Earth's Last Angel (4 page)

‘Can I have some clothes please?' asks Bill, still a little shocked at his new appearance.

He slips the coverall back on and follows them out of the bath room into the recovery room.

‘How long have you been back on your feet, Sheona?' asks Bill as he gives her a gentler hug.

‘Only about two hours ahead of you,' she replies burying her head into his neck.

‘I have a change of clothes for you, sir,' supplies the young medic.

‘I have also taken the liberty of ordering you a meal, you both must be quite hungry by now.'

‘Thanks mate, I am famished. I could eat a horse!'

‘I am thinking that horse is not on the menu, sir,' replies the young medic, a little puzzled.

Bill lets out a loud roar of laughter and shakes his head at the youngster.

‘Then you pick something for me, a burger or something.' laughs Bill as the young medic scurries out to the cafeteria.

As soon as the young medic leaves Bill grabs the ‘do not disturb' sign and hangs it on the outside door handle, locking the door.

‘And just what do you think you are up to?' asks Sheona, with a knowing smirk.

‘Remember I said if I were younger? Well now I am! So let's give these new chassis of ours a test drive, shall we?' he replies, with the biggest grin.

For a full three hours the young medic waits patiently outside the room with Bill and Sheona's now stone cold food. The Croc walks down the corridor to meet the young now nervous medic.

‘Are they awake yet?' the Croc asks him.

‘Oh yes, sire. They are very much awake!' nodding to the ‘do not disturb sign' on the door.

The Croc just smiles, and tells the young medic to call him at the cafeteria as soon as they are available. He then walks down to the cafeteria for a coffee.

The Croc has long finished his coffee and is engaging in light conversation with the old janitor when the young medic approaches.

‘They are now ready, sire. I ordered a double portion of food for them and they ate it all!'

‘Excellent! They must be recovering from their, ah…adjustment.' comments the Croc.

As the Croc walks into the room, both Bill and Sheona approach him, giving him a short bow of respect.

A slightly embarrassed Bill apologizes for the delay. Sheona has a definite flush of pink on her frills she looks positively radiant. She also has a mischievous grin on her face like the cat that has just eaten the mouse.

After some light conversation and the great news that they are both in the best health ever, the Croc turns the conversation to a more serious matter, their future.

‘I am about to fulfill a mandate passed down from the very first Croc to you both.'

‘What do you mean, sire? How could the first Croc know Sheona and me?'

‘He didn't. But somehow he did know about staronium and how it would be found, and what it would do for the people who did find it. He even had a signal system built into every prospecting vessel ever made to alert us that staronium has been found.'

‘How does his signal system work, sire?' asks Sheona, curiosity getting the better of her.

‘Well it's quite a simple system, really. A power solenoid keeps an air tank sealed off. As soon as there is a major power failure then the solenoid snaps open, releasing the air, shooting the distress beacon out of the air cannon. The only foreseeable cause of that ever happening is the effect of staronium sucking the entire power source dry.'

‘That must have been the explosion we heard as the power shut down.'

‘That is correct, Sheona, only the Crocs knew of its true purpose.'

‘The first Croc also wrote a prophecy about finding staronium 250 years ago. In the chronicles of the Croc, he instructed us to reward you with both title and wealth. This I will do right now. From now on you will be known as Lord William and you, my dear, as Lady Sheona. I will arrange for a suitable parcel of gold to be transferred anywhere you wish it.'

‘This is totally amazing! Thank you, sire. Sheona and I were thinking about retiring back to my birthplace on Thera. Now it would appear that we can!'

The discovery of the rare nuclear isotope staronium has dramatically changed the lives of the then 146-year-old ice prospectors, Bill and Sheona. They choose to settle back on Thera near Bill's birthplace. Retirement from the asteroid belt and ice prospecting is long overdue, the financial reward more than they had ever dreamed of.

A direct benefit of finding staronium is that at the age of 573 they appear to be young 30-year-olds!

The passing years have been good to Bill and Sheona. They enjoy abundant wealth and own a large rural estate in the western province of the Great Southern Land, which they share with their recent 7th generation. Their island home has escaped the worst of the Great War and Inquisition, however things are about to change. This sleepy backwater is about to be touched by evil.

Never will it be the same again!

‘Lord William!' calls out an official looking rotund little Mazuban.

He waves a large scroll as he runs along the short, dusty track towards a tall, muscular Mazuban wearing only boots and jeans. A light coating of sweat and dust covers him. He lays down his shovel and strolls towards the breathless steward of the regional ministry of island affairs.

‘What brings you all the way out here in this heat?'

The bent over, red faced steward sucks in a few quick breaths. ‘I'm getting too old for this shit.' he mumbles under his breath.

‘Lord William, you've been nominated by the Minister to be Envoy for our region. Here read this.' He thrusts the large rolled document at Bill.

‘Hang on mate. Come over to the ute.' Bill replies raising his hands, not wanting to touch the document until he cleans himself up.

‘How did you know where to find me?' Bill asks over his shoulder.

‘I asked Lady Sheona, she told me you were digging postholes for the new stock yard. I saw your hover ute parked near the tree line and figured you would be nearby.'

‘I'll make a tracker out of you yet lad!' Bill quips.

Bill drops the tailgate of the ute and sits on it, beckoning the steward to do the same. After Bill cleans up they sit in silence as he reads the gold embossed document.

His mind drifts back to memories of his best friend holding a document nearly identical to this one so many years ago, back when he and Sheona first returned home. So many people have lived and died, the first four generations of his now also gone. If only he could have brought some staronium home with him.

A discreet cough brings him back to the now.

With a small start Bill yelps, ‘I didn't see you sneak up on us, ghost girl!'

Sheona has left the girls to finish lunch preparations while she slips out to find out what all the fuss is about.

Now she stands before Bill hands on hips with a mock scowl on her young pretty face.

‘Well…?'

A devilish grin crosses Bill's face as he leaps off the tailgate and gives chase to an already fleeing, squealing Sheona, long, toned athletic legs pumping for all she's worth. The chase is on! He catches up with her at the river near the house. He picks her up and throws her in, clothes and all, then jumps in with her. After some fooling around she wraps her arms around his neck.

‘So what's really going on?' she asks.

‘The Minster wants me to become Envoy for our region.'

‘You are kidding, right?' an enquiring frown on her face.

‘No princess, I'm not.'

Wading towards the shallows he scoops up Sheona in his arms and carries her to the bank of the river, setting her down on the freshly cut grass, then sits down beside her. A stand of weeping willows cast a cool shadow over the water's edge and up the grassy embankment, a light breeze breathes on their wet skin, giving them goose bumps. It carries the smell of spring fresh, crisp and clean, flower blossoms add to the aroma.

‘What should I do?'

‘Take it, you big dummy! You love being the boss, having everyone running around for you,' she teases.

In truth Bill is a generous Mazuban, with his vast wealth he has helped many to build their own wealth and prosperity. He has made sure the children of the island nation have a good education and opportunity for a full and abundant life. He is respected by all in his community, and looked up to as a father figure.

Out of breath and red faced, the dumpy little steward finally arrives with the scroll.

‘Lord William, you'll give me a heart attack with all this running around!' sucking in more air.

A wet and happy Bill just smiles and says, ‘I accept.'

That's how Bill becomes regional envoy, three short years later, he becomes Ambassador for the entire island nation.

The black hand of evil has been busy behind closed doors.

Previously, whispers have reached the ears of The Word that there exist a Mazuban and his female who have lived for more than half a millennium and look barely 30 years old!

‘What sort of divination is this? These people are in league with the Devil!' he shrieks. ‘Bring them to me, I will crush them before all of God's children!'

So the plan is hatched to lure Bill and Sheona from their island home to serve The Word as Ambassadors for the Great Southern Land.

‘We are now in final approach to the City of Light. Please be seated and fasten your seat belts. Thank you for flying with Air Pac,' announces the head flight attendant. ‘I am about to switch on full view do not be alarmed you may feel a little vertigo, it will pass.'

With that he activates full view. There are gasps and shrieks from the passengers as the entire shuttle craft becomes transparent. It appears that they are flying through thin air, a few of the braver passengers even give the invisible floor beneath their feet a tentative tap to see if it is still there, to their relief it is.

Even from some distance away the mountain city has the air of opulence. Tall city walls and buildings in brilliant white, tall towers reaching skyward capped with polished gold leaf roofs. Splashes of vivid color and green highlight the lush parks and gardens within the forested mountain city. This vista gives the impression of a city built in the heavens fit for a god, truly breathtakingly beautiful.

War, however, rages ever closer to the domed city, fighting for domination of a rapidly dying planet, her air and water putrid with pollution, the last of her forests hacked down. Once teeming plains now lay silent, totally devoid of wildlife.

‘We will do a full circuit of the city, as you'll agree she's quite spectacular!' the flight attendant enthuses.

Arriving at the north gate entrance, Bill and Sheona are met by a parade of welcome. People line the streets throwing flower blossoms at the passing shuttle craft.

The Word sends his aide Grand Inquisitor George Webber Dixon, also known as Web, to meet them at the palace.

‘It gives me great pleasure to finally meet you, Lord William and Lady Sheona, you may call me Web.'

‘You can call me Bill' replies Bill as he shakes Web's still gloved hand.

Nodding, Web extends his free hand in welcome. ‘Your room is this way.'

An uneasy Lady Sheona holds on to Lord William's arm tightly. She has never seen anything like this before, absolute decadence. Everywhere you look walls are polished marble and gold, adorned with rare ancient art works, furnishings are made from now extinct hardwoods from the old country, silks and rich floor coverings are of the finest materials money can buy, the smell of rare orchids and other exquisite flowers fill the air, and in the grand foyer stands a huge golden statue of The Word inlaid with precious gems.

‘Quite impressive, don't you think?' comments Web at their obvious awe of the palace.

‘I'm overwhelmed at the beauty and richness of it all.' Lady Sheona replies quietly.

‘Yes, it really is quite amazing.' replies Lord William.

They walk through to the guest accommodation a large spiral tower with all the rooms facing outwards, this offers spectacular views of the domed walled city from the outside entertainment balconies. Inside the tower, a long, winding staircase corkscrews its way up to the top floor, interrupted by each floor on its way to the top. A set of six glass elevators hum almost silently, moving up and down between the floors. Rich carpet covering the floor silences the approach of the young female who will escort them to their room. She meets them as they approach the elevator.

‘My lord and my lady greetings, may I show you to your room?'

‘Yes, you may Musorik. Thank you.' turning to Lord William, Web instructs. ‘I will call you when I can arrange for you to have an audience with his Holiness. In the meantime tour the city, enjoy yourselves, I will be in touch.' With that he wheels around and walks away. Bill is a bit stunned, no goodbye, no nothing.

‘This way please.' Musorik indicates elevator five, after a brief ride the elevator stops on the 16th floor.

‘My lord and lady, this is your room.' She has led them to a large glass panel in the wall.

‘Lord William and Lady Sheona' she says to the panel, in response it slides off to the side.

‘That's all you have to do to access your room.' They step into a room that's more like a large luxury studio apartment.

‘Cleaner bots will work while you sleep, your maid will collect your laundry and service your room in your absence. Here is my comm's card, call me if you need anything. I can arrange tours and transport for you at any time night or day.'

‘This card's blank, there's no number to call you,' comments a slightly confused Bill.

Musorik now smiles. ‘You speak to the card, my lord. It's a comm's device.'

‘Oh,' replies Bill, just a little embarrassed.

‘I'll have the porter bring up your cases.'

‘There is a change of clothes and also bath robes for you on your bed.'