by Ethan Proud
Taiga, Lepiro, and Jarrod didn’t bother to remain prostrate now. They rose to their feet, as if pulled by their tumultuous stomachs. They wanted to puke after seeing the gross spectacle. Taiga and Lepiro felt shock and grief mingle through their bodies as they watched the goni’s neck bulge and their fellow hunter disappear down its gullet. Jarrod felt an overwhelming amount of pity, but more so, he was afraid for his life. Icharus, on Lepiro’s shoulder, let out a warble of terror, and clutched tightly to his master’s neck.
“We need to go,” Lepiro whispered, and his companions looked around quickly.
None of the Greylings had risen from their positions, but were now murmuring prayers into the godless air. Taiga grabbed Lepiro’s sleeve to get his attention and nodded fervently. The hunter turned to Icharus and whispered, “Take us home.”
The goni seemed to understand. It took off silently and floated past row upon row of Greylings without making a sound. The Exos crept after it, and within minutes they were stalking through a deserted town. All of its members were paying homage to the beast in the lake. Once they were confident no one would hear them, they took off at a dead sprint. The sound of footfalls echoed a thousand times back at them, but no pursuer ever came.
Icharus’ faint light led their way as they stubbed their toes on every rock and crevice fathomable, yet none were bold enough to let a peep split their lips. They reached the stairs without facing any adversary and bolted up the flight into the passageway.
“We need to find a place to rest,” Jarrod said, his chest heaving.
Lepiro snorted derisively.
“He’s right, if we don’t rest now, we will have no energy to run when those creatures find us,” Taiga argued.
“We don’t even know if they will chase us,” Lepiro hissed. “What we do know is that they will sacrifice us like they did Rio if they do.”
Taiga closed her eyes and tried not to imagine the sound of Rio’s bones crunching as his legs spasmed one last time. “We need to regroup. Even if it’s just for a few minutes.”
Finally, Lepiro assented. They found a suitable alcove and clambered inside. Lepiro pulled the pack off his back, and ushered Icharus inside, lest the Greylings spot his light. Without him the cavern was pitch black. Lepiro could no longer see his companions, despite the fact that he could feel one of their legs pressed against his. He waved his hand in front of his face, nothing. He moved it closer and closer, expecting to see a faint outline, but instead struck the tip of his nose. The air was musty and warm around him, and he could smell it deep in his sinuses. It was as if his nostrils had opened up more given his lack of vision. He could detect the faint odor of perspiration and differentiate between the scent of himself and his companions. Icharus murmured from within the bag, the noise seeming to echo back several times more than it should have.
Lepiro felt oddly at peace. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, the air tasted much more…flavorful than it did on the surface. Each breath held its own microcosm of tiny organisms waiting to explore a new world. He was amazed that he hadn’t appreciated the nuances of this world until just now. It was like nothing he had ever experienced. In the pitch dark, nothing seemed to matter.
Then Jarrod broke the silence. “How long do you think we can stay here?”
“In this cubby, or alive?” Lepiro answered sardonically and snorted at his own joke.
“Probably not very long for either,” Taiga said, and though the statement was a dismal one, her voice held a hint of humor.
“You’re probably right.” Jarrod sounded like he regretted his crusade to save the nomad colonies. “We are being hunted by the Shrikers, and….these other beings.” He still wasn’t comfortable voicing his hypothesis. A pathetic predicament after the recent revelation.
“If it wasn’t for you, we would still be living in peace. Thirsty, but in peace,” Lepiro said with a sigh, though there was no friction in his words.
“We would have died after leading a miserable life, without ever knowing that we had been lied to our entire lives,” Taiga murmured.
“Our lot hasn’t improved.” Once again Lepiro snorted at his own joke.
“At least you are being agreeable now.” Jarrod sounded truly despondent.
“How have we lived on this planet for three hundred years, and never known another race existed here?” Taiga asked the air, even though she knew it would yield no answer.
“It’s been longer than that,” Jarrod spoke up. “The best estimates have the Shrike crashing onto AE625 nearly a millennium past.”
“Nobody knows how long we’ve actually been here?” Lepiro exclaimed, and his voice echoed back, “here, here, ere…..ere.”
“Compared to Earth the day lengths vary with distance from the sun, and how long it takes for the planet to rotate on its axis, the length of its orbit arou-”
“I’m not an idiot,” Lepiro growled.
“None of the clocks from Earth tell time accurately,” Jarrod supplied, extending his hands to show that no offense was meant, but the gesture was lost.
“…Sorry.”
It didn’t sound genuine, but Jarrod accepted it.
The sound of dripping water punctuated the short silence that ensued.
“We still have to cross the lake,” Taiga said absentmindedly. “We’ll need to use the boats. If those things come after us, I’m sure they will move them.”
“They can’t know that we can’t swim,” Jarrod argued.
“Our faces gave it away, I know it. We were like children discovering something new. And besides, they know what’s in the water. They know that we know as well,” Taiga said, thinking about the distortion in the surface she had seen after being bitten by the moth-scorpion. Before she had thought it couldn’t be a goni. Now she knew it couldn’t be anything else.
“I can kill it with the handgun,” Jarrod answered, and heard the clatter of metal a moment later. He groped in the darkness until he felt the barrel of the .40. He was amazed Taiga trusted him with it. But after all they had been through, how could she not? Now that Rio was dead, nobody was around to hate him.
He felt a hand settle on his thigh, he could only assume who it belonged to. Then he heard the sound of lips on lips and the hand moved up his thigh. It was the end of their worlds after all, there wasn’t much else to do.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Toledo scrambled across the floor of the hydroponics, trying to find his gun. He chided himself for dropping it.
“Utria, kill the Hydras,” Lago hissed as he advanced on the turncoat, a knife gripped in his hand. He hadn’t even gone for his rifle, he relished the violence. He pounced upon Toledo, and the knife flashed towards the man’s neck, but he flung his head back and the blade cut into his collarbone. Lago raised the blade again while pressing Toledo to the hard metal floor. Twisting his body like a snake, Toledo rammed his knee into Lago’s ribs, making him grunt and recoil.
Toledo shot his hand out towards the gun and wrapped his fingers around the grip, finding the trigger as he brought it around. He wasn’t fast enough, and felt a boot slam into his face, but he refused to let the weapon slide from his hand. Lago’s next move sent the knife slashing across Toledo’s right hand, severing the tendons. The gun slipped back onto the floor.
Toledo cried out and struck the side of Lago’s face with his good hand. A moment later he felt the knife penetrate his forearm, and all feeling in his left hand disappeared in a wave of pain.
He looked Lago in the eyes and only saw the face of a madman.
“You stupid son of a bitch.” Lago laughed and plunged the dagger into Toledo’s heart. Lago twisted the blade violently as Toledo squirmed his last. The Shriker stood up and wiped sweat from his forehead. Utria hadn’t moved and the Hydras were gone.
“What are you d-doing?!” he exclaimed.
“Nothing. The Hydras have nowhere to go,” she stated coldly. “We don’t need to follow them into a trap. We need to regroup with the rest of the troops.”
Lago nodded in reluctant agreement. Then a realization dawned on him. “Med bay is just beyond this. We can’t let them destroy it.”
Utria didn’t let him finish the statement before she took off, sprinting in the direction the Hydras had gone. Three corridors later, they came upon a dire sight. Sparks flew from severed electrical cords, bags of intravenous fluids (a rare commodity, only to be used in dire situations), and donated blood were spread across the floor. The computer monitoring systems had also been destroyed, their screens smashed in. The current patients were now fit to be fed to the hungry molla. Abstor lay dead on the ground, a metal rod stuck through his neck. The pills manufactured from plant extracts and molla had been taken. There had never been very much of the pharmaceuticals, but they could ease the passing of a terminally ill Exo.
“Those bastards…” Utria breathed.
Secretly, Lago commended the Hydras for the haste of their destruction, though there was no respect behind his admiration.
“They won’t be alive much longer,” Lago commented and turned back the way he had come.
They came to the hall of refugees and found the army clamoring to prepare for battle. The refugees had long since been moved deeper within the Shrike to safety. Kilo stood directing soldiers while unrolling a map of the colony on a steel table. Utria and Lago ghosted to his side.
“Med bay is demolished,” Lago said without introduction.
Kilo straightened immediately but managed to keep his shock and disappointment from his face. “We need med bay. Where’s Abstor?” he demanded.
“Dead,” Utria offered.
“His apprentices?” Kilo continued.
“Presumably hidden or taken captive,” Utria answered.
“Find a squadron.” Kilo didn’t need further information. Once he dispatched the army, he would search for medical students who could tend to the wounded. “We are sending two forces out to flank the Hydras and positioned snipers on the upper levels of the Shrike. Panels are being removed right now. The Hydras are hiding in the peasant villages. We need to keep them away from the ship and the sand dingo pens and quarries. They can’t ruin any more of our resources. And we’ll need the sand dingos to replenish our food source since they released the gonis.”
Utria and Lago turned briskly to join the fray.
“Wait,” Kilo commanded. “Release fifteen of the dingos. The nomads are oddly attached to the livestock. It may distract them if they see their familiars being devoured.”
The soldiers assented and as they exited the ship they opened the enclosure gate and counted the snuffling creatures. Once the allotted number had passed they slammed the entry shut. Lago had to use his whole weight to keep the sand dingos from exiting as Utria fastened the latch. Together they followed the tail of a regiment into the flurry of gunfire.
X
The three rovers came to a halt at the top of a dune. Rhea and Gana surveyed the scene before them. He stood to her right, so he could hear what she said. The Shrike was crawling with soldiers and Hydras alike. From her vantage point, Rhea could see both armies moving strategically, though the Hydra ‘army’ was nothing more than a sham. She could see how disorganized they were. They had never drilled in militaristic formations, and it was showing now. It was truly a paltry attempt at insurgency. Nonetheless, Rhea felt a pit in her stomach. She could only hope that her lover was unscathed.
“Gana, take seven scouts along the wall to the right above the quarries, I will take the other seven to the left. We can’t allow them to flank the Shrike using the wall,” Rhea ordered. “And disable the rovers before you leave them. We can’t give the Hydras a way to escape.”
“Disable them?” Gana was incredulous. She wanted him to ruin one of the only vehicles they had?
“Temporarily. Pull a main starter fuse or disconnect the battery. But make it quick.” She indicated to seven of the soldiers. “You, with me.” They loaded into a single rover, several of them hanging off the side in order to fit.
Rhea had supreme confidence in this mission, for none of the Hydras had been trained in using a gun. Facing an army of soldiers who had been using one since childhood would prove fatal.
The rover rendered useless to those without knowledge of vehicle maintenance, Rhea led her soldiers up the wall. Directly to the interior of the gate was a stairwell. It wasn’t the best defensive placement, as any invaders who took the gate could take the wall, but by the time the parapets were constructed it was obvious that AE625 was desolate. It was evident now that the danger was their fellow Exos.
Rhea led the charge up the stairs and crested the wall, her gun drawn as she swept from one side of the wall to the next. None of the Hydras had thought to cover the gate, but then again it was doubtful any of them had known that Rhea had her unit beyond the perimeter. She moved silently, though the soldiers behind her made enough noise to grate on her nerves. They weren’t loud per se, but loud enough that a trained ear like hers would have picked them up.
Creeping along the wall, her thighs burnt with the slight strain from keeping her head below the crenulations. Following the gently curving path of the wall, she saw the first Hydra, positioned so he could fire at the soldiers below him without them seeing him. She lightly squeezed the trigger before he had a chance to detect the danger. In a spray of blood he dropped to the ground without uttering a sound. Knowing the report from her gun would alert the other Hydras, Rhea prepared herself.
Sure enough, three more advanced on the Shrikers. Seeing their lack of training, Rhea pitied them. Truly, she felt no ill will for the nomads, other than the Elders who had tricked their own people. But Aqi was in danger, and no life was more precious. Before this war, Rhea had only taken three Exos’ lives and she hated it every time. She was bound to duty, not violence.
The approaching Hydras fell in a hail of bullets, their bodies flailing from the impact each time. Rhea winced, she had been trained to kill and was good at what she did, but it turned her stomach with each body. She had never thought she’d actually be killing her fellow humans. Still, she had no personal or ethical crises. Whatever it took to ensure Aqi’s wellbeing. She flexed her index finger again and another Hydra dropped.
Nine Hydras later, she saw Gana and his team closing the gap, no more adversaries between them. They turned their attention to the ground level and saw several Hydras staring up at them. Among them was Ellie. The look of desperation on their faces was unmistakable. Rhea paused long enough to make an observation. Several Hydras approached the old woman, Ellie, before hurrying back into the battle. She was clearly the leader. After seeing the wall taken by the Shrikers, she had taken cover.
“That lady is the leader. We need to take her out,” Gana stated, and Rhea nodded, proud her lieutenant had noticed what she had.
“Leave your team on the wall for cover. Come with me and we will finish her.” Rhea continued in a lower tone, “I only trust you with me.”
Gana swelled with pride, but he hid it well. To Rhea’s trained and calculated eye, it was obvious.
“I won’t let you down,” Gana said solemnly.
Rhea flashed her gold teeth. “If you do, I won’t be alive to let you know you failed.”
For that Gana had no answer, but followed Rhea down into the war zone after she barked a short command to the soldiers on the wall. Rhea’s eyes scanned the crowd of Hydras as their concern grew. She didn’t see Ellie though, and her own concern grew. Any threat to the Shrike was a threat to Aqi and Rhea’s stomach twisted even more. She would murder every Hydra in cold-blood if it meant that Aqi was safe.
Next to her, Gana fired a spray of bullets into the crowd and a line of Hydras dropped. The Shrikers covering them from the wall couldn’t deal with threats in their direct proximity for fear of misfiring. Rhea brought herself back to the present and gently squeezed the trigger and felt the recoil against her shoulder. Had the nomads not been leading a mutiny, Rhea might have shown them mercy. Instead, she mowed down another group. Tha
t was when she felt a round cut through the air next to her. The soldiers didn’t know she and Gana were in the midst of the battle. She skittered to a defensive position behind the metal foundation of a hut. Gana followed her lead.
“Our own men will kill us before the Hydras manage any sort of an offense,” Gana laughed. The remnant of his right ear and the scabs on his cheek were festering and oozing pus, lymph, and blood. He would need antibiotics, or more of his face removed to prevent the infection from spreading.
A snuffling creature barreled past Rhea and Gana’s hiding place, its snout upturned as it hunted for gonis. There were enough of the symbionts floating in the air to confuse the dingo, but a moment later it took off in the right direction. Several gonis swooped from the air to nip at it, but it deftly flexed it quills and two of the gonis impaled themselves on the hollow hairs. A Hydra, the owner of one of the dead gonis, stepped in and hacked the poor sand dingo in half with an ugly machete. He raised the blade again to do unnecessary damage to an already dead creature when Rhea punched a hole through his chest with a well-placed shot. The man spat up blood for only a moment before crumpling in a pile of limbs next to the dead extraterrestrials.
“We can’t let that woman get away from us. If she sneaks into the palace, there’s no telling what she’d do in there,” Rhea said as she reloaded. She still had plenty of rounds left in the magazine, but foresight is rarely regretted.
“You’re thinking of the hydroponics and med bay?” Gana inquired.
“Uh, sure,” Rhea said, flustered for just a moment. “Our people are in there too.”
“Without water, food, or medicine, it doesn’t matter how many we save,” Gana said pragmatically.
Rhea chose not to tell him that she only cared about one. She nodded in assent instead.
Gana darted his head out from hiding, before recoiling as a spray of bullets hit the sand where he had just been. “There’s a pile of clothes and metal scraps twenty yards we can get to,” Gana reported.