Okay, human, if you think you’ve got what it takes, let’s go. But the moment we find others like you, we part company. If you live that long of course.”
“You won’t regret this, Boroc.” David hopped on one leg while putting on his flip-flops.
Wrong, Boroc was already regretting it. “Here, does this belong to you?” Boroc handed David a plastic bag.
“You found my stuff.”
“Yes, it’s probably a sign,” said Boroc, sarcastically.
David popped on his cap and shades, then ran to catch up with Boroc and the two of them walked in silence, deep in thought. David was interested to hear more about these other humans that Boroc had mentioned. They had to be the same people that Qwamma had spoken about and they might know where he could find the Hidden Ones.
“Boroc. Boroc, slow down a bit. I want to ask you something.”
“It will have to wait.”
“Well, it can’t.”
“What!” shouted Boroc.
This time the human had gone too far and Boroc came at him with clenched fists, ready to pummel him into the sand. Boroc’s fist came within a hair’s breadth from making contact and then he suddenly realised what he was doing and took a deep breath.
“Look you don’t know me, okay; you don’t know what I have done, what I am capable of.”
“I have seen what you’re capable of. That weapon of yours has taken many lives.” David pointed at the Zolt-Arc.
Boroc looked down. “Yes it has, I’m a commander in the Zolt army, after all.”
“An army you say. Who’s the enemy, those things back there?”
“Once, every living thing was our enemy. The Squalvolvans were our creation and the plan was that they would fight alongside us.”
“So what happened?”
“We lost control. We…”
For the first time, Boroc found it hard to speak. It was like the desert had entered his mouth and then sealed it shut. Boroc started walking again.
“Just a minute.”
Boroc ignored David’s protests and the desperate urge he felt to shut him up permanently. He heard David running up behind him, the panting of his breath and the heaviness of his stride. He was going to be a burden, he already was a burden, a burden that Boroc didn’t need and his Zolt-Arc was in his hand in an instant and pointed squarely at David’s head. David knew that Boroc was perfectly capable of blowing his head off and in the few seconds that followed, time itself seemed to stand still and without warning he collapsed in a heap on the sand. The heat, the sudden exertion, and fear for his own life, had proven too much.
Boroc’s bulk cast a shadow over him like a thundercloud and David’s face was drenched in sweat. “Don’t kill me.”
“As pleasurable as that would once have been, those days are behind me. But I will still leave you here to die if you don’t get up.” Boroc returned the Zolt-Arc to his belt and thrust a water skin in David’s direction. “We have to keep moving, we need to reach the next Awang before nightfall.”
“Is that the plan, we travel from Awang to Awang?”
“Even I can’t survive without water and neither can the Squalvolvans, so if you’re right and there were a lot more of them, then this will be the route they’ll take.”
“Okay,” David got to his feet. “So what do you think these Squalvolvans are doing out here anyway?”
“Who cares. They’ve evaded us for long enough and this is an opportunity to thin them out. They’re a menace.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask. Why did you remove their heads, is that some sort of ritual or something?”
“I couldn’t make the damn things lay down. They just wouldn’t stay dead.”
“I’ve seen that kind of thing done in zombie movies. Is that normal out here?”
“You talk in riddles, human. It worked and that’s all I care about.”
“While those Squalvolvans had me captive, I noticed signs of intelligence.”
Boroc looked down at David. “So, they threw some wood together and made a few carts. Big deal.”
“It was more than that, they were organised. Like they had an objective.”
“An objective,” said Boroc under his breath, what was the human getting at.
They continued and by midday the heat was unbearable and David was insisting on another rest. Boroc reminded him that they weren’t even halfway to their objective and David knew he had bitten off more than he could chew.
“If we don’t find some shade soon, I won’t make it.”
“I warned you this would be no picnic. Curl up and die if you want, but do it quietly.”
David managed another hour before he collapsed and Boroc carried on walking and after a few minutes he looked back, but there was no sign of the human. Boroc cursed loudly and could not fully explain why he felt compelled to retrace his steps back to where the human had fallen.
The wind had picked up and by the time Boroc reached David, his body was already partly covered with sand. Boroc turned David’s limp body over with his foot and he knew that the only way this human was going to make it to the next Awang, was if he helped it.
After trying to rouse him, Boroc reluctantly gave in and hoisted David onto his shoulder. There was no weight to it, but the idea of having to carry this human was degrading. It was one thing to have been given a second chance, but he was beginning to wonder if he’d made the right choice.
Boroc walked until late in the afternoon and happened upon a rare sight out here in the dry and desolate desert. He was looking at a fruit-bearing succulent. The ground around it had been split by the heat and yet somehow it remained in fairly good shape. It was only when he got to within a few metres of it that he realised there was something wrong with this picture. It was a trap of course and he cursed his stupidity and began to slowly back up.
Boroc had heard of others having succumbed to this kind of lure, but he never imagined he would ever fall for the obvious, but here he was and this stupid error could cost him his life.
Boroc watched the sand for the slightest movement, but with the wind gusting as it was, there was every chance he would miss something. Then quite suddenly, a bright red stalk broke through the hard-packed sand, about five metres from his position and swayed like a huge stem of grass. The single stalk was quickly joined by others and Boroc was now looking at around ten of them, dotted about the area. Each stalk was roughly twelve feet tall and perhaps more like a tentacle. The base of some of these tentacles began to bulge and this bulge moved up from the ground, making it look as if these things were about to regurgitate a meal.
A sound behind him, saw him execute a well-practiced draw and his Zolt-Arc was in his hand and ready to get him out of another life-threatening situation, as it had, so many times before.
The sound he had heard was another tentacle emerging and this one was close, too close.
Boroc had seen some strange stuff in his time, but he couldn’t remember seeing anything quite like this. The tentacle was covered in small semi-reflective scales, which probably helped protect it from the elements and could also make it difficult to bring down. The odds were stacked against him, but he had a reputation to uphold.
Boroc aimed the Zolt-Arc in anticipation and watched a bulge the size of a football, travel up its length. Boroc wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he was ready to blow it to pieces if it tried anything.
The bulge continued to climb, distorting its tapered end, which rolled back to reveal a large glassy looking eye. The eye had no trouble seeing him and judging by the number of similar tentacles he’d seen, it was unlikely that he would be able to give it the slip and it wasted no time in letting him know its intentions. He was on the menu, that was obvious.
There were tentacles springing up all over the place and some clearly functioned as eyes, while others were barbed and like serpents, they reared up ready to strike. Boroc had seen enough and fired two bolts at the eye stalk that was looming over him. The first bolt mis
sed and the second was evaded, but its energy clipped the tentacle and a milky liquid sprayed the sand. On contact, the liquid fizzed and bubbled, giving Boroc a clue to what this thing had running through its veins and just what it could do to him, should he come into contact with it. Boroc held off on any more firing and began to evade as this thing went on the offensive, launching a combination of sweeping strikes.
Getting through this was going to be hard enough, made more difficult because of the human slung over his shoulder and it was a miracle that Boroc remained on his feet. He was lucky, only Boroc didn’t believe in luck. In his opinion, it was only his training and determination that would decide his fate.
Since this thing could move easily through the sand and had no difficulty keeping up with him, Boroc’s only hope of escape was to try and find an outcrop of rock and this had the potential to either force it out of the sand or stop it in its tracks.
The tentacles were blocking his path at every turn and he so wanted to cut these things down, but he knew he couldn’t unless he was prepared to get showered in acid. Partly out of frustration and in an attempt to confuse it, Boroc fired a few bolts at the ground. This sent large quantities of sand into the air and the heat from the bolts turned much of it into molten glass.
Boroc was relieved to see that it was working. The tentacles parted and he darted between the last of them, making a beeline for some rocks that jutted out of the sand like a jumble of broken teeth.
Boroc was almost there when something clipped the back of his heel and unable to maintain his balance, he went sprawling. David was deposited onto the sand in the process and still out of it; he was oblivious to what was going on. Perhaps this was for the best, since the tentacles were upon them again and without thinking too hard about the consequences, Boroc fired off a succession of bolts, grabbed David and started running again.
When Boroc finally touched the hard rocky ground he knew he was going to be all right. There was even some shade and it was here that he offloaded David, before returning to the edge of the rock, where the tentacles squirmed in the sand like a nest of serpents.
Boroc was itching to blast this thing to oblivion, but thought better of it and instead headed back to where he had left David.
The shade felt good after all that exertion and he drank deeply from the water skin and looked across at David.
“You better be worth it, human. If I’ve dragged your carcass across this desert for nothing, you’re going to know about it.”
David moaned. “Are we there yet?”
Boroc threw the water skin at him. “Get ready to move out because we leave in ten minutes.”
“Boroc, I can’t do it. My legs feel like lead.”
“You either do it or I’ll leave you here.”
“I can’t remember the last time I ate something.”
“Neither can I, but I’m not rolling on the ground complaining about it.”
David took a gulp of water and then Boroc had a thought.
“How hungry are you?”
“Starving.”
“I came across a bush laden with fruit.”
David sat up a little. “And?”
“And it is probably still there.”
“You didn’t think to collect any?”
“I was carrying you at the time.”
“Can we go back?”
“We! It’s in that direction.” Boroc pointed. “You can’t miss it.”
David was on his feet. It was perhaps the fastest Boroc had seen him move in the rather short and tortuous time he’d spent with him.
“Will you be here when I get back?”
“If you don’t take too long about it.”
David still had his plastic bag, which would do just fine for a bit of scrumping and he left the rock and headed out across the sand. Boroc hadn’t had this much fun in a long while and he got up for a better view and waited for the chaos to begin.
The moment David left the shade he felt the sun start to cook him again and with his shades on he scanned the area for this bush Boroc had seen. David looked back to see Boroc watching him. David shrugged and Boroc pointed out into the desert.
Would it be Boroc’s fault if that thing came out of the sand and took this human? Boroc thought about it as he watched David disappear over a dune. Losing this human would certainly make his life a lot easier.
Nothing made sense these days and if Boroc had been sent here to keep this human alive, then he wasn’t doing a particularly good job of it, since he’d just sent him out into the desert to die. What if he died? Could Boroc then go back to what he was doing and be off the hook? Somehow he didn’t think so and he left the rock and started running in the direction he’d sent David.
It wasn’t long before David came into view. He was still alive and Boroc guessed he was meant to feel good about it. Well, he didn’t, or at least that was what he was telling himself.
David had almost reached the bush when he heard something and turned to see Boroc bounding towards him.
David smiled. “You’re feeling just as hungry as I am, aren’t you?”
Boroc didn’t say anything.
“You were right, Boroc. Look at it. There’s more fruit here than I can carry.”
“Unless you intend to talk the fruit off the bush, I suggest you start picking, so we can get the hell out of here.”
That was David’s cue if he needed one, to get a move on.
The fruit was coloured yellow through to red and after squeezing a couple, he realised the red ones were the ripest and began picking. He was mindful that he would probably be carrying what he picked, as Boroc would be far too busy pointing that weapon of his, so he didn’t want to overdo it.
“Are you done?”
“What are you so jumpy about?”
Boroc gave him one of his stares and then spun around as if he’d heard something.
“You’re making me a nervous wreck. Okay, I’m done.”
Boroc didn’t need telling twice, he was off and as usual, David was having difficulty keeping up. The fruit tasted good and Boroc ate a few, but despite their good fortune, there was no lifting Boroc’s mood. The problem was that Boroc hadn’t planned on developing a conscience or the associated emotions that came with it, like empathy. In Boroc’s eyes, these were weaknesses not strengths, but then he had a lot to learn.
Boroc’s mood darkened with the diminishing light, since it was obvious they weren’t going to reach the next Awang before dark.
As the sun went down, the temperature of the sand cooled and David removed his flip-flops to give his feet a rest, but it wasn’t long before the cold night air saw him putting on his shoes and socks, quickly followed by his shirt and trousers.
A couple of hours went by and David was shivering and he wished he had more layers and Boroc tried to ignore his arm flapping and hand clapping in his bid to warm up.
David couldn’t tell where they were, but Boroc knew the Awang was just up ahead, he could smell the water.
Boroc activated a light crystal, which made David jump.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“What!”
“The light. Don’t you think they’ll see us coming?”
“See us coming! If there is anything waiting for us then it already knows we’re coming by the amount of noise you’ve been making.”
“Oh. You could have said.”
“I have to think for you as well?”
“I’m sorry, okay. This is all new to me.”
“Well, get wise or get dead.”
“I hear you.”
The Awang loomed out of the darkness and they stepped through the entrance and David found a stray rock and he eased himself onto it. His shoes were full of sand and he slipped them off while Boroc wandered back and forth as if he’d lost something.
Boroc looked at him disapprovingly. “What do you do all day on your world, apart from sit down?”
That was a very good question. “It kind
of comes with my job,” replied David.
“Job?”
“Yes, a torturous exercise.”
“So humans not only talk out of their backsides but also work on them.”
“You know us so well.”
“We need to refill the water skins.”
“What about those flying things?”
“Do you see any?”
“No.”
“Well, get up then.”
David did as he was told and followed Boroc down into the depths of the Awang. David’s anxiety increased the deeper they went. He wasn’t sure what he was more scared of, those huge black rays or the Squalvolvans. The crystal’s light bouncing off the rough walls of the passage reminded him of that huge fire and how lucky he had been to escape it. How had the Squalvolvans created such a fire out of nothing? Because there were no trees to speak of out here and they needed their carts to haul their food and water. David was desperate to share his thoughts with Boroc, even though he knew he wouldn’t what to hear them.
“Boroc.”
“What now!” Boroc continued without turning round.
“You know, apart from the intelligence thing, there is something odd about the fire those Squalvolvans lit.”
“We’ve been over this. They lit a fire to toast your arse, end of. There’s nothing odd about that. They call it survival on this planet and anyway I’m beginning to think I got them all, since there’s nothing to suggest they came this way.”
“You didn’t get them all.”
“Don’t argue with me, human. But you better hope I’m wrong and that we see some evidence of them soon, otherwise.”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise you’re on your own, as I’ll be heading out of this place.”
David knew he wasn’t bluffing. He’d been lucky so far, but this arrangement wouldn’t continue to work if Boroc knew there was nothing in it for him. Trying to stay on Boroc’s good side was next to impossible because David wasn’t sure he had one and the idea that he might be forced to continue this journey alone, played on his mind.
How easy would it be to lose this human down here? Too easy and Boroc was seriously thinking about.
They reached an underground lake and David was going to enquire about the glowing mist, but he could see that Boroc was preoccupied.
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