by Elin Wyn
This visibly confused her as she opened her mouth several times to answer but did not. “Fine. Where are you taking me? This doesn’t look like a place where jails would be.” She was twisting and turning around, looking at the area in which we were. It was a residential portion of the city, one of the ones that had been abandoned during the Xathi attack and never reoccupied. The homes looked torn apart from the inside out. She yelped as a set of tendrils came down from above and began searching several homes.
With a smile, I shook my head at her surprise. We followed the street through the residential area to a small clearing that had once been a park. The members of Strike Team Two were there, trying again to pierce the vine-wall using tactics that had already been found to be useless.
Rokul was trying to burn the vines using a modified flamethrower that was able to produce white fire, a much hotter flame than conventional flamethrowers were able to provide. After a few moments of him attempting to burn the vines, he stepped away and Takar went in with his oversized saw and tried to cut into the vines.
As we approached, I could see that the tactic had merit, but it proved to be fruitless. Rokul’s curses filled the air as he punched the vine.
“I see that you’ve improved upon your vocabulary,” I quipped as we approached.
“Shut up, Sylor,” he shot back. “Who’s your new friend? She’s a little dirty.”
Before I could answer, Nesta shot back at Rokul. “Oh, yeah, make fun of the poor homeless woman. At least I’m not an inconsiderate ass that looks like a damn fruit. And who cut your hair, that idiot with the saw? Oh, I see you guys have the same hair cut…must have gotten a discount at ‘idiot-haircuts-r-us,’ huh?”
With wide eyes, Rokul looked between Nesta and me. “Well, you managed to find yourself a fun little friend, Sylor.” His face broke out into a massive smile as she spoke. “I like her. So, what does she do?”
“She’s a thief. We caught her stealing from a member of the elder class,” I answered.
“Then why bring her here?” Karzin asked.
I turned to my commander and handed over the case. “Careful, that’s our newest chemical bomb. It’s volatile.” He took the case carefully and set it down slowly. “As to your inquiry, commander, I felt it prudent to bring that,” I pointed at the case, “rather than waste time escorting Nesta to prison. I will take her when we have completed our tests.”
He gave me a look, then looked beyond me to Leena. “Leena.”
“Karzin,” she responded. I noticed that she stayed behind Nesta, and that Iq’her had joined her shortly after I said the word ‘thief.’
“What’s going on here?” Nesta asked, but I did not feel inclined to respond.
“Tell me what’s in the case,” Karzin ordered. I went on to explain that Leena and I had worked diligently on creating a bigger, more potent, and more volatile chemical bomb. The specifics of the bomb were a source of pride for me and I was glad that Karzin tolerated my need to explain the technical side of things.
Technology was something of a passion for me. I often competed and worked with Sakev on adapting our weapons, both personal and for the ship…when it existed…as well as modifying the technology that we used in order to do whatever we needed. Case in point, after losing two fingers from my left hand, I had created a special sleeve that encompassed my left arm. The sleeve was outfitted with a miniature computer system with a touchscreen, a back-up comm unit, and a small scanner that would allow me to scan any unknown substances.
“So,” he interrupted me. “Will it work?”
“I sincerely hope so, sir,” I answered. “If it does not, then I no longer have an idea of what to do.”
“Then let’s do it,” Karzin said. We placed the chemical bomb at the base of the vines, set the timer, and backed away behind a nearby home.
“I suggest putting on a mask,” I said to the others. I quickly took a mask, tossed it to Leena, tossed another to Nesta, and put one on myself. The bomb went off with a massive explosion, sending debris and dirt everywhere. When the smoke finally cleared enough for me to move forward, I activated the fan unit in the carrying case and sucked away all the gas and smoke. When it was cleared, all there was to be seen was a gash in the ground, and vines that seemed to be untouched.
I chanced a look back at the rest of the team and observed the disappointment, shock, and bewilderment upon their faces. Leena looked to be as frustrated as I felt, while Karzin looked defeated.
“I don’t think your little plan worked,” Nesta’s muffled voice floated in the air. Her words carried with them a sense of ridicule and loss. “Just what was your plan, exactly?”
I ignored her and looked to Leena. She held her arms out and shook her head. She had no answers, and neither did I. I looked back to the explosion site and stared at the hole in the ground, a terrible reminder of our failure.
Nesta
“Were you trying to massage those vines?” I insisted, crossing my legs as I sat on the ground. “Or maybe you were trying to tickle them?” I scratched my chin as I said it, trying to look as innocent as possible, even though I knew I was getting on Sylor’s nerves. He gave me a frown, then turned his attention back to the wisps of smoke still rising from the ground, near the unscathed vines. One of his team members snorted, but quickly hid his amused expression when Sylor glared at him.
“We’re trying to destroy those vines,” the blonde woman, Leena, said. She was standing right next to me, looking at the green wall of vines with a pensive expression. “This here...it was a prototype bomb we hoped would help us.”
“Didn’t work that well, did it?” I asked, looking straight ahead at the vines.
The blast had seemed like a serious one, intense enough to blow up a brick wall, but the vines looked completely unharmed. I had no idea what they really were, but if these serious-looking aliens and their bombs couldn’t blow a hole through the barrier, then Nyheim was in serious trouble. My little stroll through the market was enough for me to know that food was quickly becoming a scarce resource, and without food, it wouldn’t take long before the whole city descended into chaos.
“No, Nesta,” Leena sighed, not even bothering trying to hide her concern, “it didn’t work at all.”
“Are you in charge of these guys?” I asked her, trying to sound polite. She didn’t look as if she were afraid of them. In fact, she looked completely at ease. Maybe if I got on her good side, I’d manage to convince her to let me go.
“No, not really,” she replied, finally looking away from the vines and turning her gaze to me. “I’m just a chemist. I’m doing my best to help them find a solution to this, uhm, situation...but it hasn’t been exactly easy.”
“Nothing’s easy nowadays,” I said casually, trying to ignore the hole in my stomach. The apple I had eaten had felt like a feast, but now that I had nothing else to eat, I seemed to have become even hungrier than before. As if to agree with me, my stomach rumbled audibly.
“What about you, Nesta?” Leena asked me, curiosity dancing in her eyes. She eyed my dirty clothes for a while, and then offered me a kind smile. I couldn’t stop myself from frowning. I didn’t enjoy when strangers were kind to me. Kindness was just one heartbeat away from turning into pity, and if there was something I really despised, it was being pitied.
“I’m just a nobody,” I shrugged, slowly pushing myself up to my feet. I let my eyes scan my surroundings, hoping that I’d find a way out of this mess, but Sylor had his vigilant gaze on me. If I tried to make a run for it, the bastard would just squash me under his gigantic hands.
“A nobody who isn’t above stealing from an old woman,” Leena continued. I had a scathing remark ready for her, but I stopped myself when I noticed she wasn’t saying it out of malice. Usually, I didn’t react that well to kindness, but in her case…
“Look, I was just hungry, alright?” I sighed. “I’m not exactly proud I had to steal from that lady, but what was I supposed to do? I have nothing else. The vines e
ven took my damn home.”
“Where was it, your home? Lua District?”
“Yeah,” I lied. “I mean, not exactly...but close.”
“It’ll be fine,” Leena smiled, laying one hand on my shoulder. I flinched under her touch but, thankfully, she didn’t even notice it. “Once we figure a way out of this dome, everything will go back to normal.”
“Don’t get too friendly with the thief, Leena,” Sylor said, his back to us as he packed up his gear. Some of his teammates were busy with collecting samples from the place where they had detonated the bomb, but most of them were just milling around with bored expressions on their faces. It seemed they weren’t that hopeful about a breakthrough when it came to the vine situation.
“Did any of those vines crawl up your ass?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking him. “You’re looking a little green there, buddy.”
“My skin pigmentation is typical to one of the Valorni race,” he replied and, for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know if he was mocking me or if he was being serious. Closing the distance between the two of us, he stopped a mere two feet away from me. “As for you...is ‘dirty’ your natural skin color?”
“Asshole,” I growled, cocking my arm back, only to send my fist flying toward his chest. I hit it right in the center, between his pectorals, and pain shot up my arm. Apparently, trying to kick or punch a muscular alien, who was part of a violent race, all while he’s wearing tactical gear, remained a stupid idea.
“Your derogatory terms are amusing,” he snorted and, before I could do anything about it, he rested both hands on my hips and lifted me up. He threw me over his shoulder and, after barking a few orders to the other aliens, turned around and started walking back the way we’d come, Leena trailing after us.
“Is he always like this?” I asked Leena, trying to forget how embarrassed I was to be carried through the streets like a sack of potatoes.
“Pretty much,” she said, smiling. As for me, the best I could manage was another frown. Being carried to jail by a green alien wasn’t exactly putting me in a good mood. I spent the rest of the way brooding, occasionally punching Sylor between his shoulder blades, to no effect.
When we finally arrived at our destination, a nondescript building right in the center of the city, we were saluted by two human soldiers guarding the gate. Sylor grunted his acknowledgement and we went inside, my eyes peeled back as I tried to memorize every turn he took.
If I wanted to get out of this place, I had to pay attention.
“What’s that?” a Valorni soldier laughed as we finally arrived at the detention center, a long, cramped room with holding cells on either side. Instead of bars, the cells seemed to have heavy-duty doors, the kind one wouldn’t get past without brute force, considerable time, or lockpicks. “You know damn well humans aren’t that tasty, Sylor. And that one looks bony as a Skotan bat.”
“Don’t scare her,” Sylor said, as serious as ever. Ignoring the other Valorni’s laugh, he simply strolled inside one of the cells and put me down on top of the bed. I stood up immediately, but he stepped out fast, pressing his open hand against a panel, and ordered the door to close. It swung fast on its hinges, despite how heavy it seemed. “Don’t cause any trouble,” he warned me, looking straight into my eyes. “You’re going to be here for a while.”
“How long?”
“The punishment for stealing something minor is usually one month in the holding cells,” he said. One month wasn’t that bad, I thought. Sure, I would be stuck inside this crappy room for the duration, but at least I would be fed... or so I hoped. “But, considering that Nyheim is in a state of emergency, the normal sentences don’t apply. Punishment for the dishonest handling of resources has gone up to nine months.”
“NINE MONTHS?” I shouted, barely believing what I was hearing. How the hell was I supposed to remain stuck in this place for nine freaking months? I’d go insane before my time was up.
“Nine months,” Sylor repeated. Then he merely turned on his heels and started walking out. He hesitated for a moment, and looked back at me over his shoulder. “Goodbye, thief.”
Feeling dejected, I watched him walk out, then sat back down on the bed. Nine months of jail time? If Sylor thought I’d accept that like a good little woman, then he was in for a surprise. No way in hell was I going to accept that.
I had to find a way out...and fast.
Sylor
There were too many variables that I still did not know in terms of what was needed to find our way through the vines. I had done what was obvious, done what was simple, and done what made sense. None of it was successful.
I had moved on to unconventional, over-the-top, and potentially insane. None of those had worked, either. Eighteen different tactics chosen, eighteen different methods used—all of which led to one ending…failure. Pure, simple, inescapable failure.
And several complaints about Nesta.
How the guards were incapable of dealing with one woman, one solitary, underweight woman, escaped me. However, I’ve already had four complaints about her, and it had yet to reach lunch time.
I contemplated making a complaint of my own regarding the guards, but I knew that it would do nothing. Instead, my concentration was centered on how and why my attempts had failed. I had never had a weapon design fail. They had always done what they were designed to do. Some may not have been as powerful or accurate as anticipated, but those problems required simple solutions.
This issue with the vines was that nothing worked, at all. We had tried fire, chemicals, saws, gunfire, explosives, even Axtin’s hammer and Rokul’s blades. The closest we had come was a small cut that was healed over soon after.
I sat in an empty office Rouhr had allowed for my use, contemplating my notes, when the door opened. I brought my eyes up to see the head guard. His mood was not pleasant, and I had an instant understanding of why.
“You were the one that brought her in, so she’s your responsibility. If you don’t come and deal with her, I’m letting her ass go, understand me? I’m not dealing with that damn woman, not for something as petty as stealing a goddamn vegetable.” His basso was rich and vibrant, echoing off the walls of the empty office.
"An apple is a fruit according to the humans,” I corrected. “Are you telling me that you and your men can’t deal with one tiny woman?”
He snorted. “I’m telling you that me and my men don’t want to deal with that tiny woman. She’s an annoyance, and she’s surprisingly good at insults. I’ve had to send one of my men home when he drew his weapon on her.”
“Well, perhaps your man is ill-suited for his duties,” I responded.
He shook his head in anger. “Don’t. Don’t lump yourself in with that woman by insulting my men. Come down and deal with her, or I’ll let her go and whatever she does will be on your head, and your conscience, if you’re who I think you are.” With that, he spun on his heel and left, the door slamming behind him.
The notion that he would release Nesta in order to no longer listen to her was asinine. However, I knew that he was also a man of his word. He would release her if I did nothing.
Perhaps I should let her go, there was little real harm that she could do, and she was only stealing to survive. No. Stealing was wrong, and she shouldn’t be allowed to continue living a life of crime. She had to know that there were consequences for her actions and that those actions needed to change.
I rose from my chair with a groan and made my way to the prison. I found myself dragging my feet, as the humans would say. I did not wish to confront her, simply because I had more important things to concentrate my efforts on. However, if I did nothing, she would simply return to her degenerate life of thievery that would eventually lead to her being killed by someone.
Why I cared about her well-being and life, I did not know, but I was soon at the jail. “Well, where is she?” I asked upon entering. I surprised myself a bit with the level of venom present in my voice. It worked,
however, as the guard at the door directed me down the hall, through the second door, then to the fourth door on the right.
Upon my arrival at the fourth door on the right, I looked through the small barred window. Nesta had apparently convinced the guards to allow her a quick shower and I was able to finally see that her darkly colored hair was a natural color, not just dirt. Her skin, now clean, looked soft and smooth. She was lying on the bunk, her arms folded behind her head, a leg bent so the other leg could rest on it. The gleam in her eyes as she looked at me looking at her was filled with devious satisfaction.
I had the door opened and entered, hearing the heavy steel door clank shut behind me with a loud echo. “I was unsure as to how a small woman such as yourself could be so problematic, but you have apparently found a way.”
Her smile spoke volumes. “Aw, you actually care.”
“I do not see how my statement expresses care in any way,” I responded to her statement.
She shook her head and waved my own statement off. “Not that. You showed up, just like I wanted you to. You care.”
“I assure you, young lady, I do not care about your well-being,” I said as I crossed my arms and leaned back against the door. “I am simply here because the guards have complained about your attitude and actions. I would suggest that you accept your fate and learn from it.”
As I pushed myself away from the door and began to turn around, I heard Nesta get off the bunk. I turned, leaving only my shoulder available to her if she attempted to attack me. “You’re not leaving me in here,” she said, her eyes burning. “All I did was take a few fruits.” Her voice was beginning to grow in volume and desperation. “You can’t leave me in here just because of a few things to eat!”
In an attempt to maintain my calm, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and responded. “You committed a crime, it is as simple as that. Criminals should be…” I was unable to complete my statement as she threw her arms in the air and screamed at me.