Capacitor Mountains

R'Kal Nevrest was a planetary scientist with Gibra's Society for Atmospheric and Planitary Research, or GSAPR. His people had been studying extreme abnormal conditions.

Thura had been inhabited by the Gialzik for thousands of years. Durring most of that time, the planet had been a stable place for life. The photons reaching the surface had provided sufficient energy for autotrophic lifeforms to sustain thriving ecosystems. Liquid Dihydrogen Oxide condensed and fell often enough and in the right places that the Gialzik could create agricultre, and developed civilization. The atmospheric gasses were in suficient balance, Gamma-T, and pressure differential that life had been relatively pleasant on Thura.

There were exceptions to these general planetary conditions. The Capacitor Mountains, in Mertikistan, were an exception to this rule. They had rarely been visited by anyone. Locals had believed that the mountains were a giant called Zaptiskri that shot electricity from his eyes. It wasn't until ninety years ago that the Gibraian explorer, Veda B'woyie, that outsiders knew about these strange peaks. Since the electronic age was just beginning, Veda named these lofty summits Capacitor Mountains.

In his diary, Veda is quoted "Never before have I witnessed such a frightful place." He wrote. "The tops of these infernal boulders are perpetually wreathed in great dark acummilations of gaseous Di-hydrogen Oxide. There is an almost perpetual phase change of said compound from gas to liquid. Most times, this is acompanied by great imbalances of electrical charge which equalises with blinding light. Many claim to know individuals killed when electrons travel from ground to the ever present Di-hydrogen Oxide gas nebulas. As if this is not frightening enough, the Gamma-T at the peak can rapidly head to low numbers, resulting in great spheres of solid Di-hydrogen Oxide falling from the sky. Sometimes these orbs prove more deadly than the near constant electrical discharge. It is a place the locals speak of in fear. Perhaps it is best for no living person to travel to these cursed mountains."

Despite Veda's less than glowing endorsement, adeventurers had decided to scale the Capacitor Mountains. As Thura's civilizations developed technologically and scientifically, the mountains became a place of pilgrimage for planetary scientists seeking to better understand atmospheric phenomena. GSAPR had sent R'Kal Nevrest there to study the highly electrically active area.

R'Kal Nevrest had disappeared shortly after arriving at base camp. That had been five years ago. Searches for any trace of him had ceased.

M'Tarni had been listening to his comm, getting an idea about what conditions would be like in the Capacitor Mountains. The reporter said it would be unusually nice today, the usual nebulas were not expected, ample photons, and no pressure imbalance. The average Gamma-T would be tolerable, not exessively high or low. It sounded like perfect conditions for a hike.

M'Tarni liked hiking very much. He had climbed trails through many a meadow, forest or ridge. However, the Capacitor Mountains had been on his bucket list for a long time. His mother had told him not to but M'Tarni's favorite explorer, Captain Emilarhund, had scaled the mountains about forty years before. He worshiped the Emilarhund's legacy so that meant M'Tarni had to go up the Capacitor Mountains.

He turned off his comm and checked the contents of his pack. Canteen, first-aid kit, dehydrated nutrient bars...it looked like everything M'Tarni needed was inside. He put on a light jacket and cap. "Mom;" he called out. "I'm leaving! I'll be back tomorrow evening. I love you." His mother, who was currently busy preparing morning meal, answered him. "I don't like that you're going!" She said. "But I can't stop you. Just know I'll be sending to mountain guard looking for you if you're not home in time! Love you, Nutling."

Nutling, M'Tarni hated that pet name ever since he'd become a teen. This time, since he was going off to Academy soon, he cut his mother some slack. "Okay!" He said, giving his mom a hug as he left the house.

As promised, conditions were excelent on the trail. Photons illuminated the landscape making the surrounding trees and plants a vivid emerald color. At midday, M'Tarni stopped and unpacked some food and his camp stove. He needed to keep his strength up, he still had a ways to go before reaching the highest summit.

M'Tarni had been about to drop a nutrient bar into the boiling Di-hydrogen Oxide when the photon levels decreased abruptly. He looked up and saw massive Di-hydrogen Oxide nebulas moving in. Then the Gamma-T dropped, M'Tarni began to shiver. He had unfortunately been looking up when the first orb hit him in the eye. He quickly brought his gaze down and shielded himself as more orbs the size of large grapes began to pelt his body.

It looked like the reporter had been incorrect. An imbalance of atmospheric pressure was trying to tear M'Tarni's jacket from his body. He searched franitically for a spot to shelter. The trees wouldn't protect him from the now growing spheres of solid Di-hydrogen Oxide, nor prevent him from being fried by the now rumbling electrical discharge.

A short distance from him, M'Tarni saw a cave almost half hidden by a large stone. It looked like there would be enough room to comfortably hide until the event passed. He scrambled inside pulling out his flashlight as soon as he was safe.

It's light provided too much revelation. The cave, larger than he had thought, was occupied. A group of large eyed, gray furred, short creatures pointed weapons of some sort at M'Tarni. Incredibly, even though their lips didn't move, there was a voice in M'Tarni's head. The being at the front, shielding its eyes, seemed to be the source. "Surface child!" It said. "You are tresspassing in our territory!"

Baffled, M'Tarni spoke out loud. "Me?" He asked. "But I'm just a hiker! I needed to protect myself from the violent event outside! I didn't know, uh, any, uh people lived up here." The voice spoke again. "Lower your light weapon, Surface Child!" It said. "Otherwise, you will be terminated!" M'Tarni complied once he realized the voice meant his flashlight.

"Look;" he said. "I didn't mean to tresspass...as soon as it's safe outside--" The voice spoke "You cannot leave!" It said. "You have seen us and heard our minds!" M'Tarni began feeling anxious. "I promise I won't tell anyone about you;" He said. A look of amusement and derission altered the hairy being's features. "Surface child;" it said. "Mellinia ago, when our people were stranded on your planet, our kind had such an agreement with your ancestors. That pact is no longer valid."

M'Tarni was now very scared. "What do you mean 'no longer valid.'?" He asked. "Your ancestors made an arrangement with our people." It said. "They told us that we could live in the caves of these mountains and they would leave us alone and tell no one of our existence." M'Tarni wasn't sure he understood. "Well I haven't heard anything." He said. "There's no stories about big eyed cave dwellers that I've heard."

"This is true;" the voice acknowledged. "But recently, our secret is now threatened by the increase in visits to this mountain by your kind. If more Surface Dwellers come, they will bring weapons and destroy our kind!"

"You don't know--"

"CEASE YOUR DEBATING! YOU ARE OUR CAPTIVE NOW! COME!"

The mental shout made M'Tarni's head hurt. The one who had spoken in his mind stepped forward and placed restraints on his wrists. The weapon the creature was holding was prodded into M'Tarni's back as motivation to fall into formation. The group's apparent leader walked behind him, two creatures walked on either side of him holding his arms and steering him down into the depths of the cave.

Eventually, M'Tarni adjusted to the gloaming light that came from bioluminescent lichens. Which didn't put him more at ease. Their march ended in a large subterrainian citadel lit by the same lichens. They took M'Tarni to a large metal cell built into a wall of the cave. "Inside now!" His captor ordered. "We will decide your fate later! You must not try to get out of confinement. If you do, we will be forced to use our Sonic Lasers to terminate your life."

It was no use resisting, the creatures were strong for their small stature. As the door crashed shut, M'Tarni thought about how miserable and hopeless he felt. He was just thinking about how sad his mother would be when an audible voice spoke. "So you're a guest of the S'Lee too now?" It asked.

M'Tarni startled, he had thought he was alone. The figure was barely visible in the low light and the face of the man was pale even beneath the unkempt beard. Still M'Tarni thought he recognised his cellmate's features. "You're R'Kal Nevrest!" M'Tarni exclaimed. "Everyone thought you were dead!" R'Kal frowned and looked down sorrowfully. "Yes," he said. "I suppose that was my name once. I've been called Surface Dweller for so long I almost didn't remember."

The youth had so many questions. "How'd you get captured? Why haven't you escaped?" M'Tarni thought a famous scientist ought to have figured out a way to return to civilization. Yet here was the missing man inside the same cell as he was. "It's hard to remember;" R'Kal said. "I think I was too close to their settlement. I haven't tried to escape since the first time. Back then, the S'Lee didn't use lethal force, so I only have scars from where their energy whips caught me around the legs." The battered man pulled up his pants to reveal a set of matching forked scars encircling his ankles. "I suspect there's been a regime shift." R'Kal said. "The S'Lee used to be a lot less agressive."

M'Tarni processed this information. "So that's it then?" He said. "I'm stuck here and I'm never going to see my family and friends." R'Kal put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's not the worst thing;" he told his new compainion. "This species treats it's captives well enough. You'll get used to your new life; they may even let you into their reccords hall."

None of this consoled M'Tarni. He went to the opposite wall and sulked. Now he wished he had let his mother talk him out of this hike.