Chapter 1
Planet Thraeot: present day
It was a peaceful afternoon in the city of Frondona on the planet Thraeot. The air was warm with the scented smell of flower displays outside the florists shop. Next door a young man, wearing the standard robe of a cleric, walked into the crowded police station reception, a whispering chanting prayer on his lips. His thumb twitched nervously over a switch under his cloak. He reached the counter as a young girl with a friendly smile turned to greet him.
‘Can I help you sir?’ she said courteously.
He opened his cloak, exposing the switch, still chanting with glazed eyes.
‘Praise to the Creator and death to his enemies!’ he yelled, causing a stunned silence as every eye in the room turned on him for a split second. The explosion that followed blasted through the building with a white, red, fiery intensity, causing a blackout and filling the air with dark, acrid, choking smoke.
The carnage was absolute. As the smoke cleared, others entered the room to see a crater in the floor and the ceiling hanging down. Blood and body parts were everywhere, giving the dark mist the stench of death.
Planet Krakor: Galaxy Police HQ
The sun was just rising over Krakor, the Police Federation planet at the centre of the galaxy. Jim moved quickly to the door of his flat within the officers’ quarters.
‘Jim Long 4539 exit,’ he murmured as the door swung open via the voice recognition and he strode out into the corridor. The door closed and locked behind him as he entered the vertical-horizontal elevator.
‘Floor ground level, Space Agent Chief Officer Carlton’s office.’
The elevator slid quickly downward to ground level, stopping for a brief second and then horizontally passing ten exits as it hissed to a halt at its destination. The door slid open onto a long corridor opposite a semi-circular door marked Space Agent Chief Officer Carlton. He moved towards the door as it slid sideways and entered into a small ante-chamber.
‘Please state your business,’ said a female voice as Jim identified the small rounded secretarial robot that emerged as an Irma Ten.
Ha, the Irma Ten and her family of sisters, he thought. Let’s spin your head and have a little fun.
‘Hi Irma, you look as beautiful as ever,’ he said with a grin.
Her head spun several times, showing an overloading flashing light. ‘Does not compute – state your business.’
‘You have a voice opposite to masculine,’ teased Jim. ‘Therefore you are feminine – and being feminine I recognise your beauty.’
‘Do not understand,’ she replied, her head spinning even more, her circuits trying to unravel the statement. ‘State your business.’
‘My business is recognising your beauty,’ continued Jim, laughing as her head spun crazily. ‘I have an appointment with SACO Carlton,’ he hastily added before her head spun off completely.
There was a strange groaning sound as her head returned to normal, but her voice was now stuttering and resonated at a slightly higher frequency.
‘Pppplease follow me for your apppppointment.’
The office he entered was laid out like a media studio. Carlton was seated at a console, viewing a hologram picture.
‘SSSSpace Agent Long for your apppppointment,’ she stated, sliding backward out of the room.
‘What’s wrong with her?’ growled Carlton, turning to Jim with an amazed expression on his face and beckoning him to sit down.
‘I have no idea sir,’ he replied, seating himself with an innocent look. ‘Could it be a language problem?’
‘We shall have to get her sorted,’ he mumbled, activating another viewer. ‘Do you know anything about the planet Thraeot?’
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