The Red Rover, page 2
part #6 of The Rover Series Universe Series
“Then we go in through the front. I think I saw something above.”
Kabibi raced back to the Nanjemoy, leaving Altarhi at the vessel. He reached the back of the transport and opened its rear space. He placed his armament aside. The Nanjemoy was the best research transport made in Fonantis. It had more than enough room for both of them and their supplies. And if they ever discovered any interesting artifacts to transport or they needed a place to rest for a period, there was room for that as well.
Kabibi grabbed two splicers from their holdings. He closed the trunk, hurrying back to Altarhi, who still hadn’t moved—even he was becoming enraptured by the space vessel.
“Here take this.”
Kabibi tried handing him one of the splicers, but Altarhi was still distracted.
“Altarhi.”
“Kabibi, the light.”
He turned to see that Iscoa had risen steadily. It still hadn’t touched the surface around them yet, but the darkness was nearing diminishment. He turned back to Altarhi.
“We get in, we get out. You have my word.”
Altarhi stared at him for a brief moment, still reluctant it would seem to accept the splicer. He was not interested in investigating this vessel.
“Please.”
Altarhi respired, taking the splicer from him. Kabibi moved to the front center of the vessel while Altarhi shadowed him. They each secured one end of the splicer to their waistbands.
“Ready?”
Altarhi nodded.
“On my mark. One. Two. Go.”
They pushed buttons on their splicers, that released cables airborne over the proboscis of the space vessel. Kabibi was careful in tugging on his cable. He wouldn’t be comfortable until it was taut. He waited for Altarhi to do the same.
“Good?”
Altarhi nodded again. They hit their buttons a second time and were lifted from the surface over the proboscis. Kabibi released the splicer, but it didn’t matter considering he was still connected to it via his waistband. He slammed face first into the floor.
“Smooth.”
Kabibi rolled over, looking at Altarhi who stood above him with a look of self-satisfaction. His ability to land on his soleplates while Kabibi was not, was beyond irksome. Altarhi looked up from him.
“By Kethyrie herself, what anomaly is this?”
Kabibi unhooked himself, rising to his feet as he looked around. There was a muddle of discharge surrounding them on the floor, the forward-facing machines behind them and on one of the chairs. Kabibi followed the discharge trail to an unfamiliar being. It was lying on the floor near a quadrilateral post just beyond the center of the room.
“Look. A vakata.”
Kabibi pointed to the muddle, then followed it back to the vakata. The origins of the term dated back to ancient Paprijia. It was a descriptor used against the former southern cultures of Kethyrie. Its meaning had since evolved, having been co-opted by the ternion cultures to describe any non-indigenous life beyond their borders.
Kabibi bent down in attempt to roll the vakata, but there was a substantial size and weight difference that made it impossible for him to do it alone. He gestured to Altarhi.
“Help me.”
Altarhi moved to the other side of the vakata, gesturing for Kabibi to push it towards him—a wise decision considering he was the stronger of the two. Discharge began dripping from beneath the right glove of the vakata’s uniform.
Once turned over, the two Fonantians paused for a moment, taking in the sight of the vakata. They could see its face. It was wearing a helmet with a faceplate whose color matched the exterior of the vessel.
They lifted the upper portion of the vakata’s body and brought it backwards to keep it propped against the quadrilateral post. Kabibi took his time removing the helmet as the head of the vakata slumped forward.
“Have you ever seen such a being?”
“Never.”
Altarhi removed his glove. He was gentle while caressing the vakata’s face. He seemed to be marveling at the hairlessness of it. That alone was proof that this vakata was not indigenous to Kethyrie. Kabibi, on the other hand, was much more invested in the engineering that was used to design the vakata’s helmet.
He flipped it upside down, feeling around its outer ridges. This vakata had the ability to travel the stars wearing one that wasn’t much different than any designed in Fonantis. He smiled. They had been on board for only a few moments and his suspicions about the space vessel were being rewarded. He looked deeper into the helmet and noticed alphanumeric symbols that had been woven into the material. The five symbols in order spelled the word, M.O.O.R.E.
“What does M.O.O.R.E. mean?”
He was careful as he set the helmet back down on the floor. He then put two fingers together before placing them underneath the vakata’s chin, checking for a pulse. He could feel one, although it was faint at best.
“Whoever this is, it’s still breathing.” Kabibi turned to him.
“Are we sure that’s a good thing?”
“Help me get it up.”
“What?”
“Well, we can’t just leave it.”
“And why can’t we?” Altarhi leaned backwards, pushing himself back to his feet.
“Because that’s not who we are.”
“Inane. Do you not understand? This is inane.” Altarhi respired. “We shouldn’t be here at all. Look at the light. We’re too late. Iscoa’s already here.”
The luminosity from Iscoa was now radiating through the crashed vessel’s shattered casement. Kabibi knew that what they were doing could cost them their lives, but something inside him would not allow him to leave the vakata behind, not without trying anyway.
“If you don’t want to help, fine. I’ll do it myself.”
He attempted to lift the unconscious vakata by himself, but its body along with the weight of its uniform, made it too heavy for him to do alone. Altarhi let out a profound respire and shook his head. A smile arose from Kabibi’s face. That familiar combination from his protégé was like harmony to him.
“What do you need me to do?” Altarhi asked.
“Take one side. I’ll take the other. Be careful of the head.”
The two Fonantians did a silent count of two before taking great care while moving the vakata back towards the way they entered. A vulgar incoherent howling was inserted within his ear canals as Altarhi froze. While the noise was faint at best, there was no doubt that the ravenous Salimites were the culprits. These predators ruled the batstu by light and disappeared by night. While they didn’t have firm data on the reasons, they assumed it was due to the drastic drop in thermal energy.
However, that sound could mean one of two things. Either the salimites were nearby and they were in imminent danger or the predators were awakening for the first time and their voices were echoing off the dunes, making them appear closer than they were.
“Oh, for Iscoa’s sake. Do you hear that? They’re waking up. We’ll never make it back in time.”
Altarhi’s eyes were bulging and his pace was becoming manic.
“Then we hunker down.”
“Hunker down? And what if this vakata wakes up? What then? For all we know, it could be even more vicious than the salimites.”
Kabibi looked at the vakata still in his arms. Altarhi was correct. They couldn’t risk staying here long term without a plan. If this vakata awoke with bad intentions, they might not be able to subdue it. And taking their chances with the salimites would never be a viable option.
“I’ll get a suppressant from the Nanjemoy. Just wait here.”
Kabibi released the vakata back into Altarhi’s arms. The weight was almost too much for him to prop up causing him to slide back down to the floor with it still in his arms.
“You got it?”
“Yes. Can you please hurry?”
Kabibi nodded. He hurried back to the front, re-attaching the splicer to his waistband. He stood on the edge of the vessel’s proboscis, shielding his eyes from the now blinding star in the sky. He clicked the button and leapt off. The cable extended as he descended all the way to the surface. He removed the link from his waistband and noticed that the surface was now sweltering. It made no difference that he was wearing his research waders and soleplates. He could feel every bit of the fluctuating environment.
He dashed to the rear of the Nanjemoy, hopping from one foot to the next, trying to avoid damaging his soleplates on the burning sands. He opened the rear, looking for a suppressant. The incoherent howling of the salimites was growing louder and closer as the sounds frightened him.
“Ah.”
He leapt inside the rear to hide, pulling it closed behind him, just in case the predators were lurking nearby. He respired. It was looking like his best maneuver would be to wait it out until nightfall.
“Terrific. Altarhi is going to be quite ornery when this is all over.”
<>
Altarhi continued holding the vakata in his arms as Kabibi instructed. He was somewhat concerned that if he moved it—then the vakata would awaken. If he had been more diligent in keeping track of their progress, they would have been on their way to Fonantis and he wouldn’t have been in this situation at all.
“You know when I signed up for this gig, I never intended to die doing it.”
He looked at the vakata. Kabibi was right about one thing, this was a fanciful discovery that none of the other Fonantian researchers would be able to equal. However, regardless of how curious Altarhi might have been about the vakata and its mysteries, his preference was always security over everything.
“The things we do to earn our place, huh?”
Altarhi shook his head. The vakata remained unconscious in his arms. The incoherent howling of the salimites resumed moments later. The predators of the batstu were much closer than before. He clenched the vakata’s uniform tighter and closed his eyes. Thinking pleasant thoughts would be the best option he had left between now and the upcoming darkness, which was a long way away. And that was factoring in the vakata remaining in its current state.
If there’s any fairness to be had on Kethyrie, those vile monstrosities will devour Kabibi first. It would serve him right.
CHAPTER ONE
AGONY LINGERS
Marius sat staring at the wall closest to his chamber’s entrance. Not only was his vision blurry, but he was seeing double. He rubbed his eyelids to the point where they were red and sore.
His journal was on the floor, upside down. Since their wild escape from the Nemosolas, he had made several attempts to add a new entry, but for some reason he was unable to follow through. He was experiencing an extreme case of brain fog that was becoming worse, not better with time and rest.
It was also becoming more difficult for him to remember his life before the Red Rover. Sometimes, he would look at the photos of his former neophytes and it would upset him. Even though he recognized their adolescent faces, he was unable to place many of their names.
A gurgle pressed against the back of his throat. He kept his mouth closed, trying to suppress it, but a second gurgle soon followed. He sprang to his feet, rushing to his adjoining bathroom.
Marius flipped the toilet seat up as a third gurgle ruptured inside his throat. He did not hold back this time as it spewed out into the bowl below him.
“Huuuu—”
Bodily fluids combined with chunks of his most recent meal regurgitated from his abdomen, landing in the toilet. He sat on his knees, keeping his head over the bowl. This was another part of his new daily routine. Keeping his food digested was now an adventure.
Marius puked a second time. Then a third. More and more fluid landing inside the bowl. This continued until he had emptied out his belly. With no more food or fluid to release, his stomach pained from the remaining air being sucked out instead.
He reared back, falling on his backside. He wiped the excess secretions from his mouth, inhaling and exhaling until his chest hurt, before peering back inside the bowl. A vile mix of red and green was changing the color of the bowl’s water. While he couldn’t be sure what the green was, the same couldn’t be said for the red.
“Ah shit. That can’t be good.”
He sat back, no longer interested in the toilet’s contents.
“Damn.”
He looked skyward and shook his head.
“I’m beginning to think you’re on borrowed time doctor. Only a matter of when.”
He reached above his head and flushed the toilet before using the bowl as leverage to get back to his feet. He stood in front of the sink in his uniform. He unzipped it down to his waist. While his wound from being shot by the Draconoires had healed, his skin was undergoing discoloration all across his chest and abdomen. The green stuff he saw in the toilet was undergoing a gradual manifestation all along the surface of his body.
“Christ, I’m gonna need some more antibiotics.”
He stood over the sink for half-a-minute, just collecting his thoughts. He was becoming lightheaded. Which was another in the growing list of ailments that were now reoccurring in his daily life. He leaned back against the bathroom entrance frame, stabilizing his trembling legs.
This sure would be a hell of a lot easier if I could just get some damn sleep.
He turned to his chamber’s entrance once again. The Red Rover carried a finite amount of medical supplies for the seven cadets and him, but enough was enough. Marius was getting desperate. He needed something to dull his pain receptors.
He zipped his uniform back up and opened his chamber door. He staggered out, hugging the wall closest to him. He stopped cold upon seeing Callista sitting on the floor, not more than a foot or two from where Dee-Dee’s headless torso resided. Her head was still while she didn’t appear to be blinking. Almost like she was in a trance.
“Callista?”
“Yeah.”
She continued staring straight ahead, not paying him any mind whatsoever. Marius repositioned his body, making sure she wouldn’t be able to see that anything was wrong with him.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know. Couldn’t sleep.” She said.
“That seems to be going around a lot, lately.”
Marius sighed. He approached her, taking one slow and solid step at a time. He was still feeling lightheaded from his regurgitation a few moments earlier. The last thing he could afford to do was fall on his face. He was certain his ego would never be able to accept that.
He moved beside her, sliding down the wall as his gaze fell upon Dee-Dee’s body once more. He had never seen it from this angle before. His eyes welled with water as a wave of emotion washed over him. Now, he was no longer lightheaded. He was equal parts devastated and enraged.
While he and his cadets had given the Draconoires the comeuppance they deserved and more, seeing this was a humbling daily reminder of the evil that had been inflicted upon them for no reason. Several times a day, his cadets would pass the headless android bodies of Dee-Dee and Ozone, while doing the utmost to pretend like they didn’t see them at all.
Marius knew they were doing that because he was doing the very same. But now, sitting beside Callista in this specific moment, the pain he felt was torturous. His heart ached for her—for all of them.
“It’s not right.”
Marius turned to Callista, who was still staring out into the ether. A handful of tears fell down her flush cheeks.
“What do you mean?”
“This.” She gestured in disgust. “Every time I close my eyes now—I can’t help but wonder—what’s the point? It’s like I’m waking up for the sole purpose of seeing just how much suffering the universe can inflict upon me. Like what did we ever do to deserve this.”
Like a punch to the gut, Marius was reeling. Could this be how they all were feeling? Up until seconds before, he would have been certain that the collective spirits of his cadets were trending in a positive direction. The possibility of reuniting with one of the Rovers and other members of their space community being the largest reason.
But now, Marius wasn’t quite sure of anything anymore. Least of all, the happenings on the Red Rover. He was sick, mending, distracted and drained. The only thing he was certain of, was that he was ill-equipped to handle six more emotional exchanges like this one, should any of the other cadets be looking to him for support.
“Frankly, I’m sick of it.”
Callista went on, her voice cracking while raising several octaves. In all the years Marius had known her, he couldn’t remember a time where she wasn’t polite in his presence. But there would be no denying how angry she was. She turned to him, wiping away a few of her loose tears.
“Is this all that adulthood has to offer?”
Marius snapped out of his self-induced fog, noticing her expressive caramel eyes. Such a beautiful young woman she had become, inside and out. Her parents would have been so proud.
“Oh—you’re asking me?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that why you sat down?”
He smirked. He couldn’t beat her logic.
“Well—adulthood is—umm—how do I describe it?”
Marius sighed. Even answering a simple question was becoming an adventure for him.
“Nothing you’re doing is normal. In fact, nothing since our ancestors first boarded the Rover Base Alpha has been normal. Believe it or not, the life you’re living right now is extraordinary—at least, when considering the history of humanity.”
“So, are you saying I should be grateful for this bullshit?”
Marius shrugged. His jumbled thoughts didn’t seem to be adding much clarity to the conversation.
“I can’t tell you how to feel, Callista. I really can’t. Like—I wish—there was a way for me—to remove all of the hardships that you and the others have had to endure since we left the Rover Base. But that unfortunately—is beyond my capabilities.”
Marius swallowed. He was starting to run hot.
“But you need to understand, that no matter how difficult this life may become for you, you cannot compartmentalize the negative. You have to embrace the full picture. And as God is my witness, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out just how many things in your life actually bring you joy.”
