Ep.#9 - "Resistance" (2 page)

“Three……two……one……jump.”

Nathan closed his eyes as they jumped once again.
Yes
, he thought,
the jump drive is going to be our greatest weapon against the Jung, just as it was against the Ta’Akar.

* * *

The sunlight was a welcome feeling on Jessica’s face that morning. She had been on several worlds in the past few months and had witnessed both sunrises and sunsets. She had seen worlds with multiple suns and even a world that had been lit primarily by light reflected off the gas-giant it orbited. But none of them felt familiar. None of them were her sun.

It was cooler here than down on the Florida peninsula where she had grown up and attended the Earth Defense Force’s North American Fleet Academy. Early summer had come to Earth, and even though the morning was only a few hours old, she was already warmed up enough that she had been able to remove her jacket and tie it around her waist.

After landing in a dairy pasture twenty kilometers outside of the greater Winnipeg area, Jessica had made her way to the nearest road and followed it toward the city. She carried no maps or electronic navigational aids with her, as they would surely raise suspicion if found in her possession. To that end, she had committed the local area to memory as best she could.

She had walked along the deserted back roads for more than five hours. During her journey, she worked out the details in her head about who she was, where she was from, and why she was headed for Winnipeg. She had to appear convincing to whomever she met along the way. One of the many things she had learned in special operations was that, during an occupation, no one could be trusted. The locals would cooperate and even assist occupying forces in order to secure a better life for themselves and their families. It was basic survival. If any of them found her the slightest bit suspicious, she had to assume they would run straight to the Jung to curry favor.

Unfortunately, the Aurora had run out of fleet-issued hygiene supplies long ago, and they had been using Corinairan soaps, shampoos, and deodorants. They were similar but smelled unlike anything on Earth, having been made from plants indigenous to Corinair. Finding local replacements would be one of her first goals. She had purposefully dirtied her clothing up a bit in order to appear as if she had been traveling for some time. With any luck, her impromptu moonlight dip in the pond and her sweat would be enough to disguise any alien fragrances.

The road eventually began to follow a small river that snaked its way through the farmlands. She knew that the river led to the city; so as long as the road remained close to the waterway, she would be on the right track. The road’s roundabout course made for slow going, and she had considered heading east toward one of the main roads in order to hitchhike, but the bigger the road, the more likely it would have occupying forces traveling on it. That was another lesson they had taught her in spec-ops.

This road had been all but devoid of morning traffic. She made an effort to remain hidden from the few vehicles that passed by, usually by ducking behind nearby brush or trees. She had entertained the idea of hitching a ride from a local. Perhaps she’d pick up a little intel during the ride. In the end, she decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

A routine glance over her shoulder revealed a dust trail along a recently passed side road. A vehicle was approaching her road, and it was more likely to turn toward the city than away from it. She started looking for a new place to hide if the vehicle did turn her way but came up with nothing: no trees, no rocks, not even a large bush, just a dried-up drainage ditch along the right side of the road that didn’t appear to be deep enough to do the job.

Jessica watched the dust trail, walking backward as it approached the road. She could barely make out a faint glimmer of sunlight shining off one of the vehicle’s side mirrors as it came to a stop. It turned toward her.

“Crap,” she exclaimed as she spun around, searching one last time for a way to hide. The trees in the distance were still too far away. Running toward them would undoubtedly raise suspicion.
Hide in plain sight
, she thought. It was yet another lesson learned during her spec-ops training.

The sound of the vehicle grew louder, and the pitch of its engine increased. There was no doubt it was coming toward her. Jessica continued walking along the road’s shoulder, maintaining a normal gait as might be expected of someone walking toward a distant point. As the sound of the vehicle continued to grow closer, the pitch of its engine began to decrease.
It’s slowing down
, she realized.

The vehicle rolled to a stop right next to her. “You headed for the city, miss?”

“Yup,” she answered, as if it were not the first time she had been asked that question.

“You wanna ride?” the old man behind the wheel asked.

Jessica stopped a moment, looking toward the distant horizon as if trying to judge the distance remaining. “I don’t know,” she began tentatively. “How much farther is it?”

“Farther than a girl like you should be walking by herself,” the man said, “especially considering the times and all.”

“Yeah, well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do,” she said as she started walking again.

The truck eased forward, the old man keeping pace with Jessica. “You know, the Jung usually patrol this road around noon. Might be better if you weren’t on it.”

Jessica stopped again and looked at the small truck. It was the kind used by farmers and ranch hands all over North America. He was a good-sized man, probably in his late fifties. He looked strong from years of work.

“I don’t have any money,” she told him.

“Don’t remember asking for none.” The old man laughed. “Besides, ain’t no one accepted money around here since the Jung took over.”

“How do I know you’re not some kind of serial killer that’s going to chop me up with an ax and feed me to your farm animals?”

The old man laughed. “Sweetheart, I’ve got two girls your age, both of them just as sassy. How would I look them in the eye knowing I did something like that to someone same as them?”

Jessica looked him over once more. Although he appeared to be big and strong, he did have a kind face, and by her estimates, it would still take another five hours of walking to reach Winnipeg. It was also an opportunity to ask a few questions and collect some intelligence on the occupation.

“Besides,” the old man continued, “you’re probably safer with me than you would be if you got picked up by the Jung.” The old man reached over and opened the passenger door of the old truck. A big smile covered his face. “See? No ax.”

Jessica eyeballed the old man one more time. She unslung her knapsack and moved toward the truck’s open passenger door. “I guess you’re right,” she said as she climbed in. No sooner had she closed the door than the old man gently pressed the accelerator pedal and began maneuvering the truck back onto the road to head out again.

The inside of the old man’s truck was no more attractive than the outside. Torn upholstery, a dashboard cracked by decades of sunlight, and a crack in the corner of the windshield all told of the many miles the old truck had carried its owner.

“Bill,” the old man said as he brought the truck up to speed.

“Jessica,” she answered as they bounced along down the road.

“Been on the road long?”

“Long enough,” she said, trying to avoid answering any questions that didn’t need to be answered.

“You got business in Winnipeg?”

“Trying to find my brother. He moved up there a few years back.”

“Up there? Where you from?”

“Cocoa Beach originally.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Florida?”

“Florida?” the old man exclaimed, surprise evident in his voice. “Little girl, you are a long way from home. Surely you didn’t walk all the way here.”

“Hitched some, walked some. Lately, more walking than hitching.”

“Where do you sleep, eat, wash up?”

“Whatever, whenever. Occasionally I got lucky and picked up an odd job along the way, usually from friendly people looking to help one another out. Do some chores for them to repay their kindness and such.”

“Lot of that going on, lately,” the old man said. “Where are your parents?”

“They were killed when the Jung invaded,” she said following the story she had concocted during her long walk toward the city.

“How did that happen?”

“We lived near the Fleet Academy. They got hit hard. The Jung bombed the nearby city as well. Not sure why. I was out of town when it happened.” The hint of grief on Jessica’s face was real, as she did not yet know the true fate of her family.

“So you’ve been on the road since?” the old man asked, again sounding surprised.

“Pretty much,” Jessica said.

“Is your brother expecting you?”

“Don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since before the Jung came. I don’t even know if he’s aware that our parents are dead.”

“Surely he must know by now,” the old man said. “Communications are spotty, to be sure, especially long-distance stuff. But at least they work again. Have you tried calling him?”

“I tried, but it was disconnected.”

“How do you intend on finding him?” the old man asked.

“I’ve got his address, where he works, and the name of his girlfriend. I figure it’s a start.”

“Not much of one.”

They drove along for several minutes. Jessica could feel the old man’s eyes on her every few seconds. She wasn’t sure if he was nervous that he might have picked up trouble or was just a horny, old man leering at her when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.

“What are you going to do if you don’t find him?”

She shrugged. “I guess I’ll just make do on my own. Maybe head up north, get away from the Jung. Nothing but wilderness up there. The Jung probably don’t even care about it.”

“Just as well you stay in Winnipeg,” he said. “It got hit pretty hard, but the Jung have been pretty good about rebuilding it so far. Besides, life up north is hard.”

“It doesn’t bother you,” she asked, “that the Jung just came in and took over?”

“Someone is always in control, darling,” the old man said. “Different name, different set of rules. The Jung, the NAU, the provincial coalition: in the end, it’s all the same to me. People need food. I grow it and get what I can for it.”

“Never thought about it that way,” Jessica said, fighting to control her outrage. She wanted to tell the old man that he was full of crap. Some things were worth fighting for. Some were even worth dying for, but she didn’t want to appear too radical. She just wanted to get to Winnipeg and find a way to covertly slip into the city.

The old man turned down a side road that headed into a thick grove of trees. The road was unpaved and bumpier than the river road they had been following.

“Where are we going?” Jessica asked.

“Shortcut,” the old man said, a grin on his face.

“Shortcut?”

“That road follows the river. It’s gonna bend right for a few kilometers and then come back again. Waste of time to drive it. This will save us at least ten minutes.”

Jessica held onto the handle above the door to her right, her other hand on the dash board trying to steady herself as the truck bounced along the bumpy dirt road. As she peered outside at the dense forest, she was well aware that the old man was enjoying the sight of her breasts as they bounced with the truck.

A few minutes later, the old man made an abrupt right turn down a narrow path barely wide enough for the truck to pass. Trees rushed past the outside of the truck, nearly making contact with the vehicle’s side-view mirrors.

“What the hell?!” Jessica yelled. “Another one of your shortcuts?” she asked, suspicion in her tone.

“Trust me,” the old man said, his grin becoming more lecherous than trustworthy.

The path made several more sharp turns before it finally opened up into a clearing covered with a small, grassy meadow. The old man slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in the hard-packed, dirt road and sending dust swirling about.

Jessica coughed a couple times as the dust settled. “Wrong turn?” she quipped. She turned and looked at the old man as he pulled a long knife out of his boot.

“Time to pay for your ride, little girl,” the old man said as his eyes locked onto Jessica’s breasts.

Jessica looked at the old man, trying to appear frightened. “Are you going to rape me or kill me?”

“That’s up to you, little darling.”

“What about your daughters? How are you going to look them in the eyes?”

“I lied,” the old man said, his kindly old expression fading rapidly. “I ain’t got no daughters. But if my boys were here, they’d be joining in.”

Jessica continued her masquerade as the frightened, defenseless traveler, not wanting to put the old man on the defensive. “What do you want me to do?” she asked, her lower lip quivering.

“Do as I ask, and I might let you live,” he told her. “Make me happy, and I might even take you closer to your destination.” The old man stopped and leaned in toward her, brandishing his knife in front of her eyes. “Piss me off,” he began in a sinister tone, “and I’ll leave you out here lying in a pool of your own blood.”

Jessica maintained her act, all the while fighting to hold back her laughter. She took a deep breath, pretending to summon the courage to face the sexual degradations that the old man expected to inflict upon her.

“Very well,” she mumbled as if she were about to cry. She turned to open the door, but found the handle did not work.

“Eh!” the old man said. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I figured there would be more room outside,” she lied. “It’s kind of cramped in here, isn’t it?” She flashed her biggest, most innocent eyes.

He fell for it, grinning from ear to ear. “Wait right there,” he told her as he climbed out of the truck on the opposite side.

Jessica watched through the front windshield, maintaining her fearful expression as the old man came around the front of the truck to her door. She tried to avoid looking him in the eyes, wanting him to feel convinced of his domination over her as he opened her door. That was all she needed, some room.

Jessica stepped out of the truck, taking two steps back from the old man as he closed the door. Her fearful expression had vanished, replaced by one of strength and confidence.

The old man looked at her. “Well?”

“Change of plans, Grandpa,” she began, arrogance in her voice. “Put down the knife, apologize, and hand over the keys to your crappy, old truck. If you do as I ask, I might let you live. If your apology is sincere enough, I might even let you keep your truck… after we get to the outskirts of Winnipeg.”

The old man laughed. “Or?”

“Or I take the knife from you, slit your throat, and leave
you
out here lying in a pool of
your
own blood.”

The old man looked at her as she puckered up and winked at him. He laughed. “Oh, this is gonna be fun,” he said with an evil grin. He lunged at her, his knife hand extended and slashing from the center outward.

It was a dumb opening move. Jessica fired a quick right into the old man’s nose, breaking it and sending blood flying.