by Mark Wandrey
“That would explain why it’s out of view of the town,” Pip said, “yet still close enough to the portal for easy access. They wouldn’t want anyone from the Concordia finding them without a leasehold.”
Minu nodded. While the rules governing colonies were complicated, one thing everyone knew was that you didn’t settle a world without permission. Bad things could, and usually did, happen to you. “Wonder what they’ll think about some unexpected visitors?” she asked.
“They probably won’t be overly welcoming,” Pip said, “especially if they are squatters.”
“Let’s move a little closer and take some high-resolution shots.” The team closed to within two hundred meters, and everyone got a good look. It was a village of less than ten permanent buildings, and maybe twice that many tent-like structures. Several dozen small beings that reminded Minu of squirrels were moving about, performing unknown tasks. At least one appeared to have a sling full of babies. These beings weren’t scouts; they lived here.
“Found them,” Pip confirmed a short time later. He’d run the images through the Chosen database of known species using both descriptions and images. Know your enemy. Minu couldn’t remember where she’d learned that phrase. Maybe her father? Everyone leaned in to look over Pip’s shoulder.
The being on the display looked almost identical to those walking around the nearby camp. The archived image showed a being bedecked in intricate tool belts festooned with a dazzling array of instruments and apparatus. Those in the nearby village wore simpler garb and a mix of technological and handmade tools. Despite the differences, they obviously matched. “The database is prompting for an English name,” Pip told them. Their system included naming newly encountered species, as most of the Concordian names were in script and unpronounceable. Not many Chosen got the privilege.
“You spotted them first,” Minu said and patted Gregg on the shoulder, “you have the honor.”
“Squeen,” he said with a shy smile.
“What the fuck is a squeen?” Aaron blurted. The others stared at him.
“Okay, I give,” Minu said, “Squeen?”
He looked very embarrassed as he explained. “We occasionally use trained squirrels to distract the Kloth. They’re so fast, and climb so quickly, they’re ideal for drawing an angry female away from a clutch of eggs. I had one as a pet when I was four, and I named him Squeen. My mother thinks I was trying to say squirrel.” He laughed nervously and shrugged. “I guess it stuck.”
“How touching,” Pip said and fed the information into the computer. “Okay, if we live, you get credit for naming the 43rd species encountered by humans. The Squeen.”
“Don’t sound too confident,” Minu said and took another long look at the village. “What does it say about them?”
“It’s interesting reading. They don’t have a patron species listed, and the most recent record is fifty thousand years old. After that, they disappear.”
“No Patron?” Minu wondered. “A bootstrap species?”
“Possibly; can’t be sure.”
“So,” Minu continued, “if they were never clients, they must have been powerful.”
“There’s the rub. There’s not much detail. It does say something about a dispute with the Concordian council. Then there’s nothing, and I mean nothing at all. Keep in mind this database is far from exhaustive. I can find out more when we get back to Bellatrix.”
“Do you need anything else here?” Minu asked.
“I don’t think we can gain anything more,” he said after a moment. “I can find out where they live, and what leaseholds they have, back home. If they are squatting here, I’m sure the information will be valuable to the Tog.”
“I’m sure,” she agreed. “We can earn brownie points, if that’s the case.” It could be a nice bonus on top of whatever the cache held. She took a few more images through her scope before stowing it away. “Okay, let’s head back. I’m sure William misses us.”
“You, mostly,” Aaron said among general laughter.
“Maybe he died of thirst?” Pip suggested, a little too hopefully.
When they returned, they didn’t find him dead. In fact, they didn’t find him at all.
“William, report!” Minu snapped over the radio. She was pissed. He’d disobeyed a direct order to hold his post. “Damn it William, you better sound off—” Gregg put a hand on her shoulder. She rounded on him, ready to tear him a new one for wanting her to go easy. Then she saw he was pointing. A few meters away was a scattering of spent cartridges, like the ones the Chosen used in their weapons.
Cherise picked up one and examined the base before nodding. “One of ours,” she said.
“Scouts, figure out what happened,” Minu ordered. Aaron, Gregg and Luke fanned out. It didn’t take them long to piece together a story. Luke reported the results.
“He was in a brief fight. He expended a ten-round magazine, then stopped firing. Looks like he was carried into town.” They showed her a trail of lizard tracks heading toward the town. No human prints went that way.
“I found a scattering of spent cartridges over there,” Aaron said, gesturing at the crater rim, “and they weren’t our ordnance. Gregg found more over there.”
“Any signs of wounded?” asked Minu.
“No indications of blood here or in either shooters’ position,” Luke said as he inspected an alien-made bullet casing. “Minor wounds can’t be ruled out, though.”
“Who shot first?” They all shrugged. “Why didn’t we hear the firefight?”
“Our scout weapons are suppressed,” Gregg told her. “Even from a kilometer away, it’s unlikely we’d hear much of anything.”
Minu nodded and thought hard. Had William precipitated an incident, or was this an unprovoked attack? The answer to her question would spell out her response; she had no latitude to play it by ear. The ROE were written by the Tog and could not be changed, even if she lost her entire team. There was a very real chance they’d give their lives in repayment of the debt humanity owed its masters. She’d known that since the day she signed up for the Trials.
“What’s the call, Boss?” Luke asked. Minu saw Cherise grin. It had taken little more than a week for the new guys to start calling her boss. They looked at her expectantly, and for a moment, the panic she’d felt during the Trials returned. They’d backed her into a corner, and she’d seen no way out. Suddenly, the Trials didn’t seem quite so harsh or unrealistic.
“We go in, find out what happened to him, and if possible, negotiate his release.” She looked down at the cache case she carried and hoped it wouldn’t get to that point.
* * * * *
Chapter 7
September 18th, 515 AE
Galactic Frontier, Planet GBX49881, Ruins
The young Chosen knew the city layout well after their stay, so returning to the town square was easy. As she created her action plan, Minu hoped the Rasa thought William was a solo scout, and having nabbed him, they wouldn’t continue searching.
“They wouldn’t be very smart lizards if they stopped.” Cherise said when Minu confided her theory. “They must have seen our tracks leading toward the village, so they know he wasn’t alone.” She was right. Any of her scouts would have drawn the same conclusion and tracked them further. With their rear guard out of the way, it would have been like shooting howlers in a tree.
As they entered the city, they proceeded slowly and used life sensors at every corner. Once the Rasa showed up on their devices, they’d also be visible to the Rasa. Finally, as they approached the town square, six blips appeared on their scanners. Moving more cautiously, they began to circle and evaluate their enemy’s location. As they crept forward, the blips didn’t move, staying in a small group a few meters from the portal. Minu began to worry. Was one of the six William? If so, there was a Rasa skulking around. She wished the sensor could differentiate between lifeforms. The sun was dropping below its zenith and moving toward the horizon. They were hot, sweaty, and tired, w
hile the lizards were spending the hottest part of the day relaxing in the open. Minu smiled; this was a tactical advantage.
They were still a hundred meters away, several hours before nightfall. The sensors showed the Rasa moving around but staying near their camp.
“Okay,” she told her team as they gathered inside a partially crumbled building, “Encircle their camp. Everyone must be armed.” Pip looked nervous, so Aaron put a big hand on his shoulder. Pip nodded and seemed to take strength from the gesture.
“Attacking is against the ROE,” Cherise whispered to Minu.
“We don’t have to attack if they surrender,” Minu replied. Cherise nodded, and they readied their weapons then spread out to encircle the apparently unaware Rasa.
Minu was closest to Gregg as they slid from cover to cover like ghosts. They stayed close enough to each other to maintain visual contact, thus avoiding the use of the radios. Their equipment wasn’t very advanced, so it was easier to detect. The radios, built on Bellatrix, had advantages and disadvantages. Minu crawled through some rubble and propped her rifle against a partially-collapsed wall. The scope glowed red and was nearly invisible in the waning sunlight. She leaned in close and spotted one of the Rasa, its face vaguely reminiscent of a miniature Kloth as it went about some task. A large piece of skewered meat cooked over an open fire. Minu sniffed the air and picked up the faintest hint of the strange spices used to season it.
Minu looked at Gregg, fifty meters away. She flashed a sign asking him what he saw. Gregg used his index and middle fingers to point to his eyes, then gestured across the landscape. Making a V with the same two fingers, he stood them on the palm of his hand, then held up three fingers. He could see three aliens from his location. Minu nodded and signaled for him to get reports from the others, then checked her view again while she waited. She saw two Rasa moving around. She craned her neck and got Luke’s attention. He used the same hand signals to indicate he saw four aliens. The sun continued descending; soon the Rasa would be much more active. One walked over to the food and sniffed it. Despite its lack of facial muscles, Minu thought it was pleased by the scent of the cooking meat. A long, forked tongue shot out for a taste, and she heard its hiss of pleasure as it sampled some of the dripping grease. Why would they bring fresh meat on a mission? Minu wondered. Maybe it was something required by their metabolism? She looked up and saw Gregg watching her. He indicated looking, pointed toward the others in her team, and shook his head negatively. No one could see their missing team member.
Minu held up a flattened hand. She made a low sweeping motion, first to the left then to the right, then held up two fingers. Have two scouts move in closer from both sides, she instructed. Gregg acknowledged with a fist nod, then relayed the orders. She returned to her scope. The Rasa were gathering by the fire and using long, slim-bladed knives to carve off pieces of meat. She could see it was still partially raw as they dug into it. It reminded her of how long it had been since they’d eaten more than preserved ration packs. The Rasa wrapped the meat around their blades and tore chunks from it with sharp teeth, swallowing the flesh whole. Minu’s stomach grumbled, and her annoyance grew. If they didn’t have William, where the hell was he? Hiding somewhere, no doubt.
Gregg motioned to get her attention. He signed that they’d found something, then patted his hat, backpack, gun, and boot. He motioned walking around to the far side of the camp. Minu tried to figure out the situation. Had they stripped William, tied him up, and put him somewhere they couldn’t see? Another lizard appeared and helped itself to the food. She wanted to give more detailed orders, so she pulled out her computer and started typing. A moment later, she held it up for Gregg to see. He pulled out his computer, and she sent a coded message. It was a risky move this close to the aliens. If any of the Rasa were watching their computers closely, they’d see the transmission. Even if they did, though, they’d have no idea where the transmission came from or what it said. So it was a risk she was willing to take.
She asked what they’d found. Luke reported he’d seen a Chosen pack on the far side of the square. She wondered if the Rasa had scramblers that could disrupt their life sensors. She had no idea. Either way, caution demanded she bide her time, so Minu ordered them to hold positions and wait for dark. They’d lose some advantage, but once the Rasa began moving about, maybe some would go into town, and one of her team could sneak in close enough to see where they were holding William. With luck, they could free him, create a diversion, and run to the portal. Minu could see its pearly, opal surface glowing just beyond the Rasa camp, taunting her with thoughts of escape and home.
All six Rasa were up as the sun continued to set. The scent of cooking meat drifted in the air, and Minu again thought about her empty stomach. The whole situation sucked. Why had William been stupid enough to get himself caught? Why hadn’t he radioed that he was in trouble? Why wasn’t she dropping off the cache at home and working on solving the mystery of her father’s disappearance while eating a big dinner? She returned to her scope.
The meat on the skewer was almost gone. Now that the entire Rasa team was awake, the cook went to get more meat. Minu looked at them, trying to puzzle out their responsibilities. It helped take her mind off her stomach and the predicament her team was in.
The cook returned to the fire, a large piece of meat in one clawed hand, and one of their long-bladed knives in the other. With a sure motion, it skewered the meat and placed it over the fire. This piece of flesh was longer and more intact. The cook began slicing the meat, so it would cook better. As it moved, Minu could see an unmistakably human hand dangling from one end, shredded flesh and pale white bone protruding from the other. The skin began to char and burn.
Cherise screamed. She’d also gotten a good a view, and she and Minu realized what they were seeing at the same time. Instantly alert, the Rasa crouched and turned toward the sound. In her shock, Minu didn’t react immediately. The cook took its long knife and turned toward Cherise.
Minu unconsciously thumbed off the safety on her rifle and adjusted her aim until the cook’s head fell into the center of the scope. The cook heard the loud click of her safety releasing and turned toward her. She settled the cross hairs on one eye and squeezed the trigger. The crack of the weapon discharging was less satisfactory than the way the Rasa’s head exploded from the impact of the hypersonic projectile.
“Kill them all!” she screamed, loud enough for her whole team to hear. She didn’t care if the aliens heard her or not. Minu picked targets and fired as quickly as the weapon cycled. The entire square erupted in gunfire, and the Rasa fell under the withering crossfire. A Rasa dove toward a pile of equipment, but she shot it through a leg, shattering the limb and making it scream. Its cry of pain sounded surprisingly human. As it spun around, she shot it twice through the chest before it stilled. Another Rasa, armed with a rifle, fired a projectile spray toward Cherise. Minu shot it through the back, and then through the head, as it lay screaming on the ground. She realized the weapon was empty when she heard the trigger click over an empty cylinder several times. She dropped the rifle and stood up. She pulled her knife, the one from the Trials, as she strode toward the camp. Four Rasa were dead, and the surviving two were wounded. One crawled toward a weapon, the other toward the portal.
Minu caught the one crawling toward the gun. It fixed its eyes on her, opened its mouth to show rows of razor sharp teeth, and snarled. It came at Minu with the long-bladed knife they’d used to butcher William. Though one of its legs was useless, it was still full of fight.
Cherise had been teaching her for more than a year, and she had dozens of sparring matches under her belt. In peak physical condition and fired by rage, she coiled like a steel spring and launched herself. Her cybernetic-powered hand held the knife, and she used it to bat aside the Rasa’s blade as she collided with the alien. Her other arm shot up and out, catching the Rasa just under the edge of its hard, lizard jaw. The impact might have broken a human jaw or jarred some teeth loose,
but it simply knocked the Rasa off balance. Seizing the advantage, Minu slashed up and in with her blade, consciously giving her arm the little mental ‘push’ that caused it to exceed normal human strength. Her mechanical muscles exerted their massive strength, and the blade shattered the alien’s chest bones and organs.
As the Rasa fell dead, Minu spun, looking for another target. Gregg, Aaron and Luke stood over the final Rasa. It lay on its back, hands up in surrender. Blood poured steadily from a bullet wound in its side.
“Oh shit, oh shit,” Pip said over and over. He was standing nearby, holding his rifle in trembling hands.
“Calm down,” Luke said, his weapon never wavering from the prone enemy.
“What about this one, boss?” Gregg asked.
Minu walked over and looked down at it. The Rasa stared back in what, fear? Anger? Loathing? She reached under her shirt and flipped on her translator. “Why did you eat our friend?” she snapped.
The Rasa cocked its head as it listened to its translator hiss and pop. After a moment, it spoke. “We were hungry.”
Minu drew her handgun and fired a single shot. The bullet went in through the Rasa’s mouth and blew out the back of its head. The alien jerked wildly as its body came to grips with death.
Pip screamed, a short squawk cut short by Cherise putting a hand over his mouth and hugging him. He shook and cried silently against her. Gregg looked from the macabre scene to Minu and shrugged. He engaged the safety on his gun and reloaded. Aaron looked at her, his eyes reflecting shock and a hint of terror. Was it from the recent battle, or what she’d just done? Luke and Chester moved through the camp, systematically making sure all the Rasa were dead. They put one round in each head, where it was necessary.