by John Coon
Terror stabbed Lance's heart when he reached the near bank. The alien animal had cornered Bo'un against the base of the tree. It towered over him. His eliminator rested in the soil out of his reach. Bo'un lay on his side with his back against the tree. His right arm hung above his forehead, acting as a makeshift shield. Deep claw marks covered one side of his face, his upper chest, and his right armored sleeve. Blood oozed from his head where claws met flesh. His uniform and flex armor were shredded across his chest.
“Stay calm, Bo'un! We'll get you out of here.”
The black-furred animal snapped its head around upon hearing Jbali's voice. It let out a fearsome roar. Both Jbali and Lance whipped out their eliminators. Lance glanced up amid the branches a second time and saw the smaller animal still cowering.
“Don't shoot,” he waved Jbali off with his free hand. “It's just trying to protect its baby.”
Jbali glanced at the tree and nodded. He aimed at the branch holding the smaller animal.
“No!” Lance shouted and waved his arms again. “What do you think you're doing?”
Jbali shot the branch before Lance could make a move to disarm him. His laser bolt ripped a hole through the wood, sending a plume of splinters airborne. The smaller black-furred animal tumbled to the ground. The larger one turned and roared at him. It charged at Jbali. He fired a second laser bolt and grazed the beast in the neck. The larger black-furred animal fell into the middle of the brook with a loud splash.
Both alien animals now lay motionless.
Lance cast a hardened stare at Jbali and shook his head. Jbali stuck his eliminator back in its holster and flashed an equally irritated frown.
“Do you want to save Bo'un or not?”
“There had to be a better solution.”
“This was the only solution.” Jbali stabbed a finger toward the brook. “That animal wasn't going to let us rescue him.”
He mopped sweat from his brow and dashed through churning water. Fear paralyzed Bo'un and he remained locked in a defensive position. Jbali hunched over and propped the weapon officer up against the tree. Deep scratches extended down his throat and up his arm.
“Bo'un has experienced severe blood loss,” Jbali said. “You better tell Doni and Atch to meet us back at the scout ship.”
Jbali undid the armored sleeve on Bo'un's healthy arm and tore several long strips from his uniform. He pressed the fabric against the open wounds on his face and throat.
Lance contacted Doni on his arca vox. After alerting him concerning the situation at hand, he helped Jbali carry Bo'un back down the trail. Jbali took extra care to keep pressure applied against Bo'un's wounds. The aerorover appeared overhead at the same time they reached the meadow. It touched down near the ramp. The door opened and Doni stepped out.
“How bad is he?”
Lance glanced down at Bo'un. His breathing had grown erratic and his eyes hung half-open. He peered back up at Doni and shook his head.
“That alien animal tore him apart. He's hanging on by a thread.”
“Let's get him inside right now,” Doni said. “We don't have a minute to spare.”
They dashed up the ramp and made a beeline to the medical station. Once inside, Lance and Jbali laid Bo'un out on a table. Doni put on gloves and grabbed surgical instruments. Lance could not watch as he sterilized deep wounds. He turned away from the table and squeezed his eyes shut. Unwanted images clawed into his mind.
His ship spiraling toward an asteroid.
A violent crash.
Slapping an oxygen mask over his mouth.
Stumbling through a corridor.
“Four Stellar Guard officers are now dead because of you.” a voice tinged with quiet rage echoed inside his head. “Their blood is on your hands, Master Pilot Ikara.”
Lance drew a sudden, sharp breath and snapped open his eyes again. Two sets of narrowed eyes stared at him. Doni raised a finger and pointed at the exit. Lance lifted his hands and backed away.
“I'll let you work.”
He ducked outside and paced back and forth in the corridor. The nightmare had returned for Lance. Why did Xttra insist on leaving him in charge while he ventured into the alien city? Stellar Guard codes mandated a master pilot or assistant pilot stay with the scout ship as a safety precaution on these expeditions. Lance thought he could handle the responsibility. Seeing the extent of Bo'un's injuries now made him think otherwise.
He retrieved his arca vox, but his finger froze over the crystal activation button. A frightened unblinking stare washed over his face. His breaths devolved into shortened bursts. Lance did nothing more than stare at the arca vox.
How would Xttra react?
What would he say to him?
This all happened under his watch. Lance placed the arca vox back inside his chest pouch. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe deep calming breaths. He needed to bring this situation and his emotions under control. Lance could not jeopardize this expedition and destroy the confidence Xttra placed in him. He leaned against the corridor wall and closed his eyes.
“Please, Ahm. Don't let Bo'un die.” His words crawled between his open lips as a faint whisper. “Please don't let him die.”
“I've stabilized him. I think he'll make it.”
Lance's eyes popped open. Doni stood before him with folded arms and stooped shoulders.
“That's wonderful news.”
“I need to put him in hibernation in a medical pod. He lost a tremendous amount of blood and will need extra time to fully heal from his injuries.”
Lance nodded. “Do what you need to do.”
Doni wheeled around and headed back inside. Lance shot a glance down the corridor. Where did Atch go during all of this? Why did he not bother to help with Bo'un? Seeing such indifference ate at Lance.
He dashed down the corridor and back into the cargo bay. Lance sprinted down to the ramp before stopping dead in his tracks halfway from the aerorover. No one was inside or outside the vehicle.
No sign of Atch anywhere.
Lance brought out his arca vox again and tried to reach Atch. It displayed only an empty holoscreen. He tried a second time. Same result.
“Doni!”
Fire flashed through Lance's eyes. He stormed up the ramp and marched through the cargo bay.
“Doni!”
His repeated shouts got no answer until he reached the medical station again.
“What is it?”
Doni finally stepped out into the corridor. He stood with hands on hips and glared at Lance.
“Where's Atch? Why isn't he here?”
“I couldn't wait for him.”
“You left him alone on a random mountain?”
“He basically asked to be left there.”
Lance's left hand balled into a fist as it hung down by his hip. Doni glanced down at the fist. A smirk washed over his face.
“I saved Bo'un's life and now you want to get violent with me. That's gratitude for you. I'd think by now you would welcome any effort to compensate for your incompetent leadership.”
Lance relaxed the hand and looked at him stone-faced for a moment. Without warning, he thrust out both hands and gave Doni a hard shove. The medical officer stumbled backward. He reached out and braced a hand against the open doorway to keep himself from falling on the floor.
“I'll see to it you're kicked out of the Stellar Guard for this outburst,” Doni said, after regaining his balance. He shook his finger like a club. “This is the last mistake you'll be allowed to make.”
Lance stormed down the corridor to the bridge. Contacting Xttra turned into his top priority. He needed to know everything that unfolded so they could go rescue Atch together.
Xttra had every right to be suspicious of Doni. Lance knew better than to trust someone who would abandon a fellow crew member without even giving it a second thought.
19
Atch plucked the power crystal from his arca vox, once he put enough distance between himself and the aeror
over and stuck it inside a small pouch on his belt. He endured enough of Doni's smug attitude to last a few days. Once he finished gathering some rock and soil samples, Atch planned to return the crystal where it belonged. For now, creating a little bit of guaranteed solitude would do him a world of good.
Chirps from a nearby tree greeted his ears. A tiny alien bird hopped along on a thin branch above his head. It could fit inside the palm of his hand. The diminutive bird's wings fluttered when it hopped over to an adjacent branch. Atch smiled. This little bird ignored him while he stood and gazed upward. Watching this peaceful scene soothed his agitated feelings a bit. This would make a perfect image to add to his growing collection.
Atch set his bin down and quietly removed his holocaster from his chest pouch. He crouched down, tilted the device toward the branch, and captured the image. His smile deepened when an image of the little bird on the tree branch appeared on his holoscreen only a few seconds later.
“Wait till I show this to Shift.”
Shift would love it. Flying animals that they spotted during walks through the forest always fascinated him. The little maniogo stopped, cocked his head until his little nose pointed straight up, and stared at the animal in question. His eyes always trailed it from one spot to the next until that animal finally flew from his sight.
Atch returned the holocaster to his chest pouch. He grabbed the sample bin again and continued down the mountain trail at a less strident pace. Crisp mountain air brushed against his cheeks. The alien trees emitted a fresh, pleasant aroma. He could spend all day in this forest and not grow tired of being here.
The trail wove between two gentle slopes. Trees bearing white bark and a host of black pockmarks flanked either side. Their flat green leaves trembled in the breeze. Many branches sat high on the trunk, out of reach from the ground. These trees bore unusual characteristics compared to familiar ones on Lathos. Atch never expected to see a tree with green leaves and white bark. Taking a sapling back to study offered a chance to learn more about the foliage on this alien planet.
Atch searched along the trail for a sapling. Many white trees were too tall and heavy to extract. He walked a few extra minutes before finally finding one with the right size. Atch knelt in front of the little tree. He opened the bin and removed some extraction tools. These tools were designed to obtain samples from rock formations. Atch would have to adapt one for digging a small tree out from the ground.
A distinct whirling hum interrupted the stillness on the trail. It sounded faint at first but grew sharper and more distinct as each second passed. Atch craned his neck upward and searched for a source of the sound. He dropped his extraction tool on the ground and scrambled to his feet.
Two green alien ships hovered on the horizon. Spinning horizontal blades atop each craft and smaller vertical spinning blades on the tail propelled the vessels forward. Small wheels also jutted out from each side and from the tail.
Atch stared at them with fascination. Both alien ships reminded him of a giant mechanical bug.
One vessel split off from the other. It drew closer to the mountain ridge where he and Doni landed. He noticed an opening on the side of the alien ship. A long weapon protruded from the opening with an Earthian seated behind it.
Atch froze. A shiver raced down his spine.
This was an attack vessel.
***
A deep frown washed over Xttra's face when Lance told him the news.
“This isn't good,” he said. “This isn't good at all.”
Xttra stared at Lance's flickering image on the holoscreen. Fear filled his friend's eyes. This had to be a pure nightmare for him after everything he endured on the asteroid.
“I should have put my foot down with Bo'un.” Lance took on an apologetic tone. “This is where this whole mess started.”
Xttra shook his head.
“It's not your fault. Bo'un needs to be smarter and not give into his reckless tendencies.”
“So, what do I do about Atch? If he's not answering his arca vox –”
“We're almost to our aerorover now,” Xttra told him between shortened breaths. “Hang tight. I'll be there soon, and we can track him down together.”
He switched off the arca vox. Calandra's worried expression matched the one Lance wore.
“What do you think happened to Atch?”
Xttra's throat tightened. He fought to keep panic from seizing control of him. Worst case scenarios seeped into his mind. He tried to convince himself to focus on positive thoughts. Maybe Atch broke his arca vox on accident and patiently waited for someone to return for him. Assuming the worst would only fuel undue panic among the crew.
“We'll find him.” Xttra reassured her. “Have faith. If Atch remembers his training, he'll be fine.”
Calandra cast her eyes toward the eastern mountains as they crossed the grassy field again and dashed toward the aerorover.
“I hope you're right.”
Xttra unsealed both magnetic door locks while they ran. Once he and Calandra were both inside, Xttra spared no time getting airborne.
Calandra kept trying to contact Atch on his arca vox. Her efforts bore no fruit. His image did not pop up on the holoscreen. She finally let her arca vox drop into her lap.
“I don't know what to do,” Calandra said, turning to Xttra. “I can't reach him.”
***
One thought raced through Atch's mind as he sprinted up the trail.
Get out of here.
He abandoned his extraction tools on the side of the trail. No time to dig out an alien tree now. Reaching the aerorover became his top priority. Seeing an attack vessel after what happened on the scout ship was no coincidence. Atch needed to warn everyone of the potential danger they faced.
The arca vox.
Atch cursed himself for removing the power crystal earlier. What was he thinking? Letting Doni get inside his head turned out to be an enormous mistake. Now he had to waste valuable time while he stopped and snapped it back into place.
He ducked off the trail and slumped down behind a white-barked tree. Atch pinched both eyes shut and concentrated on slowing his labored breaths. No one inside the alien attack vessel saw him as far as he knew. When he got his arca vox functioning again, Atch could inform Xttra what happened and trace his way back to the aerorover once it became safe to move.
Atch popped the crystal back into place and activated the arca vox. The screen remained blank.
“No!” Atch clenched a fist. “Not now. Why is this happening now?”
He pulled the crystal out again and popped it inside the designated slot a second time. The arca vox finally lit up. Atch pressed the necessary button sequence to contact Xttra.
Calandra's image popped up on the holoscreen in the master pilot's place.
“Atch!” A relieved smile crossed her lips. “Praise Ahm! We had no idea what became of you.”
Atch fought a rising panic. The hairs on his neck stood erect. Did someone hear her voice? He craned his neck around the tree trunk to see if anyone followed him.
Her smile vanished as fast as it had appeared.
“What's wrong? Where are you?”
Atch lowered his head and drew the arca vox closer to his mouth.
“I saw an alien attack vessel.” His voice hovered slightly above a whisper. “I don't know if they also saw me. I'm attempting to sneak back to the aerorover without drawing any attention.”
“Attack vessel?” Xttra cut into the conversation off-screen. A tangible concern arose in his voice. “Where?”
“I'm on a mountain trail on the backside of the same range where we landed the scout ship.”
“Keep your arca vox active,” Calandra told him. “We will come find you and get you out of there as fast as possible.”
“Doni can fly us out of here once I make it back.”
“He isn't there. Doni had to leave to deal with a medical emergency.”
“He left me behind?”
Atch's voice c
limbed a few decibels upon hearing this sudden revelation. Calandra hung her head for a moment before glancing at him again.
“No one could reach you, Atch, and Bo'un was gravely injured. He had no choice.”
Atch scowled at her. “I see.”
“We'll get there soon. I promise.”
Calandra's image vanished from the holoscreen after she said those words. Atch leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. His heart pounded against his ribs. Anger boiled to the surface as he slammed a fist into the mountain soil.
How could Doni abandon him there without hesitation? For all his criticisms of Xttra, he did not measure up to their master pilot as a leader. Atch knew Xttra would never strand a fellow crew member in a perilous situation. Now he had no quick, safe way of getting out of this forest thanks to their continually arrogant medical officer.
Atch also cursed at himself. He bore as much blame for his situation as anyone. Deactivating his arca vox kept anyone from reaching him. His silent tantrum when he parted ways with Doni only placed him in peril.
Only one choice remained. Atch had to conceal himself in the forest and hope the alien attack vessel did not find him first.
20
Jbali could not believe his eyes. Xttra scrambled out of his aerorover only a few seconds after landing on the outer edge of the meadow. Then he took off on a dead run toward the one Jbali occupied. He had already strapped himself into the driver's seat when the master pilot reached the vehicle.
Xttra banged his fist on the closed door. Jbali cocked his head at him and rolled his eyes. He lowered the window.
“What do you think you're doing?”
“Rescuing Atch. What else would I be doing?”
Jbali sensed his response did not sit well with whatever Xttra planned in his head. His face scrunched up with obvious irritation and he started pacing outside the aerorover door. Xttra finally released a deep sigh.
“How about I make the call on who stays here and who goes after him?”
Not this again.