Page 36 of The Quoram Effect

Inwardly, I bristled as the lights dimmed, and under a harsh spotlight, Zuli floated onto the stage. While she drawled her welcome pleasantries, I found Marla’s glowing white dress in the front row. A persistent nag probed the back of my mind, and I was unable to dislodge the question of why Torz was adamant his team was to guard Marla during our time aboard Titus. Since leaving Delta Ring, she was no longer his responsibility. She had her own security personnel. So…what was I missing?

The twist in my stomach tightened. Was Torz suddenly taken with Marla, so his protection went beyond Zuli’s demands? He kept her safe with the guards who were meant to be protecting him. Yes, okay, Saul was outside, and I was here, but judgingby his comment this morning, my presence was to aid him, not protect him. Why was he leaving himself vulnerable to attack?

I tapped my holster, ensuring my guns were accessible. I would protect him with my life. But with the bright stage-lights blinding me, I could barely see anything other than shadows.

“The Quoram Effect.” Zuli’s voice drew my eyes to the stage, where a large screen illuminated behind her, displaying a photo of a lush purple field surrounded by silver-grey mountains. “We all know this term is used to describe the destructive process the standard human suffers when they breathe Quoram air or step foot on its sacred surface. However, we have recently discovered how the effect can benefit us as a civilisation.”

I scanned the crowd, witnessing the enthralled faces aglow from the screen. How this woman could command a room was both impressive and terrifying.

“I attended Governor Farrow’s rather short presentation proposing to make the Damson bond acceptance compulsory—”

I rolled my eyes.Yeah, so did I.

“—I understand that, if instated, the policy could potentially resolve the depletion of our energy source. The more bonded Damson couples on the surface, the more energy produced. The more food we have, the more protection we have. However, it does not address the population issue we are facing. My plan does.”

My stomach roiled at the shimmering gleam emanating from her dark eyes, and it twisted and spasmed relentlessly as she continued.

“Quoram feeds off Damson couples to maintain balance. That, too, is an aspect of The Quoram Effect. We’ve always known that when a standard human steps foot on the ground, even for a split second, despite any protective suits they are wearing, the planet’s magical molecules have already infiltrated their body, slowly draining the individual’s life source and condemningtheir nervous system. The effect takes between two hours to twelve weeks to kill, which primarily drives the individual mad. However, we have recently discovered that throughout this process, a small spike appears within Quoram’s energy field. This suggests the planet feeds off these unfortunate fellows, regardless of where they are.

“A further study has shown that there are certain areas of Quoram that hold a far higher concentration of energy pulses. We have established that if a standard human happens to linger on the surface at these specific locations, The Quoram Effect is significantly stronger, and the individual’s life source is drained within minutes. Therefore, they experience no prolonged effects,and...”—she smiled with a maleficent wickedness—“the energy drawn from that individual can be up to twenty times greater than a weekly supply from a Damson couple.”

My eyes widened, and the room erupted with questions. Questions ranging from how many people needed to be fed to the planet to replenish our energy field, to where these areas were, to how this kind of power surge compares to that given by Damson couples over the span of a lifetime? But one voice barraged through the rest, silencing them all, and my skin crawled at who it was—Lieutenant General Klauss, the military chief who oversaw Pura.

“I’d like to see a demonstration.”

Zuli’s smirk confirmed her delight at his request. “Of course, Lieutenant General.” She gestured to the screen behind her as it flicked to a live stream, displaying Quoram’s opaque purple sky through the window of a military jet. “My team has just entered Quoram airspace. This specific location is within the Nova Valley.”

The camera wobbled as the aircraft circled an area where a lake sparkled in the violet sunlight. Beside it, an oval-shaped field edged with silver-barked trees swayed in the wind. As thejet hovered and lowered its altitude, a mass of magenta pynaz flowers battled against the artificial gusts the engines emitted.

My stomach dropped thinking of the pynaz flowers filling the vases in the hotel foyer. They were rare, even on Quoram. It was impossible to grow them aboard a space station. Botanists had failed to recreate the perfect environment. But if Zuli’s team had been experimenting in the Nova Valley…

Torz’s gaze met mine, and I saw the realisation flash in his eyes.

Trying to control my heavy breaths, I watched with dread as the cameraman angled the lens away from the window and into the jet’s cargo hold. A person wearing the standard bright-orange jumpsuit of a Puran prison inmate sat on their knees with their wrists clasped behind their back; feet bare. A tightly woven harness encircled their upper body.

I drowned out Zuli’s words while the cameraman walked around the prisoner as the harness straps were attached to a rig on the hull’s ceiling. The prisoner looked up, and Torz tensed beside me. With duct tape across their mouth, the individual had visible bruises scaling down their left cheek and neck. But even though their hair was cut haphazardly short, skimming their scalp and showing bloodied nicks, the face was clearly that of a middle-aged woman.

The two military personnel detaining her wore heavy-duty spacesuits and helmets to avoid air contamination—no doubt the cameraman did, too. But the woman was left exposed to Quoram’s elements.

The landing ramp at the back of the aircraft opened, and a silvery light brightened the frame. From the way the wind pelted the fabric of the prisoner’s jumpsuit, it was clear the jet was still hovering. I couldn’t tell how high.

When the rig began to extend along the ramp, taking the prisoner with it, fear flashed in the woman’s eyes. Shedesperately attempted to free herself from her restraints. But within seconds, she was outside the jet and being lowered to the ground by the rigging connected to her harness.

From above, the camera’s view followed her down, recording as her bare feet touched the surface and she collapsed to the ground. In mere seconds, visible steam hissed from her skin. And then the screaming started. Even through the duct tape, it was a harrowing, piercing scream that filled me with a deep, haunting anxiety.

The distressing sound seemed to drag on for minutes, but the digital clock ticking away at the corner of the screen confirmed it had been a matter of seconds.

The screen split in half, and a graph appeared, showing an impressive peak in a line. I didn’t give a fuck about that line.

Zuli’s proud expression turned back to the room, addressing more questions, and I glared at the interested arseholes. Their callousness sickened me. And to think if Zuli’s manifesto got voted in, she wouldn’t stop at using Puran prisoners. She’d use innocent children in order to obtain her dual purpose of preserving the energy field and ridding the Orbital Civilisation of the Puran people. How could these highly regarded officials not think Governor Dix’s refinery proposal more feasible? It was the only moral suggestion.

“As you can see”—Zuli’s voice floated over the urgent hushed tones of the audience—“the death is swift. By utilising the Puran population, their numbers will decrease over time, giving us the freedom to flatten the obsolete biodomes on Pura and rebuild thriving cities in their wake. Our energy source will be replenished, and our homes will be safe.”

The room exploded with more excited questions.

“It won’t work.” The quiet voice next to me made me jump. I hadn’t realised anyone was sitting in the spare seat beside me.I glanced towards the male voice, gasping as shock overtook my disgust.

“I hope it doesn’t work.” Long silver hair glistened in the glow of the large screen. His ethereal eyes fixed ahead with a prominent icy sneer. I’d never seen the Damson God looking so angry, but then again, he usually appeared in my dreams…