by Mark Iles
Skar was indeed there waiting when they arrived, but despite their greetings, the hulking insectoid ignored them. Delmar and Selena glanced at each other and shrugged, deciding silently to emulate the Manta’s welcome. Shadow stood at Selena’s side and through him she could sense the raw emotion flowing through the room, from the guards’ alertness and the Manta’s strange expectancy, to Delmar’s curiosity and excitement.
The door slid open and three Sken fluttered into the room. Thrumming wings suspended their cat-sized translucent bodies, while their many eye stalks twisted and coiled around each other as they took in their surroundings. They constantly changed colour; the belts interlacing their bodies looked almost like stripes. Selena and the colonel watched, nonplussed, as the Sken stopped and hovered over chairs. The wall screen came on and the Admiral Van Pluy joined them.
“Greetings,” Colonel Delmar began, with a nod to the admiral while addressing the Sken. “While it’s always a pleasure to see our allies, at such short notice this must be important.”
“It is so,” a Sken’s voice replied in their minds.
Selena knew it was the middle one who had spoken, and wondered whether they’d somehow inserted an identifier into their ‘speech’ to allow this.
“We are here to tell you,” it continued, “that it is almost time. Soon there will be a battle between ourselves and the Cetra, those you call the Forerunners. You will not be involved.”
“But we’re already involved,” the colonel said, “and what do you mean, it’s almost time?”
All three Sken faced Delmar. “Exactly that. This battle was predicted long before your race, but until now our forces have been spread thinly due to our explorations and it has taken time to assemble. We have travelled great distances to be here but have finally gathered ourselves for what must come. This is between ourselves, those you call the Manta, and our common adversary. You Humans are diverse. Some of you are fighting on the side of the enemy, so having you there could be confusing. It would be unfortunate if there were some … misunderstandings.”
Finally, the bulky shape of Skar’s face swung towards Selena and the colonel. An orange orb appeared above its right shoulder and span into life. There it remained like a swirling blood-moon. “Before they went away, the Sken warned the enemy to control themselves. The Cetra ignored this and we were forced to engage them in the Sken’s absence, to protect both the other races and ourselves. Eventually they were defeated, but have now grown strong again by using your people. We intend to stop them. Now, once and for all.”
“We would like to be of help,” Van Pluy said. “I’m sure that—”
“No!” Small as the Sken were, the power of their answer reverberated in Selena and the others’ skulls, causing them to wince. “You will not interfere. No mercy will be shown to any human vessels in the area.”
“Shadow here agrees with what they’re saying,” Selena said, addressing her superiors. “The Lenars advise us to stay well out of the way.”
“He speaks for all of them?” Colonel Delmar asked.
“He does.”
“It appears we have no choice,” Van Pluy said, chewing at his lip while his reddening face displayed his frustration. “I’ll inform the Assembly of Worlds that we are to stay out of this, and are only to act to defend ourselves.”
“You will be held to that,” one of the Sken replied, wings fluttering like those of a hummingbird. “Do not disappoint us, for we will not take responsibility for any Human casualties or vessels destroyed. You have been told.”
“While you’re here,” Selena said, breaking the sudden deathly silence, “we have a problem you might be able to help us with. We believe the Forerunners have a base hidden on this world. They’ve destroyed some of our cities, and, while we have the means to detect individuals up close, we need to find out where their headquarters are and eliminate them, before this happens again. Could you help us locate them?”
“The matter is already in hand,” the Sken said. “We detected them as we entered this system.”
“Could you let us know where they are?” Selena asked, hopefully.
“As I said, the matter is being dealt with. We know you fight them, and so on this one occasion we are being merciful to you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Delmar’s eyes flashed. “We’re supposed to be on the same side. We could lose another city at any moment!”
Without another word, the Sken rose a foot or so and, as one, turned and fluttered through the suddenly opened door, much to the consternation of the guards in the corridor outside.
“Did you see that?” whispered the colonel. “How the hell did they open the doors? Only we have access to the controls.”
Selena shrugged. She had more important issues to worry about.
Skar stood and followed the Sken out. But at the door, he paused and looked back. “Do not stand between the Sken and the enemy, for their rage is absolute.”
“Skar, we are also enemies of the ForeRunners,” Admiral Van Pluy said. “We’d like to help.”
The huge Manta faced the screen. “You are descendants of the Cetra and others of you are allied to them. You are lucky the Sken have not exterminated you and obliterated your worlds, as is their right.” Skar paused, as if to consider.
“The Sken, ourselves and the Cetra were once the guardians. We nurtured emerging civilisations and guided them into the light of true consciousness. There was peace in the universe and mostly all got along, until the Sken decided to leave us and explore the deep. It was then that the Cetra changed. They began exterminating many of the new races. We tried to protect them but were almost destroyed ourselves, for the Sken had taught the enemy well. We defeated them in the end and peace reigned once again. Hibernation was called for. We were exhausted.”
Selena found she was holding her breath, heart hammering. “We disturbed you.”
“Yes. You, a fledgling race born from the ashes of our old enemy. We believed you were the Cetra returning, but now we know better. Advice, do not anger the Sken.”
Like the others, she knew if the Jellies wanted they could destroy them easily, and there was nothing they could do about it.
Colonel Delmar faced Van Pluy as Skar lumbered from the room. “Sir, what do you make of all that?”
“I say we’re damn lucky the Sken weren’t around when we were battling the Manta in the first place. I don’t think we’d be here now, if they were.”
“Or maybe they would have told the Manta we weren’t the ForeRunners, and stopped them attacking us,” Selena said. “It could have gone either way but my money would be on the former.”
They watched on the screens, as the Sken flew slowly into the sides of their vessel and it lifted from Capulet’s spaceport. It rose rapidly and merged with the orbiting mothership. Without warning the oil-black amoebic vessel spat three small globules towards the planet, a pause and then three more. That done the craft swerved out of orbit, speed increasing rapidly.
“What the hell,” Delmar gasped. “Shields up!”
Selena shook her head. “I don’t think we need to worry, Colonel, I’ve seen this before. Besides, those projectiles aren’t heading towards our cities.”
Even as the shields glimmered overhead and sirens sounded, flashes lit up the sky as the globules impacted in the wilderness. Screens switched to show orbital images of the swathes of destruction, forests flattened and what had been an entire mountain turned to a cloud of settling dust and tumbling rocks. One of the projectiles had hit on the coastline, where a basin was now swiftly filling with sea water.
“Can someone tell me what just happened?” Delmar asked.
Shadow looked up into Selena’s eyes and she felt what he knew.
“Our ForeRunner problem is solved. After all, we did ask the Sken for help. Shadow here tells me they have destroyed an enemy base, plus two of their vehicles. I have a feeling that the Sken are going to find the enemy, no matter where they hide. Somehow, I feel almost
sorry for them.”
They watched as, with no visible sign of propulsion, the Sken craft disappeared from the system.
The colonel straightened. “Let’s hope you’re right. We’ll get some teams out to those sites to poke around. In the meantime, I know it’s unlikely but there could be one or two of the enemy or their agents still about, so keep security at maximum. Admiral?”
“In my opinion, the commander is correct,” Van Pluy answered. “The Sken used those weapons when we carried out a joint attack on an enemy world, having travelled there via the Eden tunnel system. Commander Dillon saw it happen, she knows what she’s talking about. Having said that, there’s something about this whole scenario that I don’t like. I have this nagging feeling they’re keeping something from us.”
Delmar looked at Selena, questioningly.
“I have to agree with the admiral, Ma’am. But I’m more than happy for us to stay out of it, that way we won’t incur any casualties or lose any ships. Let them battle it out amongst themselves, while we wait and see what happens.”
As the admiral signed off, Selena turned to the colonel. “Ma’am, to change tack, is there any news about the murders?”
“None. All we know is that all the victims are all young females and this only started a few months ago. We’ve been unable to trace any victims prior to that.”
Selena looked at the colonel. “Doesn’t mean there weren’t any, or that we just that we can’t find them? If what you say is true, it could be the killer is one of the new colonists or workers. I’d like to review the records of all new arrivals for the past six months.”
“Very well, let me know what you find.”
Moments later Selena found herself walking down the stark-white corridors of the citadel’s main building, noting how many who saw her coming stepped to one side. Scary lady, Jas had said. She wondered if people really saw her that way and, if so, why? She was only doing her job, they all were. Entering a lift, she got out at the ground floor and left the building through the white-framed glass doors, walking slowly back to her office. Her feet crunched on the dull-gray chips of stone that graced the pathways, while small clouds of dust rose with each step to coat her boots. When she arrived, Selena was surprised to see Singh sitting in one of her office chairs waiting for her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I thought you might like to come with me, to see Braxis,” he replied, black-booted feet swinging back and forth.
“Did you?”
“Yup. I’m betting he doesn’t get many visitors and I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”
She glanced at the bag he was holding. “What’s that?”
“Grapes.”
“You’re kidding me. You’re actually going to give them to him?”
“No, I’m going to throw them at him.”
She snorted and briefly eyed the brimming coffee pot waiting on the side. Pushing the temptation away she said, “Okay, let’s go.”
“I heard about the Sken vessel,” Singh said, as they walked. “Any new developments we should know about?”
“We don’t have to worry about any more cities being destroyed. The Jellies picked up the ForeRunners hiding here from orbit, and got rid of them for us—a bit like pest control, I guess.”
Singh grinned. “That’s damned good news and a lot off our minds. Are we sure they got them all?”
“Positive,” Selena said. “I’ve a feeling they knew exactly what to look for, and could pick up a flea hidden on a planet. They got the ForeRunners all right. From the impression I received earlier, they hate them and would have made sure of it. That said, the colonel wants our units to remain in place. You never know, others could slip in.”
When they arrived, Braxis was sat up in bed, a huge pink cocoon covering his new left arm, chest and shoulder. A servo-med stood next to him, flickering lights and odd sounds monitored his vital signs while the machine itself administered whatever meds were required via the tubes plugged in here and there. On seeing them, his eyes lit up, then he looked concerned. “Hey, how you doing? Umm, everything’s all right, isn’t it?”
“We’ve not discovered any of your scams, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Selena replied. “Singh simply suggested that we pop in and say hi, see how you’re doing.”
“It’s all good,” Braxis said. A smile tugged at his lips, as he caught the bag Singh lobbed at him one handed before peeping inside. “Hey grapes, thanks.” He looked to where a nurse hovered nearby and whispered conspiratorially, “You see that cute blonde over there?”
They looked, noticing how the nurse had been covertly watching them while she tapped at her hand-held. At their glances, she quickly averted her eyes and turned to attend the other person in the double room, reddening visibly at Braxis’s smirk.
“Tell me you didn’t,” Selena said, eyebrows rising in surprise. “Not in your state, surely?”
The big man’s grin broadened. “Takes more than this to keep me down, Ma’am.”
“It’s true, Commander,” Singh interjected. “I’ve known that nurse for a long time and we spoke briefly in the café earlier, when I asked her if fuck nuts here was up to seeing visitors. She said yes, it would be good for him. She also told me it’s the best sex she’s had since she was a man.”
Braxis’ face went slack, his eyes widened and his breath released audibly. The smile vanished and his lips moved but no words came out.
“You’re obviously doing well,” Selena said, straight faced. “I guess we can look forward to you re-joining the unit before too long.” She patted his good arm and they left the room, unable to stop their snorts of laughter echoing down the gleaming white corridors.
***
When Selena entered her flat she saw that bagged items had been flung around the room. The percolator lay smashed on the floor, coffee painting everything around them.
“Jas, what’s going on?”
“I thought that with me being with you, things would be different,” she replied.
“In what way? Tell me what’s happened.”
“I hoped that people would treat me decently, leave me alone. But oh no…”
“For heaven’s sake, sit down and spill the beans!”
Jas threw herself onto the sofa and stared up at Selena, tears in her dark brown eyes. “I bought the food, like you asked and was really looking forward to cooking a meal with you. Then I went into the clothes shop next to that new haberdashery, the one catering for new build houses out in the wilds.”
“Okay,” Selena said, sitting next to her and speaking softly, in a reassuring tone. “And then what?”
“I didn’t see anything I liked, so the owner showed me some holographic items that had my image modelling them. I saw some that looked fab and ordered them. That big fat slug asked me to come back in an hour, saying that’s when they’d be ready. When I returned, he told me to go into the changing room and try them on. I didn’t hear him when he came in. I had my back to him and my arms up in the air trying to put this dress on. He came up behind me, grabbed my breasts and rubbed himself against my ass.”
Selena clenched her fists and said tightly, “Then what?”
“I turned and shouted at him, pushing him away from me. He fell out through the changing room curtains. There was someone else in the shop, so I dressed in my own stuff and walked out, calling him a pervert and throwing his items at him.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t stab him with those knives of yours.”
“I’d taken them off to try on the clothes and hidden them in my shoes, I didn’t want anyone seeing them. Besides if I had stabbed him I’d have ended up like you, sentenced to twenty-five years in the Penal Regiments just because some paedo bastard grabbed a handful of tit. But he’s got it coming. He’ll get his, don’t you worry about that.”
“You did the right thing but leave it be,” Selena said quietly, trying to control her breathing. “Revenge can leave a bitter taste in your mouth and cause more trou
ble than it’s worth, particularly at this moment in time when we’re trying to get the local authorities to take care of you guys. I’ll talk with them, and word will spread. Here, help me pick this lot up off the floor and tidy up this mess.”
When the kitchen was a lot tidier, Selena handed Jas a kitchen knife. “I have to go speak to Baron, and tell him about what’s been happening with the Sken. They got the ForeRunners on this world, they’re all dead; so no more destroyed cities, at least in the short term. While I’m out, you start prepping dinner. Peel the potatoes and wash the other vegetables too. The last thing we want is food poisoning.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jas replied, busying herself with the veg while wiping away a tear. “Just don’t be long.”
Selena came back forty-five minutes later, gave Jas a hug and looked at the vegetables. “Hey, good job! What we do now is steam those and mix them with the mince, garlic, a few herbs and—”
The wall screen chirped and Selena groaned audibly. “On,” she commanded.
Colonel Delmar looked at her intently. “Been busy, have we, Commander?”
“Don’t know what you mean, Ma’am.”
“Don’t lie to me! Can you tell me why you went into a hardware store in town a short while ago, bought a hammer and a handful of very large nails, and then nailed the owner of the shop next door to the outside of his premises by his scrotum?”
Jas looked at Selena, eyes widening.
“He sexually assaulted Jas. I won’t have that, I was just sending a message.”
“And what might that be? You also stripped him and carved paedophile across his chest and stomach—had those cuts been any deeper, his guts would have fallen out.”
“I don’t like paedo’s and that scumbag got what he deserved,” Selena said, calmly. “People will think twice about such things from now on, and whoever is killing these children now knows that I’m after him.”
“Him? Well, I’ve no doubt that message was received. Just so that you know, the medics were unable to get the nails out of the wall. In the end, they had to cut the heads off of them and pull him free, leaving the rest of the metal there. There’s still blood and pieces of his flesh on the wall. I’m guessing you’ll want that to remain.”