by John Walker
“Understood.” Renz returned to his seat. “Keep me informed of the progress. I’m looking over the reports from the other ships scouring the surface. Where is our backup? Those ships we ordered.” He expected the other ships to have arrived. If they left when they were supposed to, at least. Someone must have delayed them.
He couldn’t imagine who would try to countermand his order. Whoever they were, he intended to have words with them later. If the Brekka and Triton arrive while we’re toying around with all these problems…
“I’m in contact with them,” Inda said, “a countdown on the main screen shows how long before they arrive. So not much longer.”
Vhel spoke up. “The semantics of mobilizing a small fleet like that.”
“Yes, yes.” Renz sighed. “Let me know if there are any other delays.” He drew a deep breath, turning his attention to the station. How are our people doing over there?
Renz felt as if they were stretched thin. It shouldn’t have mattered considering the state of their opponents. Unfortunately, there were fresh enemies on the horizon, waiting to swoop in. It was not a matter of if, but when they arrived. And if we’re not supported, we’ll have to flee. Again. Without anything to show for our efforts.
He would not let that happen. Regardless of the cost.
***
Milna stood close to Jok as the strange natives led them deeper into the cave network. Their guides didn’t take anything away, leaving them with their weapons. Her suspicious side suggested it was an attempt to lull them into a sense of security. After all, they had to be allies if they didn’t care who was armed.
But their religious leanings meant something as well. If they honestly believed in such nonsense, then some prophecy likely guided their actions. Which might include ritual murder. Or worse, though she couldn’t come up with what that might be.
Kyle and Lysa helped Vesper. Between the two of them, they practically carried her. The woman needed real medical attention as soon as possible. If she survived the next hour, she might get it. Unfortunately, their new friends didn’t show off their own technological advancement.
Do they have modern equipment? She somehow doubted it. Though that came back to her natural cynicism.
Quilla complained under his breath. Every step brought out a new misery, a new thing for him to be upset about. His feet ached, his clothes clung because of sweat, his head hurt… she had half a mind to put him out of his misery. It would be a kindness the way he’s carrying on.
She had no idea what he expected or hoped for. Talking felt like a bad idea since their guides remained silent as they walked. The only sounds besides Quilla came from their shuffling footsteps along with the occasional moan out of Vesper. She appeared to be only barely conscious.
We should probably put her out of her misery too.
Though the others didn’t seem the type to go for such things. She kept that notion to herself. Even Jok leaned toward an overly compassionate view, to the point of risking their own lives to help others. Milna lived her life nimbly, which meant cutting deadweight the moment she identified any.
Niva led their column just behind the natives. She’s someone to watch out for. Milna felt confident in taking out the others if necessary, especially Tiller. That blowhard wouldn’t be much of a threat. The others consisted of two wounded, a couple scientists, and a whiny pirate.
But Niva… she belonged to Prytin intelligence. By rights, she represented Milna’s peer. Someone she’d love to square off with. The challenge called to her—not to mention duty. Removing such a player would hurt their cause. In fact, killing everyone there but Jok made the most sense.
They had data the Kahl wanted. Allowing them to keep it made no sense. If they got to Jok’s ship, Milna planned to take them out. She needed to do so in a way that wouldn’t anger her partner. These people will do something worthy of murder. And when they do, I’ll be justified.
One thing piqued her interest on the world though. The natives spoke of the Prophet. Were they referring to my target? Or some other religious adventurer roaming this particular world? Most cultures liked talking about their fantasies. She planned to probe them for information.
Perhaps they followed the same religious beliefs.
I need to take care of the way I proceed. I don’t want to rouse the suspicions of the intelligence officer. Milna had no idea how much Niva knew about the Kahl resistance or if they had a hand in it. For all I know, they invented the Prophet and unleashed that fallacy on my people to cause discord.
Niva rose her hand. “Hold up.” The troop stopped. She drew their group together, lowering her voice. “I saw ahead. They’re leading us to an encampment. It doesn’t look new. Whether they live in these hills or not, let’s be mindful of the fact we’re guests and we need them if we want to escape our hunters.”
Alon said, “As long as they have medical supplies… the chance to get some rest… I’m good with them.”
Lysa added, “We have to hurry. Vesper’s having a hard time.”
“Alright.” Niva nodded. “Come on. They’re waiting.”
Milna sighed. What was the point of all that? Did the woman genuinely think someone in their group was stupid enough to cause trouble?
“Wait!” Quilla called.
Oh. Him.
“Do they have somewhere comfortable to sit?” Quilla asked. “I don’t mean to complain—”
“What’s going to stop you now?” Milna interrupted.
Quilla ignored her. “But this is way more than I bargained for.”
“Can it,” Tiller said, “if not for us, you’d be dead. Did you see those streaks in the sky? If they didn’t kill you in the initial assault on the Flotilla, then you’d be a prisoner right now. And I’m pretty sure that might be worse.”
“It is,” Niva added. “They aren’t remotely gentle to criminals.” She turned to Milna. “Right?”
“Excuse me?” Milna tilted her head. She prayed her expression remained neutral as her heart raced. “I don’t follow.”
“You and your friend are resisting against the Kahl. You must know how they treat their prisoners.”
“It’s bad,” Jok said. “Labor camps are primarily used once the victim has given up all the information they have at their disposal. And those are little more than long-term execution factories. Men and women are brought there to be worked to death. I’m sure you’ve seen the footage of them. They let the information leak.”
Niva nodded. “Oh, I’ve seen it all.”
I’m sure you have. Milna bit her lip to remain neutral. I want a go at you, girl. We need to see what you’re made of. She wondered how long it would take the intelligence officer to reveal her suspicions. You’re not very subtle. But then again, neither am I. Perhaps the two of us were brought together for a reason.
The cavern they entered looked more like a small town than a camp. A path marked with lights led between a dozen structures, some towering up three stories. They were definitely fabricated, built with technology beyond a primitive culture’s capability. Dozens of Kahl moved about, performing different tasks.
This is a functional ecosystem. Milna frowned. Why are they underground? And do they have any settlements on the surface? If so, they needed to worry about the battleship overhead. It would certainly send people to search their homes and likely kill anyone that didn’t have the information they needed.
“Excuse me,” Milna approached Haulda, “is this where you all live?”
“We have many places.” Haulda looked her in the eye. Something unnerved her about how wide he kept his, showing the whites around the irises. Almost like he was in a perpetual trance. “Above ground and below. But as the time of the Prophet approached, we migrated to our safety zones. These… bunkers, if you will.”
“What makes you call them that?” Niva asked. “Do you have some technology that blocks scans? I noticed a certain—”
“All your questions,” Haulda raised a hand, “will be answered.
After we get your companions aid. Shall we?” He walked away without another word. Milna hurried to keep up.
“But if you lived on the surface, what happened to those buildings?”
“They are abandoned for now,” Haulda said. “If they are destroyed, we’re prepared. The cave network of our world extends all around the region. Our entire population can live here indefinitely.”
“Can you tell us about the prophecy?” Lysa asked. “What do your people believe is going to happen?”
“We believe in the Prophet. A being of immeasurable foresight. Wise. One who knows the path forward to bring freedom to the people of the galaxy.”
Lysa nodded. “I’ve got… so many questions.”
“They can wait,” Niva said, “are your people capable of space flight?”
Haulda shook his head. “No.”
“Then how do you know about this Prophet character? Why are you so calm about our arrival? I don’t understand.”
“You are not the first visitors to come to our world. Not the first people to bring questions and beliefs. Long ago, a group came here to establish themselves. They fled from what they called an endless war. Those men and women brought understanding of the stars… of the Gods.”
“And technology?” Jok asked. “Did they gift you with that as well?”
“Let’s say they nudged us toward what you see before you.” Haulda paused before the largest structure, with three stories and dark gray walls. The doors slid open as he approached. Half a dozen people stood near a counter. Benches took up the right, cushioned chairs turning it into some kind of waiting space.
The opposite side housed machines. Each held some type of good. Doors to the left and right went deeper into the structure and presumably to the stairs or lifts leading to the next level up. Bright lights overhead belied the relative darkness in the cave. Windows looked out on the path.
Milna caught sight of some of the other Kahl peering in at them, watching quietly.
Curious about the newcomers, Milna thought. Or wondering about our divinity.
Haulda turned. “They will take care of all your needs. There are beds here. Medical facilities. For superficial wounds, you may want to trust them with your health. Otherwise, they will understand if you want to perform your own work. Considering they do not know your physiology per se.”
“Thank you,” Niva said, “we appreciate your assistance. I… do have one concern. A question.”
“Please.”
“It’s about those pursuing us. What’s to stop them from discovering this place?”
“The caves are closed,” Haulda replied. “No one can get through that way. They will not detect life forms within the mountains. The settlements should attract their attention. But make no mistake, we’re on borrowed time here. We’ll speak more when you’ve had a chance to recover.” He departed, leaving them there.
“Right.” Niva gestured to the others. “Better get Vesper to a bed. Alon, you should get down too. Everyone else, check each other out.”
“What’re you going to do?” Milna asked.
“Gather as much information as I can.” Niva stepped over to the window, peering out. “They have some use for us.”
“Yes,” Milna nodded, “that whole borrowed time comment led me to the same conclusion. What do you think they intend? Surely, not murder. Why bother to fix up Vesper if they’re going to kill us?”
“Agreed. I don’t know anything about this prophet’s religion. Do you?”
“Yes. Some.” Milna glanced at Jok. “He might tell us more. But he’s been hesitant to discuss it too much. This resistance we work for has ties to the Prophet back home. If they are somehow referring to the same individual, I’d like to know how. After all, he just said they were visited long ago. And I only recently heard about our version.”
Niva nodded. “Then I guess I’ll start by talking with your friend. Maybe we can puzzle this out together. I don’t want to be surprised by some crazy request.”
“No. Not when we’re effectively stranded here.”
“But are we?” Niva asked. “Did Jok’s ship make it to the surface?”
“He hasn’t said.” Milna shrugged. “Another topic, I suppose.”
“Yeah…” Niva gestured toward the door. “Better get some downtime. We can talk later.”
But I don’t want to leave you alone. Milna’s distrust made her skin hot. The thought of walking away felt wrong on a cellular level. She forced herself to do it, to cling to her cover. Soon enough. We’ll have our words soon enough. Until then, I have to be an ally. A convincing one. No matter how difficult it might be.
Or what she had to say to maintain the lie.
***
Kyle half carried Vesper to one of the beds. Lysa stepped up to help remove the sergeant’s armor. Blood soaked the inner padding, making her clothes wet. Sunken eyes made her pale skin look all the more ghastly. Unconsciousness took her a few moments later.
“Hey,” Lysa pulled Kyle aside, “she might need a blood transfusion. I don’t know. I mean, you and I kept our medical needs pretty simple.”
“Niva helped Alon,” Kyle pointed out. “I’m sure she can help her too. She used some kind of weird drug on him.”
“Vitrazine,” Kyle said, “just encourages healing. Like… a lot. I don’t mean to make it sound less than it is. But I don’t know if we have anymore. Tiller asked for some out of the first aid kit then we had to haul ass out of there.” People moved all around the room, each wearing a beige one-piece uniform. “Either way, we need to stop the bleeding.”
“Maybe some of these people have medication we can adapt?” Lysa shrugged. “I’ll stop the bleeding while you ask around?”
“Um… I’d rather stop the bleeding.” Kyle knelt by Vesper, running a scan. “Yeah, I’ve got this. Go see what resources we can use.”
Lysa didn’t like leaving him alone with her, but Alon sat nearby. She didn’t know where Tiller had gotten off to. Quilla basked on one of the beds like a domesticated cat. His entitled expression suggested the world owed him something. Probably expects us to bring him something to eat.
She approached Jok, waving before getting too close. “Um… hello. Can you… can you help me with something?”
“Of course.” Jok put aside his gear. “What can I do?”
“Our friend is very hurt. I need some kind of medication, but I’m not sure I should try talking to these people alone. They’re… well, they’re Kahl like you, right? I hoped maybe you wouldn’t mind finding the right one to get some help.”
“We don’t need them for that.” Jok patted her shoulder. He grabbed his first aid kit. “Let’s take a look together.”
As they approached, Lysa recognized Kyle’s body language. Shoulders stiff, he sat up straight, applying pressure to Vesper’s stomach wound. He looked up, a grave expression contorting his features.
“That bad?” Lysa asked.
Kyle nodded. “Probably worse.” He looked at Jok. “Can you help?”
“Yes, I’ve got something for her.” Jok scanned Vesper then drew out a hypo. He tapped it against a couple different metal containers before pressing it against her neck. “This will slow the bleeding so we can get that under control. Then we’ll start the healing process. If these readings are correct, your kind can mend swiftly given help.”
“I hope so,” Kyle said. “We need her on her feet if we’re going to get out of here.”
“Come on,” Lysa muttered, “don’t be like that.”
“I’m just saying,” Kyle replied. “We’re not in a position to carry her, you know?”
“We’ll make sure she’s okay,” Jok said, “at least well enough to travel. I have no intention of anyone being left behind. Even that fool.” He gestured to Quilla. “But I suspect we have something else to do before we can leave.”
“What’s that mean?” Lysa asked. “Are you thinking about the prophecy thing?”
Jok nodded. He continued working on Vesper
while he spoke. “These people believe we’ve come here for something. They’ll expect us to fulfill it. Even if we didn’t have the Kahl roaming around making it impossible to call in the ship, I’m not sure we’d be able to leave. Not without their permission.”
“The tech doesn’t look all that impressive,” Kyle pointed out. “It’s above average, sure, but capable of stopping a starship?”
“We haven’t seen any weapons yet,” Jok replied, “not that any of us know of at least. Which means we have no idea what they’re capable of. I’d remain cautious about your observations until such time as we can confirm what we’re dealing with. Specifically, how powerful they really are.”
“But they don’t have space flight,” Kyle pressed. “How can they possibly—”
“Just because,” Jok interrupted, “a culture doesn’t have the same things as yours does not make them less potent. Some choose not to leave their own worlds. And others, like this one, were planted. They have technology another civilization like theirs may not because of the visitors that brought the Prophet with them.”
“Do you know what that is all about?” Lysa asked. “Haulda brushed me off when I asked.”
Jok nodded. “The organization we work with has ties to the Prophet back home.”
“Yeah?” Kyle asked. “Do you think it’ll be the same religion?”
“I don’t know.” Jok gave Vesper another shot. Afterward, he pressed a bandage to the wound on her gut, taping it down. “The coincidence is hard to ignore.” He stood. “She needs rest now, and I should clean up, but one final thought to take away: don’t speculate too much. It’s pointless when the answers will come soon enough.”
“We’re just worried,” Kyle replied. “After all, we have no idea what they want.”
Jok smiled. “And while I understand the concern, there’s nothing we can do about it either way. Excuse me.”
Lysa watched him leave. Kyle nudged her. “He thinks he’s wise.”
“Or at least at peace.” Lysa turned back to Vesper. She ran a medical scan. “Her vitals are stable. He does good work.”
