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About the Author
Chris Petroff was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1977. He has a Bachelor of Accounting from Monash University and is currently working as a Chartered Accountant for a large accounting firm in Melbourne. He also has a Diploma of Music from the Australian Music Examinations Board and is an experienced piano player and composer. Chris has always had an interest in physics and scientific theories of the universe. Furthermore, as a child, he loved to escape to the mysteries and adventures of the new worlds created in children’s fantasy books. It is the combination of these two interests that inspired Chris to write. Chapter 1: The Warning
It was midnight and Earth II was in complete darkness, with the exception of the full moon. It shone a mysterious shade of red that seemed to scorch the sky and call out a silent warning – a warning of immense danger and impending death! Eugene sat calmly in his apartment, looking out of the dirty window into the sky. He knew what the red moon meant, but he did not allow himself to enjoy the moment… not yet… not until the task was complete. Eugene re-focused his eyes and saw his reflection in the window. He was much more pleased with his appearance than he had been six years ago. His hair was now long and dyed black, with a greasy shine that created a stark contrast against his dry pale skin. The thick, black-rimmed glasses were gone, replaced long ago by contact lenses, and the tattoo of the crucifix had been removed from his forehead. The self-removal of the tattoo from his forehead had seemed the logical thing to do, once Eugene had discovered the truth. Of course, the scar that remained proved to be much more unsightly than he had expected. Fortunately, at that point in time, his reflection in the dirty window was sufficiently blurred that it did not reveal the full extent of the grotesque act that could only be described as self-mutilation. Eugene peered quickly at his watch. It was almost time – he could feel it. His heart began to pound and he allowed himself a small smile, before closing his eyes and picturing the future of Earth II. What a wonderful feeling it would be to have complete power and control over the entire planet. This was his destiny, he was sure of it. And this time, nothing was going to stop him!
* * *
Mary Marsh stared into the telescope in disbelief. She had never seen the moon shine with such a mysterious shade of red, and she had been teaching astronomy for a very long time. She would need to get the photos to the observatory in the palace as soon as possible. But it was the middle of the night; she couldn’t just barge in and wake everyone up. Perhaps someone in the palace had already noticed the red moon. The galactic telescope in the observatory would give a perfect view of the ultra-violet rays. It would be the only way to discover the source of the phenomenon. Mary imagined what her students would say if she failed to follow through on this strange observation. Suddenly her mind was made up; she replaced the cap on the telescope, grabbed her black trench coat and hurried out of the house. If she ran, she could make it to the palace in twenty minutes. She thought of phoning ahead, so that someone could fire up the galactic telescope ready for her arrival, but changed her mind when she remembered how difficult it had been last time to crack the communications code. The security surrounding the palace was second-to-none. It was much easier to present herself in person. The night air was crisp and Mary struggled for breath as she ran through the dark streets. The moon was still shining the same mysterious shade of red. Mary’s mind was racing – there was no rational explanation for the strange colouring. No planetary gases or meteorites had been reported, and there were no supernovas within one million kilometres of Earth II. The red moon simply didn’t make sense – in fact, it was physically impossible. Deep down though, Mary knew that there was one explanation. She remembered the prophet’s warning, but immediately dismissed the thought from her mind. Suddenly, Mary stopped running. She could see something glowing in the sky – at first faint, but then growing brighter and more intense. Then, without warning, the entire sky was lit up by a colourful, dazzling glow. The illumination only lasted for a second, but was so bright while it lasted that Mary was temporarily blinded. She fell to her knees, clutching her face. Coloured dots began dancing in front of her and Mary began to panic – what had she just witnessed? Had she imagined it? It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It couldn’t have been a flash of lightning – the electricity would never disperse in such a way. And it couldn’t have been a meteorite burning up in the atmosphere – she would have detected it earlier through the telescope. So what was it? As her sight returned to normal, Mary slowly got to her feet. She needed to get to the palace immediately. Her heart was pounding, something was terribly wrong – she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. A flashback suddenly shot through Mary’s brain, and it chilled her to the bone. It was a memory from six years ago, when her favourite student had relayed to her the events that she had witnessed in a dream – a vivid dream involving a cornfield, a homestead and a violent storm. Mary had listened in awe as the sixteen-year-old girl had attempted to describe the way the sky had been lit up by a colourful, dazzling glow. ‘What was it like?’ Mary had asked. ‘What did it remind you of?’ And now, as Mary stumbled through the streets of Earth II in the middle of the night, praying that she would make it to the palace alive, the girl’s peculiar reply echoed painfully inside her head. ‘It was as if an alien had taken a gigantic photo of the entire planet!’
* * *
Ziggy picked himself up off the ground and examined his injuries. Fortunately, they were minor – a grazed right leg, just above his webbed foot, and his left arm had been scratched by the rough bitumen of the road he had landed on. He gently sucked the white blood dribbling from his arm and carefully removed the pieces of gravel wedged in his leathery skin. He shook his head disapprovingly as he recalled the incredibly bumpy ride he had just endured. He made a mental note to not only lodge a formal complaint when he returned, but to personally give Byron a piece of his mind. Their friendship aside, inter-planet transportation was supposed to be Byron’s complete responsibility, and yet it always seemed to be last on his list of priorities! Once he was satisfied that his injuries were not serious, Ziggy examined his surroundings. Earth II was quite a nice looking planet. He had heard a lot about it, but had never felt the need, or desire, to visit it… until now, of course. He was actually quite lucky to be selected. The panel had scrutinised every aspect of his life, before finally making the decision to send him to Earth II as their representative. It was an honour and a responsibility that he did not look upon lightly. Byron had warned him of the dangers, but Ziggy was well prepared. He knew that his entire planet was counting on him to recover the object that had been missing for hundreds of years… the object that was rightfully theirs and would save their civilisation from a certain death. Ziggy shuddered – if he failed his mission, his planet would surely come to an end. His instructions from Byron had been crystal clear – he was to recover the object, at any cost! Ziggy plodded through the dark streets of Earth II, his webbed feet feeling heavier and heavier by the minute. He was not used to breathing pure oxygen and he knew that his lungs would not withstand the atmosphere for a long period of time. His leathery skin felt dry and rough and he was having difficulty seeing in the dark, but he ignored his discomfort and focused on his mission. He needed to find a human being – any human being would do. He looked around, but there was no one around… only darkness. Surely someone had witnessed his arrival – the molecular restructure must have lit up the entire sky, so why hadn’t anyone come to investigate? Ziggy continued to plod down the street, until finally he spotted a human being. At first, it was nothing more than a flash of movement in the distance. But then, as it came closer, Ziggy could see that it was a middle-aged woman in a black trench coat. The woman was running towards him, paying no attention to where she was going. Her eyes were fixed upon the sky, making Ziggy guess that she had witnessed his arrival, or at least noticed the red moon. This was the perfect opportunity. Ziggy dragged himself awkwardly across to the other side of the street so that he was directly in front of the woman. ‘Excuse me,’ he muttered. But the woman didn’t hear him.
* * *
Mary was almost at the palace when she suddenly collided with an object in the darkness. She screamed in terror, clutching her heart as if to prevent it from escaping her chest. She tried to maintain her balance, but the impact was too great – she went head-over-heels onto the grass, rolling several times before coming to an abrupt stop in front of an old oak tree. ‘Oh, my goodness!’ exclaimed a voice in the dark. ‘I apologise sincerely. I had no intention of causing you any harm. Here, let me help you to your feet.’ Mary looked up and there in front of her was the strangest creature she had ever seen. I must be dreaming, she thought. This cannot be real… but it was! The creature in front of her was as real as the red moon and the colourful glow that had illuminated the sky – surely they must be related. This was certainly no coincidence. The creature that stood in front of her must have arrived from outer-space. An alien! From another planet! But why was it here? Mary studied the alien in detail, trying to process and accept what her brain was telling her. The alien seemed to be like a man, only a lot smaller. He was quite pear-shaped, with red, leathery skin and webbed feet. His head was round and smooth, with no hair and pinhole eyes. The alien was wearing a black and white suit with a bow tie, which seemed extremely odd, as if he had hired it for a special occasion. This, of course, was not far from the truth. Ziggy held out his hand politely and waited for the human to grab onto it. She did so, somewhat reluctantly, and Ziggy pulled her to her feet. He was surprisingly strong for someone half Mary’s size. ‘I’m sorry to have startled you,’ apologised Ziggy. ‘Please let me introduce myself, my name is Ziggy.’ Mary shook Ziggy’s hand cautiously. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Ziggy stared at her curiously. He was obviously waiting for her to say something. Eventually, Mary came to her senses. ‘My name is Mary Marsh,’ she whispered. Then she pointed towards the sky. ‘I think I saw you arrive.’ Ziggy smiled at Mary. He had no reason to be unfriendly. This was all about retrieving the object, and this woman would surely be able to help him. Of course, he would have no hesitation in exterminating her if she tried to jeopardise his mission. But, for now, he would assume that she was not a threat. ‘I don’t mean to cause any inconvenience,’ explained Ziggy, ‘but I was wondering if you could please take me to your leader.’ Mary’s heart skipped a beat. ‘My leader?’ she asked, unsure whether she had heard correctly. ‘Yes, your leader,’ repeated Ziggy. ‘Every planet has a leader, and I would like to speak to yours. I have urgent business to discuss and it must be tonight. I have a warning to deliver.’ Mary swallowed loudly. ‘I… I am on my way there, right now,’ she explained. ‘Excellent,’ enthused Ziggy, clapping his leathery hands together. ‘Let us waste no further time on small-talk. Your leader and your entire planet are in grave danger. Please take me to your destination immediately.’ Mary froze on the spot. There were so many thoughts running through her mind. Was this a trick? Should she try to escape while there was a chance? This alien could be dangerous – he could be trying to kill them all and take over Earth II. But, on the other hand, Mary felt that she could trust Ziggy. If he had wanted to take over the planet, he would have killed her by now. Or captured and tortured her! But instead, he was asking politely to be taken to her leader. If what he was saying was true and she refused to guide him to the palace, Earth II could be doomed – and she would be the one to blame. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself. She had to take the chance. Plus, security at the palace would protect them, so if Ziggy tried to hurt them, he would be apprehended in an instant. The palace was actually the safest place to be. So with her mind made up, she whispered, ‘Follow me.’
* * *
Ten minutes later, Mary and Ziggy arrived at the palace. Ziggy was extremely impressed; it was one of the most beautiful buildings he had ever seen. The palace was made entirely of marble, which had been sculpted into magnificent towers that rose majestically into the sky. The marble towers sparkled in the darkness, as if they were a constellation of stars. In the centre of the palace, high up in the clouds, was an enormous glass dome. Light rays were emanating from the dome, creating a gigantic spotlight, seemingly as big as the sun. Mary knew what that meant – someone was using the galactic telescope in the observatory. It was likely that someone in the palace had noticed the red moon, and perhaps also witnessed the colourful glow that had illuminated the sky. Mary sighed with relief. That would spare her from having to provide a lengthy explanation. Surrounding the palace was an invisible wall of impenetrable lasers. Mary motioned for Ziggy to stand clear while she rang the invisible doorbell. Ziggy stared in amazement – the technology on Earth II was much more advanced than he had previously thought. Byron would want to know all about it when Ziggy returned home. Out of nowhere, an amplified voice suddenly broke the silence of the night. It was a man’s voice, and it sounded both angry and concerned, ‘Mary, what are you doing here at this time of night?’ Mary recognised the man’s voice and she replied instantly, directing her voice towards the invisible microphone, ‘Please let us in – I beg you,’ she pleaded. ‘I know it’s late, but this is an emergency.’ The prophet’s warning was back inside her head. ‘Who is your friend?’ demanded the voice. Ziggy looked slightly uncomfortable. ‘He comes in peace,’ replied Mary, avoiding the question. ‘Now please let us in.’ Her tone was becoming much more desperate. ‘It is a matter of life or death. I know you have seen the bleeding moon and we both know what it means. Please hurry – we don’t have much time!’ Mary sighed heavily and felt close to tears. She had wanted to believe that there was a rational explanation for the red moon, but the more she thought about it, the more difficult it became to deny the truth. The prophet had been right! He had warned Mary in her dreams – others as well. They had all been told the same unmistakeable warning… Beware the bleeding moon – it is the sign of death! There was a long silence and Mary felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, she looked across at Ziggy apologetically. But then, unexpectedly, there was a faint clicking sound in front of them signalling the invisible doors had been unlocked! Ziggy stared ahead in amazement as a marble bridge suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The bridge stretched far into the distance, climbing slowly into the air until it reached the main entrance of the palace, which was situated high up in the clouds, directly below the glass dome. Mary smiled before stepping gently onto the bridge, closely followed by Ziggy. As they did so, they felt their feet being pulled along, as if they were on a conveyor belt. There was no need to walk – they were gliding along the bridge, smoothly ascending into the sky, and as they did, the bridge slowly dissolved behind them. Eventually, they reached the main entrance of the palace, where two enormous marble doors opened to greet them. A burst of light escaped into the night. Ziggy gasped in awe as he saw his first glimpse of the palace’s interior – the heavenly entrance hall was made entirely from gold and filled with gigantic statues of angels. It was the most amazing thing that Ziggy had ever seen, but this was just the beginning!
* * *
After a detailed interrogation by one of the bodyguards, Mary and Ziggy were led up the spiral staircase towards the observatory. Mary peered out of the spotless windows at the city below them, with its stunning buildings and glittering lights. Earth II was such a wonderful planet – Mary would do anything to protect it. Once at the top of the staircase, Mary and Ziggy cautiously entered the observatory, followed closely by the bodyguard. The observatory was essentially a large circular room with a retractable dome roof and a gigantic telescope in the middle. The telescope was pointing diagonally towards the moon, while nearby computers frantically printed diagrams and data that seemed to analyse every molecule of what was being observed by the telescope. Ziggy took a step closer. Standing in front of the telescope, with her back towards them, was a young woman with long, chestnut hair. The woman was wearing an elegant gown, lined with gold, and a petite crown of silver and diamonds. The woman was peering delicately into the telescope and seemed so immersed in what she was doing, that she had failed to notice she had company. The bodyguard coughed politely and the young woman spun around, her hair falling gently into place in its new position. Ziggy was speechless – before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her face was that of a goddess, with soft, milky white skin and deep, honest eyes. She was only twenty-two years old, but seemed to have the distinctive maturity and presence of royalty. The woman did not appear shocked by the sight of Ziggy – she simply smiled at him and offered her hand. ‘Welcome to Earth II.’ Her voice was soft and sweet. ‘My name is Penny.’
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