Chapter One

    THE WORST THING
CONSTANZA JARUFSKY

They marched into Liberty Chamber taking possession of the room as they had the planet. The sound they made would alert the blind that They had come, the sound and the smell, for both were alien.

The sound was made by their chains of rank; platinum bracelets and bandoleers, and the chaffing leather of their uniforms. I knew the smell was an unguent they used on their skins called 'yelpain'; it was not unpleasant, only alien.

I watched them enter, one of the few who had seen ZerShaiemn before. I glanced at innocent faces, wondering how they viewed our conquerors.

The ZeSha were large muscular males, their skins glossy and of unusual hue; perhaps in human tone, a mixture of Chinese, African and Indian. But it was their eyes, their large eyes with the elliptical pupil which set them irrevocably apart; shouting these were not humans.

Tears rolled silently down many faces, for no one had expected this result. Defeat was not considered, after all, they were Neanderthals, we were the crown of creation.

In our chronology we'd age them between thirty and forty, but as they age differently being wrong was more likely than right.

I looked for the leader. It was not the fact he wore a visor or fullfingered gloves; it was his Aura. Never before had I been so struck by the palpable power of spirit exuded.

Though the others taller, broader, bloated with triumph, no doubt which was he; eDapktchoy, the eKhain, absolute King of my world of Xenos III.

We humans stood silently, trembling, but silent, for to make a sound 'bought death' as they would say.  No image was more definitive of defeat than for them to march into this Chamber and take command.

I was aware why eDapktchoy had selected this Chamber, it was subject to continuous search by robot controlled scanners; every move analysed, erratic actions spotlighted by ceiling 'freezers' which would imprison the actor in a statis stun. No item not passed and microchipped could be entered.

This room, all rooms of this nature, be they on Earth, a ship in space, or here on Xenos III, prevented assassination attempts as well as disruptions from the gallery or floor.  He selected this chamber because he knew human cyber-security protocols. I am sure he had reset the computers to pass all ZeSha, regardless of their armaments, and to focus on humans who might be held in statis for the slightest quirk.

Protocols we had created to protect us would now protect them.

Rosehip Mansion was the seat of Government on Xenos. From Liberty Chamber we managed our democracy. Now it would manage our conquest.

eDapktchoy paused at the head of the table, made the slightest nod. We seated. ZeSha, his sentries, stood where our guards and messengers would. He knew this, knew everything about us, for he had been, to an indubitable extent, one of us.

I remembered him as a child on Galteri, frightened, confused, his planet destroyed, he the only survivor. Yet, it hadn't taken a month for him to comprehend; develop the skill to interact successfully in an extremely hostile environment.

And now:

"I am eKhain eDapktchoy." He announces with impeccable diction. "I direct the capitulation of Xenos III and inclusion into the ZerShaz Empire."

He panned the room, to me, aware of our placing of dignitaries. I wondered if he recognized me. How had I appeared twenty eight years ago on that cramped colony, hastily summoned to examine the child he had been?

"I infer all who deem existing under ZerShaz government unacceptable, have removed themselves. If there are remaining dissidents, I grant one hour extension, then assume consensus. Acts of disobedience will be held insurrection, the perpetrator and lineage, executed."

He paused, consulted an Aide, his voice too low for me to hear, then;  "Such executions are not customarily performed with honour, albeit offenders shall be shot, their bodies burnt. Return to your constituencies, inform your citizenry. Those who fail to reenter within the time period will no longer have a constituency."

There was frightened gasping, I knew the worries, would phrase them. Although I had studied this species for most of my century I had never met them in triumph, seeing only those who had been defeated, imprisoned.

Yet, this planet of humans depended on me and I would not disappoint.

"eKhain--." I begin, feeling the cold gaze of his Aides.

Though I couldn't see his eyes behind the black visor I searched for recognition, but would be afraid to find it.

How had I appeared to him then? I was in my seventies, he a child under six. What had he witnessed? A warder? An offence to his dignity? Someone who could speak his language and pry into his mind? How had he seen me then, twenty eight years ago? How did he view me now?

I took a breath, swallowed.

"I am Governor Constanza Jarufsky. I am the Civilian Leader of Xenos III. I advise my members to

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 08.10.2021
ISBN: 978-3-7487-9652-7

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