[scifan] plantation - books one to three

by Stella Samiotou Fitzsimons

  the only path that leads to Plantation-4 and is wide enough for their landing. The aliens will

  eventually have to move towards the pass once they realize the Sliman escort will be a no show.

  Theo will make sure that they won’t be able to communicate with the plantation.

  The aliens won’t waste a lot of time waiting. After all, they have nothing to fear as far as they

  know. The Sliman escort is a matter of form and habit. They don’t believe that they need it. They

  believe the humans have all been rounded up and put in pens.

  Theo and Zoe will also make sure that the closest Plantation detection sensors will be offline as

  soon as the ship lands. That is the plan anyway.

  At the pass we will attack them from all sides before they even have a chance to react. If all

  goes according to plan, it will be child’s play for us.

  The alien invaders have grown weak over the years. They were more fierce when they first

  invaded Earth, or so the stories go, but they have gradually become dependent upon Sliman for

  everything that requires physical strength and stamina. They are growing more and more feeble and

  we are not sure why.

  We have also noticed that they cannot use all their senses at once, especially at dawn when they

  seem to be the most disoriented. Their vision fails and they have to focus on auditory signals. Dawn

  is their blind spot as we call it. It will give us a chance to take them by surprise, before they have time to reach for their dreaded sensory receptor devices.

  Finn has suggested taking a prisoner but Damian won’t hear of it. He believes we will be hunted

  down like animals and completely exterminated if we do that. The aliens wouldn’t hesitate to blow up

  the entire area, including the Plantations, if we challenged them in that way.

  They would not tolerate the idea of one of their own being captured alive. They have made this

  very clear on the plantations where if an alien is even touched, three slaves are taken away never to

  return.

  It is decided that we kill them all and disappear fast as lightning. We will cover up our tracks

  and retreat to the mountains where we have a small encampment waiting for us. We set it up months

  ago in anticipation of a situation like the one we are facing. It’s stocked with clothing, food and seeds.

  After that, the future gets murkier.

  “We have started from scratch many times before, this won’t be any different,” Finn said this

  morning but we both know that’s not true.

  Everything will be different because the Saviors will have come out of hiding and into the light,

  forcing the aliens to focus their attention and resources on us. We will be practically forcing their

  hand. The world will become even less friendly to us, if that’s possible.

  It will get dark soon and we’ll have to try and get some sleep before our departure. My watch

  will be over in a while and my hope is that I will have time to chat with Finn before turning in.

  A message appears on my touchpad screen. It’s from Damian, he wants to see me in the Armory

  in five minutes. He doesn’t say anything about finding a replacement for the watch. Maybe he doesn’t

  think it matters anymore.

  I go down the thirty steps, leave the building and stop to look around. This could very well be

  the last time my eyes linger on the buildings, the camp, the tents and the trees.

  I find Damian in the Armory sitting at the big table all by himself. He punches out keystrokes on

  his touchpad, his left hand on his forehead. I have a very strange feeling, like a cold wind has blown into the room and made everything ice. Damian’s strong and perfectly symmetrical features turn to

  stone. My own hands get heavy like marble and I have a strange sensation inside my chest, as if my

  blood can sense something terrifying.

  “Good, you’re here,” Damian says and his voice kicks me out of my trance. I realize I have no

  idea why he would want to talk to me of all people, a few hours before the mission. We have not

  exactly been friendly to each other over the years of our acquaintance and although it seems we might

  have reached some kind of understanding the other day, it doesn’t make sense that he’d want to talk to me in private.

  “Doc will join us soon,” he says and I feel like an idiot. Why on earth did I assume this would

  be a private discussion?

  At the same time, I feel relieved and the icy feeling diminishes. I move my hands and fingers

  again and take the few steps that stand between me and the chair near Damian.

  I sit down across from him and straighten my hair behind my ears. “What’s this about? Is there a

  problem?” I ask.

  “No, not really,” he says. “I just want to inform you of a decision I’ve made that involves you.”

  “I’m all ears,” I say, already dreading the words he will utter. If I know him at all, he’s not one

  to make introductions.

  Damian hesitates for a moment. I can sense that he’s worried about the effect his words will

  have on me, something that completely throws me off. Damian practically lives to give orders and

  pass out pronouncements. He enjoys being in charge and he’s not ashamed to admit it.

  “You know how things are. We have to face the first real danger as a team since we first came

  together. We have tried our best to come up with a plan of action that will guarantee our success in

  this endeavor. I’ve gone through everything a million times and I believe—”

  He stops cold which causes additional alarm. What if he thinks our plan is not viable, what if he

  calls everything off on the eve of our journey? I don’t think that we could survive this kind of

  disappointment. It will cast a shadow upon the camp that will be extremely hard to lift.

  Damian checks his screen despite the fact that there is no sign of activity and takes a sip of water

  before he goes on. “I have decided that you should not be involved in the fight,” he says avoiding my

  eyes.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re not ready, Freya, and I don’t want to take a chance. You and Doc will stay in the back

  with the medical kit. You should be able to take care of any injuries if there are any. Doc will tell you what to do.”

  “You want me to become a nurse? I’m a fighter, Damian.” My mouth is dry, my hands get

  clammy and I can feel my heart beat faster.

  He looks at me with his brow furrowed. “You’re impulsive, you have a temper and you don’t

  always think straight. How many times have you got shot, stabbed or ran over during simulation?”

  “Simulation is one thing, you know I’m not afraid of combat or hardship, you know I’m a part of

  this team.”

  “Of course you are, Freya, which is why you will be there with us and help Doc out. We need

  every link in the chain.”

  That feeling of iciness returns and I go from feeling hot to feeling frozen within a split second.

  The room gets darker, Damian looks bigger and I feel lightheaded. “I want to be there with the rest of you, Damian, I want to help. What do I have to do to prove that to you?” I yell at him but I know it’s too late.

  “This isn’t personal, Freya. I’m not doing this to hurt you or upset you. It’s the right thing to do.

  Doc needs help. You’re the best person for it. And you will stay out of trouble until next time and by then you will be ready. It’s not the end of the world, there will be many more opportunities to kill and die.”

  It’s hard to know if he’
s being sarcastic or overly sincere. Rage and frustration are piling up

  inside of me. My hands start to shake and he reaches over to take them in his. I pull my hands away. I don’t need his pity.

  “I don’t need to stay behind, I can protect myself, I don’t need to be shielded from the dangers of

  battle,” I say with quivering lips.

  “It’s not you I’m shielding,” he says with the most indifferent voice. “Not just you anyway. It’s

  also everybody else around you. We can’t afford any accidents.”

  That’s it then, he’s punishing me. He’s punishing me for all the times I made a mistake or failed

  at something or was involved in an accident and didn’t apologize properly, for all the times I stood up to him and didn’t bow to his authority. It’s payback time and there’s nothing I can do about it.

  I think I will suffocate right then and there in the middle of the Armory and that will be the end

  of my story. It’s hard to breathe, and my vision blurs. I want to run away, dash across the camp and

  into the forest and never come back, but then Doc joins us and I know I can’t do this to him. He has to stay behind, too, and I don’t know how happy he is about that.

  But Doc doesn’t know yet. Damian gives him the same speech he gave to me about the medical

  services and how important they are, but when Doc protests and insists that he wants to fight, Damian

  doesn’t shut him down by telling him he’s a danger to everyone around him. No, instead he tells him

  that he is too important and we cannot afford to lose him, should anything go wrong. Doc is the only

  one with medical knowledge and, therefore, he will always be needed more than anyone.

  Doc accepts his fate and promises he will do his best to provide care and treatments to those

  who will need it, now or in the future. My fate is sealed along with his and I bite my tongue so as not to make him feel bad about me.

  “Okay then, that’s all, you two should coordinate your mission before getting some rest. See you

  at midnight,” Damian says.

  “Right, we won’t let you down,” Doc assures him.

  I nod and follow Doc outside.

  “I know you’re disappointed,” he says, “but we can’t all fight.”

  “You’re as good a fighter as anybody else, I’ve seen you in practice. You’re skilled, patient,

  clear-headed. But you have to do what Damian wants you to do. He’s in charge, right?”

  Doc shakes his head. “Do you want me to tell him that I don’t need help, that you should be

  allowed to join in the fight?”

  “It wouldn’t make any difference but thank you.”

  We have reached Doc’s tent and he invites me inside. I like his place, it’s always neat and

  organized with his candlesticks perfectly trimmed, his test tubes clean and his books dusted.

  “He’s right, you know,” he says as he hands me a cup of water.

  “Define right.”

  “We can’t all be fighters. Not at the same time.”

  *

  I FIND FINN IN HIS BED, studying the blueprint for the attack. What I see on his face

  resembles fear more than it does excitement or anticipation. Finn is anxious and I know it’s not about the fight.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks the moment I throw myself on his chair.

  “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

  “For starters, you’re biting your nails, something you do when you’re really angry or impatient.

  Second, you look like you’ve been crying.”

  “I haven’t been crying.” I pause. “I am angry, I guess, so you’re right about that part.”

  He’s tired, he’s nervous, he’s busy, I can see that. But I can’t help myself. I relate everything that happened with Damian and Doc.

  Finn takes hold of my hands in order to prevent me from chewing my fingernails down to their

  roots. He listens patiently and waits for me to finish.

  “He hates me,” I conclude and kick the small table in front of me.

  Finn sighs. “He doesn’t hate you. He expects a lot from you.”

  “You weren’t there when he claimed that I am a danger to everyone.”

  “He doesn’t hate you, Freya, he just… well, he doesn’t like anyone, not even himself.”

  “The last part I can understand.”

  “Is it okay that I am glad you will be out of harm’s way?” Finn asks.

  “I can’t believe you just said that.” I honestly cannot believe he just said that. Although part of

  me is happy to hear him say it. “You’re as bad as Red,” I say but I begin to accept the reality of the situation.

  “Do you really believe that Damian hates you?” Finn says as I get up to go.

  “Of course not,” I admit. “I honestly don’t know why I let him get to me like that sometimes.”

  “Will you be okay?”

  “I will do what is expected of me. And, yes, I will be okay with it.”

  Our entire future is at stake. My feelings at this moment are not that important.

  *

  TWO HOURS LATER I am lying in bed with fitful premonitions racing through my mind. They

  keep me unhinged and alert, unable to give in to sleep. I hear the distant wallows of night birds and I think I hear the unnatural crackling of leaves. I quietly lean out my door and spot someone, Finn,

  tiptoeing slowly away from camp. He fades away into the dark oblivion of the primal forest.

  16

  The sky turns a blood orange as the sun begins its slow ascent behind the mountains that

  surround the canyon. We are crouched on both sides of the narrow pass, hiding behind shrubs, bushes

  and small trees. Doc and I sit in the very back and we are to stay here no matter what.

  We emerged into the mouth of the canyon and out of the forest shadows two hours ago, after a

  four-hour march through rough terrain and thick vegetation, uphill and downhill, left and right.

  The sun keeps climbing in the dim sky and there is no sign of the alien ship yet. I can’t make out

  Damian’s face from where I am but I can perceive his anxiety in his shrugged shoulders and stiff neck.

  My feelings for Damian are so mixed right now, they remind me of the cookie batter Biscuit makes. I

  can sympathize with his pragmatic view of our existence, with his fears and concerns as he revealed

  them to me only a few days ago. I’m close to starting to like him. On the other hand, I am angry with

  him for his patronizing attitude towards me.

  Theo rubs his hands together, then applies pressure on his temples. Zoe, sitting next to him, rubs

  his back to calm down his nerves. Rabbit and Scout are restless, their legs and arms seem ready to

  spring up for fight or flight any moment now.

  On the opposite side Nya, Tilly and Biscuit play rock, paper, scissors and they seem to be

  relatively composed. Finn sits up front with Damian and Daphne and he is lost in thoughts. Not a

  single muscle twitches on his flexible body, his whole being is focused on one spot that only he can

  see. Is it something to do with what he did last night?

  I’m now more at a loss regarding his actions than I was when I saw him slip away into the

  darkness. He moved with the ease of a big cat among the shadows, leaping over fallen trunks like a

  dancer.

  My heart pounded and thundered wildly as I followed him in the unwelcoming grip of the night

  forest. I didn’t think about it. My instinct led me out of the tent and onto his trail as soon as his

  silhouette disappeared into the trees.

  At first I thought I had lost him for good. I thought that there was no point to my night chase, but

  as soon
as I stepped into the forest, I heard his light footsteps on the dry soil and sensed the heaviness of his nervous breathing.

  I slowed down when I caught sight of his back to make sure I maintained a safe distance. Finn

  stopped after a while in front of an old, gigantic tree. I hid behind another tree forty feet away. He knelt down and started digging with his knife, with what I thought was his knife anyway.

  A few minutes later, he took something else out of his pocket and placed it in the hole he had just

  dug. From where I stood, I could not make out what the thing was, but it was a bit bigger than a

  cantaloupe, probably some kind of box. It occurred to me that Finn would have noticed my presence

  by now if he were not overly bothered by some unknown burden.

  The weight of secrets and formalities between us has steadily grown and if it weren’t for the

  great battle we had ahead of us in just a few hours, I’d have jumped out of the shadows and

  confronted him. But I needed him to be strong so he could protect himself. I needed him to be safe and unbothered by my needs. So I backed into the darkness and let him return to the camp.

  The night got gloomier and more menacing when I was left alone in the forest. When I was sure

  Finn was gone, I went to the spot where he had hidden the box. The ground was soft there and a little

  bit elevated. It would have been easy for me to dig up the object he hid, but something stopped me.

  I knew then that I did not want to know what secret Finn had. I couldn’t handle one more

  unwanted surprise, one additional disappointment. I really did not want to know.

  Right now I wish I had not hesitated though. I wish I knew what Finn was hiding. That way, I’d

  be able to concentrate on the present and not be concerned with the past and a future that may never

  happen.

  The sky is turning blue little by little, the sun gets higher on the horizon and we all begin to

  realize that there isn’t going to be a landing today. There has never been a landing of an alien ship

  during daytime.

  Frustration, anger and disillusion are words that don’t even begin to describe how we feel. Theo

  is embarrassed, he thinks that he made a serious mistake but Zoe declares that that’s not possible, that she was there, too, that she helped Theo decode the message herself, there’s been no mistake, she can