To The Stars

by Thomas Stone

  Kathleen looked over his shoulder. "It's beautiful."

  "The air's good, remarkably clean," commented Parker as he looked at the instruments.

  "It better be," Fagen grumbled under his breath as he proceeded to the engine compartment, "we may be here awhile." He returned moments later and announced that indeed, one of the hydraulic lines was leaking.

  "Fortunately, it's easy to repair. While I'm doing that, go on with your observations. When you deem it safe, we'll go outside."

  Relieved of the shuttle's mechanical problems, Harry felt a rush of adrenaline. Kathleen looked at Harry and smiled broadly. Her excitement fairly streamed from her.

  It was a momentous occasion and they all knew it, except for Fagen. He remained oddly detached, as if it had all happened before.

  Chapter 12

  Although the forests of Mia Culpa appeared serene, they teemed with life. Towering hundreds of feet into the air, the conifers created a green canopy that cast dark shadows even at the height of day. An occasional stray beam of light found its way down, illuminating paths made by the creatures who inhabited the sylvan environment.

  Arai, perching precariously upon a branch fifty feet in the air, scanned the forest floor, watching for movement. Below, a portion of ground rippled and shifted as if something bored beneath the surface. The motion drew Arai's attention.

  He cupped his hands around his mouth and clicked his tongue. The sound echoed through the still air. A moment later, the call was returned and the boy began his careful descent downward, feet, hands, and tail securely gripping the sides of the tree trunk. Before he reached bottom, he nimbly dropped to the forest floor and, as an animal might, he froze while he took a look around.

  The hair that grew from his head was tied behind his neck with a length of rawhide and he was dressed in a loincloth fashioned from pelts. Similarly, his feet were covered by moccasins made from a tough animal skin. A belt around his waist secured leather pouches which held the habiliments of the young hunter. In his hands he held a small spear and draped over his shoulder was a long sling­shot. Apart from the fine fur that covered his body and the long, prehensile tail, he could have been taken for an Earthling.

  A twig snapped and the boy disappeared behind a tree.

  Moments later, Kretin stepped around a beam of light. He looked toward the tree where the boy had hidden. Moving silently, he circled to the opposite side, then, with a shout, he jumped behind the tree. The boy wasn't there.

  Without warning, a net dropped from above. Caught, Kretin stumbled and fell to the ground. Clinging to the lower branches, Arai laughed at his older brother as he rolled on the ground in a wasted effort to disengage himself from the net.

  As Arai jumped to the ground he spotted a full grown lagomorph burrowing into a pile of pine needles not twenty yards away. He stifled his laughter and took out his sling. Never taking his eyes from the mark, he slipped a smooth rock into its pouch, and began to swing the slingshot over his head. The slingshot whizzed in its arc. Arai crouched and let fly with the rock. Its path was sure and it struck the creature with terrific force, dropping it without a whimper.

  Kretin, now untangled, tapped Arai on the arm. When the boy looked, Kretin looked past Arai as if something had caught his attention. Arai looked and Kretin sprang, tossing the net over his brother's head. Kretin ran to where the creature had fallen and lifted it by its long ears. Arai tossed off the net and began to chase his brother across the forest floor.

  Kretin had the disadvantage of carrying the lagomorph but still he outdistanced Arai. That is, until he carelessly rounded a tree and nearly walked into the gaping jaws of a giant worm.

  It had come to the surface in search of food and found Kretin. At such close range, the worm immediately picked up the young man's scent. It leaned in his direction, its jaw opening and closing in a sucking fashion. Kretin dropped the hare, jumped out of the way, and scrambled back against a nearby tree.

  At that moment, Arai came around the tree. With a yell, he charged the worm, driving his spear deep into the swaying body. Spewing spittle and hot air, the worm hissed in pain and recoiled. Arai hung onto the spear shaft and it pulled out. With the tip, Arai teased the worm, and it responded by coming after him.

  Backing up, he tripped and fell flat on his back. The spear fell from his hand and clattered against the tree trunk. There was nowhere to go: Arai's heart leapt to his throat and he gritted his teeth. He reached for the spear but it was just beyond his grasp. The worm bent down and rubbed its mouth against the boy's chest, scratching him with its giant mitochondrion tongue in an effort to discern what it was it was about to eat.

  Shrieking, Kretin rose from his place and launched himself through the air, landing on the back of the worm. The added weight caused it to bend all the way over onto the ground, in the process pinning Arai underneath. Kretin drove his spear into the side of the worm's head. It emitted a high-pitched squeal, then shuddered through a series of spasms, the last so violent it threw Kretin to one side. The beast reared up and knocked itself against the nearest tree trunk several times, managing to drive the spear even deeper. After a couple of minutes of thrashing, it toppled over, shuddered once more, and died.

  Relieved, the brothers made sure it was dead by pulling on the tendrils encircling its gaping mouth before they began to cut pieces out of it. They wrapped the meat in rolls of leaves and Arai retrieved the hare he'd dropped. Triumphantly, they marched back home.

  It was nearly dusk as they left the forest and began to climb. A short while later they reached their home.

  The large cave was lit by a central fire around which sat three women, an old man, an adolescent girl, and four small children ranging in age from one to five years. The children screamed with delight when they saw the hunters. They ran to them, pulling at the bundles they carried and marveling at the softness of the rabbit's pelt. The old man stood up, smiling. He spoke a Bedoran greeting and asked if the brothers had good hunting.

  Kretin flicked his tail in the affirmative. "Very good, Grandfather, too bad we got the worm so late in the day or we could have gone back to cut more pieces."

  The women took the meat and began to prepare it for cooking by tearing it into strips.

  The old man teasingly pulled Arai's hair. "And how was the hunt for you today, boy?"

  "Wonderful, Grandfather. I saw so much today! It was I who killed the hare! The worm kissed me before we killed it, Grandfather."

  "Ah, that's very good luck," the old man said, "good things will come to you now."

  The first of the worm steaks were thrown onto large, heated rocks. They sizzled and the smell of meat began to permeate the air. Arai took a deep whiff and licked his lips.

  When the food was ready, he was the first to be served. He took a bite as the others watched. For a moment, he sat suspended in pleasure, then he opened his eyes and nodded. With his tail Arai signed that the meat was good. At that point, they all fell upon the food.

  Everyone ate so much their faces shined with animal fat. The women talked about babies and lamented the fact that the father to the seven children, including Kretin and Arai, had been killed the season before.

  Arai sharpened his hunting stick as he listened to the conversation. He didn't feel bad about his father. His father had died as a warrior should die. He looked at his brother. Both took after their father.

  Kretin told the children about the encounter with the forest worm and how they had to fight for their lives. In rapt fascination, the little ones listened, but when Kretin came to the most exciting part, the three-year-old started to cry, which started the four-year-old crying as well.

  Grandfather stood up. "Now, what's all this?"

  The children stopped crying immediately, but most of them now moaned in fear.

  "Quiet now, quiet and I'll tell you about the greatest hunter of all -- your father."

  The children grew quiet.

  "Many years ago, when your father still hunted in the great
forests and my legs were still strong enough to carry me, the tribe lived to the north, in a valley surrounded by these same mountains. There were more of us then, aunts and uncles, husbands and wives, all living peacefully together. Your father was a great hunter, the leader of the tribe. He knew the forests as well as the mountains and knew where to find all the hidden streams of water. He knew where the wild game liked to feed and never went out without bringing something back.

  Then, one year, the mountains grew cold and the snows crept down from the peaks. Gradually, the wild game disappeared and we became afraid that we would all die. All of us, that is, except your father. When it seemed there was no hope, your father took his hunting spears, put on his skins, and set out over the mountains in search of a new home. I accompanied him on his journey. At first, he argued that I should stay and take care of the tribe, but he was only afraid that both of us might end up frozen and dead far away from our valley. I convinced him that two had a better chance of finding a new home and we set out on our journey one cold winter morning.

  The snows in the mountains were deep. Many times we slipped and nearly fell to our deaths, but because we were two, we were strong and able to help one another. We walked for days over the mountains, not once seeing any game, nor the signs of game, for that matter. They had all fled the cruel breath of the winter wind, but your father and I knew not where, so we continued to walk and search.

  One night, as we huddled together beneath a rocky outcropping, we saw strange lights in the southern sky. Neither your father nor I had ever seen anything like them before. The light reached up into the night sky, like a finger of fire, all but the tip dying out like the cold embers at the edge of our campfire. Then the tip of fire slowly floated down until it dropped from our vision. We marveled at the sight and wondered how such things could be.

  The next day we walked in the direction of the fire in the sky. Along the way we noticed fresh signs of game and were happy because we knew that soon our bellies would be full. The game tracks became more and more plentiful. It seemed that all the creatures of the mountains had seen the light and were now moving toward its source. Finally, the next day, we passed out of the mountains and into the great forest. There, where the mountains meet the forest, we tracked and killed a ring-tailed boar in the fresh snow.

  The wind was still cold, but not as cold as in our little valley high in the mountains, so we began to feel better about our circumstance. We built a fire and ate the boar. Occasionally, we saw other animals headed to the south and our curiosity grew for we had never known the lesser creatures to travel so far in the winter.

  I remember that night clearly. We climbed into the trees to sleep, but were awakened by a loud noise as if all the fury of the north wind was being pushed through a hollow log. The fires in the sky had returned, much closer this time. A flame reached up into the sky and the night became like day. The tip of the flame remained briefly in the sky and then went out, again surrounding us in darkness. Over and over this happened, and your father and I watched in amazement. Never had we seen such a sight.

  Finally, your father could wait no longer. He told me to stay where I was, and believe me, I had no problem with that; although I was sorely cold, I was also sorely afraid. He climbed down and disappeared into the night.

  When morning broke, he had not returned. I unlashed myself from my branch and I shimmied down the tree. I could move better then. Anyway, your father's tracks plainly led away from the base of the tree, so I followed, thinking I would encounter him along the trail.

  There were many signs of game, and several times I was tempted to stop and kill, but I was concerned about your father, so I pressed on. Here and there, I saw the signs of the burning fire in the sky. Black cinders and charcoal lay on the trail and some even hung from the trees. It was an odd sight. I finally came to a place where the trees were not so thick and the sky opened up above me. In front of me was an open glen with patches of snow dotting the ground. The sun had broken through the clouds and I could see the tracks your father had left as he walked out of the forest into the glen.

  In the middle of the clearing, the tracks disappeared. Nothing showed where he had gone. It looked as though he had been plucked from the ground in mid-stride and carried away through the air. I knew not what to do. I was alone and many days away from my tribe and the comfort of my wives. I called for your father, but the forest only threw his name back at me. I went to the edge of the clearing and sat with my back against a tree, wondering what to do.

  I sat there for a long time, occasionally getting up to stamp my cold feet. Game continued to pass by me and I reckoned that if your father did not show up soon, I too would continue my journey to the south. And then a wondrous thing happened.

  The high sound of the wind again blew up and I looked above my head into the trees, amazed to see that not a leaf was disturbed. How could this be, I asked myself. And then, I saw a great object in the air passing slowly over the clearing. I hid behind a tree and watched.

  The thing glided on the air, making the whining sound so loudly it hurt my ears. Unlike the denizens of the air, it had no wings to sustain its flight, instead it flew on the sound it made. It moved to the south. I was more amazed than afraid, so I followed. It soon left my sight, but for a long time I was able to follow it by the sound it made. I wondered if your father had seen it and hoped that I would find him somewhere on the trail of mystery.

  I traveled for most of the day as the sound grew fainter and fainter, but the sun came out from behind the clouds and warmed me. I took off my skins, rolled them into a ball and slung the bundle over my back. In the afternoon I stopped at a stream which had thawed and ran with clear water. I pulled two large fish from that spot and ate one of them right there. The other I wrapped in leaves and took with me.

  A little later, still on the trail south, I came upon what I first thought was a sign of your father's passing. There, beside the trail, lay the headless carcass of one of the most fearless creatures of our world, the Ursidaen. The Ursidaen, as you know, is a gentle but powerful creature with arms capable of uprooting small trees and claws sharp enough to cut the life from any other creature, whether it be lesser or greater. How could your father have succeeded in killing the beast, and why would he have wanted to? The Ursidaen is strong, but shy, and its meat is stringy. Often, your father and I had seen these creatures, but we had always given our respect, leaving their hunting territory just as they avoided ours.

  On closer observation, I saw that the Ursidaen's throat had been cut with such precision that I wondered how your father could have done it. Anyway, there was no sense in it because your father would never have done such a thing.

  And that is when the strange wind began to blow again. I tried to shut my ears by clapping my hands over them, but it did not work. I am not ashamed to admit that I was afraid. All the same, the sound had a strange effect on me; it drew me. In front of me was a slight rise: I supposed a creek lay on the other side. I dropped to my knees and crawled to it. For a moment, I lay there, letting my courage rise. The sound faded and was replaced by a hum. Peeking over the top, I saw a sight I shall never forget.

  Two of the strangest creatures I had ever seen stood in a clearing directly below me while overhead the great floating thing sat silently in the air. All around, animals of the forest rested on their haunches as if they were waiting for something. As if in sport, the strange beings approached the animals one by one and, using a beam of light, they killed them by cutting their throats. Never before had I seen such a sight. The various animals showed no fear. They just sat there and when their time came, they even looked up so their necks would be fully exposed. Blood was everywhere and the stench of death filled the air.

  The killers walked upright on three long legs. They shined silvery like the stars in the sky. They had no eyes, but they acted with precision and moved with purpose, although I could not fathom why they would kill so many.

  As I watched, I witnessed a mira
cle. Your father and a third creature dropped to the ground from the object floating in the air. Your father carried a box and placed it on the ground.

  I heard nothing, but your father acted as though the monsters spoke to him. He went to some of the dead forest animals and lifted them up, placing their carcasses inside the box. Most he left bleeding on the ground.

  When he'd finished, one of the beings produced what looked like a clear rock, something like the crystals we find in the mountains. The thing held the crystal out from its body and the rock began to hum and buzz. A light came out of it and touched the box. When it did, the box rose up until it disappeared into the great floating thing."

  Grandfather paused and reached for some old rotten twine that lay at his feet. The children patiently waited for him to continue the story. He twisted the twine and braided the short pieces together before continuing his tale.

  "Your father was a strong and courageous man, many times he showed his fearless conviction and strength. But I did not expect him to do what I witnessed next. As the shiny things were preoccupied, he picked up a short branch and swung it at the monster that held the crystal. On impact, the creature stumbled and the crystal flew from its claws. Father dropped the club and ran toward the trees. All three of the creatures moved quickly, like horror itself, and began to chase your father. I got up and ran down to the clearing.

  The great thing still floated overhead and I heard the sounds of the monsters chasing your father as they circled back my way. I looked about for a place to hide and spied out a nearby tree with plenty of foliage. As I crossed the glen, I was distracted by a glimmer that shone from the grass. Bending down, I saw it was the magic crystal the creature had dropped. I placed it in my pouch and hurriedly shimmied up the tree. None too soon, for in the next moment the three creatures appeared, carrying your father.

  It would dishonor your father by repeating what happened next. Let it be enough to say he was a great and courageous hunter and he deserved to die better than one of those lesser animals."