by Drew Wagar
Coyote and Derik found themselves back to back, a ring of Thargoids slowly encircling them. Coyote fired, taking one of them down and then his shotgun clicked on to an empty chamber.
‘Frak…’ he dropped the shotgun and pulled out his own holstered weapon.
Six shots isn’t going to make enough difference…
Derik had likewise pulled out his bulky antique plasma weapon.
‘If you’ve got one of those last speeches ready…’ Derik said, looking around at the slavering insects, bearing his teeth. ‘Now’s the time.’
‘Been an honour serving with you and all that…’ Coyote fired back. They circled around each other, they were surrounded, there was no away out.
‘Frakkin’ hell!’ Derik growled. ‘Can’t you do better than that? Dying on a cliché, marvellous!’
‘Do I look like an edible poet to you?’ Coyote replied, looking and failing to see a way out.
‘Come get some, bugs!’ Derik roared, brandishing his Mk4.
The Thargoids raises their front limbs and closed on them. Derik and Coyote braced themselves. Coyote’s gun fired twice before it was dashed away. The sound of the plasma gun discharging echoed off the walls of the bay. In the turmoil of slashing claws, flailing arms and fierce blows they both went down.
Hesperus led Jim back up to the bridge.
‘You sure about this?’
‘No but let’s do it anyway,’ Jim replied.
‘Your choice,’ The big cat shrugged, climbing up towards the cockpit. ‘We’ll make the course change immediately. Stepan! Scrub the course, we’re going to Ordima, not Ermaso.’
‘No problem boss,’ came the enthusiastic response from the cockpit of the Dubious Profit. ‘Ordima is safer and much less hassle to get to and as a bonus we won’t use as much fuel!’
Hesperus hesitated at the entrance of the cockpit and then sheepishly looked back at Jim. Jim contented himself with a raised eyebrow. Hesperus turned back to the cockpit.
‘Stepan?’
‘Yes, boss?’
‘Shut the frak up!’
Coyote saw the nearest Thargoid about to impale him with an outstretched limb when it was abruptly ripped from its socket by sweeping metallic arm. The Thargoid turned in bewilderment and surprise which was sharply cut off when its face was shattered by a further blow. Coyote found himself wrenched to his feet by the arm, lifted clean out of the battle and thrown across the bay. He landed heavily but clear of the Thargoids.
‘Udian!’
Derik emerged from the remaining warriors, oozing blood from a dozen cuts, still defiantly holding his twin-bore rifle and the Mk4. The twin-bore looked decidedly second-hand, bent and dented. He looked just as surprised to see Udian. He crushed two Thargoids heads together as he came forward.
The metallic creature’s shell was battered, twisted and dented in many places. Some of its manipulators had been wrenched clear off, one of the three struts that served as legs was buckled and was being dragged along, with some kind of hydraulic fluid leaking from an actuator. The sliding cover that shielded the tank in which the bodily remains of Udian’s body resided had been ripped clear and the tank inside had a fine splintering of cracks across it.
Coyote rolled and grabbed his pistol, levelling it at a Thargoid threatening to impale Derik from behind. Two more shots blew it to smithereens. Derik looked around in surprise and winked his thanks.
Nothing stopped Udian, he waded through the remaining Thargoids, stamping, crushing, smashing and destroying in a whirling tornado of dimly gleaming metallic death.
The last Thargoid made a furious dash at Udian but it was caught in the merciless manipulators. Udian regarded it callously, slowly throttling it.
‘Die knowing who did this to you,’ he growled. The Thargoid spat and the acid saliva smoked against Udian’s metal carapace.
Udian closed his metal fist and the Thargoid jerked involuntarily before succumbing. He dropped the remains unceremoniously to the floor.
He turned to regard Derik and Coyote.
‘I thought I told you both to evacuate. I had the situation under control.’
Derik looked around at the carnage surrounding them. ‘I’d hate to see what happens when things get out of hand.’
‘You must retrieve the bio-packs,’ Udian instructed them. ‘We must load them aboard the Caducei and depart immediately. There may still be Thargoids aboard. Seal the airlock!’
‘Where’s Rebecca?’ Coyote demanded, ignoring him.
Udian turned slightly and paused. ‘What’s left of her is back in the corridor. The bio packs are our immediate priority…’
‘Screw you!’ Coyote said with a glare, cutting across him, struggling to his feet and limping towards the airlock door.
Derik spat blood and wiped his nose, looking at the gore covered machine.
‘You’re a real shit sometimes, you know that?’ Derik trudged heavily after Coyote. Udian straightened and waited until they had both moved out of earshot.
‘You have no conception,’ Udian chuckled to himself.
The Python landed in the twilight zone of Ordima. It was a curious planet, orbiting very close to its parent star, a dim and fiery red dwarf. The planet was tidally locked, always presenting the same side towards the sun. Much of the planet was a burning desert and the opposite side was a perpetual frozen wasteland.
The red dwarf hung low on the horizon, casting a vague, red warmth across the surface as the Python touched down. Long shadows reached up, seeming to suck the Python unwillingly onto the surface. The hull of the Dubious Profit gleamed ruddily in the gloom on the landing pad. Only a handful of other ships were present and most looked pretty beaten up and rundown. Ordima was a long way off the beaten track.
‘We’ll wait twenty four hours,’ Hesperus had informed him. ‘If you still want to get to Ermaso, you’d better be back by then.’
Gasazck accompanied Jim down the gangplank and onto the surface. Jim immediately noticed the thin air and low gravity. Perfect for the bird-like creatures, not so great for humans. He caught his breath.
‘Erqk!’ Gasazck instructed generically. Jim held up his hands to indicate he didn’t understand. Gasazck flapped his wings and a feather dropped to the floor.
‘Erqk!’
Jim picked up the feather and looked at it, shining iridescently in the warm flow of the dying sun.
Gasazck indicated a curious structure about half a kilometre away. It had the look of a temple, with a tall spire atop a dome, jutting heavenwards. At the top was a landing stage, clearly designed for those who could fly up to it. Jim could see a number of the bird-like creatures flying to and from the rest of the small city that was the main space port on Ordima.
‘How am I supposed to get up there?’ Jim demanded.
Next moment he was jerked off his feet and swung roughly up into the air. For a moment he struggled in complete bewilderment; watching, terrified, as the ground fell away from him with dizzying speed. Two tough talons had him grasped firmly around the shoulders and the thudding beat of outstretched wings wafted through the air around him. He looked up to see that Gasazck had picked him up and was dragging him through the air towards the spire.
Below him the city was revealed. It was an impossibly thin structure, the low gravity allowing the construction of what most Galcop citizens would consider ridiculously flimsy and precarious buildings. Many took the form of nests or rooms built in artificial trees, suspended far above the ground. There were no roads and no obvious transport system. Everyone was flying between the various residences, ships and offices. Jim caught sight of a few other humanoids being carried by willing birds but there were also a number floating around in various kinds of anti-gravity harness.
The spire was close now. Gasazck dropped a wing and they side-slipped down towards it, banking around it to lose speed. As they dropped, Gasazck back-flapped his wings and expertly brought them to a halt just above the jutting platform. The talons unclenched and a moment later the bird was per
ched beside him.
‘Erqk.’
‘Erqk indeed!’
Jim nodded in relief. Gasazck gestured with his wing towards the spire. It was more a sort of fabric canopy with six regularly placed arched entrances. Inside this was a sweeping spiral staircase that gently led down into the interior of the building. A couple of other birds were looking at him suspiciously. There were no other humans present. Jim looked around but there were no signs. Nothing advertised a library or indicated what the building was for. Clearly you already had to know it was here.
Jim indicated the stairway. Gasazck nodded.
‘Thanks for the lift,’ he said.
‘My pleasure,’ Gasazck replied with a rich and melodious voice. ‘Watch your manners and don’t forget your feather.’
Gasazck lifted off with a flap of his wings and disappeared over the edge of the platform, heading back towards the landing pads. Jim stared after him in amazement.
‘Well, I’ll be…’
Jim turned his attention back to the canopy and walked under it. The spiral staircase was widely spaced and led gently down into the gloom. The walls lit by faint red beacons. The two other birds regarded him warily, unblinking but made no move to prevent his entrance. Jim began walking down the stairs.
It seemed to take an age to reach the bottom. Jim had lost count of how many times he’d rotated around. By a rough calculation he’d figured out that he’d gone below ground level after about five minutes of walking.
What is the point of having the building below ground with the entrance half-way up to the clouds? Guess it makes sense to the birds…
As he descended the stairs began to widen and straighten out. The narrow confines of the stairway opened out into a hall. It was still dimly lit, with illumination that seemed to mimic the glow of the red dwarf outside. The floor and the walls seemed to have been carved directly out of the planet’s rock but every available space was hung with murals, tapestries and paintings, mostly of non-humanoid creatures. Jim didn’t recognise any of them.
Ahead was a barred gate, reaching from the floor to the ceiling. It stretched the width of the hall. With a shock Jim realised it was made of gold; closely placed parallel bars of glinting yellow metal. It must have been worth a fortune. In front of the gate two more birds stood, aloof and unmoving. Jim cautiously approached.
As one, both birds extended their wings and raised a talon at him. Jim could see they were metal tipped, sharpened with serrated edges. There was no mistaking the usage they could be put to if desired.
‘State your business human.’
‘I wish to visit the library,’ Jim replied, looking from one to the other.
The two birds briefly chattered to each other.
‘For what reason?’
‘I need to research something and I believe the answer may be here.’
More tweeting and chattering.
‘And do you have a pass? ’
‘A pass?’ Jim replied, confused.
‘You must be sponsored by a local,’ the first bird said, tapping its talon on the floor impatiently.
‘Gasazck said…’ Jim began and then remembered the feather. He held it up. ‘Will this do?’
The two birds exchanged a look of surprise. ‘It will serve.’ Jim wondered if he detected a hint of disparity. ‘Wait here.’
The bird ventured inside the library. Jim briefly caught sight of endless corridors of shelves stacked with boxes, folders and binders before the gate closed again.
Surely not actual books…
Minutes passed. Jim paced around at the gate, waiting impatiently. The remaining guard ignored him, standing motionless.
This had better be worth it…
The gate clicked open and the guard returned; was that a look of astonishment on its face?
‘You may proceed,’ the bird said slowly and severely. ‘Be aware that theft, defacement, abridging and excessive noise is immediately punishable by death.’
Jim stopped and stared at the bird. ‘Punishable by death?’
‘I know. Far too lenient,’ the bird muttered, shaking its head. ‘Standards have slipped in recent years. We used to be able to disembowel offenders while they were still alive. Some viewed this as unattractive for tourists. Ridiculous.’
Jim blinked in surprise.
‘The head librarian will see you momentarily. Patience is a virtue.’
Jim was ushered through the gate and then stood on the inside. The hall widened out even further, expanding into a cavern. It was filled with an ungainly looking collection of shelves, bookcases and crates suspended by ropes and unsteady looking ladders. Jim looked up and gasped. The structures continued up out of sight and to his right and left. Clearly you had to have wings to access it. Each shelf was festooned with books, folders, bundles of paper tied up with string, boxes upon boxes, all labelled in a haphazard fashion. There must have been millions of documents.
All on paper? Original copies? Surely not…
Jim looked about for a core-comm screen, hoping to find some kind of index or catalogue but there was nothing in evidence at all. Ahead there was a single tatty old desk that bore the marks of talons, its surface scratched and dented. Jim walked forward.
The desk held a number of stacked books. Jim peered at one. It appeared to be the genuine article. He touched it, feeling the rough leather bound exterior of the enormous volume. It had to be a quarter of a metre square, with hundreds of sheets of material inside, probably holding hundreds of thousands of words.
So inefficient though… how can you possibly find anything? You can’t search…
There was a thump from behind him. Jim turned and stepped back in surprise. A huge avian had landed behind him. It towered over him, being at least seven feet tall. It was a glossy black, its feathers dimly shining in the faint red light. Its head was slightly lowered as both its dark yellow eyes regarded him, blinking rapidly.
‘I…’ Jim began.
Abruptly the bird extended its wings. Jim was knocked back partly in surprise and partly by the gust of wind that resulted.
‘Do not interrupt the solace of the library!’ The bird said severely. Its voice was deep and sonorous but not loud. ‘Observe first, study and only then, act.’
‘Who are you?’
The bird looked up in surprise.
‘I am the nest maintainer, the guardian of all that shines, the master of the inquirers of wisdom and the servant of all who seek knowledge.’
‘Good,’ Jim replied. ‘I am seeking knowledge. Where do we start? I don’t have much time.’
‘Time is a fire in which we all burn,’ the bird replied, nodding sagely.
‘I’m looking for a translation.’ Jim continued. ‘I can offer…’
‘Beware of Greeks bearing gifts… ’ The bird interrupted obscurely, looking slightly aggrieved.
‘What?’ Jim said, bewildered.
‘We do not require gifts,’ the bird said, ruffling its feathers and looking aside. ‘One would hope to converse with an enlightened individual at some point in one’s career… alas…’
‘I can pay. I can transfer credits…’
The wings extended violently again and the bird took a step forward aggressively. ‘Do not sully me with your fiat currency! We deal with the real, not the ephemeral. Here you will find the reality of existence, not the token highlights.’ The bird regarded him with disgust. ‘It is not to be reduced to the squalor of purchase.’
‘Then…’
‘Why do you seek this knowledge?’ the bird’s stare was beady, icy, intense. ‘Consider your answer carefully.’
Jim paused. ‘People are in danger. I believe the translation holds a vital clue to their safety.’
The bird retreated slightly, appearing to relax.
‘Then perhaps we can help you after all. Your name, human?’
‘Jim. Jim McKenna.’
‘A horrendous shortening,’ the bird shook its head. ‘You should not be ashamed of your
real name. James of the clan Kenna.’
Jim ignored the correction. ‘How may I be permitted to refer to you?’
The bird look pleased. ‘So you do have a modicum of manners after all.’ The wings folded away neatly with a swift ruffle. ‘As a human you would be incapable of pronouncing my real name and you are clearly ill-equipped to understand its etymology…’
‘Of course,’ Jim replied obsequiously.
The bird preened for a moment. ‘The nearest pleasing sound as rendered in your speech will make little sense to you but you may call me Daaaddeeehoooggeee. That will serve for now.’
Jim blinked in surprise.
Daddyhoggy? What kind of a name is that?
Coyote found Rebecca’s crumpled form about a third of the way down the corridor. She was covered in soot, ash and debris from the battle, her clothing was singed and blackened. Around her lay the shattered remains of dozens of Thargoids. The stench of the entrails almost made Coyote gag.
‘Frak.’
‘How is she?’ Derik inquired, coming up behind him.
Rebecca didn’t look in a good way. Coyote could see a large blood stain from the area of her shoulder, and more streaks of blood across her chest. Her breathing was faint and raspy. Her right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle.
‘Still alive,’ Coyote muttered, gently pushing aside her blouse to check the wounds. ‘We shouldn’t have allowed her to go with that metal piece of mierda…’
‘I doubt you could have stopped her,’ Derik replied with a growl. ‘Let’s get her patched up and then find out what the frak is going on. Here, let me. Medi-comp on her ship’s probably the best bet.’
The big lizard effortlessly picked up Rebecca’s petite form with surprising gentleness, she looked like a child in his big muscular arms. Coyote looked up and saw the bio-chamber, still floating against the walls of the corridor. It was likewise blackened but appeared otherwise undamaged.
‘Guess that’s why we came here,’ he said, grabbing hold of it and lugging it behind him.
Derik stomped back up the corridor, kicking aside the Thargoid detritus.
‘Udian said there was a Thargoid in the lab,’ Coyote mused, following him. ‘How did it get in there?’