by C H Gideon
“Overwhelming numbers,” Maddox said. “Let’s move faster.”
“Good thing I brought grenades,” she replied, scrambling up the rocky tunnel. “What’s that sound?”
“What sound?” Maddox cocked his head, adjusting his audio inputs.
“It sounds like ocean waves,” Jiya replied. “Maybe it’s wind blowing through the tunnels?”
“There’s no wind,” Maddox said, stopping to double-check. He shook his head. “Nope, no air movements, but I can hear it, too. It seems to be coming from that direction.” He pointed ahead to where the tunnel turned ninety degrees.
They crept up to the corner. Stay low, Maddox reminded Jiya. They ducked and peeked around the rocky turn.
And came face to face with an enormous wave of tiny sharp-toothed natives.
“Maybe I should have gone with Maddox and Jiya,” Geroux said, pacing behind the equipment. The two crew members, Finnal and Edernt, had moved to the rear while Geroux guided the extractors. She was smaller than the males and had less combat training, so she didn’t mind. Plus, it gave her a chance to chat with Taneral while they walked.
“They are fine warriors, are they not?” Taneral asked. “They do not need scientific support for their current mission.”
“I guess not, but I’m worried about them. What if those lifeforms have attacked?” She felt sort of responsible for the actions of the creatures since she had identified them and assured the crew they wouldn’t be a problem.
The sound of crashing waves echoed down the tunnel.
“What is that?” Taneral asked.
“Incoming!” Reynolds called back. “Defensive positions! We don’t want them to damage our equipment.”
Finnal ran a hundred meters down the tunnel to watch behind the group. Edernt pushed past the two females and joined Reynolds. Geroux stayed by the equipment, moving in front of it.
“Stay behind the extractors,” Geroux told Taneral. “If they cut us off from behind, you’ll need to help Finnal.” She focused on the long tunnel.
Although the visual sensors on her helmet allowed her to see in the dark, nothing registered in the tunnel except a wave-like disturbance. “Do they have cloaking tech? It almost looks like the rock itself is moving.”
“They can’t have,” Reynolds said. “We’ve seen no indications of any tech on this planet, and no power signatures. They couldn’t have developed cloaking tech in a vacuum. It must be a natural protection.”
The disturbance moved closer, and the wave-like noise grew louder. A rock zoomed out of the gloom and struck Reynolds’ helmet. The android shook his head and charged forward, firing rapidly. “Attack!”
Geroux and Edernt darted after him, firing their weapons. Flashes lit the space, revealing hundreds of almost-invisible aliens. Their bodies blended into the rock walls and floor of the cave. Noise echoed off the tunnel, assaulting them from all directions. The crew fired into the wall of aliens in rapid succession, dropping dozens. More swarmed up from behind. Rocks rained down on them, hurled from behind the growing wall of dead, but bounced harmlessly off their armor. They fired again and again.
“They’re retreating!” Reynolds yelled. “See if you can capture one!”
Geroux yanked a screamer off her belt, hit the trigger, and threw it past Reynolds. It flew into the dark…and then it flew back at them. “Shit!” She scooped it up and threw it again.
The screamer hit something and went off, the wailing shriek shaking the tunnel. Dust and pebbles rained on their helmets and shoulders. The tunnel seemed to shudder, and the wave of creatures crumpled to the floor.
The noise cut off, their helmets having auto-dampened the intense sound, then returned to normal audio control. Report! Reynolds said through the comm.
Clear to the rear, Edernt reported.
No injuries, Finnal replied.
I’m good, Geroux said. “Taneral, are you okay?”
The female peeked around the equipment, waving her blaster. “I’m fine, but I could not see what attacked us.”
“We’re not sure, either,” Geroux said.
Reynolds stalked forward and prodded the odd debris. He rolled one lump over with his foot. “These must be the Dark Ones. They look like Pornath and his clan, but smaller.”
Geroux leaned forward, pointing her various scanners at the creature. “Their hair has a visual disrupter in it. This is amazing! They grow their own invisibility cloak! Did Pornath have that?”
Reynolds shook his head. “Unless it’s activated by the dark?”
Geroux’s eyes widened as she thought about that possibility. “I need to take a sample back to the ship.”
“Go ahead,” Reynolds said. “The Geneva Convention doesn’t apply here.”
Used to Reynolds’ unknowable quips, Geroux shrugged it off and clipped several centimeters of dreadlock from the alien. Stowing the tangled hair in a container on her belt, she straightened. “Do you think these are the creatures we sensed near Ka’nak?”
“Wouldn’t their hair block the ship’s scans?” Reynolds asked.
“Their camouflage isn’t perfect. We saw something,” Geroux said. “But it might have confused the scans. Or those could be different creatures.”
—you read me? Jiya’s voice came through the internal comm.
Report! Reynolds snapped back.
We were attacked, Jiya said. We’re fine. They’d overwhelmed Ka’nak and taken him prisoner. They were bringing him down the tunnel. We killed a lot of them and knocked out the rest with a screamer. There were thousands of them! They did something to Ka’nak’s armor. He’s frozen.
As she spoke, Maddox and Jiya came down the tunnel behind Finnal, carrying Ka’nak between them.
They laid the big Melowi on the smooth floor of the cave. He stared at them through the faceplate of his helmet.
Ka’nak? Reynolds asked through the comm.
Ka’nak blinked. Those fucking sons of bitches did something to my armor! I will—
Reynolds held up a hand and cut Ka’nak off mid-rant. “We’ll get it fixed. What did they do?”
I don’t know. They swarmed over me like mestibugs, and suddenly I was frozen. Ka’nak’s eyes burned with anger. Like an infestation of mestibugs, he repeated.
“Diagnostics say there’s nothing wrong with your armor,” Geroux said, looking at a readout on her wrist comp. “They did something to you, maybe a toxin that affected your nervous system. Frozen armor wouldn’t stop you from talking aloud. This toxin did.”
“His suit should have filtered that out!” Jiya said.
“Our sensors should have allowed us to see these Dark Ones,” Geroux replied, gesturing to the incapacitated creatures. “They have a natural defense that makes them virtually invisible, so it’s not too surprising that they have a natural offensive weapon as well. We’re lucky it didn’t stop his respiratory system. We need to study these creatures.”
“We can take one back to the ship,” Reynolds said. “But handle it carefully. We don’t want any more accidents.” He pointed with his eyes at Ka’nak.
“If we have to carry Ka’nak, we can’t carry the equipment and an alien, too,” Maddox said. “Plus, we still need to find the phorentum.”
“Right. Phorentum is the priority,” Reynolds said. “Without that, we can’t get back to High Tortuga. Can the maintenance bots carry Ka’nak too?”
They put both extractors on one bot and rolled the Melowi warrior onto the other. “This will work until we need to carry the phorentum.” Maddox said.
“We can leave the extractors behind if we must,” Reynolds said. “We can always build new ones. I have no way to build a new Ka’nak.”
Thanks, boss, Ka’nak replied. Your loyalty to me is overwhelming.
“Are we still headed in the right direction?” Reynolds asked Geroux. “Are you sure there really is phorentum down here?”
“I’m ninety-eight percent sure there is phorentum in this mountain,” she replied. “The People identif
ied this planet as a source, and there’s no reason to think our sensors gave us a false positive. We know we haven’t passed it, so it must be ahead of us, right?”
“Maybe it’s buried deep inside the rock and we walked right by,” Jiya said.
“Whose side are you on?” Geroux scowled. “No, phorentum crystals develop underground on the surface of lava rock, but there has to be air. The lava tubes are perfect. My detector shows it’s that way.” She pointed in the direction from which the aliens had attacked.
“Then let’s get moving,” Reynolds said. “Maddox, take point. The rest of you, keep an eye on our six. We don’t want these things sneaking up on us.”
Hours later, Reynolds and Maddox lay on a ledge above a vast cave. The rest of the team guarded the equipment and the still-paralyzed Ka’nak in the tunnel behind them. They peered over the edge, staring down at a huge congregation of Dark Ones.
This looks like their home base, Maddox said. I see kitchen areas and sleeping areas. Those small ones could be children. I think these Dark Ones are as sentient as the beings on the surface.
Do you see any phorentum? Geroux asked. While we were walking, I developed code that should visually filter the phorentum’s signal. I’m sending it to you now.
What does that mean? Maddox asked.
It means if we look at phorentum, it glows, Reynolds said, pointing at the far wall of the massive cavern.
Maddox looked up. The entire curve of the Dark Ones’ cavern glowed blue.
Chapter Six
Jackpot! Reynolds grinned.
But how do we get to it? Maddox asked. The Dark Ones haven’t exactly been friendly.
Reynolds crooked a finger at him and combat-crawled away from the lip of the cavern. Two options: we try negotiations, or we look for the mineral somewhere else. I prefer the former.
We could wait to see if they disperse, Jiya said as the two entered the mouth of the cavern where the rest of the crew waited.
Maddox shook his head. That’s their home. Unless they’re nomads and we just happened to arrive on moving day, they’re here to stay.
We could rain fire from above and destroy those nasty little vermin like a mestibug infestation, Ka’nak said, shaking his fist. Beside him, Taneral nodded.
“Hey, you moved your arm!” Geroux said. “The toxin must be wearing off. Too bad Doc Reynolds isn’t with us; he could probably create an antidote. You don’t have access to the medical files, do you, sir?”
“If we could still reach the ship, I could come up with something,” Reynolds said. “For now, he’ll just have to be mostly dead all day, and for the record, I am opposed to raining fire on the innocent to get something we want. If we did that, there would be no reason to go home since the Queen would destroy the vile creature Reynolds had become. Let’s go talk to some Dark Ones. Maddox, take point. Find us a way down there.”
“’Mostly dead?’” Maddox muttered under his breath as he turned back the way they had come. “Where do you get this stuff?”
You should do some human culture indoctrination, Ka’nak said. Most enlightening.
Maddox led them into a tunnel they had bypassed earlier. This one goes down, he said. If my scans are to be believed, it leads to the cavern. He aimed a dark look at Geroux.
She held up her hands. I did my best! I should take a sample of this rock back to the ship and see if we can figure out how it interferes with the scans.
Get some when we extract the phorentum, Reynolds said. Eyes on the prize, team.
“Halt!” a voice cried, echoing through the narrow cavern.
The crew squinted down the tunnel but could see nothing.
“There!” Geroux said. “It’s one of the Dark Ones.”
“You speak?” Reynolds asked, stepping around Maddox. Even knowing where to look, the creature was virtually invisible.
“I speak. You walk.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time seeing you,” Reynolds said, pouring on the charm. “We aren’t used to all these dark tunnels. Which way do you want us to go?” He glanced back at the crew. Geroux, can you do something with the translation?
I’m not a comm genius, but I’ll try, Geroux replied.
There is no tr—, Ka’nak began.
Not now, Ka’nak, Reynolds snapped.
“Come.” The disturbance moved down the tunnel, so they followed.
I wonder why we could see all those creatures in the cavern, but we can’t see this one? Maddox said.
Something in their food? Jiya suggested. You said you saw children. Maybe only the warriors have this invisibility?
Ooh, good theories, Jiya! Geroux said. Try talking to the being now, Reynolds.
“Where are you taking us?” Reynolds asked.
“The boss wants to see you,” the Dark One replied.
Reynolds flashed a thumbs-up at Geroux. “Excellent. We’d like to talk to the boss, too. What’s their name?”
“You don’t talk to the boss. You listen.” The alien’s voice was firm. He stepped into the large cavern, with the crew following.
“I can see him!” Geroux exclaimed. “There’s something in this cavern that allows us to see him!”
“Quiet!” the Dark One commanded. Activity near them stopped as all the Dark Ones turned to look. They were less than a meter tall, with thick dreadlocks covering their bodies. Each had four hands and two legs, like the natives on the surface.
Maybe the phorentum interacts with their hair, Geroux theorized as she waved her wrist comp around the space. It’s the only thing I can find that is different from the tunnels.
They crossed the broad cavern to a wide central circle. Many Dark Ones sat around the perimeter, eating and drinking. The beings used crude cups and plates to hold their food. As the crew approached, the aliens muttered and stared. Smaller beings scurried out of their path. Their guide walked up to the large creature in the center of the circle.
“Have you found the intruders?” the large Dark One asked as they approached.
Their guide waved all four arms in a complicated gesture. “These creatures bring their strange things into the cavern.”
The boss looked the crew over, his eyes lingering on the extractors and Ka’nak. “Why is that one being carried? Is it the ruler or an invalid?”
Reynolds stepped closer. “Ka’nak is a great warrior,” he said. “We carry him to honor his strength. This way, he is fresh for the fight, should one occur.”
From his position on the maintenance bot, Ka’nak bared his teeth and growled.
“Wise,” the leader replied. “I may have to institute this policy myself. I am Grrnherg, leader of the D’rken.”
“I am Reynolds, of the SD Reynolds,” the AI said. “My crew and I seek trade partners.”
“You are not from this planet,” Grrnherg said.
“How did you know that?” Reynolds asked.
“My sentries saw your Pods arrive in the bright,” he replied.
“But what made you think we’re from off-planet?” Geroux asked, pushing forward. “That seems like a big jump…” Her voice trailed off, not wanting to insult their host.
“A big jump for a primitive to make?” Grrnherg asked. “We are not as primitive as you might think.”
I guess not, Maddox said. Perhaps even more advanced than the civilization on the surface.
I don’t think we have enough data about the surface dwellers to make that assumption, Geroux said, wrinkling her nose.
“Do not judge my tribe by what you encountered on the surface,” the being continued.
Can he hear our comm?! Jiya asked.
They all stared at Grrnherg. He stared back.
I guess not, Jiya said.
“We evaluate each civilization on its own merits,” Reynolds told the chief. “We are thrilled to meet another advanced species, and we wish to negotiate a mutually beneficial trade agreement.”
Grnnherg grunted. “What do you seek from us?”
“We
are always interested in unique minerals and compounds,” Reynolds replied in a casual tone. “Perhaps you have something we haven’t seen before.”
“Perhaps,” Grnnherg replied. “What do you propose in exchange for our ‘unique minerals and compounds?’” Even through the translation program, they could hear his mimicry. His eyes glittered. “You have some unique items we might enjoy.” He glanced at the crews’ weapons belts.
Reynolds shook his head. “We do not trade military equipment. We have no interest in changing the balance of power on planets we visit.”
“Let’s be plain.” The chief crossed all four of his arms over his chest. “You want our glow rocks.” One hand gestured to the ceiling. “We want your weapons. And your cat.”
“I don’t belong to them!” Taneral cried, her tail snapping around her legs.
“You can see the glow?” Geroux asked at the same moment.
“We can see the effects of the glow,” Grrnherg said, ignoring Taneral. “Without the glow rocks, we are as invisible to each other as we are to you.” Behind the chief, the beings who had gathered around muttered. He turned to them. “They know this. You heard the little one exclaim as they entered the cavern.” Grrnherg turned back to Reynolds. “If you want our glow rocks, you must give us your weapons and your cat.”
Geroux hung her head. Her excitement might have ruined their negotiation before it began.
“No deal,” Reynolds said. “We don’t trade sentient beings. And if you’ve seen what our weapons can do, you know we can take what we want.”
“You can try,” Grrnherg said. “You are vastly outnumbered here.” He made a gesture, and the Dark Ones grouped around them moved closer, like a tide.
They’re moving the children out of the cavern, Maddox said, glancing over Reynolds’ shoulder.
Good. I don’t want to hurt them if we don’t have to, the AI replied, turning slightly until his back was to Maddox. Defensive positions, all. Kill only if you must. Start with the screamers. We know those are effective.
The crew set their backs to the equipment. Within the circle, Ka’nak slowly rose from the maintenance bot, growling and glaring down at the tiny aliens. The beings closing in stopped.
