by Jake Macklem
Looking out over the landscape, she could see she had gained quite a bit of ground toward the mountains. Less than a mile now, then I just have to climb to the next vegetation level. To the left, a few standing trees and more mountains farther away. Off to the right, a river bent around the base of a mountain into a mostly still standing woods. I could go that way and curve toward the mountain.
She mentally braced and then pushed herself up onto a tree and slid down the other side. Picking up the metal sheet, Ace headed toward the standing trees, hoping to soon find shelter for the night. This moon sucks.
The low sun left her walking in the shadows. Ace was nearly exhausted. The cast wrap had done its job and kept everything in place but she was still hurting. Two weeks with the cast on and I’ll be in top fighting shape. I just hope I make it that long.
A tingle ran down her spine and the hair in her neck stood up. She stopped and slowly turned. Off to her right, sixty meters away, she locked eyes with a scaled reptile-like monster.
A Tree-knocker.
Standing on all fours, the beast’s back arched over three meters. From snarling snout to thick, flicking tail, it was at least seven meters long... maybe more. It’s as big as the Warthog fighter. She continued to stand perfectly still. Maybe it doesn’t see me.
The creature bounced—toward her. Rippling muscles tightened and flexed under the purple and blue scales as it moved, red light reflecting in its eyes.
She ran. No direction in mind, just anywhere away from the Tree-knocker. Each step shot pain through her body, but the adrenaline racing through her veins dulled it and sharpened her mind. Better than the gel. She could hear the thing crashing through the foliage behind her. It’s gaining on me fast. I need an advantage!
Turning down a steep slope, she grabbed a tree and used it as a pivot point. Leaning hard, she swung around the trunk, kicking up gravel as she let her feet glide across the ground. She threw her body into the motion, rapidly changing direction and gaining speed. Fifteen meters in front of her a group of trees had fallen together in a large clump over a ravine. It’s like a beaver dam. It’s my best chance.
Reaching deep for the last of her energy reserves, Ace drew back and threw her makeshift spear. Arcing through the air, the spear pierced a trunk at the top of the pile. She continued toward the pile, slipping the cable strap of the shield off her arm as she ran.
With a piercing screech, the Tree-knocker loped after her. Knowing better, she risked a glance back over her shoulder. A long barbed tongue darted out of its mouth. Its eyes darting around it in all directions, like bulbous periscopes on the sides of its skull. Its head snapped as its tongue licked the air. Long claws dug into the ground, tossing the soil up with each step, a billowing red cloud growing behind the charging beast. Ace accelerated, focused on reaching her spear.
Feeling the ground resonate with each thunderous footfall of the Tree-knocker, she knew the creature was close. This might be it. I might die. Anger grew in her belly. A small fire that quickly lashed out to ignite a roaring inferno of anger. Shank that! Rocks and dirt bounced off of Ace as the Tree-knocker landed behind her. The beast’s fetid breath was hot on her neck and she felt its tail slam into the ground.
She spun around to face the creature, fitting as much of herself as she could behind her metal sheet shield. Towering over her on its back legs, the creature was heavily scaled except for its underbelly, the skin there so thin she could see the veins and arteries throughout its chest cavity. It has a weakness! The creature lashed out, its barbed tongue smashing against the shield with a reverberating thwack. Pus-like liquid pushed from the little sacs under the barbs. Poison too?
The Tree-knocker retracted its wicked tongue and opened its powerful jaws even wider—a hundred, blade-like teeth prepared to rip Ace apart. Its eyes burned with furious hunger as it roared. It could bite me in half. A claw came slashing down, crashing into her shield. The force of the blow flung the shield from her hands and threw her through the air—slamming into the pile of trees. The Tree-knocker advanced again but she quickly rolled off the trunk and into the collapsed tree pile.
Ace tumbled down through the jagged tangle of boughs and landed hard on the ground beneath the pile, the ragged ends of broken branches digging into her back. Three meters above her, the knocker‘s claws tore through the fallen trunks. Each swipe tore chunks out of the trees, showering her with a rain of splinters. Why couldn‘t the trees be real wood?! She scrambled to her knees and pushed through the pile, desperately scanning the debris around her for a path she could use to reach the top of the heap.
An angry bellow reverberated through the clustered mess of wood. It‘s pissed that I‘m not there! The pile shifted as trunks and branches snapped behind her. She rolled to her left and the space she had occupied filled with splintered spikes of a tree. It's digging into the pile! Reaching up, she started to climb. Twigs and branches scraping across her arms and face, she ignored the pain and focused only on the fading red light of the sky above her.
Breaking through the last of the red leaves, she emerged at the top of the pile. It was much larger than she first thought. Almost a mountain. Searching frantically, she finally saw the glint of metal. There it is! She pulled herself up onto a horizontal trunk and stood. Extending her arms and keeping her knees bent, she maintained her balance as she walked the length of the tree toward her makeshift spear. Ain’t nothing ever easy. The pile shook from the Tree-knocker’s thrashing; Ace reached the spear and yanked it free.
Below her, the Tree-knocker continued to search for her. Half of its enormous body was buried in the tree pile, its back legs unsteady, huge talons dug into the trunks and its tail stuck straight up in the air for balance. I’m only going to get one shot at this. Ace examined the area. I need an advantage, damn it. Her eyes settled on a tree. There.
Ace hopped from tree to tree, using her smaller size to her advantage to move through the tangled pile. She reached the spot she had identified and frowned. Will this work? Standing wide-legged, she thrust the spear between two trees and leaned back, pulling the shaft, using it as a lever. “C’mon!” A snap echoed and the Tree-knocker stopped, then scrambled to back out of the cavern it had created in the pile. Ace reached into the raging inferno of her soul and, for a moment, saw the brilliant light of her greatness. “Arhhh!” The pile shifted.
With a crack, the trunk gave way and the pile collapsed. The Tree-knocker roared as the trees slammed against it, pushing it down to its side. Ace fell and rolled against a trunk, waiting for the movement to stop. She slowly pulled herself up and looked down the pile to the carnage below. A trunk had pierced the creature’s side, pinning the beast down. Its front legs were trapped under the log it had landed on. Labored breath slowly lifted and lowered the enormous chest cavity. The sound escaping the beast reminded Ace of a whimpering dog.
Standing up, she drew the creature's attention. It started to fight against its impromptu prison and stopped with a screech of pain. Its eyes locked onto Ace as she carefully worked her way toward the beast. You are amazing. If you had wings you’d be a dragon. When she was meters away, the Tree-knocker thrashed one more time, tearing its side open even more. Looking in its violet eye she saw fear and pain. “It was a good hunt. I thought you had me there a couple of times.” She widened her stance, shoulder-width apart. Spear in hand, she raised her right arm and held out her left hand with fingers spread. She spotted her mark and focused her aim. “I will honor you.” She threw her spear.
5: Cam
Camron Shaw stared at his reflection in the mirror, making sure he was cleanly shaven. Want Gwen to see me at my best. He wiped down his viberazor before placing it back in his meticulously arranged backpack. Turning from his small sleeping bunk, Cam tapped a button on the vidport to connect to his family via Gate-Link. The ship‘s communication relay converted the signal into a tight-beam energy pulse that the jump gates transmitted through their power matrix. While not instantaneous, it was nearly so.
The small screen flashed the words “Camron Shaw calling Shaw Residence. 4:27 a.m. local time.” The screen turned white and slowly the colors and shapes came into focus. Cam saw Gwen leaning back from turning on the screen. She swiped her hands down her thighs, flattening her yellow skirt as she sat down on the familiar brown couch. Her white blouse was tied with a blue scarf at the neck. Her hair was up and trailed off in a braided ponytail. A light blush flushed her cheeks and her yellow lipstick matched her skirt. She got up early and dolled herself up. That’s a good sign.
“As beautiful as the day we met, Gwen. How do you do it?”
She smiled at the sound of his voice; she had always said it was his Texas twang that charmed her. “I see you’re in your Sunday best as well,” Gwen said as her smile widened.
Cam glanced down at his combat-armored legs and maglock boots, then smiled back. An untucked white and blue flannel shirt and turquoise bolo tie and a white cowboy hat with a black band adorned his upper half. “Anything I can do to look good in your eyes.”
“You have shavin’ cream on your ear.” She touched her ear.
Cam reached to wipe it away, but there was nothing there. He grimaced and his cheeks turned red. Shaking his head he said, “I used the viberazor you got me—I don’t even have shaving cream.”
“You’re just gullible,” Gwen giggled. “It is good to see you, Cam”
“And you.” Cam gazed at the light and love of his life. They met during his second tour with the Sol Marines, while on leave. Studying to be a teacher, she won Cam’s heart in a bar, outside New Detroit. Gwen Shaw. As sweet as she was tough. “Where are the boys?”
“I woke Tomas, he’s getting Calvin up. They’ll be down shortly. I wanted to talk with you alone.” Gwen’s smile faded.
His stomach tightened and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Everything ok?”
“The boys miss you terribly. Tomas regales Calvin with stories of your exploits. That boy will be a writer, the tales he tells”. Gwen rolled her eyes. “I don’t know where he comes up with it all.”
Better stop telling Tom my service stories. That’s gonna get me in trouble.
“But the stories keep you in their hearts. You’ve been gone so long, Calvin just doesn’t know what it's like to have you around anymore.”
“This is the last one—and I’ll be coming home.”
“How is that?” Gwen asked suspiciously. “You had months left on your contract.”
“This one wasn’t scheduled. New find, I guess,” Cam answered. “A single drop that counts for three on my contract? No brainer—if it gets me home to you and the boys faster.”
“How do they just find a moon?”
“The planet it orbits, Ophelia, kept it hidden. Messes with scans and the G-link.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I won’t be able to call you ‘til I get back on the ship,” Cam said, “I'm sorry about that, but if this moon is anything like the last planet I surveyed, my commission bonus should get the family off-planet.” Cam sounded more defensive than he meant to.
“I know you’re doing your best, Cam, but we just need you. Not this crazy homesteading idea!”
“Hey now! It’s not crazy, and it was our idea, Gwen. For us and for the boys. Get off that dyin’ rock before it kills everything on it!” Damn it, don’t start a fight.
“I know that, Camron,” her voice tight and measured. “But that was three years ago and you’ve been gone for the last two. These vidcalls are the only reason the boys even remember your face. All I’m trying to say is,” Gwen’s caramel eyes softened and her voice became the sweet sound of morning rain, “if you don’t get enough, it’s okay. You still need to come home.”
Cam swallowed the lump in his throat and started, “Gwen…”
Calvin leaped across the room and collided with his mother. Still in his pajamas, his hair frizzed like his mother’s but it was flattened on one side of his head, giving him a wild look. “Hi, dad!” He waved and leaned in close, filling Cam’s entire screen. “Where you at? Are you dropping now? Shouldn’t you be wearing your space suit?”
“It’s called a vac suit. Sit back so I can see too, Calvin,” Tomas said from off-screen.
As Calvin sat back, Cam saw Tomas sitting next to his mother on the couch. He too had put on his best button-up shirt and slacks, held up with his black suspenders.
Cam pushed his sadness down and smiled brightly. “There are my boys!” It looked as if Tomas had grown another inch in the last two weeks. His youngest stared expectantly at Cam. “No, I haven’t dropped yet, Calvin.”
Tomas smiled and waved at the screen. “Hi, dad! It’s really good to see you.”
“It would have been cosmic if you called when you were dropping!” Calvin snipped, again filling the screen with his head.
“Get out of the way, Calvin!” Tomas yelled off-screen.
Calvin’s brow furled and the spark of pending mischief filled his eyes, but before he could act, Gwen pulled him back and spoke, “Calvin, Tomas, this is the last time we are going to get to talk to your father for a month.” She looked at the screen, her eyes betraying the fear that she might never see Cam again. He swallowed hard as she continued, “Is this how you want your father to see you behave?”
Both boys looked ashamed and refused to look at their mother as they answered, “No.”
“Now what do you want to say?” Gwen looked at the boys in turn.
Calvin looked up and rushed, “I love you, daddy. I can’t wait for you to bring us all the cool things you’ve found.” He scooted off the couch and waved. “Bye dad.” He disappeared off-screen in a blur, his mother’s eyes following him, obviously unamused by his behavior.
Tomas looked at the screen. “I miss you, dad. I can’t wait to see you. You coming home in a month is just so cosmic, dad. I almost can’t believe it.” Tomas smiled. “We’ll all be together!” There was a crash off-screen, and he looked toward the sound.
Gwen shouted, “Just stop, Calvin.” Then looking at Tomas: “Will you please go help your brother?”
“But mom!”
“Please Tomas?” Gwen’s eyes made it clear it was not a request.
“Yes, ma’am.” Tomas looked at his father. “I love you, dad. Can’t wait to see you.”
“I love you too, Tom.” Cam watched as Tomas walked off the screen.
Gwen scooted to center herself on the monitor and fixed her skirt seam. “He goes by Tomas now.”
“Right. Right.” Cam nodded. “ I remember.”
“We can figure everything out, Cam, but I need you here. I can’t do this again. Okay?”
Cam adjusted his hat. He had so much that he wanted to say, but he was not sure where to begin. “Gwen…”
The ship com squawked, “Drop in 3 minutes.”
Cam’s heart sank. I still have to get to the pod.
“Love of my life, when I get home we can figure all this out, but right now I have to go.” Gwen nodded as he continued, “You are my guiding star and I just want to give you and the kids the universe, babe.” Cam reached out and touched the screen. “You are my everything. I love you so much.” He swallowed the lump in his throat and ignored the burning of his eyes. “I will see you in a month, okay?”
Gwen’s eyes filled with tears. “You be safe, you hear me?”
Cam nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”
Gwen reached out to the screen, touching Cam’s hand, so many billions of miles apart, and yet connected in a single action. “I love you, Camron.”
Cam fell into her eyes. “I love you, Gwen.” The screen cut to black then displayed “Call Ended.” Without hurrying, he grabbed his backpack and the remainder of his armor, including his helmet and his rifle. At the door he stopped to inspect the room once more; all was in order. He double-timed to the drop pods.
Entering the hanger, Cam saw the tech working on his drop pod, labeled “Sol Mining and Survey” in bright yellow letters.
“I was wond
ering if you were gonna make it!” the tech said without looking up.
Cam slung his armor into the pod. “Hiya Verne. Wouldn’t miss it.”
The ship intercom crackled, “Drop in thirty seconds.”
“So look,” Verne said, “the moon is fine, but the gas giant’s gravity and its plasma field are going to affect your pod’s entry.” He continued hitting keys on both the datapad in his hands and a panel on the pod. “The pod can take it, no problem, but it is going to shake more than usual.”
“More than usual? And you’re sure it won’t come apart?” Cam asked as he stowed his rifle in a lock-drawer in the pod.
“Yeah. The inertial dampers will probably cut out, but the retros will be fine and the pod can take it.” The tech unplugged his datapad from the pod. “You look pretty fancy to be dropping.”
Cam slipped off his bolo tie, removed his flannel shirt, and tossed them both to the tech. “Wait. No inertial dampers? At all?”
“Something about how this moon reflects Ophelia’s static, so probably not. Why do you think they chose you?”
Cam grunted. “It’s nice to be loved. Stow that in my bunk until I get back.”
The tech examined the bolo. “Only because you asked so nice. Oh, yeah, there are three mags of tranq darts for your rifle in the secure drawer. They’ll knock out anything that breathes oxygen.”
The ship intercom croaked, “Drop in ten seconds.”
“Thanks.” Cam pulled the pod door shut and spun the lock wheel, sliding the bolts into place. He carefully set his cowboy hat on the floor as he sat down, then slipped the harness over his head and strapped himself into the seat. “All set.”
“Five, four, three, two, one. Drop!”
Cam gripped the arms of the seat as the pod was kicked out of the ship's hangar and he was suddenly weightless. The speaker popped, “Good luck down there, Shaw. See you in thirty days. Po’olu’u out.