The coiled, furry frond of a plant three times Benny’s height grazed the side of his cheek. “Uh, so, should I be worried that one of these plants is going to kill me?”
Vala’s lips curved into what might have been a smile. It was difficult for Benny to tell, since the Alpha Maraudi mouths were somewhat unsettling to him in the way they stretched all the way back to where a human’s ears would be.
“I don’t believe so,” she said. “Though I would advise you not to touch anything in here until we know for certain. Definitely not the thorns in the back corner.”
“Sure,” Benny said. “I wasn’t really planning on exploring.”
They walked side by side, past bronze tree trunks and bushes covered in cotton candy–like puffs. Benny didn’t know where to begin—there was so much on his mind, so many questions all fighting for his attention, that he was left overwhelmed as the gravel crunched under his boots. Finally, Vala stopped near the center of the garden in front of a mushroom cap taller than Benny and made of milky opals. A viscous, shimmering gold liquid dripped from its rim, forming a gleaming pool beneath it, surrounded by huge chunks of black quartz. Vala turned to Benny, her eyes still uncovered, burning into him.
“We each know how grave this situation is, do we not?” the commander asked. “My people are threatened not only by our expanding star but by this ‘superweapon’ that you warned me about.”
“And your people want to take my planet, destroying humanity to do so,” Benny said. “It’s just the survival of both our species that we’re dealing with. Nothing big.”
They stared at each other.
“That was kind of a joke,” Benny said.
“I have heard that your people use humor to mask their anxieties and true feelings,” Vala said. “That is unnecessary here. We will find it easier to communicate if truth is prioritized.”
Benny shifted his weight, his feet digging into the purple gravel. “Yeah. Of course. You’re right. I know what’s at stake. So do my friends.”
“Then let us not waste time. You are the one who broke into my ship. Where would you like to start?”
He wondered for a second if he should apologize for that but worried that doing so would make him look weak, which was probably not the best way to begin this talk. Plus, he had apologized for the hole in the wall. That was something, at least.
“How long will it take for Tull’s message to reach your world?” Benny asked. The other commander had implied that the Alpha Maraudi leadership would not be thrilled with Vala’s decision to allow the humans aboard, despite Benny’s insistence that they were there in the name of peace.
“It will take a day for it to reach Calam, my home. Perhaps two,” Vala replied. “In Earth terms.”
“And, uh . . .” he said. “How do you think they’ll react?”
The tentacles on Vala’s head swirled around a glowing red ball, spinning it several times. “I am unsure.”
“We’ll hope for the best, then,” Benny said, though he wasn’t really sure what “the best” would be in this situation. Mostly he just prayed that whoever was in charge back on Calam didn’t order Vala to shoot them all out of an airlock or something.
Vala turned her attention to the nearby mushroom cap. “This superweapon. What do you know of it?”
Benny sighed. “Honestly? Not much other than the fact that it exists. Dr. Bale—the guy who created it and was working with the Earth forces that took over the Lunar Taj—he’s a genius. Pretty crazy and trigger-happy but, still, a genius. Those weapons at the resort? The drones that destroyed the asteroids floating between the Moon and Earth? That was all his stuff. Plasma rays or something like that. So when he says there’s some kind of superpowerful doomsday device buried on the dark side of the Moon that’s capable of destroying the Alpha Maraudi, I believe him.” He shook his head. “It has something to do with electromagnets, but that’s about all I know.”
Vala nodded at the electro glove on his hand that he’d used against the Alpha Maraudi. “I assume you know that our bones are made up of metallic minerals.”
“Yeah,” Benny said. He looked down at the glove himself. “Oh, crap. Should I take this thing off? This isn’t, like, a sign that I’m angry or going to attack you or something, just so you know. I kind of forgot about it.”
“Do not worry, young human,” Vala said. “I think I understand your intentions.”
There was a slight shift in the ground. Benny jumped, raising his hands a little and planting his feet.
“The internal thrusters,” Vala said. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’re on our way to Jupiter now.” She raised one hand to her chin. “You’ve searched for this weapon yourselves?”
“We didn’t really have time to,” Benny said. Then he remembered that wasn’t totally true. “Actually, some of the Pit Crew—the older kids—did go out looking for it.”
“And they found nothing?”
“They got attacked and shot down while they were on the dark side looking,” Benny said.
A harmonic sigh came from Vala’s mouth. “I see.”
“We do know it’s on the dark side of the Moon somewhere. Dr. Bale was Elijah’s old partner. They, uh . . . had a falling out. Afterward, Bale lived there for years without Elijah knowing his whereabouts. Apparently that whole time Bale was preparing for your people to attack, making weapons and gathering allies on Earth. He’s a master of stealth technology. If he doesn’t want that weapon found, I don’t know that it can be.” Benny paused for a second, an idea starting to form in the back of his mind. “Actually, we did swipe a few of his stealth drives. Maybe we could learn something from those. I’ll ask Jazz.”
“Once we have regrouped with the scholars we left behind, they will help you with whatever you need,” the commander said. “If this weapon is real—and I believe that it is—it represents a more pressing concern than even our expanding star. Tull obviously feels the same way. In fact”—she paused—“it is possible this weapon is the only reason Elijah West is still alive. Tull realizes that the human is more useful to him as a bargaining chip than a corpse.”
“Isn’t there anything else we can do to get Elijah back? I met Tull. He didn’t seem as . . . understanding as you’ve been.” Benny shook his head. “Elijah made a lot of mistakes, but he saved us in the end. Plus, he is a genius. And basically the most famous person on Earth. We could really use his brain and his influence.”
Vala sat on one of the chunks of black quartz. When she spoke, her eyes were focused on the pool of gold. “The Alpha Maraudi are a peaceful people. We prioritize science and survival. We do not war among ourselves. But that does not mean that we are without such urges. When life is threatened, hands that are normally outstretched can quickly curl into fists. In times like these, with so much at risk, many of our commanders have hardened themselves to the rest of the universe, disregarding the welfare of anything that doesn’t help our people. Tull is one of them. I do not believe there is anything you can do save deliver this superweapon to Tull if you want to get Elijah back. He means only to protect our species. It is understandable to you, I hope.”
“Yeah,” Benny said. And he meant it. In the Drylands, his caravan had made it a point to help anyone in need they came across, but there were plenty of other groups out there that cared only about their own survival. Even people in his caravan family had gotten that way when resources were running low.
“Tull likely also understands that having your friend on board will keep his ship from being attacked,” Vala said. “At least by your group.”
He’s not really a friend, Benny thought. But, then, he had no idea what to call Elijah West anymore.
“That makes sense,” Benny said. “Ricardo and the Pit Crew aren’t going to be happy with that answer, but I guess that’s all we’ve got. We already wanted to find that weapon. Now we have even more reason to.” He took a deep breath. “So, let’s talk about Earth.”
Vala nodded. “Your home planet has
nothing to fear for the moment. The only two ships in your solar system are mine and Tull’s, and I doubt Tull’s craft is in any shape to take on an entire world. Especially now that he’s aware of the weaponry the humans have. It was unexpected.”
“Uh, it was pretty unexpected for us, too. Top secret,” Benny said. “But that’s good news. How long will my planet be safe?”
The commander stood, taking a few long strides away from him, her tentacles weaving into a loose bun piled on top of her head, once again spinning the red ball. “You know that we do not hold any ill will toward your species, even though there are many things your people have done that we do not approve of. The state of your planet, for example. You have poisoned much of it. You can imagine that for those of us losing the home that we treasure, this is an unfortunate fact.”
“Yeah,” Benny said. “I mean, I come from a place that apparently used to be full of people and cities and life. Now it’s just a desert. I’m well aware of how badly we’ve treated the world.”
Vala nodded, her back still to Benny. “Our plans were to . . .” She paused momentarily. “We were to clear the planet with what you would call an asteroid storm, then reshape it to suit our needs. Your atmosphere and gravity are already what we require—why Earth is the only planet that will suit us—but there is still much work to be done before it is a comfortable home for the Alpha Maraudi. Tull was to take care of the first step.” She turned back to Benny, spreading her arms wide, gesturing to the bounty of alien plants around them. “Whereas my crew was to begin the conversion process. Changing the landscapes. Planting vegetation from our own world. Making it feel like home.”
Benny began to realize for the first time that the destruction of Calam wouldn’t just wipe out the Alpha Maraudi but all the plants and animals—beings he couldn’t even imagine—as well. Looking around, he wondered how many species would be lost when the star expanded.
“I get it,” Benny murmured. “You were going to try to save everything, along with your terraforming.”
Vala’s head tilted to one side. “I am afraid I do not know this word.”
“I didn’t really either until recently. Elijah used it to describe you. He said you could change planets to make them whatever you wanted.” He let out a little laugh. “He thought you were going to make some kind of vacation planet out of Earth.”
As much of a visionary as Elijah had always been, Benny couldn’t believe he’d gotten the aliens so wrong.
“I suppose that is one way of looking at our technology, though it is an oversimplification. It was our hope that the evacuees from Calam would see a world that was in some way familiar once they landed on Earth. To help ease the relocation process.”
Benny shook his head, staring at the purple gravel. “That’s what would be happening right now if we hadn’t stopped Tull. You would be on my planet. Changing it. Everyone else would be . . .” He trailed off, trying to focus on the conversation at hand and not worry about his family back on Earth. He swallowed and looked back up at Vala. “How much time does your planet have?”
“According to our scientists, it will be habitable for the equivalent of perhaps two more Earth months. Even now, the evacuation ships will be preparing.”
“They’ll head this way,” Benny said.
Vala nodded. “And they—we will need somewhere to go. We cannot stay on our ships forever.”
“A caravan needs a place to park,” Benny murmured, more to himself than to Vala. Then he shook his head. “When Tull’s ship is fixed, he’ll go after Earth again, won’t he?”
“Perhaps,” the commander said. “We still await orders from home, given everything that happened today. But I warn you: in the end, even if Tull does not attack Earth again, it will not matter. The full Alpha Maraudi fleet will be in your solar system once they evacuate Calam.”
A shiver ran down Benny’s back. “Unless Bale’s superweapon destroys them along with your planet.”
Vala was still for a moment. “Yes. But if Calam—if our people are destroyed, I know that Tull will not sit idly by. He will take revenge on humanity.” Again, her gaze burned into him. “There are other mother ships out there. Even if our planet is destroyed, there will be those to avenge it. And they will still need a new home.”
For the briefest moment Benny thought he might have to reach out to one of the nearby rocks for support. It felt as though he were in a Space Runner that was falling out of the sky. He’d been against Dr. Bale’s weapon because it meant the destruction of an entire people: he hadn’t thought about the ramifications it would have for Earth as well.
“Okay,” Benny said. “I guess we both know what we’re trying to avoid. It’s in the best interest of all of us that that weapon never makes it off the Moon. That’s our priority. So, what do we do now?”
“I was about to ask you the same question, Benny Love,” the commander said. “I will listen to your suggestions.”
Benny thought of Hot Dog and Drue, of Jasmine and Ramona, and of the Pit Crew and the rest of the EW-SCABers now on board the ship. And he thought of his family—always, somewhere in his head, he was thinking of them, no matter how far away they were.
“You’ve got scientists and scholars on the moons of Jupiter, right?” Benny asked. “Well, we’ve got an AI and some of the smartest kids from Earth up here. Together, we’ll work on a way to find that weapon. Maybe we can even figure out a way to stop your star. Or to make it so you can live on another planet. One that isn’t ours. But the weapon comes first, I think.”
“You are . . . I do not mean to insult, but you are children. You have barely drawn breath.”
“We stopped the first attack by ourselves.” He paused. “Mostly. Elijah jumped in there at the end.”
“Your idealism sounds enticing,” Vala said. “But this is no actual plan, only promises that things might turn out for the better if our crews work together, with no actual details of how we will do that.”
Benny thought about this, silently cursing that they hadn’t been able to think of anything more definite. And, speeding farther away from Earth and the Moon, their options were dwindling even further. If only the Earth forces or New Apollo or whatever they were calling themselves would be open to other possibilities, like Vala seemed to be, they might be able to avoid this weapon firing altogether.
But of course, the way Dr. Bale and Senator Lincoln had spoken, it sounded like they thought this electromagnetic weapon would solve all their problems and obliterate a hostile alien species. They probably had no idea that doing so would put a death sentence on Earth.
“We can work on figuring out a way to locate the weapon ourselves,” Benny finally said. “I’m sure with so many brilliant people up here, that’s doable. But you’re right. It’s not enough. We have to get in contact with the New Apollo forces at the Taj. We have to make them see that this weapon will doom all of us. That’s our first step toward peace between our peoples. It may be our best shot.”
Vala leaned her head back, a tentacle scratching at the side of her face as she considered this.
“You wish the unreasonable to see reason,” she said after a few moments. “What evidence do you have that they will be able to do so?”
“None,” Benny said. “But I also had no idea that you’d listen to me when I boarded your ship.”
At that, it looked to Benny like the commander smiled.
“A fair point,” Vala said. “What a surprise you young ones can be.”
4.
Back on the bridge, Ricardo hadn’t moved, and the recording of the call from earlier was playing once again. By this point in the video, Tull had put the mask back over Elijah’s face and was now gesturing to someone offscreen. Another alien appeared, grabbing Elijah and pulling him away.
“You’d better be taking care of my cars,” Elijah said, attempting—and failing—to plant his feet and hold his ground. “Some of them are American classics! Irreplaceable.”
And then the image froze,
the call over.
Ricardo stood perfectly still for a few moments before reaching out, his hand hovering over the blinking light that Vala had shown him. But he didn’t press it.
“Do we have any idea where they are?” Ricardo asked. “Is there any way we can get him back?” He turned to Benny. “You told her everything we know, right?”
Benny nodded—he already knew what the answer to this question was.
“Tull’s ship has not logged a location since you attacked his asteroid storm,” Vala said. “He will not have gone far, though. From what I understand, his ship was badly damaged. It will need to be repaired before it can safely travel out of your solar system.”
“So, it’s still somewhere close by?” Ricardo asked. “Compared to it being outside our galaxy.”
The commander nodded. “But we do not know where.”
“We know Elijah’s alive now,” Benny offered. “That’s something.”
“Great,” Ricardo said. “He’s on an Alpha Maraudi ship and the best we can say is at least we know he’s alive? I already knew that. Somehow, I knew.”
“We’re going to do everything we can to get him back,” Benny said. He turned to Vala. “All of us.”
“Of course,” the commander said, nodding.
Ricardo looked at Benny. “I know,” he said slowly. “It’s just . . .” He looked at the hologram once more. “It feels like he’s so close.”
Griida yelled something from across the bridge.
“He says we’re entering a speed that will be easier to launch your Space Runners from,” Vala said. “Anyone who wishes to leave.” She tapped one of the floating green ribbons of light and the hologram shifted. Elijah was replaced by a star map. “Any farther and your people will have to navigate through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.”
“It’s okay to slow down here?” Ricardo asked. “It’s safe?”
“We are well out of range of the human ships we encountered on the Moon, but I would prefer not to stay here too long.”
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