The Chronicles of Ki
Book 1: In The Beginning
© Copyright 2024 Frank Walters Clark ~ All Rights Reserved
Lord Xib’s eyes are blood-shot, his feet are swollen, and he aches all over. At the end of a trying day, he is exhausted
He uplinks to the mainframe and keys his compad once again. Hoping this will be the last recall, the last recalculation of RLS FelBok’s matrices.
An alarm suddenly pierces the air. It signals the calculations have failed again.
Lord Xib gives an order, “You have done everything possible, programmers. Shut down your positions.”
His hero aides quietly close out vidplay screens and switch their compudata systems to standby. The gloom of defeat settles over them.
Fourteen days of intense analyses and still no solution. Failed grid calculations, resulting last month in a deadly ending.
Even JimKas with his immense brain power has no answer. And may not, any time soon.
Thumping his chest slowly, Lord Xib agonizes. He wanders like a sailboat set adrift down RASE headquarters’ dimly lit corridors.
Finally recalling the ancient Sect of Shem teachings from his youth, Lord Xib silently reaffirms his oath. A few technicians linger along the hallway, and he says, “Dal, Heroes! Mine isn’t to mourn deaths yet to happen. Mine is to keep on.”
Saddened, the heroes quietly salute in return, but there is no single-mindedness to their tribute. Their minds are already with their families.
Arriving at a platform parking quadrant, Lord Xib quickly keys the codex for the royal palace on his compad. The platform he has signaled hovers gently, then he mounts and flies easily toward his destination.
* * *
“I told you this would happen,” King Dal says. “These so-called experts of yours are nothing but frauds. I know more than they do.”
Sitting across from him and looking at his hands, Lord Xib forces himself to hold his tongue. What his father implies is absurd, and ignorant of the facts.
“No disrespect, my lord,” he says. “My scientists and engineers have hundreds of sars of combined experience with these matters.
How can you call them frauds?”
King Dal glares at him, and says, “I have my own sources and they tell me this whole business is a hoax. The atmosphere will heal itself in time. Why should our soldiers die trying to fix something that will happen on its own, naturally?”
Effectively kicking the load down the road, Lord Xib thinks.
“My lord, the balance of atmospheric gases is changing,” Lord Xib says. “If the damage isn’t corrected soon, our whole civilization could be at risk.”
Cynical and already distracted, King Dal waves Xib off. “That is pure hogwash, Xib,” he says. “Nobody is at risk. Do you see anyone choking for air? I do not want to hear any more about this. It is a false flag.”
Nothing I say will change his mind, Lord Xib thinks.
“May I have your leave, my lord?” he says.
King Dal turns away in disgust, chopping a hand at nothing.