The Steps Of Eleutherian Read online

  The Guardian stooped down and offered me something from their hand. It was a tiny silver object in the design of a sail. I was to wear it, when I needed to travel about the city. The Guardian demonstrated, as the device summoned from nowhere, a column of rings made of golden light which shone brightly in front of me. To step into the bands and speak my destination was all that was required, then I would instantaneously be transported there. I started smiling at the elaborate technology here and wondered what other treasures this place disguised. The Guardian apologised and explained they were needed elsewhere as part of their duties. I was welcome to stay here in the Archipelagaan and make myself at home.

  With that, they left me with the company of the ‘R. Dots.’ They were curious little robots, not more than twelve inches high, with fat bodies and odd feet, but their faces were gentle in appearance; coupled with an eagerness the serve. There were half a dozen of them, who briefly explained their purpose here was to look after the city and the inhabitants; whatever that may entail.

  It began to rain outside, as the team of enthusiastic R. Dots brought me refreshments and an early dinner. Cerise dominated the sky as colour, outlining the twin moons, as I watched the setting sun begin to dissolve away above the ocean and beneath the city. The Archipelagaan was a fascinating collection of rooms, with unusual sculptures, exotic plants with elaborate blooms and lighting which formed as misty transparency. In the centre of one room was a clear pedestal with an old fashioned book on it, which gave the impression its age was similar to the Guardian’s. It sat beneath a transparent force field. The book had a gold coloured cover, with symbols I could not understand embossed upon it. It obviously meant a great deal to whomever it belonged to. I walked over to one of the enormous windows and gazed outside. The rain had begun to ease as the last light faded gradually away. Maybe its departure made me remember Loren again. I missed her. The regret that loitered like the raindrops on the window brought a feeling of abandonment with it again, like the day she had left. Or perhaps it was the emptiness of the city. Either way, I was unsure how to take all of this apparent lavish welcome I had been bestowed. It left me feeling suspicious as to the Guardian's real intentions. Was I merely an honoured guest or was there something more to it than that?

  After a while, the R. Dots insisted on showing me to my quarters in another section of the city. I did not have anything better to do so I played along with the plans of my gracious host; for the time being at least. My quarters were lavishly tasteful too; even fresh clothing had been supplied. It seemed the Guardian thought of everything.

  Once the R. Dots had left, I called the rings to transport me to the landing pad, where my ship landed. I had an idea I wanted to pursue. Moments after I stepped into the incandescent glow of golden light, I found myself on the landing pad, in the pouring rain. The rings vanished as I hurriedly made for my ship. Once inside, I asked the on-board computer to access the city's databank for any information on any unusual recent transmissions. The computer fell silent for some time after my request. But eventually they responded with something. Most of the requests were denied by the city's databank, although one transmission had been accessed from a few days ago, which was of great interest to me. The on-board computer energised a hologram in miniature to form on the ledge beside me. To my complete surprise, an image of Loren formed. I could barely believe it was her. What was she doing here, of all places? I paid close attention, when she began the message she had inscribed.

  Loren spoke of a new technology she had created called ‘Priisium.’ It was an energy harnessed field that could be used to protect against any material known. It was impenetrable. But in the wrong hands it could be used as a devastating weapon, capable of destroying any material too. She had been offered an opportunity here by the Guardian to research the technology. Loren was becoming suspicious of the Guardian’s real intentions and was worried about her safety; hence the message she had left to warn anyone else who came to this place. She said the secret to it success lay hidden beneath the city, with a substance called Correll. Its qualities were the key to its power.

  Loren’s message ended abruptly as she glanced behind her, then whispered someone was coming. I began getting that sinking feeling in my shoes again, as an eerie silence fell across the interior of my ship. I asked the computer to locate Loren in the city; but she was no longer here. I pouted with frustration that I could not find her. So I returned to the city in the old-fashioned way; on foot.

  Once inside, the distinct humming could be heard, as I crossed the long bridge again on my way to the Archipelagaan. The tall arches looked down on my reluctant shadow, as my footsteps announced my presence to the elegant interiors once more.

  I searched for the Guardian for some time to no avail, before I located one of the R. Dots. I asked if there were any craft in the city capable of underwater exploration. They explained there were some located on the launch bay of the lower deck, but it was not wise to go out alone at night. When I pressed them for a reason why, they evaded the question, stating I was welcome to use the craft at first light. So I reluctantly agreed. They informed me the Guardian would meet me then too. The R. Dot offered me refreshments in the library of the Archipelagaan, so I followed them. A smile began to form on my face as I watched the curiously little droid lead the way. In the few hours here, I had grown quite fond of them. Regrettably, that was yet to be endorsed upon others who resided here.

  Late in the evening I sat alone, sampling some unusual beverages in tall, slender containers; some of which were mostly comprised of mist more than liquid. I kept going over the message, I found from Loren. Every instinct told me I should leave while I had the chance, but how could I when she might still be here? Besides, she may need my help. I decided to take out one of the craft at first light, then to confront the Guardian about Loren’s disappearance. There was more than one secret here, but somehow I kept coming back to the original one; why no one ever left? I was beginning to wonder if Loren had been added to the list. The rain was not much company for the rest of the evening.

  It had been some time since I watched the sunrise, especially somewhere as beautiful as this. A silver sun burned gradually through a pale green sky, to leave wispy clouds tinted cerise which floated as effortlessly in the sky, as the city above. I took the rings to the lower level and found a craft capable of exploring beneath the waves. I convinced one of the little R. Dots, named ‘506,’ to pilot the craft there for me, as I could not read the symbols embossed on its instrument panel. 506 differed from the other R. Dots, in that they appeared to have a personality. They were as curious as I to discover what lay hidden beneath the city. I stepped aboard the small two person craft, called a ‘Moshu’ and let 506 fly us there. The small robot pressed the symbols and the Moshu silently raised itself, like it was floating on air. The bay doors slid open just as silently, then we gathered pace as we flew out into the sky, as I held on. I asked 506 to land us on a small sandbar by the shoreline, before we would explore beneath the waves. They enthusiastically complied. 506 brought the craft gently onto the sand, allowing me to walk around for a few moments. Spending so much time travelling from port to port through space, meant I rarely had opportunities for moments like these.

  The sun left a pale, silver light which lit half the city and left the other in shadow. The waves playfully splashed onto the sand and the wind whispered a cautious reminder not to become too lost in the moment of serenity the morning offered. It was difficult, though; it was so beautiful here.

  My thoughts turned to Loren and the message from the previous evening she had left. It motivated me to instruct 506 to take us beneath the waves. Once aboard the Moshu, 506 activated a transparent shield, which they informed me would protect us from the ocean. It was a moment of faith as we descended beneath the waves, waiting to find out if the shield worked effectively; but sure enough it did.

  506 skilfully steered us through the reefs, passed brightly coloured aquatic species of all shapes and sizes.
The water was superbly clear, as I revelled in the underwater scenery Mauriche 4 had to offer. Before long, 506 announced they had located the substance named Corell. They hovered the small craft beside the reef that was flourishing with it. It comprised of long, flowing stems of pale golden colour, splashed in places with silver dappling. The sunlight fell through the water from above and made the Corell glitter seductively as I asked 506 to take a sample of the substance, then return us to the surface. They obeyed, whilst commenting how pretty the Corell was and the underwater world. I got the impression this was the first time the little robot had ever been here. For them, it must have been quite an adventure.

  As we returned to dry land, 506 thanked me for allowing them to come along. In return, I expressed my thanks for safely returning us from the underwater world. 506 handed me the piece of Corell. As I held it in my hand, it began to lose its lustre, as its colour began fading quickly, until it was only a dull grey in appearance. It seemed removing it from its natural habitat coursed the substance to perish. I was disappointed. It was now worthless and I felt quite guilty I had taken it from its rightful place. But that guilt would be increased, as a tall shadow fell across the ground from something or someone standing behind me. From a glance at its outline, I had a fairly good idea who it belonged to. I turned to find the Guardian looking down at me, with an expression of disdain on their more than intimidating face. They stood there, leaning over me as their visor narrowed, giving me the impression I would not like what they had to say. They reached down and took the small piece of Corell from my open hand, peered at it, then back me, narrowing their visor even more in disgust. I smiled apologetically, as the Guardian sternly instructed 506 to return to their duties. The little robot skipped away briskly in response, bidding me farewell as they left. No doubt they would be dealt with for their disobedience later. As the Guardian turned to me, I got the feeling my disobedience and curiosity were about to be addressed too.

  Just as the Guardian was about to say something, they stopped, then turned around to face the city; like they were looking for something. Suddenly, the sound of distant engines could be heard, as four small spacecraft emerged from the clouds. Even at this distance, I recognised one of the outlines; it was Cirinus. The Guardian faced me and sarcastically mumbled the words, ‘Friends of yours?’ I smiled apologetically in an embarrassed way again, as the Guardian's visor narrowed further, then turned from pale blue to dark blue in colour, showing their annoyance. They calmly and authoritatively told me to wait here. They would deal with them. The Guardian stroked their cane, with a knowing look on their face, as they called the rings to transport them to one of the landing pads on the floating city. Moments later, when the other ships approached, the Guardian could be seen high up on the structure, holding their cane outstretched in one hand. Their calm confidence, only made me wonder what was in store for the foolish merchant who would not take no for an answer.

  As the spacecraft reached the structure, dark clouds began to develop over the city, while the remnants of the sunlight outlined their ships as they began to fire laser beams at the Guardian. I became impressed, as the thousand year old robot pranced across the landing pad with unexpected agility, evading their shots successfully, then suddenly they lunged forward holding the cane which omitted a purple light. The beam cut clear through one of the ships, separating it into two pieces before it exploded into flames, crashing the debris onto the waves. The other ships banked promptly out of the way, obviously stunned by the firepower from the Guardian's amazing laser cane.

  The Guardian summoned the rings, vanishing instantaneously from the pad, only to reappear on the other side of the structure. Moments later, as two of the ships approached firing furiously at him, with occasional shots deflected by the structure’s force field, the Guardian knelt on one knee, extending the cane across their shoulders with both hands, then firing shots of purple light from either end. The shimmering light impacted the two craft simultaneously, ripping the hulls apart and creating fiery clouds of huge explosions.

  The Guardian stood up, as the rings dissolved them from view. I continued to watch as only Cirinus’ ship remained, circling the city searching for the Guardian. I shook my head in disbelief, both for Cirinus’ arrogance, that he still believed he could win; that and the Guardian's incredible performance.

  As Cirinus hovered in mid air by the floating structure, the Guardian appeared near the exhaust ports on the top of the city. They watched Cirinus’ ship rather casually, before emitting one last beam that arced into the sky above their ship. Instantaneously, the beam scattered into thousands of small bright objects, almost like illuminated raindrops. As they fell onto Cirinus’ ship, they began eroding the shell in a corrosive way, sparking small fires to ignite. I stood there astounded, as Cirinus’ ship dissolved away piece by piece, until eventually a huge explosion completed the destruction of his craft. What was left fell helplessly into the ocean, some way from the city. I gasped at the ease in which the Guardian eliminated any hope Cirinus had for settling a score with me. As I gazed up at the Guardian on top of the city looking back at me, I got that sudden sense of dread again, as I realised why no one ever left from here.

  As the clouds let the rain descend slowly onto the ocean, extinguishing the last few flames from the debris, the Guardian appeared from the rings in front of me. The rings evaporated, leaving the Guardian looming over me; their visor still tinted dark blue. I complimented them on their agility and thanked them for disposing of Cirinus. They let out a humming noise, as their visor opened and returned to the pale blue, like it usually shone.

  The Guardian spoke forcefully, as they expressed their desire not to have any more uninvited guests of mine paying a visit. There was the matter of borrowing the Moshu to be discussed too. But before I could be lectured by the Guardian, I made a request of my own. I wanted to know where Loren was. I distinctively felt like I was pushing my luck by pressing the Guardian for an answer, but something told me the odds were in my favour. I would have been disposed of the moment I had arrived, if the Guardian desired; so why was I still here? I reminded them of this and told them I had discovered Loren’s message on the databanks of the city. The Guardian's visor tinted darker and narrower again in response to my words. I asked them again; I wanted to know where Loren was. They said she was somewhere safe, but did not elaborate any more than that. I told the Guardian if they did not tell me the truth, I would leave and return with the galaxy enforcers to investigate everything here. The Guardian smiled and said that would be most unwise and informed me somewhat unrealistic, as my craft was destroyed in the battle earlier. I snorted with frustration at the annoyance that my craft had been destroyed and the thought of being marooned here. I demanded to know what they wanted of me. The Guardian became unusually cordial and said I would find out soon enough. I was to consider myself a guest still, until then.

  And with that, they left me alone again standing in the pouring rain. As they squeaked away gradually into the distance towards the fountain, a sudden sense of abandonment came down with the raindrops all around me. I sat down on the steps which were beside the waves, as I got wetter by the moment. I stayed there for some time considering my limited options, until eventually the memory of Loren arrivedto conclude the despondency.

  Without notice, I heard the friendly voice of 506 beside me. When I asked them what they were doing there, they said there was someone who wanted to speak with me. When I asked the cheery little robot who it was, they politely wanted me to follow them to the city; Eleutherian awaited me. As we walked slowly together beside the narrow waterway, which led to the fountain, my curiosity awoke. Who was Eleutherian and what did they want from me? I guessed I would find out soon enough.

  3

  The Steps Of Eleutherian

  There are times when destiny offers you the chance to become something or someone better than you were before. You wonder why you have been chosen to begin with; in the end, you become grateful of the opportunity. I
had dreamt of many things in my life, but none of them held the possibilities which lay just beyond.

  The rain had gone, letting the silver sunlight edge onto the water and begin to sparkle on the surface, as I neared the fountain. From nowhere, the outline of a being started to form, like it was made from a watery substance. The shape was tall and thin, maybe eleven or twelve feet in height. Moments later, I recognised a more humanoid figure until the complete article stood before me. They were real in substance, with long, slender arms and legs, a smooth head with large oval eyes, pale blue in colour; underneath was a small nose and mouth, which smiled in a friendly way to me. The being tilted their head slightly to one side, as I gazed at them studying their peculiar appearance. 506 announced, this was Eleutherian. I noticed the Guardian watching me from one of the windows of the floating city. Eleutherian spoke with a gentle, soothing voice, revealing they were very pleased to meet me at last. Then they smiled at 506, saying they could go now. The little robot bowed graciously and left us alone.

  Eleutherian stretched out one of their long arms, extending their four digits, which I presumed were their fingers. It appeared to be a greeting of some sort, so I reciprocated by touching their outstretched hand with mine. There were a few moments of eerie silence, as I felt a warmth flow from the being’s touch. It resonated through me, leaving a feeling of calm happiness; so much so, a smile began to form on my face. They lowered their arm and sat down on the steps next to the fountain, making a remark we could communicate better at the same height. I started to laugh.