by Dani Hoots
The area I was to search was the furthest away from the entrance. I quickly made my way, searching each room I passed. Each room was empty. I kicked over tables, brushed through destroyed bookcases and tablets. Nothing. Room after room I searched and still came up with nothing. As I headed into the corridor, I heard something down in the darkness. I stopped, turned my flashlight off and listened. Nothing. It must have been mice, the nonexistent mice I thought up earlier.
I started imagining the cup of nice hot tea that I would have once I got back on the ship as I came upon the last room. It would be a pleasure to simply hold it in my hand. I kept these thoughts as I searched all through the last room. Still there was nothing. I cursed under my breath as I pounded my fist against the wall. Something on the wall seemed off. I shined my flashlight on what I saw and thumbed away the excess dirt and ice. Markings. Sanshlian markings. I quickly cleaned them and translated.
“To open secret passage, pull lever,” I translated to myself. I thought for a moment. I didn’t remember seeing a lever in this room. I shined the light around where I stood. “What lever?”
“This one I suppose,” a voice said behind me. I felt a cold chill run down my spine as the secret compartment opened. I turned around slowly, shining the light towards where I heard the voice, not wanting to face the person that stood behind me.
“Of all the people that could be standing behind me right now, it had to be you didn’t it,” I faced him. “Tom?”
Chapter 17
“What are you doing here?” I questioned slowly as I kept my eye on the TG-2 he had directed at me. Tom had always wanted a reason to use it on me. Today might just be his lucky day.
“I could ask you the same question,” he flipped the lantern he had on and it dimly lit up the room. I switched my flashlight off.
I peered around him, trying to see if anyone else was with him. “I’m on a mission.”
He let out a soft laugh. “So am I.”
“The P.A.E. attack?” I knew that he should be on the other side of the planet if that were the case.
“That too. My men are working on that, though. I’m on a different mission.”
“Which is?” I inquired, realizing that he was alone, at least in here.
“To find you and some sort of book,” Tom glanced around, as if the book should be in there.
“Find me?” I began as he walked closer.
“Yes, word is you went rogue. The Emperor sent me to retrieve you before you did anything stupid, or at least anything stupider,” he explained with a slight grin. It was probably a mission he didn’t even think twice about taking. Seeing me fall was his lifelong dream.
I shook my head. “He has it all wrong, I didn’t betray him.”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“So, what? Are you going to torture me to death? Make me see the error in my ways?”
He placed his finger on my cheek and traced my jaw-line. “Tempting as that sounds, my dear Arcadia, I’m just here to retrieve.”
“Look, Tom, here’s the thing. I’m in a time crunch here. I didn’t actually go rogue, I just needed to get out from under the Emperor’s thumb. You know how he can be. I’m still obeying him and once I find what this mystery opens, I will destroy it and report back to him immediately,” I paused and gave him an innocent smile. “Just let me slip away.”
He shook his head. “I’m not playing your games and I’m not letting you go.”
“Not even if I tell you what I am going after?”
“I already know what you are going for. The legend of Sanshli, which personally I think is a waste of time but it’s not really up to me, now is it?”
“How... How do you know that?”
“A little birdie filled us all in on what you have been doing. All the generals are here, looking for you. Gladly I got to you first. Debating if I should just take you in or make it look like you struggled and I had to knock you out. The latter seems very tempting right about now.”
“What about the attack on the P.A.E.?” I didn’t give him the satisfaction of commenting on the last part of what he had said.
“Oh, we are prepared for that. Each of our lieutenants is ready for the attack, both here and on Valle. It’s only a matter of time now,” the satisfaction in his voice made me know that their plan was soundproof.
“So it is the end of the P.A.E.” Not that I cared, I just thought I would comment.
“Yes, and here you are helping them,” his voice started to rise.
“No, I am not,” I shot out. “I’m trying to destroy the last chance they have. Neil should know that.”
“Well, then you can tell him yourself.”
“Neil is here?” My worst fear had come true.
“Yes, and he is not very happy with you.”
“How did he know I would be here?”
“Not too sure, but he knew exactly where you would be. Now,” he gestured towards the secret compartment that had opened. “Grab the book and let’s go,” he started to force me back towards the secret compartment.
“Wait, Tom, listen. You have to let me go. If I don’t play this right all could be lost,” I tried stopping him.
“Not listening.” Tom kept forcing me back.
“Tom,” I placed my hand on his chest. “Please.”
He grabbed my wrist. “I’m not falling for your sweet-talk Arcadia, I...” he paused, staring at my wrist. “You’re a Kamps child.”
I tried to pull my hand back but he kept a tight grip. His face started to turn red with anger.
“How... how are you so close to the Emperor?”
“Let go of me,” I ordered.
He didn’t let go of me but squeezed tighter. “How, after all this time, did we never know?”
“Tom, let go,” I ordered again, not letting my eyes leave his.
“None of you are supposed to survive, how?!” he pried further.
I tried to keep him calm, knowing that I had been trying to keep this from everyone for a reason. “I don’t know. I was picked out by the Emperor to train under him long ago.”
“Why?”
I held his gaze. “I said I don’t know. Ask Neil.”
After a moment considering what he had just discovered, he let go of my wrist and put down the gun. Tom shook his head. “I have to know who is better.”
I watched his actions closely. “What are you talking about?”
He lifted up his fists. “Fight me. No weapons,” he never let up; it was embarrassing to think he was the leading general.
“What? Now?” I rubbed my temples. “You have to be kidding me.”
“If you win, I will let you go,” he added, thinking that would get me to fight him.
“You and your ego complex.”
“I mean it, Arcadia, fight me.”
“Tom...” I began but he didn’t want to hear it.
He lunged forward and threw a punch. I dodged it. He struck again and again and I dodged each one without hesitation. He became frustrated as he lashed out but always unable to touch me since I resisted any offense.
“Come on Arcadia! Fight back!” he called out.
“I really don’t want to fight you right now.”
“Prove to me why the Emperor keeps you around! Prove me wrong about all the things I have said over the years!” he lunged again.
I gave in. Blocking his attack and surprising him, I used this to sweep under his legs, causing him to fall to the ground. Before I could I do anything else, he grabbed my ankle and pulled me down with him. Both of us tried to scramble to get up before the other to get the advantage. Punches were thrown, clothing was torn. We were both at a disadvantage. I grabbed him by the collar as he tried to stand. I eyed the gun that Tom put on the ground that now lay behind him. I leaned in and kissed him, snatching the gun that was behind him. As I backed away I could tell he was confused. I cocked the gun and pointed it at him. He then realized what I did.
He rubbed his lips together. “Tha
t’s cheating.”
“Why do you think the Emperor keeps me around? I don’t fight unless I have to and I never play by the rules.”
“Are you sure it’s not something else? I haven’t been kissed like that in ages,” he smirked. Leave it to Tom to still taunt me even with the barrel of a TG-2 facing him.
I stood up, keeping the gun pointed down at him. Quickly, I grabbed the book out of the secret compartment and flipped through to make sure it was Sanshlian. It was.
I looked back down at Tom. “Now, I’m going to leave you here and be on my merry way, thanks to your ego.”
I felt an arm wrap around my throat and a gun jammed into my side. “Not so fast, Arcadia. Emperor has a little business to discuss with you.”
I laughed lightly. “Ah, Peter, I should have known you would be waiting.”
“We were beginning to worry. Tom should have had you back to the Emperor by now.”
“Of course he should have.”
I dropped the gun. Tom picked it up and used the butt of it to smack me across the face.
“Was that necessary?” I questioned as I rubbed my jaw.
“It was,” Tom grabbed me from Peter roughly.
“That’s enough,” I heard a voice command from behind Peter. I turned to find Neil standing in the doorway. I yanked out of Tom’s grip and knelt down before Neil.
“Sir, you shouldn’t be here,” Tom began.
“Well if you didn’t take so long, I wouldn’t have had to come now would I? Now I see you were being stupid and letting her near a gun,” Neil eyed Tom fiercely.
“I’m sorry sir, it won’t happen again,” Tom bowed apologetically.
I kept my eyes down as Neil approached me. He lifted my head up with his finger to face him. He had an eerily calm facial expression that scared me more than anything either of the generals could do to me. I wished I only had to face them. I didn’t want to think about what Neil had in mind. I didn’t want to face what he had in store for me.
Slapping me across the face, he yelled down at me. “What damned thing have you been trying to do?”
“I was doing as you ordered, sir,” I tried to reason.
He slapped me again. “You had your orders and you disobeyed them!”
“Sir, let me explain,” I began. Peter and Tom simply watched without saying a word. They had never seen Neil lash out like this. They didn’t know him like I did.
He raised his hand as if he was going to slap me again but I turned away. He lowered his hand with a slight grin sprawled across his lips.
“Do you fear me Arcadia?” he whispered. “Do you fear what I could do to you and your friends? All the pain I can bring down upon you for what you have done?”
“Yes, sir,” I admitted. Any other answer he would know to be a lie.
“Good, then you know what happens next. General Draff, General Haas, retrieve the others,” he began.
“No! Wait! Sir, please, I can take you to Sanshli!” I reached out as he started to walk away.
He stopped. “Go on.”
“I could lead you there and help you destroy it. I have to see it; I have to see it is real. That’s all I want. You can do whatever you want with the rest of them. Please, let me find it,” I pleaded. It was the only thing I could do now.
“Why do you need to find it so badly? It’s not like you to want anything,” Neil questioned as he looked down at me.
I paused, debating if I should tell him the truth. “Something there is calling me. I have to answer it or it will drive me to insanity. If I find it, it will stop and I will finally be at peace, but I have a feeling you already knew that.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You knew I would be here, you knew about the book, I presume you knew everything else, as always.”
“Well, you presumed right,” he paused, thinking about my proposal. “Fine, you can finish this mission, but you are still going to pay for what you did to me,” he handed me a tracking device; it was as if he knew he would let me go. “You better start running.”
Before I could question what he meant, Tom pulled his gun back out. I got the message as I hurried up and grabbed the book. He had to make it look believable I suppose. I placed the tracking device in my pocket and started running down the hallway with the book and flashlight. Tom fired shots after me and I wondered if he was truly trying to miss or not.
I ran with Tom firing after me. As I came upon the spot for us to meet, I called out to Amanda and Rik. “Go! The Imperials are on to us! I got the book! Run!”
Rik and Amanda saw I was being chased and turned to the door. I followed as they hurried out of the bunker and towards the ship. The hour was up and the others should be waiting for us on the ship. We ran as fast as we could with Tom right behind us.
It started to snow again. I felt each cold flake land on my exposed skin. It had been a while since I had seen snow fall. It reminded me of spring time in the cherry orchard. We hurried to the space-port when Tom fired some more bullets at us. We kept running. Six shots were fired. I thought they had all missed until I watched as Amanda collapsed a few meters in front of me. It was like watching Father fall down before my eyes all over again.
Rik looked back and saw her lying on the ground. He dove down to her but I could tell it was too late. She fell like all the others that I had watched being shot down, by myself or others. She was gone and that was that. Her blood dyed the innocent snow. Rik cried out. I grabbed him and dragged him away from her.
“Rik, she’s gone. We have to go!” I exclaimed as he tried to resist me pulling him away. He finally stopped and followed me, knowing there was nothing he could do now.
Tom didn’t follow us into the space-port. No one tried to stop us. Tom got his point across as was ordered by Neil. He caused the pain he wanted to cause and left it at that. Tom always did enjoy a good game of cat-and-mouse.
I led Rik onboard the ship and let him collapse in the storage area as the ramp began to close. I dropped the book on the ground and started towards the bridge when David met me in the corridor.
“Where’s Amanda?” David inquired as he looked past me and saw Rik collapsed behind me. I didn’t answer. David turned pale with realization, “No...”
“I’m sorry.” I began as he moved past me towards Rik. I carried on towards the bridge, knowing there wasn’t anything I could do for them now other than get them out of here.
I entered the bridge to find Will and Jack waiting for the signal to go.
“Get us out of here, Will,” I ordered as I stood behind him, looking out the space-screen.
“Who made you in charge? Where’s Rik?” he questioned.
“He’s incapacitated, get us out of here,” I didn’t have time to answer all of his questions; we needed to get out of there.
“Incapacitated? What did you do?” he kept persisting. Jack didn’t say a word, as if he knew something had happened.
“Damn it, Will, I said get us out of here!” My voice raised high enough for him to realize I wasn’t in the greatest of moods. Will nodded and made preparations to take off. We lifted off and I could see the tainted snow where Amanda still lay.
Chapter 18
As we slowly left the planet of ice below, I stayed silent thinking of what had just happened. Amanda was dead. I didn’t know how Rik was doing but I knew he couldn’t be good. I just hoped he would hold himself up until the end. I didn’t need him losing his way. Not now, not when we were so close. Just a little more and we would be there. Sacrifices had to be made and he should know that by now. I knew. I knew all too well.
Will wanted to ask what had happened down there, but he knew we had to get out of there before we could discuss anything further. First things first, we needed to get away from this planet as soon as we could, in case the P.A.E. showed up. Knowing our luck, they would probably show up any second now. I watched closely out of the space screen. Nothing.
We got far enough away from the planet that Will co
uld put the ship on autopilot. I let out the breath I didn’t know I had been holding the entire time. Funny how that happens in times like these.
“What happened? Did we get the book? Where’s Rik and Amanda?” Will started as he stood up. I had no clue as to where to begin. He was going to accuse me of everything he could think of again. This time I didn’t blame him. “Well?” he asked again.
“Rik is in the storage area,” I answered.
“And Amanda?”
I opened my mouth, debating what to say. “Amanda... is gone.” I got to the point, I knew not to beat around the bush with him or it would make him even angrier. I didn’t need that right now.
Will’s eyes widened. “Gone?! What do you mean, gone?”
“She was shot as we were running back to the ship,” I explained as he shoved past me and into the corridor. He didn’t want to hear it from me.
“Rik!” he called down as he ran towards the storage room. I watched as he disappeared around the corner. I sighed.
“Ran into a bit of trouble then?” Jack questioned as he pushed a few buttons, making sure everything was going right with the ship functions.
I sat down next to him. “You could say that.”
“He should have known the dangers,” he commented. Jack and I always thought the same, knowing the risks of every action and not afraid to take them. That’s what made us the way we were today.
“I warned him more than once, he didn’t think there was any need to worry,” I rubbed my eyes. It had been a long few hours. “He should have known he wouldn’t be able to handle it if anything happened to her. He should have left her behind but I doubt if she would have stayed. It wasn’t like she was weak or anything, just unlucky.”
“Interesting the blindness one has when their loved one is involved,” Jack added. I eyed him. Deciding I better make sure everything was fine in the storage area, I got up and went after Will.
I found him bent down beside Rik along with David, trying to figure out what exactly happened on Ttkas. They kept asking him questions but he wasn’t talking. Rik was crouched down with his head between his legs.