The Elementals - The System X: The Elementals, #2

By Boris Mosso

In The Elementals saga's first part called, The Endless Dark Ocean, a group of crew members and passengers crossed the unfathomable space which separates the Astral Galaxy from the Lumina Galaxy in search of a mysterious and ancestral object which eventually could save the Astral Galaxy from its complete destruction.

Now, in book two called System X, the troubled travelers will be faced with a crude and devastating reality which could hopelessly destroy the possibilities of fulfilling with their purpose. Meanwhile, the Espacian fleet's fate, in the pivotal battle  fought in the Vintar Constellation at the same time of their departure to the Lumina Galaxy,still remains unknown.

Thus, at a tremendous two million and a half light years'distance from their home and unaware of whether there was still hopes to save their galaxy from the bloody and massive invasion, the travelers must resource to their up most efforts to survive inside the mysterious solar System X, where they will find hidden times immemorial secrets in. These revelations will have unexpected aftermaths in search of the object and in the expedition's members spirits.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boris Mosso
• Release date: May 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223181927

Book preview

Acknowledgements:

To Paola for her love and support.

To Silvia Gallardo, for her never-ending love and essential help.

To Juan Mosso, for believing in my dreams.

To Cesar López Yauzá, my extraordinary publication consultant, for his excellent work.

To Marco Torres, for his outstanding vision on the saga transposed into our web’s cover design.

To A&C Desing&Arts, for the preparation of the cover.

To the first readers: Vivian Friedmann, Marco Torres, Mauricio Fuentes and Marcelo Rojas, for their time and timely comments.

To A C&M Sevilla. For their excellent job and compliance.

To Marta Anton, for her diligence and concern with the details during the editing process

To all those who gave me an encouraging word in difficult times.

To my English language translator, Carla Grant Bucholz, for her sustained support for this project and for this saga’s fabulous translation

To Octavio, my inseparable Adventure buddy, and Catalina, my universe’s Princess.

INTRODUCTION

TRIVIAN, TRAVELED COMFORTABLY sitting down in the two-person transporter steered automatically, looking at the Central Government’s ancient building they owned, at a distance. It was about a little less than a two kilometers high building and had been abandoned for several thousands of years, left behind in the huge metropolis’ suburbs which kept on growing in every direction.

After several years of strained and exhausting negotiations, he was able to obtain from Lenodon’s Department of Property assets, which depended on Spacia’s Systemic Council for being the planetary capital, the empty building’s indefinite bailment to install a Study Center related with Captain Lancar’s expedition’s findings but was something he didn’t achieve by himself. On the one hand, Spacia’s Intelligence high authorities, had worked underhandly to help him. Without going into further detail, they had told him about the existence of that abandoned building at the times the Council had closed every door on him, to transport the capsule and the rest of the items related with the findings, to another place, at some very small rooms belonging to the Council’s Central Building, where any high rank Officer could demand to see the capsule just out of curiosity, something that worried Trivian constantly, since not only was the issue handled for it to be an exhibition gallery of odd things, but also it undermined safety, both the assets as well as the findings from the investigation he performed, almost since the very first day of his return to the planetary system, befallen ten years ago. 

It was the Spacian Intelligence that helped him obtain the necessary funds to turn the compound into an Investigation Center, which had the most modern means available in Spacia, besides being able to provide with the project’s investigation experts it would require over time.

After several years of works, the building was completely restored inside, and on the contrary, the exterior was never restored by his specific orders, since he imagined that with the passing of years, the system’s high Officers would begin to forget about the capsule, while the building would keep on looking like one more of hundreds of outdated scruffy and dirty constructions, who nobody would look at curiously, because of being tucked away in the city’s area, where it would remain surrounded by buildings in the same deplorable condition.

While the tower’s outline became clearer in his vision’s horizon, he remembered that, in those ten past years since his arrival, he practically had never separated from Isa Delarian, the second order Officer that the Systemic Council had appointed to him as part of the Lancar’s Vector Host Committee.

He closed his eyes, taken aback by the feelings caused by the memories from that memorable day for Spacia, but also for him.

Remembering the moment when the four hundred meters long Vector parked in a secondary port, from the several ones the gigantic building had where the central Solarian government met, something very unusual, since only Boreal guard’s spaceships were authorized to park there. However, the welcome was brief and churlish.

He remembered that, upon lowering the spaceship’s hatches, some minor delegates, like Isa Delarian, approached to greet him showing somewhat forced smiles, which overshadowed the tired faces, but anxious about the expedition’s survivors which had explored space for twenty years, broadening the limits of the star routes beyond the Astral Galaxy’s limits. Which made the battered spaceship’s members, into distinguished system’s citizens, and those unlucky ones who had died during the journey, in Spacia’s real heroes.

For Trivian, the small and indifferent welcome wasn’t a total surprise, since during the system’s entry things had become strange.

To begin with, they were intercepted and escorted by four purple Black Star spaceships, which identified them as the Boreal’s guard spaceships, who blocked any communication from or to the spaceship.

Lancar, upon seeing them, crumpled his nose and greeted them through the universal intercom asking why Spacian fleet’s regular spaceships didn’t escort them.  From the other side a voice lacking complete enthusiasm, informed that we would be greeted in the central government building by some authorities, but without answering Lancar’s question. The Captain was about to respond, but he finally sat down on his command seat while he stroked his chin, as if looking for the bushy beard which he had shaved off completely that morning, expecting an allegorical and massive greeting by the Council’s authorities and from the fleet’s admiralty also.

Trivian was one of the last ones to descend from the Vector, feeling extremely excited to place his feet on solid ground. He closed his eyes and breathed the marvelous air from his beloved planet deeply, to the point of causing the scientist to get dizzy. Upon opening his eyes, he found that his comrades were also affected by a return that many times had been at risk of not happening. 

He noticed that Captain Lancar looked for the fleet’s Officers amongst the few greeting group’s members, noticing quickly and evidently disappointed that there were none.

Suddenly, a young Councilor began to give some type of welcome speech, with such detachment and indifference, that it looked like reading an obituary out loud, who, for the exhausted expeditioners’ surprise, contained several threats long forgotten, that the Officer read without trying the least to hide them. In his brief rant, he thanked everyone for having given twenty years of their lives to the spacial exploration in Spacia’s name and that he expected for them to soon all become part of society again. Then he added that the crew and members were under oath of keeping unwavering secrecy about the expedition’s details, especially with all that was related to the capsule’s discovery, under penalty of confronting a trial for treason in case of being filtrations about the nature, either about the journey as well as their findings. He requested the present ones also, to hand over any image’s sequence recorded of the capsule and the rest of the findings, threatening them with going through hell if anybody had the bad idea of keeping any recording as a souvenir.

At the end, he added that there were some personal transportations taking each to their homes.

He shook Lancar’s hand and showing a forced smile he bid farewell to everyone. Almost all the governments civilian Officers withdrew in twenty seconds, while the crewmembers and passengers began to bid farewell with big hugs and words whose tone and emotion, Trivian guessed at a distance. It was a scene he’d never forget, because since the soul-stirring farewells were done on the landing platform, which seemed to hang from the sky at three kilometers high, he saw Isa Delarian for the first time, which without any doubt was approaching him.

Before she spoke to him, stopping at a meter away from where he was standing, something incredible happened in his inner self, something that before that day he would have considered impossible.

Trivian felt strongly wanting to kiss her and while he devoured the delicate face of the white skin and green eyes Officer with his gaze, he understood he loved Isa Delarian and he would love her for the rest of his life. It was as if he had been with her forever, to then forget her completely, until that moment which fate placed her in front of him.

For a moment he forgot about the capsule, the Dormant and about everything else. Trying to recover, he was barely able to answer to the protocol greeting that she had uttered while barely smiling, which he sensed honest.

Professor Trivian, welcome home.

—Thanks... and you, who are you?

—I’m Isa Delarian and I work in the Council’s Foreign Affairs Department.

—Where we out of the galaxy for so long that we’re considered aliens already?

She showed all her white teeth completely when smiling this time before Trivian’s question.

—No, of course not, Professor. Someone had the idea that it would be appropriate for me to handle the assets.

—What assets?

—The capsule and everything else...

Trivian began to regain common sense and conscience, which he had lost for a couple of minutes.

He also noticed that a large group of the Boreal Guard’s members were approaching the Vector.

—And where are they taking them to?

—From now on, that will not be your problem. It has been determined that all the assets be transferred to some rooms which have already been appointed for it, since Captain Lancar notified about the findings when you were in the system’s limit.

Trivian felt nauseous seeing that all his fears became real, an abrupt and brutal reality. Many nights during the years which took them to come back home, he imagined what would happen when they arrived at the Solarian System. He sensed that the Council would be very interested to get to the bottom of the issue, hoping that the scientific team who participated in the findings would be allowed to be part of further studies. Through time, he noticed that Prander as well as the other expedition’s scientists, lost interest in the capsule, even in the past four years of traveling, he was the only one to regularly visit the storage where the capsule and the Dormant were kept.

A powerful voice which revealed the habit of giving orders, made him snap into reality. After hearing what the guard’s leader there said, he understood he was lost and all those dreams which during many nights lead him to discover up to the last secret of the findings, now turned into a nightmare. 

—Passengers and crewmembers, you’ll be escorted to the inside of the spacecraft, so you can withdraw all your personal belongings. You won’t be able to withdraw anything else from the inside. Once you have finished with that, we’ll search all your baggage to prevent any recording device or microplak has been left forgotten in your luggage.

Vociferous calls were strongly raised, but none with more energy than the one from Captain Lancar’s himself.

—How dare you treat us as if we were criminals? After all, we’ve been through! You will not set foot inside my spaceship. This belongs to the fleet and not to the Boreal guard.

The tall and husky Boreal Guard’s Officer looked at Lancar with a neutral and selfless look, as one who sees a bird flying over the coast in a spring day.

—Mister Captain, I kindly request for you not to interfere with my orders. It would be very sad to stain the moment of your arrival with... compelling actions.

Before everyone’s surprise, the guards dressed in beautiful violet and green suits, raised some synchronous that were discretely hidden behind their purple coats in a threatening way. Just then, pilots Dran and Ladia, followed by some STFs who had survived the expedition, withdrew their shock waves’ guns and some lighting ones from their holsters, pointing calmly at the Council’s guards.

Ten years later, Trivian thought for a second that the never-ending expedition would end in an uneven exchange of fire, as the countless members of the Council’s guard wielded weapons much more powerful than the exhausted crewmembers. The edgy moment ended when Lancar lowered his face resignedly, at the same time he raised one of his hands. Immediately the crewmembers put away their weapons.

While the guard escorted the annoyed and still confused passengers inside the Vector, Trivian looked for a glimmer of hope in the Administrative officer’s eyes who observed the entire scene with a frown and biting her lips nervously, implying that she didn’t empathized with the Boreal’s Guard actions.

Then, he decided to play his last card with her.

—Miss Delarian, do you know the nature of the assets under your care?

She stared at him before answering.

—To be honest, I don’t have the slightest idea of what you are carrying, but I’m realizing it should be something very important. If not so, how could I explain this welcome so... inappropriate.

—But did you mention the capsule?

—Yes, I did, but I don’t know what it is.

—Then you’ll enter and lead the withdrawal of the items?

—No, I have orders to wait out here. The guards have the packaging mission of everything, into proper containers for it. I’m only going to escort them to the assigned premises for the packaging and to register them in the department’s registries. At the end I’ll receive the cargo manifest sealed, which the Boreal guard will give me after finishing the operation.

Then Trivian began to perform the only option he had and grabbing firmly and delicately Delarian’s arm, he dragged her to the side of the access ramp.

—Listen to me... I see these guards don’t respond to your orders.

—You’re right... that Boreal’s Commander is the Leader here.

—You must find a way for me to participate in the packaging and assets’ transfers afterwards...

She took her arm away from Trivian’s grip as courteously as she could.

—That’s impossible... besides, what would you get out of that? This issue is not your business anymore. Go home and rest for a good while... they had already warned us that your extended exposure at such faraway distances of our solar system for such a long time, would cause neuronal and psychological imbalances...

It’s not that your crazy, but all of you suffer severe traumatic imbalances which might take years to recover, by which they commented...

Trivian moved his head vigorously while he listened to her and when he was able to, he interrupted.

—Isa, I’m not crazy nor mentally unbalanced, I’m only tired and now desperate.  Can you at least come with me to the warehouse where the capsule is at? I need for you to see what we found.

—I can’t, I have orders not to go in!

It was the first time she raised her voice, while her expressive and lively green eyes sparkled with unexpected shine.

—Isa, I have no way to prove now what I’m going to say, but if they don’t allow me to remain near this entire issue, Spacia’s future and maybe from the whole galaxy, will be in serious risk.

She walked a few steps away and watched him with evident suspicions and mistrust before answering.

—Now you are talking like a madman...

—Isa, I dreamed it during the journey. It’s as if the capsule had spoken to my subconscious... many times, the Dormant even did it... or something like it.

—Who’s the dormant?

Trivian read in the young lady’s face, that she was saying the truth about claiming she didn’t know the cargo’s nature.

—Isa, that’s not important now. I’ll tell you all about it someday, since I know I could trust you. Don’t ask me for the reason, but I know that you’re the appropriate person to help me with this.

—Mister Trivian, what was it you discovered?

—We found a capsule of about three meters long flying adrift in deep space. At almost one million and a half light years from here.

The young Officer’s mouth was wide opened, covering it then instantly with her left hand.

—It can’t be!

—It’s true, and inside we found organic matter in a suspended living condition.

—The Dormant...

—Trivian’s eyes sparkled excited before the remarkable cleverness of that unknown young lady, which fate had placed before him in that unexpected and decisive moment.

She moved a few steps away, pondering on the situation, while almost every crewmember and passenger had returned to the spaceship in search or their belongings. Just then, the Boreal’s Commander, as they used to call the Boreal guard’s members, observed them. He didn’t do anything at the beginning, but he began to watch them carefully.

Trivian had always been shy with his dealings with the feminine gender, by which, to be direct and determined with women, had never been in his DNA. So, betraying his own essence he approached the one meter sixty and five centimeters high young lady, at the same time he noticed the Commander was watching them, understanding instantly that time was running out.

—Isa, I don’t have any intentions of stealing anything, I just want to remain linked to the findings, from there, I’ll find the way to continue with this investigation and that way, protect them also.

She appeared to have come out of a trance that Trivian’s words and gaze were causing her after hearing the last part.

—Protect them from what?

—From everything. From ambition, from greed and thirst of power. Also, from apathy and idleness, which can be as destructive as a thermal missile if happening in certain circumstances. All this could destroy what we have discovered Isa... it’s so fragile.

—Mister Trivian, I have no influence whatsoever here. I’m an Officer without any future in this government. I don’t even strive to become a second order Councilor someday.

Therein, Trivian glimpsed at the guard’s Commander who was approaching them with firm steps, without rushing.

—Isa, in any case, this is your moment. Tell me, are you going to help me or not?

Just then the Commander stood in between them both and looked at them alternatively before speaking to Delarian bluntly.

—You are the delegate who was sent to lead us to the destination of the assets isn’t it so?

Trivian observed her countenance changing into a cold expression and filled with power. He even regretted having spoken to her the way he did before, when he saw her raising her face and looking at the high Officer straight into his eyes upset.

—You’re right.

The Commander appeared to feel the effect of that soberly defiant attitude when answering and moved away one step back.

—This gentleman present here, must withdraw his belongings and leave. You’re making us waste our time by remaining with him outside the spaceship.

—It happens that this gentleman, has been in charge of keeping the Assets of our interest safe up until now, and I will need his cooperation for the transfer and the subsequent settling of them in our premises.

—Are you telling me that this gentleman