Jarden pulled himself up on the arm of the captain’s chair and pulled himself into it. Don’t fail me now, body. Not while I’m so close. “Attempt communication,” he said, his nerves shot while he waited.
“Nothing, sir,” Tsang said.
“Keep trying.” Jarden knew there could be many reasons for them not answering. The equipment could be damaged or they might have turned it all off. Hell, sixty years was an awfully long time to be waiting for a rescue, and they might be afraid of who else was listening.
A few minutes later, there was still no answer to their communication, and Jarden made a decision.
“Kat, take Flint’s seat. We’re going to the surface.” Jarden watched the scans of the planet, showing minimal electrical readouts. Whatever was down there, it wasn’t alien cities and technology.
Flint Lancaster got up and followed him off the bridge. “I’m coming, Leona,” Jarden whispered.
Benson
Benson caught his reflection in the mirror, and fixed his collar. He’d always hated wearing a uniform and was glad Jarden allowed him to dress as he pleased. Benson had done a lot of favors for the man over the years and knew that if he could make himself invaluable, he would have free rein over Fairbanks. It had worked even better than he’d imagined.
He read a message from the bridge saying they were in orbit of the colony world. Years ago, Fairbanks had dubbed the world Domum, Latin for home. Benson had never liked the name, but that didn’t matter.
He walked by a few crew members on the way to his destination, and he paused to chat with a delightful young woman before carrying on. He stopped in the cafeteria, grabbing a much-needed coffee, and kept moving.
Benson was in a fantastic mood. The buildup had taken a lot of effort, but they were here. He approached the laboratory where Wren Sando was working. He had it on good authority she was still eating breakfast. With a wave of his hands, the two stationed guards nodded and vacated the doorway.
Before entering, he pulled a palm-sized device from his blazer’s inside pocket. With the tap of a dim icon, it began working. Benson stepped into the room, knowing the recording feeds would be on a loop. If anyone watched this feed, they’d see nothing but the same five minutes over again, where the room sat empty and nothing moved.
The glowing blue energy field drew him toward it, and he grinned as he saw the crouched Watcher in his cell. The alien stood tall as he approached, not making a noise.
Benson spoke to him then: at first a low growl, then a series of clicks and groans.
The creature was silent for a moment before answering the question.
Benson lost his smile.
The End
BY
NATHAN HYSTAD
Copyright © 2019 Nathan Hystad
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover art: Tom Edwards Design
Edited by: Scarlett R Algee
Proofed and Formatted by: BZ Hercules
1
Flint
“Let’s bring the kid. I hear he’s quite the pilot,” Flint urged as they neared the hangar.
“What do I need two pilots for?” Fairbanks asked.
He had a good point, but Flint wasn’t one to let his foot off the pedal so easily. “He’s going to be bored up here. He’s lived on the streets since he was ten. Then he joined the Earth Fleet, and only a month later, he’s flying a Shift drive fighter through a Rift in space. Let’s cut him some slack and do something special for him.” Flint laid it on a little thick, but the sigh from Fairbanks told him he was winning the argument.
“Fine. Bring the kid.” Fairbanks nodded to two guards outside the hangar. “You. What’s your name?” he asked the tall female guard.
She seemed surprised he took an interest. “Bree, sir,” she said.
“I’ve seen you around. How long have you been with me?” he asked.
“Six years. I started out with you on Europa,” she said, standing proudly.
“Very good. I thought I recognized you. How would you like to join us on a trip to the surface?” Fairbanks asked.
“I’d consider it an honor,” Bree said.
Flint was surprised Fairbanks didn’t have a personal bodyguard. Maybe when you were surrounded by hundreds of loyal crew, you didn’t need the extra security.
Flint took the time to put his earpiece in and call Ace’s private line, using the mini-processor strapped to his forearm. It sat on the outside of his crisp black uniform. He couldn’t believe he was wearing a uniform again. It felt strange but oddly comforting to be part of something bigger than himself, his ship Perdita, and Kat. He missed his ship: the smells, the feeling of his favorite boots stepping down the familiar corridor to the bridge.
The boy answered straight away, and Flint pushed thoughts of his old life to the side. Benson had told him Perdita would be safe, but with the invasion taking place, nothing was safe back home. He’d probably never see her again, and he had to come to peace with that.
“Flint?” Ace asked.
“The one and only. How would you like to join Fairbanks and me on the surface?” Flint asked.
“I’m there. Which hangar?” Ace wasn’t able to hide the excitement from his teenage voice.
“I’ll ping you the location now.” Flint tapped the processor, and the bay site transferred to Ace.
“I’m coming. Don’t leave without me.” The call ended, and Flint couldn’t help but grin. He liked the kid and was glad to have him along for the ride.
Flint followed the guard and Fairbanks into the hangar. This was the councilman’s private bay, and two fancy landers sat powered down. There were crates of supplies lining the walls, stretching upward, halfway to the forty-foot ceilings.
Flint let out a whistle as he approached the lander Fairbanks pointed to. “She’s a beauty. What’s her name?”
“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Fairbanks said, and Flint raised an eyebrow in a “who are you kidding” gesture. It worked. “Her name’s Leona.” Flint could see a hint of memory flash over the old man’s eyes and didn’t press the subject.
He extended his arm to the tall guard. “Hello, Bree. I’m Flint. Flint Lancaster. Nice to meet you.” She glared at him, her face impassive for a moment, before she cracked the slightest smile.
“Good to meet you, Flint. How long have you known the councilman?” she asked.
Flint glanced at the man and shrugged. “What’s it been? Four…five days?” He laughed, and could tell Bree didn’t know if he was kidding or not.
“Enough chit-chat. The ship’s loaded with supplies. It’s time to go.” Fairbanks shouldered past Flint and opened the door to the lander. The vessel was only thirty feet long and twelve high. The door hinged open with a hiss, and Flint stepped in after the other two had already entered.
“This is so cool, Flint.”
Flint hadn’t heard Ace in the hangar until he spoke. The boy looked better already; the deep purple bags under his eyes were starting to fade away. The uniform he wore still swam around his small frame, but Flint knew he’d start to fill out soon. He’d been much the same way at that age. One day he was a skeleton, the next he was wide and strong. The miracles of youth.
Flint entered the ship, glancing toward the rear cargo hold, where stacks of crates sat untouched. “Planning on being there for a while, Jarden?” He used the man’s first name, checking to see if he’d be reprimanded for it. Thinking of him as “the councilman” or “Fairbanks
” was getting cumbersome. When Jarden didn’t admonish him for the personal use, he decided to keep it up.
“You don’t get where I am by not being prepared. Come on, let’s go. The colony awaits us,” Jarden said, taking the left front seat. Flint took the pilot’s seat to his right, leaving Ace and Bree to sit on the bench behind them.
He powered up the ship, feeling the light rumble of the lander as the engines purred to life. The dashboard lit up, a soft green glow against his face. This was luxury. Flint had flown numerous ships in his time with the Fleet and even after, working for countless corporations as an in-system freight hauler, but never had he sat in a seat quite as soft and comfortable as the one under him now.
“I like your style, Jarden,” he said, tapping the hangar wall open. It slid apart, exposing the containment field on the other side. The controls were all familiar, nothing there to surprise him, and he lifted them off the hangar floor with ease. Ace was behind him, watching with interest.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Lancaster,” Jarden said, but when Flint glanced over at the old man, he saw a sense of pride in his face.
“Noted, sir. Prepare for takeoff.” Flint urged the lander forward, and in moments, they were crossing the blue energy field, entering space. From the wide viewscreen three feet in front of them, Flint saw the distant nebula. It was an amazing sight.
Below them, the world became a real thing. Somehow seeing it from the lander, instead of from the viewscreen on the Eureka’s bridge, made the realization that they were in another galaxy, hanging over a world none of them had ever seen before, hit Flint like he’d been slapped.
No one made a sound as Flint lowered them toward the world. The lander jostled as they entered the atmosphere, the inertia dampeners keeping them from being tossed around the vessel.
“The signal is weak, but it’s there,” Jarden said, pointing to the holomap on the dash.
“It’s over a body of water?” Ace asked from behind them.
“It appears that way,” Flint answered.
“What about the life sensors?” Ace asked again. The kid was inquisitive.
Jarden answered this one. “The atmosphere appears to have some quality that prevents accurate readings, but there’s plenty of life down there. We just can’t hone in to see if it’s human.”
Flint knew the lander didn’t have that feature either, so they had to go about this the old-fashioned way. The rough ride was over, and Flint lowered them toward the target. It was still two thousand kilometers away. He would have preferred to wait until they were nearer with Eureka in orbit, but Jarden hadn’t been patient enough for that.
The lander was quick, and they hurtled toward the distant lake. Flint took the time to scan the landscape below. It felt oddly similar to Earth. After seeing his own solar system for so long, this didn’t seem real. The moons and planets where they came from were death traps, but here, there was an abundance of water. And where there was water, there was life.
They raced over mountain ranges and peaks, pushing high into the sky above thin clouds. Flint watched as Jarden took it all in. The old man’s hands appeared to be shaking faintly.
“I heard about your family,” Flint said, broaching the secret subject. “I hope we find them.”
Jarden remained silent for a moment, then slowly turned his head. “Thank you. I believe we will find them, well and happy.”
The man was unflappable in his confidence. He’d obsessed over it for most of his life and had done whatever it took to end up at this moment sixty years later. Flint couldn’t imagine loving something so much that he could spend that long with such a single-minded focus on it. He loved Kat as family, but even now, he knew it wasn’t the same depth as what was coursing through Jarden’s veins day in and day out.
“What do you expect the colony to look like?” Ace asked.
“The colony ship was enough to sustain them for years, but they also had supplies in the lower half of the ship that would allow them to begin a colony village. Wood, metal beams, fasteners of all shapes and sizes. They even had mining tools. There were dozens of tradespeople, each with unique skills. Project managers, city planners, healthcare workers; everything needed to start over.” Jarden spoke with calm assurance. He fully expected to arrive in a city sixty years in the making. It would be impressive if it was half of what Jarden seemed to think they were arriving into.
“Sounds like the Earth Fleet really planned this out,” Flint said.
“They did. My wife was on the Board. She was on Ganymede when it was all going down, but she was supposed to stay behind. I was there that day, you know,” Jarden said.
“I saw the video, remember? You were a commander, watching the colony ship leave,” Flint said.
“And I had no idea she was on the colony ship. I still can’t believe…” Jarden cut himself short and looked around, as if forgetting where he was. “Anyway, they were given everything they needed to survive. As long as they weren’t attacked by the Watchers, I believe they’ll be thriving down here.”
Flint wanted to ask about the dim signal they were getting from the bottom of a lake but held back. They’d find out soon enough. He glanced at the dash, seeing their target was nearing. They were only a hundred kilometers away, and the distance was shrinking quickly.
“Sixty years is a long time,” Ace said from the back bench.
Jarden nodded. “Don’t I know it. They had Extenders. I suspect my wife will have used them as I have.” Jarden looked to be in his late sixties, if Flint was a judge of age, but he knew the man was well over a hundred. His children would be in their seventies. He didn’t think it was going to be the reunion Jarden had likely replayed in his head a million times before.
Fifty kilometers left. Flint began to lower them toward the surface, which had leveled out, becoming foothills instead of the massive peaks and valleys they’d first encountered. A few lakes splattered around the landscape as he descended under the clouds. The view was filled with green, and Flint spotted forests which, from here, looked much like they did on Earth.
The lander’s alarms began to ring out with a ferocity that made Flint want to cover his ears. “What the hell is that?” he asked. Bree was holding a gun, which would only help if she could find the source of the alarm and blow it up.
Flint saw an incoming shape on the radar, and it was closing fast. “We’re being attacked,” Jarden said, yelling over the alarm.
The shape was ethereal, flowing as if it were a million individual pieces linked together by invisible thread. Then it hit him. “It’s a horde of something. Birds… maybe insects. It’s moving as a swarm.”
“They might not attack! Maybe they’re just curious!” Ace suggested loudly.
Flint hoped so. His heart raced as he kept lowering the lander toward the ground. They were still twenty-five kilometers from their target, but he had no choice. The horde didn’t stop beside them; it rushed the lander, surrounding it. The viewscreen turned black as tiny insects blanketed the ship.
The lander lurched as the engines cut out. “We have a problem!” Flint yelled, trying to get the engines started again. They were dead.
He checked their altitude. They were five hundred meters from the surface when he made his decision.
“What are you doing?” Jarden asked in a panic. “Hit the chute!”
Flint didn’t respond. If these things killed his engine, who knew what else they were capable of? He had to time it right. They were falling now, dropping like a rock, and he watched the meters turn to one hundred and fifty. The dashboard went dead, the ship’s interior black, with the exception of some dim backup lights.
Flint slowed the ship, found the manual chute button, and slammed his fist into it, feeling the ship catch air as the parachute opened wide. He lurched against the seatbelt, and they lowered to the ground, setting down softly.
“See. Perfect landing,” Flint said.
Jarden turned to him, the dark shadows cast over his face ma
king him look like the living dead. “Tell me you sent Eureka a mayday on the way down.”
Flint swallowed through his dry throat, annoyed that Jarden was barking at him. The curtain of insects began to dissipate off their viewscreen, and they watched as the horde of bugs took off in a cloud, in search of another target. “I had other things on my mind.”
They were twenty kilometers from the signal, and the system’s star was heading beyond the horizon. Night was commencing quickly.
2
Wren
Wren had been so blinded by her training when she was on Earth. She scanned over her three years of study on the project and found there was hardly anything usable. It was as if being away from the field for the last two years had cleared her mind and given her a new focus that was unattainable before.
“Why are you deleting those files?” Charles asked. They sat in the office at the far end of the lab, side by side, going over the data. He was proving to be valuable. Unlike the android assistants she’d had in the past, he could do more than just retain information provided. He’d done all the research he could on biology, microbiology, vaccines, viruses, and any other relevant topic he could find in Eureka’s database.
“They’re useless. I traveled down the wrong trail and didn’t notice it.” She could see it all in her head now, and understood why all the results had failed. When the pathogen entered the cells, it died and didn’t replicate. The cells she’d been given as samples were living, kept in a sort of stasis, but they hadn’t been a good enough medium. If given a proper chance, the virus would have done what it always did: reproduce as it killed the host, which would ultimately be its own demise. It was a tragic parallel to so many aspects of existence.
Now she had one of them, a living host. A Watcher. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the blue glowing cell, and felt sympathy for the creature. It had only been a few days since she’d been just like him, a prisoner to humans. Still, if they were going to help humanity survive, they needed this virus. Fairbanks had made it clear there was no way to win this war with guns.
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