The Black Tube April 25, 2002
By Silvertail
Note: As you may notice, I am unable to write war scenes or strategy for said war scenes. I am not a war story author. That is why, in some parts, the characters are not talking about plans, but are actually just talking about talking about plans.
Chapter 1- The Tube
Graveheart sat in the council room alone and examined the plans. It was a usual wet day on Planet Ice, where the alliance was camped to make plans for the next battle with the Beast. Graveheart, a miner turned soldier from Planet Rock, was studying the strategic plans that would be carried out in two day's time against Remora, the dead planet where the Beast kept their base.
Jade entered the room. "I don know how long we can stay here, Graveheart," She told him in annoyance. "We are in a great freezer. Besides that, I was talkin' to one of Cryos' servants and there's supposed to be a huge ice storm tonight."
"Well," Graveheart said back to her, "I guess this is a good place to be. Inside, I mean. We'll head out tomorrow and be ready to fight the day after as long as this storm doesn't last." Jade was ready to leave right then. She didn't know how Graveheart could handle staying on these planets.
Graveheart knew what she was thinking, and couldn't help agreeing. He liked Ice as it was important in the alliance, and was home to his friends but sometimes he wished he was back home on Rock.
***
That night was the kind of night that made thousands of people glad they had walls to protect them. The wind was howling and ice hit the ceilings and walls like stones. Inside Ice's palace, the Alliance was having a meeting, even through the storm.
The room was under the roof, so there was not much of the storm missed.
"Wow!" Prince Pyrus of Fire exclaimed. "Listen to it come down! We didn't have storms like this on Fire, that's for sure!"
King Cryos shook his head. "A storm of this magnitude is rather unusual, even for us. I hope it ends soon."
"We did not come here to talk about the weather!" Jade proclaimed hotly. "We're here to talk about the Beast and our battle plans."
"You are right, Jade," Princess Tekla agreed. "Let's go over our plans for the attack." Zera was growing impatient. "We've been over those plans so many times. I don't think anyone will forget."
"Zera, it's imperative that we know exactly what is happening. Please pay attention." King Cryos told his daughter gently.
"Ya know, I don't know what you all are talkin' about. This cockamamie plan isn't going to work anyway!" Lord Femur shouted.
"Please, Femur! Try to cooperate." Graveheart asked wearily.
Zera stood up, saying, "I believe I'm going downstairs. My head needs a rest."
"Perhaps a rest is what we all need," Cryos said thoughtfully. "We have been working hard lately." With that, it was of general agreement and the whole of the alliance left to go to bed.
A short three hours later, Graveheart was woken up by a strange sound. This was not unusual, he was on a strange planet. Still, he felt restless and decided to go and investigate. It was early evening now, and the storm still raged. He was down the hall and was thinking of finding a bathroom when Zera suddenly jumped in front of him, grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the main room.
"Zera, what is-" Zera looked at him. "Shh! You won't believe it! I was going to wake you, everyone else is up." Graveheart was fully confused but followed. Zera led him to a large dining hall where the crew of the Alliance and many palace servants were sitting, looking at the spectacle before them. Graveheart stared in awe.
The item of such common interest lay in the middle of the room. It was black and shiny, and it seemed to curve around itself and curl into the ceiling. It was a large black tube.
"Graveheart, what is it?" Tekla asked him nervously. Jade had her hand on a knife, probably from instinct then any real danger sensed.
"I don't know, Tekla. It looks like a vortex of some kind."
"It could have been caused by the ice storm," Pyrus suggested.
Zera laughed at him. "Don't be silly. How could a storm cause something like this, matchhead?"
"It could be caused by electrical interference, ice breath!"
"Get away from there now!"
Graveheart looked over at Jade, who was pulling away a waiter who had dared to poke the tube.
"We don't know what this thing is so leave it alone!"
Cryos stepped up to the center of the room. "Excuse me. I must ask that all personnel and guests return to their rooms. This…problem will be dealt with by experts first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, you all must leave."
Slowly, everyone filed out. Not one body left without looking back at the strange black tube.
"So what do you think it does, Pyrus?" Zera asked as they left the dining room.
"I have no idea. Are you thinking what I think you are?"
"You have known me long enough. I'll meet you right here at 11:00, okay?"
"I'll see you then."
***
Several hours passed. Pyrus and Zera met as planned, in the dark hallway outside the dining room. They had a quick whispered conversation.
"You made it!"
"So did you."
"I almost didn't, I almost got lost."
"Well, that would have been brilliant."
"Are we here to see the tube or not?"
"Be quiet or no one will see the tube tonight."
They snuck over to the dining room door, and found it locked. This was not unexpected. "I'll get the key, just wait here," Zera commanded Pyrus. This was followed by a heated argument on whether Pyrus would wait or come with. Zera won, so Pyrus waited outside. Zera was gone twenty minutes, a long twenty minutes in which Pyrus was sure someone would come around the corner and arrest him every minute that went by.
Finally, as he was making up excuses as to why he was standing in the hall by himself, Zera returned. "What took you so long?"
"Quiet, there are probably guards!" She scolded, unlocking the door.
Sure enough, the door was guarded. "Quiet," Zera whispered.
"Well, you don't have to tell me that…"
"Excuse me!" Zera called out. "What are you-" "Quiet!"
Pyrus stood angrily as a guard walked over to them. "Lady Zera? What are you doing out of bed?"
"Oh, it's silly, really," Zera said sweetly. "I left my bag behind on a table. Would you let me get it? I won't even look at that big scary black thing."
The guard appeared puzzled. "Your bag? Well, I'll get it for you. Wait right here."
"No!" Zera shouted. "You see, it has some very important personal private things in it and I want only me to touch it. No offense to you, of course."
"O-Of course not, my lady. Be very quick."
Zera headed into the room, and Pyrus followed. The guard poked him. "You are not permitted in here."
"Of course he is," Zera said smoothly. "He is my guest and is welcome anywhere I say he is. Now move aside." The guard moved, obviously cowed.
Zera and Pyrus stepped across the dining hall until they were in front of the tube. It swirled in inky blackness and seemed to hold all kinds of mysteries. The two teenagers stood there, agape. Pyrus reached out and touched it.
END CHAPTER 1
Thanks for reading. I'll admit this was not the best work of fiction I ever wrote, but I kind of liked it anyway so I put it up. If you would like to MiST this, I would be honoured. Just tell me where it is so I can read it. Please review!
By Silvertail
Note: As you may notice, I am unable to write war scenes or strategy for said war scenes. I am not a war story author. That is why, in some parts, the characters are not talking about plans, but are actually just talking about talking about plans.
Chapter 1- The Tube
Graveheart sat in the council room alone and examined the plans. It was a usual wet day on Planet Ice, where the alliance was camped to make plans for the next battle with the Beast. Graveheart, a miner turned soldier from Planet Rock, was studying the strategic plans that would be carried out in two day's time against Remora, the dead planet where the Beast kept their base.
Jade entered the room. "I don know how long we can stay here, Graveheart," She told him in annoyance. "We are in a great freezer. Besides that, I was talkin' to one of Cryos' servants and there's supposed to be a huge ice storm tonight."
"Well," Graveheart said back to her, "I guess this is a good place to be. Inside, I mean. We'll head out tomorrow and be ready to fight the day after as long as this storm doesn't last." Jade was ready to leave right then. She didn't know how Graveheart could handle staying on these planets.
Graveheart knew what she was thinking, and couldn't help agreeing. He liked Ice as it was important in the alliance, and was home to his friends but sometimes he wished he was back home on Rock.
***
That night was the kind of night that made thousands of people glad they had walls to protect them. The wind was howling and ice hit the ceilings and walls like stones. Inside Ice's palace, the Alliance was having a meeting, even through the storm.
The room was under the roof, so there was not much of the storm missed.
"Wow!" Prince Pyrus of Fire exclaimed. "Listen to it come down! We didn't have storms like this on Fire, that's for sure!"
King Cryos shook his head. "A storm of this magnitude is rather unusual, even for us. I hope it ends soon."
"We did not come here to talk about the weather!" Jade proclaimed hotly. "We're here to talk about the Beast and our battle plans."
"You are right, Jade," Princess Tekla agreed. "Let's go over our plans for the attack." Zera was growing impatient. "We've been over those plans so many times. I don't think anyone will forget."
"Zera, it's imperative that we know exactly what is happening. Please pay attention." King Cryos told his daughter gently.
"Ya know, I don't know what you all are talkin' about. This cockamamie plan isn't going to work anyway!" Lord Femur shouted.
"Please, Femur! Try to cooperate." Graveheart asked wearily.
Zera stood up, saying, "I believe I'm going downstairs. My head needs a rest."
"Perhaps a rest is what we all need," Cryos said thoughtfully. "We have been working hard lately." With that, it was of general agreement and the whole of the alliance left to go to bed.
A short three hours later, Graveheart was woken up by a strange sound. This was not unusual, he was on a strange planet. Still, he felt restless and decided to go and investigate. It was early evening now, and the storm still raged. He was down the hall and was thinking of finding a bathroom when Zera suddenly jumped in front of him, grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the main room.
"Zera, what is-" Zera looked at him. "Shh! You won't believe it! I was going to wake you, everyone else is up." Graveheart was fully confused but followed. Zera led him to a large dining hall where the crew of the Alliance and many palace servants were sitting, looking at the spectacle before them. Graveheart stared in awe.
The item of such common interest lay in the middle of the room. It was black and shiny, and it seemed to curve around itself and curl into the ceiling. It was a large black tube.
"Graveheart, what is it?" Tekla asked him nervously. Jade had her hand on a knife, probably from instinct then any real danger sensed.
"I don't know, Tekla. It looks like a vortex of some kind."
"It could have been caused by the ice storm," Pyrus suggested.
Zera laughed at him. "Don't be silly. How could a storm cause something like this, matchhead?"
"It could be caused by electrical interference, ice breath!"
"Get away from there now!"
Graveheart looked over at Jade, who was pulling away a waiter who had dared to poke the tube.
"We don't know what this thing is so leave it alone!"
Cryos stepped up to the center of the room. "Excuse me. I must ask that all personnel and guests return to their rooms. This…problem will be dealt with by experts first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, you all must leave."
Slowly, everyone filed out. Not one body left without looking back at the strange black tube.
"So what do you think it does, Pyrus?" Zera asked as they left the dining room.
"I have no idea. Are you thinking what I think you are?"
"You have known me long enough. I'll meet you right here at 11:00, okay?"
"I'll see you then."
***
Several hours passed. Pyrus and Zera met as planned, in the dark hallway outside the dining room. They had a quick whispered conversation.
"You made it!"
"So did you."
"I almost didn't, I almost got lost."
"Well, that would have been brilliant."
"Are we here to see the tube or not?"
"Be quiet or no one will see the tube tonight."
They snuck over to the dining room door, and found it locked. This was not unexpected. "I'll get the key, just wait here," Zera commanded Pyrus. This was followed by a heated argument on whether Pyrus would wait or come with. Zera won, so Pyrus waited outside. Zera was gone twenty minutes, a long twenty minutes in which Pyrus was sure someone would come around the corner and arrest him every minute that went by.
Finally, as he was making up excuses as to why he was standing in the hall by himself, Zera returned. "What took you so long?"
"Quiet, there are probably guards!" She scolded, unlocking the door.
Sure enough, the door was guarded. "Quiet," Zera whispered.
"Well, you don't have to tell me that…"
"Excuse me!" Zera called out. "What are you-" "Quiet!"
Pyrus stood angrily as a guard walked over to them. "Lady Zera? What are you doing out of bed?"
"Oh, it's silly, really," Zera said sweetly. "I left my bag behind on a table. Would you let me get it? I won't even look at that big scary black thing."
The guard appeared puzzled. "Your bag? Well, I'll get it for you. Wait right here."
"No!" Zera shouted. "You see, it has some very important personal private things in it and I want only me to touch it. No offense to you, of course."
"O-Of course not, my lady. Be very quick."
Zera headed into the room, and Pyrus followed. The guard poked him. "You are not permitted in here."
"Of course he is," Zera said smoothly. "He is my guest and is welcome anywhere I say he is. Now move aside." The guard moved, obviously cowed.
Zera and Pyrus stepped across the dining hall until they were in front of the tube. It swirled in inky blackness and seemed to hold all kinds of mysteries. The two teenagers stood there, agape. Pyrus reached out and touched it.
END CHAPTER 1
Thanks for reading. I'll admit this was not the best work of fiction I ever wrote, but I kind of liked it anyway so I put it up. If you would like to MiST this, I would be honoured. Just tell me where it is so I can read it. Please review!