Final Days: Colony

by Jasper T. Scott

  “You just try to keep up, Miller.” Studying the tablet, she pointed deeper into the forest, and said, “That way.”

  She started jogging in that direction, and soon they were running through the forest, jumping over logs and veering around tree trunks as they ran after their quarry.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Val

  Val hung back, peeking around the corner of the doors while her dad spoke with the guards outside. She waited until everyone was looking the other way, and then waltzed right out and jumped off the edge of the cargo ramp. Even in the low gravity, she landed hard, but the tall grass cushioned her fall, and she rolled with her momentum.

  She darted over the bend and then froze, listening for sounds of pursuit. Nothing.

  Her dad wasn’t going to leave her all alone again. This time, she was going with him.

  She waited until she heard the sound of her dad’s footsteps receding down the cargo ramp. She was just about to race after him when she heard something else.

  Voices. Arguing. They sounded familiar. Carrie and Keller.

  Val warred with herself for a second, staring after her dad as he rushed across the field from Eden One. He was headed for the edge of camp, straight for Eden Five.

  The rising sound of Carrie and Keller’s arguing concerned her, and before she knew it, Val was creeping along the curving sides of Eden One, tracking those voices. As soon as they came into view, she froze and crouched low in the grass.

  “Did you hear that?” Keller asked, checking his surroundings.

  Shit shit shit, Val thought, holding her breath.

  “No,” Carrie replied. “Stop trying to change the topic.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Then answer me. What are we going to tell them?”

  “Nothing.”

  “We can’t keep lying, Eric. They deserve to know the truth. Hound is missing. We have no idea where he is.”

  “He’ll show up.”

  “Will he? Or is he dead? Torn apart by some alien predator after his pod landed? Face it, we’re in charge now, and we need to start making our own decisions.”

  “Sir!” A new voice joined theirs, also familiar. Grass rasped loudly as Harper strode into view. “Team Bravo is back from the other side of the lake.”

  “And?” Keller asked, turning to face her with arms crossed over his chest.

  “No sign of Hound’s pod, but we did find something else. Private Murphy saw something—a pulsing light in the sky. It passed through three different colors repeatedly—red, blue, and violet. A pattern of some kind. It was bright enough to illuminate a pond on the forest floor.”

  “So?”

  “It’s anomalous, sir.”

  Carrie’s jaw dropped. “It was a message.”

  Harper nodded.

  Keller looked skeptical. “To who? A fish?”

  “And who sent it?” Carrie added, not noticing his sarcasm.

  “Another damn good question,” Harper replied.

  Keller finally appeared to grasp the importance of the news. “We need to investigate this first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Carrie looked at him. “Tomorrow morning? No. We need to go now.”

  Harper nodded. “I agree.”

  Keller seemed to come to a decision. “Sergeant, gather a team and meet me at the rovers in fifteen. Carrie, are you coming?”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Good. Let’s move out.”

  Val crouched lower in the grass and plastered herself to the side of Eden One as all three of them dashed off in different directions. Carrie and Harper ran right by her, failing to notice her. Once they were gone, Val straightened, and saw someone else pop up out of the grass about twenty meters away. It was Reverend Morris. Their eyes met. She’d been there the entire time, listening to the same conversation as Val. The reverend’s eyes narrowed, and Val turned and ran, suddenly afraid of what that crazy old woman might do to her if they had a confrontation out here alone.

  As Val ran, dashing randomly through the shadows toward the next section of Eden, she caught sight of Carrie and Harper. Both of them were dashing up the ramp into Eden Five.

  Val crept up under the landing ramp and waited to hear them come back out. It didn’t take long. She heard their voices arguing, and footsteps ringing on the ramp—

  “...if it’s Hound? That was a signal. Someone had to have sent it. Are we sure that he was in his escape pod when the ship broke apart? What if he stayed in orbit?”

  “How? All of the shuttles and ship sections are accounted for. Only his pod is missing.”

  “Well then, who sent it?”

  “I don’t know, Carrie. This way.”

  Val crept along behind them as they angled away from the landing ramp, heading for a pair of rovers parked in the grass between Eden Five and Seven. Cargo crates were stacked under fluttering black and blue tarps. She raced up behind those crates, and darted under the nearest tarp to hide.

  Booted feet came storming across the field, and Val’s heart hammered in time to those hurried footfalls. She saw a group of four men and women appear at the back of the rover, all wearing black and green camo-patterned jumpsuits. They were carrying rifles and sidearms, and Sergeant Harper was with them. “Ready to go, sir,” she said.

  Keller walked over, shaking his head. “Pick two of your men. The others stay. We can’t leave the camp undefended.”

  Sergeant Harper straightened. “Sir, with all due respect, you need the protection. The colonists are locked up for the night in Eden One.”

  “She’s right,” a new voice added.

  Everyone whirled toward the sound, and Reverend Morris appeared to melt out of the shadows.

  “What are you doing out here?” Keller demanded. “It’s past curfew.”

  “I go where God sends me. You need to rethink this, Mr. Keller. It’ll be dangerous out there.”

  “Sergeant, escort this woman to the sleeping quarters.”

  “Ma’am, you need to come with me,” Harper said, grabbing the reverend’s arm.

  “No! Listen to me! Keller, you will die if you don’t. I have foreseen it!”

  Keller hesitated along with everyone else.

  “You must take all of these guards,” Morris intoned. “Take them, or the predators will take you.”

  “Maybe she’s right...” Carrie trailed off. “The camp is already secure.”

  “Fine. We’ll use all four. But Harper, you’re staying.”

  “Sir, I—”

  “That wasn’t a suggestion. You have your orders. Someone has to be in charge while we’re gone.”

  “Yes, sir,” Harper replied. “Come on, Reverend. Off to bed.”

  “Of course,” Morris replied.

  Val watched them stalk away, and saw the soldiers climbing into the back of the rover while Keller and Carrie climbed in the front. Val chewed her lower lip. She couldn’t sneak into Eden One now—not without getting in trouble. And besides, she needed to know what was going on. Carrie and Keller obviously weren’t telling the colonists everything. They’d probably find out what had happened to Hound, and then cover it all up just as fast.

  Val heard the rover whirring to life. It was now or never. She burst out of cover and ran, heading for the opening of the vehicle where cargo was stored. There was another tarp flapping there. She launched herself over a cargo door that looked like a tailgate and slipped under the sheet. A split second later, the rover jerked into motion, skipping and bumping along through the field.

  Val drew a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her dad and Kendra weren’t the only ones who could sneak out and investigate things. My turn, she thought with a grim smile.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Kendra

  Kendra’s legs burned fiercely, each step causing her lungs to ache with effort. She stopped, resting a hand against a smooth barked tree. It was dark, the last of the waning sunlight long gone, and there was next to no light in the thick of the forest, heavy clouds fill
ing the skies above.

  “Did you see that?” Andrew asked.

  Kendra’s gaze was fixed to the ground, her upper half bent over. She crouched, leaning against the trunk, and she accepted the canteen from Andrew’s outstretched hand. Drinking deeply, she tried not to spill any, but did anyway. She wiped it away with her sleeve, and finally began to feel human again. “Sorry, see what?” she asked, her breaths almost even.

  “Lightning. Damn it.” Andrew lowered to the ground, sitting on the patchy grass beside her.

  “That’s not good. What if the storm brings the mist with it?” She really didn’t want to be out here in the middle of the hallucination-producing weather system.

  “It will,” Andrew said, somehow sure of himself.

  “How can you be certain? Maybe it was the water table by the lake,” she said.

  He took a drink and closed the lid, staring at her. “We were out in the trees when the last storm hit, and it happened there. I think the entire valley is low.”

  Kendra thought that made sense. “What do we do?”

  “If we can make it to the edge of the ridge before it reaches us, we might be able to find high ground,” Andrew suggested.

  “How far do you think we have to go?” It felt like they’d been running for hours, which was likely true. There was no way for Kendra to tell, but her body felt more exhausted than it had in a long time.

  “Another hour or so, and we should start gaining elevation. The mountains appear to rise for a good four miles before we reach the heart of the ridge,” he said. “Best guess.”

  Another hour of running. Kendra wasn’t sure her legs could handle it. She just wanted to lie on the ground and fall asleep.

  “How’s your shoulder doing?” Andrew asked.

  She hadn’t given it much thought. “To be honest, it’s feeling better than the rest of me. How are you holding up?”

  “Been through worse. This is nothing,” he said, but his grimace told her it was false bravado. She watched Andrew stand, hearing his knees creak and noticing his stilted movements. He stuck a hand out, and she clasped on. His palm was warm.

  “Okay. Another hour.” She shook her hands, the blood flowing through her veins again.

  They started forward, her pack tight on her shoulders. It still flopped a little bit, adding to her discomfort, but she wanted to figure this mystery out as much or more than anyone. Her inquisitive mind needed to discover what was on the other side of the ridge. Their story to Harper and the others had focused on the predators and the safety of the colony, but Kendra had a feeling she was going to find something on the other side.

  It was like a puzzle had been laid out for them, and the last piece was across the ridge, on the other side, waiting to be solved. At first her feet protested every step, but soon she returned to a flow, momentum taking over. One foot, then the other; even breaths, just like she’d been taught at Quantico. She’d never been the best runner, but she was one of the better ones in her graduating class. Only they didn’t practice in dark forests on alien worlds back then, instead opting for red shale ovals with white lines painted on them.

  Andrew was staying focused, his strong arms pumping like a well-oiled machine. He’d been through a lot in his life, she could tell, and she hadn’t been able to crack him quite yet. He was withdrawn, grumpy, and strong-willed, but she’d also seen him be tender, patient, and helpful. He was an enigma: one she was glad to have around.

  She tried to imagine her old partner in the FBI out here with her in the forest, and would have laughed at the idea if she had any breath to spare. She struggled to remember what he even looked like as she pushed through the forest.

  A half hour later, she slowed, the wind picking up as the trees grew farther apart. Ahead she saw the edge of the forest, and almost let out a cry of relief. They might still be a couple of miles from the foothills, but running over open ground was going to be a lot faster and easier on her body.

  Andrew cocked his head toward her, grinning as they emerged from the treeline. Kendra keeled over, resting her hands on her knees, attempting to take deep even breaths.

  “We might be able to make it,” Andrew said. But Kendra saw the clouds, and felt the change in the wind. The first drop of rain hit her cheek, and the sky filled with ominous lightning. Forks danced across the dark night, thunder booming loudly through the valley.

  “I don’t think so,” she muttered.

  “Maybe if…” Andrew’s words were cut off by another thunderous clap, and the rain pelted them, no longer a sprinkle. Andrew clutched her wrist, running toward the foothills. Within seconds Kendra’s hair was plastered to her face, strands of her ponytail coming loose in the wind.

  Cottony leaves flew past them from the forest as the wind gusted at their backs. Kendra glanced behind her, and something caught her foot, sending her sprawling to the grass. She managed to stick her arm out in time to keep herself from faceplanting, but it jarred her healing shoulder.

  Andrew was shouting, and she didn’t know why until she rolled over, the pack keeping her propped up at an odd angle. Mist was rising from the grass.

  “Andrew!” she shouted, but he was already covered by the dense fog.

  “Kendra.” Her name carried quietly, almost a whisper.

  A shape walked toward her, and she pulled her gun from its holster. The shadowy form stopped, and she couldn’t place its face, but the hair stood up on the back of her neck as it moved forward.

  * * *

  Val

  A sudden crack of thunder shuddered through the rover, and Val flinched at the sound. The tarp hiding her from view shivered overhead as she shifted her posture to peek over the tailgate. Red brake lights pooled in the wake of the rover, and the glaring white spotlights of camp shone bright on the horizon, just above the rise of the rolling field. The silvery sections of Eden gleamed under those lights. Cargo crates, greenhouses, and equipment littered the field.

  Val warred with herself over the decision to stow away in this rover. Reverend Morris had been up to something. She’d insisted that Keller take extra guards for his own safety. It wasn’t like her to express concern for other people, and Val seriously doubted her sincerity. There was something else behind her insistence. She’d also overheard Keller and Carrie arguing about Hound, and had subsequently heard Sergeant Harper’s report—somehow it all fit together, giving the reverend an opening to pursue her own agenda.

  But what was her plan? Maybe she should have stayed behind to warn the sergeant, or at least to tell Roland and Tony so they could help figure out what the reverend was up to.

  The last and nearest section of Eden disappeared over the rising swell of the shadowy field, and darkness fell in deepening strokes. Val stared at the racing blur of shadows drifting out behind them, wondering if she could jump from the back of the rover without hurting herself.

  Another boom of thunder rumbled, and purple veins of light forked and flashed through the sky. Rain began pelting the roof of the rover and Val grimaced, retreating under the tarp.

  It was too late. Precipitation would bring the mist, and the mist would bring predators. She couldn’t escape now, but would they be able to find her? That tailgate didn’t seem like much of a barrier. Val overheard muffled voices from inside the rover discussing the storm.

  “...not a problem,” Keller said. “We’ll have to wait it out inside the rover.”

  “How long?” Carrie replied.

  “Long as it takes!”

  Val thought about them sitting in the vehicle while rain hammered down and mist clogged the air around them. She would be breathing that stuff and hallucinating while they all kept safe. Not to mention, any predators out looking for a snack would probably smell her a mile away.

  This was a bad idea, Val thought, cringing as she squashed herself into a gap between two cargo crates.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  Roland

  Roland listened from the comfort of his sleeping bag as rain bombarded the outsi
de of Eden One. Wind cut through, sending a whistling noise around their sleeping arrangements. He pulled his pillow over his head. He couldn’t wait until their accommodations were complete. He’d had enough of sharing a huge open floor with hundreds of others. It left a lot to be desired.

  “Rollie, have you seen Val?” Tony asked from beside him. The kid was sitting up, his hair hanging over his face as he searched around the room. It was mostly dark inside, but they’d left some under-cabinet lighting on around the edges of the space in case anyone needed to use the facilities at night.

  “Val? Why would I have seen Val?” he asked, instantly understanding Tony’s concern. “Crap. You don’t think she followed her dad, do you?”

  “The thought had crossed my mind,” the teenage boy whispered.

  “Fine, let’s see if we can find her,” Roland said, climbing out of his sleeping bag. It reminded him of a cocoon, only he always seemed to emerge the same pale caterpillar every morning.

  He tiptoed along between the rows of sleeping bags. Some people were snoring heavily, and one bag even moved awkwardly. He almost checked on the inhabitant, before he realized there were two people inside it. “Keep it in your pants,” Roland muttered to himself. There was a thin line between humans and animals.

  Tony grabbed his arm and pointed to the vacant spot. “That’s where Mr. Miller and Val always sleep. It’s empty.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” Roland said, peering at the doorway. There was often a guard stationed there, but tonight, he didn’t see a standing sentry.

  Tony must have noticed too, because he ran to the door. Depressing the lever, Tony pushed it open, and all hell broke loose. Rain blew in from the storm, and mist was rising from the ground of their colony. Ethereal snaking tendrils danced around, twisting together and bringing a thick pea-soup fog with them.