A Rock is Still a Rock

“Holy crip! Look at this!” An awe-struck voice echoed down the tunnel.

Chandra Martyn’s eyes shifted from the highly polished black rock wall in front of her to the man kneeling twenty metres away at the tunnel’s end. He bent over something as if in prayer.

She could not leave her post to check on him. Her job meant standing guard, the emphasis on ‘standing’, not wandering around the diamond mine, chatting to any fool who happened to find some rock in the shape of something amusing.

Professor Roger Cornish, however, was an excitable engineer who picked up all manner of ‘curio’ that sparked his interest. His job was supposed to be to check the mine’s stability and potential for product. To her, a rock was simply a rock whether it glittered or not.

He eased to his feet and reverently stared down at the object in his hands, as if any sudden movement would cause catastrophe and brought it over to her.

She lowered her eyes. He couldn’t see beyond her helmet’s visor, but he wasn’t interested in her exasperated expression, only her comment on the wonderful discovery in his hands.

Chandra usually grunted and he went away happy, but when she dropped her eyes, her jaw did too.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Roger breathed.

The word was too… mundane for it: a pure crystal… no, diamond, already carved into the shape of a chalice. Impossible! These mines were freshly dug.

“How…?” Chandra tensed, lifted her eyes and braced to attention. It was against the rules to interact with anyone but other guards. But she saw him smile with understanding.

“I don’t know.” He replied, his finger brushed the smooth surface. “But only a diamond can cut diamond. This is an astonishing piece of craftsmanship.” He held it up towards one of the many lights dotting the ceiling of the tunnel. Rainbows flashed, bounced off the jet-black walls.

Chandra couldn’t help but see the beauty dancing in the air. But… a rock is a rock no matter how much it glitters.

Roger sighed, as if entranced, as if he’d found his life’s dream and was content. He tilted his head and then nodded.

She tightened her hand on her pistol as various expressions raced across his face: greed the most obvious.

Chandra knew a telepathic conversation when she saw it, knew when someone was in the grip of a mental fugue caused by another. Seen the results when the rebels on Modessa surrendered to the Gidari Pontefract. The alien spoke directly to their minds, directed them to kill everyone wearing a Federate uniform. The subsequent massacre of rebels still chilled her to this day. In the end, they’d managed to kill the Gidari, but not without losing half a battalion to ‘friendly’ fire.

She shook off the memory and watched the professor.

A chalice like this would bring millions; not for the diamond itself, though that would be worth much, but for collectors. This was a one of a kind in the known galaxy, in the known civilisations that populated the galaxy. And that meant there were a lot of unscrupulous, mega-wealthy collectors who would do anything, pay anything to own such a work of art.

“I must get this to the University.” Roger murmured, enraptured by cup.

Chandra slowly drew her weapon, held the pistol next to her thigh. “Indeed not, Dr Cornish, this belongs to the Dynas Mining Corporation.”

His blue eyes darted to hers; she could see his intent lurking.

“It’s mine. I found it.” He tucked the cup into his elbow.

“It’s the company’s. You are paid by them and anything you find is theirs by right, as it says in your contract.” She reminded him.

“Not this. This is special.” His eyes darted around the tunnel, checked for any witnesses.

“Do you know what this is?” He asked as if to avoid being overheard.

“Dr Cornish, this is me not caring.” Chandra said and lifted the com-unit.

Roger grabbed her hand, tugged it down. “This could make us rich beyond our wildest dreams!”

“I have no need for wealth.” Chandra said and attempted to lift her hand again. Roger held on to her for a moment, then released her, wandered back to the end of the tunnel and then came back to her.

“You can get this past security.” Roger said with a feral gleam.

“Yes,” Chandra agreed, “but I won’t. Now, put the chalice down and back away.”

Roger, to her surprise, did exactly that. More, he raised his hands as if in surrender and backed up to the end of the tunnel. There was no way he could take her unaware.

Still, she was suspicious and kept an eye on him even as she slowly crouched down to the cup. Her hand wrapped around it as she holstered her gun.

Greetings, sister. An alien voice murmured, and she stared down at the chalice, all thought of Cornish vanished.

If you take me out of here, I can make all of your dreams come true. The siren’s voice changed and images of herself transferring to a combat battalion, finding glory in battle, finding a handsome partner, children, wealth, a happy home ran through her mind in glorious technicolour. Everything she’d ever wanted and all she had to do was get this chalice out?

I can give you this and so much more.

“Why were you down here?” She asked.

Images of triumphant army, a leader holding the chalice aloft, setting it into a golden box, ran through her mind. A priest in a robe of black carried the box into the tunnels, set it into an altar; worshipers came from near and far to pay homage to the chalice until years past, then decades. The number of worshippers suddenly stopped. Centuries past and the chalice lay forgotten.

The world shook and the tunnel collapsed, destroyed the altar, crushed the box and hiding the chalice until… Roger dug it from its grave and brought it again into the light.

“Roger.” Chandra drew her eyes from the chalice to the grinning man at the end of the tunnel. “Do you have the golden box?”

Roger shook his head and then stared pointedly at the chalice. “It speaks to you; listen to it.”

For eons have I rested here. It is time for me to be free; you can do that. If you have the courage.

Chandra felt vaguely offended. She’d been a soldier and a guard for fifteen years, and no-one questioned her courage, until now.

All your dreams, all your wishes, all your wants; only, free me! The siren’s voice called and again her heart’s desires flashed before her eyes, tempting, luring, cajoling with a seductiveness she’d never felt before. The voice continued to whisper promises and rewards, if only she would take it into the world.

She lifted her gaze to Roger. He was grinning and nodding. “Do you see? Do you? Everything could be ours; everything we ever wanted!”

Chandra rose to her feet, the chalice in her hands, its sparkling surface dancing with rainbows. She walked forward to Roger, holding it out. He rose and lifted his hands as if to take it from her.

She hesitated before him, just out of reach.

“You really want this?” She asked.

“Oh, yes.” Roger sighed, his eyes never leaving the chalice.

“Then hold it for a moment.” She said and took a step forward.

Roger greedily snatched it from her hands, hugged it to his body and backed away.

Chandra saw the partially crushed golden box half in the wall Roger excavated. On the surface were markings, partially hidden designs that depicted war.

She glanced at Roger, but his focus was on the chalice and its promises.

A smile touched her lips as she backed up, drew her weapon and shot Roger. His eyes bulged, his body shuddered as the stunner’s charge rocked through him. The chalice fell to the ground with a ‘tink’ and rolled away. Roger collapsed, convulsed as the electrical charged rippled through his body.

Chandra put her weapon back into the holster, dragged the shuddering Roger back up the tunnel to the surface and dropped him near the entrance. Then while his eyes stared at her with betrayal, she activated the com-unit.

“Sector four-two-seven, nothing found.”

“N-n-n-oooooo!” Roger cried even as she heard the rumbling of the explosives blow the last one hundred metres of the tunnel into rubble.

“Sector four-two-seven blocked, please seal.”

A gust of heat blew over them as the rock melted into an impenetrable block.

“No,” Roger whimpered. He stared up at her with tears in his eyes. “Why?”

Chandra squatted next to him. “Because it lied. Because it caused the destruction of at least one race, because nothing that promises you everything can ever give you all you desire. Why not? Because once you have everything you desire, you think of something more you want, and then more, until you’re never satisfied with what you have.”

“You coward!” He accused and she shook her head.

“It takes more courage to be satisfied with what you have and what you can earn honestly than to be handed everything want without effort or consequences.”

“You’ve destroyed a priceless artefact!”

“No, I destroyed a pretty cup.” She hauled him to his feet. “A rock is still a rock no matter how much it glitters. You’d do well to remember that. Now, why don’t we see what else we can find, hmm?”

© Copyright Jaye Patrick 2007