AKLESH (Under Strange Skies) (18 page)

I will be the only survivor of the science team in an experiment that went horribly wrong. I’ll be the one who discovers your body, slain by the native who then escaped. After that, me and whoever is left will leave this planet and never return. That will be it.”

“You’ll never get away with it,” Rhoed said, his body spasming with the energy of her previous shot still coursing through his nervous system.

“Maybe not,” she said.

For once she didn’t feel like she was going to black out under the stress of the situation. For once she was in complete control. Jenna aimed the gun squarely at the captain’s forehead.

“Sadly, you won’t be around to find out.” Jenna pulled the trigger of the flash pistol.

***

Kai had found his way to the cargo bay in the belly of the ship.

Ahead of him was a ramp going down and out of the ship. It was framed in a large arch and wide open. There was nothing standing between him and the outside world. Just beyond it, in the cool night air he could see the grass of his planet and freedom from the technological terrors he’d witnessed during his captivity. Only a few meters and he would be free again.

He rushed down the metal stairs to the main floor of the hanger. Metal and ship debris lay strewn about the area. A few smaller vehicles sat ready for use.

Just as he was at the ramp Kai heard a weak coughing coming from behind him. He turned and faced the stairwell.

The one they called H12 was lying just by the stairs, only slightly behind them, half covered in shadow. Had Kai taken a misstep he would have landed right on top of him, but in his haste had not even seen him there.

The former warrior’s breathing was incredibly shallow and pained. Kai could see the effort he took in each gasp. His body was strung out and spattered with blood. Kai didn’t think it would have been possible, but the warrior looked worse than he had in the lab.

It appeared he had made it down most of the stairway but had lost his balance at the end and had fallen into the crude position on the floor. He was helpless and fragile, unable to move and save himself even though liberty was right in front of him.

And his name wasn’t H12. It only leapt into his mind having heard it so many times over the past few days.

The man’s true name was Zur’zhal and his time was nearly at an end. The seconds that followed felt like an eternity as Kai stared at the limp, weak and broken form that had once been a strong and proud warrior of his people. Seemingly dead eyes stared back at him, glazed and hollow.

His death was eminent and Kai felt that it wasn’t right to leave him behind. He ran to him and swept his tribesman up into his arms.

The man was cold and clammy, his body wet from sweat. His skin had turned fully gray, all the blue markings having faded. Kai couldn’t help thinking how light the Zur had become, having picked him up so easily.

For Kai, the weak man he held might only live for a few moments more, but it would be among his people and on their world as Zur’zhal than in captivity as some random test subject on a cold alien ship. Bearing the extra weight, the young tribesman scurried down the long ramp.

Night had fallen on his world and the infinite stars lit up the heavens.

Just as they were almost completely down the ramp Kai pulled short. Two bursts of green light hurtled in front of them. The shock and surprise of the attack knocked Kai off balance and they fell from the ramp onto the grass below.

The decent had been about ten feet and Kai had heard a sickening crunch. Pain surged up his arm.

He’d landed on his forearm which he was certain was now broken. Zur had fallen to his right and was still breathing. Kai had absorbed most of the impact from the fall. He began to move to his frail kinsman.

The sound of clomping boots on metal rang out as soldiers made their way up the ramp. There were about five of them and the shots that had thrown the two of them to the ground had come from these mercenaries. One stopped and aimed his flash canon at the two defenseless natives below.

“Don’t move!” he shouted. One of his comrades pulled hard at his shoulder. “The savages are almost on top of us,” he shouted, his urgency almost tangible. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

“I just want to kill one of those bastards!” said the man holding the gun up and ready, his mouth contorted in anger. The man pressed a button, charging the weapon.

The other man pulled on him again, but this time harder. “Forget about them, DK! Just go!” There was a single moment as the mercenary considered this. Kai figured it was the end, but then the soldier lowered his weapon. The mercenary glowered at him a moment then ran up the ramp. Once the soldiers reached the top and were safely inside the ship the sound of hydraulics could be heard and the ramp slowly began to close.

The large ship began to vibrate, making the ground shake all around them.

Kai had enough sense to know that the last place they wanted to be as the huge shuttle took off was underneath it. He pulled himself up and using his unwounded arm grabbed Zur, dragging him away as fast as he could through the field. Kai didn’t know where he was finding his strength but somehow he was able to get his dying kinsman about a hundred feet away before the three large engines began to glow and pulse with a golden light. Something fired on the sides of the ships towards the ground, which made the vessel rise higher into the air.

Kai had seen Gar’s ship, but only as a red blur, and it had crashed before he’d been able to make out any detail. As a child he had seen the census ships from a distance and his memories were old and faded, colored by time.

In this moment Kai had a front row seat as the ship passed overhead, powering up to leave orbit. He had never seen anything like it his world and the images he had seen in Gar’s dreams had not done it justice. As they lay in the grass Kai couldn’t help wondering about a people who could create such horrors as those inside the ship could also be capable of such wondrous creations like the ones he witnessed.

There was a sound like all the air being sucked out of the sky as the glow in the engines grew and became bright with energy. The trees and the grass were blowing wildly as the air whirled about them from the force being created by the ship. Then, with a loud boom that shook the earth beneath them, the vessel lit up field as if it were daylight and shot out through the sky.

Then there was only silence while gold energy hung from the trail the ship had left in the sky.

As it dissipated, the darkness of night again took hold of the field and woods around them.

Soon all that was left were the two Aklesh tribesmen and the cool air of the evening. Peace had returned to the area. After a while the natural sounds of night could be heard, as if the ship had never even been there at all.

Kai was kneeling on the ground, holding his broken arm close to his body and clutching at Zur with the other. They were alone. Kai could feel his kinsman’s breathing which had become much weaker. He shuddered with every exhale. It wouldn’t be long now.

Kai looked down at his kinsman’s face, fairly breathless himself from all the exertion. Zur was motionless, his skin was cold like ice and wet eyes stared out at the calm night sky.

“We’re going to be alright, Zur. We’re going to be alright,” he whispered over and over to his kinsman.

Kai gazed at him. He thought, for a moment, that he saw his dying tribesman smile ever so faintly as he stared into the starry horizon. Zur was peaceful as they lay there, stargazing. Then he took two stilted breaths, let out a long exhale and was gone.

After a while the sound of the warriors could be heard coming through the surrounding woods, softly at first but louder as they drew closer for battle. Kai shut them out. He was barely aware of what was happening as exhaustion racked his body and the pain from the broken arm was becoming more acute. The adrenaline left his system, it’s effects finally draining away and leaving him in the cold ache of reality.

***

When Gar had seen the ship shoot across the sky he knew immediately that his chances of escape were gone.

His hopes vanished into space and though the access portal with it. None of the mercenaries would breath a word of what had transpired on this planet for fear of the law and his message would never reach anyone who could do anything about it.

But, the people who had come to poach this world would not return.

And he was going to have to wait for his rescue. It would be a long overdue lesson in patience.

The warriors had found Kai near the center of the clearing, cradling the body of one of their own.

They had circled the two figures, but kept a respectful distance, falling into silence as they came upon the scene.

Finally, someone stepped forward. What had surprised Gar was that it was Vol. She walked forward and gently pulled Kai’s fingers from the lifeless form and tenderly lifted the body. Although distantly related to Kai, Zur was much a closer relation to her. She had given Kai a look that was bordering on gratitude for returning his body to the tribe.

The circle parted and as Vol stepped back the Healer came forward. Gar had been a few feet away from the proceedings, being the stranger in their midst. He wasn’t apart of this and kept away.

But, all the while he was sensing Kai. A dead feeling had been emanating from him, the numbness of someone in great shock.

But the moment Kai had seen the Healer Gar had been washed with an overwhelming sense of sadness and the floodgates of grief flowed freely from the young tribesman.

She went to him and knelt, wrapping her arms around him.

Zaela held him close to her as he buried his face in the folds of her cloak, lightly rubbing his back with her hand like a mother does to sooth a small child.

The Healer knew very well that that not all wounds could be mended by medicine and bandages alone.

No one moved for a long time. Even Gar, who had not liked Kai for what he had done to him, was touched. Although he had resented Kai, Gar had never wanted anything like this to happen.

Eventually a few tribesmen, starting with Tyro, came forward and helped them up. Their war was over, but not with the loud cries of battle victorious. It was quiet.

Slowly, they made their way back to the camp.

Glorious sunlight streaming through the hut’s window was the rude awakening that greeted Gar.

He scrunched up his face and tried to squeeze the brightness away that was unabashedly forcing him into conciousness. Gar was beginning to resent that the little hut he was forced to stay in during his internment with the Aklesh faced the full force of the sun every morning. It was built directly towards the sunrise and each day had been the same. Gar didn’t understand why any sane person would force nature so brazenly upon one’s self before a decent hour. But, there was a lot about these people he didn’t understand.

Gar had contemplated finding some of the red, grass mating and putting it up over the window. What stopped him was the fact that he didn’t know who the hut actually belonged to. He made a mental note to ask Seema when he saw her.

If it belonged to them then maybe they wouldn’t mind a few esthetic changes to make it more habitable, considering he appeared to be staying for a long period of time.

Gar rolled over on the cot and turned his back to the light. It didn’t really help. He could still feel the heat of the light on his naked back. It was a merciless reminder that he was no longer in the luxury of the palace on Orestus. He was roughing it, eating the fruits of the earth and living in a tree.

He had never been one for waking up early.

Most people on Orestus adjusted around his schedule and needs. The Keep was an entirely different story. No one cared if he was a galactic prince.

The primary rule of the Aklesh was; when the sun came up so did everyone else.

Gar opened one eye and groaned loudly, blinded by the white light. Every day he found himself hoping he could simply wish himself back home. It had been fifteen days since he had gone missing. Surely someone back on Orestus must have realized that his absence was more than an impulsive romp. A search should have been started by that time. But, there were at least a thousand inhabited planets in the monarchy to scour before they would think to search the Galactic Protectorates.

Hungry, naked and unwashed Gar finally decided it was time to get up.

He could hear the trampling of little feet outside and knew he would soon have a visitor and had best make himself ready. He went to the table, grabbed the black lump that passed for soap and did the best that he could with what he had. This was the morning ritual.

Once clean, he slipped on a blue pair of fatigues and a sleeveless grey shirt. It had belonged to one of the fallen mercenaries and was a little big for him. But, since the clothing itself hadn’t been damaged during the fight and the soldiers weren’t going to need the clothes anymore, he had no moral problem with commandeering the apparel. At least this way he could have something to wear.