by Trey Deibel
“Hello..what might your names be?” She talked in a mother-like way I’d never heard from her before.
Neither child responded. Both looked around the room, mostly watching Shadow-Walker, whom hovered next to Narrisa. Tears streamed down their faces. Their arms and legs trembled. They were scared, and neither felt the courage to move. To top it off, their clammy skin outlined their muscles and exoskeleton, indicating some level of malnutrition. Also, both of them were taking shallow breaths, likely suffering from a mild case of dehydration as well. Shadow-Walker stepped closer, and they jumped back.
“Shadow-Walker, give us some room!” Narrisa snapped, pushing him backwards.
Stunned, Shadow-Walker left and joined Uslar. I kept the same distance away, watching in fascination at this new side of Narrisa.
“Narrisa, try using your cyberwatch to translate. They may not have render chips yet,” I suggested.
She removed her cyberwatch and placed it on the ground, ready to translate her native tongue into theirs. “Hello, what might your names be, sweethearts?” Her maternal tone returned.
The oldest whimpered, “Horana.” She was a female dytirc. “This is my little brother, Tielo.”
I decided to take a seat and slowly scoot closer to them, trying not to frighten or intimidate them. “I promise the bad man over there won’t lay a finger on you.” I pointed to Shadow-Walker. Horana smiled.
“Hey, pal. Who are you calling bad?” Shadow-Walker called from across the room.
I shushed him with my finger. “Would you care for some water to drink? You both look thirsty.” They nodded their heads, so I pulled out an unused water bottle from my pouch. “Here.” I gave the oldest one the bottle, and they shared it with each other.
“What might you two be doing down here?” Narrisa asked.
“Hiding from the bad men. They came here to hurt our daddy. I think they want to hurt us, too.” Horana started to tear up.
“All is well, sweetheart. I’ll keep you safe from the bad men. They won’t get in here.” Narrisa reached over, hugging both of them for a minute. “Are either of you hurt?”
“No,” both answered, snuggled safely in Narrisa’s arms.
“Would you feel up to answering some of our questions?” Narrisa asked them.
“Are they about the bad men?” Horana whispered.
“Only a few questions are. Can you can be a big girl for us?” Narrisa placed her hand on Horana’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” she responded, showing signs of improvement.
“Are you absolutely sure?” Narrisa asked.
“Yeah.”
“Do you know why the bad man were here?”
“Our daddy said they were looking for something. He told us to hide in the secret room while he handled them.”
“Do you know what they were looking for?” I asked.
“No. Daddy never said.”
“Uslar, how’s it coming over there?” I called over.
“None of the storage devices has any data. I’m about to check the last one now.”
I then noticed the boy, Tielo, had something in his pocket. “Hey there, Tielo.” He looked up at me. “Do you have something in your pocket?”
“No.” He looked at the ground.
Narrisa lifted his chin. “All is well. You’re not in trouble. I promise.”
He pulled out a storage device and handed it to her. “Uslar, here.” She tossed the device to him so he could inspect it at the workbench.
Narrisa pointed to their left arms. “Look, James.”
I looked at them, then back to Narrisa. “That’s a military mark. It’s not the same as the one on Larno’s or--” I pointed to the dead dytirc upstairs in an effort to keep their father’s death hidden from the children.
“Military!” Shadow-Walker exclaimed.
“Horana. The man who told you to come down here, was he always your father?”
“No.”
“When did he become your father?”
“When our mommy died, he took us. He told us he was our daddy.”
Leaning over, I whispered into Narrisa’s ear, “That wouldn’t be possible. The children always go to the same tribe the father’s in. If they were that man’s kids, they would have the King Tribe’s markings. Possible kidnapping?”
“Agreed,” she whispered back.
“I hate to be the guy to bring this up, but they’re Military Tribe. They’re our enemies,” Shadow-Walker floated the idea.
“Are you suggesting what I think you are?” Narrisa’s stare pierced through the air and locked onto his eyes. His stare dipped from hers and onto mine.
“I’m just saying, the male will grow up to be a killer, and the female will give birth to killers. I’ve had experience with situations such as these when I worked as a mercenary. It often bit me in the ass.”
“I’m with Shadow,” Uslar added. “Something must be done.”
“No, no, NO!” I spluttered. “Stop dodging around what you’re really suggesting.” I got up and walked over to them. “Narrisa, turn off the translator.” I waited until she did before sneering, “You’re suggesting we dispose of these children?! Children?!”
Shadow-Walker and Uslar shrugged.
“You will not get close to them!” Narrisa threatened both Uslar and Shadow-Walker.
“Like hell,” I confirmed it. “You know why? Because I said so, and I’m the captain! This is not a matter I intend to discuss, and no… it’s not open for it either. They’ll come with us, and that’s final! Nod if you understand.”
They nodded and stared at me as I walked back over and took a seat. Neither knew what to say. They exchanged confused glances and eventually got back to work.
“I’ve never seen you shut down others’ opinions like that,” Narrisa observed. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t,” I shut her down. “Their opinions are wrong. That’s all.”
Talking about murdering these children brought back my dreadful childhood memories. Because of my abusive father, I’d always had a soft spot for children in distress. In some silly way, it was like looking into a mirror of my past, which was why I would never want my childhood experiences to happen to another child.
“What now?” she asked.
“Keep talking with them. I’ll contact Erryn,” I told her. Narrisa proceeded to narrate the children a story. Meanwhile, I pulled out my cyberwatch. “Erryn, see about finding a place to land the Striking Star. We came upon a discovery and won’t be flying back to the ship. Instead, we’ll meet you at your ship. Did you get all that?”
“Clearly,” she said, with a twinge of attitude. “I’ll send you coordinates once they become available.”
“Uslar, can you pilot Larno’s ship back to his residence and meet us back at the Striking Star?” I asked.
“Sure, Captain.” There was some disapproval and leftover surprise mixed in that response.
Chapter 18: Know the Land
October 23, 2111
James Stone
After the prolonged hike through the putrid lands, we finally neared the location of the Striking Star. Horana had her arms wrapped around Narrisa, while I carried Tielo on my back. Thanks to Shadow-Walker, we kept out of sight of the small population of dytircs around this area.
Erryn’s ship was parked in a scrap yard. The area was enclosed by a high, decayed clay wall topped with broken glass and razor wire. The two wooden and torn up gates hung open. Everything of any value had been stripped away. Mountains of faulty devices, torn up wood, rusty iron, and various other trash surrounded the ship. The stench was assaulting my nose. I didn’t need much motivation to rush through the atmospheric doors. That’s when exhaustion caught up to me. Like a stampede, each nerve sent waves of fatigue to my brain, but I just shoved the feeling away.
Inside the ship, I meet with Erryn. “Would you mind lending the two little ones a room?”
“As long as someone keeps them out of trouble,” Erryn said w
ith a disapproving sigh.
“Narrisa will gladly take on that responsibility.”
“What do you plan on doing with those kids after the mission? You can’t just take them back with you.”
“Better there than here.”
“Best be careful, then. Whether they’re kids or not, they’re dytircs. I have a feeling that alone would be enough for many soldiers in the ARW to attack them. Many did lose friends and family to their species, after all.”
“I’d bet my left arm they wouldn’t make it through us. Anyway, that’s a problem down the brick road. Let’s keep our heads on what’s in front of us. I think it’s time we go and get that code from Larno,” I suggested.
Erryn placed her hand on my arm. “I can handle that. You should get some sleep like the others.”
“Not sleeping comes with the livelihood sometimes. It’s just the worm in the apple. Anyway, I want to get his take on those children.”
“Whatever. Don’t expect me to drag you back to my ship if you collapse.”
Following Erryn, we strolled off the ship into the scrap yard. A gust of cold wind sent the foul smell through my nostrils. “Damn, it smells like burnt feet and ass here.” I covered my nose as we walked. “Atmospheric doors are God’s gift at times like these.”
“My mask filters out the bad smells,” Erryn said, laughing at my expense.
The smell started to disappear as we got farther away from the mountains of garbage. We weaved through alleys of abandoned structures, stepping through puddles of black water and dodging the occasional fecal matter or trash pile. Encrusted in the cracks of the rotting wood, two-headed worm creatures nibbled at the bark. I almost gagged at the slick brown ooze surrounding the creatures.
“This place sucks like a hooker in a car! Why did the prison have to be here instead of… I don’t know… anywhere else?”
“Sometimes, getting dirty is a good thing,” Erryn flirted once again.
After half an hour of trudging through mud and weaving through the ravaged structures, we made it to Larno’s place. His residence was tiny, consisting of four rooms and one window. Like the warehouse – and damn near every other place around – his place was made from thrown together wooden panels, iron slabs, and rusted nails. Every crack and hole in his place was simply covered with more wood. Pools of water and dead grass surrounded his home. Larno owned an ungie beast and some local livestock, which he kept in a pen. Inside his place, he didn’t have much - only the necessities. Lucky for us, we would continue to live in comfort on the Striking Star.
Larno was asleep on a compressed rocking chair he’d thrown together with wood and a mattress. Erryn wiggled his shoulder until he awoke.
“It’s time for us to talk,” she said.
“Oh, yes. What did you find in the warehouse? Was my warrior still alive?” Larno remained relaxed on his rocking chair.
“I’m sorry to inform you, he was killed,” Erryn answered.
“That’s terrible. I-- That’s--” There was sorrow in his voice and expression. “At my age, I’ve experienced so much loss that I no longer have the tears to shed. I… I asked him to gather intelligence to help the Fallen Tribe. They’re our neighboring tribe and single ally. They have more warriors than I do, and I’m just too old to help. I figured if anyone could make use of the intelligence, it would be the Fallen Tribe. That’s why I asked my only remaining warrior to take on such a task. Tell me, did you happen to find the intelligence?”
“Of course,” I said.
“I suppose it would benefit you two more than the Fallen Tribe.”
“We stumbled upon something else as well.”
“What did you find, James?” Larno asked, his eyebrow raised.
“Did you know your warrior had children in the warehouse?”
“Children? I can’t say I’ve ever heard this news. My warrior never bred with a mate that I know of. If he had children, he would have told me. It’s… it’s preposterous.”
“Are you calling me a liar?” I asked, annoyed.
“No, I just can’t believe it.”
“Our prevailing theory is that your warrior snagged them,” I stated.
“You think my warrior kidnapped them? He… wait. I remember he told me he accidentally killed a mother… saying she walked in on him while he was stealing some devices and startled him. He told me she had kids in the other room. I assumed he got rid of them, so I never asked about the kids’ fates. Those children must be from that mother!”
“That clears up that mystery.”
“What are you going to do with them?” Larno asked, concerned.
“Provide them with a proper home.”
“Honestly, that may be best for them. It’s better for them to grow up on an ARW planet than as monsters in the Military Tribe.”
Erryn was surprised by his response. “I thought you would have wanted to take care of them?”
Now Larno was the one who was surprised. “Me? No, I’m too old. It wouldn’t be right for them to grow up in a destroyed tribe like mine.”
“It’s for the best,” I agreed.
Erryn asked, “Larno, you promised us the codes to disable the planet shields.”
“Yes. Here you are.” He pulled out a slip of worn, tan paper from a pocket on his torn clothes.
I tapped Erryn. “We have what we need. We should dip out.”
“Sure, sweetie,” she said with a laugh.
“James, wait.” Larno reached out to grab my arm.
“What is it?”
“There’s one more thing you should know. Have you ever heard of Steion?”
My pulse elevated, and I clenched my fists at that name. “I have. What do you know about him?”
“There’s a formidable chance he’s at that prison.”
Erryn jumped in. “Why? Wouldn’t a warlord have other things to do?”
Larno’s wry laugh wasn’t amusing. “‘Other things’ isn’t Steion’s job. He’s a torturer. Spent years doing that… even before the war. It fits that the Wersillian Legion would have him continue that practice.”
“And where did this info come from?” I asked.
“Steion used to be a part of the King Tribe… my tribe. When he got his powers, he considered himself too powerful for us and went off to create his own tribe. He proclaimed war on us, and many of my warriors suffered slow deaths at his hands. Later, before the war happened, his tribe merged during the Great Amalgamation. I guess the propaganda spread around was too convincing for him to refuse. He--”
I cut him off, “Propaganda? The ARW says the lycargans united the dytircs. That’s what led to your Great Amalgamation, didn’t it?”
Larno burst out laughing. “The ARW says… the lycargans--” He continued to laugh.
I wasn’t amused. Erryn didn’t understand either.
“Larno, cut the horseshivf. What propaganda?”
Larno finally stopped laughing. “James. The lycargans were a part of the Wersillian Legion before us, yes… but they didn’t unite us.”
“Then what did?”
“I have no clue,” he answered.
“What do you know?”
“James, you must understand this about us dytircs. We were scattered, overpopulated, and ungoverned. It was a hard life. All we had were our tribes. Then one day, some mysterious individual starts spreading propaganda… claiming there was a way for us to thrive, and we were offered a journey… a great journey. This mystery person claimed we could live in peace throughout the galaxy when this journey was finished. Many tribes loved the idea and joined. That was the Great Amalgamation, where millions of tribes merged into one Military Tribe. Harashishi… to this day, I don’t think the dytircs even know exactly what this great journey is.”
My heart skipped a beat. I wondered what kind of individual had that kind of influence to turn power-hungry dytircs into followers.
“What do you know about this mystery person?”
“The thing is, James, next to no
body saw the individual. My guess… the mystery person was the first Warlord of Virtue. After the Great Amalgamation, I stopped hearing about that person.”
“Well, un-mother-fracken-believable. This whole damn time, the ARW had this wrong. This is the kind of info that shifts perspectives. I must get this out.” I pulled out my cyberwatch.
Erryn stopped me. “You can’t send that out now! You could risk the ARW finding our location. Just give it a few days. Maybe an opportunity will present itself.”
I flexed my jaw. “Very well. But you have to do something for me first.”
“What?”
“Check with some of your contacts. See if they can corroborate this ground-shaking piece of information.”
Erryn sighed. “Okay, I will. But for now, James, we need to focus on our mission at hand. Look, if Steion is at the prison, our mission just got more difficult.”
“Only if he’s hunkered down in there. I mean… he may not be,” I assured her.
“Doesn’t matter. We have to plan as if he’s there.”
I sighed. “Very well. Let’s head back to the ship and start spitting ideas for attacking the control station.” Erryn nodded in agreement.
Through the slums and ghetto, we passed through more alleys. As we trekked a few hundred meters away from Larno’s residence, back into the trash heaps we went as we maneuvered through the King Tribe’s territory. Erryn followed my steps, and I continued the trip back by hopping and dodging mounds of garbage.
“Don’t move, or I’ll blow your head right off!” I heard a voice say from behind us.
Chapter 19: Nightmare
October 11, 2111
Malcolm Richardson
Malcolm shot out of his bed to a booming noise passing over the house, sending the covers flying off the queen mattress as the house stopped shaking.
Earthquake!
No, wait. This isn’t right, he shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be in this house.