XVIII

Betrayal

In the morning on the observation deck with Commander Zobrin suddenly a Votcraft roared into life. We looked into the sky seeing the Votcraft moving swiftly away from Riusm its photonic turbine blasting a shrill hum as it tore through the quiet morning.

He looked at me and said, Rysa what is going on? We looked into the sky seeing the Votcraft moving swiftly away from Riusm its photonic turbine blasting a shrill hum as it tore through the quiet afternoon.

There have been many strange events lately, but the Votcraft was stolen without authorization. No Votar has every gone against the code.

This will cost them dearly and I will make sure that they are punished, Zobrin muttered under his breath as he hammered his gloved fist into the metal railing.

Zobrin was betrayed, the ultimate violation of a Votar, desertion. To add to his outrage all the Votcraft were dispatched to the seas of Pir to investigate the clouds. Zobrin was without his ship.

Zobrin, what has happened, Lash yelled as he ran on to the deck. We saw the Votcraft leave from above, we thought it was you.

Zobrin looked back with no emotion other than anger and said, Zadir! He can’t fly a Votcraft alone, who else? Lash stood back and asked. Norstar?

Yes, Zobrin nodded, They are heading is south for what reasons I don’t know, but I will chase them down.

I should have known I saw Norstar planning something, I said. It all fits together now.

Never mind that now, Rysa, Zobrin said. We must track them done or we will have a much more serious situation with the VOT technology going to who knows where.

I don’t know how I could have allowed Zadir out of his cell after the excavation disappearance.

Zobrin was saying more to himself than Lash as he rushed away pounding his fists together looking at the point in the sky where the Votcraft was disappearing into the distance. He could see nothing now.

Lash was called by Nizar from our control Tower.

Did you find out what is going on out there? Nizar asked on the remote internal telecom.

Zobrin is with me it is an unauthorized flight, Norstar and Zadir," Lash answered. Zadir and Norstar have taken a Votcraft on an unauthorized flight.

I have Keeng of the Riusm Tower on the StateCom right now. They are questioning me about this unauthorized flight. They demand and explanation and a return of our vehicle to Ion airspace immediately. Nizar said. They have further demanded the return of the ship or our flight authorizations will be rescinded. Have you recalled the Votcraft.

I cannot, Lash answered. Zobrin is here with me, Zadir and Norstar have taken the craft. This is a disaster.

Keeng from the flight council has just called to warn us of cancellation of all flight permits if we do not take action to recall this ship, Nizar said clearly frustrated and concerned. What should I tell them?

Explain that it is an unauthorized flight and we are taking action to return them here. Lash said. Tell them the truth that it is an unauthorized flight and that we are in the dark as to where they are going also.

Zobrin was quiet and angry as Lash spoke for him, the director of the Votars. He was seething in anger and disappointment when his chief of Security, Kynax, approached him with a damaged VOT interface.

Commander, the Vots have been sabotaged, Kynax said. The Votcraft are all in service with the government expeditions as well.

It’s just getting worse, Zobrin groaned. Kynax what do we have left.

Only an old Trivex, Sir. Kynax said. But it is ready now.

Keeng said he would send interceptors at our request, Nizar reported to Lash from the Tower as he listened to their dilemmas.

We do not want them shot down but track their flight and report this to us. Lash responded. We will send a trivex after them.

I will report to the Tower of Riusm that we are sending a security craft to return them to our control, Nizar said. It will suffice for now, but they will be monitoring our activities.

Let’s go! Lash said and we ran to the flight deck and the Trivex.

Zobrin complained about the situation to Lash as we ran. The trivex is old and has a limited distance range and is no match for Votcraft, Lash you know that, Zobrin said. If we catch them then what.

I know, but perhaps they will not go far, Lash answered It is our only chance to catch them without having the Government get involved. We must make the effort or we will surely be finished, I am more worried about where they are going.

Lash, Zobrin and I quickly locked ourselves in the seats and jolted off from the upper deck in pursuit of the stolen Votcraft. The Trivex is a three seater limited range craft equipped for maneuverability. The acceleration off from the fourth deck was intense as the hyrdroatomic turbine blared nosily behind us. The old Trivex is fast and maneuverable but we do not carry weapons and our speed is purely mechanical.

Zobrin called the Tower of Riusm, Keeng answered, I see you are the fox but your rabbit runs quickly across the skies. They are headed towards Rota, and the darkness on a direction for crossing the island of Aldera.

We do not have any government craft to intercept them in that vicinity, Keeng reported. I wish you luck.

Zobrin calculated the distance and time as 143.2 decs ahead. Lash returned a call to Nizar at the Hyrayarch.

It appears that Zadir has been acting strangely since returning to Ion from Rota. I noticed even more unusual dark energies from Zadir. He was kept under arrest but Norstar helped him escape. I don’t know what they found but he has been acting very strangely and his intensity is a drain to the Hyrayarch. Its too late to second guess now but in the good there was some bad.

Lash looked down from 7,000ft at the waters of Alun as they flew in chase. Keeng came on line,

Zobrin you are exiting our range, your craft is .098decs behind the Votcraft it appears to have entered into Rotan air space and out of our range. Zobrin thanked the tower of Riusm and headed for Rota. Zobrin had just enough fuel to make the landing at Formulaut he called into the Tower of Ofma. The Tower recognized the Votcraft that had passed as part of the Hyrayarch but made no attempt to contact it. The radar had it enter the Bordji Meru heading towards Mt. Rigant.

Zobrin they are headed for the Pillar, Lash said nervously. This is it, its over now. We won’t be able to hide this anymore.

Our trip became quiet except for the squeal of the turbine pushing us through the airspace over the Ocean. The quiet was full of thought and concern for the Hyrayarch, the secret excavation, the publications of the Prophesy and the knowledge that it contained.

Falling out of the sky we landed to refuel at Ofma. The coastal beauty of this land of pastures and rocky cliffs could not bring us to any hope. By landing we could never catch their movement as they were flying quickly towards the center of Rota. The range of the Trivex could not match the range of the Votcraft and this was no secret.

Should we follow or hope or wait for them to move out of the area. Lash asked Zobrin in his diplomatic manner. They are over the Black Cube by now and we are being watched. We can plead innocence and no knowledge of this situation to the government.

Fuel it up and let’s go after them the game is over, Zobrin was adamant that they were going to pay for this treachory and insolence. I will chase them down myself on foot if I have to.

We cannot continue to hide, Zobrin said. We must come out and fight and speak the truth. Norstar and Zadir have shown us to be vulnerable because of our secret knowledge.

We lifted off from Ofma heading for the Bordji Meru but the Flight Council was now well aware of the Hyrayarch’s problem and in Riusm the directors were discussing what was happening.

As we lifted off two government cruisers came into sight coming up from the south.

Hyrayarch Trivex, you are to return to Ion, This is Captain Snik for the Ofma Tower and the High Council of Riusm. We have your deserters under surveillance and will arrest them.

Lash, Zonh and I turned slowly to return to Ion. Knowing we had failed in this chase through the skies but even more so we knew that we were in a serious dilemma with the Government if they discover the Pillar.

They Council of Ion decided to send investigators after the Votcraft. The council’s directors and it’s leaders Ernd, Rejk, Keeg, Cunea, and Lema voted in favor of sanctions against the Hyrayarch. this was to place immediately.

The Tower of Riusm reported this Lash to return to the Tower under sanction. We knew the real problems were just beginning, but we had no choice but to attempt to stop the traitors.

Now we must face the High Council and all this must be reported. Zobrin nodded with Lash and returned towards Ion and the Tower of Riusm. The truth must come out.

The Votcraft did not respond to Captain Snik and disappeared into the Alperan Mountains. Norstar is an adept pilot and most likely provided Captain Snik with an exhibition of his ability.

The journey back to Riusm was made more difficult by the undisputable questions of the Government. Strict messages from the government commanded us to land at the flight center at the Tower of Riusm on the lower side of the Bay of Lilh.

We were betrayed and sabotaged. This was well planned by Zadir.

To allow this betrayal was notice the signs. I should have seen this coming. Our security was already breached once and the Hyrayarch took him back under sanctuary. Now he has corrupted and collaborated with Norstar sabotaged and damaged the Voxet’s and created a dangerous political situation that may lead to the destruction of the university.

My emotions ran wild with Zobrin and Lash and we did not think about our decision to chase them across the skies clearly inferior craft.

Zonh and Vayla must be upset and informed as to our bungling, Zobrin said. Our communications are restricted, but he knows.

Lash remained silent and pensive. Nizar would surely have already detailed the circumstances.

The landing lights were accompanied by police. The gathering of news media as well as some important directors of the government. There was also a statecraft from Alpera, Tauzn and Regis and three other unidentifiable Statecraft. We were commanded by the Tower to circle the landing area three times before landing upon the south runway.

It looks like a real welcoming committee. Lash said to Zobrin The Rotans are all here it looks like.

This is one welcome I am not looking forward to, Zobrin nodded as he wiped some sweat from his brow. You know what they are going to ask us don’t you? They are going to say what in the world were you doing chasing one of your own Votcraft across the Alun and why did it land in the Alperan mountains.

I knew it would be unfortunate to reveal the Pillar and the manuscripts without a clear picture of what this means. The High Council will use this as a very powerful tool to keep control over the Alonians and control the Hyrayarch.

They have already discovered the Pillar, Lash said. Zadir and Norstar have betrayed us. We became aware of this morning. I was coming to tell you of this information Zobrin.

The crucial problem is that we did not recover all of the items from the Black Cube, Lash said. Zadir, knows of the corrupted Noen, the Aedr. It was revealed to him that is is locked within a deep tunnel under the Black Cube.

How could we have not known this? I asked Lash. The manuscripts have spoken of the Aedr as being held in the safety Black Cube and that it is contained there in the black light of Amaz.

We thought that was true, but Vayla and Vensia have seen it opened, the box broken and the evils of Silanta coming forth like the Volcano, Lash told us. Zadir has broken through the veil of dimensions and is working with the XAXA. They have given him the key to use the Aedr.

You have noticed how he has been able to control thought and feelings, Lash continued. We have tried to protect him from his power and the possession of the XAXA. His departure from the excavation was an abduction on the part of the XAXA. They have given him mental powers and pulled his emotions further from his soul. There is only a tiny spark of light left within him, a red spark, an ember deep within him.

If the XAXA are powerful enough to take his will and use it Zadir will become are chief adversary. The government is already controlled by the XAXA through the powers of the Ingersol.

The XAXA are determined to stop the powers we have uncovered with the evil side of the Aedr in use by the son of a warrior. This is Zadir, he is a powerful warrior.

My friend the Hyrayarch has worked to keep this knowledge and these books we discovered secret but knowledge must be revealed, Lash said. We are now in a position of looking corrupted and our image as the university will be questioned.

The public is unaware of why we kept the information secret. The media is already portraying the Hyrayarch as the arch enemy of the public and on a cult power quest. They are sowing the seeds of fear.

I am afraid we are being portrayed as opportunists and worse to Alonia, Lash said. We can do little to change this perception in the public. The fact of the Pillar and our discoveries when revealed by the Directors will be evidence of our subterfuge.

Commander Zobrin and Lash Tyah you are to land on runway five and be escorted to the council immediately for a debriefing, Keeng from the Tower of Riusm stated in a cold harshness.

I was not mentioned, perhaps they did not know of my presence.

Rysa when we land just take leave, Zobrin said. The police have no orders to take you to the Council, so return to the Hyrayarch.

I have a ill feeling about what is going to happen, I said. "Zobrin you and Lash do not have to do this alone.

Rysa, your work is to get the truth of the manuscripts out. Lash said. Our situation demands us to stay in authority within the University. Zonh needs your help.

Rysa, It may happen that we will not be able to discuss our plans openly again, Zobrin said. I believe that Zadir may be heading for Nzrael. If he does you must follow him and either bring him back or destroy him.

On this card is the information that you will need to find the city of Xsian. It will lead you into the desert lands and guide you to his mother’s homeland.

We landed and Lash and Zobrin were escorted to the Council with two guards. They were not arrested and I was given leave just as Zobrin expected. The trivex was held under security but I was allowed to return to the Hyrayarch. I do not know why this happened but I left quietly and headed back to the White Spire in the center of Riusm.