Beyond Our Stars

by Marie Langager

  It was still amazing to me how many new plants, vegetables, and fruits there were. It was a plethora of discovery. And these were only the fields and crops inside the Site. Some day there would be a fantastic world awaiting us.

  “Hope,” someone called me from the ground.

  I swung down from the tree in three easy swoops.

  It was Marseille. Her blonde hair was wet from a group shower and braided back from her face. She looked away as I approached.

  “They’re back for us,” she said. Her eyes came back to my face. I was used to it now, she watched me like I watched the Locals. Like she wanted to understand something about me.

  I squared my shoulders, hooking my arm in hers and marching us towards the tunnels. So this was going to resume. We met up with the rest of the group. Helen and Duggard were weak but healed enough to go back in.

  Helen met my eyes as we approached and I tried not to react to the fear I saw on her face.

  “I bet they take it easy,” I ventured.

  A few tension filled faces turned to look at me. “They might. Remember to work as a team. And…we all lived last time. It’ll be fine. Nothing’s going to happen,” I finished firmly.

  The rushing sound told us that we could walk in now, and each group of Specs broke away and filed into their separate tunnels.

  Grim came to walk beside me and took my hand before we’d even reached the Stack, reminding me what was at stake. His hair needed a cut, it was growing into a long bowl around his face.

  I stopped at the entrance. Grim looked over at the Local at the same time I did, more confident with me in between them. This one seemed younger. The tall creature didn’t move. It had its head down, the large half-moon shape tilted toward me. Its blue glossy eyes weren’t closed but did not look at me. Then its face moved slightly. Like…like it was drawing its eyebrows together. It was a shift of muscles that looked to me like frustration, or like it didn’t understand.

  “Hello?” I said.

  The muscles smoothed and the look of indifference resumed. I felt like I hadn’t seen anything, like I’d made it up.

  I squeezed Grim’s hand and we walked in together, the doors sliding shut after us and sealing us in darkness. I prayed and prayed that this would be a good one, waiting breathlessly. The walls of the Stack began to brighten and I counted down in my head. Three, two, one…

  The scene was a simple room. A square box big enough to fit the ten of us with a little roaming room for everyone, and dimly lit by soft orange lights in the corners. The floors and walls were black, and smooth. It wasn’t bad, but something about this room made my neck muscles tense up.

  It was dark enough that I couldn’t see if there was something hiding in the corners, so I moved to check them.

  “Whoa! Wait a …what?” Weeks exclaimed. I felt an odd shifting of my clothing, like someone was hugging me and running their hands over me. And then my shirt and pants disintegrated.

  Just…gone.

  I threw my arm across my breasts and tried to cover myself the best I could as a chorus of startled cries erupted from the group.

  Glancing around for the briefest of seconds I could see that everyone else was in the same predicament. I had to turn away though, my eyes were being assaulted by too much information even in the dark.

  I slid against the wall since I was out of hands to cover my backside.

  “Where’re you goin’?” Weeks barked in my direction.

  “You wouldn’t know I’m moving unless you’re looking!” I shouted.

  “Um, of course I’m looking. And I’d be happy to show if there’s anything you’d like to see,” he said in a smooth, low voice.

  There was a long moment of silence.

  Then I burst out laughing. A few people chuckled.

  Was this it?

  This wasn’t that bad. We were already used to the group showers back on our ships, though those were separated by gender.

  But these were people I had to look in the eyes every day. “You think they’re having naked Friday’s now?” I said.

  “I suggested it,” Weeks said, “Death and mayhem Monday through Thursday, then, a little uh-huh,” he said bouncing his hips from side to side with his hand over his ‘area’, “for the weekend!”

  I shook my head in the darkness. We had all backed up against the wall, averting our eyes and covering whatever we could. But even I couldn’t resist the occasional giggle. This was too ridiculous.

  The worst part was tearing my eyes away from where I knew Chance was. It wasn’t like his body was a big mystery to me but it had been a while. My brain recalled the rippling in his upper arms, and the roundness of his shoulders when I grabbed them and…very much time for a new topic, brain.

  Marseille was next to me and she had her head down. I thought her cheeks must be scarlet right now. Suddenly Cairo moved from his spot against the wall and went over to her. He kept his eyes averted and then he stood in front of her, blocking most of her from our view.

  I involuntarily glanced over at Chance and he held my eyes for a second, but I could see his struggle to keep a straight face.

  I let out a relived breath. This session was okay, sure wasn’t what I would’ve asked for had I been consulted, but it really wasn’t bad. From now on, if anyone ever asked I could say with certainty that I’d take naked over almost drowning. For sure.

  We stood like that for a little while. People cracking jokes as they thought of them.

  We were all kind of having a good time when our clothes suddenly materialized on our bodies.

  I rubbed my hands over the fabric, loving my uniform more than I ever had before.

  Then the lights went out completely. Oh good, there’s more.

  We’d been in total darkness before, but I knew it was worse than naked depending on how long they left us like this. I felt around, grabbing the wrong parts of people, thankful we weren’t still naked, and finally found Grim’s small head. I ran my hand down his arm and took his hand.

  “Let’s sit, in a circle, and keep talking. Just close your eyes and forget about the lights. Or lack thereof.”

  This would be fine as long as they didn’t leave us like this for too much time.

  But they did. They left us like that for what I think was a full day. I guessed that length of time because of the hunger that got progressively worse and worse. There had been no food.

  Then around the time we’d started to get sleepy and faint the lights came back on, only they went from dim orange to a bright yellow light. Then a loud sound began, like a piercing ringing that ebbed and flowed.

  No one was able to sleep.

  The lights and sounds would go off again for short periods but as soon as one of us got relaxed it would all start over. They didn’t want us to sleep.

  While the lights had been on I’d seen that they’d given us a pee-closet. We had these sometimes, a slim gray door that opened to a small standing space. These only appeared when we were going to be left for more than a few hours, already it was…I wasn’t sure any more, it had been about a day and a half now, maybe. But no one needed to use it because they hadn’t given us any water. I’d always found the closets funny before, because we must have been peeing into empty space in reality, but when you were as thirsty as we were nothing was all that amusing anymore.

  The water was the thing. I knew how long we could live without food. But water was necessary. Two, three days, more, and we’d be hurting. We’d need medical care after we were released. I wanted to know what these aliens thought they were accomplishing. What purpose this was serving.

  More long hours passed without sleep, food, or water. I thought we were headed into day three.

  “I’m so tired,” Grim mumbled into my shoulder. He shuffled in his uncomfortable sitting position against the wall and my side. He was trying to sleep with the lights on, with the noise blaring. I was nearing the point of passing out myself. Sometimes I think I got a minute or a few seconds. But I mostly tri
ed to stay awake and keep my hands over Grim’s ears.

  “They’re loving this,” Legacy suddenly spit out.

  I was so tired, and my head was pounding. “Shut up Legacy! No one needs to hear you! Shut up!”

  I was normally more diplomatic, but the intense pains in my stomach, the pounding headache, my dry mouth, the loud noise, were adding up to more than I could manage.

  “You shut your stupid mouth! Stupid bitch who believes these things are our friends! Do you feel friendly now?” He tried to move toward me in a threatening way but was too fatigued and slouched back down. “Stupid bitch,” he said again.

  Chance got up shakily, surprising both Legacy and I. Legacy looked scared. Chance looked over at him but then came over to sit next to Grim and me.

  Leaning close to my ear he whispered, “Legacy is an idiot, but maybe he’s right.”

  I glared at him.

  “He’s not right about anything,” I said slowly.

  “First they hurt people, now this!”

  I motioned for him to be quiet and he lowered his voice, putting his mouth close to my ear. “All I’m saying is, it doesn’t seem like they have our best interests at heart.”

  The blaring noise stopped, and we all heard a loud popping noise. A circle came shooting down through the ceiling on top of Legacy, enveloping him in a shimmering tube. He threw his hands against it and yelled to us but we couldn’t hear him, and he couldn’t get out. Total panic filled his eyes. He pushed and kicked at the force field. After a minute of this he finally stilled. When he did, a bowl of water appeared at his feet. We all gasped. Careful not to knock it over, Legacy picked it up with shaking hands and gulped greedily, streaks of water running down his shirt. As soon as the bowl was empty, the field disappeared.

  We all looked above our heads, waiting for our turn. But nothing came.

  “What the hell kind of ‘effed up game is this?” Weeks said angrily.

  Legacy looked at us, and he didn’t seem sorry.

  If we were angry the first time he got special treatment, we were much angrier the second. This time Legacy smiled as he drank the water.

  When the force field disappeared Chance said, “You do realize you can die in more places than the Stacks, right?” Legacy huddled in his corner again, his arms folded over his knees.

  The third time, Chance walked over to the field and raised his fist as Legacy picked up the bowl. This time he hesitated, holding the bowl, not drinking. But when the force field disappeared moments later, so did the bowl and the water.

  “I knew I couldn’t save it for you,” Legacy sneered.

  “You knew nothing. Watch out, you deserve a lesson and I might have to be the one to teach it to you,” Chance stalked toward Legacy as Legacy stumbled back to the wall.

  “Chance!” I called out. Both of them turned to me.

  “Not…right now,” I said.

  Chance came over to where I was sitting with Grim. The misery was becoming overwhelming.

  “They’re playing with us,” he said.

  I didn’t want to say it, but I knew he was right. We were people, and we were hurting right now. There was no answer I could give, no proof the other way that would show that we weren’t lab rats in a cruel maze.

  I knew Grim was probably listening to our conversation. I looked down at him and I felt like crying, even though I knew no tears would come. My eyes felt like sandpaper and it seemed like there was no saliva in my mouth. Inky black spots hovered and swirled in my vision.

  I didn’t answer Chance. I didn’t have to. We shared a look. The ringing noise started again.

  I pulled Chance down and I got up, gently helping Grim to lean against Chance. I held Chance’s hands in my unsteady ones and put them over Pilgrim’s ears.

  “Try and help him,” I said.

  The others were curled in various positions along the floor.

  I walked, or rather stumbled, to the place where I thought the half-moon window usually was. You’re in the same place, I told myself, trying blindly to orient myself, to remember which way I’d come in. I picked a wall and faced it.

  “You need to help us,” I began in a weak voice. I could barely hear myself over the ringing. Some of the others stirred from their curled up positions on the floor to watch me.

  “We need help. We can’t go on like this. Do you want to know what our bodies can take? This is your answer. This is it, right here. This is the limit. You need to help us.” I still felt a desperate urge to cry, and what kept me from passing out as I stood was the fight to be strong, the adrenaline rush that forced the choked sobs back down my throat.

  “Please! I’m asking please. If anyone is listening, please make this stop. We’re suffering.” As I said the last words the idea pounded through my brain that Legacy, and Duggard, Morgan, Chance, they were all right. It crushed me and I nearly crumpled to the ground. The Locals were watching us suffer, and they didn’t care. Maybe even, they were enjoying it.

  I refused to sink to my knees. I held my hands up to them, pleading. More black spots appeared as exhaustion began to take over.

  Light suddenly flashed, blinding me for a second.

  Then I found myself back in the Stack, facing a black half-moon in silence.

  Faith struggled to her knees, bursting into sudden tears. Gaia held her in an embrace and they cried together. I was about to turn to Chance and Grim when I heard a vibrating noise. The blackness disappeared, giving way to a clear window.

  A Local stood inside the half-moon. He was staring directly into my eyes. The other six Locals in the room were staring at him.

  Chapter Ten

  “But it didn’t say anything?” Chief asked me.

  “No, I think they can’t.” I said. “But I think it wanted to.”

  “You think?” came Legacy’s voice.

  “Yes!” I shouted. I felt suddenly very dizzy and reached down for a piece of fruit from the spread in front of us. We’d come back from the Stacks a couple hours ago and were treated by our people, but none of us had fully recovered yet. Most of the Specs from my group were still in the infirmary, hooked up to IV’s.

  “What do you think it means?” Chief asked me.

  I’d told him that there was just one Local who had stopped the session. What did it mean? That the others were mad? Or they didn’t understand? Were there Locals who wanted us here and those who didn’t? Factions, opposing forces? I shivered.

  And for the first time ever, we’d been released on different days. The children had come back to their parents after a few hours in a room like ours, but without the naked part. The old-erly were kept for two days and released.

  We were back now, in the late afternoon of the third day, but the adults were still in. They could be going through the same thing we had. I wondered if we’d still be in there if I hadn’t pleaded for mercy. But I had. What about them? Who was in charge of their session?

  “Someone needs to tell her she’s wrong!” Legacy blurted out. “These sicko bastards don’t give a shit about us!” he yelled again.

  “But one of them-” I started to scream back but Legacy’s dad interrupted me.

  “Son, that’s enough! Enough!” Legacy gave his father a furious look but he shut up.

  Cole had been called to Chief’s quarters to check on Legacy, but now he was staying and trying to get involved with the decision process about the Locals.

  He was saying in this condescending voice, “I want to go on record that I believe we can find a way to establish communication with the natives. There can be peace between our species.”

  Chief sighed. “Your thoughts are appreciated, Cole. At this time, perhaps it would be best if you saw to the health of your son? I’m sure he could use some rest.” Chief gave Legacy a pitying look.

  Cole opened his mouth but was silenced by a look from Chief. He nodded awkwardly, holding his hand out to help Legacy up. Legacy swatted at it and pushed himself up. Cole glanced at Chief, but he was no longer paying
attention, he was staring at the wall.

  Legacy and Cole left. But I wanted to talk to the dark-eyed boy who had called me a stupid bitch. If we were going to be a team, I had to swallow my pride and figure out what was going on. I hadn’t known he was so angry until today.

  I excused myself and went to leave but Boston stopped me just outside the door.

  “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  “Yeah. What is it?” Boston was usually so quiet, sitting with Legacy like his puppet. But now he raised his brown eyes to me and they were full of sorrow.

  “I only want to say that I know I’m…friends with Legacy, but that doesn’t mean I think the things he does and says are okay. I think he’s wrong pretty often, in fact,” he was staring at me like there was something more he wanted to say.

  I waited for a moment and then he shook his head. “That’s it. I just wanted you to know.”

  He turned back to Chief’s quarters and I didn’t have time to wonder about Boston, I wanted to catch Legacy.

  I had to follow them more slowly than I would’ve liked, because my strength was nowhere near returned yet. I walked far behind them, watching as they argued. Legacy sweeping his hands in the air, his father grabbing his arm and jerking him forward.

  There was another jerk from Cole and then he shoved Legacy into a storage bay. I climbed quickly into a shaft that led to the bay, dropping behind some crates as quietly as I could.

  “You son of a bitch! Admit you don’t know what you’re talking about! First we have to run, now we have to make like best friends! You are so full of shit!” Legacy was spitting the words.

  “Shut your mouth, boy! You are a child! I know it’s difficult for you to comprehend, but I understand some concepts that you can’t grasp. You will stop speaking to me with disrespect. Do you hear me! Do you!”