The Pale Titan (The Convergence Saga Book 1)

by Rick Kueber

  Elle joined Maddie in the bed and I curled up on the floor next to them. So much for a great night's sleep in that 5-star hotel bed. I hadn't been on the floor long when I heard the thunder rumble in the distance. I wondered if reality had been influencing my dreams, part of me wondered if this was all a dream and I would awaken, still in my boxers, to Elle telling me we had to get going. That did not happen. What happened was the next thunderous sound was much louder and closer, and the floor beneath me shook slightly. I sat up at the same time that Elle jumped from the bed and almost stepped on me.

  “That's a Titan!” She called out loud. “We gotta go, NOW!”

  “Well, shit!” I let the 's' word slip in front of the little girl. “Come on Maddie. We have to get going right now!”

  “Hurry up! Grab some of the bags, whatever you can carry fast and let’s get the hell outta here!” Elle was suddenly the tough drill sergeant woman I had met in the desert a few days ago... a few days? It felt like a lifetime ago.

  The three of us stormed into the living room in a chaotic fury and began throwing backpacks and bags over our shoulders. Even Maddie snatched up a book bag and put it over her head and shoulder like a good little soldier. We rushed out into the night and saw the brilliant light of a nearing Titan approaching from the east, so naturally we ran west. Without a word we all headed into the evergreens. Maddie fought with the weight of the bag and soon began to fall behind. No second thought was given as I turned to snatch her up and carry her in one arm like a sack of groceries. We both froze in our tracks for a brief second as the Titan peaked above the tree line. Its brilliant light scanned the area and towered so high that it was slightly obscured by low hanging clouds. In that moment, I realized the incredible magnitude of our situation.

  Ear-splitting, metallic screeches filled the air as its front appendage toppled trees and shook the ground with such intensity when it hit that we lost our footing and fell to the ground. With no more hesitation, I jumped to my feet and fled the monstrous machine as fast as my feet would carry me. I scanned ahead of me and quickly located Elle. I followed in the path she was blazing but continued to search our surroundings for some refuge. Just as I caught up to her, another horrible popping and screeching sound pained our ears.

  “Tanner!” Little Maddie’s voice screamed out in a high pitch that overtook the background din.

  I turned to see her looking and pointing behind us. Just then the front ‘foot’ of the Titan slammed hard into the earth just short of the cabins. The size of this ‘foot’ alone dwarfed the cabins. I felt as if we were merely bugs scurrying to evade the careless footsteps of a human. I turned back to see Elle tossing her pack to the ground to gain speed and agility. Something ahead in the distance caught my attention. An outcropping of stone at the bottom of a high cliff wall to our right looked as if it might shield us from being noticed by the heat-seeking sensors of the Titan.

  “This way!” I shouted, pointing to the right. Elle followed my lead and after a long sprint, we ducked under the outcropping to find that this three-foot tall opening dropped down a bit and nearly gave us room to stand up. We watched as the ‘foot’ of the Titan raised and moved forward, dragging slightly before it lifted. It completely destroyed the cabins and trees, sending huge logs and pieces of wood and furniture flying like scattering toothpicks. We instinctively ducked and hid our faces from the flying debris. I did not speak of it, but my thoughts turned to the horrific possibility that if a Titan stepped too close to our hiding spot, we could be buried behind tons of trees, boulders and dirt and sand. I didn’t know what my beliefs were, but I prayed. I prayed to whoever would listen. I prayed to spare the life of this innocent child and the life of such a selfless woman who put others' lives and needs above her own. If I was spared by association, well, I wouldn’t complain about that at all.

  The earth shook again and again as the multistory building sized appendages landed and raised in sequence. In only a few stuttered movements the gargantuan structure passed by and was nearly over a mile away.

  “Look!” Whispered Maddie excitedly. “That one isn't dark blue like the others.”

  “Yes, sweetie. It's a very pale blue... almost white.” Elle stroked the small child's messy hair.

  “Maybe it's sick. Momma said I look pale when I'm sick.” Maddie was deep in thought on the subject, well, deep for a seven-year-old.

  “I don't think machines get sick like we do,” I whispered, half thinking aloud. “They break down and wear out, but it's a little different than being sick.”

  “Is it?” Elle asked. “You know we really know very little about the Ahsusha or the Takers, and nothing about the Titans.

  “Yep! Maybe it's a Pale Titan because it's sick.” Maddie reasoned as any elementary aged child would when confronted with enormous, robotic gorilla spaceships that had glowing gray, gelatine aliens at their helm.

  “Well, so much for getting a good night's sleep and heading out in the morning.” I pessimistically stated the obvious.

  “There may be some truth to that, but I don't think we should go anywhere just yet.” Elle cocked her head towards Maddie. “No reason you can't get a little shut eye, girl.”

  “Okay...” Maddie was less than happy about the notion of having to go to sleep. “But, I'm not even tired, really,” She said with her chin on her chest.

  I sat down the duffel bags, took off the backpack and unhooked one of the pillows from the pack and handed it to the tiny child. It took a bit of digging, but I managed to find a blanket in the duffel bag. Handing the plaid quilt to Maddie I remembered that Elle had dropped her bags to lighten her load so she could be quicker and more agile.

  “I'll be right back,” I whispered in Elle's ear.

  “Where the hell do you think you're going?” She asked with a frown.

  “I'm just going to go grab the bags you dropped.” I smiled and kissed her forehead. “I'll be right back. I promise.”

  “You'd better be!” Her voice was hushed but forceful.

  Elle watched and listened intently as I disappeared into the blackness of the night. She sat staring into the darkness awaiting my return with Maddie leaning against her. Nervously, Elle stroked the little girl's hair and counted the minutes as they crept by. When quite some time had passed, and just about the time she was beginning to worry, Elle heard a rustling in the distance. 'Finally!' She thought to herself. Squinting her eyes, she peered into the dark forest and looked for my silhouette to come into view. The rustling noises grew louder and multiplied. Through the darkness, she caught the movement of several figures meandering through the forest.'TAKERS!' She screamed out in her head.

  She pushed her lips up against Maddie's ear and whispered. “Takers are coming. Don't make a sound.” She pushed the girl down against the ground and flattened herself out as much as possible behind the small uprising of ground between them and the Takers. They lay as still and silent as they could, even taking care to breathe quietly.

  When the rustling sound of the Takers walking through the forest had seemed to pass, Elle cautiously reached for her rifle. She waited a few minutes and peeked her head over the dirt mound. Pressing the stock of the gun to her shoulder and looking down the barrel, she scanned as much of the forest as she could see. She sat poised and ready to fire if that became her only option. The sound of a gunshot would surely attract any nearby unwanted guests, but she was ready and willing to do what she had to do to save the life of Maddie.

  It had now been quite some time and she had all but lost hope that I would ever return, but once again she heard a rustling. This time, it was coming from the direction the Takers had wandered. She listened as the sounds grew ever closer and she drew in a deep breath and held it when a figure appeared with glowing eyes. 'Damn you Tanner... you promised you wouldn't leave me.' the thought ran through her mind, but she wasn't angry; she was emotionally destroyed. Elle took her aim, slid her finger to the trigger and prepared to take her shot and then run with Maddie as fast as their
feet would carry them.

  ***

  I scanned around but saw no movement. With the stealth of a ninja cat, I stepped out into the dark forest. Okay, maybe it wasn't so ninja-like, but I was cautious and unobtrusive as I lightly strode away from our hiding place. I wandered in the direction that I believed we had come from searching the ground for the bags that had been discarded. The further I ventured, the more frequent I would stop and make sure I knew which direction the overhang was. I had mentally marked the area just a hundred yards away from the hiding spot as being an area of splintered evergreens where the rear appendage of the pale Titan had landed. It made for a fairly easy landmark to find. Nearly another hundred yards back near the location of another pale Titan 'footprint' I located the two large travel bags that Elle had dropped. I was a bit brokenhearted when I realized that flying debris from trees and large rocks had hit the bags. Scattered contents littered the area which was disheartening, but a feeling of distress overcame me when I noticed the second bag that had been filled with our containers of water was nearly destroyed and only a few containers remained intact.

  I began to gather up the remnants of the supplies and shove them back into the travel bag. One or two items at a time, I cleaned the mess up and salvaged everything I could. I even shoved things into the bag that were most likely destroyed beyond use, just in case. I was nearly finished and on my hands and knees when I felt that something was amiss. The sound of rustling footsteps seemed to come from more than one direction. I slowly raised my head to the horror of a mass of Takers approaching. The first of more than twenty mindless slaves was only a few feet away. I prepared to spring into action and do my damnedest to be victorious over this battalion of 'alien-zombies'. My head swam and my stomach turned when the first of the takers passed by without even looking in my direction. One by one they passed me by as if I didn't exist.

  About two-thirds of them had passed when I began to hear a very labored breathing approaching. There in the midst of the Takers, one stood out from the rest. It seemed more erect than the others, walked with more purpose in its steps and its eyes... its eyes glowed a pale gray color. The sound of its breathing grew louder as it approached and was sickeningly uncomfortable to hear. I stood still and did not budge when it passed within a few feet of where I was. It's raspy inhaling sounds of “A-a-a-a-a-a” and the wet gurgling sound of “Soooosh” as it exhaled repeated with every stride. Suddenly, I understood. Though I hadn't audibly questioned it, I had always wondered where such an odd name like 'the Ahsusha' came from.

  When all had passed, I picked up the bags, and slowly followed them, walking like a mindless zombie. They seemed to be following the path of the pale Titan and that would lead them dangerously close to the hideout where Elle and Maddie could be quickly surrounded and trapped with a sheer cliff behind them. My racing heart eased when the path of the Takers drifted away from the cliff side of the Titan's trail and veered more to the left. I noted when we passed the 'landmark footprint' and shot sideways glances as we passed the cliff where I was pretty sure the girls were. It was quite a distance and I could not see them. I was somewhat relieved and somewhat concerned... perhaps they were completely out of sight, or maybe this wasn't the only herd of Takers that surged through the area. When the Takers began to ascend the other side of the first hill we had come to, I slowed my pace and fell behind intentionally. Slowing to a crawl and then stopping completely, I leaned against a tree and waited until all of the takers crossed the apex of the hill and disappeared on the other side. Even then, I waited another fifteen or twenty minutes before turning back towards the not so well-hidden hideout. I walked slowly and quietly, keeping a lookout behind and all around for any stray Takers that may be afoot. It had been over an hour by the time I approached the girls' hideaway. Even from thirty feet away, I could not see the girls at all. My concern grew into fear quickly, but I was actually relieved when I saw the head, shoulders and rifle barrel of Elle peek over the top of the small berm at the front of the overhang.

  I raised my hands and bags in the air, and whispered loudly, “It's me, Tanner” knowing she did not have the benefit of built-in night vision. I watched as she lowered the gun and heard an indistinguishable whisper. I quickened my pace and saw the two girls lying flat on the ground behind the small berm which hid them much better than I had expected.

  “You're back!” Maddie whispered with a smile.

  “Yes, I'm back.” I gave her a wink as I slid the two bags against the cliff wall and sat down next to Elle. It almost appeared that her eyes were watering.

  “Don't you ever freakin' do that again,” she whispered angrily in my ear.

  “It wasn't planned, I swear... I did what I had to to make sure you stayed safe.” I reassured her.

  “You promised you wouldn't ever leave me.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Don't. leave. me. alone.” She paused between words, stressing the importance of each one. “Don't.” Her raised pointer finger shook angrily in my face.

  I wrapped my hand around the opposite side of her head and pressed my lips against her ear. “I promise.” Though I knew it was a promise I couldn't guarantee. I wondered if it was a promise either of us could keep.

  “Why don't you and Maddie get some rest. I'll keep the first watch and wake you if I get too sleepy, or in a few hours so I can get a couple of hours sleep before dawn.” I said as I rubbed her back with my right hand, drawing out a quiet moan of pleasure.

  “Don't start with me... you know how I get,” She whispered in a devilish voice.

  With a quick kiss, she left my side and joined Maddie on the cave floor. It seemed that in only a few short minutes the two girls were fast asleep and I was left alone with my thoughts. I listened as the warm breeze rustled through the pines and wondered if life would ever return to normal, or what 'normal' even was. I had only one real flash of memory, and that was of some sort of children's sleep over. I pondered the memory and every detail. Was it a childhood sleepover with my friends, or in some other life did I have children of my own? I searched the depths of my brain trying to find an answer, but there were no new revelations. Aside from the wind through the trees, the night had become eerily quiet. There were no sounds of nocturnal animals; no raccoons scurrying about, no night birds or owls fluttering by or calling out. The three of us seemed more isolated and alone than I could have imagined.

  I began to wonder what the breaking dawn would bring. Where would our path lead us? Our water supply was diminished and as far as food... if we rationed very conservatively, we could probably survive for a week or so, at best. Desperation and depression began to overtake my thoughts. For a brief moment, I thought about walking away; leaving the two girls behind with all of the supplies giving them more food and water and possibly a better chance of survival, but I had made a promise, and right at that moment, I was relieved that I had. That was one choice I wouldn't have to make. I wasn't going to break my promise, and I certainly wasn't going to abandon them while they slept, even if it might give them both a better chance.

  Chapter 9

  THE DECISION

  I sat still most of the night, alone with the voices in my head. In the pre-twilight hours, a nearby sound caught my attention. Elle was beginning to stir. It was a slow return to the conscious world for her. Hushed groans and awkward stretches brought the sleeping beauty back to life. I smiled as I watched her though I knew she must be pained after sleeping on the hard ground for several hours straight without even the slightest of movements.

  “Good morning sunshine,” I spoke softly. “Stiff this morning?”

  “Morning?” Her eyes darted around, still filled with the sandman's sleep. “Is it almost morning? Why didn't you wake me up?”

  “I wasn't really tired,” I told a bold faced lie. “And you were sound asleep, so I just let you rest until you woke up on your own... or until the sun came up.”

  “It's starting to get light out already.” She noticed, rubbing her eyes. “We had better get rea
dy to get on the move.”

  “Yeah... about that.” I wasn't sure how she would react or what she would say, but I had a thought. “What direction are we going? We never really had a chance to talk about it.”

  “I had an area map in one of the bags I packed. We need to take a look at it, see where we are, and head towards the closest town, I think.” She caught me off guard.

  “Oh. I didn't know you had a map. I was going to suggest we follow the trail of the Titan. There might be people in that direction that need our help... at least, that's what I was thinking.” I waited for her rebuttal.

  “We'll see if there's a town in that direction, but we really need to find someplace safe and a water supply before we go running off on some heroic quest to save the world.” And this came from the most heroic person I had probably ever met.

  “Holy hell, this is a mess.” Elle began to search through the bag that I had recovered, but eventually, she produced a map, torn and wrinkled, but a map none the less. She handed me the wadded mess and went over to wake Maddie. “Time to wake up sweetie.” She shook the little girl's shoulder, to which she received a tiny growl. “Do you want a cereal bar?”

  The girl rolled over and managed to smile, nodding her head. While I opened and straightened out the map, Elle retrieved three whole grain cereal bars and one of the smaller containers of water. We all munched the bars as if we were having thanksgiving dinner, savoring every bite and being extra careful to not drop a single crumb. The twist-off lid was removed from a plastic soda bottle, which now contained a precious supply of water. We passed around like the treasured commodity that it was and took turns sipping from it. I actually packed toothbrushes and toothpaste, but I knew we couldn't spare any water for that right now. When we had finished, I capped off the water bottle and Elle rolled up the blanket and slipped the pillow back onto the backpack.