Karnad Chronicles Book Two

By James Templer

This narrative concerns the adventures of one of the agents
of the planet Zoam which is one of the planets of the solar system of the star Zumm. Three of the planets of Zumm have intelligent life in spite of
the differing surface temperatures of the three planets. There are of course
many stars in this sector of the galaxy and because of the huge distances separating various planets concerned communication between them is somewhat
sporadic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781514477809

James Templer

***To Follow

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Copyright © 2017 by James Templer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 01/27/2017

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I n

Karnad Chronicles One, I gave a brief resume of my adventures on the planet Karnad after having been assigned to that planet by my superiors. I am Lieutenant Tavissen of the Zoamite Galactic Fleet and I am a graduate of the University of Space Studies on the planet Zoam. After the breakup of the original galactic empire several thousand years previously (in Earth time), we have tentatively started to try to renew relations with certain other planets with whom we had previously had good relations. The breakup of the previous empire had been a tragic occurrence and it had, among other things, resulted in open hostility between some planets with whom a friendly relationship had previously existed.

Zoam is our parent planet, which is the fourth planet out from our central sun and, like most other visible stars in our galaxy, is a very large, very hot lump of compressed gas emitting huge amounts of heat and energy every second as it burns itself out into an eventual extinction. Our star, which we call Zumm, has a number of satellite planets, but only about eight of which are of any size. Of those eight, only three can support life as we know it—namely, on the third, fourth, and fifth planets out from Zumm. The third planet, which we call Sentaph, is much warmer than our planet Zoam. Sentaph is populated by numerous races—all dark skinned and mostly quite primitive—with the exception of one race, the Seevers. The latter are a highly intelligent and technically advanced race, although rumor has it that they did not originate in Sentaph at all but merely migrated there from another far-off planet with a similar climate. This was shortly after the breakup of a galactic empire of which they had been a part. In any case, they are, without a doubt, the dominant race on that planet as I write this story.

If the Seevers did migrate to Sentaph from somewhere else, it must have been a very long time ago because there appear to be no written records of that event. The surface of Sentaph appears to be covered for the most part by thick steaming jungles inhabited by ferocious animals and equally ferocious human beings. There are, of course, ranges of mountains on Sentaph as well as many volcanoes. On the top of some of the mountains, the Seevers have established small settlements to operate radio equipment primarily for navigational purposes. Otherwise, as I have said, the bulk of the surface of Sentaph is one vast tropical jungle—separated to some extent by vast oceans inhabited by large herds of huge reptilian predators. Definitely not the sort of place in which I would choose to live. So much for Sentaph.

The fifth planet out from Zumm is our home planet Zoam. Zoam is considerably cooler than Sentaph—in fact, around the poles, it is extremely cold, and in those regions, only very primitive types of life can exist. Although during the warmer season a number of creatures do migrate there—among other things to breed. In the areas around our poles, there are some continents of land. Those lands are also quite mountainous, which provide a measure of all-around protection from the harsh winds that blow across those areas even in summer. The creatures that migrate to those regions are mostly large flying creatures covered with a thick fur. They all have a substantial wingspan—as much as thirty feet. The creatures in question are ocean dwellers with usually four webbed feet and they feed on the abundant sea life in the surrounding oceans. The rest of Zoam is blessed with very large oceans, which separate the landmasses.

Our planet is also the only one in our solar system that had a tilt of approximately fifteen degrees on its axis, so we do have distinct seasons—except within the tropics (fifteen degrees north or south of the equator). Separating the zones around the poles and the tropics are larger subtropical and temperate zones with generally pleasant climates where civilized peoples can and do dwell in comparative comfort. The different races of humanoid Zoamites are believed to have originated from a man-ape type of creature on one of the larger continents whose landmass at that time extended a considerable distance both north and south of the equator. Why such a large man ape creature with a very large brain should have evolved there is a mystery, and what special set of circumstances should have arisen for him to have to develop a much larger brain is also a great mystery, which even today our anthropologists are unable to explain.

One theory is that some superior beings from another planet in outer space came and settled on our planet and then intermingled with the local inhabitants, and as a result of this, there developed a mixed-breed race that inherited the larger brains of the visitors. Following this, such as an ever-growing population, changes in climate, and other factors, this bastard race migrated and spread out over all the landmasses of the planet. The ancient continents in those days were linked by land bridges spanning shallow seas, which were easily navigable—hence, this migration of this parent humanoid race did not encounter too many obstacles in their migratory journeys. Having completed their initial migrations, the various groups of peoples, as a result of some mutations and climatic differences, began to develop separate racial traits. Those living in the cooler climates near the poles became light-skinned with green eyes and nearly white hair, whereas those living in the tropics where the original group of mixed bloods originated had dark skin and dark brown eyes and black hair. As a result of the harsher climate and conditions in which they lived, those living in the far northern and southern areas appeared to develop their intellects more than those living in the warmer climates.

One thing is certain—namely, that the Whites developed superior weapons and technology than the other peoples, and as a result, they, the Whites, were able to control the whole planet. The Whites were wise enough, however, not to exploit the other races, as there was no need—their superior technology enabled them to build machines that could be used both on land and over water. As their technology developed, they also began to undertake short journeys into outer space. First of all, they made journeys to our moons (two of them) and then they started to look at the other planets in our solar system—and in the course of time, they landed on Sentaph and made contact with the Seevers there. The Seevers, in the meantime, had also developed both intellectually and technologically, and very soon, a strong rivalry developed between us Zoamites and the Seevers, which persists to this day.

I must now pass on to the third inhabited planet in our solar system. This last planet is called Numbar, and as it is further out from our central sun than either Sentaph or Zoam, it is therefore much colder. Sentaph and Zoam are nearly the same size, but Numbar is considerably larger than either of the other two. Huge ice sheets extend down from the poles almost to the equator, but the tropical zone, although still quite cold, is in fact quite habitable and is inhabited. Although there are numerous species of animals who are able to survive in it, they are all covered with heavy coats of white fur and vary in size from the huge mastodon-like creatures to small rodents. In the equatorial belt with the milder climate, there are numerous species of herbivorous animals that roam the vast plains, which extend in a broad belt around the equator. North and south of these plains are vast forests of trees, which extend right as far as the snow line. Whatever oceans that Numbar might have had in the past are locked up in huge sheets of ice, which, as I have already pointed out, extend so far down from the poles. Also because of its greater mass, the animals on Numbar have a greater gravity to overcome, and, consequently, their bodies are more compact with thick legs designed to support the heavy bodies. Likewise, most of the animals have six or even more legs, which can carry them over the ground at surprising speeds.

There are, of course, several species of carnivores that play their part in maintaining the balance of nature—which they do most efficiently. The carnivores are also large six-legged creatures well equipped with vicious talons on all feet. They also have very large heads with many sharp teeth capable of tearing the flesh of their prey. Unlike their prey, the carnivores do not have white coats but do have light-brown and green perpendicular stripes along the full length of their bodies. This renders them almost invisible in the long grass during the daytime. This camouflage is not really so necessary, as the aforesaid carnivores do most of their hunting in the evening.

Both the Zoamites and the Seevers have well-established territories on Numbar where some minerals are mined and most particularly the timber from the forested area. Numbar produces some of the finest timber known. Possibly because of the greater gravity, the trees are quite colossal—trunks of thirty or even forty feet girth are quite common. The trees also grow up to heights from two to three hundred feet, and the timber is of a quality and hardness quite unknown elsewhere in our sector of the galaxy and is therefore much prized. So much for Numbar, and to my disgust, I was soon after informed by Quelt, my superior, that thereafter I was assigned to the other planet called Karnad with instructions to try to locate minerals and also to try to locate any tribes of intelligent beings who might be able to assist me in my work.

To me, the situation was quite comical, but I had to obey the instructions of my superiors and I accordingly found myself drifting down through a thick cloud cover to see what the surface of that planet might look like—and hopefully to try to communicate with any inhabitants whom I might encounter. My craft was well stocked with food and other necessities to enable me to survive for a considerable period.

Eventually, there appeared below me a huge carpet of trees extending in all directions. I had been descending over a portion of the southern hemisphere of the planet, and, therefore, for that reason, I figured that I should probably head north first in the hope that I might see some mountains or some other distinctive landmark so that I could obtain some positive landmark. Eventually, I was delighted to see a large river that was running out into an ocean. That was, of course, an ideal spot for a habitation of intelligent beings, especially if the surrounding land was comparatively flat and capable of being cultivated. I needed to contact any local intelligent beings to learn their language as well as to obtain any information about the planet that might be useful to me in my travels.

My luck was in, and I soon found that I was approaching a sizeable habitation with several large buildings. I accordingly parked my craft alongside a building that looked as if it could be some sort of administrative center and then I disembarked and then stood alongside my craft and waited. Clearly, I wanted to speak to someone, and after a few minutes, a young man approached me and indicated that I follow him into the building, which I proceeded to do. I was led into a central hall where there sat a group of senior persons. I stood and waited, and one of them, who appeared to be their most senior official, indicated that I should go to a college there to learn their language. I bowed and indicated my willingness for that and thanked him as best I could and I was then led back out of the building, and the young man indicated that I should take him to an imposing building resting against the side of a bill and I accordingly did so. Once there, I was enrolled into a class of beginners, and there were a number of other students from other areas who were there who also needed to learn their language.

That was indeed an incredible stroke of good fortune, and I accordingly thanked them as best I could and I was now officially enrolled as a student at that college. There were a number of other students from surrounding areas who also were there to receive tuition in languages. For the next several weeks, I fairly threw myself into my studies, and at the same time, I took many people for rides around the countryside in the scout cruiser.

The name of the senior minister who had arranged my stay there was San Qurnal, and I took pleasure in taking him on several trips around their territory. During my stay in the city of Tokraan, I made it my business to not only learn the two languages that were taught there but also try to glean as much information about the planet and its people as I could.

The people there called themselves Gavisons, but because of their comparative isolation where they were, they could only supply a limited amount of information about other areas of the planet. They did, however, tell me that they had another colony on the other side of the Great Ocean, and to communicate with them, they had to sail across that ocean only at one season of the year when the storms were less frequent and less violent. Obviously, that would have to be my next stop when I resumed my traveling.

The most enjoyable and informative stay with the Western Gavisons came to an end. I had acquired a sound knowledge of two languages and learned a lot about the planet and its history—indeed time well spent. The time had come to proceed to visit the other Gavison colony on the other side of the ocean. I had promised to take San Qurnal and his son, Sur Chatsun, and one or two others with me, and on the appointed day, we set out across the ocean. The gods were kind to us and the weather was fine, and we made good time across that ocean. On the way, we passed over a group of islands.

How far are these islands from the mainland? I asked.

About 150 miles, said San Qurnal. The Ozark Mountains should shortly come into view, and as you will shortly see, they provide an imposing backdrop to the coastal plain upon which our people reside.

There was nothing else to be seen between the Surdock Islands and the coast, and what ships might have been seen had long since taken shelter from an approaching storm. I opened the throttle wide, as I was anxious to complete this last leg of the journey as soon as possible, and it was therefore not long before Sur Chatsun, who had taken up a position forward, called out, I can see the Ozark Mountains ahead of us.

We all grabbed our binoculars of which the scout cruiser was well equipped, and, sure enough, we could at last see the black uncompromising wall of a colossal range of mountains ahead of us.

You say that the mountains are quite impassable, San Qurnal? I asked.

Yes, completely, Tavissen, he said, and we know that they are many hundreds of miles from north to south—but we have no idea how wide they are—possibly a hundred miles or so. We know that there are fierce tribes of people living in the mountains who make a living growing produce in some of the lower valleys. We believe that they live in caves in the mountains and we also hear that there are numerous passages in the mountains themselves linking the various mountain settlements. Of course, we cannot be sure of this because we have absolutely no contact with the Lanarks, who have made it absolutely clear that they do not want any contact with us and strongly resent any intrusion into their territory.

What do the Lanarks look like? I asked.

They are a tall white-skinned people with hair almost matching the color of their skins. he said. They have light-green eyes with excellent night vision—in fact, they look just like you. We believe that they must have migrated there shortly after the convulsions of the crust of the planet, which forced up the mountain barrier. We believe also that they must have come from the icy north, where there were and still are most likely numerous mountains and high plateaus, which were characteristics of their original homeland.

That is most interesting, San Qurnal, I said, and that fact certainly warrants further investigation.

You will have to exercise extreme caution in your travels, Tavissen, he said. There may be many peoples who may try to lure you into their domain and then simply kill you and steal your craft.

I shall certainly be exercising extreme caution, as you say, San Qurnal, I said, but you will appreciate that I still have to carry out the exploratory traveling because that is, after all, what I have been sent down here to do.

I quite understand your position, Tavissen, he said.

In a short while, the rocky coastline of the land of the other Gavison people appeared ahead of us. There were rocky promontories separating sandy beaches. The sand of the beaches was of much the same color as the accompanying rocks themselves from which they were derived.

How long ago did this convulsion of the planet’s crust, which threw up those mountains, take place? I asked San Qurnal.

Many thousands of years ago, Tavissen—in fact, long before there were any written records.

Then it is quite likely that other areas of the planet may also have been affected? I asked.

Yes, that would indeed be the case, he said. No doubt in your travels you will be able to find out more about that.

Do you have any idea what might have caused the convulsions? I asked.

Not really, Tavissen, he said. There are, of course, several theories—some of them quite far-fetched and others that appear more plausible.

What are the more-plausible ones? I asked.

Well, there are three main theories. One is that a large cosmic body may have passed close by Karnad and caused earthquakes, tidal waves, and hurricane winds—in other words, phenomena that might be associated with such an occurrence.

And are there no records making any mention of such occurrences? I asked.

Not really, Tavissen, he said.

Another theory is that the planet was hit by a very large meteorite, which may have slammed into the crust of the planet, which caused it to split open, thus bringing about a general instability resulting in various tectonic plates to collide and rub against each other, thus bringing about areas of volcanic activity. In my opinion, that was not very likely. And the last main theory, which to me seems the most probable, is that as the planet cools, the rigid surface will shrink, and the shrinkage will cause mountain ranges to be pushed up and hollow basins to be formed where the surface waters will accumulate and eventually form seas and oceans—but, of course, all these things only take place over vast periods of time. Once again, in your travels, you may encounter a civilized race who may be able to provide you with more detailed information.

That is all very interesting, San Qurnal, I said, and as you suggest, I shall certainly be pursuing information on that subject in my travels.

The city of Loknad now appeared clearly before us. It was a large sprawling metropolis with many tall buildings mainly grouped around the city center. To give the Gavison people their due, the city and its surroundings were well laid out with wide streets and avenues running at right angles to each other with the exception, of course, of the road that ran along the ocean shore, which followed the curves of the coastline. The coastal road extended for many miles into the distance on either side and was lined with many what appeared to be tall apartment buildings overlooking the sea. San Qurnal indicated a spot in the center of the city where I should ground the space cruiser, and it was clear as we approached that our presence was drawing plenty of attention from the local population. San Qurnal directed me to a walled-off parking area next to an imposing building, which was obviously an administrative building of some nature.

Our craft was quickly surrounded by uniformed guards, who were clearly there to prevent any curious onlookers from swarming all over the craft. The fact that we were in a walled-off enclosure prevented them to large extent, but that did not prevent many people from peering over the wall to get a good look at the strange craft, As soon as I brought the scout cruiser to rest in the walled-off parking area, San Qurnal had a quick conversation with the senior guardsman, and, soon, San Qurnal and I were then led into the building through a side door, with San Qurnal leading the way, as he was obviously familiar with the place, and I followed directly behind him, with Sur Chatsun taking up the rear.

Once inside, we were led up a narrow but well-carpeted staircase, where we stepped out onto a broad landing. Unhesitatingly, San Qurnal led us straight toward a door upon which there was a type of a coat of arms engraved, and he knocked on the door. After a brief pause, the door opened, and we were greeted by a female secretary.

Welcome, gentlemen, she said. Please follow me.

She then led us through a small anteroom toward yet another door, which she opened and then stepped aside and signaled that we should proceed therein. We duly proceeded into that room, with San Qurnal leading the way.

Greetings, cousin Jon, he said as he approached the figure behind a quite colossal desk. I would like you to meet Lieutenant Tavissen here of the Zoamite Galactic Fleet. I greeted the tall figure behind the desk, who gave me a ready smile.

I see that you have wasted no time in learning our language, Tavissen. That was indeed a notable achievement in such a short time.

Thank you, sir, I said. That was, of course, very important, since I am required to be here for some time. Jon Qurnal was a big man—nearly as tall as me and obviously a very competent chief executive.

We have come to ascertain, as far as you know, if there are any other civilized races of people in this part of the planet, I said.

Jon Qurnal laughed and said, If there were, we would know about it, but there are none, and my cousin here should have told you that we therefore find ourselves somewhat isolated here, surrounded as we are by natural obstacles in the shape of impenetrable mountains and an ocean on either side—and hostile races of people in both the north and the south. Please sit down, both of you, and make yourselves comfortable, which we proceeded to do, and Jon Qurnal then went on to say, "Lieutenant, we need to expand our knowledge of our planet, and for the reasons that I have just given you, we are prevented from doing so. We have reason to suspect that there are other civilized people on Karnad with whom we would like to make contact. There might even be a remnant of our own race on the other side of the mountains, and they may well be in contact with other civilized races. Apparently, they have not yet acquired the power of flight, and neither have we, except in a very small way.

It has already been suggested that someone should accompany me on my travels, I said, even if it is merely to help man the guns should we be attacked, and his knowledge of the planet and its people would be valuable.

I wish that I could accompany you myself, he said, laughing, but my duties would not allow it.

San Qurnal then spoke up. Tavissen is, among other things, interested in trying to trace deposits of certain minerals, and it has occurred to us that young Sur here, who has a knowledge of geology, would be a good choice as someone to accompany him.

Why, yes, that sounds like a good suggestion, said Jon Qurnal. I assume that Sur would be willing to accompany you, Tavissen?

Sur Chatsun, who up to now had taken no part in the conversation, very quickly indicated his willingness to accompany me. Very well then, let us work on that, said Jon Qurnal, and then turning to San Qurnal, he said, We will get Tavissen booked into the hotel, and then in the morning, we can finalize the plans for his departure on his journeys in his area. Then turning to me, he said, Could we go in your craft to cruise around our country tomorrow?

By all means, I said. Your knowledge of the local mountains might be very useful to me.

Quite so, he said.

We took our leave of Jon Qurnal and then went back down to the ground floor. Sur here will be leaving us to spend the night with his family, but I will accompany you to the hotel before I leave you. We will have a car pick you up at the hotel in the morning and bring you here from whence we will do our tour of the country areas, said San Qurnal.

That is very kind of you, I said.

As soon as we returned to the scout cruiser, San Qurnal and Sur Chatsun unloaded their bags, and I took a small overnight bag with me. Sur took his leave of us and then went off to join his family in one of the suburbs. Jon Qurnal had arranged for a car to be made available to us, and San Qurnal and I climbed aboard the broad-wheeled vehicle, which he proceeded to drive toward the hotel, which was to be my destination for the night.

The Gavison vehicles are all electrically powered and extremely comfortable—and silent. They are the only vehicles allowed in the city, which means that the atmosphere in the city center is completely unpolluted. All produce and heavy articles are brought into the heart of the city by means of barges along the river, where there are numerous jetties for the barges to tie up to, to unload their cargoes. I was to learn that in the country, they use draft animals for the shorter hauls and large trucks powered by internal combustion engines for the longer hauls. On the way out to the hotel, we passed through the city center and out toward the ocean shore. We had to cross one of the larger bridges on the way out to the hotel, which was situated right on the coast road close to the point where the river mouth entered the sea. The buildings in the city center were like many other large cities in the galaxy—both tall and artistically designed. The gray granitelike rock that littered the coastline was much in evidence, as it was both strong and nonporous. The hotel where I was to stay was also a very fine building with the outer walls composed of the same granitelike stone. The interior was also tastefully designed with a somewhat quaint but elegant décor, thus indicating clearly that the Gavisons were a cultured people.

As soon as we disembarked from our car, San Qurnal led me into the hotel foyer and up to the reception desk, where I was given a key to one of the upper rooms overlooking the river mouth. My strange appearance drew not a little attention from both the hotel staff and the other guests, who at first thought that I was a Zoolog from the north who also had white skins and white hair, but in the course of time, they found out that I had arrived in the strange craft that had flown over the city earlier in the day, hence their curiosity was even greater.

San Qurnal took his leave and told me that a car would be waiting for me after breakfast the following morning to take me back to the city center. The hotel building was a high-rise one, and, hence, elevators had to be used to reach the upper levels. The elevators were electrically driven and had no doors, but the sides of the elevator shafts were tastefully carpeted. As I was clearly an alien, the attendant showed me where to alight from the elevator and actually accompanied me to the door of my room.

The following morning after the breakfast, a car was waiting for me to take me to the admin building where my scout cruiser was waiting. Jon Qurnal was waiting there and was clearly eagerly looking forward to the trip around his homeland. I accordingly asked him to indicate in which direction we should go first to cover as much territory as possible in the time available. We accordingly set out by following the coast of the ocean until it began to curve away out of the Gavison area. We then curved inland and then headed toward some mountains in the distance. I was not sure if those were the mountains that we would have to traverse to reach the other side of the continent or not, but my passengers reassured me that they were indeed the mountains that we would have to traverse. They certainly looked forbidding enough, and I realized that traversing them would indeed present problems and possibly even necessitate the construction of a tunnel—but I would be quite happy to leave that to the civil engineers on the ground when the time arrived for the commencement of the main highway, if that happy day ever arrived. I was also fully aware that the mountains in that part of the planet formed one huge mountain complex, so the finding of a suitable area to carve out the final stretch separating the two areas should indeed be left to the people on the ground.

San Qurnal took his leave and told me that a car would be waiting for me after breakfast the following morning to take me back to the city center. The hotel building was a high-rise one and, hence, elevators had to be used to reach the upper levels. The elevators were electrically driven. The elevators themselves had no doors, but the sides of the elevator shafts were tastefully carpeted. Being clearly a stranger, I was showed by the attendant where to alight from the elevator and he actually accompanied me to the door of my room—which was very courteous of him. My hotel suite was spacious and had a large balcony from which a good view of the seashore and river mouth could be had. As there was