Broken Land

By Diane J Cornwell

Thirty years after Broken Faith, genetically enhanced humans, lead by Casi, finally undertake the task of returning the Jlaantei to their home world. Will the devastation of drought, hunger and oppressive leadership help to overthrow the leaders? And is the hidden spaceship spying on the planet friend or enemy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tift Publishing
• Release date: Oct 31, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452341835

Diane J Cornwell

Diane J Cornwell learnt to read before she started school at the age of five. At school she learnt to write the words she already recognized. She loved going to school. When she was asked to write a story on her holiday activities, Diane wrote a story on what she wanted to do, not what she did, and earned an “A” grade for the homework. That started her on a life of writing fiction.A bi-product of all that reading was creating her own stories about determined characters who try to make the right decisions the first time during their adventures. Stories she can read over and over again just for the pleasure of revisiting the characters.Diane wrote her first full length novel in 2007, and hopes to have many more stories created in the coming years.

Book preview

Broken Land

By

Diane J Cornwell

Broken Land

By Diane J Cornwell © 2010

Published by Tift Publishing at Smashwords

Cover Copyright © 2010 Diane J Cornwell

Cover Photo by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and actions are either products of this author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

The S.S.Last Chance probe waited for its program to complete while it hid among the debris of rocks and dust that made up the edge of the asteroid belt that fought to escape the gravity of the planet it circled.

The camera kept recording and the data kept writing to the allocated storage space while a subprogram made course corrections as it drifted among the rocks.

The probe’s program checked the available space to store data and calculated that it still had thirty-five point four gigabyte of storage left so it resumed the program loop to record its assigned section of space. It then ran a second program to check its power levels and determined it still had eighty eight thousand, four hundred and twenty nine seconds of battery life before it needed to shut down non-essential routines. It closed that program and waited for the recording program to complete.

Thirteen seconds later, the recording program stopped because the battery level registered nine seconds of battery life left. It automatically shut down program. Then it waited for the sun’s rays to recharge the battery.

* * *

The third level of the elemental space ship designated E.S.One was crowded with Jlaantei guards, some still groggy from their cryo sleep. They surrounded every working monitor, waiting to glimpse the view of their home world hanging in space below their ship.

Casi, the one human currently in the room, ignored their comments and the cold fresh air circulating through the ship to study the monitor on the table in front of her. She forgot to blink as she watched the planet slowly turn as the edge of darkness crept across the blue ocean and the green mountains of the land in the southern hemisphere.

When there was nothing to see except a halo of sunlight on the brown clouds that lingered on the horizon, she blinked to clear her blurred vision, took her eyes off the monitor, and spun her chair around to face her two Jlaantei guards waiting behind her. Is Etam as you expected?

Casi, having lived most of her life with the Jlaantei race in the main city on Mannuholm, was so familiar with her alien friends she mostly ignored their differences. Now she consciously studied her guards.

Kensell’s bald round head with small ear flaps either side, level with the corner of his mouth was familiar, because he was her first guard and remained with her for over sixteen years. The bottom of his ear flaps were level with the juncture of his thick neck and his head. His hardened hide lips, called beaks, protruded an inch past the edge of his chin and forehead, and did look like a bird’s beak side on.

As with all male Jlaantei, Kensell had ridges of hide, called flanges, running from shoulder to wrist on each arm, one on each leg running from hip to ankle, and another down the centre of his chest. When he activated his flanges, by triggering the release of a chemical in his system, the folds of hide expended and thinned, curving around each limb, to create a natural hardened protection. It resembled the armour of earth’s knights Casi had read about in the ancient books bought to Mannuholm from earth over four hundred years before.

The other differences were his retractable claws, and his height. Kensell stood seven feet and four inches tall.

Lear looked the same to human eyes, except he as an inch taller, and his chest pattern and colours was different to Kensell’s chest pattern. Casi was fortunate enough to see past the outer range of human vision, so could pick up the ultra violet colours that depicted relationships within the Jlaantei tribes. Also, his grey hide was a shade darker than Kensell’s hide because he was a few years younger.

Kensell unfolded his arms from across his chest, displaying his chest colours, and pointed at the monitor. The clouds are not the right colour. He spoke English even though Casi could speak Jlaa as fluently as any Jlaantei.

Casi was also fortunate to be accepted as a good human and had made friends with many of the Jlaantei guards over the years she had lived with them. The fact the Jlaantei allowed her to become friends with them was unusual because she knew the Jlaantei believed most of the inferior humans should be treated as servants or slaves.

No, Lear added, without taking his eyes from the monitor behind Casi, I never heard of dirty clouds covering the continents before our tribe left.

Earth did. It had pollution from all the machines manufacturing metals and cloth. She glanced at the monitor again, but there was nothing to see, just a dark planet. Your tribe have been gone a long time, so you must expect some changes.

We had manufacturing plants and mines for coal and iron and oorina, but there was no mention of levels of pollution like I see here. Lear turned away from the monitor. Not on the southern continent. Not even that bad in the northern lands that hold most of the manufacturing plants.

We have time to sleep before we get to see the northern continents. Casi told both her guards.

A piercing noise sounded from the overhead speakers.

Kensell reached around Casi and pushed a button on the table to shut off the noise.

Casi relaxed once the noise stopped. She spun her chair back to face the table and took note of which button he pressed. As she studied the picture on the button she asked, What does it mean?

We are needed in cryo. Kensell explained. Come, they will all need your help as they wake.

Lear added, Casi, push the button with the picture of the monitor on it. That will turn the monitor off.

Casi located the button in the first row and pushed it. The monitor darkened and slowly sank back into the table. I don’t want to use the lift well. Can’t I ‘port there and wait for you?

No, Kensell, ever the watchful guard, answered as they walked to the lift well that ran the length of E.S.One, leaving the newly awoken Jlaantei guards to study the monitors on each table.

"Casi, please go to cryo, Elemental Dea sent the thought directly to Casi. Your help is needed."

On our way. Casi spoke aloud, for the benefit of her guards, as well as mentally sending her thought to Elemental Dea, who was busy manoeuvring the space ship E.S.One into a stationary orbit on the dark side of the single moon that circled Etam.

Lear pressed the panel on the central column running the length of the ship. The door to the lift well slid sideways into the wall recess and a gentle breeze blew across Casi’s face. She pushed strands of hair out of her eyes as Lear stepped through the doorway and fell.

You first, Kensell ordered Casi.

She took a deep breath before she stepped off the metal floor and tried to keep her body near the middle of the shaft as she slowly fell. She concentrated on keeping her arms and legs stretched out to allow more body area for resistance as the force of the cold wind flowed up the shaft slowing her decent.

She understood the alien technology of the shaft that ran the length of the space ship. She knew it worked by slowing her fall using wind and air pressure but she always felt uneasy when she used it. As she fell, she tumbled her body closer to the wall. Her fall slowed until she hung in the cold air. If she moved too close to the wall, she would start rising again until she could step out of the lift well on the floor she had just left. Alien technology was sometimes very strange.

She twisted her body until she was facing the wall, so she could see the signs either side of the door in front of her. She did not have to read the signs because she was very familiar with them all. She had been the one to stick the Jlaa script on each level before they had undertaken this journey and before she had watched everyone, except the human Keepers, placed in cryo.

She was at the cryo level. Lear caught the rail beside the exit, halting his controlled fall, then grabbed Casi’s arm. It bought her to a stop before she started rising up the well.

Kensell used the railing to haul his body out the doorway. He leant back in and grabbed Casi’s free arm, effectively pulling her out of Lear’s secure grip and out of the shaft. See, that wasn’t bad. He dropped his lower beak.

You may think it is funny, but I see nothing funny about falling the length of the ship. Casi walked away from the lift well.

Lear hauled himself through the doorway and pressed the pad to close the door behind him. Casi, you did not fall the length of the ship. If you did, we would still be falling.

Jlaantei logic got annoying very quickly. Casi pressed her lips together, letting the air cool her face.

Come on, find out who needs Casi to heal them, Kensell changed the subject before Casi could argue further.

Chapter 2

While S.S.Last Chance remained hidden in the asteroid belt surrounding the planet Etam, Lieutenant Brian Wilson scanned the latest report to arrive on his monitor for the second time. The text had not changed. One of the probes was not responding.

He typed an order to send another probe to the sector to retrieve the unresponsive probe. After he sent it to the craft bay personnel, he forwarded a copy to Captain Matt Swift, before he put the problem out of his mind and continued to read Scoop’s reports, which was his primary task. Without Scoop to collect baryons to transform into fuel, they were stranded a long way from their colony.

Lieutenant Wilson, please report to Bridge, rang out from the speaker on the desk in front of him. It was a summons he could not ignore, so he locked his monitor and hurried to the lift to take him up to the bridge.

* * *

What do you mean we have lost one probe? Captain Matt Swift took his eyes off his monitor as Lieutenant Wilson walked towards him. Wilson needed a haircut, but that was not as important as keeping all equipment in working order.

Captain, I included what details I have in your report. Lieutenant Wilson stood at ease in front of the desk.

Was it faulty before it was sent out?

No, sir, Lieutenant Wilson answered.

I want a report on the problem as soon as it is returned. Captain Swift turned his attention back to his monitor.

Yes, sir, Lieutenant Wilson saluted, spun on his heel and left the bridge.

Captain Swift watched Wilson leave the bridge before he glanced at the staff on duty. They kept their attention on their consoles, totally ignoring Wilson’s report and exit. As it should be, Captain Swift thought, while he waited. Finally, he pushed a button that sent a call to Commodore Dennis O’Malley.

Matt. Commodore O’Malley looked like he had been interrupted from a deep sleep as he answered the call.

"Dennis, Scoop is on its way back with half a load of baryons."

Better than expected, then. Commodore O’Malley used his right hand to smooth his grey hair back from his forehead before he bought the same hand forward and ran it from his mouth down over his beard. His left hand was out of view of the camera.

Matt waited until O’Malley’s hand dropped out of sight. They reported they have crossed an ion trail.

Leading where?

They think here.

Then keep alert, and wake me again when the ship arrives. Commodore O’Malley ended the call.

Yes, sir, Captain Swift said into the dead microphone, before he ran his hands through his short blond hair. Just what he needed; an unknown player thrown into the equation, or another Jlaantei ship returning to the planet. He consciously placed his hands on the smooth armrests of his chair. He could feel the faintest of vibrations through the armrests, advising at least one of the environment machines was pumping air through the ship efficiently although he could also tell by the slight breeze against the back of his neck.

Ensign, Captain Swift called to the crewman hovering near the door.

Sir?

Announce we remain on silent alert for an unknown craft approaching.

Sir. The ensign hurried away to do as ordered.

Captain Swift returned to reading all the necessary reports required in the running of a self-sufficient spaceship containing just under one thousand personnel.

* * *

Casi listened to the high-pitched moans coming through the next door while she waited for Lear and Kensell to wrap themselves in cobalt blue cloaks, the same colour as their sar-trong, a wrap around short skirt, usually the only clothing the Jlaantei guards wore.

They did not like the cold at all, but Casi loved it. She eased her arms away from her body so the cold air could surround her rib cage and cool her down.

As soon as Kensell secured his cloak with the button on the collar, he pushed open the door to the top level of cryo units.

Casi followed Kensell through the door and the high-pitched moaning grew louder. She hurried through the curved corridor until she reached the source of the sound. A Jlaantei guard sat on the cold metal floor holding his left arm tight against his chest with his right arm. He rocked back and forth while other guards struggled to stand upright.

What happened? Casi asked the closest keeper, a human female that dedicated her life to helping the elementals, as she hurried over.

I fell awkwardly, the guard answered, after I woke up.

He broke his arm when he fell, the keeper said. I am busy monitoring the next batch to be woken or I would have tried to align the bone. She hurried back to the bank of monitors to read the displayed details of each cryo unit where the sleeping bodies were struggling to wake.

Casi rested her hand on the Jlaantei guard’s left shoulder. She mentally searched for the correct nerve and clamped down on it until she felt the guard relax.

What did you do? He still held his arm close to his chest, but stopped rocking.

I just stopped you feeling the pain. Don’t move, because the arm is still broken. Casi looked at her guards. Kensell, I need you to help me. When I tell you, I want you to pull his hand towards you. Lear, could you please hold his shoulder and elbow. You will have to hold it still when Kensell pulls. Casi gently placed her hands either side of the break just below the elbow. Kensell, now.

As Kensell gently pulled the hand and wrist towards him, Casi manipulated the bones so they aligned. Now, Kensell, slowly ease the pressure. Casi kept her hands steady while she concentrated. She sensed that the bones fit perfectly. Thanks Kensell. Lear, you can release his shoulder now.

What now? Kensell asked.

We need something to stop him twisting his arm, like a length of wood or metal and a bandage to hold it in place, until one of the healers has time to plaster his arm. And material for a sling.

Kensell ordered another guard to look for some material for a sling while he looked for a medical kit.

There is supposed to be one behind every door, Lear called after Kensell. I remember that from our training, if nothing else.

Let me work for a moment, please Lear. Casi checked there were no splinters of bone left floating beside the break or they could cause problems as the bones knit. She closed her eyes and reached with her mind, down through the layers of hide, flesh, blood and nerves to the bone. She mentally searched for floating splinters and located one that was so small it could travel in the bloodstream without damage. Still, she forced it back towards the break and lodged it in the only gap she could sense. Then she trickled energy into the break, enough to start the bone growing across the break.

Finally, she retreated until she could only sense the hide of his arm and released her hold. Kensell silently waited for her to take the medical kit.

You open it, please, and find a bandage. Did you locate something solid like wood? Casi wiped her sweating brow and tried not to show how exhausted she felt. She did not want a lecture from Lear on overusing her energy before she even reached the planet, and knew she could replace what energy she expanded with a snack later.

Another guard held up two curved lengths of plastic. I found a pipe and split it in half with my knife.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. Casi took one of the curved pieces and eased it under the broken arm. Then she wondered how she could get the other piece to stay over to top of his arm and his flange.

She worked the first half of pipe around his arm until it butted the side of his flange, then placed the other half over the edge of the first curve and rested it against the other side of the flange.

Lear, could you hold these two pieces in place while I wrap his arm?

Lear held the piping while Casi wound the bandage around the arm, piping, and flange. She could not find a clip, so used her teeth to divide the end of the bandage and knotted it around the wrist.

What about the pain. The guard asked. Will it come back?

Yes, Casi answered. She reached forward and rested her hand on his left shoulder again. She sent her mind back through his muscle until she found and released the pressure on the nerve and waited for blood to flow down his arm to his hand and back up again before she retreated. What is your assigned duty?

Hydroponics, the guard answered.

You may go, but only use your right arm. No moving your left arm at all for anything until it has been plastered. Do not activate your flange. I have no idea how it will feel while it is restricted with the bandage. Casi waited until he nodded, before she released his shoulder and stood up. You can take tablets for the pain but it should settle in a few hours. I know you have to exercise like all the rest, but no impact exercises, and no moving that arm until the bone knits.

Thank you. The patient nodded to Casi.

Use a sling as well, to keep your arm close to your chest. That should eliminate bumps.

Two other guards helped him stand, and wrapped a thick cord of twine around his neck and wrist, to act as a sling, before they left the area.

Casi finally had time to look around. There were guards everywhere, some just awake and helped out of their cryo units by keepers. Other Jlaantei tried to stretch their muscles, and still others sat on the cold floor with a confused look on their faces. Casi realised waking from cryo was much harder on her alien friends than on her human friends.

We can leave and watch the monitor again, Kensell suggested.

If no one needs me. Casi continued to study the guards as they struggled to stand upright on the cold floor and walk around, if somewhat sluggishly. None of them were awake enough to dress in a sar-trong.

Where are the humans?

Casi bought her attention back to Lear. They are on the next level down.

Lear nodded. We could see if they are awake and are well.

Kensell grabbed Casi’s elbow and guided her back down the corridor.

You know we will have to change our plans if the northern continent is as bad as the southern continent. Casi watched Kensell as she spoke.

I expect it will be worse. He released her arm and removed his cloak. Lear replaced both cloaks on the shelf before he followed Casi out the door.

Chapter 3

S.S. Last Chance crewman Joan Croft received the task of extracting the information from the retrieved probe at her workstation in maintenance.

She put aside her worries for her daughter, to give her full attention to the job. Once she downloaded the stored data, she ran it through another program. It revealed over four hours of empty space.

She checked the drained batteries and set them to recharge, before she ran the data from the other two probes that had returned with batteries still charged.

The three probes all recorded space and nothing else.

She contacted her Petty Officer and reported what she had found.

There has to be a reason the battery drained, crewman, her Petty Officer told her. Find it.

Yes, sir. Joan ended the call. Yes, sir, she mumbled to herself, of course, sir, I will find something that is not explainable. She sighed and checked the batteries again. They were still recharging.

She reran the data, this time laying the three views side by side, and set it to run fast forward so each hour ran in five minutes. It made the stars blur as they moved across the angle of observation.

After twenty-three minutes, she was ready to stop the program, when she noticed a crescent blur of black move across the monitor. The only reason she noticed it was because the stars disappeared and reappeared a hundredth of a second later in one window but the other two did not display the oddity.

She stopped the program and rolled back the three views, then ran them again at normal speed.

A distinct crescent of black blocked the stars for a moment in one display before the stars returned and continued their assigned path across space.

She pushed the connection to her Petty Officer again. Sir, could you come to my desk, please.

On my way, he answered.

Petty Officer Colin Smart walked into Joan’s workspace and stood behind her. Well, what have you found?

I am not sure, she answered, without taking her eyes off the monitor running the program, but there is something there.

He leant over her shoulder, watching the program until it finished. Run it again.

Yes, sir, Joan replayed the program and used her finger to draw his attention to the crescent of black that blocked out the stars as it passed across the screen.

Send that section of data from the probe to me, and tell no one what you discovered, Colin Smart ordered. Then lock the files and leave them alone. Spend your time figuring out why the batteries drained.

What do you think it is?

I have no idea, and I don’t want to hear any rumours of what it is. He watched her send the file to his own mailbox before he nodded and left.

Joan disregarded his orders and continued to run the program watching the stars disappear and reappearing for the next two hours. She zoomed in to the highest degree without losing clarity, and reran the program after she moved the view out until she caught the whole shape of the blackness.

At shift end, she had formed an idea of what the probe saw, but still could not explain why the batteries drained. She locked the program data and signed out before she hurried to the crèche to collect her daughter, worrying about an alien ship using cloaking technology that drained batteries from a vast distance.

* * *

I don’t believe it. Kensell muttered for the third time, as he, along with Casi and Lear, watched the monitor showing the view of the northern continent. The rest of the woken guards crowded the other monitors in the room and silently watched their home world revolve.

You already told us that, Casi replied calmly.

But, where are the trees? How could they remove the forests? The land is destroyed.

Kensell missed the looks of the other guards as he studied the monitor. His comments were as close to showing emotion Casi had ever seen displayed by a Jlaantei.

We can regrow trees, Casi answered. We knew there would be some damage, just not this bad. We can rebuild your city. I can bring the rain back for the trees to grow. First, we have to plan where to land, and who to talk to. Until we know who is actually running things we can’t locate or stop them. She looked around for Grinda but couldn’t see him. Someone find Grinda and get him in here.

When two guards left to look, Casi turned back to the monitor and watched. There was nothing but wasteland from the ocean in the east to the mountain range behind the second large river system on the eastern side of the northern continent.

There may be water in the river systems but we need to get closer to confirm it. Casi continued to study the wasted land.

Look there, Kensell pointed to a spot on the coast below the second river system delta, That was our capital, Marjlaati, where our ancestors lived. Well, some came from the lands around the city.

What happened to the buildings? Lear asked. It is as desolate as Bree Boomit and the many hwatro along its length.

The towns and villages could have fallen into disrepair because everyone left when the river stopped flowing. We need to know where they went. Casi looked up when she heard claws clicking on the metal floor. She smiled when Grinda arrived with the two guards who went to find him. Grinda, look at Marjlaati and the surrounding area. She pointed at the correct area but was careful not to touch the monitor and leave a fingerprint. It looks to be deserted.

Grinda pushed his way through the guards to stand next to Casi. Sit, Grinda, please. Casi pulled the next seat towards her and waited for him to sit. The rest of you find other monitors to watch and stop crowding us.

Yes, the city looks deserted. There is no smoke from fires. There are no carts on the roads, and the surrounding lands have no crops planted. I believe, he pointed to the area near the empty lake, there should be a forest of trees here. And the lake should be full of water. Casi pulled his hand away from the monitor to look, It is only a dry hole.

I think the land is in the middle of a drought, but I can fix that once we get down there. Why would the city be deserted, and why would the buildings be missing roofs or walls? I though your ancestors built to last centuries.

I was told that the buildings here were the same as the buildings we have back on Mannuholm. I do not know why these are damaged. There may have been a war after our tribe fled. Grinda shook his head, but continued to watch as the monitor showed more of the wasted land. Wait until we see the western side of the continent before we decide what to do.

Yes, I know we are still gathering information, but I wanted to locate some of your tribe’s descendants in Marjlaati and question them. Casi sighed as she waited for the