An Untitled Novel

Basil’s memories were disturbed by a vibration in his pocket.

Basil with his scruffy beard entered his Arkepello hotel room, sitting across a table from Grey. Time had passed since their fight against the Elthrice, although this was the first time he’d stepped foot on Domum since that day. Since then, aside from a short radio conversation with Tobias, he hadn’t interacted with Domum again. Throughout the weeks, except for one impromptu outing, he mostly kept to himself; drinking and trying to forget what had happened - until Grey reached out, saying they needed to talk.

“Sorry” Basil said sheepishly, seeing Grey’s hands shake. “No Basil” Grey replied, seeming more calm. “This is not your fault, and you have nothing to apologize for. I am sorry. I cannot imagine what you went through, and I’ve treated you like you are a monster.” Silence enveloped the two again, but eventually Basil broke it. “What’s your name?” Grey looked at Basil in confusion for a second, but seemed to remember that the two now shared both languages and replied in Elthrice. “Half Comet’s Aurora, that’s as close of a translation I know of” Basil replied. Grey smiled.

“(‘Half’ would usually be for someone with mixed ancestry, such as half Orbital for example, but for me it is because I am half Elthrice. ‘Comet’ is because I was born in a vessel instead of under Elthrice territory, and ‘Aurora’ is the name others know me by. Like) Basil (is for you).”

Basil returned a smile. “So, what would you like me to call you?” Grey seemed ambivalent. “Aurora or (Aurora) is fine. But do not say my name in Elthrice unless you learn to speak it without the whispers.” Basil nodded, and the two fell silent until Aurora broke the silence with something Basil figured she had rehearsed. “You are still Basil, and you must always remember that” Aurora said in a reassuring voice. “But you are also the Rejected-Death, a very dangerous Elthrice being.” Basil smiled, trying to be as jovial as the situation would allow. “Well, I guess the legend got the whole Elthrice thing wrong.”

Aurora seemed almost amused, but quickly returned to a serious expression. “Basil, you are now more Elthrice than I am. I am half Elthrice by birth; you are now Elthrice by right and, as was said to me, are to be a commander and protector.” Basil was unsure of what he was being told. “But every Elthrice, including you, was terrified of me. Or at least terrified of the idea of a Rejected-Death existing.” Aurora nodded.

“Well, it is said that a Rejected-Death is extremely rare. In your years, perhaps one in a millennium. It’s also said that a Rejected-Death comes in times of great turmoil, and will leave a great gash across the universe in its wake as it fights the (unworthy) or the (usurpers) at the command of those who built the relics. It looks as if those you have fought, and are to fight, is the (remnants of the old Elthrice order), and you may be on a path of their unavoidable destruction.”

Basil still felt hesitant. “I’m still me, I’m landlocked, and they know what I am now. Can’t we just hope for them to screw off and leave us alone?” Aurora had a look that Basil interpreted as either finding the question funny or naive, but when she spoke she seemed much more saddened.

“(Fate can sometimes not be avoided, even with the freedom of being one’s self. Brother, it saddens me to see you so hurt by the sterilization of the old Elthrice base, but it also brings me joy to see that you retain your autonomy. You already knew this holding an Orbital’s object, but the great one’s relic changes you. Violence, a pull to fight fated foes, and apathy towards the world and those whom you affect in your campaigns. You will be drawn to these things as will your enemies be drawn to you, just as oxygen cannot resist ferrous metals. You are still) Basil, (but you are also a Rejected-Death, that cannot be changed no more than entropy can be undone. You have been imbued by those that came before, and chosen as a tool for their unknown purposes. It has become you, and you have become it).”

The vibrations continued and Basil returned to the present, nearly knocking over an empty liquor bottle and swiping his finger across the screen several times before accepting the call on his new device. In lieu of a faked number, ACE had instead made the display indicate Spiro was trying to contact him.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Basil asked, a little nervous something bad was going on. Spiro seemed to pick up on Basil’s hesitance. “Everything’s fine, I just hadn’t seen you since things went down, and if it’d work out I hoped you could swing by. I’m on the Arkepello, General Tobias said you’re frequently in the Arkepello hotel; if you want to swing by at some point I’ll get us something to eat or drink.” Basil paused for a second, mind returning to his memories, but he quickly forced them down. “I’m doing okay, I’m, um, I’m just taking some time to figure some thing out” he replied, unsure of whether he really felt that way.

“Yeah, I can be down there at any point really” Basil continued, before pausing and adding “Or, if you’d like, you’re welcome to visit me on Earth. There’s a wormhole device in my Arkepello room that’ll take you right there.” Spiro remained quiet for some time. “Well, that’d certainly be interesting. I’m at the Arkepello docks now, I should be a very short walk away.” Basil began relaying directions on how to get to his room in the Arkepello hotel, and as Spiro said he was near the door Basil could hear the electronic locks ACE installed disengaging through Spiro’s radio. “One final question before you arrive” Basil asked, “You want to take the scenic route or the warm route?”

Spiro sounded hesitant. “Is one dangerous?” Basil laughed. “We’ve got practically identical genetics, so if it were dangerous for you it’d be dangerous for me too.” Spiro replied “Scenic I guess,” still sounding slightly hesitant as he stepped through and into the hangar. Spiro looked somewhat surprised as he looked around, smiling and making a quick gesture to his chin. Basil gave a quick chuckle, realizing that last time Spiro saw him he was clean shaven and had short hair; instead now sporting a full beard and rather long hair. “Yeah, I got this hippy friend who’s been a bad influence. He’s even having second hand hippyfluence now that Aurora’s growing her hair in the same way.”

Spiro seemed to grow more confused as Basil spoke, but replied with “Aurora?” and a smile. “Grey’s name in Elthrice. At least the best translation of it anyway.” Spiro nodded before gesturing and asking “And I take it you’ve made some gunship progress?” while gesturing to the Elthrice craft in the hangar. “That, my friend, is the first known Elthrice ship built in over a thousand years. If I am really stuck being the Rejected-Death I might as well make use of those scavenged parts. Only flew it once so far; it needs further calibration of the thrusting devices, to be sealed off, then needs the guns integrated afterward.” Spiro turned towards it and looked on silently for some time, Basil hoping it was admiration of the machine as opposed to discomfort at the reminder of what he witnessed during the fight against the Elthrice.

“Well, I’m guessing you didn’t just come here to see my hobby project, let’s go take that scenic route.” Basil turned to the rack by the door, put on a parka, and handed one to Spiro. “Here, you’re going to want to wear this.” Throwing it on the same way he watched Basil do so, they both stepped out of the hangar and into the polar climate. Basil figured the weather was the most beautiful it could get. The sun illuminated a bright blue sky, reflecting off the snow and ice and illuminated the mountain range nearby. Small gusts of wind occasionally blew the snow around, but nothing flew above knee height. Spiro looked on while shielding his eyes from the sun as they walked to the compound near the hangar, both seemingly in amazement at the scenery and dislike of the extreme cold.

“It’s awe inspiring here Basil, but it’s” Spiro began to say as he broke the silence, and Basil finished the sentence with “Fucking cold?” Spiro smiled and returned a nod as they neared the facility. “Is the whole planet like this?” Basil laughed. “Naw, we’re on a polar ice cap. I’m sure you’ve got them too. Not a lot of people here, gives me a chance for some solitude, them trying to kill me and all.

Making their way inside Spiro asked another question. “I haven’t seen you at the meetings in the Redcap capitol; you want me to fill you in on what’s been happening?” Basil shrugged, although it felt forced as he did so. “Haven’t been invited." Spiro looked somewhat surprised, but Basil continued. “That’s alright though, I’m glad to be done with Domum politics, and would rather be working on my gunship and drinking at the Arkepello. As for Elthrice defense, two invasions of Elthrice planets have got to be enough for one lifetime.” Basil opened a fridge and poured himself a shot of Gray Goose. “You want anything?” Spiro nodded, before bending over to grab a bottle. When he turned back, however, he had a look that hinted at either worry or sadness.

“Have you heard from anybody outside the Arkepello since everything went down?” Basil forced a melancholy smile. “Met with Cicero twice since it all went down; he looked real worn down and has put on some weight. He seemed a little nervous around me, but I got the impression the Redcaps are struggling and he feels like he’s the only reason his government is still hanging on, even if by a thread. Sent him back with all the antibiotics I could scrounge up. The Lizard King refuses to talk to me or ACE, but his son works with ACE a lot to get some efficient farm tooling set up. From the sounds of it they’re so low on manpower that if they can’t harvest more efficiently they’ll have a food crisis. But ACE has been handling that; I’ve mostly kept to myself.”

“Sorry to hear that” Spiro replied. “It’s alright, like I said, semi retired. I’ll hopefully not be needed for help with Elthrice defense and I wouldn’t make a good diplomat or politician anyways. Aurora was originally apprehensive about what happened to me, hearing old stories and things, but now she’s probably handling everything better then I have. Everyone on the Arkepello is used to my crazy stories so they’re not bothered by a new one to add to the list. All in all it’s quiet, but I never signed up for the chaos, so you won’t hear complaints from me.”

Spiro responded with a delayed smile and Basil continued. “Besides, I get to share a drink with an old buddy and ramble on about stuff every now and then. So, what have you been up to?”