Alien Separation

by Gini Koch

  With that, we took off.

  It was probably an interesting sight from the air. Or from space, if someone was looking at us with a really excellent telescope. The flyboys were higher in the air than Pinky and I were, but they were in goose formation and flying behind us—Hughes in the lead, with Walker and Jerry streaming out to the right and Joe and Randy streaming out to the left.

  Under them were the mass of ocellars and chochos. I hadn’t bothered to count heads in the time we’d been with them, but it seemed like there were at least five chochos and four ocellars per wagon. Really hoped that whatever place Christopher and Chuckie had found was truly big enough to house us all.

  The land under us flew by quickly. We passed several large rock outcroppings, but no one was there. Surprise at how very unpopulated the parts of this world we’d seen so far were struck me again. It just didn’t seem normal. Then again, nothing else here was normal, either, at least as far as I saw it. Besides, I hadn’t asked the flyboys about their population intel, and we hadn’t seen most of this world yet.

  It took us a good thirty minutes to reach what I realized was our shelter—a gigantic rock formation. Well, it was gigantic when we got into it. From the air, it just looked like a domed rock about twelve feet high and not all that impressive.

  However, as we flew in and landed, I could see that what they’d found was an underground cavern. A huge one.

  Jeff and Christopher already had five wagons in here, and by the time we dismounted and checked in with Chuckie, they had another. However, there was no way the bosthoon were going to make it here in time, not if the snakipede herd was close by.

  Pinky read my mind, of course, and we both went outside. I was still on Pinky’s back anyway, and Toby was still with me, along with Harlie, Poofikins, and Murphy. So we flew up to see what we could see. We still had light from the suns, but we were going to lose it sooner rather than later. Far off on the horizon was a speck that got larger as I looked at it. Safe bet this was the snakipede herd.

  “Pinky, what are our options?”

  He waved antennae as the five strautruch joined us.

  “Aha, good plan and worth a shot. Wow, you guys are strong if you think you can do this.”

  The Big Birds bobbed their heads. Took this to mean they were going to do their best to be awesome.

  “Super. Let’s roll, then.” We zoomed off, at a far faster speed than I’d flown with Pinky yet. Presumably because we had no reason to go slowly. The strautruch kept up without issue.

  We swooped in as Jeff and Christopher returned for another wagon. “What are you doing?” Jeff asked. “I want you back to safety right now.” He was using his growly man voice he still persisted in believing I listened to anywhere other than in bed. It was cute.

  “Yes, well, I’ll go a lot faster if you guys move it. Now, leave me alone. I need to focus.”

  I was focusing on the bosthoon. They weren’t the brightest, but then again, I was Dr. Doolittle, and now was the time to use the skills. Pinky was assisting, so I had high hopes.

  “All bosthoon, gather together, please. The nice strautruch are going to fly you to safety, one or two at a time, depending. You need to not struggle. Shealla Kitty promises that you’ll be safe this way. The rest of you, follow Shealla Kitty as fast as you can.”

  The strautruch were actually able to grab and carry two bosthoon at a time, which was amazing. Almost too amazing. Made a mental note to ask about what their part of the world was like.

  Ten bosthoon flying off was good, but since we had seventy-five bosthoon if we had one, this wasn’t making the dent it could. However, I wasn’t willing to just give up.

  “We need to herd them, just like cattle,” I said to Pinky. “Normally that takes at least three cowboys. We have one, since rider and mount work as one.”

  Pinky waved antennae. Not to worry—help was on the way.

  It was. Saffron and Turkey arrived, with Hughes and Walker riding them. “Need help herding your cows, little lady?” Hughes asked me.

  “I do. We need to get them to safety before the rustlers show up. Great to see you guys, how did you know to come here?”

  “Jeff just did a drop-off and was shouting at Chuck, as if he was responsible for you doing this. We suggested that we knew what you were going to try to do and that we should help. Chuck said the katyhoppers were in agreement. Everyone else is staying put, per Chuck and Jeff’s orders.”

  “We promised to force you to safety if whatever’s coming shows up and there are still animals in danger,” Walker added. “So let’s get moving.”

  Pinky and I took the lead, with the bosthoon following us pretty decently. Hughes and Walker did what the cowboys who weren’t lead did—herded and encouraged said herd to move a lot faster.

  We trundled along, but faster than we had before. The bosthoon were able to move better since they weren’t pulling laden wagons. The strautruch returned, grabbed two from the rear each, and took off again.

  Based on my limited memory of how to do speed and distance math problems, I had to figure that if it had taken us thirty minutes to fly to our destination at a fast rate of speed, it was going to take at least an hour, maybe more, to get the herd there. And I didn’t think we had an hour.

  However, we persevered. After about fifteen minutes and one more Big Bird snatch and grab run, Jeff and Christopher showed up with a catapult wagon. They tossed four bosthoon on it, with me doing some serious animal calming talk, and then zipped off. Figured the bosthoon barfing up their cud, or whatever, would still be preferable to them turning into carcasses.

  Between all of these efforts, we were a lot closer to our destination and had a lot fewer bosthoon to get to safety. But we still had plenty and I could now see things in the sky. Not clearly, but close enough that I knew we didn’t have too long before we were attacked.

  Motioned for Hughes to come up to where I was, and he did so. “What’s up, Kitty?”

  “Did you guys happen to have guns on you when you were snatched into this solar system?”

  “Yeah, Chip and I did for sure. We don’t have more than one clip each, though. We weren’t going out on a mission, we were doing a briefing.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it. The things that are coming at us from the sky are what I’ve kind of named snakipedes and the Lecanora we’re with call the Horrors.”

  “We know about them. They’re a threat to the strautruch, too.”

  Really? Interesting. “Did you guys have to deal with any of them yet?”

  “No, but we saw one yesterday. It flew below the nest we landed in. The strautruch had us look so we’d know what to fear, basically.”

  “Well, that’s good, I guess. Because according to Christopher, we have a herd of snakipedes coming. They’re definitely killed by bullets, but it took a lot. I have plenty of clips in my purse, but I’m not sure that they’ll work in your guns.”

  While I was saying this I was also digging around in my purse. Pulled out a bunch of clips. They were not clips for my Glock. Hughes grabbed them. “Yeah, these will work. I’ll get some to Chip. I know you don’t want to let these animals die, Kitty, so we’ll all do our best to hold the snakipedes off.”

  Sent a mental thank you to Algar. “Thanks. But you need to know and to tell Chip—in addition to these things being like a triple big anaconda with a zillion little wings, they’re also venomous.”

  “Oh, great. Can’t wait.” With that, Hughes and Saffron flew over to Walker and Turkey.

  “Pinky, is there any way we can get the bosthoon moving more quickly?”

  Antenna waves indicated that he doubted it. The Big Birds arrived again and grabbed another ten bosthoon, while Jeff and Christopher arrived with another catapult wagon. Four more bosthoon on, more animal calming work from me, and then they were gone.

  The Big Birds were tiring. I could tell b
ecause Jeff and Chuckie were back with the third catapult wagon before the strautruch came back. Another four bosthoon were off and the guys were back with the fourth catapult when the strautruch returned for their next set. They were still able to grab two bosthoon each, but all of them were flying lower this time. Didn’t figure they could do more than one each next run. If they could even manage a next run.

  However, that would work, if we’d get the time. Because we had nine bosthoon left, meaning that the last catapult run and one bosthoon to a Big Bird would mean we got everyone to safety.

  Took a look in the sky. I could see the snakipedes. Clearly.

  We were out of time.

  CHAPTER 33

  BECAUSE WE ONLY had nine bosthoon left, Hughes, Walker, and I were close enough that we could shout and hear each other. Plus the katyhoppers were helping with sound transference.

  “We need to keep them moving,” I told the guys. “But the moment they see the snakipedes I’m pretty sure the bosthoon are going to panic.”

  “Who the hell can blame them?” Walker said. “I can see them and I’d like to wet myself. And I’m not actually afraid of snakes.”

  “I am. And if I’m not peeing my pants, you guys don’t get to, either.”

  Jeff and Christopher arrived with the last caravan wagon. “Get to the shelter,” Jeff shouted at us. “Leave the last ones and get to safety.”

  “We will,” I totally lied. “But you two get going first, so we can cover you on the way back.”

  Jeff shot me a look that said he didn’t buy it for a New York Minute. But Christopher just nodded. “Jeff, she’s right. Let’s go.”

  They disappeared and we moved closer to our five remaining bosthoon. The animals had picked up the scent or something about what was coming. I knew this because I could feel their panic and terror. But we had them in a tight formation, and they didn’t break from it.

  I could see our destination in the distance. The snakipedes were about as far away from us as the cavern. However, they were going much faster than we were.

  The Big Birds arrived and took our last bosthoon in their claws, but they were all flying low and slow. They were going faster than the bosthoon could, but not nearly as fast as they’d been earlier. And not fast enough to beat the snakipedes.

  Hughes, Walker, and I didn’t talk—we just rose high up in the air to meet the snakipedes before they headed down and at least distract them from their targets.

  Of course, one snakipede had been bad. And we were facing twenty of them. They were flying in an altered goose formation, with three in the front and the others behind them. Did another fast count. Oh, goody. We weren’t facing twenty. We were facing twenty-one. Naturally.

  Wanted to throw up, run away, or just plain scream. But I did none of those things, and neither did Hughes or Walker.

  What we all did was start shooting.

  We’d each taken one of the lead snakipedes and were firing at them. Wasn’t sure if we were too far away for the bullets to hit or not, but as with superbeings, the guns definitely made you feel a little better and like maybe the fight was more even.

  One clip emptied, I rummaged around in my purse for another, not that it appeared to be doing any good at this distance. “A machine gun, a machine gun, my kingdom for a machine gun.”

  And proving that Algar had indeed decided that my purse was now a portable portal, lo and behold, my hand hit a large piece of metal. Pulled out a nice machine gun complete with a long belt of ammo already loaded and ready to go.

  “Thank you so very much,” I said to my purse. Looked up. The snakipedes were far too close. Aimed and started firing in a broad back-and-forth pattern so I’d hit all three of the lead monsters. “Snakipedes, say hello to my leettle friend!”

  If I hadn’t been enhanced the recoil would have knocked me off Pinky. As it was, I could just barely stay on his back. On the other hand, the machine gun was doing what I needed it to—cutting through all three lead snakipedes.

  Three Horror Heads exploded and three Horror Bods fell to the ground. Kept on firing in the same strafing pattern. Next line was down just like the first. This machine gun was a godsend. Or rather, an Algarsend.

  As I started on the third line, registered that Hughes was shouting at me. Risked a look around. Hughes and Walker were okay, and both were indicating that it was time to get out of the air. Checked the ground and saw the last Big Bird fly inside the cavern.

  Nodded to the guys. “Start down. Pinky and I will follow you and hold them off!”

  All three katyhoppers started to fly toward the cavern’s entrance, Saffron and Turkey going faster than Pinky. Unfortunately, the remaining snakipedes saw their prey moving and they broke formation. “Go, go, go!” I shouted, to Pinky and the guys.

  We all sped up. I was still firing the machine gun, but it wasn’t nearly so easy to shoot turned around on Pinky’s back, and I wasn’t hitting any one of the snakipedes enough to kill now. And, to make things just that much more exciting, as I tried to aim better and rapid fire at the same time, I lost hold of the gun. Which did not do me a solid and shoot the snakipedes as it was falling to the ground. It didn’t shoot any of us, either, so chose to take that as, if not one for the win column, at least not a total failure.

  I imagined that I could feel snakipede breath on my neck, but I didn’t turn around. I was a sprinter and I’d learned a long time ago that sprinters who turned around while running were sprinters who lost their races. Sure, I wasn’t running, but my shifting could affect Pinky, and he and I didn’t need that.

  All the flyboys and Chuckie were in the cavern mouth, and they were all firing. Ducked down as Pinky and I zoomed in. Flipped off his back and took a look. I hadn’t imagined that snake breath on my neck.

  The snakipede head exploded just outside of the cavern mouth. As it did so, all three katyhoppers sprayed stuff out of their butts. Realized that they’d covered most of the cavern’s mouth already—presumably Turkey and Saffron had done so before Hughes and Walker had joined me—because I could recognize the way the solidified butt juice looked.

  The snakipedes were fooled, at least somewhat. They were only trying to get in at the point where Hughes, Walker, and I had come in, not at any other part of the entrance.

  Was going to contribute to the gunplay when I heard the sounds of trouble from inside the cavern. Ran back and deeper in to find Jeff holding back a couple of Lecanora. Minks, by the look of them.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “One of their kids is missing,” Jeff said, sounding tense and upset. “I have no idea how. Or where. We didn’t see anyone out when we were going back and forth.”

  “Ginger, Wilbur!” The ocellar and chocho ran to me. “Are any animals missing? Any at all?” They ran off to do head counts. “Someone needs to search inside the caverns. Christopher, you’ll do that fastest.”

  He nodded and zipped off.

  Wilbur bounded back and bark-honked quietly. “Okay, all chochos are accounted for, even puplets.”

  “Puplets?” Jeff asked.

  “Puppy piglets.”

  “Why did I ask? Look, we have to do something and find their child.” He indicated the mink couple he was holding back. There were several kids of varying sizes standing behind them, all looking worried.

  “Boy or girl?”

  “Our youngest daughter,” the mother mink sobbed, as Ginger returned.

  Ginger yowled softly. “Gotcha. So, your daughter likes the ocellars a lot and has a favorite kitten, doesn’t she?”

  The father mink nodded. “They don’t belong to us, though. They are Nanda’s.”

  “Well, one of them is your daughter’s now.” If I was able to find the two little ones, that was. “What’s her name?”

  “Patrina.”

  Christopher returned. “Didn’t find her. But there’s what looks lik
e a tunnel in here. She might have gone down it, but I doubt it. I ran a good ways and found no one.”

  “Jeff and Christopher, stay here and keep all the others here. Start getting everyone organized and head them into the tunnel Christopher found. We’re going to assume that the tunnel goes somewhere, and even if it doesn’t, it’ll be easier to fight off the snakipedes one by one.”

  “The tunnel’s narrow enough that we can’t get the wagons in, so yeah, it’ll limit what the snakipedes can do,” Christopher said.

  “What are you going to be doing?” Jeff asked in a tone of voice that said he already knew and didn’t approve.

  “What I do best—improvising.” He started to argue and I put up my hand. “I can talk to the animals and you can’t. I’m going to find them based on the ocellar kitten that’s missing. I can go faster than the snakipedes. And you just said we had to help, and we do.”

  With that I turned and ran for the cavern’s opening, Ginger at my heels.

  The guys were holding the snakipedes off and had even killed a couple. But all that meant was that we still had over a dozen alive and seriously pissed.

  Grabbed Chuckie. “We have a kid and a kitten missing. I’m going after them. I’m assuming that the kitten got spooked and ran out and the kid ran after it and no one noticed in all the chaos, but I could be wrong. I need cover fire, then you guys need to be ready to run for the back. Christopher found a tunnel and it goes a long way. We’re going to bet on it leading somewhere.”

  “Jeff let you do this?” Chuckie sounded like he didn’t believe it.

  “Not really. But he’s having to deal with the families.”

  “And I left that to Christopher,” Jeff said from behind me. “I’m coming with you.”

  Made eye contact with Chuckie and told him that Jeff wouldn’t be able to protect me from these things and would slow me down. I none too gently suggested Chuckie do his Vulcan Nerve Pinch thing.