“Do you know what created this?” Aimee asked.
“Our scientists confirmed it was an asteroid, but this happened thousands of rens ago.”
“The crater floor seems to be synthetic.”
Beneath them, halfway down the crater wall she could see a flat base, most of its metallic surface covered in red dust. The flooring spanned the width of the basin, which had to be at least a couple miles.
“Yes, that is the hangar.”
“It’s huge!” she gushed. “And the Horus, it took off from here?”
“Correct.” Corkos pointed. “You’re actually looking down at the roof. It is retractable. The Horus rose from the crater floor, taking the dwindling population of Anthum with it. Of course, now we have to suspect it didn’t get everyone.”
That note sobered her. Aimee searched the vast cavity. “No one works down there now?”
“No. After the Horus left, I was the only one who remained, so I just took some items that I needed from the hangar and built my own lab, which is much less conspicuous. When the Horus returned a couple of rens ago, the people who decided to settle down in Aulo were mostly elderly–the ones who remembered Anthum in its glory. All the young–aspiring engineers and scientists, remained on the Horus–so, no, no one works down there now, but maybe that will change.”
“Maybe,” Aimee echoed. “Let’s go down.”
With Zak’s support, Aimee negotiated the downward trail. Rigid girders protruded from the crater wall to hold an ample-sized walkway. The path was flanked with railings and overhead light stands. The descent would have been as routine as a stroll at a state park, were it not for the fine dirt that covered everything inside the crater. It permeated their clothes and wormed into their palms as they used the railings for support.
Corkos halted them a short distance later.
“That was it. That was the hard part.” He stopped before a door in the crater wall. It was black and blended in with the charred interior of the pit. “As long as this is still working,” he added with JOH-like sarcasm.
The panel slid open at his touch and lights staggered to life. The smell inside the chamber was like the rusted interior of her father’s garage. She stepped inside and immediately missed the blanket of sun on her bare back. The temperature was frigid enough to draw a circle of breath before her lips.
Zak’s arm slipped around her and she leaned into his warmth. As the doors slid shut and Corkos tinkered with a panel on the wall, a loss of equilibrium had Aimee clutching onto Zak. Having donned his black uniform from the Horus today, he blended in with the walls of this dismal compartment.
“An elevator? And, you said this trip would be mildly difficult.”
Corkos’ graying eyebrow arched over his wide forehead. “The difficult part is walking the length of the hangar.”
As the elevator doors parted Corkos stepped forward. Lights flared on in series across the vaulted ceiling, starting at their end and switching on into infinity. The vast empty hangar was overwhelming. To think that this structure once housed a craft so large it resembled a floating city. Now, only echoes of the past pulsed through the hollow shelter. Abandoned scaffolding was pushed to the sides. Platforms that were several stories high stood empty. Aimee remembered the murals aboard the Horus displaying them crowded with industrious workers.
Scuffing her sandals against the floor, she thought the surface looked something like well-honed limestone. She took a few tentative steps, marveling at the magnitude of the concourse. But that’s all it was–empty space.
“You must have scavenged a lot,” she tried to tramp down her disappointment. “I thought there might still be something here that we could use on the Horus modules.”
Corkos did something unusual. He grinned. It revealed a few yellowed teeth, and produced deep grooves around his slate eyes, but it was a congenial expression.
“Tsk. Tsk, Aimee,” he scolded. “We are a savvy group, and the crater hangar was mastered long before the first construction of the Horus even took place. Aulo was the aerospace center of Anthum before the Anthumians were forced to flee here. This facility houses all of our technology and manufacturing.”
“It did,” she replied flatly, looking at an empty floor as far as the eye could see.
Corkos cocked an eyebrow and turned back to the entrance they had just stepped away from. “Come with me.” His hand beckoned like a flailing handkerchief.
Back at the elevator, Aimee prepared to step in, but Corkos stopped her.
“No, this way.”
He paralleled the wall for a few steps and then waved his hand, dislodging a panel to reveal a bank of controls. Tapping his chin in consideration, he nodded and held up his pointer, using it to type in a sequence on the panel.
The floor beneath Aimee trembled. Zak’s hand wrapped around her arm and his expression was guarded. Nearby, the limestone floor began to recede, exposing a shadowed wedge beneath. The segment expanded as Corkos strode towards it.
“This might appease you some,” he said as he descended down into that obscurity.
Aimee inched towards the gap in the flooring, conscious of Zak’s protective hold. She peered down into the darkness and then flinched when lights came on below. A smile slowly crept over her face as she turned towards Zak in awe.
“Well, the man is right,” Zak said. “This will appease you some.”
They stepped forward onto a platform that slowly gravitated downward, revealing an entire duplicate floor beneath the vacant one they just stood on. Only, this level was teeming with equipment. Fabrication centers, avionic stations, rolls of unused material–something akin to aluminum. Many of the tools weren’t readily identifiable, but there was no denying the unity of manufacturing equipment, no matter what planet you were on.
Aisles scored the vast workspace, and Aimee envisioned the plant busy with industrious personnel. They could be put to task again. The young engineers of the Horus would see the rebirth of this facility and bring the mighty Horus back to life. They simply needed to transport the modules here. If it meant breaking them down even further to do so, it was still possible. As she looked around she discovered rugged transport vehicles capable of heavyweight hauling. It might take a while, but the task could be accomplished. The Horus was born in this facility, and this is where it would see its reincarnation.
“Hello? Wife? Can you speak?” Zak nudged her in the hip.
Aimee cupped her cheek in her hand. “It’s amazing.”
Corkos crossed his arms, pleased. “It is, isn’t it? Glad to see someone appreciate it. It would be wonderful to see it brought back to life. It’s basically in hibernation right now.”
Aimee searched as far as she could into the shadows and some of her zeal fled.
“I think it’s definitely possible to get the Horus space-worthy again, but–”
“But?” Corkos echoed.
“That’s not going to help us get to Gordy. These terrain vehicles–” she pointed at the continuous track mechanism that could traverse rugged topography, “–they can’t make it across the ocean. And the construction of the Horus will take too long.”
Zak frowned in agreement.
“I don’t think the Horus’ resurrection will take as long as you think. We still have some of the original engineers here. They simply have been–” Corkos searched for the proper translation, “–retired. But yes, you have a point. There is nothing here that can readily get you across the ocean.”
His smile gave Aimee hope. The gesture revealed some of JOH’s vibrancy.
“The craft that is suspended in my cave, however... I’ve been tinkering with it in hopes of venturing across the ocean. I have been meaning to test the vegetation on the continent for rens now.”
“Tinkering,” Aimee repeated. “Does that mean it’s not serviceable yet?”
“Close,” he declared. “Perhaps another set of eyes, and–” he met Zak’s glance, “–maybe a test pilot.” He splayed his hands in innocence. “
Just because I’ve resurrected an old Ventus jet doesn’t mean I know how to fly it. I’m an inventor, not a Warrior.”
“A Ventus jet?” Zak marveled. “Aimee, you didn’t tell me you saw a Ventus jet.”
“You know what that is?”
“Well, I’ve never actually seen one, but Vodu once mentioned that he used one to commute between the mainland and Aulo just before the final evacuation was enforced.”
“Maybe you possess Vodu’s old jet,” Aimee guessed.
“It’s possible,” Corkos agreed. “It was abandoned here in the hangar. I took it apart and carried it in pieces back to my cave to work on it. I really didn’t want to spend much time outside back then. Disease had reached our shores from the sea and sky. The situation was unstable. I felt safer working in my cave.”
“You worked on the Ventus jet all that time and never once tried it?” Zak marveled.
“I worked on many things. I liked to keep myself busy. Only recently have I been feeling the urge to attempt to cross the sea. Just not sure I pieced all those parts together correctly.”
Zak shook his head. “It is so strange hearing JOH’s voice come out of you.”
“It’s Corkos’s voice coming out of JOH,” Aimee corrected.
“I know that, but to us–JOH came first.”
Corkos nodded. “I wish I had a spare model to have kept in the cave. He could have helped me tremendously over the rens.”
Aimee felt a flash of perspiration spring to her skin’s surface. A touch of lightheadedness had her grappling for the support of a nearby table. She took a deep gulp of air, but knew something was drastically wrong. Before she could voice an alarm, she doubled over, clutching her stomach.
“Aimee!” Zak’s hands were on her shoulders, supporting her.
Pain. A piercing cramp stole her breath. Slamming a hand on her knee for balance, she leaned into Zak’s protection.
“I–I don’t know if this is how it’s supposed to be,” she gasped.
And, it was true. Was childbirth different on another planet? Did the effects of the altered atmosphere come into play? The timing seemed early to her, but her waistline certainly shouted that Zon had grown to maturity. It seemed so long ago that she was back on Earth, walking with Zak around the lake and contemplating baby names.
Maybe it wasn’t time yet. Maybe something was wrong. Surely this pain couldn’t be normal? Glancing down at her gown there was no fluctuation of color in the white material. Oh, right. Raja had said there wasn’t enough time to implement the organ scanner into this fabric.
“We have to get you to Raja,” Zak ordered.
Before she could even protest that the pain was beginning to ebb, his arm swept under her legs and she was hoisted into the air.
“Zak, you can’t carry me. I must weigh 300 pounds right now.”
“Gravity isn’t so tough on this planet. You’re as light as a zeela bird.”
It was a lie, of course. The gravity was not that much different than Earth, but she appreciated him trying to assure her. She glanced up and saw the concern sharpening the angles of his face. She reached up and placed her palm against his cheek.
“I feel better now. It’s already passing.”
“Oh, well, that’s fine then,” he chided. “Clearly there is nothing to be concerned about, and I’ll just make you climb back up to the cave. Maybe we can have a race.”
“Zak, I know you’re worried, but seriously I feel better now. We’ll head back to Raja and she can check me out.”
His grip on her tightened and his forehead dipped into her hair. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Zer-shay.”
She kept her palm against his face, feeling the pump of a jaw muscle beneath her touch. “It’s just childbirth. Everyone goes through it.”
“As always–you’re unique. This situation is unique.”
“You mean our child is special?” She smiled.
Finally sensing her tension recede, Zak allowed himself a faint grin. “Yes. I do mean that.”
“Just go straight up the elevator, and back through the tunnels,” Corkos instructed. “There’s only a brief incline at the crater wall. I’ll be right behind you. I have to shut everything off down here.”
“I know the way,” Zak assured.
“Thank you, Corkos,” Aimee said over her husband’s shoulder. “I will be back here soon. We will find a way to make the Horus fly again.”
“No doubt when you return, you will have a future engineer with you.”
“Or Warrior…” she whispered.
Zak muttered no way in her ear and then started off towards the raised platform, stepping onto it and watching Corkos recede as they were hoisted to the assembly floor.
Hastily making his way to the elevator, Aimee squirmed in his arms.
“Seriously, Zak. I can stand in the elevator. There is no climbing involved.”
“Hush, will you?” he berated affectionately. “You’re my wife, and this is my first child. I’m holding a precious cargo here, and I’m not going to let go.”
At those words, she tucked her head against his chest and smiled. She reveled in the strength enshrouding her. It seemed so long ago when a young Zak had grabbed her on the deck of the Horus as chaos ensued around them. Back then, for those brief seconds that she touched him, she thought he had felt so strong. But, the strength around her now was a force to be reckoned with. Zak was strong in body and spirit, and she loved him fiercely.
“Zak,” she whispered into his ear. “Put me down.”
Dark golden eyes searched hers. “If you have any pain–”
“I’ll let you know immediately.”
Gently releasing her legs so that they slid down his to the ground, Zak maintained his protective hold around her waist. Aimee focused on her breathing, if only to stabilize her chaotic heartbeat. Her nerves were in overdrive. For a control freak, this inability to chart her fate was driving her crazy.
The doors parted and they stepped out into the crater. Red dust swirled corkscrew patterns across the walkway. That path wound up the hollowed wall toward the tunnel entrance visible nearly a hundred yards away.
“Now will you let me carry you?” Zak braced his arm across the opening, barring her from exiting the elevator.
Aimee rested her hand on that barrier, and rolled her eyes.
“Please, I’m fine. We’d be to the Bio Ward already if you weren’t so busy arguing.”
She pushed against his arm as he reluctantly dropped it.
Despite what she had alluded, she was still in great discomfort. Fortunately, the stabbing pain had subsided. It enabled her to walk confidently past Zak and begin to hike the slight incline. Honestly, though, she was eager to get to Raja. So much so, she hastened her pace.
“Don’t rush,” he censured from behind.
It was necessary to rush though. Aimee gazed up at the blush of the sky as the massive sun dipped behind the crater rim. They had to hurry if they were to reach the Bio Ward before dark. With her eyes still trained upward, she caught a glimpse of a shadow along the crusted perimeter.
“Zak–”
“Careful, don’t go so fast, Aimee, it’s not a race.”
It wasn’t her intention to dart ahead, but surely, she hadn’t imagined the murky profile above. Shading her eyes with her hand, she searched again. The jagged rim contrasted with the flushed sky, but there were no anomalies. Perhaps it had just been a trick of the light.
She crept along the natural curve of the wall, using the railing drilled into it for support.
“Aimee, slow down!”
She heard Zak’s footsteps hasten against the dusty path, and stopped to let him catch up, surprised that she had managed to put any distance between them.
“Sorry, I just–I thought I saw something–”
A sound from above wrenched Aimee’s eyes skyward as a cascade of dark debris rained down on her. She stumbled back, calling out Zak’s name. A roar filled her ears as a boulder tumb
led down the crater wall. Its impetus sheared loose rock from the wall, erupting in a shower of gravel that collapsed onto the trail, some of the torrent continuing down into the crater.
Pellets of dirt cascaded over the arm she had thrown up in defense, but the plummeting disaster missed her by mere feet.
A distance great enough to isolate her from her husband.
She called out Zak’s name again, but heard nothing in response. The only sound was the blood pounding in her head, and the haunting call of a monawk in the distance. Eyeing up the avalanche, she knew her odds of digging through it were impossible.
Is he okay?
Please be okay!
Her heart thumped harder.
Scrambling for options, she bleakly concluded that the only option was to make it back to the village and get help. Maybe the villagers knew of another way into the crater.
Aimee made it nearly to the tunnel when she heard another thunderous tumble from above.
“Stop it!” she screamed.
Stumbling backwards, she fell onto her rear and felt a bolt of pain shoot through her pelvis.
“Why are you doing this?” she sobbed to the unseen entity as another slew of debris trailed down the hillside, adding to the barricade between herself and her husband.
“These people never meant to hurt you!” she shouted.
A lone shadow crept nimbly atop the rim and slipped out of sight, leaving her only with the impression of a tall, wiry male.
“Coward!” she yelled.
Another sharp ache doubled her over. She wrapped her arms around her knees, now disoriented enough to worry that her pretty white dress was scored with clay and dirt.
White. How she longed for the Horus technology at this moment. She needed the visual assurance that everything was alright.
Wrapped into a tight ball, she rocked back and forth, trying to tame the pain to a level that she could make her way back through the cave.
Come on, Aimee.
Your husband and child need you.
She struggled onto her knees, her palms scraping the abrasive path. With what strength she could muster, she propelled herself upright and swayed before her hand landed on the crater wall for support. Lurching forward, she cried out when a shadow crossed her path.
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