“How many do you think they’re sending?” I asked.
“Probably all of them. I’d say two or three dozen at least,” Slate answered.
That was a lot. Far more than I wanted to stand and fight here in the trees. I wished we had more time to prepare. We could have made some traps. The wheeled robots weren’t ideal in rough terrain.
Soon I could make out the hum of the ships’ engines as they neared our position. Once again, it had all come to this: isolated on an empty world, with robots attacking. Leonard would have a fun time drawing this comic issue if he ever learned our fate.
The ships landed right where we expected, in the opening near the tent. We were at higher ground here and watched the dropships touch down on the ground, the doors clinking open. Dozens of the robots piled out, weapons ready and pointed toward the tent. Simultaneously, each of their guns began to fire at the structure, tearing it to pieces in seconds.
Then the drones attacked. We had twenty or so left, and they surrounded the robots from the air, firing beams down like rain. The robots rolled and ran toward the ships, shooting up at the drones as they went.
Slate took this as the time to attack. He ran forward, rifle raised, and I followed him, pulling my trigger and sending beams at the unsuspecting targets. We hit a few, but they were getting the better of our drones now. Only a few robots were on the ground, immobilized, and I saw no more than a handful of drones still firing from the sky.
Slate ran for the treeline to the right, and I went left, shooting wildly as we crossed the opening. I pressed my back against a tall, wide, smooth tree trunk. Then there was silence. The drones had all been destroyed, along with my hope of making it out of here alive. With a quick glance, I saw twenty or so of the robots gathering. At least a dozen were still on the ground, sparks shooting from a few of them.
“Any ideas?” I asked through my helmet mic.
“None that don’t involve me going berserker mode on these bags of bolts,” came Slate’s reply.
“Go the long way around, cutting back into the forest. We’ll meet a mile north of here,” I said.
“Okay, I’m on…” Slate’s voice cut out, and I slid around the tree, palm on it now as I looked toward his position.
“Slate?” I asked and got a mangled message in reply. There was an issue with our mics and earpieces.
Before I could react, a shock coursed through me. I fell to the ground to see a robot leaning over me, blue energy crackling at the end of a metallic rod.
FOUR
I opened my eyes and surveyed my situation with a strange detachment. My body ached, and my toes and fingertips were numb. I was standing and felt chafing at my ankles and wrists. I was inside one of the buildings in the city. I recognized the vanished alien construction. The robots had captured and shackled me in this dim room. There was a small window across the space, water seeping through it onto the floor.
I tugged on my arms, but the restraints were too strong to break. I could only hope Mary and Suma had gotten away. And Slate. If he’d seen me taken, there was no way he would have gone quietly. He probably ran at them, guns blazing.
“Mary? Suma? Slate?” I tried each name in my mic but received no response.
It was at least an hour later that I heard the whirring of a robot coming toward the room. I braced myself. I’d seen how cruel they were. I remembered Rivo on death’s doorstep, her tattered clothing hanging from her emaciated blue body.
The robot that entered the space was disfigured, like the rest of them. This one had two legs instead of wheels, and it methodically stepped over to me. Its body was a thick metal armor, its head small in proportion, and two glowing red eyes looked straight at me, with darkness behind them.
“Where is Dean Parker?” it asked in monotone English.
I was taken aback. We hadn’t known whether they were looking for us particularly, but evidently, they were. They were searching for me.
“Never heard of him.” I said the words in Shimmali tweets and squawks. This appeared to confuse the robot, who stood silently, calculating before speaking again.
“Where is Dean Parker?” it asked again, still in my language.
“Look, I’m just visiting. I work hard and get three lousy weeks of vacation a year, and you interrupt it without even saying ‘I’m sorry’.” I felt the zap before I saw the rod in the robot’s grip. Blue energy raced across my skin, and my knees fell weak. My arms jarred as the shackles held my weight.
“Where is Dean Parker?” it asked with the same tone.
I struggled to regain my footing but eventually did. Was there any point in lying to these guys? They already had me. Maybe there was a way to leverage my name, a way to keep myself alive another day. I needed to distract them from searching for Mary. Had she delivered our baby out there in the wilderness, alone with Suma?
I stood as tall as I could, cleared my throat, and said firmly, “I’m Dean Parker.”
The robot lowered the energy rod, turned around, and plodded out of the room, the floor shaking slightly with each step. The door shut, and I was once again alone.
When I came to after passing out, someone was standing in the room with me. Its back was turned to me, and it seemed to know I had woken. Maybe it was the light jingle of the chains binding me as I shifted. “The Dean Parker.” It spoke rough English, but clear enough to understand. The being was tall, and I struggled to make out its features in the dim corner of the room.
“I suppose so. Who am I speaking with?” I asked. The robots were one thing, but seeing a sentient being in here with me elevated my distress.
“I’ll ask the questions.” A couple of steps, and the being stopped short of the light carrying in through the window. “Do you ever feel badly about the things you’ve done?”
I took a second to consider the question. “Every damn day.”
It paused, as if not expecting that reply. “Interesting.”
“Not really. I’ve had to do some messed-up things since Earth was attacked, and I’m not proud of many of them. But I’ve done what I had to for my race to survive,” I said, my voice getting heated. Who was it to judge me?
“Do you ever think the ones you’ve fought were only doing what they thought best for their own race to survive?” it asked calmly.
“Sure. I do think it’s always a matter of perspective. Instinctively, we protect our own, and ourselves, before considering the repercussions for others,” I said, wondering why I was stuck in a philosophical debate with this shadowed alien.
“Your logic is sound. I didn’t expect this, Dean Parker,” it said.
“Neither did I. Now can we shake hands and call a truce?” I asked, fishing for its response.
“I don’t think so, Dean Parker. I hereby charge you with the murder of…” The mysterious figure didn’t have a chance to finish its sentence. The far wall of the room ripped from the building with a boom. The being stumbled but kept to the edge of the space.
A ship appeared in the newly-formed opening, and two armored bodies jumped from the top of it, landing on the floor with a thud. They ran for me, blasting my chains loose. They dragged me toward the ship, which had turned around, its rear ramp opened, guiding us to enter.
As we retreated, the whole scenario leaving me in a blur, I glanced to the side of the room, where the figure still stood. I was still, eyes wide, unbelieving.
I recognized its features and nearly fell to my knees. Across its face was a long, horizontal scar. I was half-carried, half-dragged to the ship, and tossed inside. The ramp closed, and I lay on the hard metal floor thinking about what I’d just seen.
It was a Kraski.
____________
“We have to go to them! They’re still out there!” I shouted as the ramp closed and the people in armored suits surrounded me. The largest of them knelt down to me and lifted their visor.
Magnus smiled widely and barked a laugh. “Man, am I glad to see you.”
It was my friends. Wit
h everything going on, I truly had no idea who was extracting me from my capture.
I sat up and took his offered hand. “You’re glad to see me? I’m glad to see you!” I hugged the big man, my arms unable to wrap around the thick armored suit.
The other two lifted their visors, and emotions rolled through me. The hybrids, Leslie and Terrance, stepped in, each taking their turn to greet me.
I followed them inside the ship. “Mary’s still out there.”
Terrace shook his head, and I took that for the worst-case scenario. I didn’t know how long I was tied up alone. I’d passed out, and it might have been a day. He must have seen the look on my face, because he quickly explained, “We got her, Dean. She’s okay.”
My knees gave way, but Magnus was there to catch me. “Where is she?” I asked.
“Safe. We’re heading there now.” Leslie started to work on the shackles. We were inside the belly of the ship, and she led me down a basic corridor, then down some steps.
“Is she… is the baby…?” I asked.
Leslie smiled. “Nick’s with her now. He thinks everything’s going to be fine.”
“And Slate?” I asked, hopeful.
Magnus stepped down the last rung and into the engineering room with us. “We haven’t found him yet, Dean.”
Damn it. “We have to go…” I started, but Leslie put a hand up.
“First things first. We’re heading to Mary at the camp now. Come over here, and we’ll cut those off.”
Minutes later, Leslie had finished using a cutting tool to remove the metal bands on my ankles and wrists. I removed the safety glasses and slouched to a lone chair by the desk.
“We need to hydrate you, Dean.” Magnus led the way, and before I knew it, we were in a kitchen, Leslie passing me a water bottle. Unfamiliar beings were walking the halls, and one spoke quickly in a language unknown to me. She was strong-looking, skin as dark as midnight, with what could only be described as built-in armor scaled over her body. When she caught me staring at her, she smiled, showing sharp teeth before going back to her task.
“Whose ship are we on?” I asked, taking a long drink of the water.
“We’ll get to that.” Magnus leaned against the wall. “How did you four survive here so long?”
“We found water and a food source. Not much more to it. We were trying to get a ship functional, but everything here was just too old and worn down,” I said before grabbing another water bottle.
“We’re close to the base,” Leslie said, tapping her earpiece.
I took the lead now, heading back to the cargo bay, where the ramp would lead us to the surface. I felt a slight lurch as the vessel landed, and Terrance was beside me, hitting the ramp release. We walked through a containment field, and onto the lush grass outside.
I generally knew the area. There was a mountain in the distance. We were about forty miles from the lava ocean here, the mountain range directly between our location and the lava.
There was a flurry of activity around me, and I tried to get my bearings. Three large vessels sat on the ground. Each would hold a crew of at least thirty, their markings unfamiliar once again. Sleek and rounded, they reminded me of a peanut: narrow in the center and bulbous on each end. They were black with yellow symbols on the sides, each with a series of letters I couldn’t read. At first, I hadn’t even noticed I was only in a jumpsuit, the EVA taken off by the robots upon my capture.
I hoped Garo Alnod didn’t want his flying suit back; otherwise, he was going to be sorely disappointed.
“Where’s Mary?” I asked, and Leslie led me to the second ship in the field.
I ran behind her, and various aliens parted. Many looked like the woman I’d seen in the kitchen. They moved with the smooth grace I usually associated with a skilled predator.
Leslie took me down a series of corridors, and we climbed upward until we reached a doorway. “In here,” she said, and I hesitantly moved to it, the door sliding open to reveal a medical center.
“Mary.” I rushed to the bedside, where Mary lay sobbing and breathing heavily.
“Good, almost there,” a familiar voice said from behind a surgical mask. He turned, noticing the new person in the room. “Dean Parker, as I live or die. Someone get him suited up.” He winked at me, and I instantly calmed down. Nick knew what he was doing, and if he felt comfortable with how things were going, then I could too.
“Dean! I tried to help you,” Mary said between breaths. “They wouldn’t let me come.” Tears fell from her damp eyes, and I couldn’t help but love her more for it.
“I’m fine,” I said. “How are you?” I asked, but a woman in scrubs stopped me.
“Decontamination, next door,” she said as she pointed with determination.
I nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
It was happening. Mary was safe, and she was giving birth to our baby. My exhausted body felt rejuvenated, and it was nothing compared to what Mary was going through. In a few minutes, I was back in the room, clean and wearing green scrubs.
I ran to Mary’s side, and she was screaming, pushing as per Dr. Nick’s orders. “You got this, Mary. I’m so proud of you.”
“Ahhhhh!” Mary squeezed my hand, and I happily took the pain.
“Almost there,” Nick said from the bottom end of the bed. “One more push.”
Mary cried out, and then a moment of silence until our baby took over. Thin wails carried through the room, and Mary pushed the blankets aside, trying to get a look at our child.
“It’s a girl!” Nick called, and I instantly felt my eyes well up.
With quick and efficient movements, Nick snipped the umbilical cord, and the nurse wiped our baby girl clean before placing her in a small, warm blanket.
Mary was crying, and she stuck her arms out, grasping for the child she’d carried while possessed by the Iskios, then while stranded on this lifeless world.
I helped Mary sit up, and Nick passed the small bundle to Mary’s waiting arms. “Dean, she’s so beautiful.”
She was the perfect specimen, and I took a moment, watching her wiggle her little hands. I cried as I watched Mary interact with our baby. Tears streamed down her face too, and we caught each other’s gaze, locking in for a second before we heard a knock on the door.
The nurse answered it, and Leslie stuck her head in, smiling as she saw Mary with her baby. “It’s Slate. We’ve found where he is, but we’re going to need to extract him, and quickly.”
I looked at Mary, leaning in to kiss her before she said, “Go. Bring him home to us. He needs to meet his goddaughter.”
FIVE
“We tracked into his frequency and found out where he was hiding. The connection was lost shortly after, but we understood enough to know he was underground, not far from where you were taken.” Magnus picked up the lead on the rescue mission, and I was relieved.
We’d elected to use the lander instead of the large ship. Leslie was piloting it, Terrance beside her. One of the aliens, whom I now knew as Rulo, was with us. Her built-in armor impressed me, and when she’d caught me staring, she’d nodded and stuck her arm out. I tapped it and felt the solid impact. She was hairless, had no visible nose, and her eyes reminded me of a snake’s. Otherwise, her silhouette was human, albeit a large one.
“Dean, do you know of a spot like that?” Terrance asked from the front bench.
I tried to think. “There are some visible rocks by the lake there. They had a mineral embedded in them, something that sparkled in the rare times we were there when it wasn’t raining. I bet they go underground. Slate must have found a crack and hidden down there.”
I pointed through the viewscreen, and Leslie took the directions with ease.
“What happened to the robots you came across? The dropships?” I asked.
“All destroyed,” Magnus said quickly.
“And out there?” I pointed up toward space. “Those dropships must have come with a fleet.”
My friend nodded. “T
hey attacked as we came in range. We flanked them and ended the threat.”
I thought to the Kraski’s words, asking if I’d ever felt regret. Magnus looked tired in that moment.
“I understand,” was all I said. Below, the shapes of five robot pirates huddled around a section of rocks, a half mile from the lake.
“Blast them?” Leslie asked.
“No. Slate could be right under the surface. I don’t want our rescue mission turning into a funeral.” Magnus grabbed his pulse rifle and passed me one. “We’re going to the mats on this one.”
The lander lowered, and Magnus opened the door before it landed, jumping the last six feet. We were in the new armor suits, and I was trying to get used to it. For their bulk, they were lightweight. Magnus explained that the suit accentuated our movements, making them easier on our bodies to use. So far, I liked what I saw.
The helmet’s visor was slim, shaded, and details showed up on the heads-up display to the right side. When I looked at Magnus, his suit’s serial number scrolled across, with his name underneath. My name wasn’t programmed into my suit, so I’d only be identified as XA-1927. I liked the ring of it.
Leslie stayed in the lander, ready to cover us with gunfire if necessary. Rulo hopped out, not wearing armor like ours. She held a massive weapon, something like a minigun you’d expect to see mounted to an all-terrain vehicle in battle.
Magnus signaled to follow him and spread out, which we did: Terrance to the far right, me between him and Magnus, and Rulo on the far left, her minigun resting on her shoulder as she smoothly covered the distance.
“Hey! We meet again, you rust-bucket bastards!” Magnus called, using his suit’s external speakers.
The robo-pirates turned red on my HUD, their IDs appearing as unknown enemy models. Either way, there were five of them and four of us, but I felt the odds were with us. When we were sure Slate wasn’t hiding behind them, we were clear to attack.
“Fire at will,” Magnus ordered, and we did. Terrance kept moving, getting closer to their right side; Rulo braced herself and opened fire on the robots. Out flew a series of small pulse beams, glowing strong and yellow. The first barrage hit the lead robot, who’d turned toward us, firing his weapons in our direction. A single beam flew at us as the robot exploded into a million pieces.
The Survivors: Books 1-6 Page 110
