Sojourn Sol (Eternal Sol)
Read Sojourn Sol (Eternal Sol) Online
Authors: Morgan Landsbury
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2016 by Morgan Landsbury
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof (including images and book cover may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing Jan 2016
Cooper Publications
4010 Kesley Way
Spring Hill, TN 37174
http://www.morganlandsbury.com
He was born of fire and ice, a true child of destruction.
--Hymn of the Titan
Marrow's body was covered entirely in red and black ink, a testament to his masculine prowess. He was clad only in a black cloth, the traditional garment of a Chalice proprietor. It was tradition in the Oakley tribe to take part in the Chalice's festivities when they reached manhood, and at 42 years old, he was finally allowed to take part in the ritual.
The penitents had tied back his long black hair with a platinum band and covered his body with the sacred compounds. He was still feeling the slightly hallucinogenic effects of the Tallum root's essence seeping into his skin causing the lights of the dark metallic hallway to seemingly leave a trail of light behind him as he walked. His eyes were wide, and as he stood in front of the sliding doorway at the end of the hall and he realized that he had never been more aware.
Dark thoughts of writhing organs and exposed, beating flesh crept into his mind as he waited for the door to open. The woman they sent him had been programmed to satisfy his every desire; he would know what it meant to be worshiped, just as every Oakley man should. They were warriors, some of the fiercest killers in the human race, and they deserved the respect of a god.
He pressed his thumb against the lock, and it opened, revealing a large palatial suite, where a bed had been setup surrounded by white rose petals and lined with orchid blooms on both the left and right sides. An electric brazier was burning fine incense above the headboard, representing the sacred act of union between fire and earth, the destructive power of the Universe.
Every Oakley knows that power, they build it within themselves so that they can become human weapons, and that was exactly what he was. He was vicious, with teeth sharpened into fangs and yellow pigment added to his irises. He could kill with a simple jab, rip out arteries, even disembowel a man with his bare hands, and he enjoyed it. It was better than the soft bliss of orgasm, or the satisfaction of a fine meal. Murder was rapture and strength; it was ecstasy and the rite of pain that every man must endure in order to enter into the Kingdom Beyond.
Once his presence was made known, a soft chime flowed through the room, and he sat down on the bed. He'd never known a woman, that was only for adult men after their ceremony.. He wondered if he would lose himself, as so many do, in the act. He could never break his resolve and come to love another creature. He would surely kill her if he even came close, but to do so would make him a Leper, and he would never be allowed on his home planet again.
He slipped into the soft state, that place where only anger resides, and allowed himself to stay there while he waited for his prize. She was quick, a porcelain beauty made of natural flesh and bone, just like every pleasure artist, but the Chalice had created a means to subdue her mind, a symbol of her complete submission and objectification. Oakley women were possessions, meant to be used as slaves to their master's will, and the Chalice's technology was one of the tribe's most valued assets.
When the girl was summoned, she was brought forth on a conveyor belt, fully aware of her state, and pulled into the room by a hook which would carry her as far as the bed, where it would suspend her above her master. She would be the perfect penitent, porcelain skin with soft dark eyes and a fiery look. He wanted to see her move, and watch the way her limbs bent.
He motioned with his hands for her to be lowered, gently, onto the bed where she would lie prone as he moved his rough hands over her neck, then down her belly, inspecting every single pore. She was perfect in every way. He went in to taste her lips, indulge in her soft caress and lose himself in her breast which were big and perfectly formed. His head reached closer, inches away – about to savor all her treasures - then without warning, his head rolled onto the ground, severed from his body.
Mara stood as best she could, still disoriented from having the mind control bots removed from her body. They'd taken over everything from her breathing to her heart beat, and it was still taking time for her body to adjust to acting of its own volition. She ran over to the shelf on the back wall and slammed against the corner. A tiny pill, embedded in its structure fell to the floor, and she stooped down and popped it open so that the vacuum garment could inflate. Once it did, she quickly got into the white carbon fiber body suit, and threw the head piece on, shoving the mouth piece down her throat, then she slammed the wall on the other side and retrieved the shiny metal pistol out of its encasing. She ran to the window, and pressed the trigger, a burst of fire threw her into space, as the window shattered, and the room began to depressurize. She would have to float and wait. They would come within the hour. Her pistol could destroy the Chalice's tiny security pods if need be. She simply closed her eyes and drifted off, while the brothel worked to maintain the station's integrity.
She was taken more than halfway across the galaxy, where the Sisterhood of Rhoas'Anak would provide her with the care she needed. The Chalice let their women get pregnant and stole the children so that the boys could be taken to the tribe and the girl's could be used for birthing. When she felt the child inside her, she panicked, and she was lucky to have the support she did. She spent years frozen in a tiny cabinet, waiting for death, but what she found was a kind priest who contacted the Sisterhood and helped her escape, but she lost her life when Tamil was born.
They used to say that energy is equated to light and mass, but when it came to Tamil, the little brown devil, it was all about mass. He was a dominant presence in any dynamic who did everything big. When he took a test, and he studied, it wasn't just an activity it was a ceremony. When he fought, it wasn't just a tussle, it was a fight to the death. In all things, he was extreme.
To Tamil, life was nothing more than how much you put into it, and fighting to get ahead. When he entered a room, the children felt his presence even if they couldn't see him. This boy was sheer force, and he would become a man to be feared.
Every afternoon, the Bene'Anak were given a few hours when they could rest from their daily chores and classes and simply be themselves. Tamil didn't have very many friends amongst the children, and he had far too many enemies, but there was one person who came to see him in his dorm after class every single day.
Henny was a small girl who grew into a beautiful woman with the same dark hair that Tamil had, but a light complexion that accented her soft features perfectly. Her warm brown colored hooded cloak flowed softly over the stone steps of the boy's tower as she made her way up the steps slowly. Tamil would be sitting quietly in front of the fire reading or playing on his console. He didn't particularly want to see her everyday; it just happened, and when he did see her he was kind. He was also fiercely protective, which was the tie that formed their bond. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to years their bond growing stronger all the time. And then one day, he realized, he loved her so much that he would kill for her. She became his everything. Those sweet moments together never seemed to satiate his need for her and he found himself longing for them all the time.
Henny knocked softly on the old fashioned door, which slid open easily, then she made her way over to the tiny fireplace where Tamil was sitting with his console in hand, and his headset firmly affixed to his face. He was talking softly, probably playing his favorite war game, and she didn't want to disturb him so she sat down and waited. He would hear her of that she was certain because he always seemed so attuned to her every move..
He promised to take her to the beach that day and teach her how to setup the fishing bot. She'd seen him do it before, and she'd always wanted to try. They were complicated little devils, but she wanted to be able to roast fish on a fire when he was gone. There was nothing like a fire roasted salvo with a little bit of wild ferry. It would be one of their last days together and she hated the thought of his departure.
She was staring intently on the digital fire, so much so that she didn't notice him walk over and sit next to her until she looked over to the window and saw a flash of dark hair next to her. “I don't want you to go,” she said softly. Tears started welling up. She tried not to think of it, but the halls would be cold and lonely without him there. She would travel down the same paths every single day wondering what had become of him, and she would never be able to have him back. The Bene'Anak each had their own path in life.
“Come on.” His response was cold and quiet. They made their way silently down the long stairs and into the great hall where other children were sitting around or milling about. They made their way out of the great front doors and onto the gray cobblestone path that led downhill through the meadow where the coming of the long winter had killed everything and turned it a sickening yellow and brown color. The winters on Rhoas lasted almost a year, and though they were never particularly harsh—compared to galactic standards—the children would have to be forced inside, and the castle would be fortified against the cold. They could look out at the white fields, but they would never be able to play in the snow. Winter on Rhoas held no respite.
Tamil looked ahead, while Henny glanced over at him, wondering what his life would be like. He wanted to be a fighter, a man who could command others and conquer planets. He was going to make his mark, he'd said, and in order to do that he would have to join the military.
They made their way off the lowered cobblestone path and through the dead meadow, where the strong flowers of the year long spring time were withering away. They'd lost their color and taken on the same yellow and brown hue that had overtaken everything else.
Tamil was the only bit of color that she could see aside from her cloak, which had taken on a rich green hue of the wild grass glowing as the sun set. His short hair was blowing to the side, throwing little tendrils of hair out, and accenting his smile, giving him a menacing look. “Come on,” he cried. He grabbed her hand, giving her a welcome relief from the cold, and they ran through the field as fast as they could towards the sound of the tide which was getting louder at every second. They were about to make it over the hill when Henny's foot caught on a rock and she tumbled over, nearly hitting her head, but Tamil grabbed her and put his hand around her waist.
Their eyes met for a sweet second, and it seemed that Henny's dreams would finally come true. They could be together. He would love her.
“What's that there,” he asked as he pushed a tiny bit of hair out of her eyes.
“What,” she asked blissfully.
“That look you just gave me.” He righted her on her feet with ease, and her eyes moved over his rough chest.
She turned around and looked down the hill at the indigo water flowing back and forth. There was a tiny gleam of light up the beach a ways. “I don't know what you're talking about,” she replied. He helped her down and they made their way through the sand. The sound of their boots squishing through the water logged sand grated on her nerves. This was supposed to be a simple time together, but they couldn't interact, not with the end so close. They would have to say goodbye, and she would never see him again. She was the depressive type. She'd wallow in sorrow, and she focus on it a little bit too much. It was her way of working through things, but Tamil could never do that. He had to ignore things right up to their end.. It made it easier when times were hard. Neither of them could ever quite strike a balance to handling loss, but each coped the best way they knew.
“Will you call?”
“We'll always have the sanctuary,” he smiled. “I just don't want it to be like this, Henny. Can't we just enjoy our time?”
“I'm gonna miss you, Tamil.” She punched him in the shoulder and he made a face like she'd just farted in public.
“You can always just pick up your headset and talk to me if you need to. I might not always be able to see you, but I'll always be there.”
“It's not the same.” he didn't understand, and she wasn't sure he ever would. They were taking too much time. She didn't have much left. She needed to find a way or else they would never have a future together. They would just drift apart, like old childhood friends and move on with their lives, but she loved him. She could barely say it out loud, like a little girl with a crush, but it was true. The white sun was setting slowly, and when she looked over at him, she saw the way his black hair curled just a bit in the wind. He must not have noticed. She needed him to notice, and she couldn't just tell him. She needed him to fall in love with her on his own, and she wasn't sure that that would ever happen. He wouldn’t do it.
Deep within her was a seed of doubt so strong that she could never get past it. She didn't think he loved her, but sometimes when he looked at her she saw something behind his playful affection; maybe it was deeper than that. He'd stare at her a little too long and sometimes when she walked away, she felt his eyes on her back. She'd sway her hips a bit, and when she did, he seemed to notice, but she was still just that mousy little girl who was doting on her childhood crush. She still had her awkward stride, and she could never fully command her body the way she wanted to. She'd learned so little about the galaxy beyond Rhoas, but he seemed to have found a way outside, to peek into the stars and understand their ways. She'd have given everything just to walk with him on an alien shore.
“Here, let me show you. This one's name is Franco.” He pointed to a chunk of metal that dwarfed both of them in size, shaped like an arrowhead and pointed out into the water.
“Did you name him?” she asked. The bots were only added recently when the new chef took over, so you must have.”
“Yes.”Nobody else but the staff came out to use them, they were forbidden from doing so, but Tamil was determined. He'd been fishing there since he was a kid; he wasn't going to give up the chance to try professional equipment.
“Here's what you do.” He grabbed her hands, as heart raced and placed them inside a pink gooey putty at the back of the robot.
“Gross!” She tried to back up but he was behind her and she could feel his warm breath on her neck, with his face just inches away from hers. She was so distracted by her presence, that she didn't feel it until it was right on her. “Ahh!” There was something moving in there, pushing against her hand, and it was alive.
“Grab ahold.” He reached in and his hand fell on top of hers. “You feel the fish?”
“Yes!” It slipped out of her fingers and swam away. “How is that possible?”
“Franco had a long arm that dips into the water and every time a fish touches it, it sends a signal to the putty, which responds. You're not really touching it, the arm it.”
She pulled her hands out, and he shoved his hands inside. “That's amazing.”
“You wanna see something else?” She backed away to see what he was going to do. “Look,” She could see the water rising up to the surface, then suddenly, it was pouring down on her.
“Ahh!” She was running around frantically, trying to avoid any further assault. She aimed right at him and started running, screaming. “I'm gonna get you-u-u!” He dodged her effortlessly, and she stumbled backward over onto the sand, landing butt first.
Reaching to try to catch her before she fell, he lost his balance and slammed on top of her like a whale, then with the sun casting and bright halo around his face. As he straddled her, she realized she was in the presence of a dark angel whose plump lips were forming a snarl as his face moved down slowly to meet hers. She was on a hormonal roller coaster, with her spirit jumping out of her skin, and her heart pounding out a pagan beat—the beat of carnal desire. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face, and their eyes never parted. She could wade through his deep chocolate irises until she died. Just one sweet caress of his hand against her hair, and she sighed breathlessly as his lips slowly moved towards hers then he stuck his tongue out and made his eyes wide in a goofy.
“You look funny,” he laughed.
She turned her head and stared into space, trying to hide the tears that were welling up inside of her. Outwardly, she was as placid as a lake in the morning, but on the inside she was crying out in desperation. She could pull him closer, she thought. Maybe if she found a way to take control, but there was no way because he was already lifting himself and turning around to brush himself off. It was nothing more than a school girl crush, exasperated by the warmth of his rough hand as he pulled her up
.
“Come on. They're gonna call us for dinner soon.” She'd been staring at the sand so long that she didn't realize he was talking to her.
“Alright.”
He helped her up the bank and onto the dead field, where they made their way over to the sisterhood.
The sisters of the Rhoas'Anak began their mission when the Emperor declared all natural births illegal thousands of years ago. They believed that all of the evil inherent in man's nature was a product of natural birth, and the random selection of mates. By allowing men with defects such as physical or mental illness, or criminals, to procreate, man was allowing all those flaws and evils to enter the gene pool, thereby tainting mankind’s essential character.
When all natural pregnancies were terminated, humankind saw an atrocity far greater than any holocaust. They saw their souls ripped from their flesh and thrown in the furnace. The founder of the Rhoas'Anak fled to what was at that time considered a remote region of the galaxy and established the sisterhood as a sanctuary for all naturally born children, as well as their mothers while they were carrying the child.
Crimes against a pregnant woman were still common, but the penalty for carrying a natural born child had been greatly reduced. The sisterhood had been lobbying the senate for centuries to give women the right to carry their children, but they'd never been accepted as a legitimate organization.