by Andi Feron
I was starting to adjust to life on base. I still missed my grandma from time to time. They finally allowed me to video chat with her on Sunday nights. I told her that maybe I would make it home at Christmas this year, which I saw her light up about. She told me that she joined a local senior center and made some new friends.
We had a mission briefing in the morning, so I gave up on the movie I started and chose my bed instead. My alarm beeped at four o’clock, leaving me groaning. This military junk wasn’t for me. I knew that long before I was kidnapped by the space militia, but maybe I would someday grow used to it.
For our newest mission, we would be gone a few days. We were going camping. We needed to hike up an enormous mountain with limited trails. We couldn’t land at the top due to limited space, as this portion of the planet was covered with thick plant life. The trick would be to find a spot open enough to land safely. Once at the top, we would arrive at a temple where someone would have information that we needed to get back to the council.
We would be out of our communications’ range, and the hope was that we would avoid Khalbytian conflict during that time. Either way, we were on our own. I boarded our craft that I lovingly dubbed “Tin Can.” The base of the ship was a dark silver cylinder with massive arms that extended forward. Blue lights wrapped around the sides, and the front looked like it was a fierce face.
I chatted with Lila most of the way to our newest destination. She told me about the planet we were traveling to. Being that Lila’s first love was botany, she was excited to see an indigenous plant that spoke. It was unclear if it possessed the intelligence to talk or if it just mimicked what it already heard similar to a mockingbird.
We exited the craft as Talon had successfully set down on the planet’s surface. The plant life was dense, and about any color you could imagine. We were given machetes to get through thicker areas. Lila didn’t like the idea of chopping down the natural forestry, but there was no other way to maneuver through certain spots, and we only cut through when there was no other way around. She seemed to be in heaven, intently looking at all of the different species of flowers, trees, and brush.
You could see the mountain ascend above us, but the plants were more like those in a rainforest than the mountains of the Rockies. Lila gave us a quick reminder to avoid touching anything, as many of the plants were poisonous, dangerous even through touch. She felt our uniforms would be adequate with the added protection of gloves. We hiked most of the trip upward, and I was suddenly glad for the mandatory miles we ran daily on the base obstacle course. A few months ago, I would have only made it about half an hour.
The air seemed thick, not as thin as you would expect with increasing altitude. Only a slight humidity hung in the air, unlike what you would think a rainforest-like atmosphere would hold. There were blue flowers that were throwing particles back and forth in a playful manner. It looked as though they were playing catch. They made for an interesting hike, and they extended several miles up the mountain.
Despite the lush flora, I didn’t see any insects and thought that perhaps the planet’s life was strictly vegetation. There were black vines that slithered up the sides of tall palm trees. The dark color made them feel ominous, like they might grab you and constrict you like a boa. I made sure to stay far enough away.
We found an open patch of flat ground that John notified everyone would be our camp for the night. Our tents were pretty easy to assemble, and our cots folded down to the size of a notebook. We were able to set up everything in a few swift movements. I put my pillow and blanket down and went to sit by the fire that Morgan started. Things were cooling off quite a bit, and the warmth of the fire brought the right amount of heat.
With Lila’s directing, we found some wood that burned nicely, and it gave off a sweet honey-like scent as it burned. We were eating rations when Deron pulled out a small stereo and played some songs that were preprogrammed. Talon pulled Seraphine close as they began to slow dance by the fire.
They made war romance look easy. Seraphine looked up at Talon and seemed lost in his eyes in a way any guy would be lucky. Lila looked at me and jerked her head toward what was our makeshift dance floor. I smiled back and shook my head, teasing her until she grabbed my hand and pulled me to the floor. She rested her head on my shoulder as we danced rhythmically, the fire making our faces glow.
The music picked up and a couple of the others joined us, dancing enthusiastically to the rapid beat. John sat on one of the chairs that Colin brought out, and I saw him watching Althea. I knew that every part of him was holding back from walking over and pulling her into a dance.
She mesmerized him, and she was too buried in a book to notice. I was going to have to work on making our fearless leader more aware of his happiness being something that he deserved. If he allowed the war to squash it, he would wake up an old man, alone, with only long-ago battles to proclaim for his life.
We danced even though we hiked all day and it released any tension that we were holding in. For a moment, we were just friends enjoying a moment on a far off planet. Life seemed normal despite the surroundings screaming alien world.
The next two days were a brutal hike almost straight up the side of the mountain. At times, ropes were the only tool that enabled the hike possible. We trekked through thick sludge, and we anchored ourselves to tree trunks so we didn’t slide or sink too deep. We were fortunate enough to find a stream to wash up in, and our scans showed that the water was safe.
We decided to camp by the stream for the night, and the understanding was that we should make the temple by noon the next morning. The rations were getting a little old, and I was looking forward to getting back to the mess hall on base in a few days, or better yet, to Lila’s cooking. Her southern style surely would have packed on fifty pounds if it wasn’t for the physical demands of my new mandatory career.
Sleep lost its way to my tent. I couldn’t get comfortable even though I should have been used to the firm cots by now. By morning I was still tired, and my muscles were sore from all of the hiking. I was not built for the wilderness.
Lila noticed my slothful demeanor. “You look like you took a tumble down a few of those mud hills.”
“I couldn’t sleep. Cots were extra uncomfortable for some reason.”
“That should make the day fun for you. At least we’re only hiking half a day.”
I sighed. “True.”
Once camp was picked up, we began the hike. I was grateful the hike wasn’t as slanted upward anymore. We had found a good trail and scans showed a clear path to the temple. A ripping sound emitted from the ground five seconds before we felt the rumble. A dark green stem with large orange flowers erupted in front of us.
The flower seized John with an enormous yellow tongue that it ejected from the midst of its petals. The mutated plant monster yanked him beneath the ground. I heard Allie scream as she ran to where the ground had swallowed him. She began digging at the smoothed over dirt. The rumble came again, and two of the flowers swallowed Deron and Morgan.
“Off the path!” Talon yelled, directing us to the brush to our left.
At the third rumble, something strong grabbed me around my waist. I perceived my chest being crushed and sharp pain in the back of my neck. I succumbed to the blackness before I could react.
Chapter Eighteen
Althea-April 22, 2014
I pounded the ground and dug in the hopes that my hands would cut through the compacted brown dirt. The soil was packed back down as though it was never disturbed. I screamed for John. Something grabbed me, and I thought that the plant monsters had gotten me as well. I was momentarily fine with being taken wherever John was.
I soon realized that it was Talon carrying me away from the smooth path that seemed to be the natural habitat of the flowered ground-swallowers. I was over his shoulder and could see his feet running through thick grass and plants. He finally put me down and I collapsed on the ground.
I screamed in my mind, hopin
g that John could somehow hear me telepathically. All that I received in response was silence. Talon took a tally—Seraphine, Lila, Colin, himself, and I were the survivors. We needed to figure out what to do at this point. Talon and Seraphine’s ranks assumed them in charge in place of John. Talon began scanning and decided that we were going to hike straight up to the temple.
The smooth path was too easy, and with all of our abilities, we should have seen it coming. Deron was heightened, and he’d never mentioned hearing anything abnormal. He was always good about keeping us informed when he knew something was coming. Talon directed us all to follow him.
I stayed planted. “We have to find the others first!” I practically screamed it at Talon. I couldn’t believe that Talon was going to carry the mission out when our friends had been swallowed into the ground.
“We have to get the information and, from there, figure out if it’s even feasible to do anything for them. I think you have to come to terms with the fact they are probably already gone.”
Talon made me more frustrated with every word he spoke. I shook my head. “No! I refuse to leave them in the ground. We have to find a way to get them. Lila, do you know anything about the plants?”
“No, they weren’t in any of the textbooks I studied, not even the ones specific to the planet. I find it odd that no one mentioned them before now.” Lila’s answer carried a desperate tone, and I knew she was probably trying not to panic about Gabriel.
“It’s possible everyone who has come across them never escaped to write about them for any textbook,” Seraphine said.
“Look, Allie, I can tell the temple is about a mile hike up and a few hundred feet over once we get to the top. Our best bet is to make it there and see if whoever we are meeting has information on what those things were and what we need to do about them.”
Talon’s words were pretty much an order. Talon would drag me to the top if I didn’t go by choice. He wouldn’t risk me being devoured by botanical monsters. He was right but moving toward the temple meant moving away from John, and if he was alive, he could have tightly borrowed time. I pushed my anxiety aside and reluctantly began the hike up the rest of the mountain and away from my best friend.
I should have spent more time with him between missions. I should have pushed against the distance he put between us. I should have learned that there was a fragile component that could rip John from me just as Kais had been six months ago. I found breathing difficult and realized that I was near a panic attack. I pushed myself forward, regardless of the deep pounding of my heart.
We made it to the temple, and my mind wasn’t focused. The temple looked very much like a copy of the Mayan pyramids. We found a steep staircase and made our way up. At the top was a narrow door and, as we entered, torches lit up a large chamber with several tables along the far wall. Our orders were to wait in the room. After about five minutes of waiting, we heard footsteps and four Loctorians walked out from a back room. They were wearing dark brown robes that covered their deteriorating state.
One of the Loctorians stepped forward. “We have a file for you.”
He handed Talon a box that contained a device with the secret information on it. It must be incredibly sensitive information if it couldn’t be transmitted, and there was a good chance we would never know what our friends had been consumed for. Talon told the Loctorians about our predicament and asked if anything could be done.
The same Loctorian who gave Talon the box spoke. “Torgitex plants. Your friends might still be alive, but it will take some work to get to them. We will allow you the use the tunnels underneath the temple. Follow the path carefully. Do not go anywhere that is not lit blue until you come to the red door. The door has been marked red because it is a warning not to enter the domain of the Torgitex.
“They do have one weakness; it is the frequency of the Priteti fairies. Their singing is appalling to the Torgitex. We have a fairy you may use, but we will only help on one condition. One of you must return to your ship with your information, so it is not at risk. We will allow one to take the Boltize down the mountain for quicker passage.”
Boltize were large buffalo-type creatures whose grey fur looked like tiny woven sticks. They could walk straight down a mountain and straight up again. They would make the trek back within an hour rather than days. I had a passing thought that it would have been nice to have had a couple Boltize for the journey up.
Talon handed Colin the box. “Colin, why don’t you and Allie head back.”
“No, Talon, I have to go. If they are injured, they’ll need me right away.” I would argue this one through.
“You have to keep yourself in control. You’ll be more of a hindrance than a help if you can’t do that.”
I decided not to take my brother’s words personally. I did think that he was exaggerating my demeanor, as part of him was being partial over keeping his little sister safe. In the end, Lila and Colin rode the Boltize back to the ship to protect the message. Talon, Seraphine, and I would see if we could rescue the others.
The Loctorians said that our friends could be in stasis until the Torgitex plants were hungry enough to devour them. I shuddered at the thought of the botanical digestion of my friends. Once we arrived in the lair, we would release the Priteti fairy who was then supposed to release a horrendous sound which would cause the Torgitex to be distracted and release whatever prey they stored in their jowls.
We would have limited time to get them out of there. The backup plan was to have Seraphine see if she could project something to alarm the plants if we needed extra time. She informed us that she had never tried her ability on a plant species and was unsure if she would have any effect.
The Loctorians sent us on our way with a box containing the fairy. The box kept her silent until released. We put on our night vision goggles as we descended deep into the tunnels. Talon began using his tracking skills to ensure that we were following the right path. He led us using an entirely different sense than vision.
We walked through the red door as instructed. The Torgitex appeared to be in a dormant state. They encircled the edges of the room, giving us the middle of the enclosure to move around. Talon pointed to the right at five swollen plants. We were only missing four friends, which meant that the fifth had to be something else.
Seraphine opened the box at Talon’s cue, and the fairy began singing in perfect pitch. Her voice beautiful and alluring, not at all the horror I pictured. The room had a natural yellow glow to it, and I took off my goggles to get a better look at the fairy. She looked like a butterfly, with sky blue wings and a sapphire body. She fluttered around the room, and the Torgitex began writhing around, unable to locate her. She was swift and agile as she zoomed about. The five against the wall squealed, releasing our friends and something unrecognizable.
The four of them laid still on the ground, and I feared that they were gone. I ran to see if I could heal them. The priteti fluttered rapidly about, still creating chaos for the Torgitex. The necks of my friends were severely swollen with holes the size of quarters. Gabriel was closest, so I began to heal his neck wound. It closed up nicely and he stirred.
“We have to get out of here!” Talon yelled, and I realized that the singing had stopped. One of the plants had located the fairy and swallowed her whole.
I gasped in horror at the demise of the unfortunate fairy before hurrying over to Deron and Morgan, healing their wounds simultaneously. Gabriel was sitting up at this point. Deron tried to get to his feet but was unsteady. Morgan had already recovered. Seraphine was in a trance, doing her best to project more priteti fairies into the room, which seemed to be successful as the Torgitex were flailing wildly around, tearing at each other.
I moved to John and healed his wound, and at that point, both Deron and Gabriel were on their feet. I could tell that Talon was tracking and he ran toward a passage to the left of us. Deron and Morgan filed after him. I put John’s arm around my shoulder, and Gabriel grabbed his other arm as we help
ed him hobble out of the lair.
Once we were clear, Seraphine backed slowly toward the exit then turned around and ran. A loud scream emitted across the cavern as the Torgitex mind trance broke and they realized that they had not only lost dinner but had also torn half their lair apart. The farther we got from the den, the more steadied Gabriel, Morgan, and Deron seemed.
John seemed pretty out of it. Talon unfolded his cot from his bag and turned it upside down, attaching a rope to the front legs. We put John on it. I put a blanket over him to help with his shaking. Talon pulled John on the cot, and we kept walking. Talon tracked our destination, making us confident that we would stay on the right path.
We were silent, not wanting to attract any unfriendly attention. The trip to the temple took days of hiking up the mountain, but we were going through the mountain, which would make the trip hours. The fact there was no mud or plant life to push through also helped.
We came to the end of the trail where a large rock wall loomed far up out of sight. Talon took his weapon out and told us to stand back. He blasted a large hole into the side, and bright sunlight made us all wince and cover our eyes. We walked for about an hour before I saw our ship about fifty feet in front of us. Colin and Lila were already there as the Boltize beast had carried them down the mountain at a rapid pace.
I turned my focus to John. Our scanners showed that his temperature was a hundred and four degrees. We placed cooling blankets on him. I tried to heal him but my powers were less effective with poison than with injury. I cured a cat of poison once, but cat systems were less complicated and who knew how different the toxins were from each other. He shook and spoke deliriously. He said my name a few times, and I reassured him that I was there.