“Looks kind of like the one Cip has above her bunk.” Cassidy said as the stuffed the dishes away into a duffel.
“I know.” Cheryl turned around with a sheepish little smile. “It represents your undying lust for her.”
Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”
“No, no, I know the truth.” Cheryl faked a distressed sigh, “You tease her about supposedly wanting you because you secretly wish you’d wake up to find her on-“
“Ahhh! Cheryl, you … you… I don’t know what to call you.”
“I have a few suggestions.”
“Oh really?” Cassidy raised any eyebrow, and purred.
Cheryl giggled, and slumped against the wall. “No, I wasn’t thinking like that. I was thinking...” was she blushing? “I was thinking in a slightly different direction.”
Cassidy leaned her head and stood to slowly walk towards Cheryl. “Different how? Good? Bad?”
Cheryl bowed her head. She was definitely blushing. “Good. Good I hope. I don’t even know if you’d want to be called this. I don’t know.”
Kneeling by Cheryl, Cassidy took her hand and smiled softly. “I think I might. If it’s good... well, it sounds good.”
~~~
Cassidy awoke to the beeping of Cheryl’s terminal, and realized the sides of the tent were being rustled by fairly strong winds. Cheryl closed her diary, and opened the terminal. “Hey Cip.”
Cassidy rubbed her eyes, and rolled over closer to Cheryl, to see Cipriana’s face.
“Hello, ladies. How’s the storm?”
“Is it a storm?” Cheryl asked, “I mean, I knew the wind was up, and I sealed the tent up…”
“So you’re doing alright then? They don’t expect it to get any worse or anything, but you never know. As it is, that tent should do you just fine, assuming you set it up properly.”
“Hey Cip.” Cassidy was still mostly asleep, and just now tuning into the conversation.”
“Hello Cassidy. Go back to bed. At any rate, if things get rough over there, don’t hesitate to call the base for help.”
“Sure thing, Cip. Nite-nite.” Cheryl went back to her diary, while Cassidy fell asleep again, curled up by Cheryl’s side.
~~~~~
:::C /28
~~~~~
Afternoon shift was in its last hours, and the setting sun sweetly simmered on the west horizon. Due to Wanda spraining an ankle, the evening roster had been shuffled up a bit.
Marcus was taking up an evening shift. Cassidy suggested that she or Cheryl should take the shift with Marcus, to attempt getting more information about the ghost. Cassidy had kind of meant herself, buy Cheryl seemed eager. Maybe that was better. Cassidy could get a little overly confrontational at times.
Pity, though. The sunset was something she really enjoyed watching with Cheryl. Jim was her partner for this shift, reuniting the old ‘rainbow patrol’. The two of them didn’t have a whole lot to talk about though. Every time Cassidy thought of something to talk about, she realized it involved Cheryl. Even though it had been a long time since Jim got shot down by Karl, she still didn’t want to rub her romantic bliss in his face.
~~~
Horad crept along the sands, thinking of the aeki lizards. He was not too different than them in many ways. He had spent his life living out in the grand nowhere, largely unnoticed by the rest of the world.
In the past, he’d set a bomb now and then. Aeki don’t do that. He had hurt a few people, but not deliberately. Bombs were just a tool to make a point. To draw attention to injustice. If someone got hurt, that was regrettable.
The first time he hurt someone, it was hard to sleep. The last time he hurt someone, he barely gave it another thought. He told himself that if people got in the way, they were probably part of the problem. They were the reason he had to live in a hole in the ground. That was their fault, right?
The fancy suit Samuel had given him was more comfortable than he expected. It was near black, and stiff to the touch. Horad would have worn something that looked more like the sand, but Samuel assured him that this suit’s ability to hide heat would be more useful to him. That Samuel sure was connected. It was good to see a norther taking an active interest in Aguei rights. This somehow assured Horad that his own methods and efforts were not in vain.
He could see the ruins ahead. How close should he get before using the first chant idol? He could see the temple, but couldn’t see the guards yet. When he could see them, they might see him. That would be the time. Samuel had assured him that the chant’s magic would last quite a while, but there was no need to trigger it any sooner than necessary.
~~~
“Wake up!” Marcus said towards the statue, from his post at the temple’s north doorway.
“What?” Cheryl hadn’t been able to get any useful information out of Marcus, giving up after the fifth folksy rambling from him.
Marcus turned back towards Cheryl. “He’s kind of talking to himself. Rambling. I think maybe he’s talkin’ in his sleep. Nothing that makes any sense.”
Ironic. “Is it good or bad?”
Marcus shrugged. “Can’t tell. Doesn’t make any sense. It’s not English. Doesn’t sound like Aguei either. Sounds like…”
“Like?”
“Doesn’t make any sense.” Marcus furrowed his brow. “Think it’s possible for him to get sick?”
“You’re asking me?”
~~~
“Sand’s picking up.” Cassidy said, pulling the brim of her hat down a bit to shield her eyes more. Being at one of the front doorways meant you were much more exposed to the weather, but this was different.
“There’s not really much wind though.” Jim said, after spitting out a bit of sand. “Of all the days for me to leave my sunglasses at the base. I guess we were overdue for a good sandstorm.”
“We had a hum-dinger the other night. I slept through it.”
“I heard, but the shift that was at the temple that night said it wasn't too bad.”
“It was bad enough at my little camp. I wouldn’t have wanted to be at this post during that.” The flying sand was steadily becoming stronger. There was noticeable wind now, but it was more like the sand was driving the air, not the other way around.
“A few years ago, we had sandstorms on shift at least once a month.” Jim had to raise his voice. Visibility was bad now, they couldn’t even see over to the other front door. “We had these emergency tarps to get under, but got rid of them since we stopped needing them.”
“Well that was dumb!” Cassidy shouted, arm raised over her face. The sand got louder and more forceful, causing them to stagger now and then.
“This is nuts!” Jim yelled back, “Curl up low against the wall! That should be good enough. Not comfy, but…”
Cassidy struggled to walk over by Jim. They could shield each other a little. They both got on their knees, and curled low, side by side facing the wall just inside the doorway. “Maybe we should just go inside by the statue?” She didn’t have to shout since she was right by Jim.
“Maybe!”
Cassidy tried to stand to go inside, but the sand knocked her down. Crawling didn’t do much better, so she got over to the wall again. “Maybe not.” They huddled by the wall, wondering how long the storm would go on.
The sound of it became an immense white noise, enforcing a kind of silence with its overpowering volume. Cassidy tried to speak, but could not even hear herself shout.
Then there was a presence.
She turned to look, bracing her face against the flying sand long enough to catch a glimpse of a dark figure walking steadily through the storm, unhampered but also not rushed.
Cassidy yelled at the figure, and reached out to it. The wind pushed against her arm, but she got a brief feel of the stranger’s calf. The dark material was hard, like a shell, with a slightly rough texture. Almost instantly, a gust overpowered her arm, nearly rolling Cassidy over despite being hunched down.
She couldn’t m
ake out any specific details aside from a dark figure, and the feel of the outfit's plating. The stranger disappeared into the furious sands, heading into the temple, not slowed by the storm.
The storm was somewhat less fierce at the north door. Marcus and Cheryl had to guard their faces most of the time, but remained standing. The dark figure climbed the stairs towards them.
“Him? What?” Marcus called out towards the statue.
Cheryl looked back and forth between the statue and the stranger. “What about him?”
“I don’t know! Our big friend still isn’t making much sense!”
The stranger, Horad, continued climbing up the stairs methodically. He pulled down the goggles that had been shielding his eyes, and assessed Marcus and Cheryl as his hand slid down to his upper thigh.
“State your business, buddy!” Marcus stood proudly in the middle of the doorway, one hand on his hip, the other holding his spear. His confidence and sense of purpose gave him the strength to defy what wind that made it in this far.
Horad broke into a run up the last few steps, yelling something in Aguei. Marcus brought his spear into both hands, but before he could use it, Horad’s left hand reached out to grab the shaft of the spear. In the same instance, Horad’s right hand pulled a hunting knife from his thigh sheath, and thrust it into Marcus’ abdomen.
Cheryl screamed out and brought her spear down, but she was too close. The shaft merely hit Horad’s shoulder. Horad ripped his knife out of Marcus' side, and into Cheryl.
Marcus slumped to the ground while Cheryl looked into Horad’s eyes with shock, confusion, and then the mind-breaking wave of pain that came right after.
They were in the way. It was their fault. Horad closed his eyes, and pulled his knife out, hand shaking. It was their fault. They were part of the problem. It was their fault. He put the knife away in the sheath, still dripping blood.
The storm he had summoned with the first chant idol continued to rage behind him, outside. He walked reverently towards the statue with the second idol in his hand. He stared. Like most people, he’d heard of it, heard it described, but until recently, never expected to see it personally. It stared at him. Yes. This must indeed be the spirit of the Aguei.
He held the little wooden idol in both hands. “Be free!” He snapped the idol, only a strand of splinters on one edge keeping it from being split right in two. He dropped it as if it were an offering, spreading his arms wide. It was done. The spirit of the Aguei would no longer be oppressed by the government that had decided this land was theirs.
Horad wished he had more time to bask in the statue’s gaze, but even if the storm lasted forever, he would not be safe here for long. He headed back to the doorway, and tried not to notice the smear of blood that the girl had made on the floor with her hand.
While starting down the steps, Horad saw two guards struggling through the storm’s wind to approach him. The easiest way to give them the slip was directly forward, into the ‘trench’ between the two front doorways.
~~~
Cassidy jumped down after the stranger, trying to catch up. She didn’t consider yelling out to him. Even if she could be heard, she doubted he’d listen. Jim was following close behind, but having a harder time with the wind. Down in the trench, Cassidy found the wind to be much less, and was able to make a bit of a dash for the stranger, knocking him down from behind with the shaft of her spear and a tackle. He gave a solid kick to her face and broke free, getting to his feet and running again.
Jim caught up to Cassidy as she got up again. They chased the stranger along the trench for a handful of metres before exiting to the open again. Here, the wind was able to strike with full force once more, even harder than at their post. Cassidy was blown against the corner of the temple’s stone, and Jim made only a step or so more before being thrown down by the wind.
The stranger, seemingly immune to the storm, kept running, fading into the flying sand as a vague dark figure once again, and then gone.
::: Core Nanite Colony Log :::
::: [Marcus](?)
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 1
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 2
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 3
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 4
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 5
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 6
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 7
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 8
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 9
::: Host synapses not responding, retry 10
………..
::: Host synapse failure.
::: [Marcus](?)
::: [Marcus](?)
::: [Marcus](?)
::: [Marcus](?)
::: [Marcus](?)
::: Host deceased.
::: Awaiting synapse activity or new host.
::: Standby.
::: Standby.
::: Standby.
::: Standby.
::: Standby.
With no choices left, Cassidy waited in the trench with Jim. “Who the fuck was that?” She was getting a little hoarse from yelling over the wind.
“Did it look like we knew each other or something? Damn, I hope this storm breaks soon.”
Cassidy walked over to the middle of the trench, and called up the opening. “Cheryl?!”
Jim went closer to Cassidy so he could speak to her without screaming. “You think she can hear you over the storm?”
“I don’t know. I heard a scream earlier, I think. That’s why I was headed that way when that guy appeared again. Frig, I should have gone after him when he first passed by.”
“When?”
“I saw him for a second while we were huddled at our post. I should have done something about him, but the sand and wind...” Even as she said it, it felt like a shallow excuse. She managed to fight through it after she heard the scream. “CHERYL?! MARCUS?!”
~~~
It was done. It was done. After all the preparation, the waiting, and anxiety, this great mission was complete. The Aguei spirit was free. Despite arrangements to get away, Horad hadn’t really imagined this phase of the plan very vividly. He was going through the motions, creeping along the sand again, but his mind wasn’t on it.
This suit was hot. It might hide his heat, but it wasn’t cool. Horad couldn’t remember ever sweating this much in the desert before. He needed only to imagine aircraft searching for his body heat, and his urge to slide out of the damned suit was pushed down again.
That old man. His eyes. If he’d been born Aguei, he’d have made a fine Elder. Horad could not help but respect the spirit in his defiance. It is good to respect your enemy, yes? Why would that need to lead to regret?
Then there was that girl. She looked right into his eyes as he twisted the knife. Why couldn’t she look at the knife, or the old man? Why did she need to aim those eyes at her killer’s eyes? Why did he have to look back?
Horad reminded himself. It was their fault. They were part of the problem. They were part of the problem. The problem. But he faced the problem, he overcame.
He was a hero today. Push the doubts aside.
~~~~~
:::C /29
~~~~~
In the cooling chaos of the storm, Cipriana led a small group heading to check in at the temple. Only a third of the way there, Jim came running up.
“Cip….!”
“What is it?” Cip was worried that the storm had been a little rough on a couple of people, but Jim was pale and trembling.
“Cip, two of our people... Marcus. Marcus and Cheryl. I have to call... call someone to come.” Cipriana had brought a first aid kit, but it didn’t impress Jim. “It’s bad. I have to call… it’s bad.”
“Alright go. Take Maxine with you.” Not that Maxine was any more qualified than anyone else to run the radio, but Jim wasn’t really in a good frame of mind. “I’m going to the temple.”
“Okay. It’s bad.” Maxine grabbed Jim’s hand and got him focused again on getting back to the base.
Cipriana adjusted the shoulder strap of the first aid kit, and broke into a run. The other three followers still with her kept pace. She tried not to think the worst, but Jim was very shaken. Don’t think, just run.
As they got closer to the temple, she saw there was no-one at their posts at the front doorways. Cipriana pushed herself to run faster. She ran up the steps, to the front-right doorway, and stopped, seeing one of the guards sitting down near the bottom of the upper stairs, with his spear across his lap.
“Are you alright?!” Cipriana shouted, her usual aura of peace shattered.
The guard looked up at her as if he hadn’t noticed her arrival, and was startled when she spoke. His eyes spoke volumes. Cip was here. If anyone can make it better, Cip would know how. Everything was better around Cip. But logic overtook this sliver of hope. The den mother can’t solve everything. “I’m fine. But…” he pointed up towards the north door, and went back to staring into nowhere.
As Cipriana headed for the north door, she saw other guards. Some were standing around. They hadn’t quite broken down like the first one she saw, but they were not at ease. Similar, short-lived expressions of relief greeted her as they stepped out of the way. She could hear sobbing up ahead, and her stomach dropped. She could tell who it was.
Watching Yute Page 19