Seat Of The Fifth God
by Simon Woodhouse

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Doctor Edarna Sooca, a recently widowed, middle-aged woman, knows the legend of the Spiral Chair. One thousand years ago, five gods visited the lonely planet of Bodarium. The gods gave the Spiral Chair to the Amorphar people who lived there, making the icon a symbol of hope and salvation. Then the Serlham Slave Raiders stripped the planet of all human life, ending the Amorphar civilisation before it had a chance to begin.

Haunted by the death of her husband, Doctor Sooca needs a task that will make her life feel relevant again. She heads to the uninhabited world of Bodarium in search of the Spiral Chair. Accompanied by a team of 'bots, the Doctor ventures into the isolated forests of Northern Hymila, last known resting place of the lost relic.

Okeilore, an escaped slave and trained assassin, also wants the Chair. Along with her sister Saffuse, she follows the Doctor to the deserted planet. But the gods have returned to Bodarium, and they're not the benign figures of legend. The women must choose sides, because the Spiral Chair isn't what it appears to be, and if used to its full ability will destroy the only being who can save them.

Excerpt from Seat Of The Fifth God

Eda stopped at the end of the boulevard. The cook had been right. A ghostly silence filled the Runshore, and as for the crew of 'bots, so far she'd not met a single one.

She looked toward a grassy bank at the end of the thoroughfare. The greenery seemed out of place amongst the greyness of the closed shops.

An artificial breeze blew into her face as she headed towards the small recreation area, ascended the incline, and stared down at an ornate fishpond. Around this, miniature evergreens encircled a well-tended lawn. Careful not to slip on the freshly watered grass, she made her way around the pond towards a solitary bench. Here, she sat and stared at the water.

If the tiny park area had been designed to promote a sense of relaxation, the architect had failed. Uncomfortable in such a false environment, Eda got up and headed away from the pond. To one side of the expanse of greenery, she spotted an overgrown flowerbed surrounded by tall grasses and substantial weeds. As she passed, the statuesque form of a 'bot came into view amongst the foliage. Vines and creepers grew up around the machines hydraulic legs, making it seem as though it had started to transform into something organic.

Eda's gaze lingered on the automaton. A featureless head sat atop broad shoulders, which in turn gave way to arms that reached all the way down to its knees. Familiar with the design, she recognised it as a type three, general-maintenance 'bot, manufactured by the People Mode Corporation of Ensoura, her husband’s former employer. Had Jesser been with her, he would have laughed at the machine’s condition. Its lowly status would have amused him, being such a contrast to how the same model appeared in his marketing reports and sales data.

But he also would have helped the 'bot, removing its control centre to be re-installed in a new machine. Eda kicked a stone towards one of the metal legs, then carried on past the defunct contraption without a second glance.

Back on the shopping boulevard, she headed towards the space station's central restaurant hub. More closed shops greeted her, but the smell of cooking added a hint of life to the otherwise empty surroundings. Movement within the only open eatery drew her into its brightly lit interior.

"Hey, Doctor Sooca, we've saved you a seat." Lill delivered the greeting with a broad, lop-sided smile.

Eda slid into the chair opposite him. Alcohol fumes drifted across the table from the direction of its other two occupants. Lill and Greeth had arrived on the Runshore a few hours after her, and though their conversation mostly centred on mining, and the search for precious stones, she was glad of their company.

Greeth offered her an unlabelled bottle. "Wanna drink?"

"No, thanks. You two look like you've been here all day."

"Yeah. What else is there to do?"

"Not much, I suppose. When are you being picked up?"

"Ships comin' day after tomorrow." Greeth took a long swig from the bottle. "You're off here in the morning, aren't you?"

"Yes. It's an early start for me."

"Expect you'll be glad to get off this place. Did you say you're going to Bodarium?"

"That's right."

A 'bot, identical in design to the derelict in the flowerbed, shuffled up to the table. Eda ordered a standard Runshore reconstituted meal, and watched as the machine plodded back towards the kitchen area.

Greeth leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. "Why Bodarium? There's nothing there."

Lill frowned at his companion. "Don't you remember what she told us last night?"

"Of course I don't remember last night." Greeth held up the liquor bottle. "This place is so dead, what's the point of trying to remember."

"Man," Lill shook his head, "you're such a waster." He turned back to Eda. "I liked your story. But Greeth is right, Bodarium's empty. No people, no nothing."

"I don't really mind being alone."

"What about your friends, family? Aren't they bothered about you? And your husband," Lill pointed at Eda's wedding ring, "I bet he's going to miss you."

"I don't think so. Jesser died two years ago." She watched Lill's face lose its relaxed smile. Death, experience had taught her, was always the conversation killer. Maybe it would be better to lie, but what other reason could she give for travelling alone? Divorce? Would that provoke a different reaction? For a while, after Jesser's death, she'd thought about taking off her wedding ring. But that only singled her out as 'available', and attracted the sort of unwanted attention she could do without.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Hey, man," Lill dug his elbow into Greeth's ribs, "let's go check if our stuff's ready for pick up."

Slightly unsteady on their feet, the two prospectors exited the restaurant and stumbled away down the boulevard. The 'bot returned with Eda's meal. Silence for a companion, she sat alone and ate what she could. But just mentioning her husband's name had put a knot in her stomach.