The Ven Hypothesis (Kepos Chronicles Book 2)

by Erica Rue

  It was a very short ride, but it was the safest way to transport the supplies. From what she could gather, it had taken a long time for the Aratians to harvest and refine the flaminaria plant into a concentrate that would explode when it came into contact with water. Dione wanted to know what kind of plant it was and how they isolated the compounds they needed, but the Aratians hadn’t taken kindly to her questions, so she stopped asking.

  After they landed, Dione grabbed her box of supplies and followed Lithia and the others to the area where they would be working. The Aratians knew the area very well, and they were designating specific avenues leading to and from the settlement that would be free from mines.

  They had been briefed very specifically on how to assemble each explosive. First Dione checked the seal on the plant compound. She checked the glass vial for any cracks and added a small dab of Bolma resin at the top in case the seal was imperfect. Once the resin was dry, she would hand the glass vial to the next person, who would carefully place it in a second cylinder full of water before sealing it. The cylinders were made of some kind of flexible, biodegradable plastic. If stepped on, the cylinder wouldn’t break, but the glass vial would, causing the flaminaria compound to come into contact with the water. They would react, then boom. Explosion.

  Dione refused to let her mind wander while she worked. It was too important to check every single seal and to make sure that the water would not make premature contact with the compound. Brian and Bel had gone with a different group, but she imagined they were just as tense as she was. Lithia, on the other hand, looked distracted. She paused for half a minute, lost in thought, until Dione cleared her throat. Lithia snapped back to the task at hand.

  “Lithia, if you need to take a break, you can go back to the shuttle. You had a long night.”

  “I’m fine, Di,” Lithia replied, speeding up her work.

  Two Aratian men were setting up the charges, and everyone else kept behind a certain line. Before they even began, they put up coded warnings for the cavalry that the area was booby-trapped. The Flyer had been parked at a distance so they wouldn’t set off the charges when they left. Things were going smoothly, until Lithia fumbled one of the glass vials and it hit the ground with a clink. Lithia flinched, and everyone stood completely still and silent. The birds chirped on and the bugs hummed away, but no human breathed. The undergrowth was covered in evening dew, which could be finding its way through a crack in the vial as they waited.

  “Don’t move.” The project manager, an older man, carefully picked up and examined the vial. “It’s a crack,” he said after inspecting it a moment, “but it didn’t go all the way through. I’ll put it in a dry, empty cylinder and pack it in the sawdust, just to be safe.”

  The group heaved a collective sigh and got back to work. The manager approached Lithia.

  “Not you. Take a walk,” he said, pointing back in the direction of the shuttle. Dione saw the rapid rise and fall of Lithia’s chest. Something had been bothering Lithia ever since the Ficaran settlement fell, and whether or not she wanted to talk, she needed a break. She knew her best friend well enough to recognize that.

  “I’ll go with her,” Dione said to the man in charge.

  He nodded, frowning at them, as if he hadn’t wanted them there in the first place.

  Once they were out of earshot, Lithia began to cry.

  “Talk to me, Lithia,” Dione put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Something’s been bothering you.”

  “I can’t take it anymore, Di. This place is a death trap. I almost killed everyone back there. If that vial had broken…” Lithia tried to hold in another sob. She closed her eyes hard, forcing more tears down her cheek. Lithia never cried. She had to hate every minute of this.

  “But it didn’t break. It’s not your fault.”

  “Isn’t it? I’m the one who brought us to this planet.”

  “You made the best decision you could with what you knew. And we know now that the Vens would have found this place sooner or later. This way, we can at least help.”

  “We might actually die here. I didn’t believe it when we first arrived, but now it’s all I can think about. I can’t stop seeing his face, Di.”

  “What are you talking about? Did something happen at the Field Temple?” Dione asked.

  Lithia stopped trying to hold in her sobs. She stopped walking and collapsed against the nearest tree, clutching her stomach.

  “Roy. H-he’s dead be-because of me.”

  Dione still wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but she didn’t ask. She wrapped her arms around Lithia and hugged her while she cried. Eventually Lithia hugged her back. After a few more minutes, the worst of it was over. Lithia took a few deep breaths before launching into the story.

  “At the Field Temple, we had to fly out in Nate, even though he was a complete mess, because Victoria had sent away all the Flyers. There was this kid, Roy, who came at the last minute, but we couldn’t take any more weight. The Vens were right behind him, and I left him. I was flying. We crashed in the lake anyway. We could have taken him, Di.” More silent tears streamed down Lithia’s cheeks.

  “You can’t blame yourself for that. How many people did you save?” Dione asked.

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  “Would the others have gotten out without you? Do you think any of them could have flown that shuttle in the shape it was in?”

  Lithia shook her head. “No, I barely got us out of there.”

  “And you went out with Brian afterward, didn’t you, to look for survivors? How many did you help save then?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I bet it was a lot.”

  “Di, I keep seeing his face. The look of betrayal in his eyes when I left. I can’t live with that memory.”

  Dione suddenly remembered the river stone she had in her pocket.

  “This,” she said to Lithia, “is good luck. When my grandma died, my uncle took me to the Red River and found me a white river stone.” Dione put the rock in Lithia’s palm. She repeated the words her uncle had said to her. “Feel how smooth the edges are? This rock used to be sharp. It used to hurt to squeeze in your hand, but not anymore. The flow of the river is like the flow of time. It smooths the rough edges of your pain.”

  “And if I want to be rough around the edges?” She handed the stone back to Dione.

  Dione sighed. So stubborn.

  “Then take the rest of the day. Hate yourself if you need to, but tonight, in the darkness, let the light back in. I’m so sorry you have to go through this, but you’re not alone. I’m not going to tell you to forget him. I know you can’t do that. But when you remember his face, remember all the other faces of the people in that shuttle that you saved. We can’t save everyone. It’s just not possible. We have to focus on the good we can do, and let our failures inform our decisions moving forward, not cripple us. You are the hero, Lithia. You always have been.” Dione forced the stone into Lithia’s hand. “I won’t let you forget it.”

  Lithia stared her straight in the eyes, but Dione didn’t break eye contact. Lithia needed to know that she had meant every word.

  “Thanks, Di. This is why you’re my best friend. I think I’m going to hang out in the shuttle, though. We’re almost done, and I’m pretty useless right now.” Lithia shivered and held out a hand to show that she was still shaking.

  “Take this,” Dione said, handing Lithia her jacket. “I’m going to head back. Shouldn’t be long now.” It was already getting darker. The sun was on the verge of setting, and they needed to be back before dark. There was still no sign that the Vens were approaching.

  Just as they were finishing up, she got a message from Bel. Dione’s group was the only one still out. They quickly packed up their empty crates and returned to the Flyer. Lithia was ready to take them to the settlement and within minutes they were up in the air.

  In the failing light, Dione saw something bright flash in the distance, followed by
a boom. Then more flashes and booms.

  Something was detonating the charges. Were the Vens already here?

  “Lithia, fly toward the explosions, but keep us high,” Dione said.

  “Already on it.”

  Immediately, chatter erupted over the communicators. Victoria cut in, her voice sharp with authority. “Amanda, what’s going on out there?”

  “We’re heading to investigate now. It looks like some of the mines went off.”

  “Keep me informed, and cut the comms chatter.” They were still getting the hang of the communicators, and they hadn’t all set up separate channels yet, so everything had come over the main channel.

  “Everyone, check the external cameras. Keep an eye out for Vens and see where they’re headed next,” Dione said. They needed as much information as possible.

  “I don’t see anything. It’s getting too dark,” one woman said.

  She was right. It was nearly too dark to see. Before they could reach the site of the explosions, the next set of charges went off just up ahead to their right. In the light from the explosions, she saw dark green figures darting through the trees.

  “It’s the Vens,” Amanda said. “I’ll inform Victoria to get ready.”

  They were green, but they were far too small to be Vens. They didn’t move like Vens either.

  “Those aren’t Vens,” Dione said. “They’re people dressed in green robes. And they’re heading to the next site where we just set our charges. They’re detonating the mines prematurely.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Amanda said.

  Dione’s thoughts flickered to the shrine they had found near the distress beacon. Could the Ficarans be behind this?

  “You’re just playing innocent! I’ll bet this was a ruse to destroy our flaminaria so you all can take over the Vale Temple,” the project manager snapped.

  “I just watched my friends and family flee their homes or die. Don’t you dare try to blame this on us,” Amanda said, clenching her fist by her side.

  There were two Ficarans and four Aratians on board, and they were beginning to separate and face each other. This was about to get bad.

  “Stop it,” Dione said. “Let’s get back and figure this out. Tell Victoria we’re on our way. She and Benjamin need to meet us when we land, and we’ll figure this out.”

  Right as she finished speaking, another set of charges went off, this time behind them.

  “So we’re just going to let them set off the charges?” Amanda said.

  “Do you have a way of stopping them?” Lithia said. “I’m not taking this Flyer anywhere near the explosions. That’s suicide.”

  “Whoever those people are, they’re clearly not on our side, whether they’re Aratian or Ficaran. We need to regroup,” Dione said.

  Amanda reported back to Victoria, asking her to meet them when they landed. Victoria agreed, though it was clear she did not like to be kept waiting.

  Dione’s manumed buzzed with a new message from Bel: What’s going on?

  Dione replied: Not sure. Meet us when we land.

  Less than ten minutes later, they landed back inside the Aratian walls. By the time the shuttle door opened, a small crowd had gathered. Many Aratians and Ficarans were armed, and Dione feared that mistrust, fueled by the tension, would end this alliance before it could even begin.

  33. DIONE

  Dione could barely hear her own thoughts over the chaos and confusion. There were Ficaran floodlights and Aratian glowglobes illuminating everything in an eerie mix of light. The glowglobes left too much to the shadows while the Ficaran lights were too bright and exposed every angry wrinkle on the faces of the crowd. There was shouting. Everyone wanted explanations. The Aratians and Ficarans on board the shuttle were pulled out by their comrades. A space was beginning to form down the middle, dividing the two sides. Ficaran guards with weapons stepped back inside the shuttle, reaffirming their claim.

  A strong hand grabbed her and pulled her off to the side, out of the fray.

  “Professor Oberon,” she said, voice heavy with relief. He must have come over with one of the last groups of Ficaran soldiers. Bel and Zane were all there, too. Lithia followed close behind them.

  “Your arm,” Dione said to the professor. It was no longer in a sling.

  “The Aratians shared their healing tea as part of the agreement, and many of the injured are recovering with its help, myself included. Are you all right?” he asked.

  He looked at her, then at Lithia. His brow was furrowed, and he had bags under his eyes, unnaturally darkened by the strange illumination.

  “Someone sabotaged the flaminaria,” Dione began.

  Before she could continue, Brian appeared at her side. “What’s happening? Are the Vens here?” He looked pale, and Dione couldn’t tell if it was fear or floodlights.

  “I don’t know, it was getting dark—”

  Before she could continue, a horn blew. She recognized that horn. To her, it was the sound of Aratian trackers. Now it was a call for order.

  It worked. The crowds settled a bit, and turned to the source of the sound.

  Benjamin stood on top of an empty crate. “We are going to get to the bottom of this. This was no accident. Crew of this Flyer,” he said, gesturing to their shuttle, “step forward.”

  Victoria strode up to him and said something in a soft voice. Even as Dione approached, she couldn’t make out the words. Benjamin replied in a voice meant to be heard. “No, we’ll conduct the interviews in the open, unless you have something to hide.” Dione could guess what Victoria had said.

  “Very well,” Victoria said, pursing her lips. She turned to one of the Ficarans. “Amanda, tell us what you saw.”

  “We saw people running through the trees, away from the explosions. At first we thought they were Vens,” she said.

  “Why are you sure they were people, not Vens?” Victoria asked.

  “They didn’t move like Vens.”

  “Then why did you think they were Vens in the first place?”

  “Because they were dressed in green,” Amanda said. “It was getting dark, and I wasn’t sure. It didn’t make sense for people to be setting off the charges.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Benjamin said. He turned to the Aratian project manager. “Do you agree with her account?”

  “Yes, they weren’t demons. Which means they must have been Ficarans. They must have figured it was the best way to weaken us. They convinced us to use our flaminaria so they could destroy it.” The manager glared at Amanda, who looked ready to punch him in the face.

  “We are helping you! You have no idea the destruction these Vens are capable of.” Amanda’s voice broke at the end.

  Dione stepped forward. A horrible fear crept down from her mind into the pit of her stomach.

  “When we were in the forest trying to stop the Ven distress beacon, we found a small shrine near the site. A few rocks piled up, some flowers, and a symbol, like a triangle.” She paused. She didn’t want to tell Benjamin this next part. It would probably make things worse, but she had information that everyone needed to hear. “The shrine had an inscription on one of the stones: The Farmer lies. Do the demons tell the truth?”

  “A shrine? You’re suggesting these people worship the Vens?” Victoria said. Her expression betrayed the pain she felt.

  “If they don’t believe the Farmer, then they must be Ficarans,” the manager said, still glaring at Amanda and Victoria with distrust.

  Benjamin crossed his arms, and Dione held her breath. The Aratians were reaching the same conclusion she and Zane had earlier. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, but if there were people on the inside working against them, they needed to know. There had to be a way to salvage the alliance.

  She prepared to speak, if only to stall Benjamin, but a new voice broke into the inquiry: “They were Aratians.”

  Everyone turned to look at the accuser, and a few, Dione included, gasped when Cora stepped forward. “Dione,
that triangle symbol you found, did it have a spiral in it?” she asked.

  “Yes, it did,” Dione said with a frown. “How did you know?”

  “We found the same symbol on a secret exit out of the town.”

  “I’ve seen it, too,” Brian added. “In the woods, carved into rocks and trees. I figured it was a symbol your trackers used.”

  “It’s not,” Cora said. “I was securing one of the unofficial and lesser known entrances to the settlement when several of our own Aratians left, even though they knew no one was supposed to leave.”

  “How do you know they were Aratians?” her uncle asked.

  “They mentioned that the Ficarans were here. They had a strange conversation that didn’t make sense at the time, but now it’s clear. They were worried that the flaminaria might work. They were worried that the demons might be harmed. No”—she shook her head—“the Vens. It’s time we called them by their name.”

  It took a few moments for Dione to realize that she was staring with her mouth open. Cora was openly opposing her uncle and accusing her own people of treason. What on earth had happened?

  “Cora, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Aratians choose to help these Vens? Do you have any proof?” Benjamin said.

  “Will was with me,” she replied, motioning to a cute, blond guy in the crowd. He moved forward and stood next to her.

  “I saw them, too,” he said, “sneaking out through a secret exit.”

  “Why would they do this? What possible motive could they have?” Benjamin said.

  “That question didn’t stop you from accusing us, even after everything we’ve lost,” Victoria said. “You thought we wanted to weaken you, even though we’ve sworn to work as allies against this common threat. Now your people have broken that promise. Why?”

  That was the real question, Dione thought. Why would a human want to protect a Ven? A Ven would not want help and wouldn’t offer anything in return. But not everyone knew that.

  She interjected once more. “I don’t think the people who helped are part of the alliance. They’re not true Aratians, at least, and it sounds like they don’t really understand who or what the Vens are. They see them as a way to get answers that the Farmer wouldn’t give.”