by GARY DARBY
Amazed to find his cheek and earpieces still in place after the water’s mighty pounding, he keyed opened his communicator, dubious that it would work through solid rock.
For several minutes, he called his companions, but the absence of a reply confirmed his suspicions that the comm unit wouldn’t work here, wherever “here” was.
Dason stood and searched the cave’s ceiling, hoping to find a crack or weak spot that might lead to the outside world. Repeated pounding on the hard stone shell with a fist convinced him that he couldn’t punch through the solid roof.
He sat on the uneven stone shelf with his back against the granite wall. He wrapped his arms around his knees and hung his head down, swaying back and forth.
First Nase, and now TJ. He balled a fist up and slammed it against the rock. He had wanted to see the stars, the great Out There and prove that he wasn’t his father.
However, if this was the price he had to pay, it was almost more than he could bear.
He wiped the back of his hand across his eyes and took a deep breath. A hard shiver shook him, a reminder that he needed to leave this cold, damp place and soon.
He rotated his lights to survey every bit of the small grotto. The solid ceiling and walls left no doubt—to escape he would have to dive into the pitch-black depths and try to fight his way to the top.
Scooting forward, he studied the black, flat water and muttered to himself, “Only one way out.”
He considered discarding his torso vest and his other Star Scout supplies but discounted that idea, since the items were light and not an actual hindrance. Besides, if he made it, he would need the equipment.
Another idea formed in his mind. The whirling vortex seemed to be strongest at or near the surface. Would it be possible for him to swim under or around the spinning funnel avoiding the powerful suction?
Dason understood that it was pure chance that had propelled him into the underwater granite cocoon. If the powerful whirlpool caught him again in its watery vise, his incredible fortune might not hold, and he would drown before he could reach safety.
He sat, unmoving, just staring at the water. He tried to bring himself to slip into the blackness, but he couldn’t move.
Sucking air through clenched teeth, he pushed back from the featureless liquid and braced his back against the rock wall. In a vigorous motion, he rubbed his hands on his pants, trying to bring a sense of warmth back into this body.
He straightened a leg and the scraping of his boot against the stone facing reverberated in the cave’s stillness. The harsh sound snapped his self-absorption and he slipped into a memory where he heard the voice of Scoutmaster Tarracas.
“Fear is a common theme in the life of a Star Scout Out There. Fear is a power. Like belief, faith, hope, love, hate, evil, and goodness. Fear can heighten, sharpen the senses, or to dull and even paralyze those same senses.
“It can slay your will, deaden your sensations, decimate your ability to think, to act. There is only one antidote to fear’s venom. You will know what that is when the time comes. The question will be whether or not you are willing to embrace the cure.”
Dason stared at the black, quiet waters. The poison of fear was rendering him immobile, in mind and body. There was but one release from its overpowering grip.
He took several deep breaths and closed his eyes. He pushed away all thoughts except that which he had to do. Easing forward across the wet rock face, he slipped off the rock ledge and into the water.
His heart raced, but he forced himself to dive several times until he found the underwater cave’s oblong entrance. Holding onto the shelf, he took several deep breaths to hyperventilate.
Arching his back, he plunged into the dark waters, his forceful strokes pushing him deeper and deeper.
Hands and arms outstretched, he reached the bottom, and pushed himself along the rocky bottom and through the underwater portal.
The grasping clutches of the vortex tugged at him as if it had watery fingers that were trying to pull him into its death grip.
With a powerful scissor kick, he swam to his right, following the rock’s semi-smooth texture and diving even deeper into the dark pool.
His hand slid along the basin’s graveled bottom. The pounding of the water pulsated against his body. He could feel the funnel’s drag, but the rock seem to dissipate its strength and he was able to pull away.
Dason propelled himself along the pool’s lowermost point until he could feel a distinctive lessening of the vortex’s effects. Feeling his air running out, he knew he had no choice but to chance that he was past the death-dealing whirlpool.
He planted his boots on the bottom and with a herculean thrust shot upward. Breaking the surface, he sucked in air only to find himself back in the clutches of the wild current.
The roar of rapids came from just ahead. Twisting around, Dason frantically stroked to the boulder-lined bank and latched onto several large, craggy rocks.
Pulling himself from the water, he crawled onto several flat crystal-laced rocks and lay bellly down, gasping for breath. He had to wait several minutes before he had the strength to rise and in a stumbling walk, made his way up the riverbank.
Reaching the forest’s border, he collapsed against a tree trunk and opened his communicator. In a raspy voice, he said, “Shanon, Sami, can you hear me?”
“Dason!” Shanon exclaimed, her voice catching with heartfelt emotion. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
“I’m okay, and somewhere downstream of the rock dam,” Dason answered. “What about TJ and the XT?”
For several seconds, there was silence until Shanon replied in a halting voice, “They never surfaced, Dason. We stayed for a while, but that thing was still in the water. After that, we hiked down to the gorge to look for you.”
Dason stared at the sky in disbelief. He had hoped against hope and now, in the space of a few hours, he had lost both Nase and TJ.
Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed Shanon asking “. . . do you want us to do?”
Dason tried to answer but couldn’t. Shanon asked again, “Dason, are you there? What do you want us to do?”
Dason pulled in several choking breaths, gathered himself before asking, “Your location?”
“Sami and I are in the woods. We thought we heard the Jakuta moving around and went to investigate. We left Alena and the Kereb hidden near the river.
“The XT was giving us a lot of trouble. Wouldn’t move away from the river. I guess he wants to search for his companion. Sami gave Alena his stunner, and I gave her one of my knives.”
“Alena,” Dason said, “if you hear us, where are you?”
“I can hear you,” Alena replied. “I’m about fifty meters above the waterline where we crossed.”
“Okay. Shanon, Sami, any sign of our hostiles?”
“Negative,” Sami answered, “it appears clear.”
“Then head for Alena’s position,” Dason ordered. “I’ll meet you as soon as I can.”
Dason headed upstream toward the rock bridge. Angling into the tree line, he paced cautiously, stopping to listen every few minutes.
The forest seemed quiet enough as he slipped through the underbrush searching for Alena.
The tiny snap of a broken twig caused him to freeze.
Someone or something was behind him. Was it just some animal grazing along the forest floor or was something lurking behind him on his trail?
He eased between two tangled bushes and drew his knife while doing a slow scan of his immediate surroundings. There was nothing in the trees above or in the nearby brush that gave him a clue to his mysterious stalker.
Dason slipped away to circle the brushy area to spy on whatever it was that trailed him. He stepped into a small clearing. The tiniest of rustlings in nearby bushes caused him to whirl in a crouch with knife outstretched.
Alena rose up, her stunner leveled at Dason’s midsection.
Frantic that she would shoot, he waved both hands to stop her from firing. She stared
straight at him and for just a second, Dason had the distinct impression that she was going to fire.
Rumbling voices in the forest caused both Alena and Dason to spin in the sound’s direction. Passing between a stand of sequoia-like trees, several Jakuta strode with soft footfalls through the forest depths.
Alena trained her weapon on the aliens, but then swung it again toward Dason. Dason couldn’t miss the anger and frustration on her face. They stared straight into each other’s eyes before she lowered the weapon to her side and slipped back into the bushes.
Dason retraced his steps to find Alena waiting for him. Neither said anything but moved away from the aliens.
Once he was confident that they were out of earshot of the XTs, Dason spoke in a quiet voice over his comms, “Sami, Shanon, Jakuta in the forest, they’re parallel to and about two hundred meters above the river.”
“Understood,” Shanon replied. “Still meet at the rendezvous point?”
“Yes,” Dason murmured.
He turned to Alena and in a furious whisper asked, “What was the idea of aiming that L-gun at me? I’m not the enemy, remember?”
Her eyes held cold fury. “I thought you were one of them.”
“Do I look like one of them?!” Dason retorted.
Before Alena could answer, Dason snapped through clenched teeth, “Never mind, let’s get out of here. We’re meeting Sami and Shanon near the pool. Where’s the Kereb?”
Alena gestured off to one side. “I left him in some bushes down by the river; he was making too much noise, so I shut him up by stunning him.”
“You did what?!” Dason demanded.
He gave her one last hard look and stalked away. Alena guided them to where the lone Kereb lay. Dason knelt by the humanoid. It was apparent the alien was out cold.
“Shanon, Sami,” Dason said over his communicator, “we’re at the meet point.”
“Roger,” Shanon replied, “we’re closing.”
A few minutes later, Dason saw Sami slide around a red-barked tree in the distance. “Sami,” he murmured through his cheek mike, “come right and downslope about fifty meters.”
The two closed ranks and Shanon gave Dason a fierce hug, while Sami gave him a clap on the shoulder while saying, “Glad you made it, TL.”
Dason nodded and to Alena ordered, “Stay here and keep watch.”
He pulled his two teammates to one side, away from Alena. With eyes on the ground, he began in a halting voice, “I lost both Nase and—”
“Stop,” Shanon ordered, tears in her eyes. “No one lost Nase or TJ, Dason. And, if you’re about to say that this was all your fault and that someone else should be team leader, forget it. We all knew what we were getting into when we pinned on the arrow.”
She peered at Sami. “Right, Sami?”
Sami hung his head before he rubbed at his nose. He swallowed and said in a choking voice, “They both died trying to save a life. If that’s not following the oath, then I don’t know what is.”
He shook his head and with solemn eyes gazed at Dason. “It’s no fault of yours, TL, that they didn’t make it, and if they were here, I know they wouldn’t be blaming you.”
Taking a deep breath, he said with a catch in his throat, “I only hope that when my time comes, I die as well as they did.”
The three stood silent before Dason reached out and with a hand on their shoulders said, “Thanks, but for now, let’s live as well as they did.”
Sami nodded in a fervent manner. “Amen to that, brother.”
Dason gave their shoulders a last squeeze and said, “Let’s get back in the saddle; we’ve got work to do.”
The three rejoined Alena where Sami jutted his chin toward the alien who lay stretched out on the ground. “Heck of a time to take another nap.”
Dason jerked his head toward Alena. “She stunned him and almost did the same to me—twice.”
“No,” Sami started, “that’s about the—”
“You weren’t here,” Alena retorted.
She jabbed a finger at the Kereb. “It was doing an excellent imitation of a chattering magpie. I couldn’t get him to shut up. I was afraid he was going to give us away. It’s that simple.”
Glaring at the scouts through narrowed eyes, she declared, “You don’t know squat, you’re just babes in the woods, so don’t even start on me.”
Dason stared at Alena before saying in a sarcastic tone, “Maybe, but at least these babes in the woods know the difference between shooting at a teammate and an adversary.”
He held out his hand. “The stunner,” he said in a tone that left no doubt that Alena had better not buck his order.
Alena returned Dason’s hard stare. They locked eyes, neither backing down. Alena glanced at Sami and Shanon. They placed hands on knives.
Dason could see Alena’s body grow tense and knew that she was gauging her chances against the three. Then she relaxed, gave a curt shrug, and handed the stunner over with a sullen glare at Dason.
Handing the weapon to Sami, he said, “Hang onto this; I know you’ll aim it in the right direction.”
Dason couldn’t shake the distinct impression that if his two companions hadn’t been there, Alena would have dialed the L-gun up to kill level, leveled it at him and squeezed the trigger.
“We stick to the plan,” Dason said to Sami and Shanon, “head for the crash site, and hope it’s not that far away.”
Sami looked in the direction of the high prominences that lined the vale on one side. “So, keep going down valley, find a path through the hills?”
“Right,” Dason replied. “Sami, you’re going to have to carry the XT. Shanon, you’ll cover the front and be the point; Alena, you overwatch Sami and the XT.”
He gestured toward the forest. “Head downstream about a kilometer and then angle toward the hills.”
Shanon asked Dason in a suspicious tone, “While Sami is lugging the Kereb, and we’re covering, just what are you going to be doing?”
“We’ve got Jakuta in the forest,” Dason answered. “I’m going to flank you and cover the rear. We’re going to be moving very slowly thanks to our sleeper here so I’ll try to give you as much warning time as I can.”
He nodded in the direction of the boulder-strewn mounts. “When you make your turn for the hills, let me know.”
Pausing, he then said, “The three of you take turns carrying the XT, so you don’t get too tired.”
“Hey,” Sami quipped, “did you forget I was the school’s undefeated wrestling champ?”
“No Sami, I didn’t forget,” Dason replied. “That’s why you get the Kereb first. If the Jakuta spot us and you have to make a run for it, you’re the man for the job.”
“At last,” Sami replied, hitching at his vest. “A little respect around here.”
Sami bent down and with Shanon’s help slung the small alien across his shoulders. He followed Shanon through the trees while, without a word to Dason, Alena spun on her heel and followed the two.
Dason watched Alena trail Sami and took a deep breath. He didn’t understand Alena’s anger at him, but he did know that if looks could kill, Alena would’ve murdered him a dozen times over by now.
He glanced upward through the trees and gauged by the sun’s passage that they only had a few hours before complete nightfall.
If all went well, they should make the base of the hills by sunset. After that, they would have to decide whether to keep going or hold up for the night.
He turned at a right angle to the group’s line of march and strode through the forest to search for the big aliens.
The remainder of the afternoon passed without incident and by dusk Shanon had them moving parallel to the hills. Dason spoke into his communicator, “Shanon, Sami, what do you think? Keep going or bed down for the night?”
“I don’t fancy lugging this character around in the dark,” Sami replied. “Puts everyone, especially me at risk if we get attacked.”
“I agree with Sami,”
Shanon.
“You do?” Sami sputtered. “Wow, that’s a first. Let me get my chrono out to mark the date and time. I also want a certified statement from you that—”
“Enough, Sami,” Dason growled. “All right, let’s call it a day. Shanon, start looking for shelter. Preferably something where neither ground or sky hunters can get at us.”
“Already on it,” came her reply.
“Good,” he answered. “I’m going to hang back, make sure there’s no one following.”
“Understood,” Shanon said. “Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll guide you in.”
Dason paced their rear trail and for now, it remained clear of any threat from either the hostile aliens or any dangerous beasts that might have caught their scent.
Skirting the eroded foot of one hill, he decided to chance a short climb to a convenient knobby outcropping so that he could get an eagle’s view of the hilly basin.
He scaled a series of terracelike ledges until he found a suitable perch. He lay flat, brought out his binos and surveyed the valley.
The only things he spotted were a few of the antelope creatures and the now recognizable movements of dual-winged avians.
Other than that, the small part of the valley floor that Dason spied on was calm and still. The fact that they had neither seen nor heard any Jakuta for the better part of the day was encouraging.
Maybe they’ve given up, he thought to himself but somehow doubted it. They had a score to settle and were probably just regrouping for the night before they came on tomorrow with a vengeance.
Dason took a long drink of water from his vest pouch and lay on the rocky outcrop for a few more minutes watching the scene below.
Satisfied that they were in the clear, he dropped down from the overhang. With careful strides, Dason began to slant across the hillside, heading upward toward the hill’s crest, thinking he could save some time by crossing over the hill instead of skirting around its base.
In the distance, the planet’s terminator, marking the change from day to night, sped closer. Darkness would soon be upon him.
Dason hadn’t wanted to travel at night, but his desire to make sure that no one followed had outweighed that consideration. He could follow the ridgeline and use it as a natural guide instead of walking in the forest’s darkness.