Year of the Orphan

by Daniel Findlay

  What is it?

  Block shook his head. Dunno. Its white. Maybe been burned. Lets give it a look.

  Sail?

  Nah, lets walk. Nuthin livin out here. Whaddaya reckon?

  Cant feel nuthin but us.

  Block started walkin an they kept to the edge of the great track, that were how she were gunna think of it. Sum kinda animal fear stoppin em from gettin too far from cover but she did have an itch to run out into the wide middle of it just to see what it would be like. Werent hard to stop herself though an the ground itself was askin plenny of questions she dint have the answer for. Marked an smeared with black streaks an more of em as they got closer an closer to the weird thing at the end of the concrete.

  Block were right, itd caught fire a long time ago but itd once been white an she saw it were sum kinda hulk mebbe but not no kind she’d ever seen before. Big scorched holes at the back an what looked like stubby wings to her. A sail stickin up above its tail with a mark on it. White letters on a faded blue circle. It were shaped like a bird if she stretched her imagination a bit. Tipped forwards, beak dug into the ground an scraps of metal an sum other kinda plastic were stuck under logs an fallen trees thatd been piled at the end of the tarmac. It were a big thing, plenny of metal on it she reckoned an well worth the scavvin. They walked around to the pointy bit what she reckoned was the front an she could see glass windows still intact, scorched black like fired got into it an hollowed it out from the inside.

  What is it?

  Block turned to her. Its a ship. It were a ship.

  She looked at it again. Truth? Dont look like no ship I ever seen.

  Look again Orphan. This a ship. A sky ship if I aint mistaken.

  Yeah?

  I reckon this is a ship that were built to sail in the sky. Id forgotten all about em, read it a long time ago. Dint never know if it were just fancy but this thing looks powerful like how it were told. A big white ship built for sky sailin. Them wings carried it. Fellas sailed inside.

  She looked at the thing again. Tipped nosedown on a broken wheel an blacked out with fire on the inside. What happened to it? To them fellas?

  Id say theyre still in there. This things partburned sumhow an it dont look like nowun come out of it. Might be sum good scav in there?

  She felt a powerful chill on her like her body just remembered where they was. Like she just marked how far West theyd come. Block walked a few paces towards it, shieldin his eyes from the glare.

  Maybe not though Orphan, maybe it aint what I think it is. I can stand to leave it be if you can. Its your show.

  She looked up at the skyship. If she’d found summin like it out on the flats she’dve stripped it for evry screw an buried what she couldnt take for another trip. She looked all around, takin in the bush an this huge wide open space an the feelin she couldn’t shake that she was bein watched, hunted by sumthin. Leave it for now. Dunno how much further we gotta travel an this thing aint goin anywhere soon.

  She turned away from it, fightin her curiosity. Ship. Grave. Both mebbe. Whatever it were she dint need a cursed gift from them old times right now. Dint need nuthin slowin em down or fancy diggin up no bones less she really had to.

  55

  Dark

  Wake yerself Reckoner.

  Im woke.

  Yer close intya. We can feel yer close.

  Yeah, Im close.

  Remember whats gotta be done. Remember that yer our blud an kin.

  I know it.

  Protect us, protect all of us. Yev reckoned for us, reckon again.

  I know it.

  56

  Two days sail on from the skyship an the thought of it started to creep into her wakin thoughts. They made cold camp for the night an she guessed things was weighin heavy on the Block too cos he sat there chewin strips off his roo an just stared out into the night as the moon come up. Theyd sailed late to wring evry last bit outta the friendly wind an the stars was comin up faint against the dark blue. Cold now. She thought of them dead fellas in their ship. She were sure now they was still in there an she were double glad she’d not tried to scav nuthin from it. She snuck a glance at the Block an he was just starin at a spot in the dark. There were a lot more moon tonight than when theyd left an things was outlined in blue fore they faded to black. She followed his gaze.

  Whats that out there? Sumthin movin.

  His voiced dropped to a real quiet murmur. Not a whisper, he were too old a sneakthief for that. She looked out into the night where he was starin an felt all the little hairs raise up on her arms an on the back of her neck. Out there maybe a hundred paces distant was a fella sittin on his heels on the flat sand, facin em, just still as a stone. A ways behind him, sittin an standin just as quiet was four Ghosts an she reckoned Block hadnt seen em. She looked over at him an he’d drawn knife long an hook blade short, silent as ash fallin an he were sittin there just waitin for a move.

  Thats him Block. Thats the fella I seen on the sand, thats the Reckoner.

  57

  Before

  Theyll try an tell ya Orphan that nuthin ever happens in the past but that aint the whole of it. Ya see, what happens to each of us gets remembered as best we can but it aint perfect. That means evrywuns gunna have a different view on any thing what happens. So far so good right, ya followin me? I know these is big words an maybe hard to follow but ya gotta try cos this is gunna stand ya right when things is gettin outta hand in yer head an yer vexed real bad. Evrywun reckons the past is finished an in a place like the System where its pure survivin the past is gunna seem sumtimes like it aint worth the rememberin. But if yer wun of the wuns what remembers Orphan then yer wun of the wuns that can change it with a thought. You can change what happened real easy Orphan, you can make new memories or change old wuns an you can work the rememberins inta stories an them stories is what makes ya world. You gotta be careful of the stories you tell other fellas but most careful with the stories you tell yaself. You can take sumthin real innocent an make it inta such a poison that itll run ya life an thats sumthin I been real guilty of from time to time but ya can also take poison an make it inta fresh water if needs be. Yer lookin at me all fulla knowin Orphan an it warms me. I want ya to remember what I said remember it real good. Water inta poison an vice versa. The past aint fixed Orphan, its all there for the changin and makin new.

  58

  It were only that she could see in the dark that she saw what was happenin. The Ghosts what sat further out started movin silent an slow, all of em standin upright an flowin round their little campsite. They kept their distance but she could see they was penned in good an still she dint move. Block just raised himself real quiet up on wun knee an she knew he’d spotted the others by now. The bloke out in the dark just sat there for a while, not movin for what seemed like an age an then he stood, advancin on em without makin so much as a sound. The walk she knew now, leanin on that left hip, carryin sumthin that sat under his coat. It were him alright. She’d looked at him for them days when she was runnin on foot back from the Glows an her memory was comin back now she were lookin at him again. She was rememberin him sittin against the wall of the big tunnel where she found the map an now she reckoned he knew exactly what they was doin out here. How longd that map been up on the wall? She dint have time for all the questions an she stood up, drawin her bayonet an wrappin the soft cosh she carried around her left fist. It sure looked like it were happenin. She turned her head to catch Block in the corner of her eye an he were movin fast. Were real still that wun, until he decided to go. The four Ghosts on the edge dint move, just sat like trees, watchin over things as Block met the fella midway out on the sand with a dull clasha metal and then they was apart again. The Reckoner had dropped his coat an she saw he carried a short parang an he were faster than Block with it. Blocks long knife an short hook were no easy meal though an as she sprinted to em across the sand she saw the Reckoner have to give a little under Blocks fury. She come upon them in the dark, seein em both clear an she swu
ng to the side of the Reckoner, makin a short chop with her blade an swingin her fist at the side of his ribs while he was focussin on Block. He slipped her punch an her blade swung through clean air as he stepped back from both of em. His hat were gone an she saw his hair was a light colour an his dust cover still sat maskin his face. The eyes werent givin nuthin, they was just concentratin an too late she checked her tail for the other Ghosts but no, she were fine, they hadnt even moved to follow the fight. They just sat on the four points of the compass round she an Blocks campsite, seemin not even bothered that wun of their own was fightin for his life. She ducked a wild swing from the fella an saw that itd been just a play to open up Block. The Reckoner kicked dust up at his eyes but Blockd been in too many street scraps for that wun an he just blinked through it an grit his teeth. Her bayonet clashed with the parang with a bad scrapin noise an she knew she dint wanna land anythin front on where the heavy thickness of the machete would carry straight through the finer steel of her blade. The Reckoner were rollin his shoulders this way an that like he’d been practisin the sweet science all his life, feet movin together or not at all an Block was throwin hook an knife at him, just a blur. The sweat were startin to sting her eyes an she flat out dint know how anywun but she were even seein what was happenin in this dark. Nowund even landed a cut yet an her breath was comin ragged. Been a long time since she’d gone on this long, outta practice and the Reckoner dint even look like losin his temper an he were facin two of the best knives in the System. But she’d took her mind off what she were doin for a sec, or maybe a drop of sweat was in her eye at the wrong moment an the parang slid down towards the hilt of the bayonet, catchin for a second in the guard an jarrin her wrist down. It were like the Reckoner were almost too good, like he werent expectin her to make a mistake cos for the first time his feet was a little off balance an Block swept across his face with the hook and grazed his forehead afore catchin on his dust wrap an draggin it off. It were only the work of half a second but Blocks hand were all fouled with the fabric an no time to unravel it. The Reckoner followed the parang blow down through her hilt, drivin her down to wun knee an then swung a backhand fist at Block, catchin a hook blade across his knuckles for his trouble but sendin Block offbalance and inta the sand. She dint wait for no second chances an ripped a vicious left hook up inta the Reckoners ribs, feelin sumthin give as she swept inside his reach an tried to drive the bayonet up inta his groin. He swung aside, droppin his shoulder inta her nose an her eyes filled with tears. When she could see clear again she had her own bayonet against her throat an his parang were outstretched at Block who stood on the balls of his feet, ready to go for broke. The Reckoners face wrap stretched out in the sand behind him an Blockd switched hands but he had both blades an was two up again. Her cosh was as good as useless an she could feel it wouldnt take much more pressure to open up the vein on the side of her neck. She looked at Block an saw the look in his eye. He took half a step back an as he did the Orphan threw herself backwards onto the sand an away from the blade at her throat. Block flung his long knife at her, flippin end over end in the dark an she followed the dull silver as it skimmed over her fallin an disappeared into the sand. The Reckoner, attention split as she fell werent prepared an Block, back as he were born to it with just the hook blade in his hand drove off the balls of his feet, divin at the Reckoner. It were so fast an so reckless that it seemed like it took him by surprise an he fell back, swingin the parang too late an only succeedin in clinchin Block close. Block reached round him, searchin for the cut to the spine that was gunna end this. They fell hard inta the sand an the Orphan snatched up Blocks long knife as they wrestled. Her bayonet had been spilled inta the sand when they fell an they was both scrabblin for advantage when she lined up her left hand again an swung at the Reckoner, only catchin him a glance but enough to send him off Block. He rolled away an got his feet an the rest of the Ghosts finally moved. Comin in close on em an she picked up the long knife an then she an the Block stood back to back, watchin the long, pale bodies curl an uncurl in the dark, endins in evry move they made.

  Alright Orphan?

  Yep.

  She were short of breath an her eyes was waterin but they was glued to the Reckoner, holdin himself, blud leakin from round his hand but not lookin angry, jus the same blankness as ever was.

  You ready?

  Yep.

  Ill take the Reckoner then, you look after them others.

  Was he fucken serious? She could near enough hear a smile in his voice an not for the first time she reckoned the Block were mad. She dropped into stance an tried to catch her breath, fixin her grip on the bayonet. They werent comin though. She dint unnerstand but then she saw the Reckoner backin away, not takin his eyes off em an the murder of Ghosts picked up an backed away too, lookin over their shoulders as they moved. The Reckoner stayed at their centre an Block moved up quiet on her shoulder, watchin as they shadowed themselves into the dark, fadin beyond the reach of her eyes. She dint know what had just happened but they was still breathin an that werent nuthin she’d expected five minutes before. Block roused himself first.

  We gotta move. They might come back.

  She knew they wasnt gunna come back but she dint know why she were so certain.

  What the fuck were that, Orphan?

  That were him. That were the Reckoner.

  No kiddin Orphan. But why int we dust? Five of em an just us.

  She were shakin, hands all over the place. Eyes not workin an her knees was about to go on her. Dint trust her voice.

  I … I dunno. You drew first an he hadda chance to open me up here an twice more besides. Mebbe he werent here for blud.

  Whaddaya mean twice more besides? An what elsed he be here for?

  I was tellin ya. I seen this fella before, on the flatlands an again out in the Glow a few days ago. Hes hadda chance or two to end me an he aint taken it. Mayhap hes tryin ta warn us off? End us? Mebbe they know where were goin? Either way yer right, lets move. Cant stay here no more.

  59

  Before

  The insect sound was loud an under it she could hear more whispers of tunnellin an conversations deep beneath her feet. Itd taken half the night to walk down the spiral, careful as she did. She’d darked her teeth an wore the blud marks under her eyes. She smeared the blade of her bayonet with spit an ash like she’d been told an tied evrythin down, strapped tight to her chest an she were as ready as she were gunna be. The entrance were massive, coulda run twenny fellas in there side by side an stacked em ten high. She walked into it feelin like she were steppin into the mouth of sum great beast, the black an yellow stripes on roof, wall an floor lookin like teeth to her eyes. The air were cool an dark, not terrible different to the outside, an she kept close to the wall, draggin her left hand past it, feelin faint rumbles of shiftin ground an who knew what, feelin shudders thatd started so deep below as just shivers. Her eyes was startin to figger out there werent any extra starlight comin their way an they was brightenin up the gloom, showin her the greyedout shapes of doors an tunnels leadin off left an right, great machines an pipes runnin out of lockers an doorways, runnin out of sight down, ever down into the earth. Scattered bones on the passage floor, plastic helmets an torn fabric. Boots with the soles rotted out an maybe sum with the bits o fellas still in em. She could hear her breathin pickin up, against her will her heart picked up and the beat of it felt like it was sendin a message to evrythin on two legs or none that there was fresh meat, fresh blud, an it were bringin itself right to their doors. She near turned around, a hundred yards into her first proper Glow, near picked up feet an blazed back out. A second later she were glad she hadnt. The sound of beats was real now, an it were outside her. She dropped down, openin her ears the way the Old Woman had taught her, listenin with her throat an feelin their air move as it come towards her. She hurried forwards on her toes, seein a nook ahead an tuckin herself behind a rockfall, makin herself small. Out the dark come first a pantin like a pack of dingoes an long afte
r she heard the slap of bare feet on packed dust. She knew it were four an they passed her without a look back, lopin up tall, four Ghosts joggin up towards the night sky, wrapped in scraps an rags an movin in perfect match with each other. She held her breath, not lettin it go until they was long gone. She were about to step back into the tunnel when sumthin made her stop, sum kinda flash of colour on the inside of her eyes like a warnin an she waited an extra sec an saw a long, tall shadow with long claws stalk past her hidin spot makin no more noise than a dust mote fallin in the dark. No patter of foot or claw, it marched like it never even touched the earth an she could see a masked face swingin this way an that an she felt a cold in her centre that made her wish to be gone. It were true Ghost alright an it werent even close to anythin she understood. She dint dare breathe an it flowed past her up the slope to the exit an she were glad she werent out there with that thing huntin her.

  Twice more she waited, hidden by steel door an sheet metal as packs of Ghosts passed her in the dark headin up towards the surface but she never saw nuthin like the tall wun again. Most of em looked like they mighta once been human but that wun, that wund been more beast than anythin else. Sum kinda merge like she’d heard in the darkest tales, a thing not quite all animal an smart enough to hunt ya blind. Beast enough to open ya up like barbed wire across the belly. She dint realise until the third groupd passed her that she were sweatin an the air were warm like a mornin in the desert before the sun got fullhigh. In the rush of dodgin Ghosts she’d clean forgot what she were supposed to be doin. Hadnt checked a single locker, hadnt searched a single room. Sum kinda scav she were, carryin same out as she come in with. She figgered she were probably half a kay at least in the deep, wun way in, wun way out. She saw the outline of an empty doorway in the tunnel ahead an stopped sharp, listenin for any kinda noise. Far away were a low growl but she’d been hearin the same for a while an it never come closer. She moved slowly forwards an slipped into the doorway, findin herself in a small room cut into the tunnel wall. Inside was two low tables an them funny boxes sittin on them that she’d seen on the rubbish heaps at the system. They had glass in them, she knew. Sum of the grinders could make rough scopes outta the tubes inside but they dint fetch much an sure not worth the weight of draggin all the way back across the broken roads. She crouched down an opened the drawers. Nuthin. On the second table they was locked an she took it as a good sign, takin out her rasp an jemmy an wrappin them in felt before poppin the locks. Inside was a plastic lighter. She held it up. Long empty, she dint dare spark it. Itd kill her eyes for a few minutes, she werent that green not to figger that out. She reached in further an pulled out a waxed box, slidin open the top an seein the blunt heads of six small rounds in a circle clip. Treasure. Her palms sprung a sweat. She put them on the desktop an reached in further, pullin out a small plastic case. She flipped it open an dint know what she were lookin at for a second. Teeth. They was teeth, tops an bottoms. She picked them outta the case an held them up. Never seen nuthin like it. She shook her head, puttin them back in their little container an droppin it in her coat. She looked into the drawer an saw a stain, sumthin in there once but whatever it were had rotted through the bottom. She stuck her hand underneath the desk an pushed on the bottom panel, her hand bustin right through the rot an soft metal. Hadnt needed to bust the lock. Stupid. Know better next time. She pocketed the rounds an stood, openin the cabinet against the wall. It were full of dust that once was paper. Behind wun of the square boxes was sumthin else though, a book, wrapped in a plastic bag that looked still sealed. She picked it up careful an tried soundin out the words on the front but they was faded an it dint mean nuthin to her. Blockd want it though, she knew. She’d hit good luck an no mistakes about it. Short of findin pure gold or sumthin the Old Womand want her to, it were a grand haul. She pocketed the book careful an had a last sweep about the room. Good enough, she werent there for a rest, just time enough to snatch sumthin up an get out. She’d come back longer next time, go deeper, see what other secrets the Glow had for her. She were gettin edgy though an once ya started seein Ghosts in shadows she knew it were time to go. The old blokes at the exchange had been certain on that like they dint agree on near nuthin else.