Pete(8)‘Intervention Plan’ (Young adult; adventure/sci-fi)
February 13th 2008 03:55
FIVE
'Troubles'
Thirty-eight light years away in a star system known as Callix, is the Daxian home planet of Dax. Almost twice the circumference of Earth, Dax has lush forests covering ninety percent of its surface area, which from space gave it the appearance of a huge revolving emerald. Its life-giver is the star Nexan, with another twenty-two inhabited planets in the System, however four of those required artificial support from Daxian environ-machines.There is two major clusters or cities on Dax, Arlix and Caz. The latter now holds Court of the ruling Daxian Emperor, Zin the Great. Zin is sole monarch of this peaceful empire, consisting of eight separate species and over forty billion inhabitants. Similar to colonial rule, an ‘elected’ Lord governs each of the twenty-two planets. So it was on this 28th span of Loxor (one of six Daxian months) that a black and silver-armoured Xen, Lord of Binar, stood before his emperor's golden throne, summoned to discuss recent troubles on Earth.
"Not at this stage, your Highness." Xen said, pacing in front of the throne. Even his striking form dwarfed in this huge, majestic hall of gold and black-onyx. "It may be that the animal received a bad fright of some kind, perhaps an accident or near miss." If truth was known, Xen had not long returned from setting-up and initiating the mission. The last thing he wanted to do was go back.
"Very well, Xen, as always I trust your judgment in these matters. You are excused."
"Your Highness." Xen said. Then with a low bow, strode from the Great Hall.
Tomas was standing on his verandah watching Bluey tuck into his food—leftover lamb stew and kibble—when his friend Toby came ambling into the back yard. "Hi Toby," Tomas chirped, glad to see his mate. The boys hadn't had a chance to talk since football practice this morning, lunch-hour at school had passed in a game of touch-footy, and Tomas ran home straight after the final bell.
"Hey, how's Bluey going?" Toby asked, stopping before the verandah steps.
"Yeah, well he seems alright now,” Tomas said. “But he chucked some sort of spac attack when we were walking through the Mine." He sat down on the first step.
"What do yah mean?" Toby asked, plonking down next to his friend.
"Oh, he started jumping around barking like a mad dog again, this time like something scared the hell out of him."
"Yeah. Hey, it might have been the yowie," Toby suggested, elbowing Tomas lightly in the ribs.
"Get out," Tomas said, elbowing him back.
"Hey, look, just as well Bluey's eatin' or that rabbit would be a goner."
Tomas looked up and sure enough, a brown rabbit sat watching them from the corner of the yard. "I reckon," he said, turning to look at Bluey, who was licking the last remnants of stew from his bowl. "Hey Bluey. Rabbit!"
Bluey's ears pricked-up. Rabbits were abundant in this area and he'd been chasing them since he was a pup. Only they didn't seem to interest him much any more, he realised. Besides, he could never catch the damn things anyway. Then it occurred to him that the sight of these animals used to send him into a mad fit, and if he didn't at least act excited, his master would suspect something was wrong.
Bluey trotted to the edge of the verandah and sure enough, there was a brown rabbit, just sitting there. 'Is this animal stupid or something! Oh, well.’ He let out two rapid barks: "Arf, arf!" Then leapt-off the verandah and hit the ground running. The hunt was on.
"Come on!" Tomas said. "I don't wanna lose him again." The two boys jumped up and ran after Bluey, who was now racing down the shortcut track toward the mine.
Bluey tore past old Ma's yard. "Arf, arf!" He could just see the white of the rabbit's tail bobbing up ahead; then he was through the fence and into the Mine. What he didn’t see was his mate Scruffy, who had bounded down his yard to see what all the commotion was about, and then scurry on after his blue mate.
A series of coal-wash roads crisscrossed what used to be the mine staging-area, and it was here Septo Zan in rabbit-form, stopped to give the Daxian agent an enticing glimpse, before he dived down the ventilation shaft where he would lay in- wait for the agent to follow.
Bluey burst through a patch of long grass, and there was the silly rabbit standing bold-as-punch out in the open. He tensed-up and prepared to pounce, when a feeling of immanent danger washed over, stopping him in his tracks. There was something about the rabbit's eyes—black holes—like nothing Bluey had ever seen before.
That was when Scruffy flew past, heading straight for the rabbit. "Yap, yap, yap, yap!"
Bluey let out two warning barks: "Rooff, rooff." But it was too late; Scruffy was on the rabbit. Then the strangest thing happened, the little rabbit reared up on its hind legs, bared its teeth and lunged, biting Scruffy on the back. The tiny terrier yelped in pain, then promptly turned-tail and ran, back past Bluey, and the two boys who'd just arrived.
Septo Zan noticed the humans arrive and inwardly cursed, his plan was foiled for today. Not waiting around, in two hops he’d reached the ventilation shaft and dived in.
"Did you see that!" Toby exclaimed. "Rabbits don't live down mine-shafts."
"They do now." Tomas stated, matter-of-fact. He suddenly realised daylight was fading fast, and knew his mother would be calling him for dinner at any moment—Lynn Banks can get pretty cranky if her son’s not home on time. "Anyway, come on Bluey," he said, "there'll be another day to get that rabbit."
"I might head home as well," said Toby, walking past his mate to the main coal-wash road, what was now a rough shortcut that lead him through the bush to the back of his house. "I'll see yah at practice in the morning."
"No worries."
As Bluey and Tomas wandered back past old Ma's, there was no sign of Scruffy, and Bluey had an uneasy feeling about what he’d just seen happen to his terrier mate. He hoped Scruffy wasn't too hurt. However, the look of sheer terror in his eyes as he bolted past, certainly a worry. He vowed to check on his little friend first thing in the morning. For now though, he just wanted to curl up in the safety of his kennel, and go to sleep.
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