The Cycles of Revelation Series

Artifact of the Dawn: Impasse (A Queer Sci-Fi Adventure)

Episode 26: The elders refuse to listen to Takyra, insistent that the Rahn’naa is the remains of an ancient temple, not a crashed spaceship.

They followed Aerys to the holding cells. “We set aside some space in case we had any troublemakers after we awoke. I never thought we’d be using them for something like this.”

Ardyn smirked at Jevan when they could hear the elders ranting and raving from down the hall. The holding cells were within a large octagonal room containing eight cells, each large enough to hold two or three people.

The Triumvirate were in one cell, while Mathias was alone in his, and the two hunters shared a third cell together. There didn’t appear to be any doors, but Ardyn noticed the two hunters pressing their hands against an invisible wall, much like they’d encountered outside of the tower.

After they arrived, Aerys spoke to Takyra loud enough so everyone in the cells could hear. “I think we should leave them to cool their heels for a day before we conduct our interrogation,” he stated before turning abruptly and looking at him. “What do you think, Ardyn?”

A smile crept over his face as he understood. “I agree. That is an excellent idea. They are much too emotional right now.”

Turning, the four of them walked back out into the corridor when Aelrynd called after them. “Stop! Wait! Don’t just leave us here!”

“Jevan!” Mathias cried out. “You can’t leave me locked up with them. Please!”

Aerys turned, facing the three occupied cells. “Will you calm down enough so we can discuss matters like civilized people, or will you continue to scream like an athla’maakh?”

Using that word as an epithet took the elders by surprise, and Aelrynd took several breaths before responding. “We’ll calm down.”

The rest agreed in unison, with the hunters remaining silent, sulking in their cell.

Aerys smiled, stepping further into the room. “Excellent.”

“Let’s begin with some introductions,” Takyra suggested. “I am Chief Technician Takyra, and this is Chief of Security, Aerys. I take it you know Ardyn and Jevan?”

“They are known. However, I do not know these strange titles you have given yourselves, Takyra and Aerys. I am Elder Aelrynd, head of the Triumvirate of Maala’naa. These are Elder Taeglyn and Elder Druyndar,” she pointed to each elder as she named them.

“Under different circumstances, I would say it was good to meet you,” Takyra said. “However, I do not appreciate you barging onto my ship and threatening our new friends.”

Aelrynd ignored the accusation, making a demand instead. “Name the settlement from where you came.”

“I suppose you could say this ship is my settlement,” Takyra replied. “It is named the Rahn’naa.”

An angry scowl crossed Aelrynd’s face, but before she could respond, Druyndar spoke. “How dare you call this sacred temple a settlement? Why do you demean this ancient ground so?”

Ardyn rolled his eyes. “Elders, how can you not see you are standing within a technological marvel? This is no temple. Even Jevan understood that advanced technology was needed to craft everything you see around us.”

After the elders gave snorts of derision, Takyra spoke again. “Ardyn speaks the truth. Perhaps you have been using this as a temple, but this was a ship that could fly between the stars. It brought your ancestors to this world.”

“That’s impossible.” Elder Taeglyn spoke for the first time. “Our ancestors constructed most of this temple underground. It could never have flown like a bird.”

“The Rahn’naa crashed and became buried,” Takyra explained. “I can assure you we did not construct it where it is now. I personally oversaw the construction of this ship before it left the orbit of our homeworld, Aria’naa.”

“You… what?” Aelrynd spluttered. “From where? Our world is named Baaru’nor.”

“Your ancestors may have named this world Baaru’nor, but Aria’naa is the name of the Athla’naa homeworld,” Takyra explained.

“How do you explain all those who are entombed here?” Taeglyn asked. “There are thousands of caskets.”

Taking a deep breath, Takyra tried to explain. “They… we… weren’t entombed. Those aren’t caskets filled with the dead. Most, if not all, are still very much alive. Aerys and I slept in them for the past twelve centuries, until Ardyn and Jevan helped to wake us.”

Aelrynd threw her hands up in the air. “Enough! You speak of nothing but blasphemy! I will hear no more of your lies.”

“Alright, then why don’t you tell us what you know of your history,” Aerys suggested.

Heaving a deep sigh, Aelrynd sat on the bench next to her. “There are truths only the Triumvirate may know. It is pointless to continue, and you all are to be executed.”

Jevan smirked at Ardyn, hearing that idle threat.

Taeglyn rolled his eyes. “Well, seeing as they are to be executed, no harm can come from them knowing, can it?”

Then Taeglyn related what the significance of this temple was. It became clear that the Aria’asharra must have purposely lied to the next generation, teaching them that the observation tower was a temple that housed their ancient dead. The true history became warped over the course of nearly fifty generations, and now only the Elder Triumvirate even knew of the existence of the tower and what lay beneath.

“Why was this temple abandoned? Why don’t our people know about its existence?” Ardyn asked, curious how the Elders would respond.

Druyndar glowered at him. “As we have taught you, technology leads to nothing but violence and destruction. It nearly destroyed our ancestors. This temple stands as a monument to the near destruction of our people. It’s why we abandoned all technology eons ago.”

Standing again, Aelrynd continued. “Our ancestors decreed to never tell our people of the temple, as they may become too curious and attempt to learn its secrets.”

Coming to an impasse, Takyra declared an end to their conversation. “We’re getting nowhere, and there is much we need to do. We will make sure you are comfortable and given a meal.”

“You can’t just leave us here!” Mathias cried out as they turned to leave.

Ardyn paused when Jevan turned back to his ard. “I’m sure they’ll let you go after we’ve sorted this mess out,” Jevan reassured him. “There is much to consider, and the last thing we want is for a new war to break out between our people. Please, give us some time.”

Mathias huffed in indignation, but there was nothing he could do from within his cell, so they left them to join the others in the primary control center. “They aren’t ready to hear the whole truth,” Takyra was saying as they entered. “I’m not even sure they can handle that knowledge.”

“This has all been a shock to us as well,” Ardyn confessed. “But Jevan and I are far more open minded than the Elder Triumvirate is.”

“We will need to find another way to get through to them,” Aerys said. “But our priority should be to wake up the rest of the Athla’naa aboard ship. The cryopods have been in continuous use far past the safety limits. It’s possible not all within their pods have survived.”

“We also need to contact Aria’naa,” Takyra said. “We don’t know what may have happened to our people in the intervening centuries. Many tensions were still building at the time we left, and there were the rumblings of war. However, we still need to reach out to whoever may still be out there.”

“How can you send a message that far away?” Ardyn asked. “How long would it even take to get there?”

Takyra operated the display before her as she explained. “If one of our subspace beacons is still operational, I could launch one into orbit. It could send a message back to Aria’naa within a few days. Subspace communication travels much faster than this ship can.”

Jevan and Ardyn looked at each other, dumbfounded. “I guess we’ll have to take your word for it,” Ardyn said, making Takyra laugh.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoy my writing and are not yet a member of Medium, for a nominal fee you can join and support me, to unlock more of my articles and all the content on this platform.