Planets Falling

by James G. Scotson

  I shouldn’t be surprised that sleep would be eventful so close to the portal, but I am. Within moments, I’m in the body of something new. It feels like a grub but it’s more intelligent, dangerous, and huge. I turn its head to have a look around and see Yellow Stone shimmering dimly across the lake. I smell decay and sulfur all around the place. Looking down, I see that there’s a huge camp of buildings assembled haphazardly with rough-hewn pine boards. Creatures, both dead and alive, shuffle among the buildings with cautious purpose. A feel a rush and there’s Thresh.

  “Well, hello Amy. Trying to highjack my friends again?”

  I think to myself, if she only knew what I could do to her mind. “Thresh. You have no chance. Give me back Eliza and you can slink in the lake. Go somewhere far away and disappear. Otherwise, you will die.”

  Thresh giggles in the void. “You have no plan, Amy. Give up while you can. Eliza is growing quickly. She’s beginning to talk up a storm. In fact, she called my husband, Jonah, daddy today. We’ve become a very close family. And I’m teaching her so much.”

  I try to push away and re-enter the beast. I could inflict considerable damage with that thing. Light bursts forward and I’m free from Thresh, but I’m not in anything. Rather, I’m floating in some strange limbo, not unlike the sensation I had while disembodied in the Raven’s circuitry.

  “Hello again Amy, good to see you so soon.” Warm comfort engulfs me. Fromer’s here with me, although I can’t see him.

  “Where am I?”

  “It’s time for your lesson.”

  “What are you going to teach me?”

  “How to kick Thresh into hell. You’ve been dabbling with these abilities. But it’s time for you to master them.”

  “Where’s Thresh?”

  “She’s like you, playing with powers that she hardly understands. In the Institute, children identified with the power to be pilots are recruited early and train for years before being given a ship. Not only do you have to learn how to commune with a ship like the Raven, you need to learn how to control the telepathic pathways this portal is giving you. Even I don’t know the limit to your abilities.”

  “I don’t want this, Fromer.”

  “You don’t have a choice Amy. Luckily, you have a teacher and that evil woman does not.”

  After what seems like days in this weird dream, I awake to Theo’s even breathing. From the look of the sky, I’ve been asleep for no more than an hour.

  I wrap myself in Theo’s large shirt and head outside. The constellation of the archer is low in the sky, reminding me of Bets for some reason. I climb the stairs and stare at the lake. After Fromer’s tutelage in my extended dream, the lake is no longer chaotic to me, but organized. I can see pathways swirling in the currents. I can hear voices drifting in the wind.

  “There you are. And there’s my shirt.” Theo’s standing next to me, shirtless and looking cold.

  “Sorry. I’ve no idea how long I’ve been standing here.”

  “It’s nearly dawn.” He peers at my face. “Dear gods. That bastard really went to town on you. If he touches you again, he’s dead.”

  “I think Etch has the first rights,” I laugh, hurting my mouth.

  As if on cue, the Fuerst appears in the sky, landing in the same spot. Theo clucks. “Etch and Wenn are back. I wonder what they did?”

  “It’s probably best not to ask.”

  At dawn, a bell rings in the town square. Sleepy villagers assemble in the moist, morning cold. Wenn stands on a platform, dressed in his finest clothes. Etch is absent, but I suspect he’s watching remotely.

  Bets and Minns join Theo and I in the back of the crowd. “What’s Wenn up to?” Bets murmurs.

  Wenns puffs up. “People of Yellow Stone. As you know, we have important visitors. They are here to purge the evil amassing at the lake’s edge and allow us to take back our land and water.”

  The crowd begins chattering. We receive curious glances. An old woman asks, “Where’s the one that looks like Fromer? Is he here to save us?”

  Wenn nods. “His name is Etch. He is very old and wise. He’s traveled through the sky and will help us.”

  “What happened to the other ship? The one with Captain Leo?”

  “The Captain will return with more items to trade. Our relationship with the ones called the Institute remains strong. In a fortnight, we will attack the ones camped on the west shore. We have another guest, who is of great importance. She is the keeper. She’s come to banish the fog and its illness from our world.” He points at me and the entire crowd turns, staring at me and my bruised face. What must they think of the tiny beaten woman wrapped in a worn blanket? “Amy Marksman, please come forward.”

  I look at Theo, who’s dumbstruck. He opens his eyes wide, sighs, and motions me forward. I shuffle forward, all faces following me. I find myself standing next to the man who beat me only a few hours earlier.

  “Amy, what do you have to say to us?”

  I’m back around the fire in the village, with the teacher forcing me to address the crowd about the season’s harvest. My throat seizes and I want to run. How is it that I can stand down a demon from another world but fear a crowd of townspeople?

  My voice cracks. “I am Amy, a garden tender. I know who is tormenting you and she seeks to destroy all of us.” I lift my arms. “All of this. Everything we hold dear and love, she reviles. The god Fromer, who you all revere, is my friend and teacher. He tells me that I am the one who will deliver us from this evil thing. I also will keep the lake from ever hurting anyone again. The portal within the deep waters will serve us for peace and prosperity, not harm. I cannot do this alone, however. I ask you to join me – help me – to save this place and our very souls.”

  The crowd is silent. One person claps and then another. Within moments, the square fills with clapping, shouts, and laughter. I’m apparently the only one in the group that feels like crying.

  Over the next few days, Wenn retreats into the shadows, while Etch, Theo, Minns, Bets, and

  I are eagerly embraced by the villagers. The town sheriff, a short, gruff fellow named Ricard, has given us his full attention and access to his best troops. He stares at me constantly, as if he’s trying to determine what magic I possess or whether I’m a complete fraud. I’m completely ordinary – not like Etch or Fromer. What miracles can they expect from me?

  At night, Fromer continues to give me lessons in my dreams. I can possess many grubs at once. Thresh indeed has no idea that I can step into her mind, although Fromer assures me that this will not last much longer. To my relief, he shows me that Thresh is unable to occupy me in the same way, because I have long learned to close my mind to outside influence. I’m quite proud of my stubborn streak and delighted to find that it translates to my telepathy.

  The lake fascinates me. The more I study it, the more I see patterns and connections. I’ve discovered where the fog emerges and catch glimpses of the eyeless, lifeless ones beyond the portal. They are indeed like the grubs and other creatures wandering around Thresh’s camp. Their home in the void has no light nor warmth. Life confuses them and fills them with rage. They will do anything to suffocate it, stamp it out like the last few embers of a fire. Somehow, the travel of the pilot’s ships through the non-place called infraspace has disturbed them. Most importantly, they want revenge.

  I want Fromer to show me how to close the door to these beings. About this, he is annoyingly coy. I wonder whether he’s as unsure about this tactic as I am. He provides one clue – I will need help from the other side of the portal to accomplish this task. Who will be providing the assistance is anyone’s guess.

  Bets and Minns have become Ricard’s lieutenants, teaching him how to use some of the simpler weapons from the arsenals in the Fuerst and Raven. We’ve debated the wisdom of distributing this technology to the villagers. But to have a chance against the enormous creatures wandering Thresh’s camp, we have no choice. In private, Etch has warned us that the Institute and FRT forces
will be back soon and we’ll need the ability to defend ourselves from them as well.

  The fighters in the village are well trained and eager to learn. Most barely remember a time when the horrific creatures didn’t roam their land, taking their family and friends. The recent arrival of Thresh has incensed them – they’ve been looking for a leader to concentrate their frustration and fear. We’re giving them hope and purpose.

  Ricard and I have become good friends, much to my relief. He is a few years older than me and moved to Yellow Stone when he was very young. His hometown, east of the mountains, was destroyed by raiders – just ordinary evil people – no monsters or corpses. His father was killed in the attack. His mother and aunt escaped and managed to make it up the mountain with him to Yellow Stone. He quickly rose as a leader in the village, being well known for his ability to fight the strange beings appearing on the lake’s shores. When Wenn, father, and Fromer arrived, he welcomed them. His wise judgment solidified his standing with the people. He apparently views me similarly and is helping elevate my standing with the villagers.

  Ricard, Bets, and Minns have begun training our troops. While they fight imaginary monsters that will too soon be real, Etch has been giving me flying lessons in the Raven. The ship has given its soul to me. I’ve found that tending it is as satisfying and rewarding as caring for the gardens back home. I use the ship’s synthesizers to replace worn parts and renew the interior. I spend hours sitting in the pilot’s chair exploring the ship’s intricate systems, discovering new abilities and ways to reach out beyond myself. The ship is more than a means of transportation. It’s a place for self-exploration and meditation.

  Theo and I have been making up for a lifetime’s worth of affection. Although it hurts for me to admit it, Wenn spoke the truth in many ways. Theo and I were meant for each other at the start. I drown each time I see those blue eyes giving themselves to me. This is a strangely happy time and I know it will end too soon. He feels similarly. When he’s not training, he spends much of his time sitting on the city wall puffing on his pipe or doting on me back in our little house.

  Our planned attack on Thresh’s camp nears. We are eating breakfast when Bets appears. “Wenn’s gone.”

  Theo’s sausage drops off his fork. “Bets, what exactly do you mean by that?”

  Bets rolls her eyes and snatches Theo’s meat off his plate. “Exactly that. He’s nowhere to be seen. The best I can tell from talking with people, he’s left the village.”

  Minns walks in at the tail end of the conversation. “It gets worse. One of our scouts reported seeing him walking toward Thresh’s camp.”

  Etch growls. “Traitorous, horrid human. How much does he know of our battle plans?”

  “Luckily, very little.” Bets sips some coffee. “Ricard left him in the dark and actually fed him some misinformation. I really like that little man.”

  “Are you sure that he’s going over to betray us?” I hope Wenn hasn’t lost every bit of the man he once was.

  “Why else would he go Marksman?” Bets shakes her head. “I mean, look what he did to you.”

  “Bets, we’ve completely shut him out. Maybe this is his way to try to regain some honor, even if it’s suicidal.” Now, of all times, I’m trying to save the poor man’s honor.

  “Nope, don’t buy it,” Minns exclaims.

  Chapter 61: Confrontation

  Today, I may get my daughter back. Or I may die. Almost every able man and woman in the town will descend upon Thresh’s camp in a full assault. Our goal is simple – isolate Thresh and kill her. Supposedly, this will send the monsters and living dead into chaos, allowing me to do whatever it is that Fromer wants me to do. I’m vexed that Fromer has not yet revealed how I am to stop these things from entering our world.

  Etch raises the Fuerst and fires volleys of light at the camp. We see from the distance that the camp is in flame, all the makeshift buildings burning like matchsticks. I can only hope that Eliza is not in one of them. Somewhere deep inside, I know that she’s fine. Unfortunately, I can feel that Thresh also is well.

  Our forces connect with Thresh’s menagerie at mid-morning. At the front is our riflemen picking off living and dead soldiers. Some of Thresh’s forces are archers, lobbing arrows at us. We treat the razor-sharp projectiles as annoying flies because they cannot penetrate the hybrid leather-Institute armor we’re wearing. Grubs and much larger monsters lumber toward us. Oxen pull the catapults forward. Brawny men load large, yellow metallic balls containing the magic alloy and fire them at the creatures. With each impact, even the largest beasts collapse into piles of sludge. Fromer’s technology is amazing and welcome.

  By lunchtime, we are milling through the burning husk of Thresh’s camp. There’s no sign of the evil woman, her husband, or my daughter. Wenn’s absent as well. I run from building to building calling Eliza’s name. I’m greeted by the groans of the dying or already dead.

  Theo finds me in the rubble. “Amy, where’s the witch?”

  I’m distraught. “I’ve no idea. I can still feel her. She’s not far away, but I don’t know where she’s hiding.”

  Theo looks at the lake. “What about in there?”

  “But how?”

  We spend the afternoon cleaning up the stragglers and the poor conscious corpses. We’ve done everything but accomplish our goal.

  As I consider the setting sun, it occurs to me that the answer may rest in the Raven. The ship allows me to expand my reach and see deep within the lake and the surrounding mountains. If Thresh and Jonah are hiding, I may be able to find them. Etch agrees to join me.

  We step into the Raven just as the sun goes dark and the moon rises in full brilliance. “Hello Amy and Etch, what a nice surprise.”

  “Hello my sweet ship.” I pat the hull and settle in my chair. “We’ve got some searching to do.”

  Etch closes the hatch and straps himself into a passenger seat. The Raven lifts and glides over the center of the lake. I look down, searching the swirling portals for any sign of my nemesis and my daughter. I can see thousands of worlds out there, beckoning to me. How can I find them in this infinite expanse? I can feel them, though. They’re not far away.

  We continue searching through the night. Etch brings me a cup of hot tea and pats my hand. “Amy Marksman, you will find them. Be patient.” I sip the hot liquid and let my mind rest for a moment. Then I see it. A large pocket of air is trapped on the bottom of the lake, engulfed by something strange and impermeable. I shift the image to the screen. “Etch, look at this.”

  “Well I will be. I have never seen anything like this. I gather that Thresh, her nefarious friends, and Eliza are sitting there? There is an old story from earth’s history about a man named Moses.”

  I look at him blankly.

  “This human, Moses, possessed great abilities. He was a pilot, like us, I think. The fable goes that he was able to part a large lake, allowing his followers to escape their persecutors. In this case, I suggest we part the water to extract our enemies.” He chuckles.

  “Tractor field?” I ask.

  He nods. “The Fuerst and Raven, working together, can easily part the waves. We send our troops in and extract our adversaries.”

  I land the Raven gently by the ruined camp. Theo and Bets greet us. Theo hugs me. “What’ve you found Sprouter?”

  “Hope.”

  Pillars of fire belch black smoke into the dawn light. The flames are beautiful, cleansing. I walk to the shore and see hundreds of tracks – both human and animal - leading into the water. Thresh has an entire army submerged beneath the choppy surface.

  Bets leads our troops to the water’s edge. Many of the villagers are skeptical. Ricard, standing next to Theo, addresses the assembled column. “My brothers and sisters. This is finally our chance to purge the threat that has terrified us for a generation. I know some of you doubt that an entire army of death lies beneath these waves. But how is this any different than the foul breath of demons that is exhaled by this lak
e every day? For us to taste victory, we must look into the mouth of evil. Be brave, be strong. Follow us to victory.”

  The crowd yells in agreement. Theo nods at me and I send the Raven into the sky. Within a few moments, the Fuerst joins me. “Amy, are you ready to unleash hell?”

  “Etch, I thought this was hell. It’s time for us to make it stop.”

  We position our beloved ships at either side of the submerged bubble and concentrate our tractor fields. The yellow water froths and boils as a trough appears, leading up to the troops at the shoreline. The men and women stand there watching in awe as the sandy lake bottom is exposed. Bets is perched in front of the column with one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead, a strange smile smeared across her face. Minns and Theo ride back and forth on horseback, making sure that the awestruck soldiers are ready to fight.

  Etch and I continue pulling at the water, the Fuerst and Raven showing no signs of strain or struggle. The trough is now a deep crevasse. The edge of the bubble appears as a fibrous, skin-like mass adhered to the sand and cobble on the lake bottom. The bodies of thousands of fish and worms wriggle in the unearthly mesh.

  “Looks like they figured out how to make the fog work in water,” I say to Etch.

  “Agreed. Let us hope that Fromer’s weapons can pierce that material. I have never seen anything like it in all my days.”

  Ricard and Theo order the troops to move the catapults into position. The first metal ball streaks through the air, only to bounce off the fleshy barrier with no effect. Ricard shouts more orders and a column of soldiers moves forward into the trough, looking nervously at the walls of water. They hack at the bubble with their swords and axes, with little impact. Theo stares at me in the Raven and shrugs.

  I close my eyes and relax, trying to penetrate the barrier. I feel Fromer and he’s grinning. I tunnel forward and am sitting in the head of an enormous creature with fleshy, muscular tentacles and surprisingly good vision. This is not a creature of earth, but strangely it is in the lake. It’s as curious about its plight as I am. “Where am I?” it asks in a language that I have no business understanding.