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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 17. A
Clone for a Companion
March 1, 2088: After moving most of the treasure to the batheopath and locking it in the upper level of the apartment, I put combination locks on all the main airlocks and valves, and rigged the airlock cave and the airlock to the batheopath with traps. If the pirates attempted to enter by force, the airlocks would blow up in their faces. If I had to use the airlocks, I merely had to deactivate the explosive device by punching in the right combination. Once this little defensive measure was complete, I turned back to the cloning-generator. I disassembled the generator and rebuilt it again, for the 4th time. I tried it again and again nothing happened. My nerves were wearing thin and my brain was frazzled. I decided to rest in the recliner with the spheres. I chose a crystal that had only been used twice before, with the hope that T’rwani would be seen in yet a different scene. I was not prepared for what occurred. I phased into the temple as it was in ancient times, to find that it was shaking. It was apparently an earth-quake. T’rwani crawled into the temple on all fours. "Another quake, lord... it's a wonder Tranqua does not break apart." I carefully moved myself in short sprints, from one side of the temple to the other, to the video-console, moved the secret door, and went into the cave. I looked outside as the food cupboards shook and fruits were tossed about. T'rwani crawled to my side, and spoke with care, as if to a child. "Do not worry, Zondar. It will pass shortly, as it always does." It was from this particular crystal channel that I learned about another major factor in Tranqua's fate. It suffered from frequent land quakes, suggesting a geophysical instability of the very core. I was faced with a dilemma. Was Tranqua destroyed by Mars, or torn apart by its own internal forces, or both? I felt it was time to learn more about Tranqua. I returned to the temple and began accessing historical records. Tranqua's seasons included a season in which quakes were frequent. The quakes were minor most of the time, but every 20 years or so, were extremely violent. I guessed this may have had something to do with a planetary alignment with Jupiter and Mars. According to the records, Tranqua existed in perfect peace and harmony, with separate tribal kingdoms sharing a common enemy: the quakes. It was like that for thousands of years, until Mars invaded. The Martians were proud imperialists that acted with aggression towards Tranqua. They saw the Tranquans as primitive people that needed someone such as Mars to educate them. This was the excuse Mars used to enslave and exploit the Tranquans and their planet. In time, the Tranquans learned to fight back, and after 2000 years of slavery, they won their independence. It was at that time that the very first High Amplek was chosen. Tranqua experienced a few hundred years of relative peace, but then Mars became aggressive again. Interplanetary wars occurred regularly from the reign of the 9th High Amplek until Tranqua's ultimate destruction during the 75th High Amplek's term. Periods of peace were short, and Mars was a frequent problem, much like the quakes, only coming from space. For 1600 years natives like T'rwani and Zondar dreamt of an end to the wars and a return to the idyllic garden of tranquility. Mars wouldn't quit. Apparently, it saw Tranqua as a planet for its taking, and could not resist the attraction of its abundant resources. I felt sorrowful for the Tranquans. They were victims of the aggressive, imperialist Martians. Still, it was a mystery as to what destroyed Tranqua. Was it Mars or the internal geophysical forces of itself? Perhaps it was both. |
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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Table of Contents and Chapters with Links |