by E. M. Peters
“Come on,” Alexa shook her head and trudged forward. “We’ve made it this far, haven’t we?”
“Yea, and I’d like to make it a little farther.” Demetri countered, but followed her lead.
Jia pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder, turned to face Bob, patted the bag and winked. He smiled at her and waved a goodbye as the climbed into the back of the Runner. It peeled away just as quickly as it arrived. He watched them disappear into the distance and said made a silent appeal to the universe to keep them safe.
“You know, if you slowed down, you would conserve more fuel,” Jia yelled over the noise of the Runner’s engines and the wind generated by speeding across the landscape.
“Really?” Maria asked and the three Colony One passengers felt the craft slow somewhat.
“Really.” Jia confirmed and sat back on the bench seating from where she’d stood to yell the information over Maria’s shoulder.
Demetri’s grip on the bench lessened somewhat and he mouthed a ‘THANK YOU’ to Jia.
“So, where’s everyone from?” Maria asked in a cheerful way.
The trio exchanged glances.
“New America. North-Eastern quadrant,” Alexa answered.
“China,” Jia put in.
“South-East Quadrant - New America,” Demetri said last. “What about you?”
“Hey! Not too far from me! Central Quadrant. Latinos represent!” She reached her hand back and after a pause of indecision, Demetri slapped it in solidarity.
“How old are you again?”
She sighed, “17. I think. Like I told the other guy, we haven’t exactly worked out a calendar yet.”
“Where are your parents?” Alexa wondered.
The question made the girl go silent.
After a moment, Alexa spoke again with a softer tone, “I’m sorry.”
Maria shrugged, “They’d be pretty proud if they knew what an awesome pilot I am.”
“I bet.”
The Runner approached the tall petrified tree structure and Jia almost climbed into the empty co-pilot’s seat to get a better look. “Fascinating,” she whispered as they came closer.
“It’s home,” Maria commented as she maneuvered the Runner to land.
John was waiting for them with a small group. Once they were all out of the Runner, Alexa was the first to speak. “I don’t think we got to introduce ourselves earlier. I’m Alexa. This is Demetri and Jia.”
John nodded, “You know who I am. This is Dean,” he gestured to a man with scar tissue running up the entire length of his right arm. He carried a giant plastic bucket. “He’ll be taking you to the springs.” He turned to gesture to the woman on his other side. “This is Savi, she’s my second.” The woman with short, choppy hair bowed her head slightly in way of greeting.
Alexa nodded back, “I’m a medic. Ndale has asked me to offer my services to you while we’re here, if they’re needed.”
Savi’s eyes lit up at the news and looked to John. John nodded in response. “We would appreciate that very much,” Savi said. “Dean will take care of the others. Can you come with me?”
Alexa glanced at Jia and Demetri, who both nodded back to her. She put on a professional smile, “Lead the way.”
Dean sized up the remaining pair, “It is a bit of a climb. You two up for it?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“I was born for this,” Jia said with no irony in her tone. Demetri smiled as the others looked vaguely perplexed. Jia was already walking to the nearest petrified tree, “These are incredible. They have to be eons old to be in this state. And still standing! Do any of you understand how remarkable that is?”
The others stared blankly at her.
“Right,” she ran her hand awkwardly over the stone tree. “Well we should probably get going then.”
“Yeah,” Dean agreed, “This way.”
ɸ ɸ ɸ
Savi had led Alexa to a container that had been combined with another to form one of the largest structures in the camp. Inside, makeshift beds had been constructed using smaller crates and scraps of cloth. Windows had been cut in the container to let in light, and vents had been installed in the roof. Neither was enough to vent the smell of infection and sickness, however. As soon as Alexa rounded the corner to enter the makeshift field hospital, the smell hit her and sent her reeling back to her time on Earth in similar makeshift medical units.
She resisted the urge to cover her mouth and nose, following Savi as she led her to a bed in one of the far corners.
“This is Rashida,” Savi said and paused, then added, “My wife.”
Alexa nodded and moved to the woman’s bedside. Her ebony black skin was slick with sweat and her eyelids fluttered as she tried to look up at the newcomer. “What happened?”
Savi leaned down and carefully pulled the blanket away to show Alexa the woman’s arm – wrapped in a bloody bandage and clearly broken, “A group of us were moving a container. She slipped and it landed here,” she gestured to the break. “We don’t have any medicine. We did our best to set it…” She trailed off, feeling her chest tighten with worry for her loved one.
Alexa took the blanket from Savi and pulled it down to the woman’s legs. She put a hand on Savi’s shoulder and forced her to make eye contact, “I can help. But I’m going to need a few things from you. Clean water. More light.” She paused before adding, “And your help to hold her down when I reset this bone.”
Savi nodded and left at once. Alexa was quick to pull fresh gauze from her back – something they had in abundant quantities on Colony One. She regretted that she did not have any medical-grade painkiller because she knew what she was about to do was going to hurt like hell.
While she waited for Savi to return, Alexa scanned the rest of the container. Most beds were empty – and for the ones that weren’t, the prognosis did not look good. Infection was the biggest danger in societies that didn’t have antibiotics – and the container reeked of it. She had brought what was left of her whiskey as an antiseptic, but she would only use it on patients who weren’t too far gone.
She brought herself back to the task at hand, kneeling next to the woman and unraveling the bloody bandage. As she did, Rashida stirred and whimpered. Alexa reached up and put a hand to her forehead. It was warm, but not burning hot. She felt better knowing the infection may not have spread.
“How long ago did this happen?” She asked Savi when she returned.
“Not long,” the woman answered. “A day and a half ago.”
“Good,” Alexa nodded and dropped the remains of the bloody bandage to the floor. She directed Savi to shine the light on the wound and examined it the best she could. It was clear that bone had broken through the skin, and the attempt to reset it had made the wound worse.
She cleaned what she could and probed the outside of her arm to determine where the break was still the worst.
“It’s time,” she told Savi when she was done with her evaluation. The woman looked paler than she had when they met, but nonetheless moved to the head of Rashida’s bed to hold her shoulders down. “I know it’s difficult, but push down as hard as you can as soon as I set it.”
Savi nodded. Alexa took the woman’s arm in a vice grip and set the bone in one, quick motion.
Rashida’s body arched and her eyes flashed open as she screamed involuntarily.
“Shh, shh,” Savi leaned down as she held her, kissing the woman’s forehead. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” She repeated as Alexa poured whiskey over the wound, eliciting a hiss but not a scream. “She’s a doctor.”
“A medic, technically,” Alexa said in a procedural way. She was focused – which meant she was detached emotionally by necessity. She re-wrapped the wound and let Savi reassure her wife as she cleaned up the mess she had made.
“It would be better if we had antibiotics,” Alexa was telling Savi after Rashida was settled again. “But the infection doesn’t seem as bad as it could be. With her arm set and fresh bandages on
a regular basis, she has a good chance.”
“Can you come back to check on her?” Savi wanted to know.
Alexa let out a breath, “With any hope, you, her, and the others can join us where I can keep a very close eye on her.” She offered with a reassuring smile. She didn’t miss being in the field, but she had missed using her abilities to help people.
“There you are,” gravel crunched underfoot along with the voice. Alexa turned to see a man she vaguely recognized leering at her.
“What do you want, Rafiq?” Savi asked.
“Just a word with one of the bitches of World Corp.”
ɸ ɸ ɸ
Jia and Demetri helped each other down a steep slope as they followed Dean further into a cavern. Others with torches had joined them, and they all were much more practiced at the climb than they were.
Halfway down, Jia began to hear running water and felt her heart race. “I thought you said these were springs.”
“They are,” Dean answered back, waiting for them to make it down to his level.
“Running water is something different altogether!” She said, feeling lightheaded.
She wasn’t the only one, she found as Demetri laughed, “Do you feel that?”
“It happens to all of us,” Dean said before Jia could answer. “Something down here makes us all a bit… loopy.”
Between her excitement and the light headed feeling, Jia clapped her hands in jubilance, “It’s the hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture!” she exclaimed.
“What?” Demetri asked as he helped her down to what seemed like the edge of the basin. The sound of rushing water was louder now, and their voices echoed. The darkness made it difficult to see where the water’s edge was, so he made sure to stay behind Dean at all times. The others with torches joined them and for a few meters, the underground river was visible.
“Incredible!” Jia exclaimed. “Is it electrified?” She asked.
Dean looked stunned, “How did you know that.”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Jia said plainly.
“Enlighten us simpletons?” Demetri asked, but his tone was light.
“We haven’t seen any plant life on this planet, yet there is still a breathable atmosphere. The oxygen has to be created someway – and this is it!” She turned towards Demetri and explained excitedly, “It’s a process called electrolysis, where electricity splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. It is how many spaceships create oxygen artificially. Finding this in a naturally occurring state is… well… incredible!”
“Yea, well, wish you were here when we first found it, doc.” Dean sounded much less excited. “We lost a few great guys before we figured out what was happening.” He shifted and leaned down with his plastic bucket, carefully scooping up water. “The first pails we brought down here were metal. Even now, you’ve got to be careful. Luckily for me, the nerve damage on my arm makes it a little easier for me to tolerate if I get sloppy.”
“I wonder where the source is…” Jia said aloud, inching closer to the bank.
“I suggest you get what you need and we get back. If you stay down here too long…” Dean made a circular motion around his temple.
Jia had to work hard to keep from laughing. Little did he know – she had already experienced insanity in all its glory. Though the fact she found that funny was probably a testament to the effects of the gasses. “Good idea,” she conceded and pulled the sample bottles from her bag.
ɸ ɸ ɸ
“Bugger off, Rafiq.” Savi stepped between Alexa and the interloper, “She’s helping.”
“You’re fooling yourself if you think any of them are here to help us,” he challenged, looking through Savi to sneer at Alexa.
“Does John know you’re here?” Savi snapped.
He ignored her, “Get out of my way.”
Savi shook her head, “Come on, Alexa…” she turned and reached a hand out to the medic. As she did, Rafiq slammed her into the container, knocking Savi out cold.
Alexa jumped at the suddenness of his violence. Armed with her medical bag only, she did the only thing that made sense – she ran. She tried to remember the layout of the camp, intent to make her way back to the Runner and safety. She’d taken no more than a handful of steps when he knocked her down. She scrambled to get up but he was already grabbing the back of her shirt and dragging her away from the camp.
“You people have everyone else fooled,” he said as he pulled her. “But I’m not an idiot. I see through your lies.”
Alexa struggled to get free, and when that failed, she screamed as loudly as she could.
He dropped her mid-scream and kicked her squarely in the chest, forcing all the air from her lungs.
“I lost my entire family, do you hear me?!” he sneered at her, spit oozing down his lower lip as he snarled the words in a rage. “10 brothers and sisters, my mother, my grandmother!”
Alexa gasped for air, her vision swarming. For a moment, she didn’t even know where she was, or who was talking to her. He grabbed her by the shirt and resumed dragging her away from the camp. Unable to put up as much of a fight, Alexa watched as her medical bag was left behind and the light faded from the sky, and then her consciousness.
ɸ ɸ ɸ
Demetri watched the dying light of two suns and felt uneasy. Their journey had taken long enough that he had expected Alexa to be waiting for them at the tree line with the Runner. John greeted them, but he was alone. They waited for a time, until Demetri became restless. “We should go look for her,” he told Jia.
Jia nodded, “It’s getting dark.”
Gravel crunched under sloppy footfalls, the noise growing closer very quickly. Demetri turned to find a frantic looking Savi skid to a halt in front of John. Her head was bleeding. “Rafiq,” she breathed the name and held her side as she tried to explain to John. “Attacked me. He has the medic.”
John’s face openly registered shock and his head turned to lock eyes with Demetri’s.
The man marched over to the two of them and grabbed Savi’s arm, “Show me.” He commanded. Savi nodded once, not waiting for John’s approval and started jogging the way she’d come. Demetri hesitated only to address John, “Do not let anything happen to her,” he pointed to Jia, “Or I will personally kill you.” He said it in a neutral, matter of fact tone before he sprinted off to follow Savi.
ɸ ɸ ɸ
“Wake up,” a harsh voice sounded before Alexa felt a strike to her face. Her eyes shot open, finding Rafiq kneeling over her – one leg on either side of her torso. He held up a rock that had been sharpened enough to cut so she could see it, then held it to her throat. “I want to know everything about that ship. What condition is it in?”
She blinked hard, “I can barely remember my name right now,” she said honestly. The comment earned her another slap to her face. She thought – that isn’t going to help matters – but kept it to herself.
“I am not interested in your jokes,” he said and pushed the rock into her neck.
She lifted her chin reflexively. “The ship is disabled,” she said.
“Lies!” He sputtered and it became very clear to Alexa that the man was unstable and no amount of truth-telling would satisfy him.
“Okay, okay…” She held up her hands and tried to get her bearings. “You’re right,” she said, knowing he would enjoy being told as much. “The ship works. It can take off whenever you want.”
His angry sneer lessened as his dark eyes considered her words, “And the Captain?”
“Dead,” Alexa admitted, but before he could get agitated again, she reassured, “But it doesn’t matter.” She smiled and shook her head, “Because there’s an automatic return sequence that I know how to activate.”
“You do?” he asked, genuine wonder in his tone.
She nodded, “Let’s get a Runner. We can go now.”
The pressure on her throat eased. Rafiq was shaking his head. “No, they’ll be looking for us tonight.”
But he wasn’t listening anymore. With what light that was left, Alexa could see his eyes moving over her face, and down the slope of her neck.
“Hey,” she tried to get his attention. “I know a secret way onto the ship. We can be out of here in no time.”
Rafiq pocketed the sharp rock and put his hand around Alexa’s neck instead, “How do I know that I can trust you?” He asked and leaned down so his face was close to hers.
“Just let me get you back to the ship and you’ll see,” she tried and put all her effort into hiding the blanch she felt as his hot breath hit her.
“I know another way you can show me,” he said and she felt his free hand slide over her chest.
Alexa set her jaw and with practiced speed, grabbed his forearm in a vice grip, bent her knees so her feet were planted firmly on the ground closest to her body and arched her hips up and to the side, rolling over so she was on top of the man. She used the momentum of the maneuver to drive her elbow into the side of the man’s face, followed immediately by a blow to his temple, which knocked him out cold.
The woman stood and back pedaled as soon as she knew the man was unconscious. She stared down at him and worked hard to keep her breathing steady. She didn’t know what his recovery rate would be, so instead of running like every fiber of her being was telling her to do, she knelt down and tied the man’s bootlaces together. When that was done, she tore a strip of cloth from his shirt, rolled him over and tied his wrists together as quickly as possible.
When she was done, sweat was building on her brow and her hair was falling out of her neatly kept bun. She watched him for a few extra seconds – a few too long, as he began to stir back to life. She backed away and looked up. The stars and moons were obscured by the canopy of the stone trees. It was almost full dark, and she had no idea which way camp was – or if she came across anyone, if they’d be friendly. She rubbed her face as she tried to formulate a plan.