Planets Falling

by James G. Scotson

“Very well.”

  The ship climbs into the sky through the clouds, the sun bursting through the view screen. The billowing fluff below us is white perfection. It's difficult for me to believe that below that heavenly blanket, Thresh is likely killing and destroying on her march toward the portal. When we descend, I fear what we'll encounter - brown corruption belching forth from a hole in our reality. How I'm expected to counter it, I don't know.

  "Amy, can you see the land below the clouds? Ask the Fuerst to do a radar scan. It is of no matter that you do not understand the technology. The ship translates its data to your senses. You will feel the information."

  I ask the Fuerst to use the thing called radar and I see in ways that I've never imagined. I almost feel the spiny ribs of the mountains below us. The trees bristle and the lakes tickle. "Two hours to our destination," the ship whispers to me.

  Minns and Theo step into the room. "Amy's flying the ship?" Minns asks Etch.

  "She is learning to pilot. It is her destiny."

  "You telling me that a girl from my village's picked up riding a space ship like a horse? How's that possible?" Theo's astonished.

  Etch answers, "I am unsure whether I can explain it well. Let us just say that she is a natural at it."

  Minns returns to Bets in the passenger compartment. I hear Bets bellow a muffled curse at the news that I am flying our ship. Apparently, she's not as confident in my abilities as Etch, making me grin. I bank the vessel sharply and hear her shout.

  The Fuerst announces that we are nearing our destination and I tense up. We descend into the clouds when light bursts in front of us. "Is that lightning?" I ask Etch.

  He gently pulls me out of the chair and returns to command saying, "Evasive action, now."

  The Fuerst banks right and then rises nearly vertically into the sky. I fall back on the floor. From the shouts in the back, our companions also have been caught by surprise.

  Bets crawls in. "Marksman, what are you doing to us?"

  Etch responds, "Hold tight. We're being attacked and must escape the atmosphere."

  Chapter 59: Escape Velocity

  A voice pipes in from the attacking ship. "Hello, Vessel Fuerst. This is the Institute Vessel Phobos and your old friend Leo. We've been looking for you. Please stand down. Follow the coordinates I am sending."

  Etch laughs darkly. "Hello Leo. I would prefer to have my freedom than surrender to you. What brings you here to earth?"

  "Etch, you know well what's here. You were beginning your descent to it. The tactical importance is unmeasured and we don't want you interfering. If you don't land at the specified coordinates, we'll be forced to shoot you down."

  "Try to catch us," Etch rumbles. The sky turns dark, with stars shining brightly. More flashes of light appear and the Fuerst shudders. Etch grunts. "We need somewhere to hide."

  I can see the moon shining brightly before us. Three small metal triangles with red circles on their sides like the one we saw on Troll’s door fly toward us, red beams of light streaking forward. Etch pushes a button on his chair and the moon vanishes in a smear of white. Within a few minutes we are floating within a sea of rocks. Etch says, "We are in what is called the asteroid belt of your solar system. We have eluded the small ships, but the Phobos will be here soon."

  "What's an asteroid belt?" I ask.

  "What is left after a world torn is apart. This is what earth would look like if Melat were able to use the Raven to destroy it and the portal. Planet C9 looked like this after the end."

  A huge ship, similar in shape to the Fuerst, appears before us. "Found you," Leo says over the communications network.

  "Not for long," Etch chuckles. "We're equally matched now. Best of luck, Leo."

  The Fuerst lurches forward toward one of the largest rocks. The Phobos follows closely. I cover my face as the Fuerst flips upside down, changing direction. Our pursuer comes to a full stop as we fly forward into a field of small, tumbling boulders. Etch says confidently, "Tractor array, initiate."

  The Fuerst spins, with the rocks following its trajectory. This tractor thing seems to make the rocks stick to the ship like it was covered with thick, invisible glue. More and more rocks accumulate around us, spinning ever faster. Etch grins, "Deactivate array and stop ship." The rocks fly off of us like rifle shot toward the Phobos. They pepper the Institute ship, causing puffs of vapor to stream out of each perforation.

  "Our vessels can absorb energy beams. But their skin is not very tough and poorly resists physical contact with multiple, fast-moving projectiles. A fatal weakness."

  Sections of the Phobos flake off, hurtling silently away. The blue flame of its engines dims.

  "They are disabled. It is time for us to hide."

  I'm relieved and feeling weak. "Back to earth?"

  "No. The abandoned city of Farmington on the far, space-side of the moon. We can make a few repairs and decide what to do next."

  "What happened to the cities on the moon, Etch?"

  "During the past two years, the Institute citizens living there were routinely attacked by the local FRT forces. The FRT finally captured this section of space, and during the siege, the citizens were evacuated. There are a few FRT forces stationed in one of the cities far away from Farmington. The FRT outpost here is likely preoccupied with the Institute presence on earth and won't notice our little visit." He pauses. "I hope."

  The Fuerst turns and zips back toward the white orb. Within an hour, we descend into a city of angular white and silver buildings jutting out of the grey powder. This portion of the moon is in shadow, making me wonder what might be hiding in that darkness, waiting for us. Etch knows the area and deftly maneuvers the ship between the towers, settling it under a large awning, where other ships rest, quietly awaiting their pilots. The whole place is spooky.

  "Amy, you might like this facility. Farmington is an agricultural and recreational center on the earth moon. I must remain behind to oversee repairs. Minns can escort you and your friends."

  Minns grabs Bets shoulder excitedly. "You all will love this place. I visited it a few years ago before I was assigned to a dismal place called the Platform in deep space."

  "But there be no people here." Theo counters.

  "Better yet Theo. The whole place is automated. We can enjoy it even without people."

  We jump into a small cart that Minns calls a car. The entire city is encased by a very thin roof that's nearly invisible and maintained by something Minns calls a generator. If the generator were to break, all the air would leave and we would suffocate. I find it odd that people would build a big bubble to live in when there's a whole world with plenty of air not far away. Minns also says that we would weigh less here if it weren't for the generator. This makes no sense to me. It apparently has to do with the size of the moon. It's small and pulls on us less than earth.

  The car weaves between the buildings, which break the rich, black sky into orderly sections of stars. Minns turns us toward an expansive building reaching far into the distance. "Most of this building is underground. Amy, you're going to dig this."

  We descend into a tunnel and drive in subdued light. After a time, the tunnel opens onto a massive, hilly landscape with bright sunshine. We could be in a meadow on earth rather on the surface of the moon.

  "What is this place?" I ask.

  "It's a park - for recreation. People come here to enjoy nature, relax."

  This seems so strange to me. Earth is so vast and untamed. Yet, these people need to turn to a subterranean basement to interact with living things. I'm sad that they were evicted from their home. "Where's the sunlight coming from? We're on the dark side of the moon, right?"

  "It's a huge reactor. Actually, it works on the same principal as the sun but smaller, of course. Let's explore a bit. Etch will be calling us back soon."

  Bets and Minns vanish over a small hill in a grove of trees, which look like live oaks. Theo and I are left alone, standing in awkward silence. This is the first time the two of
us have been alone since I kissed him in the lodge. "Amy, it's fine if you want to walk on your own."

  "No, Theo. Let's talk. We need to clear things between us."

  We walk the opposite direction from our companions toward a placid, turquoise lake. I throw a stick from a strange willow tree in the water, watching it ripple away.

  He takes off his boots and wades in. "We've been looking up here at the moon our whole lives, wondering what those lights were. Now we know. Gods, how things have changed."

  "Theo, about that night at the lodge. I was confused. Then Wenn came back and he changed. I don't know what I want anymore."

  "Sprouter, you were right about us. We can't be running behind Wenn's back. He's my brother."

  "So, you don't feel the same way?"

  "Wenn's had a hard time, but that doesn't mean we can ignore him. He's out there looking for Eliza right now."

  "Theo, Wenn's trying to save his honor. His pride's more important to him than she - or me for that matter."

  "You're not being fair. That Fromer fellow's pretty convincing. Wenn had to do what needed to be done." He steps out of the water and wiggles his toes in the unnaturally perfect blades of grass.

  "Fromer’s manipulating all of this. We're following some script he has written for us. I don't believe for a minute that father and Wenn leaving us had anything to do with our safety. Fromer needed them to arm the villagers at Yellow Stone in preparation for a battle. I'm afraid we're going to be at the center of it all."

  "Amy, have some faith that a higher purpose's behind this. It'll all work out. I promise."

  I want to believe him, but I've seen and felt too much. I've dabbled in the realm of gods and found that they are as flawed and vulnerable as we are. Theo plops down next to me, very close. I swear that I can feel his pulse vibrating through the air. His hand brushes against my knee and my breath catches in my throat. All my doubt and worry channel into something warm, fluid, and so very hungry. I'm kissing him and pushing him into the soft grass. His breath, his skin, his sweat is so real in this artificial place. I submerge myself in him – briefly escaping this reality and finding my way back to the garden of my youth.

  After we’ve landed back firmly on the ground, we lounge in the grass. Theo runs his fingers through my hair. "Things, they've changed now, haven't they?"

  I smile effortlessly. "Yes, Theo. For the first time in a very long while, I feel hopeful."

  Our peace is short-lived. We hear scuffling in the distance and Bets shouts to us, "Stay down."

  We turn to see Minns and Bets crouched behind a mossy oak tree, with an ominous grey, metallic orb floating above them. My thought turns to Troll. Minns and Etch were wrong. We are not alone in Farmington - the artificial ones who think remain around us, watching and wondering. The pilot within me reaches out. I feel Etch in the Fuerst. And I know he senses me as well. I send one word: danger.

  Three more orbs appear from a garden of vines with bright yellow blooms. Another group of orbs approaches purposefully toward us from the lake.

  "What the hell are these things?" Bets exclaims, more annoyed than frightened.

  Minns sighs with frustration rather than fear. "The FRT left these drones to look for stragglers or squatters. We've been tagged. There's no sense in running. They'll stick to us like stink on a skunk."

  I laugh. What I would give to smell one of my stubborn black and white friends right now.

  Theo's less amused. "Do these things carry weapons?"

  Minns stands up. "Only defensive. If we were to try to disable a drone, it'd give you a nasty shock. The FRT has been alerted and ships are assuredly on their way."

  I see a faint image of Etch or perhaps Fromer in my mind. It says, "Whack them." I think this is strange and then I imagine swatting an annoying fly. Three of the drones drop into the lake.

  "What on mars?" Minns asks.

  I start swatting away in my mind and the drones drop - like flies. "Let's run," Bets shouts.

  We're speeding in the car toward the Fuerst through the city streets when two FRT vessels descend between two arched buildings, heading directly at us. For some reason, I know these are short-distance cruisers, built for speed and agility. They’ll overcome us easily. "Turn left and then right," I yell to Minns. She hesitates for a moment and then complies, our heads nearly snapping off their necks. We descend into another tunnel, which descends deep below the surface. The voice in my head says, "Find the elevator. Rise to the roof top."

  Minns stops the car at my urging. We're in a spacious storage facility, full of boxes and dusty vehicles. The only light comes from our car. "Where to now, Amy?" Theo asks.

  "We're to find something called an elevator. Minns, do you know what that is?"

  “Yup. There are signs leading to one straight ahead.”

  I turn to hear voices and see flashes of yellow light down the passageway from which we just emerged. "Let's hustle. They’ll be here in a minute." Minns gestures for us to follow her.

  We enter a door marked with the words: air lock. I'm surprised that I can read them, although I'm unsure of their meaning. Minns searches the wall for something. "Look for a metal box full of buttons."

  "Is this it?" Bets asks.

  "Good job my sweet," Minns exclaims. With the flip of a lever, white light washes over us. She hits a red button on the door and it whines. "Stand back and watch the fun. The entire city is sectioned into air-tight compartments, in case the atmospheric containment field over us fails.” Minns looks at our blank faces. “You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? Anyway, here we go. Our pursuers are going to experience some pain. We're safe in this control room."

  The light turns red and a Troll-like voice says, "Air purge from storage compartment imminent. Take cover." Four FRT soldiers arrive just as the air is sucked out of the space with a hiss. They fall to their knees, holding their ears and their throats. Within a minute, they've collapsed. Strange plastic bubbles grow around their heads.

  "Those things on their heads are emergency breathing devices. Their suits will automatically recover them," Minns remarks. "However, they'll need some serious medical treatment for pressure sickness. We won’t be worrying about them anytime soon. Let's look for our lift."

  We find the elevator in no time and ascend. At the top of the building, we gaze in dismay through a window at the scene before us. Five enormous Fuerst-like ships hover over the city, gleaming in the sun rising at the moon’s horizon. If Etch tries to launch, he'll be pummeled.

  “Those are definitely pirate, I mean, FRT ships.” Minns groans.

  The roof of the room is a clear, glass-like substance, with a ladder leading to its surface. Beyond the ships I can see the sky in its glory. I think of Wenn and Eliza far away. Deep inside, I know they haven’t connected yet. I fear they’re both lost.

  On earth spinning below us, Thresh moves deliberately toward the portal at Yellow Stone. I have no idea what I’m going to do if we make it there. All I want is my daughter back and to go home. Or do I? I’ve seen so many horrors and wonders recently. The universe has opened itself to me. And this thing called technology is complicated. Just like people, it seems to have captured the struggle between good and evil – something that the plants and soil in my garden never cared much about.

  Theo puts his hand on my shoulder and I fall back into his arms. I glance at Bets. She seems unconcerned. Theo sighs, “So is this it for us? Etch’s damned if he rises into those ships.”

  “Oh, don’t be so negative Theo.” Minns smacks his shoulder. “We should hold tight. Etch is a clever man. Even if he doesn’t make it, we’ve got an entire city at our disposal. We’ll just have to be discrete. It’s only a matter of time before the Institute forces regain control of this sector.”

  “So why were you hiding on earth from the Institute if you’re so confident that they’ll welcome us?” I ask.

  Minns groans. “Well, that’s a valid point. I suppose it all depends on what happens with the portal.
If they try to hide it and protect it, then we’re going to know some stuff that’s pretty inconvenient for them. However, I think the box is opened don’t you? Every pilot throughout the fleet probably knows of its existence by now.”

  “What are pilots going to think of this thing?” I ask no one in particular.

  “What do you mean?” Minns is interested in my thoughts. Here I am a product of a world devoid of machines and space travel, and yet I’m quickly slipping into the other world, where technology dominates and too often placates the people it’s supposed to serve.

  “I think the pilots will see the portal on earth as a blessing and a threat. From what I understand of it, it’s a doorway to other parts of space. It could make their jobs obsolete. On the other hand, it has endless possibilities for exploration. If pilots experience what I’ve experienced on earth through the portal’s effects, then they can travel to places that no one’s even dreamed of yet. Even places beyond space – where the others are from.”

  Bets is perplexed. “Marksman, you’re saying that earth could become a place where pilots gather to explore all this?” She raises her hand to the glorious star-lit sky. “Like a monastery?”

  “Yes, and they can explore what lies beyond the door – whatever that is - and teach us what they learn. Or the portal at Yellow Stone could become a bustling port for space ships moving through the doorway it makes to other worlds. But I fear it would ruin the nature around it. Earth may return to the mess of its past. The crazy part is, I think the reason the portal opened up is because the people, the technology, on earth went away. The earth healed and the doorway appeared.”

  We watch the ships hover silently above the city. One of the ships suddenly bursts in flames as the building shudders, knocking us all back on our butts.

  “That didn’t come from the surface.” Minns points to the sky.

  A second blast concusses the air as the silhouette of another massive ship blacks out the stars overhead. I recognize it as my friend, the Raven.

  The Fuerst rises from the cityscape and fires at the ships from below. Within moments, all five are charred and burning. Three leave orbit, one hangs vertically in the artificial moon air, and the fifth crashes into a nearby building with a sickening crunch. Flames burst forth and the ship and building are joined in fire and smoke.