Forsaken Planet

by Rinelle Grey

  “Not me,” Kerit said. “But Tyris is concerned. He’s pretty protective of Marlee, and it’s even worse now she’s pregnant.”

  “She wanted to come. She didn’t want to be the one left behind and sent back to the ship. If she doesn’t want to come down, that’s okay, but if she does, I think she deserves to make up her own mind. Besides, are you sure she’s safer in the ship? What if that alien wakes up?”

  “That hadn’t occurred to me…”

  “But it occurred to her, I bet.”

  Kerit sighed. He looked up towards the entrance, then back to Folly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  With Kerit’s help, it didn’t take Folly long to gather together the materials she needed: the hammock, some extra rope and two pulleys.

  “I’ll go up to help Marlee get in, then you attach this pulley down here, and I’ll attach that one up there.”

  Kerit put a hand on her arm. “Are you sure this is safe? It will hold?”

  “I’d happily use it myself.”

  Kerit nodded and stepped back.

  By the time she arrived back at the top of the climb, the argument was in full swing. “It’s not safe, Marlee. I won’t risk you or the baby. You need to wait at the Resolution,” Tyris said.

  “But I don’t want to be there by myself—without you.” Marlee’s lower lip trembled. “What if the baby comes? What if the alien gets you?”

  Tyris’s brow furrowed in concern. “Have you been having pains again? I thought you said they’d stopped?”

  “They have, but they could start up again at any time. And you could be hours away. I want to be here with you.”

  “I’ll send Dr Benton back with you. She’ll take care of you, and Nerris can radio me straight away if you are in labour. I’m only five minutes away, I’ll be straight back.”

  “And if the alien is outside the ship? You won’t be there when the baby is born. Or even worse, if you try to get back to the ship, the alien could get you.” Tears welled up in Marlee’s eyes, sparking all Folly’s protective instincts.

  “Look, you saw the harness she made, it’s not secure enough. I won’t put you and the baby at risk.”

  “Then take her with you.” Folly held out the seat she had made. “I promise, this will hold. She’s in no danger.”

  Tyris’s cheeks went red. “I didn’t mean to question your workmanship. I’m sure it’s fine, but this is my wife and baby. I’m sure you understand…”

  “I do,” Folly said softly. “I can see that she wants to be with you, and right now, with everything so uncertain here, I think that’s where she should be.”

  “Everything we had on Zerris was makeshift,” Marlee said. “That’s what I know. Not safety testing and red tape, but looking at something and determining ourselves if it will work. I think this will work.”

  Tyris stared from Folly to Marlee, but his frown didn’t disappear.

  “Look, how about you test it out,” Folly suggested, holding it out to him.

  Tyris’s eyes widened. He looked at Folly, then at his wife. Both of them stared right back at him.

  He heaved a sigh. “What do I do?”

  Folly hooked the ropes up and yelled down for Kerit to do the same, then attached the hammock. Helping Tyris get into it was harder than she had imagined, and Folly wasn’t sure how the heavily pregnant woman would make it. She lowered Tyris down, feeling defeated.

  Below her, she could hear Tyris and Kerit talking, though she couldn’t make out their words. Any satisfaction she might have felt at Tyris’s safe arrival in the caves was mitigated by the fact that she was fairly certain she couldn’t get Marlee into the hammock.

  If only she could build a frame over the top of the entrance. Then Marlee could just step into the hammock and they could lower her easily down. But that would take far too much time. Time they didn’t have.

  There was a tug on the rope, telling Folly to pull it back up, and her hands automatically began to pull, even as her mind still worked on the problem.

  The sling jamming in the entrance pulled her attention back to it. Had it caught on a rock? She bent over the hole, peering into the darkness. It was strangely shaped as though something were…

  She grinned as she tugged it sideways and lifted up one end of the pole that was jammed inside it. Just what she needed.

  Even with the pole across the middle of the hole, held on either end by some of Tyris’s other friends, both bringing the sling closer to the edge and giving Marlee something to hold onto, it was a challenge to help her into the hammock. But Marlee didn’t complain, and she was surprisingly agile for her weight.

  “Lower her down,” she called out below.

  As Marlee slowly disappeared out of sight, Tyris’s mother commented, “I think I might go down that way too. I’m not too sure about this abseiling thing.”

  Chapter 19

  “You may be good at smooth talking, sonny, but our answer is going to be the same as the one we gave to your brother. The life here on this planet is too valuable to destroy for a few thousand people. Do you really think that your cause is worth destroying unique and undiscovered animals and plants for? All because you couldn’t agree with the laws of the Colonies.”

  Kerit winced at the tone in Nora’s voice. He’d really messed up. She was never going to agree to Tyris’s suggestions. He’d single handedly managed to destroy their only chance at finding a new home.

  Tyris wasn’t even ruffled. “What I’m concerned about right now is removing the threat of that alien. And the only way I know of to do that for sure is to begin the terraforming. Would you reconsider if we can find a way to protect the wildlife here in the caves?”

  “And just how do you plan to do that?”

  “We’re in a cave. There can’t be too many entrances, and it shouldn’t be too hard to block them up.” He looked to their mother with an eyebrow raised.

  She frowned. “That should work. The seal wouldn’t have to be airtight, but it would have to be close. How many entrances does this cave have?”

  Nora put her hands on her hips. “I can see what you’re thinking, and it’s not going to work. This planet is ours. Even if you could manage to terraform it without harming the local wildlife, we intend to remain part of the Colonies.”

  It was hopeless. They had nothing to offer these people that could outweigh the benefits of being part of the Colonies. They were the ones needing something, and what they were asking was too much.

  Evidently, Tyris thought so to. He pursed his lips, but didn’t reply.

  Marlee was the one who stepped forwards. “Of course we don’t want to force you out of your home or try to bring you into our problems. But it seems to me right now that you have a problem too. The alien that Kerit and Folly saw is a threat to both your settlement here, and the animals you are trying to protect. We can help you with that.”

  “And just why would you do that?” Nora’s voice was suspicious.

  Kerit forgave her. She didn’t know Marlee. She had no idea that his sister in law just couldn’t see someone with a problem and not do something to help them.

  “Because you need help and we have the means to help you,” she said simply. “How could we walk away and leave you defenceless?”

  Nora’s suspicion didn’t lift. “It won’t make any difference, you know. Even if you help us, we won’t change our stance. We will remain part of the Colonies, and all their laws will apply here as much as anywhere else.”

  “What do you expect us to do? Fly off and leave you here at the alien’s mercy?”

  Nora stared at Marlee, and Kerit suppressed a grin. “I... hadn’t thought.” She collected herself. “Of course, the correct thing to do would be to inform the Colonies of our presence, and I’m sure they will send a ship to take care of that alien. I’m sure they’ll be very interested in it.”

  Kerit was sure they would be interested. Interested in studying and experimenting on the alien. His stomach turned at the thought
of handing the creature over to them. Far better that it never make it off this planet alive.

  “If that’s what you really wish,” Tyris said promptly. “But you do realise that it would take weeks for us to take a message back to the Colonies and them to send a rescue.”

  “Surely, you have your famed anysogen powered ships by now? They were supposed to make travel between the Colonial planets fast and convenient, weren’t they? Or did it turn out to be just a pipe dream after all?”

  Kerit glanced at his brother, knowing that the slur on the anysogen technology would bother him. As he expected, Tyris’s expression was irate.

  But Tyris didn’t blurt out a reaction. Instead, he took a deep breath and said calmly, “Anysogen powered ships have revolutionised travel between the Colonial planets. But even with the fastest long range ships, it would take two weeks to reach Urslat. The Resolution is a colony ship, not built for speed. It would take us closer to three. Then a couple of days, minimum, for the Space Force to ready a ship and troops for a rescue mission, then a few weeks back. Perhaps that alien will stay buried for that long. Perhaps he won’t find you, even if he escapes. But do you really want to risk everyone’s lives on that likelihood?”

  People in the crowd began to look at each other, murmuring in agitation. Nora held up a hand, and there was silence.

  “You seem to have all the answers. So I ask again, what is in this for you? Why are you so insistent that we accept your help? Surely it would be easier to leave us to our fate?”

  “We couldn’t do that,” Marlee said quickly. “It wouldn’t be right.”

  “As a doctor, I pledged to help people wherever I could,” Dr Benton added. “Even if it’s not medical, it is our duty to help.”

  “And I for one, want to see if my technology works,” Kerit’s mother said.

  Nora rounded on her. “Ahh, now we get to the truth of the matter. We’re nothing more than an experiment to you? A place to test something the Colonies won’t let you play with?”

  “You don’t exactly have a choice,” Kerit’s mother said. “We don’t have any weapons, and I’m guessing you don’t either. This is the only way we can defeat that alien, so why do our reasons matter?”

  “They matter because if we don’t understand your motives, how do we know we can trust you?”

  “Can’t you see?” Folly demanded. “They just want to help. That’s what nice people do. Even if the people they’re trying to help keep questioning them.”

  “No need to be rude, Tahlia,” Nora said. “I wasn’t asking you.”

  Folly crossed her arms and glared at the woman, but she didn’t say anything more.

  Kerit was getting tired of the back and forth. It was clear they were getting nowhere. “Look, you don’t like us, we get that,” he said. “But you don’t have a lot of options right now. How about you ask your people what they think? Surely everyone here has the right to have a say in this?” He waved his hand out at the dozen people who were in the room, mostly politicians, he guessed. “This is only a fraction of the people who are going to be affected by this decision. They don’t have the right to make decisions for everyone.”

  “Just because you have chosen to ignore the way the laws work, doesn’t mean everyone will,” Nora snapped. “The people here trust me to make the right decision, and I won’t have you stirring up dissent. I suggest you return to your ship, and we will let you know when a decision has been made.”

  He’d put his foot in it again. One look at the frustrated expression on his brother’s face confirmed it. Why did he always say exactly the wrong thing?

  “We’ll await your answer,” Tyris said, “but not for long. I have a thousand people on board the Resolution and I’m responsible for finding them a new home.”

  And he turned and stalked out of the room.

  Nora looked shocked for a moment, but then she, too, swept out, followed by everyone else.

  Marlee pulled herself to her feet. “Come on, let’s go.” She held out a hand to Folly.

  After a moment, Folly took it, and the pair began to walk back towards the entrance, along with everyone else.

  Kerit was relieved. He’d been worried that Folly might choose to stay here in the caves rather than coming back to the Resolution with him. Even though she lived here, he somehow thought of her as part of their group.

  He hoped she did too. Hoped she’d come with them when they left this planet for good.

  Woah. That was a big ask.

  And a big hope. He stopped for a moment to examine it, letting his feet follow the others of their own accord.

  He’d had lots of girlfriends, some serious, many not so serious. He hadn’t given a single thought to any of them when he’d signed up with Tyris to leave the Colonies. In fact, the only thing he’d been concerned about was leaving the surf.

  And now, suddenly, he didn’t want to leave Folly. He couldn’t imagine life without her. And he’d only known her for a little over a day.

  Had it really only been one day? Kerit counted up the hours, and though they seemed like much more, it had only been a few hours over a day. Unbelievable.

  He couldn’t possibly be in love with her. Not after one day.

  “Tahlia?”

  Folly froze at the sound of the voice behind her, and then slowly turned.

  Her mother half ran up to her, puffing. “What happened? Where are you going?”

  “I’m not going to stay here and listen to Nora rant at these people who are trying to help us. Do you know what she’s doing?” She put her hands on her hips, and her voice carried to the dozen or so people who followed her mother. “She’s damning everyone here to the mercy of that alien. Do you really think anything in this cave is going to survive if it finds you?”

  “What are you talking about? Nora has always considered the needs of the entire community. I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”

  “Well, she’s just told Kerit and the rest of the people from the spaceship to get out. And if they leave, what chance do any of you have?”

  Her mother looked taken aback for a moment. “You’re leaving?” she asked faintly, looking at Tyris and Kerit.

  “No, we’ll wait. Hopefully your mayor will see reason and change her mind. But we can’t wait forever,” Tyris said.

  Folly’s mother stepped forwards and pulled Folly into her arms, hugging her briefly. “Don’t you go anywhere without saying goodbye, okay?”

  Folly stared at her, stiff as a board, looking baffled. “I… Of course not.” She hugged her mother back, her movements awkward.

  Then her mother turned and stalked off, the others following her.

  Tyris watched her go for a moment, then he shrugged and turned to walk towards the entrance again.

  Folly though, stood there watching her retreating back, her face such a mixture of confusion and loneliness that Kerit’s heart ached.

  Oh hell, he was in love with her.

  How had that happened?

  Well, they had been through a lot together. With all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours (and very little of it had been sleep), it wasn’t surprising that they’d become close.

  She shook her head, then turned around. When her eyes met his, she gave an uncertain smile. He smiled back involuntarily.

  “Folly,” Tyris called out, and she hurried away to help Marlee get comfortable in the converted hammock.

  Who was he kidding? He’d been impressed with her the moment she’d slid down the rope with her seat belt harness and almost fell into his arms. If he hadn’t been in love with her then, he certainly had by the time she jumped over the edge of that last ledge and slipped down the embankment.

  Everything since then had just been cementing the feeling.

  Until now, when it had become completely solid.

  Folly watched Marlee disappear out of the opening up above, then grabbed the rope as it snaked back down. She attached her harness without even a backwards look at him and began to clim
b.

  How could she not even be paying any attention to him when he’d just had this realisation? If this was a romantic movie, they’d both be staring into each other’s eyes over a perfect dinner.

  But this wasn’t a romantic movie. It was real life. And in real life, they had a planet to rescue. Who had time for staring into each other’s eyes?

  Chapter 20

  Her footsteps echoed hollowly as she stepped into the Resolution. A corridor stretched ahead of her with doors on either side. It felt small and confined. Folly followed the others, hoping she didn’t get lost. She glanced over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see Kerit yet. He wouldn’t be far behind though.

  Tyris nodded to her as she passed where he stood just inside the door, probably waiting to close it. “Just go through, and to the third door on your left,”

  Folly nodded and headed down the hallway. What was behind each of the doors? This was only a small section of the spaceship compared to the outside. There must be endless corridors and rooms here. Easy to get lost. Chicken shivered in her pocket.

  Well, it couldn’t be any worse than finding her way around Tadig or Prioris.

  Except that there, she could see the sun. Here, there was only perfectly even fluorescent lighting. One of the doors opened ahead of them, on the right, not the left. A head peeked out. “Are they coming? Is everything settled?”

  Folly looked back at Tyris, not sure how to answer that question. He was just closing the hatch behind Kerit, but he turned to the woman who had asked the question. “I’ll be making an announcement in a few minutes. Best if I tell everyone at once.”

  Her face fell, but she nodded and withdrew back into the room, closing the door quietly.

  The mood was rather sombre as everyone filed into the room Tyris had indicated. Marlee sank into one of the comfortable chairs scattered around the room with a heavy sigh. She patted the seat next to her, and Tyris sat on the edge, his elbows on his knees.

  Kerit sat down opposite him. “I’m sorry, I messed up. I need to learn when to keep quiet.”