Meanwhile, the Coruma had gained atomic power and ramship-drive, and settled about six colony worlds. While these worlds were fighting bitter colonial wars, Daamin and Hchevidiire landing parties set down on two Coruma worlds.
A Coruman named Dettalean Gankeh created the most awesome war-machine ever built, a vast amalgamation of advanced computer circuits and living minds, controlling the whole military force of the Coruman race. This war machine, created with the aid of Den and the blessing of Ka, became the Gergathan. Soon, it absorbed the personality of Dettalean Gankeh, and then it started its long war against life itself.
The Seven Races held conclave and made peace in the threat of the Gergathan. Many Corumans, fearing their own creation, joined the alliance. That long war continued for 1,500 years until one Coruman -- Dirunde Forriva -- became the main agent of the Seven Races.
Dirunde Forriva, accompanied by his spouse, travelled to Messilinia and stood in Geva Ganloohen, the Place of Despair, before the Gergathan itself. Forriva carried one of the Singing Stones, to serve as a focus for all the life-energy of the galaxy -- the only weapon capable of destroying the Gergathan. The Gergathan offered Forriva and his friend ultimate power, but they triumphed, and the blow was delivered. Yet at the last instant Forriva, pitying the war-machine and loathe to lose all its sophisticated circuitry, blunted his blow. The Gergathan was all but destroyed, yet still its empty circuits remained, and undetected sparks of life remained. This attack against the Gergathan was later called "Forriva's Strike."
In the war, Messilinia was all but destroyed in nuclear holocaust. The Daamin, Hechevidiire, and Evellan accepted Coruma survivors on all their worlds, and even settled some new planets (notably Maela Gres).
During the next thousand years, the planets of the Seven Races were fairly autonomous. Ramships were replaced by the slower light-sail vehicles, and physical contact between planets grew less frequent. Some telepathic contact was maintained. Daamin breeding experiments resulted in the Coruma becoming more peaceful. The Seven Races settled down to simple, non-technocratic lifestyles in a loose association of worlds.
Then, on Maela Gres, a descendant of Dirunde Forriva named Gaban Taroman conceived the idea of bringing all the Seven Races together under one benevolent government. Taroman found the ideal agent for his dream on Messilinia -- the dead-but-salvagable circuits of the Gergathan. So he went there, and raised the useful parts of the Gergathan, and proclaimed the Pylistroph....
copyright (c) 2009, Don Sakers
Find out more on The Scattered Worlds site
Like the blog? Send the author a donation.
Subscribe in a reader
No comments:
Post a Comment