Chapter 33: Morganna

The small exploration ship Dancer settled to the ground on this, the fourth planet out from the red sun in this solar system numbered j2567.

The crew, Darla, Sondra, Felix and Duane had spotted ruins from space and landed their ship for further exploration. Darla made herself comfortable in the seat facing the monitor that showed the nearby ruins. She was disappointed that she had lost in the short straw draw and so had to stay onboard while the other three explored.

"We'll return soon and I will tell you in detail about everything you missed." Sondra teased.

Darla pretended to ignore Sondra's comment but her lips formed a slight pout, which was not lost on the three people as they made ready to depart nor was the silently mouthed expletive she directed at Sondra.

"Oh don't get so upset Darla. You'll get to go next time; I think we are going to be here for quite some time exploring all these ruins." Felix said and laughed.

The three members of the crew exited the Dancer and made their way toward the huge ruins nearby. The ruins were the size of a large city with some of the buildings still rising three or four floors high. Careful exploration reveled indications that these ruins were several century's old. The three people moved deeper into the city and finally arrived at what they thought must have been the central plaza. It was a huge space and though overgrown now one could imagine that it had once been park like with a large building that was almost palace like in stature.

It was also the only building that appeared to be still intact. Duane approached the huge double doors at the entrance to the palace. These massive doors were almost fifteen feet high and each door was about ten feet wide. Duane stepped up to a door handle and tripped the latch. To their surprise and even though the doors were ancient they were so perfectly balanced that they swung open with very little effort. There was a slight hissing noise as the door swung open but it went away almost instantly and went unnoticed by the three. The seal that had been in existence for centuries had been broken. Beyond was a vast hallway that had the appearance of being used everyday. Even though city outside appeared to have been in ruins for centuries the hallway was spotless.

The three of them walked silently down the huge hall looking at the carvings, statues, and pictures that graced the walls on either side. Though there was no artificial lighting that they could see the sunlight was funneled through the ceiling in such a way that the entire hallway was light up just as if it were under a spotlight. They made their way to two more massive doors that swung open effortlessly just like the entrance doors. As they walked through them, they found themselves in what appeared to be an audience chamber with a huge throne across the diameter of the room. The throne was decorated in shining emeralds, crystals, crystal clear diamonds, and was made of precious metals of many different types.

"Wow," Sondra breathed as she examined the throne. "Who ever sat in this must have been one powerful ruler."

"I wonder if he was kind and benevolent or cruel and despotic," Felix asked.

"What makes you think it had to be a he," asked Sondra.

"Yea Felix, women can be just as, if not more, cruel, and despicable as men can," Duane added with a laugh directed at Sondra.

"Let's explore further," Felix said to change the subject and avoid an argument between Sondra and Duane.

There were three doors behind the throne and the explorers started with the furthest one to the left. When the door was opened, what looked to be a dressing room met their eyes. The walls and even the ceiling were made up of mirrors and appeared just as spotless and ready for use as everything else they had observed. They went into the next door and found this opened into a living area with a living room with beautiful furniture, a kitchen area that was big enough for a whole crew of cooks and bus help. There was a sleeping room with a massive bed that looked as if it had just been made up that morning. A bathroom opened off of this room and was a study in luxuriousness. Gold fixtures adorned the sink, the toilet and the tub, which was ample large enough to fit a half dozen people. The other door that opened off the bedroom led into another room that had six small bunks and another bath and dressing room. This one was not luxurious and was designed to accommodate a group of people.

The explorers surmised that this bunk filled room and bath was intended to house the ruler's attendants. They moved on to the third door and found that a short hallway ended in stairs that led downward. They removed helmet lights from the equipment belts that circled their waists and turned them on. These lights were worn on the head and shown a beam of bright light were ever its wearer looked. They also allowed for the wearers hands to remain free. The three of them took a tighter grip on their rifles and started down the steps.

Sondra and Duane took the lead with Felix covering the rear, all three of them sweeping up and down and from side-to-side with their lights and rifles. They went down the flight of stairs and entered a room that was also filled with darkness. Crossing the room, which was empty to a door that led to the next room, was uneventful. The next room was just the same as the one they had just left other than from the darkness a recorded voice issued forth briefly and then was silent. They proceeded across the room and came to another door. The recorded voice boomed out of the darkness again and then was silent.

The next room seemed the same, as the first two had been however when Felix entered bringing up the rear and the door closed behind him it latched and would not open to allow retreat. The three of them glanced around the dark room and saw nothing except the exit door on the far side. They started cautiously to make their way towards it.

All at once, their suit alarms began to alert them that a toxic gas was rapidly being introduced into the room. It did not have an effect on them because they were breathing their own air supply but none-the-less they dashed across the room to the exit door. When they were safe on the other side and their suit alarms had become silent again they looked around. This room was much smaller than the previous ones had been and strips mounted on the walls provided subdued lighting. Another door was across the room, as they approached and touched it they began to hear a voice.

Though none of them realized it, the voice spoke not out loud but in their heads. "Help me. Please help me," a female voice pleaded with a sob from the other side of the door.

Duane tried to activate the latch that held the door closed but it would not budge.

"Oh please, please help me," the voice sobbed again.

Duane aimed his rifle at the latch and turned the setting to laser. A beam of light appeared at the end of the barrel when he pulled the trigger and the latch began to glow at first then melted and ran. Duane pressed against the door and it swung open. He entered the room with his companions following behind and saw the pitiful and wretched old crone that was chained on the opposite wall.

"Please help me. Please set me free," she pleaded though her lips did not move as she spoke in the language the explorers understood. She was held helpless by chains and shackles that circled her wrists and ankles and held her tightly against the far wall. She looked to be very old and her sickly grey skin looked like dried leather. Her hair was thin, straggly, grey, and her lips and face looked to have hair all over. Her eyes were the only thing that appeared animated as their black irises and pupil's bored into Duane's.