THE PLANET THAT LOVED PEOPLE (standard:travel stories, 2256 words) [10/18] show all parts
Author: Danny Raven	Added: Mar 04 2016	Views/Reads: 1801/1255	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
PART 1 - CH 9

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were locked in a cell aboard the Transporter without food or water. The 
other man shared the little he had managed to smuggle aboard. It was 
Kane. 

When the Transporter landed on Sirene they were dumped at the far end of
its force-field along with the twice yearly supplies. A welcoming 
committee of about a hundred prisoners had turned up and when the Ship 
departed they pressed forward, curious to see the latest arrivals. 

While the crowd were looking them over they were looking round at
Sirene. All they had heard about the place in the holding prison seemed 
to be true. It was a grim, desolate wilderness with no hope of escape. 

Eventually the noise in the crowd died away and as if they had done it
many times before, they formed a large circle round the two new 
arrivals and waited. 

A couple of giants from Cyrus stepped into the circle and stood there,
arms folded, staring at them. The leader seemed to be waiting for his 
cue and you could almost imagine the drums rolling in the background. 
When there was complete silence he casually strolled up between the 
giants. It was one of those arrogant freaks from Nefor. Everyone from 
Nefor could change their skin colour at will. When it became red 
however it exuded a poison which was deadly to touch. 

The Freak strolled over to Corthan and Kane and walked round them a few
times, examining them. He halted in front of Kane, slowly looked him up 
and down then stared straight at him. 

Kane held his gaze unflinchingly for a few moments then he smiled coldly
and reached down into his pack. He straightened up and there was an 
evil looking serrated knife in his hand. The cold smile was gone. 

“Before those two can reach you,” he said to the Freak, indicating the
giants, “this blade will rip out your throat.” 

The Freak changed colour a few times. Something in the man's cold blue
eyes froze him. The giants started to move up but he quickly waved them 
back. 

“No problem, man,” he said. “Take it easy. Join the crowd.” 

Kane stared at him and the cold smile returned. “Wise move,” he said. He
bent down and picked up his pack and turning his back on the Freak, 
walked slowly over to the circle. The blade was still in his hand. 

The Freak now turned his attention to Corthan. Waiting quietly, he
looked easy prey, despite his height. The Freak used the same tactics 
as before – he looked him over slowly then stared straight at him but 
Corthan ignored him and gazed over his head into the distance. 

The Freak signalled the two giants and the three of them began to circle
Corthan, taunting him. The crowd whistled and cheered – they could 
sense some fun ahead. 

Ever since Konev, Corthan had hardly said much and when he remained
silent the three grew bolder, started shoving him around a bit. Corthan 
endured it all passively. 

After a while the Freak grew bored with the game. He stopped the
circling And said, “What's in your bag, man?” 

It was at this point that Kane, blade in hand, walked over from the
crowd, pushing the Freak aside and stood next to Corthan. 

Corthan glanced at him and said softly, “It's alright, I can manage.” 

“There's three of them.” 

“I know.” 

Kane glanced at him then backed off into the crowd again. 

Corthan looked round at the circle and there was a great weariness in
his voice as he said, ”Stand well back. All of you.” 

The noise in the crowd died away and an air of expectancy rippled
through them. This could be good. They widened the circle and waited. 

So did the Freak. The tall stranger in the dark blue cloak with the pale
blue skin whom minutes before they had toyed with seemed very confident 
but he had to do something. Already he had lost face once. Twice and 
his position on Sirene was finished. Still he hesitated. 

The expectancy in the crowd turned to impatience and they began to jeer
him. He had to make a move. He signalled the giants and they moved in 
slowly on Corthan, the Freak changing his skin colour to a deep red. 

When they were a few feet away they rushed him which is when they made
their last mistake because they didn't know he was from Ordana or they 
would have left him alone. 

Corthan emitted the radiation in a short controlled blast and the three
ran straight into it. They screamed and began tearing at their skin. 
Another blast and they began to frizzle up, their screaming ringing 
over the empty moor. Another and the screaming died. A final blast and 
they were crumbling away before the now stunned crowd. It was all over 
inside a couple of minutes. The three were a pile of ashes on the 
coarse wet grass. Corthan kicked the pile and the wind carried the ash 
away in a cloud, the crowd moving quickly to avoid it. 

Corthan picked up his bag and walked away from the scene, Kane joining
him. The crowd moved even quicker to let them through, somebody 
pointing the way to the Block. 

They walked some distance in silence then Kane said, “That was quite an
act.” 

“It was nothing,” Corthan replied tiredly. “A lot of people on Ordana
can do it. Thanks for offering to help.” 

Rain started to fall as they made their way across the desolate moor,
the other prisoners keeping a respectful distance behind them. Word 
would soon spread of the cold eyed stranger and what his friend could 
do. 

The two had bunks next to each other in the Block until single rooms
came up but a strong bond had already been formed between them and 
Sirene would not break it. 

Corthan walked silently to the back of the cave to check on Blaze. In
the dim light of a guttering candle he could see the pile of blankets 
slowly rise and fall – Blaze was sleeping soundly. He returned to the 
fire and his seat. 

After the incident with the three prisoners the others tended to leave
him alone. Which is what he wanted all along. He took to roaming around 
the planet, sometimes not seeing anybody for weeks on end. He liked its 
emptiness, its desolation, how it demanded nothing from him, how he 
could go for long periods with his mind as empty as the lifeless 
terrain he was walking through. He had found a certain comfort in the 
dying planet's bleakness. 

While he was out wandering one day he discovered the cave. It was dry
and offered shelter from the rains and when he was tired of travelling 
about he would spend some time there. He moved some supplies out and 
his visits to the Block became fewer. 

He still went there to collect food or when he had the occasional urge
for company – then he would talk a little with Muslik Gra or walk up 
the hill and sit awhile with Kane. He sensed some sort of loss in Kane 
which mirrored his own. The two could sit a long time without having to 
say a word. 

Curiosity had drawn Blaze to him. Although a prisoner on Sirene like the
others he was still young enough to look upon it as a game. The fact 
that he might spend the rest of his life there had not yet penetrated. 

He was forever exploring the planet or simply staying away from the
Block to avoid the wrath of the other prisoners – he was currently 
avoiding a serial killer from Zemor who had been pushed from a wall 
into a sewage pit when no-one was around. 

On one of his trips into the wilds he had seen the smoke from Corthan's
fire. He materialized at the edge of the black trees and watched him 
awhile. Having heard what Corthan had done to the others he didn't want 
to risk getting too close so he stayed his distance. One day Corthan 
beckoned to him and he appeared a few yards away. Corthan offered him 
some food and they sat by the fire and ate. 

Corthan found himself at ease with the boy, wasn't disturbed by his
endless  chattering, found himself at times looking forward to his 
visits which became regular when he was staying at the cave. There was 
always that thought in his mind - perhaps if his own son had 
lived...... 

The fire was dying down now, a pile of glowing embers with a few flames
licking round the skeletons of the burned out branches. Further up the 
hill opposite he could hear the wind rustling through the trees. 

He liked the nights and would often sit for a long time after letting
the fire die, staring out into the dark. He liked how everything 
blended into the blackness. Sometimes he could blend himself in with 
it. Almost cease to exist. 

Now Tyler's arrival heralded the end of his isolation and was going to
take him away from this remote wilderness. Kane had accepted the deal 
and wanted him along. He would go. It would just be a different way of 
passing the time till he was reunited with Arin and their son, Kanu. 


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