by L. E. Thomas
"What's going on, Mr. Jax?" Soola asked, sipping on her coffee. "If you know something, please tell us."
"I don't know much," he said. "One broadcast I heard around midday said an alien force of ships had appeared between Tarrafa and Atheron. Our leaders tried to contact them, but there was nothing at first. Then, the invaders demanded all countries in the world lay down their arms and surrender."
"So, the enemy is not from Atheron?" Nat asked.
"No," Jax muttered, fiddling with his fingers. "They claim we're now part of the Zahl Empire. Right before all broadcasts ended, our leaders were refusing to surrender."
"But where are they from?" Nat pressed.
"That's all I know." He stared at Kad. "What happened back there?"
Kad pursed his lips. "Greeva's burning. The base across the harbor was destroyed. I saw some of our copters trying to defend against the enemy, but it didn't look good."
"My brother was back in the city and was supposed to join me up here at the end of his shift." He bit his lip. "You saying he might not have made it?"
Kad glanced at Nat and paused. "Sherri was at work, too, when this all went down. That's why we're heading back to the city."
"That sounds crazy."
"Then I guess we're going crazy." Kad smiled at Nat and looked back to Jax. "Maybe you should come with us?"
Jax leaned back, the old chair creaking. "You know we could stay up here in the mountains for a while. There's plenty of game. No one—not even these invaders—would probably care if we stayed up here. I used to get involved, but I, well, I don't have it in me anymore. I'm sorry, Kad. I think I'm going to sit this one out."
Kad sighed. "I understand."
"You can take one of my boats if you want," Jax said. "It's the least I can do if I can't talk you out of going to the city."
Nat studied Kad, who gazed down at his hands.
"I can't leave her back there," he said. "If there's even the slightest chance she's alive in her office, I have to go back."
"She might be dead," Jax said, nodding toward Nat, "and you're risking the life of your son."
"I wanted to go," Nat said, grinning at his father. "I don't want to leave Ma back there, either."
"All right then," Jax said, moving his chair back and standing. He looked out the window facing the river. "It'll be dark in a couple hours. You'd probably be safer going at night."
Kad stood. "You sure you won't come with us?"
Folding his full arms over his chest, Jax took a deep breath and shook his head. "My brother, if he's alive, will be heading to the cabin. I'm staying here."
Daylight dipped behind the trees as they loaded themselves into the four-person canoe. The steel surface still burned to the touch after being in the sun all day but cooled as the boat rocked. Kad boarded first, helping Soola and Nat down while Jax held the tiny vessel in place with a rope.
"Sure you want to do this?" Jax asked as Kad picked up an oar.
"I have to know," Kad responded without looking at him. He tossed the oar to Nat and sat down. "If I see Jet, I'll tell him to come here."
Jax's face darkened. "You won't see him," he exhaled, "but thanks for the offer."
Gripping the rope a little tighter, Jax flexed his jaw muscles and watched Kad grab the second oar, preparing to negotiate the fast-moving river. He released the canoe.
Nat gasped, the flow whisking them away from the dock at a faster speed than he thought possible. He plunged the oar into the water as a guide, but it did little to affect the course. He turned around.
Jax remained on the dock, his right hand raised over his head as the canoe moved farther away with each second. They went around a bend, and the elder Gretson was out of sight.
Turning around, Nat peered at the river banks and to the dense, dark forest. Even the wildlife seemed to have gone into hiding since the invasion. The tiny canoe sailed through the winding river, water lapping against the hull. He shifted on the metal seat, his muscles sore from the hike.
At least we aren't walking to Greeva, he thought.
The sky transitioned to black as stars came alive for the night. The looming ringed figure of Atheron appeared to the southwest. He imagined the people on the colony and wondered if they had been attacked as well. Since he was a boy, he’d dreamed of visiting Atheron, swimming in the pools of Tala and climbing the steps of Grasha where legend told you could receive a vision of your future.
It would never happen now.
Kad guided the canoe from the front, his eyes forward and never looking to the forest. Soola, on the other hand, jerked her head to either side continuously as if she expected a predator to emerge from the river.
Nat's eyelids were growing heavy when two aircraft rumbled overhead, tracing a faint white line across the heavens. Lights blinked from the wings, but he couldn't make out the shape.
"They're too high for Oshua copters," Kad muttered without turning. "That's the enemy."
Nat squinted. "Are you sure?"
His father sighed. "I'm not sure our military is still out there."
"How do you know?" Soola asked.
"Because it's so quiet." He shook his head as he still faced the water. "They'd be fighting if they could."
Nat frowned, realizing for the countless time that his world had come to an end yesterday. Ma, his school, his friends—all had been swept away in the descent of the alien vessels in the sky.
They went on without saying another word. Hours passed, the forest falling away in place of the tall grasses of the Telerod fields in the northern territories, rolling hills of cattle and dairy farms where the rich spent summers on vacation. Their family had gone just before the sessions started up again, driving through the beautiful and lush land for a day trip. The looming problem bothering Nat that day had been the resuming classes and the incoming homework he'd undoubtedly receive.
He snorted at the memory. Two years ago, and it suddenly felt like a lifetime. What he would give to have been able to give his presentation in class today and stay up late tonight reading animated tales on his digi-glass. Ma would come in to tell him, "lights out." He'd always hated when she did that. Now, all he wanted was to hear her voice again and fall into her embrace. No one understood like Ma. No one listened like she did.
He looked back to his father, doggedly paddling as if he alone could propel them to Greeva and to Ma.
Nat shook his head. You've done this alone long enough, Da, he thought.
Dipping his oar into the water, he gave a hard tug forward. The canoe drifted right, so he paddled from the opposite side. They picked up speed.
Kad turned around, locking eyes with his son. He nodded, his lips curling into the smile Nat had seen a thousand times. The first time he'd ridden a bicycle. The first time he’d received glowing marks on his report card. He turned around, adding renewed strength to his efforts. Father and son propelled the canoe through the water, heading south to the city.
The Carfal River widened as they approached the Oshua capital city of Greeva. The mighty river flowed along the city's border, separating the industrial section with the vast farmland stretching to the mountains. Enormous concrete pylons lined the eastern banks, supporting robust loading platforms for the hundreds of barges bringing supplies from across the world into Greeva.
But there was no action in the early morning hour.
Past the loading docks loomed the city skyline. Besides broken windows spewing faint towers of smoke, the towering buildings appeared relatively intact. Thicker plumes of black smoke poured up from the city streets, but there were no longer any sounds of battle.
The eastern sky had turned a warm blue as Kad guided the canoe to the agricultural side of the river, plunging the hull between the reeds and into the soft mud of the bank. He sank his oar into the water, driving it deep into the muck to serve as a temporary anchor, and stared at the city.
After several minutes passed, Nat whispered, "What do you think?"
Kad grunted. "Sure
is quiet."
Soola inhaled. "Is everyone dead?"
"I don't think so," he said, glancing south toward the Temerman Bridge. "We could keep going to the bridge and cross underneath that."
Nat peered around Kad to the four-lane bridge about a mile farther down the river. Bright lights illuminated the streets. Two figures carrying rifles casually paced.
"The invaders?" Nat asked.
Soola sighed. "Looks like it."
He shook his head. "Then we'd be crazy to go that way." Looking back to the loading docks, he said, "We should enter the city over there and head to the Greeva Square on foot."
Ma worked in one of the supporting buildings near Commerce Towers, the tallest buildings in Greeva located in the center of the city. It should be easy to find if the streets were passable.
"Maybe you're right," Kad said, turning toward Nat. "We're going to have to paddle hard to make it across. The current's not doing us any favors. Soola, try to help with your hands if you can. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," she said in a meek voice of surprising respect. "I'm ready."
Kad got on one knee, gripping the oar still deep into the river bank. He stared into the sky. "We don't have much time before daylight. Are you ready to do this?"
Nat tightened his grip on the oar and peered into the fast-moving water. He wondered what the invaders would do if they captured the three of them on a canoe. Would they let them pass? Would they toss them into a jail cell? Or would they just kill them all?
"Nat?"
He nodded. "I'm ready."
Kad grunted, shoving the canoe away from the shore. Nat dropped the oar into the water and pulled hard. Using her hands, Soola paddled with furious energy, splashing cold water into the canoe.
Nat repeated the motions, battling the current as he tried to help the canoe across. He looked up, sure they had made progress.
They were moving south toward the bridge and had barely made it halfway across the river.
Fear wrapped its icy fingers through his chest. He paddled faster, blood rushing through his ears and muffling all other sounds. Sweat poured down his face. His muscles burned.
"Come on now," Kad grunted. "Keep going!"
They reached the far side after a vicious struggle. Kad stood, balancing himself on the rocking boat, and gripped a steel rung of a ladder at a pylon's base. Nat tossed him the rope. Kad tied a knot, and they all exhaled, gasping for breath. The back of the canoe drifted down the river, but it stayed put. Water flowed around it, creating a soothing rushing sound.
"There," Kad said between breaths. "That wasn't so hard."
Nat looked at him but realized he was joking. He wiped his face and said, "Funny, Da. Really hilarious."
Soola collapsed on her back into the boat, her jacket covered in water droplets. Smiling, she stared at the ladder leading up into the dark loading docks.
"We’re climbing that, I guess?" she asked.
Nat nodded. "Yep."
"We need to hide our stuff," Kad said, pointing at the bags and the hunting rifle. "We'll put it in one of these warehouses. Then, we go find your Ma."
Chapter Four
Walking through the Greeva streets felt like visiting the scene of a crime. Debris littered the pavement. Burns from heavy energy weapons pockmarked the concrete walls of the town's industrial section. As they moved inward toward the Capitol, the scenes of devastation only worsened.
Tanks and military vehicles, charred and ripped apart like discarded charcoal, sat beside abandoned civilian vehicles. The blackened remnants of an Oshua copter still burned at the edge of the once grand and tranquil Capitol Plaza, spewing a steady stream of black smoke into the air.
The Parliament Gardens, once a vibrant array of colorful flowers, was now twisted and burnt near the Capitol grounds. Laser fire had charred the trees and marble dividers between the plants. People—Nat's family included—had come from miles around to view the wonders cultivated by the Parliament's botanists. Many had once superstitiously kissed the stone feet of Marva Greeva, the city's founder, for good fortune. The statue had been toppled and now lay in the blackened grass. As if to further violate the respectful area, an invader's craft had landed in the middle of an enormous flower bed in front of the fountain, its blocky shape contrasting with the organic beauty of the landscape.
From the energy burns on the walls and cracked stone, Nat could tell a vicious fight had taken place here, but the bodies must have been removed. No sign of casualties—from either side—covered the ground.
Above it all, hanging like an ominous sentry, was the ghostly shape of an enemy battleship in high orbit in front of Atheron. Nat kept looking at it as they made their way to the city's interior, focusing on the massive cannon at the front of the craft and noticing the secondary vessels still descending onto the planet. Such raw power. Other enormous vehicles maneuvered behind the one over Oshua, moving like a school of sharks ready to feed on a fresh carcass.
The main avenue where Nat and his family had shopped on holiday had been swept clear of trash. Crowds of haggard civilians gathered at the sidewalks, all staring ahead as if they were the undead in one of Nat’s digi-glass stories.
Up ahead, the grand stairs leading to the white Greeva Parliament building glistened in the early morning light. The trio of marble columns, crisscrossed with streaks of black and soot, dwarfed the people moving nearby. The invaders had erected a full stage at the base of the stairs with a crimson podium at the center. Dozens of soldiers, their red armor glistening in the sunlight, stood with advanced rifles across their chest, their masked faces turned toward the crowd.
Kad led them in silence, weaving through the crowded sidewalk. Nat tried not to stare at the people of Greeva as they looked at the main avenue but felt drawn to them.
A woman stood outside a fashionable clothing store, the glass behind her shattered into jagged blades like crystal knives. She carried an infant at her breast and caressed the baby's head. Her tangled blonde hair twisted around her ears and fell onto her shoulders. Black powder burns covered her face. When she looked toward him, Nat turned to the street.
Two fighters screamed overhead, far above skyscrapers. They banked in a circle over the city as if they wanted to stare down at their prize. Nat glared at them, his throat constricting at the sight of the patrolling enemy aircraft.
He had expected some sign of the Greeva defenses or even the police but saw only a ravaged city in the bright morning. The only show of force was the invader.
Kad placed his hand on Nat's shoulder, guiding him to a place on the sidewalk near the street. Soola joined them.
"What's going on?" he whispered.
Kad shook his head. "I'm not sure. I—"
The ground rumbled. The remaining glass in the buildings rattled. Movement caught his eye down the avenue away from the Capitol. The crowd turned in unison as if automated. Nat's jaw dropped.
Rounding the corner on the main avenue leading to the Capitol, an immense military force appeared. Trumpets sounded, blasting through the air as if heralding the coming of angels. All other sounds from the crowd drifted away in the blaring horns and constant rumbling.
Two mechanical beings, shaped like a giant human, stomped at the head of the enemy force. As they approached their position, Nat could see men inside the passing vehicles bristling with an array of weaponry. A full tank with two cannons on the primary turret came behind the two leading robotic soldiers, followed by another. Helmeted officers wearing the invaders' red stood atop each armored vehicle, their eyes sweeping over the conquered populace with a sense of arrogant indifference.
On they came, tank after tank, driving toward the Capitol and filling the parade grounds in front of the stage. Nat was about to turn away from the procession when a different armored transport rounded the corner. The vehicle did not have the massive cannons like the tanks. Four smaller weapons, two at the front and two at the back, covered the vehicle. It also didn't have wheels or treads but floated!
For a moment, Nat forgot the horrors of the Oshua capital city and stood on his toes to catch a better view of the hovering craft. It floated at least four feet over the pavement. He couldn't even see waves of heat or any hint of propulsion. He shook his head, realizing once again that these invaders had powers and technology his people only dreamed of possessing.
He looked at the topside of the hovering transport and focused on an armored basket at the nose, filled with half a dozen people carrying the air of importance. Obviously carrying officers, the immaculately-dressed men in crisp, crimson uniforms observed the damaged skyscrapers and defeated people of Greeva with tight smiles. One man at the head of the group—
Nat swallowed.
The lead officer's cold blue eyes stared without blinking at the conquered city. His blond hair glistened in the sunlight and his gaze swept across the cityscape in a swift, almost robotic motion. Leaning over, he addressed a beautiful woman with dark hair shaved nearly to the scalp, wearing a tight-fitting flight suit. Her eyes hung low, and her mocha skin appeared to go pale as the striking officer spoke to her. She swallowed and nodded but didn't seem to possess the arrogance of her comrades. She looked in his direction, her gaze falling on the woman holding the infant. He was drawn to her, wondering how such a gorgeous person could travel with the invaders. Did this mean there were more like her? Were the invaders, in fact, humans just like the people of Tarrafa and Atheron?
The transport passed, followed by two more vicious tanks. With the procession ended, enemy guards herded them toward the Capitol stairs. Nat stayed closed to Kad as the crowd pressed toward the Parliament building. He reached down, wiped his sweaty palm, and grabbed Soola's hand. To his pleasant surprise, she squeezed back as they shuffled with the rest of the crowd.
A speaker squealed with a brief discharge of static. The same trumpets belted a loud, short note and echoed through the city streets. An odd, eerie silence fell. A cold wind whistled between the buildings and broken glass.