The Elephant Ep2.12: Last Requests

The system was small compared to those in the sectors that surrounded it. Left untouched by outside forces, the three planets that bore its name were wastelands. Barren fields that spread across the entire surface. Good only for mining colonies and isolationists. Uedo 1, 2, and 3 were unimpressive. Yet their source of light brought many curious visitors cycle after cycle. Lacking the bright yellow light of a sun, the system instead relied on a luminous white planet at its center. No creature of any race had ever seen the surface of Uedo 4. Covered in a layer of clouds impossible to see through, it remains a mystery to all who see it.

Transport ships, including the one that Carle rode in, did well to avoid this center planet. Several accidents had already occurred in past years. Looking out the window on his right, he glanced down at the planet and shivered. "Nobody goes down there man. Don't get any ideas." Carle turned to find an attendant standing over his seat with a tray of beverages. "Thanks for the warning." He waved the man off and brought his stare back to Uedo 4. What the man had said was not entirely true. Someone had seen the surface of that haunted place. "I'm back."

Stepping foot on the gravel floor of the planet was a strange experience for Carle. He had been to many places during his career. Several in times of war and famine. The prospector had seen many people die at the hands of Peacekeepers, Scarrens, and others. None had stirred him the way this place did. He lifted the hood of his coat over his head and walked into the small mining town where the starport was located. Carle couldn't risk someone recognizing him. The last time he had left this place, tense circumstances had been the reason. Up ahead he noticed an outdoor bar. Just the thing to calm him down.

"Hey buddy, what can I get you?" The bartender watched him sit down and smiled. He didn't many customers these days. Carle looked to each side and then removed his hood. "Some Qelnic juice please." The man nodded in surprise. "That's pretty strong stuff for a guy your size." The prospector laughed. "In that case make it two." He looked up into the sky and caught a glimpse of Uedo 4 as it passed overhead. The memories flooded back clearly now. "Say, you a minister or something?" Carle glanced down at his clothes and smiled. "That is a long story my friend." Not so long really. He could still see the faces of a kindhearted minister and a little boy.

<<<<<

Almost five cycles had passed since the day he arrived on Uedo 2 with a smile on his face. His first assignment after graduating from school. Still bright eyed and filled with adventurous notions, Carle had packed his bags and come to the barren planet. "We need someone to map out these grids. For the new mining facility we're putting up." He had accepted the job and jumped on the first transport ship that was leaving. The clouded specter that sat out in space had little affect on him that time. Things would change.

Carle walked out of the terminal and looked out to the waiting vehicles beside the lobby. His new boss was supposed to be picking him up any time now. The white shining light that lit the planet took some getting used to. He had to wear goggles for the first couple days. "Are you Carle Venn?" The man sat beside a rusted hunk of metal and waved him over. "Yes, are you my ride?" The large gutted creature laughed out loud. "No, I'm your boss. Just wanted to make sure you made it." With that, he had been left to find his own way into town. "Well, I feel better already."

It had taken him three arns to find the musty old geological building. The place looked like it hadn't been used in a hundred cycles. Perhaps longer. "It's about time. Seems to me that someone like you should know how to walk." Carle scowled at him and stepped into the cool room. His collar was soaked in sweat and dust from the trek over. "My name's Yuri. You'll have to change out of that uniform. It'll kill ya." He looked down at the academy clothes he was wearing and nodded. They were worn with pride but also frelling hot. "Is there somewhere I can change?" Yuri pointed towards a back room.

Dressed in a simple short-sleeve shirt and light pants, Carle walked out into the light and surveyed his new surroundings. The rugged town ended abruptly behind his office and opened into wide open spaces. He could see nothing but glowing stones and dust for miles in all directions. "You can get started in the morning. Start over there." He followed Yuri's gaze towards a dip off in the distance. "It's a long climb down. Get some rest before you go." With those parting words, Carle had been left alone to start his job. "This is not what I expected." The man laughed even louder this time. "It never is."

<<<<>>>>

In the early arns of the morning, he had shaken himself from sleep and put on some fresh clothes. The replacement sun up above provided little heat and no light when it passed on the other side. An icy cold wind had picked up to batter him around. "Here we go." Carle stepped out into the darkness and headed towards the place Yuri had pointed at. The severe conditions grew only worse as he approached. The bag of supplies on his back wore him down quickly. Quickly losing optimism, he dropped to the ground.

"Well this is a frelling grand canyon." The ground disappeared a few metra ahead and revealed something far more depressing. A huge hole in the ground with jagged peaks forcing themselves upward towards the heavens. Spotting what looked like a trail, he stood and continued forward. "What are you doing?" Carle froze in place and turned around. A small boy appeared from the gloom behind him. "I asked you a question." He almost laughed. "And I heard you." The boy shook his head. "Then answer it." Carle pointed towards the canyon. "Going on a hike."

Carle watched the boy stare back at him for a microt or two before giving up. He turned and headed back down towards the trail. Something up ahead caught his attention. A sprinkling of white rocks sat on the ground in a cluster. "Hello, never seen anything like this before." He pulled off his pack and removed a container from inside. "Is it valuable?" The boy was beside him again. Carle looked up at him and shrugged. "That's what I have to find out." Apparently it was enough for the boy. "My name is Kithara. What's yours?"

"Carle, nice to meet you." They shook hands awkwardly and then looked back down at the canyon. "Can I come with you?" He shrugged and started forward again. The sound of footsteps behind him was a bit reassuring. Someone would be there if he fell and broke his neck. They descended quickly and soon found the road got much narrower. "You ever been down here before?" Kithara stopped and considered the question. As if he had to choose whether or not to tell him the truth. "Once, but not this far." Carle was about to reply when the ground started to shake.

<<<<>>>>>

Carle had been in the local hospital for three days with a fracture in his arm and wrist. Mercifully, the doctor did have the proper technology to fix such problems. "Get lots of these out here." Truth was, the man worried him more than the injury. The lack of teeth and smell of liquor were enough to unsettle anyone. "What about the boy? Kithara?" There was no answer to his question. No one else had been brought in with him. "People imagine stuff out there sometimes." He couldn't believe that. The boy had been out there with him.

"I ain't paying you to sit around in bed." Yuri smashed the door to his room open and sat down at the desk. The man did not like his work to go behind. Even if that meant putting an injured worker on the job. "The facility's going into production in a month and we still don't know where to put it." Carle rolled out of his blankets and stood carefully. He pulled his backpack over and removed the sampled he had taken before the accident. "Have you seen these before?" Yuri stared at them in disbelief. "Where did you find these?"

The town had broken ground on their new project days later. Carle had been hailed a hero for his discovery. Everyone knew of how he had discovered diamonds in the treacherous canyon beyond recorded land. Risking his life to bring them home. He had enjoyed the popularity while it lasted. But like all things, it faded with time. Carle found himself frequenting the bars more and more as days went by. There was nothing to do here but mine. Not many women either.

He wasn't a religious person in any way and at first the chapel had seemed like forbidden territory. Standing alone at the center of town, the structure looked ominous and cold to him. So it was with great anxiety that he stumbled into it one night. "Can I help you?" A man in black minister's clothes approached him with a warm smile. Carle nodded sheepishly before saying anything. "I was kind of looking for something to do." The minister grinned as if remembering some private joke. "There isn't much to do here is there?" Both men understood completely.

"My name is Paul, and this is my assistant Kithara." Carle was shocked to see the little boy emerge from a room in the back. Upon spotting him, the boy had moved behind his keeper and frowned. "Yes, we met once before." Paul turned around. "You never told me about him?" Not a word from him. The minister looked back at him and shook his head. "Shy little thing." Carle nodded and shuffled nervously in his stance. "Well, I'm sure we can find something for you to do."

<<<<>>>>

Then came the day that everything went wrong. Not that Carle had become especially attached to the place. His work as prospector apparently ended with his discovery of the precious stones. A task that had taken him less than an arn to complete. Now he spent his days toiling in the chapel. Fixing things and talking with Paul. The little boy, Kithara, still refused to talk to him. As if something he did had scared the child off.

He was in the chapel when the explosion tore through the windows and knocked him to the ground. A massive shaking that far exceeded the attack that had broken his arm. Books fell off their stands and chairs flipped over. Struggling to get outside, Carle threw himself out the doors and hit dirt. Off in the distance, he could see flames rising from the mining facility. The screams of injured and dying workers begging for their lives. "Oh frell." He ran towards the place and found himself in a wasteland.

Burning bodies riddled the ground amid debris and collapsed buildings. The entire structure had fallen apart in one giant heap. The ground below parted and began to swallow up the charred remains. The sound of someone shouting came from behind him. "You bastard! This is all your fault." Yuri was screaming like a madman. Pointing his finger right at Carle. "What did I do?" The man shook his head in anger. "You said it was safe to build here." The young prospector was shocked. "I never said that. You never asked for my input." But the man would not be stopped. Yuri ran back into town screaming his name.

Carle watched with growing alarm as all the lights in town turned on. His boss was pulling everyone outside and letting them know what happened. Someone coughed behind him. Kithara was standing there with a tortured look in his eyes. "You should leave. We are." The boy ran off towards the chapel and he followed. Tearing through the front doors, Carle felt the cool shade touch his skin. "Paul! Are you here?" There was no answer. "Kithara! Answer me!" No one did. He walked into the minister's office and glanced around. A set of freshly washed garments sat on a chair.

<<<<<>>>>>

"When does the next transport ship arrive?" The man behind the counter looked him over suspiciously while pulling out the schedule. "Haven't I seen you before?" Carle shook his head frantically. "No, just passing through." The clerk nodded and checked the paper. "One should be here any minute." Carle bought a ticket and ran to the terminal. There was no one there but him. A chiming sound came through the public announcement system. "Boarding will begin shortly. All passengers bound for Uedo 3 please proceed to the docking bay."

The large, black transport ship was sparsely populated and took off right after he boarded. Moving down the aisles, Carle put his hands up to hide his face. Some of the other passengers knew him from their visits to Uedo 2. Taking a window seat, he sighed with relief and glanced out into space. The clouded planet up ahead grabbed his attention immediately. "That's incredible." It looked much different from up here. The planet had a ghostly quality that unnerved him. "Excuse me. Is someone sitting here?"

Carle shook his head nervously as Paul sat down beside him. The minister looked over his clothes and nodded slightly. "Don't worry about it. I have plenty more." He thanked the man and then turned his attention back outside. "I often myself staring at it. Captivating isn't it?" Paul leaned over and pointed at Uedo 4. The look in his eyes was one of wonder and respect. "You have any idea what's down there?" The minister shook his head. "I'm not that curious."

The bad day had not yet ended for the inexperienced prospector. Apparently, he was destined to face death several times today. "Did you feel that?" Carle peeked his head over the seat in front of him and looked at the pilot's room up ahead. Paul followed his example but soon relaxed back into his chair. "Probably just a little turbulence. Nothing to worry about." The holy man spoke too soon. The ship rocked from side to side with tremendous force. Carle's face was thrown against the window. "Aren't we getting a bit close to that?" Smoky white clouds were already fogging up the glass.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I am sorry to inform you that this ship has suffered a major malfunction. Please follow your attendants instructions for proper exit." Carle and Paul stood as lights began flashing on the ceiling. Large red arrows pointed towards the back of the ship. "What do you think happened?" Carle's question was answered by the PA system. "Frell it, I'm getting out of here." Every passenger froze in place as the sound of engines firing hit their ears. "You're kidding me." The pilot's section detached from the main structure and blasted off into space.

Hurrying towards the back of the ship, they stumbled as it lurched again. The sickening sound of metal tearing came from all sides as the front compartment began to fragment. Carle turned momentarily and looked out into open space. "Whatever you do, don't turn around." The minister made no move to disobey. An explosion tore the front end free and unprepared passengers flew over their heads. "In here!" One of the flight attendants motioned for them to follow.

They stepped into a thin metal room with round pods that ran up the body of the ship. Unfortunately, the rupture had sent many of them flying off into space empty. Only a few remained. "Get one while you still can." The woman waved farewell and jumped into one of the pods. It blasted off into the darkness. "Are you alright Carle?" He turned his head and found Paul staring at him. A look of worry crossed the minister's face. "This can't be happening. It's not possible to have this much bad luck in one day." The older man laughed. "Trust me, it is." An explosion from down the line threw them to the ground.

"We have a serious problem." Carle lifted himself up and saw what the man was talking about. Only one pod remained intact. Even as they spoke, it began to twist and turn in its slot. Paul placed his hand on the prospector's shoulders. "Let's go." He stepped forward and slid the door open. "Paul, wait." He stopped and turned around. "We can't fit together in there." Carle felt his eyes tear up. "You go." The minister's words shocked him. "No way. I'm not living with this on my conscience. You go."

The forces of space began to pull on their little compartment. Soon it would not matter which one left. Paul knelt down beside him and smiled softly. "Go Carle. I've led a good life. Seen many things. You still have a long way to go." Carle shook his head stubbornly. "Can't do it." He felt strong hands lift him up. "I'm sorry about this." Paul pushed him kicking and screaming into the pod. "Goodbye Carl."

<<<<>>>>

Carle couldn't breath. He lay on the floor of the pod in a heap of sweat and tears. Through the porthole, he could see the ship explode one last time. Pieces of debris shot out in every direction with incredible speed. "You bastard. Why did you do that?" Those were the only words he could manage. Standing himself up, Carle looked at the control panel. A small monitor displayed his descent towards the planet below. "It never ends." The planet below was Uedo 4.

His view disappeared as the white clouds overtook the small pod. Violent shaking tossed him around like a doll on his way down to the surface. Fighting to get by the window, Carle glanced downwards. A bright light shot up towards him and blinded his eyes. "Aahhh!" He fell back into the cockpit and hit his head. Everything went black.

<<<<>>>>

The pod lay on its side with door hanging ajar. Beside it, Carle felt warm dust under his body. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked around the area. There was nothing. No buildings or signs of life. "Hello! Can someone hear me?" He stood up and walked forward with a hand to shield him from the bright light above. Something was moving up ahead. Carle moved towards it and tripped over a flat rock on the ground. "What's this?" He lifted it up and gasped. Engraved into it was a picture of something he had never seen before. Some sort of giant creature.

"You shouldn't be here. There are rules against outsiders." He turned towards the sound and was shocked again. Kithara stood there with an odd smile on his face. "How did you get here?" The boy did not answer. He raised a hand to his lips. "Shh. Before they hear you."

>>>>>>

"And then I woke up here. Laying beside a road sign outside of town." The bartender nodded his head in amusement. "That is quite a story you got there." He pulled the glass of liquor away. Carle smiled at him. Standing up from the bar, he headed into town on wobbly legs. Up ahead, a familiar structure came into view. The church sat in the same place it had been when he first came here. After the death of Paul, no one had bothered to take up the work. It sat alone and abandoned now.

Carle opened the doors and stepped inside. Dust filled the air and he coughed several times. "You here?" There was a soft rattling from the back room. A small figure emerged with that same odd smile on his face. "What are you doing here?" Kithara asked the question harshly. He did not seem pleased. The prospector nodded slightly and sat down at a pew. "That curious huh?" He pulled open his black cloak and pointed at the red marks across his chest. "Do you know what this is?"

Kithara let his mouth drop open a bit. Then he quickly regained his composure. "Yes, I do." The man smiled and continued. "My habit for getting into trouble, it hasn't gone away." The boy sat down beside him and they stared at each other. "I don't have much time left." Kithara sighed. "And you wanted to ask something of me?" Carle remembered how quick he was. "I've never told anyone what I saw down there." He let the statement sit in the air for a moment.

"But you have shown the tablets." Carle was surprised. "You know about that?" Kithara shook his head and smiled. "I hear things." He waited for the man to continue. "A little while ago I met a girl. She did something for me. Saved my life." The boy nodded his head in understanding. "She recognized the figure?" That was starting to get annoying. "Ever since, I've had this feeling. That she was different. That I could tell her about you." Before he could finish, his body began to convulse. Kithara watched silently as blood slipped from his mouth. In a matter of seconds, Carle Venn was dead.

"You heard his last request?" A figure moved from the darkness and nodded seriously. "We'll have to burn the body." Kithara understood. Outsiders who saw things not meant to be seen had to be removed by flames. "It was right of me to let him go last time." The figure shrugged. "Maybe." Together they picked up the body and carried it out back. Placing Carle on a slab of rock, they prayed silently.

Fire danced and reflected in the boy's eyes as he watched an old friend turn to dust. Beside him, the figure watched quietly. "May I honor it?" There was a low humming noise as he considered it. "That choice is yours to make." Kithara turned and looked up at the clouded planet above. "Then I accept the responsibility." The figure stepped back into the shadows and disappeared. The boy remembered her face from the vision. It had been stored in the Delvian's memory. The name came to him. "Chiana."