Celestial Capers Page 15
He hides the note in his sock and will secretly transfer it to a pocket of the clean clothes he will be given to wear tomorrow. He will know if he’s been successful if and when he gets sick.
The next day the Emperor orders a potato, cheese and vegetable concoction that smells bad, tastes good, and is the perfect hiding place for his note. “All I can do now is wait. If this works and I’m taken to a hospital or clinic, I’ll be on my way to freedom. They’ll never see me leave and I’ll be long gone before they realize what has happened.”
The Emperor’s cockiness is well warranted. If he gets to a hospital or clinic, his escape will be talked about for months, much to the embarrassment of the Protonese authorities, especially Queen Quasar. He begins to chuckle as images begin to form in his mind about the looks on their faces when they find that he’s disappeared.
The next week is rife with disappointment as he remains sickeningly healthy. While lying on the bunk in his cell after another tedious day in court, he begins to develop some serious doubts about his chances of having things go his way. “Perhaps this whole idea was doomed from the start. Maybe my agent isn’t as smart as I think he is. I’m running out of time and might have to wait for another opportunity.”
The next day as he’s being escorted back to court, his mind filled with thoughts of failure, he suddenly starts to feel ill. At first he doesn’t know if it’s Scorisus or something else, but as the symptoms develop he knows his message got through and all his doubts quickly dissolve into a euphoria of victory. By the time the trial resumes, he’s feeling as bad as he has ever felt and is ecstatic beyond words.
The Emperor’s attorney notices that something is terribly wrong with his client and calls for an immediate recess to have a doctor check him out. When a doctor is found to examine the Emperor, he admits that he doesn’t have any idea about what is ailing the defendant, but states that his vital signs indicate that he is in critical condition and should be taken to a hospital immediately. The Tribunal approves the doctor’s recommendation, an ambulance is called for and the Emperor passes out with a smile on his face.
The Emperor wakes up in a hospital bed with needles stuck in his arms, monitors beeping all around him and feeling so bad that he wishes he could pass out again. There’s a doctor at the foot of his bed reading what the Emperor assumes is his chart and he’s saying something to someone else who also appears to be a doctor.
When the doctor reviewing his chart sees that he has regained consciousness, he walks to the head of the bed and says, “If you feel as bad as you look, you have my sympathy. I’ve never seen a case like yours before and it has had me stumped, but you’re in luck because Dr. Thew here has.”
Dr. Thew interjected with, “Emperor, somehow you’ve become infected with a bacteria known on your planet as Scorisus. How this happened I haven’t any idea, but we know how to treat it and have the medication to do so. I learned about Scorisus and how to treat it when I was an intern at a space colony of yours not far from Erebus. At one time, you had an epidemic so severe that you established the colony for quarantine purposes. This is the best medical facility on Proton and we try to be prepared for any eventuality. You should be feeling a lot better in a few days and back to normal in a week or so. After that, unfortunately for you, you will be returned to jail for resumption of your trial.”
The Emperor says nothing. He is too exhausted and listless to respond and wants to convey this condition to the doctors as long as possible, even when he is beginning to feel better. It will make it easier for him to escape as no one will think it plausible for a man feeling so poorly to try to escape. Despite his agony, he is thrilled to hear that he won’t have to make his way to his agent’s restaurant to obtain the antidote for his infection feeling the way he does now. Things are definitely going his way.
The doctor is right and after a few days he’s beginning to feel a lot better. “It’s time for me to put the final part of my plan into action. I was right. They’ve only posted two guards on my door and they take turns going on breaks and for meals. A good time to make my move would be about two o’clock in the morning when one of the guards take his break in the cafeteria, there is reduced staff, most patients are sleeping and quiet and darkness pervade the unpopulated sections of the hospital. At that time in the morning, the staff is usually more relaxed and a little less observant, unless there is an emergency, and I’ve noticed this of the guards as well. It’s an ideal time for me to get away by using my special power. Pitch black darkness for as far around as I desire will provide the perfect cover for my escape.
“I’m a little worried though. I haven’t used this ability for quite a while and might be out of practice. I must be extremely angry to generate it and I’m not certain if I can readily do this. Perhaps I should practice a little, but no, that might alert the guards that something unusual is going on and they would monitor me more closely. When I’m really angry, I’m not a pretty sight to behold I’m told. If they saw me getting angry, they’d handcuff me to my bed for sure. I’ll just have to wing it and hope for the best.”
The Emperor needn’t have worried. When 2:00 a.m. rolls around, all he has to do is think about how he was tricked into boarding that drone and pitch black darkness engulfs the hospital, its parking lots and the surrounding area for half a mile around. The instant the darkness falls, the guard bursts into the room only to be tripped by the Emperor and winds up crashing into the opposite wall. By the time the guard recovers, the Emperor is out of the room, heading for the
nearest door leading to the outside. It doesn’t make any difference as to how quickly the guard recovers because he is totally blinded by the all- encompassing darkness anyway.
The Emperor can’t see either, but he knows where he’s going and doesn’t hesitate to get a move on. Once he’s out of the darkness and into the light, his temper cools and the darkness dissipates. Fortunately, the clothes he was wearing in court were put in a closet in his room, so he quietly got dressed before he exercised his special ability. He doesn’t have to worry about being seen walking around in a hospital gown and slippers, attracting unwanted attention.
He quickly heads for his agent’s restaurant, gets the antidote for the Scorisus infection that the agent had sent to the restaurant and, with the agent’s help, arranges transportation back to Erebus. The Emperor must continue to take the medication until all of the symptoms are in remission. If he doesn’t, he’ll have a relapse, be sicker than he was and perhaps even die.
Everything has happened so quickly that no alerts are issued to any of the spaceports until the Emperor, wearing a sophisticated disguise, is well on his way on a commercial flight to Hurndon, a safe haven planet three quarters of the way to Erebus. From there he will fly on to Erebus, laughing all the way. The spaceports have heightened security measures on incoming flights, but nothing special has been put in place regarding outgoing flights.
The Emperor’s glee is beyond description and so is Queen Quasar’s fury! She is not furious with anyone but herself. “How could I be so stupid? I forgot all about the special power that the Emperor possesses and, therefore, didn’t warn anyone that he might use it to help him escape. How the Emperor orchestrated the rest of his plan I probably will never know, but I know this. I underestimated his ingenuity and have paid the price in embarrassment and humility. It is a lesson I will never forget.”
She also now realizes that she did something else that wasn’t too bright, having Prince Pulsar attend the Emperor’s trial. “I know he has seen that picture taken at Camp Chameleon and, if he saw Pulsar sitting in the balcony, I’m sure he’s wondering why he was at the trial and if the rest of the Pack is here with him. He’s probably thinking that there’s a good chance the Pack is based here on Proton. Boy, I was really asleep at the switch this time!”
As the Queen begins to calm down, she starts going over in her mind everything that has happened since the Pack began their studies at Stellar, everything where Emperor Eclipse was t
he catalyst for all of the frustration she’s had to endure; the continuing space piracies, Croag and Camp Chameleon, the coronation celebration, the knighting of Sir Herby, the drone trap.
“Well, some good did come out of all this. Castle Capella has never been more secure, both at the gates and in the tunnels below ground. The Pack is much more aware of the dangers lurking about and how to react to them. Surveillance at all passenger terminals, incoming and outgoing, whether they be ground transportation, airport or spaceport facilities, has been significantly increased. And, most importantly, no harm has come to the Pack. I must assume, however, that
the Emperor is now convinced the Pack lives here and will be even more determined to find out more about them and their powers and snatch them away to Erebus.
“Oh well, there’s no sense in crying over spilt milk.” This thought catches her off guard and she starts to laugh softly. “It’s amazing how, after thousands of years, Earthly phrases and sayings like these have survived and are still used in daily communication here on Proton. Although Proton was initially discovered by astronauts from Earth and the first explorers and settlers were from Earth, its development, its evolution, has its main roots in the migration of many different life forms and societies from all over the universe.
“For some unknown reason, the dominant gene here on Proton is the human gene from Earth. No matter what inter-life form breeding takes place, the humanoid offspring always have the outward appearance of humans from Earth. Amazing!”
Chapter 26
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning at Stellar. The twin suns are shining brightly, their beams reflecting off the few cumulus clouds scattered over the western sky, giving them a sparkling quality. The Pack has just finished eating breakfast and is hanging out at the school cafeteria talking about what they want to do over the weekend. A lot of possibilities have been discussed, but consensus doesn’t appear to be in the cards. Almost everybody wants to do something different and it looks like that’s what’s going to happen.
Then Pulsar comes up with an idea that might generate some enthusiasm for something they can all do together and says, “Why don’t we check out the new aerodrome? Construction of the aviation towers, runways, flight lines, launching ramps, maintenance hangars, control tower and viewing stands has recently been completed. Construction of the building housing the restrooms, food court and souvenir shops is scheduled for completion sometime next week. I saw some racing aircraft flying around the other day. Maybe we could get a close up look at some of them and, if we’re lucky, be able to hitch a ride in one of them.” The words are hardly out of his mouth and the rest of the Pack shouts their yeses, okays, right ons and let’s do its.
Before heading for the aerodrome, they stop by Headmaster Herby’s office to let him know where they are going. When they get there they find him talking with Queen Quasar. Prince Pulsar is surprised and glad to see his aunt and gives her a big hug. ‘What brings you to Stellar, Aunt Cue?”
“I haven’t seen you and the Pack for weeks now and decided to drop by and say hello and see how all of you are doing.”
“We’re doing great, Aunt Cue, aren’t we gang?” The Pack happily nods their heads and emits a chorus of “Yeahs.”
“Terrific” the Queen replies. “That’s very good to hear. After the latest episode with Emperor Eclipse, I want to address any questions or concerns you may have. Is there anything anyone wants to talk with me about?”
No one says anything for a while then Pulsar speaks up. “Aunt Cue, I think what you’re trying to find out is if there are any of us so scared of this Emperor creep that it’s affecting our daily lives. The short answer is no. The long answer just includes the reasons why we feel this way. From time to time we talk about this guy amongst ourselves and we all are well aware of the steps you have taken to keeps us out of harm’s way. Every day we get stronger, smarter, wiser and more skillful in many ways thanks to the teachings here at Stellar and can’t wait until we are ready to assume our assignments in your service. Don’t worry about us, Aunt Cue. We might, correction, probably will make a lot of mistakes in the future, but all of us hope that we never give you reason to doubt our perseverance, loyalty or courage. Rest assured, one day this guy will rue the day he ever heard of the Power Pack.”
The Queen and Headmaster are amazed at what they have just heard. The Queen’s eyes are filling with tears of joy and immense pride over the articulation and maturity of the Prince’s response. She quickly shakes her head and blinks her eyes to avoid embarrassing Pulsar in front of his friends and says, “Thank you, Pulsar, for sharing your thoughts with me. I’m very proud of all of you. Well, I’ve done what I came to do, so I’ll be leaving now. You kids obey the Headmaster and please try to stay out of trouble.” She gives Pulsar a big hug and a kiss, waves to the rest of the Pack and splits.
The Headmaster says, “Ok, what are you kids up to now? What brings you to my office on a Saturday of all days? Pulsar tells him, the Headmaster nods his approval and waves them out of his office.
Thirty minutes later they’re standing at the open gate in the fence that surrounds the aerodrome. The facility is situated at the far end of the athletic filed, the end farthest from the school, and covers 10,000 square miles. The place is huge, but so is Proton. The aerodrome was built primarily to train the older students at Stellar who want to become pilots of aircraft and/or spacecraft in the service of the Queen. A secondary purpose is to provide a place for the pilots to demonstrate the degree of skill they have acquired to their instructors and Queen Quasar and a tertiary purpose is to entertain the faculty and student body at Stellar as well as Queen Quasar and her advisors. It is eye boggling to say the least and the Pack is thrilled just to be able to look at it.
They wander over to one of the hangars where a group of mechanics are debriefing the pilot of the aircraft parked nearby. Since the aerodrome is part of the Stellar compound, the Pack requires no special security clearance because their faces and school uniforms are being monitored by security cameras all over the place and the Pack is well known by the security personnel at the school.
As they approach, they overhear the pilot saying, “When I select autopilot, there’s an engage transit so severe I almost lose control of the aircraft. This is the third time this week that this has happened and I’m running out of patience.” The pilot is obviously not a happy camper as he stomps off muttering to himself.
Watching the pilot cross the hangar to a door that permits access to a much smaller building attached to the hangar, the mechanics also begin muttering to themselves, but are quickly stopped by a man who yells “Knock it off!” By the man’s demeanor, the Pack deduces that this man must be the boss and their assumption is verified when he comes close enough for them to read what’s embroidered in two rows over the pocket of his shirt, “Chief Mechanic” and underneath “Calvin Camber”.
He’s a big, husky guy with a face deeply reddened by the suns of Proton. “Can I help you kids with something?”
Pulsar replies, “We have the weekend off from school and thought we’d come over to check things out, maybe get a chance to look at some aircraft up close. We have the Headmaster’s permission.”
“Well, the only aircraft here right now is the one you’re looking at and it has a major problem that we’re having trouble fixing. It’s going to require my whole staff working on it day and night, starting now, because it has to be ready for the first training class which begins on Monday. I’m sorry, but I don’t have anyone available to show you around and answer your questions. If we don’t have this bird inspection ready, that pilot is going to have our heads.” Calvin has a deep, gravelly voice and this, coupled with his appearance, is somewhat intimidating at first, but that feeling soon evaporates as the kids realize that the mechanics are in a tough spot right now.
“We understand, sir. Perhaps another time” says Pulsar.
The Pack is about to leave when Casey speaks up. “Sir, I know I’m just a kid,
but I’m pretty good with computers and might be able to help you find the trouble.”
Calvin smiles and says, “Thanks kid, but the systems on this baby are very sophisticated and complicated. I don’t think you have the savvy to analyze them.”
“Sir, if I were in your shoes I wouldn’t believe me either, but I do have exceptional knowledge about computers for someone my age and you can verify this with the Headmaster.”
Calvin looks at him quizzically and says, “Well, if you have as much brains as you do confidence, you may be just what I’m looking for. Ok, come on over to my office and I’ll describe the problem and let you look at the schematics of the systems involved.” Calvin is very skeptical, but figures what does he have to lose? A half hour later, the aircraft is fixed and ready to go. The chief mechanic is dumbfounded, but so relieved that he will comply with just about any request the Pack tosses his way.