by Charles Case
Not wanting to take any chances, he moved from cover to cover, his pistol at the ready. The closer he got the more certain he was that no one was looking out of the tinted cockpit windows at him. The last twenty yards to the hull of the ship were over open ground. If someone wanted to get the drop on him, it would be now.
Taking a breath with his back to a boulder, Corbin reached into his well and willed his suit to come out. In less than a second, he was clad head to toe in Leela’s metal armor form. He felt the metal flow from his face and blinked at the odd sensation.
“I may never get used to this.”
“Yes, you will. At least you remembered, this time.” Leela joked.
Corbin smiled, making the fox mask mimic his facial expression. “What do you think? Is the ship empty?”
“I think so, but why isn’t there at least a pilot? Would the security team fly their own dropship?”
Corbin considered. “Not usually, but this was a secret mission according to Lore. So, maybe?”
“At least you’re confident.” The tinkling sound of Leela’s laugh made Corbin smile.
“Well, there’s one way to find out.”
Pushing off the boulder and channeling a bit of power into himself, Corbin moved fast and hard directly at the dropship’s nose. Stepping close to the black hull he pointed his gun aft, and quickly made his way toward the back of the ship.
He now saw that the ramp was down. He prepared to circle around the back and clear the interior of the huge cargo bay when movement made him stop and crouch.
Staring at what he could see of the ramp, he was about to stand when the air seemed to waver. Only his long days out in the wild alone let him understand what he was seeing—it was the swishing tail of a glasser. Slowly moving further down the hull, he saw what the large lizard was doing.
On the ramp were the bodies of two black-clad pilots slowly being eaten by the large predator.
Corbin scanned the area and confirmed that it was only the one chameleon chowing down. The predators were extremely dangerous and very protective of their kills, but Corbin wanted to scavenge the dropship, so he carefully took aim at the glasser’s head.
Corbin pulled the trigger several times, putting five consecutive rounds into the thing’s skull. The glasser reared up, but then dropped dead on top of one of the pilot’s bodies. As he watched, the glasser’s chameleon skin lost its ability to hold color and faded to a dull gray.
Waiting a few breaths to be sure no one or thing had heard his attack, he stood and quickly moved onto the ramp. Pointing the pistol into the dark interior, he checked all the corners and quickly moved through the open space to the steep set of stairs that led to the cockpit. He pushed a trickle of power into himself to bolster his physical abilities and squatted before jumping up to the platform at the top of the steps.
Corbin reached out one hand and pushed the cockpit door open, aiming the pistol into the empty space. He saw that the power had been completely shut down and the ship put into standby.
“Well, at least we’re alone out here. For now, anyway.”
“They’ll probably send someone out to retrieve the ship. It would be nice to be able to take this.” Leela was wistful, but resigned.
“Actually, we might be able to.” Corbin shrugged. “I’ll give Lore a call and see if they can make this disappear like our tablets.”
“This is a little bigger than a tablet.”
“Not to a computer network. It’s just a number.” Corbin headed out to the cargo hold and looked for anything he could salvage. “I mean, I think that’s how it works.”
Corbin latched the storage compartment closed on the back of the OVAL and wiped the back of his sleeve across his sweating forehead. He had found a dozen heavy assault rifles and a sniper rifle along with a few crates of explosive ammo for them. There was a spare power armor and several unpowered suits of body armor along with uniforms and a few crates full of MREs.
In the end, Corbin took two assault rifles, the sniper rifle, and all the foodstuffs he could carry. He thought about torching the ship to keep it out of the Corp’s hands, but decided that it might be worth saving if Lawrence was able to take its tracker off the network. However, that would be a question for later. Right now, they needed to get out of the area.
Ducking under the spidery legs of the OVAL, Corbin opened the door to the living section and climbed the steps. Once inside, he pressed the button that retracted the stairs and closed the door. He drew a deep breath, enjoying the air-conditioned living space after working in the intense heat of Trac and Nhi.
Seena was still reclined on the bottom bunk, her jumpsuit around her waist, and dried blood everywhere. It looked like they had slaughtered a glasser on the white sheets. He frowned at her condition, trying to decide if waking her to help her to the small shower was worth it, or if it would be better to let her sleep.
He felt the bulge of the two implants in his pocket. He needed to do something with them quickly before more troopers were sent to find them. Deciding to let Seena sleep for a while longer, he climbed into the cockpit of the large vehicle and started it.
The quiet hum of the generator filled the cabin with a tingling sensation as it settled into its working speed, generating power at a constant rate. He threw the shifter into drive, and carefully navigated the lumbering vehicle out of the small boulder field before engaging the hover mode. The spindly legs folded into the body of the OVAL and an increase in the hum underfoot told him that the hover pads were doing their job. He increased the throttle and they shot off over the relatively flat plains of the wilds.
He rolled the two implants in the palm of his right hand as he contemplated what to do with them. He needed to get rid of them, but at the same time, he didn't want to drop them too close to where they had been or the Corp would know that they ditched them. He needed them to move around on their own, and keep the Corp guessing.
The day was nearly half over at this point and the suns pounded down on the landscape. Most animals were taking their siesta, the lizards sunning themselves on rocks, and the mammals hiding in the shade wherever they could find it.
A shimmering on the horizon caught his eye. At first, he thought it was from the heat, but after checking the map on the dashboard display he saw that it was one of the many small lakes that dotted the wilds. After a few more minutes he spotted hundreds of flying animals, not quite birds, and not quite flying reptiles, but something somewhere in between the two. He couldn't remember the official name the scientists gave them but the surveyors called them divers.
They were about a yard and a half long from beak to tail. If Corbin was forced to describe them he would say they most closely resembled a dragon from folklore, but unlike a dragon these things were strictly pescatarian. A long hooked beak that somehow morphed into a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth was attached to a sleek head and long neck. The body had short stubby legs and a long prehensile tail. With a wingspan of nearly two yards, the beasts were intimidating to look at, but were skittish when approached.
Corbin's brows rose with a sudden idea. Turning toward the lake, he formulated his plan and smiled.
“Hey, Leela. Do you think the armor will be able to protect my hand from one of those things’ bite?”
“Yes… Why?”
“You’ll see.” He chuckled.
8
Corbin put the OVAL into stationary mode and waited for it to settle down on extended legs before climbing through the small door to the living quarters.
Seena was still asleep, even after the bumpy ride up into the mountains. The last half hour had been on the OVAL’s legs as he picked his way through the coniferous forest that dominated the tops of the mountains. He found a clearing beside a stream, one that was open enough for them to move about for some sparring if they stayed there long enough. Although now that he looked at her sleeping form, he wondered if the two of them would get to that, or if she would be down for a while.
Glancing down at
his black and yellow surveyor’s jumpsuit, he was surprised at how much blood and grime was on it. The side where he had been hit with the explosive round was in tatters, and exposed his tanned skin underneath.
“Why didn't you tell me I looked like a bloody swamp thing?” Corbin said to Leela, putting his whole hand into the hole in his jumpsuit in amazement.
“I see out of your eyes, Corbin. If you didn't notice, why would I?”
That took Corbin by surprise. “You see through my eyes? What about when you’re in fox form?”
“Well, obviously when we’re separate I see out of my eyes, but we’ve been joined since the battle in the transit station.”
Glancing at Seena's chest slowly rising and falling with the steady breaths of deep sleep, Corbin decided that he should clean up before helping her to do the same.
Emptying the many pockets of the jumpsuit took a few minutes. He had a drawer he stored everything in when changing, but it barely held all the small items he carried, and he had to leave it open because it was so full.
He stripped off the jumpsuit and threw it in the garbage chute, along with his undershirt. He checked that Seena was still out before stripping out of his underpants and tossing them into the small laundry system.
He quickly reached into the small shower and turned it on, waiting for the water to warm up. He stood there awkwardly, waiting for the water and hoping Seena didn't wake to see him standing over her, his junk cupped in one hand. Feeling the dread of her suddenly waking, he decided a little cold water would be preferable, and stepped under the streaming water.
Corbin shivered for the first few minutes as he quickly soaped up, until the water finally warmed and he was able to relax. Taking his time, he washed and considered their next move.
He would have to show Seena how to absorb her first set of powers from the raw metals. It was good that Gert was already ahead of the game after communicating with Leela, but if the visions were right, then they didn’t have much time to grow before the invasion happened. Leela was always pushing that they needed to hurry, but she couldn’t give him an accurate timeline for the invasion.
For that matter, he was still unsure exactly what he was supposed to do about an army that already wiped Leela’s people from existence. He felt his well and the power swirling inside drumming in his chest but however powerful he was now, it was no match for the golems and their endless numbers. He had to figure out how to cut them off at the source. If he knew what the source was, beyond a planet so deep in a gravity well that time had all but stopped for them.
There had to be a way, but he wasn’t able to see it. One step at a time was all good and proper, but only if you knew where you were headed. As of now, all he knew was that he needed to grow in power. And he needed to take Seena along for the ride. Her help was going to be the difference. Corbin wasn't sure how, but he believed that with all his heart.
Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the tiny shower and grabbed a towel from one of the drawers in the wall beside the shower stall. He quickly dried, lost in thought when he heard Seena clear her throat.
The towel was over his head as he dried his hair, so he couldn't see anything, but he knew she had a full view of everything from the chest down. Turning red with embarrassment, he whipped the towel down over his crotch.
Seena was sitting up in bed, her eyes wide and face crimson red, but she was still staring at his now towel-covered junk.
“Sorry,” Corbin stammered. “I thought you would still be asleep.”
Seena took a second before clearing her throat and making brief eye contact before looking at anything but him. “It’s okay. I should have told you I was up before you got out.” Her thumbs twirled nervously.
The silence drew out, neither one of them knowing what to say.
Seena finally broke the standoff. “Um, do you think I could use the shower?”
Corbin realized he was blocking her path to the stall. In truth, he was taking up most of the standing room in the small space. He quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and stood to the side.
“Yes, of course. Sorry.” He reached in and turned the water back on then took up a deep visual inspection of the ceiling. “Here, let me keep the water warm for you.”
She gave him a shy smile, and tried to stand up, but sucked in a breath when her leg swung off the bunk.
“Um.” Seena was quiet, but reached a hand out to Corbin. “I’m going to need help. I’m still a little stiff.”
Corbin glanced down at her outstretched hand, and gave her a half-manic smile. “No problem.”
He grabbed her hand and gently pulled. She tried to get to her feet, but the look of pain on her face made him stop pulling and instead put both hands under her arms and lift her to her feet, so she didn't have to put any effort into the move. They ended up standing chest to chest. Or in their case, face to chest.
She put her hands on his arms as he slowly let her take her own weight. She leaned her head on his chest, and didn't let go.
“Thank you.” She whispered, rubbing a thumb on his arm where she held onto him.
They stood like that for a full minute before she spoke again. “I think I’m going to need more help.” She slowly lifted her arms above her head and looked up into his eyes.
Corbin gave her a gentle smile, then took the hem of her tank top and carefully lifted it over her head and arms. She pulled her arms down to cover her bare chest but never stopped looking him in the eye. He leaned over to work on the bloody jumpsuit bunched around her hips, and she leaned in, kissing him on his way down.
Corbin’s heart fluttered and his breath caught in his throat, but he kissed her back tenderly. After a few seconds of bliss he pulled back, worry in his voice.
“You’re hurt.”
She reached up and put her arms around his neck. “I’m not nearly as hurt as I may have let on.” Her smile absolutely glowed in the dim light of the OVAL.
His face split into a grin and his eyebrow rose mischievously. “So, you’re a faker?”
“Only a little. It’s still tender, but I can manage.”
Corbin leaned back and took in her disheveled appearance. “You’re also covered in blood.”
She glanced down at his chest, where she had rubbed some of that blood onto his still-wet body. “I think we could both use a shower. Sorry.”
She reached down and shimmied out of the jumpsuit and her underwear in one motion. She only grimaced once, and Corbin took that as a good sign. She took his hand and undid his towel with the other before leading him to the shower.
It was a tight fit, but they managed.
Stretched out on the floor and leaning back on the pile of pillows from the two bunks, Corbin brushed the damp hair from Seena's face where she rested it on his chest. Their lovemaking had started in the shower, and quickly moved to the bunk. However, the tiny bed was nowhere near large enough for both of them so they settled on the floor, with all the blankets spread out in a makeshift mattress.
Now they basked in the afterglow, watching the orange light of sunset shining through the windows.
Seena traced the circle tattoo on his chest, stopping at the small stylized fox at its base. “I wonder why I don't have one of these.”
Corbin cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah. That’s odd. Leela marked me right away.” He chuckled.
“Gert is a little busy healing Seena's hip. And she doesn't have an animal to mark her with. She needs to decide.”
Seena’s eyes widened at Leela’s voice, letting Corbin know that she was talking to both of them through their skin contact.
Corbin frowned. “I never picked an animal. You picked the Huli Jing, not me.”
Leela’s tinkling laugh filled their heads. “You may not have said it, but your head was filled with thoughts of Seena and her favorite animal. I figured it would be a good fit for you.”
Seena smiled up at him. “You were thinking of me during your transformation?”
“He’s al
ways thinking about you,” Leela interjected.
“Aw, that’s sweet.” She reached up and stroked his cheek before leaning up and kissing him. “I’m usually doing the same.” She thought for a moment before continuing. “What’s your favorite animal? Maybe Gert can use that.”
Corbin sucked in a breath, looking up at the ceiling as he thought about the question. After a minute, a smile spread across his face. “Are you familiar with Earth and its animals?”
Seena shrugged, “I remember a lot from school, but there were a lot of animals. Which one are you thinking of?”
“The peregrine falcon.” He looked down to see her reaction.
She frowned. “It sounds familiar, but I can't picture it.”
Corbin stretched his arm up and fished in the drawer where he had placed all his belongings before his first shower. Finally finding what he was looking for, he pulled his arm tablet out while accidentally dropping a flashlight and a multitool on the floor. Seena lifted her head and resettled after he situated himself. He held the tablet so she could see it as well and brought up the network search. Working the tablet with one hand, he was finally able to type in peregrine falcon and hit enter.
He scrolled until he found a video of the small raptor and hit play. Seena sat up and folded her legs under her, taking the tablet and watching closely.
A fierce-looking small bird swooped from the clouds, diving at incredible speed. It raced toward the grasslands far below, gaining speed, sleek as a starfighter. Her breath caught as the bird seemed to be going far too fast to do anything but slam into the ground. Corbin grinned, knowing what was coming and enjoying her reactions.
At the last possible second, the falcon spread its wings and swooped down, blasting into a field mouse with its curled talons. In a flash, it snatched up the dead mouse and flapped its wings to gain altitude.
Seena handed the tablet back to Corbin, who laid it on the ground beside them. “That was incredible.”
“Yeah, it is the fastest animal on Earth. It can dive at over two hundred miles an hour and would regularly kill prey twice its size. That little falcon is the terror of the skies.” He smiled at her. “Kind of like you.”