Final Days: Escape

by Jasper T. Scott

  Morris. Not Mary. Val realized that her thoughts were clearer than they’d been before. The reverend no longer seemed like someone she should trust. She was exactly what Arthur and that other guard had accused her of being: a lying witch.

  Heading for the exit, Val sprinted towards the hall to the stairs. She raced on to the first floor, through another hall, and out the metal doors at the end to the fields beyond. People ran around, shouting to each other above the roar of gunfire.

  The commotion seemed to be coming from Eden Fifteen, near the edge of camp. There were strange electric-blue flashes of light erupting from there, and people in green jumpsuits crouching behind stacks of supply crates and firing out at the Saints in their white jumpsuits. A few of those shots hit their targets, causing the Saints to crumble to the grass, their bodies riddled with racing blue fire.

  “What the hell is going on?” Val muttered to herself. Her gaze tracked back to the people in the green jumpsuits. Their skin was a pale blue, blending into their uniforms, and they communicated through bubbly cries as the fight continued.

  This was some new species of aliens that they’d never seen before, and they were much more advanced than the tigerwolves over the northern ridge.

  A wave of relief spread through Val as she realized that the Saints weren’t firing on her dad and Kendra. She spotted two familiar figures darting along the trees to Eden Sixteen, heading toward the battle with these alien attackers. It was Roland and Tony.

  What are you doing? a voice inside her head screamed. She took off at a run, moving for the trees behind Eden Fifteen. She planned to circle around behind the shootout and cut off Tony and Roland’s approach before they could get themselves killed.

  * * *

  Roland

  “What’s in Eden Sixteen?” Tony asked as they hugged the treeline, moving with speed behind the alien invader. They stopped as he slowed, weapon tracking behind him, and they sneaked into the forest a few yards to hide. When Roland looked again, the alien was at the edge of its destination.

  Eden Sixteen was out of the way, near the right rear corner of camp. The sound of gunfire and a strange alien weapon’s pulses cut through the air, and Roland wondered what these beings were after. The attack on the supply station at Eden Fifteen was clearly a diversion, but no one else seemed to realize it.

  The alien moved with fluid grace, his legs bowed out slightly, bent at the knees and hips. Its skin reminded Roland of a frog’s, but pale blue instead of green, slightly bumpy and slick with moisture even out here in the sun.

  Roland clambered through the trees, keeping a parallel line with the colony’s perimeter, and he halted as they were directly across from the alien. He pulled something from a thick belt and powered it up, the stick glowing hotly. It sparked as he pressed the end to the hull of Eden Sixteen.

  “He’s cutting into it,” Tony whispered.

  “We don’t have the weapons,” Roland said. He’d been so distracted by the encounter with this being that he’d forgotten what he was doing here in the first place.

  “We can go back.” Tony’s words were quiet, and Roland could only stare as the invader cut a door-sized opening into the station’s exterior. He tugged it away, the thick metal landing with a thud. It entered quickly, and was only inside for what felt like seconds. It returned with its prize, and Roland squinted, trying to see what it held.

  The alien glanced at its surroundings, and when it saw no one, it knelt and lowered the device to the ground. It seemed heavy and glowed bright white, nearly blinding Roland. The device was cylindrical, at least two feet long, and maybe eight inches wide.

  “What is it?” Tony asked.

  “I don’t know, but it's obviously important to them,” Roland whispered.

  The alien unrolled a cloth sack, shoving the stolen goods into the bag. He pulled another device from his belt and aimed it toward Eden Fifteen, where noises of a tense altercation still sounded across camp. It boomed and sparkled like a firework five hundred yards to the left, and the alien was off, heading back in the direction it had come.

  Roland was almost cheering it on, wanting the thing to escape. Whatever that canister was, they must have needed it badly, and since he’d never seen it before, Roland doubted their camp would miss the device.

  Tony grabbed his arm, pointing to Eden Fifteen. “Val’s over there! We have to go check on her.”

  Another alien came into view, racing away from the battle across camp, and it was struggling to continue, limping along toward the treeline, coming directly at them.

  Hound’s ship appeared overhead, lowering into the crimson field between Roland and the alien. He emerged from the shiny ship, the bright sun reflecting in a thousand directions over the grass. He peered toward the first alien and pulled out a slender weapon, shooting the injured creature dead without a second thought. Roland gasped, hiding behind a tree as the alien slowed before falling in a straight line to the ground.

  Hound ran so fast that Roland could only see a blur. In the blink of an eye, their benefactor was in front of the thief, speaking its language, a warbled, watery sound. Tony clutched Roland’s arm so tight that it hurt, and he pried the kid’s fingers from his bicep.

  It was clear that Hound knew what these creatures were. The two exchanged a few more words before the alien reached for a flute-like gun, firing at Hound. He was too slow. The human android easily avoided the bright blue pulse, and shot back, hitting his target. The alien slumped to the ground, the cloth-wrapped canister rolling toward Hound’s feet. He picked it up with a smirk and turned slowly, facing the forest where Roland and Tony were hiding.

  “You can come out now,” he ordered them.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Kendra

  They entered the ship from a hatch near the center of it. Kendra estimated the vessel was at least two kilometers long, with only a quarter of it visible from above the lake. They floated inside the compact room with their guide. The lights embedded in the walls let off a dim glow that shifted with the rippling water, and the alien’s voice entered her mind.

  “Don’t be startled. We will purge the water now.” Before she had a chance to ask what that meant, a loud sucking noise sounded all around them as the water level decreased. Once their heads cleared the surface, Andrew slipped his breathing device off and spat out a mouthful of water.

  “Did you see that?” he asked, eyes wide. “This place is huge.”

  “What’s your name?” Kendra asked their guide.

  “I’m Belidar. And you?” he asked.

  Kendra told him theirs as the last of the water funneled out, and their feet settled on the grated floor.

  “Pleased to meet you, Kendra and Andrew.” His words were crisp in her mind, and she wondered how they had this level of technology. “If you’d follow me.”

  The white door slid open at the press of a button, and they walked into a tall corridor, the bulkheads smooth and green. She’d almost expected the ship to be full of water, but was glad to find there was somehow breathable air down here. There were a few more aliens nearby, wandering around with flat tablet-like screens strapped to their arms.

  “How long have you been here?” Andrew asked Belidar.

  “Two generations. Our energy cell was damaged in the crash to the surface, and we’ve been waiting for a long time to find a replacement. We’re about to retrieve it so we can go home,” Belidar told them.

  “An energy cell? Where are you going to find it?” Kendra asked.

  “I think you know,” he replied. He led them through the corridor, and they eventually entered a huge room on the right. There were hundreds of tanks here, each filled with water, and a few of the aliens were checking them, tapping away at their tablets with webbed fingers.

  “You’re really doing this. You’re leaving,” Kendra said, staring at the rows of life-support tanks.

  “We are.”

  “When?” Andrew asked.

  “As soon as our team returns with the fuel
source.”

  “You have to take us with you. We can help,” Andrew said.

  The being shook his head, jowls and neck fins jostling around. “We cannot. We have no need of your assistance, and there are too many of you. Unless you mean just the two of you?”

  “What about ten?” Kendra asked, quickly estimating the number of people they were tightly aligned with. She felt guilty narrowing a thousand people down to two handfuls, but it would be easier to negotiate saving a few, and that was still better than saving no one.

  The alien’s neck fins fluttered. “It is too risky. We cannot afford any delays.”

  “How did you arrive here? How did you make this ship?” Kendra asked, changing the topic as they walked through the cavernous room. It smelled damp, but the bulkheads were well lit, glowing from the domed ceiling and all along their length.

  “He helped us. The one we now know to be a Watcher,” Belidar told them. “Our world was ending, the water growing poisonous. He offered somewhere safe to take us, and we followed blindly. What choice did we have?”

  “Sounds familiar,” Andrew said.

  “We can’t stay here, Belidar. If you’ve met who I think you have, then you understand why.” Kendra pleaded with him, but he stood firm.

  “I’m sorry. We have no choice. Return in a week, and this valley is yours. Perhaps that will be enough to turn your tides,” Belidar told them.

  Kendra wanted to argue their case, but she could tell there was no winning him over. His mind was made up.

  * * *

  Roland

  Roland stepped from the trees, hands up, guarding Tony behind him protectively. The teenager was taller and probably more adept at fighting someone than Roland was, but he didn’t think either of them stood a chance against Hound, whether they were armed or not.

  “Roland, it’s time you learn the truth. Come with me.” Hound’s voice was friendly, amiable even, and he clutched the stolen canister in his grip as they walked from Eden Sixteen toward the other group. The dead alien sprawled over the grass, green blood pooling over the long red lawn. What a waste.

  The gunfire was over, and the trek over the field to the Saints only took a couple of minutes. Hound didn’t elaborate on his comments. Roland and Tony trailed behind him a good ten yards away, not wanting to be too close.

  Most of the colony was here now, and Roland scanned the crowd, finding Evan with the other crop workers. Val was standing beside Eve, who still clutched a rifle. Her face was red, her short hair matted with sweat. Three of the Saints were dead, including the big bald guy that guarded Eden Fifteen and Arthur, his red hair giving his crumpled form away. He had a hole in his chest the size of a baseball, and one of the other Saints kneeled at his corpse, crying.

  Roland noticed at least two dead aliens near the station, and he sighed.

  Hound walked to the center of the gathered group, holding his prize. “Everyone drop your weapons!” he shouted, and the Saints all nervously looked at one another. “Do you want me to make you?” Hound asked menacingly.

  Eve was the first to set her rifle on the ground, and the others followed suit.

  Hound assessed the group, as if searching for something. “Where is she?”

  Roland watched as Valeria stepped forward. “Mary… I mean, Morris? I haven’t seen her.”

  Tony stepped forward, running to Val’s side. Roland joined him, talking while walking. “She’s gone.”

  Hound’s gaze settled on Roland, and he fought the urge to avert his eyes.

  “What do you mean, gone?” Hound asked.

  “She ran away at the first sound of trouble. We were going to stop her, but there were more pressing matters,” Roland told him.

  “Very well. Is everyone here?” Hound asked loudly.

  When no one replied, he set the canister to the ground and crossed his arms. “The Saints are done. Do you understand me?”

  A few people uttered their relief, and a couple of Mary’s crew muttered under their breath.

  “I said, do you understand me?” Hound yelled angrily.

  “Yes, sir!” Eve bellowed.

  “Good. There’s no point in keeping anything from you any longer. Things have escalated here to unprecedented levels, and I guess I’m to blame. I never should have allowed the newcomers to join us.” He gazed at Tony, then at Roland. “They disrupted the flow, and if you’ve noticed, they’ve been the root cause of all our issues in camp. The chaos instigated by the self-proclaimed prophet, Shelley Morris, and the constant conspiracy theories and general rebelliousness spouting from Andrew Miller and his girlfriend, Special Agent Kendra Baker, are unforgivable. From now on, these three are enemies of the colony, do I make myself clear?”

  A bead of sweat broke out on Roland’s forehead, running into his brow as Eve acknowledged the order verbally.

  “Good. If any of them return, they will be dealt with. As for the rumors about me, hear my words, and I will offer you the truth. I am not a human.” He paused, and many of the colonists gasped.

  “What... are you?” Evan asked.

  “Something far more advanced than any of you could possibly comprehend. I came to your planet to save you, and look how you repaid my kindness. You were supposed to be happy, to start a new life in the safety of your valley. Grow vegetables, make homes, breed your species. But instead you’ve done nothing but fight amongst yourselves, killing each other, and sneaking off from camp to forbidden regions. It all stops now.

  “You will start again. I have other things to do, and I’ve grown tired of dealing with you humans. Until I leave, I want you to stand by me—find a new leader, someone with heart and brains to enforce my wishes.”

  Eve stood tall, picking up her rifle. She moved to Hound’s side protectively. Other members of the Saints did the same, and it was clear to Roland that they were following the power. He cringed as Hound continued, feeling like he knew what was coming.

  “Is Earth really gone?” a woman asked. Roland thought her name was Carol, a physics professor from Tulsa.

  “There will be no returning to Earth. Humanity is dissolved. We selected Earth due to its strategic location and viability for a terraforming project, and it was quickly clear you would have destroyed it yourselves if we hadn’t intervened,” Hound told Carol.

  Roland’s blood turned to ice. They’d destroyed Earth? It all made sense now. The deadly fog, the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions mysteriously transpiring at the same time. The aliens had done it all. Hound had pretended to be their savior when, in reality, he’d orchestrated their demise, leaving nothing but this small group to continue their existence on a distant world.

  “Why save us?” Roland asked, stepping forward.

  “Why did your Noah save the animals on his Ark? Why did you preserve wildlife on Earth when your actions had directly jeopardized the survival of their species? Every race deserves a chance to continue. Humans have been doing the same thing that we have since the dawn of your time. Displacing and using other species for your benefit. We’re simply doing it on an interstellar level.”

  Gasps and mutterings of discontent spread through the colonists. Hound silenced them with an icy glare. “There is one thing that the good reverend was right about: I am the potter, and you are the clay. Rise against me and I will smash you into dust. Are we clear?”

  Silence fell like a hammer.

  “But… What is this place? It’s obviously not Proxima b,” Roland said in a trembling voice. He was angry, not scared, but it didn’t seem wise to clarify that.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Seventy-three years in cryo. Where did you bring us?” Roland asked, trying to not be confrontational, but he was finding it difficult. At this point, he doubted Hound would kill him in front of everyone, not after the bombshell he’d just dropped.

  “It was not seventy-three years. Another white lie. You were frozen for seven days. Eden is not just any ship.” He pointed at the canister. “With this fuel cell and our drive sy
stem, we were able to travel vast distances in mere hours.”

  “Faster than light?” Val asked, raising her voice for the first time.

  “Yes,” Hound confirmed.

  Another silence fell, this one heavier and thicker than the last. People were obviously coming to terms with the fact that these aliens, whoever and whatever they were, had to be vastly more advanced than they’d ever imagined.

  So that’s what they were after, Roland thought. The aliens had a ship, and they needed an energy source to power it. His arms prickled with goosebumps at the thought.

  The silence broke. Everyone was growing anxious, chatting among each other in fearful tones. “You have nothing to be afraid of. I’ll be leaving in a few days, but know that we are always watching. You step out of line, and we will deal with you. Believe me when I tell you that my leaders would rather destroy this planet, ending my conservation efforts. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead on Earth with the others, while our machines terraform it,” Hound said. The Saints looked uneasy, but they continued to stand by him, and Roland dreaded finding out who the camp eventually chose as the leader. He could only imagine another tyranny.

  Roland scanned the area, realizing that Carrie and Keller were still missing. He hoped they were okay, because Roland doubted that just he, Val, and Tony could do much against what was to come without their help.

  If Hound really did leave, maybe things would improve. Roland glanced to the sky, suspecting there were satellites in orbit watching every move they made. Their safety would always be in question, but if they were alive and their basic needs were met, perhaps they could find some semblance of normalcy to live out their days. But he knew that for people like Andrew and Kendra, that would never be enough.

  Hound picked up the canister and started toward Eden Fifteen, with Eve and the others at his heels.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Andrew