Shattered Destiny (6 page)

--Why? Robert found his anger growing by the second as he looked at the abominations floating in their yellow goo. --Why do you do this? This is not right! This is not God's way.

--Who is God? Number 5 asked.

--God is the Creator of Earth and all life that lives there. I can only assume that He also created the galaxy, which also means he also made your world. Robert said, fists clenched at his sides. The other Kromins on this planet might not be able to sense his anger, but he was filled with it. His voice shook with the need to express how
wrong
this was.

--No one made our world. It just is. I do not see the relevance to our birthing chambers.

--God created man and woman, and he made them in such a way that they have the ability to create a new life, to take part in God's special miracle. It is a precious gift, for a mother and a father to be able to bring forth a new life into the world, to care for it, and watch it grow. But
this…
He indicated the room with the baby Kromins inside --
This
is not a miracle. This is an abomination, a slight to the precious gift of life that He has given us!

--I have to agree with Robert. This is awful. I can't imagine having to spend part of my life locked away in some tiny pod, with no contact with my mother or father. Martha covered her belly with her hands and hung her head in sadness.

--We do not know this God. This is the only way for us to procreate. Number 4 said.

--We have not always been as we are now. Circumstances dictated that we adopt a new way of life if we were to survive. Number 2 said.

--What circumstances? What could possibly have happened to justify
this
? Mark asked. He, too, felt sickened by the bodies floating in the pods, alive and yet not living.

This is what I was hoping for.
Mirka feared to move lest she interrupt what was happening. No one had ever told her the history of the Kromin world; even the Masters of Gentra did not know the story of how this planet came to be. Mirka had gambled that fate would force the Kromins to open up to their Chosen comrades about their past. She stood transfixed as Number 1 began to speak.

--Many millions of years ago, our world was a solid planet, with mountains and seas. Our technology allowed us to make buildings taller than you could imagine, to travel into the far reaches of space, to create music and paintings. We had an abundance of life forms
that lived on land and in the oceans.

--All of that changed when our sun grew in size. The radiation from the growing sun destroyed our ability to reproduce. The top scientists estimated that all Kromins would be dead within one hundred years. Our leaders demanded a solution, an answer that would save our race from annihilation.

-- Explorers went in search of a new planet we could colonize, but most of the people refused to leave. Specialists designed a metal alloy to protect us from the radiation from the sun. As the sun grew larger, the plant and animal life died off, forcing the nutrition specialists to figure out a way to create food.

--The agreement to begin cloning took much longer for the leaders to accept. It was only after all other possibilities had been exhausted that they agreed that cloning was the only way for our people to survive.

--Our people focused solely on survival. Our sex organs and portions of our brains relating to emotions were lost or changed in the few thousand years it took for the people to adapt.

--I think the capacity to no longer feel emotions is linked to the process of the cloning. The placement of the wires damages certain areas of the brain that are linked to emotions. Mirka said, just as stunned as the others at hearing the tale of Kromin's early days. Two of the Earth Chosen were stiff and refusing to even look at the birthing chambers. One was standing with is face nearly touching the polymer, his head tilting left and right, trying to see the furthest reaches of the chamber.

--That is an interesting hypothesis. The evidence seems to support it. Number 1 said.

The Earth Chosen stood without moving, listening to this terrifying tale of survival. They knew that if such a thing were to happen to their world, they would all perish. They did not possess the technology necessary to save themselves from such a catastrophe.

Robert made himself look at the Kromin children in their pods, blissfully unaware of the emotional turmoil that he felt over their entrapment. He sighed as he realized that the anger was subsiding somewhat, although it was still there lurking just below the surface.
This is why the Masters wanted us to travel to each other's worlds. There is much we need to learn about one another.

--Perhaps we should take a tour of the atmospheric buildings? Mirka thought it might be best to leave the birthing chamber and see something a little less emotionally charged.

ASTRA

THE VOLGONS WERE IN
a semi-circle out in front of the rest of the group. They moved like predators, making no sound as they passed through the underbrush, each step calculating, precise. Master Brok had not wanted to travel by the main road. He wished to come to Enisae unobserved. The closer they got to their destination, the more a dark foreboding had begun to set in. The Volgons sensed danger and situated themselves at the front of the group.

Kyron put up his hand, signaling the group to stop. He and Voilor ran a little ways ahead before crouching down and finally crawling on their bellies to the top of a small rise. They returned and shared whispered words with their Volgon comrades and their Guardian before loping back to the Astrans.

“Brok. There's something I think you should see,” Kyron said, giving the Astran Chosen a sidelong glance. “I think it might be best if you come alone.”

Master Brok's blood ran cold. “What have you seen?”

“Death.”

The Astran Chosen sucked in a breath and huddled closer together. They could not help but remember the half-buried child
back at the farm. They didn't want to see any more death.

“You stay here. I will return in a moment.” Master Brok strode off in the direction of the hill, each step becoming harder and harder to take.
What did the Volgons see that they wished to keep from the other Chosen?
Kyron and Voilor hit the ground, and Master Brok groaned inwardly as he followed suit. He crawled after the two Volgons, his breath coming in gasps by the time he reached the top of the hill. He scowled at the backs of the two Volgons, who did not seem out of breath at all.

“Dear Spirits!” Brok whispered. His eyesight was not as good as the Volgons, but he could clearly see the bodies hanging from the cottonwoods, burned and blackened beyond recognition, swaying in the breeze. A slight shifting of the wind brought the sickeningly sweet stench of death and the sound of ropes creaking against the tree branches.

What has happened here? Who could be responsible for this?
Brok wondered just how long he and the Astran Chosen had been gone.
I need answers.
He also knew that there would be no way to hide this from the Astran Chosen. He wanted to protect them from this evil sight, but they would see much worse when the Mekans arrived.

“The dead stretch as far as we can see. There has not been any movement along the road,” Voilor said curtly. “We should stay to the left of the hill and follow the tree line to get as close to the city as possible. But once the trees are gone, we will be exposed.”

Brok nodded. “Let's go back to the others. The sooner we reach Enisae, the sooner I will have some answers.” He backed down off the hill and stood slowly, his bones protesting the movement.
I'm too old for this.

When they reached the others, Brok looked at his Chosen, fear evident in their eyes and posture. “The Volgons have spotted bodies hanging from the cottonwoods that line the road. Apparently, whoever killed the people at the farm has also killed and hung people from the trees.” Brok frowned. “What worries me is that no one has been by to cut them down or raise an alarm. Surely Patriarch Mordaen would send the soldiers to see to the bodies.”

“Unless something has happened to the Patriarch,” Saemus said.

Brok nodded. The same thought had been running through his
mind as well. “We will continue on to the left of the hill and stick to the trees.” Brok gave his Chosen a wan smile. “However, we will soon have no choice but to come into the open and you will see the bodies of the dead. I wish I could shield you from the horrors of the world.”

The Astran Chosen tried their best to look brave and unafraid, but they were not successful. They jumped each time the Volgons scared a rodent or bird out of hiding. The girls would let out little squeals of fright that earned harsh looks from the Volgons. They would blush and stammer an apology. Their hearts raced the closer they got to the city.

“The trees are thinning. We won't be able to hide behind them much longer,” Jon whispered. The urge to take and hold the dark power was almost unbearable.
If I could hold the power, I wouldn't feel so afraid.

“I am so scared my goose pimples have goose pimples!” Keera whispered, her voice shaky. She had her hands to her mouth, one long red curl tucked tightly between her teeth. Her eyes darted to the right, and she hurriedly brought them to the front, terrified that she would catch a glimpse of a dead body through the trees.
I don't want to see dead people hanging from the trees! Why can't we just forget going to Enisae and head for home?
For Keera, home was the village of Oak Brook, in a small, sturdy house that her father had built. Seeing the skeleton at the farmhouse had brought up memories of her father's death.
I want to see Ma and Thadeus again.

The Astran Chosen had taken up their usual positions of protection around Gwen. They made sure to keep a slower pace so that the dwarf girl could keep up. Gwen felt a surge of affection for her fellow Chosen. She even felt a certain grudging respect for the Volgon Chosen. When they spoke to her now, they hardly winced at all and could actually meet her eyes most of the time.
I suppose I can't expect them to change overnight.
She was not looking forward to the visit to Volgon. The thought of how the people of that planet would treat her made her cringe.

Gwen was envious of the Volgon's complete lack of fear as they boldly made their way with their cat-like grace through the trees, eyes ever-moving, alert for danger.
I wish I could move through the
trees, completely unafraid of what I might see or encounter.

As if sensing Gwen's thoughts, Keera spoke up. “How is it that you are not afraid?” she whispered to Moylir.

Moylir glanced back at the fiery redhead. “I
am
afraid.”

Keera gave the tall woman a skeptical glance. “You don't look scared to me.”

“What is fear? A tensing of the muscles, a racing heart, quickening of the breath, the urge to run?” Kyron asked quietly from the left. “These same things can also be attributed to excitement, can they not? Your pulse races, your breath quickens, you want to run and share the news with someone. The difference is the way your brain interprets what you see or feel. Volgons do not let fear rule them. Instead, we embrace the fear, make it part of us. We relish the feel of our hearts beating in our chests, the feel of the blood rushing through our veins, making us strong and ready to fight. This is what you must learn to do to master your fear.”

Gwen thought it sounded like an impossible task. She wondered how she was supposed to have a coherent thought in her mind while in the midst of terror. Gwen sighed. She feared she would never be able to “embrace” the fear.
I will only want to run and hide
. Strangely, the thought shamed her. She was surprised to find that she did not want the Volgons to think she was a coward.
Bad enough to have them thinking me weak and useless.

Feeror signaled the group to stop. He crept through the few remaining trees and looked around, trying to find any sign of life. The only sound to be heard was that of the crows, cawing and flapping their wings as they covered the bodies of the dead where they swung from the branches of the cottonwoods. After a few moments, he returned to the rest of the group.

“I see no one in the vicinity,” Feeror reported to Brok and Gerok. His eyes darted to the left and right, never still for a moment.

“We will make for the village as quickly as possible,” Brok said. His nose could already catch the scent of the rotting corpses, and his ears could hear the raucous call of the crows. His belly gave an uneasy rumble.
The sooner we can be gone from this place, the better.

The group exited the protective shelter of the trees and trotted toward Enisae. Kaelin gave a gasp of fright as the crows took wing,
causing one half-eaten corpse to swing wildly by the neck. She clenched her teeth and willed her stomach into submission.
I spent the entire voyage from the Eastern Continent getting seasick. I will not be sick again!
She tried breathing through her mouth but she could
taste
the death in the air.

Keera and Gwen found their feet frozen in place. Neither one could take her eyes from the gruesome sight of the rotting corpses in the trees. Gwen's mind wanted to shut down when she spied what could only be the tiny bodies of children dangling from rope nooses. She turned and emptied her belly, the sound of her retching filling the air. Tears fell down her cheeks, as much from shame as from the violent act of vomiting.