The water felt cool as she splashed into it, and the wet sand was squishing through her toes. Suddenly, she screamed as something grabbed her leg. Looking down in horror, she saw several deformed and mutated arms reach out from the shallows and begin to drag her down. She twisted and struggled, but to no avail. It was then that she understood that although the surroundings had not changed, she had. Her body was no longer that of a child but of an adult.
Calling out for help, she looked toward the beach where her parents and sister still stood waving. However, their smiles were now replaced by looks of intense sadness. They continued to wave but not in good humor. Instead, they waved good-bye.
She wanted to call out, to say something, but her voice refused to cooperate. As the water began to close over her head, she watched as her family turned and began walking slowly away.
"Stop."
Rebecca jerked as her mind caught up with her weary body. Sikaris called to the others to regroup. Once they had all gathered around, the alien leader addressed their Lidrilian guide. "How much farther?"
"It is still far,"Errhu replied. "But there should be no danger."
"Then we will rest for a moment," Sikaris said, setting its lantern down on the cavern floor. "It has been a while since we have heard any sounds of pursuit."
Their exhaustion was such that no one muttered so much as a single comment, including the normally vocal Ch'ran. Instead, they either found a small niche in the dank oval cavern in which to rest, or they simply dropped where they stood.
Rebecca, who was weak, tired, and in pain, barely had enough energy to remove her backpack before slumping to the hard rock floor. In moments, her mind had drifted off into the deep sleep of the fatigued...
She slept fitfully as dark shadows were moving in and out of her dreams, leaving an ominous sense of impending dread in their wake. Then like a beacon of light shining in the darkness, a familiar beeping sound rang out.
Rebecca opened her eyes slowly, setting aside the heaviness of sleep. Something was making that noise—a noise that she recognized but could not place.
As her brain fully awakened, it brought with it the memories of recent events. Still groggy, she slowly took in her surroundings. She had a vague recollection of stopping in this particular cavern, but she remembered little else.
Suddenly, the beeping ceased, causing her to resume her search for the direction that the now absent sound had originated from. It was then that she spied the dark form hovering over her pack, which now lay several feet to her right.
Coming instantly awake at the sight of the figure, she, nevertheless, remained motionless so as not to alert it, her eyes straining in the dark to try to make out the details. However, the only light in the cavern came from Sikaris's lantern, which happened to be on the opposite side of their camp.
The creature finished whatever it was doing, then stood completely erect. Even through half-closed eyelids, Rebecca could clearly see the outline of two sets of forearms. Feigning sleep, she continued to watch as it silently slunk back to where it had left its own belongings.
What was Prin doing? she wondered. Why was it looking through my pack? Even as the questions flashed through her mind, she remembered the beeping sound that had awakened her moments ago. But why would Prin want to mess with my journal? Could it have put something dangerous in with my equipment? Or did it take something? But what could I have that would be of use to it?
Lest she gave away the fact that she knew about Prin's snooping around, Rebecca refrained from getting up and checking her equipment. Instead, she lay still for many long minutes, her mind whirling with possibilities while her eyes examined every shadow for possible movement.
The others seemed to be asleep, except for the indefatigable Sikaris, who stood vigil over them, making sure that they were not attacked by other denizens of the mountain as well as making sure their Lidrilian guide did not decide to desert them.
She lay there for what seemed like an eternity, physically spent but afraid to sleep for fear of another intrusion by Prin.
"Everyone up," Sikaris said at last. "It is time to move out."
With her body stiff and unresponsive, she, nevertheless, forced herself to stand. Although the others had appeared to be sleeping, they were on their feet and ready with surprising quickness, leaving Rebecca rushing to catch up.
With the threat of pursuit abated, their pace slackened considerably. Taking advantage of the fact that Tarrsk was walking between her and Prin, Rebecca risked opening her pack as they walked, doing her best to appear casual. After a cursory inventory of her equipment, she spent several seconds checking her journal for tampering. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she examined her other items. Picking up her ship's tracker and turning it over in her hand, her heart sank, and her spirit plummeted until it matched the gloomy air around them. The device in her hand was clearly damaged beyond repair. The display screen was cracked from top to bottom, and several of the padded controls were bent or missing.
Did Prin do this? she wondered as she resealed her backpack and placed it back upon her shoulder as if nothing were amiss. But why? What could it gain? Maybe it was damaged during the battle. That's a definite possibility. Oh, it doesn't matter. When the others find out...I only hope we're close enough to the ship that we can find it without the tracker. Otherwise...
She left the thought unfinished, not even allowing her mind to consider any other possibility. They walked on for more than an hour longer without incident. Finally, Rysth-nuul and Errhu, who were at the forefront of the group, turned a corner and stopped abruptly.
"Daylight," Rysth-nuul announced. "We made it. I cannot believe it. We actually made it."
"See, I told you," Ch'ran said jovially. "Nix told me I would not die in the mountain."
"Shut up!" the snake alien spat vehemently. "I am sick of hearing about Nix. Because of your stupid belief in a being that does not exist, we were almost murdered."
Ch'ran was about to respond when Sikaris cut if off. "No more talk. We do not know where we are or who may be outside the cave."
Rysth-nuul sneered one last time at its small companion, then turned away. Ch'ran merely smiled back with its devilish grin.
"Wait here, all of you," Sikaris said quietly. Putting down its lantern, the Grinathian leader dropped to all fours and padded silently toward the hazy red afternoon sunlight at the far end of the tunnel. After several minutes, it returned and waved them forward.
"There are no signs of anyone," it reported. "We will take a short rest inside the mouth of the cave while Rebecca uses his machine to find out which direction to go. We are very close to Lake Yul, so the ship must be close."
Rebecca felt a lump settle in her throat. Drumming up her courage, she delivered the bad news. "I...I can't use my tracker. It's...damaged."
"What?" Rysth-nuul and Tarrsk both said simultaneously. Sidling up to her, the snake alien shot daggers at her from its mutated eyes. "What do you mean 'damaged'?"
Something snapped within her. Her hatred for this being had been building since she had met it until it now reached the boiling point. How dare it blame me!
For the first time since her arrival, Rebecca moved closer to the creature, facing its challenge head-on. "Do you think I did it on purpose? Do you think I want to stay on this dump of a planet constantly running for my life? It was probably damaged during the battle, although for all I know one of you might have done it!" As she spat the accusation, she looked around to see if any of them reacted, particularly the ferret-like scientist. Prin, however, remained expressionless. Turning her attention back to Rysth-nuul, she reached into her bag, grabbed the broken device, and tossed it at the alien. "Here. See for yourself."
The creature's four mismatched eyes stared at her as a smile slowly spread across its reptilian face. "So he does have some guts after all," it said slyly. Narrowing its eyes at her, it continued, "And you may be right, but that does not mean I will not murder you anyway."
; "Fine," she growled, her anger still fueling her bravado. "But if you do, you'll never make it back to your territory alive. You know as well as I do that my ship is your only hope."
"If it is even real," it hissed in reply. "And what good does it do us if we cannot find it? Or was that your goal all along—to lead us here by pretending there is a ship?" Switching its gaze to look at Sikaris, it added, "I still think we should have murdered him long ago."
The cat alien strode over to stand next to Rysth-nuul and Rebecca. As it spoke, its violet, unusually symmetrical eyes seemed to bore into her. "If we cannot find her ship, you may yet get your chance."
Although she maintained a calm front, inside her the fear was building like floodwaters behind a dam.
"But enough," Sikaris said as it turned away. "Let us waste no more time. Ch'ran, you will search to the east, Tarrsk to the west. Search only up to two miles. If you have not found anything by then, return here. If you do find it, use your commlink to let us know, and we will meet you. Everyone else will wait here."
"What about the Lid?" Tarrsk snorted, looking sideways at their guide.
Errhu, sensing the turn in the conversation, finally spoke. "Lri Errhu has kept his promise. Now I will go free."
The entire group stood facing the creature in a semicircular pattern. There was a sudden tension in the air that was almost palpable. A second later, the tendrils on the tips of Errhu's three branch-like arms whistled in agony. Surprised, Rebecca looked over to see Rysth-nuul holding the slaver's device in its claw.
"Yes," it said wickedly. "We will set you free."
The stunned creature recovered from the initial attack and tried to make a dash toward the cave opening. It had barely moved two feet when its body was wracked by another round of intense pain delivered by Rysth-nuul. Errhu's movement, combined with the painful shock, put the creature off balance, sending its large body crashing to the cave floor.
Ch'ran let out a malevolent whoop of delight and leapt on top of the enslaved alien. Driving its razor-sharp tail into the trunk of the tree, the devilish creature cackled viciously. "That should slow it down. Well, Nix, are you ready for some fun?"
Rebecca sat frozen in horror at the brutal display that followed. Once the creature was down, both Tarrsk and Prin joined in, each using its unique abilities to deliver blow after blow. Tarrsk unleashed several jagged rocks from the tips of its tentacles at point-blank range, while blue sparks shot from the tips of Prin's four hands, sending convulsive spasms of pain lancing through the tree alien's body. Rysth-nuul had abandoned the slaver device and was using its whip-like tail to slash and cut the downed alien.
In agony, the helpless creature writhed and twisted its poisoned body back and forth as each successive blow fell, the cave filling with the weakening whistling sounds of the Lidrilian's tendrils as it cried out. "No! Lri Errhu helped...can...still...help," her translator offered, its monotonous tone seeming to mock the alien's dying pleas.
"Shut up, slave scum," Rysth-nuul spat as it grabbed several of the tendrils in its mangled claws and severed the ends. It continued to do so until all of the tendrils lay strewn about the cave floor as a testimony to the snake alien's cruelty.
Rebecca flinched in sympathetic pain as Tarrsk began snapping the root-like legs, each "crack" causing the creature to jerk in excruciating pain. Ch'ran, still laughing maniacally, continued to leap about and use its tail to stab and slash its victim. Gradually, a dark pool of sap-like blood began to form on the floor of the cave as it oozed from the alien's numerous wounds. At last, whether from Ch'ran's poisonous tail or from losing consciousness from pain, the Lidrilian slave ceased its struggles.
Unable to endure any more, Rebecca turned sharply toward Sikaris. "Why don't you stop them? They're going to kill it!"
The feline alien merely looked at her, its expression one of boredom or unconcern. "So," it replied in English. "Why should I stop them from having a little fun?"
"Fun? But...but you promised to set it free," she said accusingly.
Sikaris's piercing eyes simply stared at her. "Have you learned nothing yet about Ka'esch? There is not even a word on this planet for 'truth.'"
Indignation flooded her. "It kept its promise. It told a 'non-lie,'" she said sarcastically. "What did that poor creature ever do to us to deserve this?"
"Deserve? It is a Lidrilian, that is reason enough. The race of Lidrilian are not as evolved as the Hran. They are only useful as slaves, food, and entertainment."
"But...isn't all life related? This...brutality is just...just wrong," she sputtered.
"Wrong?" Sikaris said curiously. "By whose standard? Who says it is wrong, you?"
She remained silent under the creature's scrutiny.
"On Ka'esch, those who hold the power determine what is right or wrong. And right now, we hold the power. Maybe I think it is right to let my tired group have a little fun."
"But it is a life," she said softly.
"So. Life is but an accident, the mixing of uncaring, impersonal, unintelligent chemicals. What is one lifetime when compared to the history of the universe? Life is worthless. Disposable. 'Power to the strong and intelligent, death to the weak and stupid.'"
What could she say to explain the feeling within her that cried out for justice, the feeling that told her that the murder of this innocent creature was wrong? Yet she could find no flaws in Sikaris's logic. So where did these feelings come from? Was it simply the residue of her religious upbringing or her cultural heritage?
Turning back around, her heart nearly burst with pity for the Lidrilian slave. The plant creature's hard bark-like skin had been flayed in several areas, its roots hung limply or had been torn off, and nothing remained of its tendrils but mangled stumps.
Ch'ran, Tarrsk, Rysth-nuul, and Prin finally ceased their activities, their pent-up frustration and anger from the last day released. Standing over the lifeless form, they howled and congratulated each other. Rebecca found it sickeningly ironic that for once, Prin fit in easily with the others.
"Eat what you want and then throw the remains farther back down the cave," Sikaris said once their celebration had ended. "Ch'ran and Tarrsk, grab something to eat and then leave. When you are outside, make sure you are not seen."
As Rysth-nuul and Prin began to eat what remained of the Lidrilian, Tarrsk and Ch'ran each grabbed several slices of food and headed through the cave opening out into the reddish sunlight beyond. Moving off to a secluded corner, Rebecca withdrew her journal from her pack. After a quick check to make sure it still functioned properly, she began recording, her voice low to prevent the others' translators from picking it up.
Journal Entry #5
I have to get away.
The only reason I'm still alive is because I've convinced Sikaris and the others that they need me to find the ship and negotiate with my crewmates. But after seeing these creatures in action and knowing more about how they think, I'm certain that once we find the ship, they'll dispose of me and attack Captain Coffner, Lisa, and the others. I have to warn them, but either my commlink isn't working properly or...or they can't respond for some reason. Either way, things will be decided soon enough.
For now, we wait. More than anything, I'm tired of waiting. At this point, I'd almost prefer any outcome to this...this infernal wondering and waiting. Just let it be over!
I just want to get off this rock! I want to get away from these monsters, but it seems more and more like I won't make it. I only wish I had a chance to see Jeffrey one more time. If only I could tell him...If only I could say I'm sorry.
No! I can't start thinking about that now. I won't think about that now. I have to keep my head clear, not get lost in self-pity.
Okay. Let me start over.
Since my last entry, we've traveled many miles through an underground maze of tunnels and caverns. We were able to successfully bypass the outer defenses of a clan of headless underground dwellers called the Modir. We then surprised them and managed to take control
of one of their gardens (as I explained in one of my previous entries, gardens on this planet contain living, moving, intelligent plant-like creatures). It was one of these Lidrilian—as they are called—who guided us out of the mountain at the cost of its own life.
I must admit that my companions continually find new ways to shock me with their brutality. The tree alien promised to lead us out in exchange for freedom. Yet once we had reached the surface, Rysth-nuul and the others proceeded to torture and murder the innocent creature.
What shocks me even more than the act itself is that I now understand the reasoning behind it. I'm amazed that in all my secondary schooling, I never really comprehended the ramifications of the theory of evolution. For if it is true, then there are no moral absolutes. How does one determine what's right or wrong? Is it determined by consensus? Does the majority decide? Yet human history is full of instances where the majority has been 'wrong,' at least, by modern standards.
That brings me to another point—values and morals differ from culture to culture and from generation to generation. Which values are 'right'? Whose morals are the 'right' ones? It all depends on your personal beliefs, which, of course, means that there is no one right answer. So how then can you say that even the vilest of acts is 'wrong' or the most benevolent of gifts 'right'? With evolution, everything is relative.
Therefore, within this framework, one cannot say that Hitler was 'wrong' or that Mother Teresa was 'right,' for they both sincerely lived out their beliefs. It's strange that here, on a planet billions of miles from Earth, I hear the echoes of the philosophy and logic that caused World War II. For in addition to relative morals, evolution also provides strong support for racism. Sikaris said that Lidrilian are not as highly evolved, and, therefore, their lives were worth less than those of the animal-like Hran. Isn't that what Hitler believed? His extermination of the Jews and Africans was based on the belief that they weren't as evolved as the white races and that he was purifying the gene pool.
Logic's End Page 22