by Andrew Gates
“Your mission is to find Kal Flokh, secure her, and bring her to Fruitful Spring unharmed and well-preserved,” Ikharus continued.
“Where can we find her?” Jakhu asked.
“Her location now is unknown to me and to the public. That is also what worries me. With so much happening on the surface, I cannot risk her falling into danger,” Ikharus answered.
What makes her such a valuable target? Jakhu could not understand why Ikharus cared so much about this builder, but it was not her place to inquire.
“So part of our mission involves finding her too?” Jakhu clarified.
“That is correct, though I would imagine this shall not be difficult. A trip to the archive room should point you to the answer.”
At the time, Jakhu would have agreed with him, but alas, those words proved to be far from true.
Since her Majesty’s assassination, there had been no public sighting of Kal Flokh. The archives were a dead-end. Not even a single block of security footage in T’Dakho captured her anywhere. Kreed Scion was now no closer to locating Kal Flokh than they were when Ikharus first gave them this mission one day prior.
“I do not understand why we are put on such a task,” Evirak continued, pulling Jakhu out of her memories and bringing her back to the task at hand.
Jakhu shook her head and blinked her eyes as she remembered what she was doing.
“What did you say, Kho Evirak?” Jakhu asked.
“I was wondering why we were put on this task.”
“Kho Ikharus asked us to do this because he trusts us. He knows that when he gives us a mission, we shall see it through to completion. Therefore, we must not betray his trust. We must see this mission through,” Jakhu explained, knowing once again that her answer would not satisfy Evirak.
“Once more, you use the word ‘mission’ to describe this task,” Evirak noted.
“Indeed, I do.”
“But you know we are meant for more than this. We are not researchers. We do not track Kholvari down with computers. This is not our business.”
“Look at this in a positive light, Kho Evirak. You wanted time to recover. You said it yourself only yesterday,” Jakhu noted, recalling their time in the sparring room together. “Now you have that time.”
“I am more capable than this,” Evirak debated, “and if this is truly about trust, like you say, then why was the one called Kal Sanja given a real mission, while we are left to track down some architect. I saw her leave this ship only moments ago with a group of soldiers. Surely Kho Ikharus does not trust the evolved-one more than he trusts us.”
“Stow it,” Ezenkharam suddenly interjected. Evirak turned to face her in surprise, as if he did not expect her to take Jakhu’s side. “Kal Jakhu is your commanding officer. Do not challenge what she says. You show little respect to your orders.”
Evirak paused for a moment. His burned mandibles hung wide. After a few seconds, he calmly nodded his head and bowed out of respect.
“I apologize to you both. I did not intend to disrespect the chain of command. I was simply voicing my opinion on the matter, but I see now that I have overstepped my boundaries,” Evirak said, apologetically.
“Thank you for saying so,” Jakhu replied.
Though deep down, Jakhu knew she agreed with Evirak. She was not even upset with him. Were she in his place, she may have voiced her opposition just as loudly.
So much of this did not make sense. Why would Kho Ikharus send us on a mission before gathering the needed intel? He knows Kreeds are told intel. Kreeds don’t find it themselves.
Jakhu knew the answer, though she wished she didn’t: Ikharus was simply new. He still did not know what he was doing. Experience with the Kreeds or no, he was used to receiving orders, not giving them. The truth of the matter was, Ikharus obviously did not know how to delegate properly… at least, not yet.
But, of course, Jakhu would never admit that aloud.
He will learn, she continued to tell herself as she combed through data. In time, he must.
“Squad Leader,” Ukhrani suddenly called out from her station.
“Yes, what do you wish to share?” Jakhu asked.
“I may have something on Kal Flokh. I have discovered a report of a Kholvari shopkeeper harboring those who wish to stay hidden. A female matching Kal Flokh’s description has been spotted near that very shop in T’Dakho.”
“So, if that is her, you are saying she has not left the city?” Jakhu asked.
“Assuming this is the same female, that would stand to reason.”
“I see. Good work, Kal Ukhrani,” Jakhu said, nodding. “If Kal Flokh has gone into hiding, she must believe that she is in danger.”
“The Supreme Chieftess’s assassination was staged in the very arena that she had built. Perhaps Kal Flokh fears that some may assume she was involved,” Ezenkharam added.
“We must investigate this shop. Until then, we can only rely on assumptions,” Jakhu said, standing up from her station. “Kreed Scion, assemble in the hangar bay in 30 minutes. I want us mission-ready. Is that understood?”
“Understood,” the squad replied in unison as they stood up from their seats.
Just as they were about to move out, a red light suddenly lit up the room and the sound of an alarm blared. The Kreed stood frozen in confusion as a voice suddenly echoed through the ship’s speakers.
High alert! High alert! High alert!
Attention all crew, we are on high alert.
All hands to emergency stations!
This is not a drill. Repeat: This is not a drill.
“What is this? Some kind of attack?” Evirak asked, staring up at the red lights.
“I cannot say,” Jakhu replied. She quickly pulled her helmet off the desk and placed it on her head. “New plan. Forget about Kal Flokh. Our current objective is to find the Supreme Chieftain. If this ship is under high alert, he may be in danger.”
“Understood,” the squad replied in unison as they suited up.
“Kreed Scion, move, now!”
Chapter Nine
Tracker
Dr. Sanja Parnel
Sanja tried to sit still in the transport as it trembled back and forth during reentry. The view outside the window turned orange in flame as the ship entered Earth’s atmosphere. She curiously studied the sight, putting her scientific knowledge to use.
When humanity started building their own space ships, dating all the way back to the 20th Century, the leading thought was that a blunt shape offering high drag provided the most effective shield against the heat of reentry. As she was taught, by making the shape flat, the air could not move around the ship as easily. Therefore, the air now trapped in front of the blunt surface of the ship provided a natural cushion against the wall of flames that would inevitably engulf the vessel.
Somehow the Kholvari engineers had found a way around this, as the transport Sanja now sat in was long, pointed and sleek. And despite the flames that flared outside the windows around her, she felt as cool as ever inside the transport’s walls.
A society that still hunts with spears and kneels before crowns has invented a way to seamlessly travel from space to atmosphere like it’s nothing. What the hell is with these creatures?
A nearby soldier stepped toward her as she sat upon the backless seat. He must have seen her staring out through the window. He pointed to the glass.
“Beholding the view?” he asked.
“I am,” Sanja replied. She turned to face the soldier, garbed in black armor.
“To see the world from this height, everything appears so small. The perspective truly makes one consider one’s place in this vast universe.”
Maybe your place, Sanja thought. You are just a soldier, a drone. I have commanded and destroyed entire cities.
“I see,” was all she said. She turned to face the window again. “I am curious, though. The heat shield… how does it work?”
“What do you mean?” the soldier asked.
&nb
sp; “I mean, how come this ship isn’t burning up, or for that matter, why doesn’t it feel the slightest bit hot in here during reentry?” she asked.
“That would be the material on the outer hull,” the soldier replied. He leaned to the wall and tapped it with his claw. “Khalasynthe, spread across the exterior of the metal surface. It is not a naturally found compound. It must be synthesized in a laboratory. It is lightweight, durable and easy to manipulate. Most importantly, it is highly heat-resistant.”
“It’s a coating that surrounds the ship?”
“You understand correctly, Kal Sanja.”
Sanja turned back to face the soldier again. She could not help but feel impressed. She did not expect this grunt to know so much about chemistry.
“How do you know all this?”
“Everybody in Kholvaria knows of khalasynthe. It is thanks to this coating that we have remained technologically ahead of Sorreveous for planet-cycles. With it, we can build ships in any shape, travel at faster speeds, burn through reentry without so much as a blemish. It is what allows most of our ships to travel freely from space to atmosphere and back without issue. Many Sorrevahni ships can still do this, but with greater trouble.”
“So Sorreveous does not have this material?”
The soldier shook his head.
“The Empire does not, though Sorrevahni spies have tried to steal it more times than we can count.”
Sorreveous. Sanja vaguely knew the story of the vast continent that was once Africa and Eurasia. She knew its inhabitants, the Sorrevahni, were not friendly toward the Kholvari, though she did not know much beyond that.
“Tell me about Sorreveous,” Sanja said.
“There is much to tell and we haven’t the time for the tale in its entirety. You will have to be more specific, Kal Sanja. What do you want to know about Sorreveous?” the soldier replied.
“The scientists who first took me in told me a bit about it. Kho Veznek told me a bit more. I know that Sorreveous is the enemy of Kholvaria, but I don’t understand why.”
“The Sorrevahni are our enemy, yes, though you must understand that we have not waged formal war in decades. Still, we prepare our military might for the day the other attacks.”
“So you don’t shoot them until they shoot you, but they don’t shoot you until you shoot them,” Sanja said.
This whole scenario reminded Sanja of her own people’s history during the surface era’s conflict known as the Cold War. Funny that east and west can never seem to get along.
“Exactly, Kal Sanja. But this was not the question you asked. You were wondering about the origin of our strife. This is the most important question of all when it comes to the conflict,” the soldier said, slowly nodding his head. A bit of turbulence caused him to momentarily raise his claw against the ceiling to brace himself. “Kholvaria and Sorreveous are at odds for many reasons, though our greatest tension derives from the fact that the Sorrevahni refuse to accept the origin of our people.”
“Our people? But I thought the Kholvari and Sorrevahni were two separate people.”
“Ethnically, politically, geographically yes, but we all belong to the same species. Our biology is the same; we have four legs, two arms, two claws, two eyes, a torso and shell. If you were to cut our bodies open, you could not even tell the difference.”
“I see,” Sanja said.
“The question that drove us apart was: where did our species come from?”
“And that’s why the two sides separated?” she asked.
He nodded.
So it’s religion, Sanja thought, smirking. The fools. So many wars have been fought over such nonsense. It seems this race is no different from the humans and their petty conflicts.
“The Sorrevahni believed that our people came from across the stars, that we fled from an ancient enemy that waged war on our faraway home planet.”
“And what do you believe?” Sanja wondered.
“The truth. I believe, we believe, that our people have always come from this world. We believe that we evolved from lesser lifeforms to the creatures we are today,” he answered.
Interesting, Sanja thought. She rose a brow, curiously.
“I believe the same about humanity,” Sanja said.
“Then you are not incompetent like the Sorrevahni,” the soldier replied.
Sanja smiled.
“What of death? Do your people believe in an afterlife?” Sanja wondered.
The soldier shook his head.
“Afterlife. I have heard of this concept, but it is highly abstract. Only poets or philosophers have ever spoken of it. Such things are fairytales in our culture. When we die, our remains decompose within the soil of Earth. Nothing more.”
“Hmm,” Sanja said. She was beginning to like the Kholvari more and more.
“Kho Mopan, get back in line. We are nearing our landing,” ordered another soldier, likely this one’s superior officer.
“Understood,” the soldier replied. He nodded to Sanja, then got in line with his squad.
Now by herself, Sanja turned back to the window and gazed out. The transport was much lower now. Tall hills were visible across the land, lined with thick green trees. Wherever she looked, she saw land in all directions. Having spent her entire life surrounded by crowds of people, she never knew the world could be so big and empty.
Mumbled, untranslated words echoed through the ship’s speakers from the pilot. Sanja ignored what she could not understand and continued staring at the captivating view below.
The ship came over a muddy clearing, one of the only areas not covered in trees. She could feel the vehicle decelerate.
Sanja gripped the edge of her backless seat as the transport slowly came down to the ground. She turned her head away from the window now and stared straight forward, feeling the ship rock left and right as it landed.
And then the vessel stopped. They had successfully touched down.
The rear door slowly opened a few seconds later and the troops were first to exit. Sanja casually stood up, looking around the space.
Two Kholvari remained behind, neither wearing black armor of the soldiers. One was garbed in what Sanja now recognized as an officer’s uniform. The other was an honor guard.
“Kal Sanja, if you would please come with us,” the officer said.
Sanja nodded and slowly followed them down the ramp.
“Where are the others?” Sanja asked to the officer. “I thought the humans were supposed to be here.”
“They are near,” the officer replied as they stepped onto muddy ground. The honor guard followed a few steps behind him, not saying a word.
Sanja instinctively grimaced. The muddy surface was cold and wet against her bare feet and made an obnoxious squishing sound whenever she took a step. She wanted to get out of this mud as soon as she could. She quickened her pace as she walked along.
“Near? You mean to say the humans are not here?” Sanja asked.
“That is correct, Kal Sanja. The tracking technology installed in the bipedal combat tank is accurate, but its accuracy diminishes as it loses power. It is likely the evolved-ones have not repowered the vehicle and therefore we cannot rely entirely on its data,” the officer explained.
“I don’t think they know how to charge it,” Sanja said.
“Analysts aboard Fruitful Spring estimate that the tracker’s power level has diminished by roughly 65%. Therefore, they conclude that the target may be off within a 750 kotan radius.”
“750 kotans is a long range.”
“It is indeed, Kal Sanja, but worry not. Though we cannot be sure of their precise location, the evolved-ones are most certainly near,” the officer explained as he looked around. “I will send out search parties, one in each direction, to hunt for the source of the signal.”
“Better yet, send me,” Sanja said as she finally stepped on grass. She savored the feeling of dry terrain for a moment.
“Send you?” he repeated.
“You
r soldiers will take all day to find them.” Sanja quickly studied the trees, the rocks, the hills. “Your people don’t move like humans. Your vantage point is too high, your bodies too large, your needs different. But I move like the humans. If anyone can track them, it’s me.”
“What makes you so confident?” the officer wondered.
Sanja grinned a joyful grin.
“Before joining the Supreme Chieftain’s team, I was a forensic investigator. I know how to find clues. Trust me, sir. This is what I do best.”
The officer sighed. Even though Sanja had not yet learned all the minutia of the Kholvari facial features, she could clearly tell that this officer was considering her proposal. He must have already known his plan was inefficient, Sanja thought. He already seems half-convinced.
“Very well,” he finally said with an exhale. “You make a compelling point. I will provide you an hour to do your work. If you garner no results in that time, we shall proceed with my original plan.”
Sanja felt her heart race. After all this time, she would finally get to put her investigative skills to use. No more sitting in meetings, being ignored. This was a challenge truly worthy of her talents.
In that moment, Sanja felt as giddy as a child on Federation’s Day.
“Trust me,” the eager woman replied, her grin growing larger by the second, “an hour is all I need.”
* * *
Sanja navigated through the foliage with the squad of soldiers quietly following several meters behind. The officer and honor guard walked with her, watching her every move.
The forest was enormous. Sanja never had a chance to explore so freely like this in her life, so uninhibited, so unhinged in nature. She had only ever spent a brief period of a few minutes in a forest like this before and it was not far from the lab where she stayed. After all, the scientists who hosted her by the shore wanted to keep her hidden and isolated indoors. But now free to roam as she liked, it took Sanja nearly ten minutes just to get past the sheer awe of it all. She had heard tales of dense forests like these sprawling forever and ever, but seeing one with her own eyes was surreal. She never knew so much green existed in all the world.