by Aaron Hubble
While they were picking their way through the debris, they were surprised when a lone figure emerged from the trees bordering the village. His name was Denar. He claimed to have also made it out of Gadol City. On his back he carried a pack made of several seed bags lashed together with boot laces. At his side he wore a large hunting knife, and gripped a crossbow in his hands. The man was quiet, brooding and offered very little information about himself. He said he would come to the meeting. To Calier, there was something dangerous about the man. He seemed like a cornered animal ready to attack or, perhaps, an explosive with a very short wick.
In all, they found thirteen people. An older married couple named Onan and Amer. With them was a young girl named Emura whose parents were missing. A family of three was huddled in what was left of a grain storage unit. The husband’s name was Bormar, his wife Sulhan and their teenage son Anoki. A young married couple, Nasia and Oyeb, were overjoyed to see Calier poke his head inside the commercial transport they were using as a home. They had been surviving on the food the driver of the truck had left behind in the cab. Three men, Kan, Kohena and Tehome, plus Mina, a middle-aged woman, were ensconced in the village’s temple of worship. Kohena was the village shepherd and had been for over fifty years.
Walking back to Ibris and Rohab’s cellar that night, the gray sky lightening, Calier wrote the names of each of those found in his small notebook. At the bottom of the list he added Rohab, Ibris, their two sons, Maltoki, Berit and himself. That made twenty.
Twenty lost, battered and confused souls.
The village had been home to several thousand only days ago. Most of those now lay dead on top of what was left of their village or entombed underneath it. Add to the millions he presumed were dead in Gadol City and the total was getting very high. Sickeningly high.
Now, twelve hours later, those same souls were gathered in the cellar of Ibris’s home. Calier watched Ibris move to the middle of the room. The balding man fidgeted with his hands, unsure what to do with them, and finally decided to stuff them into the pockets of his well-worn work pants. He cleared his throat and the murmuring died in the room.
“Um…well…I’m not sure how to begin. How do you start after going through what we’ve gone through? I think the best way would be to have a moment of silence for our friends and family who aren’t here with us, and let’s give thanks we still draw breath.”
They bowed their heads. The silence was heavy, full of sorrow. Calier heard quiet tears being shed, the emotion pouring out of this proud people in a dignified air of sadness. His thoughts turned to his family.
Had they survived the siege of the city?
He prayed they had. Then the face of little Saloma, the curly haired girl who had wanted to share her candy with him on the train, entered his mind. There had been such life and innocence in those sparkling green eyes, life that had been taken away so suddenly. Tears slid down his cheeks, mixing with the sweat. Calier cried for all that was lost. For Saloma, for his family, for his city and for his people.
Several minutes of silence passed. It was finally broken by the voice of Kohena the shepherd. His voice creaked like an old tree swaying in the breeze, but there was strength in it. A strength sure in the beliefs he’d clung to and taught for most of his life. Calier cracked his eyes and saw the old man dropping to his knees and lifting his hands into the air as he recited a passage from the scriptures.
“And their tears will be my tears, said the Everlasting One. Their suffering will be my suffering, their pain my pain. But have faith, stay strong and follow my path for you, and I, the one who created you from the dust of the ground, will lift you up and take all your grief away. I will do this because of my deep love for you. So says the Lord of All Creation.”
“Let it be so,” came the response of the people.
Calier opened his eyes. Around him people were wiping away tears and embracing each other. The grief was deep, but their faith was deeper. He saw Ibris move back to the middle of the room.
“Well…thank you, everyone. We’re all looking for answers and that’s kind of what we said we could give you, or rather, the professor could give you. So…I’m going to step aside and let him have the floor. Professor.”
Ibris moved back and settled on the floor next to his wife. His youngest son, a boy with the red hair of his mother and the silver temple streaks of his father, climbed onto his lap. Ibris placed a protective arm around the boy and kissed the top of his head.
Calier stood and moved toward the center of the room. He glanced around and realized these people looked a lot like his crew on an archaeological dig. The clothes they wore were dirty and tattered. Faces were streaked with dirt and dust, perspiration glistened on their foreheads. There was even the same smell, the smell of bodies who hadn’t been washed in several days. The difference was this was not a gathering to hear what had been dug from the dirt during the day. This was a gathering of people who wanted to know what had been lost and how they were going to survive.
“My name’s Calier, and as Ibris said, I am, or was, a professor at the university in Gadol City. Myself, my friend Maltoki and your sister Berit escaped Gadol City on the day of the attacks. It’s hard to believe it was only six days ago. It feels much longer.” There were nods of agreement around the cellar. Across the room, Calier saw Denar and wondered at the man’s story. He’d escaped Gadol City as well, but how? Something didn’t feel right about the man. Calier shook it off and turned his attention back to the rest of the group. “I wish I had better news for you, but the city has been taken by an invading army.”
There were gasps from several of the people. Calier expected they knew what had happened, but like him, they were unwilling to admit it until someone presented them with the truth.
“The ships came in mid-morning and, like they did here, bombed out the city. There’s very little left standing. Shortly after the initial bombing, foot soldiers landed and began moving through the city, killing most and taking some captive.” He shrugged in exasperation. “I don’t know why.”
Onan, the older man, spoke up. “What city do they come from?”
“I don’t know that either, but I did see one of the soldiers up close.” The memory of the fight in the hospital made Calier hesitate. Again, he felt revulsion at the primal emotions that had taken hold of him the first day. He continued, knowing how crazy what he was going to say would sound to the people. “He looked much like you or me, but there were differences, differences I’ve not seen in any city or people in Aereas. His skin was pale, there were no color streaks in his hair, and the language he spoke was something I’ve never heard before. I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” he paused and sighed, “but I don’t think they’re from Aereas. Their military technology is too advanced. No city on Aereas possess any weapons, especially like the ones I’ve seen.”
Murmurs rippled through the cellar.
“Ridiculous,” said Denar. His arms were folded over his chest; the crossbow rested across his knees. Calier saw disbelief etched in Denar’s sharp features, while anger smoldered behind his violet eyes. “Invaders from space, from another world? Is that the story you’re trying to sell us? I thought you were a man of science. Someone who works in proof and facts.”
Calier held Denar’s gaze. “I know how it sounds, Denar. It sounds like a fantasy story, but I have seen it with my own eyes. You saw the ships before you left Gadol, didn’t you?”
Denar shrugged and then nodded.
“Did they look Aerean?”
The tall man looked at the floor and then shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean one of the cities hasn’t been building a war machine in secret.”
“You’re right. Conceivably one of the Great Cities could build warships, but why would they? There is no logical reason why they would. What I keep coming back to is why would another city attack Gadol? It doesn’t make sense. There have been no signs. It has been an extraordinary time of peace and sharing between the cities. Wha
t benefit would be gained in doing something like this. Technology and weaponry on the scale I saw, wouldn’t remain a secret for long. There’s nothing in my dealings with my fellow Am’Segid that leads me to believe a conspiracy that large could remain hidden. It just wouldn’t happen,” Calier said.
Denar opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, remaining silent. For the time being, at least, his argument seemed to have lost validity.
Calier went on to explain what he had seen and heard at the hospital, the taking of the university and how the communications network had suddenly been disabled. The crowd looked at him in disbelief, but remained silent as he spoke of his, Berit’s, and Maltoki’s narrow escape from the city.
When he finished his tale he took a deep breath and looked at the people once again. “Look, you can’t stay here. It’s only a matter of time before soldiers come this way. You need to find a place where you can hide in relative safety, a place where these men would have a hard time finding you. As hard as it will be to leave your homes, you know there is no life left here.” Calier saw the sad recognition in the faces of the people. “You’re too close to the city. Last summer I found a cave in the mountains previously used as a hideout or a stronghold for some of our people long ago. I thought perhaps it was even used by the Ma’Ha’Nae.”
Denar snorted. “More fantasies. That tribe never existed.”
Calier ignored him and continued on. “There is water nearby, and I believe the spring may even run underground and into the cave. It’s my suggestion we make our way to the cave, and then maybe we can begin making trips to other cities who are relatively close and search for more survivors. Somehow we must gather what’s left of our people if we’re to have any hope of coming back from what has happened to us. I want you to consider coming with me.”
An uncertain silence settled over the room. Calier saw Ibris look at his wife and squeeze her hand. Ibris spoke up, looking at Calier. “My family will come. There’s nothing here, and we can’t hide underground forever.”
There were nods and murmurs of agreement from the people gathered around him.
“Good, good.” Calier broke into a smile. “I think we need to begin putting together a plan, scavenging through the village, and then move out as soon as possible.” He paused. “One other thing you should know. The quickest path to the cave requires us to walk through the heart of Sho’el Forest.”
All the positive energy the plan had injected into the room was suddenly sucked back out.
“Are you daft?” Denar growled. “Kill us now and be done with it. You expect a builder, a housewife, a teacher and the rest of these soft people to survive a trek through the most dangerous place on Aereas?”
A man named Kan nodded at Denar’s words. “He’s right. The forest is full of creatures who will prey on anything moving. Can’t we go around?”
Calier waited until the murmuring died down. “I know it’s the least desirable path, but skirting the forest to the north or the south will take so much more time. I’m not entirely certain, but I think we can make it to the cave after two weeks in the forest. It could easily take over six weeks walking around the outside. Traveling around the perimeter leaves us exposed. In spite of the dangers, the forest will protect us from the prying eyes in the sky. We won’t need to worry about being seen under the cover of the canopy.”
“So what we’re really choosing is death from the invaders or death from the night stalkers and other beasts who call Sho’el home,” Denar said.
“I’ll admit there are no guarantees,” Calier said.
“Oh, there’s a pretty fair guarantee. A guarantee we’ll all be dead within hours of stepping into the forest,” Denar said.
The voices in the room began to grow louder as people began to argue back and forth about the best course of action. After several minutes Ibris stood and called for quiet.
“Look, we must do something. Staying here is not an option, as the professor has pointed out. I’ll be the first to admit taking my wife and sons into Sho’el is the last thing I want to do, but I don’t have any other ideas. If any of you have something better to offer, then by all means speak up. We would all like to hear it. I’m sure the professor would as well.”
Calier nodded. “Yes, please. I’m open to alternatives.”
The room remained silent. Calier watched Denar scowl, pick up his crossbow and stalk up the cellar stairs and disappear outdoors.
“Hearing no better ideas, I say we follow the professor’s plan.” Ibris looked around the room. “Let’s start talking strategy. We’ll need supplies.”
A bit of the energy returned as the villagers began talking among themselves. Calier saw the looks of despair diminish on their faces. They seemed to put the thought of traversing Sho’el out of their minds. There was something to do, something to plan out and work toward. Calier saw just how desperate these people were, how they were longing for someone to lead them. For someone to give them a plan and something to busy their hands and their minds with. He was utterly shocked he was the person who had given them that plan. He’d led committees and archaeological digs, but he never considered himself any kind of leader. Definitely not one who would be able to lead a people back from the brink of annihilation.
He was just doing what needed to be done.
On his shoulder he felt the pressure of a hand and turned to see Maltoki smiling behind him.
“Nice speech.”
“Thanks.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were running for public office.”
Calier chuckled. “No. That, my friend, was a speech born out of desperation.”
“How so?”
“I was desperate to have those people come with me because if they didn’t, it was going to be just you and me in a cave. That was motivation enough to come up with a good speech.”
CHAPTER FOUR
If Dillon hadn’t known the black smudge in the distance had been a city, he could’ve been fooled. A gray haze of ash and smoke obscured the city, or what was left of it. It looked like a forest had been consumed by a raging fire. Some buildings still stood, but they were scarred and blackened. Tops of structures lay toppled, and what remained looked like charred stumps that would never grow again.
Dillon sighed. It reminded him of the many war ravaged cities of Earth.
It was the same old story, just on a different planet.
The ship shuddered, the vibration reverberating through the decking and into the soles of his boots, as his Pilot banked hard, preparing for their descent into the city. A park on the city’s northeastern corner had been cleared and transformed into an airbase. Rows of Valkyrie class ships stood waiting for their crews to man them and take to the skies on another mission. Three Helix strike fighters streaked out of the city, the roar of their engines drowning out all other noise in the ship.
Most of the Helix fighters had returned to the command ship orbiting HP-397, or Aereas, as the natives referred to their world. They would be refitted, reloaded and reassigned to the planet as needed. But now that the initial incursion was over, the Valkyries were better suited for the next phase of this mission.
He saluted as the Helixes passed and disappeared into the drab gray sky. The rain had been fairly steady since they’d arrived. Apparently it was the rainy season on this part of the planet.
It never failed. Blistering heat in southwest North America, monsoons in the Phillipines, and the dead of winter in northeast Asia; the CPF always assigned him to campaigns during the most miserable times of year.
The powerful thunder of the landing thrusters cut into his thoughts as the ship began to circle and drop into the park. Once proud trees lay stacked neatly around the edges of the green space and temporary barracks and command buildings had been erected.
A soft bump and the abating whine of the engines let him know the ship had officially touched down. There was a clink of metal as safety harnesses were released and the other nine members of Hildr team beg
an to mill around gathering gear before disembarking.
The rear ramp of the ship lowered, revealing several waiting technicians. They entered the dimly lit ship and moved to where the three females Hildr team had managed to capture lay sedated and strapped into recessed bunks in the wall of the ship.
One of the technicians acknowledged Dillon. “Nice work, Commander. The last couple days have been slow, but your team has been nicely consistent.” He grunted as he and another technician lifted a woman out of the bunk and lowered her onto a waiting low gurney.
Dillon watched the men work. “Just trying to keep you guys employed.”
“We appreciate that.”
Another tech rolled the gurney down the ramp and disappeared from sight. The men removed the second female from her berth and repeated the process of securing her to another waiting gurney. Dillon watched, curious. There were so many secrets in the CPF. Everything was covered and shadowed by layers of security making it hard to actually get at the unvarnished truth.
“What do you do with them?”
Intent on his work of inserting an IV into the arm of the woman, the man did not look up. “We take them to the processing facility in what was a school of some sort.” The tech taped the needle down and started the slow drip from the bag.
“The females produce an enzyme we need. It’s quite a process to get it, but the doctors have it down now. Soon everyone will be benefiting from what we’re doing.”
“You mean stopping the virus?”
The tech gave the gurney a push as a new set of men wheeled it away.
“You’ve got it. It’s in all of us and it’s only a matter of time before it mutates enough to cause problems again. The enzyme can be used to create a vaccine.”
The men hefted the last female onto the gurney.
“So how did we even find out about the enzyme?”