A BRIEF HISTORY (continued)
© 1999 by J. A. Stubbs
At first, none of the civilizations knew about these children. That changed when Telee Prin, a seven year-old ‘prodigy,’ was discovered on Kan Ke’ El VI: The Planet Zilknoc. She was the first to show signs of the unusual abilities which children changed by the Aiszch Field had acquired. When her parents and neighbors learned that she could ‘hear’ what they were thinking.
At that time the Kan Ke’ El system had three inhabited worlds: planets II, IV and VI. They were all former colonies of the Klar’ Zilk Union; who had gained their independence after a long civil war. The three planets joined to form a new government. Their recent war made the new government suspicious and oppressive. And they did not allow average citizens many rights or freedoms.
They forced the planetary populations of all three worlds to support a new Kan Ke’ El campaign of empire-building. For years they spent every effort to further that goal. As they sought to build their influence and control other worlds. When the government found out about this telepathic child; they felt she was a threat to their sovereignty and security. A threat that must be removed.
They took the child and her parents for study. In order to find out the extent of her abilities; and theirs. They wanted to understand why she had this power; and what caused it. While they experimented on the girl and her family, their spies discovered that there were other children with similar powers. That was when Daliek Platipla, ruler of the Kan Ke’ El system, set out to enslave them all.
He learned that Telee’s mother, Ticia Prin, was once a crew member aboard the transport vessel, Maxin’s Third. And that she served with crew mates who also had a telepathic child. Another girl, named Sheis Avarkim. Platipla’s spies also determined that all of the children they had uncovered with this power so far, were born while aboard a star ship. Or soon after their mothers left one.
Their continuing research showed them there was only one class of star ship where these children were being found. And every one of those ships used the Aiszch Drive System as their main power plant. They began calling these affected offspring, “Star Children”. Because they were born in space. At the time, however, the Kan Ke’ El government kept that knowledge a state secret.
Instead Daliek Platipla captured as many of the Star Children as he could. And sought ways to control them. His scientists made the first ‘thought screens’. So they could shield their own thoughts from these children; as he meant to have an army of them. Then he would hold the edge he needed to dominate other worlds. And he would be sure that none of the Star Children could be used against him.
As his agents captured or killed these children whenever they found them; they got better at it. They perfected tactics for trapping and controlling telepathic people. Platipla trained teams of special soldiers and sent them out to search for more Star Children. These teams pored over lists of crew complements from several Aiszch-driven vessels. And gathered many more names. One of those names was Alsatresa Falfil.
Next: A Brief History Concludes. Or Return to Alliance Space, or to
A Brief History, or the Science Fiction list, or the Reading Library.
Thank you,
Wil Sansflaw