Fourth Vector Ch. 04

Even if it meant he would still have to hide the arm from Jack.

*****

About a day later, Jack heard the lookouts report in a sighting of land. Much of the journey from Lishkerra had been uneventful, and the smooth sailing reminded him of quieter times. He just hoped that their dealings with the Sorellans would go a lot easier than their side excursion at Lishkerra.

On the bridge of theDestiny, Abigail handed him the spare pair of binoculars. "Let's see if we can spot this land, shall we?"

Taking the pair, Jack followed her lead to the front window and began to peer out toward the recorded sighting. It was still early in the morning, and a heavy fog shrouded most of the horizon from view. All except one small point of darkness just off to the northeast.

"Keep up full steam," said Jack to Anna before resuming his look. The ship split through the morning waves easily and soon enough, the looming landmass in front of them began to open up.

"That one looks a lot bigger than Lishkerra," said Abigail.

She was right. Whereas Lishkerra was long, narrow and relatively flat, Sorella was filled with hills. Gentle, rolling expanse took off right beyond the beaches, populated with a small spattering of trees along the way. In the center of the island, a single, solitary mountain rose above all the rest, its mouth caked in black and casting a tall shadow across half the island.

Once they were able to get a little closer, Jack could see that most of the land had its own form of scars. The small number of trees looked to be because there were a great many that had been felled. Those that remained looked charred, the brutal remains of a devastating fire. Great pockmarks were left in the hills, something that reminded Jack of the aftermath of a Javan artillery barrage. What looked to have been once fertile, virgin land now had the appearance of barren waste.

"What do you think happened here?" asked Abigail quietly, noticing the same devastation.

"I have no idea. The Lishkerrans seemed to think this was the best place to start. I don't know if I agree with them seeing all of this," said Jack.

Abigail turned to look at him with a worried look on her face. "What if the Lishkerrans are wrong?"

Jack's face filled with concern before looking back to shore. If Sorella looked this way, he could only imagine what the islands just off to the east and north looked like. Slavers and dragons were worse than this? It was enough to send a small shiver down his back.

Eventually, the task force reached close enough to shore for them to start a reconnaissance of the area. Greg sent two fireteams of marines ashore in the fast motor craft and everyone on theDestiny seemed to be rooted to the spot watching them hit the beaches.

"This island doesn't look so hot," said Greg as the marines began to inspect the surroundings.

"It almost looks like a war has gone on here. The marked landscape, the burnt-out trees. Could someone be trying to conquer the Sorellans?" asked Jack.

"As much as I hate to say it, we may have come at a good time. If someone is attacking them, maybe they'll be more eager to sign an alliance with us," said Greg.

Jack shrugged. "That is, if there's anybody left."

The marines made their initial reconnaissance of the land and stayed ashore for the next two hours. During that time, Jack radioed all the new information they had discovered back to theValiant andTiger and the small task force remained at anchor just off shore.

Finally, the marines radioed in with the message everyone was waiting on.

"Major Vaughn, come in. This is Sergeant Peters," crackled the radio.

"Go ahead, Sergeant," said Greg.

"We have a few bodies here. They look to be human but they've been dead for a couple days. Do you want us to bring them aboard?"

"Affirmative, Sergeant. How many are there?"

"Honestly? There's about fifty here. Mostly women and children."

Jack felt his chest seize up at the last mention, seeming to confirm his initial thoughts. If it were only women and children, where were the men? Off fighting a war?

Greg seemed to be the first one on the bridge to recover. "Bring two bodies per team."

"Roger that, Major," came the muted reply.

"I almost hate to think what could have caused their deaths but at least if we can get their bodies to Dr. Kendall, we can find out why," said Jack as he wrote a message to the doctor to prepare him for their arrival.

"Jack, I want to get some ammunition in the guns. It looks like we just landed in the middle of a war zone, and I don't want to be caught unprepared," said Abigail with a worried expression.

"Agreed. Kyle, can you send out the order?" asked Jack.

"Of course," replied the able deputy. Soon not only were the guns loaded but the turrets went through a rotation in their casemates as part of the standard preparation for battle. With the uncertainty of the situation, Jack wanted nothing more than to be prepared for what might be ahead.

The marines came back to the ship about twenty minutes later and each time carried with them two bodies for further examination. Jack and the rest of the bridge met the teams as they climbed back to the main deck and were one of the first groups on the ship to see the bodies of the dead.

"I'm not a doctor, but those look like bullet holes," said Jack, watching as the first woman was laid carefully on deck. Her mud-caked tunic and trousers were stained with blood in several spots and it wasn't hard to see the wounds were deeper than just skin level.

What was even more frustrating was that her wounds appeared to be non-fatal. Most of the damage seemed to be in her limbs. Jack counted a wound on each leg and one on her right arm. Either she died of freight or she was left to bleed to death.

Later that morning, Jack and the bridge met with Dr. Kendall as he examined the bodies.

"I'd say you were right about these people, Jack," said Kendall, pointing out a particularly nasty wound on one of the women. "By their own, these wounds didn't need to be fatal. These women could have survived if they were treated with proper medical care. All of them died due to loss of blood."

"The only question is why was there no care given?" asked Abigail. "These are people, not animals. Why wasn't aid given to them?"

"It all points to a war going on," muttered Greg. "These women just happened to get caught in the crossfire."

Jack studied the bodies more closely, trying to look beyond the wounds. Besides the tattered clothing, most of the women looked greatly emaciated. They were nothing but skin and bones, having been without a proper meal in quite a long time as evidenced by their paper thin skin, protruding bones, and visible rib cages.

"This conflict has been going on for some time," said Jack while looking up to the rest of the group. "These women would have died from starvation sooner or later. Perhaps death was merciful in this regard."

"Not this kind of death, Jack," interrupted Kendall. "This would have been agonizing and painful. Look at the size of these bullet holes. I have recovered one of the bullets from the wounds. This wouldn't have been quick." Kendall handed the large bullet over to Jack.

"I haven't seen this type of bullet in a long time," said Jack, rolling it with his hand. "This looks like an old musket ball."

"The Lishkerrans did say that their guns produce a really loud noise and generate a lot of smoke. I guess they do really use muskets," said Greg.

"We need to find out who did this," said Jack, nearly shaking with rage. "These people didn't deserve such treatment."

"We should get moving then," said Stephanie. "Perhaps we can find this Daimanos and figure out what's going on here in Sorella."

"Agreed," said Abigail. "Anna, will you raise anchor and get us moving again on a southeasterly course? Follow the coast as long as possible."

"Of course," said Anna, radioing the instructions down to the engine room. When she was finished, she looked up to the rest of them. "I'll get word to theValiant and theTiger as well."

The ships were once again in motion as the entire task force sailed down the coast of Sorella. Jack kept his eyes peeled in case they found any signs of life but even the further they sailed, nothing changed about the scenery beyond the war-tainted environment. No signs of life were seen for miles along the entire stretch of coast, and Jack started to wonder if perhaps they had gotten the wrong island. There's no way this could have been the land described to them by Numa and Vigo.

Finally, after sailing for the entire morning, the radio crackled with a long-awaited message.

"Ships! Ships on the horizon! Four great sailing vessels, sir! And the first one is waving a giant, white flag."

Jack bolted to the front of the bridge and peered out the window toward the horizon. True to form, he could now see the large, rigged vessels bearing a course that would take them just alongside their own ships. In front of the first ship, Jack could see a man on deck, his arms waving a large white flag and staring straight at the Javan task force.

"Unknown ships on the horizon," said Jack, radioing a message to all three ships and their officers. "Continue our approach with caution."

The entire bridge waited with quiet anticipation as the sailing vessels came closer still. When they were just a few hundred yards out, Jack looked out to see the crew on the ships themselves. Recognizing the truth behind the Lishkerran's knowledge of Sorella, their technology appeared to be just shy of a hundred years behind that of Java. The common sailors on deck each wore a simple outfit just a step above rags while the sides of each vessel displayed a row of cannons in three banks.

For a brief moment, it reminded Jack of one of the vessels he had trained on when he was still in the academy, an old frigate by the name ofNew Venture. The only sailing vessel still in the Javan navy, it was typically used to train new officers on the proper way to command. Now seeing such a similar ship on the opposite side of the world created quite the surreal feeling for Jack.

Finally, once the distance between the two ships was close enough, Jack gave the order to bring the task force to a halt.

"Go ahead and stop the ship, Anna. Let's see what happens with the Sorellans," instructed Jack. The ship's boilers ground to a halt shortly after as the giant ship went dead in the water.

"Jack, look here! It looks like they are sending a delegation over to us!" Abigail pointed out the bridge window to see a small boat being loaded up with people.

"Would you look at the get-up on that guy? What's with all those fancy robes?" asked Greg.

"Maybe it's a governor or a senator or some sort," said Stephanie as the boat drifted closer.

"You think it might be Daimanos?" asked Kyle.

Jack shrugged. "I don't think we're important enough for their leader to come all the way out but who knows? Have a squad of marines radioed though. No need for us to be unprepared."

Jack ordered a small group of sailors down to the landing on the starboard side to meet the delegation. As he and the rest of the bridge waited on the main deck, a large, wiry-faced man was the first over the top of the ladder.

"Welcome to East Sorella, Commander Easterbrook of Java," said the man with noticeable flourish. "I have the privilege of being the First Minister for His Majesty, King Daimanos of East Sorella. You may call me Barak."

"Greetings, First Minister Barak," said Jack with a formal smile and handshake. He moved forward to extend his hand to the minister. Barak took his hand warily.

Jack slowly lowered his hand. "We are honored to have His Majesty on our ship. Tell me, how did you know who we were?"

Barak met his gaze. "Your coming was told to us by a pair of drifters. His Majesty is eager to meet with you. As you may know, we don't get many Easterners here in this part of the world."

"And we are most eager to meet you," came a voice from the side of the ship. At that moment, the man who could only have been Daimanos labored his way over the side and landed on two feet on the deck. The Sorellan King wore a crown of solid gold around his head, sparkling with jewels of every color around the rim. He had long, flowing black hair that came just down past the base of his neck. Judging by his face, he was mid-forties in age and his scars and wrinkles told of many past battles.

The clothing that the king wore was just as extravagant as his crown. He wore a red cape that was embroidered with gold on the edges and fastened to his body by a golden brooch on his chest. Beneath the magnificent cape, he wore a fine, intricate tunic that went just past his knees, also inlaid with gold. Simply put, Daimanos looked every part the regal king and all eyes were on him the moment he set foot on the deck.

The very first thing he did upon arrival was walk toward Jack and clap him on the back. Whereas Barak had been slightly reluctant to touch, Daimanos seemed to prefer it.

"Commander Easterbrook, welcome to East Sorella! My kingdom is happy to have you here. I would like to throw a large banquet in your honor tonight!" said Daimanos with a boisterous and friendly tone.

"It is a pleasure to meet Your Majesty as well," said Jack with an easygoing smile. "Welcome aboard our ships. I am the Commander of this task force, but in command of the ship is my deputy, Lt. Commander Abigail Wainwright." Jack pointed his finger to the dark-haired woman and she stepped forward to greet the king.

"And beautiful too. A pleasure to meet you, Lt. Commander," said Daimanos with a slight nod of the head.

"Would you like to meet in private with us? I'm sure we have much to discuss," offered Jack, pointing to the superstructure of theDestiny.

Daimanos nodded. "That would be delightful. I will follow your lead, Commander."

The small group made their way through the masses of sailors who had come above deck to catch sight of the extravagant king. Many of them gaped, their first time seeing royalty since they were back in Java. Although Jack had to admit that Daimanos cut a much more impressive profile than Emperor Charles IX ever did.

Abigail led the way inside the superstructure, followed by Jack, Daimanos, and Barak with Greg bringing up the rear. Once all were on the inside, Greg shut the door firmly behind them and Jack turned to face their visitors.

"Welcome again, Your Majesty. Our ship is what's called a heavy cruiser, but you can see she's entirely made of steel," said Jack while slightly raising his arms.

"Would you look at all this," said Daimanos with wide eyes as his gaze centered on all of the sophisticated technology in the room. "How did you build your ship out of metal? How does it stay afloat?"

Jack let out a small smile. "It appears there's much our people can share with yours. Technology may just be one facet."

"I certainly hope so," said Daimanos with a heavy chuckle. "I thought I had the mightiest warships around but you could probably blast us out of the water without breaking a sweat!"

Jack grinned. "Remind me to give you a demonstration sometime of the guns. It's an experience every man should have at least once in his life."

"I'd like that, Commander," said Daimanos with another laugh.

"Please, feel free to call me Jack, Your Majesty. No need for such formality away from the crews."

Daimanos nodded. "If that's the case, you can dispense with all this Your Majesty crap as well. Just Daimanos is fine."

"That sounds like a deal, Daimanos," said Jack.

"Anyway, Jack, what brings you to East Sorella? Surely you didn't come all of this way just to introduce yourself?" asked the king as he sat down.

"You're right about that," answered Jack. "We're here on behalf of our own emperor and come seeking an alliance. Our emperor believes there's no reason for the ocean to be a barrier to friendship between like-minded peoples. Perhaps there's a way we could explore that a little further."

Daimanos reached up to rub at his chin while in heavy thought. "An alliance you say? I would be open to an alliance. We can't count on too many friends in this part of the world, so perhaps it's time we cast a wider net. I'd be most interested in learning about your people on the other side of the ocean too."

"Perhaps we could discuss the finer details of it over this banquet you mentioned?" offered Jack. "I'm sure there are a few points we'd like to go over to be in agreement, and I'd want us to have time to think about it."

"That's an excellent idea," said Daimanos. "Let's plan on that."

Before Jack could ask another question, it was Abigail that spoke up next. "Excuse me, Daimanos, I had noticed that you had referred to your kingdom as East Sorella."

The king nodded with a small amount of apprehension. "That is correct."

Abigail raised her brow. "When we were with the Lishkerrans, they referred to this whole island as just Sorella, but they also mentioned that it was split politically?"

Daimanos made a disgusted face and then finally nodded. "That's right. Sorella is divided in two. There is an East Sorella, which you are in, and there's also a West Sorella on the other side of the island." Daimanos kept making faces every time he mentioned the name West Sorella.

"I take it these West Sorellans are not good people?" Jack asked, watching the king's body language.

Daimanos nodded. "The worst people, Jack. I will tell you more about it during the banquet tonight. You'll have to consider yourself very fortunate that you landed in East Sorella and not the western part."

"That actually brings up a very good question too," said Jack. "We did land further west initially and have been sailing down the coast. Most of the land back there looks like a war zone. We even recovered some bodies of those recently deceased. I'm afraid most of them were women and children."

Daimanos nodded solemnly. "Not only is the island split in two, but there is a devastating war going on between both halves of the island. Unfortunately, most of the middle of the island is a dead zone. A no-man's-land if you will. With all the reversals in our fortunes, most of the people who get stuck in that land don't tend to come out alive."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Daimanos," said Jack with a gentle head nod. "It must be terrible to see the island in such a state of civil war."

"It very much is, Jack. At one time, Sorella was a beautiful land. When I was a boy, it was nothing but fertile farmland as far as the eye could see. Rich, gorgeous valleys and stunning beaches were some of my earliest childhood memories. It's a shame what it has become."

"Why is that, Daimanos?" interrupted Greg. "How could this have happened?"

Daimanos assumed a firm look. "That would be the fault of the usurper, King Heron of West Sorella. A bloodthirsty tyrant, I assure you. I heard that he routinely takes the firstborn child from new mothers and sacrifices it so that he can drink the child's blood. Something about the blood of innocents providing everlasting life. Granted, I've never witnessed such a thing but the stories are out there. He's a savage, and he's usurped half of my kingdom. The ones that follow him are just as dastardly unfortunately. Since he's been around, Sorella has known no peace. Nothing but war and agony."

"Even their soldiers are nothing but cruel brutes. All that devastation to the farmland you see out there? It was caused out of spite. Because peaceful East Sorellans lived and farmed there. It's a most terrifying spectacle to behold how they kill off the men first—all the warriors. Then they visit the cruelest possible tortures on the women and children remaining. It's horrifying, Jack."