The Convoy

by Drew Bell

  Chapter 18

  The escape pod from CLERGY 6 was designed to enter the atmosphere of any of the predetermined prisoner drop-off planets, inside each pod were enough supplies for an abandoned prisoner to survive seven days, the eighth day’s survival counted on the prisoner having found food themselves. The pod provided the essentials for a Callos to fend for themselves, the Convoy didn’t believe in abandoning even the worst criminal with nothing; the pods each carried a flare gun, several feet of rope, a small knife, and cans of food. The flare gun, however, was not intended for rescues; every Convoy member had heard stories of a lonely Callos prisoner using it to end their suffering, to join Phlasia immediately. Over the years, several Callos prisoners petitioned for a minor change, they felt that a short-wave communication channel should be provided so an abandoned prisoner could potentially communicate and assimilate into the culture of an intelligent alien race. Lalia herself had been a major proponent; she figured that perhaps, a prisoner might come in contact with an alien species. Of course, the legislation didn’t pass; the error was that prisoners would only ever be jettisoned to a planet that had already proven to be hospitable to the Callos species. Lalia thought to herself:

  “A short-wave would come in handy right now.”

  Their pod shuddered as it entered the pinkish-orange clouds of Aurrus; the thin clouds quickly gave way to a view of the vast empty orange planet. As far as they could see orange soil with the appearance of pink streams flowing to a far off center point, hidden by the horizon.

  “Between those pink groves are enormous expanses of desert. Ailios is the oasis over there.” Garth pointed out a brown city in the distance.

  “Those are ovalt groves. Ovalts are pink fruit that grow on those pink trees, you can’t see them until we hit the ground, but the groves have overgrown the streams that provide them water. Further over there,” Garth directed Mile’s attention to the center point hidden by the horizon, “that is the Aurrus marketplace. In Ailios you can buy most anything; it is the largest marketplace we have ever known.”

  “Of course, I have never been there. It is probably even bigger and better since my ancestors have been there. The Aurrus people are incredibly friendly; they like to take in Callos for their festival.” Garth continued.

  “When is their festival? Aren’t we here early?” Miles asked, the ground beginning to fill the view of the pod, each of them fastened themselves tighter to the seat in the pod.

  “Well, the Aurrus don’t have an established calendar. Aurrus doesn’t have seasons, it is always arid and warm, and the Aurrus species takes a very long time to age. The average Aurrus can live to be one-thousand-years-old.” Lalia explained, tightening her grip on her restraints.

  “Here we go.” Miles said with his eyes shut, the pod collided with the ground. The sound of the collision was deafening, the thunderous quake rattled the whole pod, and Miles slacked his jaw as Lalia had suggested to prevent the breaking of teeth. Each of them loosened their bodies, their skin and bones rippled from the inertia. The pod then beeped loudly:

  “Destination reached. Exterior pressure optimal, exterior temp…”

  Lalia interrupted it by unlatching the pod’s door; it hissed open, dusty arid air blew in. The three coughed and covered their eyes, the dust storm from their pod began to fade, Lalia reached into the prisoner essential’s chest for the flare gun and other equipment.

  She stepped out onto the caked dry planet, a miniature dust cloud rose with each step. She turned and beckoned to the boys, still in their restraints:

  “If they decide to send a search party we don’t want to be sitting here, now do we?” she asked.

  The two unfastened the belts and jumped out of the pod, the blaring sun blinding them momentarily. Dust kicked the sand in the air, Miles licked his lips:

  “I’m thirsty. Is there any water nearby?” he asked.

  Lalia looked at him in astonishment;

  “Didn’t we just explain to you that the streams are lined under those ovalt groves?” she chucked and tossed him a metal disc.

  “What is this?” Miles held it closer to his face to examine.

  “It is a canteen.” Lalia laughed as she continued towards the ovalt grove.

  Miles drank only a little bit, Garth then took a swig, Lalia then took a sip. The three walked towards the ovalt grove closest to them, from the air the groves looked like stripes very close to one another, on the ground, however, the grove was about two miles away. Once each of them took a drink, Lalia then began a light run for the cover of the grove; the three neared the pink wall of leaves and branches in only a few minutes.

  Lalia ushered them into the cover of the pink bush, looking towards the sky for any incoming search shuttles, only the purple hued moon of Aurrus faced her:

  “It doesn’t look like they are sending anyone after us.” She concluded, dropping to one knee to fill her canteen with the cool water from the stream.

  “Why wouldn’t they chase us down here?” Miles asked.

  “I guess that they don’t know what happened to us or where we went quite yet.” Garth surmised, taking a seat.

  The stream was incredibly clear; the water flowed quickly, no moss or creatures in the stream. The ovalt grove was only three or four trees wide, the water swirling around each of the exposed ovalt roots. Garth jumped to reach a plump pink fruit, which resembled to Miles a football, and then he took a bite into the soft juicy flesh of the ovalt. Lalia led, walking the narrow winding path between the trunks of the trees and the stream.

  “Either way, eventually someone will come looking for us.” Lalia admitted in a tired voice. “In the meantime, however, we should head to Ailios. The city is large enough we should be well-hidden.”

  Miles and Garth nodded in agreement. The Aurrus city would provide plenty of places to hide from Callos soldiers. Garth explained to Miles:

  “Many Callos have, over the years, decided to stay permanently on Aurrus.”

  “Try not to walk along the stream; you don’t want to walk too far wet, not to mention you would quickly get tired sloshing through river rocks.” Lalia advised.

  For a few hours the three sloshed through the twisted ovalt roots and the stream, stopping only for someone when they got their foot caught in the roots or river rocks.

  “Lalia, I was wondering about how I could understand Callos.” Miles began.

  “As was I.” Lalia admitted, “I think I might have come up with an explanation.”

  “Do you?” Miles asked excitedly.

  “Yes. Perhaps we have some sort of shared telepathic connection; you are accessing my memory which allows you to understand Callos.” Lalia theorized.

  “Telepathic?” Miles asked with his brow furrowed.

  “Maybe, it is just a theory. I thought about it in my notes, it still holds some potential.” Lalia thought out loud.

  The three remained silent for several more minutes, until the roar of the city in its festivities reached them.

  “What should I expect in Ailios?” Miles asked Garth.

  “Well, Ailios is an enormous open air bazaar. Vendors and craftsmen sell their goods to visiting Callos.” Garth explained.

  “What do the Callos give in return?” Miles asked.

  “Callos provide technology and several of the rare resources not found on Aurrus.” Garth explained.

  “Well, then, what do the Aurrus do in the two-hundred years between Callos visits?” Miles asked in confusion, scrunching his eyebrows.

  “Actually. I don’t know. I’ve never thought of that. We should ask.” Garth admitted.

  The trio continued along the stream, the sound of thousands of Aurrus joyfully laughing and shouting reached them hours before their weary legs were able to carry them to Ailios. They marched on, Lalia occasionally turning to ensure that they were not being followed.

  “When will the Convoy arrive at Aurrus?” Miles asked.

  “Tomorrow night.” Garth responded.

  They re
ached a misshapen tree, Miles and Garth scrambled on top while below Lalia stood in silence; before them was the great city of Ailios. The city spread out as far as the eye could see, each of the buildings sat close to one another, square brown rooftops. Wooden beams and mud composed each of the adobe homes, their flat roofs had scattered gardens and aviaries from which colorful birds took flight.

  In the distance children ran through the streets with sparkling wands, bright colorful explosions boomed in the sky.

  “Looks like fun.” Garth and Miles said with smiles.

  “It sure does.” Lalia sadly muttered under her breath looking at the boys from beneath the tree. She glanced over her shoulder to see an orbital drop shuttle break through the atmosphere, its white tailwind slicing through the purple of the moon; a search party had arrived. She wouldn’t tell the other two, she decided, they needed some semblance of hope.