Coming of the Darkstar

Ch5-1 O.M.E.G.A.

The blue chamber was far colder than any other room that Joran had passed through.

I must be getting closer...

One hand closed around the collar of her fur-lined jacket. The other trembled with chill and a sense of excitement. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the small silver device, transparent prints marking the slick, reflective surface where her fingertips met the metal.

I'm glad I thought to dress warm for this. I didn't know the tower would be so frigid.

Joran picked her footing carefully. The stone was slippery and blanketed with spongy sea-plants. Small tide pools of salt water dotted the floor where the walls had caved in under the waves. From every side, there was the soft hissing sound of the ocean.

Pren said this place was once a floating sky-fortress...

Her hand traced the patterns of tiling along the walls. At one time, it might have been a stream of lights built into the floor for illumination. There seemed to have been very few, if any, windows structured into the hallways themselves.

Zot..? I think that was the name of it. Built by our people, there's no doubt. This was once Lunarian technology.

She hopped over a pile of fallen debris, careful to hold her balance. One eye was constantly on the device in her hand. A tiny white dot flashed slowly on and off, a location marker.

My people had to have been on this world. Though... why hasn't anyone talked bout the Lunarians coming to the Blue Planet? Even Master FuSoYa is close-lipped about it.

Joran frowned slowly.

It looks like this place went through some sort of battle.

She brushed away some of the grime from the stones nearest her.

A floating fortress... that fell into the sea. I wonder what really happened?

She wiped the sea water off on her hide trousers and continued on. The chill was beginning to make its way through her deeply lined furs.

And what happened between the humans and Lunarians? Why did KluYa come down here to the Blue Planet? It's never talked of so plainly, but I know it happened.

Joran's green eyes focused back on the device in her hand. Then she glanced up at the tall set of doors that were blocking her passage.

It had to have happened. After all, Golbez has admitted that he has half-Human blood.

She pressed slowly on the doors, testing the strength of the structures around it. It gave a low creak, but did not budge.

But this tower... the way it feels... it was certainly a place built for war. Not for cultural observation.

Her eyes turned to study the small, dark plate on the wall next to the doorway. At one time, it looked to have been a power supply that may have opened and closed the door. Now, however, it was lifeless and black. Like the rest of the tower's mechanisms.

This is all so confusing. And it's all so hush-hush. Something just doesn't feel right about the whole deal.

Fishing around in one pocket, Joran pulled out a second device. It was small and square with a thin, red wire sticking from one corner.

But this is what I'm here to do...

Clicking open the tiny control panel at the bottom of the plate on the wall, she attached the wire into one of the small, marked holes. Punching a few quick keys on the device, it gave a whirring sound, as the lights on the door plate hummed to life.