We've Seen the Enemy

by Paul Dayton

  Timothy spoke up and said, “I’m NOT finished.” Rat hated being interrupted, but he saw that all eyes were on Timothy so he had no choice but to see for himself what Timothy wanted to say.

  “Raymond is right that I have questioned the elders’ decisions at times. But, you all know that any questioning I did was to them only! I beg any elder here to say out loud if they felt I somehow disrespected any of them!” Timothy waited but they all stood quietly watching him. Two or three looked a little embarrassed. “Elder John, have you ever felt disrespected by anything I have ever questioned you about?”

  John was about to answer, when Pliny spoke up and said, “Timothy, I really don’t think it necessary that you question our elders…” Before he could continue, Sam, who had been standing on the sidelines and watching the situation, suddenly spoke up and said, “For once Elder Pliny, I would like to hear what the other Elders have to say!”

  Laughter arose from the group while Pliny scowled at Sam.

  Pliny could see that the situation was quickly changing, and he didn’t like the thought of being on the defensive. This was supposed to be about Timothy and Ruth. Pliny tried another tact.

  “I agree. The elders need to make their thoughts known,” Pliny said. He dared not look at Rat, who stood there with open anger on his face looking at his father. Pliny could see that Rat was about to lose his grasp on the situation while Pliny hoped he could keep it together long enough to win over the trust of most in the group.

  Timothy was suspicious but continued. “Very well. Elder John, have you ever felt that I’ve shown any disrespect to you at any time?”

  John the Younger looked at Pliny nervously, but said: “Well, you’ve come to inquire many times of the Tribe’s beliefs, and commented openly to me about decisions made…” and here Timothy watched him as he paused, “but no, I have to say that at no time did you disrespect me.”

  “Did you feel that I was being seditious?”

  John looked at Timothy, and then the rest of the tribe. Timothy could see that he had come to some sort of conclusion, and he finally took the nerve to say, “No. I never felt your loyalty to be in question.”

  “What about the others?” Timothy asked. “Are there any here that have any accusations to make about any lack of respect on my part? Do you even feel that I have somehow shown disloyalty by asking what I have asked?”

  “Some of the others nodded, and Peter spoke up saying, “No, Timothy. You have inquired, but have nevertheless steadfastly followed our decisions, at least in spirit if not to the letter of the law. I have no issue with your… inquisitiveness, though it may annoy me at times.”

  After Peter had spoken, the other elders nodded in agreement one by one.

  “But what about the evidence? What about the tools?” Rat said, squealing in anger.

  Timothy ignored Rat and looked at his watch, noticing that the one hour was almost up. He didn’t want anyone near these machines when they activated.

  “Elders, I do have a very serious matter to speak to you about. We know who killed Naomi, and we have incontrovertible proof.” At this Timothy and Ruth gave Rat a hard glare and waited a few moments, after which they continued.

  “But it best be done back at the Tribal Council Chambers. And we have to leave this clearing now! The Replicators have been tampered with and will activate very soon. It’s getting late but we should make it by nightfall.”

  Timothy knew what this meant for Rat, and he was curious as to what Rat would do now. He was seething in anger and resentment as paced back and forth muttering to himself. Pliny was obviously thinking of how to proceed next.

  The elders in the hollow walked quickly out one by one, having seen enough of the objects and the dangerous replicators there. As they left, Rat started yelling out, telling them that they should bring the evidence back, that it was absolute proof of Timothy and Ruth’s guilt, and that they were fools for ignoring it. Pliny turned to Rat when he said those words, and they started arguing with each other. Pliny slapped him hard across the mouth, and Rat, his blood boiling, jumped on Pliny and started tearing at his face. By this time all had stopped on the edge of the clearing and turned to look at the disturbance now behind them. Some of the elders went back to try to stop the fight.

  Ruth and Timothy had already started back but noticed that the Tribe wasn’t following, so they turned around to find out what had happened. Reaching the edge themselves, they saw Sam laughing hard as he and the others watched Pliny and Rat fighting. Timothy had never seen anything like it and was too surprised by the fight to realize that the time had counted down to near zero.

  Ruth, who had come up behind Timothy a few seconds late, reminded Timothy about the Replicators. With a start, he looked at his watch and realized in horror that only a few seconds remained before the Replicators activated once again.

  “Get out of the clearing! Your life is in danger!” he yelled, and some within it jumped back, startled by the fear in Timothy’s voice, but a few of the Elders that had gone in to stop the fight didn’t react in time. Sam also jumped back, knocking Peter off his feet in the process.

  Rat and Pliny had stopped fighting to look at Timothy, and it was obvious to Timothy that Rat didn’t believe him. Pliny was unsure of what to do, watching the Tribe just outside of the clearing. “Get out!” Timothy yelled again, but by now it was too late.

  The muted hum of an activated but lethargic Replicator filled the air as it zeroed in on the thermal heat source of two humans. The other replicators had also started up and were now butchering those of the elders that had stayed behind. Pliny, who was half turned to Timothy, slowly nudged his head back to look at the Tests of Faith now active, while Rat stood as still as possible, wondering if getting injured would accomplish anything anymore. He decided that it wouldn’t, and he tried jumping out of its firing path but the Replicator sensed his movement and fired the laser, lopping off Rat’s arm as he jumped.

  Sensing further movement from Pliny’s inadvertent flinch, the replicator followed its preprogrammed course and initiated a second laser burst that was cut short because its ‘active’ time had elapsed. It shut itself down, but not without results. Pliny stood there staring first at his son down in the hollow, and then at his own partially severed torso, now squirting a large amount of blood that the laser couldn’t cauterize as its power was cut.

  Rat lay on the floor, unable to think. His shoulder felt weird and somehow unencumbered. Somewhere in the back of his mind his thoughts registered the event, but he was in a daze and couldn’t quite piece everything together. After a few moments though, he remembered what he had tried to do, and looked up to see his father standing at the rise with a surprised look on his face. Rat smiled as he watched his father look down at the blood gushing out of his belly and flowing down his trousers. Pliny looked down at Rat with a confused look on his face, and slowly sank to his knees and fell on the floor.

  Rat smiled and tried to rise by pushing up with his non-existent arm. Still in shock over what had happened he laughed a bit at his senseless attempt, and then rolled over and tried again with his good arm but instead lost his balance and stumbled. He looked up in time to hear an all too familiar hum of activated Replicators.

  Timothy, Ruth and the others looked on in horror. All Timothy could register was shock and helplessness as he watched first Rat, and then Pliny get hit by the Replicator. When it had shut down, Timothy knew it was all Rat’s doing, but he still felt sorrow over Pliny’s death. But now, Rat stirred in the hollow and Timothy could also hear the hum of re-activated replicators. He watched transfixed as one of them shot out a steady stream of poisoned barbs, another one a Maser beam, and still another a thin stream of acid. The other replicators, having computed that the multiple targets were being effectively destroyed, powered down into inactivity once again. Rat had sat up in the center where he had fallen, his one arm up in a protective act, and his voice gurgling hatred and murder as he faced Timothy and Ruth. Though the Maser, poi
son barbs and acid had distorted Rat into an unrecognizable shape, he was spouting hatred as he died.

  Ruth couldn’t stand to hear anymore and she covered her ears, as did the rest of those still watching. Sam carefully walked over to where Timothy stood, and together they watched as Rat slowly melted and was cooked to a ruined heap.

  The Replicators powered down and became inactive once again. Timothy stood quietly for a moment and said to himself, “It’s done.” He couldn’t believe how quickly things could change. “For the better, or worse?’ he asked himself as he watched the smoldering remains of Rat.

  “For the better.” Ruth had heard his muttering, and Timothy looked around to see if anyone else had heard, but they were also in shock as they looked into the horror in the clearing.

  “Tell them it’s time to get home, Tim.” Timothy looked into her eyes and saw the sadness he felt in his heart mirrored there, but he visibly straightened up and turned to the group.

  “We have to get back, nightfall is coming. I think the Elders…” and here Timothy paused to rethink his words, “I think that the Tribe has a lot of talking to do. Let’s go.”

  They all turned and solemnly followed Timothy and Ruth once again.

  “What are we to do with the Tests of Faith?” someone asked.

  “They are to be destroyed. There’s been far too much murder happening,” Timothy muttered. Some of the elders looked at Timothy, but they didn’t say anything.

  They walked in silence on the return trip back to the tribal village, and Timothy could see that there was much on their minds. Sam was quietly contemplating the events with Rat, while some of the elders stole a curious glance at Timothy and Ruth every once in a while. Timothy happened to catch one of the glances from an elder named Daniel, a recent newcomer on loan from a neighboring tribe that Timothy didn’t know very well. Daniel looked at Timothy, smiled a warm smile for an unusually long length of time, and turned to look back at where he was walking.

  “What was that all about?” Ruth asked.

  “I’m not sure, Ruth. But I think he and the others have been putting the pieces together in their heads. What do you think?”

  Ruth thought carefully before she answered. She too had seen the inquisitive glances, the initial confusion giving way to a sort of understanding, then to resolve in both the elders and tribe members as they walked back.

  “I agree. They’ve come to a conclusion over the events that just happened, and I don’t think they believe that we were involved in any of it. But I also think…” and now Ruth came up close to Timothy and wrapped her arm inside his, “that you have to be very careful in what you will say next at the council meeting.”

  Timothy looked at Ruth and nodded his head. He looked around to see if anyone else was listening, but they all seemed to be engrossed in their own thoughts.

  A few hours later they had come back to the grounds and it was obvious that rumors had spread among those that had stayed behind. Those that didn’t go stood there looking at Timothy and Ruth, unsure of what to think and not realizing what had just happened. A few asked where the other council members were, and the downcast stares only created more confusion.

  Timothy headed straight for the Council Hall committee room, as did Ruth. Others went to their families to let them know of the events that had occurred back at the hollow, and Timothy and Ruth could clearly hear their reactions even from inside the room they were in. He and Ruth had a moment of peace as they stood there alone together, which gave them time to organize their thoughts.

  As Timothy was talking to Ruth, Peter’s head popped in the door and he said, “Thought you guys might like something to eat and drink,” and he and his family immediately came in with plates of rabbit stew and beer that Peter had brewed in the spring. The smell was incredible, and they realized how taxing the events of the last few weeks had been. His leg still bothered him, his mind hurt from all the information he absorbed, and the death of Rat, Pliny and the others, and the rush to save them had left a deep seated exhaustion that was now getting harder and harder to ignore. They dug into the food without another word.

  The surviving elders started drifting in one by one and taking their places in their usual seats, youngest and most inexperienced at the front. Timothy, embarrassed that he was eating in committee chambers, quickly finished up and got ready to speak about the events he had seen. But the tribe itself was still outside, not inside as Timothy had wanted.

  “Council, where’s the tribe?”

  “We felt it good that the council hear this matter first, as is customary,” said John the Older, an associate of Pliny’s and just as devious. He was now the eldest of the council. He had sentenced his own wife to death for having gone against the Council’s commands, and rumor was it that the real motive was so that John could marry a younger woman he had fallen in love with. This was the reason why John the Older and John the Younger didn’t speak to each other even though they were father and son.

  “Elders, with due respect, the matters Ruth and I have seen go beyond the deaths we’ve seen today. These matters deeply affect the whole tribe, and Ruth and I feel that the Tribe needs to hear and participate in this.”

  Sam and Peter had sneaked in again and heard what Timothy had said. They looked at each other but stayed quiet.

  “Do you not trust the council, Timothy?” John asked.

  Timothy eyed John carefully and then said, “I trust the council, but does the council not trust the Tribe?”

  John the Older’s temper came to a boil as he said, “After the events that just happened, I can forgive your insolence, this once!” and they stood there staring at each other.

  “I don’t need your forgiveness, Elder. I have not sinned against you.” John was seething in anger.

  Breaking the stalemate as they stood there, Sam came out of hiding and for the second time surprised all those in the room. He walked over to the center of the room and spoke out in a loud voice, “Judging by the events that happened today, I would have to say that I don’t trust some of the elders here,” and he looked straight at John the Older. Timothy was surprised to see some of the elders agreeing.

  “If it weren’t for Timothy and Ruth,” he continued, “we would all be dead now. So if they say they have something important to tell to the whole tribe, I for one want to hear it.”

  “Me too!” Came a voice from outside the door, and Peter walked in.

  “So do I, and my family too!” came a voice from outside the window. A few seconds later, they all saw Zediah and his family walk into the room.

  “How many more are there lurking in the shadows?!” John hollered. His son smiled at his father’s bellowing voice.

  Zediah spoke up and said, “Pretty much the whole tribe, Elder John.”

  John walked over to the high window and looked out to see the Tribe gathered around Council Hall, all intently looking at the windows and milling around the entrance.

  John’s face turned a crimson red and the veins in his forehead stood out, but after a moment he finally said, “Very well. So be it Timothy, you have your way for now. But keep in mind that it comes with a price.”

  “Elder John, the Tribe has decided to hear this matter. You have no authority to put any price over my head,” Timothy replied.

  He very well knew that John was making it clear on where he stood, and the veiled threat didn’t pass unnoticed by either Timothy or the council. But Timothy felt it time to let them know that neither John, nor anyone else could no longer get away with threats, intimidation or murder.

  John was about to say something, but his son quickly interrupted and suggested they all gather outside.

  They all turned to leave the committee room and walk outside. By this time darkness had started to settle over the Tribal grounds and the Tribe, knowing that the elders were heading out, went to start a large fire in the central fire pit. Some had already settled down on blankets while others stood on the south edge of the grounds, looking out over t
he cliff at the rising poisonous mists below.

  The elders formed a semi-circle around the perimeter of the fire pit, sitting down on the logs available, while the others from the tribe sat opposite them. Timothy took his position to the left, in plain view of both groups. He watched as John had continued to stand.

  As soon as everyone was settled, John said, “Timothy, you may speak.”

  Timothy smiled, and looking at the crowd and the elders, he said, “Dear elders, you have been a source of encouragement and guidance in dark times. The times we live in now are even darker.”

  The elders, not expecting this praise, continued to listen with interest. John looked upset that Timothy had ignored him in his address, but Timothy continued on nonetheless.

  “You may have noticed that the Tests of Faith have increased in numbers. You may have also noticed a loud hum, quite like the noise a ‘Test of Faith’ makes but in a much greater scale happening more and more often.”

  Timothy knew that they had been worried about the noise, the laser from Base America firing at alien ships. It was time to reveal the truth about that base, the others in existence, and the aliens themselves.

  They all looked at each other and then back at Timothy.

  “Brothers, the agents of God are coming soon.”

  Pandemonium broke out in the tribe. Some muttered that they had known it all along, others scoffed at Timothy, and the elders worried that panic could spread. Most also wondered how it was that Timothy could know such a thing before the elders did and whether it was true or not.

  Sensing the leanings of the Tribe and curious himself, John asked, “How do you know that, Timothy?”

  “Because Ruth and I have seen them.” Again, more noise erupted from the Tribe. Some now openly questioned Timothy’s sanity, while others didn’t know what to think.

  “If you will give me some time, I will explain it all!” Timothy roared over the noise. The crowd quieted down, always ready to hear a campfire story.

  “The story you are about to hear is unbelievable, but bear with me and hear it in its entirety before coming to a conclusion.”