Lunar: Black Star Rising
By Thomas Knapp
Chapter Seven
"Whoa!" Toras yelled as he jumped out of the way of a falling brick, "You have to be careful when using that tool! We need the damaged brick out, yes, but preferably not at the expense of human life, okay?"
The apprentice magician at the top of the ladder nodded, and shyly apologized before turning back to his work. Toras shook his head then he himself turned back to the book he had been poring over.
"Hmm… once again, this one doesn't tell anything about my ancestors either. But there HAS to be something. The records on the Black Moon state quite clearly that we left the Blue Star in massive colony vessels, but the records of Lunar don't mention us at all. Most curious…"
"What have you got there?" Lemina asked, standing on her toes to peer over Toras's shoulder. He chuckled, then showed her the book in question; "Do you have any idea why your history of the Blue Star wouldn't mention the people from the Black Moon?"
Lemina shook her head, "Not a clue… perhaps your people were like the Vile Tribe of Lunar, and thus were shunned from the rest."
"That's a likely hypothesis." Toras nodded, "The number of colonists who left the Blue Star during its collapse was not large compared to those who most likely came here, but one would think our history would reflect animosity and hatred towards those who rejected us. That is clearly not the case, as the history of the Black Moon looked at Althena's tribe, which I ASSUME to be the people of Lunar, with surprising indifference."
"Well, if you want, I can step back into the Library, and try some of the other books there. So far, you've only red six of as I recall twenty different historical accounts." Before Toras could respond, Lemina was already proceeding into the construction zone.
"Be wary of falling brick!" Toras shouted out as Lemina disappeared into the Library. Turning his head back down into the book in his hand, he started walking again. Toras possessed a most incredible ability of being able to focus on multiple things at once, explaining why he had been able to dodge falling debris, and why he almost magically shuffled out of the way of a large human barreling into Vane.
Toras looked back up as the man turned in his direction, "Ramus…" Toras growled, almost threateningly.
"Ah…" Ramus replied, rubbing his hand behind his head, "Just the person I was hoping to see. Toras, I think that I need to explain something to you, do you have a minute?"
Inside the Guild Hall…
Ramus chose an empty classroom, and ushered Toras inside. Ramus sat down at one of the desks, and motioned for Toras to join him. When Toras declined, Ramus said, "As you may know, Lemina and I made a little bet, the conditions of which were if I lost, I'd disband my business, and if she lost, she'd have to marry me."
"That I do." Toras replied simply.
"Well… I should tell you that I like Lemina a lot…"
"So does a predator like his prey."
Ramus sighed, and once again, rubbed the back of his head, as he tried to gather the words in his mind, "The point is, I'd never hold Lemina to such a stupid condition. I don't know about her, but I would not force her to EVER do something like that. I respect her too much to make her be my wife."
"Is this coming out of your mouth because you know you're going to lose?" Toras accused.
"I suppose partly. I want to make my intentions known so that Lemina might not be so… fulfilling on my side of the wager. The other reason is that I realized just how you seemed to see me, as you put it, a predator out to get myself my prey."
Ramus stood, and addressed the pale scientist. "I don't want you to think that I'm some leach out to get a good screw. I apologize for my grandfather's actions, as no doubt they contributed to how you are acting now. That man IS lustful, and probably senile as well."
Toras's features softened, "Well, just in case, don't you think I'm gonna lay off rebuilding Vane."
Ramus laughed, and retorted, "Of course not! I wouldn't want you to anyway. Just don't count me out just yet."
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Outside the room…
Miria and Borgan turned away from the door, and proceeded to the assembly hall. Borgan turned to the former Premier of the Magic Guild, and asked, "I still think we shouldn't have gotten involved in this."
Miria sighed, "I called Ramus because Lemina was too focused on winning that bet to realize just how Toras was acting around her. Hopefully, we nipped this in the bud before someone got hurt."
Two days later…
"Hey, little bro? Where are ya?" Taras called out when he hit the entry room of the Magic Guild of Vane. After a few moments, his younger brother appeared, looking a mite bit cross.
"There are students trying to study here…" Toras hissed, "Could you TRY to keep your decibel level at just a little above ear splitting?"
"Sorry, I just wasn't sure if you were close by." Taras apologized, "Jean and I got the data you were looking for. I just hope that it gives us a positive answer."
"As do I." Toras said thoughtfully then started looking for a quiet place that he could analyze the information he had received. Finally spotting a small study hall, he slipped inside, and closed the door quietly.
"So… we shall have to wait until he's done before all of your fears can be dispelled, huh?" Jean asked softly.
"Or heightened." Taras amended.
"As much as you speak about hope, you sure seem pretty negative."
"Merely trying to be realistic."
That night…
Taras closed the door to the study hall, where a rather large assembly waited eagerly for the scientist's analysis of the data that Taras and Jean had gathered. Lemina spoke up softly, "Is he almost finished?"
Taras nodded slowly, "I don't like it though. He didn't seem too happy about how the numbers were adding up. I think our worst fears are about to be affirmed."
The collective mood dropped like a boulder in water as Toras finally slid out of the study hall. Rather than depressed, he seemed somewhat puzzled, and asked his older brother, "Are you sure you gathered the data per mission orders?"
"Yes… the mechanisms used basically operated themselves." Taras replied indignantly. He may not be a doctorate in mechanics, but he knew how to follow a list of directions.
"It doesn't make any sense… this is physically impossible… I worked the data five times, with the same result. I couldn't have POSSIBLY made the same error."
"Why?"
"Well, the reason is the data you gathered from yesterday shows that the planetoid would miss this cluster. However, the data you gathered earlier today plots a different course and speed."
"Meaning?"
"Well, somehow, the planetoid is accelerating as it progresses our way, something that is simply physically impossible in the pure vacuum of space unless another force was acting upon it somehow."
Taras queried, "What could possibly be doing that?"
"That's the thing, there is no force that any mortal agency can generate capable of having such a drastic effect on such a large mass."
Lemina visibly paled at the description Toras gave, until her complexion rivaled those of the visitors from the Black Moon. "No mortal agency… Zophar…" Lemina gasped.
"Pardon, Miss Lemina?" Toras queried, not quite sure he had heard correctly.
"I can guarantee you that the planetoid you're tracking will be aimed directly at the Blue Star, Toras." Lemina said eerily, "And that if we have any chance of surviving, we have to find our way there before the planetoid does…"