Great. Now she just needed to learn how to operate them.
“Thank you, Gordy. That’s all very helpful, but have you been keeping up on your lessons with Corluss?”
His enthusiasm waned.
“I have.” Conflicted, he waited and then leaned in closer. “I’m frustrated. What if I fail when we get there? If I fail, Aimee, we—”
Aimee stopped and felt JOH crash into her. She turned to straighten him and looked Gordy in the eyes. “What was one of the key factors for you not being a Warrior?”
“My family. I am not of Warrior blood.”
“No,” she replied. “Your age. Gordy, the truth is that this might be too much for you. And if you have any reservations at all, I don’t want you to go out there. I want you to stay here and be safe. There will be another mission...and you will be ready for it.”
Blond eyebrows furrowed. “You didn’t tell me to give up on the tak wand, Aimee. You encouraged me to try harder. Why would you change your philosophy now?”
Gordy was a painting still in progress. He was taller than her. His face had matured from the plump-cheeked young boy to a sculpted young man. His alert blue eyes pierced her with their dedication, and burgeoning biceps flexed from the motion of his hand clenching into a fist. And yet...
“Gordy, I’m afraid for you.”
“Ahh,” he shook his head and crossed his arms. “I’ve acquired yet another mother. My mother, my sister—they are afraid for me. I thought you might be different.”
Instead of the anger that she anticipated, he let out a drawn breath. There was fatigue in his expression. Perhaps he was maturing.
“This is not worth risking your life over.”
“And it’s worth you risking yours?” he countered.
Pain. “Yes. But this is personal for me and you know it.”
Some of the tension eased from Gordy’s face. His crossed-arms slackened. “I am not going to get into a debate over who has a more noble cause.” He turned to look down the runway at the blanket of space. “We don’t have much time and you don’t have the luxury of coming up with someone else, so you are pretty much stuck with me.” Those bright eyes challenged her. “We will both achieve more than we give ourselves credit for. I’m sure of it.”
What a fine young man he had grown up to be.
“When we land, you will obey every word I say, right?” She cocked her eyebrow in threat.
“Every word,” he chuckled. “At least you said, when, and not if.”
He tipped his chin at the JOH cowering behind her. “What’s he doing in here? I didn’t think they came to this part of the ship.”
Aimee glanced over her shoulder. “It took some coaxing.”
Big black eyes blinked up at her as the metal legs crooked so that his flat face could glance around her hip.
“I owe him a detailed explanation of the presidential election procedures on our planet, plus a brief overview of the game of golf.”
“Hole in one,” JOH quoted to no one in particular.
Gordy nodded, bemused. “Ah, feeding his insatiable databanks again? You never know what stray communication signals he will latch onto. They produce the strangest questions.”
“The election process on every planet intrigues me,” JOH said in affront. “One would think the concept is simple, and yet every planet makes it so complicated.”
“Yes, well,” Aimee clapped her hands together, “right now JOH is going to help us pick our landing spot.”
JOH’s mouth stretched into a thin line. “So I have been told.”
“Don’t you want to help?” she asked.
“Help? It is fortunate for you that I execute whatever is asked of me. Let us clarify that I am not helping. I am doing my job.”
A large clang followed by a brief grunt announced the arrival of Wando from behind the terra duster. Wiping off his hands, he reached for his cane as the group jumped when he smacked the metal tip against the fuselage.
JOH shrank back behind Aimee.
“Well, look,” Wando huffed. “The cowardly computer has made his way into my domain...hiding behind a woman nonetheless.”
Aimee could see JOH’s face crinkle and cascade between trepidation and anger. The latter won out and he stomped his metal feet around her.
“I was beckoned here to help.”
Wando snorted and pivoted back towards the ship.
“Is he really the best you could come up with?” JOH glanced up at Aimee.
“Be good, JOH. We need him.”
“I could easily recite the circuitry of a terra duster.”
“Yes, and I will be coming to you with questions, but JOH, until you get hands, you can’t give us hands-on experience.”
“Hands!” He glanced down at his feet. “You want hands now?”
* * *
“Where will the Warriors land on Ziratak?” Aimee asked the blueberry gemstone face that continued to cast nervous glances at the mechanic straddling a discarded engine shell.
Wando wasn’t actually seated. He leaned his rear against it and balanced himself with his cane. Corluss stood behind him with arms crossed, the twosome looking as congenial as undertakers.
Aimee rolled an engine shell over and squatted down on it, close enough to JOH that she could see her reflection in his flat face. Beside her, Gordy crouched down to his knees for a better perspective.
As soon as JOH confirmed he had everyone’s attention, his blue face disappeared and an image of sand dunes replaced it.
“Ziratak.” His voice continued as the desert played across his monitor. “What you see here is mostly what you get with this planet. Its life-source comes from a small mountain range near its polar cap.”
The image changed. Craggy, snow-capped cliffs poked at a brilliant blue sky. At first Aimee thought she was seeing a reflection from the snow, but on second glance, it was clear that there were two radiant suns hovering over the mountain chain.
“This range feeds the Zargoll River which was once majestic, and the artery to numerous waterfront cities.”
A thin band of water with red clay embankments mocked JOH’s depiction.
“When the Korons came, they destroyed those cities. The few inhabitants they did not kill were used as slaves to haul sand from the desert and fill in the Zargoll. These are the last images I have of the river, but I can only assume that the situation has grown worse.”
“Where did you get these pictures, or your information?” Aimee asked.
“They were recorded from Zak’s eye shield.” The images faded and JOH’s blue face reappeared.
Wincing at the name, Aimee collected herself. “When?”
“The last time he returned from Ziratak, so it has been quite some time. Our Warriors,” JOH continued, narrating without the images, “will land in the south, at the furthest reaches of the Zargoll—far away from the mountain range and its turbulent winds. They will hike the river’s perimeter. If Zak is alive, he is most likely lingering near the water for sustenance. If the river is dried up, their search will be quick.”
Desperate visions flooded her head. She could not yield to them. She had to stay sharp.
This river’s source was the mountain. The mountain offered cover. It offered asylum—whereas, the desert was barren. If Zak was there, she would bet he was in the mountains.
“We need to land near the mountains.”
JOH’s eyes thinned into straight lines. “Not a good plan.”
“Why,” she challenged, “the winds?”
“I hate to agree with this walking font of useless knowledge,” Wando inserted, “but JOH is right.”
A tremulous smile gouged the blue orb. “I am?”
Wando leaned forward and smacked the chassis with his cane.
“Unlike the new terra angels, this alloy is very light. Flimsy, might be a word you would recognize. Originally, the idea was that it would make it faster. Later, that idea was refuted when the craft had no stability and wobbled its way
into atmospheres. A strong wind could likely cast this craft back out into the desert like it had been slapped.”
“Right,” Aimee nodded. “So we try it, and the worst case is that we end up landing in the desert anyway.”
Wando’s bushy eyebrows vaulted. “There is a big difference between landing and being cast like a wingless monawk into the sand. The latter will leave you battered, and most likely disable the craft and remove any chance of getting it back up in the air again.”
Aimee considered this statement and turned to JOH. “Right, then JOH, you better come up with the track of least resistance near the mountains.”
“But Aimee,”
“No, listen. We can’t afford the time it would take to hike across the desert. It could be days...weeks, who knows. This is why previous Warriors failed. The Horus was pulling out of range before they ever got near the mountains. They ran out of time. We will not.”
“No, you’ll just die.” Wando scoffed.
Beside her, Aimee noticed Gordy scowl. “We can do it.”
Corluss cleared his throat. “It’s nice of you all to ask, but I landed on Ziratak once.”
Three sets of eyes, and a JOH swung towards the blind man.
“Oh gee,” Wando swiveled around on his engine shell. “Where the heck were you while we had to watch this terminal on stilts dazzle us with pointless data?”
Clang. Clang. JOH took two steps towards the mechanic. Wando cast him a disinterested glance before tilting his head up at Corluss again.
“The Korons had already invaded Ziratak,” Corluss explained, “but had yet to attack the Horus. When we landed on Ziratak we set down in the desert and gave them a wide birth. Vodu had warned us about them and what they had done to the inhabitants of the planet.”
Zak’s family. Aimee’s heart ached for Zak’s tragic loss.
“Ours was just a mission to see what they were up to. The desert was barren and they spotted us shortly after we landed. We barely made it back to our ships...and they sent an armada after us.”
“And the mountains,” Wando encouraged. “Did you see the mountain range, or fly over it...I’m assuming there is some purpose for you to share this information with us right now.”
Deaf to his sarcasm, Corluss said, “We felt the mountain jet streams as we were coming in, but it posed little concern because we had no intention of landing in the highlands. It might be difficult—but if you ride the wind, you could use it to your advantage and glide to a safe landing.”
“There.” Gordy thumped his knee. “Now that this debate is over, let’s get back to work.”
Wando shook his head, the fabric around his neck rustling.
“Do you have something to add, Wando?” Aimee questioned.
“No. You’re all a bunch of reckless fools. Not much for me to add to that.”
No. There wasn’t much left to add.
It was time to act.
Chapter Seven
“We are close.” Raja’s reflection was sober.
She stood in Aimee’s room, staring out the window at the conflux of asteroids creating a ribbon between two crater-pocked planets. Turning away, she faced Aimee.
“I shouldn’t have encouraged this,” she sighed.
Aimee shook her head before Raja finished.
“We both know that what you did was right.” Aimee sank onto the edge of her bed and gazed into space. “Raja, I have to find him. I have to—”
In three strides, Raja was at her side. “I know. And that was the only confession of weakness that I will reveal. I am behind you all the way.” She forced a smile.
It was easy to read the fear in that smile. “Don’t worry,” Aimee allayed. “I will be back very soon.”
Spine straight and eyes clear, Raja said, “I know you will.”
Glancing at Raja’s clenched hand, Aimee just now realized that the woman was clutching a glass vial.
Raja followed her eyes. “Take this with you.” Her voice trembled.
“What is that?” Aimee reached for the tube. It was the size of a lipstick container.
“If—” Raja hesitated, “—if you should be struck by one of their solar rays—” her throat caught.
“What—”
“Madness follows quickly. It abates after the brain has had time to heal, but besides blinding a person, the flash traumatizes the mind.” She nodded at the vial. “That will ease the symptoms.”
“What type of symptoms?”
“The brain doesn’t catch up with the fact that you have been blinded and it creates sight for you. It contrives images that aren’t there. If not addressed quickly, they will make a person go mad. That serum will help.” She waited for Aimee to acknowledge, and hastened to add, “Promise me you will take that with you and use it if need be. It has other healing qualities, but I haven’t had time to test them all out...but, I am certain it is safe.”
“How does it work? On our planet everything they give you just makes you sleepy. I don’t want to be sleepy.”
“Sleep would be the best thing for you under those circumstances, but no, it brings clarity. It sharpens your cognizance so that you can recognize what is real. It can only be used in minimal doses or else a reverse effect occurs. I’ve been tinkering with some other healing attributes that were included, but there was no time to test those.”
“I fully intend to wear my eye shields, so I hope to never need this—” She twisted the clear vial around. “But, I will take this with me.”
“Good.” Raja relaxed. “And Gordeelum? You will see to it that his eyes are protected?”
“Absolutely, but I am going to do my best to keep Gordy inside the ship. I’m already extremely nervous about bringing him along. If anything happens to him—”
“He is a bright young man. He is skilled. And he cares about you and Zak. He was preparing for this long before you came back aboard the Horus. Believe me, I have done nothing short of drug him to dissuade him, but he is a man now—no matter how much we choose not to accept that.”
Aimee laughed. “Yes, I guess we are getting old, Raja.”
Raja’s lips curled up. “That we are.” She sobered. “Vodu still knows nothing of this. He will not be pleased.”
“An understatement. I am sorry you will be left behind to deal with that. Will you get in trouble?”
“Me?” Raja fluttered her long eyelashes. “I know nothing.”
Aimee jumped up from the bed to hug her. “Back home I was too busy and too withdrawn to spend much time socializing. I had one childhood friend who moved to California.” She looked Raja in the eye. “You are my only girl friend.”
Surprise and delight mingled in Raja’s eyes. With an understanding nod, she admitted, “I am also too busy and too reclusive to have friends.” She grinned coyly. “But, I have you.”
They shared another quick hug and Raja ordered with a hoarse voice, “So come back safe, okay? I don’t want to lose my only friend.”
“I will come back. And I will bring Zak with me, who is also your friend.” Aimee vowed. “And then we will find a man for you.”
An uncharacteristic snort slipped from the prim woman. “Men don’t look at me. They just see a scientist steeped in tonics and analysis.”
“Maybe you’re too steeped in tonics and analysis to notice them looking.”
They laughed.
Outside, a copper planet appeared as a small spec on the black canvas of space, like a shiny penny on the asphalt.
Ziratak.
* * *
The combination had not changed.
Aimee mimicked the symbols on the wall with her hands in the sequence Zak had showed her. With a gratifying hiss, the portal slid open and she was ensconced in a dark tunnel. Cascading water echoed about her as the rippling reflections cast eerie shadows on the wall.
Emerging into the giant vaulted atrium, Aimee tipped her head back and viewed the splendor of night in the glass dome above. Thousands of distant worlds flickered down on her
as if each one was winking in collusion. Before her, aisles of plant life paved a forest more grand than the most spirited imagination could ever contrive. With her boots clicking against the marble floor, she passed by a waterfall and paused to watch the fish dart beneath the surface like aquatic fireflies.
So many memories assaulted her in this haven of exotic trees and foreign flora. In between a tangle of purple branches, she caught a glimpse of black and white fur. She crouched down and whispered, “Come here, boy.”
The fluffy black-tipped ears of a sumpum emerged. His face was covered in white fur, but somehow he saw her through that nest of fuzz and sneezed before retreating back into the forest.
Aimee stood and continued to her goal. Four alleys down—just through the crosswalk—a single palm tree stood amidst a conflux of alien plants. It was her life-link with Earth. It was also the spot where Zak had told her that he loved her. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Oh, how she wanted him to emerge from the shadows again. How she wanted to feel him step up behind her and slip his strong arms around her.
Soon.
He had to be alive. He had to.
Glancing up beyond the bushy fronds of the palm tree and through the glass-domed ceiling, Aimee could see the copper planet. It was now the size of a beach ball and flanked by two flashing stars, like a pair of celestial eyes.
Ziratak. Zak’s home.
Even now, if she squinted she could almost discern shadows and wispy contours on the surface, and the bright green and white band across the top. So innocent it looked. So innocent. So beautiful. And so deceptive.
It was time to go. She climbed the dirt embankment and dusted her palm against the coarse trunk of the palm tree. This lone tree was her talisman. Touching it would bring her luck.
Glancing up to find a plump coconut, she smiled, squared her shoulders, and headed back towards the exit.
* * *
Recounting Wando’s operational instructions in her head, Aimee was distracted as she disembarked the linear transport. She was not looking ahead and crashed directly into someone walking the opposite way.
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