Says it all in the title! Originally, I thought short stories would be an easy hobby to work on my writing, but it has surprised me with how hard it is for me to fit a story in a “short” span of words. These “Short Stories for Fun” are my attempts and will be the roughest forms of rough drafts. Practice and fun are the key words here! This story was written a few years ago while I was experimenting with my style, which I’m still working on, and while working on other projects that are now further in development. So, without further delay I hope whoever reads this enjoys my first short story that I wrote for practice and fun!
The Qurious…. quite a name. Xa’anwarrd Nosstraulos certainly thought so. Of course, he had no right to think so snidely of the name being as his officially honored rank was “The Quratorus of the Qurious.” A rank few had earned in the six hundred plus years the empire had currently reigned.
Reigned… the word didn’t seem to match what Xa’anwarrd would call the stewardship to which the Zagdalon Zyndicum had taken upon itself when the Zagdalonians of old led forces off Zagdalon to begin conquest. Conquest certainly fit the initial plan but then something changed in the Zagdalonians. Curiosity of the universe, it’s vastness and diversity seemed to have taken a mystical addictive sway over his ancestors like an addict to a drug. Now…now it was conquest not for the sake of military or political power, and not even for protection. No, now it was all about satisfying the unsatisfiable curiosity of The Qurious. No, the empire no longer conquered or reigned. It simply…studied. Anything, everything, anyone, and everyone that willfully or unwilfully submitted to the ‘honor’ of it. Studies from the most innocent to darkest intent imaginable and otherwise were permissible and encouraged unanimously. Xa’anwarrd had heard. He had seen….
***
Seventy-two years prior to his earning the position of “The Quratorus” he was a simple cub from Nosstraulos, a small world on the fringes of the empire. Nosstraulos was where his amateur scientist parents had hoped to make their big break in The Qurious Empire. Experiment after experiment Xa’anwarrd watched, he helped when ordered, and on occasion… he was a participant. At the age of twenty-two he was attending the minor university on Nosstraulos’ planetary defense station in the hopes of gaining admission into the piloting program of The Qurious. He had lived most of his life on Nosstraulos and was ready to live the rest anywhere and everywhere else. He would get his wish but not in the way he had intended.
His parents eventually partnered with the empire’s military scientists in an attempt to help themselves in monetary and political endeavors. As a result, their studies slowly, then quickly shifted to military defense purposes. It was at his age of twenty-two that the rest of his life changed course. The incident occurred quickly. The bio-botanical clones went mad and then carnage ensued. His parents had died attempting to stop, or at least slow, the outbreak. The bio-botanical clones weren’t the first incident with clones but these were different. These had been spliced with the deadliest plants in the empire to create a unique warrior class that could not only fight but infect at the same time.
Xa’anwarrd being technically a member within the military’s college was conscripted almost immediately to help deal with the problem, or “incident” as all forms of media consistently reported similar instances. Being on the fringe, it would take time for reinforcements to arrive. Xa’anwarrd was a member of the second attempt at an assault against the bio-botanical clone infection of Nosstraulos. The solution was a simple one, fire and in every format possible could deal lethally with the outbreak the military higherups had found after disastrous explosions had been investigated once the vanguard had failed. Sadly, the failure of the first attempt cost a third of the military’s personnel on Nosstraulos. Xa’anwarrd had learned of the fate of his parents by the time of his conscription. His resolve was immovable.
Zagdalonians as a species were aggressive; this was known as they had researched themselves enough to determine an ancestral origin to reptilian felines on a continent on Zagdalon Prime. It was not a stretch to confirm as current Zagdalonians are in fact bipedal reptilian felines of various hues of indigo. Ancestral Zagdalonians were vicious and deadly; however, present Zagdalonians targeted the aggressiveness towards academia and at adulthood normally took to trimming hairs and claws. Xa’anwarrd let go of such inhibitions during his participation of this very personal conflict. He served admirably and the outbreak was quickly put to an end within the planets current winter season. Xa’anwarrd continued to serve on the fringes following, rising in rank quickly. A year after the outbreak and after complete cleanup, and study, of the bio-botanical cloning incident the empire decided to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in furthering the curiosity and learning of The Qurious and The Qurious to come. Therefore, Xa’anwarrd was called to the heart of the empire to Zagdalon Prime to view and take part in a memorial on behalf of those that died.
The memorial ended. So too, did the acknowledgement of the atrocity of Nosstraulos. Xa’anwarrd had seen the heart of the empire and its vast beauty. Clean buildings, clean streets, and clean people. Nothing like the fringes he had lived and served in. He took time to visit the prestigious CurZag College of Curiosity before leaving. Many buildings and areas had been devoted to the sciences, which he toured in awe, but he made a point to visit the library for study. It was here he first noticed the blatantly obvious minimal devotion to the arts and humanities sections and studies. He found a few general books on the histories but they were full of dust. Data sources on the imperial networks were just as barren he had also found. Xa’anwarrd’s leave ended and he returned to war on the fringes and continued rising in the ranks within The Qurious’ military, but something had changed in him. Xa’anwarrd…was curious. Not the curiosity most associated or awarded amongst his people. No, he grew curious over the lack of attention to history and other areas. He began studying in private. He also got caught.
***
“Captain Xa’anwarrd, need I remind you that historians and antiquarians rank lowly amongst our people?” Xa’anwarrd’s superior and had-been confidant Commander Zagdalon-4 Minor reminded him disapprovingly. “We are one people. One empire. We have moved on from the past. No more clans and wars. That is why you are Xa’anwarrd Nosstraulos. You are from Nosstraulos. I am from Zagdalon Four Minor. I am proud to be of the One Qurious Clan. Are you?”
“Yes, Commander,” Xa’anwarrd answered quickly and dutifully.
“I thought so. Dwelling on these matters will only hurt you and your future prospects. Not only will it unhinge and unfocus your trained mind, but it will hurt your chances of promotion. As you know, all curiosities are thoroughly recorded. Any future possibilities for you could be hindered for these inquiries. Now, this once I will implement a command override and eliminate these curiosities. Just this once.” The Commander’s eyes narrowed, and the tips of his ears moved slightly as he stated his last sentence as a warning.
“Thank you, sir,” Xa’anwarrd answered once again with the same quick and dutiful tone.
“I would think you’d consider your parents as well. They gave their lives in one of the most honorable ways. Not many have the distinction of giving their lives in the name of curiosity. I suggest you think on that and return to doing them proud in serving the empire. You are dismissed, Captain.” He nodded towards the door and Xa’anwarrd did as ordered, for the next seventy-two years.
***
Seventy-two years, long and busy. As it turned out, the incident at Nosstraulos was only the beginning for Xa’anwarrd, but not for the empire as it had taken its place in a long list of previously forgotten incidents. Throughout Xa’anwarrd’s service he took part in the major and minor “incidents” called by imperial media as the “Carnages of the Clones.” Xa’anwarrd’s internal struggles fueled his motivations and clouded his curiosities as his hatred for clones knew no numerical bounds. Then there was the outbreak of the bio-diseases on four worlds near Zagdalon Prime, which was quite a stressful incident for the entire empire. For a time, Xa’anwarrd began thinking back on his curiosities and wondered during this crisis if The Qurious had reached the limit of their curiosity. Once quarantine had been established and the incident was in the past, The Qurious were once again curious.
At this point Xa’anwarrd had risen in rank enough that he had some power; therefore, he carefully satisfied his curiosities. The difference now was that he was smarter than before. Xa’anwarrd had managed to confiscate enough hardcopies of history and cultural books to study that his curiosities were satisfied for a time. Long enough to hold him over until after the Android Assault from Gastros Minor’s moon had ended. This particular crisis earned Xa’anwarrd the prestigious title of “Quratorus of the Qurious” which to his people was an honor and position for those who showed loyalty and guardianship of the empire and curiosity.
Few within the history of the empire had ever attained this, Xa’anwarrd knew as he had read the history. He also knew the why as it seemed to be a title that was filled not long after the previous holder passed away, which also informed him that the title and position were lifelong. No Quratorus had ever retired no matter the age of the recipient. Xa’anwarrd had discovered through his curiosities that he had not been a prodigy amongst his peers as he fell age-wise somewhere in the middle of those honored. Xa’anwarrd’s curiosities had also informed him the roles previous holders filled, his level of power, privileges afforded him, as well as other useful tools that would come to his disposal from that point on.
Quratorus Nosstraulos was born and so to was the beginning of the most peaceful age The Qurious had known since its inception. Xa’anwarrd presided over multiple incidents that occurred within the empire at an almost daily rate. It seemed that in the relative peace The Qurious’ curiosity only increased. Xa’anwarrd worked hard to keep the peace even at risk of his own health; several times he wound up in infirmaries as a result of his dedication. Peace from without the empire was relatively easy. Xa’anwarrd commanded the forces of The Qurious in only one battle against extraterrestrials and the result of the conditions of peace that his associates demanded assured future hostiles to think more than twice before attacking. After all, The Qurious needed to satisfy their curiosity, maybe not at the cost of Zagdalonian lives and the lives of other citizens residing in the empire, but those without did not fall under such concerns or legal restrictions.
Xa’anwarrd heard of the outcomes of the “participants” and had trouble sleeping a few nights. As bad as that event was, he was once again awarded and given more prestigious position within The Council of The Qurious. The Council of The Qurious were a governing body within the empire, equal only to that of the Curious Chancellor whom at the time greatly admired Xa’anwarrd. The Quratorus was privy to many top-secret discussions and decisions allowing him to gain further understanding and power. Xa’anwarrd’s curiosities were further sated as he confiscated more and more documents and books of antiquity. The Qurious had not only once been divided and aggressive, he found that they were also…cultured. He had to learn the word through further study. The Qurious presently cared not for the culture of old no longer presenting or even discussing the basic facts of the history anywhere within the society. Current and new are better was what was taught even in historical classes with “historical” courses being mostly seminars on current events within the empire Xa’anwarrd came to realize. As Xa’anwarrd’s curiosities were increasingly satisfied they also grew and as they grew, he found that at times exhaustion overcame him that he had never known previously. Through his studies he came to believe the empire had eliminated its true heart by eliminating its real culture. He found himself becoming less apathetic than he had been and as he became more observant, and paranoid, he seen that it was not his age. His change in character was noticed by the Qurious Chancellor.
“Quratorus, you seem…different. Distracted at times during meetings. Surely your personal curiosities are not leading you in a downward spiral? As a concerned colleague, and friend, I took the liberty of ordering a file of your curiosities and they seem quite normal.” The Qurious Chancellor had called him to the Chancellorium in the middle of Zagdalopis on Zagdalon Prime and surprised him with this discussion. The Chancellor looked sincere as he spoke even lowering both bright yellow eyes and drooping his ears for good measure. The Quratorus knew better.
“Not the curiosities, Chancellor. I believe the honor of past service has been weighing on my mind. Simply realizing the long years it’s been since Nosstraulos,” Xa’anwarrd made sure to chuckle, smile slightly, and bow.
“Ah. Well, I can relate, of course. Serving curiosity is an honor but a heavy burden to live up to. We carry the burden of continuing a grand empire. As you know, there are Qurious in our ranks who have attempted damaging the sanctity of our governing bodies. Luckily all those efforts have failed. Even I have been targeted, but luckily those fiends underestimated me and the power I have gained through my own curiosities.” The Chancellor stopped almost letting his last statement hang as he looked at Xa’anwarrd as if to the part their ancestors called their soul.
Xa’anwarrd forced a smile, “And to that we are thankful, Chancellor. Your tenure as the Qurious Chancellor will be one long remembered.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, Quratorus. I am of the opinion that the people will remember your contributions over mine. I simply preside, you on the other hand have fought and guarded the empire and have been a major player in recent peacetime. Why your handling of the Vagtaxosin Vigrant Invaders was probably the most efficient use of our power of curiosity I’d seen in ages.” Xa’anwarrd forced a smile again. He remembered the Vagtaxosin Vigrants and the nights of sleep he lost after the little war when he heard the details concerning the cost of peace.
“I’m flattered, Chancellor. How about we agree that we both serve the greater good of The Qurious,” Xa’anwarrd said with a bigger smile with hands turned out and open.
The Qurious Chancellor let out a purr and began laughing, “You may deny it, but your time on the Council of The Qurious has turned you into quite the politician, Quratorus Xa’anwarrd.”
“Chancellor, politics is one area that I am most assuredly not curious about,” Xa’anwarrd said with a smile and slight bow of his head.
“Ah but my boy, you’re already in,” the Chancellor said with the air of lightness, but the undertones were clear.
Xa’anwarrd left his meeting with the Qurious Chancellor with clear understanding of the threat to his standing, position, and life. The Chancellor had grown to see him as a threat. One amongst a growing crowd he surmised but not a crowd one desired to join. The Qurious Chancellor also made clear to inform Xa’anwarrd of the outcomes of threats to the great Chancellor. He knew there was no going back now. However, there was possibly a way out.
***
Slowly, carefully, Quratorus Xa’anwarrd Nosstraulos became less involved in certain areas he was privy and privileged to. In time he found his way out and more. Contact and forms of interaction with extraterrestrial entities, from Xa’anwarrd’s observations, had shown a dramatic increase with the relative version of peace his tenure as Curatorius had brought. Xa’anwarrd brought forth a move to the Council of The Qurious to build a new station in orbit of Nosstraulos to monitor and, if need be, serve as vanguard to any future incursion.
The Council approved and so too did the Chancellor as he happily finalized the motion and plans. The station would completely replace the one he had served on all those many years ago. Xa’anwarrd’s goals were clear. He would return to his home to begin healing himself and the planet he had once called home. Initially the QuriGuard Defense Station Xan was military only; however, overtime Xa’anwarrd Nosstraulos implemented his plans. Nosstraulos QurAcademia was instituted within the station for both civilian and military purposes. Other facilities were added later such as hospitals, databraries, a planetary spaceport, and much smaller and larger additions following. Nosstraulos was slowly growing in popularity. Xa’anwarrd used that to his advantage for the planet, himself, and The Qurious Empire. Quratorus Xa’anwarrd accomplished a great deal serving in this capacity and as his success began speaking for itself the Council appointed him and QuriGuard Defense Station Xan of Nosstraulos the head of extraterrestrial contact and defense. From that moment on Xa’anwarrd had more power and means to achieve his goals than he ever imagined possible.
***
The years went on and on. So too did the peace from beyond. QuriGuard Defense Station Xan, or QDSX, proved most efficient in defense of The Qurious and its empire. Xa’anwarrd served personally as first contact to those coming from the beyond and in almost all instances brokered peace before the next step was required to the include the Council of The Qurious. Aggressive contacts or blatant hostiles were handled carefully but with promise, not threat. Xa’anwarrd provided thorough account and documentation of the Vagtaxosin Vigrant Invader incident and aftermath to all possible aggressors or hostiles. Only on one occasion had this tactic failed and as a result skirmishes ensued. Following those were a few more sleepless nights for Xa’anwarrd.
As the run and absolute control over the QDSX fell under Quratorus Xa’anwarrd so too did documentation and accounts that left the station; therefore, essentially all forms of defense encounters to the beyond met his desk first. Xa’anwarrd found himself making slight alterations and then on occasion major ones to files of various sorts for the sake of The Qurious as well as those who could fall prey to their curiosities. As time passed, his goals shifted. No longer was he content to protect. His curiosities had shown him of the Zagdalon of old and as the years went by he found his mind, body, and soul longing for that ancient time.
Xa’anwarrd began feeding the culture of old back into The Qurious. Slowly at first. Anonymous leaks into the databraries at random, then to universities at random, and then finally to Zagdalonians specifically who he seen through their curiosity files were on the path he had been on many years ago. Older age had brought a patient temper to his fervor to achieve his goals. Incidents began to change from disastrous science experiments to university protests, citizen arrests for various infractions frowned upon, and even reports in imperial news of proportions in curiosities shifting towards histories and cultural topics of old. Xa’anwarrd began smiling more without thinking to do so. For a time.
Incidents of the nature that made him smile began to make him frown. The Qurious Chancellor quickly became outspoken against this shift in The Qurious. His disappointment, displeasure, and absolute distaste of the entire thing was so obvious one of the mindless bio-botanical clones that had brought disaster upon Nosstraulos long ago could have seen. Control of curiosity began to be an obvious agenda of the Chancellor, no longer subtle and behind the scenes. Incidents increased in frequency and ferocity.
The Qurious Chancellor at one point brought death to a protest turned riot. It was at that the Quratorus of The Qurious became treasonous. Xa’anwarrd began plotting. Military coups were conspiracy theories being thrown around but Xa’anwarrd sent word to the Chancellor in a very political fashion to assure his safety from such problems coming from Nosstraulos. No, Xa’anwarrd would not overthrow the Chancellor. Instead, he would be the Quratorus. Xa’anwarrd began secretly contacting those with similar interests as he. He fed information to those beginning the fight for the curiosity of old. Leaders emerged alongside various organizations fighting for different things; however, with the Quratorus’ anonymous guidance they formed into an alliance that became a powerful minority known as The Alliance of the Arts. Xa’anwarrd had transitioned his professional focus on looking beyond the borders of The Qurious that his lack of active participation in putting down what the Chancellor deemed “rebellions” went unnoticed after careful maneuvering on his part to make QDSX where his duty lay. The Chancellor and most of the Council were quite furious at his decisions, but they were too preoccupied with the rising to stay focused on him.
Time came and time went. Still, Xa’anwarrd the Quratorus, watched the beyond and the happenings from within. Xa’anwarrd had picked up the hobby of keeping a secret journal of his life, observations, and anything else he deemed important. As a hobby it helped him relieve stress as it was like telling someone all his secrets without fear of them going public. One of his observations he discussed thoroughly within his journal was desensitization of the events from the rebelling minority. Now, it seemed the majority had grown accustomed to the events that had caused great uproars originally.
Disheartening; however, perhaps the means of history and culture’s return was not a mass rising but a slow steady leak into the hearts and minds of all with each individual capable of deciding and creating themselves. Throughout all, it seemed to lead Xa’anwarrd here, at the main bridge of the QuriGuard Defense Station Xan serving as the vanguard to The Qurious. Xa’anwarrd and the station seemed to have been one and the same, for now. Mortality was a growing familiarity to the anonymous guardian. Perhaps, he thought, one day the next Quratorus would fill both his public and private positions. Perhaps not. It seemed to the current Quratorus, that as death grew nearer for him the future grew ever brighter for the empire. A minor alarm began to ring at the monitoring station of the bridge. The sound yanked him from his deep musings.
“Quratorus, one of our long-distance scanners has picked up a faint signal. Translation is coming in slow,” exclaimed a young officer.
“Very well. Let’s see what it has to say.” Xa’anwarrd moved closer peering at the monitor. He assumed it would be a small cargo ship, debris, or something else of little significance. The vast majority of the action of his job now consisted of such he thought contentedly.
“Translation is still coming through, but our scans have confirmed that it is a craft…of some sort. Quratorus.” The young officer’s ears twitched as he stiffened in an attempt to hide the slight embarrassment.
“Craft of some sort, eh?” Xa’anwarrd raised a brow and showed a smile to ease the young officer’s tension. “Not every day can have possible invasions can they.”
“No, sir.” The young officer visibly showed relief as both long purple ears drooped out of their stiffened state. So too did the rest of his body. “It seems the craft is sending out a message, Quratorus. A rough translation coming through now.”
“Very good. Let’s have it.” Throughout the duration of his tenure in this position he could remember similar instances as this, but not many.
“The craft itself has been dubbed, Voyager One. Voyager One represents The States of The United…and comes from…earth? I’m sorry Quratorus, this translation obviously needs more analyzing. The monitor has also notified me that the craft carries bits of music and such of these people.” The officer’s disappointment was obvious as he spoke. Xa’anwarrd felt quite the opposite compared to his subordinate.
“Well, I look forward to receiving the data. Don’t worry yourself with the details. Let the machines do their work and then send all that is collected to me. I will enjoy uncovering the mystery of the earth worshippers known as The States of The United.” Xa’anwarrd smiled at the young officer and then let out a chuckle and a shrug as he turned to head back to his command desk. “Who knows, maybe my prediction is right, or wrong. Either way, I must satisfy my curiosities.”
“Yes, Quratorus,” the young officer replied returning the smile with a light chuckle of his own as he returned to his duties.
Whoever these people were, The Quratorus Xa’anwarrd Nosstraulos would find out the truth. Then as he had done countless times now, he would doctor his findings to protect not only The Qurious but these unsuspecting aliens as well. Perhaps he will get caught this time? Perhaps not. One day, perhaps, his journals would be discovered, and he would be imprisoned or executed. Perhaps not. Perhaps one day before death comes for him, he would allow his journals to be passed down to those he could trust with the legacy. Perhaps.
