Cries of the Wolf

by C. S. Harte

  “That lantern is gone, Captain. What do you want to do now?” Rayfin asked.

  “We must hurry and find shelter,” Bast said with great urgency in his voice.

  “Calfars?” Rayfin asked as he turned on his external lights.

  Bast spun around to scan the surroundings. “The Calfars are 15.159 kilometers away at the western edge of the city, according to my drone.”

  “We were so close to the light…” Meomi whispered. “Why did they turn it off?”

  Without warning, Bast sprinted off into a narrow alley.

  “We should follow him,” Thorne said. “He has experience dealing with the Calfars. We don’t. We have to trust that these creatures are as deadly as he says they are.”

  Rayfin aimed his weapon into the distance, covering their rear. “Whatever you want to do, Captain.”

  Meomi’s mouth slacked as she stared at the building with the now unlit lantern.

  “Captain?” Rayfin asked again.

  “Fine,” she said in a huff. “We’ll follow Bast.”

  The team dimmed their lights and switched to night vision cameras. They ran after Bast who appeared as the lone blue dot on their mini-map, streaking away from the group. He was moving faster than the squad could catch up.

  "Does he have a speed neuromod?" Rayfin asked. "How is he so fast?"

  The blood-curdling screams of the Calfars chased them as they ran, growing louder with each passing moment.

  “Bast!” Meomi yelled into her suit comm. “Where are you heading?”

  “Hurry! Time is running short!” Bast yelled back.

  They sprinted after him through maze-like streets and alleyways with sharp 90 degree turns and dead ends.

  After five minutes they finally caught up to Bast’s blue dot, but he was nowhere to be found.

  “Where are you, Bast?” Meomi surveyed her surroundings. On her left and right flanks were two tall buildings without doors or windows. Facing her was a 20-meter wall — too high for her to scale. A dead end.

  The screeching sounds intensified from behind.

  “We’re running out of time, Captain.” Rayfin turned around and aimed his hand cannon into the blackness.

  “You think he flew over this wall?” Thorne asked.

  “We would’ve seen or heard it, right?” Rayfin said.

  “I am down here,” Bast finally replied. “If you could move from your position.”

  Meomi looked down to see her foot on top of a rectangular metal plate. “A sewer system?”

  “Yes, Captain Hana,” Bast said.

  “We have to go down there? A sewer system on an alien planet?” Rayfin groaned.

  As Meomi stepped off the plate, Bast lifted the metal cover from below. “Please make your way down and quickly.”

  Meomi peered into the hole and saw only gloom with a faint outline of Bast.

  “It is safe here and free of waste,” Bast said. “My friends, you are running out of time.”

  Thorne jumped down first. “Three meters. Not a problem for our suits.”

  Rayfin and Meomi followed.

  Bast closed the cover and used a laser on his glove to wield the plate shut.

  “How did you know about this sewer line?” Meomi asked.

  “My drone, Captain Hana,” Bast said. “I was looking for a sturdy shelter and found this instead.”

  “Are we safe down here?” Thorne asked.

  “We are not,” Bast replied.

  “Why not?” Rayfin asked.

  “We are not safe until sunrise. Until then, we must keep moving and hope they do not pick up our scent.” With the emitters in his gloves, Bast displayed a three-dimensional, holographic map of the city using information gathered from his drone.

  “And what if they do… pick up our scent?” Rayfin gulped.

  “They will follow us until we tire of running.” Bast switched the projection to a live feed from his drone.

  Meomi focused her attention on the drone video. She saw unusual distortions in the camera feed as if certain parts of the video was filtered through a crystal or prism. “Is there something wrong with the drone camera? I’m seeing some sort of moving shimmer,” Meomi asked Bast.

  The distortion seemed to shift and grow inching closer to the drone. Suddenly emerging out of thin air, a face appeared. The face had hundreds of milky eyes without irises.

  Rayfin jumped backward. “Is that…”

  “A Calfar. They have the ability to camouflage,” Bast said.

  23

  Meomi’s pulse raced as she processed images of the gruesome, green creature.

  Calfars stood over two meters tall on thick hind legs which bent at two joints and terminated in talon-like claws. Their heads were trigonal like Earth's praying mantis with compound eye clusters like Earth wasps but filled with a thick white substance. Curved, razor-sharp mandibles hung from its chin. Attached to the torso were four lanky arms, each with prehensile hands ending with five long, hooked fingers. Every Calfar limb was designed to tear and shred with maximum efficiency.

  More Calfars showed themselves to Bast’s probe. Dozens of red dots populated Meomi’s mini-map.

  It was apparent to Meomi that Calfars were formidable foes. Their keen claws looked capable of piercing through her Tempest suit armor. She took off her helmet and sat against the tunnel walls. Her mind traveled to the source of the lantern light. Meomi hoped whoever was behind the lights was savvy enough to hide when the Calfars invaded the city. There was no way to reach them now, not without putting her squad at extreme risk. She wiped the excess sweat and oil off her face.

  Thorne took off his helmet and planted himself next to Meomi. He turned to her but didn’t speak.

  She looked away from him. A knot formed in her belly. Thorne’s piercing blue eyes felt like knives cutting into her scalp. Meomi was certain those behind the lantern light were important. Doubt replaced her confidence. Her mistake could have cost the team their lives.

  Laughter escaped Rayfin's lips, breaking the silence of the group. “We’ve been in tough situations before, but look…”

  Hundreds of Calfars now stood around Bast’s drone, attracted to its light.

  “Do you think they know we’re down here?” Thorne asked.

  “I do not believe so,” Bast replied.

  “I can see why the people who built this city decided not to settle here,” Rayfin said.

  “Does that make sense to anyone? Why go through the trouble of building an entire city, especially after hollowing an entire mountain, and not move into it?” Thorne asked.

  “That puzzled me as well. I suspect this city was built long before the Calfars came to their apex status,” Bast said.

  “Why do you say that?” Meomi asked.

  “According to one library I visited, Calfars were brought here. By who, I do not know and for reasons which I have no rationale.”

  “The only thing I can think of for introducing a new predator is to get rid of the old one,” Meomi said.

  Thorne covered his face with his hands and sighed. “It’s tiring. For every piece revealed, the puzzle grows bigger. This mystery we're living through is far greater than we originally thought.”

  Bast’s drone shifted to a scouting pattern around the darkened city. Herds of Calfars roamed the streets of Raena, covering every major intersection and choke points.

  “While I do not believe Calfars to be sentient, self-aware creatures, they appear to possess a hive mind,” Bast said.

  “The groupings throughout the city seem strategic,” Thorne said. “There can be no doubt now. There is an organization to their structure. Someone or something is controlling them.”

  “Great.” Rayfin shook his head. “It was bad enough when I thought they were just animals killing for food. Now you’re telling me they can think as a group.” He raised his arms up. “Nope. We need to get off this planet.”

  “You said earlier, the best way to kill them is to cut off their heads?” Thorne as
ked.

  “Indeed,” Bast said. “However, their hide is thicker and tougher than you might imagine.”

  Rayfin laughed to himself again.

  “Can’t we wait them out until sunrise?” Meomi asked.

  “I consider hiding to be the best plan.” Bast typed into his wrist console as he spoke. “If I may, using the x-ray scanner on my drone, I’ve mapped the tunnels underneath the city. I am passing the wireframe outline to your suit as we speak.”

  Thorne returned his helmet to his head. “Can we exit the city using the tunnels?”

  “There appears to be one sewer exit close to the eastern side of the city.”

  “We were heading there anyway, toward the pyramid,” Thorne said.

  “Correct.” Bast nodded.

  “Then why are we still sitting here?” Rayfin asked.

  Meomi listened to the group’s conversation without adding her opinion. Heading to the eastern exit meant the group would give up on the mystery of the lantern. If the source of the light were Fleet Officers or potential allies, they would be on their own. The risks were far too significant to her team, leaving only one reasonable choice. Meomi placed her helmet on her head. “Let’s go. The main priority is to get back to our universe and warn the 5th Navy.” She tucked her chin into her chest. “Nothing else matters.”

  “Nights on Caelora last 15 hours. We must endure 13 more,” Bast said.

  Meomi added a countdown clock to her HUD display and suggested the others do the same.

  The team followed the sewer system toward the eastern gates of the city, moving as silently as possible. Screeching sounds filtered down into the tunnels, a constant reminder to Meomi and the others that a horrific death waited above them, separated by less than a meter of stone.

  Using Bast’s drone intel, they chose pathways with the least amount of monsters overhead. Whenever too many Calfars stirred, they stopped their movements entirely in an abundance of caution. The team continued their progression in a slow but steady manner for the last ten hours. Fatigue, brought about by the constant threat of death settled in among the group.

  “We’re about three klicks from the eastern gate,” Meomi said in a hushed tone. “I could use a break.”

  “Three more hours… Three more hours…” Rayfin repeated to himself.

  “There are no insects,” Thorne muttered to himself.

  “What’s that?” Meomi asked.

  “We have been underground for over ten hours, and we have not seen one spider, roach, or any insects in the sewer system,” Thorne said.

  “No rodents or small animals either,” Rayfin added. “This is the cleanest sewer system ever.”

  “That is odd…” Meomi said.

  “I get that this city has never been lived in, but there should still be signs of life down here, right? Or am I crazy?” Rayfin said.

  Thorne narrowed his eyes. “Everything feels like…”

  “Like we’re in a holographic simulation…” Rayfin finished Thorne’s sentence.

  Thorne nodded.

  “That’s a crazy thing to say.” Meomi narrowed her eyes.

  “Crazy enough to be true?” Rayfin shook his head. “Bast, you’re very quiet on this matter. Is there something you want to tell us?”

  Everyone stared at Bast who backpedaled away from the group.

  “My friends.” Bast placed a hand over his heart. “It is sometimes easier to accept a convenient lie than a painful truth. I believe the stresses of this planet and your overall journey have had a distorting effect on your perceptions. Please believe me when I say this: the direness of our situation is very real. Death lurks on every street above us. We will all die if you cannot pierce the veil of illusion in your minds.”

  Meomi, like the others, stayed silent as they reflected on Bast’s words. One notion doggedly tugged at her thoughts. Death. Meomi wondered if she had died in the icy abyss of Nocia and everything else since then had been some sort of afterlife. She questioned if her death happened earlier, on Gosi Prime, as Inoke strongly hinted during the memory probe.

  Mysterious artifacts from extinct civilizations. Conspiracy involving high-level Fleet Command officers with humanity's greatest foe. Ruthless aliens capable of enslaving humans. Travel to-and-fro pocket universes. All things that did not exist in Meomi’s mind until the fall on Nocia. Without a doubt, as Bast said, the lie was easier to accept.

  Her instincts screamed otherwise. Even though they failed her recently, she had always trusted them. They helped her survive impossible situations before. “Doesn’t make sense,” she mumbled. “A lot of things don’t make sense. It’s been that way for me since Nocia.”

  “Captain Hana, have you seen the cube artifact since we’ve been on this planet?” Rayfin asked.

  “No. I wish I did.” She bit her lip. “I’m worried it won’t appear when we get to the pyramid, and we can’t get inside.”

  “What do you think, Captain Thorne?” Rayfin asked.

  Thorne rubbed his temples before speaking. “I believe Bast is correct. We are not in a simulation.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Rayfin asked.

  “I trust my memories to be real.” Thorne tapped his forehead. “Just as you trust yours and Captain Hana, hers. Even if there were beings advanced enough to bind us inside a simulation, our most logical and safest path forward is to complete the simulation, which is the same path we have been traveling — reach the pyramids, go back to our own universe, and save the 5th Navy.”

  “You may think me biased, but Captain Thorne is correct in his logic. It would be recklessly dangerous to entertain the notion of a simulation any longer. I hope the topic is settled.” Bast stood. “We should continue. It is important we do not let our guard down until daylight and the Calfars retreat to the desert.”

  “You don’t need to repeat yourself,” Rayfin said in an annoyed tone.

  “I apologize if I offended you somehow,” Bast said. “I only wish for…”

  The sound of rocks falling echoed through the tunnels behind them.

  “What was that?” Rayfin whispered.

  “The Calfars…” Bast whispered. “They must have broken into the tunnels.” Bast projected an updated drone video showing dozens of Calfars jumping into a hole in the streets.

  “Where is that?” Meomi asked.

  “3.492 kilometers to the west,” Bast answered. “Calfars can close such distances in less than one hour.”

  She looked at the sunrise timer on her HUD. “Two hours to go.”

  “We’re not going to make it…” Rayfin said.

  “Not if we keep standing here,” Thorne said. “We have to hustle to the end of the tunnel and take our chances.” He sprinted toward the eastern exit.

  “He’s right, let’s go,” Meomi said, running after him.

  Thorne and Meomi used combat stims to maintain their endurance, keeping pace with Rayfin and Bast.

  After 45 minutes of running, they made it to the eastern edge of the tunnels.

  Rayfin was severely out of breath and fell flat on his back.

  Bast positioned his drone to scout above their current location. “Six Calfars guarding our exit.”

  “Do you think we can take them with the weapons we have?” Meomi asked.

  “Unlikely,” Bast said. “We need to find an advantage to exploit.”

  Warning indicators flashed on Meomi’s HUD as 35 red dots appeared on her mini-map. The screeches grew deafening, whipping neighboring Calfars into their own frenzy.

  “Crap, we’re out of time…” Rayfin huffed.

  “I rather take my chances with 6 instead of 35,” Meomi said.

  “Agreed,” Thorne said.

  “I need to catch my breath,” Rayfin said from the ground.

  Bast generated an energy sword with his suit. “Remember to go for the head or neck which is their least armored body part.” He stood directly beneath the sewer cover separating them from the monsters above. “I will fly out first. It w
ill confuse them momentarily. Your best chance to kill them will be then.”

  Meomi and the others charged their hand cannons. “Aim for the head. Got it.” She glanced at Rayfin and Thorne. In her mind’s eye, Meomi pictured herself rapidly killing one Calfar after another. She sucked in a deep breath. “Ready.”

  “Wait!” Thorne said. “I have a better idea.”

  24

  The sunrise timer on Meomi’s HUD ticked far too slowly for her liking. 44 minutes and 35 seconds left to go — an eternity when all the exits were blocked by terrifying alien predators.

  “10 seconds,” Thorne said as he backed away from the explosives planted below the unsuspecting Calfars.

  Seven seconds.

  Bast generated a tower shield with his non-sword hand.

  Four seconds.

  Meomi and the others lined behind Bast with their weapons fully charged, needing only a target to kill.

  One second.

  BOOM.

  The explosion rocked the sewers, sending dust and debris everywhere.

  All six Calfars plummeted into the tunnel, dazed and confused, lying on their backs.

  In two quick strokes, Bast sliced through the necks of two Calfars. Thick green sludge oozed out of the wounds as their heads rolled to a stop.

  Meomi fired her hand cannon point blank into the forehead of a Calfar near her foot. The impact of the plasma projectile sent a backsplash of Calfar blood on her Tempest suit.

  Thorne and Rayfin quickly followed Meomi in dispatching their targets.

  The last Calfar took a swipe at Thorne’s shoulder before Bast separated its head from its body.

  “You OK, Thorne?” Meomi asked.

  Blood streamed down his Obscura suit. “Just a scratch,” Thorne said through gritted teeth. “My suit is already applying med-gel to the wound.”

  “Overall, that went well,” Rayfin said with a cheeky smile. “These things aren’t so bad after all.”

  “More will come,” Bast said. He dissipated his sword and shield. “It would behoove us to find sanctuary.”

  41 minutes until sunrise.

  The tunnels intensified the screeching sound of the Calfars, making them sound as if they were all around them.