by S. M. Wilson
Leif put his head in his hands. “I’m trying not to think about that. The last thing his mother said to me was to look after him. I can’t bear the thought of telling her – she’ll fall apart.”
“What about his little sister? What will happen to her now?” The stress in Kronar’s voice was clear.
The words prickled Lincoln’s skin. “What’s wrong with his sister?”
Kronar and Leif exchanged a glance. “One of them’s got the sickness. The skin disorder. Who knows if the rest of them will get it. It seems to run in families.”
Storm leaned forward. “You have that in Norden? I thought it was just Ambulus. The girl behind me at school has it. Her brother and father died last year. From the way her skin was blistering and peeling, I don’t imagine she’s much behind them.”
Lincoln blinked. She said it so matter-of-factly. As if it was inevitable.
And maybe it was. He knew lots of people with the skin disorder. It seemed to work slowly. Peeling at first, then blistering, then redness and infected sores. Draining the life and colour out of the person standing in front of you.
He couldn’t watch that last part happen to his sister. He just couldn’t.
“We can still help them,” Kronar’s voice was steady. There was an edge of determination showing.
“How?”
“Easy. There are no real birth records. If we win the reward for ourselves and our family, Leif and I can say the kids are our sisters. We won’t be able to get health care for his mother or father, but we should be able to get food and health care for his sisters.”
Storm was smiling. She reached out towards Kronar and put her hand on his arm. “That’s so nice. I’m sure that’s what Rune would have wanted.”
Something twisted inside Lincoln. Uncoiling. He was selfish. Completely and utterly selfish. Since they’d landed on Piloria something had been eating away at him. The last words of the Stipulator on the beach. May the best candidate win.
Candidate, singular. Did that mean that the rewards – preferential health care, promoted housing, more food, and access to more energy – would go to only one person? In previous years, when Finalists had been looking for food, whole teams had been rewarded. So it had made sense to assume the same would be true this year. But somehow, Lincoln thought, he wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the rules had been secretly changed. The Stipulators weren’t exactly known for their openness and honesty.
No one else had seemed to notice the strangeness of the Stipulator’s comment. But Lincoln had. And although the Stipulator had mentioned teaming up together, he hadn’t actually said a team would win.
Arta was Lincoln’s priority. He had to focus on her. And if saving her meant claiming victory above all others – above even his teammates – he would do it.
But the thought that Rune had a sister that he loved every bit as much made Lincoln feel physically sick. Because the others might plan to help Rune’s family but the simple truth was – he didn’t.
He knew that his mother had registered their births. He knew that their family was counted in the system somewhere. If he won and the Stipulators found out he was lying and trying to get help for other people – he couldn’t even begin to think of the consequences.
He couldn’t take that risk. He couldn’t jeopardize the help he needed for his sister.
No matter how badly he felt for Rune’s family.
A flock of wide-winged black-and-white birds flew over their heads towards the sunset. They moved in perfect synchronization, rising and falling on the wind currents.
Kronar gagged on the thick sludge of rations he was eating, throwing it to the ground. They knew they needed strength. They knew they needed energy. But the ration packs were disgusting.
Storm stood up and stretched her back again – she was always doing that. “You know – I bet there are things here we could eat instead of that stuff.”
The others looked around. “Like what?”
She shrugged. “Don’t you remember from school? I didn’t pay that much attention, but they said that years ago we used to eat things that grew on trees and bushes. Fruits. Is Piloria really that different from Earthasia?”
Lincoln gave a little laugh. “Well, apart from the man-eating dinosaurs and space as far as the eye can see, not much.”
She stared at the thicket of trees next to them and reached down into her boot for her knife. “Give me a minute.”
Lincoln stood up. “What are you doing?”
She waved her arm. “Relax. Let me see what I can find.”
She disappeared into the trees and his heart gave a little lurch. He didn’t like it. It was only a small thicket but something could still be lurking inside. There was so much about this continent that they didn’t know.
“I’m not sure about her,” mumbled Leif, his eyes fixed on the trees.
“Why?” It seemed an odd thing to say.
Leif turned towards him. “It’s almost like she’s been here before. She’s too comfortable. She swims with plesiosaurs back home. Who does that? And what about her eyes? What if she is related to Reban Don? He could’ve sent her here to spy on us all.”
For a reason he couldn’t explain, Lincoln was automatically defensive.
“That’s ridiculous.” He lowered his voice. “Storm doesn’t have any relatives. All of her family are dead.”
The sun was lowering in the sky, leaving only a few purple rays, but he could still see the two faces next to him. Leif’s eyes narrowed. “Are they?”
The implication was there. It could be completely misplaced. But even Lincoln had to agree that there was something odd about Reban Don’s interest in Storm. He gave an uneasy shrug. “Maybe he’s a long-lost cousin, or an uncle? Or maybe her mother had the same violet eyes.”
He could tell from the look on their faces that they didn’t believe it.
He shook his head. He couldn’t help the strange protective feeling he had towards Storm. He didn’t want anyone to upset her. Beneath the strong exterior he was beginning to see just how fragile she really was. “Don’t say anything. Not now.”
Kronar’s voice cut through the darkness. “She was scared. She was petrified when we were up that tree. I could see it in her eyes – just like she could see it in mine. Believe me – she doesn’t love velociraptors. And she was as surprised as I was by their intelligence. She doesn’t have any more idea about this place than you or I have.”
It was almost a relief. Someone else who seemed to be in her corner.
Storm emerged from the trees. Both hands were full. She kneeled down next to them and let her prizes fall to the ground.
They all leaned forward. Lincoln picked something up. “What is this?”
“I don’t know. But it looks like we could eat it.” She seemed pleased with herself.
Everything looked odd. Dark, lumpy, clustered little fruits. Large round orange ones. Green things with speckles on them. Red things with tiny hairs.
Leif looked suspicious. “How do we know we won’t get poisoned? These things could kill us.”
Storm pointed to the bottom of one of the bushes where a small brown creature with long whiskers was snuffling around. “They could. But that little creature seems to have eaten them – and it’s not dead. So, why can’t we?” She smiled and picked up one of the black lumpy fruits and stuck it in her mouth.
Almost instantly her eyes widened. “Wow, this is so sweet – and tart at the same time. It’s great. Like nothing I’ve ever tasted before.”
Kronar looked at his discarded ration pack then back to the pile of fruits. He picked up one of the red ones and nibbled at the side. A tiny bit of juice dribbled down his chin. “Okay, not sure about the hairs, but the rest tastes good.” He shoved the whole thing in his mouth.
Lincoln frowned and picked up the largest orange fruit. He smelled it. There was a definite odour, but it was pleasing, almost enticing. He tried to bite into it, but it was hard and the skin difficult to get thro
ugh. He choked a little. “Give me your knife.”
Storm handed it over. She was still eating the black fruits. “These are much better than the ration packs.”
Lincoln sliced into the round orange fruit. Juice spurted everywhere. “Wow. Look at this. The outside is hard but the inside is soft. Maybe we can eat that part?” He dug in a little further with the knife, pulling out some flesh. The first taste made his cheeks draw together. The cornup rations back on Earthasia were so bland. This was entirely different. Every mouthful exploded on his tongue. “You need to try this, it’s amazing.”
Kronar gave a little cough, then a laugh. They all turned towards him. He shook his head. “Okay, so that little bit at the top of the red ones? Yeah, don’t eat that.”
Leif was still looking suspicious. He took the knife and cut into the green thing. It was odd. “This seems hard in the middle,” he said. The green surface split open revealing something brown and shiny. He held it up. “Can we eat this?”
Kronar stared at it. “Who knows? Give it a try.”
Leif was cautious. He gave the brown thing a little lick. “It doesn’t really taste of anything.” He tried to nibble at the edges, then finally popped the full thing into his mouth.
It didn’t take him long to change his mind. He spat the chewed thing back out. “Yuck! Give me some water. That’s disgusting.”
Storm held out some of the black fruits. “Okay, so three out of four isn’t bad. Try these instead. I think they’re addictive. I might go back and find some more.” She glanced towards the bushes and trees. “There was some cornup in there too.”
Lincoln was surprised. “There was cornup and you brought us these instead?”
She met his gaze. “We know what cornup tastes like – nothing really. I wanted to try something else.”
Leif was smiling now. “So if they have fruits like these on Piloria, how come we ended up with cornup? These are much more delicious.”
Storm shook her head. “Who knows? Maybe they take too long to grow. Or maybe they won’t grow on Earthasia. It is much warmer here.” She paused and stared at the fruits again. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
Lincoln had grabbed back the knife and cut the middle out of the orange fruit. “What?”
“That people could live here. People could live off the land. You could walk out every day and find something to eat around you.”
Everyone seemed to stop chewing. Leif narrowed his gaze again. “You are joking, right? Who would want to stay here? Some fools might have dreams about living on Piloria – but I know the truth. I’ve only been here for two days, but I’ve already seen my friend die a horrible death and had to run for my own life. I’m happy to stay on Earthasia.”
The sun had disappeared completely now and the only light was from a few distant stars. Lincoln looked around and felt his breath catch in his throat. Although it was dark, he could see across the landscape for thousands and thousands of sectars. Trees, bushes, hills and mountains in the far distance. This was a terrain he’d never encountered before.
“What happens when we take the dinosaur DNA back?” Storm asked. “What happens if all their plans work? They make something that will kill the dangerous dinosaurs and come back and use it. There’s a reason for all this. They’re trying to give us somewhere else to live. Can you imagine living in a place like this?” There was wonder in her voice. Amazement. And it made Lincoln cringe. He couldn’t even contemplate staying here. Home was a small damp red cave that he hoped to get his sister out of. But he didn’t want to get her off the continent.
Lincoln tried to sound reasonable – even though he wasn’t feeling it. “I think, ultimately, there will be a choice. Once they know Piloria is safe, people will have the option to choose to stay on Earthasia, or to come and start a new life here.” He held out his hands. “It could be that some families will be caught up in the idea of having more space.”
Kronar answered quickly. “Fools. What about that thing in the lake? Who’s going to deal with that? Why aren’t they just killing all of the dinosaurs? Doesn’t that make more sense?”
Storm leaned forward. Her eyes were bright. “Maybe they don’t know about that yet? Maybe we’ll be the people to tell them? But we don’t need to kill everything. Some of the dinosaurs eat plants. They won’t harm us.”
Lincoln rolled his eyes. “Kronar has a point. We thought we saw a diplodocus the other day. We know they won’t intentionally do us harm. But do I want to live near a creature that could trample me and my house with one swing of its tail? Of course I don’t.”
Storm wasn’t finished. “But think how big this continent must be. There may be parts of it where there are no dinosaurs at all. Maybe they only live near the ocean or the lakes. It’s hot here. They must need water. Maybe there are areas where humans could live safely?”
Kronar made a strangled kind of noise. “I think you’re crazy. Wasn’t a velociraptor trying to kill you enough? Wasn’t seeing Rune die enough?” He held up his water container. “And what about us? Don’t we need water too? How could we survive without it?” The more he spoke, the louder his voice became. Lincoln instantly looked around. He hadn’t seen a single creature when they’d made camp here apart from the brown whiskery thing, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any others around.
“Sshh. Keep your voice down.”
“In case I attract friendly dinosaurs?” Kronar’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Storm sighed. “I get what you mean. But parts of this place could be good. I love the space. I love how green it is. I love the fact that I can see life here. I love the fact I can pick something off a tree and eat it. Everything back home is just so…so grey.”
Lincoln knew exactly what she meant. Although nearly every part of Earthasia was built on, in comparison to Piloria it felt almost flat. Flat from lack of energy, lack of life. The cave he lived in was damp and oppressive. How must it feel to live in a tiny room at a Shelter?
Kronar was looking around too. “But what if they could destroy them all?” he persisted. “That could work. Piloria with no dinosaurs at all might be an interesting kind of place.” From the tone of his voice it was clear he was really contemplating this now. Thinking it might actually be a good idea.
Storm got there first. “What gives us the right to do that? This is as much their planet as it is ours.”
Leif cut in, “But you don’t seem to mind the thought of killing the really ferocious ones. That’s acceptable. So why not kill them all? That way there’ll be lots of space for us.”
Silence.
The only noise was the rustling leaves on the trees.
Storm was right – how could they justify wiping out all those species? It really was unthinkable. But maybe that was exactly what the Stipulators were contemplating. The more the thought tumbled around in Lincoln’s mind, the more likely it seemed. Why stop at the T-rexes, raptors and pterosaurs? This continent was rich with plant life. Rich with food. It was exactly what they needed.
Storm walked quietly towards her bed mat. “I couldn’t be part of that. Not ever.” There was a determined edge to her voice.
Another tense silence. Lincoln forced himself to change the subject. He rolled out his mat. “Let’s get some sleep. If we start early we can hopefully reach the pterosaur cliffs before anyone else. If we’re lucky, we’ll get another egg.”
“That’s if Storm agrees to it. Maybe she’d prefer to be in her own team?” murmured Kronar. The implication was clear.
Storm shot him an angry glance. “I didn’t say I wanted to leave the team. I just questioned what we’re doing. I don’t want to kill all the dinosaurs.”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll get off this continent alive and never return,” said Leif quickly.
Lincoln didn’t reply. There was no point. Every one of them was tired. But at least this time they weren’t hungry.
He lay down on his mat and looked up at the stars. Were these the same stars he saw from
his home on Earthasia? Was it possible that Arta could be looking up at them too?
He closed his eyes quickly. All he could do was hope.
Storm’s night was restless. Her eyes kept flickering open and catching sight of the bright white stars up above.
Dell. When was the last time she’d thought about him? Guilt surrounded her. Was he missing her? Was he thinking about her at all? The truth was, her world was so small that Dell was probably the only person who had noticed she’d even gone.
The ground was uncomfortable beneath her body. She shifted again. How would Dell be with her when she got home? If she got home.
It was the strangest noise. And it was invading her dream.
Everything was warm. She wasn’t shivering the way she did back in her bed in the Shelter. The ground was a little uncomfortable underneath her, but at least she wasn’t cold. If only that darn snuffling noise would stop. There was another noise and the ground underneath her body gave a tiny shake.
A little warm rush of air hit her cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
And she stopped breathing.
The strangled squeal stuck in her throat.
Something was looking directly at her. Something grey and green.
She could feel its breath on her face. Her eyes struggled to focus. The large duckbill came closer. A tongue came out and it licked her. She winced at the feel and the slurping noise.
“Don’t move, Storm,” hissed a voice from the trees.
She couldn’t reply. This creature was huge. Remnants of last night’s conversation filtered through her brain. It could squish her with a foot, or its giant tail. Or it could just eat her.
The creature seemed curious. It nudged her. Then nudged her again with a little more force. She couldn’t help it. She moved, rolling sideways and straight onto her feet.
The creature reared up on its hind legs. It was like a giant lizard. A really giant lizard. It had a crest on its head and neural spines along its back.
It took another step and this time she really did feel the ground tremble beneath her feet. It was that big. It was that heavy.
