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 The Crystal Enigma  (12 ratings)by Steven R. Christensen Page 1 of 4 I stepped out of the spaceport terminal onto a scene straight out
of a
fairy tale. There were castles in the distance that looked as if they were out
of the Middle ages. The sky had a darker blue hue to it than I was used to,
and
I could smell exotic flowers in the air. The buildings near the spaceport were
cottages with thatched roofs and cobblestone streets. It was a sharp contrast
to the modern angular design of the spaceport, and one that took me completely
by surprise. There were people crowding the streets around the spaceport as is
usually the case on every world I visit. There were many different species in
the crowd here as I made my way to the local equivalent of a taxi. The taxi
was
a carriage that was pulled by a grund, a beast similar to a water oxen except
for the extra set of legs. They are imported on many planets for a variety of
purposes because of their ability to sustain themselves on very little food or
water.
There seemed to be some tension in the air, which is understandable considering the fact that the Ashunta were encroaching into this sector of the galaxy and threatening to annex this system as well as several others in this region of space. The Allegiance's response time had become rather poor for the frontier areas, so I couldn't blame them for the anxiety that I sensed now. The Allegiance had removed the larger part of its forces for the defense of more populated systems. I intended my own mission here to be concluded as quickly as possible so I wouldn't get trapped behind any enemy lines. I would be far more fortunate than these people would. As I mounted the carriage, I told the driver to take me to the government offices. That's when I discovered my mission might not be as easy as I thought. The driver looked at me and began to speak quite quickly in what I surmised to be Japanese. I suddenly remembered that this system had been colonized by a splinter group of Japanese that had refused to allow the languages of other races to be taught on their colonies. The driver began to get agitated when I didn't answer him right away. I didn't know what to do about the communication problem so I simply pointed at the nearest castle. That seemed to satisfy him and he grabbed the reins and started down the nearest street heading in the general direction of the castle. The streets were extremely crowded, and there were a few moments when I thought that we would trample someone under the grund's hooves. The streets were narrow and filled with piles of every conceivable type of waste that I knew. The buildings also seemed to be in bad need of repairs. I saw children playing in alleyways with loincloths for their only clothing. It was a disturbing sight for me since I had grown up in the Terraces of Cygnus IV and most of the Allegiance members were more socially conscious of their populations than the frontier governments were. As we traveled the streets of the city, I caught glances of interesting architecture on the buildings. There were many ornate cornices, depicting a variety of mythological beasts. Some of these were gargoyles while others were the dragons that the Japanese seemed to favor wherever they settled. There had been many animals discovered around the galaxy in the past few centuries, but none of them had even come close to the nightmarish visages that assailed me now. These images were not the primary focus of my attention however. What drew my attention were the eyes of these finely crafted renditions of a medieval nightmare. They gleamed with such an intensity of color that when I stared too long I had spots dancing in front of my eyes for minutes after looking away. This was the object of my endeavors in this system--Draconium crystals. The Allegiance was in desperate need of these crystals. They were the means by which we powered our starships' interstellar drive and weapon systems. The government of this world had so far refused to sell the Allegiance their crystals, even when the Ashunta started to amass their forces in the border regions of our space. Now, with the threat so close to their home, I had been sent to make a last attempt at negotiating for the crystals. The Allegiance hopes that they will be willing to sell their crystals now that the enemy is within striking distance of them. As we traveled the road to the castle, I noticed that there were few people of other species or even other races among the crowds. Apparently few outsiders left the area of the spaceport, which did not help my confidence about my reception. The cold stares I received from people that we passed did not help to alleviate my concerns. Perhaps I should not have worn my uniform. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 Steven R. Christensen, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. The author has submitted the work in accordance with and in agreement with the following Submission Guidelines. |
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