Chapter 20
There was a Talz prophet named Yanew who lived in the 22nd century who said, "If I ever find out what's bothering me, it will be the last worry I'll ever have." Dramkick thought of this quote and Yanew often. He knew they had each gone many years without a true friend. And he knew the helplessness of such a thing. Yanew had written over 80 books in his lifetime that ranged from comedy to politics. When asked just before he died why he was so prolific he said, "I had so much worry and grief that it poured out of my mind and onto the pages of my books, one word at the time."
Dramkick awoke this day and Yanew was omnipresent in his mind, as well as Peastro. He knew what he had to do, but his mind was filled with feelings of doubt. As much of a friend as Mela was she was someone else's soul mate and friend he thought. The closer he got to her the more he thought of the day she would be back with Coup, and not at his side. He dreaded this more than anything and the killing of Peastro more than he would admit.
Dramkick sat on the edge of his bed and watched the fake sunrise come up. He heard a knock at his door and yelled, "Enter please!"
It was Mela carrying a bowl of Obaday flakes covered in Wams.
Obaday flakes are dark Brown and shiny. They have the shape of a laser pistol, a sword, a helmet, and a battleship. They taste like Fruitloops and Mini-wheat's combined, but also have a gratifying aftertaste that kicks in an hour after you've eaten. They are named after the 6 fingered guitar player Obaday Notas-he was a Vexidian. Obaday was renowned for the unbelievable speed and dexterity of his fingers-also for his flawless playing of chords. His album, "I'll play the one you like forever," had sold over 1 billion copies in its initial run. The first track, "A Genamy for lunch," featured a 380 part harmony the first of its kind.
Mela set down the Obaday flakes on the foldout table in front of Dramkick. The table in front of her came out automatically when she sat down beside him. Dramkick continued to look at the sunrise as Mela put her head on his shoulder. He lifted his right hand to her cheek and rubbed it softly causing her to smile.
"Are you troubled, Dramkick?" Mela asked in a fragile voice.
"I'm somewhat troubled, but these things tend to pass," Dramkick admitted as he held a breath in his chest for a few seconds. "Must tell you, Mela, I'm concerned that when you are reunited with your husband Coup, the part of our friendship I treasure will perish," Dramkick said quietly as he rubbed her cheek.
Mela lifted her head, looked him in the eye and said warmly, "Never, Dramkick, our friendship is bigger than that. Coup is not unlike myself and will take to you the way I have. I have no trepidation about that. Don't ever fear about where my friendship and love is for you, because it is right here."
"Thank you for that," Dramkick said honestly, his thoughts were of killing Peastro. "Often times my mind can race and travel where it shouldn't. I want you to know that my friendship and our bond is forever. I mean that," Dramkick said as he rubbed Mela's arm.
"I'll never doubt it, Dramkick," Mela said as she put her head back on his shoulder.
Dramkick kissed her on the top of the head and started eating the Obaday flakes. They sat together with the sun shining through a window and felt the warmth of it on one another’s faces. Mela thought even for a fake sun it had its benefits. It did make her miss the T sun even more. She would give anything for one more look.
After 2 months in space the entire fleet wanted a break. Dramkick had Gigg find the nearest hospitable planet-it was Yafoal a large green planet.
Yafoal is half water and half land and very sparsely populated. There are dozens of small cities, but no real urban areas. The people of Yafoal are known as Fomits. They are very happy and youthful looking even into old age. They all have seal black hair and dark tan skin-as they have 8 months of summer each year because the one continent revolves around the equator. Their leaders (and they have 3) are Momah, Ahyah, and Pubeo. Each one spends a 3rd of the year tending to the needs of the Fomits.
Dramkick gave the entire fleet 3 week's vacation to prepare them for the final push to Sras Oblique. Small shuttles started sending Vor Me and Vexidian soldiers to the surface. Mela, Dramkick, Sasiege, Uaty, Paut (and Dramkick's new lover Nalista) boarded their own personal shuttle. Dramkick's shuttle landed on a large green field of mowed grass in the city of Bauwa.
As they were getting out of the shuttle a short man with fire orange hair and a dark brown tan stood there waiting for them. He is wearing a white T-shirt, a pair of off white shorts, and brown sandals. He has small gold charms in the shape of a thumb and forefinger attached to each shoe. He has an ear to ear smile on his face and his hands are waving wildly as Dramkick observes him. Dramkick rubbed Mela's arm and said, "Hello I am Dramkick and these are my friends. We've come here for a bit of a vacation if you don't mind."
"I am Pubeo and I am one part of 3 who rule over Yafoal. And yes you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you like. Would you like me to show you around?" Pubeo asked as he waved his right arm slowly to steer them in the right direction. Dramkick liked Pubeo and could see him easily becoming a Benbre if he had been from Membra.
"We would indeed," Dramkick said as he and Nalista started to walk beside Pubeo with everyone else walking behind.
Pubeo walked a few steps and then a small hovering transport pulled up. There is a young boy piloting it and he has a broad smile on his face. The ship is black in color and has a smooth rounded nose. It also has the body of a rose lying on its side. Gigg took note of this from the ship. It has a see through ceiling that is tinted slightly. Inside you have 9 black leather chairs and 3 refrigerators filled with a variety of cold drinks-from booze to soda pop. There is music coming from a small speaker sewn into each of the chairs that is by the artist Duadop Hig.
Duadop Hig is one of 6 musicians on Yafoal, but by far the most famous. After 3 years in jail for corruption for a minor infraction, Duadop emerged a changed man. He gave up alcohol and all forms of stimulants and depressants (especially hard drugs). He poured all of his passion into singing acapella songs. His first song, "The last thing I wanted was the beginning,” dealt with the issue of child abuse and how to protect the innocence of a child. It was so popular that for 6 months straight it was heard every other song on the radio. After 87 hit singles later Duadop was arrested again for crimes against the public good. He apparently stood in front of Ahyah's home and relieved himself on his rose garden. For which he served 8 months of hard labor.
They drove through the Bompatan gardens-which is an intricate labyrinth of flowers and shrubbery. Dramkick couldn't believe how fragrant and fresh the air was. It took him back to his childhood and days at the lake. Dramkick continued to take deep and deeper breaths, as he looked around in awe at the different artwork shaved into the bushes. There is one bush so lifelike it appears to have a man beneath its leaves.
"Pubeo, I must tell you your garden here is truly remarkable," Dramkick remarked as he reached out and touched a bush as they sped by.
"Oh wait 'til you see the Gontafic and the Cokot temples. Then you will see what we are proudest of," Pubeo said brightly as he smiled.
"Will be long 'til we arrive at the Cokot temples?" Nalista asked and she kissed Dramkick on the cheek.
"We're but minutes from there now," Pubeo replied as he searched for something in his pocket and then continued, "I thought we would have you live there while you're here. It is our most lavish accommodations. We reserve it for royalty per se," Pubeo said as he opened a blue refrigerator and started handing everyone a can of Ezsi soda. He grinned and said, "These are very delicious, please try one, but only one."
Everyone was handed one of the mint green cans and took a drink-Ezsi is a combination of soda and tonic that is filled with nutrients and mild medicine. The Mehaha drove onto a gently flowing river and out into the middle. It snaked through Bompatan gardens. They drove beneath a series of walking bridges. And then out of nowhere the ship started to go through the blue backdrop of the sky and into a lighted tunnel. This startled everyone but Dramkick as his adrenaline kicked in. His senses were enhanced instantly and he surveyed the situation.
"What in a Terious is that?" Mela asked as she looked around at everyone.
"That is our way of keeping the Cokot temples secret," Pubeo explained proudly as he pulled out a comb and gave his hair good brushing. "You just passed through a holographic illusion that only the Fomits know of. Hold on tight there are more surprises to come," Pubeo said as he looked at everyone's shocked faces.
"Another surprise like that and I'll die of a massive stroke, and I don't mean of genius," Sasiege said anxiously as he massaged his own chest with both hands.
Dramkick just sat there looking at everyone and was amazed at how frightened they looked. He himself only felt a small prick of unease. They continued through the tunnel for a half mile and then the walls turned from lights to glass. This revealed 1,000 workers mining for gold and diamonds.
They came out of the tunnel and into an empty room. The room has lush wall to wall blue carpet on the walls. And there is a full recreation of Kest plague in gold and diamonds.
Kest is a man made disease that was accidentally unleashed on the Fomits a hundred years earlier-it dramatically altered their DNA and brain function. It altered their DNA so much so that never again did a single child bare a resemblance to their parents. An entire new race of people emerged after the onset of the disease. And strangely enough, they were smarter and more athletically gifted than anyone could have ever imagined.
The Mehaha slowed and then stopped in the center of the room. Nalista turned to Dramkick and asked, "So what happens now?"
Just then the floor beneath them started to float up towards the ceiling. Everyone looked up hoping that this wasn't a malfunction and hopefully planned. Mela said sternly, "If we hit that ceiling I will be infuriated."
They didn't hit it instead they passed right through into another large room. The room has 3 levels to it and a statue of Godper on the right wall. There is also a living area on the first floor with couches and a round television. There is a pair of musical androids at either end of the room as literal living jukeboxes. There are also 5 black leather chairs and a gold and diamond end table next to each. The kitchen and fitness center are next to the left wall and glow dark red from within. Floating in the center of the room is the Dorpus intoxicator-which is a machine that you can type in how drunk you want to get and how long you want it to last. And then you could either drink one extremely dense concoction or take a blue and red pill and get the same effect. The Dorpus is meant to give you total control over your leisure time. The 2nd level has a living room with 2 long white leather couches positioned facing each other. The 2 round TV's at each end hover above the carpet. There is a lavish bathroom with: a sauna, hot tub, 12 showers, large tub and the works.
The 3rd level has 8 large bedrooms equipped with everything you could possibly need to retire properly. They have 4 person beds to particle showers that induce sleep by barraging the senses to exhaustion.
"This will be your accommodations while you are here," Pubeo explained brightly as his shoulder twitched. "All of your baggage has been placed in your rooms and the refrigerators are ready when you are. Also there is one other thing I must show you that I think you will find fascinating, please follow me," Pubeo said brightly as he ushered them to the far wall.
Pubeo let out a primordial scream and the wall disappeared. This revealed the completely waveless Gontafic ocean-there are millions of people swimming, boating, floating and living on it in wooden floating homes. The homes look like toothpick houses and most have little in the way of solid walls. The boats are incredibly detailed and some are even jet propelled. The Gontafic has a high salt density that allows you to float very easily. There are 3 suns-with one in a stage of collapse-fill the Gontafic with an almost mirror image. Since there are no moons around Yafoal, there are no waves or moonlight. This gives the planet an eerie darkness that never leaves you.
"I thought I'd seen it all 'til now," Dramkick stated as he shook his head in disbelief. "I really needed this trip, Mela, if for no other reason to see this now. What an awesome spectacle," Dramkick leaned back and his eyes darted from people to ships and back again. Where was all this life before now? He wished his parents could've seen this.
"You're reading my mind, I've never been this close to the enormity of life. Pubeo, thank you for this indeed," Mela said awestruck as she put her arm around Pubeo and her head on his shoulder.
"This is why so few Fomits leave Yafoal," Pubeo admitted as he chased away a crab like creature with his foot. "We're all together as family and friends here. I ventured out 10 years ago just to see what the universe had to offer. 2 months ago I came back and never ventured out again. I know you are my guests, but lives are shared or they disappear," Pubeo said and he kissed Mela on the forehead.
Everyone stared at the scene in front of them for many minutes. Pubeo left for his home and everyone stayed up half the night partying and telling stories. The next 2 weeks they all took full advantage of Yafoal, the Fomits, and the incredible Gontafic. Everyone boarded the ships and set off into space for a shotgun wedding with destiny.
Dramkick sat in his lounge with Sasiege playing a game of Pomdeck.
Pomdeck is an ancient card game. The game centers on a person's ability to lie and not get caught. The consequence of getting caught is that they lose the game.
Dramkick has a tendency to win at Pomdeck, because he rarely believes anything entirely or with total conviction. He could fool himself into believing anything at the drop of a hat. Dramkick laid a card on the table that suggested he was Pamse-which is a person who's about to lay the remaining power cards and win the game.
Sasiege looks at Dramkick with a vicious eye. He tried to decide if Dramkick was telling the truth, because if it is the truth he has to lay his power card first or lose the entire wager. If he thinks he is lying, he has to play no cards and force Dramkick to admit that he is lying (and Dramkick would lose the game of course). Sasiege stares at Dramkick for over a minute. Then he notices there is a single bead of sweat on his left temple and He said snidely, "I lay nothing, Dramkick, you better have it or you're a goner my friend."
Dramkick starts to sweat even more now. He takes off his sweater and keeps on his white T-shirt. Dramkick looks at his cards and then said, "Your mind is old weak and filled with too many years gone by. I'm going to show you why my will to win can never be beaten. Or you were smart enough to see through my lies, Old Man." Dramkick then laid his cards on the table showing Pamse and shouted, "Or you'll be dead in a week from SHAME!"
Sasiege's body completely deflated and he let out a yell of, "Not again, not now!"
"Yes Now, you wounded buffoon," Dramkick said jokingly as he twisted the knife of shame in his side. "I feel the urge to remind you of your lack of true foresight. I saw you eyeing that bead of sweat and knew that you would think it nerves, but it was caused by my sweater. So once again I've taken your self-respect, confidence, and of course your gold he hee ha hee," Dramkick said snidely as he took Sasiege's gold and chuckled.
Mela and Uaty walked in and grabbed a seat on the couch. Mila asked, "Dramkick, I wanted to ask you since we're nearing Sras Oblique, exactly how you plan to get close enough to Peastro to kill, or even capture him?"
Dramkick smiled and said, "A fortunate blow will get me close enough to kiss his skin with pain. You see before you arrived on my home world of Membra, I'd become aware of Peastro and sent a messenger. I sent that messenger with a truthful and passionate plea for his friendship. The great part of this is it was written in truth, which a man of his power would be able to tell."
"So he'll be under the assumption that you've come to become friends and share experiences," Uaty said implying a question. Uaty was now convinced Peastro would die.
"That's correct, Uaty, so at the very least I’ll get next to him," Dramkick explained as his giddiness filled the room with joy. "And then if I capture him I'll snap his scrawny little neck," Dramkick said smoothly as he tightened his fist and smiled. Dramkick was buying into the idea that maybe there was someone else, besides Peastro that was meant to be his friend.
"How do you plan on knocking him out?" Mela asked as she curled up her legs.
"Nowet implants in my fingertips," Dramkick explained as he showed her the tips of his fingers. "Ya see a Nowet can be placed under the skin. And with just a tap on his neck he'll be out cold within seconds. Then I throw him into my personal luggage and walk right out with him inside," Dramkick explained as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle Wams.
"That's brilliant, there's a great chance this will happen…o.k. but what if they catch you? What if they catch you with Peastro's unconscious body, what then?" Sasiege asked as he lit up a cigarette.
"Then its fight to the death and my fleet will lay waste to their army," Dramkick said sharply and then he finished his bottle of Wams. "Either way Peastro will meet an unfortunate end. And then you and Mela will be able to free Coup and take control of Sras Oblique," Dramkick said as he pulled out the last Tut cigarette from his pocket. He lit it and started smoking.
"Then I can get back to my life again," Mela spoke to the rafters as she covered her face with both hands and squealed. "And to see that ungrateful pig Peastro fall will make the T sun's rays that much brighter. The glory of it all, Dramkick, it makes my heart beat anew."
"How do you plan to free Coup, have you thought of something?" Sasiege asked as he chewed a Kamast.
"That's the easy part, Sasiege, I'm using 10 of my Vor Me to free him," Dramkick offered as his mind jumped to that part of the plan. "They will go in under disguise as Kaa soldiers. And they'll paint the walls red with the guards holding him. They will wait for my signal and then pounce. And after we have Coup and Peastro the sky will fill with my fleet. We will escape under laser fire as they pray for their lives he he hee," Dramkick said snidely and he took a drag from his tut cigarette but stopped abruptly and said, "I'll need a few hundred cartons of these before I leave, Mela."
"You can have a ship's worth and that is for certain," Mela answered as she prowled the room like a lion. Mela stopped and said, "Then that's it, we're ready for arrival and we must be nearing the security outpost by now." Mela thought of Coup and the tremendous pain he was going through. She prayed he would survive mentally long enough to be freed. She also knew that might not be the case.
The fleet kept a safe distance from the security outpost while the Debrist Morou continued on. Dramkick made his way to the Capt.'s chair and sucked on a Praem tube. He needed every bit of confidence, edge, and advantage he could get. Mela stayed in the lounge with the others carrying anxious hearts. Dramkick sat down in his Capt.'s chair and said sternly, "Be calm, be nothing, Gigg, I can handle them."
"Of course, Quadromolan, I won't speak unless required to," Gigg said as he hailed the outpost. He hoped Dramkick would speak in the first place as his nerves were frayed.
On the monitor appeared Kelsy Pott-a Sgt. in the Kaa army. Kelsy is green haired and orange skinned. He has a black T shaped scar above his left eye that he got on his wedding night (he flirted with the bridesmaids). His face is boyish, but his eyes are a killer's. He is wearing a purple hat that is tight to his head, but loose around his forehead. He also has on a black cotton jacket with the Kaa symbol for freedom on the right peck-which is an X inside a circle with 2 P's next to it. He also has on a pair of white silk gloves that have an apparent glow to them.
"Hello there what are your reasons for traveling here today?" Kelsy asked dryly as he smiled to himself. He felt worn out after a long shift.
"Yes, hi I am Dramkick Reign and I come to request an audienc-"
Kelsy cut him off and said quickly, "Wait, wait just a second we have a standing order…ah here it is. We’re instructed upon any visit of Dramkick Reign to immediately allow him through. And also to let you know that Peastro is eagerly awaiting your arrival. You'll be waited on hand and foot. We are also told to ask if there is anything you need right now?"
"I would like a nice bottle of white wine this evening, but that is the sum of it," Dramkick said smoothly as he started to grin. He knew the plan was going to work. The soldier was weak and easily swayed, he thought.
"The wine will be in your castle and you may proceed with our escort fighters," Kelsy said happily as he tried to contain his excitement. He really thought that Dramkick would never come. "It is great to finally meet the person in the letter. I hope you have a great stay," Kelsy said as he smiled from ear to ear.
"Thank you I will, it is great to meet you," Dramkick said hollowly as he manipulated his body language to matchup with the correct moment Kelsy had offered him. Kelsy faded from the monitor and 12 Kaa fighters flanked both sides the Debrist Morou. Dramkick stood up and smiled at Gigg and then left the room. He strolled over to the lounge and walked in to see Mela and Sasiege sitting side by side eating Kamasts. He said snidely, "He's dead, Mela."
"Really," Mela said as the air raced out of her lungs. She set down her