Journal Entry One

[Kerris Kea 0]

USS Touret

2250.3.12

Destination: Earth

 

The Commander, which I suspect is something like my Yerta, although he seems much too young, has granted me a small room that I am sharing with someone who looks like a Catari, although she promises that she is a Caitian, whatever that is. She looks pretty similar, but yet she is much much smarter. I suppose that she is not one.

He has given me this device to write on, as I asked if I could keep a log for those at home. I will now record how I got on this starship and away from my beloved home in the first place.

 

---Begin Log---

 

My eyes scanned the horizon. I saw nothing but sand and dust and more sand. I wrapped my cora up more over my face. There was a sandstorm rolling in, and I didn't like the look of it. I changed to my half-lizard form, as I had been standing in my human form, and secured the cora with a practised knot. My eyes squinted against the sun and the sand, and I closed my inner eyelids, protecting my bright red eyes.

 

I heard my kin calling, but I took another minute to calculate the speed of the storm before I again descended below ground. I pulled the latch shut behind me, knowing it would be here in a matter of minutes.

 

“How fast does it come?” My brother asked me, and I opened my eyelids again so I could see him clearly in the dim light.

 

“It comes faster than we can run. It will be here very soon, and it is large.”

 

“They keep on getting larger.” I nodded at this, and he touched my mind tentatively with his. I looked back up at him. “What is it?”

 

I unsecured my cora and again revealed my face. “I can feel rumblings in the distance, from the Royalty of the Others. It does not bode well. Perhaps their Gods send these storms to torment us.”

 

We were alone in our burrow, but it was attached to others, and at my voice some came and hailed us. “Does the storm quicken?”

 

“It quickens,” I told them. “It is large, and will be upon us for hours, I imagine. It is best that we rest.”

 

Below ground, all of us reverted to our half-lizard form. It was the easiest to move around in, and some of the younglings could no longer change out of it. This worried me. We might become like the Catari that shared our desert. They were stuck in one form, and it was not a pretty form at that. They were deeply tribal, and were very primitive in their ways. The Others thought us to be like that as well, but we weren't. We were more civilised than what I had observed of the Others in their jungle and mountain homes. They cared for nothing more than sex and ruling over their people who cared nothing more than sex. We had technology, for all our disadvantages. Not much, nothing like on other planets, but we had it.

 

We were a quiet people by nature, but we were loving and yet harsh at the same time. We did not take well to activity like the Others. When we chose a mate, it was for life, and there were no take backs. Anyone of us who did not like this left the Burrows for good, and was viewed as not one of us. If they came back, we killed them. It was not anything besides what was necessary.

 

Our features were simple, and one might look at us as similar to the Kaarans or the Kush, but we are not related. When we are in our half-lizard bodies, as most of us are most of the time, we are humanoid. We stand up on two legs, and our hands had five fingers, though some preferred to show four. I take by the old ways, and have five. We all had tails, long, flat tails that tapered gracefully. One was often judged by the beauty of their tail. Our skin were scales, and even in full human form our skin is tough and tan. Some of the younglings were having problems changing their scales to human skin, and so when they change, their skin stays scaled, even though they look otherwise human. It is worrisome, but the blood grows this from the Old Ones.

 

We were descendants from the Old Ones, the direct descendants. From the Dragons themselves, though you will not find any of my kind calling the Old Ones dragons as humans often did, from their folklore. But that's what they were; they were giants, they had wings that when spanned could block out the suns. It was said that when they walked, Kaag shook beneath their feet and was humbled.

 

We do not have a name for ourselves, not really. We are the people of the Desert, the descendants of the Old Ones, and quite different in every way from the Others. The Others called us Repsha, from the old words meaning reptile, and we tend to not use the name. It reminded us of the Others.

 

I stirred the fire with a metal stick we kept by it, and the smoke billowed up and through the small hatch above. The burrows were lined with some wood from the old days, and this was one of the fixtures from those days. I knew how it worked, but I was one of the few. The others had me fix theirs. Occasionally some sand from sand storms seeped through, but it was hardly ever bothersome. We swept it into a corner and left it there until we could dump it back outside.

 

I kept my tail suspended off the stone floor. My brother, Ket, crouched to the left of me, the others having left back to their own burrows. “You think their gods angry, Kerris?”

 

“I think that they punish us, for not being similar to them.”

 

“That is a silly notion.”

 

“What other explanation is there then, brother?”

 

He was quiet then, his tail whipping back and forth in a contemplative manner. “Perhaps the seasons change.”

 

“The seasons always change, and yet never do the sandstorms cease. Never do they get smaller or larger, and yet now they do.” I looked at him. We had the same sort of colouring. He was a lighter orange than I was, and my scales were a darker shade, so that they were almost red. But we were young still, and scales changed over time. Every shedding revealed new colours.

 

“Perhaps the planet changed in correlation to the moons. Like the tides in the ocean, perhaps they affect the tides of the sand.”

 

“There is much to think about.” I got up then and went about making a meal. I cut up the grubs, and went next door to inquire to Shaan for some of his onions. He smiled at me, and did not wait for me to speak. Instead, he came to me, his arms full of them already, and handed them over.

 

“My thanks. Will you join us?”

 

“If you'll have me,” he answered. I nod once, and he followed me into my brother and I's burrow. Some of the burrows were connected to each other directly, and others were connected along a hallway. One could go from one side of the Burrows to the other without ever going above ground, though that was tiresome. They all looked more or less the same, and most were still the same that our ancestors had made generations ago. Dug out in the sand by some of the Old Ones themselves, I often thought, though that seems a little silly. The floors were made of some kind of dull, gray stone, but in some burrows it was sandstone instead. The walls and ceilings were supported by wood boards, lacquered with some kind of super strong material that none of us had yet been able to replicate. Whatever it was, it was strong enough and durable enough to last this long, and the wood was not rotting still. I often wondered how they had gotten the wood for so many burrows. Perhaps the Old Ones really did build them themselves, and carried in trees from the jungles.

 

Shaan's burrow was attached directly to ours, as he was something like our cousin. He was our father's sister's son. He was close to our age, a few sheddings our senior. I was younger than my brother, but only by a few days. We were born from the same egg litter, and it was rare anyway to have two eggs at the same time, much less to have them both hatch. Oftentimes the eggs never hatched.

 

Shaan crouched down by my brother and set up the pot over the fire, setting it up for me. I cut up a few of the onions and then carried the lot of it over to the pot and dumped it in. It started to sizzle, and I added some water and some spice to it. I gave Shaan a spoon and he stirred it without being asked. I cleaned up the small table I used as my kitchen, as there was grub guts on it, and some onion juice besides. I then stacked the extra onions into a basket sitting beside the table and returned to the fire with three bowls. The bowls were simple and made out of gourds, but they served their purpose.

 

I set the bowls on the ground and watched Shaan stir the food quietly. “What has you troubled?”

 

It was Ket who answered. “We worry over the change in the storms.”

 

“So Kerris worries over the storms. Nothing has changed.”

 

“It bodes ill,” I defended, my eyes closing. I didn't like thinking about it, but yet I couldn't help it. I heard Shaan stir the stew. I opened my eyes again, and he was looking at me. His scales were a sandy colour, his eyes a sun yellow.

 

“It does not bode ill. It is simply the change that is inevitable. Soon this desert will become lush and green once more, and we will again become a marsh people. It is the way. You have read as much as I have.”

 

I had, and I knew, but I did not like it. I could not think of a day when I did not have the desert and the Burrows to return to. I went often into the jungles, but I always came back. Once, in the days of the Old Ones, they had lived in the jungles, because there was no desert. But then Kaag aged, and they aged, and there became a desert instead of the jungle in the south. Down below the mountains far, far to the south from the Burrows, was the vast ocean. I had never seen it. I only knew it was there from the maps inside the books that my people had written long ago.

 

“The sand moves from the south to the north now. Soon the desert will be larger.”

 

“You are looking for water where there is none,” Shaan insisted, telling me that I was being foolish.

 

I stood up then, not liking the way he kept on ignoring me. “I thought you would not write me off like a child. I thought that you would see that there is something bad happening.” He stood up as well, and he was larger than I was. His height was more impressive.

 

“I know there is something bad happening, but you are being foolish when it comes to these storms. They are storms, and are unpredictable.” I opened my mouth to reply, but my brother hushed us both with a quick hiss. I listened, and I could hear screams from above, from out in the storm.

 

And then there was banging on our hatch. I glanced quickly at Ket, but he was already there, opening it. It let in a huge swirl of sand and gas, and a small gray wolf. I say small, because he was quite small compared to the others of his species, but really he stood at least five feet when he was in his full form. He changed quickly into his human form, shaking his head like the dog he was. Sand flew everywhere, and Shaan made a sound of disgust. I went and fetched the wolf some water, and brought it to him in one of our bowls. He thanked me, and I changed into my human form, crouching down in front of him.

 

“You did not see the storm coming,” I said, and it was a statement, an assumption, and not a question, though he treated it like one.

 

“Yes. I was coming out here to deliver a message, and got struck by it. I will be trying to get sand out of my fur for weeks.”

 

Ket had retrieved the broom and was sweeping the sand into a corner. “What is this message that is so urgent?”

 

“There is some people from the Federation here, up in the Wolf Capital, I mean. They mean to bring some of us back and employ us in their Fleet.”

 

“Their fleet of what?” I asked him, and he looked at me. I was the only one who had changed to a human like him.

 

“They came on a starship, so I assume they have others.”

 

I looked up at some of my people that were poking their heads into our burrow, wondering what the commotion was. “Did anything show up on our scanners?” I asked them, and one of the younglings went to go check. I had a gut feeling that they wouldn't have come so boldly if they hadn't known that we had technology. My people did anyway, not the Others. Never the Others. But how would they have known? I turned back to wolf now. “Have you gone to the Catari?”

 

He shook his head. “No. I was sent only to you Repshas, and not to any others.”

 

“How long ago?” Ket asked, and the wolf looked at him now.

 

“They came yesterday. I suspect that the sandstorm had something to do with their spaceship yes?”

 

“I don't know,” I said, looking at Shaan. He looked away from me. Spaceships occasionally go and come from the Capital planet, carrying ambassadors and supplies, but I had never noticed a correlation before now. The youngling returned, almost out of breath.

 

“Kerris, they show two ships hovering above the atmosphere, and another in the Wolf Capital.” The youngling's voice steadied. “The Yerta hailed the two ships orbiting, and one requested to land here in the desert. The Yerta asked me to ask you.” The Yerta was the elder that was in charge of such matters, and my eyebrows raised.

 

“Let them land. I would very much like to speak with them.” The youngling nodded, and she was off again.

 

Ket came to me, changing into a human as well. His skin was darker than mine, and he put a hand on my shoulder. “You plan to go?” He wondered, his voice soft.

 

“I wish to speak with them,” I replied. “But, perhaps.”

 

“No,” Shaan said, his voice angry. “No, you must not go with them.”

 

“Why not?” I asked. His mind touched mine lightly, and in the anger I felt sadness, like he didn't want to lose me. I turned from him. “I am the one that always goes and speaks with the Others, and so I feel like it is my duty to go and speak with these Others.” I filled the wolf's bowl again with water. “I would go with them. Anything is better than the tyranny of the Emperor.” A hush fell over the burrow at the mention of him, and I used it. “I would rather be in this Federation and serve them than spend another day under the Emperor, no matter what they plan to do to stop him.”

 

“Their plan is sound.”

 

“Their plan will take years to reach fruition,” I countered, looking for the speaker, but I could not identify him. “It is only a matter of time before his tyranny reaches even our outlying planet.”

 

“The Others will not want to leave the Empire.”

 

“Then let them stay loyal to him. I say that we, as descendants of the Old Ones, go and join this Federation.”

 

The youngling appeared again, and Ket got her some water. She thanked him, then said, “The ship will land, and wait out the storm before coming to us.” I nodded, thanking her, and she nodded in return.

 

“Can I get some food? It's been almost a day I've been travelling,” the wolf said, and I jumped. I had almost forgotten about him. My blood cooled.

 

“You can share with us our stew, if you would like. I don't know if there is anything here that would suit your stomach.”

 

“I would go for some fruit even, right now,” he said, patting his stomach, then squeezing the skin. He was undressed except for some filthy pants that were covered in many things, the most recent of them being sand. Lots of sand. The jungle cloth was not meant for the desert. I looked at Shaan, and he touched my mind again softly. His tone was sad.

 

“Is the stew ready?” He nodded. “Let's give this wolf some of it then. I am going to the Yerta.” I snapped the connection with Shaan in an angry tone and threw up my shields. I did not need his emotions clouding over my better judgment right now. My people parted for me, and I walked through them easily, changing back into my half-lizard form, the warmth of having warm blood still in me.

 

It was quite a walk to the Yerta and to the Control Room. It was accessible in the main hallway, though, and so that was a relief at least. Younglings ran by me, some in their true lizard form, and I watched them and my step carefully. They were always playful and plentiful.

 

The Yerta was an elder, meaning that she no longer laid any eggs, her body too old physically for it. Her mate was taken from her a few years ago. Her name was Saso, and was much respected by my people. She was my great-grandmother. She and my great-grandfather, Heit, pioneered the way of technology and implemented it and developed the different scanners and other devices that we now put into use in our everyday lives. The original materials came from neighboring planets of the Empire, but we had since learned to make our own. I had learned their ways from an early age, and thought Het did as well, he never did like it as quite as much as I did.

 

I reached the control room and entered. This burrow we had dug out and made ourselves. It had a little building above ground that was attached to it, for storing the scanning equipment and such. On top of the building were satellites and the like. We supported the roof and walls with glass and metal. We mined the iron from the mountains whenever we needed it to make something. We made sure to be stingy about it, as it was a rough trip back and forth, and those who went always were the worse after. The Yerta greeted me, gesturing for me to cover with my cora. I looked at her a little strangely but did.

 

“We ascend,” she told me, and I nodded, following as she climbed up the small rope ladder and into the building above. The hatches were all shut, and she shut the one down to the control room as well. The storm whipped around us, but in the cracks in the building some sand seeped in, and that is why we covered with our coras. She fiddled a minute with some equipment. “You mean to go with them.”

 

“I was contemplating it.”

 

“It would be good for you to. Of all of our people, you and I are the ones who deserve to get out of this desert.”

 

“You are not leaving are you?”

 

“No, I remain. If you and I both left, then this place would go to the desert dogs.” I knew she was right. I sighed and shuffled my feet like a youngling. She reprimanded me against my mind shields, and I stopped. “And when you return, when the time is right, you can marvel us all with your knowledge.”

 

“I will return whenever I can,” I promised.