Vra squinted. How can they keep going?
Fearing the worse, her stomach knotted. She backed her steed further and prepared to yank the reins and flee.
Zo yelled. “Gno! Use the drone and kill those things!”
A cheetah-beetle gashed the large clicker’s back. Arching while remaining upright on its hind legs, the fiendish being pivoted and grabbed the denamod’s crusted skull with all four of its free paws. It squeezed until the beetle’s eyes bulged. The cranium collapsed, and brown goo oozed from its mouth.
Vra’s heart burned as the horrid slaughter unfolded. Struggling to catch a breath, she nudged her steed’s ribs and pulled alongside Zo. “You’ve got to do something before they turn on us!”
Her brother’s hardened biceps twitched as his bronzed skin no longer hid the redness spreading across his neck. He spun toward Gno. “Hurry! What’s taking so long?”
Within seconds, the heads of two more denamods flew through the air. A crimson spray splattered the large clicker’s chest. Raising its trunk, the monster chirped and swung its heavy paw across the back of another cheetah-beetle — snapping its spine. The injured mutant shrieked while dragging its useless hind legs.
A red beam struck the vicious attacker. Copper fluid exploded from the smoldering hole, and the injured being collapsed to the ground. It squealed as it writhed in pain.
Two of the smaller clickers grabbed the legs of the last surviving denamod and tore them from its body. A horrifying screech knifed Vra’s ears.
Successive red beams pierced the midsections of both monsters, and two more struck the remaining clickers. Copper fluid gushed from the seared wounds.
Somewhat relieved, Vra sighed but remained frozen in her saddle. Even though she had shared several expeditions with her older brother, never had she witnessed a heinous attack of such ruthless tenacity.
The faint courage she had mustered at the start of the trip melted away. It’d be fine by her if she never saw one of those monsters again. Her entire body shook as she tried to maintain her balance.
Eerie, soul-gripping howls and resonating chirps rained down from above, and an icy chill whisked through her soul.
Vra glanced at her oldest brother. Zo clenched his teeth while his glare rose high over trees to the icy bluffs above.
Noon
Queasy’s Patio
Thrilled that Ma let him return to talk with his new friend, Skeeter peered into the back window of the scientist’s window. Most of the people inside sat at a table eating lunch in the large dining room while a few chatted in the kitchen. Wish I could’ve been at the meeting. Why does everybody say I’m too young? It’s not fair!
The knob turned, and his sister peered from around the door. “Hey, Baby Brother. What’s up? You come to see me?”
“Well…,” he stared at his feet, “…you know I love being with you, but I actually came to see Andralec. She was so much fun yesterday.”
Hoot’s shoulders slumped. “Wicked. You’re really gonna bail on your sister that fast?”
“Awww, you know I love you, and we’re with each other all the time. It’s just that Andralec’s my new friend.”
Her eyes turned sad. “Well, if you insist; I’ll go get Robo Girl for you.” She spun in a huff and disappeared.
As he hopped in place to ward off the chill, he hoped his new friend would be excited to see him. Ten seconds later, the android appeared on the back deck. “How can I be of assistance?”
That wasn’t exactly the welcome he had expected. “Oh, it’s nothing serious. I just wanna chat.”
She smiled. “Excellent.”
Mesmerized, he gazed at her for a few seconds. She looked so beautiful but different from the day before.
Shimmery-gold hair extended to the middle of her back, and the sheen of her white, make-believe dress glistened in the sun. If it was possible for a boy to fall for his guardian angel, then he was certainly smitten. Warmth rushed to his cheeks.
He gently clasped her hand and led her to the woodshed. When he picked out a couple of logs, Andralec snatched them and placed both back on the pile.
“Let me help.” She stooped and slid her arms under the crate. Lifting the entire stack, she seemed to glide across the patio before gently setting the firewood down.
“Brutish! Wasn’t that heavy?”
“It was a trivial task. I can safely lift two tons, but I’ve been designed to lift three if I use my turbo booster. I only use that in emergencies since it could risk damage.”
Was it possible? His new playmate seemed to have special powers just like him. He pointed. “Your shoes have wheels?”
She looked down at her feet, fitted with shiny, black dress shoes women rarely wore in those parts. “You’re very perceptive, young man. As you have surmised, I can maneuver on rollers when I so desire.”
Wholeheartedly amazed, he couldn’t recall anything more thrilling than the best toy ever. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
“There is one thing. Sadly, I can’t make myself disappear. Believe me, there were times with Speedy when I wanted to be someplace else but not Ukkiville necessarily.”
Curling his lower lip, he stomped his foot. “What’s wrong with Ukkiville?”
“For the most part, it’s pretty primitive. You don’t have much in the way of technology, except what you’ve received from Texas.”
Skeeter slumped. “You’re not gonna leave, are you?”
Andralec bent at her knees and peered at him face-to-face. “Don’t you ever tell anybody, especially Speedy. You make it worthwhile. We have fun talking, and there’s so much I can teach you.”
Perking up, he smiled. “And there’s a few things I can teach you, like fishing with worms. There’s lots of stuff I know. I think we’ll be great together!”
“I’ve never been fishing, but can we skip the worm thing? Slimy is one sensation I dislike. Never quite understood why humans came up with that one.”
“Okay, we’ll use crickets instead.” Skeeter tossed a couple of logs on top of the kindling inside the chiminea. “Why don’t you light this thing and sit by me. There’s something I wanna ask.”
“Perfect.” She reached into the mouth of the clay heater, and a yellowish-red flame shot from her finger. After the fire spread, she grabbed a chair and sat in front of him.
His pulse quickened. He’d been waiting for this moment since he awoke. I don’t know what I’m gonna do if she says no, but here goes.
Sucking a deeper breath, he looked Andralec in the eye. “They suggested that you be my protector, but do you think we could be buddies too?”
The robot’s eyes darted for a second. “Sounds feasible. I’m proficient at multitasking, but why do you want to be buddies?”
His heart jumped. Yes! We’re gonna have so much fun!
Trying to settle himself, he sat up straight. “I was so excited when you first arrived. That moment we opened the crate, your face was so beautiful, like an angel.”
“Ah, yes. That’s my ‘serene’ expression when I’m turned off. It’s kind of ironic because I’m anything but serene when they power me up again.”
“Believe me, I know. As soon as Hoot switched you on, your face turned angry.”
Andralec paused for a second. “I can’t recall the technical term for it, but that’s my ‘pissed-off at Speedy’ expression. I used it a lot in Texas. I feel much better now. It seems the people here have a better appreciation of my value.”
Skeeter peered at her. “I understand. I feel the same about you. You appreciate me more than most around here. Usually, they’re trying to find a boring task for me to do while they’re having all the fun.”
He held the android’s hand. “Since we’re gonna be buddies, I was wondering; could I give you a nickname?”
“Like what? It certainly can’t be Drally. I despise that name!”
“I was thinking of something nice, like Angella or Angelic. It will always remind me of that moment I first saw you.”
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“Hmmm, I like that.” She smiled. “Let’s go with Angella.”
“Fantastic! Angella and I are gonna be buddies!”
He couldn’t remember being so happy since his pa gave him a knife for his birthday. In fact, he hadn’t given something a name since receiving his pup several years ago, and he wished he had a do-over. ‘Jaws’ seemed so perfect at the time, but ever since Teli showed the village a movie with the same name, he pictured that scary shark with the crooked teeth whenever he called his dog.
The robot cocked her head. “You appear to be elated, but before you get too carried away, you may have to fill me in on this whole buddy thing. Besides a new nickname, what does a buddy do?”
“It’s simple. We spend a lot of time together, maybe share our thoughts and ideas, but most of all, we always have each other’s back.”
The android’s eyes froze in place, and a sudden whirring inside her chest grew louder. “You don’t mean physically, do you?”
Skeeter laughed. “No, Silly! Of course not, Angella! I mean if one of us does something wrong or makes mistakes, the other usually comes up with a believable story to help keep them out of trouble.”
“Ooh, that sounds intriguing!” She depressed a small button among many on her abdomen.
He scrunched his nose. “What’s that for?”
“I’m continually sending feedback to Texas, so they can monitor my operations and emotions. I don’t think they have a need-to-know when I’m with…,” she winked, “…my buddy.”
Reaching over, the android put her arm around Skeeter, and warmth spread across the back of his wolf hide. Suddenly, a pink glow in the form of a heart grew brighter through the pseudo-clothing across her chest. “Know what? I think we’re going to be best buddies from this moment forward.”
He smiled. “No doubt about it, and you know what? I’ve got just the prank to get even with Speedy.”
“I’m liking this buddy thing better with each passing minute.” A wry grin spread across her angelic face.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Vanished
Early Afternoon
Queasy’s Cabin
Peeking out the back door, Hoot stepped onto the deck. “Skeeter, Ma’s looking for you.”
Her brother slumped. “Awww, but I’m havin’ fun with Angella.” He glanced at the android then back at her. “Do I have to?”
She shot a stern frown. “Yes, Ma’s waiting out front. You better hurry.”
A nag tugged at her heart. He’s already got a nickname for her? What does he see in that robot? She’s just a bucket of bolts pretending to be human.
She stared at Andralec. “Queasy wants you to join us during the next discussion.”
“Be right there.” The golden-haired android, decked out in her fancy white dress, walked the young man around the cabin.
A minute later, she strolled through the front door with her head held high and her wavy blond hair bouncing along the middle of her back with each step. Somewhere along the way, her outer skin had morphed to a sexier red attire. The plunging neckline of her sleeveless pseudo-clothes left a hint of her cleavage for all to see.
Hoot rolled her eyes. What a show-off!
Teli’s gaze remained glued to the robot as he patted the seat next to him. “Come, this one’s free.”
While Andralec sat next to the bedazzled young scientist, Hoot returned to her chair and looked at the large screen. Tapping a monitor next to Tiger, Speedy joined the conversation. “I have something I want to share. Let me pull it up so y’all can see.”
Suddenly the video’s black background flashed yellow, and alarms blared. A message in bold, red letters appeared, and a voice resonated. “The Texas Defense System is about to shut down unless you enter the correct password within 5 seconds.”
Blipping, a clock counted down the seconds. Speedy’s eyes bulged like that of a hunter about to be mauled by a grizzly. He desperately pressed several keys but to no avail.
Hoot edged closer. She couldn’t imagine what was about to happen but feared for her Texas friends.
The timer kept ticking and finally stopped at 0:00. A new message popped up. “Just kidding!”
An image of Andralec with frizzed purple hair sticking straight out slowly materialized while her voice resonated through the speakers. “Hi, Speedy. The password is ‘SorryImistreatedyouAndralec.’”
The Texan glared at the robot. “Not funny, Drally. You’re not supposed to hack our systems — ever!”
With a polite and calming tone, she tried to soothe him. “I promise never to do it again if you start treating me nicely like you would a human. You can start by never calling me Drally.”
Tiger giggled as Speedy shook his head and mumbled. “Where did we go so wrong?”
He groveled. “Okay, okay. I’ll try harder to be nice — Andralec.”
She smiled. “Much better. Now, what did you have to show us?”
Relieved, Hoot chuckled to herself. No wonder Skeeter likes Robo Girl! She’s wicked!
An hour later after much discussion about the dissections, her enthusiasm waned, and her eyes began to droop. She rarely comprehended the non-stop blather of the scientists. It was way too technical or downright boring.
Hoot yawned. Firing reapers is more to my lik … what did he say? A weird phenomenon? Stiffening in her seat, she turned an ear toward Teli.
The young man stood at his station and pointed at one of the feet of the six-legged monster. “Each of the snatcher’s front fours is more like a hand/paw combination. They’re padded with three long phalanges or fingers. Between each of them are retractable, razor-sharp claws. I suppose they are recessed while running but extended when slicing and dicing its victims during initial attacks and organ extraction.”
Thinking of what could have happened to her brother during his ill-timed chase of the snatchers tied Hoot’s stomach in knots.
Teli continued. “The hind legs are much different. They’re longer and shaped like a muscular man’s but also padded with retractable, curved claws more like a bear’s. It’s conceivable these things can walk and run upright. Look at this nasty wound. Something has eaten away at the flesh above its hind paw, and it’s continuing up the leg. Even as I talk, the chemical reaction keeps churning.”
He zoomed the camera in on the location. A bubbly copper foam oozed from around the upper reaches of the leg’s raw area.
Growing more fascinated, Hoot slid to the edge of her chair while Teli continued. “Oddly, I found some kind of mushroom spores during the analysis of a sample of the affected flesh. Unfortunately, the chemical that reacted with the spores was unknown according to the results.
Queasy piped up. “Similar to the festering welts. My report identified venom commonly found in stings, but its reactive substance was marked unknown.”
Tiger rubbed her chin. “Odd, indeed. The quicker y’all get the cadaver to Texas, the better. We’ll run several different samples through our more advanced analyzers.”
The more her scientist friends talked, the greater Hoot’s mind swirled in confusion and intrigue with a splattering of fear. Can’t wait to tell Doggy Breath! Snatcher’s a Frankenstein of muclones with see-through hides, sores that bubble for days, copper blood, and substances unknown. What’s next?
Mid-Afternoon
Southern Edge of Zolokt Forest
Before heading back through the woods, Gno surveyed the slaughter. The smell of death lingered with a putrid odor that roiled his stomach following every battle.
While each of the denamods appeared motionless, all of the clickers showed signs of life as they struggled to crawl. With several arrows protruding from their bodies, they looked like freakish, over-sized porcupines.
Amazed, he shook his head. How do they keep going?
He looked at his brother. “Shouldn’t we make sure they’re dead?”
“Leave ‘em. They won’t get far before the scavengers pick at what’s left.”
Vra gawked. “O
n the trail, you said we’d bring one back to show the clan. Let’s at least kill that big one to find out what it’s made of.”
Obviously growing frustrated, Zo spun his stallion around and barked. “Alright, but hurr….”
Bright white flashes startled him as they lit the sky behind the empty wagons. The horses danced in place.
After settling his steed, Gno yanked the reins. “What was that?”
He sped toward the rear and stared at the clearing. “They’re gone!”
Around the outer edge of the location where each of the freakish monsters had vanished, charred grass smoldered with glowing, orange embers. Only the mutilated carcasses of the Skalag’s denamods remained.
Never had he seen anything so strange. He held his arms out. “Where’d they go?”
Racing to a scorched area, Zo looked to the sky. “It’s gotta be the Ukes!”
Gno creased his brow. “You mean their drone?”
“Believe me. From what I saw when a beam shot from the clouds and fried our uncle in the last battle, they could easily have done this.”
“But our drone hasn’t spotted anything in the area.” He stared at the screen on his remote and mumbled. “Maybe they’re jamming our signal.”
His older brother swung his stallion around. “Come on! Better get out of here!”
Zo’s scowl hardened as he snapped the reins and charged into the forest.
The Texas Chat
Hoot stared at her Halo Watch, a gift from Hound Dog on her 19th birthday. Seems like this meeting’s never going to end.
Queasy gnawed at his pencil before setting it down. “Our findings are so strange it’s nearly impossible to determine the snatcher’s composition. It could be part mammal but with two hearts. Then, there’s the eyes. They’re segmented, which leads us to an insect of sorts, except they’re purple. So odd! When you factor in the invisible hide and copper blood, honestly, we don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Aluki and Teli nodded in unison.
The New World: Crimson Winter Page 11
