Thus Falls the Shadow

by Martin Swinford

  “What the fuck do I know? I've been stuck in a fucking locker!”

  “How long for?” asked Rilk.

  “Fucked if I know”

  “Why were you in there?” I asked.

  “My fucking brother stuck me in there, didn't he?”

  “Why?”

  “Fuck knows. Trying to keep me safe, I guess.”

  “What from?” Rilk joined in.

  “Fucking freaks!”

  “Freaks?”

  “Yeah, like we came through that door and there was all these freaks going fucking crazy!”

  “What do you mean freaks?”

  “You know, like Kwa and fucking Rakeesh.” Bex settled into her story, unaware of the impression her words were making. “They were in here watching the vid screen and fucking cheering and all kinds of shit, and me and my brother we came through the door and they just started shouting stuff and my brother...” Bex stopped suddenly. “You seen my brother?” she asked.

  “No” I replied.

  “He's got blonde hair like me but in like a fucking Mohawk, you know?”

  “We haven’t seen him,” Rilk interrupted.

  “I should maybe find him,” Bex reflected. “Fucker’s liable to get in all sorts of trouble.”

  “Tell you what,” Rilk said. “Finish your story and we'll help you look for him.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes.” I promised. “What happened next?”

  ”Well Carl, that's my brother you know, well he first pushes me behind him 'cos things are starting to look fucked up, and then he shoves me in the locker and says ‘Just fucking stay in here and keep quiet until I come get you, got it?’ And then he slams the door.”

  “What happened next?” asked Rilk.

  “Well it got noisy as fuck, you know? All the freaks shouting and chanting.”

  “Chanting?”

  “Yeah, like all at once. And then it starts to fade and I figure they're all fucking off. So I wait like Carl said and it all goes quiet and then after a while I think, like, ‘Fuck it’, and I try to get out, and I find I'm locked in.”

  “So what did you do?” I asked.

  “Do?” The girl looked at me like I was crazy. “I fucking lose it, that's what I do! Shouting and screaming and trying to bust the fucking door open. But then...” Her voice tailed off.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I suddenly feel like I don't want anyone to come.” Tears started to stream down her face. I looked at Rilk who shrugged helplessly.

  “You're ok now.” I said as I knelt down next to her.

  “It's all fucked up ain't it?”

  “Yes.” I replied.

  “People dead and all?”

  I nodded.

  “Fuck!”

  “Come on.” I reached out and took her hand. She flinched but allowed me to lift her up.

  “Where we going?” she asked.

  “To our ship.” I replied.

  “What about Carl?”

  I didn't reply.

  “You think he's dead don't you?”

  “You’re the only person we've found alive.” Rilk answered after a moment. Bex said nothing. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the ground for several seconds before looking me straight in the eye.

  “Let's get the fuck out of here.” she said.

  “I couldn't put it better myself!” Rilk muttered.

  We walked back in wary silence, Bex between us, her shoulders hunched and her hands thrust deep into the pockets of her ex-military jacket. She said nothing until we got back to the asteroid itself, but then as I tried to shield her from the bodies she pushed past me and stood looking over the silent rows.

  “You got a flashlight?” she asked quietly.

  “Here.” Rilk flicked his on. “I'll come with you.”

  I stood by the exit and watched as they made their slow progress. I had seen enough death and longed to be away but at the same time I was impressed by the fortitude of this young girl we had found. Every now and then they stopped briefly but each time moved on to check the next body. Then the torch flicked over a corpse and I heard a brief cry of sudden pain. The torch lingered and I saw a small figure silhouetted against the light as it reached down to touch the body. Then the light went off and, in a few moments, I heard footsteps and the mismatched figures of Rilk and Bex appeared out of the gloom.

  “You got a gun?” she asked abruptly.

  “Yes.” I replied.

  “Fucker was the only family I had,” Bex answered. “I got a mighty strong urge to kill somebody!”

  She strode through the door and up the passageway.

  “I think I'm starting to like her,” Rilk commented. I shook my head and followed him back to the ship.

  Six

  “HIS NAME IS DRD AND he is not a freak!”

  “Fucking freaks're all the same!”

  “They really aren't.”

  “Anyway, what do you mean ‘he’? Fucking freaks don’t have no boys and girls.”

  “Actually you are right...”

  “One of the reasons they’re fucking freaks!”

  “...Kwa are both male and female.”

  “Also fucking weird!”

  “But some of them choose to act male or female when they’re around humans. Helps them to fit in. They’re just like anyone else.”

  “Sneaky little fuckers is what they are!”

  “That’s enough! Drd is OK.”

  “How do you know he's not gonna fucking kill us?” Bex stood with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out like she was a street-fighter working up to a brawl.

  “Because he's been my partner for five years and I'm still alive,” I pointed out. “Now calm down!”

  Bex said nothing, just stood there seething. Drd turned in his chair and made a point of looking her up and down before turning back dismissively.

  “This is gonna be a fun trip,” muttered Rilk.

  Suddenly an alarm blared and the controls lit up with warnings.

  “What is it?” I shouted. Drd's three hands scrambled over the dashboard.

  “Thrtrt fthoth,” he shouted back.

  “A ship, closing fast,” I translated. A thump came from the rear of the ship, followed by several more.

  “They're boarding!” Rilk shouted over the alarm. “Come on!” He charged down the passageway, drawing his gun as he ran. I grabbed my shotgun and followed.

  We burst out onto the open stern. Above us loomed the bulk of a ship and from its dark depths chains and ropes reached down like tentacles. Masked figures were swarming down to join the few already on the deck. I saw shaggy-furred Kwa-Doon, nimble Kwa-nrt and a scattering of Rakeesh, scaly and colourful, using their long tails to grab and swing themselves aboard. I stepped back and slammed the back of my hand on the comm unit by the door.

  “Drd! Get us the hell out from under this ship!”

  His reply was lost in a staccato burst of cracks. Rilk was already firing, coolly picking his targets. A Kwa-nrt was thrown back in sudden cloud of blood to tumble from the stern. A huge Kwa-Doon took a shot to the chest but kept coming, roaring and swinging a steel pole above his head. A second shot staggered him before the third finally put him down. Even then he crawled forward before a kick in the head put him out of the fight. I pumped the shotgun and started firing rounds up into the ship above. Suddenly the ship tilted wildly as Drd began evasive action. For a brief moment I felt weightless as the ships artificial gravity adjusted. Which gave me an idea.

  “Rilk!” I shouted. “Hold on!”

  He turned and gave me a questioning look, but slipped his foot round a deck stanchion anyway. I punched the comm again.

  'Drd! Turn off the grav!”

  I felt myself become weightless and as the ship spun again and shot forward I clung on hard to the railing. On the deck all was chaos as the suddenly weightless attackers found themselves floating free of the ship. As I watched another tilt of the ship slammed the deck into a
group of Kwa-nrt who then rebounded out into space, flailing wildly as they tried to catch hold of something. A Kwa-doon screamed as the stern rail whipped his legs from under him and he somersaulted off the deck to be left turning in space. I noticed he had no respirator and knew that in seconds he would be dead.

  Not all the attackers had fared so badly. A group of Rakeesh had managed to hold on, their tails giving them an advantage over the Kwa. Now they attacked, thrusting their feet to push off towards us, flying through the space to where we held on.

  We were all moving with the ship, governed by the laws of motion. As long as we stayed in physical contact with the Fading Sun we would move with it. If we let go then we would continue on the same path, which was fine as long as the ship stayed in the same trajectory as well. Looking back, I could see that the decrepit freighter that had attacked us was turning in an attempt to match Drd's evasive manoeuvres. I knew that Drd would be turning too and knew I had to hold on.

  The first Rakeesh was heading straight for me, pointed teeth bared in a hungry grin, a second was heading towards Rilk and a third was somewhere behind. I heard the sharp report as Rilk fired, bracing himself against the bulkhead to absorb the recoil, but then the first Rakeesh was on me. I couldn't use the shotgun one handed so I just let it go to float serenely next to me. Instead I grasped the railings with both hands and levered my my body up parallel with the deck in a two footed kick. The Rakeesh could do nothing to avoid my blow and instead swiped at my legs with his clawed hands. Simultaneously I felt my boots hit home and white-hot streaks of pain shoot down my leg. Propelled by my kick the Rakeesh spun and twisted away, the force of the blow tearing his claw from my leg leaving a red cloud of blood. He grappled desperately for something to cling onto but his claws now ripped through empty space as he tumbled beyond reach of the ship. There was no time for respite. The third Rakeesh was on me and with my leg pouring blood and my hands clinging on I couldn't defend myself.

  “Rilk!” I shouted. I saw him turn and aim, but then heard the click of the empty gun.

  “Fuckin' freaks!” Bex sprang from the airlock, holding the closest thing to a weapon she could find, a fire extinguisher. Sailing through space she swung the metal cylinder in a circle to catch the lizard man a resounding blow in the jaw. Blood and bone burst like a firework from the impact and the Rakeesh spun away into space.

  “Fuck!” Bex found herself spinning in the opposite direction. I watched helplessly as she drifted out towards space. In a few seconds she would reach the edge of the envelope of atmosphere over the open stern. Anyone who pushed themselves out towards her would simply push her and themselves out into empty space. I liked around for a respirator, a rope, anything but there was nothing. I looked at Rilk, the desperation showed in his eyes but he simply shook his head.

  “There you are you little fucker!”

  I turned to see Bex triumphantly pull the pin from the fire extinguisher and throw it away. Then she turned the nozzle out from her body and towards empty space and hit the trigger. A jet of foam shot out into space, immediately slowing her down and then pushing her back toward the ship. Bex took her hand off the trigger as she looked over her shoulder trying to judge the trajectory. Then she turned the nozzle slightly and gave another quick blast, pushing her down towards the ship. She looked back again and this time I saw the grin on her face as she gave one more quick blast that pushed her right into Rilk’s arms.

  “Nice catch big boy!” she said. “Fuck, that was cool!”

  “That was actually very clever thinking,” Rilk replied.

  “What, did you think I was fucking stupid or something?”

  “No! That's not what I meant! I ...” Rilk floundered for a moment, before Bex laughed and put him out of his misery.

  “Aw, I was just fucking with yer!” She patted his bicep approvingly. I noticed he still had his arms round her and a little stab of jealousy took me by surprise. I reached out and flicked the comm unit.

  “Drd, gravity on.”

  The cry of pain as they both hit the deck cheered me up slightly.

  Seven

  “OW!”

  “Frt thrrp drtnt!” replied Drd.

  “Let me guess,” said Rilk. “Don't be such a baby!”

  “Thought you didn't speak Kwa. Ow!” I flinched again.

  “I don't,” replied Rilk, “but that was pretty obvious.”

  I was lying on the couch in the main cabin while Drd bandaged my leg. Rilk sprawled across a chair, one leg hanging over the arm.

  “You don't have to watch,” I replied testily. “Haven't you got anything better to do?”

  “Not really.” Rilk leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “The ship's on autopilot, Bex is asleep and I already cleaned my gun. What else is there to do?”

  “You could read a book.”

  “Frithrth rtyt krpk mrjrp!”

  “What did he say?” asked Rilk.

  “He said we don't have any with just pictures,” I replied.

  “Hey!” Rilk sat up. “I've read books.”

  “You know gun catalogues don't count, right?”

  Drd's fluting laugh almost drowned out Rilk's indignant noises.

  Once we'd cleared the borders from the stern it had been a fairly easy getaway. The freighter that attacked us was no match for our speed or manoeuvrability and had quickly given up the chase. Now we were heading away from Zestrade on an elliptical course, no particular destination, just putting some space between us and the horror we had seen.

  Drd examined the bandages and, with a satisfied chirp, started to head back to the bridge.

  “Drd, can you just look at something for me?” I pulled out my comm unit and flicked up the picture I had taken on Zestrade. He glanced at it as he walked away and then stopped, coming back to take the unit out of my hand.

  “Thrft ftrd thropt fyrddt?”

  “It was on the wall,” I replied, “in the room where all the bodies were.”

  For a moment he stood absolutely still and stared at the screen. Then without turning his head he spoke.

  “Frp thrtp fvr?”

  “Yes, next pic,” I replied.

  He touched the screen and as the video appeared he recoiled visibly.

  “That's all there is.” I said. “Do you know what it means?”

  He watched the clip play through several times more, before his nimble finger clicked the comm unit off. Slowly he turned and then in a quiet voice began to talk. After a moment I started to translate.

  “He's saying that the word written across the wall is one that is rarely used. It's very old and it doesn't have a meaning in common speech. 'Starting place' is a rough translation but the word means much more, like where you were born but for a whole people.”

  “Eden?” Rilk interrupted. Drd stopped and looked at me quizzically. In Kwa I started to explain what Eden meant and after a moment he nodded vigorously and continued.

  “There is a legend,” I continued translating, “that says that there was a homeworld before Kwa Prime, a world lost to the Kwa races.”

  “What the...” Bex's question was cut short as Rilk slapped his hand over her mouth. Drd stopped and looked up as Rilk held a finger to his mouth before removing the hand. Bex looked cross but then seemed to realise that something important was happening as Drd started talking again.

  “Deep in the jungles of Kwa Prime,” I continued, “there are temples built to house the relics of this ‘Eden’. There the collective memories of the Kwa people are guarded, distilled into poems and songs. He says that the voice in clip us saying a line from one of the oldest. It's saying, 'Thus falls the shadow'“

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Bex asked. Drd turned to her as his eyes slowly flushed bright purple.

  “Hey, I was only asking!” she protested.

  “Don't worry about her,” I said in Kwa. “I don't think she means to be so offensive.”

  “We're sorry,” Rilk added. “Please explain what it means.”<
br />
  Drd turned back and the colour in his eyes faded to pink. For a moment he stood in silence but then he opened his mouth and began to sing. It was an unearthly sound, high-pitched and dry, and as he sang a stillness came over the ship, a stillness filled with the sound of loss and the echo of the past. The song died away and into the silence I spoke the words.

  “And all the years are as dust,

  And all the days have passed,

  And the children are scattered and lost,

  Thus falls the shadow over Eden.”

  Drd turned and walked back to the bridge.

  “HERE.” RILK HANDED me a cup.

  “I wondered what you were doing in there.” I took a sip. “Not bad,” I pronounced.

  “You sound surprised.”

  He sat down opposite me. I was sitting at the long table in the cabin, playing with my comm unit, flicking between the picture of the word and the clip of the speaking man.

  “What are you thinking?” He leaned forward and for a tantalising moment I caught the smell of his skin before the air conditioning whisked it away.

  “I'm not sure.” I shrugged and put the comm unit down between us, the picture frozen on the blurred figure.

  “It's not much to go on,” Rilk said. “A bit of poetry and a word on a wall.”

  “There's this as well.” I placed a piece of paper on the table.

  He reached forward and picked it up. “Of course,” he said, “the note you found in the dead hand.” He looked at it and frowned. “These look like...”

  “System coordinates?” I reached over and took the paper. “That's what I thought, until I ran them through the NavCom.” I cleared my comm unit and patched through to the ship's systems. “Look!” I punched in the numbers and held up the screen.

  “Where the fuck's that?”

  “Smack, bang in the middle of the dust.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “None of this makes any sense!”

  “Except...”

  I listened to the rattle of Rilk rolling the base of his empty cup on the table and waited for him to continue. He was staring downwards as if fascinated by the movement of his own hand but I could tell his thoughts were far away.