Page 34 of The Space Traveller's Lover
Athguer is taken aback by her impulsive response, his eyes widening in admiration as his eyebrows flash up.
“Save your qualms for the lab, Athguer!” Rothwen objects. “She is as ready as she can be … for now.”
“Let Shaillah go back to the humans and announce our first meeting to inform them of our reasonable terms. We’ll see if she lives up to our expectations. And we’ll see how the humans react,” Kuzhma-Or intervenes in his typical commanding tone.
Kuzhma-Or’s words take Rothwen by surprise. The thought of Shaillah returning to the humans unnerves him.
But as he is about to protest the order, Shaillah’s response leaves him speechless: “It’ll be my honour to take your message to the humans,” she declares in a resolute tone as she bows to Kuzhma-Or and Athguer.
“Ai Rom-Ojserahni sen Rom-Ghenshar” (All the universe’s power to the Rom-Ghenshars), Kuzhma-Or booms while the rising beat of a haunting melody starts echoing through the vaulted walls.
“Ai Rom-Ojserahni sen Rom-Ghenshar,” Athguer repeats, nodding and glancing first at Shaillah and then at Rothwen, inviting them to join.
Rothwen’s exasperated gaze gradually changes into one of reluctant concession as Shaillah turns to face him with a reassuring smile while sending her thoughts to him:I’m doing it for us.
“Ai Rom-Ojserahni sen Rom-Ghenshar,” Rothwen finally cheers as they all come together in a tight circle.
“Ai Rom-Ojserahni sen Rom-Ghenshar,” Shaillah exclaims, standing proudly next to Rothwen.
Kuzhma-Or firmly crosses his hands over his chest as Rothwen does the same in their solemn army salute. Then a rotating glowing sphere starts to descend from the high ceiling.
“And now for the Rom-Ghenshar Chant of Honour: ‘Unshe, Rom-Ghenshar, unshe’” (Forever, Rom-Ghenshar, forever). Kuzhma-Or raises his powerful voice while, with a single glance, he sends an order to his guardian robots.
The packed formation of robots stands up at once and starts singing, making the whole place vibrate as if its foundations are about to give way.
“Unshe, Rom-Ghenshar, unshe,” they all sing as one.
As the booming voices resonate ever louder, echoing and amplifying all across the vaulted chamber, the expanding sphere fills the whole space around them, revealing the vivid, colourful holographic scenes, showing passages of their past victories and conquests in ever-increasing details.
Shaillah feels moved by the exhilarating showcase and the contagious, emotionally charged rhythm. Her face lights up with sheer excitement as Rothwen proudly stares at her. Any thoughts about her past she manages to keep well away from her mind while she keeps singing.
“Unda ye. Anse kori. Unda ye. Suan enkleerm, suan enjie Rom-Ghenshar” (Follow me. Never stop. Follow me. Always advancing, always victorious Rom-Ghenshar).
CHAPTER 15
SURRENDER
I’ll be unbreakable, impossible to bend, and hard to ignore.
The sight and sound of distant worlds engulfed in exploding fireballs and the roaring booms of accelerating spaceships piercing through infinite space like incandescent rays of doom repeatedly flash in Shaillah’s mind after the long series of glittering ceremonies. All she wants to do now is to go back to her smartroom and plunge into the pool.
As Kuzhma-Or, Rothwen, and Athguer gather around yet another point on the UniverseScope’s viewing platform, she slowly walks towards the steps. One of the guardian robots moves forwards and extends his spindly arm to help her as she starts going down. She agreeably smiles while resting her hand on his silvery limb, allowing him to lead her down onto the aisle.
As she closely inspects the robot, she realises the android is imitating her every move, even her facial expressions. Even when she blinks, his multiple eyes blink all at the same time.
“That’ll be all, thank you!” she says as she reaches the bottom of the steps.
“Thank you!” the robot replies in perfect English before retreating to his place.
Spooky that the robots react to my thoughts and commands, she thinks.I’d better not attract their attention toomuch.
She strolls through the long central aisle, looking around the dazzling overhanging showcase. This time, she gets to see and recognise more details. The vivid scenes of victory parades mixed with those of ravaged worlds disconcert her, but she keeps looking for something in particular.
Eventually, she recognises the images of ancient Earth’s cities, choking under billowing smoke clouds, drowning under devastating flood waves, their magnificent fortresses and monuments destroyed. In the background, the roaring spaceships filled with the injured and the dying desperately flee the apocalyptic scenes, exactly as Zula-Or had described to her. At the bottom of the harrowing pictures, she can read one of the Rom-Ghenshar battle slogans, depicted in bold red symbols: “Those who once suffered immense agony turned into invincible warriors.”
With her gaze fixated above, she swirls around while exhaling a hastened breath as she makes her way out of the arena. Looking back, she contemplates the rows of floating imageries converging at the centre of the impressive golden throne. The Rom-Ghenshars’ extravagant show of power shakes up her mind and troubles her.
He brought me into this world of unimaginable forces and awe-inspiring might. Chaos and destruction are threatening my precious planet. My heart may falter, but my resolve and spirit will stand firm, for I’ll never give up on the human race!
