The Cycles of Revelation Series

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

Episode 18: Cytra reveals some unbelievable truths to Jevan and Ardyn, who struggle to comprehend what they’ve just learned.

“Cytra, what is a light year?” Jevan asked, trying to comprehend what this strange floating head was telling them.

“A light-year is the distance light travels during the length of one year, based on the orbit of Aria’naa around its star. One light-year is approximately twelve thousand cycles. This world is around three light years from Aria’naa, or about the distance of thirty-six thousand cycles,” Cytra explained, showing them images of stars and what Jevan assumed must be planets.

Laughing, Jevan shook his head. “I’m sorry I asked her that. I’m even more confused now.”

Ardyn sat thoughtfully for a moment. “I don’t quite understand everything she was telling us, but I think she means Aria’naa is far away. Too far away for us to be concerned with.” He pulled out the key from his pocket and laid it on the table. “Cytra, what is this?”

Cytra’s eyes fluttered before she replied. “It is a control access key. It allows access to various parts of the ship to anyone with a recognized biosignature.”

“Cytra, is that what the words on the key say?” Ardyn asked. “The script is old, and I cannot read it.”

“Yes, that is the meaning. Please, input a sample of your current writing so I may update my database,” Cytra offered, as a small tablet rose from the desk, along with something that resembled a writing implement.

Ardyn had learned to write using feather quills on rough parchment made from bark that his people made. Because of that, he understood enough to recognize how to use the implements presented to him. Picking up the tablet and strange quill, Ardyn wrote a brief paragraph in the current elven script, introducing himself and giving a description of the settlement of Maala’naa. When finished, he placed the implements back on the table.

“Please read what you wrote aloud,” Cytra requested. “So that I may learn more of your dialect.”

Ardyn began reading and Jevan’s eyes went wide as he saw the words on the key change into the modern elven script. He couldn’t read it as well as he spoke the language, but he understood enough to make out the words Control Access Key.

“If you provide more words, I can update all signage throughout the Rahn’naa,” Cytra recommended.

“Okay. I think I’ll write a fable my parents told me as a child,” Ardyn said, as he wrote. After he finished and read it aloud, more words on the desk changed, until they were all in the current elven script.

“Can you read all of that?” Jevan asked.

Nodding, Ardyn was reading everything. “Yes, but I do not understand all of it. There are many words I am unfamiliar with, but at least I can read them now.”

“That’s a step in the right direction,” Jevan said.

They turned back to Cytra with more questions. “Why did my people leave the homeworld to come here?” Ardyn asked.

“Do you wish a detailed explanation or a summary?” Cytra asked in response.

“Let’s start with a brief summary,” Jevan suggested. “We can learn the details later.”

“The population of Aria’naa was increasing, and if trends were going to continue, they would face an overpopulation crisis,” Cytra explained. “The leaders of Aria’naa ordered probes to be sent to search for habitable planets with no intelligent life. Our probes found five such worlds within a reasonable distance from Aria’naa. The Rahn’naa was the fifth ship built and sent to this world to set up a colony.”

“Did she just imply that they didn’t consider Medellans intelligent?” Jevan bristled. “Cytra, this world already had an intelligent species living on it.”

“This was not the planet intended for colonization,” Cytra explained, showing a planet on the screen before zooming out and then zooming in on another planet. “We were heading to the planet we named Maal’dak Five, which is four light years from our present location and seven light years from Aria’naa.”

Jevan relaxed a bit. “Then how did the Rahn’naa come to be on this planet?”

There was a long pause as Cytra’s eyes fluttered. “I cannot explain,” she said, her eyes darting back-and-forth. “There are gaps in my memory. Files have been erased. Scanning… scanning… signs of sabotage are detected.”

Ardyn felt bad for this strange, floating head, but pressed on with more questions. “Cytra, why would the Athla’naa abandon all this technology when colonizing a new planet?”

“Upon arrival, the colonists would have begun building a city. All materials to build one are part of this ship.”

“My people never built a city here, Cytra,” Ardyn said.

Cytra looked at them blankly for a moment. “That is because the baaru’dak still sleep.”

“The make new are… sleeping?” Jevan asked. “I’m missing the context again because that makes as much sense as flying settlement. Cytra, what does baaru’dak mean?”

“The Baaru’dak are the Athla’naa who build and repair everything you see around you,” Cytra replied. “They are the class of Athla’naa that includes engineers, scientists, architects, and other technical specializations. They built the Rahn’naa.”

“Oh, so the Baaru’dak are the Athla’naa who know how to operate all this technology,” Jevan said with a glimmer of understanding.

That’s when Ardyn seemed to have a realization. “Cytra, you said that these Baaru’dak are Athla’naa, and that they are still sleeping?”

“Yes.” Cytra confirmed.

Standing from the position he’d been squatting in, Jevan paced behind the chair Ardyn occupied. “I’m not sure I can believe this. I think she’s saying there are elves who traveled here on this ship, currently asleep. We certainly didn’t see any in the sections we explored earlier. If they’ve been here all this time, how come we haven’t seen any? Cytra, how is that possible?”

“They remain in cryostasis,” Cytra replied. “They will remain asleep until I am ordered to awaken them.”

Ardyn couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. There were ancient Athla’naa, asleep somewhere on this ship. His mind raced at the implications. “Why are they still sleeping, Cytra?”

Cytra fluttered her eyes and looked back at Ardyn. “Someone disabled the automated wake-up protocol after the Rahn’naa crashed. I have been waiting for further instruction.”

“Disabled? Does that mean what I think it means?” Ardyn asked, turning to Jevan.

Rubbing his face in frustration, Jevan shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, but it sounds to me like maybe your ancestors left them behind on purpose.”

A sense of dawning realization crept across Ardyn’s mind. “Could this be why the Aria’una is forbidden? The elders must know that this ship is here, but do they know what it contains? Is that why they keep everyone away, to keep us from discovering the truth?!”

Ardyn looked up at the floating face above them. “Cytra, where are the Baaru’dak sleeping?”

“The Baaru’dak remain within their cryopods,” Cytra responded. “Would you like me to wake them?”

Turning to Jevan, Ardyn looked at him for guidance, clearly overwhelmed.

Stepping forward, Jevan addressed Cytra. “Is it possible to wake up only one, so we could speak to them?”

“Yes. I would advise reviving the head of the Baaru’dak, Chief Technician Takyra,” Cytra recommended.

“That sounds like the right Athla’naa to start with,” Jevan said, nodding to Ardyn.

“Okay, Cytra, please wake up Chief Technician Takyra,” Ardyn instructed.

“Revival process initiated. Please proceed to the cryopod revival chamber,” Cytra said.

“Where is the revival chamber, Cytra?” Ardyn asked.

Cytra’s face disappeared, and in its place was a map of the ship, with lights blinking in two locations. “The blue indicates your current location. The revival chamber is marked in green.”

They hesitated, trying to study the map, when Cytra’s voice spoke again. “I have duplicated the map onto the tablet. You may use it to guide you toward the revival chamber.”

“Thank you, Cytra,” Ardyn said, picking up the tablet. “You’ve been very helpful. Come on, Jevan, let’s go meet this Chief Technician.”

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