Final Days: Escape

by Jasper T. Scott

  The sun sank languidly toward the distant ridge, casting fractured beams through the obelisk in the center of the lake long before it dipped below the horizon.

  “What do you think that spire is?” Kendra asked between bites of another protein bar.

  Andrew shook his head, his back leaning against a colorful tree trunk. The bugs and birds trilled and hooted loudly in the swampy jungle behind them. Glittering soap-bubble creatures danced above the boggy green field ahead of them. “Some remnant of whatever meteor formed this valley?”

  Kendra looked skeptical. “That would have been a long time ago. Would the edges still be so sharp after all this time? Wind and rain would have eroded it. Besides, anything that could blast out a valley this deep would likely be vaporized on impact.”

  Andrew smiled crookedly at her.

  Kendra’s brow furrowed. “What?”

  “You sound like Val. All smart and logical.”

  Kendra snorted. “Thanks—I think.”

  Andrew grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers. She stiffened at the contact, but relaxed after a few moments. He got the feeling she wasn’t used to it: relationships. Physical contact. Then again, he wasn’t either. After his divorce from Val’s mother, every relationship had been shallow and meaningless.

  They sat in silence, hands clasped on the mossy ground between them, watching the sun drape the sky with bright greens, blues, and pinks that looked more than anything like the northern lights from Earth. An ache formed in the back of his throat and the pit of his stomach with that recollection of home. No matter how long they spent here, Eden would never be able to replace the planet they’d lost, and certainly not with Hound and whatever species he belonged to secretly pulling at their strings. What was this place? Why had he saved them? How had so many different types of intelligent aliens wound up in such close proximity to each other? It would have been unusual to find one intelligent species, let alone two or three. And this was just what they’d found within a thirty-mile radius. What would they find if they kept going and crossed the ridge of this valley to the next one over?

  A zoo. That theory stuck out in his head as the most likely explanation. Maybe Hound and his people weren’t all bad; maybe they really were gathering endangered species together in one place. But Andrew wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being a part of an alien wildlife exhibit—no matter how well-intentioned their motives might be.

  “You see that?” Kendra whispered.

  “What?”

  She pointed to the stone structures by the lake. He squinted through the fading light of the sunset to see pale blue lights radiating from those buildings, indicating that they were occupied and that these aliens were at least advanced enough to have electricity.

  “Maybe they’re more civilized than we thought,” Andrew said.

  Kendra nodded slowly. “I don’t see any of them walking around anymore.”

  “Too dark to be sure.”

  “Maybe,” she admitted. “But we saw that they’re active during the day, so they’re not nocturnal. That means their night vision probably isn’t better than ours, so now’s the best chance we have to sneak into their village and investigate without being caught.”

  “Good point.” Andrew eased up off the spongy ground and grabbed his pack and rifle. His whole body ached from the last twenty-four hours of hiking with barely any sleep. He grabbed his makeshift cane next. “Stay right behind me,” he warned. “It’ll be even easier to fall into one of those pools now that it’s dark out.”

  “Don’t worry about me. You just make sure you watch your own steps.”

  Andrew set out toward the glittering lake, testing the ground with his stick as he went. One of Eden’s two moons cast a ruddy glow over the valley, turning the lake to rust.

  “What do we do if we run into one of them?” Kendra asked.

  “We could try waving our arms around and saying we come in peace,” Andrew suggested.

  “Very funny. Well, whatever you do, don’t shoot any of them.”

  Andrew stopped and fixed her with a stern look. “Do I look trigger-happy to you?”

  “Sometimes,” she admitted, smiling sweetly.

  Andrew chuckled lightly. “Fair enough.”

  It was slow going, winding a path between the endless pools that pocked the ground. They came to within a few dozen yards of the first building, and Andrew waved Kendra on behind him, moving quickly to shelter behind the rear wall. A channel of water ran between the buildings, which were each two or three stories high. It was like a miniature alien version of Venice. But rather than gondolas running between the buildings, Andrew saw the smooth heads of aliens breaking the surface for air, then ducking back down with liquid grace and a wave of shimmering ripples to mark their passing.

  Feeling the first stirrings of fear, Andrew glanced at the dark wall of jungle they’d come from. If these aliens were hostile, they’d have to make a hasty retreat through those treacherous jungles in utter darkness. He was just about to suggest they abandon this mission when he heard the familiar schloop of water-logged moss sucking around a foot.

  Spinning toward the source of the sound, he found one of the aliens standing right behind them. It wore a clinging green wetsuit. The creature was bipedal and hairless, with thick lips, a wide mouth, and big eyes. Fins flared out from a long, slender neck, and it warbled something at them.

  “It’s okay, we’re not here to hurt you,” Kendra tried. Her tone was softer and more gentle than usual. No doubt she was hoping to convey their intentions through her voice rather than her words.

  Andrew was about to add something to that, but the creature sprang into the air and executed a backward dive into a pool of water behind it. The movement was so graceful that it barely drew a splash from the surface.

  “Well, he’s skittish,” Andrew muttered.

  “He might be gathering reinforcements. We should go,” Kendra added.

  “Yeah... you might be right about that.”

  They started toward the distant jungles with Andrew walking backward to cover their retreat, his rifle up and tracking. “Here—” He handed Kendra his branch to test the ground ahead of her. A flash of light caught his eyes. He glanced at an upper-story window in the building they’d hidden behind, to see the lights turning on. One of those bipedal aliens appeared in the window, gazing in their direction. It made a warbling cry and pointed to them.

  Andrew froze, his aim snapping up, but he kept his finger off the trigger. The creature seemed to understand he was holding a weapon, and it promptly vanished from the window.

  “I told you no shooting,” Kendra hissed, grabbing his arm to force his rifle down.

  “I didn’t,” he replied.

  A quiet splash drew their attention to the channel of water between the buildings. Two aliens crept out of the water, holding gleaming flute-like devices.

  Another warble, louder and sharper than before, and those flutes snapped up to eye level, both aliens sighting along the length: one aiming at him, the other at Kendra.

  Definitely weapons, Andrew decided. “It’s a stand-off,” he muttered.

  “Lower your rifle,” Kendra added. She stepped forward with her palms raised. “We don’t want any trouble.”

  Both aliens tensed, looking like they might shoot her anyway.

  “Kendra...” Andrew warned through gritted teeth.

  * * *

  The aliens’ neck fins flared out like fans and fluttered in an agitated gesture. More chirping followed, and one of the two gestured emphatically to their weapons.

  “Put down your gun,” Kendra said, already ducking out of the shoulder strap and laying it at her feet.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Andrew asked, not even daring to blink.

  “What choice do we have?” Kendra asked. “It’s that or a shootout, and I don’t think we want to go there.”

  Andrew scowled unhappily and placed his rifle at his feet. The two amphibians were still
agitated. They gestured again, said something else, and pointed to the Berettas on the humans’ hips.

  “The pistol, too,” Kendra said, nodding agreeably to the aliens as she removed her belt and placed the sidearm beside her rifle.

  A strong sense of unease rolled through Andrew as he removed his pistol from the holster and laid it beside the rifle. “I hope you’re right about this.”

  “Me, too,” Kendra said, hands raised in a peaceful gesture.

  “Now what?” Andrew asked. They were unarmed and facing an unknown alien race, with no ability to communicate or defend themselves. Making matters worse, these aliens were the spitting image of the other version of Hound that he’d encountered in that underground lair.

  A new thought occurred to him, and unease blossomed into full-blown dread. “Kendra,” he said quietly.

  “What?” she asked, her gaze never leaving the two amphibians. One of them turned and warbled loudly in a piercing voice, as if calling to someone else.

  “These guys look just like the one I found in Hound’s place.”

  Kendra finally turned to him, her expression stricken. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “I’m saying something now. For all we know, this is what Hound’s people really look like.”

  Kendra’s brow furrowed, and she returned her focus to the two that had them covered with flute-like weapons. “No,” she decided.

  “How do you know?”

  “This village is still too primitive for a spacefaring civilization.”

  Some of the tension in Andrew’s chest eased. She was right. Besides, if these people were on Hound’s side, they probably would have shot him already.

  Another pair of amphibians emerged, only their heads visible as they swam through the watery channel between the buildings. They climbed out one after another, also wearing those green wetsuits. These two wore equipment belts with pouches and strange silvery devices that clung to their heads with spindly legs, making Andrew think of metal spiders.

  One of the two newcomers spoke to the first two, and they lowered their flute-guns. The creature walked by them, steadily approaching Andrew and Kendra. The alien didn’t appear to be armed, but Andrew saw it reaching into one of the pouches on its belt. It withdrew a metal sphere that sprang open in its webbed hands: another metal spider like the one it wore on its head. It stopped and offered the device to Kendra.

  She began reaching for it, but Andrew darted by her and grabbed the device before she could. It was cold to the touch, but not as rigid as he’d expected. The metal limbs were springy, and vibrated steadily in his hand.

  “Andy!” she hissed.

  “I’m not letting you be their guinea pig,” he explained.

  The alien’s rubbery lips formed a big O before stretching into a huge, toothless smile. It tapped the top of its head, as if to indicate that Andrew should put the device on.

  He winced, wondering what he was in for. “Wish me luck,” he said, and then put the apparatus on like a hat. Long metal arms trailed over the sides of his face, icy cold against his cheeks. For a moment he just stood there, feeling like an idiot with a tinfoil hat.

  The device began to move, writhing through his hair and pressing firmly against his scalp. He flinched and tore at the device, but it held firm.

  “Andrew, wait!” Kendra said.

  The alien in front of them held up its webbed hands, both palms out and three long, skinny fingers spread apart. It said something and made a cooing sound.

  Andrew wasn’t sure what the hell that was supposed to mean. Before he could decide what to do next, a colorful series of imagery began flickering rapidly before his eyes, blinding him. He picked out familiar scenes: memories, items, places, people, concepts, things—it was like watching a video of an encyclopedia that consisted of every single drop of knowledge that he possessed. It wasn’t painful, but his head grew hot where the spider-like device met his skin, and he quickly became disoriented by the flashing images. Andrew felt himself falling, and then everything went black.

  When he came to, he saw Kendra crouching over him, her features etched with concern. She was also wearing one of those metal spiders on her head. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” he replied, sitting up quickly. “Where are we?” He saw that they were inside now. It was a huge, echoing stone room with flickering blue lights radiating from spherical lanterns that sat in small elliptical windows at the tops of the walls. A rippling blue pool took up fully half of the room, with stairs leading down into it. Colorful blue and green cushions lined the floors on the dry side where they lay, but there was no sign of the aliens.

  “Where are we?” Andrew repeated.

  Kendra shook her head, her gaze darting to a sturdy-looking wooden door. “I just woke up. They forced me to wear one of these things, too.” Kendra tugged at the device on her head, and Andrew felt gingerly through his hair for the one he was wearing. When he tried to pry it away, it tightened its grip, as if it were a living thing.

  “Their version of handcuffs?” Andrew wondered.

  “I don’t know. One of them was wearing it, too,” she said.

  “So I should feel better about it?”

  “Maybe,” she said.

  A thunk and a groan of rusty hinges drew their attention to the door. One of the amphibians stepped in, and its rubbery lips extended into another huge, toothless smile. Somehow that had the opposite effect of a human smile. Maybe it was trying to reassure them, but a gummy smile three times the size of a human one made it appear sinister and monstrous.

  “What do you want from us?” Andrew demanded, pushing up to his feet. He wasn’t expecting a reply, but at least his tone ought to convey his defiance. He refused to be intimidated by these creatures.

  The smile faded from the alien’s rubbery lips and it warbled something. The metal arms clinging to Andrew’s cheeks vibrated subtly.

  And a thought that wasn’t his came slithering into his head: “We want you to leave.”

  Andrew’s jaw dropped, and he could see from the frown on Kendra’s face that she was getting the same message.

  The creature warbled on in a watery voice, its big blue eyes blinking. “You are obviously new to Sanctuary. You can stay until morning, but you need to return to your valley before the Watchers arrive. If they find you here, they will kill you.”

  Andrew traded worried looks with Kendra. His mouth had gone suddenly dry.

  The Watchers? she mouthed to him, slowly shaking her head.

  Andrew had a feeling he knew exactly who this amphibian was talking about. Hound. The hidden cameras connected to surveillance systems in his lair. He was watching these people, too.

  NINETEEN

  Roland

  Roland figured there were only four hours until dawn remaining, meaning it was time. His door squeaked on unused hinges as he entered the hallway, and every sound felt amplified in the middle of the night. His footsteps echoed through the corridor, and he found Tony inside his own quarters, waiting beside the entrance. Tony held a rock with torn fabric tied around it in a deep loop. Without a word, he waved for Tony to follow him.

  The hall was lit: silver wall sconces were placed near the ceilings every ten feet, a soft LED glow emanating from each fixture, casting shadows as they slowly walked toward the stairs.

  Roland’s heart beat quickly as he stopped, listening for anyone in the stairwell, and when he was confident it was empty, he began climbing down them toward the main level. It seemed like a solid ten minutes had passed when he exited into the courtyard, and his nerves were already fried. Roland wasn’t built to be fearless and strong, sneaking around, but this was something he needed to do. He couldn’t let Val end up like Arthur.

  The sky was clear tonight, and he peered up, seeing the faint outline of a moon, a half-circle of coppery light. This planet was beautiful, if any of them had time to appreciate it. The courtyard appeared empty, devoid of any guards, and the wate
r tank sat on the pedestal at the center of Communion Courtyard.

  Tony began moving for it, but Roland saw the outline of a person on the opposite end, moving silently. He grabbed Tony’s arm, dragging him into the shadows. Her short hair and the smooth stalking feline gait signaled it was Eve guarding the area.

  “Stay here. I’ll go around and distract her. When it’s done, I won’t be coming back here. Got that? You do the deed, and return to your room before you’re spotted.” Roland whispered the instructions, even though they’d already gone over them. Tony acted paralyzed, but he nodded after a brief second.

  Roland stalked through the corridor between the connected buildings, pausing at the front entrance. He waited to see if there was any movement, and when he saw none, he hugged the exterior of the apartments, staying out of the open as he rounded the entire building. He came around the rear, where it opened into the courtyard.

  He wiped nervous hands on his thighs and walked out, whistling a tune.

  “Stop right there!” Eve shouted.

  Roland was twenty yards from the residence, the moonlight giving enough ambiance for him to see her face as she stepped toward him, gun raised. “Roland?”

  “Hey. Sorry. First night in a new place. Couldn’t sleep. I hope I didn’t bother you,” he said, trying to keep any tremors from his voice.

  “You can’t be wandering around like this. Someone could shoot you by mistake,” Eve said, but her voice didn’t sound threatening this time.

  “Sorry. We are one.” He added their mantra in, hoping to sell his case. “It feels so good to be alive. I finally belong somewhere.” That might be laying it on a little thick, Rollie.

  She lowered the pistol, jamming it into the holster strapped to her chest. Her arms dangled at her sides, and Roland peered over her shoulder, seeing Tony beside the water tank. He crouched at the pedestal, using the weight to depress the handle. Roland thought he could hear the water dripping, and he turned walking toward the crops, hoping Eve would follow.