by Corin Cain
If help arrives.
That thought is sour and cold in my mind.
Barl is low on the Capital’s list of priorities. The periphery states have suffered while the Capital prospered. Despite taking hefty taxes, they don’t send enough money for a proper healthcare system, or to repair much-needed infrastructure…
As a result, I have to wonder how quickly they’ll send reinforcements…
…if they send them at all.
Staying in Barl is suicide, I suddenly realize. I turn to stare down my old boss, but I see that his eyes are screwed up in determination. He’s lost so much in his life. This is his line in the sand. He won’t lose his chop-shop – not after eking out a scrub-bare existence here for so many years.
He’ll die here if I don’t convince him to leave.
“Edgar, you can’t stay here. We don’t know when the Capital’s army is coming. We do know when the Scorp are, though. They might be gone now, chasing easier prey… But you know as well as I do that they’ll return.”
“Then they’ll have to get through me,” Edgar says, his words strong and determined.
Yet there’s a bead of sweat on his brow. For all his pretense of stoicism, there’s fear in Edgar’s eyes. The chop-shop is all he has left, and he knows he’s going to lose it.
If he stays, he’ll lose more than just his livelihood. He’ll lose his life.
I shake my head. “Don’t be so damned foolish!”
Edgar growls, clutching his rifle harder in his shaking hands. His words are venomous: “Going out there – that is foolish!” He motions with his head towards the twitching pile of Scorp corpses at the doorway. I can’t even look at them. One swipe of their huge claws and my guts would come spilling out…
Oh, Gods, Tammy - don’t even think of that. Don’t think of it!
The short-haired Aurelian, Forn, comes closer to me when he hears Edgar’s harsh tone. He stands protectively a foot in front of me, ready to put his body between Edgar and myself.
Would he stand between us if Edgar, for some reason, pointed that weapon at me?
The alien might tower over me and be covered in intricate, primitive-looking tattoos – tattoos that glowed as green as Scorp-venom – but somehow his brutality doesn’t scare me.
Forn makes me feel safe – and while I’ve never relied on anyone in my years in Barl, if I want to get out of here alive, I’m going to have to trust these alien warriors.
We don’t have time to argue any more.
Scorp Warriors have infested this city, chasing down easy targets. I fear for the two orphans out there in the wild. I have to save them, and fast.
At least I know Tyler and Runner are quick, making their living as pickpockets. You have to be fast on your feet when getting caught means a beating. But against a nine-feet-tall Scorp warrior? I shudder, trying not to think of what could have already happened to them.
Please, Gods… Please let them be okay.
“Stacy, Tod, you’re coming with me.”
At six-years-old, they’re only fourteen years my junior; but they still look to me like I have all the answers. I remember how grown up even teenagers used to seem to me back when I was their age. If only I knew then how scared I’d feel when I was the “grown up”. Some days, I wish I could be a kid again – back in the days before the Scorp took my family...
Back when I had a future.
No! I didn’t lose my future. I’ll always take care of people, no matter where I am.
I pull the two children close, hugging them even as I tell myself there’s no time for it. The angry alien, Hadone, strides to the door with his huge war-hammer dangling in his hands.
He’s a truly fearsome warrior. His sweeping attack can obliterate a half-dozen Scorp at a time – sweeping them aside and crushing them like eggshells. I see that in the hilt of his weapon is a shard of Orb; which clearly powers that devastating hammer.
I’d heard of Orb-Weapons before. Crafted from that rare, valuable substance – the one that powers interstellar travel itself – the weapons are worth a fortune to the likes of Edgar and myself; yet are granted to each and every Aurelian upon reaching age.
I’d heard about them, sure – yet now I’ve seen Orb-Weapons in action, I know that none of the legends compare to the real thing. These weapons seem alive. They hum, trickles of electricity arcing out from their blacker-than-black blades. The hammer head of Hadone’s weapon, radiating an otherwordly, blueish light, seems to be thirsting for Scorp blood.
I have that same thirst.
Forn limps behind me. He holds his two curved Orb-Daggers easily, as if he were born clutching them in his huge hands.
Despite having been rescued by a member of his triad, Stacy and Tod quiver as Forn gets close; intimidated by his looming size.
“He’s a friend,” I reassure them. “Okay?”
“He’s an Aurelian,” hisses Tod, saying the word like a curse. Hate is taught at a very young age on this planet – but in just the last few minutes alone, I’ve come to wonder if everything I thought I’d known about Aurelians is wrong.
Do they truly look down on humans? Do they truly think of us as weak and foolish?
If they do, I’m going to prove them wrong today.
I’m going to get us all out of this city. I’m going to get us all to safety. All of us – even the Aurelian with the scar on his cheek, who can’t seem to even look at me.
I wish these aliens could speak the common tongue. I’d thought Aurelians could – but clearly these are not the same haughty, overly-civilized Aurelians we knew of here on Independence – the ones whose Empire we’d fought to be free of.
No, these were a different breed of Aurelian – literally – and that was why it was even more of a handicap not to be able to communicate with them.
In a fight, even a second of hesitation or miscommunication could end my life – not to mention the chances of my orphans making it out of the city alive.
The unnamed Aurelian – the one with the scar on his cheek – takes position at the rear of the group as we prepare to leave. With him standing behind us, I feel more secure. He might barely be able to look at me, but this Aurelian scooped up Stacy and Tod without even knowing the two street brats, so I know he has a good heart.
Now, he has our back.
I turn and try one last plea at the gruff old man.
“Edgar, you need to come with us. You can’t survive here.”
“I’ll be fine. You just… You just get those kids to safety, okay? I’ll… I’ll meet up with you here, in a couple of days – when everything’s fine again.” Edgar almost chokes up. He has strong words, but we both know this could be goodbye. Neither of us has a good chance of getting out of here alive.
“We’re going to be just fine,” I say softly to Stacy and Tod. “I’ll see you soon, Edgar.” I force myself to give him a shaky smile, and he gives me the same insincere smile back.
I turn to leave.
In front of me, Hadone uses his bare hands to scoop a path between the carcasses of the Scorp warriors. One of them twitches, and with an incredibly-fast motion, Hadone draws an Orb-knife from the leather belt around his waist and jabs it into the dying creature’s neck.
Whether it was still alive, or it was just the twitching of the recent dead, the Scorp certainly stops moving as that blade sinks home.
I swallow hard. Even in the heat of battle and fear, I have to admit that these three aliens are jaw-droppingly handsome.
If only they were here when my village was attacked. Maybe then my mom and dad would still be here to guide me. Where the hell did these aliens come from, anyway? Aurelians have been barred from this planet for longer than I’ve been alive.
I can’t waste time thinking about where this triad came from. I just have to accept their presence and be grateful for it.
Now Hadone and Forn are clearing the doorway – exposing us to whatever remains outside.
While the chop-shop garage granted only the i
llusion of safety, the thought of leaving the building is still a terrifying prospect. I know I’ll have to be strong for the kids and show them that there’s nothing to be afraid of; even though there is.
As we wait to step outside, I bite my lip – waiting for another bone-shaking rumble from the anti-air defense guns.
That’s when I suddenly realize there are none. Worse than that, I realize I haven’t heard any in quite some time.
Horror fills me as I realize that can mean only one thing – that the city’s last defenses have already been overwhelmed.
This city is truly in the hands – or rather, claws – of the Scorp infestation now.
If I don’t move quickly, the other two orphans won’t make it out alive.
If any of us make it out alive.
Tod is quaking and white-faced, so I direct my attention on Stacy. “Stacy, did you see Tyler or Runner today?”
Stacy nods. Her chubby face squints as she concentrates, and she’s so adorable it makes my heart break. Stacy should be in a school right now, protected and taken care of – not forced to scrape a rough-scrabble living on these streets.
She definitely shouldn’t have to be facing Scorp warriors – fearing for her life, and those of the other street kids who’ve become her family.
Stacy remembers: “They went out to work.”
Work. That means scavenging the empty husks of closed-down businesses, rustling through the landfills, or trying their luck pickpocketing at the market. Damn the Capital! There should be enough resources to help those in poverty – not to leave them thieving or rummaging through garbage just to fill their bellies!
I turn to the other kid. Maybe he knows more: “Did they go to the market?”
Tod puffs up his chest. A tear of terror rolls down his dirty cheek, but he tries desperately to be brave. “Runner said he was going to the old hospital. I think he’s there! Tammy, we have to help them!”
“We’re going to help them,” I promise, as the three aliens finally finish clearing a path through the Scorp carcasses and reveal the splintered doorway.
My heart stops, and for a second I half-expect the next wave of those disgusting creatures to come pouring in – but mercifully the alleyway beyond appears empty.
I grab my wrench – the closest thing I have to a weapon – and clutch it in a white-knuckled fist.
While I want to comfort the two children, I’ll need my mobility – so I reluctantly let go of Tod’s hand.
“Stay close behind me,” I warn, my tone ice-cold. The two of them nod dutifully, and press behind me like ducklings behind a mother duck.
I mirror that behavior – stepping close behind the towering Aurelians in exactly the same way.
Can you blame me? There’s comfort enough in the presence of a single seven-feet-tall alien warrior, and with three of them here I even have the slightest spark of hope that we might actually be able to find Tyler and Runner and get out of this godsforsaken city.
We step out into the alleyway – and that’s when the silence hits me.
“Cover your eyes,” I whisper, but I know it’s already too late.
The children whimper as the bloodshed is revealed. Puddles of red have already been swallowed up by the thirsty dirt and grime of the alley, but there are still body parts strewn all around – human body parts.
The bodies of only a few Scorp warriors lie among the severed limbs. It’s very apparent that the people of Barl were hopelessly outclassed – although a few managed to take down one or two of their attackers before they were overwhelmed.
Out in the street, the doors of the houses have all been torn down, and the windows smashed – with pincer marks clear on the walls from where the enraged Scorp attacked.
I notice that there are no human bodies to be seen – just the severed body parts. A shiver runs down my spine. Scorp warriors like to cripple their foes, not kill them – and then they’ll drag their helpless, flailing victims back to their Queen to be injected and inseminated with eggs.
As I’d said before – it’s a literal fate worse than death; to have your body stuffed and stretched with countless pulsating eggs, and then feel them hatch inside you; releasing wriggling, gnawing Scorp larvae than devour your still-living body from the inside out.
As we tread carefully down the street, we see and hear nothing. The Scorp have clearly taken what they came for in this sector and moved on. Those that remain are no doubt protecting their Queen while she violates the still-living victims with her eggs.
Up ahead of us, Forn starts heading south. He’s clearly the leader of this triad, as Hadone instantly follows his lead.
“No!” I yell firmly – and then something grabs me from behind.
A hand is clasped hard against my mouth and after a second of panic I realize it belongs to the third Aurelian, Darok. He’s clearly shutting me up; aware that my protest will alert any lurking Scorp to our presence.
He might not be quite as tall as the other two, but Darok’s hand is still huge against my lips and cuts off all sound. I feel instant shame that I made the rookie mistake of drawing attention to us in the middle of a warzone. My eyes dart left and right, looking for the red eyes of the Scorp; emerging from the shadows like cockroaches scuttling into the light.
Fortunately, there are none.
I nod numbly, and Darok acknowledges that I’m aware of my mistake.
The hand is slowly removed and I breathe deeply, calming myself.
The disturbance, at least, attracted Forn’s attention – so I point north. The Aurelians look at each other, and it’s as if they’re having a conversation; only we can’t hear it.
Maybe they are. I remember a hologram conversation I’d once had with my two friends, Jade and Anna, after they’d joined those Aurelian harems on Colossus. Jade told me that Aurelian triads are able to communicate telepathically – and that it drove her insane when her Aurelian lover did so!
As long as they decide to come north with me, I don’t care how they do it.
But if they don’t? What do I do then?
I swallow hard. I know what I’d do then. I’d leave Stacy and Tod with the Aurelians and hope they make it out alive – while I search for Tyler and Runner near the market. If any orphan could have survived this bloodshed, I know it’s those two. Gods know they’ve caused me enough trouble over the years. I have no doubt they’d give even the Scorp twice as much.
Fortunately, it seems like Forn is agreeable to my plan. We start heading north, and my stomach churns as we tread through the city streets.
Gods! What carnage!
The city has become a hellscape. A place that was once bustling and vibrant is now barren and eerily silent. I step softly down the street, and my boots crunch against something. When I look, down my stomach roils – as I see the exposed ivory of a human finger bone.
I want to tell Stacy and Tod to close their eyes or look away, but I know they’ll have to keep them wide to the horrors of this world if they want to survive.
Fucking Scorps! Damn that species! Damn them to the void!
As we move north, Hadone grips his war-hammer. His body movements are… eager?
Oh, Gods - he’s actually aching for a fight.
There is a strange death-lust to this alien. I hate Scorp more than anyone, but I can’t imagine wanting to find the creatures.
Then again, I couldn’t stand against one in combat. I’d seen Hadone slaughter several in just seconds.
As terrifying and confusing as his lust for battle was, we were certainly lucky to have the mighty alien warrior with us.
Together, our little group moves forward through the city streets. I start to hope against hope that we’ll make it – avoiding the Scorp horde entirely.
Then, suddenly, tension grips the air.
I turn my head sharply to the right, just as the three alien warriors drop into battle stances. I turn my eyes to what triggered their movements, and my jaw drops at what I see: A huge Scorp ship has touched
down.
I have no idea how the ships – made of a thick, leathery, egg-like material – travel through space. Something tells me it has to do with the mythical Orbs that power all interstellar travel. The Scorp ships are less of a machine and more of a massive organic thing. We call them egg sacs because they resemble the eggs of reptiles or insects; squirming and pulsating and bursting with scorpion-like creatures from within.
This Scorp ship opposite us covers an entire city block and clearly engulfed whole buildings when it landed. Holes are ripped in the sides of it, where the Scorp it contained literally tore their way free – yet the vessel still appears to be very far from empty. In fact, I can hear the chittering, clacking sounds of Scorp moving around inside…
…and then a sudden, muted scream rings out.
Oh, Gods! What if that were Tyler or Runner?
There’s no way to tell who the scream came from, and we would be foolish to waste the time – or our lives- investigating the death trap of that Scorp ship activity. I don’t even want to imagine the horrors that lurk within that bulbous, white egg right now. Death would be preferable.
“I’m scared,” whispers Tod.
“We’re going to be okay. Tammy is taking care of us with her friends. She always takes care of us.” Stacy looks up at me with her big eyes, searching for confirmation. I give her a tiny smile, the biggest I can muster given the circumstances.
“I’m going to take care of you – and we’re going to find Tyler and Runner,” I whisper, and Tod wipes a tear that trails down his cheeks. I’ve cared for these four kids through bad scrapes, broken bones, and beatings when they weren’t quick enough to escape from a failed pickpocketing attempt. I’m not going to let even an all-out assault by creatures from my darkest nightmares take these kids away from me.
Or am I?
As if in completely contrast to my thoughts, Hadone grips his war-hammer and actually strides towards the Scorp ship. I rush forward, grabbing his forearm. I can’t come close to wrapping my entire hand around his arm, but he at least slows as I yank him back.