The Syndicate's Journey

by Nicholas Bogucki

  Major General Solbrig hopped off the bed and walked over to the window next to him. “Look, I don’t think we should go rush out there, especially now in the sandstorm...wait, are they still out there? Where are they?”

  Major General Reingle looked with him. “Right there, you see those things?”

  “Uh. Yeah, I do.”

  “Those are the Snargde! I know it. I’ve been watching them since I woke up. I thought they were rocks, at first, but with this sandstorm, their covering blew, revealing what was underneath, and I saw blue!” Major General Reingle explained. “I’m not sure why they are dressed like that, and I’m not sure why they are blue, but this has to be the Snargde!”

  “What do you mean? You think they wear clothing?”

  “Well, I think the Snargde are wearing something. The reason why is because when the sandstorm first started, it was extremely windy, and I saw something flap due to the wind.”

  “Hm... that is interesting. I wonder why.”

  “I do too. I want to find out.” Major General Reingle stated.

  “Well, you think they’re headed into the cave?”

  “I don’t know, they have been stationary since I woke you up.”

  “Maybe they are waiting out the storm?” asked Major General Solbrig.

  “I’m unsure.”

  The Major Generals watched as the sandstorm moved closer, in a moment the Snargde removed the brown coverings and threw it in the air, revealing their naked blue bodies. They quickly jumped up in the air and dove down into the sand, burying themselves. Sand from the ground shot up in the air as the Snargde quickly escaped the incoming storm. In a matter of seconds, all the Snargde were underneath the sand, and the storm raged onward, their robes flying and twirling in the dust devils.

  “What just happened?”

  Major General Solbrig shook his head. “I have no clue.”

  “I guess they’re hiding?”

  “Looks like this is how they wait out the storm, I think.”

  “Solbrig, this is huge! We just witnessed how native creatures on this planet survive!”

  “I know. Which is pretty interesting if you think about it.” Major General Solbrig continued, “I wonder how we can learn from their behavior.”

  “Of course! This is the sort of thing that General Deschner wants.”

  “You’re right, it is.” He continued watching the robes fly through the air. “We can’t do anything until the sandstorm goes away, though.”

  “I know. I wonder how much longer it has left.” Major General Reingle swiped his hand and opened his INH and scanned the sandstorm.

  ◆◆◆

  SCANNING…………………………ONE MOMENT PLEASE

  ◆◆◆

  “Of course. That should tell us.” Major General Solbrig stated. “It seems like Snakardekus is just full of surprises, huh?”

  “Yeah, hopefully, nothing bad like what happened to Lokhorst and Brentari.”

  “Agreed. I don’t want to run into anything big over here.”

  Major General Reingle nodded his head in agreement. “Oh, look!” He swiped his hand forward to show Major General Solbrig.

  ◆◆◆

  SCAN COMPLETE

  SANDSTORM ENDING IN FIFTY-FOUR (54) SECONDS

  ◆◆◆

  “Well look at that, it should be ending soon then.”

  “You’re right. We should suit up in the meantime.”

  “Yeah, wait, Solbrig, you haven’t eaten yet.”

  He shook his head. “It’s okay, I’m not that hungry.”

  “Oh, okay, if you say so.”

  The Major Generals grabbed their OBA’s from the desk and secured them over their necks and inserted the mouthpiece.

  “Do you have extra vials, Solbrig?”

  He patted his pant pockets and nodded. “I saved them from yesterday right here. What about you?”

  “Yeah, I do. You think we should get more?”

  “Nah, I think we’ll be fine.”

  “Oh, okay, well I ask because I grabbed some earlier just in case, and I was looking around in the control room and noticed that this Drakdel had two guns, but now they’re missing...do you know anything about that?”

  Major General Solbrig looked at him and remembered that he had placed the guns in his metal arm compartment. He had forgotten all about that until now.

  Should I lie and tell him I have no clue what happened to them? What if I told him the truth? General Deschner had these Drakdels before we did, I could tell him maybe he did something with them?

  “To tell you the truth, I have no clue where they are. I noticed that yesterday and thought maybe you moved them, but I guess you didn’t.” Major General Solbrig admitted and looked around the Drakdel. “I don’t know why General Deschner would send us without any weapons on a foreign planet.” Major General Solbrig admitted to Major General Reingle. He felt ashamed that he was lying to him, but maybe this was for the best.

  “I don’t know either, you’d think he would want us safe, huh?”

  “Yeah, that’s for sure, even though he talked about not harming these creatures.”

  “I just wanted to ask you, that’s all. Maybe General Deschner will send us weapons in the supply drop?”

  “I wouldn’t count on it. General Deschner said he wants this as peaceful as possible.”

  “Yeah, maybe so.”

  “Hey, look out there!” Major General Solbrig shouted as he pointed out the window with his robotic hand. The sandstorm was stopping, and the robes fluttered down onto the sand. In a matter of moments, the ground started to move, and the sand began to rumble and shake. The Snargde jumped from the sand underneath, and in the air, sand flew everywhere. The Snargde safely landed on the ground. The Snargde grabbed their robes from the ground and placed them over their bodies, and hurriedly walked inside of the cave.

  “How many are there?” asked Major General Reingle.

  “Uh. I lost count after twenty.” Major General Solbrig replied. “That’s twenty more than I wanted.”

  “They are so quick, Solbrig. It makes me nervous.”

  “That’s two of us.” He admitted. “Unfortunately, we have to go out since the storm let up.”

  “I-I mean we don’t have to now…?”

  “We should, Reingle. This is the opportune time. We need to interact with the inhabitants of Snakardekus.”

  “Agreed...but what if something bad happens?”

  “We’ll figure it out then, but we have to go if we want to make contact with them, Reingle.”

  “Y-yeah, you’re right.”

  “Let’s go, Reingle!” Major General Solbrig turned around and pressed the button on the Drakdel to open the door. The ramp appeared, and Major General Solbrig walked out onto the sand. Major General Reingle hesitated then ran after him. The Drakdels' door closed behind them. The Major Generals continued walking towards the cave and stopped roughly ten feet in front of it.

  “You sure you want to do this, Reingle?”

  “No, I don’t, but at the same time, I do. I know that the Snargde is in there, and we are so close to contacting them. We need to do this, Solbrig.”

  Major General Solbrig nodded. “You’re right, let’s go inside then.” The Major Generals started to slowly walk inside of the cave and were silent as they walked. Soon, the cave became dark, and their eyes changed to allow them to see.

  “I wonder how far they went,” whispered Major General Reingle.

  “I don’t know.” Major General Solbrig replied. “We’ll find them soon enough.”

  The cave started to become narrow. Soon, the cave was only big enough for one of the Major Generals to walk through one at a time. Major General Solbrig walked first, and Major General Reingle followed behind.

  “I do not see them yet, do you?” whispered Major General Reingle.

  Major General Solbrig shook his head. “I don’t see anything, either.”

  “Yeah...how long have we been walking anyw
ays?”

  “No clue.” Major General Solbrig replied. “You sure you saw them walk in here?”

  “I did. You saw it too!”

  “Yeah... I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a mirage.”

  “I didn’t think about that, you think mirages happen here, too?”

  “Maybe.”

  The Major Generals continued walking until they couldn’t anymore. A wall was in front of them with nowhere else to go.

  “Uh, Solbrig?”

  “What is it?”

  “Is that a wall?”

  “It is, yes.” He replied. “Good observation.”

  “Where are the Snargde?”

  “I don’t know, Reingle. We walked all this way, and now there are no Snargde here.”

  “Can I see something?”

  “There’s nothing to see here, but sure, go ahead.” He answered.

  Major General Solbrig stepped back for Major General Reingle to walk past him Major General Reingle looked up and down at the wall and touched a piece of rock that appeared to be out of place, then the cave started to shake. The wall began to slowly move downwards into the ground, and the cave stopped shaking.

  “What...did you do?” Major General Solbrig asked.

  “I uh... I touched a rock.”

  “Why?” he asked, “Why would you do that? Now they definitely know we are here!”

  “I-I didn’t know it would do this. At least it isn’t a trap.”

  “You know that for sure?” He shook his head. “Well, let's hope nothing happens to us.”

  “You- uh, you want to lead, Solbrig?” he stammered.

  “Nope. Go for it. You did it, you lead.”

  Major General Reingle exhaled and slowly walked forward over the wall that was once there. He continued as the cave began to shrink until they had to crawl on the floor.

  “This isn’t going to be fun.”

  “Not at all.” Major General Solbrig responded.

  “Should we turn around and get out of here?” asked Major General Reingle as he was crawling.

  “Why? We’re this far Reingle, why would we abandon the mission now?”

  “I think we’re going to hit another wall.”

  “Well, we will find out soon enough, until then continue crawling.”

  The Major Generals continued crawling until they had reached a hole that opened, and then they were able to stand up. When they stood up, they noticed all around the area was Snargde sleeping on the floor. Major General Reingle turned around and nodded and pointed behind them towards where they had just come from, signaling to leave at once. Major General Solbrig turned around, and a loose piece of gravel was under his shoe, and he slipped and fell on the ground.

  The noise reverberated throughout the room, and all the Snargde woke up. Their eyes opened, and they jumped on all fours, hissing at Major General Reingle helped him stand up. They stood next to one another and watched the Snargde continue to hiss at them. One blue Snargde from a distance stood up on two legs and walked towards the Major Generals. The Snargde that were hissing stopped as the Snargde walked past them until the Snargde was a few feet away from the Major Generals, and all the Snargde was quiet.

  “Who are you?” the Snargde began to speak. “How did you get here?”

  The Major Generals turned to look at each other then back at the Snargde standing there speaking to them.

  “Do you not speak?” The Snargde asked.

  “U-uh we do speak.” Major General Solbrig remarked.

  “Y-yes!” Major General Reingle chirped.

  “Good, you both can talk. I thought that one was mute.” The Snargde pointed at Major General Reingle with his sharp nails.

  Major General Reingle shook his head.

  “So how did you get here?” the Snargde asked them.

  “Uh…” Major General Reingle started to speak. “Well... you see, we’re from Nuwurth. The planet closest to this one.”

  “Nuwurth?” The Snargde asked. “What is that?”

  “Well, you see how we are here on this planet?” Major General Reingle asked. “Well, the one in the sky that is blue and green…”

  “That thing in the sky at night is where you are from?” The Snargde asked.

  “Well, perhaps, but it isn’t that big bright thing.” Major General Reingle explained. “That would probably be the moon.”

  “I always wondered what lived there. You say you’re from it? Nuwurth?”

  They nodded.

  “That is fascinating.” The Snargde spoke. “Does the rest of them on Nuwurth look like you?”

  “Pretty similar, yes.” Major General Solbrig asked. “Who are you, and why can we understand you?”

  “I am J’uhleesa and these...” He held out his hands as he spoke. “These Snargde are my followers. We travel everywhere together... Who are you? What are you called?”

  “I am Major General Matzen Reingle. But you can call me Reingle.”

  “I am Major General Cade Solbrig..or Solbrig for short.”

  “Reingle...Solbrig... We have been traveling in this area for years.” J’uhleesa spoke. “We are trying to recruit more Snargde for my followers.”

  “I know we saw you here hundreds of years ago!” shouted Major General Reingle out of excitement.

  “Saw me? That’s impossible.”

  “No, no look!” Major General Reingle swiped his hand, and his INH appeared. He tapped on “Files” then “Snakardekus” he touched on picture seventy-three as he had done before.

  “See, look!” He swiped his finger upwards to project the image. “That’s you!”

  “What is that? That is not me!” J’uhleesa shouted. “That was a long time ago!”

  Major General Solbrig urged him to turn it off, and he leaned forward to him and whispered, “Scan him. Discretely.” He nodded, and he swiped the hologram away and tapped “Scan” and moved his arm down.

  “That thing you saw is what we call pictures. Pictures are something that captures a moment in time forever.” Major General Solbrig tried to explain.

  “So... a picture as you call?”

  “Yeah. A picture is something that you can save and hold onto forever. Major General Solbrig replied.

  “Can I see that picture again?” asked J’uhleesa. “I think I may know who that is.”

  “Oh, uh, sure... Reingle?”

  Major General Reingle jumped, as his concentration was on J’uhleesa. “Oh, uh, yes?”

  “Would you bring up that picture again? Our friend here wants to see it.”

  “Oh, sure.” Major General Reingle swiped his hand and opened his INH and proceeded to tap on the same picture, and he swiped it upwards and projected it onto a hologram. J’uhleesa walked closer to it and squinted his eyes and then moved his arm up and moved his fingers close to the image of it.

  “I know who that is,” J’uhleesa responded.

  “Wait, what!? You do?” Major General Reingle asked, surprised.

  “Yes, I do. That is Saroulzell.”

  “Really? It is?” Major General Solbrig asked. “Wait, who is that?”

  “Saroulzell was the leader of the Snargde before."

  “That is interesting.” Major General Reingle stated. “Before…before what?”

  “Before the other leaders…you did not answer me, what are you? You are no Snargde.” J’uhleesa sneered.

  “You see...well, you know how you lead these Snargde? Well, where we are from, there is one leader there who leads all of us transhumans.” Major General Solbrig explained.

  “Transhumans?”

  “Yes, that is what we are called like how you are, Snargde.”

  “Oh, I see,” J’uhleesa spoke. “Where is your leader then? Do you not follow him?”

  “Well, he is back on Nuwurth, he sent us here.”

  “Oh, really?” J’uhleesa thought. “I wonder if I can send Snargde to Nuwurth.”

  The Major Generals looked at one another then looked back at J’uhlees
a. “I don’t know about that.” Major General Reingle spoke.