A challenge for the sky, p.1
A Challenge for the Sky, page 1
Copyright ©2022 Marc DeGeorge
All Rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons or places, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover Design by: miblart
Author Photo by: MuseMarc Studio
ISBN: 978-1-956487-09-1 (digital), 978-1-956487-11-4 (paperback)
First Edition: October 2022
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Acknowledgments
To NASA, for first inspiring me to look at the sky and the stars above it with wonder and curiousity.
To my friends and writing partners, Ben Pick, E. Marie Robertson, Michelle Darnell and J. Logan Rice. Thank you always for your critical commentary, positive support, and laughs.
My amazing editors, Joanne Machin and Ariel Anderson. You have been a huge help in making this book a reality. Thank you.
And finally, to my wife and family, for giving me the time to mold a story into something worth reading.
Chapter one
I can see the future in the sky.
For once in many years, the clouds of the layer above us dissipate, and the stars are visible. I stare up at those sparkling gems and wonder what awaits our people. Our collective people. We still don’t have much common ground, but we can agree on one thing: this planet is not where we should be.
In the recent months, we’ve made many discoveries, thanks to the lethal mission Karima and I went on. We accomplished something no one else on this planet has ever done—we descended into the mata, braved the poisonous atmosphere, and returned with data from the ship the original settlers came here by. Only they never meant to come here. We’re not sure why they did, just that this is not the planet they meant to land on.
But we’ve survived here for generations, living on the islands our ancestors built to float in the sky above the deadly mata. It’s only been in recent years that the five clans have looked to the stars and wondered why we have never gone there. My mother was one of those people who tried to find out, but her rocket to the beyond disappeared, and we learned nothing.
I want to be the one who completes my mother’s mission. It will be difficult, but that is not what occupies my time these days. Now that I am chief of my clan, I must make that my priority. I cannot be a poor imitation of my father and expect our people to thrive.
I climb the curved stairs that lead to the advisors’ chamber. Memories, terrifying in their recollection, come flooding back to me as I reach the top. Not that long ago, I almost died here, nearly murdered by our clan’s former Fist—a man who was also my mentor. Only my new ally and friend, Karima, was able to save me, though Soramichi, my little cousin, insists she helped, too.
“Toume, welcome back.” Seishin—my advisor for health and agriculture here on Trappist, our island—smiles and reaches an arm out to embrace me as I arrive.
“I am welcome,” I reply, being more formal than necessary. It’s not required. Seishin has known me my entire life, but perhaps that is why I do. I don’t want her to think of me as a child. I’m not. Twenty-two years of age is more than enough to be an adult.
“We are all eager to begin, but please, do not feel rushed.” Seishin opens the double doors to the chamber, and we enter to be greeted by the three men who await us.
“Toume, an exciting moment, this is!” Zai, the advisor for trade and finance, says. After Seishin, he has been my biggest supporter. I am thankful, as I need all the support I can get. All of this is new to me. Of course, I have studied the texts and prepared myself to lead a meeting like this. But books cannot substitute for the actual moment. “Please, be seated. We have much to discuss.”
I take two steps toward Zai, then freeze, caught by the dimness of the room. Its oppressive gloom weighs on me. I know it is not just the responsibility I feel. It is something darker. Perhaps the memory of Kyuhei first attacking me here. The air tastes stale in my mouth, and I catch a draft that sends a chill down my spine. Only when Seishin puts a warm hand on my shoulder do I break free of my sudden dread.
I continue toward the rectangular table and the six chairs that surround it. Unlike the rest of the room, it is bright and inviting, lit by a large skylight directly overhead. Other than that, there are no lights or furniture, and that is by design. This room’s sole purpose is for meetings, and some Nezuhmy clan chief decided long ago that any other item would simply be a distraction. Still, the table and chairs, built from a lightly tanned wood, are a luxury.
“Hello, Zai, you look well. And you, Hoga,” I say. Both men smile and nod. Then I turn to Eikai, my head mechanic and master of things technological. “Eikai, glad you could make it.”
“As I am glad you are here!” Eikai means to tease me with his reply, and it works. I duck my head and acknowledge my delayed arrival. Our meeting was supposed to be a month ago, but I was away, on Temple, the island of the Drakhen, learning from their high priestess how to be a chief.
I was glad to spend time with Karima, too. Perhaps one day she will be more than my friend, but any discussion of marriage is on hold. I am grateful for it, as I am not ready for marriage. Not now. If my father were still alive, I would have agreed to it, for the sake of both our clans, but I have too much to worry about besides being a good husband. And I would want to be. Karima deserves it.
“Shall we begin?” Hoga, head of island bureaucracy, asks as we take our seats, mine at the head of the table. It’s the one my father used to sit in. “What is first on the agenda today?”
All eyes fall on me. There is something official I am supposed to do as clan chief, something ceremonial, but despite watching my father do it a hundred times, I can’t remember it. Instead, I motion to Zai to just continue. He smiles with understanding and looks at the paper—another luxury—on the table before him.
“Several resources are running low,” Zai says. “We are in dire need of composite materials and metal ores. The last drop did not bring as much as expected, and the Manuhke required more than their usual share for their project. As such, we will need to decide which repairs will have to be delayed, temporarily, but…Toume, this cannot go on for very long.”
“If we are not getting what we need,” Eikai says, “then the Vaghka and the Ihaashe may not have gotten any.”
“That is a problem,” Hoga adds. “A lack of resource will cause instability between the clans.”
“But it’s only temporary,” I say. “The project will solve these problems, and the sooner we can get into space, the sooner we can find them.”
“But”—Zai is troubled—“we don’t know how long it will take to get up there and find what we need.”
“It’s not long now.” I raise a hand to stop him from any further protests. “We’ll be fine. Let’s move on.”
Zai furrows his brow but returns his gaze to the paper before him. Perhaps we should spend more time to discuss, but there are more pressing issues, I’m sure.
“We must choose a new Fist,” Zai says. I look at the one empty chair on my left, the one the clan’s protector, their Fist, would occupy. Kyuhei would be sitting there if he were still alive. If he hadn’t turned traitor.
I am the reason Kyuhei is no longer with the living. I shot him down. His Icaroplan caught fire and dove into the mata, never to return.
My actions were justified. Kyuhei betrayed our clan and had my father murdered for his own selfish ideals. But no matter how many times I repeat those words in my head, they don’t make it better. Kyuhei was the one who taught me how to fly and how to fight. I used those lessons to kill him. His ghost may one day return to take its revenge on me. Perhaps it’s sitting in that chair, this very moment, its burning eyes, full of hatred, staring at me.
“Toume, what do you think of Tedai?” Hoga suggests.
“Your son?” Seishin asks. “We never had two of the same family on the council at the same time. That would be against tradition.”
“He is a good choice,” Zai counters. “You have a point, of course, Seishin, but this is no time for tradition. We are on the precipice of a new era and must consider all options.”
“Nonsense,” Eikai says. “Tradition is the only thing we can rely on at a time like this! You raised Tedai well, Hoga, but he is just not clever enough to protect us.”
“Toume, what do you think?” Seishin asks.
I break my gaze away from the empty chair and stare at Seishin. What do I think? I have put little thought into it and have been reluctant to put more. Every time I did, Kyuhei’s face would enter my mind. The look on it when he was about to end my life, not fifty paces from where I sit, was terrifying.
“I’m not sure,” I reply, shutting my eyes for just a moment. I hoped it would clear my head of visions of Kyuhei, but it doesn’t. My heart thumps faster in my chest. I feel like it expands with every beat, crushing my lungs and restricting my every breath.
“Think about someone who is intelligent, strong, canny. And a good fighter, if that’s possible. Anyone can learn to fight, but the abilities of the mind are not something that can be taught,” Eikai says. “It may be difficult, Toume, but does anyone come to mind?”
“Yes, actually, someone does,” I spit o
“Who then?” Hoga asks. I disappointed him when I showed no support for his son. But Eikai is right about Tedai. He’s strong but not in the least bit clever. I’ve met the Fists of the other clans, and even the worst one would be more than a match for him. No. There is only one person I would trust to keep me safe. Someone who I wish was sitting in that seat, rather than Kyuhei’s ghost.
“Nasima wa Karima al’Drakhen. That’s who I want.”
Hoga shakes his head as his eyebrows meet in between his eyes. Zai’s mouth drops open. Only Eikai smirks and folds his arms as he leans back in his chair. I had expected such a response. Now I will have to listen to their objections. I hope they are quick, because I am feeling dizzy.
“Toume, you cannot have your betrothed become Fist!” Zai says. “Yes, of course she is learned and skilled, but she’s—”
“A woman?” Seishin asks, giving Zai a wary eye. “Surely, you can’t mean that, Zai. Not after that speech about how we must embrace all options.”
“No, I didn’t mean that!” Zai replies, his face turning red. “She and Toume will marry. And what happens when he must ask her to fight against her own clan to protect ours? Could she? No, I don’t think so.”
“As if that situation has never occurred before,” Eikai says. “Zai, you’d know this if you had a partner. Allegiances come into question all the time, but it’s never been a problem.”
“Never?” Zai fires back. “Well, need I remind you of the young Vaghka boy who was half Nezuhmy? You remember him? He shot your chief in the heart twice!”
The discussion devolves into a shouting match, with all four of them blathering over the smallest detail. The amount of noise the four of them drum up is energetic. It shouldn’t bother me, a pilot, who is comfortable with the constant explosive sound of a pulse detonation engine, but their accusations are daggers in my ears.
I rest my head in my hands and close my eyes again. Karima showed me some techniques for relieving the body of stress, but it doesn’t work. My senses throttle up, and I have to slap my hands over my ears to quiet the din.
Someone calls my name—I think it’s Zai—then silence returns to the room. A hand touches my shoulder, and I uncover my ears.
“Toume, are you alright?” Zai asks.
I sit up and look at him, but the face I see isn’t his. It’s Alek’s—Kyuhei’s son, and my father’s killer! I gasp and push away from the table. The chair squeaks against the hard floor, and the sound returns me to that day Kyuhei burst through the doors of the hall, blade in hand and rage on his face.
The vision before me is clearer than on the day it happened. His attack was relentless. There was no anguish on his face, only the surety that I was an infestation that needed to be destroyed. I thought I was ready to join my father in death. Instead, I must relive this nightmare.
“Toume,” Seishin says, getting up and coming over to me. She places her hands on my face, and I jerk, frightening her and startling the others.
“Perhaps his wounds have not healed properly,” Hoga says.
“I bet he’s affected by the gas he inhaled,” Eikai says. “His mind can’t focus for a long time anymore. Then again, mine can’t either!”
“Toume?” Seishin says again, this time softer. Her hand touches my arm, and the vision dissipates. I take a moment to calm my breathing and stare at the tabletop, fearful of looking elsewhere.
After a few minutes, I look up, meet their concerned eyes, and feel their expectation. They want me to sit down and continue this meeting, but I don’t know if I can. Everything, even choosing a new Fist, seems trivial right now. I can’t even think straight.
“Toume? Please tell me how you are feeling,” Seishin tries again. Then the atmosphere in the room becomes as dense as the mata. My throat gets tight, and I get the urgent need to escape.
“I’m sorry,” I say, standing up. “I can’t. I just…I need to get some air.”
As I feel my stomach churn and push back against my lunch, I race down the steps and shove the massive doors open, headed for the edge of the island. People jump out of my way as I rush past. My name is called so many times I can’t keep count. I’m blinded to everything but my destination.
Then, when I’m there, I fall on my belly and release all its contents over the side of the island. Only then do I feel some relief. I roll onto my back and stare up at the orange-and-maroon sky above me. It’s calming, and I inhale the fresh air of our world and sigh. This is not how I wanted my first meeting to go.
Chapter two
Ancestors, please grant me the strength to overcome my fears.
“Toume, you are definitely the laziest clan chief I have ever known,” Soramichi, my cousin, says as she walks over to me. “You’re here, lying around, when you should be handling the clan’s business!”
“Chi, you’ve only known two clan chiefs, and one of them is me. Do you have any water?”
Chi comes to stand over me and frowns as I wipe my mouth on my sleeve. She squats and examines my face as she pulls her canteen from her crew harness. I accept it gratefully and gulp as much water as I need to clear my throat.
“Toume, you’re looking paler than usual.” She watches me as concern forms on her face. “Are you seeing things again?”
“I couldn’t even get through the first ten minutes of the meeting.” I shake my head and turn away. I shouldn’t be ashamed to talk to her. She may only be going on fifteen, but Chi has seen more horror than most adults. She was right there with me when we shot Kyuhei down. And that isn’t even the worst of it. My little cousin has blood on her hands, too.
“And that breathing thing that Karima showed you?”
“It works a little.”
Chi reaches out and drops a hand on my shoulder. Her gaze goes blank as she presses her lips together. I try to reassure her with a smile, but I can’t return her look for fear of seeing Kyuhei’s or Alek’s face again. I’ve seen my father’s, too. Malignant specters are the furthest from comfort that I can get.
Then Chi’s face lights up, and that devilish grin she’s had since she was a child appears. It is usually the last signal I see when I know she’s scheming something. Which means she’s already come up with an irresponsible plan.
“I think I know what you need, Toume.”
“No, Chi. I don’t have time for games. I’ve got to get back to the meeting. They’re probably searching for me right now.”
“And risk having Kyuhei’s dead face stare back at you again? Toume, you’re useless to them if you panic the moment you enter the hall. It won’t matter if you delay the meeting one more day.” Chi offers me her hand. “Come on. I know where you’d rather be.”
“Where is that?” I take her hand and let her pull me up. I’m not the only one Karima has been teaching. Thanks to the Drakhen heir, Chi has added a little bit of muscle to her tiny frame. She told me she never wanted to be caught in a situation where her physical strength was her vulnerability again.
“Skuzama.”
“That’s a Manuhke island. Why go there?”
“There’s a launch test today.”
I sigh. Chi knows me too well. She might know me better than I know myself. The opposite is true, too. When we were young, we spent more time together than we did with anyone in our families. And very little gets past our awareness of each other. She’s got it right—I would drop everything to see that rocket test.
But I’m not just the son of the clan chief anymore. I am the chief, and I have a serious responsibility to my people. “That little island has got to be halfway around the planet by now. Even if I could go, which I can’t, the Swallow is not outfitted to fly that far anymore. Not after they added all the armor and the guns.”
“Nope,” Chi replies and beams. “It’s a three-hour flight, bearing one-seventy-eight almost all the way. Come on, Toume. We’ll be there and back in no time. They won’t even miss you.”
“The clan would most certainly miss their chief.”
