“Shit, don’t tell her I told you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Some people are lucky their first is someone they love. For me it was a creepy jackass perv who had a thing for under-aged teenage girls, but…” she trailed off, “enough about that. We’ll be coming up on the city soon and we need to find some damn matted buckwheat.”
“Matted Buckwheat?” Farris asked suddenly from behind.
“It’s our cover to get into the city. The story is we’re supposed to be searching for some for Controller Gula Meyhr. The Qharr can’t get enough of the stuff. They make this nasty ass tea out of it,” Kaya replied glancing about her eyes roving across the terrain. “Look for a low-growing plant with red or yellow flowers and straight stalks.”
I scratched the back of my head and looked around noting that there didn’t seem to be much but scattered pine trees and miles of browned grass. “This could take a while.”
By the time we found and collected a large portion of the matted buckwheat the sun was beating down on us with an intensity that sent small beads of sweat dripping down my neck. “I forgot how much I hated the summers in Arizona, the heat in compound Het’ma, where I grew up was unbearable sometimes, but I swear it’s even hotter than usual for this time of year,” I panted wiping sweat from my brow. “Tell me this is enough.”
Kaya nodded leaning over with her hands on her knees panting heavily, “Yeah, I think it’ll do.”
“This, this is nothing,” Farris shook his head. “I grew up in a compound back East. Shit some days it would get up into the low forties and it would get so damn humid your clothes would soak through with sweat in minutes.”
“I guess, I’ll have to take your word for it,” I panted shaking my head. “Kai would you toss me some of that water?”
Kaya retrieved her canteen from the supply bag, took a swig then tossed it to me. “Alright,” I said after I downed a good portion of it. “Let’s get going the sooner we get to the city the sooner we can get into compound Het’ma.”
Kaya nodded and tossed her bag of matted buckwheat over her shoulder. Farris and I grabbed our own bags as we followed Kaya back onto the trail to Scottsdale.
“Geff’ek!” the Qharr guard pronounced in a gruff voice as she motioned us forward.
“Papers, hu-man?” she asked holding her massive hand out to Kaya.
Kaya looked up at her with an obviously false smile and produced the requested papers from her bag. I bit my lip and watched as the guard examined each page then handed them back to Kaya and grunted.
“Put, plants on cart then report to masters!” she motioned at a large cart just inside the city gates.
I sighed in relief, and followed Kaya and Farris as they stepped through the city gates. Once on the other side, I looked up and felt my eyes grow wide as I got my first good view of the city. I had vague recollections of living in New Anaheim when I was younger, but Scottsdale was a very different sort of city. New Anaheim had been more of a resort town; Scottsdale was a city full of skyscrapers and office buildings. It was a dirty and grimy place and lacked much of the glamor and beauty of New Anaheim, at least the way it had been before the invasion.
Several hundred years ago Scottsdale had been founded by a group of religious pioneers looking to escape persecution, but over the course of time had grown into a major metropolitan area and had become home to a diverse population. When the Qharr invaded, the city had escaped relatively unscathed and had become home to hundreds of thousands of the gray-skins as well as continuing to house a large number of humans.
There were humans everywhere, more than I’d seen in one place since before the invasion. They were a sad despondent lot and I felt a lump form in my throat just by looking at them. Even compound slaves had more spirit than the people crowding the streets. I followed Kaya through the city and locked eyes with a small child and nearly burst into tears at the look of hopeless despair within those eyes. I felt a surge of anger fought down the urge to run back to the Qharr guards and beat them to a bloody pulp. The gray-skins were going to pay for everything they’d done to my people.
“We heading to Blebbur?” Farris whispered glancing about the city with a look I couldn’t quite read.
Kaya shook her head. “Too risky. The Qharr may know that the Deplarans were helping us smuggle resistance members into the compounds. Strave knew about her so it’s a good bet that they do too.”
“Then what the hell are we doing here?” Farris asked letting out a long sigh.
“I have someone else in mind. Mara considered her for a potential contact, but eventually decided that it was too risky,” she replied back.
“Who?” he asked.
“Velspatt Vanur,” she hissed.
“You can’t be serious! You want to make contact with the Ghrev crime syndicate!? Shit! Of course you do!” Farris growled.
“A crime syndicate?” I asked. “Is that really such a good idea?”
Kaya shushed us and clenched her teeth. “Would you two keep it down people are starting to look!”
“Besides Velspatt is no friend to the Qharr and I have something she wants.”
Farris looked around with wide eyes then nodded. “Damn, I can’t believe we’re doing this. I assume you know where we need to go.”
“Well, there’s a Ghrev deli on Temple Street, which Velspatt happens to run. That’s our best bet for making contact,” she muttered.
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” I whispered holding out my hand. “Lead the way.”
“Leave humes!” The Ghrev cook yelled as we stepped into the building. “We no serve worthless slaves here!”
I eyed the alien being warily and watched as its head sunk into its neck and a spiked row of fins grew out like a Mohawk across its previously bald scalp. The Ghrev looked much more menacing that way not that it didn’t look menacing to begin with. The being was a biped had scaled purple skin with a stripe of red scales running from its chin and down the entire length of its naked body. It was tall, but not quite as tall as an average Qharr and had clawed hands and several rows of what looked to be very sharp teeth.
It was leaning against the counter, with its open hands hanging over the edge facing us. Behind the counter was a set of swinging double doors each of which had a small viewing windows and I assumed led into a kitchen. I couldn’t see much, but there was a table near the opposite side of the door at which several other Ghrevs were congregated. They had glanced at us as we entered, but turned away in disinterest when they’d seen that we were human.
The deli itself was of obvious human construction and while the nature of the food had changed, it seemed that the building hadn’t changed much in purpose. There was even the tattered remnants of a sign naming the establishment the “SLC Nostalgia Deli” still mounted on the wall. The long counter was of wood construction and stretched across nearly the whole length of the room. A glass sneeze guard protected the food which happened to be, well, I didn’t know what any of the food was. I certainly knew, I wouldn’t want to eat it any of it. Most of it looked to be small insects, sickly colored sauces, a black flatbread of sorts, and something that bore a strong resemblance to shit.
Kaya stepped forward, pursed her lips then balled her hand into a fist and slammed it into the side of the Ghrev’s head. “We’re here to speak with your clan master, you pleg!”
“Boldness for a hume!” the cook yelled the spiked fins retracting back into its scalp. “Velspatt speaks not to slaves… even ones who be bold like you. Leave now, or I skin humes and eat for dinner!”
Kaya, grabbed a knife from the counter and held it out in front of the Ghrev’s face. “Tell Velspatt that I have something she wants. Something that could help her leave Earth once and for all.”
“Velspatt needs nothing from humes!” the cook yelled slamming its clawed fists against the counter. “LEAVE!”
Kaya swirled the knife in her hands then pou
nded it as hard as she could into the wood counter. “I know where a working drive coil can be found for that ship she’s been trying to repair. Tell her if she’s interested to meet me in the old chapel building on the temple block in an hour. Tell her I’ll give her the drive coil in exchange for certain services.”
The Ghrev cocked its head, but didn’t say a word as Kaya turned around and walked calmly out the door. “Damn,” Farris muttered shaking his head as we followed her out the door. “I’ve never seen anyone stand up to a Ghrev like that. That woman has balls.”
I grinned and let out a soft chuckle as we both exited. “Trust me you have no idea.”
“Well, what now?” I asked Kaya as she spun around to face us. “You didn’t exactly give the Ghrev a lot of time to contact this Velspatt character. Is it going to be enough?”
“Oh, it will be enough time,” she grinned. “Did you see those Ghrev on the other side of those double doors?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “So?”
“Well one of them was Velspatt. She was probably listening to the entire thing,” Kaya grinned folding her arms across her chest.
“Velspatt? How can you be sure it was her?” Farris asked.
“Well, let’s just say that the distinctive pattern of red scales on her face is a dead giveaway,” she replied shaking her head glancing about as a group of Qharr hunters passed us by. “Come on we can continue this talk once we’ve gotten somewhere a bit more… private.”
“This way,” Kaya said motioning for us to follow as she ducked into a nearby doorway.
“The Qharr have the old temple block locked up and it’s supposed to be sealed up so no one can get in or out,” she spoke as soon as I stepped inside the doorway.
“Why would they seal it off?” I asked joining her inside the dilapidated old building.
Kaya shrugged. “The Qharr can be pretty weird when it comes to religious sites like this. They’re superstitious to begin with, but where religions other than their own are involved they get even weirder. They probably think that if anyone sets foot inside of the temple block they’ll be tainted or some other bullshit.”
“You sound almost offended,” I said putting a hand on her shoulder.
Kaya shrugged. “My mother was a Conservers. I was born here in the city a few months before the invasion and I probably would have grown up here if it hadn’t been for those damn gray-skins.”
The Conservers were a religious sect that had grown to prominence a few hundred years back. I’d known a few believers over the years. They were noted for a few odd beliefs, but overall they were pretty harmless.
“Geez, well that explains why you seem to know so much about this place,” Farris said letting the door swing shut behind him.
“How exactly are we going to get in?” I asked putting my hands on my hips.
“That actually isn’t that hard,” she beamed. “Mara and I found a way in a few years back. There are a network of tunnels that honeycomb the area below the temple block and as it so happens the basement in this old office is very close to one of those tunnels. With the help of a small group of other rebels we managed to dig a hole through the foundation and cleared out a tunnel that bisected the other one. It will be a tight squeeze for you, Farris, but I think you should be able to fit through.”
“And Velspatt how will she get in?” Farris asked glancing about the room and shaking his head.
“The Ghrev have their own way of getting in. God only knows what they actually use the temple grounds for, but the few times Mara and I snuck inside we caught them watching us from the shadows. The Ghrev are a pretty tight-knit community and I doubt such a prominent member like Velspatt would be left in the dark about the entrance and even if she didn’t know I’m sure one of her cronies would be able to fill her in,” she replied grinning from ear to ear.
“Okay,” Farris said scratching at the several days’ worth of stubble on his face. “Should we get going then?”
“Yeah, follow me,” she said waving us forward.
Kaya led us down a flight of stairs and into the basement the walls of which were lined with empty shelves. At one point, I’m sure, the basement had been used for storage, but if there had been any supplies left over after the invasion the shelves had long since been picked clean. Along the east wall was a large hole that looked just large enough for a person to crawl through. Kaya and I could certainly fit inside. Farris on the other hand, with his much broader shoulders, would definitely be a tight squeeze.
Farris took one look at the hole and shook his head. “Alright, you two first… if I get stuck I don’t want to make you guys late for your meet-up with Velspatt.”
Kaya and I exchanged glanced then she walked over to the opening, turned back to me and said, “Wait about thirty seconds and follow me in.”
I waited as she had suggested then followed her in and crawled in head first. Kaya was holding a light as she crawled ahead of me so it wasn’t completely dark, but her body blocked most of the illumination from the beam so I couldn’t see much of anything. I could hear Farris grunt loudly as he crawled into the hole behind us and a moment latter he groaned in pain and cursed under his breath.
Silence settled over us as we continued to crawl through Kaya’s tunnel.
“Shit, that hurt,” Farris broke the quiet about ten minutes later. “I hope this damn tunnel isn’t too long I’m starting to understand how someone could be afraid of confined spaces.”
“It’s not too much further,” Kaya panted glancing back over her shoulder and inadvertently shined the flashlight directly in my eyes. “I think maybe six or seven more meters.”
I held my hand up over my eyes. “Geez louise Kai, would you point that thing somewhere else?”
“Sorry, come on we better hurry it up we don’t have a lot of time left before our meeting in the chapel.”
“I don’t think she’s coming,” Farris said his arms folded across his chest as he paced back and forth in front of the exit door.
“She’ll be here,” Kaya pursed her lips and glared at Farris as he continued to pace.
I let the two of them bicker and looked about the large chamber in which we were waiting. It looked to have been a meeting hall with row after row of benches leading up to a large platform where several additional rows of padded seats faced the benches in the opposing direction. Atop the platform, besides the seats, there was a podium along with a massive organ, the pipes of which lined the back wall. Above, there was a balcony, but since it was so dark I couldn’t really see anything up there. It all looked to be in surprisingly good condition almost as if the building itself was just waiting for someone to come along and use it. Oh sure, there were the layers of dust and the obvious disrepair scattered throughout the chamber. Yet, the building had been left abandoned for almost twenty-five year, and it looked as if it could have been half that time or less.
“They really built this place to last,” I whispered.
Kaya chuckled. “The chapel is almost two hundred years old. The church had it renovated and restored so many times I doubt if it can even considered the same building as the original.”
“Four hundred years old?” I muttered looking around the chamber with wide eyes. “Damn.”
As I craned my neck about the room I caught a quick blur of motion from the center aisle. A large reptilian creature about the size of a large dog was zooming through the building at a startling speed and it was headed straight for Kaya. It was pretty far away and gaining fast, but it would be on her in less than half a minute if I didn’t step in and I did exactly that. I moved into the dog-creature’s path and just as it got close enough I knelt down and back handed the creature across its short-muzzled face. It let out a high pitched squeal as it flipped sideways onto its back.
“Mohme, Zenev!”A deep baritone voice yelled from the other side of the chamber in an almost melodic voice.
The creature rolled bac
k to its feet and fled back in the direction from which it came. A tall Ghrev with violet scales lined with red vertical stripes across its face appeared from behind the platform and met the creature as it approached.
“I apologize,” the Ghrev yelled in perfect English its voice booming across the chamber. “My mohme, can be a bit excitable.”
“I am Velspatt Vanur,” the Ghrev woman said calmly as she approached us. “You wish to trade a certain item of interest for my services?”
“What the hell is that thing?!” Farris yelled glancing down at the dog-like reptilian creature that was standing at Velspatt’s side.
Velspatt hissed and barred her teeth at Farris. “A mohme is a Ghrev male, hume.”
“A male?” Farris asked “As is you mate with that thing?”
“Typical hume, not all species are the same as yours. All Ghrev start out as reasonless male quadrupeds like my mohme here, but when we reach maturity we metamorphisize into female bipeds,” she responded reaching down to scratch the male atop the head.
“So…” Farris trailed off staring at the two Ghrev with his jaw hanging open.
“Can it Farris,” Kaya interrupted holding her hand up. “We have business to take care of.”
“You are the leader?” Velspatt cocked her head. “Have we met before? You smell familiar, hume.”
“We’ve crossed paths before,” Kaya said folding her arms across her chest. “I grew up in compound L’beig. You used to make regular deliveries for Corrector Gydek Movur. Back then, I was one of her personal servants.”
Velspatt’s face stretched into something resembling a human smile. “I have an excellent memory for scents. Tell me did I ever sample you?”
Kaya shook her head. “No.”
“A shame, your scent is most alluring and I find many human females to be adept love makers,” she said her hand stroking the male Ghrev across the top of its head and down its neck.
Kaya shuddered and bit her lip then sighed and cleared her throat. “I-I, uh, I have a working leap drive coil and I’m willing to give it to you in exchange for certain services.”
Battle For Earth Page 21
