Astronomical charts overlaid with the visible star field flashed on the screen until one map finally matched the ship’s location. A relatively young system, its sun still yellow. He set a course for the center of the system and hoped his pursuer was far behind.
Every star system Indigo passed through was a unique wonder. Every time he thought he had seen it all, he found himself gaping in awe with the next skip. The sixth planet, a gas giant, proved no exception. A wide ring of ice and rock revolved around the planet and dozens of moons joined it in orbit.
Every living planet had a natural rhythm, an inherent balance that it strived to maintain. It was beautiful to see a planet with a healthy biosphere. Some of the worlds he had seen during his journey were tortured places, damaged beyond hope by their inhabitants. All he could do was mourn their folly.
The third planet came into view. Much smaller than the gas giant, more likely to be hospitable to the Oshen’s delicate frame, and a moon in orbit around it. Its proximity to the sun, along with the slight rotation and its elliptical orbit, meant its climate would be uniformly distributed.
Alarms went off around Indigo again. The long range sensors detected a faint burst of energy from the direction of the ringed planet. The signature matched that of a jump drive arriving. The Fringe had found him with the Drifting Star still hours away from being able to make another skip.
Indigo scoured the scanner’s results, looking for anything that might mask the presence of his ship. He could make a run for the third planet, but it would take too long to breach the atmosphere without leaving a wake behind for the Fringe to follow. The debris floating in orbit was too small and fragmented to hide among. The heavily cratered moon showed more promise. The soil contained a high concentration of iron and several clusters of metal spread across the surface. It might be enough to fool their sensors, if they didn’t look too closely.
The Fringe vessel was still too far away for visual contact but they were closing the distance. Though designed for deep space reconnaissance, the Drifting Star did have several defensive options, including a decoy drone. Packed tight inside was a complex set of counter-sensors, navigation and power system. Once released, the decoy would spool up its small jump drive and wait to be scanned. The Fringe would see the signature of a small scout ship just beyond the edge of visual range before the decoy skipped away.
He released it and set course for the largest cluster of metal on the surface of the moon. The thrusters ignited, giving the ship a boost as it arced toward its target. The image of the moon’s dusty surface filled the console. The Drifting Star banked for its approach and Indigo closed his eyes. The booster engines fired a tenth of a second too late and the ship touched down hard, throwing him forward.
Indigo groaned as he pushed himself off the floor and scrambled back into his chair. At the rate the Fringe had been closing on his position they would be in visual range soon. One by one he shut down every nonessential system and switched the engine core offline. Within moments the ship was running on minimal reserve power, the darkened cabin illuminated by the refracted light from the external cameras. Indigo’s heavy breathing cut the silence as he watched the console.
The space around the decoy twinkled and it was gone. The decoy had enough fuel for three skips, hopefully buying Indigo enough time for the Drifting Star to complete repairs. If the ruse worked, he would be long gone before the Fringe returned from chasing the decoy.
Indigo waited in the darkness. The Fringe vessel drifted into view, passing over where the decoy had been. It lingered above his position. He held his breath, half afraid that even the smallest sound would attract their attention. If they decided to investigate the moon’s surface, he would have nowhere left to run.
After what felt like a lifetime, the warship skipped away and Indigo released a long sigh of relief.
~~~
The engines sputtered to life. With power restored, the ship’s subsystems resumed repairs and Indigo got the first good look at his surroundings. The artifacts scattered around the perimeter of the ship didn’t appear to be native to the moon. Spacecraft and other debris from the nearby planet perhaps. The design seemed crude in comparison to the Drifting Star, but Indigo wasn’t one to judge. Before the Fringe invaded his world, the Oshen barely looked to the sky with anything but a passing interest. These aliens looked to the heavens and saw something more than just pinpricks of light on the canvas of night. They reached outward and set foot on another world.
Indigo took control of one of the remote probes and sent the small, angular device drifting toward the ancient landing site. Magnified images reflected off of Indigo’s wide eyes as the probe’s lens swept over the landscape. One object seemed deliberately placed: a rectangle of fibers with alternating colors of red and white, and a corner bit of dark blue with a field of white stars superimposed, affixed to a metal pole driven into the surface.
Several other objects rested nearby, but the largest artifact – a vehicle — drew his attention next. Four gangly legs, covered in silver and copper and gold, supported its weight, and scorch marks covered its flat surface. The composition of the burns belonged to a chemical accelerant, consistent with a rudimentary fuel. The probe followed the ladder attached to one of the legs. Light reflected off of a metal plate midway up. The probe paused and zoomed its lens in on the flat map representing the planet and the writing printed across the surface. The linguistics sub-system anatomized the block lettering, building a cipher. Translated text scrolled across the screen.
HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH
FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON
JULY 1969, A. D.
WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND
A small white pouch lay on the surface at the foot of the ladder. Tiny arms extended from the probe and pulled at the edges of the pouch. A round chip of metal slipped out and fell into the dust. Something had been written around the edge of the disc. Embedded in the center was a thin wafer of metal with microscopically small script etched onto its surface. The probe uploaded the image for translation and continued its circuit around the landing site.
Oddly shaped but precise indentations criss-crossed the surface of the moon. They tapered slightly from top to bottom and grooves ran horizontally across them. The probe hovered over one clear sample and stared at it for several ticks, contemplating the image.
The shape reminded him of footprints in the sand, like those left behind when the first of the Oshen crawled out of the water that was the only home they knew. The urge to know what lay beyond the edge driving them to reach into the unknown. The awe and wonder these people must have felt, stepping into the heavens and gazing back at their home, far in the distance. The excitement of knowing they were where no one else had ever been. These people, like his own, strove to break free of the bonds that held them.
Indigo tore open a nutrient packet with his teeth and nibbled while he read the messages inscribed on the small silver disc. Seventy-three messages, left for posterity by the race of Human. A species with binary gender spread across many nations. The text revealed these people had endured numerous hardships. And much like the Oshen, they had not always enjoyed peace among themselves.
The planet called Earth rose over the horizon. Deep blue waters and green and brown masses of land obscured by swirls of white clouds. Night had fallen on much of the world, but no lights twinkled in the distance. No voices remained to tell of their fate. Yet another cry silenced by the cruel chaos of life.
When he found a new world suitable for his people, Indigo would return to the stars and go to the central planets of the Sing Xu. There, among the peaceful races of the galaxy, he would bear witness. It wasn’t too late for the Oshen to see justice, and the race of Human should not be forgotten.
Indigo rubbed his eyes and yawned. As soon as the repairs were complete, he could finish his long journey.
~~~
The console beeped, waking Indigo from a deep sleep. Every joint in his body ached. He yearne
d for the smell of a living world and the warmth of sunshine on his skin. It had been three long terms since leaving his home behind, with few cycles since to break the monotony of life inside the cold, sterile ship.
The ship’s repairs were complete and the jump drive back online. The Drifting Star was ready to leave. Indigo keyed in the launch sequence and stretched his arms and legs while the ship broke free of the moon’s gravity. The ship settled into position high above the Earth, close enough for the sensors to scan the planet while navigation calculated the next skip.
Indigo’s eyes grew wider as the sensor displayed its results. The planet was mainly covered by water, with the largest areas containing high concentrations of salt, a rich blend of life-sustaining minerals and flourishing ecosystems. Deep canyons and rifts covered the floor of the sea. Indigo yearned to dive into the blue sea and feel the waves rolling over his cracked skin. It had been far too long since he felt its healing touch.
The atmosphere was a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, perfectly breathable by Oshen standards. And the soil bore only trace amounts of Astatine, the element the Fringe were after.
The land masses, as he suspected, showed minimal signs of life. High concentrations of iron in the northern regions suggested a large meteor had struck, upsetting the precarious balance and triggering the end of an era. Too, large masses of ice were receding to the north and south edges of the world. Everything in the path of the ice had been ground to dust, leaving a healthy world behind. Earth was a perfect candidate for the new Oshen homeworld.
Once the cryotank was in the water and activated, he could leave for Sing Xu and find justice for his people. By the time he returned, he expected the children of the Oshen would have many questions.
He chose an island off the eastern shore of the largest land mass as the likeliest landing site. There the colony would grow and thrive among the reefs and spread out by way of the strong currents that led to the deeper sea.
The Drifting Star had just entered the exosphere when the first blast hit, rocking the ship. Indigo pitched the ship and dove deeper into the upper atmosphere. The Fringe warship loomed overhead.
“Do you think you know our technology better than we do?” The familiar voice crackled over the cabin’s speaker. “That a decoy would fool us for long?”
Indigo switched the comm off and turned his attention to dodging the incoming fire. He was running out of options. He couldn’t skip unless they ceased fire — and that was a mistake they wouldn’t make again. The Drifting Star was smaller and more maneuverable than the warship, but couldn’t return fire or outrun them. There wasn’t anywhere it could go that they couldn’t follow.
Indigo opened the engines to full power. The ship shuddered under the stress of bouncing between the exosphere and thermosphere. The turbulence, though, would make it difficult for the warship to get a clear shot. The Drifting Star raced on.
They orbited the planet, the Fringe keeping the Drifting Star in their sights, bombarding it with anti-armor projectiles. Glancing blows scored the hull and sensor lights lit up as several of the armor plates disintegrated under direct hits. The Fringe could afford to be patient, Indigo knew. It was only a matter of time before their target’s defenses failed.
Sweat dripped down Indigo’s face as his mind raced for a solution. There was too much at stake for him to give up this close to the end of his journey. He programmed a new course into the navigation system. He wondered if those early Human explorers felt the same fear and hope in their souls as they reached out from the Earth to the stars. The rewards of success far outweighed individual mortality.
Indigo knew what he had to do.
~~~
Indigo ran through the narrow passages of the ship, the cryotank clutched to his chest with one arm while the other fought for balance as the ship pitched and rolled. The chronometer strapped to his wrist continued its final countdown. If he was successful, the Fringe would never bother the Oshen again.
It was bitter, giving up any chance for reparation, but the need to survive far outweighed his desire for justice.
There was only one way in or out of the Drifting Star. He reached the door to the airlock. Thirty ticks. The cargo hold was small, but the scout ship didn’t need much room. He flipped a switch on the control panel that turned on the comm.
“I am the last Oshen. I may not have lived free, but I will die free,” Indigo said and switched the comm off for the last time. The Drifting Star had served him as refuge in the darkest storm he could imagine, but it was time to go home.
The Fringe warship closed in on the Drifting Star, a superior foe stalking its wounded prey.
Smoke was filling the corridors. Indigo hoped the ship would hold together long enough for one last gambit. It was almost time.
He rummaged through the storage lockers. None of the environmental suits were made to fit his slight physique, but he did find a length of cord. He tied one end around his waist and the other to the cryotank. When he was confident the future of the Oshen was secured to his body, he stepped into the airlock and sealed the door behind him.
Silence enveloped Indigo. Flashing lights warned of the peril as the time ticked away. The ship vibrated from the forces buffeting it. Through the airlock window, Indigo could see even more red lights blinking in alarm. Fog replaced the smoke in the corridor as the fire suppression system fought for the ship’s survival.
The chronometer beeped again and the Drifting Star plunged into the mesosphere. Indigo clasped the handle of the airlock door and took a deep breath. Howling wind filled the airlock as the outer door slid open. He squinted his eyes against the bright blue light. In the distance, the sea waited for him. He released his grip and was sucked out of the airlock to meet his destiny.
~~~
Arms and legs held tightly against his body to minimize wind resistance, Indigo’s free-fall accelerated. The cryotank, still secured to his waist, trailed behind him. The cold wind whipped mercilessly at his body. He continued the countdown in his mind. Above him, the Drifting Star would be carrying out his final commands.
The ship would pull up sharply, as if bouncing off the atmosphere, and all repair sub-systems would go offline. The Fringe warship would have a clear shot at its target as soon as the Drifting Star cleared the turbulence. With the damage his ship had already sustained, it wouldn’t take much of a hit to complete their mission.
The ticks leapt by. He worried that his plan had failed, that the Fringe had seen through the ruse and would at any moment unleash their devastating firepower on the world below.
The explosion that rang out left Indigo’s ears ringing and singed his skin. The blast sent him tumbling end-over-end as the remains of the Drifting Star shot streaks of fire across the sky. Indigo continued to fall, helpless and out of control. His arms and legs flailed wildly, trying to stabilize him body. His eyes, painfully dry, no longer had the ability to focus, but what he could see below was vast and blue and getting closer.
Numb fingers fumbled with the cord around his waist and reeled the cryotank close to his body. He caressed it as he worked the controls from memory, activating the device. The thaw sequence would begin as soon as it was submerged. The gyroscope would keep the container on its course as its micro-engine propelled it to the deepest abyss it could locate. Soon, life would begin anew.
When we leap, sometimes we fall. Indigo understood this, as he believed the former occupants of this world must have too. Driven by an inexplicable curiosity and a desire to know the unknown, both races had explored beyond their boundaries. They left the place they called home and reached out to what lay beyond.
In time, perhaps, when the new generation of Oshen stepped out of the waters of their adopted world, they would look to the night sky and feel the same ambition to reach the stars. Might that they touch the moon and discover the legacy left behind by the race of Human and know for certain that they were not alone.
Indigo’s descent ended abruptly. Warm water washed over hi
s broken body, and for the last time a smile spread across his face.
~~~
ADAM ISRAEL, after having lived and worked in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles, expatriated to southwest Ontario, Canada, with his wife, three dogs and three cats. He attended SFWA Grand Master James Gunn’s short fiction workshop in 2007 and Clarion in 2010. When not writing, Adam is a freelance software engineer, consultant and blogger. His fiction has appeared in several venues online and off, including Crossed Genres.
Website: http://www.adamisrael.com/
Website: http://www.inkpunks.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AdamIsrael
When his pampered world loses the technology it depends on, extinction looms faster than lonely survivor Levo could ever have expected.
BLOOD FRUIT
by Shona Snowden
Most people died the first night. When the electricity went out, the StayClosed doors and windows did exactly what they were supposed to do. I don’t know how long people lasted in their sealed units without the recirculating air. I guess most were sleeping. Like my family. I hope they were sleeping real deep and never knew a thing about it.
Anybody who was awake figured out what was happening. They had long enough to batter against their StayClosed doors and windows. Long enough to ram them with chairs, tables, anything they had to hand. We saw that afterwards, as we wandered through the empty streets. People and their belongings all smushed up against the windows. Shattered furniture, broken kitchen implements, bleeding fists and crushed feet.
And the faces pressed up against the glass, purple and swollen like overripe Jufruits. People’s faces pressed so hard up against the glass, like they had been trying to breathe through it — like they believed they could, if they just pushed hard enough. Some had pushed so hard their skin had burst open, coating the glass with red slime, all splattered and oozing. Everywhere we walked, we saw bulging eyes through the windows. Empty, but still kind of pleading.
Extinct Doesn't Mean Forever Page 18
