by Linda Mooney
A smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. “What are you thinking?” she murmured in that tender voice he liked hearing.
“I’m thinking of how little I know about you.”
She snorted. Her breath caressed his lips. “Considering we’re two different species, that’s not unusual.” Her tone was teasing.
“I’m also anticipating learning all I can about you.” Rolling over, he scooped her into his arm and pulled her closer. Kelen threaded her fingers through his fur. It tickled and excited him. “It may take years. Or, after all that time, I may never learn all I wish to know about you. At least it will be a pleasant adventure.”
Her smile widened. “For both of us.”
*
Kyber opened his eyes. By the pale lights edging the wall, he could tell he was still inside the intersecting corridor.
Lifting his head, he glanced ahead of him. The Terran named Cooter sat cross-legged a few feet away. The man saw he was awake.
“How are you feeling?”
Kyber tried to sit up. His body protested and his head whirled. His stomach revolted, but he managed to keep himself from heaving. Reaching up, he touched his forehead and touched the wound at his temple.
“How long was I out?’
“I don’t know. An hour? I was leading the way when I heard a thud. Turned around and you were flat on the ground.” Cooter motioned toward him. “I took a closer gander at you while you were out. That’s a nasty-looking blaster hole in your back. The D’har’s doing?”
Kyber cast him a dubious eye. “Twice you’ve had the chance to do away with me, and twice you’ve chosen not to act on it. Why?”
“Why didn’t I kill you? Maybe I had a change of heart.”
“I’m having difficulty believing you’ve changed your pelt after what you did up in the temple.” Kyber rolled his head around his shoulders. Exhaustion continued to drain his strength. He needed extensive rest, more rest than a few meager hours snatched at random, but he couldn’t allow himself that luxury. Not when Kelen’s life was at risk.
“Yeah. Well, I don’t blame you.”
Kyber stared at the Terran, whose head was bowed. Regret filled the man’s voice. Before he could comment, Cooter continued.
“Bertriol was a good man. A good friend. And I have no one to blame but myself for that stupid stunt.” Cooter ran a hand over his face. Kyber studied the man’s posture. The man’s grief was real. He’d had enough time to think and reconsider his hatred for the Seneecians. He sat up straighter, and Cooter met him eye-to-eye. “This war between us is crazy.”
Stunned, Kyber nodded. “I have felt that way for some time. But there are those who thrive on warfare. Who want to keep the hatred blistering between us. There are the good of us, and there are the evil of us. In all species.”
“I’m beginning to believe that,” Cooter admitted. “You see, I’ve been watching you guys. Your D’har, he’s one mean SOB.”
“That is why I must challenge him. I must defeat him. If I don’t, the D’har will eventually dispose of every Terran. Our commander will have no compunction about torturing your people. Treating them as he feels they deserve.”
“You’re thinking of Kelen.”
Kyber sighed. “My worry is centered on her, yes.”
Cooter shook his head. “You can’t challenge him now. You’re too incapacitated.”
“I know I need to rest, but the longer I take to recuperate and regain my strength, the more damage he could do.” He glanced at the empty rifle lying across the man’s lap. “Do you have any more water?”
“No, but we’re not far from that cavern I told you about. There’s water there. And food. Think you can make it?”
“I believe I can. How far is it?”
“Not far. A couple hundred meters.”
Kyber struggled to stand. Cooter stood and handed him the rifle. “Here. Use this if you need to.”
Kyber waved away the offer.
The man snorted. “Stubborn cuss, aren’t you?”
“I can’t allow myself a crutch. Not even now,” Kyber confessed.
Cooter snorted. “Like I said, you’re a stubborn cuss.” Turning his back to him, the Terran continued down the corridor. Kyber managed to follow, but he needed to keep at least one hand against the wall to give him stability.
They exited into the intersecting tunnel’s absolute darkness after Cooter first checked to make sure the tunnel was empty. They kept their ears tuned for anything suspicious as they crept through the narrow passageway.
The going was slow. Every step was an effort. To help himself cope, he kept thoughts of Kelen at the forefront of his mind. The vision of her face fed him strength, and gave him the ability to keep himself focused.
“How you doing back there?” Cooter whispered from a few meters ahead.
“Still on my feet.”
“It’s getting lighter. Won’t be much farther. We’re almost there.”
Kyber paused. He hadn’t noticed the grayish light growing ahead of them. There’s water there. And food. And the chance to rest and recuperate. Spurred on, he picked up the pace.
The exit from the tunnel was larger than he expected, but it wasn’t the doorway that caught his attention. Limping past the carved arch, he was almost slack-jaw with surprise. A few meters away, Cooter chuckled.
“Told you it would knock you on your ass.”
Kyber stared at the cavern that was larger than the temple, larger than the gardens, larger than the chamber with the lakes. Thousands of meters above them, irregularly shaped windows were spaced in an incomprehensible formation. Sunshine poured through the solar glass, giving the place both light and warmth.
“Hey. Kyber.”
He tore his gaze from the room and looked over at where Cooter waved for him to join him.
“Food and water, remember? Rubbernecking comes later.”
Rubbernecking? Although the term was unfamiliar, he grasped the idea of what the man meant and followed after him.
The Terran led him to an area where a wall of capsule-shaped containers stood. Like the glyphs, the capsules, each roughly the size of a lifepod, were multi-colored. Conduits ran between them, and a larger set of pipes fed into a row of nearby bins and more bins off in the distance. Cooter walked up to one bluish container and slid his palm across the bottom. A drawer slid out. The man reached inside and extracted a handful of something. Giving the drawer a push, it eased back inside the capsule. Cooter walked back to where he stood beside a yellowish container.
“Here. Sit down before you fall down again.” He handed him several of the blue thumb-like fruits. Kyber accepted them and eased down to the floor to begin eating. A short time later, Cooter returned with a full bag of water, which he also shared. For the next few minutes they ate. Cooter made a second trip to the blue cylinder for more.
“Any idea what’s in those other pods?” Kyber asked.
“Nope. Haven’t had the chance to examine them.”
A glance around gave him hope. It was expansive enough to reveal anything creeping up to attack. “This is a good location,” Kyber noted.
“Until it gets dark, but those capsules give off enough light to see by. Kind of like those symbols in the short tunnels.” He took another bite, then stared at the fruit in his hand. “Is it me, or do these things taste like they’re at the end of their ripeness?”
“We don’t know how long they’ve been preserved inside those bins.”
Cooter snorted. “Hell, we don’t even know how they got into those bins.” The man kept watch, propping one arm on the butt of his rifle as he ate. “Hey, Kyber? Earlier, we were talking about this war between our planets.”
“Yes.”
The man continued to stand guard. “When I was growing up, all I heard about, all I was taught about in school was how ruthless and bloodthirsty Seneecians were. How they attacked and slaughtered without conscience.”
Kyber nodded. “We were taught the same thing about you. W
e were told you invaded our solar system and attacked our worlds, our colonized planets and moons. That is why we fought you. To save our species from being annihilated.”
Cooter shook his head. “It was never explained to you that our world was dying? That we were only looking for a new home?”
“No. I don’t think that was ever explained to us. All we saw was a race of humanoids attempting to take over. Women and children were slaughtered. People were killed indiscriminately.” Kyber wiped his hands on his thighs and noticed his fur was matted. Sweat-soaked. And he smelled. He remembered the bath in the apartment and made a promise to himself to take advantage of it the next time he could. His wounds needed a good cleansing.
“Do you think the truth about this mess was kept secret on purpose?” Cooter surmised.
“I would not doubt it,” Kyber acknowledged. “We’re both a warrior species. Many of us thrive in battle.” His shoulder twinged and he tried to ease into a better position, but the pain remained persistent. “I would not hesitate to believe our leaders used us for reasons we don’t understand, or weren’t supposed to know. Worse, the war will continue until one of us prevails.”
“Or we both perish,” Cooter murmured. The man suddenly stiffened, alerting Kyber. He held up a hand to stay the Seneecian from talking. His gaze was riveted on the tunnel entrance they’d used.
Kyber got into a crouching position and carefully lifted his head to peer over the container. Cooter hunched down next to him.
“What do you see?”
The Terran gave a little shrug. “Movement.”
They waited, tensing. Kyber extended his claws in preparation. Cooter noticed them.
“I don’t suppose you got an extra set of those?”
Kyber eyed the man’s empty rifle. “At least they don’t run out of power.”
“Not unless you’re dead.”
A sound came from up ahead. Both men froze, waiting. A voice floated over to them.
“My God, Dox, do you know what any of this stuff does?”
That voice. Beside him, he heard Cooter softly swear in surprise as Kyber’s heart flipped in his chest. Unaware of his actions, the Seneecian stood, revealing his presence.
Less than fifty meters away, two figures froze. Then one of them took a step in his direction.
“Kyber? Kyber, is it you?”
“Kelen.”
She raced toward him, throwing herself into his arms, and the world suddenly became brighter.
Chapter 25
Farm
His soul soaked up her presence, filling him with hope and happiness. Kelen was well and with him. And all the fears he’d allowed himself to imagine, knowing the D’har and the man’s intentions, melted in the warmth of her embrace.
It took great willpower to pull her away so he could look at her. Examine her for signs of Plat’s abuse as he prayed he wouldn’t find any. A cloud of anger roiled in his mind when he spotted the marks on her pale flesh.
“What did he do to you?” he half-demanded with a soft growl.
Kelen grasped his arms and looked him directly in the eyes. “Nothing. He tried, but Dox snuck up behind him and knocked him out before he could succeed.” She placed a hand to his cheek. Her eyes narrowed. “You look terrible. How—”
She suddenly noticed Cooter standing nearby. Immediately, she placed herself in front of Kyber, shielding him with herself. The man realized what she was thinking and dropped the rifle to the floor before raising his hands.
“King’s X, Chambliss! No need to go nova on my ass. I’m good.”
She glanced at Kyber, who slowly nodded.
“We have made peace. At least for the time being.” He shot Cooter a hesitant look. He wanted to believe the man, but it would take a lot more than the Terran’s word before he could fully trust him again.
Studying her more closely, he barely placed a fingertip along the puffy bruise along her cheek and jawline. The purplish-black mark looked painful. Tenderly, he brushed a length of hair away from her face as he tried to contain his growing anger.
“The D’har did this to you?”
“He wanted to dance. I told him no.” She tried to smile, but it changed into a wince. “I’ll be fine, Kyber. I’m a little bunged-up, but I’ll be okay. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure the D’har is going to wake up with one asteroid-sized headache.”
“He will take out his hatred on you when he finds you,” Kyber murmured.
She snorted. “No shit, but he has to find me first.”
“Are you hungry?”
“God, yes. Got anything?”
Kyber handed her the couple of thumb fruits he had left. She eagerly took them and ate.
“Where’d you get these? Dox will need…” Kelen glanced around, looking for the little man. Not spotting him, she called out, “Dox? Where are you?”
“Here!” The voice sounded nearby but almost indistinct. Muffled, as if the chamber was one giant sound dampener.
Cooter nudged her arm and handed her his water bag, which she accepted with thanks. Kyber continued to scan the room for sign of the engineer.
“This place is unbelievable,” she noted. “It’s nothing like any farm I’ve ever seen.”
“Farm?” Kyber turned his attention back to her. “Why do you call it a farm?”
“That’s what Dox says it is. He read some glowing glyphs… Kyber, we discovered a whole system of interconnecting corridors between the three main tunnels we already knew about.”
“I know. I, too, discovered them by accident.” He nodded in Cooter’s direction. “That’s how I found him. Or rather, how he found me. Kelen, you also need to be aware of another species of creatures we came in contact with.”
“More?”
“They’re not like the eye worms,” Cooter informed her. “They’re flat, and they blend in perfectly with the rocks. If you step on them, they’ll attack immediately. They have dozens of little legs that allow them to scuttle around. They also make clicking sounds. The faster they move, the faster the clicks. Once you hear it, you’ll recognize it. As long as you don’t step on them first, you can hear them coming and make a run for it.”
The nearly silent sound of footsteps alerted them. It was Dox, joining up. In his hands he held a mound of dark pink items. He popped one into his mouth and chewed.
Kelen sighed, and Kyber understood why. All of Sandow’s concerns about not eating or drinking anything until it had been scanned first for safety never appeared to phase the little man.
“What are those?” Kelen asked.
“Crackers,” was the simple reply.
For the first time, Kyber realized Dox was naked from the waist up. He peered at the shirt Kelen wore, noting that although it was a bit too small for her, it provided adequate covering. Kelen noticed his scrutiny.
“Yes, your D’har ripped my shirt, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Are you injured, other than your face?”
“I have some scratches on my chest, but nothing that won’t heal quickly. Hey, Dox? Let me try one of those pink crackers.” She gestured for the little man to come closer and took one from his hand. It was the size of a thumbnail. Not long, or round, or flat, but it had sides.
“It’s shaped like a nonagon.” Kelen held it between her thumb and forefinger, then put it in her mouth and chewed. “A little crunchy. Not bad overall. I give it a six out of ten.”
“Let me try one, Dox,” Cooter asked. Kyber also took a pink cracker and ate it. Like the blue fruit and yellow oatmeal, it was basically tasteless.
“Where did you find these, Dox?” Kelen asked.
The little man pointed to an area behind them where more cylinders were located. “Over there.”
The action reminded Kyber of something Cooter had told him. “Did you tell me there was an auxiliary portal to the garden from here?”
The Terran grinned. “Yeah. This way.” He took off in another direction with the others in tow.
They threaded their way between unrecognizable objects, some of which hummed or showed other signs that they were working or in use. Kelen placed a hand on the side of one unidentifiable monolith.
“It’s warm. I wonder what it does.”
“They all look like slabs of rock to me,” Cooter commented. “That doorway I told you about is right up here.”
He led them to a small dais which sat approximately a foot above the ground floor. Like everything else around them, it appeared to be no more than a piece of carved rock, two-by-four meters in length and width. Kyber gave Cooter a quizzical look.
“This is the doorway?”
“Yeah. The way I discovered it was I thought I heard something, and stood on it to get a better look around. Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by trees. Go ahead.” He gestured at Kyber. “Try it.”
“How did you get back to here?” Kyber asked.
“Step off, then get back on. I guess it’s programmed for an auto return.”
Kyber felt Kelen’s hand on his arm. She was hesitant for him to try it. A quick glance at her worried expression confirmed what he was feeling. She didn’t quite trust the man, either.
He opened his mouth to suggest Cooter subject himself to the teleportation device, when Dox dashed in front of them and jumped onto the dais. The redheaded figure lifted his face toward the ceiling…
…and was gone.
“Dox!”
Kelen shrieked and bolted for the platform, but Kyber managed to snag her by the arm to prevent her from following. Cooter held out a hand to stay her.
“He’s okay! Just watch and wait.”
They continued to stare at the empty platform as the seconds ticked by. At one point, Kyber tilted his head to listen.
“What? Do you hear something?” Kelen whispered.
He frowned. “I thought I heard movement, but this place soaks up sound like a vacuum.”
Then, as suddenly as he’d disappeared, Dox popped back into view. A big grin split his face. “That was fun! Go again!”
He stepped off the dais, then Kyber reached over and grabbed him by the wrist. “Not yet. Not until you answer a couple of questions. What did you see, Dox? Did you find the garden?”
