People of the Sun

by Jason Parent

  Tryst glared down at the body for several moments. She had no explanation for the strange phenomenon that had just unfolded. She crouched next to Milliken. Her hand reached toward the wound.

  “Don’t,” Lenyx said.

  Tryst barely heard the command, endless questions running through her mind. She let out a deep breath and poked Milliken’s shoulder. It was inordinately hard, not fleshy at all, but firm and unyielding. She avoided the plasma.

  “We should cremate him,” she said. She swallowed hard then straightened. “We can’t just leave him exposed, to be ravaged by the elements or wildlife. Who knows what vile things lurk on this planet?”

  Lenyx stared at Milliken’s wound. “Kazi,” he said. “Did you test the liquid?”

  “I haven’t had much time, and I didn’t think Milliken would mind. But this liquid… its composition, with some allowance for contamination, compares to…”

  “What?” Lenyx asked.

  “Blood of the kalifer.”

  “Impossible.” Lenyx stared in wide-eyed amazement. “The very thing we’re searching for… I don’t believe in providence, but I don’t believe in coincidence either. Are you sure?”

  Tryst scolded him with a glare. “Milliken is dead. Don’t you two care?”

  “What happened to him?” Lenyx asked.

  “I have no idea,” Kazi said.

  “You are our environmental tactician, are you not?”

  “We don’t have anything like that back home.”

  “All right,” Lenyx said, massaging his shoulder. “Until we know more about this planet’s liquids, no one touches them. In fact, it might be best if we don’t touch anything until Kazi has had the chance to study it. Understood?”

  Kazi nodded. Most of their equipment remained with the ship, but Kazi pulled a small probe from his gear and began to take readings from everything in their vicinity.

  “What about Milliken?” Tryst asked, fresh tears threatening to break from her eyes.

  “We leave him… for now,” Lenyx said. As if sensing her oncoming protest, he grabbed Tryst by the arm. He leaned in and whispered gently into her ear.

  “I know how you feel. I feel his loss, too. But I must consider your and Kazi’s safety first. Do you understand?”

  Tryst nodded. She didn’t like it, but she did understand. There was an appropriate time and place for mourning. The middle of an aggressive landscape with no plan for survival was neither the time nor the place for it.

  “Okay,” Lenyx said. “There could be countless specimens here, big and small, that could kill us before we even know we’ve been affected, afflicted, or infected. Kazi, what do we know so far?”

  “The air tests out, but it never stops moving. Any one of these frequent drafts could carry harmful particles,” Kazi said. “Since my lungs must have completely converted my breathing from our ship’s air to this planet’s and I’m not dead, I’m guessing it’s safe to breathe. Even if it weren’t, there’s little we can do about it now.

  “The ground below us is unusual,” he continued, “but surprisingly, it has some similar elements to our own. It passes my scan for known contaminants, but it is filled with elements I’ve never seen before, some of which appear to be alive. I’m trying to minimize the unknown quantities in the air and soil. The liquid Tryst was kind enough to swat out of my hand also passed initial scans, and you both saw what it did to Milliken. If it’s a match…”

  “Let’s not count this mission a success just yet,” Tryst said. Particularly if there’s no home left to bring it back to.

  Kazi stiffened. “At this point, I can’t rule anything definitively safe. The best we can do is conform our actions to the percentages.”

  “Keep at it, Kazi,” Lenyx said. “Let me know if you need our help with your tests.”

  “What are we going to do, Lenyx?” Tryst asked.

  “I’ve reconsidered,” he said. “Let’s give Milliken a proper ceremony. We owe him that much.”

  “And then what?”

  “Then, we continue our mission.”

  Kazi cackled. “What’s the point?” he asked. “There’s nothing left to go back to.”

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  Kazi had no retort. Lenyx’s plan wasn’t all that funny anymore.

  “Tryst, prepare Milliken’s body for—”

  Lenyx fell silent. An uneasiness washed over his face. His wide, triangular ears rose. He peered off in the direction of their ship.

  Tryst held her breath, not knowing what else to do. She heard nothing, saw nothing different from the sounds and sights of the planet that she had experienced since exiting the ship. The silence ate at her. “What is it? What do you hear?”

  Lenyx placed two fingers delicately over her mouth. “Listen,” he whispered.

  Tryst froze in place. Then, she heard it too, the sound of feet marching through grass and leaves. A new challenge approached.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “You two wait here. I’ll investigate,” Lenyx said as he scanned the brush.

  He pulled an ancient blade from its sheath across his back, a remnant from a long-ago time when his people were ruled through violence and terror—a time when all his kind shared immeasurable mental and physical powers, the ability to move mountains with their minds and themselves with but a thought, to communicate without a sound. The source of their power, kalifer, was also the source of their wars, pitting those who would share against those who wanted all for themselves.

  But the wars of old were as dead as their victims. His people had become too few, and the threat of extinction united those who remained. They became more civilized, working together to secure their future as a race. Logic became their new law. War, bloodshed, even murder—all had been nonexistent for centuries. Survival was all that mattered.

  Still, after all its years, his weapon remained deadly.

  With the need for exploration came the need for preparation. Lenyx hadn’t known what sort of wildlife they’d encounter, so he had trained his crew in the ways of their bloodthirsty pedigree. The idea of taking another life sickened Lenyx. He looked down at his crescent-moon-shaped blade, everywhere sharp except two grips of equal distance from the blade’s center. Lenyx had shown significant aptitude with the weapon in practice. He hoped the time for its genuine use had not arrived.

  Clothed all in black synthetic gear, plated but malleable armor, he stood battle ready. In addition to regulating his body temperature, his suit could protect him from the sharpest fangs on Symoria. But this wasn’t Symoria. He took deep breaths to keep his heart from pounding.

  His muscles tensed. Lenyx was prepared for a vicious brawl, if need be. His instincts made him a natural predator. Decades of cultural programming had taught him to tame his inner beast. He would protect his crew at any cost but hoped it wouldn’t come to violence.

  Glancing back at Tryst, Lenyx could see the worry painted on her face. He smiled, trying to reassure her. Then, he went on the hunt.

  He stealthily made his way in a wide arc around the incoming footsteps, keeping his distance to avoid being spotted. He couldn’t anticipate what kind of adversary he might face, hoping it was no adversary at all. Could it smell, hear, and think like him? Was it aggressive? Lenyx took no chances, striding silently on deft feet.

  With several yards filled with vegetation between him and his target, Lenyx only caught glimpses of what appeared to be two life forms walking upright like Symorians. A lot like Symorians. He moved in for a closer look.

  Before he could circle his prey, they came upon Tryst and Kazi. There were two of them, and they stumbled into the clearing where his crewmates stood. Lenyx crept to the edge of the clearing and waited, watching. The growth between him and the creatures was lush, high and green. It hid him but also obstructed his view.

  He could see well enough to notice Tryst’s apprehension, though. Her hands were spread out in front of her. She took tiny, slow steps backward. Kazi moved closer to Tryst. They w
ere on the defensive. Lenyx feared for their safety.

  He moved closer, entering the clearing with more speed and less caution. When he was within a few yards of his targets, he stood directly behind them, ready to strike. The creatures didn’t seem to notice him. Neither did Tryst or Kazi, their eyes glued on their potential enemies. No one moved, the two species locked in an uneasy standstill.

  Lenyx scrutinized the creatures for any evidence indicating whether they were friends or foes. Their next move would determine his. If he sensed even the slightest provocation, he would do what needed to be done.

  As he watched, he gauged his adversaries. Their appearances were remarkably similar to his, as if their species had been cut from the same mold. He guessed that they were male, perhaps babies given their smooth, undeveloped faces. Aside from having smaller ears, hands, feet and frames, and having pathetic excuses for snouts and fangs, Lenyx could have been looking at two deformed members of his own race. Their loose, oddly-colored and sagging flesh made them hideous, but it didn’t necessarily make them evil.

  Lenyx compared his bleached-white skin to theirs. The only color on his body was the black of his hair and tongue and the pink in his eyes. Everything on this planet is painted. His home lacked such vibrant light and colors. His home lacked this virility. And now, it appeared his home had been lost altogether.

  Now is no time for despair. As their leader, Lenyx’s duty was to the safety of his surviving crew. Thinking of their welfare, he stifled an impulse to attack. His inspection of the creatures didn’t reveal their intent.

  Tryst drew her weapon, a small spear with three prongs arranged triangularly. Fire leaped from prong to prong. Kazi unsheathed his daggers, sickle-shaped blades with honed points that extended from devices around his wrists.

  One of the natives reached out his hand. Lenyx jolted forward a step. Nothing happened. A sign of peace? Lenyx couldn’t be certain. The native’s other hand gripped an object at his side that Lenyx would not chance to be anything but a weapon. The native seemed to draw his strength from it. If he raised it, Lenyx would have no choice but to attack.

  The other being huddled behind the first. Lenyx discounted him as the weaker threat. His fingers tightened around the grips of his blade. Patiently, he waited for the native creatures to decide his next move.

  The stronger native spewed awkward sounds from his mouth. Words? If so, they were like none he’d heard before, spoken with a melodic but eerie flow. The creature was trying to communicate. Lenyx was sure of it. The native’s mouth moved, but he could not understand the language coming out of it. It didn’t sound hostile, had none of the intonations or growls an angered or violent Symorian’s speech might have.

  Since he couldn’t understand it, he assumed his crewmates couldn’t either. Tension escalated when the being removed his weapon from its sheath. Kazi and Tryst slowly stepped backward, drawing their weapons in front of them, their fangs exposed.

  “Don’t come nearer,” Tryst said. She jabbed her spear at the air in front of her.

  Body language was powerful enough to break language barriers. The being stopped. Kazi remained quiet. He and Tryst stood their ground. If the creatures moved closer, blood would be shed.

  Lenyx charged in to prevent harm to either faction. Quick as lightning, he moved, one moment several yards away and the next appearing directly behind the larger native before either noticed his presence. He hooked his left arm beneath the native’s shoulder and slid the grip of his blade underneath the native’s chin, intending not to harm but to subdue. As the grip moved across his captive’s neck, Lenyx’s thumb made contact with the creature’s skin.

  The native howled and began to convulse. He writhed in Lenyx’s hold. An unpleasant gurgling emitted from his throat, followed by more wailing, sounds Lenyx recognized as agony vocalized. It terrified him, its cause inexplicable. He released the native, being careful not to cut him as he withdrew his blade.

  Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Panic and doubt filled his mind. The native fell to the ground, clutching at his throat. An awful smell rose from the point of contact. Its stench reminded Lenyx of the burning remains of friends he had lost on the battlefield during the old wars. What have I done?

  The ghastly howls stopped as the flesh burned away from the creature’s neck, revealing his vocal chords. Soon, they, too, were sizzling. A chemical fire had ignited where Lenyx’s thumb had touched the native’s skin. It spread up the side of his face and down to his shoulder and chest. The skin of his hands, which had gripped his neck in reaction to the pain, melted away, exposing skeletal fingers.

  In a matter of seconds, the conflagration gained momentum and spread across his entire body. The native stopped moving. His flesh had incinerated completely away from the bones. All that remained was a partially clothed skeleton lying next to a circular head garment. Its mouth hung open, frozen in an eternal scream.

  Lenyx staggered backward. His heel caught on a rock, and he fell onto his buttocks. He barely noticed, his mind replaying what had happened, searching desperately for an explanation. He’d taken a life when all he had wanted to do was protect them.

  He glanced over at the remaining native, surprised to see he hadn’t tried to run or fight. Instead, he cowered into a ball, covering his head with his arms. He mumbled something repetitively.

  Passive creatures. And I killed one. “I’m sorry,” Lenyx said softly, not expecting the native to understand. Still, he needed to say it.

  “What did you do to it?” Tryst shrieked.

  “He disintegrated it,” Kazi said, a discomforting grin spanning his face. “Our touch did that? So… powerful. Absolutely amazing!”

  Lenyx tossed his blade aside. He picked himself up, unable to look at the other native without being overwhelmed with guilt. He felt like a killer and was sure the remaining life-form shared his opinion.

  “I don’t know what happened,” he said, his voice quivering. “I only meant to secure him.” That awful wailing echoed in his head. The image of dread and agony on the native’s face as his flesh ate away at itself played behind Lenyx’s eyes.

  “I only touched him,” he muttered.

  “Let me try the other one,” Kazi said, his amusement nauseating. He approached the living native, flush with anticipation.

  “No,” Tryst commanded. “They appear to be intelligent life, peaceful, nonthreatening.” She grabbed Kazi by the back of his uniform as though he were an animal that needed to be collared.

  “Lenyx,” she said. “Collect your wits. This is your expedition. We need you to focus. We need you to lead.”

  Lenyx stared at his hands as if they were filthy. But somewhere in his subconscious, he heard Tryst’s words. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. When he opened them, Lenyx saw only hands, strong hands with a job to do. He moved toward the cowering native and called to it.

  “We don’t want to hurt you.” He hoped his tone could convey his regret and somehow undo the distress he’d caused, knowing the futility of his plan.

  The being didn’t move. He trembled against the ground, no doubt expecting his death. He continued to chant something over and over again.

  “It’s no use,” Tryst said. “He won’t understand you.”

  “We have to kill it,” Kazi said. To him, the native seemed little more than a dying beast that mercy required him to put down.

  “What? Why?” Tryst looked stunned.

  “Think about it,” Kazi answered. “We killed his partner. If he is intelligent life, he can’t possibly think that was accidental. He will likely want to retaliate or tell who knows how many others like him what he saw here.”

  “It was an accident,” Lenyx protested weakly.

  “We land on their planet, and the first thing we do is exterminate one of them,” Kazi said. “Try to see it from their perspective. Our actions may be difficult to overlook. We have no idea how many of them live here, what their temperaments are like or even if these creatures are the planet’s domi
nant species, but judging by the size of this planet, it would be wise to assume there are many more of them. Surely, they won’t be receptive to us when they find out our glorious leader vaporized one of them.”

  “Enough, Kazi,” Tryst said. She outranked him, but Kazi didn’t seem interested in maintaining rank and order. “It was an accident. You saw it.”

  “It’s okay, Tryst,” Lenyx said. “Kazi is right. I don’t see any others.” He pointed to the remaining native. “This one is the only witness to my mistake. With his disappearance, so disappears all evidence of my wrongdoing.”

  “It’s wrong, Lenyx,” Tryst said. “We don’t exterminate life. We are better than that now. You can’t mean to go through with it.”

  “I will do it with my blade this time.” Lenyx walked over to his weapon and picked it off the ground. “Quick, painless. All that matters is our mission.”

  “At the risk of destroying who we are?” she asked. “We can’t just terminate another intelligent being. It’s not right. It’s not us. It’s certainly not you.”

  “I’ve made my decision,” Lenyx said. “My responsibilities are to the three of us, to see that we survive. This is my first and only priority right now.” He advanced toward the native.

  “You can’t—”

  “I must!” Lenyx snarled, reestablishing his command. He looked at his hands again. They were smooth and white and felt clean once more. He considered if it would be so easy to move past his heinous act or if it would haunt him. Either way, he knew he could do it again if it meant her protection.

  “Can I do it?” Kazi asked. Lenyx winced, then glowered at his crewmate. Kazi was salivating. It repulsed Lenyx. Killing wasn’t supposed to be a source of amusement. There’s too much of the old ways in this one. He began to question Kazi’s suitability for their mission.

  He looked at Tryst. Her eyes pleaded for him to stop. She must have seen that he wouldn’t because she turned away, refusing to bear witness to his act.

  “It’s my burden, Kazi. It isn’t one that should be taken lightly. What kind of leader would I be if I allowed another to clean up my mistakes?” Lenyx let out a long, deep sigh. With blade in hand, he hovered over the native. His presence seemed to go unfelt. Good. Maybe he won’t even see it coming. He raised his blade high, planning to sever head from body in one fell swoop. He prayed his aim would be true.