by Linda Mooney
“Or that this room has six sides, just like those graphics on the walls are six-sided?” Tojun pointed out. He also had a bowl of the stuff, and she could tell he was having as hard a time eating it as she was.
“We call that shape a hexagon,” Kelen informed him. “We have an insect on our world that makes its home using clusters of these shapes. Those clusters are called hives.”
“Why do you think the ceiling is the chamber floor?” Jules threw the question out. “Why are there rooms underneath?”
“Guess we won’t be finding any nonagons on this part of the planet,” Fullgrath remarked.
“No, but I found more food.” Lifting out a small plate, Mellori held it up. “At least, I think it’s food. It looks nothing like what we found over at the other place.” He took the plate of blackish lumps over to the doctor for a scan test.
“Eww.” Kelen laughed and screwed up her nose. “That makes this mess I’m forcing down look downright delicious. Massapa, I hope you find something that looks more appealing.” She sobered immediately when she saw the Seneecian’s wide-eyed expression of fear. “What’s wrong, Massapa?”
Kyber got to his feet and went over to where his crewmember stood staring at the still-open drawer where Mellori had withdrawn the black lumps. When Kyber joined him, he pointed to the side of the box. Kyber peered closely, finally turning around to face the rest of them.
“More of those Adajuss symbols?” Jules guessed.
Kyber looked back at the side of the box. “It says, ‘Ganj not friends.’”
“That’s it?” Sandow asked.
“Sounds like the Adajuss were into graffiti,” Fullgrath remarked.
“Mellori?”
Mellori glanced at Kyber. “What?”
“Which panel held the bowls of food?”
“Umm.” The engineer pressed on a hexagon. When that one didn’t react, he touched the one beside it. It popped open. “This one. But there’s nothing inside. We already got our allotted three servings out of it.”
“It is not the inside I wish to examine.” Kyber bent over to check the side of the open box. Massapa went to check the other side.
“On this side,” he told Kyber.
“Read it.”
“‘You stay you die.’”
“Why did they write that stuff on the side of the boxes?” Jules questioned.
“I’m guessing to hide it from Hoov and its people,” Kelen surmised. “Are there any more?”
Kyber, Massapa, and Mellori began pressing the panels, going along one row, then splitting up to take the next row above and below. Almost immediately, another box popped out. Massapa checked the contents, withdrawing three round red objects. He tossed them to Sandow as Kyber checked the sides.
“‘Eat drink nothing. Poison.’”
Kelen coughed, nearly throwing up as she stared in horror at the half-empty bowl in her lap. Tojun threw his bowl across the room. Dox had yet to touch his.
Sandow pushed away the plate of black lumps, setting the red balls beside it.
“But you scanned it,” Fullgrath objected to the doctor. “You said it was safe to eat.”
“I said it was edible,” Sandow shot back. “But there could be chemical compounds in it my scanner isn’t programmed to recognize.”
“So, do we take the chance and eat it anyway?” Kleesod asked. “Or do we stick to our dwindling pile of rations?”
“He has a point,” Massapa stated. “Sooner or later we may have to eat this or starve.”
Fullgrath gave a derisive laugh. “Oh, great. Use up our rations, or take a chance on their food. Starvation or poison. Either way we’re goners.”
“For now, we chance nothing,” Kyber almost growled. “Check to see if there are more,” he told Massapa and Mellori, and hurried over to where Kelen sat in shocked dismay. He glanced at the bowl, then snatched it up and threw it across the room like Tojun had. “Doctor?”
Sandow crawled across the short distance to Kelen. “How do you feel?”
“Fine. I’m fine,” she admitted. Her body felt as if she’d put it on alert, checking every heartbeat, every muscle movement, every breath for some sign of irregularity. Trying to notice something that would seem out of place. But, so far, nothing. She looked up at the two men studying her. “Other than being tired and crampy, I’m okay.”
The doctor arose and went over to where Tojun stood. “How about you? How much did you eat?”
“All of it.”
A sound caught Kelen’s attention and she glanced over to see Mellori kick away the bowl sitting in front of Dox. Thank goodness for the young man’s preoccupation with his projects, or else he might have eaten some of the contents.
“Found another one!” Massapa called out. Before they could ask what it said, the Seneecian translated it for them. “‘Sent ask help.’”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Fullgrath countered.
“What does that drawer hold?” Sandow asked instead.
Massapa checked. “It looks like water.” He sniffed it. “It is water, but it has an odd smell.”
“Bet it’s the poison,” Jules whispered.
Fullgrath turned to Kyber. “Those other scratchings, they pretty much made sense, but not this last one. Sent ask help? What do you think it means?”
“I have no idea.”
Kelen noticed Jules getting to his feet and walking over to another wall. He ran the tips of his fingers over the symmetrical lines texturing the panels. “There are no windows and only one door. I don’t know if this side of the world holds to the three theory like the other side did. In fact, I’m beginning to believe this room isn’t our ‘home’ like Hoov claims it is. I mean, I don’t think it’s where we’re supposed to live from here on out.” He turned around to face them. “I think this is a holding tank for us. A jail cell.”
Sandow gave a little groan. “I was thinking along the same lines.”
Fullgrath chimed in. “Is it possible those Adajuss died out because they were kept here as prisoners? And perished because they ate the food and drank the water?”
“It is a very real possibility,” Kleesod agreed.
“So what do we do? Just stay here and wait? Because that’s what this is probably turning out to be, isn’t it?” Fullgrath demanded. “They plan to have us eventually die out, the same way the Adajuss did. Y’all agree with me, right? Put the dangerous invaders where they can be watched and feed them to kill them off.”
“I cannot think of any other motive for us being here,” Kyber agreed. “It appears they are reluctant to kill us themselves because they do not know our strength. Therefore, they are using these tactics of appearing to be helpful to keep us off-centered. And by the time we come to the conclusion we are never supposed to leave this room alive, it will be too late.” He motioned to the wall. “That is what all those scratchings have been about, to warn us. To keep us alert to their plan.”
“I have a question,” Massapa mentioned, turning to Jules. “This room is purple. There is a purple light on your tablet, correct? Then there should be a transportation panel here somewhere, correct?”
Jules bobbed his head. “Correct, but where? Finding it might take us hours. Or days. And we don’t have that kind of time to spare.”
“I believe we would be better off getting away from here first, then looking for the next cavern where there would be a panel,” Kleesod suggested.
“Then what should be our next move?” Massapa inquired. “Do we try to make a run for it? Do we ambush them? What is our plan of action? Because we cannot remain here to die.”
Jules turned and rushed over to the unmarked wall where the doorway stood. Pausing in front of the purplish structure, he reached out with one hand…and met resistance. He frowned. “What the hell?” He tried again, but his hand would not go through. He looked back at them. “I think they’ve locked us in.”
“And you’re surprised to discover that?” Mellori remarked.
Kelen
watched Kleesod hitting the wall and knew what he was looking for. “Three. We keep forgetting about three.”
The Seneecian frowned. “We know of one door. There should be two more.”
Jules and Gaveer went over to examine the walls, searching for the other two portals they knew had to be there, but they were unable to find them. “They could be locked like the other door, which might be why you can’t feel them,” Kelen remarked.
“Oh, great.” Fullgrath made a rude sound. “So what’s our next move?”
“Need a rock.”
Everyone glanced over in astonishment at Dox, who had suddenly emerged from his self-imposed isolation. Kelen blinked, confused.
“A what, Dox? You need a rock? What kind of rock?”
The young man placed a hand at his throat. “A Hoov rock,” he explained, then held up his jury-rigged device. “Ready to test it.”
Mellori chuckled. “By golly, I think I have an idea.”
“What is it?” Sandow asked.
“I’ll tell you after we get Dox a Hoov rock,” the engineer promised, and grinned.
Chapter 14
Stone
They ate from their dwindling supply of rations. Sandow continued to hover over Kelen and Tojun, scanning them at regular intervals for signs of distress. Although she didn’t feel like eating again, Kyber convinced her to have one of the ration packets.
“It might help to dilute the stuff you ate in that bowl,” he suggested.
Sandow also urged her. “It’s worth a shot.”
As time progressed, the wait became less tolerable. Dox went back to working on the communication devices. The others took advantage of their incarceration to get some much needed rest.
Wide awake, Kelen shivered as she huddled within her blanket. When Kyber tried to share his body warmth, she got too hot and had to shuck an outer layer. Within minutes, she was cold again. This constant seesawing left her too tired to rest, much less sleep, and the painkillers that Sandow provided were starting to lose their effect.
When night began to fall, the temperature grew colder. The ceiling panels finally closed, but there was no additional heat pumped into the room. Neither was there any way for them to start a fire. There was nothing flammable to use as fuel. The walls of the room brightened, making them wonder how long they would stay that way. At some point they were certain the light would dim, maybe to the point of plunging them in total darkness.
“Five bucks Hoov doesn’t show until tomorrow,” Fullgrath announced.
Jules snorted. “You don’t have five bucks.”
“Then I’ll rub your stinky feet, fly boy.”
Mellori chuckled. “I’ll take that bet.”
It grew quiet once more, until Gaveer softly asked, “Does anyone know how many days we have been on this planet?”
“Hard to tell,” Jules replied. “But by my estimate, I would say we’ve been here nineteen days.”
No one replied.
With the ceiling panels closed, what outside noises they’d been able to hear were muffled or completely eradicated. To Kelen, it grew unbearably quiet.
“I have half a mind to start humming, just to break this silence,” she teased.
“It is a little unnerving. I’ll grant you that,” Sandow remarked.
Kleesod suddenly sat up from where he sat. “Listen! I feel a vibration!”
Her stomach knotted with fear. “Another ice quake?”
Massapa placed his ear against the ground. However, it was Gaveer who identified it. “Outside. Footsteps.”
“Hoov?” Fullgrath asked.
They were answered when the creature strode through the wall. It stopped on this side of doorway, as if it expected to make a sudden exit. Kelen watched Hoov study all of them, and her eyes involuntarily dropped to the glowing necklace it wore. A quick glance over at where Fullgrath and Mellori sat revealed their eyes were also focused on the translation device.
Hoov pointed to the far wall, the one where the food dispensers were located. “Eat. Home.”
“Thank you, but no,” Sandow responded. “We don’t know if your food is compatible with our biological systems.”
Rising up on its two back legs, the creature strode further into the room, nearly tripping over Jules where he sat with his back against a wall. Stopping near the dispensing wall, it tilted its head when it spotted the bowls and food that hadn’t been touched. Halfway turning around, it seemed to glare at Sandow, who nodded.
“I told you. We thought about it, but decided not to eat it because we weren’t sure our bodies would be able to tolerate it.”
Hoov thought it over for a moment, finally accepting the doctor’s explanation. Kelen kept a close eye on the creature and tried to read its expressions. They had no idea whether or not Hoov would be able to read the Adajuss marks. They couldn’t risk finding out, which meant they had to keep Hoov from seeing those scratchings on the side of the drawers if the creature decided to open them.
Her eyes dropped again to the translator necklace Hoov wore. She glanced at Jules, who nodded at Mellori. The ex-navigator saw her scrutinizing them and raised a finger to his lips, requesting her silence.
“Hoov, how long are we going to stay here?” Mellori asked.
“When will we be allowed to leave?” Fullgrath clarified.
“Home,” the creature stated.
“This isn’t our home,” Kelen argued, drawing Hoov’s attention to her. “We need to go back to our side of the planet.”
Hoov cocked its head. “Pla-net.” It almost sounded like a question.
She nodded. “Yes. The other side. The side where there are green trees, not this cold, barren wasteland.”
The creature stiffened. “Home.”
“Is it asking if that part of the world is our home? Or is it telling us we’re stuck here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Fullgrath,” Sandow replied.
“Home,” Hoov repeated, as if that was its final word, and started for the doorway. It got as far as Jules, lifting its appendage to step over the man again, when Jules rolled sideways, directly in its path. Hoov tried to prevent itself from stepping on him. Instead, Jules rolled again, catching one of Hoov’s legs and knocking it out from underneath the creature.
Hoov toppled sideways, falling in slow motion as it waved its other appendages in a futile attempt to regain its balance. Kelen watched as Jules rolled one more time, but ended up directly underneath the creature. The creature fell on top of him, resulting in a brief struggle as Hoov tried to extricate itself. Eventually, it managed to slide off of the ex-navigator and get back on its feet. It gave Jules what appeared to be a peeved look, then left the room without further word.
Mellori rushed over to help Jules sit up. Both men were chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” Kelen asked, unable to stop from smiling.
Jules gave her a wink. “Hey, Dox! Were you wanting one of these?” he asked, holding up his hand. In his palm glowed a pale blue stone he’d taken from Hoov’s necklace. He tossed the rock to the young man, who immediately pulled out the translation device he’d been working on.
“That was a risky thing you did.” Kyber gave a nod. “And brave.”
Jules grinned. “Let’s hope it was worth it.”
“Explain to me what good that stone is if the doorway is sealed,” Gaveer asked.
“If we can understand what they’re saying among themselves, we may discover a way out of here,” Mellori told him.
“We may learn what they have planned for us,” Tojun spoke up.
“Ready.” Dox held out the box-shaped device. The blue stone sat prominently on top.
“Tell us again why you needed the rock,” Jules inquired.
Dox lightly tapped the stone. “Already set to their speech patterns.”
“Pretty smart move,” Fullgrath conceded. “But Hoov has already left. How are we going to use it?”
“I have an idea.” Kleesod stood and reached for the d
evice. Taking it from Dox, the Seneecian went over to the doorway and held the box against the wall.
“Are we supposed to hear something?” Massapa asked.
“Box will talk,” Dox explained.
Kleesod continued to circumvent the room, keeping the translator on the walls. When he reached the side with the dispensers, the stone gave off a pale glow.
“Hey. I think you found something,” Kelen whispered.
The Seneecian lifted the device higher. “If they are upright, they would be approximately this tall.”
The glow became brighter. They heard whispers coming from the box. Kleesod turned the only knob on the translator and the whispers grew louder.
“—are not eating the food.”
“They will.”
“They grow restless.”
“There is nothing to fear. They cannot leave.”
The whispers ceased. The stone lost its glow. Kleesod lowered the device. “It seems they have moved out of range.”
“Well, one thing’s for certain,” Fullgrath drawled. “They plan to keep us here until we cave and eat their food.”
“That leaves us with only one alternative,” Kyber stated, giving everyone a resolute look. “We have to get out of here, even if it means fighting our way through those things. We must find the panel that is down here and get back to the first temple.”
“You got that right,” Fullgrath agreed. “Any idea how we’re going to do that?”
Kyber nodded. “The next time Hoov comes to visit, or one of those creatures comes through that doorway, we jump them.”
“And go where?” Kelen inquired.
Jules gave a little wave to get their attention, then pointed to his left. “That way,” he directed. “My guess is the panel is about twenty or so meters in that direction.”
“You guess?” Gaveer repeated.
“All right. I hope. Sorry, but it’s the best I can do,” he replied testily.
“That’s good enough for me,” Kelen admitted, hoping to dispel the rising agitation. “Listen, we’ve been in worse scrapes. We’ll get through this, but we can’t be sniping at each other. We have to stay unified.”