Cassidy

by Andrew Gates

  Sara cried out in joy.

  "Yes! Yes!"

  She took a few moments to rest in this position, then pulled herself up. She swung her legs over the edge and shuffled along until she felt like most of her body weight rested atop the tarp-covered platform. Then she let go of the magnet and rolled onto the green surface.

  Sara let out a powerful sigh of relief. She did it.

  The platform looked so strange with the vegetation covered up. Without the tower of steam, Sara could easily see across the entire structure. Pools of water filled the green tarp here and there, but most if it seemed to flow right off.

  Sara did not dare stand up, but she crawled away from the edge. The closer she was to the middle of the platform, the better. She knew she was probably squishing the plants as she moved, but she did not care. Her survival was more important.

  Cold coated the skin beneath her damp clothes like a frigid embrace. Sara closed her eyes and longed for the warm comfort of her father's arms. She would give anything to return to that moment.

  "Dad!" she cried out.

  But no one answered. No one would ever answer. Everyone she knew was deep beneath the water.

  Sara was all alone.

  Hours passed. Day slowly turned to night, the foggy grey world replaced by one as black as death. Not even a shimmer of light shone anywhere in the world. Sara might as well have closed her eyes.

  The darker it grew, the colder it became. Sara's teeth clattered. She pressed her body against the tarp, doing anything she could think of just to feel a tiny bit of warmth.

  Though the light of day had come to an end, the storm was far from over. Powerful waves crashed against the platform. Gusts of wind nearly blew her away. Pools of water fell upon her with immense pressure.

  Hunger overtook her. She felt weak, dehydrated, malnourished. It had been hours since she had consumed anything but rainwater.

  Flop, flop, flop!

  Despite the loud noises all around her, Sara heard something move atop the tarp. It sounded like wiggling. The desperate survivor crawled over to the source of the noise, using her sense of touch to get around in the blackness. The object was right before her. It held a strong smell. She reached out and touched it. Whatever it was, it wiggled and squirmed. Its surface was slimy and scaled.

  "Fish!" she said aloud in excitement.

  Sara grasped the animal in hand and brought it to her mouth. She bit into it, tearing through its flesh like it was nothing. Suddenly the animal stopped moving.

  It was time to feast.

  Every bone was picked dry. In mere minutes, any edible part of the creature was long gone. Sara tossed the bones into the ocean and crawled back to the center of the platform. Her meal may not have been much, but at least it was something.

  Sara endured the weather's torment for hours more. She could not sleep, she could not rest, she could only sit and wait it out. Time moved slowly, but it moved nonetheless.

  At long last, light eventually came back to the world, the rain slowly moved on and the wind turned calm.

  By the time she saw the sun again, she felt like she had battled a monster. She sighed and thanked the Lord Beyond Both Seas. The storm must have raged for an entire 24 hours, though Sara did not know anything for certain. She could only assume.

  The flying animals returned and circled above her head.

  "I'm alive," she said, lying motionlessly on her back. "I'm alive."

  Sara closed her eyes and felt the sun's warmth on her face.

  For the first time in far too long, the survivor went to sleep.

  ZOZAK PRESSED HIS FACE TO the window in excitement as the shuttle neared the mothership. He felt like a child again, giddy with excitement to catch a view of Vigilant Behemoth. Despite having spent his early planet-cycles aboard the ship, he had grown used to seeing it from the ocean. It felt strange to view it from so close. He could make out the various communication dishes, shield generators and weapon systems along the surface of the massive vessel.

  After sitting in his stuffy office day in and day out, Zozak could not feel more excited to go on an adventure. When he first learned that he was summoned aboard the ship, he did not believe it. Surely the captain must have meant someone else. But when he learned it was true, he wasted no time to agree.

  The shuttle picked him up the next day. Zozak had never seen a space faring transport dock with a boat before. That alone was a sight to behold.

  "We will be landing soon," the pilot said.

  Zozak continued to watch through the window. He was transfixed on the activity outside.

  The shuttle came upon a raised shield door. Even from where he sat, Zozak could see the door glow with light. Several other ships hovered motionless before the shield, waiting for it to open. The transport got in line and held position. Zozak looked back as a few more ships moved in behind it. They all sat still for a few moments.

  Then the shield went down.

  Vessels exited the hangar one by one like a well-coordinated operation. Zozak had never seen so many different types of ships at once. There were cargo ships, shuttles, military ships, private ships, some ships as large as frigates and some small enough for only one passenger.

  When it was finally clear, the line of ships moved in. It was not long before the shuttle entered the hangar.

  Zozak felt the craft lower to the floor and come to a full stop. He stood up in excitement.

  "Pilot, release the door!" Zozak requested.

  "I cannot do that, Kho Zozak. The shield is not yet up."

  The eager Kholvari looked out the window again. Not only was the shield still down, but more crafts continued to enter the hangar.

  "My apologies," Zozak replied.

  "Be this your first journey to space?"

  "First in many planet-cycles," he answered.

  "You seem eager."

  "I am. Spending as much time on the water as I have leaves me somewhat devoid of adventure."

  "I suppose it is all a matter of perspective, Kho Zozak," the pilot replied. "I would love to spend a day on the water."

  Zozak calmly looked out the window again. The final ship entered the hangar, a small craft barely large enough for two. As it touched down on the hangar floor, the shield door suddenly powered back up. It glowed like a wall of light.

  "Now I can release you. I bid you well on your adventure," the pilot said as the back door of the craft opened up.

  "You have my thanks," Zozak replied.

  The ramp lowered to the floor and Zozak stepped down. The air here was somewhat different. It felt heavier, thicker. All around him, Kholvari were exiting their ships. None of them appeared phased by the strangeness of this oxygen.

  "Kho Zozak, welcome!" a female voice greeted to his left.

  He turned to face the speaker. Whoever she was, she wore a black power suit, equipped with built-in oxygen. She promptly removed her helmet and held it by her side, revealing the hardened face of a warrior.

  "Are you the one who invited me?" he asked.

  "I am," she replied. "I am glad to see my staff was able to reach you. I apologize for providing such little warning. You are probably wondering who I am and why you are here."

  "I am," Zozak replied.

  The soldier nodded.

  "Come," she said, "let us hold our discussion elsewhere. This hangar is no place to conduct a meeting."

  "Understood."

  The soldier walked away, obviously intending Zozak to follow behind. She moved quickly, as if she were on a mission. Zozak stopped and took one last glace at this enormous room, trying to take it all in. It had been so long since he had been here. He had forgotten how magnificent it all was.

  "Kho Zozak," the soldier said. She motioned for him to join her.

  "Oh, yes, my apologies," he replied before running up to her.

  "You seem enamored by the sight," she noted as he joined by her side.

  "I am, ma'am. A hangar such as this is unrivaled."

  "Unri
valed? You are wrong, Kho Zozak. It is one of many aboard this vessel. This one is not even the largest."

  "Is that so?"

  "It is, Kho Zozak," she answered. "I am surprised you have such fascination with this place. I read in your file that you once lived here."

  "That is true, ma'am. I grew up here. But it has been many cycles since I returned."

  "You have worked aboard the Golden for a long time then?"

  "That and other boats."

  "I have always found boats more comforting than spacecraft," the soldier replied as they left the hangar and entered a busy hallway. "Perhaps it is the wind blowing across the open deck or the beautiful sight of sunset."

  "I think we simply love what we do not have, ma'am. Nothing more."

  The soldier nodded her head.

  "Perhaps," was all she said in response.

  The two Kholvari passed through wide halls and rows of bright screens and holograms. The ship was bustling full of life. Everything seemed so endless, as if the vessel sprawled on forever. The Golden could have easily fit inside just one room of this place.

  Zozak was so distracted by the sight, he hardly noticed when they reached their destination: a closed doorway guarded by armed guards in their black suits.

  "Here we are," the soldier said, walking toward the guards.

  She held her arm up to one of the guards on her left. A holographic projection of her credentials appeared. The guard studied it closely, then stepped aside.

  "Thank you, Kal Ezenkharam," he said. He turned to face Zozak now.

  "This is Kho Zozak. He is with me. Let him pass," the escort ordered.

  The guard stood down without questioning it. Zozak followed the soldier past both sentries. The door opened up before them and they entered a dimly lit meeting room. Monitors covered the far wall. A circular table stood at the center. A few other soldiers were already waiting for them.

  "Find a place to stand, Kho Zozak," the soldier ordered.

  Zozak did as she requested and found a place by the table. He studied the faces around the room. Each one seemed to be looking back at him.

  "Now that we are all here, we can begin," started the soldier who had taken him through the ship. She found a place by the far wall and faced the room. "My name is Kal Ezenkharam. I am the special operations commander for our military. In short, I am in charge of all Kreed units."

  Kreeds. Zozak had heard of them. They were the most elite forces in the Chiefdom. Some believed they were just a myth, others said the last of them died long ago. It seemed both those tales were false.

  "To my left is General Kho Arkhus and to my right, General Kal Kraneck," Ezenkharam continued, motioning to the Kholvari on either side of her.

  Generals, Zozak thought. I am truly in the presence of greatness.

  "The other soldiers you see in this room are our officers," Ezenkharam explained. "We are all pleased to have you among us today, Kho Zozak."

  "Thank you. I owe you all my respect," Zozak said. He had never been in the presence of so many distinguished members of the military. He almost did not know what to say.

  "That is generous of you to say, Kho Zozak. I am sure you are probably eager to learn why I called you here today," Ezenkharam replied.

  "I am."

  She took a few steps to the side.

  "Before I begin, I want to express the secrecy of my words. The things you will learn today must be kept private. If such secrets are not kept, you shall find yourself permanently detained."

  Going to jail for life was not part of the plan. Zozak wasted no time to nod his head in confirmation.

  "Understood," he said.

  "Good." Ezenkharam began pacing around the room. "The creature you discovered, the evolved ruor... we found more of them."

  "More?"

  She nodded.

  "Two scouts located a city submerged deep on the ocean floor. They had little time to report back to us before claiming that they had come under attack. We know very little, but we estimate their numbers to be in the millions."

  A city, so the theory was true. Zozak tried to envision an underwater world. Evolved ruor-like creates crammed tightly into close quarters. It was almost impossible to believe.

  "Millions?" he repeated.

  "It is only an estimate right now, but there's more," Ezenkharam continued. "Due to the apparent attack on our scouts, the hierarchs are not inclined to take any chances. The order was made earlier this week to retaliate."

  "Retaliate? You mean attack the city?" Zozak could hardly believe it. No wonder this information was classified.

  "Yes, Kho Zozak, our military will respond with force."

  "When?"

  "The Supreme Chieftess will publicly announce her plan in two days. The attack will commence in five."

  "Five days? That is rather soon."

  Ezenkharam sighed.

  "Indeed it is, Kho Zozak, which is why you are here. As you can imagine, conducting an assault of this scale against an enemy we know nothing about will not be easy."

  "Understood, Kal Ezenkharam, but what use am I? I monitor steam generators in the ocean. I know naught of military tactics."

  "You discovered the species. You are the only one alive who has seen one in its natural habitat."

  Zozak was not so sure he could consider a submarine a natural habitat, but he understood what Ezenkharam meant.

  "I only encountered the creature for a brief time," he admitted, "and even then, it was unconscious."

  "That's more than any of us have seen," she responded. "The subject you found has been in forced hibernation ever since."

  "I can tell you what I know, but it's not much."

  "Anything," one of the generals pleaded. Zozak had already forgotten his name.

  He took a deep breath.

  "The creatures are smart, this much is plain to me. The technology they use is advanced. The submarine craft where I discovered the creature endured many salvos of plasma before it broke apart and descended. For it to have reached that high of a depth to begin with is difficult, let alone doing so and withstanding weapons fire."

  "Do you believe their technology matches our own?" the other general asked. Zozak had forgotten her name too.

  "I know nothing for certain. It is a possibility, to be sure. It may even be that their technology surpasses our own. I know only what I have seen."

  "You work with technology, do you not?" the female general asked.

  "Very closely. I have for many planet-cycles."

  "So you would consider yourself an expert on this sort of thing?"

  "It is my profession. Whether or not I am an expert is not for me to say."

  "Still," the general continued, "it is fair to say that you know what you're talking about, yes?"

  "I would say so, ma'am."

  "Did you take note of any weapons systems aboard the craft?" the other general asked.

  "I did not. Such was not the focus of my attention," he explained. "But if these creatures can build such impressive machines as the vessel I discovered, I would suppose their weapons technology would be equally advanced."

  "Tell us everything. Tell us as much detail as you can provide," Ezenkharam pleaded.

  Zozak gulped. This would not be an easy tale to tell. There was so much to remember.

  "Very well," he began.

  For the next 20 minutes, Zozak went into every minute detail he could recall about the craft, even down to the color of its hull. He did not know if any of this information was useful, but his audience was attentive. They stared at him the entire time as he spoke. When the tale was over, Zozak threw his arms in the air as if to suggest he had nothing more to say.

  Ezenkharam nodded her head.

  "I have heard enough. We mustn't take any chances," she said, turning to face the male general. "If their technology is as advanced as Kho Zozak suggests, you must permit me to allow the Kreeds to lead the attack."

  The male general looked to the floor, as if lo
st in thought. He paused, sighed and looked up again.

  ''Very well," he conceded. "We shall have three of your finest squads lead, but no more. This must be seen as a military victory, not that of your secret army."

  "Understood," Ezenkharam responded. It seemed even she had to follow orders.

  "If I may," Zozak started. They all turned to face him. He hoped he was not speaking out of place. "I know I am no expert in military affairs, but I do not think an assault is the best course of action."

  "The decision has already been made, Kho Zozak. It was made the moment those creatures attacked our scouts," Ezenkharam replied.

  "Perhaps they were simply frightened. This could all be a misunderstanding between our people and theirs."

  "And what if it is not, Kho Zozak?" the male general replied. There was a tone of aggression in his voice.

  Zozak bowed and remained silent. That was too brash, he realized.

  "I welcome your input, Kho Zozak, and we thank you for the information about the enemy craft, but there are many minds at work. The hierarchs have put their best on this task. Leave the battle strategies to us," Ezenkharam said.

  Zozak stood back up but lowered his head.

  "Understood," he replied.

  He could not believe he had spoken so out of turn. It was as if the words were forced out of him by some invisible force. He had never felt so ashamed of himself.

  "Do you have anything more to share, Kho Zozak? Anything that may help us?" the male asked.

  "No," he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing."

  "Then you are dismissed," Ezenkharam added. "We thank you for your time here."

  That's it? I am done?

  "Am I to go back to the Golden now?" he asked.

  "You are."

  So much for an adventure.

  "I am not sure I can find my way back from here."

  "This soldier will escort you back to the hangar," she replied, motioning to a nearby Kholvari. "The ship that delivered you still waits there. The pilot is prepared to take you home."

  "Understood," Zozak said. "Thank you for inviting me to speak before you today. Though my time here was brief, I hope I was able to provide something of value."

  "You have, Kho Zozak," Ezenkharam responded. "Rest assured, you have given me exactly what I need."