by Andrew Gates
Then she remembered the words from her dream, the words of a bloody Tracey Saljov.
“Time. They all take time.”
It is possible, she realized. Oh my, I sound as mad as Trace.
“It… it actually does make sense,” Iris said aloud as she opened her eyes again. She pulled her hands away from her ears, looking around as she spoke.
Dan and Jallah were talking back and forth, though she could not make out what they were saying. They quieted down once she started speaking.
“The station could have kept us in the past, kept us from evolving with the rest of the world. We were frozen in time. Literally frozen.”
“The city was built to be autonomous, wasn’t it, Iris?” Dan asked.
She nodded.
“Yes. First of all, nobody knows how long the freezers kept us in stasis. That is where we could have spent the bulk of those…” Iris paused as she struggled to say it, “tens of thousands of years. Secondly, we could have lost a lot of time in the Dark Years that followed. It’s the period before record keeping started up again. People were driven mad in those years. Suicide rates were the highest ever recorded, even including surface history. Between the time frozen and the time without records, there’s a lot of unknown there.”
Iris could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth.
“Oh Lord,” Selena said.
“Holy crap!” Jallah added.
“That’s… that’s…” Margery struggled to come up with a response. She eventually just shook her head and sighed.
“It’s the only explanation,” Dan said.
Iris had to admit, it did seem like the only explanation. It certainly made more sense than her time dilation theories, but not by much.
Everyone was quiet for a while. The silence lingered longer than Iris expected, but eventually Margery spoke up.
“So… so if this is all true, then what does that mean for us?” she asked.
Dan nodded his head and turned towards her. He began to speak, but Iris could not hear.
“Louder!” Iris pleaded.
Dan raised his hand into the air and nodded.
“Sorry, I forget sometimes,” he replied, louder now. “I was saying this creates two problems for us. The first is that there is a limit to how far west we can go. There’s no way we can cross the road without the mantises seeing us.”
Iris sighed. That was not good.
“The second problem is that we are no longer on our own turf. The mantises seem to control this planet now. For us that means we are basically stranded on an alien world.”
Dan paused, presumably to let that information sink in. Iris had not thought about it that way, but he was right. Earth was no longer their planet. It was as if they’d landed on Mars.
But there was one question that still needed answering.
“But wait,” Iris added, jumping in. “Your idea explains everything about time, about the atmosphere, about the mantises, but there’s one thing we still don’t know.”
“What’s that?” Greyson asked.
“Trace’s video. The one I told you all about. Who made the footprints in the sand?”
Everybody looked at everybody else. No one spoke.
“Iris, are you sure you saw footprints?” Greyson eventually asked.
Dan held his hand out towards his brother, as if telling him to stop. Greyson got quiet, but neither of them said anything.
“I know what I saw,” Iris eventually said.
“Then I guess there are some questions that still need answering,” Dan replied. His tone was ominous.
“Daddy, what do we do now?” Kaitlyn asked loudly.
Greyson turned to her daughter.
“Now we find food and somewhere to stay for the night. It’s been a long day for all of us and we’re running out of daylight,” he answered.
“What? Where are we going to go?” Margery protested.
“There’s a road to the west, an ocean to the east and a city to the north. Until we find a way to cross the road, we go south,” Dan answered.
Greyson turned to his brother.
“What do you mean ‘until we find a way to cross the road’?” he asked.
“I still think heading west is the safest bet. But that doesn’t seem possible right now,” Dan replied.
“Why not pick a place and stay there?” His brother sputtered, throwing his hands in the air. He didn’t seem to like the idea in the slightest. “Why do we need to go west so badly?”
“Men, men, calm down!” Selena said, jumping in. She held her hands out towards the two brothers, keeping them from each other's throats. “We can talk about directions later. I think what’s more important is how we get food tonight.”
Everyone quieted down. It seemed Selena’s words were enough to calm the bickering brothers.
“We should go back to the cave! All the pod food is still there!” Kaitlyn added, holding onto her mom’s clothes.
A few heads nodded from the Georgopolis family. Dan’s was not one of them.
“I disagree. We already took it to a vote. We’re not going back to the cave. It’s too dangerous,” he said.
“Dan, that’s crazy. We need food. You know none of us can hunt,” Selena argued.
More voices joined in. The more people spoke, the more Iris got lost. It became harder and harder to distinguish the speakers. It was not long before the half-deaf teacher could not understand a single thing.
The debating went on for much longer than it ever should have. As the group fought with one another, Iris felt her stomach growl as loud as the mantises that had chased them a few hours ago. She could only imagine how hungry the young girls must have felt. If the group could not find food before the sun went down, Iris knew they would be in trouble.
Eventually the silent observer decided to jump in. This debating had gone on long enough.
“Listen!” she shouted.
Most people stopped bickering, though Dan and Selena continued. Iris simply glared at her boyfriend as he eventually came around. Selena was the last to quiet down.
“I know I can’t hear as well as you all, so I don’t know what you’ve been talking about, but I know arguing like this isn’t going to help,” she began. A few heads started nodding. “We need to decide a plan soon. It’s been a long day and we all need to recover. We need food. We need sleep. We’ve been attacked, we’ve gotten separated, we’ve made mind-blowing discoveries and we’ve done it all running on just adrenaline and nothing else.”
“She’s right,” Greyson agreed. “We’ve had an insane day. We need to get food and shelter fast. We may all be delirious soon.”
“Well we already put it to a vote. We agreed we wouldn’t go back to the cave,” Dan said.
“But that was before Ophelia got here!” Selena protested.
Dan sighed. He could not argue with that.
“Alright,” he reluctantly said, “let’s put it to another vote. Those who want to keep moving, raise your hands.”
Dan, Jallah and Margery all raised their hands.
“And those who want to go back to the cave for food.”
Greyson, Selena, Kaitlyn, Ophelia and Iris raised their hands. Dan glared at Iris like she had betrayed him. But he quietly nodded his head and sighed.
“Very well,” he eventually said, “we’ll get the food from the cave, but I still think it’s dangerous.”
“Who are you to decide what’s dangerous?” Selena protested.
Ophelia threw her hands in the air and waved them around, trying to get both of their attention. It seemed to work. Dan and Selena looked over to her.
“What if we just get the food, but bring it somewhere else? That way we won’t stay in the cave, but we’ll still have the food,” she suggested.
Silence.
Dan nodded his head. So did Selena. Iris smiled. She’s a smart girl.
“That could work,” Dan said.
“I agree,” added Selena.
&n
bsp; Finally.
“I like that plan, Ophelia. A small group will go to the cave and gather the remaining food. The rest of the group will wait here and then, once we’re all together with the food, we head south.”
There were nods all around.
“I’ll go to the cave,” Dan said, volunteering himself right away, despite his earlier opposition. “One person should come with me.”
“I’ll go!” Iris added, wasting no time.
A few months ago, Iris would have never spoken up. She would have waited, hoping a braver soul would volunteer for this mission. But the old Iris was gone. Ever since the darkness of her hair gave way to the light color, the old Iris was a dwindling memory. Saying ‘yes’ felt easy. It felt right.
Dan pointed to her and nodded.
“Alright, Iris. Let’s go together.” Dan turned toward his brother. He said something that Iris could not make out, though Greyson nodded back and Dan gave a thumb’s up. Then he turned back towards Iris again and said, “It’s nice of you to volunteer.”
Not knowing what to say, she simply smiled and nodded back to him.
“Thanks, Iris,” Selena added, patting her on the back.
“We’ll go then. You guys wait for us. It shouldn’t be long. If we aren’t back by nightfall, then assume something went wrong. If you get a bad feeling, don’t hesitate to move south,” Dan explained. “Follow the stream and we’ll find you if we can.”
Everyone nodded.
“Understood,” Greyson agreed.
“Good,” Dan turned to Iris, “so let’s head out.”
Iris followed his lead. The two of them waved goodbye and walked east, following the thick trail of downed trees created by the mech. Iris supposed there was one good thing that came from the attack: the destruction made it easy to find their way back to the cave. The two of them walked up the hill and into the trees until the group was completely out of sight.
Dan took a deep breath. He reached out to her and grabbed her hand. She grabbed it back. It felt good to be reminded that they were still a couple. In the past few hours, she felt like just another person in his eyes.
“Thanks for volunteering,” he said.
Iris nodded but did not reply.
“It was nice of you, but I was surprised to see you change your vote.”
“It felt like the right thing to do,” she explained, gingerly. “We need food. Returning to the cave is worth the risk.”
“Your hearing seems to be a lot better.”
Iris turned to him. She was surprised to see him drop the subject so quickly, but chose not to address it.
“I wouldn’t say it’s improved. I just think I’m adapting. I’ve just learned to focus more. When one person speaks, I can tune everything else out. But when everyone speaks at once, it gets harder. I can’t focus as much.”
“Well whatever it is you’re doing, it seems to be working,” Dan said.
Iris nodded. She noticed that too.
The couple was quiet the rest of the way. It did not take long before the two of them reached their destination. The branchless tree still stood tall, probably filled with more booby traps. The other trees around it had been smashed to bits, as if the mech had walked right over them. Luckily the cave itself seemed untouched.
Dan let go of Iris’s hand as they approached the cave’s mouth. Dan went in first, keeping his fingers on the walls as he descended into the darkness. Iris followed, doing the same. She could feel the temperature drop with every step. The cool air was refreshing against her skin, which burned ever so slightly.
It was not long before Iris could hear the sound of running water. She smiled as the thought of fresh drinking water entered her mind. It had been too long since she had rehydrated.
Using what hearing she could, the half-deaf woman followed the noise until cold water touched her boots. She crouched down over the cold, flowing liquid and took a deep sip. It felt more refreshing than she ever imagined.
Iris took another sip, then another, then another. Before she knew it, she could feel her stomach growing like a balloon. She forced herself to stand up, realizing that she’d probably had enough.
“Here it is!” Dan shouted.
Iris moved away from the stream and toward the sound of his voice. She found him by the stacked Federation boxes. Inside were piles of disgusting food that would get them through the next few days.
“How many boxes are left?” she asked.
“I count eight. Too many for us to carry at once. We’ll have to make a second trip.”
“That’s a good problem to have, though,” Iris replied, optimistically.
“True.”
Dan leaned down and opened one of the boxes. He pulled out the first thing he saw and handed it to Iris. She took it, but could not make out what it said in the darkness. Following her stomach, she instinctively opened it up and put it in her mouth.
Fiber powder, she realized immediately. The taste was horrible, but she swallowed it all. Dan did the same.
“Oh, eating feels good,” he said.
Iris smiled back, but realized that Dan probably could not see it in the darkness.
“Let’s each take two boxes. You think you can do that?”
“Yeah,” Iris replied, picking up two. The first box was very heavy but the second was a bit lighter. She put the first one down and searched for another lighter one. Dan must have noticed because he handed her one that was absolutely the perfect weight. Iris took it, holding one beneath each arm.
“You got it?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said again. “Thanks.”
The two of them walked out of the cave and followed the path of destroyed trees again. It was only a few minutes before they returned to the group. The others were in the same place by the stream, just where they had left them.
The young girls ran right up to them as they arrived. Little Misha practically ripped a box right out of Iris’s arms. When she eventually dropped the food to the ground, the girl tore into it like predator into a kill.
Iris could not blame the girl for her hunger. She could relate. In fact, she was surprised that she had only eaten one pack of fiber powder since retrieving the boxes. Almost immediately, Iris was ravenously digging in just like little Misha.
Several packs of food later, Iris found herself down on the ground, her stomach feeling as dense as a rock. Everyone else had gotten their fill and seemed to feel the same.
We have food. We have water. We have no sign of the mantises, Iris thought. For once we’re getting lucky. The thought brought a smile to her face. She hoped their luck would not run out anytime soon.
The satisfied woman looked around at the rest of the group. Though they were all fed, they were tired, barely keeping their eyes open and their bodies moving. I probably don’t look any better, she guessed. She realized she had not paid any attention to how they looked before they got their food, but imagined it must have been worse. I was probably too hungry to notice.
Dan walked over to her. Out of them all, he seemed to be in the best physical shape, though that was not saying much. He patted her on the back as she sat on the soft ground.
“Ready to get the next batch?” he asked.
Iris nodded and stood up.
“Feel free to take your time this time!” Greyson joked. “We’re not in a hurry.”
The joke made Dan smile. It was the first time Iris had seen him smile all day. She was glad to see it, as subtle as it was.
The two of them waved to the group and went back toward the cave for the last time. Iris looked around as they walked through the forest. The sun was now far to the west and the sky full of reds and oranges.
Sunset already.
“Oh, this walk feels so much better,” Dan said, pulling her thoughts away from the view.
Iris nodded in agreement.
“It’s amazing what a bit of food can do.”
Dan looked over his shoulder, as if making sure they were alone.
> “What is it?” Iris asked.
“I’m still worried. The mantises already found us at the cave. If they had any sense, they’d come looking for us there. Why haven’t they?”
“Maybe they’re regrouping,” Iris suggested with a slight shrug. “Or maybe they don’t want us at all. I agree we shouldn’t spend the night, but it seems okay for now.”
“You think?” Dan asked.
Is he finally showing some uncertainty?
Iris nodded. Dan took a deep breath.
“How are you dealing with uh… you know, this whole thing? That we might be tens of thousands of years in the future?” he wondered.
That was a loaded question, one that Iris tried to ignore for the past few hours. The historian hardly knew where to begin. Human civilization was widely believed to have started somewhere around 6,500 years BC with the ancient Mesopotamians. That was around 9,000 years before the Descent. She considered how much progress humanity had made in its brief existence. Humans could communicate great distances, prolong life, create cities in the deepest depths of the ocean and even fly to other worlds. That was all in less than 10,000 years.
So much time. So much time lost.
“Well,” she began, not really knowing how to express her thoughts in words, “it’s difficult to think about. Just imagine if an advanced society had been secretly living underwater during the time of the ancient Egyptians and they didn’t emerge until the age of the internet.”
“That’d be pretty weird.”
“Well assuming our theory is correct, that’s us.”
“What do you think happened to the other stations?”
Iris shrugged.
“You know what I told you about their language. I don’t know how long they were frozen, but they must have been unfrozen for a lot longer than we were.”
“Do you think they’re still around?”
”They communicated with us just 200 years ago. So they were around back then, and 200 years is a short timeframe on the new scale of things.”
