Alex, Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII

Planet Bia, Obelisk Galaxy

I stepped out of the shuttle-port and into the cold night air. Planet Bia was the eighteenth planet from the green sun, so it was always around zero degrees. The only thing that kept it above zero was the fact that twenty feet below me was a volcanic vein of magma.

Mage came up behind me. Her scarf covered her face. "Hey, do you think you could create a group of people so we’re not the only ones out here?" Mage had a point. Bia was not friendly to any of the other Galaxies, and only accepted people in certain areas.

 

"Do it as soon as we go around that corner. I can feel people watching us. And have a man and a woman from this planet show us around. Matter of fact, just make them. A big group will be suspicious." Blake said.

"Blake, you can’t be seen on this planet, right?" I asked him as we walked.

"If they expect to see me, then they do. But they’d have to know I was coming ahead of time."

"Go ahead and scout out the throne room. It’s the first room in the Castle and the Crystal is behind the chair. Don’t touch it until we get there," Mage said, understanding my plan.

Blake nodded and ran off. As me and Mage left the eyes of people behind us, I created two Bia people and had them walk on either side of us. I prayed that nobody looked too closely and noticed that only one of them had a face.

"What’s wrong? Why does my escort have no face?" Mage whispered to me.

"I never made a Bia before. It’s hard to make new things." I whispered back. As soon as I made the guards, people came on to our street.

A big, burly man with vibrant blue skin walked up to us and addressed the two guards. "Where are you taking these two?" He said in his native language.

"Throne room. Await trial for trespassing." My escort said. I was glad I had given them false memories, like knowing this language.

"I will take them. Pathetic humans. They should’ve known better. Got to love the new decree," the man said.

"Decree, sir?"

"All humans are to be executed when found. Where were you when the announcement was made?" The Bia man was starting to get suspicious.

"Executed?" Mage whispered. The Bia man saw her speak and back handed her across the face.

"Speak only when spoken to!" he said in his language.

"Sir, I’m sorry. Me and my friend were away on business. Before you take these humans, I have a question for you, to make sure of your trustworthiness. I have heard rumors of shape-shifters�"changelings, even�"around these parts." My escort said.

"Ask away. I can understand your doubts. I was fooled by a changeling myself, some seven years ago."

"What is the most feared creature on this planet?"

Mage looked at me. She had tears in her eyes and that side of her face was already starting to bruise.

"Easy. The Blackstar Bear, nearly eight times the size of a man. Damn terrifying things. There hasn’t been one in this town since I took over the guard," he answered proudly.

"What about that one?" My escort said pointing down the street.

A bear with black fur and a white star pattern on its forehead had emerged from a hole in the wall. It towered above the one story buildings and trampled people and homes under its paws. As the captain of the guard went to fight it, me and Mage ran.

 

We hid in an Alcove in the castle walls.

"We were told nothing about a damn decree!" I said to her as we watched soldiers charge at the Blackstar Bear I had created.

"It must have been made during that week we spent on the shuttle. But that makes this class eight. 20 percent mortality rates, at best…" We get caught, we will die."

We sat in silence. I crawled and looked around. "All clear!" I said.

And of course, right then two guards came and placed us under arrest.

 

We were thrown into dungeon Stone walls, hay on the floor, steel bars, the full nine yards. This place was the middle ages, but with spaceships and intergalactic war instead of boats and village raids. It made me worry about what their equivalent of the Crusades would be.

"Mage, you’re good with numbers. In this situation, what is the life expectancy?" I asked her, who was sitting dismally on the hay.

"After we were caught and put on execution? 12 percent of surviving the execution, 6 percent chance of making it home. Zero percent of completing our task. But you know what? Our chances just tripled." Mages eyes brightened.

"Why is that?"

"Can’t you feel it? Blake is close. And he has the crystal."