by Jerry Aubin
“Hello. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The boy was trying to impart a sense of defiance, but his fear was obvious. “Why wouldn’t I understand you? Do I look stupid or something?”
The Boss chuckled. “No, I don’t think you look stupid. I do wonder if you’re confused, though. Why would you start shooting at us without even trying to talk to us first?”
“You are not us. You are other.”
“Other? What do you mean, other?”
“Not us. Other. We have to protect us and keep away other.”
The Boss raised an eyebrow. “I understand. I’m sorry we hurt you, but we had to protect ourselves when you shot at us. Can we try to put all of that behind us and be friends?”
The boy glared at the Boss and repeated his earlier words. “Not us.”
The Boss kept his disposition friendly and allowed his smile to become even wider and more welcoming. “I understand, son. You know what you know. Maybe I can talk some sense into your leaders. I want you to bring me back to your group, OK?”
The boy shook his head vehemently. “No. Not us. Keep us safe.”
The Boss slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I really must insist.”
The boy continued to stare defiantly at the Boss. Kalare held her breath at what might come next. She didn’t believe the Omega had it in him to harm someone so young, but she knew the Boss would be intent on forcing the boy to provide a location for his fellow colonists. The Omega gestured for the Marine in ChamWare to approach. The boy had been so focused on the Boss right in front of him that he hadn’t noticed the Marine standing off to the side. His eyes went wide as the Marine’s head floated up next to the Boss.
The Omega leaned over and whispered something into the Marine’s ear. The Boss extended an open palm and he gripped something invisible which had been placed into it. Kalare assumed it was a blaster, and this was confirmed when the Boss reached over and with well-practiced ease adjusted the settings via the buttons she knew to be on the weapon. Kalare held her breath as she worried about what might happen next. Finally, the Boss spoke to the boy again.
“Son—I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else, but you have to understand that I’m very powerful and will if I must. Look at that tree over there.”
The Boss gestured with the hand which Kalare knew held the blaster. He continued to stare at the boy even as the boy’s eyes turned to where the Boss pointed. The tree exploded in a cloud of flying shards that left behind a smoldering stump. The boy startled at the noise. When he turned back to meet the Boss’s gaze, it was clear even under the camouflage how his face had become pale. Without knowing the Boss held an invisible weapon, it must have struck the young primitive as being some form of dark magic. The Boss continued to smile benevolently as he spoke.
“Do we understand each other, son? Are you going to bring me to the rest of your people, or do you want to find out what I can do to your leg if that’s what I can do to a tree?”
The boy chewed his lower lip for a moment. Then his shoulders slumped and Kalare knew it was over. He nodded and let his gaze drop to the ground. The Boss gently lifted the boy’s chin.
“Good decision.” The Omega pitched his voice louder. “Everyone—let’s get the president on a stretcher and move out. This boy is going to help us find our colonists.”
32
I just received a message from the Ship.
Imair was awakened by a dull throb in her belly. Her hands attempted to move there to feel for wounds, but they were restrained by straps. There was another set around her shoulders and a third and fourth around her thighs and calves. Her eyes started to adjust to the darkness, and she made out a rough rock wall next to her. She tried to call out for help, but the dryness in her mouth permitted only a meek croak to escape. A face appeared in the gloom above her. It was Rege.
“What exactly are we going to do about you, Imair?”
Imair’s heartbeat spiked at the menacing tone of the man’s voice. She tried to recall what had happened to her, but all recent events were impenetrable. The last thing she remembered was walking through the jungle and then a flash of intense pain. From there it was a jumble. Had Rege finally executed a coup of some sort? A million fearsome scenarios flooded her mind. She knew she had to try and summon help, but she couldn’t grasp coherent thought and instead started to drown in her panic.
Rege looked away for a moment and then back down at her. His icy expression froze the blood in her veins. He turned and walked out of sight without a further word. No sooner had his footsteps faded than a new set approached. Imair’s heart threatened to pound its way out of her chest as she wondered who would show up next and with what intent.
The Boss knelt and smiled at her.
Warmly.
Genuinely.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake. You’re likely feeling a little wonky. They had to hit you with the most potent anesthetic we’ve got because of the severity of your wounds. So if you’re feeling out of sorts, don’t worry. It should wear off pretty quickly. Let me get these straps undone. We traversed some tricky terrain getting here, so they secured you tight to be sure you didn’t fall out.”
The Boss fiddled around her body for a min and then Imair’s restraints fell away. Once the last strap was removed, she struggled to sit up. The Omega slid an arm under her shoulders and gently assisted with raising her torso up and then leaning her back against the wall next to her. The cool dampness of the rock penetrated her clothes and she shivered in response. Her hands probed around her belly and came away tacky. Imair discovered the hole in her shirt and the drying blood which surrounded it.
“Wh-wh-what happened?” Her voice was scratchy and weak.
The Boss handed her a canteen. “Here—just take a few small sips. It will help get rid of that cottonmouth. It’s another symptom of the anesthetic.”
The first sip of water triggered a coughing fit, but Imair kept down a couple of swallows once her coughs subsided. The pain in her belly began to increase. The sensation went hand-in-hand with the fog in her mind dissipating, so she happily accepted the tradeoff. The Boss started his recap.
“There’s something about the jungle that’s making our sensors unreliable. A young colonist managed to sneak up on us and shoot you with a wooden projectile that punctured a kidney. You were bleeding out pretty bad, but the Marines took great care of you and got you patched up. After we captured the boy, I convinced him to bring us to the rest of his people. We’ve been waiting forty-five mins for their leader to show up and speak with us. If you hadn’t woken up when you did, I was going to have the medic administer a stimulant so you could hear what he has to say for yourself.”
“Have you spoken with any of the colonists yet, Boss? What’s their story?”
“So far all I’ve heard is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about “others” and agitation about how they’ve let us into their home here in this cave complex. They were about to attack when we approached, but I gave them a demonstration of our power that convinced them that was a bad idea. Even though they look like savages running around half-naked in their animal skins, they remain intelligent and are fully conversant with verbal language. They don’t appear to have any technology or written records, so I’m hoping their leader has some form of spoken history he’ll be more willing to share than anyone else has been so far.”
Imair didn’t want to think about what kind of demonstration the Boss might have used to subdue the colonists. She hoped he hadn’t killed too many of them in the process. She went to stand, and the Boss extended an arm in support. Even without the aftereffects of the anesthesia, she was disoriented by the lack of light.
“Why is it so dark in here? Why aren’t we using any flashlights?”
“Our former colonists have spent so many generations living in these caves that their eyes are different. It’s probably a combination of genetic change and developmental adjustment, but now too much light makes them uncomfortable and agit
ated. I’ve ordered everyone to just stumble around.”
Imair’s footing became more and more confident as she walked off the lingering effects of the drugs. She considered relaying her experience with Rege to the Boss, but the more she thought about it the worse of an idea it seemed. Had it even happened, or was it all part of the anesthetic’s effects? Perhaps her partially lucid subconscious had just dredged up something which had been weighing her down for months. Even if it really had happened, should she trust the Boss with knowledge that her civilian power structure was more fragile than he was likely aware? She pushed the thoughts aside until she could process them further with an entirely clear head.
They made their way through a series of dim tunnels which left her thoroughly disoriented. The only light came from irregularly placed globs of bioluminescent fungus. At one point she bumped up against an invisible human body and assumed it was one of the ChamWare-clad Marines who were rumored to be guarding the Boss. They passed multiple offshoot caverns where clumps of colonists were visible. One small child looked up as they walked by, and Imair barely suppressed a gasp at the sight of huge black pupils which filled the girl’s abnormally large brown eyes practically to overflowing.
They arrived at a cavern large enough to hold at least a thousand people. The Marines and other members of their landing party milled about over to one side. A smaller group which included Sergeant Bailee and Major Odon stood with a group of Marine lieutenants and sergeants as well as a group of colonists. As they approached, Imair noticed that Zax and the female cadet they traveled with during the Revolution were there as well. The group made room for Imair and the Boss to join a semicircle which faced an older colonist. The man’s smooth skin and taut muscles contradicted the age suggested by his stark white hair. The Omega spoke.
“Thank you for waiting. This woman is our leader, and I wanted her to hear what you have to share. Please tell us everything you know about how your people came to be on this planet and live here underground.”
The white-haired man wore a guarded expression, but he started to speak.
“I don’t know this word you use, planet, but I can share the story of us. I am the twenty-seventh leader since this cave became the home of us. My scout shared how he encountered you walking on the path from the dark city. The dark city was built by us many generations ago and was our home until monsters arrived one day. They didn’t look anything like us, but they spoke our words and told us the dark city was no longer ours. They forced us into the jungle and told us never to return under penalty of death. The monsters have not visited us since, but our scouts keep watch for their return every moment of every day.
“You are not the only others encountered by us. The first group arrived during the time of the tenth leader of us. She welcomed them to live with us until some of us became sick and died. The tenth leader concluded the others were making us ill. She told us the only way for us to survive was to stay away from others. They were forced back toward the dark city by us and never seen again. More others have found us in the time since, but all leaders have never let any others come close to us. Others who listened to instructions to leave never returned. Those who didn’t, died. Others have not visited us in my lifetime until you. None of us have ever heard talk of others who can destroy with their minds alone, though. That power is why you still breathe and the only reason you are in this cave with us and not dead like all the others who wouldn’t heed warnings from us.”
Imair was curious about one thing. “You say the monsters came and told your people to leave the city. Do your stories say what those monsters looked like?”
“Yes. They were twice as big as the tallest of us. They were red and green with two arms and four legs and eyes which covered their heads.”
The Boss caught Imair’s attention with a cocked eyebrow. She nodded and the man turned to the colonist.
“This has been interesting to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad your people recognize my power. I don’t want to use it to harm any of you, but I will if I have to. Please leave now so that we may talk amongst ourselves and decide what we want to do next.”
The white-haired man nodded his assent and walked away along with the rest of the colonists. Once they were out of earshot, Imair addressed the Boss.
“What do you make of that story, Boss?”
“The ants must have visited this continent when they first arrived on the planet. The warriors showed up and probably killed a bunch of colonists, so the rest scattered in a dozen different directions. They settled down in isolated groups, and every once in a while those groups would stumble upon each other. This group decided that anyone outside of their tribe is dangerous which explains why that boy shot first when he saw us. A thousand years later, without any technology or ability to support a civilization, it makes perfect sense how they’ve devolved into small, primitive tribes.”
Imair paused for a moment to consider the Boss’s words. “There’s a couple of things that bother me about that interpretation. First off, how do you explain the part of their story where the monsters spoke and explicitly instructed them to leave their settlement?”
“Ma’am—how many times have you given someone a simple order only to see your instructions mangled by the time they were communicated through even two or three different people? These myths of theirs have been told thousands of times through the years. Of course the retellings will eventually involve talking monsters instead of terrified people just running for their lives.”
“And you think the different groups really are all descended from the same settlement? Wouldn’t the colonists have banded back together after they were first scattered?”
The Boss smiled. “New Marines will sometimes piss themselves when they encounter a warrior ant. How do you think colonists without any weapons or means to protect themselves would react to their appearance? I’m sure the Colonial Security force did a good job of sticking together, but the civilians would have just run for their lives and not stopped until they were thoroughly lost. With all due respect, ma’am.”
Imair didn’t think the Boss intended any insult, but she was unable to suppress a momentary flash of anger from the obvious bias embedded in his explanation. Major Odon’s eyes lit up at her reaction, and she immediately regretted giving the Marine any further ammunition to feed his disrespect. She was attempting to formulate the best response when the Boss closed his eyes for a moment and the blood drained from his face.
“What is it, Boss?”
“I just received a message from the Ship. They’re under attack.”
33
We're too far away and there's not enough time.
“Repeat your last, Mini-Boss.”
“Boss—a massive spacecraft of unknown origin has jumped into the system. They have not launched any fighters yet, but there are inbound kinetic weapons that will hit us in two hundred and seventy-seven secs. I’ve set Condition One, the FTL drive is spun up, and we’re prepared to exit the system.”
The Boss opened his eyes for a moment while he considered the situation. Imair looked at him expectantly, as did the others who had gathered around to listen to the colonists’ leader. The course of action was clear and he relayed his orders to the Ship.
“Mini-Boss—stay where you are until there are only fifteen secs to impact. Then, hit them with a full spread of torpedoes and jump to the emergency rendezvous. I need them focused on you as long as possible so we can get on the shuttle and off the surface while you’re still here to occupy their attention.”
“Aye-aye, Boss.”
The Boss dropped his connection to the Ship and pinged Major Eryn.
“Major—are you aware of the situation in orbit?”
“Yes, sir. We’re ready to depart. Everyone is on board and accounted for except those who are with your team. We can prep the other shuttle while we wait for you and get out of here as soon as you return.”
“Negative, Major. We’re too far away and there’s not enou
gh time. We need extraction at current location. We’ll all jam on to a single shuttle. I need you here in one hundred and fifty secs.”
The Boss didn’t wait for confirmation from Eryn and instead opened his eyes and pitched his voice as loud as possible. The cave provided natural amplification that allowed his message to reach everyone.
“The Ship is under attack. Major Odon—take your Marines and get to the surface. Use your blasters to clear enough jungle so a shuttle has room to land. You have one hundred and forty secs to make it happen!”
Major Odon took off at a furious sprint before the last echo of the Boss’s words had faded. His lieutenants, sergeants, and the rest of Charlie Company followed a split-second behind. The Boss waited until they cleared the chamber and then addressed the remaining Crew.
“Look around and be sure we’re not leaving anything modern behind. Form up at the exit to this chamber and wait for the order to move.”
The colonists milled around and some were clearly agitated by the Crew’s activity. The Boss scanned the cavern and estimated how many there were. Bailee waited for orders, and the Boss addressed him with a whisper.
“Sergeant—I want you and a part of your detail on point with me and the rest taking up the rear. Split up the special squad between the two positions. We can manage things if this group of colonists gets out of hand, but if many more show up it will get ugly and we don’t have time to waste.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bailee turned and walked away to give his waiting team their orders. Ten secs later he gave the Boss the ready signal and the Omega called out.
“Everyone—move out. Double-time!”
Bailee set the pace and the Boss fell in behind him. All of the Marines had activated their tracking systems as soon as they entered the warren of tunnels. This allowed the Boss full faith that Bailee was navigating them directly back to the surface even though they took a dozen seemingly random turns. Clusters of colonists lined the route, but they all stood off to the side and allowed the Crew an unmolested passage out of their cave. The Boss was prepared to kill as many as needed if they interfered with the evacuation, but violence proved unnecessary.
