A/N: If there's any suggestions for this story, please do tell me. I'll
appreciate any help. Thanks. Oh, and by the way, are there any suggestions
for the name the Martians would call themselves and their planet? I'm in
desperate need of them.
Descending Into Darkness Book 1
Two: Tuition and History
J'onn sat on a force-field cushion that mould to the shape of his body as he bounced and leaned back again it. It gave way a little and then sprung back under his constant motions, until he was laughing as he always did when he used it.
The room was lit dimly with a soft yellow light, for the eyes of their race were used to the dimness of the planet that was covered with thick billowing clouds that allowed little to no sunlight in. However, devices had been placed orbiting around their planet and slightly above the clouds to capture the sunlight from the young sun and beam it onto the planet so that they were at least not deprived of light.
"J'onn, sit still." Khale hardened his eyes at J'onn, narrowing them when the younger one would not sit still. [J'onn, sit still.]
The telepathic command carried more strength and order, and J'onn stopped his bouncing and sat meekly on the field, awaiting his tutor to start.
Khale shook his head, and told the boy to lie down.
J'onn did as instructed, feeling the field extend to take on the weight of his body. He closed his eyes and tried to feel for Khale's mind, to try to listen to his tutor's thoughts as everyone else could read his own.
He felt nothing, but yelped as a sudden space seemed to open up before him: a chasm between two lands that held hidden things on either end. He opened his eyes to see Khale's gaze on him.
"You attempted to read me, but you did not try to hide your prying."
J'onn sat up, and half of the force-field bent upwards to become a backrest for him. "But I didn't even know I was reading our thoughts!" His eyes seemed to shine more brightly with excitement.
"You didn't," Khale reminded him. "You tried to. Recall what you felt, and tell me."
"It felt..it felt." J'onn's already deep-set brows deepened more as he frowned, staring at the sleek but dull silvery floor. ".like I didn't feel anything, but then felt more than nothing with something-many things-far, far away."
For the first time, Khale smiled, and winked at the younger one. "You are doing well. Better than previous times you have tried. Tell me, what caused this?"
J'onn ran his hand up and down his head's graceful curve. "Father.told me that everyone could read my thoughts, and they were driving them insane. So I wondered about your thoughts."
Khale smiled even more widely. "Ah.all right." He nodded, beginning his explanation. "First, you felt nothing, which was but the nothing of a closed mind. When I allowed you a look, you felt the nothingness which was space between your mind and mine: the emptiness between two worlds. And you felt my thoughts beyond."
The youngster frowned so deeply it was as if his whole face had withdrawn into his head, and Khale laughed. "Enough for now, J'onn! I will teach you much more if your progress is as good as you just did."
J'onn smiled widely and started bouncing again.
"Now, we must continue with our history where we left off."
The bouncing stopped and there was a groan as J'onn evidently remembered the information he had to remember from books, for although his race communicated both by thought and speech, their brain had to be developed enough to support the first form of communication, which meant training both from within and between minds, and form without.
"Sit back. I'll do the talking today. No books." Khale winked again and gazed out of the window as J'onn shifted to be more comfortable. The heavy curtain of rain came down as if they were many beads that moved upon silken strings, and he breathed in the fresh air sweetened by the rain that the window's force-field allowed in even as it kept out the water. "I'll test you on it another day." When he saw that the younger was ready, he began in a tone that was soft and distant.
"When we were a race of about a million years, and about forty thousand after we gained consciousness of ourselves, our race was counted amongst the higher races of the universe, both near and distant. Now, our race is considered even higher than that of the Kryptonites.
"About five thousand years ago, our people started having differences. After having evolved and become intelligent for so long, none of our leaders then would have thought that some of our people would begin to think differently."
"Some of them used Earth as a resource and messed up with the evolution?"
"Yes." Khale gazed at J'onn, trying to keep a smile from his face. "You have done your reading, I see."
"That part was interesting. Zak always brought home images of those.Men."
"Do not call your father-brother by his name, J'onn."
"But he always tells me to!"
Khale sighed, shook his head, and gave up on that topic. He then continued on. "Because of the acts of some of our people, Man will never be able to evolve to what they should have reached. Only a fraction of them will do so. And for that, our people are forever sorrowful.
"We banished those who had stole secretly to Earth to the Still Zone, where they would have to serve their sentence till the judges deem it fit for them to return. And I do not think it will be anytime soon.
"The rest of our people became greater philosophers, musicians and artists. We fight, but that is taken as an art, as you shall see tomorrow at the Festival." Khale winked. "But while we talk through mind-speech as well as mouth-speech, and when the need arises we share knowledge through our minds, we do not invade the minds of any of our kind, nor any of other kinds."
"But the people who used Earth did, right?"
"Yes." Khale's eyes glowed a pale red with anger. "They desired militaristic order with obsession. We could not allow that as well. We fought, and won. But a semblance of order was still required, and the Manhunters were formed and trained. They are our police, and they know their job."
Silence reigned for a moment as J'onn took in all that Khale have said. When the latter felt that it was enough, he rose and smiled, placing a hand on J'onn's shoulder. "You are doing well enough, J'onn. We shall end here today. Maybe I will meet you at the Festival tomorrow?"
J'onn smiled and nodded, starting to like his tutor. "Mother will look out for you. I'm not tall enough."
Khale laughed loudly and patted J'onn on the head. "You will be soon enough. Goodbye."
"Goodbye," J'onn answered, following Khale to the door and watching as his tutor activated a force-field and walk home in the rain.
Descending Into Darkness Book 1
Two: Tuition and History
J'onn sat on a force-field cushion that mould to the shape of his body as he bounced and leaned back again it. It gave way a little and then sprung back under his constant motions, until he was laughing as he always did when he used it.
The room was lit dimly with a soft yellow light, for the eyes of their race were used to the dimness of the planet that was covered with thick billowing clouds that allowed little to no sunlight in. However, devices had been placed orbiting around their planet and slightly above the clouds to capture the sunlight from the young sun and beam it onto the planet so that they were at least not deprived of light.
"J'onn, sit still." Khale hardened his eyes at J'onn, narrowing them when the younger one would not sit still. [J'onn, sit still.]
The telepathic command carried more strength and order, and J'onn stopped his bouncing and sat meekly on the field, awaiting his tutor to start.
Khale shook his head, and told the boy to lie down.
J'onn did as instructed, feeling the field extend to take on the weight of his body. He closed his eyes and tried to feel for Khale's mind, to try to listen to his tutor's thoughts as everyone else could read his own.
He felt nothing, but yelped as a sudden space seemed to open up before him: a chasm between two lands that held hidden things on either end. He opened his eyes to see Khale's gaze on him.
"You attempted to read me, but you did not try to hide your prying."
J'onn sat up, and half of the force-field bent upwards to become a backrest for him. "But I didn't even know I was reading our thoughts!" His eyes seemed to shine more brightly with excitement.
"You didn't," Khale reminded him. "You tried to. Recall what you felt, and tell me."
"It felt..it felt." J'onn's already deep-set brows deepened more as he frowned, staring at the sleek but dull silvery floor. ".like I didn't feel anything, but then felt more than nothing with something-many things-far, far away."
For the first time, Khale smiled, and winked at the younger one. "You are doing well. Better than previous times you have tried. Tell me, what caused this?"
J'onn ran his hand up and down his head's graceful curve. "Father.told me that everyone could read my thoughts, and they were driving them insane. So I wondered about your thoughts."
Khale smiled even more widely. "Ah.all right." He nodded, beginning his explanation. "First, you felt nothing, which was but the nothing of a closed mind. When I allowed you a look, you felt the nothingness which was space between your mind and mine: the emptiness between two worlds. And you felt my thoughts beyond."
The youngster frowned so deeply it was as if his whole face had withdrawn into his head, and Khale laughed. "Enough for now, J'onn! I will teach you much more if your progress is as good as you just did."
J'onn smiled widely and started bouncing again.
"Now, we must continue with our history where we left off."
The bouncing stopped and there was a groan as J'onn evidently remembered the information he had to remember from books, for although his race communicated both by thought and speech, their brain had to be developed enough to support the first form of communication, which meant training both from within and between minds, and form without.
"Sit back. I'll do the talking today. No books." Khale winked again and gazed out of the window as J'onn shifted to be more comfortable. The heavy curtain of rain came down as if they were many beads that moved upon silken strings, and he breathed in the fresh air sweetened by the rain that the window's force-field allowed in even as it kept out the water. "I'll test you on it another day." When he saw that the younger was ready, he began in a tone that was soft and distant.
"When we were a race of about a million years, and about forty thousand after we gained consciousness of ourselves, our race was counted amongst the higher races of the universe, both near and distant. Now, our race is considered even higher than that of the Kryptonites.
"About five thousand years ago, our people started having differences. After having evolved and become intelligent for so long, none of our leaders then would have thought that some of our people would begin to think differently."
"Some of them used Earth as a resource and messed up with the evolution?"
"Yes." Khale gazed at J'onn, trying to keep a smile from his face. "You have done your reading, I see."
"That part was interesting. Zak always brought home images of those.Men."
"Do not call your father-brother by his name, J'onn."
"But he always tells me to!"
Khale sighed, shook his head, and gave up on that topic. He then continued on. "Because of the acts of some of our people, Man will never be able to evolve to what they should have reached. Only a fraction of them will do so. And for that, our people are forever sorrowful.
"We banished those who had stole secretly to Earth to the Still Zone, where they would have to serve their sentence till the judges deem it fit for them to return. And I do not think it will be anytime soon.
"The rest of our people became greater philosophers, musicians and artists. We fight, but that is taken as an art, as you shall see tomorrow at the Festival." Khale winked. "But while we talk through mind-speech as well as mouth-speech, and when the need arises we share knowledge through our minds, we do not invade the minds of any of our kind, nor any of other kinds."
"But the people who used Earth did, right?"
"Yes." Khale's eyes glowed a pale red with anger. "They desired militaristic order with obsession. We could not allow that as well. We fought, and won. But a semblance of order was still required, and the Manhunters were formed and trained. They are our police, and they know their job."
Silence reigned for a moment as J'onn took in all that Khale have said. When the latter felt that it was enough, he rose and smiled, placing a hand on J'onn's shoulder. "You are doing well enough, J'onn. We shall end here today. Maybe I will meet you at the Festival tomorrow?"
J'onn smiled and nodded, starting to like his tutor. "Mother will look out for you. I'm not tall enough."
Khale laughed loudly and patted J'onn on the head. "You will be soon enough. Goodbye."
"Goodbye," J'onn answered, following Khale to the door and watching as his tutor activated a force-field and walk home in the rain.
