by Autumn Dawn
Xera shuddered. Even Captain Khan looked horrified when she translated. “Pass on the information to the men—,” he began.
Brirax spoke quickly, interrupting. “You’d be wise to keep this to yourself if you’re contemplating otherwise. Your men might flame each other trying to kill something they can’t see. Let us deal with the biters.”
Xera stared at him, unsure.
“Our commander is serious about making shelter,” the alien added. “We can’t waste any men, not even yours.”
Captain Khan started to yammer at her, but she shook her head and held up a hand so she could listen to Brirax’s next words.
“Tell your people about the larger menace, the flyers. They have leathery wings and round mouths full of teeth. These they can watch for, and they will start to fly at dusk. There are also burrowers, armored worms you can wrap your arms around. We can sense these coming, so if you see us shoot the ground—”
He’d barely gotten the words out when one of his companions swore and blasted the earth. There was a screech, a hump of sand shivered, then stillness.
“A burrower,” Brirax confirmed over the hubbub. “If you feel the ground vibrate under your feet, jump away.”
Xera rapidly translated to her crewmates, yelling to be heard over the group’s clamoring. Men started watching the ground and the skies.
“Keep moving,” Commander Atarus called out from the front of the line. “We don’t want to be unprotected in the desert when night falls.”
Their pace quickened. Nobody thought sleeping on this sand was a good idea.
“I still don’t see why we left the ships,” Captain Khan complained. “These things wouldn’t have been a danger to steel hulls.”
Xera passed on the question.
“The flyers secrete acid that can eventually eat through a ship’s hull. The only thing impervious to it is solid rock. The shelter we’re going to is carved into a mountain. There’s fresh water there, also.”
The mention of water temporarily mollified Captain Khan, but Xera had questions of her own. “Do you expect to be rescued?”
Brirax was silent, letting her draw her own conclusions. Her captain wanted more information about the shelter, but Brirax would only say he’d never been there.
Xera decided to save her breath for walking. Her situation wasn’t good, and it wasn’t just the sand working its way into her boots that worried her. If they were stuck for weeks or longer in this sandbox, she had a problem—and as the only female on the planet, it was a rather big problem. Men got lonely in space. This was bad enough normally, when at least they had hope of pulling into port. She’d had practice fending off horny crew-mates for years and had learned to brush off their suggestions and flirtations; it was expected that females who signed on with the GE learn to take care of themselves. Oh, outright harassment was frowned on, but captains overlooked anything else.
But stranded for months, maybe years…Under the right circumstances, some men would be tempted to take what wasn’t freely given. She didn’t trust her captain to defend her rights, and she wasn’t sure about the rest of the crew. Some of them had been fairly aggressive in the past.
Ironically, Genson had been one of the better men among the crew. Older, with a wife and daughters, he’d been a casual friend. He would have been a good man to have at her back.
She looked ahead, her eyes narrowed on the alien leader, Commander Atarus. If he was capable of that kind of random brutality, what else might he do? For now they had a common foe, but there was no telling how long this fragile truce would hold. She was going to have to sleep with one eye open.
Six hours later, she would have been happy to sleep at all. It was getting cold, and they’d lost two more men, both human. It had been because of the biters. The aliens had started flaming the sand and her side had panicked. One man died, caught in the flame spray of his own comrades; the other had run back the way they’d come, trying to escape. He’d failed. By the time they’d reached him, his eyes had already been savaged, he was paralyzed and bleeding from multiple wounds. Captain Khan had refused to carry the “deadweight” with them. The man’s buddy protested violently against his abandonment, but had finally given in when the aliens started moving off, losing interest in the drama. He gave his friend a mercy bullet in the brain.
By this time, Xera was shivering with more than cold. The ground had moved under her feet not an hour ago. Delfane had swung her out of the way when she lurched, and Brirax had fired into the ground. If they hadn’t been beside her…
She swallowed and focused on continuing to move her feet. Sand was murder on the legs.
“We’re close now,” Brirax told her. “See that huge rock rising out of the sand? Less than a mile to it.” He glanced with concern at the darkening sky.
Xera eyed it too, thinking of flyers.
The Scorpio picked up the pace. Xera staggered, her tired legs protesting. Delfane put a hand under her elbow, steadying her. She didn’t have breath for thanks, using it all to keep up the jog. Brirax scanned the sky while Delfane kept his eyes on the ground. She let them have at it—at this point, all she could do was run on.
The rock got closer, but then—
“Flyers!” The cry started out in Scorpio, but was taken up in her language as her side caught sight of the beasts. Winged terrors, black against the sky, swooped toward them from the direction of the giant rock. There were scores of them, spreading out like storm-tossed leaves coming from every direction.
Xera tried to run, but her tired muscles betrayed her. She tripped over a wind-rippled hillock of sand and twisted her foot.
But her end was not to come so soon. Delfane and Brirax snagged her arms and ran for it, firing at the sky. A flyer crashed down right in front of her, delivering a glancing blow that staggered Delfane. He would have fallen if Brirax hadn’t reached over and steadied him. The beast thrashed, nearly tripping Xera with its wings, but her two protectors lifted her over it and they were away.
Thirty yards to the rock, and one of the Scorpio went down under a flyer, screaming. The beast was shot, but too late. Twenty yards, and another flyer latched onto a man from Xera’s crew. This flyer was killed in time, and the man, though wounded, staggered on.
Ten yards…and then they were there. They put their backs to the rock wall and fired up at the flyers until Commander Atarus yelled, “It’s open! Hurry!”
Xera was nearly trampled in the rush to get inside. Someone turned on a hand torch, and somehow they got everyone through. At last they slammed the door on the winged creatures, safe…at least from the monsters outside.
Chapter Three
The sealing of the door triggered lights to blink on. Squinting her unaccustomed eyes, Xera looked around.
They were in a tunnel, six feet wide and forty yards long, its rock walls lined with a series of recessed tubes providing illumination. The Scorpio were already moving forward, sleds, injured and all. Unwilling to rest so close to the doors, even the weariest of Khan’s crew followed.
Xera took a step and staggered as pain shot up from her foot. She must have been too scared in the mad rush to safety, or too pumped full of adrenaline, to notice how it hurt. She was feeling the pain now, though, along with many smaller aches she’d shut out in the madness.
“There’s heat in your right foot,” Delfane said, glancing down. “Hold on.” He swung her up on a sled without asking permission. Perched precariously on several tarp-covered parcels, she gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the surge of pain that electrified her leg. Sitting wasn’t much better than standing, not with her legs swinging as they were.
At the end of the tunnel they entered a two-story cavern a little longer than it was high. The floor was solid dun rock, and the atmosphere was a surprisingly comfortable temperature. Stone stairs ran up one wall and opened onto a second-story balcony. Dusky light filtered down from that level, making Xera shudder. Surely there weren’t windows up there! Some things she didn’t need to
see.
The Scorpio did a quick reconnaissance. Satisfied that they were alone, they made camp.
Xera slid off the sled and hobbled over to a bench carved into the wall. Exhausted, she drained her water bottle and then tackled her boots. She had to get the injured foot out before it burst the leather, and there was probably enough sand in there to build her own beach. Even her eyes were gritty with it.
It took an effort to pull her boot off without whimpering. Once free, her foot throbbed with a vengeance, doubling with the pain of her blistered, raw soles. She pulled off a sweaty sock and hissed at the feel of the cool air on her tender skin. What she wouldn’t give for some warm water and antiseptic! Instead, she lay down on the bench and closed her eyes. Maybe she should be grateful just to be breathing.
She must have slept, for she was woken by a nudge. Blearily, she wiped grit from her eyes and looked up. It was Brirax.
“You need to tend your injuries. You can’t afford gangrene.” He handed her a bottle and a packet of gauze. “There is medicine in the water. Use it to clean your wounds.”
“Thanks,” she muttered as he walked off, still groggy. It was tempting to go right back to sleep, but he was right. A nap could wait until she made sure her limbs wouldn’t rot off.
She sat up stiffly and washed her feet, hissing every time the gauze made contact with a sore. Walking was going to be painful for the next few days, what with all the blisters, but it was comforting to know she wouldn’t be the only one sore-footed. While she was at it, she swiped at the gash over her eye and washed her face. She was unable to see what she was doing, but such ministrations were probably better than none at all.
Finished, she glanced around, seeing many other tired, dispirited souls. These were in the human camp, really. While the aliens were quiet, they didn’t seem overly distressed. But, of course, this was their turf.
Ryven had watched the woman lie untended for a half hour before he intervened. It had been a small thing, to send the medicine, but he shouldn’t have had to do it. Among his people the most badly wounded were attended first, then the women and children. Warriors with minor hurts would delay their own comfort.
This protocol was in contrast to that of the humans. The square-headed human captain hadn’t bothered to see to the only woman in his group. He’d immediately flopped his body down on a bench and let his men tend themselves for a good ten minutes, only rousing himself to give orders when hunger stirred him. His group’s translator, possibly one of his best assets, he’d ignored.
There was another difference: Ryven hadn’t needed to order his men to make camp. They knew what was necessary to do and did it.
His people were stronger than humans; he could see that now. While tired, they had not suffered nearly as much on the march. He would almost have been impressed by what the humans, with their limited physiques, had managed to do…if they hadn’t neglected their woman so. She needed ice for that foot. Even from here he could see the faint heat signature, an angry, painful-looking red.
This time, he chose to take it himself rather than send Brirax.
Xera looked up, mildly surprised to see the alien leader. He plopped a cold pack onto her foot. “Use this.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. While the gesture had not exactly been gentle, she appreciated the ice, if not the source. She would not forget that this man was a killer. In all fairness, though, he had no reason to love her people. She forced herself to accept that, too. “Did you need something?”
His face gave nothing away. “We’ve activated the temperature control system. The thermal grills for cooking are on line. You will be allowed access to water, but your people will have to forage for their own food—we will not share our rations. What ever you brought in your packs will have to suffice, though we will show you how to seek what food can be gathered. If you are diligent, you will not starve.”
Well, there was great news. “Anything else?”
He walked away.
Apparently not. She sighed. And things were about to get worse. She wasn’t looking forward to talking to her captain, but here he came.
“What did he want?” Khan demanded, eyeing her ice pack suspiciously. He shifted his weight from foot to sore foot.
She relayed the information Atarus had provided. “Did you want some water now?”
“Water?” he shouted. “Water? What I want is to get off this blasted rock!” His piggy eyes narrowed. “Did he say if a ship was coming for them?”
“I have no idea,” she admitted, wishing she did. It would change a lot of things, knowing there might soon be more of the Scorpio. She didn’t relish being a prisoner of war. “I don’t think they’d tell me if they did.”
Khan grunted at her. “You seem mighty cozy with them.”
She looked at him tiredly. “Sir, I’m the only member of our crew that speaks their language. I’d be happy to coach you and everyone else on it, though. God forbid I should drop dead and leave you all with no idea what they’re saying or plotting.”
Captain Khan grabbed her shirt in a rough grip. “Watch it, Harris-d. If we are stuck on this sandpit, we won’t be seeing any more of the GE. Rules of discipline be damned, I’ll jump at the first chance to teach you to watch your mouth. Remember that.” He released her with a shove and walked away.
With mixed emotions, Xera watched the man stalk off. Granted, she could probably kick his butt if she needed, but not if the crew backed him up. Besides, doing that would just invite being attacked in the dark one night, which would of course end badly. She wasn’t inclined to pick a fight, and the alternative was lying low.
Swallowing against that bitter reality, she lay back down and stared at the ceiling. God help her if the GE didn’t show up to save them. Much as she hated their politics, her employers were the only thing likely to save her from what was coming.
It was morning by the time she woke. Groaning at her stiffness, she glanced at her watch and saw she’d slept for almost twelve hours. She was surprised she’d been allowed to rest so long, but a look around showed everyone else was moving slowly, too. She gingerly sat up. It was amazing how comfortable even a stone bench could be when you were dead tired, but she was paying for lying on it with even more aches.
Someone had thrown a survival blanket over her during the night. She brushed it aside, thankful for the thin material’s added warmth. She’d had one in her pack but had been too exhausted to dig for it last night.
She had to limp along the wall, using it to steady herself as she sought out Brirax. He saw her coming and met her halfway.
“I need to know where the…bathrooms are,” she told him, trying not to be embarrassed. For some reason it was harder to ask an alien this question. It didn’t help that she didn’t know the exact words to use.
His brows drew together. “What?”
She sighed. “I drank too much water.”
His face cleared. “Follow me.” He watched her hobble for two steps, and then motioned her to stop. “Wait.” He hurried up the stairs to the balcony where the Scorpio had moved all their stuff. He came back down with a laser rifle, which he handed to her. “It’s unloaded.”
“Thanks,” she said, surprised by his generosity. The weapon made for a cumbersome cane, but it helped get her across the room to where she needed to go.
In the area the Scorpio indicated, there were several doors right next to each other. She went through one and shut the door, then took a quick look around. There was a seat and something that looked like some kind of composting unit. There was nowhere to wash her hands, however. Finished, she opened the door and asked Brirax about it.
“Run your hands in front of that stone,” he instructed, pointing to an area in the back of the restroom. “The energy kills the…” She didn’t exactly understand what he said, but she got the drift. He added, “If you would like to cleanse your entire body, press the stone and stand there for a count of seventy.” He closed the door to let her check it out.
; It was like a solar shower, and she didn’t even have to undress to use it. She’d heard of the concept but never experienced one. Green rays surrounded her, dissolving the dirt and oils from her clothes and body. In slightly over a minute she was as clean as if she’d never been chased through a desert by monsters. Even her muscles felt better, as if she’d had a long, hot bath.
“Cool,” she told Brirax as she stepped out, using the Scorpio word without thinking.
“The temperature was cold?” he asked. “I will have to inspect it.”
She laughed, realizing her mistake. “No! It was a compliment. I think your technology is wonderful.”
“Oh.” He looked as if he hadn’t understood all her words, but seemed to process enough. “I will show you where to get water. Gather your crew after that and we will explain how to forage.”
Commander Atarus acted as their guide. Captain Khan and all of her crew followed along for the tour. It was tiring, hobbling around the cave with stiff muscles and a bum foot. Xera finally broke down and accepted an offer from an ensign to be a human crutch. He’d seemed especially eager to help her, but she was too grateful to be wary.
The water was no big deal—it came out of a faucet in a wall alcove. The foraging was harder. They had to descend some stairs that opened out into a lower cavern. It was cool down there, populated with fungus and shadows. Something crunched under her feet. Atarus shown a flashlight at her boots and she yelped. The ground was swarming with fat slimy things.
“Ah! Worms! And bugs!” She tried to move away but just stepped on others.
“Protein,” Atarus corrected with some amusement.
She stared at him. “You’ve got to be joking,” she said in her own language, too grossed out to use his.
“What’s he saying?” Khan demanded. “What are all these worms doing here?”
“Dinner,” Xera said softly, feeling sick.
Her words caused an uproar. Atarus just looked at the humans with aristocratic unconcern until the noise settled down. He waved a hand at the fungi. They looked like pulpy fans and grew on the stone columns, floor and walls. “The stone fungus is edible once cooked, and this lichen makes a tea that will provide valuable nutrients.” He indicated a glowing green plant that resembled dead leaves. Xera wondered if she’d start glowing, too, if she drank anything made of that stuff.
