"We can't. The epis only grows because of something the zemlja do to the soil," I say.
"And whatever the hell all that means," Amara says. "Fix it."
I look at Jolie feeling desperate and wanting nothing more than to just leave. Ladon steps just in front of me and I can feel the anger pulsing from him. He may not be able to understand the conversation but he is getting the tone of their words and it's not sitting well with him.
"It's not that easy," Jolie repeats.
"I don't give a damn about easy!" Amara yells, her face turning red with anger. The others with her murmur their assent and support of her. "It's your job to fix it, so fix it! I don't want to be stuck on this second ring of hell for the rest of my life! We'll be rescued and I want to be able to go to some place, any place that isn't here."
"Amara, enough," Rosalind says.
Rosalind doesn't raise her voice but Amara's mouth snaps shut. Rosalind has that affect on people. Charisma, fear, or just good leadership. Whatever it is people listen to her, even Amara.
I want to either run or tell them yes I will fix it but I can't do either and I know it. The Zmaj tried for years and only succeeded in finding ways to keep the harvest fresh. I can't even do that yet. Epis was the major export of the planet before the wars and the devastation. Considering this galaxy was probed by our people and found to be unworthy of settling and containing no advanced civilizations that knowledge is probably lost. The planets of people who depended on it have probably died when the supply was cut off.
Rosalind walks up to Ladon and meets his eyes. They stare at each other in silence for a long moment and then he steps aside with a nod. She then walks up to me and takes my hands. When I meet her gaze there is a strength and reassurance that flows from her to me.
"Do what you can," she says. "Everyone will have to make their choice and roll the dice."
"Okay," I say softly. "We'll do our best."
***Two Days Later***
"I should go alone," he says for the millionth time looking up from sharpening his lochaber.
"We've discussed that," I repeat myself again.
He returns to his work. "You stay behind then," he says after a few moments.
"No! I'm not going to sit here worrying if you're coming back."
"I will worry about you," he says, shaking his head. "I'll be fine on my own."
"I'm sure you will but the answer is still no. I'm here now, we're together, we'll do it together."
He sighs and then stands up putting the lochaber in its holder at his side. He smiles and I return it then he holds out his hand and we walk out to meet the others.
"Are there others like you?" I ask on impulse.
The question has been on my mind for a while but I've been hesitant to bring it up. I've done what reading I can in the library but with the work details and helping to make sure the others are settling in and not doing stupid things there's been little time. He hisses softly, a sound I've come to recognize he makes when he's unsure what to say.
"Yes," he says at last.
"Where?" I ask excitement growing.
"Other cities," he says.
"Are there… women?"
"No," he says. "Only a handful of males survived the devastation."
I don't know what to say to that. We walk a ways in silence while I chew on the information. As we get close to the doors outside where we're going to meet the others he stops and turns to me, taking both my hands.
"They're dangerous. If they see the females, they'll steal them. You are a great treasure, they will want you and those like you for themselves."
"What do you mean?" I ask, fear blossoming in me at the weight of his words.
"There is little of beauty left on Tajss. It was all destroyed in the devastation, marred by our arrogance and stupidity. If others see you or those like you…" he trails off, running the fingers of his right hand along my jaw.
"They'll kidnap them?"
He nods.
"Like you did me?" I laugh but his eyes widen with surprise.
"No!"
"I'm kidding," I say. "I understand. We'll have to figure that out. Warn them I guess, make sure they stay close to the city."
He nods then we walk out into the bright sun and find the others waiting for us by the statue in the town central. Rosalind stands in front of them still dressed in her whites which are immaculate as always. It must be magic that allows her to be so perfect. Never a hair out of place and not a smudge to be seen. Three men are with her including Gershom. I roll my eyes seeing him. He's such an ass. He has a rifle on his hip and his graying hair is tucked under some kind of rag. He looks around imperiously like he's the one in charge and for reasons beyond me the other two men seem to defer to him.
"Ready?" I ask Rosalind, pointedly ignoring Gershom.
"Yes," she says.
She's armed not only with a rifle but also has a sword strapped to her side. I smile and point at it. "Coming prepared?"
"Better than not," she replies nodding at Ladon's lochaber.
We walk to the cavern where Ladon took me before. Butterflies dance in my stomach as we travel across the red sand. Last time Ladon was seriously injured trying to harvest the epis. Sure we have an entire team with us now but I've seen what can happen and I'm worried.
No one talks as we walk. I made sure they all saw the videos and have some idea of the challenges we will face. We have to succeed. The survival of our group depends on it. The opening to the cave approaches fast and as I see it looming before us my heart beats faster. I tighten my grip on Ladon's arm and he places his hand over mine. He smiles and it reassures me even though I know the situation hasn't changed. His confidence bolsters me.
We stop outside the entrance and everyone gathers around Ladon. He looks around and frowns.
"Tell them to be quiet, zemlja hunt by sound," he says to me so I translate for him.
Everyone nods then we head into the quiet of the cavern. It's exactly as I remember. As the darkness engulfs us each person lights a torch which cuts through the darkness.
"Damn," Gershom says softly.
Rosalind takes him by the shoulder and turns him towards her. She puts a finger across her lips and shakes her head. Gershom looks pissed but he shuts up which is all I care about. Ladon watches the exchange without speaking before moving forward in a crouch leading the way to the pinch point we have to pass through to get where the epis grows. He disappears into the darkness where I can't see him. He and Rosalind insisted I stay in the middle of the group since I have the least experience with weapons and fighting.
"Ow, shit!" someone behinds me yells and the sound echoes off the stone walls.
Others makes shush noises but it's too late. The air is filled with the sound of leathery wings as sismis wake from their daytime slumber and attack. As I crouch down to make a smaller target the others around me begin randomly firing their weapons and screaming.
"Stop!" I yell but they don't hear me over the noise.
Someone screams and I hear a body hit the floor but can't see who it was. This only aggravates the others more and they shoot faster and scream more. I've got one hand on the ground through which I feel the rumble. This is going to be bad. Standing up I run into the pinch point hoping to be clear of where the zemlja will be coming through.
"RUN!" I yell. "Disperse! It's coming damn it!"
Gershom turns and looks at me just as the ground explodes and the zemlja bursts up. It's big, much bigger than the one Ladon fought before. It dominates the space of the cavern filling it to capacity. My people are knocked away and slam into the outer walls. The shooting stops as they lose control of their weapons.
My stomach is a tight knot as I back my way deeper into the crevasse trying to get to Ladon and Rosalind. Anywhere that is away from that thing. It whips back and forth seeking food, prey, or just to cause destruction. It's massive maw opens then snaps shut over and over. Cold sweat runs through me just like the chills of fear that ra
ce through my limbs. A hand touches me and I scream involuntarily.
"Calista!" Ladon yells.
His hand is on my shoulder then he somehow leaps in front of me out of the crevasse and lands in front of the zemlja. A few of the humans are stirring. They grab their weapons and are trying to bring them to bear but there's barely room. The monster is filling so much of the space they can't get an aim on it. Ladon brandishes his lochaber and stabs at the monster pulling its attention to him. He dances out of my view from the crevasse and at the same time he moves aside, Rosalind leaps over me.
"Stay there," she orders, stepping out with her own weapon drawn.
She stabs at the zemlja then dances to the opposite side from where Ladon disappeared. I can't not help so I scoot forward. I have a pistol on my side so I pull it and take careful aim. I'm about to pull the trigger when someone moves in front of me and I can't shoot because I'm too afraid I might hit them. I crawl closer to the edge of the opening keeping myself low. The zemlja makes a sound that causes the entire cavern to vibrate then it sounds like it's choking. It whips around in a circle then a glob of slimy spit flies out of its maw and lands on one of its attackers.
It's hit one of the men and they scream. A pitch so high and so horrifying that it makes my skin crawl as he literally melts in front of my eyes. I scream too unable to contain it. I'm far enough forward now I can see that Ladon and Rosalind are on opposite sides of the monster. They dance in and out stabbing the thing with careful upwards thrusts that slide between the protective plates. The zemlja rises up higher until it hits the ceiling then it retreats pulling down into the ground.
Everyone is staring at the hole it left behind waiting to see what happens next. I'm afraid to even breathe in the silence that dominates the space. Ladon is in a crouch with his weapon in front of him and Rosalind could be a mirror of his pose on the opposite side. Minus the tail of course.
A minute, then two passes. Those who were thrown against the wall work their way back to their feet then walk over and look down the hole. Ladon and Rosalind hold their positions ready to spring into action. At last they seem satisfied that it's safe for the moment and as one they stand up. Rosalind looks at the survivors.
"Who shot first?" she asks. No one meets her gaze and at last she shakes her head and turns back to Ladon. "Let's finish before someone else does something stupid."
Ladon nods. He leads the way through the crevasse to the other side. The soft blue glow of epis lights the room. It's every bit as beautiful as I remember it being the last time. Several people gasp and stop to admire the beauty then we get to work. We collect the life giving plant and get out without further incident.
The walk back is done in silence. On the journey here fear and trepidation ruled, now going home we've lost another of our own and the mood is palpable. When at last we reach the city those that stayed behind are gathered and waiting. Rosalind steps to the front of the group and climbs up on the fountain. The crowd circles around and she lets them push in close. I watch her, so easily in control. I want to go hide somewhere myself. Too many people too close, pushing in, looking for answers.
"We have the epis," she says, her voice carrying easily to them all. "Now it is your choice. As you've been told, if you take this, you will never be able to leave this planet."
"What if rescue comes?" someone asks.
"It won't matter," she says. "You'll be stuck here."
"I'm not doing that!"
"We don't have a choice!"
"I want off this Vulcan hell hole!"
She lets them shout and debate until a desperate edge creeps into their voices.
"Listen!" she says but they don't quiet. "LISTEN!"
Everyone goes silent turning their attention to her.
"Good. It's your choice. You have to make it. The epis will adjust your body so you can survive here. It will extend your life as well. In trade, you can't leave. So make your choice. Our harvest won't last long."
She climbs down and people line up or walk away. Those who line up take the epis and the rest go to their homes.
22 CALISTA
There is so much to do! Now that the city has at least a minimum of power running through it we're all busy with investigating and searching. Ladon and I spend most of our days apart but every night we come home to each other. He cares so much and is so protective. He hates being apart during the day but his attention is needed to supervise the teams exploring the city.
Some of mine and Jolie's work was salvaged from the wreckage of our crashed ship. She and I are working to see if we can adjust any of the seeds to grow in this harsher environment. Food is our biggest problem ranking right next to safety from the monsters that roam the landscape.
Yesterday a pack of guster entered the city proper and two people lost their lives before they could find shelter. A team of the engineers are working on the forcefield we've seen the city had in the drone videos from before the devastation. If we can get that working then at least there will be somewhere we can be safe.
"You know," Jolie says. "This place really looks like Gallifrey."
A random wave of nausea passes over me and I'm suddenly feeling chill. My stomach cramps and the urge to vomit is so strong that bile rises into my throat.
Jolie mistakes my discomfort for confusion. "Gallifrey, especially if we get the dome working," she says laughing.
"I kn-" the words I was going to say are cut off by another wave of nausea then I'm running for a bucket.
I get sick, violently so, my stomach feels like it's trying to squeeze out everything I ate in my entire life. Jolie races over and holds my hair back for me. Once I'm done I feel better, like nothing at all is wrong. I stand up and wipe the cold sweat from my brow. Jolie hands me some napkins and I clean myself up.
"Are you okay?" she asks.
"Uh, yeah, random that," I say. "Maybe something I ate."
Jolie looks me up and down frowning. Her eyes land on my stomach and she frowns more.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing," she says turning away. "So yeah, Gallifrey, you know Doctor Who?"
"You're not getting off that easy, what?"
"Nothing, seriously," she says.
"It's not nothing and it's not Doctor Who. What is it?"
"Well, it's just…" she trails off and her shoulders slump as she gives in to my demands. "Have you put on some weight?"
"What? No! I mean, no!"
I'm flustered at her comment. It's certainly not what I expected to come out of her mouth. My hands go to my stomach and as I touch it I flatten them out.
"Maybe I'm a little bloated," I say.
"Uh huh," she says, not taking her attention off the microscope she's looking through.
"Okay, give, what?" I ask again.
"It's just… look I'm just asking but when did you last have your period?"
"My what? Uhm," I have to think back. "Before the crash."
"Which was almost a month ago by ship time," she says.
"No, that can't be, I mean, it's just stress right? All the stress of living here, surviving, pressure can do that to a girl."
"Sure, it could be," she agrees. "Do you think that's all it is?"
"It has to be! I mean the only guy I've been with is Ladon and…" I trail off.
We've never used any kind of protection. Our diets on the ship let us control pregnancy without thinking about it. When you were ready to have children you took a pill to counteract the chemicals in our diet. It was so easy I never even thought about not having that diet any longer.
"Uh-huh," Jolie says smiling.
"Oh my god," I say, my voice dropping to a whisper.
Everything spins around me then a wave of nausea is chased by dizziness. Grabbing onto the chair next to me I plop down. Jolie runs close and takes both of my hands in hers. She beams at me and nods her head.
"Yes! This is so exciting!"
"No, it's not," I say as fear threatens to overwhelm me. "I don't know… what
if… how does his race…"
"Bah! We'll figure it out. You're brilliant and so am I. Cross that bridge when we get there."
"Easy for you to say," my voice is barely above a whisper.
I cross my arms over my belly and stare. Can this be? I mean, it has to be right? Tears well up in my eyes but then I'm happier than I've ever been. I don't know if I'm going to laugh or cry. Jolie pulls me into a tight hug.
"It's fine," she says softly. "We got this."
Breathing in deeply I nod and then straighten myself.
"Yeah, it's just, scary you know?"
"Yeah, sure, but it's fine. We got this. Besides, he dotes on you! Hell I'm jealous. I want a guy who looks at me like he does you."
"Yeah, he does doesn't he?" I say, feeling better.
"Hell yes! He's over the moon for you and you know it. You see the way his eyes light up as soon as he sees you?"
I smile knowing exactly what she's talking about.
"I've got to tell him!" I say excitedly.
"Yes you do!" she says just as excited as I am.
I hug her once more and then I run off to find Ladon. It's only mid-afternoon and it takes a while to find him. When I do track him down I find him on top of one of the tall buildings looking out across the desert wasteland. He's alone and his tail is switching back and forth idly. I walk out onto the roof and he looks over his shoulder at me.
"Calista," he says smiling.
"What are you doing up here?" I ask.
"Peace and quiet," he chuckles. "All these people, it's strange and noisy."
"Do they bother you?" I ask.
"Bother?" he asks looking thoughtful. "More, different."
"Okay," I say putting my hand into his.
"It's nice," I say looking across the city. "We can fix all this and get it working again."
Ladon shrugs. "Different."
"Well, that's not all that's going to be different," I say edging towards what I need to say.
"Hmm," he says and it sounds more a hiss.
"I hope you don't mind…"
"Mind? Is it you or them? You I never mind. You make me happy, repel my aloneness."
"Good," I say. "Someone else is going to be joining us soon."
Alien Dragon's Baby: A Scifi Alien Romance (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss) Page 14
