Logos (Link Book Three), page 12
He was beginning to understand the picture, though not everything was crystal clear.
After another quiet ten minutes, Luke closed his eyes, pressing them tight to keep the bright light out. The door opened an instant later, and in walked the giant Locus. Luke was a large man, but the wide-shouldered alien gave him pause. He hadn’t experienced the sensation with Primum, who seemed a gentle soul. The figure before Luke was the opposite. He exuded power and strode like he expected everyone around him to notice.
Usually, Luke would put someone like that in his place when it was warranted. He made no move to rise or to react to the looming presence; he just fluttered his eyelids, breathing slowly.
An unarmed Hiphol robot entered after him and the door rolled shut, clicking into place. Luke wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of speaking first.
Robes fluttered as the Locus neared the table. Across the ten-foot length, Luke could smell the alien and found it unusual. He had a musky animal scent mixed with something floral. Had he sprayed himself with rosewater to mask his odor?
Finally, after a silent few heartbeats, he talked. The robot translated moments later.
“Praise be to the Stars, and to the Creator.”
Luke eventually focused on the alien.
“How did you come to speak for your people?”
He shrugged.
“What is your name?”
Luke hesitated. Did the Hiphol have a record of the human captives? He suddenly wished he hadn’t offered himself up without thinking. For all he knew, they’d already scanned him or taken a tissue sample and were aware he didn’t belong.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
He did his best to stay composed. “I heard you just fine.” He didn’t know anyone’s last names, so he told the truth. “I’m Luke Dalton.”
If the Locus realized he wasn’t on the crew manifest, he didn’t betray himself. He wished the alien would sit down so he wasn’t towering over Luke. The gesture felt antiquated, a negotiation tactic as old as the space dust on Zenoh.
“I am Cadre Paramount Tanzax.”
“You’re in charge of a Cadre?” Luke asked, and there was a moment of delay while the robot repeated in the Locus tongue.
“I manage all Cadres.”
“Okay.” This was the boss, a Locus at the top of the Hiphol chain. It could either be a very good or a very bad thing for Luke, depending on what happened next. He could beg to be released from the mines to a life of servitude on Ivoth, where he’d attempt to steal a ship. Or he might try to get his group on board a warship bound for Ethos.
“How many humans?”
“Where?”
“In your Sun Colonies,” Tanzax said.
Luke puffed out his cheeks. “Lots.”
“Please provide an accurate number.”
“I don’t really know about that. You see, I was a miner on Mars.”
“You mined?”
“Yep.”
“On Mars.”
“That’s right.”
“Then you ended up on Zenoh, performing the same task.”
“Not quite, since you’re living in the dark ages.”
“What are the dark ages?”
Luke found it hard to know where to look, since it was the white robot speaking for the alien. “Forget it. What are you mining?”
The alien watched him with what might have passed for amusement. “Now you’re asking the questions?”
Luke had to be careful. “I’m not sure how many humans live in the Sun Colonies.”
“And Ethos?”
He was supposed to be among the apprehended group that included Kennedy, Lilly, and the rest of the gang just a short walk from where he sat. “It’s empty. I’m sure you read the reports.”
The Locus had slots for a nose, but they flapped closed, then open. “How powerful are the Sun Colonies?”
“I couldn’t tell you. That’s way above my pay grade,” he said.
Tanzax hit him in the face, his meaty hand slamming into Luke’s cheek. Spit flew sideways, but Luke did his best not to react.
“The Hiphol are patient.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Are the Sun Colonies prepared for an invasion?”
“You’re going to Earth?” Luke asked.
“Yes.” He finally sat, but it did little to ease the tension. Even on the bench, he dwarfed Luke across the table.
“I though you wanted Ethos.”
“As you said, it’s empty.” He observed Luke with interest, and it was obvious he was searching for a tell.
Luke turned and spat on the floor, a trail of blood dripping off his lip. “How do we join a Cadre?”
“You’ve come to your senses so quickly?”
“Why not? It’s time I get some revenge. I actually fought for the other side, the Deniers.” It wasn’t a total lie, even if the timing was.
“An act of betrayal?”
“I had to. The Diplomats stood against everything I believed,” Luke said.
“I once made a similar decision, and here we are.”
The comment made Luke wonder how old the Paramount was. “Do we have a deal?”
“No. The Cadres have all departed, and there’s no second fleet leaving for either colony. Perhaps if we build a second wave, that would be of interest to you?”
“Sure, if that keeps me and my friends alive.”
The Locus glanced at the exit, which seemed to mark the end of their discussion. A second later, the doors opened and a buzzing Odiox entered. This one had no armor and looked malnourished. Instead of wearing weathered boots, it was barefoot and moved swiftly to the table, setting a tray of refreshments down.
The winged alien left, and Tanzax poured a thick green liquid into a stoneware cup. The edges of it gleamed like it had samples of the ore mined at Zenoh in the rock it was molded from. “To honor the Creator and the Stars, we drink in celebration of a new union. One day soon, humans will join the Cadre and become Hiphol.”
Using all the strength he could muster, Luke accepted the cup and said the phrase: “We are Hiphol.” The words sounded jarring to his own ears, but Tanzax didn’t flinch.
He wondered whether the drink would kill him, then figured the big alien could just as easily have shot him. He had the feeling that subtlety wasn’t part of his playbook. Luke sipped the concoction only after the Locus did, and found it reminiscent of whiskey.
“Can you tell me about the tattoos?”
The alien glanced at his own arms, then lowered his sleeves. “This isn’t the time.”
Luke copied him, drinking more of the beverage. Either it was really strong, or it had been laced with something. His vision swam, and two Locus spun in his sightlines. “What did you put in here?”
“Truth serum.”
“Damn.”
“Who are you?”
Luke wanted to tell him off, but couldn’t gather the energy. “Luke Dalton.”
“How many humans live in the Sun Colonies?”
He tried biting his tongue, he fought with all his will to remain silent, but the answer spilled free. “Twenty billion.” Stop! Don’t tell them anything! His inner monologue didn’t help much.
“And on Ethos?”
The question surprised Luke. Maybe the alien did know that he hadn’t come with the others after all. “Around fifty thousand.”
The answer finally surprised his captor, and Tanzax leaned forward. “How can you know this?”
If you break, you’ll risk Lilly’s life. You failed her already, don’t do it again! Luke’s internal struggle wasn’t visible on the outside, but it raged in his chest. He tried to cover his mouth, but he wasn’t sure where it was. His cup was only half empty, and he figured the strongest part of the drug might have sunk to the bottom.
“Why have you said how many people are on Ethos if it was empty when you left?”
“I don’t know.” The simple answer hurt his brain, and he winced.
The Locus blinked slowly. “Explain.”
“I thought you said Pathos.”
“Pathos?”
Luke’s drugged mind struggled to recall the name the Locus had used for the world they’d named Pathos. It came to him in his moment of need. “You call it… Treon AP.”
“What happened there?”
“I came to Ethos by accident fifteen years ago.” The longer he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, like the parting of a fog. “There were records left behind explaining that the Locus—that’s what the human colonists called you—had escorted the colony to another world. It was supposed to have fifty thousand people by now.” Judging by Tanzax’ alien expression, he wasn’t quite buying the pitch.
“Did you finish the serum?”
Luke picked up the cup and drained the last of it, then flipped the glass. “All done.”
Tanzax lifted a large hand threateningly, but Luke didn’t give him the satisfaction of flinching. The Locus left without another word, but the robot stayed. “Come.”
Luke followed him through the hall, then into a corridor where he could see the energy field of the pits in the dusty glass windows. After a brief hike, he was returned to the human building by way of a secret entrance. Before they entered, he noticed the Odiox guard was missing from his station. A pair of boots sat by the doors, and the device they carried on their wrists jutted out of the left one.
Luke stumbled, like he was unsteady on his feet, and swiped the device while the robot waited for him. Luke cautiously slipped it into his pocket and hopped up, still bleary, especially after that last swig of serum. Suddenly, there were two robots, and the missing Odiox buzzed as it flapped its wings.
“Join the others. The workday is complete. Be prepared for tomorrow.” The robot paused at the exit.
Luke snapped a salute to the tall faceless robot. “Aye aye.”
“Is there anything else?”
“No.” Luke stood on wobbly legs as the doors slammed closed, separating him from the guards and Tanzax’s translator. “I’ve already lied to your boss and stolen something off your sentry.” He took it out of his pocket and stared at the wrist control, seeing two; then it refocused again.
He staggered into the bunk area, and Lilly ran up to him. “Are you okay?”
“I drank some nasty stuff that made me tell the truth, but I’m alive.”
“Is he onto us?” Scout asked.
The group of humans eagerly watched Luke. “They’re moving for Earth. We have to warn someone.”
“How can we possibly escape?” Klem whispered.
Luke showed them what he’d pilfered in the hall. “Everyone get a good sleep. We leave tomorrow.”
EIGHT
Jane had retraced their path to the tunnel that led them to the lowest chamber, but the recessed steps were gone, the gripping rungs vanished into the now smooth surface. With no hope of escaping that way, she returned to the room holding the Preservers.
“Any changes?” Jane asked.
“Nothing.” Curtis knelt at one of the Locus bodies. It had a more slender figure, the facial features narrower. They hadn’t seen a female Locus until then. Jane walked through the dim space, counting another two females among the ten previously frozen aliens.
Lois stood by the Oniri sample, which was twice her height. “We have to make a decision.”
Jane shook her head. “They’ll come for us.”
“It’s been hours. Someone will have noticed I missed my shift,” Lois said.
The air was hot, and Jane walked past Lois to view the darkness beyond. “Can you light that up?”
“Why?” Lois did as instructed, and almost jumped when the light shone into an open cavern. The Oniri transporter sat near the edge of a large cliff, and the bottom of the cave was filled with stagnant water. Something slithered within the liquid, and Lois moved the beam off. She visibly shuddered, keeping a palm over the light. “What in the hell is that?”
It was big, at least as thick as a human and ten times as long. It brought to mind the snakipedes from Caelum, though she hadn’t noticed any legs.
“We can’t stay here.” Jane heard it thrashing in the water, and Lois risked another look. Instead of one, four others had slipped into the lake. They simultaneously lifted their heads.
Curtis Singh gasped between them, while Jane backed up involuntarily.
“Turn it off!” she shouted, and Lois did.
The chamber filled with darkness, and Jane nearly tripped on the closest cryochamber.
“Where do we go?” She gazed at the hint of the hall in the distance, knowing there was no path out.
“I could stand guard, lure them with the light, and shoot them,” Lois said.
“What if more come?” Curtis asked.
Jane’s sight adapted enough for her to see the outline of the Oniri sample. “The Locus left this in Command for a reason. The stone… it’s important.”
“There are no symbols on it. Say we use it… what if it sends us to Pathos, half destroyed by Cal’s Orbitus attack?” Lois said.
“Or worse.” Dr. Singh’s voice was low. “We go behind Hiphol enemy lines.”
Jane imagined what Calvin, Luke, or Henry might do in this situation, and all three would probably have completely different solutions. But the thing they’d agree on was being decisive. “We use it.”
“That requires the touch of a Locus,” Curtis reminded her.
“They don’t have to be conscious,” Jane said. “Are they alive?”
“I believe so. I’m picking up a heartbeat. According to Kaze, they’re quite similar to us, biologically speaking. They have three lungs, two stomachs, and an organ similar to our kidneys. The heart is almost identical, using two atria and two ventricles—”
“Is that important?” Lois asked.
“No, but—”
“Then can it.” Lois hurried to a Locus and started dragging her out. “She’s lighter.” Jane helped, and while the female wasn’t as large as her male counterparts, she was still seven feet tall, which made the task onerous. Jane’s muscles bunched while lifting the legs, and they set the unconscious form beside the stone.
“How are we going to use this if—” Jane paused when the splashing stopped. It was replaced by a hissing sound, and Lois turned the light on. Before she swung the gun higher, one of the large eels dropped off the rounded ceiling, landing mere feet from the Oniri stone. Lois blasted it, round after round penetrating the scaled gray skin.
“Whatever you’re doing, make it fast!” Lois shouted as another fell.
Jane tried to focus over the sound of the T-51N killing another alien creature. Why did they want us to have these coordinates?
She pulled on the Locus’ arm, and the stone flashed to life. Instead of filling with symbols like the one on Pathos, a single icon appeared, not unlike the Controllers on Caelum. If they touched it using the Locus’ hand, they’d be transported elsewhere.
“Lois?”
The staccato sound had ceased, and the woman stood with guts covering her armored suit. She gawked at Jane. “My gun jammed.” To prove this, she held the trigger, and it made a jarring beeping sound. The eels dragged themselves up the wall using a sticky substance extruding from their undersides. Jane quickly counted seven of the unsightly creatures.
Behind her, a couple of the lifeless Locus roused, one sitting up in the cryochamber.
The scene unfolded in slow motion, with an eel speeding up until it was directly above. Slime dripped between its teeth, landing next to Dr. Singh. Jane clutched the Locus’ wrist and slapped the palm to the waiting symbol, and the floor rumbled as her universe vibrated ferociously. Her teeth chattered so violently, she thought they might shatter.
Then it was over.
Jane lay on her back, viewing a different ceiling. Instead of rock, there was nothing but the familiar black panels frequently used by the Locus.
All ten of the Locus had accompanied their group, but only nine of the cryochambers had come. It didn’t take long to realize an eel had transported too. It shrieked, dropping to the floor. Lois, unable to shoot it, clutched her heavy gun like a bat, and got between Jane and the creature.
“Come on, you ugly son of a…” It snapped finger-long teeth and almost nipped the barrel of her gun.
“Over here!” Jane yelled, getting its attention. She barely noticed the Locus rising out of their boxes.
The monster lunged again, this time knocking Lois aside. She stumbled to her seat and clawed backwards.
A Locus dove, picking the weapon up, and deftly bounced to his feet. He proceeded to jump on the eel’s back, pulling the barrel around its dense neck. The Locus cried out with anger as it yanked the gun tighter, and something in the eel snapped. Finally, it relented, and both spilled to the ground in a heap.
“Thank you,” Lois whispered.
The Locus rolled over and stared blankly.
“Fascinating,” Dr. Singh said.
“Not this again,” Lois complained. “Curtis, maybe if you spent time learning their language, I wouldn’t have to—”
“Alilsh calketrek domiin.” The words were awkward out of the anthropologist’s mouth, but they seemed to work.
The female Locus had awoken, and she sat with her back on the Oniri stone. She spoke quickly, none of it making any sense to Jane. Some of the Preservers embraced, then investigated their surroundings. Eventually, the man who’d killed the eel on their behalf smiled, in the disjointed way they did, and the group relaxed. “Domiin,” he said.
“What does that mean?” Jane asked.
“Home.” Dr. Singh put an arm around her shoulder. “They’re home.”
While the Locus did self-assessments, the eldest of the bunch tested the cryochamber, closing the lid. The lights blinked, and the air within turned into a frosty mist. They spoke softly, cautiously watching the humans. Only when they’d checked each unit did the leader go to the exit.
Curtis shook his head in frustration. “I’ve been studying, but it’s a complex language not even Atticus has perfected. Primum has been willing to help, but he’s usually occupied with Dr. Lockerbie.”
“Ask his name,” Jane said.
Curtis stumbled through the question, and a female repeated it to the leader, fixing his mistakes.
