The Survivors Box Set

by Nathan Hystad

I saw my reflection in the smooth metal wall, and I realized the shot to my legs must have fried my cloaking device.

  “Magnus!” I shouted, already exposed.

  A pulse beam shot across the room from the left to the right, and I ran for the left side, knowing that was one of our rifles firing. Red light beams shot from a pirate’s finger across the room, and it mechanically kept shooting in even intervals.

  “Dean.” Magnus was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, blood covered his face, and he had to wipe it away from his eyes. Leslie was on the floor beside him, clearly unconscious, or worse. “You got the power back?”

  I nodded to his question, not breaking my gaze from her limp form. I lifted my rifle over the edge of the containers and fired a pot shot at the pirate across the room. “What happened?”

  “We did as we planned. I lured them down here with the glorious promise of treasure. They stupidly obliged our trap, and Leslie popped up from her hiding spot behind them, only we hadn’t expected them to be so quick. We ended the first one, and the standoff began.” We took turns firing over our heads as I filled him in.

  “Is she…?” I didn’t finish the question.

  He shook his head, blood spilling from his wound. “No. I dragged her here, then blasted another one of the bastards. Then it was one on one.”

  “So there’s just one left?”

  Magnus smiled at me, his bloody face making a mask of horror. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Divide and conquer?” I asked and got a curt nod in return. He got up, crouching below the top of the containers. I did the same, only I went the opposite direction. “I’ll be the goat,” I whispered, and it looked like he was about to argue, then decided not to.

  In seconds, I was at the end of the stacked containers, with Magnus at the far end. I fired a shot across the room and stepped out with my gun in the air. “I know where the treasure is. I killed him,” I shouted. The pirate turned its faceless head toward me, as if considering what I’d said, before it lifted a finger and started to fire at me. I rolled back around the crates as Magnus snuck behind it and laid down a barrage of blasts.

  The room went quiet, save the noise of crackling wires, an acrid smell lingering in the air as the last remaining pirate fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Magnus fired at its head one last time for good measure and did the same to the other two fallen robots.

  He shuddered and helped me to my feet.

  “Let’s get Leslie and get the hell out of here,” I said, ready for this nightmare to be over.

  Seven

  Our ship pulled free from their tractor beam with a blast of our hyperdrive, and we spun around, firing at will on the robot pirate vessel. I watched the ship explode into hundreds of pieces with joy as our missiles and rail guns pummeled it.

  “We did the universe a favor today,” Magnus said, holding a rag to his forehead.

  Leslie had come to, angry she’d missed the action. Her eyes had widened at the mention of Rivo. “You know who she is, right?”

  “A short blue alien who saved our butts?” It was the truth.

  “Her father, Garo Alnod, is one of the most wealthy and influential people in the galaxy. Rivo is something of royalty, if not by title, then by opulence. They live on Bazarn Five. Hell, her father practically funded the place at the start.” Leslie tapped coordinates in on the console and paused to take a drink of water. “Damn, my head hurts.”

  “How do you know all this?” I asked incredulously. What were the chances I’d saved someone from Bazarn, someone whose father ran the place?

  “Haven is a respite for outcasts, and many don’t have a lot of means. What they do have to share is rumors and gossip,” Leslie said.

  I looked for Rivo’s small ship on our sensors, but it was nowhere to be seen. I wondered if our paths would ever cross again.

  ____________

  The space near Volim was a hive of activity. Cities were erected on the three moons over the planet, and a large space station orbited the yellow world. We’d been stopped halfway across the system and were escorted by five wasp-shaped vessels.

  Leslie had done the talking, explaining who she was, and that we needed to see the church on important details involving the Ancients. We’d experienced silence for a few minutes before they replied, telling us we’d be allowed to land on their world.

  “I know they’re zealots of sorts, but what religion in particular do they follow?” I asked Leslie.

  “They believe in the universe, first and foremost. They consider the Theos to be a race of beings, not gods, but through them, divinity was passed on, or something like that. The Padlog on Haven didn’t talk about it much. I assume like any culture, some are more devoted to old ways than others.” Her answer made sense.

  “Do you think Sergo will have the information we need?” Magnus asked.

  “If he doesn’t, he’ll know where to find it. He’s somewhat of a spy on their world. I know he exchanged gossip for technology from Kareem on occasion.” Leslie slowed our ship, and we watched as more wasp-shaped ships flew in the space before us, each moving like they had somewhere to be in a hurry.

  A buzzing sound echoed through our communication system. I’d initially thought of them as the insectoids, not realizing they had different races on their world, each uniquely insect-like, with their own language. This one sounded like a hovering bee.

  “Follow us,” the translator repeated.

  We passed the closest moon, where our zoomed-in viewscreen showed an intricate system of housing, much like a beehive. Soon we were entering Volim, and I spotted small oceans in the primarily yellow-toned landscape. As we lowered toward a sprawling city, I noticed four towers rising high into the sky, stretching through the low hanging clouds. Around the metropolis, mustard-colored hills rolled, leading toward a body of water. It was unlike any world I’d ever seen.

  Four of our escorts veered off, letting a single ship lead the way toward the center of the city. We landed directly in the center of the four towers, and it wasn’t until our ramp lowered, and we stepped onto the ground that I realized it wasn’t the ground at all. The whole place was lifted off the surface, and we were above part of the urban sprawl.

  I was the first off the ship and was greeted by armed guards. Each breath was short, and I felt like I was nearing the top of a mountain. The guards looked much like the Padlog who’d tried to stop Mary back on the crystal world: the same uniforms, the same antennas protruding from their heads; their eyes were large and black. For a second, I thought they’d know what we’d done, and we’d be mowed down by their weapons, but they just gestured us forward. One of them walked toward us and passed us each a small breathing tube.

  He pointed to our noses, and I understood. Leslie helped me place it on my face, and I noticed the air become more breathable. The line tied around our heads, with two small holes allowing oxygen into our noses.

  “Thank you,” I said, and it translated to the buzzing sound.

  “Wrong dialect,” Leslie said, adjusting the settings on the translators for us. I was suddenly glad she’d insisted on coming along.

  “Thank you,” I repeated, the sound coming through now as more of a cricket’s chirp.

  “Come,” he said, turning and walking away.

  The sky was cloudy, muting the hills beyond the horizon, but I was in awe of the sights. The sparkling skyscrapers were taller than any buildings I’d ever seen. I hadn’t expected this from the Padlog, and I knew I shouldn’t have assumed that just because they looked like insects mixed with humans, they would live underground or in hives.

  “Where are we going?” Magnus asked him.

  “To see the Supreme.” He didn’t elaborate, and we didn’t ask him to. With a name like that, he’d be the end of the road.

  Leslie stepped close to me, waiting to make sure our host wasn’t looking. She whispered in my ear, “I’m going to feign illness later and sneak out to find Sergo.”

  “What abou
t the Supreme?” I asked quickly and quietly.

  Leslie shook her head. “He won’t give you what you want.” Then she fell back, walking a yard behind me once again.

  Magnus looked over with a grim face. His head still had gauze taped to it, and his eye was a little swollen. He claimed the cut was mostly superficial. A cut on the forehead wasn’t often deadly, but it made for a bloody mess.

  Other locals milled about, some sitting inside white gazebos. Heated discussions carried to us, and the guard told us not to worry. Theologians rarely fought, but they always spoke with passion.

  A being with a long abdomen walked on four thin legs, bending at the thorax. It looked a lot like an ant, but its arms were thicker than the legs; powerful mandibles clicked as it spoke to a friend nearby. Already I’d seen at least three types of the Padlog and was happy to see their world was a blended pot of cultures. Smoke poured from a chimney on a squat building as we passed, and I saw something that looked like a two-foot-long fly rotating over a flame. Five or six Padlog lined up, waiting to place their order with the food vendor.

  Perhaps the Raanna, the spider beings from our trek to find the Theos, were originally from Volim. The Iskios, I corrected myself. We hadn’t really been searching for the Theos.

  Magnus raised his eyebrows at the fly on a spit, and stuck out his tongue as we kept moving, heading toward the tower closest to the hills. I wondered what was beneath us. Was it housing, transportation tunnels, or something as basic as a sewer system?

  We arrived at the base of the tower, and I looked up, the sheer height of the skyscraper giving me a wave of vertigo. This couldn’t be called a skyscraper; it was more like a skypiercer.

  “This way,” the guard said, leading us through a wide-open entrance. No doors sealed the tower from visitors.

  Inside, we were met with a pristine lobby. Alien script was embedded in gold lettering on the walls. Robed insectoids clicked, buzzed, and chirped amongst one another. A fountain of water gushed in the center of the white marble-like floors, its soft flow a comforting white noise in contrast to the multi-language speech around us.

  A wide set of stairs rose from deep in the lobby, and our guard motioned for us to ascend them.

  Magnus set a hand on my back. “I hope they don’t expect us to climb to the top,” he joked.

  “If they do, you’ll be carrying me by floor one hundred.”

  We climbed the stairs, which were mostly bare of the Padlog, who seemed happy to be conversing on the main floor, sprawling out beside the fountain and beyond.

  The stairs went on only a short way before we had to turn and walk up another flight in the opposite direction. By the time we’d climbed three stories, our guard had slowed. A row of Padlog similar to our host stood by large yellow doors. More gold script crossed the walls on this floor, and I thought about trying to translate it.

  But I didn’t have time as the doors opened simultaneously, and a small cricket-shaped man hopped out.

  “Come. We have much to discuss.” His voice was deeper than I would have expected, and the translation came through clearly.

  The room wasn’t large, the ceiling short. Inside, lights shone down on the floor, and I couldn’t help but think they were there to simulate sunlight. Their glow was warm and rejuvenating.

  The cricket-man was under three feet tall, and he hopped over to a table, where he sat down, motioning for us to do the same. He had a pallid green skin tone, small black eyes, and his words came out in smooth sequences. I wasn’t sure, but I had to assume he was elderly. Compared to the guards, he seemed to be slower and more fragile. Dozens of tall plants sat in the room. The Supreme directly beside one with thick green leaves. For such an extreme title, I’d expected someone more imposing.

  “The Ancients.” He slouched slightly, and I shifted in my seat, which was directly across the table from him.

  “Yes,” was all I said.

  “What do you know of them?” he asked. He tapped the table and whispered something to the guard who’d brought us in. The man nodded, bowed, and removed himself from the room. We were left alone around the table with the small Padlog.

  I looked to Leslie, who nodded. She was supposed to warn me away from saying too much. This meant she thought it harmless to be honest. Maybe she thought we could get the information from them and save ourselves the time of tracking down Sergo. We had agreed not to mention our involvement in the Iskios being released or the part about us gunning down two of the Padlog. Somehow, I didn’t think that would sit too well.

  “I know there were two races in the beginning. The Theos and the Iskios.” I waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t, I continued. “The Iskios were a sick race, and eventually the Theos had enough of their cruelty and manic behaviour, so they executed them, hunting them down to the edges of the universe before burying their corpses on a barren world.”

  The cricket-man leaned forward, and his small hand cinched his priest’s robe up tight as I spoke. “How do you know this?”

  “I’m a Gatekeeper,” I said, as if this was explanation enough. It seemed to relax him. I wondered if he would set the guards on us if I’d said anything else.

  “Gatekeeper indeed. What race are you?” he asked, squinting his small black eyes at us.

  “Human,” Magnus answered.

  “Never heard of it. Some days I think the universe is too large. Today is one of those days.” He leaned back, and the guard who’d left came back with a tray carrying a bottle of a thick golden liquid and four cups.

  “I’ll second that,” Leslie agreed.

  The guard poured four equal measures of the thick liquid, and once again departed without a word. “Not very talkative, is he?” I asked.

  Our host disregarded my comment. “How rude of me. We haven’t even had introductions. I am the Supreme. You are?” He passed each of us a cup and waited for our replies.

  Magnus took charge of answering the Supreme. “I’m Magnus, this is Leslie, and across from you is Dean.”

  I swore his eyes widened a touch at my name, but if he recognized it, he hid it well after that first instant. “To new friends.” He lifted his cup, and we each grabbed one. It was made from an unfamiliar material, and I sniffed the drink before tasting it.

  “Here goes nothing,” I whispered to no one in particular, and tried it. My mouth exploded with flavor as the sweet syrup hit my taste buds.

  “Our finest nectar,” the Supreme said.

  “I can tell why,” Magnus said, wiping his mouth with his hand. “Damn me if that wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Enough,” I said. Even the liquid gold wasn’t enough to distract me from the purpose of traveling all the way to Volim. I needed to locate Mary. “I need to find the Theos.”

  His eyes went wide. This time, there was no hiding his surprise. “They are dead.”

  I didn’t want to discuss the Iskios with him; it would open too many questions I wouldn’t answer. “Then how do I bring them back?”

  “We believe they were powerful beings. Not quite gods, as others’ faith allows them to think; like anything else, we all die eventually.” The Supreme took another sip from his cup, his small mandibles spread apart while he drank the nectar.

  “Tell me where they died.”

  “And why do you need them so badly?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

  “The portals are failing,” I lied. “The Gatekeepers don’t all know about it yet, but they’re acting erratically. Sometimes they send you to the wrong location, others they don’t activate at all. Sarlun has a temporary ban on using them while we look for the Theos to solve it.”

  The lie was a solid one. The Supreme didn’t have a connection to the Gatekeepers, and if he bought my improved fib, I’d be one step closer to finding them.

  “I don’t want to raise them from the dead or anything like that. I just need to find their world. There has to be records there on the portals. If they created them, they’d know how to
repair them.” I bit my tongue as I waited for the Supreme to consider this.

  “Come back tomorrow.” He pressed a button under the table, and the guard raced in, firearm drawn. “Denni, put that away. I just want you to escort our friends here to some quarters for the night. Come back in one cycle of Volim. I will have an answer for you.”

  This was a better outcome than I’d expected.

  Denni led us out of the room, but not before Magnus drank the last few drops of the nectar from his near-empty cup.

  “I think it might be a little fermented or something. It has the kick of a strong port,” Magnus said, hitting me lightly with his elbow. “What say we find another one of those somewhere?”

  Leslie hung back from the guard, and I slowed to match pace with her. “Once we get settled in, you two ask Denni to show you to some food. I’ll pretend I’m not feeling well.”

  I nodded. “Sergo?” I said the name quietly, but she still frowned and waved her hand for me to stop talking.

  In a few minutes, we were one hundred and ten floors up, and walking into our guest suites. I hadn’t known what to expect from them, but it seemed the Padlog enjoyed their luxury. Each unit was larger than my house’s square footage, and all three of the rooms had panoramic views of the ocean beyond the yellow hill. The sun was beginning to set, and it majestically glared off the water.

  “Everything satisfactory?” Denni asked.

  “More than,” Magnus said. He’d checked out his room and now found himself sitting with his feet up, looking out my window. “You guys know how to do it up.”

  “These are for interplanetary guests. Only those invited by the Supreme stay here.” The guard turned as if to leave.

  I thought back to what Leslie had said. “Is there anywhere to get some food? You know, something not made from bugs?”

  “Yes, the terrace on the rooftop,” Denni said, pointing up.

  “How many stories is this building?” Magnus’ voice was muffled while his head was stuck peeking into a closet.

  “Two hundred,” Denni said.

  “Wow. We need to up our game back home,” Magnus said, winking at me.