This is it, he thought, pointing his rifle towards the edge of the containers in case a head appeared. This is it!
Plasma shots were keeping him pinned down and rapidly demolishing the containers they were hiding behind, with sparks and metal fragments flying everywhere. Gripping his head in his hands, Joe began to scream hysterically. David put his arm around him to try to comfort him, but it wasn’t much help.
‘I wanna go home… I wanna go home,’ he kept repeating.
Arthur tried to block his screaming out and crawled to the back of the stack of containers. He readied himself to swing round to the side of a container and try at least to get one last chance to return fire. As he did so, he caught sight of the Major, the Captain and several others creeping through the racking at the other end of the room. Spying Arthur and realising what was about to happen to him, the Major yelled out to draw the Solarians’ attention to himself and opened fire. Arthur took a quick look around the side and ducked back into cover again. When no one fired at him, he swung round and began shooting.
Soon after, Andarran fighters broke through the entrance and overran the barricade. Insuro led the charge, his plasma rifle blazing furiously. With the barricade in ruins, the Solarians’ defence collapsed. Not prepared to surrender, the enemy fought to the very last.
22
A Crazy Idea
When the battle for the chamber was over, the Captain helped Joe and David to their feet. Joe was shaking so hard that for a while he wasn’t able to stand. Insuro instructed two Andarran fighters to help them out of the base. As they left, Insuro and the Major turned to Arthur and stared at him.
‘What?’ He asked, wondering what he had done wrong.
‘What, he asks,’ mused the Major.
‘You continue to surprise, Keeper,’ said Insuro warmly. ‘I wonder how many would do as you have done and face death to save the lives of others.’
‘Especially after you were just reunited with your father!’ added the Major.
Arthur felt proud and at the same time uncomfortable, receiving such praise from the two of them.
‘We were moving too slowly and there was only Sky and me. I don’t know – I wasn’t being brave. I just didn’t want Sky or my dad to get hurt. There wasn’t any choice, really.’
The Major smiled kindly at him.
‘You could have left Joe and David to fend for themselves, but you didn’t. That says a lot, lad, that says a lot. Right! Anyway, we can’t stand here praising you all day. Go and see your father and that girlfriend of yours!’
Arthur was about to once again indignantly deny that Sky was his girlfriend, but he stopped himself. In that moment it didn’t seem like such a weird idea.
Wounded fighters lay in groups around the entrance to the base. Sezan, who was tending to one of them, grinned at Arthur and pointed to where he could find his father.
‘Next time, I’m staying with you!’ said his father, voice quivering at seeing Arthur still alive and well. ‘It was a brave thing that you did, but it was very dangerous, especially from what I’ve just heard about what happened.’
‘Papa! Everything is okay.’
‘I know, Arthur, but it could have ended very differently!’
‘Papa, things are different now. I can do things I was never able to do before. It’s hard to explain, but I need you to trust me, okay?’
His father nodded and tried to smile, but it made his face look even more tired and pale.
‘You need to eat something.’
‘Already working on it,’ said Sky, arriving with an armful of food tubes which she gave out to everyone they had just rescued. ‘Green sludge, my favourite,’ she joked.
‘Papa, try to eat. They don’t taste of anything but you get used to it.’
As he ate, Arthur sat down next to him and tried to tell him about everything that had happened since they had ‘pod dropped’ onto the planet Tresk all those many months ago.
‘The Captain? … The President!? … Osmari? … Cloud vapours? … You were shot!?’ repeated his father in shock and astonishment as he listened to all they had gone through. ‘If I wasn’t looking at you right now and seeing with my own eyes how much you’ve changed, how much you’ve grown, I don’t think I would’ve believed half if it,’ he interjected as Arthur paused after telling him about their arrival on Andarra.
‘I waved goodbye to a boy, just a boy… but look at you now. I can’t believe it. I owe this President Insuro and the Major a big debt of gratitude. I’m not even sure that I know how to put it into words.’
‘There are no debts here that need to be marked or settled,’ came Insuro’s voice. Insuro and Vello had been behind them. ‘You need only know that your son never gave up believing that he could find you. I have seen many a mightier warrior succumb to despair long before him.’ Insuro bent forward and gripped his father’s forearm, as was the custom. ‘My name is Insuro,’ he said. ‘And long have I hoped this day would come.’
‘Thank you… Thank you for helping him – us,’ replied Arthur’s father.
Sezan, looking worried, approached Insuro and bowed slightly.
‘Mr President, we have seventy-three fighters who require urgent medical attention that cannot be provided here. We must request an evacuation ship from the Gorkan immediately.’
Insuro sighed, looking deeply troubled.
‘I have already made it clear that any sign of Treskan interference could cause the Solarians to advance their plans to attack the Earth.’
‘Earth!?’ said Arthur’s father in alarm.
‘But sir,’ pleaded Sezan, ‘many of these fighters will not survive the return journey. Some will not see out this day.’
‘I feel your anguish, brother, but at stake is also an entire planet which is unable to defend itself. Do what you can for them, Sezan. These are not decisions that I have taken lightly.’
Arthur stared at the injured fighters and felt terrible for them.
‘Those poor soldiers,’ said Sky. ‘There must be a way to help them.’
It was then that Arthur had what he considered one of his craziest ideas ever.
‘Papa, I need to go and do something. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon, okay?’
Before his father even had a chance to reply, Arthur stood up and dragged Sky off with him.
‘Excuse me, Vello, could I ask for your help with something?’ He said, after searching for him everywhere.
‘Indeed you can,’ nodded Vello. ‘And it is not as crazy an idea as it might first appear.’
‘You know?’ asked Arthur, surprised but not entirely shocked.
‘I do,’ he smiled.
I need to learn to control my thoughts better, he thought.
‘You do,’ mused Vello.
‘Know what?’ asked Sky, slightly irritated that everyone knew what was going on except her.
‘Tell you in a minute.’
‘Well, where are we going, can you tell that much at least?’
‘To talk to the merlock.’
Arthur had been far from sure that the giant creature would still be where they had parted from it. Even so, they approached cautiously, so as not to spook it if it was still there. He needn’t have worried. Sensing that Arthur and Sky were close, the merlock let out a high-pitched cry followed by several bouts of snorting. Arthur went up and put his arms around its neck. It really did feel like seeing an old friend.
‘Thank you! We did it,’ he said. ‘We rescued the hostages because of you. My father is still alive because of you. They were getting ready to shoot them all but we got there just in time.’
The merlock snorted and nuzzled Arthur’s shoulder.
‘There is a strong bond between the both of you, Keeper. How is it that this came to pass?’ asked Vello. Arthur briefly recounted how he had found the merlock after the a
valanche and how he’d tried to help it.
‘And this is how we met,’ he said. ‘But I never expected to see him again.’
‘Fascinating, simply fascinating,’ remarked Vello. ‘Perhaps you will permit me to try to talk to him and explain what we are asking for?’
‘Of course!’ exclaimed Arthur, surprised that Vello felt that he needed to ask.
Vello stood before the merlock and gently placed his hand on its powerful beak.
‘I will be able to show him all that I have seen this day,’ he said.
‘What is it you’re asking for?’ whispered Sky.
‘Wait,’ replied Arthur.
Vello closed his eyes and placed his other hand on its neck and leaned in towards the bird. For some time neither of them moved or made a sound. Arthur watched anxiously. After a while, it was clear that something was happening between them. The merlock began to twitch and snort. Vello, too, started to tremble and then shake. This continued for a while. Arthur and Sky stood transfixed by what was happening. When Vello finally opened his eyes and withdrew his hands, he swayed and fell to the ground.
Sky and Arthur bent over him anxiously. ‘He feels so cold,’ said Arthur, trying to think of ways to bring him round. He took off his jacket and placed it over him, to try and keep him warm. His breathing was shallow.
‘I’ll get Sezan,’ said Sky and ran back to the base.
When the last of her footsteps had faded into the distance, Arthur looked up from where Vello was lying on the ground. An eerie kind of silence had descended on the area. Either I hadn’t noticed it before or it’s connected somehow to what happened with Vello, he thought.
It was then that Arthur noticed that the merlock also seemed to be in trouble. Its head was hanging down, its eyes closed and beak open. He cleared his throat loudly, trying to attract its attention or wake it up or something, but there was no reaction. He tried a second time, even louder, but again nothing.
It’s as if they’re both in a… Yes! That must be it – they’re both in a trance! He suddenly thought.
When Sezan arrived with Sky, he scanned Vello with one of his gadgets.
‘The joining with the merlock has weakened him much,’ he said, tentatively approaching the creature and scanning it too.
‘Interesting,’ he mumbled to himself. ‘It is my belief that they are, even in this moment, still connected. The beast is broadcasting thoughts, trying to project them over a great distance. Tell me, Keeper, what is it that Vello was trying to do?’
‘Will he be okay?’ asked Arthur in alarm.
‘That depends much on what he was trying to do. I have never encountered this level of joining of two different species.’
Arthur looked down. ‘I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I had a silly idea that maybe we could ask the merlock for help to evacuate the wounded.’
‘But Vello also thought it was a good idea,’ said Sky.
Sezan stood shaking his head as he stared at the merlock and then at Vello.
‘Then only time will reveal its plans to us. Let me know if something changes,’ he said and hurried back to the base.
‘It’s not your fault,’ said Sky, taking his hand after Sezan had gone. ‘Vello wouldn’t have agreed to help if he didn’t think the risk was worth trying.’
‘I know, but still… maybe he just didn’t know. I feel at least a bit to blame.’
‘Don’t! And anyway, you heard Sezan. He said that they are still linked. So what we need to do is wait.’
Agreeing, Arthur took off his pack and sprawled out on the ground, staring up at the sky.
‘I feel too tired to even sleep.’
‘Yes, I get that problem too,’ said the cat groggily, squeezing his head through the pack flap. ‘What have I missed?’
Sky who was lying next to Arthur, gazed at the cat in disbelief.
‘You mean to say that you’ve been asleep all this time?’
Arthur poured the cat some water.
‘It’s hard work being carried around all day, I can tell you!’ The cat said between laps. ‘Also, I had nothing but bad dreams. Can you imagine, I dreamed that crows were dive-bombing me and dropping real bombs! And once I thought it was safe, an army of mice started shooting at me with real mouse-sized machine guns. I can tell you that those things hurt when you get hit in the be-hind!’
‘Pfhh!’ remarked Sky. ‘I can’t believe that you were able to sleep through rescuing the hostages.’
‘Really? We rescued the hostages?’ asked the cat, without a clue.
Arthur and Sky drifted in and out of sleep as they waited for Vello and the merlock to regain consciousness. The cat had assured them both that he was feeling fresh and alert and would keep guard. In the end, it was Sky who heard Vello first, and she quickly woke Arthur.
‘Well done, Cat!’ said Arthur, stepping over their guard cat, who was once again fast asleep.
Vello was already sitting up when they got to him.
‘Vello, are you all right? What happened?’ asked Sky.
At first he appeared to look at them without seeing them. He shook his head sharply several times before he came round. Without saying anything, he got to his feet and laid his head on the merlock’s beak.
‘Thank you, my friend,’ he said softly and stroked its neck. The merlock’s eyes flickered and opened and it began to snort continuously. With one arm holding the top of its beak and the other around its neck, stroking it, Vello whispered soothingly into its ear. He glanced at Arthur, conveying by his expression that they should stay back.
Slowly, the merlock calmed down and the snorting stopped. Finally Vello stepped away. Arthur did not even need to ask him anything; the look on his face was answer enough. Vello nodded.
‘I was able to link with the merlock,’ he said. ‘I was able to see and experience things that even now I do not fully understand.’ He rubbed his face hard and shook his head sharply again. ‘Through me, he was able to see not only the events of this day, but my memories of life and war on Tresk and our long conflict with the Solarians. Perhaps I allowed him to see too much, I cannot be sure. It was too difficult to control the flow of memories without causing us both great pain.’ Vello again paused and tried to collect his thoughts, again rubbing his face.
‘I can only say that these creatures are wiser than I could ever have imagined. A purity of heart and spirit that must be admired… Forgive me, this has weakened me, I fear. Let us return to the others.’
Arthur and Sky went up to the merlock to say their goodbyes. Vello watched them quizzically.
‘Why are you making your farewells?’
‘Um, you said that it was time to return to the base,’ said Sky, looking confused.
‘Our friend will take us there,’ he said
‘You mean he agreed to help us?’ cried Arthur.
‘He has, have I not informed you of this already?’
‘No!’ they both shouted.
Vello bowed. ‘My apologies, friends.’
23
M is for Merlock Squadron
The merlock took the three of them on its back to the base, landing beyond the lines of injured soldiers.
‘Major,’ called out Arthur, sliding off the merlock and hurrying over to him. He was talking with the rescued crew.
The Major held the palm of his hand up towards him. ‘Before you say anything, we are already scouring the base to gather as much of it as we can find,’ he said.
Arthur stopped in his tracks and gazed at the Major, a surprised frown etched on his forehead.
‘How did you know what I was going to say?’
‘Insuro told me.’
‘Oh, and how…’ Arthur didn’t bother finishing the sentence.
‘We’re piling all the rope over there,’ said the Major, pointing.
Arthur spie
d his father gazing in wonder at the merlock. He had been even more speechless to see his son, just minutes before, slide off its back as if he rode one every day.
The captured Earth crew were all having a little trouble adjusting to freedom. Since the moment they’d been captured on the Horizon, they had known only the insides of Solarian cages. They had seen nothing of night and day, nor breathed fresh air, nor gazed upon any of the wonders of this part of the universe. Their whole world had been damp underground cells and the brutal aggression of the Solarian race.
Arthur’s father’s fate had been a little different, at least for a time. Once the Solarians had discovered that he was related to the Keeper, they had tried to show him favour at first. He was given his own cell, slightly warmer than the others, and better food. He was encouraged to co-operate with them in return for assurances of better treatment and even the promise of freedom if he helped bring his son and the Artefacts to them. When it was clear that this was not working, their punishments were swift. Then, for a time, the prisoners were almost forgotten about, before the terror begun.
Arthur gazed at his father, who winked at him. Despite all that was happening, as he saw how his son was fully involved in what was going on, he felt proud. It was the type of pride that happens when a father one day looks at his son and, instead of seeing the boy he was used to seeing, suddenly perceives that the boy has grown up, become stronger and a little wiser.
‘Look, look there! Up there – in the sky!’
‘What is it? What are they?’
All of a sudden, the attention of everyone outside was directed skywards. There, still some distance away, was a large black cloud, moving rapidly towards them. Instinctively a number of fighters grabbed their weapons and ran for cover, some trying to take their wounded comrades with them. Insuro moved quickly to calm the situation.
‘Brothers,’ he called out. ‘Do not fear that which you see approaching. Rejoice instead that in our time of need, our call for help has been answered. For those of you carrying the wounds of battle, these glorious creatures will carry you home. This day will create a new chapter in the annals of Andarran history. On this day, it will not be the spectre of death that carries you from this field of victory!’
Arthur and the Andarran Rescue Page 20
