Colony Wars 5: Tales of the Galaxy

Epsilon Point

An excerpt from 'Tales of the Galaxy' by Aurora Clements (Chapter 5 – Epsilon Point).

(Prologue taken from Colony Wars Book 2: Tragedy at Epsilon Point)

On the tip of the great western spiral of the Milky Way, lies Epsilon Point, a twin star system, which consists of two large pale yellow stars. Creamy Chem, chases golden Drell around a long looping orbit and within the grasp of each sun, spun a planet.

Chemach was close to its starry mother and its desert surface was hot and dusty. Out from Chemach's sandy plains sprung bright red rocky mountain ranges, which made the planet appear cracked and angry. At the worlds poles, were two small expanses of water that shrunk and swelled as Chemach swung ecliptically between the two suns.

Chemach had a strange cycle of light and dark periods. During the phase when the planet was between the two yellow suns, the blazing gaseous orbs permanently lit up the globe. So when the world faced Chem it was known as El'en meaning pale light and when Chemach looked towards Drell, it was called El'agg meaning golden light. Every half cycle, when Chemach was on the far side of Chem, the planet began alternating between its Ni'sa meaning night and Nit'ent stage, which meant the day of two suns.

The two stars tugged Chemach in all directions, causing massive dust storms, blazing un-ending summers and tremendous earthquakes. As the sandstorms blew across Chemach's bronzed surface, out from the dust evolved a race of intelligent reptilian humanoids. The Chemachies were cold-blooded life forms with thick scaly skin and long slender limbs. Their heads were proudly adorned with crests and patterns displaying their family heritage and their large round eyes flickered erratically. Their brains began to grow as evolution took hold of their genes and forced them to progress into the future.

A few generations into the Chemachies development, a grey shape appeared in the sky and it was creeping closer with every solar revolution. The charcoal orb was in fact the other planet at Epsilon Point; it was a mysterious world, known only as Drellwan. Its thick clouds swirled quickly back and forth above Drellwan's concealed planes. The grey sphere sat on a much longer orbit of its sun and the cloudy secretive planet would only come close to Chemach every two thousand solar rotations.

When the two planets last met, the Chemachies looked up at the silvery rock with primitive eyes and fear filled their tiny minds. The perpetual day between the two suns would slowly but surely darken as Drellwan eclipsed Chemach. The tall lizard-like inhabitants cowered in their caverns and wondered if their world was going to be smashed to pieces. The pull of another planet passing so closely almost tore Chemach in two, the world rumbled violently, giant red mountains collapsed and wide, seemingly bottomless chasms were created.

Somehow, the planet survived the great upheaval of Drellwan's passing, and the remaining Chemachies used the catastrophe as the basis for their deeply emotional religion, called Kali-Kastro, which meant star-slide. It was a religion based on etiquette, protocol and stopping the ripples of one's life affecting others negatively. The Chemachie religion was tied tightly to family honour and obedience. Disgraced outcasts would have their head crests forcibly removed to display their shame.  This was known as the Age of Honour.

This strict mind-set helped to nurture the Chemachies into a prosperous race, until the discovery of the Glondair super science. A band of dishonoured exiles stumbled across the underground rivers of Cha'len'su, which meant energy stream. The subterranean canals were full of electrically charged water, which the castaways used as a power source. They started an industrial revolution and created a haven for all the shamed Chemachies.

The innovation of Glondair started the war of knowledge verses belief. The old families were scared of their tainted children's newfound strength and tried to take it away from them by force. Even though the Kali-Kastro's had the numerical advantage, they were no match for power that the Cha'len'su provided.

The new technologies and scientific advancements eventually overtook the old pompous religion and a new era began for the Chemachies, known as the Age of Science. The infinite unending power source of the Glondair propelled the Chemachies along the scientific evolutionary timeline in leaps and bounds. A great many innovations were illuminated by the rosy glowing Cha'len'su and soon the cities upon Chemach began to shine brighter than the two suns.

However, hidden far below the surface, a few dissidents still cling fanatically to the old Kali-Kastro ways; they say the Chemachies have lost themselves and their hearts rattle mechanically, instead of pulsing vibrantly with life.

Many of the great Chemachie settlements, which seem to grow straight out of the maroon mountain ranges, are shaken up on a daily basis by terrorist bombings and riots. Peacekeepers roam the semi-subterranean cities, trying to avert the attacks, but support for the Kali-Kastro is returning and their daring exploits are increasing.

The Chemachies enter a time of woe and strife, where they are torn between family honour and curiosity. Yet, the worst was still to come as the large grey mystery planet was approaching again with disastrous intentions.