Vallar

by Cindy Borgne

I thought back to my vision of Bret pounding on the radio in the mine. It made me more afraid to tell him my part in the battle. Rachel set plates of bacon and eggs in front of us. Everyone went silent. Bret and Kayla took a couple of slow bites. Sonny and I stuffed ourselves without hesitation.

  “Rachel was telling me a talented scientist helped you design this ship,” I said between bites, wanting to hear more.

  “Yes, I couldn’t have done it without him. He’s vital to many of our projects.”

  Sonny forced down a bite. “What sort of projects?”

  “He works on improving interstellar engines for eventually sending humans to Hinun.”

  “What’s his name?” I asked.

  “I better wait until we’re at a safer location before I tell you more.”

  Rachel set down a plate of toast and we all took some.

  “Ma’am,” Sonny said, “I enjoy your cooking much more than your piloting.”

  Rachel took a hand towel and slapped it across his face.

  Sonny leaned to his side and everyone chuckled. He sat up. “Seriously Rachel, this is delicious.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a compliment considering what you used to eat.” She grinned.

  “All I know is - I’m eating great now.”

  “Speaking of food,” Bret said. “Ian, are you sure the Marcs plan to attack the Argyre farming colony?”

  “Very sure.” I said. “They’ve been talking about taking it over, starting with an attack on the Vallar grain station.”

  “It sounds like Beacon has no problem with ignoring the Argyre neutrality law,” Kayla said.

  “If the Marcs take over Argyre, it’s going to cut off food for a lot of people,” Bret said. “We have to get out of here and stop them.”

  “At least Vallar’s been warned,” I said.

  “Yes, and we appreciate that.” Bret grabbed a remote off the table. He pointed it at a large monitor in the upper corner of the room. The last scan of the area appeared on the screen.

  “See those small dark spots.” He zoomed in and satellite dishes on the ground became visible. “They’re using those to block transmissions and to track us.” He continued to adjust the picture and switch locations.

  In one shot, a midrange was parked by one of the dishes. In another, a couple of people in envirosuits stood by.

  “If we can take those out,” Bret said, “then we can get a message to Admiral Reese for some backup.”

  “How can we do this?” Rachel asked.

  “The only way to do it is from the air since they’re constantly guarding those dishes. It’s also impossible to wait them out because it’s easy for one of their ships to drop by and refill their supplies.”

  “So what are the odds of all of us getting out of here?” Sonny asked.

  “I don’t know the odds,” Bret said. “But we’re at a stalemate, and we have to prepare to fight our way out of here.”

  “How can we do this with one ship?” I asked.

  “I’m working on a plan and we will execute it when the time comes.”

  Bret’s tone led me to believe that we had a good chance of not making it out of here. Anxiety stirred in my stomach. I tried not to let it show. This morning’s vision didn’t help. The idea of rescuing Bret and Kayla for nothing made me squirm with anxiety. Sonny was right. I had to have a vision to shift things to our advantage.

  I also had to tell Kayla Layne’s last words before we went into battle. Again, I worked on a way to explain it without telling her about my ability.

  “We’re going to be attacking from both air and the ground,” Bret said. “Ian, Sonny, I need your help cleaning some laser cannons.”

  ****

  After helping Bret, I took a break and went to see Kayla. A simple explanation had come to mind – like the other ways I managed to avoid telling them I was psychic.

  Sonny and Bret were eating lunch and I had to get it in while I had a chance with her alone. She sat up in the medi-bed, wearing a robe and looking over the scans. Her hair was wet from taking a shower.

  “Can I get you anything?” I asked.

  “Oh no, I just ate a sandwich.”

  “I’ve been wondering.” I took a deep breath. “Did you know a pilot named Layne?”

  Her eyes widened. “Yes, how did you know?”

  "Remember how I told you a Genner saved me at the battle for the mine? Well, that was Layne. I had ended up on the ground in the canyon, running out of oxygen and calling for help. He thought I was a Genner at first. I'm glad he didn't leave me behind when I found out I wasn't. I tried to get him to retreat, but he wouldn't. We crashed and tried to flee on foot, but the Marcs—" My voice cracked at the memory and I paused to get my emotions under control. "They shot him. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen. I had to pull the 'elite' card to get a medic to look at him afterward.” I stopped, unable to say more.

  Kayla's eyes brimmed with tears. "Did he say anything, you know, before . . ."

  I took a deep breath. "He wanted me to tell you that he loves you. I don't know how he thought I could deliver that message. But he was right."

  Her eyes filled with tears. She pulled up the covers over her eyes and hid her face.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, it’s okay,” she spoke into the blanket. “I’m glad to know. Thanks for telling me.”

  I took the com out of my pocket and held it out. “He dropped this and I took it so the Marcs wouldn’t get it.”

  She peeked over the blanket and took the com. “That's why you were all flustered when I first met you in the hangar. I thought . . ."

  I wondered what she thought, since it was probably about me, but decided not to press. "I, uh, watched a few of the messages. Sorry."

  She sniffed and put the blanket down. “You’ve known my real name for a quite a while, haven’t you?”

  I touched her the top of her hand. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay. I would’ve snooped too.” She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t want him to go out there. He was a good pilot, but also a geologist. He was the one who discovered the mine.” She wiped her tears. “He would never retreat.”

  “I’m glad we met so I could tell you.” I had to admit, I pulled this off nicely. I could explain anything while hiding my ability.

  She stared in remembrance. “He was so talented.”

  “He was a good man,” I said.

  Her eyes half closed. She gazed out the porthole, needing to be alone.

  Chapter 22

  The rest of the day Sonny, Kayla and I practiced with the targeting system in simulator mode. That evening everyone gathered in the galley to hear Bret’s plan

  “Sonny, Kayla and Ian are going to be on the ground in separate locations armed with laser cannons,” Bret explained. “Then I’ll chase the Marc vessels over them. They won’t be expecting ground fire. It’ll confuse the hell out of them. I’ll pilot, Rachel will take the weapons station. We should be able to take down several of them.”

  “What if there’s too many for us to handle?” Sonny asked.

  “Whatever’s out there, we don’t have a choice. Once I’m in the air, I’ll be able to take out those satellite dishes. Then I’ll be able to radio for help.”

  “But with us separated won’t it be hard if you have to pick us up for some reason?” Sonny asked.

  “Most likely I won’t be able to pick anyone up until backup arrives. This cave will be used as a place to hide. Supplies will be left to seal and pressurize it. We’re leaving, food, oxygen converters, heat shielding equipment and a transmitter. I will send the coordinates to the mine as soon as those dishes are down.”

  “It sounds reasonable, but I don’t like the idea of us being separated by such long distances,” Sonny said.

  “I would stay on the ground myself, but the best chance is with me piloting and Rachel on the weapons console. The more ground fire the better.”

 
Sonny shifted on his legs. “Ian should stay on the ship.”

  “Sonny, stop,” I said. “Bret needs me on the ground. I’m not staying on the ship.”

  “I’d prefer everyone on the ship, but the reality is we won’t make it out of here any other way. The cover of night should help us, so we’ll start at sunset tomorrow.”

  ****

  That night I rested in an upper bunk, anticipating the upcoming battle. Kayla looked cute in her blue polka dot shorts and matching top. She dimmed the lights and took the bunk under me. Rachel and Bret took the beds in the infirmary.

  “If anyone needs something, wake me up,” Sonny said from the lower bunk across from me.

  He hadn’t taken off his artificial leg. I suspected he might slip it off later and hide it under the blanket again.

  “Good night, guys,” Kayla said.

  “Night.” I shut my eyes and saw the image from my vision – the tortured face of Nate. Why did he have to haunt me in dreams? Was it my own guilt?

  Since I never had a repeating vision before, this had to be a nightmare – not a real vision. Besides, my visions were always crystal clear while the nightmare had been like looking through steam. Forgetting about it was the best thing to do.

  Bret had trained me how to use the laser cannon, and I repeated the procedures several times. How would the battle go tomorrow? I needed to find out something useful, but I hesitated and gripped the side of the bed. What if I saw one of my friends dead? I didn’t want to go through another loss. But at least, knowing the future might give me a chance to prevent any disasters.

  Let me see tomorrow’s battle.

  I dozed off, repeating the phrase. A blur of voices started in the distance and grew louder. My entire body flinched, and my eyes flew open. Only a few hours had passed. I leaned over the bunk. Kayla mumbled in her sleep while Sonny snored softly. I plopped down and grumbled.

  Don’t be scared.

  A blur of voices started up again, making me nervous.

  Don’t be afraid to see.

  The darkness cleared. I saw myself outside behind a cannon, firing up into the sky. A haze of dust surrounded me as I was positioned between two boulders. One of my blasts sent a scouter spiraling to the ground. Two other scouters circled around and flew toward me.

  “Ian, a dust storm is coming. Head for the cave before those jets are in range.” Bret ordered.

  “Yes, sir.” I ran across the flat surface of the area above the crater, leaving a trail of boot prints. Reaching the edge of the crater, I grabbed the cable and started down the wall where the dust swirled even thicker.

  From that position, I couldn’t see the Marc midrange, an MC1000, the same type that gunned down Layne. It cruised through the dust right for Bret.

  The Phantom fired on the scouters. Some of them managed to dodge the laser blasts. Others went hurling to the ground. The monster midrange emerged from the dust and closed in on Bret from behind. All the vessels came within perfect firing range of my cannon, but I was unaware and running for the cave.

  “Sonny, Kayla . . . .” Bret shouted, followed by a blast of static.

  A large blast from the Marc midrange struck the rear of the Phantom. The scouters joined in and fired. The Phantom burst into a ball of flames and plunged to the ground.

  I watched myself on the ground stop at the feel of a strong vibration. “Bret!” I turned around and ran back for the wall.

  “Ian….” Sonny called. “Bret was shot down. Head for the cave.”

  I grabbed the cable and struggled to climb back up the wall. “What if they’re still alive?” I tried to climb up, but the envirosuit made it impossible.

  While the Ian on the crater floor continued to struggle, I floated over to the cannon. The crumpled Phantom was smoking not far from my cannon. The Marc midrange had fired repeated blasts, leaving the ship half melted. In the crumpled ship, I spotted a trapped body. Part of the suit was burned off, leaving bone exposed and hardened blood. I gasped and pulled back, unable to look any closer.

  My cannon still stood operational. I’d left my station too soon. With more backup, Bret might have made it.

  With my heart racing, I opened my eyes to the dim lighting of the sleeping quarters and rolled to my side. “Sonny?” I whispered.

  Sonny didn’t budge. He had to be exhausted and deserved more sleep. At least knowing one scenario could help us prevent it, but Bret would wonder how I knew.

  I flipped over and shut my eyes, trying not to think about anyone dying. Every time I managed to calm my racing heart, I’d remember the sight of that dead body, and the rapid beating would start up again.

  Another vision might help come up with a solution. Either that or I could turn myself in to Beacon with an agreement that everyone else be allowed to go. But how could I trust Beacon with that?

  After much squirming, I dozed off thinking of different scenarios and chanting.

  What if I stayed at my cannon? What if I stayed . . . .

  When the darkness cleared, I faced a wall full of monitors displaying sections of a hangar. Quality awards hung on the wall. It was Bret’s office. Admiral Beacon stood in the office surrounded by several officers. I also recognized overseer Williams’ shiny bald head lined with a black reef. A crowd of workers gathered around near the office.

  “Where’s Bret?” Williams snapped.

  Alexis backed up and bumped into the glass window of the office.

  Beacon shook with anger. His eyes bulged, and his neck swelled. He hurled himself at the plaques. With a furious shout, he knocked them all off the wall. “He’s a spy and traitor!” Beacon said. “Now where is he?”

  Alexis tried to rush past him, but the officers blocked her. Williams grabbed her by the suspenders of her overalls and pushed her backwards into the glass window of the office. With a bang, glass particles burst around her. She collapsed on top of the broken glass.

  Beacon took a laser pistol off his belt and aimed it at her. “Tell me how Yargar and the others are getting in and out of here.”

  Alexis reached for the back of her leg where a jagged piece of glass was stuck. She didn’t speak while Beacon’s fingers hovered over the trigger.

  Everything went dark, but I could still hear voices. Hannah was crying. Others were screaming and making my head pound.

  Stay away from me, stay away!

  Hannah screamed with terror. A small light appeared at the end of a dark tunnel. I followed, spiraling through the darkness. At the end, the sub-hangar appeared. Bodies of a couple of men were near the old cargo hauler. Both had laser blasts in their chests and lay in pools of blood.

  In one corner, was a bruised and bloody naked body. Her limbs were in awkward positions as if she’d been thrown away like garbage. Blood streaked the face of Alexis. Her eyes were open with a look of horror.

  “No.” I gasped and sat up. The sudden shift out of the vision made everything blur. I took in some quick breaths.

  Where was Hannah? I’d woken up too fast. My stomach reeled and a bitter taste filled my mouth. The top of the bathroom door came into focus across from my bunk. I held my stomach with one hand. With the other, I reached for the door and dove off the bunk into the head. The door flew open with a bang.

  Kayla let out a short scream. I crashed down by the toilet and leaned over gagging. Acid burned the back of my throat, and I spit it out.

  “Ian?” Sonny stumbled in with his eyes half shut and blond hair on end. He wore only a t-shirt and shorts, leaving his artificial leg exposed.

  I leaned back on the cold floor trembling and covered in sweat. “It was horrible,” I said through chattering teeth.

  Sonny touched my arm. “Can you get up?”

  Feeling about to explode, I grabbed Sonny, buried my face in his chest and screamed angrily.

  “Easy,” Sonny said, managing to stay calm while holding on to me. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

  “I don’t know how.” A few whimpers escaped.

&nbs
p; After a few moments, he helped me over to his bunk. Someone had turned on the lights.

  Kayla sat at the edge of her bunk. “Ian?” She touched my hand. “What’s wrong?”

  “A nightmare. S-sorry to startle you.”

  Sonny went into the galley and came back with a water bottle. I took several gulps. Instead of showing me an alternative, the vision had continued, revealing what would happen after Bret’s death. Beacon must’ve stumbled onto things. But how?

  A wave of anxiety caused me to think of different scenarios – too many to keep track of. Whatever happened, I couldn’t take another loss.

  Sonny rested his hand on my chest. “Settle down.”

  “What’s going on?” Bret walked over in a brown robe.

  How could I tell him? It would tear him apart.

  “Is he okay?” Bret asked.

  “He has nightmares,” Sonny said. “You know, post traumatic stress disorder.”

  “Bret….” I couldn’t hold it back. “You have to get a message out.”

  Bret touched my shoulder. “I can’t until I clear those dishes.”

  I grabbed the edge of his robe. “You have to warn Alexis. Tell her and the others to leave.”

  “Try to calm down. We’re all under pressure.” His face and eyes reminded me of an eagle - ready to take action. He glanced at the clock. It was almost 0600 hours. “I suppose nobody is going to sleep now.”

  “I’ll get us breakfast,” Rachel offered.

  My knees ached from landing on the floor. “I’m sorry about all the noise.”

  “No need to apologize. Everyone get dressed. We’ll talk over breakfast.” He crossed over to the bridge.

  I admired the way he looked stronger under pressure. If anyone could handle knowing the future, it’d be Bret. Sonny sat on the edge of my bunk.

  “Beacon’s coming for Alexis and Hannah,” I whispered.

  Sonny glanced toward the bridge and whispered, “We gotta get out of here.”

  ****

  At breakfast, everyone ate but Sonny and me. We exchanged several glances and picked at the food. Bret wore captain wings on the shoulders of his green Vallar uniform. Rachel and Kayla both had silver lieutenant bars. I had no choice but to tell him about my ability.