Aric and his fellow Human prisoners escape their cells with the aid of an old man who has mapped out the alien spaceship. They race to the room he has marked as an armory. Instead, they find this strange hovering ball.
This room is more than just an armory. It is a room tended by the priests of this alien race known as the Vine. Periodically during their travels, a member of the military will enter this room to be tested. As with the ancient Israelite priests, these warriors believe they have thrown off all weakness, and proven their worth to stand before Shanhara. They wish to accept Shanhara's judgment. Will they be judged worthy of wearing the sacred armor? Will they leave this most sacred temple, their version of the Israeli Temple the Holy of Holies, alive?
While many warriors believe in the legend of Shanhara, and submit themselves for testing, Commander Trill does not. He has seen his friends and colleagues die when Shanhara rejected them. He believes the priests do not truly understand the nature of the armor. He does not claim to understand Shanhara, but he does not believe anyone can wear the armor and live.
Aric does not know of the Vine and their history with Shanhara. He does not come before the armor as a candidate claiming worthiness. All he knows is that he has spent years in slavery aboard this alien vessel, and would rather die in an escape attempt, than live out the rest of his life in service to his captors.
When Shanhara deems Aric worthy, it shatters the way the Vine view their lives and culture. Whether they are priests, military, or members of another profession or caste, the way they make sense of the world (or universe) will never be the same.
After so many have suffered and died, and COVID-19 has shaken apart our fragile world, I think we can all understand how devastating such a paradigm-busting event can be.
Dragon Dave
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