Hive (The Color of Water and Sky Book 4)

by Andrew Gates

  “It, uh, it’s a long story,” he replied, pulling away. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I didn’t mean to. I just thought I’d have a quick look and come right back.”

  “Dad, where were you?” Kaitlyn asked, repeating her mother’s question.

  Grey hugged Kaitlyn now too. He held the embrace for a few seconds before pulling away.

  “Oh, I love you all so much. I am so sorry for leaving, honestly,” he said.

  “We love you too, Grey, and we’re glad to see that you’re okay, but you haven’t answered the question. We were worried sick! Where were you?” Selena asked again.

  “I don’t want to scare you,” he started. Grey gulped. “But… I found zombies.”

  “Zombies? Are you okay?” Selena asked with wide eyes and a worried tone.

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine. I’m unhurt.”

  “How many zombies?”

  “There were five, but now they’re dead,” he answered, not bothering to sugarcoat it.

  “Dead? How? What happened?”

  “Did you kill them?” Misha asked.

  Grey shook his head.

  “No,” he answered, “not me.”

  “Then what happened?” Selena asked again.

  Grey slowly turned to face west, let out a deep breath, then turned to face his family again.

  “It’s a long story. Perhaps it’ll be easier to explain if I showed you,” he said.

  “Show us what?” Kaitlyn asked.

  “You’ll see soon enough. Follow me.”

  A confused expression covered Selena’s face as Grey motioned for them to head westward down the hill. Without saying a word, his family nodded their heads and slowly started moving. After a few seconds, Misha was ultimately the one to break the silence.

  “Was it a spaceship?” Misha asked.

  “Was what a spaceship, honey?” Grey returned.

  “You know, that killed the zombies. Was it a spaceship?” she clarified.

  Grey shook his head.

  “No, Misha, it wasn’t a spaceship that killed the zombies, but it was a vehicle.”

  “What’s a vehicle?” she asked.

  “You don’t know what a vehicle is?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I did but I forgot.” She shrugged.

  “A vehicle is something that moves people around from one place to another,” Grey explained.

  “Like an elevator?” Misha asked.

  “Uh, no, not an elevator. A vehicle is like a mover or a scooter or… or a spaceship, something we can drive to take us where we want,” he explained.

  “Grey, sorry to interrupt, but are you saying the mantises killed the zombies?” Selena asked, jumping ahead. “Are we about to run into mantises? Is that what’s waiting at the bottom of this hill?”

  “Relax, Selena. You know I wouldn’t lead you to your death. There aren’t mantises waiting for us, at least, not live ones.”

  “Are you saying you killed-?”

  Before Selena could even finish her question, the abandoned mech came into view, still standing where he had left it on top of the smashed mantis corpses. His family suddenly froze in place as they came face to face with the monstrous metal sight.

  “Don’t worry, don’t worry,” Grey said, trying to calm his family down. “It’s safe. It’s empty. This is what I wanted to show you all.”

  “Grey… are you serious?” Selena asked.

  “Why isn’t it moving?” Misha wondered.

  “Because it’s empty, Misha,” Grey replied. “I stole it from the mantises while they were out.”

  “Where are the mantises now?” Selena wondered.

  “Gone. The mech had a bit do with it.”

  “That’s… that’s…” Selena could not find the words to say, though her eyes clearly met the sight of the mangled corpses at the vehicle’s feet.

  “Cool!” Kaitlyn said. A look of excitement covered her face. “You mean you can drive it?”

  “I’m still getting used to the controls, but I have the basics down, yes,” Grey answered.

  “Grey, that’s… that’s…” Selena still struggled. “I mean, I guess I just can’t believe it,” she finally said.

  “I know it’s a lot to take in. I understand. That’s why I wanted to show you. This is ours now. I can drive it. We can take the mech and use it to travel faster and safer across the forest. With this thing, we’ll reach Dan in no time.”

  “I… I don’t know what to say, Grey. This is a lot,” Selena said. She stared at the mech and covered her mouth with both hands.

  “You don’t have to say anything. Come on, let’s all go inside. It’ll be safe there,” Grey explained.

  Without saying another word, Selena nodded, then moved forward. Both kids followed closely behind.

  Dan is out there, Grey thought as he climbed on top of the mech and pulled his girls up one by one. Dan is out there, and finally, we’re going to see him again.

  * * *

  In a brief time, the mech had become the Georgopolis family’s new home. It was all exciting for the girls at first. The kids would stare and point at the glowing screens and smile when the vehicle’s powerful feet slammed against the ground. It was a thrill! But within 20 minutes, all their excited energy had dwindled away. Like anything at this age, nothing kept their attention for long.

  Soon excitement grew to boredom and boredom grew to frustration. Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days. Life proved difficult to endure for everyone when every waking minute was spent in a rectangular box designed to hold two mantis pilots. Even when they were stuck in the Megastructure, at least they had space to move, to run, to explore. The building was massive. But now the family was relegated to a room the size of a storage unit. Staring at the same four walls day in and day out felt like waiting in a prison. But Grey knew that this prison was the only thing keeping them safe from the dangers that dwelled beyond the hull.

  Grey empathized with his girls, who grew more and more restless with each passing second. They protested whenever they weren’t sleeping, which was most of the time, and they longed to go outside. At first, Grey wouldn’t allow outside trips except for brief bathroom breaks. But after some coaxing from Selena, Grey eventually agreed to let them spend a few minutes outside every now and then just to play, under extremely close supervision, of course.

  And when they did go, their breaks outside were never long. Grey knew that every second spent outside was another opportunity for the zombies or mantises to attack. He paused and shivered at the thought. They had already lost Iris. He would not lose his girls either. Just thinking of that fate caused him to ball his hands into fists as he gripped the mech controls.

  Stay focused, he told himself. Don’t think about the monsters. Just think about getting to Dan.

  Grey took a deep breath and composed himself, acting as if no hard thoughts had crossed his mind. He steadied the vehicle as it passed through the increasingly hilly terrain.

  Surprisingly, after two or three days, the mech did not seem to be slowing down. Grey wondered what kind of power source was able to sustain the vehicle for so long. He did not see any obvious solar panels, nor any type of exhaust. Then again, he supposed mantis tech would probably look different anyway. Perhaps the mantises had ways of integrating solar panels into the hull of the vehicle without changing the appearance.

  “Dad, I’m hungry!” Misha suddenly wined, pulling Grey’s focus back to his daughters.

  He quickly turned to glance at little Misha, then promptly faced the monitor again.

  “We just stopped to pick fruit from those trees back there. You still haven’t finished it all,” Grey replied, referring to several apples piled up in the corner of the cabin.

  “But that’s fruit!” Misha said.

  “Yeah, we want meat,” Kaitlyn added.

  “Fruit doesn’t make us full,” Misha continued.

  “The point isn’t to make you full, it’s to sustain you,” Grey explained. “Look, we
can’t stop for meat. Hunting takes too long. It’s too much time out of the mech.”

  “But we spent so much time out of the mech before!” Kaitlyn argued.

  “And we weren’t safe doing that,” Grey replied. “Don’t you remember what I said when we were in the Megastructure? The same rules apply here. No going outside.”

  “Girls, listen to dad,” Selena said, slowly opening her eyes from her sleep.

  I woke her, Grey realized, feeling a bit ashamed.

  “But mom-” Kaitlyn started.

  “Kaitlyn,” Selena snapped back.

  Both girls quieted down and let out deep huffs of frustration.

  Grey understood why they were so upset. He truly felt for them. This must have been torture for a child, sitting still for hours, now days, on end.

  But if they succeeded, all of this would be temporary. They would find Dan again. They would be safe. They would put this horrible past behind them and this whole ordeal would be worth it.

  Grey gulped and repeated the words in his mind again. Dan is out there. Dan is out there. Dan is out there.

  Chapter Four

  Squad-Leader

  SQL Kal Jakhu

  Jakhu flexed her arms, testing her mobility. She moved them up, down, left, right, even circled them in various directions. She bent her elbows, opened and closed her claws and grinned with pleasure. It occurred to her that she no longer felt any pain when she moved her arm muscles. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to flex without pain.

  Jakhu’s injuries had already healed in a brief time. Whatever those healers did, it’s working, she thought.

  “Kal Jakhu,” Ezenkharam said, motioning her over.

  Jakhu looked over and nodded to Ezenkharam. She lowered her arms and proceeded to join her fellow soldier by the weight rack. Ezenkharam was already toying with some of the lighter weights, having only just had her cast removed by the ship’s healers several hours ago.

  “Kal Ezenkharam,” she replied.

  “Squad Leader, I observed you testing your flexibility. How fare your injuries?”

  “I am recovering, Kal Ezenkharam, but please, you may call me by my name. The title Squad Leader is strange to hear from your mandibles,” Jakhu replied.

  Ezenkharam placed a weight back on the rack and took a small step toward Jakhu.

  “You request I do not refer to you as Squad Leader? But you are the commander of Kreed Scion, are you not?” she asked.

  “I am,” Jakhu confirmed.

  Her role as squad leader was not a surprise to any of them, least of all to Ezenkharam. They all agreed upon it when Jakhu first proposed the idea to form Scion. After all, of all in the Kreed, she had the most experience in such a capacity. But it was not her role that made it awkward, but rather hearing the title spoken by the one she once called her superior.

  “Then if that is your title, I shall address you as such,” Ezenkharam said.

  “From the others, this makes sense, but not from you. Kal Ezenkharam, you were not long ago my superior. It was mere days ago that you served as the special operations commander, in charge of all Kreed squads. I reported to you, followed your every command, save for those made during our assault on this ship. To hear you bestow the title of Squad Leader upon me now and to know that it is a title of superiority, not subordination, feels somehow backwards.”

  “That was before Scion. We are a Kreed now and I am no longer your superior. You must accept that.”

  “But your mandibles-”

  “- belong to those of your subordinate now,” Ezenkharam said, finishing Jakhu’s sentence for her. She sighed. “Kal Jakhu, I understand that it may be difficult for you to speak to me as my superior, but I willingly chose to enter into your Kreed. It bears me no amount of shame to follow your command.”

  “I understand this, and thank you for your humility. You have given me orders for as long as I have belonged to a Kreed. Forgive me if this now feels somehow wrong.”

  “Then let us hope such a feeling does not persist much longer,” Ezenkharam said, putting a firm claw on Jakhu’s shoulder.

  Jakhu instinctively glanced at her shoulder. Two days ago, this would have stung. Today it felt like nothing.

  Ezenkharam walked past her and pulled a horn of water from the nearby dispenser.

  “Where are you going?” Jakhu asked.

  The two of them were the only ones in the gym. Once Ezenkharam left, Jakhu would be all alone. Part of her longed for Ezenkharam to stay just so she would not be by herself.

  Ezenkharam brought the water to her mandibles, took a sip and lowered the horn.

  “To my quarters,” she replied, brushing some water from her face. “Unless you command me otherwise, Squad Leader.”

  Jakhu sighed and shook her head. She said it again. Once more, the words felt somehow wrong coming from her.

  “No, that is acceptable. You may retire to your quarters, Kal Ezenkharam.”

  “Very well. Thank you, Squad Leader. May the remainder of your physical therapy today proceed without incident.” She subtly bowed.

  Jakhu bowed back, then turned to the weight rack as the sound of the door opening and closing could be heard behind her.

  Jakhu sighed and closed her eyes. She was not just a squad leader again, she was the only remaining squad leader in the Chiefdom. Kreed Scion, now the single most elite fighting force in all of Kholvaria, was under her command.

  She opened her eyes again and lifted a medium-sized weight from the rack.

  Kal Ezenkharam is right, Jakhu thought. Why should I view her any differently from any other member of Kreed Scion? She was my superior once, but those days are gone. I should focus on the team, not the individuals. We are stronger together, not separately.

  She began to move her arms again, this time with the weight in her grasp. She let out a few deep breaths and tried to forget about her worries.

  I should be glad, she thought to herself. I have the full support of the Supreme Chieftain and with a Kreed as powerful as this, I can serve my people as I never could before.

  The Supreme Chieftain, she repeated in her mind. Jakhu let out a chuckle and shook her head. That was another title she was still getting used to.

  She and Ikharus did not know what was going to happen when they first planned to kill Kho Veznek. It was well-understood that Veznek had not named a successor at the time, yet this detail was one that he and Jakhu decided to overlook. They were not concerned with the politics of it. They just wanted him dead. It was as simple as that.

  Jakhu could still remember the moment when she first learned the news of Ikharus’s ascendance to the throne. She wondered if she would ever be able to forget it.

  It was not long ago that she woke to the stark scent of sanitizer. Jakhu blinked, though her eyelids felt heavy at the time. When she managed to open them, white light filled her gaze. She instinctively squinted her eyes. She felt trapped and weak. She tried flexing, but found that she could not move a muscle.

  Where am I? What is this? Jakhu thought when she had first awoken. She tried to remember the last thing that had happened to her. She recalled interacting with somebody, but who? What had she been doing? Ah yes, she remembered. She had been in combat. She was in a fight, that was it… but who had she been fighting?

  Jakhu suddenly shuddered as a memory flashed through her mind. By the Cheifdom, she thought, Kal Kopkoth. Jakhu could see her lifeless corpse fall to the floor. Kopkoth perished. She wondered how many others had died in whatever fight she had just come from.

  And suddenly she remembered it. Kho Veznek. He was our enemy. Eight of us fought to destroy him. And at last I battled Kal Ezenkharam. Yes, she was my adversary. We dueled. I subdued her. That was the last thing she could recall.

  The good news was, wherever Jakhu was now, she wasn’t dead. That much was obvious. Perhaps this was a prison or some interrogation room.

  Jakhu tried blinking a bit harder now, hoping that her eyes could adjust to the light. She
wanted to see anything at all. As the blinding light slowly subsided, the soldier was finally able to peek around her surroundings. She saw medical equipment and a row of beds lined across a long glossy floor. She instantly pieced it together: this was the medical wing. She was still aboard Fruitful Spring.

  They are allowing me to freely look around and I am not attached to the bed. That means I am not a prisoner, she realized.

  Jakhu tried sitting up. Her muscles ached all over, but after several seconds, she managed. Now upright in the bed, she could better make out her surroundings. To her surprise, Kho Evirak had the bed to her left. Last she had seen him, he chose to stay behind to fight off a hallway full of soldiers. She was stunned to see that he was still alive.

  A murmuring noise caused her to look to her right now. That bed belonged to a soldier she did not know. She assumed this was one of the many soldiers she had battled to get to the throne room. This Kholvari had both arms in a cast, as well as his two rear legs. She wondered which of her or her comrades had done this to him.

  Footsteps suddenly echoed from farther down the room. Jakhu looked up to see two healers swiftly approaching, both garbed in lab coats. She kept her eyes on them, wondering what they might do.

  “The readings were right. She appears to be awake,” one of the healers said.

  They stopped beside the foot of her bed. Jakhu instinctively stiffened up, nervously.

  “There is no need to take heed, Kal Jakhu,” the healer to the left said, motioning to her with her left claw. “All is well. Sit. Rest.”

  “What happened to me?” Jakhu asked, getting right to it. She was not in any mood to sit and rest, not while she knew so little of her current situation.

  “You were badly wounded in combat,” the other healer answered. “We were able to stabilize your wounds. You are now on the path to recovery.”

  “The path to recovery?” Jakhu repeated.

  “Indeed. You are rather fortunate. None of your injuries will endure long-term. Many of the others in this room were not graced with such a fate,” the first healer said.