Kings, Queens, and Pawns (comments please)

I've thought of a tentative title for my stoy and have made many changes to what I already have written. I've added in a scene, and also expanded a little more on some of the scenes already written. I've also changed the breaks for chapters, so the story looks pretty different than the original. This is a work in progress, and I'm currently writing the fourth chapter. I know this is long to read, but please read it if you have time. The feedback that I'm getting from readers here is one of my main tools for editing. I know the formatting is a bit off since I'm still copy and pasting from my original document, but I hope you enjoy the story.

Meg

Chapter 1

Arabella surveyed her appearance in the mirror as she began to tuck one last curl into the tight knot at the back of her head. She was a lovely girl with black hair that cascaded to her waist in curls when left unbound. She had a heart shaped face with a pert nose, but her lips were just a little too full for her face to be truly stunning. The most unique thing about her appearance was the large aquamarine eyes that stared out at you as if they could look right to your soul. Without such unique eyes, fringed by thick black lashes Arabella would have been merely attractive, but those eyes made anyone who looked upon her think she was a great beauty.

With her hair firmly secured Arabella turned to collect her travel bag. As she did so it was impossible to miss the bareness of the room. Not three days before the room had been filled with ornate furniture and tokens of her life. Now, the large canopy bed that had been draped in silk the color of the night sky had been tucked away in a storage unit with all her other worldly belongings to await her return. The few personal items of importance, like the picture of her mother, sister, and niece were already stowed aboard the shuttle so as not to be forgotten at departure.

This would be Arabella’s last journey the duration of which was expected to last six months. The company for which she worked had made it possible for an early retirement at the very young age of thirty. It helped that the last twelve years of Arabella’s life had been devoted to the design and manufacture of spacecraft that were at the leading edge of technology. Not only was Arabella a gifted engineer, but she was also well skilled in the programming of onboard computers as well as piloting deep-space craft. Today was actually the final step in the design process for the newest Ara space craft, a line fully engineered and tested by Arabella. The newest model was the Ara X. The craft was capable of reaching the closest galaxy in only a single week. Other spacecraft models required at least a month to travel the same distance. Arabella had managed to cut the time that it would take to make the same journey by devising a way to actually create small tunnels through space. The Ara X would actually move through a series of these tunnels, from one visible landmark to another at four times the speed the shuttle would normally fly. In laboratory tests the technology had been perfected and now all that was left to do is test the working equipment in the spacecraft.

Arabella left her apartment building with bag in hand. She had one final stop before she went to the space station. She had agreed to meet with her coworkers for lunch at a restaurant only two blocks down from her apartment. It was a deceptively shabby place called Mary Lou’s which served some of the best home cooking that Arabella had ever tasted. She was a regular at Mary’s store so when she arrived there was already a table waiting.

“Hey there Bella” called Mary Lou, the restaurant’s namesake. She was a delicate looking woman with hair the color of golden honey. Many people expected that she would be an elderly woman who looked motherly, so they were surprised to see that she was very young and modern looking. Arabella had always thought she looked like a fairy princess with her blond ringlets, cornflower blue eyes, and petite frame. Though she looked like a princess, Mary had the temper of a dragon. Arabella had lost count of the times that she had seen Mary forcing men out of her diner for taking liberties with herself or her servers. She chuckled softly to herself at the memory of her forcing a man three times her size out the door brandishing a bat to ensure that he left the premises.

“How are you today Mary? Is business good?” Arabella smiled and waved. She was already moving towards the table with four of her coworkers.

“You know it is. Who could resist some of Mary Lou’s cooking?” This prompted a giggle from Arabella who was one of the people who couldn’t resist Mary’s food. She ate dinner at the diner more than she did at her home. Then Mary asked, “Aren’t you leaving today for some sort of test flight?”

“I’m just stopping by for lunch, and then I’m off to the space station. Besides, you didn’t imagine that I would leave without coming to tell you goodbye. I’ll be gone for six whole months this time, and I just have to have my fix of your fried chicken and fudge brownies before I go.” Arabella shared one more smile with Mary Lou before refocusing her attention on the people before her.

Arabella’s regular table in the corner was filled to overflowing her closest friends who also happened to be her coworkers who were creating a spectacle for the other patrons. There were four of them. Three of her guests were men and one was a woman. The woman was Larissa who was more commonly known a Rissa. She was the epitome of WASP breeding with hair so blond it seemed to be made of spun silver, and eyes as blue as the ocean. Her hair was cropped close to her head and currently worn in a multitude of spikes strewn across her head. She looked as if she should be a runway model for a French designer, so it seemed incongruent that she was clothed in baggy jeans and a simple black tank top and even more so that she was a brilliant scientist. The men sitting on either side of her were identical twins Castor and Pollux. Their mother had named them for the twins of Gemini, the constellation they were born under, and they fit the profile. They were as different as day and night, two opposite sides of a coin. Castor was outgoing and vivacious, while Pollux was much more shy and subdued with his emotions. They each shared red hair and green eyes, bestowed on them by their Irish father, and both were very conscious of their physical fitness. It wasn’t uncommon to hear them complain if they found themselves with stomachs that appeared to be less than perfect washboards. Next to the twins, the final person at the table seemed to be very unremarkable. He was neither tall nor short, and neither fat or thin. He was a bespectacled black man who seemed to always speak in monotone much to the frustration of those around him. This was Aiden, one of the kindest men Arabella knew, and he one of the greatest minds ever employed by VegaTech. Aiden was a mathematical genius who could calculate the necessary thrust to place a specific craft into orbit within his head. It was Aiden who had calculated the necessary measurements that made the Ara X reality rather than just a dream.

Arabella took a seat at the table and was immediately bombarded by the conversation around her. It seemed that Castor and Pollux were arguing over who knew the most on black hole theory, and Aiden was mumbling to himself about the calculations and whether or not the systems derived from them were suitable for testing. Rissa was sitting back watching the commotion and she gave Arabella a secret smile as she sat. It was an inside joke between the two of them that at any gathering of the friends Aiden would be focused in his own little world of math and the twins would find something to argue over.

“So, are you ready to make your flight today?” Rissa asked as the others continued with their own discussions.

“Of course I am. This is it for me and then I’m off to a life of leisure and fun. I think my first stop after retirement is going to be some nice warm beach with crystal clear oceans.” Arabella sipped her drink and watched the others for signs that they were going to end their discussions soon. It was always an amusement to see them in a setting outside of work; because it was plain from the other patron’s expressions that they thought the entire table was crazy. She assumed that between Aiden’s talking to himself and the twins yelling about gravitational forces and neutrinos that they did seem pretty odd.

The waitress approached the table and the twins stopped their argument so that everyone could place their order. As promised, Arabella ordered Mary’s exceptional fried chicken, creamed corn, and garlic mashed potatoes. She also placed her order for dessert, knowing that she would be sure to save room for the heavenly fudge brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The waitress read back the entire order for the table to be sure that she had everyone included, and then she sauntered off to give the ticket to the cook.

At the table, Pollux asked Arabella about her apartment. He was curious to know if she already had someone lined up to rent, or if she was still looking. “If you need someone to take over the rent while you are gone, Castor and I would be happy for a new place. Our contract has just come up, and we are looking for somewhere new to live that is closer to the office. Your place would give us a chance to look for something else in the interim and we will be happy to take over any payments for you.”

“I haven’t found a tenant, so if you wish move in immediately. Rent is paid through the month and it will come due again in three weeks on the fifth.”

“Perfect, so we will move in later today before we have to go in to the office,” Castor said. He looked pleased to have delayed really searching for an apartment. All they had to do is move their things and transfer their bills. That was much easier than spending the time calling and visiting dozens of places.

Aiden took on a serous look and said, “We sure are going to miss you. It isn’t going to feel the same without you in the office with us when you leave, and it will seem even stranger when you leave permanently.”

“Well, Vern is still trying to talk me into staying, but retirement will be nice. Besides, it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to see everyone. I’m sure we will all see plenty of one another, just now we won’t have to see each other everyday at work also.”

“Even still, what will we do without you? How are we going to fill your shoes when none of us are willing to put the time and energy into the company that you have?” Rissa asked. “We all know that both you and Vern spend most of your time at the office working. I know that I’m not willing to work hundred hour weeks when there are so many other things to do in life.” She smiled as she said everything so Arabella didn’t take offense at the implication that she had nothing better to do.

The truth was Arabella didn’t have anything else in her life that meant much. She had her family, but they lived almost two thousand miles away, and she didn’t go out to visit often. They disapproved of her relationship with Vern and assumed it to be something more than what it was. Actually, everyone thought that the relationship between the two of them was something it wasn’t. No one was able to believe that they were not a couple merely really close friends with more of a paternal bond than anything. Long ago the two of them had learned to ignore the gossip and not let it have any impact on their personal and professional interactions. They chose to leave their connection as a mystery for others, but he was a huge part of her life.

As the food arrived, the five friends became silent to enjoy their meals. It was almost an entire thirty minutes before anyone spoke again which was a testament of the Mary’s quality recipes. The first to speak was Rissa.

“So, I guess this is really goodbye. Well, I should say bon voyage, since it isn’t really forever. I just can’t believe that after you return there will be no return to work and the regular routine of things. For me this is really the end of an era since you have been the leading designer for the last decade.”

“I guess it is goodbye. It will be hard for me to walk away from VegaTech after I return home, but I think it is time I find some new things to do. I’ve spent the last twelve years working insane hours and never taking a break. It is time for me to enjoy some of the wealth I’ve accumulated and find what the good things are in life.” Arabella looked at her watch and realized it was time to bid everyone farewell. She stood and found that her eyes were misted with tears as she began to say goodbye. “It is only six months and then I will be seeing all of you regularly,” she sniffled a little and waved one last time.

On the way out the door, Arabella paused to tell Mary Lou, “See you in six months. I’ll be coming strait to you for my first meal. I don’t know what I’m going to do without your cooking while I’m gone.”

“Have a safe journey, and I’ll be waiting with a fresh pan of brownies when you get home Bella.”

Chapter 2

Without a backward glance, Arabella walked out the door to a waiting cab. There was a nervous energy about her, which she recognized as overwhelming excitement, as she instructed the driver to take her to the Orion Station. The Orion Station was the main hub for space travel in the area and it was from there that she would be departing on her journey. She turned her head to the window of the cab and proceeded to watch the passing skyline. It crossed her mind that it was going to be quite a long period of time before she returned to her home in Miami, Florida. She might as well look her fill before boarding the Ara X so that there are no lingering thoughts or regrets that she didn’t look at the city one last time before leaving. Miami had been her home for the past twelve years, ever since she left home and joined the ranks of prodigies at VegaTech.

VegaTech was the leading firm in the research and design of deep space shuttles that carried between one and six passengers. In the recent years it had become increasingly popular for small research groups and wealthy families to use such shuttlecrafts to travel for both study and pleasure. The appeal of such small craft for the science community was that it was now unnecessary to spent large sums of money on using the more traditional large deep space shuttles that often carried a few hundred people at a single time. To rent, or even purchase one of these large shuttles for scientific use made conducting any deep space research impossible because of the high costs associated with the project, but the smaller and more affordable shuttles of VegaTech had made such undertakings not only possible but common. The space crafts were also quite popular with wealthy families who could afford to pay the asking price of $500 thousand. They often used them to shuttle between off-planet work sites or to take family vacations to locations outside of the solar system.

Arabella sighed as she thought of all the things that had come from the introduction of smaller and cheaper space craft produced by VegaTech. It was her company’s craft that had carried the first scientists to the Erebus Nebula, which was so named because it seemed to be made of black mist as its namesake was in Greek mythology. It was here that they discovered a new chemical toxin that was capable of destroying cancer within humans without damaging the surrounding tissue. A single injection into the cancer site resulted in the destruction of the cancerous cells within a matter of days. New, uninhabited, planets had been discovered that could be suitable for agricultural purposes. This was especially important for the inhabitants of Earth. They had exhausted their planet’s resources long ago, and now they were dependent on sites located on other planets for food and other resources. The smaller, swifter craft made it possible for an entire fleet of scouts to be searching for planets where people can settle or which can be used for other purposes. The VegaTech craft had also revolutionized the tourist industry. Taking short vacations to off-planet destinations had started to raise with the introduction of the first Ara space craft, and it was now a booming industry. Almost anyone could afford to rent one of the Ara crafts to take a weekend vacation into space. Because of VegaTech people were going further into space, more economically, and more frequently leading to a revolution in the travel industry and a boom in scientific discoveries that was just at its leading edge.

For Arabella, VegaTech had been her life for the last decade or so. She basically lived at her office in the four story VegaTech offices in downtown Miami. Most days found her there by 6 a.m. and often she didn’t leave work until close to midnight, which was if she left work at all and didn’t catch a few hours of sleep on the plush sofa that was also in her office. She had joined the company shortly after reaching her eighteenth year. The company had been fairly unknown at the time, but they were acquiring prodigies, the best and the brightest in key fields like aeronautical engineering and astrophysics. VegaTech had a vision, to be the first company to design and perfect a small, affordable, lightweight shuttle capable of deep space travel. Arabella had been part of the first design team to create the first shuttle VegaTech released, the Vega Flier. In the subsequent years the company had quickly carved out their place in the space shuttle industry and was now the industry leader in small shuttles. The craft had changed over the years but each new shuttle still gave Arabella the same thrill as that first craft. Now, to have her own line of shuttles that she had been designing and testing for the past four years, that had been a true fulfillment of dreams. The company had always been very generous with their employees, since many of them had been with VegaTech at the start of their success, but in Arabella’s case they had given her a ten percent share in the profits from the Ara line. They had never imagined that she would be able to make the line the flagship line of the company and one of the most successful shuttlecraft lines in history.

The cab reached the Orion Station and slowed to a stop. Arabella quit with her perusal of the skyline and paid the cabby. She exited the car and entered into the station. A magnificent domed room of glass greeted her, from which she was able to see departing shuttles as they blasted into the heavens. The launch pad for VegaTech was in its own private area of the station and Arabella immediately proceeded to the dock. It was a long walk, but it was one that Arabella savored knowing that this would be her last adventure. Well, maybe it wouldn’t be her last adventure since as part of her retirement she had been promised to always have one of VegaTech’s shuttles available for her personal use, but it would be the last time that she was testing a shuttle and technology designed solely by her. It was always such a thrill to see your dream come into being and be in the thick of the events when it occurred.

“Arabella, it is good to see you. Are you ready to make history?” greeted the man at the door. This was Vern, the founder of VegaTech and the man who was more a father to her than the man who sired her. Vern was 6’5’’ with a shaved head and tattoos covering his arms making him look more like a criminal than a CEO and founder of one of the most successful companies in recent history. He looked as if he spent every day of his life in the gym, but anyone who knew him well was both aware that this wasn’t the case. He was one of the few people who just remained thin no matter what he put into his body. Most nights found both Vern and Arabella at the office eating fast food and talking of the latest project. In his mid forties Vern had no family and had devoted his life to building his company. All of his employees were hand chosen by him, and many of them were close friends as well. When she first began to work for VegaTech, Arabella had been intimidated by Vern, but she quickly learned to consider him one of her closest and most trusted friends. For Vern’s part, he had never shown anything but kindness to Arabella and he treated her more like a daughter than an employee though he wasn’t really that much older than her. The way he greeted her now, you wouldn’t know that they had just spent the previous night together having dinner and talking till the early morning. Vern always greeted Arabella like he hadn’t seen her in ages, but today it was different. She was about to leave for six months, and that was a long time to go without having late night meals in the office. It seemed like a lifetime away from Vern, the man who had filled to void left by her own father’s abandonment.

“Is it history that we are making today,” Arabella said with a broad smile and a kiss on Vern’s cheek, “I thought we were here to make money.” She was well aware that it wasn’t money that drove Vern. He had more than enough to live richly for the rest of his days. Vern was driven by the challenge, much like herself, to always go one step further and be the best. For her teasing Arabella received a small chuckle and a big bear hug.

“You know I don’t need the money imp. Let’s get this test finished so I can try to talk you into staying when you get back. I hate to let someone so talented go when they have so much left to give. Plus, who will take care of me when you are gone?” This was said with a pouting look that was completely out of place on Vern’s fierce countenance.

“Now, we’ve been through this. I’m not staying, but we will still see plenty of each other. In fact, you will likely see more of me that what you wish to.”

“Never Bellisimo, could I see too much of you,” Vern replied using the pet name he had bestowed on her years before. The familiar endearment warmed Arabella’s heart, and steadied her for the coming voyage. She knew that he would be here waiting when she returned, and it was a comfort to know that he would be here the whole time vigilant, worrying and loving her, waiting for her safe return from another adventure. She always viewed new test flights as an adventure because there was always something exciting that happened. One time she had been able to watch a supernova occur in near real-time from a neighboring solar system.

With a smile Arabella linked her arm with Vern’s, and they moved through the door and crossed the docking bay to survey the Ara X. She was about sixty feet in length and made of honeycombed titanium. The honeycomb sandwiched between two quarter inch titanium sheets made the hull of the craft one of the strongest in the market. Inside there was a small kitchen, bathing area, and berthing for up to four passengers. There was also a cockpit that contained four seats behind a reinforced glass window which allowed for a full 360 degree view. The engine in back looked much like the one you would find on a fighter jet, but there were some important differences in the design. Fighter jets needed to carry their fuel onboard, but the Ara X craft relied on fusion as its power source. The craft also used beams of radiation to create the tunnels that the craft would travel through. By agitating the particles along a stream they had discovered that it was possible to move much more quickly through them. They believed that the unnaturally high degree of agitation actually created pockets where time and space behaved differently than they would under normal circumstances. In short, the relationship between the two was altered so that one could move a greater distance in the same unit of time. This invention is what the flight was all about. Arabella was to test the jump function of the craft and determine its ranges and limitations. They believed that it would only be useful if the object is within line of site, but they had never tested the line of site theory on the scale that it would experience in space. In the lab, line of site meant only a few feet or even a mile on one of their larger scale tests. In outer space, line of site meant possibly hundreds of light years and it was uncertain how effective the invention would be over such long distances.

Vern gave Arabella one last hug as she climbed into the Ara X, “You know you can still back out on this test if you want. We can do further lab tests to check the safety of the system before such a large scale test.” Vern’s worry was evident in the lines of his face, but only to someone who knew him as well as she did. He was trying to look thrilled, but there was still some small worry that they had missed something in the design of the new system that would prove problematic in a true field test.

“Nothing we can do in the lab will ever tell us how the system behaves in space. Trust me; we’ve perfected it to the best of our abilities. All we need to do now is see how she will behave in the real environment. Don’t worry; I’ll be home before you know it. Six months of testing isn’t that long, and I’ve been on other test voyages longer than that.” With a final wave, Arabella shut the hatch to the Ara X and began to buckle into the pilot seat.

Chapter 3

The Ara X craft was truly a technological marvel. There was enough living space for all four passengers to be mostly comfortable on the flight. For Arabella, this was more than enough space. She already had her personal belongings stowed in the captain’s berth and now it was time to make sure that all the systems were ready and the food stores were loaded. There was enough food to last an entire nine months just in case anything malfunctioned and her trip was delayed. This was common practice with any of the test flights conducted by VegaTech. The control room of the ship was filled with blinking lights and gleaming metal consuls. There was a main computer that acted as the chief interface with the ship. The computer was controlled by voice and all that was necessary to receive information was to ask a simple question and in order to give commands you simply stated what you wanted accomplished. The exceptional thing about the computer was that there was a certain amount of free thinking done by the system. Along with being able to pilot the ship after being conditioned by Arabella, it was possible to converse with the computer as long as the topics were logical. Other systems on board included a defensive weapons system, communications, long range tracking, environmental analysis, navigation, environmental controls for the ship, language recognition, and the newly developed transport system.

“Computer, run a diagnostic check on all systems and tell me the status of food and water stores.” There was a soft hum as the computer began to process the tasks that it was given. A complete diagnostic check of all the systems would take about two minutes, so Arabella sat back to consider the voyage to come. This was to be a fairly routine test flight, but the distance that she would be covering was much larger than normal. On previous flights the range had been within the solar system, but this time she would be traveling all the way to Omega D.

Omega D was a small system discovered twenty years ago that was about ten fifty light years away from the edges of our solar system. There were four planets in Omega D and they were all hospitable. The inhabitants of the system were farmers and businessmen. Two of the planets were lush with vegetation, and they provided food for the entire system. The other two planets in the system were devoted to tourists. One was a planet made up of large oceans and a few small tropical islands. It was known throughout the galaxy for its blood red beaches, glass blue seas, and fantastic resorts. It was on of the most popular destinations for the rich and famous for some relaxation. The other planet was almost the exact opposite. It was still a popular place for tourists, but the planet was covered in ice and mountains. Furthest from the sun the temperature rarely reached above freezing and the mountains were perpetually blanketed in sheets of snow while vast icebergs filled frozen seas.

Arabella had good reason for convincing Vern to allow her to travel so far on a test flight. She would never be able to afford a stay at any of the resorts in the Omega D system, but as part of the voyage she had a scheduled three week break in the system on VegaTech’s expense account. Call it her final escapade with the company to join the ranks of all those that had come before. It was good that Vern had a sense of humor, because all he did was chuckle when she had submitted her proposal for the test. It had actually been his idea to take three weeks of rest in the middle of the trip when Arabella had been content with a couple days worth of sightseeing in the system.

“If you are going to go so far, you might as well enjoy one last vacation on the company. Consider it repayment for all the late nights and for helping make us the success we are,” had been Vern’s reply to her protests that three weeks was too long.

The consul beeped to let Arabella know that the diagnostic was finished. She perused the report on the screen making sure that all systems had passed the diagnostic. Finding no problems with the report she also checked the inventory of supplies on last time to be sure that she had everything the trip required. When these tasks were completed she hailed Vern over the radio to let him know that she was ready to depart as soon as they received approval from the tower.

“Arabella, we have been given the go ahead for launch,” Vern replied after a moment of hesitation while he confirmed with the tower.

Arabella engaged thrusters, and in less than five minutes she was staring down at Earth from the inky darkness of space. No matter how many fights into space she conducted, the view of the planet from space still managed to leave her breathless. There was something exhilarating about being able to look down and really see just how small one single person is in the greatness of space. After a final glance at her surroundings, Arabella contacted Vern to let him know that she was engaging the experimental system.
“Systems are ready, and I will begin the jump in ten seconds. I expect that I will be out of contact for ten minutes as I make the first jump to Pluto.”
“Be careful Arabella, and contact me as soon as you arrive. Once we know the first jump was successful we will continue with testing until you have reached Omega D.” Arabella began the sequence of buttons that would initiate the first jump and used the scanning system to lock in the location of Pluto.

“Five seconds,” the countdown continued. In the office Vern was wringing his hands and relying on only his force of will to keep his worry from projecting in his voice. Arabella was the closest thing he had to family, and no matter how many tests they did he always worried over new technology. The first jump to Pluto would let him know that continuing on would be safe and that he could expect Arabella’s return in six months. He was sad to see her leave the company, but he knew that she wasn’t leaving him just the job.
“Three, two, one, initiating sequence,” the final countdown drawled from the computer. Arabella closed her eyes, unsure of what to expect as the Ara X lurched forward into space at a speed that forced her against the seat. The force of the jump caused her to black out for what seemed to be only moments, but when Arabella opened her eyes it was not to the glorious sight of Pluto. All she saw was the black velvet of space with pinpoints of light emitted from far off stars. Immediately, Arabella ordered the computer to tell her the location.

“Location unknown,” came the reply in the same lilting voice one would tell you the weather. The information was like a tsunami crashing on the waves for Arabella. Something hadn’t worked properly and she was in an unknown part of the Universe. At the thought, Arabella began to lose all composure, because the Universe was immense in size, but everything within five-hundred light years of her own galaxy had been explored. The area being unknown meant that she may never find herself at home again. She may never feel Vern envelope her in his consuming love, or watch Mary lose her temper, never to see Castor and Pollux argue over something inconsequential, and never sit down to a dinner with Rissa and Aiden. Her breath caught in her chest in tight, gasping, spurts of air as the full impact of her situation smacked her in the face. Her eyes, which only moments ago had held a look of joy and anticipation, overflowed with tears as she surveyed the area. When the invisible hand squeezing her heart and chest relented and she was finally able to draw a deep breath it came out in uncontrollable sobs while her body was wracked with the strength of her emotion. For the first time in her life she lost all control of her sanity and curled into a weeping ball on the floor of the Ara X.

Meg, your story is brilliant! It is well thought out, flows beautiful, and I am dying to know what happens next. There are a few typos and punctuation thingies, but I wasn't sure that was what you meant when you wanted feedback -- everyone has that with their first round of writing. My feedback pertains to story flow and if things 'jive' ... and you have a very good thing going on, Meg.

This was going to be chapter 4, and it has been posted as such for a day or two. I've made a few changes and it is actually going to read as the prolog to the book.

Enjoy,
Meg


Prolog

Somewhere in the Universe, an undiscovered planet was bustling with energy as its inhabitants went through their daily routines. Women rose and cared for the house and children. Men left early in the morning to work the fields or to sell goods in the city. Children played in the areas surrounding their homes. The ruling cast in the cities enjoyed the indolence granted to them from their positions of wealth and power. Slaves moved through their master’s dwelling tidying the home and catering to their every whim. Everyone was unaware of the stranger who would soon be amongst them and the changes that she would bring to their lives.

The planet didn’t go by any specific name, because the inhabitants were unaware that they were not alone in the Universe. From their skies all they could see were their five moons, two suns, and more stars dotting the night sky. The system was an anomaly in the vastness of space. It was a binary star system with two stars the size of our own sun circling one another. Orbiting the binary stars was a single planet and its five moons. The planet was much like the terrestrial planets in our own system, but the size was on an unimaginable scale more comparable to Neptune. The planet was abundant with water and lush tropical forests. There were only small pockets of deserts dotting the surface and much of the planet was habitable. None of the inhabitants knew what snow or ice were, since much of the planet maintained its warm temperatures all year and the only spots cold enough for ice were at the poles and uninhabited. There was only a single large land mass that had rivers running through it carrying water to the area, much the way capillaries provide blood to the body. About half of the planet was nothing more than a vast ocean with no visible land.

There were three different groups of people coexisting on the massive planet creating an archaic caste system of slaves, workers, and rulers. All of the species were humanoid in appearance but the basic features differed between the groups. The slave caste was made up of a pygmy sized people. They were all short in stature with pronounced spines that made them all look as if they were undernourished. Their faces maintained a childlike appearance well into adulthood so it was virtually impossible to tell if a servant was fifteen or thirty cycles old. They were garbed in plain, homespun, tunics that were belted at the waist. The color of the tunic was an identification of which part of the house the servant belonged to. The working class was comprised of men grew to seven feet and the women by contrast were almost all below six feet in height. This group could easily be identified by their inky black hair and sapphire blue eyes. Everyone in the working caste shared a protruding ridge that graced their brow lines and wide flat noses which also distinguished them as a people. The men wore long loose shirts and breeches, while the women wore simple dresses with no decoration. The ruling caste was somewhat of an oddity. They were of average build, and they did not seem to have anything that showed them to be the strongest of the three groups of people. They were a diverse group of people who had many variations within physical appearance. They were set apart from the other groups by their feline features. They all shared eyes like those of cats, but they came in a variety of colors. They were not relegated to the same green-gold that is primarily seen in cats. They also had pronounced points to their ears which made them easy to separate from a crowd.

The governing group seemed to rely heavily on birth right to determine who controlled what positions, but the position of ruler was determined through a grand tournament. This way they could be certain that the strongest and most cunning man was the one to lead their people. Beneath the king there was a vast network of lesser rulers that had control of smaller plots of land. The political power of an individual was directly tied to the wealth and prosperity of their holding. It created cutthroat competition between the land owners when it came to making trades with other groups. The holdings with resources that were rarer were often the wealthiest. A few of these lesser rulers had managed to elevate their position by specializing in the production of high quality goods such as fine fabrics. Six times each year these lesser rulers would meet at the palace of the King to settle disputes and conduct their business with the others.

The ruler lived within a vast city at the heart of civilization. The area was located around a massive inland lake from which all of the land’s rivers originated. All groups placed great importance on the location of the King’s palace. They believed that their ruler was both the giver of life, bringer of death, and their enforcer of justice. It was symbolically significant that he be the heart of their world as he was the focal point of their daily lives. The palace was a monumental creation of stone and a mineral that looked much like jade. It had the same texture and opaqueness, but it cane in shade of yellow that varied from buttercup to a burnt goldenrod color. The yellow stone gave the palace the appearance of being made of molten gold when the sun was shining off its walls. The inside was a labyrinth of rooms and hallways. There was a great hall that held ten long tables that sat fifty people each. Off from this room you had a smaller room with a raised platform from which the King could listen and decide on the matters brought before him. There was also a kitchen full of many stoves cut into the walls in which the daily meal was prepared. To accommodate the needs of the large number of guests, the kitchen was almost the same size as the hall in which guests were served. Finally, at the end of the great hall was a large double staircase that leads to the upper floors and the rooms in which guests would sleep. Slaves were housed in the great hall and also within another barracks style room on the lower floor.

The day progressed for this small and unknowing planet. Men returned from their work and slaves finally bedded down after completing all of their work. Children ate and were ushered off to sleep by their exhausted mothers after their activities of the day. The King worried over his decisions of the day and the well being off all his people. They didn’t know that the woman who would soon be amongst them would upset their orderly lives forever, and they had no idea that all of their beliefs and rules were soon to be challenged. If the King had received any indication of the impact that she would have on his people and on his own person and heart he may have been more weary of offering aid to a stranger in need.

Hello everyone,
Since I changed my last chapter to the prolog, this is now the new chapter four. I'm feeling like it is a little weak, but I don't really know what I wan't to change. Let me know what you think and please enjoy.
Take Care,
Meg

Chapter 4

Arabella finally composed herself enough to sit up, but she had no recollection of how much time had passed. She made a pitiful picture seated there on the cold floor of the Ara X. Her clothes were wrinkled, her hair had fallen down around her shoulders in limp curls, and her blue-green eyes were now bloodshot and puffy from her tears. She looked and felt as if she had just waged a tough battle, but Arabella knew that the hard part was yet to come. She had to find a way to return home, or at least get word to Vern that she was safe. She was only able to imagine the worry he must be going through at the moment waiting for her communication that she had arrived safe at Pluto.

“Think Arabella. Just stop and think for a moment,” she began to mumble to herself. Arabella abruptly stood and began to issue a series of commands to the computer to find out more about the surrounding area. She instructed the computer to scan for planets supporting life, and rank them according to the advancement of their civilizations. She also told the computer to map the surrounding area and store the information within the database under the listing of undiscovered.

“Processing of your commands will take approximately thirty minutes,” the computer said. Arabella kicked the consol in frustration at her own predicament. She was quickly shifting from the terror she experienced to rage. The feelings of utter helplessness that she was going through were not something that she was used to feeling. In all aspects of her life she was confident and in control. She was one of the top minds in her field of engineering, and there had been no room for uncertainties in her life. In her agitated state of mine, Arabella knew that she had to do something while the computer was processing her instructions. Rather than bemoan her fair, she decided to look at the experimental drive.

Arabella lifted a panel from the floor that would allow her access to the experimental equipment. The first thing that struck her as she finished its removal was the smell of burning wires. It seemed that a flaw in the system wasn’t the cause of her being taken off course. One of the wires must have developed a short and caused the malfunction. For Arabella, this was amazingly good information to know and actually managed to bring a ghost of her previous smile to her face. Since it was a mechanical malfunction, she could simply replace the wires and her system would be functioning again. With this in mind, she began to work. She removed the old wires that now were burned and had melted casings, and began to fix the system.

The task of rewiring the experimental transport system took the entire thirty minutes that the computer was processing Arabella’s commands. She was just wiping her hands, now black from working, with a rag when the computer signaled its completion of her instructions.

“Put all information on screen in text only, and also display findings in holographic form.” The written summary detailing the specifics of two-hundred thirty surrounding systems appeared on screen, but it was the three dimensional image at the holographic display that drew Arabella’s interest. The area for holographic displays could be viewed in a single direction, but it could also project images all around so that the viewer seemed to be at the heart of the image. This was the option Arabella used now, and the surrounding area was shown in relation to her position. She turned a circle, hoping against the odds, that something would look familiar. To her disappointment, nothing looked even remotely similar to the areas she knew, so she began to look the area over again. “Highlight the systems with intelligent life,” she instructed, and about a quarter of the systems were brightened while the others faded. “Show me the ten systems which show promise of high technological advancement.” She surveyed the remaining ten systems. The closest was only about two light years away, and the furthest was more than one-hundred light years from her location.

Arabella moved back to her computer screen and entered the commands that would show her the information on the ten remaining systems. Only one of the systems had space travel capabilities, but the technology of the planets seemed to focus on military capabilities. From the report she discovered that it was a divided system with the different factions working to destroy the other. The probability of receiving aid from one of the three planets there was only two percent. The next world that had technology was not advanced. They had running water and some unknown energy source that they used to cool and light their homes. There were no airborne technological advances beyond small gliders that were used for recreation. Travel was done with the use of beasts of burden called beast of burden, which were similar to the horses found on earth. The computer predicted that there was a ninety percent chance of receiving some aid from this system.

Arabella gazed at the system a little more closely. It seemed to be a binary sun system, which was extremely rare. The inhabited planet was lush with vegetation, and there seemed to be only a single large landmass. Some smaller islands dotted the planet, but none seemed to support the settlements that the larger continent did. The land was cut through by a network of rivers that originated from a single sea at the center of the continent. Around the sea was a massive city that dwarfed all the other towns on the planet. The surrounding country showed obvious signs of being used for agriculture, and the image taken with the ship’s scanners showed areas where the land looked like a patchwork quilt from the farms and forested areas. There seemed to be abundant food and the computer had listed the planet as the one most probable to offer aid.

Keeping the odds of receiving some aid in mind, Arabella set a course for the neighboring system. She chose to use the transport system to travel. The system was twenty light years away and by taking the chance of using the system again she would reach the planet within a single day. Once she had the coordinates for the first travel point in the computer, Arabella closed her eyes and initiated the jump. When she finally looked, she was pleased to see that she had traveled to the exact coordinates she had instructed. Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat back and began to enter all of the travel points that should take her to the system.

Once this was completed, she left the shuttle to pilot itself through the series and went to her berthing for some needed sleep. Before closing her eyes, she looked at the pictures she had carefully set around before taking off. There was one of her family, her niece smiling out, and another of her and Vern standing together with grins on their faces. The final was one she had taken of her friends from their last vacation together. As she drifted off to sleep, Arabella vowed to find a way to return home to the people she loved. Nothing would keep her from finding her way back to the place where she belonged.

I'm so thrilled that I've even made it this far in my story. If you are keeping up with the tale, I hope that you are enjoying it. I'm having a great time telling it, so I hope others like to read it. I'm aware that one paragraph is a copy from a previous part, but I've moved it here. It fits so much better than in the other area. Enjoy the latest installment:)

Meg

Chapter 5

Arabella was pacing her quarters when the computer finally notified that they were ready to land. She had slept for about eight hours, more than enough to see her rested and ready to face the day. She had also managed to force down a decent breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast despite the nerves that had her stomach in knots. She was dressed in a chocolate brown, calf length skirt and a teal blouse that set off the color of her eyes. The outfit was neither overly feminine nor authoritative and came accompanied with comfortable boots that would be suitable for anything she may put them through. She also added some dangling gold and crystal earrings and a necklace that was five ropes of gold set at varying lengths. The overall effect was stunning, and Arabella felt sure that she would not offend the leaders of the planet with her dress. She was certain that she would not be mistaken for being below them and therefore not worthy of their notice and aid.

The landing of the shuttle took about twenty minutes from the time that the sequence was launched. If she had been landing at a designated station this would have taken longer because everything would be coordinated between the shuttle and the station. Arabella had chosen a remote location for her landing that would hopefully keep her ship from notice. She had no wish to cause a panic within the inhabitants of the planet. They were unaccustomed to the intricacies of space travel, and the sudden appearance of her ship may lead to a panic of the masses. Her landing site was about five miles away from the largest city. This distance would provide her with a certain amount of seclusion, but it wasn’t so far that she would have to walk for many hours.

It seemed to take a lifetime to reach the surface of the planet, but Arabella was still uncertain of her decision. She opened the door to the Ara X, and was breathless at her first glimpse of the world she was visiting. She had landed in a clearing of a forest, but all around her the land was covered with dense tropical forests. She knew, from her observations as the shuttle landed, that beyond the forest were miles of farmland that seemed to ring the city on the sea. It would be about a five mile hike from her landing spot to the outer reaches of the city. Then it would be another three or four miles to reach what she had determined to be the residence of the ruler.

With thoughts of the long walk ahead in mind, Arabella set out one her journey. She was careful to secure the shuttle before leaving it unattended. Without such precautions, there was no way to know what might occur if a native stumbled upon her ship. The technology was beyond anything they had ever seen, so it was much better to take precautions. She had a small pack slung across her shoulders. Within the bag was clothing for two days as well as some personal amenities that could make her visit more comfortable if they were unavailable. She had been sure to pack bathing supplies, and she had even added a book in case she needed something to fill her days. As she walked through the forest she breathed in the clean air and looked around at the landscape. The forest was breathtaking. It had trees fifteen feet in diameter and taller than many buildings back on Earth. The ground was covered in a soft, mossy carpet that was a variegated red and green color. The green seemed to be newer growth, while the more mature growth was a bright scarlet. Arabella was also sure to stay alert for any sign of predators. She had a pistol holstered at her outer thigh for just this reason. The gun held twenty rounds which should be enough if she encountered any wild animals. The weight of the gun on her leg was comforting and left her feeling more in control than she would have felt if unarmed.

It took three hours for Arabella to reach the outskirts of the massive city. The city was surrounded by a great wall which reached fifty feet into the sky. When looking to the left or right of the small opening left for travelers, the wall seemed to go almost strait off to the horizon. It was a testament of the city’s size that the wall stretched well beyond what anyone could see. Arabella had seen the wall from space as she landed. The entire city, including the lake, was surrounded. There were openings about every twenty miles for people to pass and the rivers were also open to travel by boat. She has specifically chosen her landing location because of its close proximity to the gate and to the palace protected within the city’s walls. From the wall she only had about another four miles to walk before reaching the palace. Arabella ducked into the city through the door and proceeded on her walk to the palace.

The palace, which housed the head official, was a monumental creation of stone and a mineral that looked much like jade. It had the same texture and opaqueness, but it came in shade of yellow that varied from buttercup to a burnt goldenrod color. The yellow stone gave the palace the appearance of being made of molten gold when the sun was shining off its walls. The inside was a labyrinth of rooms and hallways. There was a great hall that held ten long tables that sat fifty people each. Off from this room you had a smaller room with a raised platform from which the King could listen and decide on the matters brought before him. There was also a kitchen full of many stoves cut into the walls in which the daily meal was prepared. To accommodate the needs of the large number of guests, the kitchen was almost the same size as the hall in which guests were served. Finally, at the end of the great hall was a large double staircase that leads to the upper floors and the rooms in which guests would sleep. Slaves were housed in the great hall and also within another barracks style room on the lower floor.

As Arabella approached the palace she was taken aback by the grandeur it signified. The building was surrounded and covered in sculptures and carvings made of the same stone as the palace. She momentarily wondered how it was that she should request an audience with the king, the Syine, in the local language. She was able to have the language of the planet copied to her chip, but there was no way to learn the local customs and protocol other than through experience. Rather than sit and worry about how to approach, Arabella entered into the palace and followed the sound of many raised voices. This took her through a small arch to a room filled with people. At the center of the far wall sat a regally dressed man on a raised dais. It seemed that the two men in front of him were demanding that he settle a dispute over a trade where one of the men felt cheated by the outcome. He leaned his head against one hand and sat with a contemplative look upon his face. He was intent on listening to both men’s arguments and paid little attention to anything else.

A few eyes turned to Arabella as she entered, but no one approached or spoke to her. While the Syine was not paying attention she was able to get a better look at his person. He was an exceptionally young man, maybe only as old as her. He was not a bulky man, and instead he seemed to be equipped with the long lean muscles of a swimmer. To say that his hair was blond would be an injustice. His hair was a blending of the many shades of blond ranging from light to dark. The overall effect was that his hair seemed to be streaked with gold, silver, and copper. The front half of his hair was secured somehow so that his face and slightly pointed ears were exposed. His eyes were that of a cat. They were a cross between brown and yellow and they seemed to tilt at the ends which only reinforced the idea that his features were more feline than human. Though he seemed remarkably normal in appearance, excluding the pointed ears and cat eyes, Arabella couldn’t help but be reminded of a lion when she looked upon him sitting there. Just as Arabella finished her perusal, the Syine raised his gaze a focused it upon her. His eyes narrowed to slits and his honeyed baritone addressed her, “Who are you female that you dare to enter into this chamber during court?”

Here is another chapter. As always I hope you enjoy.

Take Care,
Meg

Chapter 6

Arabella thought wryly that at least it was good to know the translation program was working properly. Now all she had to do was find her way out of the social faux pas she seemed to have made. All eyes in the room had turned to her, so now it wasn’t only the Syine who was looking upon her with displeasure. At least half the men in the room were glaring at her while the rest seemed barely able to control their amusement at her predicament. She shifted from foot to foot for a moment trying to think of an appropriate or at least acceptable answer.

“Answer me woman,” the Syine said again. His tone was much harsher than it had been a moment ago. Arabella was obviously running out of time to explain her presence. He continued to stare directly at her, which was only increasing her anxiety level. Rather than be intimidated, Arabella chose to answer as simply and truthfully as possible.

“I request a private audience with you. There are things I wish to discuss, but they are only for your ears.” As she spoke, Arabella executed a graceful curtsey though she had never actually performed one before this moment. This statement brought much laughter from the men in the room. Several of the men made suggestions of what it was likely that she wanted privacy for. The Syine just looked suspicious, but he inclined his head to agree for the private meeting.

“We are done for the day,” he told the men, “we will continue our discussions tomorrow following the morning meal. Woman, follow me and we will have our discussion now.” The Syine swept past Arabella and out of the room. Hesitantly she began to follow, but she was forced to jog in order to keep up with the fleet footed ruler. He sprinted up a tall flight of steps, Arabella on his heels, and entered into a luxuriantly furnished room. Once there, the Syine addressed her again. “What is it that you wish to talk about that you felt it was necessary to interrupt my proceedings?”

“I was unaware that entering into the room was forbidden. I am not of this world, and I merely came to seek aid.”

“Not of this world,” he repeated with a scornful laugh, “from what other world would you come? We are the only world and so you must be from here.”

“I swear to you that I am not from this planet. I am from another planet far away. I came here accidentally and now I do not possess the knowledge to return to my home. I came to ask for aid in determining my location in the Universe and a place to stay while I try to determine my positioning.”

The Syine regarded her with a dubious expression. He seemed to be taking in her coloring and reaching his own decisions about who she was. “By your coloring I believe you to be a laborer. You have the same hair and eyes which proclaim to all your true status. Why do you choose to come to me with such lies when your appearance will give away your scheme?”

“If you will allow it, I can take you to see my shuttle. It is a great machine which I used to fly here. I can prove to you that I am not of this world if you will give me a chance.” Arabella spoke with all the desperation and pleading that she was feeling. If the man before her could not be made to believe what she says as truth, she would never be able to convince him to offer any aid possible. She knew that there was very little they could offer to her in the way of technological help, but she would greatly appreciate a safe haven while she tried to figure out how to return home.

“I will grant your request,” The Syine responded, “If you can prove that your claim is truthful I will then make a decision about what is to be done with you. I do not promise to offer any aid at this moment, but I will come with you to see this shuttle.” He said shuttle in such a tone that Arabella knew he believed that she was a liar. “We leave immediately.”

Arabella was once again following the Syine as he raced through the palace. She had no indication of where in the structure they were going, but she was certain that she was to follow. Briefly, she wondered if this man ever moved at a pace slower than a run. He seemed to be bursting with energy, and never seemed to go anywhere slowly. The mad dash ended at what appeared to be a type of stable. It was larger than any stable Arabella had ever seen, but it seemed to be used for the same purpose.

The Syine entered the structure and said, “We will ride to your shuttle on borcas.” He made a gesture that included a massive beast unlike anything Arabella had ever seen. She stood in awe of the creature that stood over ten feet high. It seemed to have a body like that of a horse, but the head resembled a dog. From the center of the head sprung a small horn that was shiny and black. It looked like a piece of obsidian had been polished and placed on their head just above their eyes.

“I don’t know how to ride a borca,” Arabella stated as she eyed the beasts with wariness. “We have nothing quite like one of those animals on my home world. Is it difficult to ride?”

“I am tired of these games, but if you wish to continue then you will ride before me on the borca. One can easily carry both of us, and then we will not exhaust two animals with your amusements.” As he said this he made a disgusted face that indicated his impatience with her story. He did not believe a word of what she had told him, and now he believed her to be a liar about knowing how to ride. They Syine mounted one of the borcas and then held down a hand to help her onto the beast. She seated herself before him with a small sigh. This was not how she wanted her visit to the planet to start out. His arm came around her waist to secure her seat, and then they were off to see the Ara X. There was no excitement with this showing of her shuttle, and Arabella was amazed at the difference in attitude that less than two days had wrought on her. She only hoped that the shuttle would be enough to convince the Syine that she was telling him the truth and not fabricating tales for her own entertainment. She did not know what would happen if she couldn’t convince him that she was not a mischievous worker from his planet.

Meg this is brilliant! It stands alone. I'm really excited about reading the rest! Thoroughly engaging!

I'm glad to know that you enjoyed the story. I'll be posting any additions in my blog, so be sure to check under the category for it there. I'll be adding more when I find some free time to write. I'm really enjoying writing the story, and I think I finally have a good handle on where I want to go with the rest. I'm hoping to start getting up a chapter a week at least.

*edited to add* The chapter 6 in my blog is quite a bit longer, since I decided to add more before posting it there:D