“What are you doing here?” I asked in a feeble voice.
“The Dwellers of the Abyss and I are old allies”, he replied.
“I know” I said, following him obediently.
Then he explained fast he had come to Halmyra so as to prevent the Dwellers of the Abyss from completing a certain magic rite that would bring havoc on the planet and beyond it; and saved me, by the way. For the time being, I didn't wish to know anything more...
We both walked away of that room very cautiously, lest we should be seen by anyone. At the present, I had no better alternative but to let Venor take me wherever he wished. We didn't get very far, though.
“This means our alliance is over!” I heard one of the Dwellers announce in a rough voice.
It was the big, ugly man who stood next to me in that cell. I
supposed he was the chief in that base. He must have already been waiting for us there, just round the corner, a whole ring of gangsters by him.
“Let me explain”, Venor started to say, but the chief didn't let him continue.
“It was our mutual agreement to perform the Great Rite here, on Ed Tyrr, according to our and your interests! The Queen and some of her minions were already materialized tonight!” the man went on in a sonorous voice.
I could hardly believe my ears! Those alien monsters I had seen coming down from the sky tonight...
“According to your words, the only serious obstacle would be Sandra Anderson. So, where are you taking her now?”
asked the chief.
“I’m not taking her anywhere; I just need to find out what she knows exactly”, Venor answered but I don't think he convinced anyone.
Next moment the prince of Yrkania punched his ex ally hard on the chin and got rid of the others with some impressive high kicks. Then we ran away like crazy, although we both knew it was in vain – there was no way out of that underwater base for us. Very soon the prince had to use his laser gun to repel a group of Dwellers who were chasing us, but it was only a matter of time for us to get caught.
To my great surprise, the chief didn't order our immediate extermination.
“The Queen is already here”, he announced serious, while the others were listening taciturn. “Let those two be her first meal!”
* * * * *
So, once again I was captive of the Dwellers of the Abyss;they led me into a sinister, undersea cavern, together with my worst enemy who, at that time, seemed to be my only friend. As soon as we were left in there, our captors withdrew at once with very quick and careful steps, as if they were afraid to stay even for one more second of time.
All was silent but we could just sense dreadful danger lurking in the air.
“It is not alone”, said Venor then, with a grim face. “Their
''Queen'' has thousands of offspring...”
“What have you done this time, Venor? And why?” I asked stern.
“I don't want to talk about it right now. Let's say this time my plans have gone terribly bad”, he replied with a bitter smile.
Unless I was tired and frightened, I would really enjoy the natural beauty of the underground place. As we walked on, hoping to find a way out before it was too late, the cave spread in endless tunnels and cavities, all lit with a mystical violet lighting that sparkled gently from the rocky walls, reflected into shallow pools and brooks. Venor seemed to be optimistic, insisting that such caverns always have an exit to the surface, while I was still complaining about his double game and the trouble it had already caused to both of us.
“What did you expect to achieve this time, Venor? Expand your dominion to other dimensions, maybe? That's not only greediness, it's foolishness as well!”
“Oh, give me a break! I am trying to set things right! Now, shut up and keep walking!”
We walked through narrow passages, occasionally wading along winding streams of water; we spent most of the time complaining and quarreling, even setting little traps to each other, until we reached an immense chamber with a lake in
the middle and no visible exit. Just then I realized all tunnels in that cave led precisely to that place. No way out...
“So, that's it!” I said. “A dead end! Now, the monster will appear and have us for dinner! All thanks to you!”
“I should have left you with all those creeps up there!”
Venor burst out. “They would have finished you once and for all by now, and this is exactly what you deserve!”
I sought to slap him but he captured my hand in time and retaliated with a terrible blow that sent me half-fainted on a wet rock.
“You are going to pay for this, Venor”, I threatened though I was dizzy, my back still lying on the rock.
I stood up on guard, ready for another fight; he rushed at me outraged, his fists tightened.
“You need a good lesson, you ungrateful bitch!” he shouted.
I stepped aside at once and his fist punched the rock behind me really hard. He grimaced and let a cry of pain. I laughed amused, which made him even wilder. He ignored the pain and attacked again; I stepped aside once again, and he bumped slightly on a cliff. As he turned towards me, his blue eyes were flashing with anger.
I confronted his third assault with a fast, high kick that hit him hard on the face and made him lose balance, fall down on the wet ground and bump his head on a big boulder. He stayed motionless for a couple of moments – and I felt so guilty...
As soon as I approached, he tried to stand up but he fell prone again, leaning his head in his hands.
“If this is life, I don't want to live!” he uttered bitterly.
Next moment, I ran to him and helped him stand on his feet.
He looked quite surprised at my unexpected affection and he
“I... I won't kill you now”, he stammered awkwardly. “I wouldn't like to be all alone in here…”
My hands slipped spontaneously from his shoulders to his broad chest, and I couldn't help asking in a low, maybe sensual voice: “Why do you follow the Left Path, Venor?”
No sooner had I finished my question, than there was agitation in the water of the lake. We both stayed still, watching the swift but delicate movements of a slender creature that swam underwater, until it disappeared behind a block of prismatic cliffs.
We walked to its direction carefully; we saw it emerge by the stony lake shore, and we were taken aback at the sight: It was a charming creature, a young mermaid with long red hair and green eyes, sitting gracefully on a flat rock, smiling at us cordially.
“Take the path around the lake”, she advised us in a soft, melodious voice. “And watch out, monsters may appear any moment”.
“Who are you?” asked Venor but he received no answer.
The mermaid dove in the water again and she was out of sight in no time.
Although we found her behaviour rather enigmatic, Venor and I hurried to follow her advice, taking the jagged, slippery path that seemed to surround the lake. How come we didn't notice it in the first place? I wondered but passed it in silence.
The path proved to be a lot longer than we had initially supposed. It seemed to go on forever, through successive passageways or dangerous tracks along steep cliffs, upwards of downwards, right or left, finally leading us very far away
from the lake. We just kept on walking speechless, only hoping to find a way out – if there was a way out...
* * * * *
The end of the path proved to be the greatest surprise of all: coming out of a long, upward tunnel, we found ourselves inside an alien base pulsating with activity. It was built at the edge of the precipice over the Ed Tyrr Abyss, and consisted of numerous hive-like constructions, all made of a shining, smooth, marble-like substance. Venor and I stood there frozen, absorbed in the magnificent view of the starry night above the hives and their gruesome inhabitants, for a moment ignoring completely the fact that we had just fallen into a horrible death trap.The place was full of alien monsters. Most of them looked like gigantic insects with very long and sharp teeth in their gaping mouths; their aggressive, screeching screams filled the sultry air. They had multiple, membranous wings that allowed them to fly freely, and long pointed tails with stings. I noticed some of them were different, as they had the form of gigantic spiders with tentacles; others looked like liquid vortexes -the kinds I had seen in Halmyra. Others were completely shapeless, made of a loathing, oozing substance that changed shape continuously, eventually becoming something that look like an insect, an animal, or even a human being. Is it possible that the mermaid wanted us to end up here? I wondered; just then I realized she were not a mermaid at all...
“They are shape shifters! They can take any form they like, even human form! They will mingle with the inhabitants and destroy them all, without their ever knowing about it!” I told Venor, keeping my voice as low as possible.
At that moment there was sudden silence all over the place, as our presence had been perceived. All the monsters turned
their ugly heads towards us, while a shapeless, still oozing creature had just crept near us. Within seconds, it took the form of the red-haired mermaid. She smiled at us in a most devious manner that revealed her true nature.
“You are here at last; fine, because my offspring are very hungry!” she announced in a sepulchral voice, a very evil expression altering her beautiful face.
Then she started changing again into something else, something that would soon be the most horrible of all those monsters.
At that point the prince of Yrkania pulled out his laser gun, but I just pushed him back with a slight movement of my hand, leaving him flabbergasted.
“Stay back, Venor!” I ordered him decisively, while more and more of those creatures were coming nearer and nearer.
Nevertheless, I was feeling ready to confront them all, as I could sense the power flowing inside me once again. I raised both my arms and launched two thick surges of energy against the approaching monsters, letting a loud cry at the limits of ecstasy, while Venor was only crouching behind me.
A few moments later, all monsters lay down in heaps of ashes or fried jelly that used to be their flesh. Nevertheless, their queen was still alive – at least for a few more seconds.
“You should do the same to the man who sold the planet and you, Sandra”, she uttered, having taken half the form of the mermaid again.
I shut my eyes in reverie, before it was too late and all the power was gone. I had to get out of there fast; I storngly wished I were in my spacecraft again, very far away from that planet, so I did my best to envisage this in every single detail.
Next instant, a powerful hum echoed deafening inside my head; the environment began to melt away and change rapidly before my eyes, as if in a mystical vision, but I knew it was a lot more than that.
When the vertigo was gone, I was in my spacecraft again. It was flying away from Ed Tyrr and its solar system, yet I still had the impression of huge sea waves swirling around the rising sun, an eerie cosmic vortex unfolding outside my window to the universe.
As about Venor, he was there too, standing by me; I can't really tell why, maybe deep inside I wished him to be with me – and he owed me lots, lots of explanations.
* * * * *
I am...I am hovering in endless, white ether, aware of two primeval, opposing entities that rule the universe. They have the form of masculine gods and they represent “God and Satan”, “good” and “evil”, “heaven” and “hell”. I can see them extending their arms, shooting thick energy beams from their open palms against each other.
“God” emits a light blue aura and produces a beam of the same colour, whereas “Satan” emits a red aura and produces a respective beam. The two surges of energy collide and melt together in the middle of the distance between them.
Neither of the two entities seems to be the winner in that never ending fight.
As I am hovering to the right of “God”, it occurs to me: When the time of death comes and a soul leaves its mortal body, it “falls” in a certain position within the spectre formed by the two opposing beams. The better the soul, the nearer it gets to the light blue area (“heaven”); the worse the soul, the nearer it gets to the red area (“hell”).
Next moment I, Emma, wake up astonished, with the strong impression I have just had a revelatory astral experience...
originally handwritten
from 10th January to 17th February, 1993
Let me tell you this: There are times when I, the thirteen year old Emma Lloyd, can exceed the limits of my mortal body and travel out of it – wherever, whenever.
One of my recent sallies was to Stonehedge, the magical archaeological site which is a door to other worlds – but very few know that…
It was a wonderful, starlit night; the moonlight made the ancient stones glow mystically under the sparsely clouded sky. George Dim was waiting there for me; we made love all night through, right in the middle of the circle formed by the ancient rocks. The feeling was beyond words.
“This is fantastic, Emma”, he said in a soft voice. “I think we could as well have a wonderful love affair on the material world of Earth, for a whole lifetime!”
“No, George”, I replied sharply. “Don't even think about it again! Don't let yourself be deceived, there is nothing good there. Our love will be destroyed on the material world, in a thousand different ways, for this is what happens to anything good there! So, let’s not allow this fate for our love!”
“I suppose you are right, Emma”, he agreed with a sad mien.
“We can meet every now and then in the astral planes, live great experiences together, and relish our true, eternal love”,
For a moment I closed my eyes in reverie and that was it: another dream, another astral dimension rushed in...
* * * * *
I, Sandra Anderson, was astonished to see Venor sitting casually at a table in the music pub I worked in during that period. The pub, the city, and the planet of Levania were quite far from the Yrkanian Dominion.Just like every night, I sang and danced on the stage entertaining the patrons with Earth songs and dance styles, but that didn't certainly prevent me from staring at him from time to time. There was no doubt the prince of Yrkania was here to cause trouble, yet I couldn't help admiring his masculine beauty, enhanced by a sexy outfit: a tight-fitting blue and purple uniform that left the sides of his upper body naked; the high, purple boots made his appearance even more impressive. He was chatting with one of his officers, and they both looked rather tense.
“Don't fret now”, the officer advised Venor. “You cannot arrest her here; she's done nothing here”.
“It's time she did something”, replied Venor enigmatically.
“Anyway, she must pay somehow for what she's done to my friend, Kael Darr. She tricked him and disappeared with a great part of his treasure, remember?”
“Kael Darr said she had been one of his concubines for two months, according to a special contract...”
“And at the lapse of these two months, she fled with most of his treasure instead of the two million units agreed! But enough talk!” exclaimed Venor and stood up.
I saw him and his officer coming towards me as I had just finished my last song; there was no way I could possibly
escape, so I preferred to show indifference.
Venor approached first and put his arms around my waist, as if we were lovers or something.
“What do you want this time, Venor?” I asked.
“A good friend of mine has lodged a serious complaint against you”, he answered, cupping my breasts for a moment.
Then his right hand was on my throat, and I felt a strange sting on my skin. I turned instantly and gave him a strong slap in the face, which made him fall back awkwardly on a table behind him. The man and the woman who were sitting at it didn't seem to be annoyed at all; on the contrary, they cheered up quite amused, and so did all the other patrons in the pub. I suppose that was the occasion Venor sought, for when he stood up again he looked angry and satisfied at the same time.
“You are going to come with us, Sandra”, he declared with a serious mien. “You are accused of cheating and robbing...”
“Kael Darr”, I finished his sentence.
Next moment both men attacked with the purpose of arresting me. I fought back with two swift martial art blows and, right when I thought I could feel the power inside me, something was very wrong: For some strange reason I could hardly move, my head was spinning and I felt too weak to act anyhow. I turned round slowly and faced Venor's hypnotic eyes. Both his hands were on my shoulders now, as my legs could no longer hold me. I was in no position to bear the slightest opposition.
“What... what have you done to me, Venor?” I stammered in despair, my heart pounding fast.
Taking into account that none of the security guards had
interfered so far, and that the whole pub had already been evacuated in almost no time, I assumed I had been betrayed.
At that point I lost all my courage, as I suddenly understood the situation was even more serious than I thought. Tears came down my cheeks and I felt helpless as never before, in the hands of my worst enemy – as if Venor were somehow affecting my mind... This is it! I realized, surprised and terrified. He is affecting my mind... but how?
“How could you do such a thing?” Venor asked me then, with unexpected interest.
“Do what exactly?” I asked back bewildered.
“I mean... how could you become a contract concubine? I certainly couldn't imagine your being... your doing something like that!” said Venor, rather embarrassed.
“You wouldn't expect me to sell myself to that pig for a lousy two million units, would you?” I asked back, striving to regain my self-confidence.
“I would never expect you to become...”
“A whore, come on, say it”, I interrupted with a bitter smile.
“Well, Venor, things are as simple as that: If a woman sells herself for a lot of money, she is a whore. If she does so for a little money, she is a respectable wife. If she doesn’t sell herself at all, she is not a woman at all! Am I right?” I explained cynically, which certainly didn't prevent my arrest.
* * * * *
I don't have much memory of the days that followed. I only remember well that Venor maintained his mind control over me, stifling inside me every serious thought of reaction. I had no idea how he did that, but he did it. I was obliged to take part in some Yrkanian missions, performing lesser tasks most of the time, while I had full knowledge of mycondition. Escape had become an obsession but I never tried to do anything like that; I felt as if invisible strings were attached to my body, controlling the slightest movement of mine.
After a while, I began suffering headaches. At first they were moderate, but they became stronger and stronger as the days of bondage went by; sometimes I even cried of pain.
My captor soon found out about this, but he remained suspicious and indifferent.
One day the pain was so insupportable that I actually decided to escape, although my whole body was getting number and number at every such thought. Yet, I was determined to get away, no matter what...
In the beginning it seemed to be relatively easy, because nobody imagined I would be able to oppose Venor's mind control over me. Despite the unnatural numbness of my limbs, I fought a lot against numerous Yrkanian warriors, while I was still feeling as if my head was about to explode.
However, my plan wasn't meant to succeed; I was eventually captured by security guards and led before Venor.
I was furious at him and everybody in there, feeling more desperate than ever.
“I will kill you!” I screamed outraged, looking straight into his eyes, the excruciating pain still drilling my head.
“What's the matter with her?” he only asked.
He took my face in his hands, showing a strange affection to me. Then I wept and shook, unable to utter one more word.
Maybe it is my fate to end my days as a mindless slave, I thought, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“She has very strong headaches, as I've told you”, said a doctor, who had just arrived. “It is a subconscious reaction against imposed slavery. Her mind is opposing the continual
effect of the suppression implant, and this worsens her condition day by day”.
Suppression implant? The words echoed like a thousand bells in my conscience.
“What have you done to me, Venor?” I asked.
“Listen to me, Sandra”, he replied in a firm voice. “You have no other choice but compromise. Otherwise you...”
At that point the pain became insupportable and I lost my senses.
* * * * *
When I recovered, I found out I was in bed, inside my cell; Venor and the doctor were standing near me.“You don't understand, prince Venor”, I heard the doctor saying. “This woman just can't bear slavery; it is a rare case, but it happens. Her headaches will grow stronger and stronger and her brain will be seriously damaged, unless she is released...”
“This is out of the question!” protested Venor.
“If the implant stays inside her, she will only get worse and worse, until she dies!” concluded the doctor stern.
“Let her die, then!” announced Venor and walked out.
When I was finally alone, I shut my eyes and sank in apathy for a few moments. That's it then, I decided. To slavery I choose death...
Therefore, I just lay there motionless, with my eyes closed; I emptied all thoughts and sank deeper and deeper inside myself, until the pain was gone and so was everything else.
After a while my heartbeat got slower and slower, until it stopped.
“She is dead!” a voice echoed all around, reaching from
very far away, as if from another world.
A familiar voice of a man called the name “Sandra”, again and again; it came to me as a strange resonance through dimensions. I knew I was Sandra but that didn't matter at all in that state of awareness. Then I felt a strong surge of energy streaming through my whole body, and I knew the power was with me once again, instantly releasing me from all kinds of bondage and pain.
For a fleeting moment in time, I managed to communicate with Peter of the Stars – and that was enough; then I opened my eyes again, making Venor step back startled. I smiled to him vaguely; I don't think he suspected I was already free...
* * * * *
“What do you think you are doing there, you scum?” asked Venor wrathful, his laser gun in hand, as soon as he found Peter in his private chamber. The intruder was examining closely a very special hologram that should be kept a secret.“A holographic design of a planetary mind control tower to be installed as soon as possible on planet Levania... Does Sandra know about this?” asked Peter with a mocking mien, as if ignoring the danger he had just fallen into.
“Turn round with your hands up”, ordered Venor grimly.
“Sure!” said Peter and obeyed automatically.
As soon as he turned round, the enemy fired at once. The laser ray was well-aimed but Peter had already stepped aside, so that it only scratched the fabric of his green uniform on the left arm. Next moment he pounced on Venor like a wild cat; soon both men were on the floor, Venor's weapon slipping away from him. They fought hard with bare hands for a few minutes, both striving to get that gun, which had ended up under a heavy armchair.
As Venor was a lot stronger than his opponent, he soon managed to trap Peter with his back down on the floor. After some agonizing moments of vain efforts to get free, Peter got obviously tired, and he was nearly knocked out with a strong blow on the face. Right after, the prince of Yrkania stretched his left arm under the armchair quickly, grabbed his laser gun, sat up and pointed the barrel at Peter's chest, all fury.
“It's your time to die!” Venor's voice echoed threatening all over the room.
However, that didn't daunt Peter; though Venor had known him for years, he still failed to realize how supple his opponent could be. The prince barely had the time to see a very swift flying kick sweeping his weapon off his hand once again. He shouted in surprise and anger; then, he pounced on Peter at once, outraged.
At that point another round was about to begin, when I got in and interrupted it.
“All right, Venor, enough is enough! Stop it now!” I shouted.
Seeing me aiming at him with a stolen laser weapon, the prince stepped back immediately.
“Sandra! How... how could you...” he stammered astounded.
“Reach here? Simple! I killed all the guards!”
“He's got a new mind control tower and he intends to install it on this and other planets!” Peter explained impatiently.
“I see...” I replied thoughtful.
“Sandra”, said Venor then, strangely calm. “How far do you think you can go?”
“Very far!” I answered tauntingly. “Far enough to stop the whole project...”
Venor laughed and I got very angry.
“I can start by killing the brain of the project, and that's you!” I said and pointed my gun at him.
I am not sure whether Venor had taken my threat seriously, but right next moment he pushed Peter aside, rushed out of the room in a flash, and disappeared in a dark corridor, running fast like an arrow, dodging all my laser beams.
“How does he always escape you?” said Peter frowned.
“We must get out of here now!” I replied, lowering my weapon.
* * * * *
“Venor has put a mind control implant in me”, I explained later, as soon as the dimensional gate created by Peter closed behind us. “It must have happened during my arrest at the night pub; at a moment Venor touched my throat and I felt a sting...” I went on, as we found ourselves at a picturesque, rocky shore under a clouded sky, far away from Venor's base.“At least he no longer controls you”, said Peter.
“The implant was destroyed during my transcendental meditation, as the power was with me again”, I made clear.
“You have only neutralized it temporarily”, he replied thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, such implants can't be destroyed; they can only be neutralized for a while. Now, put these on!” he said and handed me a couple of platinum bracelets with an impressive star pattern carved on them.
“What are they?” I wondered, putting them on at once.
“They will protect you from any kind of artificial mind control. I will explain more, later”.
According to Peter's further explanations, Venor had already
built a mind control tower somewhere near. This would cover the whole planet of Levania and its unsuspecting inhabitants, who would gradually yield to the Yrkanian tyranny without even realizing it.
We discovered the highest canopy of the tower among lofty rocks. It was surrounded by a cluster of odd-shaped antennae that looked like metal branches of some alien plant; or, it could as well be the work of some surrealist sculptor. The rest of the construction was underground.
After finishing our job there, we decided to keep lurking among the cliffs for a while, lest something might go wrong.
The air was freezing cold, but we didn't have to wait for long: There he was, Venor walking along the narrow, stony path to the canopy. He was not alone. He was accompanied by one of those notorious women bodyguards of his; some of them were human, some were believed to be droids.
I had to prevent the prince of Yrkania from going into that tower, for we had sapped it and it would be reduced to ashes within minutes. However, I couldn't say directly that to Peter, who was smiling cunningly.
All of a sudden, the bodyguard stopped walking and looked around suspiciously.
“What's the matter?” asked Venor annoyed.
“I can feel something! A presence!” she announced stern and pulled out her laser gun, scouring the area with her experienced eyes.
Peter did not waste one more second in vain hiding. Before I could say or do anything, he stood up and made himself visible behind a rock, smiling courageously at his enemy.
“You again!” cried Venor and fired, just a split second after Peter had jumped down the cliffs, dodging the mortal laser beam just in time.
Both Yrkanians kept on firing at Peter, but he moved too fast for them, astounding them with his incredible suppleness and martial art techniques. With a sudden side kick he made the bodyguard lose her footing and fall into the lagoon below.
Venor was furious: “You are going to die, Peter!” he shouted and sought to fire once again.
However, he never had time to do so; a terrible explosion rent the air and both men fell prone on the stony ground at once, in an instinctive attempt to protect themselves. It all lasted a few minutes; when the air was finally clear enough, they both stood up cautiously.
“What the hell...!” uttered Venor bewildered.
He looked around perplexed, barely realizing that his new mind control base had just been reduced to ashes and dust.
What he hadn't realized yet, was that his laser weapon was now in Peter's hands. The young man was smiling complacently as he was aiming at Venor.
It would all be over within a second, but Peter lowered the weapon and frowned, as I approached and gave him a stern, meaningful look.
“How... how did you...” stuttered the prince overwhelmed.
“It's not at all the first time I've sapped one of your bases”, Peter replied, even before Venor had finished his question.
“This is not over, you know”, Venor went on with fiery eyes. “This mind control tower will be rebuilt again in no time! You know that nothing can really stop the Interstellar Yrkanian Empire!”
For a moment I stayed silent; unfortunately, he was right about that.
“We can all leave now, in my spacecraft”, I announced then.
“This means, Venor, you are coming with us!”
“But why?” protested Peter, who had not seen that coming.
“They aren't going to build anything here after their prince has disappeared”, I explained. “They will all be very busy looking for him for a while!”
“You... you won't get away with this! You just can't... you can't just take me with you!” stuttered Venor once again.
“Oh, yes we can”, I replied firm and he froze as both Peter and I were aiming at him with our laser weapons.
“And I don't want to hear any comments about women pilots...” I joked, which was the last straw for Venor.
“You really think your crate can escape the Yrkanian pursuit crafts, you bitch?” he exclaimed angrily.
“Let me tell you how my ''crate'' works”, I replied calm.
“Two hyperchords pass instantly near each other; one moves towards my spacecraft as it takes off, while the other one moves away from it...”
“Shut up!” he burst and tried to hit me, but I parried his blow easily, smiling at him triumphantly.
Venor took a step back, leaned on a rock and brought his right hand on his forehead. Then he looked at me with sad eyes, acknowledging one more defeat...
* * * * *
“I feel much better and my mind is a lot clearer when I wear them”, I confessed to Peter later, after we had left Levania.“Besides, they look very attractive and precious too! They are platinum, right?” I wanted to know about the couple of bracelets he had gifted me.
“No, they aren't platinum, they are alvesten; it's a very rare metal found only on Eldyla. Its special molecular structure blocks all kinds of electromagnetic attacks and neutralizes
all negative implants, including the DNA-interwoven ones. I suggest you always wear them, especially when you are anywhere within the Yrkanian Empire”.
“I know, Peter. I already have such an implant in my body...” I said gloomily.
“In all probability, you have more than one; you were a prisoner of war and a servant of the Empire once, right?”
Right...
“Remember, though, there is no full protection against such implants; if there was, they wouldn't have made them in the first place”, Peter concluded with a serious mien.
“I understand, Peter, and... I don't know how to thank you!”
I changed the subject and smiled broadly, trying to ease off the tension.
“We'll think of something”, he replied in a soft voice.
Then, he sealed my lips with the most passionate kiss...
originally handwritten
from 21st February to 15th March, 1993
My good cousin Ann-Marie and her mother arrived from New Jersey last week and they paid us a visit this afternoon.
I, Emma, was very happy to see them after so many months.
Ann-Marie is one of the few persons I feel comfortable with, and we always have a nice time together. She, my sister Mary and I spent some time in my room, chatting and listening to music; then Mary suggested we go to the local park. We all agreed in unison.
No sooner had we arrived and sat on the swings, when a dozen of teenage boys rolled up, three of them on bikes, and surrounded us in a rather aggressive manner. It wasn't clear what they wanted exactly; they just kept glaring at us, shouting rigmaroles and guffawing like lunatics.
A few minutes later we left the park, rather exasperated.
However, the gang of lunatics followed us along the road, and they went on jeering, wailing, and swearing at us continuously. At first I couldn't make out what they were saying, and I had the impression they were shouting at all three of us. Then I got a little more observant and realized they were cross with me. In fact, all of them were walking or riding by my side, and their insults were meant only for me! I didn't utter a word; neither did my sister or my cousin.
The gang dogged us all the way home, with undiminished obstinacy. They disappeared only when my mother answered the door and we got into the house.
After that unfortunate incident, I could no longer enjoy the company of our visitors. All I wished was the night to come, so that I could sleep and dream...
* * * * *
I, Sandra Anderson, was riding my new motorbike along a Gonastian highway, relishing the sense of top speed, as I was already on my way to a new mission. The almost empty road seemed to converge abruptly before my eyes, but I kept on riding fast like the wind through the endless, deserted fields that spread alongside.Gonast is one of the few planets in the known universe dominated by women -descendants of amazons, ancient tribes of women who managed to survive a terrible neutron war thousands of years ago- and it is one of the few places where I can feel ''at home''.
In a few minutes I was to meet Queen Nikita, ruler of this planet and a good friend of mine, and I could hardly contain my impatience.
Although Nikita was the queen of Gonast, she didn't look at all like majesty. She dressed herself with casual, light, colourful clothes and her manners were polite and friendly with everybody. The only thing that showed her status was a diadem of ruby stars on her blond hair and a thick, gold bracelet around her left wrist.
Nevinral was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen and he did look a lot like Peter of the Stars. He was red-hair with green eyes too, as well as slender, dynamic and fascinating like my man. Nevinral used to be one of the queen's private warriors, until he became her mate. However that didn't change much about his social position as a man on Gonast, which was indicated by a platinum chain around his waist.
The homonymous capital of Gonast had been facing grave problems recently, as Nikita explained to me in brief:
“There is a kind of invasion taking place every night, all over the city, and we still don't know who is behind this.
There are conflicts of course; people get killed, men disappear, more and more day after day...”
“Haven't you managed to ward off the enemies yet? I'm surprised!” I admitted.
“I am, too! Those raiders are more than worthy opponents!
We haven't even captured one of them yet!”
“Really? That's remarkable”, I said thoughtful.
“But we suspect it is our ancestral treasure they want!”
“Nobody would dare touch that treasure!” I objected.
“It’s a miles-long vein of radioactive gold, under the Old Necropolis; very dangerous but invaluable for specific scientific applications. Yet, somebody dares”, insisted Nikita.
Next evening I witnessed one of those mysterious, predatory raids. Alien, motorbike-like vehicles appeared all of a sudden and rushed into the city. Wild, ironclad bandits invaded houses and other buildings, stealing whatever seemed to be of some value, murdering those who tried to bear any opposition, and abducting others, mostly young men. There were fierce battles between the raiders and the warriors of Gonast and many of them were killed, whereas the enemies seemed to be invulnerable to laser weapons.
When it was decided they had taken enough, all raiders got on their impressive vehicles and disappeared into the night, having followed a strategic plan of extreme accuracy. It wasn't long before they were all riding fast, away from the inhabited area, into the barren plateau, where the Old Necropolis was situated.
Nevinral believed the enemies had a kind of hidden base somewhere there, and I agreed to help him locate it. So, he and I decided to follow the raiders, although we knew it would be very difficult to keep a safe distance without losing them or been seen.
* * * * *
The jagged, rocky formations that spread all over the plateau -remains of a primeval meteor rain- offered us some cover during the journey, as we were following the tracks of the inimical vehicles on the ground. Suddenly, though, there were no more of them; we almost reached the area of the Old Necropolis.I shivered as we got off our motorbikes, and it was not due only to the cold. For a couple of seconds I observed Nevinral's attractive body as he was gazing beyond the petrified dunes, to the chain of steep hills that rose ominously to the night sky, hiding the Old Necropolis behind them.
We climbed up the golden cliffs, until we could make out the main gate of the Old Necropolis in the distance. The starlit night and the three full moons of Gonast offered a unique view of the site. The metal door was ajar, standing between two bulky pillars built of heavy, parallelepiped stones that formed a pointed arch above the gate.
Coming down the steep hill, we made our way through jagged rocks and dark bushes, till we finally stood in front of the main gate, now emerging incredibly high before us. It cracked a little as we stepped in; it gave me the impression we were entering another reality. My heart was pounding hard in my chest and strong chills made me freeze, as we walked in with laser guns in hands. Not a sound was heard but the gusts of the wind that blew among ruined walls, ancient tombs and gloomy, half-dead trees.
We approached the nearest edifice very carefully; we pushed the rusty door open and walked in, all our senses on the alert. It looked very much like an old-fashioned house: it was fully furnished, with all the necessary household items, and it was still intact, just as it had been at its prime, many centuries ago. We found five skeletons in different rooms, standing like fossilized in various positions – an ordinary family of elsewhen, dealing with everyday occupations, before time had stood still.
Clouds of dust came in and out of the rooms from broken windows and gaping doors, without ever settling anywhere.
That made me feel rather perplexed, as I could sense a kind of agitation in the air and I didn't even try to figure out why.
We rushed in and out many such buildings, both of us overwhelmed by an increasing mental pain, having nearly forgotten the original reason of this unholy visit. The Old Necropolis was a city actually, an ancient city once destroyed in a neutron war, now abandoned for millennia.
We moved around mechanically for an indefinite amount of time, until we found ourselves in front of an outdoor staircase of a mansion. There were lots of such luxurious buildings all around, one more impressive than the other; apparently, that used to be the posh part of the once thriving city. Even the yards, as well as the streets, were still intact, sterile, haunted by ancient lives that were terminated all at once, without their even knowing why.
Suddenly I felt like running away from that place at once and never coming back, yet a pleasant numbness prevented me from doing so. Here, I pondered, you stay either for a little while or for ever...
* * * * *
Next moment a sharp, repetitive noise of fast approachingsteps broke the silence. Nevinral and I hid behind a marble wall with our guns in hand; very soon we saw somebody arrive. The intruder looked like a man; he was heavily armed and all clad in a kind of metal panoply. His face was abnormally cool, entirely inexpressive. It was obvious that was no man at all.
The best way to confront a cyborg is to flee, for such structures are practically indestructible. I touched Nevinral's shoulder to allude we should get away at once, but he paid no heed. He just rushed forward determined to fight the metal enemy, and I only shouted his name in vain. All I could do next was contact Nikita through my bracelet telecommunication device.
The enemy took a step forward and ordered us to surrender.
He looked like a good-looking, muscular man and he had a powerful firearm in his hands. For a moment I froze, partly hidden behind a well preserved brick wall; Nevinral defied the danger and dashed at the cyborg, probably intending to disarm him somehow. I wondered at his courage – Goddess, he really was so much like my Peter of the Stars!
The cyborg fired immediately and Nevinral jumped up with incredible suppleness, while I was only watching, still hidden behind the brick wall. I left my cover cautiously and followed the two opponents from a distance. The droid moved on, firing again and again, forcing Nevinral to retreat steadily. The young man dodged the multiple laser beams by stepping aside just in time, rolling fast on the wet ground, performing successive aerial or ground somersaults I envied.
Soon both opponents were standing outside an impressive palace, which was in astoundingly good condition. At that time Nevinral looked very serious, still trying hard to dodge all those laser beams; he had probably acknowledged by
now that it would be impossible to counterattack a robotic warrior whose movements were as quick and accurate as only a robot could achieve. Nevertheless, he kept escaping death every moment undaunted, methodically taking off the cyborg away from me. I just stared at him for a couple of seconds, admiring his unique courage, his fighting spirit, his devotion, as well as his impeccable body.
Suddenly, I felt as if I were waking up from deep sleep; I had to help Nevinral get out of this alive, and I had to act right now. I pulled out my laser weapon and fired at the cyborg at once. As expected, a simple laser beam did almost nothing to the machine – just a small scratch on its back.
Nevertheless, the droid's attention was finally diverted from Nevinral; the metal warrior turned round and looked at me with its glassy eyes. I repeated the laser blast, but it hardly made him step back. Nevinral had knelt one leg on the ground, obviously exhausted; I ran to take cover behind a half-ruined marble wall, although I knew it was in vain.
All of a sudden, a huge flashing light blinded me, and next moment the droid burst to exploding pieces. I turned round to see who had done this, and I faced Limara, the chief amazon warrior, carrying an impressive portable bomber in her hands. The red-haired, extremely muscular woman stood tall and haughty opposite the ancient palace, looking at me stern.
Just then I noticed that the luxurious edifice, surrounded by tall, leafy trees and bushes, looked strangely transparent.
After the initial surprise, I figured out it was not a real thing; it was a vibrating vision from the distant past, revealed through a time gap created by the neutron blast itself. It did not last long; it vanished like an illusory apparition, giving its place to decayed ruins, cold gusts of wind moaning through its broken windows. Lots of such holographic scenes appear from time to time within the Old Necropolis,
bringing the past into the present just for a few seconds or minutes…
“Are you alone?” I asked the amazon warrior.
“I am more than enough!” Limara replied arrogantly.
Next moment abrupt rustling noises filled the air and the whole place seemed to abound in cyborgs, appearing from all directions. Limara used her weapon to destroy some of them in almost no time, yet the enemies were too many; it would only be a matter of seconds...
* * * * *
Just when I thought everything was lost, they were suddenly everywhere, lurking behind ajar doors, half-ruined walls, bushes or tree trunks, more and more of them moment by moment – Gonast amazon warriors, armed with portable bombers or heavy laser weapons, shooting like a wave of fire at the enemies who, at this isolated place, could do practically nothing to defend themselves effectively.The battle was rather violent, and it seemed to be going on for ever, although it actually didn't last more than ten minutes. Both sides suffered casualties, but finally the amazons prevailed. The remaining enemies preferred to give in, an action impossible for a cyborg – but those proved to be men, flesh and blood, and this brought some exhilaration among the women warriors.
Only one of the soldiers moved aside, refusing to follow the preordained fate of his comrades.
“Come out and fight fairly, queen Nikita, if you have the guts!” he shouted and brandished a luminous laser blade in his right hand.
A stony silence reigned all over the place, as the man's unheard-of insolence and bravery astonished everybody. His
well-trained body and his attractive face with the hazel hair were finely outlined in the moonlight. He was awfully young, and it was obvious that Nikita knew him.
Nevinral took out a laser gun and stepped forward with the intention of fighting for his queen, but Nikita stopped him with her hand on his left shoulder.
“I should have known it was you right from the start, Malev!” she uttered sharply and got ready to confront him, armed with a similar weapon.
Time seemed to stand still, as the two rivals kept exchanging swift, skillful, mortal blows outside the ruined palace. She was cool-tempered and circumspect, he was fast and determined to win or die. The duel went on equivocal for several minutes of suspense, until the young man was finally tricked by a false misstep of the queen; he dashed forth to finish her but next moment Nikita disarmed him with an unforeseen side kick. Then she sprang up and pounced on him furious with her bare hands. Yet, he reacted with remarkable readiness, avoiding all her blows with supple, accurate movements.
Soon he was forced to step all the way back into the yard of an ancient temple, always seeking a chance to get the edge again. However, she was too experienced as a fighter to let something like that happen, and he was too tired to make that happen. After a wild assault, she managed to immobilize him under her strong, muscular body, on the mossy slabs of the temple yard. Malev was stunned and breathless, yet he still refused to surrender, vainly trying to free himself for some more agonizing seconds. Then he gave up, closed his eyes and waited…
Soon Malev was lying on a bulky altar inside the ancient temple, his arms and legs in chains, while Nikita was pointing a sharp knife at his throat. In his big, black eyes I
could see the fear of dying glowing in the twilight.
“Come on, Nikita! Finish me now!” he cried, trying hard to put on a face of defiance.
“I will decide if and when, Malev!” she objected. “Just tell me, why did you cause all this, what did you expect to achieve?”
“I wished to cause the downfall of Gonast and its amazons”, he confessed with a pale face. “I just don't like women ruling the planet!”
“Men had their chance; and they lost it centuries ago!” said Nikita stern.
“I... I don't want to live like...” gasped Malev then.
“A sex slave”, Nikita was beforehand in completing his sentence. “This is what we do to the men we capture in battle. It is a primeval tradition, not to be altered now”.
She touched his fair skin smoothly on the chest, first with the edge of her knife, then with her fingers. His well-shaped body, sensually outlined under the tight-fitting blue uniform, shivered for a second. A long kiss on his lips defined his fate as a prisoner of war on an amazon planet. At that point I noticed Nevinral lower his head and look the other way.
As he explained to me later, Nevinral felt rather embarrassed every time men ended up as prisoners of war on Gonast. He confided in me that would have been his fate too, unless he had been lucky enough to be distinguished by the queen and appointed as one of her personal bodyguards.
He was a revolutionary once too, just like Malev, and he remembered the time of his capture, moment by moment, as he was trying to set free some other soldiers. Queen Nikita had arrived just in time to prevent his sexual abuse by a number of amazon warriors. Soon he became her mate and he has lived happily with the queen ever since, although he
hasn't completely settled all this inner conflicts...
* * * * *
To cut a long story short:A few months ago, Malev and some other men decided they couldn't stand the regime of Gonast any longer, so they escaped and fled to the Old Necropolis. The place is considered sacred, therefore nobody pursued them there; they were just expected to reappear in time.
However, it wasn't long before the fugitives accidentally discovered an immense, underground, secret vault, which proved to be an ancestral arsenal. The cyborgs, as well as various weapons, utensils and computers had been kept there since ancient times, before even the outbreak of the neutron war. While exploring the galleries leading to the arsenal, they also discovered the vein of radioactive gold; they used it to activate the cyborgs, as well as the computers, weapons and other stuff they found in there.
Then, they decided to use those weapons and the army of droids to overthrow the amazons' regime in Gonast.
More and more men joined this army of rebels every time the cyborgs raided the capital - that's why only men disappeared during those raids. But this is over now and all of them will be punished the right way. As about the remaining, inactivated droids, they will be programmed to serve Gonast as elite warriors from now on.
Then it was time we had the men prisoners for our satisfaction. Most of them accepted their fate with a certain complacence. One of the few who protested was Malev, and he looked rather preoccupied when he was given to Limara.
He even sought to escape her, but soon he was caught again.
He was tied with chains and ravished by that feared amazon from dusk till dawn; it ended only when he was completely
exhausted, tamed body and soul, yet asking for more.
I was offered an exceptionally attractive, blond guy with shiny blue eyes and a brawny body. He seemed not to be bothered by the leather collar with the silver chain around his neck, and he was more than willing to do or suffer whatever I pleased. I was intoxicated by the sense of having a sex slave at my disposal. I left him breathless after sunrise, when we were both satisfied as never before.
* * * * *
In my dream, the figure of my sensual lover was altered little by little, until he was no longer naked, nor sexy. The leather collar with the silver chain was gone, and he was now wearing old-time, luxurious garments. He still looked handsome, yet he was no longer the same person; he was gradually turning into someone else, a medieval prince maybe.The incredible astral experience I had just had was already degenerating into a simple dream until I, Emma, woke up with a start. My wonderful astral adventure had now become a vague, fugitive memory in my mind; nevertheless, I was feeling energized, blissful, and disappointed for being here once again…
originally handwritten
from 20th March to 19th April, 1993
This evening my sweet little sister Mary got on my nerves because she demanded I, Emma, should give her exactly half of the photos of singers and cinema stars I have clipped out of magazines and keep in a special album. She wanted them here and now, she grumbled and grumbled, until I lost my temper and gave her a clout. She turned on the waterworks at once, mum ran to see what was wrong and Mary moaned that I hit her bad.
“...and I have a terrible headache now!” she complained -the usual performance.
Mum glared at me, she ordered me to give half of my photos to Mary, I refused, and my sister resorted to her strongest argument: “If you don't beat her up, I will vomit!”
and she started the act right away.
As expected, mum got furious at me: “You, big one, give those photos to the kid!” she groaned, while Mary was whining with crocodile tears: “Aaaaaah, my head!”
Then mum pounced on me, shouting: “What did you do to the poor kid, you big one, you gawk!”
In order to avoid more drama, like the previous time when mum pushed me down on the floor and started kicking and beating me, I opened the door and ran away from home. I was absent for a couple of hours; when I came back mum didn't dare utter a word -ha!
Yet, my sister was undaunted: “You will pay for this, Emma! Just wait and see!”
“Mind your own business, you hen!” I told her in a low, suppressed voice, so that mum wouldn't listen. “What can you possibly know? You've always had whatever you wished, because you are such a mincing little slut, while I...” I paused, staring at her bewildered eyes.
“I have to sleep”, I said finally. “And dream!”
* * * * *
Sandra Anderson... I feel constrained to repeat my name in my mind over and over again, while I am here on planet Phaon. It is a wild and primitive world, most of it covered by endless ochre deserts studded with petrified dunes, bleak villages and small cities built in the sparse oases. Thousands of people are crowded there, living lives of misery and perpetual fear, their heads constantly bent before the Yrkanian dominion, which is alleged to be of divine origin.The arenas are the most popular form of entertainment in the cities of Phaon, where the masses have the opportunity to exhaust their oppressed aggression by watching star gladiators fighting each other to death or being torn apart by gigantic alien beasts. It all happens for the amusement of the roaring crowd and, eventually, for the glory of the winner in a supposed sacred tournament.
I would have never come to Phaon, or become a gladiator, unless for a very good reason. According to the information I had gathered after lots of research, somewhere here, in the capital city of Thanda, there was a valuable relic of an ancient civilization lost and forgotten long ago. At that time, I couldn’t be sure about what it was exactly, but I definitely wanted it for myself and my interstellar travels.
First I changed my appearance in such a way that not even
my own mother would recognize me; then I introduced myself as an experienced gladiator coming from “beyond the deserts”. That explanation was not satisfactory enough for the Reverent Judges, who claimed there is nothing beyond the deserts. However, my identification papers looked perfectly genuine to them. Last but not least, gladiators are always welcome to the arenas of Phaon, especially once they have succeeded in a certain fight-test.
Three weeks after my arrival, I had already won a very good reputation as a gladiator. That new career of mine had already cost a dozen of slaughtered opponents, but it all served a good purpose...
* * * * *
So, there I was once again, wreathed in the dust of the arena, waiting for my rival to appear and the final duel to begin. I could hear the crowd buzz in excitement, countless inquisitive eyes fixed on me. I was wearing a violet, tight-fitting uniform, embedded with variegated shining gems around the waist. My left hand was tightened to an invaluable Simisen sword. My long hair was dyed dark blue, which is considered the colour of wisdom on Phaon.I could hardly contain my impatience when my opponent finally entered the arena. The spectators burst into cheers of exhilaration for he, the renowned Zygor Amherst, was not any gladiator; he was the champion of Phaon for five consecutive years, and he was their strongest hope to see an arrogant warrior woman -that is me- defeated and dying on the sand of the arena.
Looking quite impressive and strong in his tight blue uniform made of some metalized material, Zygor approached slowly, armed with a steel dagger and a round shield. He had a set face with an air of determination, curly black hair and dark blue glasses concealing his eyes. As he
said, only the gladiator who would beat him in the arena would get the right to look straight into his eyes. I found that kinda eccentric, and I could hardly wait to do so - but...
Was I supposed to kill that man?
A dagger can be a very dangerous weapon in skillful hands, and Zygor Amherst soon proved to be more than that: he was extremely agile and fought with a vehemence I could hardly repel. He was constantly on the attack, very confident of himself, forcing me to retreat most of the time.
I could hear the crowd roar, impatiently awaiting my fall; especially the women were yelling continuously, in ecstatic mania, while a strong sense of aversion was slithering all over me. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist that kind of concentrated negativity much longer…
For the time being, all I could do was recede all the way back, barely parrying a cascade of terrible blows, unable to fight back. Very soon I ended up in a corner breathless, and the sword was suddenly too heavy for me; after a swift blow of Amherst, it was no longer in my hand. I could only stare at the enemy stunned, as he was raising his shiny dagger to deliver the ultimate blow. I definitely wished to feel the power there and then, but it wasn't with me at that time, and I felt so desperate – only for a very long moment.
Then I span round into a fast high kick, which disarmed Zygor's hand and sent the dagger fly away through the dusty air, while I was rolling down on the sand towards my fallen sword; I grabbed it fast and stood up to my feet in a split second. The enemy stared at me in utter surprise, still unarmed. His self-confidence had obviously waned, as he instantly glanced back in anguish -a fatal mistake for any gladiator- possibly looking for his dagger, which was nowhere to see.
There was stony silence among the spectators now, as the
red sun Zenobe was setting behind the ancient pyramids that rose up to the violet sky, beyond the upper tiers of the arena.
All at once, I was abashed at the tension on Zygor's face, as he stood there fully alert, determined to fight with bare hands. My personal principles urged me to lay my weapon down on the sand and continue with a fair fight. The crowd burst into wild acclamations.
Charging with a loud martial cry, Amherst rushed at me in a frantic attempt to knock me down with his powerful fists. I managed to deflect a terrible punch with a quick blocking movement and then sent him fall back with a sharp sidekick.
In no time he was up on his feet again, launching another assault. I ducked immediately and rolled on the ground away from his outraged blows, amidst whirls of gray sand.
All at once, a strong kick made my head spin and I collapsed; the crowd roared in excitement. I hadn't lost my senses yet, but I no longer knew where I was or what I was doing; I was only vaguely aware of imminent danger.
Instinct alone saved my life as, right at the last moment, I came to myself and swept the opponent down with a low kick. He certainly hadn't expected that, for he finally lost balance and fell on the sand. I pounced on him with a loud martial cry and brought the fight to an end with a sharp blow between his eyes. Zygor Amherst sank to the ground unconscious.
For a few moments I stayed there motionless, pondering on how lucky I was that time; not only had I survived a very dangerous opponent, but I had also avoided one more meaningless killing. The buzz of the displeased crowd irritated me, but I didn't really care. My attention was fixed on the fallen enemy, whose eyes were still a mystery.
I approached cautiously and, after a short hesitation, I knelt beside him and took the dark glasses off him. Next minute
he opened his eyes -sparkling, emerald, mesmerizing eyes-and stared at me in strange calmness. For a couple of seconds I was numb at his rare beauty; then I helped him stand up and embraced him spontaneously, while the crowd was watching breathless and silent. I considered this an ideal ending to my career as a gladiator, which also brought me one step closer to my original purpose.
* * * * *
I could barely contain my suspense, as six acolytes were guiding me to the Great Hall of Honour. This is where the king of Phaon himself awards champion gladiators – a sanctum accessible only to those who deserve it. When we reached the black metal portal, known as The Last Gate, I was astounded to see the clerics knew how to type the secret digital code which allowed entrance to the vast chamber.When the portal was open at last, I saw the king sunk in his carved ebony throne, obscured in his dark-coloured royal garments. The grimness on his face showed he did not like at all the fact that he had to reward a female gladiator; yet, he couldn't do otherwise now.
As I stepped in, my heart leaped with wonder. The dark walls were hidden behind a complex of heterogeneous pieces of machinery: odd-shaped outgrowths; giant glassy spools matching each other in paradox manners; sharp-edged levers jutting out in hinted aggression; numerous hexagonal hive-like cavities beaming inside with a soft light; interspersed gemstones of various shapes and colours shed a soft, uncanny light in the whole room. Most of the pieces were covered with a protective network made of some membranous tissue. The ceiling consisted of big metal slabs, carved with relief representations of dreadful aliens.
But what impressed me most, were the space navigation systems with the vast polyhedral screens and the weird-shaped furnishings, all symmetrically placed around the
It all proved to be true then, all what I had found out during my research in forgotten archives of secret libraries: The Great Hall of Honour, its origin unknown to its present residents, was in fact the legendary starship Zephyrus: A work of extraordinary science and incredibly old age, a myth for many civilizations, had been resting there, on that insignificant planet, for millennia. Certainly, the primitive people of Phaon could have never imagined what it really was; to them, it had always been a god-sent temple of kings.
* * * * *
It proved to be rather difficult for me to overcome certain nervousness that night, until I finally managed to calm down and go to sleep for I had to dream...Before long I gained awareness of myself and the dream became lucid. I explored the astral fields for a few moments; then I forced myself to awake instantly, only to sink to the hypnagogic state again, simultaneously envisaging the expressive face of Peter of the Stars. The image of him grew clearer and clearer in my conscience; his shiny red hair waved in the soft breeze, his slit green eyes sparkled in the light of dawn.
The haze gradually melted away and I was elsewhere now, watching Lord Kochon, the infamous space vagabond, who was climbing on the purple cliffs that rise above the dark waters of the Nameless Lagoon. He looked impressive in his black uniform with the metal epaulets and the heavy firearm in his hands.
“All right, Peter, give me back the Jade Sceptre and I shall spare your life! Maybe!” he bellowed harshly.
“Why don't you come and get it?” echoed Peter's daring voice behind a high rock.
“You will regret this!” cried the enemy full of wrath, as he climbed higher on the steep rocks, scanning the coast with his narrow, cunning eyes.
All of a sudden, a scarlet laser beam hissed down the mossy crags and hit the stone just an inch away from the Lord's head, leaving him breathless for an instant. Right after, I heard Lord Kochon command his mercenaries with a rough voice: “Get him now, dead or alive! Move, you morons!”
I hid behind a shell-shaped rock and watched Peter fighting six of his enemies. I had no doubt he would prevail once again against Kochon's sluggish warriors, thanks to his determination and his excellent martial art skills. I didn't have to wait long: Just a few seconds later, he had managed to kick them all off the crags.
However, Lord Kochon -undoubtedly more efficient than his ruffians- kept on climbing up the cliffs, always full of anger. In the meantime, Peter had taken cover behind a massive arched rock. Just then I realized he was completely unarmed. He must have lost his laser weapon during the fight, I thought, feeling a clasp on my heart.
As soon as the enemy came near enough, the ruler of Eldyla pounced on him at once, defying the deadly firearm in Kochon's hands. He barely dodged a thick luminous beam that shattered the purple rock behind him into burning dust.
Next moment, a set of impressive kicks made Lord Kochon lose his balance, stumble back and fall off the cliffs. The heavy weapon slipped off his hands, and a loud scream echoed all around. A soft thud was heard and Peter rushed down the precipice in search of the Lord's body; yet he found nothing. An ominous silence reigned all over the coast.
Suddenly, a dark shadow sprang out of an oblong gap among the rocks and assaulted Peter like a crazed beast. It
was Kochon attacking barehanded; he managed to take his rival by surprise, throw him down by the edge of a flat rock and grab him by the throat, in a furious attempt to straggle him. After a few agonizing moments, Peter finally got rid of the deadly grip and pushed the enemy off with his strong legs.
Lord Kochon cried of pain as he crashed upon jagged crags; yet, next moment he was back on his feet again, ready to continue the duel. I watched the rest of the fight in anguish, until Peter got impatient and sent the vagabond meet his men into the cold waters of the Nameless Lagoon, with a set of impressive high kicks. I left my hiding place and ran to him for a long kiss of love.
Time to return: I forced awakening at once, all my attention focused on Peter's enchanting face and the warmness of his hand in mine. Almost immediately, I woke up in my quarters in Phaon with a burning mind. Peter of the Stars was with me now, his slender figure finely outlined in the moonlight that came through the latticed window.
“Does Venor know anything about this?” he asked thoughtful, after I had explained everything.
“Venor? Of course not, how did this occur to you?”
“I don't know; but he's been after you forever!”
“He's been after you, too”, I reminded him.
* * * * *
We wound our way through the endless dark corridors like fleeting shadows, perceived by guards only when it was too late for them. We had just disposed of the last ones, when we finally stood in front of the Last Gate. My heart sank in uncertainty, as I typed the digital code upon the odd flower-shaped keyboard which was embedded in the centre of the portal. I only hoped I had memorized it correctly when theacolytes had brought me here in the evening.
Entering the bridge of the legendary starship Zephyrus at last, for a few moments we stood still, hardly believing we had just achieved our purpose.
“Do you really know how to navigate this? I wouldn't be so sure if it still functions”, said Peter in a broken voice, actually spoiling the magic of the moment.
“We shall see”, I replied, trying to sound as certain as possible.
I had studied a lot about the navigation of the Zephyrus in many different old books, though I often had the impression some parts were missing. Anyway, I thought I knew how to put an end to its agelong, apparent death and pilot it back to the vast lacunae of outer space, where it once belonged.
With hesitant steps, we walked to the navigation panel which was made of a light green, iridescent material.
“Peter, give me the Jade Sceptre,” I said softly.
He took the stolen item out of its sheath and handed it to me. All I had to do now, was place it in the respective cavity and wait for a few agonizing seconds. To my great excitement, it gradually turned transparent and luminous, shedding a soft white light all around. I sighed in relief, for the first step had been successful: It is the Jade Sceptre that provides the Zephyrus with neutrino-naser energy, and that's why I had assigned Peter to steal it from Lord Kochon in the first place.
After that, I felt a lot more confident: I lowered the correct levers, pressed dozens of keys, gave mental and manual orders to the Artificial Intelligence Unit and finally stayed still, full of suspense. Innumerable lights flashed one after another, the weird-shaped screens lit up. A vibrating whirr filled the air, as incredible quantities of energy were
streaming into the powerful engines, bringing the ancient starship back to life.
Like a giant night butterfly, with its sinister wings glittering in the starlit sky, breath-taking and dreadful, the Zephyrus took off at last, after eons of idleness. It slowly started to ascend into the night sky of Phaon, reducing to burning dust a large part of the miserable city below. Soon we were flying in space, the red star Zenobe pulsating outside our window.
For an indefinable span of time, all sense of reality seemed lost for both of us. There was only our everlasting passion, as we crossed vast intergalactic distances towards a final destination: A small, semi-material asteroid known as Eldyla, in the centre of the constellation of Argo – Peter's home and kingdom.
* * * * *
What we should have foreseen but unconsciously chose not to: Someone had been after us during all that time, probably taking into account the information given to him by spies on planet Phaon. Well, it has always been impossible for me to hide from him for long...As soon as the enemy's spacecraft appeared in our radars all at once, we both froze in astonishment.
“I don't believe it! An Yrkanian spacecraft!” I exclaimed.
“Venor's spacecraft!” gasped Peter.
“It has just completed a space warp!” I added.
“What is he doing here?”
“I have no idea” I replied, “but this time he will get an unforgettable lesson!”
Confident of our military superiority, I set the Zephyrus on a
war footing. Yet, I don't know, I thought. You just don't shoot sparrows with cannons...
Well, this time the “sparrow” attacked first; that made me worry, though logically I shouldn't have: Just as I had expected, Venor's reinforced lasers proved to be totally ineffective against the protective shield of the Zephyrus.
Next moment, I felt a strange vibration in the air and I quivered. “I don't like this,” I muttered. Then I focused my attention on the main screen, where the most dangerous weapon in the known universe had just appeared, slowly unfolding itself to the form of a gigantic spectral cobweb: An abominable horror, a living organism known as the Lethe, practically indestructible and everlasting, feeding on all kinds of energy – nothing less than a cosmic vampire, controllable only by its master, the prince Venor of Yrkania.
“What are you waiting for? Destroy him now that you still can!” cried Peter.
“Too late, Peter!” I said breathless.
Although I inwardly knew it would be pointless, I attacked repeatedly with reinforced lasers, which Venor dodged easily. In the meantime, the Lethe was growing bigger and bigger, unfolding its countless horrible tentacles faster and faster, imposing its dominant presence in the starlit vacuum of space.
I sought to launch neutrino-naser shells against it but it was in vain; there was not enough energy left for that. I fired nuclear bombs at it, then an antimatter shell, but they all proved to be like sugar cubes to the hovering monster, which was already reaching its full size – no smaller than a lesser planet.
Very soon all gauges showed low levels, which meant the cosmic vampire had already started to absorb energy from
the Zephyrus. A few seconds later, the whole spaceship shook vehemently because of Venor's next attack. Peter hastened to fire the lasers again and again, before I had the time to say or do anything. Such a swift reaction would have taken any warrior by surprise, but not an excellent fighter like Venor, who swerved just in time and escaped intact.
“Peter, don't do anything like that again!” I shouted at him, while the gauges were now reaching the alarm zone.
He muttered something between his teeth and threw his fist against a black piece of furniture, of indefinable material and use.
“We must get out of here!” I uttered thoughtful.
“How shall we do this, you smart aleck?”
I opened my mouth to say “I don't know” but I passed it in silence instead.
“I have an idea,” I said finally, though in obvious uncertainty. “Let's just hope it will work.”
I stood in front of the Artificial Intelligence Unit and gave an order for a space warp. My heart was pounding in my throat, hoping to have followed the correct programming procedure, hoping it wasn't too late for that as well.
To my great relief, the complicate order was eventually accepted, in spite of the enormous energy loss. Only one second of sheer agony elapsed; then I sank into a sweet vertigo, my conscience lost in a seething vortex deep inside, and the entire universe seemed to be melting in its awesome eye.
* * * * *
I am flying high over endless white fields; I enter a narrow, foggy path that gradually takes shape between two lines of leafy trees. I relish an exhilarating sense of freedom, butsoon everything around me melts into the astral substance –
the ethereal matter all universes are made of. A new path is now being formed before me, barely discernible between the white tree trunks that spout up towards the alabaster sky.
For a split second everything remains motionless, translucent white, incomplete. Suddenly, at the far end of the path, I can see a sphere of sparkling light that grows brighter and brighter, until it obliterates the trees, the path, me, the world...
The blinding light gradually began to take material forms; I was rather scared at first, but I felt a lot better when I realized we were still on the bridge of the Zephyrus and everything seemed to be in place. Yet, it was obvious we were no longer travelling; the starship seemed to be inert. I looked at the main screen impatiently and I was relieved to find out that dimensional transposition had been successfully completed.
The place where we had landed was magical: A green prairie crowned by distant, lilac mountains, under a fiery dawn. Sparse cottages signified the presence of intelligent, maybe human life. Strong wind was blowing over the silent land, lifting clusters of dry leaves into the air. I just couldn't believe such peace and quiet around us; I only wished I could relish it, but somehow I couldn't, as it gave me the impression of the calm that precedes the storm.
No more than a few seconds had passed, when I noticed a little sparkling light tracing a curved line on the sky, beyond the high mountain crest in the horizon. It looked like a distant shooting star, but I had no doubts about what it really was.
Without explaining anything to Peter, I retired to my chamber with the excuse of feeling tired. I lay down and let my mind be still; my heartbeat gradually decelerated and
became fainter and fainter, as I was falling in a state of deep hypnosis. When the time was right, I prompted my astral body out.
The astral projection verified my suspicions: the sparkling light was a spacecraft, no other than Venor's personal spacecraft. I watched the throne prince of the Yrkanian Empire walk out of the pilot's cockpit and call his men. All of a sudden he paused and looked around carefully. His set face with the clear-cut features looked stern, his blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. Can he somehow sense my presence? I wondered.
My return was abrupt and awkward, leaving me with a vague impression of an ethereal wave thrown back into my physical body, as well as the bad temper that usually follows a violently interrupted astral projection. Anyway, I was back in my chamber again, my heart pounding in anguish. I sprang to my feet, dashed to the door and froze there, as I heard rushing steps and harsh soldiers' voices echoing right outside my room. For heaven's sake, has my trip taken so long? I wondered full of worry. Then I leaned my back against the door and shut my eyes breathless...
* * * * *
The squad of ten Yrkanian soldiers stood motionless as they suddenly saw someone blocking the octagonal corridor before them: it was the notorious Peter of the Stars, challenging the intruders with a laser sword in hand. There was a moment of mutual hesitation; then, one of the soldiers launched an attack and the battle burst out. Peter fought them all with undaunted courage, remaining surprisingly cool during the unequal fight. His laser blade flashed deadly in the ionized air, soon exterminating three of his opponents.He seemed to enjoy the tension of every single moment, as if the result didn't really matter to him, winning or losing,
living or dying. He looked proud and fearless even when he was forced to retreat and captured in the end. His green eyes glowed with fury, while a big firearm was now pointed at his chest.
“Hold it!”
Venor's commanding voice echoed in the corridor and all the Yrkanian warriors froze at their master's order.
At that point I opened my eyes again; I was exhausted, for I knew very soon everything would be lost.
Next moment Venor was standing right outside my door and he was going to force the lock at once, unless I did something.
As I got out of my room with slow, stealthy steps, Venor looked at me flabbergasted. His long, blond hair waved over his broad shoulders, and he riveted his bright blue eyes on me. This time I showed him a red-hair Sandra Anderson, dressed in a rather provocative white uniform.
“How did you find me here, Venor?” I asked as calm as possible.
“You know my spacecraft can carry out space dilations; besides, there is no way you can hide from me, you know that too, Sandra”, he replied.
“So, what do you want this time?”
“At first I doubted whether you would ever be able to locate the Zephyrus, let alone steal it; but now that you have finally done it, I want it for myself. Am I clear enough?”
“I think so...”
I paused and looked at him straight into the eyes, which distracted him for a moment or two.
“As about you...” he went on hesitant.
“I shall kill you at the slightest opposition!”
“I don't intend to oppose at all”, I said in a low, maybe sensual voice.
At the same time my right hand slipped to the side of my belt, where a laser gun was hidden. Before anyone could realize what was happening, I pushed the prince away from me and fired twice. That unexpected attack of mine caught the soldiers off guard and two of them collapsed on the floor lifeless.
Peter grasped at the opportunity at once; with a sharp movement of his arms he managed to free himself from those who held him captive. I shot once again but missed, as the rest of the soldiers stepped aside just in time and got ready to fight back. Peter reacted instantly, sweeping them all down with a set of fast kicks. Then we both fled at once, while Venor's raging voice was echoing behind us:
“Get them back! Now!”
I ran frantically along dark corridors, barely dodging the successive mortal beams that flashed around me; I went up and down spiral stairways, entered odd-shaped rooms I barely took a look at, the enemies' steps always a few paces behind. All of a sudden, I shivered; I had no idea where I was. My agony reached a peak as I realized Peter was nowhere to see. Moreover, I was now standing in front of a black, metal door at the edge of a narrow passageway, while the soldiers' rushing steps were echoing closer and closer behind me. I saw no other alternative but open that door and hide, wherever that would be.
Next instant, a shock: I was virtually trapped in a bizarre room full of bizarre pieces of machinery, whose utility I couldn't imagine at all. My pursuers were already by the
door, and there was no other way out. I gasped for air, almost worn out.
“Sandra Anderson! Give up!” Venor's voice reverberated into the dimly lit room.
I stood motionless, pondering on the situation; there was no point in trying to escape any more. I hid quickly behind a high translucent pillar filled with a yellow effervescent fluid. I just waited there, with all my senses on the alert.
Seconds later, the Yrkanian soldiers trooped in, with their heavy firearms in hand. Once they had approached near enough, I extended my hand and fired without thinking twice. One of them dropped dead on the black, tiled floor.
Right after, I moved fast and took cover behind a lofty, metal construction on my left, barely dodging the concerted counterattack of the others.
All of a sudden, I felt a violent grasp around my waist; strong, muscular arms had seized and lifted me up, so tight that choked all the air out of my lungs. Defying the sharp pain in my ribs, I managed to throw a direct kick to another Yrkanian soldier who sought to pounce on me. Then I twisted my body rapidly and my left elbow hit my captor hard on the chin. That made him loosen his grip a little, and I landed him one on the nose with the back of my fist; he let go, screaming in pain. My feet finally touched the ground, and I was free again.
Next moment I felt a bad singe on my armed hand and I dropped the laser gun with a cry of pain. To my astonishment, I saw it was Venor who had fired. How could I ever forget about him, even for a split second? I wondered.
His firearm was now pointed at me and I was scared stiff.
“It is all over, Sandra,” he announced firm, while his soldiers were gathering behind him, one by one, all armed
It was right at that moment that I felt the power energizing me – once again, just when I needed it most. I raised my left hand and launched an energy blast against the enemies, forcing them to step back astounded. However, it was clear -
to them and me- that this time the power wasn't strong enough to neutralize them. I lifted myself high in the air, as if flying, and repeated the astral attack once more. That didn't do much to them either, but it was good enough to distract them for a couple of seconds.
I had to escape fast, for I was already running out of energy; pretty soon I would fall in their hands, completely worn out.
But, maybe, I can make it, I tried to think positive and rushed towards the exit, only to come face to face with Venor. His laser weapon was pointed at me, and I suddenly felt so weak. Next moment he fired; I felt my whole body being wreathed in a burning flash – and nothing more.
* * * * *
I woke up in the dim light of my chamber. For an instant I hoped all the previous mishaps were just a bad dream, but no... Is all lost then? I feared, and my heart lost a leap.Soon I realized Venor was all over me; I tried to move but it was impossible. My legs were fastened to the bed, my arms to the bolster. I could feel his touch all over my body, tearing my white, sheath uniform with his hands. Then, his lips were on my throat; the impatient kiss soon turned to a ferocious bite and I screamed of pain as blood came out of the wound. What did he do that for? I wondered, but didn't dare say anything.
Strong hands were now on my breasts, irritating the erect nipples, and I couldn't help sighing with lust. Next moment he was inside me; he took me again and again, and all I did
was ask for more, which drove him crazy. That went on and on, until I could no longer think or feel anything, for my senses had reached their utmost limits. I don't know how much time had lapsed before it was all over and I heard him call my name in a soft voice; I strove to start breathing normally again, my eyes suffused with tears.
He untied my hands and legs, and helped me sit by him in a most affectionate manner. He was fully dressed now, while I was still wearing the tattered uniform. I sought to grab him, but he stopped me with strange tenderness.
Neither of us spoke a word, but I knew I was going to keep the Zephyrus, let's say as a present for the incredible sexual experience we had just shared – and that was meant to be a secret.
Next moment I tried to stand up, but my legs weren't strong enough for that. I nearly collapsed in his hands and I felt like melting again, as I relished the touch of his strong arms around me once more. After a moment of mutual perplexity, he gave me a long, passionate kiss; then he got up, opened the door and disappeared in the dark.
Peter found me a few minutes later. As he approached, he looked rather bewildered and absent minded. He didn't make any comments about my appearance; he only asked if I was all right. I assured him I was, he said he was okay too.
He had been a prisoner of the Yrkanians for a while, but he managed to escape with remarkable ease, as he mentioned thoughtful. Then we talked for a while in low voices, and I had to explain to him that Venor was here, in my room.
“I don't get it”, he concluded gloomily. “This man now wants your destruction, and then wants your body...”
“He is a little bit paranoid”, I replied smiling.
Just like you and me, I thought to myself.
originally handwritten
from 19th May to 23rd June, 1993
This time I, Emma, was dreaming of R. Hyndel, a renowned master of Buddhism who gives lectures all over the world.
He is of European origin and quite handsome, despite his fifty years of age. I have attended three of his lectures (my parents have no idea, of course) and I like him a lot, as well as his teachings. Not that I intend to become a Buddhist...
Anyway, in my dream he and I were together in the same hotel room. He looked very attractive in his T-shirt and shorts. However, there were other people there too, some of his disciples maybe. At a moment I asked him to comb my hair; I sat on a chair and he got ready for that, but a comb was missing, so he left to fetch it.
At that point I knew I was dreaming. I still wanted to be with Hyndel, although his skin had just taken a light blue colour. I didn’t give it much thought as for some strange reason that change seemed to be normal there. Nevertheless, I stood up and sought all over the place to find him.
However, he was nowhere to see; the surrounding environment began to blur, I was lost in nowhere, and I had already forgotten all about him...
* * * * *
I was elsewhere now, immersed in thick, pitch black darkness. I screamed in pain as sharp, insupportable pain shook my body, again and again. It took me several secondsto put my mind together and remember that I, Sandra Anderson, had been captured by my worst enemy, Venor of Yrkania. He had tied my arms up in chains and he was torturing me with a lash. I had no idea why he was doing that, there was no specific reason.
Time seemed to be still, until my flimsy, purple, strapless blouse was reduced to pieces. He let go the lash, he came near and cupped my breasts. Next moment, his right hand was on the belt of my trousers, and there was no more doubt about what my being flogged meant.
However, all that was just a dream of mine, I knew this at last and there was no more pain. As about the rest, well, I wasn't in the mood any more. I turned my head the other way, shut my eyes and wished I were somewhere else instead.
In an instant everything was gone; I felt as if I were sinking in void, then nothingness...
* * * * *
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice echo in the dark of the night: “Be careful! Lord Kochon has located us!” Peter of the Stars shouted at his warriors, as the vagabond's starship appeared ominous above them.Next moment a thick laser blast was launched against Peter, who managed to dodge it with a high jump. There were more laser beams all over the craggy cliffs of the Nameless Lagoon, while Peter and his men were running frantically to take cover.
“You, loser! You missed again!” Peter shouted to the starship.
He he was standing on a cliff, waving his hands, hoping to catch the enemy's attention and save his warriors' lives.
Once again I admired his courage and determination, but
this time I could see it would be actually impossible for him to escape.
There was no more time to lose; I had to distract Lord Kochon somehow, before it was too late for Peter and the others. Thank Goddess, I was just feeling enough power inside me so as to materialize at the correct place and take the correct action.
All at once, Kochon and his five-member crew stood still as they saw the vacuum cleaner get away from the deck-hand and attack them as if it had just come alive! They forgot about Peter and the lasers immediately, and looked at him aghast. As I got rid of the deck-hand clothes and revealed my true identity, they all took one step back in wonder. I smiled, finding that really amusing.
“You... you are not my deck-hand! You are Sandra Anderson!” stammered Lord Kochon, trembling of anger and surprise.
“This is not a vacuum cleaner! It's a monster from outer space!” I joked awkwardly.
At that moment I noticed one of Kochon's men was about to pull out his laser gun. I jumped up at once and performed a swift air somersault, finally landing on his chin. Another flying kick of mine neutralized one more enemy, leaving the rest of them flabbergasted.
“Leave now or I will come for you again!” I promised Lord Kochon, as I was spirited away before his stupefied eyes.
“I hope not!” he uttered short of breath.
* * * * *
Peter was certainly relieved after his narrow escape from Lord Kochon, yet I could tell from the look in his eyes there was something else still bothering him. I am not used toseeing him like this, and I don't like it when it happens because it always means very serious trouble. He was rather reluctant to talk about it, but I finally convinced him to confide in me.
“There is a small, beautiful planet not very far from Eldyla, inhabited by various kinds of intelligent beings, entities of other evolution spirals. The planet is called Azuria and orbits the star Aldebaran...”
“I can't go Aldebaran”, I hastened to say.
“Why not?”
“I've been sentenced to death on twelve planets there!”
“You are kidding!” said Peter in astonishment. “How, why?”
“I would rather not discuss it, okay?”
“Alright... but listen: According to recent information, things are no longer the same in Azuria. After the latest developments, nobody will be interested in you there”, he went on with an air of mystery.
“What kind of developments?” I became curious.
“The revolutionary Jessie has spread the revolution against the Elvish Dominion all over Azuria...”
“The revolutionary Jessie?” I exclaimed surprised.
“Yeah, he is quite famous; he is considered to be the last genuine Azurian survivor after the Sacred Wars. You know a lot about him, don’t you?” asked Peter suspiciously.
“In fact, I do”, I replied in a soft voice, painful memories rushing into my mind. “So, what's the problem exactly?”
“I don't know exactly; but Jessie's motives seem to be no longer so pure, as he is suspected to pursue global power for himself. He is also said to have allied the Nether Elves lately, creatures who live in the underground caverns of
Azuria and are notorious for their predatory nature and loose scruples. Anyway, the whole planet is in tumult, and other planets have already been affected as well!”
“Therefore, you are probably worried about Eldyla too”, I uttered spontaneously, and regretted my saying so at once.
Peter just gave me a serious look.
“So, I guess we are leaving for Azuria”, I said then, and Peter nodded smiling.
* * * * *
After a short but fruitful investigation, having barely escaped serious trouble with Azurian and other rebels, Peter and I were now making our way through the thick forest of Laicung, named after the ancient city that flourished here thousands of years ago.The sun was setting when we finally discovered the ruins of the city in a big clearing. The sacred temple of now unknown deities emerged almost intact in the crimson twilight. It looked quite impressive, with its green and purple marble walls partly covered by winding tree branches. The main entrance was crowned by four high pillars curved in the shape of charming goddesses, who seemed to be watching us with their golden eyes in the evening mist.
We passed the threshold with extra caution. The air seemed to be getting more and more ionized with every step we took inside the temple. I could sense a jumble of malignant, ancient forces lurking in there, with an undying desire to be active in the world again. We had proceeded into the inner rooms, when I paused breathless; I could suddenly feel we were no longer alone in that dark place. I could perceive a presence -no, presences- all around us, watching every movement of ours. My heart leaped in my chest and I
Next instant, bright torch lights flooded the dusky temple, blinding us for some seconds. When our eyesight cleared out, we could see we were surrounded by an indefinite number of elf warriors, who seemed to have sprouted out of nowhere. They were all dressed in smart, green outfits and armed with fire guns.
“Who are you two and what are you doing here?” one of them, probably their chief, demanded to know.
“Listen, we are not your enemies...” replied Peter as calm as possible.
“We shall see about that!” snapped the ''chief''. “Now, come with us and don't try anything stupid!”
“Keep moving!” ordered another one, urging us to do so with the barrel of his fire gun.
There was something in their cunning faces and crooked smiles that I didn't like at all; therefore, I decided to act fast, first by distracting their attention: I stepped aside to a corner and began to moan all over, astounding everybody -Peter included- with my girly faint-heartedness.
“Please, please, don't hurt us! Please, let us go!” I cried and cried, while everyone was watching dumbfounded for some moments of embarrassment.
One of the elf warriors approached me from behind, with the intention of pushing me forward. I hit him hard on the solar plexus with my elbow, then landed him one on the face. He was caught by surprise and knocked down at once.
Peter jumped at the chance to neutralize some of the enemies with a set of impressive high kicks. All this bought us a couple of seconds – time enough for us to escape into a nearby tunnel.
We ran and ran along the winding, underground passage, soldiers' footsteps constantly echoing behind us, bullets flying around our heads. At a certain moment I took a left turn so as to avoid some more bullets, hoping also to lose the enemies; just then I realized Peter was nowhere to see.
Moreover, I could still hear the elves coming closer and closer; it would be a matter of seconds for them to get me. I kept on running along a narrow gallery, desperately seeking a way out of there, and then I saw it: A dark, oblong gap among the rocks, barely discernible, probably leading deeper into the bowels of the planet. That could prove to be even more dangerous than confronting the elf soldiers, but I took a deep breath and jumped in...
* * * * *
Thank Goddess, I was pretty lucky this time; after an indefinite span of time, always running, I finally found myself in a place where my pursuers would never dare approach.I stood behind a latticed, glass doorway for a few moments, and admired the wonderful bathroom behind it. Unless I had seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed there could be such luxury on that planet. The walls were covered by rosy, shiny tiles. The floor consisted of diamond-shaped, lilac slabs. There was an impressive, artificial waterfall rising over the oval bath-tub. Behind it there was a sort of hidden device that emitted vibrating rays of light in the form of an enchanting rainbow. My heart lost a leap as I realized who was taking a shower in there.
I just stayed motionless for a while, observing the sparkling streams of water running down his wonderful body. As if mesmerized, I could no longer think, nor could I control my mad desire...
I waited patiently until he finished; then I blew the latticed
door away with my laser gun and stepped into the bathroom.
“Freeze, Jessie!” I shouted, aiming at him.
He stood still, perfectly calm; he didn't even turn round to face me. He just looked terrific, even from behind, and I would so much like to...
“Fancy that! The good, old Sandra Anderson!” he only uttered.
“At last I've found you, Jessie!” I said, hardly believing I was seeing him after all those years.
“I have been waiting for you, all this time, you know”, he announced softly.
“It's time we settled some accounts, old and new ones”, I retorted.
“Why are you here, Sandra?” he asked then.
“I would like you to answer some questions”, I answered bluntly. “First of all, what's your relation with the Nether Elves?”
“That's my business, Sandra; and I don't have to answer any of your questions! Especially after last time!” he exclaimed and his chest sank in obvious commotion.
Right at that moment my heart sank too, as I thought he was still the same, fascinating man I had known many years ago.
His blue, Azurian complexion was studded with water drops that shimmered like diamonds in the soft light. His straight, blond hair crowned a charming face that beamed with the self-confidence of someone who controls the fate of a planet.
“You and I are going out of here together, right now Jessie!”
I demanded.
He laughed as if he had just heard something very funny.
“You think it is so simple, Sandra?” he mocked.
Well, it wouldn't be that simple, especially in that condition he was...
“Shoot now, Sandra! You won't have another chance!” he said then in a strange, gloomy voice that made me shiver.
He just waited motionless for several moments of tense silence. Then he turned round, exposing his nude, sensual, perfect body to me. His obsidian eyes were glowing charmingly in the hazy light of the bathroom.
“There is only one thing you really want from me, Sandra!”
he said finally – and he was absolutely right...
Then he began walking towards me and I froze. His shiny, blue skin drove me crazy; I lost control and ran to him impatiently. For an instant of bliss his arms embraced me with sincere affection.
Next moment I was hurled down, slipping all the way across the purple slabs of the floor, while he was running away laughing. Before I knew it, he had already escaped into an arched corridor, shutting the door behind him. I just sat up and cried of frustration, feeling so helplessly hollow inside…
I can't tell how much time lapsed until I could put myself together again, but just then there was a strong bump on my head and I lost my senses.
* * * * *
Tloa was a Nether Elf, in fact their queen, and she was the first thing I saw as soon as I recovered. The next creature I saw was Kaleyh, a very young elf who soon proved to be Tloa's brother. He followed her everywhere, like an obedient dog, and did whatever she told him without delay.I was disappointed to find out Peter was beside me. He and I
were prisoners of the Nether Elfs; they kept us in a small, uncomfortable cell made of thin yet unbreakable stone bars.
We were somewhere underground, in a wild but fascinating cave studded with odd-shaped rocks, natural arches and curved bridges rising over sparkling brooks and pools; the whole place was beautifully lighted by white, luminous crystals embedded in the walls.
There were lots of dark-skinned elves all around, coming and going, chatting and laughing, all of them beaming with outlandish charm. I guessed this should be their only virtue, as they kept riveting their malevolent, yellow eyes at us, smiling cunningly, as if they were just engineering a secret plot against us.
Suddenly there was buzz and hum among the elves, a cheerful agitation all over the place, as somebody very important appeared through one of the numerous galleries.
It was Jessie. He approached our cell with slow steps, beaming with satisfaction in his tight, silver-coloured uniform with the black belt.
“So, Sandra”, he said, “Now you've met my people”.
Next moment he put his arms around Tloa's slender shoulders and I went nuts.
“You see, Sandra”, he went on, “the Nether Elves have finally accepted me as their king next to their and my beloved queen, Tloa”, he explained with a triumphant mien.
“Are you sure you can trust them?” I sought to make him wonder, but he just chuckled disdainfully.
“Thanks to our alliance, I am now the absolute ruler of this planet”, he replied. “The race of Azurians perished long ago, but I am still here, alive and king of the planet!”
“I didn't expect you to be so power thirsty, Jessie”, I said then, deeply disappointed. That was no longer the man I
“Now, as about if I can trust these people... yes, I can! They are loyal, they are bold, they are ruthless and they have useful talents, treating spies for example!” he concluded in a harsh, foreign voice that made me shudder.
At that point Jessie turned and kissed Tloa in a most ostentatious manner.
“Did you really think you could ever have me, Sandra?” he told me then, full of irony.
“You, bastard!” I shouted, hitting the bars of my cell angrily.
Jessie laughed; then he turned round and walked out of the cave, looking very proud and sure of himself.
After some moments of despair and sorrow, I reckoned our only salvation would be a surge of power. Yet I knew it wasn't going to come to me, while time was passing inexorable; the Nether Elves were still looking at us with fierce eyes, already plotting unspeakable ways of torturing and killing us.
I took some deep breaths and thought carefully: There was one way I could force the power to come inside me, but it was of dubious effectiveness and rather extreme.
Nevertheless, it could work, I concluded full of hope.
All I needed was a handsome man – and I had one right by my side. I turned and looked at Peter sitting there taciturn, and I found him more attractive than ever. I got near him hesitantly, and I touched his chest gently; he looked at me with wondering eyes. We didn't exchange any words, but he already knew what I wanted from him and why. He lay down in a most sensual manner, and I was on him immediately, my hands all over his perfect body.
Soon we were both naked, and I had him inside me, again
and again, for Goddess knows how much wonderful time. In the meanwhile both of us had forgotten all about the Nether Elves, who were watching flabbergasted. At first I controlled my impetus, then I got more impatient and demanding, and he was always ready to satisfy me to the fullest. The elves kept on watching us, all dumbfounded and speechless, unable to believe their eyes, but I didn't care about that, or maybe I liked that too...
Peter just gave in to that unprecedented sexual experience without reservations, although it was obvious it was gradually exhausting him. At a certain moment I moved back and, for a couple of seconds, I admired his masculine beauty. I suddenly felt very affectionate towards him and gently caressed his broad chest. I had been absorbing vital energy from him during all that time, and he had been more than willing to offer it to me, no matter the consequences: He was all worn out now, unable to move a finger, but pleased as never before.
Right then I could feel it – the power, stronger than I had ever experienced it, surging inside every cell of my body. I raised my hands and struck the whole place with a terrible blast of energy, which swept away our cell and all the elves around us. Pretty soon they were all lying on the ground motionless, some of them unconscious, some of them dead, I didn't know and I didn't care.
Next moment I touched Peter's shoulder, energizing him enough so that he could stand up and run with me, as far away from that place as possible.
* * * * *
We fled through the dark rocks of the underground cavity, then we entered other rooms and endless galleries that seemed to be leading nowhere, desperately looking for an exit to the surface.Very soon there were elves' frantic steps and voices behind us, shooting at us with fire guns. We ran and ran, until we finally discovered an exit to a seaside lavishly lit by an gigantic, orange-coloured, rising sun. We hastened towards it in anguish, while the elves were getting nearer and nearer; it would be a matter of time until we got caught.
No sooner had we rushed out of the gallery to the beautiful, sandy beach, than I perceived some violent motion right in front of me; a strong elbow hit my head bad, making me lose balance and fall down. As I sat up right after, I saw Jessie standing over me, while the elves had just reached us and captivated Peter. Once again, everything seemed to be lost...
“You thought you could get away with this, Sandra?” Jessie asked with a wicked smile.
“Let us punish them our way, my king!” cried Tloa complacently.
“Just tell us how, my queen and sister”, chipped in Kaleyh, with fiery eyes.
There are certain points in time and space where miracles happen, and I suppose that was one of them: Within a split second, Peter caught Tloa by surprise, grabbed her gun, captured her in his arms and pressed the barrel on her right temple.
“You all drop your guns and let us go, or your queen dies!”
he cried full of determination, while she had frozen in despair.
Everybody froze; nobody stirred, nor uttered a word. Just then I felt there was still some power inside me, enough to produce another energy blast which neutralized all enemies; all but Jessie, who ducked immediately, thus avoiding being hit. Then it all happened too quickly: Jessie stood on his
right knee and pulled out his fire gun, with the intention of shooting me down at once. Right at that moment, Peter fired.
I watched Jessie's body shake for one long moment, before he collapsed. It took me several seconds to focus on what had just happened: The revolutionary Jessie was lying down before me, completely motionless, with an enormous wound on his chest. His blood was red and it overflowed his blue skin under the torn, silver-coloured fabric of his uniform.
“I had no alternative”, I heard Peter say breathless, but I paid no heed.
I couldn't help bursting into tears, as I was bent over Jessie's lifeless body. An insupportable wave of sorrow overtook me, as I couldn't really believe that Jessie, the last genuine Azurian, was no longer alive. More and more tears came down my cheeks, as I had him in my arms, only for one and last time – and it was my fault somehow. Once he was a legend and a secret passion for me; then he became a promising ally; in the end, he eventually proved to a dangerous but most desirable opponent. Never had I had the chance to love him, and now he was dead. I cried on and on, feeling terribly sad and guilty...
Suddenly everything around me blurred; I could only feel a dark whirlwind absorbing my conscience deeper and deeper into an infinite, spectral tunnel, carrying me away, very far away from the cursed Azuria and its endless grief.
* * * * *
I, Emma, woke up with a start. I accidentally fumbled on a fantasy comic book I had been reading before going to sleep last night. I opened it at a random page inadvertently, and took an abstracted look on the colourful picture: It showed the King of the Blue Elves fighting the vampire Targovoutside an iron gate by a steep precipice. Both men were armed with shiny swords.
“I knew that if I lured you away from Elvenland and deprive you of your magic powers, I could beat you once and for all!” announced Targov with a darkened face.
“Don't be so sure about it!” retorted the King of the Blue Elves.
I stared at the picture and its captions for some seconds, like hypnotized; then I left the book aside, took a deep breath and stood up, ready to start a new day.
(Points of Contact between Dimensions)
First phase synchronicities are the ones I experienced in the years 1992-1993, while writing the first volume of the original illustrated manuscripts titled “Memories of Sandra Anderson”.
Second phase synchronicities are those I experienced from February to April 2021, while typing and editing the respective digital version of this volume on my computer, with the intention to uploading it on digital libraries.
Third phase synchronicities are the ones I experienced while editing the digital version for a second time, in October 2022. This time all pictures were omitted and the book was uploaded on publishing platforms.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story 2, pages 21-22 (second phase): On 18th Feb., 2021, I type about Sandra and Peter reaching a picturesque lake because they expect to find something there; the shore is stony and there are swans in the water. A few hours later, I watch a detective film on TV. In a scene there is a picturesque lake with a stony shore and swans in the water.
Two detectives, a man and a woman, go there because they expect to find something...
It is the first time after 22 years that I experience a contact and it feels great... ♥
Story 3, pages 30, 31, 34 (third phase): On 11th Oct., 2022, I edit the text where Sandra meets a girl named Rose in a forest. Later, in her hiding place, Sandra finds a poster of an actress who looks like Monroe: she has short, blond hair and
a wide smile on her sensual face, and she is wearing a flimsy, white dress. At the end of my story, Emma gets a porcelain doll of Monroe as a present from her cousin.
Three days ago a friend of mine brought me two cushions as a present. One of them shows two roses; the word “Rose” is written on it with big letters. The other one shows a portrait of Monroe with short, blond hair and a wide smile on her sensual face; she is wearing a flimsy, white dress.
Story 5, page 45 (first phase): Two days after I had started writing this story, there was a thriller on TV which unfolded on a ship called Regina.
Story 5, pages 46-47 (second phase): On 7th March, 2021, I type about Sandra entering a casino; she is wearing good clothes and she has false identity. Later, Sandra escapes from the casino by throwing a frying pan at two policemen.
Next day I watch a detective film on TV. The well-dressed protagonist enters a club with a false identity. Later, two policemen go to an old man's house but he chases them away by throwing frying pans at them.
Story 5, pages 48-49 (third phase): On 14th October, 2022, I edit the text where Peter (young and red-haired) is fighting against Alexander (older and black-haired) on a “friendly”
duel with laser swords. Two days later, I happen to watch a TV show for two minutes; there is a presentation of a manufacturer who makes laser swords for the cinema industry. There is shown a “friendly” duel with laser swords; one of the fighters is young and red-haired, while the other one is older and black-haired.
Story 5, page 56 (first phase): On 14th October, 1992, I write that Venor ends up as a prisoner, but he escapes in a laundry-spacecraft. At night I watch an adventure film on TV; the protagonist is a prisoner but he escapes in a
Story 6 (second phase): On 20th March, 2021, early in the morning, I edit the whole story. Special details: a] The male protagonist is called Trevor.
b] Sandra Anderson is blond here, and she wears casual clothes (p. 59).
c] The third protagonist is Peter of the Stars, who looks like an adolescent.
d] Trevor and Sandra reach another world through a dimensional vortex created by Peter (p. 63).
e] Suddenly, they are in a magical landscape: an evening sky over a green forest mysteriously illuminated by a bright rainbow; a fascinating waterfall comes down a black mountain in the background; there is also a beautiful lake with topaz waters (p. 64).
f] While there, Trevor gets into a cave, in search of a precious gem. Sandra and Peter find him there (pp. 65-66).
g] In the end Sandra ties Trevor in bed and saves him from certain death (pp. 68-69).
h] There are no other protagonists in this story; only a few persons appear in the beginning and in the end, playing very small parts.
i] The man who inspired Emma to create this astral adventure is a teacher called Mark (pp. 58, 69).
At night there is a fantasy film on TV. Special details respectively:
a) The protagonist is called Trevor.
b) The female protagonist has long, blond hair and wears casual clothes.
c) The third protagonist is an adolescent.
d) The three protagonists reach another world after falling through an endless, vertical tunnel.
e) They find themselves in a cave full of precious gems.
f) Suddenly, they are in a magical landscape: an evening sky over a green forest, mysteriously illuminated by a bright rainbow; a fascinating waterfall comes down a dark mountain in the background; there is a beautiful lake with topaz waters.
g) At a time, the leading actress ties Trevor with a rope and saves him from certain death.
h) Actually, there are no other protagonists; only a few persons appear in the beginning and in the end, playing very small parts.
i) One of the three script-writers is called Mark.
Story 7, page 71 (first phase): On 30th November, 1992, in the afternoon, I write about Emma meeting George Dim in the bus; she feels very happy because she is attracted to him.
He approaches her and they start talking; he asks her where she lives and so on. A few hours later, I meet an old schoolmate of mine by chance, right outside my house. Her name is Thelxi (the name means ''attraction''). She gets off her car, she approaches, she asks me where I live and I show her my house; then, and we talk happily for a while.
Story 7, page 73 (first phase): On 1st December, 1992, in the afternoon, I write about a spectral skeleton being formed over a cemetery. Next morning I learn that my uncle George suddenly died at night.
Story 7, page 74 (second phase): On 26th March, 2021, early in the morning, I type on the computer about Venor
walking towards Sandra through a door, but he shuns talking to her; Venor is Sandra's archenemy, he has caused her lots of trouble, but sometimes they are on friendly terms and she likes him somehow. In the evening I go for a walk; I happen to see July coming out of a door towards me, but she shuns talking to me. July is my archenemy, she has caused me lots of serious trouble in the past, but we were good friends once and I like her somehow...
Story 8, page 84 (first phase): On 11th January, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra singing and dancing in a night pub. The following evening I go to a cousin's birthday party; late at night we all decide to go to a dancing club.
Story 8, page 87 (first phase): On 17th January, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra having terrible headaches.
Next day I have a strong stomachache all day long
Story 8, page 87 (second phase): On 7th April, 2021, in the morning, I type on the computer that Sandra doesn't feel well at all and she has terrible headaches. In the afternoon my friend Thalia comes and says she doesn't feel well at all and she has terrible pains all over her body, especially her stomach.
Story 8, page 88 (first phase): On 21st January, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra meditating in bed and falling into trance that could lead her to death. Early next morning I meditate in bed and Ι have an experience that feels like falling into deep void.
Story 8, page 89 (second phase): On 8th April, 2021, early in the morning, I type on the computer that Sandra has a spiritual communication with Peter of the Stars, her eternal love who dwells in another dimension; two other persons are in her room, watching her. At about noon, my mother
asks me to fetch her the radio, so that she can listen to some music (in two days she is turning 87, going to 88, and it's the first time she has ever asked to listen to the radio). At that moment my sister comes in. I tune the radio for my mother, and as I find the station 88.0, we all hear the first verses of a Greek folk song we have never heard before.
This is the meaning of the lyrics: “With a 22 blue, I pierce the net of time … love eternal”. All three of us are taken aback at the coincidence: 22 blue was the brand of cigarettes my father used to smoke when he was alive...
Story 9, page 96 (second phase): On 18th April, 2021, early in the morning, I type the first paragraph of the story, which says that Emma gets a visit from her cousin Ann-Marie and her mother. At night I dream of visiting my cousin Ann-Marie and her mother.
Story 10, pages 110-113 (first phase): On 25th March, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra and Zygor fighting as gladiators in the arena. At night I find out there is an adventure film on TV where gladiators fight in the arena.
Story 10, pages 119-120 (first phase): On 11th April, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about the Lethe, which absorbs energy from Sandra's starship; Sandra gets away by making her spaceship carry out a space warp. Later on, I watch a sci-fi cartoon on TV, where there is a device which absorbs energy from a spacecraft; it gets away by carrying out a space warp.
Story 10, page 123 (first phase): On 13th April, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra asking “How did you find me here, Venor?” - after she and Peter have been discovered by their pursuers. At night, in an adventure film on TV, a
similar phrase is heard by one of the two persons who are being pursued: “I don't know how they found us, but they found us!”
Story 10, page 126 (first phase): On 18th April, 1993, in the evening, I write about Sandra who escapes from some soldiers by launching a blast of energy at them; they step back, she tries to run away. At night there is a fantasy film on TV, where a prisoner escapes from some guards by firing at them with an anesthetic laser gun; they fall back, he runs away.
Story 10, pages 126-127 (first phase): On 19th April, 1993, at noon, I write about Venor having Sandra under him; then he helps her stand up, and she falls into his arms. In the evening I watch a cartoon where a young woman named Aprilia is trapped under a rafter; a handsome man helps her stand up, and she falls into his arms.
Story 10 (third phase): On 20th October, 2022, in the morning, I edit the whole story. In the afternoon I read ten pages of a historical novel my sister lent me a fortnight ago, and I notice the following details:
a] A famous magician gets an airplane of his own.
b] An airplane is considered to be something extraordinary back at those times.
c] It is his first flight as a pilot, and it proves to be an unprecedented, exciting experience for him.
d] There is one more person in the plane, who helps the magician pilot it.
e] For some moments he thinks he is dreaming.
f] At a time he flies over a line of trees.
g] He took off at dawn, under a red sky, and flew above the countryside.
h] Later on, he is being watched by some officers of the Imperial Army.
i] The throne prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is also watching, and shows a special interest in the magician and his airplane.
j] One of the protagonists in the novel is called Emma.
Here are the respective incidents in Sandra's tenth adventure:
a) Sandra gets a starship of her own (p. 117).
b) This starship is considered to be extraordinary (p. 117).
c) It is her first flight as a pilot in such a starship; it proves to be an unprecedented, exciting experience for her (p. 118).
d) There is one more person in the starship, Peter of the Stars, who helps Sandra pilot it (pp. 117-120).
e) For some moments Sandra is lucid dreaming (pp.120-121).
f) At a time she dreams of flying over two lines of leafy trees (p. 120).
g) The starship lands on countryside, under a fiery dawn (p.
121).
h) Sandra's starship is being watched and followed by a spacecraft of the Yrkanian Empire, full of warriors (p. 122).
i) She is actually watched and followed by the throne prince of Yrkania, who shows a special interest in her and her starship (p. 122+).
j) One of the protagonists in my series is called Emma.
Story 10, page 128 (third phase): In the afternoon I have an appointment with a gynecologist. I expect a woman, but it proves to be man. Later in the evening, I happen to edit the part where Sandra gets “raped” by Venor (p. 126).
Story 11, page 129 (first phase): On 21st May, 1993, early in the morning, I write about Venor giving Sandra the lash.
She is wearing a strapless blouse and tight trousers. In the afternoon I go out with a friend of mine. She happens to be wearing similar clothes as Sandra (a strapless blouse and tight trousers). At a moment, she talks about using a lash and moves her hands accordingly. When we reach our destination, that is a funfair, we come face to face with a very handsome man with long blond hair, who looks a lot like Venor.
Story 11, page 132 (first phase): On 24th May, 1993, in the afternoon, I write about Sandra and Peter looking for an enemy called Jessie, in an ancient temple in the forest. In the evening there is an adventure film on TV, where the two protagonists' enemy is called Jessie. At a moment, the heroes find an ancient temple in a forest.
Story 11 (second phase): It is the 25th April, 2021, and tomorrow I intend to start typing this story on the computer: Sandra and Peter face a new enemy, who is a rebel with a blue complexion; in the end he dies. At night there is a sci-fi film of TV; the main protagonist is called Peter. Another protagonist is a rebel with a blue complexion; in the end he dies.
Story 11 (second phase): On 26th April, 2021, late at night, there is a fantasy film on TV. All the protagonists belong to a blue-skinned race. One of the actors is called Azaria. My story takes place on planet Azuria and the blue-skinned Jessie is the last genuine Azurian survivor.
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