Merkiaari Wars: 01 - Hard Duty (34 page)

Her move to Child of Harmony was important enough, but it was nothing compared to the momentous news of first contact with another alien race. She had watched the broadcast announcing contact with the Humans. Everyone had of course. Every Shan in the Twin Worlds had watched spellbound as Kajetan explained in detail just who these strange creatures were, and why they had come. Her calm tones were at odds with the historic news. Shima had been fascinated by it all, but others were afraid. There had been disturbances. Frightened people had run in every direction expecting alien landings at any moment. Thousands had fled into the mountains. Every keep was inundated by frightened people seeking sanctuary. It had taken a string of broadcasts by the Council of Elders to calm the situation. Every warrior and every ship was on alert, they said. Be not afraid, they said. Humans are our friends, and they will speak to you soon.

And they had spoken.

Shima had lived through those days hardly able to work for fear she might miss the next broadcast. Kajetan said the Humans had been studying them so that they might speak well enough to make themselves understood, but for now they must use devices they had brought with them. The translators were not perfect, she warned, but with time and patience on both sides, understanding could be achieved.

A Human male with two names had spoken first—
two names!
Jeff Colgan was his name he said, and he was Tei for his ship.
Canada
was his ship’s name, and it was built for exploration among the stars. He went on to introduce some of his crew, and it was a female named Janice Bristow (
two names again!
) who had explained about the Alliance.

Broadcast followed broadcast, as each day led to greater understanding between Shan and Human. Alien names and faces were memorised by cubs, just in case the chance to meet one occurred. Everyone knew at least one Human name, and many knew them all. Some even had their favourite Human. Shima liked James Wilder for the way his name sounded, and for his deep voice—so alien it was. Then came the day that everyone had waited for. A message was sent to the Alliance inviting another ship to come. No doubt it was important, but by that time she had been hearing the call of her work again. She could not stay away any longer. Her life, and the lives of her co-workers settled back into normality and harmony. The Humans were relegated to an interesting topic to discuss in their spare time.

Shima was hard at work writing her report on variant three-one-five on that fateful day. It had proven itself the most promising variant of grain she had yet worked with. Genetics was still in its infancy, but already the benefits of hardier grain with higher yields was eagerly anticipated. Weather patterns differed greatly, and mean temperatures were higher on Child of Harmony. Food crops from Harmony did not prosper so well here, but if variant three-one-five was any indication, that would not always be so.

—successful. I therefore recommend assigning Area Six to variant three-one-five. If, as seems likely from available data, variant three-one-five prospers in the unprotected environment of Area Six, I can foresee farm trials beginning with next orbit’s growing season—

“…must get to the keep!” a voice screamed followed by crashes as something smashed. “Quickly, take this and this… where’s Shima? Has anyone seen Shima?”

Shima looked up in irritation at the noise. She rose to see what had caused it, but just then her terminal chimed announcing an incoming call. She hesitated a moment, but decided to take the call first. She would see what the fuss was about later.

She pressed the ‘accept call’ button on her computer. Her work was automatically saved, and then replaced by the image of her father. His ears were flat and his eyes were… she had never seen fear on her father’s face, but she knew it all the same. When she heard the booming voice in the background of the transmission, her heart sped as her own fear leapt to match his.

“…levels Six through Eight. Levels Nine through Twelve will evacuate via Red Sector…”

“Thank the Harmonies!” Tahar yelled over the frantic announcement. “You have to get out of Zuleika!”

“What? I don’t understand,” Shima cried. Behind her father, she saw people running by. “Are you all right? Is the station in danger?”

“Listen to me,” Tahar said in a hard voice. “Forget about me. This place is finished. All that matters is you and Chailen. She is with you, yes?”

“No. She’s visiting friends. What do you mean forget about you? What has happened—” the door behind her slid aside. She spun in a defensive crouch with her lips rippling back in a warning snarl.

“Shima,” Adonia gasped from the open door. “For Harmony’s sake what are you doing? We have to get to a keep!”

Shima’s ears were plastered tight against her head, making her almost deaf, and her vision was tunnelling. She desperately fought the hunt/kill reflex of her people, and tried to stop the rumbling growl that was forcing its way up from her chest.

“Shima!” Tahar cried as he was buffeted by running people. “The cities near the ports will be hit first. You have to get as far away from Zuleika as you can. The Fleet is fighting to give us time to evacuate the—”

The screen cleared and the calm face of Kajetan appeared.

“My people,” she said solemnly. “I have just been informed that the Fleet is under attack, and that our brave warriors are fighting for their lives. From the descriptions received, we believe the Murderers have returned. Our allies, the Humans, have vowed to stand with us and fight. Tei’Colgan informs me that a drone to the Alliance will be dispatched at once, but the Human fleet will take time to reach us. I am therefore ordering a system wide evacuation. Please assemble at your evacuation zones for immediate transport to your assigned keep. I say this to the warriors among you: Protect our young ones, and may the Harmonies be with you all.”

The screen cleared, but Tahar did not reappear. The report Shima had been working on suddenly blinked back to life on the screen awaiting her input. She turned away, and forced herself to walk calmly out of the room, when all she wanted to do was run.

“Wait, Shima. Where are you going?”

“Zuleika,” she said dully.

The Murderers were coming, and her father was dead. He had no chance aboard an unarmed station and he knew it. That was why he had called her instead of trying to escape with all those running people. Those poor people. Forget about me, he said, but she vowed she would not—not for as long as she lived.

“…heard what she said. The cities are not safe.”

“I don’t care. Chailen is there. My only sib is there!” she said angrily. She should have demanded that Chailen accompany her to work that morning, but she hadn’t. “I’m taking number three,” she said jumping into the car.

“You can’t do that!” Adonia snapped. “What about the rest of us? We have to evacuate.”

“You have the other three. Take the loaders too. You might as well save the grain while you’re at it. If any of us survive, we will need it. Three-one-five is stable.”

Adonia gaped. “Good idea.” She ran off shouting about saving variant three-one-five on the loaders.

Shima lifted off and accelerated hard to gain altitude. She ignored the local traffic pattern to cut straight toward Zuleika. An alarm sounded when her course and speed were noticed, but she didn’t care about fines. She shut down the guidance computer and its alarm. She knew the way, and flew the car as if guiding a missile.

She had to find Chailen. Nothing else mattered.

Zuleika was surprisingly orderly. There were heavily armed warriors at every intersection directing people to their evacuation zones. It would take longer than they had to evacuate the city completely, but there was enough time to get the young ones and their mothers out. Shima hoped so anyway.

She had no way of knowing what was happening elsewhere in the world. Had the Murderers already landed? She glanced around through the domed glass of the car. Somewhere up there her father was waiting to die along with thousands of others. The Fleet was fighting and dying to give her time to find Chailen, and she would do that. She would not fail her father or those who were even now dying to protect her.

Shima landed outside her home, and entered to find it empty. It was exactly as she had left it when she awoke this morning, but it felt different—abandoned already. No one had been here. She was certain. Wherever Chailen was now, she had not had time to collect her beamer.

Shima stripped off her harness. Digging tools and seed would not be needed for a long time, if ever. She dropped it on the floor unheeding, and put on her hunting harness. The knife and other things might be useful. Her beamer lay beside Chailen’s weapon in the drawer. The box held spare energy cells and a cleaning kit. The charger was too bulky to carry, but she secreted the spare cells into every available space on her harness, and quickly attached both holsters. She felt uncomfortably weighed down. The harness was not heavy even yet, but it felt cumbersome. It had never felt so before, it had always fit her like a second pelt, but the addition of the holsters made it look like a warrior’s harness. She wasn’t a warrior.

She felt… wrong. Just wrong.

Wrong or not, she wouldn’t give them up. If she was to find and protect Chailen, she would need the beamers to fight the Murderers. She took off her vision enhancer and looked blearily around her home. She never wore it on a hunt, but this was different. Shima wished again that she did not need it, but wishing did no good. She put it back on and left her home for the final time. She doubted that she would be back.

The street was empty when she reached it. Shima couldn’t believe that someone had taken her car without asking permission. That just wasn’t done. She stared at where she had parked it as if expecting it to reappear, but of course it did no such thing. She studied the street both ways, and then set off for Sharn’s house. Sharn was Chailen’s closest friend. They did everything together. Tahar had suggested that Chailen and Sharn might mate next orbit. Shima secretly thought so too. They were a good match and she was jealous. Shima hoped that was also a secret. She thought it was, but Chailen had a way of surprising—

CraAAAAacK! CraAAAAacK! CraAAAAacK!

Shima ducked instinctively. She had never heard a noise like it. She looked around, but saw nothing that could be responsible for it. Then she looked up and trembled. There were dozens and dozens of Shan flyers chasing a huge ship.

CraAAAAacK! CraAAAAacK! CraAAAAacK!

The noise came again, and this time Shima knew what it was. It was the sound of a flyer’s lightning weapon. Those huge beamers could smash buildings into molten rock, but the massive alien ship continued on its way unaffected. The Murderers were making their landing right in the city… no, they were going for the port, just as Tahar had predicted. Shima was relieved and felt guilty for it. There must be people at the port. They would die. Yes, but she wouldn’t and that meant Chailen would not. Whatever happened, Chailen must not die.

She was all that mattered now.

Shima ran on.

* * *

Hool Station, in orbit, Child of Harmony

Tahar ambled along the echoing corridor alone with his thoughts. He didn’t want to watch all the screaming and crying people trapped on the docks. There had been easily three times more people on the station than they had ships for.

He wished he could have just a little longer with Shima. She lacked confidence in herself and still needed him. Chailen was more resilient for all she was the younger. Ordinarily he would have no concerns for her. She would have comforted Shima at his death, but the situation was not ordinary. With the Murderers in system, he could only hope that his children would find some way to survive.

Tahar turned down another corridor toward a place he remembered, they served the best meals on the station, when he heard it—the sound of a cub whimpering in fear. He stopped and listened for the sound again. His ears swivelled and pricked up. The sound was coming from his left. He opened the hatch and a pair of frightened eyes looked up at him.

“Hello,” he said trying not to frighten her. “Are you all alone?”

Her tiny ears flicked and quivered only half erect. “I came back for my present. It’s my name day, but now I can’t find my sibs.”

Tahar swallowed the howl of despair he wanted to voice. All the cubs had left first. Their parents had followed packed to the bulkheads in an old ore transport. It was hoped some would survive that way. Staying behind was certain death.

“Not to worry,” he said with false cheer. He bent to pick her up. “You can stay with me until your mother comes.” He hugged her tight where she clung around his neck. “Are you hungry?”

“Can I have anything I want?”

“Anything at all little one,” he said continuing on his way.

“Even Shkai’ra?”

His ears twitched. “You like that do you?”

“Yes.”

“We can have that then,” Tahar said cheerfully. “I have cubs you know. They like Shkai’ra too. I used to take them hunting when they were your age.”

Tahar and his new friend died holding each other. They did not eat Shkai’ra. The Merkiaari guard ship smashed the station before they reached the dining area.

* * *

Shima streaked along the road on all fours. She had never run like this. She had never needed to. Her people were fast, just how fast she was only now coming to realise. Her ancestors had known of course. An empty belly had often goaded them into such bursts of speed as they attempted to take down Shkai’lon on the run—a particularly foolish thing to try under other circumstances. Shima had motivation for her speed, but it wasn’t an empty belly. She had Merki warriors on her tail—not literally thank the Harmonies, but they were close enough to make speed essential.