by GARY DARBY
As night fell, he scrambled up the rocky hill, passed over the crest, and made his way just below the hilltop on the backside. He picked his way through stubby brush and small boulders, and stopped for a second to get his bearings.
Just above the dark horizon, his eyes caught the glint of bursting light. The flashes weren’t the cool persistent glow of stars. Instead, the radiance disappeared after a few seconds, only to flare up again in a different place.
His intake of breath was sharp and immediate as he realized what he was witnessing.
High above the planet, out in planetary space, a savage battle raged. The tiny bursts of cardinal red and metallic golds signaled the discharge of powerful energy weapons—or perhaps the death mark of an exploding ship.
For several minutes, the small pinpoints flared and then dissipated to a soft glow and then to darkness. After several minutes, the sky was quiet with only the first evening stars shining.
Dason kept his eyes skyward, wondering who had fought the battle. Was it friend or foe and who had won?
He had no way of knowing of course, but he did know that on this planet, right now, their enemies far outnumbered the four humans. Worse, their situation was getting more desperate. If they didn’t find help soon . . .
His jaw tightened and shook his head forcefully, trying to shake the grim thought out of his mind. That was one thing he wouldn’t dwell on as he absolutely couldn’t bear the thought of losing any more of his teammates.
Peering up again at the night sky Dason could imagine that the space battle was a life-and-death struggle, the very same thing they faced.
And one, he had to admit, he and his teammates were losing.
Chapter Twenty
Star Date: 2443.063
Unnamed planet in the Helix Nebula
Striding forward, Dason let the thoughts of the interstellar battle slip from his mind. His last consideration as he trudged through the darkness was a hope that perhaps Imperium forces were involved. If so, and they were victorious then maybe they would soon come and investigate this planet.
He let out a sigh. If not . . . Well, he was sure that he wasn’t the only one who knew that their fate was becoming grimmer and grimmer.
As the darkness deepened, he moved off the crest to make for the downslope. The ridge opened out to a series of hills, and he knew that the others had gone toward these small peaks, but which one?
He opened his comms. “Shanon?”
“Go ahead, Dason,” Shanon replied.
“Your status?”
“All clear,” Shanon responded. “I think we’ve found a suitable hideaway for the night.”
“Good,” Dason said. “Guide me in. I’m on the backside of the hill line, just below the crest and from here I can see the ridge blend into three small hills to my left. Past that is a much larger hill.”
“Head for the large hill,” she instructed. “There’s a broad, shallow stream that curves close to the base. Follow it upstream until you hit a series of shale ledges. I’ll have Sami wait for you.”
“Got it,” Dason replied, “on my way.”
With his LS on free search and his IR eyepieces in place, Dason weaved his way down through the boulders and sporadic bushes that dotted the sloping incline.
Three little moons rose over the horizon, forming a rough pyramid in the night sky. Soon after, the lime-colored larger moon rose, casting its soft luminance over the countryside.
A slow and careful pace down the hillside soon brought the soft murmuring of flowing water. “Shanon,” Dason transmitted, “I’m at the stream.”
“Check. Upstream about half a klick, shale ledges to your left,” Shanon replied. “Sami’s waiting where the creek widens into a large pool.”
“Understood. Sami, you catch that?” Dason asked.
“Yep,” Sami replied. “I won’t shoot till I see the whites of your eyes.”
“Good luck with that,” Dason returned. “I’ve got my snoopers down, no whites to see.”
“Spoilsport,” Sami responded.
Dason followed the stream bank for several more minutes until he spied the broad, whitish steplike outcroppings. To his right, the water’s murmuring lessened as it flowed into a full, dark pool.
He stopped to survey the scene when from the darkness came, “Behind you.”
Dason turned to see Sami step out of the brush lining the rivulet. “Just checking your back trail,” Sami said. “Looks clear. What about the big guys?”
“No sign of them,” Dason said while slipping the snoopers off his head. “I think we can breathe a little easier for now.”
“Nice work, TL,” Sami said.
“Thanks. Where are the others?”
“Come on. I’ll take you up.”
The two climbed up a series of rock steps until they reached a large overhang. Under the outcropping, bathed in the soft moonlight, Shanon and Alena waited. Dason pulled himself over the last shelf and greeted the two.
He frowned when he saw the little XT, who lay half propped against the rock wall. “Still out?” Dason asked in an incredulous voice.
Shanon nodded. “He comes and goes.”
“Mostly goes,” Sami commented.
Shanon continued, “I think Alena’s stunner charge short-circuited his neurons, or whatever equivalent he has. He’s having a hard time of it.”
Dason glanced over at Alena and asked, “You stunned him just once, on low power, right?”
“One time, lowest setting,” she retorted.
Dason ran a hand across the back of his neck while he sized up the situation. “Well, there’s nothing to do about it, but hope that he comes fully around soon.”
He turned to Alena. “Much as I hate to admit it, but I owe you an apology.”
Alena’s mouth lifted at one corner. “You want to apologize to me?”
“Yes,” Dason replied. “Back at the river, there were Jakuta nearby and if you hadn’t shut the Kereb up, his chatter would have given us away. You had to make a snap judgment, and you did what you thought was right for all of us. I was wrong and you were right.”
Alena stared at Dason, her eyes widening in evident surprise. “Forget it,” she snapped and spun away to sit against a far wall.
Dason loosened his torso vest and said to Sami and Shanon, “My guess is we’re about ten kilometers from our search area. We’ll stay here tonight, and try to get through the hills tomorrow.”
Nodding his head toward the prone alien, he said, “Let’s hope that by morning our friend there will be able to walk.”
“And if not?” Sami asked. “Lugging that galoot through the hills and protecting our backsides at the same time is going to be a mite tough, don’t you think?
“He might be small, but he’s a complete deadweight. No one’s going to be light on their feet with him slung over their shoulder.”
Alena called out in a sharp voice, “Ditch him.”
The three young scouts glanced from one to the other. Dason shifted in his stance, his lips pressed together. He knew what the others were thinking, the same as he. Alena had voiced what none of them could bring themselves to say.
A very uncomfortable thought, but one they had to face nevertheless.
Shanon raised one eyebrow at Dason. “It may be the only choice we have, Dason.”
“He and his pals haven’t exactly been cooperative,” Sami offered. “Maybe he really doesn’t want our help and would do better on his own.”
Dason shook his head in response while saying, “Maybe, but not until we’ve tried everything else first. Then, and only then.”
Sami and Shanon shared a glance before Shanon nodded and said, “It’s your call TL.”
With that settled, Dason motioned toward the overhanging lip. “We’ll do two-person shifts tonight, Sami and I will take the first four hours, Shanon, you, and Alena the second.”
He glanced over at Alena and held up his eyepiece set and LifeSensor. “Know how to use these?”
“Yes.”
Dason kept his face expressionless. For some reason, he wasn’t surprised at her answer. “Good,” he replied and turned to Shanon and Sami. He pulled them a little farther away from Alena before taking a deep breath.
“I’m . . . I’m not very good at this,” Dason started in a raspy voice. His mouth and throat suddenly felt as if someone had stuffed cotton balls into them.
He swallowed hard before saying, “But I’ll try.”
Licking dry lips, he went on. “We’ve lost TJ and Nase, our scout mates, our—friends and we’ve lost new Star Scout comrades as well.”
He swallowed again, trying to get the lump out of his throat. “TJ and Nase didn’t have dreams of glory or achieving noble things, other than coming Out Here, like the rest of us. To them, the grandness was to see what was around the next bend or over the next hilltop.
“When we get back, we will honor them and their sacrifice at the proper time and in the proper way. But for now, our grieving must be short, and I know they would understand.”
He reached out and placed a hand on Shanon and Sami’s shoulder, pulled them close, and bowed his head. Shanon and Sami did the same and the three stood in a solemn circle, each remembering, in their own way, their fallen comrades.
Dason gave Shanon and Sami a gentle squeeze to mark the end of the remembrance. Shanon turned and settled in against the rock wall to get some well-earned rest while Dason and Sami took up their overwatch stations near the overhang’s entrance.
A few hours later, Dason heard movement behind him and turned to find Alena taking the few steps from the grotto’s craggy rear part to stand near the sharp edge.
She leaned back as if to stretch out sore back muscles before lowering herself to sit cross-legged a short distance from Dason.
“Can’t sleep?” Dason asked.
“No,” she replied cooly, but in a civil tone. “Back and neck muscles are killing me. Where’s Sami?”
“Down by the pool,” Dason replied. “He went to refill everyone’s water vests.”
“I hope he remembers to add a hydro-purifier,” she said. “The last thing we need is some water parasite eating our guts out.”
“He’ll remember. Sami may come across as nonsensical at times, but a fool he is not. Trust me.”
He reached into a side pocket and handed Alena a little packet. “Take this,” he said. “It’s AcheAway. Good for headaches and stiff muscles.”
She tore the lip off the packet and sucked the peach-flavored gel out. “Thanks,” she muttered.
They both grew quiet while they gazed at the night sky. Their hideout’s opening gave a splendid view of the glowing nebula, which arched across the sky’s inky darkness.
Dason glanced over at Alena and noticed that she too stared at the cosmic marvel. He had to admit that in the soft starlight she was quite lovely; too bad her temperament didn’t match her good looks.
He cleared his throat and with his head gestured upward. “Awesome sight.”
When she didn’t reply, Dason figured he was getting the cold shoulder and started to turn away when she answered. “You’re right, it is pretty amazing.”
Dason eased his back against the rock wall and looked upward. “I thought my home planet had a pretty spectacular night sky, but nothing like this.”
Alena cocked her head toward Dason. “And where might this other spectacular sky be?”
“Randor,” Dason answered.
“Randor . . .” Alena replied softly. “A little off the beaten path as I recall. Immigrant or birth world?”
Dason didn’t feel comfortable with her questioning but if it meant a possible opportunity to reduce her hostility, then he would be willing to go along—to a point. “Immigrant. My mother and I, when I was very young.”
She turned to him. Her eyes grew narrow and hard again. “And your father?”
Dason stayed silent, uncomfortable with her probing. He avoided making eye contact while he murmured, “He was a Star Scout officer. He’s listed as missing and presumed dead, in the line of duty. Shortly before we settled on Randor.”
Alena didn’t reply to Dason’s statement and the two sat in the still night air, their faces bathed in the full moon’s diffused light. In the pale radiance, Dason raised his head and found Alena staring at him.
His eyes met hers; her face was a frozen mask. “My mother was killed,” she said, “when I was a very young child.”
To find that he and Alena shared something so personal surprised Dason, and he hesitated before he leaned just a little ways toward her. “I’m sorry,” he said in a sympathetic tone. “I truly do understand.”
For an instant, the mask melted away, and her mouth and eyes softened. However, as if old memories came flooding back, the cold, hard look returned, and she rocked back.
“What am I doing?” she muttered to herself. She scrambled to her feet and strode back into the recesses of the cavern.
She turned to gaze back at Dason before sliding to the hard rock and burying her face in her folded arms.
Dason frowned in response at her abrupt departure. He could tell that her admission had reopened a painful emotional wound, one that he knew all too well himself.
Light footsteps on solid rock announced Sami’s return. A few seconds later, Sami clambered over the ledge and handed Dason his water pouch. Dason inserted the liter-sized flex container in his vest, adjusted the mouth tube before taking a deep drink.
“That’s good,” he said. “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” Sami replied. “Say, did I hear you and Alena the Angel talking?”
Dason nodded. “She couldn’t sleep.”
“Uh, huh,” Sami replied in a skeptical tone. “Turn around, let me see if I can pull the knife out of your back and stop the bleeding.”
“Nothing like that,” Dason smiled in return, “just idle chit-chat. She actually was being nice.”
Sami shrugged and swept a hand toward the Helix. “Must be some kinda weird radiation coming from that thing. But if it causes enemies to make peace then I vote for moving the whole human race here.”
Throughout the night, the four rotated the watch. Near daybreak, Shanon woke Dason. “Starting to lighten outside,” she said. “And the Kereb is awake.”
Dason rolled to a sitting position, rubbed at his eyes, and said, “Good. Let’s get ready to move out.”
Minutes later, the group was at the overhang’s entrance. A dusky twilight marked a gray dawn. The lone Kereb stood to one side, holding out one slender hand against the rough wall as if to steady himself.
Dason motioned to the little XT. “Has he eaten or drunk anything?”
“No,” Shanon replied. “I’ve offered food and water but he refuses. Maybe his metabolism is such that he doesn’t need food or water as often as we do.”
Dason shrugged in answer. “Maybe. But he doesn’t look too steady on his feet.”
He took a step to stand on the very lip of the overhang and surveyed the broad pool that lay below along with the narrow, graveled beach that curved off to his left. The far stream bank held several stands of leafy trees and purple-laced vegetation that stood just above the water.
Dason pointed at the rocky stream bank and said, “Once down, we’ll stay on this side of the creek, easier going. Sami, Path Finder, Shanon and Alena, stay with the Kereb. I’ll take our six.”
With slow steps due to the XT’s sluggish behavior, the group made its way back down to the stream with Shanon steadying the Kereb as they climbed down the rock ledges.
The team plodded across the gravel-strewn beach, their footsteps making a soft crunching sound in the calm air.
Dason stopped to scan the area with his LifeSensor. The display came back with multiple readings in the low Beta range and downstream.
Glancing at the screen, Dason turned to peer in the direction indicated on the little monitor. His eyes caught a tiny twinkling radiance from a small grove of trees.
Then, from the wavy
glow came a sharper light, and then another. In seconds, a hundred or more minuscule dots, like tiny holiday lights flashed in the trees.
Dason called out, “Shanon, what do you make of that?”
Shanon turned and came back to stand next to Dason. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were Terran fireflies,” she replied while even more lights appeared.
A small deerlike creature stepped from a nearby stand of thin trees, crossed to the stream bank, hesitated, and then dipped its snout into the water.
A mass of lights, like a shower of meteors, descended on the beast. The buck sprang back from the water but in seconds, the flying things engulfed the unfortunate deer.
The animal kicked and bucked against its attackers before it went down under a swirling cloud of sparks. Its plaintive wail pierced the morning air.
Dason grabbed Shanon and whirled her around. “Run!” he shouted at the group, while an ominous humming filled the air behind them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Star Date: 2443.064
Unnamed planet in the Helix Nebula
Sprinting upstream, one backward glance confirmed Dason’s fears.
A swarm of airborne organisms, like a glowing fog, swirled towards them. They only had seconds before it would roll over them and they suffered the same gruesome fate as the little deer.
“Head for the pool! Get under the water!” Dason yelled.
Slipping on the stream’s smooth wet stones, Dason and Shanon splashed into the shallows. Dason could see Sami and Alena wading out into deeper water with the Kereb struggling between them.
Dason kicked spray high into the air while he pushed Shanon ahead of him. A bullet like sting on his neck caused him to cry out. Shanon grabbed at her head when several of the flying things hit her like tiny kamikazes.
With everything he had, Dason heaved Shanon into deeper water and pushed her under just as the glowing mass descended.
The liquid was just deep enough to cover their bodies, but Dason pushed Shanon against the bottom while he put his body between hers and their attackers. Dozens of staccato hits smashed against that part of his vest that protected his back.
