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| Lpnet1-100 The Lost Planet Chapter 1: Accident with an Asteroid Chapter 2: Stranded in Space Chapter 3: Survival in Solitude Chapter 4: The Ancient Temple Chapter 5: A Virtual Reality Experience Chapter 6: The Crystal Records Chapter 7: The Knowledge of Tranqua Chapter 8: The Meta- Hydrovector Chapter 9: The Long, Hard Work Chapter 10: The Project Complete Chapter 11: The Crystal Fantasy Chapter 12: The Key of Vitreos |
The
Lost Planet
Chapter 15. T’rwani and Tranqua
7/8/2087: I sat in the temple, looking at the box of spheres beside it. Before the accident, I would have never guessed I'd be a lone spaceman living on an asteroid. But I wasn't really alone. T’rwani existed in spirit, in the crystals, and I could see her anytime. I could hold her, touch her, love her, even if it was some sort of enhanced alien fantasy. To me, it was real enough. It was a world in itself, the world of Tranqua. I realized then what Captain Nezmot did not know. The crystals and the precious stones were not enough to keep me on this cold, barren space stone. Without T’rwani, I could never have stayed, even if it meant losing the treasure. Trawani was the perfect companion and friend. She helped to retain my sanity. On the other hand, the mystery of Tranqua challenged my intellect and compelled me to seek answers. As I sought answers more questions occurred, but the plain truth was, I was learning. I was learning in such a way as I never learned before, and at times it felt as if my mind was pulsating with power. My thoughts wandered aimlessly as I dwelled upon my new found, little enterprise. Now that I had enough supplies to last another year (combined with what the hydrovector projected), and I possessed something of great value, what should I do with it? The knowledge of the Tranquans could definitely benefit humanity, but if the wrong people took hold of it, it could also be wrongly misused. I had to make sure such a thing did not happen. I was led to recall the crystal-records and time-index 14.67. Before Mars invaded Tranqua, Tranqua was a paradise. There was no selfish greed or violence, no great evil other than the seasonal 'land-quakes' that were a natural phenomenon the people had learned to accept. There were no 'High Ampleks' or any hierarchy of power whatsoever. The Tranquans had a perfect collective culture; everyone put in as much as they took out. The only formal 'working' groups were loosely bound 'guilds' which specialized in particular areas and traded with each other through a barter system. There was no 'monetary' exchange, no banks, no race or contest to gain material wealth. The reason for this, I speculated, had to do with the fact that the planet Tranqua was very rich in resources, so rich that not a single member of their society had to suffer. In other words, it was a paradise. It was the kind of planet where any one could go for a leisurely trip across the land, stop anywhere, and just pick fruit from the trees, and sleep outside under the stars. It was a planet of plenty. But then the Martians invaded it and changed all that. The Martians fought amongst themselves for control over Tranqua, and exploited the resources while enslaving the people at the same time. After over 3000 years of enslavement under the rule of the Martians, the Tranquans managed to fight and win their independence. Of course, by that time, the damage had been done, and Tranqua was not the paradise it once was, but that didn't stop the Tranquans from trying to restore the harmonious paradise it had been. This was the aim of the new leaders of Tranqua, popularly known as 'Ampleks'. I studied this original Tranquan culture and wondered if it were possible to recreate it somewhere. It might be possible, I speculated, to do so on one of Jupiter's moons. With the power in my possession, I thought it was possible, and doing so might be the most secure way of maintaining control over the knowledge. I took one last look at the temple, put the spheres in the box with the crystals, and carried it to the batheopath. I felt great inspiration while descending the steps and realized my eventual goal. The new Tranquan society could have its base on one of Jupiter's moons. The question was which one? I yawned, adjusted the temple's environment to save oxygen, and decided to have something to eat. For now, I was secure in my silent fortress, and I had work to do on the apartment. It was good to have all the long-range goals in perspective. Complete security of the asteroid was the first priority. I filled my belly and went back to work on the plumbing. |
Chapter 14: The Asteroid Miners Chapter 15: T’rwani and Tranqua Chapter 16: The Europan Pirates Chapter 17: A Clone for a Companion Chapter 18: A Skirmish in Space |
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