by James Garvey
We return to the lodge cold, caked in mud, and exhausted to our core. Father greets us at the front door, which he's sealed with small logs. "Thank gods, you've returned. We was worried sick. No telling what could've happened in this wicked weather." He rushes to me and wraps a blanket around my shivering shoulders.
"Fromer?" I ask. He shakes his head no.
We crouch through a makeshift door. Sam says, "Welcome back. I am sorry you did not catch Thresh. I will fashion some hot chocolate for you." Gorian and Iggy have been busy bringing Sam's systems back from the brink of disaster. Father also has kept occupied. The main room of the lodge is clean, although scratches on the walls, burn marks, and a huge gouge in the stone floor betray the mayhem that occurred a couple of days ago. Most of the furniture's gone - the shattered wood used to help broil the bodies outside.
As we warm ourselves, Wenn announces, "I'm leaving for Yellow Stone at morning's light. We need to warn them that Thresh is coming."
Father sighs. "It were one thing to have Fromer with us. Be suicide to try it alone until the spring thaw. Those wild animals helped us survive the bad times. Poor horses didn't make it. I fear we'd see the same fate. We ain't wild enough for the woods."
"Amy, Theo. You've got to come." Wenn's pleading. My insides twist. Two days I'd have left with him immediately. After finding the empty camp and battling the mountainside to get back, I'm fairly sure I'd do Eliza no good as a corpse wandering the wilderness for Thresh.
Theo hugs Wenn. "Mate, you've got to stay with us. Be patient. Maybe Fromer will come return and lead us all back."
"Ansam and I both know - Fromer doesn't work that way. We're treading our own water for now."
Theo sits. "Just can't risk it right now my friend. Weather's too touchy."
Wenn doesn't look at me and barges into the back room. He doesn't re-emerge.
By dawn, Wenn's gone. He's taken minimal supplies and the snow's falling again. None of us speaks of him again.
A couple of weeks pass. During that time, more than two feet of snow's fallen and melted. During each thaw, mud flows freely down the slopes. The erratic weather finally settles. A warm breeze saunters in from the ocean and the first wildflowers peek up from the sloppy soil. I'm thinking of spring planting - something I'd be doing in my past life - and wondering when we might get moving again.
Gorian gives birth to a perfect girl, with pink hands and a shock of white hair. I expect to see the kid holding a computer instead of her birth cord. Gorian's relieved, exhausted, and jubilant. She's also mighty annoyed that Grey's not here to help her out.
We decide to journey to Yellow Stone within a week. Bets, father, Theo, and I will travel. I've called my trusty caribou buck to our side. I've been trying to conjure more animals, seeing through their eyes collectively. Fromer was right. I can sense them, but I'm not ready yet. The buck will help me get there.
Gorian and her child, Ferris, will remain at the lodge with Iggy. With Sam's assistance, they should be comfortable and safe. We hold hope that the Fuerst will arrive soon. I risk opening my mind each night, hoping to see Etch in my dreams. But only the same musty, disturbing dreams assault me.
I wonder why Fromer didn't stay with us. He could have helped us convince Wenn to remain at the lodge. With the help of his animals, we might have been able to pursue Thresh and save Eliza. Fromer told me that he can't interfere in the course of things, but he's done plenty so far. I wonder whether he's guiding events to some critical point. The idea that he's controlling our fate - my destiny - is infuriating.
On the eve of our journey north and east over the mountains, we're enjoying some wintergreen tea under the tender green leaves of a willow when the rush of the ocean shakes us. Gorian pats baby Ferris, "Well, I'll be. They've found us."
The Fuerst pokes out of the low clouds, gleaming silver and grey in the speckled sunlight. The ship lands on the pile of ashes left by the remains of Thresh's army and the hatch drops. Grey leaps out of the door before it's completely open, falling on his side. Gorian laughs and they embrace, squeezing the baby between them. I feel happy for them, but a twinge of envy belches from deep inside my gut. Wenn, Eliza, and I should have – deserve - such a wonderful homecoming.
Samuel and Minns tumble out next. Samuel's beard is longer and glows ivory in the shimmering daylight. He looks wiser. Minns runs to Bets, hugging her. Bets looks confused and strangely happy at the attention. Iggy's children, nearly fully grown, scurry out and jump on their father or mother or whatever he's considered by them. They're nearly identical to him and now wear uniforms similar to the others. We wait, but Etch doesn't emerge.
"Where's the pilot?" I ask.
Minns replies, "He'll be out soon, after he's done battening down the vessel. Where's English?" She can tell from our faces that the news is grim. She takes a long look around and shakes her head. "What the hell happened around here?"
Etch steps out, stretching his long, grey arms. "Hello my friends. It appears that we missed a little excitement. We have much to talk about."
"We got to see space. Ah, it were magnificent." Samuel slaps his forehead. "Amy, you'd never believe how pretty earth is. Like a big ball of blue and white. The stars – they was so bright and so many."
We settle down to tell our stories. Etch rubs his hard chin. "Hmmm. You were lucky that Fromer stormed Thresh. He can communicate with animals? Very interesting. Thresh is a coward and would be a terrible pilot."
Ansam rips a piece of bread from a fresh loaf. "Fromer always comes in the knick of time. Did he save your arses too?"
"I am afraid we were on our own on the bottom of the ocean. Repairs took much longer than expected. The grubs did more damage to the hull than we thought." Etch eats a roasted rabbit in a single bite. He hums in satisfaction. "Iggy's children helped tremendously. I was able to spend time out there with my pressure suit but was far clumsier than they were with the detail work. A week ago we finally lifted off the sea bottom and saw the sweet sky after much too long. We rose into high orbit to test the repairs and to scan for your shuttle. The repairs held, but the shuttle was difficult to find. We knew the former location of the Raven and started there. We finally found the remains of your shuttle under a pool of mud and ice. There were scorched trees everywhere. We thought that you had perished. However, after some clearing of the brush, Iggy's coordinates appeared. They were still legible and led us here."
Gorian puts Ferris on Grey's lap. "Etch, did you find any sign of the Raven in the neighborhood?" She looks up at the sky.
"No, I did not. It is very peculiar for a ship to become completely sentient to the point where it makes its own decisions. I am glad it eliminated Melat. However, its passage through space likely alerted both the Institute forces and the FRT resistance. If they haven't come to earth, they will soon. The portal will tempt them both and further deepen their conflict."
"Given that we might be meeting them soon, can you tell us more about the Institute and the FRT?" I ask.
Grey gives the baby back to Gorian. "Let me try to answer this. Centuries ago, when earth fell and became quarantined because of the mystery terrorist agent, a colony of mostly human scientists on mars rose to power. You see, mars was the closest habitable planet and used as an escape from the crowds and pollution here on earth. The scientists were studying how to make mars more suitable for life and looking for other planets to colonizing. Because of their knowledge, they held the key to colonizing new worlds and became very influential in relations among the intelligent species like those of Iggy and Etch. We call the government they created the Institute, which still rules the affairs of most planets in known space. My family can be traced back to these founder scientists and remains an important player in this administration.
“If your family’s so important, why were you stuck here?” Bets asks.
“As with the rest of our crew, we simply knew too much about the portal on planet C9 and that it may be possible on other planets. It didn't help that my dad inven
ted the goop that the entities in infraspace are using to invade our universe. My family couldn't help me."
“Or they didn’t try to hard.” Gorian snarls.
"So, are the FRT people the bad guys?" Bets asks.
"They started out as criminal gangs, plundering transports and setting up unauthorized colonies. We called them pirates. So, yes, they were the bad guys. Over the past decade, several disgruntled planetary governments joined them. They reached a critical mass over the past year and are seeking legitimacy. The war began as a few squabbles over minor territories but has escalated to a full conflict. If the FRT gains access to the portal at Yellow Stone and figure out how to use it, they can attack Institute installations and ships without warning. The tactical advantage and access to resources will tip the war in their favor."
All of this means nothing to me. I have no stake in either side and can hardly comprehend entire worlds fighting over issues that seem silly. Space is so vast - it makes no sense what they are fighting over. To me, I see threats to my home from many directions. Thresh is immediate and so very personal. The eyeless, lifeless puppet-masters leading her from beyond the hellish lake at Yellow Stone are another enemy, made more frightening by their abstraction. The Institute and FRT have no business here and will find no sympathy – even if we all descended from the same ancestors.
Etch clears his throat and walks over to the Fuerst. He inspects the scars on its otherwise flawless hull.
"How'd the Fuerst handle her injuries?" I ask.
"You talk of my ship as if she is alive. Few people realize that these machines have intelligence."
"I got to know the Raven well. Must be the pilot in my blood."
"The Fuerst is angry and wants the blood of Thresh and the lifeless ones, beyond. We must get you to the portal at Yellow Stone immediately."
"What'll I do when I get there?"
"Rescue your daughter and save us all."
"Sounds easy," I say, patting the hull of the beautiful ship.
By late evening, Minns, Bets, Theo, and I join Etch in the Fuerst, leaving our companions at the lodge. Father and Samuel are busy repairing the damaged building. Iggy's teaching his children how to re-engineer Sam's systems. Grey and Gorian are discovering the first exhausting steps of shared parenthood. I hope to the gods I'll see them all again. They are my family.
The Fuerst thrums to life and rises into the moist spring air.
Etch pokes his head out of the pilot house. "Amy, would you like to join me?"
"Absolutely." I'm thrilled. I find Etch lounging in his chair, clearly content and happy in his element. The screen in the front of the room blazes with an image of the countryside - emerald trees, dark blue sky, and enormous pearly clouds. All the scars left on the ground by Thresh are obscured by the distance.
"Would you like to have a seat in my chair?"
"Really?"
"It is time for you to meet the Fuerst. I know you are close to the earth. The ship will give you a bird's eye view of the world you hold so dear."
"Nothing will come out of the chair and poke my hand?" I think of that awful experience on the Raven.
"No, that is a procedure used to travel between stars. Not necessary for ordinary flying. If you ever desire to travel between star systems, you will have to learn how to do that."
I gingerly sit down and my mind opens wide. I can see the entire sky and the ground below from the vantage of the ship. It's as if my eyes are everywhere at once. The Fuerst smiles at me. I speed the vessel, bank right, and descend toward the lodge. The forest's trampled for miles around the building. Trees that should be healthy are brown and crusted with dried ooze. The Fuerst whispers to me, "What's your desired course, Amy Marksman?"
I look over at Etch and he nods. "I have charted a rough route. Please take us to Yellow Stone."
“Very well.”
The ship climbs into the sky through the clouds, the sun bursting through the view screen. The billowing fluff below us is white perfection. It's difficult for me to believe that below that heavenly blanket, Thresh is likely killing and destroying on her march toward the portal. When we descend, I fear what we'll encounter - brown corruption belching forth from a hole in our reality. How I'm expected to counter it, I don't know.
"Amy, can you see the land below the clouds? Ask the Fuerst to do a radar scan. It is of no matter that you do not understand the technology. The ship translates its data to your senses. You will feel the information."
I ask the Fuerst to use the thing called radar and I see in ways that I've never imagined. I almost feel the spiny ribs of the mountains below us. The trees bristle and the lakes tickle. "Two hours to our destination," the ship whispers to me.
Minns and Theo step into the room. "Amy's flying the ship?" Minns asks Etch.
"She is learning to pilot. It is her destiny."
"You telling me that a girl from my village's picked up riding a space ship like a horse? How's that possible?" Theo's astonished.
Etch answers, "I am unsure whether I can explain it well. Let us just say that she is a natural at it."
Minns returns to Bets in the passenger compartment. I hear Bets bellow a muffled curse at the news that I am flying our ship. Apparently, she's not as confident in my abilities as Etch, making me grin. I bank the vessel sharply and hear her shout.
The Fuerst announces that we are nearing our destination and I tense up. We descend into the clouds when light bursts in front of us. "Is that lightning?" I ask Etch.
He gently pulls me out of the chair and returns to command saying, "Evasive action, now."
The Fuerst banks right and then rises nearly vertically into the sky. I fall back on the floor. From the shouts in the back, our companions also have been caught by surprise.
Bets crawls in. "Marksman, what are you doing to us?"
Etch responds, "Hold tight. We're being attacked and must escape the atmosphere."
CHAPTER 16: ESCAPE VELOCITY
A voice pipes in from the attacking ship. "Hello, Vessel Fuerst. This is the Institute Vessel Phobos and your old friend Leo. We've been looking for you. Please stand down. Follow the coordinates I am sending."
Etch laughs darkly. "Hello Leo. I would prefer to have my freedom than surrender to you. What brings you here to earth?"
"Etch, you know well what's here. You were beginning your descent to it. The tactical importance is unmeasured and we don't want you interfering. If you don't land at the specified coordinates, we'll be forced to shoot you down."
"Try to catch us," Etch rumbles. The sky turns dark, with stars shining brightly. More flashes of light appear and the Fuerst shudders. Etch grunts. "We need somewhere to hide."
I can see the moon shining brightly before us. Three small metal triangles with red circles on their sides like the one we saw on Troll’s door fly toward us, red beams of light streaking forward. Etch pushes a button on his chair and the moon vanishes in a smear of white. Within a few minutes we are floating within a sea of rocks. Etch says, "We are in what is called the asteroid belt of your solar system. We have eluded the small ships, but the Phobos will be here soon."
"What's an asteroid belt?" I ask.
"What is left after a world torn is apart. This is what earth would look like if Melat were able to use the Raven to destroy it and the portal. Planet C9 looked like this after the end."
A huge ship, similar in shape to the Fuerst, appears before us. "Found you," Leo says over the communications network.
"Not for long," Etch chuckles. "We're equally matched now. Best of luck, Leo."
The Fuerst lurches forward toward one of the largest rocks. The Phobos follows closely. I cover my face as the Fuerst flips upside down, changing direction. Our pursuer comes to a full stop as we fly forward into a field of small, tumbling boulders. Etch says confidently, "Tractor array, initiate."
The Fuerst spins, with the rocks following its trajectory. This tractor thing seems to make the rocks stick to the ship like it was covered wit
h thick, invisible glue. More and more rocks accumulate around us, spinning ever faster. Etch grins, "Deactivate array and stop ship." The rocks fly off of us like rifle shot toward the Phobos. They pepper the Institute ship, causing puffs of vapor to stream out of each perforation.
"Our vessels can absorb energy beams. But their skin is not very tough and poorly resists physical contact with multiple, fast-moving projectiles. A fatal weakness."
Sections of the Phobos flake off, hurtling silently away. The blue flame of its engines dims.
"They are disabled. It is time for us to hide."
I'm relieved and feeling weak. "Back to earth?"
"No. The abandoned city of Farmington on the far, space-side of the moon. We can make a few repairs and decide what to do next."
"What happened to the cities on the moon, Etch?"
"During the past two years, the Institute citizens living there were routinely attacked by the local FRT forces. The FRT finally captured this section of space, and during the siege, the citizens were evacuated. There are a few FRT forces stationed in one of the cities far away from Farmington. The FRT outpost here is likely preoccupied with the Institute presence on earth and won't notice our little visit." He pauses. "I hope."
The Fuerst turns and zips back toward the white orb. Within an hour, we descend into a city of angular white and silver buildings jutting out of the grey powder. This portion of the moon is in shadow, making me wonder what might be hiding in that darkness, waiting for us. Etch knows the area and deftly maneuvers the ship between the towers, settling it under a large awning, where other ships rest, quietly awaiting their pilots. The whole place is spooky.
"Amy, you might like this facility. Farmington is an agricultural and recreational center on the earth moon. I must remain behind to oversee repairs. Minns can escort you and your friends."