City of Dreams
By George L. Duncan
Late August.
By George L. Duncan
Late August.
Planet Centuri Five. A time for rest and relaxation. Thirty days of leisure. Although late August on the Earth calendar is a winter month on Centuri Five, so our R and R shore leave did not include water sports.
Instead, Tequesta and I curled up before a fire in my officer's cabin while a light snow fell outside. As the fire flickered and crackled, we sipped Irish coffee. At her request, I told stories of the adventures Bart and I had before she joined the Spacehawks.
I could have recounted the battles, but instead I detailed the majestic rainbow streams of Catrocon and the “singing planet” of Veonril. The plants, and particularly the flowers, actually voice a melody - harmonic sounds that are quite beautiful.
Tequesta stretched, sat up, and sipped from her cup. She wore a blue turtleneck with black slacks. Her blond hair fell an inch below her shoulder.
“Of all the planets you've seen and all the things you've done, where would you be if you could say the word and…” she snapped her fingers “be there the next second.”
Instead, Tequesta and I curled up before a fire in my officer's cabin while a light snow fell outside. As the fire flickered and crackled, we sipped Irish coffee. At her request, I told stories of the adventures Bart and I had before she joined the Spacehawks.
I could have recounted the battles, but instead I detailed the majestic rainbow streams of Catrocon and the “singing planet” of Veonril. The plants, and particularly the flowers, actually voice a melody - harmonic sounds that are quite beautiful.
Tequesta stretched, sat up, and sipped from her cup. She wore a blue turtleneck with black slacks. Her blond hair fell an inch below her shoulder.
“Of all the planets you've seen and all the things you've done, where would you be if you could say the word and…” she snapped her fingers “be there the next second.”
“I'd be right here. With you.”
Her smile widened. “That is so sweet. But don't say things like that unless you mean them. I'm a romantic. I will believe it.”
“You know it's true. We were on Rorlan together.”
~~~
Her smile widened. “That is so sweet. But don't say things like that unless you mean them. I'm a romantic. I will believe it.”
“You know it's true. We were on Rorlan together.”
~~~
Our ship had pulled in for repairs on Rorlan. Overhauls take about thirty days, so the planet's governor thought he'd use the time wisely. The planet kept losing colonists. Not a lot. Just two or three a year. They simply vanished. The governor wondered if Cmdr. Sebastian Dann McCloud and Lt. Tequesta Lynquest could help solve the mystery. The latest missing colonist was a man named Adam Volkner, who disappeared while walking in the Andoran forest. We agreed to go take a look.
“This is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Tequesta said. “Even worse, we don't even know what the needle looks like. What are we searching for? An inter-dimensional exit door? A UFO that will beam people up? A creature that eats people and then disappears? A long forgotten…”
When I turned to glance at her, it seemed like a ripple of air and fog flowed over the forest, changing the very nature of the planet's surface. Instead of seeing Tequesta, a magnificent city lay right before me. Tall elongated buildings, beautiful architecture, colorful streets, vibrant sounds and incredible smells. A sparking silver sheen from the buildings gave off a lively brilliance. The city itself seemed to pull me in, as if it were a gigantic magnet. I walked slowly toward it and found myself on a street full of bowls of fine gold, red and blue powder. I knew immediately what the substances were. I don't know how I knew. I just did. The finest psychedelics. Ingest a few grains and feel the energy rush, the roaring pleasure of the intoxicants.
As I moved along the streets, one avenue held a stock of the finest wines and whiskeys.
Much better than anything on Earth, I realized. It would take years to sip them all. There were hundreds of brands in different shaped bottles, the finest the galaxy had to offer. I picked up one and looked it over. The energy from the city almost impelled me to open the bottle and taste the liquor inside. Instead, I put it back.
I turned the corner and walked down the Diamond Boulevard. The most beautiful and sparking jewels I had ever seen beckoned me. Hard-blue diamonds gave off a radiant luster. The rich green emeralds and deep white pearls were incredible to behold. They too seemed to have a power and magnetic force of their own, beckoning the pedestrian to touch them and wear them.
A dark-haired, dark-eyed woman touched my cheek with her fingers. A skimpy top and bottom were covered by translucent and transparent veils. A second later, a woman who could have been her sister also caressed my jaw. Their fingers gave off a sensuous power that left me reeling. But their fleshly power was nothing compared to the next woman that came into view. She walked toward me in total confidence. Tall, with dark flowing hair. Dozens of the veils covered her, but gave glimpses of the body underneath. She spread her arms and opened her arms. I understood the gesture politely declined without saying a word.
A man walked up to her. He carried a pillow with golden crown full of jewels. She gently raised it and held it in her hands.
Finally, I spoke, “What is this?” I said.
“A trans- and multi-dimensional city, commander. But we need a king,” she said.
She walked up to me and offered the crown. I took it from her hands; like other items in the city, it held a power of its own that seemed to shoot energy beams through my hands when I lifted it.
“Become our king and we are yours to command, all of us,” she said.
I turned to Tequesta to ask how I would look with a crown on my head but she wasn't there. For some reason, I had assumed she was still with me. My surprise and anger broke the spell of the city.
“Where's my friend?” I said.
“She is not here, commander. You do not need her. You have all of us. You have everything.”
I threw the crown to the golden street below, breaking it into pieces.
“Take your crown and your city,” I said.
I grabbed her by her throat and lifted her onto her toes. “Now, where's Tequesta? I won’t be so polite the second time I ask.”
I loosened my grip on her throat so she could talk. Her voice rasped out an answer.
“As always, commander, she is by your side.”
A second planetary ripple flowed and she disappeared, the rest of the city vanished too. I was back in the forest. Tequesta was on the ground. I knelt down but she looked fine. She breathed rhythmically. I eased my arms under her and lifted her up. As I stood up I saw the tall man wearing what looked to be a monk's robe. He held a staff even taller than he was. He had an odd whitish skin that looked like it had been pasted on.
“Who are you?” I said.
“The caretaker for the Sorfi. The custodian of the city.”
I shrugged turned around, with Tequesta in my arms. His voice stopped me.
“Commander, why did you refuse us? We offered you everything a man would want.”
“Depends on the man I guess.”
“But…”
The tight skin didn't allow him to show any emotions. Even so, he looked edgy.
Nervously, he looked over his shoulder where the city had once appeared.
“No one has ever walked away from the Sorfi. No one has refused them. What….what do I tell them?”
I smiled. “Tell them 'Semper Fi.’”
I walked away then stopped and looked back. “By the way, what do you really look like? You and the Sorfi?”
“I could show you, commander, but you wouldn't like it. In your eyes, we'd be hideous.”
~~~
“I don't know why a race would build such a thing,” Tequesta was saying, the fire cackling behind her. “It was a monument to selfishness. Her fingers drew patterns on my chest. “Still it was nice of you to turn it down.”
“I would have missed you,” I said.
“You know if you really feel that way…” I realized her fingers had traced a heart on my shirt and were retracing it. “You should…I mean… well…marry me.”
“I thought the same thing,” I said, bringing the small box with an engagement ring in it. I opened it and showed it to her. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
With light-speed quickness she grabbed the box and took out the ring. A 24-carat stone with blue and white diamonds.
“Wow! OK. That is beau-ti-ful.”
She sat up and eased the ring onto her finger. “Absolutely stunning. And made for my finger. Double wow.”
“May I take that as a yes?”
She grabbed my chin with her other hand and kissed me. “Darn right you can, honey. Figured you would come through.” She looked back, narrowed her eyes and dropped her tone. “Although you gave me some anxious moments. Men. Can't live with 'em. Can't shoot 'em.”
“Actually, as a Spacehawk, you can shoot them.”
She jumped up and grabbed her jacket, but held out her hand. “I'd going to show this Lupe and a few other girls.”
She hugged me and pressed her lips to mine. “Sebastian, at times you can be the most exasperating of men. But once in a while, my love…” She kissed me again.
“Semper Fi,” she said.
}
~~~~~ <~
}
Discuss this story.
George Duncan is a journalist who is now the editor of the Lake Placid Journal in Lake Placid, Florida. He previously worked for the Savannah Morning News, the Florence (S.C.) News and the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va. He was the editorial writer at the Daily News-Record for eight years before moving back to his home state ("after forgetting how HOT it is down here.")
He is also the author of several novels. His book "Galaxy Gems” details other stories about the Spacehawks, including the first adventure Sebastian and Tequesta had. His latest novel is "A Dark Orange Farewell."
When he is not writing, you will probably find him at the golf course.
“I would have missed you,” I said.
“You know if you really feel that way…” I realized her fingers had traced a heart on my shirt and were retracing it. “You should…I mean… well…marry me.”
“I thought the same thing,” I said, bringing the small box with an engagement ring in it. I opened it and showed it to her. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
With light-speed quickness she grabbed the box and took out the ring. A 24-carat stone with blue and white diamonds.
“Wow! OK. That is beau-ti-ful.”
She sat up and eased the ring onto her finger. “Absolutely stunning. And made for my finger. Double wow.”
“May I take that as a yes?”
She grabbed my chin with her other hand and kissed me. “Darn right you can, honey. Figured you would come through.” She looked back, narrowed her eyes and dropped her tone. “Although you gave me some anxious moments. Men. Can't live with 'em. Can't shoot 'em.”
“Actually, as a Spacehawk, you can shoot them.”
She jumped up and grabbed her jacket, but held out her hand. “I'd going to show this Lupe and a few other girls.”
She hugged me and pressed her lips to mine. “Sebastian, at times you can be the most exasperating of men. But once in a while, my love…” She kissed me again.
“Semper Fi,” she said.
}
~~~~~ <~
}
Discuss this story.
George Duncan is a journalist who is now the editor of the Lake Placid Journal in Lake Placid, Florida. He previously worked for the Savannah Morning News, the Florence (S.C.) News and the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg, Va. He was the editorial writer at the Daily News-Record for eight years before moving back to his home state ("after forgetting how HOT it is down here.")
He is also the author of several novels. His book "Galaxy Gems” details other stories about the Spacehawks, including the first adventure Sebastian and Tequesta had. His latest novel is "A Dark Orange Farewell."
When he is not writing, you will probably find him at the golf course.
