The Entry into Fear
June 21, 2000

"My lord, your father is missing."

"What do you mean?" Kero felt slapped in the face with the sudden news. He sat down in his chair and dropped what he was doing. Here sat the prince of the Tagerons, a leader not ready to take on the throne.

Geraliss, the High Council member, with mane of bright orange and black sat down next to Kero.

"I can't describe it. One day the trip is going as scheduled, then today I get a message from Orion IV minister of peace that your father has not arrived." Geraliss' mane was wet from sweat and trying to calm down was of no use.

"I have been there on many occasions for my father, and not once did anything go wrong." Kero paused and turned to Geraliss who hung his head low. "But then again, anything could go wrong." Geraliss nodded.

Kero put his paw on his shoulder. His android, Lymeck, stood nearby. "Get him some water! Now!"

" When was the last time we communicated with him?"

Geraliss turned toward Kero. A look of panic and shock covered him completely. Lymeck returned with a bowl of water and placed it at Geraliss' feet. He licked the water slowly, then quicker with each passing stroke.

Water dripped off his face. "I would say about 2 days ago, when he was near Madronas. I don't know how he got off-course."

Kero tried to understand how something like this could happen. If it was of the Mesmolites he could understand why. But this seemed out of the ordinary.

Geraliss licked up the remaining water and stood upright.

"I don't know how this could happen." Kero paused and asked Lymeck to render a starmap of the course of his father's ship.

The study room lit up with the all stars and planets in the known universe surrounding Calledos. A light illuminated from there to the projected planet of Orion IV, its destination. Then a second light glowed in a sector called Christos.

"Lymeck, can you tell of any life forms within the sector?"

The computer analyzed the decision and replied," The only one that I know of is on Hecton. It is mostly a prison colony and there are no other planets that could contain life. If he landed on one of those planet…"

Kero interrupted Lymeck and didn't want to think about that possibility. No, his father has to be alive somewhere.

"See, I tell you that he is alive! My Lord." Geraliss looked relived and tried to cheer Kero up.

Kero turned around and grabbed Geraliss. "If I find out it was you, who planned this, I will kill you!"

Geraliss trembled in Kero's arms. "Well, we don't need to do that. Besides, it may be a computer malfunction of a stabilizer blown, or a hundred other things. Besides you know how old that ship was. It had a tendency to break down at odd times."

"I hope for your sake, you're correct!"

Geraliss turned and walked out of the room leaving Kero alone. Alone seemed a cold word to Kero. First his mother died of a strange illness, then his brother in battle a few months ago. If his father was dead, who could he turn to or point the blame?

The palace of Calledos felt cold and empty this winter morning. The hallways aligned with statues and paintings of his father over the years. The many people of the region had great respect for a man who gave so much to the society, but could not do anything to break the Council's reign over the people.

If my father was dead, then Geraliss would rule. That is something that can't happen.

Kero stood up and proceeded to look out the window. Snow gently fell on the hillside surrounding the castle. People were rushing to and from getting things for their daily existence. He wanted to do more for his people than just survive.

In recent years, the war between them and the aliens, known as the humans, had escalated from scrimmages to full-scale assaults. He was hoping that the war could be put aside to settle a more important matter.