Millenium Myths

Lost Founding

Jayden sat in the shade created by the enormous bulk of the star-home called Shade and mended the ragged tear in his only coat. Cooking smoke rose out of a hole in Skylock's upper structure, the star-home across from Shade. Jayden was right across from Skylock's back end with his back against Shade's slanted side. He could hear dull thumping sounds from the rope bridges echoing through the metal. Sounds of hammering and voices came from the main doorway of Shade. The sun reflected dully from the dirt-caked metal of Skylock. Dry gritty wind rushed through the gap between the star homes.

The day was hot, like all the rest had been since Jayden's birth. Fortunately for him, the wind cooled as it swirled through the shade and its touch on him was sweet. It was cooler inside the star homes but there was also no wind inside. He could feel the cool of the star-home through his back and he knew the walls of Skylock were just as cool, even in full sunlight. Besides Shade and Skylock, there were no other star homes for many miles around. There was only desert.

"Ouch!" Jayden shook the sting out of his finger from the needle and hissed through his teeth. He resumed his work more carefully and payed more attention to it. He awkwardly maneuvered his fingers so the bead of blood on his finger would not touch the fabric.

Another 30 minutes passed before he finished his work and got up, brushing the sand from his pants. A few others had come out of the main doorway and were making a trip across to Skylock. One of the called out to him.

"Jayden! Where have you been?!" A young man trotted up to Jayden. The man had pants and a shirt far too large for him and a balaclava wrapped about his head.

"I tore my coat."

"Tor-roo has been looking for you, better go and see him." With that, the man rejoined the group as they entered Skylock.

Jayden flung his faded green coat over his shoulder. He walked along the side of Shade to reach the large main entrance which was at the top of a sandy slope. As he trudged up the slope his feet kept slipping from under him where the hard-packed sand gave way to his weight. He reached the top and stopped as he walked into the door's shadow to let his eyes adjust to the dimness. Here and there a beam of light shone brightly through rents in Shade's side. The beams of light made it difficult to see into the darker parts of the room.

His eyes adjusted and he was able to see various workstations clustered around these beams of light. Close to him was a table with women and children preparing food. Further on was a man busy fixing tools. The entire floor was slanted upwards and as people walked around they had an awkward gait because of it. Jayden walked between the beams of light, careful not to be blinded by their brightness.

He reached a stairs and walked up. From there he walked through numerous other passages and stairs pausing only briefly to deposit his coat on his bunk. Though everything was slanted his movements were familiar with the awkwardness. At one point he had to jump across a three-foot rent in the floor. He never liked that part. Through the rent he could see twisted metal below and other passageways. If he were to fall...he continued on. His long trip caused perspiration to break out on his forehead though it was quite cool in the ship, but as he continued upwards it got slightly warmer.

Eventually, he passed through several sets of thick doors that had only been partly opened, up some stairs and into a room with windows all around. The windows had crude shades on them made from clothing that was beyond repair. In the middle of the room on a raised dais were a small group of men. The dais had a table on it with chairs around it which the men were sitting in. The slant of the structure forced some of them to hold onto the table to keep their chair from swiveling.

"Where have you been? We need to hear your report now," one of the men said.

"It's my fault, forgive me. I went on a scouting mission into the frozen parts of Skylock and tore my coat."