The Beginning
Stet paces. She’d been doing a lot of that lately. She thought over the day’s events and paced some more.
At the behest of Sei-An President Shizhima she had been attempting to contact someone who’d had direct experience of “shadows.” She thought back to the start of it all…..
………………………
Stet and General Rozo entered her apartment laughing. The day had been spent hunting and General Rozo was regaling her with stories of other hunting trips taken before she arrived on Rubi-Ka. The game had been good and she was looking forward to some tender Hammer steaks, a good red wine and conversation with a good friend.
“Babe, you have to remember your armor when we go out hunting. Especially up near the Clon**** mines,” Rozo scolded.
Stet handed him a glass of wine, “It’s easy to forget, Roz. Since you redesigned my implants I don’t seem to get hit hard at all.”
Rozo laughed. “The point of those implants was to keep you safer. Not give you an excuse to run around spider territory half dressed.”
Stet blushed. “I’ll have you know…” What she would have said was interrupted by her com signal. She looked at her com then at Rozo. “It’s Shiz,” she explained answering. “Yes, Shiz. What can I do for you?”
“I want to talk to you,” he replied. “Now. Do you know where General Rozo is?”
President Shizhima’s voice sent the message that this was to be no social call. “Yes, sir. He’s right here.”
“Bring him,” he said then abruptly cut the link.
Stet stared at her comlink, surprised and a little worried. She said to Rozo, “He wants to see us. And I don’t think it’s going to be pleasant.”
…….
Rozo and Stet arrived and President Shizhima’s office within minutes of being called. Shizhima sat behind his desk looking more than a little concerned. General Reilos was also in attendance, an expression of grave expectation on his face. Stet greeted Shiz and the young General warmly. They were not in the habit of standing on formality among themselves. Rozo offered firm handshakes and a brief embrace, his face reflecting the concerned looks of the other two men. “What’s this about,” he asked.
Shizhima gestured at the seats, “Please. Sit.”
While the Generals took seats, the President gathered his thoughts. With everyone settled and their attention directed toward him, he took a deep breath and began to speak. “I have seen disturbing things,” he began. “The last few days, while meditating, I began to notice that there is a stir in the shadows. Those things that were once insubstantial and mostly harmless are beginning to change.”
He put his hands together and rested his chin on steepled fingers. His eyes closed as he recalled the vision. “I sense… a change.” He paused, thinking. “I have been aware of disturbances in the shadows for some time. You remember the incidents involving Damon Clyburn?” He opened his eyes and looked at each of his Generals in turn receiving silent affirmation from all. “I should have sensed that there was something greater behind his actions, but I did not. I thought of his whole charade as some play for personal importance.” He leaned forward placing his palms on the cool marble of his desktop. “I was negligent. Those incidents portended greater menace to come.”
The Generals listened without interrupting. “I have recently seen the true nature of the threat,” Shizhima went on, “The threat that may foreshadow the end of all life as we know it. It may be that we will pay a greater price for the Shadow Lands knowledge than we knew.”
“What do you mean,” asked General Reilos.
Shizhima sighed, “I mean that the shadows are gaining power. Since the opening of the portals, they have become agitated. I sense that they are drawing from a source of energy unknown to us which allows them to gain substance. Substance enough that they may be able to cross into this plane of existence without aid.” He looked at his Generals, his brow furrowed with determination. “This must be stopped.”
Rozo looked thoughtful. “I may know something about this. I have been studying some spatial anomalies which seem to present as artificial. Let me do some more research and I’ll let you know what I find.”
Reilos rose from his chair, “I can collect field data on the portals. If I find anything unusual, maybe I can trace it back to its source.”
Shizhima nodded as he rose from his chair. “That would be helpful.” Rozo stood and firmly grasped the President’s offered hand. “Take care, my brother,” Shizhima told him. He turned to Reilos, grasped his hand in both of his. “You too, young brother. We do not know the extent of the danger we face. It would grieve me to lose you when we have known each other such a short time.”
To Stet he said, “I want you to find out who knows about these shadows. Find out what they know.” Stet nodded. To all of them he said, “I will be available to you at all times until we have eliminated this curse of shadows.”
“I will call as soon as I know anything,” Rozo promised. Stet watched with a deep sense of foreboding as he left the room.
…….
Tears came to Stet’s eyes as she remembered. “Where are you, now,” she wondered.