Copyright 2023 Elias Graves
Sun Chaser chafed against its moorings. The brilliant gold ship reflected its namesake in the dazzling glare as it fought to lift away from the ground and begin its most ambitious flight to date; a trip to space station King’s Moon and back. The ardent dream of prince Reven to have a vessel safe enough and grand enough for a royal to travel to space, Sun Chaser carried fifteen passengers in comfort. Thirty meters long and ten high, the ship with it’s gracefully curved prow and twin outriggers providing power looked every bit the part of the finest ship on the deep. But the deep below was not the destination of this vessel. Sun Chaser was built to visit the deep above.
The imposing yacht bucked and bounced in the air at the limits of the creaking ropes as four men brandishing large knives with curved and polished blades approached the tethers binding the ship to the ground. One of the men called out “Ready!” He and the other three men took a stance with feet placed wide apart, their bodies bent forward and the knives grasped by both hands raised above their heads.
The ship crashed to the dirt below and back up to limit of the tether’s reach. Each heavy rope was tied to one of the four corners of the lift outriggers and at the other end to a heavy wooden post in the ground. Sun Chaser heaved up, pulling one of the mooring posts partly loose. “Now!” yelled the crewman and all four of them chopped their heavy knives down into the ropes. Sun Chaser jumped again as the men struck their blows in unison but the damaged post gave way, launching a spray of dirt into the air as it popped up from its hole. Smacking the launch attendant on the bottom of his jaw as it launched with the ship, the post sent the man sprawling over backwards from the impact, his knife skittering across the tarmac as an afterthought of the assault.
Sun Chaser pitched into the air and out of control as Reven fought to stabilize the ship. The craft flailed from side to side and front to back looking like a wild beast that’s under the leash for the first time. Reven glared out through the front window at the captain of the guard who was insistently pointing toward the rear of the craft and screaming “DON’T GO! DON”T GO! Your mooring rope is still attached!”
Reven pointed to the dust-covered man regaining his feet and yelled “He can finish the job!” The prince eased Sun Chaser back to the ground as the crewman with the knife ducked and ran toward the ship. The man swung his broad curved knife at the heavy rope three times, missing twice and clanging against the metallic outrigger. On the third blow, the rope fell away, leaving the ship free to fly. The prince furrowed his brow and glared at the man through the front window then whirled the ship around, slamming the attendant to the ground with a wet thud. Reven watched a moment, stroking his thin chin, to confirm the man’s death then yelled “Captain, tell your men that failing their duty to me is not a wise move for their career.”
The captain, not quite sure what the prince had just yelled nodded, saluted and dropped to one knee for good measure.
Reven nodded at the captain then turned his attention to the controls as his passengers put themselves back together after the wild start. “I believe our rough ride is over, good people.” He continued to adjust the controls “Phase, reversed. Polarity, two thirds. Antenna to King’s Moon.” Sun Chaser began to accelerate upward, lifting its nose to the deep above as it gained speed. The vessel shuddered and groaned at first but soon settled into a smooth ride with the ever diminishing sound of wind noise as the atmosphere grew thinner and thinner.
The prince now turned to look at his passengers, smiling at them as he cast his gaze from one to the next. “My friends, today is an auspicious day for us! We bring glory to the gods! You are in the midst of a history making event. Scribes will record every detail of this journey, the first ever for a royal into the deep above.” The assembled priests, seers, scribes and elders all nodded and hailed Reven as a fearless leader, worthy of being king one day. Reven smiled and lifted his sharp chin, soaking in the adulation.
“For many centuries our people have known the gift of tricking gravity. Our dear god To-Theon The Trickster revealed the mysteries to us long long ago. Our people have put this knowledge to good use in accordance with the will of the gods. We make the stones as feathers and soft as clay and with them we build shelter for our people and edifices to show our gratitude to the gods.” The religious members of the crowd all nodded approvingly, murmuring about the great temples and walls and statues of gods that stood guard over the cities and harbors around the world.
“We have even used this gift to master flight into the deep above. That education has not been without setbacks, as you know.” He moved his hands behind his back, bowed his head and slowly shook it side to side, always keeping an eye on who’s noticing him and not. “The deep above is as dangerous as the deep below and many men have lost their lives learning how to survive up here. We owe them our deepest gratitude for showing us the way.” Smiles and self-congratulatory nods came back to Reven from his followers.
“True, true!” called out the high priest Shem-Ta. “My own grandfather still floats out among the gods. Many of us have loved ones who have given all for their service. We thank them all.” The crowd agreed.
Reven nodded his approval to the priest and continued “But to date, no royal has left Opella alive in bodily form and my father Fasto has ordered that the honor fall to me. This ship, Sun Chaser, exists to change that. The gods are smiling on us. The priests have spared no detail in making this craft worthy of carrying a prince into the deep above. I have personally watched over and guided the development of this machine and I am satisfied its ready. Remember this day, men. The gods will remember Reven!” Again, the fawning praise came in from the group. Reven’s ego grew another size.
Opella shrank in the distance behind them as they ascended toward the blackness above.
The flight became monotonous and eventually an influential elder named Prissor signaled to prince Reven he had questions about Sun Chaser. The prince motioned to the old man to come up to the front. “Come, come Prissor! I will tell you all about how this marvel works. We’ve come a long way since your day isn’t that right?” Prissor grunted and grasped for something to grab hold of and managed to get to his feet. A lumpy old gentleman, obviously well-fed and lively in his day, now hunched over a bit and leaned against the gravity pulling him back. The gleaming brown skin of his bare head led the way bobbling from side to side.
“We have indeed m’lord.” Prissor said grabbing hold of the console to fight the gravity pulling him back. “Your efforts to make this project work are commendable. Now would you kindly show me how it works? I see nothing but three dials!”
“That’s the beauty of it all, Prissor,” Reven said, waving his long arms arms out to display the controls. “Tricking gravity comes down to three simple things. You’ve seen waves on the surface of the deep have you not?”
“Many times, m’lord. Countless journeys over the deep I’ve made and an infinite variety of wave both small and mighty I’ve ridden,” answered Prissor, puffing out his chest proudly but feebly with the boast.
“Yes of course,” dismissed Reven. “And when another wave comes from the opposite direction, what happens?” Reven didn’t wait for the old man’s reply. “They crash into each other and dissipate quietly, that’s what happens. Gravity is no different. Offer up a like yet opposite wave and we can make gravity think its working when in reality, we cancelled it. Follow?” Reven raised his chin up and stared down at Prissor, raising an eyebrow. “Since a wave is a wave is wave, they all follow the same rules. We can make simple vibrations which will trick gravity so long as they are mirror opposites.”
“Yes, m’lord. That makes perfect sense. So simple.” He leaned forward and squinted his eyes to read the markings on the other controls. “Forward/reverse, simple enough. How does that work?”
Reven nodded knowingly and said “Polarity, my friend. Like a magnet, gravity has polarity. We can trick it to provide acceleration or deceleration on our journey. We can push away or pull toward whatever body we target with the antenna.”
“Which is this one labeled ‘target?’ Prissor pointed his stubby finger at the third dial and Reven reached out to grasp the hand and keep it away from the controls.
“You mustn’t touch, Prissor! Hands clear. But yes, this is how we navigate the ship. You’ve never met two people who are alike have you?” The prince draped his robed arm over the old man’s rounded shoulders and squeezed.
“No m’lord. People are all individuals. I’ve never met my twin.” Prissor strained to keep his composure under this onslaught of arrogance.
“Of course not. Look at you! There’s not another man on Opella who owns this face.” Reven rolled his eyes just a bit with that statement. “The gods made each one of us unique. The same applies to bodies in the deep above. Every one is different than all the others. If you know how to read that gravity signal and tune your receiver to it, you can trick yourself into its field and get pulled right in. It’s so ridiculously simple a baboon could do it!” As Reven threw his head back, his tall hat exaggerated the movement into theatrics. He clutched his stomach and erupted in a hearty laugh. “My point is,” he continued recovering his composure, “An expert in navigation isn’t needed to pilot one of these. Any simpleton can do the job. We can make a fleet of vessels like this and have no need for trained navigators. Traveling to King’s Moon or the real one is just a matter of adjusting the dial.”
“So someone as untrained as a prince could do it?” Prissor smiled a little at himself at his own cleverness.
“You watch,” said Reven tossing his head aside. “I have us tuned to King’s Moon and we are flying straight to it. It hovers right above a fixed a fixed place on Opella, held aloft with its gravity engines. If you look closely, you can see it ahead in the distance. Now, as we get close, I’m going to have to concentrate. If you would, Prissor, please take your seat.” He stared straight down his long thin nose at the man to remind him his place.
“Of course, m’lord. Thank you for the lessons. This is a beautiful and fascinating machine you’ve made. I feel blessed to be here.” The old man lurched back the dozen or so steps, reaching from one seat back to the next to keep from falling to the back of the ship. He fell into his seat next to the wall where he plopped himself down in the generous cushion with a grunt, muttering to himself about the future of the throne. He wiggled and wrestled and fussed until he got himself comfortable.
Everyone else inside Sun Chaser strained to look out the small front window to see the magnificent stone fortress in space. As the ship glided closer to the structure, its scale became apparent. The name King’s Moon was accurate; the station was magnificent. Despite being a giant cylinder, the scale of the stone tube dwarfed any construction back down on Opella. The light gray granite gleamed in the sunlight and the door at the end came into view. The door, shaped like the tri-star sunrise seal of the king, begun to slide open.
“We’re coming in,” said Reven smiling broadly. “We have made history today, friends!” As Reven’s voice trailed off, an ear-splitting pop startled everyone and an explosion of sparks lit up the inside of Sun Chaser in a flash of white-hot molten particles that left everyone blind momentarily.
The loud hiss of rapid decompression erupted. A sickening thud followed and Prissor’s head slammed against the wall, affixed by the vacuum, sealing the hole. He exploded into a panicked scream “Oh by the gods make it stop! Get me loose from here!” His bald dark skull peppered with steaming burns from the shower of fire, he braced his hands against the wall trying to wrestle his head away from the agony.
Otto the scribe began stomping feverishly at the small fires erupting in the cabin as smoke filled the room, creating the aura of a miasmatic underworld where furied men danced to keep the devil’s flames from licking their toes.
“No! Don’t free him!” Reven immediately realized the decompression stopped when Prissor’s head hit the wall. “He’s sealing the hole. Don’t let him move or we will all surely die today!” The prince turned his attention back to the controls and guided the Sun Chaser into the landing bay.
The other men piled on to Prissor to keep him from tearing his head away from the wall. He flailed his legs about as his hands grasped the sides of his face, his features twisted and smashed into the likeness of a demon attacked by a god. His incessant screams of “Oh gods make it stop! Make it stop!” filled the yacht’s cabin.
As the outside door closed, the loud SHUSHHHHHH of air flooding back into the bay overtook Prissor’s howls as the loudest sound in the fight. Reven threw the hatch open to clean out the cabin of smoke. With the air pressure equalized, the wall let loose of Prissor’s dark bare head. He slid to the floor in a heap and the wound on his scalp came into view as the others recoiled at what they saw. His dark skin was mangled and purple where it was exposed to the deep and seeped dark blood from around the wound. Still-steaming burned spots covered the right side of his face and head where the shower of fire sprayed him. He laid motionless save for the dramatic heaving of his chest as he gasped for air.
Milon, the high priest of Rann-Shial called out to the others “He’s alive! Fast, lets get him some help.” He and the others bundled Prissor up in his robes and carried him out of the yacht without waiting for any of Reven’s ceremony and preening. The prince waived his long arms about to clear the smoke as the crowd hauled the injured man away. He walked over to inspect the damage to his yacht and traced his long thin finger around the ragged hole no bigger than his thumb. Small chunks of Prissor’s scalp and blood stains clearly demarcated the perimeter of the damaged area. A cone-shaped scorch mark beginning at the site fanned out across the floor of the cabin resembling the sun’s rays.
“By the gods what was that? I know Prissor was not showing me respect but I didn’t expect such a dramatic response from the gods! It seems I am more valuable in their eyes than mere men. I have dreams and visions. I am to be welcomed into the heavens by the other gods as one of their own. My reputation will have erased all doubts about my worthiness to join them.” He smiled to himself and leaned in to inspect the damage. “I wonder if this is somehow related to the falling stars we all see…”
The station crewmen began to enter and Reven barked “Get this cleaned up! I want that hole repaired by tomorrow! Do you understand?” He spun round with his arms out to accentuate the drama of his exit and disembarked onto King’s Moon. “This will be named for me soon when I am king.”
A delegation of the station’s priesthood assembled to meet prince Reven as he exited the Sun Chaser. Murmurs of omens floated around the group following the incident on the flight until Reven appeared and all fell silent. “My prince,” said a tall man in a white robe. “I am Bastis, high priest of King’s Moon and I am truly honored to welcome the first royal ever to visit our busy hub. You have glorified the gods and created great stories for yourself today my lord. It appears you had a rough ride, though but you overcame the odds! Praise the gods. Losing TWO crown princes in a generation would be unthinkable. Do you need medical attention or rest after your incident?”
“Thank you Bastis,” answered Reven, walking past the delegation with a nod. “The gods decree we shall offer a sacrifice and I surely feel the need to offer one after this event. Show me first to your sanctuary. You do have a sacrifice ready for me don’t you?” The prince turned and raised an eyebrow as he looked the priest over.
“The ceremony is all ready for you to officiate, my lord. The sanctuary is the first stop on our tour and if you will be so gracious as to walk with me, I’ll take us there.” Without hesitation, Bastis waved his robed arm out to indicate the direction and began to walk. He didn’t so much walk as stride, with his head back, chest out and a long graceful gait that set him apart from the others as much as his white robe contrasted with the ruddy gray robes worn by the others.
“King’s Moon is actually modeled on the underground cavern system below the great temples on Opella, did you know that my lord? All the stone in its construction was lifted here under order from your great-great-grandfather in the early days of travel into the deep above. For three generations, it has served us all in exploring the deep above as the gods will it. I am deeply honored to serve my king as high priest of this magnificent achievement and I give all I am to serve.”
“Your loyalty is noted, Bastis,” Reven replied. “I am led to understand that sacrifices to the gods take a different form than down below, is that right?”
“You are correct, my lord. A fire on board a pressurized vessel is not a good thing, as you saw for yourself on the way up. We reasoned that the purpose for burning the sacrifice is to send it up to the heavens and since we are already here, there’s no need to turn something to smoke. We simply push the living sacrifice out an airlock directly into the arms of the gods. For you today, we have something very special arranged.” The priest motioned for Reven to enter the sanctuary through a golden door emblazoned with the sunrise tri-star emblem. “The sanctuary, my lord.”
Reven entered and glanced over a small but otherwise correct sanctuary. Three robed monks held a short, naked man on a chain and collar. The manacled captive bowed his head down and remained motionless, resigned to his fate. “This is a thief, my lord. He was caught in the act not long ago and we all know what the gods say about unlawful acquisition. A thief must be sent to the gods forthwith so they may punish the man by stealing his soul one piece at a time. We have saved him for you, as we all know how dedicated you are to the gods and the law. We thought you might like to make an example of him.”
“My, my Bastis, you’ve outdone yourself,” said Reven with enthusiasm. “It’s not often we get to send a man into his fate with the gods. This is a special day indeed!”
The three robed monks led the doomed man to the airlock door and pushed him through into the antechamber where he curled up on the floor. Reven ceremoniously presided over the entire hour long production before the outer door was opened and the instant depressurization pulled the man out into the deep. The blast of air tossed him like a toy out into the deep where he began to fall towards Opella.
“Now watch as he falls, my lord. As he builds speed, he will get hot and vanish into a flash and puff of smoke as the gods claim him. Ah yes, there he goes. The gods may exact their revenge on him now.” Bastis’ businesslike narration of the events detracted something away from the mysterious and mystical feel of the sacrifices but he made certain every required step was done in order and with due reverence.
“Very impressive, Bastis. I like your style, friend! You may be a valuable member of my team one day.”
“Thank you my lord. The gods are kind to me. Shall we continue on?”
The tour continued to the view of the cargo vessel bays. “Not much to see here, my lord but this is where the bills are paid. Containers of diamonds brought back from the Bo-Alli mine dock here before their contents go down to Opella for building projects.”
At the tour’s end, Reven and Bastis dismissed the hangers-on and continued on to the observation deck together. The large open plaza hummed with human traffic snaking through from one point to another. Shops of all manner covered the open area and the cylinder wall was clear, offering a breathtaking view of Opella below and the deep above in a 360 degree panorama through the polished diamond blocks.
The wispy white clouds in the top of the atmosphere drifted past far below and the view of almost half the planet outshined any painting ever created by a man. “You’ve never seen Opella from this height have you my lord?” Bastis observed how awe-struck even the vain prince Reven appeared in looking over the world below.
Reven stood in silence staring down at the continents, oceans, clouds and of course the white ice shell which covered most of the north of Opella. “No I have not,” said Reven as he snapped out of his brief reverie. “I could get accustomed to seeing the whole planet from this perspective every day. Perhaps one day I will move the throne here, friend!” The prince half-smiled and watched Bastis for a reaction to his boast. There was none.
A trio of white flashes appeared below them, falling toward Opella.”There! Did you see those Bastis? More of the falling fire. Reports of these events come in from all around Opella and they become more frequent every month. What do you suppose it means? How many impacts has King’s Moon sustained recently? This falling fire or whatever it is. The one that hit Sun Chaser was no bigger than a rat’s turd yet it ripped a hole open in the hull.” Reven turned to face the high priest, folded his arms and awaited an answer.
“I don’t have an exact number, my lord, but several every day that we notice. The station will shudder and the sound of shattering rock echoes through the place. The walls of the station, of course, are as thick as two men are tall and they provide excellent protection from the small impacts. I fear a larger one, however. Any day from the observation deck here, you can look down on Opella and see many more burn as they approach the planet. My concern about the matter grows yet my own prayers and rites bring no answers.” Bastis folded his hands in front of him, index fingers pointed up and rested his chin at the tip.
“The priests at the main temple have the same lack of answers. My frustration with them grows. There are two competing ideas, yet neither has emerged as the truth. I bring this up because you strike me as a pious man, Bastis and your service is up here, closer to the gods. I want you to make it a priority to understand the nature of what we see falling to Opella. Pray. Observe. Test. Offer sacrifices. Use all the tools at your disposal to divine whether we are witnessing a war among the gods or an omen sent to warn us of something.” Reven paced from one side of the room to the other as he gave his directive.
“My lord, I am honored to be your servant,”said Bastis. “But I must remind you that divination of the will of the gods isn’t really my speciality. I’m more an administrator than a vizier. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful toward your orders, but am I the right man for the job?”
“Your piety and faithfulness to the law is what I see, Bastis. Rely on that to assist you. Send regular updates to me down below, am I clear?” The prince stopped his pacing and stared down the priest.
“You are clear, my lord. I will do as you order.”
“I knew I could count on you, Bastis. You’re a good man and faithful.”
Rise of the Sun King 