by Ethan Proud
X
Rio cocked his head when he heard the tires of the rover roll to a stop on the rock above them. He turned an eye on Herma, its bioluminescent body shimmering like a damning signal fire. His injured leg protested with each step he took, but he had been through worse.
“We need to move, and we need to hide the gonis.” He reached forward, but Herma flitted out of his reach deeper into the cave. He growled before the goni disappeared out of sight, and a smile stretched across his face. The creatures understood the peril and were leading them to safety, or a dead end. He followed the tracer of light his goni had left, a trick of the mind, and found it floating in the air waiting for him. It banked a wide turn and led him through a twisting corridor of rocky granite.
A glance over his shoulder showed him that Taiga and Lepiro were following their gonis as well. Then he heard the heavy footsteps of combat boots in the tunnel. Herma let out a low warble and sped up. Rio needed no further urging, sprinting after the goni as quickly as he could, his footsteps padding along in the dark. His next step hit something cold, and ankle deep. It was water. He felt elation soar in his chest and wanted to scream for joy even though he knew he couldn’t. His next step took him out of the precious liquid and he heard one of his companions splash into the water.
Then the tunnel was lit up with the explosive report of gunfire and he saw a light blink out of existence next to him. He heard the most pained cry he had ever heard in his life as Taiga’s goni dropped lifelessly from the air. She caught it in her trembling hands as she collapsed on the ground in agony.
Rio, Jarrod, and Lepiro were frozen in place, the single shot temporarily blinding them so they could no longer see well enough to know where they were running. The surviving gonis were still visible as tiny dots of light, but Rio couldn’t tell if the orbs were moving or not. As his vision swam back to him, he saw several dark shapes detach themselves from the walls and dart past him and his companions, towards the Shriker soldiers. If it weren’t for the clamor down the hall, the Hydras would have thought the creatures were simply their imagination.
He heard another rifle go off before a female voice ordered a retreat from the caves.
“We need to go, before the soldiers or those creatures come back,” Jarrod said hoarsely.
Taiga stood up next to him and nodded wordlessly. She pulled the drawstring tight on her pack, and Rio glimpsed the slowly fading light of the goni’s bioluminescent skeleton extinguish.
They took off, following one less glowing orb of light.
X
“What the hell were those?” Gana exclaimed. He held his hand over his right ear in an attempt to staunch the blood. It was barely clinging to his face by a lobe, and three deep scratches left rifts in his cheek. He gasped a little as he ripped on his ear, disconnecting it from his head and gave it a look of disgust before tossing it to the ground. There was no hope for reattaching it in the field. Rhea gestured for someone to bring him a medic kit, but it was unnecessary. A soldier appeared with a bandage and wrapped it tightly around the man’s head after applying an antiseptic ointment.
Rhea stared at the opening in the ground and for a brief second she thought she saw the shadows shift. The creatures had been lining the walls but hadn’t moved until the goni had been shot. The slashing claws and fierce teeth stood out in her mind, but not nearly as much as the red pupils that seemed the glow eerily from the darkest face she had ever seen. They hadn’t been Exos, of that she was sure.
“Were those aliens?” a soldier asked dumbly.
Rhea almost rolled her eyes. “We are aliens. This planet belongs to those Greylings. We must tread carefully.” Rhea realized that some of her party members were missing. “Stand in groups of four and be quick.”
The soldier obeyed, and she counted three groups of four, and one group of three. She had fifteen soldiers left, sixteen including herself. She had lost half of her unit.
“You three,” she indicated to the partial group, two young women and a man who looked to be in his twenties (close to an earthling of forty-five in appearance). “Return to the Shrike. Report on what we encountered today. The Commanding Family will want to hear about this. The rest of you take the rovers and find the outlet of this cave, or the outlets. Map them and return to me. Gana and I will guard this entrance.” Each of the rovers had a map compiled from all the data the Hydra hunters gathered, though Rhea had a feeling that this was uncharted territory. The Hydra Colonies migrated outward from the Shrike wreckage in spiraling patterns, as ordered by the Commanding Family, and the Commanding Families before them. However, the refugees had struck out, cutting across the path of Hydra Eight unwittingly. Hydra Seven had been close to the other perimeter and they wouldn’t have had to travel far to reach unknown waters. According to the engineer Jarrod’s calculations, the source of the water, or at least the largest speculated water source, had allegedly been close to the Hydra Seven camp, which was why he sought them out.
“Respectfully, Rhea,” a woman a few years older than the lieutenant started, “you and Gana cannot fight off those Greylings.” She was one of the soldiers Rhea had ordered back to the Wreckage.
“We will be enough,” Rhea said and lifted her chin while glancing down her nose at the soldier.
The female ducked her head in acquiescence before stalking over to a rover. The woman, Utria, wasn’t angry, she walked with purpose and Rhea knew this. Rhea also was fairly certain that Utria was a better shot than Gana. She had considered making Utria her second but Aqi was a jealous lover, and Rhea suspected that she would have ordered her squadron to be comprised of all males if their tryst had been public knowledge. Nepotism would be rather unbecoming of a member of the Commanding Family, and superiors did not fraternize below their rank. Just thinking of Aqi brought a crooked smile to Rhea’s lips.
X
Three Shrikers blindly groped through the tunnels, too scared to use their lights. The sounds of the Greylings tearing their comrades’ bodies apart and greedily gobbling up the soft flesh still echoed in their ears. Their breathing rattled from their lips as their lungs struggled to slow their respiration down despite their galloping heartbeats. Dermest reached out a hand to feel along the wall and felt something firm, but decidedly not rock. He reached for the pistol at his hip and flicked his flashlight into the ‘on’ position when he felt the tremor of a breath run underneath his hand. The creature in front of him batted his hand away and shoved him into the middle of the labyrinthine hallway.
He stumbled backwards, raised the gun to hip level and blasted. The ignition of light that escaped the barrel gave him enough light to see more of the animals swarming from honeycomb holes in the ceiling. They landed nimbly and damn near silently and didn’t take but a second before they were on the Exos. Dermest fired off three more shots, and another of the Greylings dropped. It wasn’t enough though and feeling claws rip into his chest he fired another three shots at point blank range into his assailant’s stomach. The creature stumbled back and Dermest shouted to his companions but didn’t hear a reply. He turned to see the other two soldiers lying on their backs as the bloodthirsty creatures began feasting on their innards.
It took less than a fraction of a second to decide which fate he preferred. With one bullet in the chamber and an empty clip, he turned the gun on himself.
X
The three Hydras and the Exile stopped when they heard the eight shots ring out, all in a span of thirty seconds.
“Why haven’t they attacked us?” Lepiro asked.
Rio knew the answer. He had seen the pairs of red eyes blink into existence before winking out a moment later. Herma had illuminated a few faces that seemed too human for his liking. The creatures hiding in the dark had no quarrel with the Exos, but apparently had a special relationship with the gonis. When Taiga’s familiar had been killed they took vengeance for the slain goni. One glance at Taiga and Rio knew it wasn’t time to voice his hypothesis. He did speculate that if he hadn’t killed the sand d
ingo the creatures would have set upon them instantly.
The patter of many footsteps heralded the approach of the cave denizens. Wordlessly, the Exos took off down the tunnel, not trusting stealth or the goodwill of their saviors. Even over the sound of their feet, Rio swore he could hear three other churning hearts above his own. The gonis easily kept pace in front of them, lighting the way. Despite the danger, the gelatinous creatures were making a gentle humming noise that was unmistakable excitement.
Suddenly the gonis dropped from the air and began feasting ravenously. Even in the dark, the mass of pale mollas was visible. Rio fished the headlamp from his pack and flicked the button, lighting up the cavern wall before them. It was covered with bumpy protrusions, ranging in size from a fingertip to the size of a human skull. Black exudate dripped from each of the caps, forming a puddle on the floor. In the middle of the fungal growths was a bare patch of rock, covered in a fingerpainted mural. Handprints stood out as unblemished granite, surrounded by a splatter of color, presumably molla, judging by its dark color. Other crude figures were drawn, bipedal animals which looked like Exos, except for the dark red eyes penciled in. The number nine was written over and over and over. Rio’s eyes moved hardly two feet before seeing the integer repeated. In the middle of the mural was a giant goni devouring a ship. It was the only part of the cave art obvious to Rio. The ship was the Shrike.
He turned to look at his companions to see their reactions, as no one had said a word. Rather, he saw that Taiga and Lepiro had their own headlamps on, projecting light out into the cavern. It was covered in molla, some as tall as he was. Paths were cut between the molla and peering out between the stalks were a myriad of blood red eyes and dark skin. He didn’t bother trying to count the encroaching Greylings. This encounter could only end poorly for the Exos.
Chapter Thirteen
Treya stared at the camp before her. Hydra One had at least twice the number of inhabitants than her colony. She turned her eyes to the man driving the rover. His name was Toledo and he had greasy skin, and a disagreeable smell to him.
“This should be simple,” he stated confidently.
Treya hid her disgust. They had been traveling for several days, and his arrogance was reducing her patience at an alarming rate.
“Quite.” Her reply was terse, but he still bobbed his head like a fool. Treya looked back at the camp and saw the forms of many Exos gathering in the center of the camp, no doubt discussing whether or not the new arrivals would be friendly.
The rover dipped its headlights over the crest of the dune and slid more than drove down the incline of sand. Treya placed both hands on the dashboard to ensure that she didn’t crash into the windshield. She held a sour expression as she bounced back and forth in the seat, her swollen knuckles painfully aware of her grip on the dash.
Toledo laughed easily. “Use your feet to brace yourself and lean back. It’s easier.”
Treya’s feet barely touched the floorboard beneath them, there was no chance that she would have any additional purchase if they were extended. She ignored her guide.
She felt her heart beating harder and louder, and in her old age nerves rarely accelerated the beat. The Exos in the camp were becoming more visible and she could make out individuals. She recognized the mixture of distrust and fear on their faces. She was able to determine which ones were the Hydra One Council of Elders, though there were only three of them and two didn’t fit the ‘Elder’ bill. These three individuals looked very aware of the situation at hand.
The rover continued slowly until it had passed thirty tents and was at the center of the camp. The three soldiers in the back seat were silent. The partially filled rover was all the Commanding Family had sent out with Treya as bodyguards. Whether they thought she was unimportant or did not care for the fate of the Hydras, it was hard to say, though she was technically a Hydra, so the latter was more likely.
The Elders approached the rover as Treya stepped onto the sand.
“Who are you?” they asked in unison in mock confusion. The poor bastards.
“We are Shrikers, from the Original Settlement,” Treya said slowly. Her entire speech was scripted, the next line to be ‘Can we speak in private, this is a lot of information to process at once. It would be best if you relayed it to your people.’
“The Original Settlement?” one of the Elders asked, once again faking his lack of understanding.
“Can we speak in private?” Treya stuck to the script, obedient to the end. “This is a lot of information to process at once. It would be best if you relayed it to your people.”
“Of course.” An old woman smiled through pursed lips. She turned on her heel and led Treya and the Shrikers to the water and molla collection tent.
Treya couldn’t help but notice the three large holding tanks, two water tanks full to the brim with cool liquid, while the urine tank was decidedly low. Treya had never seen a tank so full, let alone two.
They were ushered into the tent, and when the flap closed Treya began her speech.
“The Commanding Family has determined that enough aquifers have been located and all Hydra Camps should return to The Wreckage,” she said.
The look on the old woman’s face showed her true emotions. “Oh, the Commanding Family has finally permitted our return!” She glanced cynically at the other two ‘Elders’. One had purple hair and the other the mottled complexion of vitiligo. Neither were old, they looked like soldiers. “Finally, we are deemed worthy of luxury.”
Treya’s head spun, her speech didn’t count on this type of encounter. She glanced at Toledo’s hip and noticed glumly that he hadn’t brought any weapons with him, and the other three soldiers were still at the rover.
“The Commanding Family has toiled over this decision for many months now. The policies set forth before them did not allow for the return of the Hydras for another two hundred years.” Treya folded her hands as she spewed the next piece of political trite.
“I won’t toil over this decision though,” the woman said coldly, and three hunters stepped into the tent, machetes drawn. “Kill them.”
Treya’s eyes bulged from their sockets as Toledo spun to face the assailants.
“Wait! Why?” the Hydra Seven Elder sputtered dumbly.
“Since my rise to power on the council, we have been falsifying our maps to the Original Settlement and stealing water from their aquifers. When we found Hydra Camp two, we slaughtered their Elders and welcomed them into the fold. The Shrike will be ours once we find the other Camps,” the woman said coldly, and Treya felt ashamed that she herself had not thought of this scheme.
The molla hunters moved in closer once their matriarch finished speaking.
“A rescue mission from Earth 2.0 is on its way!” Treya shrieked and the woman held up a hand to stop her men.
“Excuse me?”
Toledo looked on in shock, he had never even heard a rumor of rescue. “My camp has already been brought back in, I volunteered to find the other camps,” Treya lied and the woman placed a hand on her chin pensively.
“Then we shall let you live, if you are truly looking for the other colonies. I regret to inform you that your men by the rover have already been killed. The two of you will have to find Hydra Three alone.” She turned to the hunters. “Remove the radio from the rover.”
The men with dark molla stained nostrils nodded and exited the tent.
The old woman smiled warmly. “My name is Ellie. If either of you return to The Wreckage before the remaining six camps, we will do what we must.”
X
Toledo and Treya returned to the vehicle and stepped over the dead bodies of the Shrikers. Turning the key in the ignition, Toledo started the engine and peeled through the sand, without waving back at the genial figure of Ellie, who might have been blowing kisses. Treya couldn’t tell, she had to grip the dash to avoid being tossed into the sand. She could hear the man next to her grinding his teeth in agitation. A muscle flexed on and off in his
jaw like a switch. After fifteen minutes of silence, and three sand dunes later, he stopped the rover.
“A rescue mission?” he asked. His demeanor was awkward, almost as if he didn’t know if he should ask.
Then it dawned on Treya, he was hoping or praying that it wasn’t a lie. Discussion of being rescued from the planet was taboo. A false hope, like Fleet had said, would be devastating.
Looking at the hope in the young man’s eyes—anyone was young compared to Treya, but Toledo was not young—she couldn’t dash this glimmer of excitement.
“Three months,” she murmured.
Toledo slumped in his seat in what had to be pure relief. He punched the steering wheel in excitement and the horn honked back in answer. “How do you know this?”
Treya almost rolled her eyes. She considered keeping quiet, but there was a chance that she wouldn’t live for another three months anyway. “The Commanding Family told Rumo and I after they slaughtered our colony.”
Toledo nodded and started the rover back up. He pulled out the map and determined the location of Hydra Three. Treya could tell that he was disappointed he had not been trusted with this information as he chewed on the inside of his lip and pointed at their destination.
“And you controlled one of these tribes that have been wandering the desert, finding water and food sources for The Wreckage?” He continued with his barrage.
“Yes,” Treya answered simply.
“Are you really savages who drink their own urine when water runs out, and eat dead babies?”
The bluntness of the question stung like a slap. Treya had allowed her people to live in squalor, all for a city they had never seen and people who had no right to her allegiance.