by Kyle Perkins
“They do it for the same reasons that humans like sports, or having a pet. When you are essentially immortal, life can be… a drag. You are their video game. Their pet project, but also their companions. For reasons that are beyond my comprehension, they see you as equals. That is why they never fight or kill any of you, or show themselves to any of you, except in rare cases.”
I take a seat on the floor, contemplating my next move. If what he says is right, then everything we’re here for, is wrong. We’re here to colonize and expand humankind into the stars, but if what he’s saying is true, then we are already across the stars… and we fail every time. We are the invaders, and these people have every right to want us gone. We would do the same if people landed on our planet and demanded we coexist with them, or just started shooting. Maybe this is our brick wall?
“So, you brought me here to show me all of this, but never explained why. How did you get here? What planet do you come from? Obviously, you made it past the brick wall. Why can’t we?” I ask.
“Mars. Ever hear the phrase, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover?’ Though I may look human, I am not. I am very old tech that the spriggans took and improved upon. I am an android, Orrin.”
“An android… They outlawed those thousands of years ago, due to their unpredictability. The androids were the ancient starting point for our latest tech. From our suits, to our floating codices. It’s incredible that you’re able to do all of this. E-7 would have a field day analyzing you.”
“Well, they have had a few thousand years to tinker.”
“So, why do the spriggans live here and not everywhere? Why are they in our mythology?”
“The spriggans have shown themselves from time to time, and visit many of the far-off colonies to note their progress. They live here because this is the original. This is where it all began. The species of human here, are actually the first, believe it or not,” he says.
“…and your job in all this?”
“I keep the planet operational. If you can’t tell by now, this isn’t a planet, but instead, a very large machine. An engine. Everything found on this world has its purpose and place. The spriggans have created a utopia for themselves and the people here. I am, essentially, their CPU.”
“Why would they let me down here? What if I were to destroy you?”
“You couldn’t destroy me. I learned how to fight from men that are so far beyond what you’re capable of that it would hurt your feelings. Men that fought with very little tech, against an empire. Plus, the spriggans know you. They seem to think highly of you, and that’s why I was tasked with showing you all of this. They felt a familiar face would make what has to happen easier for you to digest,” he says.
“…and what has to happen?” I ask.
“That, you already know the answer to. Refer back to your secondary objective,” he says, pointing up to a new screen.
I can feel knots in my stomach as the hazy realization of why I’m here creeps into my mind. The new screen shows a pond, a serene setting surrounded by the familiar forests of Redisia.
“This is where you must take Aya. Technology can only get you so far, but the spriggans prefer a different approach. Their fail safes do not only lie in the stars. Some are right here, in the form of people and things.” He smiles.
“Once she is as this lake? Then what?”
“She is in possession of a stone. A powerful stone that the spriggans have entrusted her with. Like the plants reacted to her on the walls, this lake will have a very special effect on Aya if she consumes it while holding that stone. She will need your help, Orrin. It will go against everything you have been sent to do, but you have to help her,” he says.
“And if I refuse, then what? You just said that the spriggans will never harm humans. We could annihilate everyone on this planet and call it home,” I bluff.
“Then the spriggans would simply leave, to another hospitable planet and begin again, leaving you all beating your head against the brick wall. Look inside yourself, in your heart, and you’ll see what the right call is.”
“Say I do help her, and she drinks the water. Then what? What happens to my people?” I ask.
“She will need a lot more help than just drinking the water. She will need you more than you can possibly imagine,” he says as he moves towards me. “It’s time to go, Orrin.”
“Again, what about my people?” I ask, but get no response.
“Tick tock, Orrin,” he says as he ushers me back through the golden doors.
I turn around before he can close them. “Can I at least have your name?”
“Lucian,” he says as the doors slam and seal in front of my face.
Chapter 12
Aya
I hear his footsteps before I see him. Orrin makes his way towards me on a mission. I don’t know him very well, but I can tell he has something to say.
“Hey,” he says through clenched teeth.
“Hi. Did you find anything?” His purpose for venturing deep into the unexplored cave meant something to him. I can only hope that he found what he was looking for.
“Yeah. I found something,” he says quickly. “Are you feeling better?”
I lean back against the glowing plants, watching as the power within them begins to expand around me. Having spent the time that he was gone playing with the active strands, I have learned to control their reaction to me. There is no reason for it, but I like it.
“I am fine, thank you,” I say as I stand to my full height – which is significantly shorter than Orrin’s. “What did you find?”
His head shakes as he motions for me to step in front of him. He has obviously found something and I know that when he is ready to talk, he will.
His hand lands on my lower back as I rush past him to continue towards the surface. The air cools as we quietly make our way through the illuminating cave, but his touch is branding my skin. The words that I have chosen to use to convince him to talk about what he found are caught in my throat. The only thing that I can think about is his hand.
What is wrong with me? I can’t help but question myself as I take faster steps towards the surface, trying to distance myself from Orrin. Not only have I lost my train of thought, but I notice the color of the plants change with his touch. The light blue color that I have grown accustomed to brightens to an electric indigo color as he moves closer to me; the same color that triggered the opening of the door to the pathway that we are retreating from.
Before I can say anything, he lets go of me, only to replace his hand. He repeats the assault unintentionally as we move along.
“I notice it, too,” he whispers from behind me.
Still unable to speak with his hand on my back, I can only nod.
We make our way through the stone doorway that is inviting us into the expanded room, followed by illuminated strands. Orrin turns to watch the door slam closed behind us as the room begins to shift, opening another door for us to leave.
“Are you going to tell me what you found?” I finally ask, turning to him. I am starting to fear that as soon as we find the cave opening he will leave me. I am not ready for that.
“Aya, there are things happening all around you that I want to believe you can handle, but I don’t think you’re ready for the truth.” He stares at me with raised eyebrows.
I got him here and I followed the requests of my mother. I helped him. I showed him the way, I trusted him with my whole heart and this is what I get? Why am I so naïve? I believed that he would help me, help him. Instead he thinks secrets are the safest way to protect me; that I can’t handle it.
Turning on my heels, I want to be alone but he follows close behind. There is no reason for me to stick around and wait for him to talk. He wants me to help him, yet he won’t help me. What did I expect? He doesn’t even know me.
Without saying a word to him, he reads my mind, “Tell me about you, Aya. What is it about you that makes you different?”
I guess that this
is what I wanted all along, isn’t it? I want someone to ask me what I think instead of demanding anything of me. I want him to get to know me, to understand my home. Maybe it will help him understand why I need him.
“I don’t think there is anything different about me. Our people thrive on the beauty of the land,” I reach for the plants on the wall of the cave as he slows his steps with me. “This is not normal, right? I have been in this cave other times, Orrin. This has never happened. I have seen the beauty of what the world has to offer, and I have seen it change.”
He watches me as I make circular patterns against the wall. The plants begin to swirl, creating a glowing ball of light illuminating the small passageway through the cave. “There is nothing more to these living things than the colors that they provide based on the respect that is given them. They speak to me. I don’t know why, but I am not going to fear their voice.”
He looks like he understands what I am saying, so I continue, “Not only do we have illuminous plants, but we have protection, as well. We have learned to appreciate what the land has to offer rather than change or manipulate it, much to how I wish our people treated each other,” I finish that sentence under my breath.
I want for a life that is free from control and manipulation and I don’t believe he will understand that.
With a heavy sigh, I start walking towards the opening of the cave. I guess it doesn’t really matter if he leaves or not, I am only one person. Although I am different from everyone else, I am by no means special. I want for more from what I am offered. Some would call it greed; I believe it is freedom.
The reddened glow of the sky is in view when I am pulled to a stop. I turn to Orrin, only to see his eyes scanning the area that we are heading. His eye twitches as he waits for whatever it is that he sees.
“What are—” Before I can finish my sentence, he raises his hand to my mouth, quieting me.
“Shhhh.” He pulls his other hand to his, signaling me to stay quiet. I don’t hear anything as I close my eyes. Any focus is lost on his hand against my lips.
I try to pay attention, try to do what he wants, but before I have a chance to let him act, I hear the guards. Two of them were at the cell gate when I walked in. I had kind of hoped that they would go away after I willingly marched in here, but I suppose not. The only difference is the muffled way their cries for help are being heard.
“Those guys aren’t going anywhere. Definitely shouldn’t have fucked with me.” He lifts his brow in the direction of the moans. “Come on.”
I follow; less because he told me to, more because he grabbed my hand. He really has to stop doing that if I am supposed to concentrate. Between the change of colors around me and the need to control my reaction, I find it impossible to use my much-needed instincts when he is around. He confuses me when I need to focus.
My concern is for the guards. If they are hurt, they must have deserved it. What I don’t expect as we make our way through the threshold of the cave is to find both of them naked; bound with their own clothes. I can sense their anger as we step over them, but I am compelled to follow Orrin rather than stop to help them. I did request for them to leave me alone, had they listened they wouldn’t be in this predicament. Karma – I believe that is the correct word.
Orrin stops as soon as we hit the light of the star. “The lake. Where do we find it?”
Wondering why there is a sudden interest in the water of the meadow, I am hesitant in giving directions. He has an obvious plan and I am left with nothing more than to try to understand his requests. Maybe he needs to understand our people more. Every time that I think he understands our ways and the sanctuary that we have, something changes.
“Walk with me,” I say as I lead him from the cave, along the pathway towards the meadow. It isn’t the most direct way, being that I have to avoid my people and their obvious distaste for me right now. It really is a shame that they aren’t willing to give Orrin a chance. Maybe his people aren’t as bad as the Elite believe them to be.
“You asked about me in the cave and I told you about my people. Do you still want to know about me?” I look him in the eyes to make sure he is truly interested. I guess he is someone that I could vent to without fear of hearing about it for the rest of my life.
What if he thinks I am foolish, too? What if he tells me that I am being childish and only thinking of myself and not the good of our people?
“There is something about you; something that makes you different from everyone else that I have been in contact with on this planet. If we are going to work together, I want to make damn sure that I’m not going to be fucked over by you or the rest of them,” his words are stern but lack the aggression that Garret possesses when talking to me. It is refreshing.
“Then I will tell you about me.” I don’t know why he seems so easy to talk to but I decide I am taking this chance on him. If I need to trust him, he needs to trust me.
“As you have noticed, we are simple people. We don’t have, nor do we need all of the technology that you have. You use your helmet to see and sense what is around you; I can feel it. Your suit protects you from danger; my knowledge of the surroundings is my protection. You have a plan for your future; I am forced to be someone that I am not.” I don’t know why I said that, but it had to be said. If I am to help him, maybe he can help me. “My father is an Elite to the Vaklarn people. He came into power of the tribe when I was little. My mother passed on shortly after the induction. I don’t remember much of her, other than her voice and her love for the meadow. She would take me there as a child. She would tell me stories of the past and the magic hidden within the soil. After she passed, I was ordered to stay away from the meadow for it was too dangerous of a place.”
“Any idea what is so dangerous about a meadow? Anything in particular?” He questions me as if I am supposed to have answers that I don’t.
“No, there has never been a threat to me or our people, until you landed on the far side of the mountains,” I continue to tell him about the change in the wildlife and the beasts, our wounded men and the attack on the neighbor tribes. All of this occurred after he arrived. My stare follows the path of the dirt and rocks as I tell him what I have seen and what I know as truth.
Words are flowing from me so fast, that I take a minute to stop and ask him if he understands any of it, “Am I confusing you?”
Tilting his head to the side, he looks genuinely interested in what I have to say, “I got it. Sounds something like what Earth used to be, before shit happened. Please, go on.”
There isn’t much more to tell. I find myself rambling about our choice in foods, hunting and living quarters. Before I can mention all the not-so-great things about our world – including the forced marriages, mating agreements, and flaws in the natural selection - Orrin grabs me by the arm and pulls me towards him.
He motions me to be quiet, only fueling me to want to tell him, “Don’t tell me to be quiet. What I haven’t told you is there are things that I will be forced to do that I am not willing or accepting; I am fighting for my freedom every day and with every breath.” The look of annoyance in his eyes is obvious, but I’m not finished talking. He still tries to quiet me down without saying a word.
We move off the path. “If you think for even a second that I’m going to take orders from anyone—”
I can’t finish the sentence before he has me backed up against a tree, his body pinning me to the bark. I want to tell him everything. He needs to know what he is dealing with. I can’t think with him this close. I can feel his breath against my cheek; his yellow eyes piercing mine. I feel like he needs to know what I am up against. “I belong to—”
He leans in closer. “Do you ever shut up?”
Flipping up his helmet, his lips gently brush mine. My eyes narrow as he closes the gap between us. I have nowhere to go and nothing matters anymore.
I reach for his suit, holding it tight while pulling him closer. I want for him. I shouldn’t want this; I shoul
dn’t be weak to temptation, but for the first time in my entire existence, I feel… alive. He made me feel this; I let him in, gave him access to my heart and now I am hoping that he won’t destroy it. Orrin is unlike any man that I had ever met. I knew there was something about him in the cave, but right now, this moment is the breaking point for my resolve. There is no way for him to take this back and I am refusing to let it go. My whole body hums, igniting a fire that burns through my veins.
As his lips slow, my body senses the separation before he moves away. The warmth of his body is replaced by the cooler breeze brushing through the trees. Only then do I hear the retreating footsteps. Someone was here and I have no idea who it was or where they came from.
I look into his eyes and everything that I thought I knew before that kiss, was a lie.
His hand wraps into my hair, forcing my head to tilt towards him as he begins to back away while replacing his helmet. “I shouldn’t have done that, but I had to. We had visitors and you weren’t paying attention for shit. I tried to get your attention without alerting them, but you...”
My mind is reeling and here he stands in front of me, telling me that he had to shut me up. I guess it worked, at my expense. Not wanting him to see the emotions that are beginning to force themselves from the depths of my soul, I try to turn from him, to continue on our path to the lake. I will take him there and I will leave him. My mother asked me to trust him, to help him; she never said anything about falling for him.
Orrin yanks me back to him, holding me against his chest.
“I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t stop myself,” he says, before he raises his helmet and kisses me again. I hear no threat, no movement, nothing other than our racing hearts and shallow breaths.
The sudden burst of heat from the stone in my pocket is apparent, even to Orrin. He looks down to my dress, seeing the glowing in my pocket.
