by Nina Croft
Milo glanced over his shoulder and slowed down so she could catch up. The tunnel was wide enough to walk side by side now. “You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “I was just wondering if there were any wolves in the forest.”
He raised a brow and glanced up ahead, toward Dylan. He’d stopped at a point where the tunnel branched out and was clearly waiting for them. “I hope not,” Milo said, lowering his voice. “Dylan is afraid of wolves.”
“He is?” She couldn’t imagine Dylan being afraid of anything.
“He got bitten by one back on Earth, now he’s terrified of the things.”
“Poor Dylan.”
“Why am I poor?” he asked as they stopped beside him.
“Milo told me you’d been bitten by a wolf. That must have been awful.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed as he turned his attention to Milo.
“He was just trying to explain why you’re afraid of wolves,” she hurried on. Maybe Milo had been out of line telling her that. Or maybe Dylan was ashamed of his fear.
Dylan shook his head and then grinned. “Yeah, scared shitless. I have nightmares about Little Red Riding Hood.”
“What’s that?”
“A storybook from back on Earth. A fairy tale. You know what one of them is, don’t you?”
“They’re not true. And they’re frivolous. Not serious reading. Dr. Yang told me.”
“Your Dr. Yang does sound like a real killjoy.”
She’d never heard of the word before tonight, but she could guess what it meant and her lips twitched, suppressing a smile. Yes, if there was any joy then she had a feeling Dr. Yang would kill it dead.
“I’ve read The Count of Monte Cristo,” she said. “About a hundred times. It was the only storybook I had.”
“We’ll have to get you some reading material,” Dylan went on. “Some really, really frivolous stories. Some fairy tales and”—he glanced at Milo with a sly grin—“some romance.”
“Romance?”
“Didn’t Dr. Yang tell you about romance?”
She shook her head, then smiled. “Though she did give me a manual on human reproduction. But she said it was a little archaic and that test tubes were much better for fertilization. I was born in a birthing bag. Apparently, it’s much more hygienic and safer. She believes most reproduction will be carried out that way in the new world. We need to carefully monitor the genetic combinations of new humans because the gene pool is so much smaller now.”
“Definitely a killjoy,” Dylan muttered. “And you”—he waved a hand at Milo—“have your work cut out.” He cast a glance at Destiny. “Though it might be worth it. ”
“Piss off,” Milo said.
She was totally lost now. The more time she spent with them, the more she realized that she was lacking so much knowledge. In some ways she knew a lot—she could quote quantum physics theories—but about people and what made them work, she understood nothing. A niggle of disloyalty told her that it was because of Dr. Yang. She’d clearly controlled the information she allowed Destiny to see.
What gave her the right?
A flicker of anger burned to life deep inside her, but she snuffed it out.
There were no doubt good reasons. She had to believe that.
“So which way, now,” Milo asked.
She stared down the two tunnels. They both looked identical.
Dylan stood in front of the first and, closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply. He opened his eyes and moved to the next tunnel, repeating the process. What was he doing? She sniffed the air and could sense nothing but a vague musty smell.
“This one,” Dylan said, waving to the second tunnel. “The air is fresher, and it looks like there’s a slight incline, so hopefully it’s heading up to ground level.”
“Let’s go then.”
They fell in behind Dylan, walking side by side again. Which was nice. She cast Milo a quick glance; he was staring straight ahead but turned as if sensing her gaze. “You understand we’re going to have to leave you when we get to the surface.” He paused, then continued. “That is if you still want to stay out. I’m sure we can organize something if you’ve decided you want to go back.”
She shook her head. “No. Not yet. And I’ll be okay. I’m used to being alone.” Though she hoped they wouldn’t abandon her completely. She needed food. Already, she was experiencing the first pangs of hunger. She’d missed dinner.
“So I gather. One of us will come back as soon as it’s safe and bring you some food and other stuff.”
“The stories,” she said. “Will you bring them?”
He grinned. “We’ll load you up an ebook with every story I can get hold of. Including “‘Little Red Riding Hood.’”
A shiver of excitement ran through her, quickly followed by a feeling of unease. “Why?” she asked. “Why are you being nice to me?”
“Damned if I know.”
They were climbing now, not steeply but steadily, rising toward the surface of the planet.
Beside her Milo came to a halt. “Look.” After switching off the flashlight, he waved a hand ahead of him. Without the light, the tunnels were in darkness, but ahead of them she could make out a patch of not quite so dark. A figure silhouetted against it—Dylan.
They hurried up to join him and stood at the entrance to the tunnels, staring out. They were in some sort of forest. She’d seen trees when Silas had taken her around the lake that morning. That’s where they must be, but the trees were thick, and she could make out nothing but more trees. Through the leafy canopy above their heads she caught glimpses of the star-strewn sky. A fat, heavy moon hanging low provided most of the light—just a dim yellow glow. She’d never been outside at night before. It was beautiful and gave her a sense of freedom, of possibilities, she’d never experienced before.
Milo stepped farther out, and she followed as if glued to his side. They would leave her soon. He turned slowly around. “There,” he said. “That must be the light from the buildings.”
She could see it now, a faint radiance through the trees.
“It’s going to be a long walk,” Dylan said.
“Can’t you teleport again?” Destiny asked. For that matter, couldn’t they teleport her inside their shuttle so she could go with them?
“No!” They both spoke in unison.
“It’s really just a prototype,” Milo said. “Very dangerous. Emergencies only. No, you stay here, and we’ll come back as quickly as we can. You’ll be okay?”
“Of course. I told you, I’m good at being on my own.”
“Stay close to the tunnels, don’t wander off. We don’t know what else is here. There could be predators. In fact, Dylan, give her your gun.”
“Really? You think that’s a good idea?” But he was already unstrapping the belt from his waist. He moved toward her and wrapped it around her waist then buckled it in the front. “You know how to use it?” he asked.
“No.” Of course she didn’t know how to use it. She had a strange idea that Dr. Yang would not approve of her carrying a weapon. The thought made her smile.
“All you do,” Dylan said, taking the pistol from the holster and placing it in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it, “is aim and squeeze the trigger.”
“But don’t unless it’s an emergency,” Milo added, “because likely, they’ll hear the shot from headquarters.”
She looked at the weapon in her hand and frowned. She’d read about weapons. She didn’t like the idea at all. “I couldn’t kill anything,” she said.
“If it’s an animal, then just aim over its head or to the side. The noise should be enough to frighten it away. If it’s a person…” He gave a shrug. “You must decide for yourself.”
She forced a smile. “Thank you. I’ll be fine.”
“Then we’ll be off.” He pu
shed the flashlight into the loop on her belt. “So you can see where you’re going. Now we must go show our faces so people don’t think we’re hiding.”
She nodded but her chin wobbled.
Dylan patted her arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after him for you,” he said.
Milo rolled his eyes but then gave her a nod and turned to go.
Destiny held herself very still as they walked away, disappearing into the forest and leaving her alone in the dark night. Free.
Chapter Fourteen
“How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
Destiny stood for a while after they’d vanished. The night was warm, but she hugged her arms around herself.
They’d promised to come back.
But would they?
What did she really know about them? Nothing.
Finally she moved, turning full circle. Behind her lay the entrance to the tunnels, and she fixed that in her mind—if she got lost then Milo might never find her. Directly ahead was the glow of light from the buildings on the island. She walked toward it, taking a direct route through the trees. They were not much taller than her, with thick trunks, the bark silvery in the dim light. The leaves were small and pale green. She’d read books about the flora and fauna of Earth, but she didn’t recognize these. Though that wasn’t unexpected. This wasn’t Earth.
She walked for a few minutes until she came to the edge of the trees and ahead of her was the lake, silky smooth without a ripple, a reflection of the yellow moon in the still water. This was the widest part of the lake and no sound managed to cross the space between her and the buildings on the island.
Were they looking for her?
Was Dr. Yang worried? She felt a pang of guilt at that, but only for a little while. She moved out of the trees and across the stretch of gray sand. At the water’s edge she hunkered down and trailed her hand in the water. It was cool but not cold and she waggled her fingers.
A sharp pain shot from her fingertip and she reared up, falling back on her bottom. Something had bitten her. She stared at her fingertip and could make out the shape of teeth indented in her skin. No blood, though, as the skin wasn’t broken. She edged closer again and stared into the water. Silvery round bodies of some sort of water animal swam just below the surface. More like a fish, she decided.
Lowering her finger again, she watched as the fish swam around it. Maybe she’d frightened them more than they had her. She held her breath as one nudged her hand with a silver snout.
Good.
She wanted to swim in the lake—though maybe not tonight—so better to make friends than enemies.
Standing up, she wiped her hand down her pants, then with one last look at the island, she turned and headed back the way she had come. She found the tunnel entrance with ease but was reluctant to go back. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the ground. Closing her eyes, she just listened. At first, she thought everything was silent, but the longer she sat, the more she noticed the subtle sounds of the forest. A rustle in the undergrowth, the faint cry of some bird high above her, a leaf dropping from a nearby tree.
A sense of peace washed through her.
Her mind cleared of all the tension she hadn’t even known was there. And as her mind cleared, she became aware of the anger buried deep down and rarely acknowledged.
What made Dr. Yang in charge of her? Who gave her the right to lock her in a cell and keep her a prisoner? To punish her when she behaved in a manner the other woman didn’t like?
Were some people born to lead and others to follow?
At some fundamental level, she didn’t believe that.
Was it because Dr. Yang had brought her up? In human society, did that give her the right to decide the course of Destiny’s whole life? Surely there came a time when you should be free of the constraints to which you were born. When you made decisions based on what you knew and what you’d learned. When you earned the right to be independent.
Though she did believe that everyone needed to work for the greater good. For society as a whole. It was the only way they could survive. And if she had a pivotal role in that—whatever it might be—then she would do her duty, as everyone else did theirs.
But that was tomorrow, or the day after, or…
She jumped to her feet. This was her time to explore; she could figure the rest out later. She’d maybe leave the forest for daylight—she really didn’t want to have to shoot at anything. Instead, she headed back into the cave system.
Once inside, she stood for a while in the darkness, listening for any sounds that might indicate someone had followed them. There was nothing but silence, and she pulled the flashlight from her belt and flicked it on. She headed back the way they had come, but when she came to the first junction where they had headed upward, she took the other tunnel, which led her deeper underground.
Why had these tunnels been built? Had people lived down here? Had they been hiding?
The tunnel widened, and she came to another junction. Again, she took the tunnel heading farther down, making a mental note so she could find her way back. She stopped again and listened, but she was still alone.
After a while, the tunnel widened into a huge cavern, similar to the one they had teleported into, except without the hole in the roof, so there was no natural light coming in.
Parked in the center of the cavern was a spaceship.
Her feet stopped moving as she stared up at it.
It looked nothing like the ugly bulk of the Trakis Four. The ship that had brought them from Earth was about a quarter of a mile long, shaped like a bullet, and a dull khaki-gray color. This was smaller, though not as small as the shuttle that Milo had flown in on.
The ship was shaped like a horseshoe from back on Earth—she’d seen pictures—and was black and silver and sleek and beautiful. Some sort of script she couldn’t read was written along one side—the letters like nothing she had ever seen. The ship’s name?
Where had she come from?
Was she part of the fleet?
But Dr. Yang had told her all about the fleet, and all the ships were identical.
Was there intelligent life on the planet after all? If so, why had they remained hidden?
Or was this ship from other visitors? Like the Trakis Four.
She walked slowly toward it, her heart hammering, as she waited for someone or something to appear. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted that or not. What would they be like? Would they be able to communicate?
Why did she always have so many questions and no answers?
The ship was probably about a hundred and fifty feet in length, forty feet wide, and twenty feet high. Not a colony ship then, unless the colonists were really small. She walked all the way around it. At the front, high up, was some sort of glass window, but she couldn’t see in.
Stepping closer, she reached out a hand and touched the side. The metal was cool under her palm.
Nothing happened.
She backed away a little and sank to the sandy floor and just…stared.
“Hello?” she called out.
Again, nothing happened.
She jumped back up to her feet and studied the ship. There was no sign of a door or any way inside. She moved closer and knocked on the side. “Is anyone there?”
There was some sort of rectangular panel on the side of the ship. Similar to what opened the doors on the Trakis Four but bigger.
She touched her hand to it lightly. Then harder, pressing her palm flat against the metal. For a second, nothing happened yet again. But then a shudder ran through the ship and the side directly above her shimmered, lines forming in the shape of a door. Heart racing, she stepped back as it slid open and a ramp appeared, leading upward into the ship.
Shou
ld I?
Shouldn’t I?
This could be dangerous, but really, she didn’t have any choice. She had questions that needed answers. Her feet moved of their own volition, and she took her first step upward.
Chapter Fifteen
“We frequently pass so near to happiness without seeing, without regarding it, or if we do see and regard it, yet without recognizing it.”
—Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
The first of the suns was just rising, taking the chill from the cool air as Milo made his way around the edge of the lake. The circumference was around ten miles, but the morning was pleasant.
The dawn light was orange. Later, the second sun would rise and that was a bright white light, but for now the world was bathed in a muted golden glow.
Pretty.
This was apparently spring. The days were shorter than on Earth, approximately twenty hours, but the years were longer, around five hundred days, though the scientists were still working this out. The planet made an elliptical orbit around both suns and traveled approximately 1.5 billion miles in that orbit. He’d been doing his homework and reading all the comms that came in from the scientific team, which was run by Dr. Elvira Yang. And that reminded him—he had yet to chase up her family on the Trakis Two. Though after talking with Dylan, he had an inkling he was not going to have good news for the doctor.
Each crew member had been allocated three cryotubes for family members. But unfortunately for Dr. Yang, in some cases, someone had tampered with the tubes before they left Earth and changed the crew family for someone else. They weren’t sure how extensive the sabotage was or who was responsible. Maybe Dr Yang’s family was all tucked up safe on the Trakis Two, but he wouldn’t bet on it.
As soon as he got back to the shuttle, he would contact Rico. Without the boost from the shuttle’s systems, the comm units they wore only functioned locally and wouldn’t reach the Trakis Two.
From what he could gather, Dr. Yang had considerable influence—or that was what the gossip said, according to Dylan who’d been making friends or at least trying to gather some information. It wouldn’t hurt to get a few people on their side. He would leave that to Dylan. He was better at it than Milo.
