by J. A. Marlow
"It's a given. We've tried negotiating all night with no success." He escorted her back into the building. "We'll open her up and the Rangers will go inside. You'll come in later with a full escort to shut down the systems. Acceptable?"
"Acceptable," Mary responded.
As he hadn't mentioned Kate she assumed they didn't know anything further. The activity would keep her mind off of it. The rush of excitement felt good but scary.
She followed him down to the spaceport offices and as far as the guarded main doors leading out to the tarmac. The freighter loomed nearby, reminding her of the old days when she'd worked with Grandpa in the main offices. Days she missed fiercely.
Ranger Tottori approached the main airlock with three others. But instead of a stand-off, the Rangers faced a stampede. All the airlock doors popped open at the same time. Out of them poured people of all ages and gender with backpacks and bundles in their arms. All running as fast as they could away from the city and towards the forest.
Mary stayed inside the main doors watching with amazement. The Rangers, completely overwhelmed, did their best to stop some of them, but otherwise got out of the way. No weapons among the illegals, as far as she could tell. One small blessing.
She shivered as she watched the crowds of people running towards the wall of trees surrounding Oburos City. She didn't like the trees, but today something seemed... off. The forest appeared even more unwelcoming than usual, more dangerous.
She realized a Ranger was gesturing at her. She hurried out the main doors. With a full escort she made her way inside.
The ship was in a sorry state. Debris covered the floors, curtains made of blankets hung from the ceiling. As she moved deeper inside the air grew stuffy. How many people had been crammed on board?
Enough that they'd had several minor life support failures on their journey, she found out after perusing through the ship systems. She started shutting down the unneeded systems. With the help of the internal security system, she guided the Rangers to several rooms where people still lingered. As the Rangers cleared the ship she shut down the sections.
The process took time, but she used the time to familiarize herself with systems she hadn't used in years.
It felt good to use the skills. Maybe she could take Kate with her on a freighter run? Show her the other side of the business. She was, after all, the sole heir of the family stock.
Her heart hurt. So many things she needed to show and teach Kate. She wouldn't waste future opportunities.
With the ship finally cleared, she started the last of the process. Engines, generators, life-support. All shut down in by-the-manual sequence to ensure the ship would have no trouble starting up when the time came.
The main lighting shut down. She pulled a keycard out of the console in front of the captain's chair and handed it to Ranger Tottori. "Finished. Codes are changed, which only you now have. No way will they be able to launch again."
"Not that many of them are left to try," Ranger Tottori said grimly as he pocketed the keycard. He turned away too fast for her to ask what he meant. But she found out the moment she stepped back outside.
The sun hovered over the horizon, about to dip below. Rangers and people from the city moved among unmoving dark shapes on the ground near the hangars. From their rough clothing she recognized people from the ship standing inside one of the nearby hangers with Rangers guarding them.
As she made her way back to the spaceport she realized what the shapes were. Covered bodies.
She stopped, looking out over the tarmac. Her mind froze. What had happened? The Rangers didn't use lethal weapons. Their permission to stay on the planet forbid it.
One of the Rangers saw her. He straightened up from the body he was covering, quickly walking to her. He gently pushed her towards the spaceport.
Mary averted her eyes, staring straight ahead and focusing on the spaceport main doors. "What happened?"
"We don't know. The trees of the forest went crazy for a while."
"The trees attacked?"
"Yes ma'am. Strangest and most terrifying thing I've ever seen. Attacked and threw them back. Our hospital is full of the survivors. We've been recovering those that didn't ever since. Go on in. Thank you for your help today. Ranger Tottori will be in contact if he needs further assistance with the freighter."
Mary stopped inside the spaceport, her mind whirling. The trees attacked? Why? She'd never heard of them doing that before.
She rushed to the communications department. It took a while before one of the controllers could get to her, as the inter-planetary calls were non-stop. But she had the news she expected, but didn't want to hear.
No word from her mother or Kate.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kate tried hard not to laugh when the seed-pot hit Ayden square on the top of the head. Really, she did, but it leaked out anyway.
Ayden glared at her. "It's not funny."
She cleared her face, trying hard to suppress the laughing, shaking her head. "Nope, not funny."
Kate heard a small twig from a nearby tree whip through the air. Without having to look up, the frantic squeals and chitters of their tree-top attackers told her the twig found its targets. Her fingers tightened on the hollow nut Bunbun had fallen asleep inside. He still refused to wake up, but he looked comfortable.
She protected the nut from another barrage, hurrying away from the area behind Ayden. "You're just testy because you didn't sleep well last night."
"No, I'm testy because you made me sick. Want me to carry Bunbun for a while?"
"Bunbun is fine. And I did not make you sick."
Ayden's reply was lost as another surge of emotion went through the trees around them. Bunbun twitched in his sleep, giving a muffled chirp.
Anger, despair. Tinged with horror.
Why would any of the trees feel horror?
An image of darkness. Another of hope along with a vivid image of a forest of colors and vibrancy she'd never seen outside of her dreams. The hope faded back into despair, and the image of the forest faded.
She'd seen the forest before, the previous night as they slept near the Phoenix Elm. Why was she seeing and dreaming about forest she'd never seen? All she could think was that she was echoing the trees around her.
She didn't say anything to Ayden. She didn't trust her head, and if she didn't why should he? At least, she tried to tell herself it was all in her head.
A group of trees shivered with fierce anger and hatred as they walked by. Some of them purposely put themselves in their paths, forcing them to find a way around. Roots popped up out of the ground to trip them.
"It's as if they don't want us to get to the camp," Ayden complained as he helped her climb over a log.
"Maybe they are?" Kate said, the fury of a small bush nearby triggering a picture in her head of a large tree with a large red mark on the trunk. She squeezed his hand as she slid down the other side of the trunk to join him. "They did protect us from the bottle of pain pills."
"This means we won't have a chance at getting to the camp tonight."
She didn't voice her concern over that. The emotions and images were growing stronger the closer they got to camp. The next group of trees they passed allowed them passage unmolested, but further down the trail the emotions once again overwhelmed the forest.
Kate grabbed Ayden's coat when she saw a thick limb reaching down towards them. The limb stopped and quivered, as if deciding what to do, and then slowly retracted. Ayden continued walking, as if unaware. Sometimes she thought he forgot that only her cape kept the trees from attacking them.
Another night in the forest? She didn't like that thought.
Besides everything going on in the forest, she knew her mother must be frantic. While she knew she needed to stay in the forest long enough to find another Watcher, or someone who could help, she longed to hear her mother's voice. And to warn her from the scumbag known as Uncle Travis.
Plus, she needed to find Grandm
a. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel like Grandma died the night Diasis took her place. She was alive out there somewhere, and Kate had to figure out how to find her.
As Ayden predicted, night came before they could get to the Gatherer camp. They frantically searched for a trailing willow, finding one far too near a stand of Memory trees for Kate's liking. A cold dinner consisted of a few things they'd gathered along the way. The fog came down off the mountains faster and thicker than ever before.
"It's because we're so much closer to the mountains now. We'll have to expect this much fog now," Ayden said as way of an explanation. He handed out the blankets, quickly making himself comfortable.
Kate unfolded the blanket, letting it drift down over her legs. "How far is the camp now?"
"We'll be there early tomorrow morning."
The thought cheered Kate considerably. Not much more hiking before she could finish at least some of what she needed to do.
When she finally drifted into a troubled sleep her dreams filled with Grandma and her orchard, the forest and the image of the last time she'd seen the Watcher. Flashes of a different forest, much brighter than the one they'd been traveling through, interspersed the memories.
And emotions. So many negative emotions.
Kate's eyes opened to the early light of dawn. The fog retreated quickly. By the time she folded the blanket and put on her shoes it was gone.
She pushed at Ayden to wake him up. "Come on. The forest is waiting. Can you hear the rustling?"
Ayden crawled out from the hollow he'd slept in. "You don't say."
"We should travel while they aren't angry. It's a nice change from them wanting to beat us up." She looked up at the canopy, paused in the action of putting the blanket in the backpack, "They're watching. And waiting."
Ayden pushed himself up and narrowed his eyes at her. "You can tell all that?"
Kate cocked her head. Small vibrations moved through the trees around them, but some were definitely from trees further away. The whole forest sat tense, just waiting. But waiting for what?
"Can't you feel it?" She stepped out from under the protection of the trailing willow. No fog in sight, but also no bunts, tree lemurs, birds, or anything else. "The trees aren't viewing interlopers well right now, but they seem to be waiting for something. We should take advantage of it."
"You're more of an interloper than I am."
"But the forest isn't thinking that way right now. Can we eat while walking?"
Ayden groaned as he stretched. "I told you we'll be there this morning. You don't have to kill me in the process of getting there."
Kate rolled her eyes. "I did not make you sick."
"Yes, you did. At least I'm doing better this morning." He balled up the blanket and stuffed it in the backpack. "Are you alright?"
"Sure. Why?"
"You seem different this morning. Definitely more cheerful. That should tip me off something is wrong right there."
Kate scowled at him. She grabbed Bunbun as he raced by her feet. "Look, even Bunbun is feeling better today. Come on, walk it off."
Kate waited for him outside the Trailing Willow. She glanced in the direction of the mountains, knowing what direction they lay even without seeing them.
She knew something else this morning: She needed to not only get to the mountains, but also to the other side. She scowled at a nearby tree. Great, strong feelings, but no reason of 'why' behind them. Just the urge, pushing at her constantly.
But beyond the foothills lay the territory forbidden to the humans. Would the trees who had helped and saved them so many times turn around and attack her when she crossed that invisible line?
"Fine, let's go," Ayden said as he pushed past the leaves of the Trailing Willow. "Time to get answers."
He set off at a slower pace that gradually quickened as they traveled. She recognized a bush with edible berries and grabbed a few as they passed without him having to show her.
She smiled. She was finally learning more about the forest and how to survive in it. The thought gave her a welcomed sense of satisfaction and security.
A limb reached down and swatted at Ayden. He ducked to the side. Kate ducked with him, grabbing the edge of the coat. The limb shivered in the air, but did not recoil.
The hatred from the tree who had attacked buffeted her mind. "Something is really wrong here."
"I would say so. Bunbun is at the bottom of my shirt, shivering." He grabbed her hand and inched by, just out of reach. "Can you discern a safe way to travel?"
She studied the surrounding trees and shook her head. "They're all the same. Furious isn't enough of a word. Not even hatred is. They want to attack."
"I hope they hold off. We're almost there."
"I hope they haven't attacked the camp."
Ayden came to a complete halt and turned an expression of horror to her, "Don't give me thoughts like that."
"Someone had to voice it," she said in a small voice.
Ayden took a deep breath before continuing. Images of trees filled Kate's head, making it hard to concentrate on where she placed her feet.
Emerging out into a wide clearing came as a shock. Squinting, she stopped, momentarily blinded.
As her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight her eyes widened. Fallen trees filled the clearing, but they lay over each other. The trunks around the clearing told her it wasn't a natural clearing. The edges of the stumps looked just like when Ayden used his axe to chop down the tree.
Kate turned to Ayden. He stared at the clearing in horror, his eyes wide. He swallowed hard. "This is against the rules."
"I thought there were trees we're not supposed to touch. Every tree in this area has been cut," Kate said. The trees around the clearing buzzed with anger. Anger, fury, and hatred mixed with fear. All in a strength that vibrated against the insides of her head.
"We're not. This isn't the way to gather!" Ayden took a bold step forward and then faltered. "Who could have done this?"
Her eyes darted to the shadows, expecting them to start moving. But no, how could a Shadow Creature accomplish this level of destruction? Could they even use human tools such as the laser-axes?
"I don't see any bunts," Kate said quietly. "In fact, there aren't any animals around here."
"Stay close," Ayden said as he advanced along the edges of the clearing.
She recognized a Trailing Willow that had been enormous. It lay on its side, partially buried under another tree, its protective leaves brown and crumbling.
Ayden stopped and gasped. Kate stopped next to him.
Folds of light brown bark covered the trunk. Even laying down it towered over her. Once, it had been a colossal tree but now it lay silent, the bark starting to turn shades of gray. A bright mark of red on the trunk was fading, going gray almost as she watched it. From where it had been severed from the stump a thick dark brown substance oozed out.
And Kate felt it. The trees around the clearing sighing in sadness. The bouts of anger. Not one of the branches of any of the trees around the clearing were upright.
They were in mourning.
And she knew. The waves of movement and emotion moving through the forest was connected to this spot. Perhaps even to this tree. The realization made her shiver in dread.
"Ayden, this tree almost looks like it's bleeding."
"This is one of them," Ayden whispered. "This is one of the trees we don't touch, much less cut down. On pain of death. The Watcher said anyone who did so would never come out of the forest alive."
Kate took an involuntary step back. "Then who did this? I mean, if the Gatherers know better?"
Ayden didn't answer. His chin tensed. He turned and started walking around the trees. Kate hurried to keep up with him, worried at how the trees above them quivered. As if waiting for the right moment to whack him. Or even nail her.
As they passed around the top of one of the dead trees, one of the upper limbs of a nearby tree tenses and wiggled. Kate pushed her way clo
ser to Ayden, reaching out to grab the back of his backpack.
She lost her hold while trying to pick her way through a tangle of dead branches. She reached out to catch herself before falling but snatched her hand back when she came in contact with a trunk. She didn't like touching the dead trees. It felt so wrong.
A shadow moved over her. Kate looked up, having the impression a large body with pincers flying at her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"Look out!" Ayden shouted
He turned back to her and pushed her off the log she was trying to climb over.
As he did the log shifted and moved. Kate landed hard on the ground and found herself showered in dead leaves. The limbs and branches of the trees around the clearing came to life, swatting and moving towards the object, but they were too far away to touch it.
Kate's vision cleared. She rolled on her back, pushing the debris off her body. A black metallic body with four huge pincers on the bottom of the long rectangular body descended out of the sky. She scrambled out of the way, wanting as far from the thing as possible.
The pincers dug deep into the wood, lifting the tree up from the heap. It rose up above the trees around them, carrying it away.
"Does that belong to the Gatherers?" Kate asked.
"It's one of the logging robots. It helps us move trees safely through the forest when we're selectively cutting. But where are the operators? There should be someone here," Ayden said, looking frantically around the clearing.
"Wonderful, we found the Gatherer camp!"
"This is no Gatherer camp. This is a killing field!" Ayden bit out.
"If Gatherers did this, then it explains the trees reactions to you," Kate said as she picked herself up.
"No sane Gatherer would do this." He gave himself a shake and took off running. He shouted back at her, "Come on, before we lose sight of it!"
Kate ran after him, keeping her eyes on the trees around them. She worked hard to silence herself. She knew Ayden simply wanted to find out who did this, but the way he ran she feared for his safety.
She caught up to him on the far side of the clearing. She grabbed ahold of his shirt sleeve just as a wide bushy tree aimed at him. At her contact with him it relaxed, but she could see that it stood ready to attack the moment she let go.
