Accursed

by Patrick F. Johnson

  Pressing on, he soon crested the top and continued across the plateau. A tall grass was threatening to reclaim the road and trees were scattered about. Frank thought it was lovely and eerie at the same time. A wide spot became visible ahead and he thought he could make out two humans standing near a roadside tree. The thought of these people getting caught in the wake of whatever had been following him was troubling so he decided to try to warn them.

  They greeted him with rifles pointed. The older of the two men began barking at Frank in a strange language.

  “I do not understand that language,” Frank replied in Taltosh.

  “We will have your weapons and any supplies. We do not want your life but we will take it if you resist.”

  Frank considered the man's words. He glanced at the other man and realized he was just a kid. “I do not have time for this. I just wanted to warn you that something was pursuing me.”

  “Did you not mask your scent?” the older man asked. He gestured for the kid to go have a look. As the kid scurried up the tree, the man continued, “I can see you are not from around here. Just give your stuff and you can go.”

  “Dad, there is a pack heading this way!”

  The man looked up at the kid and then back to Frank. “They will catch and eat you. We will just take your things after they are done.” He darted toward the tree and began climbing.

  Frank could make out the figures in the distance. “Are these creatures endangered?” he asked.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Will it upset the balance of nature if I kill them?”

  The man laughed as he climbed. “Their population exploded when the power went out. They have taken out more people than the bug-men.”

  Frank nodded and walked toward another, smaller tree. Leaning his sword against the trunk, he pulled off his hoodie and hung it on a branch before grabbing the sword and walking back out into the middle of the road.

  “You should probably run,” the man shouted from up in the tree.

  “No.”

  “I will not waste any ammunition trying to save you!” Despite his harsh nature, the man was beginning to sound concerned.

  The pack was moving fast and Frank was amazed they hadn't caught him before. There were six coming up the road and more on each side making their way through the tall grass. He expected them to slow and use some strategy and was anxious to get a closer look at them to see how they work together. But they didn't slow. He set his feet and hardened his shield. The first four impacted at full speed. They were all teeth and claws, somewhere between canine and feline, and the definition of tenacious. Two of the first four had knocked themselves unconscious and the other two were having trouble standing. But the rest of the pack were upon him in a snarling frenzy. It was too intense to count them but he guessed at a dozen in total.

  They stayed like that for nearly a full minute. Frank was holding the shield and the pack was trying to get at him. He had hoped to tire them out but it wasn't happening.

  His patience had run out.

  Frank crouched down and pulled an exploder from its pouch. He jumped and pushed downward on the shield in unison, sending himself twenty feet into the air while dropping the shuriken into the midst of the predators. All but four were killed in the blast and two of them were already advancing as he landed away from the crater he'd made in the road. Sidestepping, he took the right legs off of the lead before raising his sword to meet the second's face. The final two seemed to be shaking off the shock of Frank's concussive defense and charged in unison. Dividing his attention, Frank used his left hand to catch one by the throat while beheading the other.

  Frank stood there holding the beast at arm's length. It was about the size of a St. Bernard. The pain it was inflicting upon his arm was substantial. It simply would not quit. But he had to end it so he slammed hit hard onto the ground and crushed its throat with his grip. Feeling its death made him realize he had earned his title.

  He walked to the other crippled animal and took its head before inspecting the scene to make sure it was safe for the two men in the tree.

  Holding his left arm up so they could watch it heal, Frank asked, “Do you still want to take my sword?”

  “No.”

  Frank retrieved his sheath. “You probably have a reason for putting your child at risk like this. Where is his mother?”

  “The bug-men took her.”

  Frank felt regret over having not killed Jack. “I am sorry for your loss.” He walked back to the smaller tree and retrieved his hoodie and put it on.

  “I have never known of anyone doing that before...”

  “Stop,” Frank interrupted. He made it clear he was leaving.

  “Who are you?”

  “I am the Monster. I am going to restore the power. And then I am going to leave this place.”

  * * *

  “He didn't seem to have ill will for us before, Father.” Caja put her hand on her father's back. “Let me take this.”

  Ondex nodded.

  “Some things are beyond our understanding and that is okay.” Caja smiled at her father. “They offered a solution and there is no reason not to trust them.”

  “Have you seen the reports from Vera though?”

  “Yes, Father. He promised to turn it back over to us.”

  “I mean the death toll.”

  “I would have to say they got off easy,” Caja replied. “Now gather yourself. This isn't time for panic.”

  “You're right.” He offered his arm and led his daughter out to the landing pad. “You are a natural leader. You get that from your mother.”

  King Ondex felt comforted when he noticed Moldew was accompanied by his wife. He knew his old friend would never put Mildy in harm's way. Beside them stood Raymond and Chloe. Rando walked over from the opposite direction and Ondex passed his daughter off most ceremoniously before attempting to stand in a regal fashion.

  Nothing happened.

  “What are we supposed to do?” Ondex asked in the direction of Moldew.

  Before Moldew could reply, a ramp lowered before them. It was the doorway into nothingness that meant a Sessik landing boat was there. A lone figure marched down the ramp.

  “Greetings, Royalty of Gotoreo,” Constanthos said without bowing. She was carrying a small canister. An orb was just over her left shoulder.

  Ondex was unsure of himself. “Greetings. I apologize for not remembering your name.”

  “There is no need to apologize. We met under unusual circumstances. I am Constanthos.”

  Ondex gave a deep bow.

  “With all due respect, Your Highness, we operate under the informal ways of the Custodian. He doesn't like bowing.” She smiled as she spoke the words and was pleased to see Ondex loosen up.

  “May I ask where he is?”

  “Frank is away on a mission of personal importance. He has trusted us to act upon his wishes.” Constanthos was pleased with herself as she had made a good impression back on Vera.

  Ondex smiled. “I was never comfortable with all of the formalities my title require. Caja has taken over the duties of the throne.” He couldn't stop smiling. “I will let you two discuss things.”

  Caja stepped away from Rando while still holding his hand. She raised it and gave it a kiss before letting it go. Her jowls were bent into a smile as she came forward.

  Constanthos answered with a smile of her own. “I see what's going on here,” she said in a low tone as Caja came forward.

  “Rando found the notion of marriage quite agreeable.”

  “I am happy for you. If we had known we'd have brought a gift.”

  Caja was beaming. “You are a gift.”

  Constanthos understood her meaning and presented the canister. “This will help you get things in order. And this card has the instructions for the implementation.”

  Caja curled up her face and Constanthos realized she was on the verge of tears.

  “Save those tears of joy for al
l of the daughters.” She reached up and embraced Caja.

  “The bonds of friendship forged in battle are unbreakable,” Caja whispered. “I don't think that old quote was meant for women, but it certainly applies.”

  “Equality is a wonderful thing,” Constanthos said as she pulled away. “I do have a favor to ask.”

  “As do I,” Caja replied.

  Constanthos smiled. “I'll ask first.” She gestured to the remote which promptly projected a map. “Well, this is hard to see in the sun.”

  “Father?” Caja called out. Ondex lumbered forward to cast a shadow upon the projection.

  Constanthos pointed to a spot. “Korick had struck a deal with the Gurdiks regarding a planet in this system. I believe he had no intention of honoring the agreement and they had staked everything on it.”

  “We are pulling inward,” Caja replied. “If I understand your meaning, we would be pleased to hand the system over.” She looked up at Ondex. “Wouldn't you agree, Father?”

  “Yes. The order to evacuate all outlying systems has already been issued.” Ondex looked thoughtful. “The Gurdiks would make fine neighbors. But at the risk of sounding rude, I must ask about Korbaal.”

  “The Mingrein consider it their home world,” Constanthos replied. “They wish to settle in and become productive members of the galactic community.”

  “No one else wants it, Father,” Caja said with a smile.

  “I had to ask. It is my duty as king.” He returned her smile.

  “How soon until I can give the Gurdiks the world?” Constanthos asked.

  “Give us thirty cycles to make sure we are cleared out,” Ondex replied. He glanced over to Rando who gave with a nod.

  “I thank you for making this easy for me,” Constanthos said. “Frank put his trust in me for any negotiations. I am ready to hear what favor you ask.”

  Caja paused and swallowed hard before speaking. “We ask that you grant the Stewarts passage back to Earth.”

  Constanthos felt as if a giant burden had been lifted. “That will be no trouble at all.”

  Caja leaned in. “Please...” She was fighting tears.

  “Her father has won favor with the Custodian. You have nothing to be worried about.”

  “Thank you,” Caja whispered. She took a moment to gain her composure before issuing the orders to have the Stewarts' things brought out.

  Constanthos stepped aside to direct the Gotes who were carrying forward the luggage, allowing Caja to bid farewell to Chloe. Automechs came from inside the boat to handle the load. Raymond was receiving awkward hugs from various members of the guard before Ondex himself embraced him. After a few minutes of this, the Stewarts came forward with Caja.

  “I would like permission to come visit some time soon,” Caja said.

  “That shouldn't be a problem,” Constanthos replied. “We are to attend a gathering at Rhoshe. I will put in a good word for you. You are going to do great things as a leader, Caja, and there isn't any reason why you shouldn't be able to have trade relations off-world.”

  “Your kindness is most appreciated,” Caja replied.

  “As we bid you farewell, we formally return the control of Vera back to the Gotes of Gotoreo.”

  * * *

  The sun was rising as Frank rolled down the last hill. The river stretched out in the distance. It was as wide as any he'd ever seen on Earth. A small city stood off beyond the bridge and Frank found himself curious about the layout. He hoped to have the opportunity to ask someone why there weren't more roads. And where were the vehicles? He imagined what a mess the roads on Earth would become if everything suddenly stopped. There were some flat-roofed buildings to the right of the road, but they initially appeared to be deserted. But the shooting started as he came closer to the river.

  Frank didn't bother to look at where the bullets were coming from. Since they were bouncing off the right side of his shield, he leaned left when the road started to incline toward the bridge. He continued to roll toward the river as shots were now coming in from above. Glancing up, he noticed a few men had been posted among the pillars of the great bridge. The water was coming up fast and he wanted to stop. Somehow, he did.

  “Shoot first,” he said to himself as the bullets kept coming. He could see the men reloading and trying to take careful aim at him. But very few shots would have even met their mark by his estimation. A sound in the distance caused the men to take pause. It was somewhere between a howl and a wail. They raised their rifles and Frank realized Gelan had arrived.

  Frank looked over the water for a short time before he saw it. An empty boat was moving toward him from the direction under the bridge. He couldn't help smiling as it looked like any rowboat he'd ever seen.

  “We did not expect you so soon,” Gelan said from behind the boat.

  “Did you really expect me at all?”

  “We had to know, Frank. You believed everything you told us. That did not mean it was all true.”

  Frank climbed into the rowboat and centered himself upon the single plank. “I understand. I am not angry with you. I do feel bad about having to kill some wildlife in self-defense.” He was surprised when the boat took off and quickly gained speed.

  “Did you kill any humans?” Gelan asked.

  Frank knew he couldn't lie to Gelan so he decided to bombard the being with truth. “I nearly killed a human for the first time. That farmer tempted me. I probably would have ended her had the Commander not intervened.”

  “We are confused. You have not ever killed a human yet you are willing to?”

  Frank allowed himself to smile. “I normally would not entertain the idea of killing a human. My time on Vera caused my body to adapt to a heavier gravity. A chemical imbalance resulted and now I have an anger control issue.”

  “Commander Raul had told us about the farmer. We are grateful that you did not kill her.”

  “She tried to kill me.” Frank paused. “I get that a lot but I could not help but to think they would all be better off without her.”

  “Do you regret not killing her?” Gelan asked.

  “No. I do not want to be a killer. I am a builder by nature.” Frank enjoyed the pause as Gelan processed the statement. He was unworried as he knew he was telling the truth.

  Finally, Gelan spoke. “Your friend has left. Now there is a Sessik in orbit.”

  “Jard left? That does not make any sense.”

  “The Sessik arrived shortly after his departure.”

  Frank thought it over before asking, “How many other beings are with the Sessik?”

  “The Sessik is alone. There are several of us sharing the burden of pushing you up this river. You will hear no complaints from us as we believe your intentions are just. But we must ask you to tell us all that you know so we can understand why all of this is happening.”

  Frank was nearly lost in thought so he just answered, “You already know about the Li.”

  “We felt them,” Gelan replied. “But the humans would not listen to us.”

  “Let me guess,” Frank started. “There was a fairly swift increase in technology. Wars increased and the weaponry to match it. And the environment suffered.”

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “They tried the same thing on Earth. Their main objective was to have us develop nuclear weapons that they would later harvest. We were able to stop them on Earth but we are still rooting out the human conspirators.”

  “By the time the people here came to their senses, it was too late,” Gelan said. “The artificial mind seemed to be leading them toward a brighter future. But then our nesting grounds were destroyed and all the technology went dead.”

  “Wait, that island was your nesting grounds?”

  “Yes, Frank. We do not know why it was destroyed.”

  Frank shook his head in anger. “I knew I should have killed Ottwan.”

  “We do not understand.”

  “This trip up the river will take a little while. I will t
ell you everything as it happened.”

  25.

  “You've changed your hair,” Raymond said as they rounded the bend and entered the living room. “It looks nice.”

  “Thank you,” Constanthos replied, forcing a smile. She decided to not explain her hair. “Please make yourselves comfortable. It will be a short time until we dock with Main Ship.” She glanced over at Chloe, admiring her physique. The young lady was tall, broad-shouldered, and heavily muscled. But she moved with a gracefulness that was utterly feminine. Damon came in at last and began stowing his rifle. “Please be advised that we keep the gravity on this landing boat at Earth-normal. The gravity on Main Ship is kept at Sessik-normal, which is roughly one third of Earth-normal.”

  “We are going to be really light,” Chloe said with a smile.

  “Yes,” Constanthos agreed. “Frank fell on his face when he came home from Vera.”

  Raymond had been watching Damon with much curiosity. He realized the young man had been covering Constanthos from the shadows inside the boat. He recognized the Marine attire but decided not to ask yet. Instead he asked, “Was Frank able to track down my wife?”

  “Yes,” Constanthos replied. She was trying to keep a straight face.

  “Is she doing okay?” Raymond asked.

  “We are almost to Main Ship,” Constanthos replied. “You will learn everything when we arrive.” She paused before noticing the concern in his face. “It's nothing bad,” she added.

  * * *

  “I wasn't this nervous on my wedding day,” Dorothy said as they made their way toward the door.

  “You look beautiful, Dorothy,” Gladys assured her. “And remember, he asked Frank to check on you.” Gladys was glad to help with this reunion as she was in desperate need for something, anything positive. She was pleased to see Nera standing next to Cindy. But where Cindy was all smiles, Nera wore the same serious expression behind the messy warpaint. “I think we did well,” Gladys said to them. “Especially for such a quick job.” They had reworked a shear blue gown and Dorothy wore it over gray varitherm. She had fixed her hair the same way she had when she was younger and some paint on her lips rounded out the look. Her complexion was smooth and Gladys insisted there was no way to improve upon it.