by Rae Knightly
“You are right,” the old man answered in his native tongue. “That was a bad choice of words. While we may have come from the same region of this planet, current borders have no meaning to our situation. Those I serve transcend human history. I am here merely to assist the Observer.”
Laura burst into the conversation. “You are Toreq?”
The old man smiled at her and switched back to English. “Do not mistake the colour of my hair for that of the Toreq. No, I am of A’hmun descent, though I do serve the Toreq. I have served them well. I had hoped that the Observer would concede me a one-way ticket back to the Mother Planet.” His smile faded. “But that is no longer to be.”
The light on Hao’s phone came on, indicating a new incoming call.
“Our shapeshifter is up to something,” the old man said, his face becoming gloomy as he glanced at the phone. “You must hurry.” He turned his wheelchair around and rolled away from the pair. “I am counting on you, Inspector. And on you, Laura. Forgive me for imposing this burden on you both, but I know that, together, you can free the Observer and send him home. He has already lost his life companion and his daughter, he does not deserve further wrath from the shapeshifter.” The old man was almost halfway to the van.
The other thugs blended into the shadows after him. As they lifted the wheelchair, Hao heard him say baffling words, “And if you succeed, I trust he will speak a good word for you, when the time comes.”
The van doors rolled shut. The motor roared to life, and the vehicle sped away.
Hao hopped to the pile of boxes and grabbed his ringing phone, pressing the call button.
“Sir!” his assistant screamed into his ear over a thunderous noise. “Where are you? The Dugout is under attack! I repeat: we are under attack!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Waking Dragon
The helicopter landed on a bustling airfield. Hao leant on Laura’s shoulder to clamber out of it. Her hair whipped his face as the rotors continued to turn.
A military jeep stood a few feet away, a soldier ready to lead them into action. LED floodlights illuminated the airstrip, and army trucks weaved their way at dangerous speeds among marching soldiers.
Hao and Laura took places in the jeep, which sped in the opposite direction to fleeing crowds, heading for the source of the commotion. They reached a fence topped with barbed wire and had to come to a halt to avoid running over an armed guard.
“Back away!” the man ordered.
Hao waved his badge. “Inspector Hao. I have clearance.”
Someone grabbed his shoulder. He turned to find Laura leaning over the front window of the jeep, staring ahead.
Hao grunted and pulled himself up beside her.
Before them, trees burned and men and women scrambled for safety. Some of them were visibly hurt. But what made Hao’s blood turn cold, was an eerie red mist that escaped from an enormous, gaping hole where the Dugout entrance had once been. Hao dropped back into his seat and yelled to the driver, “You! Get out!”
The soldier glanced at him with wide eyes, then hopped out of the vehicle.
“Laura!” Hao barked. “Take the wheel!”
Laura slipped into the driver’s seat, pressed the gas pedal and bypassed the guard who was shouting at them to stop.
Hao grasped the side of the car, half to avoid painful jolts to his leg, half from increasing dread as to what they would find ahead.
Laura hit the brakes near the hole that looked like the mouth of a volcano. They stepped out and approached it with care, peaking over the edge. Wisps of red, hot water vapour lifted from a dark mass that lay at the bottom, resembling a waking dragon.
Hao exchanged a glance with Laura. “This way,” he said, leading her to the left. He had spotted a set of stairs on the outskirt of the hole–only, it was one floor down, and there was no way to get to it.
We’ll have to jump, he realized.
Laura glanced at him and drew her eyebrows together.
“I can make it,” Hao reassured her.
She nodded and headed to the edge of the hole. Hao watched as she grabbed on to the side, then swung down. He heard a muffled thud and peeked down hurriedly.
Her voice sounded distant. “It’s ok,” she shouted. “The landing is clear, but you risk falling on your injured leg.”
Hao didn’t wait to hear more. He dropped his crutches and heard them clatter next to Laura. Sitting on the edge, he lowered himself over the side, copying Laura, then hung on until he had determined how far down the floor was.
“Careful!” Laura warned.
He let himself drop, landing on his good leg, but lost his balance and tumbled into Laura as she tried to break his fall. They landed in a heap on the floor, Hao’s broken leg bumping on the concrete. “Ouch!” he yelled, seeing stars.
“Are you ok?” Laura gasped.
Hao shut his eyes. “Never better,” he groaned, drawing in a sharp breath. Oh God, this is going to hurt. He bit his tongue and accepted Laura’s help as they stood. She passed him his crutches.
“Where to now?” she asked.
“This way,” he said, grimacing. Inwardly, he prayed the emergency stairs were still in one piece all the way to the bottom. At first sight, they seemed to be, but Hao realized he had a bigger problem. “Laura, it’s going to take me forever to get down there. If you want to save your son, you’re going to have to go on ahead without me.”
Fear reflected in her eyes, but she set her jaw and nodded.
She’s got guts, this one, he had to admit.
“Listen,” he said. “You have to reach the seventh floor, then cross the hangar where the spacecraft is located. You’ll find another set of stairs on the other side. It leads to the eighth and last floor. That’s where your son is.”
She nodded again wordlessly.
“Be very careful,” he cautioned. “We don’t know what’s down there.”
“Be careful, too,” she said, before heading away.
“Laura!” Hao hissed, suddenly remembering something. “Check the sixth floor. See if the control room is functioning. If security cameras are still active, they might give you an idea as to what’s going on down there.”
Her eyes widened, but she gestured that she understood, then set off again, with Hao hopping after her at tortoise speed.
***
Ben listened to the silence with increasing dread. His situation was becoming more dire by the minute. He expected Bordock’s spacecraft to emerge from the hole at any moment. Then the shapeshifter would come for him, and that would be the end of that.
He became aware of Beetrix again, anxiously calling his name from nearby. He let the translation skill take over his thoughts and slipped weakly onto the bee’s back.
The ground was littered with leaves and broken twigs; the large branch that had landed on the van lay to its side.
He realized that Beetrix wasn’t moving, but hovered in one spot. She scanned his mind worriedly, testing his resilience.
Your spirit is frail.
Her statement frightened him because he knew she was right.
Come, she said, lifting upwards into the leaves.
Where are you going?
She didn’t answer but used a warm breeze to carry her higher and higher until they reached the summit of the trees.
Beetrix! Wait! Where are you going?
***
Laura ran down the emergency stairs two steps at a time, swinging around corners with the help of the railing.
Lights struggled to remain on. One bulb fizzed just as she rushed by and sparks flew over her head.
She ignored her thumping heart as she wondered what she would find around each corner, then came to a standstill when she spotted a sign that indicated she had reached the sixth floor.
She pushed the door open and glanced down the dark corridor. It was littered with rubble. Not daring to stop for fear she would give in to cowardice, Laura rushed to her right. Not finding anything, she backtracked and headed left.
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Double doors, which hung twisted at the hinges, showed promise, and a fallen sign confirmed it was the control room. She hurried inside and found herself in a large room with a broken window to the right and television screens to the left. Wiping away beads of sweat on her forehead, she approached the window slowly, pieces of glass crunching under her feet.
Not far below, the dark form of the humming spacecraft made her skin crawl. She stepped back, willing her mind to focus on what needed to be done.
She turned and glanced at the many screens, half of which showed static. Unstable images scrolled across some other screens. She rushed over to study them, then gasped. A grainy image showed a room with several forms lying next to each other. One of them was Ben.
She touched the screen as if willing herself to pass to the other side, overcome by a mixture of relief at seeing him, but also distressed at the lack of a sign of life.
She was about to head on when a movement caught her eye on another screen. She leant forward for a better look, then realized the form belonged to Mesmo. The alien lay on the ground, surrounded by rubble. There was a gyrating switch next to the camera, which allowed her to move the camera from left to right. When she did so, a corner of the spacecraft came into view.
Gotcha! she thought to herself, having pinpointed his location, then hurried to find her way down.
She entered the emergency stairs once more but found that the wall had crumbled over the last set of steps. She wasted precious minutes clambering over blocks of concrete and iron poles, coughing her way through the dust that hadn’t settled yet.
The final door had burst out of its frame and lay useless on the floor. Slightly disoriented, Laura figured she would find Mesmo to her left, so she avoided the hangar altogether and crept along the wall until she found the spot she had seen on the security screen.
She listened to the muffled silence, her breath coming out too fast. Then she heard a groan.
***
Beetrix headed away from the gaping hole and over the treetops, with Ben begging her to turn back.
He fell silent as he became aware of a humming sound from within the branches of a maple tree that towered above the others. It was a comforting, welcoming noise that made him feel safe. He knew before they even reached it that Beetrix was leading him to her hive.
What are you all doing here?
Hadn’t he left the hive back at the park?
We followed you and clung on to the roof of the manmade machine that took away your lifeless body. You promised to help us, remember? We couldn’t let you come to harm. We needed to know if you were still alive.
Ben felt a wave of agreement from the swarming insects. Although they buzzed around noisily in a chaotic manner, he sensed an inner harmony that allowed them to speak in one voice. He was reminded that Beetrix had told him about an invisible interconnectedness between hives, and the deathly silence that remained when entire colonies disappeared. He couldn’t imagine how horrible it would feel if this hive went silent.
He sensed thoughts of wellbeing and encouragement wash over him as if extended family had decided to visit him in hospital at the same time and was wishing him a swift recovery in unison.
I’m not alone.
A gush of gratefulness almost pulled Ben back into the quicksand’s arms, and he had to concentrate for several minutes to settle his emotions.
The humming song lulled him, but a persistent thought kept on pushing him to remain present.
I can’t let Bordock win.
The idea escaped him, then slipped into the swirling black hole of quicksand that grated beneath him.
Beetrix, don’t let that spaceship leave. Get soldiers…to stop…the shapeshifter…
There were gaps in his thoughts, the pressure exerted by Bordock’s trap almost too heavy to bear. At the same time, he sensed that Beetrix was reaching some kind of consensus, one he wanted to be part of. So, with superhuman effort, he willed himself back into the centre of the hive and forced himself to concentrate. The queen bee did not involve him, but the determined buzzing suddenly made him aware of what she was doing.
Beetrix! Don’t you dare attack Bordock!
The zooming became muted, and Ben understood that the bee colony had already accepted the challenge. His mind did a double take.
Beetrix! I forbid it!
The queen bee turned her attention to him.
My children were born soldiers. They have poison inside of them and will not survive. They know that they are doomed. That is why they are willing to risk their lives for you, so future colonies might survive. It has been decided.
Ben burst in anger with the last mental strength he could muster, N-O! I won’t allow it! Don’t you da…”
Something yanked at him.
I…I won’t…You…you c-can’t…
Benjamin Archer…?
Beetrix faded at an immense speed. No, rather, he was the one that was falling. His thoughts scattered at the violent tug that sent him reeling into the black hole. He slipped through the dark quicksand so fast he barely had time to open his mouth in shock.
He choked as his spirit collided heavily with something. He opened his eyes, letting out a halted scream. Someone held his wrists tightly, waving his glowing hands before his face.
“I knew it!” Bordock said with an icy voice, his face hovering inches away from Ben’s. “You’re trying to use the skill on me.”
Ben heard something click.
“Not this time,” the shapeshifter snarled, and everything went black.
***
Clambering over a fallen column, Laura almost stepped headlong into a deep hole. She gasped and pulled back, then spotted a movement to her right.
“Mesmo!” she cried, climbing over the rubble.
She dropped to her knees by his side. His face was deathly pale, dust covered his cheeks and hands, but he was alive. Laura examined his body for injuries and found his legs trapped under a heavy slab of concrete.
Mesmo blinked. “Laura,” he gasped. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Stay still. I’ll get you out.” She glanced at his legs worriedly.
Mesmo looked down as well and tried to move. “I can feel my legs,” he said. “But they’re stuck.”
Laura exhaled silently, relieved that he was in one piece. All she had to do was remove the slab and free him. Easier said than done. She grabbed at both ends of the slab, pulling with all her might. It barely moved an inch.
“I found Ben,” she said, trying to sound calm as she grunted under the effort. “He’s one floor down, but I think he’s unconscious.”
Mesmo tried to help her lift the slab. “Bordock has him,” he said. “He has the spirit portal and is stopping Ben’s spirit from reuniting with his body.”
Laura glanced at him with fearful eyes.
He tried to sound reassuring. “We have to weaken Bordock’s willpower over Ben. All he needs is a fraction of a second to escape.”
Laura avoided eye contact. Is that all?
Mesmo must have noticed he wasn’t helping because he added, “As soon as I’m out of here I’ll get my hands on the spirit portal myself.”
She nodded and concentrated on the slab with more determination. Both groaned under the effort of pulling at its weight. It moved somewhat, but not enough.
Mesmo sank back, panting, then grabbed her by the arm. His attention had turned to a spot higher up.
She whirled around.
The outline of a man dwarfed them from above the fallen column. His hands glowed.
Laura yelled in shock and scampered away.
Bordock hopped down lightly from the column and landed on the very slab they had been trying to move seconds ago. His cold eyes were set on Mesmo.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Broken Trust
“Fancy a test of skills?” Bordock sneered, his hands glowing brighter. His mouth curled into a smile. “Ah, but you seem a little out of your element…”
“
No!” Laura begged, guessing his intentions.
Bordock turned hard eyes on her. “Still confused, are we? But, that’s right, Laura Archer. I made you a deal. I promised you this Toreq scum would tell you the truth before I finish him off.”
Laura suppressed a whimper.
The shapeshifter stared at Mesmo again. “How about it? She deserves to know, don’t you think?”
“Bordock…” Mesmo protested.
“Tell her!” Bordock shouted, his face twisting in anger. “I want to hear you say it! Tell her who you are! Tell her why you’re here!”
A thick, threatening silence fell over the two men as they glared at each other.
Laura stared at them, terrified. “Mesmo?” she said in a tiny voice. “Tell me what?”
Mesmo’s facial features sagged. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. Finally, he said, “Do you remember, when I told you about the Great War of the Kins?”
Laura nodded stiffly.
“Many eons ago, the Toreq and the A’hmun fought the greatest war in their known history and almost annihilated each other in the process. But the Toreq came out victorious. After much debate, my people decided to banish the surviving enemy.” He dropped his chin to his chest. “The Toreq banished the A’hmun to a lost pebble in the confines of space, with limited resources and isolated from any cluster of civilized planets…” His voice drifted off.
Laura crossed her arms over her stomach. She glanced at Bordock, who examined her reaction with glee. She found it harder and harder to breathe.
“Do you get it now?” Bordock said in a low voice. “That lost pebble is Earth. And humans are the A’hmun.”
Laura shook her head in full denial.
Bordock smirked. “That’s right. The human race is all that is left of the Toreq’s most feared enemies. You descend from the A’hmun. You were placed on this meaningless planet a million years ago as punishment, your memories wiped clean, and this so-called friend of yours is here to determine whether you are still worthy of this rock, or whether you should be exterminated once and for all.”