The Justiceers - Part One: Chapter One
the first chapter from my forthcoming novel
The Justiceers
by Daphne Garrido
Part One - Darkest Nights
1.1
Oliath; city of eternal dusk, laid only just beyond light’s boundary on the tidal-locked planet of Grammaton. Its matrix of mirrors reflected dastardly Learo; the spirit which powered this sun’s overbearing glow, shining into the darkest corners and avenues of a most peculiar city.
Learo’s radiance was far too powerful for any known biological creature to withstand. There were only a handful of settlements spread about this planet’s enormous surface. Yet, the ore within her was rich. Iathium was sought highly about the galaxy, and The Periphery’s citizens decided the planet’s bounty worth the most difficult task colonization.
Though more settlements existed, Oliath was Grammaton’s largest by tenfold, itself an epic feat of engineering and ingenuity; proof-positive the difference made when a civilization cares about its citizens.
The Periphery was known by all star faring races, its leadership respected, most revered for the craftsmanship of its people beyond all else.
They were artists, explorers, sociologists, myth-makers, hope-bringers, deliverers of justice and freedom. The galaxy changed around their doings. They’d made great difference in the lives of countless souls amongst the galaxy, casting ripples far beyond. To simply be part of a society such as this, was a boon to the heart of everyone, binding them together in commitment to upholding righteous ways of living.
Oliath was a home away from home to travelers and immigrants from systems far beyond the reach of the Periphery, especially those who’d come from darkened lands and bodies required the darkness.
Jereth was new to the city. He’d spent six-months manning an outpost on the far side of the planet. His contract was over, and he’d wanted to enjoy the sights before his journey homeward began.
There were no two ways about it; this place was special. At least, Jereth saw it that way.
An inventor of sorts, tinkerer since his youngest years, figuring things out was Jereth’s passion. To witness the elaborate construction of this place, all its beautiful intricacies, those darkest corners and sun-lit epicenters, he was finding himself at home. It was a strangest feeling for a man so out of place. Born to such a thriving planet of nature; Leonà, a divinely spun rock which shared its sun’s light evenly, rotating around the axis at that perfect spot within the Goldilocks-zone which would support such thriving growth.
This ravaged place — so built upon with determination — he loved it.
Jereth had been exploring the city, acknowledging the aimlessness of his wandering internally, and noticed a towering mirror quite unlike the rest which stood apart. He wondered why no one else seemed to care.
There was a strangest coating to its reflective beading, and its down-borne light stream carried a sparkling, silvery glow, bearing into what Jereth could only assume was the atrium of this widest-set complex of darkened glass now before him.
With all means he’d to determine the matter, this was a public building. He found himself too curious to resist further investigation.
‘Such and odd thing.’ He’d thought
‘What could this all be for?’
It was too late to turn back when Jereth discovered himself in the presence of creatures entirely unlike he’d seen before. Their pearlescent carapaces glistening as they bathed in a down-pouring of shimmering silver light; a mountain of these creatures were writhing in the glow, atop each other.
Jereth swore he could hear the most distinctive humming.
He’d fancied himself an open-minded fellow, yet, this was not a sight which agreed with his stomach. Having hung back in the shadow of the entryway, Jereth decided it time to leave.
While hopeful he’d not been seen, there was some creeping feeling his presence had been felt the whole time. With an oddest sense, something had even led him there in the first place.
Jereth was sprinting from the moment he cleared those front doors.
He’d ran as hard and as fast as he ever would, taking turns without thought, blasting past bewildered stares with no regard. He felt possessed. That was not something he was supposed to see. Something in him knew it.
After three whole blocks of slowest time passed, Jereth couldn’t shake the feeling. His time on Grammaton was coming to an end. He couldn’t wait, and found himself hiding in his rental throughout the whole phase. On the first day of each block he’d venture out to visit the market, then come straight back.
Its shutters were slamming in the wind.
He’d not rented the best place. It was more of a shack than a proper dwelling. Though, his basic needs were covered. Jereth’s thought had been that he’d be exploring in this time, seeing the sights of Oliath.
Being stuck here was not good for his state of mind. This strange paranoia brewing within was causing him to worry.
The nastiest part of it all, was that he’d been entirely alone. There wasn’t a soul to speak with. His family so far past reasonable comm-range, messages would reach home, at best, three months after they were sent from this outlier planet he’d found himself upon.
Jereth needed a break, he wanted to go home.
Only two days until he’d stub his ticket off this rock, he’d taken his last trip about, deciding to visit the one place he’d regret not seeing most — The Grand Bizarre.
Reflected in the water slicked street as he’d walked beneath the southernmost entry gate, were the gleaming neon lights of merchants sporting all manor of offerings. Renown around the galaxy, this market was a living creature all its own.
No thought had entered his mind since witnessing its grandeur except, ‘wow.’
The size and scope of this market was stupefying to such a man, so intoxicated by feats of human will and engineering. While The Grand Bizarre was no pretty sight, by any means, grand it most certainly was.
Jereth visited shop after market, mega-store after bespoke boutique, it would’ve been a day to remember. He’d eaten lunch in the central plaza beneath a sun-sparkled archway of planetary banners. Leonà’s colors were a sight to behold for such a homesick man — having not realized the depth of sorrow he stowed within until seeing them so proudly flown.
To be going home was a gift to Jereth’s heart.
The family he’d known would be long gone, with the extended time-dilation of flying so about the galaxy. Yet Jereth’s people would remember him, awaiting his return all the same. It was their way. With so many of their kind having taken the call to travel the galaxy, Leonà’s people would return centuries later in planetary time, always finding a family waiting.
It was this way throughout The Periphery.
After finishing his curried stew, still groaning in satisfaction, curiosity would have seemed to get the better of Jereth once more.
An enormous statue of sun spirit Learo towered over this central plaza, The Grand Bizarre’s highest structure by tenfold, a feat of engineering like no other. His torch held aloft by the highest reaching hand, would burn in honor of this soul emblazoning its power onto the planet, fired by the light of the sun.
Jereth’s insatiable inquisitiveness led him to investigate, wondering if there might be some way into the base, unknowing what kind of foundations could support such a structure. He’ trolled around its outermost edges, until finding a service stairway leading down and around towards a hidden entry.
It was there he’d find the door left open.
Perhaps, some cruelest twist of fate. Maybe, that door was always open. There was even a thought that someone might have left it open just for him. While Jereth didn’t know, he was feeling bold.
Only as he’d descended a dozen lengths of crisscrossing stairwells did he consider that he might have made a mistake. Feeling again, that creeping sensation of something beside him, following him, leading him.
What he’d come upon as he rounded that last corner, having traveled for a lost period of time — the very moment before he’d planned to turn back, so incredibly deep within the planet — was a sight which paralyzed Jereth in wonder.
Light was rising from within the planet.
It shined silver, laced with shimmering particles, much like he’d seen coming off that uniquely odd mirror blocks back.
‘Oh god,’ he’d thought.
‘The humming.’
That sound — some strangest feeling which came along with it in his belly —was around him everywhere. He could feel those things here with him too.
‘What have I done?’ was his last thought.
It’d come just moments before the blade went through the back of his throat. Everything went dark for Jereth then, his soul to begin the long journey home.
He was heading back to Evermore before he’d planned.
