The Dekmár Roads: The Factions of Natorna

Chapter 15: Ununited in the Chambers

Council Leader Neheyuer stepped out of his personal house that was behind the Council Chamber. It was the largest by far. Even his assistant's house was small compared to his despite being the grandest, at the point of the neighborhood of the council. He did not choose this lifestyle. Sometimes he wished he could take a break. Nevertheless, he was stuck without a choice, just like he did not have a choice trusting the outsiders.

Neheyuer turned to look at his entrance way. There was an enormous arched hallway that was supported by solid pillars that led to his entrance. The pillars stretched up to his second floor, supporting a dormer that stuck out from the main portion of the structure. He could see the top portion of the third floor that was nestled toward the back of the second floor. He had a lot on his mind. He was finally able to talk to the Norpeal that was recovered on the orbital base of Beonaiha. It was not the conversation he had expected. There was much more to the story than he knew. It was not an instantaneous explosion when the second wave of energy was released.

The Council Leader turned back around and faced his personal pond with its' sparkling light blue-green hues. He was distraught, perplexed and shaken. What was his world really? What was the Natrona System? It was inconsequential to the expanse of the universe. He had heard that they had once come from another solar system to this one, however---until now, did not know why. To a certain extent, he had his answers. The individual from the orbital base, Gorleyer, had discovered it.

When the base was struck the second time, the systems began to go haywire and there were some parts that were exploding. Gorleyer had run like everyone else, in sure panic. While he was running, he had found his way into a chamber that had once been sealed. An isolated explosion made the opening. It was a library of sorts. It was a relatively small circular chamber  that led to a domed ceiling. The chamber had multiple layers of shelves suspended in magnetic levitation following the curvature of the walls, around and up. There were metal slabs that stood upright with a soft blue light glowing around them and from the ceiling at the center of the chamber, projected on the slabs a holographic description of certain titles of information. Titles such as the Founding of the Natorna Factions and another, Culture of the Norpeala. There was one particular slab that caught his attention. It was one that read: The Exiles.

Gorleyer took the slab and brought it to the center of the room. For whatever reason, time seemed irrelevant, as if it had stopped around him altogether. Just what was directly interacting with him at that moment was what mattered. There was a console that had a slot that accepted the slabs. He inserted it into the machine, noticing that on the slab, the title was also physically engraved on it for restocking purposes. After it was accepted, a dynamic, holographic display formed which resembled a book opened to the first two pages. However, on the bottom of the display, there was also a slider bar to quickly scan through the document. He ended up scanning towards the middle part of the book. He read and noted that it was a translation from some language he had never heard of:

Prosperity is not on our side. We grow to such heights only to be ground too practically nothing. I had thought we were the seeds of our own demise. Yet, I believe someone else planted those seeds for us. We only cultivated them for them. When they were mature enough, it began to spread its' ill-fate throughout our civilization. Who were we to stop it? We were the ones who nurtured it to begin with. We turned on each other, with dire hopes to survive the cataclysm and to make it to safety. Many perished.

Gorleyer slid the slide closer to the end of the book. It sounded like it was coming from another person and was transcribed from a different language:

We were not the only ones who fled. It was a terrible sight that any one else would have to suffer our fate. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. But it was because our worst enemy we were fleeing. I cannot say what will happen to the others, whether they made it away or not. I hope they did. For us though, I have been able to determine a suitable area of habitation. I was seen only for a moment through a tiny hole in the intergalactic energy field. The sensors received all that it needed during that short period of time. That is our target. I severally hope we can get out beyond the field. We can start our new life in that solar system. It will have to do for now. We will not be able to get any further. Me and my fellow commanders have agreed, prior to their untimely deaths, that we would have to install some safeguards soon after colonization in case the enemy ever shows their faces. I hope when and if that time comes, we will be ready for them. We would blow the system to cover our escape. Maybe we could catch them in the blast and eliminate many. Will we ever be rid of them? I do not know but I do hope. The same hope I have for our partners. I wish them success in their escape.