Pern

Pern-An Alternate History

A man sat in front of a computer terminal, deeply engrossed with the words that were on the screen. There was a flashing green light that radiated from the monitor, Robin, a voice whispered. The man was jolted from his death-like trance. Wake up, Robin, the voice echoed again. He glanced around, but there was no one in the small, cramped room he called his office.

In the distance Robin heard the bells tolling gently the hour of eleven. It was getting late and still he didn't have his notes ready. There wasn't much time left, midnight was already closing in on him. Robin, the voice entered his mind again. ?It?s getting late, I think I'm just wasting my time trying to finish,? he thought.

The bells echoed again and Robin turned around, but he ended up facing the hypnotizing computer screen again. He closed his eyes; the greenish glow of the screen wasn't helping, his head hurt. When he opened his eyes, in front of him stood a rather young, but elegant female. She stood on what appeared to be the air in a pale blue garment. Robin, she murmured, ,i>Hello.

Without so much as a blink, Robin garbled something incoherent. He stared at her, at her long Auburn hair that tailed down her back in willowy wisps; that ended at her rounded buttocks. He noticed silver running through her long tresses that marked the passing of time that her face didn't show. Although it didn't show, Robin could tell that she was as old as he, if not older, but nonetheless beautiful.

In her eyes he saw a beckoning shade of Blue-Grey, soft and touchable, so tangible that he could have gotten lost in them. They were almost foreboding in a way. His stomach grew weak after only a few moments of her; they were certainly mysterious.

?Who are you, Stranger?? He asked curiously.

Her stare was gentle, Silly me, I should have known, she laughed and it sounded like a choir singing. I'm Stasha. I see you have been busy, Robin. Her smile reassured him that this was real, but it still didn't seem...

?Yes, I have been extremely busy. I've been trying to get all my notes together, for my predecessor, you see. But the time is so late. I don't think that I will finish before midnight. I hope I get it all down.? Again, he glanced at Stasha's eyes, the Blue-Grey was still there, and it now seemed like it was alive, breathing in her eyes. But now he saw the inside, the behind all that shines, Mortality. She wasn't an all-powerful deity of sort, but she was something different.

Robin, she said, was asked to bring you to the Conclave. The message was very urgent. Jaris wants to see you I know you probably don't understand what's going, but it will make sense, in time. It's time to go, she spoke calmly but there was an extreme tone to her voice. This was not something he could take lightly; his predecessor didn't have all the information that Robin had acquired during his long research. There was something missing and he could even think of leaving without telling Syril what he needed to know to take over Robin's position.

Stasha didn't seem to understand; she was beckoning him to follow her. In front of her a large portal opened up. A huge glowing circle of red and gold hung in the air. Robin was pulled from his chair. Stasha looked at him, I know you don't want to go, but you have to. We were all told the rules everyone must return at the Termination Time. And this is even more important than Termination Time, Robin!

At that moment young Syril walked into his master?s chamber. Robin wanted to scream, to stop and speak with his pupil, confide in him of his faith in Syril?s abilities. To tell him all that he needed to know...The room and Syril were gone?

?there was another room, more like a cavern than anything; a dome ceiling that was met with echoes of the people inside the chamber. Eyes were staring at him, eyes everywhere; a mass of Blue-Grey flooded his mind. He tried to shut out the pulsating Blue-Grey.

?Why can?t I go back, even for only a short while???

Stasha stopped his thoughts short, No, Robin. That is not why we set up the Watch. Syril is young and very capable, you being his teacher should know this?right?

Robin stopped for a moment, ?What do you mean?? he asked out loud.

I meant that if you handed everything over to Syril, there would be no point in him continuing your work, it would be all done.

Again, he thought about this, and then actually took a look around the cavern to which he had been brought. It was a cavern carved out of granite and it had a huge mahogany table sitting in the centre with eight individuals sitting around it. They were watching him, as he was watching them. The Blue-Grey was pulsating into his brain making Robin unable to think clearly.

The man in the centre of the table spoke first, out loud, without the use of Mindspeech. ?It seems we are all here, except Rojar. We?ll have to start without him.? The man seemed angered by this, but he could do nothing. He had long blond hair, done up in a ponytail, ?Welcome back, Robin. How was your stay?? he asked with a slight sneer.

Robin was confused. Stasha spoke up, ?I believe he is still suffering from the past-lives amnesia, Jaris. Don?t be too hard on him,? she looked at Robin, her eyes were liquid, melting into his.

A small blonde woman piped in suddenly, ?Remember how long it took me, Jaris. Let?s just start getting his memory back, before we start the Conclave.?

The man, who was called Jaris, seemed to recall this fact, if to his slight displeasure. Robin?s stomach turned in disgust at the sight of Jaris, while he was extremely good looking, his eyes burned with a passion that felt like a wildfire on Robin?s skin. Jaris was just naturally cruel looking, despite his position as head of the Conclave. ?Thank-you, Caterina. I quite forgot.? He smiled at her, ?So, Robin, do you remember anything at this moment??

Though he was an imposing figure, this Jaris, Robin mustered as much courage as possible and told Jaris what was on his mind. He wasn?t sure what was going on, but as he spoke the Aura of the room and the pulsating Blue-Grey became more familiar.

As if on cure, the blonde Caterina said, ?Do you remember the Charter, Robin??

The man she had been talking to replied, ?Yes, the Charter. Do you remember the Charter??

Everyone in the room began to chant, ?The Charter. Do you remember the Charter?? He minded pounded, he exhaled and found himself on the floor, Stasha?s arms around him. Her eyes wrapped around his, but she kept chanting, ?The Charter. Do you remember the Charter?? Robin closed his eyes, he wanted to pulled off his ears, to stop the vehement echoes in his head...the voices of Jaris, Caterina, and even Stasha...

...When the dust was still fresh, we Humans, were broken into factions, scattered across the countless worlds of this universe. We lived as most did now, minus the magical abilities that have been lost. Until the Great Divide, all were more or less happy, as long as we kept to ourselves. Maybe there was a small war, here or there, but nothing major, peace was something that was content, as long as nobody said anything.

Suddenly we, the countless Humans, living in the universe were faced with starvation. Droughts plagued the worlds, wars became frequent, mass genocide ensued.

What few factions that managed to come together, against the divide in peace...

There was a sudden silence for a moment.

...the Great Divide was never truly discovered, but Sydney Cole of Caldiva-Theta believed it,, to be an ancient curse that sought to destroy Humanity. No one really knows, only that the Divide tried to kill all that existed of Humans and their worlds.

There were only two factions that remained after the Divide?s reign of destruction. They made peace, those of the Blue and those of the Grey, these two factions combined their power, with this massive combination of power they aimed it at the Divide and punctured the Divide?s massive centre, thus obliterating it totally.

After the cosmic dust had settled the Blue-Grey surveyed the damage. There wasn?t much left, only two planet survived enough to support life on them. They, were a mixed breed, if you will permit the word, of all the factions. While the Blue-Grey were only small in number after the Great Divide. It was then that the Blue-Grey decided to become the Watchers of the last surviving Humans on Earth and the planet Centari, in the universe. The deal would be that they, the Humans, would never know of the Blue-Grey, and since magic was practically wiped out, only the Blue-Grey possessed it, so, there would be no need to interrupt the lives that theses Humans had made for themselves. The Blue-Grey would protect and watch over their Kindred, they owed it to them for not providing adequate protection earlier from the Divide.

That is who and what we are...

Jaris, Caterina, and Stasha stopped at once, their energy spent. ?That is it all. And that is why we meet. After every Human generation we come together to report on each of the assignments that are given to us. Then of course, it?s off to a new one. We aren?t immortal, so, we must also keep a line of Blue-Grey going, but only with those of the Blue-Grey, it must be with a Blue-Grey, there is no other way. Of course, rules were made to be broken.

Jaris stopped for a moment, Robin looked forlorned. ?What I don?t understand is why did we choose this? I mean, couldn?t we just live with the Humans on Earth?? Robin?s mind was whirling, Jaris stood before him with a slight sneer, Caterina stood next to him. Stasha was at the back of the room, quiet, concern crossed her face.

?Robin,? she stepped forward, ?Are you okay?? He stood before her, tears falling down his face. His Grey-Blue eyes shining, he was going to say something.

Suddenly the portal opened, Robin turned, his mind racing. Nothing was making sense, he had left his student who wasn?t even fully prepared for being on his own, but he knew that couldn?t be helped now. He felt so alone. The redness of the portal awakened a part of his mind as Rojar popped through. ?Rojar??

?I knew you would remember me, Robin.? The man that had appeared smiled smugly with his uneven mouth. Rojar voice was silvery in comparison to Jaris or any of the other Watchers. Robin would have considered him handsome, if it wasn?t for the smug he wore.

?Rojar! What on the forsakened universe are you doing here, you?re not supposed to be here, yet,? asked Jaris.

?I?m here to help,? he smiled smugly.

Stasha glared at him. ?Rojar?s right! I mean, once Robin sees him, then he?ll remember...? but Jaris cut off Caterina.

?Shhh....? forced Jaris, his eyes on Stasha.

Stasha turned three shades of red, her eyes dulled to a deep grey, ?Its okay, Jaris. I?m okay. There no reason to push back the past,? she turned to Robin, ?Robin do you remember Rojar??

?Yes,? he mumbles, he didn?t like the way this was going.

?Do you remember me?? Stasha asked.

?Yes!? he exclaimed.

?What do you know that happened, Robin, do you remember??

His eyes clouded for a moment, silent fell across the cave. ?What do you mean?...? and the second he said that, a picture flashed in his mind of Rojar holding Stasha. There they were standing on a mountain with cold winds blowing their hair. Rojar smiling his insane grin at Robin, but Stasha looked less like Stasha and younger and rounder, like she was pregnant. Robin?s eyes filled with tears, they were thick and stung. The world turned red as he leaned forward and found his belly spilled open on the frozen ground. It crystallized as the icy wind blew over it. ?Well then Lord Ardrich , I do believe it is time that I and Lady Gemma leave. We must head on Ruatha awaits!?

?Yo?You?wo?wo...won?t,? he sputtered, ?You won?t made it Fax. I know that. You won?t,? and with what little breath Robin had said, ?I won?t forget this.? His eyes stared at Lady Gemma, his eyes burned, she looked like Stasha. The sky grew dark and Lord Ardrich died.

?Why Stasha?? Robin queried.

?Robin, you of all people should know that once we are in the world, we can?t act like ourselves. I was just being Lady Gemma.?

?But?but?you should?ve thought about how things would?ve turned out. Why did you let Lord Ardrich die?? Robin stood quietly staring at Stasha.

Stasha?s eyes turned to liquid. ?I don?t know, Robin,? she stammered, ?I?I?just did it.?

?I wouldn?t go blaming, Stasha, Robin,? Jaris said, as he looked at Rojar, ?Remember that even we can get jealous. I think that this is a bad case of jealousy. Right Rojar?? Jaris eyed Rojar. Rojar said nothing, but turned to walk down the corridor to his quarters. Silent meant that the issue was moot. Whatever happened oblivious wasn?t going to actually be said to anyone, but now it was clearer what had happened.

Stasha walked over to Robin. She put her arms around him; he looked at her, unsure, but smiled slightly. She smiled back, ?I?m sorry, I never should have done that, but I guess Rojar wanted me and he seemed okay. I guess that means appearances are truly deceiving, because once I seen what Rojar was doing I killed myself, or I should say Lady Gemma. Something good did come from all of this, Jaxom was born and I think that is one of Pern?s treasures, just like Robinton?s. Stasha smiled again and kissed Robin. ?I?ll love you forever, Robin.?

?As will I, My Dear, as will I. Just remember we do live forever.? Stasha laughed and wrapped her arms tighter around Robin. They turned and walked into the awaiting vortex.

?Good luck!? shouted Jaris, as he watched them disappear.

?Why, Jaris? Robin has already lived a life up on Pern,? said Caterina.

?Because, well because they, as much as I am a stickler for the rules, deserve to be together. Besides, I don?t think it will really matter. I?m starting to think that maybe our job is obsolete now. I don?t know.? Jaris was quiet. ?I don?t know.?

?Well?? said Caterina.

?Let them go, and?and?you go to Caterina. I need time to think,? and Jaris disappeared down the hall, leaving Caterina alone in the empty hall?

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I am very fond of the stories of Ann McCaffrey. The story of Pern is something that I have followed since I was a sophomore in high school, and I have read every single Pern novel and short story she has writtened. Well, in my free time (what little I have) I like to come up with alternate Pern adventures and continuations of other stories on Pern. This is one of the more creative ones.

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PAGE CREATED: January 27, 2000
LAST UPDATED: February 12, 2000

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