The Karma Puzzle: Book 1 - Tyranny and Mutations

By Benn Allen

This is an idea I've had for a comic book series. I've decided to publish it as prose instead. What you're about to read is the first part of Chapter 1. I've already begun the second part and will publish it as soon as I finish it and have it proofread. Hope y'all enjoy it.

The Karma Puzzle: Tyranny and Mutations

History

I

"Now dead, I lay me down to sleep"

As she took a sip of her drink, Jomir couldn't remember how many times she had read the Letarian verse. Too many times to be counted. But as a xenoanthropologist specializing in alien literature, and as a linguist, it was her job. And the truth be told, her pleasure, too. But the Letarian language could be a difficult one to translate. Too many words could have multiple meanings. In some cases almost contradictory meanings. The first line of the verse however, was pretty straightforward. It seemed to have been very carefully written to avoid confusion. It's just that it resembled so many children prayers taught by hundreds of other cultures. In the next line however, was a word or two that could be translated two different ways.

"Like a goddess of the Deep."

Or was it "deep" with a little "dee"? More importantly, was it "like a goddess" or "like the goddess"? And for that matter "The Deep" what? Ocean? Earth? Or could it even refer to space? The verse was written at a time when the Letarians were a spacefaring people, at least that's old it appeared to be. They had by that time not only discovered translightspeeds, but had also developed a celestial empire. The verse, which was untitled, was written (if dating methods were anywhere near accurate) towards the end of the Letarians' last dynasty: the Hiiammond Empire. Danneal Hiiammond, who, if records of the times were to be believed, was thought of as being a god. Jomir doubted Hiiammond's divinity. But a galactic religion must have help make it easier to rule over the hundred some odd solar systems that comprised the Hiiammond Empire. But eventually the Empire fell. What brought about its fall, no one quite knew.

There were theories of course. Each had its supporters and its flaws. It was important to learn what caused Hiiammond's Empire to fall though. Originally the Letarian Empire was a mere fifteen or twenty solar systems strong. Very few empires or federations or conglomerations of any sort were manageable beyond that size. Generally the larger the grouping, the more unwieldy they became. It was often too hard to maintain and carry out the will of the central governments. Far too often the planets on the empire fringes would form its own government. Some of these rebels would claim fealty to the central government. But that was only so they could continue to enjoy the benefits of being a member of the central government. Others would secede from the Union. Eventually, inevitably, the will of the central government and the will of the rebel governments would clash. This clash, along with various intragalactic bickering would help bring about the fall of any governments larger than five solar systems.

Then Danneal Hiiammond took control of the Empire. It wasn't long after Danneal was crowned Emperor that the Letarian Empire began to expand. The expansion was small at first. Two new systems were added in the first year of his reign. Then within the next five years ten more systems were added. In another seven years, Danneal Hiiammond had increased the size of the Letarian Empire to 104 solar systems. Some were annexed by galactic treaties, some by force. When war was necessary, there were remarkably few casualties. The battles the Letarians fought were things of beauty to the military mind. So precise, like surgery. The Letarian fleet knew exactly how - and where - to strike at their enemies to bring about a quick victory.

According to Letarian legend, Danneal Hiiammond ruled for 185 years. It was possible, Jomir thought, that Hiiammond's people were long lived. There were races found that lived for hundreds of years. But those races were a rarity. For the most part peoples rarely lived beyond a hundred years.

185 years. So far archeologists found little to disprove the number. It could be true. Might actually be true. Then, mysteriously, the Empire fell. From all records, the Empire collapsed. It wasn't a gradual collapse either. It seemed to have happened all at once. A hundred-and-four solar systems were almost simultaneously thrown into states of anarchy. What the hell happened?

Jomir blinked her eyes at the screen to refresh her eyes and her mind. She began reading to text again.

"And whosoever would right the wrongs Is damned to come along."

Was that supposed to be "damned" or "free"? The Letarians did have separate words for "damned" and "free". But they also had a word, that depending upon its context could mean either. Jomir couldn't help but wonder why that particular word - caharma - had been chosen. It clearly was chosen specifically, to imbue a specific meaning to the verse. But what was the author's intent? Then again, what linguistic evolution would create a word that would have such a diverse meaning - "damned" and "free"? But that was part of what made the Letarian language so worthy of study. It was one of the more complex languages ever encountered.

"And whosoever would right the wrongs"? What "wrongs", Jomir wondered. The surviving piece of verse never said. It was yet another mystery of the Letarian Empire.

The verse was found on the planet Thespin. An unremarkable desert world. According to Professor Americ Cyan there were indications that the world was more environmentally diversified at one point. But gradually it became a vast, arid world - a global sandpile. It was like a woman who at one point was beautiful and worked at maintaining her beauty. Then, after getting married, or perhaps even giving up on the idea of getting married, had let her beauty - her looks - go. Thespin, it seems, had given up and was waiting to die.

Astronomers had discovered Thespin some 80 years ago. It wasn't, however until ten years ago that it was identified as a member of the Hiiammond Dynasty. Five years after that survey probes were sent to examine the planet, to determine whether it merited further investigation. It did. Three years ago scientists arrived to begin studying it. Based on information provided by the probes an area in the Northern Hemisphere was chosen as the base for the scientists. That was where instruments detected what appeared to be man-made structures.

Professor Americ Cyan was among the first ones to land on Thespin. Cyan was a well-known, well-respected archaeologist. He was also of the top noted scholars on the Letarian civilization. A year and a half later Jomir was invited to join the archaeological team on Thespin. The invitation was based on her translation of various Letarian writings, regarded as the best, most accurate translations possible.

Then six months ago the military arrived. While the scientists quietly toiled away on Thespin a cold war had begun. The Tribet Empire and the Holasian Federation became involved in several border skirmishes. Things had not yet gotten bad enough that war had been declared. But it was only a matter of time before it would be. In the meantime the Holasian council sent a military detachment to Thespin to determine its value as an outpost and to establish a military presence on the desert world. General Beneka Monakul, a twenty-year veteran, commanded the detachment. Monakul had commanded several successful raids along the Atishin corridor during the Prosa Wars.

The scientists and the military unit maintained an uneasy alliance. Each side was suspicious of the other. But the scientists knew if Thespin was classified as a military outpost, they would be herded onto the first ship and deported, their research on the Hiiammond Dynasty halted, possibly forever.

Tension could have been worse - and would have been, had it not been for the fact that General Monakul and Professor Cyan seemed to have become friends. Very often the two men would dine together in the evenings. Even if they were not friends, they at least appeared to share a mutual respect.

Thus it was that while Monakul and his people continued to establish a military base, the scientists continued to dig up the ruins of what may have been Thespin's only city. And neither side interfered with the other.

"I leave behind skin here As a reminder of the year. A year of hope and sorrow; A year that became tomorrow."

Jomir re-read the second - and only other surviving - verse of the poem. Yes. She had indeed translated it properly. The stanza was a rarity in Letarian literature; there could be no other way to translate it. The question was "What did it mean?" How literally was it to be taken? If only more of the poem had survived. Of course, it's possible that more may yet one day be found, in a book or on a computer. But for now, only the two stanzas were known to exist.

Jomir began to save the stanzas onto a computer disc for storage and further study later. The verses would be compared to other Letarian literature to see if perhaps the verses helped shed light on other works, or vice versa. The comparison would take time, though. Perhaps a year or two.

The buzzer to her study sounded, disturbing Jomir's reverie. "Open," she said, a slight touch of irritation in her voice. In the doorway stood one of Monakul's people, dressed in full survival armor. The armor was necessary on Thespin when one had to walk the planet's surface. Not only was Thespin a desert, it was one in which a sandstorm was continuously blowing. The winds were often fierce enough to remove flesh from bones and to polish the bones in minutes. Full body armor was indeed a necessity on Thespin.

Jomir looked at the soldier. She had no idea who it was or if even she had ever seen him before. The soldier's armor hid his every physical feature, except his height, which was about average. Beyond the fact that the armor had suffered some slight damage from exposure to Thespin's sandstorms, there was nothing to mark the soldier's individuality.

"What is it?" Jomir asked in a husky voice tempered by smoke and alcohol and long periods of disuse.

"Professor Cyan wants you in the Main Plaza; the southeast section. Says it's important." The soldier shrugged. He didn't know if it was important or not. To him it probably wasn't important.

Jomir frowned slightly. Then sighed. She really didn't want to have to put on her survival gear and go outside. But if Cyan says it's important, it probably was important. "Tell him I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"I'm sorry ma'am. I was asked to wait for you. I have a grounder ready to take you there." The soldier looked Jomir over. She didn't look too bad, he thought, for an older woman. Black hair with a little grey in it, a bit too short for his tastes, though. And she could have lost a few pounds, too. But maybe if she would put on some make up and wear something other than that drab white uniform... Yeah, she might be someone worth trying to get into bed. That was assuming her organs were compatible with the soldier's.

Jomir stared blankly for a second or two, as if trying to comprehend a new situation. "Okay. Okay, uh..." "Etic. Private Megn Etic." "Private Etic. I'll be with you shortly. Let me get ready. Would you like some food; something to drink?" "No thank you, Professor. I'll wait here." It took a bit of effort on Etic's part to turn down her offer. He was a little hungry and very thirsty, but he was on duty. He would eat and drink his fill at the scheduled times and not before.

Etic then placed his hands behind his back and stood at attention. His eyes stopped seeing anything. He had become a statue, a machine that had no nothing to do for the time being.

"Okay. I'll be back," Jomir said as she began to shut off her computer, making sure she would lose nothing in the process. She then left the study to enter her bedroom to get ready to face the sandstorms of Thespin.

Etic stood silently, motionless until she returned. Then he turned smartly and escorted her to the grounder. From there he drove Jomir to the Main Plaza.

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