The Survivors Box Set

by Nathan Hystad

  He’d mentioned his wife. “Where’s your wife?” The second I said it, I knew she wasn’t there. His posture changed in a heartbeat.

  “Gone. She left us the plans from her old job for the storage containers and left in the middle of the night for the last pickup to New Spero. We’d argued for days about it and decided not to go. She took our daughter and left,” Paul said.

  “Then she’s probably still there,” I said.

  “Yes,” Paul said and stood staring into the cow pasture. “I believe she would be.”

  ____________

  “Captain? What took you so long?” W asked as I walked toward him. The Jeep had let me out a hundred yards away, and the robot’s question made me laugh.

  “You saw someone shooting at me. Saw me trip and then let them take me, right near you,” I said.

  “I’m sorry, Captain. You didn’t ask me to be a guard, only a pilot.” His monotone voice made it all the funnier. “Why are you laughing?”

  I stepped into the square ship, and he followed. “W, let’s get out of here. I think we’ve let them wait long enough. Slate’s going to kill me.”

  “If you say so.” W got into the pilot seat and we rose off the grass, away from the settlement in Central Park, and away from my old life.

  I woke as we landed in Egypt, thankful for the short rest. Slate was running toward the ship when I stepped to the ground. “What happened to you, boss?”

  “I was kidnapped. Again.”

  “You know that only happens to you when I’m not beside you, right?” he asked. I didn’t think he believed me, and I left it like that.

  I couldn’t deny the truth to his statement. “How’s the room coming along?”

  “It’s done. They’re folding it erect as we speak,” Denise said as she approached us with Rivo. She looked happy and slid her arm into Slate’s. He glanced back at her with puppy-dog eyes.

  Rivo stared at me, her jaw clenched. “I’m glad you’re back. I was beginning to wonder.”

  “So was I for a while,” I said, and before anyone could probe me on it, I changed the subject. “I want to see the room. Let’s test it out.”

  We neared the newly constructed room. From the exterior, it looked like a large storage container, with a series of even seams across it in squares. We stepped through the opening at the end and were transported into a room inside Udoon, the space station where the drop of the last remaining Theos would take place.

  It looked just like the video feeds the Empress had managed to get sent to her, down to a chip in the dull gray metallic wall. I saw the small red dot in the center of the floor and knew that was my marker for the portal wall. I stepped to the far end of the room, where the table was set up, and heard sounds coming from small built-in speakers.

  The Empress had someone record the audio from the room on Udoon for twelve hours, and we were going to use the feed for the trap. We couldn’t have it go silent, like the portal we’d walked through on the tropical island. That had easily given away the trick. We didn’t want them to know they’d been had.

  “It looks great,” I said. “Now we just need to transport it. How small does it fold up?”

  “Small enough to travel in the portals, but we’ll need a cart to carry it. You sure this is a good idea?” Slate asked. We’d discussed it with the Empress, and she was behind it. I wasn’t sure we had a choice.

  “What other options do we have?” I asked.

  “We get Karo and blow this Kinca up, along with Lom of Pleva. Solve a few problems at once,” Slate said.

  “We kill the Kraski leader, and they still come for us. I need to bargain with them. We can’t keep wondering if they’ll attack. We have a mole on New Spero, possibly a few of them. It won’t be safe until we resolve this,” I said.

  “What if we can’t get Karo back?” Denise asked.

  I blew out some air I was holding in my cheeks. “Then I’ve failed him. The Theos helped me when I needed it most, and we’re going to help Karo now. Lom wants him for something. If he’s behind the hybrids, he’s invested in genetic modification. The Theos are able to live for thousands of years. It has to do with gene manipulation. Something about slowing cells down, Karo had said. Lom of Pleva wants that, but we aren’t going to give it to him.”

  Slate stepped from side to side as the robots dismantled our replica room. “We make a deal with the Kraski, fine. But this Lom guy is never going to bargain with you.”

  “Then we kill him.” Rivo said it without blinking.

  Denise had a grim look on her face that matched Slate’s. I nodded at Rivo’s comment. “Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page about that,” Slate said.

  I smiled at them, wishing I didn’t have to conceal the real plan from my friends.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  We arrived at New Spero’s portal, and Denise and Slate stepped away from the table.

  “Find out what you can about the Kalentrek. Find those bodies. I’ll be back in a day,” I said.

  “Will do, boss. Say hi to Mary for us,” Slate said.

  W had stayed behind on Earth, and the others were smart enough not to ask me why. I glanced over at my small blue companion. “Are you ready to see Shimmal?” I asked.

  “I am. I’ve heard great things about it. And Sarlun seemed solid,” Rivo said. They’d met on Bazarn Five, when Rivo had surprised me by hiding in a bedroom of our suite.

  I scrolled through the world icons, finding Shimmal’s, and tapped it. With the blink of an eye, we were inside their white portal room. The two guards saw it was me, but their snouts twitched at seeing Rivo.

  “It’s okay. She’s with me,” I said, and we walked past them into the hallway. I found a wandering Shimmali woman and asked where I could find Suma. She directed me to a classroom, and I opened the door to see Suma standing at the front of the room, teaching a class to a bunch of pint-sized Shimmali children. They were very young, half as tall as Suma, and she talked to them with an animated disposition, excitedly explaining some law of physics.

  After a few minutes, she finally noticed us standing there and held her hand up to the class. They glanced back at us and sat still while Suma crossed the room to say hi.

  “Rivo, this is Suma. Suma, Rivo.” I introduced the two women. “I’m going to go see Mary and Jules for a while. Do you mind keeping Rivo company?”

  Suma smiled and, in English, said, “Not at all. Come, Rivo, you can sit in the front row. I’m just teaching them about pentaquarks.”

  Rivo gave me an accusing glare before heading with Suma to the front of the class.

  “Dean,” a voice behind me said, translating into my earpiece.

  “Hello, Sarlun.” I shook his hand.

  “Back so soon? Is it done?” he asked.

  “No. We’re one step closer, though. We know where the drop’s going to be, and we have a plan,” I said.

  “Good. Lom will not easily be tricked or dealt with. It worries me he’s gone dark. No one has seen him for a couple of years now. Be wary,” Sarlun said quietly.

  “We have no choice. They attacked us at home. They have Karo,” I said.

  “Dean, remember how I told you to keep quiet about the Theos before all of this started? That there were forces out there willing to destroy worlds for the lifeblood of that ancient civilization?” he asked.

  “Yes. I recall that conversation,” I answered.

  “He’s that man. He’ll destroy everything for a chance at immortality. Believe me. If you encounter him, tread lightly. He’s not like everyone you’ve faced.” Sarlun walked, and I strode beside him, down the sparsely populated halls. When someone neared, he lowered his voice.

  “I’ve been face to face with some baddies, Sarlun. Remember Drendon, the Deltra who wanted to kill me on the Kraski mother ship? Or the entire Bhlat fleet, led by the unforgettable General Blel? How about the Iskios in all their glory, creating the Unwinding, a vortex hellbent on eating solar systems? I’ve seen it all.” I was talking through
clenched teeth.

  “No, Dean. Each of those did what they did because they believed in the greater good of their actions. Drendon thought he could be the savior of his downtrodden people. He wanted to give them an out from captivity. Blel was a soldier, trained to destroy opposition. He was doing what he was told to do. The Iskios were an ancient race, one with a goal set into motion countless years ago; an unmovable force.

  “Lom of Pleva is a man. A man with a lot of money and power, with a hunger for more. Greed. Greed drives him. Not ideologies or passion for a people. He’ll destroy you without thought and smile while watching you die. Don’t underestimate him, Dean.”

  I stood there, watching Sarlun spill out his speech, and I found myself getting worried. He was making good points. At least with the other enemies, I’d felt a connection. There was something I could understand about them. Lom was a ghost to me. I didn’t know where he came from, what he looked like, or why he wanted to live forever.

  “I’ll be cautious. I have to be. I have a family to get home to,” I said.

  “Good. Go see them. There’s a vessel waiting to take you to them.” He shook my hand again, and his snout lowered. “If you need anything before you go, let me know.”

  I told him I would and eagerly jogged down the corridor to the outside. Mary and Jules were close, and I couldn’t wait to see them.

  ____________

  The small ship landed near Sarlun’s home away from home. The ship was on autopilot, and the door opened, letting in the sweet-smelling fresh air.

  “Mary!” I called as soon as my feet hit the ground. I made for the house, which overlooked an ocean below. I didn’t even take the time to look at the amazing view; I ran, head down, until I was at the door. Instead of barging in and scaring her, I knocked impatiently and called her name again.

  “Dean?” The door swung open, and a worried Mary was stood there. “Is everything okay?”

  I hugged her fiercely and kissed her in reply. Eventually, she broke the embrace and smiled at me. “That was one hell of a greeting. What are you doing here? You can’t be done.”

  “Plans have changed. We have a better idea now, but I wanted to run it by you. And I needed to see you guys before I left.” I didn’t say the “in case I don’t make it back” part. It wasn’t going to help anyone to hear those words out loud.

  “Come in.” The door closed behind me, and I marveled at the large open room. We’d spent some time here before, and I recalled the space fondly. It was one of the best times of my life, and the closest thing to bliss I’d ever experienced. Fresh flowers were cut, arranged in a vase on the table.

  “Where’s Jules? Sleeping?” I asked.

  Mary nodded, and she followed me to the back bedroom, where my little girl was dozing softly. I stood watching her for a few minutes as she breathed in and out, her small chest rising and falling. Mary’s hands were wrapped around me, resting on my stomach.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” Mary said, but I had other ideas.

  I took her hands and led her out of the room. Her hair fell over her eyes, and I brushed it back, leaning in to kiss her. This place held a lot of memories for me: of our first time away together and all that came along with that. Mary seemed to feel them too as we entered the bedroom. I let all my concerns over Lom of Pleva and getting Karo back wash away for a while, and lived in the moment.

  ____________

  “So that’s the plan? Are you sure you want to keep that part secret from the others?” Mary asked.

  “I am. We have a mole, and until I know who it is, the information exchange ends between you and me,” I said, looking out over the balcony view. Jules was beside us, rocking in a solar-powered baby chair as the sun set.

  “W is flying the ship as we speak?” she asked.

  “The Empress really came through, which means I owe her again.” My hands went to the back of my head, fingers interlaced, and I kicked my feet up. “I could get used to this. Being here. The views. You.”

  Mary nodded, but she was frowning the whole time. “You’re sure the Kalentrek is gone, and the Kraski bodies?”

  “Yes. That’s what I’m being told. This better work,” I said.

  “Why not just set the trap and blow the ship up after?” Mary asked.

  “I’ve thought about that many times. But I want to be more than that. I want to change things, not just kill without trying to negotiate first.”

  “Some things aren’t negotiable,” Mary said, looking at Jules.

  “I know. Let me think about it.”

  Mary took a sip of her sweet Shimmali wine. “And you can get to this Udoon station quickly?”

  “There’s a portal planet nearby. The Gatekeepers have a station there, so we have clear access. From there it’s a day trip, and according to the Empress’ sources, Kinca is meeting Lom there in three days’ time. We’ll be there waiting.” I took a drink from my glass, finishing it off.

  “I wish I could be there with you,” Mary said.

  “No, you don’t. I wish I could be here with you and let someone else deal with this, but this is our reality. I’ll be back with Karo, and hopefully our old enemy will become our new neutral.”

  All of the pieces were coming together for this to work.

  “Can you stay the night?” she asked.

  I looked at my small family and nodded. “I can.”

  ____________

  “What did you find out, Leonard?” I asked. I zipped up the rest of my white jumpsuit, favoring the Gatekeepers garb today.

  “We didn’t have surveillance out in the middle of nowhere, so there was no evidence of who took it. Patrice figured no one would know where it was, and a camera would only add suspicion. The good news is, the Kalentrek is only tuned to the Kraski, so it can’t be reprogrammed to kill anyone else. If we had a psychopath on our hands, they can’t adjust it to our ‘frequency,’ if you will,” Leonard said.

  “And the bodies? Surely someone saw what happened to them?” I prodded, hoping for some good news.

  Leonard tapped his tablet. “Sorry. They never made it to the medical center on base.”

  “What about the pilot?” I asked.

  “The ship disappeared.”

  My heart raced. “First, we had a Kraski ship enter our atmosphere using a valid ID code. Then, the Kalentrek used to keep the Kraski away from Earth all those years vanishes, along with the two Kraski bodies from Terran Thirteen. Does that sum it up?” My voice rose, and Leonard took a step back.

  “That sums it up,” he said quietly. Slate and Denise were on the way, and Rivo stood beside me, keenly listening to our conversation.

  “I don’t have time for this.” I ran my hands over my beard. “We’ve been betrayed, and I don’t know by whom.”

  “We’ll figure it out. Clare’s trying to trace the lander’s coordinates now to see where the dead Kraski bodies went. She’ll have them soon,” Leonard said confidently.

  “I don’t have time. We’re leaving now. Leonard, I’m sorry I can’t tell you more, but we’ll be back. Take care of yourself.” The words had a finality to them I didn’t like hearing in my own voice. Leonard came over and gave me a hug, which I returned. “I’m proud of you, Leonard.”

  He forced a smile. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

  Slate and Denise entered the portal room, dressed in matching EVAs. “Sorry, Dean,” Denise said. “I couldn’t get any more information from the team. No one has sighted the ship or noted any suspicious behavior out where the Shield was buried.”

  “Thanks, Denise. I didn’t expect them to have any details. Everyone ready?” I asked.

  Slate, Denise, and Rivo all nodded, and Leonard backed out of the room, watching us from beyond the entrance. I found the icon for the Keppe world and tapped it. Step one: finalize the backup plan.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Lord Crul looked amused to see me again. We were back in his private room, just the two of us, all alone.

  �
��And you think this plan will work?” he asked me.

  “It has to.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?” he asked, showing how astute a leader he really was.

  “I’m only leaving out the details no one else needs to hear. We’ve been infiltrated, and I can’t have anyone knowing the exact strategy. Will you back us?” I asked.

  Lord Crul shifted forward in his chair, his eyes staring hard at me. “I’ve been ready for years. We have ships ready to jump there at a snap of my fingers.”

  “Jump?” I asked, unsure what he meant. From what I knew, the Kraski colony world was two years away.

  “We have wormhole generators and can be there in two days. We’re ready.”

  I didn’t fully comprehend the effects of using a generator, but I knew it would take a toll on the soldiers inside. Currently W, the robot pilot, was traversing the universe in a Bhlat ship fitted with one. I was the only person, outside of Mary, who knew the exact location and why he was doing it. I had to keep it that way.

  “Then send them. We need to show them we mean business. The Bhlat will be there in three days. Just in time delivery.” I laughed nervously. This had to work, or else I was going to owe a lot of powerful races some explanations.

  “We get the world afterward?” Lord Crul asked.

  “I was thinking we’d leave them with it. I’ve talked with the leaders at Haven, and they’ve offered to take a contingency of Motrill and Keppe colonists. Let’s start fresh. Share what we have. Humans are there, and another wave is planning to go there to help.” I hoped the offer was enough to entice Lord Crul to play along. I needed his fleets.

  “Very well. I hate sending a fleet only to sit and play bully,” he said.

  “Sometimes a show of force is enough. The Bhlat will be there too, and we know how the Kraski feel about them. They should give in,” I suggested.

  “And what of Lom of Pleva?” he asked.

  “Let me deal with that,” I said, trying to sound confident.

  He nodded, as if he believed me. “Consider it done.”