Jaded Dusk

by Scott Wale

  “That sounds horrific”, Alejade said envisioning a living being trapped inside.

  “Don’t worry, it has gone through several tests including Nevit and myself”, Tradok reassured her.

  Tradok had lost focus on the task at hand due to the conversation. He looked down at the skin shield unit he was currently holding and without properly inspecting it he placed it into the gear pack. Tradok had made sure to grab a few extra skin shield units and his pile of devices had dwindled to the last item he had pulled from the shelves.

  “What is that final item?” Fenrit asked.

  “Something I need when I return to Shadowport”, Tradok answered. “It’s the last part of a cybernetics test I’m running.”

  Nevit shook his head realizing where this extended answer was headed.

  “I know you think it’s a waste of time, but eventually I’ll get it to work”, Tradok said acknowledging Nevit’s gesture.

  “I like the idea of what you’re trying to do, but making it work has haunted you ever since I’ve known you”, Nevit defended his opinion.

  “What is it?” Alejade asked piqued by the debate around the device.

  “This is nothing but a memory module”, Tradok said holding up the device he had pulled from the shelf. “I’ve successfully created a device that interfaces with my dataport and downloads my memory. The device was surgically implanted in my head. I periodically backup my memory and this module here is an old version of my memory. It’ll allow me to run some tests comparing old and new data.”

  “What he is leaving out is that he has no way of reading the memories or more importantly uploading memory back into a living being”, Nevit said. “The goal would be to either search the memory of those who no longer exist or to restore memory to those who have lost it.”

  “I have a prototype that will load memories back into the brain, but like I said, I need to run some tests first”, Tradok said growing slightly irritated.

  “That’s the problem”, Nevit started. “You need live test subjects that you can accurately measure to get all of this to work and you’ve only chosen yourself. If you’re not careful, you’re going to erase your own memory.”

  “Eventually, yes, I will need live subjects”, Tradok conceded. “If we get back though, there is plenty I can do with this old memory data to further my testing and get closer to having confidence in running tests on a live subject.”

  “I guess with no mining business to run you need something to keep you busy”, Nevit said with stinging criticism.

  “I don’t need your flak”, Tradok said with a bitter tone while sliding the memory module into his pocket. “We have all we need here, let’s be on our way.”

  “One last thing”, Nevit stalled the decision. “I know I just struck a sore spot with you, however, you promised me that if we ever visited your workshop that I would get to see your personal quarters.”

  “Very well, but only you”, Tradok agreed without a hint of disagreement. “While you’re in there, grab my torrid sleeper before I forget it.

  Tradok pointed to the door at the far end of the workshop. Nevit slowly walked to the door expecting Tradok to recant on the agreement at any moment. The door to Tradok’s quarters opened after sensing a nearby body. Nevit looked back at the group one final time before stepping through the threshold. The Mortoptera disappeared for a short while into the room. Alejade and Fenrit both looked at Tradok trying to read his expression and learn more about the backstory to this strange agreement. When Nevit reemerged, with the torrid sleeper in hand, he did so with a sense of elation.

  “It is everything I thought it would be”, Nevit said.

  XII.

  For the second time in a short span the villagers had setup a temporary camp. Aman at first appearance had overflown outside of its walls, but the surge was simply the Loupiq and Chafel refugees who were grateful to settle down for the time being. The group of elders had met with Jalpa shortly after the arrival and a stringent set of rules was set and expected to be enforced. None of the refugees were to dwell within Aman’s walls; however, they were free to enter the city during the day and seek services or conduct in trade. The Ipta would be the sole adjudicator on the refugee’s tenure of the land set aside for them, but each group would maintain its own sovereignty. The most difficult concession for the Loupiq and Chafel was that in the event of an attack they were the front line of defense for the city. This was no surprise as Alejade had already agreed upon this condition with Jalpa. The group of elders was unable to reverse the arrangement, but remained hopeful that if an attack was to take place the Ipta would be more protective than advertised.

  The refugee camp itself was not much of an improvement over what had been setup at the fringe of the Echo Woods. Most of the residents had begun to construct sturdier domiciles anticipating an extended stay. Replacing the tents with huts had given the camp a more cozy feeling and provided a much needed boost of tranquility among the Loupiq and Chafel. Fences had once again been built to hold in the domesticated beasts and community structures such as a hall for the elders, a store house and a small sanctuary were also constructed. Everyone knew the situation was not permanent, but remaining optimistic about the position the Loupiq and Chafel were in kept tensions at a minimum.

  Halden had surprised everyone by building his own hut. He had never been known for his craftsmen skills, but his desire for some privacy pushed his goal to its completion. He followed along as many of the residents simultaneously went through the process of forming walls for their huts and later putting together a thatching for the roof. The experts of the group oversaw the work of the others giving pointers to improve the quality. Halden’s final product may not have been the exemplar for others, but it would serve his needs and survive the test of time assuming that period was brief.

  The premalier entered Halden’s hut and took a moment to examine the interior details. A bed along with a table and a couple of chairs made up the furniture. Halden had not opted to construct a floor, but instead used a rug to cover what was now a predominant patch of dirt with some remnants of dying forest floor grass. A few tools and texts were arranged at one end of the rug that appeared to be their permanent storage location given the lack of a table, drawer or shelf. The only light came through the crease in the door, which had meant that Halden had paid close attention while thatching his roof to create an appropriate number of layers eliminating the chance for small holes. Halden himself sat at one of the chairs and gestured for his guest to take a seat in the other.

  “Looks like the camp has got a lot done since I left”, the premalier said.

  “It’s quite amazing what our people can do when there is a clear goal and they give it their full concentration”, Halden replied. “I hope your travels were not in vain and you have some news for me.”

  “I found them and I believe I’ve pieced together what their plan is”, the premalier answered.

  “I’m very curious to hear”, Halden interrupted. “I don’t wish to discourage their actions, but it’s necessary to know how our people are being represented to the greater world. Please, go on.”

  “They’ve joined with a Sauronoid and a Mortoptera”, the premalier reported. “I believe they are trying to hunt down Grimtav and by the looks of things it’s not likely to be a friendly interaction. I watched them in the market as they chased down a Batarmiv and then the Sauronoid roughed up the Batarmiv for some information.”

  “Did anyone see you?” Halden asked cautiously.

  “I don’t believe so”, the premalier answered. “I changed my garments as you recommended and the crowd was a good enough size that it wasn’t hard to just blend in. At first I was just trying to watch Fenrit and Alejade as they combed the market separately, but then Alejade caused some commotion by chasing the Batarmiv through the market. The Mortoptera gave chase to the same Batarmiv after Alejade had failed to keep up with him. I confirmed my suspicion that the Mortoptera and Sauronoid were working with Fenrit a
nd Alejade when I spoke to the Batarmiv after he was assaulted by the Sauronoid. I had to use the artum you gave me, but I believe he told me everything he knew.”

  “I’m sorry that I had to ask you to work in such a clandestine manner”, Halden comforted the premalier. “You understand that I don’t want to influence the actions of Fenrit. It’s not the wish of the elders to recall Fenrit and Alejade back to the camp. You’ve done very well with the task I gave you. Do you have anything else to report?”

  “The Batarmiv revealed that not only were they interested in Grimtav’s location, but they were also looking to procure some explosives”, the premalier answered. “After I learned what I did from the Batarmiv I decided to return here. The market had provided the opportunity to learn what I did without being noticed and I didn’t want to risk being exposed.”

  “That was a wise decision and it’s pretty clear that the group has malicious intentions”, Halden said. “We’ll learn the result of their adventure and deliver the appropriate consequences for any actions they take.”

  “Fenrit isn’t in any trouble is he?” inquired the premalier.

  “Not yet, but we can’t condone his rogue actions”, Halden responded. “Especially actions that show a lack of integrity. Remember your premalier training and how your actions in the outside world are representative of us all. The premaliers are a valuable component to our society, but we need to ensure they are exhibiting the traits that our people revere.”

  “I understand, but I just hate to see a premalier of Fenrit’s caliber fall from grace”, the premalier replied. “He has been a model premalier since he was initiated.”

  Halden had received the intel he desired and done so without the premaliers being suspicious of his motives. Fenrit would slip by the standards that had been placed on the premaliers and Halden would be able to use it to pull power away from the premaliers as a whole. As long as Halden continued with the façade of compassion towards the premaliers his intentions would never be questioned. The power would shift back to the group of elders where it had resided before the time of the premaliers. Halden would then only have to deal with two other voices rather than the multitude of opinions that aggregated under the premaliers. Halden had spent a lot of time theorizing and determined that the unpredictability of the premaliers is what made them the greatest threat. The premaliers endured their own power struggles and few individuals throughout the group’s history unified the group into a single voice and were also able to effectively act as a leader. The premaliers currently were in their usual period of a power vacuum which was more concerning than being under the direction of a single leader. An opponent you can’t identify is that much more difficult to defeat. Although installing a puppet would earn Halden some control it would also put him at risk of being exposed for lacking virtues that were cherished among the elders. Sentient beings craved control, some seeking to be the driver and others seeking to be the driven. These were the words that Halden had lived by and they had gotten him this far.

  “You have an admirable respect for your comrades”, Halden replied. “And I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Lachtyn.”

  XIII.

  The watercraft was a crude construction, but it floated on a river that to Tradok’s recollection didn’t offer much in the way of treachery. Tradok had mustered up some loose supplies and assembled the watercraft overnight. The group was in agreement that time was of extreme importance, but no one thought it wise to travel the river in the dark. The plan was to let the current pull the group down the river towards Lake Sier where they would disembark and travel on foot the remainder of the way to Prominence. Based on the latitude of their current position their journey would take them across the plains and around the Bizti Swamp before they got to the mountain pass that led up to Prominence. The journey would take several days, which left Tradok pondering what provisions were necessary. Fenrit had offered his foraging skills and knowledge of the land they were about to traverse. Fenrit’s conservative evaluation was that he could sufficiently do enough foraging to keep the group sustained across the plains and up to the pass, but they wouldn’t be able to build enough of an inventory of foodstuffs to last through the mountains. Tradok’s solution to this was his supply of flash that he had maintained at his mining site.

  Flash was an ideal traveling food as it delivered the necessary nutrients and contained natural compounds that prevented it from spoiling. It wasn’t filling by any means, but it would keep you alive and going. Tradok had claimed to live on flash for nearly the full time he resided at his mining site. Nevit was skeptical of the claim at first until they all witnessed Tradok’s abundant supply. Tradok had explained that vast amounts of time can be saved by eliminating decisions about one’s diet. Time was also saved by procuring flash in large quantities during infrequent visits to Shadowport. A single shopping trip would provide enough sustenance to last for days on end. Tradok, when pressed, confessed that he had grown sick of flash by the time his mining site was raided by Grimtav’s party. He had not touched the stuff since. For now the flash was stashed in the gear pack along with Tradok’s torrid sleeper, data ports for Fenrit and Alejade and skin shields for everyone including the extras.

  The group had each been assigned a task. Jandra was given the felicitous chore of scouting the river downstream. She would look for difficult stretches of the river and report back to Alejade so the group could remove the watercraft from the river and simply hike around the obstacle. Alejade’s task was simply to interpret Jandra’s frequent reports. Fenrit and Nevit were responsible for steering. The watercraft was by no means technical and oars were still the primary source of propulsion. Fenrit and Nevit would occupy opposite sides of the craft and simply keep it forward facing downstream. Tradok had contributed by building the watercraft and argued he deserved a pass from any physical exertion. He claimed he would serve as a backup to Fenrit and Nevit, however, Nevit knew better than to believe this.

  “The river looks calm today”, Tradok observed. “If my memory serves me right, there are only a few rough spots between here and the lake. Depending on how high the water reaches on the banks we may not need to exit the river at all.”

  “Jandra will guide us appropriately”, Alejade reassured. “Not only can she move swiftly, but she also has the best eyesight among us.”

  “You two may as well relax for now”, Tradok directed at Fenrit and Nevit. “There are only a few bends in the river, which will probably be the only time we’ll need to intervene with the craft’s natural position.”

  “Good, because I didn’t plan to do much anyways”, Nevit commented.

  “Always with the saucy comments”, Tradok said lying down in the middle of the watercraft to soak up the warm rays from the sun.

  “What’s your history, Nevit?” Fenrit asked trying to heed off an exchange of jabs between Nevit and Tradok.

  Nevit shot Tradok a glare as if to say ‘we’ll continue this later’ and proceeded to give Fenrit his attention.

  “Like most Mortopteras, I was born in the Bizti swamp, which we’ll have the pleasure of passing by”, Nevit began. “The humidity, the struggle to find food and the lack of other sentient beings drove me away shortly before I reached adulthood. I spent some time around Lake Ulea after that, but it wasn’t much different, especially the terrain. The narrow stretch of land between the swamp and the lake is well traveled though due to the fact that it leads to one of the few mountain passes. Every traveler out of the mountains I met was either headed to VaSaige or Shadowport. I decided I needed to see one of these two places for myself. VaSaige felt less exotic since you simply headed north of the lake up the Syrpin River and ultimately spent very little time traveling the plains.”

  “VaSaige isn’t anything to get excited about”, Tradok opined. “The city’s excessive lavishness is sickening.”

  Nevit held back a laugh from all the ‘s’ sounds rolling off Tradok’s lizard tongue. Nevit had never laid his own eyes on VaSaige, bu
t Tradok’s constant barraging of the city had formed an unfavorable outlook in the Mortoptera’s mind. Nevit had always considered himself open minded and he had mostly let his own personal experiences dictate his views, but VaSaige was now a lost cause because of the poor publicity.

  “Some people claim that city life isn’t for everyone, but what they fail to realize is that not all cities are one in the same”, Tradok continued to express his thoughts.

  “Shadowport has treated me well, but it’s impossible to say how things might have gone had I headed north”, Nevit stated.

  “You’d be even more lush than you are now”, Tradok said.

  “Doesn’t sound like the worst lifestyle on Faunar when you come from a swamp”, Nevit countered as his eyes changed from black to blue.

  “Forgive my ignorance, but why do your eyes constantly change color?” Alejade asked.

  “Because I’m one of the lucky Mortopteras”, Nevit answered.

  “It’s a biological response to his change in moods”, Tradok explained. “If you know him long enough, you begin to remember the relationship between color and mood.”

  “It’s a typical characteristic in Mortopteras, but it’s not always the eyes”, Nevit went into more detail. “I’d say the most commonly affected body part is the antennae. Some Mortopteras don’t have any indicator lights and others have just a patch of skin, which might be hidden from view underneath some clothing.”

  “Interesting”, Alejade exclaimed.

  “You should know that once you figure out my color pattern it won’t apply to other Mortopteras”, Nevit explained.

  “And how did you two cross paths?” Alejade asked of Nevit and Tradok.

  “I had arrived in Shadowport with no artum and more importantly no acquaintances”, Nevit began. “I literally slept in the park the first several nights as I was slowly trying to learn the ways of the city. Most everything happens in the market including a daily recruiting of individuals for an assortment of odd jobs. I did a range of jobs from delivery to actual shop keeping for owners that ran multiple outlets. I only ever made enough to buy a day’s meal and shelter for the night. The delivery business was starting to be really lucrative for me. It became very suspect when the artum per job was high and I was asked not to look over the contents of the container, but I just went about doing my job. After a while I became a regular hire for one individual that appreciated my speed and reliability. That went to my head pretty quickly as Mortoptera’s pride themselves on their agility. Anyways, I got a delivery job from a new provider that was willing to pay four times as much as I’d ever received and it appeared the only catch was that the destination point was outside of city limits. I gladly accepted the job and enthusiastically headed on my way out of the city. Before I reached city limits I passed Tradok on the streets. He lifted the package from my hands and began opening it before I could even attempt to stop him. He pulled out a device and I watched as he powered the device down by cutting one of the wires with his claw. I’ll never forget his first words after the drastic action: ‘someone wanted you dead’. The mystery provider ended up being a competitor of my normal employer who attempted to kill me by placing an explosive in the container, which was set to detonate when I was outside city limits. Tradok recognized the smell of the explosive and basically saved my life.”