THE NEW EARTH - 7
Copyright 2007 by Carl Mason
All rights reserved. Other than downloading one copy for strictly personal enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author. "The New Earth" is strictly fictional. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. As in real life, however, sexual themes unfold gradually. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author at carl_mason@comcast.net
If you would like to read additional stories by this author, please turn to the "Authors/Prolific Authors" link at the beginning of the Nifty Archive or in the left margin of the Gay stories index.
This story contains descriptions of sexual contact between males, both adults and teenagers. As such, it is homoerotic fiction designed for the personal enjoyment of legal, hopefully mature, adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, if those in power and/or those whom you trust treat it as illegal, or if it would create unresolvable moral dilemmas in your life, please leave. Finally, remember that maturity generally demands safe sex.
CHAPTER 7
(Revisiting Chapter 6)
"I repeat [Alexios maintained], if it doesn't make a difference, why get all hot and bothered about what's 'real'...or 'human'...or worthy of being valued?"
The discussion didn't get much further, but Alexios noticed that Justin treated Eddie the same way that he treated Danny...that is, with love and concern. The 'boy' blossomed like a complex flower when around him...and, of course, the four Tacian marines. Eddie and Danny? They couldn't be separated...figuratively or (perhaps, all too often) literally!
(Continuing Our Story: Tragedy on Serium)
"We're not getting ANYWHERE!" the Field Marshal almost snarled at the Terran ambassador. "You say that the Terran Council insists that captives taken on Earth and its colonies be returned. For two and a half centuries, however, these FORMER captives have been integrated into one of the most prosperous, democratic regions in the known universe. Certainly, it has always been the MOST well-off of the regions in this galaxy. Serium is a series of relatively peaceful and prosperous planets with great natural resources. The premiers of several federated countries on those planets, for instance, carry the blood of Earthmen in their veins. There is little or no interest in returning to Earth.
"I hear you, Field Marshal, but the Council insists that Earth needs the human resources that were stolen from us to recover and rebuild. You should know, by the way, that support for the Allied Expeditionary Force is dropping on Terra. We celebrated your crushing the Canmuton menace, but the compromises that you made with the Attians were not popular. If anything, the more productive slaves of Terran descent were allowed to stay on Attia while the infirm and the young were sent to us - without our full agreement, I might add. We simply don't need pool boys in the same way we need experienced trade managers. Perhaps rather than endless discussion, Serium needs a little demonstration of our power to convince them that it's useless to resist us on this matter. During all of this increasing acrimonious talk, the Tacian representatives remained silent, but, then, it was never a secret that they desired unrestricted access to Serium's resources.
"Several of us on this panel will visit Serium during the next few days, Mr. Ambassador. I must warn you, though, that the situation is grave. These are sentient life forms and can only be pushed so far without repercussions. Let us do our job, please."
Two days later, the light cruiser Hennessy left for Serium with the Field Marshal, the Admiral, and two other members of the Allied panel on Terran Captives. Still some distance from the planet at warp speed, they received communications from the Serium leaders. An Earth star cruiser, the Kursk, and one of its large troop ships had suddenly appeared before two of their planets and were demanding that all citizens of Terran descent be "freed" and moved to the troop ship within 36 hours. There was anxiety and, perhaps, some degree of fear in their voices as they sought the Panel Chairman's advice. Alexios replied that the Terran captain had no right to issue that order and that the Hennessy would be with them in a matter of a few hours. "Here's a difficult one, eh, Sir John?" Alexios asked after the communication had been completed. "Indeed. Let's hope that the Captain of the Kursk is not a complete idiot."
Considerably closer, they were able to monitor the Kursk's communications. When they were about two hours away, Captain Miller of the Kursk issued an order to the two planets to immediately accept their ultimatum...or face the consequences. They could not hear the planets' response. Alexios and Jeffers immediately identified themselves and ordered the Captain to stand down, but the Hennessy received no answer...nor, indeed, any indication that the command had even been received. Within half an hour, the light cruiser began to encounter heavy space debris and was further delayed. When it did reach the vicinity, all they saw were the great, dark shape of the Kursk, the troop ship, and the burned out remnants of two small planets.
Almost immediately, they were hailed by the Kursk and asked to identify themselves. After doing so, they asked to speak with Captain Miller immediately. "This is Commander Sven Johnson, XO of the Kursk, sirs. Captain Miller along with several of his officers and members of the crew have been taken into custody. The Kursk awaits your commands." "Very well, Captain Johnson. Remain in position. We shall get back to you momentarily."
Speaking with the President, the Field Marshal did not have to say too much, for the Serium leadership had been monitoring the communications channels. He thanked the Hennessy for stopping the slaughter, but asked that the Allied forces return to Canmuto for three days before returning to resume negotiations. "Nearly one and a half million of our people are dead, sir," he said. "Perhaps it is not asking too much to give us a short period to mourn them." The orders were given, and the three ships returned to Canmuto at warp speed.
The Terran Council agreed that Captain Miller had exceeded his authority and asked that the detainees be returned to Earth immediately. The Field Marshal acceded to their "request"; indeed, he returned them in chains! Nevertheless, the damage had been done...and the Council remained inflexible in its demands. According to Miller and his officers, the Council said, a sizable group of Earthmen on Serium had reported gross atrocities and begged their protection. Further, the Attian Government told the Panel that present tensions would only increase if it didn't show "some flexibility" in dealing with Serium. After all, they had allied themselves with Canmuto! Hence, after three days, a larger Allied fleet returned to Serium.
By and large, the Terran descendants had simply disappeared along with every space- worthy ship that had been docked following the Battle of the Moons! Those who remained on Serium were of mixed blood and felt that their previously happy world was as dead as the two grisly planetary cores that circled their small star. The orders given the Allied forces were clear and succinct: Respect for Allied authority had to be restored. In capturing and repatriating the escapees, the Allied forces were authorized to go as far beyond the explored boundaries of the Universe as necessary, mapping as they went. To that end, a new star cruiser, the Venture, that had been equipped with advanced warp and hyper drives, as well as the latest Holodeck, was being sent to join them at Canmuto.
Preparation for the voyage into uncharted space was everyone's first concern on Canmuto, especially when the Venture arrived. The Captain, Stanley Hopper, was well respected in the space fleet, as attested to by Sir John. Specifically, he received high marks for cooperation, concern for safety, and attempting to stay out of politics. He had been assigned strong forces, including a group of experienced cartographers and photographers plus a full Battalion of Terran infantry and support personnel, as well as three companies of battle-hardened Attian marines. Justin had close friends in both contingents. Alexios, naturally enough, had many other concerns, including whether or not to take the fourteen-year-olds. (Justin, of course, would go as his Adjutant.) He especially wanted to study Eddie under different circumstances and finally decided that he should go along. For an almost infinite list of reasons, that decision made it almost imperative that Danny be included. The Venture had been outfitted for an extended voyage (including that necessary for defensive action) before she left Terra. Thus, by the end of the third week, two short shake-down voyages had been completed and she left Canmuto, a bold new vessel whose men held both the ship and her officers in high regard.
(Fantasia)
They moved through border space for some days, seeing absolutely nothing. On the Terran equivalent of the fourth day, both the scientists and the Venture's radar specialists said that something lay ahead. Indeed it did! As they came closer and closer, they beheld a good-sized planet, but one like none they had ever seen before. Every aspect of the planet - clouds, land, vegetation, water - appeared in shimmering pastel colors. When neither cities nor movement was detected, there was a buzz of conversation in which some wondered if they had found the source of the Garden of Eden story. Eden? Yes, possibly... How very beautiful it was.
After thoroughly checking air, water and vegetation samples, a company of Terran infantry conducted a careful sweep over several square miles. Nothing that even suggested the presence of life-forms was observed. Before the soldiers returned to the Voyager, they concealed monitoring beacons throughout the area. Two soldiers did suggest to their NCOs that they "felt" the presence of "something", but their comments were finally ascribed to a minor hysterical reaction. After light had returned to the planet, permission was finally given for groups of men to disembark under tight security protocols while the crew completed some minor repairs.
Justin really loved the many friends he had made. Nevertheless, shipboard conditions were already wearing on him. He longed for solitude and a chance to further consider the beauty of the planet and the directions of his life on his own, apart from a group of boisterous, considerably less complex teens and young men. According to the regulations, however, not even officers could be alone on the planet. Thus, he accepted the invitation of the ship's doctor to join him. After hiking for a bit, they found a quiet stream meandering through a meadow. Over towards the side of the meadow, a curve in the stream was shaded by some enormous old oaks, standing proudly over land and water. A soft mist of lightest lavender hung low over the entire area. Momentarily, Justin swore he could smell the lilac in his mother's garden. Separated only by a couple of trees and a large boulder, the two men rested some yards apart, content in their own musings.
The tired young lad rested back against the trunk of the tree and let his eyes wander freely over the beautiful scene before him. The scene did not alarm him; indeed, it was quite familiar. He had seen it before in books found in destroyed libraries, books that contained pictures of the English and French countryside painted by those called "Masters". Bathing in the glory of the moment, he wasn't even alarmed by a ray of sunlight that suddenly illuminated his hand as it lay resting on a knee. As he held his palm up to the light, however, he knew...somehow...that it was asking him to follow. He seemed to be surrounded by soft, undulating colors as he carefully picked his way through the forest, following the bright beam. Suddenly, he sensed that he had reached his destination, the dwelling place of the spirit that had been guiding him. As far as he could tell, he appeared to be inside the hollowed out trunk of a great tree, a comfortable space that was warm, and light, and inviting. Slowly, as his clothes fell away, the shaft of light curled around his body in as sensuous a caress as he had ever received in his young life. "Show yourself, Spirit," he said boldly. "You have nothing to fear from me - and I know I have nothing to fear from you. Show yourself in a way that these eyes can see you."
Before his eyes, the particles of light gradually assumed solid form. Within some minutes, a breathtakingly beautiful youth - in his early 20s had he been a Terran - stood before him. Fire yet not fire...form yet lack of form...powerful beyond belief and of an august presence, yet young and intimate... In the depths of his brain, the boy sensed the words, "It has been many millennia since I took this form, Justin, but then it has been even longer since I beheld a creature as beautiful as yourself. If you do not fear, come closer." Justin stepped forward to embrace the vision only to find himself caught up in a swirling vortex of flame. His kisses were returned with a passion he did not know existed. Embracing the Spirit, his body was lifted high and then whirled about, at times rubbing sensually over the youth's body, at times simply flying wildly through the air. Eventually, he was gripped by a continuing, throbbing orgasm so intense that he never thought his screams would end.
Justin came to on a bed of soft grasses. It was dark, but the small fire in the fireplace allowed him to see the youth who lay stretched out at his side, gently kissing and stroking his body that was still trembling. "I have given you a gift," the youth whispered. "Even when you are lonely, you will never be alone again. As you discover this gift, do not be afraid. Know that all is well and that a Prince of the Pastel Planet will always love you." His last conscious memory was of the lips of the young prince softly caressing his.
The ship's doctor was violently shaking him, trying to get him to wake up. In the distance, he could see lights from torches and hear yells as groups of soldiers tried to locate them. When they reached the ship, the Captain took Dr. Lang in tow, while the Field Marshal silently beckoned for Justin to follow him.
"I don't know what to make of your story," Alexios finally murmured. "I do know you do not lie. It's possible that you ate something that caused hallucinations...or, perhaps, it was in the water. At the very least, YOU believe that which you have told me. Of that I am satisfied. As to the reality of this "gift," we shall simply have to wait and see. Tomorrow, I'll ask several individuals, Dr. Lang included, to watch you carefully over the next month. (Smirking, he added that he did not think the present was a good time!)
Within minutes, the Venture was put on full alert. In the morning it blasted off slightly before 9:00 a.m. Earth time.
(To Be Continued)