by GARY DARBY
Shanon rolled over and pulled Dason closer to her. The two clung to each other and crawled along the bottom seeking the clear pool’s depths to get away from the punishing attack.
The water deepened until at least a meter of liquid protected them from their airborne attackers.
Dason pulled up a large stone and handed it to Shanon, who used the rock’s weight to settle on the bottom. Dason held a rock to his mid-waist and sank to the stream’s pebbled floor as well.
Conserving his breath by not moving, Dason waited as long as he could before he surfaced, grabbed a breath, and went back down. Twice more he went up gasping for air before he submerged and sank to the bottom.
On the third time, with just his face out of the water, he scanned the area and found the flying things gone. He stood up in the shoulder-high water and waded over to Shanon, who rose out of the water and took a deep breath.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Don’t think so,” she answered with a grimace. “But they nailed me pretty good on the back of the neck.”
“Let me see,” Dason ordered.
Shanon turned her head, and Dason pushed up her collar-length hair to reveal several ugly red splotches. Fingernail-sized indentations marked the center of the crimson circles.
He examined each wound carefully before saying, “Looks like giant mosquito bites,” he stated, “but I don’t see anything under the skin. They get you anywhere else?” he asked.
She shook her head causing tiny droplets to spray from her hair. “No. What about you?”
“I’m okay. But check my back will you?” He waded into shallower water and turned so that she could survey his protecting vest.
After a few seconds, she said, “Well, you’ve got bug splatter everywhere, but I don’t think they penetrated.”
“Thanks,” Dason replied.
A splashing sound caused him to turn. Alena and Sami were hauling the Kereb to shore. Slogging through the water, Dason waded to where Sami and Alena stood. “Everyone okay?” he asked.
“Just about drowned him,” Sami said with a little frown. With a nod toward the extraterrestrial who sat slumped over on the beach rocks, he said, “I don’t think he can hold his breath very long. Kept sputtering up and down.”
“No,” Dason replied in a wistful tone, “I don’t think they do well in water. Let’s get out of here before those things come back.”
The small group reformed and went upstream. The little XT walked on unsteady legs, but managed to stay on his feet. He seemed dazed at times, unsure of his surroundings.
“That stun shot must have really messed up his brain circuitry,” Dason muttered to Shanon during a brief halt.
“We can’t going at this slow pace,” he continued, “we need to find that transport and soon before the Jakuta finds it or us.”
“I hate to say this,” she muttered low, “but you might want to start considering an alternate plan if he doesn’t come around soon.”
“You’re right,” he sighed before standing and getting everyone up for the next leg of their march.
It wasn’t long before they left the streambed after finding a promising trail that seemed to lead up and through the hills. After several hours, Dason stopped the group as they skirted a deep ravine that pierced the small mount that they trudged up.
“Sami,” Dason said over his comms, “how does it look ahead? Tell me we’re coming out of the hills cause’ the Kereb is really struggling back here. I’m not sure he can go much farther.”
Sami’s response was quick. “Not yet,” he said. “But the good news is that I think we’ve got a pass through the hills just ahead. We may not have to do more climbing after all.”
“Is it flat?” Dason asked, aware that even the smallest uphill climbs were a challenge for the alien, even with Shanon or Alena, or sometimes both, assisting.
“Not the part I’m looking at,” Sami came back. “Pretty steady incline, but it curves behind the hill’s shoulder, and I can’t see past that.”
Disappointed at the news but knowing it couldn’t be helped, Dason restarted the group on their trek but they hadn’t gone far when Sami called over the comms, “TL, you might want to bring everyone forward and see this.”
“On our way,” Dason replied.
Soon after, they found Sami standing near a dry gully and keeping watch on the surrounding hills. Sami gestured toward a spot further ahead “Over here.” With Sami leading, the group followed until a putrid stench assaulted Dason’s nostrils.
Shanon covered her nose with one hand and quipped to Sami, “Whew. Remind me not to stand downwind of you anymore.”
“Hey,” Sami retorted, “you don’t smell like a Bolian Rose yourself. But it’s not me. Over there.”
Lying in a little ravine was the disjointed carcass of a small, horned animal. Its splayed hooves extended in several directions while its whitish, bloated stomach oozed a cream-colored liquid.
Nevertheless, it was the creature resting on top of the dead animal that caught everyone’s attention. For a second, Dason thought he stared at an orange-colored jellyfish whose charcoal-tinted tentacles seem to bore inside the carcass.
The gelatinous glob pulsated and undulated while it lay on the animal’s hindquarters. Around the creature’s outer edge was a ring of foam and Dason could see that it had dissolved the flesh down to the bone.
“Charming rendition of a vulture, don’t you think?” Sami asked Shanon.
Shanon grimaced and said, “Yeah, absolutely charming.”
Sami waved a hand at the scrub brush that dotted the landscape. “Watch where you step; might be more around.”
“Not to worry,” Shanon answered, “with that around I’m going to learn how to float in midair.”
The group left the thing to its grisly business and started toward the small pass that led between the surrounding hills. It was narrow and climbed upward somewhat, but it would be better than trying to cross straight over the boulder-strewn high hills.
After a short hike to get away from the stench of decayed flesh, Dason called a halt. “We need to talk,” he stated.
Grimly, he faced the group. “The Kereb is too weak—slowing us up too much. He may or may not come around soon, but it’s obvious he can’t sustain a forced hike. If the Jakuta discover us, we’ll be hard pressed to evade and escape.
“My best guess is that we’re still at least five or more kilometers from our start point in our search for the transport crash site. At this rate, it could be tomorrow before we can even begin our recon.”
Dason gazed down at the hard-packed ground before raising his head. “I don’t want to leave the XT behind, but I think we’ve reached a decision point. So, this is what I propose.
“We find a good hiding spot. One of us stays behind with the Kereb while the others press on and try for the transport.”
He stopped for a few seconds and then asked, “Sami, what do you think?”
Sami had knelt on one knee, catching his breath while Dason spoke. He stood and looked at the narrow pass that lay ahead. “We might not have to do any serious climbing but what if we get ambushed in there? We can barely take care of ourselves, let alone try to drag him through a fight.
“I hate to say it, even if it were one of us we’d be leaving behind, but it’s the right thing to do. The sooner we get to that other ship, the better all of our chances are for rescue.”
“Shanon?” Dason asked.
Shanon arched her neck to gaze skyward. She took a breath and exhaled before saying, “The Scout Oath says—”
“No!” The word exploded out of Alena’s mouth like a laser shot. “This hasn’t anything to do with the Scout Oath.”
She took a step toward Shanon. “This is not about a bunch of words—this is about our surviving, getting out of here alive.”
Gesturing toward the alien who lay crumpled against a nearby boulder, she growled, “We’ve risked enough for him and the others. It’s time we took care
of ourselves.”
Shanon stood frozen in place, her mouth half open at Alena’s violent outburst. She shook her head and took her own small step forward.
In a quiet but forceful manner, she said, “No, Alena, words really do mean something.” She gestured at Dason and Sami, “At least to some of us.”
Her lips trembled and her voice quivered as she said, “If not, then Nase and TJ died for what? Nothing? No, I refuse to believe that.
“They died for that bunch of words as you call them, and I’m truly sorry for you, sorry that you have no concept of honor or loyalty to anything or anyone!”
Alena stiffened, and her mouth tightened into a thin crease. Her hands balled into tight fists, and she leaned forward as if she were going to charge straight at Shanon.
The two young women confronted each other for a split second. Dason thought he saw tears come to Alena’s eyes before she whirled and stormed away from the group.
“We need to stop this,” Dason said in a sharp tone. “The last thing we need is for us to be fighting among ourselves.”
He glanced at Shanon and drew in a sharp breath. “I admit it, for a while I thought about leaving him behind. But I was wrong and Shanon’s right, the oath demands that we make every effort to protect this being, and we will.
“We’re not going to abandon him on the trail. We’ll do everything to protect him while at the same time finding that downed transport and hopefully help for all of us.”
Alena had turned slowly around while he spoke, and now Dason addressed her face to face. “Alena, you may not agree and might not understand, but we understand and that’s good enough for us.”
Turning away from Alena, he said to Shanon and Sami, “The best we can do for now, is to find a place where we have suitable cover and concealment for the XT. It just needs to be good enough for a few days. Sami, do you think you can rustle something up along those lines?”
“I’m not sure what suits one of them for a five-star XT bed and breakfast,” Sami replied, “but I’ll try my best.”
“Good enough,” Dason returned with a wan smile. “You push ahead; we’ll get the Kereb up and moving.”
Dason took the few steps to stand near to Alena. “You coming or staying?”
She sat still and silent, not meeting his eyes before she raised her head to say, “I’m coming.”
Standing up, she pushed past Dason, went over to the little alien, reached down to hook one hand under an arm, and lifted him up. “Let’s go, sleeping beauty,” she said. “Nappy time is over.”
Shanon, surprised to see Alena’s sudden willingness to help was slow to grab the alien’s other arm. Alena turned to her and said, “You just going to stand there with your mouth open or are you going to grab the other arm?”
Shanon grasped the alien’s other arm. “Sorry,” she replied in a contrite tone.
Dason nodded and said, “Let’s move, Sami’s halfway through the pass by now.”
For several minutes, the small group trudged up through the narrow gorge, with Dason acting as overwatch.
He stopped every so often to scan the overlooking hilltops to either side, mindful that anyone who held the high ground would have an easy blaster shot at them, as there was scant vegetation or anything else for that matter that they could use for cover.
He turned to survey the small valley they had just left. His head jerked up.
Movement!
Whipping out his micro binos, he leaned forward to get a better look. In a rapid and urgent voice, he said over the comms, “We’ve got company. Jakuta on our back trail and headed up the valley.”
Not waiting for an acknowledgment, Dason spun around and sprinted up the gorge. He caught up with Shanon and Alena, who were tugging and pushing at the Kereb to make him move faster.
“Sami!” Dason yelled over his comms. “Look for some place to go to ground. We can’t outrun these guys.”
“On it,” Sami replied.
“Shanon, give me your weapon,” Dason ordered.
Shanon passed her laz-gun to Dason. He turned and knelt behind a dirt outcropping to spy on their trackers while the three struggled up the slope.
Gripping the L-gun, he considered taking on the Jakuta to give the others time to get over the pass’s crest. His one hope was that on the hill’s backside they would find more favorable terrain to hide them from their antagonists.
He had just made up his mind to make a stand when Sami spoke in a rush over the comms, “TL, we might be in luck. I’m several hundred meters below the crest. There’s a large crack in the rocks, looks deep enough to hide us.”
“Good job, Sami,” Dason replied.
Sprinting away, he scrambled through the narrow canyon. Catching up with Shanon and Alena, he grabbed the Kereb and slung him over his shoulder. The Kereb gave out something akin to a human moan but didn’t struggle against the rough, bouncy ride.
Stumbling through the loose rock on the backside of the pass, Dason spotted Sami waving at them near a large slit in the hillside.
He pushed down the slope before sliding to a halt in the loose rock and setting the XT down on the ground.
Leaving the Kereb to Shanon and Alena, Dason raced down the widening valley to join Sami, who gestured at a fissure like opening in the hill’s flank.
“Goes in about three, four meters,” Sami explained. “Then opens out into a small anteroom. I stopped there.”
At Sami’s last remark, Dason turned from peering into the dark opening. “I think it’s occupied,” Sami replied to Dason’s unspoken question.
Dason grimaced and asked, “Anything on the LS?”
“No, but there are tracks in the dirt and a very distinctive smell.”
“Did you see anything else around that can hide us? Those Jakuta are going to come boiling over that crest in about ten minutes.”
“No, but I can keep looking.”
Dason glanced around. The vegetation was thinner on this side of the hills and from what he could see, didn’t offer much in the way of concealment. He turned back to the rocky opening. “Not much choice is there?”
“Not unless we dig a hole and pull the dirt over us,” Sami replied.
Shanon and Alena, their breath coming in short gasps from half-carrying the Kereb down the hill, joined Dason and Sami. Not mincing words, Dason explained the situation. “So, we either chance this or try and make a run for it,” he said.
Shanon ran a hand over the fractured rock’s craggy lip. “We need to conceal this opening,” she stated. For several seconds, they looked around to find anything to cover the fissure but the gorge was devoid of usable vegetation.
Seeing that the others were waiting for him to make a decision, Dason ordered, “Shanon, Alena, get the Kereb inside. Sami and I will do what we can to cover our tracks.”
Shanon pulled the Kereb into the dark opening with Alena following. Sami sprinted a short distance away, pulled up a leafy bush, and began sweeping the ground to erase their tracks. Dason did the same around the cave opening.
Backing his way to the portal, Sami came to stand next to Dason and said, “Now I know what it means to be cornered like a rat.’”
Dason nodded and said, “C’mon, let’s see if we can find a back door.”
Following Sami, Dason found himself in a small, dry chamber, which opened into a much larger room. The dank air had a musty, moldy smell.
On the powdery floor, Dason spotted what caused Sami to say that the cave might have residents. The skeleton of one of the deer creatures lay scattered in the dust.
Bending over, Dason could see various deep imprints in the soil around the skeleton, no doubt made by taloned feet. Something had snapped the bones in half or crushed them into small pieces, evidence that the carnivores had powerful jaws and teeth.
“Dason,” Shanon called, “over here.” Shanon stood near a small, floor-high black opening. The taloned prints led into the tunnel. Dason knelt close to the craggy portal and extended his LS into th
e opening, but nothing showed on the display.
He glanced up at Shanon. “The rock is too thick to get a reading. Keep an eye on this while Sami and I check further back.”
Standing, he turned to survey the rest of the room. The fissure appeared to lead even further into the hillside. He and Sami turned on their vest lights and pointed them down the narrow and rugged tunnel.
“You want me to follow this?” Sami asked.
“No,” Dason responded. “Not right now and definitely not alone.”
“Good, cause I didn’t really want to. Did I ever tell you I’m caveaphobic.”
“You mean claustrophobic.”
“No, I mean caveaphobic, these places give me the heebie jeebees.”
Dason turned, only to stop and stare. “Hey,” he said to Sami, “maybe the Kereb is waking up.” Off to one side, the XT was standing, albeit on wobbly legs and seemed to be trying to take in his surroundings.
“Good timing,” Sami remarked. “Cause’ if we have to scoot out of here anytime soon, it will be nice for him to be his own scooter for once.”
“You got that right,” Dason answered. “I’m going take a peek outside, keep everyone as far back as you can and quiet.”
“Does that quiet part include him?” Sami asked, with a meaningful jab of his finger toward the Kereb.
“Yes,” Dason responded. “If he starts chattering and the Jakuta are near, well, you know what to do.”
“Not me,” Sami said. “I’ll let Alena do it as she’s much more practiced at it than I.”
Shaking his head at Sami’s jibe, Dason moved across the room and ducked through the entryway that led to the antechamber.
He started to poke his head through the lighted opening, but in an instant, jerked it back. Several Jakuta were striding down the incline; their weapons drawn.
Dason whispered through his comms, “Everyone stays quiet; we’ve got Jakuta coming down the hill.” He drew his stunner and backtracked to squat next to the rear opening. For several minutes, everything was quiet.
Low, rumbling voices sounded just outside the cave’s opening. Dason felt his stomach muscles tighten. He didn’t know if the aliens had discovered them or not, but the little group was boxed in with nowhere to run.