by Trevor Scott
Parts of the cargo bay had buckled, leaving piles of coarse sand in the corners. They had no clearance so even if the ramp was in working order it would never have allowed them out. Instead, Liam put his hand over the control panel next to the starboard airlock, opening both the inner and outer doors after a brief pressurization cycle. A gust of air drew sand into Liam and Ju-Long’s eyes. Ju-Long left for a moment, returning in short order with goggles, which Liam hastily strapped over his eyes. Saturn’s footsteps echoed in the cargo bay behind Liam, prompting him to turn around.
Saturn stood erect with a grimace crossing her countenance. “I guess if we’re going to die, we might as well do it together.”
Ju-Long handed Saturn a pair of goggles and the three of them stepped through the airlock, dropping down a meter to the sandy airstrip below. The semicircle of alien soldiers closed in on them, the aliens’ weapons leveled at their chests. From up close, it was clear that the aliens were each a head taller than them. Liam stepped forward with hands raised out in front of him, his empty palms facing them.
One of the aliens stepped forward, lowering his weapon as he approached. He stopped a meter shy of Liam. A sudden wind blew sand over Liam’s goggles, mixing deep into his long blond hair so that he was unsure he would ever be able to separate the two.
The alien was a little taller than the rest of the soldiers and wore a brown cape which hit the back of his knee. It was a similar shade as the sandy hills behind him and tattered from what appeared to be years of abuse. The alien removed his oblong beige helmet.
His face was mostly white and blue, but covered in soft scales like a fish. His ears were pointed back and his eyes wide set and large, as though they were orbs of black with just a border of white. Liam was struck by how remarkably human he appeared despite his odd features. He had two arms and two legs and a head and neck in similar fashion to a human. Underneath his pale skin, however, Liam could see purple veins crisscrossing the scales, something entirely non-human.
When he spoke, Liam heard the silky drawn out syllables from before. The alien’s speech was incomprehensible to Liam. Upon seeing his confused face, the alien held up a small device the size of a single credit. The gadget glowed as he spoke into it and Liam felt his head heat up, inciting him to press hard on his temples. The feeling grew in intensity until Liam dropped to one knee. Through the pain, he heard a voice.
“Welcome to Surya, Outsider. What business have you?”
Liam’s ears still rung, but he steeled himself and rose to his feet, pulling off his goggles and looking up at the fish-man. “I am Liam Kidd of Earth. This is my crew. We were attacked in our star system and we escaped through a wormhole, which brought us here. We seek asylum.”
The alien turned his head to the others, speaking in that silky language, stringing along syllable after unintelligible syllable. There was a certain grace about the alien which was hard to place. He was not overly muscular but maintained an intimidating posture. Some of his features might have been interpreted as feminine on a human, but Liam had no basis for comparison.
Saturn took a step forward and grabbed Liam’s arm, hissing into his ear, “Are you crazy? What if they’re involved with the ones that attacked us?”
Liam turned and clenched his jaw. He spoke, hardly moving his lips, “Look at the ships. Their technology is different from the vessel that attacked us. I don’t think they’re in league with them.”
When Liam turned his head back to the alien, he was waiting, one finger on the trigger of his gun as though in preparation. He held up the device and spoke into it. This time, Liam managed to maintain his footing, though he kept his jaw tight to assuage the white-hot pain which seared his temples.
“Describe the ship that attacked you.”
Liam rubbed his temples with his eyes closed, regaining his composure. “It was massive, a few kilometers long and made from a patchwork of metal. Their weapons were powerful. They damaged our ship badly before we made it to your system.”
The fish-man held his head back and let out a roar, which prompted his companions to do the same. Liam was able to make out only one word as the alien spoke to his companions.
“Kurazon.”
The aliens lowered their weapons and eased up their stances. The fish-man made himself look bigger by puffing out his chest and he spoke into the small circular device once more. His voice penetrated Liam’s mind. “I am Toras of House Zumora, head of security for Akaru Colony, forward outpost of the Ansara Alliance. You must come with me at once.”
As Toras turned and sauntered away, Saturn and Ju-Long came around in front of Liam bearing questioning glances.
“What the hell did he say?” Saturn asked.
Liam smiled. “Looks like I was right.”
“Are they going to help us?” Ju-Long asked.
“It seems like it. That device seemed to use telepathy. I get the feeling they aren’t friendly with whatever attacked us.”
“I still don’t like it,” Saturn said. “We need to find ourselves a ship and get off this rock.”
Liam spread his hands and asked, “And go where?”
For a moment Saturn seemed like she was going to speak, but she closed her lips, crossed her arms, and reiterated, “I still don’t like it.”
Liam shrugged and started to follow Toras toward one of the large spires. The alien’s long legs made it hard for Liam to keep up. Soon, Ju-Long and Saturn were jogging to catch up. Liam knew none of the crew could afford to be alone on this planet. Not when they were basically an endangered species. The other fish-men carried their weapons slung over their shoulders now, which made Liam feel a bit more at ease. After all, if they were going to kill them, they likely would have done so already. He hoped.
12
The spire nearest the spaceport was taller than any building Liam had ever seen. It seemed to cut into the sky such that he couldn’t even make out the highest point. It might as well have gone into outer space. The spire’s metallic framework spiraled around like a screw, some manner of windows lining the inner grooves. The mirrored surface of the building reflected blinding sunlight, far brighter than the light from Earth’s modest star. The temperature was easily as hot as Liam had ever felt.
Toras led them up to the edge of the spire. He stopped before reaching the entryway and turned to face the crew. He spoke into his telepathy device with his silky voice and images filled Liam’s head. This time he couldn’t discern any words, only what he guessed Toras wanted him to see. Liam saw a path outlined for him; the way up the spire. They were supposed to meet someone of great importance.
The images ceased and Toras turned to leave. Liam took a few steps after him and said, “Wait.”
Toras turned, his frayed brown cape fluttering in the wind and his expression remarkably akin to confusion.
“You’re not coming with us?” Liam asked.
He shook his head, and then spoke into the device. “It is not my place to attend this meeting. Do not stray the path or I will know it. Good day, Liam of House Kidd.”
Toras pulled his oblong helmet down over his head and marched back toward the airstrip, his many henchmen struggling to keep up in his wake.
“So, what then, they’re leaving us here?” Saturn asked.
Liam turned to face her, shaking his head before answering. “He showed me the way with that device somehow. Still, it seems a little trusting don’t you think?”
“Do we get to go to the top?” Ju-Long asked eagerly.
Saturn brushed by him on her way up to the spire’s large metal doors. “Don’t get too excited, hotshot.”
As she approached, the heavy doors swung inward, revealing an open lobby with a hard floor made from a kind of smooth stone. Sand had been tracked in from countless visitors, though the foyer was empty at the moment. Saturn turned to Liam, walking backward through the open expanse. “Where to, Leader?”
Liam was growing weary of Saturn’s attitude, but now was not the time to start an argu
ment. He looked skyward. A few stories above them the ceiling faded to black, the only light in the room coming from the spiraling bank of windows. He could see a section of light coming around the side of the floating ceiling. The building was a marvel of old and new, leading Liam to believe the tower had been constructed over a long period of time, adding bits and pieces as they could.
Liam pointed toward the ascending windows. As he approached, several images flashed in his mind, showing him the way. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to that. Liam moved to stand on a platform of rock which was cut out from the original stone, a deep crease surrounding an area a few meters square. When both feet reached the platform a beam of purple light shot up from the creases around the rock.
“Get on,” Liam said, gesturing wildly to the crew.
Saturn and Ju-Long jumped on before the rock levitated a few meters off the ground. A moment later, it shot off, spiraling around the structure and up the edge of the building. The crew knelt down, unable to control their balance while standing. They passed several levels, each more advanced than the last as they rose through the spire. They passed what seemed to be living quarters, work areas, and rooms devoted to worshipping strange idols. It was an entire city in a building. They were moving too fast for Liam to make out the many figures which populated the spire. Most were clad in thick brown robes, caked with the ever-present sand from the planet’s surface.
After several minutes, the stone elevator halted, a few floors short of what Liam expected was the top. He looked out the windows and saw the city, or cities, underneath a haze of dust. Liam liked the view, but thought it would be made better without all of the sand. He was a city man. Being in a city, one is never truly alone, even if you don’t know a soul.
The purple glow faded from the creases around the stone and the crew stepped off onto a surface that reminded Liam of white marble, in steep contrast to the earthen floors below. Liam made his way through large double doors which appeared to be propped open in expectation of their arrival. The wooden doors were carved with the images of hundreds of creatures, large and small, locked in a never-ending battle.
Through the doorway, the room beyond was immense. The ceilings were ten meters high and the walls seemed too far apart to be possible. Several support pillars raised up from the floor, thick as tree trunks. A short distance away, Liam saw a figure with its back turned, looking out over the airstrip so many stories below. Nearby, he had an enormous desk made from jagged rock seemingly cut out of a mountain and shaped to his whim.
Liam started toward him cautiously until Saturn put a hand around his biceps. For the first time, she didn’t look angry or headstrong or any of her other typical expressions. She was scared. Her dark brown eyes darted back and forth between Liam’s as though searching for something hidden underneath.
“Liam, this doesn’t feel right,” she said.
He placed his hand over hers and nodded, putting on a confident face. “I feel it too, but we’ve come this far. There’s no going back now.”
Liam broke her grasp and walked toward the alien assertively while Ju-Long and Saturn followed behind cautiously. Ju-Long cracked his knuckles and turned back toward the elevator while he walked backwards, checking out their surroundings. When they were in front of the desk, a cool voice greeted them in the alien language.
The fish-man turned around and approached his desk, placing his palms down on the rocky surface. Liam noticed his hands had only four digits, but were otherwise remarkably like a human’s. Apart from the blue and white scales, that is.
“We don’t speak your language,” Liam replied.
The alien hovered his hand above the desk and a holographic image appeared. It seemed to be a scanner of some kind, taking readings on Liam and the crew. The alien touched something on the image and it disappeared. He returned to the window as though he’d lost all interest in them.
Liam turned to Saturn and Ju-Long, who were as baffled as he was. Why bring them all that way just to ignore them? It didn’t make any sense. He didn’t wait long for his questions to be answered, as a noise similar to the elevator sounded on the opposite side of the room. Liam turned just as six more aliens approached. The fish-man looking out over the colony spoke once more in the alien language, seemingly commanding his troops, albeit with a cavalier attitude.
They approached with weapons drawn, forcing Liam and the crew down to their knees. One of the aliens retrieved a device from his brown utility belt. It was longer and sharper than the translator Toras had used, giving Liam a sinking feeling in his stomach. Two of the aliens bent Ju-Long’s head down while one jabbed the device into the nape of his neck. Liam could hear it connect with his spine with a sickening click. Ju-Long cried out in pain, thrashing about like a wounded animal. Seconds later, he collapsed in a heap on the marble floor.
Liam and Saturn exchanged a knowing look. Before the alien holding the device made a move toward Saturn, they sprung from the ground, attacking them with everything they had. No shots were fired, but the six aliens were easily able to subdue them. The fish-man with the injector forced Saturn’s head down. Liam struggled against the two aliens who held back his arms.
“You won’t get away with this,” he cried.
“Liam!” Saturn shrieked before being injected with the device and crumpling to the ground.
It was happening too fast; Liam couldn’t believe his eyes. Were they dead? A number of scenarios played out in his head as the alien approached him with the prodder. Maybe they would use them in some kind of sick experiment? That thought scared him more than dying. He was a lot of things, but he was nobody’s lab rat.
The fish-man grabbed a tuft of Liam’s hair and forced his head down. When the injector pierced his skin, he felt a tingling sensation down his spine. That tingling turned to fire and his vision blurred from the pain. Soon his mind was putty, too exhausted to think and too woozy to resist. He fell face first into the ground. The room fell to darkness.
13
Liam’s eyes creaked open. As he tried to focus, he realized he was still on the stone floor in the room atop the spire. But how much time had passed? Saturn and Ju-Long lay splayed out next to him, still unconscious. The six troops had given them a wide berth, their weapons now pointed at the ground, their stance non-threatening. Liam placed his hands beneath his body and pushed up to one knee. His skull felt compacted, crushed by some unseen weight. Next to him, Saturn and Ju-Long began to stir.
Liam came onto both knees before attempting to stand. On his way up, he stumbled into the jagged desk, bracing his weight against it. The alien in charge still looked out the window, aloof. They couldn’t have been knocked out for too long.
“What the hell did you do to us?” Liam asked him, though he knew the alien wouldn’t understand.
The alien turned to face him, hands braced behind his back as he ambled toward his desk and sat down in his uncomfortable-looking chair. Saturn stood up and steadied herself against Liam’s shoulder, gripping it a little tighter than he would have liked. Ju-Long stumbled twice before successfully standing, though even when he stood erect, he still swayed as though he were drunk.
“You’re quite welcome,” the fish-man said in perfect Earth Common.
Liam’s eyes grew and his jaw slackened. The alien had spoken in his native language, but Liam’s mind had translated it into Earth Common. The alien’s lips didn’t match the speech Liam heard in his head, like a bad dub in a low-budget film.
“How is this possible?” Saturn asked.
“The device implanted into your spine can translate just about anything, sending pulses along your nerves so you can understand. It’s familiar with thousands of dialects.”
Liam and Saturn exchanged looks. Liam spoke first, “How did you know it would work on us?”
“We scanned you when you entered the spire. Your biology seemed compatible.”
“Seemed?” Saturn interjected. “What if we’d died?”
The alien gave what
Liam knew was his version of a smile. The translation device must also have translated body language, because the alien’s smile would have been a look of discomfort for a human.
The alien said, “It was a risk we were willing to take.”
“You were willing,” Saturn began hastily, pointing at the alien, “Listen, buddy, no one screws with my body without my consent, got it?”
Liam lowered Saturn’s arm and shook his head.
The alien’s smile faded. “In the future we will be more sympathetic to your wishes. I assure you we mean you no harm. Please, sit.”
Liam looked around the desk. There were no chairs. Shortly, a purple glow surrounded three square marble tiles. The crew each took a step back as the tiles levitated up to an appropriate sitting height. Liam took the seat in the middle without hesitation. Saturn and Ju-Long were a little more diffident, but Ju-Long seemed to be more focused on what Liam knew was a pounding headache. Finally, they each took their seats. The alien put his elbows on the desk and clapped his hands together.
“Good, now, let me introduce myself. I am Ragnar of House Ansara, Caretaker of Akaru Colony and emissary of the Ansara Alliance.”
“That’s some title,” Saturn jeered.
Liam smacked her arm. Saturn could certainly want for tact at times.
“I am Liam Kidd and this is my crew, Saturn Vera and Ju-Long Ma. We come from Earth.”
“I have not heard of this Earth. A planet not known to us is some feat. You must be a long way from home.”
“Ten thousand light years by our estimation.”
“Ten thousand,” Ragnar mused, his large pointed ears pricking at the sound. “How is it you are here?”
Liam explained the alien ship and the wormhole, everything up to crash-landing on the planet. The whole time, Ragnar sat with his hands together in front of him, appearing deep in thought. Liam kept getting the feeling he knew more than he let on. When Liam was finished, Ragnar sat back in his stone chair, slumping down a bit. Liam noticed he’d shed some white scales on his jagged rock of a desk.