“I think that’s their town,” I said.
She changed trajectory, and we cut through the water toward an outcropping of rocks that stood a way from the town barriers.
“She’s bringing us to a covered zone so we can scout the situation before swimming into it head-first. She’s got a sound head on her shoulders,” Mary said to us.
The rocky wall went down for a few hundred yards until it hit the ocean floor and carried on up to the surface, likely breaching the water above. The area was decorated in colorful shells as countless fish moved around the area, dancing like synchronized swimmers. It was beautiful.
We ended behind a peninsula of reef, and I was careful to not step on it and cut myself. My hand rested on the surface to give my body a break, and Slate copied the move.
“I think we need to start an aquacise class back home. This is quite the workout,” Slate said, getting a laugh from me.
“You finally have that retirement plan you’ve always wanted.”
His gaze sobered at that, like the word retirement was foreign to him. More likely, he’d never expected to live to be that age, so he hadn’t really put thought into it. If I kept dragging him into crazy adventures like this, he might not end up an old man on a rocking chair, watching his grandkids play in the yard.
Aquleen turned to us, waving her hand to get our attention. She gestured to an opening in the stone wall fifty yards away. Something was moving inside it.
We tucked ourselves out of sight from the entrance, watching around the corner as one of the Picas roamed outside the waterlogged village. It came out snout first, and I cringed at the power it held; when it emerged fully, I had the urge to grab my team’s arms and relocate back to shore. It was massive. The thing had to be twice the size of a bull shark, its dark blue color an oddity when I’d been expecting the muted gray of Earth’s powerful sea creatures.
Aquleen had a look of despair, which transformed quickly into anger. These monsters had killed her ancestors and driven them away from their home. She wanted revenge. I didn’t know if a group of four with nothing but spears in their hands could redeem her people.
“We just need the seed. They might leave if it’s gone. I guarantee that’s what called them here,” Mary said, confidence oozing in her words.
“That’s the plan,” Slate said. His eyes were still wide as he watched the Picas swim around, looking for food. It moved slowly, silently stalking something along the wall. With a strong flick of its tail, the Picas rushed forward, jaws opening around a school of fish. A few lucky ones were pushed aside as the deadly sea monster ate.
We stayed quiet, watching as it did this a few more times. Eventually, it sauntered back inside the opening, and into the confines of the stone-walled underwater village. We waited another few minutes before Aquleen began swimming toward her ancestors’ town. She hadn’t been there since she was a teenager, and she had gone against her mother’s wishes, as any rebellious teen would do. She’d told us she’d never seen inside the walls, but their stories often mentioned where the semrock would be. In the center of town, a ring of glowing stones stood on the sand. The seed would sit directly in the middle. Aquleen didn’t know more than what her childhood tales had said, but she believed it would still lie there, waiting for them to reclaim it.
“The last time someone tried this, they sent a group of ten warriors, and only one made it back?” I asked.
“That about sums it up. They do it once a generation, hoping the Picas will be gone.” This from Mary, who still spoke quietly.
Mary began to swim toward the stone wall as well, and I squeezed the shaft of the spear, wishing I had a stronger weapon. A knife was tucked away in a leather strap on my left leg, but I didn’t relish the idea of going head-to-head with one of those creatures. Not only were they huge, but they had the advantage of living in the water. I pictured fighting one of them in a forest, and liked my odds better.
“Come on, boss.” Slate pushed away with a few frog kicks, leaving me alone at the reef.
It was only challenge two of five, and I was already second-guessing doing the Theos’ bidding. I tried to let the doubt out and moved toward my friends.
“Look,” Mary said, peering into a hole in the stone wall. We were roughly twenty yards from the entrance, just around a bend in the barrier.
I took up a position beside her and took my turn. It was amazing. Their town was spectacular. Columns of polished stone held up walls and roofs across the open space. The far side of their compact village was lined with residences; colorful plants grew in front of many of the unoccupied spaces. I could almost picture Aquleen’s people swimming around, lingering at their homes, watching their children play in the town center.
Now it was bleak and bare, the colors muted as I refocused, and I saw the village for what it was. Lifeless, its soul ripped away for generations. Plants overtook much of the area, and few fish swam inside the boundary, for fear of being eaten by the predators that resided there.
I scanned up and saw small amounts of light from the surface reflecting over their circular-walled town. It couldn’t have been more than half a mile across, but it was tall, and there was enough housing for hundreds, maybe even thousands of inhabitants.
Her people didn’t belong up on land. Aquleen moved beside me, and I saw her eyes go wide. She looked so vibrant and healthy down in the water, I knew we couldn’t fail.
“There.” Slate pointed down, where one of the Picas roamed below. That was when I saw what I’d been missing: the stones. They glowed softly along the village walls, now giving an ominous look rather than the functional one they were likely intended for. My gaze followed them downward toward the center of the area, but the light was too dim, the floor of the ocean too murky.
We watched, and spotted at least two more of the large enemies before adjusting and finalizing our plan.
Twelve
“I don’t think I should be up top. Her people consider women the stronger sex, and it only makes sense for me to be by her side while we grab the semrock.” Mary spoke quietly, but I could still hear the enthusiasm carry through my earpiece.
“Have you seen the size of those things? If anyone has a chance fighting one, it’s Slate,” I said, jabbing a thumb back to the man behind me.
“He may have the most training, but this is underwater. I don’t know how well it translates.”
“You guys do know I’m right here,” Slate said. “Boss, let them play that part. I’ve become good at playing decoy. Come with me, I’ll show you how.”
I remembered just how well he’d done it at Atrron, when he’d almost died after a bird rammed into his thrust pack. I didn’t bring it up then. “Fine. Please note my objection.” A lot of good that would do if someone ended up dead.
Mary unstrapped the cloaking device from her thigh, activating it. We’d run tests in the water before leaving, and it held up remarkably well. If only Clare could see it in action now, she’d be squealing in excitement. Mary strapped it back on, and she shimmered and disappeared. We could make out some blurry skin tones as she swam around us, but it was impossible to see her when she stayed still.
“Not perfect, but better than the alternative,” Mary said, and Aquleen stared, open-jawed. She was obviously still amazed by our “magic.” Mary tapped the device off so we could see her again.
“We’ve only seen three of the beasts. Slate and I will make for the surface, drawing them as far away as we can. Then we’ll climb out onto the rock above the water level, hoping they can’t jump out like dolphins and eat us,” I said. “Take this.” I passed Mary the Relocator, but not before saving its position outside of the walled village. “If things get hairy, get out of there quickly.”
“What about you?” Mary asked.
“Don’t worry about us. You have the harder task.”
“Aquleen and I will get to the semrock hidden at the bottom of the town.” Mary finished going over our plan.
“Then what?” Slate ask
ed.
“We’ll find out. Just stay in communication, and we’ll go from here.” I tapped my ear, and Aquleen turned from us, knowing enough of what we said from our hand motions to understand she was getting her town back. An intense frown covered her forehead, and Mary set a hand on our guide’s shoulder.
“We’ll be fine,” Mary said, even though her words didn’t translate.
I swam over to Mary and touched her clear mask with my left hand. “Be safe.”
“You too,” she said back and placed her forehead to mine before turning and swimming into the entrance. She put her left arm through Aquleen’s and tapped the cloaking device, and they shimmered away in a blink.
Slate started for the entrance, and I followed him. The three Picas we’d seen were below our current position, so we needed to go fast if we were going to beat the efficient swimmers to the surface.
“Go,” I said, taking off as we swam past the village walls. The water felt warmer inside, as if the sun beat down from above and the town held the warmth. I kicked hard, feeling the burn as I pushed myself to the limits. The Theos mask somehow allowed me to breathe as heavily as I needed and still get enough air.
Without focusing on my surroundings, I managed to notice how still and empty it felt there. The water was clearer; different underwater plants stuck to the side walls, stretching toward the sunlight above. My legs protested angrily as I neared the surface.
“They’re coming!” Slate called, and I felt his hands brush my feet as I stayed just above him.
“Mary, what’s happening down there?” I asked between heavy breaths.
“We’re almost at the bottom. Two of them took off after you, but one stayed behind. We’re moving slowly to stay hidden.” Mary’s voice was a quiet as a church mouse, and I barely made out her words.
I glanced behind me and saw the Picas racing toward us. “Damn!” Slate caught up to me as they chased us at a ridiculous speed.
“Hurry up!” he called, swimming past me in a flurry of kicks and paddles. The surface was just ahead, dark stone emerging upwards like a rounded barbican from an ancient castle. The light refracted as it hit the water, and I blinked to keep it from blinding me.
With all my remaining energy, I kept moving, and soon my hands emerged from the water, feeling warm air against them as I grasped at the rock wall. Grunting, I pulled myself up as Slate did the same beside me. My right hand slipped, cutting my palm, and Slate, who stood on a ledge above me, grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me up just as the Picas were at our feet, snapping their huge jaws.
Drops of my blood splashed on the water, and the Picas kept gnashing their teeth. Slate jabbed a spear down toward them, even though they didn’t attempt to breach the surface.
“Something’s wrong with these things,” Slate said, poking at the water from our perch three feet above it.
“Yeah, they’re huge and crazy, that’s what!” I yelled.
“What happened?” Mary’s small voice asked.
“We’re up top. Two of them are here, and Slate’s trying to poke their eyes out. Do you have it?”
Silence for a moment, then her voice came through almost imperceptibly. “We’re close. It’s dark down here, the stones are our only light, and they’re very dim. A Picas is nearby, but we can’t spot it right now.” She went silent again.
Another minute went on, and I waited, leaning against the sun-blasted rock wall, trying to catch my breath.
“It looks like the semrock is in a clear box at the exact center of town. There’s a circular ring of stones, much like the metal tree we grew in Atrron. How do we activate it?” Mary asked.
“Just get the seed, and we’ll find out,” I said.
“Boss, check this out.” Slate was still poking at the water. He stretched his arm out, extending the spear down low, and it hit one of the Picas. I expected a quick retaliation and grabbed hold of Slate’s shoulders to keep him from being pulled in. Instead, all I saw was a flicker of blue light. It was like the sea creature was a hologram.
“Mary, I don’t think they’re real!” I said loudly.
“What do you mean?”
“Slate’s spear is going right through them. I think they’re a program, meant to scare everyone away.”
“Then how did Aquleen’s people get killed? What drove them off? Didn’t we just see one eat fish while we scouted the place?” Mary asked a flurry of whispered questions.
“Good points, but these aren’t real. I bled into the water, and it didn’t cause them to thrash any more than they already were. Be careful, but I think they’re harmless.”
“In that case, I’m going in,” she said.
Slate brought his spear back up and set the butt of it down on the rock. “Boss, there’s something up here.” He started to climb, and I decided to join him. There was no sense in watching the holographic Picas wait for us.
“What is this?” I asked. The round wall stretched into a platform with steps up, like a miniature pyramid. Slate took one side, and I the other, meeting in the middle after climbing the stairs.
At the top sat a hole, much like the one we’d dropped the seed in on Atrron. “I think we found our garden,” Slate said, grinning like a schoolboy in the middle of a prank.
“Mary, do you have it?” I asked.
“I’m at the box, I’m opening it. I have it…Dear God. It’s here!” she called, and my heart jumped into my throat. The pure panic in her voice sent tremors of fear down my spine.
“Mary!”
She didn’t reply, but I could make out muffled breathing. “Aquleen! Look out!” The words were sharp, piercing my ears as the shouts came into my earpiece. Slate looked ready to swim down, but I set a hand on his arm.
“You said they’re not real,” I told Slate.
“You said they weren’t! Maybe one is, and the others are just mirror programs,” he said, and my stomach dropped. I had to help.
“Mary, use the Relocator,” I urged.
“It has her leg.” Mary was close to tears. I could hear it in her voice.
“Free her and get the hell out of there!”
Mary grunted, and I knew she’d likely be stabbing at the sea creature with her spear. “I got it,” she called, then said some muffled words.
Everything went silent, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I ran down the steps to the edge of the platform and dove toward the water. The waiting Picas opened their jaws as I approached, headfirst into their mouths. I kept my eyes open, passing right through them without feeling anything but water. Thank God we’d been right.
I forced my tired legs to kick with all their strength. In a handful of seconds, I was nearing the entrance we’d taken to get into the walled village.
“Dean,” Mary’s voice called me.
“Where are you?” I asked, looking around for any sign of them.
“I made it out. We used the Relocator. Aquleen isn’t doing so well.”
That was when I saw the dark red stains in the water a few yards away. Mary held the warrior, whose leg was twisted and mangled from the left knee down.
“We need to get her up top. You have the seed?” I asked, and Mary showed it to me in her palm. Her spear was gone, probably lodged in the Picas’ side. “I’ll take Aquleen.” Mary hesitantly took my weapon and kept between me and the bottom of the village where she’d left the angry Picas.
“It’s still down there. If it catches wind of where we went, it’ll be here in a flash,” Mary said, her gaze never leaving the emptiness below us.
Aquleen was trying to help her swim, her face twisted in a harsh grimace. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t passed out. She must have been in so much pain.
“I’ve got you,” I said, knowing she couldn’t understand me.
Slate came from above, ready to fight. “Everyone accounted for?” he asked, seeing us all there in relatively one piece. “Boss, let me help,” he said, reaching toward the green-haired local. She pointed below us and let out a scream, small
air bubbles bursting from her mouth.
The Picas was rapidly swimming toward us, now just a small dot in the distance but growing every few seconds.
“Gogogogogogo!” Mary yelled.
Aquleen grabbed Slate’s spear and pushed at me with her other hand, her three digits clawing at me to let go of her. I obliged, and she swam away from us. She looked back, sadness and acceptance in her eyes.
“No!” Mary yelled and started to go after her.
“Don’t you see? She’s saving us. Let’s get out of here.” I held Mary’s upper arm to keep her from going after Aquleen, and we all started to swim away.
I didn’t look back, refusing to acknowledge there was an enemy still on our tails. I blinked, seeing that look in her eyes as she went to stall her people’s nemesis. Aquleen would go down a hero, we’d see to it.
Slate was the first to the surface, and he was quick to get out and lower a hand to us. Mary tried to move around the projections that appeared to look like deadly sharks, but gave up after seeing me swim through them. Soon we were up on the ledge, heading toward the platform.
“The honor is all yours,” I said, panting once again from the excursion.
Mary stepped up the blocks of the small pyramid and held the avocado-sized semrock in her right hand. She reached the apex and stood there for a moment, her chest heaving up and down as water dripped all around her. I saw goosebumps rise on her flesh as a cool breeze blew over us. I loved that woman so much and just wanted to wrap my arms around her, but there would be time for that later. Now, we had a job to do.
“This is for you, Aquleen,” she said, and lowered the semrock into the hole. A perfect fit.
Thirteen
The pyramid began to shake, and Mary hopped down a few steps at a time to where Slate and I waited. A massive light erupted from the platform, covering us, bringing a tingle of alien energy with it. The beam shot into the sky, blue light barely contrasting against the clear sky.
The Survivors Box Set Page 73
