by Alexa Kim
“However, we put the plague to good use by sending the Troopers on missions into the outer zone to hunt the Crawlers – as they’ve come to be called – and kill as many as possible. The Troopers have something to do and get to hone their skills in real combat… and we keep the Crawler population at an acceptable level.”
I was gaping at her. So that’s what the Crawlers are! Botched experiments turned training and hunting objects. “That’s crazy… You see that, don’t you?”
Dr. Barner avoided my gaze. “That wasn’t my call. Those things happened long before I joined Life Tree. And if I had known about them, I’d never have let UG bait me.”
Well… that’s my life now. I think about the things I’ve learned, about the future as it could have been but never will be… about Torn. I wonder what he’s doing while I’m locked in my room, waiting to give birth to his child. Our child! It’s like I just realized that: It’s our child! And I don’t want them to take him away. But I also know it’s irrational to wish for something that’ll never happen.
Torn
I attack the Crawler front and center, although it’s the worst possible position going in, obviously. But I’m all hyped up, and glad to finally have an outlet for my rage. Since Larona’s been taken… the separation has been killing me. It’s like someone surgically removed a part of me, and all that’s left is a raging monster. Sometimes, I think I’m not much better than the Crawlers we hunt. Everything human about me has been pushed into the background… and now I’m only instinct and pain.
The Crawler emits a deep growl when I kick it in the stomach. They are hideous creatures – almost as big and muscly as we are, their bodies covered in long, dirty brown hair too sparse to be considered fur. You can see the bodies underneath… and it’s off-putting how similar their bodies are to ours if you ignore the hair. Even their dicks look the same. However, they do have a strange gait – a mixture of upright walking and crawling. That’s why we call them Crawlers.
I remember how those creatures attacked Arrow’s woman. How she was lying there, well and truly fucked to death! Next thing I know, the dead woman wears Larona’s face, and adrenaline is pumping through my blood, fueling my fury. Those ugly fucks are never going to get their hands on my Larona!
Every time I see a Crawler, I’m as disgusted as the first time. Their eyes are yellow like a reptile’s, but the pupils are round like a human’s instead of slits. They have pronounced jaws, dentition of molars and incisors, the latter long as fangs. They devour their prey raw, although they can make use of simple weapons. They are not as intelligent as humans, but definitely more intelligent than animals. Plus, they are strong and they outnumber us. The jungle of the outer zone is their natural habitat, and they fit in perfectly.
I’ve never heard a Crawler talk… at least not the way we do. The sounds they communicate with seem to be some sort of primitive language though, which even contains some words. Not as much as human language, but they call to each other with names made of simple sounds.
The Crawler in front of me clutches its stomach and bares its teeth. They are brownish yellow from the roots they eat. One bite would cut clean through my muscles, and I’d contract a severe bacterial infection that’d most likely be fatal out here in the jungle. Our immune system is extremely strong, but it’s not indestructible.
When the Crawler rushes me, I dodge and cut off its head with my machete. Its blood splatters onto my boots, but I’m already moving on. Next to me, Crow tosses a throwing star, which sinks into the neck of the Crawler about to attack him. We exchange a glance, then move on to the next enemy.
Traditional, simple close range weapons from Earth are actually most efficient for our fights. Using gas could become a trap if the wind turns. Old-fashioned firearms aren’t much better, because Crawlers still stand upright after the fifth bullet. High-tech weapons like laser guns could too easily hit one of our own. But a machete cuts through tendons, muscles, and vertebrae with a single swipe.
Crawlers have attacked us in our camp this morning. Like usual, they don’t stand a chance against a close-knit unit. We have better weapons, and we fight with our heads. They just jumble around, each fighting on their own. They are still dangerous, though – like any wild animal surprising you in your sleep.
“Eat that, damn Crawler bitch!” I hear Strike yell as he mows a way through his enemies. His face is covered in Crawler blood, making him look even more fearsome than he already does with his tattoos alone. Strike enjoys letting his animal side loose more than any of us.
Suddenly, it’s silent. The last attacker goes down, and I’m left standing on a battlefield full of Crawler bodies. The metallic stench of their blood clings to my nostrils.
Kryo stomps over and pats me on the back. His cargo pants are full of blood, too. He’s an imposing sight with his short blonde hair and grey-blue eyes. “Well done, we got them all. Assemble!” he calls out.
We leave the dead Crawlers and gather around Kryo. He’s our undisputed leader. Everyone respects him – even Strike. I hope Crow and I can convince him to assist us with our plan. Putting aside the fact we need him and his expertise to access Sector C and take over the control center, we also need his support as the leader of our unit. If Kryo doesn’t join us, neither will the others.
“They attacked while we were asleep. Damn Crawlers are getting smarter – they learn. From now on, we secure the campsite with traps and keep watch through the night.” Kryo rubs a hand over his face, where his sweat and the blood of his enemies mix. Since we’re out on mission, I can’t shake the feeling something’s eating at him. Usually, he wouldn’t have forgone to appoint night guards – he forgot, plain and simple. He can’t go on making mistakes like this if he wants to keep his position as leader.
We go back to camp and start packing up. Everyone has a job to do, and they do it. We’ll just leave the Crawlers’ bodies, they are part of the Terra Alpha food chain. The jungle is home to some large predators – cats, but also lizards – who scavenge. However, it’s best we not be here for that, because especially the cats are known to indulge in fresh meat if they happen upon a chance to go for a kill.
I help Crow with his tent when I’m done with mine. We’ve been back on duty for a week, and there’s one question predominant on my mind, “When are we going to talk to Kryo?”
He looks at me, but doesn’t answer right away. “We have to get him alone… or he’ll feel cornered.”
I nod and hope the opportunity will present itself soon, because I don’t know how long I can keep myself under control.
At nightfall, we’re far away from the battlefield we left, and we have made camp at a waterfall – a blessing after the bloody battle of the morning. I’m washing off the reeking Crawler blood when Crow and Kryo join me at the waterfall. I tense up. We’re alone.
It’s the ideal opportunity to ask Kryo, but Crow doesn’t proceed. Instead, he starts washing off without haste and says casually, “I want a tattoo.”
Kryo grins at him. Getting a tattoo is an old ritual among the units – there’s always someone who can do it. For us, that’s Kryo. He made the tattoos on Strike’s head, too. I didn’t feel the need to get one so far. Crow, though, as our youngest, needs to start finding his place in our unit’s hierarchy – and a tattoo is a clear sign that he’s ready to fight his way up the ranks.
“Alright, Crow. You’ve fallen in with the unit, and you’re a good fighter. Come to my tent tonight.”
Crow murmurs his agreement, and I realize the tattoo isn’t all he wants. He glances my way real quick without Kryo noticing, checking if I got it. Tonight! Either Kryo will become our ally… or he’ll kill us. He could, too – it’d be perfectly normal. You don’t challenge a leader unless you want to take his place…
“Come on in,” Kryo calls from inside his tent. He’s already prepared the needle, made from a thorn, and ink, which is black sap of a plant fiber.
Crow sits down on the provided stool and takes off his shirt.
I take a seat on Kryo’s sleeping cot. It’s not unusual for us to show up together, Kryo knows we’re close friends.
“What do you want, and where do you want it?”
“A crow… right here,” Crow indicates the area between shoulder and chest.
We get our names only after we join our units. Before that, we’re just numbers. Our leader picks our name. Sometimes, they relate to our character, like mine does, and other times, to our appearance. When Crow joined us, Kryo said his hair was as black as crow feathers. However, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the real reason behind his choice. It’s more likely he picked it because crows are very intelligent birds, and Kryo recognized Crow’s potential to become leader one day.
Kryo sets to work, and Crow doesn’t even flinch. For a while, the tap of the needle is the only sound.
“We wanted to ask you something, Kryo. Torn and I…” Crow starts the conversation, and the hairs on my neck stand on end. I can hardly breathe.
“Sure, ask away,” Kryo replies without pausing his hands.
“Did you ever question Life Tree? The way we live… how they control our lives?”
He doesn’t stop tapping the needle into Crow’s skin, not even for a second, like Crow’s question didn’t come as a surprise at all. “Why do you want to know?” he asks calmly.
So Crow tells him what I told him – everything I know from Larona about life on Earth. Kryo still doesn’t show any reaction, but I know that doesn’t mean anything. He knows how to keep his composure.
When he dips the needle into the ink, Kryo looks at me. “It’s about that female you fucked? You want her the way Arrow wanted this girl…”
“There’s nothing wrong with that– “ I start to defend myself.
Kryo resumes working on Crow’s tattoo. “I never said there was.”
The statement surprises me. Kryo was never selected for program INBREED, and as far as I know, neither does he visit Sector B. I really didn’t expect him to understand my feelings for Larona.
“I know your goal, Torn.” He puts down the needle because he’s done with the tattoo. Then he pins Crow with a piercing glare. “But what is it you want, Crow?”
The air in the tent starts to sizzle with tension. Kryo feels threatened by Crow… Not by me, by Crow!
Crow remains remarkably calm. “Not your rank as leader.”
“You sure?” Kryo probes, an underlying threat in his tone.
Crow doesn’t avert his eyes from Kryo’s. “At least, not yet.”
Kryo’s mouth turns up into a grin. Immediately, the tension fades, but not entirely. “But there is something you want, Crow. You’re not just doing this for Torn.”
I remember Crow saying there was something he wanted at all costs, but he didn’t elaborate. “I want leadership of Sector A… since you’ll have to lead Sector C – the control center, the heart of the station. No one but you can do it.”
They keep staring each other down, and neither wants to back down first. It’s a showdown between a reigning alpha and an aspiring young one who’s still growing.
Eventually, Kryo snorts, then nods. “Nice tattoo you have there, Crow. It suits you, and it shows what you got.”
I have a closer look at Crow’s tattoo. The tribal runs from his shoulder to his chest, the silhouette of a crow spreading its wings. It’s Kryo’s master piece – it’s even better than what he did on Strike.
“Can you take over the control center? And protect Terra Alpha from being attacked?”
Kryo cleans up his utensils, taking his time to answer. “I can. I’ll cut communications to Earth until we have seized control of all sectors. Plus, Terra Alpha has a defense system I can access from the control center.” He looks at us and says bluntly, “I’ll need twenty men of our unit, which means you’ll only have ten.”
“Good enough,” I speak up. “Sector A will be a piece of cake.”
Kryo nods and turns back to Crow. “They’ll follow you, Crow. At least, until you’ve taken control of Sector A. After that… you’ll have to fight to keep your rank as leader. You have my blessing.”
Crow nods, but there’s a question burning on my tongue. “You know what I want, and what Crow wants… but what about you?”
Kryo shows no emotions on his face, but answers, “Maybe I found something I want, too.” We’re not going to get any more out of him, I can tell that much from his expression.
Crow gets up and nods. “Thanks… for the tattoo.”
“We’ll see if you live up to it, Crow,” Kryo replies and motions us to follow him outside. “Time we tell the others about the upcoming changes… Time for some new rules!”
8.
Larona
It’s night. Not that it matters. My days follow the rhythm Life Tree and Dr. Barner set for me: Light breakfast with fruit and cereals in the morning, then some tests, another light meal for lunch, and staying in my room throughout the afternoon.
I’m dying of boredom. Dr. Barner – Leslie, as I’ve come to call her – has brought me some books. They’re from Earth, and at least a century old – old tomes set in times where Earth was still a living planet, and people could afford to be wasteful with their resources. Most of them are thrillers, but some are love stories. I don’t read those, though. I do everything to avoid thinking of Torn.
He’s back on duty with his unit. He’s probably not thinking about me anymore and, somewhere deep down, I know that it’s better this way. My heart doesn’t agree, though.
“You have to forget him, Larona,” Leslie tries to cheer me up. I like that we’re on a first-name basis now. She’s the only one around here who seems to have any compassion whatsoever. I don’t like to imagine what I’d have to endure if she weren’t here.
Crank and Marv – the lab assistants – they scare me. Their crude jokes when no one’s around are getting worse. Add to that I’m currently the only woman in the INBREED lab… One woman had a miscarriage in an early phase, after which she was taken away – I don’t know where. Another didn’t even get pregnant. Leslie told me she’d been the partner of Torn’s friend Crow. I don’t know why she told me, but she seemed pensive.
“It’s one of the lowest success rates we’ve ever had,” she admitted to me.
Now I’m the object of desire everyone bears down on. Sadly, for some people said desire isn’t limited to the child growing inside me. Crank and Marv are different. I see a disgusting lecherousness in their eyes whenever they bother me with their filthy lines.
“Tell us, Larona… How was he? Did he fit nicely into your little cunt? Or did he need to go down on you first?”
“Yeah, Larona, tell us. Do you miss his dick? Do you want to have a dick inside you again? Crank and I could help.”
They laugh it up, but I can tell they’re not just words. It’s not just the Troopers who suffer from the limited selection of women on Terra Alpha. And because women like Leslie are out of their reach, they latch their desires onto women like me. I don’t want to think about how many Crank and Marv have already harassed – and have probably done worse. Leslie thinks she has things under control and that the research facility is a civilized place… but she doesn’t see what’s really going on. I thought about telling her, but I’m too scared Crank and Marv would lash out if she tells them off. I still hold hope that humiliating me with words will be enough for them. Besides… what’s Leslie going to do anyway?
Truth is, the feebly construction of civilization they have on Terra Alpha is crumbling all over. Underneath Life Tree’s shining surface lurks something dark and brutal. It scares me. How could I ever think Torn was someone to be afraid of, a monster? Not the Master Troopers are the true monsters… at least, not all of them. What’s going on here… what UG is doing with us… it’s outrageous. I know now who the true monsters on Terra Alpha are.
“Good evening, Larona,” Dr. Dave pulls me from my thoughts as he enters my room. “How are you feeling today?”
“Fine, thank you,” I rattle off
my default answer. I briefly wonder if Dr. Dave would even notice if I said something else. He pulls out a scanner and wands my eyes, my mouth – even inside my nose.
“Is Dr. Barner not here tonight?” She’s usually the one doing the evening check-ups.
“No. She’s got some business to attend to, and won’t be back until late.”
An uneasy feeling is sinking into my gut. Leslie is the only protection I have here.
While Dr. Dave tucks the scanner into the breast pocket of his bodysuit, he substantiates my worst fears. “I’ll have Crank come by later to do your blood work.”
Crank! I completely freeze.
Dr. Dave brow furrows. He seems to notice me for the first time. “Everything alright?”
I nod in a hurry. For a moment, I contemplate telling Dr. Dave about Crank and Marv’s sexual harassment, but decide against it. He either wouldn’t believe me, or he would confront them. Besides, I anticipate that a reprimand still wouldn’t keep them from hurting me. Quite the contrary – they’d just be egged on. They’ve stopped fearing Leslie or anyone for some time now. UG is far away, and as long as Life Tree’s research isn’t compromised, the government doesn’t care what happens on Terra Alpha.
Dr. Dave’s eyebrows rise to his hairline, but he leaves and locks the door on his way out. Then everything’s quiet.
I wrap my arms around my legs as if that could protect me. Maybe I’m wrong… maybe I’m being paranoid. I try telling myself I’m overacting, while my gut says differently. But I can’t do anything but wait.
“Torn,” I whisper and let the tears flow. “I wish you were here…”
Torn
We wait until nightfall to make our way to the research facility, although we’ve been back in Sector A since early evening – two and a half months ahead of schedule. Kryo should’ve made it to Sector C by now, but we’ll only be able to make contact with him after we’ve taken over the lab’s com room.