by S. E. Smith
It had been a long but informative day. Destin walked across the gleaming tile. The apartment was dark, lit only by the soft glow of the moonlight shining through the windows. With a murmured command, a set of accent lights came on. Most of the city finally had some form of power restored to it. The only areas missing were those still too heavily damaged to safely activate it.
The power grids were different from before. This time, alien technology was employed. Destin was still trying to wrap his head around it, but each building, whether a home or a business, would have a self-contained energy source. The technology was a product of Trivator and Kassisan engineers working together to create something new.
In the early years when electricity was first used, most buildings and streets had to be retrofitted with power lines and cables to a substation which received power from one major power plant.
Destin understood the hazards of that. It meant miles and miles of cables that would need to be maintained and upgraded to handle the additional load as the country grew. It also meant an area of weakness. A devastating storm, a demand overload, extreme temperatures, or an attack on the power sources could all lead to critical failure and mean days, weeks, months, or in the case of what happened when the aliens appeared, years of disruptions. The aliens already discovered that was not a good idea.
“It is amazing that we made it as long as we did,” Destin murmured, walking over to stare out at the city far below him.
Low, shielded lights illuminated the streets, but he was unable to see them from this far. The idea was to preserve the natural balance of light and dark. Once humans discovered artificial light, they wanted to light up their world. Often driven by fear, misconceptions, and excellent marketing, homes, streets, and businesses lit up the darkness, drowning the brilliance of the night sky. The most densely populated areas had not been hard to see from space, which helped the Trivators decide where to contact first.
In contrast, Destin remembered the first time he saw Rathon from space. It had been nighttime there and despite having two moons, the planet was devoid of light. He had wondered if it was even inhabited until the shuttle he was in landed on the base. Their lighting was designed to preserve their night vision. He knew deep down that it would take a generation or two before humans fully adapted to the concept, despite the fact that they had lived without electricity for thousands of years before that.
In the distance, he could see the continuing construction. That was another thing he and the others learned. Once Destin and his people agreed to work with Cutter on the rebuilding of the city, the Trivators did not waste any time. Large machines scooped up the debris, filtering, crushing, or incinerating it while transports and workers swarmed over one section of the city at a time.
He shrugged off his jacket, and threw it over the back of the couch before walking over to the large chair near the window. He turned it around so that it was facing the windows and sank onto it. Leaning forward, he saw the large green areas that were planted in perfect symmetry and the roads leading around them. Commuters could either step into one of the individual compartments of the slender ground public transport or the automated flying transports where they could enter in their destination, sit back, and enjoy the ride. All buildings were a mixture of homes and businesses. There would be no individual houses, at least not in the city. Chicago would be larger, but take up a quarter of its original size in buildings, thus freeing up land for forests and recreational preserves.
Sitting back in the chair, Destin could feel the fatigue pulling on his body. He toed his shoes off and kicked them to the side so he could stretch his legs out. Observing the construction going on in the distance, he wasn’t consciously aware of his eyes growing heavier or his head falling back against the plush, dark brown leather of the chair.
17
Sula ran a tired hand over her eyes. Beth didn’t look much better than she did. A wry smile curved Sula’s lips when she saw the other girl sprawled out on the long couch with her eyes partially closed.
“We have checked everywhere. He must have hidden the ring somewhere else or it was stolen,” Sula finally said.
“What’s so important about it anyway?” Beth asked, turning her head to look over at Sula where she was sunk down in a chair.
“I’ve seen a ring similar to it before, but I can’t remember where. I’ve sent a copy of the ring to my brother to see if he might know. It is so frustrating,” Sula muttered with a groan, leaning her head back and staring at the ceiling.
“How long will it take for him to get back to you?” Beth asked with a yawn.
Sula tilted her head to the side. The lights on the base were the old human kind. There was one overhead light with three round, frosted white glass globes over the light bulbs and a fan. One of the frosted globes had a shadow in it. Rising out of her seat, she stared at it.
“I’m not sure. Anywhere from hours to days,” she murmured.
Beth must have heard the distraction in her tone of voice, because she opened her eyes and sat up. Beth rubbed her eyes and glanced up at the light with a frown. Focusing on her task, Sula bent and tugged the long table in front of the couch until it was centered under the light.
“What is it?” Beth asked, standing up.
“It may be nothing, but I see a shadow of something in the globe,” Sula murmured.
“Let me turn off the light. The globe may be hot,” Beth said, hurrying over to turn off the overhead light switch.
The room was now cast into shadows by the single lamp on the end table. Sula climbed up onto the coffee table and reached for the globe. She paused, checking to see if it was hot as Beth had warned, but found it was cool to the touch. Studying the construction of it, she saw three small screws holding it on.
“They must have changed all the lights with LED bulbs,” Beth said, walking over to stand next to Sula.
Sula didn’t know what an LED was, she was just grateful the fixture was not hot. She quickly loosened the screws and removed the glass covering. Glancing inside the globe, a frown of disappointment creased her brow. Her hope that it was the ring they were searching for quickly faded.
“What is it?” Beth asked, impatiently waiting.
“I’m not sure,” Sula admitted, turning the globe so the item fell out into her hand. She paled when she realized what it was and closed her fist around it. “We have to get out of here!” she whispered, turning to gaze down at Beth with growing alarm.
“Why? Do you know what it is?” Beth asked, holding up a hand to help steady Sula when she started to climb off the table.
“Yes,” Sula muttered, glancing around. Her eyes stopped on the bathroom door. Striding over to it, she dropped the small device into the toilet and flushed it. “Someone was listening to everything we have said. They know what we are looking for.”
“You mean… a bug? Someone bugged the place?” Beth asked in confusion, glancing around. “Do you think it was left over from the guy who lived here before?”
Sula shook her head and hurried back into the living area to grab her weapon. “No, the fixtures and fan are clean. It was done recently. We have to go now,” she replied in a soft urgent tone.
“Where? We’re on a Trivator base. You’d think if we were going to be safe, it would be here,” Beth replied, following Sula to the door.
“This building is set farther away from the others,” Sula said.
“I noticed that, but figured from what I heard about the last guy that was here, it was because he was such an ass,” Beth said, reaching out to touch Sula’s arm. “Let me go first.”
“No,” Sula murmured, shaking her head. “I will not put you in danger.”
Beth chuckled and reached for the handle. “If anything happens to you, Destin will skin my hide,” she retorted, nodding to the lamp behind Sula. “Turn off the light.”
Sula turned and hurried back to the lamp. Switching it off, she swiveled to return to the front entrance where Beth was waiting. Beth turned
and started to open the door when it exploded inward. Sula watched in horror as Beth’s body flew backwards. She automatically lifted her baton when she saw the weapon in the intruder’s hands.
Sula released a stream of energy from the tip of the baton. The line swarmed out and encased the weapon, heating it until it glowed a brilliant red. The attacker cursed and released it.
The sound of a loud shot stunned Sula. She watched in shock when the attacker staggered backwards into the two males behind him. Glancing down in surprise, she saw Beth in a partial sitting position with a primitive weapon firmly clenched between her palms. She fired several more times.
“Run,” Beth ordered, rising to her feet and backing up as she continued to fire.
Sula turned and ran for the bedroom. She swept through the door, turning when Beth followed her. Slamming it shut, she pointed the baton at the handle and melted the metal before doing the same to the three hinges. The door was essentially welded shut. It wouldn’t stop the attackers for long, but it would help some.
Beth was also pushing a heavy piece of furniture in front of it. Sula grabbed the end and helped her align it in front of the door. A startled squeal escaped Beth when a blast from a laser burned through the door and barely missed her head.
“Holy shit!” Beth exclaimed, turning and aiming the weapon at the door before pulling the trigger. The weapon made a clicking noise instead of the loud sound from earlier. “Double shit!”
“The window,” Sula urged swirling the baton in her hand and forming a shield against the blasts opening up holes in the door. “Hurry.”
Beth ran to the window and unlocked it. Pushing it open, she looked through it to make sure there was no one waiting outside for them. Sula backed up, wincing when the shield lit up.
“It’s clear,” Beth called out, waving for Sula to hurry. “Come on before they figure out what we are doing.”
Sula twisted, trying to keep the shield between her and the door as she slid out of the window. She released her control of the shield once she was outside. Beth was inserting a long clip in her weapon and pocketing the depleted one.
“This way,” Beth murmured, holding her weapon up.
Behind them, Sula heard the screeching of the furniture. She followed Beth around the corner of the house. Together, they ran for the next building.
“Do you have your communicator with you?” Beth asked in a quiet voice when they reached a small storage building.
“Yes,” Sula replied with disgust at not thinking of it sooner. She pulled it out and pressed the emergency number Trig programmed into the device when they arrived.
“State your emergency,” a male voice responded.
“This is Councilor Ikera. Intruders have attacked my residence on the base,” Sula whispered, wincing when Beth’s weapon made another loud bang.
“Warriors have been dispatched,” the voice replied.
Suddenly Beth cried out, jerking and dropping her weapon. Sula turned, the communicator lowering in her hand. One of the attackers had circled around and come up behind them from the opposite side of the shed. Either that, or there were more than the three they had first seen.
“Cut the transmission,” the male demanded, pointing his pistol at Sula.
Sula cut the transmission and dropped the communicator on the ground. Behind her, she could hear Beth’s smothered whimper of pain. Her hand tightened on the baton in her hand. She froze when she felt the end of another weapon pressed against the back of her head.
“She notified security,” the first male said. “Kill the other female; we don’t need her. Take the Councilor. General Achler wants her alive.”
Fear unlike anything Sula had ever felt before swept through her. Her fingers moved along the baton. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it behind her to land on the ground next to Beth. There was a slight delay before the shield engulfed the other woman. It wouldn’t last for long and it only worked because Beth slid down along the back of the shed to the ground.
The second attacker turned to fire on Beth, but the shield absorbed the blasts. Sula took advantage of his distraction and the fact that he had moved his weapon from her head. With the fluid grace of years of training, she kicked the weapon the first attacker was pointing at her to the side. She bent forward when the other male turned to fire on her. The blast struck his comrade in the chest, knocking him back several feet before he collapsed.
Sula grabbed the male’s wrist, forced his weapon upward, and hooked her leg behind his knee. Falling backwards, she used her weight, surprise, and her grip to pull the heavy male with her. She rolled backwards, lifting the male up and over her before pushing with her feet to flip him.
The attacker continued to hold onto his weapon. Sula was already back on her feet before he landed. Her gaze flashed to the weapon of the first attacker. She raced for it, hoping to reach the pistol before the male regained his feet. Sweeping the pistol up in her hand, she began to turned it on the male when pain exploded through her body, sending her stumbling backwards. A second shot echoed through the air, along with shouts in the distance.
Sula watched as the attacker fell back in slow motion, a small round hole in the center of his forehead. She twisted, stumbling awkwardly in time to see Beth falling wearily against the wall of the shed. The warm liquid running down her arm did little to stop the chill starting to set in.
“Beth,” Sula whispered, staggering over to the other woman.
Beth leaned her head back against the wall of the shed, her eyes glazed with pain, and gazed up at Sula’s pale face before moving to her shoulder. Sula followed Beth’s gaze and paled, shivering with pain and shock. A pair of warm, strong hands grasped her around the waist when her legs suddenly gave out from beneath her.
“Tell Patch we are bringing in two wounded females now!” Cutter’s strong voice echoed through the night.
“Destin…,” Sula murmured, her head falling against his shoulder when Cutter swept her up into his arms.
“He’s on his way,” Cutter promised.
Sula nodded and closed her eyes. All around her, she could hear the sounds of voices. Lights swept over the area, sending shards of pain through her head when it flashed over them, and the hum of a ground transport echoed close by. Sula tried to open her eyes, but decided it took too much effort.
“Beth…?” Sula asked in a barely audible voice.
“She is safe,” Cutter promised.
18
Destin jerked awake when he heard a chime. Rising stiffly out of the chair, he stumbled around it briefly before striding toward the door. He laid his palm against the control pad next to the door, pulled it open, and blinked in surprise when he saw Tim and Mason standing on the other side.
“What is it? What time is it?” Destin muttered, glancing around for a clock.
“Three a.m. Get your shoes and jacket,” Tim stated, stepping inside.
“What’s going on? Three o’clock! Where’s Sula? She should have been back before now,” Destin groaned and ran his hands through his hair. “I fell asleep.”
“Yeah, we kind of figured that. You’re allowed to at times,” Mason said, pushing past him. “Where are your shoes?”
“My shoes… Uh, by the chair, I think. What the hell is going on?” Destin asked, turning to follow them. “God, I need some coffee if you guys are going to ask me any questions.”
“You can get it when we get there,” Tim replied, grabbing Destin’s jacket off the back of the couch while Mason grabbed his shoes.
“What the fuck is going on?” Destin demanded, standing still and frowning at the other two men before his face paled. “Sula….”
“Yeah, the blue… lady,” Mason said, shoving Destin’s shoes at him.
“Cutter just contacted us. Beth and your lady friend were attacked. Both of them are injured,” Tim said. “We’re going with you. Trig is checking the transport out and waiting for us.”
“Shit! Do you know how bad they’re hurt? What info do
you have on who attacked them? How the hell could they have been attacked on the base?” Destin growled, pulling his shoes on and grabbing his jacket. He started for the door before he turned and glanced around the room. “I need a weapon.”
“Troy and Richard are meeting us at the platform with some,” Mason told him. “Come on.”
Destin nodded and turned on his heel. They turned as the doors to the lift closed. Destin felt his stomach drop when the elevator quickly descended to the Launch Platform level.
“Cutter notified Trig of what happened and wanted to make sure that you were still safe. Mason and I were finishing up a last minute security check when we ran into him. I suggested we notify you while he checked the transport since he knows how to fly the damn things,” Tim explained.
Destin nodded, stepping forward when the lift slowed. He turned sideways, exiting the lift before the doors had a chance to open all the way. Troy and Richard were talking quietly near a console. They both started forward at the same time. Troy was holding a small tote bag in his left hand.
“Destin, sorry to hear about your lady,” Richard said.
“What else have you heard?” Destin demanded, taking the bag from Troy.
“Just that Beth and the Councilor were attacked,” Richard said with a shake of his head. “We’re still trying to figure out how that could happen right under the Trivators’ noses.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure they are trying to figure it out, too,” Tim retorted.
“We’re ready to go,” Trig stated from the platform.
Destin kept his features blank as he boarded the transport. The grim look on Trig’s face showed he wasn’t happy about what happened either. Destin reached over and pulled the straps over his chest. Through the windows, he could see Troy and Richard lift their hands in support. His throat tightened. He had been through a lot with these men over the last nine years. They all lost people they cared about.