Metamorphosis - Jean Lorrah [31]
“Because the people of my land are in dire need, while we have things the people of Tosus need equally. When our population was small, we had enough of the proper foods to give everyone a healthy diet. But much of Atridia is rocky highlands. We graze seja
there, use their wool, their milk, their meat, and have plenty we could trade with other lands for the grains and fruits our land will not grow in the quantities our people need. If the gods would but allow it,” she concluded sadly.
“Why do the gods not allow it?” Data asked.
“You don’t know?” she asked in surprise.
“No, I do not.”
“Do you mean that that story also has been lost in your land? Or that you have never been told it?”
“I have never been told it,” Data replied, avoiding admitting that he did not come from one of Elysia’s lands.
“It is the oldest of stories,” she said. “When the gods first placed our people on Elysia, all were in one great land. With the aid of the gods, the Elysians grew and thrived—until they began to quarrel with one another over the best land, food, property, even marriages. The quarrels grew into a great conflict, and the Elysians began to kill one another. “The gods saw that our people were still as children, to fight over what should be decided according to the common good.
Therefore they divided the people into many separate lands, with the great swamp all in between, so that none might do battle with another land. It is said that the people were so enamored of war that they tried to defy the gods, raising armies that died attempting to cross the swamp for no reason other than to kill people they thought were their enemies.”
Thelia shook her head at such inexplicable foolishness. “After a time, the attempts were abandoned. Each group of Elysians learned to survive in their own land. Peace brought prosperity, and the gods smiled 86 upon them once again. Eventually a few were allowed to cross the swamp and undergo the Quest, but only those who proved themselves worthy. And so it is to this day.”
Thelia’s voice grew softer, and a yawn interrupted. But she continued, “In Atridia, we understand how foolish it is to fight over what may be properly divided by peaceful means. We hope the gods will understand … that we … have grown up.”
Her words trailed off. Thelia snuggled sleepily against Data, growing relaxed and heavy as she settled into slumber. He held her, pondering the story she had told, wondering if the gods would allow what she was asking, considering that they had separated the Elysians in the first place.
The legend corroborated what Enterprise sensors had discovered: the planet could not have evolved its population, and the habitats could not exist naturally.
Could these “gods” possibly be a surviving colony of the legendary Preservers, who had once gathered endangered intelligent races from around the galaxy and “seeded” them on uninhabited planets?
What a discovery that would be! Starfleet had been searching for further information on the Preservers for over two hundred years.
There was little enough in Data’s memory banks about the Preservers. He accessed records on similar guarded colonies, of which there were few. As usual when one accessed Starfleet exploratory records, he came quickly to the name Enterprise, this time their own vessel, but Data did not have to call up Starfleet reports on the planet of the Edos; he had been there. Annoyingly, the being or beings those people called God had taken a great deal of information from him, 87 but given little in return. They had not demonstrated as much power as these Elysian gods-but then, they had not had occasion to, for the Enterprise had backed off at their mere approach. Data added another question to the long list he would ask the Elysian “gods” if this Quest finally did bring him face to face with them.
Thelia slept on, secure in Data’s arms.
Nothing disturbed them as the hours passed, although Data had set his sensors to bring a full scan of their surroundings to his central consciousness every ten minutes while his attention was occupied elsewhere.