by Andrew Gates
“Kho Ikharus, does he appear to have a pressure suit?” Jakhu asked.
“Negative. He is without a helmet.”
“Do not breach the hull. Do you understand?”
“Understood, Kal Jakhu. Breaching the hull would kill him.”
It was difficult just to speak. His muscles ached. He felt dizzy.
Ikharus turned, facing the direction of the ship’s motion. It seemed they were flying east, perpendicular to the planet’s surface. We’re going to Sorreveous, he realized.
“I’m going to try to disable the ship’s engines,” Ikharus said as he came up with an idea. He turned to face the window again. “We will soon fly low enough for the planet’s gravity to pull us down. If I disable the engines, the ship will be in free-fall. The suit will protect me from the heat of reentry. I’ll wait until we reach safe altitude and breach the hull once we enter the atmosphere.”
“Kho Ikharus, it looks like you are on an eastbound trajectory towards Sorreveous.”
“Affirmative,” he replied.
“Even if you disable the engines, the ship’s momentum will continue. From your altitude, you will not enter the atmosphere until you’re well above Sorreveous. You will find yourself in enemy territory when you land,” she explained.
“Do you have any other ideas?” Ikharus wondered. He was open to any alternatives.
“An interception. If you disable the engines, you disable their steering control. Instead of waiting for it to descend, we pick it right out of the sky,” she explained.
“How would we do that?”
“I’m detecting a ship in range. Fruitful Spring.”
Ikharus faced forward again, though it made him dizzy. Sure enough, Fruitful Spring flew ahead of them in orbit above the ocean. Its engines glowed.
“Do it. Can you connect to them?”
“Hailing them now,” Jakhu replied. “While I’m doing that, you need to get that ship’s engines offline.”
“Understood.”
The engines were in the back of the ship. Getting there would not be easy.
Ikharus let go of the metal hood with one claw, while staying latched with the other. His body wanted to fly away, but he stayed strong. He quickly gripped again, catching himself before completely separating from the ship. He let go with his other claw this time and repeated the same process again and again. Each movement back took a toll on him, but he stayed composed and ready for anything.
As Sorreveous slowly came into sight along the horizon, he finally reached the back of the ship. He leaned over the engines from the roof, looking down at the glowing lights.
Now comes the hardest part.
Ikharus let go of the ship entirely. He needed both arms free. His body’s momentum helped him keep up with the ship’s motion, but only to an extent. The craft’s engines forced it to accelerate past him.
The orbiting soldier opened a hatch on his suit and pulled out two glowing grenades. He activated his boosters, closing the distance between him and the ship. Without wasting another second, he hurled the grenades forward as best as he could through the void.
They exploded. The engines went out and the ship stopped accelerating. Ikharus took a deep sigh of relief. He was not so sure his plan would work.
Fate looks kindly upon me today.
Ikharus used his booster to catch up to the ship. He grasped onto it again and stayed where he was.
“Kal Jakhu, I have successfully disabled the ship’s engines,” he reported through deep breaths.
“Understood. Fruitful Spring has agreed to intercept the ship. It is changing course now.”
Ikharus watched as Fruitful Spring turned and positioned itself directly ahead of Soh Saratti’s vessel. Once it was in position, the ship came to a full stop. Its stern faced the incoming two-person craft.
The approach was slow. Ikharus took a deep breath and enjoyed the view from here. He was directly over the ocean now. It looked calm, so unlike the chaos around him.
After a few minutes, the small ship was nearly in position. Ikharus watched as Fruitful Spring’s force field door powered down. Soh Saratti’s craft was headed straight for the hangar bay. Right on target, Ikharus thought, impressed with whomever steered the ship ahead of him.
As the ship entered the hangar, Ikharus let go. His body floated up, away from the craft. He used his boosters to bring himself back down. Suddenly the force field went back up. He could hear air flow back into the large room.
Air. Sound.
Ikharus waited calmly. It took a few minutes for the room to re-pressurize. Once it did, a voice echoed over the speakers.
“Hangar pressure levels normal. Restoring artificial gravity.”
His feet fell down to the floor. He felt heavy.
Now secure inside, Ikharus made his way to the front of the ship again. He jumped on top of it and smashed through the window. The Kholvari passenger revealed a rifle and started shooting, but Ikharus dodged the shots, pulled the weapon from the traitor’s grip and tossed it aside. He lifted the black-suited vermin out of the cockpit with his good arm and pulled him forward.
“You have betrayed the Chiefdom!” Ikharus screamed. Their faces were mere breaths apart. “Your actions shall be met with proper punishment.”
The traitor laughed. He seemed amused.
“My actions, you say? You are a fool to think that I am doing this alone.”
“I know there are two of you aiding Soh Saratti. Where is the other?”
The traitor shook his head.
“No, not two. More than two. You don’t realize how far this goes,” he replied.
“What does that mean? Stop speaking in riddles.”
“You cannot get me to talk. You will have to destroy me.”
“Very well,” Ikharus replied. He threw the traitor down onto the metal floor as hard as he could.
“Aah!” the Kholvari shouted.
With Ikharus’s power suit enhancing his muscles, the traitor’s shell cracked from the significant force as his body collided against the floor. Just by listening to the sound, Ikharus could tell his injuries were severe.
“And now for you,” Ikharus said, addressing the escaped prisoner. He climbed through the broken window and joined Soh Saratti in the cockpit. “It seems you are a hard person to contain.”
The Sorrevahni general stared back at him, not understanding a word he said.
Suddenly the hangar doors opened and armed guards entered the large room. They ran inside at full speed. Two guards went straight for the wounded traitor. They lifted him up. He was far too hurt to stand on his own. Two others climbed onto the hood of the ship and peered through the open window.
“I am Squad Leader Kho Ikharus of Kreed Marauder,” he said, introducing himself to the guards. “I am tasked with bringing this prisoner down to the surface.”
“Understood,” they both said.
One of them helped pull Soh Saratti out of the cockpit. The other nodded and faced Ikharus.
“That was good work you did disabling those engines,” he said. “I watched it from here.”
“Spare me the compliments. There is more work to be done.”
Ikharus exited the cockpit through the open window and joined his fellow soldiers on the floor.
“Kho Ikharus to Kal Ezenkharam, I have joined with the crew of Fruitful Spring. We have Soh Saratti in custody,” he reported over the comm.
“Understood, Kho Ikharus. I will send surface coordinates to the crew of Fruitful Spring. Someone in their crew will prepare a landing craft to take him planet-side. I want you to stay with the prisoner at all times. Do not let him out of your sight until you hand him off on the surface.”
“Understood.”
“Great work. Once again, you were swift and efficient in your efforts, Kreed Marauder,” she congratulated.
Ikharus sighed. He simply ignored the compliment.
“It was by fortuitous circumstance that I was able to connect with the prisoner. Th
e Under Chieftain’s intel helped tremendously, as did the crew of Fruitful Spring.”
“Yes, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the Under Chieftain,” Ezenkharam agreed. “Without him, this mission may not have been achieved.”
“What is the Under Chieftain’s status?”
“I cannot divulge his location, but he is secure.”
“And the Supreme Chieftess?”
“Secure as well.”
“I recommend keeping a watchful guard. I fear for the hierarchs,” Ikharus explained. “Kho Veznek says these traitorous Kholvari were evolve-one sympathizers. It seems her compassion for the creatures may be building support for dangerous extremists.”
“I will take your advice into consideration, Kho Ikharus. In the meantime, your mission is not over. Stay with the prisoner until he reaches the surface. Report back to me when your mission is complete.”
“Understood,” Ikharus replied.
He turned and faced the Sorrevahni prisoner. Four of Fruitful Spring’s guards surrounded him. Soh Saratti was not going anywhere.
“I will see it through.”
GREY RUBBED SELENA ON THE BACK as she stood up and gazed at the desolate forest. He was glad to see that she was recovering. Over the last hour, she was standing, walking and eating like normal. Apparently all she needed was time.
The forest still smelled of smoke. Despite how wet most of the trees were, the mantis battle caused a considerable fire, the worst they had seen yet. This section of the world was dark and black now, covered in ash and charred wood. Grey could not help but cough as he guided Selena through the underbrush.
Kaitlyn ran by, giddy with excitement. Grey watched as she jumped up and down, holding something in her hands. The father took a closer look and realized it was her boots. Then he looked down to her feet and realized they were bare.
“Kaitlyn,” he said in a stern tone, “why did you take your shoes off?”
“The ground is warm and flakey! It feels good!” she exclaimed, knowing full well that her father would not allow it.
Grey looked around, making sure Misha was not doing the same thing. The last thing he wanted was for both of them to get an infection. Thankfully, Misha still had her boots on. She seemed to pay no mind to her older sister.
“This isn’t funny. You need to put your shoes on. You could get sick,” Grey explained.
Kaitlyn continued to jump around.
“Kaitlyn, listen to your father,” Selena added.
The girl slowed down and flashed them a frown. She found an empty spot near a rock and sat, putting both boots back on one by one.
Grey shook his head to his daughter, then turned and nodded to his wife. He was glad to see she was getting better, for his sake.
The group had been up for hours now. Ever since Jallah discovered Ophelia by the stream, they decided to stay by the water. The group enjoyed some cooked fish that Dan had caught. Though he had not discussed any plans since they awoke, Grey assumed his brother had not abandoned his ambition to head west.
Personally, Grey liked the idea of staying in the Pentagonal Megastructure. With walls on all sides, a small entrance that they controlled and an abundance of antique wooden desks to burn, it seemed like the safest place. He could tell his girls shared his opinion too.
Grey was not sure what had gotten into Dan that drove him to pursue the west so strongly. Was it arrogance, passion or simple stubbornness? He did not know, but he feared it would only lead to their doom.
Dan had been busing himself all day. When he was not hunting or cooking, he went out to collect nuts or berries or sticks for firewood. It seemed he was doing anything he could to keep himself occupied.
Grey sighed. He could not blame his brother for feeling upset. The woman he wanted to marry and mother of his unborn child was ripped apart before his very eyes. There was no greater justification for his feelings. It must have felt like torture.
Even Grey had trouble dealing with the loss. Though he did not have the same relationship with Iris as his brother did, he cared for her deeply. She had become part of their family, just as much as anyone in the group.
Iris had grown so much over the past few months. The woman was like a child when they first met. She was nervous, shy and giddy. Her hands never stopped moving, she struggled to say the right words and she hadn’t worked a real job until her 30s. Grey honestly did not think much of her at the time. But as months passed, Iris proved to be a woman full of surprises. Deep behind her introverted shell, she had a brilliant mind and an unstoppable drive. Grey could see it now. It was as clear as the blonde that overtook the darkness of her hair.
Before Iris, Grey had never met someone with such knowledge of history. Iris knew her way around the tales of the past as if she had been there herself. Grey was often astonished as he listened to her go on about ancient Egypt, Rome or China, or discuss surface era historians and philosophers like Plato, Aristotle or Herodotus. Her brain was like an endless database of information, and she shared it all with such passion and interest.
Harrison Middle School was lucky to have had her. If she wanted, Iris could have been a professor or historian of her own. Part of Grey wondered what drove her to teach such young minds instead of aspire for more lofty goals. Perhaps she did not realize her own brilliance, Grey thought, or perhaps it was her inherent compassion for others. Or both.
Iris may not have been a mother yet, but there were times she played the maternal role for each of them. Whenever the group went through struggles, Grey knew he could count on her to help. She may not have been the loudest in the bunch, but at times, that was exactly what they needed. Iris never complained about their troubles. She kept her frustrations to herself. It was as if she were a beacon of optimism whenever they needed a little push in the right direction.
She had been the glue that kept this family together.
Grey lowered his head for a moment as he remembered her. It was hard to accept that she really was gone.
The girls did not seem to understand. Part of him wondered if they expected Iris to show up any minute the way Ophelia had this morning.
If only that’s how it worked, he thought.
Selena suddenly stopped walking and caught her breath. Grey practically collided with her as she leaned over, bringing Grey’s focus back to the task at hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied. “Just resting.”
“You did really well,” he said, acting like he had been watching her the whole time. He did not want her to know how deeply the death of Iris had affected him. “You’re getting better!” he continued.
“I feel better,” she explained.
Grey looked back at her starting point. It seemed that Selena had walked a few hundred steps through the forest with barely any guidance. Grey was impressed. She made a lot of progress in a short amount of time.
“I just wish it wasn’t so damn burned,” she said, looking around.
Grey nodded his head.
For most of the morning, this part of the forest remained lush and green. The fire had not reached this far out until almost an hour ago. The group had to cross the opposite side of the creek just to stay clear of the flames. Fortunately, the creek seemed to stop it from spreading any more. Now everything west of the creek was green and everything east was smoldering.
“I can’t believe it. It just rained! How could it all be burned?”
“If a fire is powerful enough, there comes a point where it doesn’t matter how damp it is.”
“Those damn plasma guns,” Selena said, shaking her head.
Grey remembered how the mantis weapons were strong enough to blow through the station’s metal walls. It was no wonder they obliterated the forest.
“Let’s head back to the creek,” Grey proposed, hoping to change the subject.
Selena nodded.
“Yes, I think I can do it,” she replied.
Grey was glad to hear her optimism. It was as
if she were trying to fill in for Iris. With all the strain the group had endured in the last 24 hours, they could use some optimism.
As far as he could remember, the group had never been this miserable. Grey tried to act collected, but it was hard for him to forget the events of last night. Everyone had their own ways of dealing with the loss. While Dan liked to busy himself with distractions, Ophelia seemed to do the opposite.
The quiet girl hardly moved since reconnecting with the group. Part of that was due to her health. She was severely weak, having spent the entire night on her own hiding in a tree. She claimed to have eaten a few nuts overnight and nothing else. But Grey could tell there was more going on than just hunger. Ophelia was deeply depressed. She stared out into emptiness, dared not speak to anyone and hardly even acknowledged their presence. It was as if she were just an empty shell.
She lost both her father and mother figure in a matter of months. No wonder she’s feeling this way.
Selena stumbled on a rock, pulling Grey’s focus back to his wife. He did not even realize that his mind had wandered once more. He reached out and grabbed onto her, preventing her from falling over. She stood straight again.
“Thanks,” she said.
Grey simply nodded. He did not say anything.
The two of them continued along until they reached the stream again. Unsurprisingly, Ophelia sat by the water’s edge, staring out into space. Jallah and Margery had their hands full with nuts and leaves they had collected. They dropped them down onto a clear part of the ground. Misha sat on her own with her eyes closed. It looked like she was sleeping. Kaitlyn caught up to them, now with her boots back on.
“Almost there,” Grey said.
After a few more steps, Selena reached the water’s edge and sat down. She put her hands to her head as if she were dizzy. She let out a deep sigh.
“Good progress!” Margery said, trying to stay positive.
“Thanks,” Selena replied with a forced smile. She coughed a bit.
Suddenly Dan emerged from the woods with a couple of sharp sticks, one in each hand. He seemed visibly exhausted. His face was flushed. His eyes were red. He stared out into the world, mindlessly.
