by Reagan Woods
The shields went down, and noise rushed through his comm. “What the fuck?!” “What happened?” “Where’s the energy barrier, dammit?”
Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, he broadcast “Crystals were sabotaged. I’m working on it.” He scrambled to put the crystals into proper alignment. “Coming back online now!”
When the solid blue film came between him and the night sky, Calyx breathed a sigh of relief. “Commander Skylan?” He ventured.
“Good work, kid,” Skylan’s gravelly voice answered. “Now, report!”
Chapter 20
One Year Before
Tara ignored the pounding in her head and climbed to her hands and knees. Dehydration riding her hard, she began to crawl through the darkness. Hand, knee, hand, knee. She didn’t have a clear destination, wasn’t certain where she was, but she knew she needed water.
“Woah,” Grandmama’s weak voice halted her plodding movement. “You thirsty, honey?”
Tara grunted, the tissues of her mouth and throat baked into uselessness.
“Come on over here, baby girl,” Grandmama wheezed. “I got a whole jar of elec-tro-lytes your friend left for you right here.”
It was night time, Tara registered, unsteadily pushing her body across the cool floor toward Grandmama’s voice. Patches of moonlight streamed through the boarded-up windows, but Grandmama was cloaked in shadow. “You’re doing good, baby. Keep coming.”
Tara stopped short when her outstretched fingers met a round container. Ice-cold hands steadied her as she shakily lifted the container to her lips. “Drink it up like a good girl. Every drop now, Tara.”
The first cool gush of liquid over her tongue was like heaven and she gulped and gulped and gulped, sputtering a bit when she forgot to breathe. The iron band around her temples loosened and she sat back on her knees. “God, that’s rancid,” she coughed, wiping a hand over her mouth. “I would rather have licked that gator’s butthole.”
Grandmama made a sound between a laugh and a gag. “Lordy, girl, that’s just nasty. I’m gonna let it pass, though, because you gave me a scare.”
Moments ticked by as she tried to get her head together. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, but she still couldn’t see more than the outline of Grandmama.
“You’re alright now, aren’t you Tara?”
Disjointed memories swept through her. The questionably sane Calyx held her down and forced medicine on her even as he apologized. Grandmama, deep hollows where her eyes should be, leaned over to brush tendrils of hair back from her sticky forehead while the giant alligator Calyx had killed stalked them both from the shadows. Her mind shied away from thinking too hard about what she’d just experienced. Overall, her impression of her illness was…trippy.
“I think I’m going to live,” Tara replied, massaging her temples gently. “How long was I out?”
“It’s been days,” Grandmama said. “Calyx and his partner were ordered to march everyone to a clearing – for assignment to work camps and all – two days ago. You were out for a day and a half before that.”
“They’re…gone?” Tara asked slowly, her clunky brain refusing to make sense of what her grandmother was saying.
“Mmmm,” Grandmama made a noncommittal noise.
“Work camps?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Wait. Are you telling me they really are aliens?”
“Uh huh. That’s about the way of it.” She coughed out a scratchy laugh.
Tara mused aloud. “How do they speak English?”
“They’ve been bidin’ their time, I suspect. Studyin’, learnin’, watchin’ and waitin’ for us to kill ou’selves off,” her accent thickened as fiery anger licked her words.
“And we survived, so we’re the – what? - the conquered? Slaves?” Tara scoffed. “That seems a bit ridiculous. We’re not exactly worthy opponents.”
“That’s exactly the way of it, baby girl.” She whispered. “You gotta be strong, now Tara. Things won’t be easy, but you hafta stay strong.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Grandmama,” Tara declared resolutely. How she would keep that promise, she didn’t know, but she would figure it out.
“Oh, baby, it’s too late for me.” Cold hands grabbed hers again and a rattling sob came out of the shadows. “I love you, and I need you to let me go, Tara.”
“You’re talking crazy,” Tara dismissed, half convinced she was still hallucinating. Grandmama was not the type to give in or give up. “I love you, Grandmama.”
“They’ll be back in a few hours, baby girl,” defeat laced her words. “Let’s rest now and worry about everything else in the morning.”
Weariness washed over Tara as she sank down next to her grandmother. She definitely wasn’t at full strength. “Sounds like a plan.”
Someone shook her shoulder. “Tara?”
It was daylight, she realized groggily, eyes scanning the dirty, empty shell of a room for signs of her friends. Grandmama wasn’t here…Grandmama…she’d told a story about the aliens invading and taking the others. Now, there was an alien crouched next to her. “I’m Silex, do you remember me?”
Pushing her aching body up to sit on her hip, Tara wiped at her crusted eyes. “Yes,” she croaked. “Where is Grandmama?”
“Calyx took her to a regen bed,” Silex replied, eyes hidden behind some sort of protective wrap.
“I…don’t understand.”
“She was dead when we arrived,” he stated flatly. “Calyx took her body to see if she can be revived.”
“No. That can’t be. She was fine last night.” But had she been? “Please. You have to take me to her.”
The alien’s mouth folded down. “I don’t,” he growled, standing in one fluid movement. “But I will.”
Tara struggled to stand and automatically tightened the rope looped through her threadbare olive fatigues. Scrambling for her boots, she clacked them together to clear out any pests and shoved her feet inside. “What are we waiting for?”
Silex led her to a spot outside the camp and flattened his lips as he surveyed her. “You need to stifle your shock and climb aboard if you want to get there quickly.” So saying, he touched something on his belt.
Where there had been marsh grass leaning sickly to one side, a strange square floated several feet off the ground. “Um…”
“It’s a hover platform,” he explained, exasperation in his tone.
She stood there, mouth agape, until he tossed her onto the square and hopped up beside her.
Two sticks with what looked like duck bills emerged from the platform and Silex rested his forearms in the cradle they created. “Hang on,” he tossed over his shoulder before the platform rose into the air and pivoted.
Tara threw herself flat against the bumpy, plastic-like surface and scrabbled with her fingernails for purchase.
“You won’t fall,” Silex sounded both darkly amused and disgusted at once.
“Whatever you say.” Tara opted to stay where she was – she figured prostrate was the ideal posture for prayer anyway.
The machine moved in utter, eerie silence. Everything was so quiet and still that the sound of Calyx’s words next to her ear gave her a small apoplectic fit.
“Tara? Are you well?”
She nearly bumped her head on his chin when she reared up to hands and knees. “Christ! Haven’t you ever heard of personal space?” It was kind of a ridiculous thing to say since he wasn’t on the platform – he stood on the ground, his impressive height making it easy for him to lean right over her.
A quick look around showed they were in some type of settlement. “Thanks for the ride!” She called at Silex’s back as he jogged away. “You guys are so weird,” she hissed.
“I told you, we’re Corians – not Earthers. What did you expect?” Calyx chuckled, and the sound was strangely soothing to her jangled nerves.
His skin and eyes were just as crazy as ever but seeing him brought a sense of calm tinged with a weird excitem
ent like she’d never experienced. It must be because he’d saved her life.
“Um. Right. Aliens. Still trying to wrap my head around that one,” she blurted, wildly hoping this was all some sort of nightmare.
One thing was certain, Tara wasn’t at her most graceful when she skittered away from him like a drunken crab. Was it just her or had it gotten inordinately warm? Calyx was so big it was like he was sucking up all her air. Which was ridiculous because they were outside.
“I understand this is a difficult time,” he spoke easily, like a friend offering condolences. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“No.” Tara took a deep breath and spoke sternly to her racing heart. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m a little jumpy. You saved my life – again. I should be thanking you. Especially since you raced back here to help Grandmama. Where is she, by the way?” It hadn’t ever occurred to Tara that the big man would let her down. So far, he’d been her own personal guardian angel.
His face immediately smoothed into an unreadable mask. One moment, he was the friendly alien who saved her life. The next, he was a polite, emotionless stranger.
“Come,” he beckoned, helping her to the ground. “I will take you to her.”
Chapter 21
Tara stood over Shirok’s crumpled body nervously tapping a cast iron skillet against her thigh. She had no idea what was going on outside her kitchen, but inside, all hell had broken loose.
“Tara, my name is Keble.” A Corian Warrior she didn’t recognize poked his head in the door and gave a little wave. “I promised Calyx I’d look in on you after we cleared the building.”
She whipped a flat metal pan off a nearby shelf and hurled it like a frisbee at his striped face. “You aren’t the first to try that gambit,” she chided, disappointed when he pulled back into the hallway sending her projectile clattering harmlessly to the floor. The pan joined the growing pile of kitchenware she’d pitched to keep the aliens at bay.
The whole camp spent the afternoon under lock-down. She and Marta had hidden just like Calyx urged. After the women heard the medics give the ‘all clear’, they met up with Franny in the kitchen to start dinner preparations. The meal was going to be late, but Tara tried to put on a happy face and get stuff done.
Just as dinner prep got underway, Shirok had burst in, mayhem gleaming in his creepy purple eyes. He made a beeline for Tara and proceeded to chase her all over the kitchen. At some point, she’d realized no one was coming to save her this time. She’d surprised them both by beating the snot out of him.
Another Doranos had bolted in and just… taken Marta. Franny had scampered off to do who-knows-what. Tara was left alone with an unconscious alien that wanted to do bad, bad things to her.
Hoping to alert Calyx, Tara hollered into the hall for help. Instead of bringing the one alien she trusted, her cries drew two of the three idiot medics, Corian Warriors with lusty eyes who registered a big, hairy zero on her trust-o-meter, so she’d held them at bay with hurled cutlery while demanding they raise the alarm. Someone had to get Marta back from that whack-a-do and Shirok wasn’t getting medical care until that happened.
Ninety minutes later, Calyx remained absent and Tara had started to panic a teensy bit. Shirok was a rapey ass-monkey, but if she’d killed him, what would these aliens do to her? Was self-defense even a thing inside these ‘work camps’? She’d never had cause to wonder before.
The door opened a crack and she looked up hopefully. “Oh, it’s you.” Another pan quickly found its way into her hand.
“Wait!” Keble shouted, throwing his hands in front of his face defensively without backing out of the room. This alien was either really brave or really stupid because her aim was on-point today. With his black helmet on and what looked to be some type of body armor over his uniform, she couldn’t do much damage, though. That was probably why they sent him. Tricky bastards.
“I’m not lying,” he pressed. “Calyx really did ask me to find you. Our comms have been down, but they’re back up now. I’ve let him know you’re okay…if maybe a bit shock-y.”
“I’m not in shock, Kebler,” she denied, seething with frustration. Why wouldn’t anyone take her seriously today? “I’m holding this idiot hostage until someone gets my friend back. I’ve told Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee that repeatedly.”
“Er – my name is Keble,” he corrected with a narrow-eyed stare, putting special emphasis on the long E at the end. “I do not know these Tweedle people.” He paused for a beat, clearly unsure how to proceed. “I am aware of your demands. However, I don’t think you understand the… magnitude of what has transpired.”
Before she could ask him to explain, Shirok moaned and stirred on the blood-spattered white floor. “Now, he wakes up,” she grumbled, the stirrings of relief and dread coursing through her. At least she hadn’t killed him. Maybe the aliens wouldn’t execute her right away. Maybe they’d send her to prison for a good long while first. No, wait, she was already in prison.
A ghostly white hand shot out and latched on to her ankle as he unexpectedly sat up and jerked her to him. “Mine!” Shirok roared, red-tinged spittle flying. Blood-shot eyes rolling, he turned toward Keble, “Get your own. This one is coming with m-.”
Practically choking on her terror, she belted out a surprised shriek as she jerked the skillet up high and slammed it down on his head. Hard.
The ominous crunch of iron meeting skull made her stomach roll, but she didn’t have time to think about it. Shirok’s dead weight leaned heavily into her legs, smearing blood all over her pants, as he slumped to the floor.
Tara fought to keep upright. It was a wasted effort. She landed with a tooth-rattling thud on the nasty floor. This was so not how she’d seen her day going. “Sonofabitch. That escalated quickly.”
“It did.” Keble’s grim face loomed as he offered a hand up.
“I didn’t say you could come in here,” she griped, grunting as he jerked her to a stand.
He cast a measured look at Shirok’s hopefully just unconscious form. “You’re lucky I don’t take orders from you,” he told her drily. “Do you have any idea who he is?”
“Other than a wannabe rapist?” Keble’s glare gave her pause, but she wasn’t in the wrong here. “For god’s sake, it’s the truth,” she snarled.
Keble wiped a hand across his face and bent low, so they were eye to eye. “I’m not arguing,” he enunciated slowly enough to drive home that she was on his last nerve. “However, he is also the son of a powerful Doranos House. I’m willing to report what I’ve seen here…but it might not be enough to spare you the wrath of the High Council. If it comes to that.”
“Your High Council sucks,” she hissed, breathing hard through her burning nose. Anger might not be the smartest response, but she could not let the tears trembling along her lashes loose. No one took a blubbering woman seriously – it didn’t matter how traumatized or scared or bruised she was.
If the pity in his eyes was anything to go by, he wasn’t fooled. “I think they’ll be distracted from your actions for a time,” he encouraged with an awkward shoulder pat. “Possibly forever. Let’s hope you haven’t killed him, though,” he added grimly, turning to survey the downed alien.
Sniffing loudly, Tara looked away. Violence had been an everyday part of her life for years and years. Then, she’d met Calyx and he helped her transition into a new kind of life where she felt secure. The events of the last few days had thoroughly shattered that illusion.
Keble bent to scoop Shirok’s bloody body from the floor. Tara’s shoulders slumped in defeat. Oh, she desperately wanted to force the aliens to find Marta and bring her back, but she had to think about her own not-so-sunny future, too. If Shirok survived, would everything come down to his word against hers? Or would her side of the story even matter?
“Come along,” Keble barked.
His tone served as a much-needed kick in the pants. Now was not the time to break down. Tara blinked the tears of self-pity and fear f
rom her eyes. “Where are you taking me?” She demanded.
“We will drop this one with the so-called Tweedles – yes, I figured that out,” he added drily. “Then, I’ll update Calyx and take you someplace…safe.” He marched confidently toward the door leaving bloody footprints on the shiny floor with Shirok dangling limply over his shoulder.
“You’re going to lock me up, aren’t you?” Panic had her wheeling around in search of escape. The door to the cafeteria was closest, but that left her trapped like a mouse in a maze. Better to try for the emergency exit.
Anticipating her, Keble turned back, snagged her by the wrist and tugged. “Have you considered that you’ll be safer under guard than you are running around without knowing who might be after you?” Exasperation coated his tone.
“Huh?” She forgot to fight his momentum as she puzzled over his words.
He dragged her unresisting body out of the kitchen and down the noisy corridor toward the infirmary. A crowd of injured, wailing people spilled into the hall waiting for help. She saw the Tweedles and several other Warriors urgently triaging aliens and humans alike. “What the hell?”
“You have no concept of what all has occurred today,” Keble said grimly as he handed Shirok off to the lone Doranos medic. “For all we know, this is a precursor to civil war.”
Tara perked up as she broke into a trot to match the brutal pace set by her alien baby sitter. “Maybe the High Council won’t be around to punish me at all.”
Chapter 22
Calyx found it easier to concentrate once Keble reported Tara safe. With communications restored, Skylan’s Warriors had made quick work of subduing the chaos outside the camp. Beyond the energy barrier, Calyx could see the bright lights of the teams sweeping dark land for survivors.
The hull of a burned-out marauder still smoldered, poison smoke hissing into the atmosphere. A perimeter of flood lights illuminated the area as Warriors in hazard suits worked to contain the noxious fumes.
