by Sarah Snyder
“I have never seen these animals.” Zander admitted, seeing the same scenery.
“Probably for the best.” Sawyer sighed and stretched the stiffness from his limbs. “Most animals out here would sooner eat you than be friendly.” With so little vegetation on Flamouria – and less still edible – most wildlife was carnivorous. Any one of them would be thrilled to have Sawyer and his companions for dinner.
The land shifted from mountain back to desert before the ramshackle constructs of the scavenger village appeared on the horizon. Their drive took nearly four hours with the myriad of obstacles Wil navigated around and through, leaving them only the same amount of time to return to the Anastasis before nightfall. As the transport was solar powered, Sawyer felt his anxiety rise. He didn’t like the idea of being so far from Maverick for this long, let alone overnight if they became stuck without power. As the buildings became bigger and the domed laboratory rose impressively at the center of the village, Sawyer felt an odd tremor begin in his feet and extend up through his entire body. The engine of the transport shuddered, jerking the vehicle forward before stuttering to a halt.
“What happened?” Sawyer asked, rising from his seat and looked through to the next compartment.
“I can fix this. I just need a few parts.” Wil pounded on one of the panels in front of him. Wil frantically pressed on the dials and levers of the transport, his face saddened by the death of his new project. “Which, unfortunately, I don’t have access to. I might be able to find something in the junkyard where you found the fuel filter for the Anastasis.”
“The junkyard is on the other side of the village.” Sawyer glanced at the sun through the transport’s window, seeing its orb already fading from brilliant yellow to somber orange and red. Sawyer drew Wil’s attention to the time of day. “We were already pushing to get back before dark. Considering this is a solar powered vehicle, don’t you think this might be an issue?”
“Probably.” Wil nodded.
“Should we radio for help?” Zander joined them in the narrow bridge area.
“Radio Mav; it doesn’t look like we’re going to be back before sundown.” Wil picked up the transmitter at Sawyer’s command, pushing the button on its side to send a message. There was no sound from the radio, no light on its dials, and no response from Maverick. “Why is the radio not working?” Sawyer asked with forced calm.
“It is possible that the radio doesn’t work if the transport doesn’t have power.” Wil mumbled.
“Can you fix the radio?” Sawyer asked softly, his voice rising as he continued. “Because, we are still a ways from the village, an entire mountain away from the mines, and now you are telling me we have no radio to call for help.”
“I doubt it.” Wil admitted.
“So, we’re stuck out here?” Zander inquired with a raise of alarm in his voice.
“Unless you want to walk back.” Wil offered.
“Not particularly.” Zander responded with a shudder.
“The wire from the solar panels to the motor is fried. I don’t have a spare, so unless you have a way to charge the spare batteries in this thing or a new wire, we are walking.” Wil stated.
“Any other suggestions?” Sawyer ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Wait, don’t you have a radio in your laboratory?” Wil stood up and turned toward Zander.
“I do.”
“Will it reach the mining camp?” Wil continued.
“I have not attempted it before, but it is possible.” Zander nodded thoughtfully.
“Great, problem solved.” Wil clapped his hands and smiled. “We get what we need from the lab and radio for Mav to come get us.”
“Then, we better get going. I’d rather not be sitting in this box after dark.” Sawyer muttered, walking toward the rear of the transport and exited.
Their plan was easier discussed than implemented as they walked through the blazing afternoon heat. There were many desolate structures between them and their destination, each a potential threat. Sawyer and Wil walked with their hands on their side arms, while Zander walked between them. They instinctively stayed far from the decrepit buildings, preferring to remain in the direct sunlight, rather than risk stirring something lurking in the shadows.
They rounded the last few structures and the laboratory came into full view. Its walls and structure looked identical to when last Sawyer saw the domed building, her rounded form standing brilliant and gaudy in its perch on a hill overseeing ruined, squalid shacks. The rust on her walls was minimal as they were situated on high ground and new in comparison to many of the buildings made of the same aluminum panels. Sawyer shuddered as memories of their last visit to the laboratory threatened his focused composure. Sawyer scanned the vacant buildings around them, his hand on his pistol, before following Zander and Wil inside.
They entered through the computer room rather than circling to the main area opening into the storage area. Stepping into the shaded interior, Sawyer gaped at the carnage inside. The formerly immaculate radio room was chaotic: a jungle of shredded wires covered the floor, the desks and tables flipped with their legs shattered or ripped off, and the contents of drawers – papers, writing instruments, books, and equipment – scattered to the four corners and between. Sawyer bent to retrieve the transmitter from the radio station, its black form cracked and connecting wire missing. Sawyer looked toward the main console, seeing the wires and components exposed through the split opened top. “This is not good.”
“It appears the savages came through here.” Zander remarked, watching Sawyer pick up a remnant of shattered communication equipment and let it fall uselessly through his fingers to the floor. “Do you believe any of this may be functional?”
“Not a chance.” Wil shook his head.
“Can you use any of this to repair the all-terrain?” Sawyer asked hopefully.
“Maybe.” Wil mumbled doubtfully. “I might be able to splice some wires and reconnect the solar panels to the motor, but it would be a temporary solution.”
“Could it get us back to the mines?” Sawyer persisted.
Wil was already gathering some of the wire fragments which seemed comparable when answered. “I can make it work.”
“How long?” Sawyer questioned.
“Not long if I can find enough remnants to fuse together.” Wil nodded absently.
“Good, if you can fix it fast enough we might yet be home by nightfall. Now that we know where the road is, we should make better time getting back to the mines.” Sawyer sighed and ran a hand through his hair, relieved their crisis was momentarily – albeit theoretically – averted. He focused on their next issue, looking at the growing shadows in the control room. The sun was well past mid-day, the light already fading and night threatening its cold, clammy claim. The facility was cast in shadow, with each opened doorway and corner a dark void. He vaguely remembered something Zander said before they’d left for the mines: “There were plenty of automatic weapons in the storage room. We should have taken them before our flight.”
“Zander, where are the automatic weapons you mentioned were stored here?” Sawyer’s question drew the attentions of both of his companions.
“Pardon?” Zander blinked absently.
“You claimed to have automatic weapons stored here, where?”
“Oh, of course. In here.” Zander motioned for the others to follow him into the second entrance area and storage room, moving to a locked closet on the far wall. He pulled a key from his pant pocket to unlock and open the heavy, metallic door, revealing dozens of weapons of varying caliber. Boxes of ammunition rested on a shelf above their respected gun.
“Holy hellfire!” Wil whispered with a gaping wonder on his face. “At least if we’re stuck here for an extended time or have to walk back to the mines, we have additional firepower. It will come in handy if those savages show up again.”
“Do you believe they would still be nearby? It isn’t like they would sit and wait for us to
return.” Zander questioned with a curious tilt to his head.
“Seriously? They’re smart enough to take out a radio now.” Wil warned.
“That may have been coincidence.” Zander suggested.
“And, what about chasing us when we shot their own kind?” Wil reminded. “Or, their persistence in getting through the walls of this place?”
“They were chasing you because they saw you as food.” Zander returned logically. “And, their persistence in coming through the walls here was most likely due to smelling you still inside. You were quite potent.”
“What about being out and about at night like that in the first place?” Wil crossed his arms defiantly. “Savages have horrible vision, but they managed to keep up pretty well in the dark.”
“Desperation, perhaps. There isn’t much food around here.” Zander sighed before he continued. “I am not saying they were not acting oddly. However, your assumption they are becoming more intelligent is based on little evidence and a bit premature.”
“Enough.” Sawyer demanded, stepping between the men before they came to blows. “Wil, we need the all-terrain functional as soon as possible. Daylight won’t last forever.”
“Yeah, I got what I need.” Wil picked up a rifle and its ammunition, cradling both to his chest. “I’m taking this with me.”
“Be careful.” Sawyer warned as Wil turned and walked away.
“Is it safe to split up like this?” Zander questioned as Sawyer chose a rifle of his own, albeit without speaking to it.
“We have to split up if we want to get everything accomplished.” Sawyer diverted his attention to the task set for him and Zander. “Where is the device?”
“In my lab.” Zander answered absently, moving toward the main laboratory. “I set it aside when Dr. Charles fell ill.”
Sawyer followed Zander into the lab, wondering how to broach the topic of their futures. “Zander, we need to talk about the possibility of you leaving this place permanently.”
“That is not a possibility.” Zander responded adamantly.
“I understand you want to help your mentor – I understand more than most – but he wouldn’t want you to be alone.”
“I am not alone, and I will not leave him.” Zander’s voice and hand shook as he frantically searched through desk drawers. “Dr. Charles is more than my mentor; he is my family. I was nothing; a lowly, forgotten, Flamourian-born reject living in the gutter.”
“Zander, I didn’t know.” Sawyer whispered.
“You don’t understand what he means to me. You have your brother and your friend. I had nothing. My mother died when I was a baby and my father had no interest in caring for a child even when she was alive. I was passed from blood relative to blood relative – people who were supposed to be family – until they stopped trying.” Zander’s light blue eyes welled with unspent tears before he sniffed them away, squaring his shoulders and clearing his throat. “He refused to abandon me; I will not abandon him.” Zander returned to his search, growling in frustration as it continued to prove elusive. “Where is it?”
“Are you sure it’s here?” Sawyer cleared his throat.
“Perhaps, I placed it in the underground laboratory.” Zander spoke more to himself than to Sawyer, running a hand across his jaw in contemplation. “Yes, I think I did. I should leave extra food and water for Dr. Charles while I am here. It might be a few days until I return.”
“I’ll go down with you.” Sawyer offered.
“I’d actually, rather if you stayed up here.” Zander held up a hand, unable to look at Sawyer directly. “I won’t be long, and he will be calmer if only I go. You can see if there is anything useful to our cause up here.”
“I’ll go check the kitchen for supplies.” Sawyer’s claim was missed by Zander as he disappeared down the stairs to his underground laboratory. With a sigh of regret and sympathy for the conversation they’d just had, Sawyer tried to distract himself in the kitchen. It was hot outside and they’d all lost a lot of water in their longer than expected walk to the village. In their rush to leave the mining camp, none of the men thought to grab water or food for their journey. Sawyer rectified the issue immediately, finding and inhaling a bottle of water from the pantry before grabbing a half dozen more for the rest of their mission.
Sawyer found a discarded two-foot-squared crate and loaded the waters into its empty hold. His box full, Sawyer carried it back into the laboratory looking for Zander. He found the room empty and paced for a time, keeping his eyes and ears attuned for anything unfamiliar or unnatural. The lab was immaculate, the table of kako petra uncovered from when he and Wil last examined it. Sawyer picked up a smaller chunk of the ore, regarding it carefully. There was no point in leaving it behind for waste, as the ore was expensive and easily traded for goods and services.
“What are you doing?” Wil’s voice called out from the doorway as Sawyer was emptying a box of glass beakers and bottles.
“Wil!” Sawyer jumped at the intrusion, holding a hand over his racing heart. He looked hopefully at his friend. “Did you get the all-terrain fixed?”
“She’s out front and ready to go.” Wil grinned proudly.
“Awesome.” Sawyer breathed in relief before answering Wil’s earlier question. “I figured we could use the ore to buy supplies as needed. It isn’t doing anyone here any good after all.”
“How does Zander feel about that?” Wil asked with a pout, scanning the room for their missing comrade.
“He went down to the basement.” Sawyer sighed. “I asked him to come with us when we leave Flamouria.”
“And, how did that go?”
“Not great.” Sawyer admitted with a hand through his hair.
“Give him some time.” Wil pulled a bottle of water from Sawyer’s packed crate and guzzled it. “We should grab more of these.”
Sawyer looked at the black band on his wrist, noting Zander was gone longer than he should have been and wondering if the man was avoiding a potential confrontation. “Can you load up this ore and the food? Grab a few more waters. I’ll get Zander. If we leave now, we might make it back before dark.”
“It’ll be pushing it, but there should be some reserve in the batteries to get us close even if we don’t make it.” Wil nodded and picked up where Sawyer left off in boxing the ore for transport. “I’m going to bring more of those rifles in the cabinet too.”
“Good idea.” Sawyer followed Zander’s path down the stairs. Knowing he’d injured his new friend with his insistence, Sawyer opened his mouth to offer apologies before he hit the bottom stair – “Zander, Wil has the all-terrain fixed… Zander?” Sawyer looked around the room he’d stepped into, his gray eyes widening in shock at the chaos. “Hellfire, what happened?”
The counters were cleared of their contents, cabinets and drawers emptied across the floor, and the door to the back room hanging by a single hinge. Glass shards crunched beneath his boots as he crossed toward the tattered remnants of tarp; the bars were bent from top to bottom, providing a narrow opening for escape, which Zander’s ward clearly took. Sawyer’s gut clenched at the silence of the room. “Zander!”
“He’s gone. I can’t find him anywhere.” Zander entered from the back room, kicking at an overturned table.
“Are you okay?” Sawyer breathed in relief at the sight of his friend.
“How in hellfire did he bend the bars?” Sawyer pulled, finding they had no give.
“I’ve heard savages’ strength is increased, but that isn’t what is concerning.” Zander shook his head, looking at Sawyer seriously. “What bothers me more, Dr. Charles tried before to escape but was unable. I have to assume the bars were purposefully bent – with serious strain – by several individuals at once to achieve this reaction.”
“That’s why they didn’t continue to follow us that night. They wanted him out of the cage.” Sawyer mumbled.
“It would appear that is the case.” Zander agreed.
“Still think my assumption
of them getting smarter is premature?” Wil asked from the doorway.
“We don’t know the scope of Alien Disorder’s long-term effects.” Zander shrugged with a sigh. “I have no idea what they’re capable of.”
“Where is the device?” Sawyer’s anxiety mounted the longer they remained in the lab. “We need to get out of here if we want to beat nightfall.”
“In here.” Zander moved to one of the overturned desks, struggling to flip it to gain access to the drawers.
Sawyer helped to right the furniture, spilling drawers in the process. Zander shuffled through the wreckage until he found the portable computer. After handing it to Sawyer, who fit it carefully into the large thigh pocket of his khakis, Zander turned to retrieve two additional discs, each two inches across, which he placed into a clear, four-inch squared case and pocketed.
“What are those?” Sawyer questioned curiously.
“My research and some personal files.” Zander glanced sadly around the lab.
Sawyer placed a hand on Zander’s shoulder comfortingly. “We can’t do anything for him now.”
“I am aware.” Zander nodded in agreement. “I just wish I’d been able to say good-bye – savage or not.”
Unfortunately, Zander’s wish was heard by some higher power – or at least the savage in question – as a low, guttural growl punctuated his words. The look of shock on Zander’s face as he looked toward the door at Sawyer’s back made Sawyer’s gut clench. Sawyer turned, catching only a glimpse of the savage in question before the creature was on him. Sawyer hit the wall by the cage with a thud, falling breathless to the floor and gasping for air.
Unable to catch his breath or focus, Sawyer lay helpless – watching in paralyzed horror – as Dr. Charles moved to finish his task, standing over Sawyer with saliva leaking from lips to chin hungrily. From the corner of his eye, Sawyer saw Wil pull the rifle up level with the savage’s chest. Before Wil could fire, Zander moved between him and Dr. Charles, placing himself in line with the savage’s rage.
