A few notes on Chaaas’s Universe

Detailed Summary (Warning, spoilers!)

 1- The Honours Road

The story opens with a breathtaking race. Chaaas kho Chlaan, at the helm of his skidded sailboat, is about to win the race. Chaaas is 13 years old in Chhhatyl years, a teenager about to start his adult life. He is a worthy son of Ch’lokan, his native planet. The race is his first step on the honours stairway that can lead to highly-ranked positions.

His sailboat is hooked by another one steered by two klutzes. He manages to break free, but is greatly vexed to see his rival Sson’s craft pass him and win the race.

His parents, Lor (Mrs) Fulli, his mother, then Lar (Mr.) Chlaan, his father, greet him. Disappointed by his defeat, Chaaas doesn’t notice a young girl coming in third place. When the two blundering pilots introduce themselves to him, he is angry at first, but Sildas and his cousin Elomar, two boys his own age, offer him the points he would have received if he had won. Chaaas is touched by their offer, but he refuses. It’s the beginning of their friendship...

 2- The Spirals of Talmur

The city of Talmur has three neighbourhoods, called spirals because of the course followed by the main avenue. Chaaas walks around with Sildas in the lower spiral, Talmur’s poorest neighbourhood, where there are plenty of ankle-biting plants called smiley-weeds.

An old penitent dressed in red is picking up those weeds. The penitent is bullied by indebted workers (rented-hands) who take their frustrations out on him. Sildas explains to Chaaas that the young people of the lower spiral don’t have much of a future to look forward to. A poor soil produces stunted plants, Chaaas tells himself.

Later, he sees Xxan, Sson’s older brother. He is a well-built young adult of whom Chaaas is secretly jealous. Later, Xxan hands a mysterious parcel to the old penitent. Could it be drugs?

Chaaas takes the mastermeal, the day’s most important meal, with his family. His sister Mirrlen is expecting her first child, conceived at the New Year festival. No one knows who the father is. Chhhatyl women’s bellies are very fragile, which prevents them from doing physical labour.

Shortly after the meal, Chaaas goes out for a stroll with his father, Chlaan, to the Tower of Silence Park sitting at the top of the city. They meet General Dziunn, a retired military hero. Chaaas is embarrassed because a few years earlier, he and his pals had broken into the General’s garden to steal some rare fruits. The youths were caught by the General’s aide. Chaaas had broken the branch of an apple tree.

On their way back, Chaaas notices the garden of Lar Soffron, Sson’s wealthy father. A special gene causes the plants to glow when they need to be watered. Lar Soffron deliberately keeps them underwatered…

He opens his basket hanging from the ceiling, and slips into the padded bag. He snuggles in, as trusting as a seed in the hand of Chhoani, the universe’s great Gardener.

3- The Frol Seed

Chaaas studies late at night, next to his frol, a very difficult plant to germinate, and even more difficult to bloom. His father enters: he advises his son to get some rest.

The next day, Chaaas spends time with his new friends, Elomar and Sildas. He follows them to the Vines Tower, a noisy meeting place for the young generation. There is talk of the upcoming visit of a star, the singer Fan Oul.

A few days later, Chaaas plays with his friends in the park on Talmur’s summit. The arrogant Sson scoffs at them. Chaaas jumps on his rival and they fight. A vigil intervenes and imposes a 64-point fine on Chaaas, who was first to put his fists up. Too late, he realizes that Sson entrapped him. Now, he no longer has enough points to sign up for the Quest for pods. Elomar and Sildas offer him the missing points, thereby making their friendship official with the word Saa-man (a term which designates two trees united by their roots). This time, Chaaas accepts their help.

4- The Windy Plain

At the Quest, a challenging competition held in the northern latitudes, Chaaas is released in a delineated territory where he has to search for the pods of a rare plant, azan. From the azan, a powerful drug is extracted that increases the concentration and resistance to cold of the armed forces personnel. Unfortunately, the azan is also a source of illicit trafficking. Chaaas thinks he found a pod in the burrow of a cruyuk, a local carnivore. He finds the skeleton of a Chhhatyl dead for several months, and carrying a tube of azan powder. What was this poor victim up to?

Distracted, Chaaas does not notice a cloud of dust raised by thousands of migrating pilgrim thorns, a kind of mobile cactus. He escapes, but his tent is destroyed. After barely getting away from a fucrass, a giant reptile, Chaaas weighs the seriousness of his situation. The temperature is getting cooler; if he is still outside when it reaches the water-freezing temperature, the young Chhhatyl will die.

He then notices another contestant at the edge of his allotted terrain. It is a young girl, which is unusual. As he tries to get closer, a net traps him: he has been captured. The teenage girl happens to be the contestant that came in third in the Talmur race, Perssi kho Nali, from the city of Nasser. After swearing that he means her no harm, Chaaas spends an uncomfortable night lying on the ground in her tent.

5- The Azan Pods

The next day, the two youths join their efforts to cross a desert. By using Perssi’s techniques, they dig up four pods, quite a rare exploit. Chaaas is sincerely happy for his friend, who then gives him one of the pods. As they pass a narrow gorge, Chaaas and Perssi are attacked by strangers.  

6- The Clawing Cold

When Chaaas recovers consciousness, the sun is setting. Their material and the tent have disappeared. The temperature is dropping. Severely wounded, Perssi cannot move. Chaaas is almost paralyzed by the cold. Scavengers called krussis are getting closer. Before losing consciousness, Chaaas manages to drive them back, and then to activate Perssi’s distress beacon.

7- The Gardens of Chaaldar

Chaaas wakes up in a hospital in Chaaldar, the capital of Ch’lokan, where Perssi and he were rushed. They were nearly killed by the cold. His friend’s uterus has frozen: she will not be able to have children. Perssi will be a “broken branch”, an adult without any descent, an object of pity. Chaaas, who has grown closer to her, swears to avenge her.

8- Recovery

During his recovery in the capital, the boy reveals his suspicions to his father: Sson’s territory was next to his. And Sson has brought back two pods... His father tells him that the investigation led nowhere and demands that he stop having this train of thought. They both return to Talmur.

9- The General’s Gardens

Time goes by. The intense summer heat forces the inhabitants to take refuge underground. Chaaas is invited with his father to the home of General Dziunn, who entertains them in his garden. He notices that the apple tree is no longer there: the exotic tree was unable to withstand the weather. The General’s aide de camp, Plezar, greets them at the door and serves them a snack. They discuss the bad influence of human (Yuman) broadcasts on the purity of Chhhatyl culture. Chaaas discovers that the General is singer Fan Oul’s uncle.

Later, the General shows them his underground workshops where he crosses rare plants and keeps his miniature trees. Left behind by the adults, Chaaas discovers, on the 25th level, a mysterious green door that could only open into a neighbouring home. Before he gets a chance to further explore the levels below the 25^th underground level, Plezar catches him and brings him back to his father.

Chaaas, Tommes and Chlaan play games of gomshak against Plezar and Dziunn, but the General is unbeatable. When he comes out of the General’s house, Chaaas notices that the house of Lar Soffron, Sson’s father, is next to the General’s…

10- Autumn Moon

The Autumn Moon Festival draws near. Chaaas studies for his next test event, but he hasn’t given up on proving that Sson is cheating. After going to a noisy concert given by Fan Oul, the star (who does covers of human hits received by the Empire’s satellites), Chaaas and Sildas slip into the upper spiral neighbourhood. They break into Lar Soffron’s home in order to do a search in the underground workshops, in the hope of finding the room that connects with the General’s home.

They find azan shrubs in incubators, which confirm Chaaas’ suspicions. However, none of the shrubs have survived. They finally find the door that connects with the General’s green door. Someone comes in their direction. Thinking that it’s Xxan, Chaaas throws a sleeping seed on the adult, who falls to the ground.

Chaaas is surprised to discover that it is Plezar. Since it’s the middle of the night, the mature adult must have taken glucose capsules to stay awake. What was he doing on Soffron’s side? Chaaas is convinced that he provides drugs, that is, azan powder, to Xxan. Chaaas picks up an empty tube similar to the one he found on the dead outcast. He wants to search Plezar, but Sildas convinces him that they have to leave to avoid setting off an alarm. 

11- The Cost of Revenge

The day of the Fall Race is finally here. Blimps fly over Talmur. Chaaas sets eyes on the craft operated by his rival, Sson. He only sees the helmet, from where the blond hair sticks out. A special guest, questor Sirius kho Delsi, gives the starting signal. The racers leap forward.

On the course, Chaaas manages to work his way up to Sson. Taking advantage of a narrow gorge that could not be seen from the blimps, he throws a capsule on his rival’s sail. With the advantage gained from its large sail, Sson’s sailboat starts getting ahead again. Suddenly, while circling the field of solar panels, Sson’s sail splits from the bottom to the top. The sailboat swerves off-course and rolls over, cutting down solar panels.

Chaaas comes in first to the cheers of the crowd. He savours this moment of victory that he has dreamed of so much… The questor and the prefect congratulate him. A banquet is set up on the stage, where his family joins him. Chaaas is filled with the bliss of his triumph… Suddenly, a cry rings out: Wicked murderer! Stupefied, Chaaas sees Sson, in his perfectly dust-free overall. So then, who was at the helm of his sailboat?

The answer comes in a stretcher set down in front of the stage. Horrified, Mirrlen comes down from the stage to be by the injured Xxan’s side. Sson bursts into tears, revealing that he begged his big brother to take his place for this race. Chaaas should have rejoiced at the scene, but he feels no satisfaction whatsoever.

After consoling Sson, Xxan turns to Mirrlen, the mother of his unborn infant. In a moving scene, he officially declares his love and asks her to become his wife. Mirrlen accepts, becoming Lor Mirrlen. The audience is flabbergasted.

So then, Xxan was Mirrlen’s lover. After the new husband is taken off to the hospital, Chaaas turns to his sister and accuses her of loving a drug trafficker. The prefect announces that traces of nanosolvent were found on Xxan’s sail. He wants to interrogate Chaaas. Overcome by shock and emotion, Mirrlen miscarries...

12 – The Field of the Stem

Much later, at the equator. Chaaas works in the solar collector field of the space elevator located near Chaaldar. He is now a penitent dressed in red, as he is repairing his act of sabotage. At the foetus’ cremation, Chaaas cut his long hair as an act of penance. The young penitent has grown accustomed to the prisoners’ taunts and occasional fights.

He is summoned to the administrative centre. There, his father is waiting for him, holding his frol flower which has blossomed like a blue eye… Chlaan and Mirrlen (who is recovering at her parents’ home until Xxan’s wounds are healed), have taken care of it in his absence. Chaaas understands that his sister has forgiven him.

A visitor steps forward. Perssi, who has recovered, gives him news of her native city, where the singer Fan Oul has caused riots. While she speaks, Chaaas suddenly has a flash of inspiration. He knows where the stolen pods are!

Several sixteen-day periods later, Chaaas is cornered by violent penitents. He smashes a panel to save his life, which attracts a guard. Later, he is summoned by the institutional director. Fearing reprisals, Chaaas is told that his punishment has been lifted. Free, Chaaas walks alone on the road to Chaaldar.

A buggy stops next to him. Perssi invites him in. There, Chaaas discovers the questor Sirius kho Delsi, comfortably settled in.

13- Desert leaves

The questor explains that he went to question General Dziunn and didn’t find any drugs at his home. However, Lar Soffron was providing him with about sixty azan pods for the army. According to Plezar, Soffron bought the pods from the outcasts who roam the northern territories, a trade that Chaaas finds immoral. In his personal shuttle, Fan Oul brought pods to the military bases. Except that there is way more azan powder in circulation than those few pods.

Late in the evening, in a disreputable district, Sirius and Chaaas watch a hangar that belongs to Fan Oul. It is used for an illegal azan trade. Chaaas enters by pretending that he is an addict. He doesn’t give the right password, but he offers a pearl necklace to the dealer who opens the door. He is dragged inside. After checking the value of his necklace, the dealers give him a package and push him outside. Chaaas realizes that he was let out by a different door.

He is in the middle of a trash-filled yard. Aggressive rodents called verkisses move closer to him. The questor joins Chaaas and grabs the package out of his hands to throw it on the ground. Verkisses scurry over to it. The package releases a powder that explodes in a plume of flames.

A few days later, Chaaas, Perssi and Sirius are warmly bundled up against the icy cold and are travelling in a shuttle with an army detachment. They follow the signal emitted by the tracking device hidden in the necklace. They fly over the plains of Chaaas’ territory which are covered with a deadly white coat of that dangerous snow. The craft lands near a clandestine laboratory.

After the base was assaulted, Chaaas, Sirius and Perssi search the premises. They discover the singer who has been killed by the pirates. Those must have panicked at first, before escaping in Fan Oul’s shuttle with some of the processed powder. Then, they enter in a room filled with precious pods. A hidden pirate jumps out, brandishing a laser gun. Chaaas pushes Sirius out of the way, and gets shot in the process. Sirius tries to coax the pirate. Perssi intervenes and pelts the pirate with hard pods, until he lets go of his weapon.

Chaaas wakes up floating in a recovery tub in Talmur hospital, with Perssi at his bedside.

The questor has interrogated other people, and explains a few things. During the pod Quest, Xxan was near the base, so that he could secretly bring two pods to his brother Sson. (Lar Soffron made a pact with the dealers, and forced his son Xxan to take part, out of family honour.)

Xxan had learned that his father had hired a penitent to murder Chaaas, who might have stumbled on the illicit laboratory on his Quest territory. Xxan offered to help the penitent. After the penitent had paralysed them with his darts, Xxan discreetly activated a distress beacon, which, along with Perssi’s beacon, made it easier to locate the two youths than Perssi’s beacon alone.

Chaaas measures the extent of his error: by sabotaging Sson’s sailboat, he was getting even with someone who had secretly saved his life!

And when Chaaas and Sildas surprised him in Soffron’s house, Plezar had just brought medicinal leaves to Xxan (at night, so that the general wouldn’t know.) This is the plant Xxan was bringing to the Talmur penitent, not the Azan drug…

14 - Uprooting

Chaaas has repaired his mistake, but he has now “burned his bridges” on the honours road. However, Sirius offers to take him on as an assistant on a trial basis.

After bidding farewell to his family and friends, Chaaas boards the space elevator and leaves Ch’lokan to follow the questor. He notices two gliders and the word Saa-mani written in big letters on their surface: Perssi’s and Sildas’ moving testimonial of their friendship.

(English translation by Estelle Brunet)

Original sketch of the cover by the author.