by Luna Hunter
He twiddles with his trident, which he has placed firmly in the soil. I study the fine features, the little decorative details.
“I’m just a Zoran warrior,” he says, avoiding my inquisitive gaze. “There’s not much to tell.”
“I don’t buy that for a second. What about that trident?”
“This thing?”
“Yes, why do you have that? All the other Zorans just seem to carry blasters and rifles.”
Vukan shrugs. “It’s just a weapon.”
“Don’t lie to me. If it was, you’d have a sword or something. Instead you carry this lavishly decorated trident around with you. What’s the story?”
He takes a deep breath.
Am I finally getting to know what makes this brutish warrior tick?
20
Vukan
I peer into the night’s sky. With the sun having set, bright stars now fill up the entire atmosphere. No one’s ever asked about Inis, my weapon before. I’m sure they’ve wondered, but no one has ever dared to ask me.
And Olivia just sees right through that, and bluntly asks me about the heart of the matter. After what she has just shared with me, it’s only fair that I share my tale with her.
I’ve gotten a glimpse of her soul.
I hope my wounds don’t frighten her.
“This is Inis,” I say, twirling the weapon in my hands. “It’s the symbol of my clan. It belonged to my father, and his father before him, and so on.”
“Ah, so it’s your birthright?” she pipes up.
“Not quite,” I answer. “My brother has that claim.”
“Oh,” she says. “What happened? Is he…?”
“Dead? No. Nothing like that. I’ve always been…”
I swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes fixed on the dirt. I’ve never admitted this to anyone, and saying the words out loud is harder than I anticipated. I’d much rather fight a Ygg than have this conversation. At least with a monster you know what to expect. I have no idea what Olivia will think of me.
Nor do I understand why I care so damn much what she thinks.
“I’ve always been jealous of him,” I continue. “Our father was always so proud of him. He was destined to lead our clan to greatness. Me? I was nothing more than his squire. I got to carry his weapons, clean them, polish them. And they were never clean enough, according to my father.”
My stomach feels like it’s floating, and my fingers tremble as I wrap them around the pole of the trident.
“No matter what I did, I never got noticed. One day I simply had enough. I wish I could say I confronted them… but the truth is I snuck out at night, took Inis down from the mantle and never looked back.”
I glance up at Olivia. I expect to see her blue eyes filled with disgust, but instead, there is compassion.
“I see how that can be tough,” she says. “Never getting the recognition you feel you deserve. Is that what has given you the drive to become a general?”
I shrug. “Never gave it that much thought, to be honest. I just gave it my all, and rose through the ranks, one after another, until I found myself leading a whole army of Zoran warriors.”
“Oh come on,” Olivia says. “You must have given it more thought than that.”
“We are not like you humans, in that regard,” I answer. “I do not wander the own depths of my soul.”
“That’s awfully poetic for a man who claims not to have any feelings.”
“I have feelings,” I insist. “I just…”
“Ignore them?”
“Restrain them. I’m a man of action.”
“One with a richer soul than he dares to admit,” she teases.
“Perhaps. You do not think what I did is shameful?”
“Of course not!” she says, surprising me. “You were just a kid looking for acknowledgment. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. And I’m sure you made your father more than proud with all you’ve accomplished.”
“Ha,” I chuckle. “You’ve never met the man, or you wouldn’t say that. Nothing I can do will ever satisfy him.”
My words are filled with bitterness and anger. I’ve always tried to forget my past and focus on the present and the current mission objective, but this conversation, here with just the two of us, with only the pale moonlight as company, is stirring up long lost feelings.
Maybe Olivia is right. She seems to have a better handle on reading my behavior than I have. Perhaps I’ve always struggled with my father in my own way, trying to prove myself. That could be why I take so many risks, why I always choose glory over caution.
Olivia rests her hand on my knee.
“It doesn’t matter,” she says softly. “You are your own man. All that you’ve accomplished — that is all you, and something to be proud of. Who cares what anyone else thinks?”
I look up at Olivia’s face.
“I care what you think.”
My heart skips a beat as I gaze into her blue eyes. I’ve never opened my heart like this to anyone, ever.
“Oh, Vukan.”
Her words are but a whisper. Her pupils dilate, and even in the faint moonlight I can see her cheeks change color.
I place my blue hand on her cheek. Her intoxicating scent surrounds me, making my heart beat faster. She closes her eyes and tilts her head to the side. Our lips part slightly, inviting me in.
I lean forward, and time seems to slow down. I’ve forgotten all about this alien world, about our missions, about our objectives. There’s only her beautiful blonde hair, her warm skin, her soft, wet, perfect lips…
A gang of cackling animals suddenly bursts out of the bushes. In an instant I’m on my feet, my trident at the ready, my eyes scanning the many moving figures in front of us. It takes me a second to realize what I’m looking at — a whole swarm of Ypes!
Olivia rises to her feet, a broad smile on her face. “They returned!”
The small animals crowd around our feet, their tiny paws lifting us from the ground. Olivia is swept away, riding them like a current. I have my feet firmly planted into the soil, yet the massive wave of Ypes is making my knees wobble.
“Let go!” Olivia says. “Let them take us away!”
Surrendering myself to a force of nature is not something that comes easy to me. Despite my initial reluctance, I give in and allow the green animals to carry me off. They manage to do so quite well, despite my tall stature.
I watch the stars and the two moons above us to try and remember our position, but the animals are too quick. Branches sweep by as we move through the grass, when everything suddenly turns dark. The echoing of their many footsteps confirms my suspicions — we’re in a cave.
Heading into their lair.
21
Olivia
Riding the wave of Ypes is an incredible rush. It feels like I’m weightless, floating on a cloud. I feel invincible, invulnerable.
I glance behind me to see if Vukan is having as much fun as I am. I can’t help but laugh when I see the serious frown on his face — he seems terrified.
I’m sure giving up control to a bunch of wild animals doesn’t come easy to a man like him.
The moonlight disappears in an instant as we head into a dark tunnel, the many footsteps of the wave of Ypes echoing off the walls. I lay down flat, afraid to bump my head against the ceiling. A few twists and turns later and I’ve lost all sense of direction, my eyes seeing absolutely nothing in the pitch black darkness.
I hope they’re as kindhearted as Cindy said they’d be…
A light flickers in the distance. An Ype with a crown awaits us. He’s carrying a torch, illuminating the cave he’s in.
Vukan and I are plopped down on the ground right at his feet. The Zoran warrior instantly rises, dusting his armor off. He quickly inspects his trusty trident before strapping it on his back once more.
The crowned Ype opens his palm, showing me the crumpled up note I handed those other creatures.
“Ype!” he says. “Ype ype!”<
br />
“Yes,” I nod. “We are here to help.”
“Ype ype! Ypeeee!”
I nod again. Okay. I made it this far. That’s great. Now… how do I talk to them?
“Where do these tunnels lead?” I ask.
The leader tilts his head.
“Ype?”
“What’s your plan?” Vukan growls.
His low voice carries well through these tunnels, reverberating off these walls, and the Ypes all lean back when he speaks, their big, yellow eyes opened wide.
“This is it,” I whisper back.
“Just talking to them?”
“Uh huh.”
“So why did they send you?”
“Because. I’m a wildlife biologist.”
“But anyone can talk.”
“Shut up while I try think,” I whisper back. I stretch my arms and make a big circle.
“Tunnel,” I say. “Tunnel. Where does it go?”
I point into the dark and shrug my shoulders. “Where does it go?”
“You’re miming now?”
“Ssshhh,” I whisper back. “Your voice scares them.”
The leader tilts his head again.
The dark pit in my stomach grows by the second. Are they really not understanding what I’m saying? Did I travel all this way, abandon my research, and promise Cindy I’d help these poor, defenseless creatures only for it all to stop here?
I’m a biologist, not a translator. I can read their body language, and it’s telling me… they’re as confused as I am.
What if Nora was wrong? What if I’m not the ‘best biologist’ that she claimed I was? What if I’m actually a fraud who is unable to communicate with these creatures?
When I get back to Earth, if I ever get back to Earth, I’ll have to tell Cindy I failed. I can already see the disappointment on her face. I promised her I’d help…
Yet I feel totally helpless at the moment.
And Vukan’s inquisitive stare is not giving me any more confidence.
No, I won’t go back to Earth. I’m adept at living in the wilderness, so that’s what I’ll do. Build a shack somewhere on some planet no one’s ever heard of. Plant my own crops. Raise my own livestock. It’ll be a tough life, but an honest one.
And that way, I’ll never have to face my own failures! Win win.
The leader walks up to me. His big, yellow eyes glisten, and he holds the torch out for me. I tentatively reach out and take it.
He points into the darkness behind him.
“What’s he saying now?” Vukan growls.
“I think… he wants us to go there.”
“Into the caves?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you think?” Vukan asks.
“I think we don’t really have a choice.”
I hold the torch up high, illuminating the dark, ominous path ahead.
“We made it this far. Might as well go all the way.”
I reach out for Vukan’s hand. If we’re going to be facing the darkness, I want to do so while keeping him close.
The path leads downward. I have to keep one hand on the ceiling to stop from bumping my head. With every step I take small pebbles trickle down, the sound echoing off the walls.
I wonder what kind of creatures we’ll encounter. I have no idea what kind of wonders the depths of this planet will hold. What can scare those resourceful Ypes? And once we find it, whatever ‘it’ is… what am I going to do about it?
“Watch your head,” Vukan whispers.
Luckily, I’ve got a Zoran general by my side. I know I insisted in doing this all alone, but I’m happy that he’s here with me. I’m not a spelunker.
We reach a large underground dome, and to my surprise it contains the remains of a ship.
“How’s that possible?” I ask Vukan. “We’re hundreds of feet underground!”
I shine my light over the wreckage. All the metal is twisted, tainted, damaged — I can’t see what ship it used to be.
“Shh,” Vukan whispers. He jumps in front of me, shielding me with his broad frame. “Look!”
I glance over his shoulder, and my heart skips a beat when I see a shambling mound of dirt and twisted metal wreckage rise to its feet. The horrific sight defies all classification. This is a thing that simply should not be.
As it moves, the dirt falls down, revealing the body of a fire-red Zoran.
Or rather, what’s left of it.
Metal tubes and wires criss-cross all over the decaying body. Where its head should be is a ball of wires instead, with only one red, glowing eye visible.
“Welcome.”
The robotic voice sends shivers down my spine. It’s grating, unpleasant, and unnatural, like nails on a chalkboard.
Vukan reaches for his trident, reading the weapon.
“Stay behind me,” he whispers.
“What is that?” I ask, my voice shaking. In fact, my entire body is trembling. I expected to find something horrible down here, but I wasn’t prepared for this decaying cyborg.
“That Zoran Special Forces crew,” my mate answers. “Or rather, what’s left of it.”
“How astute,” the creature says. Its movement are jerky. Its long limbs twitch, its long, thin, robotic fingers coiling up into a fist. “I am your end. Be happy, for your flesh will aid my ascension.”
“You are an abomination,” Vukan bites. “A perversion of nature.”
“No. I don’t age, I don’t wither, I don’t die. I am perfection. I am the natural evolution of biological life.”
“For an immortal life-form, you don’t look so great,” my mate snarls.
The cyborg looks down at its hands. Its red eye, the only vaguely lifelike thing about the whole horrible being, seems to be filled with questions for a moment.
“How long have I been here?”
It’s voice seems to change an octave.
“It’s been a week since Dusan first killed you,” Vukan says. “I’ll fInish the job he started.”
“Dusan,” the creature says. “I… I remember him.”
He glances down at his hands again, turning them over, opening and closing his metallic fists, as if this is the first time he’s seeing them as well.
“W-what… am I?”
“Zlatan,” I say, remembering the fire-red Zoran commander from my briefing. “You are a Zoran named Zlatan… or at least,” I say softly, “you were.”
“Yes,” he answers. “Yes.”
His red eye seems to grow misty.
“Please,” his metallic voice croaks. “Kill me.”
22
Vukan
My eyes are fixed on the biomechanical abomination in front of me. This used to be Zlatan, a legendary Zoran warrior. Now, over half his body has been replaced by tubes, wiring, and metal. The only lifelike thing about him is his single eye.
“Kill me,” he croaks. “Before I kill you.”
My trident is resting on my shoulder. All I need to do is extend my arm and I could nail him to the wall — but I hesitate. I’ve killed before. Countless Yggs have fallen before me. Yet, those are mindless killing machines, who exist only to murder.
I’ve never had to mercy-kill someone before.
His eye changes. It grows still, losing the lifelike glint. Now it glares at me; cold, uncaring. His two hands raise up, pointing towards me.
“Zlatan has ascended,” the grating voice says. “And now, so will you.”
Without warning, metal tendrils shoot forth from its wrists and coil around my arms, like an metallic octopus that tries to drag me into the depths of hell.
I missed my shot. Inis falls to the floor as I struggle. Olivia yelps and leaps back.
“Run!” I growl as I plant my feet firmly into the dirt, doing my best to keep my balance. Unfortunately, the cyborg is too strong, even for me. I’m pulled forward, inch by inch.
I’m fighting him with every fiber of my being — and losing.
The metallic snakes curl around every inc
h of my body, sapping me of all my strength. I feel the cold metal on my skin. It’s coiling its way around my neck, cutting off my air supply, and I feel the tendrils move towards my nose, my ears, my mouth.
I’d rather die right here, right now than end up a half-dead, half-alive monster.
“Let him go!”
Olivia’s powerful voice echoes off the cave walls. She charges forward, holding Inis with both her hands. She spears Zlatan with enough strength to nail him right against the wall.
The cyborg completely dismissed the human female, to its detriment. Its grip on me falters for a brief moment, and only just in time — the metallic serpent was just about to choke the life out of me. I break free with a primal scream, tearing the tendrils right off of Zlatan’s body.
I can’t afford to hesitate again.
I reach back and pull my blaster from its holster, and with a single placed shot I dim the light in Zlatan’s eye. The cyborg falls back, lifeless. For now.
I fall down to my knees, gasping for air, my hands moving to my neck.
“Are you okay?” Olivia asks as she rushes to my side, her warm, soft hands resting on my cheeks. “A-are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I growl, rubbing the sore spots on my neck where the cyborg choked me. “You saved my life.”
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I rest my head against her belly for a moment. It still feels like the cold, metal tendrils are about to wiggle their way into my mouth. I nearly died.
“Let’s keep moving,” I say, rising to my feet. “Before it regains consciousness.”
“What? It’s dead now, right?”
“I hope so, but honestly, I don’t know what that is… or if it’s truly dead.”
Olivia swallows the lump in her throat. “Okay,” she says. “Let’s… let’s go.”
I pull Inis from Zlatan’s lifeless body, my blaster in my other hand, ready to pull the trigger if he so much as twitches. I hope he’s finally found the peace he deserves.
We head deeper into the caves, following a path that leads further downwards. I lead with my blaster drawn, Olivia right behind me, her hand resting on my back the entire time.