Planets Falling

by James G. Scotson

  The Fuerst approaches our building and hovers above us. The door opens and we climb into the ship. “Welcome friends,” Etch exclaims jubilantly. “We must go. More FRT dogs will be here soon.”

  “To where?” Bets asks.

  “Yellow Stone.”

  The Fuerst flanked by the Raven rises above the city and the moon shrinks. And then I see earth for the first time. It is absolutely breathtaking in its dizzying variations of white, green, brown, and blue. I know that I must place it in my care at any cost.

  As we descend toward the planet, I crouch down next to Etch in his pilot’s chair. “Thank you.”

  “For what, my dear one?”

  “You helped my knock out the drones.”

  He looks confused – or at least that’s my interpretation of the expression on his insect face. He tilts his head. “Drones? I provided you with directions to the tower telepathically. But I did not tell you about how to defeat the drones.”

  “Then who was that talking in my head?”

  “Mysteries never cease Amy Marksman. This makes the fight worth fighting do you not think?”

  Chapter 60: Yellow Stone

  The Fuerst skims through the air. The Raven trails behind us like a puppy following an older dog through the yard. The sky’s clear and the mountains extend forever. We glide past a sharp, snow-dusted mountain peak.

  “There it is.” Etch is eating something that looks like an enormous pickled spider.

  Below us stretches a huge, orange-yellow lake, tendrils of steam rising from tiny, angry white caps. It’s impossible for me to gauge its size from our perch in the sky. The lake’s encircled by a wall of crumbled rock, as if it is tucked away in a giant pie crust.

  “The lake is in the crater of a recent magma bubble. Look closer Amy.”

  Etch drops the Fuerst lower and I can now see the waves and steam clearly. Between the humps of swirling water and sea foam, I see something else, difficult to process, but very real. There are stars in the bottom of the lake.

  “A good pilot will be able to navigate the waves and find passage to many places.” Etch grins. “It is something to behold is it not?”

  “How to navigate it, though? It seems so complex.”

  Etch points to his head and then points to my forehead. “You know you can do it Amy Marksman. This is what you were born to do.”

  The Fuerst and Raven proceed to the north bank of the great lake. On the edge is a large village with lumbering stone walls. At turrets along the walls, men and women with a mix of leather armor and Institute-issue clothes point at us. They carry swords and staffs – no rifles or other weapons are apparent. There’s no telling how long the Phobos has been in contact with them. But obviously some trade has occurred. I hope that they don’t have stronger weapons at their disposal.

  Etch lands the Fuerst at a cozy clearing on the edge of the walled town. The Raven sets down nearby. A group of villagers approaches the ships as we climb down. I recognize one of the men in the lead – Wenn. He’s smiling and waving at us. I look at Theo nervously, while Theo rushes forward and embraces his friend as if nothing happened between him and me.

  “Well, I’m thankful to see you.” Wenn hugs me tightly. “We were afraid that you were FRT ships. Captain Leo warned us that they’d come and destroy us. They want the portal – the lake - to themselves.”

  Etch and Minns introduce themselves as we walk toward the city’s main gate. An odd looking metal fence with a yellowish hue surrounds the entire stoned edifice.

  “What’s this?” I ask.

  “Fromer had us build it. It keeps the things from the fog from getting into the town. We use the same material in our weapons. He pats his scabbard. So far, the fence seems to work for the town. No more ghouls or ghosts roaming the streets at night. The open coast - well that’s another story.” His face goes dark, briefly revealing the Wenn we saw at the lodge. “No one travels alone out there during the night. You won’t come back, alive that is.”

  “Eliza?” I gaze at him hopefully.

  His face falls into darkness again. “No. We need to talk. But first, let’s get you comfortable and safe. Did you all see Leo?”

  We exchange worried glances. Etch speaks. “Leo tells us to give you his best. We are in command for now until Institute reinforcements arrive.”

  Wenn nods in approval.

  Yellow Stone is a city built for battle. An inner wooden wall protects the tiny houses. Strange weapons that Wenn calls catapults face the outer cobbled walls. The smell of grilling meat permeates the sulfuric stench wafting off the lake. I wrinkle my nose. “You get used to the smell,” Wenn laughs.

  We settle into our modest dwelling near the central city square. A life-sized, bronzed statue of Fromer stands among newly blossomed daisies and black-eyed wildflowers. I groan in disbelief. Etch chuckles.

  Wenn has arranged a feast for us. Etch eats heartily, while the rest of us pick at our meal. Theo sets down a mug of grape wine and wipes purple froth from his mouth. “Wenn, you must tell us how you arrived here.”

  “I expected you to ask. I thought I’d better get a few pints in me before telling my story. The day after leaving camp, I knew I’d made a mistake. I’m man enough to admit it. I slipped down the hill and picked up Thresh’s trail. Not such a hard task given how sloppy she and her beasts be. The weather got worse and I thought I’d surely perish from exposure. However, I managed to find a small empty town, where I hunkered down and waited out the storm.”

  I rise and pour him another glass from a cask. He touches my rear – not so subtly. This time, Theo notices.

  “Thanks Amy, my dear. Once the snow cleared, I started tracking again. Figured the weather would slow the woman as much as me. Sure enough, I picked up a fresh trail fairly quickly. Then, I found the village. Twas awful, it was.” His eyes grow vacant.

  “This village was not like the one I’d just been in, which appeared to be abandoned on the peoples’ own accord. Instead, this village experienced the wrath of that demon. She killed everyone in the town and impaled them on sticks.” He grows quiet.

  Bets is enthralled and appalled. “Why’d she do something so – unthinkable?”

  Wenn gulps his ale. “To scare us, I suppose. Or maybe just because she could. It gets worse. She revived them with that damned fog. They were dead but conscious on the spikes. They pleaded for help from me. There were hundreds of them. Children too. They wanted me to help them down and let them go.”

  I realize that Eliza probably witnessed this horror, making me want to gouge me eardrums out. Anything would be better than hearing this story. If I ever do rescue my girl, will I be able to save her soul? I find it strange that Wenn betrays no concern for our daughter in his story. It’s all about Thresh.

  Bets squints. “So, what’d you do, Wenn?”

  “I spent the day being merciful. That’s all I’ll say. I was too shaken to rest so I continued tracking Thresh. I found them the next day as the snow started turning to rain and mud – again. Excuse me.” He leaves to relieve himself.

  Minns holds Bets hand. “Holy shit. Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

  I wipe away a tear. “Yes, I do.”

  Theo gently puts his hand on my arm. “So, he didn’t find Eliza. What do you think happened?”

  “Let’s find out.” I’m shaking.

  Wenn steps back into the hall and slumps into his chair, which creaks in protest with his drunken weight. “So, here I am on the outskirts of Thresh’s camp. The mud was doing a number on them. The grubs were nowhere to be seen – I reckon the water washes them away and they can’t reform until the weather dries up. Thresh had a small army of dead men – likely villagers from back there – setting up a couple of canvas tents. She had about ten horses, several cattle, and a few living men with her. The one called Jonah was slogging in the mud barking orders and Thresh was cursing up a storm. She was concerned about making dry space for Eliza.” His voice cracks at our daughter’s name.

>   “So you saw her?” I ask desperately.

  “No, I didn’t.” He takes another large draught from his tankard. “I was discovered. Barely escaped with my life.” And his story ends abruptly.

  “How’d you escape?” Bets is disappointed.

  “Three of Thresh’s soldiers saw me and pursued. The mud was pretty thick and deep. They fell into a swollen stream and were washed downhill. I managed to shimmy to an outcropping and wait the weather out. Once the rain stopped, I started climbing back up the mountain. I found a path and eventually made it back here.”

  “That’s it?” I plead. “You could’ve come back to us at the lodge and told us where Thresh was. We may have been able to track and pursue her once the Fuerst arrived.

  “Amy, we know where she is. She arrived here a couple of weeks after me. Since then, she’s been camped out on the west side of the lake and her numbers are growing. Each day, more of that infernal fog seeps out and makes all kinds of beasts. If it weren’t for our weapons and the fence, Yellow Stone would be wiped from the map.”

  My latent anger at Wenn solidifies. “You mean to tell me that our daughter is merely on the other side of the lake and you haven’t rescued her? You have Fromer’s weapons here, seasoned troops, even an Institute starship and you haven’t tried to get Eliza? What’s the matter with you?”

  Wenn’s incensed. “Amy, who do you think you are? Are you willing to risk the safety of all the people in this town, the last defense against those things in the bottom of lake, for your selfish needs?”

  “My needs, Wenn? She’s our daughter. And from what everyone seems to think, she may be the future gatekeeper for this place, whatever that means. The girl’s got my abilities. If Thresh harnesses them, it could be disastrous for all of us, including this precious town and most importantly, you.”

  Wenn stands unsteadily, his face fiery red. He throws his chair to the floor and storms out. Theo sighs. “Well, Sprouter, you’ve certainly made him pissy.”

  I turn to Theo coldly. “And you Theo. You are Eliza’s godfather. There’s responsibility in that. Why are you standing up for that coward? We need to go now. Thresh must be stopped before it’s too late.”

  Etch’s throat rumbles. “Amy Marksman. Do not lose your perspective here. I agree that the man Wenn should have worked with us to rescue your daughter. However, we must not attack Thresh in haste. We have to make preparations to destroy her and to rescue your daughter.”

  I’m not happy with Etch either. I leave them at the table, stumbling into the dark town square. Fromer’s cold, lifeless statue stares at me blankly, mocking me. Wenn was right about one thing – the smell of the lake has lessened. I throw a stone at the fake Fromer and walk down one of the shadowy streets. I pass warmly lit windows seeing families do what they’ve been unable to do in so many other places- gather, eat, and laugh. It’s odd that this village is intact so close to danger, while those hundreds of miles away have succumbed to the disease oozing from this forsaken lake water.

  I find steps along the wall and climb, discovering that I’ve approached a turret. The night watchman there looks at me curiously. “What’re you doing here stranger?”

  “Just getting some fresh air.”

  He tells me to walk to the west wall, saying that a constant breeze from a nearby mountain pass is delicious. He swears it picks up all the scents of the spring wildflowers and concentrates them in a sustained blast of fragrance. I walk to the spot and am transported to another place and time. I close my eyes and see the gardens of home. They’re overgrown with weeds and wildflowers and more beautiful than ever. Birds flit through the trees and my trees are full of blossoms.

  “The green ones you played with in the garden are an alien species called the xyn.” Fromer’s voice startles me back to reality.

  “Fromer. Where the hell did you come from?”

  “This lake is my portal, too. Did you think I can just wink in and out of earth at will? Doesn’t work that way. I need a pathway. Portals like these are littered throughout the universe, if you know where to look. People like humans, naurons, and zenatans trampled the natural portals with pollution and wanton destruction. Technology helped them but it doesn’t have to. Earth’s recovered from humanity for now.”

  “So, the green beings are real and not in my imagination?”

  “Of course, they’re real. The xyn have long known about the relationship between the natural world, living things, and portals. A few of them decided to pay you and your ancestors regular visits. Let’s just say they’re rooting for you.”

  “How’d you know I was thinking of the garden?”

  “You weren’t just thinking about it. You were there for a moment. You’re able to use the living growing things on this planet like a communications network. This is the reason you’re a natural pilot. You can travel all around. Etch is not nearly as good as you are. But he’s catching on. Melat was a natural like you. But someone beyond the universe exposed a weakness in her and exploited it. Interestingly, Thresh has a similar weakness.” Fromer shrugs.

  I want to be angry at Fromer - blame him for this condition. But I can’t seem to keep the flame burning in my gut. It seems I’ve used up all my energy on Wenn and the others. “Fromer, are you going to keep manipulating us?”

  He seems genuinely surprised. “What do you mean Amy? I have done no such thing. As I’ve said before, I cannot interfere in your affairs.”

  “Are you kidding me, Fromer? Look at this place. It’s fortified with tools that you’ve given them. You brought Wenn and father to them when they needed help.”

  Fromer smiles mischievously. “The watchkeeper has to wind the clock occasionally or it will stop. That doesn’t mean he controls the passage of time. Amy, you have and always will have free will. I can’t tell you, of all people, what to do.”

  I rush him, my face in his chest. I stand on my toes and stare at his angular face. My anger’s back. “What freedom do I have when you keep manipulating the playing board? I feel like a chess player responding to each of your moves.”

  “Well, I must confess. This may be somewhat true. I’m happy to know that you are an accomplished player.”

  “Do we kill Thresh and get Eliza back?”

  “I can’t tell you that. Honestly, I don’t know. Each time I move into the future, it changes. The past is firm. The path ahead - it wiggles and jumps.”

  “If I become the – what do you call it – gatekeeper, will I be able to move through time?”

  “No. To do that, you must completely abandon your attachment to this reality. You would lose your ability to be a part of your world – you’d be unattached, like me and the dead.”

  “So, you are a ghost.”

  “Not yet, thankfully. However, I can only stick around for a short while before I begin to fade away, back into the ether. I belong in there and what lies beyond.” He gestures to the lake.

  “Will I be able to see the dead?”

  “Yes, Amy. You’re mother is eager to see you.”

  I feel cold, thinking of her death.

  “I bid you good luck, Amy Marksman. You mother will be very proud of you when you meet.” He turns and bounds along the wall. He jumps over, falling an impossible height. I run, looking over the railing. He’s vanished in the mist hanging from the lake below.

  I must have been a little drunk because I have a wicked headache and really want water. I walk cautiously back to my room in the darkness. There are a few lamps in the streets, but they are unable to penetrate the strange absence of light here at night. I wonder whether the lake is sucking the errant evening light into it – a giant vacuum for the energy around us.

  I fetch a drink and lay back on my bed. I’m drifting off to sleep when Wenn stumbles in. “Amy, wake up. We’ve got to talk.”

  “I’m not sleeping, Wenn. We can talk when you sober up.”

  “Now. Not later. How dare you embarrass me in front of everyone? You think I’m a coward. But look at this place.
The people here consider me their leader. They need me.”

  I’m exhausted and want this stranger to leave. “Wenn, I don’t know who you are anymore. You left the village a sweet man. Now, you are selfish and, worse, self-important. I’m done with you.”

  “Wife. You dare not speak to your husband that way.” He walks toward me with his hand raised.

  I should feel fear, but nothing but pity and disappointment well up. Wenn strikes me across the face and my mind reaches out finding Etch nearby. He hits me again and again, although I float above the pain. Finally, Etch and Theo bound through the door, knocking Wenn on the floor.

  Theo holds my face, “Are you alright?”

  Wenn stands, slurring, “I knew it. Theo, you’ve stolen her from me. Amy, he’s wanted you all his life. Once I’ve turned my back, at no fault of mine, you leap.” He lunges at Theo but Etch holds him back effortlessly.

  “Wenn, you have made an enemy of me tonight. This is not to be taken lightly. If you touch Amy Marksman again, I will tear you into pieces.”

  Etch releases my husband who scurries out the door into the suffocating darkness outside.

  “Thanks you two,” I sigh. “I don’t know who he is anymore. What are we going to do? We need him to convince the villagers to help us defeat Thresh and defend this place from the outsiders.”

  “I guess we’ll be evicted from Yellow Stone in the morning.” Theo dabs my bloody lip with a cloth. “Any ideas ‘bout what we ought to do?”

  Etch rubs his chin. “I think that I should pay Wenn another visit.” He leaves, with Theo and I looking perplexed and a little concerned.

  “What do you think Etch’s got in mind?” Theo asks.

  “I don’t know, but please lie down with me.”

  As we rest listening to our breathing and the gentle lapping of the lake on its shore, we jump slightly at the sound of the Fuerst lifting off. “There goes Etch and Wenn,” I surmise as I drift into slumber.