by Clara Woods
“You can’t compare that. USO does science. We prove that myth and magic don’t exist. You, on the other hand, are getting all worked up about something mythical like a holy tree. I understand that it has a significant cultural meaning, but saving this planet is more important than this tree. It’s simple Fungs’s Allotment of Rank theory. So, your behavior,” Doctor Lund pointed a finger at her, “is childish.”
Uz fumed. In fact, she looked like she was going to attack Doctor Lund. If she’d been any other race than a peace-loving Cassidian, she probably would have.
“Uz,” Lenah said and tried again, “please try to see our point of view. No one is saying that this isn’t a terrible thing to your people. Even if it wasn’t an important tree for Cassidians, destroying something so beautiful is awful. But think about the price. Please, think about the price. Humanity might be wiped out if we don’t do this.”
Uz looked at her, her eyes sad and filling with tears. But she didn’t argue, so Lenah continued.
“Do you remember the history of how Cassidians found the human generation ship, and you took us in? Showed us New Earth, didn’t even abandon us when we destroyed our new home planet as well? One tree, after making all that effort, is maybe a price worth paying,” Lenah said, thinking of history classes where they had learned how the human generation ship had been found, floating with failing solar engines, by the Cassidians. They’d taken in humans, shown them to New Earth, and some had even fallen in love with each other. That had changed humanity forever. They had acquired warp magic. Though Lenah couldn’t think of anything that humans had ever truly given back to the Cassidians. They’d quickly started to spread to other worlds, building their military and fighting over territory. It had resulted in the destruction of New Earth due to the same nuclear weapons that had already destroyed Old Earth.
“One tree and a secret kept,” Uz whispered. Then she turned around and walked toward the tree where she slumped down with her back against the trunk. She put her cheek there as if trying to console it and didn’t speak again. Lenah nodded to Doctor Lund. They would continue.
“Where should we place these explosives?” Cassius asked the doctor in a hushed voice. Lenah appreciated that he didn’t want Uz to hear more than necessary.
“I don’t know for sure yet. It’s a really big area to cover.” Doctor Lund walked closer to the tree, then the production line in the back of the room. All the while, he kept muttering and taking notes on one of his devices.
Lenah helped Persia unpack their cargo, while Cassius assumed a guarding position halfway to the hatch door. He kept squinting back at Uz, however, and looked as miserable as Lenah felt for the Cassidian. Funny how she’d once thought his face expressionless. You only had to look closer and see the emotions in his eyes.
After a while, Doctor Lund joined them. “I think I have it figured out. We can place much of the explosives under the roots and spread out the remains along the production line and the storage over there. I’m confident that even a deeply rooted tree won’t be able to withstand that much. I asked her if she knew how deep the roots are, but she won’t talk to me.” He shook his head.
“Alright, just tell us where to place all these things, and we’ll follow your instructions,” Lenah said, picking up some of the spheres.
“Right. Let’s first bring a good twenty to the tree. Then we place the remaining around the back area.”
Each of them began cradling the round spheres in their arms and making their way to the tree trunk. When Uz saw them approach, she slunk back and sat by a low-hanging branch, her stiff back turned toward them. Doctor Lund stayed behind, muttering calculations to himself with the help of his notes, while Lenah and Persia made another trip.
“They can’t blow up if I drop one, can they?” Persia asked, balancing a mountain of spheres in her arms. Lenah grunted. She had no idea but could only concentrate on her own mountain. “Whoever designed these to be round was a stupid person.”
“They’re Craff made,” Doctor Lund said, looking up. “I believe for them it’s a handy size to fit into one of their claws. And they won’t explode just like that. The inside is filled with exmangonium. A rare mineral found deep down in the crust of their home world. Once we turn the switch and set the timer, it’ll slowly cool down the liquid exmangonium inside.”
“Cooling, huh. Typical Craff,” Persia muttered, probably thinking of the alien’s like for extreme heat.
“It’s pretty safe if you live surrounded by lava,” Lenah said.
“Guess so.”
Doctor Lund accepted the additional spheres, then waved for Lenah to stay.
“Can you help me stick them to the trunk over there?”
He showed her how she could activate the little stick legs that came with the devices, then got out a small laser to mark the spots. They worked in silence until the trunk and its surrounding roots were evenly covered with the bulbs.
“You think thirty minutes is enough?” Lenah asked him, adrenaline spiking in her again as she programmed in the timer. They still had to place the remaining explosives and leave.
“It’ll have to be. That’s all the time we have left.”
Lenah nodded and started working more quickly. As they turned to leave, Cassius stopped. “Where’s Uz?”
“She…Stars, I don’t know. She was just here.” Lenah turned around to go looking for Uz, but she appeared a few moments later, her own empty backpack strapped over her shoulders. She was crying, looking the picture of misery.
Lenah patted her on the forearm. “Let’s go, Uz. We need to get away from here.”
The Cassidian nodded, not meeting her eyes. Together, they stepped through the hatch door and back into the decontamination chamber.
33 Boom!
“Faster, move faster,” Cassius urged, taking the lead as they jogged across Callo mansion’s impeccable lawn. Lenah followed him, looking back at the house. How far away was the lab from the estate? Would the house get damaged in the explosion? She didn’t know how she felt about that. At this point, coming back to live here seemed out of the question. The Rambler felt more like home than her old rooms. Despite the perks of having delicious food, as many hot water showers as she wanted, and the walk-in closet.
The underground location of the lab made it hard to know exactly how far away it was, but if it had been built close to the lake as the original plans had indicated, that meant it was at least a klick away. Just to be sure, Lenah took one last look at the mansion behind her.
Their escape back through the house had been easier than anticipated. Everyone was gathered outside in the front yard, staring up at the crafts visible in the air: the Cheung army. Lenah’s group hadn’t run into anyone while slipping through the back of the house. She looked up where dozens of small ships were flying above them. Had a battle started? Were the Cava Dara here already, high above them?
“Lenah,” Cassius urged again, and she turned, hurrying.
“I’m here,” she said, catching up. They hiked in silence next to each other.
“Do you think Lorka and Zyr made it with the mages?” Persia panted.
“We’ll see soon enough. I can’t hear them yet,” Cassius said. He was the only one not out of breath.
“One minute,” Doctor Lund puffed and stopped dead in his tracks, looking down at his wristpiece. “By the stars, only one minute.”
“Keep walking,” Cassius told him, and they all continued in silence. Maybe everyone was trying to count down the sixty seconds, as was Lenah.
“Ten seconds,” Doctor Lund announced. Uz gave a short whine, then started to pick up speed, getting ahead of them all.
“Five. Four. Three. Two, and. . .” Doctor Lund’s last words were cut off by a loud boom, followed by a low rumble. The earth shook under them, and they were showered in dried leaves from the trees above. The forest rustled and cracked, then everything fell silent. Lenah turned to see what had happened back at the house, but they were too far away by now. All sh
e could see was the forest. Faint human voices drifted over from the direction, and she hoped no one was hurt. That it was only from confusion and worry about what had exploded. Her father would know exactly what had happened, of course. Had he been found by now? Would she ever see him again? Or talk to him again?
Cassius touched her lightly on the shoulder, and they continued walking. Lenah kept looking up at the sky. Had the Cava Dara turned around to sleep for another six thousand years?
Finally, they reached the ship. Zyr was floating in front of the dusty hatch, looking as grumpy as a stone-made drone could. Which meant quite grumpy.
“What’s wrong, Zyr? Did something go awry with the mages?” Lenah asked as she approached.
“Yes,” he said, snuffling and not reprimanding her on the use of his nickname.
“What happened?” Images of a dozen mages blowing up with the farm appeared in her mind.
“They are there. In there. All of them,” Zyrakath pressed out and fluttered higher.
She let out a long breath. “Thank the stars. But…isn’t that good news?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Too many people. Talking, crowding. I haven’t been with so many people in millennia.”
“Oh. Well, it won’t be for long,” Lenah said, trying to sound understanding. Even she felt like being alone after today’s events.
“It’s almost time for you to fulfill your promise to take me back home. I’m being very patient with your underdeveloped plans of mayhem and destruction. You should have really consulted your Elders before coming here. Now, I’m getting stuffed with so many people in your small space box.”
“You’re welcome to come hang out with me in the engine room,” Uz offered, waving her hand over the hatch’s sensor panel and climbing up before the hatch had fully opened.
“They might be in there, too,” Zyr said but followed her inside.
“How many mages were there?” Persia asked Lenah, stepping next to her into the ship.
Lenah could immediately tell that it was far more than she’d thought. At least a dozen sickly looking people were huddled all over the cargo hold, but she could hear soft conversations from further up the corridor as well. And laughing.
Lenah nodded to the mages who looked up at them as they entered the ship. One person, the doctor she had influenced into showing them around, stood up and walked toward her. She looked guarded, but urgency was written all over her face. “What was that blast? Did the farm really blow up?”
“Yes. It’s gone,” Lenah said loudly, so that everyone would hear. A general sigh went through the room, and several mages smiled. That made Lenah feel better.
The doctor put a hand to her heart. “I can’t say I feel sorry about that.” Then she nodded to Lenah, and a silent understanding of peace passed between them.
Lenah continued up the corridor and found Lorka in the common room with another group of mages.
“Lenah,” he called when she passed by, and he stepped out into the corridor.
“What is it?”
“I…well, um. I don’t know how to say this. You are a great team, and…” he broke off, wringing his hands.
“Be quick, Lorka.” Lenah felt anxious to depart.
“Okay,” Lorka said. “I really like it here with you guys, but these are my real people.” His voice drifted off, and he looked away.
“And you want to stay with them?”
His head snapped back, then forward. “Yes.”
“That’s understandable. You helped us get off UPL station, and I’ll always be grateful. But, of course, you won’t give up your whole life to come stay with us. You’re always welcome to come visit, and when you do, I’ll finally show you how to fly this ship.” She forced a wink to the young mage.
His eyes lit up. “And you should visit me. Us. My father.” He corrected himself. “You should come talk to him about the possibility of him training you.”
It was Lenah’s turn to look away, but Lorka continued, “At least come and see if there’s material—books or videos about,” he trailed off, “your condition,” he finished, glaring at the mages sitting a few steps away.
Lenah nodded. It was tempting, of course. And she might have the time. If the Cava Dara left, what else would she do? Was it even a valid plan to fly around the galaxy and enjoy her freedom?
“I’ll think about it,” she finally said, and it seemed to satisfy Lorka.
“And I could present you to all my friends! If they take me back in, that is…I mean, I didn’t complete my internship, but I should get some leeway for bringing back all of these guys.” Then he bent down and engulfed her in a short hug, the kind only tall and lanky people could give. Before she could hug him back, he’d already stepped back into the common room with sweeping robes that showed off his yellow socks.
Smiling despite herself, Lenah continued into the blissfully empty cockpit.
34 Back in Orbit
“We’ll be hitting the atmosphere in the next few seconds,” Lenah announced to Cassius and Zyr, who were sitting and hovering, respectively, with her in the cockpit. She’d wanted to be alone up here, but Cassius has insisted in case she needed someone to man the only two aft lasers the Star Rambler had. She’d grudgingly nodded, but the Cassius she wanted to be with was the version from before the events of today. The one before she’d invaded his privacy and before he’d repeatedly shamed her for her social status—former social status.
After dropping off the mages and Lorka at the Central Police Station, it had taken them a long time to regain height. The sky above Asturis I was swarming with Cheung army fighters, and Lenah had flown a good distance away to come up over the forest.
She fidgeted with the Rambler’s controls as they approached the atmosphere. Once through, they’d at least be able to see things for themselves. She had to admit that she didn’t want to see, didn’t want to confront the terrible things she feared laid out there. If the Cava Dara were backing off, then why were there still so many fighters patrolling the capital? It all led to the same conclusion. The Cava Dara were still attacking, and their efforts had been in vain.
The ship shook, momentarily blinding them in orange light of a breached atmosphere, and they were in open space.
Lenah peered into the surrounding blackness. There was nothing there, probably because they had come out over the endless forests that dominated the region east of Asturis I. But a few hundred klicks toward the west, there was— “Blazing stars.”
A battle was raging ahead of them. Lenah’s heart raced as she tried to decipher exactly what was going on.
She saw big ships fire a barrage of lasers toward small floating objects, many of which were vaguely humanoid in shape. There were so many. An endless swarm. Lasers pierced holes into their lines, but every time, an equal number of Muha Dara would close the gap. The Star Rambler hovered too far away for Lenah to see details, but she shuddered at the thought of former Syrr floating in space.
At some point, the lasers had to kill enough to cut holes into their masses, right? That was, as long as the Cava Dara didn’t reach the humans inside the ships to restock their ranks.
A sharp beep interrupted their shocked silence. A message.
“Someone’s trying to comm us.” Cassius stated the obvious, and Lenah absently nodded as she accepted the connection.
“Civilian ship, back off,” a clipped male voice said. “There’s a battle going on, and we won’t be held responsible if a stray laser beam finds you. I insist. Back off, go back planet-side. This is no place for onlookers.”
The message ended, but no one moved. Instead, they kept staring at the battle ahead.
“The Cava Dara are still coming,” Lenah muttered, feeling defeat crawl its tendrils through her whole body.
“Maybe they haven’t yet realized that the mage farm was destroyed?” Persia said softly from the hatch. Lenah hadn’t even realized she was there.
“But aren’t they magical bein
gs that should—somehow, I don’t know—feel this? Something like that happened when they awoke, no?”
No one answered, but she hadn’t expected them to. Had it been stupid to assume that fixing the trigger would stop the attack? Either that wasn’t the case, maybe once triggered, the Cava Dara came for their victims no matter what, or the mage farm wasn’t the only trigger. Except, that didn’t make any sense.
“Zyr, once the trigger is removed, shouldn’t the attacks stop?”
“I understand that Zyr is a form to address me with respect, but I would much prefer that you call me Elder Zyr,” the little drone said behind her, managing to sound indignant and stately despite his high-pitched voice.
“Okay, Elder Zyr. Do you know how the Cava Dara work?”
Silence.
“Stars, seriously? Elder Zyr, would you please answer my question?” she repeated a third time, trying to cut the sarcasm out of her voice. She found his reaction childish. A six-thousand-year-old drone that behaved immature but might be the key to valuable information. Just what she needed right now.
A hand, Cassius’s, came to lay softly on her forearm. Lenah moved her arm to adjust a switch on her console. She didn’t need this right now. And, especially, not from the guy who had created a canyon between them earlier.
“Even in situations of stress, you should never forget who is in charge,” the drone finally said.
“Situation of stress?” Lenah echoed. “Are you serious? My race is being attacked. Only one corporate army is currently fighting here and the big solution we had, seems to have had no effect whatsoever. Maybe, we should have never left UPL station, but instead, started a political campaign for greater army resources, not stolen explosives on a freaking illegal space station and blown up trillions upon trillions of magic in CGC, as well as Uz’s holy tree!” Tears were starting to well up in her eyes as she spoke, and she couldn’t hold them back.
