The New World: Crimson Winter

by Andy Skrzynski

  A myriad of memories that have haunted her since childhood flooded her mind. They killed his parents! Why would Thoruk offer them our homes?

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Prehistoric Intrusion

  Three Days Later on November 10, 2105

  Ukkiville’s Library

  After Ukkiville had welcomed the Texans the previous evening, Hoot and a contingent of village leaders and Skalags, sat around the long table with their visitors from the distant south. The massive room and its rows of books drew memories of the times she spent studying after school.

  She looked at the warm-blooded guests. While the other Texans wore lightweight coats and appeared comfortable, Speedy’s teeth chattered. Tightly wrapped in layers of thick clothing, he shivered like a wet bird perched on an ice-covered branch.

  It took everything she could muster to hold back the giggles forcing their way up her throat as she inspected the fireplace. The flames had died to a mound of glowing orange embers.

  Unable to bear the torture any longer, she stood and added a touch of her friends’ southern hospitality for good measure. “Would y’all like me to add another log to the fire?”

  Speedy kept his chin tucked close to his chest. “That would be wonderful. I forgot to bring my coat. I didn’t think about how cold it is up here. Fortunately, Aluki let me use these clothes.”

  Still shaking, he looked at Andralec. “Why didn’t you remind me to bring my winter coat with the Glow Heat liner?”

  The robot huffed. “Really, you want to go there? If we didn’t leave a few things for humans to think about on your own, your brains would turn to sludge.”

  Speedy hugged himself tighter and scowled as he stared at the fireplace. “Why don’t you use Glow Heat instead of logs? It’s much warmer.”

  Mercy smiled. “We do in our cabins, but we kind of like the ambiance of a real fire in some locations like the library and civic center. People prefer the sounds and smells of real firewood. Besides, the flames are mesmerizing.”

  Pulling his collar up over his ears, he smirked. “It ain’t working for me. I don’t know how y’all stand it up here in the winter.”

  Hoot tugged on her zipper. “You wanna borrow my new coat?”

  “It wouldn’t fit. You’re skinnier than me.”

  She looked at the Texans. “I can’t thank y’all enough for contributing to Hound Dog’s gift. It saved my life.”

  Tiger nodded. “Sounds like that snatcher almost did you in from what he told us last night. We’re happy for the both of you.”

  Mercy rose from her seat and walked to a nearby desk. “I’ll get something that might help us all.”

  After a while, Mercy carried a silver tray to the Texans. “Have some more chicksoy. It’ll help keep you warm.”

  Speedy’s hands shook as he reached for one of the steamy mugs. “Not unless it’s spiked with some of Queasy’s fire juice.”

  The scientist retrieved a flask from his pocket and slid it across the table. “Here, you need this more than I do right now.”

  Ambush and Tiger looked at each other and spoke in unison. “Save some for us.”

  Thoruk chuckled and rose from his seat. “I know you’re a long way from home, but we’re thankful you came to join us for the next couple of days.”

  He looked to his left where Zo sat. “We’re also glad to have our friends from the mountains staying with us. You’re all welcome to stay in Ukkiville as long as you’d like.”

  While Thoruk nodded his respects and sat down, Speedy drew a long sip of his soothing drink and spouted. “Three days is more than long enough for me if you know what I mean.” He clung tight to his hot mug as if it were Earth’s last gift of warmth.

  Hoot snickered to herself. Blazes, who knew the Texans were such sissies.

  Thoruk sat back down. “Let’s get started. We’ve got plenty to discuss before the celebration starts at noon. There was so much going on during the battle, some we could see right before our eyes, but there was a lot going on that many of us weren’t aware of. It would be nice if we could share what we know and discuss what we don’t.”

  Salty’s gaze shifted from the flames to the group. “That makes sense. Where would you like to start?”

  Impatient as ever, Hoot blurted. “I want to know more about the aliens. They were the ugliest, meanest things I’ve ever seen.”

  Speedy stammered as he shivered. “Y’all don’t know the half of it.”

  Pausing, he placed his palm across his red nose. “I dread even saying this out loud.”

  Hoot stomped her foot. “Come on, spit out the seeds! Any other time, you’re a jabbering chatterbox.”

  “Just remember, you asked for it. These creatures may have been on Earth before humans existed.”

  She stood up straight and stared at him. “How’s that possible? Nobody’s seen anything like these things before.”

  “While that may be true or not, Armadillo found something quite astounding. The strange markings on the alien’s locator device were identical to the oldest symbols discovered on Earth. Back in 2054, monks found writings in the deepest caverns of the Himalayas that dated back to the earliest of prehistoric times — almost three million years ago — before the Stone Age and Homo sapiens evolved. Perhaps, the so-called mythical beasts in China really aren’t a myth after all.”

  Stunned, Hoot struggled to find the right words. “Are you saying that when humans roamed Earth, we may have been the ones intruding on the snatcher’s territory?” She sat back down.

  “In a sense that’s possible. Before we ever existed, they may have been visitors from another part of the universe, taking what they needed back to their home base and returning on occasion. Who knows for sure? I’ll leave that one to better minds than mine.”

  Andralec couldn’t resist. “Great idea, Pea Brain.”

  While most laughed, Speedy feigned a hurt look. “Careful now, I might hack your software the next time you’re charging your Halo Pack.”

  Salty’s face grew stern. “Alright, you two.”

  He looked around the table. “What else is on your mind?”

  For the most part, Zo and his sister remained subdued since the battle, probably saddened by the deaths of Kree and some of the other Skalags, but he suddenly stiffened in his chair and spoke softly. “Tell us more about that spaceship thing and how water could cause such an explosion. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  Speedy perked up. “Remember that shiny thing you found in Spider’s hand? We had a devil of a time trying to find out what it was made of. Well, one of our engineers accidentally knocked over his drink, and the metal instantly started to dissolve. He wiped it off right away to halt the reaction. When we ran some tests, we discovered it was the water in his glass that caused the damage. The metal itself is stronger than any other material found on Earth as far as we know. With a little help from our AI friend…,” he nodded toward Andralec, “…and her significant intelligent estimation, we surmised that their spaceship would most likely include the same metal.”

  A grin spread wide across Speedy’s lips. “The moment I received the coordinates to their location, I transferred hundreds of barrels of water to the belly of their ship using our experimental version of a moletran-type transporter we’ve been working on for years. When our gift detonated, the H2O came in contact with the alien’s unusual metal, and it immediately began to dissolve. We figured the chemical reaction had a good chance of compromising their power source.”

  He smiled. “I guess you could say we got lucky. We had another alternative in case the water didn’t work…,” he looked at Salty who shook his head, “…but it’s top secret.”

  The admiral added. “That’s probably why their ship didn’t venture into our atmosphere — too much H2O. They were stuck using moletrans to transfer aliens in and out.”

  The wrinkles in Thoruk’s brow deepened. “How did you locate the ship.”

  Andralec turned toward him. “Let me explain that
one. Bertha led an effort to find the coordinates. She had all available AI devices mapping out the moletran beams and the angles from where they appeared. With enough samples, they discovered that the vectors converged at a single point, which we surmised to be some sort of spacecraft since the coordinates seemed to move ever so slightly in an orbital pattern around the moon.”

  In awe, Hoot stared at the android. Wicked, she’s so smart. I’m glad she’s on our side.

  Ukkiville’s leader leaned back in his chair. “Anybody else got any questions?”

  Queasy lifted his finger. “I’ve got one, but I want to say something first. I and those who were stuck behind Ukkiville’s walls during the battle are thrilled you took them out when you did. While I have faith in Zapper, I’m glad we didn’t have to test it with that force they were staging in Porcupine Forest. I’ll admit, I was getting pretty anxious.”

  Graciously nodding toward Salty and the Texans, he continued. “This has been bugging me for a while. Why were those snatchers hoarding organs and spinal fluid? They weren’t digesting the spinal fluid from what we could tell. They seemed to be storing it in a sac near the proboscis — but for what purpose?”

  Vra spoke up. “We were wondering the same.”

  Salty glanced at the robot who shook her head. “It’s possible they needed the organs and fluids to survive for some reason, but that’s only speculation.”

  Seeming disappointed, Queasy frowned. “I guess we may never know.”

  Thoruk rose. “Anybody else, or are you ready to celebrate?”

  Storm laughed. “Let’s party! Speedy, you may want to go over and warm your buns by the fireplace before we venture outside.”

  The southern visitor immediately scrambled to the hearth and stood with his back-end warming to the flames.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Touch of Fire Juice

  Five Minutes Later

  Outside Ukkiville’s Place of Worship

  Hoot and her fellow villagers led their Texas and Skalag friends through the church’s front door and toward the reception wing. She helped gather their outer garments and draped them over the pews. “They’ll be safe here until you’re ready to leave.”

  Refusing to give up any of his clothing, Speedy appeared rotund and at least five pounds heavier than his past images on the Halo Screen. “Can’t believe y’all don’t use Glow Heat in the building. It’s freezing in here.” He shuddered from head to toe.

  Hoot rolled her eyes. “Stop being such a wimp. We don’t heat the chapel except on Sundays or when we expect the congregation to meet. Come on, it should be warmer in the community center. It has two large fireplaces.”

  She waved her arm. “Follow me to the refreshments.”

  Speedy rushed toward one of the fireplaces. “I’ll catch up with y’all later.”

  Finding Queasy in the corner, she looked at Salty. “Your moonshine man is over there with Teli and Aluki if you’re looking for more of his fire juice.”

  He grinned. “I’ll just have a touch. Thanks for the tip.” He made a beeline toward the three.

  She glanced at the others. “Don’t leave here without sampling some of Woody’s finest. He’s famous in the area for wines of every kind of wild fruit imaginable. If it’s sweet and grows somewhere in the forest or along our trails, Woody ferments it! I highly recommend elderberry. It’s my favorite. I’m not so fond of his blackberry. It’s too tart for me.”

  A while later, after Hoot and her friends had munched a few appetizers and finished socializing, she scanned the room. A few of the Skalags and Ukes sat together, chatting while they enjoyed themselves, but too many sat in their own separate groups — so it seemed.

  Continual clanks attracted her attention. She turned and spotted Thoruk banging a fork against his glass. He stood and coaxed Zo and Salty to do likewise.

  The village leader looked around the banquet hall. “Thank you for joining us here today. We welcome the admiral and his Texas Freedom Defenders to Ukkiville.” He nodded at the officer, decked out with several colorful medals across his military dress coat.

  Thoruk glanced at the rest of the contingent. “Please stand and let everybody see who you are.”

  Speedy sat off in the distance with his back to the fireplace while he ate a forkful of what looked to be pumpkin pie. Tiger yelled a whisper. “Speedy! Stand up.”

  Gulping, he stood at attention. A sheepish smile creased his lips.

  The throng clapped, and a few cheered. Ukkiville’s leader motioned with his hand, and the southern friends sat back down.

  He smiled at Zo. “We also have some new friends and neighbors who are staying with us here in the village.”

  The crowd’s response lacked the friendly tone with a few murmurs throughout the crowd. The Skalag ruler and his clan lowered their eyes.

  Thoruk’s smile changed to a frown. “Come on, now. That’s no way to treat our guests.”

  His eyes slowly moved across the audience from one side to the other and back. “I know what most of you must be thinking, and I understand where you’re coming from; but the truth is, our neighbors here…, he looked at Zo and his siblings sitting nearby, “…they suffered more than we from this battle. Two Skalags were killed and their denamods, we call them muclones, were instrumental in distracting the aliens while we attacked them.”

  When a few more murmurs surfaced, he sighed. “Some of you believe those muclones were meant for us, and you’re right, they were; but our Skalag allies agreed to help us any way they could. So, come on, they deserve our thanks.”

  He walked over and put his arm around Zo and smiled. “Show our new friends we’re thankful because I’m sure we couldn’t have survived the aliens without their support. Their clan risked everything to help us. Zo’s Quaker machine and Gno and Vra’s denamods made a huge difference.”

  Some of the villagers started clapping, and the crowd’s welcome slowly grew louder. One by one, the Skalags perked up and began to smile as the applause increased.

  After several seconds passed, Thoruk interrupted. “That’s a lot better. We have a little surprise for everybody.”

  He smiled. “Most of us didn’t get to see much of what went on in other parts of the battle because of immediate threats staring us in the face. Our Texas friends agreed to share a birds-eye view of some of the action for all of us to enjoy. Before we show you, Zo has asked to say a few words.”

  The Skalag ruler looked at his brother and sister before focusing on the crowd. “Many of us have had our differences over the years. Some have lost loved ones or friends in battles between our people. I know I’ve lost far too many myself. Even though we’ve been enemies for a long time, several of you have offered us shelter and food. You have been more than generous.”

  He extended his arm toward his siblings and other nearby Skalags. “We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

  Members of the clan throughout the audience nodded and looked around at their hosts with sincere eyes as Zo continued. “We hope you understand and will allow us to show our gratitude. We’d like to help you here in Ukkiville any way we can.”

  He bowed his head toward the crowd, then Thoruk. The throng clapped while most of the villagers acknowledged their appreciation with smiles.

  Tears filled Hoot’s eyes as she watched the reaction. Maybe I was wrong.

  Continuing his applause, Thoruk walked along the front row. “Thank you. That was a very warm welcome. Please, turn your attention over here.”

  He pointed at Andralec who stood near a massive silvery-white cloth hanging from the high ceiling to the floor. “Go ahead, Salty.”

  Rising, the admiral stood next to the android. “First, I want to thank Bertha, the wonderful AI who controls my battledrone.” Bright lights flashed from Andralec’s eyes which projected an image on the makeshift screen.

  Salty pointed. “There she is.”

  A young, attractive looking woman with short hair the color of butterscotch and a shimme
ry-gold outfit waved at the crowd. Her friendly feminine voice floated from the speaker in Andralec’s chest. “Hi, everyone. It’s nice meeting all of you. I’m busy searching for any remaining aliens or muclones at the moment, so Salty and Andralec will show you what my cameras captured. I hope you enjoy your great accomplishments. I’ll keep a microphone tuned in to listen as well. Go ahead, Sir.”

  “Thank you, Bertie.”

  As the AI’s figure faded, Andralec continued to stare at the sheet while heart-thumping music, suited to a battle rally, boomed from the speaker in the android’s chest. An appearance of a small flame lit the upper left corner of the screen and grew along the top rim. It continued to move down the right edge until the entire perimeter looked ablaze.

  Concerned chatter broke out as the audience debated whether the fire was real or not. After finding no evidence of smoke or telltale smells, Hoot dismissed it as any kind of worry.

  Birdseye views of the battle began to appear across the vast screen, including the herding of sheep to the clearing, and archers preparing to attack the first wave of snatchers. Caru’s flaming arrow set off a barrage of reapers streaming from the teams to the north and south as the honed missiles blackened the sky and descended upon the aliens.

  While the purple-eyed monsters writhed in pain, the scene faded to a broad view of muclones fleeing from their cages and racing toward the snatchers. Scattered claps and whistles emanated throughout much of the audience.

  About the time the excitement quieted, the view suddenly zoomed closer to four mutant buffalo-bears which had reversed course and charged toward Proto and Teerha. Unaware, with their backs turned toward the impending doom, they tried to coax the last of the muclones from their cages.

  Two burly Skalag warriors wielded their swords and rushed to protect the Ukes. They valiantly stood their ground as the attackers quickly closed. When the vicious monsters leapt in the air, the scene morphed to a closeup of Zo at the controls of Quaker Blaster.