“Full directional scan,” he said into his headset. “Locate enemy combatant.” As the comset implemented the directive given it, the distinct sounds of screams came at him from multiple directions. Committed to his mission above all else, he ignored the distraction.
“Unable to locate combatant,” his comset replied. “Zero energy signature readings detected within operational range.”
Kelsic 5 slammed his fist into the side of the transportation device, causing a significant dent. “That Simeran must be using a reflective holo-field.” He checked his energy readings. “Tricky to track, but not impossible.”
“Non-sequitur. Please repeat command.”
“Disregard.”
He lifted his head just enough to view the open area. Where had his opponent hidden himself? Better the Simeran was invisible, he mused. They were the ugliest species in the galaxy anyway.
The air became still, like before. Kelsic 5 held his place and listened. Another ion blast came out of nowhere and slammed into his polyphasic suit, hurtling him into an adjacent transportation device. He brought up his weapon and fired blind. Several discharges struck a dwelling unit across from him, causing it to erupt in flames. He watched as a number of humans stumbled out of the smoke-filled entrance. Not much he could do for those creatures.
He jumped to his feet and took cover behind another vehicle. Kelsic 5 flicked a glance at his energy gauge. Sixty-one teraquads left. If he didn’t terminate his opponent soon, he wouldn’t have enough energy to make a successful jump off this wretched planet.
Kelsic 5 made another scan of the area, his attention drawn toward the plume of smoke as it drifted away. A physical principle came to mind. An object, even an invisible one, became visible when it passed through the particulate matter. Only one problem. How to get his opponent to pass through it?
He looked down at his pulse cannon and studied it a moment. Perhaps with the right kind of bait.
A quiet whimper sounded behind him. Kelsic 5 spun around and pointed his weapon at the source. It turned out to be a human cowering on the ground a short distance away. Dressed in strange, loose-fitting clothing, brown wavy hair partially covered the creature’s face. The female of their species, he concluded. Though she didn’t move a muscle, he sensed she was terrified beyond description. As he studied her more closely, he noticed a smaller human clutched in her arms.
“Please, don’t hurt us,” the female pleaded, her voice quivering.
He lowered his weapon until it rested against her temple.
All at once her eyes hardened, and she rose to her feet. “If you harm my child, so help me…” She pushed the muzzle of his pulse cannon off to one side and slowly backed away.
Curious, Kelsic 5 thought. He had the ability to disintegrate them both without a second thought, yet a protective need to save its offspring superseded her fears, even at the cost of her own life.
When another blast struck the dwelling unit behind him, the ensuing shock wave knocked him back a step. He cursed himself. His momentary lapse of judgment had almost gotten him killed.
Kelsic 5 brushed past the creature and headed back toward the area filled with rocks and trees, near the spot where he had first been fired upon. Black smoke continued billowing into the sky, just as he had hoped. He ducked down behind several large boulders not far from where he planned to lure in his prey. As he looked about, Kelsic 5 observed other humans carrying little ones away from the battlefield, using their own bodies to protect them.
He hadn’t expected this. In his many encounters on other worlds, he had never once witnessed any member of such a primitive species willingly sacrifice their own lives to save their offspring. Such nobility only existed within his own kind, or so he had believed. And as such, the humans were worthy of a second chance.
Kelsic 5 accessed the informational database. “Amend assessment of human class life forms.”
“Proceed when ready.”
“Abort sanctioned elimination of planet. Contamination to culture is reversible.”
Several clicks and bleeps sounded before the comset responded. “Amended assessment has been recorded.”
“Good.”
He peered past the boulder. A problem still remained, however. How to get the Simeran where he wanted him. Kelsic 5 brought up his weapon and studied it a moment before checking his energy gauge. Fifty-two teraquads remaining. If power levels dipped below fifty, he could be marooned on this planet for a very long time. Worse yet, the mission would be deemed a failure, and his superiors would almost certainly invalidate his recommendation. From what little he’d already seen in this species, he couldn’t let that happen.
A difficult choice pressed down on Kelsic 5 like a great weight. If he jumped now, the Simeran would still be out there, committed to more destruction. If he didn’t make the jump, his superiors would destroy the planet without hesitation. Either way, it didn’t bode well for Earth.
When the power cell at the base of his pulse cannon caught his eye, a solution presented itself. Not the one he anticipated before his arrival, but it was the only outcome that made sense. “A small sacrifice,” he whispered, and then jumped to his feet and headed straight for the plumes of smoke.
Ion fire erupted all around him, nipping at his feet after every step.
He took note of the direction each one came from until an arcing trajectory formed on the screen of his headset. Kelsic 5 counted to three, and then let off a volley of plasma bursts just to the right of the middle column of smoke. His shot hit dead center. The Simeran’s mirror technology faltered, exposing him to the light of day.
Enraged he had been discovered, the gangly creature twice Kelsic 5’s size came charging at him. The Simeran attempted to fire his weapon, but it must have been damaged by the explosion.
Kelsic 5 brought up his pulse cannon to finish him off, but he waited too long. The hulking creature tackled him, and the two soldiers became entangled in a fight for their lives. They rolled back and forth on the ground, grunting loudly and striking blows against the other in rapid succession.
Finally managing to pin his opponent with a full body lock, Kelsic 5 glimpsed his energy gauge showing itself in and around the Simeran’s tentacles flailing about. It read forty-nine teraquads. Too late.
But it wasn’t too late.
Kelsic 5 looked his enemy in his bulbous eyes and smiled. “This ends here and now.” He flipped a switch on his weapon and set the power cells on overload.
A high-pitched whistle filled the air. It grew in intensity, until a flash of light discharged in the park, and the two were gone.
~}~~~{~
Gizile shuddered. The sobbing came unhindered. Suddenly there was a white cloth thrust before her face.
“No handkerchief again, I see. How many times have I told you preparation is everything, Gizile?” Tok rumbled.
She took the handkerchief, wiped her face and blew her nose, swallowed. “Tell me how my parents died.”
“You are not ready.”
She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. Tok’s face of stone softened and transformed into the face of weariness.
“Your father gave himself in much the same way as the vision…he held the pass long enough for me to bring the walls down. They fell, crushing the invading horde. Crushing him as well. He saved many lives.”
“And my mother?”
Tok sighed. “She rushed in just after, before we could make sure everything was secure. She thought she could…rescue him. But there were a few of the enemy who survived. And the ring could not protect her from everything.”
Gizile rubbed the ring on her finger again. Her mother’s ring. She traced the intricately woven vines with her eyes.
“She was a great teacher,” Tok said. “They both were. The war made fighters of everyone.”
“Is that why you took me as a student?”
Tok firmed his lips. Then he nodded his head toward the pool. Gizile obeyed and turned back to the ice.
r /> ~}~~~{~
Closer to Home—Keven Newsome
The world revolved beneath my feet like a granite sphere on top of billowing water. Each land mass on that dark gray ball shone with the brilliance of a million stars, a tribute to Thomas Edison in a way few could ever appreciate. Long ago it would have been dark, but this galaxy of electric cities brought the world together in modern unity. Its beauty was surpassed only by the countless stars wrapping the Earth, looking with approval on the heroic human efforts at imitation.
I had often taken for granted the vastness of the galaxy. But now each miniscule grain of light shone with the intensity of the sun, an equal among its brothers. It was as if God had taken a handful of diamond dust and blown it onto a tapestry of black velvet. And looking upon his handiwork, he took another and still another, until there were more stars than velvet.
I saw the eastern seaboard roll over the horizon, adding its brilliance to the rest of the sparkling world. As more of the United States came into view, Houston emerged, its lights almost indistinguishable from those of Dallas, but the region easy to spot.
It was Home.
My family waited there. They waited patiently for me to return, but soon they would be told the truth…and it would crush them.
I thought of my son. His wild imagination always made my job more grandiose than I ever felt it to be. A “spaceman” he called me. At five he already wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, to traverse the stars and walk in space. He could get his chance…a chance to go further than I ever dreamed. By the time he gets to strap into a rocket, the frontier might be Mars.
But that would be something I would never see. I would never see him play baseball, or graduate from high school, or get married. I’d never see him become a man.
I stretched out my white-gloved hand toward my family. A tear leaked from my eye and formed a globlet, floating within my helmet.
I thought of my daughter. She would be a teenager soon, dating and searching for love. But she would always be daddy’s little girl. I remembered when she was little and she would grab my arms and tug at me until I picked her up… the way she said, “I love you, Daddy,” after kissing me softly. I hoped she would become the woman I knew she could be. I hoped she married someone who reminded her of me. I hoped she’d never forget.
Another tear floated away from my face, and I stretched my other arm toward home… just a little closer. The broken tether that had once kept me safely tied to the ship floated in my way. I grabbed it and jerked it backwards, not wanting reality to spoil my moment.
I thought of my wife… my best friend. I thought of the way she smiled when I came home, and how she held me tight. The way her golden hair splashed over her shoulders… the way she smelled of gardenias. Would she be all right? Would she be able to breathe when they gave her the news? Did she know already? I wanted so bad to take her in my arms and caress her back, to rub my cheek against hers… to tell her everything would be OK. But more than that, I wanted one last chance to tell her how much I love her. And I wanted to tell her to be happy… to learn to love again.
I strained my fingers and arms toward her, crying. Just a little closer, maybe she could hear me. The sound of my voice pressed against my ears, my short-range suit radio inadequate to carry it anywhere else.
But I couldn’t hear my voice. All I could hear was theirs. The memories played through my mind like old home movies, reminding me of the blessings I had been given. The laughter and tears of a life… lived. I wished I had more time, but God had other plans.
I looked back at the broken shuttle, twisted and cleaved almost in two by a meteor. Every one was dead there, as I would soon be. Where were their families? What were their stories? Were they happy in life? Had they ever yearned for something more than what this life could give?
Had they ever met God? I should have asked.
A filament of orange outlined the horizon, like embers at the edge of a leaf. I closed my visor and waited as the glowing thread swelled and brightened, changing from orange to blue to white. After only a couple minutes, the sun emerged in a bright display of pure light unspoiled by the thick atmosphere below. The light washed over me like a warm blanket and my tears stopped, the floating water absorbed by the suit ventilation system.
Here I flew, two hundred and thirty miles above the slumbering surface, the only person in existence to witness this sunrise in this way. Its beauty could not be described. Its wonder could not be imagined. Only by the radiance of Heaven could it be surpassed.
I held my breath, stunned into stillness.
With the memories of my blessed life to accompany me, facing the most wondrous sight I had ever seen, it was only a matter of time until I moved from this life to the next. I pressed the throttle for my SAFER system and propelled myself toward the glowing sphere. My chest warmed with happiness. We all had to die, and I had been given the gift to pass from one wonder to an even greater wonder in a way no human had ever experienced. As I gained speed, I stretched my arms out toward the sun and stared into eternity, thankful that with each passing second I was closer to home.
~}~~~{~
The wave obliterated the scene. There was much she didn’t understand in the vision. Yet…yet, there was a joy also. Mourning, but an acceptance of what must be. Tears rolled down her cheeks unbidden. Her sobs echoed from the rock wall behind them. “Tok…”
The stoic teacher knelt and wrapped his arms around her.
“I miss them,” she cried.
“So do I.”
As they knelt together in the fading day, no more ice formed in the pool. Tok let her cry until the light had nearly extinguished. No words were needed. Not anymore. Tok took Gizile by the hand and brought her to her feet.
“Is there no more for the pool to teach?”
Tok shook his head. “Not so. There is no more for you to learn just now. Come.” He turned away from the shore.
As they walked back up to the old keep, the first drops of rain began to pelt them.
“Tok?”
“Yes?”
“Will you teach me to be a teacher like my parents?”
The tall man answered without turning. “Yes, Gizile.”
~}~~~{~
Author Information
Grace Bridges
Grace Bridges is the owner of Splashdown Books, and an incurably voracious reader and author of science fiction. She has two published books: Faith Awakened (2007) and Legendary Space Pilgrims (2010). Grace is a Kiwi of Irish descent living in New Zealand, and is a multilingual do-it-yourself gal.
Catch up with her at:
https://grace.splashdownbooks.com.
Have you ever wondered if your life is designed? Coincidences, déjà vu, fate, God, what does it all mean? Have you ever wished you could go back and do things differently?
If you could design your own virtual world to live in, what would it look like?
A computer technician gets more than she bargains for when she plunges herself and her companions into virtual-reality cryogenic stasis to escape a raging virus.
Faith Awakened—ISBN: 978-09864517-0-6
If Pilgrim's Progress happened in space, this is what it might look like…
On a planet that has never seen the sun, a harvester hears a Voice from beyond. It's time to leave the oatfield. Mario and Caitlin escape the mind control of Planet Monday, following the Voice to unknown worlds where wonders and challenges await.
Have you got what it takes…to be a legend?
Legendary Space Pilgrims—ISBN: 978-09864517-2-0
Fred Warren
Fred Warren hails from the merry old land of Kansas, and his short stories have appeared in a variety of online and print magazines, such as A Fly in Amber, Beyond Centauri, Every Day Fiction, Mindflights, and Residential Aliens.
You can find links to his other stories in print and online at his writing blog,
https://frederation.wordpress.com.
Stan Marino nee
ds a muse. He’s written himself into a corner…again.
A shot of inspiration is all he needs to finish his story…where is he going to find it? What Stan doesn’t know: Inspiration has found him, and it’s about to take over his life. Ripped from reality, he must lead a band of lost souls in a life-or-death battle with a merciless enemy.
Stan has found his muse, but will he survive it? The Muse—ISBN: 978-09864517-1-3
Follow Fred through the twists and turns of twenty-two bizarre tales, where odd is common-place, little things make all the difference, and miracles are everywhere, if you know where to look.
Do the impossible.
Change the future.
Save the world.
All you need is one odd little miracle.
Odd Little Miracles—ISBN: 978-9876531-1-6
Caprice Hokstad
Caprice Hokstad spends most of her time dreaming up other worlds to live vicariously in. She lives in a mobile home in southern California, but regularly stares at her simulated aquarium screen-saver. Her ultimate aspiration is to live in the first undersea colony, Atlantica, currently being built off the coast of Florida. She is assured they will have electricity and internet and that there will be room for her laptop, so she can continue to write. At that point, she may change her screensaver, but no promises. Her blog is at https://caprice.splashdownbooks.com and she maintains a website at www.latoph.com.
Slavery…loyalty. Torture…honor. Betrayal… selflessness. All the young orphan wanted was security in a world that destroyed her family and left her despised and rejected. Can the simple farmgirl find a new family through voluntary enslavement to the duke’s household? Crafted in a highly precise writing style so smooth it slips right from the page into your imagination, this fantastical storyworld examines timeless social issues that inform global justice today.