by Elin Wyn
“Look,” one of the women cut in. “I can sort of forgive them for crashing here, it was an accident. But why are they still here? Why are they trying to run our lives? Who put them in charge?”
This got several nods after the initial groan of her opening.
In a way, I understood her point. Who did put us in charge, exactly? It just seemed as though, in our attempt to make up for the damage we had caused, we just took over the running of things.
While Vidia was Nyheim’s unofficial mayor and ran the city, her relationship with him meant that Rouhr had free rein to do what he felt was necessary to get things done in the best way.
Of course, the ‘best’ way seemed to be our way, so…
“How can you forgive them for even coming here?” Roddik demanded of the woman. His voice was calm, however, so she merely took it as a simple question, not as the hate-filled challenge that I knew it was.
“Well, they were in a fight with the Xathi, the rift opened up and they were pulled through. It wasn’t their fault that they got caught in our gravity and crashed down,” she explained.
“Wasn’t it?” Roddik countered. “What if they opened the rift themselves?”
“Why would they do that?” someone asked.
Roddik shrugged. “To send the Xathi away. What if they were sending the Xathi somewhere and just go sucked in behind them?”
“Wait,” Dunk said. “Are you trying to say that they sent the Xathi here…on purpose?”
Roddik nodded. “Think about it. They dropped the Xathi on top of us, then those things attacked and started killing us. But, if you think about it, after the Xathi’s initial frenzy, they had slowed down. They were communicating with some of us.”
“What about the people that they were transforming, though?” someone asked.
“What if that was our ‘heroes’ in order to make a new enemy? Keep themselves needed by us.” Roddik answered. “Then they had to kill them all off when those other ones showed up, those tall blue things. Now, as our ‘heroes,’ they run the joint.”
It was nothing like that. We certainly didn’t bring the Xathi here on purpose, and we most assuredly weren’t the ones that were creating the hybrids.
“So, then why? Just to take our food?” the woman Roddik had questioned asked.
He nodded. “Think it through. We haven’t had an issue with the food in the generations we’ve been on this planet. Now, the plants are suddenly dying and they call for a rationing system. Are they really sending those shipments to the other settlements or keeping it for themselves?”
“Why would they do that? They’re stuck on this planet just like we are. We don’t even have a shuttle that can make it out of the atmosphere anymore,” another one of the women countered. “They don’t have a way off the planet.”
“But if they can starve most of us to death, then miraculously save us… we’ll fall to our knees and worship our saviors,” Roddik said acidly. “Just look at what they’ve done in Nyheim. They took over office buildings and labs. Their soldiers are buying up the homes and are spending money like it was nothing. You have another explanation?”
That started a small discussion. Not everyone followed Roddik’s way of thinking, but the numbers seemed to be growing. I saw three people that I knew weren’t completely on Roddik’s side as of this morning, suddenly agreeing with everything he said.
“They’re taking our food, our supplies, our women, and act like they’re in charge,” one of Roddik’s people took over the conversation, allowing Roddik to sit back with a look of pride on his face. It was almost as if he had won this round against us, and I was inclined to agree.
He had more people believing in his words, believing his interpretation of what had happened.
“That’s why we need to get away from them. We need to rebuild our homes and rebuild our lives without their influence. I’m not trying to be racist… or species-ist… but we were living pretty well before they brought their war to us,” Roddik’s man was saying. “We need to show, not only those alien bastards, but other humans as well, that we are the ones that run our lives. We decide what happens to us, not them. Agreed?”
More and more nods in agreement.
Roddik leaned forward, his hand on the shoulder of his speaker. “Then we need to establish ourselves. We need to put ourselves in position to be self-sustaining, not needing the help of those fucking things.” His voice was eerily calm, and it seemed to suck in his listeners. “We take over a settlement. We run it, make it grow, and show that it can and will survive without them. More people will come, and we’ll let them in. This is our home. Let’s make sure it stays that way.”
I could almost understand their feelings, almost.
Their desire and willingness to violently take over one of their own towns sort of ruined the empathy I felt for them.
“Everyone get some sleep, we leave first thing in the morning,” Roddik said.
As camp broke up and everyone headed to wherever they were going to sleep, Roddik glared at me, then softened his stare.
“Thank you for caring for my sister,” he said to me. The care in his voice sounded sincere, genuine. Damn, he was good at this.
“Not a problem,” I said. “Glad I could help.”
“Hmm.” He looked at me for a few more moments, then turned away from me.
Skrell.
He was learning to be convincing. To keep his temper in check.
But I could still see the madness in his eyes.
And Stasia would be in the middle of whatever plan he devised, trying to keep him safe, even against his own darker instincts.
Double skrell.
Stasia
We set out at first light.
Everyone seemed happy to leave the clearing behind, even if that meant the shelters we had painfully, sloppily built were now going to be abandoned. Somehow, Roddik had managed to play the situation to his advantage.
The group’s mood had been growing somber, the dream of building a settlement vanished as quickly as our food reserves...and yet, Roddik had managed to bring the group together once more, promising them a brighter future for the second time.
And just like the idiots they were, they swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
“Are we really gonna go forward with this?” I asked Iq'her. We were walking together, occupying the rear of the line made by the group. The trail we used was a small one, and no more than two people could walk side by side at any given moment. But we were walking close enough that our hands brushed repeatedly as we were walking.
“For the time being, yes. Let’s just play along,” he responded, his voice resolute. Even though I had no idea what he was thinking, I had no other option but to trust him. “I have a plan, Stasia.”
“Care to share?”
“Not right now,” he smiled, using his hatchet to cut down a few branches that were in my way. “I want to keep it under wraps. But don’t worry. I won’t let anything crazy happen.”
“I hope you’re right,” I sighed. ‘Crazy’ was one of Roddik’s specialties, after all. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“I’m not sure,” Iq'her admitted. “I talked to your brother before we set out, but he didn’t want to share our destination. Judging by the direction we’re going in, though, I think I have an idea. There’s a small settlement between Nyheim and Fraga, one that was built just a few years ago, and it’s no more than a few hours away from where we are right now. If I had to guess, that’s your brother’s target.”
“How do you know all that?” I asked him. I was surprised that he seemed to know more about the human settlements surrounding Nyheim than most people.
“I’ve been working very closely with General Rouhr since we settled in Nyheim,” he answered. “I organized some of the food drops in the surrounding settlements, and I ended up memorizing some of the maps.”
“Showoff.” I startled myself when I realized I was laughing. I couldn’t remember the last time I had
laughed, and yet here I was… chuckling over some stupid joke I had made. Somehow, Iq'her’s presence made me feel like a normal woman. Maybe, after all this was over, I could still see him again…
It was hard to admit, but I liked the way he made me feel. Even when he wasn’t touching me, I could still feel his touch, his hands that held me, keeping me safe.
Protecting me.
“Quiet now!” Roddik hissed from the front, raising one closed fist. “We’re just a few minutes away from the nearest settlement. The scouts I’ve sent told me there are five alien guards on the perimeter, so we have to be careful. We’re going to need the element of surprise.”
It was odd, but Roddik was slowly starting to grow into his role as a leader. I never really thought it would happen, but he was starting to prove me wrong.
Of course, that wasn’t exactly a good thing… Roddik was becoming a true leader, yes, but his leadership was a cruel one.
The whole group followed Roddik to the edge of the forest, and then he ordered us to scatter and wait for his signal. I did as I was told, Iq'her never leaving my side. I had a hunting knife in my belt, but I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with it. I didn’t want to attack innocent people and, even if I wanted to, my knife would be useless against a rifle.
Lying down on the round, my belly pressed against the grass, I looked at the small settlement in front of us.
Just like Roddik had said, there were five alien guards at the edge of town. They all had guns, but they didn’t seem particularly alert. That didn’t surprise me — the Xathi had been defeated, and there was no major threat lurking in the shadows.
Besides, the small settlement was exactly that: a small cluster of squat buildings and a tiny avenue that ran the length of the town. I wasn’t entirely sure, but if I had to guess, I would’ve said there couldn’t be more than fifty people living there.
It made sense for Roddik to have chosen such a target. Our numbers weren’t that great, so he had to make sure the settlement he chose wouldn’t put up a fight. If the human civilians didn’t fight back, then we’d only have to deal with five alien guards. They could be dangerous, yes, but the numbers were on our side.
“I don’t like this,” I whispered at Iq'her, watching as some of the men in the group started grabbing their guns. Apparently, some had brought more than just axes and hunting knives from the city.
“It’s going to be fine,” Iq'her tried to calm me, but my heart was already racing at a hundred miles an hour. I was supposed to be waiting tables, not fighting a goddamn war!
“NOW!” Roddik screamed all of a sudden, and everyone jumped to their feet. Roddik’s right hand man, a tall bald-headed guy, led the charge. He started shooting at the guards with the old rifle he was carrying, all the while screaming like a complete maniac.
The guards reacted fast, running for cover the moment the first shot was fired. They huddled together behind a small wall that ran across the length of one of the houses, and only when they were safe did they start shooting back.
While some of the men started advancing toward the settlement, firing a shot with each step they took, I fell behind and hid behind a line of trees. No way was I going to be a part of this madness.
“Stay here,” Iq'her told me, and then he joined the rest of the men. There was a gun in his hands, one that I assumed had been given to him by Roddik or one of the others. He fired it multiple times, but he never really seemed to hit the mark.
Suffice to say, that was odd.
When the guards finally left the wall they were hiding behind, they started laying suppressive fire as they made their retreat. I quickly realized they were shooting exactly like Iq'her.
They looked fierce and determined, but their marksmanship was a complete mess. I didn’t know much about the aliens, but I was under the impression that all of them were veteran soldiers… and, judging from how they fought against the Xathi, they were damn good at their jobs.
And now here they were, purposefully acting like rookies. All just so they wouldn’t decimate Roddik’s group. In the back of my mind, I knew that most aliens weren’t bad guys, but I had never realized just how patient they were with the humans they had to live with.
“They’re falling back!” I heard Roddik shout as the aliens turned a corner and disappeared behind a row of houses. That seemed to make Roddik’s rebels even bolder than before, and they started rushing toward the settlement without any caution at all. It didn’t take a genius to realize that what they were doing was stupid—if the aliens decided to turn back, Roddik and his men would be caught in the open...and, without cover, they’d be easy pickings.
In the end, the aliens’ mercy was the only thing keeping my brother alive.
“WE FUCKING DID IT!” Roddik shrieked, firing a few shots into the air. A few others joined him, shouting victory like madmen. It seemed that the concept of rationing was completely foreign to them, even when it came to ammunition.
Thankfully, the alien guards seemed to have bolted, or else we’d be pretty screwed.
“What the hell just happened?” I asked Iq'her as I joined him near the edge of the settlement. “Those guards… they could’ve put up a fight.”
“I know,” Iq'her said, and then he winked at me.
All part of his plan.
Iq’her
“Find everyone!” Roddik ordered us. “Find every single one of them and get them out here. If they don’t want to give us their valuables and supplies, then we’ll just take them!”
Too many people cheered.
I stepped up. “Do we really want to force the human residents of this town?”
“You got a better idea, Ilkay?” he asked sourly.
“Well, maybe.” I shrugged. “What if we talk to them and get them to join us?”
“Hmm?”
“Think about it,” I held up one finger, “One, you’ve only got twenty-some people part of this right now. Two,” I held up a second finger. “We know there are others that feel the same way as us.”
I held up a third finger, “Three, what if some people here, or even all of them, feel the same as you? What if they aren’t alien lovers? What if they were just using those aliens that just ran away? We convince them to join the cause and you’ve got a bigger following.”
“You know what, Ilkay? You’re not as dumb as you look,” he said with a smile. “That’s actually a brilliant idea.” He turned to the others, and this time, without the anger and hatred, yelled out, “Find everyone, but be nice to our new friends. We don’t want any confusion about what we’re here for.”
Oh, the charm he suddenly put on was disturbing. As the first… villagers… were brought out, Roddik put on a smile and talked to them calmly.
“My friends, I am so, so sorry for the confusion and excitement that we’ve caused. We certainly didn’t mean to cause any problems for you fine people,” he said to the few that were already there. He smiled at the ‘newcomers’ that were brought to the center of this tiny little place, many of them families.
“Again,” he said loudly to make sure everyone heard him, “I sincerely apologize for the commotion that we’ve created. We did not mean to disturb you or scare you. We are actually here to help you.”
“What do you mean, ‘help’ us?” an elderly man asked as a small child of three or four hid behind his leg.
“Well, sir.” Roddik was respectful and kind. I was worried. “We’re here to push the alien incursion away. We’ve heard reports…”
“What incursion?” the old man interrupted. “Those men you ran off were helping us get established.”
Roddik smiled at the interruption. “Yes, sir. I’m sure that they were. I’m not doubting that,” he said, making sure to be polite and respectful in his tone. “But, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, the plants that we rely on are dying and we’re running out of food.”
“Yeah. They said it was because of some big creature that was controlling the plants,” the elderly one said.
“Sir, may I ask your name?”
“Name’s Porter. Yours?”
“Well, Porter, my name is Roddik. I come from Nyheim where the aliens were trying to help us repair and rebuild… but then the dome of vines came over our city. They were responsible for the dome,” he lied. “If anyone other than one of their own tried to find a way out, they killed them.”
The last few words, a blatant lie, were met with gasps. Roddik quickly explained how the vines erupted from the ground and formed the dome, then how a human had found a way to bring the dome down.
“I don’t believe that they would hurt us,” a young one that looked to be a teenager said. “These guys were so nice to us and helped us with everything.”
Roddik didn’t even flinch. “They were the same way back home,” he lied again. “They were so nice and helpful. Then, a friend of mine said that he’d found a way out of the dome and went to tell the alien leader. My friend’s body was found in an alley the next day. The aliens said he must have been attacked and killed by criminals.” He even put pain and a little bit of shake into his voice to sell his story.
He was getting better at this.
I could see that he was gaining followers already.
This wasn’t what I had in mind. I didn’t want him to actually become more influential and more powerful, I just didn’t want people to get hurt if they resisted.
I was sick to my stomach as more and more people started asking him questions, buying into his fabrications. I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I left to find Stasia. I realized my thoughts always went to her, protecting her. I cared about the general good, but I wanted her safe above anything else.
After looking into a few of the small dwellings, I found her in the village’s general store, if you could call it that. It was a tiny little building filled with some food and general supplies, but it didn’t look big enough to support this tiny village.
