Leon shook his head. “If the exit from this loop is like all the other doors we’ve gone through, there’s no way back once you’ve gone forward. All that would do is trap the rest of us in here.”
“I think Malcolm is right,” said Annie. Leon glanced at her in surprise, but she shrugged noncommittally. “He should go ahead and wait for us right here. The rest of us can try the left road, and if we get out of here, he can fucking rot in Hell.”
“Oh, darlin’. You’re not still mad at me about that little misunderstanding, are you?”
“Left it is,” said Leon, cutting off the brewing confrontation before it could get out of hand. “Hiss, do you mind leading the way again?”
Hiss waited for confirmation from Shoo, then headed down the dirt path toward the two moons suspended low on the horizon. Malcolm hung back with the human members of the troop while the Many trudged on. Michael pointed at the retreating backs of the aliens.
“You’re with them. Remember?”
Malcolm gritted his teeth, glaring at Michael. “I won’t forget this, mate,” he warned.
“Get walking.”
Malcolm reluctantly trudged ahead while the others fell in several yards further back, giving themselves enough distance to react if he should suddenly turn around and attempt to approach them again. Several minutes passed and, to Leon’s relief, Malcolm did not so much as glance over his shoulder at them.
Leon noticed Annie holding her arms out in front of her and looking at them with a puzzled expression on her face.
“Is something wrong?” asked Sofia, moments before Leon could ask the same question.
“No, not wrong,” she answered. “Just odd. Hey, Idaho. Is my face red?”
Leon examined her face closely, not really sure what he was looking for. Her cheeks were lightly flushed, but not what he would call red. As he peered more carefully, his gaze was again drawn to the freckles over the bridge of her nose and across the tops of her cheeks.
“You look a little tired from all the walking,” he told her, “but not red. You don’t look like you’re sunburned or anything like that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Annie muttered. “That’s a bit weird.”
“Why weird?” Sofia asked, uncertain what point Annie was trying to make with this conversation.
“I haven’t burned, yet. I usually turn as red as a lobster whenever I’m in the sun too long. I’ve been walking out here for a couple of hours in the sun with no sunscreen, no hat, no nothing, and I’m not even pink. That seems weird to me.”
Leon pondered the comment for a few minutes. It was odd, but when he considered their circumstances, it was not completely unexpected. “We aren’t on Earth, so we can’t expect the rules to all be the same. Maybe there’s something about the atmosphere that completely shields out all UV radiation. Or the aliens that brought us here have filtered it out knowing that it can be harmful to us. Or maybe…” He trailed off.
“Maybe?” asked Annie. “C’mon, Idaho. Spill. What are you thinking?”
“Maybe that’s not a real sun,” he said. “It might just be a projection, or even an artificial light source mounted above us. Think about it,” Leon told the others, excitement building in his voice as various possibilities swam through his mind. “We started off inside a building. When we stepped outside, whatever building we were in completely disappeared. How do you think that happened? What outcome seems more likely to you: the building really disappeared, or we simply walked into another room that looks like we’re still outside? Have you guys seen Star Trek?”
“Not on purpose,” Annie told him, but Michael and Sofia were nodding.
“I think we might be inside a giant holodeck simulation. A lot of what we’re seeing makes more sense if that’s the case. If this is a projection, that would explain why we appear to be going in circles, how we changed directions while going in an absolutely straight line, and it would also explain why you haven’t gotten sunburned. Come to think of it, that would also tell us how we could be wandering around for so long and the sun and those two moons haven’t gotten any higher or lower in the sky.”
“If this is a projection, do you know how to get us out of here?” asked Sofia, hopefully.
Leon’s enthusiasm dimmed considerably. “Um, no. Sorry, I still think we have to figure out the puzzle we were given. There aren’t any cheat codes I can come up with to shortcut the process.”
“So, we keep walking.”
“We keep walking. We should watch the moons to see if they shift back to our left.”
“They’re moving,” said Michael.
Leon looked up to see that both moons were indeed moving in the sky. They were not, however, sliding along the horizon to their left. They were setting. Both of the pale spheres crept slowly, but noticeably, down to the edge of the horizon. While they walked, the moons touched onto the green line of grass at the edge of the visible world, sank gracefully into the waving stalks, and finally disappeared completely.
The sun above them shifted position as well. It swept across the sky to their right, gliding at visible speeds along its predetermined trajectory.
The final clue that they had at last chosen the correct direction of travel was the dark green foliage rising slowly above the edge of the grass field in front of them. Where before there had only been the occasional struggling tree fighting for survival on the prairie through which they hiked, they were now approaching a forest. It remained some distance away, but the massive wall of trees and other flora growing in the distance was a welcome change from the previous miles of nothing but wind-blown grass.
Their pace picked up as Hiss reacted to everyone’s eagerness to reach the new landscape. The trees loomed closer, and the sun dipped lower on the horizon. The temperature began to drop, not dramatically, but enough that the difference was noticeable. As the sun closed in on its final destination at the edge of the mountain line, something unexpected happened.
The sun did not set. It did not continue on to disappear behind the distant mountains, but rather halted its movement a full hand’s width above the horizon. The line of travelers continued their trek toward the oncoming trees, but the sky had stabilized. The previously pale blue atmosphere had darkened to a hazy purple due to the new angle of the light shining down on them. In addition, a new moon peeked over the horizon behind them. A massive crescent of pale luminescence poked up like the horn of a bull growing from the ground. A few pillowy white clouds appeared in the sky, and the wind that had been rustling the tops of the prairie grass nonstop since their arrival died out, leaving their surroundings calm and quiet.
Despite the oddities, the group did not slow. The way out was right in front of them, and they were determined to reach it as soon as possible. Hiss passed the first line of trees in the forest moments later. The others hurried to close the distance between them rather than risk losing track of the alien in the thickening foliage. As it turned out, there was little to worry about. As the group moved into the forest, they found that the path they followed continued forward as straight and perfectly groomed as it had in the green savanna behind them. Although leaves, brush, and debris of all kinds littered the forest floor surrounding the trunks of the various trees, none of it encroached on the dirt roadway. Not a single tree branch, not so much as the tip of a leaf, dared break the invisible line of the path’s edge further down than twenty or so feet above the ground.
They passed no doors, so it was clear to every member of the group that although they had escaped the grasslands, this particular challenge had not yet been defeated.
With the partial setting of the sun and the canopy overhead preventing most of what light remained from penetrating to the forest floor, their route was shadowy and poorly illuminated. Even in the low lighting, however, they had no difficulty sticking to the path. The smooth cut, dirt roadway stood out starkly against the rest of the untended ground surrounding it.
The temperature dropped several degrees as they
entered the dense woods, but it stabilized again before becoming anything worse than mildly chilly. Despite this change, the continued physical exertion of their trek kept Leon’s body temperature at a comfortable level. He did not bother to don the windbreaker tied around his waist.
Curious, Leon reached out and plucked a leaf from a nearby tree branch. He did not recognize the shape of it as belonging to anything he had seen on Earth. Not that he was any kind of an expert on trees. He knew enough to identify the oak and olive trees growing around the San Jose University campus, but that was about the extent of his arboreal knowledge. Leon recalled that Kack had thought he might be back home when they stepped out onto the grasslands, so Leon guessed that the landscape might still be mimicking something from the Many’s home world. A stray thought flitted through his head, reminding him that anything in this place that he did not recognize could be dangerous or toxic. He hurriedly dropped the leaf and wiped his hand on his pants leg.
“Nice job, Idaho.” Annie gave him a light punch on the arm. “We’re making progress.”
“We’re off the savannah,” he agreed. “We haven’t figured out this test, yet.”
“What have I already told you about taking a compliment? You’re completely hopeless. You know that, right?”
Leon did not disagree. He did not say anything though, as his thoughts drifted back to the current puzzle. He hoped that if the party turned left at every new intersection they came across they would find their way out within the next couple of miles. He did not have much faith in that plan, however. He doubted the Apex would make the challenge quite so simple.
It was only a few minutes later before they were able to test his new theory. As before, the group banded into a circle in the middle of the intersection, discussing their next potential move.
“Left worked before,” Sonja commented. “I think we should go left again.”
Leon agreed with her. “If left doesn’t work this time, we should go clockwise and try each of the other directions until we find the correct one.”
“You, random the key, think is?” asked Shoo. “This, not a pattern, is?”
“No. I don’t think it’s random. But we haven’t eliminated that option completely, and since it’s the easiest to test, we should try every direction at least once.”
If Shoo was skeptical or had another opinion, she did not voice it. She waved her assent to Hiss and Kack.
Annie drew her knife, knelt on the ground, and cut a groove into the hard clay. She topped it with an upside down “V,” creating an arrow pointing straight along their original direction of travel. Sofia, following Annie’s lead, broke off several smaller branches from the nearby trees and laid them on the path, forming her own arrow of twigs. She pointed it in the same direction as the dirt arrow.
Annie gave her a puzzled look and Sofia shrugged lightly. “It’s dark. I added the sticks in case we don’t see your arrow in the dirt right away.”
As the group prepared to move on, Malcolm stepped to the side of the path and unfastened his pants.
“What are you doing?” asked Michael, as Malcolm reached into the unzipped opening of his jeans and began to rummage around.
“I need a khazi. My bladder is burstin’ at the seams right about now.”
“Why don’t you go behind a tree?” Michael suggested.
“No fuckin’ way. I’m not setting one foot off this path and risking getting lost. I’d rather handle business right here, boyo. Feel free to keep watching, though. I’m not shy.”
Malcolm gave Michael a slow suggestive wink to make his point. He then sighed audibly and released a rushing stream of urine into the underbrush beside the path. Sofia and Annie turned away, disgust plain on their faces. Hiss, Shoo and Kack, however, moved closer to Malcolm to observe the unusual display. They seemed fascinated with the sudden release of liquid from the human.
“Would you all like to see me make another arrow on the ground?” Malcolm asked, then laughed at his own crude joke.
Sofia hooked an arm through Annie’s. “I need to go, too,” she said. “But I’m not going to use the path like an animal. Will you come with me?”
Leon overheard the question and answered. “That’s a good idea. If anyone needs to relieve themselves, they shouldn’t do it alone. Annie, make sure you can see Sofia and the path at all times. I don’t want anyone accidentally wandering off in the wrong direction and getting lost.”
Sofia took a tentative step away from the dirt road and waited a long moment, reassuring herself that hordes of sharp-toothed creatures were not about to rush out from behind the trees and attack. When nothing happened, she took a second step. Then a third. Finally, with more confidence, she hiked out a few more paces and slipped behind a large nearby tree. Annie positioned herself to be able to watch Sofia and everyone still on roadway. After a few moments, Sofia stepped away from the tree and the two traded places.
“I need to go, too,” Leon admitted. “Michael, do you mind…?”
When the women returned, Leon and Michael took their turn off the path.
Leon stepped up to the designated tree and unzipped. He waited a moment, closing his eyes and trying to relax his bladder. Although he needed to urinate, nothing happened.
“What’s the hold up, Idaho?” Annie called out. “We don’t have all day.”
Michael chuckled. “I don’t think you’re helping the problem, Annie. Let the boy focus.”
Leon felt heat rise in his face. He was afraid he was going to have to give up and perhaps try again later when he wasn’t so tensed up, but at last his body relented and he was able to relieve the building pressure. When he finished, Michael advised he did not yet need to avail himself of the outdoor facilities and the two returned to the forest trail.
Annie greeted Leon with an impish grin. “I was worried about you out there, soldier. Glad to see you made it back safely.”
“Uh-huh,” was the only response he could manage.
Hiss led them along the left-hand branch of the intersection and Leon glanced at the clock on his phone. They would know if this was the correct direction in about twenty minutes.
The eight travelers covered the ground in front of them with steady, determined, steps. Unlike most of the previous miles they had traversed, there was little conversation this time. The human members of the group were growing mentally and physically fatigued by the ongoing trek, and Leon found himself hoping more and more with each yard of ground he crossed that they had chosen the correct direction on the first try. He did not know the extent of the Many’s physical prowess or whether they were growing tired from the ongoing journey, but he imagined that they, too, must be hoping this part of the ordeal would soon come to an end.
Leon checked his phone every few minutes. Each time he did, Sofia would glance at the display screen in his hand then look up to meet his eyes. He could see the question in her look, the desire to be reassured that they would find an exit, but Leon had no assurances to give. In fact, the monotony of the surrounding trees and shrubbery argued the exact opposite outcome. It appeared they had chosen the wrong direction. Confirmation of his assumption came all too soon.
The group gathered in the next intersection and gazed down at the twin arrows at their feet: one scored into the dirt with Annie’s knife, the other a collection of broken twigs. Both arrows were pointed in the direction they had been walking. Again, not only had they circled around to their starting point, but they had also been steered back onto their original course.
“We’ve been walking for hours,” Sofia commented. “I’m tired. I think we are all tired. Can we…? Can we stop for a while? Can we sit down and rest?”
Leon could hear the fatigue and defeat in her voice. He felt it, too. He wanted to lie down on the ground and never get up again. Wouldn’t it be better to die well rested than to walk in circles until they all dropped dead in the dirt? He shook his head, driving those depressing thoughts away. They couldn’t give up. There was nothing wrong wi
th Sofia’s suggestion, however, about them taking a short break.
“I think a few minutes rest is a good idea,” said Annie, perhaps reading Leon’s mind. “Maybe even a little nap to refresh the body and spirit.”
“Nap?” asked Hiss.
Annie nodded. “Yeah, nap. You know, sleep? Shuteye? Don’t you guys sleep?”
Hiss touched his chin in negation. “A period of dormancy in the very cold, there is. Torpor or inactivity, your meaning?”
“Not really, no. When a human is tired from prolonged activity or exertion, the body needs to shut down. We sort of turn off our mind and … um, … hibernate? Recharge? I don’t know a better word. But we need to stop moving around for a while.”
“Is there a time limit, Hiss?” Sofia asked. “Do we have to solve this puzzle quickly?”
“Death, the only limit, is.”
“Then can we stop for a little while?”
The humans all agreed that a break would be beneficial, while the Many expressed no implicit objections. The Earth contingent all dropped where they stood, sitting down on the hard-packed dirt of the road. The Many settled down as well, their multi-jointed limbs folding beneath them like the legs of a collapsible table.
“Hiss,” said Shoo to their de facto guide. “I, the cold, do not like.”
Hiss and Kack both immediately leaped to their feet and began pacing the edge of the path, gathering twigs and tree branches of various sizes. They returned quickly with their arms full and deposited the wood into a neat pile in the middle of the roadway next to Shoo. Next, Hiss reached into two pockets of his vest and pulled out a couple of the small wooden boxes he had collected in the library. He laid them on the ground next to each other beside the wood pile.
Hiss held out a large hand toward Leon. “Your axe. Please?”
Leon handed the weapon over. Hiss turned the hatchet head blunt side down and struck each of the boxes, breaking them open. Green liquid oozed from one of the broken boxes and a yellow fluid escaped from the second. When the two liquids ran together, a bright yellow flicker of flame formed where they touched. Hiss and Kack began feeding smaller twigs from their pile into the flame. Soon, they had a serviceable campfire cheerily blazing away.
Testing Grounds (On Dangerous Grounds Book 1) Page 12
