THE TEMPLE OF DOM
The small escape pod spun through space, occasionally being steered by its weak thrusters. It seemed to be out of control, floating erratically, far from any inhabited planet. There was nothing to save it, no Guardians to come since they had begun their migration. The escape pod and its single passenger were alone in the universe. The only thing that showed any sign of hope was the small tracking device that rhythmically beeped its location.
A ship approached from the distance. It was very large, and the technology seemed to surpass that of the escape pod, making the pod look like an abacus compared to a computer. The ship barely slowed as its docking bay slid open, swallowing the escape pod whole.
The ship glided silently past, as if it had never existed.
"Has anyone seen Alyna?" Suni asked.
Her friends all shook their heads. It was lunch time at Starcademy, a rare chance for the busy cadets to relax after a difficult Ð and often boring Ð morning of classes. Suni and her friends always gathered at the biosphere after eating to enjoy the synthetic breeze and vegetation before the afternoon. Alyna usually joined them after she had gathered her nutrients in the empty space around Starcademy, but today she was nowhere to be seen.
"She wasn't in Study Hall either," Atreus remarked. He lay on his back with his hands behind his head, watching the stars twinkle through the clear dome above him.
"She was in Stardog Heroes," Tethys spoke up, "but she was out of sorts.
"She misses her people," Xen said softly.
All eyes turned to the Vyrillian. He blushed lavender at suddenly being the centre of attention and his wings trembled. He winced. They were still quite sore after his recent ordeal with the space pirates.
"Spill it, Xen," Suni said.
"She's lonely. She misses the Council and the wisdom of the Elders. I think she realizes she's alone in the galaxy and it makes her sad.
"Did you read all this from her thoughts?
Xen shot Suni an angry look. "Of course not. We speak together all the time, you just don't always hear us.
Suni sat down on Atreus' stomach. The Andromedan made a little "oof!" sound more to draw attention to the fact that he was not a chair than out of any pain or discomfort. Suni ignored him.
"I feel bad," she said. "I'm the one that talked her into staying. Mom was right. I was beings selfish.
"None of us wanted her to go," Tethys said. "She just needs some time.
Suni nodded. Suddenly, Atreus sat up, throwing Suni to the ground with a surprised cry. He made a great show of dusting himself off before holding out a hand to help his friend up. She accepted his help, then hit him playfully on the arm.
"What did you do that for?" Suni demanded.
Atreus put an unbelieving expression on his face and his mouth dropped open. Xen and Tethys began to laugh. Alyna materialized in front of them, and Suni gasped in surprise.
"You're going to give me a heart attack one day," she accused her friend.
The Guardian smiled slightly. "I am sorry, but it is 1320 and time to go to class.
Atreus made a face. "I hate Diplomatic Relations.
Tethys stretched luxuriously. "I have a spare period. Maybe I'll take a nap.
"Or maybe you should finish that project for your Botany class that you've been complaining about all week,' Suni reminded her.
Tethys stuck out her tongue and Suni laughed at her friend. She waved as she ran to catch up to Alyna, Atreus, and Xen, who were already on their way out of the biosphere.
Suni stared at the dismantled system spread out before her and blinked. Standing at the front of the class, the teacher frowned and made a note on his compupad. All around her, students were putting together the mystery system without any apparent difficulty, but Suni felt as if she were staring at a text written in ancient Yensidian.
"By now, you should have identified your system and begun the necessary repairs," the teacher called out, his eyes on Suni. She felt them boring into her skull. "You have 30 minutes.
It is a communications module, Alyna's voice said in Suni's head.
Her eyes widened and she quickly lowered her head so the teacher wouldn't notice.
Hey! That's cheating! Xen's disapproving voice spoke in her mind.
I am assisting. It is the Guardian way.
Get out of my head! Suni snapped mentally. Both of you!
The voices vanished, but now that she could identify the bits of equipment, she found she could put them somewhat in order. With only minutes left, her module was in one piece, but she doubted it was in working order. As the teacher ordered them to stop, she zapped her module with a tiny burst of electricity, hoping that was enough to spark it to life.
The three friends met outside the classroom. Xen had a frown on his face and was looked at Alyna. The Guardian was as impassive as always, but Suni could tell the two of them were having a telepathic debate.
"Thanks," she whispered to Alyna.
The Guardian smiled. "You are welcome. Now, we must not be late for StarDog Command.
The last class of the day, the one when the five friends could finally be together, was one of Suni's favourite classes. She knew the others found it dull, except Alyna who was fascinated by the regulations of being a StarDog, but Suni knew one day she would have her own ship, or would be assigned to one, and she needed to know these rules.
"Good afternoon, class," the teacher, a cheery Mercurian named Mr. Ursine, said.
There were a few half hearted greetings returned. Suni sat up straighter in her chair as Tethys began filing her nails. Atreus was absorbed in a game of solitaire on his compupad, and Xen was writing something down.
"I have a special announcement," Mr. Ursine continued. "As part of your final grade, this weekend you are all to participate in survival training. A two day test on an isolated moon or planet where you will need to rely on your team members to live.
Alyna looked decidedly uncomfortable at the announcement.
"Teams of four will be dropped off, and given the location of a flag. No map, mind you, just a general location. You will have 48 hours to locate the flag and rendezvous at the drop off point. You may design your own teams, and submit your names to me by the end of class today or you will be assigned a team.
Alyna put her hand in the air. Atreus raised his eyes from his game and looked at Suni. She shrugged.
"Sir, I am not able to participate in this exercise," Alyna said.
The teacher nodded. "I understand, Alyna. Another assignment will be provided for you to complete this weekend.
The Guardian dipped her head and was silent again. Suni felt a compupad bump into her arm and she glanced down at it.
"Four per team and Alyna sitting out. That's kinda lucky," Atreus had written.
Suni nodded and put her finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet. He rolled his eyes and went back to his game as the teacher began the lesson.
Alyna glided through the space around Starcademy. Beneath her, inside the school, her friends were sleeping peacefully. She did a few laps around the school, absent mindedly checking the exterior for damage or wear, but her mind wasn't very focused. She found space very quiet. Normally she was comforted by the stillness after a hectic day at school, wrapping it around her like a blanket as she slept. Tonight she was acutely aware of the absence of Guardian voices.
The Great Move had begun not long ago, and the rest of her people could not have gone that far, but she felt as if she had been lost at sea. The analogy struck her as amusing, since her Alien Cultures class had mentioned mermaids luring sailors to a watery grave. It seemed to her to be the reverse. The sailors had lured the mermaid.
She did not regret her decision to stay in UPP space. As Suni had pointed out, this was her sector of space and it was her duty to protect it. She had friends who cared about her, but they all had families of their own. They would grow older, move away and raise their own children. She would remain friends, of course, but her place in their world would fade until she was as she is now Ð isolated and alone. By then, the rest of her race would be too far to find and she would live out the rest of her life as the last of her kind.
Alyna was torn between friendship and family. Her species were not social by any means, but it had been comforting to know they were close by. She had gone nearly her whole life, since hatching, without anyone to care for her except herself. She was well suited for solitude, but it bothered her.
Now her friends were leaving on a class assignment that she could not participate in. It had taken all her courage just to return to the school after the days spent trapped on the planet-prison. She had been to Earth and Yensid, but she didn't think she could ever set foot on a planet again. She was a part of a different world than her air-breathing friends. She was alone in space, alone at school.
There was no place she truly belonged.
Tethys yawned and stretched her lithe body as she woke. The room was still dark, and she flicked on the small light next to her bed as she sat up. The first thing she noticed was that Suni was not in bed. The next thing she noticed was that all of Suni's belongings were thrown about the room.
"We've been robbed!" Tethys gasped.
Suni's head poked out from the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
"Morning, sleepy head," she said.
"What happened?" Tethys asked as she stood.
"I'm packing. We're leaving for the planet retreat today.
Tethys stepped over and around the mess as she made her way to her dresser. "We're only going for 48 hours. What do you need to bring?
"Survival gear. Warm weather clothes, cold weather clothes, rain clothes, windy clothes, sewing kit incase something tears, water-proof clothes incase we get rained on
Tethys shook her head. "You're missing the point. We're supposed to be surviving. I think we're only supposed to bring one change of clothes, a bed roll, a tent, and some food.
Suni came out of the bathroom and shrugged. "Whatever you say.
As she began throwing some things into a pack, Tethys laughed. "Did that conversation seem totally backwards to you?
Suni paused and grinned. "Yeah. Usually you're the one bringing a dozen suitcases for a weekend trip.
Tethys threw a pillow at her friend. Suni ducked and laughed.
"You better get packing," Suni told the princess. "The transport leaves at 0530.
A group of rather groggy students assembled in the cafeteria for a quick breakfast before heading out. Atreus and Xen were already there when Suni and Tethys showed up. The Mercurian-Uranusian was entirely too cheerful for so early in the morning, and Atreus continually shot her dark looks as she chattered about the mission.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked Tethys.
The Neptunian shrugged. "She's been like this all morning. Personally, I think it's a clone. The real Suni wouldn't be this happy this early.
Suni frowned. "Can't I be excited? I like fieldtrips.
"This isn't a fieldtrip," Atreus pointed out. "It's a survival exercise. We'll be lucky if we don't starve or dehydrate.
Suni waved the skepticism aside. "We'll be fine. With my leadership skills, your sense of direction, Tethys' ability to find water, and Xen's wings, we'll be miles ahead of everyone else.
"Glad to see you're so optimistic, Ms Ianni," Mr. Ursine said, coming up behind them. He slapped a compupad on the table in front of her. "Here's your assignment. You're on the moon of Dom, and you've got to find the flag located deep in the ruins of a native temple.
"We're going to the Temple of Dom?" Xen repeated, his wings fluttering nervously.
The teacher smiled. "Like Ms Ianni said. With all your special skills, you'll be just fine. Now head out to the transport.
Obediently the cadets left the cafeteria. Suni was flipping through the compupad as they walked, reading their mission.
"The ruins of Dom are scattered throughout the rainforest that covers most of the moon's surface. You must locate the central temple and find the flag hidden inside it. Beware of ancient booby traps and local flora and fauna. Your drop-off point is located near a large lake that once supplied water to numerous buildings in the area.
"So we have to find the right building first?" Xen asked.
Suni shrugged and put the compupad under her arm. "No problem. We'll get an aerial view of the whole landscape and then we'll head to the biggest building that looks like a temple. Simple.
Xen bit his lip nervously and followed his friends. They boarded the transport and shot off to the moon of Dom.
Alyna watched the transport go, knowing her friends were inside. Quickly, she sped off after it, ignoring her own report for the time being. She felt it was necessary for her to be with them, to make sure they reached their destination safely. At least she would know where they were, and could write her report from the space around their assigned moon. She couldn't admit to herself that she didn't want to be alone.
The transport began its descent through a cluster of asteroids that orbited a large gaseous planet. Alyna followed carefully until the transport entered the atmosphere of a large moon. The Guardian was surprised to see the moon could support life, and could even see the dense vegetation of the moon from space.
With her friends lost from view, Alyna sat on one of the smaller asteroids and drew her compupad from her cloak. Hours past, and the transport that brought her friends had long since gone back to Starcademy. Alyna had grown bored with her report and was exploring the asteroid field around the moon of Dom. A glint of metal caught her eye and she wrapped her cloak around her body, masking herself from their scanners. Slowly, she advanced for a closer look.
The ship came into full view and it was unlike an she had ever seen. It was sleek and dark coloured, almost blending into the background of space, its lights twinkling like far away stars. The design was awe inspiring and, as Alyna did a quick scan, she found it far beyond the technology of the UPP. The mysterious ship had enormous fire power and a high shield energy around it. Curiousity overcoming her, Alyna adjusted her communicator to pick up the ship's signal. She hoped to identify it and perhaps advise it to stay out of UPP space, but she found the language utterly incomprehensible. This surprised the Guardian, who knew most of the languages of the galaxy. She kept listening in the hopes of picking up a few words, but instead she heard the familiar voice of the Master, speaking Basic to the aliens on board the ship.
"Yes," the Master replied to a question in the unknown language. "I have confirmed the landing site. The cadets will not leave the moon alive. I will see to it.
Alyna's eyes widened in alarm. The Master spoke again, but the Guardian didn't hear him. She was too focused on warning her friends. She could not send them a message since they carried only short-distance communicators and there were no satellites orbiting Dom for her to tap into. She knew the only way to save her friends was to warn them in person. She shuddered at the thought of returning to a planet, the weight of the atmosphere, the feel of the winds and earth. It was revolting.
A small shuttle was heading towards them moon. Alyna knew she had no time to deliberate. Wrapping her cloak tighter, like a security blanket, she teleported herself into the hold of the shuttle as it descended to the moon.
"Captain's log, star date 64982.3. My loyal crew and I are trapped on a dangerous moon, without food or any means of survival. I only hope that Ð
"Suni! Cut that out!" Atreus snapped.
Suni lowered the compupad serving as a log for their journey. Besides finding the flag, the cadets were required to submit a record of their trials and tribulations to their teacher. Suni had taken it upon herself to maintain the journal.
"Really, what is Mr. Ursine going to think when he hears that as our first entry?" Atreus asked.
"It's not the first entry," Xen piped up in spite of Suni's attempts to keep him quiet.
Tethys took the compupad and flipped back to the first recording Suni had made. Tapping the keys, the group listened to the entry made during their trip to the moon.
"Captain's log, star date 65213.9. We're on a collision course with an unexplored planet. I can't get the ship to respond to any commands. Although I don't fear death, I am concerned Ð
Tethys shut the log off. Suni shrugged and smiled, not even trying to look ashamed. Atreus was trying to keep from laughing as he shot his friend a disappointing look.
"I think I'll hang onto this," Tethys decided, tucking the compupad into her pack.
"Whatever you say," Suni replied brightly.
They had been on the moon of Dom for only an hour and had barely cleared the landing site. The whole planet was coated in a dense jungle, and the atmosphere was hot and very humid. Suni and Tethys were enjoying the weather, but Atreus' hair quickly became weighed down with moisture and Xen's delicate wings were drooping in the heat.
Suni drew out the compupad containing the information their teacher had provided for them. Their flag was located deep in the ruins of an ancient temple, and the file only gave them a picture of the flag, a list of dangerous and/or poisonous plants and animals, and supplies to last the weekend. Suni adjusted the straps of her pack and took a deep breath. The heat reminded her of her grandparents' house on Mercury.
"Well, let's go," she said.
"Where?" Xen asked, looking around.
Suni paused in thought. Turning to her friends, she smiled and took control of the situation, all joking aside.
"Xen, can you fly up and give us a view of the terrain?
Xen nodded and his wings began to flutter. He got about five meters into the air and fell like a stone. Atreus caught him before he hit the ground.
"Are you okay?" Suni and Tethys exclaimed at the same time.
The Vyrillian was placed gently on his feet. He shook his head apologetically and gazed up into the air. His wings were drooping again.
"The air is too heavy with moisture," Xen explained. "I'm not strong enough to fly through it. Sorry, Suni.
The Mercurian-Uranusian pushed the apology aside. "Don't worry about it." She pointed to the lake near the drop-off point. "The file said this lake supplied the water for the temple. We'll just follow the river until we see some ruins. Piece of cake.
Atreus and Tethys exchanged worried looks as their friends headed off towards the lake. They both shrugged at the same time and followed.
"Are they trying to drive us nuts?" Suni demanded.
They had found the lake, and Tethys had informed them that over a dozen streams and rivers flowed out of it. Atreus had confirmed the Neptunian's observation by listening to the water. He also reported a large waterfall not too far in the distance.
"It's survival training," Atreus reminded her, "not a vacation. Of course it's going to be tricky.
Suni sighed. Xen had tested the water and found it safe to drink, and was escaping from the heat by splashing himself. Tethys joined him, jumping into the lake for a light swim. Soon the Vyrillian was swimming too, and as the two cooled down Suni and Atreus planned their next move.
"Why don't you climb a tree and see if you can see the temple from there?" Atreus suggested.
Suni nodded. "Great idea, but you're coming with me in case I fall.
"Guys!" Xen called. "Take a swim first. It's refreshing!
Both Suni and Atreus paled at the thought. "Sorry, Xen," Suni explained. "I short out if I'm completely submerged, and Atreus sinks like a rock.
The Andromedan nodded miserably. "I hate water. I really do.
Tethys' laughter rang out. "I can't get either of them to visit me on Neptune, even though the cities are dry and connected with tubes.
"Uncle Radu told me what happened when he visited Queen Clito," Atreus called back. "We're going to go climb a tree. On nice solid land.
Tethys and Xen both laughed as the Mercurian-Uranusian and Andromedan left the shores of the lake. Suni quickly scrambled up a tall tree and, in a few minutes, had poked her head up through the canopy of the rainforest.
"Holy moly," she breathed. "Look at all the trees!
The view was breathtaking. As far as the eye could see were the tops of lush, green trees. She could see mountains in the distance, and could hear the waterfall that Atreus had noticed earlier. Strange birds flew through the blue sky, and Suni could even make out the planet of Dom in the sky.
"Suni? Are you okay?" Atreus called.
"You have got to see this," Suni replied in her normal voice, knowing better than to yell.
"Maybe later. Can you see the temple?
Suni pulled her eyes from the sky and back to the treetops. Squinting and shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand, she noticed an absence of trees and what could possibly be rock.
"There's a clearing just north of here," she reported. "It could be a temple.
"Great. Come down and we'll move out.
"Okay. Get ready, here I come!
Before Atreus could ask, Suni jumped from the top of the tree, crying out in delight as she did a free-fall toward the ground. To her delight, she saw Atreus' surprised expression as he got ready to catch her. She laughed as she landed in his arms, knocking both of them to the ground.
"What on earth made you do that?" Atreus tried to ask.
"Come on, guys," Suni called to Tethys and Xen. "Let's move out!
She ran back to the lake, leaving Atreus standing by the tree, shaking his head in confusion.
The transport landed with a jarring thud, and Alyna closed her eyes reflexively. She could already feel gravity pushing her into the ground, with the oppressive atmosphere resting on her head and shoulders like a stone. It had not been as bad in the shuttle during the descent, but now it felt overpowering. She heard the aliens moving about in the shuttle and quickly transported herself outside. She disappeared again, hiding herself in some bushes a safe distance from the ship.
The hot, humid air of the tropical moon was almost unbearable compared to the coolness of space. It saw all the more heavily on her, making it difficult for her to move. Sitting on the soft ground she tried to transform her communications system into a tracking device to find her friends. She found the heat slowed her mind and made her movements sluggish. By now, the aliens had already headed off into the jungle, unseen by the Guardian, in search of their prey. Alyna rose and glanced at her tracker, set on the standard UPP communications frequency. Slowly she moved through the rain forest towards her friends.
Atreus sat as far from the waterfall as he could, his hands clamped tightly over his ears. His friends were trying to find a way up the steep cliff that blocked their path to the temple. The falls were too powerful for Tethys to swim up in her liquid form, and the cliff was smooth from centuries of erosion. The rock face continued into the jungle, vanishing in the trees thick with vegetation. Suni and Xen had tried cut their way through the bushes, but could not clear a path.
Atreus watched as Xen flew a short distance into the air. His wings struggling against the thick air, he managed to hammer a spike into the cliff and secure a piece of rope. Suni caught the end of the rope as Xen landed, and quickly climbed up. From there, the Mercurian-Uranusian tried to find some kind of foot or hand holds to reach the top, but it was useless. She only succeeded in falling to the ground. Frustrated, the group returned to where the Andromedan sat, each one depressed in their failure to climb the cliff.
"No luck?" Atreus shouted.
Suni shook her head. She sighed as Xen handed her a ration bar from his pack. Atreus felt completely useless. The simple sound of the water crashing prevented him from helping his friends find a way to the temple. He was forced to watch like an invalid while they tried their best to get to the top. He looked up and down the cliff, judging its height and density. He knew he could make it.
Closing his eyes in concentration, he stood and walked over to the cliff. The noise from the waterfall was deafening to Suni, and she could hardly imagine how her Andromedan friend was managing. She gasped as Atreus lowered his hands from his ears and punched the cliff. The whole area seemed to shake with the impact of the blow. A fist size hole appeared, and Atreus reached a little higher to punch again. As his friends watched in awe, he created enough holes in the thick rock to climb to the top, where he disappeared from view.
Suni was instantly on her feet, heading for the cliff, with her friends a step behind. She followed Atreus, using the hand and foot hold he had provided. At the top, they found Atreus a good distance away from the falls, leaning against a tree with his head in his hands. It was much quieter up there, and Suni went immediately to the Andromedan's side as Xen helped Tethys up the last part of the cliff.
"Are you all right?" Suni asked quietly.
She saw Atreus wince at her words, but he smiled at her and nodded. "Can we get away from the waterfall now, please?
Suni helped him to his feet and the four cadets resumed their search for the temple.
Night fell quickly on the moon, and the hot haziness of the day was replaced by cool temperatures. Suni and Tethys slept in one tent, with Atreus and Xen close by. The darkness of night brought out strange sounds and creatures that kept Suni from falling asleep. Every hoot, chirp, or snap made her worry that the people who had built the ancient temples were still lurking about. She envied Tethys, who had fallen asleep almost immediately, and she toyed with the idea of waking her friend for company, but decided at least one of them should have a good rest. Another creak made her pull her sleeping bag up to her nose as she glanced around. Shadows caused by the faint light of the planet above them floated across the tent. Suni tried to calm herself by identifying the shapes as they drifted by. A branch, a bird, a leaf, a human
Instantly, the Mercurian-Uranusian was wide awake and shaking Tethys. The Neptunian woke up reluctantly, but grew more alert as she saw the fear in Suni's eyes. Without speaking, Suni pointed to the human-shaped shadow just outside their tent. Tethys nodded and reached for the flashlight she had placed near her pillow. Suni carefully pushed the flap of the tent aside, and Tethys shone her light around the campsite.
The figure was sitting with its back to the tents near the remains of the camp fire. As Tethys' light illuminated it, it turned and Suni cried out in surprise and alarm. Atreus and Xen burst from their tent, wearing their pajamas, looking around wildly for an intruder. The figure in front of the fire pit rose, and dipped its head in greeting.
"Alyna?" Suni managed, coming all the way out of her tent.
The Guardian smiled wanly. "I did not wish to wake you until morning.
"What are you doing here?" Atreus asked.
"Warning you of great danger," Alyna replied. "Strange aliens have come to ensure you do not survive this assignment. They were sent by the Master, and he may be among them.
"The Master?" Tethys gasped.
"You are not safe. You must leave.
"We can't," Xen spoke up. "The transport won't come for another day and night.
"And we haven't found the flag yet," Suni added.
Atreus glanced at her in disbelief, surprised that she valued the flag over her life. Alyna only nodded and sat down again by the campfire.
"Then I suggest you be on your guard," she said. "And get some sleep. I will watch here tonight.
The next morning, the group continued to travel through the dense jungle. Atreus was in the lead, clearing a path for his friends with a long knife. Suni flowed, then Tethys, Xen, and Alyna bringing up the rear. The Guardian had been quiet since the previous night, holding her cloak tightly around her in spite of the heat. Xen watched her carefully, but said nothing to the others. The Guardian was clearly uncomfortable being on the planet.
Atreus stopped abruptly, causing Suni to crash into him.
"Hey! What gives?" Suni demanded.
Atreus stepped to one side and pointed wordlessly. A magnificent valley spread out before them, a lone clearing among the trees. A thick river wound its way across, and numerous small stone structures lined its banks. In the centre of the valley was a large temple, stretching to the sky. It was arranged like a series of blocks, reducing in size, and piled on top of one another. There were no entrances to be seen.
"Beautiful," Tethys breathed.
Suni started down the slight incline that separated them from the temples. Atreus paused, listening carefully for signs of the aliens Alyna had mentioned, but he heard nothing.
"Come on, Atreus!" Suni called from half way down the slope. "Last one there's a rotten spice pear!
Laughing, the Andromedan ran down the hill after his friends.
It had taken only a few minutes for them to locate a crack large enough for the group to slip through and into the temple itself. Suni led the way, her flashlight sweeping across the wide corridor of the temple. The whole enclosure was eerily silent, with no sound of animals or even insects. Suni felt that they were drawing near to their goal, and scarcely paid attention to anything else.
"This is a little too easy," Atreus said softly.
"Agreed," Alyna nodded. "The aliens who mean us harm have not yet attacked. I am wary of this place.
"Hurry up!" Suni called from well down the corridor. "We're close! I can feel it!
Atreus rolled his eyes and he and the Guardian jogged down the hall to meet their friend. Tethys and Xen were already ahead of Suni, pushing open a large door. Atreus brushed past them and heaved the stone obstruction out of the way. Xen smiled at him gratefully.
"It must be up these stairs," Tethys said, pointing at a large staircase that ran from the doorway into darkness.
"Mr Ursine does not make this simple, does he?" Alyna observed.
Atreus and Xen laughed as they headed up the stairs. From the darkness behind them, two sets of eyes watched the group ascend.
It felt like hours later when they reached the top. Suni brushed some vines aside and entered a large room that contained a massive statue at the far end. The statue was of a strange multi-armed and multi-eyed alien, and Suni briefly noted the smaller versions of the statue lining the walls. Without pause, Suni strode down the length of the room to stand before the alien. Squinting, she saw a piece of cloth placed near its neck. She double checked the image of their flag and grinned in triumph.
"Guys! There it is!" she called.
The rest of her team were only half way across the room as Suni began to climb. Xen's wings were fluttering nervously as he glanced at the imposing statues on either side of him, and Tethys' eyes were locked on Suni as she clambered up the crumbling statue.
Atreus turned sharply to look behind them, his eyes squinting as he strained to hear a faint sound. Alyna paused with him, looking at him curiously.
"I thought I heard something," he mumbled, "but it's gone. It was a Ð clicking, I think.
"Got it!" Suni exclaimed, madly waving the flag above her head.
Tethys and Xen applauded and Atreus smiled proudly. He ran over to the statue to help his friend down, leaving Alyna standing alone. As Suni neared the bottom, there was a loud thud as the door slid closed, locking the cadets in the chamber.
"Uh oh," Suni said, folding the flag and tucking it away. "Alyna, please tell me you did that.
"Why would I lock us in here?" the Guardian asked.
"I knew it was too easy," Tethys grumbled. "Now what?
As in answer to her question, the small multi-armed statues at the sides of the room began to move. The cadets crowded together in the centre of the camber, watching as a dozen stone weapon-wielding monsters came slowly at them.
"Okay, anyone have a plan?" Xen asked nervously.
One of the statues lunged and grabbed Tethys, hoisting her into the air. The Neptunian princess screamed and began to beat at him with her fists. This, of course, did no damage to his stone skin. Atreus smashed the arm off the monster, freeing Tethys, who fell to the ground. She quickly scurried over to where her friends stood in an outward facing circle.
"We need to get out of here," Atreus said as he smashed another statue.
Suni was looking about wildly for an escape. Suddenly, she pointed to a hole in the ground to the right of the giant statue. Atreus followed her gaze and shook his head.
"We can't jump down a hole!" he protested, striking another monster. "Who knows where it leads?
"Can you find a better way out?" Suni asked, zapping a statue with a bolt of electricity.
The Andromedan muttered something under his breath and sighed. The group was still surrounded by the statues, and it looked like there was no way for them to move from their tight circle to the hole. Alyna stepped over to stand beside Suni.
"Allow me," she said. "This will give us a little time.
Making a wide sweeping motion with her hands, Alyna moved the heavy air currents in the temple, knocking a few statues aside. Her friends quickly ran towards the hole, with Alyna bringing up the rear. Suni hesitated at the edge of the opening and glanced down into the blackness.
"Hurry up!" Atreus urged.
"It looks really deep," Suni said hesitantly.
Grabbing her by the hand, Atreus leapt into the hole. With a startled yelp, Suni fell in with him. Alyna and Tethys held hand and jumped in next, while Xen fluttered his wings to control his speed. The statues roared their disapproval and returned to their resting places, waiting for the next person to come and disturb them.
They fell for a long time, Suni and Tethys screaming the whole time. Atreus focused on the bottom of the pit, readying himself for a landing. Finally, they struck the bottom, Atreus striking the ground first with a painful "oof". Suni crashed on top of him, with Tethys and Alyna on top of her. Xen floated to the ground and stood beside Atreus' head.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Atreus glanced up at him from the bottom of the pile. "Peachy. Will everyone please get off of me?
Muttering apologies the girls stood up and moved away, allowing the Andromedan to rise and brush himself off irritably. They were all in pitch blackness, and Suni grabbed the nearest hand.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"We are in a tunnel deep underground," Alyna replied. "Please do not squeeze my hand so hard, Suni. There is nothing else here but us.
"How do you know?" Suni questioned. "I can't see a thing.
"But I can. My night vision, as you planet-dwellers call it, is quite good. I can also feel the increased gravity as we are closer to the moon's core.
Tethys fumbled about in her pack until she finally found her flashlight. She warned everyone about a sudden appearance of light, and flicked it on. Alyna had been right; there was nothing else in the corridor except them. A wall was directly behind them, the hole they had fallen down above, and a corridor stretching into the distance before them.
"Well," Tethys remarked, running her fingers through her hair. "I guess we walk.
They started out down the hall, each holding the others' hand to form a humanoid chain. No one spoke as they scanned the smooth walls for a way up.
"Are you okay, Alyna?" Suni asked suddenly, glancing back at her friend. "You're shaking.
The Guardian forced a smile. "I dislike closed areas. This temple, and this whole moon, makes me uncomfortable.
"I guess it makes sense for a Guardian to be claustrophobic," Tethys commented from the front of the line. "I mean, they're used to Ð
Her thought broke off into a scream as the ground beneath her gave way. Suni was pulled over the edge of the chasm as well, but Atreus managed to keep Alyna and Xen from falling. The Andromedan pulled his friends back to safety, and Tethys and Suni collapsed into each other's arms, their hearts pounding.
"It just opened up in front of me," Tethys stammered. "I didn't see it at all!
Atreus raised his head and stared down the passageway. "I thought I heard laughter.
"We must be cautious," Alyna said. "We are not alone down here.
She and Xen helped the girls to their feet as Atreus walked over to the crevice. The floor had given way, making a long gulf in their path. It appeared as if the hole had been covered by trap doors, which had swung open with barely a sound. He could not see any way across the barrier, either.
"Well, I don't know what we can do to get across," Atreus said. "It's too wide to jump, and who knows how deep it is. We can't jump down it.
Alyna suppressed a shudder. "I have had enough of holes. I believe, however, that I can teleport us across one at a time.
"And I can fly across," Xen piped up, "I think.
Alyna took Suni by the arm and the two of them disappeared, only to reappear a second later at the other side of the crevice. While Suni waited, Alyna repeated the trip for each of her friends. As she reappeared with Xen, who had decided not to risk flying, she fell to her knees. Xen knelt beside her, and the two spoke silently for a moment. Xen helped her to her feet.
"Is she okay?" Suni asked.
Xen nodded. "She's used up a lot of energy since she got here, moving the statues and getting us over the pit. Apparently the humid air makes it a lot harder.
"Let me carry her for a while," Atreus volunteered. "We have to keep moving.
Alyna nodded and the Andromedan picked her up easily. They continued to move down the hall, this time more wary of traps and the mysterious laughter.
"Run!" Sun exclaimed.
The group took off as fast as they could as giant boulder crashed down the passage behind them. As the massive rock picked up speed. Suni caught sight of another hall that joined the one they were trapped in. She grabbed Tethys by the arm and pulled her into the other corridor, followed by Xen and Atreus who was still carrying Alyna. The boulder rolled past them and smashed harmlessly into a wall.
"It was a dead end anyway," Tethys remarked, brushing dust from her sleeves.
"This is getting ridiculous,' Atreus muttered. "Someone had to have released that boulder. Did anyone touch anything?
His friends all replied no. Atreus adjusted the resting Guardian in his arms and peeked his head down the path they had just traveled. He could see little through the falling dust, but he could hear footsteps and muted speech.
"Our would-be murderers are still back there," he reported.
"Let's go, then," Suni decided, heading back the way they had come at a run.
The others quickly followed. Through the haze of the dust, they could see shadowed shapes moving ahead of them. They appeared to be wearing long cloaks that covered their features, but Atreus could hear their voices, which were strangely accented. He couldn't place them.
"Hey!" Suni yelled as a challenge.
The shapes stopped for a split second before taking off at a run. The cadets followed, leaping over debris and fallen rocks. The group soon lost track of where they were as they kept their attackers in sight. The forms always managed to stay just out of view, so the cadets could neither see nor hear them clearly. All they could do was run.
"Everyone! Get down!" Atreus suddenly exclaimed.
He shouldered Xen behind a large overturned stone pillar, while Suni and Tethys took refuge on the opposite side of the hall behind what had once been the column's base. A split second later an explosion rocketed down the hall. Atreus winced in pain, dropping Alyna to the ground as he clenched his hands over his ears. The Guardian shielded the boys with her cloak, absorbing most of the heat. A minute later, the worst of the explosion had past and the cadets peeked out of their hiding spots to take in the damage.
There was no longer a passage in front of them. The explosion had destroyed the ceiling and walls, completely blocking the path their attackers had taken. Suni kicked at the rocks and swore loudly as her friends emerged into the corridor. Alyna was strong enough to walk on her own now, and Xen stayed close to her as they joined the others.
"What now?" Tethys asked, dusting herself off.
"We have our flag," Alyna observed. "Why not exit the temple?
"We're lost," Suni said bitterly.
"Not completely," Atreus amended. "Andromedans have a great sense of direction. Remember how I got us out of the Black Forest on Uranus?
"Okay, smarty pants," Suni challenged. "How do we get out?
Atreus smiled and pointed up. All heads followed where he indicated. The explosion had knocked the ceiling down, revealing sunlight and jungle above them. All they had to do to leave was climb up the fallen rocks. Suni laughed sheepishly and graciously stepped aside as Atreus began to climb.
"I never thought I would be grateful to be on the surface," Alyna observed.
Suni took a deep breath and did a full circle. They were outside the temple, next to the river which flowed steadily through the valley. They were all happy to be out of the dismal underground tunnels, but were very much aware that someone on this moon wanted them dead.
"We can follow the river to the drop off site," Tethys said. "It must flow into the large lake where we started this crazy adventure.
Alyna had approached the river and knelt next to it. She watched it move for a while before sticking her hand into it. Immediately, she withdrew it, gasping in shock. Xen looked at her quizzically.
"The pressure of this liquid is greater than the atmosphere," Alyna exclaimed. "And it moves at an alarming rate. How does one survive in it?
Tethys laughed. "If you don't require oxygen to breath, it's quite lovely. Very quiet and relaxing.
Suni and Atreus shuddered. Alyna took a few steps away from the water. "Although I do not doubt you, Tethys, I do not think I would like to experience that particular planetary custom.
Tethys shrugged. "We don't have to go in, but if we follow it we should get close to the pick-up site.
The others agreed and they started off down the river bank. They cheered up as they walked, knowing soon they would be off this moon and back into the familiarity of space. The all but forgot about the aliens who still sought their deaths as the day wore on. Soon they were standing by the waterfall again, Atreus with his hands over his ears, and gazing down on the valley where the Starcademy shuttle would be arriving the next morning.
"Let's go," Atreus suggested, making his way down the cliff.
Halfway down, Atreus suddenly jerked as if he had been struck and let go of the hand holds until he was dangling by one hand. The others looked around and saw motion in the shadowy bushes.
"Ambush!" Suni exclaimed.
Xen flew to where Atreus dangled, trying to keep himself airborne as the humidity of the planet and moisture of the waterfall weighed down his wings. He tried to get the Andromedan back on the cliff, but was struck himself by a blaster bolt. Atreus tried to grab Xen as he fell, but missed and the Vyrillian fell down into the churning waters.
"Xen!" Tethys called, diving from the cliff.
She liquefied herself as she fell and disappeared from view. Suni tried to climb down but could get no farther than Atreus. Standing above him, she tried to help him regain his hand hold as the aliens fired on them again. Alyna made a wide sweeping motion with one hand, manipulating the air currents enough to knock the blaster bolts aside. Suddenly, Suni found herself no longer holding onto the rock, as if she had been pulled off by an unknown force. Blinking in surprise, she fell. Atreus' grip finally let go and he, too, disappeared into the water. Alyna was left alone on the cliff, and she tried to finish her descent but was knocked off by a blaster bolt. Before she knew it, she was in the water.
The force of the liquid hitting her was enough to make her feel as if her bones would break. Instinctively, she transformed her legs into a tail and tried to move as she would in space. She found this worked remarkably well and she forced herself to the surface.
The change in pressure from beneath the water to the air was enough to make her vision waver as she used her tail to maneuver her way to shore. She found Suni lying half out of the water, electricity jumping off of her in short sparks.
"Alyna," Suni gasped.
"I am here. Are you all right?" the Guardian asked.
Suni nodded. "Tethys and Xen
"I have not seen them.
The Mercurian-Uranusian's eyes suddenly widened. "Atreus! He sinks! He'll drown!
Without another word, the Guardian returned to the water. She forced herself to go deeper under water, ignoring the pain in her head as she descended. The river was not too deep, and she found herself able to move quickly and easily with her tail. She scoured the riverbed until she found Atreus lying in the sand. Swimming up to him, she saw he was unconscious and not breathing. Alyna grabbed his arm and tried to move him, but could not. He was too heavy and the pressure of the water was too great. Frantically, she pulled at him but only succeeded in moving him an inch. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Tethys floating in front of her. The Neptunian smiled and took Atreus' other arm. Together they were able to drag him to the surface.
Suni and Xen were standing on the side of the river, facing the shadows. Suni was trying to direct her shorted out electrical blasts into the forest to flush out whoever had knocked them all into the river. Xen was throwing rocks and kept glancing nervously back at the water, but it appeared as if their attackers had fled. As Alyna and Tethys emerged hauling Atreus, they dropped their guard to help their friends.
"Atreus?"
Suni gasped. "He's not breathing!
Tethys
pushed the panicking girl aside and began to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on
the Andromedan. A few breathless minutes passed as Suni and Xen waited to see
if their friend would live. Finally, Atreus gasped for air, spit out a huge
amount of water, and began to breath on his own. He blinked and opened his eyes
to see three relieved faces hovering over him. He turned to Xen.
"And that is why Andromedan's don't swim," he said.
They all laughed, and Suni noticed for the first time that Alyna was still lying half in the water. The Mercurian-Uranusian approached her slowly, noticing that her tail had not transformed back into legs and her eyes were closed.
"Alyna?" Suni said softly.
The Guardian's eyes fluttered open and immediately closed again. She did smile, however, and turned her head slightly to face Suni.
"Suni," Alyna replied. "I just need a moment to rest and I will be fine.
Suni noticed a small amount of bluish blood coming out of Alyna's pointed ears. Her eyes widened in alarm and she shook the Guardian to make her open her eyes.
"Alyna!" Suni called. "Alyna! Wake up!
The Guardian made no movement. Atreus and the others moved closer to their friend and knelt beside her. Suni had tears in her eyes as she cradled her friend's head in her lap.
"She hasn't eaten in days, she used a lot of energy to help us in the temple," Xen remarked. "She used more to help us in the river. Maybe it was too much for her.
Suni shook her head. "I don't believe it. She'll be fine once she's in space. I know she'll be fine.
"Then let's get her to the pick-up site," Atreus said gently, picking the unconscious Guardian up.
Nobody slept that night, out of worry for Alyna and for the strange aliens that were still at large. They all expected an attack to come, for the aliens to try and finish them off, but nothing happened. The night passed uneventfully and as the sun rose in the morning, the transport landed to bring the exhausted cadets back to Starcademy.
Mr. Ursine was all smiles as he waited for his students to enter the transport. His face quickly became concerned as he saw their faces and the body that Atreus carried. Mr. Ursine ran out to meet them as they approached.
"What happened? How did Alyna get down here?" he sputtered.
"We were attacked several times," Suni reported. She pulled out the dirty flag and handed it to her teacher. "Here.
"Alyna needs to get into open space," Atreus said. "We need to leave immediately for Starcademy.
Their teacher nodded and ushered them onto the shuttle. In minutes, they were out of the moon's atmosphere and heading through hyperspace for Starcademy.
Days later, the cadets were eating breakfast in the cafeteria and getting ready for class. They each tried to animate the conversation, speaking of upcoming tests and assignments, but their thoughts were on Alyna. They had let her drift in space upon returning to the school, but no one had heard anything from her since then. The school nurse checked on her every day, but not enough was known about Guardian biology to help her. Suni expected the worst, but didn't want to say anything to discourage her friends.
"Maybe we could go flying after class?" Xen suggested suddenly.
Suni looked at him. "I thought you hated flying with me.
"I won't go with you," Xen replied. "I'll go with Atreus.
"Thanks," Tethys said drying. "I like living too, you know.
"Why the sudden interest in going into space?" Suni questioned.
Before the Vyrillian could answer, the bell rang for class. Xen smiled at her, winked, and headed off with Tethys. Suni shook her head and followed. Atreus waited in case Alyna showed up, then sighed and proceeded to class alone.
"Clear for lift off," Suni reported.
"All systems go," Tethys confirmed.
The old shuttle lifted smoothly from the ground and sailed into space. Suni smiled and hated to admit to herself that she missed flying when she didn't have the chance. With Atreus and Xen close behind, she did some barrel rolls and loop-the-loops, feeling better than she had in days.
"Follow us," Xen said over the transceiver.
"Where to?" Tethys asked.
"You'll see.
The two shuttle switched positions as Atreus led them further from Starcademy. They flew near a small cluster of asteroids and Atreus let his ship hover as Suni caught up. The two girls looked around at the rocks in confusion.
"What's going on?" Suni asked suspiciously.
"Do not blame them. It was my idea," a new voice said.
Suni screamed with joy as Alyna appeared in front of her ship, fully recovered. The Guardian dipped her head in greeting and did circles around the shuttle, coming to rest next to the pilot.
"Alyna! I was afraid you were dead!" Suni exclaimed.
Alyna shook her head. "I do not think water agrees with Guardians either. The pressure difference from the water, and the air was almost too much for me. I am pleased I was able to recuperate so quickly.
Tethys clapped her hands in delight. "I'm so glad you're okay.
Alyna nodded. "Thank you. Now, you should return to Starcademy. I will join you in the morning after breakfast.
As the two shuttles flew off. Alyna moved deeper away from UPP space. She was tracking the signal of the alien vessel she had seen around the moon of Dom. She still had their communications frequency, and was using that to track them. She needed to know if her friends were still in danger, and she needed to report all this to Admiral Band. She wished the Guardian Council were around to advise her, but knew she must do this on her own.
She found the ship hiding in the radiation of a nebula. Alyna got as close as she dared and began scanning the transmissions. They were all in the unknown language. Still, she listened and heard the names of her friends being mentioned, although she had no idea what was being said. The voice sounded angry, then another voice spoke soothingly to appease it, mentioning her friends again. The first voice laughed, joined by the second. Alyna ended the transmission. She feared her friends were not out of danger yet.
