One dead man’s body reveals a startling secret. Every cell has been corrupted by a micro-organism that gave him eternal health. The thing is…no one knows where he contracted it as it must have been millions of years ago.
So begins the hunt throughout the galaxy for the micro-organism by two opposing individuals, Calain de Longee of the Galactic Core Amalgamation, and Princess Warkis, second in line of the Pataki Dynastic of the Harkardi Empire. Other forces are also at play. The Guardians, a race of super robots who ensure the peace between humans and the Harkardi, warn against the dangers of the micro-organism, and the Forty-Two Steps, a criminal organization, who wish to claim it for themselves. It’s a contest of wills between Calain and Warkis with galactic implications.
CHAPTER 3 – CALAIN
Parties. Everybody loves them, including me. There’s no better way to gain good terms with the competition than when a few libations are applied in the friendly confines of a party.
I’ve been invited to the Guardian state house. From what I understand, every ambassador is to be there. It explains why my mother has come as well. It’s the anniversary of the peace treaty. Twenty-eight years. She is one of the original signatories to the thing. I guess that’s something worth celebrating.
Besides mother, Chak is coming as well. That’s good, because if I get bored, at least someone will be there to talk with. Who knows what kind of reception I’m going to get? Sure, the Guardians will be happy to see me, but I’d rather converse with beings of flesh and blood. From what I understand, most of the dignitaries are of human descent—different consortiums throughout the galaxy.
Then there’s the Harkardi. Mostly amphibians, although at a glance you might mistake them for reptiles, even perhaps a trace of mammalian traits. Warm-blooded, and from what I understand, they live-birth their children. No eggs. Also, there’s that trace of similarity to us. Roughly our configuration — head, torso, two arms, two legs, hands, feet. From what I understand, the ambassador is a female and will be bringing her male escorts with her. Unlike the females, who are roughly our size, the males are half-pints, barely up to my waist. I hear they’re very quiet and keep to themselves. Party poopers.
Nevertheless, I intend to put my best foot forward and hopefully make an impression. As our car pulls into the laneway leading to the front door of the state house, I take a glance into a mirror to make sure every hair is in place. I turn to Chak. “Here goes nothing.”
My driver stops directly in front of the building and my security officer opens my door. Stepping out, I take a moment to tug at my tuxedo and take out any crease lines from the ride. Standing outside the entrance are two Guardians. It looks like even they got all polished up for the festivities. Still, I can’t help feeling intimidated by their presence. They don’t have mouths so one thing they can’t do is smile. I kind of expect that in a host. Guess I’ll have to live without it.
As I enter, standing among the welcoming committee is Tommy. I guess I should have expected him, He is, after all, a bigwig in the Guardians. What catches my eye even more so is the Guardian beside him. Another two feet taller for sure. Unlike the guardians at the door or even Tommy, this one has no number plate. It doesn’t take me long to figure out who it is.
Gort. My father’s first, named after that old movie one. My reports state he is the leader of the Guardians, so his presence at such an august affair is not unexpected.
But if he’s here, then the distinct possibility of my father being somewhere around rears its ugly head. Do I really want to face him at this time? I wonder, will he even recognize me?
There’s no sign of my father right now. I would expect him to be with this group. If I hurry, maybe I can get past the welcoming committee and into obscurity inside before being spotted.
Putting on my best smile, I stride up to the two Guardians—mother, and Chak on either side of me. “Nice to see you again, Tommy. And, if I’m correct, beside you is Gort. An honor to meet the first.”
The big Guardian nods and shakes my hand. “As I understand it, you are Calain de Longee, Ambassador for Galaxy Core Amalgamation. I have not seen you in twenty years. You have grown into quite the man. A pleasure to meet you again.”
I’m pleased that, unlike Tommy, Gort doesn’t gush about me being the son of his creator, my father. “It must be a monumental task to govern the Guardians, spread out all across the galaxy as you are.”
“Mum is in constant instant communication with all of them through darkspace. They know to limit their communications to urgent issues such as an infraction of the peace treaty. She sorts through the messages and forwards to me what requires my attention. It’s not as busy as one might expect. All of the Guardians know their duties. Instances that require oversight are rare. Situations that require assistance are usually localized. The job is not as difficult as you might believe.”
I know who Mum is—the A.I. in my father’s personal spaceship. When I was seven, my one visit with my father was on his ship. Mum was very nice. Despite objections from both my father and mother, she gave me treats. I like Mum.
Gort turns to face mother. “Admiral Leela, nice to see you again.”
Mother smiles. “And you, Gort. Last time was what… the tenth reunion? The years pass so quickly.” She glances around. “I don’t see her. Is she coming?”
“No. Despite being one of the architects of this agreement, she’s never yet attended one of these reunions.”
I’m curious as to who mother is talking about and I nudge her. “Who’s missing?”
“The Eternal Queen. Ruler of the Harkardi Empire for over two million years now. She was there that day your father orchestrated the treaty between the Harkardi and us.”
The Eternal Queen. Over a million years? Now I know why they call her eternal.
“Leela!”
I turn to see where my mother’s name has been yelled from. Standing with two other Guardians is my father. I didn’t see him at first. The Guardians he’s with must have blocked my view.
My father comes over and hugs her. “How have you been?”
She breaks the embrace. “As good as can be expected. A little older. Hopefully, a little wiser. I was just discussing with Gort the absence of your protégé. You’d think she’d wish to be here and see you. After all, you, Gort, Mum, and her, are kind of like family. Aren’t you?”
Adam gives a small shake of his head. “Now, Leela, what you know of her secrets is confidential. It’s what you promised me.” He turns to face me. “In the meantime, who is this fellow beside you?”
She turns to me. “This is our son, Calain.”
There’s no getting out of a greeting now. Try as I might, a smile eludes my face. “Hello, Mr. Spenceworth.”
Adam pauses, and he studies me for a moment. He then thrusts out a hand. “A fine- looking young man. I hear you’re the new ambassador. Congratulations.”
Obviously, my lukewarm reception to him didn’t throw him off, or, at the very least, make him think. “Yes. I hope I’m up to the job.”
“I have no doubts about it. Your mother tells me you’re a chip off the old block. Headstrong and self-opinionated. It takes confidence and a good ego to take charge of a difficult task. I’m sure you’ll do well.”
I have no idea what Mother may have told him, but he doesn’t really know me. I’m not sure if that was a compliment or an insult. By saying I’m a chip off the old block, then it’s definitely an insult. Although I’m a good size, his height, maybe even an inch taller, I’m still intimidated. Is it the anger I feel for him that makes me so? I don’t know. All I do know is I want this greeting to end. “Thank you for the encouragement. For now, I think I’ll make my way into the hall and perhaps chase down a refreshment. I’m feeling a little parched.”
Adam turns to Gort. “Gort, the lad needs a drink. Please tell me you have some Xirdalan beers somewhere in this place?”
“Coming right up.”
The giant robot heads off at my father’s bidding. Imagine that. The leader of the Guardians running for drinks for us. It’s comical.
I guess I can’t run off just yet so I wait and engage in small talk with everyone until Gort returns with a tray holding enough beer for everyone gathered. I’ve never had beer before. Back on the mother world, we drink wine made from local fruit. This should be an experience.
Holding the glass, I can tell the stuff is cold. I look at the contents and see a brownish liquid with foam across the top. Do you drink the foam? I decide to watch my father as he takes his first sip. Alright, the foam is decoration. You drink the brown fluid. It’s time to give it a try.
First impression—bitter. What’s to like about this stuff? Yet as I glance at the faces around me, all having taken at least one taste, I only see smiles. Perhaps a larger quantity is needed to get the gist of it. I only took the tiniest sip at the first go.
Somehow, the gulp versus the sip was much better. The stuff, though still bitter, also has a refreshing quality to it, like cold water on a hot day. Perhaps the bitterness is an acquired taste. I can also tell there’s not the highest alcohol content. That means one can consume more without ill effects. I think I could get used to it.
After another hefty swallow, I note my glass is near empty. One thing is for sure, the stuff goes down easy enough. Mother is clearly engrossed in a conversation with Adam and Chak is trapped in one with Tommy. It’s time to slip away. Perhaps the beer is my key to being excused. “Thank you, Gort, for the beverage. If I heard my father correctly, it’s called Xirdalan. I think I’ll find the bar and get another. Excuse me please.”
Everyone nods and I take my exit, stage left. From the entryway, I step into a large ballroom. There are several small clusters of people and Guardians standing about. I guess I should mingle and get the schmoozing done. But first, there’s the bar. I really am going to get another one of those beers.
As I reach the bar, there’s a loud tap tapping behind me. Turning, I see a Harkardi woman, dressed in royal finery, come in with her sextet of security. They surround her holding what look like axes with really long handles. As they walk, they tap the bottom of the handle on the floor with every step they take. Noisy buggers. Is that really necessary?
The Harkardi woman, whom I must assume is the new ambassador for them, has an air about her. She is looking everywhere and yet nowhere. She is keeping her head high. My guess is so as not to make eye contact with anyone.
An interesting head it is. Like the runt males, she has no hair. Instead, running in side-to- side streaks across the middle of her scalp from front to back are three bright red ridges on her green skin. The males lack this feature. Instead, their heads are uniform. No ridges.
As to her eyes, from what I can tell, compared to the darker green of her skin, they are milky-green irises with black pupils. Kind of spooky that way. The eyes of the males, inversely, are a darker green than their skin. A dead look.
The female is not exactly what I would call pretty, but not ugly either, just different. Very different. She has this very wide mouth. Almost froglike. Flaring nostrils as well. Not exactly what I would call endearing features. From the neck down she’s built like a human woman who’s into bodybuilding. Yes, a bit of an hourglass shape with what looks like large-sized breasts and wide hips but she’s wider than an average human female, and by the thickness of her arms and legs; I’m thinking much stronger too. I pity the poor Harkardi male with whomever she partners. They are spindly little fellows. She’d quash one like a bug.
I planned to mingle, and what better place to start than with the Harkardi. The nice thing about the implant behind my ear, is I can understand any language. No doubt, she will have the same implant. As I understand it, their expressions are similar to ours. Smiles when happy, frowns
when not. It’s good to know I don’t need to learn a whole new list when trying to decode a Harkardi’s expression when talking with one.
Placing my order with the bartender, I order not one, but two of the Xirdalan beers. I’m told that their palates are similar to ours. They eat and drink what we do. I hope she likes her drinks bitter.
***
AUTHOR MICHAEL DRAKICH
Weaned on the likes of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and Tolkien; Michael Drakich brings a certain recognizable imagery to writing. “The old masters maintained certain criteria I believe essential. Central characters a reader can step into and emote with—where heroes come to exist, no matter how humble their beginnings.” Michael’s works bring an adventure for every reader to escape with. He invites you to once again feel the joy of reading.
Michael’s been writing for some sixteen years now and his eighth novel, Requiem For A Genocide, received critical acclaim. In the Readers Views Reviewers Choice Awards, it won the Gold Medal for science fiction. In the Global Ebook Awards it won the Silver Medal for science fiction. In The National Indie Excellence Awards it was a finalist. And in the Independent Press Awards it is listed as a Distinguished Favorite.
His previous releases include Assassins Of Riaz, I AM, Demon Stones, The Infinite Within, Lest The Dew Rust Them, Grave Is The Day and The Brotherhood Of Piaxia, and his newest release, Sanctuary Has Fallen.
Michael brings a repertoire of science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers to readers everywhere. Michael lives in the quaint neighborhood of Olde Walkerville in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Father to three, the family home is a historic Albert Kahn design built in 1895. Writing is a passion of his that has led to the books you see listed above. It is his hope you enjoy his works.
Author of nine novels
The Brotherhood Of Piaxia – Years have passed since the overthrow of the monarchy by the Brotherhood of Warlocks and they rule Piaxia in peaceful accord. But now forces are at work to disrupt this rule from outside the Brotherhood as well as within! In the border town of Rok, a young warlock acolyte, Tarlok and his older brother, Savan, captain of the guard, become embroiled in the machinations of dominance. While in the capital city, Tessia, the daughter of Piaxia’s most influential merchant, begins a journey of survival. Follow the three as their paths intertwine, with members of the Brotherhood in pursuit and the powerful merchant’s guild manipulating the populace for their own ends.
Grave Is The Day – In October of 1957, more than Sputnik fell to Earth… Set against the back drop of the Space Race and the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union have a new issue to deal with, aliens from outer space. Both the Braannoo and the Muurgu are at war with each other and Earth becomes the newest battleground in their struggle. Spanning time from the launch of Sputnik to the near future, the interplay of historical events from a new light make you ask the question, could this all be true? The capture of aliens near small town USA unites three players from different quarters, Commander Kraanox of the Braannoo, First Lieutenant Wayne Bucknell as his captor and seven year old Justin Spencer, the first to make alien contact.
Lest The Dew Rust Them – Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations! Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations. Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters. As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government. Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him. With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!
The Infinite Within – Going into outer space calls to Astronaut Brooke Jones like the sirens of old, and when the chance to be part of the first manned mission to Mars arises, she is ecstatic. But little does she know the fate that awaits her on the surface of the red planet or the results of her encounter when she gets back to Earth.
Demon Stones – It’s been almost a hundred years since warlock meddling freed the demons from their underground domain. Their eventual capture has encased them in large stones across all the lands. They became known as the demon stones. Over time, the truth of their imprisonment devolved into legend and tales to frighten children. Now, the seven kingdoms are in upheaval. The demon stones are being opened and the vile creatures once more roam the land. War has broken open between realms as the fingers of accusation are pointed. Caught in the middle is Gar Murdach, a farm boy who recently passed the age of ascension of sixteen marking him as a man, and his younger sister, Darlee, as they both struggle in their separate ways to escape the horrors wrought by the demons and the war that swarms round them.
I AM – Genius, wealthy and life regenerated, Adam Spenceworth is living the dream aboard his custom spaceship run by Mum, his first designed AI, protected by Gort, his first robot, and occupied by Eve, his sexbot. With each regeneration he returns to start over as a twenty-five year old man ready to enjoy the pleasures of his success. What could go wrong? Except, maybe, planetary wars, territorial space battles, alien invasions, and the disturbing fact that each regeneration is taking exponentially longer than the one before bringing him into one galactic crisis after another. A frolicking space drama filled with references sure to strike home with any science fiction aficionado.
Assassins Of Riaz – In Riaz, the profession of assassin is an honored one. Hired throughout the other eight realms, their use of powerful magic to complete assignments makes them a valuable commodity. When a regional trade negotiation is scheduled in their capital city of Lymos, the demand for the skills of the assassins is sure to change the dynamic of the meetings. Caught in the maelstrom of political intrigue is young Kero, the ward of the assassin lord. He’s joined by Darlee, a girl from Sechland with her own magical powers, and Prince Brumaine of Morica, as each of them struggle to navigate the affair in their own way. Will old animosities prevail, or can new alliances alter the path toward all-out war.
Requiem For A Genocide – JAK037 is a warbot. Built for the sole purpose of killing the enemies of Dalrea, he has survived longer than any other and is the last of his generation still in operation. Being the last JAK model, he is simply referred to as Jak, no unit number necessary. When word comes of a treaty with their nemesis, Carthia, Jak holds out hope his final days will be ones without war. It is with disappointment he learns the treaty is so a new front can be opened against a race of settlers from another world. Humans. In the coming conflict, can Jak and his comrades of aged warbots survive against an enemy with superior technology? In a mission to wipe out the settlers, will it succeed? Or will Jak’s days finally be numbered. With the aid of a human child, a seven-year-old girl named Hannah, Jak hopes to end the war and save his people from what he believes is a looming disaster. It’s a race where not only humans but Carthians, Dalreans, robotic laws, and his own failing body all conspire to stop him.
Sanctuary Has Fallen – As civil war strides through Morica, the lives of three diverse people become intertwined in the machinations of governments, gods, and demons: Prince Brumaine, along with his brother, seeking to overthrow his father for control of the country, Private Zair, a young soldier in Morica’s army who serves as a courier for the king, and Esca, daughter of a local healer, and a bystander in the neighboring neutral country of Fermia.
As the war rages, players from other countries enter the fray, and the interjection of three powerful demons seeking refuge makes the battle much more than father-king against princeling sons. Through it all, both Esca and Zair are encumbered with one more difficulty, the blossoming of their ability to use magic which is illegal in both their homelands. Should either be discovered it could prove fatal.
Deep in political intrigue, wavering alliances, and strained relationships, this novel is for those who love epic fantasy in its truest form where countries, peoples, and the laws of the lands hang in a precarious balance.
Michael can be found at www.michaeldrakich.com.
