IN NATURA: a science fiction novel (ARZAT SERIES Book 2)

by David Samuel Frazier

“Right here—and not a moment too soon my friend,” Tom said, more concerned about Alex than himself. He could see her shaking in the glow of the Arzat’s torchlight.

  Alex and Tom watched eagerly as the Arzats quickly broke some large pieces of wood into kindling simply by pressing them over their knees. In just a few moments, they had a nice fire going and all four of them stood close, warming their hands. While the Arzats did not seem to be as affected by the low temperature, they did not appear to enjoy the cold any more than Tom and Alex.

  As the fire burned, Tom noted that the strength and color of the flames further indicated plenty of oxygen in the air. Part of him now wondered whether or not they had taken their cryogenic plunge prematurely. No matter now, he concluded, what is done is done.

  “Thank you, Mot. Thank you, Ara,” Alex said, finally getting her blood flowing.

  “Alex?” Mot said as a question.

  “Yes, Mot, I know, I know—you’re probably very hungry.” Alex laughed. She was well aware of the Arzats’ tremendous metabolisms and their almost constant hunger. In fact, although it seemed almost funny now, when Mot and Alex had first met, he had seriously contemplated eating her! Instead, he had saved her life.

  “And thirsty, Alex,” Mot added. He turned and flicked his tongue in the air. “I smell water, but I think it is foul, and I can detect no food.”

  “Tom,” Alex said, “what do you think our chances are that there is something left in the safes?”

  “Well, now that we have some light, let’s go see.”

  Tom was still wondering where in the hell the Arzats had found the wood and how it had survived after all of the years. As far as he could remember, there had been hardly any wood used in any of the ARC’s construction.

  “It was in the food place, Tom Pilot,” Ara said, reading his mind. “Those things we sat on to eat.”

  “And in some of the . . . ‘walls’?” Mot added.

  Tom laughed. Of course, restaurant chairs! Tom and Alex had shared meals with Mot and Ara in several of the ARC dining rooms prior to going into cryogenic sleep. Before their encounter with humans, the Arzats had been accustomed to taking their meals sitting on the floor or squatting. At first, the reptilians had found sitting in chairs quite odd. Like them or not, it was obvious Ara had remembered their location.

  If the chairs survived, it is a good sign, Tom thought. He could only hope that the supplies they had stashed in the airtight hermetic safes had fared as well. He was only mildly disturbed that Ara had read his mind again.

  I will have to get better at blocking, he reminded himself.

  CHAPTER 5

  ACK ROAST

  “Kak,” Za’at cursed under his breath, still stunned by the sudden appearance of the smooth-skinned female.

  He and the other Arzats stood staring at the white-eyed uman with the strange dark blue that glowed in their very centers. How could I have missed her? How could I have been so stupid? he kept asking himself.

  Za’at sensed the hunters were just about to pounce on the female with the full force of their killing sticks. “Ne!” he said aloud as he waived off Baa just as he was about to deliver a deathblow from behind.

  Baa gave him a look of confusion as he was forced to recoil unexpectedly. The other hunters also backed off a pace and froze, their weapons still held high, similarly confused. What was Za’at waiting for? The only good uman was a dead uman. Every Arzat knew that. Hadn’t Za’at even said so himself just prior to the attack?

  The female was breathing heavily and clutching her very large belly with one hand. The soft material that grew from her head partially covered her face. The stuff was long enough that it reached her waist and was as black as the deepest reaches of a cave.

  The fact that Arzats grow no hair at all on their scaly skin made the strange material all the more intriguing to the hunters. In fact, some jokes had even been told around the Great Fire comparing the material on the uman head to the stuff that grew on the rear of an arsa. But this situation was no joke. This furry-headed little uman was still quite alive and had just killed an Arzat.

  Za’at flicked his tongue to catch the full scent of her. Definitely a female and definitely with child, he concluded. How had I missed her strong scent? How had we all missed it? Za’at found her distinctive aroma almost overwhelming. In fact, he thought, it was not altogether unpleasant.

  He continued to look directly at the female and the female continued to look directly at him, her body visibly shaking, her strange white eyes with the strange blue centers never wavering from his. They were the color of a deep pool of water and had round pupils that were quite unlike the elongated ones he was used to. Certainly nothing like the eye of an Arzat, he thought. Nothing like the eyes of any other animal he had ever seen. Yes, he concluded, the umans have eyes like no other. There was something about them that was quite unnerving.

  This was the first time Za’at or any of the other Arzats in his hunting party had spent more than a moment with a live uman. In fact, this was only the second time Za’at had personally been involved in a direct attack of one of their camps—but none of the umans had survived those encounters for more than an instant. This still living female had suddenly become a curiosity.

  He noticed a few of his hunters, now over some of the initial shock of Ack’s death, slightly lowering their killing sticks and closing in around her for a better look.

  “What shall we do, Za’at?” Baa asked, nervously eyeballing the female, his own hunting stick still held high, anxious to finish the killing.

  Baa, like most of the other hunters, was extremely wary of a live uman. They had all heard the stories of Arzats that had occasionally been killed in the past by the smooth-skinned animals. Now there was Ack who had unexpectedly fallen. The strong smell of his body charring in the fire was starting to make Baa sick to his stomach. How had a creature so obviously puny and weak managed such a thing? How had she gone unnoticed? Did she have special powers? Baa continued to hold a tight grip on his weapon, hoping and fully expecting that Za’at would give the order to proceed.

  Za’at glanced over at the fire where his younger brother lay dead, the top portion of his body smoldering in the hot ashes. He couldn’t decide if he was angrier with himself or the female who had just slain his sibling. Of course, as leader, the fault was his either way.

  “Pull Ack from the fire!” he finally said to the rest of the hunters aloud. “Baa, find something to bind this uman’s hands.”

  I will make this female loathe the day she was born, he secretly thought, blocking any trace of it from the others.

  Baa was not in favor of leaving the uman alive for another moment, even for the purposes of torture, which he assumed was Za’at’s ultimate intent. Nothing good could come from it. He gave Za’at a look of doubt without blocking.

  “Do it!” Za’at said aloud, snarling at Baa, knowing this was a most crucial time to maintain order. He was well aware that he could be challenged at anytime, especially now that he had made such a huge mistake. If more than one of the other Arzat Hunters decided to rebel with Baa and kill the female, Za’at would likely end up just as dead.

  He could feel the hunters dubious looks as they moved to pull Ack’s body from the fire, all of them clearly blocking any thoughts they might have regarding his leadership or his decision not to immediately kill the uman. Za’at searched each of their minds for any obvious signs of treachery, but all of the hunters were now carefully guarding their thoughts.

  Baa was angry, but he was not about to challenge Za’at at the moment. He had seen him in too many altercations and knew that Za’at had never lost a battle or the Arzat leader wouldn’t be standing before him now. If only he could count on the support of at least some of the other hunters . . .

  Baa gulped. “What shall I use?”

  Za’at continued to stare into the uman’s eyes, as if she might somehow vanish if he looked away. “Use part of your loincloth, use part of her clothing, use her . . . I don
’t care. Just find something.”

  Baa looked around the camp while watching the female closely out of the corner of his eye, expecting mischief. I will kill her regardless of Za’at if she makes any sudden movement, he thought, worried that she might cast an evil spell on him at any moment.

  He found a length of animal skin that had been fashioned into cord by the umans and warily approached the female, snatching her hands swiftly so she would have no time to react. As he got close, he was further shocked when he fully realized how small and weak she appeared to be. Then why am I so frightened, he wondered. Baa could feel the uman’s heart pulsing as he grasped her. He had expected a struggle, but the female just stood staring at Za’at through the light of the fire, barely noticing him as he deftly tied her. It was as if she had placed herself in some kind of trance.

  “Now what?” he asked Za’at as he finished. “Shall I bind her feet as well?”

  Za’at continued to stare at the female—her eyes becoming more resolute and now boring into his. Interesting, he thought. He knew that umans were intelligent and had some sort of language, and he suddenly began to wonder if communication might be possible.

  “No, Baa, she shall walk with us. We will take her alive to the caves.”

  This was almost too much for the young Arzat to bear. One of them killed! Now Za’at has decided to take this uman female captive? Baa didn’t mind the idea of torturing her for a torch or two and then having her for dinner, but he questioned taking a live uman back to the caves. It was unheard of! He snarled in spite of himself, and Za’at was immediately on him like lightning.

  “I am the leader of this group, and you will do as I say,” Za’at hissed, aware that he had once again captured the attention of all of the others. His fingers were wrapped tightly around Baa’s neck. He knew he had to demonstrate absolute control or he might lose it altogether. Most of all, he knew that he needed to get the hunters fed. They would all calm down considerably once their stomachs were full.

  Choking, Baa immediately relented. “Of course, Za’at, son of Qua,” Baa said, showing respect by using Za’at’s full and proper Arzat name. “I apologize. It is just that . . .”

  “Never mind,” Za’at said, releasing his grip and pushing the insubordinate Arzat away.

  “Mek and Url,” he ordered, “stoke the fire. We shall properly burn Ack’s remains so that he may join the Creator in the Great Void. And you,” he said pointing at two of the other hunters, “You will clean the umans and prepare them for transport. We shall eat one of them now. Pick one of the smaller, younger ones. The rest, we shall take back to the caves. Baa, you will stand guard over the female,” he said, turning his attention back to the rebellious Arzat. “And, Baa,” he added silently and to him alone, “if any harm comes to her under your watch I will personally gut you myself and leave you to the var. Now take her away until we are done.”

  “Yes, Za’at,” Baa answered, fully aware that Za’at meant what he said, his neck still smarting from the strong hold that the Arzat leader had placed upon it.

  The reptilian took a strong grip and turned Maria away from the fire. The shock of the attack was wearing off, but her mind was still spinning from the suddenness and ruthlessness of it, and the fact that the beast now holding her was quite simply the scariest creature she had ever encountered.

  As the giant reptile pulled her along, Maria wanted to protest and struggle, but she found herself completely unable to do so. Even though she had just been able to kill one, the obvious power and strength of the beast that now held her arm was mind numbing. There was nothing to be done.

  The massacre she had just witnessed had left her with a feeling of emptiness and a sense of total helplessness. Her mate and her friends were dead. Only the coincidental fact that she had wandered off to privately relieve herself just moments before the attack had allowed her to live through it. She wasn’t sure whether to feel guilty about that or very fortunate.

  Soon, she thought, they will kill me as well. So be it. This is what I get for not following my father’s advice. Against his will, she and her mate and a small group of friends had broken away from the tribe in the early spring in a desperate search for food. Now they had all—with the exception of Maria—paid the price for it. The lizards would kill her too. Of that she was certain. It was only a matter of time.

  As Maria began to resign herself to her almost certain fate, a strange sort of calm washed over her, but something still nagged at her mind, something she had forgotten. Then she remembered the child—her unborn child—and her desire to live suddenly returned.

  The lizard led her just to the edge of the camp and forced her to the ground so that she sat with her back to the light of the fire. She tried to turn her head, but her reptilian guard stood in front of her and grunted disapprovingly. Maria closed her eyes and focused on her sense of smell and hearing. The survival of her child, and therefore herself, was suddenly paramount. She could detect footsteps, the sickening sound of flesh being cut, and the strong smell of more fresh blood. Her mind began imagining the carnage that was obviously taking place behind her.

  As the creatures moved about, Maria found it somewhat surprising that they did not utter a sound, though she was sure she had heard language earlier. She listened closely, but all she could detect was their movement, which her lizard guard was tracking with his large reptilian eyes. After a time, she noticed the distinct and rather pleasant aroma of meat cooking.

  Maria had not eaten much of anything for the past few days. Her party had been following a large herd of buffalo, but they had failed to get close enough to bring one down. They had been surviving on the few edible plants they could find and the meager jerked remnants of their prior kills. She found herself salivating despite her awareness of what must now be on the menu and silently chastised herself for allowing such a thought, the guilt of her sole survivorship weighing heavily on her.

  Still, the strong odor of cooking meat gnawed at her intense hunger. The fire cracked and popped as fat burned off and dripped into its flames and the smell of it wafted through the night air.

  She watched as her reptilian guard struggled to keep its eyes on her. It was obviously much more interested in what was going on in the remains of her camp. Maria had the silly thought, for just a moment, that perhaps the creature might become distracted enough for her to try to escape.

  CHAPTER 6

  SUPPLY AND DEMAND

  Tom, Alex, Mot, and Ara carefully picked their way back to the main supply area under the low light of their makeshift Arzat torches. All of them were barefoot, which posed no problem for the Arzats, who were naturally born with feet as tough as nails, but Tom and Alex had to be extremely diligent. There were no doctors and likely very limited medical supplies were they to injure themselves.

  “Be careful where you step, Alex,” Tom had already told her a million times. Alex was not always as graceful as she looked. Worried that she might trip and fall, Tom stayed close to her.

  “Now, why didn’t we wear shoes in the cryos again?” he asked rhetorically.

  Alex ignored Tom’s question and racked her brain, trying to mentally inventory the kinds of provisions and the kinds of clothing and blankets they had stashed in the hermetic safes prior to cryo. She crossed her fingers and prayed that the safes had held after all of the years. If no air had reached the contents, there was a good chance that at least some of their supplies might have survived. Like Mot, Alex was also getting hungry, but what she needed now—even more than food—was some heavy clothing and a good pair of shoes. She was shivering and her toes were freezing.

  “Ouch!” she cried, kicking something on the ground. “God damn it that hurt.”

  Tom reached out and took Alex’s arm. Along the way, he periodically looked up into the dark, trying to imagine the status of the carbon fiber beams that kept the giant underground space from collapsing. It was hard to fathom the idea that eight thousand years had passed since he had installed them.

>   At the time of its construction, the Utah ARC was thought to have been one of the most complex and monumental projects in all of human history. One half of a sphere, over a quarter mile across, four hundred feet high at its center, and almost a half mile underground, it was to have been a disaster refuge that resembled a small city. It was by far the most sophisticated of the four that had been built in the United States and would have been populated with over two thousand individuals had it been completed in time. Designed solely for humans and built underground, it was otherwise simply a very modern Noah’s Ark.

  When Tom had been approached to oversee its construction, the job carried a strict stipulation that he could tell absolutely no one—including Alex—what he was doing. In fact, this had been a criterion for everyone who had worked on the ARC, from the foremen to the lowliest laborer.

  Tom had been torn. He knew that he could not stay married to Alex and accept the position—but he desperately wanted the job. The prospect of being in charge of constructing one of the most difficult projects ever conceived was almost impossible to pass up, not to mention the fact that he had been kind of sold on the idea that taking the position was the patriotic thing to do. A secret meeting with several high-ranking government officials, including the president himself, had sealed the deal.

  But Alex was a problem. She was too smart and he was too transparent when it came to her. Tom knew that if he took the job, Alex would eventually figure out what he was up to. So, he had invented a story, based on his governmental boss’s suggestion, which had effectively ended their marriage.

  It had seemed to be a bad decision almost immediately, and Tom regretted it the moment he’d made it, but he had been so consumed by getting the ARC built that he hadn’t looked up long enough to realize the magnitude of his mistake until Alex had inadvertently shown up literally on the doorstep of the project. Thank god, he thought to himself, as she plodded along side of him, still wondering how he could ever have made such a poor decision. Now, in retrospect, he realized ironically that it was only his direct connection to the ARC project that had ultimately saved them.