Twinks in Space: Fantastic Voyage - Part Two - 39. Chapter 39 - Cults

The Galaxy Surfer was docked at the Jitha spaceport of Carthal, and Stawren and Lyoth were leading Nunta and her mother to the village of Carthal-4. Lyoth had found information about multiple thought-rehabilitation centers that specialized in re-orienting cultish ideals. He selected one that focused on helping people who had been part of highly spiritualized groups.

Stawren checked her device. “It’s just this way.”

Carthal-prime itself was not all that different from other docking stations Stawren had visited around the universe, but unlike every other port she could think of, there was no city attached to it. The forest grew right up to the spaceport on all sides, except for the razed areas where the original settlers had mined for the gold that was not there. Large sections around Carthal were left unusable from the strip-mining operations, which had yielded nothing. However, after the miners had gone, communities began to spring up around the empty pits, and the farther from either of the two original spaceports on Jitha, the less mined patches scarred the regions.

“That’s the building where we’re headed,” Stawren informed the others. She pointed at the sign and read, “The Gimalimian Mental Rehabilitation Center.”

Alihte tried to take her daughter’s hand, but Nunta pulled away and positioned herself with Lyoth between her and her mother again.

“Let’s head inside,” he recommended in a gentle voice. The four entered, and Lyoth stepped up to the main desk. He greeted the concierge, a short man with a cropped beard. “Hello, my good sir, we’d like to check in two of our friends.”

The secretary extended Lyoth a pair of digital pads. “Please have them fill out these forms.”

Lyoth gave one device to Nunta and the other to Alihte, and he turned back to the bearded fellow. Lyoth leaned closer to him over the counter and asked, “Why are there multiple centers in this area dedicated to deprograming cult members? I saw several different treatment options when looking up your facility.”

The man nodded. “Jitha is a breeding ground for cults these days. It’s gotten worse. The farther out into the wilds you go, way out past Carthal-100 or Togoa-135, out in the deep forests, there are fringe groups everywhere.”

Lyoth was confused. “But why?”

“Maybe the gold?” the bearded attendant replied with a shrug.

“But there’s no gold on Jitha.”

The man shook his head. “I think people think the old mining operations somehow missed the gold, and folks still come here looking for it. They get sucked into following this or that leader, and they disappear into the wilds.”

Lyoth was surprised. “Are there any groups from the cities that go out and try to rescue these cultists?”

The concierge made a doubtful face. “We have our hands full as it is with our patients.”

Lyoth nodded in understanding and turned back to the three women. Stawren was helping Nunta enter her information. Alihte seemed to be struggling a little, and Lyoth sat down beside her. “Everything okay?” he asked.

Alihte turned to him. “I haven’t read or written anything in eight years. I just feel a little rusty.”

Stawren looked at Lyoth with a very disappointed expression on her face, but Nunta spoke to her before she could say anything to Lyoth.

“What do I put here?” She brought her fingertip to the screen.

“You need to write your name again in that spot. Do you remember how to spell it?”

Nunta furrowed her brow in concentration. “N – U – N – T – A.”

Stawren let out an exasperated sigh and said, “Correct.”

A few minutes later, with Lyoth and Stawren’s help, Alihte and her daughter finished filling in their information, and they returned the digital pads to the attendant behind the desk.

Lyoth turned to Nunta and Alihte. “Stawren and I need to leave, but you two are safe here. These people can help you.”

Nunta suddenly wrapped her arms around Lyoth’s neck. He hugged her back, and Alihte was choked up at the sight. She mouthed the words Thank you, and she sheepishly raised her arms to hug Stawren.

Lyoth hugged Nunta tight and whispered into her ear, “Stawren knocked out Mama … Stawren knocked out Mama,” and she snorted a little laugh that made her mother cry.

Several minutes later, Lyoth and Stawren were alone again and headed back to the Galaxy Surfer.

“Nunta is illiterate,” Staren stated flatly. “Any actual children among Mama’s ‘Children’ are receiving no education whatsoever. I’m disgusted!”

“The man inside told me there are cults everywhere out in the forest,” Lyoth replied. “I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised to come across them.” They approached the edge of Carthal-prime. “Now, we just need to collect some granitewood.”

“Already done,” Stawren informed him.

“What do you mean?”

She smiled. “When you were passed-out on those blood pills, Alihte and I dragged you back to the Galaxy Surfer, but you were unconscious for a while, and she and I got the granitewood. I’ll show you when we get back to the ship.”

Lyoth was delighted. “Wonderful, I do not want to spend one more minute than we have to on this planet. I don’t think we can get away from Jitha fast enough!”