The Burden of Endurance

by R. L. Blalock

  I looked at each of their somber faces in turn. One by one, they met my gaze and held it, looking into my pitch-black eyes without turning away.

  “Why don’t we do some introductions? My name is Laure from cycle ten. I was part of the incursion forces before this.”

  I motioned for Brinden to go next. He cleared his throat. “My name is Brinden. I’m also from cycle ten.”

  A tall slender woman with honey-colored hair that barely brushed her shoulders was next. “My name is Reegan. I’m from cycle thirty-five. I was a biologist.”

  A short man with wiry muscles was next. He had the characteristic stubble of dark black hair across his head and face of someone who had just come out of hibernation. Most men shaved before entering hibernation, but the slow growth of hair while in the tupor tubes meant they’d wake up with a beard again. “My name is Kolton, and I’m from cycle twenty-seven. I was an engineer.”

  The next man raised his hand and gave everyone a slight wave. “Hi. I’m Arzus. I was a cook for cycle two.” Arzus was a solid man with dark umber skin.

  “Harvel.” The next man nodded to us in acknowledgment. Harvel was slight with tawny skin and long chestnut hair that he had tied back. “I’m from cycle two, as well. I was a part of the water treatment crew. Arzus is a damn good cook.” The two men nodded at each other.

  “Hi, I’m Ilex,” the last man said with a smile. “I’m also from the cycle ten incursion forces.” Ilex shifted back and forth, nerves and excitement warring on his face. He was a tall, gangly man who looked like he was barely out of his teens.

  “All right,” I said, forcing a smile. Half of the volunteers weren’t from cycle ten. They would only be minimally trained in combat. They wouldn’t have the genetic modifications that made the incursion teams better fighters. I blew out a long breath. “Gather anything you might need, including a weapon. I’m going to secure us some rations and a vehicle, and then we’ll go find the Chroin.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Parsons and Aldone talking. Arguing. While Aldone looked relaxed, Parsons seemed to be getting more agitated by the second. His hands danced around as he animatedly tried to make his point. I hated that man more every time I saw him.

  Finally, with a nod from Aldone, Parsons spun and marched toward me. Every muscle in my body tensed. Whatever he wanted couldn’t be good.

  “Aldone and I have agreed that it would be best if I came along to supervise this mission.”

  My stomach sank. “Aldone put me in charge of this mission.” I crossed my arms over my chest and stood as tall as possible, trying for all the world to look authoritative to someone who was my superior.

  “He did,” Parsons sneered. “However, we thought it best that one of the commanders accompany you to learn more about the Chroin so we may make better use of them in the future.”

  “Of course, you were the perfect commander for the job.” I bit down hard on my tongue. Snarky comments weren’t going to make things easier. Parsons didn’t want to learn about the Chroin. He didn’t like the Chroin and didn’t even try to hide it. If one of the commanders needed to learn about the Chroin, almost any other one of them would have been better. “I can bring back everything I find out and present it to you and the other commanders upon our return.”

  “Listen,” Parsons hissed, his voice pitched low, so only I would hear. Kuna shifted closer to me, causing Parsons to take a few steps back. His hand hovered over the sidearm at his waist. “The other commanders don’t see it, but I do. You are being controlled by that…alien. I won’t allow you to go out there and lead them right back to us.”

  “The other commanders don’t see it because it isn’t there.” I was careful to keep my voice level. “You see boogeymen where you could have allies.”

  “You will never be my ally.”

  “No”—I shook my head—“but that doesn’t mean I can’t be humanity’s ally.”

  Chapter 3

  The wind whipped at my hair as we raced across the prairie. The breeze was warm and earthy, and I took a deep breath, luxuriating in the smell of it.

  Above us, the sky was a pale, cloudless blue. A large white band interrupted the endless sky. The band was debris that hovered around Iotova. The same debris that had brought down the Endurance.

  While the Endurance had still been in orbit, an asteroid had struck Iotova’s moon, scattering millions of chunks of rock in all directions. The Endurance had inevitably been hit, forcing the ship to crash land on the planet’s surface.

  It was exciting to see more of the planet. We hadn’t yet ventured beyond the Endurance’s crash site. The open prairie was fascinating. The smells. The light. Even the dirt was something I had never experienced, but now I wanted to see more.

  I had draped myself across Kuna’s neck, drinking in the details of the horizon. His muscles rippled beneath me as he loped alongside the ATV. It was amazing that he could so easily keep pace with the vehicle.

  I glanced over at the others in the ATV, my mood immediately sinking as I caught sight of Parsons in the front seat. The vehicle wasn’t big, but it had been big enough to accommodate an extra passenger. Brinden stood dutifully behind the mounted 50-caliber rail gun. His head swiveled from side to side as he watched for any sign of danger.

  The others sat rigidly in their seats, fidgeting here and there. I sighed. They were nervous. I was nervous. I had not been a leader in my cycle. Now, I was leading others into danger, and I was in charge of their well-being. The wild Chroin were dangerous and unpredictable. And I certainly didn’t want Parsons watching my every move along the way.

  Don’t worry, Kuna purred, not breaking stride.

  That’s easier said than done. I rubbed his neck, absently tracing the violet veins under his skin with my finger.

  I know, but we’ll keep them safe. They’ll be fine.

  I’m not just worried about them. I’m worried about Parsons. He’s not here to help us. He’s up to something. I bit my lip as I thought.

  We should kill him, Kuna stated, no emotion behind the suggestion. He thinks he is stronger than he is, but he wouldn’t stand a chance against us.

  Don’t say that! I chastised. Parsons holds the power of the people. Humans don’t work like the Chroins. Strength isn’t the only thing that matters. We need to be careful about what we do.

  Parsons words swirled around my brain. We need you to focus. Your life depends on it.

  Kuna stumbled, and I locked my arms around his neck to keep from falling. What did that mean? he asked. I felt the anger radiating from him.

  It means, if we don’t create more Chroin pairs, then we might be in danger, I confessed.

  Kuna didn’t reply for a long time. And we can’t kill Parsons?

  No. Though I was entirely serious, I couldn’t help but smile a bit. How much easier it would be if things were that simple?

  We’ll figure it out.

  The trees rose up faster than I expected. The giant trees even made Kuna look minuscule. Their trunks were too thick for me to wrap my arms around. Unlike Earth, though, the trees were not green. Instead, before us lay a forest of purple. On Iotova, many of the plants used retinol photosynthesis for their energy. I had never imagined that any place could hold so much color. The grass, the trees, the creeping plants that grew up the tree trunks, the tiny flowers that dotted the grass. I wanted to see everything.

  We burst through the tree line, the world darkening a bit as the treetops blocked out the sun with their thick canopies. The ATV fell in line behind us, allowing Kuna to lead them through the forest maze. I clutched at Kuna’s neck as the low branches of the trees whipped by us, scratching at my face.

  Suddenly, Kuna slid to a halt. The ATV swerved to avoid us as it came to a quick stop. Without the sound of the wind rushing by my ears and Kuna’s thunderous footsteps, I finally heard it. Rushing water. A large river stretched out before us. Clear water flowed by, running over rocks and branches that had fallen into its path. My eyes widened as I too
k in the sheer amount of water.

  I slid off of Kuna’s back, stumbling as my feet hit the ground. The dirt was moist and soft. It squished and shifted under my feet.

  “Where does all of this come from?” My voice was barely a whisper.

  The sky. Kuna shook his head.

  I knew about the water cycle, but I had never imagined it could create so much. Aboard the Endurance, I had seen pictures of lakes, rivers, and oceans, but their vastness had been lost in the pictures’ minuscule size.

  I walked to the water’s edge and knelt down. The knees of my pants were instantly cold and wet. I dunked my hand into the icy water, letting it wash through my fingers. Though my fingers began to numb almost instantly, I continued to hold my hand in the water, marveling at how it swirled and bubbled.

  On a sudden impulse, I cupped my hands and pulled them out of the water. The liquid bled through my fingers, dripping back into the river and flowing away. I scooped up more and quickly brought my hands to my lips. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. Cool and refreshing. Woody and earthy.

  I caught Parsons staring at me. My shoulders immediately tensed. “What?” I snapped, infuriated that he would take the joy from this moment.

  “Just watching the animals drink.”

  I shrugged. “You should try some.” He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t dare put himself in a position to be compared to me, but that was his loss.

  Despite his insults, I saw the wonder in his eyes as he looked around. He was in as much awe as I was and simply didn’t want to show it.

  Kuna stepped forward, dipping his head to the water, causing Parsons to take a dozen scurrying steps back.

  What did he want now? Kuna growled.

  Just being an ass, I replied, slurping down more water and not caring what Parsons thought of me. It was too good to ignore. The water on the Endurance had been processed hundreds—if not thousands—of times. It was stale and tasted funny. Every bit of liquid had been carefully regulated.

  Kuna wrinkled his nose, clearly having received my thoughts about the Endurance’s water quality. That seems terrible. Why would you drink such foul water?

  I shrugged. We didn’t have a choice. It was what we had. We…we didn’t know anything different.

  I noticed the recruits were staring at me. My face immediately flushed as I realize how crazy I must have seemed. Though I didn’t care about what Parsons thought of me, I did care about what they thought of me.

  “Come try some.” I scooped up more water from the river and showed them the precious clear liquid.

  Brinden scrambled out of the ATV almost before the words had left my lips. He dropped down beside me, dunking his hands in the water as I had done.

  “Is it safe?” Reegan asked.

  I shrugged, scooping up another handful and drinking it. “There’s only one way to find out, and I’m not dead yet.” I smiled at her as she climbed out of the ATV more cautiously. The others followed, concern and excitement warring on their faces as they approached the river.

  After one more drink, I stood up, allowing the others to marvel on their own. Kuna delicately lapped at the river as well, his large tongue picking up more water than my hands could hold. After a few moments, he stepped back, water sloppily dripping from his chin. Without any kind of warning, he shook, spraying droplets in all directions.

  “Hey!” Reegan protested.

  Brinden slapped his hand against the water, showering her in a mini tidal wave. She gasped as the icy water hit her skin. Brinden smirked, waggling his eyebrows at her playfully. The glare that she had been shooting him disappeared as she suddenly lunged forward, shoving him into the water. He yelped before being submerged. After a split second, he resurfaced, gasping and spluttering. With a grin, Brinden pulled back his arm and sent a swell of water at all the recruits.

  I jumped back, laughing, as the frigid water pelted my skin. The others were laughing now and splashing each other frantically. I stepped back and leaned against Kuna to watch the show. Eventually, the playtime would have to end. We had a job to do, after all.

  Parsons leaned against the ATV, a scowl plastered across his face. I quickly looked away. He could deal with his sour attitude all on his own.

  Brinden sloshed out of the river, wiping as much of the dripping water off his arms and legs as he could.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” I commented offhandedly as my eyes continued to take in the vast river and abundant foliage.

  “We got off to a rocky start here.” Brinden straightened with a sigh. “But it’s definitely not all bad.”

  “No place would be perfect. No matter what planet we found, there would be challenges. The Chroin are our challenge here, but it could have been anything. A thin atmosphere. Lack of water. Massive weather phenomenon. All those things could be altered with enough time. We passed other planets that could have been made livable. Perhaps what happened was kind of a blessing. We needed a push to finally settle.”

  “I’m not going to lie. As much as I wanted to go planet side, it was a bit scary to think about settling again,” Brinden confided.

  “We were safe moving around, but that wasn’t really any way to live. We just existed to continue existing.” Hibernating for months on end between cycles. The waking times were busy. There was always work to do. “Maybe now we can actually start living our lives for ourselves, rather than purely for the survival of the human race.”

  A bit of movement caught the corner of my eye, but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. I continued to stare off down the river bank, watching bits of light dance across the ground as the leaves swayed. I knew it hadn’t been a trick of the light. Something tickled at the edge of my mind, like a faint ringing that I could feel instead of hear.

  What is it? I felt Kuna tense next to me.

  “What is it?” Brinden mirrored Kuna’s words.

  Something is out there. I looked up at the trees. Though the dappling of light continued to dance, there was no breeze. The other trees stood still.

  Wild, Kuna growled.

  “Get back in the ATV,” I shouted. The splashing stopped as the others turned to look at me. “Now!” My voice boomed as I shoved Brinden toward the vehicle.

  A screech drowned out my voice as a flash of green launched itself from high up in the tree branches. The creature landed on the ground between me and the others. It landed gracefully on long, spindly legs. Green scales covered its body from its slim head to its long toes. Each toe ended in hooked claws that were perfect for holding on to branches.

  Pincers that sat in front of its mouth clacked together quickly as its head swung back and forth, sizing up the recruits and then Kuna. Its mouth was a vertical slit behind the pincers. When it opened, it looked as though the creature’s face would split in half. The wild hissed, a long drawn out sound that sent a chill down my spine.

  Kuna roared, challenging the monster as he attempted to draw the attention off me and the others. The telltale pinprick of pain flared in my neck, and the connection was made between us. My vision warped and blurred as it melded with his. I felt myself being lifted off the ground, being pulled toward Kuna and the pulsating oily black orb that resided inside his chest, the same orb that would keep me safe and protected when we became one.

  Even with my vision blurred, I saw the creature lunge. Kuna jumped back, desperate to keep us out of harm’s way before the transition was final.

  “Ready the net,” I shouted, my voice strangely guttural as it tried to come out of my own mouth and Kuna’s simultaneously.

  Suddenly, my vision snapped back into place. I was taller. The world looked brighter and even smaller.

  A growl rumbled in my throat. Not my throat. Kuna’s. Ours. I felt his strength as though it were my own. It was my own.

  We roared again, swiping at the wild, forcing it back. As the creature dodged our outstretched claws, we struck out with our sharpened tail. The dagger-like end slammed the wild to the ground. The Chroin let out a pathetic m
ewling cry.

  Don’t kill it. I forced us to step back. We need it alive. Every muscle in my body screamed to lunge forward, to crush it while it was down, but we couldn’t.

  We need to be careful, Kuna growled. We’re playing with fire.

  A heavy thump reverberated through the air. A ball of black webbing streaked past us, crashing into the creature as it attempted to stand. The net tangled perfectly around the wild. In a sudden panic, the creature thrashed, falling to the ground as its legs became more ensnared in the net.

  “We did it!” Our head whipped around at the cry. The recruits smiled triumphantly from the ATV. Before I could stop it, a growl rose in our throat. They hadn’t missed it. Ilex clutched his rifle a little more tightly. Parsons lunged for the 50-caliber rail gun, swinging the weapon around toward us.

  Idiots, Kuna’s voice whispered in my mind furiously. The wild isn’t dead. It is still just as dangerous as ever.

  I felt the separation begin. It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t pleasant. We were two perfectly fitted pieces that were being separated, both incomplete without the other half. Though we were never truly separate anymore, the connection felt more natural than the separation.

  The world was, once again, a blur of fuzzy shapes and colors when I opened my eyes.

  “What are you so happy about?” I snapped, my voice too deep to be my own.

  “We got it,” Kolton said defensively.

  “Right.” My vision suddenly snapped back into focus, and I shut my eyes for a moment against the disorientation. “And what are you going to do now?” I focused my gaze on him as I opened my eyes, knowing my black-eyed stare would make him uncomfortable. Though he didn’t respond, after a few seconds, he looked to the ground.

  “And you!” I rounded on Parsons, still jittery from the fight. “Point that thing somewhere else.” I wanted to follow up with a threat, but I knew that would only agitate him more. “You wouldn’t want someone to get hurt, would you?” A predatory smile spread across my face.