by C. S. Harte
“You’re saying his suit failed?” Meomi narrowed her eyes.
“I wonder if those creatures — the vulas, as Bast called them — have some sort of poison,” Thorne said.
“It’s an explanation.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “But does it matter how Inoke died? What we’re doing, infiltrating alien bases with technology well beyond our understanding, while members of our own species are actively working against us, is just inherently very dangerous. It’s unrealistic to think everyone on the team would survive.” As the words left her mouth, Meomi realized her advice could apply to herself. She knew from experience that the hardest advice to accept was her own.
Thorne placed his hand on top of hers. “I understand this well. I also know we’re far away from being safe.” He crossed his arms. “Say we survive this planet long enough to make it to the pyramid and somehow figure out how to unlock the alien structure so it could return us to our own universe…” He took in a deep breath. “At that point, we’re just continuing where we originally started; trying to gather Mimic intel to warn Fleet High Command so we can save the 5th Navy and in doing so, hopefully, the human race. One impossibly difficult task after another.”
“If you wanted easy, you should’ve never applied to Spec Ops Division.” Meomi smirked. “My father likes to ask, ‘What’s the best way to climb a mountain?’”
“One step at a time. My father also asks me the same question.”
Meomi held in her laughter at the thought of finding a connection to Thorne in the most distant place possible from where they first met.
Thorne stood and stretched his arms relieving the tension in his muscles. With his back facing her, he said, “I’m sorry about taking control of your ship.”
“You definitely could have handled our first meeting better.” Meomi joined him by his side.
“It’s not usually my first move to make things difficult for people.”
“Given the urgency of the situation and the fact you were an unknown, I hope you can see why I took the actions I did.”
“Seems like years ago. Literally, in a different universe.” Meomi smirked. "I appreciate you telling me how wrong you were. Too often I deal with men who compound situations at the cost of swallowing their pride.”
“We're a good team Captain Hana.”
“Meomi, please. Just Meomi.” She smiled, suddenly feeling heat in her cheeks.
Thorne nodded. “You can call me Khoan if you like.”
“I’ll stick with Thorne. It fits. You’ve been a thorn in my side.” She winked.
“Meomi, I hope once this is all said and done… Once we save the universe…”
“Which one?” Meomi let slip a laugh.
“Ours, of course,” Thorne smiled. “Once we save our universe, maybe we can have a drink sometime.”
“Weren’t you complaining about big mountains to climb earlier? You’re asking to climb a much higher mountain right now. I make it a rule to never date anyone that tries to take over my ship.”
“As you may have noticed, I don’t give up, no matter the challenge.” Thorne returned the wink.
“I have noticed. I suggest you take this challenge one step at a time as well.”
“You might want to consider joining Fleet Spec Ops. You’ll be given more freedom to not follow orders and exasperate high-ranking officers. You would like that since you’re rather naturally gifted in those areas.” He grinned.
“Well, if those high-ranking people include you, then I have to admit, I’m tempted.”
Thorne went silent, stopping the flow of conversation.
Meomi caught herself reaching for his hand. She misunderstood him based on their first encounter in the hangar of the Cerberus. He wasn’t brash or a bully. He was driven and direct. She remembered how her heart ached for him at the sight of him lying on top of Inoke. Thorne and Inoke seemed closer than mere partners on a mission. Even with the loss of her own ship and crew, Meomi wanted to help take away his pain.
As if reading her mind, Thorne said, “I’m also sorry about your ship. Everyone deserves a better ending than to simply disappear.”
Meomi wondered for a moment if Thorne was part Entrent. “Whisper said something I can’t seem to shake.”
“And that is?”
“On her approach to Dressa, she found no debris of the Cerberus. Those blue energy blasts… What if they weren’t destructive, but a means of sending the ship into another pocket universe?” Meomi said.
Thorne rubbed his chin. “If you told me this before setting foot on this planet, I would not have believed you. It’s certainly possible given everything we’ve experienced.”
“That blue queen said there were ‘five creations’ which I took to mean five universes,” Meomi said. “Maybe the Cerberus is in one of those universes? If we find a way back to our own universe, maybe we can reach my ship and bring them back with us.”
“As you are so fond of saying, Meomi, let’s take everything one step at a time.”
The first sliver of light from the rising sun peeked over the horizon and into the cave.
“Can’t believe it’ll be daylight soon,” Meomi said. “How are you holding up…” She flicked her head in the direction of the sleeping team and Inoke’s body. “... with everything?”
“You mean to ask me my feelings on Inoke?”
Meomi nodded.
“I miss him dearly.” Thorne stared at his feet. “He was an important part of my team. Without his telepathic skill set, the odds of uncovering the entire depth of this Mimic conspiracy becomes exponentially more difficult.”
“We could have used him with Bast.” Meomi switched her voice to a whisper. “What do you make of our new friend? Do you find him trustworthy?”
“I do not have a set opinion yet.” He shook his head. “As a spy, you are taught to never trust anyone. There is one thing I find to be irregular about him thus far.”
“And that is?”
“He hasn’t taken off his helmet. It’s a sign he could be hiding something.”
“Well, he saved Inoke. And do we have a choice?” She threw up her arms. “It’s not like there are a lot of people on this planet. We don’t have the luxury of being picky with our allies right now.”
“I know.” Thorne bobbed his head in agreement. “I expect we’ll find more about his true intentions as we progress toward the pyramid.”
“I really hope the pyramid is the way off this planet.” Meomi sighed. “I don’t know how much more disappointment I can take.”
“You are not alone on this journey.” Thorne extended his hand.
Meomi stared at him in confusion before accepting his gesture. “Thank you, Thorne. Let’s make it to the end together.”
He smiled at Meomi. “Before we wake the others and make our way to the pyramid, there is one thing I must do.”
“What’s that?” She raised her eyebrows.
“When an Entrent dies, specific protocols must be followed, so their unique genetic makeup remains a closely guarded Katok and Fleet secret.”
“Something tells me you’re going to do something sad…”
“Unfortunately, I must incinerate his body at a temperature hot enough to destroy his remains.” His voice cracked as he spoke.
“I see. Well, I’m not going to try to understand…” Meomi held his hand. “But, you don’t have to do this alone. How do you intend on creating a fire without any equipment?”
“His Obscura suit was specially modified for such an outcome.”
“Of course it was…” She scoffed. “Fleet thinks of everything.”
“Let’s get on with it, shall we?” Thorne said. They made their way back to the rest of the group.
Both Rayfin and Bast were sound asleep. The latter somehow slept through Rayfin’s boisterous snoring.
Meomi gasped as she searched for Inoke. “He’s gone!”
Rayfin jumped awake. “Who is?”
Thorne immediately drew his wea
pon and aimed it at the slowly waking Bast. “Where is he? Where is Inoke?” He roared at Bast.
20
Bast held up his arms.
“What’s going on?” Rayfin stood slowly.
“Inoke is gone.” Meomi pointed to where Inoke should have been in the cave.
“Where is Inoke’s body?” Thorne asked in a sharp tone.
“I do not know, Captain Thorne,” Bast answered in a calm voice.
“You said this cave was safe.” Meomi charged her hand cannon.
“I am unaware of any creatures that could have sneaked past us,” Bast said.
“Is it possible that Inoke was still alive, somehow?” Rayfin asked.
“Thorne? Is it possible?” Meomi turned to him. “You were the last one to check him.”
“No,” Thorne shook his head. “Not remotely possible. Even if he was where would he go? Why would Inoke run from us?”
Rayfin shined his suit light on where Inoke’s body was last placed. Not a drop of blood remained. “I don’t want to freak anyone out, but could ghosts exist in this universe?”
“I have never seen a ghost on Caelora,” Bast said.
“It’s as you feared,” Meomi said to Thorne.
“What did he fear?” Rayfin asked.
“Inoke’s body,” she said. “It contains a wealth of genetic information.”
“Could someone have followed us here?” Rayfin asked.
“The only races capable of pocket universe travel are Mimic allies,” Thorne said. “I suppose it is plausible we were followed.”
“What do you want to do, Thorne?” Meomi asked.
Everyone turned their attention on Thorne while he focused on Bast. 30 seconds of silence ensued before Thorne spoke. “Continue with the mission.”
“Are you sure?” Meomi stared at Thorne.
“While unsettling, the disappearance of Inoke’s body does not change our priority.” He lowered his weapon, allowing Bast to stand. “The 5th Navy must be warned. All else is secondary.”
“But… But…” Rayfin's head flinched back.
“Thank you, Captain Thorne.” Bast bowed his head. “Your trust in me will not go unrewarded.”
“There is something about this planet, Ensign.” Thorne gritted his teeth. “We must not stay longer than need be.”
“I’m OK with spending a little time to look for Inoke,” Rayfin said.
“Bast, how far is Raena from here?” Thorne asked.
“The city of Raena is 40.156 kilometers from our present location,” Bast said. “We should leave as soon as possible, lest we find ourselves in an unfortunate situation without shelter during the night.”
“I’m sorry, Rayfin," Thorne said in a somber tone. "Inoke is dead. That much I am sure. The disappearance of his body is a mystery we do not have time to resolve.”
“Captain?” Rayfin looked at Meomi as if pleading for help. “We don’t leave people behind, right?”
“Thorne is in charge, and he’s also right, Ensign.” Meomi sighed. “Right about Inoke, about this planet… Right about everything lately. We should get going.”
Rayfin mumbled to himself as he stared at Inoke’s last known resting place.
“Lead the way, Bast.” Thorne gestured for him to exit the cave system.
Meomi followed Bast, walking two steps behind.
Thorne stopped Rayfin as he passed him. “Do not let Bast out of your sight. He has yet to earn our trust.”
“But…" Rayfin narrowed his eyes. "He almost saved…”
“Both Captain Hana and I believe the timing of his appearance is too coincidental and fortuitous.”
“Yes, Captain,” Rayfin nodded his head.
“Remember, we are on a planet in a universe that is not our own. Do not let your guard down for anything.”
Rayfin rubbed the back of his neck. “Understood, sir.”
The team exited their cave sanctuary and started their journey to Raena with Bast and Rayfin taking point.
Meomi covered the rear, walking side-by-side with Thorne.
Their campaign had them traveling east, through the rocky and rugged terrain. Bast led the team through a series of arches cut into thick mountain walls. The origins of these structures were unknown to Bast, but without them, the journey to Raena would have taken considerably longer.
The only signs of life along the way were small animals called aulladors. According to Bast, aulladors were the size of small dogs with thick leathery skin that camouflaged with the bronze canyon walls. Rayfin tried approaching one. The creature made a boisterous hissing sound at him before running away.
Temperatures soared over 310 Kelvins with the sun still far from its solar noon.
“I always hated desert planets. It already feels like an oven,” Meomi said to Thorne on a private suit comm channel.
“You were born on an asteroid mining colony if I recall correctly.”
“Of course you read my file.” Meomi scoffed.
“I’m sorry about your parents.”
“What’s there to be sorry about?” She shrugged. “They died when I was young and what little I knew about them made me glad I didn’t know more. My dad was an alcoholic. My mother was someone who abandoned me on a mining station.”
“It was fortunate you had your aunt and uncle to raise you.”
“They were nice people; kept me alive and out of trouble mostly until I was old enough to join the Space Marines. I always got the sense I was a burden.” Meomi noticed the mountains slowly giving way to the desert as they passed through the last arch.
“Regardless of your upbringing, you have done well for yourself, especially considering the unorthodox career path you chose.”
“Going from Marine Colonel to Fleet Captain?”
“Yes. It has always been two distinct silos within the Commonwealth Military — Space Marines and Fleet. Why did you make the switch?”
Meomi laughed. “I wanted to get as far away from fighting Mimics as possible. Nothing seems to go right when it comes to things I really want.”
Thorne nodded at Meomi. “I have also come to that conclusion about my life.”
Bast and Rayfin stopped their march.
“Why did we stop?” Meomi asked.
Rayfin pointed to an ocean of sand in front of them, extending well into the horizon. “That’s a lot of sand.”
“We’re on a desert planet, what did you expect?” Meomi said.
“We must be careful when we come across vast stretches of sand on this planet,” Bast said. “Many of the life forms tend to hide underneath the surface to avoid the sun.”
External temperatures rose to 318 Kelvins which neared the hottest recorded temperature on Earth.
“Are you suggesting we go around, Bast?” Thorne asked.
“No, Captain Thorne. Not if we wish to make it to Raena tonight.”
“Then weapons out,” Thorne ordered. “Tread lightly, everyone.”
The team followed Bast in a single file line into the desert.
Meomi switched back to a private comm channel with Thorne. “If you were Whisper, would you work on trying to free us or warn the 5th Navy? She must have given up on us by now, right?”
“We are taught in Specs Ops to not allow ourselves to be caught,” Thorne said. “If we do get caught, expect no one to come for us. I hope that for the sake of the 5th Navy and the Commonwealth, she has given up on us.”
“She doesn’t know about all the captive Fleet Officers held inside the volcanic base and the Mimic imposters in key Fleet positions. If she were to warn someone that was compromised…”
“Trust no one,” Thorne interrupted. “All spies live by this rule. Whisper would know to vet her contacts before divulging information.”
Meomi sighed. “I can’t help but think about the worst-case scenario — where she warns the wrong person and puts her life in danger and possibly the entire fate of the Commonwealth.”
“I understand,” Thorne placed a hand on
her back. “Everything you stated is a possibility. Which is why it is important to accomplish the mission from our end. We cannot rely solely on Whisper. We have to find a way back to our universe and somehow convince Fleet Marshall Mathias Klopp…”
“Assuming he isn’t compromised,” Meomi spoke over Thorne.
“Should that be the case, then we disseminate what we know to the admirals and captains themselves,” Thorne said. “There is always a way forward.”
“I never took you to be an optimist,” Meomi said with a curt laugh.
“Optimist?” Thorne scoffed. “Certainly not me. Make no mistake, humanity’s situation is very grim. A significant percentage of our military leaders are under the influence of the invading enemy. More are too loyal to question orders, however unconscionable those orders may be. Worse, no one knows the grand scope of the conspiracy facing our species.” He released a long sigh. “Our most arduous challenges are still before us.”
Meomi leaned into him. “One step at a time.”
“I don’t know if Whisper has shared this with you, but there are others working toward humanity’s defense,” Thorne said.
“I sincerely hope they have better luck than us,” Meomi snickered.
“As do I,” Thorne said.
Bast and Rayfin suddenly stopped in their tracks.
“No one move!” Rayfin yelled over suit comm.
“What’s wrong?” Meomi asked.
“Stay very still…” he said with a strained voice.
Thorne looked at Meomi. “Is it the Calfars? Are we near one of their nests?”
“Look!” Meomi pointed at a shuttle-sized pile of moving sand less than 30 meters from her.
“We are standing over the nest of a sandwyrm,” Bast said in a tone too calm for the situation. “Do not move, please.” He activated the thrusters in his suit and soared into the sky.
Rayfin aimed his weapon at Bast while chasing him. “He left us… That bastard!”
The moving pile of sand changed directions, speeding toward Rayfin.
“No!” Meomi shouted. “Don’t…” Before she could finish her sentence, a gigantic worm-like creature with a spiny, sandstone-colored hide and multiple rings of razor-sharp teeth leaped from the sand and swallowed Rayfin whole.