The Mooroos

By Albert Louis Allen

Trillions of years have passed since the Mooroo race burst forth from the pairing of two alien creatures. For eons, the Mooroos have reigned over many territories, fulfilling their unquenchable desire to preserve the species.

The instinct to flourish burns in Soomooroo and Moochoomoo, longtime companions who live on Voormoo, their celestial home. When Soomooroo wins the deed to a large galaxy in an ancient card game, the pair launches a scouting expedition to explore every expanse of the boundless universe.

In the process, they encounter a range of alien species, including the Swoomoows, the Nogonogs, and the Yellow Dog of Heuweltjies Plateau, some of which are peaceful, others unwelcoming. They also seek out Goddoo, the creator of all, to stand in his presence and thank him for bringing forth light across the great void of darkness. Most importantly, Soomooroo ensures the Mooroovian race will live on through his son, the first Mooroovian to inherit eternal life and race memory, ensuring everlasting existence.

Science fiction devotees, especially fans of the Klingon language developed for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, will want to start The Mooroos with its extensive glossary of alien terms to appreciate this high-tech, science fiction adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 14, 2008
• ISBN: 9780595912087

Albert Louis Allen

Albert Louis Allen was born, nurtured, and educated along the clear, cold, and fish-laden Missouri Ozark streams where he honed his love for nature, humor, and science fiction. Except for a four-year tour with the U.S. Navy, he spent his life among the colorful forests and streams of the Ozarks.

Book preview

1

The Moor base came alive at 3:00 AM when Soomooroo asked, Is the table open?

Joormida said, All are welcome to play Moordoom at the table of Joor-mida.

Moordoom, a seven-card game, was played with a deck containing sixty-five cards separated into five suits. The Moordoorfoo was a figurative coat of arms born out of the primeval abyss as the Mooroos took their first celestial steps into the portals of the living cosmos. The Moordoorfoo depicted twelve synchronized explosions entwined by a large, multicolored dragon. A short, stocky, pudgy-faced Mooroos baby with reins in hand sat astride the dragon’s neck. The dragon had seven arms and seven hands. Each hand held a card proclaiming honor, faith, and loyalty to the Mooroos Supreme Council. Special emphasis was placed on the spoken word. When spoken, the word that first sounded so soft, calm, but so commanding, triggered twelve synchronized explosions for that brief moment in time, the twinkle of an eye, perhaps the eye of the spoken word, that illuminated fifteen billion years of darkness. That one word, when spoken, still rippled through the celestial heaven. Even the primeval void of darkness hastened to obey.

Moordoom was played like a jigsaw puzzle with the sixty-five cards. Each card depicted a portion of the Moordoorfoo dragon. When a player drew the correct seven cards and the cinque cards were placed in proper alignment, the inclusive dragon and Joomoor became visible. Joomoor was an acronym for justice, observes, obedient, Mooroos, orderly, ordained, and righteousness. With that hand, the player held Joomoor, the highest hand held in the game of Moordoom. Seven cards were dealt to each player. In turn, each player could draw a total of five cards. The roll of the cinque dice determined the number of cards received. For instance, if the player rolled a four, he would get four cards. To obtain replacement cards, a player had to roll the exact number discarded with the cinque dice. When requesting cards, a player first had to discard the number of cards that he wanted to draw. A player then only had one chance to roll the number requested with the cinque dice.

Joormida explained, Each player begins each new hand with seven cards. If a player discards three cards and fails to roll a three with the cinque dice, then the three cards are not replaced. At that time, the player can only fold his hand because you must possess seven cards to play the hand.

Joormida continued, The rules of Moordoom have been explained in great detail. At times, it’s even been humdrum. Make no mistake. The rules will be rigorously enforced. So, if there are any questions, ask them now. Once the game starts, the rules are firm.

Soomooroo was not new to the game, but each Moor base played its own variation of the game. Estimating, he thought he had probably played Moordom a thousand different ways.

But the game was typical of Moordoom style. The first few games were dull without a real winner. When Joormida’s ante of five thousand moors was matched by Soomooroo and bumped another five thousand, Joormida ran his fingers along the edges of the cards and said, I’ll see the five thousand and raise you twenty-five thousand moors.

Soomooroo’s and Joormida’s eyes locked momentarily as Soomooroo matched Joormida’s twenty-five thousand moors and bumped it by a million. Joormida’s eyes never left the cards as he slowly pulled a yellow and white envelope from inside his shoulder jacket. Looking at the envelope, he placed it on the moors in the center of the table.

He said, This is a deed to the twelfth spherical territory or division. The third quadrant, XXMXX, was obtained during a business transaction with the Choogoomungas. The Supreme Council has guaranteed legal rights and possession to the owner.

A large galaxy located in the twelfth spherical territory, XXMXX was seventy-three million light-years in diameter. The third quadrant was near the outer edge that contained several trillion stars. The galaxy contained an estimated one million planets capable of sustaining life, both animal and vegetable. Soomooroo would welcome a victory and chance to return to Rathe with his companion, Moochoomoo, and embark on scouting expeditions that would take them to every facet of the XXMXX galaxy.

Early in their space travel, the Mooroos plotted the cosmos in a 360-degree circle. A meridian marker was established at the axis of each circle division.

The twelve synchronized explosions did not occur along a parallel vector. Instead, they occurred in a random pattern. When joined together by a direct line drawn to each of the twelve meridians and connecting the center of each explosion with a straight line, it looked like a zigzag pattern. The arc was sectioned into twelve spherical territories or divisions. Each radiated outward with each territory containing four quadrants. Each territory was more than a billion light-years in diameter.

In the beginning, instead of just one big bang, there were actually twelve. All twelve spherical territories or divisions were equal recipients in a harmonious, synchronized, explosive burst from the primeval void of darkness. The twelve explosions appeared to be like a single explosion, thus creating the big bang theory. The distance from the center of spherical one to the outermost edge of spherical twelve was in the order of fifteen billion light-years. Consequently, it seemed to be fifteen billion years old. But, in reality, the cosmos is a little over a billion years old. It is not fifteen billion years, as earlier believed. The twelve explosions burst outward in all directions, creating and immediately displaying a cosmos previously therorized as having taken billions of years to form. The hit-and-miss zigzag pattern in which the explosions occurred created a kaleidoscope effect, giving credence to the cosmos appearing much older. The only constant was the three trillion light-year void of darkness that separated all Yoomoovoorses.

Even before Joormida mentioned the Choogoomungas and the Supreme Council, Soomooroo was already flashing back. Over a thousand years ago, while scouting in the twelfth spherical territory, Soomooroo landed on Rathe, a small planet located in XXMXX galaxy’s third quadrant. The roobo had experienced a power outage. The Moodocks, a peaceful, primitive, red-skinned race, occupied the sparsely populated planet. For the most part, the race was still using pictograms and colloquial speech to communicate. The Choogoomungas occupied the seventh spherical territory. An old, revered race, they were known for their peaceful coexistence and trading skills with interstellar travelers. The Supreme Council was formed early in the ninth spherical territory with seven Mooroos bearing the title of Supreme Council. They were empowered to render decisions on all cases brought before them. The Supreme Council’s authority was absolute within the twelve spherical territories with each spherical division containing four quadrants. In any disputes that developed to a level where force was necessary, the Mooroos and the Zootoozoos immediately put down the uprising.

Soomooroo remembered how the roobo had arched high in the night sky and landed among the tall grasses of the plains. Rising to one knee, Boonock looked out across the basin. In the clear moonlight, he watched the strangely shaped rock that had fallen from the sky.

Boonock, a primitive native of this strange and wonderful world, watched as Soomooroo walked from the craft through the tall grasses to a slight knoll, in search of a vantage point for surveying the surroundings. As Soomooroo scanned the area beneath the light of the planet’s nearest satellite, he observed the slightest movement on the adjoining knoll and almost at that same instance he and Boonock started walking toward one another.

Approaching one another, Boonock circled Soomooroo, carefully watching his every action from eye and lip movement to body language. Boonock raised his hand in an offering of friendship. Soomooroo studied Boonock with an intense gaze, noticing each and every signal with preconceived logic that had been researched and practiced for such occasions. Soomooroo could smell the smoke from burning wood. The Mooroos had not used that particular fuel in several million years.

Boonock motioned to himself, aatinani. He was dressed in ichaffakchi, ichaffakchiwilo, and anchahka adorned with the dalala grasping the istiholitcha. His foosiwoksi-tipped akihalokpa depicted his standing as a chief. In a circling motion of his foosiwoksi-tipped ittohalokpa, he waved for Soomooroo to follow. Boonock stayed in the lead as they started walking across the grassland.

Soomooroo was already mastering the vowels and word structure of the Moodock’s language, but his thoughts drifted to the robust yoolaayoo drink that he enjoyed after playing a game of Moordoom at Joormida’s table.

The koolaabush nut produced an effervescent beverage, equivalent to 9 percent alcohol, that provided a warm, toasty feeling to the Mooroos without the fear of chemical addictions or side effects. This drink was yoolaayoo.

Approaching an oolachi located along the paanilapaalika, he saw albinafai-isa. Hatka whiffs of tikboolti rose up in a wisp to mingle with the abalokchakkobluskyahchi that were high above the albinafaiisa.

Upon entering the albinafaiisa, the smell of tikboolti from the smoldering itahomma made the albinafaiisa panayka. Soomooroo savored the aroma of the nipo okchi on the itahomma. Now he looked forward to the oolimpa being offered and the tikba tikbii from the tikboolti. The nipo was high in protein and necessary for proper functioning of the mind, especially reasoning. Naasista-laami nipo, later determined to be that of a Jookoo, a small lapitta icho with small iyyaksi and three ichillapihchi. Two of the ichillapihchi protruded from the top of the Jookoo’s head. They curved backward, and one jutted straight from the forehead. Some of the Jookoo’s sobotli nipo was cooked with chihkafo itto and served with chassi and choksi. Some of the Jookoo was put into the aapoyatli pot and ilpa with chakaawa. Soomooroo was poskanka for meat.

After the meal, Boonock took a long stem with a small aayampo kolokbi. From a small drawstring sokcha, Boonock removed a small amount of laanet lochakahchi chakka ittohissi and put them in the small aayampo kolokbi.

"Hakchomma," said Boonock, packing the ittohissi down with his thumb.

Boonock then picked up a small tikbiskitaaya from the albinatikba and touched the burning end to the ittohissi in the aayampo kolokbi. He began to puff on the pofilka, blowing sobotli from his mouth. Boonock took another hifoskassoba before tossing the small tikbiskitaaya back into the tikba. The tikb-aschofotli danced from the itahomma as he handed the pofilka to Soomooroo.

Boonock said, Hakchommasonka.

Soomooroo put the pofilka between his lips, took a hifoskassoba, and began to too oolichi from the smoke blowing from his mouth. Boonock infomopka himself on the leg and afaaka as Soomooroo put the pofilka between his teeth and took another hifoskassoba. Boonock invited Soomooroo to iltinnochi. He pointed to one side of the tooboosi albinafaiisa and offered Soomooroo a ichaf-fakchi covered with chokfihissi.

Laying on the chokfihissi with his head on his folded arms, sleep found him at once. Later, he awoke and could hear the sounds of the tanka. He heard the sow-iisowi and kasasa repeating their cadence. He heard the cry of the ofolo and the calling of the chokbilakbila. He listened to the okiyyowwa and the kitini in seemingly endless succession. He heard the imachiiba of the toohoopachi. Thefoospoli-cha calls were yalinka in the stillness of the tanka. He listened to the yap of the natives’ owwattatilka ifa and the wild aksobaachi ofthe waso at the tankahasi.

With the maatibi over, the gnawing poskanka for meat subdued. He was ikbachi and content throughout his aapihchi. The waso crawled into the ihaa-noobi and panaykka up. The stress and excitement of the maatibi faded into innochi.

Pushing the skin-covered entry aside, Soomooroo stooped and walked outside to face the maatassaliika. The akaakchooba lakcha greeted the rising hasi. The Moodock tayyi were busily cooking around the tikba as the smell of oolimpa and tikboolti filled the air. Boonock sat cross-legged near the tikba while the tayyi prepared akaakapayka, apayka chassi, abasi istaasa with hooma-homi and hapi. They also had akaakochski libatka alwakka andpaspistoopatka.

After nialli oolimpa, Soomooroo could hear the foosi ittanahka of chokakkatayyi clucking in the early morning while drinking water from the paa-n ilapaalika. The clucks echoed off the kolofkaschobahchi near the paanilapaalika.

Around midmorning, the tayyi served chassoochiika topped with biyyokiia. Boonock was holding a cracked eggshell, slowly turning it within his hands.

Soomooroo asked, Your thoughts?

Boonock replied, "I was wondering how the akaakochoosi got inside the affakchi."

Soomooroo recalled that other worlds he encountered on scouting missions had inhabitants that would shy away in fear at the sight or sound of people not like them. Soomooroo was content that it was not like that here. The Moodocks and their peaceful, almost shy, way of life and coexistence with other life would not have survived in an unforgiving and hostile countryside. Friendship was born; the bond was complete. They mutually admired each other in a time set apart. It was a time to reflect and look ahead as the ancient and future collided. Both blended, learned, and gained respect for each other. They met, enjoyed, and went their separate ways. Each one was better than before.

Boonock watched as the roobo lifted vertically into the air in a flash of light. The night was still and dark. Like the first night that Soomooroo landed, no moon was showing.

Boonock felt serene in the presence of Soomooroo’s superior intelligence and physical strength. In that brief moment following the roobo’s departure, Soomooroo, through thought transference, read Boonock’s feelings: his feelings of contentment in the presence of Soomooroo’s superior intelligence and physical strength and yet, now that Soomooroo was gone, the rush of helplessness that engulfed him after his chance meeting with the most intellectual, powerful, fair-minded individual he had encountered.

Joormida asked, Will you accept a deed to XXMXX twelfth division’s third quadrant as a wager to call the million-Moor raise?

Joormida’s question jolted Soomooroo back to the present and the game.

Yes! Soomooroo replied. The deed is as good as moors.

Soomooroo called, Joomoor!

He laid all seven cards with their faces up. Joomoor occured when each card, correctly positioned as one, created an image of Moordoorfoo with seven hands holding seven cards that reveal the word Joomoor.

Joomoor had never before been played at Joormida’s table. However, at another game at a different table, Joormida had held Joomoor. Soomooroo reached for the deed and looked at it. Then he handed it to Joormida for his signature, officially transferring title to Soomooroo.

After attaching the seal of Joormida, he put it on the table and said, I have been told the twelfth division is home to several primitive planets.

Soomooroo said, I was in the twelfth division and landed on Rathe, which is located in the third quadrant of XXMXX, more than a thousand years ago. Now that I hold ownership, I look forward to returning.

2

Soomooroo was a member of the Mooroos, a race from the ninth spherical territory. The average life span for a Mooroos was seven million years. Their knowledge since the beginning had served them well in their quest for survival. In their quest for expansion, the Mooroos were bold to the point of aggressiveness.

Soomooroo, a typical male, stood six foot seven and weighed 323 pounds. His black hair was flecked with gold that glittered in the light. His eyes were ebony, and his skin was a medium dark color. He had a sonorous voice.

The women of the Mooroos were slightly smaller. They stood six foot one and weighed 209 pounds. Their short, black hair was flecked with gray. Their eyes were ebony, and their skin was a medium dark color. They used aggressive masculine tendencies to survive. At the right time and right moment, the Mooroos women were all woman. With the battlefield heroics in the past, her presence was encouraging and soothing to her mate.

What was the known cosmos? Could that be when the edge has been breached and the darkness has garnished the last shimmer of light? All that is before is darkness. There is no light to be seen. Of course, to have light, there must be objects to reflect light. Were any objects hidden in the empty space of darkness?

Without solid material of sizeable formation, there would be no gravitational force to feed the quantum graviton. Without gravity to power the quantum graviton, the roobo would be without power and the void of darkness would not be crossed.

Would the onward trek through the Yoomoovoorse be postponed or just delayed? Would all exploration be restricted to the lighted cosmos? Was an alternative fuel source waiting to be discovered? After all, in earlier times, the spoken word that transformed darkness into light across fifteen billion light-years also made the outer reaches of darkness. Would the exploration of the outer reaches have to wait until after the black hole without any dimensions had consumed all in its long implosion? Now, would the one big bang repeat the cycle that earlier began with twelve synchronized explosions?

If that theory was confirmed, all who were now present would never know if the outer reaches were breached. Would it be by a different race in another time that has yet to be created? A time when every part of time and life that now exist has vanished, and all things begin anew. The relationship would be there. With a bit of luck, it would be improved. For the same spoken word commanding the Mooroos into the portals of life spoke again. New wonders and glories not seen before awaited the voyagers traveling beyond the boundaries of the known cosmos. They traveled beyond the three trillion light-year void of darkness into yet another Yoomoovoorse that was previously recognized as the whole. A galaxy among trillions comprising the cosmos awaited the Mooroos scouts and Moochoomoo.

The Mooroos’ average life span with race memory afforded them the time and opportunity to take a small, inquisitive look at the cosmos as well as explore the twelfth spherical division.

Soomooroo left after spending the mandatory rest period at the Moor, the celestial way station for interquadrant travelers. He was leaving to join the base ship docked at the Moor depot, which replenished the ship’s personnel and rations.

The base ship was designed to operate as a completely sufficient interstellar craft, and it carried a crew of twenty-seven thousand. Not only would it supply all of the Mooroos’ requirements, it was outfitted to colonize favorable planets. The ship was designed to provide the highest level of individualized comfort during long interstellar travel.

The ship’s hull, molded from metal derived from Booroosoomite mineral deposits, was now reproduced synthetically. It was flawless and free of riveted seams. Viewing the outside surface, there were no seams for doors or portholes. Exiting Mooroos left the roobo at programmed points of departure and it appeared as if they had actually walked through the ship’s hull. Mooroos from any position within the ship enjoyed the secure, private one-way vision to the outside.

At times, the Mooroos’ space travels kept them out of the ninth division for several thousand years. During the base ship’s mission, there would be little change in the ninth division. Upon a return to the ninth division, a Mooroos with such a long life span would notice little, if any, changes in the daily life cycles of the Mooroos.

A planet that was found suitable for Mooroos’ inhabitants was charted. On a later passage, the base ship would leave an outpost of a thousand Mooroos, providing none were left during the initial stopover. Like the roobos, quantum graviton powered the base ship, which had a maximum speed of thirty-nine light-years per hour. The ship traveled in a vacuum created by the magnetic force fields generated by the quantum-graviton offshoot thrusters. The base ship was armed with nine mesotron weapons that could be fired without reducing the force field-provided military supremacy. With