Inquisitor's Promise (Act Two, Chapter Eight)

Aeneas has to keep his promises. His father's mission will be completed. And while he's at it, he will become Galatea's lord and Inquisitor. But love and politics are an explosive combination.

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Chapter Eight: Going to the Moon

The trip to the Moon took about a day. Like most people of his era, Aeneas had assumed that the Moon was closer to Earth than it actually was. But as it turned out, the distance between the Moon and the Earth was actually very large. If the seven planets of the solar system were to be put together, they could all be fit in the space between the Earth and the Moon.

Another reason for this common misunderstanding was the Electrosphere. Because of the nature of that dimension, people of the 74^th century believed that space travel between planets was fast and easy. However, that was only possible thanks to the electric currents running throughout the Electrosphere. Outside of the Electrosphere, the electric currents moved at a slower rate, meaning that space travel was slower.

Not that the average person would want to travel beyond the Moon anyways. If the Space Nomads were to be believed, then clearly there were no habitable worlds beyond the Moon. Only the Earth and the many mini planets found in the Electrosphere.

“Really?” Lavinia asked in shock. “No inhabitable planets beyond the Moon?”

“None in the conventional sense of the word, anyways,” Aeneas answered. The two of them were sitting in the military lounge of the Lepanto, a large room with a window of transparent aluminum looking outside. The window in question showed nothing but black. “Most, if not all, inhabitants of extralunar planets are machine spirits.”

“Machine spirits? What’s that?”

“They’re human beings with very few of their physical bodies left. Their presences are mostly virtual and so they can live within the Domain’s networks,” Aeneas explained.

“To think that a faction princess has no idea of basic cosmology. Foolish girl,” Giulia cut in. Having listened to the conversation from another side of the lounge, she couldn’t help herself.

“Shut up!” Lavinia shot back.

“Next you’ll tell us that that the Earth moves around the Sun,” Giulia added sarcastically.

“How dare you!” Lavinia cried indignantly.

“Enough of this, both of you!” Aeneas commanded.

“My apologies, Captain,” Giulia said.

“I’m sorry too, Aeneas,” Lavinia added.

Thankfully for the Inquisitor, that was the only female-related headache he had to deal with on the way to the Moon.

As the Lepanto kept moving towards the Moon, they reached the upper half of the space between the Earth and the Moon. This was the location of the Electrosphere.

Aeneas was sitting at the top deck of the Lepanto. He looked outside of the window and saw a large swirling blue and purple dust over a white hole, an Electrosphere Portal.

However, this portal was not supposed to be here. It was the very same portal that was opened when the Lektros Gate was activated on that fateful day. It had earned the name ‘Portal Zero’, as His Holiness had related to Aeneas not too long ago.

Aeneas saw a spaceship close by to it, part of the hastily assembled defense fleet. No doubt there were many more in the general area.

Aeneas’ nav-comm beeped. It was from Admiral Mario Riva, ship captain of the Lepanto.

“Captain General,” Mario said. “The Venetian ship Gabriele Angelos gave us their regards.”

“I see. Give them my thanks, then,” Aeneas told the ship captain.

“The Grey Globe really scared them,” a masculine voice said.

Startled, Aeneas looked back and saw Shaka. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” he scolded.

“Sorry,” the pathfinder said.

“You’re not the type to initiate conversations,” Aeneas pointed out. “What is it?”

“I want to know about Inquisitors,” Shaka answered.

“Go on.”

“You are an Inquisitor because your father was one, is that right?”

Aeneas nodded. “That is true. The eldest sons of House Aquilanus had been Inquisitors since the founding of the House itself.”

There was a brief hesitation from Shaka, but he went on.  “Do you ever think of what would happen if that was not the case? Have you ever thought of having a different vocation?”

Aeneas gave Shaka an odd look; not just because of the nature of the question, but because this was the most Shaka had spoken thus far. “I’m not much for hypotheticals, Shaka. This is where Providence had put me. To wish for otherwise would simply be ungrateful.”

“I see,” Shaka said. The pathfinder was deep in thought, so much so that Aeneas dared not bother him.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. At first, Aeneas spent some time at the Lepanto’s main chapel. He enjoyed the stained glass and the beautifully adorned altars that characterized the Lepanto’s parish chapels. But despite being an Inquisitor of the Church, praying had never been his strong suit. Before long, the Inquisitor found himself in his private study.

Aeneas had spent the remaining time looking over the logistics of the Lepanto and his army. The Inquisitor found looking over paperwork to be a terribly dull task. However, he was the type of man who couldn’t leave his work well enough alone.

Fortunately for Aeneas, Lavinia was there to pull him away from his work. Even if the good Inquisitor did not think such a thing to be fortunate.

Once more, Aeneas found himself to be standing at the top deck of the Lepanto. But this time, Lavinia was with him. By this time, the Moon had already taken up the entirety of the screen; the barren grey landscape was clear to see. There were sleek, metallic buildings jutting out of the it; they were the tip of the Lunar colonies which were mostly underground. The Estimated Time of Arrival should not be anything more than a few minutes.

“I think it’s time for us to contact Pep,” Lavinia suggested.

“I would have done so already, but I couldn’t reach him,” Aeneas answered.

“Why not? Some sort of technical issue?”

Aeneas shook his head. “No. Our communications system works just fine. But Pep went dark while we’re on the way to the Moon.”

Lavinia gasped. “Do you think…?”

“I don’t know,” Aeneas said. “But I believe that something terrible must have happened to him.”

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