by Andrew Gates
“Are you alright?” Dave wondered.
“I’m fine. It’s… it’s just a surprise, that’s all. I knew the planet would be different, but I didn’t expect…”
“Your home to be one big ashtray?”
“You could say that,” Ellen replied. She took a deep breath and gripped the controls. “But this isn’t the time to get distracted. We need to focus on landing this ship.”
“Roger that,” Dave replied, adjusting in his chair.
Ellen felt herself tremble. If this was how her home looked, she did not want to imagine what the rest of the planet must have looked like.
Images of her son and daughter flashed in her mind once more like a burst of lighting. She shook it off, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.
Calm yourself, Yuri said. I can tell you’re going through a lot right now, but we need to land safely.
“Yes, of course, sorry,” Ellen replied.
Ellen found a wide clearing and brought the ship down. She slowed the vessel and activated the landing gear. Only seconds later, the ship came down on solid ground. The bright plasma of the engines drew up a mist around the ship. The ionization field glowed around the hull, shining through the forward window.
“Another successful landing,” Dave said, clearly trying to lift Ellen’s sprits.
“Thanks,” she replied.
Lyla and Natalie entered the cockpit, both with smiles and wide eyes across their faces. Lyla still wore the orange flight suit. It had become her favorite outfit in the last few days. Natalie, meanwhile, was garbed in a large black t-shirt and brown pants that were far too long for her.
“Think anyone followed us?” Lyla asked as she entered.
“I didn’t see anyone, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t tracking us. We weren’t exactly hiding,” Ellen replied. She stood up from her seat and faced her visitors. “I’d say Daltus has simply given us a head start, nothing more.”
“Then we shouldn’t stay here,” Lyla added. “The longer we stay here, the more likely my mother will find us.”
“I agree,” Ellen replied.
“Any idea where we are?” Natalie wondered.
“Horron Fields… or what’s left of it,” Ellen explained. “We aren’t far from Neu Taargus.”
“I know this place, Horron Fields,” Lyla interrupted. “My mother used to tell me tales about it.” Lyla took a few steps to the window and stared out. “There was a great battle here during the Lightspeed Wars, though not many know about it. Most of the details were covered up at the time.”
“A battle?” Ellen replied. She stepped closer to Lyla. This was the first she had heard of any battle taking place here. “What kind of battle?”
Lyla turned to face Ellen. She took a deep breath and stared into her eyes.
“They called it a battle, but if the tales are to be believed, it was more of a slaughter. During the Lightspeed Wars, you must understand, everyone was trying to seize control. Random Joes across the galaxy suddenly thought they were invincible. During that time, a faction called the Star Shapers had grown to prominence. They were from Mateo, descendants of the first colonists, mostly made up of farmers and blue-collar types. The Star Shapers wanted to free the planet from Vexa Corp’s control.”
“Farmers overturn the company?” Dave questioned.
“With the rise of faster-than-light travel, they not only thought they could do it, but they even planned to expand to other star systems and create their own little empire. It’s like I said, now that they could jump across the galaxy in the blink of an eye, everyone thought they were invincible.”
“The Star Shapers? I’ve never heard of them. What happened to them?” Ellen asked.
“As you can expect, they didn’t last long. Their campaign started and ended here in Mateo. Vexa Corp was able to stop them, but at a cost.”
“What cost?” Ellen pressed.
“The Star Shapers had a secret encampment out here in the fields. One night, a double-agent in their ranks revealed their hidden location to the Vexa Corp fleet. A day later, the fleet bombarded the surface from orbit. They scorched the planet in a rain of laser fire, burning every square inch of Horron Fields,” Lyla paused and slowly gulped. “Nobody was left alive.”
“That’s horrible!” Dave said.
“How come I’ve never heard of this either?” Natalie asked.
“It’s simple: Vexa Corp covered it up,” Lyla answered. “It would have been a PR nightmare for them.”
“It’s starting to sound like covering things up is what Vexa Corp is best at,” Ellen noted. She looked down to the floor and tried as hard as she could not to imagine her son trapped in the barrage of laser fire.
A tear formed in her left eye and slid down her face.
“Are… are you alright?” Lyla asked, taking another step toward Ellen. She placed her hand on Ellen’s back.
“I’m fine,” she replied. Ellen took a step away from Lyla.
“Lyla,” Dave said, “Ellen used to live here. Her son lived here.”
“Oh.” Lyla’s face went white. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ellen responded. “I’m glad you told me the tale. The mystery of not knowing was even harder.”
Are you sure you’re alright? Yuri asked, privately.
I’m fine.
“Let’s forget about all this and get going,” Ellen said, lifting her head up again and acting as if nothing had happened. “It’s like you said, the longer we stay here, the more likely Daltus will find us.”
“Where will we go?” Dave asked.
“Neu Taargus,” Ellen answered. She wiped the tear from her face. “We can find a temporary shelter there and spend the night. It’ll give us time to recover. Then tomorrow, we’ll work on finding a safe place to relocate.”
“Vexa Corp headquarters is based in Neu Taargus. We’ll have to be careful,” Lyla added.
“Of course. We all need to stick together and lay low. I suggest we get going soon. It’s a 21 mile walk from here to the city center. Unless you want to finish the walk in the dark, we should get moving.”
“We’re walking the whole way?” Natalie asked in disbelief.
“Any dock under Daltus’s sphere of influence is going to be looking for this ship. No doubt Daltus has put them all on alert. Unless you can think of some other way to get there, I’d say walking is our best bet.” Ellen replied. She looked around the room. “Do any of you have any better ideas?”
Natalie and Lyla both shook their heads. Dave simply stared forward.
“Good. Then let’s go.”
***
Desolation. Ash. Death. It spread as far as the eye could see.
Lyla had heard the stories of this forsaken place, of the bombardment that happened here, but the sight was more horrifying than she ever imagined. As a child, she could not understand why Vexa Corp would fire upon its own world. The idea seemed so foreign to her. But as she grew to learn more about the company, the tale no longer surprised her.
Despite all the talk of changing the world, Vexa Corp was out for one thing only: power.
Lyla knew it all along, long before the conspiracy against her friends. But only now did she feel compelled to reject Vexa Corp’s agenda. Seeing the victims up close, getting to know them, to understand them, it changed her in ways she never expected.
Dave’s hand suddenly brushed against Lyla’s, prompting her to look his way. She wrapped her fingers around his, coming back to reality.
“Hey,” Dave said, pulling her focus back to the here and now.
“Hey,” Lyla replied, unenthusiastically.
“You don’t sound so excited to see me.”
“Sorry. It’s not you. It’s this place,” Lyla explained, studying the hellish world around her. “It’s hard to fathom what happened here, what Vexa Corp did to its own people.”
“I know what you mean. It gives me the shivers,” Dave replied.
H
e motioned forward to Ellen. She was about 20 feet ahead of them, eagerly pressing forward as fast as she could. Meanwhile Natalie lagged almost 10 feet behind them.
“I’m worried about Ellen,” he continued. “To think that this was once her home. It must be hard for her to deal with.”
“You wouldn’t know that by watching her. She’s trying hard to act like nothing is wrong.”
“That’s how she is. She’s a soldier. She doesn’t show signs of weakness.”
“I know,” Lyla replied. “That’s what worries me. Keeping emotions bottled up like that can’t be good for the human mind.”
Yuri says Ellen also feels guilty for handing over the Governor’s data, Gloria added, bluntly. She worries that she delivered Daltus her greatest weapon.
“That’s a lot for one mind to handle at once,” Lyla said, sighing. “Should we do something to help her?”
“You mean play psychologist?” Dave asked. He shook his head. “No way. Trust me. I know Ellen. The best way to handle this is to let her work it out on her own.”
“How long will that take?”
“I don’t know,” Dave replied. “I’ve seen her tormented before, but never like this. There’s no telling how long it will take for her to pull through.”
“Hopefully this mission will be enough of a distraction for her. I’d hate for her judgment to be clouded by her emotions,” Lyla said, “especially when we’re all depending on her.”
I have the same fear, Gloria added, though Yuri has assured me I need not worry.
“Yuri is right,” Dave replied, confidently. “Ellen thrives when she has a mission. It’s in times like these, she’s at her best.”
“I hope you’re right,” Lyla said. “For all our sakes.”
***
I don’t like how you’re coping with this, Yuri said.
Ellen took a step forward. Her foot shattered yet another charred log. It broke apart beneath her boot, sending ashes flying into the air. She held her breath, hoping not to cough up any of the dust.
You mean because I’m not coping with it? Ellen asked.
That would be one way of putting it. Look, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about human emotions it is that they need to be nurtured.
I don’t think an AI is the best person to help nurture my human emotions, Ellen retorted.
Ellen closed her eyes as she walked forward, hoping to clear her head. When she opened her eyes again, she stopped and stared up into the deep blue sky. Even in this hellish land, there was something undeniably beautiful about a blue sky. Ellen had been without one for far too long. She had almost forgotten what it looked like.
She was about to smile before her foot met another piece of wood, which shattered like glass beneath her boot. Her joy went away in that moment as she instantly remembered where she was.
Don’t you want to stop and talk about your feelings? I know it must be eating you up inside to finally learn how Blake died. You shouldn’t ignore this like it’s nothing.
We don’t know he died here. Maybe he got out before the fleet started their bombardment.
Maybe you’re right, Yuri agreed. Now we’re getting somewhere. I like the optimism. Keep going.
Are you trying to play psychologist with me?
I’m trying to take care of you, Yuri answered.
Well don’t. I’m fine.
You don’t seem fine.
I’m fine, Ellen repeated.
Alright, alright , you’re fine, Yuri finally said, accepting that she was not interested in talking about it. I won’t press you anymore. But just know, if you change your mind and want to talk about it, I’m here.
Thanks, Yuri.
And Ellen?
Yes?
We’d better pick up the pace. We have eight and a half more miles to go and it’s starting to get late.
Understood, Ellen replied. She turned around to face the others and waved them on.
“Come on!” she hollered. “It’ll be dark soon. The sunlight won’t wait for us!”
***
Skyscrapers loomed in the distance. With only two miles left, they were so close that Ellen felt as if she could practically reach out and touch the skyline.
Ellen smiled. Her feet were killing her. Thankfully, the hard, hot surface was long behind them now. The past several miles had been on soft dirt and grass, a welcomed return to what Ellen was used to.
“How are you holding up?” Lyla asked, joining Ellen on her right side.
Ellen glanced at her companion. Dave was with her, holding hands.
“I’m fine,” Ellen responded. “Why does everyone keep asking me?”
“I think it’s a valid question considering the circumstances,” Lyla replied.
“We’re almost there,” Ellen said, intentionally changing the subject. “Let’s focus on the mission.”
“We picked up the pace like you asked,” Lyla noted. “We’re making good time now.”
“The sun will be up for a few more hours,” Dave added.
“We still have to find a place to stay once we get in the city,” Ellen responded. “We’ll need that daylight.”
“And some food,” Dave said.
“Yes,” Ellen agreed, “and some food.”
Watch out. There are ships approaching from the east, Yuri noted.
“What kind?” Ellen asked.
Company ships. Might want to lay low.
Ellen looked up and zoomed the magnification in her eyes. Sure enough, five Vexa Corp fighters flew overhead in formation.
“Get down!” Ellen said, waving to the others.
Everyone quickly found some cover. Ellen ducked behind a rock. Lyla and Dave found a tree. Natalie crouched by a bush. They all sat in silence and stillness for several seconds as the ships passed by overhead.
As soon as they were long gone, Ellen stood up again. The others followed suit.
“Think they saw us?” Natalie wondered.
Doubtful, Yuri responded. We were concealed by our cover and even if they scanned the area with infrared, there’s no way of verifying that the heat signatures belong to us. For all they know, we could be campers out on a hike.
“Still, whether they saw us or not, my mother has ways of tracking us. If anyone can find us, it’s her. We need to be careful. Let’s not make any assumptions,” Lyla said.
“I agree. Come on, all the more reason for us to get moving,” Ellen added.
The last few miles were the easiest. With the end in sight, Ellen felt strangely reinvigorated.
They passed by roads and broken-down buildings now. People walked here and there around them, not paying Ellen and her company any mind.
After a few more minutes, the streets grew denser and narrower. Broken down buildings were soon replaced by shacks and huts.
“Where are we now?” Dave asked.
“The city center is surrounded by a ring of slums,” Lyla replied.
The narrow streets smelled of piss and grime. The crudely constructed shacks looked as if they had been assembled together with metal scraps and tarps. Mud covered every surface. Bugs flew this way and that. A cloud of smoke seemed to cover the world like a blanket.
“How long has this slum been here?” Ellen asked.
“Since the war,” Lyla answered. “It’s been this way for years.”
Ellen could not believe this was Neu Taargus. It looked like nothing she remembered.
A man suddenly approached her. He held his arms outstretched. Ribs poked out through the thin skin around the man’s waist. His long white hair and wrinkled skin was like something out of Taspansa. He had clearly never seen a rejuv or a mod in his life.
“Hello travelers,” he said through a mouth of rotted teeth. His breath practically made her gag.
Ellen ignored the man and kept moving. She kept her head low.
More beggars stood up now and approached them. Ellen held her hands out, blocking them as she continued along. She pushed through the crowd as
more and more people convened around them.
“This is not what I’d call laying low,” Lyla said.
Ellen ignored Lyla’s jape and pressed on, pushing through the crowd. Hands darted at her this way and that. She closed her eyes.
Hard to believe this is year 5673, Yuri noted. I feel like we’re in ancient Rome during a plague.
Even seeing this with my own eyes, it’s hard to accept what’s happened here. This planet really has fallen to ruin. It’s like something out of a nightmare. Look at these people. They’re starved, afraid. Meanwhile Daltus gets to enjoy the luxury and safety of her warship.
I know it’s hard, but just keep moving. We’ll be in the city center soon enough, Yuri said.
I always knew things would be different when I finally returned to Mateo, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad, Ellen continued. Everything is gone, completely gone. I’ll never be able to return to the home I once knew. She felt a tear form in her eye, prompting her to open her eyes again as she pressed through the mob.
We’ll find a new home somewhere, Ellen. We must.
The crowd of beggars began to thin out. Ellen moved a bit more easily now. Each step was faster than the last until she finally broke free.
The streets emptied out as the shacks faded away, soon replaced by the looming presence of tall skyscrapers. Ellen brushed off some dirt from her clothes. The smell of piss still lingered somewhere.
Lyla, Dave and Natalie joined by her side only a few seconds later. Natalie shook herself off like a wet dog.
“Shit, that was not easy to see,” Dave said.
“I agree. This place has really fallen apart,” Ellen replied. “But there’s nothing we can do about it now. First thing’s first, we need to find a place to stay the night.”
“Where were you thinking?” Natalie asked. “I don’t trust the hotels. I also don’t trust the slums either.”
“We’ll go somewhere where people don’t ask a lot of questions, somewhere they’ll take anyone in,” Ellen answered.
“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this answer?” Lyla asked.
A brothel, Yuri explained. She’s referring to a brothel.
Ellen shrugged, innocently.