21: Sarah

Sarah

 

          The city was still very much awake this far into the night. Nox was perched overhead. Swirls of violent storms created artistic strokes of cool colors across the heavy blue of the giant. The rings were pronounced tonight, catching much of Aion's light.

          The marketplace was well lit through large lanterns that hung from hooks inset to stone columns. While many of the booths and tables that housed the merchandise of temporary traders were abandoned, several businesses remained in operation. The buildings were built of lumber and stone, almost reminiscent of Bavarian style, yet in many ways different. Stone foundations rose to crossing beams of wood that intersected and were bolted together. A hardened plaster filled the gaps the wood didn't cover. Windows were carved into the buildings and panes of sectioned stained glass were fastened on the exterior and interior as opposed to being able to open and shut. Inscriptions were written above doorways, and a few shops and bars had hanging signs dangling from roof overhangs. The streets were cobbled with drainage curbs along the edges. A thick scent of fresh bread and lavender hit Sarah's nose as they passed the open doors of an inn.

          People still bustled about. With nearly fifteen hours of night, she hardly guessed people would sleep through its entirety. Still, almost every one  who passed by was giggling with the buzz of alcohol or outright staggering with drunkenness.

          "Beer is universal," Arianna mused as a threesome of drunks with their arms around each other passed by. A muffled off-key song of revelry came from one of the nearby pubs. "Most of the reputable dealers close shop for a majority of the night. But bars, pubs, restaurants, and inns generally stay open until the morning. The Empire admittedly has some of the best breweries in its western territories, and we import them here. They're by far the most popular drafts, but we also carry some from eastern breweries, wine from the south, and this god-awful whiskey from the mountain villages. Oh, and for the super wealthy, we occasionally import a few luxury brands. Heineken, Becks, Sam Adams, that kind of stuff."

          "You know, for someone who spent as much time and risk getting the job you did, you sure seem to do a lot of 'importing' from Earth. What else do you do, aside from goods transport?" Ryan asked.

          Arianna shot him a look of annoyance. "While we do bring things in from Earth, it's hardly our only job description. I think what you're failing to realize is our home doesn't have the same industrial capabilities as yours. Earth had the industrial revolution. I mean, you have electricity, running water, factories. Hell, look at modern medicine. The leaps and bounds that humans there have made is astounding. Aurora never had that industrial boom. What little technology we have is often stolen from your world and exclusive to the Imperial palace or military installations. The other things, comfort or convenience, are almost always spontaneous decisions by Gatekeepers. Those types of things earn quite a substantial amount of money. And even then the only costumers are rich aristocrats or business owners who can afford to be lavish.

          "That's not to say our merchants don't do well, though. I think because there is no mass production capabilities here, you get more genuine and unique items. Craftsman learn their trades from early ages and the work of a master is always incredible. It's not cookie-cutter production. So goods here do have their charm, if you ask me."

          Sarah kept quite, but Ryan kept on. "So, you said modern medicine is incredible, so what was that you did to Michael? He was shot, and then you showed up, and suddenly he has some kind of thin skin covered his wounds."

          "The artifact's power is unknowable," she said as they walked. "When we study it, it's like being on a speeding train and trying to make sense of everything out the window. We get glimpses, general ideas, and maybe some inferences but nothing is clear, nothing is detailed, and nothing defined enough to truly study. Being able to accelerate the mitosis of skin repair was a skill I learned over several years. It was something I glimpsed while working with the artifact, and once I had grasped a string in the wind, I decided to try and unwind it."

          "So magic is what you're telling me?" Ryan said with contempt.

          "No," she replied coolly. Sarah hoped Arianna would keep her patience with him. "It's no more magic than dark matter is. Science simply can't explain it yet because the definition of science is the ability to test something and repeat outcomes. I can't even explain it, and I harness the ability. Like I said, the power of the artifact is unknowable for us, and being around it so much has given us Gatekeepers just a small taste of that power."

          "Right," Ryan said. Sarah wondered why he had become so bitter. She hoped it wasn't because of what she had said about Michael and Sabrina in the helicopter. While she did find it concerning, she also didn't want to be making enemies with the only friend they had in this strange place.

          Sarah spoke up, hoping to change the conversation. "Where are we going?"

          "No, better yet, where's Michael and Sabrina?" Ryan asked, cutting Sarah off.

          Arianna stopped and sighed. Sarah realized how young she looked. She couldn't have been older than nineteen.

          "There are several teams out searching for them, but one of the old observation shelters under the ice had been used recently and there was blood near the opening. The most likely thing is that they were captured by a raiding party which are common along all of the coasts. It would be impossible to track a ship down once it departs from the coast. Our planet is more water than land by far. And even if we found a ship, the odds of it being the right one are slim to none. I don't want to tell you to give up hope, they're your friends. But I also think it's time you look at this realistically. You're a Marine for God's sake. You understand that s**t happens. Sometimes things are just out of your control and you just have to nut up and move on. If we find them, then it'll be a wonderful miracle. If we don't, we have to settle knowing we did the best we could."

          With that, Arianna turned and continued walking. Ryan's face was stony, but he said nothing more and followed. Sarah felt the uncomfortable tension hovering over them and frowned.

          "Look, let's get a drink and I'll buy you two a room," Arianna said, pointing to a corner side inn.

          "Two rooms," Sarah said.

          "Two rooms," Arianna echoed with a small smile.

          The inside of the inn was warm and the air was thick with the smells of stewing meat, beer, bread, and fire smoke. It wasn't an unpleasant mix. Wooden tables filled the front half of the inn, and women in jean pants were sifting about, dropping plates and mugs and pitchers onto tables as they went, smacking away groping hands.

          Some men had beards, some were clean shaven and boyish, some tall, some excessively fat, some with long hair and some with none. The women met most of those descriptions as well, with the exception of facial hair for the most part (there was one woman who's shadow of a mustache was too visible to ignore). Some leaned forward and spoke in hushed voices, others were boisterously loud as they told jokes or funny stories before erupting in riotous laughter.

          Arianna led them to an open table near the far wall. The seats were nothing special, wooden construction and plain, nor were they particularly comfortable, but Sarah knew better than to say so. "Interesting choice," she said instead.

          "Inconspicuous," Arianna said. She was definitely right. She and Ryan would not stand out in this crowd who mostly wore jeans and a wide variety of familiar shirts. Cotton polos, button up dress shirts, vests. It was all very common within the inn.

          "Import clothes?" Ryan asked, though there wasn't malice in his voice this time.

          "That is something we do a lot of, particularly for the capital. Clothes are an easy import, lightweight and not very spacious. Revenue for the Imperial Treasury, and the people are happy."

          Sarah noticed a man wearing female cut denim with sparkled studs around the rear pockets. "Do they know where their clothes come from?" she asked.

          "Some do, others could care less. Earth is no secret to imperial citizens. They know of the Gate. Unlike the Romans, the records here are quite intact and the stories have been passed on for generations creating legends and myths of their own. Some believe Earth is the dwelling place of the gods." She glanced to the man in sparkled jeans. "Others simply might think the gods have a decent fashion sense. Whatever the case, many do enjoy the bounties Earth may bring but have little desire to see it. Perhaps no more than you would want to see China, despite nearly everything you owned was manufactured there."

          A middle aged woman wearing jeans and a yellow polo came over to the table. "What to drink?" She eyed Sarah up and down and grinned. "Yours is on the house, sweet thing."

          Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Nothing for me, thanks."

          "Oh, a shy one, huh? Don't worry, I'll get you something to loosen those nerves right up." And with that the woman left.

          "No, it's cool, I didn't want anything," Ryan called after her.

          Arianna placed a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder. "There are some eccentric people around this area of Fortuna. It just comes with the marketplace, particularly with the bars and inns. You get used to it."

          The woman returned with two empty gray mugs and one ornate one that looked to be made from pewter. In her left hand was a pitcher. She set the pitcher at the center of the table and dispersed the mugs out, the pewter one full of golden liquid in front of Sarah.

          "Thanks," Arianna said.

          "Of course," the waitress said, tossing a wink to Sarah who cast her eyes away.

          "I don't think I want to drink this," Sarah said, pushing the mug away. There was a deep flush on her cheeks.

          Arianna lifted the pewter mug to her lips and sipped. "Oh, no, Sarah, you have to at least try this. It's one of the brews from the Western Highlands. It's incredible."

          She shook her head politely. Ryan reached out for it. His eyes lit up as he tasted the beer. "That is good. Where is it from?"

          "Davenport's brewery in the Western Highlands. One of the bigger ones. They have some secret ingredient that they're always boasting of, and whatever it is, they hold the monopoly on the supply or no one's figure it out. Davenport Brew is the only one in the entire empire that tastes that rich." She turned to Sarah. "You must really be her type, those aren't exactly rare but they aren't cheap, either."

          As Ryan took a few more generous gulps, the door to the inn banged hard against the wall as an inebriated man stumbled in. He wore a long, frayed and discolored robe that may have once been blue. Strings and tatters hung from the ends and it looked as if the sleeves had burn marks and holes in them. His wild hair connected to a long, full beard that was covered in dirt and patched in grey. His cheekbones were pronounced, jutting from sunken eyes. He leaned against the door for a moment as if to regain his sense, then took a few steps forward into the inn. No one seemed to pay him much mind except for the inn keep behind the counter along the wall across from the door.

          "Friends!" he called out loudly, extending his arms skyward as if expecting an embrace. Still, no one paid him more than annoyed glances. "The time is upon us! It is not too late to dislodge the lies of the Emperor and escape the doom he brings upon us!"

          Sarah turned to Arianna. "What's he talking about?"

          She shrugged. "He's obviously a lunatic. I'm curious to hear this, though."

          "We have offended the gods with our lavish lifestyles! We eat in excess, we revel in drunkenness -"

          "We f**k too much!" one man called out from a table and the patrons erupted into laughter.

          "Fornication!" the bearded man proclaimed, as if the man had been agreeing with his testimony. "It is an affront to our gods! Our fate has been decided! The gods seek to unleash a wave of darkness over all of us!"

          "Yeah, that's called the long night, you old crock. It happens every year."

          Again, the patrons laughed at the comment but the old man was unwavering in speech, if not in balance. "The gods seek to unleash their hordes of demons and devils upon us to punish us for our sins and our discord! No longer do we worships the gods as we once did, but instead take advantage of the gifts they provided for our own means! We worship the gods of alcohol and immorality and laziness! Come to your senses, my friends, and find solace in the embrace of the Serpent who can shelter us from the coming storm!"

          "Ah," Arianna said. "He's one of them."

          Ryan took another swig of beer. "One of who?"

          "Whom," Sarah corrected.

          Ryan rolled his eyes. "One of whom?"

          Arianna reached for the beer which Ryan reluctantly handed over. "He's one of the Eyes of the Serpent," she said after a quick sip. "They're a massive cult south of the Divide, but not really much of a presence her in the Empire. They believe the Great Serpents, which I suppose you'd probably call dragons, were gods who created man as servants. Well according to this cult, humans murdered the Great Serpents during a brutal war, and became the dominant species in Aurora. But, again, they believe the Great Serpents were gods and could not ever be truly killed. They believe that they will return and exact their vengeance on the human race and wipe us out entirely. There is an elaborate series of prophesies that they often reference and cite. I mean they're pretty much like any doomsday cult."

          The man continued to shout his proclamations, but no one was really listening. The inn patrons had returned to their own conversations. "Are they dangerous?" Sarah asked. She looked over to the man in the worn robe. He did look delusional. His eyes just had that crazy look to them. It reminded her a lot of a few people she had seen in December of 2012, telling of the end of the world because of the Mayan Calendar.

          "Eyes of the Serpent really aren't a dangerous group. They're a little nutty and sometimes get in your face about what they believe, but they're little more than a nuisance." She took another swig. "But," she said with firmness, "there is a radical arm of this group called the Fangs of the Serpent. Very little is known about this group. They're a shadow organization and many people believe they are radical assassins and murderers. At every kill, they leave the same mark nearby. A red circle with two fangs extending through it, like looking into the mouth of a snake. They really are an elusive  group, but like I said, we really don't get any in the Empire. They're influence is beyond our borders."

          "You always speak of this area outside the 'Divide'. What's the Divide and why is so important to keep the other people out?"

          Arianna looked up. "Hey Innkeep, do you have a map?" The innkeeper brought Arianna a rolled piece of paper and she blew him a kiss which he waved off gruffly, though there was the hint of a smile on his face. She unrolled the paper which showed a large elongated landmass. The continent was comprised of two distinct large areas connected by a small piece of land. The northern region was only a third the size of the area beneath the Crassus River. "This," she pointed at the small of the two masses, "is the Empire. It's not quite as large geographically as the area below, but it all is part of the Empire. And even then, it's no small chunk of land. It's about three-and-a-half million square miles, just a bit smaller than Canada. The Crassus provided a vital chokepoint, which actually worked both ways. It was as dangerous for the advancing armies of the Empire as it was for the wild tribes of the south. So the river was fortified. It was all the area we really needed. Our Empire was large enough to sustain itself and prosper, but no so large as to be stretched to thin and unmentionable."

          She moved her fingers down south of the Crassus River. "And down here, you'll find almost a hundred different areas that consider themselves sovereign. Some call themselves kingdoms, provinces, or even empires, but none really hold any real dominance. The region is in constant warfare. Certain warlords have more power than others, and there's a king on the western coast who actually does have a bit of power, but he apparently has no ambitions for expansion. His kingdom is a trading hub with major port cities and few enemies. It doesn't hurt that he commands the largest fleet of merchant ships and naval vessels on the planet."

          Her finger slid across from the western section of the map slowly east. "This region here is very much a feudal area. Lords and warlords control ever changing pieces of property and people, and the villages do their best to make due with the hand they were dealt. It's mainly farming and mining settlements with a few larger towns spaced throughout. Here you'll find a lot of ancient fortresses and even some new ones where all the powerful ants reside to rule their miniscule kingdoms. The farther south you go, you reach less forests and more areas of dryness until you reach the Khari desert. There's nothing beyond the desert's stretch until you reach the coast, which is teeming with small fishing villages, towns, and even a few ports. The southern coasts are known for their spices and fish recipes, and little else."

          She gestured to the far eastern end of the continent. "And here lies the Wastes. Arid rocky place with tall canyons and spires. The southern portion of the Wastes is toxic with leaking fumes from the planet's interior. They say the sky there is green and purple from all the gases, but it seems like a tall tale to me. I've never been there. No one goes there except the exceptionally brave and stupid or the suicidal. The farther north in the Wastes you go, the more habitable it is, and I use that term relatively. There's a few tribes in that area that keep to themselves. They've never been conquered. They know the land better than anyone and pick off whatever invaders manage to survive the elemental extremes. Especially during the long night."

          "What's that like?" Sarah asked. She had given into her thirst but poured water from the pitcher instead of trying the beer. "Having a year in darkness?"

          "Well, a year as you're used to, only a third of ours, but it's not pleasant. Granted, it's much better now than it was before given we have shelters and warmth. The Long Night gets unbearably cold. Even the Khari Desert gets frosted. Here in the Empire, because it's farther north, the snow reaches several feet thick and the areas outside of cities become almost impassable. That's why every city stockpiles supplies and food to last the winter, because bringing anything in is extremely difficult and extremely expensive. Below the Divide, they get brutal snowstorms as well, but it's not usually quite as cold as it is up here. However, they don't have quite the same comforts. Many smaller settlements get wiped out each year because they just couldn't weather the Long Night. The coastal cities along the southern edge of the continent have it best, the weather there gets cool but not extreme."

          "The continent is called Aurora, right? Named after the planet?" Ryan asked.

          "Yeah."

          "Are there any other continents?" Sarah asked.

          Arianna nodded. "Three. The closest is the Rhenland. It's not nearly as large as Aurora, but it is a barbaric, warlike state. The Rhens put so much emphasis on their warrior class. They do not import, they do not export, and they slaughter anyone who attempts to make any contact with them. Commerce has been impossible, so both the Empire and the Southern powers all keep their distance from the Rhenland. They keep to themselves, never leaving their continent. So as far as we're concerned, they can do whatever they want in that forsaken piece of land of theirs.

          "There's another small one south of the equator called Adranos. It's a relatively tropical place, if the stories are to be believed. It's so far out of the way to be practical travel, however. Seas between Aurora and Adranos are too rough for many. The other is Cimmeria. Its coasts are just barely mapped out, and much of it is estimation. Ships dare not sail to close. They say the soil is as grey as ash and barren. No trees, no grass. Just bare. But none who have ever anchored there have ever made it back, as far as I know. Cimmeria is a dark place, and massive. It's by far the largest continent and the most mysterious. I've talked to a few imperial sailors who led an expedition to map out the coastline. They all complained of vivid night terrors while they were near it and some foreboding atmosphere they couldn't explain. Of course, there are legends that the land is cursed or home to demons or even the devil himself. Many Pseudo-Christians here in Aurora believe it's actually the shores of hell."

          Sarah stared in disbelief. "Christians?"

          "Oh yes. Like I told you, the Gate was opened nearly two centuries after Christ's death. So the Empire had its fair share of new Christians. They weren't as powerful or prevalent yet as they would become, but they were still there and they still came through the Gate. As Christians are ought to do, once here they spread the gospel. Christianity isn't as popular here as it is on Earth, but it does exist. The most prevalent religions on Aurora are ones that originated here, like the Eyes of the Serpent. Here in the Empire, many follow a faith surrounding the Ancient Ones who left us the Gate. That artifact is so powerful that its understandable people would associate it with gods. Don't ask me about the Ancient Ones, because we know nothing about them except that they left the Gate."

          Sarah drank from her mug. The water had a slightly salty taste but she swallowed it down anyway. "I'm sure there's legend and stories about them, right?"

          "Absolutely. The lore about the Ancient Ones is as abundant as it is pure fiction. There are no documents, drawings, inscriptions. All we have are the two Gates, one of which resides on your planet."

          Sarah found this fascinating. As a child, she and her father had always talked about space. He worked at NASA, and while he was just an engineer, she had thought he was an astronaut. On clear nights, he had taken her out to their backyard with his telescope. He showed her Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and sometimes, when no planets were out, he'd just let her look at the moon in spectacular detail.

          "Daddy," she had asked when she was only five. "Is there something else out there? Other places like Earth?"

          Her father had looked pensively out to the endless ocean of space that stretched above them. "I'd like to think so," he said. As she grew up, space and made up stories about aliens and other planets bonded them. Her mother had been killed when she was only a few months old, and so it was her father who was her sole family. She loved that they could share space together. As she sat at the table, living one of their stories about another world with unknown creatures, she could only hope she could one day tell him about this. It would be the story to climax every story they had ever made up as she was growing up.

          "Can I hear some of the stories?" She asked, almost sheepishly.

          Arianna looked a little puzzled, but smiled. "Sure, I've got a little time to kill. One of the most prevalent stories about the Ancient Ones is that they were a race of incredibly sophisticated beings that held dominion throughout the galaxy, if not multiple galaxies. They set up colonies on every inhabitable planet they found and made life. Some say that everything from plants, to water, to animals were all manufactured by them. Others say that inhabitable planets were not a coincidence of factors, but instead built for us. They say the Ancient Ones quite literally built the barren rocks to be suitable for life, then populated it with creatures they engineered to thrive there. Then once everything was in place, they would leave. Perhaps to go find other worlds to spread life, or maybe they went extinct. Many plan for their return, which they believe happens on a schedule. Those who believe that the Ancient Ones will come back generally fall into two categories. The first thinks that upon the return, humans will be made into gods and travel with the Ancient Ones. The alternate idea is that the world will be wiped clean and life will begin anew. And there are also those who hold the idea that the Ancient Ones will never return.

          "More theories still exist. A smaller sect of the faith believe in worshipping the Ancient Ones, but don't believe that the race had any interest in mankind at all. They think the race was, or is, so advanced that they pay no more attention to us that we do to insects. For them, the Gates are nothing more than transportation devices in the backwoods of the galaxy where few travel."

          "Sounds like scientology," Ryan said.

          "It's quite similar," Arianna agreed. "Although, it's less about a galactic tyrant and more about a grand species advanced beyond comprehension. A few," she looked to the bearded man still speaking, "also claim that even seeing an Ancient One would lead to death because we are not worthy, and that is why they left us."

          Sarah couldn't help but grin. The story of the Ancients seemed like something she and her dad would have concocted while sitting on a lawn chair on a warm summer night, gazing into the heavens.

          "Did you not glimpse any of them or anything about them while studying the artifact? Surely the Gate had some kind of memory of them?"

         Arianna laughed. "You talk as though the Gate is a cognizant entity. While I can't prove it isn't, I don't believe it is. And maybe I've seen something and not recognized what it was. It's difficult to explain what it's like to transcend into the realm of knowledge the Gate holds. It's such a mass of information it's impossible to really process what you see."

          "What do you believe?" Ryan asked her, his eyes full of interest. Sarah was relieved. It appeared, at least for the moment, that his animosity was forgotten.

          "I believe that there is an object that I've spent hundreds of hours trying to understand and I've barely scratched the surface. I can't tell you who put it there or why, or why they're gone, but I do know the Gate remains. That's the only concrete thing I know, so that is the only thing I will concretely believe in."

          Arianna pushed her chair back and rose. "Well, I need to get going. I have to talk to the Emperor tomorrow morning about the status of my mission. Here." She pulled out a few coins from her pocket. "This will get you a pair of rooms, I'll come get you tomorrow."
          "Wait, Arianna," Ryan said, grabbing her arm as she left. "What were you doing in Merritt Island? Why were you even around to save us."

          Her face had become somber. "I was looking for the other Gate."

          Sarah shook her head. "You were looking in the wrong place. Why would you think it was there?"

          "A mysterious, ancient, otherworldly artifact. Something from deep in space. If there was ever a place to study it and contain it, where do you think that would be?"

          Both Ryan and Sarah shook their heads. "Not Merritt Island," Ryan said.

          "And I agree," Arianna said, taking a few steps toward the door. Then she turned. "However, the global leader in space exploration as well as military weaponry research isn't far, is it?"

          She disappeared out the door, brushing by the ranting follower of the Eye of the Serpent.

          "She didn't mean - " Ryan said, but Sarah cut in.

          "The Air Force station on Cape Canaveral?"