The Wars of Zegandaria, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov [inspirational books txt] 📗

Elmbaum's money was going to be enough to rebuild almost the entire infrastructure first. And there was almost no trace of it left. One of the engineers from Oros Hinto had agreed to help with his technical expertise. He had been responsible for introducing the tachyon engines to the general population, for constructing high-speed Arsinaean tunnels beneath the planet's surface to connect the previously destroyed polis, as well as other local and more remote areas.

Had Andrew Dislan lived he would have undoubtedly been of use, but he was transported back to Zegandaria and his ashes were also scattered into the air, much like his grandfather's.

Neola remained virtually in a military hospital that had been set up at Zorin's academy.

She did not forget the good One-eyed Uncle Zengar who had played such an important role in this war. Every time she examined a patient, he seemed to come into view and gaily stare at her with his single eye.

One day she found an electronic notebook she had taken with her when they left Rodwell. It was so small that no one had noticed it. Shortly before she died, Uncle Zengar had scribbled something on it. She struggled to read his revealed handwriting:

'To my Neola. The daughter who never knew of my existence. The daughter who, to secretly watch over and protect, I was forced to move with the stable. The daughter I gave up to that foster family who revoked my care of her. Let it be known that good old Uncle Zengar, who discovered Enduocle's treachery, protected Sasia and brought her to him to deliver her! That will ease his conscience for the years he has missed, and for the many other mistakes he has made in his life. Forgive him!'

As she read these lines, Neola quietly shed a few tears. Apparently she knew so little about him. As a token of appreciation for his deed, she made sure that everyone knew of his kindness. Uncle Zengar would never be forgotten! He was the true savior of Zegandaria!

Keith Endowocle was publicly censured for his treachery, but in view of his merits, escaped the death sentence. He recounted exactly how he had been recruited by the Governor, who had blackmailed him with the fact that he would kill his parents through his henchmen from among the ‘ghost’ warriors. Keith was determined to save his parents, even at the cost of such a dastardly act. He served his punishment in a prison on Zegandaria, from where he emerged an old man of almost ninety-three after more than sixty-five years in prison. While in prison he often thought of his old friend Major Ketrowl. His old comrade's wise words were running through his mind, ‘Don't let the current moment fool you this war didn't start with us it won't end with us.’ Keith had repeated this to himself a billion times, watching the damp wall, trying to find some new meaning in them each time. But something seemed to prevent him from looking beyond. The strange thing was that inside his mind he could clearly sense something. It was the spirit of change. There was no avoiding it. As he lay in prison, the world outside was slowly and imperceptibly changing-for better or for worse it was hard to tell, but it was changing. All this could not help but have an impact on his mind. Where would he go next? And there were still so many years left of his sentence. Too many years. He had to serve them out. Alone and well insulated from the lurking dangers outside.

One day there was a knock at the hydron door. The hand knocking on the other side was confident and obviously knew what it wanted. Somewhere inside Keith Endwalker gathered his thoughts and realized that just the beginning of his new life seemed to be beginning. Unlike many other political prisoners, he had not gone mad or lost hope. If he was lucky he could see the dawn again. At least one last time! Somewhere out there he could find salvation! And forgive himself!

As soon as the door slammed behind him, he realized that he had yet to face an existence much more difficult than the sad but relatively predictable one in prison. And there was something else - no one remembered him and no one needed him.

He tried to look in a digital mirror and couldn't recognize himself. ‘Is that me?’ he wondered. - ‘Is it possible?’ his heart fluttered, but he knew the answer well. He was still alive. Albeit all alone. But at least he knew what he wanted. He wanted to start over. He had to learn to live with himself under new conditions. And maybe everything would fall into place. Keith had friends in the past. The laughs with Mark, Sasia and the others had remained a distant dream. What a romantic period it had been alone! And now he was going to build his future with only his two hands. He didn't have that much to lose. He was an old man, but his mind was enlightened and he wanted to live the last moments of his life with dignity. For the first time, he clearly realized that there was no happiness or unhappiness, but a subjective view of this life and that distant ‘picture’ that had imprinted itself deep in his mind definitely did not correspond to reality. Sad, but a fact! At least he was honest with himself! And now boldly forward! There was no time to waste!

Then he left Zegandaria aboard some shuttle and no one saw him again.

Keith married and his son became a prominent public figure, although he did not live to see his father as he died very young. Unlike his life, which was filled with tumultuous mishaps, he had a relatively happy life and a career marked with success. He fully received public recognition for his work as a zegandarian lawyer and tried to alleviate his parent's suffering as best he could.

This was at least a partial consolation for his imprisoned father. If anyone had asked him what he had learned from it, he would have answered unequivocally that one had to take one's duty, whatever came after.

Acustro received punishment for his crimes, which were certainly severe. He was captured and questioned by many magistrates. They unanimously decided to punish him harshly and he was executed in the same way he had dealt with his victims. He was tied naked on a huge zegandarian crystal, which they glowed white. The moans and screams did nothing for the stern look and image he had built up for himself in front of the other prisoners. Acustro wasn't going to be the bloodsucking vampire of Labor Colony 206. Never again!

Viar's corpse was not forgotten either. Of course, Governor Elmbaum didn't live to see it, as he had been executed earlier. Kenji had stowed him away with the others. However, as he looked at his dead eyes, disfigured face, and twisted fingers, Kenji wondered if the man had realized why he had practically lived. They laid his corpse beside the special space urn containing the ashes of his son, Andrew Dislan. That way, at least in the afterlife, the two of them would be close to each other. A memorial was erected to Viar to remind him of his atrocities on the colony. A bust of Acustro could also be seen beside it. Though constructed of the purest and noblest zegandarian kevlarite, the figures looked as if they did not know each other, but some common cause held them together.

Jacob Wallace led the guarrons, as he had earlier. Prince Nundrag and Kier Zoh became brothers again. No longer would the throne of Ugrok Sin separate them. The few surviving guarrons tried to coexist with the humans, though at first they organized their own settlements.

Sam Wallace met with his father. Zarag Tu's eyes and his met. Jacob immediately recognized his youngest son.

- I managed to hide it in time before all this started. But he didn't shame his father. He followed my orders strictly and fought to the end. Sami is a glorious boy!

- 'Hurrah!,' the brothers cried, one of the few words of human speech they had learned.

Ras Tian was happily married to the younger of the brothers, whose eyes she had once opened to the fact that it was not done by mere flaunting and deadly hatred. It was as if she had rejuvenated herself so much. The allegorical story of the goddess and Maras Tulba's incarnation in her had opened the eyes of many, if only for a moment. Ras Tian was held in special esteem, especially when it came to restoring the dignity of the guarron. Eventually everything was falling into place.

The Archanayans returned to their home planet and after a thorough inspection were allowed to return to their homelands in the Misty Mountains. There they had the opportunity to live as their ancestors and preserve some of the lost knowledge for future generations.

Reona became the new leader of a student movement to give this segment of the population a voice. She did much to organize the general public on many important issues.

Hiss was not forgotten by her friends. It could be said that he saved them when the soldiers had driven them away. They drank in his memory and erected a special memorial where he was honored as a martyred hero.

Durnyam, in his role as leader of Mark's group, had become the moral teacher of the new zegandarian generation.

Royan was able to see his father. Pindor was still in a waking coma from which he was unlikely ever to emerge. But the boy calmed even at the sight of him. She could still speak to him from time to time and hoped he could hear. Roian began his illustrious oratorical career across Zegandaria to show all the survivors how the free spirit could overcome anything. He didn't forget Private Summers, who had helped him survive. She had become like a second mother to him. Or rather, an older sister. She'd formally claimed custody of him whenever possible.

Finally, Liroith, Jonathan Hearns, and all the surviving political prisoners had revived science on the planet. No one could stop free energy from becoming available to everyone anymore. The inexhaustible amounts extracted from the vacuum of space made some of the planet's resources less valuable and in demand. Instead, everyone could now feel happy and free. Even the planet's air was now breathable. This revolutionary discovery of Lirout changed its appearance completely.

Princess Mieru, the leader of the Myeranians, treated their new home with care and attention. She well remembered the thirty years of vassal subjection under which her race had paid enormous dues to Gordon Elmbaum and obeyed him for everything. The moment of payback lingered in the psyche of the Myeranians. They had acted not as vengeful creatures, but as oppressed ones. It was not an act of nobility, but a righteous quest for a new life. Somewhere deep inside, the little princess agreed that Gordon had been forced to act this way by circumstances, but they were also acting this way because of those same circumstances.

A truce had been reached with Cyclo To, the oracle-sovereign of the planet Sebur Nag. The dead Seburnacians - no more than two or three hundred - had been awarded planetary honors. They had done their duty with dignity. Deep down, however, the Myeranians continued their isolated way of life. They allotted them considerable space in the Simor Sin valley, well away from the capital city of Naras Tu, and gave them a solemn promise that they would not interfere with their development as long as they did not destroy the planet's resources or cause disorder. The Myeranians agreed. The Mieru began to understand that their purely consumerist-predatory mindset had to be permanently consigned to the past if they were to survive into the future. Far ahead - into the unforeseeable future.

And what happened to Auslander? Well hardly