Excerpts from the Journal of Merchant Prince Sallah ibn Selah, during his journey to the homeworld of the Silent-Ones, Zion, confiscated by agents of the Holy Guard.
… As we pass back into "realspace", coming out of another one of the quasi-stationary "gates" of the Silent-Ones, I am greeted by the sight of this fine-looking world, mostly covered with water, but sporting what I count to be seven distinct land masses, two of which are buried under icy polar caps. The Gate is somehow anchored to hover in between the two moons of this planet – two small moons far enough out that they maintained a curious double-orbit, I am told, spinning about each other while they simultaneously orbited about the planet, along with countless satellites.
This is Zion, homeworld of the Silent-Ones, and their most sacred place. It is also home to some of the most lucrative trade to be found with the Silent-Ones, and I pray to my sires that I make a favorable impression – not that I honestly believe that they'll answer. It just doesn't hurt to be prepared, just in case. Although the Silent-Ones have their creation myths, our scientists believe that they evolved here much as we did, from creatures exhibiting feline characteristics – a parallel evolution, for while they share many superficial similarities to our people, they are most certainly alien.
So holy is their world to them, that once they gained the ability to leave it, and to live in space or on other planets, they partitioned off large sections of the planet, dubbing it "holy ground". The entire planet is the property of their theocracy. Large portions of it are devoid of settlements, as nature has been allowed to reclaim the land, with only the occasional monastery, and "pilgrim" settlements that exist to accommodate those Silent-Ones who make the journey to visit the homeworld and the countless shrines built upon it.
The cities of Zion – those that are truly worth considering, that is – are built in space, as orbital stations. Lords and ladies of sufficient wealth and power have smaller stations all to themselves, as palaces in the sky, whereas the larger stations are not only way stations for ships, but home to what population there is to be found here. Less than one billion people live on Zion, and a significant portion of that number is in orbit.
Lest anyone think that the Silent-Ones have become so attuned with nature that they refuse to despoil it, one should be reminded that they have covered entire planetoids with artificial construction, displacing wildlife, foliage and even other species on their colony worlds and outposts. Their special treatment of Zion is on account of a reverence of their ancestors, rather than some lofty goal of coexistence with nature.
Back to the matter of these cities, my first stop is at the orbital city of Zion – referred to by the same name as the planet, though I find it more clear to dub it "Zion City" to differentiate it. The sign that we translate as "Zion" is unique, and we only have the phonetic because the Silent-Ones have associated their homeworld with a city of the Terrans that was known by such a name, and it is far more distinctive than to just call it "Homeworld" or "Capitol".
With any luck, I will be able to secure this trade for spices, and cement a lasting relationship that will bring wealth and prestige to my clan. Sires, this is the hope and dream of your progeny! Do not let me down!
I am doing my best to figure out the Silent-Ones. They have had contact with the other empires for millennia, yet they still seem to be fairly limited in regards to certain areas of technology that others would consider to be fairly basic.
Although the Silent-Ones have access to gravitic technology, they seem inclined to use more primitive methods when given a chance. Zion City is a cylindrical station spinning upon a central axis, greatly complicating the process of docking, and limiting access to one of two ports at each end. The docking facilities are split into two separate sections in the center of each end.
The rest of the station is comprised of ring sections, and only the outermost portions are actually used. The innermost areas are home to machinery that powers the station, and wide open areas that give what passes for a "sky" for the artificial gardens.
I've heard various names for the materials employed by the Silent-Ones. The Terrans like to use hybrid descriptive (and ultimately inaccurate) names like "synthcrete" or "plastone", and the signs used by the Silent-Ones are unique enough to defy easy translation. In any case, the interior has the appearance of being crafted out of stone, even to the point of discolored veins running through pseudo-marble, and hints of weathering and cracking … the sort of thing in a space station that should inspire fear into the heart of any space-traveler, I would think. They are also fond of their gardens and waterfalls, and endless decorative windows of colored glass (or artificially-made crystal). Statues glower down at passersby, or hide their faces behind elaborate masks. Crystal structures cause curious displays as light reflects and refracts within them.
The Silent-Ones are fond of optical technologies. In fact, they have many ways of conveying their language when finger-wiggling or written text won't suffice. I am to understand that certain musical sequences represent words for them, but stranger yet is that the same is true for certain patterns of flashing light. They use the latter for announcements and alarms, in areas where they would rather not disturb the quiet, such as their many monasteries and nunneries.
Their circuitry is almost entirely optical, except for technologies acquired out-system. They also make extensive use of hydraulics, as their warriors feel the need to march about in suits of powered armor, even when in civilian environments … or, that is, what normal people would consider "civilian". The Silent-Ones are so militaristic that perhaps they haven't any concept of such a thing. Still, it can't be said for them that they have no aesthetic sense – nor that they are masters of efficiency. The gardens and "stained-glass windows" are a prime example of that, as is their fetish for powered armor and gaudy robes and all manner of heraldry and pomp and circumstance.
I have yet to see a Silent-One who was devoid of some sort of distinguishing jewelry, even amongst the military – I suppose that is an offshoot of the fact that Silent-Ones have so little genetic deviation compared to other sapient species. Some variation has arisen over time thanks to space travel and settling on other worlds, but it's not such a gross exaggeration when you hear a Terran claim that Silent-Ones "all look alike". Some of the more religious wear gaudy veils or decorative helms, even if they aren't otherwise decked out for war. Others wear wire-work jewelry that works its way across their faces, spelling out their names and sometimes more to those who know how to read them. I should learn more about this, to see if there might be some untapped market for luxury items here … or perhaps certain materials that would be considered more desirable to make these "jewelry-masks". …
… It has occurred to me that what the Silent-Ones have done to their homeworld may well be a shrewd thing after all. In matters of interplanetary war, it is all too easy for one side – willing enough to expend enough resources to do so – to destroy (or, at the very least, make uninhabitable) a planet owned by the opposing side. My own people lost their homeworld back in the dawn of the recorded history of the Khatta, and we almost lost our entire civilization – Now, we are nomads, unwilling to point to any world and call it our homeworld, lest we open ourselves up to heartbreak, should an enemy decided to strike at it in a juggernaut attack.
For the Silent-Ones, they still have a vulnerability in that their worlds could be attacked, rather than living upon vessels that can flit amongst the stars at will. However, they have turned the heart of their empire into something other than the most tempting of targets. If an enemy were to get into the business of planet-smashing, there are far more tactical targets that would first present themselves. Zion itself is almost empty, by the reckoning of the space-faring peoples, and destroying the planet itself would have almost no effect upon the power structure of the Empire of the Silent-Ones. Of course, it would have a demoralizing effect, but it would leave the Silent-Ones with no less ability to exact revenge as a way of dealing with their loss. If the planet were destroyed, the stations would most likely survive, and their more impressive vessels could actually tow them through the Gate … provided that it remained stable, or could be realigned in the wake of the planet's destruction. …
… The Silent-Ones are widely regarded as prudes by outsiders, but it depends upon what part of the Empire one sees. Most of the time, their only contact with outsiders is through emissaries, and for the longest time, the idea of allowing an outsider such as myself to the homeworld was unthinkable. However, matters have relaxed over the last few generations, though I do not expect anytime soon that too many will be taking up any offers of hospitality on the part of the Silent-Ones. They have very strict standards of propriety – no wandering about in the fur, unless you are a Vykarin, for instance – and, depending upon the "severity" of the violation and how sensitive the area was where the breach occurred, the penalty could be quite severe. I've made sure to keep my companions on board the vessel. Bless their hearts, but they're obstinate enough to disobey me and cause a disturbance in public. I'd hate to see any of their pretty little heads roll for it.
As I understand it, though, these restrictions are nowhere near as severe on the colonies. Some of them have been influenced by indigenous cultures, while others have more contact with outside civilizations. The trouble is, while they have want for all manners of goods, they typically have nothing of value to offer.
I've also learned that the spice I am transporting is regarded as being quite illegal. My brother is either an idiot for not looking into this further, or else maybe he was hoping that there would be an "incident" and that he'd be one step closer to being the heir of dear Father's fortunes. Fortunately, our customer was very discreet, and I managed to bargain up the price for my trouble. I still came out of this with far less than the risk warranted. Zebba will pay for this. …
… Priests, priests, everywhere priests. It seems sometimes as if the whole population has been ordained, but that's not actually the case. I am not entirely clear on the concept of how it is decided who gets this honor and who does not, but it seems that those destined for greatness are trained in the ways of the priesthood, even if their vocation is that of warrior or craftsman or politician. Those who have received this extra training are considered to be priests, even though they may never do anything that one would associate with being a priest … aside from, perhaps, burning heretics and such. Maybe they want to make sure that warriors have the training they need to give "last rites" to the dead?
In any case, anyone who is to be a great ruler is expected to be a spiritual leader as well, and must be learned in not only their Holy Book, but seemingly countless commentaries and other related texts. It would seem that the Holy Book itself is beyond the comprehension of anyone with common sense, so there must be priests to rearrange the theological jargon to explain it for them.
Of course, there are priests who actually do priestly work. Many of them, I take it, were once warriors and such, but retired from military duty … to weak to break bones, so they bless cubs now. I gather that there are several divisions within this religion – some sects appear to require that these priests all be male and celibate. But I've also seen priests who have wives – perhaps married while they were warriors, and kept when they retired. I've seen female "priests" as well, but I've not seen any of them leading services in the cathedrals of the Silent-Ones – they seem to be exclusively of the sort of "priest" that actually serves in some other capacity – warrior, craftsman, politician, et cetera. – or else they are with the nunneries.
I am not quite sure what to call the "real priests" – the ones who actually do the business of tending to temples and leading worship. So far as I can tell, the Silent-Ones make no distinction in terminology, but I perceive that they still tend to revere these priests a bit more than the "warrior-priests" and their ilk. …
… Today, I am touring the surface. A wonderfully naive priest seems to think that he is making progress in preaching the Star to me. I sense that, as much as I will miss bringing my darlings along, I may find it more profitable to leave them behind. The concept of harems is disturbing to the Silent-Ones, the sign of "pagans". I've made a point of purchasing some holy writs and religious jewelry, so that I can better learn to play the part of a "converted heathen". For now, though, I am playing the part of a friendly pagan, hungry for the "light". I won't make any great money out of this, but it might be useful for future contacts – I could come back, "converted", make a bunch of spotted priests happy, and I may earn some positive referrals out of the bargain. In the meantime, as long as I'm willing to suffer through the claptrap with a smile on my face, this is a splendid opportunity to learn the lay of the land.
There are numerous cities on the surface, located near shrines and holy sites of greatest importance to the Silent-Ones. Although they thankfully make use of some of the most basic of conveniences and necessities of civilized life, they seem compelled to put on airs of living in simple ways. While airfoils are used to traverse the planet, and shuttles to reach the orbital cities, only beasts are allowed to traverse the land across the surface – no wheeled or tracked vehicles. A notable exception to this is powered armor: they don't even think of walkers as "vehicles", but rather as just progressively more advanced armor for their warriors. Therefore, lumbering bipedal machines can occasionally be seen traversing the planet, but even those are restricted from the most holy of places. (But then, in the most holy of places, even footwear is prohibited, so it is small wonder.)
So far, I have not seen any tanks or treaded vehicles anywhere amongst the Silent-Ones. It would seem that transport is only by flight or by walking, whether by one's own locomotion or that of a machine. Never mind the efficacy of something as simple as a mobile weapons platform on treads for traversing the soil … they seem compelled to use far more complex machinery to accomplish the same thing … and to present a much higher profile as a target, as well. It is small wonder that the Silent-Ones have only managed to conquer primitive peoples. They would be torn apart in any serious conflict against a culture that possessed basic industrial technologies.
What's even more laughable is that they have actually constructed vehicles that look for all the galaxy like mechanical beasts … and they ride these things around! I suppose that powered armor is not the best way of travel over long distances. After all, as I understand it, the warrior inside that robot suit is still walking … It's just that he has mechanical assistance and the benefit of a longer stride, and maybe some boosters and shock absorbers to let him make impressive leaps. Still, with all that, the "wearer's" legs are going to wear out.
These beast-machines are either quadrupeds or hunched-over bipeds (suggesting an oversized mechanical Vykarin in form), with a spot on the back for the rider to sit, and a harness to make sure he isn't thrown off. I've no idea how they direct the movement of these machines – I suspect that a computer determines placement of the feet, following the general guidance of the rider. I haven't been up close to see if the rider uses a control stick or levers or some more complicated interface.
Regardless, these machines are obviously overly complicated, and are products of restrictions imposed by religion, rather than practical necessity. The same resources required to build one of these machines could have been used, I dare say, to create three tracked vehicles of comparable speed, power and armor, and provide a more comfortable (and better armored) cockpit for the driver and passengers. …
… From what I have gleaned of the religion of the Silent-Ones, it is divided into countless sects, though by and large the whole population reveres an entity known as the Star, and respects a mortal man known only as Archon (both as name and title). This Archon is expected to be prophet and king. The present Archon is aged and decrepit, and although he's supposed to be a glorious sword-swinging hero, the honor of leading the warriors into battle has gone to underlings.
The heir-apparent is a curious figure who really plays into the religious overtones that pervade all of Silent-Ones life. He presents himself as a prophet, but there are plenty who make him out to be some sort of messiah … although it's not clear quite what the Silent-Ones need a messiah for, since they're doing pretty well for themselves right now. I've heard that he has some sort of birth-mark on his forehead that, by ancient traditions, marks him as a chosen of the gods (or, that is, god – this is a monotheistic faith, after all) or something else portentous along those lines.
It's claimed far and wide that this fellow can perform "miracles". So far, it doesn't seem to be much of anything that couldn't be accomplished with a little bit of technological ingenuity, except that he's supposed to be able to do this with a wave of his hand (literally). Among these are claims that he has healed the sick, given sight to the blind (without cybernetics or cloned parts replacements), and even that he has raised the dead – the latter being among his most vociferous supporters, and almost always having considerable influence and wealth. The Star must be choosy about who gets raised from the dead – no paupers, misfits or hangers-on here. …
… Everything has changed. I am a new Khatta. I was offered a chance to see this prophet for myself. I figured that I couldn't pass up the chance. I told myself that it might be a good opportunity to build up a network of contacts for future trades … but I was only lying to myself. Even then, I was yearning for something more, but simply hadn't the courage to admit it.
I was taken to the Orbital Palace of Divine Light, a magnificent structure the likes of which has been unmatched by any architecture made by mortal hands in any age, and which I dare say looks as if it has been transmuted into the material plane directly from the Great Beyond. The Prophet Himself greeted me, and led me away from his Disciples, and as He showed my eyes the beauties of the architecture and the dazzling gardens of living crystal within His estate, He also shared with me the most profound mysteries of the universe. His signs were so lofty, so perfect, that I cannot even remember precisely what was signed, and I would be ashamed to even try to repeat them. When I try, what I have to sign or say seems like inane gibberish and vague "feel-happy" phraseology compared to the profundities that issued forth from this Prophet. I was once highly regarded for my photographic memory, but even it seems insufficient to fully grasp such wonders. I am but an idiot in the face of such wisdom.
I had once erroneously believed that the faith of the Silent-Ones was a mutation of religions imported by missionaries of the Terrans – in the days before their current irreligious state. However, I have learned that the true faith of the Silent-Ones dates far before that, and that, far from being a stagnant, monotheistic religion, there are multiple Ascended Ones, the Star being most prominent amongst them, and His beloved Bride being second among them. I learned of the teachings of prophets who were once revered before the suppression inspired by the missionaries, and of the prophesies of an incarnation of the Star and his Bride. Although the Prophet did not make any such claim, I cannot help but to believe in the deepest portion of my heart that the Prophet is indeed this very incarnation. After all, He bears the mark upon His forehead – the same one shown on the images from the illuminated manuscripts, showing the Lord of the Gods, the Master of Light.
I eagerly anticipate when a Prophetess may appear to complete this prophesy – Her likeness as depicted in the ancient statues and inscriptions is so wonderfully bizarre that when She appears, there will be no doubt as to Her identity, and Her arrival will be marked by the most wondrous of miracles, as Her mortal avatar is brought back from the grave and given a new and perfect form.
I have pledged my heart and soul to the purpose of this Prophet and the coming Prophetess, and to that end, I shall depart back for Clan Selah. I shall spread the word to my brethren, and we shall use our resources to assist the Prophet. If they do not comprehend the Light, then I shall have to take more drastic measures, and assure that I shall be the inheritor of my father's resources, so that I may put them to use in the service of the Prophet.
Praise be to the Star and Prophet!
