOUSES TO DISPLAY THE EMPEROR'S LIKENESS SOMEWHERE IN THE PALACE.
YES,..IF YOU'LL JUST FOLLOW ME...
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THESE ARE THE...UHHH...SERVANT'S BATHROOM FACILITIES...
FAVORED GUESTS!...HERE IS THE ROYAL RENDERING OF 'THE PADISHAH EMPEROR SHADDAM THE IV'...
...(AHEM)...
VERY GRAND...
VERY GRAND INDEED...
HMMM...THERE'S SEEMS TO BE ANOTHER PAINTING STUCK BACKWARDS BEHIND THE (AHEM) VESTIBULE...
GOOD LO-!...
UHHH...I MEAN...IT SEEMS TO BE...THE BARON VLADIMIR HARKONNEN!
WHY DOES THE LADY JESSICA HAVE THIS PIECE AT ALL?
I CANNOT VENTURE TO GUESS...BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S PERSONAL...MILADY WILL HAVE TO CLARIFY...
ONE MOMENT HIGH ONES,...
AN INCOMING MESSAGE ON MY EAR RECEIVER,...YES!...
THAT'S THE SIGNAL! ( JUST IN TIME ) YOUR THOPTER IS READY FOR YOUR MORNING FLIGHT! IF YOU'LL FOLLOW ME NOW TO THE HANGER...YOUR TOUR OF THE DEEP DESERT AWAITS!
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NOW WHERE IS DUNCAN IDAHO?...HE'LL HAVE TO CLEAR OUR FLIGHT PLAN...
THERE HE IS! AND HE'S WITH DUKE LETO!
IT WON'T BE BUT A FEW MOMENTS NOW. THEY'RE HANDING OUT THE STILLSUITS FOR THE MORNING FLIGHT. I'LL SIGNAL DUNCAN TO BRING US THE TWO STILLSUITS THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR YOU EARLIER.
HMMMM,...THEY'RE ALL BUSY WITH DOCTOR KYNES FOR THE MOMENT...
WHO? THE HANDSOME LAD WITH THEM?...
THAT, MADAME AND MONSEIUR, IS THE ROYAL HEIR...PAUL ATREIDES.
DR. KYNES SEEMS TO BE INSPECTING HIS STILLSUIT.
YES, HE DOES SEEMS PERPLEXED ABOUT SOMETHING.
YOU SAY YOU'D LIKE TO MEET PAUL? WELL, PERHAPS AT DINNER...NO ONE CAN APPROACH DUKE LETO OR THE ROYAL HEIR UNTIL THUFIR HAWAT HAS AUTHORIZED CLEARANCE.
WELL,...DR. KYNES HAS FINISHED HIS INSPECTION.
YES,...PAUL SEEMS TO BE AS CURIOUS ABOUT YOU AS YOU ARE ABOUT HIM.
EXCUSE ME FAVORED GUESTS...I'M RECEIVING A MESSAGE...JUST ONE MOMENT...
WHAT?!
ARE YOU SURE?
BUT I HAD THEM SET ASIDE! THEY SHOULD BE...(?!)...
SIGH...I UNDERSTAND...THANK YOU DUNCAN. I'LL MAKE OUR APOLOGIES THEN...
AHEM!...YOUR GRACES,...I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT THE TWO STILLSUITS THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR YOUR FLIGHT ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
ON BEHALF OF HOUSE ATREIDES I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. DUNCAN IDAHO SUGGESTS WE POSTPONE THIS FLIGHT UNTIL TOMORROW...SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS AND ALL.
YES...I UNDERSTAND YOU WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FLIGHT.
NO...I'M SORRY...ONLY A SENIOR MEMBER OF HOUSE ATREIDES CAN AUTHORIZE SUCH A RISK WITH ROYAL GUESTS.
IF YOU'LL BE SO KIND AS TO FOLLOW ME TO THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ON THIS LEVEL, I WILL TRY TO CONTACT THUFIR HAWAT AND AUTHORIZE A SHORT TRIP WITHIN THE SHIELD WALL...WITHOUT STILLSUITS.
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SERGEANT!
PUT ME THROUGH IMMEDIATELY TO THUFIR HA-
EH?!...DR. YUEH!...
YES...
...THERE IS A PROBLEM...
...ONE MOMENT YOUR EMINENCES...DR. YUEH WISHES TO SPEAK WITH ME.
UH-HUH...THAT'S CORRECT. NO STILLSUITS ARE AVAILABLE DR. YUEH...BUT I THOUGHT PERHAPS A SHORT LOCAL FLIGHT...
BUT I'M SURE LADY JESSICA WOULD AGREE...
WHAT?...BUT HAWAT HASN'T...
( ?! )...BUT SIR...
YES,...
YES DR. YUEH. IT SHALL BE DONE...AS YOU...COMMAND IT...SIR...
AHEM!...HONORED GUESTS,...
MY APOLOGIES FOR THIS FURTHER DELAY...
BUT...IT WOULD SEEM...A SENIOR MEMBER OF HOUSE ATREIDES HAS JUST 'AUTHORIZED' ME TO FLY YOU INTO THE OPEN DESERT TODAY...WITHOUT STILLSUITS.
THIS IS... HIGHLY UNUSUAL...
BUT WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO RESTRICT OUR FLIGHT TO THE SAME AREA THAT DUKE LETO ATREIDES WILL BE INSPECTING...
IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, THE DUKE'S THOPTER WILL BE WITHIN EASY REACH.
HOWEVER I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOUR EMINENCES TO RECONSIDER IN THIS MATTER...
I...
...BUT IF YOUR GRACES WOULD...
...(SIGH).
I...UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY YOUR GRACE'S POSITION...
IF MONSIEUR AND MADAM WILL FOLLOW ME TO THE THOPTER,...WE'LL BE OFF SHORTLY.
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...AMBIENT TEMPERATURE...120 DEGREES...WARNING! ...YOU HAVE CLEARED THE SHIELD WALL AND ENTERED OPEN DESERT...
ENJOY THE VIEW FAVORED ONES...
NO YOUR GRACES. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO APPROACH A SPICE MINING VEHICLE.
SPICE IS TOO VALUABLE. THERE'S A PICTURE OF A CHOAM COMPANY SPICE MINER PROCESSING VEHICLE HERE FROM A TRAVEL GUIDE YOU CAN LOOK AT...
WAIT!
MY GOD! LOOK YOU! OVER TO PORT!
A WORM! A GIANT ARRAKIAN WORM! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT!
...AHHH...MAGNIFICENT!...
DID YOU EVER DREAM THAT ANYTHING LIVING COULD ATTAIN SUCH SIZE!?
HMMM...WHAT'S THAT ON TOP OF THE WORM?
I COULD SWEAR IT LOOKS LIKE...
...PEOPLE...MAYBE THOSE FREMEN... RIDING ON TOP OF THE WORM.
NO, NO,...YOU'RE RIGHT. IT MUST BE MY IMAGINATION. WHO COULD EVER DO THAT?
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OH,...LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL ARRAKIAN SKY...
HMMM?...
YES YOUR GRACES,...THAT'S THE THOPTER'S RADAR UNIT...WE HAVE TO STAY...
THAT BIG BLIP?
IT'S PROBABLY A CARRYALL...
DON'T WORRY...WE'RE WELL CLEAR OF...
OW!!!...MY BACK!!!
WHAT HAVE YOU...DONE!?...
UNH...
NO!...
THE...THE CARRYALL...
ERK!...
UHHHHHHHHHHH...
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"WARNING!...ALTITUDE DECREASING!..."
"...CURRENT PROXIMITY TO CHOAM COMPANY CARRYALL IS IN VIOLATION OF ATREIDES PROTOCOLS..."
"...WARNING!..."